cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Male Osteoporosis: Epidemiology and the Pathogenesis of Aging Bones

Osteoporosis in men is an overlooked yet increasingly important clinical problem that, historically, has not received the same degree of awareness as with women. Epidemiologic studies demonstrate that male osteoporosis contributes significantly to the burden of osteoporotic fractures, especially among the aging population. In particular, men have increased morbidity and mortality associated with osteoporotic fractures compared with women. Diagnostic challenges of male osteoporosis include lack of consensus about appropriate reference ranges for identifying osteoporosis in men, and the lack of a fracture assessment tool in men necessary to identify those individuals at risk. Compared with women, changes that occur in the aging male skeleton include trabecular thinning, greater endocortical expansion, ongoing periosteal apposition with greater bending strength, and preserved minimum moment of inertia. Overall, men have less microstructural damage with aging and beneficial geometric adaptations that lead to stronger bones, compared with women, and thus their overall lower risk of fractures.
Duck infectious anemia virus associated with Plasmodium lophurae.

Abstract A virus found associated with Plasmodium lophurae produced anemia in ducks, and has been termed Duck Infectious Anemia Virus (DIAV). After infection and recovery from anemia, ducks resisted challenge with another species of Plasmodium which was lethal in control ducks. The virus was highly contagious as indicated by its spread from infected to susceptible ducks housed in the same cages. The contact infected ducks developed anemia, resisted challenge with a Plasmodium sp., and the presence of virus was confirmed by subinoculation into susceptible ducks. In cell culture DIAV produced minimal cytopathic effects but infected cells reacted positively in an indirect fluorescent antibody test. Virus was demonstrated in blood cells and plasma from ducks infected with DIAV alone, and from ducks with P. lophurae infections. P. lophurae infected blood from four different laboratories (three from ducks and one from turkeys) was found to contain DIAV. These results and other reports in the literature suggest that DIAV has been an unrecognized companion of P. lophurae for many years.
Amplitude suppression of the pulsatile mode of immunoradiometric Luteinizing hormone release in fasting-induced hypoandrogenemia in normal men

In the male rodent and primate, fasting or severe caloric restriction significantly decreases serum testosterone concentrations, putatively via inducing secondary hypogonadotrophism. To clarify this presumptive pathophysiology, we have used: 1) a high sensitivity immunoradiometric assay, which correlates well with an in vitro Leydig cell bioassay of LH; 2) blood sampling every 5 min for 24 h basally and every 10 min for 3 h after GnRH injection before and after a 5-day (water only) fast in eight healthy young men; and 3) deconvolution analysis to evaluate in vivo LH secretory burst frequency, amplitude, duration, and mass, and LH half-life simultaneously. We documented a 50% fall in serum total and free testosterone concentrations, and a 30% decrease in 24-h mean serum LH concentrations (viz., fed 3.0 +/- 0.47 vs. fasted 2.1 +/- 0.39 U/L, P = 0.043). Deconvolution analysis revealed preservation of LH secretory pulse frequency (fed 12.9 +/- 0.48 vs. fasted 12.6 +/- 0.78 secretory bursts/day, P = NS) during...
The role of210Pb in evaluating container adsorption of Pb(II) from dilute aqueous solutions

Solutions of Pb2+ at ppb to ppm levels were tagged with210Pb and then counted from time to time over a period of one year to measure the extent of container adsorption. All count rates for samples which were acidified with HNO3 were at least 90% of their initial values, even after one year of storage. Amber glass containers proved to be superior to polypropylene for 0.1 and 1.0 ppm Pb2+ solutions; but below 0.1 ppm, polypropylene was superior. For non-acidified samples, the count rate dropped rapidly within the first two months, and then declined more gradually thereafter, with polypropylene generally superior.
Cerebellar mutism in adults after posterior fossa surgery: a report of 2 cases.

Abstract Background Mutism has been associated with injury to midline cerebellar structures secondary to degenerative disease, tumors, hemorrhage, or surgery. Typically, cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) has been seen in children and only rarely described in adults after surgery of the posterior fossa. This syndrome typically arises 48 hours after the initiating event and resolves approximately 7 to 8 weeks later. Characteristics of CMS include complete absence of speech without impaired consciousness, other cranial nerve deficits, or long tract signs. Case Description The authors report on 2 patients each of whom developed cerebellar mutism after tumor resection using a posterior fossa approach. The first patient underwent gross total resection of a pineal region tumor via a supracerebellar approach. The second patient underwent posterior fossa decompression for a left cerebellar hemispheric renal cell carcinoma metastasis with adjacent hemorrhage. One patient displayed a variant of cerebellar mutism with severe ataxic dysarthria without complete absence of speech, whereas the other demonstrated frank mutism. After neuroimaging studies confirmed the absence of a surgically treatable postoperative cause for the patients' symptoms, they were managed in a supportive fashion (eg, speech therapy) and improved within 3.5 months and 1 year, respectively. Conclusion It is paramount that neurosurgeons be aware of cerebellar mutism with regard to its very rare occurrence in adults, its time of onset, and typical self-limiting course.
Front tracking, oil reservoirs, engineering scale problems and mass conservation

A critical analysis is given of the mechanisms for mass conservation loss for the front tracking algorithm of the authors and co-workers in the context of two phase incompressible flow in porous media. We describe the resolution to some of the non-conservative aspects of the method, and suggest methods for dealing with the remainder.
Linking geographical information systems and observational and experimental studies to determine optimal seedling microsites of an endangered plant in a subtropical urban fire-adapted ecosystem.

