cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postseismic relaxation across the Central Nevada Seismic Belt

[1] Two GPS geodetic surveys across the Basin and Range (BR) province of western North America have detected an anomalous compression east of the Central Nevada Seismic Belt (CNSB). The first network, installed by the U.S. Geological Survey along an east-west trending transect across the BR at approximately 40°N, consisted of 63 monuments observed campaign style in 1992, 1996, and 1998. The second network, installed by the California Institute of Technology, consisted of 50 continuously operating GPS receivers, 18 of which were roughly along the same transect as the campaign survey. We have used a viscoelastic postseismic relaxation model of the four largest earthquakes in the CNSB (on the Pleasant Valley fault in 1915, the Cedar Mountain fault in 1932, and on the Fairview Peak and Dixie Valley faults in 1954) to interpret the geodetic velocities observed across the CNSB. A model of postseismic relaxation with a lower crustal Maxwell viscosity of 5–50 × 1018 Pa s can explain the apparent compression regardless of the assumed mantle viscosity. The geodetic velocities that we determined after removing the postseismic contribution indicate that within current GPS detection limits the BR is stable east of the CNSB and is undergoing rapid right-lateral shear west of the CNSB.
Demonstration of phospholipid splitting as the factor responsible for increased permeability and block of axonal conduction induced by snake venom. II. Study on squid axons.

Abstract 1. 1. Axons from the walking leg of lobster have been treated with snake venoms and with isolated phospholipase A and direct lytic factor. Changes in axonal conduction, in sensitivity to curare and acetylcholine and in phospholipid composition have been determined. 2. 2. The block of electrical activity induced by high concentrations of ringhals and moccasin venoms and the facilitated penetration of curare and acetylcholine in axons treated with lower amounts of the above venoms were each associated with a certain level of phospholipid splitting. The isolated venom phospholipase A fraction reproduced the effects of whole venom. 3. 3. In contrast to ringhals and moccasin venoms, palestinan viper and rattlesnake venoms were unable to block axonal conduction and did not markedly affect the axonal phospholipids. In the conditions of the present study their action was not potentiated by addition of the venom direct lytic factor. 4. 4. The data are considered as evidence for phospholipase A being the factor in venoms responsible for inducing block of conduction and increased permeability in lobster axons.
Prospect and design choices for integrated private networks

This paper reviews some of the choices that will be available in the next few years, as the much-discussed move toward implementing voice and data integration within a single wide-area integrated private network proceeds. After the term :hp1de-area integrated private network:ehp1. has been defined, a discussion is given of requirements the network ought to satisfy for its users. Then two particularly promising approaches, fast packet switching (FPS) and hybrid switching (HS), are defined, and specimen design points for FPS and HS are postulated, so that the two can be compared. While a definitive comparison would require systematic cost and performance studies, much insight can be gained from the qualitative comparison that we present here. We assess some of the arguments that have been put forward in favor of FPS or HS and conclude that, although today both architectures have promise, and research on both should continue, FPS appears to be slightly simpler to implement and operate.
Les injustices révoltantes: Gustave de Beaumont and the Pre-history of Crimes Against Humanity

If Alexis de Tocqueville was the anthropologist of modern equality, his companion in America and lifelong associate Gustave de Beaumont was the horrified observer of the anachronistic persistence of inequality: morally polarized worlds of black and white, slave and master, bound and free, conquered and conqueror, famine and opulence. Beaumont’s writings in fact cluster around a set of cases that have often been retrospectively collected as “crimes against humanity” avant la lettre: enslavement of Africans, extermination or “ethnic cleansing” of indigenous peoples by the English in Ireland the US in America, and the French conquest of Algeria. I read Beaumont’s texts as a privileged entre to reconstructing what nineteenth-century liberals understood to constitute conduct that was morally beyond the pale, either in peace or war. In the last half century the notion of a category of crimes that shock the conscience of humanity has emerged at the intersection of humanitarian and human rights law. Yet the notion of scandalizing or sinning against humanity, and even the phrase “crimes against humanity” itself, was used earlier and more widely—in both English and
Molecular cloning, characterization and expression of Mn-superoxide dismutase from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis).

