cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Muddling-Through and Deep Learning for Managing Large-Scale Uncertain Risks

Managing large-scale, geographically distributed, and long-term risks arising from diverse underlying causes – ranging from poverty to underinvestment in protecting against natural hazards or failures of sociotechnical, economic, and financial systems – poses formidable challenges for any theory of effective social decision-making. Participants may have different and rapidly evolving local information and goals, perceive different opportunities and urgencies for actions, and be differently aware of how their actions affect each other through side effects and externalities. Six decades ago, political economist Charles Lindblom viewed “rational-comprehensive decision-making” as utterly impracticable for such realistically complex situations. Instead, he advocated incremental learning and improvement, or “muddling through,” as both a positive and a normative theory of bureaucratic decision-making when costs and benefits are highly uncertain. But sparse, delayed, uncertain, and incomplete feedback undermines the effectiveness of collective learning while muddling through, even if all participant incentives are aligned; it is no panacea. We consider how recent insights from machine learning – especially, deep multiagent reinforcement learning – formalize aspects of muddling through and suggest principles for improving human organizational decision-making. Deep learning principles adapted for human use can not only help participants in different levels of government or control hierarchies manage some large-scale distributed risks, but also show how rational-comprehensive decision analysis and incremental learning and improvement can be reconciled and synthesized.
Quality of Democratic Discourse in the Age of Political Hashtags and Social Media News Consumption

Whether through television, newspapers, or more increasingly through Social Networking Sites (SNS), journalistic coverage of current events have long played a significant role in mediating knowledge and information to the public. The platforms and channels through which news is produced and consumed shape how the public talk about current issues, exemplifying the critical link between democratic discourse and the press. However, with the advent of social media, the display of online news content has increasingly changed over the years. This implies that the conditions and avenues through which audiences make sense of mediated politics through news have possibly changed as well. This is the premise that motivates my work. In my dissertation, I examine how social media news consumption impacts the viability of online political deliberation around news content. Specifically, I investigate how civil discourse is shaped in relation to political hashtags in the headlines and texts of social media news posts. I use both qualitative and computational (natural language processing) methods on publicly available social media news comments and survey data collected through large-scale experiments.
Longitudinal Effects of Adolescent Abuse on Relationship Quality and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Mother-Adolescent Dyads.

The current study examined dyadic reports of mother-adolescent relationship quality (RQ) as a mechanism by which emotional, physical, and sexual abuse affect posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) over time from a family systems perspective. We used three waves of data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), including 321 mother-adolescent dyads observed when adolescents were approximately 12, 14, and 16 years old. We used an extended version of the actor-partner interdependence mediation model to analyze the effect of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse on adolescents' PTSS through dyadic reports of mother-adolescent RQ. Results yielded significant indirect effects between sexual and emotional abuse, but not physical abuse, and PTSS 4 years later through adolescent perceptions of RQ. Maternal perceptions of RQ were not directly associated with adolescents' PTSS; however, maternal perceptions of RQ positively contributed to future adolescent perceptions of RQ. Clinical implications are discussed.
Use of regenerative treatments in treatment of lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease: A systematic review

Low back pain due to lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is one of the most common causes of disability and morbidity, particularly among older adults. Current research efforts in lumbar DDD management are shifting towards identifying and correcting the pathology in intervertebral discs without any external manipulation. Herein, we present a systematic review of current literature regarding regenerative treatments for lumbar DDD. An electronic search of databases including PubMed, Ovid/MEDLINE, Cochrane and Scopus was conducted for articles in all available years. Studies that investigated treatment for discogenic pain in lumbar DDD, including any type of stem cell or bone marrow concentrate as the treatment agent and studies that report both baseline and follow-up pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were included in the review. Changes in pain and ODI scores were calculated for 3-month, 6-month and 12-month periods. Six studies with a total of 93 patients were evaluated. Mean (SD) age of the pooled sample was 40.0(8.1) and 39.5% (32/81) of patients were female. Pain improvement was reported in 38.8% of patients at 3-month, 40.8% at 6-month and 44.1% at 12-month follow-up. Average improvement in ODI score for 3-month, 6-month and 12-month follow-ups was calculated to be 24.0, 26.5 and 25.7, respectively. Regenerative treatments are being increasingly employed across all spectrums of medicine. Review of six single arm studies revealed a potential positive impact in the preliminary results. However, these promising 'preliminary' results should not be interpreted as the definite treatment and should be validated with further prospective studies.
Self-efficacy beliefs and direct selling sales performance

In the context of personal selling and sales management research, self-efficacy has typically been studied as positively related, and usually antecedent, to sales performance. Thus, the more efficacious a sales person is, the more effort and persistence he or she is believed to exhibit in prospecting new customers, maintaining relationships with existing customers, and generating sales. The present study differs from prior studies of self-efficacy in that it explores: 1) whether a direct selling experience, in and of itself, can enhance business-related self-efficacy and personal life self-efficacy; 2) whether business-related self-efficacy and personal life self-efficacy in turn relate to self-reported sales performance and non-selling job performance. Data collected from current and former direct sellers indicated that direct selling experience benefitted business-related and personal life skills. Additionally, more current direct sellers than former direct sellers believed that their self-efficacy had been enhanced by their direct selling experience and that they were more successful as direct sellers than others in their company. Self-efficacy was significantly related to self-reported sales performance and performance on a non-direct selling job. The findings possess important practical as well as theoretical implications.
Spiritual intimacy, spiritual one-upmanship, and marital conflict across the transition to parenthood.

