cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histological analysis of selected brain regions of hypotransferrinerrinemic mice

This study utilizes a mutant mouse line (Hp) in which an established essential trophic factor, transferrin (Tf), is deficient due to a splicing defect in the processing of Tf precursor mRNA. As this mouse mutant is new to neurological research, the initial stage of the investigation, histological analysis of the brain and spinal cord, is reported here. Using a number of standard histological stains, such as hematoxylin and eosin, luxol fast blue/cresyl violet and silver staining, we see a decrease in the amount of white matter and neurofilament staining and altered neuronal morphology throughout the brain and spinal cord. Regions in which postnatal development is significant such as the hippocampus and cerebellum are particularly affected in this mutant. The cells of the dentate gyrus and Ammon's horn of the hippocampus are smaller, more densely packed and the normal orderly appearance of the CA3 and CA4 regions of Ammon's horn is disrupted. The cerebellum has a decrease in white matter and the molecular, Purkinje cell and granule cell layers all show decreased silver staining for neurofilament and appear less ordered than normal. The results demonstrate that neurohistological alterations exist in the adult hypotransferrinemic mice despite systemic replacement of transferrin. Furthermore, these data suggest certain brain regions are particularly sensitive to disruption in iron delivery. The results of this initial study indicate the Hp animal may be an interesting model for investigating specific aspects of neural development and has considerable potential for examining the importance of iron regulation in the brain.
Optimal evaluation of array expressions on massively parallel machines

We investigate the problem of evaluating Fortran 90-style array expressions on massively parallel distributed-memory machines. On such a machine, an elementwise operation can be performed in constant time for arrays whose corresponding elements are in the same processor. If the arrays are not aligned in this manner, the cost of aligning them is part of the cost of evaluating the expression tree. The choice of where to perform the operation then affects this cost.We describe the communication cost of the parallel machine theoretically as a metric space; we model the alignment problem as that of finding a minimum-cost embedding of the expression tree into this space. We present algorithms based on dynamic programming that solve the embedding problem optimally for several communication cost metrics: multidimensional grids and rings, hypercubes, fat-trees, and the discrete metric. We also extend our approach to handle operations that change the shape of the arrays.
Substance Use in People with Mental Retardation A Missing Link in Understanding Community Outcomes

Substance misuse and abuse are factors frequently contributing to poor outcomes in the general community. The literature in this area currently suggests that people with mental retardation may experience difficulties living in the community, many of which parallel the negative consequences associated with substance misuse and abuse in the general population. Although the link between substance use and misuse with level of functioning for people with mental retardation has not been established, extant data indicate further exploration might be worthwhile. This article critically reviews the available research, identifies areas for further exploration, and offers suggestions for professionals in rehabilitation counseling.
Psychopathy and the Evolution of Criminological Knowledge

Despite the recent publication of excellent histories of criminology, our understanding of the origins and evolution of criminological knowledge remains fragmentary. We know little about the development of the concept of psychopathy, for example, even though it is one of the oldest and most enduring of all criminological ideas; nor do we have much sense of how psychopathy theory affected the development of criminology as a field of study. This article analyzes the meanings of `psychopathy' in the first US texts that used the term, works published about 1915 to 1925. Locating the evolution of criminology in the context of the history of the professions, I explain why the concept of psychopathy attracted early 20th-century criminologists, how they used it and how it affected their work.
Copper on sapphire: Stability of thin films at 0.7 Tm

Thin films of copper deposited on the (1120) plane of sapphire disintegrated into clusters when annealed at 650°C under nonoxidizing conditions. The breakdown was found to initiate at processing defects in the film; this is in contrast to earlier work with zirconia films on sapphire where cavities nucleated profusely at grain boundaries due to poor wetting between zirconia and alumina. A comparison between these two cases, as well as a theoretical model, suggest that processing defects are the source of instability when the contact angle is less than (α + π/2), where α is one half of the dihedral angle formed by a grain boundary with the free surface. The breakdown of the film eventually led to separated, single crystal beads of copper. The beads coarsened and changed their orientation by solid state diffusion, leading to a highly preferred orientation. The {l11} plane of copper was found to be parallel to the sapphire surface. But the texture was planar isotropic, that is, it was rotationally symmetric around the plane normal. This result is in agreement with other observations that copper forms {111} planar isotropic texture on (0001) sapphire, and also on polycrystalline α-alumina.
In vitro excystment of the metacercariae of Ribeiroia ondatrae

In vitro excystation studies were done on the metacercarial cysts of Ribeiroia ondatrae obtained from naturally infected leopard frogs, Rana pipiens. Studies were done in Petri dish cultures in various media maintained at 41°C. The media consisted of 0.5% trypsin—0.5% bile salts in Earle’s balanced salt solution at pH 7.8 (TB), 1% acid pepsin (AP) in 0.85% saline adjusted to pH 2 with HCl; acid saline (AS) adjusted to pH 2 with HCl, and saline (S). The TB medium, used successfully to excyst the metacercariae of numerous species of digeneans, did not induce excystation of Ribeiroia ondatrae. Some excystation occurred in AS but not in S. Excystation was 100% in AP with most organisms excysting within 30 s after placement in the medium at 41°C. Excystation in vitro in AP at 41°C is compatible with the fact that this organism establishes itself in the acid-pepsin environment of the proventriculus of avian hosts.
Child maltreatment in enlisted soldiers' families during combat-related deployments.

