cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 4 Forecast Combinations

Abstract Forecast combinations have frequently been found in empirical studies to produce better forecasts on average than methods based on the ex ante best individual forecasting model. Moreover, simple combinations that ignore correlations between forecast errors often dominate more refined combination schemes aimed at estimating the theoretically optimal combination weights. In this chapter we analyze theoretically the factors that determine the advantages from combining forecasts (for example, the degree of correlation between forecast errors and the relative size of the individual models' forecast error variances). Although the reasons for the success of simple combination schemes are poorly understood, we discuss several possibilities related to model misspecification, instability (non-stationarities) and estimation error in situations where the number of models is large relative to the available sample size. We discuss the role of combinations under asymmetric loss and consider combinations of point, interval and probability forecasts.
What Clinicians Want to Know About Teaching Families New Disciplinary Tools

NOT ALL FAMILIES HAVE THE SAME EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Dr Howard9s paper points out that punishment (one way of decreasing undesired behaviors) is only part of a larger system for helping children develop adaptive interpersonal skills and culturally acceptable patterns of conduct. Parents also rely on promoting a close relationship with their child, reinforcing positive behaviors, and helping children learn a set of basic behavioral rules that are adaptable to changing situations. One of the things that we don9t know about families using corporal punishment is the extent to which they lack skills in all of these areas or whether, at the risk of gross oversimplification, we would suggest that they change nothing except to replace one form of punishment (spanking) for another. In some families, corporal punishment occurs in the context of poor parent-child relationships and other forms of emotionally harsh punishment, and in other families it does not.1,2 WHAT ROLE DO PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS HAVE IN PARENTING EDUCATION? Dr Howard shows that a variety of behavioral interventions are available, that they have demonstrable effects, and that they work for a variety of populations. Most of the studies she described, however, would have to be classified as efficacy studies. We now know these interventions work in the hands of clinical psychologists in laboratory conditions with selected patients. What do we know about how to build these into routine pediatric practice, especially those that require several training sessions and specialized training materials?3 Research in adult mental health services suggests one direction to pursue—the development of novel collaborative arrangements between behavioral specialists and primary care providers.
Testing a path model of relationships between gender, age, and bullying victimization and violent behavior, substance abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts in adolescents

The goal of this study was to test a path model for the relationships between age, gender, traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization, and violent behavior, substance abuse, depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in adolescents. A hypothesized path model was fit to data from the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) on a nationally representative sample of 15,425 high-school students from across the United States. RESULTS suggested that the effects of traditional and cyberbullying victimization on suicidal thinking, suicide planning, and suicide attempts were mediated by violent behavior, substance abuse, and depression. RESULTS also suggested reciprocal paths between substance abuse and violent behavior. There were statistically significant indirect paths from both traditional and cyberbullying victimization to suicide attempts without the involvement of depression, suicidal thinking, or suicide planning, findings suggesting a model for spontaneous, unplanned adolescent suicides. RESULTS suggested that female adolescents who reported cyberbullying victimization also reported higher rates of depression and suicidal behaviors compared to their male counterparts, and that as adolescents got older, depression and substance abuse tended to increase, while violent behavior and suicidal thinking tended to decrease. The implications of these findings for social workers, school counselors, and others who work with adolescents are considered.
Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Genes: Evolution

The major histocompatibility complex is a family of genes whose products play a key role in the immune system, presenting peptides to T cells. This family includes the most polymorphic loci known in animals. Keywords: human leukocyte antigen; immune system genes; major histocompatibility complex; multigene families; polymorphism
Real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in congenital heart disease.

Diagnosing congenital heart disease (CHD) depends heavily on imaging. Traditionally, two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography has been the most widely used but since this imaging modality utilizes a 2D technique to evaluate three-dimensional (3D) structures it suffers from inherent limitations. The more recently developed 3D echocardiography is poised to be superior in providing comprehensive evaluation prior to intervention on such complex conditions. In this review, we summarize the applications of 3D echocardiography in evaluating patients with CHD. (Echocardiography 2012;29:220-231)
Aesthetic outcomes in women undergoing breast‐conserving therapy followed by mastectomy and microsurgical reconstruction

