cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive learning via selectionism and Bayesianism, Part II: The sequential case

Animals increase or decrease their future tendency of emitting an action based on whether performing such action has, in the past, resulted in positive or negative reinforcement. An analysis in the companion paper [Zhang, J. (2009). Adaptive learning via selectionism and Bayesianism. Part I: Connection between the two. Neural Networks, 22(3), 220-228] of such selectionist style of learning reveals a resemblance between its ensemble-level dynamics governing the change of action probability and Bayesian learning where evidence (in this case, reward) is distributively applied to all action alternatives. Here, this equivalence is further explored in solving the temporal credit-assignment problem during the learning of an action sequence ("operant chain"). Naturally emerging are the notion of secondary (conditioned) reinforcement predicting the average reward associated with a stimulus, and the notion of actor-critic architecture involving concurrent learning of both action probability and reward prediction. While both are consistent with solutions provided by contemporary reinforcement learning theory (Sutton & Barto, 1998) for optimizing sequential decision-making under stationary Markov environments, we investigate the effect of action learning on reward prediction when both are carried out concurrently in any on-line scheme.
Cutaneous vascular lesions in the pediatric population: a review of laser surgery applications and lesion-specific device parameters

Laser surgery is becoming an increasingly efficacious and customizable treatment modality for the management of pediatric vascular lesions. Proper use requires a thorough understanding of the scientific principles of laser surgery and knowledge of the various lasers available. Moreover, each laser has a multitude of settings that can be employed to properly target the lesion at hand. Each patient will present with unique challenges and variations in the presentation of their vascular lesion. This requires understanding of the most effective laser to use for each lesion and the factors that may alter the desired device settings. Using key search terms, a literature search was conducted on laser surgery for pediatric vascular lesions using PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase for articles published in English or French. Ultimately, 52 articles met our search criteria. The laser indications, limitations, and settings utilized for each type of vascular lesion were compiled for the purposes of this summative review. Laser surgery is an effective and appropriate option for the treatment of certain pediatric vascular lesions. Knowledge of optimal device parameters in every setting is essential to good clinical practice.
On Explanation and Understanding

Explanation is a matter of accounting for the facts—of elucidating their claims to qualify as a part of the reality of things. It is a prime entryway into the intelligibly of the real, linking the epistemology of knowledge with the metaphysics of realty’s access to inquiring man.
Comment: From Ridge Regression to Methods of Regularization

Ridge regression and the idea of regularization that it comes to symbolize are ubiquitous in modern data analysis since its formal introduction to statistics about half a century ago by Hoerl and K...
Emerging Viral Infections

Emerging viral infections include viruses that have acquired the ability to alter their pathobiological mechanisms to infect novel hosts and affect more widespread geographic areas. Given the increase in global trade and international travel, spread of emerging viruses represents an important public health concern. As cutaneous symptoms are common, heightened clinician awareness of the dermatologic manifestations of these infections is critical for accurate and swift diagnosis. In this chapter, we address the primary triggers for viral emergence and re-emergence and summarize the epidemiology, virologic features, mechanistic action, and clinical manifestations of 13 emerging viruses with prominent cutaneous presentations. Moreover, we review the current therapeutic options for patients and highlight the current gaps in our knowledge that may require further investigation and future research.
Relative price shifts, economies of scale and poverty during economic transition1

Economic transition is associated with significant shifts in relative prices between private and public goods. If, as a result, public goods claim a larger share of total expenditures, economies of scale in consumption increase. We show how relative price changes might alter the welfare of different-sized households in the short run and over time. We illustrate, for a selection of transition economies, that conventional poverty profiles are quite sensitive to assumptions made about economies of scale in consumption. In particular, the common view that large households with many children are poor relative to small households (such as those comprising the elderly) is shown to be highly non-robust.
Theoretical Modeling of Secondary Electron Yield Using First-Principles Input: Comparison with Experimental Measurements

Secondary electron yield of a material is a crucial factor in designing many electronic devices, from electron multipliers to high-power radio frequency devices used in the aerospace industry. In the latter, it is key in mitigating the highly destructive multipactor, where a low value of secondary electron yield is desired. In this work we present results for select elemental metals obtained using a newly developed, state-of-the-art, Monte Carlo code for modeling secondary electron emission with entirely first principle input. The results are compared with the available experimental data.
Autoantibodies to apolipoprotein A-1 as a biomarker of cardiovascular autoimmunity

