cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Similar movements are associated with drastically different muscle contraction velocities

We investigated how kinematic redundancy interacts with the neurophysiological control mechanisms required for smooth and accurate, rapid limb movements. Biomechanically speaking, tendon excursions are over-determined because the rotation of few joints determines the lengths and velocities of many muscles. But how different are the muscle velocity profiles induced by various, equally valid hand trajectories? We used an 18-muscle sagittal-plane arm model to calculate 100,000 feasible shoulder, elbow, and wrist joint rotations that produced valid basketball free throws with different hand trajectories, but identical initial and final hand positions and velocities. We found large differences in the eccentric and concentric muscle velocity profiles across many trajectories; even among similar trajectories. These differences have important consequences to their neural control because each trajectory will require unique, time-sensitive reflex modulation strategies. As Sherrington mentioned a century ago, failure to appropriately silence the stretch reflex of any one eccentrically contracting muscle will disrupt movement. Thus, trajectories that produce faster or more variable eccentric contractions will require more precise timing of reflex modulation across motoneuron pools; resulting in higher sensitivity to time delays, muscle mechanics, excitation/contraction dynamics, noise, errors and perturbations. By combining fundamental concepts of biomechanics and neuroscience, we propose that kinematic and muscle redundancy are, in fact, severely limited by the need to regulate reflex mechanisms in a task-specific and time-critical way. This in turn has important consequences to the learning and execution of accurate, smooth and repeatable movements-and to the rehabilitation of everyday limb movements in developmental and neurological conditions, and stroke.
Factors Affecting Beneficiaries’ Preference for Biannual Distribution of Food Grains in Public Distribution System of Punjab, India

In 2014, to improve upon the existing scheme, the Punjab government launched a “new wheat-pulses scheme” under the public distribution system. The state decided to distribute grains on a six-monthly basis instead of every month. It claimed various benefits, whereas beneficiaries expressed concerns. The purpose of this research was to identify and understand factors affecting beneficiaries’ preference for successful adoption of six-monthly distribution system. Factors affecting beneficiaries’ preference included monthly hassle, leakages in system, storage challenges, interval of grain distribution, one-time down payment, trade of bulk grains by family, exploitation by middle-men, communication of arrival of grains, gender, area, and nature of employment.
The Marygrove College Griot Program: A Grow Your Own Program for African American Male Teachers

Marygrove College’s mission is to foster Christian values, educating students from diverse backgrounds, and serving the people of Detroit and beyond. This commitment consistently guides its actions, including opening its doors for men in a school originally for women by introducing one of the earlier Grow Your Own programs. Known as the “Griot Program,” it is specifically designed for African American males to increase their representation in the profession. This article describes the Griot Program’s efforts to grow and sustain African American Male Teachers by examining the design and implementation of the program. Describing specific issues of recruitment and retention, the article offers a program portrait for those who would like to replicate this home grown program.
Evaluating the Role of Mitochondrial Function in Cancer-related Fatigue

Fatigue is a common and debilitating condition that affects most cancer patients. To date, fatigue remains poorly characterized with no diagnostic test to objectively measure the severity of this condition. Here we describe an optimized method for assessing mitochondrial function of PBMCs collected from fatigued cancer patients. Using a compact extracellular flux system and sequential injection of respiratory inhibitors, we examined PBMC mitochondrial functional status by measuring basal mitochondrial respiration, spare respiratory capacity, and energy phenotype, which describes the preferred energy pathway to respond to stress. Fresh PBMCs are readily available in the clinical setting using standard phlebotomy. The entire assay described in this protocol can be completed in less than 4 hours without the involvement of complex biochemical techniques. Additionally, we describe a normalization method that is necessary for obtaining reproducible data. The simple procedure and normalization methods presented allow for repeated sample collection from the same patient and generation of reproducible data that can be compared between time points to evaluate potential treatment effects.
Characterization of Supported Molybdate Catalysts Using Pyridine Adsorption

Pyridine adsorption was used as a probe of the surface structure of supported molybdate catalysts. The catalysts consisted of a γ-Al 2 O 3 support which had been impregnated with various molybdenum loadings ranging from 1.25 to 15% (MoO 3 ) and cobalt loadings from 0 to 3% (CoO). Raman spectra and adsorption isotherms of pyridine adsorbed on these catalysts were recorded.
Les régimes d'équité dans le système de santé du Québec@@@Les regimes d'equite dans le systeme de sante du Quebec

Access to required medical care and hospital services for everyone, without prior consideration to their social status or biological condition, appears to be the one and foremost justification of public intervention in the health sector. In the real world, though, equity could not be attained in an absolute fashion, as equilibrium between infinite expectations and limited resources is very difficult to achieve. A compromise must therefore be formulated and implemented, using the rules and standards that prevail in each culture to settle disputes between conflicting values. Our aim in this paper is to examine and evaluate those rules and standards in the context of the health-care system of Quebec. We arrive at the conclusion that no particular set of values should predominate. On the contrary, for justice to prevail, the health-care system must integrate a wide range of possibilites, allowing room for market solutions along with bureaucratic solutions, and community power along with individual autonomy.
Applying tutoring program in the first programming class

