cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Federalism and Workforce Policy Reform

Workforce development policy encompasses a broad array of federal and state programs designed to foster improved workforce utilization, maintenance, and development. Federalism in U. S. workforce policy is examined in terms of the Workforce Investment Act and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, laws enacted in 1998 authorizing two of the more important components of national workforce policy: job training and work-related education. Coercive federalism in workforce policy began in the late 1970s and is expected to persist into thefuture, even as states serve as "laboratories of democracy." Whether enhanced discretion for workforce policy is forthcoming from Washington, states and localities will continue to demonstrate new, and possibly better, ways of delivering workforce services. Workforce policies and programs will also feature an even more prominent role for market-oriented service delivery. The comprehensiveness of national workforce policy, including broad concerns over efficiency, has yet to be addressed fully.
A Conversation with danah boyd, Microsoft Research

On July 7, 2011, new media historian Fred Turner interviewed Microsoft Research Senior Researcher danah boyd about her research on teens and new media, queer identities, and the role of the media researcher as a public intellectual in the United States.
Exports versus FDI: do firms use FDI as a mechanism to smooth demand volatility?

In this paper, we first develop a simple two-period model of oligopoly to show that, under demand uncertainty, whether a firm chooses to serve foreign markets by exports or via foreign direct investment (FDI) may depend on demand volatility along with other well-known determinants such as size of market demand and trade costs. Although fast transport such as air shipment is an option for exporting firms to smooth volatile demand in foreign markets, market volatility may systematically trigger the firms to undertake FDI. We then use a rich panel of US firms’ sales to 56 countries between 1999 and 2004 to confront this theoretical prediction and show strong evidence in support of the prediction
Knee Laxity Does Not Vary with the Menstrual Cycle, Before or after Exercise

BackgroundAn intriguing explanation for the disproportionately high rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury in female athletes is that the structural properties of the anterior cruciate ligament are affected by the menstrual hormones. Whether this actually occurs, however, is the subject of ongoing debate.Hypotheses(1) Anterior cruciate ligament laxity is different in the follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle, and (2) exercise exacerbates the difference in anterior cruciate ligament laxity in the 3 phases.MethodsOver the course of 10 weeks, repeated knee laxity measurements were taken on 27 high-level female athletes, before and after exercise. Point in the menstrual cycle was determined with charts of waking temperature and menstruation. The independent effects of menstrual phase and exercise were evaluated using generalized estimating equations.ResultsData from 18 participants were included in the final analysis. There were no significant differences in anterior cruciate liga...
Smoking, menthol cigarettes, and peripheral artery disease in U.S. adults.

INTRODUCTION Cigarette flavorings, with the exception of menthol, have been banned in the United States under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Given the large number of menthol cigarette smokers in the United States, we investigated whether cigarette type (nonmenthol or menthol) is associated with peripheral artery disease (PAD). METHODS The authors studied 5,973 adults, 40 years of age and older, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2004. Smoking status and cigarette type were derived from self-reported questionnaires. PAD was defined as an ankle-brachial blood pressure index <0.9 in at least 1 leg. RESULTS Fifty percent of participants were never-smokers compared to 31%, 14%, and 5% of former, current nonmenthol, and current menthol cigarette smokers, respectively. The weighted prevalence of PAD in the study population was 5%. After multivariable adjustment, the odds ratios for PAD were 1.44 (95% CI: 0.97, 2.15), 3.65 (95% CI: 1.57, 8.50), and 2.51 (95% CI: 1.09, 5.80) comparing former, current nonmenthol cigarette smokers, and current menthol cigarette smokers to never-smokers. The associations between smoking and PAD were similar for smokers of nonmenthol and menthol cigarettes (p value for heterogeneity = .59). CONCLUSIONS In a representative sample of the U.S. population, current use of both menthol and nonmenthol cigarettes was associated with increased prevalence of PAD, with no difference in risk between cigarette types.
Influence of Alfalfa and Oat Hays on Susceptibility of Milk to Oxidized Flavor

Summary Alfalfa and oat hay were compared as to influence on the susceptibility of milk to oxidized flavor. Eight cows were used in a double-reversal design with three 6-wk. periods. Milk samples collected twice weekly (treated with 0, 0.1, and 1.0 p.p.m. of added copper and stored under refrigeration two and five days) were examined organoleptically and by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. Copper and citrate were determined weekly. Fat samples churned weekly from the milks were examined for oxidative stability (induction period), tocopherol, carotene, iodine value, and individual polyunsaturated fatty acids. On the basis of flavor scores, TBA tests, and oxidative stability, milk from oat hay was much more resistant to oxidation than milk from alfalfa hay. Mean respective values for alfalfa and oat rations, together with standard error of differences, were: copper (γ/g), 0.090, 0.057, 0.006; citrate (mg/g), 2.7, 2.6, 0.05; total tocopherol (γ/g), 13.7, 32.0, 2.5; total carotenoids (γ/g), 5.0, 2.1, 0.7; and iodine value, 27.1, 29.8, 1.3. The polyunsaturated fatty acids in fat were higher from alfalfa hay than from oat hay. Differences between the means for most of these variables were statistically highly significant, but additional work is needed to determine the relative importance of the various constituents in determining susceptibility to oxidation.
Black hole spin properties of 130 AGN