CONTEXT: Parental stress is believed to play a critical role in child maltreatment, and deployment is often stressful for military families. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between combat-related deployment and rates of child maltreatment in families of enlisted soldiers in the US Army who had 1 or more substantiated reports of child maltreatment. DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive case series of substantiated incidents of parental child maltreatment in 1771 families of enlisted US Army soldiers who experienced at least 1 combat deployment between September 2001 and December 2004. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Conditional Poisson regression models were used to estimate rate ratios (RRs) that compare rates of substantiated child maltreatment incidents during periods of deployment and nondeployment. RESULTS: A total of 1858 parents in 1771 different families maltreated their children. In these families, the overall rate of child maltreatment was higher during the times when the soldier-parents were deployed compared with the times when they were not deployed (942 incidents and 713 626 days at risk during deployments vs 2392 incidents and 2.6 million days at risk during nondeployment; RR, 1.42 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.31-1.54]). During deployment, the rates of moderate or severe maltreatment also were elevated (638 incidents and 447 647 days at risk during deployments vs 1421 incidents and 1.6 million days at risk during nondeployment; RR, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.45-1.77]). The rates of child neglect were nearly twice as great during deployment (761 incidents and 470 657 days at risk during deployments vs 1407 incidents and 1.6 million days at risk during nondeployment; RR, 1.95 [95% CI, 1.77-2.14]); however, the rate of physical abuse was less during deployments (97 incidents and 80 033 days at risk during deployments vs 451 incidents and 318 326 days at risk during nondeployment; RR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.58-0.93]). Among female civilian spouses, the rate of maltreatment during deployment was more than 3 times greater (783 incidents and 382 480 days at risk during deployments vs 832 incidents and 1.2 million days at risk during nondeployment; RR, 3.33 [95% CI, 2.98-3.67]), the rate of child neglect was almost 4 times greater (666 incidents and 303 555 days at risk during deployments vs 605 incidents and 967 362 days at risk during nondeployment; RR, 3.88 [95% CI, 3.43-4.34]), and the rate of physical abuse was nearly twice as great (73 incidents and 18 316 days at risk during deployments vs 141 incidents and 61 105 days at risk during nondeployment; RR, 1.91 [95% CI, 1.33-2.49]). CONCLUSIONS: Among families of enlisted soldiers in the US Army with substantiated reports of child maltreatment, rates of maltreatment are greater when the soldiers are on combat-related deployments. Enhanced support services may be needed for military families during periods of increased stress. Language: en
Outcomes of Laparoscopic Versus Open Colectomy in Elective Surgery for Diverticulitis

The role of laparoscopy in the management of diverticular disease is evolving. Concerns were raised in the past because laparoscopic resection for diverticulitis is often difficult and occasionally hazardous. This study was undertaken to evaluate the difference in overall outcomes between elective open and laparoscopic surgery with or without anastomosis for diverticulitis. Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, clinical data of patients who underwent elective open and laparoscopic surgery (lap) for diverticulitis from 2002 to 2007 were collected and analyzed. Patients who underwent emergent surgery were excluded. A total of 124,734 patients underwent elective surgery for diverticulitis: open, 110,172 (88.3%); lap, 14,562 (11.7%). The overall intraoperative complication rate was significantly lower in the laparoscopy group (0.63% vs. 1.15%, P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference observed in ureteral injury between groups (open, 0.17%; lap, 0.12%, P = 0.15). All evaluated postoperative complications (ileus, abdominal abscess, leak, wound infection, bowel obstruction, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, respiratory failure, venous thromboembolism) were significantly higher for the open procedures. The laparoscopy group had a shorter mean hospital stay (lap, 5.06 days; open, 6.68 days, P < 0.01) and lower total hospital charges (lap, $36,389; open, $39,406, P < 0.01) than the open group. Also, mortality was four times higher in the open group (open, 0.54%; lap, 0.13%, P < 0.01). The laparoscopic operation was associated with lower morbidity, lower mortality, shorter hospital stay, and lower hospital charges compared to the open operation for diverticulitis. Elective laparoscopic surgery for diverticulitis is safe and can be considered the preferred operative option.
Leaching studies of chalcopyrite and sphalerite with hypochlorous acid