Background In women with early-stage breast cancer, breast-conserving therapy (BCT) provides comparable survival to mastectomy. BCT has the advantage of preserving most of the breast, its skin envelope and the nipple–areola complex. However, deformity may result from the excision of significant amounts of breast tissue, as well as radiation therapy. Several studies have compared patients who underwent BCT to different patients who underwent mastectomy and reconstruction, and found superior aesthetic outcomes in the latter group. Our goal in this study was to compare the aesthetic outcomes in the same women who underwent BCT followed by mastectomy and reconstruction. Methods Between 2007 and 2012, 42 women with a history of BCT developed cancer recurrence and underwent mastectomy and microsurgical breast reconstruction at our institution. Photographs before and after mastectomy and reconstruction were rated by a panel of nine judges (two independent plastic surgeons, three surgical oncologists, one radiation oncologist, one medical oncologist, and two medical students), using a validated scale Results Overall, patients received a significantly higher aesthetic score after mastectomy and reconstruction than after BCT. The greatest areas of aesthetic improvement were breast volume, contour, and projection. Patients whose lumpectomy was in the lower inner quadrant, those undergoing bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction and those completing all stages of their reconstruction had the greatest aesthetic improvement Conclusions When advising patients with early-stage breast cancer, the superior aesthetic outcome of mastectomy and microsurgical reconstruction compared to BCT must be weighed against disadvantages such as loss of sensation, length of surgery, and donor-site morbidity. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:21–28, 2015.
A numerical study of bank storage and its contribution to streamflow

Abstract Floodplains mitigate against extreme annual hydrologic phenomena by storing substantial volumes of water which would otherwise increase flood volumes. Later floodplains gradually release this water which serves to maintain baseflows. This phenomenon, called bank storage, has important physical and ecological ramifications which in addition to reducing flood peaks, include sustaining riparian vegetation and improving water quality. We developed a model of bank storage based upon the earlier work of Neuman and Witherspoon (Wat. Resour. Res., 6 (1990) 889, 1376; 7 (1971) 611). This model (WaTab2D) treats the flow of water through floodplain soils for a general two-dimensional case: non-symmetrical valleys, non-symmetrical channel banks, non-uniform hydraulic geometry and non-zero boundary fluxes. The total volume that can potentially be released from bank storage is nearly proportional to the width of the floodplain, the height of the bank, and the specific yield; the duration over which water is released from bank storage increases with increasing floodplain width and decreases with hydraulic conductivity. Drainage of water from the floodplain with a drop in channel water level occurs over a period of days in gravel, weeks to a few years in sand, years in silt, and decades in clay. The rate of drainage decreases in an exponential-like manner.
Quantitative histochemical distribution of free and bound pantothenate in the rat adrenal and the response to ACTH.

A microbiological assay with Lactobacillus arabinosis, previously developed, was used to study the quantitative histological distribution of free and bound (mainly coenzyme A) pantothenate in the rat adrenal. Concentrations were expressed as pantothenic acid per unit protein-nitrogen. Less than 20% of the total pantothenate in microtome sections of the cortex was found to be free, and this smaller fraction was rather uniformly distributed among the cortical zones but it occurred in higher concentration in medulla. ACTH treatment of the rats (25 mg./kg. injected subcutaneously 3 hours before sacrifice) reduced the concentration of free pantothenate in all zones to about the same degree. Bound pantothenate was evenly distributed throughout the gland, and the ACTH treatment elicited a significant rise in concentration only in fasciculata. This elevation was greater than the fall in concentration of free pantothenate, indicating a mobilization of Co A in this zone in addition to direct synthesis from the free...
Ultrastructural investigation on the foliicolous pyrenocarpous lichen Strigula elegans (Fée) Müll. Arg.

Abstract Transmission electron microscopic examination of thin-sectioned Strigula elegans foliicolous on Magnolia grandiflora reveals localized cytoplasmic, as wel1 as intraplastidic, accumulations of haematochrome within the phycobiont, Cephaleuros virescens (Chroolepidaceae, Chlorophyta). Numerous plasmodesmata similar in appearance to those occurring in nonlichenized C. virescens occur in the phycobiont cross wal1s. The ascomycetous mycobiont contains Woronin-like bodies in the septal pores of some hyphae and concentric bodies in hyphae in some regions of the thallus. The alga-fungus structural relationship is either close apposition without wal1 thinning or dissolution, or fungal penetration of the phycobiont by one or more walled haustoria. Haustorial penetration is not restricted to senescing or decaying cells, as is the case in other pyrenocarpous lichens. Neither inter-cellular nor intracellular crystalline material was observed in glutaraldehyde-osmium fixed specimens. Within host tissue subtendi...
Electron spin resonance probing of lipopolysaccharide domains in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli

Abstract (1) Scatchard analysis of the binding of the cationic electron spin resonance probe 4-(dodecyldimethylammonium)-1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperdine bromide to lipopolysaccharide and to phospholipid indicated that this probe has a 5 fold greater affinity for anionic lipopolysaccharide than for phospholipid. In the intact outer membrane this cationic probe likely associates with the lipopolysaccharide-containing outer monolayer. (2) The temperature dependence of the mobility of the cationic spin probe in the outer membrane indicates that a structural transition occurs at 9°C in the outer monolayer. (3) A similar 9°C transition was detected in the outer membrane using the spin probe 5-doxyl stearate. This anionic probe has been shown to preferentially partition into the phospholipid enriched domains of the outer membrane. (4) A porin-lipopolysaccharide-peptidoglycan complex probed with the cationic probe also was shown to undergo a thermally induced structural change at 9°C. (5) Purified lipopolysaccharide, however, was shown to have structural transitions at 20°C and 40°C. (6) It is proposed that a structural rearrangement of the intact outer membrane occurs at approx. 9°C in both the lipopolysaccharide and phospholipid domains of the outer membrane. Furthermore, this structural transition appears to be highly dependent on lipid-protein interactions. A second thermotropic transition that occurs in the outer membrane at approx. 40 to 42°C appears to result mainly from changes in the lipopolysaccharide domain structure.
Advances in the management of acute and chronic sinusitis