This paper investigates the influence and the practice of an on-site tutoring program to students' performances on the first introductory programming class. One of the main goals of the tutoring program resided in our department is to improve the overall grade distribution among lower-level CS courses, especially for computer science I, and computer science II.
Why do warehouses decentralize more in certain metropolitan areas

Abstract Over the last decade, warehousing and distribution centers have decentralized to the urban peripheries where land is cheaper and readily available. This change in location patterns has been driven by the demand to build more modernized and larger facilities to accommodate an ever-increasing influx of freight. Since efficient freight movement is essential for the smooth functioning of metropolitan areas, decentralization should occur everywhere. However, this is not necessarily true. It is hypothesized that depending on the volume of goods movement and the spatial distribution of land prices, the extent of decentralization varies across metropolitan areas. This hypothesis is tested using 48 US metropolitan areas. Results provide robust evidence that high land prices push large warehouses away from central locations. When freight demand and land prices are not as high, the effect becomes insignificant. Indeed, not only is decentralization linked with large metro areas but also with very large warehouses.
Data Delays, Index Deletions, Prepayments, and Defaults

THIS PAPER IS OUT-OF-DATE AND HAS BEEN SUBSUMED BY OTHER PAPERS. High-frequency traders and microstructure researchers must account for delays in published information; index and "index plus" fund managers pay liquidity costs when indices change; and, debt markets quote weighted-average metrics for loan portfolios and are concerned with prepayments and defaults. I consider statistical models for data delays; and, I propose metrics for similar waiting time risks: index deletion, prepayment, and default. Using standard assumptions, these all may be nearly gamma-distributed. Small-sample density approximations are shown to be consistent under mild conditions. Finally, I discover an improved version of a metric currently used in rating CDOs.
Oral care practices in non‐mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients: An integrative review

Aims and objectives To explore current oral care practices in nonmechanically ventilated ICU patients. Background Oral hygiene is an important aspect of nursing care in hospitalised populations. Oral care is a disease preventive and cost-effective measure for patients, particularly in ICU patients. Numerous studies support the value of oral care practices in mechanically ventilated ICU patients. Due to evidence supporting the benefits of oral care in nonmechanically ventilated patients, it would be beneficial to examine the literature for oral care practices in this population. Methodology Literature searches of the following databases were performed: CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, PsychInfo, Academic Search Premier, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science. Three peer-reviewed articles were included in the review after inclusion criteria were applied. Findings were appraised, organised conceptually and synthesised using Torraco (2016b) as a guiding framework. Evidence was appraised using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-based Practice Rating Scale. PRISMA reporting guidelines were followed, when applicable. Results Findings support the existing gap in the literature of oral hygiene practices in nonmechanically ventilated ICU patients. Themes included the type of oral care products used, frequencies of oral care, documented oral care practices and personnel that performed the care. Study implications This integrative review identified an important gap in the literature for oral care practices in nonmechanically ventilated ICU patient populations. Further research on current oral care practices and development of evidence-based guidelines for this population are recommended. Relevance to clinical practice Nurses should provide oral care to all hospitalised patients and follow oral care guidelines specific to their population, if available.
Automatic Detection of Online Abuse and Analysis of Problematic Users in Wikipedia

Today's digital landscape is characterized by the pervasive presence of online communities. One of the persistent challenges to the ideal of free-flowing discourse in these communities has been online abuse. Wikipedia is a case in point, as it's large community of contributors have experienced the perils of online abuse ranging from hateful speech to personal attacks to spam. Currently, Wikipedia has a human-driven process in place to identify online abuse. In this paper, we propose a framework to understand and detect such abuse in the English Wikipedia community. We analyze the publicly available data sources provided by Wikipedia. We discover that Wikipedia's XML dumps require extensive computing power to be used for temporal textual analysis, and, as an alternative, we propose a web scraping methodology to extract user-level data and perform extensive exploratory data analysis to understand the characteristics of users who have been blocked for abusive behavior in the past. With these data, we develop an abuse detection model that leverages Natural Language Processing techniques, such as character and word n-grams, sentiment analysis and topic modeling, and generates features that are used as inputs in a model based on machine learning algorithms to predict abusive behavior. Our best abuse detection model, using XGBoost Classifier, gives us an AUC of ∼84%.
Theoretical and methodological justification for the creation of new higher education specialties in the context of sustainable territories’ development