Laboratory studies have been conducted on the leaching of chalcopyrite and sphalerite with hypochlorous acid. The effects of stirring speed, temperature, pH, and hypochlorous acid concentration on the leaching rates have been determined. In addition, the leaching mechanisms have been resolved by analyzing the concentrations of the reaction products. It has been found that more than 90 pct extraction of both chalcopyrite and sphalerite can be achieved in one hour using less than 0.3 molar hypochlorous acid at room temperature. The primary leach products of chalcopyrite and sphalerite were sulfur and sulfate in the mole ratios of 1 to 1 and 2 to 1, respectively. A mixed kinetic model was applied to explain the leaching rates of chalcopyrite while a diffusion model was applied to explain the leaching rates of sphalerite. The mixed kinetic model involved steady-state diffusion of hypochlorous acid through the sulfur layer by a chemical reaction at the reaction interface. Good agreement between these models and the leaching rates of both minerals was obtained.
Pathophysiology and thrombokinetics in autoimmune thrombocytopenia

Abstract Studies that have measured platelet survival by autologous platelet labeling with 111 In and 51 Cr have differed in their results. Although all studies have revealed a significant decrease in platelet life span, the rates of platelets entering the circulation, a calculated and inferred determination, have been found to be moderately decreased to as much as five times normal. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain an apparent decrease in platelet production, including a true decrease due to damage to the megakaryocytes by autoantibody, versus a decrease only in ‘effective' production due to intramedullary destruction by the reticuloendothelial system. Recently, the identification of the cytokine, thrombopoietin, has allowed the evaluation of another aspect of the pathophysiology of thrombocytopenic states. Megakaryocyte growth factor levels are increased 10 to 20 times in patients who are thrombocytopenic due to chemotherapy or aplastic anemia, but may be decreased, normal, or only modestly raised in patients with immune platelet destruction. Autologous platelet survival measurements, prior to and while on therapy with a stable platelet count, reveal that removal of part of the reticuloendothelial system with splenectomy leads to increased platelet survival and platelet number. Similar studies reveal that corticosteroid treatment for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) effectively increases the rate of platelet production but does not change platelet survival. It may be that other therapies are effective by a combination of these mechanisms. Stimulation of thrombopoietin production or administering exogenous cytokine may have a role to play in future management of patients with ITP.
Proteasomes Cleave at Multiple Sites within Polyglutamine Tracts ACTIVATION BY PA28γ(K188E)

Eukaryotic proteasomes have been reported to cleave only once within polyglutamine tracts and then only after the N-terminal glutamine (Venkatraman, P., Wetzel, R., Tanaka, M., Nukina, N., and Goldberg, A. L. (2004) Mol. Cell 14, 95–104). We have obtained results that directly conflict with that report. In the presence of the proteasome activator PA28γ(K188E) human red cell proteasomes progressively degraded fluorescein-GGQ10RR or fluorescein-HPHQ10RR into small fragments as shown by size exclusion chromatography and mass spectrometry. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry revealed that proteolytic products arose from cleavage after every glutamine in fluorescein-HPHQ10RR, and mass accuracy rules out deamidation of glutamine to glutamic acid as an explanation for peptide degradation. Moreover, degradation cannot be attributed to a contaminating protease because peptide hydrolysis was completely blocked by the proteasome-specific inhibitors, lactacystin and epoxomicin. We conclude that proteasomes cleave repetitively anywhere within a stretch of ten glutamine residues. Thus our results cast doubt on the idea that mammalian proteasomes cannot degrade glutamine-expanded regions within pathogenic polyQ-expanded proteins, such as Huntingtin.
Comparison of Rapid Methods for isolation and Enumeration of Clostridium perfringens in Meat

Three strains of Clostridium pefringens, ATCC 12924, ATCC 12917, and ATCC 14809, were inoculated separately into thioglycollate broth and ground beef samples and enumerated by Fung's Double Tube (FDT), Oxyrase Enzyme (OE), Gas Pak Anaerobic System (GPAS), and Anaerobic Petri Dish (APD) methods. Recovery of the three strains by FDT was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that by the other three methods from both thioglycollate broth and ground beef, with OE second highest. FDT gave better recovery (84%) in less time (8–10 hr) at 42°C compared with the OE method (61%). FDT was also least costly.
Comparative effectiveness of antifouling treatment regimes using chlorine or a slow-releasing bromine biocide☆

Abstract Five chlorine (Cl 2 ) and three slow-releasing bromine biocide [1-bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (BCDMH)] treatment regimes were compared under laboratory conditions to determine their effectiveness in controlling the fouling of 304L stainless steel heat exchanger tubing. The most effective Cl 2 treatments were low level (0.1 ppm or less) continuous applications. Three intermittent Cl 2 treatments (1 h day −1 at 1.0 ppm, 1 h day −1 at 0.5 ppm, and 3 × 20 min day −1 at 0.5 ppm) were about equally effective. However, all three intermittent regimes were significantly less effective than the low level continuous treatments. The effectiveness of BCDMH treatment was similar to Cl 2 when used intermittently at similar residual concentrations as Cl 2 for 1 h day −1 and continuously at low levels. These experiments indicated that low level continuous treatment was more effective than intermittent treatment for controlling biofouling.
Shock wave refraction patterns at interfaces