Understanding microsite requirements is critical for restoring sustainable rare plant populations and creating meaningful management plans that will enhance native species' population viability. Natural areas bordered by urban communities have restricted size and constrained management options that confound goals of preserving biodiversity. Using geographical information systems and observational and experimental studies, we determined that current microsites required for seedling establishment within existing habitat of the federally endangered Crenulate leadplant are few and spatially restricted, resulting in little wild seedling recruitment. Experimental and wild seedlings had highest germination rates in litter layers 1-2 cm in depth and survived the longest in litter 0.5-2 cm deep. Fire suppression and aggressive native and exotic plants have accumulated litter up to 33 cm near some of the wild adult Crenulate leadplant. Only 9% of habitat occupied by this taxon at its largest population is conducive to seedling establishment. Similarly, 30% is conducive to seedling establishment in the second largest population. Fire plays a critical role in South Florida ecosystem dynamics and the restoration and preservation of its landscape and biodiversity. When fire is not possible, other management is needed. Manual litter and downed debris removal are recommended at both population sites to improve the probability of Crenulate leadplant seedling establishment and population persistence.
Evolution of a Plio-Pleistocene volcanogenic-alluvial fan: The Puye Formation, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

The Plio-Pleistocene Puye Formation, north-central New Mexico, contains >15 km 3 of volcaniclastic alluvial sediments deposited in response to rift-margin volcanism associated with the later evolution of the Tschicoma volcanic center, northeastern Jemez Mountains. Stratigraphic and sedimentologic evidence indicates that aggradation of Puye deposits was nearly continuous and contemporaneous with graben development and establishment of the Rio Grande as the through-flowing axial drainage system in this region. Much of the Puye sediments debouched into an adjacent subsiding depocenter, resulting in near-complete preservation of this wedge-shaped volcanogenic fan. Primary-pyroclastic and reworked facies in the Puye Formation exhibit distinctive 5- to 30-m scale cyclicity directly related to volcanic activity in the northeastern Jemez highlands. Reworked-pyroclastic and conglomeratic sequences deposited by high-energy braided streams, sediment-charged sheet-floods, sediment-gravity flows, and in shallow lakes reflect markedly increased sediment loads during and following explosive eruptions. Individual sequences change markedly in character with increased distance from the source area. Analysis of these abrupt lateral and vertical variations reveals that Puye sedimentation was controlled by the influences of semiarid climate and syndepositional tectonism, although the associations that most characterize the fan resulted largely from explosive volcanism. Cessation of fan growth is attributed to waning sediment supply as a result of volcanic quiescence and to the onset of basinwide pedimentation associated with downcutting of the ancestral Rio Grande. The Puye fan therefore provides a detailed record of rift-basin alluvial sedimentation, complete with closely spaced tephrostratigraphic control, and it records the growth and partial denudation of high-standing, northeastern Jemez Mountains volcanoes.
Is Leaf Size Important for a Leaf-Galling Sawfly (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae)?

We evaluated the importance of leaf size in determining oviposition choice (i.e., gall densities), gall (and larval) size, and larval survivorship for a population of leaf-galling sawflies, Pontania sp. nr. pacifica Marlatt, on arroyo willow, Salix lasiolepis Bentham. Our results did not support the hypothesis that female sawflies prefer to oviposit in developing willow leaves that will be larger when they are fully expanded. Although leaves with four to seven galls had bigger leaf areas than leaves with one to three galls, the size of the mature leaf did not appear to be an important factor determining which leaves were selected for oviposition among the leaves available. The data did not support the prediction that larger leaves produce Pontania sp. galls (and larvae) that are substantially bigger than those on smaller leaves; gall size was only weakly correlated with leaf area ( r ≤ 0.253). We hypothesized that survivorship of Pontania sp. larvae would be positively related to leaf size, but the result was opposite. In total, larval survival was weakly biased toward smaller leaves, primarily because of lower mortality from natural enemies. Mortality from two species of inquilines was positively related to leaf area, whereas mortality from two ectoparasitoids showed inconsistent relationships to leaf area. The absence of strong directional selection illustrates that it would be unlikely for female sawflies to evolve a leaf size choice strategy based on maximizing survival rates of their offspring.
Response Time and the Location of Emergency Medical Facilities in Rural Areas: A Case Study