Immune-driven inflammation plays an important part in atherogenesis and is therefore believed to be key to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is currently the leading cause of death in the Western world. By fulfilling some of the Koch postulates, atherogenesis has even been proposed to be considered as an autoimmune disease, raising the hope that CVD could be prevented by immunomodulation. Nevertheless, the role of the immune system and autoimmune reactions in atherosclerosis appear to be a double edged-sword, with both pro-atherogenic and anti-atherogenic attributes. Hence, if immunomodulation is to become a therapeutic option for atherosclerosis and CVD, it will be crucial to correctly identify patients who might benefit from targeted suppression of deleterious autoimmune responses. This could be achieved, for example, by the detection of disease-associated autoantibodies. In this work, we will review the currently available clinical, in vitro, and animal studies dedicated to autoantibodies against apolipoprotein A-1 (anti-apoA-1 IgG), the major proteic fraction of high density lipoprotein. Current clinical studies indicate that high levels of anti-apoA-1 IgG are associated with a worse cardiovascular prognosis. In addition, in vitro and animal studies indicate a pro-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic role, supporting the hypothesis that these autoantibodies may play a direct causal role in CVD, and furthermore that they could potentially represent a therapeutic target for CVD in the future.
Production and Regeneration of Lactobacillus casei Protoplasts

Methods for the production and regeneration of Lactobacillus casei protoplasts are described. Protoplasts of L. casei strains were obtained by treatment with mutanolysin or with mutanolysin and lysozyme together in a protoplast formation buffer containing 0.02 M HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid) (pH 7.0), 1 mM MgCl(2), 0.5% gelatin, and 0.3 M raffinose. Cells were regenerated on a complex medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin, MgCl(2), CaCl(2), gelatin, and raffinose. Lengthy digestion with lytic enzymes inhibited the capacity of protoplasts to regenerate. The optimum conditions of protoplast formation varied from strain to strain. Using predetermined optimal conditions it was possible to prepare protoplasts of several L. casei strains and regenerate them with 10 to 40% efficiency. The methods were applicable to other species of lactobacilli as well.
Dysregulation of gene expression in mouse trisomy 16, an animal model of Down syndrome.

Abstract In humans, trisomy 21 results in a specific phenotype known as Down syndrome (DS). The mechanism by which an extra copy of normal genes leads to the DS phenotype is unknown. Most studies in DS and other aneuploid organisms have shown that gene dose is proportional to gene expression. To date, most genes examined have encoded either metabolic enzymes or constitutively expressed products. In the trisomy 16 mouse, an animal model of DS, we found marked dysregulation of two developmentally regulated genes, App and Prn-p. Dysregulation varied from tissue to tissue and during development in the same tissue. We conclude that abnormal phenotypes seen in aneuploid conditions may result in part from disordered expression of developmentally regulated genes.
Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measurement of human immunoglobulins E and G to purified cow's milk proteins: application in diagnosis of cow's milk allergy.

An indirect double-antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the measurement of human immunoglobulin E (IgE) and IgG to the cow9s milk proteins (CMP) alpha-casein, alpha-lactalbumin, and beta-lactoglobulin. Human serum albumin was used as the negative-antigen control. Rabbit anti-human IgE or IgG served as the primary antibody, and horseradish peroxidase-conjugated swine anti-rabbit immunoglobulin served as the secondary antibody. Positive control sera were obtained from patients with well-documented histories of cow9s milk allergy, while negative control sera were obtained from cord bloods of healthy full-term infants and from normal adult volunteers without known milk allergy. Test sera were obtained from 41 children (ages, 3 months to 13 years; average age, 2.6 years) with suspected cow9s milk allergy and clinical manifestations that included wheezing, rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, or gastrointestinal disturbances. The patients were simultaneously evaluated by prick skin testing with scratch test antigen to whole CMP. Although only 13 (32%) of the 41 patients were positive by the prick skin test, 25 (61%) were positive by the IgE ELISA. Of the 25 IgE ELISA-positive patients, 20 were also positive by the IgG ELISA. There was concordance of positive results between skin testing and the IgE ELISA in only 9 patients (22%), and there was concordance of negative results in 12 patients (29%). Discordant results were observed in 20 patients (49%). These results indicate that the ELISA is more sensitive than prick skin testing in the identification of individuals with elevated levels of IgE to CMP.
Changes in Neighborhood Organizational Resources and Recidivism Rates in Chicago Neighborhoods from 2001-2005

Objectives: While studies examining the neighborhood correlates of recidivism have become more prominent, research has yet to explore how changes in the neighborhood itself affect returning prisoners. This study asks how emergency assistance and mobility resources impact neighborhood recidivism rates over time. Methods: Using recidivism data from the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), counts of organizations in Chicago obtained from the County Business Patterns (CBP) data, and the data from the Census 2000, this study models the effect of resources and their changes on neighborhood-level recidivism between 2001 and 2005. Results: A nontrivial increase in the number of resources (3 or more) between years has significant impact on neighborhood recidivism, though this effect is limited to resources associated with upward mobility, namely educational and employment resources. For neighborhoods that experience a high number of incoming returning prisoners, the above effect, unfortunately, does not exist.Conclusions: Policy recommendations aimed to increase organizational resources may decrease recidivism for some neighborhoods, though for neighborhoods that are re-entry portals, organizational resources do little. To decrease recidivism in high-release neighborhoods, the pervasive socioeconomic conditions linked to recidivism need to be ameliorated before organizational resources can make a difference.
Possible seasonality in large deep‐focus earthquakes

