cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of socioeconomic status across early life on age at menarche among a racially diverse population of girls.

Purpose We sought to evaluate the association between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) at two time points and age at menarche in a multiracial sample of U.S. girls. Methods Our study population consisted of a cohort of female participants enrolled at birth at the New York site of the Collaborative Perinatal Project, who were born during the period 1959–1963 (n = 262). SES at birth, at age 7, and change between birth and age 7 were measured prospectively through an index score of family income, paternal occupation, and education. Data on age at menarche were collected retrospectively through adult self-report. We used multivariable linear regression to examine the association between SES and age at menarche after adjusting for childhood body mass index (BMI) and other covariates associated with age at menarche. Results After adjustment, SES at age 7 was positively associated with age at menarche (beta: 0.015, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.003–0.024 per unit of SES index). Change in SES was significantly associated with age at menarche; a 20-unit decrease in SES was associated with a 4-month decrease in age at menarche. Conclusions Our results suggest that lower SES at 7 years and reductions in SES in early childhood are both associated with an earlier age at menarche.
Are there acoustic plasmons

Abstract A survey of theoretical research on acoustic plasmons is given and prospects for the observation of these elusive modes are examined. Possible acoustic plasmon contributions to the transition temperatures of the superconducting A-15 compounds are considered. Directions for future experiments and theory are suggested.
Cooperation Without Trust

In a recent Public Administration Review sympo sium on collaboration, 9 out of 12 articles dis cussed, to various degrees, the importance of trust. Are public administration scholars misplacing their trust in trust? In a recent panel on trust at the Midwest Political Science Association conference, two practitioners, scheduled to share experience on how good city management improves citizen trust, were genuinely disturbed by the views expressed by other academics on the panel that trust does not matter. Are public managers misdirecting resources when they work to improve trust?
Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Micelles Stabilized by Recombinant Oleosin for Targeted Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Recombinant surfactants present a new platform for stabilizing and targeting nanoparticle imaging agents. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-loaded micelles for MRI contrast are stabilized by an engineered variant of the naturally occurring protein oleosin and targeted using a Her2/neu affibody-oleosin fusion. The recombinant oleosin platform allows simple targeting and the ability to easily swap the ligand for numerous targets.
Measuring Productive Efficiency: An Application to Illinois Strip Mines

The purpose of this paper is to apply a generalized version of the Farrell measure of technical efficiency to a sample of Illinois strip mines. We disaggregate the original Farrell measure which was designed to measure lost output or wasted inputs due to underutilization of inputs into three mutually exclusive and exhaustive components: 1 a measure of purely technical efficiency, 2 a measure of input congestion overutilization of some inputs and 3 a measure of scale efficiency. This approach has the advantage that it provides additional information on the sources of inefficiency of production, which should be useful to managers, in general, not only in strip mining. Simple linear programming techniques are derived and used in calculating these efficiency measures for our sample. We find that Illinois strip mines are fairly efficient relative to each other. The major source of inefficiency was due to deviations from the optimal scale of production. We also find suggestive evidence that inefficient mines tend to have relatively high stripping ratios, high labor-output ratios, single rather than multiple coal seams, and lower earth-moving capacity.
Peroral endoscopic reduction of dilated gastrojejunal anastomosis after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: Possible new option for patients with weight regain

Background Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is an effective treatment for severe obesity. However, many patients regain weight over time. The mechanisms for this are unclear, and several factors may contribute, including dilation of the gastrojejunal anastomosis. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of endoscopic gastrojejunal anastomotic tightening and to determine the effect of tightening on body weight.
Slavery in the Second Testament World

Slaves, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not only under their eyes so as to please people, but in simplicity of heart and fear of the Lord. Whatever you do, do it well, as for the Lord rather than people, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the reward of an inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ (Col 3:22-25).
Creating Visionary and Enhanced Theological Institutions

. Theological school faculty at mid-career often discover a bifurcated work environment in the theological institutions they serve. Scholarly and pedagogical passions can be set in tension with academic administrative responsibilities – each vying for the lion's share of time. In this essay the author plunges into murky vocational waters to explore possible contributing factors for the bifurcated existence mid-career faculty experience. The essay suggests creative steps toward new visionary paradigms to aid theological institutions in adopting and modeling visionary theological education. This transformative model would strive to enhance community life, nurture leadership, foster intellectual formation, cope with institutional strife, and constructively shape an institution's future.
In Vivo Regulation of hTERT Expression and Telomerase Activity by Androgen.

