cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Parallel Two-Dimensional Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Shallow-Water Flows Using High-Resolution Unstructured Meshes

AbstractFlood modeling and forecasting using hydraulic models are computationally expensive for high-resolution, large-scale problems. With the advent of high-performance computing, numerical models can obtain promising speedup using parallel computing resources. In this paper, an message passing interface (MPI)-based parallel shallow-water flow solver using the discontinuous Galerkin method is presented. Parallelization is implemented with static domain decomposition using the single program–multiple data design. Data transfer between subdomains are achieved using the MPI implementation. The parallel solver is tested using idealized dam-break tests and field tests, for both fully wet and partially wet domains. The performance of parallel speedup and efficiency are compared for different mesh resolution and cluster architecture. A statistical index (maximum ratio of halo cells to total number of elements) is introduced to evaluate the parallel efficiency and performance, and this index can be used as a gu...
Constructive feminism: women’s spaces and women’s rights in the American city

In her recent book, Daphne Spain catalogs women-only spaces throughout the United States that directly resulted from second-wave feminism. The places chronicled include women’s centers, feminist bo...
Minimum Degree-Weighted Distance Decoding for Polynomial Residue Codes With Non-Coprime Moduli

This letter presents a new decoding algorithm called the minimum degree-weighted distance decoding for polynomial residue codes with non-coprime moduli. The newly proposed decoding is based on the degree-weighted distance and is different from the traditional minimum Hamming distance decoding. It is shown that for the two types of minimum distance decoders, i.e., the minimum degree-weighted distance decoding and the minimum Hamming distance decoding, one is not absolutely stronger than the other, but they can complement each other from different points of view.
Optical spectroscopy, energy upconversion, and white-light emission characteristics of erbium-doped calcium fluoride crystal

Absorption spectrum of Er3+-dopedCaF2 revealed absorption peaks at 255, 365, 379, 407, 441, 449, 487, 522, 539, 652, and 798 nm. When the sample was excited with an 802-nm near-infrared laser, it revealed emissions at 390, 415, 462, 555, 665, and 790 nm due to stepwise excitation and energy transfer upconversion processes. The absorption and emission peaks are identified with Er3+ spectral transitions. The sample color appears to be either white or green under near-infrared laser excitation. Emission color was found to be dependent on the pump laser wavelength used and laser power. Excitation spectral recordings were made by tuning the pump laser wavelength. Excited state lifetimes are measured to analyze the data. Color coordinates and color temperatures are measured for 802- and 405-nm laser excitations. Our studies indicate that this sample is useful for solid-state lighting applications.
Hospital Length of Stay and Cost: A Multilevel Modeling Analysis

Despite concern over compromised medical care resulting from a recent decline in the length of hospitalizations, little attention has been given to the extent to which this strategy has led to cost savings for hospitals. This article examines this issue using a multilevel modeling methodology that examines patient costs as they relate to both patient and hospital level characteristics. The analysis reveals an estimated elasticity of patient length of stay of 0.755 and of 0.326 for hospital level average length of stay. It appears from these results that the strategy of reducing the lengths of hospitalizations has saved considerably on hospital costs.
Jetstream: Early Operations Performance, Adoption, and Impacts

Jetstream, built with OpenStack, is the first production cloud funded by the NSF for conducting general-purpose science and engineering research as well as an easy-to-use platform for education activities. Unlike many high-performance computing systems, Jetstream uses the interactive Atmosphere graphical user interface developed as part of the iPlant (now CyVerse) project and focuses on interactive use on uniprocessor or multiprocessor. This interface provides for a lower barrier of entry for use by educators, students, practicing scientists, and engineers. A key part of Jetstream's mission is to extend the reach of the NSF's eXtreme Digital (XD) program to a community of users who have not previously utilized NSF XD program resources, including those communities and institutions that traditionally lack significant cyberinfrastructure resources. OpenStack deployments all have the same five basic services: identity, images, block storage, networking, and compute. There are additional services offered; however, by and large, they are underutilized. The use of these services will be discussed as well as highlights from the first year of production operations, and future plans for the project.
Association Between Obstetric Provider's Advice and Gestational Weight Gain.

Objective This study examined associations between pregnant women’s report of obstetric provider GWG advice, self-reported adherence to such advice, and GWG. Methods Healthy pregnant women (N = 91) who started obstetric care prior to 17 weeks of gestation completed assessments between 30 and 34 weeks of gestation. These included survey (questions on receipt of and adherence to provider GWG advice, and demographics) and anthropometric measures. GWG data were abstracted from electronic health records. Analyses included Chi square and Mann–Whitney tests, and binary and multivariate logistic regressions. Results The cohort’s median age was 28 years, 68% of women were White, 78% had a college education, 50.5% were overweight or obese before the pregnancy, and 62.6% had GWGs above the Institute of Medicine-recommended ranges. Sixty-seven percent of women reported having received GWG advice from their obstetric providers and, of those, 54.1% reported that they followed their provider’s advice. Controlling for race, education and pre-pregnancy BMI, receipt of GWG advice was marginally associated with increased odds of excessive weight gain (OR 2.52, CI 0.89–7.16). However, women that reported following the advice had lower odds of excessive GWG (OR 0.18, CI 0.03–0.91) and, on average, gained 11.3 pounds less than those who reported following the advice somewhat or not at all. Conclusions Frequency of GWG advice from obstetric providers is less than optimal. When given and followed, provider advice may reduce the risk of excessive GWG. Research to understand factors that facilitate providers GWG advice giving and women’s adherence to providers’ advice, and to develop interventions to optimize both, is needed.
Circuit Architecture Underlying Distinct Components of Parental Care