Interactions of shock waves with gas-gas and gas-liquid interfaces (under both slow-fast and fast-slow configurations) are studied using the recently developed Adaptive Characteristics-based Matching (aCBM) method for capturing interfaces in compressible multi-fluid media. First, we verify our approach for the gas-gas case; a class of problems for which a substantial body of knowledge already exists. Then, we consider slow-fast, gas-liquid interfaces under weak shocks, and fast-slow, liquid-gas interfaces under strong shocks. The very high acoustic impedance mismatch situation here creates significant numerical (simulation) and experimental (visualization) difficulties, and the literature for it is meager and sporadic. Compared to gas-gas interfaces we note both similarities and differences. We discuss the sources for these differences, as well as potential implications of generalizing and embedding such results in multi-dimensional simulation schemes towards improving their front-capturing performance.
Ill-conditioned information matrices, generalized linear models and estimation of the effects of acid rain

The problem of acid rain deposition has generated much interest in the modelling and estimation of the effects of acid rain. Recent studies in the northeastern United States have focused on the question of trends in lake acidity and the effects on aquatic organisms, especially fish. One approach has been to model the presence or absence of fish species as a function of relevant environmental variables. As the number of these explanatory variables may be large, there is concern about redundancies and collinearities. Because the model used is a special case of generalized linear models, standard approaches to assessment and adjustment for collinearity may be misleading. Estimation of parameters in the generalized linear model involve an interative method of solution. The important parameter is the information matrix. Illconditioning of this matrix, as caused by collinearity has severe effects on parameter and variance estimates. To asssess the effects of collinearities, some new diagnostics are presented. Two techniques for estimating parameters in the presence of multicollinearity; the ridge estimator and the principal component method, are extended to the generalized linear model.
Perivascular visceral adipose tissue induces atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E deficient mice

Abstract Objective Epicardial adipose tissue is associated with coronary artery disease, however the causal relationship between perivascular adipose tissue and local atherogenesis is unclear. Methods and results Apolipoprotein E deficient ( ApoE −/− ) mice underwent transplantation of visceral or subcutaneous adipose tissue immediately adjacent to the right common carotid artery. Carotid arteries with fat transplants were analyzed for atherosclerosis by surface oil-red-O staining and cross-sectional analysis. Vascular function of the carotid arteries was assessed using pressure myography. Visceral fat transplants were also performed to ApoE −/− mice with neutralization of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (Psgl-1). Atherosclerosis surface area and lesion thickness were greater in mice receiving the perivascular visceral fat compared to the subcutaneous fat. Mice with visceral fat transplants also displayed more complicated atherosclerotic lesions with evidence of atherothrombosis. Serum Mcp-1 was higher in mice receiving visceral fat transplants compared to subcutaneous transplants. Visceral fat transplantation also caused impaired endothelial-dependent relaxation of the carotid artery. Psgl-1 deficiency or neutralization of Psgl-1 with an anti-Psgl-1 antibody was protective against perivascular visceral adipose tissue-induced atherosclerosis and was associated with reduced Mcp-1 levels. Conclusions Perivascular visceral fat leads to endothelial dysfunction and accelerated atherosclerosis. This proatherogenic effect of perivascular adipose tissue is blocked by neutralization of Psgl-1.
Using literature and drama to understand social justice

Enlisting pre‐service teachers to engage in critical thought about diversity, equity, democracy, and power relationships is a challenging responsibility. The authors’ work at a large urban community’s metropolitan university in the mid‐Atlantic region of the United States is designed to help pre‐service teachers understand these concepts at a deeper level, thereby initiating (re)conceptualizations of the complex dimensions of multicultural education. The authors encourage beginning educators to rethink their interpretation of words and images used to construct their thinking about these issues. This essay explores a series of workshops that combined children’s literature and drama to help pre‐service teachers understand the parts they play in inequality, oppression, and racism and to recognize their role in larger societal constructs. The authors suggest, supporting Freire’s notion that ‘reading the word = reading the world,’ that reinforcing children’s literature with Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed tech...
GSLPI: A Cost-Based Query Progress Indicator

Progress indicators for SQL queries were first published in 2004 with the simultaneous and independent proposals from Chaudhuri et al. and Luo et al. In this paper, we implement both progress indicators in the same commercial RDBMS to investigate their performance. We summarize common cases in which they are both accurate and cases in which they fail to provide reliable estimates. Although there are differences in their performance, much more striking is the similarity in the errors they make due to a common simplifying uniform future speed assumption. While the developers of these progress indicators were aware that this assumption could cause errors, they neither explored how large the errors might be nor did they investigate the feasibility of removing the assumption. To rectify this we propose a new query progress indicator, similar to these early progress indicators but without the uniform speed assumption. Experiments show that on the TPC-H benchmark, on queries for which the original progress indicators have errors up to 30X the query running time, the new progress indicator is accurate to within 10 percent. We also discuss the sources of the errors that still remain and shed some light on what would need to be done to eliminate them.
Effects of tumor growth on taste-aversion learning produced by antitumor drugs in the rat

