cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PLASMA FREE FATTY ACID TURNOVER IN CARBON TETRACHLORIDE-TREATED RATS.

Abstract The proposal that the hepatic fat accumulation induced by ingestion of carbon tetrachloride by rats is due to increased fatty acid mobilization has been tested. The data show that neither the plasma volume as determined following I 131 injection of serum albumin nor the free fatty acid concentration was changed by carbon tetrachloride treatment. Since the disappearance of injected palmitate 1-C 14 was not increased following ingestion of this hepatotoxin, it appears unlikely that increased fatty acid mobilization plays a role in the initial development of a fatty liver.
Local sources of global climate forcing from different categories of land use activities

Abstract. Identifying and quantifying the sources of climate impacts from land use and land cover change (LULCC) is necessary to optimize policies regarding LULCC for climate change mitigation. These climate impacts are typically defined relative to emissions of CO2, or sometimes emissions of other long-lived greenhouse gases. Here we use previously published estimates of the radiative forcing (RF) of LULCC that include the short-lived forcing agents O3 and aerosols, in addition to long-lived greenhouse gases and land albedo change, for six projections of LULCC as a metric for quantifying climate impacts. The LULCC RF is attributed to three categories of LULCC activities: direct modifications to land cover, agriculture, and wildfire response, and sources of the forcing are ascribed to individual grid points for each sector. Results for the year 2010 show substantial positive forcings from the direct modifications and agriculture sectors, particularly from south and southeast Asia, and a smaller magnitude negative forcing response from wildfires. The spatial distribution of future sources of LULCC RF is highly scenario-dependent, but we show that future forest area change can be used as a predictor of the future RF from direct modification activities, especially in the tropics, suggesting that deforestation-prevention policies that value land based on its C-content may be particularly effective at mitigating climate forcing originating in the tropics from this sector. However, the response of wildfire RF to tropical land cover changes is not as easily scalable and yet imposes a non-trivial feedback onto the total LULCC RF.
Size-resolved particle deposition velocities of sub-100 nm diameter particles over a forest

Abstract Despite their importance to accurate prediction of the particle ensemble and associated impacts, few empirical studies have attempted to quantify the dependence of deposition velocities (vd) on friction velocity (u*) and particle diameter for sub-100 nm particles. Data from a pilot study conducted over a Beech forest in Denmark are used here in to test an indirect method of assessing these dependencies where particle fluxes derived using eddy covariance are conditionally sampled based on parameters of the particle size distribution. The data indicate strongly bi-directional fluxes, with almost 1 3 of all 1 2 -h periods exhibiting upwards fluxes particularly during particle formation events. Vertical velocities for particle ensembles with number geometric mean diameter (GMD) of 20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–60 and 60–70 nm have an approximately equal magnitude during deposition and emission periods which may imply that surface uptake does not strongly limit deposition rates of these particles. The results also indicate a marked size dependence of vd. During deposition periods the median vd for particle ensembles with a number GMD of 20–30 nm is 4.5 mm s−1 and decreases to 1.5 mm s−1 for particle ensembles with a GMD of 60–70 nm. The median vd for periods when the GMD was approximately 55 nm is 2.7 mm s−1 and the mean is 4.2 mm s−1, which agrees well with the mean vd of 4.3 mm s−1 for 50 nm particles over a Scots Pine forest at Hyytiala in central Finland. Also, as in the data from Hyytiala, the vd for GMD of 50–60 nm increases markedly with u* from 1 to 1.8 mm s−1 at u* 1 m s−1.
Magic-angle spinning NMR study of deuterium site occupancy and dynamics in ZrNiD 1.0 and ZrNiD 3.0

Both static and magic-angle spinning (MAS) ${}^{2}\mathrm{H}$ nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicate that two inequivalent sites are occupied in $\mathrm{ZrNi}{D}_{3.0},$ in a 2:1 ratio, in agreement with previous work. The sites occupied in the trihydride phase have been previously identified as ${\mathrm{Zr}}_{3}\mathrm{Ni}$ and ${\mathrm{Zr}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{2}.$ In $\mathrm{ZrNi}{D}_{1.0},$ two well-resolved lines of equal intensity are observed in the MAS spectrum at $\mathrm{temperatures}l220\mathrm{}\mathrm{K},$ indicating that two other inequivalent sites are occupied in a 1:1 ratio, in contrast with previous reports that only one type of site $({\mathrm{Zr}}_{4}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{2})$ is occupied in the monohydride (\ensuremath{\beta}) phase at room temperature and above. The temperature dependences of both MAS and static $\mathrm{ZrNi}{D}_{1.0}$ spectra indicate that no phase transitions occur over the entire temperature range studied, 160\char21{}500 K. The deuterium hopping rate in $\mathrm{ZrNi}{D}_{1.0}$ is determined from characteristic changes in the MAS spectra as a function of temperature; the motion is consistent with an activation energy ${E}_{a}\ensuremath{\cong}0.44\mathrm{eV}$ assuming a rate prefactor $1/{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{0}\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{13}{\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}.$ In $\mathrm{ZrNi}{D}_{3.0},$ the rate of deuterium motion is determined from signatures of motion in the static and MAS spectra. The motion in $\mathrm{ZrNi}{D}_{3.0}$ is consistent with an activation energy ${E}_{a}\ensuremath{\cong}0.62\mathrm{eV}$ assuming a rate prefactor of $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{13}{\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}.$
Nonlinear wave propagation in a random medium