Parental care is a key evolutionary innovation that influences the fitness of parents and offspring. How the brain coordinates such a complex behavior remains poorly understood. Kohl and colleagues recently uncovered the organizational principles of hypothalamic galanin neurons and their connections in mice. Their findings revealed a striking picture in which discrete neuronal pools control distinct aspects of parental behavior.
A case of delayed distal coil migration after coil embolization of an unruptured distal azygos anterior cerebral artery aneurysm: A case report and literature review.

Intraprocedural coil migration during endovascular treatment for an aneurysm that might carry serious ischemic complications is well known. On the other hand, delayed coil migration after endovascu...
SYNOPTIC METEOROLOGY | Anticyclones

Anticyclones are horizontal circulations around relatively high sea-level pressure or high geopotential height on isobaric surfaces aloft. The structure, climatology, dynamics, and impacts of anticyclones are reviewed. Special kinds of anticyclones, such as blocking highs, subtropical highs, and stratospheric anticyclones associated with sudden stratospheric warmings are considered.
An adaptive web crawler

The Web is the richest source of information in the world due to the vast collection of electronically accessible documents. However, this information is extremely unorganized and unstructured, hindering access. Search engines have aided this process by allowing users to search for documents via keywords, but to effectively access all the information on the Web, something greater than a keyword search is needed. By organizing the data from web pages into well defined structures, and by looking at the patterns in the activity of Web users, machine learning algorithms and data mining tools aid a search engine's retrieval of web documents. Such techniques can be used to analyze the results, and, from those results, a web user profile can be created to be used by the browser.
Predicting macroturbulence energy and timescales for flow over a gravel bed: Experimental results and scaling laws

Abstract The fluvial science community lacks predictive equations for macroturbulence energy and timescales, which may serve useful for predicting sediment transport in rivers. Therefore, we investigated the systematic variation of macroturbulence scales by varying hydraulic parameters in an experimental facility, collecting velocimetry data and measuring macroturbulence scales with spectral analyses, and testing scaling laws for macroturbulence prediction that consider inner variables, outer variables, and turbulence kinetic energy. Experiments spanned across 11 energy gradients and aspect ratio combinations including 116 testing conditions each with 30 minute instantaneous turbulence time-series collected. Results showed velocimetry data and time-average turbulence parameters supported the presence of an equilibrium outer region and coherent double-layer assumed in the experimental design. Macroturbulence and bursting wavenumbers were constant in the outer region when scaled with the flow depth, and were independent of distance above the boundary, aspect ratio, energy gradient, Froude number, or Shields parameter. Data results agreed with the derivation herein and showed macroturbulence energy scales with the streamwise turbulence kinetic energy. Semi-theoretical equations for turbulence kinetic energy scaled macroturbulence energy reasonably well. A novel equation is presented for the macroturbulence period, and the equation's transferability is supported by consistency with past macroturbulence studies, bursting formula, and flow visualization studies. Novel equations are presented for macroturbulence energy, and transferability is supported on theoretical and empirical grounds; however open questions remain regarding a universal function for streamwise turbulence kinetic energy and the net contribution of macroturbulence to total turbulence energy. Results showed the macroturbulence wavenumber required a relatively long duration of data (i.e., 17 min) to stabilize. Results were used to formulate a time scale for minimum measurement length of turbulence data when information about macroturbulence is sought after. We discuss macroturbulence linkages with sediment transport, including, prediction of the sediment carrying capacity via macroturbulence formula as one application to help close the gap between turbulence and fluvial sediment transport.
Recapitulating endocrine cell clustering in culture promotes maturation of human stem-cell-derived β cells.

