cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A surface renewal model for unsteady-state mass transfer using the generalized Danckwerts age distribution function

The recently derived steady-state generalized Danckwerts age distribution is extended to unsteady-state conditions. For three different wind speeds used by researchers on air–water heat exchange on the Heidelberg Aeolotron, calculations reveal that the distribution has a sharp peak during the initial moments, but flattens out and acquires a bell-shaped character with process time, with the time taken to attain a steady-state profile being a strong and inverse function of wind speed. With increasing wind speed, the age distribution narrows significantly, its skewness decreases and its peak becomes larger. The mean eddy renewal time increases linearly with process time initially but approaches a final steady-state value asymptotically, which decreases dramatically with increased wind speed. Using the distribution to analyse the transient absorption of a gas into a large body of liquid, assuming negligible gas-side mass-transfer resistance, estimates are made of the gas-absorption and dissolved-gas transfer coefficients for oxygen absorption in water at 25°C for the three different wind speeds. Under unsteady-state conditions, these two coefficients show an inverse behaviour, indicating a heightened accumulation of dissolved gas in the surface elements, especially during the initial moments of absorption. However, the two mass-transfer coefficients start merging together as the steady state is approached. Theoretical predictions of the steady-state mass-transfer coefficient or transfer velocity are in fair agreement (average absolute error of prediction = 18.1%) with some experimental measurements of the same for the nitrous oxide–water system at 20°C that were made in the Heidelberg Aeolotron.
“Take Nothing But Photos, Leave Nothing But Footprints”: How-to Guides for Ruin Photography

The UrbEx phenomenon has produced numerous websites and publications, both as guides for locating particularly enticing ruin sites, and as guides for how to have the kind of experience that explorers seek: namely, to be the first to encounter something not yet valued by others, and to produce a visual record of its ephemerality, while those who come after can only replicate the experience. Exploring the exploration guidebooks themselves offers a unique insight into “how to” have the desired sublime experience long associated with visiting ruins, particularly with reference to urban ruins photography. This chapter will explore the impulse towards routinising desired types of ruin photography and UrbEx adventures through an examination of “how to” UrbEx photography books and websites.
The Concepts of Home Range and Homing in Stream Fishes

Home range may be defined as the area over which an animal normally travels. Gerking (1950, 1953) found that longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)1, rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), and green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) in two Indiana streams moved about very little from one year to the next. These sunfishes were estimated to have remained within a home range of 100–200 linear feet of stream. The home ranges of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) and spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) were believed to range from 200–400 linear feet of stream. In a later paper, Gerking (1959) listed 33 species of fishes which exhibit restricted movement or occupy home ranges.
Entropy Primes and Integer Composites: The 2nd Quantization Approach

Primes constitute a subset of all integers. Integers that are not prime are composite numbers, constituted of primes. Studies of numbers have been ongoing for millenia, and with recent advances making large strides forward in understanding and in connections between various viewpoints and approaches, yet we are unsure (as consensus) of whether there are patterns to primes or if they are uncorrelated random occurrences on the space of integers positive and infinite. However advances of the research yet if not the results sought for yet do occur, with the very question of determinism of occurrence of primes and its antipode of randomness of occurrence of primes prompting introduction of probability, and with probability the concept of entropy or perhaps the sequence is reversed for some researchers. In this letter we pursue such an investigation from entropy and randomness or statistics considerations. We approach this from discrete or quantum statistics which we argue are naturally number theoretic mappings or representation efficient and compact formalisms. We show how occupation number formalism or second quantization naturally reproduces recent entropy of numbers formulations.
Mapping ADL Motion Capture Data to BLUE SABINO Exoskeleton Kinematics and Dynamics

Design of an upper-arm exoskeleton requires knowledge of human operational ranges and workspace distributions. Motion capture recordings of right-arm motion during common tasks, known as activities of daily living (ADLs), are taken to represent a plausible workspace for an exoskeleton. An inverse kinematic model of BLUE SABINO (BiLateral Upper-extremity Exoskeleton for Simultaneous Assessment of Biomechanical and Neuromuscular Output), driven by ADL data is established to map right-arm joint locations to exoskeleton motor joint space. A kinematic representation of a human right-arm driven by ADL data is implemented via a vector analysis utilizing quaternion rotation/translation and used to visualize ADL recordings. A model of the BLUE SABINO exoskeleton whose motion is driven by the mapped motorjoint-space data is used to validate the mapping graphically. The available ADL database is mapped to motor joint space. Motor position distributions are generated from the resulting dataset and estimates of robot range of motion, (ROM) and statistics for shoulder motor positions are established. A kinematically and inertially accurate model of the BLUE SABINO is developed by exporting SolidWorksOR part models into SimScape Multibody (MathWorks). The model is used to produce operational torque estimates for shoulder motors. Initial simulations indicate that the motors of interest have been properly sized.
Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences and Oral Health Measures in Adulthood: Findings from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Introduction:Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are negative life events occurring before the age of 18 y. ACEs are risk factors for heart disease and diabetes in adult life. Furthermore, individ...
Aftermath: The True Crime Memoir Comes of Age

