cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Responses to Infectious Bronchitis Virus Infection

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity to infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) was examined at regular intervals between 3 and 30 days post infection (p.i.). The maximal CTL lysis of target cells infected with IBV with 82% was detected at 10 days p.i. The specific CTL activity began to decrease only after viral loads, which peaked at day 8 p.i. in both kidneys and lungs, started to decline. Therefore, the CTL response correlated with eliminnation of acute infection. IgM antibody did not appear until day 10 and levels peaked at day 12 p.i. whereas IgG antibody titers were detectable only by day 15 p.i., but continued to increase exponentially until day 30 p.i., the last day examined. IBV specifc CTL epitope(s) were mapped within the carboxyl terminal 120 amino acids of nucleocapsid protein. In vivo inoculation of this fragment, as cDNA, induced protection against acute infection. The absence of viral neutralizing epitopes on the nucleocapsid protein would suggest that protection with known CTL eptiope(s) can be induced in the absence of neutralizing antibody.
An S-shaped pattern in the perceived passage of time: how social interaction governs temporal experience

Variation in the passage of time is perceived against the backdrop of standard temporal units. Under certain conditions, we perceive time to be passing slowly. In other settings, our subjective temporal experience is roughly synchronized with the objective time of clocks or calendars. And given different circumstances, we perceive time to have passed quickly. Drawing from 740 narratives that depict distortion in the perceived passage of time, I formulate a theory that accounts for the full range of variation in temporal experience. This theory can be represented by an S-shaped figure. According to this theory, variation in the perceived passage of time reflects variation in the density of experience per standard temporal unit. In turn, the density of experience per standard temporal unit is conditioned by the dynamics of social interaction. In its original form, however, this theory assumes that one’s circumstances shape one’s temporal experience in deterministic fashion. Consequently, based upon interviews with 406 disparate people, I conceptualize time work (or temporal agency) as one’s efforts to control, manipulate, or customize one’s own temporal experience or that of others. I conclude with some directions for future research.
Development of a radioligand for imaging V1a vasopressin receptors with PET.

Abstract A series of vasopressin receptor V 1a ligands have been synthesized for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The lead compound (1 S, 5 R )- 1 ( (4-(1H-indol-3-yl)-3-methoxyphenyl) ((1 S ,5R)-1,3,3-trimethyl-6-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-6-yl)methanone ) and its F-ethyl analog 6c exhibited the best combination of high binding affinity and optimal lipophilicity within the series. (1 S, 5 R )- 1 was radiolabeled with 11 C for PET studies. [ 11 CH 3 ](1 S, 5 R )- 1 readily entered the mouse (4.7% ID/g tissue) and prairie vole brains (∼2% ID/g tissue) and specifically (30–34%) labeled V 1a receptor. The common animal anesthetic Propofol significantly blocked the brain uptake of [ 11 CH 3 ](1 S, 5 R )- 1 in the mouse brain, whereas anesthetics Ketamine and Saffan increased the uptake variability. Future PET imaging studies with V 1a radiotracers in non-human primates should be performed in awake animals or using anesthetics that do not affect the V 1a receptor.
High-energy x-ray diffraction microscopy study of deformation microstructures in neutron-irradiated polycrystalline Fe-9%Cr

Abstract In this study, we used far-field high-energy x-ray diffraction microscopy (FF-HEDM) to measure in 3D the spatial distributions of the sizes, orientations, and residual strains of grains and subgrains formed by room-temperature tensile deformation in a neutron-irradiated (450 °C, 0.01dpa) Fe-9Cr specimen and its unirradiated counterpart. We found that neutron irradiation under this condition alone had no effect on the grain size distribution. After deformation, grains fragmented into subgrains in both unirradiated and irradiated specimens: the irradiated specimen contained a few large subgrains which co-existed with many smaller subgrains, while the unirradiated specimen contained small subgrains with a relatively uniform size distribution. Prior to deformation, the irradiated specimen had higher residual strain spread compared to its unirradiated counterpart, while after deformation to the maximum uniform elongation, the strain distributions among subgrains were similar between the unirradiated and irradiated specimens. The FF-HEDM measurements provide new insight into the effects of neutron irradiation on the mechanical response of Fe-Cr ferritic alloys.
Cardiovascular Function and Dysfunction in Sickle Cell Anemia

The 100th anniversary of the discovery of sickle cell anemia (SCA) as a distinct clinical entity by James B. Herrick in 1910 will soon be a reality. SCA continues to present opportunities for elemental observations of basic science and pathophysiologic clinical mechanisms—in particular, those associated with cardiopulmonary and circulatory disorders. Data indicate that cardiomegaly results from increased work caused by the anemia and that myocardial ischemia may result from the combined effects of severe anemia, microthrombi, and increased blood viscosity producing myocardial dysfunction, scarring, and elevated filling pressures. Sudden death has resulted from frank myocardial infarction and ischemia-induced rhythm disturbances. Myocardial injury may also be associated with bone marrow embolism. Mortality risk factors include systemic hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, and possibly subclinical electrical instability.
Nanomaterials in Li-Ion Battery Electrode Design

