cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neutron capture cross section of Am-241

The neutron capture cross section of $^{241}\mathrm{Am}$ for incident neutrons from 0.02 eV to 320 keV has been measured with the detector for advanced neutron capture experiments (DANCE) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The thermal neutron capture cross section was determined to be $665\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}33$ b. Our result is in good agreement with other recent measurements. Resonance parameters for ${E}_{n}l12$ eV were obtained using an $R$-matrix fit to the measured cross section. The results are compared with values from the ENDF/B-VII.0, Mughabghab, JENDL-3.3, and JEFF-3.1 evaluations. ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{n}$ neutron widths for the first three resonances are systematically larger by 5--15% than the ENDF/B-VII.0 values. The resonance integral above 0.5 eV was determined to be 1553\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}7 b. Cross sections in the resolved and unresolved energy regions above 12 eV were calculated using the Hauser-Feshbach theory incorporating the width-fluctuation correction of Moldauer. The calculated results agree well with the measured data, and the extracted averaged resonance parameters in the unresolved resonance region are consistent with those for the resolved resonances.
A Population-High for Peromyscus maniculatus

Irruptive populations of Peromyscus maniculatus occasionally have been reported, but generally no data on population structure are available. A very dense population was encountered in June, 1954, in the White Mountains of Mono County, California. In a period of eight days of snap trapping in Cottonwood Creek basin, 9500 ft. elevation, 528 P. maniculatus sonoriensis were taken in 1204 trap nights. Animals were classified as to sex and age class (adult or juvenile). During the first two or three nights, the catch rate closely approached or attained one mouse per trap night; thereafter the rate declined. Other small mammals trapped in this period included 10 Microtus longicaudus , 15 Microtus monianus , …
Design, Implementation, and Characterization of Precision Timing for Bistatic Acoustic Data Acquisition

One of the challenges presented in using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for remote data collection is accurate time synchronization. In the case of bistatic acoustics, synchronization is required between AUV and source so that the time in which each ping is sent out is exactly known. There are three key obstacles to achieving this. First, the vehicle is submerged and therefore unable to access common time references directly. Second, the required accuracy in data acquisition far exceeds that possible using a computer clock to trigger data collection. Finally, to achieve accuracy in microseconds, the system must be characterized to eliminate delays introduced by filtering and analog-to-digital conversion. This paper describes the implementation and characterization of an accurate and precise timing and data acquisition system used on an AUV to collect acoustic array data. The timing was achieved using a combination of global positioning system (GPS) pulse-per-second (PPS) for synchronization on the surface and the Microsemi (Aliso Viejo, CA, USA) chip scale atomic clock (CSAC) for timing while submerged, with a PPS triggered data acquisition system. Characterization and calibration procedures were developed to ensure that the system met the experiment requirements, which included less than one percent of a wavelength error in phase, and one tenth of a meter accuracy in range. Analog and digital delays in the system were determined, and a method was demonstrated to further improve accuracy by dynamically estimating digital delays. The steps outlined in this paper for achieving precision data acquisition could be applied to many other remote systems that require similar microsecond accuracy.
Fat deposition in rat tibia due to lysine deficiency.

SummaryResults with lysine-supplemented experimental diets and with stock diet show that the lipid content of the tibia is relatively low when sufficient lysine for optimum growth is available to young rats. With the lysine-deficient diet, growth is retarded and bone lipids are increased. Interference with production of normal bone marrow appears to be a definite indication of lysine deficiency.
Abstract IA13: The interplay between tumor cells, cancer associated fibroblasts, and immature myeloid cells in the esophageal tumor microenvironment