Supermassive black holes may be described by their mass and spin. When supermassive black holes are active, the activity provides a probe of the state of the black hole system. The spin of a hole can be estimated when the black hole mass and beam power of the source are known for sources with powerful outflows. Seventy-five sources for which both the black hole mass and beam power could be obtained are identified and used to obtain estimates of black hole spins. The 75 supermassive black holes studied include 52 FRII radio galaxies and 23 FRII radio loud quasars with redshifts ranging from about zero to two. The new values are combined with those obtained previously for 19 FRII radio galaxies, 7 FRII radio loud quasars, and 29 radio sources associated with CD galaxies to form samples of 71 FRII radio galaxies, 30 FRII quasars, and a total sample of 130 spin values; all of the sources are associated with massive elliptical galaxies. The new values obtained are similar to those obtained earlier at similar redshift, and range from about 0.1 to 1 for FRII sources. The overall results are consistent with those obtained previously: the spins tend to decrease with decreasing redshift for the FRII sources studied. There is a hint that the range of values of black hole spin at a given redshift is larger for FRII quasars than for FRII radio galaxies. There is no indication of a strong correlation between supermassive black hole mass and spin for the supermassive black holes studied here. The relation between beam power and black hole mass is obtained and used as a diagnostic of the outflows and the dependence of the magnetic field strength on black hole mass.
Auger electron appearance potential spectroscopy study of CrNx films

Thin films of chromium nitride deposited with varying concentrations of nitrogen on stainless steel substrates have been studied using Auger electron appearance potential spectroscopy (AEAPS). This technique provides information on the density of states in the conduction band. The chromium L2,3 levels have been investigated. The normalized AEAPS chromium spectra in the films have been compared with the elemental chromium spectrum. The signal strength at the Fermi level (EF) is observed to be larger in the films. This represents an increase in the density of states at EF for the films as compared with that of elemental chromium. However, in the films, the density of states is found to decrease with increasing nitrogen concentration. The binding energy of the chromium L3 level for the films exhibits a positive chemical shift with respect to elemental chromium. These spectral data indicate a direction of charge transfer from chromium to nitrogen. In the films, the charge transfer is observed to decrease with increasing nitrogen content. We also present a scheme to estimate the Coulomb correlation energy using the chromium L3 core-level binding energy data obtained from AEAPS and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A decrease in the correlation energy with increasing nitrogen content is observed for the films. We also have estimated the total density of unoccupied states above EF from the experimental data. This total density is observed to be more in the films than in elemental chromium. In the films, the total density of states decreases with nitrogen concentration. The AEAPS spectral results have been correlated with our earlier XPS results on these films. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
French industrialization: A reconsideration

*I have benefited from having had the opportunity to present versions of this paper to the members of the Columbia University Seminar on Economic History and the University of Pennsylvania Workshop in Economic History; I particularly thank Professors Rondo Cameron and Franklin Mendels for their detailed and much valued comments. In addition, my expression of thanks is extended to Professors Murray Brown, Robert Gallman, George Grantham, Tom Kemp, M. M. Knight, W. W. Rostow, William Shipman, and most especially to Professors Francois Crouzet and Charles Kindleberger. As I have not in every instance accepted proffered advice, I emphasize that responsibility for any errors is mine. I want also to acknowledge a special debt of gratitude to the members of my Spring 1973 graduate seminar in economic history at the University of California, Berkeley, who joined me in testing the premier edition of this paper’s argument. Financial assistance in support of this work from the Institute for Business and Economic Research and the Institute for International Studies, both of the University of California, Berkeley, is gratefully acknowledged; the views expressed here are of course solely my own. Finally, my thanks go to Virginia Linkovich for her careful and conscientious preparation of the manuscripts. ‘Economic historians in France have not been as troubled by the record of economic growth performance in the 19th century there, as have the Anglo-American writers. Landes has noted this, and suggested an explanation: “In general, the French have concerned themselves little with questions of national income and economic growth. Their lack of theoretical training does not predispose them to this kind of approach, and the absence of comparative background has tended to conceal the problem from them. To my knowledge, not one orthodox economic historian even posed the question of French industrial retardation until very recently, and then only to comment in passing on the efforts of American scholars to analyze the problem” (Landes, 1958, p. 80). Certainly the French traditions in this area of historiography seem rather bipolar. On the one hand, there is an abundance of high-quality and highly useful monographic work, as surveyed, for example, by Dunham (1949), who nonetheless bemoaned the inadequacies of our understanding of French economic history. On the other hand, there are the works of very broad scope, which offer extensive detail but much less by way of analysis; this genre is perhaps typified by the ongoing effort directed by Braudel and Labrousse (1970). At times in the past, however, the French have shown some concern for the implications from their economic basis for national viability and international standing; a survey is contained in Liebowitz (1970). Additional surveys of the literature on French economic history, and comments as to its areas of weakness, can be found in the work of Fohlen (1958,1962) and Leuilliot (1953).
Recombinant interleukin-1β interacts with high-affinity receptors to activate neutrophil leukotriene B4 synthesis

