cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application and Reliability of Arm Use Intensities in the Free-Living Environment for Manual Wheelchair Users

Arm use in individuals with spinal cord injury who use manual wheelchairs (MWC) is complex, characterized by a combination of overuse and a sedentary lifestyle. This study aimed to calculate arm use intensity levels for MWC users, describe the percentage of daily wear time MWC users and able-bodied individuals spend in each arm use intensity level, and test the reliabilities of the measurements for both MWC users and ablebodied individuals. MWC users wore two inertial measurement units (IMUs) on their bilateral upper arms while performing six MWC-based activities in-lab. Video data were recorded and each second was coded as active or stationary. Acceleration-based signal magnitude area (SMA) ranges were defined for stationary, low, mid, and high arm use intensity levels. IMU data were also collected in the freeliving environments for MWC users and able-bodied individuals for four days (3 weekdays and 1 weekend day). The SMA levels were applied to the free-living data from the dominant arm and the percentage of time spent in each level was calculated. The required number of days to achieve moderate, good, and excellent reliabilities was calculated. Eight adult MWC users with SCI participated in the in-lab data collection and SMA arm use intensity levels were defined as, stationary: ≤ 0.67g, low: 0.671-3.27g, mid: 3.271-5.87, and high: > 5.871. Six MWC users and 15 able-bodied individuals completed the free-living data collection. The dominant arm of both MWC users and able-bodied individuals was stationary for the majority of the day. The reliability analysis indicated that at least five and eight days of data are needed from MWC users and ablebodied individuals, respectively, to achieve reliable representation of their overall daily arm use intensities throughout a week. Future research is needed to understand the recovery time associated with stationary arm use and if it differs between MWC users and matched able-bodied individuals. At least five days of data should be collected when utilizing these methods for MWC users. The methods presented here will contribute to understanding the mechanisms which cause increased shoulder pain and pathology for MWC users.
Integrating Survivors of Stroke Into Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Improves Endurance and Functional Strength.

Background Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a structured exercise program prevalent in the United States for people with cardiovascular disease that has been shown to increase cardiovascular enduranc...
Neighborhoods, Perceived Inequality, and Preferences for Redistribution: Evidence from Barcelona

I study the effects of neighborhoods on perceived inequality and preferences for redistribution. Using administrative data on the universe of dwellings and real estate transactions in Barcelona (Spain), I construct a novel measure of local inequality — the Local Neighborhood Gini (LNG). The LNG is based on the spatial distribution of housing within a city, independent of administrative boundaries, and building-specific. I elicit inequality perceptions and preferences for redistribution from an original large-scale survey conducted in Barcelona. I link those to respondents' specific local environments using exact addresses. I find that one standard deviation increase in LNG is associated with 4% higher perceived inequality, but with (if anything) lower demand for redistribution. Residential sorting explains the counter-intuitive pattern. To causally identify the effects of local environments, I exploit within-neighborhood variation from the rise of new apartment buildings as a quasi-experiment. Exposure to new buildings shifts perceived inequality by 7% and demand for redistribution by 2.5%. I finally exploit cross-neighborhood variation in information about local inequality from a survey experiment to explore whether more distant neighborhoods also play a role. The information treatment does not yield significant effects, consistent with the idea that what is close is more relevant. Neighborhoods shape inequality perceptions and (to a lesser extent) demand for redistribution.
A Portrait of the 2020 Faith Communities Today Study

This article offers an overview of the congregational landscape of the United States using the 2020 Faith Communities Today national key-informant survey. Offering representative results from 15,27...
Effect of MG-132 on myofibrillogenesis and the ubiquitination of GAPDH in quail myotubes.

In the three-step myofibrillogenesis model, mature myofibrils are formed through two intermediate structures: premyofibrils and nascent myofibrils. We have recently reported that several inhibitors of the Ubiquitin Proteosome System, for example, MG-132, and DBeQ, reversibly block progression of nascent myofibrils to mature myofibrils. In this investigation, we studied the effects of MG132 and DBeQ on the expression of various myofibrillar proteins including actin, myosin light and heavy chains, tropomyosin, myomesin, and myosin binding protein-C in cultured embryonic quail myotubes by western blotting using two loading controls-α-tubulin and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Surprisingly, we found that MG-132 affected the level of expression of GAPDH but DBeQ did not. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) showed no significant effect of MG-132 on GAPDH transcription. Two-dimensional (2D) western blot analyses with extracts of control and MG-132-treated cells using anti-ubiquitin antibody indicated that MG132-treated myotubes show a stronger emitter-coupled logic signal. However, Spot% and Spot volume calculations for all spots from both western blot film signals and matched Coomassie-stained 2D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the intensity of staining in a spot of ~39 kDa protein is 3.5-fold lower in the gel of MG-132-treated extracts. Mass spectrometry analyses identified the ~39 kDa protein as quail GAPDH. Immunohistochemical analysis of fixed MG-132-treated myotubes with anti-GAPDH antibody showed extensive clump formation, which may be analogous to granule formation by stress response factors in MG132-treated cells. This is the first report on in vivo ubiquitination of GAPDH. This may be essential for the moonlighting (Jeffery, 1999) activity of GAPDH for tailoring stress in myotubes.
Untangling the Association between Anemia Treatment and Stroke Risk in CKD

Randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) of erythropoietic-stimulating agents (ESAs) suggest an association between ESA dose and stroke, but it remains unclear whether the causal pathway is the ESA dose itself, target hemoglobin (Hgb), achieved Hgb, or comorbidities that may lead to ESA hyporesponsiveness. The most striking association was seen in the Trial of Darbepoetin Alfa in Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (TREAT) (1), which demonstrated 1.92 increased incidence of stroke ( P <0.001) among anemic subjects treated with darbepoetin to target Hgb of 13.5 g/dl versus those treated with placebo (rescue therapy with darbepoetin for Hgb<9.0 g/dl). The publication of TREAT was followed by a change in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label for all ESAs, with a black box warning of “serious adverse cardiovascular reactions and stroke when [these agents are] administered to target a hemoglobin level of greater than 11 g/dl; no trial has identified a hemoglobin target level, ESA dose, or dosing strategy that does not increase these risks” (2). Previously, Parfrey et al. (3) performed an RCT examining full (target Hgb =13.5–14.5 g/dl) versus partial (target Hgb =9.5–11.5 g/dl) anemia correction among patients on incident hemodialysis; patients treated to the higher Hgb target experienced more cerebrovascular disorders ( P =0.05). More recently, the Reduction of Events by Darbepoetin in Heart Failure RCT of patients with systolic heart failure and anemia confirmed 1.94 relative risk (RR) of stroke (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.43 to 2.63) among darbepoetin-treated (versus placebo-treated) subjects who would have met inclusion criteria for TREAT (4). Although the Correction of Anemia with Epoetin Alfa in Chronic Kidney Disease (CHOIR) study (5) did not demonstrate increased stroke risk among patients with nondialysis CKD treated with epoetin alfa to target Hgb of 13.5 versus 11.3 g/dl, occurrence of the primary composite cardiovascular end point, …
The ϕ 2 4 quantum field as a limit of Sine-Gordon fields

We exhibit the λϕ 2 4 quantum field theory as the limit of Sine-Gordon fields as suggested by the identity $$\varphi ^4 /4! = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{\varepsilon \to 0} (\varepsilon ^{ - 4} \cos \varepsilon \varphi - \varepsilon ^{ - 4} + \tfrac{1}{2}\varepsilon ^{ - 2} \varphi ^2 ).$$ The proofs of finite volume stability for the two models, due to Nelson and Frohlich respectively, are unrelated. We find a generalized stability argument that incorporates ideas from both of the simpler cases. The above limit, for the Schwinger functions, then proceeds uniformly in ɛ.
The structure of radical probabilism

Does the philosophy of Radical Probabilism have enough structure to enable it to address fundamental epistemological questions? The requirement of dynamic coherence provides the structure for radical probabilist epistemology. This structure is sufficient to establish (i) the value of knowledge and (ii) long run convergence of degrees of belief.
The Effects of Immigration on California's Labor Market

As of 2004 California employed almost 30% of all foreign born workers in the U.S. and was the state with the largest percentage of immigrants in the labor force. It also received a very large number of Mexican and uneducated immigrants during the recent decades. If immigration harms the labor opportunities of natives, especially the least skilled ones, in the form of downward wage pressure, pressure to move out of the state or increased likelihood to loose their jobs, California was the place where these effects should have been stronger. By analyzing the behavior of population, employment and wages of U.S. natives in California in the period 1960-2004 we address this issue. We consider workers of different education and age as imperfectly substitutable in production and we exploit the differences in immigration across these groups to infer their impact on US natives. Our estimates use international migration to other U.S. states as instrument for international migration to California to isolate the ?supply-driven? variation of immigrants across skills and identify the labor market responses of natives. We find that in the considered period immigration did not produce significant migratory response or loss of jobs of natives. Moreover we find that immigrants were imperfect substitutes for natives of similar education and age, hence they stimulated, rather than harmed the demand and wages of U.S. native workers.
Abstract P6-03-04: TGF-β receptor type III is a tumor promoter in mesenchymal-stem like triple negative breast cancer