Li-ion batteries have generated great interest as lightweight, portable, rechargeable power sources over the last decade. Their introduction in 1990 by T. Nagaura and K. Tozawa of SonyTec Inc. fueled the explosion of personal electronic devices.1 Li-ion batteries are now the power source of choice for laptops, cell phones, and digital cameras. The public has quickly embraced this technology, which accounts for an approximately $3 billion annual market.2 Despite (or perhaps as a result of) the commercial success of these batteries, a global research initiative exists to improve the existing design. The goal of which is to apply this technology to more demanding and exotic uses, such as the electric component of hybrid vehicles, low-temperature applications, and power supplies for MEMs. However, the current design cannot adequately satisfy the power requirements of such systems, due to the inability to deliver a sufficient quantity of charge at high discharge currents.3 This chapter will detail the efforts of laboratories, ours in particular, to incorporate the field of nanomaterials to improve upon Li-ion batteries.
ALPHA-ADRENOCEPTORS IN ISCHEMIC CANINE HEART BLOCKED BY PHENTOLAMINE

Publisher Summary In the mammalian heart, both alpha and beta adrenoceptors exist; both of these adrenoceptors elicit an increase of ventricular contractility, whereas beta adrenoceptors dilate and alpha constrict the coronary blood vessels. Under ordinary circumstances, the prevalent effect of adrenoceptor stimulation reflects beta stimulation. The experimental demonstration of the existence of alpha adrenoceptors in the mammalian myocardium and coronary bed has been made chiefly on animal preparations that had their beta receptors blocked with propranolol or other similar drugs. This chapter is a report of another way of demonstrating alpha adrenoceptor activity without employing beta blocking agents. The authors of the chapter have used myocardial ischemia for altering the adrenoceptor quality in a circumscribed venticular region of the in situ canine heart. The nature of the effects has been shown to be altered by changes in myocardial metabolism. An increase in metabolism caused a predominance of beta receptors and a decrease in predominance of alpha receptors in the myocardium and in the coronary blood vessels.
A Data-Driven Personalized Model of Glucose Dynamics Taking Account of the Effects of Physical Activity for Type 1 Diabetes: An In Silico Study

This paper aims to develop a data-driven model for glucose dynamics taking into account the effects of physical activity (PA) through a numerical study. It intends to investigate PA's immediate effect on insulin-independent glucose variation and PA's prolonged effect on insulin sensitivity. We proposed a nonlinear model with PA (NLPA), consisting of a linear regression of PA and a bilinear regression of insulin and PA. The model was identified and evaluated using data generated from a physiological PA-glucose model by Dalla Man et al. integrated with the uva/padova Simulator. Three metrics were computed to compare blood glucose (BG) predictions by NLPA, a linear model with PA (LPA), and a linear model with no PA (LOPA). For PA's immediate effect on glucose, NLPA and LPA showed 45-160% higher mean goodness of fit (FIT) than LOPA under 30 min-ahead glucose prediction (P < 0.05). For the prolonged PA effect on glucose, NLPA showed 87% higher FIT than LPA (P < 0.05) for simulations using no previous measurements. NLPA had 25-37% and 31-54% higher sensitivity in predicting postexercise hypoglycemia than LPA and LOPA, respectively. This study demonstrated the following qualitative trends: (1) for moderate-intensity exercise, accuracy of BG prediction was improved by explicitly accounting for PA's effect; and (2) accounting for PA's prolonged effect on insulin sensitivity can increase the chance of early prediction of postexercise hypoglycemia. Such observations will need to be further evaluated through human subjects in the future.
Patient outcomes after total hip arthroplasty in extreme elderly patients older than 80 years.

Background:While extreme elderly patients (age 80 and above) benefit from joint replacement, there is controversy about whether their physical function improves as much as younger individuals follo...
Cold War, Culture Wars, War on Terror: the NEA and the art of public diplomacy

This article reframes the conversation on the National Endowment for the Arts’ loss of funding during the 1990s. It argues morality and fiscal responsibility have been overemphasised and instead su...
Heat release effects on the Reynolds stress budgets in turbulent premixed jet flames at low and high Karlovitz numbers