A number of commonly used antitumor drugs (Cytoxan, Adriamycin, cytosine arabinoside, Vincristine) were evaluated for their ability to act as unconditioned stimuli (USs) in a taste aversion conditioning paradigm. With one exception (cytosine arabinoside), discussed in the text, drugs which induce nausea and vomiting when administered to humans (Cytoxan, Adriamycin) produced significant saccharin aversions in rats; a drug which does not produce these symptoms (Vincristine) did not produce saccharin aversions. In later studies, the effect of a chronic disease state (tumor growth) on the acquisition of learned taste aversions was evaluated. Rats bearing moderate or advanced transplantable tumors were comparable to healthy controls in their formation of conditioned taste aversions. Therefore, the chronic malaise produced by a growing tumor neither attenuated nor exaggerated the taste aversions induced by Cytoxan or Adriamycin injections. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for human taste aversion learning.
Earnings per share versus cash flow per share as predictor of dividends per share

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the relative power of operating cash flow and earnings in the prediction of dividends.Design/methodology/approach – A linear mixed effects model is used in terms of selected model fit criteria.Findings – Based on the selected model fit criteria, cash flow per share is shown to produce a better fit than earnings per share, but it cannot be said how much better.Research limitations/implications – Quarterly CRSP and Compustat data from 2000 to 2006 for 1,902 dividend‐paying firms are analyzed. Future work would need a different methodology to determine how much better cash flow is as a predictor of dividends.Practical implications – Both earnings per share and cash flow per share are found to be reasonable dividend predictors.Social implications – Additional insight is provided on modeling factors that contribute to a firm's decision to engage or disengage in a dividend payment policy.Originality/value – The study described in this paper continues work on pre...
Short-term memory across eye blinks

The effect of eye blinks on short-term memory was examined in two experiments. On each trial, participants viewed an initial display of coloured, oriented lines, then after a retention interval they viewed a test display that was either identical or different by one feature. Participants kept their eyes open throughout the retention interval on some blocks of trials, whereas on others they made a single eye blink. Accuracy was measured as a function of the number of items in the display to determine the capacity of short-term memory on blink and no-blink trials. In separate blocks of trials participants were instructed to remember colour only, orientation only, or both colour and orientation. Eye blinks reduced short-term memory capacity by approximately 0.6-0.8 items for both feature and conjunction stimuli. A third, control, experiment showed that a button press during the retention interval had no effect on short-term memory capacity, indicating that the effect of an eye blink was not due to general motoric dual-task interference. Eye blinks might instead reduce short-term memory capacity by interfering with attention-based rehearsal processes.
Economy of Harem Maintenance in the Greater Spear-Nosed Bat, Phyllostomus hastatus

To investigate constraints on males associated with maintenance of harems, we used a time-energy approach to explore the relationship between temporal occupancy of roosts and nightly foraging activity in male and female greater spear-nosed bats, Phyllostomus hastatus. Harem males and females differed significantly in frequency and duration of nightly foraging bouts. Harem males spent less time away from their roost at night and departed and returned more frequently than did other members of the harem. Adult females and one subadult male foraged mostly during the first 2-3 h after sunset. Total time spent foraging by harem males, adult females, and a subadult male, averaged 98, 152, and 115 min per night, respectively. On average, harem males engaged in 7.2 randomly spaced foraging bouts per night, compared with 2.1 bouts for harem females and 2.0 bouts for a subadult male. Field metabolic rate, expressed on a mass-specific basis (ml CO2 g-1 h-1), averaged 3.4 ± 0.69 SD for harem males, 3.0 ± 0.85 for adult females, 1.9 ± 0.08 for a subadult male. These values varied predictably but did not differ significantly. Similarly, daily energetic expenditure, expressed on a whole-animal basis (kJ/day), averaged 168.6 ± 32.5 for harem males and 124.9 ± 38.9 for adult females but did not differ significantly. Because harem males allocate less time to nightly foraging activity compared with adult females, males should have more time and energy available for vigilance at the roost and/or the defense of females.
Developing benchmarks for evaluating publication records at doctoral programs in accounting

Abstract This paper summarizes the publication productivity of 87 accounting doctoral programs in two subsets of the 30 highest-rated academic accounting journals over five years (1992–1996). Three measures are developed as surrogates for the quality, breadth, and depth of the aggregate publication productivity of faculty in each program. Results indicate that the three indices are measuring different dimensions of scholarly productivity. Accounting program administrators should find the results useful for establishing benchmarks for scholarly activity needed for, among other purposes, AACSB accreditation.
A Comparison of Quality of Care in Critical Access Hospitals and Other Rural Hospitals

