cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impacts of workers’ remittances on poverty and inequality in developing countries

This study investigates the impacts of workers’ remittances on poverty and inequality by using data for 103 developing countries from 1990 to 2014. The main difficulty in assessing these impacts is the endogeneity of remittances and the difficulty in finding instruments to resolve this issue at the aggregate level. To address the endogeneity of remittances, I estimate bilateral remittances and use them to create weighted indicators of remittance-sending countries. These weighted indicators are used as instruments for remittance inflow to remittance-receiving countries. Results obtained in this study indicate that remittances decrease poverty. A 10% increase in per capita remittances leads to a 1% decrease in poverty headcount, 1.8% decrease in poverty gap, and 2.5% decrease in poverty headcount. Remittances also decrease inequality in developing countries. Remittances decrease the Gini coefficient, increase the income share held by the poorest decile and quintile, and decrease the income share held by the richest quintile and decile in developing countries.
The Uniqueness and Importance of Children in Addressing Health Disparities Across the Life Course: Implications for Research

As the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Division of Intramural Population Health Research celebrates its 50th Anniversary, it is appropriate to recognize great achievements in reducing child morbidity and mortality and increasing life expectancy. Unfortunately large racial/ethnic and socioeconomic health and healthcare disparities persist. This commentary suggests a framework to clarify the research and interventions needed to eliminate health disparities starting early in the life course.
Human-Machine and Human-Robot Interaction for Long-Term User Engagement and Behavior Change

The nexus of in-home intelligent assistants, activity tracking, and machine learning creates opportunities for personalized virtual and physical agents / robots that can positively impacts user health and quality of life. Well beyond providing information, such agents can serve as physical and mental health and education coaches and companions that support positive behavior change. However, sustaining user engagement and motivation over long-term interactions presents complex challenges. Our work over the past 15 years has addressed those challenges by developing human-machine (human-robot) interaction methods for socially assistive robotics that utilize multi-modal interaction data and expressive agent behavior to monitor, coach, and motivate users to engage in heath- and wellness-promoting activities. This talk will present methods and results of modeling, learning, and personalizing user motivation, engagement, and coaching of healthy children and adults, as well as stroke patients, Alzheimer's patients, and children with autism spectrum disorders, in short and long-term (month+) deployments in schools, therapy centers, and homes, and discuss research and commercial implications for technologies aimed at human daily use.
Characterizing Torso Stiffness in Female Adolescents With and Without Scoliosis

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a spinal curvature that affects 3% of the population and disproportionately affects females. It is treated with bracing and many researchers are developing models of the torso to optimize the effectiveness of brace designs. Unfortunately, the data available to create these models is limited by the experimental methods employed. One method, in vitro spine cadaver stiffness measurements, is generally based on specimens from the elderly, which are not representative of the adolescent population. The other method, radiographic studies, can only provide a limited amount of information because of the radiation exposure that multiple images require. In this work, we present a Robotic Spine Exoskeleton (RoSE) tailored to the population in greatest need of AIS interventions–female adolescents. We use it to create a three-dimensional stiffness characterization of the torso in vivo for eight female adolescents with scoliosis and eight without this condition. The key findings include an interaction effect of DOF and torso segment on translational collinear stiffnesses, and an interaction effect of DOF and group on rotational collinear stiffnesses. We also found that the 3D coupling stiffness pattern is in line with that of the human spine, regardless of spinal deformity. Also, the magnitude of the torso stiffness for the tested population is less than that of the adult male population previously characterized. Our results provide quantitative data for torso stiffness and can be used to improve brace designs. Our methods could also be adapted as a way to customize subject-specific treatment methods, as there is a lot of variation among subjects.
The Fermat–Torricelli theorem in convex geometry

This paper studies a generalization of the Euclidean triangle, the generalized deltoid, which we believe to be the right one for convex geometry. To illustrate the process, our main result shows that the generalized deltoid satisfies a convex generalization of the Fermat–Torricelli theorem. A point that minimizes the sum of distances to the vertices of a triangle (Fermat–Torricelli point) is the same as one through which pass three equiangular affine diameters (Fermat–Ceder point). A generalized deltoid is a triangle whose sides are disjoint, outwardly-looking arcs of convex curves. The Fermat–Torricelli theorem in convex geometry extends the Fermat–Ceder point of a triangle to a Fermat–Ceder point of a generalized deltoid. As an application, we show that the Fermat–Ceder points for the continuous families of affine diameters, area-bisecting lines, and perimeter-bisecting lines are unique for every triangle, and non-unique for every pentagon. In the case of quadrilaterals, the uniqueness of the Fermat–Ceder point for affine diameters holds precisely for all non-trapezoids, the one for the Fermat–Ceder point for area-bisecting lines holds for all quadrilaterals, and the one for the Fermat–Ceder point for perimeter-bisecting lines is open.
Characterizing Functional Upper Extremity Movement in Haptic Virtual Environments