The acute problem of increasing the degree of identification of knowledge and skills that graduates of higher educational institutions acquire in accordance with the needs of future fields and positions of professional activity is considered. The theoretical and methodological foundations of an educational program development for training specialists with higher education are summarized, supplemented and substantiated in order to create conditions for the implementation of the functions and tasks of public management and administration of the processes of territories’ sustainable development. The theoretical and methodological foundations of the approach to solving the existing problem are formulated on the example of training management professionals through the development processes in public administration and territory administration.Noted unresolved policy issues of higher professional education, observed in the system of specialists training in the development of educational and work programs, due to the lack of their sufficient connection with the areas of future professional activity and their transformations. The lack of universities’ due attention to the timely opening of new specialties (specializations) in terms of specialists training to perform the functions and tasks of the sustainable development processes of the country’s territories is shown.As the initial tool of the substantiation of the made proposals, were developed the knowledgeable competency models of specialists training and was proposed the structure of the content model of the public management and administration specialist on sustainable development processes and educational models on sustainable development for public management and administration specialists in the direction of managing the sustainable development processes of territories.The content and sequence of constituent disciplines research for the formation of educational programs and the process of knowledge and management skills identification in the competence of specialists has been determined. The use of proposals will significantly increase the speed of updating educational programs and in a timely manner will open practice-oriented specialties of university graduates.
Impact of Microporous Layer Roughness on Gas-Diffusion-Electrode-Based Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Performance

This study explores the role of the gas diffusion media microporous layer (MPL) surface structure on the electrochemical properties of gas-diffusion-electrode (GDE)-based membrane electrode assembl...
First Principles for Antitrust Review of Long-Consummated Mergers

Antitrust populists increasingly call on the government to “break up big tech.” But antitrust enforcers would face heavy evidentiary burdens if they sought to break a company up on the premise that a long-consummated merger was unlawful from the outset and should have been blocked years ago. Specifically, they would have to prove (1) that the but-for world would likely be more competitive than the actual world; (2) that their basis for unwinding the merger was sufficiently foreseeable at the time of consummation that the merger could have been challenged then: and (3) that the prospective benefits of unwinding the merger outweigh the prospective harms, including the costs and inefficiencies that often arise from such de-integration. The combination of these burdens would be difficult for antitrust authorities to meet, and for good reason. It should be hard for the government to unwind any merger that it reviewed before consummation (or shortly thereafter) and elected not to challenge then. Mergers present a complex mix of potential costs and benefits. The antitrust laws empower enforcement authorities to review those costs and benefits promptly and give them appropriate incentives to bring any enforcement action without delay, often before consummation. Those incentives would be weakened if antitrust enforcers could lie in wait while mergers are consummated in hopes of securing more favorable litigation burdens years later.
Impact of Scleral Contact Lens Use on the Rate of Corneal Transplantation for Keratoconus.

PURPOSE To evaluate the association of scleral contact lens (SCL) use on the risk for keratoplasty for people with keratoconus. METHODS The electronic health records of patients receiving eye care at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center between August 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018, were reviewed. Patients with a diagnostic code of keratoconus or corneal ectasia, no previous history of keratoplasty, and for whom data were available for both eyes were included. Using a multivariable Cox regression model, associations between SCL use and keratoplasty were tested and adjusted for sociodemographic factors, maximum keratometry, and current contact lens (CL) use. RESULTS Two thousand eight hundred six eyes met the inclusion criteria. CL use in each eye was 36.2% with no CL, 7.2% soft, 33.9% rigid gas permeable (RGP), and 22.7% scleral. A total of 3.2% of eyes underwent keratoplasty. In the adjusted model, SCL or RGP CL use significantly lowered the hazard of undergoing keratoplasty (HR = 0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09-0.39, P < 0.0001 and HR = 0.30, 95% CI 0.17-0.52, P < 0.0001, respectively) when compared with no CL use. Factors associated with increased risk of keratoplasty were black race as compared to white (HR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.10-3.16, P = 0.02), younger age (HR = 0.92 per 5-year increment, 95% CI 0.86-0.99, P = 0.032), and lower socioeconomic status (HR = 1.08 per 5-point increase in the Area Deprivation Index, 95% CI 1.03-1.13, P = 0.0008). Keratoplasty was not associated with sex, insurance, or maximum keratometry. CONCLUSIONS Physicians should maximize the use of scleral or RGP CL because patients who successfully use CL have almost one-fifth the risk of undergoing keratoplasty.
High-Performance Flip Chip Bonding Mechanism Study with Laser Assisted Bonding

Recent advanced flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) packages require high input/output (I/O) counts, fine-pitch bumps and large/thin package substrates. One of the key hurdles to accommodate these requirements is the flip chip bonding process. Therefore, advanced flip chip bonding technologies are continuously being developed and one of the promising solutions is laser assisted bonding (LAB) technology. The key advantage of LAB is its extremely short bonding time (less than 1 sec) with a localized heating area which provides low thermal and mechanical stresses.In this study, two bonding profiles of "time fixed" and "power fixed" are tested using 15.2 x 15-mm2 FCBGA test vehicles with three difference die thicknesses. Wetting sequences of the solder joints are inspected with time interval of 100 ms. Solder bump interconnections are analyzed by cross section and reliability tests are performed. LAB is also compared with thermocompression bonding (TCB) for process and solder joint characteristics.
The utility of evaluation in optimizing implementation and improvement of HIV prevention programming.