Abstract In turbulent premixed flames at low Karlovitz number, combustion heat release can have a significant impact on turbulence. Thermal expansion in flame induces dilatation, and the corresponding pressure–dilatation correlation acts as a primary source of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). As a consequence, the flame-normal component of the normal Reynolds stresses significantly increases. Additionally, for sheared flames, typical of jet flames, the shear component of the Reynolds stresses exhibits counter-Boussinesq behavior. For flames at low Karlovitz number, where these effects dominate, no models have successfully predicted all Reynolds stress components. To develop more complete turbulence models, heat release effects on the evolution of all Reynolds stress components need to be analyzed. In this work, Reynolds stress budgets are evaluated from Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) databases of spatially-evolving turbulent premixed planar jet flames at low and high Karlovitz numbers. In the Reynolds stress budgets, the velocity–pressure gradient correlation term is important at both Karlovitz numbers but serves fundamentally different roles in each case. In the budgets for the normal components, the velocity–pressure gradient correlation term is decomposed into a redistribution term and an isotropic term, where the redistribution term acts to redistribute energy between the Reynolds stress components and the isotropic term is the pressure–dilatation source term of turbulent kinetic energy. At high Karlovitz number, the isotropic term is negligible, and the redistribution term acts to isotropize the turbulence as in non-reacting flows. Conversely, at low Karlovitz number, the isotropic term acts as a large source, and the redistribution term preferentially injects energy into the flame-normal component at the expense of other components which acts to make the turbulence less isotropic. In the budget for the shear component, the shear production term dominates the velocity–pressure gradient correlation term at high Karlovitz number, but the opposite is observed at low Karlovitz number. The dominance of the velocity–pressure gradient correlation term at low Karlovitz number is primarily induced by the flame-generated mean pressure gradient and ultimately leads to the counter-Boussinesq behavior of the shear component. The overall analysis indicates that any turbulence model that relies on small-scale isotropy and/or rapid isotropization will fail to capture the heat release effects on turbulence at low Karlovitz number.
Inadequacy and impact of facility design for adolescents and young adults with cancer

Abstract As cancer remains the leading disease-related cause of death in adolescence, designers must consider the influence of health facility design on social support and quality of life, while considering the changing psychosocial needs of adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Both the stress of treatment and the environment in which treatment occurs can influence AYAs during a time of significant social, biological, and cognitive developmental transitions. A questionnaire developed and provided to 104 AYA-aged survivors of AYA cancer revealed significant inadequacies across 22 features of the cancer treatment environment. Results of a regression analysis suggest a significant relationship between adequacy of the built environment, social support, AYA-specific resources, and health-related quality of life. Recommendations are provided for the design of an inpatient or outpatient cancer facility for young people, such that designers must create space to balance desired and achieved social interaction.
Feeding in the Digital Age: An Observational Analysis of Mobile Device Use during Family Meals at Fast Food Restaurants in Italy

Caregiver mobile phone use while monitoring children is a behavior of increasing prevalence. Family mealtimes have long been considered a time in which parents and children connect emotionally and model eating behaviors, but prior studies have documented less parent-child conversation and more negative parent reactions to child behavioral bids at the table during parent phone use. Research on this topic to date is sparse and focuses only on US populations. The current study used non-participant naturalistic observation to record data on parental mealtime device use and family interactions while dining with children in a fast food restaurant in Italy. Thirty seven families (individuals observed = 129) were observed at a restaurant for the duration of their meal. Qualitative analysis of field notes indicated that mobile phones are frequently used by caregivers during feeding interactions. A novel observation in the current study was different patterns of use by parent gender and age. Mothers appeared to divide their attention between phone and child, whereas fathers evidenced more continuous mobile phone use during which there was lower responsiveness towards children during the meal. Younger parents more frequently used mobile phones, compared to older parents. Parents who missed child bids for attention were all phone users during the mealtime.
Predicting the second wave of COVID-19 in Washtenaw County, MI

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the patchwork nature of disease epidemics, with infection spread dynamics varying wildly across countries and across states within the US. To explore this issue, we study and predict the spread of COVID-19 in Washtenaw County, MI, which is home to University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, and in close proximity to Detroit, MI, a major epicenter of the epidemic in Michigan. We apply a discrete and stochastic network-based modeling framework allowing us to track every individual in the county. In this framework, we construct contact networks based on synthetic population datasets specific for Washtenaw County that are derived from US Census datasets. We assign individuals to households, workplaces, schools, and group quarters (such as prisons or long term care facilities). In addition, we assign casual contacts to each individual at random. Using this framework, we explicitly simulate Michigan-specific government-mandated workplace and school closures as well as social distancing measures. We perform sensitivity analyses to identify key model parameters and mechanisms contributing to the observed disease burden in the three months following the first observed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan. We then consider several scenarios for relaxing restrictions and reopening workplaces to predict what actions would be most prudent. In particular, we consider the effects of 1) different timings for reopening, and 2) different levels of workplace vs. casual contact re-engagement. We find that delaying reopening does not reduce the magnitude of the second peak of cases, but only delays it. Reducing levels of casual contact, on the other hand, both delays and lowers the second peak. Through simulations and sensitivity analyses, we explore mechanisms driving the magnitude and timing of a second wave of infections upon re-opening. We find that the most significant factors are workplace and casual contacts and protective measures taken by infected individuals who have sought care. This model can be adapted to other US counties using synthetic population databases and data specific to those regions.
DNA sequencing of anatomy lab cadavers to provide hands-on precision medicine introduction to medical students.