The capacity of interleukin-1 (IL-1) to function as a neutrophil (PMN) activator has been the subject of controversy. While IL-1 purified from mononuclear cell supematants induced PMN activation, these observations have not been confirmed with recombinant IL-1. To document a cellular basis for a putative PMN-IL-1 interaction, we investigated the presence of IL-1 receptors on the PMN. Using an [35S]methionine-labeled preparation, specific binding of IL-1 to PMNs was demonstrated. Through Scatchard analysis PMNs were calculated to have a mean of 469 ±337 receptors per PMN with an affinity(Kd) of 0.32±0.09 nM. As IL-1 frequently activates arachidonic acid metabolism in other cell types, we investigated eicosanoid production as a putative consequence of the IL-1-PMN interaction. HPLC analysis of extracted supernatants of IL-1-treated PMNs demonstrated the release of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), its oxidative products, and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE). Production of LTB4 was quantified using a commercial RIA. LTB4 secretion increased from 17.2±1.1 to 96.7+-16.4 ng, also with 10.0 ng of IL-1. In time-course studies, it was shown that maximal eicosanoid secretion required a 30-min incubation with IL-1. These observations confirm the proinflammatory activity of IL-1 on neutrophils and resolve the controversy concerning a direct effect of IL-1 on neutrophils. In conclusion, recombinant IL-1β interacts with neutrophils through the presence on the PMN of a high-affinity receptor and results in the secretion of arachidonate metabolites.
Position estimation and control of compact BLDC motors based on analog linear Hall effect sensors

Bio-mimetic robotic systems, among many other engineered systems, require motors which possess high torque, little or no torque ripple, compact size, and precise position control. It is frequently challenging to include a motor with a design which fits all of these requirements. Several companies have recently released compact pancake brushless DC motors which possess excellent characteristics. However, ripple-free precision control of brushless motors requires precision position measurement. It can be difficult to mount encoders directly to the shafts of these motors, and for precision position control, a sensorless configuration may be inappropriate. We propose a novel method of measuring rotor position using analog Hall effect sensors to measure the magnetic field of the rotor magnets to create an absolute position measurement of the electrical cycle, which can be used efficiently to create a computationally simple motor control scheme. These Hall effect sensors are mounted directly to the motor and are highly compact, have high bandwidth, are extremely low cost, and have high precision, providing position measurements with insignificant increases to motor size.
Improved DNA sequencing quality and efficiency using an optimized fast cycle sequencing protocol

Deconstructing Performance: Optimization Studies Cut Sequencing Time and Cost Though reducing reaction volumes and standardizing template types have helped lower sequencing costs at large genome se...
Effects of chronic ethanol consumption on SER of Purkinje neurons in old F344 rats

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the observed swelling of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) profiles in Purkinje dendrites in our old ethanol-fed F344 rats: (1) represented measurable dilatation, (2) was present in dendritic shafts and spines, and (3) was reversed following recovery from ethanol. Of the 45 rats in 3 treatment groups (chow-fed, pair-fed, and ethanol-fed), 30 rats were euthanized after 40 weeks, and 15 were maintained on rat chow for an additional 20-week recovery period. Electron microscopy of cerebellar preparations was used to analyze morphological alterations in SER profile size within the dendritic shafts and spines of Purkinje neurons. Results showed significant SER dilatation following 40 weeks of ethanol consumption, which disappeared after ethanol withdrawal.
Small-angle scattering and diffraction

(2000). Small-angle scattering and diffraction. Synchrotron Radiation News: Vol. 13, No. 5, pp. 10-16.
Permutational multiple testing adjustments with multivariate multiple group data

We consider the multiple comparison problem where multiple outcomes are each compared among several different collections of groups in a multiple group setting. In this case there are several different types of hypotheses, with each specifying equality of the distributions of a single outcome over a different collection of groups. Each type of hypothesis requires a different permutational approach. We show that under a certain multivariate condition it is possible to use closure over all hypotheses, although intersection hypotheses are tested using Boole's inequality in conjunction with permutation distributions in some cases. Shortcut tests are then found so that the resulting testing procedure is easily performed. The error rate and power of the new method is compared to existing competitors through simulation of correlated data. An example is analyzed, consisting of multiple adverse events in a clinical trial.
Morphine-induced catalepsy in mice. Modification by drugs acting on neurotransmitter systems.