Abstract The objective of this article is to describe Project PrIDE (PrEP Implementation, Data to Care, and Evaluation) through the lens of Evaluation Utilization and provide examples of how twelve funded health departments (HD) utilized evaluation findings to make decisions related to improving PrEP awareness and uptake, and/or enhancing capacity for data to care (D2C) activities. Each HD conducted a local evaluation (LE) and reported ongoing and planned utilization of evaluation findings in the final LE reports. Information from all reports was abstracted for qualitative analysis to identify main evaluation utilization themes. Findings showed that program evaluation was incorporated as early as the project development phase and designed with the goal of improving, and not just demonstrating the efficacy of the programs. Evaluation data were effectively utilized to improve PrEP and D2C activities, for example, by increasing community engagement throughout LEs, enhancing social media implementation, prioritizing the most effective referral sources at re-linking clients into HIV care, reducing client wait time between receiving PrEP referral and obtaining appointment with provider, and incorporating evaluation findings into program planning and development. Project PrIDE highlights the importance of a planned evaluation in providing ongoing improvements to HIV prevention services to better serve priority populations.
Understanding copper nutrition in small ruminants

The objective of this presentation is to address pertinent aspects of copper metabolism, nutrition, and disease concerns relative to small ruminant feeding programs. Clinical manifestations of copper deficiency are associated with a critical decline in activity of a specific copper-dependent metalloenzyme. Though any disease process may occur in all small ruminant species, there seems to be some species differences in presentation of copper diseases. Goats tend to have greater problems with copper deficiency due to their higher requirements compared to other small ruminants. Copper toxicosis results from the accumulation of copper from the diet culminating in uncontrolled copper ion release from storage and subsequent oxidative damage. Toxicosis is of concern for sheep, llamas, and alpacas and less so for goats, though clinical presentation is not equivalent across the species. All dietary ingredients need to be accounted for in addressing small ruminant dietary copper management in an effort to prevent copper-related disease risks.
Culture and Technologies for Social Interaction

While social activities and user requirements clearly vary across cultures, we are far from having a systematic understanding of culture's role in the design, development and use of social technologies. This workshop will bring together a mix of HCI researchers and practitioners, social scientists and psychologists who are interested in areas of social technologies and culture, in order to (a) examine the design and use of technologies for social interaction in different cultures to date; (b) explore various viewpoints on the key issues for future research; (c) outline various approaches and identify some basic guidelines for understanding cultural impacts in building social technologies as well as user interfaces and (d) foster new collaborations in the community.
The Privacy Paradox: The Case of Secondary Disclosure

This paper examines the effect of privacy concerns on purchase likelihood. In many consumer-seller relationships, consumers are required to provide personal information to marketers in order to get better service. The law requires that marketer provide a statement of their privacy policies to consumers. Secondary disclosure is a key aspect of privacy policies. Consumers are concerned about giving up privacy, but the impact of such concerns on purchase behavior is unclear. By integrating several marketer-controlled variables like price, product, and channels with a marketers secondary disclosure policy, the study measures the relative importance of the latter along with the effects of secondary disclosure and internet attitudes. The results show that secondary disclosure attitudes influence the weight of secondary disclosure policies in purchase situations. The results also indicate that price sensitivity is influenced by secondary disclosure policies. The clear implications are that privacy concerns do matter and that privacy policies and marketing strategies cannot be set in isolation of each other. The findings are discussed in relation to prior research on privacy and future research directions. Statistical techniques used in the paper include structural equation models, conjoint analysis, and simultaneous equation regression.
Colitis in chronic granulomatous disease.

Abstract A patient with chronic granulomatous disease developed a form of colitis similar to but nearly indistinguishable from Crohn's disease. After initial response to sulfasalazine and prednisone, he became refractory to medical management. Response to total proctocolectomy and ileostomy was dramatic.
HOSPITALIZATION OF CHILDREN.