Dyadic discussions that directly tap into spouses' views on spirituality and religiousness (S/R) represent an understudied but important facet of marital functioning that may be tied, for better or worse, to marital conflict and resolution processes. This study used longitudinal data gathered from 164 married couples across the transition to parenthood (TtP) to address this possibility. Specifically, during late pregnancy and when their infant was 3, 6, and 12 months old, husbands and wives completed measures about both spouses' spiritual intimacy (i.e., self-disclosure and support of partner's disclosures about spirituality) and spiritual one-upmanship (i.e., relying on spiritual and religious [dis]beliefs and opinions to assert superiority in conflicts). Criterion variables were the frequency of marital conflict and both partners' use of collaborative, hostile, and stalemating communication strategies during marital conflicts. Using fixed-effects regression models with both predictors entered, we found that greater spiritual intimacy by wives and husbands predicted less frequent conflict (p < .01), more collaborative communication by husbands (p < .01) and less stalemating (p < .01) by both spouses. Wives' spiritual intimacy also predicted more collaboration and less verbal hostility by wives (p < .01). By contrast, greater spiritual one-upmanship by both spouses predicted greater stalemating by both spouses (p < .05) and verbal hostility by husbands (p < .05). The findings indicate that 2 contrasting types of S/R dialogues are differentially linked to disagreements and conflict-resolution skills after accounting for stable aspects of the couples across the TtP (e.g., personality traits). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Continuous Glibenclamide Prevents Hemorrhagic Transformation in a Rodent Model of Severe Ischemia-Reperfusion.

Abstract Background Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is highly effective but may also lead to hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and edema, which may be more pronounced in severe ischemia. We sought to determine whether glibenclamide can attenuate HT and edema in a severe ischemia-reperfusion model that reflects EVT. Methods Using a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo) rodent model of stroke, we studied two rat cohorts, one without rt-PA and a second cohort treated with rt-PA. Glibenclamide or vehicle control was administered as an intravenous bolus at reperfusion, followed by continuous subcutaneous administration with an osmotic pump. Results Compared to vehicle control, glibenclamide improved neurological outcome (median 7, interquartile range [IQR 6–8] vs. control median 6 [IQR 0–6], p = 0.025), reduced stroke volume (323 ± 42 vs. 484 ± 60 mm3, p Conclusions Taken together, these studies demonstrated that glibenclamide reduced the amount of edema and HT after severe ischemia. This study suggests that co-administration of glibenclamide may be worth further study in severe stroke patients treated with EVT with or without IV rt-PA.
Process vs. Outcome Thought Focus and Advertising

Recent social psychological research demonstrates that certain types of mental simulation are particularly useful for helping individuals reach the future they envision (e.g., Taylor et al. 1998). More specifically, Taylor's recent research indicates that the most successful simulations focus on the process of reaching a goal rather than on the outcomes or attainment of the goal. This paper extends consideration of process- vs. outcome-focus thought to advertising. In studies manipulating the focus of subjects' thoughts while viewing a print advertisement, we find that a process-focus ad condition results in significantly higher behavioral intentions than an outcome-focus ad condition. Additional results demonstrate that the benefit of process-focus occurs when ad arguments are generally appropriate (e.g., strong and credible). However, in the case of inappropriate ad arguments, process-focused thought actually lowers behavioral intentions, compared to thoughts focusing on the end result or outcome of product usage. Thus, in addition to increasing the persuasive power of strong advertising claims, process-focused thinking appears to make individuals better, or more discerning, consumers who do not form behavioral intentions when it is inappropriate to do so. This basic phenomena appears to be robust across the specific form of ad arguments (specifically, whether arguments involve the process or outcome of product usage) and it appears to operate independently of motivational or elaboration processes.
Improving Postpartum Attendance among Women with Gestational Diabetes Using the Medical Home Model of Care.