Introduction: There is a major need to better understand the molecular basis of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in order to develop effective therapeutic strategies. Using gene expression data from 587 TNBC patients we previously identified six subtypes of the disease, among which a Mesenchymal-Stem Like (MSL) subtype. The MSL subtype has significantly higher expression of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) pathway-associated genes relative to other subtypes, including the TGF-β receptor type III (TβRIII). We hypothesize that TβRIII is tumor promoter in mesenchymal-stem like TNBC cells. Methods: Representative MSL cell lines SUM159, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-157 were used to study the roles of TβRIII in the MSL subtype. We stably expressed short hairpin RNAs specific to TβRIII (TβRIII-KD). These cells were then used for xenograft tumor studies in vivo; and migration, invasion, proliferation and three dimensional culture studies in vitro. Furthermore, we utilized human gene expression datasets to examine TβRIII expression patterns across all TNBC subtypes. Results: TβRIII was the most differentially expressed TGF-β signaling gene in the MSL subtype. Silencing TβRIII expression in MSL cell lines significantly decreased cell motility and invasion. In addition, when TβRIII-KD cells were grown in a three dimensional (3D) culture system or nude mice, there was a loss of invasive protrusions and a significant decrease in xenograft tumor growth, respectively. In pursuit of the mechanistic underpinnings for the observed TβRIII-dependent phenotypes, we discovered that integrin-α2 was expressed at higher level in MSL cells after TβRIII-KD. Stable knockdown of integrin-α2 in TβRIII-KD MSL cells rescued the ability of the MSL cells to migrate and invade at the same level as MSL control cells. Conclusions: We have found that TβRIII is required for migration and invasion in vitro and xenograft growth in vivo. We also show that TβRIII-KD elevates expression of integrin-α2, which is required for the reduced migration and invasion, as determined by siRNA knockdown studies of both TβRIII and integrin-α2. Overall, our results indicate a potential mechanism in which TβRIII modulates integrin-α2 expression to effect MSL cell migration, invasion, and tumorigenicity. Citation Format: Bojana Jovanovic, J Scott Beeler, Michael W Pickup, Anna Chytil, Agnieszka E Gorska, William J Ashby, Brian D Lehmann, Andries Zijlstra, Jennifer A Pietenpol, Harold L Moses. TGF-β receptor type III is a tumor promoter in mesenchymal-stem like triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-03-04.
Formation of 9-Hydroxyoctadecadienoic Acid from Linoleic Acid in Endothelial Cells

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells convert linoleic acid to two monohydroxyoctadecadienoic (HODE) acids, 9- and 13-HODE. More 9-HODE than 13-HODE is formed under most conditions. The production of these metabolites is reduced substantially by acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, or arachidonic acid, suggesting that cyclooxygenase may be involved in endothelial HODE synthesis. Incubations lasting up to 4 h indicate that the endothelial cells can convert [U-14C] linoleic acid into at least four additional products, some of which may be derived from the HODE that is formed initially. Radioactive 9- and 13-HODE are produced when the endothelial cells are labeled with linoleic acid and then exposed to thrombin, suggesting that these metabolites also may be formed when the endothelium is activated. If endothelial monolayers grown on micropore filters are incubated with linoleic acid, a substantial amount of the HODE formed accumulates in the basolateral fluid. This suggests that HODE may have extracellular effects, especially within the vascular wall. Furthermore, when 9- or 13-HODE are added, endothelial cultures produce less prostaglandin I2 and convert less 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid to its main metabolite, 8-hydroxyhexadecatrienoic acid. Therefore, in addition to extracellular actions, HODE also may have functional effects within the endothelium.
Phenomenological study of two body hadron scattering

In looking for the "hydrogen atom" of high energy hadron physics, many workers over the years have turned to high energy two body reactions. At the present time, in view of the apperently increasing complexity of the experimental data, the proliferation of attempts at phenomenological description, and the absence of any compelling theoretical insights, an objective observer would hardly be encouraged about our prospects for success. In these lectures I will
Magnetic glue exposed

Overcoming electrons' mutual repulsion is the key to superconductivity. In simple metals, the forces that bind these charged particles in pairs are well understood, but what is the glue in other superconductors?
Some Pediatricians Uninformed

To the Editor.— Policy statements and articles that appear in Pediatrics, Pediatrics in Review, and News and Comment of the American Academy of Pediatrics attempt to disseminate information about various legal and social issues that are important to pediatricians. Because we were interested to learn whether or not our house officers were knowledgeable in these areas, we administered a quiz to the 22 residents and to the 15 full-time faculty members in our department. The physicians could respond by marking "true," "false," or "don9t know."
Spontaneous Chronic Pain After Experimental Thoracotomy Revealed by Conditioned Place Preference: Morphine Differentiates Tactile Evoked Pain From Spontaneous Pain