Abstract Nonlinear aspects of wave propagation in a random medium are considered using a systematic perturbation method. For the linear problem, this procedure also yields a treatment that is mathematically rigorous while giving physically correct results. For the special case of the propagation of a beam of narrow frequency band of waves in a turbulent medium, the parabolic equation approximation is adopted for the mutual coherence function (MCF) and a Fokker–Planck equation formulation as well as a ponderomotive-force-driven model are developed.
The scalp topography of human visual evoked potentials

Abstract The topography of all identifiable components of the scalp-recorded visual evoked potential (VEP) to unpatterned centrally-viewed light flashes presented in Maxwellian view to the right eye was determined for all scalp electrode locations of the 10–20 system and for locations at the right eye, mastoids, and posterior neck. Twenty-two components were analyzed. Of these, six were regarded as electroretinographic, one as myogenic, and the rest as neurogenic. Supplementary analysis suggested that VEP components and their topography are similar whether evoked by unpatterned flashes presented in Maxwellian view, by unpatterned stroboscopic flashes, or by patterned, flashes, but not by pattern reversal. Potentials thought to originate in periorbital musculature were evoked by somatosensory and auditory as well as visual stimuli. They were larger in inexperienced than in experienced subjects, were larger to unpredictable than to predictable stimuli, but did not differ whether the subject was in a Maxwellian view apparatus or seated in a comfortable chair. These potentials can distort recordings of presumptive neurogenic components in the same latency range. These data should aid in predicting VEP characteristics and in assessing myogenic contamination of neurogenic activity. Components thought to be analogous in the somatosensory, auditory and visual modalities were discussed.
Vortical flow computations on a flexible blended wing-body configuration

Flows over blended wing-body configurations are often dominated by vortices. The unsteady aerodynamic forces due to such flows can couple with the elastic forces of the wing and lead to aeroelastic oscillations. Such aeroelastic oscillations can impair the performance of an aircraft; it is necessary to account for structural properties of the configuration and solve the aerodynamic and aeroelastic equations of motion simultaneously. The flow is modeled using the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the aeroelastic equations of motion. Computations are made for a blended wing-body configuration at flow conditions dominated by vortices and separation. The computed results are validated with the available experimental data. Sustained aeroelastic oscillations observed in the wind tunnel are successfully simulated for freestream Mach = 0.975, alpha of 8.0 deg, and a frequency of about 2 Hz.
A digital model of pattern and productivity in an agroforestry landscape

Agroforestry is an approach to land-use which offers much promise in addressing many of the inter-related problems associated with rural development and land degradation (Scherr, 1992; Nair, 1993). This research incorporates remotely sensed agroforestry landscape information within a computerized model that relates spatial structure at the field and landscape scale to maize production. Remote sensing, cartographic modeling as well as landscape ecological theory and methods of analysis figure prominently in the work. The study area is in the coffee zone on the southern footslopes of Mount Kenya. The research tests the hypotheses that: there is a correlation between landscape, field structure and crop production. Specifically, it is hypothesized that spatial configuration at the field scale, (e.g. patch size, shape and adjacency relationships etc.) as well as at the landscape scale (density of trees and hedgerows) can be significantly correlated with productivity. The central hypothesis is that spatial variability across the landscape, at scales both at and beyond that of the field, can explain a significant amount of the variability in yields. In order to carry out the work, a recent innovation in remote sensing, the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI), has been used in the project. The CASI was used to acquire a detailed digital image of the site at a high spatial resolution (1.75 m pixel size). Six spectrally narrow width bands were acquired with the purpose of determining chlorophyll density as well as crop type and vigor. Findings indicate that the spatial measures that were undertaken at the landscape scale do not explain enough crop variability to be statistically significant. Rather, it is far better explained at the individual field level. Here it was demonstrated that the distance from shelter plantings is inversely and curvilinearly related to crop vigor as measured by the relationship between the Near Infra Red and Red wavelengths. Findings indicate that the positive effects of trees in the study landscape are limited to within 25 m of the canopy and may increase production as much as 32% at the optimal distance. An optimum hedgerow inter-distance of 40 m is suggested in order to maximize crop vigor. The impact of both the existing conditions as well as two possible alternatives are evaluated for their total landscape wide impacts on maize yields and wood production. It was determined that removal of the existing hedgerows (50% of all the trees in the area) by a disturbance such as a pest outbreak would cause a 5% reduction in maize production. A second alternative, which identified under-utilized planting niches throughout the landscape, is predicted to result in a modest increase in maize production and a doubling of wood products.
Regulation of myotrophin gene by pressure overload and stretch