A genomic clone encoding manganese-containing superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1) was isolated from a Hevea brasiliensis genomic library made in λ phage EMBL3 by using a heterologous cDNA probe of MnSOD from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. The nucleotide sequence of 4968 bp from the genomic clone was determined. Based on the putative translation initiation codon and stop codon, PCR primers were designed and utilized for cloning the full-length cDNA from total mRNA. Of the two distinct cDNAs of MnSOD isolated, MnSOD-A has a perfect match with exons of the nuclear gene, while MnSOD-B has a 90.2% homology and is 6 nucleotides longer than MnSOD-A in the putative transit peptide region. The nuclear gene comprises 6 exons and 5 introns, giving a total length of 3211 bp. The sequences of 1400 bp upstream of the initiation codon and 320 bp downstream of the stop codon were also determined. Southern analysis of genomic DNA from Hevea probed with a genomic fragment indicated there are at least two genes of MnSOD in Hevea. Northern blot analysis showed that MnSOD transcripts were present in all tissues examined (leaf, petiole, root, latex, callus) with young leaves showing the highest levels in intact plants. The transcript level in embryogenic callus was nearly 50-fold higher than in mature leaves. In addition, transcripts of MnSOD could be induced 3- to 5-fold in response to sucrose, ethephon and Murashige-Skoog salts.
Spherical Laplacian Information Maps (SLIM) for dimensionality reduction tau]1|Kevin M. ^Carter

There have been several recently presented works on finding information-geometric embeddings using the properties of statistical manifolds. These methods have generally focused on embedding probability density functions into an open Euclidean space. In this paper we propose adding an additional constraint by embedding onto the surface of the sphere in an unsupervised manner. This additional constraint is shown to have superior performance for both manifold reconstruction and visualization when the true underlying statistical manifold is that of a low-dimensional sphere. We call the proposed method Spherical Laplacian Information Maps (SLIM), and we illustrate its utilization as a proof-of-concept on both real and synthetic data.
The use of digital infrared thermal imaging to detect estrus in gilts

Abstract Yorkshire/Landrace crossbred gilts (N = 32) were evaluated using digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) to discriminate between estrus and diestrus phases of the porcine estrous cycle. Gilts (N = 32) were part of an ongoing reproductive efficiency study involving the use of raw soybean (RSB; N = 15) versus soybean meal (SBM; N = 17) as a source of dietary protein. Gilts were monitored daily for signs of estrus using a teaser boar. Thermal images of vulva surface temperatures (TEMP) were recorded at standing estrus and diestrus. Measurements for analysis included minimum (MIN), maximum (MAX), mean (AVG), and standard deviation (SD) of temperature gradients. At imaging, ambient (AMB) and rectal temperatures (RT) were recorded, and blood samples taken for serum progesterone (P 4 ) concentration analysis (by RIA) to confirm stage of cycle. Mean serum progesterone values at estrus and diestrus were (mean ± SD) 1.0 ± 0.1 and 10.9 ± 0.8 ng/mL, respectively. Vulva MIN, MAX, and AVG thermal images were positively correlated with one another (P 0.05) between stages of the cycle. No differences (P > 0.05) in RT were detected between stages and RT was not significantly correlated with vulva thermal images. Diet had no significant effect on RT or vulva temperature.
A Manual Rectangular KBr Pellet Press

The absorbance for a given quantity of a compound in spectroscopic analysis is absolute and depends only on the fraction of that quantity which interacts with the electromagnetic radiation. Also, to maximize the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio the total optical power of the spectrophotometer should be allowed to interact with the sample. Since the design of the monochromator is normally based on line-shaped entrance and exit slits, the optimum geometry for a sample pellet would be a rectangle of dimensions comparable to the entrance slit. Circular pellets which cover the entire slit keep part of the sample outside the beam; when the pellet diameter is made comparable to the slitwidth, excessive vignetting will occur which will adversely affect the S/N ratio.
Uranium–hydrogen interactions: synthesis and crystal structures of tris(N,N-dimethylaminodiboranato)uranium(III)

The reaction of UCl(4) with Na(H(3)BNMe(2)BH(3)) in diethyl ether affords the uranium(III) product U(H(3)BNMe(2)BH(3))(3), which has been crystallized in two different structural isomers depending on the crystallization solvent. Both forms are polymeric, but the nature of the bridging interaction is different in the two forms.
Dynamic Modeling of α in the Isotropic Lagrangian Averaged Navier-Stokes-α Equations

A dynamic procedure for the Lagrangian Averaged Navier- Stokes-α (LANS-α) equations is developed where the variation in the parameter α in the direction of anisotropy is determined in a self-consistent way from data contained in the simulation itself. In order to derive this model, the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are Helmholtz-filtered at the grid and a test filter levels. A Germano type identity is derived by comparing the filtered subgrid scale stress terms with those given in the LANS-α equations. Assuming constant α in homogenous directions of the flow and averaging in these directions, results in a nonlinear equation for the parameter α, which determines the variation of α in the non-homogeneous directions or in time. Consequently, the parameter α is calculated during the simulation instead of a pre-defined value. As an initial test, the dynamic LANS-α model is used to compute isotropic homogenous forced and decaying turbulence, where α is constant over the computational domain, but is allowed to vary in time. The resulting simulations are compared with direct numerical simulations and with the LANS-α simulations using fixed value of α. As expected, α is found to change rapidly during the first eddy turn-over time during the simulations. It is also observed that by using the dynamic LANS-α procedure a more accurate simulation of the isotropic homogeneous turbulence is achieved. The energy spectra and the total kinetic energy decay are captured more accurately as compared with the LANS-α simulations using a fixed α. The current results suggest some promising applications of this dynamic LANS-α model, such as to a spatially varying turbulent flow, which we hope to undertake in future research.
Dynamic Pricing and Inventory Management Under Inventory-Dependent Demand