Chronic pain after surgery limits social activity, interferes with work, and causes emotional suffering. A major component of such pain is reported as resting or spontaneous pain with no apparent external stimulus. Although experimental animal models can simulate the stimulus-evoked chronic pain that occurs after surgery, there have been no studies of spontaneous chronic pain in such models. Here the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm was used to reveal resting pain after experimental thoracotomy. Male Sprague Dawley rats received a thoracotomy with 1-hour rib retraction, resulting in evoked tactile hypersensitivity, previously shown to last for at least 9 weeks. Intraperitoneal injections of morphine (2.5 mg/kg) or gabapentin (40 mg/kg) gave equivalent 2- to 3-hour-long relief of tactile hypersensitivity when tested 12 to 14 days postoperatively. In separate experiments, single trial CPP was conducted 1 week before thoracotomy and then 12 days (gabapentin) or 14 days (morphine) after surgery, followed the next day by 1 conditioning session with morphine or gabapentin, both versus saline. The gabapentin-conditioned but not the morphine-conditioned rats showed a significant preference for the analgesia-paired chamber, despite the equivalent effect of the 2 agents in relieving tactile allodynia. These results show that experimental thoracotomy in rats causes spontaneous pain and that some analgesics, such as morphine, that reduce evoked pain do not also relieve resting pain, suggesting that pathophysiological mechanisms differ between these 2 aspects of long-term postoperative pain. Perspective: Spontaneous pain, a hallmark of chronic postoperative pain, is demonstrated here in a rat model of experimental postthoracotomy pain, further validating the use of this model for the development of analgesics to treat such symptoms. Although stimulus-evoked pain was sensitive to systemic morphine, spontaneous pain was not, suggesting different mechanistic underpinnings.
Enabling location aware smartphone applications via mobility profiling

Ubiquitous computing is weaving itself into the fabric of our age, creating unique opportunities for accessing and sharing information regardless of time and location. Recent development in hardware technology paved the way to small and portable devices such as wireless sensors, PDAs, iPods, and leads to new generation of cell phones with computing capabilities which are called as smartphones. These smart devices enable location-aware applications as well as empower users to generate and access multimedia content anywhere. Mobility information of cell phone users plays an important role in a wide range of smartphone applications, such as context-based search and advertising, early warning systems, traffic planning, route prediction, and air pollution exposure risk estimation. However, the mobility information captured in the cell phone is low level data units and can not benefit these applications directly. In this thesis, we investigate the problem of enhancing smartphone applications by providing mobility information at suitable abstraction level. In particular, we adress the following problems: (1) In order to provide high level model of human mobility, we design and implement a complete framework, the Mobility Profiler, for discovering mobility profiles from raw cell based connection data. (2) In order to enable smartphone applications requiring personalized mobility information, we propose TRACK ME: A web based centralized middleware for building smartphone applications leveraging on top of location tracking and mobility profile construction systems. (3) In order to utilize location tracking capability and ubiquitous nature of smartphones for social collaboration, we design and implement a location based crowd-sourced sensing and collaboration system over Twitter. (4) For the developing regions and environment where connectivity occurs intermittently, we apply our findings related to human mobility for improving routing algorithms in Pocket Switched Networks (PSNs). Based on the regularity of human mobility profiles and of intercontact events, we propose PRO routing; mobility profile aware, decentralized, fast (low-delivery-latency) and efficient (low-message-overhead) routing protocol for PSNs.
Estimating Average Causal Effects Under Interference Between Units

This paper presents a randomization-based framework for estimating causal effects under interference between units. The framework integrates three components: (i) an experimental design that defines the probability distribution of treatment assignments, (ii) a mapping that relates experimental treatment assignments to exposures received by units in the experiment, and (iii) estimands that make use of the experiment to answer questions of substantive interest. Using this framework, we develop the case of estimating average unit-level causal effects from a randomized experiment with interference of arbitrary but known form. The resulting estimators are based on inverse probability weighting. We provide randomization-based variance estimators that account for the complex clustering that can occur when interference is present. We also establish consistency and asymptotic normality under local dependence assumptions. We discuss refinements including covariate-adjusted effect estimators and ratio estimation. We illustrate and assess empirical performance with a naturalistic simulation using network data from American high schools.
Study of a thermoelectric space cooling system integrated with phase change material

Abstract A thermoelectric cooling system integrated with phase change material (PCM) has been proposed for space cooling purpose, in which PCM stores cold thermal energy at night and functions as a heat sink to reduce hot side temperature of thermoelectric modules during daytime cooling period and thus improve the performance efficiency of the system. A numerical model for the PCM-integrated thermoelectric cooling system has been developed to analyze the entire system under two working modes: (1) dissipating the generated heat directly to outdoor air through the air–water heat exchanger (mode 1) and (2) releasing heat to the shell-and-tube PCM heat storage unit (mode 2). Experimental tests showed the average system cooling COP is increased by 56% (from 0.5 to 0.78) because of PCM integration. With the experiment validated numerical modeling, a comprehensive guide of the design procedure for the PCM-integrated thermoelectric space cooling system has been introduced. The thermoelectric cooling system is designed, as a case study, for an office room located in Denver, Colorado, from which two conclusions have been made: (1) the cooling power output, COP and cost are the most important three factors that determine the selection of thermoelectric modules (TEM) from market available products and (2) the accumulated heat dissipation of the cooling system determines the volume of PCM while local weather condition also needs to be evaluated to ensure PCM will be fully discharged at night.
AIDS. Escape from the immune system.