ABSTRACTPurpose: The most effective therapy for metastatic prostate cancer is androgen deprivation. Genes activated directly or possibly even indirectly by this steroid hormone represent potential targets for anticancer therapy. One such gene may be hTERT, which encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase. In prostate cancer cells telomerase is activated, permitting sustained proliferation. Therefore, we tested whether hTERT gene expression is modulated in prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by androgens.Materials and Methods: Transcriptional activation of hTERT during androgen stimulation was assayed by luciferase assays using the hTERT promoter fused to the luciferase gene and by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to detect endogenous hTERT mRNA in LNCaP cells. hTERT mRNA levels and telomerase activity were also measured in CWR22 prostate cancer cells implanted in mice that were subsequently castrated and left untreated or administered androgen.Results: We report that the endogenous ...
MEMORIAL TO LAWRENCE B. ISHAM (1922–2011)

Lawrence (Larry) Brian Isham (Fig. 1), paleontological illustrator for the Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, for 30 years, died on 18 September 2011 at his home in Arlington, Virginia, at age 89. Larry belonged to the “greatest generation,” who saved the world from tyranny in WWII. Joining the Army Air Forces in May 1942, he became a bombardier on a B-17 Flying Fortress, and saw combat in the air offensive over the Ardennes in northern France. He received an honorable discharge in April 1944. Larry attended the University of Miami for one year before the war, and like so many other returning veterans, he continued his education by re-enrolling at Miami, where he earned a bachelor’s (1947) and a master’s (1952) degree in marine biology. While a graduate student, he prepared illustrations for the Bulletin of Marine Science and other journals. He published several scientific papers in marine biology during the 1950’s (for example, Isham and …
Suppression of acute and chronic inflammation in adrenalectomized rats by pharmacologic amounts of prostaglandins.

Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) suppressed acute carrageenan-induced inflammation and chronic joint inflammation characteristic of adjuvant disease in the rat. Placement of PGE1 into subcutaneous air blebs at the time of carrageenan injection retarded movement of polymorphonuclear leukocytes into the focus of inflammation and produced a concentration-dependent reduction in exudate β-glucuronidase and lactate dehydrogenase activities, an effect also observed in adrenalectomized rats. PGE2 also significantly reduced enzyme activities released into inflammatory exudates. Ultrastructural studies indicated that carrageenan was ingested by invading polymorphs and enclosed within phagocytic vacuoles, the membranes of which subsequently ruptured. More lysosomes remained intact after carrageenan uptake in bleb leukocytes from PGE1-treated than from control rats and there was no loss of phagosomal membrane integrity in cells from treated rats. Treatment of adrenalectomized rats with PGE1 (300 μg twice daily) prevented adjuvant-induced systemic arthritis, reduced the acute inflammatory reaction at the site of adjuvant injection, and reduced the number of circulating small lymphocytes. Together, these two sets of experiments suggest that pharmacologic doses of prostaglandins are anti-inflammatory in acute and chronic models, and that the effect is not mediated entirely by stimulation of the pituitary and/or adrenal glands.
On the equivalence of certain fault localization techniques

Software fault localization is an expensive component of program debugging, and thus, many different types of fault localization techniques have been proposed over the recent years. Such techniques aim to rank program components (such as statements, blocks, functions, etc.) in decreasing order of their likelihood of being faulty, such that programmers may then examine the ranking starting from the top, until a fault is found. However, comparisons between fault localization techniques (to see which one is more effective) have generally been based on case studies and empirical data. In this paper we propose an equivalence relation by virtue of which two or more fault localization techniques may be considered equivalent if they produce identical rankings of program components, and are therefore, equally as effective. We then make use of the proposed equivalence relation to prove that several similarity coefficient-based fault localization techniques are in fact equivalent to one another. Furthermore, no case studies and/or data were required for any of the proofs of equivalency provided in this paper.
SARA: a software environment for the analysis of relaxation data acquired with accordion spectroscopy

We present SARA (Software for Accordion Relaxation Analysis), an interactive and user-friendly MATLAB software environment designed for analyzing relaxation data obtained with accordion spectroscopy. Accordion spectroscopy can be used to measure nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation rates in a fraction of the time required by traditional methods, yet data analysis can be intimidating and no unified software packages are available to assist investigators. Hence, the technique has not achieved widespread use within the NMR community. SARA offers users a selection of analysis protocols spanning those presented in the literature thus far, with modifications permitting a more general application to crowded spectra such as those of proteins. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each fitting method and suggest a protocol combining the strengths of each procedure to achieve optimal results. In the end, SARA provides an environment for facile extraction of relaxation rates and should promote routine application of accordion relaxation spectroscopy.
Structure and composition of primary intrahepatic stones in Korean patients