We analyze a finite horizon periodic review joint pricing and inventory management model for a firm that replenishes and sells a product under the scarcity effect of inventory. The demand distribution in each period depends negatively on the sales price and customer-accessible inventory level at the beginning of the period. The firm can withhold or dispose of its on-hand inventory to deal with the scarcity effect. We show that a customer-accessible-inventory-dependent order-up-to/dispose-down-to/display-up-to list-price policy is optimal. Moreover, the optimal order-up-to/display-up-to and list-price levels are decreasing in the customer-accessible inventory level. When the scarcity effect of inventory is sufficiently strong, the firm should display no positive inventory and deliberately make every customer wait. The analysis of two important special cases wherein the firm cannot withhold or dispose of inventory delivers sharper insights showing that the inventory-dependent demand drives both optimal prices and order-up-to levels down. In addition, we demonstrate that an increase in the operational flexibility e.g., a higher salvage value or the inventory withholding opportunity mitigates the demand loss caused by high excess inventory and increases the optimal order-up-to levels and sales prices. We also generalize our model by incorporating responsive inventory reallocation after demand realizes. Finally, we perform extensive numerical studies to demonstrate that both the profit loss of ignoring the scarcity effect and the value of dynamic pricing under the scarcity effect are significant.
A cluster-based hybrid access protocol for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are deployed for a wide range of applications that involve collecting information from the operational region in which they inhabit. Depending on the application, sensor nodes may have to transport a time-varying load of sensing data. However, medium access protocols used in WSNs are not generally designed to deal with time varying traffic and may be efficient only for one particular range of traffic load. In this work, assuming a clustering routing scheme, the objective is to improve the performance of wireless sensor networks using a hybrid access protocol. The main idea is to use a protocol which incorporates the characteristics of both random (e.g., CSMA) and contention-free (e.g., TDMA) medium access schemes and smoothly switches between the two depending on the level of traffic load of the sensor nodes. TDMA is used when the network is subject to high traffic or contention and CSMA is used during the clusters' setup phase as well as low contention scenarios. The NS-2 simulations results show that our scheme, compared to TDMA stand-alone, improves the throughput and reduces the latency in variable traffic scenarios.
Natural evidence for chemical and early biological evolution

Meteorites, particularly type II carbonaceous chondrites, provide natural, tangible evidence for chemical evolution, but they do not appear to contain any evidence for biological evolution. On the other hand, some of the oldest sedimentary rocks of the earth have yielded good evidence for early biological evolution; whatever evidence there may be for chemical evolution in these old rocks is generally obscure.
Partially strongly fault secure and partially strongly code disjoint 1-out-of-3 code checker

In this brief communication, we present a checker design for 1-out-of-3 code that satisfies partially strongly fault-secure and partially strongly code-disjoint (PSFS/PSCD) properties. It is more efficient in terms of number of gates and time delay than any previously proposed 1-out-of-3 code checkers in the literature. >
Generating Equilibrium Ensembles Via Molecular Dynamics

Over the last several decades, molecular dynamics (MD) has become one of the most important and commonly used approaches for studying condensed phase systems. MD calculations generally serve two often complementary purposes. First, an MD simulation can be used to study the dynamics of a system starting from particular initial conditions. Second, MD can be employed as a means of generating a collection of classical microscopic configurations in a particular equilibrium ensemble. The latter of these uses shows that MD is intimately connected with statistical mechanics and can serve as a computational tool for solving statistical mechanical problems. Indeed, even when MD is used to study a system’s dynamics, one never uses just a single trajectory (generated from a single initial condition). Dynamical properties in the linear response regime, computed according to the rules of statistical mechanics from time correlation functions, require an ensemble of trajectories starting from an equilibrium distribution of initial conditions. These points underscore the importance of having efficient and rigorous techniques capable of generating equilibrium distributions. Indeed while the problem of producing classical trajectories from a distribution of initial conditions is relatively straightforward — one simply integrates Hamilton’s equations of motion — the problem of generating the equilibrium distribution for a complex system is an immense challenge for which advanced sampling techniques are often required.
Are gamblers more likely to commit crimes? An empirical analysis of a nationally representative survey of US young adults