A framework to analyze the delivery of emergency medical care in northern California is proposed. Using a branch and bound algorithm, the most efficient (least-cost) size, number, and location of emergency medical facilities is found subject to a given level of demand and a measure of effectiveness (response time). The current spatial pattern of emergency medical service (EMS) facilities is compared with the most efficient spatial pattern. Due to the sparse distribution of the study area population, some individual EMS facilities are not economically viable given the current revenue structure. Funding alternatives for EMS, including volunteer service, are discussed.
Transformations of soil and manure phosphorus after surface application of manure to field plots

Transfer of phosphorus (P) from surface-applied manures to runoff is an important source of pollution, but few studies have closely monitored P dynamics in manure, soil, and runoff through time. We monitored manure and soil P over 14 to 17 months in field experiments in Texas and Pennsylvania, USA following dairy and poultry manure surface application. Manure was applied to porous fabric that enabled discrete sampling of both manure and underlying soil. Manure mass consistently decreased while manure total P was essentially constant through time. Manure water extractable P decreased rapidly for the first two months, likely due to rainfall leaching, but then maintained stable concentrations thereafter, with other forms of manure P gradually transformed to water extractable forms. Soil P from the upper 2 cm rapidly increased after manure application in association with manure leaching by rain. After 2 to 3 months, soil P peaked and either remained constant or gradually declined. Similar trends occurred at 2–5 and 5–10 cm, but with lesser magnitudes. At 10–15 cm, soil P changed little over time. In Pennsylvania, naturally occurring runoff from 0.7-m × 1.3-m plots without and without manure was also monitored. Runoff dissolved P concentrations were greatest for the first event after manure application and decreased steadily through time, but remained greater than P concentrations from control plots, and were always well related to manure water extractable P. This study reveals that management practices for water quality protection must consider the potential for manure P transformations to contribute dissolved P to runoff long after manure is applied.
Heating and cooling rates of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, Crotalus adamanteus

Establishing if and how organisms modulate temperature changes is an important component of understanding their thermal biology. 2. We used temperature-sensitive radio-transmitters to monitor heating and cooling rates between 5 and 351C of four Crotalus adamanteus in the laboratory. 3. We found no difference between heating and cooling rates in C. adamanteus. Additionally, rates of temperature change mirrored those of a biophysical model, further suggesting a lack of physiological thermoregulation. 4. Our findings contrast previously published studies that demonstrate active temperature control of similarly sized reptiles and demonstrate a need for more investigations of physiological thermoregulation in reptiles. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The dynamic packet reservation multiple access scheme for multimedia traffic

The performance of dynamic packet reservation multiple access (DPRMA), which was introduced in previous publications, is investigated. In particular, we show here how the DPRMA scheme integrates three different traffic types: voice, video, and data, through a single access control mechanism that permits users to specify their immediate bandwidth requirements. The primary feature of the DPRMA is the dynamic matching of the traffic source generation rates with the assigned fraction of the channel capacity. This is accomplished by a multiple-threshold-driven control algorithm with hysteresis that regulates the actual amount of channel capacity assigned to users. We discuss how the multiple thresholds are selected for the three traffic types and demonstrate the improvement of the DPRMA mechanism in increased throughput and reduced number of collisions.
Copper-Deficient Rat Embryos Are Characterized by Low Superoxide Dismutase Activity and Elevated Superoxide Anions

Abstract The teratogenicity of copper (Cu) deficiency may result from increased oxidative stress and oxidative damage. Dams were fed either control (8.0 μg Cu/g) or Cu-deficient (0.5 μg Cu/g) diets. Embryos were collected on Gestational Day 12 for in vivo studies or on Gestational Day 10 and cultured for 48 h in Cu-deficient or Cu-adequate media for in vitro studies. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities were measured in control and Cu-deficient embryos as markers of the oxidant defense system. Superoxide anions were measured as an index of exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS). No differences were found in GPX or GR activities among treatment groups. However, SOD activity was lower and superoxide anion concentrations higher in Cu-deficient embryos cultured in Cu-deficient serum compared to control embryos cultured in control serum. Even so, Cu-deficient embryos had similar CuZnSOD protein levels as controls. In the in vitro system, Cu-defi...
Severe & Moderate BPH Symptoms in Mid-Aged Men Improve with Isoflavonoid-Equol Treatment: Pilot Intervention Study

