cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mind Your Pricing Cues

For most of the items they buy, consumers don't have an accurate sense of what the price should be. Ask them to guess how much a four-pack of 35-mm film costs, and you'll get a variety of wrong answers: Most people will underestimate; many will only shrug. Research shows that consumers' knowledge of the market is so far from perfect that it hardly deserves to be called knowledge at all. Yet people happily buy film and other products every day. Is this because they don't care what kind of deal they're getting? No. Remarkably, it's because they rely on retailers to tell them whether they're getting a good price. In subtle and not-so-subtle ways, retailers send signals to customers, telling them whether a given price is relatively high or low. In this article, the authors review several common pricing cues retailers use--"sale" signs, prices that end in 9, signpost items, and price-matching guarantees. They also offer some surprising facts about how--and how well--those cues work. For instance, the authors' tests with several mail-order catalogs reveal that including the word "sale" beside a price can increase demand by more than 50%. The practice of using a 9 at the end of a price to denote a bargain is so common, you'd think customers would be numb to it. Yet in a study the authors did involving a women's clothing catalog, they increased demand by a third just by changing the price of a dress from $34 to $39. Pricing cues are powerful tools for guiding customers' purchasing decisions, but they must be applied judiciously. Used inappropriately, the cues may breach customers' trust, reduce brand equity, and give rise to lawsuits.
The Path to (and from?) Judicial Independence, Review of Charles Gardner Geyh, When Courts and Congress Collide: The Struggle for Control of America's Judicial System

This review essay explores Prof. Charles G. Geyh's thesis that the courts and Congress have developed a workable set of norms and practices that encourage judicial independence. Geyh argues that the relationship between the two branches is fluid but largely cyclical. He concludes that for the most part Congress has respect for judicial independence, notwithstanding isolated, sometimes demagogic, attacks on courts, judges, and decisions by some of its members. The essay also considers the book as history, noting that it will be a valuable resource for future scholars on judicial appointments, the decline of impeachment as a political tool, and the development of the bureaucracy of the federal judiciary.
REGULATION LAYER CONTROLLER DESIGN FOR AUTOMATED HIGHWAY SYSTEM : PLATOON MERGE AND SPLIT CONTROLLER DESIGN

An AHS protocol proposed by Varaiya outlines a fully automated highway system which promises a threefold increase in capacity. The core of this protocol to achieve a fully automated highway system is a four-layer hierarchical control architecture. Starting from the bottom, the layers are called the regulation, planning, link and network layers. In this paper, our emphasis is on the design of platoon merge and split controllers for vehicle longitudinal maneuvers as required in regulation layer of the Varaiya AHS protocol.
Fast adaptive encoder for bi-level images

We present a new bi-level image compression coder that does not use arithmetic encoding, but whose performance is close to that of state-of-the-art coders such as JBIG, JBIG-2, and JB2. The proposed bi-level coder (BLC) uses two simple adaptation rules: the first to compute context-dependent probability estimates that control a pixel prediction module, and the second to adjust a run-length parameter in a run-length-Rice (RLR) coder. That's contrary to the usual approach where the context-dependent probability estimate controls both pixel prediction and adaptive entropy coding. Due to its simplicity, in many applications BLC may be a better choice than JBIG or JBIG-2.
Magnetic circular dichroism of cyclic π-electron systems—19

Abstract The physical origin of magnetic circular dichroism of cyclic π-electron systems derived from a (4N + 2)-electron [n]annulene perimeter is briefly summarized and the use of the perimeter model for a back-of-the-envelope PMO prediction of absolute MCD signs of species derived from a charged perimeter is demonstrated on the case of the indenide anion and its various heterocycles which contain a heteroatom in position 1, such as indole. The spectra of analogs containing several heteroatoms, e.g. purine, are discussed, and the potential offered by MCD spectroscopy for the investigation of tautomerism and determination of protonation sites in heterocycles of this type is noted and exemplified on N-methylpurines.
Pastoral and Monumental: Dams, Postcards, and the American Landscape Donald C. Jackson. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2013.