We examine the relationship between gambling and criminal behaviour using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Our data set includes survey responses from 6145 young adults. The results of our empirical analysis are consistent with the gambling literature in which it is suggested that higher gambling losses increase the propensity to commit crime. This study complements the current literature, as our data and empirical analysis allow us to control for many variables that have been neglected in previous studies, including various forms of gambling. Our findings provide useful information on the general relationship between gambling behaviour and criminal behaviour.
Response of Cutaneous Laser Velocimetry to a Temperature Change: Normal and Dysvascular Patients Compared

In previous studies of skin blood flow using a helium flux technique, we found a linear relationship between blood flow and skin temperature. In this paper we compared the helium flux method to laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) over a range of temperatures in 5 normal healthy volunteers. In a separate normal group we measured the increase in LDV signal to a temperature change in both the volar aspect of the forearm and the dorsum of the foot. We then compared the LDV temperature response data from the normal subjects with data from a group of 20 patients with known peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities and found a highly significant reduction in LDV output vs temperature in the patient groups. We concluded that the LDV temperature response data provide a convenient method for comparison of LDV data be tween patients and between sites on the same patient.
Embryonic Heart Failure in NFATc1−/− Mice: Novel Mechanistic Insights From In Utero Ultrasound Biomicroscopy

Gene targeting in the mouse has become a standard approach, yielding important new insights into the genetic factors underlying cardiovascular development and disease. However, we still have very limited understanding of how mutations affect developing cardiovascular function, and few studies have been performed to measure altered physiological parameters in mouse mutant embryos. Indeed, although in utero lethality due to embryonic heart failure is one of the most common results of gene targeting experiments in the mouse, the underlying physiological mechanisms responsible for embryonic demise remain elusive. Using in utero ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), we studied embryonic day (E) 10.5 to 14.5 NFATc1-/- embryos and control littermates. NFATc1-/- mice, which lack outflow valves, die at mid-late gestation from presumed defects in forward blood flow with resultant heart failure. UBM showed increasing abnormal regurgitant flow in the aorta and extending into the embryonal-placental circulation, which was evident after E12.5 when outflow valves normally first develop. Reduced NFATc1-/- net volume flow and diastolic dysfunction contributed to heart failure, but contractile function remained unexpectedly normal. Among 107 NFATc1-/- embryos imaged, only 2 were observed to be in acute decline with progressive bradyarrhythmia, indicating that heart failure occurs rapidly in individual NFATc1-/- embryos. This study is among the first linking a specific physiological phenotype with a defined genotype, and demonstrates that NFATc1-/- embryonic heart failure is a complex phenomenon not simply attributable to contractile dysfunction.
Using Surface Pressure Variations to Categorize Diurnal Valley Circulations: Experiments in Owens Valley

Abstract Harmonic analysis has been applied to data from nearly 1000 Automatic Surface Observation System (ASOS) stations over the United States to extract diurnal pressure signals. The largest diurnal pressure amplitudes (∼200 Pa) and the earliest phases (∼0600 LST for surface pressure maximum) were found for stations located within deep mountain valleys in the western United States. The origin of these unique characteristics of valley pressure signals is examined with a detailed study of Owens Valley, California. Analysis of observational data from the Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) project shows that the ratio of the valley surface pressure to temperature amplitude can be used to estimate the daily maximum mixed-layer depth H. On days with strong westerly winds above the valley, the mixed layer is found to be shallower than on quiescent days because of a flushing effect in the upper parts of the valley. Idealized two-dimensional Weather Research and Forecasting Model simulations were used to ...
The early effects of tendon transfers and open capsulorrhaphy on glenohumeral deformity in brachial plexus birth palsy.