Medical treatment informed by Precision Medicine is becoming a standard practice for many diseases, and patients are curious about the consequences of genomic variants in their genome. However, most medical students’ understanding of Precision Medicine derives from classroom lectures. This format does little to foster an understanding for the potential and limitations of Precision Medicine. To close this gap, we implemented a hands-on Precision Medicine training program utilizing exome sequencing to prepare a clinical genetic report of cadavers studied in the anatomy lab. The program reinforces Precision Medicine related learning objectives for the Genetics curriculum. Pre-embalmed blood samples and embalmed tissue were obtained from cadavers (donors) used in the anatomy lab. DNA was isolated and sequenced and illustrative genetic reports provided to the students. The reports were used to facilitate discussion with students on the implications of pathogenic genomic variants and the potential correlation of these variants in each “donor” with any anatomical anomalies identified during cadaver dissection. In 75% of cases, analysis of whole exome sequencing data identified a variant associated with increased risk for a disease/abnormal condition noted in the donor’s cause of death or in the students’ anatomical findings. This provided students with real-world examples of the potential relationship between genomic variants and disease risk. Our students also noted that diseases associated with 92% of the pathogenic variants identified were not related to the anatomical findings, demonstrating the limitations of Precision Medicine. With this study, we have established protocols and classroom procedures incorporating hands-on Precision Medicine training in the medical student curriculum and a template for other medical educators interested in enhancing their Precision Medicine training program. The program engaged students in discovering variants that were associated with the pathophysiology of the cadaver they were studying, which led to more exposure and understanding of the potential risks and benefits of genomic medicine.
Student Responses to Virtual Synchronous, Hybrid, and Face-to-Face Teaching/Learning

The authors of this research project developed a survey to gather information from graduate students about the experiences using a virtual synchronous platform, called Adobe Connect. While the format of the virtual classroom should encourage robust discussion, the authors found this not to be the case in the online virtual synchronous courses in education. Curious as to why the quality of discussion was poorer than expected, the authors surveyed graduate students enrolled in their virtual, hybrid (combination of face-to-face and virtual), and face-to-face classes over four semesters. Analysis of respondents’ Likert Scale ratings and answers to open-ended questions about various aspects of virtual synchronous, hybrid, and face-to-face course presentations were conducted, with a major focus on virtual synchronous online experiences. Results indicated that a learning curve exists when taking virtual synchronous course delivery. In other words, the more courses the students took the more competent and satisfied they became.
Does Race or Ethnicity Impact Complications After Pulmonary Lobectomy for Patients With Lung Cancer

Abstract Background Racial disparity in surgical access and postoperative outcomes after pulmonary lobectomy continues to be a concern and target for improvement; however, evidence of independent impact of race on complications is lacking. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of race/ethnicity on surgical outcomes after lobectomy for lung cancer and estimate the distribution of racial/ethnic groups among expected resectable lung cancer cases using a large national database. Methods Patients who underwent lobectomy for lung cancer between 2005 and 2016 were identified in the American College of Surgeon National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Preoperative characteristics and postoperative outcomes were compared between race/ethnicity groups in all patients and in propensity-matched cohorts, controlling for pertinent risk factors. Distribution of each race/ethnicity in the database was calculated relative to estimated numbers of patients with resectable lung cancer in the United States. Results A total of 10,202 patients (age 67.6 ± 9.7, 46.7% male, 86.4% white) underwent nonemergent lobectomy (46.8% thoracoscopic). Blacks had higher rates of baseline risk factors. In propensity score–matched cohorts of whites, blacks, and Hispanics/Asians (n = 498 each), postoperatively, blacks had higher rates of prolonged intubation and longer hospital stay while whites had a higher rate of pneumonia. Race was independently associated with these adverse outcomes on multivariate analysis. Proportion of blacks and Hispanics in the American College of Surgeon National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was lower than their respective proportion of resectable lung cancer in the United States. Conclusions In a large national-level surgical database, there was lower than expected representation of black and Hispanic patients. Black race was independently associated with extended length of stay and prolonged intubation, whereas white was independently associated with postoperative pneumonia.
Measuring Executive Ideology and its Influence

Executives are important elites, and ideology plays an important role in elite behavior, but measurement challenges and a focus on the presidency have kept scholars from fully exploring the role of executive ideology. This article advocates turning to the gubernatorial context, where Bonica’s (2014) campaign finance-based ideology scores (CFscores) provide a common-scale measure of executive preferences. I demonstrate that these scores converge with other indicators of executive preferences, and reliably predict executive behavior. Then, I estimate four models of state policy liberalism as a function of executive, legislative, and citizen ideology. Gubernatorial preferences emerge as the most predictive of the three. Executive ideology is more explanatory than legislative preferences when Democrats are in office and dwarfs the predictive power of public opinion in all cases. A one standard deviation shift in executive ideology corresponds with 2.3 to 8.3 times more policy change than a similar shift in public opinion.
Infrared thermographs for measuring elevated body temperature: large-scale clinical study, international standards, and FDA guidance

