cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Scope, Frames, and Extreme Willingness to Pay Responses on Cost of Crime Estimates

As governments with limited fiscal resources seek to invest in the “best” programs to prevent crime, they often first try to identify the true costs of crime to guide these decisions. Contingent valuation (CV) is a common survey method used to elicit how much the public is willing to pay (WTP) to reduce a particular crime. We utilize one of the first datasets in criminal justice that includes open-ended WTP data gathered from a survey using factorial design and random assignment. WTP figures are then input into a formula which also takes into account 1) the number of households and 2) the number of crimes “avoided,” which is calculated based upon the percentage crime reduction presented to survey respondents. Drawing upon data from a representative sample of the United States, we assess how sensitive respondents are to crime type, crime reduction percentages, program types, and framing. Results demonstrate that in general, open-ended WTP surveys elicit highly skewed responses and that respondents are more willing to pay for crime reduction programs with a higher number of individual components. However, respondents are not sensitive to crime reductions or several other survey framing techniques. Importantly, due to these highly skewed WTP values and lack of responsivity to crime control percentages, final cost of crime numbers vary widely – potentially altering policy decisions driven by these methods. We conclude with a discussion of the appropriateness of these methods for accurately estimating the costs of crime.
Cardiovascular outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention on bifurcation lesions with moderate to severe coronary calcium: A single‐center registry study

Background Both target vessel calcification and target vessel bifurcation are associated with worse outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Whether these entities in combination interact to influence outcomes after PCI of complex coronary disease is not known. Objectives This study evaluated the association of target vessel bifurcation and target vessel calcification, alone and in combination, with adverse events following PCI. Methods Registry data from 21,165 patients who underwent PCI with drug-eluting stents (DES) between January 2009 and December 2017 were analyzed. Patients were divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of target vessel bifurcation and presence of none/mild or moderate/severe target vessel calcification on angiography. Associations between lesion groups and 1 year major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were examined using Cox regression analysis. Results At 1 year, unadjusted rates of MACE, death, myocardial infarction (MI), as well as stent thrombosis were highest in the group with both bifurcation lesion and moderate/severe calcification. After adjusting for confounders such as age, renal disease, and smoking, hazard ratios for MACE were 1.14 (95%CI 0.99-1.33) for bifurcation with none/mild calcification, 1.21 (95%CI 1.06-1.38) for no bifurcation and moderate/severe calcification, and 1.37 (95%CI 1.14-1.64) for bifurcation and moderate severe calcification, compared to patients with no bifurcation and none/mild calcification. Conclusions The presence of a bifurcating target vessel with moderate/severe calcification is associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes than either attribute alone. New approaches are needed to improve outcomes in this subset of patients with complex coronary artery disease.
Frameworks of Recovery: Health Caught at the Intersection of Housing, Education, and Employment Opportunities After Hurricane Katrina

Globally, disasters can have positive and negative effects on behavioral health. This chapter uses qualitative interviews and a content analysis of Times-Picayune and New York Times news articles to explore the impact of recovery policy on mental health as framed by African Americans displaced from New Orleans, Louisiana, by the 2005 federal levee failure and Hurricane Katrina. The findings reveal both residents and the media framed post-Katrina policy change as compounding resident vulnerability by restricting access to resources. This reality exacerbated negative mental and emotional outcomes that residents experienced after the 2005 hurricane and levee failures that resulted in catastrophic flooding in 80 percent of the city. Participants framed their mental health as caught in the intersection of policy changes that reshaped housing, education, and employment opportunities in post-Katrina New Orleans. Meeting their needs amid the changing landscape increased their stress, which deteriorated their mental health. This chapter concludes with recommendations to improve behavioral health outcomes following future disasters. These recommendations include keeping families and social networks intact during response and recovery, offering mental healthcare services for several years after a disaster in locations where people typically gather, and providing home healthcare assistance for those that experience extreme negative consequences.
Reversible facile single-crystal-to-single-crystal polymorphic transition accompanied by unit cell volume expansion and twinning

Reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transformation between two enantiotropic polymorphs of a pharmaceutical salt, diphenhydramine citrate, in both directions is accompanied by a transient expansion in the unit cell, allowing rotation of phenyl rings. Twinning of the lower symmetry polymorph facilitates the exceptional reproducibility and the lack of observable hysteresis in the phase change.
Paxillin Promotes Breast Tumor Collective Cell Invasion through Maintenance of Adherens Junction Integrity.