ABSTRACT FROM THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE BACKGROUND: Persistent muscle imbalance and soft-tissue contractures can lead to progressive glenohumeral joint dysplasia in patients with brachial plexus birth palsy. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the effects of tendon transfers and open glenohumeral reduction on shoulder function and dysplasia in patients with preexisting joint deformity secondary to brachial plexus birth palsy. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with preexisting glenohumeral deformity underwent latissimus dorsi and teres major tendon transfers to the rotator cuff with concomitant musculotendinous lengthening of the pectoralis major and/or subscapularis and open glenohumeral joint reduction for the treatment of internal rotation contracture and external rotation weakness. Shoulder function was assessed with use of the modified Mallet classification system and the Active Movement Scale. Glenoid version and humeral head subluxation were quantified radiographically, and glenohumeral deformity was appropriately graded. The mean duration of clinical and radiographic follow-up was thirty-one and twenty-five months, respectively. RESULTS: Clinically, all patients demonstrated improved global shoulder function, with the mean aggregate Mallet score improving from 10 points preoperatively to 18 points postoperatively (p < 0.01). The mean modified Mallet score for external rotation improved from 2 to 4 (p < 0.01). Similarly, the mean Active Movement Scale score for external rotation improved from 3 to 6 (p < 0.01). The mean Mallet hand-to-spine score improved from 1 to 2 (p < 0.01). The mean Active Movement Scale score for internal rotation remained constant at 6. Radiographically, the mean glenoid version improved from −39° preoperatively to −18° postoperatively (p < 0.01). The mean percentage of the humeral head anterior to the middle of the glenoid similarly improved from 13% to 38% (p < 0.01). The mean glenohumeral deformity score improved from 3 to 2 (p < 0.01). Nineteen (83%) of the twenty-three patients demonstrated glenohumeral remodeling; one patient had progressive worsening of glenohumeral deformity. CONCLUSIONS: Tendon transfers to the rotator cuff, combined with musculotendinous lengthenings and open reduction of the glenohumeral joint, improve global shoulder function and lead to glenohumeral joint remodeling in the majority of selected patients with mild-to-moderate preexisting glenohumeral dysplasia secondary to brachial plexus birth palsy. Future study of the long-term outcomes of these procedures will help to clarify the ultimate effect on glenohumeral joint function. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. ORIGINAL ABSTRACT CITATION: “The Early Effects of Tendon Transfers and Open Capsulorrhaphy on Glenohumeral Deformity in Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy” (2008;90:2171-9).
Dimensionality reduction particle swarm algorithm for high dimensional clustering

The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) clustering algorithm can generate more compact clustering results than the traditional K-means clustering algorithm. However, when clustering high dimensional datasets, the PSO clustering algorithm is notoriously slow because its computation cost increases exponentially with the size of the dataset dimension. Dimensionality reduction techniques offer solutions that both significantly improve the computation time, and yield reasonably accurate clustering results in high dimensional data analysis. In this paper, we introduce research that combines different dimensionality reduction techniques with the PSO clustering algorithm in order to reduce the complexity of high dimensional datasets and speed up the PSO clustering process. We report significant improvements in total runtime. Moreover, the clustering accuracy of the dimensionality reduction PSO clustering algorithm is comparable to the one that uses full dimension space.
Intestinal Absorption of Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins are compounds that are required in small quantities for growth and maintenance of normal cell and organ functions; they are nutrients required primarily by vertebrates and not by lower organisms. Although vitamins may be grouped by their source or function, the most commonly used categorization relates to their chemical solubility, namely, hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity, which is directly associated with absorption processes.
Genetic Mechanisms in Tumor Progression, Heterogeneity, and Metastasis

By the time of diagnosis, most malignant neoplasms are heterogeneous and contain numerous subpopulations of cells with diverse biologic characteristics, which include the ability to invade and produce metastasis. The metastatic process is not random. Rather, metastases result from the survival and proliferation of a few specialized metastatic cells that preexist within parent neoplasms. Diversity for the metastatic phenotype may be a consequence of the multicellular origin of a neoplasm, or it may be the result of continuous evolution and progression of tumors either unicellular or multicellular in origin. Metastatic variants, in general, are less phenotypically stable than benign or nonmetastatic clones, and they also exhibit higher rates of spontaneous mutations. Although metastases may have a clonal-unicellular origin, the genetic instability of these cells coupled with host selection pressure can rapidly generate biologic diversity among and within metastases. These data support the concept that tumor evolution and progression toward increased malignancy could be regulated by genetic mechanisms.
The Outcomes of Decision Making

The hypotheses that guided our work and questions that concerned us were reported in chapter 5. The extent to which our data support or refute these hypotheses are discussed below.
Abstract A39: Dietary supplementation with curcumin enhances metastatic growth of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice

The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with curcumin (the principal curcuminoid of the popular Indian spice turmeric) on spontaneous metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) in female C57/BL6 mice. Mice were fed the AIN93G control diet or that diet supplemented with 2% or 4% curcumin for 5 weeks at which time they were injected subcutaneously with 2.5 x 105 viable LLC cells. The subcutaneous primary tumor was surgically removed when it reached approximately 8 mm in diameter, and the experiment was terminated 10 days after the surgery. There was no difference in pulmonary metastatic yield among the groups. Curcumin supplementation at either dietary level did not significantly affect tumor growth. However, the combine data from both curcumin groups showed that curcumin treatment increased tumor cross-sectional area by 46% (p Citation Format: Lin Yan. Dietary supplementation with curcumin enhances metastatic growth of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A39.
Analysis Fragment Pathway of Puerarin by Electron Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Structure and MS/MS fragment pathway of pueratin were elucidated with electron spray ionization mass spectrometry.The characteristic ions and fragment mechanism were explained by Mass Frontier 3.0. Pueratin mainly fragmented on the glycoside of D ring.The characteristic ions of pueratin were m/z 399、381、363、351、335、321 and m/z 399 fragment to m/z 381, ion m/z 381 fragment to m/z 363 and m/z 351. The result provides important information for the drug metabolism and structural modification research of puerarin.
Assessment of in vivo effectiveness of tumoricidal chemotherapy and radiation therapy by serial analysis of tumor-associated urinary antigen titers in patients with sarcoma