Abstract Morphine-induced catalepsy was demonstrated in mice under appropriate conditions. Dose-response curves were obtained within specific limits of dose. Central muscarinic blockade with atropine sulfate but not peripheral blockade with atropine methyl bromide enhanced the cataleptic response. Centrally acting physostigmine and peripherally acting neostigmine also enhanced the catalepsy. The results with neostigmine suggest a peripheral site of action with these drugs. Amantadine and d,1-dopa enhanced the catalepsy. These appeared similar to the atropine in that they caused increased rigidity and hyperreflexia. Aminooxyacetic acid enhanced while subconvulsive doses of picrotoxin and bicuculline had little effect. Five-hydroxytryptophan had no effect.
Genes are not our destiny: the somatic epitype bridges between the genotype and the phenotype

Genes are not our destiny: the somatic epitype bridges between the genotype and the phenotype
Introduction to origami folding, design, and analysis

The mathematics of folding origami is relevant in the design of solar sails and airbags, to heart stents and proteins. This workshop is designed to be a crash course introduction to folding, designing, and analyzing representational origami. First, a brief overview of the history of origami will be presented, including its transition from a static, ceremonial tradition to a dynamic, artistic engineering science. Second, the tree theory method of representational origami design with respect to uniaxial bases will be introduced. Lastly, participants will be encouraged to design and explore folding mechanisms that can interface with flexible circuit materials and components.
72 Degree of End Organ Damage as a Predictor of Outcomes after Mechanical Circulatory Support Device Implantation – A More Quantitative Assessment

Purpose Heart failure (HF) is a complex syndrome involving multiple organ systems. With the advancement of the disease there is progressive decline in organ system functions. Degree of end organ damage (EOD) caused by HF is believed to be associated with poor outcomes after mechanical circulatory support device (MCSD) implantation but more quantitative tools for the assessment of EOD are lacking. In this study we hypothesized that degree of EOD as assessed by Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score is an important predictor of outcomes after MCSD implantation. Methods and Materials We analyzed the data from 211 patients who underwent MCSD implantation at CUMC between 2000 and 2010. SOFA score was calculated within a week before the MCSD surgery and its performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Overall mortality rates were compared across different SOFA score groups using Chi-square test. Post-operative survival was also compared across SOFA score groups using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Download : Download high-res image (38KB) Download : Download full-size image Results There was a gradual increase in mortality rate with the increase in SOFA score. There was 12.5% mortality rate with SOFA score ≤4, 76.4% with SOFA score 5-8, 95% with SOFA score 9-12, and 95% with SOFA score >13 (p=0.000). The survival at 3-month, 6-month, 9-month and 12-month was significantly poor in higher SOFA score groups (p=0.000). Conclusions These results show that degree of EOD as measured by the SOFA score is a strong predictor of outcomes and survival after MCSD implantation in HF patients. This approach may provide a very valuable tool for the selection of patients and/or selection of appropriate time for surgery in HF patients.
Abstract 2605: Apolipoprotein E polymorphisms, plasma cholesterol, and prostate cancer

Background: Men who use cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and those with lower cholesterol levels may have a decreased risk of aggressive prostate cancer (PCa), providing support for further investigation of cholesterol metabolism in the etiology of PCa. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) plays an important role in cholesterol metabolism and may also affect tumor growth and angiogenesis. Compared to the APOE wild-type isoform (e3e3), the e4 allele has been associated with elevated cholesterol and the e2 allele with lower cholesterol. Our study aimed to determine if APOE polymorphisms were associated with PCa risk, especially aggressive disease, and whether this association varied by plasma total cholesterol level. Methods: We included 1193 total PCa cases and 1244 controls nested in the prospective Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1993-2004). APOE status was characterized by genotyping two SNPs (rs429358 and rs7412). Total plasma cholesterol was measured enzymatically. We calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for PCa risk (overall, high grade, and advanced stage/lethal) using unconditional logistic regression comparing e2 and e4 carriers to men homozygous for e3. Results: APOE genotype prevalence in controls was: e3e3 (0.60), e2e3 (0.14), e2e2 (0.007), e3e4 (0.22), e4e4 (0.016); those with e2e4 (0.027) were excluded from the analysis. APOE genotype was significantly associated with total plasma cholesterol: e2 carriers had significantly lower mean and standard deviation (188.5+/−34.7 mg/dL) compared to the e3e3 men (200.4+/−35.4 mg/dL) or the e4 carriers (201.2+/−36.3 mg/dL). However, we saw no significant associations with PCa by APOE genotype for total, advanced stage/lethal, or high-grade PCa (Table). There was no significant effect modification by plasma total cholesterol. Conclusions: In this large prospective cohort study we did not observe an association between APOE genotype and PCa. Future analyses will assess whether associations are modified by statin use. 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 2605. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2605
Activation and Inhibition of F-Actin and Cardiac Thin Filaments by the N-Terminal Domains of Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C