Pastoral and Monumental: Dams, Postcards, and the American Landscape Donald C. Jackson. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2013.It is somewhat fitting that Donald C. Jackson has devoted this book to cataloguing his own vast collection of picture postcards of American dams. His single-minded, focused, extensive, and comprehensive collection vies with the nineteenth-century collecting culture wherein gentlemen collected everything from stamps to rocks to butterflies in an effort to comprehend the immensity and diversity of the physical and natural world. But it also mirrors the later, early-twentieth century fascination with and faith in technology and the popular dissemination of the impact of humanity's hand upon and exploitation of the natural resources of the land. Indeed, while one might at first imagine that the title of Jackson's book refers to the relationship between dams and postcards within the pastoral and the monumental American landscape, it actually refers to pastoral and monumental dam design and representation in postcards. The heroes of this book, all disclaimers by the author aside, are the dams themselves and, given their popular representation in postcards, with good reason.The scale of the craze for cheap picture postcards in the United States between 1905 and 1914 cannot be overstated. Hundreds of thousands of inexpensive stereo-cards were collected in the last years of the nineteenth century across the nation. In 1907 alone, when the postal rate for a postcard to be delivered anywhere in the nation dropped to one cent (two cents for international delivery), some 667 million postcards were posted. Between 1905 and 1910, almost one billion postcards were mailed, and many more were purchased solely to be collected in albums. Like many of these early collectors, Jackson's dam postcard collection represent a somewhat mono maniacal dedication to his chosen topic: he seems to have spent much of his free time over thirty years searching for dam postcards. His is probably the largest collection of dam postcards in the country. He references no other archive, and only postcards from his collection are included in the book. Indeed, only part of the collection is included, but what is illustrated is magnificent. The range and quality of images are impressive and fulsome.The book is divided into nine chapters that mirror the Jackson collection taxonomy and is bookended by chapters on postcards and photographs. The first two chapters discuss the ways in which images function in society; how dams have been perceived as "pretty," pastoral or monumental; and how the public's perception of dams has changed in the last century. …
Fucus extract: cosmetic treatment for under-eye dark circles.

Background Dark circles around the eyes are a complex issue with two main possible causes, the accumulation of melanin in the skin around the eyes and the accumulation of heme resulting from blood leakage. The free heme produced in this manner is highly cytotoxic, proinflammatory and pro-oxidative. Aims To evaluate the effect of Fucus extract on heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) stimulation activity, and to study its in vitro anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and collagen stimulation activity. Methods The HO-1 stimulation activity was first evaluated at gene level by reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction targeting specific HO-1 gene, and then followed by Western blot in protein level. The in vitro anti-inflammatory effect was measured by quantification of interleukin-8 (IL-8) level. The in vitro antioxidative activity was measured. Collagen stimulation activity was quantitatively measured by the amount of deposited collagen I in the extracellular matrix. Results Fucus extract was identified to have HO-1 stimulation activity at both gene and protein level. By stimulating this enzyme, it promotes the degradation of toxic heme to its protective catabolites (CO, Ferritin, and bilirubin) and reduces the source of dark circles. In addition, Fucus extract showed good anti-inflammatory efficacy. The strong antioxidation property of Fucus extract can reduce eye bags and wrinkles while its collagen boosting activity will potentially reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Conclusion Fucus extract is a novel product that brings a quadruple approach to the treatment of under-eye dark circles.
Design Methodology for a Robust and Energy-Efficient Millimeter-Wave Wireless Network-on-Chip

Wireless Network-on-Chip (WiNoC) architectures with CMOS compatible millimeter-wave (mm-wave) transceivers can achieve significant improvements in energy-efficiency in on-chip data transfer for multicore chips. A token based medium access mechanism is used in mm-wave WiNoC architectures to enable a distributed utilization of the available wireless bandwidth among multiple transmitters. However, on-chip wireless interconnects can suffer from high rates of failures due to challenges in design and manufacturing. Consequently, the token-passing mechanism can fail and significantly degrade the potential benefits of this novel interconnect technology. In this paper, we establish a cross-layer robust and failure-resistant design methodology for WiNoC architectures. By optimizing the WiNoC topology and complementing it with a robust token management scheme and error correction codes, we propose to design a failure-resistent WiNoC. Through system-level simulations, we demonstrate that the proposed design can mitigate the effect of various types of failures of the wireless fabric in WiNoC architectures without compromising the energy-efficiency.
The Greater Sage-Grouse Story: Do We Have It Right?

On the Ground Greater sage-grouse were found to be threatened or endangered with extinction in a preliminary assessment in 2010, with a final decision on an Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing due in 2015. ESA criteria regarding endangered status (in danger of extinction), threatened status (likely to become in danger of extinction), the foreseeable future (in which a species will become in danger of extinction), and a significant portion of a species range (without which a species will be in danger of extinction) are not definitive, rely on predictions, and are all concerned with species extinction, not simply population declines. The 2010 ESA determination for sage-grouse relies on observations of declining populations, predictions from models with uncertain assumptions, incomplete population data, and anticipated habitat changes. Prediction of species extinction from this information can be considered speculation, and insufficient for an ESA listing. Wildlife management without the encumbrances of the...
THE SEMANTICS OF LOCATIVE INFORMATION IN PICTURES AND MENTAL IMAGES

Three experiments examined how people compare sentences about spatial location to pictures and images. Previous investigations have found that people are faster at judging relative location when the description contains the word above or right than when it contains the word below or left. Expt I showed that this asymmetry persisted when the words were replaced by arrows, indicating that the effect is not specific to particular lexical items. Expt. II showed the asymmetry persisted even when the response latency did not iclude the time to encode the description, indicating that the asymmetry does not lie in the description-encoding stage. Finally, Expt. III investigated how people compare sentences to information from a previously memorized picture. In this situation, the usual asymmetry was not present. The three studies suggest that the asymmetry arises from the way descriptions influence the encoding of perceptual events. The results also show that the information encoded in a mental representation of a picture is ordered such that certain features can be access-d more quickly than others. However, the same features are equally quickly accessed in a picture that is physically present.
Pilot study of acupuncture for the treatment of joint symptoms related to adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy in postmenopausal breast cancer patients.