The Commentary on Hospitalization which appeared in the July issue of Pediatrics reported many cogent points made during the Paris International Children9s Center meeting. In general, one can only applaud the fundamental thesis that hospitalization, both in terms of admission and duration of stay, should be based on medical reasons rather than extraneous considerations. A number of practical ways to achieve this are cited in the Commentary and it is refreshing to see the forward-looking approach of those in attendance in seeking solutions to the economic problems posed by increasing costs of hospitalization.
The impact of technological change on clinical laboratory and radiology manpower

The paper examines how technological change in clinical laboratories and radiology in the U.S. have impacted the health manpower requirements to provide those services. The main argument is that the introduction of new diagnostic technology affects the manpower structure in diverse ways. The impacts range from the creation of new occupations or changes in manpower mix to changes in the educational system such as the emergence of new training programs and curriculums, to name a few. The planning and policy implications for the health care system are discussed, as well as some potentially useful policies for future action.
Aneuploidy 16 in human embryos increases significantly with maternal age

Objectives To determine aneuploidy for chromosome 16 by recycling nuclei of cells already analyzed for chromosomes X,Y, 18, 13, and 21 using multiple-probe fluorescence in situ hybridization in preimplantation human embryos in a time frame compatible with clinical IVF and to assess the incidence of chromosome 16 aneuploidy in embryos related to maternal age. Design Prospective experimental study. Setting In vitro fertilization program in a tertiary center. Patients One hundred four consenting patients undergoing IVF. Main Outcome Measures Chromosome 16 ploidy was analyzed in a total of 195 embryos. In 89 embryos, a standard multiple-probe fluorescence in situ hybridization was used for chromosomes X, Y, 18, and 16 (series 1). The remaining 106 embryos (series 2) were reanalyzed with a new procedure for chromosome 16, which involves rehybridization with a digoxigenin-labeled a satellite probe after the standard analysis for chromosomes X, Y, 18,13, and 21 was completed. The embryos were assigned to one of three groups according to the women’s age; group 1: ≤ 34 years (n = 34), group 2: 35 to 39 years (n = 47); group 3: ≥ 40 years (n = 23). Results Successful analysis, including biopsy, fixation, and fluorescence in situ hybridization was achieved in 86% of the blastomeres within approximately 10 hours. A significant relationship was found between the rate of aneuploidy for chromosome 16 and increasing maternal age: group 1: 0%, group 2: 6.3%, and group 3: 11.7%. Monosomy for chromosome 16 was found in 72.7% of the 11 embryos carrying chromosome 16 anomalies, with the remaining three embryos having two trisomies and one tetrasomy. This new protocol was applied clinically to five patients undergoing preimplantation aneuploidy assessment. Aneuploidy for chromosome 16 was found in five embryos from three of those patients. Conclusions This study demonstrates that preimplantation genetic diagnosis of the major human aneuploidies is achievable within a time frame compatible with IVF. In addition, this study confirms, for embryos, the existing data from spontaneous abortions suggesting that chromosome 16 aneuploidy increases with maternal age. The high prevalence of embryonic monosomy, which is rarely found in spontaneous abortions, suggests that monosomy 16 could be a factor associated with failure of implantation, as well as pointing to a different mechanism involved in the generation of chromosome 16 aneuploidy.
Introducing the special issue on new directions in terrorism research

Since the 2001 attacks by Al Qaeda against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that claimed over 3000 lives, public and scholarly interest in the causes and prevention of terrorism have increas...
Living in the WAM continuum: unified design and operation of wireless and mobile networks

Until recently, the vast majority of research in wireless and mobile networks focused on so-called Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), where relatively stable end-to-end paths are the norm. More recently, research has focused on a different, Intermittently Connected Network (ICN) paradigm, where stable end-to-end paths are the exception and intermediate nodes may store data while waiting for transfer opportunities towards the destination. Protocols developed for MANETs generally do not work in ICNs since the connectivity assumptions are so different. In this talk I will first give an overview of ICNs and the types of challenges involved in their design and operation. I will then discuss our work in the WAM (wireless and mobile) Continuum project which is based on the simple but powerful observation that MANETs and ICNs fit into a continuum that generalizes these two previously distinct categories. Building on this observation, our work develops a framework that goes further to scope the entire space of wireless and mobile networks. I will summarize two efforts: The first gives clues of the fundamental relationship between ICNs and MANETs by unifying the use of message ferrying in ICNs with the well-known use of connected dominating set-based routing in MANETs. The second effort aims at developing a formal WAM Continuum framework where a network can be characterized by its position in this continuum. Certain network equivalence classes can be defined over subsets of this WAM continuum and this classification can be used to inform network design and operation. I will demonstrate how the unified view enabled by our framework can be used as a systematic, formal descriptive and evaluative tool.
Correlation between 1/f noise and grain boundaries in thin gold films

We have measured the 1/f noise of simultaneously and identically prepared submicron-scale gold samples with none or only a few grain boundaries. We consistently observed that the samples with the lowest number of grain boundaries produced the lowest noise. In addition, micron-scale single-crystalline gold samples when measured displayed about (1/3) of the noise of similar polycrystalline samples. This is strong evidence that a significant part of the 1/f noise of a gold sample is related to atomic motion near or along a grain boundary.
Timing of the 1984 total solar eclipse and the size of the sun