Hemodynamic load is a major determinant of cardiac mass and its phenotype, but very little is known about how mechanical load is converted into intracellular signals of gene expression and regulation. We have shown earlier that factors other than blood pressure control play a role in the mechanism involved in the development or regression of myocardial hypertrophy. We have identified a soluble factor, myotrophin, from the hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats and dilated cardiomyopathic humans, which stimulates protein synthesis both in neonatal and adult rat cardiac myocytes. Myotrophin gene has been mapped and shown to be a novel gene localized in human chromosome 7q-33. The present study was conducted to evaluate the mechanism by which myotrophin is released and in turn initiates myocardial hypertrophy. We used an in vitro model, where neonatal cardiac myocytes were grown on stretchable plates and examined the effect of stretch on myotrophin gene expression (to mimic pressure overload), an in vivo model using beating non-working hearts exposed to high pressure and three different models of hypertensive rats. Our data showed that both cyclic stretch and exposure to high pressure caused significant increase in the transcript levels of myotrophin followed by expression of β-myosin heavy chain and atrial natriuretic factor associated with an increase in myocardial protein synthesis. All three models of hypertensive rats also showed a significant increase in myotrophin transcripts. Altogether, our data strongly suggest that stretching of the cells by pressure or volume turns on the myotrophin, which in turn is responsible for the initiation process of myocardial hypertrophy in response to pressure or volume overload. (Mol Cell Biochem 262: 79–89, 2004)
Antiestrogen(4-hydroxytamoxifen)-charged estrogen receptor binding to nuclei from normal and neoplastic rat mammary tissues is not affected by host hormonal status

Abstract Interaction of [ 3 H]4-hydroxytamoxifen-charged estrogen receptor ([ 3 H]AER) with nuclei was compared to that of [ 3 H]17β-estradiol-charged estrogen receptor ([ 3 H]ER) in vitro . Specificity of [ 3 H]AER binding was demonstrated since more than 90% of [ 3 H]AER binding was displaced by ten-fold excess estradiol-charged ER. For R3230AC tumors, the number of [ 3 H]AER binding sites was approximately 40% lower than the number of [ 3 H]ER binding sites. There were no differences in affinity of binding of these receptor complexes ( K d range 0.7–1.6 nM). In contrast to a reduction of [ 3 H]ER binding after ovariectomy, no difference in the number of [ 3 H]AER binding sites was seen among tumors from intact, ovex, or estrogen-treated ovex rats. These results suggest that [ 3 H]AER bind to 60% of the sites that bind [ 3 H]er, and that neither tissue type nor host ovarian status affects the number of nuclear [ 3 H]AER binding sites.
Spontaneous assembly of viruses on multilayered polymer surfaces

The idea that randomly arranged supermolecular species incorporated in a network medium can ultimately create ordered structures at the surface may be counterintuitive. However, such order can be accommodated by regulating dynamic and equilibrium driving forces. Here, we present the ordering of M13 viruses, highly complex biomacromolecules, driven by competitive electrostatic binding, preferential macromolecular interactions and the rigid-rod nature of the virus systems during alternating electrostatic assembly. The steric constraints inherent to the competitive charge binding between M13 viruses and two oppositely charged weak polyelectrolytes leads to interdiffusion and the virtual 'floating' of viruses to the surface. The result is the spontaneous formation of a two-dimensional monolayer structure of viruses atop a cohesive polyelectrolyte multilayer. We demonstrate that this viral-assembled monolayer can be a biologically tunable scaffold to nucleate, grow and align nanoparticles or nanowires over multiple length scales. This system represents an interface that provides a general platform for the systematic incorporation and assembly of organic, biological and inorganic materials.
Terri Schiavo — A Tragedy Compounded

The story of Terri Schiavo should be disturbing to all of us, writes Dr. Timothy Quill. Distortion by interest groups, media hyperbole, and manipulative use of videotape characterized this case and demonstrate what can happen when a patient becomes more a precedent-setting symbol than a unique human being.
Chemical nature of active sites for defect‐mediated nucleation on silicon dioxide

Germanium nanoparticle growth on SiO2 proceeds via defect-mediated nucleation and particle density can be enhanced by chemically treating the SiO2 with SiHx. The influence of SiHx fragments on SiO2 surface sites is studied using a fluorescent probe-based technique to understand the chemical nature of the inherent defect trapping sites and the chemical nature of the additional trapping sites formed by SiHx. Oxygen-vacancy sites on SiO2 are the inherent sites for defect-mediated nucleation. SiHx fragments, generated by cracking disilane on a hot tungsten filament, are shown to react with strained siloxane sites, leading to a conversion of these strained siloxane sites into a different low density defect site that is shown to display reactive characteristics similar to the oxygen-vacancy defect sites. Previous work demonstrating an increased density of Ge nuclei on SiO2 surfaces with increasing SiHx exposure is interpreted in the context of the current experimental results. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2015
Optimization of a free-fall reactor for the production of fast pyrolysis bio-oil