Introduction Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have become the standard of care for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal, hormone-sensitive breast cancer. However, patients receiving AIs may experience joint symptoms, which may lead to early discontinuation of this effective therapy. We hypothesize that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for AI-induced arthralgias.
High resolution stereoscopic volume visualization of the mouse arginine vasopressin system.

Abstract New imaging technologies have increased our capabilities to resolve three-dimensional structures from microscopic samples. Laser-scanning confocal microscopy is particularly amenable to this task because it allows the researcher to optically section biological samples, creating three-dimensional image volumes. However, a number of problems arise when studying neural tissue samples. These include data set size, physical scanning restrictions, volume registration and display. To deal with these issues, we undertook large-scale confocal scanning microscopy in order to visualize neural networks spanning multiple tissue sections. We demonstrate a technique to create and visualize a three-dimensional digital reconstruction of the hypothalamic arginine vasopressin neuroendocrine system in the male mouse. The generated three-dimensional data included a volume of tissue that measures 4.35 mm × 2.6 mm × 1.4 mm with a voxel resolution of 1.2 μm. The dataset matrix included 3508 × 2072 × 700 pixels and was a composite of 19,600 optical sections. Once reconstructed into a single volume, the data is suitable for interactive stereoscopic projection. Stereoscopic imaging provides greater insight and understanding of spatial relationships in neural tissues’ inherently three-dimensional structure. This technique provides a model approach for the development of data sets that can provide new and informative volume rendered views of brain structures. This study affirms the value of stereoscopic volume-based visualization in neuroscience research and education, and the feasibility of creating large-scale high resolution interactive three-dimensional reconstructions of neural tissue from microscopic imagery.
Periodic solutions for coupled first order nonlinear differential systems of Hamiltonian type

Soient f, g:[0, T]×R×R→R et p, q:[0, T]→R des fonctions continues donnees telles que f(0, x, y)=f(T, x, y); g(0, x, y)=g(T, x, y)x, y∈eR, p(O)=p(T), q(O)=q(T) et ∫ 0 T p(t)dt=S 0 T q(t)dt=0. On considere l'existence des solutions periodiques pour les systemes differentiels non lineaires d'ordre 1 couples de type hamiltonien: −x'+f(t,x,y)=p(t);ý+g(t,x,y)=q(t),t∈[D,T], x(O)-x(T)=g(O)−y(T)=0
1,3-H-shift pathways in C2H4O+ and C2H4O

Abstract The 1,3-H-shifts that would interconvert the C 2 H 4 O aldehyde and enol isomers and the corresponding radical cations are characterized by theory to examine further the influence of Woodward–Hoffmann (WH) orbital symmetry constraints on those reactions. Reaction pathways are traced using intrinsic reaction coordinate methods. The interconversion of the ions avoids WH restraints by rotation of the methylene such that the transition state is neither suprafacial nor antarafacial. However, the neutrals appear to interconvert through a “forbidden” suprafacial transition state with an associated avoided curve crossing such that electronic ground state reactants give products in their ground electronic state. This is the first violation of WH constraints found in a 1,3-H-shift. Present results together with previous work demonstrates that 1,3-H-shifts across double bonds can be antarafacial, suprafacial or in between.
Regulatory effects of S-100 protein and parvalbumin on protein kinases and phosphoprotein phosphatases from brain and skeletal muscle

In the eluted fractions of histone-treated crude extracts separated by Sephadex G-200 filtration, multiple protein kinase (PK) activities, including three from brain and two from skeletal muscle, were augmented by both S-100 protein and parvalbumin on the phosphorylation of endogenous substrates. One additional PK activity suppressed by both S-100 and parvalbumin was also found in muscle. In comparison, phosphoprotein phosphatases (PPase), which were also prepared by the same procedure of initial step of histone-treatment followed by the steps of Bio-Gel P-6DG for brain and DNA-cellulose for muscle, were all activated by S-100 while inhibited by parvalbumin and phosphatidylserine.
Blood volume distribution in lung injury.