We report accurate timing of second and third contacts made from videotape of the total solar eclipse of 23 November, 1984, observed in Papua New Guinea. The magnitude of the discrepancies between predicted and observed times indicates that the secular change in the size of the Sun reported by some observers is within the uncertainty.
Hybrid Dynamic Programming/Branch-and-Bound Strategies for Electric Power Generation Planning

Abstract This paper espouses the application of hybrid dynamic programming/branch-and-bound theory to the generation planning problem (GPP) of electric utility companies. A hybrid approach retains the advantages of previous dynamic programming formulations of the GPP; these advantages include the relative ease with which the more sophisticated and realistic measures of the system's reliability and variable operating cost can be represented within the model framework. Meanwhile, the disadvantages of pure dynamic programming, including the relatively large amounts of CPU time and high speed storage space required in solving GPP's, can be ameliorated by a hybrid approach. This reduction in CPU time and high speed storage space requirements could allow electric utilities to solve larger GPP's, thereby permitting planners to study problems with longer planning horizons and a greater number of feasible solutions.
Collagen and Stretch Modulate Autocrine Secretion of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 and Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Proteins from Differentiated Skeletal Muscle Cells

Stretch-induced skeletal muscle growth may involve increased autocrine secretion of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) since IGF-1 is a potent growth factor for skeletal muscle hypertrophy, and stretch elevates IGF-1 mRNA levels in vivo. In tissue cultures of differentiated avian pectoralis skeletal muscle cells, nanomolar concentrations of exogenous IGF-1 stimulated growth in mechanically stretched but not static cultures. These cultures released up to 100 pg of endogenously produced IGF-1/micro-g of protein/day, as well as three major IGF binding proteins of 31, 36, and 43 kilodaltons (kDa). IGF-1 was secreted from both myofibers and fibroblasts coexisting in the muscle cultures. Repetitive stretch/relaxation of the differentiated skeletal muscle cells stimulated the acute release of IGF-1 during the first 4 h after initiating mechanical activity, but caused no increase in the long-term secretion over 24-72 h of IGF-1, or its binding proteins. Varying the intensity and frequency of stretch had no effect on the long-term efflux of IGF-1. In contrast to stretch, embedding the differentiated muscle cells in a three-dimensional collagen (Type I) matrix resulted in a 2-5-fold increase in long-term IGF-1 efflux over 24-72 h. Collagen also caused a 2-5-fold increase in the release of the IGF binding proteins. Thus, both the extracellular matrix protein type I collagen and stretch stimulate the autocrine secretion of IGF-1, but with different time kinetics. This endogenously produced growth factor may be important for the growth response of skeletal myofibers to both types of external stimuli.
Rotational Raman intensity-correction factors due to vibrational anharmonicity: their effect on temperature measurements

Temperatures can be measured from relative intensities of rotational Raman or rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) from ground and vibrationally excited molecules, provided that relative Raman line strengths are known. Here rotational Raman line strengths are calculated and corrected for vibrational anharmonicity, for N2, O2, CO, and H2. These line-strength-correction factors for vibrational anharmonicity have a pronounced effect on temperature calculations; they lower temperatures previously calculated from O2 rotational CARS intensities at ~3000 K by more than 300 K.
Hemoglobin conjugates with antioxidant enzymes (hemoglobin-superoxide dismutase-catalase) via poly(ethylene glycol) crosslinker for protection of pancreatic beta RINm5F cells in hypoxia.

A low p50 hemoglobin (Hb) (p50 indicates O2 tension at which Hb is half-saturated)-based oxygen carrier conjugated to antioxidant enzymes via dicarboxymethylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) linker may have the beneficial effect in protecting pancreatic beta cells from severe hypoxia at transplantation sites. In this study, the oxygen dissociation curves, Hill plots, Bohr Effect, and oxygen content of Hb conjugates were measured. The protective effect due to incubation of Hb-conjugates (Hb/PEG molar ratio 1:10) with pancreatic beta cells (RINm5F) against hypoxia (6%, 3%, and 1% oxygen) was evaluated by an MTT assay and confocal microscopy. Quantitatively, Hb conjugates with antioxidant enzymes offered statistically significant protection (p<0.01, increased viability ∼80%) from hypoxia compared to control cells in 1% oxygen environment. Confocal images also showed that the low p50 Hb conjugates with antioxidants protected RINm5F cells from hypoxia.
Holocene mass wasting on upper non‐Polar continental slopes—due to post‐Glacial ocean warming and hydrate dissociation?