Esophageal cancer has two major subtypes: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). ESCC is more common worldwide and illustrative of other SCCs (e.g. head/neck, lung) from a molecular pathogenesis viewpoint. EAC is rising in incidence in the United States and Western Europe. Unfortunately, 5-year survival remains dismal for both types, at about 15%. Interrogation of the esophageal tumor microenvironment, replete with desmoplasia, CAFs and diverse immune cells, may afford opportunities to reveal new therapeutic targets, especially in a combinatorial fashion. We have generated previously a conditional knockout model of p120-catenin whereby mice develop preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions in the esophagus. Tumor-derived cells secrete granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα). The tumors contain significant desmoplasia and immune cell infiltration. Immature myeloid cells (myeloid deriver suppressor cells or MDSCs) comprise a significant percentage of the immune cells present and likely participate in fostering a favorable tumor microenvironment, including the activation of fibroblasts. We have identified CD38 as playing a vital role in MDSC biology. CD38 belongs to the ADP-ribosyl cyclase family and possesses both ectoenzyme and receptor functions. It has been described to function in lymphoid and early myeloid cell differentiation, cell activation, and neutrophil chemotaxis. CD38high MDSCs are more immature than MDSCs lacking CD38 expression, suggesting a potential role for CD38 in the maturation halt found in MDSC populations. CD38high MDSCs also possess a greater capacity to suppress activated T cells, and promote tumor growth to a greater degree than CD38low MDSCs, likely as a result of increased iNOS production. In addition, we have identified novel tumor–derived factors, specifically IL-6, IGFBP3, and CXCL16, which induce CD38 expression by MDSCs ex vivo. Finally, we have detected an expansion of CD38+ MDSCs in peripheral blood of advanced-stage cancer patients. Additional work reveals cross-talk between CAFs and tumor cells through the induction of IL-6 and RANTES, suggesting there is interaction between tumor cells, CAFs and MDSCs. In aggregate, we find that CD38 (on MDSCs), IL-6 and RANTES (secreted by tumor cells and CAFs) serve to provide novel approaches in therapy. Citation Format: Tatiana Karakasheva, Eric Lin, Phil Hicks, Todd Waldron, Anil K. Rustgi. The interplay between tumor cells, cancer associated fibroblasts, and immature myeloid cells in the esophageal tumor microenvironment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Function of Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression; 2016 Jan 7–10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(15 Suppl):Abstract nr IA13.
Wear–corrosion characteristics of unimplanted and nitrogen–implanted Ti–6A1–4V alloy

Unimplanted and nitrogen–implanted Ti–6A1–4V was subjected to what were believed to be wear/corrosion conditions in an environment simulating body fluids, and tests were designed to measure separately the wear and corrosion components. These tests were unsuccessful because when cathodic polarization occurred via hydrogen ion reduction (or when cathodic protection was used to prevent corrosion), the formation of titanium hydride prevented meaningful measurements. Likewise, if cathodic polarization occurred via reduction of dissolved oxygen, rapid repassivation introduced an undesired complication into the scheme of events. However, anodic dissolution tests conducted under wear conditions at an imposed potential of +0.4V (SCE), within the passive range, showed dissolution rates which correlated very well with implanted microstructures. A fluence of lxl022 nitrogen atoms m−2 gives a microstructure consisting almost entirely of titanium nitride, and the wear, corrosion, and wear/corrosion properties are judged to be excellent. Lower fluences give less desirable properties.
Interactive analogical retrieval: practice, theory and technology

Analogy is ubiquitous in human cognition. One of the important questions related to understanding the situated nature of analogy-making is how people retrieve source analogues via their interactions with external environments. This dissertation studies interactive analogical retrieval in the context of biologically inspired design (BID). BID involves creative use of analogies to biological systems to develop solutions for complex design problems (e.g., designing a device for acquiring water in desert environments based on the analogous fog-harvesting capability of Namibian beetle). Finding the right biological analogues is one of the critical first steps in BID. Designers routinely search in online information environments in order to find their biological sources of inspiration. But this task of online bio-inspiration seeking represents an instance of interactive analogical retrieval that is extremely time consuming and challenging to accomplish. Through a series of field studies, this dissertation uncovered the salient characteristics and challenges of online bio-inspiration seeking, including (i) low rate of encountering relevant information resources, (ii) high rate of recognition errors, and (iii) significant difficulty in comprehending information resources. An information-processing theoretic model of interactive analogical retrieval was developed in order to explain those challenges and to identify the underlying causes. Three hypotheses were proposed to ameliorate those challenges by targeting the identified causes, which respectively included (i) semantically indexing and retrieving information resources using functional models, (ii) enhancing proximal cues using visual overviews derived from functional models, and (iii) augmenting information resources with functional models as external representations to scaffold the process of understanding. These hypothesized measures were implemented in an online information-seeking technology called Biologue, designed to specifically support the task of online bio-inspiration seeking. The validity of the proposed measures was investigated through a series of experimental studies using Biologue and a deployment study. The trends from these studies are encouraging and suggest that the hypothesized measures has the potential to change the dynamics of online bio-inspiration seeking in favor of ameliorating the challenges of online bio-inspiration seeking.
Family Relationships, Friend Network, and Worry: A Comparison Among Chinese Older Adults in Immigrant, Transnational, and Nonmigrant Families

ABSTRACTBy comparing three groups of Chinese older adults in immigrant, transnational, and nonmigrant families, this study investigated what older adults worry about and whether family relationship...
Activation of Vitamin D3 in Bovine Mastitis Caused by Streptococcus uberis

Inflamed mammary tissue of three cows infected with Streptococcus uberis was found to have higher concentrations of 1α-hydroxylase than un-inflamed control mammary glands. Increased levels of 1α−hydroxylase resulted in increased production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Therefore, vitamin D3 may have a role in the inflammation and resolution of bovine mastitis.
Heterochromatin, position effects, and the genetic dissection of chromatin.