We have analyzed the chemical composition of primary intrahepatic stones from 72 Korean patients. Two types of concretions have been identified: brown pigment (calcium bilirubinate) stones and black-colored mixed stones. Brown pigment stones were found in 68% of all cases and the remainder (32%) consisted of mixed stones. Intrahepatic mixed stones had mean cholesterol and bilirubin contents of 46.6% and 25.9%, respectively, whereas calcium bilirubinate stones had mean cholesterol and bilirubin contents of 14.1% and 43.6%, respectively. Intrahepatic mixed stones had a smooth black-colored surface and on cross section, exhibited a distinct outer shell surrounding an inner yellow, cholesterol-rich body. The finding of intrahepatic mixed stones with high cholesterol content suggests that primary hepatolithiasis may result from at least two different conditions or disorders and points to different approaches to their treatment.
Normal solutions of linear programs

The solvability of a linear program is characterized in terms of the existence of a fixed projection on the feasible region, of all sufficiently large positive multiples of the gradient of the objective function. This projection turns out to be the normal solution obtained by projecting the origin on the optimal solution set. By seeking the solution with least 2-norm which minimizes the l-norm infeasibility measure of a system of linear inequalities or of the optimality conditions of a linear program, one is led to a simple minimization problem of a convex quadratic function on the nonnegative orthant which is guaranteed to be solvable by a successive overrelaxation (SOR) method. This normal solution is an exact solution if the original system is solvable, otherwise it is an error-minimizing solution. New computational results are given to indicate that SOR methods can solve very large sparse linear program that cannot be handled by an ordinary linear programming package.
Computational selection of inhibitors of Aβ aggregation and neuronal toxicity

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the cerebral accumulation of misfolded and aggregated amyloid-β protein (Aβ). Disease symptoms can be alleviated, in vitro and in vivo, by ‘β-sheet breaker’ pentapeptides that reduce plaque load. However the peptide nature of these compounds, made them biologically unstable and unable to penetrate membranes with high efficiency. The main goal of this study was to use computational methods to identify small molecule mimetics with better drug-like properties. For this purpose, the docked conformations of the active peptides were used to identify compounds with similar activities. A series of related β-sheet breaker peptides were docked to solid state NMR structures of a fibrillar form of Aβ. The lowest energy conformations of the active peptides were used to design three dimensional (3D)-pharmacophores, suitable for screening the NCI database with Unity. Small molecular weight compounds with physicochemical features and a conformation similar to the active peptides were selected, ranked by docking and biochemical parameters. Of 16 diverse compounds selected for experimental screening, 2 prevented and reversed Aβ aggregation at 2–3 μM concentration, as measured by Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence and ELISA assays. They also prevented the toxic effects of aggregated Aβ on neuroblastoma cells. Their low molecular weight and aqueous solubility makes them promising lead compounds for treating AD.
ICA-based connectivity on brain networks using fMRI

This study introduces a novel data-driven approach for constructing large-scale functional brain networks. These networks are constructed by converting raw functional magnetic resonance imaging data into graphs using independent components analysis (ICA). Empirical evaluations were performed using data collected from three sites, which are part of a pediatric epilepsy consortium. The test data contained 30 control subjects and 29 pediatric epilepsy patients all of which were performing an auditory decision descriptive task, a language task paradigm. This approach is augmented by a unique graph thresholding technique based on the graph density function. The constructed networks were then analyzed using graph theoretical measures. The proposed network construction approach is weighed in merit to the traditional correlation approach and a modified version of it. The obtained results show that the ICA-based approaches improve considerably the delineation process of the patients' population from the controls' population, whereas the traditional methods show considerable overlap between the two populations. Furthermore, an investigation on the topology of the networks constructed show that all methods lead to a small-world topology conforming to previous brain functional studies.
Computational simulation of controllable structure formation among particle additives in a continuous-flow chaotic mixer

Abstract It has been demonstrated that initially, large minor phase bodies can be transformed directly in the melt state by chaotic mixing to a variety of blend morphologies, including fibrous or multilayer-film structures. Physical properties such as toughness and strength can be enhanced. If the minor phase is a solid additive, properties such as the electrical conductivity can be improved and percolation thresholds may be reduced. Prior work has been restricted to experimental demonstrations with batch and continuous flow chaotic mixers and also to computational models of morphology transitions due to interfacial effects among components. In this study, computational simulations are performed to specifically investigate process–structure relationships where particle laden compact bodies or streams are converted progressively and controllably to fine-scale structured distributions by continuous flow chaotic mixing. Minor phase particles were assembled into small regions to represent initial bodies. An analytic velocity field was utilized so that the motion of large numbers of passive particles was accurately calculable as the structure evolved towards a discharge point.
Life-Sustaining Treatment Preferences: Matches and Mismatches Between Patients' Preferences and Clinicians' Perceptions

