cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hotcell Worker Assistive Robotic Exoskeleton Design and Control

A US Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored study conducted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory reported the incidence rate of repetitive stress injuries increased from 22% after 1–2 hours of work to 50% after 3 hours of work per day due to fatigue, repetitive motion, and hyperextension during manipulation tasks in glovebox and hotcell workspaces at DOE facilities [1, 2]. Because of the repetitive nature of the tasks in these facilities, a proposed exoskeleton assistive device is being developed to help reduce worker fatigue and therefore, reduce fatigue and stress related injuries. Current stages of this project focus on the design and development of an upper limb assistance exoskeleton device which aims to reduce worker fatigue through muscular involvement minimization. The design includes a low-profile frame which houses various radially guided joints which parallel human arm movement directions to allow for an ergonomic natural movement. Active assistance is seen in a vertical manner to help reduce muscleA fatigue stemming from carrying materials, as well as maintaining the weight of the worker's arm and whichever tools they may be carrying to complete the task. This work outlines the development of the mechanical and software-based control aspects of the assistive device, as well as an overall view of the many limitations which must be taken into consideration during the design and development.
Small food store retailers' views on healthy food retail policy in response to a local staple foods ordinance.

Objective: Our objectives were to explore attitudes regarding food retail policy and government regulation among managers of small food stores and examine whether manager views changed due to the 2014 Minneapolis Staple Foods Ordinance, a city policy requiring retailers to stock specific healthy products. Design: Manager interviewer-administered surveys were used to assess views on food retail policy four times from 2014 to 2017. We examined baseline views across manager and store and neighbourhood characteristics using cross-sectional regression analyses and examined changes over time using mixed regression models. In 2017, open-ended survey questions asked about manager insights on the Minneapolis Staple Foods Ordinance. Setting: Minneapolis, MN, where the ordinance was enacted, and St. Paul, MN, a control community, USA. Participants: Managers from 147 small food retail stores. Results: At baseline, 48 % of managers were likely to support a policy requiring stores to stock healthy foods/beverages, 67·5 % of managers were likely to support voluntary programmes to help retailers stock healthy foods and 23·7 % agreed government regulation of business is good/necessary. There was a significant increase in overall support for food retail policies and voluntary programmes from 2014 to 2017 (P < 0·01); however, neither increase differed by city, suggesting no differential impact from the ordinance. Minneapolis store managers reported some challenges with ordinance compliance and offered suggestions for how local government could provide support. Conclusions: Findings suggest that managers of small food retail stores are becoming increasingly amenable to healthy food policies; yet, challenges need to be addressed to ensure healthy food is available to all customers.
Immobilization of FGF on Poly(xylitol dodecanedioic Acid) Polymer for Tissue Regeneration

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) plays a vital role in the repair and regeneration of most tissues. However, its low stability, short half-life, and rapid inactivation by enzymes in physiological conditions affect their clinical applications. Therefore, to increase the effectiveness of growth factors and to improve tissue regeneration, we developed an elastic polymeric material poly(xylitol dodecanedioic acid) (PXDDA) and loaded FGF on the PXDDA for sustained drug delivery. In this study, we used a simple dopamine coating method to load FGF on the surface of PXDDA polymeric films. The polydopamine-coated FGF-loaded PXDDA samples were then characterized using FTIR and XRD. The in vitro drug release profile of FGF from PXDDA film and cell growth behavior were measured. Results showed that the polydopamine layer coated on the surface of the PXDDA film enhanced the immobilization of FGF and controlled its sustained release. Human fibroblast cells attachment and proliferation on FGF-immobilized PXDDA films were much higher than the other groups without coatings or FGF loading. Based on our results, the surface modification procedure with immobilizing growth factors shows excellent application potential in tissue regeneration.
An expert-based assessment of global threats and conservation measures for spiders

Abstract Despite the prominent role of spiders in most ecosystems, these invertebrates are still notably endangered as well as underrepresented in current conservation efforts. We sent a survey to spider experts and enthusiasts belonging to arachnological societies across the globe to determine the general consensus on globally relevant threats to spiders as well as the most relevant conservation measures. We report that respondents found agriculture, livestock farming & forestry, climate change, urbanisation and pollution (including pesticides) to be the most relevant threats to spider species worldwide. Likewise, land protection and education & awareness were considered the most relevant conservation measures to avoid species declines and extinctions. Although these results tend to be consistent across the biogeographic regions of expertise of respondents, there was significant variation between regions. We discuss the support and justification for the patterns found, their regional variations, and the relevance of threats and conservation measures. This is the first global roadmap for spider species conservation action and research. In general, land should be set aside for species protection, agroforestry practices should be carefully considered, climate change should be mitigated, and the general public should be made more aware of spiders, their importance and the threats they face.
Similarities between bovine and human germline development revealed by single-cell RNAseq