Why is the immune system ultimately unable to control HIV infection? Many of the immune system's cytotoxic T lymphocytes detect an HIV-infected cell by its expression of a peptide from the HIV protein Tat. In so doing, the lymphocytes may encourage the evolution of Tat, allowing HIV to escape immune detection.
Middle-of-the-night PCI does not affect subsequent day PCI success and complication rates by the same operator.

Objective To determine the impact of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) performed during late-night hours on next day PCI performance by the same interventional cardiologist. Background There is little data regarding the effects of sleep deprivation on interventional cardiologists performing PCIs. Methods All primary PCIs from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009 between 11 PM and 7 AM were identified. All PCIs performed during the subsequent work day by the same interventionists were included in the sleep-deprived group. All other PCIs were included in the non-sleep-deprived group. Data were entered prospectively into the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR). The two groups were compared with respect to efficacy and safety endpoints. Results During the 5-year period, 3,944 PCIs were performed by four operators, including 3,644 non-sleep-deprived cases and 167 sleep-deprived cases. The two groups were similar with respect to demographics, comorbidities, and procedural characteristics. There were more intraprocedural deaths in the sleep-deprived group (1.2% vs. 0.2%, P = 0.04); however, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was nonsignificant (OR = 6.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66–39.63, P = 0.11). Excessive bleeding at the arterial access site in the non-sleep-deprived group was more frequent (2.7% vs. 0%, P = 0.02). There were no differences in the combined safety or efficacy endpoints between the two groups. Conclusion In this single-center study, we found no evidence that middle-of-the night procedures adversely affect safety or efficacy of procedures done the next day by the same operator. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Liquid Surface Order: X-Ray Reflectivity

Abstract This note contains a brief summary of how the X-ray specular reflectivity technique can be used to measure electron density profiles across the bulk/vapor interface for a variety of liquids.
Activity and reproductive state in the hamster: Independent control by social stimuli and a circadian pacemaker

Entrainment of circadian rhythms by social communication between male and female Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) was tested by recording the wheel-running activity of pairs kept in the same cage but separated by a wire mesh barrier. Before pairing, males and females were synchronized to light/dark cycles that were 180° out of phase, and at the time of pairing the hamsters were placed into constant darkness (DD). The activity rhythms of males and females housed in a cage alone (isolated) were also recorded. The freerunning periods of paired and isolated hamsters were not different over six weeks in DD, and no phase-shifts of the paired animals' rhythms were seen, indicating that the close proximity of a hamster of the opposite sex had no effect on the timing of the other's activity/rest rhythm. This was not due to a lack of communication between the paired males and females. Males showed four-day cycles in the amount and distribution of activity which corresponded to the estrous cycle of the female, and regression of the reproductive system which occurred in the isolated hamsters was delayed in both the paired males and females. Despite the fact that locomotor activity and reproduction are each regulated in part by a circadian pacemaker, social stimuli can affect both of these without influencing the circadian pacemaker that underlies the activity/rest rhythm.
Emboli Enter Penetrating Arteries of Monkey Brain in Relation to Their Size

Background and Purpose Controversy exists regarding whether lacunar infarction is due to embolism or whether it is always due to lipohyalinosis of small penetrating arteries. We hypothesized that emboli can enter penetrating arteries in relation to the blood flow to these arteries and to the diameter of the emboli. Methods We injected agarose spheres of three different mean diameters (31±4, 68±14, and 92±28 μm [n=50 for each]) into one internal carotid artery of 3 monkeys for each sphere size (total, n=9 monkeys). After injection of spheres, monkeys were killed, the brains were removed and fixed in formalin, and serial hematoxylin and eosin sections of three coronal sections of the cerebrum were examined by light microscopy. Sphere diameter (n=25 for each territory and sphere size) and distribution in circumferential and penetrating artery territories were measured with the use of an image analyzer. Corrections were made for shrinkage of spheres during fixation and for the effect of random sampling of 10-...
Light-atom neutral beams for tandem mirror end plugs

The advantages and feasibility of neutral beams with Z ? 3 formed from negative ions, accelerated to 0.5?1.0 MeV?amu?1, and neutralized, are investigated for use in tandem mirror reactor end plugs. A reactor plasma physics design incorporating these beams has been done with the result that such a reactor could produce Q's (ratio of fusion power to injected power) of 20?30. These beams thus might be a replacement for the currently proposed 200?500-keV neutral proton beams presently planned for tandem mirror reactors. Thus these Z ? 3 neutral beams could increase the potential attractiveness of tandem mirror reactors by offering a possible substitute for difficult high-energy neutral-hydrogen end plug beams.
Comparative tissue distribution and excretion of [1-14C]acrylamide in beagle dogs and miniature pigs.

