cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical tomographic scanning system for detection and monitoring

This optical tomography scanner for imaging (3D) applied density distribution as been evaluated for uniformity, resolution, and linearity. Signal to noise ratio of about 1000:1 in both line projection and in back projection reconstructed image has been obtained. Radiation-sensitive BANGR polymer gels were studied using this system. Dose as low as 10 cGy up to 10 Gy for 6 MV X-ray and 6 MeV electrons from linear accelerator have been measured. Since the gels can be made UVlight sensitive, dose distribution could be used to measure exposure using this technique.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effective constitutive parameters for an artificial uniaxial bianisotropic chiral medium

It has been proposed in the literature that a uniaxial bianisotropic chiral medium can be manufactured by aligning helices in a host material such that their axes are parallel to each other. In this paper, such a uniaxial bianisotropic material is fully characterized for the first time in a purely numerical environment and its effective constitutive parameters are obtained via a combination of numerical and analytical techniques. This new materials characterization methodology completely accounts for all self- and mutual-coupling between the particles. Data confirming the accuracy of this methodology is presented for rod-shaped particles and arrays of helices at oblique angles of illumination. During the course of this work, it was found that certain restrictions must be imposed on the dimensions of the helical inclusions so that they scatter as uniaxial objects.
Current Status of Islet Cell Transplantation

Despite substantial advances in islet isolation methods and immunosuppressive protocol, pancreatic islet cell transplantation remains an experimental procedure currently limited to the most severe cases of type 1 diabetes mellitus. The objectives of this treatment are to prevent severe hypoglycemic episodes in patients with hypoglycemia unawareness and to achieve a more physiological metabolic control. Insulin independence and long term-graft function with improvement of quality of life have been obtained in several international islet transplant centers. However, experimental trials of islet transplantation clearly highlighted several obstacles that remain to be overcome before the procedure could be proposed to a much larger patient population. This review provides a brief historical perspective of islet transplantation, islet isolation techniques, the transplant procedure, immunosuppressive therapy, and outlines current challenges and future directions in clinical islet transplantation.
Application of Density Functional Theory to Point Defect Anelasticity of Carbon-Containing Austenitic Alloys

We have used density functional theory (DFT) to determine binding energies (BE’s) of carbon-vacancy (C-v) point-defect complexes of probable importance to C-based anelastic relaxation processes in fcc iron alloys. Calculations are presented for three types of stable point defect clusters: C-v pairs, di-C-v triplets, and tri-C-v quadruplets. We demonstrate semi-quantitative consistency of the calculated BE’s with internal friction results on Fe-36%Ni-C alloys. The BE’s, which are in the range-0.37 eV to-0.64 eV, were determined for a hypothetical non-magnetic (NM) fcc Fe. The effect of the magnetic state of fcc Fe on some of these quantities was investigated by DFT and is shown to be significant; the BE’s appear to be reduced in antiferromagnetic (AFM) fcc Fe.
PART 2: Paratransit: Paratransit Customer: Modeling Elements of Satisfaction with Service

Because of the arrival of advanced public transportation systems (APTS) and other changes in the transit environment, the study of the paratransit customer deserves increased attention. Demographic and other characteristics of paratransit customers in southeastern Michigan are presented, and the development of a causal model of the factors affecting customer satisfaction with paratransit service is begun. Such models, which analyze the covariance structures of variables and factors hypothesized to exhibit causal relations, can help researchers and transit operators gauge the potential of improving customer satisfaction through system changes, such as the addition of APTS. Furthermore, these models can suggest which elements of customer satisfaction are most affected by specific system changes. A key finding from the modeling effort is that characteristics specific to the customers, such as personal mobility, contribute substantially toward explaining customer satisfaction. The causal modeling also reveale...
Tandem double intramolecular [4 + 2]/[3 + 2] cycloadditions of nitroalkenes.

A new class of tandem [4 + 2]/[3 + 2] cycloadditions of nitroalkenes is described in which both pericyclic processes are intramolecular. Two subclasses of intra [4 + 2]/intra [3 + 2] cycloadditions have been explored in which the dipolarophile is tethered at either C(5) or C(6) of the nitronate. For both families of precursors, the cycloadditions occur in good yield and are found to be highly regio- and stereoselective. This method converts linear polyenes to functionalized polycyclic systems bearing up to six stereogenic centers.
Impaired glucose tolerance in the U.S. population.