Abstract Context Better clinician understanding of patients' end-of-life treatment preferences has the potential for reducing unwanted treatment, decreasing health care costs, and improving end-of-life care. Objectives To investigate patient preferences for life-sustaining therapies, clinicians' accuracy in understanding those preferences, and predictors of patient preference and clinician error. Methods This was an observational study of 196 male veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who participated in a randomized trial. Measures included patients' preferences for mechanical ventilation (MV) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if needed in their current state of health, and outpatient clinicians' beliefs about those preferences. Results Analyses were based on 54% of participants in the trial who had complete patient/clinician data on treatment preferences. Patients were more receptive to CPR than MV (76% vs. 61%; P b =−0.11, P b =−0.09, P =0.001). When responses were dichotomized (would/would not want treatment), clinicians' perceptions matched patient preferences in 75% of CPR cases and 61% of MV cases. Clinician errors increased as patients preferred less aggressive treatment (MV: b =−0.28, P b =−0.32, P Conclusion Clinicians erred more often about patients' wishes when patients did not want treatment than when they wanted it. Treatment decisions based on clinicians' perceptions could result in costly and unwanted treatments. End-of-life care could benefit from increased clinician-patient discussion about end-of-life care, particularly if discussions included patient education about risks of treatment and allowed clinicians to form and maintain accurate impressions of patients' preferences.
The Actinide-Lanthanide Separation Concept

The Actinide-Lanthanide SEParation (ALSEP) concept is described. This concept is based on using an extractant phase consisting of either N,N,N’,N’-tetraoctyldiglycolamide (TODGA) or N,N,N’,N’-tetra(2-ethylhexyl)diglycolamide (T2EHDGA) combined with 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (HEH[EHP]) to separate Am and Cm from lanthanide and other fission and activation products in a single solvent extraction cycle. The neutral TODGA or T2EHDGA serves to co-extract the trivalent actinide and lanthanide ions from nitric acid media. The distribution ratios for Am and the lanthanides increase with increasing nitric acid concentration. TODGA extracts these elements more strongly than T2EHDGA from nitric acid, but the weaker extracting ability of T2EHDGA could allow separation of Am from the light lanthanides during the extraction step. Switching the aqueous phase chemistry to a citrate-buffered diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) solution at pH 2.5 to 4 results in selective transfer of the act...
Shadow values, shadow figures: real violence

How can violence be both a public anathema and a private common place? In order to explore this question, data from the North London Domestic Violence Survey are revisited and the reasons why men justify violence against women investigated. This is related to Sykes and Matza’s dual notions of the techniques of neutralization and subterranean values indicating the potential of this work in understanding domestic violence. Further, this paper confronts recent arguments that estimates relating to the extent and distribution of domestic violence are either too unreliable due to problems of response and differences in defining ‘violence’ or that those figures produced by feminist research arise from a massaging of the data and, as such, exaggerate the risk.
The mechanism of synthesis of amino acids by electric discharges.

The mechanism of the electric discharge synthesis of amino and hydroxy acids from CH4, NH3, H2O, and H2 was investigated. Hydrogen cyanide and aldehydes, which are produced in good yield by the spark discharge, react to form amino and hydroxynitriles (Strecker synthesis). The rate of hydrolysis of the aminonitriles formed from the products of the spark discharge is sufficient to account for the total yield of amino acids after a week's sparking. The β-alanine and succinic acid were probably synthesized by addition of ammonia and hydrogen cyanide to acrylonitrile and hydrolysis to the acids. The ratios of products such as hydroxy acid/amino acid and succinic acid/β-alanine can be predicted by considering the equilibria and rates involved, and the agreement of the experimental ratios with the predictions offers further evidence for these mechanisms. The addition of ferrous ammonium sulfate to the spark discharge apparatus did not alter significantly the yields of products, indicating that neither iron nor sulfate produced catalytic syntheses or decompositions. Sparking a mixture of CH4, H2O, H2, and N2 (instead of NH3) gave the same products but in lower yield. In addition to the products previously identified, N-methylalanine, iminodiacetic acid, succinic acid, and urea were definitely identified. α,α′-Imino-acetic-propionic, α-hydroxybutyric, aspartic, and glutamic acids, and methylurea were identified by chromatographic RF values. No purines or pyrimidines could be detected. Some aspects of the synthesis of organic compounds on the primitive Earth are discussed on the basis of these experimental results.
Characterization of homogeneous juvenile hormone esterase from larvae of Trichoplusia ni

Abstract Juvenile hormone (JH) esterase from larvae of Trichoplusia ni was purified at least 4000-fold to homogeneity by means of polyethylene glycol precipitation followed by hydroxylapatite chromatography, chromatofocusing and electrophoresis. JH esterase electrophoretically homogeneous on sodium dodecyl-sulphate polyacrylamide gels revealed a single subunit with an apparent mol. wt of 66,000. The purified enzyme was heterogeneous with respect to charge, as approx. 90% focused at a pH of 5.5 and the remainder at 5.3 on IEF gels. JH esterase in crude haemolymph possessed two apparent K m values toward JH II ( 2.5 × 10 −8 and 3.4 × 10 −7 M), whereas the purified enzyme exhibited only the high K m ( 3.8 × 10 −7 M).
Geometrically Nonlinear Shell Analysis of Wrinkled Thin-Film Membranes with Stress Concentrations

