cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of serum-free hormonally defined media to evaluate the effects of growth factors and inhibitors on proliferation of estrogen-responsive mammary and pituitary tumor cells in culture

Serum-free defined media have been developed for assay of the mitogenic effects of growth factors on human MCF-7, human T-47D, and mouse COMMA-D mammary cells as well as for identification of mitogens and inhibitors of GH4C1 rat pituitary tumor cell growth. These lines were shown to grow in vivo in response to a variety of hormones including estrogens and thyroid hormones. With mammary cells, complete hormonally and nutritionally defined media were established that supported continuous passage at 50 to 90% of the serum stimulated rate. The strategy used to measure mitogens for mammary cells was to identify nutritional conditions where the growth rate was reduced greatly without impairing the response to picomolar to nanomolar concentration of growth factors. The effects of polypeptide growth factors and tissue extracts were estimated by their addition to basal medium and measuring cell number increases or labeled thymidine incorporation into DNA. In a variation of this methodology, the MTW9/PL2 rat mammary cells were used to identify secreted autocrine growth factors; nutritionally defined conditions were sought for growth of these rat cells in the complete absence of exogenous growth factors. The factors secreted into the medium were detected by bioassays with COMMA-D or MCF-7 mammary cell lines. The effects of growth factors-inhibitors on pituitary cells were measured by a related method; the GH4C1 cells were grown at less than optimal rates in a defined medium designated TRM-1. Addition of mitogens to TRM-1 stimulated pituitary cell growth whereas addition of inhibitors caused reduced levels of growth. The methods described in this report offer new means of assaying growth factors-inhibitors for a range of mammary and pituitary tumor cells.
The effect of induced polyploidy on the flavonols of Petunia Mitchell

In the flavonol biosynthetic pathway of Petunia 'Mitchell', polyploidy has a differential effect increasing the relative concentration of the major metabolite quercetin-3-sophoroside and decreasing the relative concentration of the minor metabolite quercetin-3,7-diglucoside. It has no effect on the total concentration or on the concentration of the other four minor flavonols.
State High Courts and the Development of Administrative Agencies During the Jacksonian Decade

Abstract This article explores the role of American state high courts in shaping public administrative agencies during the mid-antebellum period. With the assistance of a database summarizing some 7,200 case decisions, I identify and examine public commission cases decided by the high courts of six target states during the Jacksonian Decade: 1828–1837. More specifically, my article identifies issues regarding the actions and authorities of public commissions brought to the high courts of these states and examines the resolution of the issues reached by the courts. These issues, as they were presented to and decided by state high courts, are described in the courts' official written decisions. The decisions offer a view of the dialectic between issues of administrative actions and the institutional response of the courts. The insights offered by this article not only tell us about the society of the Jacksonian Decade and the administrative issues of the day, but also provide a view of the development of ad...
Law Enforcement and the Rights of the Accused: Are the Police Getting a Bad Rap?

Nationwide, law enforcement professionals have endured increasing scrutiny regarding their treatment of custodial suspects and their alleged abridgement of suspects’ Constitutional rights. At the same time, in the interests of community safety, many members of the public fully expect police officers to function efficiently in arresting and facilitating the prosecution of likely perpetrators. These perspectives reflect due-process and crime-control models respectively. Very little is known, however, about how law enforcement professionals actually view the rights of the accused when not acutely immersed in the cross-currents of public opinion. Using an anonymous survey, the current investigation addresses both Miranda rights as well as the European Union’s (EU) much more comprehensive approach to the rights of the accused. In general, this sample of 209 urban police officers favored protections of criminal suspects that went considerably beyond Miranda safeguards.
Multiplex optics for visual image processing

Multiplex optical systems are designed to mix information channels on sensors. This paper considers the use of multiplex sensors to embed scene analysis in the optical layer of imaging systems. The goals of embedded analysis are to reduce the system data and processing load and to improve analytic accuracy by low-level filtering. We show specifically that filtering on the cross spectral density during detection allows the construction of sensors that integrate spatio-spectral patterns from specific volumes and that coded illumination patterns can structure the radiated cross spectrum to enable digital focusing on particular source characteristics.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Naming Ability

The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate a coordinated interdisciplinary approach between occupational therapy and speech language pathology that encourages transfer of naming ability. The participant for the study had aphasia characterized by word retrieval difficulty following a stroke. She resided in a nursing home where she received speech pathology services and occupational therapy. Individual speech therapy sessions were designed to develop a strategy for improved naming ability that involved concentration on the intended word. Transfer of the strategy was coordinated with occupational therapy. The participant improved her naming ability in therapy as well as in out-of-therapy settings, thus enhancing her social life in the nursing home. This type of interdisciplinary approach to improving communication should be easily adaptable in similar settings.
Performance evaluation of circuit switched multistage interconnection networks using a hold strategy

