cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Device-assessed physical activity and sedentary behavior in a community-based cohort of older adults

Few studies characterize older adult physical activity and sitting patterns using accurate accelerometer and concurrent posture measures. In this descriptive paper, we report accelerometer data collection protocols, consent rates, and physical behavior measures from a population-based cohort study (Adult Changes in Thought, ACT). The ACT study holds enrollment steady at approximately 2000 members of Kaiser Permanente Washington aged 65+ without dementia undergoing detailed biennial assessments. In 2016 the ACT-Activity Monitor (ACT-AM) sub-study was initiated to obtain data from wearing activPAL and ActiGraph devices for 7 days following regular biennial visits. We describe the methods protocol of ACT-AM and present characteristics of people who did and did not consent to wear devices. We compute inverse probability of response weights and incorporate these weights in linear regression models to estimate means and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of device-based pattern metrics, adjusted for wear time and demographic factors, and weighted to account for potential selection bias due to device-wear consent. Among 1885 eligible ACT participants, 56% agreed to wear both devices (mean age 77 years, 56% female, 89% non-Hispanic white, 91% with post-secondary education). On average, those who agreed to wear devices were younger and healthier. Estimated mean (95% CI) activPAL-derived sitting, standing, and stepping times were 10.2 h/day (603–618 min/day), 3.9 h/day (226–239 min/day), and 1.4 h/day (79–84 min/day), respectively. Estimated mean ActiGraph derived sedentary (Vector Magnitude [VM] 518 counts/15 s) physical activity durations were 9.5 h/day (565–577 min/day), 4.5 h/day (267–276 min/day), and 1.0 h/day (59–64 min/day). Participants who were older, had chronic conditions, and were unable to walk a half-mile had higher sedentary time and less physical activity. Our recruitment rate demonstrates the feasibility of cohort participants to wear two devices that measure sedentary time and physical activity. Data indicate high levels of sitting time in older adults but also high levels of physical activity using cut-points developed for older adults. These data will help researchers test hypotheses related to physical behavior and health in older adults in the future.
Intraoperative Remifentanil Infusion and Postoperative Pain Outcomes After Cardiac Surgery-Results from Secondary Analysis of a Randomized, Open-Label Clinical Trial.

Design: Report of secondary pain outcomes from a prospective, randomized, open-label clinical trial that compared remifentanil and fentanyl on perioperative hyperglycemic response in cardiac surgery. Setting: Single institution, tertiary university hospital. Participants: The study comprised 116 adult elective cardiac surgical patients. Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to receive either intermittent fentanyl boluses (F) or continuous remifentanil infusion (R) intraoperatively. Measurements and Main Results: Postoperative pain was evaluated with pain scores every 6 hours for 48 hours. Pain threshold to mechanical stimuli was measured around the sternotomy incision at 48 and 96 hours. The development of chronic pain was assessed using the numeric rating scale at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after discharge. The final analysis included 106 patients. Pain scores and wound hyperalgesia were not significantly different postoperatively between the groups. The incidence of chronic pain at 3 months was comparable in both groups (61% in group F v 58% in group R; p = 0.79). Pain of more-than-mild degree was seen in 13 (32%) patients in group F and 8 (19%) in group R (p = 0.25) at 3 months. Median pain scores were not significantly different between the groups at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after discharge from the hospital. Conclusions: The present study's findings suggested that intraoperative remifentanil infusion does not significantly worsen pain outcomes in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery.
Value CMR: Towards a Comprehensive, Rapid, Cost-Effective Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is considered the gold standard for measuring cardiac function. Further, in a single CMR exam, information about cardiac structure, tissue composition, and blood flow could be obtained. Nevertheless, CMR is underutilized due to long scanning times, the need for multiple breath-holds, use of a contrast agent, and relatively high cost. In this work, we propose a rapid, comprehensive, contrast-free CMR exam that does not require repeated breath-holds, based on recent developments in imaging sequences. Time-consuming conventional sequences have been replaced by advanced sequences in the proposed CMR exam. Specifically, conventional 2D cine and phase-contrast (PC) sequences have been replaced by optimized 3D-cine and 4D-flow sequences, respectively. Furthermore, conventional myocardial tagging has been replaced by fast strain-encoding (SENC) imaging. Finally, T1 and T2 mapping sequences are included in the proposed exam, which allows for myocardial tissue characterization. The proposed rapid exam has been tested in vivo. The proposed exam reduced the scan time from >1 hour with conventional sequences to <20 minutes. Corresponding cardiovascular measurements from the proposed rapid CMR exam showed good agreement with those from conventional sequences and showed that they can differentiate between healthy volunteers and patients. Compared to 2D cine imaging that requires 12-16 separate breath-holds, the implemented 3D-cine sequence allows for whole heart coverage in 1-2 breath-holds. The 4D-flow sequence allows for whole-chest coverage in less than 10 minutes. Finally, SENC imaging reduces scan time to only one slice per heartbeat. In conclusion, the proposed rapid, contrast-free, and comprehensive cardiovascular exam does not require repeated breath-holds or to be supervised by a cardiac imager. These improvements make it tolerable by patients and would help improve cost effectiveness of CMR and increase its adoption in clinical practice.
Growth Dysregulation in Cancer Cells