Abstract A central composite design of experiments was performed to optimize a free-fall reactor for the production of bio-oil from red oak biomass. The effects of four experimental variables including heater set-point temperature, biomass particle size, sweep gas flow rate and biomass feed rate were studied. Heater set-point temperature ranged from 450 to 650 °C, average biomass particle size from 200 to 600 μm, sweep gas flow rate from 1 to 5 sL/min and biomass feed rate from 1 to 2 kg/h. Optimal operating conditions yielding over 70 wt.% bio-oil were identified at a heater set-point temperature of 575 °C, while feeding red oak biomass sized less than 300 μm at 2 kg/h into the 0.021 m diameter, 1.8 m tall reactor. Sweep gas flow rate did not have significant effect on bio-oil yield over the range tested.
"The Regular Routine": Proactive Policing and Adolescent Development among Young, Poor Black Men.

Over the last several decades, proactive policing, in which departments use data on reported crimes to determine where local police officers will target their surveillance, has increased police contact with residents in certain neighborhoods. Drawing on field research conducted over a three-year period (2007-2010) among adult and adolescent African American men in a San Francisco neighborhood with a concentrated poor, Black population, I provide an ethnographic account of routine encounters with the police that structure adolescent boys' daily lives in potentially significant ways. I build on Erving Goffman's discussion of "patterns of mortification" to describe how typical encounters unfold in the day-to-day lives of young men and consider the implications of such encounters for healthy adolescent development.
Back to Basics: Why Basic Research Is Needed to Create Effective Health Literacy Interventions

Limited health literacy is increasingly recognized as a public health problem. Growing recognition of the problem—and the need for solutions—creates an imperative for the field of health literacy research to identify effective interventions. The National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy (U.S. DHHS, 2010) recommends increased basic research in health literacy. This paper elaborates on this call by explicating what is meant by basic research and describing several of the ways in which basic research will benefit the field of health literacy research and, particularly, progress toward designing successful interventions.
Complications in pediatric osseointegrated implantation.

Objective. To report an accurate complication rate in pediatric osseointegrated implants in a large cohort of patients from a major center and to characterize the complications observed.Setting. Tertiary care pediatric hospital.Study Design. Case series with chart review of all consecutive patients receiving otologic osseointegrated implants at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital since 2001.Subjects and Methods. All patients undergoing osseointegrated implant placement were identified at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and complication rates were tabulated and stratified to major and minor based on the need for surgical revision. Evaluations of syndromic and body mass index associations were performed, along with evaluation of length of follow-up.Results. Forty-three patients were identified with 88 implants placed. Eighteen (42%) children had a diagnosis of a craniofacial syndrome. Overall, 19 (41.9%) returned to the operating suite, with a complication rate of 46.1%. A long duration of follow-up was obtained...
Adolescents' and Young Adults' Perceptions of Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation: A Focus Group Study

Introduction Research has shown that adults perceive that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are effective for smoking cessation, yet little is known about adolescents and young adults' perceptions of e-cigarettes for quitting cigarette smoking. This study describes middle, high school, and college students' beliefs about, and experiences with, e-cigarettes for cigarette smoking cessation. Methods We conducted 18 focus groups (n = 127) with male and female cigarette smokers and nonsmokers in 2 public colleges, 2 high schools, and 1 middle school in Connecticut between November 2012 and April 2013. Participants discussed cigarette smoking cessation in relation to e-cigarettes. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results All participants, regardless of age and smoking status, were aware that e-cigarettes could be used for smoking cessation. College and high school participants described different methods of how e-cigarettes could be used for smoking cessation: (a) nicotine reduction followed by cessation; (b) cigarette reduction/dual use; and (c) long-term exclusive e-cigarette use. However, overall, participants did not perceive that e-cigarette use led to successful quitting experiences. Participants described positive attributes (maintenance of smoking actions, "healthier" alternative to cigarettes, and parental approval) and negative attributes (persistence of craving, maintenance of addiction) of e-cigarettes for cessation. Some college students expressed distrust of marketing of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. Conclusions Adolescent and young adult smokers and nonsmokers perceive that there are several methods of using e-cigarettes for quitting and are aware of both positive and negative aspects of the product. Future research is needed to determine the role of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation in this population.
Floating Oyster, Crassostrea virginica Gmelin 1791, Aquaculture as Habitat for Fishes and Macroinvertebrates in Delaware Inland Bays: The Comparative Value of Oyster Clusters and Loose Shell