Haptic virtual environments have been used to assess cognitive and fine motor function. For tasks performed in physical environments, upper extremity movement is usually separated into reaching and object manipulation phases using fixed velocity thresholds. However, these thresholds can result in premature segmentation due to additional trajectory adjustments common in virtual environments. In this work, we address the issues of premature segmentation and the lack of a measure to characterize the spatial distribution of a trajectory while targeting an object. We propose a combined relative distance and velocity segmentation procedure and use principal component analysis (PCA) to capture the spatial distribution of the participant’s targeting phase. Synthetic data and 3D motion data from twenty healthy adults were used to evaluate the methods with positive results. We found that these methods quantify motor skill improvement of healthy participants performing repeated trials of a haptic virtual environment task.
Prediction of In-Phantom Dose Distribution Using In-Air Neutron Beam Characteristics for Boron Neutron Capture Synovectomy

A monoenergetic neutron beam simulation study was carried out to determine the optimal neutron energy range for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis using radiation synovectomy. The goal of the treatment is the ablation of diseased synovial membranes in joints such as knees and fingers. This study focuses on human knee joints. Two figures of merit are used to measure the neutron beam quality, the ratio of the synovium-absorbed dose to the skin-absorbed dose, and the ratio of the synovium-absorbed dose to the bone-absorbed dose. It was found that (a) thermal neutron beams are optimal for treatment and that (b) similar absorbed dose rates and therapeutic ratios are obtained with monodirectional and isotropic neutron beams. Computation of the dose distribution in a human knee requires the simulation of particle transport from the neutron source to the knee phantom through the moderator. A method was developed to predict the dose distribution in a knee phantom from any neutron and photon beam spectra incident on the knee. This method was revealed to be reasonably accurate and enabled one to reduce the particle transport simulation time by a factor of 10 by modeling the moderator only.
HIF1A signaling selectively supports proliferation of breast cancer in the brain

Blood-borne metastasis to the brain is a major complication of breast cancer, but cellular pathways that enable cancer cells to selectively grow in the brain microenvironment are poorly understood. We find that cultured circulating tumor cells (CTCs), derived from blood samples of women with advanced breast cancer and directly inoculated into the mouse frontal lobe, exhibit striking differences in proliferative potential in the brain. Derivative cell lines generated by serial intracranial injections acquire selectively increased proliferative competency in the brain, with reduced orthotopic tumor growth. Increased Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1A (HIF1A)-associated signaling correlates with enhanced proliferation in the brain, and shRNA-mediated suppression of HIF1A or drug inhibition of HIF-associated glycolytic pathways selectively impairs brain tumor growth while minimally impacting mammary tumor growth. In clinical specimens, brain metastases have elevated HIF1A protein expression, compared with matched primary breast tumors, and in patients with brain metastases, hypoxic signaling within CTCs predicts decreased overall survival. The selective activation of hypoxic signaling by metastatic breast cancer in the brain may have therapeutic implications.
Two beams are better than one: Enabling reliable and high throughput mmWave links

Millimeter-wave communication with high throughput and high reliability is poised to be a gamechanger for V2X and VR applications. However, mmWave links are notorious for low reliability since they suffer from frequent outages due to blockage and user mobility. Traditional mmWave systems are hardly reliable for two reasons. First, they create a highly directional link that acts as a single point of failure and cannot be sustained for high user mobility. Second, they follow a `reactive' approach, which reacts after the link has already suffered an outage. We build mmReliable, a reliable mmWave system that implements smart analog beamforming and user tracking to handle environmental vulnerabilities. It creates custom beam patterns with multiple lobes and optimizes their angle, phase, and amplitude to maximize the signal strength at the receiver. Such phase-coherent multi-beam patterns allow the signal to travel along multiple paths and add up constructively at the receiver to improve throughput. Of course, multi-beam links are resilient to occasional blockages of few beams in multi-beam compared to a single-beam system. With user mobility, mmReliable proactively tracks the motion in the background by leveraging continuous channel estimates without affecting the data rates. We implement mmReliable on a 28 GHz testbed with 400 MHz bandwidth and a 64 element phased-array supporting 5G NR waveforms. Rigorous indoor and outdoor experiments demonstrate that mmReliable achieves close to 100% reliability providing 1.5 times better throughput than traditional single-beam systems.
Can Dogs Limbo? Dogs’ Perception of Affordances for Negotiating an Opening

Very little research has focused on canines’ understanding of their own size, and their ability to apply this understanding to their surroundings. The current study tests domestic dogs’ judgment of their body size in relation to a changing environment in two novel experimental situations: when encountering an opening of decreasing height (Study 1) and when negotiating an opening when carrying a stick in their mouth (Study 2). We hypothesized that if dogs understand their own body size, they will accurately judge when an opening is too small for their body to fit through, showing longer latencies to approach the smaller openings and adjusting their body appropriately to get through—although this judgment may not extend to when their body size is effectively increased. In line with these hypotheses, we found that the latency for subjects to reach an aperture they could easily fit through was significantly shorter than to one which was almost too small to fit through. We also found that the order of subjects’ adjustments to negotiate an aperture was invariant across individuals, indicating that dogs’ perception of affordances to fit through an aperture is action-scaled. Preliminary results suggest that dogs’ approach behavior is different when a horizontal appendage is introduced, but that dogs were able to alter their behavior with experience. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that dogs understand their own body size and the affordances of their changing environment.
Pairs trading with general state space models