As the true crime genre has evolved and developed, particularly in the past decade, memoirs written by survivors of violent crime have become more prominent and popular, comprising an important part of the true crime genre. Compared to older, more traditional true crime which was written by journalists or true crime experts such as Ann Rule, Aphrodite Jones, or Jack Olsen, the work of true crime memoirists tends to be more heavily contextualized and often expresses criticism of the genre as a whole. Victims and survivors have strong claims to authenticity, and in their writing, they redefine victimhood and argue for a feminist critique of misogynistic violence as they articulate their experiences of the aftermath of crime. This chapter analyzes Jo Ann Beard’s essay ‘The Fourth State of Matter’, (1996), Terri Jentz’s Strange Piece of Paradise (2006), Maggie Nelson’s The Red Parts (2007), and Sarah Perry’s After the Eclipse (2017).
First Impressions: The Impact of Graphic Syllabi on Student Attitudes: An Abstract

Marketers are in the business of communicating and delivering value to customers, and organizations invest substantial amounts of money into the copy, design, and presentation of collateral to promote their products and services. Much study and testing has been conducted to determine the most effective formats to communicate with customers. Yet, when developing syllabi to create the same level of communication with students, most marketing educators create dull, difficult-to-read textual documents.
Osteocytes remodel bone by TGF-β-induced YAP/TAZ signaling

ABSTRACT Osteocytes are bone matrix-entombed cells that form an interconnected network of processes called the lacunar/canalicular system, which enables osteocytes to coordinate bone formation and resorption. Osteocytes indirectly regulate osteoblast and osteoclast activity on bone surfaces but also directly resorb and deposit their surrounding bone matrix through perilacunar/canalicular remodeling. However, the molecular mechanisms by which osteocytes control bone remodeling remain unclear. We previously reported that the transcriptional regulators Yes-associated protein (YAP) and Transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-motif (TAZ) promote bone acquisition in osteoblast-lineage cells. Here, we tested the hypothesis that YAP and TAZ regulate osteocyte-mediated bone remodeling by conditional ablation of both YAP and TAZ from mouse osteocytes using 8kb-DMP1-Cre. Osteocyte conditional YAP/TAZ deletion reduced bone mass and dysregulated matrix collagen content and organization, which together impaired bone mechanical properties. YAP/TAZ deletion reduced osteoblast number and activity and increased osteoclast activity. In addition, YAP/TAZ deletion directly impaired osteocyte lacunar/canalicular network remodeling, reducing canalicular density, length, and branching, but did not alter lacunar size or shape. Further, consistent with recent studies identifying TGF-β signaling as a key inducer of perilacunar/canalicular remodeling through expression of matrix-remodeling enzymes, YAP/TAZ deletion in vivo decreased osteocyte expression of matrix proteases Mmp13, Mmp14, and Cathepsin K. In vitro, pharmacologic inhibition of YAP/TAZ transcriptional activity in osteocyte-like cells abrogated TGF-β-induced protease gene expression. Together, these data show that YAP and TAZ act downstream of TGF-β in osteocytes to control bone matrix accrual, organization, and mechanical properties indirectly by coordinating osteoblast/osteoclast activity and directly by regulating perilacunar/canalicular remodeling.
A Trinity of Interpretations: Finding the Current Status of the SEC’s Significant Social Policy Exception

In 2015, the Third Circuit took a rare opportunity to consider the meaning of SEC Rule 14a-8(i)(7), which allows shareholder proposals which address ordinary business matters to be excluded from a proxy statement unless they target matters of sufficiently significant social policy. In doing so, a split panel broke from decades of SEC practice and provoked a response from the Division of Corporate Finance, which is charged with the Rule’s application. The Division attempted—and failed—to clarify what it understands the social policy exception to require. This Note analyzes the Division’s practice since its confused response to determine whether its interpretation of the significant social policy exception has changed.
Abstract 05: Race and Hospitalization for Cardiovascular Disease in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Background: Patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death at earlier ages than the general population, with African Americ...
Retrospective identification of rare cell populations underlying drug resistance connects molecular variability with cell fate