Infrared thermographs (IRTs) have been used for fever screening during infectious disease epidemics. However, their performance is inconsistent in literature, due to wide quality/implementation variations. We overview standards and FDA guidance for IRT performance evaluation, implementation, and regulation policies. Additionally, we present results from a large-scale clinical study of fever-screening IRTs and discuss impact of consensus guidelines and facial measurement location on performance. We found that: high-quality IRTs implemented according to international standards can help to accurately measure temperature; current standards can be improved to further enhance IRT performance. Overall, fever screening is only one element in infectious disease detection.
The curious case of productivity orientation: The influence of advertising stimuli on affect and preference for subscription boxes

Abstract This research evaluates the interplay of emotion, cognition, and individual differences such as productivity orientation. Two experimental design studies using Mturk participants test the proposed effects of curiosity evoked by advertising stimuli with mystery on positive affect and preference for curated subscription boxes. The results show that advertising stimuli with mystery can have a negative influence on positive affect unless people feel high curiosity. We further demonstrate that people with high productivity orientation are more likely to experience high positive affect and to prefer “curated for you” items compared to low productivity-oriented people, after viewing advertising stimuli with mystery.
Functional Polymeric Photonic Crystals for Infra-Red Bands by Guided Colloidal Assembly Techniques

A technique utilizing polyelectrolytes to assist in the self assembly of colloidal silica spheres into ordered crystallites is introduced. Techniques for coating silica spheres with poly(anilinesulfonic) acid, polypyrrole, and poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) are described with a self assemble method to guide them into face centered cubic (FCC) opals and into thin films with star shaped opalescent patterns. Inverse gold photonic crystals constructed from silica opal templates were constructed by the heat conversion of gold chloride to metallic gold and inverse gold/ polypropylene composite photonic crystals were fabricated. Inverse conjugated polymer/ polypropylene composite photonic crystals were constructed with MEH-PPV, poly(anilinesulfonic) acid and polypyrrole. The photoluminescence from MEH-PPV/ polypropylene photonic crystals was blue shifted compared to a uniform MEH-PPV film. Chalcogenide was infiltrated into 1.5µm opals and inverse chalcogenide photonic crystals were fabricated.
High-temperature selective solar thermal absorber based on Fabry-Perot resonance cavity

In this work, we investigate the design, fabrication and characterization of a multilayer selective solar absorber made of metallic and dielectric thin films. The investigated selective absorber exhibits theoretical spectral absorptance higher than 95% within solar spectrum and infrared emittance lower than 5%, due to the Fabry-Perot resonance and antireflection effect. In terms of fabrication, different materials are tested under high temperatures in order to obtain the structure with best thermal stability. Structures with different materials are fabricated with sputtering, chemical vapor deposition and electron beam evaporation techniques. The near normal reflectance is characterized with a Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer for these structures before and after heat treatment. Meanwhile, Rutherford backscattering Spectroscopy is employed to analyze the diffusion and oxidation conditions during the heating process. Moreover, better material choice and fabrication techniques are considered to construct solar absorber sample with better high temperature thermal stability.
Characterization of a minimal simian virus 40 late promoter: enhancer elements in the 72-base-pair repeat not required.

A 272-base-pair (bp) portion of the simian virus 40 regulatory region containing the replication origin, Sp1-binding region, and part of the 72-bp direct repeats makes up a minimal late promoter that is able to direct late-direction RNA synthesis in vivo and in vitro. Fourteen linker-scan mutants within this region were characterized. Mutations in the Sp1-binding region decreased late expression both in vivo and in vitro. By contrast, mutations that eliminate genetically defined elements of the early transcriptional enhancer or that prevent binding of the transcription factors AP-1, AP-2, and AP-3 in the 72-bp repeat region had little or no effect on late-direction expression. These results argue that, at least under certain circumstances, the early transcriptional enhancer sequences are not required for simian virus 40 late gene expression. Images
Nighttime Conspicuity of Highway Signs as a Function of Sign Brightness, Background Complexity and Age of Observer

The introduction of ultrabright retroreflective materials may provide the opportunity to develop highway signs with improved conspicuity — especially when viewed in highly complex (i.e., “cluttered”) driving environments. In order to investigate this possibility, the glance conspicuity of briefly presented highway signs was examined as a function of sign brightness (bright vs. ultrabright), background scene complexity (low, moderate, high) and age of observer (young vs. old). Glance conspicuity — measured in terms of both reaction time and accuracy — was found to improve as a function of increased sign brightness when viewed against high complexity (but not low complexity) backgrounds. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for improved design of traffic control devices.
Ultimate Fighting Championship: License to Operate (A)

The case describes the financial performance and business development of UFC after the change in ownership that happened in 2000, until 2004, when the owners are considering exiting the business. Learning Objective: The importance of the license to operate for the sustainability of the corporation. The impact of regulation, social expectations and the role of the state in corporate performance.
Sexual Abuse and Eating Disorders: A Test of a Conceptual Model.