This study examines pairs trading using a general state space model framework. It models the spread between the prices of two assets as an unobservable state variable assuming that it follows a mea...
Embryo transfer in cattle

The topic of embryo transfer in cattle has received a great deal of publicity in all major cattle-producing countries in the world. This has come about, as has often happened in science, by a fortunate combination of major economic changes in the cattle industry, causing increased demand and higher prices for valuable livestock, and by improvements in the state of the art, especially the reports from Rowson and his colleagues (16-19) of high fertility after transfer of either one or two fertilized eggs to suitable recipients. Cattle ovumtransfer teams have sprung up in many countries and include veterinarians operating out of private clinics, as well as commercial enterprises devoted to techniques of improving cattle production. Substantial numbers of transfers have been performed commercially in Canada and Britain but have not yet been fully reported. Limited numbers of transfers have been reported from research laboratories in Japan, France, Canada and the United States (4,8,20,23-27). There is widespread interest by organizations associated with artificial insemination; however, before the commercial use of the technique of embryo transfer can be considered a success, it seems obvious that many problems have to be overcome. It is the purpose of this presentation to assess the present position and, particularly, to draw attention to the gaps in knowledge which are evident in this field. It is not my purpose to be unduly cautious; on the contrary, I believe the technique will find an important place in increasing efficiency of cattle production.
An iterative deconvolution algorithm for image recovery in clinical CT: A phantom study.

Abstract Purpose To study the feasibility of using an iterative reconstruction algorithm to improve previously reconstructed CT images which are judged to be non-diagnostic on clinical review. A novel rapidly converging, iterative algorithm (RSEMD) to reduce noise as compared with standard filtered back-projection algorithm has been developed. Materials and methods The RSEMD method was tested on in-silico, Catphan ® 500, and anthropomorphic 4D XCAT phantoms. The method was applied to noisy CT images previously reconstructed with FBP to determine improvements in SNR and CNR. To test the potential improvement in clinically relevant CT images, 4D XCAT phantom images were used to simulate a small, low contrast lesion placed in the liver. Results In all of the phantom studies the images proved to have higher resolution and lower noise as compared with images reconstructed by conventional FBP. In general, the values of SNR and CNR reached a plateau at around 20 iterations with an improvement factor of about 1.5 for in noisy CT images. Improvements in lesion conspicuity after the application of RSEMD have also been demonstrated. The results obtained with the RSEMD method are in agreement with other iterative algorithms employed either in image space or with hybrid reconstruction algorithms. Conclusions In this proof of concept work, a rapidly converging, iterative deconvolution algorithm with a novel resolution subsets-based approach that operates on DICOM CT images has been demonstrated. The RSEMD method can be applied to sub-optimal routine-dose clinical CT images to improve image quality to potentially diagnostically acceptable levels.
Including users with motor impairments in design

For people with motor impairments, access to, and independent control of, a computer can be an important part of everyday life. However, in order to be of benefit, computer systems must be accessible. Computer use often involves interaction with a graphical user interface (GUI), typically using a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. However, people with motor impairments often have difficulty with accurate control of standard input devices (Trewin & Pain, 1999). Conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and spinal injuries can give rise to symptoms such as tremor, spasm, restricted range of motion, and reduced strength. These symptoms may necessitate the use of specialized assistive technologies such as eye-gaze pointing or switch input (Alliance for Technology Access, 2000). At the same time, specialized technologies such as these can be expensive and many people simply prefer to use standard input devices (Edwards, 1995; Vanderheiden, 1985). Those who continue to use standard devices may expend considerable time and effort performing basic actions. The key to developing truly effective means of computer access lies in a user-centered approach (Stephanidis, 2001). This article discusses methods appropriate for working with people with motor impairments to obtain information about their wants and needs, and making that data available to interface designers in usable formats
On the use of diagnostic dependence-analysis tools in parallel programming