Objective Poor attendance at the 6-week postpartum (PP) visit has been well reported. Attendance at this visit is crucial to identify women who have persistent diabetes mellitus (DM) following pregnancies affected by gestational DM (GDM). The medical home model has eliminated barriers to care in various other settings. This study sought to improve PP attendance among women with GDM by jointly scheduling PP visits and the 2-month well infant visits. Study Design All patients with a diagnosis of GDM who received care at a New York City–based publicly insured hospital clinic and delivered between October 2017 and June 2019 were eligible. Data were obtained via chart review. The primary outcome was attendance at the PP visit compared with previously published historical controls. Secondary outcomes were rates of PP glucose screening and well infant attendance. Results Of the 74 patients enrolled, 41.9% were Hispanic and 17.6% were Black, mean age was 31.6 years, and 58.1% delivered vaginally. Attendance at the 6-week PP visit was 68.9%, and attendance at the infant visit was 55.1%. PP glucose testing was ordered for 76.5% of attendees at the PP visit, and of those ordered, 43.6% of attendees completed testing. All patients had joint visits requested, though only 70.3% of visits were scheduled jointly. Among those who were jointly scheduled, 71.2% of women attended, 57.7% of infants attended, and 7.7% of pairs attended on the same day. The PP visit attendance rate was not significantly different than the prior attendance rate (p = 0.84). Conclusion This study was unable to improve PP visit attendance among women with GDM by jointly scheduling the 6-week PP visit and the 2-month well-infant visit. Future research could be directed toward a shared space where both women and children can be seen to attempt to increase PP visit attendance and monitoring for women with GDM. Key Points
Will the clinical development of 4th-generation “double mutant active” ALK TKIs (TPX-0131 and NVL-655) change the future treatment paradigm of ALK+ NSCLC?

Our current treatment paradigm of advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) classifies the six currently approved ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) into three generations. The 2nd-generation (2G) and 3rd-generation (3G) ALK TKIs are all "single mutant active" with varying potencies across a wide spectrum of acquired single ALK resistance mutations. There is a vigorous debate among clinicians which is the best upfront ALK TKI is for the first-line (1L) treatment of ALK+ NSCLC and the subsequent sequencing strategies whether it should be based on the presence of specific on-target ALK resistance mutations or not. Regardless, sequential use of "single mutant active" ALK TKIs will eventually lead to double ALK resistance mutations in cis. This has led to the creation of fourth generation (4G) "double mutant active" ALK TKIs such as TPX-0131 and NVL-655. We discuss the critical properties 4G ALK TKIs must possess to be clinically successful. We proposed conceptual first-line, second-line, and molecularly-based third-line registrational randomized clinical trials designed for these 4G ALK TKIs. How these 4G ALK TKIs would be used in the future will depend on which line of treatment the clinical trial design(s) is adopted provided the trial is positive. If approved, 4G ALK TKIs may usher in a new treatment paradigm for advanced ALK+ NSCLC that is based on classifying ALK TKIs based on the intrinsic functional capabilities ("singe mutant active" versus "double mutant active") rather than the loosely-defined "generational" (first-, second-,third-,fourth-) classification and avoid the current clinical approaches of seemingly random sequential use of 2G and 3G ALK TKIs.
Promoting brain health through physical activity among adults exposed to early life adversity: Potential mechanisms and theoretical framework

Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, and poverty, profoundly alter neurobehavioral development in a manner that negatively impacts health across the lifespan. Adults who have been exposed to such adversities exhibit premature and more severe age-related declines in brain health. Unfortunately, it remains unclear whether the negative effects of early life adversity (ELA) on brain health can be remediated through intervention in adulthood. Physical activity may represent a low-cost behavioral approach to address the long-term consequences of ELA on brain health. However, there has been limited research examining the impact of physical activity on brain health among adults with a history of ELA. Accordingly, the purpose of this review is to (1) review the influence of ELA on brain health in adulthood and (2) highlight evidence for the role of neurotrophic factors, hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary axis regulation, inflammatory processes, and epigenetic modifications in mediating the effects of both ELA and physical activity on brain health outcomes in adulthood. We then propose a theoretical framework to guide future research in this area.
“Security begins with you”: compulsory heterosexuality, registers of gender and sexuality, and transgender women getting by in Kampala, Uganda

This article examines how women getting by in Kampala, take up registers of gender and sexuality in a contemporary hybrid democratic-authoritarian state with compulsory heterosexuality. Sections 14...
Gender, Emotion Work, and Relationship Quality: A Daily Diary Study