Abstract The partitioning of the eukaryotic chromosome regions into heterochromatin and euchromatin reflects fundamental differences in the packaging of DNA. The observation that chromosome rearrangments juxtaposing euchromatic sequences with heterochromatic regions usually result in silencing of nearby euchromatic genes (termed “position effect silencing”) led to genetic screens for position effect modifiers. These screens uncovered key proteins involved in chromatin assembly, including structural components of heterochromatin and euchromatin, and enzymes that covalently modify histones. In addition, recent data implicates RNA in the targeting of chromosome regions for heterochromatin assembly. Here, we review the genetic, cytological, and biochemical properties of heterochromatin and summarize recent data suggesting mechanisms for heterochromatin assembly. © 2003, Elsevier (USA).
Sexual coercion among women living with a severe and persistent mental illness: Review of the literature and recommendations for mental health providers

Women with severe and persistent mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) are at enhanced risk for sexual coercion and several resulting sexual health complications. We examine the prevalence and types of sexual coercion encountered by women with severe and persistent mental illness and provide recommendations for interventions to reduce the prevalence of sexual coercion. Mental health professionals working with this population need to provide increased attention to the problem of sexual coercion and can take measures to intervene safely and effectively.
Gauss (1777-1855)

Mathematics, like music or literature or art, is an activity for which we human beings possess immeasurable stores of talent and passion. It is a highly intellectual activity, but it should not be regarded as an elitist one. Even those of us who have never created a song, or a story, or a piece of mathematics, can still experience much pleasure from playing or listening to music, or from reading a book or attending a play, or from doing a calculation or studying a proof. Furthermore, after an initial period of practice, many of us become quite accomplished at an activity, and continue to derive pleasure from it throughout their lives. Some others among us have sufficient talent to become professional musicians, writers, or mathematicians. And, scattered throughout history, there are those rare individuals whose genius leaves us in awe. Thus, in music, Bach (1685–1750), Mozart (1756–1791), and Beethoven (1770–1827) seem to possess almost superhuman powers. In literature, we have Shakespeare (1564–1616), Milton (1608–1674), Goethe (1749–1832), and several others. In mathematics, Archimedes (287–212 B.C.), Newton (1642–1727), and Gauss are ranked at the top, but magnificent contributions were also made by a large number of others.
Adaptive Estimation for Approximate k-Nearest-Neighbor Computations

Algorithms often carry out equally many computations for "easy" and "hard" problem instances. In particular, algorithms for finding nearest neighbors typically have the same running time regardless of the particular problem instance. In this paper, we consider the approximate k-nearest-neighbor problem, which is the problem of finding a subset of O(k) points in a given set of points that contains the set of k nearest neighbors of a given query point. We propose an algorithm based on adaptively estimating the distances, and show that it is essentially optimal out of algorithms that are only allowed to adaptively estimate distances. We then demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally that the algorithm can achieve significant speedups relative to the naive method.
A Late-Stage Functionalization Approach to Derivatives of the Pyrano[3,2- a]carbazole Natural Products.

Site-selective late-stage functionalizations of a pyrano[3,2-a]carbazole core related to the murrayamine natural products is reported. Specifically, selective C3 and C6 bromination has been achieve...
At the Intersection of Culture and Method: Designing Feminist Action

Boundaries and borders continue to draw political attention and create conflict on a global scale. They interrupt or facilitate people and money, and influence how designers and politicians alike work in opposition to oppression. This one-day workshop will explore the use of design research and computing practice in resisting and reifying inequalities. Recognizing that technology production is only a partial response to caring for ourselves and our environment, participants of this workshop will consider the design commitments, pedagogies, and labor that produce new strategies for more equitable futures. We will collectively ask and grapple with the following questions: 1) what are the current concerns and pressures of our community in producing feminist means and ends, 2) how do we work as academics, activists, allies and advocates through our design activities; and 3) whose opportunities, hopes, fears, innovations, and futures are we building?
Non‐local thermodynamic equilibrium dust nucleation in subsaturated vapours

We use the kinetic theory of nucleation to explore the properties of dust nucleation in subsaturated vapours. Due to radiation losses, the subcritical clusters have a smaller temperature compared to their vapour. This alters the dynamical balance between the attachment and detachment of monomers, allowing for stable nucleation of grains in vapours that are subsaturated for their temperature. We find this effect particularly important at low densities and in the absence of a strong background radiation field. We find new conditions for stable nucleation in the n - T phase diagram. The nucleation in the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) regions is likely to be at much slower rate than in the supersaturated vapours. We evaluate the nucleation rate, warning the reader that it does depend on poorly substantiated properties of the macro-molecules assumed in the computation. On the other hand, the conditions for nucleation depend only on the properties of the large stable grains and are more robust. We finally point out that this mechanism may be relevant in the early Universe as an initial dust pollution mechanism, since once the interstellar medium is polluted with dust, mantle growth is likely to be dominant over non-LTE nucleation in the diffuse medium.
Get Bent Into Shape: The Non-linear, Multi-system, Contextually-embedded Psychophysiology of Emotional Development