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) constitutes two-thirds of all glucose intolerance in the United States and is a major risk factor for diabetes. Despite these findings, the clinical and epidemiological significance of IGT has not been well investigated. The Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional study in which 75-g 2-h oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) were performed, has provided an opportunity to examine the characteristics of IGT in the U.S. population. Data from the survey have been extrapolated to represent all U.S. residents. The findings indicate that approximately 11.2% of Americans aged 20-74 yr have IGT compared to 6.6% with diabetes. Rates of IGT increased with age for White men and women and Black men but declined for Black women greater than 54 yr of age, possibly because greater obesity in Black women precipitated earlier conversion of IGT to diabetes. The distribution of 2-h glucose values showed IGT to be part of a continuum of glucose intolerance extending from normal to diabetes. Individuals with IGT had rates of risk factors for non-insulin-dependent diabetes (age, plasma glucose, past obesity, family history of diabetes, physical inactivity) that were intermediate between those of individuals with normal glucose tolerance and those with diabetes, although current obesity was similar for IGT and diabetes. The proportion of people with medical histories of diabetes-related conditions did not differ between IGT and normal glucose tolerance. However, several cardiovascular findings were more prevalent in individuals with IGT than in those with normal glucose tolerance, including hypertension, serum cholesterol, angina, abnormal heart findings, and medical history of arteriosclerosis and stroke. Both obesity and reported family history of diabetes were associated with higher rates of IGT, with the effect of weight gain on the prevalence of IGT occurring at lower levels than for diabetes.
Histone Hyperacetylation Up-regulates Protein Kinase Cδ in Dopaminergic Neurons to Induce Cell Death: RELEVANCE TO EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS OF NEURODEGENERATION IN PARKINSON DISEASE*

The oxidative stress-sensitive protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) has been implicated in dopaminergic neuronal cell death. However, little is known about the epigenetic mechanisms regulating PKCδ expression in neurons. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which the PKCδ gene can be regulated by histone acetylation. Treatment with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor sodium butyrate (NaBu) induced PKCδ expression in cultured neurons, brain slices, and animal models. Several other HDAC inhibitors also mimicked NaBu. The chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that hyperacetylation of histone H4 by NaBu is associated with the PKCδ promoter. Deletion analysis of the PKCδ promoter mapped the NaBu-responsive element to an 81-bp minimal promoter region. Detailed mutagenesis studies within this region revealed that four GC boxes conferred hyperacetylation-induced PKCδ promoter activation. Cotransfection experiments and Sp inhibitor studies demonstrated that Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 regulated NaBu-induced PKCδ up-regulation. However, NaBu did not alter the DNA binding activities of Sp proteins or their expression. Interestingly, a one-hybrid analysis revealed that NaBu enhanced transcriptional activity of Sp1/Sp3. Overexpression of the p300/cAMP-response element-binding protein-binding protein (CBP) potentiated the NaBu-mediated transactivation potential of Sp1/Sp3, but expressing several HDACs attenuated this effect, suggesting that p300/CBP and HDACs act as coactivators or corepressors in histone acetylation-induced PKCδ up-regulation. Finally, using genetic and pharmacological approaches, we showed that NaBu up-regulation of PKCδ sensitizes neurons to cell death in a human dopaminergic cell model and brain slice cultures. Together, these results indicate that histone acetylation regulates PKCδ expression to augment nigrostriatal dopaminergic cell death, which could contribute to the progressive neuropathogenesis of Parkinson disease.
Navier-Stokes Predictions of the Individual Components of the Pitch-Damping Sum

An approach for predicting the two individual aerodynamic damping coefe cients that form the pitch-damping coefe cient sum is presented. The coefe cients are obtained using prescribed or forced motions that independently excite the two different angular rates that are associated with the two damping coefe cients. A key feature of the approach is that steady e owe elds are produced by the selected motions. Steady e ow computational e uid dynamics approaches can be applied, allowing results to be obtained in a computationally efe cient manner. Application of the technique is made to an axisymmetric projectile cone guration. The predicted pitch-damping coefe cient sum obtained by adding the individually determined coefe cients is in excellent agreement with previous predictions of the pitch-damping coefe cient sum and with experimental data. The individual coefe cients are compared with slender-body theory, and the results show similar trends though the slender-body theory appears to underpredict the various coefe cients.
Adaptive robust control for active suspensions

Presents a nonlinear active suspension controller, which achieves high performance by compensating for the hydraulic actuator dynamics. The control design problem is decomposed into two loops. At the top is the main loop, which calculates the desired force signal by using a standard LQ design process. An adaptive robust control technique is used to design a force controller such that it is robust against actuator uncertainties. Both state feedback and output feedback algorithms are presented. Simulation results show that the proposed controller works well compared with conventional controllers.
Subjection, Subjectivity, and Agency: The Power, Meaning, and Practice of Mothering Among Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Abuse

Drawing on in-depth interviews with mothers who were abused by intimate partners, we argue that mothering can be a source of empowerment that helps battered women both care for their children and survive and assert themselves. Women in the study sample described a violation of some aspect of their mothering as the reason they left their partners. However, narrative analysis exposed contradictions in participants’ stories, revealing multiple factors that shaped their decisions to leave. Although motherhood was significant for the women who participated in the study, it was not their only motivation for ending their relationships with abusive partners.
How Neuroscience Relates to Hearing Aid Amplification