Abstract Male beagle dogs and miniature pigs were given acrylamide in the diet for 3–4 wk at a dosage of 1 mg/kg/day. They were then given [1-14C]acrylamide as a single oral dose of 1 mg/kg. The animals were killed 6 hr or 1, 2, 4 or 14 days after administration of the radioactive compound and tissues were analysed for radioactivity. The radiolabelled material was distributed to a major extent in muscle tissue in both species (31–35% of the dose at 6 hr and 5–7% at 14 days). Although the nervous system is the primary target for acrylamide monomer toxicity, less than 1% of the administered 14C was found in the brain in both species. No neurotoxic signs were evident during the exposure period at the dosage used. Analysis of discrete areas of the brain for radioactivity revealed that the levels of penetration of [1-14C]acrylamide in brain paralleled the vascularization pattern of the tissues. Approximately 60% of the administered radiolabel was excreted in the urine in both species and smaller amounts were excreted in the faeces. However, recovery in the faeces was higher in pigs (c. 25%) than in dogs (c. 7%) and this and the considerably higher levels demonstrated in the gastro-intestinal tract of the pigs indicated that the absorption of acrylamide was more rapid and more extensive in dogs than in pigs.
The Statistics of Sharpe Ratios

The building blocks of the Sharpe ratio—expected returns and volatilities—are unknown quantities that must be estimated statistically and are, therefore, subject to estimation error. This raises the natural question: How accurately are Sharpe ratios measured? To address this question, I derive explicit expressions for the statistical distribution of the Sharpe ratio using standard asymptotic theory under several sets of assumptions for the return-generating process—independently and identically distributed returns, stationary returns, and with time aggregation. I show that monthly Sharpe ratios cannot be annualized by multiplying by √12 except under very special circumstances, and I derive the correct method of conversion in the general case of stationary returns. In an illustrative empirical example of mutual funds and hedge funds, I find that the annual Sharpe ratio for a hedge fund can be overstated by as much as 65 percent because of the presence of serial correlation in monthly returns, and once this...
Reliability generalization: a viable key for establishing validity generalization.

Even with radical restriction of range, reliability coefficients from 10 studies gave an average interstudy value of .74, suggesting constancy of reliability over diverse experiments. A value from a new test can help index reliability of tests not previously studied.
Hydroxylation-induced migrations of tritium in several substrates of liver aryl hydroxylases

Abstract The hydroxylation of a variety of specifically tritiated aromatic substrates of liver aryl hydroxylases has been studied to help elucidate the mechanism of the “NIH shift.” Oxidation of phenols, e.g., of 5-tritiosalicylic acid to gentisic acid, or of N -acetyl-3,5-ditritiotyramine to N -acetyl-5-tritiodopamine, does not lead to significant migration and retention of tritium label as a result of hydroxylation. The conversion of 4-tritioacetanilide to 4-hydroxyacetanilide in vivo in rats or in vitro with rabbit or rat microsomes is accompanied by migration and retention of 38–56% of the tritium label. Hydroxylation of 4-tritioaniline to 4-hydroxyaniline proceeds with 12% retention. In vivo (rat) 4-tritioamphetamine is metabolized to p -hydroxyamphetamine with 91% retention. The results are discussed in terms of possible cationoid intermediates which would lead to the observed migrations and retentions.
The enhancing effects of hippocampal infusions of glucose are not restricted to spatial working memory.

Abstract Extensive evidence shows that hippocampal infusions of glucose enhance spontaneous alternation (SA) performance or reverse deficits in this task. The current experiments determined whether the enhancing effects of hippocampal infusions of glucose are restricted to spatial working memory. Specifically we tested whether hippocampal infusions of glucose would reverse deficits in an emotional reference memory task (continuous multiple trial inhibitory avoidance [CMIA]) produced by septal infusions of the γ-aminobutyric acid agonist muscimol. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were given septal infusions of vehicle or muscimol (0.15 nmol: SA; 5 nmol: CMIA) combined with hippocampal infusions of vehicle or glucose (50 nmol) 15 min prior to assessing SA or CMIA training. CMIA retention was tested 48 h later. Muscimol infusions decreased percent alternation scores and avoidance retention latencies. Importantly, hippocampal infusions of glucose reversed the deficits produced by the septal muscimol infusions on both tasks. These findings show for the first time that hippocampal glucose infusions also influence emotional memory, indicating that the enhancing effects of glucose generalize to memory tasks that vary in motivational and cognitive demand.
Process maps for plasma spraying of yttria-stabilized zirconia: An integrated approach to design, optimization and reliability