To provide a better conceptual understanding and to stimulate further research, A. Kearney-Cooke and R. H. Striegel-Moore (1994) proposed several theoretical models concerning the relationship between sexual abuse and eating disorders. In this study, we tested the model that hypothesized an indirect relationship between sexual abuse and eating disorders, with the effects of sexual abuse being mediated through bodily shame and body disparagement. Three hundred thirty female undergraduates from a large southwestern public university participated. The women represented the social class of the university, which is predominantly middle to upper-middle class. Race/ethnicity of the participants was 69.8% Caucasian, 15.9% African American, 5.8% Latino/Mexican American, 4.9% Asian American, and 0.9% Native American; the remainder did not indicate their race/ethnicity. Of the total sample, 60% reported having been sexually abused at some point in their lives; 21% had experienced abuse prior to age 14. Almost 8% were categorized as having a diagnosable eating disorder, whereas another 72.7% were symptomatic. To test the hypothesized model, structural equation modeling with LISREL 8.3 (K. G. Joreskog & G. Sorbom, 1999) was used. Results indicated that the model fit the data well and the hypothesized relationships among the variables were in the expected directions. Sexual abuse predicted higher levels of bodily shame that, in turn, predicted increases in body disparagement. As expected, only body disparagement directly predicted eating disorder symptoms. Directions for future research are discussed.
EFFECTIVENESS OF NONPERTURBATIVE O(A) IMPROVEMENT IN LATTICE QCD

The ALPHA Collaboration has determined the $O\left(a\right)$ improved Wilson quark action for lattice spacings $a\ensuremath{\le}0.1$ fm, in the quenched approximation. We extend this result to coarser lattices, $a\ensuremath{\le}0.17\mathrm{fm}$, and calculate the hadron spectrum on them. The large range of lattice spacings obtained by combining our results with earlier ones on finer lattices allows us to present a convincing demonstration of the efficiency of nonperturbative $O\left(a\right)$ improvement. We find that scaling violations of the hadron masses studied drop from 30%--40% for the unimproved Wilson action on the coarsest lattice to only 2%--3%.
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing : factors involved in splice site selection

The protein-coding regions of most vertebrate genes are split, giving rise to primary transcripts containing introns and exons; the latter must be spliced in the nucleus to form the mature mRNA, which then moves to the cytoplasm for translation. Pre-mRNA splicing, the process of intron removal and exon joining, represents an important function within the nucleus, and elucidation of the mechanisms of splicing has challenged researchers since the discovery of segmented genes. A surprising discovery was that many genes have the capacity to encode multiple protein products as a consequence of alternative splicing events. Thus, a great deal of interest centers around characterizing the mechanisms whereby multiple mRNAs can derive from a common pre-mRNA, especially those events which exhibit celland/or tissue-specific regulation. Important advances have been made recently, with the identification of trans-acting factors that can modulate splice site choice in vitro. However, much of this work stems directly from the tremendous progress that is being made in the characterization of the factors involved in constitutive splicing. The ability of whole cell and nuclear extracts to perform intron removal and exon ligation events has led to the rapid development of a detailed outline of the steps involved in mRNA splicing (reviewed by Green, 1991; Krainer and Maniatis, 1988; Sharp, 1987). Each intron is removed in a twostep process (Fig. 1). First, cleavage at the boundary between the intron and the exon upstream (the 5′ splice site or splice donor) occurs, with concomitant joining of the 5′ phosphate at the 5′ splice site to a 2′ hydroxyl of a residue within the intron, forming a branched nucleotide. This lariat intermediate undergoes cleavage at the junction between the intron and the downstream exon (the 3′ splice site or splice acceptor), with the coordinated ligation of the two free exons to form mature mRNA and the liberation of the lariat intron. In cases of alternative splicing, exons may have multiple 5′ or 3′ splice sites, may be entirely skipped, and introns may be retained; some examples are diagrammed in Fig. 2 (see also McKeown, 1992; Smith et al., 1989).
Strategic information revelation and capital allocation

It is commonly believed that stock prices help firms' managers make more efficient real investment decisions, because they aggregate information about fundamentals that is not otherwise known to managers. This paper identifies a limitation to this view. It shows that if informed traders internalize that firms use prices as a signal, stock price informativeness depends on the quality of managers' prior information. In particular, managers with low quality information would like to learn about their own fundamentals by relying on the information aggregated in the stock price. However, in this case, the profitability of trading falls for informed speculators, who therefore reduce their trading volume, reducing the informativeness of prices. As a result, stock prices are not as useful in guiding capital toward its most productive use, leading to inefficient investment decisions. Using a sample of U.S. publicly traded companies between 1990 and 2010, the paper documents a positive correlation between the quality of managerial information and stock price informativeness. Contrary to the conventional view that less informed managers should rely more on stock prices when making investment decisions, the author finds no differences in the sensitivity of investment to stock prices for different levels of managerial information. The evidence suggests that while firms do learn from prices, the learning channel and its effects on real investment are limited.
The indications and efficacy of conventional chemotherapy in primary and recurrent sarcoma