Hearing aids are used to improve sound audibility for people with hearing loss, but the ability to make use of the amplified signal, especially in the presence of competing noise, can vary across people. Here we review how neuroscientists, clinicians, and engineers are using various types of physiological information to improve the design and use of hearing aids.
Modeling Yeast Spoilage in Cold-Filled Ready-To-Drink Beverages with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, and Candida lipolytica

Mathematical models were developed to predict the probability of yeast spoilage of cold-filled ready-to-drink beverages as a function of beverage formulation. A Box-Behnken experimental design included five variables, each at three levels: pH (2.8, 3.3, and 3.8), titratable acidity (0.20, 0.40, and 0.60%), sugar content (8.0, 12.0, and 16.0 °Brix), sodium benzoate concentration (100, 225, and 350 ppm), and potassium sorbate concentration (100, 225, and 350 ppm). Duplicate samples were inoculated with a yeast cocktail (100 μl/50 ml) consisting of equal proportions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, and Candida lipolytica (∼5.0 × 104 CFU/ml each). The inoculated samples were plated on malt extract agar after 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks. Logistic regression was used to create the predictive models. The pH and sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate concentrations were found to be significant factors controlling the probability of yeast growth. Interaction terms for pH and each preservative were also significant in the predictive model. Neither the titratable acidity nor the sugar content of the model beverages was a significant predictor of yeast growth in the ranges tested.
Assessing and documenting general competencies in otolaryngology resident training programs.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to: 1) implement web-based instruments for assessing and documenting the general competencies of otolaryngology resident education, as outlined by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME); and 2) examine the benefit and validity of this online system for measuring educational outcomes and for identifying insufficiencies in the training program as they occur. Methods: We developed an online assessment system for a surgical postgraduate education program and examined its feasibility, usability, and validity. Evaluations of behaviors, skills, and attitudes of 26 residents were completed online by faculty, peers, and nonphysician professionals during a 3-year period. Analyses included calculation and evaluation of total average performance scores of each resident by different evaluators. Evaluations were also compared with American Board of Otolaryngology-administered in-service examination (ISE) scores for each resident. Convergent validity was examined statistically by comparing ratings among the different evaluator types. Results: Questionnaires and software were found to be simple to use and efficient in collecting essential information. From July 2002 to June 2005, 1,336 evaluation forms were available for analysis. The average score assigned by faculty was 4.31, significantly lower than that by nonphysician professionals (4.66) and residents evaluating peers (4.63) (P < .001), whereas scores were similar between nonphysician professionals and resident peers. Average scores between faculty and nonphysician groups showed correlation in constructs of communication and relationship with patients, but not in those of professionalism and documentation. Correlation was observed in respect for patients but not in medical knowledge between faculty and resident peer groups. Resident ISE scores improved in the third year of the study and demonstrated high correlation with faculty perceptions of medical knowledge (r = 0.65, P = .007). Conclusions: Compliance for completion of forms was 97%. The system facilitated the educational management of our training program along multiple dimensions. The small perceptual differences among a highly selected group of residents have made the unambiguous validation of the system challenging. The instruments and approach warrant further study. Improvements are likely best achieved in broad consultation among other otolaryngology programs.
Mechanical perturbations applied during impending movement evoke startle-like responses

Stretch reflexes have been considered one of the simplest circuits in the human nervous system. Yet, their role is controversial given that they assist or resist an imposed perturbation depending on the task instruction. Evidence shows that a loud acoustic stimulus applied prior to an impending movement elicits a movement-direction dependent muscle activity. In our study, we found that a perturbation can also trigger this early onset of movement, if applied during movement preparation. These responses were also perturbation direction dependent. This suggests an interaction of between the limb-stabilizing stretch reflexes and the voluntary activity.
Business Manuscripts at Baker Library, Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration

Many manuscript collections contain business materials of one sort or another, but Baker Library, of the Harvard Business School, has the largest single accumulation of such records, acquired by a private institution for purposes of research. These qualifications are necessary, since the records of many large companies, such as U. S. Steel, would greatly outnumber our holdings; and such a public institution as the National Archives contains extensive business materials.
Noise adaptive training using a vector taylor series approach for noise robust automatic speech recognition

In traditional methods for noise robust automatic speech recognition, the acoustic models are typically trained using clean speech or using multi-condition data that is processed by the same feature enhancement algorithm expected to be used in decoding. In this paper, we propose a noise adaptive training (NAT) algorithm that can be applied to all training data that normalizes the environmental distortion as part of the model training. In contrast to the feature enhancement methods, NAT estimates the underlying “pseudo-clean” model parameters directly without relying on point estimates of the clean speech features as an intermediate step. The pseudo-clean model parameters learned with NAT are later used with vector Taylor series (VTS) model adaptation for decoding noisy utterances at test time. Experiments performed on the Aurora 2 and Aurora 3 tasks, demonstrate that the proposed NAT method obtain relative improvements of 18.83% and 32.02%, respectively, over VTS model adaptation.
BER Calculation for Multiple-Antenna Systems in Ricean Fading Channels

