cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of an acute exercise bout on GH and IGF-1 in prediabetic and healthy African Americans: A pilot study investigating gene expression.

The incidence of pre-diabetes (PD) and Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D) is a worldwide epidemic. African American (AA) individuals are disproportionately more likely to become diabetic than other ethnic groups. Over the long-term, metabolic complications related to diabetes result in significant alterations in growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Considering the limited exercise-related studies in the area of gene expression changes with disease progression, the objective of this study was to examine differences in exercise-induced gene expression related to the GH and IGF-1 pathways in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy (CON) and PD AA individuals. Design: Ten subjects [5 PD (age = 35±9.3 yr, BMI = 32.1±4.0, FBG = 101.8±1.3 mg/dl) and 5 CON (age = 31±9.4 yr, BMI = 29.4±5.2, FBG = 82.8±9.7 mg/dl)] had blood drawn for RNA isolation prior to exercise (Pre), immediately following acute moderate intensity exercise on a treadmill (Post-1), 6-hours post (Post-6), and 24-hours post (Post-24). Isolation of mRNA from PBMCs was performed using ficoll separation, while the profiling of mRNA expression was performed using Illumina beadchip arrays with standard protocols. Scan results were statistically analyzed for a specific list of genes related to GH and IGF-1. GH and IGF-1 protein levels were also assessed in each sample. To address issues of normality, all GH and IGF-1 data were log-transformed prior to analysis. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Group differences for GH2 variant 2 (p = 0.070) and GH2 variant 3 (p = 0.059) were coupled with significant alterations in IGF-1 mRNA over time (p = 0.024). A significant interaction between group and time was observed for GHRH mRNA (p = 0.008). No group differences were observed in GH AUC (p = 0.649), ?GH (p = 0.331), GHrec (p = 0.294), or IGF-1 AUC (p = 0.865), representing a similar exercise-induced GH and IGF-1 response for both groups. Conclusions: Analysis of GH and IGF-1 related-gene expression indicates that mild elevations in fasting blood glucose and exercise-induced alterations in gene expression are impacted by the prediabetic state.
Issues in Developing an Occupational Card Sort.

There has been very little discussion of the issues in developing an occupational card sort despite the growing interest in this technique. Jones discusses these issues as they arose in developing ...
Shapes and Measures of Shape

If we are to construe morphometrics as the measurement of shapes, we need to know what shapes are and how we get them into position to be worked on by our tools. Our appreciation of shapes is conditioned by properties of the Euclidean space in which we live with them and by their mode of biological production.
The Role of Dynamics in Extracting Information Sparsely Encoded in High Dimensional Data Streams

A major roadblock in taking full advantage of the recent exponential growth in data collection and actuation capabilities stems from the curse of dimensionality. Simply put, existing techniques are ill-equipped to deal with the resulting overwhelming volume of data. The goal of this chapter is to show how the use of simple dynamical systems concepts can lead to tractable, computationally efficient algorithms for extracting information sparsely encoded in multimodal, extremely large data sets. In addition, as shown here, this approach leads to nonentropic information measures, better suited than the classical, entropy-based information theoretic measure, to problems where the information is by nature dynamic and changes as it propagates through a network where the nodes themselves are dynamical systems.
Functional Assessment-Based Intervention for Selective Mutism.

The process of functional assessment has emerged as an essential component for intervention development. Applications across divergent types of problem behavior, however, remain limited. This study...
Safety assessment for deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in geological repository systems

Abstract: Safety assessments estimate the long-term performance of geologic repositories for radioactive waste using quantitative models. This paper reviews regulatory standards, the iterative relationship between site characterization and safety assessment, selection of scenarios for analysis and the development of computational models and their linkage into a system analysis. Uncertainty must be acknowledged, and can be accounted for using both conservative deterministic and probabilistic approaches. In addition to generating performance estimates for comparison to regulatory standards, safety assessments can also guide research and model development, evaluate design alternatives, enhance the scientific understanding of the system and contribute to public acceptance.
A general and rapid room-temperature synthesis approach for metal sulphide nanocrystals with tunable properties.

Colloidal metal sulphide (MS) nanocrystals (NCs) have recently attracted considerable attention because of their tunable properties that can be exploited in various physical, chemical and biological applications. In this work, we present a novel and general method for synthesis of monodispersed binary (CuS, Ag2S, CdS, PbS, and SnS), ternary (Ag–In–S, Cu–In–S and Cu–Sn–S) and quaternary (Cu–Zn–Sn–S) MS NCs. The synthesis is conducted at room temperature, with an immediate crystallization process and up to 60 seconds of growth time, enabling rapid synthesis without external heating. For some of the ternary and quaternary NCs produced with relatively low crystallinity, we then carried out a “colloidal annealing” process to improve their crystallinity without changing their composition. Moreover, we show that the morphology and optical properties of the NCs can be tuned by varying the concentration of precursors and reaction time. The shape evolution and photoluminescence of particular MS NCs were also studied. These results not only provide insights into the growth mechanisms of MS NCs, but also yield a generalized, low cost, and potentially scalable method to fabricate them.
Theoretical investigation of intramolecular π-type hydrogen bonding and internal rotation of 2-cyclopropen-1-ol, 2-cyclopropen-1-thiol and 2-cyclopropen-1-amine