Myosin binding protein-C (MyBPC) has been known for over thirty years to inhibit actomyosin ATP hydrolysis and more recently has been shown to affect the calcium sensitivity of force in muscle fibers. The various domains of MyBPC have previously been shown to have complex interactions with other myofibrillar proteins. The C-terminal domains have been shown to bind to the thick filament and the N-terminal domains interact with the S2 region of myosin and with f-actin. The number of mutations in cardiac MyBPC (cMyBPC) are the second most prevalent of sarcomeric proteins in producing cardiomyopathies. We have used steady state kinetics to study the molecular mechanism by which the soluble N-terminal C0C1, C1C2 and C0C2 domains of mouse and human cMyBPC affect the activation of myosin ATP hydrolysis by f-actin and native porcine thin filaments.The N-terminal domains of cMyBPC inhibit the activation of the steady state ATPase myosin by f-actin. However, in the presence of native cardiac thin filaments.the N-terminal domains C1C2 and C0C2 of mouse and human cMyBPC produce biphasic effects on the steady state ATP hydrolysis of cardiac myosin-S1. That is, ATPase is activated at low ratios of cMyBPC-N-terminal domain to thin filament and is inhibited by higher ratios similar to the effects observed with f-actin. These data suggest that low ratios of cMyBPC N-terminal domains activate thin filaments in a mechanism similar to that of rigor myosin-S1 but higher ratios inhibit the ATPase rate by competing with myosin-S1-ADP-Pi binding to actin and thin filaments. Effects also appear species-dependent since the C0C1 domains of human cMyBPC produce similar effects as C1C2 and C0C2 on ATPase in the presence of thin filaments, but mouse C0C1 does not produce significant activation.
A qualitative study on establishing and enforcing smoking rules in family cars.

With continued expansion of clean indoor air legislation, private spaces such as homes and cars are gaining increased attention as significant sources of secondhand smoke (SHS). This study examines the establishment and enforcement of smoking rules in family cars. Qualitative interviews (N=136) were conducted with Black and White families in rural Georgia. Participating families had a young adolescent in the home and included households with all nonsmokers, a mix of smokers and nonsmokers, and all smokers. Common car smoking rules included no smoking allowed at any time, smoking allowed if a window is cracked, and no smoking allowed if children or nonsmokers are in the car. Major reasons for rules included protecting children and nonsmokers from SHS, aversion to the smell, and the stifling nature of SHS in cars. Damage to the vehicle from ashes and burns was another reason for smoking rules, particularly among families with smokers. Many families had never discussed car smoking rules. Families with car smoking rules were generally able to enforce them without difficulty, although smokers responded with a range of reactions from acceptance to anger. Families would consider a total ban if the smoker in their family quit or, for a few, if they purchased a new car. These findings have implications for designing intervention strategies to promote smoke-free cars and help family members to negotiate and enforce car smoking rules.
Functional Approximation and Optimal Specification of the Mechanical Risk Index

The mechanical risk index (MRI) is a numerical measure that quantifies the complexity of drilling a well. The purpose of this article is to examine the role of the component factors of the MRI and its structural and parametric assumptions. A meta-modeling methodology is applied to derive functional expressions of the MRI, and it is shown that the MRI can be approximated in terms of a linear functional. The variation between the MRI measure and its functional specification is determined empirically, and for a reasonable design space, the functional specification is shown to a good approximating representation. A drilling risk index is introduced to quantify the uncertainty in the time and cost associated with drilling a well. A general methodology is outlined to create an optimal MRI specification.
Texture of the stimulus field and age as variables in the perception of relative distance in photographic slides

Abstract The perception of relative distance in the third dimension, on the basis of photographic stimulus fields, was studied in children in Grades 1, 4, 8, and 9, and college adults. Photographic slides were made of stimulus fields constructed to represent four degrees of texture density and four degrees of regularity of patterning of the texture elements. For each texture the perceived midpoint of a standard distance was determined by means of an adaptation of the method of constant stimuli. The results indicated a general error of underestimation (underconstancy), which decreased some-what with age. At all age levels this error decreased as texture density increased, but there was no significant interaction between age and texture. Regularity of patterning produced less consistent effects, though there was an over-all increase in constancy from the least to the most regular pattern. The judgments showed a high degree of consistency at all age levels, pointing to the advantages of this type of psychophysical method for the study of perceptual judgments in children.
Prevention of chemically induced two-stage skin carcinogenesis in mice by systemic effects of ultraviolet irradiation

Systemic effects of UVB irradiation (280 to 320 nm) have been shown to enhance subsequent carcinogenesis induced by UV irradiation or by high doses of benzo[a]pyrene. In the present study, we asked whether the systemic effects of UVB irradiation would influence subsequent chemical tumorigenesis induced by the initiation-promotion protocol. A group of B6D2F1/J mice were irradiated dorsally with five 30-min treatments per week for 11.5 weeks. The irradiation source was a bank of six unfiltered Westinghouse FS40 sun lamps. One week later, irradiated and unirradiated mice were initiated ventrally with 100 micrograms of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. Four days later, ventral 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatments were begun. After 20 weeks of promotion, there were 75% fewer tumors per mouse in the irradiated mice than in unirradiated mice. Thus, systemic effects of UVB irradiation resulted in inhibition of chemical carcinogenesis induced with an initiation-promotion protocol.
Thrombolysis for intravascular thrombosis in neonates and children.