As is well known, multiple-antenna systems can improve the reliability and maximize the spectral efficiency of radio channels. A way to measure the effectiveness of a multiple-antenna system is by evaluating the bit error rate (BER) for a specific channel. In this paper, we present BER calculations for a realistic channel simulation instead of assuming Rayleigh or Ricean fading with a specific -factor. Specifically, we extract statistics based on data from an in-house full-wave electromagnetic solver and proceed to obtain BER across the channel. Based on the developed tools, we demonstrate how one can increase the reliability of wireless systems.
Enhancement of convection cooling of integrated circuit components

An experimental study is conducted of heated rectangular blocks cooled by forced convection in a horizontal channel. The experimental model represents a computer circuit board with heated chips. The investigated physical situation is presented schematically. In the grooved channel, two main flow regions can be recognized: (i) the main channel flow and the recirculating flow in the groove. In laminar, steady state conditions, there is no exchange of fluid between the two regions. The warm fluid is trapped in the groove, and the heat transfer is governed mainly by diffusion. The role of self-sustained oscillations in the enhancement of heat transfer is investigated. Passive solutions to improve heat transfer on the basic geometry will be explored. In order to efficiently exploit self-sustained oscillatory flows to improve heat transfer, good understanding of the underlying flow and heat transfer phenomena is essential.
Permanent Exits from Public Assistance: The Impact of Duration, Family, and Work

This article uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to answer two questions raised in the recent debate over welfare reform: (1) Is the length of time that a woman receives Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) associated with the likelihood ofpermanently leaving AFDC? (2) Are marital status, childbearing, and qualifications for work associated with permanently leaving AFDC? We define a permanent exit as leaving the AFDC rolls and not returning within two years. The answer to the first question is that the likelihood ofpermanently leaving AFDC decreases with the length of time that women receive benefits after adjusting for other attributes of individuals and their families. This finding is robust across several, but not all, specifications of the model of permanent exits. The answer to the second question is that marital status, the number of children, and qualifications for work as well as the availability of employment, are associated with the likelihood of leaving AFDC permanently. The effects of these characteristics are robust across all of the different specifications used in the analysis
Solute and penetrant diffusion in swellable polymers: X. Swelling of multiethylene glycol dimethacrylate copolymers

The swelling behavior of copolymers containing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and various multiethylene glycol dimethacrylates was examined at 25°C. These highly crosslinked copolymers show some hydrophilic behavior due to the hydroxyl groups of HEMA. Analysis of the swelling data indicates and anomalous water transport in the network, which depends on the degree of crosslinking attained according to the dimethacrylate comonomer molar fraction in the copolymerization feed. Thermomechanical analysis data were used to further characterize the network structure.
Immediate postoperative extubation in patients undergoing free tissue transfer.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Extubation (cessation of ventilatory support) is often delayed in free flap patients to protect the microvascular anastomosis, presumably by reducing emergence-related agitation. We sought to determine if immediate extubation in the operating room (OR) would improve the postoperative course compared to delayed extubation in the intensive care unit (ICU). Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: Medical records of all patients undergoing free tissue transfer for head and neck reconstruction between January 2009 and July 2010 were reviewed (n = 52). Patients extubated immediately postoperatively in the OR (immediate group, n = 26) were compared to patients extubated in the ICU (delayed group, n = 26). Results: Tobacco use, alcohol use, pulmonary history, case length, and free flap type were not significantly different between the two groups. Although the average ICU stay for the immediate group was significantly shorter than the delayed group (2.0 days vs. 3.4 days; P = .008), the reduction in overall hospital stay for the immediate group did not achieve statistical significance (8.2 days vs. 9.5 days; P = .21). Use of treatment for agitation (27% vs. 65%) and physical restraints (8% vs. 69%) were significantly lower in the immediate versus delayed group (P = .01 and P < .001, respectively). Although flap-related, surgical, and medical complication rates were not significantly different between the two groups, the delayed extubation group had a significantly higher incidence of pneumonia (15% vs. 0%; P = .05). Conclusions: Immediate postoperative extubation in the OR following head and neck microvascular free tissue transfer reduces ICU stay, anxiolytic use, restraint use, and incidence of pneumonia without an increase in flap- or wound-related complications. Laryngoscope, 2011
Simulations of Normal Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction Control Using Mesoflaps