Large deep-focus earthquakes (magnitude > 7.0, depth > 500 km) have exhibited strong seasonality in their occurrence times since the beginning of global earthquake catalogs. Of 60 such events from 1900 to the present, 42 have occurred in the middle half of each year. The seasonality appears strongest in the northwest Pacific subduction zones and weakest in the Tonga region. Taken at face value, the surplus of northern hemisphere summer events is statistically significant, but due to the ex post facto hypothesis testing, the absence of seasonality in smaller deep earthquakes, and the lack of a known physical triggering mechanism, we cannot rule out that the observed seasonality is just random chance. However, we can make a testable prediction of seasonality in future large deep-focus earthquakes, which, given likely earthquake occurrence rates, should be verified or falsified within a few decades. If confirmed, deep earthquake seasonality would challenge our current understanding of deep earthquakes.
Hatching plasticity in two temperate anurans: responses to a pathogen and predation cues

Water molds are widespread in aquatic environments and are important causes of mortality in amphibian and fish eggs. We tested the ability of two species of North American anurans with different br...
Upper limit on the resistivity of La1.85Sr0.15CuO4

Abstract The stability of a shielding current in a hollow cylinder of La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 has been studied with a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). From the observed lack of decay of the current an upper limit of 3×10-17ω cm has been established on the resistivity at 4.2 K.
Effects of Spatial Resolution and Box Size on Numerical Solutions of Turbulent Flows

This paper has two objectives, (1) to examine the effects of spatial resolution, (2) to examine the effects of computational box size, upon turbulence statistics and the amount of drag reduction with and without the control scheme of wall oscillation. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the fully developed turbulent channel flow was performed at Reynolds number of 200 based on the wall-shear velocity and the channel half-width by using spectral methods. For the first objective, four different grids were applied to the same computational domain and the biggest impact was observed on the logarithmic law of mean velocity profiles and on the amount of drag reduction with 28.3% for the coarsest mesh and 35.4% for the finest mesh. Other turbulence features such as RMS velocity fluctuations, RMS vorticity fluctuations, and bursting events were either overpredicted or underpredicted through coarse grids. For the second objective, two different minimal channels and one natural full channel were studied and 3% drag reduction difference was observed between the smallest minimal channel of 39.1% and the natural full channel of 36.2%. In the near-wall region, however, the minimal channel flow did not exhibit significant difference in the mean velocity profiles and other lower-order statistics. Finally, from this systematical study, it showed that the accuracy of DNS depends more on the spanwise resolution, and it also confirmed that a minimal channel model is able to catch key structures of turbulence in the near-wall region but is much less expensive.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Proterozoic Farwell Mountain-Lester Mountain suture zone, northern Colorado : subduction flip and progressive assembly of arcs

This paper considers the amalgamation of arc and oceanic terranes to be the main mechanism of ca. 1.8-1.6 Ga continental crustal growth in southwestern Laurentia. On the basis of geologic and seismic reflection data and teleseismic images, we propose the Farwell Mountain-Lester Mountain suture zone as the northern-most Paleoproterozoic arc-arc suture. North-dipping (Farwell Mountain) seismic reflections project from 18 km depths to the surface and are interpreted to represent conjugate thrusting as the 1.79-1.77 Ga Green Mountain arc was partially underthrust beneath the Archean craton. We speculate that a north-dipping high-velocity mantle "slab" in the teleseismic image is a continuation of this thrust zone. South-dipping (Lester Mountain) reflections project from 22 km depths to the surface and are interpreted to be a thrust zone between the Green Mountain arc and the 1.76-1.72 Ga Rawah block. Surface features of the Farwell Mountain-Lester Mountain suture zone are (1) marble, chert, rock with sillimanite pods, ultramafic rocks, sulfide deposits, and pillow basalts, which we interpret to be a dismembered accretionary complex; (2) an axial-planar fabric to north-verging isoclinal folds (F 2 ), which we interpret to be part of a north-vergent fold-and-thrust system; and (3) a metamorphic break between ∼500 °C rocks to the north and ∼610 °C rocks to the south, which we attribute to reactivation of the zone. Movement on the Farwell Mountain backthrust is inferred to relate to Cheyenne belt suturing at 1.78-1.75 Ga. We correlate suturing in the Farwell Mountain-Lester Mountain suture zone to S 1 /D 1 (1.746-1.74 Ga) in the Soda Creek-Fish Creek shear zone. We attribute the complexity of this broad suture zone to initial conjugate thrusting, plus overprinting and steepening of accretionary structures by subsequent tectonism.
Electronic volume, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and stem cell marker expression in cells from human peripheral blood apheresis samples