We use the gender relations perspective from feminist theorizing to investigate how gender and daily emotion work predict daily relationship quality in 74 couples (148 individuals in dating, cohabiting, or married relationships) primarily from the southwest U.S. Emotion work is characterized by activities that enhance others’ emotional well-being. We examined emotion work two ways: trait (individuals’ average levels) and state (individuals’ daily fluctuations). We examined actor and partner effects of emotion work and tested for gender differences. As outcome variables, we included six types of daily relationship quality: love, commitment, satisfaction, closeness, ambivalence, and conflict. This approach allowed us to predict three aspects of relationship quality: average levels, daily fluctuations, and volatility (overall daily variability across a week). Three patterns emerged. First, emotion work predicted relationship quality in this diverse set of couples. Second, gender differences were minimal for fixed effects: Trait and state emotion work predicted higher average scores on, and positive daily increases in, individuals’ own positive relationship quality and lower average ambivalence. Third, gender differences were more robust for volatility: For partner effects, having a partner who reported higher average emotion work predicted lower volatility in love, satisfaction, and closeness for women versus greater volatility in love and commitment for men. Neither gender nor emotion work predicted average levels, daily fluctuations, or volatility in conflict. We discuss implications and future directions pertaining to the unique role of gender in understanding the associations between daily emotion work and volatility in daily relationship quality for relational partners.
Reactions in the A = 4 system: Part III. T(p,n)☆

Abstract An analysis is presented of the charge exchange reaction T ( p , n ). The model used is basically that proposed by Selove, a direct interaction model. A cluster model (deuteron plus neutron) representation of the three-body ground state is assumed. Further, the relevant interactions, knock-on and core pickup, between proton and target are characterized through the Yamaguchi separable t -matrix, a nonlocal operator. The impulse approximation ( t in the medium equals t for free scattering) is introduced. Certain other approximations having to do with the nuclear form factors and the smallness of momenta components of the bound neutron are also employed. Calculations are presented in which a comparison is made with the differential cross sections at 1.75, 3.0, and 5.5 Mev. The observed dependence of back to forward scattering upon energy is well represented by the theory.
Thermal and material transport from spheres: Prediction of macroscopic thermal and material transport

Abstract From a review of the available information concerning the effect of the molecular properties of the fluid, conditions of flow, and level of turbulence, a correlation of the Frossling number for the macroscopic or space average transport from spheres has been prepared. The effect of level of turbulence is most marked at a Reynolds number of 40000, and becomes relatively unimportant at Reynolds numbers above 250000. Analytical expressions, empirical in nature, were developed to describe the influence in Reynolds number, levels of turbulence, and the molecular properties of the fluid upon the Frossling number. The accuracy of prediction of the Frossling number is probably comparable to the accuracy of the experimental data. The ratio of the kinematic viscosity of the free stream to that at the interface raised to a power has been found a useful, although empirical, method of correcting for the changes in the molecular properties throughout the boundary flows. The results are presented in graphical and tabular form.
Skyrmions with vector mesons: Stability and the vector limit☆

Abstract We discuss the different roles of the ω- and ρA 1 -vector mesons for skyrmion stabilization in massive Yang-Mills models using variational arguments and numerical results. Employing the equivalence of massive Yang-Mills models and hidden-gauge models in the non-anomalous sector, we investigate the consequences for possible dynamical realizations of the vector limit of vanishing vector meson masses and couplings in the B = 1 sector of hidden-gauge theories. In hidden-gauge models with axial vector mesons (additional to the vector mesons) the KSFR relation is not modified in the vector limit.
Corporate Leadership Structure: On The Separation of the Positions of CEO and Chairman of the Board

Shareholders activists and regulators are pressuring U.S. firms to separate the titles of CEO and Chairman of the Board. They argue that separating the titles will reduce agency costs in corporations as well as potentials benefits. Our empirical evidence provides preliminary support for the hypothesis that the costs of separation are larger than the benefits for most firms. Our results also call into question previous empirical work which suggests that firms with separate titles outperform firms with combined titles. We tentatively conclude that proponents of legislation to force separation of titles have overlooked important costs.
An Analysis of Bitcoin Exchange Rates

Bitcoins are digital gold. They are a purely electronic commodity traded for speculative purposes as well as in exchange for goods and services. Just like physical gold, the relative price of bitcoins denominated in different currencies implies a nominal exchange rate. This is a departure from previous literature which treats bitcoin prices themselves as nominal exchange rates. I argue that treating prices as exchange rates is inappropriate as one would not consider the price of physical gold to be an exchange rate. Therefore, this paper characterizes the behavior of nominal exchange rates implied by relative bitcoin prices. I show that the implied nominal exchange rate is highly cointegrated with the nominal exchange rate determined in conventional foreign currency exchange markets. I also show that the direction of causality flows from the conventional markets to the bitcoin market and not vice-versa which can explain much of the volatility in bitcoin prices.
Gene order of the poliovirus capsid proteins.