Geometrically nonlinear shell finite element analysis has recently been applied to solar-sail membrane problems in order to model the out-of-plane deformations due to structural wrinkling. Whereas certain problems lend themselves to achieving converged nonlinear solutions that compare favorably with experimental observations, solutions to tensioned membranes exhibiting high stress concentrations have been difficult to obtain even with the best nonlinear finite element codes and advanced shell element technology. In this paper, two numerical studies are presented that pave the way to improving the modeling of this class of nonlinear problems. The studies address the issues of mesh refinement and stress-concentration alleviation, and the effects of these modeling strategies on the ability to attain converged nonlinear deformations due to wrinkling. The numerical studies demonstrate that excessive mesh refinement in the regions of stress concentration may be disadvantageous to achieving wrinkled equilibrium states, causing the nonlinear solution to lock in the membrane response mode, while totally discarding the very low-energy bending response that is necessary to cause wrinkling deformation patterns.
Inhibition of mammary tumorigenesis in the C3(1)/SV40 mouse model by green tea

Previous studies show inhibitory effects of green tea in chemically induced mammary tumors or human tumor explants, but not in spontaneous tumor models that are more representative of human breast cancer. The C3(1)/SV40 mouse model is particularly suited for breast cancer prevention studies because it produces spontaneous ductal adenocarcinomas and a predictable time course for mammary tumorigenesis through a multistage progression similar to that occurring in humans. We therefore used this model to test the chemoprotective effects of green tea. Administration of 0.5% Polyphenon E (Poly E) (a standardized preparation of green tea extract) in drinking water delayed tumor onset and suppressed tumor growth by 40%, compared to tap water-fed animals, with no adverse side effects. Histological analysis of mammary glands showed that green tea slowed the progression of ductal lesions to advanced mammary intraepithelial neoplasias and suppressed tumor invasiveness. Green tea inhibited the proliferation of ductal epithelial cells and tumors and, overall, disrupted post-pubertal ductal growth. Immunohistochemical analyses also demonstrated that green tea inhibited angiogenesis through a decrease in both ductal epithelial and stromal VEGF expression and a decrease in intratumoral microvascular density. Our data strongly support the potential use of green tea as a breast cancer chemopreventive agent.
On subsurface stormflow: an analysis of response times

A simple theory for predicting the response times of unsaturated and saturated flows on hillslopes, based on kinematic wave equations, is presented. The sensitivity of unsaturated zone lag and time of concentration of the saturated zone to hillslope and soil parameters, antecedent moisture and input rates is examined. It is shown that for many combinations of parameters subsurface response times are too long to be considered as stormflow; but that the combinations of high hydraulic conductivities, shallow soils and wet initial conditions that lead to fast responses are quite reasonable when compared with field studies of subsurface stormflows. It is suggested that the kinematic theory provides a basis for a practically useful predictive model.
Two remarks on the first-order theories of Baumslag-Solitar groups

We characterize all finitely generated groups elementarily equivalent to a solvable Baumslag-Solitar group BS(m, 1). It turns out that a finitely generated group G is elementarily equivalent to BS(m, 1) if and only if G is isomorphic to BS(m, 1). Furthermore, we show that two Baumslag-Solitar groups are existentially (universally) equivalent if and only if they are elementarily equivalent if and only if they are isomorphic.
Nano-indentation of single-layer optical oxide thin films grown by electron-beam deposition

Mechanical characterization of optical oxide thin films is performed using nano-indentation, and the results are explained based on the deposition conditions used. These oxide films are generally deposited to have a porous microstructure that optimizes laser induced damage thresholds, but changes in deposition conditions lead to varying degrees of porosity, density, and possibly the microstructure of the thin film. This can directly explain the differences in the mechanical properties of the film studied here and those reported in literature. Of the four single-layer thin films tested, alumina was observed to demonstrate the highest values of nano-indentation hardness and elastic modulus. This is likely a result of the dense microstructure of the thin film arising from the particular deposition conditions used.
Indigenous and Exotic Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) Collected in Florida Cattle Pastures

Dung beetles are important to healthy cattle pasture ecosystems as they provide for nutrient recycling, removal of waste products from the soil surface and assist in the reduction of pestiferous flies. Numerous exotic dung beetles have been accidentally or intentionally introduced to the North American continent and several of these have become established. We surveyed for the presence and distribution of dung beetles on four cattle farms in north central Florida over a 3.5-yr period using cattle dung-baited pitfall traps placed at least every 3 wk. In total, 39 species from 20 genera were identified with a total of 62,320 beetles collected in traps. Although none were intentionally released in Florida, six exotic species were present. Significant differences were observed in species captures among the three most sampled farms, with beetle species dominance patterns differing among the farms. The native species, Onthophagus tuberculifrons Harold, was the most commonly collected species, and both it and the introduced Labarrus pseudolividus Balthasar, had mass emergences. Four of the six most commonly collected species were exotics and included, in order of abundance, L pseudolividus, O. gazella (F.), O. taurus (Schreber), and Euoniticellus intermedius (Reiche).
Losing control: Brain vs spinal cord