Background: Over-expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase and other stem cell markers is characteristic of cells with tumorigenic potential in NOD/SCID mice. Most of these studies have focused on metastatic cells in bone marrow and on solid tumors. There are no studies on correlation of marker expression with ALDH1 expression in cells from human peripheral blood apheresis (HPC-A) samples. Methods: HPC-A samples from 44 patients were incubated with Aldefluor® with or without the presence of aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor DEAB. Cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase expression (ALDH1bright) were analyzed for stem/progenitor markers CD34, CD90, CD117, and CD133. Electronic volume measured by Coulter principal in a Quanta flow analyzer was correlated with ALDH1 and marker expression. Results: In ALDH1bright/SSClow cells, 0.13% of the cells had CD34+ expression and three distinct populations were seen. Expression of CD90 was dim and the frequency of ALDH1bright/SSClow/CD90dim cells amongst the nonlineage depleted samples was 0.04%. CD117dim-bright expression was seen in 0.17% of the samples. Three distinct populations of cells with CD133 expression were seen in ALDH1bright/SSClow nonlineage depleted cells with a frequency of 0.28%. The ALDH1bright/CD90dim cells had the smallest mean electronic volume of 264.9 μm3 when compared with cells with CD34bright expression (270.2 μm3) and ALDH1dim/CD90dim cells (223 μm3). Conclusions: ALDH1bright/SSClow cells show heterogeneity in expression of the four stem cell markers studied. The CD90 cells in both the ALDH1bright and ALDH1dim populations had the smallest mean electronic volume when compared with similar cells with CD117 expression. © 2010 Clinical Cytometry Society
Green Tea Extract Suppresses NFκB Activation and Inflammatory Responses in Diet-Induced Obese Rats with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by oxidative stress and inflammatory responses that exacerbate liver injury. The objective of this study was to determine whether the antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of green tea extract (GTE) would protect against NASH in a model of diet-induced obesity. Adult Wistar rats were fed a low-fat (LF) diet or high-fat (HF) diet containing no GTE or GTE at 1% or 2% (HF+2GTE) for 8 wk. The HF group had greater (P ≤ 0.05) serum alanine (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferases and hepatic lipids than the LF group. Both GTE groups had lower ALT and hepatic lipid than the HF group. In liver and epididymal adipose, the HF group had lower glutathione as well as greater mRNA and protein expression of TNFα and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and NFκB binding activity than the LF group. Compared to the HF group, the HF+2GTE group had greater glutathione and lower protein and mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines in both tissues. NFκB binding activities at liver and adipose were also lower, likely by inhibiting the phosphorylation of inhibitor of NFκB. NFκB binding activities in liver and adipose (P ≤ 0.05; r = 0.62 and 0.46, respectively) were correlated with ALT, and hepatic NFκB binding activity was inversely related to liver glutathione (r = -0.35). These results suggest that GTE-mediated improvements in glutathione status are associated with the inhibition of hepatic and adipose inflammatory responses mediated by NFκB, thereby protecting against NASH.
Length polymorphisms of the human Y chromosome in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Abstract The extent of length heteromorphisms of the human Y chromosomes was measured in 50 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and was compared with 50 normal controls. No significant difference (p > 0.05) in the size of the Y chromosome was noted between these two groups. These findings differ from an earlier investigation, where a longer heterochromatic segment of Y chromosome was noted in malignant tumors and it was stressed that constitutive heterochromatin plays a role in susceptibility of cancer. Present investigation, however, suggests that this is not the case in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Sediment preferences and oil contamination in the Pacific sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus

Sand lance, Ammodytes hexapterus Pallas, forage for zooplankton in the water column and are under heavy predation from fish, marine birds and marine mammals. To avoid predation, these fish bury themselves in soft bottom sediments when not foraging and during overwintering. We collected sand lance in Sequim Bay, Washington State, USA, in 1982. In three experiments we presented the fish with: (1) four different sediment types (fine sand, coarse sand, gravel, silt) to determine their sediment preferences; (2) clean and oil-contaminated preferred sediment to determine whether the fish would avoid the contamination; and (3) clean unpreferred and oil-contaminated preferred sediment to determine whether the contamination would alter their sediment preferences. In the first experiment, sand lance preferred to bury in fine and coarse sands and avoided gravel and silt. In the second experiment, sand lance avoided sand contaminated with Prudhoe Bay crude oil (116 and 1050 ppm). In the third experiment, sand lance avoided the oiled sand (131 and 1041 ppm) and buried in clean gravel, and also avoided both oiled sand (113 and 1004 ppm) and clean silt, and chose to remain in the water column. The sediment particle size and the way it affects water flow through the sediment seemed to be responsible for the preferences. We suggest that the sediment type, the sediment distribution, the nutritional state of the fish, and the predation pressure influence how sand lance use the sediment as a refuge and how they respond to contamination of that refuge.
Hypoxic Stabilization of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor mRNA by the RNA-binding Protein HuR