ABSTRACT The substantial decline of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) stocks along the east coast of the United States has prompted the growth of many types of restoration and enhancement efforts. One of the most recent types is oyster gardening. Oysters grown in floating structures are subsequently planted in bays, where they continue to live, grow, and spawn; filter the water; contribute to the larval pool; and provide habitat. Our study is one of the first evaluations of habitat value provided by floating oyster gardens in a degraded mid-Atlantic estuary. Oyster growth and survival within the floats was monitored in a eutrophic, turbid, periodically hypoxic, soft-bottom coastal lagoon system. We examined the abundance and diversity of fishes and invertebrates with respect to 3 replicated treatments: live oyster clusters, disarticulated oyster shell, and a float with no shells or oysters. We also studied the effects of 2 cleaning frequencies (biweekly and monthly) on species assemblages, and the gr...
Properties of Be-implanted planar GaAs p-n junctions

The fabrication and characteristics of planar junctions in GaAs formed by Be ion implantation are discussed. The critical processing step is shown to be the use of a carefully deposited oxygen-free Si/SUB 3/N/SUB 4/ encapsulation during post-implantation annealing. Forward and reverse characteristics are presented for Be-implanted junctions formed by encapsulating with SiO/SUB 2/, Si/SUB x/O/SUB y/N/SUB z/, or Si/SUB 3/N/SUB 4/ layers prior to annealing at 900/spl deg/C. Junctions which exhibit leakage current density of ~2/spl times/10/SUP -7/ A/cm/SUP 2/ at 80 V reverse bias and breakdown voltage >200 V have been fabricated using RF-plasma deposited Si/SUB 3/N/SUB 4/ layers as the encapsulant.
Overview of the Frontal Air‐Sea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX): A study of air‐sea interaction in a region of strong oceanic gradients

From 1984 to 1986 the cooperative Frontal Air-Sea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX) was conducted in the subtropical convergence zone southwest of Bermuda. The overall objective of the experiment was to study air-sea interaction on 1- to 100-km horizontal scales in a region of the open ocean characterized by strong horizontal gradients in upper ocean and sea surface properties. Ocean fronts provided both large spatial gradients in sea surface temperature and strong jetlike flows in the upper ocean. The motivation for and detailed objectives of FASINEX are reviewed. Then the components of the field program are summarized. Finally, selected results are presented in order to provide an overview of the outcome of FASINEX.
Polymorphism in Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase and Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

We measured soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) renal gene expression in prehypertensive (4 to 5 weeks old) spontaneously hypertensive rats of the Heidelberg SP substrain (SHR [Heid]) and when blood pressure levels entered the hypertensive plateau (17 to 18 weeks old) and compared expression with matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY [Heid]) rats. Less expression of the gene encoding sEH (EPHX2) was observed in SHR (Heid) than in WKY (Heid). Analysis of sEH protein abundance showed a similar difference. However, no correlation between sEH abundance and blood pressure was observed in the F 2 progeny of a parental strain cross. Measurement of protein abundance in SHR and WKY obtained from Charles River confirmed a recent report that abundance of sEH was greater in SHR (CRiv) than WKY (CRiv) strains. Polymorphisms were detected in EPHX2. Resequencing revealed that 2 alleles of EPHX2 exist in these 4 rat strains, differing by 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms, of which 3 produce nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions. The ancestral allele was shared by SHR (Heid) and WKY (CRiv), and the variant allele was shared by WKY (Heid) and SHR (CRiv). Activity of sEH was greater in animals carrying the variant allele. However, inheritance of this allele was not correlated with blood pressure in the F 2 progeny of a cross between SHR (Heid) and WKY (Heid). These data indicate that sequence variation determining functional alterations in EPHX2 is not likely to contribute to blood pressure levels in SHR.
Making Many People Happy: Greedy Solutions for Content Distribution

The increase in multimedia content makes providing good quality of service in wireless networks a challenging problem. Consider a set of users, with different content interests, connected to the same base station. The base station can only broadcast a limited amount of content, but wishes to satisfy the largest number of users. We approach this problem by considering each user as a point in a 2-D space, and each type of broadcast content as a circle. A point that is covered by a circle will be satisfied, and the closer the point is to the center of the circle, the higher the satisfaction. In this paper, we first formulate this problem as an optimal content distribution problem and show that it is NP-hard. The optimal problem can also be extended into an m-dimensional (m-D) space, and distance measurements can be expressed in a general p-norm. We then introduce three local greedy algorithms and compare their complexity. The approximation ratio of our greedy algorithms to the optimization problem is also formally analyzed in this paper. We perform extensive simulations using various conditions to evaluate our greedy algorithms. The results demonstrate that our solutions perform well and reflect our analytical results.
WEALTH INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES

Wealth ownership in the United States has long been concentrated in the hands of a small minority of the population, yet researchers have paid relatively little attention to the causes and consequences of this inequality. In this essay, we review the literature that does exist on wealth accumulation and distribution. We begin with an examination of the reasons that wealth inequality has received little empirical attention. We then discuss methods of creating empirical estimates of wealth accumulation and distribution, and we present some estimates of recent trends in wealth inequality. We explore a diverse collection of research that explains these trends, covering treatments of aggregate influences and individual and household factors. We conclude the chapter with a review of research on intergenerational processes and wealth mobility.
Recommendations for Planning Pilot Studies in Clinical and Translational Research