Serial measurements of tumor-associated antigens in the urine of patients with sarcoma who received preoperative intra-arterial doxorubicin and radiation therapy were assayed by microcomplement fixation. Changes in urinary antigen titer as a result of therapy were compared to pretreatment samples and were correlated with clinicopathologic evidence of in situ tumor cell destruction. Of the 53 patients with sarcoma studied, 44 had clinicopathologic evidence of tumor destruction induced by the preoperative therapy, and all 44 had a fourfold or greater rise in the level of urinary antigens during the treatment period. The other nine patients had no evidence of tumor destruction and antigen titers remained unchanged. Results suggested that tumoricidal therapy released tumor-associated antigens which could be detected in urine by microcomplement fixation. This phenomenon may be useful for measuring the in vivo effectiveness of tumoricidal therapy on nonaccessible tumors.
Time-dependent regulation by insulin of leucine metabolism in young healthy adults

The long- and short-term effects of insulin on leucine turnover were investigated in six young healthy volunteers using [1-14C]leucine in combination with indirect calorimetry. After baseline measurement of leucine turnover (44.9 +/- 2.7 mumol.m-2.min-1), the plasma insulin concentration was raised by 10 microU/ml above baseline while maintaining euglycemia for 24 h. Repeat determinations of leucine turnover were carried out at 3 and 24 h. On a separate day, in three of the six subjects, leucine turnover also was quantitated after 13 h of equivalent hyperinsulinemia. Insulin significantly suppressed plasma leucine and ketoisocaproate (KIC) concentrations during short-term (3 h) infusion, and this reduction persisted after 13 and 24 h of insulin administration. Endogenous leucine flux (an index of protein degradation) was decreased similarly by hyperinsulinemia at 3 h (34.2 +/- 2.9 mumol.m-2.min-1, P < 0.001) and at 13 h (29.2 +/- 2.6 mumol.m-2.min-1, P < 0.05 vs. baseline) but returned to the basal preinsulin rate after 24 h of insulinization (40.4 +/- 2.9 mumol.m-2.min-1; P = not significant vs. baseline, P < 0.001 vs. 3 h, and P < 0.05 vs. 13-h studies). Leucine oxidation did not change significantly after either 3, 13, or 24 h of insulin infusion. Similar results were obtained whether the calculations were carried out using the [14C]KIC or [14C]leucine specific activities. Four separate subjects, treated in a similar manner to the experimental group, received a 24-h infusion of saline and thus served as the controls for time, nutritional status, and level of physical activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
WITHHOLDING EFFORT IN ORGANIZATIONS: TOWARD DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A MEASURE

Field research into the topic of withholding effort and its variants (shirking, loafing, free riding, and job neglect) has been limited due to a lack of measures that are applicable to organizational settings. This study used a multi- phase process to ascertain a measure of withholding effort that can be used in organizational settings. Items were generated through literature review and dis- cussions with practitioners; culled by the authors; and tested in a field study in multiple, diverse organizations. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses found the construct of withholding effort to be multidimensional, but not neces- sarily as previous theoretical work in the area would suggest. Correlations of the various dimensions of withholding effort scales with existing scales tapping a wide range of employee attitudes were consistent with a priori expectations. Im- plications for the use of these scales in future workplace research and their prac- tical application in organizations are discussed.
Optimizing Outcomes with Enhanced Recovery

The term “enhanced recovery pathway (ERP)” refers to a multimodal approach to patient care, based on interdisciplinary work that contributes not only to the standardization of care but also to increase quality, while containing cost. ERPs are implemented through specialty-specific order sets that cover the whole episode of care, from preoperative management to post-discharge healthcare coordination and follow-ups. Furthermore, the combination of ERPs and minimally invasive colorectal surgery has demonstrated a reduction in morbidity and mortality and overall length of hospital stay and are associated with a low readmission rate. Overall, the decrease in complications associated with the implementation of an ERP and minimally invasive colorectal surgery achieves the goals of improving quality of patients’ care and reducing healthcare-related cost when compared to patients managed outside a specific pathway.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Vascular Diseases

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects a large proportion of adults, and is as an independent risk factor for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease. The repetitive airway obstruction that characterizes OSA results in intermittent hypoxia, intrathoracic pressure swings, and sleep fragmentation, which in turn lead to sympathetic activation, oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. This review outlines the associations between OSA and vascular diseases and describes basic mechanisms that may be responsible for this association, in both the micro- and macrocirculation. It also reports on interventional studies that aim to ameliorate OSA and thereby reduce vascular disease burden. © 2016 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 6:1519-1528, 2016.
Science of Happiness & Positivity