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the pathological cellular progression of glandular proliferation associated with aging. Current available treatment options for BPH have limitations and various adverse effects. Equol is a polyphenolic/isoflavonoid molecule derived from intestinal metabolism, dairy and dietary plant sources. It has the unique characteristic to bind specifically 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT) by sequestering 5α-DHT from the androgen receptor, thus decreasing androgen hormone actions to improve prostate health by acting as a selective androgen modulator (SAM). It also has affinity for estrogen related receptor gamma (ERR-γ) and estrogen receptor beta (ER-β) within the prostate that is known to improve male health via selective estrogen receptor modulatory (SERM) activities to decrease inflammation, cellular proliferation and carcinogenesis. We investigated the possible clinical efficacy of equol on the symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in this study. Materials and Methods: We performed a pilot intervention study evaluating the effects of low dose oral equol supplement (6 mg, twice a day with meals) for 4 weeks in a total of 18 men (49 - 60 years old) with moderate or severe BPH. Subjects included in the study: gave informed consent, underwent a physical examination and verified their BPH symptoms as measured by the International Prostate Symptom Scores (IPSS) and then were assigned to the moderate or severe BPH groups based upon their total IPSS index. All adverse events were reported. The primary efficacy measure was the IPSS parameters comparing baseline to 2 and 4 week IPSS indices. Blood samples were collected at the baseline and 4th week visits that served as secondary efficacy parameters that included testosterone, 5α-DHT and general blood chemistries along with cardiac and hepatic function panels. Results: Low dose equol positively improved moderate to severe BPH symptoms according to the IPSS indices. In moderately symptomatic men (n = 10) 5 out of 7 of the IPSS parameters significantly improved by 4 weeks of equol treatment. In severely symptomatic men (n = 8) all 7 of the IPSS parameters significantly improved with 4 weeks of equol treatment. There were no significant changes in androgen levels, general blood chemistries or cardiac and hepatic function parameters. Although, 5α-DHT levels declined by 21% in severely symptomatic men (from baseline vs. 4 week values). Conclusion: These findings suggest that equol may provide a well tolerated and rapid beneficial therapy for BPH that can be used alone or in combination with current pharmaceutical therapies. The beneficial clinical efficacy of equol observed in this study may be due to the multiple positive biological actions that are not present in current pharmaceutical treatments.
Aging Causes Collateral Rarefaction and Increased Severity of Ischemic Injury in Multiple Tissues

Objective— Aging is a major risk factor for increased ischemic tissue injury. Whether collateral rarefaction and impaired remodeling contribute to this is unknown. We quantified the number and diameter of native collaterals and their remodeling in 3-, 16-, 24-, and 31-month-old mice. Methods and Results— Aging caused an “age-dose-dependent” greater drop in perfusion immediately after femoral artery ligation, followed by a diminished recovery of flow and increase in tissue injury. These effects were associated with a decline in collateral number, diameter, and remodeling. Angiogenesis was also impaired. Mechanistically, these changes were not accompanied by reduced recruitment of T cells or macrophages to remodeling collaterals. However, endothelial nitric oxide synthase signaling was dysfunctional, as indicated by increased protein nitrosylation and less phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein in collateral wall cells. The cerebral circulation exhibited a similar age-dose-dependent loss of collateral number and diameter and increased tortuosity, resulting in an increase in collateral resistance and infarct volume (eg, 6- and 3-fold, respectively, in 24-month-old mice) after artery occlusion. This was not associated with rarefaction of similarly sized arterioles. Collateral remodeling was also reduced. Conclusion— Our findings demonstrate that aging causes rarefaction and insufficiency of the collateral circulation in multiple tissues, resulting in more severe ischemic tissue injury.
Ex vivo measurements of mechanical properties of myocardium using Lamb and Rayleigh wave dispersion velocities

A noninvasive technique capable of characterizing material properties of the heart would be highly beneficial in clinical settings. Our group has been investigating the feasibility of using the Shearwave Dispersion Ultrasound Vibrometry (SDUV) method to estimate tissue viscoelasticity. Dispersion equations for the anti-symmetric Lamb and Rayleigh waves were derived and fitted to the experimental data to solve for elasticity and viscosity of the excised myocardium. The viscoelastic parameters obtained using the two methods agree within one standard deviation. The results suggest that the material properties of the myocardium can be obtained using both Lamb and Rayleigh wave excitation methods.
Coatings for Nigh Energy Applications: The Nova Laser

The combined requirements of energy density, multiple wavelength, and aperture make the coatings for the Nova Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) laser unique. This ten beam neodymium glass laser system, built at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), has over a thousand major optical components; some larger than one meter in diameter and weighing 380 Kg. The laser operates at 1054 nm and can be frequency doubled to 527 nm or tripled to 351 nm by means of full aperture potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal arrays. The 1.0 nsec fluence varies along the laser chain, sometimes reaching values as high as 16 J/cm/sup 2/ at the input lens to one of the spatial filters. The design specifications of this massive optical system were changed several times as the state-of-the-art advanced. Each change required redesign of the optical coatings even as vendors were preparing for production runs. Frequency conversion to include shorter wavelengths mandated the first major coating redesign and was followed almost immediately by a second redesign to reduce solarization effects in borosilicate crown glass. The conventional thermal evaporation process although successful for the deposition of mirror coatings, was not able to produce antireflection coatings able to survive the locally highmore » chain fluences. As a consequence it became necessary to develop another technique. Solution produced coatings were developed having transmissions exceeding 99% per part and damage threshold values equal to the bare substrate. The unique requirement of the Nova laser necessitated special deposition and metrology equipment. These programmatic developments will be reviewed in the context of the cooperative working relationship developed between LLNL and its vendors. It was this excellent relationship which has enabled LLNL to obtain these highly specialized coatings for the Nova laser.« less
CD46-Utilizing Adenoviruses Inhibit C/EBPβ-Dependent Expression of Proinflammatory Cytokines