Despite advances in the differentiation of insulin-producing cells from human embryonic stem cells, the generation of mature functional β cells in vitro has remained elusive. To accomplish this goal, we have developed cell culture conditions to closely mimic events occurring during pancreatic islet organogenesis and β cell maturation. In particular, we have focused on recapitulating endocrine cell clustering by isolating and reaggregating immature β-like cells to form islet-sized enriched β-clusters (eBCs). eBCs display physiological properties analogous to primary human β cells, including robust dynamic insulin secretion, increased calcium signalling in response to secretagogues, and improved mitochondrial energization. Notably, endocrine cell clustering induces metabolic maturation by driving mitochondrial oxidative respiration, a process central to stimulus–secretion coupling in mature β cells. eBCs display glucose-stimulated insulin secretion as early as three days after transplantation in mice. In summary, replicating aspects of endocrine cell clustering permits the generation of stem-cell-derived β cells that resemble their endogenous counterparts. Nair et al. report the generation of human ESC-derived mature and functional β cells in vitro with a culture system including a step to induce clustering of immature β-like cells.
Bio-Effects of Ultrasound Under “Low Intensity” Conditions

Our concern in this paper is with approaches for determining the minimum intensity levels (and/or minimum sonation times) under which ultrasound produces significant changes in living systems. Basic information on these minimum values-is prerequisite for any systematic determination of best conditions for use of either diagnostic or therapeutic ultrasound. Present evidence suggests that bio-effects occur at low intensity-time values when microscopic gas bodies are present of size appropriate for resonance at the frequency used. Such small bodies (typically only a few microns in diameter) are normally short-lived, because they tend to dissolve quickly unless stabilized against diffusion. In tissues or body fluids it is possible that microbodies of gas are stabilized in small spaces between cells, or in “traps” on rough surfaces, or by organic “skins”. In our experiments we investigate the consequences of such possibilities during ultrasonation by use of model systems.
Effect of Inert Gas Pressure on Reversible Solid-State Decomposition

This work explores the effect of an inert gas pressure on the kinetics of reversible thermal decomposition of solids. The nature of this effect is diffusional. Theoretical analysis of the effect su...
The use of multiple actual referenda in a new payment card methodology

We present the case for the adoption of a new payment card (PC) methodology, which we call multiple referenda payment card, in contingent valuation (CV) surveys. Our new multiple referenda payment ...
Coalitional Interval Game Based Local Power Exchange Algorithm for Networked Microgrids

The future distribution network may encompass a large number of microgrids, in which case local networked microgrids can be formed. This paper proposes a coalitional interval game theory based local power exchange algorithm to identify incentives for coalitional operation and help microgrids in the network trade power locally with neighboring microgrids, so as to meet their own power requirements while achieving higher expected individual utility. Compared with the traditional non-cooperative operating situation, simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can help increase individual microgrid utility expectation.
Crystal structure of YD 1.96 and YH 1.98 by neutron diffraction

The crystal structure of ${\mathrm{YD}}_{1.96}$ and ${\mathrm{YH}}_{1.98}$ has been examined at room temperature and 11 K by neutron-diffraction techniques. Refinement of the data reveals the occupation of both tetrahedral and octahedral interstices of the fcc metal lattice. These results help to explain some features observed in the optical properties of ${\mathrm{YH}}_{x}$.
A Survey of the Use of Copulas in Stochastic Frontier Models

Copulas are used to create joint distributions with specified marginal distributions. The copula models the dependence between the corresponding marginal random variables. In the normal case, the multivariate normal distribution is a natural choice of joint distribution with normal marginals and its covariance matrix parameterizes the dependence between the individual marginal normals. But how would we specify a joint distribution for a normal and a half-normal, where these two random variables are allowed to be dependent? We can do this using copulas.
Producing (extra)ordinary death on the farm: unruly encounters and contaminated calves

In 2010, twenty-eight bovines on a Pennsylvania beef farm were exposed to a hydraulic fracturing wastewater leak on their grazing pasture. Over the following year, eleven out of seventeen calves bo...
Voiding Dysfunction or Urinary Retention Following Pelvic Floor Reconstruction

Voiding dysfunction is a known complication following pelvic floor reconstruction and can result in a challenging clinical scenario. Meticulous surgical technique and early recognition of voiding problems after surgery are paramount to avoiding long-term sequelae of voiding dysfunction or, in the extreme, urinary retention. While most cases of urinary retention after prolapse repair are transient, some will require surgical intervention. There is no definitive test to distinguish between the two scenarios, but rather the surgeon will use the combination of careful history and physical examination, cystoscopy, and urodynamic studies to guide clinical decision-making. Here, we present a case of urinary retention after prolapse repair (without a concomitant anti-incontinence procedure), which ultimately required transvaginal urethrolysis to resolve.
Atypical Antipsychotic Safety in the CICU.

Atypical antipsychotics are used in cardiac intensive care units (CICU) to treat delirium despite limited data on safety in patients with acute cardiovascular conditions. Patients treated with these agents may be at higher risk for adverse events such as QTc prolongation and arrhythmias. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 144 adult patients who were not receiving antipsychotics before admission and received olanzapine (n = 50) or quetiapine (n = 94) in the Michigan Medicine CICU. Data on baseline characteristics, antipsychotic dose and duration, length of stay, and adverse events were collected. Adverse events included ventricular tachycardia (sustained ventricular tachycardia attributed to the medication), hypotension (systolic blood pressure
Serine hydroxymethyltransferase catalyzes the hydrolysis of 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate to 5-formyltetrahydrofolate