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses about the growth rate of cancer cells. A most important characteristic of cancer cells is their growth at the wrong places and times. A wound generates new cells until it has healed. But in cancer, cell growth does not stop. The chapter then discusses the author's college life and graduate training. It also describes the author's cancer research in 1950. The chapter also discusses about regulatory processes and regulations in higher organisms. Cancer and the cell surface are discussed briefly in the chapter. The restriction point hypothesis is also described in the chapter. The chapter then moves on to the discussion of a short-lived regulatory protein. Transcription from the promoter region of the mouse thymidine kinase (TK) gene and Yi complexes are discussed next. Cyclin E as a candidate R-point protein and cyclin changes in breast cells are also discussed in the chapter. It has also described breast cancer in vivo also. Finally, the chapter ends with the discussion of the future problems of growth dysregulation of the cancer cells.
Joseph and Jane

We play with friends at the special school but do not have friends in our neighborhood. Few of our peers in the neighborhood do not come near us thinking we might hurt them, which is not true. My brother and I are not allowed to enter few of our neighbor’s compounds as they call us the sick children in the neighborhood.
EVOLVING ENGINEERING DESIGN TRADE-OFFS

In the engineering design process, it is important to know the engineering trade-offs achievable under various design preferences and strategies. In this paper, a family of engineering design trade-offs are evolved from an automatic design synthesis methodology based on evolutionary computation. The complete Pareto optima frontier can be evolved by a consideration of fitness function that aggregates the weighted fuzzy design preferences under different trade-off strategies. An initial case study concerned with the configuration of a collective sensory system is presented and discussed, along with preliminary results obtained from simulations under a specific scenario. The results indicate that the approach can be useful for designers to solve complex engineering problems.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Changes in ultraviolet absorption produced by alteration of protein conformation.

Transfer of an aromatic chromophore from the interior of a protein into the water solvent upon denaturation of the protein produces an absorption change throughout the ultraviolet region, 215 to 320 mµ, approximately 6 times the magnitude of that produced by transfer of the same chromophore from 20% ethylene glycol into water. In the 230 mµ wave length region, the transfer of an indole chromophore produces an absorption change approximately 7 times that produced by the transfer of a phenolic chromophore; the chromophores of the amino acids cystine, histidine, and phenylalanine produce only slight changes in absorption. Difference spectra for protein denaturation were calculated by summation of the 20% ethylene glycol perturbation difference spectra of the amino acids, and multiplication by the factor of 6. Between 215 and 320 mµ, difference spectra produced by acid, autolysis, or urea denaturation closely resemble calculated ones, but are red shifted 2 to 3 mµ near 280 mµ and 4 to 10 mµ near 230 mµ. Thus, the absorption changes observed near 230 mµ for globular proteins result primarily from changes in the environment of the aromatic chromophores indole and phenol. The helix to coil transition and the denaturation-produced solvent perturbation of the amide group must contribute less than 10% of the absorption changes observed near 230 mµ.
Constitutionalism, Democracy and Denial in Post-Apartheid South Africa

This article explores the relationship between the constitutional order created out of the two post Apartheid constitutions -- the interim 1993 and final 1996 constitutions -- and the development of democracy in South Africa. While these constitutions represent the high-water mark of the legal revolution that was the product of the transition away from Apartheid, the development of democracy, and the relationship between democratic politics and the constitutional framework, has produced increasing legal contestation. On the one hand there are constant demands for greater transformation of institutions as well as the prevailing social and economic conditions. On the other hand there are constant efforts to ensure that these demands for social and economic change be limited by what are framed as neutral legal principles of individual autonomy that deny the legitimacy of demands for greater social transformation. This paper concludes that this process of denial is both rooted in the claim of legal continuity and the process of 'reconciliation' that were a key aspect of the democratic transition and that this 'denial' is posing an increasing threat to the sustainability of the transformative constitutional order that has been advanced by the Constitutional Court since its founding in 1995.
Neural network based generation of fundamental frequency contours

Although a number of algorithms exist for the generation of the fundamental frequency contour in automatic text-to-speech conversion systems, the absence of a general theory of intonation still prevents the correct derivation of this important feature in unrestricted text applications. A parallel distributed approach is presented in which two neural networks were designed to learn the F0 values for each phoneme and the F0 fluctuations within each phoneme for words that correspond to a small training set. The neural networks used for this task have demonstrated the ability to generalize their properties on new text, and their level of success depends on the composition and size of the training corpus. >
Some Recent U.S. Antidumping Cases Against Korea 1

This paper presents an overview of antidumping laws, summarizes some recent antidumping cases that have been filed in the United States against Korean companies, and discusses some moral aspects of initiating an antidumping investigation that have been ignored by other researchers and commentators.
An Economic Analysis of Effective Compliance Programs

Tests for “effective” compliance programs take the form of lists specifying required elements in varying level of detail. From an economic perspective, an effective compliance program can be defined more fundamentally as the set of policies and procedures that a rational, profit-maximizing firm would establish if it faced an expected sanction equal to the social costs of violations. This paper explores the idea and several of its extensions and qualifications.
Cautions about the reliability of pairwise gene correlations based on expression data.