The majority of adenovirus serotypes utilize the coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor (CAR) for virus-host cell attachment, but subgroup B and subgroup D (adenovirus type 37 [Ad37]) viruses recognize CD46. CD46 is a ubiquitously expressed receptor that serves as a cofactor for the inactivation of the complement components C3b and C4b, and it also serves as a receptor for diverse microbial pathogens. A reported consequence of CD46 engagement is a reduced capability of human immune cells to express interleukin-12 (IL-12), a cytokine involved in both the innate and adaptive immune responses. Studies were thus undertaken to determine whether CD46-utilizing Ads alter the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Subgroup B (Ad16 and -35) and Ad37, but not Ad2 or -5, significantly reduced IL-12 production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and lipopolysaccharide. IL-12 mRNA (p35 and p40 subunits) levels as well as other cytokine mRNA levels (IL-1α and -β, IL-1Ra, and IL-6) were decreased upon interaction with CD46-utilizing Ads. Analysis of transcription factor activity required for cytokine expression indicated that CD46-utilizing Ads preferentially inhibited IFN-γ-induced C/EBPβ protein expression, consequently reducing its ability to form DNA complexes. Interference with IFN-γ signaling events by CD46-utilizing Ads, but not CAR-utilizing Ads, reveals a potentially critical difference in the host immune response against distinct Ad vectors, a situation that has implications for gene delivery and vaccine development.
Bridging the Language Gap: Topic Adaptation for Documents with Different Technicality

The language-gap, for example between lowliteracy laypersons and highly-technical expert documents, is a fundamental barrier for cross-domain knowledge transfer. This paper seeks to close the gap at the thematic level via topic adaptation, i.e., adjusting the topical structures for cross-domain documents according to a domain factor such as technicality. We present a probabilistic model for this purpose based on joint modeling of topic and technicality. The proposed τLDA model explicitly encodes the interplay between topic and technicality hierarchies, providing an effective topic-level bridge between lay and expert documents. We demonstrate the usefulness of τLDA with an application to consumer medical informatics.
Assessing Work as a Calling An Evaluation of Instruments and Practice Recommendations

This study examined the utility of five popular assessments of work as a calling. A large and diverse group of working adults completed the Calling Paragraph, Brief Calling Scale (BCS), Calling and...
The influence of weather on western corn rootworm flight activity at the borders of a soybean field in east central Illinois

The evolution of a new strain of western corn rootworm (WCR) beetle (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) that has adapted to crop rotation by flying from host cornfields to nearby soybean fields to lay eggs is presenting new challenges to farmers in the U.S.A. Corn Belt. Development of effective management tools for the WCR that display this new behavior require knowledge of atmospheric factors that influence their interfield movement. In this study, WCR movement into a soybean field is related to solar radiation, wind speed and direction, air temperature, and precipitation with consideration of biological factors that also influence flight. WCR flight activity and meteorological variables were measured above the canopy of a 1.64 ha soybean field in east-central Illinois between late July and early September, 1997. On 14 days, insect traps were sampled at 30-min intervals. Interfield movement of WCR occurred over a wide range of solar irradiances, air temperatures, and wind speeds. Darkness, air temperatures below 15 °C or above 31 °C, and wind speeds in excess of 2.0 m s- 1 prohibited aerial movement of WCR. Within these limits, atmospheric factors had only little influence on the biologically-driven temporal patterns of seasonal and daily WCR flight activity. Atmospheric conditions were conducive to WCR flight 62% of the time during the growing season when WCR were active. Weather conditions substantially reduced interfield WCR movement throughout about one-third of the days when female WCR beetles were abundant at the study site in 1997.
Development and Validation of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Models for Growth of Salmonella Typhimurium on Sterile Chicken