Advances in clinical and translation science are facilitated by building on prior knowledge gained through experimentation and observation. In the context of drug development, preclinical studies are followed by a progression of phase I through phase IV clinical trials. At each step, the study design and statistical strategies are framed around research questions that are prerequisites for the next phase. In other types of biomedical research, pilot studies are used for gathering preliminary support for the next research step. However, the phrase "pilot study" is liberally applied to projects with little or no funding, characteristic of studies with poorly developed research proposals, and usually conducted with no detailed thought of the subsequent study. In this article, we present a rigorous definition of a pilot study, offer recommendations for the design, analysis and sample size justification of pilot studies in clinical and translational research, and emphasize the important role that well-designed pilot studies play in the advancement of science and scientific careers.
Comparison of electromyographic activity during eccentrically versus concentrically loaded isometric contractions.

Electromyographic (EMG) amplitude and mechanical tension are directly related during isometric contraction. Maximal voluntary isometric contractions are typically elicited through two different procedures; resisting a load, which is eccentric in nature, and contracting against an immovable object, which is concentric in nature. A wealth of literature exists indicating that EMG amplitude during concentric contractions is greater than that of eccentric contractions of the same magnitude. However, the effects of different methods to elicit isometric contraction on EMG amplitude have yet to be investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare EMG amplitudes under different loading configurations designed to elicit isometric muscle contraction. Twenty healthy volunteers (10 males and 10 females, age = 23 ± 2 yrs, height = 1.7 ± 0.09 m, mass = 69.9 + 16.8 kg) performed a maximal voluntary plantarflexion effort for which the vertical ground reaction force (GRFv) sampled from a force plate and surface EMG of the soleus were recorded. Participants then performed isometric plantarflexion at 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% GRFvmax in a seated position, from a neutral ankle position, under two different counterbalanced isometric loading conditions (concentric and eccentric). For concentric loading conditions, the subject contracted against an immovable resistance to the specified %GRFv identified via visual and auditory feedback. For eccentric loading conditions, subjects contracted against an applied load placed on the distal anterior thigh that produced the specified %GRFv. This applied load had the tendency to force the ankle into dorsiflexion. Therefore, plantarflexion force, in an attempt to maintain the ankle in a neutral position, resisted lengthening of the plantarflexor musculature, thus representing eccentric loading during an isometric contraction. Mean EMG amplitude was compared across loading levels and types using a 2 (loading type: concentric, eccentric) · 4 (loading level: 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% GRFv) repeated-measures ANOVA. The main effect for loading level was significant (p = 0.007). However, the main effect for loading type, and the loading type · loading level interaction were non-significant (p > 0.05). The present findings provide evidence that isometric muscle contractions loaded in either concentric or eccentric manners elicit similar EMG amplitudes, and are therefore comparable in research settings. � 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reactive oxygen species in the plasticity of respiratory behavior elicited by chronic intermittent hypoxia.

Long-term facilitation (LTF) of breathing elicited by episodic hypoxia (EH) is an extensively studied example of plasticity of respiratory motor behavior. Previous studies employed the paradigm of ...
Endocrine physiology in the newborn

Evaluation of suspected endocrine pathology in newborn infants requires knowledge of the dynamic changes that characterize normal hormonal function in the neonatal period. This article reviews normal endocrine physiology as it pertains to common clinical scenarios encountered in neonatal surgical patients. Topics covered include thyroid and adrenal function as well as glucose and calcium metabolism.
Is nativism sufficient

The past and present state of the empiricism–nativism issue is analysed. Empiricist philosophical doctrine (‘no innate ideas’) distinguished idea from structure or mechanism. However, Chomsky's conception of innate linguistic universals erased this distinction. The elimination left would-be empiricists without a coherent and defensible position. I argue that the issue remains alive primarily because of tension between two scientific tasks that face students of development. One is to discover what is cognitively and linguistically primitive, a task that encourages nativism. However, nativism is ultimately unsatisfactory because it systematically neglects the other task, which is to account for development, including the emergence of postulated innate primitives. To account for such primitives, it is necessary to relate them to particular central nervous System structures in such a way as to explain how the structure has the particular cognitive effects that define the primitive. That is likely to be difficult, and I show how the study of learning – much neglected in recent years – can help by reducing the number and type of innate primitives whose origin must be explained in that way.
Significance of thin sets of eolian cross-strata