Abstract Two methods were used to determine the genetic map of the poliovirus capsid proteins. The first method uses pactamycin, a drug which selectively inhibits the initiation of protein synthesis and causes a change in the relative amounts of capsid proteins synthesized. This differential effect on each of the capsid proteins is interpreted as indicating the relative distance of each protein from the initiation site of protein synthesis. The second method involves an analysis of coat precursor molecules released from polyribosomes after a series of short pulses of different length terminated by addition of emetine, a drug which stops all protein synthesis almost immediately after its addition. As the pulse length is increased, each of the capsid proteins within the precursor gains radioactivity with different kinetics. From these kinetics, it is possible to determine the gene order of the capsid proteins within the precursor as well as a rate of protein synthesis. Both methods indicate a gene order for the region of the ribonucleic acid coding for the capsid proteins as (5′ → 3′) VP 4 - VP 2 - VP 3 - VP 1.
“Don’t give up on me”: critical mentoring pedagogy for the classroom building students’ community cultural wealth

This one-year ethnographic case study focused on students of color from a West Coast High School who faced a variety of academic challenges. Collectively, they shared perspectives on school improvement, and among the recommendations was the importance of mentorship in the classroom to develop students’ aspirational, navigational, and informational capital for academic resiliency, high expectations, and success. This article highlights the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, such as students and teachers, on the qualities of mentorship practices. Using these data, a framework was developed to promote mentoring as an interrelated process in classroom instruction to ignite a new perspective on school reform. In this particular context, this study concludes that these students of color viewed mentorship as a critical component that was often missing in their high school careers. In an effort to improve students’ experiences in the classroom, this article argues that teachers must develop critical mentoring...
Bipolar Transurethral Incision of Bladder Neck Stenoses with Mitomycin C Injection.

Introduction. To determine the efficacy of bipolar transurethral incision with mitomycin C (MMC) injection for the treatment of refractory bladder neck stenosis (BNS). Materials and Methods. Patients who underwent bipolar transurethral incision of BNS (TUIBNS) with MMC injection at our institution from 2013 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 2 mg of 40% mitomycin C solution was injected in four quadrants of the treated BNS. Treatment failure was defined as the need for subsequent intervention. Results. Thirteen patients underwent 17 bipolar TUIBNS with MMC injection. Twelve (92%) patients had failed a mean of 2.2 ± 1.1 prior endoscopic procedures. Median follow-up was 16.5 months (IQR: 14-18.4 months). Initial success was 62%; five (38%) patients had a recurrence with a median time to recurrence of 7.3 months. Four patients underwent a repeat procedure, 2 (50%) of which failed. Overall success was achieved in 77% (10/13) of patients after a mean of 1.3 ± 0.5 procedures. BNS recurrence was not significantly associated with history of pelvic radiation (33% versus 43%, p = 0.9). There were no serious adverse events. Conclusions. Bipolar TUIBNS with MMC injection was comparable in efficacy to previously reported techniques and did not result in any serious adverse events.
On the heritability of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions : a twins study

Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) were measured in human monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins and in a sample of non-twins. The number of SOAEs exhibited was more highly correlated in MZ co-twins than in same-sex DZ co-twins. Model-fitting to the correlations suggested that about three-quarters of the individual variation in the expression of SOAEs is attributable to genes. There was no convincing evidence for the heritability of specific SOAE frequencies. In accord with past surveys, SOAEs were more numerous in right than left ears, and in female than male subjects. Also investigated were the numbers of SOAEs exhibited by dark-versus light-eyed people and by MZ versus DZ twins. Those differences in our data were small and not statistically significant, but they were in a direction consistent with other studies: more SOAEs in dark-eyed individuals and in MZ twins. The view presented here is that SOAEs themselves are unlikely objects for natural selection, and probably are epiphenomena resulting from selection for those cochlear mechanisms that contribute to good hearing sensitivity - which is related to SOAE expression. It is argued that, in addition to genetics, other factors have the potential to affect the specific numbers of SOAEs that are expressed. For example, some aspects of the complex prenatal process of producing a male fetus are presumed to be responsible for the smaller number of SOAEs seen in males than females.
Effects of cyclic AMP on the spontaneous meiotic maturation of cumulus-free bovine oocytes cultured in chemically defined medium