Computations were performed to investigate the e owe elds of normal shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions with mesoe ap control. The passive control (no feedback included) concept involves placing a mesoe ap streamwise array beneath the interaction and allowing high-pressure air from the e ow downstream of the shock wave to recirculate through a cavity into the low-pressuree ow upstream of the wave. The case of a normal shock at a Mach number of 1.4 interacting with the turbulentboundary layer on a e at wall was e rst considered, and thepredictions yielded reasonable comparison with experimental results. A number of e xed-dee ection mesoe ap simulations were then performed to understand the correlations between e ap dee ections, downstream boundary-layer characteristics, andstagnation pressurerecovery.Theprescribedsteady-statedee ectionswerebased on qualitativeaeroelastic experimental observations. It was found that the magnitude of the dee ection of the upstream mesoe aps is key to providing a signie cantly increased “ lambda-foot” benee t, which is critical for improved stagnation pressure recovery. The number of e aps and their locations were also found to affect the stagnation pressure recovery and downstream boundary-layer characteristics signie cantly. However, it was found that cavity depth does not play a signie cant role in stagnation pressure recovery.
Microwave breast imaging with an under-determined reconstruction parameter mesh

Microwave imaging has been proposed as a method for detecting breast tumors because of the high electrical property contrast between tumors and normal tissue. We are currently developing a tomographic system which can generally be treated as an ill-conditioned inverse problem and utilize a Gauss-Newton iterative algorithm to handle its nonlinear nature. The ill-conditioning is generally related to the number of parameters being reconstructed with respect to the amount of measurement data. Our initial implementation restricted the number of parameters to close to that of the measurement data. However, this sparse discretization of the imaging zone severely limited the resolution and required a high degree of spatial filtering to stabilize the algorithm convergence. We are currently exploring significantly increasing the number of reconstruction parameters to the point of making the problem considerably under-determined. Initial results indicate that the benefit in terms of increased degrees of freedom has resulted in dramatically improved resolution without compromising stability.
UV resonance Raman signatures of phonon-allowed absorptions and phonon-driven bubble formation

We have measured UV resonance Raman near and at the resonance phonon-allowed absorption lines of several liquid species. Resonance absorption with excitation on the symmetry-forbidden but strongly phonon coupled bands in the 230- 290 nm spectral band present enhancement corresponding to the vapor phase absorptions rather than those of the liquid phase. This effect is related to the coherence forced by the internal molecular resonance required to absorb light at this energy. Large resonance gains (~3500x) reflect the narrower vapor phase lines. At the low laser fluence used, bubble formation is observed when the excitation energy corresponds to the maximum in Raman signal generation, not at the wavelength of maximum absorption in the liquid sample, which is several nanometers away.
The Math Behind the Music

The Math Behind the Music, by Leon Harkleroad, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2006, xiv + 143 pp. + CD of sound examples, US$78.00 (hardcover), ISBN 0521810957, US$25.99 (paperback), ISBN 05...
Discrepancy between Measured Serum Total Carbon Dioxide Content and Bicarbonate Concentration Calculated from Arterial Blood Gases

Large differences between the concentrations of serum total carbon dioxide (TCO2) and blood gas bicarbonate (HCO3 (-)) were observed in two consecutive simultaneously drawn sets of samples of serum and arterial blood gases in a patient who presented with severe carbon dioxide retention and profound acidemia. These differences could not be explained by the effect of the high partial pressure of carbon dioxide on TCO2, by variations in the dissociation constant of the carbonic acid/bicarbonate system or by faults caused by the algorithms of the blood gas apparatus that calculate HCO3 (-). A recalculation using the Henderson-Hasselbach equation revealed arterial blood gas HCO3 (-) values close to the corresponding serum TCO2 values and clarified the diagnosis of the acid-base disorder, which had been placed in doubt by the large differences between the reported TCO2 and HCO3 (-) values. Human error in the calculation of HCO3 (-) was identified as the source of these differences. Recalculation of blood gas HCO3 (-) should be the first step in identifying the source of large differences between serum TCO2 and blood gas HCO3 (-).
Endogenous Information Asymmetry and Portfolio Bias

Observed portfolios are concentrated in asset classes which comove strongly with the non-financial income of the investors. Contrary to this evidence, standard economic theory implies that optimal portfolios should avoid long positions in such assets and strive to achieve all possible gains from diversification by holding a variety of different assets. This type of disconnect between theory and evidence is one of the major puzzles in the literature on portfolio choice and has been documented both on the individual (domestic) and aggregate (international) levels. A number of explanations have been proposed by the theoretical literature, ranging from bounded rationality, to hedging strategies, to information asymmetry. The literature on information asymmetry has focused on studying the portfolio implications of models where the information structure is given exogenously, and the agents are not allowed to make endogenous information choices. This paper contributes to the literature by proposing a framework in which the agents' optimal learning and information acquisition decisions endogenously generate information asymmetry without the need for imposing any ex-ante information differences between agents. The main result is showing that ex-ante identically informed rational agents choose to focus the majority of their attention on risk factors common to both the risky assets payoffs and their non-financial income. This behavior endogenously generates information asymmetry and in turn this leads the agents to concentrate their portfolios in assets which comove with their non-financial income. The paper also shows that a theory of endogenous information asymmetry is key for an information based explanation of portfolio bias, as exogenously imposed information advantages have counterfactual implications and will be undone if agents have enough information acquisition capacity.
Personalized Prevention of Colorectal Cancer Trial