The performance evaluation of processor-memory communications for multiprocessor systems using circuit switched interconnection networks with a hold strategy is performed. Message size and processor processing time are considered and shown to have a significant effect on the overall system performance. A closed queuing network model is proposed such that only (n+2) states are required by the proposed model, in contrast to (n/sup 2/+3n+4)/2 states needed in previous studies, where n is the number of stages of the multistage interconnection network. Since a closed-form solution is obtained, the behavior of a complete cycle of memory access through multistage interconnection networks can be accurately analyzed and various performance bounds can be obtained. >
Caffeine Consumption, Sleep, and Affect in the Natural Environments of Depressed Youth and Healthy Controls

Objective Sleep problems are a cardinal symptom of depression in children and adolescents and caffeine use is a prevalent and problematic issue in youth; yet little is known about caffeine use and its effects on sleep in youth with depression. We examined caffeine use and its relation to sleep and affect in youth’s natural environments. Methods Thirty youth with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 23 control youth reported on caffeine use, sleep, and affect in their natural environment using ecological momentary assessment at baseline and over 8 weeks, while MDD youth received treatment. Results Youth with MDD reported more caffeine use and sleep problems relative to healthy youth. Youth with MDD reported more anxiety on days they consumed caffeine. Caffeine use among youth with MDD decreased across treatment, but sleep complaints remained elevated. Conclusions Findings suggest that both sleep quality and caffeine use are altered in pediatric depression; that caffeine use, but not sleep problems, improves with treatment; and that caffeine may exacerbate daily anxiety among youth with depression.
Mapping the Results of Geographically Weighted Regression

Geographically weighted regression (GWR) is a local spatial statistical technique for exploring spatial nonstationarity. Previous approaches to mapping the results of GWR have primarily employed an equal step classification and sequential no-hue colour scheme for choropleth mapping of parameter estimates. This cartographic approach may hinder the exploration of spatial nonstationarity by inadequately illustrating the spatial distribution of the sign, magnitude, and significance of the influence of each explanatory variable on the dependent variable. Approaches for improving mapping of the results of GWR are illustrated using a case study analysis of population density–median home value relationships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. These approaches employ data classification schemes informed by the (nonspatial) data distribution, diverging colour schemes, and bivariate choropleth mapping.
Caspase-3 and -6 Expression and Enzyme Activity in Hen Granulosa Cells

We have cloned and sequenced cDNAs corresponding to the complete coding regions of the chicken homologues to mammalian caspase-3 and caspase-6. Both caspases are included among members of the cysteine protease (caspase) family that are most closely identified with mediating apoptosis. The deduced amino acid sequences for chicken caspase-3 and -6 show 65% and 68% identity with the respective human sequences, with complete conservation found within the QACRG active peptide region. Both caspase-3 and -6 are widely expressed within various tissues from the hen. Within the ovary, levels of caspase-3 and caspase-6 mRNA and protein do not change significantly in theca tissue during follicle development. On the other hand, procaspase-3 and -6 protein levels are elevated by 2- to 5-fold in preovulatory, compared to prehierarchal (6- to 8-mm diameter), follicle granulosa cells. Nevertheless, the function of this family of cell death-inducing proteins requires activation of the proenzyme caspase, which occurs after cleavage at predictable sites within the N-terminal domain. Accordingly, it was determined that okadaic acid, a pharmacologic inducer of apoptotic cell death in cultured apoptosis-resistant, preovulatory follicle granulosa cells, induced both caspase-3- and caspase-6-like activity within 8-16 h of treatment. By comparison, spontaneous apoptotic cell death that occurs in apoptosis-sensitive, prehierarchal follicle granulosa cells after short-term suspension culture is accompanied by a more rapid increase (within 2 h) in both caspase-3- and -6-like activity. Treatment with 8-bromo-cAMP, which has previously been shown to attenuate, or at least slow, the onset of apoptosis in prehierarchal follicle granulosa cells, mitigates this suspension culture-induced increase in caspase activity. While the present results provide further support for the relationship between caspase activation and apoptotic cell death in hen granulosa cells, the molecular ordering of enzymatic events and the caspase-specific substrates remain to be elucidated.
Factor structures and central points by similarity

We present a general framework and results on factorization of systems of fuzzy sets by similarity. The result of such factorization can be regarded as a simplified version of the original system in which we deliberately do not distinguish elements which are highly similar. We assume that the fuzzy sets are fixed points of some closure operator. Examples of such systems are fuzzy concept lattices, fuzzy sets in a given universe, and complete residuated lattices. The similarity relation we consider is an a-cut of a particular fuzzy equivalence relation with a being a similarity threshold supplied by a user which controls the meaning of ldquohighly similarrdquo. We present results describing the factorization including an efficient way to compute the factor structure. In addition, we describe a-central points of a given collection of fixed points of a closure operator, i.e. points which are similar to every point in the collection to degree at least a.
Effects of shadowing and steering in oblique-incidence metal (100) epitaxial growth