Distant organ metastasis is linked to poor prognosis during cancer progression. The expression level of the focal adhesion adapter protein paxillin varies among different human cancers, but its rol...
Multiprocessor Performance Measurement and Evaluation

Contains papers on performance evaluation techniques applicable to multiprocessors. Offers an overview of multiprocessor architectures, operating systems, and programming software and languages, and covers evaluation techniques based on measurement, analysis, simulation, parallel architectures, and
Biomanufacturing Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Therapeutic Applications

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be propagated indefinitely and have the potential to differentiate to all cell types of the body. In addition, patient-specific human iPSCs and hESCs containing point mutations in genes that cause disease can be used to study diseases that have no adequate human in vitro or animal models. Harnessing the potential of these cells holds promise for future applications in cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Common methods of expanding and differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including hESC and iPSC, require serum, mouse or human feeder cells, or feeder-conditioned medium. These methods are labor intensive and hard to scale, and sources of variability including growth factor fluctuations during preparation and culture complicate large-scale hPSC bioprocesses. Biomanufacturing cells from hPSCs requires development of fully defined, xeno-free culture medium and substrates formulated with human-derived, human recombinant proteins or chemically synthetic substrates under cGMP and improved processes for monitoring cell status and genomic stability during expansion and differentiation. In addition, robust and scalable differentiation methods must be developed. This chapter discusses recent progress and remaining challenges facing production of hPSC-derived cells.
The Nature of Hardware and Software

Hardware/software codesign is the activity of partitioning an application into a flexible part, mapped into software, and a fixed part, mapped into hardware. The flexible part includes C programs, configuration data, parameter settings, bitstreams, and so forth. The fixed part consists of programmable components such as microprocessors and coprocessors. We’ll first consider several technological and economical reasons for implementing electronic systems in this fashion. Next, we consider the design space of programmable components. A key observation is that there is a trade-off between flexibility and efficiency – with efficiency either in the sense of performance, or else in the sense of energy-consumption. A third part in this chapter will define the abstraction levels of hardware and software for the purpose of this book. And finally, we will also define three terms that play a vital role in this book, namely the terms concurrent, parallel, and sequential.
Toxicity of Copper and Ascorbic Acid to Serratia marcescens

Zimmerman, Leonard (Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.). Toxicity of copper and ascorbic acid to Serratia marcescens. J. Bacteriol. 91:1537-1542. 1966.-Neutral solutions of ascorbic acid were antibacterial to Serratia marcescens at low but not at high population densities. The toxicity of ascorbate was eliminated by metal-sequestering treatments, and was restored only by the addition of trace amounts of copper salts. Copper-ascorbate was equally toxic under aerobic or anaerobic conditions; its toxicity was abolished by (i) chelating agents that sequestered the copper, (ii) metal-complexing agents that bound to the cells but did not sequester copper, and (iii) iron salts in the presence of air. On the basis of these observations, the toxic effects of copper-ascorbate were attributed to its reaction with vital Fe-containing cellular components.
Human and social issues in the age of informatics

Information technology has opened up many new issues that must be confronted by societies, communities, schools, teachers and students. An international survey in 1992 of students in 12 countries found evidence of widespread student disregard of ethical standards related to two of these human-technology issues. Specifically, a large share of the students in many countries supported unauthorised software copying and computer-aided privacy violation. Various strategies are needed for addressing such human and social issues in the classroom.
Co-construction of Word Search Activities in Native and Non-native Speaker Interaction

This paper examines the co-construction of word search activities between native and non-native speakers of English. Word searching occurs when two interlocutors use joint resources to retrieve a word that is alluding one of the interlocutors in conversation. Word searches are highly prevalent in interaction, often becoming a central activity in non-native discourse. The focus of this article is twofold: first, on the sequential organization of the word search activity, and second, on the public structure of word searches. Using video recordings of English tutoring sessions and social gatherings of native and non-native speakers of English, the detailed practice of word searching was analyzed in this study. It examines the interactional process through which a distributed responsibility of participants for sequential coherence, meaning, and events is co-constructed (Jacoby & Ochs, 1995). This article argues that a word search activity is a social action, and interactions between native and non-native speakers of English demonstrate the ways through which participants coordinate this sequential and public action.
Electron spin polarization of P+-870Q− observed in the reaction center protein of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26

The X-band (9.5 GHz) electron spin polarized (ESP) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal observed in iron-depleted bacterial reaction centers is due to P + -870Q − (P + -870 is the oxidized primary donor, a special pair of bacteriochlorophyll molecules, and Q − is the reduced primary quinone acceptor). This signal contains information about the dynamic interactions and spatial relationships between the photosynthetic primary reactants as they undergo electron transfer. Interpretations of the X-band ESP EPR spectrum have not been unique because of insufficient spectral resolution and the simulations require a large number of adjustable parameters. Therefore, we have acquired ESP EPR spectra at X-band and Q-band (35 GHz) from iron-depleted bacterial reaction centers in which P-870, I (intermediary bacteriopheophytin acceptor), and Q were selectively deuterated (protonated). The effects of selective isotopic substitution and microwave frequency on the ESP EPR spectra of P + -870Q − (i) could not be explained by the polarization transfer mechanism alone, and (ii) allowed the determination of the polarization contributions of 2 (P + -870) and 2 (Q − ) to the composite ESP EPR spectrum. The resolution of these components suggests that the spin-correlated radical pair mechanism makes a significant contribution to the ESP spectrum from 2 (P-870I) 2 Q. The results presented here should provide a stringent test for computer simulations of the correct mechanism of ESP production.
Fatigue Failure Modes of the Grain Size Transition Zone in a Dual Microstructure Disk