The combined activities of rabbit liver cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase and C1-tetrahydrofolate synthase convert tetrahydrofolate and formate to 5-formyltetrahydrofolate. In this reaction C1-tetrahydrofolate synthase converts tetrahydrofolate and formate to 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate, which is hydrolyzed to 5-formyltetrahydrofolate by a serine hydroxymethyltransferase-glycine complex. Serine hydroxymethyltransferase, in the presence of glycine, catalyzes the conversion of chemically synthesized 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate to 5-formyltetrahydrofolate with biphasic kinetics. There is a rapid burst of product that has a half-life of formation of 0.4 s followed by a slower phase with a completion time of about 1 h. The substrate for the burst phase of the reaction was shown not to be 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate but rather a one-carbon derivative of tetrahydrofolate which exists in the presence of 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate. This derivative is stable at pH 7 and is not an intermediate in the hydrolysis of 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate to 10-formyltetrahydrofolate by C1-tetrahydrofolate synthase. Cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase catalyzes the hydrolysis of 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate pentaglutamate to 5-formyltetrahydrofolate pentaglutamate 15-fold faster than the hydrolysis of the monoglutamate derivative. The pentaglutamate derivative of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate binds tightly to serine hydroxymethyltransferase and dissociates slowly with a half-life of 16 s. Both rabbit liver mitochondrial and Escherichia coli serine hydroxymethyltransferase catalyze the conversion of 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate to 5-formyltetrahydrofolate at rates similar to those observed for the cytosolic enzyme. Evidence that this reaction accounts for the in vivo presence of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate is suggested by the observation that mutant strains of E. coli, which lack serine hydroxymethyltransferase activity, do not contain 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, but both these cells, containing an overproducing plasmid of serine hydroxymethyltransferase, and wild-type cells do have measurable amounts of this form of the coenzyme.
Well-Behaved Search and the Robbins Problem

The Robbins problem was solved in October 1996 [7] by the equational theorem prover EQP [6]. Although the solution was automatic in the sense that the user of the program did not know a solution, it was not a simple matter of giving the conjecture and pushing a button. The user made many computer runs, observed the output, adjusted the search parameters, and made more computer runs. The goal of this kind of iteration is to achieve a well-behaved search. Several of the searches were successful. The purpose of this presentation is to convey some of the methods that have led to well-behaved searches in our experiments and to speculate on automating the achievement of well-behaved search. First, I give some background on the Robbins problem and its solution.
An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigation of palladium in automotive catalysts

Abstract Binding energies and reduction properties of palladium in commercial monolithic automotive catalysts were measured using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was shown that XPS in conjunction with temperature selective reduction can be used to associate palladium binding energies and reduction characteristic with varying degrees of palladium-support and palladium-support additive interactions. Good correlation was found for the palladium binding energies and reduction properties of the commercial catalysts, and those reported previously for model studies of γ-alumina supported palladium. In addition, a palladium state was observed consistent with that reported for a γ-alumina supported Pd-Ce system, suggesting the presence of Pd-Ce interactions in the commercial catalysts. This work indicates that with the combination of these techniques, dispersed and particulate palladium, as well as palladium-support additive interactions can be identified. The effects of thermal aging (sintering) on precious metal interactions were also investigated, with results demonstrating the utility of these techniques for assessing catalyst aging.
Biotrickling Filters for Air Pollution Control

Biotrickling Filtration Principle Biotrickling Filter Performance Biomass Growth in Biotrickling Filters Biotrickling Filtration Costs Case Studies Keywords: air pollution control; biotrickling filters
Insulin action in isolated rat thymocytes. II. Independence of insulin and cyclic adenosine monophosphate.

Abstract Dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate(dibutyryl cyclic AMP), cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP), and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) stimulated α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) influx in thymocytes from suckling rats. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP increased influx at concentrations as low as 30 µm; a maximal effect was seen at 1 mm. Cyclic AMP had 1% of the activity of its dibutyryl derivative. PGE1 increased AIB influx at concentrations as low as 30 nm. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP increased AIB influx by increasing the maximal influx capacity (Jmax) without affecting the Km. This is in contrast to the effect of insulin which, in addition to raising the Jmax, also lowers the Km. When insulin was added with either PGE1 or dibutyryl cyclic AMP, the effects were additive. PGE1 elevated thymocyte cyclic AMP levels, whereas insulin neither lowered basal cyclic AMP levels nor blocked the rise in cyclic AMP produced by PGE1. We concluded that (a) insulin increased AIB influx by a mechanism not involving changes in cyclic AMP levels, and (b) cyclic AMP and prostaglandin E1 increased AIB influx by a different mechanism than insulin.
A Common Pathway for Dendritic Cell and Early B Cell Development