Psychophysiological aspects of emotional development have been studied for several decades, yet recent years have borne witness to impressive advances in the sophistication of theoretical, procedural, and analytical approaches that scholars have brought to this field. In this chapter, Hastings and Kahle review several of the perennial challenges that are inherent to the study of developmental affective psychophysiology and consider the insights that have emerged over the past two decades as researchers have sought to address these challenges. In particular, they argue that the psychophysiology of emotional development should be understood and studied as dynamic processes embedded in situational and relationship contexts, both shaping and being shaped by personal experiences, and involving the coordination of multiple physiological systems with the other essential elements of emotional functioning.
Habits of courage: Reconceptualizing risk in social movement organizing

We examine the types of risk that organizers seeking to build people-based political power take and describe how organizers cultivate habits of courage in themselves and others to regularly confront these risks. While prior literature emphasizes the degree of risk (high vs. low), we identify and elaborate two qualitatively different types of risk: internal and external. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 88 movement organizers in six states, we found that organizers operating in different issue domains and geographies all cultivated three practices to confront risk: (a) confronting painful experiences to overcome feelings of powerlessness, (b) mastering their own stories and vulnerabilities as a necessary precondition to recruiting others, and (c) holding themselves and others accountable to public commitments.
Diagnostic Stewardship Approaches to Clostridioides difficile Infection in the Era of Two-Step Testing: a Shifting Landscape

To discuss the current strategies and impact of diagnostic stewardship for Clostridioides difficile infection. The diagnosis of C. difficile infection is challenging due to complex epidemiology and the limitations of a single assay that is adequate for diagnosis. Overdiagnosis with sensitive molecular assays is common due to the prevalence of colonization with C. difficile. To overcome these challenges, multiple diagnostic stewardship strategies have been successfully deployed to optimize C. difficile testing. Diagnostic stewardship strategies should be implemented at every stage of C. difficile testing in order to limit testing to patients with a high pre-test probability, minimize the limitations of stand-alone assays, and guide clinicians to appropriate management through clear result reporting and interpretation.
Transethnic genetic correlation estimates from summary statistics support widespread non-additive effects

The increasing number of genetic association studies conducted in multiple populations provides unprecedented opportunity to study how the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes varies between populations, a problem important for both medical and population genetics. Here we develop a method for estimating the transethnic genetic correlation; the correlation of causal variant effect sizes at SNPs common in populations. Unlike some prior approaches, we take advantage of the entire spectrum of SNP associations and utilize only summary-level GWAS data, thereby avoiding the computational costs and privacy concerns associated with genotype-level information while remaining scalable to hundreds of thousands of individuals and millions of SNPs. We apply our method to gene expression, rheumatoid arthritis, and type-two diabetes data and overwhelmingly find that the genetic correlation is significantly less than 1. We argue that this is evidence for the presence of non-additive or differential tagging effects that modify the marginal effect sizes at SNPs common in both populations. Our method is implemented in a python package called popcorn.
Renal Replacement Therapy and Dialysis-associated Neurovascular Injury (DANI) in the Neuro ICU: a Review of Pathophysiology and Preventative Options

Dialysis-associated neurovascular injury (DANI) is a significant contributor to secondary neurologic injury for patients with acute brain injury undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT). This manuscript reviews the multi-faceted pathophysiologic aspects of DANI and focuses on options for neuro-monitoring and RRT prescription modification to prevent DANI. We consider DANI a clinical syndrome encompassing cerebral edema, impaired cerebral blood flow, and cerebrospinal fluid metabolic alterations during RRT, all of which may lead to secondary brain injury. Neurological monitoring in dialysis, particularly non-invasive methods such as near-infrared spectroscopy and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, are emerging tools for dialysis medicine in acute brain injury and DANI prevention. Treatment options such as dialysate sodium modeling, limited solute clearance, weight-based ultrafiltration rates, cooled dialysate, and combination ultrafiltration and dialysis treatments may be helpful in limiting secondary neurologic injury from DANI. This manuscript is intended to inform neurocritical care providers about components of DANI pathophysiology, and potential preventative and treatment strategies for at-risk patients.
MEASUREMENT OF NEUTRON SPECTRA IN LIQUID HYDROGEN. Quarterly Progress Report for the Period Ending December 17, 1965

Neutron spectra measurement in liquid hydrogen, water cooled fast neutron source, thermal neutron measurements, and liquid hydrogen facility checkout using nitrogen
The Mind's Arrows: Bayes Nets and Graphical Causal Models in Psychology