Mechanical property requirements vary with location in nickel-based superalloy disks. In order to maximize the associated mechanical properties, heat treatment methods have been developed for producing tailored grain microstructures. In this study, fatigue failure modes of a grain size transition zone in a dual microstructure disk were evaluated. A specialized heat treatment method was applied to produce varying grain microstructure in the bore to rim portions of a powder metallurgy processed nickel-based superalloy disk. The transition in grain size was concentrated in a zone of the disk web, between the bore and rim. Specimens were extracted parallel and transversely across this transition zone, and multiple fatigue tests were performed at 427 C and 704 C. Grain size distributions were characterized in the specimens, and related to operative failure initiation modes. Mean fatigue life decreased with increasing maximum grain size, going out through the transition zone. The scatter in limited tests of replicates was comparable for failures of uniform gage specimens in all transition zone locations examined.
Mannose 6-Phosphate/Insulin-Like Growth Factor II Receptor

This article has no abstract. Keywords: mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor
Use of shear wave ultrasound elastography to quantify muscle properties in cerebral palsy

article Background:Individualswithcerebralpalsytendtohavealteredmusclearchitectureandcomposition,butlittleis known about the muscle material properties, specifically stiffness. Shear wave ultrasound elastography allows shearwave speed,whichisrelatedtostiffness,to be measuredinvivoinindividual muscles.Ouraim was to eval- uate the material properties, specifically stiffness,as measured by shear wave speed of themedial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy across a range of ankle torques and positions, and fascicle strains. Method: Shear wave speed was measured bilaterally in the medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior over a range of ankle positions and torques using shear wave ultrasound elastography in eight individuals with hemi- plegic cerebral palsy. B-mode ultrasound was used to measure muscle thickness and fascicle strain. Results:Shearwavestraveledfasterinthemedialgastrocnemiusandtibialisanteriorofthemore-affectedlimbby 14% (P =0 .024) and 20% (P = 0.03), respectively, when the ankle was at 90°. Shear wave speed in the medial
ON THE NUMBER OF ATOMS DISPLACED BY IMPLANTED IONS OR ENERGETIC RECOIL ATOMS

The validity of the Kinchin‐Pease formula is re‐examined on the basis of recent progress in the theory of collision cascades and irradiation experiments on semiconductors and metals.
Dynamically displaying a Pascal program in color

This paper describes a method of using color to display the actual structure of a Pascal program on a color monitor. This enhancement not only increases a programmer's understanding of the code, but also aids in detecting common structural errors. The paper identifies several structures deserving of color and the properties that must be adhered to when assigning colors to these structures. A simple coloring scheme illustrates this discussion. The last section describes enhancements and directions for future research.
Area CA3 interneurons receive two spatially segregated mossy fiber inputs.

Area CA3 receives two extrinsic excitatory inputs, the mossy fibers (MF) and the perforant path (PP). Interneurons with somata in str. lacunosum moleculare (L-M) of CA3 modulate the influence of the MF and PP on pyramidal cell activity by providing strong feed-forward inhibitory influence to pyramidal cells. Here we report that L-M interneurons receive two separate MF inputs, one to the dorsal dendrites from the suprapyramidal blade of the dentate gyrus (MFSDG), and a second to ventral dendrites from the str. lucidum (MFSL). Responses elicited from MFSDG and MFSL stimulation sites have strong paired-pulse facilitation, similar DCG-IV sensitivity, amplitude, and decay kinetics but target spatially segregated domains on the interneuron dendrites. These data demonstrate that certain interneuron subtypes are entrained by two convergent MF inputs to spatially separated regions of the dendritic tree. This anatomical arrangement could make these interneurons considerably more responsive to the excitatory drive from dentate granule cells. Furthermore, temporal summation is linear or slightly sublinear between PP and MFSL but supralinear between PP and MFSDG. This specific boosting of the excitatory drive to interneurons from the SDG location may indicate that L-M interneurons could be specifically involved in the processing of the associational component of the recognition memory.
A spreadsheet heuristic approach for the stocking and retention of slow-moving, obsolescent items

Abstract This paper describes a practical approach for the stock control of slow-moving items subject to obsolescence. A heuristic procedure is developed for determining stocking quantities and inventory retention times. A spreadheet is presented for implementation of the heuristic, with an example demonstrating its use. The advantage of the proposed approach is its simplicity in comaparison with dynamic programming optimization. As illustrated by a set of example, the proposed approach can provide near-optimal cost performance.
Production of genetically identical swine: Uses for families with reduced phenotypic variation.