Theoretical computations utilising both CCSD and MP2 methods and the cc-pVTZ basis set have been carried out to determine the structures of several conformations as well as the internal rotation po...
Placebo, Nocebo and Pain

Placebo and nocebo effects are two phenomena that play an important role in clinical research and can significantly impact the outcomes of clinical research which in turn can impact clinical care for our patients.
Sarbanes-Oxley, Corporate Corruption, and the Complicity of Courts and Legislatures

The main thrust of this article is that courts and legislatures, particularly Congress and the federal courts, are biased in favor of management, and that their failure to hold management to account has emboldened management to engage in corrupt behavior, and has led to passivity and supineness by gatekeepers, such as accountants and directors. Part I explores the notion of bias and asserts that we are bombarded with much information that bias, among others, serves to filter. But bias is most dangerous when it is not recognized by the holder. Part II addresses the notion of complicity and causation/correlation, and then addresses state law developments, such as the development of special litigation committees and statutes exculpating directors from liability, that have insulated management from accountability. Part II concludes by looking at the trilogy of insider trading decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in the early 1980s Part III moves into the 1990s and the disastrous policy reflected in the 1994 Central Bank decision and the 1995 Private Litigation Securities Reform Act (PLSRA). The Central Bank decision was judicial activism at its worst; PLSRA, by requiring specificity in pleading without the benefit of discovery, and by providing that a cautionary warning on forward-looking information absolved management of any responsibility, even though management knew there was no basis for the statements, also led to a "what, me worry?" mentality. Part IV examines the criticism of Sarbanes-Oxley by business, and concludes that the accounting profession grossly overreacted to section 404. But this is a problem with the accounting profession, not with the statute itself. The new SEC releases, providing risk-based guidance and defining material weakness, should put to rest some of the criticism. The article also rebuts complaints about overregulation and excessive litigation. The article concludes with the question "why not tell the truth?" If management were honest and candid, there would be much less litigation and greater market efficiency from truthful disclosure. But for this to come to pass, courts need to be more concerned about truthfulness than they are in protecting management.
Introduction to the Forum: Innovations in Clinical Practice for Dual Language Learners, Part 1.

Purpose The purpose of this introduction is to provide the background for this forum of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and an overview of the articles published in this first of two ...
Illuminating the Roman d'Alexandre: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 264: The Manuscript as Monument

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 264 is one of the most famous and most sumptuous illuminated manuscripts of the entire Middle Ages. Completed in 1344 in Tournai, in what is now Belgium, the manuscript preserves the fullest version of the interpolated Old French 'Roman d'Alexandre' (Romance of Alexander the Great), and some of the most vivid illustrations of any medieval romance, ranking amongst the greatest achievements of the illuminator's art, its borders in particular offering a panorama of medieval society and imagination. A celebration of courtliness, a commemoration of urban chivalry, a mirror for the prince instructing in the arts of rule, and a meditation on crusade, it manifests the extraordinary richness and creativity of late medieval manuscript culture. This study examines the manuscript as a monumental expression of the beliefs and social practices of its day, placing it in its historical and artistic context; it also analyzes its later reception in England, where the addition of a Middle English Alexander poem and of Marco Polo's 'Voyages' reflects changing concepts of language, historiography, and geography. Mark Cruse is Assistant Professor of French, School of International Letters and Cultures, Arizona State University.
Meixner's Current Edge Behaviors and their Appearances in MoM Solutions: A Novel Step-Like Structure Creating Edges and Inner and Outer Wedges

Step-like PEC structures are studied in electrodynamics cases implementing Method of Moments (MoM). The canonical geometries included in these step-like structures such as edges, inner and outer wedges wedges and corners as well as the unique current behaviors are characterized and discussed. Meixner's [1] analytical canonical wedge scattering wedge current behaviors are referenced to explain the appearance of singular surface current near the step's edges and inner and outer wedges. Physical Optics approximation is also utilized as a comparison to MoM in solving the step-like scattering problems. MoM as a numerical technique solving integral equations has become a powerful tool tackling electromagnetic problems [2]. Through decades of development, MoM is now capable of solving various complex structures and abundant MoM commercialized software has also been developed; however, revisiting some simple but representative structures with MoM could be very interesting and may even direct attention to some problems that has been overlooked. Step-like structures as shown in the figure are very good examples since they consist of a series of canonical geometries such as edges, inner and outer wedges and corners, making them appropriate candidates to observe and discuss unique charge and current behaviors.
Building trust and playing hardball: contrasting negotiating styles in South Africa's transition to democracy