Purpose of review Plasminogen activators stimulate the fibrinolytic pathway to accelerate thrombus resolution and can be used to treat serious and life-threatening arterial and venous thrombosis in neonates and children. The main disadvantage of these drugs is the risk of bleeding associated with their use. This article reviews the fibrinolytic pathway and discusses the current agents available for thrombolytic therapy, as well as indications for their use, dosing regimens, safety, and efficacy. Recent findings There is great variation in the drug dosing regimens used for thrombolysis and in the incidence of bleeding complications that have been reported in pediatric series. Increased experience with these drugs, appropriate patient selection, and careful monitoring appear to have reduced the risk of major bleeding over time. The use of thrombolysis for occlusive deep vein thrombosis, in attempt to reduce the long-term complication of postthrombotic syndrome, is controversial and deserves further investigation. Summary The use of thrombolytic therapy in pediatrics has increased over the past two decades. Urokinase and recombinant tissue plasminogen activator are the currently available thrombolytic agents. Catheter-related arterial thrombi that threaten life, organ or limb are the most common indication for their use. There is a tremendous need for well designed clinical studies to improve the safety and efficacy of these drugs in neonates and children.
Multiscale modeling of polymer flow-induced migration and size separation in a microfluidic contraction flow

Abstract We study polymer migration in a periodic pressure-driven sudden contraction-expansion flow with contraction dimension comparable to the polymer radius of gyration, for which several polymer migration mechanisms can be important: (1) sieving by the thin channel of polymers too large to easily enter them; (2) deformation-hydrodynamic coupling, including wall-hydrodynamic interaction, which causes polymers to drift away from the walls towards the center of the channel; (3) streamline-curvature-induced migration, in which polymers traveling along curved streamlines migrate towards the center of curvature; and (4) depletion-convection coupling, in which depletion layers in thin channels are convected across wide side chambers, creating a one-sided diffusion barrier that leads to depletion from the side chamber. We use both Stochastic Rotation Dynamics (SRD), which includes hydrodynamic interaction (HI), and simple Brownian dynamics (BD), with HI omitted and flow field given by finite element analysis. The similarity in results from SRD and BD at Weissenberg number Wi less than 10 (where Wi is based on the shear rate in the narrow region of the contraction channel) shows that HI (Mechanism 2) has only a weak effect on polymer migration in our tight geometry. At Wi > 1, the polymer migrates towards the centerline in the wide region, due mainly to streamline-curvature-induced (SCI) migration (Mechanism 3), but also to depletion-convection-induced migration (Mechanism 4). And we demonstrate these two mechanisms more explicitly in a pressure-driven flow in a grooved channel that is significantly wider than the polymer. SCI migration dominates in the contraction geometry, and produces a migration velocity proportional to Wi 2 . Using the central limit theorem, we accurately predict the position and width of a band of polymer passing through N periodic contractions, thereby demonstrating the potential for SCI migration as a mechanism of size separation in a multi-step planar contraction channel. We find that the best separation is achieved at Wi around 2, where SCI migration has the greatest resolving power between polymers of different size. We also find that sieving (Mechanism 1) is dominant at low Wi less than unity, where the chains with large radius of gyration are delayed in their entry to the thin channel, relative to shorter polymers. This sieving separation mechanism differs from that of size-exclusion chromatography which yields faster migration by the shorter chains. Our strategy of combining simulation methods with the central limit theorem could also be used to predict separation efficiencies of a wide variety of polymers and colloids in microfluidic geometries.
Effect of Warmup Protocol and Sampling Time on Convergence of Molecular Dynamics Simulations of a DNA Dodecamer Using AMBER 4.1 and Particle-Mesh Ewald Method

Abstract This report describes one 3000 ps and two 1500 ps molecular dynamic simulations on a TATA box containing dodecamer DNA duplex in a periodic box of TIP3P water molecules, using the AMBER 4.1 implementation of the particle-mesh Ewald method. We compare the effect of warmup protocol and simulation time length on the root-mean square deviation (RMSD) parameter. For the longer simulation, the RMSD computed for the 500–1000 ps time interval is representative of longer time intervals, including 500–3000 ps. The various warmup protocols do not appear to have a significant effect on the simulation results. Based on the present results, DNA sequence-dependent differences in RMSD, or related properties, should exceed two standard deviations before being attributed to non-simulation factors, such as warmup protocol and sampling time effects; we recommend a minimum criterion of at least a three standard deviation difference with a sampling period of at least 500–1000 ps. In addition, while end effects appear ...
A reassessment of the heat transport by variable viscosity convection with plates and lids