The germ cell lineage ensures the creation of new individuals and perpetuates the genetic information across generations. Primordial germ cells are pioneers of gametes and exist transiently during development until they differentiate into oogonia in females, or spermatogonia in males. Little is known about the molecular characteristics of primordial germ cells in cattle. By performing single-cell RNA-sequencing, quantitative real-time PCR, and immunofluorescence analyses of fetal gonads between 40 and 90 days of fetal age, we evaluated the molecular signatures of bovine germ cells at the initial stages of gonadal development. Our results indicate that at 50 days of fetal age, bovine primordial germ cells were in the early stages of development, expressing genes of early primordial germ cells, including transcriptional regulators of human germline specification (e.g. SOX17, TFAP2C, and PRDM1). Bovine and human primordial germ cells also share expression of KIT, EPCAM, ITGA6, and PDPN genes coding for membrane-bound proteins, and an asynchronous pattern of differentiation. Additionally, the expression of members of Notch, Nodal/Activin, and BMP signaling cascades in the bovine fetal ovary, suggests that these pathways are involved in the interaction between germ cells and their niche. Results of this study provide insights into the mechanisms involved in the development of bovine primordial germ cells and put in evidence similarities between the bovine and human germline.
MM-345: Differential Toxicities and Survival Outcomes by Race: Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy for Myeloma

Context: CAR-T cell therapies targeting BCMA in RRMM have shown promising outcomes. Differences in immune response and activation by race raises the question of differential toxicities and clinical outcomes by race. Objective: To evaluate if any toxicity or clinical outcome disparity with CART exists by race. Methods: Thirty-one patients received CART therapy from 19 March 2018 until 20 April 2020 (26 patients with RRMM and 5 non-relapsed patients). All patients received ≥ 300 × 106 BCMA targeted CAR+ T cells. For PFS and OS evaluations, patients with RRMM were only included. Results: Among the 29 patients [17 white (W) and 12 black (B) patients], the median age at diagnosis and receipt of CART therapy were 49.94 years (W: 52.23, B:48.75, p=0.71) and 56.05 years (W: 58.87, B:52.26, p=0.26), respectively. Any grade CRS occurred in 66% of patients (W: 76.5% vs B: 50%, p=0.14), grade ≥2 CRS requiring intervention with IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody occurred in 34.5% patients (W: 47.1% vs B:16.7%, p=0.096). Similarly, any grade neurotoxicity occurred in 31% of patients (W: 35.3% vs B: 25%, p=0.43). Grade ≥2 neurotoxicity occurred in 17.2% patients (W: 23.5% vs B: 8.3%, p=0.29). There were no differences in ORR (W: 73.3% vs B 88.9%, p=0.36) or ≥VGPR rates (W: 66.7% vs B 55.6%, p=0.453) or ≥CR rates (W: 40% vs B 33.3%, p=0.51), by race. The median PFS numerically favored B patients (W: 8.3 m vs B: 18.53, p=0.445, median f/u 10.68 months) as well as PFS2 from the receipt of CAR T therapy (W: 12.29 m vs NR, p=0.44, median f/u 8.3 months). At a median f/u of 12.1 months, the median OS didn't differ between the two groups (1 year OS rate W: 61% vs B:64%, p=0.803). Conclusions: While this is the first analysis reviewing the toxicities and clinical outcomes associated with CAR T therapies, the post-CAR T outcomes for all patients seem promising. Accessibility to CAR T therapy was reemphasized with 39% of our cohort comprising B patients. A statistically non-significant decrease in the CRS and neurotoxicity and improved PFS among B patients is encouraging. Enriched trials for minorities and their focussed accrual for adoptive cellular therapy trials will confirm these findings.
Anniversaries of ‘first’ settlement and the politics of Zionist commemoration

This article centres on stylized commemorative events staged in Israel in 1962 and 1982 to mark, respectively, 80 and 100 years since the consensual beginning of the “First Aliyah,” the first wave ...
Quadrilateral Space Syndrome and Management of the Posterior Circumflex Humeral Artery

Quadrilateral space syndrome (QSS) is a rare clinical entity that was first described by Cahill and Palmer in 1983. The syndrome is caused by a positional occlusion, most commonly secondary to fibrous bands, of the posterior humeral circumflex artery and compression of the axillary nerve. This leads to poorly localized pain over the deltoid and posterior aspect of the shoulder and associated paresthesia in a non-dermatomal distribution over the deltoid and upper posterior arm. Diagnosis is, to a certain extent, one of exclusion. On physical exam these patients will have point tenderness over the quadrilateral space on the posterior aspect of the shoulder. Atrophy and demonstrable weakness may be present. Symptoms can often be reproduced by having the patient hold their affected limb abducted and externally rotated. In patients that fail conservative treatment, surgical decompression is very successful at alleviating patient symptoms and allowing return to normal activity.
Detection of Genetic Polymorphism of HER2 Gene in HER2 Positive Breast Cancer Women in Iraq