Abstract Recent advances in reproductive technology hold promise for future production of nearly unlimited numbers of swine with identical genotypes through the use of nuclear transfer. Potential benefits of use of these animals in the swine industry and in research are examined in the present study. Variability of litter size, days to slaughter and backfat thickness are predicted for clones, full-siblings and unrelated animals. One hundred simulation runs of 100 unrelated animals and 25 families of 4 full-siblings and clones were completed for each trait. Expected phenotypic standard deviations were 2.5 pigs for litter size, 12 d for days to slaughter and 2 mm for backfat thickness. Between family variances were expected to include 50% additive genetic variance, 25% dominance variance and 100% common environmental variance for full-siblings and 100% of all 3 components for clones. Substantial advantages of clones over unrelated animals and smaller advantages of clones over full-siblings were found for variability of days to slaughter and backfat thickness, but little difference was found for litter size. Ratios of error mean squares from analyses of variance suggest that use of clones rather than unrelated animals could reduce the number of animals needed for experiments by 67 and 65% for days to slaughter and backfat thickness, respectively, but only by 12% for litter size. These results suggest that the first use of cloned swine would be to reduce the numbers of research animals needed for intensive studies.
Development of a dual-modal information presentation of sequential relationship

This study focuses on how to design a visual-auditory presentation to minimise the interference in information processing between modality channels; and to improve the effectiveness of mental integration of multimodal information. A method was proposed to convert textual information describing sequential relationships into a 'graphics + voice' presentation. It was hypothesised that this dual-modal presentation would result in superior comprehension performance and user satisfaction as compared with the pure textual display. Findings of our experiment fully supported the hypothesis and would benefit interface design of mobile applications by alleviating the overabundance of information output in the visual channel.
Classification of juvenile spondyloarthritis: enthesitis-related arthritis and beyond

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) refers to a spectrum of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases with overlapping features, which differ from other types of inflammatory arthritis in genetic predisposition, pathogenesis and outcome. SpA frequently involves the axial skeleton, and can result in abnormal bone formation with eventual ankylosis of the spine, resulting in substantial disability. SpA often begins as an 'undifferentiated' disease, the presentation of which differs in children and adults; most notably, spinal involvement is uncommon, while hip arthritis and enthesitis are frequently seen in juvenile-onset disease. Currently, the classification of SpA in adults and children is approached differently. Using the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) system for juvenile idiopathic arthritis, most childhood SpA is classified as enthesitis-related arthritis. However, in contrast to adult SpA classification, the presence of, or a family history of, psoriasis dictates a separate category of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. More importantly, the ILAR system does not specifically recognize the presence of axial disease in juvenile SpA. Resolution of these issues will improve communication and the transitioning of patients from pediatric to adult clinics, will facilitate research in genetics and pathogenesis, and will be particularly important in the evaluation of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and other biologic agents for early, axial SpA.
Effects of initial and extended exposure to an endophyte-infected tall fescue seed diet on faecal and urinary excretion of ergovaline and lysergic acid in mature geldings.

Abstract AIM: To determine the amount of ergovaline and lysergic acid retained or excreted by geldings fed endophyte-infected seed containing known concentrations of these alkaloids, and the effects of exposure time on clinical expression of toxicosis. METHODS: Mature geldings (n=10) received diets containing either endophyte-free (E-) or endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue seed during three experimental phases. The first phase (Days −14 to −1) was an adaptation phase, to allow all horses to adapt to a diet containing E- tall fescue seed. The second (Days 0 to 3) was the initial exposure phase to E+ tall fescue seed, used for the delivery of ergovaline and lysergic acid at 0.5 and 0.3 mg/kg of diet, respectively, to test the initial effects of exposure on routes and amounts of elimination of alkaloid. During this phase, half the geldings were exposed to an E+ diet while the rest served as controls by remaining on the E- diet. Once assigned to treatments, geldings remained on the same diet through the thir...
Microbial ecology, toxicology and chemical fate of methyl isothiocyanate in riparian soils from the upper Sacramento river