In recent years, the approach to the patient presenting with symptoms or imaging findings of sinusitis has changed markedly. Alteration in management has occurred not only as a result of advances in diagnosis and treatment, but also because of changes in the microbiology of the disease. Diagnostic advances include the use of computed tomography (CT) imaging as well as antral endoscopy. Treatment alternatives include conservative means using antibiotics, decongestants, and occasionally intranasal vasoconstrictors, or more aggressive measures such as antral aspiration and irrigation with or without nasal antrostomy. The development of resistant bacterial species has altered the recommended firstand second-line therapies used in treating these infections. In addition, the cause, the sinus involved, the setting of the treatment (ie, outpatient versus inpatient), and the chronicity of the condition all affect treatment. Each of these areas is addressed.
Regulation of TH17 cells in the mucosal surfaces

The mucosal surfaces represent the main intersection between jawed vertebrates and the environment. The mucosal surface of the intestine alone forms the largest surface that is exposed to exogenous antigens as well as the largest collection of lymphoid tissue in the body. Therefore, a protective immune activity must coexist with efficient regulatory mechanisms to maintain a health status of these organisms. The discovery of a new lineage of T H cells that produce IL-17 has provided valuable new insight into host defense and the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases at the mucosal surfaces. Of particular interest for these surfaces, it has been reported that peripherally-induced regulatory T cells and T H 17 effector cells arise in a mutually exclusive fashion, depending on whether they are activated in the presence of TGF-β or TGF-β plus inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6. This review addresses the protective and pathogenic roles of T H 17 cells in the mucosal surfaces and potential regulatory mechanisms that control their development.
Stability of a heparin-free 50% ethanol lock solution for central venous catheters.

Objectives. To determine the stability of a compounded 50% ethanol solution (v/v) in syringes used for ethanol locks for central venous catheters. Design. Syringes were compounded with 50% ethanol solution (v/v) and were tested for ethanol concentration over a 28 day period. Syringes were stored at room temperature not protected from light and assayed on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 15, 17, 21, and 28. Ethanolic content was determined using gas chromatography/flame ionization detection (GC/ FID) Varian CP-WAX58 (FFAP) CB capillary column. Setting. University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center. Results. The mean value for all samples over 28 days was found to be 47.08% with a standard deviation of 2.72. Mean ethanol concentrations ranged from 43 to 52% over the 28 day period and did not vary with time. Conclusions. Ethanol is an effective disinfectant against a broad range of micro-organisms, including bacteria and fungi. Retrospective trials have suggested that the efficacy of an ethanol lock solution...
Mechanism of glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in HT22 mouse hippocampal cells.

Abstract Glutamate is an endogenous excitatory neurotransmitter. At high concentrations, it is neurotoxic and contributes to the development of certain neurodegenerative diseases. There is considerable controversy in the literature with regard to whether glutamate-induced cell death in cultured HT22 cells (an immortalized mouse hippocampal cell line) is apoptosis, necrosis, or a new form of cell death. The present study focused on investigating the mechanism of glutamate-induced cell death. We found that glutamate induced, in a time-dependent manner, both necrosis and apoptosis in HT22 cells. At relatively early time points (8–12 h), glutamate induced mostly necrosis, whereas at late time points (16–24 h), it induced mainly apoptosis. Glutamate-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction were crucial early events required for the induction of apoptosis through the release of the mitochondrial apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), which catalyzed DNA fragmentation (an ATP-independent process). Glutamate-induced cell death proceeded independently of the Bcl-2 family proteins and caspase activation. The lack of caspase activation likely resulted from the lack of intracellular ATP when the mitochondrial functions were rapidly disrupted by the mitochondrial oxidative stress. In addition, it was observed that activation of JNK, p38, and ERK signaling molecules was also involved in the induction of apoptosis by glutamate. In conclusion, glutamate-induced apoptosis is AIF-dependent but caspase-independent, and is accompanied by DNA ladder formation but not chromatin condensation.
The Role of the Community College in Baccalaureate Attainment at a Private Liberal Arts College