In recent years, small groups of statisticians, computer scientists, and philosophers have developed an account of how partial causal knowledge can be used to compute the effect of actions and how causal relations can be learned, at least by computers. The representations used in the emerging theory are causal Bayes nets or graphical causal models. In his new book, Clark Glymour provides an informal introduction to the basic assumptions, algorithms, and techniques of causal Bayes nets and graphical causal models in the context of psychological examples. He demonstrates their potential as a powerful tool for guiding experimental inquiry and for interpreting results in developmental psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, psychometrics, social psychology, and studies of adult judgment. Using Bayes net techniques, Glymour suggests novel experiments to distinguish among theories of human causal learning and reanalyzes various experimental results that have been interpreted or misinterpreted -- without the benefit of Bayes nets and graphical causal models. The capstone illustration is an analysis of the methods used in Herrnstein and Murray's book The Bell Curve; Glymour argues that new, more reliable methods of data analysis, based on Bayes nets representations, would lead to very different conclusions from those advocated by Herrnstein and Murray.
Hip fracture. Risk factors, preoperative assessment, and postoperative management.

PREVIEW Hip fracture commonly results from falls in elderly patients, many of whom have osteoporosis. Hospitalization is typically required for surgical management, and the postoperative course is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The authors discuss the primary care physician's role in diagnosing hip fracture, assessing the patient's clinical status, and managing patients after surgery. A key role is the coordination of a multidisciplinary team to ensure optimum outcome.
When the rubber meets the road: putting research-based methods to test in urban classrooms

We created a hypothetically "optimal" instructional scenario in which a knowledgeable researcher, under the guidance of an experienced classroom teacher, carried out a set of research-based science instruction in a low-SES urban school. The training group's performance was assessed by standardized test items and compared with that of a high-SES no training comparison group. The results demonstrate that instructional methods based on experimental psychological research have great potential for addressing the achievement gap problem. However, the analyses also reveal a significant discrepancy between low-SES students' performance on standardized test items and on alternative assessments with lower reading and writing demands. We discuss our methodological choices in making basic research more relevant to real world issues. We highlight the critical challenges of test validity, research relevancy, and reform feasibility for researchers and policymakers.
Psychopathology in pediatric primary care: the new hidden morbidity.

In a study of emotional and behavioral problems seen in children attending pediatric primary care clinics in a health maintenance organization, parents of 789 children 7 to 11 years of age completed a behavior screening questionnaire, the Child Behavior Checklist. Of the 195 (24.7%) children identified by the checklist as disturbed, 126 were given a detailed psychiatric assessment using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, a structured psychiatric interview of known validity and reliability. A randomly selected group of 174 nondisturbed children was also assessed. The pediatricians' judgment about the presence of emotional and behavioral problems, made at the index clinic visit, was compared with diagnoses made from the computer-scored interviews. Pediatricians diagnosed one or more such problems in 5.6% of the children (weighted estimate: 95% confidence limits 3.8% to 7.6%), compared with 11.8% (95% confidence interval 9.3% to 13.5%) based on the interview with the parent. Pediatricians were highly specific, ie, 84% of children assessed as nondisturbed had no psychiatric disorder, but they showed low sensitivity, ie, they only identified 17% of the children with behavioral or emotional problems, giving a "hidden morbidity rate" of 83% (ie, 83% of cases were not identified). The role of primary care pediatricians in the identification, prevention and treatment of what has been called "the new morbidity" is discussed. We suggest that, on the basis of these findings, emotional and behavioral problems in children have to be seen as "the new hidden morbidity."
Membrane Sialic Acid and the Mechanism of Insulin Action in Adipose Tissue Cells: EFFECTS OF DIGESTION WITH NEURAMINIDASE

Mild digestion of isolated adipose tissue cells with Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase (10 to 20 mµg of purified enzyme per ml, 15 min at 37°) results in enhanced glucose transport by these cells. This effect appears to mimic closely the physiological effect of insulin on glucose transport by normal cells, and there is evidence to suggest that these two apparently different stimuli may affect similar membrane structures. Digestion of fat cells with higher concentrations of neuraminidase (about 1 µg of purified enzyme per ml, 15 min, 37°) causes a fall in the enhanced basal rate of glucose transport described above and abolishes the effects of insulin on glucose transport and on lipolysis. Such enzymatic digestion, however, has no effect on the total quantity of specific cell membrane receptor for insulin or in the affinity of the insulin-receptor complex. The biological and the receptor-binding properties of insulin are thus dissociated. The loss of insulin-stimulated glucose transport caused by neuraminidase digestion does not reverse spontaneously by prolonged incubation of the cells after digestion. Neuraminidases from C. perfringens, Vibrio cholerae and influenza virus were purified by affinity chromatography using selective agarose adsorbents containing an oxamic acid derivative. The three enzymes, at low concentration, can destroy the glucose transport effects of insulin on fat cells. However, the specific patterns of digestion observed with the three different enzymes are not identical, probably as a result of the differences in substrate specificity of the enzymes. Differently linked sialic acid residues at the cell surface may participate differently in various membrane functions. The effects of digesting fat cells with various combinations of C. perfringens neuraminidase and trypsin on glucose oxidation and the patterns of release of sialic acid and sialyl peptides suggest that the biological effects resulting from digesting cells with these enzymes are a consequence of cleavage of similar portions of the same or closely related membrane structures. Sialic acid at the cell surface is intimately involved in the processes concerned with transmitting the effects of insulin on membrane glucose transport and lipolysis, but it is not involved in the recognition of insulin by the receptor. Despite the unessential role of sialic acid in the function of insulinrecognition by the receptor, this moiety may nonetheless be a constituent of a glycoprotein insulin receptor.
Does Jet Lag Create a Profitable Opportunity for NFL Bettors