B cells and dendritic cells (DCs) each develop from poorly described progenitor cells in the bone marrow (BM). Although a subset of DCs has been proposed to arise from lymphoid progenitors, a common developmental pathway for B cells and BM-derived DCs has not been clearly identified. To address this possibility, we performed a comprehensive analysis of DC differentiative potential among lymphoid and B lymphoid progenitor populations in adult mouse BM. We found that both the common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs), shown here and elsewhere to give rise exclusively to lymphocytes, and a down-stream early B-lineage precursor population devoid of T and NK cell precursor potential each give rise to DCs when exposed to the appropriate cytokines. This result contrasts with more mature B-lineage precursors, all of which failed to give rise to detectable numbers of DCs. Significantly, both CLP and early B-lineage-derived DCs acquired several surface markers associated with functional DCs, and CLP-derived DCs readily induced proliferation of allogeneic CD4(+) T cells. Surprisingly, however, DC differentiation from both lymphoid-restricted progenitors was accompanied by up-regulation of CD11b expression, a cell surface molecule normally restricted to myeloid lineage cells including putative myeloid DCs. Together, these data demonstrate that loss of DC developmental potential is the final step in B-lineage commitment and thus reveals a previously unrecognized link between early B cell and DC ontogeny.
Three-dimensional neural networks

The objective of this project is to construct and test a model of the brain, or of a specific region of it. As the brain is more complicated than a simple pattern-recognition perceptron, a dynamic, time-dependent, three dimensional artificial neural network (ANN) has been created for the purpose of most closely simulating the learning and recognition processes. It is of interest to research the effects of different stimulus patterns on learning, as well as different topologies of the neural connections themselves and damage to these connections and neurons. Considering the latter, lateral and feedback connections are implemented and tested along with the feedforward ones. The former, however, is yet to be investigated, but the facilities to explore it have been created.
On Evaluation Of Faculty Research Impact Of Citation Analysis

Citation analysis is gaining importance in evaluation of faculty research because of the need for objective, consistent analysis and because of the availability of databases that provide citation information. An overview of citation analysis is presented, along with criteria for and examples of manual and electronic citation analysis. The example of the manual count determines the average number of bibliographic citations per article; the recency of the citation; the author self-citation rate; the percentage of citations listed in the articles from books, journals, or other publications; the average number of pages per article; the incidence of citations to the journal in which the article is published (journal self-citations). The examples of the electronic count give number of citations from authors in other journals, impact factor, immediacy index, and cited half-life. Results provide insight into availability of data and possible uses of that data; i.e., faculty and research evaluation, selection of journals in which to publish, and implications for the future.
P1-1-4RISK ADAPTED-POSTOPERATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY AND OPTIMIZATION OF A DOSE OF CRANIAL IRRADIATION FOR CHILDHOOD MEDULLOBLASTOMA

Abstract Background: Current studies for Medulloblastoma (MB)/ supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors (sPNETs) which consist of maximal surgical resection, craniospinal radiation therapy (RT) at a dose of 24 Gy and chemotherapy (CT) have demonstrated an increasing survival rate. However, RT related morbidity of neurologic and psychological problems remains a major issue, especially in young children. We report here the preliminary result of multidisciplinary treatment in attempt to reduce the dose of craniospinal RT in our institution. Methods: Between 2002 and 2013, 34 patients aged 0.5-14.11 years (median 4.1 years) with newly diagnosed MB/sPNETs were retrospectively analyzed. Criteria used to categorize patients as high risk (HR) included M1-4 disease by modified Chang staging classification, sPNETs, and infant ( Results: The median follow-up period was 23 months. Twenty-six of 34 children were survived. Two-year progression-free survival were 64.8 ± 16.5% in SR group (N = 12), 90.9 ± 8.7% in HR group (N = 11), and 54.5 ± 15.0% in infants (N = 11), respectively. Two-year overall survival estimates were 77.7 ± 13.8% in SR, 90.9 ± 8.7% in HR, and 60.6 ± 15.7% in infant, respectively. Conclusions: Our preliminary results showed that intensified systemic chemotherapy might contribute to reduction of craniospinal RT without reduction of survival rate. However, the validity of risk-stratification still remains as an issue to be solved.
Identification of type 4 pili in Kingella denitrificans

Kingella denitrificans is an occasionally pathogenic member of the family Neisseriaceae and is a member of the normal respiratory flora. Electron microscopy, colony morphology types, DNA transformation patterns, and immunoblots suggest that K. denitrificans and K. kingae have type 4 pili. This was confirmed by N-terminal amino acid sequencing for K. denitrificans.
Current Evidence and Research Needs to Support a Health Claim for Selenium and Cancer Prevention