Abstract Mild hydrochloric acid was used to induce injury in the caudal section of one lung in each of 10 dogs. 99m Tc-red blood cells were injected intravenously. Blood samples were drawn prior to sacrifice. Lung and blood samples were weighed, assayed for radioactivity and dried to constant weight. Assuming a uniform hematocrit, and hence a constant density, we computed blood volumes in terms of mass. The control lung had 4.32 ± 0.62 g of extravascular lung water (EVLW) per g of bloodless dried weight (BLDW). Injury in the other lung was characterized by an elevated average of 7.08 ± 0.79 g of EVLW per g of BLDW. The control lung contained 2.49 ± 0.43 g of blood per g of BLDW and the injured lung contained a reduced amount of 1.69 ± 0.55 g of blood per g of BLDW. In 8 subjects, injured portions retained the least blood volume per g of BLDW (a limiting value of 1.43 ± 0.47 g per g). These results support a thesis of a reduction of blood volume in an injured area.
Experiments with single-wire transmission lines at 3-cm wavelength

In this paper are described some results of experiments carried out in 1950 on single-wire transmission lines at a wavelength of 3 cm. The attenuations of various dielectric-coated wires have been measured and the results found to be in good agreement with the calculated values. The properties of matched loads and wire supports have been examined and also the effect of moisture and rain on the transmission loss. The latter effect is very marked and will seriously limit the application of single-wire transmission lines at 3-cm wavelength.
Juror Decision Making in Hate Crime Cases

Relatively little empirical research has been conducted on hate crimes. An issue that has previously remained almost entirely unexplored is what factors are likely to influence jurors' guilt determinations in hate crime cases. This article describes a mockjuror study that was conducted with 190 participants. Participants were given a hate crime vignette in which the ethnicity of the victim and offender were varied. Contrary to the original hypotheses, it was found that at least with this particular vignette, the offender's and victim's ethnicity did not usually affect the juror decisions. Furthermore, participants' level of racism was not related to their decisions on the juror task. The implications of the results are discussed, and suggestions are made for future research in this area.
Expression of the rabbit sperm protein Sp17 in cos cells and interaction of recombinant Sp17 with the rabbit zona pellucida

This study extends our analysis of rabbit recombinant Sp17 (rSp17) by examining whether rSp17 synthesized in transfected COS cells will show a particular localization within the cell and whether the COS cell will bind with zona pellucida. We show, using the crosslinking, reagent DSS that rSp17 can bind to rabbit zona glycoprotein R45 or R55.
The effect of acute ethanol ingestion on estrogen levels in postmenopausal women using transdermal estradiol.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether acute alcohol ingestion raises estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) levels in a randomized, controlled, crossover study on postmenopausal women using transdermal E2. METHODS Healthy, non-smoking postmenopausal women (n = 7) using no medications were enrolled. Transdermal E2, 0.15 mg, was applied 13 hours before the subjects ingested alcohol (1 mL/kg 95% ethanol) or isocaloric carbohydrate punch. Serum samples were obtained for 40 minutes before drink ingestion and 6 hours after drink ingestion and were assayed for E2 and E1. RESULTS Ethanol levels peaked 60 minutes after the start of ethanol-drink ingestion, at 25.4 mmol/L (117 mg/dL). Estradiol levels rose significantly above the mean baseline of 657 pmol/L (179 pg/mL) after ethanol-drink ingestion (P < or = .01), with a mean peak of 804 pmol/L (219 pg/mL) 35 minutes after the start of drink ingestion, and were significantly greater than the E2 levels that followed the carbohydrate drink (P < or = .0001). There were no significant changes in E2 or E1 levels after carbohydrate-drink ingestion. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that ethanol ingestion may acutely raise circulating E2 concentrations in women using transdermal E2.
Sobolev gradients and joint variational image segmentation, denoising, and deblurring

We consider several variants of the active contour model without edges, 4 extended here to the case of noisy and blurry images, in a multiphase and a multilayer level set approach. Thus, the models jointly perform denoising, deblurring and segmentation of images, in a variational formulation. To minimize in practice the proposed functionals, one of the most standard ways is to use gradient descent processes, in a time dependent approach. Usually, the L 2 gradient descent of the functional is computed and discretized in practice, based on the L 2 inner product. However, this computation often requires theoretically additional smoothness of the unknown, or stronger conditions. One way to overcome this is to use the idea of Sobolev gradients. 8,13,19 We compare in several experiments the L 2 and H 1 gradient descents for image segmentation using curve evolution, with applications to denoising and deblurring. The Sobolev gradient descent is preferable in many situations and gives smaller computational cost.
Ethical dilemmas in HIV/AIDS care: should a nurse participate in a patient's suicide?

