cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sources of Computer Game Enjoyment: Card Sorting to Develop a New Model

Understanding what makes computer games enjoyable is important not only for game design, but for the design of any interactive experience where it is important that users will want to use the design. We define enjoyment broadly as the positive evaluation of your experience. Existing models of game enjoyment are either not comprehensive enough, were not generated by empirical research, or both. We aim to fill this gap in the literature with a card sorting study exploring participants’ experience and mental models around what leads to computer game enjoyment. A broad literature review identified 167 sources of enjoyment. Our research group conducted an open card sort with these items to identify 24 initial categories of enjoyment sources. Sixty participants will sort the 167 sources of enjoyment into the 24 categories, plus a “not a source of enjoyment” category. After every ten participants, we will calculate inter-rater agreement with Randolph’s free-marginal multi-rater kappa. We hope this research will lead to a new, more comprehensive and content valid model of the sources of computer game enjoyment.
Solving the surgeon ergonomic crisis with surgical exosuit

The widespread adoption of laparoscopic surgery has put new physical demands on the surgeon leading to increased musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. Shoulder, back, and neck pains are among the most common complaints experienced by laparoscopic surgeons. Here, we evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a non-intrusive progressive arm support exosuit worn by surgeons under the sterile gown to reduce pain and fatigue during surgery. This is a prospective randomized crossover study approved by the Internal Review Board (IRB). The study involves three phases of testing. In each phase, general surgery residents or attendings were randomized to wearing the surgical exosuit at the beginning or at the crossover point. The first phase tests for surgeon manual dexterity wearing the device using the Minnesota Dexterity test, the Purdue Pegboard test, and the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) modules. The second phase tests the effect of the device on shoulder pain and fatigue while operating the laparoscopic camera. The third phase rates surgeon experience in the operating room between case-matched operating days. Twenty subjects were recruited for this study. Surgeons had the similar dexterity scores and FLS times whether or not they wore the exosuit (p value ranges 0.15–0.84). All exosuit surgeons completed 15 min of holding laparoscopic camera compared to three non-exosuit surgeons (p < 0.02). Exosuit surgeons experienced significantly less fatigue at all time periods and arm pain (3.11 vs 5.88, p = 0.019) at 10 min. Surgeons wearing the exosuit during an operation experienced significant decrease in shoulder pain and 85% of surgeons reported some form of pain reduction at the end of the operative day. The progressive arm support exosuit can be a minimally intrusive device that laparoscopic surgeons wear to reduce pain and fatigue of surgery without significantly interfering with operative skills or manual dexterity.
Cluster and Facial Headache

Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) are primary headache disorders characterized by unilateral head pain of varying duration associated with ipsilateral cranial autonomic features. TACs differ primarily in episode duration, frequency, and periodicity. Cluster headache and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) are more common among men, while chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH) and hemicrania continua (HC) among women. The duration of headache attacks (15–180 min) helps differentiate cluster headache from the other TACs and also from migraine headache (4–72 h). SUNCT is best differentiated from trigeminal neuralgia (TN) by location of pain (V1 versus V2–V3 for TN) and the prominent ipsilateral autonomic features (rare in TN). Cerebral blood flow studies reveal hyperactivation of the hypothalamus ipsilateral to the pain in cluster headache, contralateral to the pain in CPH and HC, and bilateral in SUNCT. Oxygen therapy and subcutaneous sumatriptan are the agents of choice for the treatment of acute attacks of cluster headache. Prevention of cluster headache is most frequently accomplished with short-term corticosteroids and long-term verapamil. Electrocardiographic monitoring is necessary for those patients with cluster headache requiring verapamil doses greater than 240 mg. Paroxysmal hemicrania and hemicrania continua are prevented absolutely by therapeutic doses of indomethacin. Co-administration of a proton pump inhibitor may improve the tolerability of long-term indomethacin dosing. SUNCT is the most brief, least common, and most refractory TAC. Lamotrigine is the treatment of choice.
The Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of Obesity: Beyond “Calories In, Calories Out”

Despite intensive research, the causes of the obesity epidemic remain incompletely understood and conventional calorie-restricted diets continue to lack long-term efficacy. According to the carbohydrate-insulin model (CIM) of obesity, recent increases in the consumption of processed, high-glycemic-load carbohydrates produce hormonal changes that promote calorie deposition in adipose tissue, exacerbate hunger, and lower energy expenditure. Basic and genetic research provides mechanistic evidence in support of the CIM. In animals, dietary composition has been clearly demonstrated to affect metabolism and body composition, independently of calorie intake, consistent with CIM predictions. Meta-analyses of behavioral trials report greater weight loss with reduced-glycemic load vs low-fat diets, though these studies characteristically suffer from poor long-term compliance. Feeding studies have lacked the rigor and duration to test the CIM, but the longest such studies tend to show metabolic advantages for low-glycemic load vs low-fat diets. Beyond the type and amount of carbohydrate consumed, the CIM provides a conceptual framework for understanding how many dietary and nondietary exposures might alter hormones, metabolism, and adipocyte biology in ways that could predispose to obesity. Pending definitive studies, the principles of a low-glycemic load diet offer a practical alternative to the conventional focus on dietary fat and calorie restriction.
Clinical trials of ischemic conditioning