A number of studies have shown that the associate degree track no longer reflects the path of community college students pursuing bachelor's degrees. Rather, students use the community college to fulfill specific degree requirements. This study investigated whether community college credits were used to fulfill core or major requirements among baccalaureate graduates of a private liberal arts college over a five-year period. Results indicate that more than one-third of graduates used the community college to fulfill requirements for the bachelor's degree. Overall, the primary use of the community college was to fulfill requirements for the core curriculum. Use of the community college was greatest among humanities majors, with business majors completing the most community college hours.
Biofouling monitors for noncylindrical OTEC heat exchanger tubes

Heat-transfer monitors (HTMs) have been used to measure the reduction in the seawater heat-transfer coefficient due to buildup of biofouling and corrosion products inside circular tubes of shell-and-tube heat exchangers being developed for ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plants. For OTEC heat exchangers (HXs) with other tube geometries, special, modified HTMs, which we call STMs, are being sought. The analytical approaches and calibration results to date are summarized for STMs of two types: (i) an STM simulating a rectangular seawater passage in a compact, aluminum, plate-fin HX, and (ii) an STM for a helical stainless-steel tube. The development of type 1 has been successful. A software change is needed for type 2.
WOMEN AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY

In the last ten years, feminists in and out of the universities have developed a power‐ful critique of pornography as “the ideology of rape” and the “ideological justifica‐tion for male dominance”. This article is a sociological analysis of the feminist social movement which has grown up around the issues of male violence and male culture.
Adenoviruses and Pediatric Gastroenteritis

Adenoviruses were found in 8.6% of 900 pediatric inpatients with diarrhea who were tested by electron microscopy of a fecal specimen and cell culture inoculation of a throat swab and an anal swab specimen. In 5.1% of these patients, including 13.5% of patients who were four through five months of age, adenovirus particles were visualized in the fecal specimen. Controlled study demonstrated that visualized adenoviruses, especially those that did not grow readily in conventional Hep-2 cell cultures, were significantly associated with diarrhea. About 80% of the visualized adenoviruses from patients with diarrhea or vomiting or both, including 94% of the viruses that grew in the 293 cell line but that did not grow readily in Hep-2 cultures, proved to be enteral adenoviruses--adenoviruses from either group F (type 40) or group G (type 41). Inpatients with gastroenteritis and confirmed enteral adenoviruses ranged in age from one through 16 months, with a median age of seven months. Enteral adenoviruses apparently are endemic in this locale, as one or more of these viruses have been found in every calendar month for nine successive years.
Collision-induced dissociation of the negative ions of simvastatin hydroxy acid and related species.

Simvastatin hydroxy acid (1) is a well-known, potent HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Its lactone, simvastatin (commercial name Zocor) (a prodrug of 1), has been widely prescribed in the USA and throughout the world. In this work, collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the negative ion of 1 (m/z 435), a carboxylic anion, was analyzed in detail. The major fragmentation pathway of this ion is a novel de-esterification to form the negative product ions at m/z 319 and 115. The ion at m/z 319 undergoes further collision-induced rearrangements to form the negative ions at m/z 215, 159 and 85. Possible mechanisms of the de-esterification are discussed in terms of both charge-initiated and charge-remote fragmentations. The de-esterification of the negative ion of 1 and the rearrangements of the ion at m/z 319 are rationalized by charge transfer and negative-charge initiated fragmentation. This study deepens our understanding of collision-induced fragmentations of carboxylic anions with multi-functional groups. A comparison of the CID data for the negative ions of 1 and 5 (a major oxidation degradate of 1) indicates that the analysis of the CID data for 1 can serve as a basis for identification of oxidation degradation products or metabolites of 1. The analysis of the CID data for the negative ion of 1 also reveals the fundamental characteristics of the CID data for the negative ions of other statin hydroxy acids such as lovastatin (3) and pravastatin (4).
Comparative Effects of Indoleacetic Acid and Gibberellic Acid on Growth of Decapitated Etiolated Epicotyls of Pisum sativum cv. Alaska

Measurements were made of the growthof the sub-apical region of decapitated, etiolated epicotyls of Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska after treatments with indoleacetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA) and triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA). Growth was measured either at the end of a 2-day period, at short intervals during growth, or was monitored continuously for 2–3 h using a position-sensing transducer. In experiments measuring growth after 2 days, high levels (0.1–10 μg/plnat) of IAA caused expansion, whereas similar levels of GA caused elongation. When both hormones were applied together, the effects of IAA were dominant and expansion ensued, even when GA was present at 100 times the amount of IAA. Very low amounts of IAA (0.5–5 ng/plant), however, caused elongation. The elongation elicited by high GA or low IAa was inhibited to a similar extent by TIBA and this inhibition of elongation was associated with an increased expansion at the extreme tip. When application of the hormones was delayed, GA-induced elongation was reduced considerably, IAA-induced elongation was lessened somewhat and IAA-induced expansion was partially converted into elongation. In experiments measuring elongation at short intervals, high levels of IAA caused rapid elongation followed after 3 to 6 h by expnasion. Both GA and low levels of IAA extended the duration of elongation with little apparent effect on the rate of growth. In fast-growth experiments, low, intermediate and high levels of IAA doubled the rate of elongation with a lag period of about 20 min, whereas GA had at most a very slight stimulatory effect on the growth rate. It is concluded that the main role of GA in this system is to maintain physiological levels of IAA in the growing zone and that the level of IAA present determines whether elongation or expansion will take place.
Personality, Nonverbal Behavior, and Interaction Quality in Female Dyads