Selenium was recognized as a nutritional essential only in the late 1950s. That it might also be anticarcinogenic was first suggested a decade later based on ecological relationships of cancer mortality rates and forage crop Se contents in the United States. Since that time, a substantial body of scientific evidence indicated that Se can, indeed, play a role in cancer prevention. This is supported by a remarkably consistent body of findings from studies with animal tumor and cell culture models, and by some, but not all epidemiologic observations. The body of clinical trial data is less extensive, yet also supportive. The consistent findings from this evidence are that both inorganic and organic Se-compounds can be antitumorigenic at doses greater than those required to support the maximal expression of the selenoenzymes that are generally regarded as discharging the nutritional effects of the element. Although the plausibility of Se as a cancer-protective factor is clear, other research is required to support evidence-based evaluation of this hypothesis. In addition to further, well-planned clinical trials, that research must include the development of analytical tools for speciating Se in foods and biological tissues; the development of better means of assessing Se status in ways that are relevant to cancer prevention; and the determination of the minimal dose of Se that is both safe and effective in reducing cancer risk.
Transgenic mice that overexpress metallothionein-I resist dietary zinc deficiency

Transgenic mice that overexpress metallothionein-I (MT-I) accumulate mo re MT-I and zinc in major organs than do control mice. The effects of overexpression of MT-I on resistance to dietary zinc deficiency were examined by feeding transgenic and control mice a zinc-deficient (0.5-1.5 micron/gram) or a zinc adequate (50 micron/g) diet and by measuring effects on pregnancy. When pregnant mice were maintained under conditions of dietary zinc deficiency, the number of resorptions and teratogenic defects of fetuses was greatly reduced in transgenic compared with control mice. Differences between transgenic and controls were not apparent at d 8 of pregnancy (d 1 = vaginal plug) but were apparent by d 14. This result suggests that the larger maternal zinc pool in the transgenic females allows fetal development to progress normally for a longer period of time. However, neither transgenic nor control zinc-deficient mice could complete pregnancy. Pancreatic MT concentrations were the greatest in zinc adequate transgenic mice. Moreover, there was >10-fold more MT per gram wet weight in the pancreas of transgenic mice than in any other organ examined. Pancreatic MT concentrations were an exceptionally sensitive indicator of zinc deficiency. Pancreatic MT declined 99.8% and zinc declined to basal levels by d 14 of pregnancy when transgenic and control mice were fed a zinc-deficient diet, whereas MT concentrations in other organs decreased only modestly. We suggest that the larger pool of zinc MT in the transgenic mice provides a biologically important labile pool of zinc during periods of zinc deficiency.
Fabrication of high modulus films by solid state rolling

Solid state rolling of semicrystalline polymers represents a high speed process for producing oriented, high modulus films, tapes, and sheets. The important process variables include roll temperature, thickness of initial sheet, roll speed, take-up tension, roll diameter, and initial morphological state of the polymer. Roll temperature controls both the extent of maximum deformation and the rate of rolling. A minimum temperature exists for each polymer below which the orientation process is sharply limited. This condition is similar to the limitation present in the hydrostatic extrusion process, in which the alpha crystallization temperature limits the orientation process. Roll speeds as high as 20 m/min have been realized. It is apparent that film thickness and thickness reduction ratio have a strong effect on the ultimate rolling rate. The process, as currently practiced, is adiabatic, and therefore, heat transfer limited. The take-up tension influences the extant of orientation in the amorphous phse of of the polymer. This in turn affects its thermal and chemical stability. The effect of roll diameter is to limit the extent of thickness reduction by causing roll-film slippage when the roll dianmeter to thickness reduction ratio is below some as yet undetermined value. The initial morphological state of the polymer affects the amount of crystalline deformation possible, the surface texture of the rolled film, and the tear resistant of the oriented film.
Recent trends in the investigation of eating and its disorders

In this paper, we summarize our views and evaluations of the papers presented at a symposium on recent trends in the study of eating and its disorders held at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society in New Orleans, 1990. We consider it an encouraging sign that the speakers focused to such a great extent upon experiential/associative/cognitive factors as being important determinants of human eating. In agreement with most of the speakers, we also feel that although great strides have been made in the attempt to understand the physiological influences over meals in well-controlled paradigms, there has been no significant application of this research to the study of human eating and its disorders. Perhaps more significant is that neither viable explanations for nor treatments of eating disorders based on physiological approaches have been forthcoming. The symposium provided excellent summaries of research on several important aspects of human eating and suggested areas in which research is needed.
The underwriting experience of commercial bank affiliates prior to the Glass-Steagall Act: A reexamination of evidence for passage of the act

Abstract We examine a major rationale for the passage of the Glass-Steagall Act separating commercial and investment banking activities in the U.S: that these banks abused their superior knowledge by misrepresenting the quality of inferior security issues or passing off bad commercial loans through publicly offered security issues. This issue is of current interest, even in today's more relaxed environment in the U.S. and in the universal banking system in Europe, since there are still lingering doubts that such abuses will not recur. In a systematic study of the performance of bond issues underwritten by different classes of underwriters prior to the passage of the Glass-Steagall Act, we find bank affiliate issue default rates were lower, ex ante yields were lower, ex post prices were higher, and the relative ability of ex ante yields to predict ex post performance no different than investment bank issues. The results hold for all categories of bond issues: domestic corporate, foreign corporate, and foreign governments. We have also isolated the performance of the bonds underwrit National City Company and Chase Securities Corporation, which were targets of the Pecora hearing. These two bank affiliates were found to issue bonds of lesser quality than the other bank affiliates, but no worse than those of the investment banks.
Update on morphea: Part I. Epidemiology, clinical presentation, and pathogenesis