The effects of attraction in oblique-incidence metal ! 100" epitaxial growth are studied by comparing the results of simulations which include the effects of short-range ! SR" and long-range ! LR" attraction with results obtained in the absence of attraction. In general, we find that the qualitative dependence of the surface morphology on deposition angle and film thickness, including the existence of a transition from mounds to asymmetric ripples oriented perpendicular to the beam at large deposition angles, as well as a second transition from ripples to rods with ! 111" facets oriented parallel to the beam at larger deposition angles and film thicknesses, is not altered by the presence of attraction. However, we find that attraction can have two important effects. The first effect, which is a result of steering due to LR attraction and leads to decreased shadowing, leads to decreased anisotropy in the submonolayer regime and can also lead to decreased surface roughness for high-deposition angles and intermediate film thicknesses. The second effect, due to flux focusing, leads to an increase in the surface roughness and feature size and also reduces the critical thickness for ripple and rod formations. This effect also tends to limit the anisotropy in the rod phase for high-deposition angles and film thicknesses. Surprisingly, we also find excellent scaling for the surface roughness as a function of deposition angle and film thickness in the presence of attraction. We also present extensive results for the dependence of the surface morphology on a variety of other parameters including azimuthal angle, growth temperature, deposition flux, and crystal geometry. A comparison between our simulation results and recent experimental results for grazing incidence Cu/Cu! 100" growth is also presented.
Odd Minimum Cut-Sets and b-Matchings

We show that the determination of a minimum cut-set of odd cardinality in a graph with even and odd vertices can be dealt with by a minor modification of the polynomially bounded algorithm of Gomory and Hu for multi-terminal networks. We connect this problem to the problem of identifying a matching or blossom constraint that chops off a point which is not contained in the convex hull of matchings or proving that no such inequality exists. Both the b-matching problems without and with upper bounds are considered. We discuss how the results of this paper can be used in conjunction with commercial LP packages lo solve b-matching problems.
The World of Cross-Cultural Research: Insights for Gifted Education

As the world becomes smaller in a small field like gifted education, cross-cultural research gives us a unique opportunity to understand top students and academic interventions in a deeper way. In this article, the author describes the importance of cross-cultural research as a way to serve gifted children globally. A description of a well-articulated research plan; a list of topics of interest to the field that could provide important data for gifted education policy, practice, and future research; and a case study of a successful cross-cultural research study are included to provide a basis for building a research agenda.
Social Security: Can the Promise Be Kept?

In this article, the author, a former Chair of the Quadrennial Advisory Council on Social Security, argues that Social Security reform ought to focus on two questions: 1) have we protected the present benefit system; and, 2) what have we done about new saving to equip younger people with the capital to pay for all the added retirees in the future. He notes that Social Security is an important part of income support for the aged up till at least the middle income level and also provides protection against work disability and for when the breadwinner in the family dies early as well as full protection against inflation. He proposes to achieve these two goals by 1) a modest trimming of the present benefit system, not interfering with the basic social protections, and 2) creating "add-on" individual accounts on top of Social Security. For these accounts, he advocates a 401(k) approach where the money is collected centrally and invested centrally. The accounts would have a very constrained set of safe investment choices to keep the costs of investor education and account administration fairly low. Finally, he suggests that indexing the retirement age in line with overall life expectancy would substantially slow the rate of growth of benefits over time, improve the long-run actuarial balance of the system, and also eliminate a major source of forecasting uncertainty.
Neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent substance use disorder: The moderating role of maltreatment

The ecological-transactional model proposes that nested contexts interact to influence development. From this perspective, child maltreatment represents an individual-level risk factor posited to interact with numerous other nested contextual levels, such as the neighborhood environment, to affect development. The aim of this study was to investigate whether adolescents with maltreatment histories represent a vulnerable group for whom disadvantaged neighborhoods confer risk for substance use disorders. Participants were 411 adolescents (age 15-18; mean age = 16.24) from an investigation of the developmental sequelae of childhood maltreatment. Multiple-group structural equation models, controlling for family-level socioeconomic status, indicated that neighborhood disadvantage was associated with more marijuana-dependence symptoms among maltreated but not among non-maltreated adolescents. Moreover, among maltreated adolescents, those who experienced multiple subtypes of maltreatment were at greatest risk for problematic marijuana use in the context of neighborhood disadvantage. Interestingly, the direct effect of neighborhood disadvantage, but not the interaction with maltreatment, was related to adolescent alcohol-dependence symptoms. RESULTS highlight the importance of considering multiple levels of influence when examining risk associated with child maltreatment. Language: en
Electromagnetic and Mechanical Analysis of the Coil Structure for the CLAS12 Torus for 12 GeV Upgrade