Abstract Plasma-sprayed yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) continues to play an important role in enhancing performance of both propulsion and land-based gas turbine engines. Tailoring the microstructure and properties of these thermal barrier coatings towards achieving both prime reliance and manufacturing reproducibility is a complex task due to the multitude of interrelated parameters that influence the plasma spray process and the deposit formation dynamics. In this article, we report on a study that connects thermal spray coatings through process science and materials science utilizing the concept of process maps. Process maps are representations of interrelationships among control parameters and measured responses. First-order process maps have been established for three YSZ powder morphologies, linking the plasma forming torch parameters to the particle state (responses) through a design of experiments approach and in-flight diagnostics. Refinements to representation of the raw particle characteristics are proposed through the use of group parameters (melting index and kinetic energy) from the experimental results. First-order process maps have been used for process parameterization and feedback control. Correlating the first-order responses with coating properties allows representation of coating properties in the form of second-order process maps and enables identification of process windows. As will be demonstrated in this paper, these advances provide a platform with which to construct comprehensive process-microstructure–property relationships with implications for coating design, process efficiency and full-field assessment of manufacturing reliability.
The Work of the RN Minimum Data Set Coordinator in its Organizational Context

The Resident Assessment Instrument/Minimum Data Set (RAI/MDS) is the foundational clinical framework for nursing home care, functioning as both a clinical assessment instrument and an assessment process. An RN is mandated by statute to complete or coordinate the work associated with this framework. Using both focus groups and questionnaires, 24 RN MDS coordinators attending a national conference for MDS coordinators described their work in its organizational context. Shortell et al.'s continuous quality framework of structural, technical, cultural, and strategic organizational dimensions was used to categorize descriptive themes. Clinical implications of the study findings are summarized.
News photographs and the pornography of grief

Everyone knows a picture is worth a thousand words. But sometimes, especially in journalism, a picture can be worth much, much more. This added value isn't always positive. Pictures can inflict lasting pain on victims of grief and tragedy. This paper by an undergraduate journalism student explores the ethical dilemmas photographers face when capturing such traumatic incidents on film and explores the lack of professional guidelines available to guide them.
Demystifying flash temperatures I. Analytical expressions based on a simple model

Abstract Equations by which flash temperatures at contact spots may be calculated in a straight-forward manner are presented and partly derived for the first time. They apply to arbitrary speeds and elliptical contact spots with axes AandB = A/e in sliding direction and at right angles thereto, for cases in which (i) heat is evolved at the mathematically flat interface, (ii) the two materials are free of surface films and (iii) the two materials have the same temperature. With the characteristic dimension r = (AB) 1 2 /2 , with q the rate of heat input per unit area of contact spot, and with λ1 the thermal conductivity of the substrate (side 1), the average value of the temperature increase at the interface is ΔT = f(Z, S) ΔT0 where ΔT0 = (π/4)qr/λ1 is the value of ΔT for a circular contact spot at rest when the asperity (side 2) is an insulator. f(Z, S)⩽1 expresses the reduction in flash temperature due to motion (via the velocity function Z(νr), due to ellipticity (via the shape function S(e, νr)) and due to the finite heat conductivity of the substrate (viaλr = λ2/λ1). The velocities are expressed in terms of the relative velocities νr = ν/ν0 where ν0 = κi/r with κ1 the heat diffusivity of the substrate and κ2 the heat diffusivity of the asperity side. In general, for a contact spot moving relative to both sides, and, to within about 3%, Z(ν r 1 1+ν r /3 ΔTmax, the maximum value of the flash temperature at the interface, is about one-third larger than ΔT, i.e. ΔTmax = (4/π) ΔT for νr ≪1 and ΔTmax = 1.42 ΔT at high relative speeds. In the accompanying paper, Part II, the equations are applied to friction heat at plastically deformed contact spots and numerical values are presented which permit quick estimates to be made of the flash temperature in a wide range of cases. Also a more realistic model of the contact spot is considered in Part II, and an upper limit of the flash temperature which follows therefrom.
An upper bound for the expected number of real zeros of a random polynomial

Abstract Suppose that the n + 1 coefficients of a polynomial of degree n are independent normally distributed random variables with mean 0 and variance 1. We prove that the expected number of real zeros of this polynomial is less than ( 2 π ) log n + 1.116 , and that the constant may be reduced to 1.113 if n is even.
Teaching computer science concepts and problem solving with a spreadsheet

INTRODUCTION WHY A SPREADSHEET? Traditionally, computer science educators have introduced students to basic computer science concepts via a pro~ming language paradigm as evidenced by typical texts used in CS 1 [D083, KW87, HKF93]. The same approach is used with respect to development of problemsolving skills. This paper describes an alternative approach in which a spreadsheetAlatabase package is used as an introductory vehicle to motivate many computer science ideas. As an added benefit to this approach, the student learns to use a valuable problem-solving tool.
Power Asymmetry and Negotiations in International River Basins