Dr. H is a 35-year-old male college professor who had end-stage AIDS. He has been hospitalized several times within the past year for Stage IVB nonHodgkin's lymphoma. Chemotherapy was not successful in producing a remission. Although he has little pain, he has an unrelenting cough produced by the tumor infiltration of the nerves. He takes codeine tablets, cough syrup with codeine, and Valium to suppress the cough. Dr. H had stated on numerous occasions that he is terrified of choking to death during a coughing attack. Dr. H currently is receiving daily home health care from an RN. This RN has seen him several days a week for the past 3 months. Dr. H has, with the assistance of home care, been able to continue to live alone in his apartment. He has a side circle of friends and professional colleagues, but their visits have decreased in frequency within the past weeks due to Dr. H's inability to sustain conversation without producing a coughing attack. He is estranged from his family of origin and has not had any contact with them for more than 5 years. Recently, the home health nurse noticed the book Final Exit on Dr. H's bedside table, along with material printed from the Internet on assisted suicide. When the nurse asked about these items, Dr. H acknowledged that he was planning his suicide and asked the nurse to be with him to assure that it went well. Dr. H told the nurse that he had already arranged with a physician friend to provide the medications recommended in Final Exit; however, the physician was unwilling to be present. Dr. H asked the nurse to be present for the suicide and to be responsible for notifying his primary physician of the death after the nurse is assured that no vital signs are present.
THE AUTO VERSUS TRANSIT CONTROVERSY: TOWARD A RATIONAL SYNTHESIS FOR URBAN TRANSPORTATION POLICY

Considerable portion of academic literature on urban transportation has been supportive of policies which resulted in extensive urban freeway construction, but highly critical of public investments in transit. This paper challenges these views and points out many flaws in their basic arguments. Criticism of rail transit is particularly emotionally biased and it is in direct conflict with real world trends: the number of cities in the United States and other countries which have constructed rail transit as a key element of their viability has steadily increased in the last two decades. For solution of the present serious urban transportation problems, there should be a rational policy which recognizes capabilities of different modes and leads to their optimal coordination in a multimodal system.
Effect of litter nitrogen on decomposition and microbial biomass in "Spartina alterniflora"

The effect on decomposition of 4 different levels of nitrogen in aerial tissue ofSpartina alterniflora, collected at the end of its growing season litter, was studied in laboratory percolators for 56 days at 20‡C. The CO2 evolution and the release of organic nitrogen and organic carbon were monitored. From these data, the ash-free dry weight (AFDW), nitrogen (N) content, and carbon∶nitrogen (C/N) ratio were calculated at various times during decomposition. Fungal biomass, bacterial biomass, and the relative autoradiographic activity of bacteria were measured at the end of the study. Decomposition was significantly affected by the nitrogen content of the litter. A 55% increase in plant N increased overall weight loss and k by 50% and 40%, respectively. Furthermore, k (calculated from time course weight loss data) responded linearly to the 4 different levels of nitrogen inSpartina tissue. Fungi appear to dominate the microbial community. At the end of the experiment, fungal biomass was between 2.23 and 3.08% of the AFDW, and was calculated to contain 12 to 22% of the nitrogen in the litter. Bacterial biomass was 1/10 of the fungal biomass, and 12–17% of the bacteria were active. The total microbial biomass was not affected by increased plant nitrogen. In the course of decomposition, the organic nitrogen and carbon were highest in the effluent water in all treatments during the first 8 days. The respiration rate (CO2 evolution) first increased to a maximum at day 18 and then decreased to a constant rate (1–2 mg C/day/g detritus). Respiration was highest in the high N litter. The C/N ratio in all treatments increased from the start to day 8, then decreased to day 20. In low N litter, C/N then increased again as a result of increased total organic nitrogen (TON) loss relative to carbon mineralization. In the high N, this was reversed.
A high-power multi-wavelength ytterbium / erbium co-doped double-cladding fiber ring laser

A multi-wavelength laser comb with the total output power of over 30 dBm is obtained from an ytterbium / erbium (Yb/Er) co-doped double-cladding fiber ring laser by incorporating a section of multimode Yb/Er optical fiber into an otherwise single-mode fiber ring cavity to form a spatial mode beating filter.
Genetic variability of the Norwegian Fjord horse in North America

Pedigrees of a reference population of 1 659 North American Norwegian Fjord horses were traced to founders and analysed for coefficients of inbreeding and genetic variability. Effective population size was 207.8 and there were 641 total founders. Pedigree completeness was close to 100 percent for 6 generations, with 9.8 average complete generation equivalents. The average inbreeding coefficient was 3.2 percent for the entire pedigree and 1.6 percent for pedigrees traced back five generations. Average inbreeding coefficients by year of birth increased until 1983, before decreasing and then stabilizing through 2009. Effective number of founders, ancestors and genomes were 96, 30.0 and 12.7, respectively. Low effective number of founders and ancestors indicate that genetic diversity has been lost in the development of the breed in North America. However, registry-enforced breeding strategies have contributed to lower inbreeding coefficients in the current generation.
Fixed-interval-induced aggression

Pigeons attacked live target birds during periods of fixed-interval food reinforcement. The attacks largely occurred between reinforcement and the first response which initiated the next fixed interval. The interreinforcement distribution of attack responses changed over successive sessions.
On-line measurement of polymer orientation using ultrasonic technology

The propagation velocity of an ultrasonic shear wave can be used to detect anisotropic behavior in the mechanical properties of a solid. Thus, an ultrasonic shear transducer imbedded in an injection mold produces a signal that is sensitive to polymer orientation. This results in a non-invasive, on-line technique for monitoring the orientation of polymer in an injection mold cavity during part cooling and solidification. The technique is shown to be quite sensitive for semicrystalline polymers, but much less effective for amorphous polymers. Sensor results are compared to mechanical tests.
Absence of a proximal to distal gradient of motor deficits in the upper extremity early after stroke.