This article examines two contrasting and complementary negotiation styles employed by the African National Congress (ANC) during the negotiation process that ended apartheid in South Africa. Taking its cue from the workof negotiation theorists who have distinguished between 'cooperative' and 'adversarial' negotiation styles, it presents the August 1991 replacement of Thabo Mbeki as chief ANC negotiator with Cyril Ramaphosa as a pivotal turning point in the ANC's drive to secure agreement on a majoritarian constitutional settlement. Through a historical analysis of Mbeki's efforts to build trust and alleviate 'other-anxiety' and Ramaphosa's subsequent use of brinksmanship and other 'hardball' tactics to enhance the ANC's bargaining position, the article suggests that the success of Ramaphosa's 'adversarial' approach was largely dependent on Mbeki's earlier success in cultivating sufficient trust and confidence between the two main parties as to enable them to come to an ultimately 'irreversible' understanding of their mutual interest in making peace.
Caring For Twins With Life-Limiting Illnesses

Introduction: Caring for twin neonates with fatal genetic illnesses poses significant challenges to care teams. Diagnostic uncertainty is commonplace in the neonatal period because newborn infants may not manifest signs and symptoms of their illnesses for many weeks or months. In this time of uncertainty, Palliative Medicine specialists can assist in weighing the burdens and benefits of invasive procedures in context of a family's goals of care. Case Description: Three-month-old …
The Impact of Childhood Growth Stunting and Post-Migration Dysbiosis on the Development of Metabolic Syndrome Among Indigenous Immigrant Mexican Women.

While weight gain is common following migration to a new country and Mexican Americans have a disparate prevalence of overweight and obesity. In particular, Mexican American women have one of the w...
Acute Ischemic Stroke and COVID-19: Experience From a Comprehensive Stroke Center in Midwest US

Background: COVID-19 has been associated with increased risk of venous and arterial thromboembolism including ischemic stroke. We report on patients with acute ischemic stroke and concomitant COVID-19 in a diverse patient population. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and COVID-19 to our comprehensive stroke center in Chicago, IL, between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2020. We reviewed stroke characteristics, etiologies, and composite outcomes. We then compared our cohort with historic patients with AIS without COVID-19 admitted in the same time frame in 2019 and 2020. Results: Out of 13 patients with AIS and COVID-19, Latinos and African-Americans compromised the majority of our cohort (76.8%), with age ranging from 31-80 years. Most strokes were cortical (84.6%) and more than 50% of patients had no identifiable source, and were categorized as embolic stroke of unknown source (ESUS). A trend toward less alteplase administration was noted in the COVID-19 stroke patients compared to the non-COVID group from 2020 and 2019 (7.1 vs. 20.7% p 0.435 and 7.1 vs. 27.2% p 0.178). Endovascular thrombectomy was performed in 3 (23%) patients. Systemic thrombotic complications occurred in 3 (23%) COVID-19 AIS patients. Median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and modified Rankin Scale at discharge were 11 (IQR 4-23) and 4 (IQR 3-4), respectively. In the logistic regression model corrected for age and sex, COVID-19 was associated with discharge to mRS > 2 (p 0.046, OR 3.82, CI 1.02-14.3). Eight patients (63.8%) were discharged home or to acute rehabilitation, and two deceased from COVID-19 complications. Conclusion: AIS in the setting of COVID-19 is associated with worse outcomes, especially among African-American and Latino populations. Large vessel disease with ESUS was common suggesting an increased risk of coagulopathy and endothelial dysfunction as a potential etiology.
Women and Minorities Underrepresented in Academic Cardiothoracic Surgery: It's Time for Next Steps.

Background Women and racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented among U.S. physicians, but are limited data on cardiothoracic surgery diversity. This study characterizes current racial and ethnic and gender diversity in academic cardiothoracic surgery. Methods Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and Association of American Medical Colleges databases were queried for racial and ethnic and gender demographics of residents and faculty. Cardiothoracic surgery was compared with other surgical subspecialties and medicine overall. Results A total of 17% of cardiothoracic faculty were women, compared with 27% of surgical faculty (P Conclusions Women and racial and ethnic minorities are significantly underrepresented among trainees and faculty in academic cardiothoracic surgery compared with surgery and medicine overall, demonstrating a need for concerted action.
Hierarchical Segmentation of R&D Process and Intellectual Property Protection: Evidence From Multinational R&D Laboratories in China

This paper examines how multinational corporations (MNCs) protect their intellectual property (IP) when they conduct R&D in countries with weak IP rights (IPRs) protection. Findings from a small-scale survey and three case studies in China show that hierarchical segmentation of the R&D process can provide an effective way for IPR protection. Furthermore, a modular R&D structure adopted by many information technology companies can facilitate the hierarchical segmentation. Because R&D is becoming distributed across locations with varying levels of IPR protection, a center-peripheral R&D organizational structure is emerging within MNCs as R&D globalization proceeds.
Preserving the Fruits of Labor: Impediments to University Inventor Mobility