Female dyads were videotaped while they took part in an initial social interaction. Participants subsequently evaluated their encounter along several qualitative dimensions. Independent observers also rated the interactions, and a variety of behaviors were coded from the videotapes. Dyad-level analyses revealed that agreeableness, openness, and extraversion predicted observers’ evaluations of interaction quality. Individual-level analyses further indicated that agreeableness and extraversion predicted participants’ perceptions of interaction quality. Links between personality and social behavior were revealed as well. Variations in visual attention and body position accounted for the relations found between dyads’ levels of agreeableness and independent observers’ evaluations of interaction quality. Visual attention further mediated the relation revealed between openness and observers’ ratings of quality. This work reveals that self-reports of personality can reliably predict the course of social interact...
Successful treatment of persistent hypoxemia by nasal suctioning in a neonate with primary ciliary dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetic disorder that manifests clinically with chronic sinopulmonary and otologic disease. Despite the majority of patients presenting with respiratory symptoms in the neonatal period, the diagnosis is often delayed until several years of age. We report the case of a 5-day-old male who was diagnosed with PCD by electron microscopic evaluation of cilia obtained from nasal brush biopsy. This case also demonstrated the successful treatment of persistent hypoxemia with frequent nasal suctioning.
Surgical Closure of an Aortic Septal Defect

Occurring just above the aortic and pulmonic valves, an aortic-pulmonary artery communication gives a left-right shunt which may be indistinguishable by clinical findings from a patent ductus arteriosus. Under some circumstances it is possible to identify the lesion by retrograde aortography. Because of increase in cardiac work, the shunt can produce cardiac strain. Whether or not the communication can be closed surgically depends upon the size of the opening and its distance above the coronary arteries. A case is here reported in which an aortic-pulmonary artery communication has been closed surgically.
Revisiting the contact hypothesis: The induction of a common ingroup identity☆☆☆

Abstract This paper reviews evidence pertaining to the Common Ingroup Identity Model for reducing intergroup bias. This model proposes that intergroup bias and conflict can be reduced by factors that transform members cognitive representations of the memberships from two groups to one more inclusive social entity. Theoretically, a common ingroup identity extends or redirects the cognitive and motivational processes that produce positive feelings toward ingroup members to former outgroup members. It is proposed that the prerequisite features specified by the contact Hypothesis (Allport, 1954; Cook, 1985), such as equal status between the memberships, cooperative interdependence, opportunity for self-revealing interactions and egalitarian norms, successfully reduce bias, in part, because they help transform members' perceptions of the memberships from “Us” and “Them” to a more inclusive “We”. Evidence from a laboratory experiment, two survey studies involving students attending a multi-ethnic high school and executives who have experienced a corporate merger, and a field experiment involving fans attending a college football game are summarized. In general, across these diverse settings, greater perceptions of a superordinate identity predicted lower levels of intergroup bias toward original outgroup members. In particular, this presentation of our research discusses the promise of exploring the role of a dual identity, in which both sub-group and superordinate group identities exist simultaneously, and how contextual features of the situational context may moderate the relation between the strength of a dual identity and intergroup attitudes.
Modeling the destruction of realistic nanotube emitters : Relative role of charging and temperature

To discriminate between the effect of charge and temperature as the main cause of structural changes in nanotube-based field-electron emitters, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of charged single- and multiwall carbon nanotubes under realistic conditions. Our results indicate that cap-terminated nanotubes disintegrate abruptly under critical emission conditions. Disintegration, involving either desorption of cap fragments or a transformation into carbon chains and graphitic flakes, occurs prior to melting and is accelerated by Coulomb repulsion that destabilizes the charged tip.
Interaction provenance model for unified authentication factors in service oriented computing

Authentication is one of the most fundamental security problems. To date, various distinct authentication factors such as passwords, tokens, certificates, and biometrics have been designed for authentication. In this paper, we propose using the history or provenance of previous interactions and events as the generic platform for all authentication challenges. In this paradigm, provenance of past interactions with the authenticating principle or a third party is used to authenticate a user. We show that the interaction provenance paradigm is generic and can be used to represent existing authentication factors, yet allow the use of newer methods. We also discuss how authentication based on interactions can allow very flexible but complex authentication and access control policies that are not easily possible with current authentication models.
Sustained skeletal benefit from childhood mechanical loading