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic factor whose expression is dramatically induced by hypoxia due in large part to an increase in the stability of its mRNA. Here we show that HuR binds with high affinity and specificity to the element that regulates VEGF mRNA stability by hypoxia. Inhibition of HuR expression abrogates the hypoxia-mediated increase in VEGF mRNA stability. Overexpression of HuR increases the stability of VEGF mRNA. However, this only occurs efficiently in hypoxic cells. We further show that the stabilization of VEGF mRNA can be recapitulated in vitro. Using an S-100 extract, we show that the addition of recombinant HuR stabilizes VEGF mRNA markedly. These data support the critical role of HuR in mediating the hypoxic stabilization of VEGF mRNA by hypoxia.
A habituating blood glucose control strategy for the critically ill

Abstract In the intensive care unit patients benefit from being fed and from having well controlled glucose levels. Insulin and glucose infusion serves as manipulated inputs to regulate blood glucose, while glucose infusion serves as a sole nutritional input. In this paper, a model predictive control strategy, based on simultaneously manipulating glucose and insulin infusion, is developed to improve blood glucose regulation in intensive care unit patients. In the short term, glucose infusion is used for tighter glucose control, particularly for disturbance rejection, while, in the long-term (24 h period), glucose infusion is used to meet nutritional needs. The “habituating control” algorithm is proposed and tested against a model predictive control (MPC) strategy that only manipulates insulin. The simulation results indicate that the Habituating MPC strategy outperforms the single input–single output MPC by providing faster setpoint tracking and tighter glucose control for a patient population, and producing less glucose variability while rejecting disturbances in insulin infusion and insulin sensitivity.
Proton magnetic resonance relaxation in lysozyme solutions: An isotope dilution experiment

Abstract Proton nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times, T 1 are reported for lysozyme solutions measured as a function of the mole fraction of protons in the sample to determine the contribution of the protein protons to the water relaxation rate. The results are not consistent with an intermolecular water-proton protein-proton relaxation mechanism as previously suggested. However, a contribution to the water proton relaxation rate from exchangeable protein protons may not be eliminated.
A sociolinguistic approach to the study of teacher expectations

The purpose of this study is to provide an application of sociolinguistic analysis to the study of the relationship between teachers’ expectations about students’ communicative competence and the skills involved in teachers’ elicitation of information. The following questions were addressed: Do teachers provide high expectancy students (compared with low expectancy students) with more opportunities to participate in elicitation interactions? How do teachers take more appropriate actions to elicit responses with high expectancy students and provide these students with more explicit positive evaluation of their responses compared with low expectancy students? The subjects were 31 kindergarten students in two classes and their two female teachers. The results indicate that individual teachers can differ in the extent to which they show this effect; however, teachers did not differentiate their behavior consistently across situations.
Being Much Better and No Worse than Others: Deviance Regulation, Self-Guides, and the Motive to be Distinct

Five studies examined whether the concern for self-other distinction is moderated by self-guide activation, with the predictions based on deviance regulation theory that distinctiveness striving is amplified by activation of ideal self-guides and diminished by activation of ought self-guides. In Study 1, trait differences in self-guides predicted trait differences in self-reported distinctiveness motives. In Studies 2–5, state activation of ought versus ideal self-guides led to shifts in participants' self-reported interest in distinctiveness (Study 2), identification with common versus uncommon social groups (Study 3), preferences for common versus rare consumer products (Study 4), and emotional reactions to distinctiveness versus similarity feedback (Study 5). These findings suggest that self-guide activation can complement known cultural, dispositional, and contextual influences on distinctiveness striving.
Recovering pure states in two-state quantum systems

In this work, we study the loss and recovery of pure states (i.e., coherence) in two-state molecules and quantum dots. The molecules of two electronic states and a one-dimensional nuclear vibration are modeled by a quantum–classical dynamical model. According to the simulations, pure states of a two-state molecule can be restored by the excitation of the nuclear vibration by a well-defined electromagnetic field. In the case of a quantum dot, pure states can be regained through the modulation of the energy levels through the application of a proper bias voltage on the dot.
Vibrational spectra of single and mixed alkali pentasilicate glasses

Abstract The far infrared and laser Raman spectra of single and mixed alkali pentasilicate glasses, M 2 O·5SiO 2 (M = Li, Na, Kb, Cs), and x Cs 2 O(1 − x )Na 2 O·5SiO 2 are reported in both the annealed and unannealed forms. Study of the cation-motion bands in the far infrared shows that the vibrationally significant cation-network interactions are unaffected by either introduction of a second cation or by annealing, and these results are discussed in terms of the glass formation and annealing. The spectra of the network show the existence of intrinsic network strain, changes in distributions of bond angles related to alkali mixing and annealing, and evidence for the nature of the distribution of cations in the glass. The results are discussed in relation to the composition dependence of other properties of these and related mixed alkali glasses.
Validation of QuickDASH Outcome Measure in Breast Cancer Survivors for Upper Extremity Disability