Molecular differences between individual cells can lead to dramatic differences in cell fate following an applied treatment, such as the difference between death versus survival of cancer cells upon receiving anti-cancer drugs. However, current strategies to retrospectively identify the cells that give rise to distinct rare behaviors and determine their distinguishing molecular characteristics remain limited. Here we describe Rewind, a methodology that combines genetic barcoding with an RNA-based readout to directly capture rare cells that give rise to cellular behaviors of interest, specifically the emergence of resistance to targeted cancer therapy. Using Rewind, we analyzed over 5 million cells to identify differences in gene expression and MAP-kinase signaling in single melanoma cells that mark a rare subpopulation of drug-naive cells (initial frequency of ~1:1000-1:10,000 cells) that ultimately gives rise to drug resistant clones. We further show that even within this rare subpopulation, molecular differences between single cells before the application of drug predict future differences in drug resistant behavior. Similarly, we show that treatments that modify the frequency of resistance can allow otherwise non-resistant cells in the drug-naive population to become resistant, and that these new populations are marked by the variable expression of distinct genes. Together, our results reveal the presence of cryptic variability that can underlie a range of distinct rare-cell phenotypic outcomes upon drug exposure. Applying Rewind to other rare biological phenomena, such as cancer metastasis, tissue regeneration, and stem cell reprogramming, may provide a means to map rare cellular states to the unique cellular fates to which they give rise.
Multi-modality imaging of cardiac amyloidosis: Contemporary update

Cardiac amyloidosis is a heterogeneous and challenging diagnostic disease with poor prognosis that is now being altered by introduction of new therapies. Echocardiography remains the first-line imaging tool, and when disease is suspected on echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear imaging play critical roles in the non-invasive diagnosis and evaluation of cardiac amyloidosis. Advances in multi-modality cardiac imaging allowing earlier diagnosis and initiation of novel therapies have significantly improved the outcomes in these patients. Cardiac imaging also plays important roles in the risk stratification of patients presenting with cardiac amyloidosis. In the current review, we provide a clinical and imaging focused update, and importantly outline the imaging protocols, diagnostic and prognostic utility of multimodality cardiac imaging in the assessment of cardiac amyloidosis.
Minor effects of dietary methylmercury on growth and reproduction of the sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus and toxicity to their offspring.

Abstract Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxic compound that is found in virtually all fish and biomagnifies in aquatic food webs. Although MeHg concentrations in marine and estuarine fish are often elevated, the impacts of MeHg on marine and estuarine fish have largely been understudied. To evaluate the impact of dietary MeHg on marine fish reproduction and effects on their offspring, female juvenile sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) at three months of age were experimentally exposed to MeHg-contaminated diets for two months and then paired with Hg-free males for spawning. Egg production, hatching success of embryos, time to hatching, survival of larvae, growth of larvae and swimming behavior of larvae were determined. Selenium (Se) was also measured and Se/Hg molar ratios were calculated to assess whether Se reduced MeHg toxicity. MeHg had no significant impact on fish reproduction or on survival and growth of larvae. Larvae produced by MeHg-exposed mothers had concentrations of Hg about 1 ppm (dry wt), or about 12% of that in the muscle of their mothers and consistently displayed 6–15% increased swimming speed relative to controls; the ecological significance of this moderate effect on swimming speed requires further study. The Se/Hg molar ratios in these fish, which were >1 in controls (adults and larvae) and MeHg-exposed larvae but
Was Vietnam’s Economic Growth in the 1990’S Pro-Poor? An Analysis of Panel Data From Vietnam

International aid agencies and almost all economists agree that economic growth is necessary for reducing poverty, yet some economists question whether it is sufficient for poverty reduction. Vietnam enjoyed rapid economic growth in the 1990s, but a modest increase in inequality during that decade raises the possibility that the poor in Vietnam benefited little from that growth. This article examines the extent to which Vietnam’s economic growth has been “pro-poor,” giving particular attention to two issues. The first is the appropriate comparison group. When comparing the poorest percentage of the population at two points in time, should the poorest percentage in the first time period be compared to the poorest percentage in the second time period, (some of whom were not the poorest percentage in the first time period), or to the same people in the second time period, (some of whom are no longer among the poorest percentage)? The second is measurement error. Estimates of growth among the poorest percentage of the population are likely to be biased if income or expenditure is measured with error. Household survey data show that Vietnam’s growth has been relatively equally shared across poor and non-poor groups. Indeed, comparisons of the same people over time indicate that per capita expenditures of the poor increased much more rapidly than those of the non-poor, although failure to correct for measurement error exaggerates this result.
The incisional hernia epidemic: evaluation of outcomes, recurrence, and expenses using the healthcare cost and utilization project (HCUP) datasets