The torus magnet for the CLAS12 spectrometer is a 3.6-T superconducting magnet being designed and built as part of the Jefferson Lab 12-GeV upgrade. The magnet consists of six coil case (enclosed in a vacuum-impregnated coil pack) assemblies mounted to a cold central hub. The coil pack consists of a 117-turn double-pancake winding wrapped with two layers of 0.635-mm-thick copper cooling sheets. The coil case assembly is cooled by supercritical helium at 4.6 K. This presents the electromagnetic and structural analysis of the coil case assembly and the assessment of the coil pack stresses. For the normal operation of the torus magnet, the coil case assembly was analyzed for cool down to 4.6 K and the Lorentz forces at normal operating current. In addition to the normal operating configuration, the coil case assembly was analyzed for Lorentz forces arising from coil misalignment and current imbalances. Primary stresses were limited to the lesser of 2/3 times the yield strength or 1/3 times the ultimate tensile strength. Primary plus secondary stresses were limited to 3 times the primary stress allowable. The analysis was performed using ANSYS Maxwell and ANSYS Mechanical to calculate the magnetostatic loads and calculate the stresses.
Induction of deep layer cortical neurons in vitro

Transplantation studies suggest that the laminar fates of cerebral cortical neurons are determined by environmental signals encountered just before mitosis. In ferret, E29 progenitor cells normally produce neurons of layers 5 and 6. When transplanted during S-phase into an older ventricular zone, E29 progenitors produce neurons that change their fates and migrate to layer 2/3; however, cells transplanted later in the cell cycle migrate to their normal deep-layer positions even in an older environment (McConnell and Kaznowski, 1991). Here we utilize three culture systems to investigate the nature of the environmental signals involved in laminar specification. E29 cells were first cultured at low density to ascertain whether cell contact and/or short-range cues are required for deep layer specification. Neurons transplanted after a short time in low-density culture failed to adopt their normal fates and migrated instead to the upper layers. When crude cell contacts were restored by pelleting E29 cells together, most transplanted neurons cells became specified to their normal deep layer fates. Finally, E29 cells were transplanted after being cultured in explants that maintained the architecture of the cerebral wall. Explants allowed normal deep layer specification to occur, as transplanted cells migrated to layers 5 and 6. These results suggest that short-range cues induce multipotent progenitors to produce deep layer neurons.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AMONG THE SENSES

Each sense department appears specialized to process certain types of information. Yet the senses display similarities of function as well. Some of these similarities are superficial but others are deeper; they appear at four levels: (1) phenomenology; (2) information processing; (3) psychophysics; (4) neurophysiology. Similarities (and differences) at these levels may bear on sensory substitution in neural prosthetic devices (for instance, on tactile systems that could provide speech and spatial lay-out information to the deaf and blind). Examples of similarities appear in: (1) synesthetic resemblances between the attributes of pitch (hearing) and brightness (vision); (2) the identification of shapes by sight and by touch; (3) the skin as a model for the retina and for the cochlea. However, these similarities provide limited direct application to sensory aids. Several tactile systems (e.g., Braille, Optacon, Tadoma) do not rely on modes of functioning simply translated from one modality to another. It may be better to focus on the differences rather than on the similarities among the senses, and to gear sensory aids to the substitution modality's particular strengths.
Internal connectivity of the homing pigeon (Columba livia) hippocampal formation: an anterograde and retrograde tracer study.

The avian hippocampal formation (HF) is a structure necessary for learning and remembering aspects of environmental space. Therefore, understanding the connections between different HF regions is important for determining how spatial learning processes are organized within the avian brain. The prevailing feed-forward, trisynaptic internal connectivity of the mammalian hippocampus and its importance for cognition have been well described, but the internal connectivity of the avian HF has only recently been investigated. To examine further the connectivity within the avian HF, small amounts of cholera toxin subunit B, primarily a retrograde tracer (n = 15), or biotinylated dextran amine, primarily an anterograde tracer (n = 10), were injected into localized regions of the HF. Examination of the immunohistochemically labeled tissue showed projections from extrinsic sensory processing areas into dorsolateral HF and the dorsal portion of the dorsomedial HF (DMd). DMd in turn projected into the medial (VM) and lateral (VL) ventral cell layers. A projection from VM into VL was found, and together these areas and DM provided input into the contralateral ventral cell layers. Ipsilaterally, a ventral portion of dorsomedial HF (DMv) received input from VL and VM. From DMv, projections exited HF laterally. The highlighted projections formed a discernible feed-forward processing network through the avian HF that resembled the trisynaptic circuit of the mammalian HF. J. Comp. Neurol. 459:127–141, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An incremental time-slot assignment algorithm for TDM hierarchical switching systems

An incremental algorithm is presented for scheduling traffic in a general class of time-division multiplexed (TDM) switching systems employed in satellite and terrestrial communication networks. This class of switching systems, known as hierarchical switching systems (HSSs), has a three-tiered structure with one stage of concentration followed by switching and distribution. Instead of recomputing the time-slot assignment (TSA) for each frame of traffic, the algorithm computes a TSA for a new frame by modifying the known TSA of the previous frame. >
Voltage-sensitive calcium channels in spinal nociceptive processing: blockade of N- and P-type channels inhibits formalin-induced nociception