Background: Rapid growth in the availability of genome-wide transcript abundance levels through gene expression microarrays and RNAseq promises to provide deep biological insights into the complex, genome-wide transcriptional behavior of single-celled organisms. However, this promise has not yet been fully realized. Results: We find that computation of pairwise gene associations (correlation; mutual information) across a set of 2782 total genome-wide expression samples from six diverse bacteria produces unexpectedly large variation in estimates of pairwise gene association – regardless of the metric used, the organism under study, or the number and source of the samples. We pinpoint the cause to sampling bias. In particular, in repositories of expression data (e.g., Gene Expression Omnibus, GEO), many individual genes show small differences in absolute gene expression levels across the set of samples. We demonstrate that these small differences are due mainly to “noise” instead of “signal” attributable to environmental or genetic perturbations. We show that downstream analysis using gene expression levels of genes with small differences yields biased estimates of pairwise association. Conclusions: We propose flagging genes with small differences in absolute, RMA-normalized, expression levels (e.g., standard deviation less than 0.5), as potentially yielding biased pairwise association metrics. This strategy has the potential to substantially improve the confidence in genome-wide conclusions about transcriptional behavior in bacterial organisms. Further work is needed to further refine strategies to identify genes with small difference in expression levels prior to computing gene-gene association metrics.
Regional patterns of recruitment success and failure in two endemic California oaks

Oak woodlands and savannas are key defining landscapes in the California Floristic Province, making up almost a quarter of the region's forests and woodlands. Two endemic Californian oak species, valley oak (Quercus lobata Nee) and blue oak (Quercus douglasii Hook. & Arn.), are widely considered at risk of decline from persistent recruitment failures in the last century. However, decades of research have produced no definitive conclusion about the existence, extent, or causes of this ‘regeneration problem’. Underlying causes of perceived recruitment failure are unclear and could include drivers at distribution-wide to local scales including climate and atmospheric changes, habitat fragmentation, altered herbivore populations, changing fire regimes, exotic plant and animal invasions, livestock grazing, and soil conditions altered by past land uses. We performed meta-analyses of existing stand-scale data from the published and grey literatures on seedling and sapling recruitment in blue and valley oaks throughout each of their distributions. We sought to evaluate whether distribution-wide regeneration ‘problems’ exist for either species and to assess what factors correlate with distribution-wide recruitment patterns. Nearly 80% of sites surveyed for blue oaks but fewer than 50% of sites surveyed for valley oaks contained some evidence of seedling or sapling recruitment. A majority of sites surveyed for both species appear to have insufficient recruitment to replace adult populations, though further demographic work would be required to quantify minimum replacement recruitment rates. Reserve sites were seven times more likely than non-reserve sites to contain valley oak populations with evidence of recruitment. Blue oak recruitment patterns were weakly related to climate and geographical factors and strongly variable at subregional scales. We suggest several lines of additional research that could fill gaps in the existing literature and clarify the patterns emerging from this analysis.
A brief SIMSCRIPT II.5 tutorial

The SIMSCRIPT II.5 programming language is described. SIMSCRIPT II.5 with its integrated graphical interface, SIMGRAPHICS, substantially reduces time and effort in simulation model development. Its English-like syntax improves readability of the code and substantially reduces the need for documentation. SIMSCRIPT II.5 reduces simulation programming time and cost several fold when compared to Fortran. It assists the analyst greatly in the formulation and design of simulation models and gives the programmer and analyst a common language for describing the model. >
Coupling of mGluR/Homer and PSD-95 Complexes by the Shank Family of Postsynaptic Density Proteins

Abstract Shank is a recently described family of postsynaptic proteins that function as part of the NMDA receptor–associated PSD-95 complex (Naisbitt et al., 1999 [this issue of Neuron ]). Here, we report that Shank proteins also bind to Homer. Homer proteins form multivalent complexes that bind proline-rich motifs in group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors and inositol trisphosphate receptors, thereby coupling these receptors in a signaling complex. A single Homer-binding site is identified in Shank, and Shank and Homer coimmunoprecipitate from brain and colocalize at postsynaptic densities. Moreover, Shank clusters mGluR5 in heterologous cells in the presence of Homer and mediates the coclustering of Homer with PSD-95/GKAP. Thus, Shank may cross-link Homer and PSD-95 complexes in the PSD and play a role in the signaling mechanisms of both mGluRs and NMDA receptors.
Experimental techniques for laboratory investigation of clay colloid transport and filtration in a stream with a sand bed