Abstract Objective Our first purpose was to determine whether there was a proximal to distal gradient in motor deficits in nine segments of the affected upper extremity (shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, and five fingers) post-stroke. Our second purpose was to determine which upper extremity segments made the greatest contributions to hand function. Methods Thirty-three subjects were tested on average 18.6 (±5.6) days after stroke. The ability to move each segment was measured by active range of motion (AROM). Hand function was measured by a battery of standardized clinical tests which were synthesized into a single, sensitive score for hand function using principal component analysis. Results AROM at all nine segments of the upper extremity was reduced and there was no evidence of a proximal to distal gradient in AROM values. Strength of each segment was reduced and there was also no evidence of a gradient in strength values. AROM at each segment was strongly correlated with hand function scores (range 0.76–0.94). General multiple regression analysis showed that AROM explained 82% of the variance in hand function, with most of the variance shared across proximal, middle, and distal segments. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that shoulder AROM alone could explain 88% of the variance in hand function. Conclusions Early after stroke a proximal to distal gradient of motor deficits was not present, and loss of hand function was due to a loss of ability to move many segments of the upper extremity and not just the distal ones. Significance These results suggest that a change in the clinical perception of motor deficits post-stroke is needed. Our finding that shoulder AROM predicted almost all the variance in hand function opens up the possibility that this quick, simple measure may be predictive of future hand function. This would be of high economic and clinical utility compared to other ongoing efforts attempting to predict outcomes post-stroke (e.g. fMRI, MEG).
The use of site saturation and Arrhenius assumptions in the interpretation of non-isothermal DTA/DSC crystallization experiments

Abstract Two features associated with the interpretation of thermoanalytical crystallization experiments are investigated. First, the generality of the assumption of site saturation is examined. Since this assumption produces a major simplification of the exact expression for the volume fraction crystallized, the domain of applicability of this approximation is explored. Homogeneous crystal nucleation is examined and a broad range of crystallization parameters are considered. Next, an examination is given of a class of models which invoke an Arrhenian assumption for K(T), the crystallization rate constant, and determine crystallization activation energies from plots of ln(ln(1−X)−1) versus 1 T . Finally, a discussion is presented of the physical interpretation of the activation energies.
Isolation by preparative free-flow electrophoresis and aqueous two-phase partition from rat adipocytes of an insulin-responsive small vesicle fraction with glucose transport activity

Preparative free-flow electrophoresis and aqueous two-phase polymer partition were used to obtain a plasma membrane-enriched fraction of adipocytes isolated from epididymal fat pads of the rat together with a fraction enriched in small vesicles with plasma membrane characteristics (thick membranes, clear dark-light-dark pattern). The electrophoretic mobility of the small vesicles was much less than that of the plasma membrane consistent with an inside-out orientation whereby charged molecules normally directed to the cell surface were on the inside. When plasma membranes and the small vesicle fraction were isolated from fat cells treated or not treated with 100 microU/ml insulin and the resident proteins of the two fractions analyzed by SDS-PAGE, the two fractions exhibited characteristic responses involving specific protein bands. Insulin treatment for 2 min resulted in the loss of a 90 kDa band from the plasma membrane. At the same time, a ca. 55-kDa peptide band that was enhanced in the plasma membrane was lost from the small vesicle fraction. The latter corresponded on Western blots to the GLUT-4 glucose transporter. Thus, we suggest that the small vesicle fraction with characteristics of inside-out plasma membrane vesicles may represent the internal vesicular pool of plasma membrane subject to modulation by treatment of adipocytes with insulin.
Conservative management of chylous ascites after removal of a symptomatic growing retroperitoneal teratoma.

Abstract Background. Chylous ascites as a postoperative complication of gynecologic surgery is uncommon. Cases usually occur from trauma to the lymphatic system during retroperitoneal dissection. Initial management includes paracentesis with institution of a low-fat, medium-chain triglyceride diet and total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Surgical intervention may be required. Case. A 19-year-old female patient with a history of an immature teratoma treated with chemotherapy presented with a retroperitoneal mass. Removal of the mass revealed mature teratoma and resulted in chylous ascites formation. Multiple paracenteses were performed in conjunction with dietary modification and TPN. Three months after the patient's surgery, the ascites spontaneously resolved. Conclusion. Although surgical intervention is recommended after failure of conservative management, this case demonstrates that damage to the cisterna chyli may spontaneously resolve.
Emplacement of the 75-km-long Carrizozo lava flow field, south-central New Mexico