The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) gene plays a critical role in breast cancer development and progression. HER2 overexpression characterizes a biologically and clinically aggressive breast cancer subtype. In this study, 60 samples from Iraqi women with breast cancer were collected and investigated for HER2 protein in the tissue by immunohistochemistry. Also, 20 samples from healthy Iraqi women were used as a control. The results showed that 18 (30 %) patients expressed the HER2 protein. A molecular study for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was conducted on samples metastasizing to lymph nodes. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify exon 17 and intron 17 of HER2 gene. Sequencing of PCR product was achieved and two SNPs of HER2 gene, one in exon 17 (Ile655Val) and another close to it in intron 17 (rs903506) were studied. In exon 17, SNP Ile655Val was found in 41% of patients, while in intron 17, the non-coding SNP rs903506 was found in 27% of patients. However, no polymorphism was found in the control group. The results may suggest that HER2 gene can be used as a molecular marker for breast cancer.
Economic Evaluation of a Tai Ji Quan Intervention to Reduce Falls in People With Parkinson Disease, Oregon, 2008-2011.

INTRODUCTION: Exercise is effective in reducing falls in people with Parkinson disease. However, information on the cost effectiveness of this approach is lacking. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of Tai Ji Quan for reducing falls among patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson disease. METHODS: We used data from a previous intervention trial to analyze resource use costs related to intervention delivery and number of falls observed during a 9-month study period. Cost effectiveness was estimated via incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in which Tai Ji Quan was compared with 2 alternative interventions (Resistance training and Stretching) on the primary outcome of per fall prevented and the secondary outcome of per participant quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained. We also conducted subgroup and sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Tai Ji Quan was more effective than either Resistance training or Stretching; it had the lowest cost and was the most effective in improving primary and secondary outcomes. Compared with Stretching, Tai Ji Quan cost an average of $175 less for each additional fall prevented and produced a substantial improvement in QALY gained at a lower cost. RESULTS from subgroup and sensitivity analyses showed no variation in cost-effectiveness estimates. However, sensitivity analyses demonstrated a much lower ICER ($27) when only intervention costs were considered. CONCLUSION: Tai Ji Quan represents a cost-effective strategy for optimizing spending to prevent falls and maximize health gains in people with Parkinson disease. While these results are promising, they warrant further validation. Language: en
Optimal Reordering and Mapping of a Class of Nested-Loops for Parallel Execution

This paper addresses the compile-time optimization of a class of nested-loop computations that arise in some computational physics applications. The computations involve summations over products of array terms in order to compute multi-dimensional surface and volume integrals. Reordering additions and multiplications and applying the distributive law can significantly reduce the number of operations required in evaluating these summations. In a multiprocessor environment, proper distribution of the arrays among processors will reduce the inter-processor communication time. We present a formal description of the operation minimization problem, a proof of its NP-completeness, and a pruning strategy for finding the optimal solution in small cases. We also give an algorithm for determining the optimal distribution of the arrays among processors in a multiprocessor environment.
A CMOS RF RMS detector for built-in testing of wireless transceivers

A CMOS RF RMS detector is introduced. It generates a DC proportional to the RMS voltage amplitude of an RF signal. Its high input impedance and small silicon area make it suitable for the built-in testing (BIT) of critical RF blocks of a transceiver such as a low noise amplifier (LNA) and power amplifier (PA) without affecting their performance and with minimum area overhead. The use of this structure in the fault detection and diagnosis of a wireless transceiver is described and illustrated with an example. The transistor-level implementation of the proposed circuit is discussed in detail. Post-layout simulation results using CMOS 0.35/spl mu/m technology show that this testing device is able to perform an RF to DC conversion at 2.4GHz in a dynamic range of 20dB using an area of only 0.0135mm/sup 2/ and presenting an equivalent input capacitance of 22.5fF.
The specificity of transglutaminase: II. Structural requirements of the amine substrate☆

Abstract The blocked tripeptide carbobenzoxy- l -alanyl- l -glutaminyl- l -valine-ethyl ester was used as an amine acceptor to determine the apparent K m values of some amines and related compounds in the transglutaminase reaction. A marked degree of specificity for the amine was observed; the two substrates with the lowest apparent K m of those tested were histamine and glycine ethyl ester. Larger homoglycine peptides did not inhibit histamine incorporation into the synthetic tripeptide as well as glycine ethyl ester. The data presented here suggest that there are two sites on the enzyme, one that binds a glutamine residue within the protein substrate and a second that binds the amine.
Replicative construction experiments at Teotihuacan, Mexico: Assessing the duration and timing of monumental construction