Abstract Objective To validate the QuickDASH as a patient-reported outcome measure for assessing upper extremity disability in breast cancer survivors. Design Large cross-sectional survey. Setting Ambulatory care center at a university hospital. Participants Postmenopausal women (N=150) with stage I to III hormone receptor–positive breast cancer currently taking a third-generation aromatase inhibitor. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure QuickDASH, an 11-item self-administered questionnaire, assesses global arm function over the past 7 days. Results Of 150 surveys, 148 (99%) were scorable. The factor analysis demonstrated 1 factor with an eigenvalue of 6.7, which explains 61% of variance. The score was reliable with a Cronbach alpha of .93. The test-retest reliability was .78 over 2 weeks. The mean QuickDASH score ± SD for all patients was 19±19. Those with upper extremity arthralgias reported higher QuickDASH scores than controls without pain (26 vs 12, P =.001). Those with frozen shoulder pain also reported higher QuickDASH scores than controls without pain (37 vs 15, P =.001). Conclusions The QuickDASH instrument is a convenient, reliable, and valid patient-reported outcome measure to assess upper extremity disability in patients with breast cancer.
Against Arguments from Reference

It is common in various quarters of philosophy to derive philosophically significant conclusions from theories of reference. In this paper, we argue that philosophers should give up on such ‘arguments from reference.’ Intuitions play a central role in establishing theories of reference, and recent cross-cultural work suggests that intuitions about reference vary across cultures and between individuals within a culture (Machery et al. 2004). We argue that accommodating this variation within a theory of reference undermines arguments from reference.
Preparation of Single Cells for Imaging/Profiling Mass Spectrometry

Characterizing chemical changes within individual cells is important for determining fundamental mechanisms of biological processes that will lead to new biological insights and improved disease understanding. Analyzing biological systems with imaging and profiling mass spectrometry (MS) has gained popularity in recent years as a method for creating chemical maps of biological samples. To obtain mass spectra that provide relevant molecular information about individual cells, samples must be prepared so that salts and other cell culture components are removed from the cell surface and that the cell contents are rendered accessible to the desorption beam. We have designed a cellular preparation protocol for imaging/profiling MS that removes the majority of the interfering species derived from the cellular growth medium, preserves the basic morphology of the cells, and allows chemical profiling of the diffusible elements of the cytosol. Using this method, we are able to reproducibly analyze cells from three diverse cell types: MCF7 human breast cancer cells, Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, and NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts. This preparation technique makes possible routine imaging/profiling MS analysis of individual cultured cells, allowing for understanding of molecular processes within individual cells.
Progesterone facilitates cisplatin toxicity in epithelial ovarian cancer cells and xenografts

Objectives The underlying premise of these investigations was that the lipophilic hormone progesterone, which partitions into and (at relatively high concentrations) impedes the fluid mechanics of the plasmalemma, would perturb integral associations between membrane lipids and exporter pumps that otherwise confer drug resistance. That progesterone can affect susceptibility of ovarian adenocarcinoma cells and xenografts to cisplatin was tested.
Lumping and Splitting: Notes on Social Classification

This paper examines the mental process of grouping “similar” things together in distinct clusters and separating “different” clusters from one another. The role language plays in providing us with seemingly homogeneous mental niches for lumping things together yet at the same time allowing us to carve seemingly discrete categories out of experiential continua directs the sociological study of classification to intersubjective, conventional mindscapes that are neither personal nor “logical.” The paper identifies a nonmetric, topological mode of thinking that involves playing down intracluster while exaggerating intercluster mental distances and ends with some methodological observations of the need to approach classification from a comparative perspective as well as highlighting the role of spatial zoning, rites of separation, and Freudian slips in the study of the social construction of difference and similarity.
Rescue of a Dominant Mutant With RNA Interference

Maize Mucronate1 is a dominant floury mutant based on a misfolded 16-kDa γ-zein protein. To prove its function, we applied RNA interference (RNAi) as a dominant suppressor of the mutant seed phenotype. A γ-zein RNAi transgene was able to rescue the mutation and restore normal seed phenotype. RNA interference prevents gene expression. In most cases, this is used to study gene function by creating a new phenotype. Here, we use it for the opposite purpose. We use it to reverse the creation of a mutant phenotype by restoring the normal phenotype. In the case of the maize Mucronate1 (Mc1) phenotype, interaction of a misfolded protein with other proteins is believed to be the basis for the Mc1 phenotype. If no misfolded protein is present, we can reverse the mutant to the normal phenotype. One can envision using this approach to study complex traits and in gene therapy.
Stress concentration in silicon-insulator interfaces