The rate of spontaneous meiotic maturation and the period of commitment to this process were determined in bovine oocytes devoid of surounding cumulus cells, cultured in chemically defined medium with bovine serum albumin in the absence of serum. The effects of compounds that are known to elevate levels of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) on the resumption and progression of meiosis were investigated. Bovine oocytes were mass-harvested, dended of cumulus cells, and cultured in 2A-BMOC medium supplemented with 0.5% bovine serum albumin. Intracellular cAMP levels were indirectly modified using 8-bromo-cAMP, bibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP), forskolin, or 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine (IBMX). Meiotic maturation was scored cytogenetically. Ninety percent of denuded bovine oocytes mature after 24 h, with 65% progressing beyond anaphase I. These oocytes remain at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage for up to 8 h in culture. GV breakdown (GVBD) occurs in 40.5% of oocytes at 9 h. The peak times for the different meiotic stages were 12 h for diakinesis, 15 h for late diakinesis to metaphase I, 20 h for metaphase I, and 24 h for telophase I. By 48 h, most had reached metaphase II. There is a 2-h lag period between the time at which they become irreversibly committed to mature (at 7 h) and when they demonstrate GVBD (at 9 h). Incubation for 12 h with high concentrations for 8-bromo-cAMP and forskolin significanly inhibited GVBD, while the effect of dbcAMP was similar but less pronounced. By 24 h, most of the control and dbcAMP-treated oocytes were at anaphase I or beyond, while the majority of oocytes treated with 8-bromo-cAMP or forskolin had only progressed to metaphase I. Prolonged cultures for 44 h revealed no significant difference in the proportion of treated oocytes reaching anaphase I. to metaphase II compared with controls. IBMX inhibited GVBD in a dose-dependent manner following 24-h cultrue, and at low concentrations its effects was similar to that observed for high concentration of 8-bromo-cAMP and forskolin. The timing of observation is thus crucial for interpreting the effects of these compounds on bovine oocyte maturation. The results suggest that elevation of intracellular cAMP induces a transitory inhibition of bovine oocyte GVBD. Although the bovine oocyte plasma membrane contains adenylate cyclase, it may also possess an active phosphodiesterase that could prevent dbcAMP and forskolin from raising intracellular levels of cAMP suffeciently to maintain meiotic arres for any considerable time. As 8-bromo-cAMP is only partially hydrolyzed by phosphodiesterase, there may be more of this analogue available to stimulate cAMP-dependent protein kinase, which could account for the more pronounced effect observed with 8-bromo-cAMP compared with dbc-AMP.
Lung bioavailability of hydrofluoroalkane fluticasone in young children when delivered by an antistatic chamber/mask.

Objective To determine whether an antistatic valved holding chamber/mask improves lung bioavailability of hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) fluticasone in young children. Study design Twelve patients, age 1 to 6 years, with well-controlled asthma were treated with an HFA fluticasone metered-dose inhaler (Flovent HFA) twice daily (440 μg/day). The drug was delivered by tidal breathing through conventional (AeroChamber Plus) and antistatic (AeroChamber MAX) valved holding chambers (VHCs) with masks in a randomized, crossover manner, each for 3 to 7 days. When adherence was 100% at home, blood was collected for measurement of steady-state fluticasone plasma concentration (FPC) 1 hour after the last dose was administered in the clinic. FPC indicates systemic exposure directly and airway delivery indirectly. It was measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed by regression analysis. Results The mean ± SD FPC was 107 ± 30 pg/mL after conventional VHC and 186 ± 134 pg/mL after the antistatic VHC (P = .03). In 5 patients (40%), the antistatic VHC increased FPC by ≥ 100%, to potentially excessive levels in 4 of them; it had little effect in 7 patients. Conclusions HFA fluticasone was delivered to the airways by both devices even though the patients could not inhale deeply and breath hold. The antistatic VHC variably increased lung bioavailability. To reduce systemic exposure, the dose should be weaned to the minimum required to maintain asthma control.
Denali: A practical algorithm for generating optimal code

This article presents a design for the Denali-2 superoptimizer, which will generate minimum-instruction-length machine code for realistic machine architectures using automatic theorem-proving technology: specifically, using E-graph matching (a technique for pattern matching in the presence of equality information) and Boolean satisfiability solving.This article presents a precise definition of the underlying automatic programming problem solved by the Denali-2 superoptimizer. It sketches the E-graph matching phase and presents a detailed exposition and proof of soundness of the reduction of the automatic programming problem to the Boolean satisfiability problem.
THERMAL EQUATION OF STATE OF STISHOVITE

Abstract The pressure–volume–temperature ( P – V – T ) behavior in SiO 2 -stishovite has been studied using a DIA-type, cubic-anvil apparatus (SAM85) interfaced with in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction at the superconducting wiggler beamline (X-17B) of the National Synchrotron Light Source, using a polycrystalline specimen previously hot-pressed in a 2000-ton uniaxial split-sphere apparatus (USSA-2000). The P – V – T data up to 10 GPa and 1273 K were analyzed using several approaches based on the Birch–Murnaghan equation-of-state (EOS) and related thermodynamic relations. The results obtained from different approaches are internally consistent. With the pressure derivative K T 0 ′ fixed at the ultrasonically determined value of K 0 ′=5.3, we obtained the isothermal bulk modulus K T 0 ′=294(2) GPa and its temperature derivative (∂ K T /∂ T ) P =−0.041(11) GPa K −1 , and the thermal expansion coefficients a 0 =1.40(8)×10 −5 K −1 and a 1 =10.9(20)×10 −9 K −2 . The room temperature bulk modulus ( K T 0 ) of the present study is in agreement with the adiabatic values obtained previously from Brillouin scattering and diamond-anvil cell X-ray diffraction studies on single crystal stishovite and ultrasonic studies on polycrystalline specimens.
Movement of Meadow Voles in Response to Food and Density Manipulations: A Test of the Food-Defense and Pup-Defense Hypotheses