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and the leading cause of disability in the United States and is a prevalent and devastating pathological entity worldwide. Alongside primary prevention, acute pharmacological or mechanical intercessions, maximization of collateral blood flow, and neuroprotection, the innovative idea of inducing an artificial stress to help the body weather the ongoing or impending pathophysiological one (ischemic conditioning) has been discovered and extensively studied in the laboratory in many species and target organs (Gulker et al. 1977; Murry et al. 1986; Reimer et al. 1986; Cochrane et al. 1999; Kume et al. 1996; Lee et al. 2008; Iliodromitis et al. 2007; Yin et al. 2009; Dave et al. 2001, 2005; Giovanardi et al. 2009; Chen et al. 2008; Hausenloy 2009; Mio 2010; Zhang et al. 2011; Fisher et al. 1994). The translation from the lab bench to the bedside has been a rather slow and tenuous process. In this chapter, we will discuss the proof of concept and clinical promise of ischemic conditioning, highlight the challenges of translating this exciting concept to clinical practice, and review the latest clinical efforts of pre- and postconditioning the heart (often, current cardiac trials tend to outline future cerebral experimental directions) and the brain.
Inverses of Linear Sequential Circuits: On Beyond Poles and Zeros ... *

Thirteen years ago, polynomial module ideas were introduced into the systems literature by Wyman and Sain to address the issue of zero structures in inverse dynamics. Modules have since permitted a unified approach to the study of dynamical qualities for systems that are improper, nonminimal, implicit, and which display nontrivial kernels and cokernels. In this paper, we employ this tool to take a new look at the question of inverses for linear sequential circuits, studied early by Massey and Sain in 1968, with a view toward making the zero structure of an inverse linear sequential circuit as simple as possible. The issue turns out to be considerably more subtle than it would appear. We argue that the task of finding inverses with no more than the necessary zero structure does not have a natural solution for traditional cases of left and right inversion, unless the matrices involved are square. At first, this may seem quite counterintuitive. But, when we make clear just exactly how to account for all the zero structure of a system, then the true difficulty of the problem becomes strikingly clear.
Manipulation of Ambient Housing Temperature To Study the Impact of Chronic Stress on Immunity and Cancer in Mice

Mice are the preeminent research organism in which to model human diseases and study the involvement of the immune response. Rapidly accumulating evidence indicates a significant involvement of stress hormones in cancer progression, resistance to therapies, and suppression of immune responses. As a result, there has been a concerted effort to model human stress in mice. In this article, we discuss recent literature showing how mice in research facilities are chronically stressed at baseline because of environmental factors. Focusing on housing temperature, we suggest that the stress of cool housing temperatures contributes to the impact of other imposed experimental stressors and therefore has a confounding effect on mouse stress models. Furthermore, we propose that manipulation of housing temperature is a useful approach for studying the impact of chronic stress on disease and the immune response and for testing therapeutic methods of reducing the negative effects of chronic stress.
Bottled Water Consumption Habits and Purchase Behaviours of Consumers in the Urban Areas of Adana

In recent years, the world population, urbanization process and need for natural water resources have increased. Therefore, providing the safe and clean drinking water has become an important topic of our day. This research was carried out to determine the bottled water consumption habits and purchasing behaviours of consumers. Primary data were obtained from 384 consumers living in urban areas of Adana province. The demographic characteristics and consumption habits of consumers were determined by calculating frequencies, ratios and averages. Factor analysis was used to determine the factors that affect the purchasing behaviours of the consumers and the cluster analysis were used to distinguish consumers with different perception levels from those with similar characteristics. Results indicated that 40.4% of participants consumed bottled water and 85.2% of these consumers took into account the brand of bottled water. Factor analysis revealed that 3 factors, product characteristics, packaging and price, and recognition affected purchasing behaviours in this sample. As a result of the K-means clustering analysis consumers in this study were divided into 3 groups. The most important factors for consumers in these observed clusters were shelf life, product freshness and product hygiene.
Association of Cardiovascular and Alzheimer's Disease Risk Factors with Intracranial Arterial Blood Flow in Whites and African Americans.

BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) has a higher prevalence among African Americans. Targeting cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors may be potential mechanisms to modify AD risk and address racial/ethnic disparities in AD dementia. OBJECTIVE This study investigated relationships among cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, APOE genotype, AD biomarkers, and intracranial arterial blood flow in Whites and African Americans enriched for AD risk. METHODS 399 cognitively unimpaired adults from the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center completed physical and neuroimaging examinations. A 4D Flow MRI sequence (phase-contrast vastly under sampled isotropic projection imaging) measured intracranial arterial flow in the Circle of Willis. Linear mixed-effects regression models estimated relationships between risk factors and intracranial arterial flow and tested interactions with racial group, APOE genotype, and AD biomarkers, with separate models per risk factor. RESULTS Higher fasting glucose was associated with lower intracranial arterial flow; no additional relationships between flow and risk factors were observed. Main effects of racial group were observed, without an interaction, indicating lower flow in African Americans compared to Whites. In race-stratified analyses, higher glucose and triglycerides were associated with lower flow for African Americans, but not for Whites. No main effects or interactions among risk factors, APOE, or AD biomarkers, and flow were observed. CONCLUSION Elevated fasting glucose and triglycerides were associated with lower intracranial arterial flow; these relationships were more prominent in African Americans. Targeting metabolic risk factors may impact intracranial arterial health. Additional research is needed to determine if this will impact disparities in dementia prevalence.
A queer youth’s challenges to normativities of time, space, and queerness: pedagogical encounters in a small town Christian youth group

Previous scholarship on queer youth in small town and rural educational contexts has primarily documented educators’ perspectives and experiences of youth victimization. Drawing from a broader, int...
Work in Progress Report: A STEM EcoSystem Approach to CS/CT for All in a Middle School

This project is a Research to Practice Partnership (RPP) between two middle schools and two universities. It focuses on investigating problems and on identifying solutions around increasing participation and interest in computer science (CS). We aim to do this by identifying, experimenting with, and fine-tuning methods to help students develop computational thinking (CT) skills. The research employs a STEM ecosystem model, which facilitates a support structure that aims to mitigate barriers and impact students as they progress in STEM areas. While this RPP is still a work in progress, we present data from the first year of our collaboration with one of the middle schools. While the research questions guiding this RPP are intended to be iterative and revised annually, year one data provides perspectives on (1) barriers to developing a STEM ecosystem that supports CS/CT for every student through integration into science, math, and language arts courses, (2) the factors or interventions needed for the development of a CS/CT focused ecosystem that supports everyone in the school, (3) the indicators of success for a CS/CT focused STEM ecosystem in a school, and (4) how the ecosystem prepares and engages all students for CS/CT work in high school. Year one data is discussed in terms of the STEM ecosystem framework and in how it will guide the next steps in this partnership. This project contributes to the understanding of how to prepare future generations for participation in a workforce where knowledge of the foundations of CS/CT is integral to success.
Adjoint-Assisted Inversion for Shallow Water Environment Parameters

The adjoint of a forward model can back-propagate mismatch between observations and their predictions and produce the corrections to the forward model inputs that caused the mismatch. As an example of this process, the adjoint of a parabolic equation propagation model is used to invert errors in pressure predictions at a receiver for sound speed perturbations due to internal tides.
Canonical/β-catenin Wnt pathway activation improves retinal pigmented epithelium derivation from human embryonic stem cells.

Author(s): Leach, Lyndsay L; Buchholz, David E; Nadar, Vignesh P; Lowenstein, Stefan E; Clegg, Dennis O | Abstract: PurposeThe purpose of this study was to better understand the role canonical/β-catenin Wnt signaling plays in the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), with the goal of improving methods for derivation.MethodsFluorescent reporters were generated to monitor RPE differentiating from hESCs by using a previously described 14-day derivation protocol. Reporters were used to test the effects of the canonical/β-catenin Wnt pathway agonist CHIR99021 on differentiating RPE. Cells derived from differentiation studies were characterized by lineage-specific transcription factor expression, morphology, pigmentation, and function. The RPE derivation efficiency was determined from percentage positive PMEL17 expression.ResultsFluorescent reporters mimicked expression of endogenous genes during 14-day differentiation to RPE. Analysis of Wnt pathway gene expression showed that the pathway components are expressed in differentiating RPE cells. Addition of CHIR99021 improved RPE derivation based on morphology, expression of RPE-specific lineage markers, and genes involved in melanogenesis. Additionally, expression of the neural retina marker CHX10 was suppressed during differentiation with CHIR99021. Addition of soluble WNT3A, but not WNT5A, had the same result. The CHIR99021-modified protocol yielded cell populations that were 97.77% ± 0.1% positive for the RPE marker PMEL17 at day 14. After cells were expanded to passage 3, they were shown to express RPE markers, carry out phagocytosis of rod outer segments, and secrete pigment epithelium-derived factor apically and vascular endothelial growth factor basally.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrated the importance of canonical/β-catenin Wnt signaling in RPE differentiation and showed that manipulating the pathway significantly improves RPE derivation from hESC.
Mathematical Modeling Based on Three-point Shooting