Although considerable technology has been developed for debugging and developing sequential programs, producing verifiably correct parallel code is a much harder task. In view of the large number of possible scheduling sequences, exhaustive testing is not a feasible method for determining whether a given parallel program is correct; nor have there been sufficient theoretical developments to allow the automatic verification of parallel programs. PTOOL, a tool being developed at Rice University in collaboration with users at Los Alamos National Laboratory, provides an alternative mechanism for producing correct parallel code. PTOOL is a semi-automatic tool for detecting implicit parallelism in sequential Fortran code. It uses vectorizing compiler techniques to identify dependences preventing the parallelization of sequential regions. According to the model supported by PTOOL, a programmer should first implement and test his program using traditional sequential debugging techniques. Then, using PTOOL, he can select loop bodies that can be safely executed in parallel. At Los Alamos, we have been interested in examining the role of dependence-analysis tools in the parallel programming process. Therefore, we have used PTOOL as a static debugging tool to analyze parallel Fortran programs. Our experiences using PTOOL lead us to conclude that dependence-analysis tools are useful to today's parallel programmers. Dependence-analysis is particularly useful in the development of asynchronous parallel code. With a tool like PTOOL, a programmer can guarantee that processor scheduling cannot affect the results of his parallel program. If a programmer wishes to implement a partially parallelized region through the use of synchronization primitives, however, he will find that dependence analysis is less useful. While a dependence-analysis tool can greatly simplify the task of writing synchronization code, the ultimate responsibility of correctness is left to the programmer.
Passage and behaviour of cultured Lake Sturgeon in a prototype side‐baffle fish ladder: I. Ladder hydraulics and fish ascent

Summary Research and development of a fish ladder for sturgeons requires understanding ladder hydraulics and sturgeon behaviour in the ladder to insure the ladder is safe and provides effective passage. After years of research and development, we designed and constructed a full-scale prototype side-baffle ladder inside a spiral flume (38.3 m long × 1 m wide × 1 m high) on a 6% (1 : 16.5) slope with a 1.92-m rise in elevation (bottom to top) to test use by sturgeons. Twenty-eight triangular side baffles, each extending part way across the flume, alternated from inside wall to outside wall down the ladder creating two major flow habitats: a continuous, sinusoidal flow down the ladder through the vertical openings of side-baffles and an eddy below each side baffle. Ascent and behaviour was observed on 22 cultured Lake Sturgeon = LS (Acipenser fulvescens) repeatedly tested in groups as juveniles (as small as 105.1 cm TL, mean) or as adults (mean TL, 118 cm) during four periods (fall 2002 and 2003; spring 2003 and 2007). Percent of juveniles entering the ladder that ascended to the top was greater in spring (72.7%) than in fall (40.9–45.5%) and 90.9% of 11 adults, which ascended as juveniles, ascended to the top. Six LS (27.3%) never swam to the top and seven (31.8%) swam to the top in all tests, indicating great variability among individuals for ascent drive. Some LS swam directly to the top in <1 min, but most rested in an eddy during ascent. Juveniles swimming through outside wall baffle slots (mean velocity, 1.2 m s−1) swam at 1.8–2.2 body lengths s−1 and 3.2–3.3 tail beats s−1, either at or approaching prolonged swimming speed. The side-baffle ladder was stream-like and provided key factors for a sturgeon ladder: a continuous flow and no full cross-channel walls, abundant eddies for resting, an acceptable water depth, and a water velocity fish could ascend swimming 2 bl s−1. A side-baffle ladder passes LS and other moderate-swimming fishes.
Noncontact diffuse optical assessment of blood flow changes in head and neck free tissue transfer flaps

Knowledge of tissue blood flow (BF) changes after free tissue transfer may enable surgeons to predict the failure of flap thrombosis at an early stage. This study used our recently developed noncontact diffuse correlation spectroscopy to monitor dynamic BF changes in free flaps without getting in contact with the targeted tissue. Eight free flaps were elevated in patients with head and neck cancer; one of the flaps failed. Multiple BF measurements probing the transferred tissue were performed during and post the surgical operation. Postoperative BF values were normalized to the intraoperative baselines (assigning “1”) for the calculation of relative BF change (rBF). The rBF changes over the seven successful flaps were 1.89±0.15, 2.26±0.13, and 2.43±0.13 (mean±standard error), respectively, on postoperative days 2, 4, and 7. These postoperative values were significantly higher than the intraoperative baseline values (p<0.001), indicating a gradual recovery of flap vascularity after the tissue transfer. By contrast, rBF changes observed from the unsuccessful flaps were 1.14 and 1.34, respectively, on postoperative days 2 and 4, indicating less flow recovery. Measurement of BF recovery after flap anastomosis holds the potential to act early to salvage ischemic flaps.
The Association of the H-Index and Academic Rank Among Full-Time Academic Hand Surgeons Affiliated With Fellowship Programs.

Purpose To evaluate the association between the Hirsch index (a measure of publications and citations) and academic rank among hand surgeons. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of full-time academic hand surgeons within Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–approved hand surgery fellowship programs in the United States and Canada. The study variables were classified as bibliometric (h-index, I-10 index, total number of publications, total number of citations, maximum number of citations for a single work) and demographics (gender, training factors). The outcome was academic rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, endowed professor). Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple regression statistics were computed. Results The sample was composed of 366 full-time academic hand surgeons; 86% were male and 98% had formal hand surgery fellowship training. The mean time since completion of surgical training was 17 ± 11 years. The distribution of primary faculty appointments was orthopedic surgery (70%) and plastic surgery (30%). Two hundred fifty surgeons (68%) were members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. The mean h-index was 10.2 ± 9.9 and was strongly correlated with academic rank. Gender was not associated with academic rank. Distribution of academic ranks was as follows: instructor (4%), assistant professor (28%), associate professor (40%), professor (22%), and endowed professor (5%). The h-index, years since completion of training, and American Society for Surgery of the Hand membership were associated with academic rank. The h-index had a high sensitivity and specificity for predicting academic rank. Conclusions The h-index is a reliable tool for quantitatively assessing research productivity and should be considered for use in academic hand surgery. Clinical relevance When evaluating candidates for academic promotion in hand surgery, the h-index is a potentially valuable tool for assessing research productivity and impact.
Transcriptional regulation of Th2 differentiation.