Abstract The Carrizozo Lava flow field is a young, 75-km-long, compound tube-fed pahoehoe flow field located in south-central New Mexico. Topographic channeling, unusually low viscosity, and fissure vents are ruled out as possible explanations for the length of the flow field. Effusion rates are estimated using: (1) a Bingham plastic model; (2) correlations between flow morphology and effusion rate; and (3) comparison with Hawaiian pahoehoe flows. The Bingham plastic model placed no useful restrictions on the effusion rate, while empirical and theoretical correlations gave estimates between 300 and 3 × 10 5 m 3 s −1 for the effusion rate. The striking morphological similarity of the Carrizozo flow field to the compound tube-fed pahoehoe Kupaianaha flow field on Kilauea Volcano suggests an effusion rate of about 5 m 3 s −1 and an eruption duration of nearly 3 decades. This long eruption duration and a long-lived lava tube system are interpreted to be the most important factors responsible for the length of the Carrizozo flow field. Furthermore, we conclude that the Bingham plastic model does not apply to tube-fed pahoehoe flow fields and that the correlation techniques grossly overestimate their effusion rates. This indicates that effusion rates may also have been overestimated for extra-terrestrial lava flows where it is has not been possible to distinguish between pahoehoe and ‘a’a.
Differences in Complement-Dependent Chemotactic Activity Generated by Bullous Pemphigoid and Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita Immune Complexes: Demonstration by Leukocytic Attachment and Organ Culture Methods

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) are chronic blistering diseases associated with circulating complement (C)-binding anti-basement membrane zone (BMZ) antibodies and tissue-deposited immune complexes at the BMZ. Experimental evidence supporting a role for C-activating immune complexes in the pathogenesis of dermal inflammation and blisters has been reported in BP but not in EBA. In this study tissue-deposited immune complexes composed of EBA or BP antibodies were tested for generation of C-dependent chemotactic activity and the capacity to cause dermal leukocyte infiltration and dermal-epidermal separation (DES). Chemotactic activity was measured by the leukocyte attachment (LA) method. The capacity of complexes to mediate leukocyte infiltration and DES was examined in vitro using a newly described organ culture method. The results of LA showed immune complexes formed in vivo in EBA skin or in vitro by treating normal human skin with EBA antibodies were significantly more active in mediating C-dependent chemotaxis than complexes in BP skin or those formed with BP antibodies of equivalent or higher C-binding titers. Furthermore EBA antibodies and C caused leukocyte infiltration and DES in organ culture while BP antibodies did not. These results support a role for C- binding anti-BMZ antibodies in the pathogenesis of EBA lesions and demonstrate differences in the capacity of BP and EBA immune complexes to generate C-dependent chemotactic activity. These results suggest factors in addition to C-binding titers are important in the activation of C by BP and EBA immune complexes and suggest chemotactic factors other than those derived from C activation may be important in the recruitment of leukocytes in BP.
Abstract 989: The crosstalk of mTOR/S6K1 and Hedgehog pathways

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is the most prevalent esophageal cancer type in the United States, and TNFα/mTOR pathway is known to mediate the development of EAC. Additionally, aberrant activation of Gli1, downstream effector of hedgehog pathway, has been observed in EAC. In this study, we found that activated mTOR/S6K1 pathway promotes Gli1 transcriptional activity and oncogenic function through S6K1-mediated Gli1 phosphorylation at Ser84, which releases Gli1 from its endogenous inhibitor, SuFu. Moreover, elimination of S6K1 activation by mTOR pathway inhibitor enhances the killing effects of the hedgehog pathway inhibitor. Together, our results established a crosstalk between mTOR/S6K1 and the hedgehog pathways, which provides not only a new mechanism for non-canonical hedgehog pathway but also a rationale for combination therapy for EAC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 989. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-989
Synthesis, structure and dielectric characterization of Ln2Ti2−2xM2xO7(Ln=Gd, Er; M=Zr, Sn, Si)

Abstract The progress in wireless communications and information access has demanded the use of electronic ceramics exhibiting desired properties. To further our understanding of these properties, compounds in the Ln2Ti2–2xM2xO7 (Ln=Gd, Er; M=Zr, Sn, Si) systems were synthesized by ceramic methods and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. The ZrO2–doped Gd2Ti2−2xZr2xO7 compounds adopt the pyrochlore structure type and form a complete solid solution. Er2Ti2−2xZr2xO7 forms a pyrochlore solid solution for x
Crimes of Negligence: Attempting and Succeeding

In chapter 6 of Attempts, Gideon Yaffe defends the thesis that it is “possible to attempt crimes of negligence” (2010, p. 173). I am persuaded that he is right about this, provided that “attempt crimes of negligence” is read as (potentially misleading) shorthand for “attempt to bring it about that we commit crimes of negligence.” But I find certain parts of his defense unpersuasive. My discussion of those parts of his argument motivates the following thesis: Not only can one attempt to bring it about that one commits a crime of negligence, but the attempt can be successful as well.
A Literature Review of Stochastic Programming and Unit Commitment