AbstractArchitectural conspicuous consumption provides an important basis for elucidating changing power relations, and architectural energetics or labor analysis has been widely employed in the study of early complex societies. However, neither the duration of construction nor the number of laborers is specified in standard labor-time measurements and this needs to be addressed in order to provide meaningful and comparable measurements. This paper presents energetic data for construction derived from replicative experiments and discusses the duration and timing of monumental construction at Teotihuacan. The results suggest that the duration of construction computed using the estimated population in the Teotihuacan Valley is consistent with archaeological evidence. Based on the estimated duration, the phase assignment of monumental structures is revised, and changes in state power are discussed in light of two alternative models of the trajectory of labor expenditure: one based on published chronology and...
Discordant Beats of Pleasure Amidst Everyday Violence: The Cultural Work of Party Music in Trinidad

In spaces of violence, scholars and activists have typically addressed music as sites of resistance. In postcolonial Caribbean, the focus of most studies unsurprisingly has thus been placed on the work music has done for the oppressed or conversely on the ways the (neo)colonial regimes have used music to increase their control over the masses. Until recently, few publications have addressed the music that has been performed to fortify and gather people together in times of hardship. In this case, what is at stake is not so much a matter of “us and dem” or of resistance, but rather the ways in which the “us” is mobilized to strengthen senses of belonging and networks of solidarity. Amidst the escalating everyday violence since the mid-1990s, party music in Trinidad continues to thrive. Instead of dismissing such music as merely a source of escapism or hedonism, I want to examine what makes it so compelling and what it does for people. This paper is based on in-depth study of soca music making and numerous ethnographic interviews with Trinidadian soca artists and fans over the past fifteen years.
Shrinkage estimation in nonparametric Bayesian survival analysis: a simulation study

This paper discusses shrinkage estimation in nonparametric Bayesian survival analysis using censored data. The shrinkage estimators proposed are based on estimating the parameter measure of a prior Dirichlet process in a nonparametric Bayesian survival curve estimator which is the posterior mean of this process. The shrinkage is toward a prior family of exponential survival curves. The estimators are then compared by simulation with the wholly nonparametric estimator of Kaplan-Meier and the maximum likelihood estimator for the exponential family. These comparisons are done in cases where the exponential assumption is both
Strategies for evaluation of interactive multimedia information retrieval systems

The standard criteria for evaluation of information retrieval (IR) systems: effectiveness, efficiency, usability, satisfaction, cost-benefit seem as applicable to the interactive multimedia context as to the non-interactive, text-based context in which they have been developed. However, the operationalizations, measures and methods developed in the traditional context are, for a variety of reasons, almost wholly inadequate for the new context. This paper discusses some of the problematic aspects of evaluation in this new context, and suggests some strategies for developing new measures and methodologies for the evaluation of interactive multimedia IR systems.
A1 Receptor and Adenosinergic Homeostatic Regulation of Sleep-Wakefulness: Effects of Antisense to the A1 Receptor in the Cholinergic Basal Forebrain

We hypothesized that adenosine, acting via the A1 receptor, is a key factor in the homeostatic control of sleep. The increase in extracellular levels of adenosine during prolonged wakefulness is thought to facilitate the transition to sleep by reducing the discharge activity of wakefulness-promoting neurons in the basal forebrain. Adenosine A1 receptor control of the homeostatic regulation of sleep was tested by microdialysis perfusion of antisense oligonucleotides against the mRNA of the A1 receptor in the magnocellular cholinergic region of the basal forebrain of freely behaving rats. After microdialysis perfusion of A1 receptor antisense in the basal forebrain, spontaneous levels of sleep-wakefulness showed a significant reduction in non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep with an increase in wakefulness. After 6 hr of sleep deprivation, the antisense-treated animals spent a significantly reduced amount of time in non-REM sleep, with postdeprivation recovery sleep hours 2-5 showing a reduction of approximately 50-60%. There was an even greater postdeprivation reduction in delta power (60-75%) and a concomitant increase in wakefulness. All behavioral state changes returned to control (baseline) values after the cessation of antisense administration. Control experiments with microdialysis perfusion of nonsense (randomized antisense) oligonucleotides and with artificial CSF showed no effect during postdeprivation recovery sleep or spontaneously occurring behavioral states. Antisense to the A1 receptor suppressed A1 receptor immunoreactivity but did not show any neurotoxicity as visualized by Fluoro-Jade staining. These data support our hypothesis that adenosine, acting via the A1 receptor, in the basal forebrain is a key component in the homeostatic regulation of sleep.
Analysis of multiscale radiometric data collected during the Cold Land Processes Experiment‐1 (CLPX‐1)

Brightness temperature maps at 18.7 and 37 GHz collected at the Fraser and North Park Meso-Scale Areas during the Cold Land Processes Experiment by the NOAA Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer (PSWA) airborne sensor are analyzed. The Fraser site is mostly covered by forest with a typical snowpack depth of 1 m while North Park has no forest cover and is characterized by patches of shallow snow. We examine histograms of the brightness temperatures at 500 m resolution for both the Fraser and North Park areas. The histograms can be modelled by a log-normal distribution in the case of the Fraser MSA and by a bi-modal distribution in the case of the North Park MSA. The histograms of the brightness temperatures at coarser resolutions are also plotted to study the effects of sensor resolution on the shape of the distribution, on the values of the average brightness temperatures and standard deviations. Finally, the values of brightness temperatures obtained by re-sampling (aggregating) the data at 25 km resolution are compared with the values of the brightness temperatures collected by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) and Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSMII) satellite radiometers. The results show that in both areas for sensor footprint larger than 5000 m, the brightness temperatures show a flat distribution and the memory of the initial distribution is lost. The values of the brightness temperatures measured by the satellite radiometers are in good agreement with the values obtained averaging the airborne data, even if some discrepancies occur.
Studies of the mechanism of enhancement of human adenovirus infection in monkey cells by simian virus 40.