Summary Preliminary prospective, longitudinal results suggest that pre-menarcheal exposure to artistic gymnastics is associated with greater radius BMC, aBMD, and projected area throughout growth and into early adulthood, more than 4 years after activity cessation. Any loss of benefit associated with de-training appears to be temporary.
Characterization of estrogen and glucocorticoid receptors in skeletal muscle of lambs treated with estradiol‐17 beta and trenbolone acetate1

Zusammenfassung Charakterisierung von Ostrogen- und Glucocorticoid-Receptoren im Skelettmuskel von Lammern nach Behandlung mit 17-β-Ostradiol und Trenbolen-Acetat In einem 2 × 2 faktoriellen Versuch mit 24 mannlichen Lammern wurden die Charakteristika der Glucocorticoid- und Ostrogenreceptoren im Skelettmuskel nach Implantation von Trenbolon-Acetat (TBA) und 17-β-Ostradiol (E2) bestimmt. Dazu wurden die folgenden Behandlungen durchgefuhrt: 1) mit und ohne Implantation von 60 mg TBA; 2) mit und ohne Implantation von 12 mg E2 uber etwa 42 Tage. Weder die TBA- noch die E2-Behandlung beeinflusten die cytosolische Glucocorticoid-Bindungskapazitat (Bmax) in m. semitendinosis (ST) oder im m. triceps brachii (TB). Die Anzahl der unbesetzten cytosoloischen Ostrogen-Receptoren und die Dissoziationskonstante (Kd) fur Ostrogen-Receptoren fielen bei TBA-Behandlung im TB-Muskel ab (P < 0,05). Die Implantation von von E2 fuhrte zu einer fallenden Bmax im ST-Muskel und von Bmax des nukelolaren Ostrogen-Receptor im TB-Muskel (P < 0,05). Der m. semitendinosus wies grosere cytosolische Receptoren auf als der m. triceps brachii. 17-β-Ostradiol konkurrierte sowohl fur die cytosolischen als auch nukleolaren E2-Receptoren sowie die cytosolischen Glucocorticoid-Receptoren. Progesteron und Diethylstilbostrol zeigten eine gewisse Kreuz-Reaktivitat fur eine (3H)-Dexamthason-Bindung an cytosolische Glucocorticoid-Receptoren.
Frequency of ophthalmic assessments among elderly whites and African Americans with eye disease and impact on visual function.

ABSTRACT Objectives To study the difference in patterns of utilization of eye-care services among white and African American senior citizens with eye disease and its impact on visual function. Methods This study involved cross-sectional assessments of visual function using the Activities of Daily Vision Scale (ADVS), as well as retrospective self-recall of history of eye disease and frequency of ophthalmic assessments. Participants included 99 consecutive elderly patients with history of eye disease who were attending the outpatient medical clinics at Nassau University Medical Center, a community teaching hospital in Long Island, New York. Results White Americans constituted 52% of the study sample and African Americans constituted the remaining 48%. African American subjects were less likely than whites to report visiting an eye specialist over the previous 5 years (69% versus 88%, P P = 0.098). On the other hand, reporting such history had no apparent relation to the ADVS scores in whites. Conclusions African American elderly ambulatory medical patients with eye disease were less likely than their white counterparts to report use of eye-care services. The use of eye-care services in African American but not white subjects was linked to better visual function as assessed by the ADVS.
Duncan’s Early Years at Chicago: Human Ecology and the Beginnings of Stratification Studies

Abstract This papers discusses Duncan's work in human ecology done while at the University of Chicago. His theoretical, methodological, and substantive are detailed. The transition from the work in human ecology and its links to his subsequent work in social stratification are considered.
Unexpected Connections: New Jersey Manuscripts in the Rutgers and Princeton Libraries

The development of the manuscript collections of Princeton and Rutgers reflects the differing histories of the two universities. Princeton developed a research collection partially based on the areas of academic strengths of its university departments, augmented by the gifts of alumni, private collectors, and purchases. In contrast, Rutgers, as the state university, developed a strong regional collection. Princeton acquired New Jersey materials as well, in many cases through faculty and alumni or by virtue of its location, rather than through conscious effort. Although the New Jersey materials at Princeton are not as well known or as frequently used as other parts of the collection, they include valuable materials, some of which are complementary to collections at Rutgers which are heavily used by research scholars, students, local historians, and genealogists. The reasons why Princeton and Rutgers acquired these collections can be understood by looking at the history of the collecting policies of the two institutions. In the early 1890s, Princeton University acquired its first manuscripts, which were related to the history of the university. The transformation of the College of New Jersey, as Princeton was originally named, into Princeton University in 1896 provided the impetus to collect materials which would support the university's academic programs. During the period 1890 to 1940, Princeton's library collected mainly in the areas of classical, medieval, and Near Eastern manuscripts, highlighted by the gifts of Robert Garrett in the 1930s. The emphasis shifted toward American history when Julian Boyd was appointed university librarian in 1940. Boyd had been director of the New York State Historical Society and librarian of the Pennsylvania Historical Society before coming to Princeton. As university librarian, he collected extensively in the area of eighteenth-century American history, English and
The effects of vaccine characteristics on adult women's attitudes about vaccination: A conjoint analysis study