ABSTRACT Thin ( Cosets composed of thick sets of trough cross-strata record episodes when ergs were sand-saturated and erg buildup exceeded the rate of subsidence and water table rise. Interdunes were enclosed and dry. Thin sets with irregular set boundaries accumulated when ergs were unsaturated, as at White Sands dune field in southern New Mexico. Interdunes were flat, extensive, and moist; thin lenses of cross-strata with irregular upper surfaces are the erosional remnants of lowermost portions of dunes that were within the zone of capillary rise. Thin, flat-bedded to massive interdune deposits were also preserved in this setting. Due to low sand supply, upbuilding of the erg surface was limited to the rate of subsidence/water table rise. Like sediments deposited in shallow subaqueous settings, bu unlike most colian sands, bed-by-bed accumulation of the thin sets was limited by "short-term" accommodation space. The allogenic interpretation presented above contrasts strongly with the widely-accepted "climbing interdune" (autogenie) interpretation of the Entrada. We question this gradualistic interpretation, not only on the basis of stratal relationships between dune and interdune deposits, but on theoretical grounds as well. To maintain moist/wet interdunes when large bedforms are climbing to preserve thick, tabular sand bodies, deposition must not exceed the rate of groundwater rise. We have seen very few irregular erosion surfaces between thick sets of eolian cross-strata; they are extremely common between thin sets. Widespread moist interdunes in modern ergs and evidence of high water tables in ancient eolian sequences are signals of low sand supply. Thin eolian sets with irregular upper b unding surfaces record the birth and demise of ergs as well as the fluctuations of erg margins. The absence of animal tracks in the thick Jurassic cross-strata and their great abundance in and adjacent to the thin sets may be a result of an erg-margin origin of the thin sets or of ameliorated climatic conditions during their deposition. Because they accumulate in zones (and episodes) of low sand supply, cosets composed of thin sets are akin to deflation surfaces in, for example, the Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone. The movement of the groundwater table after the initial deflationary phase (slow rise in the Jurassic, rapid(?) drop in the Permian) may reflect the higher amplitude of late Paleozoie sea-level fluctuations.
Timed Insemination in Beef Heifers After Synchronization of Estrus with Controlled Intravaginal Drug Releasing Device and Melengestrol Acetate1

Two progestin estrous synchronization programs with timed AI (TAI) were used to compare effects on conception to TAI and overall pregnancy rates in beef heifers. Angus-cross heifers in two herds were sorted by age of heifers, body condition score (BCS), and BW then randomly assigned to a treatment. Treatments were 1) MPGG [melengestrol acetate (MGA®; Pfizer Animal Health, New York, NY) at 0.5 mg per head for 14 d followed by prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) 17d after MGA® withdrawal and a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) injection 48 h after PGF2α or 2) CIDR [a new controlled intravaginal drug-releasing (CIDR®) device inserted for 6 d with GnRH at CIDR insertion, PGF2α: at CIDR removal, and a second GnRH injection 48 h later. All heifers in both treatments were bred 18 h after the second GnRH injection.] Bulls were placed with heifers 10 d following TAI for approximately 50 d. Age of heifers, BCS, and BW in Herd 1, Herd 2, or the combined herds were not different (P≥0.25) between treatments. Across treatments, there was a difference between herds in BCS and BW (P<0.0001), but no difference in age of heifers (P=0.51). Conception rates (CR) and overall pregnancy rates (OP) were not different between herds, or between treatments in Herd 1, Herd 2, or in the combined groups (P≥0.40). The results in this study demonstrate similarities between MPGG and CIDR estrous synchronization protocols on conception rates to TAI and overall pregnancy rates in beef heifers.
Superresolution imaging of biological systems using photoactivated localization microscopy.

A progressive reduction of the spatial scale accessible by microscopes has catalyzed our increasing understanding of cells and their constituents. Light microscopy has been at the forefront of this journey, beginning in the 1600s with the first observation of cells and bacteria using a simple lens. With the advent of phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy, a second phase of visualization into the micron-scale world began, with researchers now able to discern membrane-bounded organelles and cytoskeletal elements. It was not until the advent of genetically encoded fluorescent proteins (FPs),1-4 however, that biologists could begin imaging the constituents of these structures. This marked a third phase of light-based, biological visualization. Still, because cellular structures closer together than ∼200 nm could not be resolved using these techniques due to the diffraction limit of light,5 light microscopy could not yet cross into the nanoscopic world. Now, this frontier is finally being crossed. Recently developed light-based superresolution (SR) techniques are allowing imaging of biological structures with spatial resolutions more than an order of magnitude finer than conventional optical microscopes. This is being achieved in two ways: by spatially modulating the excitation radiation, as used by stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy 6 and structured illumination microscopy (SIM),7,8 and by temporally modulating the emission of individual fluorescent molecules, as used in photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM),9,10 stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM),11 and related point-localization SR imaging approaches.12,13 In this review, we discuss the second of these SR imaging techniques, focusing particularly on PALM along with some illustrative applications. PALM relies on accurate localization of single FPs based on temporal isolation of single molecule emission, combining this precise positional information to reconstruct superresolution images. Because PALM employs genetically-encoded, photo-controllable FPs to localize single molecules 14-17, it has broad applicability for investigating the spatial organization and motion of diverse types of proteins associated with various structures and environments inside cells and tissues. Recent applications of PALM, with other point-localization SR techniques, are stimulating new testable hypothesis, refining the prevailing conceptual frameworks, and extending our understanding of mechanistic principles in biology at the nanoscale.
Accelerated periodontal breakdown in uncontrolled diabetes: Pathogenesis and treatment