[1] Incorporating both late/post-Glacial bottom-water warming and eustatic sealevel rise into a MH (methane hydrate) stability model explains why at least some major submarine landslides (e.g., the Storegga Slide, Norwegian margin) may have been triggered by MH dissociation during the early Holocene (rising sealevels), not during the lowest sealevels of the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum, 18–20 ka). In the case of Storegga, failure may have been initiated either below the upper slope or under the shelf (for fresh pore water, especially with admixed ethane). At water depths below ca. 800m, persistent low bottom water temperatures allowed the sealevel rise to thicken the MH stability zone over time, ruling out Holocene initiation of failure. MH release by Holocene mass wasting cannot have initiated deglaciation.
Effect of the Intermolecular Forces on the Flying Attitude of Sub-5 NM Flying Height Air Bearing Sliders in Hard Disk Drives

When the spacing between the slider and the disk is smaller than 10 nm, the effect of the intermolecular forces between the two solid surfaces can no longer be ignored. This effect on the flying attitude of practical slider designs is investigated here numerically. The three-dimensional slider surface is discretized into non-overlapping unstructured triangles. The intermolecular forces between each triangular cell of the slider and the disk surface are formulated, and their contributions to the total vertical force, as well as the pitch and roll moments, are included in a previously developed steady state air bearing design code based on a multi-grid finite volume method with unstructured triangular grids [3–5]. It is found that the van der Waals force has significant influence on the flying height and has non-negligible effect on the pitch angle for both positive pressure sliders and negative pressure sliders, when the flying height is below 5 nm. When the flying height is below 0.5 nm, the repulsive portion of the intermolecular force becomes important and also has to be included. DOI: 10.1115/1.1456454
A Qualitative Examination of Professional Role Commitment Among Athletic Trainers Working in the Secondary School Setting

Abstract Context: Work-related demands can challenge an athletic trainer's professional role commitment for an extended period throughout one's career. Objective: To explore how athletic trainers p...
Calcium-dependent oligonucleotide cellular uptake.

Abstract Oligodeoxynucleotides (ONs) are currently being tested in clinical trials as anti-viral and thrombolytic agents. Although ONs are biologically active in almost every cell line examined, these molecules are inefficiently internalized. In addition, the mechanism of ON transport to the active site in either the cytoplasm or nucleus remains ill-defined. Thus, elucidation of the mechanism of ON cellular uptake is necessary for the rational design of optimization of ON cellular uptake, delivery, and targeting. Previous studies in this laboratory have examined the mechanism of ON cellular uptake using a phosphodiester ON which is both biologically active and internalized by the Rauscher Red 5-1.5 mouse erythroleukemia cell line. The uptake is calcium-dependent since uptake is significantly reduced in calcium-free media and enhanced up to 20-fold when incubated in elevated calcium concentrations by a mechanism which may differ from uptake in physiologic calcium. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to further examine the mechanism of calcium-dependent phosphodiester ON uptake in Rauscher cells. First, to determine whether changes in intracellular free calcium [Ca]i may influence ON uptake, [Ca], was either increased or decreased prior to addition of the ON. Second, to determine whether protein kinase C or calmodulin are involved in uptake, the activity of each of these proteins was either increased or decreased. Neither altering [Ca]i or the activity of protein kinase C or calmodulin altered the extent of ON uptake in these cells. Finally, the effect of other cations were tested for their ability to increase ON uptake. Lanthanum and cadmium increased uptake whereas sodium and magnesium had no effect. These findings suggest that cation-mediated ON cellular uptake may not result from alteration of a calcium-dependent biological process.
Inkjet printed silver source/drain electrodes for low-cost polymer thin film transistors

Silver tracks for source/drain (S/D) electrodes in low-cost polymer thin film transistors (TFTs) have been realized through inkjet printing technique, using heavily n-doped silicon wafer with thermally grown silicon dioxide as the substrate and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as the channel material. Spin coating a layer of poly-4-vinylphenol (PVPh) onto the substrate was found to enhance the silver track uniformity and lower the cure temperature (from 300 to 210^oC). The surface roughness of the PVPh film was optimized to improve the device performance. The fabricated P3HT TFT with a channel length of [email protected] exhibited a saturation mobility of 3.5x10^-2cm^2/V/s which was three times higher than that obtained in P3HT TFTs with gold S/D electrodes.
Cbl Controls EGFR Fate by Regulating Early Endosome Fusion

Amino acid residues 1 to 434 of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl control signaling of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by enhancing its ubiquitination, down-regulation, and lysosomal degradation. This region of Cbl comprises a tyrosine kinase-binding domain, a linker region, a really interesting new gene finger (RF), and a subset of the residues of the RF tail. In experiments with full-length alanine substitution mutants, we demonstrated that the RF tail of Cbl regulated biochemically distinct checkpoints in the endocytosis of EGFR. The Cbl- and ubiquitin-dependent degradation of the regulator of internalization hSprouty2 was compromised by the Val(431)--> Ala mutation, whereas the Cbl- and EGFR-dependent dephosphorylation or degradation of the endosomal trafficking regulator Hrs was compromised by the Phe(434)--> Ala mutation. Deregulated phosphorylation of Hrs correlated with inhibition of the fusion of early endosomes and of the degradation of EGFR. This study provides the first evidence that Cbl regulates receptor fate by controlling the fusion of sorting endosomes. We postulate that it does so by modulating the abundance of tyrosine-phosphorylated Hrs.
A mechanistic description of combined hardening and size effects