Incisional hernias (IH) following abdominal surgery persist as morbid, costly, and multi-disciplinary surgical challenges. Using longitudinal, multi-state, administrative claims data (HCUP State Inpatient Databases (SID)); (HCUP State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases (SASD)), we aimed to characterize the epidemiology, outcomes, recurrence, and costs of IH. 529,108 patients undergoing abdominal surgery in 2010 across six specialties (colorectal, general/bariatric, hepatobiliary, obstetrics/gynecology, urology, and vascular) were identified within inpatient and ambulatory databases for Florida (FL), Iowa (IA), Nebraska (NE), New York (NY), and Utah (UT). IH repairs, complications, and expenditures were assessed through 2014. Predictive regression modeling was validated using a training set of 1000 bootstrapped repetitions. 16,169 (3.1%) patients developed hernias requiring repair (4.3-year mean follow-up), 3176 (20%) underwent recurrent repair, and 731 (23%) underwent re-recurrent repair. Patients with IH had increased readmissions (6.6 vs. 2.4), morbidity (39 vs. 8% surgical and 22 vs. 7% medical), and costs ($46,000 vs. $25,000) when compared to patients without IH (p < 0.001). IH expenditures totaled $875 million: initial ($687 million), recurrent ($155 million), and re-recurrent hernias ($33 million). IH predominated in colorectal (10%), hepatobiliary (8%), and vascular (5%) procedures. Of 31 significant independent IH risk factors (p < 0.001), obesity, age, smoking, open surgery, and prior surgery were pervasive across surgical specialties. IH represents an unremitting surgical epidemic associated with considerable morbidity, costs, and features consistent with a chronic disease state. We define critical pervasive risk factors (obesity, age, smoking open surgery, and prior surgery) independently associated with IH across surgical disciplines. With failed repairs, subsequent success becomes less likely, increasing morbidity and costs—underscoring the critical importance of optimal treatment and prevention.
In CKD, the effect of dapagliflozin on kidney outcomes did not vary by T2DM status or CKD cause.

SOURCE CITATION Wheeler DC, Stefansson BV, Jongs N, et al. Effects of dapagliflozin on major adverse kidney and cardiovascular events in patients with diabetic and non-diabetic chronic kidney disease: a prespecified analysis from the DAPA-CKD trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2021;9:22-31. 33338413.
Select Peripheral Blood Cytokine Levels Are Associated with Survival in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background: Risk stratification for pediatric AML currently relies on response to therapy and a small number of prognostic genetic factors. With these limited criteria, approximately 75% of children are initially classified as being at a lower risk (LR) of relapse. However, 30% of LR patients relapse, and achieving a second remission is often quite difficult. Therefore, there is an urgent need improve risk stratification in pediatric AML. Cytokine levels have been shown to predict outcome in adult AML but have not been extensively studied in pediatric AML, in part due to lack of available samples. We utilized a unique repository of diagnostic peripheral blood (PB) plasma from pediatric AML patients to quantify cytokine levels and determine associations with outcome. Methods: Peripheral blood plasma samples from pediatric AML patients enrolled on the multi-institutional Children's Oncology Group (COG) protocol AAML1031 were studied. We obtained diagnostic PB plasma for 80 patients initially classified as LR. Samples were collected into Cellsave® tubes, which are designed to preserve tumor cells and cytokines during transport. For comparison, we obtained normal PB (NPB) plasma from 11 healthy siblings undergoing blood draws for HLA typing. Cytokine levels were determined with the 21-plex Milliplex High Sensitivity T-cell Panel and the Human Myokine Panel (EMD Millipore). Cytokine and growth factor concentrations between NPB and AML PB plasma samples were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test, and correlation of cytokine levels with clinical outcome was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: In this cohort of samples we found the following cytokines and growth factors to be significantly higher in AML patients v. controls: IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, TNFα, IL-2, IL-1β, IL-12(p70), MIP-3a, and Fractalkine. Interestingly, and discrepant from what has been described previously in adult and pediatric studies, IL-8 levels were not significantly different when compared to normal controls in this cohort. When corrected for multiple comparisons by the Bonferroni method, IL-6, TNFα, MIP-3a, and IL-1β remained significantly different. For IL-6, the median in NPB was 2.8 pg/mL (25-75 Percentile 1.43-6.3) vs 12.31 pg/mL for AML (25-75 Percentile 7.29-21.09, p Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that in pediatric AML patients, IL-6, IL-10, and TNFα levels in diagnostic PB plasma are elevated in a subset of patients. Further, higher levels of TNFα and lower levels of IL-10were associated with lower RFS. This study, together with our previous finding that higher bone marrow IL-6 levels are associated with poor outcome, supports the idea that an abnormal pro-inflammatory state may contribute to poor outcomes in otherwise LR patients. Additional studies are needed to determine the mechanisms by which these cytokines reduce survival, and to further evaluate their use as prognostic biomarkers in pediatric AML patients. Download : Download high-res image (103KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure . Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) in Child Maltreatment Prevention Research

Each year hundreds of thousands of children and families receive behavioral interventions designed to prevent child maltreatment; yet rates of maltreatment have not declined in over a decade. To reduce the prevalence and prevent the life-long negative consequences of child maltreatment, behavioral interventions must not only be effective, but also affordable, scalable, and efficient to meet the demand for these services. An innovative approach to intervention science is needed. The purpose of this article is to introduce the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) to the field of child maltreatment prevention. MOST is an engineering-inspired framework for developing, optimizing, and evaluating multicomponent behavioral interventions. MOST enables intervention scientists to empirically examine the performance of each intervention component, independently and in combination. Using a hypothetical example of a home visiting intervention and artificial data, this article demonstrates how MOST may be used to optimize the content of a parent-focused in-home intervention and the engagement strategies of an intervention to increase completion rate to identify an intervention that is effective, efficient, economical, and scalable. We suggest that MOST will ultimately improve prevention science and hasten the progress of translational science to prevent child maltreatment.
A Theory of Credit Rationing