Abstract The defect which prevents human adenovirus replication in monkey cells and the mechanism whereby this restriction is overcome by coinfection with simian virus 40 (SV40) have been studied. Adenovirus capsid proteins are not synthesized efficiently in monkey cells in the absence of SV40. Adenovirus “enhancement” by SV40 was found to be the product of increased efficiency of replication by a small percentage of cells. This enhancement effect apparently occurred only when SV40 and adenovirus infected the same cells. These findings suggest that the replicative block occurs prior to virion assembly, and an accompanying report seeks to locate the site of restriction more precisely at the post-transcriptional level.
Dietary calcium, calcium supplementation, and blood pressure in African American adolescents

Background Intake of calcium from the diet is inversely associated with blood pressure in observational studies and animal models but randomized trials in humans have found only small effects of calcium supplementation on blood pressure. A blood pressure-lowering effect of calcium supplementation may thus be restricted to persons with a low intake of calcium from the diet and specific genetic or other characteristics. Objective A randomized trial was conducted to assess the effect of calcium supplementation on blood pressure in African American adolescents. Rapid growth during adolescence may increase calcium requirements, and avoidance of milk and milk products by some African Americans can result in low intake of calcium. Design One hundred sixteen adolescents (65 girls, 51 boys; mean age: 15.8 y) were given calcium (1.5 g/d) or placebo for 8 wk in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. Blood pressure was measured after 2, 4, and 8 wk. Dietary calcium was determined with a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Results The net effect (+/-SE) of calcium supplementation on diastolic blood pressure was a reduction of 1.9 +/- 1.1 mm Hg (P = 0.04, one-tailed t test). Blood pressure reduction was greater in adolescents with lower intake of calcium from the diet (P = 0.003, one-tailed t test for interaction): -4.9 +/- 1.6, -2.3 +/- 1.6, and 1.4 +/- 1.8 mm Hg for change in the lower (0.024-0.067 g Ca/MJ), middle (0.069-0.091 g Ca/MJ), and upper (0.093-0.217 g Ca/MJ) tertiles, respectively. No main effect on systolic blood pressure was detected. Conclusion These findings suggest that calcium supplementation may lower diastolic blood pressure in African American adolescents with low dietary intakes of calcium.
Dynamic properties of a dirt and a synthetic equine racetrack surface measured by a track-testing device

Summary Reasons for performing study: Racetrack surface is a risk factor for Thoroughbred racehorse injury and death that can be engineered and managed. To investigate the relationship between surface and injury, the mechanical behaviour of dirt and synthetic track surfaces must be quantified. Objectives: To compare dynamic properties of a dirt and a synthetic surface in situ using a track-testing device designed to simulate equine hoof impact; and to determine the effects of impact velocity, impact angle and repeated impact on dynamic surface behaviour. Methods: A track-testing device measured force and displacement during impact into a dirt and a synthetic surface at 3 impact velocities (1.91, 2.30, 2.63 m/s), 2 impact angles (0°, 20° from vertical), and 2 consecutive impacts (initial, repeat). Surfaces were measured at 3 locations/day for 3 days. The effects of surface type, impact velocity, impact angle and impact number on dynamic surface properties were assessed using analysis of variance. Results: Synthetic surface maximum forces, load rates and stiffnesses were 37–67% of dirt surface values. Surfaces were less stiff with lower impact velocities, angled impacts and initial impacts. The magnitude of differences between dirt and synthetic surfaces increased for repeat impacts and higher impact velocities. Conclusions: The synthetic surface was generally softer than the dirt surface. Greatly increased hardness for repeat impacts corroborates the importance of maintenance. Results at different impact velocities suggest that surface differences will persist at higher impact velocities. Potential relevance: For both surfaces it is clearly important to prevent horse exposure to precompacted surfaces, particularly during high-speed training when the surface has already been trampled. These data should be useful in coordinating racetrack surface management with racehorse training to prevent injuries.
Relating occupant perceived control and thermal comfort: Statistical analysis on the ASHRAE RP-884 database