The number of current and future vaccines for adults has been steadily increasing. Yet, vaccine coverage rates for adult vaccinations have historically been low, and less is known about how adults in the mid-adult age range make vaccine decisions for themselves. The purpose of this study was to assess which vaccine characteristics affect vaccine decision-making among mid-adult women. Adult women, aged 27-55 (n=258) rated 9 hypothetical vaccine scenarios, each of which was defined along 4 dimensions: mode of transmission (STI or non-STI), severity of infection (curable, chronic, or fatal), vaccine efficacy (50%, 70%, or 90%), and availability of behavioral methods for prevention (available or not available). Ratings ranged from 0 to 100. Conjoint analysis was used to assess the effect of relative preferences for the vaccine scenario characteristics on participant ratings of scenarios. The mean vaccine scenario rating was 78.2. Nearly half (40%, n=104) of participants rated all nine scenarios the same, with the majority of those (84%) holding strongly positive views. Conjoint analysis of the other 154 participants who discriminated between scenarios indicated that the main drivers for vaccine acceptability were severity of the disease and the efficacy of the vaccine to prevent the disease. Mode of transmission and availability of a preventative behavioral measure did not play a significant role. Future studies should further assess how women's understanding of severity of the disease and efficacy of the vaccine to prevent disease may be useful for increasing vaccine acceptability.
Treatment of waste printed wire boards in electronic waste for safe disposal.

Abstract The printed wire boards (PWBs) in electronic waste (E-waste) have been found to contain large amounts of toxic substances. Studies have concluded that the waste PWBs are hazardous wastes because they fails the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test with high level of lead (Pb) leaching out. In this study, two treatment methods – high-pressure compaction and cement solidification – were explored for rendering the PWBs into non-hazardous forms so that they may be safely disposed or used. The high-pressure compaction method could turn the PWBs into high-density compacts with significant volume reduction, but the impact resistance of the compacts was too low to keep them intact in the environment for a long run. In contrast, the cement solidification could turn the PWBs into strong monoliths with high impact resistance and relatively high compressive strength. The leaching of the toxic heavy metal Pb from the solidified samples was evaluated by both a dynamic leaching test and the TCLP test. The dynamic leaching results revealed that Pb could be effectively confined in the solidified products under very harsh environmental conditions. The TCLP test results showed that the leaching level of Pb was far below the regulatory level of 5 mg/L, suggesting that the solidified PWBs are no longer hazardous. It was concluded that the cement solidification is an effective way to render the waste PWBs into environmentally benign forms so that they can be disposed of as ordinary solid wastes or beneficially used in the place of concrete in some applications.
The effect of three space allowances on the physiology and behavior of weaned pigs during transportation

Abstract Stocking density is an important aspect of transport, which could affect animal health and welfare, especially in pigs simultaneously experiencing weaning stress. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of three different space allowances on the physiology and behavior of weaned pigs during transport. A commercial semi-trailer with compartments that provided 0.05, 0.06 and 0.07 m2/pig was used throughout the study. All three space allowances were represented on both the upper and lower decks during each replicate. A constant of 100 pigs were loaded into each experimental compartment. Pigs were then transported for 112.5 ± 6.5 min to the wean-to-finishing site using the same route for each replication. This experiment was replicated 4 times. The experimental unit was the compartment. Prior to and after transport, blood samples were taken from a sub-set of pigs (n = 32 pigs/space allowance) for analysis of physiological and immune measures, and body weights and lesion scores were also recorded. Data loggers were fitted inside the trailer to record temperature, humidity, and wind speed. Cameras were placed in each experimental compartment to record behavior and postures of pigs during transport. The frequencies of standing, lying, sitting, standing-rearing on another pig, lying/huddling on top of another pig, total active and total inactive behaviors were recorded using 1-min scan samples during the entire duration of transport. Inside trailer temperature ranged from − 2.4 to 21.7 °C and inside trailer relative humidity ranged from 28.4 to 89.2% during transport. Cortisol, the neutrophil:lymphocyte (N:L) ratio, blood urea nitrogen, total bilirubin, total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, and creatine kinase were higher (p
Distribution of pressures and forces on the wrist after simulated intercarpal fusion and Kienböck's disease.