Neurologic examination after focal motor injury tends to focus on weakness rather than control. One reason for this may be the implicit assumption that weakness precludes control. Most neurologists, however, are familiar with the common bedside finding in patients with hemiparesis after stroke: they can squeeze your hand with surprising force but cannot make individuated finger movements. This dissociation is also seen when comparing the effect of a unilateral hemispheric stroke on motor performance in the ipsilateral arm; strength is unaffected but skilled movements are impaired.1 The separation between control of movement and of isometric force has a long tradition in the design of robot arms2 and psychophysical evidence suggests that these 2 types of control may be partitioned in the brain.3 In this issue of Neurology ®, van Hedel et al.4 shed further anatomic light on the strength/skill dissociation by comparing leg motor deficits in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) and patients with unilateral hemispheric stroke. The main hypothesis was that these 2 patient groups would show differential skill levels despite comparable degrees of weakness. The hypothesis was based on the idea that in iSCI, all descending pathways from the brain to the spinal cord segments below the lesion are affected in the …
Nutrient Excess Stimulates β-Cell Neogenesis in Zebrafish

Persistent nutrient excess results in a compensatory increase in the β-cell number in mammals. It is unknown whether this response occurs in nonmammalian vertebrates, including zebrafish, a model for genetics and chemical genetics. We investigated the response of zebrafish β-cells to nutrient excess and the underlying mechanisms by culturing transgenic zebrafish larvae in solutions of different nutrient composition. The number of β-cells rapidly increases after persistent, but not intermittent, exposure to glucose or a lipid-rich diet. The response to glucose, but not the lipid-rich diet, required mammalian target of rapamycin activity. In contrast, inhibition of insulin/IGF-1 signaling in β-cells blocked the response to the lipid-rich diet, but not to glucose. Lineage tracing and marker expression analyses indicated that the new β-cells were not from self-replication but arose through differentiation of postmitotic precursor cells. On the basis of transgenic markers, we identified two groups of newly formed β-cells: one with nkx2.2 promoter activity and the other with mnx1 promoter activity. Thus, nutrient excess in zebrafish induces a rapid increase in β-cells though differentiation of two subpopulations of postmitotic precursor cells. This occurs through different mechanisms depending on the nutrient type and likely involves paracrine signaling between the differentiated β-cells and the precursor cells.
1 &#181;m MOSFET VLSI technology: Part IV&#8212;Hot-electron design constraints

An approach is described for determining the hot-electron-limited voltages for silicon MOSFET's of small dimensions. The approach was followed in determining the room-temperature and the 77 K hot-electron-limited voltages for a device designed to have a minimum channel length of 1 µm. The substrate hot-electron limits were determined empirically from measurements of the emission probabilities as a function of voltage using devices of reentrant geometry. The channel hot-electron limits were determined empirically from measurements of the injection current as a function of voltage and from long-term stress experiments. For the 1 µm design considered, the channel hot-electron limits are lower than the substrate hot-electron limits. The maximum voltage, V_{DS} = V_{GS} , is 4.75 V at room temperature (25°C) and 3.5 V at 77 K. More details of the voltage limits as well as the approach for determining them are discussed. Examples of circuits designed with these devices to operate within these hot-electron voltage limits are also discussed.
Poster 48 Somatosensory Augmentation Combined with Active Movement to Improve Upper Limb Function in Individuals with Tetraplegia

amining the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of depression post SCI. Data Source: Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases were searched for all relevant articles published 1980 to February 2010. Study Selection: Studies were selected by two reviewers and were only included for analysis if: 50% of the subjects had a SCI and study subjects participated in a treatment or intervention involving the treatment of depressive symptoms. Data Extraction: Two independent reviewers assessed studies for inclusion criteria. Study results were pooled using a random effects model. Hedge’s g was used to calculate standardized mean difference ( SE, 95% CI) for the post treatment effect on depressive symptoms in intervention vs. control groups for each study. Effect sizes were interpreted as: small 0.2, moderate 0.5, large 0.8. Data Synthesis: Nine studies met inclusion criteria, of these 2 were RCTs, 6 prospective controlled trials and 1 cohort study, with a total pooled sample size of 531. The analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in depressive symptoms in the treatment group compared to the control, with a pooled SMD 0.612 0.152 (95% CI 0.314, 0.910; p 0.0001). Assessment of depressive symptoms was conducted primarily using the BDI and CESD tools. Clinical evaluation of major depressive disorder was present in only 2 studies. Hence, the effect size calculated may be over or under inflated. Conclusions: There was moderate evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural treatment to reduce depressive symptoms following SCI. More comprehensive clinical evaluation should be conducted in order to fully evaluate the effect of this treatment.
Neurophysiology at the Shanghai Institute of Physiology.