Recent literature has suggested that a building occupant's level of perceived control over their thermal environment plays a significant role in determining their thermal comfort response. The ASHRAE RP-884 report, which led to an optional Adaptive Comfort Standard for use in naturally ventilated office buildings, was a key attempt to identify relationships between perceived control levels and comfort across a large database of occupant responses in the field. Though the study found no conclusive evidence of these relationships, the authors acknowledged that their analytical process involved many questionable assumptions and generalizations, which may have compromised their findings. This study improves upon the RP-884 analysis by taking a more detailed look at three HVAC building studies from within the RP-884 database. Each of these studies contains direct occupant ratings of both perceived control and thermal comfort—ratings that were not available for many of the other RP-884 buildings. Statistical an...
Recruitment Strategies for Encouraging Participation in Corporate Volunteer Programs

Perhaps due to the numerous community and company benefits associated with corporate volunteer programs, an increasing number of national and international firms are adopting such programs. A major issue in organizing corporate volunteer programs concerns the strategies that are most effective for recruiting employee participation. The results of this study suggest that the most effective strategies for initiating participation in volunteer programs may not be the same as the strategies that are most effective in terms of maximizing the number of volunteer hours contributed by employees. More importantly, the results suggest that the most effective recruitment strategies depend on the age of the employee. The results were discussed in terms of matching the recruitment strategies with the characteristics of the potential volunteers and the nature of the volunteer project.
Total synthesis of naturally occurring prostaglandin F2α on a non-cross-linked polystyrene support

Abstract The total synthesis of the naturally occurring prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) was achieved on a soluble non-cross-linked polystyrene support (NCPS). The approach was predicated upon a three component coupling scheme that is both synthetically flexible and convergent in nature. The methodology detailed should provide access to libraries of the PGF series.
The facial feedback hypothesis: Methodological concerns and new supporting evidence.

Support for the weak version of the facial feedback hypothesis has been obtained repeatedly with the dynamic pose paradigm. In contrast, support for the strong version, which is tested with the static pose paradigm, has been inconsistent. We attributed this to methodological limitations in some studies rather than to problems intrinsic to the static pose paradigm. Utilizing a methodology that improved upon the hypothesized limitations, we obtained the facial feedback effect for the static poses of joy and anger with 142 male undergraduate students. The effect was uniform across levels of stimulus intensity and stimulus affect. Facial feedback did not vary with skills in nonverbal affective communication, self-monitoring, and the ability to form mental images.
Dual inhibition of PI3K and mTOR inhibits autocrine and paracrine proliferative loops in PI3K/Akt/mTOR-addicted lymphomas

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) constitutes a subset of non-Hodgkin lymphoma whose incidence is highly increased in the context of HIV infection. Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus is the causative agent of PEL. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway plays a critical role in cell proliferation and survival, and this pathway is dysregulated in many different cancers, including PEL, which display activated PI3K, Akt, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinases. PELs rely heavily on PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, are dependent on autocrine and paracrine growth factors, and also have a poor prognosis with reported median survival times of less than 6 months. We compared different compounds that inhibit the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in PEL. Although compounds that modulated activity of only a single pathway member inhibited PEL proliferation, the use of a novel compound, NVP-BEZ235, that dually inhibits both PI3K and mTOR kinases was significantly more efficacious in culture and in a PEL xenograft tumor model. NVP-BEZ235 was effective at low nanomolar concentrations and has oral bioavailability. We also report a novel mechanism for NVP-BEZ235 involving the suppression of multiple autocrine and paracrine growth factors required for lymphoma survival. Our data have broad applicability for the treatment of cytokine-dependent tumors with PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitors.
Characterizations and closure under convolution of two classes of multivariate life distributions

Abstract Let ϑ(η) be the class of positive random vectors T for which min1⩽i⩽n αiTi is IFRA (NBU) for all αi > 0, i = 1,…,n where n is an arbitrary positive integer. Characterizations of the classes ϑ and η are obtained and utilized to show that η is closed under convolution and that ϑ is closed under convolution provided one of the two convoluted vectors has independent components.
Late macular complications of choroidal ruptures.

Late complications of ocular contusion have been widely studied. Attention is fre­ quently directed to the anterior segment, to late onset glaucoma and its relation to angle recession. Posteriorly, late onset of retinal detachment is well recognized. Recently de­ layed damage to the macula related to ad­ jacent choroidal ruptures causing late visual symptoms has been recognized by Gass' and Fuller and Gitter. Choroidal rupture is a common complica­ tion of contusion injuries of the eye. Such rents in the choroid (and in Bruch's mem­ brane) usually occur temporal to the disk in a concentric fashion and are often associ­ ated with intrachoroidal, subretinal, and intraretinal hemorrhage. The usual course of such injuries is one of gradual clearing of localized hemorrhage and retinal or choroidal edema with formation of a gliotic scar and pigment epithelial alterations in the area of the choroid tear. If the macula has not been directly involved, good visual acuity is to be expected. Usually the area remains essentially unchanged. Gass and others,' however, have observed hemorrhagic detachment of the pigment epi­ thelium as a late complication of choroidal rupture. Fuller and Gitter described a case in which subretinal neovascularization and serous detachment of the macula occurred six months after choroidal rupture. Patients with choroidal rupture should be followed with the potential complication in mind. Fluorescein angiography is useful in detecting and observing the changes in the choroidal rupture. Our report concerns three additional cases
A systematic study of psychiatric illness in freshman college students