Abstract Edges of silicon oxide or nitride diffusion masks produce in the silicon substrate stresses of thermal or intrinsic nature. When the stress field is evaluated in terms of an elastic two-dimensional model, with the proper boundary conditions, stresses attain a maximum value of the order of 10 9 dy/cm 2 . The shear component is particularly important. Experiments with monochromatic infra-red transmission are reported. They show a marked anomaly in transmittance in the region near the mask edge, where stresses are presumably large. To the first order this anomaly appears to be caused by a piezo-absorption phenomenon. The implications of the large stress field for semiconductor device behavior are analyzed qualitatively, while the limitations of the calculations caused by limitations in the model, are emphasized. These results nevertheless, on balance, point to the serious possibility that some reported phenomena in semiconductor devices can be understood as edge-stress dependent processes.
Two-point correlation functions for a distinguishable particle hopping on a uniform one-dimensional chain

We derive the two-point correlation function for a distinguishable-particle hopping on a one-dimensional linear chain with all sites equivalent. The solution is obtained from a multiple-scattering equation derived from first principles. The results are similar to results obtained from computer experiments and phenomenological arguments.
The Courage to Tax: Rational Choice versus State Budgetary Politics in the South

This study examines revenue enhancements that states either contemplated or adopted in an effort to close significant budget gaps created by recessionary pressures in fiscal years 2000–2003. Specifically, this article scrutinizes the political environment, rhetoric, and pressures within which budget decision making occurs as juxtaposed against the rational choice model of modern public budgeting. The primary research question advanced in this article concerns whether a rational choice framework has been superceded by a political imperative in state budget processes in the twenty-first century. Case studies of specific economic and political dynamics within a narrow span of time reveal some important insights into determining the tradeoffs that take place between rational choice and politics in state budgeting. State policymakers have defacto removed tax increases from the table of alternatives because of politics, and actions have been focused on short-term solutions to budgetary and fiscal problems. This study posits that both politicians and citizens are being disadvantaged by this apparent shift toward politics.
Predicted and measured response of the EBR-II plant to large steam pressure changes

Abstract Three tests were performed on the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) plant in which the steam pressure was ramped down by about 8, 16 and 32% of the initial 8806 kPa value, held constant, and then ramped back up to this value. Measured data from all three tests are provided along with a comparison with results from a numerical simulation of the down-ramp portion of the most severe test. The measured change in reactor inlet temperature was only about 25 to 30% of the change in steam drum saturation temperature. This relationship is very important in limiting power and temperature changes caused by steam system blowdowns in liquid metal reactor designs, such as the EBR-II, which utilize (large) negative temperature coefficients to enhance controllability and safety. These test results suggest that it appears possible to design an LMR plant in which reactivity feedbacks protect the reactor during a loss-of-heat-sink accident, without risking overly severe consequences during a steam pressure reduction accident.
Tumor Formation in Interspecific Hybrids of Lilium

Tumors were formed on germinating seeds of a hybrid of Lilium speciosum "Album" x L. auratum. Ferulic acid and the glucose ester were isolated from both pericarp and seeds. Tumors were induced on excised embryos only when the embryos were grown on nutrient agar containing ferulic acid. Tumors may result from the limited amount of glycosylation and from detoxification of ferulic acid.
Sociodemographic factors, drug abuse, and other crimes: How they vary among male and female arrestees

Abstract The push for severe punishment of drug-related crimes drastically increased the prison population over the last decade. The number of female prisoners grew at a rate even higher than that of males. With incarceration rates skyrocketing, it becomes ever more important to understand exactly who is involved in the justice system. An interview study conducted in seven county jails in Ohio examined various characteristics of arrestees, comparing separately by gender the behaviors and needs of arrestees there. The Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) interview schedule and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) constituted the major content of the questionnaire used in the present study. This questionnaire thus recorded details of arrestees' (1) criminal behavior, (2) drug use, (3) experience of drug-abuse consequences, (4) perceived needs for drug treatment, and (5) sociodemographic backgrounds. Only by identifying these factors can one gain adequate understanding of why individuals are involved in the justice system—and of what can, finally, curtail that involvement. Drug treatment and marketable-skill development have been two approaches to curtailing recidivism, and this study found that such programs alleviated arrestees' difficulties most effectively when they incorporated a gender-sensitive approach. Whether or not the interviewed arrestees were ever actually adjudicated, the identification of sociodemographic and other factors pertaining to them should provide useful insights for those seeking to deter future criminal involvement among offenders generally.
Polymerization-induced phase separation.