The role of spinal voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCC) in a behavioral model of prolonged nociception was examined in rats. Blockade of VSCC by the trivalent cations neodymium (NdCl3) and lanthanum (LaCl3) resulted in a dose-dependent suppression of both phases of the response to formalin. omega-Conopeptides, which selectively block N-type VSCC, also produced a dose-dependent inhibition of both the initial behavior [phase 1; ED50 (nmol): SNX-111 (0.003) > SNX-185 (0.010) > SNX-239 (0.16) >> SNX-159 (> 0.26); SNX-199 (> 0.30)] and the facilitated response [phase 2; ED50 (nmol): SNX-111 (0.003) > SNX-185 (0.009) > SNX-239 (0.020) > SNX-159 (0.120) = SNX-199 (0.230)]. In contrast, SNX-231 (0.24 nmol), which is selective for a non-L/non-N site and also the L-type VSCC blockers nifedipine (24 nmol), nimodipine (29 nmol), verapamil (200 nmol), and diltiazem (220 nmol), had minimal effects on either phase of the formalin test at the highest dose examined. The P-type channel blocker omega-agatoxin IVA produced a 40% inhibition of phase 1 at the highest dose and phase 2 was suppressed in a dose-dependent fashion (ED50, 0.001 nmol). The response latency to a high-threshold thermal stimulus (the 52.5 degrees C hot plate) was moderately (20%) increased by NdCl3 (0.30 nmol) and SNX-111 (0.008 nmol), but not verapamil (200 nmol) and omega-agatoxin IVA (0.006 nmol). High doses of the N-type VSCC produced characteristic shaking behavior, serpentine-like tail movements, and impaired coordination. However, at antinociceptive doses there was no significant motor effect, though three of the N-type antagonists produced some tail movements. These studies demonstrate that VSCC of the N- and P-type, but not L-type, are involved in facilitated nociceptive processing at the spinal level.
A brachial glycogen body in the spinal cord of the domestic chicken.

When cervical segments 14 to 15 of the chicken spinal cord are cut transversely and studied by routine histological and histochemical methods, an onion-shaped region, filled with thread-like fibers, if seen to surround the ependymal cells of the central canal and to be bounded laterally by the neural elements of the spinal gray matter. This area is negative for succinic dehydrogenase, beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and cholinesterase activity, but very strongly periodic acid-Schiff positive. Diastase controls show the positive material to be glycogen. Parasagittal sections through this cervical region and into the upper thoracic cord, show the glycogen-rich region to extend longitudinally throughout the region. Because of its location and histochemical characterization, which, He similar to that of the ventral portion of the glycogen body, the term brachial glycogen budy is proposed for this structure.
Vitamin E and ω-3 fatty acids: effectors of platelet responsiveness

Abstract This overview focuses on recent evidence in support of vitamin E and ω-3 fatty acids as positive effectors of cardiovascular health through their ability to influence signaling processes in platelets. Special emphasis is placed on vitamin E actions independent of antioxidant activity. The sometimes discordant findings among observational studies, clinical trials, and in vitro cellular studies have been scrutinized for clues to explain possible mechanisms of actions and suggest strategies for future work to define appropriate intakes of these two nutrients.
The Stobbe Condensation

In 1893, Stobbe demonstrated that when a mixture of acetone and diethyl succinate was treated with sodium ethoxide the expected acetoacetic ester type of condensation to give beta-diketo compound did not take place. The reaction of aldehydes or ketones with an ester of succinic acid to form alkylidenesuccinic acid, or isomers formed by a tautomeric shift of hydrogen, is known as the Stobbe condensation. One mole of metal alkoxide is required per mole of carbonyl compound and ester, and the primary product is the salt of the half-ester. Keywords: Stobbe condensation; aldehydes; ketones; diketones; keto esters; cyano ketones; isolation of products; substituted succinic esters; side reactions; experimental procedures
Macrophage progenitor cell and colony-stimulating factor production during granulomatous schistosomiasis mansoni in mice.

Schistosoma mansoni worm eggs stimulate a T-cell-mediated granulomatous response in which macrophages play important inflammatory and regulatory roles. Although much has been learned about the functions of the schistosome granuloma macrophages, their origin and replicative ability are unknown. In the present sequential study, macrophage progenitor cells in the bone marrow (GM-CFC) and liver granulomas (M-CFC) were enumerated, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) in the circulation and culture fluid of explanted granulomas of infected mice was assayed. During the acute phase of the infection, when the granulomatous response was vigorous (weeks 8 to 12) GM-CFC numbers were high in the bone marrow and M-CFC numbers were low within granulomas. Circulating CSF-1 levels were elevated, but the vigorous granuloma-secreted CSF-1 level was low. During the chronic phase of the infection, the number of GM-CFC within the bone marrow and levels of circulating CSF-1 returned to normal. Conversely, a sharp increase in the number of M-CFC occurred within the small immunomodulated granulomas that also secreted high levels of CSF-1. The frequency of M-CFC that proliferated under exogenously added CSF-1 within the immunomodulated granulomas was significantly higher than that of cells in the vigorous granulomas. Adherent macrophage-rich cells obtained after dispersal of the granulomas appeared to be one source of CSF-1 production. These data indicate that during the infection the macrophage supply to and replicative ability within the granulomas is influenced by systemically and/or locally produced CSF-1. Images
Fixed-ratio performance with and without a postreinforcement timeout.