Abstract The majority of estimates of the rate of college student psychiatric illness has been based on data obtained from treated samples of students. 1,2 The biases inherent in treated samples have been extensively documented. Few studies have dealt with the occurrence of psychiatric illness in a randomly selected sample of students, a study design that avoids the problems of using a treated population. This study describes the psychiatric problems, during the freshman year, of such a randomly selected, prospectively studied sample of 158 college students. The questions to be answered by this report are: (1) What proportion of a college population have a psychiatric problem during the course of the freshman year? (2) What proportion will seek treatment? (3) What proportion of the ill group will seek treatment? (4) What is the predominant psychiatric disturbance seen?
Inflammation and Coagulation Markers and Kidney Function Decline: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background The strength and direction of the associations between inflammation and coagulation biomarkers with kidney disease onset and progression remain unclear, especially in a population-based setting. Study Design Prospective observational study. Setting & Participants 4,966 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) with a cystatin C–based estimate of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR cys ) >60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 and at least one follow-up measurement of kidney function. All participants were free of cardiovascular disease at entry. Predictor We evaluated the associations of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), fibrinogen, factor VIII, and d-dimer levels with kidney function decrease. Outcomes & Measurements Kidney function decrease was assessed primarily by repeated measurements of eGFR cys over 5 years. Rapid decrease in kidney function was defined as eGFR decrease >3 mL/min/1.73 m 2 per year. Incident low eGFR was defined as the onset of eGFR cys 2 at any follow-up examination and eGFR cys decrease ≥1 mL/min/1.73 m 2 per year. Results Mean age was 60 years, 39% were white, 52% were women, and 11% had diabetes. Mean eGFR cys was 96 mL/min/1.73 m 2 and 7% had albuminuria. Median follow-up was 4.77 years. Higher factor VIII levels (per 1 standard deviation [SD] of biomarker) had the strongest association with kidney function decrease (β = −0.25; 95% CI, −0.38 to −0.12; P P = 0.01), CRP (β = −0.09; 95% CI, −0.22 to 0.03; P = 0.1), and fibrinogen levels (β = −0.09; 95% CI, −0.22 to 0.04; P = 0.2). Each 1-SD higher concentration of IL-6 (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.07-1.23), factor VIII (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03-1.18), and CRP (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02-1.16) at baseline was associated significantly with rapid kidney function decrease. Only IL-6 level was associated significantly with incident low eGFR (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00-1.19). Limitations Observational study design and absence of measured GFR. Conclusions Inflammation and coagulation biomarkers are associated with decreasing kidney function in ambulatory adults without established cardiovascular disease or chronic kidney disease.
Measuring the genetic contribution of a single locus to a multilocus disease

An increasing number of diseases are being demonstrated to be due to determinants at more than one genetic locus. It thus becomes of interest to determine the genetic contribution of a specific single locus. A method of estimating a "coefficient of genetic contribution" is described herein, based on a comparison of monozygotic twin concordance data for a specific disease, the empirical sibling recurrence risks, and the sharing of identical by descent genes at the specific locus of interest by pairs of siblings who are both affected. The value of the method is that it requires relatively few assumptions, and does not require knowledge of the mode of inheritance of disease susceptibility at the gene locus of interest. If there are major environmental determinants, this method will give a lower bound for the single locus of interest. To illustrate the method, it is applied to two specific diseases, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE), and a specific locus, the HLA gene complex. The best estimates would appear to be that the HLA "genes" provide a coefficient of 60% for IDDM susceptibilty, but only 30% for GSE. A possible reason for these differences is the markedly increased disease susceptibility of the DR3/DR4 heterozygote for IDDM.
Tests and analysis of secondary locking features in threaded inserts

Abstract This paper presents results from an experimental investigation of loosening of threaded inserts. The tests are performed on a transverse test machine which provides transverse shear. Three different configurations are tested: insert with no secondary locking feature, insert with prevailing torque locking feature, and insert with thread adhesive locking feature. Both secondary locking features are found to provide improved resistance to loosening. The improvement with inserts with prevailing torque locking feature is found to be minimal at first, then increase with decreasing preload and eventually level out with a fraction of initial preload retained. Inserts with thread adhesive are found to provide significant improvement throughout the duration of the test. Loosening characteristics are quantified with the following five parameters extracted from measured preload versus cycles data: percent loss of initial preload, initial rate of preload loss, secondary rate of preload loss, steady-state value, and final preload value. Inserts with a prevailing torque feature are found to have a statistically significant effect on the secondary rate of preload loss, the steady-state preload, and the final preload, but no significant effect on the percent loss of initial preload and the initial rate of preload loss. Inserts with thread adhesive are found to have a statistically significant effect on the percent loss of initial preload, initial rate of preload loss, and final preload.
Sources of Giftedness in Nature and Nurture: Historical Origins of Enduring Controversies