Mechanistic models based on geometrically necessary dislocations are re-examined in light of recent experiments exhibiting the indentation size effect. A simple method is developed to combine work hardening, solid solution hardening, radiation hardening and size effects. The model is verified by experiments in ionic salt crystals.
Use of osmometry in the preoperative and postoperative management of the newborn

Abstract Water-balance studies were carried out on 12 newborn infants. The babies were placed into three groups according to their state of clinical hydration. The serum sodium, serum osmolality, and urine osmolality in all these patients were measured and statistically analyzed. These analyses showed that the only measurement that was significantly different ( p On the basis of these data, a new equation is suggested for calculating the total fluid requirements in an over-, under-, or normally hydrated newborn.
Thiol–Disulfide Exchange in Peptides Derived from Human Growth Hormone

Disulfide bonds stabilize proteins by cross-linking distant regions into a compact three-dimensional structure. They can also participate in hydrolytic and oxidative pathways to form nonnative disulfide bonds and other reactive species. Such covalent modifications can contribute to protein aggregation. Here, we present experimental data for the mechanism of thiol-disulfide exchange in tryptic peptides derived from human growth hormone in aqueous solution. Reaction kinetics was monitored to investigate the effect of pH (6.0-10.0), temperature (4-50°C), oxidation suppressants [ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and N2 sparging], and peptide secondary structure (amide cyclized vs. open form). The concentrations of free thiol containing peptides, scrambled disulfides, and native disulfide-linked peptides generated via thiol-disulfide exchange and oxidation reactions were determined using reverse-phase HPLC and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Concentration versus time data were fitted to a mathematical model using nonlinear least squares regression analysis. At all pH values, the model was able to fit the data with R(2) ≥ 0.95. Excluding oxidation suppressants (EDTA and N2 sparging) resulted in an increase in the formation of scrambled disulfides via oxidative pathways but did not influence the intrinsic rate of thiol-disulfide exchange. In addition, peptide secondary structure was found to influence the rate of thiol-disulfide exchange.
Infrared Thermography and Thermoelectrical Study of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

The current interest in power generation industry with more efficient and clean, and more environmentally friendly ways has attracted the research and development in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). In SOFC, the chemical energy is converted into electric energy and heat as the by-product. In order to make a thermally self-sustained fuel cell stack, the understanding and management of the heat generation and electric power is a critical issue. Infrared thermography provides a non-destructive way to measure surface temperature. It was used to measure the instantaneous cathode surface temperature response to the current in an operating electrolyte supported planar solid oxide fuel cell (LSCF-6ScSZ-NiO). A numerical model was built to study the coupled electric current and temperature relation by incorporating the temperature dependent material properties, i.e. ohmic resistance and activation resistance, as global functions in the model. The thermal and electric fields were solved simultaneously. The measured and the predicted results agree to each other reasonably well. The cathode polarization overpotential tends to increase with the current at low current densities, but the simulated polarization-current curve exhibited a decreased slope under higher current densities that is ascribed to the local temperature increases due to the high current energy losses.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Electrospun mesoporous metal oxide fibers

Abstract Electrospinning has been used to produce mesoporous metal oxide fibers with diameters in the nanometer to submicron range. The mesoporous metal oxide fibers include TiO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , TaNbO 5 as well as the crystalline Nb 2 O 5 and VTiO 2 . The structure directing agents Pluronic P-123 [(EO) 20 –(PO) 70 –(EO) 20 ] and Brij 76 [C 18 H 37 (OCH 2 OCH 2 ) 10 OH], were used to generate the mesopores in the fibers. The fibers were characterized by XRD, scanning electron microscopy and surface area analysis. In the case of TiO 2 and Ta 2 O 5 the first examples of mesoporous molecular sieve papers were generated. The papers and fibers remain intact even after heating to 900 °C.
Behavioral response of the starfish asterias forbesh to a thermal gradient

ThirtyAsterias fbrbesii (Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Asteriidae) were tested as a group for 3 days in a long linear trough with a thermal gradient encompassing 5–45°C. The modal thermal preferendum of the starfish was between 20 and 25°C. The starfish avoided temperatures below 15°C or above 35°C.
Through the Pillars of Herakles: Greco‐Roman Exploration of the Atlantic ‐ by Duane W. Roller

Through the Pillars of Herakles: Greco‐Roman Exploration of the Atlantic DUANE W. Roller 163 pp., 2 maps, 20 b&w illustrations Routledge, 11 Fetter Lane, London, 2006, £55 (hbk), ISBN 0‐415‐37287‐...