On July 14, 1991, 72,000 L of the pesticide Metam (active ingredient, methyl isothiocyanate) was accidentally released into the Upper Sacramento River. We hypothesized that the spill affected streamside microbial communities and that the effects were persistent. To address this hypothesis, we sampled river soils a year later from sites above and below the spill as well as from an agricultural area and determined soil carbon dioxide efflux (as a measure of soil respiration) in response to methyl isothiocyanate in controlled-environment microcosms, resulting in estimates of the EC50 and soil degradation rates of methyl isothiocyanate. The soil respiration EC50s for the river soils ranged from 13.2 to 51.4 μg/g methyl isothiocyanate, whereas that of the agricultural soil was 72.2 μg/g. Thus, the soils from the Upper Sacramento River were more sensitive to the toxicologic effects of methyl isothiocyanate than was the agricultural soil. Soils from below the spill site also showed higher (factor two or more) EC50s than soils from reference locations above the spill site. The half-life of methyl isothiocyanate in soils ranged from 2.7 to 6.9 days and was longer by a factor of two in the river soils. These degradation rates are controlled by both biotic (microbial) and abiotic processes. The presence of a microbial community accelerated the degradation rate by a factor of two. The pattern of EC50 data demonstrates that changes in the microbial community in the river soils were persistent a full year after the spill and that the stress elicited responses that were indicative of physiologic accommodation or selection for resistance at the population, species, and/or community level.
Analysis of a manufacturing system via spreadsheet analysis, rapid modelling, and manufacturing simulation

This paper addresses the application and comparison of spreadsheet analysis (LOTUS 123), rapid modeling (MANUPLAN II), and simulation (STARCELL) for the design and evaluation of manufacturing systems. The objective is to evaluate the quantity and quality of the required inputs, generated outputs, and the amount of time required for each of these analytical tools compared to the amount of knowledge gained. A comparison is conducted for an application to an automatic insertion card production facility where the best machine/cell configuration was emphasized to simplify the system and increase its efficiency. Results of this evaluation provide insights into the efforts and value obtained from Using increasingly more detailed modelling procedures
Training needs of novices and experts with referent experience and task domain knowledge

Abstract This research examines the similarities and differences in the ways that novices and experts with referent experience and task domain knowledge used spreadsheet software to make decisions. Results in a laboratory setting suggest that software training needs differ for novices and experts, depending upon their levels of expertise in the task domain knowledge and the referent experience areas.
Block thresholding and wavelet estimation for nonequispaced samples

For samples with the design points occurring as a Poisson process or having a uniform distribution, the wavelet method of block thresholding can be applied directly to the data as though it was equispaced without sacrificing adaptivity or optimality. When the underlying true function is in certain Besov and Holder classes, the resulting estimator achieves the minimax rate of convergence. Simulation results are examined.
Morphology of connective tissue in skeletal muscle

The arrangement and distribution of connective tissue in six different skeletal muscles and smooth muscle was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The endomysial arrangement of collagen was similar in all types of muscle and consisted of three components: (1) myocyte-myocyte connectives; (2) myocyte-capillary connectives; and (3) a weave network of collagen intimately associated with the basal laminae of the myocytes. The perimysium of the different muscles was qualitatively similar but quantitatively dissimilar. The perimysium consisted consisted of large tendon-like bundles of interwoven collagen which connected with the dense weave collagen that surrounded groups of muscles. The arrangement of the collagen in the perimysium and endomysium would explain differences in the mechanical properties of the different muscle. The contribution of the connective tissue to mechanical properties of muscle is discussed.
Repression of ADH1 and ADH3 during zinc deficiency by Zap1‐induced intergenic RNA transcripts

The transcriptional activator Zap1 induces target gene expression in response to zinc deficiency. We demonstrate that during zinc starvation, Zap1 is required for the repression of ADH1 expression. ADH1 encodes the major zinc-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase that is utilized during fermentation. During zinc starvation, Zap1 binds upstream of the activator Rap1 and induces an intergenic RNA transcript, ZRR1. ZRR1 expression leads to the transient displacement of Rap1 from the ADH1 promoter resulting in ADH1 repression. Using a microarray-based approach, we screened for additional genes repressed by Zap1 intergenic transcripts. We found that ADH3, the major mitochondrial alcohol dehydrogenase, is regulated in a manner similar to ADH1. Thus, during zinc deficiency, Zap1 mediates the repression of two of the most abundant zinc-requiring enzymes.
Budgeting in developing countries: a review of recent literature

Recent literature on budgeting in developing countries may be divided into two main areas, the first concerned with the application of program and performance budgeting to individual countries, and the second with analysis of comparative budget systems. Program and performance budgeting remains a dominant prescription despite its questionable record in practice. While there are several useful descriptive studies in practice. While there are several useful descriptive studies of budgeting these there are insufficient for purposes of generalization and further research is needed to explore specific areas in depth, construct comparative frameworks, evaluate budgetary capacity, clarify assumptions, and utilize insight from related areas of study.
Three-dimensional hMSC motility within peptide-functionalized PEG-based hydrogels of varying adhesivity and crosslinking density.