Naive CD4 T cells have a series of fates open to them; differentiation to Th2 cells depends on the concerted action of three transcription factors, GATA-3, STAT5 and Gfi-1, and displays striking positive reinforcement. The earliest events in Th2 differentiation are T cell receptor driven induction of GATA-3 and of IL-2, the latter activating STAT5. GATA-3 and STAT-5, acting together, lead to early transcription of IL-4. Endogenous IL-4, acting through IL-4Rα and STAT6 strikingly upregulate GATA-3 and IL-4, leading to commitment of the cell to high rate IL-4 production and to the Th2 phenotype. GATA-3 and STAT5 target distinct sites within the Il4 gene, resulting in accessibility and thus the two transcription factors work in concert to activate the gene. Gfi-1 enhances the cytokine driven out-growth of Th2 cells and selects cells expressing the highest amounts of GATA-3. Thus, the interaction of the three transcription factors leads both to Th2 fate determination and selective outgrowth of differentiated Th2 cells and are thus responsible for a robust differentiation process resulting in the appearance of CD4 T cells capable of producing IL-4 and its related cytokines.
Effects of Apnea and Face Immersion in Water on the Time Components of the Cardiac Cycle

Abstract Selected time components of the cardiac cycle were determined during breathing in air, breathing through a snorkel during face immersion, apnea in air, and apnea during face immersion. Of primary interest were diastole (Dia), electromechanical lag (EML), isovolumetric contraction period (ICP), and ejection period (EP). Both apnea and face immersion significantly lengthened Dia and in combination resulted in a greater lengthening than would be expected if their effects were merely additive. The EP was shortened by apnea but lengthened by face immersion while EML was lengthened by apnea and shortened by face immersion. Due to the opposing nature of these reflexes on EP and EML, there was little change in total systole during apneic face immersion. At this water temperature (22 to 24°C), the effects of apnea were greater than those of face immersion. It was concluded that the effects of apneic face immersion on the heart probably involve two relatively independent components.
Adjustment Through Globalization: The Role of State FDI Finance

One of the greatest puzzles in the debate over Japanese industrial policy—which has been characterized by export promotion, infant industry protection, and strategic policies to influence resource allocation and industrial adjustment—is the fact that, throughout the entire postwar period, the Japanese government provided subsidized loans to outward-bound foreign direct investment (FDI). Why would a government keen on building a home-based industrial juggernaut support the relocation of production abroad?
Providing Holistic Care for Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is one of the most common pain conditions affecting women and can have a significant impact on quality of life. Assessment of women with CPP is best approached in a comprehensive, systematic manner that includes exploration of physiological and psychological causes. A range of treatment options that draw from conventional medicine and complementary and alternative modalities should be offered. The women's health nurse plays a pivotal role in all aspects of care.
TheS-matrix analysis of quantum electrodynamics as three-body interaction and an interpretation of the Klauder phenomenon

We postulate that only linear systems are basic,i.e. irreducible. Any nonlinear system may be resolved into constituent systems such that ultimately only basic interacting linear systems are obtained. TheS-matrix analysis of quantum electrodynamics is formally equivalent to special instances of Duffing's equation. These special instances describe interacting systems of the three-body kind. Three-body interaction is a parametric excitation, in which each of the interacting systems is describle by a wave amplitude equation. Each wave amplitude equation can be related deterministically to quantum theory. The coupling of linear systems may be either continuous or discontinuous. The Klauder phenomenon is an example of discontinuous coupling. Nonrenormalizable field phenomena may be explained as due to the existence of a singularity in the relation of the wave amplitude equation and the exponential peerturbation. The two types of system coupling-continuous and discontinuous-give rise to two separate types of nonlinear transduction. The first is based on the activity of the harmonic oscillator and its theoretically identical to the white-noise analysis. The second is based on the activity of the harmonie oscillator parametrically excited to anharmonicity and is theoretically identical to the shot noise analysis. Together, the two types of system analysis provide a general theory of nonlinear phenomena.
The hairless-obese mouse