The study of unit commitment (UC) aims to find reasonable schedules for generators to optimize power systems’ operation. Many papers have been published that solve UC through different methods. Articles that systematically summarize UC problems’ progress in order to update researchers interested in this field are needed. Because of its promising performance, stochastic programming (SP) has become increasingly researched. Most papers, however, present SP’s UC solving approaches differently, which masks their relationships and makes it hard for new researchers to quickly obtain a general idea. Therefore, this paper tries to give a structured bibliographic survey of SP’s applications in UC problems.
Temperature dependence of the isotope chemistry of the heavy elements

Abstract The temperature coefficient of equilibrium isotope fractionation in the heavy elements is shown to be larger at high temperatures than that expected from the well-studied vibrational isotope effects. The difference in the isotopic behavior of the heavy elements as compared with the light elements is due to the large nuclear isotope field shifts in the heavy elements. The field shifts introduce new mechanisms for maxima, minima, crossovers, and large mass-independent isotope effects in the isotope chemistry of the heavy elements. The generalizations are illustrated by the temperature dependence of the isotopic fractionation in the redox reaction between U(VI) and U(IV) ions.
An exafs investigation on the effect of cold rolling on copper

Abstract An EXAFS study has been performed on annealed and cold-rolled copper foils in order to understand the structural change after deformation. Data taken from a cold-rolled specimen showed nearly identical nearest neighbor structure as compared to an annealed specimen. However, larger Debye-Waller factors and static displacements were observed for atoms in the higher coordination shells. Furthermore, increased disorder in the deformed specimen resulted in a reduced EXAFS amplitude. The determination of the electron mean free path and the effect of specimen non-uniformity on the transmission EXAFS amplitude are also discussed.
A Hierarchical Model for Serially-Dependent Extremes: A Study of Heat Waves in the Western US

Heat waves take a major toll on human populations, with negative impacts on the economy, agriculture, and human health. As a result, there is great interest in studying the changes over time in the probability and magnitude of heat waves. In this paper we propose a hierarchical Bayesian model for serially-dependent extreme temperatures. We assume the marginal temperature distribution follows the generalized Pareto distribution (GPD) above a location-specific threshold, and capture dependence between subsequent days using a transformed max-stable process. Our model allows both the parameters in the marginal GPD and the temporal dependence function to change over time. This allows Bayesian inference on the change in likelihood of a heat wave. We apply this methodology to daily high temperatures in nine cities in the western US for 1979–2010. Our analysis reveals increases in the probability of a heat wave in several US cities. This article has supplementary material online.
The angular correlation function between QSOs and Abell clusters

Abstract Using the new version of the Hewlett-Burbidge Catalogue and the all-sky catalogue of Abell clusters (ACO 1989) we analysed the cross-correlation function between them. We found anti-correlation at angular separations θ > 3°, and that is mainly caused by the optically-selected rather than the radio-selected QSOs. This fact can probably be explained by extinction by intracluster dust. However, there is no anti-correlation at θ
Apolipoprotein E4 inhibits, and apolipoprotein E3 promotes neurite outgrowth in cultured adult mouse cortical neurons through the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein.

Abstract The apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) genotype is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, the mechanism is unknown. We previously demonstrated that apoE isoforms differentially modulated neurite outgrowth in embryonic neurons and in neuronal cell lines. ApoE3 increased neurite outgrowth whereas apoE4 decreased outgrowth, suggesting that apoE4 may directly affect neurons in the brain. In the present study we examined the effects of apoE on neurite outgrowth from cultured adult mouse cortical neurons to examine if adult neurons respond the same way that embryonic cells do. The results from this study demonstrated that (1) cortical neurons derived from adult apoE-gene knockout (apoE KO) mice have significantly shorter neurites than neurons from adult wild-type (WT) mice; (2) incubation of cortical neurons from adult apoE KO mice with human apoE3 increased neurite outgrowth, whereas human apoE4 decreased outgrowth in a dose-dependent fashion; (3) the isoform specific effects were abolished by incubation of the neurons with either receptor associated protein (RAP) or lactoferrin, both of which block the interaction of apoE-containing lipoproteins with the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP). These data suggest a potential mechanism whereby apoE4 may play a role in regenerative failure and accelerate the development of AD.
Synthesis of β-Dimethylaminoethyl and α-Hydroxy-β-Dimethylaminoethyl Derivatives from Organolithium Compounds and Tetramethyoxamide

Abstract The important biological activity of a variety of aromatic and heterocyclic systems having β-dimethylaminoethyl side chains and their α-hydroxy analogs (c.f. bufotenin, N-methylepinephrine, etc.) has focused the attention of the organic chemist on methods of introducing these functions, and a variety of approaches have been developed. A convenient synthesis has recently been reported3, which utilizes the α-hydroxy-β-dimethylaminoethyl function as an intermediate in the preparation of β-dimethylaminoethyl derivatives, thus providing either or both of these pharmacophoric groups.