Morphea, also known as localized scleroderma, is a rare fibrosing disorder of the skin and underlying tissues. Morphea is differentiated from systemic sclerosis based on the absence of sclerodactyly, Raynaud phenomenon, and nailfold capillary changes. Patients with morphea commonly have systemic symptoms, such as malaise, fatigue, arthralgias, and myalgias, as well as positive autoantibody serologies. However, involvement of morphea is almost uniformly limited to those tissues derived from the mesoderm. The underlying pathogenesis of morphea is incompletely understood at this time, but ultimately results in an imbalance of collagen production and destruction.
“You don't necessarily have to be charismatic...:” An interview with Anita Roddick and reflections on charismatic processes in The Body Shop International

In 1976, Anita Roddick opened a small shop in Brighton, England to sell 15 naturally based skin and hair care products. These products grew out of previous travels where she observed how women in other cultures cared for their bodies without buying a single cosmetic. The Body Shop was conceived out of pragmatism and irritation. Gordon Roddick, Anita’s husband, was leaving for two years to travel by horseback from Buenos Aires to New York; Anita needed enough income to take care of herself and two small daughters during his absence. The irritation grew out of her inability to buy cosmetics in small amounts without excessive packaging and false claims of dramatic transformation. Gordon made it as far as Bolivia, but returned to England in 1977 when one of his horses died. There he found two Body Shops operating successfully, and a niche for himself bottling, labeling, and delivering supplies to both shops, as well as managing the operational side of the business. In 1978, Gordon put together the first franchise agreements, which turned out to be the key to The Body Shop’s rapid expansion. In 1984, Anita and Gordon launched The Body Shop as a public company on the London Stock Exchange, where it was valued at 8 million pounds. It was at this point of financial security that Anita and Gordon made a decision that The Body Shop
pH‐dependent adsorption of cellulases to protein‐extracted lucerne fibres

The capacity of protein-extracted lucerne fibres to bind the cellulases of the mesophilic fungus Trichoderma reesei, and the thermophilic actinomycete Thermomonospora curvata, was determined to evaluate the fibre as a cellulase-recycling vehicle during bioconversion processes. Adsorption of fungal and bacterial cellulase complexes was minimal at the pH optima (5-0 and 6-2 respectively) for fibre conversion to soluble sugars. Lowering of incubation temperature to 3°C enhanced adsorption of fungal cellulases, but had no effect on bacterial cellulase adsorption. However, adsorptive capacity for either could be improved about 30% by raising the pH above the hydrolysis optimum during the recycling phase.
Somatic polyploidy in the marine isopod Idothea wasnesenskii

Abstract 1. 1. The level, range, distribution and development of somatic polyploidy was studied in tissues in the marine isopod Idothea wasnesenskii . 2. 2. Extremely large nuclei were found in cells of the hepatic ceca (16C to 256C) and midgut (32C to 256C). 3. 3. The distribution of nuclear DNA values of these tissues suggests that ploidization does not occur by periodic doubling of genome. 4. 4. Nuclei of testis sheath cells, however, do form a doubling series of 8C, 16C and 32C nuclei with relatively few interclass values. 5. 5. Autoradiographic evidence indicates that adult testis sheath nuclei continue to synthesize DNA, while adult hepatic cecum and midgut nuclei do not. 6. 6. In juvenile specimens, polyploid nuclei in all three tissues synthesize DNA.
Sodium nitroprusside alters Ca2+ flux components and Ca2(+)‐dependent fluxes of K+ and Cl‐ in rat aorta.

1. Sodium nitroprusside (NP) caused both an inhibition of a noradrenaline (NA)-induced contraction and an elevation of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) in rat aorta. Both NP-induced responses were enhanced by the selective cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, MB and (2) the differential sensitivity of the NA and high-potassium responses to NP may reflect underlying differences in Ca2+ handling induced by receptor occupancy and depolarization.
Elevation of seprase expression and promotion of an invasive phenotype by collagenous matrices in ovarian tumor cells.