Abstract Human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) migration and recruitment play a critical role during bone fracture healing. Within the complex three-dimensional (3-D) in vivo microenvironment, hMSC migration is regulated through a myriad of extracellular cues. Here, we use a thiol–ene photopolymerized hydrogel to recapitulate structural and bioactive inputs in a tunable manner to understand their role in regulating 3-D hMSC migration. Specifically, peptide-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels were used to encapsulate hMSC while varying the crosslinking density, from 0.18 ± 0.02 to 1.60 ± 0.04 mM, and the adhesive ligand density, from 0.001 to 1.0 mM. Using live-cell videomicroscopy, migratory cell paths were tracked and fitted to a Persistent Random Walk model. It was shown that hMSC migrating through the lowest crosslinking density and highest adhesivity had more sustained polarization, higher migrating speeds (17.6 ± 0.9 μm h −1 ) and higher cell spreading (elliptical form factor = 3.9 ± 0.2). However, manipulation of these material properties did not significantly affect migration persistence. Further, there was a monotonic increase in cell speed and spreading with increasing adhesivity that showed a lack of the biphasic trend seen in 2-D cell migration. Immunohistochemistry showed well-formed actin fibers and β1 integrin staining at the ends of stress fibers. This thiol–ene platform provides a highly tunable substrate to characterize 3-D hMSC migration that can be applied as an implantable cell carrier platform or for the recruitment of endogenous hMSC in vivo .
Automobiles, Air Toxics, and Adverse Health Risks: Environmental Inequities in Tampa Bay, Florida

Few environmental justice studies of air pollution have examined the adverse health implications of exposure to transportation-related emissions or used statistical techniques that are appropriate for spatial data. This article addresses these gaps by examining the distribution of cancer and respiratory risks from inhalation exposure to vehicular emissions of hazardous air pollutants in the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area, Florida. This study advances quantitative environmental justice research by (a) focusing on mobile source air pollution instead of major point sources; (b) examining the health risks of disproportionate exposure; (c) including transportation disadvantaged individuals, in addition to minority and low-income residents; and (d) using multiple regression models that account for spatial dependence. Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 1999 National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment are utilized to estimate lifetime cancer and respiratory health risks from on-road vehicles f...
A speed-up of FORMAC

The following note reports on a speed-up that is due to a modification in the central part of FORMAC. Since this part is always and heavily used, the overall speed of the system has been increased, typically by a factor of 2, sometimes more, depending on the particular problem. Sigsam problem #2 is used as an example. This report does not make reference to or rely on a previously reported special-case speed-up [5].
Can EUS alone differentiate between malignant and benign cystic lesions of the pancreas

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) alone to predict and differentiate malignant from benign cystic lesions of the pancreas. METHODS: From January, 1995, to August, 1999, 98 cases of pancreatic cystic lesions were evaluated by EUS; all of these were originally imaged by cross-sectional modalities that were not diagnostic. Among these, surgical/pathological correlation was available in 48 patients. The original endosonographic images were reviewed by two endosonographers who were blinded to each other’s interpretation and to the surgical and pathological interpretation. The EUS images were assessed for the presence or absence of the following characteristics: 1) wall, 2) solid component, 3) septae, 4) lymphadenopathy, and 5) number of cysts. These characteristics were then correlated with the surgical and pathological findings and were assessed to determine if any were predictors of the lesion being benign or malignant. RESULTS: For reviewer A, the presence of a solid component by EUS was the only statistically significant predictor of malignancy (odds ratio = 4.73, 95% CI = 1.13–19.68, p = 0.03). However, 61% of patients with benign lesions were also interpreted by EUS to have a solid component. For reviewer B, none of the features were found to be significant predictors of a malignant lesion. When the results of both reviewers were combined, the presence of a solid component was not found to be a statistically significant predictor of malignancy (odds ratio = 1.046, 95% CI = 0.99–1.09, p = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Endosonographic features cannot reliably differentiate between benign and malignant cystic lesions of the pancreas after a nondiagnostic cross-sectional modality.
Monorail Piccolino catheter: a new rapid exchange/ultralow profile coronary angioplasty system.

The Monorail Piccolino coronary angioplasty balloon catheter (MBC) was evaluated on 118 patients at two centers. Technical success was achieved in 110 patients (93%). Time for catheter exchange and total fluoroscopy time were significantly lower for the Monorail catheter than with standard equipment (exchange time 97 vs. 170 seconds P less than .05 and fluoroscopy time 17 vs. 88 seconds P less than .001). The advantages of rapid exchange and the ability of utilize 2 Monorail balloon catheters through one 9F guiding catheter for simultaneous inflations allowed for maximal flexibility in treating patients with bifurcation lesions. The double wire approach utilizing one Monorail balloon catheter with a 7F guiding catheter was also technically successful. The Monorail Piccolino balloon catheter has unique features that allow for greater ease of operator use, rapid catheter exchange, and optimal angiographic visualization. It is felt that this catheter design provides distinct advantages over standard angioplasty equipment.
Using scatterplots to teach the critical power concept

the critical power (CP) concept has received renewed attention and excitement in the academic community ([5][1]). The CP concept was originally conceived as a model derived from a series of exhaustive, constant-load, exercise bouts [for a review, see Hill et al. ([8][2])]. All-out exercise testing
Enzymatic Synthesis of Fluorescent Oligomers Assembled on a DNA Backbone