With the popularity of basketball, the tense, fierce atmosphere and more aggressive defense in basketball games have caused the shooting percentage to be greatly reduced. According to research, there are two key shooting models that affect the shooting rate. Starting from the shooting angle of the ball when shooting, the shooting speed, the horizontal distance between the center of the basketball and the center of the basket, as well as the relationship between the basketball incident angle, various factors are analyzed. The author analyzed impact on the shooting percentage, and made appropriate assumptions, in the case of a reasonable estimate of the distance between the shooting point and the center of the basket and maintaining a stable shooting speed, determined the best shooting angle and best shooting speed for shooting, and obtained a capable. Through this paper, it can be concluded that the shooting angle can improve the shooting rate without using too much physical energy when shooting. In addition, it is hoped that the model can be applied to other fields in the future.
Relation between experts’ foot labels and quantitative foot measurements

The assessment of feet by foot experts depends on their background knowledge and preferences. To streamline foot assessments, we want to pinpoint measureable values to each foot characteristic.In t...
Conocimientos sexuales en niños/as de 5 a 7 años. Bases para el estudio de los factores de integración

El trabajo se presenta como un estudio piloto. Se investigan los puntos de vista que tienen ninos y ninas, de cinco a siete anos, sobre temas sexuales: identidad y diferencias sexuales, reproduccion, relaciones afectivas en el seno de la familia, roles de la pareja en la produccion de un nino, gestacion, nacimiento y amamantamiento del bebe. Objetivos y metodologia se basan en trabajos realizados anteriormente sobre el tema en Israel, Estados Unidos y Belgica.
Infectious Diseases of the Nervous System

In this chapter infectious diseases of the nervous system are discussed. These include bacterial, viral, fungal, spirochetal, and parasitic infections. Although the central nervous system (CNS) is protected from bacterial invasion by the intact blood-brain barrier, bacterial invasion is enhanced by the special surface properties of bacteria as well as host immune deficiencies. Similar to any type of infection of the nervous system, bacteria may involve any of the nervous system compartments: the epidural space (epidural abscess); the dura (pachymeningitis); the subdural space (subdural empyema); the leptomeninges and the subarachnoid space containing cerebrospinal fluid (meningitis or leptomeningitis); and the brain parenchyma (brain abscess). The clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, pathology, etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of these syndromes are presented.
Verification of a Microstructurally-based Equation for Elevated-temperature Transient Isotropic Hardening

A recent investigation quantified, by a root-mean-square equation, the separate effects of forest dislocations and subgrain boundaries on elevated (750/sup 0/C) temperature strength of type 304 stainless steel. This was accomplished by producing structures in which the subgrain size and forest dislocation density were not related by the usual one-to-one correspondence. Such structures were produced by combinations of warm and cold working. In the present investigation the equation is evaluated against data on transient structures produced exclusively at elevated temperatures (750 to 1065/sup 0/C). It is shown that the equation reliably predicts, over this elevated temperature range, the strength of structures in which the prominent microstructural features are subgrains and forest dislocations.
Separation of Professional and Amateur Video in Large Video Collections

With a rapidly dropping price in hand-held cameras and video editing software, user-generated contents are popular these days, especially on online video sharing websites. To facilitate efficient management of large video collections, it is essential to be able to separate amateur video contents from professional ones automatically. In this work, we propose several features that take into account the camera operation and the nature of amateur video clips to achieve this goal. In the proposed scheme, we estimate the number of different cameras being used in a short time interval, the shakiness of the camera, and the distance between the camera and the subject. Experimental results on a test video data set demonstrate that the camera usage can be inferred from the proposed features and reliable separation of professional and amateur video contents can be achieved.
Phosphate-Containing Proteins of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coii

The pattern of post-translational protein modifications involving a phosphate group was determined in the prokaryotes Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. A special two-dimensional gel electrophoretic separation was developed which utilizes acidic urea in the first dimension and neutral sodium dodecyl sulfate in the second dimension. This system allows survival and visualization of a number of proteins which are otherwise lost in systems employing basic conditions. The total number of phosphate-containing proteins thus obtained is approximately twenty. Among them are included proteins containing nucleotidylyl groups; two of these have been identified: glutamine synthetase (adenylylated) and regulatory protein PH (uridylylated). Two phosphatecontaining proteins are shown to be regulated by the level of K+. The pattern of phosphorylation is shown to change with changing growth conditions and with specific mutations.
Purification and characterization of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast glutamyl-tRNA synthetase, a natural misacylating enzyme.