Background: Our findings indicate that the intake ratio of calcium (Ca) to magnesium (Mg) modifies the relationship between Ca intake and colorectal adenoma risk; high Ca is only related to reduced...
Governance: a garbage can perspective

Governance is a very old concept, and an even older reality. Societies have always required some form of collective steering and management. Variations in the political and economic order have produced different answers to the fundamental questions about how to provide that steering for society, and how to cope with the range of challenges arising from the society, but some answer has been required, and continues to be required. Governance is not a constant, but rather tends to change as needs and values change. The usual answer to the questions has been the state, but solutions that have been effective, and popular with the public, at one point in time may rather quickly become both ineffective and politically unpopular, and governing represents continuing adaptations of political and administrative activities to changes in the environment, not least of which are changes in the ideas of what constitutes appropriate modes of developing and implementing collective goals.
Biology and Behavior of Two Species of Anthrax (Diptera: Bombyliidae), Parasitoids of the Larvae of Tiger Beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

Anthrax gideon F. and Anthrax analis Say occupy open, sunny habitats in southern Costa Rica and New York, respectively. Larvae of both species are ectoparasitoids of all three larval stages of tiger beetles, but do not kill the host until it is a prepupa. Adults of A. gideon are active in sunny weather during the dry season. Females marked at unknown ages in the field were recaptured up to 11 days after marking. Males were seen in the field only when emerging; they lived up to 6 days in the laboratory. Adult A. analis populations peak in early July and again in early September, and ovipositing females are 8 to 10 times as abundant as A. gideon females. Males fly in irregular patterns enclosing as area about 3 m2 at 3 to 4 m above the females' oviposition sites. Of 673 hosts of A. gideon collected in early June, 2.9, 39.8, and 44.2% of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-instar hosts bore Anthrax. Heavy larval fly mortality through the wet season results mainly in a reduction in the number of parasites per parasitized beetle. In the laboratory, 79.3% of 89 fly larvae died in 67 days. Highest densities of fly larvae were in the least-vegetated subregions of the study area. In late September, 83.7% of host 3rd instars bore A. analis larvae, but only 16.1% had parasites in June. Highest densities of fly larvae occurred in the most open sites. When ovipositing, a female of either species makes a single egg thrust at a beetle burrow. More than one egg may be laid per burrow, especially at the end of the adult fly season or if the female is old. Debris-hidden burrows are bypassed. Females of both species move further from larger-host burrows to oviposit. Both species exhibit temporally changing preferences among host instars and deposit more eggs in occupied beetle burrows than expected by chance alone. A. gideon distinguishes occupied burrows by seeing a larva inside; A. analis oviposits on well-kept burrows regardless of the presence of a larva. This difference is attributed to climatic and substrate differences in the two areas.
Outcrossing rates and inferred levels of inbreeding depression in gynodioecious Cucurbita foetidissima (Cucurbitaceae)

Sex-specific outcrossing rates and the inbreeding coefficient of adults in two populations of gynodioecious Cucurbita foetidissima were estimated using progeny array data from four allozyme loci to compare the frequencies of self-fertilization and the estimated levels of inbreeding depression to predictions from sex ratio theory. The frequencies of self-fertilization by hermaphrodites in both populations were similar and averaged 73 per cent. The outcrossing rate for females in one population was not different from unity whereas the estimated rate of outcrossing by females in the second population (t = 0.593, SE 0.178) indicated the occurrence of biparental inbreeding. Despite considerable self-fertilization by hermaphrodites, inbreeding coefficients of adult plants in both populations were not different from zero and thus inferred values of inbreeding depression were not different from one. Electrophoretically inferred levels of inbreeding depression are somewhat in excess of the value of 0.71 (SE 0.07) obtained in a previous field experiment which tested first-year survival of selfed and outcrossed seeds in this long-lived perennial. The high frequency of self-fertilization by hermaphrodites combined with severe inbreeding depression provides a strong selective force which, along with increased seed-set by females, is sufficient to maintain observed frequencies of females in natural populations of C. foetidissima.
Epigenetic mechanisms in sexual differentiation of the brain and behaviour

Circumstantial evidence alone argues that the establishment and maintenance of sex differences in the brain depend on epigenetic modifications of chromatin structure. More direct evidence has recently been obtained from two types of studies: those manipulating a particular epigenetic mechanism, and those examining the genome-wide distribution of specific epigenetic marks. The manipulation of histone acetylation or DNA methylation disrupts the development of several neural sex differences in rodents. Taken together, however, the evidence suggests there is unlikely to be a simple formula for masculine or feminine development of the brain and behaviour; instead, underlying epigenetic mechanisms may vary by brain region or even by dependent variable within a region. Whole-genome studies related to sex differences in the brain have only very recently been reported, but suggest that males and females may use different combinations of epigenetic modifications to control gene expression, even in cases where gene expression does not differ between the sexes. Finally, recent findings are discussed that are likely to direct future studies on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in sexual differentiation of the brain and behaviour.
Defect chemistry and intrinsic carrier concentration for Hg 1−x Cd x Te(s) for x = 0.20, 0.40, and 1.0