Academic inventors must overcome numerous obstacles when they seek to leave their parent universities. The results of their work are often intertwined in what I call “innovation-essential components,” which are important aspects of the innovative process that create strong ties to the parent university, such as data, patents, trade secrets, grants, contracts, materials, and other agreements and restrictions. Innovation-essential components effectively bind university inventors to their parent institutions, making departure unworkable without the university’s blessing. Universities sometimes further complicate inventor mobility, entering into unlawful agreements with other academic institutions in their efforts to prevent inventor movement or engaging in questionable practices in the process of “poaching” an inventor. Impediments to mobility for academic inventors raise several concerns. The unique knowledge university inventors gain about their nascent inventions is often essential to bring their ideas to market. Unduly burdening inventor use of their inventions may inhibit the full realization of their unique and valuable knowledge. Further, community norms and philosophical principles about inventors’ ability to use their inventions may conflict with legal doctrine, creating tensions when limitations prevent inventors from using the technology they created. Inhibitions on inventor mobility may also contradict the foundational objectives of educational institutions. This Article discusses issues that may arise when academic inventors seek to leave their parent universities, providing a case study from the largely-overlooked strawberry industry. It concludes by evaluating mechanisms to mitigate potential harms caused by such conflicts.
The Food and Drug Administration Challenger

The Food and Drug Administration must go. This organization is costly, is a gargantuan waste of time and causes needless deaths by slowing down innovation. The sooner it is disbanded, the better.
X e HPC Ponte Vecchio

500X Increase In Compute Performance Scalable Compute & Memory Packaging & Interconnect For Density & Scale Full Software Stack/Programming Model
Performance Characterization of Supervision on Knowledge Distillation

Today, machine learning is now a part of many aspects of our life. Many people are aware of machine learning, even though it is known by various names – artificial intelligence, deep learning, deep neural networks (DNN), etc. Through the increasing utilization of machine learning, there becomes a point in which we need more portable applications that perform nearly as well as a lab environment which brings an attention to various pruning or network reduction techniques for reducing the computational workloads and network size. In this paper, we focus on performance characterization of knowledge distillation (KD) which is to transfer a learning experience from a teacher network to a student network. For the characterization, we explore the effects of knowledge distillation on two different architectures of various sizes to gain insight into the resulting student models. Each network used in this exploration belongs to a class of machine learning that processes images, called convolutional neural networks (CNN). The implications based on KD performance characterization include: (i) overall results of the KD method were less accurate than the teacher network; (ii) information from well-trained larger network is effectively transferred to smaller network quickly. The accuracy is converged earlier and flattened out to a plateau. For this behavior to be more beneficial, we should apply the weight decay at an earlier epoch and possibly more often; and (iii) smaller scale network should not be a teacher for larger scale network which will causes the degradation on accuracy.
Visible Spectroscopy Studies in Gas Puff Z-Pinches at 1-Ma on Cobra *

Spectroscopy is the most established diagnostic method in astrophysics and plasma physics. Radiating ions can provide insight into z-pinch plasma parameters such as temperature, density, implosion velocity and magnetic field. Visible spectroscopy offers the possibility of accurate determinations of spectral line widths, shifts, polarization, and/or absolute intensity calibrations. In high current (>1MA) z-pinches, the plasmas are highly ionized and most of the emitted photons are in the XUV or x-ray region. It is a challenge to use visible spectroscopy there because there are not many detectable visible lines. We have identified several visible spectral lines in gas puff z-pinches on COBRA. These are pairs of lines at 5174 and 5193A from Ar VIII 4d-4f transitions, as well as 5801.3 and 5812.0A lines from C IV 3s-3p transitions, which are emitted from the imploding plasma shell. The Doppler shift due to the implosion is also observed. Zeeman splitting of these lines is measured to infer the magnetic field in the plasma. We have also observed several Ar II lines at a radius smaller than the imploding plasma shell, where both the Zeeman and Doppler shifts are absent. Using a triple-nozzle gas puff z-pinch on COBRA, we are able to measure the Zeeman splitting and Doppler broadening of the Ar VIII and C IV lines about 15 ns before the pinch time. After that, the plasma is so hot that the visible line radiation is washed out by the intense continuum radiation.
A complete importance ranking for components of binary coherent systems, with extensions to multi-state systems

Abstract : Given a system composed of many components, a question of considerable interest is which components are most relevant or crucial to the proper functioning of the system. In response to this question, a number of importance measures and rankings have been proposed. This paper investigates a new ranking and compares it to existing rankings, principally the ranking induced by the Birnbaum reliability importance measure. The new ranking is based upon minimal cuts and provides a complete ordering of all the system's components relative to their importance to the system reliability. This ranking has three main points in its favor: (i) the calculations involved require only readily obtainable information; (ii) the calculations are usually quite simple; and (iii) the ranking is designed for use with systems consisting of highly reliable components, the most common case. The final section of the paper deals with extensions of importance measures and rankings to systems in which both the system and its components may be in any of a finite number of states. Many of the results about importance measures and rankings for binary systems established in preceding sections are shown to extend to the more sophisticated multi-state systems. Also, the multi-state importance measures and rankings are shown to be decomposable into a number of sub-importance measures and rankings. (Author)
Tricuspid regurgitation and implantable devices.