A number of research laboratories have investigated the properties of multichromophore molecules and their applications in materials science and in biotechnology. Previous approaches for preparing such molecules have involved traditional organic synthesis. Here we describe the one-step enzymatic synthesis of such a multichromophore species by using a DNA-polymerizing enzyme (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)). We find that a nucleotide-like molecule with pyrene replacing the DNA base (dPTP) can be accepted as a substrate for this enzyme to produce discrete chromophores that have 3 or 4 pyrenes consecutively, depending on which anomer (alpha or beta) is used. Products were characterized by gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and fluorescence. The reaction was found to change the fluorescence emission of the chromophore from a maximum at 375 nm (the monomer nucleotide) to 490 nm in the oligomeric product. This new green-white emission is consistent with the formation of a pyrene excimer between adjacent pyrene glycosides, which exhibit a large Stokes shift of 130 nm. The enzymatic synthesis of the pyrene excimer might have applications in homogeneous biological assays for DNA fragments, such as those that arise during apoptosis.
Evidence for a new cardiac myosin species in thyrotoxic rabbit

Thyroid hormone may modulate the contractile behavior of the heart by influencing the ATPase activity of myosin. The velocity of myocardial contraction is increased in thyrotoxic animals [l-4] and the ATPase activity of myosin [5-81 and actomyosin are elevated [9,10]. In contrast, the ATPase activity of myosin is depressed after hypophysectomy and can be restored to normal by administration of thyroxine [ 111. The mechanism whereby thyroxine exerts these effects is obscure, but a plausible explanation would be the induction of a myosin isozyme within the heart which has a higher ATPase activity. Recently, changes in myosin isozyme have been implicated in the modification of contraction velocities for skeletal muscle under different experimental conditions [ 12,131. Further support of this concept is found in the observation that the rate of cardiac myosin replacement may be accelerated by thyroxine administration [ 141. To date however, there has been no conclusive evidence that thyroxine induces a change in myosin structure. Although Thyrum et al. [S] found changes in the amino acid composition and the helix content of cardiac myosin after thyroxine administration, subsequent investigations have failed to find abnormalities either in the amino acid composition or the electrophoretic mobility of the light and heavy subunits of cardiac myosin from thyrotoxic animals [6,8]. Also, the changes in ATPase activity induced by thyroxine
Prospective evaluation of an ED observation unit protocol for trauma activation patients

Abstract Background The University of Utah emergency department (ED) observation unit (EDOU) cares for over 2500 patients each year, with a significant portion of these patients being trauma activation patients. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of our EDOU trauma protocol and described patient characteristics and outcomes of trauma patients managed in an EDOU. Methods We performed a prospective observational study of all trauma patients admitted to the EDOU over a 1-year period. Patient disposition, interventions, and adverse events during observation were recorded. Thirty-day follow-up was performed by telephone and chart review to evaluate for missed injuries, repeat hospitalizations, or repeat traumatic events. Results A total of 259 trauma patients were admitted to the EDOU during the study period and were contacted at least 30 days after discharge. There were no deaths, intubations, or other adverse events. At 30-day follow-up, there was 1 missed injury, which did not result in an adverse outcome. Ten patients were reevaluated in the ED or required hospitalization for events occurring after their initial EDOU stay but related to their initial trauma evaluation. The inpatient admission rate from the EDOU was 10.4%, and 3.1% of patients reported another traumatic event during the 30-day follow-up period. Conclusions There were no adverse outcomes in trauma patients admitted to the EDOU, and our inpatient admission rate was within the generally accepted admission rate for patients in observation status. The EDOU appears to be a safe alternative to inpatient admission for the evaluation of minimally injured trauma activation patients.
Recent trends in the union wage premium

Estimates of union-nonunion wage differentials are updated by examining a wide variety of subgroups in the general population. Variations in union wage premiums are tracked over a 15-year period, allowing inter-temporal comparisons that are not usually available. One important finding is that union wage premiums have been generally rising since 1972–1973. It also appears that females and nonwhites no longer gain the huge payoffs from unionism that evidence has suggested. The impact of race and education on union wage premiums is weighed, and there is an examination of how levels of education, association with blue-collar or white-collar occupations, and employment in specific industries affect union premiums.
Common transversals and strong exchange systems

Abstract We investigate properties of common transversals of two families of sets. Some structure theorems are proved, and we settle affirmatively a conjecture of L. Mirsky and H. Perfect concerning the existence of a common transversal for two families of sets.
Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Glucagon for Preventing Hypoglycemia