Pigeons pecked a key, producing food reinforcement on fixed-ratio (FR) schedules requiring 50, 100, or 150 responses. In each session, 30-second timeouts were inserted before a random half of the FR trials, whereas the other trials began immediately after reinforcement. In general, preratio pauses were shorter on trials preceded by timeouts. On these trials, the probability of a first response tended to be highest in the first 20 seconds of the trials, suggesting that the shorter pauses were the result of transient behavioral contrast. Direct observations and analyses of interresponse times (IRTs) after the preratio pause indicated that IRTs could be grouped into three categories: (1) IRTs of about .1 second, which were produced by small head movements in the vicinity of the key; (2) IRTs of about .3 second, which were produced by distinct pecking motions; and (3) IRTs greater than .5 second, which were accompanied by pausing or movements away from the key. At all ratio sizes, as a subject progressed through a trial, the probability of a long IRT decreased, whereas the probability of an intermediate IRT usually increased at first and then decreased. The probability of a short IRT increased monotonically across a trial. The results show that responding changes systematically as a subject progresses through a ratio on an FR schedule. Some characteristics of performance varied as functions of the absolute size of the response requirement, whereas others appeared to depend on the relative location within a ratio (i.e., the proportion of the ratio completed at a given moment).
Critical Buckling Loads for Tapered Columns

Formulas and graphs for determination of critical elastic buckling loads of uniformly tapered columns having wide flange section, box section, and other cross-sectional shapes are presented; columns with pinned ends, fixed-free ends, fixed-pinned ends, and fixed ends are considered; critical elastic buckling loads may be obtained directly from graphs presented.
Accesibilidad En La Oferta Gastronómica De La Ciudad De Viedma, Provincia De Río Negro, Argentina (Accessibility in the Gastronomic Offer of the City of Viedma. Río Negro Province. Argentina)

Spanish Abstract: La presente investigacion se enmarca en el turismo accesible, considerando las barreras que puede presentar la oferta gastronomica a personas con requerimientos especiales de alimentacion. Partiendo de este concepto, se toman como objeto de estudio desde la perspectiva del turismo accesible, afecciones como la diabetes mellitus, la celiaquia y la hipertension arterial, y se integra a los vegetarianos, tomando en cuenta que pueden encontrar barreras en el disfrute de los servicios gastronomicos. Para tal fin, se realizo un trabajo de campo en la ciudad de Viedma, que permitio conocer la oferta gastronomica existente y su situacion con respecto a la posibilidad de recibir comensales con requerimientos especiales en su dieta, como los segmentos objetos de estudio.Spanish Abstract: This research formed part of the premise of Accessible Tourism, considering the barriers that can present the cuisine to people with special food requirements. Starting with this concept, were taken as the object of study conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension and Celiac disease, and the Vegetarians joined the perspective of Accessible Tourism considering they may encounter barriers in the enjoyment of food service. For this purpose a field, in the city of Viedma, yielded information on the existing cuisine and its situation with respect to the possibility of guests with special needs in their diet, as the segments under study was performed.
Benchmark Performance Metrics for Integrated Project Delivery

AbstractThe construction industry is fraught with waste and inefficiencies resulting in projects often failing to meet owners’ expectations. Integrated project delivery (IPD) is the newest project delivery system (PDS) and changes the traditional roles and relationships of key project stakeholders. Through increased early collaboration, IPD attempts to eliminate waste and deliver the highest-value projects to owners. It is seen as a potential solution to many of the challenges impeding successful project performance. However, a transformational move toward IPD has yet to reach a tipping point, and its use is not prevalent throughout the construction industry. Little research has been done to quantitatively analyze IPD compared with the more commonly used delivery methods. Through substantial collection of quantitative project performance data and univariate statistical analysis, this study fills the gap in PDS research by evaluating the effects of IPD on building construction projects across a wide range ...
An update on breast cancer: evolving treatments and persistent questions.

SUMMARY This review describes recent advances in imaging technology and treatment options, and discusses the persistent questions about the best strategies for preventing, diagnosing and treating breast cancer. Possible clinical implications of new research on the causes of breast cancer are also examined. The evolution of breast cancer management over the past century is summarized.
The severely abused woman in obstetric and gynecologic care. Guidelines for recognition and management.