Traveling across multiple time zones, especially from east-to-west so that hours are “lost”, has documented negative effects on athletic performance. Nichols (2012) finds mixed evidence that sports betting markets fail to account for these effects. We reconsider, for the 2005-2010 NFL regular seasons, the “jet lag” hypothesis with more direct methods. We find that closing lines of NFL contests are set irrationally such that the jet lag effect is not appreciated. More importantly, we are the first to document that betting against potential jet lag teams proves to be markedly profitable. This profitability is statistically significant, which is a standard very rarely encountered throughout the literature. Consistent with our conjectures, we find these results to be even stronger when only afternoon games are kept in the sample and when division games are omitted from the sample.
Diversity, distribution and sources of bacteria in residential kitchens

Summary Bacteria readily colonize kitchen surfaces, and the exchange of microbes between humans and the kitchen environment can impact human health. However, we have a limited understanding of the overall diversity of these communities, how they differ across surfaces and sources of bacteria to kitchen surfaces. Here we used high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to explore biogeo- graphical patterns of bacteria across > 80 surfaces within the kitchens of each of four households. In total, 34 bacterial and two archaeal phyla were identified, with most sequences belonging to the Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteo- bacteria. Genera known to contain common food- borne pathogens were low in abundance but broadly distributed throughout the kitchens, with different taxa exhibiting distinct distribution patterns. The most diverse communities were associated with infre- quently cleaned surfaces such as fans above stoves, refrigerator/freezer door seals and floors. In contrast, the least diverse communities were observed in and around sinks, which were dominated by biofilm- forming Gram-negative lineages. Community compo- sition was influenced by conditions on individual surfaces, usage patterns and dispersal from source environments. Human skin was the primary source of bacteria across all kitchen surfaces, with contribu- tions from food and faucet water dominating in a few specific locations. This study demonstrates that diverse bacterial communities are widely distributed in residential kitchens and that the composition of these communities is often predictable. These results also illustrate the ease with which human- and food- associated bacteria can be transferred in residential settings to kitchen surfaces.
Biomarkers of Inflammation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Recent observations suggest that subjective measures of disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are often misleading. Objective measures of inflammation are more closely associated with important long-term outcomes, but often depend upon invasive and costly procedures such as ileocolonoscopy and cross-sectional imaging by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Noninvasive, accurate, and inexpensive measures of intestinal inflammation would allow clinicians to adopt widely the paradigm of adjusting therapies with a goal of controlling inflammation. Blood, stool, and urine markers have all been explored as indicators of intestinal inflammation in IBD, and although none has been universally adopted, some have been well-characterized, and others hold great promise. Serum C-reactive protein and fecal calprotectin are among the best-studied noninvasive biomarkers of inflammation in IBD, and their test characteristics have been described in the setting of differentiating IBD from irritable bowel syndrome, for grading inflammation, to describe the response to therapy, and in demonstrating recurrent inflammation after medical or surgically induced remission. High-throughput research platforms, including gene expression arrays, metabolomics and proteomics, are also being applied to the discovery of novel biomarkers of inflammation. It is certain that biomarkers of inflammation will attain growing importance in the clinic as we strive for more effective and cost-effective strategies to treat patients with IBD.
Outcome of triplet and quadruplet pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization.