Viable mice homozygous for two recessive autosomal genes, hairless (hr) and obese (ob) were produced with an average life span of 538 +/- 34.1 days. On the average, hairless-obese mice weighed about 73 percent as much as obese mice. Since obese mice consumed approximately 73 percent as much oxygen per gram body weight per hour as hairless-obese mice at about 24 degree C, the weight averages appear to be closely inversely related to the oxygen consumption averages. The presence or absence of pelage seems to make a negligible contribution to oxygen consumption in these two types of obese mice. The hairless condition of the hr/hr genotype seems to contribute to increased oxygen consumption beyond that expected as a consequence of their lower average body weight. The average oxygen consumptions for seven female mice in each of four phenotypic groups (hairless, normal, hairless-obese, and obese) were 3.87, 3.12, 2.39, and 1.74 ml/g/hr, respectively. The two mutants appear to interact in a simple additive way and not as a mutant suppression system. On an absolute basis, the hr/hr genotype seems to have approximately 54 percent as much affect on oxygen consumption as the ob/ob genotype. Litter records at about 60 days of age for four kinds of matings did no reveal any statistically significant deviations from expected ratios.
Near infrared to vacuum ultraviolet absorption spectra and the optical constants of phthalocyanine and porphyrin films

Abstract Measurements are reported for photon energies between 0.5 and 11.8 eV of the absorption coefficient of thin films of free base, copper, and zinc phthalocyanines, chlorinated copper phthalocyanine, and free base protoporphyrin. Several new discrete transitions are observed in the ultraviolet spectra, in addition to a strong continuum component of absorption. The data covers a sufficiently extensive spectral range to permit the first determination of the spectral dependence of the optical constants for these materials.
Controlling Nanopore Size and Shape by Fluorosurfactant Templating of Silica

Fluorinated surfactants are a special class of surfactants that assemble into aggregates and form novel intermediate mesophases more easily than hydrocarbon surfactants. Despite their unique properties, researchers have only recently begun to explore the use of these surfactants as templates for porous inorganic materials. Here, we report a comprehensive investigation of the use of cationic fluorinated surfactants as templates for ordered nanoporous silica. A homologous series of perfluoroalkylpyridinium chloride surfactants with tail lengths between 6 and 12 carbons is synthesized and characterized. Using these surfactants in aqueous solution, materials are synthesized with pore structures that, as the tail length of the surfactant increases, include uniform wormhole-like pores, ordered 2-D hexagonal pores, and mesh phase pores. The smallest pore diameter observed in this series (2.19 nm by the KJS method) is among the smallest observed for a porous ceramic made with a single chain cationic surfactant. T...
The relationship of sustained exercise training and bone mineral density in aging male runners.

Fifty-six men aged 42-73 years (50.2 +/- 10.0 years), who were competitive distance runners 20-25 years previously, were examined for bone mineral density (BMD) to determine the relationship between sustained distance running and BMD. Subjects were classified as being highly trained (HT, n = 17), moderately trained (MT, n = 29) or untrained (UT, n = 10) according to their training in recent years. Subjects in each group were of similar age (HT 46.5 +/- 2.01, MT 53.0 +/- 1.51, UT 46.7 +/- 2.44 years) and lean body mass. Total body weight (kg) and percentage fat, however, were significantly greater (P < 0.05) in the UT group than in either the MT or HT groups (UT 80.6 +/- 2.44 kg, 22.0 +/- 1.16%; MT 74.9 +/- 1.51 kg, 17.5 +/- 0.61%; HT 70.5 +/- 1.71 kg, 13.5 +/- 0.59%). Lumbar vertebrae and hip region BMD (g.cm-2) was determined via dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). No differences in BMD were found among the three groups in either the lumbar (HT 1.00 +/- 0.02, MT 1.02 +/- 0.03, UT 1.07 +/- 0.04 g.cm-2) or the hip regions (HT 0.99 +/- 0.03, MT 0.98 +/- 0.02, UT 1.06 +/- 0.04 g.cm-2). Furthermore, none of the groups had BMD that was significantly different from age-matched normative values taken from a reference database. A moderate correlation was found between body weight and BMD when combining all subjects (r = 0.38 for lumbar and r = 0.41 for hip). These results indicate that middle-aged to older males who have sustained exercise training in the form of running do not have significantly different lumbar vertebrae or hip region BMD compared to individuals who run less or not at all.
The origin of β relaxations in segmented rigid‐rod polyimide and copolyimide films

Most aromatic polyimides and copolyimides show a β relaxation process below their α relaxation processes in dynamic mechanical and dielectric measurements. The origin of this β relaxation has been under active discussion. In order to gain a better understanding of the origin of the β relaxation process, the dynamic mechanical behavior of a series of segmented rigid-rod polyimide and copolyimide films with different dianhydrides and diamines has been systematically studied. For some of the polymers, crystallinity and orientation effects on the β relaxation process were also investigated. It is found that the β relaxation process in the unoriented films can mainly be attributed to a relatively noncooperative motion in uncrystallized diamines. However, this noncooperative nature may be gradually lost by increasing the crystallinity and orientation. Molecular modeling and computation have led to a discussion of possible diamine motion in the β relaxation process.
Goodness-of-Fit Tests for Large Sparse Multinomial Distributions