Models are used in the food industry to predict pathogen growth and to help assess food safety. However, criteria are needed to determine whether models provide acceptable predictions. In the current study, primary, secondary, and tertiary models for growth of Salmonella Typhimurium (10(4.8) CFU/g) on sterile chicken were developed and validated. Kinetic data obtained at 10 to 40 degrees C were fit to a primary model to determine initial density (N0), lag time (lambda), maximum specific growth rate (micromax), and maximum population density (Nmax). Secondary models for N0, lambda, micromax, and Nmax as a function of temperature were developed and combined with the primary model to create a tertiary model that predicted pathogen density (N) at times and temperatures used and not used in model development. Performance of models was evaluated using the acceptable prediction zone method in which experimental error associated with growth parameter determinations was used to set criteria for acceptable model performance. Models were evaluated against dependent and independent (validation) data. Models with 70% prediction or relative errors (RE) in an acceptable prediction zone from -0.3 to 0.15 for micromax, -0.6 to 0.3 for lambda, and -0.8 to 0.4 for N, N0, and Nmax were classified as acceptable. All secondary models had acceptable goodness of fit and were validated against independent (interpolation) data. Percent RE in the acceptable prediction zone for the tertiary model was 90.7 for dependent data and 97.5 for independent (interpolation) data. Although the tertiary model was validated for interpolation, an unacceptable %RE of 2.5 was obtained for independent (extrapolation) data obtained with a lower N0 (10(0.8) CFU/g). The tertiary model provided overly fail-dangerous predictions of N from a lower N0. Because Salmonella concentrations on chicken are closer to 10(0.8) than 10(4.8) CFU/g, the tertiary model should not be used to help assess chicken safety.
Gerard Manley Hopkins and Victorian approaches to the problems of perception: Affirming the metaphysical in the physical:

This article addresses how Hopkins’s concept of inscape interacts with issues of perception in 19th-century scientific discourse. In particular, I address the problem of attention, a tool deemed es...
Parody Humor's Process of Influence: The Roles of Sympathy and Enjoyment in Shaping Political Perceptions

This exploratory research examines processes pertaining to how parody humor can influence perceptions of political figures in terms of credibility and, more broadly, general political trust. An online experiment was conducted in which select participants were exposed to a parody of former New York governor David Paterson. The results demonstrate that, in tandem with parody-induced sympathy, humor enjoyment can influence perceptions of a parody target's credibility and general political trust. In addition, a sympathetic predisposition is shown to positively predict responses of sympathy to a parody message. Furthermore, serial mediation analyses highlight how a sympathetic predisposition can indirectly influence various perceptions of a parody target, as sequentially mediated by responses of sympathy and enjoyment. In sum, this research is valuable for illuminating how individual differences and affective responses to political parody representations can affect various political perceptions.
The Electoral Effects of the Descriptive Representation of Ethnic Minority Groups in Australia and the United Kingdom

In this paper we assess the electoral effects of the nomination of ethnic minority candidates. We argue that descriptive representation is an important factor in how parties in SMD systems establish their coalitions over multiple elections. We demonstrate this by showing that descriptive representation has a consistent effect on voting behavior, and thus that parties can rely on descriptive representation to win over specific segments of the voting population. Previous studies have been limited to single election years and single countries, but we collect original data from multiple election cycles in Australia and the United Kingdom to test our argument. We find that descriptive representation is consistently associated with a 10-percentage point bump in support from ethnic minority independents and Labour supporters. We conclude by highlighting the importance of this finding for party competition.
Study on Processing Technology of Colostrumt Milk

Mixed colostrum milk was defatted by centrifugation,and then was added with different doses of Na2HPO4,CMC and lactose to improve its thermalstability. Based on single factor,the optimal processing conditions of colostrum milk by L9(33) orthogonal test are determined as follows:Na2HPO4 0.0027 g/ml,CMC 0.0023 g/ml and lactose 0.0027 g/ml,as well as sterilization temperature 60 ℃ and sterilization time 20 min. A certain amount of immunoglobulin remaining in the processed colostrum milk can improve human immunity to a certain extent. So the colostrum milk is a better functional milk drink.
Coping with dying and deaths at home: how undocumented migrants in the United States experience the process of transnational grieving

AbstractThis qualitative study explores the way in which a group of 12 undocumented migrants from Latin America who live in the United States have experienced the process of coping with dying and with deaths in their home countries. The paper argues that the grieving process is unique for a group like this, where the undocumented status means that the migrants cannot go back home to help the dying, support the ones left behind, or receive consolation. The sadness and the guilt experienced in the process have particular characteristics when you are undocumented in a host country, and the mechanisms used to cope with the situation are different than if you are at home or away but are free to travel back and forth. One avenue for coping, for instance, is the use of communication technologies to create the illusion of ‘being there’, even when that is not an option.
A Bodily Sense of Self in Descartes and Malebranche

Although Descartes and Malebranche argue that we are immaterial thinking things, they also maintain that each of us stands in a unique experiential relation to a single human body, such that we feel as though this body belongs to us and is part of ourselves. This paper examines Descartes’s and Malebranche’s accounts of this feeling. They hold that our experience of being embodied is grounded in affective bodily sensations that feel good or bad: namely, sensations of pleasure and pain, hunger and thirst, and so on. These bodily sensations ground our experiential identification with the body because they represent the body’s needs and interests as though they were own, such that we experience an important aspect of our well-being as consisting in the preservation of the body. According to these Cartesians, then, we feel embodied in part because we experience ourselves as having a bodily good.
Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI)