Glutamyl-tRNA synthetase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was purified by sequential column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, phosphocellulose, Mono Q, and Mono S. The apparent molecular mass of the protein when analyzed under both denaturing conditions (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and nondenaturing conditions (rate zonal sedimentation on glycerol gradients) was 62,000 Da; this indicates that the active enzyme is a monomer. The purified glutamyl-tRNA synthetase was identified as the chloroplast enzyme by its tRNA charging specificity. Reversed-phase chromatography of unfractionated C. reinhardtii tRNA resolved four peaks of glutamate acceptor RNA when assayed with the purified enzyme. The enzyme can also glutamylate Escherichia coli tRNA(2Glu), but not cytoplasmic tRNA(Glu) from yeast or barley. In addition, the enzyme misacylates chloroplast tRNA(Gln) with glutamate. A similar mischarging phenomenon has been demonstrated for the barley chloroplast enzyme (Schon, A., Kannangara, C.G., Gough, S., and Soll, D. (1988) Nature 331, 187-190) and for Bacillus subtilis glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (Proulx, M., Duplain, L., Lacoste, L., Yaguchi, M., and Lapointe, J. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 753-759).
An ROI Search Method for Still Images Based on Set Descriptions

Detecting a Region of Interest (ROI) from a digitized image is an important step towards highly efficient image communication. Although a significant amount of work has been done for time varying images, in which the ROI is expressed in terms of the differences between sequential frames, only limited work has been done for analyzing still images. In this paper, we present an ROI search algorithm for still images based on a description of the objects in the image. The proposed approach uses no matching techniques, but rather uses a set descriptor of the pattern. Experimental results obtained by applying this technique to facial images show that the proposed methodology is robust with regard to variations in scale and angle as well as stray variations in the image.
Perspectives on the treatment of claw lesions in cattle.

Lameness is a leading cause of welfare and culling issues in cattle, with claw lesions accounting for the majority of these issues. Although the treatment of claw lesions in cattle is a daily activity for hoof trimmers, veterinarians, and livestock producers, there is surpris- ingly little information in the peer-reviewed literature on which to base strong evidence-based conclusions. As a consequence, many treatment modalities used are empirical and, in some cases, may be counterproductive to rapid lesion healing. Furthermore, many of these empirical treatment modalities fail to fully consider the underlying pathogenesis of the disease process and the implications that it has on lesion healing. For example, sole ulcers are largely a conse- quence of metabolic disorders and mechanical overloading. Therapeutic interventions that fail to address the weight-bearing issues are unlikely to be successful. Likewise, white line disease is believed to be predisposed by rumen acidosis and laminitis, and interventions need to include in them appropriate measures to prevent further cases through nutritional management. The goal of this review paper is to review the pathogenesis of claw lesions in the context of the published literature and allow the reader to arrive at rational treatment interventions based on the best available information. The use of an orthopedic block applied to the healthy claw of a lame foot, judicious use of bandage or wrap, careful selection of parenteral or topical therapy, and a treatment protocol to manage pain and promote recovery are key components of responsible management of lameness disorders in cattle.
IgA nephropathy: a twenty year retrospective single center experience.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a common glomerular disease whose etiology is unknown. Previous studies have described the clinical and laboratory features but none have specifically compared patients during different time periods. This 20 year retrospective study was performed to assess trends in the severity of IgAN from 1989–2008. We reviewed 57 patient charts that contained a confirmed biopsy diagnosis of IgAN and recorded data at the time of diagnosis and the final follow-up appointment. Clinical data included physical examination, urine, and blood tests. Patients were separated into two cohorts, Cohort 1 1989–1998 and Cohort 2 1999–2008. An increase in severity was noted in Cohort 2 based on a significantly higher Up/c and lower serum albumin level. Other prognostic indicators including GFRe, hematocrit, and glomerular injury score also demonstrated a trend towards more severe disease over the past 20 years. The patients in both Cohorts received similar treatments and had comparable renal function at the last follow-up visit. Based on our findings, we suggest that although a kidney biopsy is required to diagnose IgAN, the procedure may not be necessary in patients clinically suspected of having the disease but who have normal kidney function and minimal urine abnormalities.
A novel method for non-invasive multispectral imaging of tissue

The authors have developed a novel imaging concept which is expected to meet current thermographic system specifications and provide additional information such as true spectral energy present for diagnostics. The frequency modulated reticle imaging thermal energy (FRITE) concept reduces the need for expensive two-dimensional infrared (IR) detector arrays, sometimes referred to as staring arrays. This same FM reticle concept also allows the system to extract more spectral information from the tissue source than is currently done. The goal is to have a single multispectral imager that would image from the ultraviolet (UV) to the far infrared, thus reducing the cost to a medical facility that needed to image in multiple spectral bands. The authors present data and images captured on an existing proof-of-concept system as well as details on the next generation system for medical imaging. >
Feeding high-moisture corn instead of dry-rolled corn reduces odorous compound production in manure of finishing beef cattle without decreasing performance.