This article explains the meaning of true happiness, why everyone appears to strive for it, and why it eludes us. A discussion of how happiness may be measured and achieved is presented next. The notion of positivity and its intimate relationship to happiness is explained, and finally, the ramifications of a scientific and auditable pursuit of happiness and positivity are highlighted. The pursuit of happiness and positivity are subsets of a scientific framework for internal and external excellence for world transformation and peace that is detailed in our book on the Nature of Ultimate Reality referenced at the end of this article.
Killer Robots as cultural techniques

In October 2012 a group of non-governmental organizations formed a Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. The aim of this campaign was to preemptively ban fully autonomous weapons capable of selecting and engaging targets without human intervention. The campaign gained momentum swiftly, leading to different legal and political discussions and decision-makings. In this article, we use the framework of cultural techniques to analyze the different operational processes, tactics, and ethics underlying the debates surrounding developments of autonomous weapon systems. From reading the materials of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots and focusing on current robotic research in the military context we argue that, instead of demonizing Killer Robots as such, we need to understand the tools, processes and operating procedures that create, support and validate these objects. The framework of cultural techniques help us to analyze how autonomous technologies draw distinctions between life and death, human and machine, cultu...
A Platform Agnostic Remote Desktop System for Screen Reading

Remote desktop technology, the enabler of access to applications hosted on remote hosts, relies primarily on scraping the pixels on the remote screen and redrawing them as a simple bitmap on the client's local screen. Such a technology will simply not work with screen readers since the latter are innately tied to reading text. Since screen readers are locked-in to a specific OS platform, extant solutions that enable remote access with screen readers such as NVDARemote and JAWS Tandem require homogeneity of OS platforms at both the client and remote sites. This demo will present Sinter, a system that eliminates this requirement. With Sinter, a blind Mac user, for example, can now access a remote Windows application with VoiceOver, a scenario heretofore not possible.
Macro- and Micro-approaches to Crime Prevention and Intervention Programs

Criminologists interested in the etiology of crime study macro- and micro-level factors that produce non-normative behaviors. The distinction between macro- and micro-level causes of crime and delinquency relates to the “unit of analysis” of each type of explanation (aggregate or individual). Researchers pay attention to the unit of analysis when proposing research questions and when collecting and analyzing data. We begin this chapter with a discussion of the difference between micro- and macro-levels of analysis and the importance of making the distinction. Our goal is to provide practitioners with information about how this distinction could be applicable for different kinds of research in crime prevention. We then discuss programs that have elements related to both the micro- and macro-level. Because policies and programs can target a variety of entities, such as individuals, neighborhoods, schools, states, or the entire nation, clarifying the macro- and micro-level distinction can help practitioners and treatment providers better understand how to propose, implement, and evaluate the policies and programs.
Measures of body fat and related factors in normal adults. II. A simple clinical method to estimate body fat and lean body mass.

Abstract Study of body composition is important in epidemiology, medicine, nutrition, surgery, physiology and other related fields. While laboratory methods are sufficiently refined to determine body fat and lean body mass with accuracy, they remain specialized research tools. In this and the preceding paper, regression equations using anthropometric measurements are developed by which total body fat and lean body mass can be predicted easily with an accuracy suitable for clinical and epidemiological studies. Regression equations for estimating body fat from two, three and four anthropometric variables are presented for five race-sex-age categories of healthy adults and for combinations of these subject categories. Validation of the equations was based on determinations of body fat from laboratory measurements of total body water (tritium) and body density by helium dilution on 167 subjects randomly selected from a total of 2053 subjects who were measured anthropometrically. Multiple correlation coefficients on kilograms body fat for all equations were 0.897 or greater. With four variables, the highest r was 0.980 obtained for women aged 35–44 years, inclusive; the lowest was 0.918, obtained for white men of the same age. For 68 subjects, comparison has been made of the lean body weight obtained from K 40 measurements with lean body mass calculated from total body weight and body fat determinations. Calculations of either body fat, total body weight, fat-free body weight, percentage body weight as fat or potassium equivalents according to anthropometric formulas have been correlated with the appropriate measured variable for the data obtained in this study. The methodology of predicting body composition from anthropometric measurements provides a useful tool in the further epidemiological and clinical study of chronic diseases associated with overweight.
ASEAN's Progression to Common Market Status: Pitfalls and Policy Prescriptions