Economists have typically conducted their analyses of credit rationing in a manner which abstracts from the operations of the banking firm. This failure severely limits the understanding of the bank in its various roles. The present chapter outlines a theory of credit rationing which explicitly considers the informational aspects of the banking firm’s operations.3 Table 1 presents a summary listing of the variables to be used throughout the analysis.
Equivalency Comparison of Heat Transfer Coefficient in Liquid and Gas Quenches

With the development of quench technology, there is a trend of using gas quench to replace liquid quench for less distortion and residual stress. The fundamental difference between the liquid and gas quench is the heat transfer coefficient, not only the values but also the shape of the curve as a function of temperature. The equivalent heat transfer coefficient for the liquid and gas quench is analyzed by simulations and experiments. Even it may result in the same hardness in the liquid and gas quench, the steel microstructure may be different because of the different cooling processes, and therefore other steel properties, such as toughness, may be different. The cooling process, microstructures and properties such as hardness and toughness should be examined when designing the liquid or gas quench processes.
Direct Detection of Influenza A and B Viruses in Less Than 20 Minutes Using a Commercially Available Rapid PCR Assay

We compared an FDA-cleared rapid (<20 min) PCR assay (Cobas Liat; Roche Diagnostics) to our routine influenza A and B real-time PCR assay (Simplexa Flu A/B & RSV Direct; Focus Diagnostics) using respiratory swabs (n = 197). The Cobas Liat influenza A and B assays demonstrated sensitivities of 99.2% (123/124) and 100% (23/23), respectively, while showing a specificity of 100% for each target.
Lectures on Non Perturbative Field Theory and Quantum Impurity Problems

These lectures provide a simple introduction to non perturbative methods of field theory in 1 + 1 dimensions, and their application to the study of strongly correlated condensed matter problems — in particular quantum impurity problems. The level is moderately advanced, and takes the student all the way to the most recent progress in the field: many exercises and additional references are provided. In the first part, I give a sketchy introduction to conformal field theory. I then explain how boundary conformal invariance can be used to classify and study low energy, strong coupling fixed points in quantum impurity problems. In the second part, I discuss quantum integrability from the point of view of perturbed conformal field theory, with a special emphasis on the recent ideas of massless scattering. I then explain how these ideas allow the computation of (experimentally measurable) transport properties in cross-over regimes. The case of edge states tunneling in the fractional quantum Hall effect is used throughout the lectures as an example of application.
Business Provenance --- A Technology to Increase Traceability of End-to-End Operations

Today's enterprise applications span multiple systems and organizations, integrating legacy and newly developed software components to deliver value to business operations. Often business processes rely on human activities that may not be predicted in advance, and information exchange is heavily based on e-mails or attachments where the content is unstructured and needs discovery. Visibility of such end-to-end operations is required to manage compliance and business performance. Hence, it becomes necessary to develop techniques for tracking and correlating the relevant aspects of business operations as needed without the cost and overhead of a fully fledged data and process reengineering. Our business provenance solution provides a generic data model and middleware infrastructure to collect and correlate information about how data was produced, what resources were involved and which tasks were executed. Business provenance gives the flexibility to selectively capture information required to address a specific compliance or performance goal. Additionally, a powerful correlation mechanism yields a representation of the end-to-end operation that puts each business artifact into the right context, for example, to detect situations of compliance violations and find their root causes.
Delayed Rectifier K+ Currents,IK, Are Encoded by Kv2 α-Subunits and Regulate Tonic Firing in Mammalian Sympathetic Neurons

Previous studies have revealed the presence of four kinetically distinct voltage-gated K+ currents, I Af, I As, I K, and I SS, in rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons and demonstrated that I K and I SS are expressed in all cells, whereas I Af and I As are differentially distributed. Previous studies have also revealed the presence of distinct components of I Af encoded by α-subunits of the Kv1 and Kv4 subfamilies. In the experiments described here, pore mutants of Kv2.1 (Kv2.1W365C/Y380T) and Kv2.2 (Kv2.2W373C/Y388T) that function as Kv2 subfamily-specific dominant negatives (Kv2.1DN and Kv2.2DN) were generated to probe the functional role(s) of Kv2 α-subunits. Expression of Kv2.1DN or Kv2.2DN in human embryonic kidney-293 cells selectively attenuates Kv2.1- or Kv2.2-encoded K+currents, respectively. Using the Biolistics Gene Gun, cDNA constructs encoding either Kv2.1DN or Kv2.2DN [and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)] were introduced into SCG neurons. Whole-cell recordings from EGFP-positive Kv2.1DN or Kv2.2DN-expressing cells revealed selective decreases in I K. Coexpression of Kv2.1DN and Kv2.2DN eliminates I K in most (75%) SCG cells and, in the remaining (25%) cells, I K density is reduced. Together with biochemical data revealing that Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 α-subunits do not associate in rat SCGs, these results suggest that Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 form distinct populations of I K channels, and that Kv2 α-subunits underlie (most of) I K in SCG neurons. Similar to wild-type cells, phasic, adapting, and tonic firing patterns are evident in SCG cells expressing Kv2.1DN or Kv2.2DN, although action potential durations in tonic cells are prolonged. Expression of Kv2.2DN also results in membrane depolarization, suggesting that Kv2.1- and Kv2.2-encoded I K channels play distinct roles in regulating the excitability of SCG neurons.
Application opportunities for hybrid-WSI