Abstract Analysis of the outcome of 26 sets of triplet and five sets of quadruplet pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization (IVF) shows an high incidence of antenatal complications including first trimester bleeding (53.3 and 80%), premature onset of labor (92.3 and 67%), pregnancy-induced hypertension (28.6 and 67%) and gestational diabetes mellitus (38.5 and 33%), respectively. Intra-uterine growth retardation occurred in 7.6 and 0%, while third trimester bleeding complicated 7.6 and 0% of triplet and quadruplet pregnancies, respectively. These patients were hospitalized for a mean of 22.9 ± 19.4 and 56.0 ± 30.5 days, respectively. The mean gestational age at delivery for triplet and quadruplet pregnancies was 31.8 ± 2.7 and 30.3 ± 0.6 weeks, while the mean birth weight was 1663 ± 423 and 1232 ± 181 g, respectively. These neonates stayed in the hospital for a mean of 28.1 ± 16.2 and 69.6 ± 15.5 days, respectively. The corrected perinatal mortality was 2.2% for triplets and 0% for quadruplets. These data can be used in counseling patients with triplet and quadruplet pregnancies especially those resulting from IVF.
“We Did It for Pleasure Only”: Hearing Alternative Tales of Female Circumcision

This article is based on fieldwork conducted in southern Chad on the recent adoption of female circumcision. In Myabe, a village with a population of about 1,000, girls were first circumcised aroun...
Kinetic quantification of plyometric exercise intensity.

Quantification of plyometric exercise intensity is necessary to understand the characteristics of these exercises and the proper progression of this mode of exercise. The purpose of this study was to assess the kinetic characteristics of a variety of plyometric exercises. This study also sought to assess gender differences in these variables. Twenty-six men and 23 women with previous experience in performing plyometric training served as subjects. The subjects performed a variety of plyometric exercises including line hops, 15.24-cm cone hops, squat jumps, tuck jumps, countermovement jumps (CMJs), loaded CMJs equal to 30% of 1 repetition maximum squat, depth jumps normalized to the subject's jump height (JH), and single leg jumps. All plyometric exercises were assessed with a force platform. Outcome variables associated with the takeoff, airborne, and landing phase of each plyometric exercise were evaluated. These variables included the peak vertical ground reaction force (GRF) during takeoff, the time to takeoff, flight time, JH, peak power, landing rate of force development, and peak vertical GRF during landing. A 2-way mixed analysis of variance with repeated measures for plyometric exercise type demonstrated main effects for exercise type and all outcome variables (p <= 0.05) and for the interaction between gender and peak vertical GRF during takeoff (p <= 0.05). Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons identified a number of differences between the plyometric exercises for the outcome variables assessed (p <= 0.05). These findings can be used to guide the progression of plyometric training by incorporating exercises of increasing intensity over the course of a program.
Deceptiveness and genetic algorithm dynamics

We address deceptiveness, one of at least four reasons genetic algorithms can fail to converge to function optima. We construct fully deceptive functions and other functions of intermediate deceptiveness. For the fully deceptive functions of our construction, we generate linear transformations that induce changes of representation to render the functions fully easy. We further model genetic algorithm selection recombination as the interleaving of linear and quadratic operators. Spectral analysis of the underlying matrices allows us to draw preliminary conclusions about fixed points and their stability. We also obtain an explicit formula relating the nonuniform Walsh transform to the dynamics of genetic search. 21 refs.
Observed Inconsistencies between Snow Extent and Snow Depth Variability at Regional/Continental Scales

Abstract Snow extent and snow depth are two related characteristics of a snowpack, but they do not need to be mutually consistent. Differences between these two variables at local scales are readily apparent. However, at larger scales, which interact with atmospheric circulation and climate, snow extent is the primary variable considered, owing largely to the scarcity of snow depth data. In this study, three regional-/continental-scale gridded snow depth/snow water equivalent (SWE) datasets, derived from station observations or passive microwave satellite sensors, are utilized to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between snow extent and snow depth/SWE over North America. Various statistical methods are used to ensure the robustness of the results, including correlations, composites, and singular value decomposition analyses. Results indicate that continental-scale snow depth variations are substantial in their own right and that depth and extent anomalies are largely unrelated over broad high-latit...
Inhibition of sendai virus-induced hemolysis by long chain fatty acids.

Abstract A number of fatty acids were found to inhibit Sendai virus-induced hemolysis. cis-Unsaturated fatty acids such as oleate, as well as the methyl-branched isostearate, completely inhibited viral hemolysis at concentrations as low as 5–10 μ/ml, whereas the saturated, normal acids such as palmitate and stearate were comparably inhibitory only at 2–5 times those concentrations. trans-Unsaturated acids, as well as several other amphiphilic compounds, were either not or only weakly inhibitory. In contrast to their disparate effects on viral hemolysis, cis- and trans-unsaturated acids lysed erythrocytes in the same concentration range, which is several times higher than that at which the former compounds inhibited viral hemolysis. The mechanism of inhibition of viral hemolysis by isostearate involves the inactivation of viral hemolytic activity per se, since isostearate neither inhibited viral hemagglutination nor rendered erythrocytes significantly less susceptible to hemolysis. Furthermore, the concentration dependence of hemolysis inhibition by isostearate was biphasic, increasing sharply at the critical micelle concentration from a linear relationship below that concentration. Finally, an inhibitory concentration of isostearate was well below that at which amphiphiles dissolved membranes and did not dissolve Sendai virus, as shown by sucrose gradient centrifugation and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was concluded that low concentrations of fatty acids-particularly cis-unsaturated or fluid-phase types—could block the fusion, as opposed to agglutination, step of viral hemolysis by perturbing hydrophobic regions of the Sendai virus membrane.
Integrated Management of Solid Wastes for New York City