The space-use patterns of female voles are believed widely to be driven by food availability, whereas male voles respond primarily to availability of receptive females. Alternatively, female voles may maintain exclusive territories to prevent infanticide. We manipulated population densities and levels of food availability in replicate populations of the meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus , to determine the impact of each on movement distances. Sex differences occurred in the responses of voles to food and density treatments. Adult male voles responded to food supplementation by decreasing movement distances, irrespective of density. Adult female voles only contracted movement distances under high densities. Male voles may respond to changes in food availability when female voles are dispersed widely and do not constitute a defensible resource. Female voles may retain fairly constant home ranges in the face of increased food availability to prevent infanticide. Our data suggest that habitat characteristics are important in the spacing behavior of male voles and food abundance is not the primary determinant of the spacing behavior of female voles.
Spinal 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors mediate low, but not high, frequency TENS-induced antihyperalgesia in rats

Abstract Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a form of non-pharmacological treatment for pain. Involvement of descending inhibitory systems is implicated in TENS-induced analgesia. In the present study, the roles of spinal 5-HT and α2-adrenoceptors in TENS analgesia were investigated in rats. Hyperalgesia was induced by inflaming the knee joint with 3% kaolin–carrageenan mixture and assessed by measuring paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to heat before and 4 h after injection. The (1) α2-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine (30 μg), (2) 5-HT antagonist methysergide (5-HT1 and 5-HT2, 30 μg), one of the 5-HT receptor subtype antagonists, (3) NAN-190 (5-HT1A, 15 μg), (4) ketanserin (5-HT2A, 30 μg), (5) MDL-72222 (5-HT3, 12 μg), or (6) vehicle was administered intrathecally prior to TENS treatment. Low (4 Hz) or high (100 Hz) frequency TENS at sensory intensity was then applied to the inflamed knee for 20 min and PWL was determined. Selectivity of the antagonists used was confirmed using respective agonists administered intrathecally. Yohimbine had no effect on the antihyperalgesia produced by low or high frequency TENS. Methysergide and MDL-72222 prevented the antihyperalgesia produced by low, but not high, frequency TENS. Ketanserin attenuated the antihyperalgesic effects of low frequency TENS whereas NAN-190 had no effect. The results from the present study show that spinal 5-HT receptors mediate low, but not high, frequency TENS-induced antihyperalgesia through activation of 5-HT2A and 5-HT3 receptors in rats. Furthermore, spinal noradrenergic receptors are not involved in either low or high frequency TENS antihyperalgesia.
An interferometric study of the natural convection in an inclined water layer

Abstract Thermal instability and heat transfer by natural convection in an inclined rectangular water layer at low Rayleigh number have been studied using an interferometer. At different angles of inclination to the horizontal (θ) different preferred flow modes are observed. For 0°
GPR attenuation and its numerical simulation in 2.5 dimensions

Modeling of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data in 2.5 dimensions is implemented by superposition of 2-D finite-difference, time-domain solutions of Maxwell's equations for different horizontal wavenumbers. Dielectric, magnetic, and conductive losses are included in a single formulation. Attenuations associated with dielectric and magnetic relaxations are introduced by superposition of Debye functions at a set of relaxation frequencies and using memory variables to replace convolutions between the field variables and the decay functions. Better fits to data may always be obtained using the superposition method than by the Cole-Cole model. Good fits to both loss-tangent versus frequency data from lab measurements, and to 500 and 900 MHz field GPR profiles of a buried pipe and the surrounding layers, demonstrate the flexibility and viability of the modeling algorithm. Discrepancies between lab and in-situ measurements may be attributed to scale differences and local variations that make lab samples less representative of the site than the GPR profile.
Effect of laminar chaos on reaction and dispersion in eccentric annular flow

Generalized Taylor dispersion theory is used to study the chaotic laminar transport of a reactive solute between eccentric rotating cylinders in the presence of an inhomogeneous chemical reaction. The circumstance considered is that of laminar axial ‘Poiseuille’ flow in the annular region between the two non-concentric cylinders, accompanied by a secondary, generally chaotic, flow induced via alternate rotation of the cylinders. A Brownian tracer introduced into the flow is assumed to undergo an instantaneous, irreversible reaction on the surface of the outer cylinder. The resulting effective transversely and time-averaged reaction rate, axial solute velocity, and axial convective dispersivity are computed. When chaos is present, the effective reaction rate is increased to a value several times larger than occurs in the absence of chaotic transport. It is found that an optimum alternation frequency exists, and that this frequency decreases with increasing transverse Peclet number (Peq). It is also observed that the maximum achievable reaction rate increases with (Peq). The effect of laminar chaotic mixing on the mean axial solute/solvent velocity ratio is to drive its value towards the perfectly mixed value of 1.0, despite the removal of solute from the slower-moving axial streamlines near the outer (reactive) cylinder wall. Lastly, in the presence of transverse chaotic transport, the convective Taylor contribution to the axial solute dispersivity acquires a value up to several orders of magnitude smaller than that achievable by means of non-chaotic convection.
Preparative Liquid Chromatographic Method for the Characterization of Minor Constituents of Lubricating Base Oils