Stony Brook University Libraries. SBU Graduate School in Genetics. Lawrence Martin (Dean of Graduate School), Wen-Tien Chen – Dissertation Advisor Professor, Department of Medicine, Howard Crawford – Chairperson of Defense Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Vivek Mittal Assistant Professor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Stanley Zucker Professor, Department of Medicine, Michael Pearl Associate Professor, Stony Brook University School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Managing large-scale IS/IT projects in the public sector: Problems and causes leading to poor performance

Abstract With a large scope and high degree of complexity, managing large-scale projects is a challenge to project managers. The challenge is even greater when it comes to public sector projects due to the involvement of many stakeholders and the need to manage various relationships. For these reasons, many projects ended up with poor performance. Research has shown that success in managing large-scale projects requires a great deal of coordination and collaboration which can be done through established processes, strong teams, and involvement of stakeholders. Even though these processes and approaches are known, effectively implementing them is very difficult. The objective of this study is to investigate the management of selected large-scale IS/IT projects in the public sector in order to identify common problems and causes leading to poor performance. Fourteen projects from the US, UK, and Australia were studied, making this research among the few studies to investigate large-scale IS/IT projects in the public sector from different countries. The research results indicate common problems related to system design and implementation, project management and governance, and contract management. Theoretical contributions and implications for practitioners are also discussed.
The Small Conductance Calcium-activated Potassium Channel Regulates Ion Channel Expression in C3H10T1/2 Cells Ectopically Expressing the Muscle Regulatory Factor MRF4

We investigated small conductance (SK) potassium channel-mediated regulation of muscle-specific, ion channel functional expression in the C3H10T1/2-MRF4 cell model system, a stable fibroblast line ectopically overexpressing the myogenic regulatory transcription factor, MRF4. Mitogenic stimulation of C3H10T1/2-MRF4 cells with basic fibroblast growth factor negatively regulates MRF4 transcriptional activity, inhibiting myogenesis. Using patch clamp techniques we found that mitogenic stimulation of C3H10T1/2-MRF4 cells also up-regulated SK. SK is a charybdotoxin-sensitive, apamin-insensitive channel that exerts positive proliferative control in fibroblasts. Mitogen withdrawal, which removes negative regulation of MRF4 thus initiating myogenesis, also eliminated SK channel currents, coincident both with induction of acetylcholine receptor channels, and up-regulation of muscle inward rectifier potassium channels. Addition of the SK channel blocker charybdotoxin to growth factor-containing culture medium overcame basic fibroblast growth factor-induced negative regulation of MRF4, as evidenced by induction of inward rectifier potassium and acetylcholine receptor channel expression identical to that observed in mitogen-withdrawn cells. Thus, the SK channel can govern electrophysiological phenotype in C3H10T1/2-MRF4 cells, consistent with an ability of SK to affect MRF4-dependent transcriptional activity. SK appears to be a pivotal signaling component for growth factor regulation of both cell proliferation and differentiation.
Three-dimensional ribbing instability in symmetric forward-roll film-coating processes

We propose a framework for interpreting the formation, evolution, and spatial persistence of ribbing in coating processes, and present companion ‘quantifying’ parallel spectral element simulations of fully nonlinear unsteady three-dimensional free-surface symmetric forward-roll film-coating fluid flows. The framework couples, by means of a transition region, two well-understood phenomena: the ‘viscous fingering’ instability of a splitting meniscus; and the levelling of viscous films under the effect of surface tension. The transition-region length, L t , is on the order of the coating film thickness, while the downstream extent of the levelling region – the distance over which ribs persist – L t , depends on the fluid properties, the flow conditions, and the wavenumber content of the nonlinear meniscus rib profile. Numerical results are presented for the evolution of the coating flow from perturbed unstable two-dimensional steady states to three-dimensional saturated ribbed states for several representative supercritical capillary numbers, Ca , and spanwise periodicity lengths, b . Nonlinear state selection is briefly discussed.
Agency characteristics and client support systems in social service delivery

Abstract A sample of 16 agencies serving children and their families was studied to assess their involvement with client support systems. Directors reported on administrative issues, indicating that agency goals and objectives stressed reliance on networks and support and that specific policies and procedures had been adopted accordingly. Lineworkers reported on their actual use of client support systems, indicating light and uneven utilization. Relationships were examined between structural and organizational variables and utilization. It was found that descriptive organizational variables were unrelated to lineworker use, but that other factors were indeed related. Significant correlates included the nature of problems addressed, the ethnicity of clientele, and the use of selected facilitative policies and procedures. The latter two suggested that serving blacks and Hispanics and adopting facilitative procedures were associated with using client support systems less.
Facile preparation of organic nanoparticles by interfacial cross-linking of reverse micelles and template synthesis of subnanometer Au-Pt nanoparticles.

A single- and a double-tailed cationic surfactant with the triallylammonium headgroup formed reverse micelles (RMs) in heptane/chloroform containing a small amount of water. The reverse micelles were cross-linked at the interface upon UV irradiation in the presence of a water-soluble dithiol cross-linker and a photoinitiator. The resulting interfacially cross-linked reverse micelles (ICRMs) of the single-tailed surfactant aggregated in a solvent-dependent fashion, whereas those of the double-tailed were identical in size as the corresponding RMs. The ICRMs could extract anionic metal salts, such as AuCl4− and PtCl62−, from water into the organic phase. Au and Pt metal nanoparticles were produced upon reduction of metal salts. The covalent nature of the ICRMs made the template synthesis highly predictable, with the size of the metal particles controlled by the amount of the metal salt and the method of reduction. Nanoalloys were obtained by combining two metal precursors in the same reaction. Reduction of ...