Abstract A goodness-of-fit statistic D 2 is introduced for use in multinomial distributions. Pearson's X2 and D 2 are both approximately normally distributed when the sample size N is not large relative to the number of multinomial categories k. Under sequences of local alternative hypotheses the test based on D 2 exhibits moderate power when the X2 test is biased. Application is made to the analysis of large sparse contingency tables. A theorem is presented that describes the likelihood ratio Λ for testing a simple multinomial distribution against a mixture of multinomial distributions. A wide variety of mixing distributions is considered, and the D 2 statistic is a special case of log Λ when testing for Dirichlet mixtures of multinomial distributions. In the case where N is large, relative to k, X2 and D 2 + k behave approximately as chi-squared random variables and differ by a very small amount under the null hypothesis. In this situation X2 and D 2 + k will generally yield the same inference. With a l...
Nitrogen metabolism in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. II. Evidence for an apparent incomplete ornithine-urea cycle.

Abstract 1. 1. The activities of carbamyl phosphate synthetase, ornithine transcarbamylase, arginine synthetase system and arginase were measured in liver and kidney homogenates of cultured and native channel catfish. 2. 2. Significant levels of carbamyl phosphate synthetase, ornithine transcarbamylase and arginase were detected in liver tissue, whereas only ornithine transcarbamylase and arginase were detected in kidney tissue. 3. 3. The liver and kidney arginases were activated by Mn2+ ions and exhibited Km values similar to those previously reported for ureotelic species.
Contextual and Linguistic Correlates of Intelligibility in Children With Developmental Phonological Disorders

Listeners' glosses of children's intended words provided data for two studies of the potential influence of selected contextual and linguistic variables on word intelligibility. Several regularities associated with the occurrence of unintelligible words were identified. In Study I, intelligibility outcomes were associated with utterance length and fluency, word position, intelligibility of adjacent words, phonological complexity, and grammatical form. In Study II, intelligibility outcomes were associated with phonological complexity, syllabic structure, and grammatical form. Discussion considers the implications of these and other regularities associated with the occurrence of unintelligible words for a comprehensive perspective on the utterance-to-utterance intelligibility deficits of children with phonological disorders of unknown origin.
Symmetry crossover in the spin dynamics of ( C H 3 ) 4 NMn Cl 3 (TMMC)

The influence of the small ( 2% of the Heisenberg exchange), but anisotropic, dipolar interaction on the spin dynamics of the quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnet, ${(\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{H}}_{3})}_{4}$NMn${\mathrm{Cl}}_{3}$, is explored. The proton spin-lattice relaxation time at low temperatures is calculated, and a crossover from isotropic Heisenberg (order-parameter dimensionality $n=3$) to $\mathrm{XY} (n=2)$ behavior is found, with a crossover temperature ${T}_{x}\ensuremath{\approx}20$ \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Previous qualitative discrepancies between theory and experiment at low temperatures are resolved by inclusion of the effects of dipolar anisotropy.
Spring-Interseeded Winter Rye Seeding Rates Influence Weed Control and Organic Soybean Yield

Field research in 2002 and 2003 evaluated spring-interseeded winter rye (Secale cereale L.) at 67, 134, or 200 kg ha−1 at two soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) row spacings (19- and 76-cm) on weed control, yield, and gross margins. Based on regression analysis, wide-row (76-cm) soybean grain yield and gross margins were greatest when winter rye was interseeded at 114 and 106 kg ha−1, respectively. Yields and gross margins for wide-row soybean were 8 to 55% greater than narrow-row (19-cm) soybean seeded at 494,000 or 742,000 seeds ha−1 which was probably due to flexibility for implementing cultivation. As interseeded rye rates increased from 67 to 200 kg ha−1, yields and gross margins for narrow-rows decreased. Soybean row spacing had minimal impacts on specific weed species and total weed biomass or density. The use of wide-row soybean and spring-interseeded rye at 67 kg ha−1 was more cost-effective compared to narrow rows.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Susceptibility to Varicella

Nonspecific reactions to the membrane antigen of varicella-zoster virus were found by fluorescent antibody assay in the sera of three children susceptible to the virus; one of these children subsequently developed varicella. None of the three sera, however, contained antibody to varicella-zoster virus that was detectable by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Moreover, the results of the ELISA clearly distinguished immune from susceptible individuals. The negative range was established with sera obtained from 15 individuals prior to the onset of varicella, and the positive range was established with sera obtained from 75 healthy donors with a history of varicella. The results of the ELISA correlated well with those of the fluorescent antibody assay (r = + 0.84). Heterologous reactions to herpes simplex virus were found in one of seven sera tested, and such reactions to cytomegalovirus were found in two of five sera. Heterologous reactions to Epstein-Barr virus were found in none of eight sera tested. ELISA is easy, sensitive, and reproducible and can be used for routine screening for susceptibility to varicella.
Triphasic Force Dependence of E-Selectin/Ligand Dissociation Governs Cell Rolling under Flow