Abstract In an effort to isolate, identify, and measure the properties of the active ingredients in a lubricating base oil, a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation scheme has been developed. The preparative mode of production is necessary to yield sufficient amounts of minor constituents for property measurements in terms of friction, wear, and oxidation characteristics. In friction and wear control, the polarity of the molecular species is more important than the function groups in the species. Therefore the design of the separation scheme is based on the relative polarity of various functional groupings. Because the effort is directed towards identifying key components rather than analysis of the major compositions, mass recovery requirement is critical.
Consistency of effects of slow rate and pauses on aphasic listeners' comprehension of spoken sentences.

The effects of intrasentence pauses and slow speaking rate on aphasic listeners' comprehension of spoken low- and high-difficulty sentences were investigated. Aphasic subjects heard commands spoken...
Abstract LB-343: Defining mechanisms of endocrine resistance in breast cancer using whole exome sequencing

About 70% of breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and current treatments target either ER activity (Tamoxifen and Fulvestrant) or the production of estrogen (aromatase inhibitors). These treatments have led to significant increases in disease-free and overall survival, but after initial response to these agents, many ER+ cancers progress to endocrine resistance. There have been several attempts to understand the molecular mechanisms that lead to acquired resistance, but a clear understanding is still lacking. We hypothesize that endocrine resistant cells in the tumor arise by acquiring compensatory somatic mutations, and that some of these driver mutations responsible for resistance are in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. To test this we performed whole exome sequencing on three of MCF7 breast cancer cell sublines that are resistant to either tamoxifen, fulvestrant or exemestane - drugs commonly used in the clinic to treat ER+ breast cancers. An Illumina TruSEQ adaptor-based exonic library was prepared using genomic DNA from the resistant and control cell lines, and multiplexed on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencer (100bp paired-end reads). Reads were aligned to human genome build 19 using BWA, variants were called using SAMTools, somatic mutations in endocrine cell lines were determined with VarScan, and amino acid changes were annotated using ANNOVAR. We have identified several non-synonymous mutations in cancer-relevant genes and are currently working to validate these targets. Studying these genes will increase our understanding of how tumors overcome the requirement for estrogen signaling and ultimately, we hope that comparing tumor profiles of patients with endocrine resistance disease will lead to therapeutics targeted to these secondary mutational lesions. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-343. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-343
Elevated temperature erosion-corrosion of 9Cr-1Mo steel

The combined erosion-corrosion behavior of 9Cr1Mo steel was determined at 850/sup 0/C using a blast of air and 130..mu..m dia Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ particles from a nozzle at a number of velocities from 10 to 70 m/s. The mechanism of surface degradation and the rates of sound metal loss were determined. Corrosion occurred at all velocities tested. It was established that the sound metal loss increased with increasing velocity and that there was a change in the loss mechanism at about 30 m/s. Below this velocity, scale loss occurred by an erosion enhanced corrosion mechanism. Above 30 m/s the impacting particles consolidated and densified the scale, eliminating the micro-cracks that occurred at the lower velocities. Elimination of the micro-cracks increased the stresses in the scale, resulting in periodic spalling of larger pieces of scale. The spalling increased the sound metal loss rates at the higher velocities, resulting in a classic transition rate S curve.
Radiation therapy potential of intense backscattered compton photon beams

Abstract For close to 100 years radiation treatments of cancer have used photon radiation produced by the bremsstrahlung process. Free-electron-laser (FEL) technology can produce backscattered Compton photons and this provides an opportunity to investigate a new spectrum of photons. In contrast to bremsstrahlung, the energy spectrum of the backscattered Compton photons is peaked at the high energy. The beams also have small divergence and hence are highly focused. Dose is calculated using Monte Carlo modeling and the results show that the energy distribution can improve the relative tumor to normal tissue dose distribution especially for deep tumors. It is found that fluxes on the order of 10 11 photons/s are required. The small divergence means that precision small field treatments can be done without collimation and also opens up the possibility of activation applications. These properties may be exploited to advantage in the future. This paper reviews the medical therapy potential and discusses benchmarks for FEL performance which are important to future backscattered Compton therapy applications.
Solder Bead on High Density Interconnect Printed Circuit Board

Solder bead probing is a test technology primarily targeting high-speed/high-density printed circuit boards (PCBs). High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs are gaining in popularity to support high speed and smaller form factor requirements. This paper summarizes the requirements for placing solder beads on HDI PCBs.