A molecular dynamics simulation is performed to study the kinetics of microphase separation in a polymer-dispersed-liquid-crystal forming process. An equimolar mixture of monomers and liquid crystal molecules are thermalized in a well mixed state. The monomers are then polymerized at the same temperature. The end product is a spanning gel with liquid crystal molecules aggregating in droplets here and there. The peak position of the equal-time structure function suggests that the growth of the droplets may be described with ${t}^{\ensuremath{-}0.23}.$ The small growth exponent is just one of several features which may be attributed to the growing elastic gel. We argue that the aggregation is driven by entropy.
Radio-Frequency Orientation of As 76

Measurements are reported on the successful orientation of 26-hour ${\mathrm{As}}^{76}$ donors in a doped silicon crystal. A general discussion is given of the various methods of dynamic nuclear orientation and how they apply to ${\mathrm{As}}^{76}$. The use of radio-frequency orientation to determine the sign of the nuclear magnetic moment and the mixture of total angular momenta carried off by the electron-neutrino system is discussed. ${\mathrm{As}}^{76}$ has been oriented by both saturation of forbidden transitions and double resonance methods. The hyperfine splitting of ${\mathrm{As}}^{75}$ in the doped silicon crystal is +198.42\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04 Mc/sec; the hyperfine splitting of ${\mathrm{As}}^{76}$ in the same crystal is -93.660\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06 Mc/sec. The spin of ${\mathrm{As}}^{76}$ has been shown to be 2; its gyromagnetic ratio, -0.4514. The determination of the relative amounts of angular momenta carried off by the ${2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${2}^{+}$, 2.41-Mev beta ray gives a result which is consistent with 5 parts $L=0, 2$ parts $L=1, \mathrm{and} 3$ parts $L=2$. An unknown systematic error in these last measurements makes it difficult to say precisely what the mixture is. Unsuccessful attempts to produce orientation through the Overhauser and Abragam methods are summarized.
Cesium iodide cathodes for high-power microwave devices

A variety of cesium iodide-coated carbon fiber cathodes have been designed and tested for high voltage (300 - 500 kV), high current operation. Here, we describe the conditioning process and present the most recent experimental data for a thin annular beam test diode. During these reproducible microsecond-duration pulses, this diode exhibits promising beam impedance maintainability and gap closure speeds of less than 0.4 cm/microsecond(s) ec. Also presented are recent results for a carbon fiber cathode tested in a relativistic klystron oscillator and future plans for such a cathode in the magnetically insulated line oscillator.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Inorganic concepts relevant to metal binding, activity, and toxicity in a biological system

Selected physical and inorganic concepts and factors which might be important in assessing and/or understanding the fate and disposition of metal compounds in a biological environment are reviewed. The stereochemistry (geometry), thermodynamic stability, redox properties, and intrinsic reactivity/lability are properties of metal compounds which can have a major influence on metal-target binding and on the eliciting of activity/toxicity. Concepts and factors are illustrated with appropriate examples where possible. Efforts to correlate the toxicity of metal compounds with a suitable indicator of toxicity should be expanded to include other parameters or combinations of parameters.
Influence of energy alternatives and carbon emissions on an institution's green reputation.

Abstract Institutions' reputation for being environmentally friendly or ‘green’ can come from many sources. This paper examines how the attributes of alternative energy management plans impact an institutions' ‘green’ reputation by focusing on the interaction between ‘external’ and ’internal’ influences. Some ‘external’ influences on environmental reputation we studied include the institution's mix of fuels, energy conservation effort, carbon emissions targets, investment time-frame, and program cost. The ‘internal’ influences on institutions' green reputation we examined include altruism (respondents' concern for the welfare of others) and environmentalism (respondents' concern for the environment). Using a stated-preference conjoint survey, we empirically examine how attributes of alternative energy management plans influence a large, research university's ‘green’ reputation. Our results show that constituents benefit from their institution's green reputation and that the energy management choices of the institution can significantly influence its perceived green reputation. Furthermore, integrating internal and external influences on reputation can create more informative models and better decision-making.
Optimized adeno-associated virus (AAV)-protein phosphatase-5 helper viruses for efficient liver transduction by single-stranded AAV vectors: therapeutic expression of factor IX at reduced vector doses.

This manuscript characterizes several strategies to improve AAV gene transfer. By varying vector serotype or engineered capsid, self-complementary genomes and, importantly, genetic cofactors for efficient transduction, AAV liver transduction is dramatically increased. The increased bioactivity of the highly engineered particle permits the use of reduced doses to achieve a therapeutic effect, which in turn should impact safety favorably.
Learning how to learn: Can experiencing the outcome of different encoding strategies enhance subsequent encoding?

Research on how individuals monitor their level of comprehension during study paint a picture of learners as insensitive to many of the factors or conditions of learning that can enhance long-term retention and transfer. In the present article, we discuss research examining the sensitivity, or lack thereof, of learners to one such factor: generation. More specifically, we discuss research addressing the question of learners’ sensitivity to the memorial benefits of generation and whether-if given the opportunity to experience this benefit in their own recall performance-they might then go on to develop enhanced encoding strategies in the processing of new to-be-learned information.