Abstract On July 4, 1980 a small group of neurosurgeons visited the Shanghai Institute of Physiology. They met primarily with neurophysiologists who are actively investigating the neural mechanism of acupuncture analgesia. These studies are being done at the levels of the peripheral nerve, spinal cord, basal ganglia, thalamus and cortex. These studies are briefly summarized and a bibliography of acupuncture related publications is appended.
Skyscraper broadcasting: a new broadcasting scheme for metropolitan video-on-demand systems

We investigate a novel multicast technique, called Skyscraper Broadcasting (SB), for video-on-demand applications. We discuss the data fragmentation technique, the broadcasting strategy, and the client design. We also show the correctness of our technique, and derive mathematical equations to analyze its storage requirement. To assess its performance, we compare it to the latest designs known as Pyramid Broadcasting (PB) and Permutation-Based Pyramid Broadcasting (PPB). Our study indicates that PB offers excellent access latency. However, it requires very large storage space and disk bandwidth at the receiving end. PPB is able to address these problems. However, this is accomplished at the expense of a larger access latency and more complex synchronization. With SB, we are able to achieve the low latency of PB while using only 20% of the buffer space required by PPB.
Quantum mechanical characterization of E'-type centers in a -SiO x films

Abstract Atomic structure and spin properties of model clusters representing neutral E′-type centers have been determined by ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations using extended basis sets. From a comparison of the calculated spin properties of the model E′-type centers with the experimental data, we identify the recently observed X center with O 2 SiSi ↑ atomic structure. The other E′-type species with OSi 2 Si ↑ atomic structure and identified here as the Y center has not yet been reported.
Making themost from multiple microphones in meeting recognition

The use of multiple distant microphones has been widely studied for meeting recognition. The two most widely used approaches are 1) combination at the signal level, via blind beamforming, followed by recognition of a single enhanced audio signal, and 2) independent, logically parallel recognition of the multiple audio sources followed by hypothesis-level combination. In this paper we investigate how these two approaches compare for state-of-the-art recognition systems applied to meeting data from the two most recent NIST Rich Transcription evaluations. Our results show that beamforming is the superior approach, giving more accurate results while being inherently less computationally demanding. We then propose a hybrid approach that leverages both beamforming and signal-level diversity for systemcombination, and showthat this approach gives gains over either of the old methods.
Litter controls plant community composition in a northern fen

The accumulation of litter or thatch can affect plant community composition by affecting the temperature, nutrient availability, and light availability of the soil environment, thereby forming a potentially important linkage between recent productivity and current ecosystem processes. To investigate the importance of litter on a fen peatland plant community, we conducted a litter addition and removal experiment in a fen in northern Minnesota, USA, between 1998 and 2001. The addition of litter had little effect on fen plant community composition or microenvironmental variables, despite a two-fold increase in litter mass compared to control plots. However, the removal of litter dramatically increased cover of Rhynchospora fusca and R. alba, and reduced cover of Carex exilis. Litter removal also increased availability of light and soil temperature and increased the phosphorus content of aboveground plant biomass. Our results indicate that litter is an important control of plant community composition in this northern fen.
Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase gene deletions are common in osteosarcoma.

Purpose: Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) is an enzyme essential in the salvage of cellular adenine and methionine synthesis. The MTAP gene is located in the 9p21 chromosomal region and its loss is frequently associated with deletion of the tumor suppressor genes p15 INK4b and p16 INK4a . The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of molecular alterations in MTAP in osteosarcoma. Experimental Design: Samples from patients with high-grade osteosarcoma ( n = 96) and three osteosarcoma cell lines (HOS, SaOS-2, and U2OS) were analyzed. Genomic DNA was analyzed for MTAP gene deletions by PCR, RNA expression was measured by semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR, and the protein levels were measured by immunohistochemistry. Result: Deletion of at least one MTAP exon was found in 36 of 96 (37.5%) osteosarcoma patient samples and in one of the three cell lines (HOS). In all cases in which an MTAP gene deletion was observed, there was absence of detectable mRNA and protein. Furthermore, in four osteosarcoma patients, an MTAP deletion which was not evident at diagnosis was detected in subsequent tumor samples. Conclusions: The MTAP gene is commonly deleted in osteosarcoma patient samples, leading to an absence of mRNA and protein expression; these results indicate that inhibitors of de novo purine synthesis or methionine depletion may be effective as treatments for osteosarcoma patients whose tumors fail to express MTAP.
No Mourning for the Conventional Antipsychotics: The Dawn of the Atypical Agents