Background There are limited and conflicting data regarding the prevalence of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after cardiac device implantation (implantable cardioverter defibrillator [ICD]; permanent pacemaker [PPM]). Objective The goal of this study was to assess the prevalence of TR after cardiac device implantation and determine its clinical significance. Methods A total of 1,596 patients, who had cardiac devices implanted between 2005 and 2011 at the Cleveland Clinic and had at least one preimplantation echocardiogram and at least one postimplantation echocardiogram were included in this study. A total of 3,566 postimplantation echocardiograms were available for the 1,596 patients (median follow-up 10 months). The primary end point was postimplantation TR and the secondary end point was all-cause mortality after implantation. We have used a cumulative logistic nonlinear mixed-effects model to assess the temporal trend of TR prevalence and a parametric multiphase hazard model to assess survival. Results Of the 1,596 patients (mean age: 60 ± 10 years, 61% of patients were men), 985 (62%) had ICDs (including 334 patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator) and 611 (38%) had PPMs. The prevalence of grade 3 or 4+ TR increased from 27% to 31% by 1 month and to 35% at 4 years. Accordingly, prevalence of grade 0/1+ TR decreased from 46% preimplantation to 37% at 1 month and to 32% at 4 years. Device type (ICD vs PPM) and the number of leads placed did not have an effect on postimplantation TR (P > 0.2). Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) did not change over time (36 mm Hg baseline, 37.5 mm Hg by 3 months, and 37 mm Hg by 1 year). One-year and 5-year survival were 93% and 73%, respectively. Postimplantation TR was an independent risk factor for late death (P < 0.05). Conclusion Cardiac device implantation was associated with a small but significant increase in the prevalence of moderate and severe TR, both acutely and chronically after implantation. The increase in TR was similar with both ICD and PPM placement, which was not related to the number of leads implanted and not associated with a significant increase in RVSP. Postimplantation TR was associated with a higher risk of mortality.
Acyl N → O Shift in Poly-DL-Serine

It has been demonstrated that concentrated sulfuric acid causes the polypeptide, poly-DL-serine (MW approximately 5000), to rearrange to the polyester, to the extent of 70 percent of the original number of amide bonds. The remaining hydroxyls of the serine residues become sulfonated.
Using Cell Phone Technology for Self-Monitoring Procedures in Inclusive Settings

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects and social validity of an innovative method of self-monitoring for middle school students with high-incidence disabilities in inclusive settin...
Microcrack nucleation and growth in elastic lamellar solids

The nucleation and growth of microcracks in elastic lamellar microstructures is studied numerically. The analyses are carried out within a framework where the continuum is characterized by two constitutive relations: one relating the stress and strain in the bulk material and the other relating the traction and separation across a specified set of cohesive surfaces. In such a framework, fracture initiation and crack growth, including micro-crack nucleation ahead of the main crack, arise naturally as a consequence of the imposed loading, without any additional assumptions concerning criteria for crack growth, crack path selection or micro-crack nucleation. Full transient analyses are carried out and plane strain conditions are assumed. The specific problem analyzed is a compact tension specimen with two regions of differing lamellar orientation separated by a fracture resistant layer of finite width d, which is small compared to the physical dimensions of the specimen. An initial crack, normal to the applied loading, is assumed to exist in the first region whose lamellar orientation is fixed. The lamellar orientation of the second region, β, is varied, as is the thickness of the fracture resistant layer. It is found that microcrack nucleation in the second region is highly sensitive to the lamellar orientation in that region for small values of d. However, microcrack nucleation becomes rather insensitive to β with increasing d. It is also shown that a linear elastic fracture mechanics model with one adjustable parameter gives good agreement with the numerical results for fracture initiation.
Detecting activations in unipolar epicardial electrograms recorded during ventricular fibrillation