Abstract The relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease is discussed. Special emphasis is placed on reviewing the pathogenic mechanism responsible for the accelerated periodontal breakdown of the metabolically compensated diabetic. Rationale for a therapeutic approach to periodontal disease in such patients is discussed. One case of juvenile diabetes, with advanced periodontal involvement, is presented.
State of Emergency: An Emergency Constitution Revisited

Over the last ten years, various state and local governments in the United States have declared states of emergency that raise concerns over the protection of civil liberties. In response, this article recommends that the emergency statutes of state governments be amended to expressly protect civil liberties during emergencies. It seeks a paradigm shift from statutory suspension of rights to strong affirmation that civil liberties be preserved during emergencies and that infringements be redressed following emergencies. It also argues that judges should use a strict scrutiny standard when analyzing allegations that state and local government officials violated people's civil liberties during emergencies.
Preventive Maintenance for Advanced Metering Infrastructure Against Malware Propagation

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) deployment has been widely promoted in recent years to improve the accuracy of billing information as well as to facilitate implementation of demand response. Information integrity and availability of the devices is crucial to the billing information that should reflect accurately on how much the household energy is consumed. The IP-based smart metering devices may exist with unknown vulnerabilities that can introduce backdoors to enable worm propagation across AMI network. The infected devices can be attack agents that would largely disable the metering functionalities or manipulate control variables of each meter. This paper proposes an optimal frequency of on-site investigation and the number of monitoring verification to investigate potential anomalies of malware footprinting by applying the decision process framework of Markovian. The proposed method determines the best inspection strategies based on the observation from the existing anomaly detectors deployed in the network. The considerations include malware propagation characteristics, accuracy of anomaly detectors, and investigation and diagnosis costs. Four scenarios are simulated using the proposed method, demonstrating the effectiveness of investigation on potentially infected electronic meters within an AMI network.
Early-warning index system of animal plague in spermophvlus dauricus focus

Objectives To select monitoring index of factors that influence animal plague epidemics,and build up early warning system of animal plague in spermophvlus dauricus focus. Methods Basing on complete data of spermophvlus dauricus focus in Inner Mongolia,the optimal subset regression method was employed to build regression equation by using Matlab software. Monitoring index which was the most relative to animal plague was selected. Results Predicted warning regression equation was set up by using the index of rat density,flea-carrying rate,body flea index,and burrow flea index of the total 7 risk factors. Regression model was matched by using the original data with the fitting rate of 83. 3%. Conclusion Early warning system of animal plague in spermophvlus dauricus focus can be built by using the index of rat density,flea-carrying rate,body flea index,and burrow flea index.
Transforming growth factor-β1 stimulates degranulation and oxidant release by adherent human neutrophils

The signal transduction pathways that are activated by cytokines and growth factors binding to their receptors on human neutrophils (PMN) are poorly understood. When PMN in suspension encounter many of these agonists they are not activated, but rather are primed for subsequent activation. We and others reported that when PMN are plated onto fibrinogen and stimulated with cytokines or with the chemotactic peptide N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) they respond by releasing hydrogen peroxide (H202) and the specific granule component lactoferrin. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is released by many cells including PMN. It has been reported that TGF-beta1 stimulates chemotaxis but not exocytosis or superoxide production by cells in suspension. We hypothesized that TGF-beta1 would activate PMN to release H202 when they were adherent to fibrinogen, a response mediated by beta2++integrin receptors. In this study, we determined whether TGF-beta1 stimulated H202 and lactoferrin release by PMN adherent to fibrinogen. TGF-beta1 stimulated H202 and lactoferrin release from adherent PMN in a concentration-dependent manner, with effects seen in the range of 0.1 to 100 pg/mL. Both H202 and lactoferrin release were detected by 60 min and continued for at least 180 min. Adhesion and spreading of PMN paralleled H202 and lactoferrin release. Ethanol (200 mM) blocked both H202 and lactoferrin release, suggesting the involvement of the phospholipase D pathway. In PMN labeled with lyso-[3H]phosphatidylcholine, we observed that TGF-beta1 treatment caused an increase in [3H]phosphatidate. Propranolol (150 microM), an inhibitor of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase, blocked both H202 and lactoferrin release, suggesting that the conversion of phosphatidic acid to diradylglycerol is an important step in PMN activation by TGF-beta1. Overall, these results are similar to those reported for fMLP activation of adherent PMN and suggest that a common pathway is involved in both chemoattractant and cytokine activation.