The heat transport by a viscous fluid with temperature dependent viscosity has been studied numerically. As opposed to previous models, the top surface of the fluid clearly defines a tectonic plate with horizontally uniform velocity and subduction. Past studies failed to incorporate plates resulting in inefficient heat transport. With tectonic plates, the heat transport is as efficient as Rayleigh-Benard convection with constant viscosity; there is a strong buffering between internal temperature and heat loss. Past studies of parameterized convection which incorporated parameters indicative of a strong buffering between internal temperature and total heat output still provide the most physically plausible representation of the Earth's thermal evolution.
Location recommendation for location-based social networks

In this paper, we study the research issues in realizing location recommendation services for large-scale location-based social networks, by exploiting the social and geographical characteristics of users and locations/places. Through our analysis on a dataset collected from Foursquare, a popular location-based social networking system, we observe that there exists strong social and geospatial ties among users and their favorite locations/places in the system. Accordingly, we develop a friend-based collaborative filtering (FCF) approach for location recommendation based on collaborative ratings of places made by social friends. Moreover, we propose a variant of FCF technique, namely Geo-Measured FCF (GM-FCF), based on heuristics derived from observed geospatial characteristics in the Foursquare dataset. Finally, the evaluation results show that the proposed family of FCF techniques holds comparable recommendation effectiveness against the state-of-the-art recommendation algorithms, while incurring significantly lower computational overhead. Meanwhile, the GM-FCF provides additional flexibility in tradeoff between recommendation effectiveness and computational overhead.
Panic-Disordered Subjects' Perceptions of Film: A Repertory Grid Study:

Clinical research into panic attacks over the past two decades has led to the hypothesis that panic-disordered subjects may have a lower threshold to separation anxiety than normals. This hypothesis was investigated by measuring panic-disordered and normal subjects' reactions to viewing a film of a potentially anxiety-provoking situation. The extent to which individuals construe film through identification with the narrative's characters was also examined. To gauge these reactions a repertory grid was administered to 11 subjects with a history of panic disorder and 12 controls after they had watched a half-hour episode from a feature film in which a divorced couple fight acrimoniously over custody of their 17-yr.-old daughter. Five elements were characters mentioned in the film and two were of 'self,' one in a secure and another in an insecure situation. Ten constructs were elicited by a triadic sorting procedure and four were supplied. Ratings of elements on all constructs were subjected to a principal components analysis (INGRID). While the construals of the two groups were essentially similar, there were differences between them in terms of the perceived salience of the film's characters. Panic-disordered subjects also construed themselves as more insecure than did the normals. The results affirm the use of the repertory grid in the study of panic disorder and in the analysis of the perception of filmed events.
Relaxation processes in optically excited high-Tc films

We have observed the transient electrical response of current-biased YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 films irradiated with 150 ps pulses from a Nd:YAG laser (λ=1.06μm). The magnitude of the response always agrees quantitatively with a simple heating model, as does the speed of the response (
Aspects of the neuroendocrine cerebellum: expression of secretogranin II, chromogranin A and chromogranin B in mouse cerebellar unipolar brush cells.

Abstract Morphologically distinct neuron classes can be subdivided in sublineages by differential chemical phenotypes that correlate with functional diversity. Here we show by immunocytochemistry that chromogranin A (CgA) chromogranin B (CgB) and secretogranin II (SgII), the principal granins situated in neuronal secretory granules and large dense-core vesicles, are widely but differentially expressed in cells of the mouse cerebellum and terminals of cerebellar afferents. While CgA and CgB were nearly panneuronal, SgII was more restricted in distribution. The cells most intensely immunoreactive for SgII were a class of small, excitatory interneurons enriched in the granular layer of the vestibulocerebellum, the unipolar brush cells (UBCs), although larger neurons likely to be a subset of the Golgi–Lugaro–globular cell population were also distinctly immunopositive; by contrast, Purkinje cells and granule cells were, at best, faintly stained and, stellate, basket cells were unstained. SgII was also present in subsets of mossy fibers, climbing fibers and varicose fibers. Neurons in the cerebellar nuclei and inferior olive were distinctly positive for the three granins. Double-labeling with subset-specific cell class markers indicated that, while both CgA and CgB were present in most UBCs, SgII immunoreactivity was present in the calretinin (CR)-expressing subset, but lacked in metabotropic glutamate receptor 1alpha (mGluR1α)-expressing UBCs. Thus, we have identified an additional cell class marker, SgII, which serves to study subtype properties in the UBC population. The abundance of SgII in only one of the two known subsets of UBCs is remarkable, as its expression in other neurons of the cortex was moderate or altogether lacking. The data suggest that the CR-positive UBCs represent a unique neuroendocrine component of the mammalian cerebellar cortex, presumably endowed with transynaptically regulated autocrine or paracrine action/s. Because of the well-known organization of the cerebellar system, several of its neuron classes may represent valuable cellular models to analyze granin functions in situ, in acute slices and in dissociated cell and organotypic slice cultures.
Symptomatic nephrolithiasis in prolonged survivors of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Abstract In this study, we describe the association between Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and symptomatic nephrolithiasis. The DMD patients were matched to non-ambulatory control patients with non-DMD neurological diagnoses via retrospective chart review. All patients with DMD and symptomatic nephrolithiasis were over 20years old. We found that six of the 29 at-risk DMD patients had nephrolithiasis (20.7%) while only one of the 68 control patients had nephrolithiasis (1.5%) ( p
The Role of Constraint in Total Knee Arthoplasty