The performance, small size, and potentially lower cost of wafer scale integration (WSI) offers opportunities currently not being addressed optimally. In many data processing situations, data are recorded on site at the sensor input while the processing of the data is done at a remote site. With the advantages of WSI, data processing can be brought out of the laboratory and into the field. Thus real-time data analysis can be achieved, while also reducing costs and improving efficiency. A description is given of some of the first applications, namely, interceptor processors for avionics. >
Essential role for ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase in matrix metalloproteinase-9 regulation in rat cortical astrocytes.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contribute to the pathophysiology of brain injury and inflammation but little is known about their regulatory signaling pathways in brain cells. Here we examine the role of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways in MMP-9 regulation in cortical rat astrocytes. The protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) induced MMP-9 but not MMP-2 secretion as measured by gelatin zymography. Northern blot and RT-PCR analysis showed that MMP-9 responses occurred at the mRNA level. Although PMA increased phosphorylation in all three major MAP kinase pathways (ERK, p38 MAP kinase, and JNK), only inhibition of the ERK pathway by the MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 (0.1-10 microM) significantly reduced MMP-9 upregulation, even when treatment was delayed for 4 h after PMA exposure. Inhibitors of p38 MAP kinase (SB203580) and JNK (SP600125) had no effect. This PKC pathway was compared to a cytokine response by exposing astrocytes to TNFalpha, which also activated MAP kinase and induced MMP-9 upregulation. But in this case, all three MAP kinase inhibitors (U0126, SB203580, and SP600125) reduced TNFalpha-induced MMP-9 upregulation. Taken together, these results suggest that the ERK MAP kinase is essential for MMP-9 upregulation via PKC and cytokine pathways in astrocytes.
Behavioral Experimentation and Game Theory in Engineering Systems Design

Game-theoretic models have been used to analyze design problems ranging from multi-objective design optimization to decentralized design and from design for market systems (DFMS) to policy design. However, existing studies are primarily analytical in nature, which start with a number of assumptions about the individual decisions, the information available to the players, and the solution concept (generally, the Nash equilibrium). There is a lack of studies related to engineering design, which rigorously evaluate the validity of these assumptions or that of the predictions from the models. Hence, the usefulness of these models to realistic engineering systems design has been severely limited. In this paper, we take a step toward addressing this gap. Using an example of crowdsourcing for engineering design, we illustrate how the analytical game-theoretic models and behavioral experimentation can be synergistically used to gain a better understanding of design situations. Analytical models describe what players with assumed behaviors and cognitive capabilities would do under specified conditions, and the behavioral experiments shed light on how individuals actually behave. The paper contributes to the design literature in multiple ways. First, to the best of our knowledge, it is a first attempt at integrated theoretical and experimental game-theoretic analysis in design. We illustrate how the analytical models can be used to design behavioral experiments, which, in turn, can be used to estimate parameters, refine models, and inform further development of the theory. Second, we present a simple experiment to understand behaviors of individuals in a design crowdsourcing problem. The results of the experiment show new insights on using crowdsourcing contests for design.
Monooxygenase activity of human hemoglobin: role of quaternary structure in the preponderant activity of the .beta. subunits within the tetramer