The exchange of kaolinite clay between a stream and its associated sand bed was investigated in a recirculating flume. Bedforms at the sediment-water interface result in two bed-exchange mechanisms: the bedform shape induces an advective flow through the bed (‘pumping’), and dune propagation causes the trapping and release of pore water (‘turnover’). Chemical and electrostatic interactions then result in filtration of clay by the bed. In order to allow modeling of chemical effects, all flume materials must have defined chemical parameters. This required improvements in the flume water supply, construction of sand-washing equipment, and the use of defined clay and sand preparation procedures. Flume experimental results indicate that clay is extensively trapped by the bed. Advective pumping tends to carry clay to the deep bed where it can be permanently trapped, while turnover tends to continuously mix the upper layers of the bed, hindering penetration to the deep bed.
The effect of stretching on muscle responses and postural sway responses during computerized dynamic posturography in women and men.

Abstract Lewis NL, Brismee JM, James CR, Sizer PS, Sawyer SF. The effect of stretching on muscle responses and postural sway responses during computerized dynamic posturography in women and men. Objective To evaluate the effect of stretching on the parameters of postural sway and on the kinematic variables associated with balance control in women and men. Design Mixed repeated measures design with 2 levels. Setting Research laboratory. Participants Fifteen women and fifteen men (mean age 23.4±2.2). Intervention Two separate sessions of (1) lower extremity stretching and (2) no-stretching, immediately prior to balance testing with simultaneous surface electromyographic (EMG) recordings of muscle responses. Main Outcome Measures EMG latencies and average amplitudes for 4 lower extremity muscles for the preferred stance limb during computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) tests, specifically the Postural Evoked Response Test, Adaptation Test, Motor Control Test, Sensory Organization Test, and Unilateral Stance Test. Results Analyses of variance indicated no significant main effect for stretching and 2 significant main effects for gender for the Motor Control Test ( P =.021) and latency of tibialis anterior ( P =.009). Analyses of covariance with covariants of height and active knee extension revealed no significant main effect of stretching or of gender on muscles responses or CDP performance. Conclusions In both women and men, lower extremity stretching did not significantly affect muscle responses or performance during CDP.
Evaluation of phenylthiourea derivatives as inhibitors of transglutaminase-catalyzed reaction in Chinese hamster ovary cells

1-(5-Aminopentyl)-3-phenylthiourea;(PPTU), a recently developed inhibitor of the transglutaminase-catalyzed reaction (K.N. Lee, L. Fesus, S.T. Yancey, J.E. Girard, and S.I. Chung, (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 14689–14694) was evaluated as a possible probe to examine the physiological role of transglutaminase (EC 2.3.2.13) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The [14C]PPTU in cell culture was readily taken up by CHO cells and was found to be covalently attached to high-molecular-weight proteins which are associated with the particulate fractions. Incubating cell homogenates, in the presence of Ca2+, incorporated the labeled PPTU exclusively into high-molecular-weight proteins that were also undergoing polymerization. PPTU at 0.1 mM, a concentration close to the Ki value reported for inhibition of tissue transglutaminase-catalyzed amine incorporation into the B chain of oxidized insulin, decreased high-molecular-weight protein polymerization, whereas PPTU at the same concentrations showed no effect on CHO cell proliferation or on in vitro calmodulin activation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. These results suggest that transglutaminase may not be a constitutive enzyme in cell proliferation.
On Crevecoeur's bathtub-shaped failure rate model

Crevecoeur (1993) developed a three-parameter bathtub-shaped failure rate model that enjoys nice mathematical properties and justification from engineering perspectives. In this paper, we derive the explicit formulas for the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of parameters for his model applied to both non-censored data and right-censored data. Meanwhile, explicit formulas for the MLE of parameters of Xie-Tang-Goh's model (Xie et?al., 2002) are given for both types of data in the paper. The results from using these two models are compared to some real data sets both in terms of AIC values and in terms of how well the intensity is fitted. We also investigate the MLE-based statistical inference including parameter confidence intervals and parameter significance test for both models. Finally, aiming at reliability-related decision-making and predicting the evolution behavior of a system, we report the relations of the reliability characteristics during the improvement phase to those of the steady service phase. A theory of system improvement limit is presented based on Crevecoeur's failure rate model.
Does ratemyprofessor.com really rate my professor

This article explores the usefulness and validity of self‐selected online student ratings of faculty. These ratings appear to be increasing in importance, particularly as students utilize them as guides in their choice of instructors. Validity is investigated by analyzing the pattern of relationships of online ratings for 399 randomly selected faculty. Analysis suggests that online ratings in their current form may be useful, even though possible abuses could limit validity in specific instances.
Corticostriatal Innervation of the Patch and Matrix in the Rat Neostriatum

Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 38163 ABSTRACT The distribution of rat corticostrial axons in the patch (striosome) and matrix compart- ments of the neostriatum was studied by using axonal labeling with biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) and identifying patch and matrix in the same section with calbindin immunocytochemis- try. Small injections of BDA were made in the anterior cingulate, medial agranular, lateral agranular, or somatosensory cortex. Each area projected to both the patch and matrix compartments, except for the somatosensory cortex, which had only matrix projections. Within the remaining cortical areas, injections in layers Vb and VI preferentially labeled axons in patches whereas injections in layers 111-Va preferentially labeled matrix axons. Axons from these injections formed varicosities preferentially, but not exclusively, in one compartment. There was a population of axons that crossed compartmental boundaries and arborized in both patch and matrix. Two distinct patterns of corticostriatal axonal arborizations were observed. Small, discrete foci of innervation were seen in the patch compartment and in some regions of the matrix. The focal arborizations in the matrix were observed through the rostrocaudal extent of the neostriatum but were most obvious in the caudal one-third. They resembled the matrisomes observed in cat and primate corticostriatal projections. The second pattern of innervation consisted of extended axonal arborizations that covered large regions of the rostra1 neostriatal matrix. These results support the concept of multiple classes of corticostriatal neurons having different targets within the neostriatum, following different topographical rules, and having different but overlapping distributions across cortical areas.
A New Right? Moral Issues and Partisan Change in Canada*

Objective. Beginning with the 1993 election, Canada’s Progressive Conservative Party was replaced as the dominant force on the political right by the more ideological Reform Party/Canadian Alliance. This article examines what specific issues most centrally motivated this seismic shift among conservative Canadians. Method. Using data from the 1993, 1997, and 2000 Canadian Election Studies, we employ bivariate analyses and multinomial logit voting models to determine whether constitutional, economic, nativist, or moral issues most clearly differentiate PC supporters from R/A voters. Results. Regional concerns are important and other issues have sporadic impacts, but moral traditionalism is the most consistent and powerful factor distinguishing supporters of the new party from supporters of the old one. Conclusions. Although existing studies have focused primarily on other sources of R/A support, moral traditionalism is clearly a key factor in explaining the party’s ascendancy. This phenomenon, we contend, is part of a larger trend toward postmaterial politics in Western democracies. Two decades ago, Dalton, Flanagan, and Beck (1984), surveying the changing electoral landscape in advanced industrial democracies, identified several potential hypotheses to explain what they described as the rise of ‘‘new right’’ politics (see also Lawson and Merkl, 1988). Reacting to the ‘‘new politics’’ that emerged during the 1960s (Inglehart, 1971), they suggested that existing party systems would likely be unable to accommodate the cleavages created by these cultural upheavals. The potential bases of new right politics, they argued, were an amalgam of cultural conservatism, political decentralization, and traditional anti-government liberalism (1984: 4–5)—a point amplified by Kitschelt (1995). Although Dalton, Flanagan, and Beck noted the destabilizing potential of the new political cleavage, they
The human-landscape system: challenges for geomorphologists

Deliberately or indirectly, most of the terrestrial surface has been affected by the actions of human beings. For that reason, geomorphologists have needed to broaden their scope of inquiry to encompass the human-landscape system. Four themes related to human actions emerge in recent research in geomorphology: (1) human impacts on geomorphic systems, (2) human-landscape feedbacks, (3) geomorphic hazards and (4) stratigraphic markers of anthropogenic origin. The importance of humans as geomorphic agents challenges geomorphologists and their collaborators to move beyond unidirectional cause-and-effect (human impacts), and develop new research frameworks that better integrate the ongoing interactions between people and landscapes.
Diffusion mechanisms in Cu grain boundaries

We investigate atomic mechanisms of grain boundary (GB) diffusion by combining molecular dynamics (MD), molecular statics, the harmonic approximation to atomic vibrations, and kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations. The most important aspects of this approach are the basin-constrained implementation of MD and an automated location of transition states using the nudged elastic band method. We study two $\ensuremath{\Sigma}=5$ [001] symmetric tilt GB's in Cu, with atomic interactions described by an embedded-atom potential. Our simulations demonstrate that GB's support both vacancies and interstitials, and that vacancies can show interesting effects such as delocalization and instability at certain GB sites. Besides simple vacancy-atom exchanges, vacancies move by ``long jumps'' involving a concerted motion of two atoms. Interstitials move through concerted displacements of two or more atoms. More complex mechanisms (such as ring processes) involving larger groups of atoms have also been found. The obtained point defect formation energies and entropies, as well as their migration rate constants calculated within harmonic transition state theory, are used as input to KMC simulations of GB diffusion. The simulations show that GB diffusion can be dominated by either vacancy or interstitial-related mechanisms depending on the GB structure. The KMC simulations also reveal interesting effects such as temperature-dependent correlation factors and the trapping effect. Using the same simulation approach we study mechanisms of point defect generation in GB's and show that such mechanisms also involve collective transitions.
LATIS modeling of laser-induced midplane and backplane spallation