Theories of evolution inspired nineteenth-century scientists to investigate the effects of physical and mental traits upon heredity. The controversies that arose are divisible into two consecutive ...
Vitamin K-dependent γ-carboxylation of the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor

Abstract It has been reported that vitamin K deficiency in the rat markedly increases the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor (VDR) binding to DNA and that vitamin K-dependent γ-carboxylation of endogenous substrates of the intestinal and renal cytosol, also containing VDR, sharply reduced that binding ( Sergeev, I.N., and Spirichev, V.B. (1989) Nutr. Res. 9, 725–733 ). In the present study we have evaluated vitamin K-dependent 14CO2 incorporation to VDR quantitated by immunoprecipitation with anti-VDR monoclonal antibodies. The results obtained strongly suggest that VDR in vitro can undergo γ-carboxylation in the presence of vitamin K1 and that 15–25% of Glu residues in the VDR are carboxylated in vivo. Taking into account our earlier findings, it is likely that the VDR γ-carboxylation modulates its binding to DNA.
Efficient Unbiased Quantile Estimators for Moderate-Size Complete Samples from Extreme-Value and Weibull Distributions; Confidence Bounds and Tolerance and Prediction Intervals

Tables of factors are given for complete samples of size n (n = 20(1)40) for correcting small-sample bias in Hassanein's [4] asymptotically unbiased quantile estimators of extreme-value location and scale parameters. Hassanein's k-order-statistic estimators of the two parameters are based on the same set of spacings for each k (k = 2. … 10) and are asymptotically best of this type of linear estimator (with asymptotic efficiencies of .977 and .937, respectively, for k = 10). The tabulated values not only allow one to obtain estimates based on the specified set of ordered observations that are best linear unbiased or best linear invariant (for the specified set of weights), but they also enable one to use procedures described in Mann. Schafer, and Singpurwalla [13] to compute approximate confidence bounds and tolerance and prediction intervals. Also tabulated are efficiencies of unbiased versions of the estimators relative to Cramer-Rao bounds for regular unbiased estimators and to best linear unbiased esti...
Corticosteroids and neonatal chronic lung disease

There is increasing evidence that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic lung disease (CLD). Systemic steroid administration reduces the concentration of inflammatory markers in tracheobronchial secretions and produces a rapid improvement in pulmonary compliance and resistance and an improvement in gas exchange in ventilator dependent infants. This improvement in lung function allows a reduction in ventilator settings and facilitates weaning from mechanical ventilation and increased inspired oxygen concentrations. Despite this rapid improvement in lung function, the use of steroids does not modify mortality or long-term outcome and it is associated with many acute side-effects and possible long-term deleterious consequences on lung and CNS development. Inhaled steroids have also been used in infants with CLD or at risk of CLD and although the reported side-effects are significantly less than with systemic therapy their effectiveness is also less obvious. Conclusion Steroid therapy in ventilator dependent infants reduces the duration of mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy and may reduce the incidence of severe CLD. The use of steroids in infants with CLD does not improve survival rate or long-term neurological outcome.
Integrating Digital Video Technology in the Classroom.

(2009). Integrating Digital Video Technology in the Classroom. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 80, No. 6, pp. 40-55.
Two special cases of the assignment problem

The assignment problem may be stated as follows: Given finite sets of points S and T, with|S| >= |T|, and given a ''metric'' which assigns a distance d(x, y) to each pair (x, y) such that x @? T and y @? S find a 1-1 function Q: T-> S which minimizes @S"x"@?"Td(x, Q(x)) We consider the two special cases in which the points lie (1) on a line segment and (2) on a circle, and the metric is the distance along the line segment or circle, respectively. In each case, we show that the optimal assignment Q can be computed in a number of steps (additions and comparisons) proportional to the number of points. The problem arose in connection with the efficient rearrangement of desks located in offices along a corridor which encircles one floor of a building.
Glycogen storage disease type III: The phenotype branches out

Glycogen is a highly branched glucose polymer consisting of chains of α(1->4) glycosyl bonds with α(1->6) glycosyl branch points. Glycogen is stored primarily in skeletal muscle and liver as a critical source of energy—in skeletal muscle as a fuel for muscle contraction, in liver as a source of glucose for extrahepatic metabolism. In both tissues, glycogen metabolism is achieved by the coordinated action of glycogen phosphorylase and debrancher. Glycogen phosphorylase splits α(1-4) glycosyl bonds to within 4 residues of a branch point. Glycogen debrancher (amylo-1,6-glucosidase,4-α-glucanotransferase [AGL]) has dual catalytic functions. First it transfers 3 of the final 4 residues at branch points to attach them in an α(1-4) linkage for metabolism by glycogen phosphorylase; then debrancher splits the α(1-6) bond to release the final glycosyl residue as free glucose.