Among women with early-stage breast cancer who undergo breast-conserving surgery, adjuvant whole breast radiation has traditionally been the standard of care. Over the past 20 years however, accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) has gained increasing attention as an alternative for select patients by delivering adjuvant radiation therapy to a limited region of the breast at highest risk of recurrence. This approach minimizes the amount of normal tissue receiving radiation, e.g., the lung, heart, and chest wall, while also enabling delivery of a higher dose per fraction to confer an overall shorter treatment duration compared to whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT).
Self-switching vibrating micromechanical filter bank

Bridged MEMS-based micromechanical filters have been demonstrated that use a self-switching property of their dc-biased capacitive transducers to achieve zero-loss on/off filter switching without the need for lossy series switches, and with settling times down to 1.5 /spl mu/s. By dispensing with the need for series switches in the signal path, a small bank of 0.087% bandwidth, 9-MHz beam-based filters has achieved programmable channel/band selection with only 3 dB of insertion loss, comprised entirely of filter loss (i.e., no switch loss), with switching times 7/spl times/ faster than the typical 10 /spl mu/s of some of the fastest RF MEMS switches, and without the high actuation voltages (>90V) and reliability issues often associated with RF MEMS switches. Higher frequency 155-MHz disk resonators achieve even faster switching speeds, with settling times down to only 430 ns. Equipped with this self-switching property, capacitively transduced micromechanical resonators are attractive candidates for realization of the switchable filter banks targeted for future wireless transceivers.
Molecular Events Underlying the Induced Differentiation of CLL Cells Are Recapitulated in Cess B Cells.

Abstract Although much progress has been made in recent years in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of CLL, new therapeutic approaches are critical to improving patient outcome. One attractive approach is differentiation therapy, in which the malignant B cells are induced to mature into non-replicative cells with a shorter lifespan. We have shown previously that the natural product Bryostatin 1 induces differentiation of CLL cells through activation of the transcription factor STAT1. To identify genes activated by STAT1 that mediate Bryostatin 1-induced differentiation of CLL cells we used gene expression microarrays. Using this approach, we identified seven genes that were potential STAT1 target genes, including GADD45β, IFI16, caspase 3, topoisomerase I, and the known STAT1 target IRF-1. Given the limitations of genetically manipulating primary CLL cells, we evaluated whether B lymphocytic cell lines recapitulated the molecular and cellular differentiation responses to Bryostatin 1 that we observed in CLL cells. We found that Bryostatin 1 is a potent inducer of differentiation of CESS B lymphoblastoid cells, as measured by growth arrest, downregulation of MHC II, and IgG secretion. Bryostatin 1 also induced signaling events in CESS cells similar to those observed in CLL cells, including activation of STAT1 and induction of STAT1 target genes. These findings suggest that STAT1 and its targets may be important mediators of malignant B cell differentiation and that the CESS cell line can be used to further study the potential clinical application of differentiation therapy in CLL.
External Cephalic Version

In patient with a breech fetus at term, counseling for external cephalic version should be performed if appropriate. Success of external cephalic version is reported to be between 60% and 75%. The use of both regional anesthesia and tocolysis increases success rates [1].
New 4-Amino-1,2,3-Triazole Inhibitors of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Form a Long-Lived Complex with the Enzyme and Display Exquisite Cellular Potency.

Indoleamine-2,3 dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) has emerged as a central regulator of immune responses in both normal and disease biology. Due to its established role in promoting tumour immune escape, IDO1 has become an attractive target for cancer treatment. A novel series of highly cell potent IDO1 inhibitors based on a 4-amino-1,2,3-triazole core have been identified. Comprehensive kinetic, biochemical and structural studies demonstrate that compounds from this series have a noncompetitive kinetic mechanism of action with respect to the tryptophan substrate. In co-complex crystal structures, the compounds bind in the tryptophan pocket and make a direct ligand interaction with the haem iron of the porphyrin cofactor. It is proposed that these data can be rationalised by an ordered-binding mechanism, in which the inhibitor binds an apo form of the enzyme that is not competent to bind tryptophan. These inhibitors also form a very tight, long-lived complex with the enzyme, which partially explains their exquisite cellular potency. This novel series represents an attractive starting point for the future development of potent IDO1-targeted drugs.
Antiretroviral Drug Metabolism in Humanized PXR-CAR-CYP3A-NOG Mice.