The computer code LATIS is used to simulate midplane and backplane spallation resulting from short pulsed laser absorption. A 1-D planar geometry is simulated with an exponential laser absorption profile. The laser pulse length is assumed to be much shorter than the sound transit time across the laser absorption length. The boundary conditions are a fixed front plane and free backplane (backplane spall) and a free front plane and a fixed midplane (midplane spall). The NBS/NRC equation of state for water is used with a self- consistent yet empirical material strength and failure model. The failure model includes the effects of void nucleation, growth and coalescence. Definite signatures of the nucleation and coalescence thresholds are found in the back surface motion for backplane spallation.
Chemopreventive effect of a mixture of Chinese Herbs (antitumor B) on chemically induced oral carcinogenesis

In this study, we evaluated chemopreventive efficacy of Antitumor B, a Chinese herbal mixture of six plants (Sophora tonkinensis, Polygonum bistorta, Prunella vulgaris, Sonchus arvensis L., Dictamnus dasycarpus, and Dioscorea bulbifera) on the development of 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) induced oral squamous cell carcinomas in A/J mice. Antitumor B, delivered through diet, inhibited 4NQO-induced oral cancer development by 59.19%. The reduction of cell proliferation appears to be associated with efficacy of Antitumor B against 4NQO-induced oral cancer in A/J mice. The expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and phosphorylated EGFR (Tyr1173) were down-regulated by Antitumor B. Tissue distribution of Antitumor B was determined using obacunone, matrine, and maackiain as marker chemicals. We found significant amounts of obacunone, matrine, and maackiain in the blood after 1-wk treatment. The concentrations of these three compounds did not increase further at 18 wk, suggesting that plasma concentrations had reached a steady-state level at 1 wk. There was no significant body weight loss and there was no other obvious sign of toxicity in Antitumor B-treated mice. These results suggest that Antitumor B is a promising agent for human oral cancer chemoprevention. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Information literacy as professional legitimation: the quest for a new jurisdiction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the emergence of information literacy (IL) by analyzing professional discourse and demonstrating that there is much evidence to support Foster's claim that regardless of what else IL might achieve, it was in part a professional response and an attempt to rearticulate and legitimate librarians' claim to an educational jurisdiction at a time their traditional access‐oriented jurisdiction was threatened.Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs document analysis and critical analysis.Findings – The paper finds that IL is, in part, the result of librarians' need to protect their professional territory from the systemic disturbances caused by information technology, fiscal challenges and the educational reform movement.Research limitations/implications – The paper should be of interest to researchers involved in the field of IL.Practical implications – The paper discusses the place of IL in the field of modern librarianship, and as such should be wide int...
On the Proper Domain of Psychological Predicates

One question of the bounds of cognition is that of which things have it. A scientifically relevant debate on this question must explain the persistent and selective use of psychological predicates to report findings throughout biology: for example, that neurons prefer, plants and fruit flies decide, and bacteria communicate linguistically. This paper argues that these claims should enjoy default literal interpretation, and that these reports of psychological properties in non-humans are as straightforward as they seem. An epistemic consequence is that these findings can contribute directly to understanding the nature of psychological capacities.
Effects of transforming growth factor-β1 and activin-A on in vitro porcine granulosa cell steroidogenesis

The mammalian ovarian cycle is a strictly regulated process that is dependent on the intimate interactions among the 3 cell types in the follicle — theca, granulosa, and oocyte. The cycle has been shown to be controlled by gonadotropins as well as locally produced peptide factors. In this study, an in vitro culture system was used to study the roles of 2 locally produced ovarian peptide factors, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and activin-A, on porcine granulosa cell steroidogenesis. Gonadotropin stimulated cultured porcine granulosa cells (from medium-sized follicles) were pretreated with 100 ng/ml follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) for 48 h and then treated with 1 ng/ml TGF-β1, 100 ng/ml activin-A, TGF-β1 plus activin-A, or received no treatment (control) for 48 h, From our previous studies, the concentrations of the 2 growth factors were determined to produce maximal antisteroidogenic effects in porcine granulosa cells. Progesterone (P4) production, estradiol-17β (E2) production, and aromatase activity for gonadotropin-stimulated porcine granulosa cells treated with TGF-β1, activin-A, and TGF-β1 plus activin-A were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced fromthat of the control. The same procedures were conducted on basal steroidogenesis studies in which no pretreatment with FSH was performed. Both P4 and E2 production and aromatase activity for porcine granulosa cells treated with TGF-β1, activin-A and TGF-β1 plus activin-A were significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited compared with the control. Our results indicate that both TGF-β1 and activin-A can inhibit FSH-stimulated and basal steroidogeneses in porcine granulosa cells and, thus, may act as local atretic factors during follicular development. When the 2 growth factors were given in combination at concentrations that would produce maximal steroidogenic inhibition, they were not able to produce a synergistic effect. These results are consistent with the current theory that TGF-β1 and activin-A may act via the same messenger system, a serine-threonine kinase.
Maximum cooling temperature and uniform efficiency criterion for inhomogeneous thermoelectric materials