This report presents the results of a study that examined alternatives to landfilling the municipal solid wastes (MSW) of New York City. Detailed characterization of the wastes led to their classification, according to materials properties and inherent value, to “recyclable”, “compostable”, “combustible”, and “landfillable”. The results showed that the present rates of recycling (16.6%) and combustion (12.4%) in New York City can be increased by a) implementing an automated, modern Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) that separates the blue bag stream to “recyclables” and “combustibles”, and b) combusting the non-recyclable materials in a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility. Combustion of wastes to produce electricity is environmentally much preferable to landfilling. An advanced technology for combustion is that used in a modern Waste-to-Energy plant (SEMASS, Massachusetts) that processes 0.9 million metric tons of MSW per year, generates a net of 610 kWh per metric ton of MSW, recovers ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and has lower emissions than many coal-fired power plants.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Connoisseur's Choice: Rose (Pink) Quartz Lavra da Pitorra, Laranjeiras, Galiléia Minas Gerais, Brazil

There can be multiple reasons for including rose quartz crystals in your collection. One that immediately comes to mind is that it's festive, much like the icing on a cake! A remarkable number of s...
Effects of food nitrogen content and concentration on the forms of nitrogen excreted by the calanoid copepod, Acartia tonsa

Abstract Nitrogen excreted as ammonium, urea, and dissolved primary amines (DPA), and nitrogen ingested by the planktonic calanoid copepod, Acartia tonsa , were measured while fed 4 foods with different N/C ratios in high (500 μg C l − 1 ) and low (50 μg C l − 1 ) concentrations. Adult copepods were fed the ciliate, Uronema marinum (N/C = 0.26), the diatom, Thalassiosira weissflogii , in log-phase growth (N/C = 0.20), and in senescent-phase growth (N/C = 0.12), and detritus derived from the saltmarsh grass, Spartina alterniflora , (N/C = 0.04). Total nitrogen excreted ranged from 0.06 to 0.18 μg N copepod − 1 d − 1 whereas nitrogen ingested exhibited considerably more variation (0.01 to 0.39 μg N copepod − 1 d − 1 ). Ammonium was the dominant form of nitrogen excreted and was influenced by both food concentration and N/C ratio. Copepods fed foods with N/C ratios resembling their own body composition (log-phase diatoms and ciliates) excreted more ammonium when fed higher concentrations of food. In contrast, copepods fed foods with lower N/C ratios than their own body composition excreted more ammonium when fed lower concentrations of food, suggesting that they were catabolizing body protein for survival. Excretion of urea varied with food N/C ratio, with more urea excreted when the copepods were fed higher N/C foods. The excretion of DPA did not vary with either food concentration or food N/C ratio. Homeostasis serves to conserve the N/C ratio of copepods. Thus nitrogen excretion by healthy copepods should be expected to increase with ingestion only when copepods have high quantities of nitrogen-rich foods relative to the body composition of the copepods.
Chronic Back Pain With Possible Prescription Opioid Misuse

Importance Data on the effectiveness and safety of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain are limited. Opioid adherence monitoring includes urine drug testing. Determining whether a patient's opioid prescription should be discontinued after an unexpected urine test result can be clinically complex. Objective To review safe opioid prescribing practices and appropriate interpretation and management of unexpected urine drug test results. Evidence Review Systematic reviews of the effectiveness and safety of long-term opioid therapy for chronic noncancer pain. Clinical management recommendations are derived from clinical guidelines generated by several professional medical organizations including the American Pain Society, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and the Federation of State Medical Boards Findings Informed consent and patient-prescriber agreements are important strategies to ensure that patients understand treatment goals and potential opioid risks. Monitoring for benefit and opioid misuse is accomplished by having frequent face-to-face assessments, performing urine drug tests, monitoring pill counts, and reviewing prescription drug monitoring program data, when available. Conclusions and Relevance The underlying causes for worrisome behaviors such as urine drug test results that are negative for the prescribed opioid should be fully investigated. Subsequent opioid prescriptions should be based on the revised risk and benefit assessment.
Differential misdiagnosis of blacks and whites by the MMPI.

Summary Profile analysis, Goldberg's composite, and a discriminant function were used to differentiate psychosis from behavior disorder on the basis of MMPI scores. These procedures, derived in samples of white patients, resulted in the misdiagnosis of blacks at a substantially higher rate than whites. For two of the three analytic procedures, misclassification was significantly greater for black behavior disorders than for black psychotics, as was predicted.