We hypothesized that feeding steers ground high-moisture ensiled corn (HMC) in lieu of dry-rolled corn (DRC) would reduce the amount of starch being excreted in the manure and the associated odorous compound production. One hundred forty-eight crossbred steers (363 +/- 33 kg of BW) were fed a DRC-or HMC-based diet in a feeding trial, and 8 Charolais-sired steers (447 +/- 22 kg of BW) were used in a nutrient balance study. Steers fed HMC tended to have a slightly lower DMI (P = 0.09), ADG (P = 0.06), and yield grade, but G:F, final HCW, and quality grade did not differ (P > or = 0.23) between treatments. Compared with feeding DRC, feeding HMC decreased (P = 0.02) starch intake from 5,407 to 4,846 g/d, decreased (P or = 0.55). In manure slurries incubated for 35 d with soil and water, total VFA concentration was lower (P < 0.01) in manure from steers fed HMC (1,625 micromol/g of DM) compared with steers fed DRC (3,041 micromol/g of DM). Lower initial (d 0) starch concentrations and greater initial pH was also observed in the slurries from the HMC manure. By d 3 of slurry incubation, there was an increase (P < 0.01) in free glucose and l-lactic acid in the DRC slurries but not in the HMC slurries. During manure incubation, alcohol and VFA content increased (P < 0.01) and pH declined, but to a lesser extent (P < 0.01) in the HMC slurries. However, branched-chain VFA increased more (P < 0.01) in the HMC slurries than in the DRC slurries. These data suggest that feeding HMC instead of DRC decreased fecal starch and production of some potentially odorous compounds in a finishing cattle system but had little impact on animal productivity.
Advances in revealing the molecular targets downstream of oxidative stress-induced proapoptotic kinase signaling in diabetic embryopathy.

Preexisting maternal diabetes is a high-risk factor of diabetic embryopathy, such as neural tube defects and congenital heart defects. Maternal diabetes significantly increases the production of reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress and diabetic embryopathy. Multiple cellular and metabolic factors contribute to these processes. Forkhead box O (FoxO)-3a has been demonstrated as a key transcription factor in the signaling transduction pathways responsible for maternal diabetes-induced birth defects. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) activated by oxidative stress stimulates nuclear translocation of FoxO3a, resulting in the overexpression of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1-associated death domain protein, which, in turn, leads to caspase-8 activation and apoptosis. Maternal diabetes–activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-1/2, downstream effectors of ASK1, can be blocked by superoxide dismutase-1 overexpression, suggesting that oxidative stress is responsible for JNK1/2 signaling activation. Deletion of JNK1/2 significantly suppressed the activity of FoxO3a. These observations indicate that maternal diabetes–induced oxidative stress stimulates the activation of ASK1, JNK1/2, FoxO3a, tumor necrosis factor receptor 1-associated death domain protein, caspase-8 cleavage, and finally, apoptosis and diabetic embryopathy.
The War of Desire and Technology at the Close of the Mechanical Age

From the Publisher: Allucquere Rosanne Stone examines the interface of technology and desire: from busy cyberlabs to the electronic solitude of the Internet, from "virtual cross-dressers" to the trial of a man having raped a woman by seducing one of her multiple personalities. Writing eloquently of creating a "text that breaks rules," Stone employs elements from a wide range of disciplines and genres, including cultural and critical theory, social sciences, pulp journalism, science fiction, and personal memoir.
Criteria for success in deinstitutionalization: Perceptions of nursing homes by different interest groups

Studies of deinstitutionalization often use a limited set of criteria by which to judge success. Social integration and recidivism, for example, are particularly popular criteria. Yet such criteria may not reflect the diverse settings in which community care occurs, nor the diverse views of success held by different interest groups. The present study presents a methodology for developing more comprehensive criteria for evaluating social programs, including deinstitutionalization. The methodology is illustrated by analyzing the perceptions of different interest groups about the nature of successful care for mental patients in nursing homes.
TU-E-I-611-05: Point-To-Organ Dose Scaling Factors for Use in Pediatric Radiology

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive set of point‐to‐organ dose scaling factors (SFPOD) for pediatric radiology. Method and Materials: A physical tomographic newborn phantom was used in conjunction with an identical computational model to develop SFPOD. SFPOD were developed using Monte Carlo simulations of various radiographic and CT exams of a pediatric patient. Doses calculated included both organdoses and point doses, which were calculated at the same places at which doses were measured using MOSFETdosimeters in the physical phantom. Bone marrow dose was calculated using fluence‐to‐dose conversion coefficients. The resultant SFPOD values can then be used to calculate organdoses in the physical phantom from point dose measurements. The SFPOD were calculated at several energies and an average was used to generate general SFPOD. Results: Individual SFPOD ranged from 0.82 to 1.08. Also, the SFPOD for the sigmoid colon/rectum was 1.71. This was due to improvements or updates to the computational phantom that occur on a regular basis as more sophisticated tools become available. Therefore, SFPOD are useful not only for organdose calculation in the physical phantom, but can also be used to incorporate improvements to the computational phantom into the physical phantom when physical alteration is impossible. Conclusion: This work demonstrates the benefits of having both physical and computational phantoms created from the same data set. A physical phantom alone is of limited use due to errors associated with only measuring point doses in organs. A 20% uncertainty in dose for an exam may seem trivial, but consider a pediatric patient subjected to 10 exams during childhood. The same 20% uncertainty propagated over 10 exams takes on new meaning. Also, it has been demonstrated that improvements to the computational phantom can be transferred to the physical phantom by using associated SFPOD.
Residual feed intake of Angus beef cattle divergently selected for feed conversion ratio