The theoretical equations governing the crystal-vapor equilibrium for Hg1−x Cdx Te(s) are summarized for a model with doubly-ionized native defects and applied to the data for x = 0.20, 0.40, and 1. The basic equations (Eq. (1) or (19)) are shown to contain those used elsewhere as special cases. Allowing the intrinsic carrier concentration, n1, to vary, but under constraints, to obtain an optimum fit and assuming a non-degenerate semiconductor, the hole con-centration-mercury pressure isotherms can be fitted satis-factorily and better than before with standard deviations between 22 and 24% for x = 0.20 and 0.40. A number of sets of model parameters give these fits, some of which give values as large as 10/cm at 500δC for the square root of the Schottky constant for ionized vacancies. In agreement with experiment, each of these parameter sets for x = 0.20 and 0.40 predicts a negligible dependence of the 77 and 192 K Hall mobilities upon equilibration temperature and predicts that metal saturation between 250 and 300δC with foreign donors in the 1015/cm3 range will result in elec-tron concentrations in the same range and dependent on saturation temperature to less than 26%. The enthalpy to create a “Hg-vacancy” and two holes is an invariant of the fits and is 2.00 ± 0.04 eV for x = 0.40 and 1.94 ± 0.02 eV for x = 0.20. Then ni is calculated independently assuming a parabolic valence band and a Kane conduction band. With an exact density of states for the latter obtained here, the momentum matrix element, P = 8.5 × 10−8 eV-cm, the spin-orbit splitting, Δ = 1 eV, and E (x, T) from Hansen et al., the experimental values below 300 K for 0 ≤x = 0.3 and at high temperature for x = 1 are fitted well with m h ∗ /m = 0.70. With these independently calculated values for ni the electron concentration-cadmium pressure isotherms for CdTe can be fitted to about 7% for either of two incon-sistent data sets assuming 2 × 1016 /cm3 foreign donors. However data for x = 0.40 can be fitted to only 42% and that for x = 0.20, which is degenerate, to only 28%.
The Diagnostic Value of the Serum Lactic Dehydrogenase Determination in the Evaluation of Unexplained Thrombocytosis

Thrombocytosis may reflect a primary myeloproliferative disorder or be a secondary reaction to other pathologic processes. Patients with persistent unexplained thrombocytosis meeting criteria of primary thrombocythemia had elevated levels of serum lactic dehydrogenase, whereas comparable patients with secondary thrombocytosis did not. The findings of an elevated serum lactic dehydrogenase supports the diagnosis of a myeloproliferative syndrome in patients who have unexplained thrombocytosis, and should be useful in the differential diagnosis of this hematologic abnormality.
Properties of GaAs nanoclusters deposited by a femtosecond laser

The properties of femtosecond pulsed laser deposited GaAs nanoclusters were investigated. Nanoclusters of GaAs were produced by laser ablating a single crystal GaAs target in vacuum or Ar gas. Atomic force and transmission electron microscopies showed that most of the clusters were spherical and ranged in diameter from 1 nm to 50 nm, with a peak size distribution between 5 nm and 9 nm, depending on the Ar gas pressure or laser fluence. X-ray diffraction, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, Auger electron spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that these nanoclusters were randomly oriented GaAs crystallites. An oxide outer shell of ∼2 nm developed subsequently on the surfaces of the nanocrystals as a result of transportation in air. Unpassivated GaAs nanoclusters exhibited no detectable photoluminescence. After surface passivation, these nanoclusters displayed photoluminescence energies less than that of bulk GaAs from which they were made. Our photoluminescence experiments suggest an abundance of sub-band gap surface states in these GaAs nanocrystals.
Consumerism and Marketing Management Revisited: Enduring Implications For Marketing Managers

Many observers believed that the 1960’s consumerism movement would decline, and even disappear, once the initial interest and support burned out., However, the fires of consumerism have continued to burn in the 1980’s and seem headed for the 1990’s. Businesses have made great strides in meeting consumer expectations in the past two decades, but continuous monitoring of customers’ perceptions of marketplace activities must be maintained if marketing managers are to find and address those consumerism issues of greatest concern to their customers
The Common Rule: Updating Human Subject Research Protections for a New Era of Research