Catalysis of para hydroxylation of aniline was measured for human ferrihemoglobin and various derivatives in a reconstituted system consisting of the appropriate hemoprotein (at 4 microM heme), reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), cytochrome P-450 reductase, and aniline under atmospheric O2. The isolated subunits of hemoglobin (alpha 3+ and beta 3+4) were prepared by treatment with p-(hydroxymercuri)benzoate. Semihemoglobin (alpha heme2 beta 02) was prepared from ferrihemoglobin and apohemoglobin. Converse valency hybrids alpha 3+2(beta 2+-CO)2 and (alpha 2+-CO)2 beta 3+2 were prepared from appropriately ligated alpha and beta subunits. After chromatography, the hemoglobin derivatives were characterized by visible and 1H NMR spectroscopy and electrophoresis. At the same concentration of aniline, the alpha and beta subunits were much less active than the normal tetramer. alpha-Semihemoglobin and the alpha 3+2(beta 2+-CO)2 hybrid also displayed lower hydroxylase activity. The (alpha 2+-CO)2 beta 3+2 hybrid was about as active as normal alpha 3+2 beta 3+2. This result suggests that the activity of tetrameric hemoglobin primarily involves the beta subunits. Also transfer of the beta subunits from the beta 4 molecular environment to the alpha 2 beta 2 state enhances their monooxygenase activity approximately 15-fold. The hemoglobin derivatives were differently susceptible to substrate inhibition, the beta 4 species being most sensitive. Estimates of Vmax from the linear portions of the corresponding Lineweaver-Burk plots showed agreement within a factor of 2.5 for all of the hemoglobin derivatives, suggesting that the intrinsic O2-activating capacities of the derivatives are similar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Laser-Based Photoacoustic Densitometer for Two-Dimensional Scanning of Thin-Layer Chromatographic Plates:

Laser-based photoacoustic densitometry was applied to two-dimensional analysis in thin-layer chromatography. An acousto-optic device was used to provide both intensity modulation and a rastering scan. The spatial resolution is 25 × 60 spots for an area of 25 × 50 mm on the thin-layer chromatographic plate. Three detection modes, normal modulation, resonant modulation, and unmodulated rapid scan modes were compared. Detection limits in the most sensitive mode and in the fastest mode are 350 pg with scan time of 153 s and 6.9 ng with scan time of 1.5 s, respectively.
Hemodialysis and renal transplantation in patients of the 50-80 age group.

: Hemodialysis, renal homotransplantation, or both were employed at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital as treatment modalities for renal failure in 100 patients of the 50–80 age group. Complicating nonrenal disorders were common. Despite the infirmities of advanced age, rehabilitation was achieved in 68 per cent, and the cumulative mortality was only 31 per cent. The success of this program establishes the fact that age alone should no longer be a barrier to the use of these forms of therapy.
Muscle spindles in the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the rhesus monkey's (Macaca mulatta) tongue.

Neuromuscular spindles were searched for in the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the rhesus monkey's tongue. Transverse, horizontal and parasagittal sections were obtained from the tongues of three animals and stained with the Weigert-van Gieson technique. The results showed that spindles were distributed in all of the intrinsic muscles as well as in certain of the extrinsic muscles. The potential significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the feedback pattern derived from the lingual spindles in response to tongue activity.
Kinematic Analysis on Materials on Counter Flow Screen and Selection of Dynamic Parameters of Machine

The paper presents the structural characteristics of counter flow screen. Pieces of plastic film and sandstones with different friction factors and elasticity coefficients are chosen as the research objects. The motion state and the sorting mechanism of materials in the sorting process are studied. According to the motion analysis on pieces of plastic film and sandstones on counter flow screen, it can be concluded that the materials with different friction factors and elasticity coefficients can all be sorted by counter flow screen. The more difference they have in friction factors and elasticity coefficients, the better sorting performance can be achieved. The selection and computation on the dynamical parameters of counter flow screen is carried out, which provides the theory evidence for the design of new friction sorting equipment and opens up new prospects for the application of counter flow screen.
A parent-teacher administered weight reduction program for obese down's syndrome adolescents

Abstract Six moderately retarded adolescents with Down's Syndrome participated in a parent-teacher administered behavioral weight reduction program. The program involved graduated exposure to a number of weight reduction techniques combined with external and self-administered reinforcement components over a 19-week treatment and maintenance period. All subjects achieved significant weight loss during treatment and maintenance phases. Twenty-six and fifty-two week follow-ups revealed that weight loss was maintained.
Metamodel-driven model interpreter evolution

Domain-specific modeling (DSM) raises the level of abstraction by specifying a metamodel that is aligned to a particular problem domain. A key feature of DSM is the construction of model interpreters that synthesize the domain models into software artifacts. In the presence of new stakeholder requirements, it is possible that a metamodel undergoes numerous changes during periods of evolution (a new instance of the classic schema evolution problem). Consequently, there is a fundamental problem in keeping the model interpreters up to date with metamodel changes. This research abstract outlines the technical challenges in formalizing model interpreter implementation with the intent to facilitate interpreter evolution in terms of metamodel migration.
A survey of the effects of wolf predation risk on pregnancy rates and calf recruitment in elk

We have previously found that the behavioral responses of elk to the risk of predation by wolves are correlated with changes in habitat selection, altered diets, reduced food intake, decreased fecal progesterone concentrations, and decreased calf recruitment. P. J. White et al. recently questioned these results, concluding that “multiple lines of evidence and/or strong validation should be brought to bear before relying on indirect measures of how predators affect pregnancy rates.” Here, we systematically surveyed available data and found that five studies (with data from 10 widely distributed populations) have directly detected decreases of 24–43% in elk pregnancy rates in response to increased predation risk. This survey includes data not discussed by White et al. from their own research, which reveal a 32% decrease in pregnancy rates following wolf recolonization in central Yellowstone. Following the survey of available data, we discuss several methodological and statistical problems in White et al.'s study that would be expected to mask the effects of predation risk. While other factors also clearly affect elk recruitment, multiple lines of evidence using a broad array of methods have detected an association between predation risk and reduced reproduction in elk.
Intraspecific variation in reproductive potential with maternal body size in Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis

Abstract Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis show promise for commercial development as a baitfish species marketed to anglers on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Additionally, fishes in the genus Fundulus are increasingly cultured as model organisms for various fields of scientific inquiry. Research examining effects of maternal body size on reproduction in this genus and more generally in fractional spawning species with eggs capable of terrestrial development is lacking. The present study assessed the effects of female body size on reproductive investment in laboratory held Gulf killifish as well as subsequent implications for larvae. Larger females had significantly higher fecundity and produced individual eggs of greater volume. Gonadosomatic index more than doubled as female body mass increased from 6.9 to 12.9 g, but did not increase significantly in females of body mass > 12.9 g. Larger eggs required significantly longer incubation periods, and newly hatched larvae from larger eggs had more endogenous nutritional resources but shorter body length. Experimental results describe maternal effects in a fractional spawning species producing eggs with the ability to incubate terrestrially. Results also provide practically useful information for aquaculturists as F . grandis are increasingly cultured commercially and in laboratory settings.
Optical bistability in self-pumped phase-conjugate ring resonators.

Bistable oscillations have been observed in BaTiO3 pumped by a single-mode 30-mW (488-nm) argon-ion laser, which is used simultaneously as a ring passive phase conjugator (RPPC) and as a unidirectional ring resonator (UDRR). Strong oscillations in the UDRR increase the threshold coupling strength required for oscillation in the RPPC. The oscillations in the RPPC reduce the fanning in the crystal necessary for the startup of oscillation in the UDRR. Auxiliary resonators pumped by the RPPC are also bistable with the UDRR. Similar bistable oscillations have been observed when the crystal is used simultaneously as a RPPC and as a linear passive phase conjugator.
Don't mind the gap: a conceptual and psychometric analysis of the individual evaluation of discrepancies in the context of is user service satisfaction

When researchers are interested in capturing perceived discrepancies--for example, the perceived alignment between organizational and business-unit strategies, or the perceived gap between expected and received service delivery--many different measurement approaches are available. This paper presents a psychometric analysis of the various measures available to capture perceived discrepancies or gaps. More specifically, a set of comparative survey-based measures, drawn from published research across various disciplines, including marketing, information systems, and organizational behavior, are examined for their applicability.
In-situ and ex-situ studies of molybdenum thin films deposited by rf and dc magnetron sputtering

In-situ RTSE was used to characterize the complex dielectric functions (e) of rf and dc magnetron sputtered Mo thin films deposited onto soda-lime glass (SLG) substrates. Distinct features in the evolution of the dielectric functions with bulk layer thickness for rf and dc films are attributed to differences in void volume fraction and Drude free-electron relaxation time. Both rf and dc sputtered Mo thin films follow a similar trend of strain variation with argon pressure. The increased grain size, as well as smoother film morphology for the dc films compared to the rf films, were both confirmed by XRD and AFM measurements. It was also observed that increased deposition pressures lead to increased resistivities for both processes, with lower values for the dc films.
Correlates of suicide and violence risk 1: the suicide risk measure.

A measure of suicide risk was developed using items reported to discriminate suicidal patients from controls in various studies. The new self-report scale was administered to 82 outpatients, 157 inpatients, and 83 college students. Using total scores, significant differences were found between the college sample and the two patient samples. The scale also discriminated between patients who reported one or more past suicide attempts and those who reported none. An independent cross-validation showed that half of the items continued to discriminate between patient and control groups. Sensitivity and specificity estimates were also determined. The test does not attempt to predict a specific rare event, i.e., suicide. It attempts to describe the degree to which a given individual reveals a set of characteristics that are similar to a suicide prototype.
A case study of OSHEP's training partnership with the American Standard Corporation's Trenton facility and GMP local 175.

This case study examines the evolution and impact of a training partnership between the Rutgers University/N.J. Industrial Union Council's (IUC) Occupational Safety and Health Project and the American Standard Corporation's Trenton facility. The study draws on on-site interviews with three employees who played a key role in the training program as well as survey data from a broader cross-section of the facility's workforce. Insights about the impact of training are viewed within the context of the adult education and evaluation literature, particularly studies focusing on participatory, interactive training techniques. Committed activists, a supportive union and management, and the infusion of skills and ideas from the Rutgers/IUC worker-to-worker health and safety program are viewed as key factors in understanding developments at the facility. In addition, the study emphasizes the importance of relationships developed between union activists, facility management, and the OSHEP training staff. On January ...