Detecting activations (ACTs) from unipolar electrograms (UEGs) is difficult during ventricular fibrillation (VF) due to the superposition of distant activity from multiple wavefronts. Epicardial UEGs were recorded during the first 2 s of VF from an 11/spl times/11 array of Ag-AgCl electrodes spaced 280 /spl mu/m apart on the LV apex of 5 open-chest pigs. The Rule-Based Method (RBM) used maximum negative derivatives (DERs) located at least 56 ms apart to identify RBM-ACTs while the Transmembrane Current Method (TCM) used electrograms recorded from sites with 4 orthogonal neighbors to estimate I/sub m/ at the center site. Biphasic deflections of I/sub m/ that occurred at the same time as negative DERs were used to indicate TCM-ACTs. All RBM-ACTs with DER /spl les/-1.5 mV/ms (5119 of the 5650 investigated) were assumed to represent true activations. TCM-ACTs confirmed activation for 251 RBM-ACTs with -1.5<DER/spl les/-0.3 mV/ms and suggested electrotonic activity for 139 RBM-ACTs. Activation could not be confirmed or rejected for another 141 RBM-ACTs.
Four Stories of Information Systems Insourcing

Information Systems (IS) sourcing continues to be a topic of great concern to IS professionals. While a number of articles and books discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing, little has been written about companies that evaluate outsourcing but choose insourcing. Do companies actually achieve the cost savings proposed in the insourcing bid? This question prompted the study reported on in this paper. Fourteen in-depth case studies of companies choosing insourcing over outsourcing were studied to assess the implications of this choice. We present the general patterns which emerged across cases through four archetypical stories. These stories describe the plots, major characters, and their conflicts. Three primary morals to the stories are discussed. The first moral suggests that internal IS departments can replicate outsourcing vendor strategies thereby leading to reduced IS costs. The second moral notes that the perception of success is related not solely to financial outcomes, but rather to the values and beliefs of different stakeholder groups, including senior management, business unit users, and IS managers. The third moral notes that senior management’s perception of success is primarily based on IS’s cost-competitiveness relative to the market, rather than service excellence. We suggest future avenues of research pertaining to the identification of meaningful practices for shaping senior management’s perception of IS.
Coherent beam-combining of quantum cascade amplifier arrays

We present design, packaging and coherent beam combining of quantum cascade amplifier (QCA) arrays, measurements of QCA phase noise, the drive-current-to-optical-phase transfer function, and the small signal gain for QCAs.
Sequential Formation of Vaccinia Virus Proteins and Viral Deoxyribonucleic Acid Replication

In vaccinia virus-infected cell cultures, cellular protein synthesis was inhibited 50% at 2 hr postinfection (PI) and 80 to 90% by 4 hr PI. Input virus was responsible for this inhibition. Five early proteins, coded for by the viral genome, could be detected at 2 to 3 hr PI. Normally, their synthesis did not continue beyond 6 hr PI, at which time synthesis of a different set of proteins began. When DNA replication was blocked, synthesis of these early proteins continued until 9 to 12 hr PI. The bulk of the proteins which were incorporated into mature virus were synthesized at 8 hr PI and thereafter. The time of their formation was close to the time at which virus maturation occurred. However, 15% of the protein found in mature virus was synthesized early in the infectious cycle. The quantity of "early viral protein" which was not incorporated into mature virus was almost as large as the quantity of viral protein which did appear in mature virus. The "early" and "late" proteins could be shown to have separate and distinct immunological properties. The role of this large quantity of "early" protein is discussed.
The Growth of Voluntary Associations in America, 1840–1940

Americans are a civic people. Next to the mass political party, probably no aspect of American democracy has been more celebrated than the long-standing proclivity of Americans to join voluntary associations. According to Schlesinger, we are “a nation of joiners.” The joining began in the middle of the eighteenth century, it flourished in the revolutionary committees that undergirded the War of Independence, and it has continued ever since. “Considering the central importance of the voluntary organization in American history there is no doubt it has provided the people with their greatest school of self-government,” Schlesinger writes. “Rubbing minds as well as elbows, they have been trained from youth to take common counsel, choose leaders, harmonize differences, and obey the expressed will of the majority. In mastering the associative way they have mastered the democratic way.” Schlesinger understood that he was revisiting and updating Tocqueville's famous argument. More than a century earlier, Toc- queville had contended that the abundance of American civil associations contributed to the stability of American democracy. Civil associations, he insisted, were more crucial than political associations to a democratic society. “If the inhabitants of democratic countries had neither the right nor the taste for uniting for political objects, their independence would run great risks, but they could keep both their wealth and their knowledge for a long time,” Tocqueville argued. “But if they did not learn some habits of acting together in the affairs of daily life, civilization itself would be in peril.”
Urinary calcium, sodium, and bone mass of young females.