An abnormally short or long umbilical cord is associated with a greater risk of cord compression, variable fetal heart rate decelerations and fetal demise. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether any relation exists between an abnormal length of the umbilical cord and acid-base imbalance at delivery. Cord lengths were measured routinely in 3,019 consecutive pregnancies undergoing labor beyond 34 weeks. Short cords (13-35 cm) were found in 61 (2.0%) cases and long cords (80-121 cm) in 112 (3.7%) cases. Umbilical blood pH and base deficit values averaged the same for those pregnancies with short (7.35±0.09 and 3.1±2.7 mEq/L, mean±SD), normal length (7.36±0.03 and 3.8±1.7, mEq/L) and long (7.34±0.06 and 3.7±3.1 mEq/L) cords. A blood pH<7.20 was very uncommon in the presence of a short (two cases, 3.3%) or long umbilical cord at birth is not by itself associated with an increased risk of acid-base imbalance at delivery and does not require routine cord blood gas determination
Endothelium dependent relaxation of human corpus cavernosum by bradykinin.

Abstract The release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) from human corpus cavernosum (CC) tissue was confirmed by demonstrating that bradykinin produces endothelium dependent relaxation of human CC tissue. Human CC strips were set in a tissue bath and isometric tension changes were recorded. All strips showed spontaneous contractions and produced tonic contractions by both high potassium solution and noradrenaline (NA) (10 −9 to 10 −4 M) in a dose dependent manner. In preparations precontracted with NA, relaxation was produced by bradykinin (10 −7 to 2 × 10 −6 M). Strips lacking endothelium were contracted by NA but no relaxation was observed with the addition of bradykinin. More direct evidence of the release of EDRF from human CC was demonstrated by a “sandwich” mount. We conclude that bradykinin relaxes human CC by releasing EDRF and that this EDRF may be a factor in erectile function. ( J. Urol., 144: 1015–1017, 1990 )
THE CONFLUENT HYPERGEOMETRIC FUNCTION

This chapter discusses the confluent hypergeometric function. It is previously noted that the confluent hypergeometric series follows from that for 2 F 1 ( a , b ; c ; z/b ) by use of the confluence principle, that is take the limit as b →∞. This concept is useful to deduce properties of the 1 F 1 from those for the 2 F 1 especially in those instances where results for the 1 F 1 do not follow from those for the p F q by setting p = q = 1. Thus, many of the important results for the 1 F 1 needed for the applications readily follow from those for the p F q and the 2 F 1 and actually could be omitted.
Chicken albumin exhibits natural resistance to glycation.

Abstract Glycation of proteins and subsequent production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is a major contributor to the pathophysiology of diabetes. The objective of the present study was to compare the glycation of avian and human serum albumin to elucidate the mechanisms by which protein glycation in birds is prevented in the presence of naturally high plasma glucose concentrations. Solutions of purified chicken and human serum albumin (CSA and HSA) were prepared with four different glucose concentrations (0, 5.56, 11.1, and 22.2 mM) and incubated at three temperatures (37.0, 39.8, and 41.4 °C) for seven days. The solutions were sampled on Days 0, 3, and 7 and analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry for the presence of glycated albumin. Four-way repeated measures ANOVA ( p = 0.032) indicate that all independent variables (albumin type, glucose concentration, temperature and time) interacted to affect the degree of glycation. With increasing glucose concentration, the glycation of both HSA and CSA increased with time at all temperatures. In addition, HSA was glycated to a greater extent than CSA at the two higher glucose concentrations for all temperature conditions. Glycation was elevated with increasing temperatures for HSA but not CSA. The results suggest an inherent difference between human and chicken albumin that contributes to the observed differences in glycation. Further research is needed to characterize this inherent difference in an effort to elucidate mechanisms by which avian plasma protein is glycated to a lesser degree than that of mammals (humans).
Vulnerability-specific stress generation: Childhood emotional abuse and the mediating role of depressogenic interpersonal processes

Stress generation in depression (i.e. the tendency for depression-prone individuals to experience more life stress that is in part influenced by the individual) has been well established. However, more research is necessary to clarify the role of specific types of life stress in this effect. The current study extends the stress generation hypothesis by examining whether the type of stress involved is contingent upon the nature of the individual's particular vulnerability. Childhood emotional abuse and interpersonal vulnerability factors were predicted to be associated with prospective interpersonal dependent but not non-interpersonal or independent stress. These interpersonal factors were examined as mediators of the association between childhood emotional abuse and interpersonal stress generation. Data were collected from 185 undergraduate participants at two time-points, four months apart. At baseline, participants completed assessments of depressive symptoms, childhood abuse history, interpersonal risk factors (rejection sensitivity, excessive reassurance-seeking, and negative feedback-seeking), and a diagnostic interview for depression. At the follow-up assessment, participants completed a life stress interview. Childhood emotional abuse prospectively predicted greater interpersonal dependent stress, but not non-interpersonal dependent or independent stress. Only rejection sensitivity mediated this relationship. Consistent with the stress generation hypothesis, neither childhood emotional abuse nor the three interpersonal risk factors predicted independent stress. These findings suggest that targeting interpersonal vulnerabilities in clinical settings, particularly rejection sensitivity, among individuals with a history of childhood emotional abuse, may help to reduce the occurrence of interpersonal dependent stress, thus possibly decreasing risk for depression.
Beyond Blobology: Using Psychophysiological Interaction Analyses to Investigate the Neural Basis of Human Communication Phenomena