This paper details and analyzes DHHS’s response to these concerns, the Advanced Notice for Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM): “Human Subjects Research Protections: Enhancing Protections for Research Subjects and Reducing Burden, Delay, and Ambiguity for Investigators.” The ANPRM was announced with the goal of “delineat[ing] options for simultaneously enhancing protections for research subjects and improving the effectiveness of the federal oversight system.” In particular, the ANPRM is designed to “better focus oversight resources on higher-risk research studies,” while at the same time modifying regulations to keep pace with “the proliferation of multi-site trials” and research involving the use of biological specimens. This paper will demonstrate that while the reforms are timely and productive, they remain both under and over inclusive in certain respects and ultimately substitute substantive clarity for procedural efficiency. While each of the proposed reforms will be addressed in turn, this paper will focus its critical analysis on the two most impactful reforms: amending the risk-based regulatory framework to ensure research that poses minimal risk to subjects is not overly burdened by IRB review and updating the regulatory framework surrounding biospecimen research, particularly as it concerns the consent requirements for human subjects who volunteer biological material.
The Binding of GATA-1 to a β-Globin LCR HS Core Element in Nuclear Chromatin Requires Multiple Associated Factor Binding Sites.

Abstract The GATA-1 transcription factor has been shown to interact in vitro with many gene regulatory elements including promoters, enhancers, silencers and locus control region elements. The GATA-1 consensus binding sequence is generally considered to be WGATAR, yet it can also bind to other related sequences that do not perfectly fit this consensus. This raises the question of whether all potential GATA-1 binding sites identified by in vitro DNA binding assays or sequence analysis are actually bound by GATA-1 in nuclear chromatin. We hypothesized that it was unlikely that all, or even most, predicted GATA-1 sites were bound in vivo. If correct, this would imply that additional mechanisms, beyond DNA sequence, are required to target GATA-1 to specific genetic regulatory elements. To address this hypothesis we first performed GATA-1 ChIP assays in MEL cells at 10 WGATAR sites which spanned the mouse β-globin locus but were not associated with known regulatory elements. Positive controls for GATA-1 binding were the core region of LCR HS2 and the -2.8 mGATA-1 gene upstream enhancer. Negative controls included two regions from the β-globin locus which do not contain WGATAR elements and a WGATAR element from the proximal mGATA-1 gene promoter previously shown by the Bresnick lab to not bind GATA-1. While enrichment of the positive control sites using anti-GATA-1 antibody was 10-20-fold more than with IgG (p
False Key-Controlled Aggressive Voltage Scaling: A Countermeasure Against LPA Attacks

A false key-controlled aggressive voltage scaling (AVS) technique is proposed as a countermeasure against leakage power analysis (LPA) attacks. A random number of false keys are utilized to control the supply voltage scaling to mask the possible leakage of the information related to the correct key to a malicious attacker. Contrary to the random AVS technique, false key-controlled AVS technique can guarantee that the added false keys always exhibit higher correlation coefficients than that of the correct key even if sufficient number of plaintexts (>10 million) are enabled. As demonstrated with the simulation results, the measurement-to-disclose (MTD) value of a cryptographic circuit can be enhanced over ten million against LPA attacks by utilizing the proposed technique, while the MTD values of a conventional cryptographic circuit without countermeasure and one with random AVS are, respectively, less than 500 and 100,000.
Risk factors for severe respiratory depression from prescription opioid overdose.

Background and aims Prescription opioid overdose is a leading cause of injury-related morbidity and mortality in the US. We aimed to identify characteristics associated with clinical severity in emergency department patients with prescription opioid overdose. Design This was a secondary data analysis of adult prescription opioid overdoses from a large prospective cohort of acute overdoses. We examined elements of a typical emergency department evaluation using a multivariable model to determine which characteristics were associated with clinical severity, specifically severe respiratory depression (SRD). Setting This study was conducted at two urban academic emergency departments in New York City, USA. Participants Adult patients who presented with acute prescription opioid overdose between 2009 and 2013 were included in the current study. We analysed 307 patients (mean age 44.7, 42% female, 2.0% mortality). Measurements Patient demographics, reported substances ingested, suspected intent for ingesting the substance, vital signs, laboratory data, treatments including antidotes and intubation, and outcome of death were recorded by trained research assistants. Intent was categorized into four mutually exclusive categories: suicide, misuse, therapeutic error, and undetermined. The primary outcome was SRD, defined as administration of either (a) naloxone or (b) endotracheal intubation (ETI). Findings 109 patients suffered SRD with 90 patients receiving naloxone alone, 9 ETI alone, and 10 both naloxone and ETI. The most common opioids were oxycodone (n=124) and methadone (n=116). Mean age was higher in patients with SRD (51.1 vs. 41.1, p<0.001). Opioid misuse was associated with SRD in the multivariable analysis (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.2-3.6). The unadjusted relative risk of SRD was high for fentanyl (83.3% SRD) and lowest for codeine (3.6% SRD). Conclusion In emergency department patients in the US with prescription opioid overdose, worse clinical severity was associated with opioid misuse, increased with age, and was widely variable depending on the specific opioid medication involved.