Conventional chemotherapy can have a favorable impact on the natural history of disease for selected patients with primary high-risk bone and soft-tissue sarcomas. In particular, multidrug regimens are integral to the care of patients with the most aggressive histologies, including Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and non-pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma. Appropriately selected patients with high-risk, clinically localized soft-tissue sarcomas may also benefit from histology-tailored adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy. For patients with recurrent disease, conventional chemotherapy is frequently the most appropriate first-line therapy; active drugs are discussed at length. Several new promising cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents are currently under development, including aldoxorubicin, TH-302, and trabectedin.
Comparison of bupivacaine and dexmedetomidine femoral and sciatic nerve blocks with bupivacaine and buprenorphine epidural injection for stifle arthroplasty in dogs

Abstract Objective To compare the quality of anesthesia and analgesia from femoral and sciatic nerve blocks (FS) with bupivacaine and dexmedetomidine with that from an epidural injection (EPI) with bupivacaine and buprenorphine in dogs undergoing unilateral stifle arthroplasty. Study design Prospective, blinded, randomized, clinical comparison. Animals Twenty-six dogs weighing 36 ± 10 kg and aged 5 (1–11) years. Methods Dogs were randomly assigned to either FS [n=13; bupivacaine 0.5% (0.5 mg kg−1) plus dexmedetomidine (0.1 μg kg−1) for each nerve] or EPI [n=13; bupivacaine 0.5% (1 mg kg−1) plus buprenorphine (4 μg kg−1)]. Data collected included intraoperative cardiopulmonary variables and postoperative pain scores (Glasgow Composite Pain Scale), sedation scores, opioid consumption, time to urination and time to return of various behaviors. Rescue analgesia (hydromorphone 0.05 mg kg−1) was administered intravenously whenever pain scores were = 6/24. Subsequent data from rescued dogs were excluded from further analysis. Results No differences were found for any of the variables evaluated during and after anesthesia. Over 60% (nine dogs in FS, eight dogs in EPI) of patients from either group did not need additional analgesia within the 24 hour observational period. Three and four patients in FS and EPI, respectively, that required rescue analgesia did so within the first 30 minutes after extubation; only one patient in EPI required supplemental analgesia more than 4 hours after extubation. One patient in each group did not urinate spontaneously for 24 hours. Conclusions and clinical relevance Both techniques have the potential to provide sufficient analgesia for up to 24 hours in approximately two-thirds of dogs. Careful observation for signs of pain and preparedness to intervene is still recommended. The incidence of urinary retention was low in both groups. These techniques show promise for providing high-quality analgesia for stifle arthroplasty.
Dynamic equilibrium between cyclic oligomers. Thermodynamic and structural characterization of a square and a triangle

A dynamic equilibrium has been found in CDCl3 between a neutral molecular square, [cis-Mo2(DAniF)2]4(O2CC6F4CO2)4 (1) and triangle, [cis-Mo2(DAniF)2]3(O2CC6F4CO2)3 (2) (DAniF = the anion of N,N′-di-p-anisylformamidine). The two components have been crystallographically characterized and solution studies by 1H and 19F NMR spectra of the concentration- and the temperature-dependence of the equilibrium have been performed. The conversion of three moles of molecular squares 1 to four moles of molecular triangles 2 has an equilibrium constant of 1.98(7) × 10−4 at 23.7 °C. At this temperature, the ΔG0 for the conversion of three moles of squares to four moles of triangles is 21.0 kJ mol−1. The conversion is enthalpically disfavored (ΔH0 = 23.5 kJ mol−1), but entropically favored (ΔS0 = 8.2 J K−1 mol−1).
The Industrial Resurgence of Southern California? Advanced Ground Transportation Equipment Manufacturing and Local Economic Development

Southern California is in a deeply rooted process of economic restructuring. Much of the region's manufacturing base is made up of two groups of industries: A declining aerospace–defense sector, and a low-wage, low-skill sweatshop sector. What are the prospects for creating a growing manufacturing base focused on high-wage, high-skill industries? In this paper we examine the opportunities presented by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $183 billion thirty-year capital improvement plan as the potential catalyst of a set of technological and manufacturing synergies that would reorient the regional economy towards a new advanced ground transportation equipment industry. We investigate the dynamics of agglomerated complexes of industry in general, and the institutional and infrastructural arrangements that create and sustain competitive advantage within regional economic systems. Next, we evaluate the potential for the successful development of a technologically dynamic advanced gr...
Theory of surface force-constant changes in body-centered cubic lattices☆☆☆