As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) moves closer towards common market status, a number of potential pitfalls may hamper its success. Issues of development gaps, transparency and corruption, and differing degrees of economic freedom are factors which may inhibit the success of an ASEAN common market. In addition, as China and India continue to develop into economic superpowers, new strategies are needed, however, these strategies must balance economic liberty and mandated collective action. Suggestions are offered to enhance the transition towards a more integrated and prosperous ASEAN.
Teaching the Craft of Data Analysis

We describe our experiences and express our opinions about a non-introductory statistics course covering data analysis. In addition to the methods of statistics, the course emphasizes the process o...
Three-dimensional migration behavior of juvenile salmonids in reservoirs and near dams

To acquire 3-D tracking data on juvenile salmonids, Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) cabled hydrophone arrays were deployed in the forebays of two dams on the Snake River and at a mid-reach reservoir between the dams. The depth distributions of fish were estimated by statistical analyses performed on large 3-D tracking data sets from ~33,500 individual acoustic tagged yearling and subyearling Chinook salmon and juvenile steelhead at the two dams in 2012 and subyearling Chinook salmon at the two dams and the mid-reach reservoir in 2013. This research investigated the correlation between vertical migration behavior and passage routes. The depth distributions of fish within the forebays of the dams were significantly different from fish passing the mid-reach reservoir. Fish residing deeper in the forebay tended to pass the dam using deeper powerhouse routes. This difference in depth distributions indicated that the depth distribution of fish at the mid-reach reservoir was not related to behaviors of fish passing through certain routes of the adjacent dams. For fish that were detected deeper than 17.5 m in the forebays, the probability of powerhouse passage (i.e., turbine) increased significantly. Another important finding was the variation in depth distributions during dam passage associated with the diel period, especially the crepuscular periods.
Differences between palpable and nonpalpable tumors in early-stage, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

Abstract Background We compared characteristics and outcomes of palpable versus nonpalpable, hormone-sensitive, early-stage breast cancers. Methods Patients from the North American Fareston vs. Tamoxifen Adjuvant (NAFTA) trial were divided into palpable (n = 513) and nonpalpable (n = 1063) tumor groups. Differences in pathological features, loco-regional therapy, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results Patients with palpable tumors were older, had larger tumors, and higher rates of lymph-node involvement. The tumors were more likely to be poorly differentiated, of high nuclear grade, and display lymphovascular invasion. After mean followup of 59 months, DFS and OS were significantly lower for palpable than nonpalpable tumors (DFS 93.5% vs. 98.4%, p Conclusions In a group of hormone-sensitive, mostly postmenopausal early-stage breast cancer patients, palpable tumors were more likely to have more aggressive features and metastatic potential, which translated in to a higher incidence of breast cancer-related events and worse overall survival.
A review of research efforts to address the 2008 ACEP guideline for mild traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the temporal relationship between clinical practice guideline development and subsequent research performed, with the goal of providing more data on areas of sparse evidence that serve to underlie guideline recommendations. We aimed to assess the quality of current research efforts to address the American College of Emergency Physicians guideline and to provide suggestions for future research of mild traumatic brain injury. Methods We identified clinical practice guideline recommendations with low levels of underlying evidence and searched ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trial Registry Portal to determine whether subsequent research has reflected an effort to address guideline recommendations. Results Few currently registered clinical trials attempt to focus on clinical practice guideline recommendations where the basis of evidence is weak, and even fewer might benefit future iterations of the guideline due to multiple problems in study design and reporting. Conclusions The amount of research dedicated to investigation of mild traumatic brain injury continues to be sparse and of poor quality. Study results should always be posted, even if the null hypothesis is confirmed. Efforts to improve the evidence base of a guideline should be realized by designing studies that directly assess and speak to the questions posed by guideline authors.
Ring and field extensions

Let ψ : A → B be a homomorphism of commutative rings. We will define a B-module of differentials Ω B /A as follows. Let F be the free B-module with basis elements called db for each element b of B. Let G be the submodule of F generated by the following elements;
The Clinicial Implications of Children’s Conceptions of Social Relationships

In many ways, developing children are social scientists, gathering information and testing hypotheses about their social world in order to discover “how it works.” To succeed socially—to elicit rewarding interactions and to avoid punishing interpersonal experiences—they must learn how to predict the behavior and responses of others and must guide their own behavior accordingly. Gradually, children gather information about the characteristic behaviors of various others. They begin to compare an individual’s behavior across situations and time and infer dispositional, motivational, and contextual determinants (Barenboim, 1977). Based upon these inferences, adolescents construct theories about psychological processes. Concurrently, children acquire an understanding of the norms and values which guide social behavior within their culture, including the expectations associated with various social roles and role relations (Kelvin, 1970).
Using Contemporary Technology Tools to Improve the Effectiveness of Teacher Educators in Special Education

Ongoing developments in educational technology, including web-based instruction, streaming video, podcasting, video-conferencing, and the use of wikis and blogs to create learning communities, have...