The maximum cooling temperature of a uniform thermoelectric material is limited by its dimensionless figure of merit $ZT$. Inhomogeneous or graded thermoelectric materials are mainly studied when there is a large temperature gradient and the material composition is typically optimized for maximum local $ZT$. We show that this is not the correct optimization for maximizing the cooling temperature. We give the theoretical limit of maximum cooling temperature for an ideal inhomogeneous material. Surprisingly, the optimum Seebeck profile in the device has three sections with distinct characteristics. As a contrast to the local $ZT$ optimization, the uniform efficiency criterion is proposed for the design of graded thermoelectric materials in cooling applications. This optimization is applied to the practical ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$ material which is common in thermoelectric applications. Temperature and electrical conductivity dependences of the material properties are taken into account. The graded material is numerically optimized and it achieves a 27% cooling enhancement compared to the best homogeneous material.
Anisotropy of the Bound Magnetic Polaron States and Colossal Hoppig Magnetoresistance in Dilute Magnetic Semiconductors

A theory of positive and negative colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) in dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS) is presented. The phenomenon is described in the framework of bound magnetic polaron (BMP) hopping, driven by thermodynamic fluctuations of the local magnetization. The latter is caused by fluctuating spins of the magnetic atoms which strongly interact with the spin of a trapped electron or a hole within the localization volume. The authors' previous approach to the BMP hopping problem1,2, based on the Ginzburg-Landau effective Hamiltonian method, has been generalized in order to take into account the anisotropy of the BMP states. This effect can be attributed to the anisotropy of the local exchange field and/or to the field-induced anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility. In DMS the latter is shown to affect the position and the shape of the maximum in the magnetic-field dependence of CMR.
Mind–Body Dissonance: Conflict Between the Senses Expands the Mind’s Horizons

The ability of humans to display bodily expressions that contradict mental states is an important developmental adaptation. The authors propose that mind–body dissonance, which occurs when bodily displayed expressions contradict mentally experienced states, signals that the environment is unusual and that boundaries of cognitive categories should be expanded to embrace atypical exemplars. Four experiments found that mind–body dissonance increases a sense of incoherence and leads to category expansion. Recalling a happy memory while frowning or a sad event while smiling, listening to sad music while smiling or happy music while frowning, and assuming an expansive posture while being in a low-power role or a constricted posture while being in a high-power role all led to higher category inclusiveness compared to when the body and mind were coherent. The ability to display bodily expressions that contradict mental states may be an important foundation for the capacity of humans to embrace atypical ideas.
Polonium Radiohalos: An Alternate Interpretation

A study of the sizes of so-called polonium radiohalos of various types found in biotite from Bancroft, Ontario, has been carried out. The evidence is consistent with the interpretation that these halos are variants of the standard uranium halos. A review of the literature indicates that there is no firm evidence that polonium halos exist, all evidence being equally consistent with the interpretation that these are uranium halos.
THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE υ ANDROMEDAE PLANETARY SYSTEM

The ? Andromedae system is the first exoplanetary system to have the relative inclination of two planets' orbital planes directly measured, and therefore offers our first window into the three-dimensional configurations of planetary systems. We present, for the first time, full three-dimensional, dynamically stable configurations for the three planets of the system consistent with all observational constraints. While the outer two planets, c and d, are inclined by ~30?, the inner planet's orbital plane has not been detected. We use N-body simulations to search for stable three-planet configurations that are consistent with the combined radial velocity and astrometric solution. We find that only 10 trials out of 1000 are robustly stable on 100?Myr timescales, or ~8 billion orbits of planet b. Planet b's orbit must lie near the invariable plane of planets c and d, but can be either prograde or retrograde. These solutions predict that b's mass is in the range of 2-9 M Jup and has an inclination angle from the sky plane of less than 25?. Combined with brightness variations in the combined star/planet light curve (phase curve), our results imply that planet b's radius is ~1.8 R Jup, relatively large for a planet of its age. However, the eccentricity of b in several of our stable solutions reaches >0.1, generating upward of 1019 W in the interior of the planet via tidal dissipation, possibly inflating the radius to an amount consistent with phase curve observations.
Analgesic and psychomotor effects of thiopental at subanesthetic concentrations in human volunteers.