Abstract A calculation has been made of force-constant changes at the (100) and (110) surfaces of body-centered cubic crystals. A model consisting of first, second and third-neighbor Lennard-Jones interactions together with harmonic angle-bending interactions is employed. The parameters characterizing the interactions are chosen to fit the equilibrium lattice spacing, the elastic constants, and certain phonon frequencies at high symmetry points in the Brillouin zone. The procedure consists of first calculating the static displacements produced by the creation of the surface and then calculating the change in force constants produced by the cubic and quartic anharmonic terms in the potential energy. Specific results have been obtained for chromium, iron, tungsten, and molybdenum.
IRAS Telescope Cryotest Chamber

In conducting thermal/vacuum testing on a test article that is to operate at cryogenic temperatures (below 77 K, liquid nitrogen temperature), the designer is faced with unique problems peculiar to these temperatures. Care must be taken to account for these problems in the design of the test and its associated test equipment if a successful test program is to be achieved. These problems are often aggravated when the test article has special test requirements of its own that must be met. Frequently, trade-offs must be made. When the test article is an optical system, as it is in this case, the designer has especially difficult trade-offs to make. The design that evolves may involve compromise, but it must still insure that the desired cryogenic test conditions will be satisfactorily provided.
Synthesis and characterization of neutral ligand-bridged binuclear dialkylcobalt(III) complexes

Abstract A series of neutral ligand-bridged binuclear dialkylcobalt(III) chelates has been prepared. Chelate systems based on monoanions of dimethylglyoxime (dm
Abstention in elections with asymmetric information and diverse preferences

We analyze a model of a two-candidate election with costless voting in which voters have asymmetric information and diverse preferences. We demonstrate that a strictly positive fraction of the electorate will abstain and that, nevertheless, elections effectively aggregate voters' private information. Using examples, we show that more informed voters are more likely to vote than their less informed counterparts. Increasing the fraction of the electorate that is informed, however, may lead to higher levels of abstention. We conclude by showing that a biased distribution of information can lead to a biased voting population but does not lead to biased outcomes.
Altering the fate of stem cells from midgut of Heliothis virescens:the effect of calcium ions.

Cultured stem cells from larval midgut tissue of the lepidopteran Heliothis virescens respond to alterations in external calcium ion concentration (Ca2+out) by changing the rate of stem cell proliferation and by differentiating to larval or non-larval phenotypes. Decreasing the external concentration of Ca2+ with the Ca2+ chelating agent EGTA increased proliferation of stem cells in culture, and doubled the proportion of cells differentiating to columnar and goblet cells typical of larval midgut compared to controls. In contrast, increasing inward transport of Ca2+ into the cells by increasing the concentration of external calcium ion concentration, or by incubation with the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 (which tends to open inward plasma membrane Ca2+ channels), induced dose-dependent differentiation to non-midgut cell types such as squamous and scale-like cells. However, the latter treatments did not significantly alter stem cell proliferation or differentiation to normal larval midgut epithelium. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 59:202–210, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Low-temperature critical phenomena in the spin-1/2 planar ferromagnet

The low-temperature critical behavior of the spin-1/2 planar ferromagnet is investigated. A functional integral expression for the partition function is obtained and analyzed using renormalization group techniques. The quantum-classical crossover phenomenon near the zero-temperature multicritical point is studied. A comparison with similar studies carried out for the XY model in a transverse field shows, as expected, that the critical properties are similar in both systems. However, for the critical line h c(0)−h c(θ) ~ θ1/ψ we obtain ψ = 1 for the shift exponent instead of the XY value ψ = 2/d.
CHECKER: an efficient algorithm for knowledge base verification

MIDST (Mixed Inferencing Dempster Shafer Tool) is a rule-based expert system shell that incorporates mixed-initiative reasoning and uncertain reasoning based on the Dempster Shafer evidence combination scheme. This paper discusses the CHECKER program, a subcomponent of MIDST, which makes use of the existing rule network structure to check the consistency and completeness of the MIDST knowledge base in a efficient manner.
Dirichlet series in function fields

Abstract We study certain functions from the p -adic integers to a locally compact field of characteristic p : finite linear combinations of exponentials and their uniform limits (which we call Dirichlet series). Our main result is that such a Dirichlet series is determined by its restriction to an arbitrarily small open subset of the p -adic integers.
Collective Preferences in Democratic Politics: Opinion Surveys and the Will of the People

Collective Preferences in Democratic Politics: Opinion Surveys and the Will of the People. By Scott L. Althaus. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 384p. 28.00 paper.The central theme of this book deals with the relationship between knowledge, representation, and political equality as expressed in opinion surveys. Scott Althaus finds that political knowledge does matter. In addition, the way that knowledge is distributed in society has an important impact on how one should interpret the collective preferences of the public, particularly when assessing the role of the less knowledgeable.