Calcium is an important determinant of peak bone mass in young adults because of its influence on skeletal development during growth. Attainment of maximum peak bone mass requires optimal positive balance between calcium intake and obligatory losses of calcium, primarily in urine and feces. Urinary excretion is an important determinant of calcium retention in the body. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of various nutrients on urinary calcium excretion, and to assess their impact on bone mass of young females, aged 8-13 y, during early puberty. The study was conducted in 381 healthy white females in pubertal stage 2. From each participant we collected basic anthropometric measurements, a 3-d food record, blood, a 24-h urine sample, and bone mass measurements of the total body and forearm by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Urinary sodium was found to be one of the most important determinants of urinary calcium excretion : [urinary calcium (mmol/d) = 0.01154 X urinary sodium (mmol/d) + 0.823], whereas calcium intake had relatively little impact : [urinary calcium (mmol/d) = 0.02252 X calcium intake (mmol/d) + 1.5261]. Urinary calcium was much higher at a calcium intake of 37.5 mmol/d (1500 mg/d), supporting the notion that calcium is a threshold nutrient. Calcium intake had a significant positive influence on the bone mineral content and density of the whole body and radius shaft whereas urinary calcium had a negative influence, presumably by reducing calcium accretion into the skeleton. Low calcium intake and relatively high obligatory calcium loss in the urine, potentiated by sodium intake during rapid growth, may reduce calcium retention in the skeleton with a concomitant reduction in peak bone mass. The results of this study suggest that the calcium requirement for adolescents may be influenced by sodium intake
Arrival angle estimation of correlated sources with unknown, spatially uncorrelated and nonstationary noise

Most methods for direction of arrival angle (DOA) estimation with array processing assume spatially white Gaussian noise of a known covariance matrix. However, the additive sensor noise in a practical situation may not be known. The paper presents a DOA estimation scheme for correlated sources including uncorrelated ones under an unknown spatially nonstationary white noise environment, i.e., the noise has a diagonal covariance matrix whose diagonal elements have unequal noise power. . The method is applied to DOA estimation for coherent, noncoherent, and mixtures of these narrow band signals. The proposed method employs the difference between the forward backward averaging covariance matrix and its transform to eliminate the noise effects which can improve the performance of DOA estimation. Numerical results show that our proposed algorithm gives accurate estimation even if the sources are correlated, whereas the method of A. Moghaddamjoo (see IEEE Trans., vol.SP-39, p.219-21, 1991) fails to resolve the DOAs when the sources are coherent.
Illumination of cryptic species boundaries in long-tailed shrew tenrecs (Mammalia: Tenrecidae; Microgale), with new insights into geographic variation and distributional constraints

The increasing use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to explore and test species limits among morphologically similar species is potentially compromised by phenomena poorly reflective of organismal history and speciation, including (but not limited to) stochastic lineage sorting and gene flow. In situations where molecular data are only available from a single gene or linkage partition (e.g. mtDNA), corroboration of suspected species boundaries should be sought from independent lines of evidence, such as morphology. Recent attempts to delimit species using mtDNA and morphology have either implicitly or explicitly ignored the possibility that distinct species can occur in direct sympatry throughout much of their range, presumably because such situations are believed to be rare. We examined phylogenetic relationships within the long-tailed shrew tenrecs (Mammalia: Tenrecidae; Microgale spp.) from Madagascar. Current taxonomy recognizes two broadly sympatric species, though as many as six have been described. Given that alpha taxonomy within shrew tenrecs has been controversial, and that patterns of morphological variation can be especially difficult to assess for this group, some authors have suggested that additional cryptic species may exist. To examine this possibility, we conducted a phylogenetic study using the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene and a morphometric analysis of 29 craniodental, postcranial, and external measurements from a broad geographical sample of long-tailed shrew tenrecs. The two data sets were nearly perfectly congruent in identifying four groups that can be classified as species, thereby doubling the currently recognized number of species. We present previously unrecognized distributional evidence consistent with our conclusions and provide an empirical example of how a revised understanding of species limits alters inferences of geographic variation and species coexistence, particularly with respect to fine-scale habitat partitioning. The results of this study suggest that certain species pairs, previously assumed to be single species occupying broad elevational ranges, are actually reproductively isolated units that are partitioning their environment along elevational lines. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 83, 1‐22. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: Madagascar ‐ mitochondrial DNA ‐ morphometry ‐ phylogeography ‐ species limits.
A commercial enzyme immunoassay method (EMIT) compared with liquid chromatography and bioassay methods for measurement of chloramphenicol

A new enzyme immunoassay method (EMIT; Syva Co.) was compared with conventional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and agar-diffusion bioassay methods for measurement of chloramphenicol in human serum. Forty-nine serum samples were assayed by each of the three methods. Excellent correlation was observed between values by EMIT and by the two conventional methods (r = 0.986 and 0.961). Precision was acceptable (CV less than 5%) with EMIT. Assay of samples containing chloramphenicol glucuronide and chloramphenicol succinate demonstrated that EMIT recognizes only the biologically active (base) form of the drug. The capability to test serum samples as small as 0.2 mL, adaptation to widely available instrumentation, and provision of rapid results are principal advantages of the EMIT method for routine chloramphenicol measurements.
Effect of Gamma Radiation on Furan Formation in Ready‐to‐Eat Products and their Ingredients