Realist thinkers traditionally argue that when the upstream state is the river basin's hegemon, cooperation is least likely to materialize. Conversely, when the downstream state is the basin's hegemon, cooperation is likely to ensue, yet the agreement is often imposed and shaped along the interests of the stronger party. Implied in both scenarios is that the otherwise weaker riparian, in aggregate power terms, is not in a position to achieve its aims and satisfy its needs in an optimal fashion. Its capabilities are inferior to those of its adversary. In effect, it has little alternative but to accept the desires of the stronger riparian. By considering a set of international water agreements and hydro-political contexts, this article challenges the realist conception of power in international river basins. Particularly, it demonstrates that otherwise weaker states may influence the hydro-political context and subsequent international agreements. Cooperation, in general, materializes when both states, but particularly the stronger state, realize that benefits can accrue from coordination and joint action. In other words, to harness the river in an efficient manner, cooperation must ensue and the downstream state's participation is important. Even when the benefits to cooperation are not clear, i.e. when the upstream riparian does not foresee immediate economic incentives to cooperation, coordination may still be attained through the manipulation of incentives (or strategic interaction).
Two‐dimensional motion of DNA bands during 120° pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis

The position and velocity of a band of double-stranded, linear DNA from bacteriophage G were measured during 120 degrees pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, using a video micrometer. Both the x and y coordinates were determined simultaneously in the plane of a 1% agarose gel; x is the mean drift direction. For pulse durations T greater than the tube renewal time T*, the path traced by the band of 670 kb DNA in the xy plane was in remarkably good accord with that predicted by Southern's ratchet model. However, the measured instantaneous velocity vx showed a sharp backward spike each time the field changed direction, with amplitude about twice the mean drift velocity. This spike is not consistent with models which assume a constant curvilinear velocity of DNA in a tube, nor with the biased reptation model without fluctuations. The corresponding measurements of vy showed a sharp positive spike with amplitude more than 3 times the plateau velocity in the y direction; neither model predicted this. The sharp velocity spikes are consistent with the idea that, for T > T*, a large fraction of the DNA chains are stretched into U-shaped or herniated configurations. When the field changes direction, the arms of the U's and the hernias recoil rapidly in response to intramolecular DNA chain tension. Because the base of a U or hernia is fixed by gel fibers, the center of mass of the chain recoils backward every time the field changes direction.
Measuring the collective planning capabilities of local jurisdictions to manage ecological systems in southern Florida

Abstract Although ecosystem approaches to management often look beyond specific jurisdictions and focus on broad spatial scales, the contribution local level plans and policies make in managing ecological systems must be strongly considered along with state and federal initiatives. Increasingly, environmental planners and policy makers are acknowledging the importance of local land use decisions implementing ecosystem management. However, little research has been conducted to understand how local jurisdictions can together solve ecosystem-based problems. This article evaluates the collective planning capabilities of local jurisdictions to manage transboundary watersheds based on an evaluation of comprehensive plans in Florida. In addition to describing the spatial pattern of collective watershed planning scores, this paper identifies the major factors contributing to the strength or weakness of local jurisdictions to manage ecological systems. Results indicate that strong ecosystem management capabilities exist for watersheds with the following characteristics: high levels of human disturbance; large, wealthy, and educated populations; and a high degree of planning capacity to address complex environmental issues. Based on the findings, policy implications are discussed and suggestions are made as to how local jurisdictions can more effectively contribute to the management of large ecological systems.
Balanced matrices with row sum 3

Abstract It is shown that a balanced matrix whose row sums are ⩽3 is totally unimodular. The proof is based on analyzing the effects of Gaussian elimination on such balanced matrices.
First Report of the Telial Stage of Gymnosporangium exiguum on Ashe Juniper Adjacent to Hawthorn with Rust in Southwest Texas.

The telial stage of Gymnosporangium exiguum (2) on Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) was observed in Bandera County, TX, in April and May 1999 after rain events. Symptomatic plants with multiple lesions were found at low frequencies in dense J. ashei populations. Orange telia formed on scales and bark and on 2- to 3-mm-diameter twigs and became nearly inconspicuous when dry. No hypertrophy was observed. Previously reported telial hosts include J. californica and J. excelsa cv. Stricta in California; J. mexicana and J. scopulorum in Oklahoma; J. virginiana in Texas; and J. deppeana var. pachyphloea in Oklahoma and Texas (1). An aecial stage identified as G. exiguum has been observed for many years on native hawthorns (Crataegus crus-galli, C. greggiana, C. mollis, C. stevensiana, C. tracyi, C. turnerorum, C. viridis var. desertorum, and several natural hybrids) in Bandera, Bexar, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kimble, Real, and Uvalde counties, Texas. Prominent roestelioid aecia were observed on hawthorn leaves...
Intermittent turbulence in measurements of the temperature structure parameter under very stable conditions

C T 2measurements taken over a desert in stable conditions indicate that the atmosphere remains intermittently turbulent for Ri numbers as high as 10. This is in contrast to previous results which suggest that the atmosphere is essentially nonturbulent for Ri > 2. These measurements also indicate that time-averaged C T 2measurements do not scale with the time-averaged mean Ri number in very stable conditions. However, the standard deviation of log10 C T 2does appear to scale with Ri.