Purpose: The United States has about 2100 rural hospitals. Approximately 1300 are Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with 25 beds or less. CAHs receive cost-based reimbursement through the federal Flex program with the goal to improve quality and access to health care. Reports on quality of care (QOC) and factors that influence quality in CAHs are mixed. This study compared QOC and factors that influence QOC in CAHs and other rural hospitals. Sample: 385 staff nurses in 6 CAHs and 9 other rural hospitals in North Carolina and Virginia. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional design using nurse surveys aggregated to the hospital level, data from provider of services file, and the United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research files. Variables on community, hospital, and nursing unit characteristics, the nurse work environment, nurse rated QOC and community perception of hospital quality were compared using t-test or chi-square. Findings: There were no differences in the majority of factors influencing QOC. A culture of safety, the nurse work environment, and QOC were rated high in all hospitals. Compared to other rural hospitals CAHs tend to be located in communities with better economic status and their nurses had more years of nursing experience. More nurses in CAHs felt their community recognized their hospital as a good place for minor health issues and would recommend the hospital to family and friends. Conclusions: The high ratings of QOC were accompanied with the presence of safety cultures and work environments rated as highly as in Magnet hospitals. The lower poverty levels in communities with CAHs suggest possible community financial benefits from CAHs. More studies are warranted to explore these relationships. Further reporting to public quality indicator databases by all CAHs should be encouraged and QOC measures relevant for small rural hospitals should be developed. DOi : http://dx.doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v14i2.328
Comparison of affected sibling-pair linkage methods to identify gene × gene interaction in GAW15 simulated data

Non-parametric linkage methods have had limited success in detecting gene by gene interactions. Using affected sibling-pair (ASP) data from all replicates of the simulated data from Problem 3, we assessed the statistical power of three approaches to identify the gene × gene interaction between two loci on different chromosomes. The first method conditioned on linkage at the primary disease susceptibility locus (DR), to find linkage to a simulated effect modifier at Locus A with a mean allele sharing test. The second approach used a regression-based mean test to identify either the presence of interaction between the two loci or linkage to the A locus in the presence of linkage to DR. The third method applied a conditional logistic model designed to test for the presence of interacting loci. The first approach had decreased power over an unconditional linkage analysis, supporting the idea that gene × gene interaction cannot be detected with ASP data. The regression-based mean test and the conditional logistic model had the lowest power to detect gene × gene interaction, possibly because of the complex recoding of the tri-allelic DR locus for use as a covariate. We conclude that the ASP approaches tested have low power to successfully identify the interaction between the DR and A loci despite the large sample size, which may be due to the low prevalence of the high-risk DR genotypes. Additionally, the lack of data on discordant sibships may have decreased the power to identify gene × gene interactions.
Incidence and risk factors for lymphoma in a single-center inflammatory bowel disease population.

Aims Previous studies on the risk of lymphoma in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have yielded conflicting results. We aim to determine the incidence and risk factors for lymphoma in a large IBD population.
Radionuclide distribution in olympic national park, Washington

A survey of radionuclides in air, precipitation, streams, sediments, soils, and selected plants was conducted in the Olympic National Park, Northwestern Washington State. Thirty-one radionuclides were observed in concentrations that were 3 to 4 fold higher than those observed in arctic Alaska.
Consolidation of collodal suspensions

A key step in the processing of ceramics is the consolidation of powders into engineered shapes. Colloidal processing uses solvents (usually water) and dispersants to break up powder agglomerates in suspension and thereby reduce the pore size in a consolidatd compact. However, agglomeration and particle rearrangement leading to pore enlargement can still occur during drying. Therefore, it is beneficial to consolidate the compact asdensely as possible during the suspension stage. The consolidation techniques of pressure filtration and centrifugation were studied and the results are reported in this paper. In particular, the steady-state pressure-density relationship was studied, and information was obtained regarding the consolidation process, the microstructure, and the average density profile of consolidated cakes. We found that the compaction processes in these two consolidation methods are quite different. In general, a consolidated cake is a particulate network made up of many structural units which are fractal objects formed during aggregation in the suspension. In pressure filtration, compaction is a process of breaking up the fractal structural units in the particulate network by applied pressure; the resulting partie rearrangement is produced by overcoming energetic barriers which are related to tee packing density of the compact. Recently, we performed Monte Carlo simulations on a cluster-cluster aggregation model with restructuring,1 and found the exponential relationship between pressure and density is indeed the result of the breaking up of the fractal structural units.2 On the other hand, in centrifugation, compaction involves the rearrangement of the fractal structural units without breaking them so that the self-similar nature of the aggregates is preserved. Furthermore, we calculated density profiles fom the bottom to the top of the cakes by solving the local static force balance equation n the continuum particulate network. In pressure filtration of alumina and boehmite, the cakes are predicted have uniform density. The results of γ-ray densitometry3 on a pressure-filtrated alumina cake confirmed this prediction. In contrast, in centrifugation, the density profiles are predicted to show significant variation for cakes on the order of one centimeter high. Moreover, the pressure-filtered boehmite cakes showed no cracking during drying. This indicated that pressure filtration is a good consolidation technique for nanometer-sized particles such as boehmite. The improved drying property is probably a result of a minimal shrinkage due to the formation of higher packing densities during filtration.
Simulating Hive Cluster for Deployment Planning, Evaluation and Optimization