One of the keys to long-term success in total knee arthroplasty is knee joint stability. In most deformities, soft tissue asymmetry is present and can be corrected by soft tissue balancing techniques that allow the implant to tension the joint in flexion and extension symmetrically with resultant knee joint stability. Once this stability has been established, standard implants (PCL retaining or posterior stabilized types) may be used. If persistent laxity occurs despite soft tissue balancing, implants with greater constraint must be used. The constrained condylar types will improve stability and are useful particularly in the severe valgus knee with marked medial laxity or in revision procedures. If femoral bone is well preserved, constrained condylar knees may be used without stems. When there is marked bone loss and absent ligament support, a rotating-type hinge knee may be needed to restore bone deficits through augmentation and stabilization of the knee by the fixed axis nature of these designs.
Ocean circulation in a warming climate.

Climate models predict that the ocean's circulation will weaken in response to global warming, but the warming at the end of the last ice age suggests a different outcome.
An explanation for rotor speed effects observed during sedimentation of large folded DNA molecules

Abstract A model is proposed to account for the changes in sedimentation coefficient ( s ) that are observed when isolated bacterial micleoids are sedimented at different rotor speeds. It is suggested that the terminal of DNA loops in the chromosome become analogous hydrodynamically to the ends of a linear DNA double-helix. The loops then become more extended at higher rotor speeds resulting in an increased fractional coefficient. Application of the Zimm (1974) equation to this model shows that the predicted changes in s values are consistent with those observed. Similar changes in s values occur when the chromosome is sedimented in rotors of different geometry including a zonal rotor. Thus, the changes are not due to wall interactions.
The crystal structure of CaSmCuO3Cl

Abstract Single crystals of CaSmCuO 3 Cl have been grown by high temperature reactions with Sm 2 O 3 , CuO, and excess CaCl 2 . Its structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. CaSmCuO 3 Cl crystallizes with a tetragonal T * structure (space group P 4/ nmm No. 129) with a = 3.894(3) and c = 13.416(8)A. The structure can be described as an intergrowth of T and T ′ forms of the rare-earth copper oxides. The observed interatomic distances are comparable to those observed for Ca 2 CuO 4 Cl 2 and Ca 3 Cu 2 O 4 Cl 2 .
Gas-Phase and Particle-Phase Organic Compounds Emitted from Motor Vehicle Traffic in a Los Angeles Roadway Tunnel

The emission rates for 221 vapor-phase, semivolatile, and particle-phase organic compounds from motor vehicles plus fine particulate matter mass and some inorganic particle-phase species are calculated based on measurements made inside and outside a Los Angeles roadway tunnel in 1993. These emission rates are calculated based on fuel consumption to remove any uncertainties based on tunnel dilution rates or air circulation. The results show carbon monoxide emissions rates of 130 g L^(-1) of gasoline-equivalent fuel burned and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions of 9.1 g L^(-1). These values are higher than predicted by the baseline version of California's EMFAC 7G emissions inventory program but are within the coemission rate range of 108 ± 25 g L^(-1) reported by roadside remote sensing studies in Los Angeles [Singer, B. C.; Harley, R. A. J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 1996, 46, 581−593]. When the VOC emissions composition in the tunnel is compared to that of tailpipe emissions source test data and to the composition of additional unburned whole gasoline, the tunnel atmosphere is found to be consistent with a linear combination of these major contributors over a fairly broad range of about 74−97% vehicle exhaust depending on the tailpipe profiles used. Fine particulate emissions within the tunnel consist largely of carbonaceous material accompanied by a significant amount of ammonium nitrate apparently formed by gas-to-particle conversion processes within the tunnel atmosphere. Certain gas-phase and particulate organic compounds traditionally thought to be the secondary products of atmospheric chemical reactions are enriched inside the tunnel, and from this enrichment, the primary emission rates of aromatic alcohols, aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, and aromatic polycarboxylic acids are calculated. Data on petroleum biomarkers emissions rates in the tunnel can be used in the future to estimate primary vehicle exhaust fine particulate matter concentrations in the urban atmosphere.