Antiretroviral drug (ARV) metabolism is linked largely to hepatic cytochrome P450 activity. One ARV drug class known to be metabolized by intestinal and hepatic CYP3A are the protease inhibitors (PIs). Plasma drug concentrations are boosted by CYP3A inhibitors such as cobisistat and ritonavir (RTV). Studies of such drug-drug interactions are limited since the enzyme pathways are human specific. While immune-deficient mice reconstituted with human cells are an excellent model to study ARVs during human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, they cannot reflect human drug metabolism. Thus, we created a mouse strain with the human pregnane X receptor, constitutive androstane receptor, and CYP3A4/7 genes on a NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Sug/JicTac background (hCYP3A-NOG) and used them to evaluate the impact of human CYP3A metabolism on ARV pharmacokinetics. In proof-of-concept studies we used nanoformulated atazanavir (nanoATV) with or without RTV. NOG and hCYP3A-NOG mice were treated weekly with 50 mg/kg nanoATV alone or boosted with nanoformulated ritonavir (nanoATV/r). Plasma was collected weekly and liver was collected at 28 days post-treatment. Plasma and liver atazanavir (ATV) concentrations in nanoATV/r-treated hCYP3A-NOG mice were 2- to 4-fold higher than in replicate NOG mice. RTV enhanced plasma and liver ATV concentrations 3-fold in hCYP3A-NOG mice and 1.7-fold in NOG mice. The results indicate that human CYP3A-mediated drug metabolism is reduced compared with mouse and that RTV differentially affects human gene activity. These differences can affect responses to PIs in humanized mouse models of HIV-1 infection. Importantly, hCYP3A-NOG mice reconstituted with human immune cells can be used for bench-to-bedside translation.
Cab fair: taxi driving and South Asian labor activism in New York City, 1985–1999

The labor strike of 13 May 1998 was an historic event for the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA). Under the leadership of Bhairavi Desai, 98% of New York City’s 24,000 yellow cab drivers refuse...
Tuning a blackboard-based application: a case study using GBB

The run-time performance of a blackboard-based application can be significantly improved by selecting an appropriate blackboard database representation. We present empirical validation of this statement by tuning the representation used in a large, blackboard-based AI application. Dramatic performance gains were obtained without changing any problem solving or control activities. The results underscore the importance of efficient blackboard database operations and the benefits of a flexible, instrumented blackboard development environment when tuning the blackboard representation. This investigation was facilitated by use of the Generic Blackboard Development system (GBB) to construct the application. GBB provides the flexibility to quickly change the database implementation without recoding. Similar performance tuning capabilities are available to any application written using GBB.
Infrared Properties of Selected High T c Superconductors

We wish to investigate to what extent the infrared properties of cuprates are similar to and different from that of ordinary metals and superconductors. We therefore examine and discuss the infrared reflectivity and conductivity in the normal and superconducting states for various optimally doped and under-doped cuprates. We focus on the conductivity of the uplanes in compounds with high Tc, bulk superconductivity. There we find a very simple but unusual normal state phenomenology, as well as evidence for a transition to superconductivity that is very different from the conventional gap opening transition of BCS theory.
Stochastic Model for Cognitive Radio Networks under Jamming Attacks and Honeypot-Based Prevention

Limited and dynamically available resources and "no right to protection from interference" in the open access dynamic spectrum access model bring forth a serious challenge of sustenance among the secondary networks and make them more susceptible to various spectrum etiquette attacks. Among these, the most common are jamming-based denial of service DoS attacks, which result in packet loss. The concept of a honeypot node or honeynode has been explored for wireless networks and has shown to be effective in attracting attacks, thus deterring the jammers from productive nodes. Yet a single dedicated honeynode, on account of its permanent idleness, is wasteful of an entire node as resource. In this paper, we seek to resolve this dilemma by dynamically selecting the honeynode for each transmission period, and we explore various methods of doing so. To begin with, we develop the first comprehensive queuing model for CRNs, which pose unique modeling challenges due to their periodic sensing and transmission cycles. We then build a simulation of CRNs under attack from jammers, introduce a series of strategies for honeynode assignment to combat these attacks, and assess the performance of each strategy. We find that the predictions of our mathematical model track closely with the results of our simulation experiments.
FACIAL PARALANGUAGE AND GESTURE

This chapter discusses facial paralanguage and gesture. Now noting the preponderance of conversational signs (Ekman), Fridlund and Gilbert asserted that the face's chief display role was not emotional but paralinguistic. Little formal research on human facial paralanguage has been conducted. Nonlinguistic vocalization is thought to have been present among all protohumans, and with it, paravocal facial movements. For nonparalinguistic facial displays, regional differences in facial paralanguage do not imply that it is conventional, that is, epigenetic. Consequently, it is likely that formal facial behavior and speech arose from the vocalizations accompanying these protofacial reflexes. Ekman and Friesen's early typology and Chovil's interaction data had captured a great range of facial paralanguage. The inductive scheme suggested by Ekman and Friesen consisted of four facial paralanguages, namely, emblems, [self-] manipulators, illustrators, and regulators. On the other hand, Chovil, whose emphasis was on the links between faces and language, listed five paralanguages: syntactic displays, speaker illustrators, speaker comments, listener comments, and adaptors. Now, at present, it is safe to assume with credibility that facial paralanguage is entirely conventionalized, arising within one generation. Determination of what is nature and what is nurture in facial paralanguage for a select test group though is at best construed by the native cultural significations of the observer themselves.