Limited intercarpal fusion has been recommended for the treatment of Kienbock's disease. The effects of a simulated scapho-trapezio-trapezoid (STT) fusion and simulated Kienbock's disease on the biomechanics of the radio-ulno-carpal joint were investigated. The percent force, the centroid of the force, and the percent contact area in each fossa were determined. It was found that a STT fusion with the scaphoid in a neutral or extended position unloads the lunate fossa. STT fusion in flexion does not affect lunate load. It is concluded from this biomechanical experiment that STT fusion with the scaphoid in a neutral or extended position unloads the radiolunate joint regardless of the condition of the lunate. This load is shifted to the radioscaphoid articulation.
Unifying microscopic flocking motion models for virtual, robotic, and biological flock members

Flocking motions have been the subject of hundreds of studies over the past six decades. The vast majority of models have nearly identical aims: bottom-up demonstration of basic emergent flocking motions. Despite a significant fraction of the literature providing algorithmic descriptions of models, incompleteness and imprecision are also readily identifiable in flocking algorithms, algorithmic input, and validation of the models. To address this issue, this meta-study introduces a data-flow template, which unifies many of the existing approaches. Additionally, there are small differences and ambiguities in the flocking scenarios being studied by different researchers; unfortunately, these differences are of considerable significance. For example, much subtlety is needed to specify sensory requirements exactly and minor modifications may critically alter a flock's exhibited motions. We introduce two taxonomies that minimize both incompleteness and imprecision, and enable us to highlight those publications that study flocking motions under comparable assumptions. Furthermore, we aggregate and translate the publications into a consolidated notation. The common notation along with the data-flow template and the two taxonomies constitute a collection of tools, that together, facilitates complete and precise flocking motion models, and enables much of the work to be unified. To conclude, we make recommendations for more diverse research directions and propose criteria for rigorous problem definitions and descriptions of future flocking motion models.
A retrospective study of induction chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatinum, and 5-fluorouracil followed by concurrent radiotherapy with cetuximab in locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Abstract Background The objective was to study the results of induction chemotherapy followed by external beam radiation therapy with concurrent cetuximab in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer. Methods Seventeen patients with stage III or IV squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck who received docetaxel, cisplatinum, and 5-fluorouracil followed by radiation therapy with concurrent cetuximab were retrospectively analyzed. All radiation was delivered with image-guided intensity-modulated radiation treatments. Primary end points analyzed were local control and overall survival. Results With a median follow-up of 17 months, the approximate 2-year local control was 85%, with overall survival being 91%. At time of last follow-up, only 1 death was observed, with the cause of death unknown. Two local failures were observed, and the patients were under active management for their recurrences at time of last follow-up. No distant metastatic failures were noted among the patients. Conclusions Induction chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatinum, and 5-fluorouracil followed by concurrent radiation with cetuximab provides for excellent locoregional control of disease. Future prospective studies can better establish the efficacy of this treatment regimen to current favored protocols.
Implementing Dempster's rule for hierarchial evidence

This article gives an algorithm for the exact implementation of Dempster’s rule in the case of hierarchical evidence. This algorithm is computationally efficient, and it makes the approximation suggested by Gordon and Shortliffe unnecessary. The algorithm itself is simple, but its derivation depends on a detailed understanding of the interaction of hierarchical evidence.
Factors Influencing the Design and Construction of LNG Storage Tanks

A number of LNG storage tank designs have been implemented on past and current projects. Such designs include full containment tanks with a 9%Ni inner liner for primary containment and storage of LNG at cryogenic temperature, a carbon steel liner for secondary liquid containment, thermal corner protection and vapor barriers on the inner tank and a concrete outer tank for resistance to external loads.LNG storage tanks are a key component of an LNG liquefaction or regasification facility and there is only a handful of specialized contractors that possess the tank technology and track record of the materials involved and the construction know how required for successful execution. This paper will focus on factors influencing LNG storage tanks design selection and construction execution strategies which can be a function of functional requirements as well as project location.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Interligand Electron Transfer Dynamics in [Os(bpy)3]2+: Exploring the Excited State Potential Surfaces with Femtosecond Spectroscopy

Femtosecond transient absorption studies of [Os(bpy)3]2+ have been performed to gain new insights into the excited-state dynamics. Experiments were performed for a series of excitation wavelengths throughout both the singlet and triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) bands. The dynamics are probed via the π−π* transition on the bpy- anion at 370 nm. Time scales for interligand electron transfer (ILET) and vibrational cooling are extracted from the amplitude and anisotropy of the excited state absorptions. The ILET rate has been measured as a function of temperature and, from these data, estimates for the electron transfer activation energy and ligand−ligand coupling are made. Our data also provide insight into the vibrational cooling dynamics within these large complexes, suggesting that vibrational cooling occurs only when exciting into the singlet MLCT state, after intersystem crossing. It appears that photoexcitation within the triplet MLCT absorption produces molecules that are vibrationally c...