During inflammation, flowing leukocytes tether to and roll on vascular surfaces through the association and dissociation of selectin/ligand bonds. The interactions of P- and L- selectins with their respective ligands exhibit catch-slip bonds, such that increasing force initially prolongs and then shortens bond lifetimes. In addition, catch-slip bonds have been shown to govern L-selectin-mediated cell rolling. Using a flow chamber and biomembrane force probe, we show a triphasic force dependence of E-selectin/ligand dissociation that initially behaves as slip bonds, then transitions to catch bonds, and finally transitions again to slip bonds as the force increases. These transitions govern the velocities of neutrophils, HL-60 cells, and Colo-205 cells rolling on E-selectin, as evidenced by the fact that their velocities exhibited a triphasic force dependence that inversely matched the triphasic lifetime-force relationship. At low forces, slip bonds may also precede catch bonds for interactions of P- and L-selectin with their ligands.
How Counsellors Cope with Traumatized Clients: Personal, Professional and Organizational Strategies

This qualitative study examined the experiences of counsellors and their perceptions of resources that helped them cope with traumatized clients and difficult client sessions. The research was conducted using in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of eight counsellors working in five counselling agencies. The study identified how counsellors develop their own personal and professional strategies for coping with challenge, and the supportive structures and coping strategies provided by agencies. From these counsellors’ stories of learning to cope with traumatized clients and traumatic material, we highlight some recommendations that may facilitate the development of effective coping strategies for the prevention or amelioration of vicarious traumatization.
Exercise and Aging: New Perspectives and Educational Approaches.

Several factors including early retirement, increased longevity, diminished mobility, and the determination of an aging population to be recognized, respected, and accepted have coalesced to focus new attention on aging and the aged. One of the major concerns emanating from this new movement has been the role/function of exercise and physical fitness upon the health status of the aging. Commentary is offered regarding the benefits of exercise and some new educational approaches and curricular modifications are identified, which are designed to promote health and well‐being among the elderly.
Migration of High-Pressure Air during Gas Well Drilling in the Appalachian Basin

AbstractWe present the details of a numerical model simulating the migration of pressurized air used for pneumatic drilling of a well in an aquifer. We used an incident that occurred in West Virginia during June 2012 as a basis for making the simulations realistic. We developed a 3D conceptual model using the multipurpose model TOUGH2 to simulate the events during this incident. Input parameters for the model were obtained from field measurements, and a number of reasonable assumptions were made for other parameters. Our results showed that compressed air from a drilling well is capable of creating a high pressure gradient in groundwater at hundreds of meters from the drill hole, even if the air leakage from the drilling well occurs in a confined aquifer, and even if the leakage duration is only 2 h. Therefore, one way to prevent the pressure buildup in the surrounding aquifers is through emplacement of observation wells before drilling, which would alert the drillers to any unusual pressure buildup insid...
Response of rat connective tissues to streptozotocin-diabetes. Tissue-specific effects on collagen metabolism.

Abstract We assessed the effect of streptozotocin-diabetes on in vivo collagen metabolism in skin, aorta and intestine by injecting [ 3 H]proline into rats, 20 days after administering the diabetogen, streptozotocin. One day after [ 3 H]proline injection, diabetic and control animals were killed, their tissues analyzed for both 3 H-labeled and unlabeled hydroxyproline and results expressed per entire tissue. Thereby, the effect of diabetes on net collagen synthesis and tissue collagen mass, respectively, was evaluated. Diabetes resulted in a lower content of [ 3 H]collagen in skin and aorta, suggesting decreased net collagen synthesis. This decrease in net synthesis was accompanied by a decrease of collagen mass in skin, whereas aortic collagen mass was unaffected. Consequently, an acceleration of collagen degradation in skin is postulated to have accompanied the expected depression of collagen synthesis; alterations of the physiochemical properties of skin from diabetic rats support this interpretation. For intestine, both net collagen synthesis and mass increased in diabetic rats, reflecting increased collagen synthesis—possibly associated with polyphagy. In conclusion, with regard to collagen metabolism, representative connective tissues respond differently to experimental diabetes, and we suggest that this insight will be useful in future studies aimed at understanding the pathophysiology of connective tissues affected by diabetes.
Minimizing solvent degradation and corrosion using multifunctional additive

Abstract Solvent degradation and metal corrosion are critical concerns of a post-combustion CO2 capture process. Systemic analysis indicated that oxidation, nitrosation, and corrosion reactions occur or initiatethrough a radical reaction and thus addition of a radical scavenger is expected to work effectively to avoid these reactions. Here, for the first time, a multifunctional organic compound (CAER additive) has been evaluated as an inhibitor. The corrosion rate of A106 in 5 mol/kg MEA was lowered by one order of magnitude when 5 mM inhibitor was added. Oxidation of 5 mol/kg MEA was monitored based on accumulation of formate concentration in the solution and formate levels were below the detection limit when CAER additive was present. Furthermore, the same additive was found to inhibit nitrosation of 5 mol/kgmorpholine with 100 ppm of NO2 gas by 91% in 6 h.