Abstract A divergent selection experiment using feed:gain ratios as the selection criterion was conducted in the early 1980s using Angus beef cattle located at the Eastern Agricultural Research Station (EARS), Belle Valley, OH. Numbers of bulls completing the 140-d postweaning performance test in 1979 through 1983 were 35, 34, 35, 34, and 33, respectively. Each year, the 3 bulls with the highest feed:gain ratios and the 3 bulls with the lowest feed:gain ratios were selected from the individually fed bulls, and were randomly mated as 2-yr-olds to approximately 20 cows each in a test herd of Angus cows also located at EARS. The progeny of these matings were then fed to assess postweaning and carcass performance. The objective of the current study was to compare the results of the experiment based on divergent selection for feed:gain ratios with those that would have been obtained using residual feed intake (RFI) as the selection criterion. RFI was calculated using 3 approaches: (1) dry matter intake (DMI) adjusted for production (i.e., ADG and metabolic midweight) to derive RFI P ; (2) DMI adjusted for ultrasonic backfat thickness at the end of the 140-d test, in addition to ADG and metabolic midweight, to obtain RFI BF ; and (3) DMI estimated using the NRC net energy equations, taking into account the energy and feed required for both gain and maintenance, to derive RFI NRC . RFI was calculated by subtracting expected feed intake, derived using these 3 approaches, from the observed feed intake. Low RFI P and RFI BF bulls consumed less feed than high RFI bulls, whereas no differences existed for weight traits or ADG. Both feed:gain ratio and RFI NRC were significantly correlated with weight traits and ADG on a phenotypic basis. The correlation between RFI P and RFI BF was near 1.0. In addition, rankings of the bulls were very similar based on RFI P and RFI BF . However, RFI BF may be the best selection criterion for feed efficiency examined in this study, as it was phenotypically independent of backfat thickness, in addition to weights and gains, and, therefore, would be less likely to negatively impact marbling score and carcass quality grade.
Pretreatment carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level indicates tumor response, early distant metastasis, overall survival, and therapeutic selection in localized and unresectable pancreatic cancer.

Purpose The use of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for localized and unresectable pancreatic cancer has been disputed because of high probability of distant metastasis. Thus, we analyzed the effect of clinical parameters on tumor response, early distant metastasis within 3 months (DM 3m ), and overall survival to identify an indicator for selecting patients who would benefit from CRT. Methods and Materials This study retrospectively analyzed the data from 84 patients with localized and unresectable pancreatic cancer who underwent CRT between August 2002 and October 2009. Sex, age, tumor size, histological differentiation, N classification, pre- and post-treatment carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level, and CA 19-9 percent decrease were analyzed to identify risk factors associated with tumor response, DM 3m , and overall survival. Results For all 84 patients, the median survival time was 12.5 months (range, 2–31.9 months), objective response (complete response or partial response) to CRT was observed in 28 patients (33.3%), and DM 3m occurred in 24 patients (28.6%). Multivariate analysis showed that pretreatment CA 19-9 level (≤400 vs. >400 U/ml) was significantly associated with tumor response (45.1% vs. 15.2%), DM 3m (19.6% vs. 42.4%), and median overall survival time (15.1 vs. 9.7 months) ( p Conclusion For patients with localized and unresectable pancreatic cancer, pretreatment CA 19-9 level could be helpful in predicting tumor response, DM 3m , and overall survival and identifying patients who will benefit from CRT.
Good project managers are “cluefull” rather than clueless

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the some of the more common behavioral missteps technology leaders make when managing projects.Design/methodology/approach – Using a comparative method based on Gualtieri's observations of the mistakes chief information officers make in managing application development projects, the paper contextualizes and expands these observations to apply to the digital library project environment.Findings – The behavioral tactics of digital library project leaders can be either positive or negative influences on a project team with negative behaviors often leading to project managers being labeled as “clueless.” By being aware of the implications and impact of behaviors that can be viewed negatively, the project leader can avoid engaging in those behaviors and be more effective in their role.Originality/value – This paper fills a gap in the digital library project management literature by exploring issues related to the behavioral characteristics of dig...
Bone density in the adolescent athlete

Adolescence is a critical time for bone mass accrual, and increases in bone mass through puberty are dependent on rising levels of gonadal steroids, growth hormone and insulin like growth factor-1. Many high school girls are involved in athletic activities, and as many as 23.5% of adolescent athletes have been reported to develop amenorrhea. This review focuses on (1) factors that determine which athletes are likely to develop amenorrhea, such as a negative energy balance state, low levels of leptin and high levels of ghrelin, and (2) the impact of hypogonadism in athletes on bone metabolism. Beneficial effects of increased mechanical loading from athletic activity do not appear to protect against the deleterious effects of hypogonadism in adolescent athletes.
The dynamics of CD4 + T-cell depletion in HIV disease