In the era of big data, Hive has quickly gained popularity for its superior capability to manage and analyze very large datasets, both structured and unstructured, residing in distributed storage systems. However, great opportunity comes with great challenges: Hive query performance is impacted by many factors which makes capacity planning and tuning for Hive cluster extremely difficult. These factors include system software stacks (Hive, MapReduce framework, JVM and OS), cluster hardware configurations (processor, memory, storage, and network) and HIVE data models and distributions. Current planning methods are mostly trial-and-error or very high-level estimation based. These approaches are far from efficient and accurate, especially with the increasing software stack complexity, hardware diversity, and unavoidable data skew in distributed database system. In this paper, we propose a Hive simulation framework based on CSMethod, which simulates the whole hive query execution life cycle, including query plan generation and MapReduce task execution. The framework is validated using typical query operations with varying changes in hardware, software and workload parameters, showing high accuracy and fast simulation speed. We also demonstrate the application of this framework with two real-world use cases: helping customers to perform capacity planning and estimate business query response time before system provisioning.
A simplification for some disjunctive formulations

Abstract We give sufficient conditions under which a relatively compact integer formulation can be obtained for some instances of multiple-right-hand-side constraints, with the special property that the linear relaxation of this formulation is as small (tight) as possible among all integer formulations. The formulation we obtain is a simplification of the disjunctive formulation, and requires exactly as many additional (nonnegative) variables as alternative r.h.s., with one additional constraint. We conclude with several applications of our results.
Phase determination by conjugate wave-front generation

A new method is proposed to solve the phase problem of the optical coherence theory. The method consists of generating a phase-conjugate wave using a suitable nonlinear process and superimposing it with the original wavefield. We discuss how the method could be applied to obtain the intensity distribution across an incoherent light source.
Validation of Haber's Rule (dose × time = constant) in rats and mice for monochloroacetic acid and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin under conditions of kinetic steady state

Abstract Haber's Rule and associated time to coma after monochloroacetic acid (MCA) exposure in male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats and time to death after 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure in female Sprague–Dawley rats and male A/J mice were investigated at isoeffective or nearly isoeffective doses. Animals exposed to MCA received either single bolus intravenous (iv) doses or a loading dose rate via the iv route followed by a maintenance dose rate through subcutaneously implanted osmotic mini pumps. For TCDD, rats received a loading dose rate via bolus oral gavage followed by maintenance dose rates through iv injection every fourth day until death. Mice received both loading and maintenance (once a week) dose rates via oral gavage. Different dosing regimens were employed to demonstrate that the key to Haber's Rule lies not in the route of administration but in conducting experiments under conditions of kinetic steady state. Single doses of MCA produced inconsistent time responses but a reasonably constant c × t product (7657 ± 391 mg/kg × min) which was not anticipated although it should have been expected because MCA's elimination half-life (2 h) is twice as long as its time to coma (∼1 h). Generation of kinetic steady state by infusion of MCA after iv injection of a loading dose rate resulted in a consistently decreasing time response with increasing dose which diminished the variability in the c × t (dose × time) = k relationship (8032 ± 136 mg/kg × min). Both acute and chronic toxicity of TCDD under conditions of kinetic steady state yielded consistent time responses with inverse proportionality between dose and time leading to robust c × t = k products in both rats (1060 ± 82 μg/kg × day) and mice (80 ± 2 mg/kg × day).
Organization of the serotonergic innervation of spinal neurons in rats--I. Neuropeptide coexistence in varicosities innervating some spinothalamic tract neurons but not in those innervating postsynaptic dorsal column neurons.