Besides meat as the major component, ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products often contain ingredients such as Na-ascorbate, Na-erythorbate, glucose, honey, corn syrup, and Na-nitrite. Furan is a potential carcinogen and information is needed on its formation in irradiated RTE products. In the present study, we investigated the generation of irradiation-induced furan in aqueous solutions of those ingredients, and in 9 RTE food products (8 meat and poultry-based and 1 vegetable burger). Irradiation at doses up to 4.5 kGy induced formation of furan in aqueous solutions of Na-ascorbate, Na-erythorbate, glucose, honey, and corn syrup. Addition of Na-nitrite into these solutions prior to irradiation completely eliminated, or significantly reduced, furan formation. Most of the nonirradiated RTE products contained less than 1 ng/g of furan, except for beef and turkey frankfurters which contained 6 to 8 ng/g furan. Exposure of RTE food products to 4.5 kGy radiation in the nonfrozen state (5 °C) or to 10 kGy radiation in the frozen state (−18 °C) did not significantly increase furan levels in most of the samples. Furthermore, the irradiation treatments reduced furan levels in samples (that is, frankfurters) that contained more than 3 ng/g of furan. Our results suggested that irradiation induces furan formation in solutions of many RTE food ingredients, but not in RTE meat and poultry products themselves.
Performance feedback, slack, and the timing of acquisitions

Investigating behavioral explanations for the timing of corporate acquisitions, we focus on the effects of performance relative to aspiration level, slack, and proximity to bankruptcy. We used even...
Cannabinoid receptors on goldfish retinal bipolar cells: electron-microscope immunocytochemistry and whole-cell recordings.

Cannabinoid CB1 receptors are distributed throughout the CNS and interact with GABA, glutamate, and dopamine systems. Cannabinoids have effects on the visual system, some of which may have a retinal component, particularly the enhancement of photosensitivity. We used immunocytochemistry and whole-cell recording to study cannabinoids in the goldfish retina. Immunoblots of an antiserum against amino acids (1-14) of the rat CB1 receptor produced a single band in goldfish retina at about 70 kDa. Light microscope immunocytochemistry of CB1 receptor immunoreactivity (CB1R-IR) revealed intense staining of Muller cells and weaker staining of ON bipolar cells (verified with double labeling with PKC-IR) and the outer and inner plexiform layers. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that CB1R-IR was localized intracellularly as well as on the plasma membrane of photoreceptor terminals, bipolar cell terminals and, rarely, amacrine cell boutons. Membrane-associated CB1R-IR was restricted to cone pedicles at sites removed from the synaptic ribbon. Regarding bipolar cells, membrane-associated CB1R-IR was found at 93% of the synaptic terminals in sublamina b (ON-type) and only at 33% of the synaptic terminals in sublamina a (OFF-type). Whole-cell recordings from large ON-type Mb bipolar cells showed that the delayed rectifier (I(K(V))) was rapidly and reversibly inhibited by 1 microM of the cannabinoid agonists CP 54490 and (+)-WIN 55212-2, effects blocked completely by the antagonist SR 141716A (1 microM). Inhibition of I(K(V)) in the Mb bipolar cells by cannabinoids should result in a more tonic ON response to increments of light. As such, cannabinoids may play a role in modulating the temporal aspects of signaling in the retina.
Flow cytometry for microbial sensing in environmental sustainability applications: current status and future prospects

Practical and accurate microbial assessment of environmental systems is predicated on the detection and quantification of various microbial parameters in complex matrices. Traditional growth-based assays, considered to be both slow and biased, are increasingly being replaced by optical detection methods such as flow cytometry. Flow cytometry (FCM) offers high-speed multi-parametric data acquisition, compatibility with current molecular-based microbial detection technologies, and is a proven technology platform. The unique technical properties of flow cytometry have allowed the discrimination of bacteria based on nucleic acid staining, microbial identification based on genomic and immunologic characteristics, and determination of cell viability. For this technology to achieve the ultimate goal of monitoring the microbial ecology of distributed systems, it will be necessary to develop a fully functional, low cost, and networkable microsystem platform capable of rapid detection of multiple species of microorganisms simultaneously under realistic environmental conditions. One such microsystem, miniaturized and integrated in accordance with recent advances in micro-electro-mechanical systems technology, is named the Micro Integrated Flow Cytometer. This manuscript is a minireview of the current status and future prospects for environmental application of flow cytometry in general, and micro-flow cytometry in particular.
Microenterprise Programs in U.S. Inner Cities: Economic Development or Social Welfare?

The microenterprise strategy marries elements of economic development and social welfare strategies and agendas. This article uses case studies of three inner-city microenterprise programs to demon...
Magnetic and transport properties of RIr2Ga series (R=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd–Tm)

Abstract We report results of magnetic and transport measurements on single crystals of a new rare earth series RIr2Ga (R=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd through Tm). These compounds appear to crystallize in the triple-hexagonal Na3As structure with space group P63cm. Magnetic ordering temperatures show deviation from De Gennes scaling. These compounds are an interesting example of a quasi-2D structure in which there are anisotropic magnetic interactions.