The size and composition of the CD4+ T-cell population is regulated by balanced proliferation of progenitor cells and death of mature progeny. After infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, this homeostasis is often disturbed and CD4+ T cells are instead depleted. Such depletion cannot result simply from accelerated destruction of mature CD4+ T cells - sources of T-cell production must also fail. Ironically, this failure may be precipitated by physiological mechanisms designed to maintain homeostasis in the face of accelerated T-cell loss.
Heart rate classical conditioning in rabbits

Comparisons of heart rate changes between experimental groups receiving paired presentations of tone (CS) and shock (US) and control groups that did not, indicated that conditioned responses occurred within 10 CS-US pairings, and were decelerative with latencies less than.5 sec. and durations of 8 sec. or more.
Acquisition of UHF and X-band ISAR imagery using 1/35th scale-models

Radar detection and identification of ground targets in diverse environments is a subject of continuing interest. It has long been known that different radar bands have advantages for different environmental conditions. For example, it has been shown that detection of targets under foliage is more easily accomplished using longer wavelength radars since there is less attenuation at these frequencies. However, higher frequency radars offer greater resolution that is crucial in target identification. Because each radar band has its own unique strengths and weakness, one current approach is the use of dual-band radar platforms. With two radar bands working simultaneously, the strengths of each radar band can be used to compliment the other. ERADS has constructed two full polarimetric compact radar ranges to acquire X-Band and UHF ISAR imagery data using 1/35th scale models. The new compact ranges allow data to be taken that can simulate a multi-frequency radar platform with frequencies low enough to detect obscured targets and high enough to provide useful resolution to aid in target identification once they have been detected. Since both compact ranges use the same scale factor, this allows measurement of the same target at the two spectral regions simply by moving the target model from one compact range to the other. Data can thus be taken whose differences in scattering are due only to the difference in radar frequency, eliminating variations due to differences in target models as well as the surrounding ground clutter. Detailed descriptions of the new compact ranges will be presented along with results from sample data sets.
Applications of the Barnes Objective Analysis Scheme. Part III: Tuning for Minimum Error

Abstract Procedures for tuning a successive corrections objective analysis scheme, described in Part I, are applied to the array of North American rawinsonde stations. Tuning is investigated for three types of Barnes schemes (two-, three-, and four-pass schemes) and for an equivalent four-pass scheme developed by Caracena. Each of the schemes uses an iteration parameter equal to 1, and each considers the influence of all observations within at least 2500 km of the interpolation point. Analysis accuracy is investigated for “errorless observations” of a simulated 300-mb height field containing a Rossby-scale wave with one of its ridges amplified to produce an asymmetric distribution of the height gradient across a circular region of locally lower heights representing a synoptic-scale low. Root-mean-square errors are evaluated at grid points for analyses of pressure height, height gradient, and the Laplacian of height over a range of values for the weight function's scale-length parameter α. Because the anal...
Pulsed laser deposited thin films of sulfides for high-density memory storage

For frequency domain storage rare earth doped sulfide show the most promising characteristics of any spectral holeburning material known. They provide the desired density of storage with a remarkable stability of memory against storage, read- out, and thermal surges. Problems associated with the fabrication of a prototype device not only require a careful consideration of design parameters but also raise some interesting questions regarding the material characteristics and the holeburning mechanism. This paper gives the status of our efforts in the direction of making thin films of MgS and CaS doped with Eu suitable for spectral holeburning based optical storage using the Pulsed Laser Vapor Deposition (PLD) technique.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Influence of anisotropy and doping on grain boundary diffusion in oxide systems

Abstract The grain boundary diffusion parameter, α D 'δ, of 51 Cr in MgO, Cr-doped MgO, Al 2 O 3 and MgAl 2 O 4 was determined in the temperature region 1200–1600°C. A substantial enhancement of diffusion along the grain boundaries was found. The activation energy for the grain boundary diffusion of 51 Cr in MgO, Al 2 O 3 and MgAl 2 O 4 is 0.55–0.61 times the activation energy for the volume diffusion. A strong anisotropy in the grain boundary diffusion was observed. The observed anisotropy is consistent with Turnbull and Hoffmann's model for diffusion in low-angle grain boundaries. The mechanism of diffusion in grain boundaries of oxides is a dislocation pipe mechanism. The grain boundary diffusion parameter, α D 'δ, for a high-angle grain boundary, θ =15° (100) of Cr-doped MgO increased as the concentration of Cr 3+ ions in the bicrystals increased. An increase in α D 'δ xV of ≈4 times was obtained when MgO crystals were doped with 0.56 at% Cr 3+ .