Abstract Previous studies have suggested that peptides such as substance P and thyrotropin-releasing hormone coexist with serotonin in the same varicosities in the ventral horn and intermediate gray of the spinal cord in rat. However, coexistence of these peptides with serotonin is rare in fibers in the superficial dorsal horn. Since it has been proposed that serotonergic fibers in the superficial dorsal horn act to modulate nociception, it was hypothesized that the serotonergic neurons that contain neither substance P nor thyrotropin-releasing hormone might constitute a specifically antinociceptive subset of serotonergic neurons. This being the case, it would be expected that different types of serotonergic neurons innervate nociceptive and non-nociceptive spinal neurons. In order to test this hypothesis, a group of cells that include nociceptive neurons (spinothalamic tract neurons) and a group of predominantly non-nociceptive neurons (postsynaptic dorsal column neurons) in the spinal cord of rat were retrogradely labeled. Sections of the spinal cord containing retrogradely labeled spinothalamic tract or postsynaptic dorsal column neurons were stained for serotonin and either substance P or thyrotropin-releasing hormone using two-color immunohistochemistry. A retrogradely labeled cell was classified as “apposed” if there was no discernible distance between an immunohistochemically labeled varicosity and the cell. Eighty per cent of spinothalamic tract and 83% of postsynaptic dorsal column profiles were apposed by serotonin-immunoreactive varicosities in the spinal cord. Thirty-one per cent of the spinothalamic tract profiles that were apposed by serotonergic varicosities were apposed by serotonergic varicosities that were also stained for thyrotropin-releasing hormone. The distribution of the latter spinothalamic neurons was similar to that reported for spinothalamic tract neurons responsive to joint movement. In addition, at least 63% of the spinothalamic tract profiles which were apposed by serotonergic varicosities were apposed by “serotonin-only” varicosities, including most spinothalamic tract neurons in the marginal zone, suggesting that at least some “serotonin-only” neurons are antinociceptive. However, contrary to the hypothesis, at least 94% of the postsynaptic dorsal column profiles apposed by serotonergic varicosities were apposed by “serotonin-only” varicosities. These findings suggest that there may be a relationship between the sensory modality to which a spinal neuron responds and the type of serotonergic innervation it receives. However, it appears that “serotonin-only” neurons may not constitute a specifically antinociceptive category of serotonergic neurons.
Conversion Reactions in Childhood and Adolescence

Thirty cases of conversion disorder were reviewed retrospectively and compared to a matched group of cases which received a diagnosis of adjustment reaction. In comparison to the adjustment disorder cases, children with conversion disorders were more likely to be referred by physicians, more likely to complain of neurological symptoms, more likely to have been hospitalized, and to have experienced sexually stressful events. A model of illness similar to that of the child was more often observed in family members of conversion cases. Children with conversion disorder were more likely to have exhibited academic difficulty and to have terminated therapy prematurely. Directions for future research and the utility and importance of positive criteria for making this diagnosis are discussed.
Toughening in composites of Al2O3 reinforced with Al

Abstract The toughening of Al2O3 by Al has been investigated, using electron microscopy to provide in sit measurements of the microstructural parameters that govern ductile ligament toughening. The results are used to compare the measured toughness with values calculated for ligaments that exhibit limited debonding during ductile rupture. Good agreement confirms that toughening is dominated by the plastic work expended in the ductile rupture of ligaments stretched between the crack surfaces. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that in situ measurements are needed to assign the appropriate flow stress, because of the occurrence of coupled precipitation/solution hardening, and to ascertain the extent of the plastic stretch.
Constructing a continuous parameter range of computational flows

Flow past a body, in general, is specified by a variety of parameters such as thickness, angle of attack, camber, Mach number, as well as others. A particular flow, therefore, is characterized by a single point in the corresponding parameter space. Conversely, the numerical calculation of a particular flowfield yields information at just one point of the parameter space. However, the nature of a continuous range of nearby flowfields is of fundamental significance in the design and performance of aircraft. To treat this generally, one can consider the variational equations (which are linear) obtained by differentiating the exact equations with respect to each of the relevant parameters. The resulting matrix of derivatives of flow quantities is referred to as the Jacobi matrix. The subsequent procedure is in principle now straightforward. One integrates the nonlinear governing equations—which results in the determination of just one point in parameter space—and simultaneously the variational equations governing the Jacobi matrix. The last then is used to describe the neighborhood of the already determined point of the parameter space. Because the variational equations are linear, the additional computational time required for their integration is modest.
Constitutive Localization of the Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone (GnRH) Receptor to Low Density Membrane Microdomains Is Necessary for GnRH Signaling to ERK

Specialized membrane microdomains known as lipid rafts are thought to contribute to G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling by organizing receptors and their cognate signaling molecules into discrete membrane domains. To determine if the GnRHR, an unusual member of the GPCR superfamily, partitions into lipid rafts, homogenates of αT3-1 cells expressing endogenous GnRHR or Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing an epitope-tagged GnRHR were fractionated through a sucrose gradient. We found the GnRHR and c-raf kinase constitutively localized to low density fractions independent of hormone treatment. Partitioning of c-raf kinase into lipid rafts was also observed in whole mouse pituitary glands. Consistent with GnRH induced phosphorylation and activation of c-raf kinase, GnRH treatment led to a decrease in the apparent electrophoretic mobility of c-raf kinase that partitioned into lipid rafts compared with unstimulated cells. Cholesterol depletion of αT3-1 cells using methyl-β-cyclodextrin disrupted GnRHR but not c-raf kinase association with rafts and shifted the receptor into higher density fractions. Cholesterol depletion also significantly attenuated GnRH but not phorbol ester-mediated activation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) and c-fos gene induction. Raft localization and GnRHR signaling to ERK and c-Fos were rescued upon repletion of membrane cholesterol. Thus, the organization of the GnRHR into low density membrane microdomains appears critical in mediating GnRH induced intracellular signaling.