As Markowitz et al. explain, the atypical antipsychotics should become the first-line agents for the treatment of schizophrenia. There is much to be learned about these drugs, but their displacement of the conventional antipsychotics will be a continuous process. The loss of the older drugs will not be mourned.
Diffusion coefficients near the spinodal curve

Calcul de la localisation de la courbe spinodale dans le systeme uree-eau et comparaison de la concentration calculee et de la concentration obtenue en extrapolant les donnees de la diffusivite d'une solution saturee. Application a la cristallisation
Articulation: A new innovation to Clip Appliers for use in minimally invasive surgery

The purpose of this project is to design the distal end of Covidien's minimally invasive surgery tool, the Articulating Clip Applier. The major constraints on this design are the angles of articulation and roticulation, the storage of clips in the device and the size of the device. Articulation should range from 0 to 60 degrees and roticulation will preferably be 360 degrees. The device should store at least 6 medium/large clips, although 10 clips is the preferred amount. The distal end of the applier is suggested to be 2.5 inches maximum, with a diameter of 10 millimeters maximum. The finished product must be able to fire clips, but designing the handle of the tool is neither required nor suggested. A team of four engineering students will conduct the project, with the guidance of Jason Iceman, a R&D Engineer at Covidien and Erik Carlson, a R&D intern at Covidien.
Coordinate expression of the PDK4 gene: a means of regulating fuel selection in a hibernating mammal.

Hibernation in mammals requires a metabolic shift away from the oxidation of carbohydrates and toward the combustion of stored fatty acids as the primary source of energy during torpor. A key eleme...
Cannabis use history and characteristics of quit attempts: a comparison study of treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking cannabis users.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance worldwide, and cannabis use disorders (CUDs) are correspondingly high. Increased demand for treatment and relatively low rates of positive clinical outcomes has led to a large scientific investment in the development of interventions for the treatment of CUD. Much of this research is conducted with cannabis users who are not seeking treatment at the time of study participation, and it is unknown whether these individuals are representative of those who seek treatment. This study contrasted samples of cannabis users participating in screening interviews for treatment and nontreatment research studies. Several differences between groups emerged: Treatmentseekers were more likely to be female (43% vs. 29%), older (33.4 vs. 29.7 years), and have longer cannabis use histories compared with non-treatment-seekers (p .007). Treatment-seekers were more likely to report experiencing guilt after using cannabis and to feel that cannabis use has been a problem for them. Additionally, treatment-seekers reported a greater mean number of reasons for making a quit attempt, experiencing a greater number of withdrawal symptoms, and employing more coping strategies during prior quit attempts. Despite the aforementioned differences, the 2 groups were similar on several key characteristics, particularly with regards to current levels of cannabis use and related problems.
Gas transport properties of polyphenylene ethers

Gas transport properties of the polyphenylene ethers poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)PDMPO, and poly(2,6-diphenyl-1,4-phenylene oxide), PDPPO, and the thioether poly(1,4-phenylene sulfide), PPS, have been measured as a function of pressure and temperature. The PPS material and free volume correlations were used to estimate the behavior of the unavailable poly(1,4-phenylene oxide), PPO. The results show that symmetrical substitution of phenyl groups on the backbone of polyphenylene ether, PDPPO, increases the gas transport properties by one order of magnitude relative to the unsubstituted material, PPO. Symmetrical methyl substitution, PDMPO, however, increase the permeability, apparent diffusion and sorption coefficients even further. The gas transport coefficients correlate with the fractional free volume of the polymers. PDMPO has the largest fractional free volume and gas transport coefficients followed by PDPPO and the PPS. The results show that substitution of phenyl groups, which leads to polymers that have better thermal and oxidative stability than methyl substituted ones, can be a useful means for increasing free volume and gas permeability coefficients. While methyl groups appear to be more effective for the latter, the enhanced chemical stability of phenyl rings may be useful when gas separation membranes are to be used in harsh environments. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Filtering Noisy Web Data by Identifying and Leveraging Users' Contributions

In this paper we present several methods for collecting Web textual contents and filtering noisy data. We show that knowing which user publishes which contents can contribute to detecting noise. We begin by collecting data from two forums and from Twitter. For the forums, we extract the meaningful information from each discussion (texts of question and answers, IDs of users, date). For the Twitter dataset, we first detect tweets with very similar texts, which helps avoiding redundancy in further analysis. Also, this leads us to clusters of tweets that can be used in the same way as the forum discussions: they can be modeled by bipartite graphs. The analysis of nodes of the resulting graphs shows that network structure and content type (noisy or relevant) are not independent, so network studying can help in filtering noise.