Background: Studies of the effects of barbiturates on the modulation of pain have produced mixed results. In a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we studied the effects of thiopental at presumed steady-state, “conscious sedation” levels on cold-pressor-induced pain in 12 healthy volunteers. Methods: Five drug conditions were used, each condition consisting of an injection (either drug or placebo) with a 20-min infusion and a 160-min recovery period. The conditions were placebo (saline), thiopental targeted to three effect-site concentrations, and fentanyl (1.4 μg/kg), as a positive control to verify test sensitivity to analgesic drugs. The three thiopental concentrations were modeled (STANPUMP) to achieve effect-site concentrations of 5, 7.5, and 10 μg/ml using a bolus and a three-step continuous infusion. Five minutes into the infusion period and 115 min after the infusion period was terminated, subjects immersed their forearms in ice cold water for 3 min while pain and behavioral assessments were recorded. Results: Thiopental at the highest dose produced a significant reduction (P< 0.05) in self-reported pain intensity both at 5 min into the infusion period and at 115 min after termination of the infusion. Fentanyl reduced pain intensity during the first immersion only. Thiopental changed subjects' moods and psychomotor performance in a dose-related fashion. Conclusions: Our laboratory results do not support the long-held belief that barbiturates are “antanalgesic” or hyperalgesic, at least for cold-pressor-induced pain.
Towards reassigning the rare AGG codon in Escherichia coli.

The rare AGG codon in Escherichia coli has been reassigned to code non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) by using the PylRS-tRNA(Pyl)(CCU) pair. When N(e) -alloc-lysine was used as a PylRS substrate, almost quantitative occupancy of N(e) -alloc-lysine at an AGG codon site was achieved in minimal medium. ncAAs can be potentially incorporated at the AGG codon with varying efficiencies, depending on their activities towards corresponding enzymes. As AGG is a sense codon, the approach reported here resolves the typical low ncAA incorporation issue that has been associated with ncAA mutagenesis and therefore allows bulk preparation of proteins with site-selectively incorporated ncAAs for applications such as therapeutic protein production.
Fentanyl: cause of death or incidental finding? Postmortem peripheral blood concentrations with and without documented transdermal patch use

We reviewed postmortem fentanyl cases to compare peripheral blood (PB) concentrations between deaths caused by fentanyl and deaths in which fentanyl was incidental. Furthermore, we describe PB concentrations in fentanyl-caused deaths with and without transdermal (TD) fentanyl use. Our review produced 20 cases with PB fentanyl. Of these, 13 were determined to be fentanyl-caused deaths. Eight of the 13 involved TD fentanyl. The remaining 7 cases were decedents undergoing therapy with fentanyl (TD, n = 3; intravenous, n = 4). In the 13 fentanyl-caused deaths, the mean PB fentanyl level was 30.1 ng/ml. In the deaths involving TD fentanyl use, the mean fentanyl level was 41.7 ng/ml. Deaths without TD fentanyl use had a mean fentanyl level of 21.3 ng/ml. There were 7 other cases with incidental fentanyl. In 3 of these, therapeutic TD fentanyl was used and the mean PB concentration was 16.6 ng/ml. In the remaining 4 deaths in which therapeutic intravenous fentanyl was employed, the mean PB fentanyl level was 8.1 ng/ml. Our review suggests that a PB fentanyl concentration equal to or greater than 25 ng/ml indicates that fentanyl should be considered as being contributory to or the cause of death. However, ranges of measured PB concentrations are once again shown to overlap between subjects who overdose and those who use fentanyl as prescribed. In addition, fentanyl-caused deaths involving TD fentanyl exposure have higher PB fentanyl concentrations than those who did not use transdermal patches. Although enlightening, our study suggests that further evaluation of fentanyl concentration variability among different postmortem blood specimens is needed.
Finite‐difference modeling in transversely isotropic media

We developed a modeling algorithm for transversely isotropic media that uses finite‐difference operators in a staggered grid. Staggered grid schemes are more stable than the conventional finite‐difference methods because the differences are actually based on half the grid spacing. This modeling algorithm uses the full elastic wave equation that makes possible the modeling of all kinds of waves propagating in transversely isotropic media. The spatial derivatives are represented by fourth‐order, finite‐difference operators while the time derivative is represented by a secondorder, finite‐difference operator. The algorithm has no limitation on the acquisition geometry or on the heterogeneity of the media. The program is currently formulated to work in a 2-D transversely isotropic medium but can readily be extended to 3-D. Snapshots can be obtained at any time with no additional computational cost. A four‐layer model is used to show the usefulness of the method. Horizontal and vertical component seismograms a...
The relationship between the professionalization of public relations, societal social capital and democracy: Evidence from a cross-national study

Abstract What does public relations contribute to society? This research study examined how public relations professionalism is related to social capital and democracy. The relationships between public relations professionalization, social capital and democracy were studied through the public relations professionalization index (PRPI). The PRPI examined a cross-national dataset that pools information from 36 countries and the results of the regression analyses suggest that the PRPI is a reliable measure of public relations professionalization. Overall, the analyses suggest that public relations contributes to societies by building relationships that create social capital and enhance the development of democracy. The findings inform a model that begins to explain the relationship between the professionalization of public relations, social capital and democracy.