Background Administration of small, intermittent doses of glucagon during closed-loop insulin delivery markedly reduces the frequency of hypoglycemia. However, in some cases, hypoglycemia occurs despite administration of glucagon in this setting.
Differentiating between hydrogen and fluorine on a diamond surface

We have computed the interaction energies for pyridine (C5H5N) and (CH3)3PO with H and F atoms on the surface of diamond(111) as a function of the type of neighboring surface atom. The pyridine-H and -F interaction energies differ by about 5 kcal/mol, which is only about one-third of that found for a one-dimensional model for the surface. The difference in the interaction energies for (CH3)3PO is larger. However, the (CH3)3PO-neighbor interaction energy is larger than for pyridine, so that the (CH3)3PO-H interaction becomes repulsive for six neighboring F atoms. Substituting CN for F dramatically increases the repulsion between the surface atoms and molecules. The repulsion is sufficiently large that H/CN does not appear to be better than H/F as a possible way to store data on a surface. While pyridine shows some potential as a possible probe to differentiate between H and F on a diamond surface, it is not ideal.
When Feedback Harms and Collaboration Helps in Computer Simulation Environments: An Expertise Reversal Effect

We investigated the effects of feedback and collaboration on undergraduates' transfer performance when using a computer networing training simulation. In Experiment 1, 65 computer science "novices" worked through an instructional protocol individually (control), individually with feedback, or collaboratively with feedback. Unexpectedly, collaboration appeared to inhibit students' transfer performance relative to individual feedback. Experiment 2 was a replication with 62 computer science "experts." This time, collaboration facilitated transfer performance. Both experiments revealed an interaction between instructional procedures producing an expertise reversal effect: Novices who worked individually with feedback actually outperformed their expert counterparts (Kalyuga, Ayres, Chandler, & Sweller, 2003). When students have low prior knowledge, presenting feedback as they work independently is more effective than collaborating with other novices. On the other hand, when students have high prior knowledge, individual feedback may actually inhibit learning and reverse the benefits of expertise.
Relationship between Meat Swelling, Viscosity, Extract-release Volume, and Water-holding Capacity in Evaluating Beef Microbiol Quality

SUMMARY: This research was undertaken in order to determine the relationship between the phenomena of meat swelling (SW), viscosity (η), extract-release volume (ERV), and wafer-holding capacity (WHC) as simple and rapid techniques of determining beef microbiol qualify. These techniques were compared by analyzing beef samples held from freshness to spoilage at refrigerator temperatures, fresh beef homogenized with urea, and beef adjusted to different pH values. In addition, irradiated fresh ground beef samples were inoculated with the normal flora of spoiled beef and analyzed similarly. With the microbially spoiled meats the highest degree of correlation occurred between SW and ERV, followed by ERV & WHC, SW & η, η & ERV and SW & WHC. These findings indicate that ERV and SW are quite similar and equally reliable in determining meat microbiol qualify while the relationships between η and ERV, and η & WHC were of lower orders of significance. When fresh beef was homogenized with urea at levels between 0.5 and 5M, η correlated best with SW followed by ERV & η, and ERV & SW. Over the pH range 3-11, SW and ERV correlated best followed rather closely by SW and η, and ERV & η.
Dictyostelium Chemotactic Response to Spatial and Temporal Gradients. Theories of the Limits of Chemotactic Sensitivity and of Pseudochemotaxis

Four aspects of ameboid cell chemotaxis are discussed: 1) Ameboid cells (Dictyostelium discoideum, leukocytes) might orient to chemotaxin gradients by sensing a spatial gradient or a temporal change in the concentration. Using a moving micropipette source of cAMP, we show the D discoideum cells can orient toward a gradient in which the concentration is everywhere decreasing with time–implying a spatial mechanism. 2) The number of molecules N that must be released by a source to orient a cell is limited by the natural concentration “noise” due to diffusion. N is shown to be simply related to the cell size and the distance from the source. 3) We show that previous diffusion equations for cell population movement have not taken the speed variations (klinokinesis) into account properly, and we present a new result that does. 4) We briefly discuss reaction-diffusion models of cell orientation.
In vitro methylation of adenosine residues in reovirus RNA

Abstract In the presence of chymotrypsin, reovirions may be digested either to subviral particles (SVP) or to cores. SVP catalyze methylation of the 5′-terminus of in vitro transcripts to m7GpppGm (95%) and nucleotides in these transcripts to Gm (4%) and Am (1%). Nucleotides in the virion-associated oligomers were also modified by SVP-associated enzyme activities to m7GpppG (∼26%), m7GpppGm (67%), m6A (∼7%), and Am (∼1%). The adenosine methylating activities were not detected when intact virions were used as the source of enzyme or when Mg2+ was used as the source of divalent cations.