Huskey shows how rapid advances in brain-imaging technologies have allowed for the systematic investigation of the mind/brain and researchers are increasingly utilizing these methods to examine the neural basis of human communication behavior. The chapter introduces communication scholars interested in conducting functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) investigations to psychophysiological interaction analyses (PPI). Huskey discusses the methodological particulars associated with using a PPI analysis to test the synchronization theory of flow before concluding with a broader outlook on applications to communication theory and research. Specifically, the chapter discusses how investigations of neural connectivity can be used for theoretical falsification, conceptual refinement, and distinguishing constructs that have similar phenomenological characteristics and behavioral outcomes.
Adenosine A2A receptor and ERK-driven impulsivity potentiates hippocampal neuroblast proliferation.

Dampened adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) function has been implicated in addiction through enhancement of goal-directed behaviors. However, the contribution of the A2AR to the control of impulsive reward seeking remains unknown. Using mice that were exposed to differential reward of low rate (DRL) schedules during Pavlovian-conditioning, second-order schedule discrimination, and the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), we demonstrate that deficits of A2AR function promote impulsive responses. Antagonism of the A2AR lowered ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation in the dorsal hippocampus (dHip) and potentiated impulsivity during Pavlovian-conditioning and the 5-CSRTT. Remarkably, inhibition of ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation by U0126 in the dHip prior to Pavlovian-conditioning exacerbated impulsive reward seeking. Moreover, we found decreased A2AR expression, and reduced ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation in the dHip of equilibrative nucleoside transporter type 1 (ENT1–/–) null mice, which displayed exacerbated impulsivity. To determine whether impulsive response behavior is associated with hippocampal neuroblast development, we investigated expression of BrdU+ and doublecortin (DCX+) following 5-CSRTT testing. These studies revealed that impulsive behavior driven by inhibition of the A2AR is accompanied by increased neuroblast proliferation in the hippocampus.
EFFECT OF INTEREST RATE REFORMS ON ECONOMIC GROWTH OF NIGERIA (1986 - 2013)

The study investigates the effect of bank interest rate reforms on economy growth of Nigeria with annual time series data from 1986 to 2013. Econometric evidence reveals stationary of the variables at their first differences while the Johansen co-integration approach also confirms the presence of one co-integrating relationship at one percent and five percent levels of significance. In addition, Ordinary Least Square results indicate that bank interest rate reforms have significant negative effect on economic growth in Nigeria. The study further shows that, bank interest rate reforms have shown to have very high explanatory influence on Nigerian economy, which indicates that, banking sector reform is a veritable tool for repositioning and reorienting Nigerian economy. The study recommends among others that, monetary authorities should continue to allow the market forces of demand and supply to determine interest rate regime with little guided intervention and monitoring the performance/trends to ensure effective contributions of interest rate on savings, investment and the growth of the economy.
The Role of Care Coordination in Meeting Quality Performance Measures in Ambulatory Care Settings

The accountable care organization (ACO) is a delivery reform initiative that was devised to focus on care, health, and cost; quality of care within these organizations is determined by a set of def...
Polarization effects associated with thermal processing of HY-80 structural steel using high-power laser diode array

Localized heating of roughened steel surfaces using highly divergent laser light emitted from high-power laser diode arrays was experimentally demonstrated and compared with theoretical predictions. Polarization dependence was analyzed using Fresnel coefficients to understand the laser-induced temperature rise of HY-80 steel plates under 383- to 612-W laser irradiation. Laser-induced, transient temperature distributions were directly measured using bulk thermocouple probes and thermal imaging. Finite-element analysis yielded quantitative assessment of energy deposition and heat transport in HY-80 steel using absorptivity as a tuning parameter. The extracted absorptivity values ranged from 0.62 to 0.75 for S-polarized and 0.63 to 0.85 for P-polarized light, in agreement with partially oxidized iron surfaces. Microstructural analysis using electron backscatter diffraction revealed a heat affected zone for the highest temperature conditions (612 W, P-polarized) as evidence of rapid quenching and an austenite to martensite transformation. The efficient use of diode arrays for laser-assisted advanced manufacturing technologies, such as hybrid friction stir welding, is discussed.
Questions and Issues About the Process of Estimating Properties of Chemicals

Questions and issues about property prediction are addressed and discussed. Issues such as reliability, evaluation of predicted values and how to handle different/multiple values predicted from different methodology, and how the data should be presented to the user community are critical to a project of the scale of the Beilstein database of chemicals. Lastly a proposal is presented as to how to initially address large-scale prediction of properties of chemicals.