cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-6 and disease: Two case reports that point to the usefulness of measuring cytokine levels in clinical settings

AbstractChronic fatigue syndrome has been associated with patterns of cytokine imbalances whose relevance to disease status remains to be documented. We present here two case reports that illustrate the relevance of measuring intcrlcuk.in-6 levels in biological fluids in two clinical entities: hypothermia and Sjogren's syndrome. Further studies of this nature in extended patient populations will allow to discern the relevant contribution among the pleiotropy of roles of each particular cytokine in different clinical settings. It becomes apparent from the cases presented that the clinical manifestation of the imbalance in the expression of a particular cytokine is contingent upon the compartment where it occurs and upon levels of other cylokines. Similar studies will allow to define signature cytokine imbalances for each disease condition and may also shed light on thus far uncharacterized etiological agents.
Mental Imagery, Relaxation, and Accuracy of Basketball Foul Shooting:

18 female college basketball players were pretested on foul shooting, alternately assigned to relaxation or mental imagery training, and posttested after 4 training sessions over 3 weeks. Analysis of covariance indicated that the predicted improvement of the imagery group did not occur. The relaxation group was marginally superior at posttest
Application of ink jet technology to a word processing output printer

This paper describes a word processing system output printer that uses the electrostatic synchronous ink jet printing process. An overview of the ink jet matrix printing process is included, as well as brief descriptions of the elements of the printer. Printer performance objectives are outlined, and some of the design problems encountered during development are discussed.
Agency Response to Female Victims of Domestic Violence: The British Approach

Domestic violence is often referred to as an ‘invisible crime’ and is an epidemic of global proportions. It occurs irrespective of religion, race or ethnicity, sexuality, age, or disability. It has devastating physical, emotional, financial, and social effects on women, children, families, and communities around the world. The economic cost to society is also immense.
Differential Expression of Thrombospondin (THBS1) in Tumorigenic and Nontumorigenic Prostate Epithelial Cells in Response to a Chromatin-Binding Soy Peptide

The chemopreventive properties of the chromatin-binding soy peptide, lunasin, are well documented, but its mechanism of action is unclear. To elucidate the mechanism by which lunasin reduces tumor foci formation in cultured mammalian cells, nontumorigenic (RWPE-1) and tumorigenic (RWPE-2) human prostate epithelial cells were treated with lunasin followed by gene expression profiling and characterization of the chromatin acetylation status for certain chemopreventive genes. The genes HIF1A, PRKAR1A, TOB1, and THBS1 were upregulated by lunasin in RWPE-1 but not in RWPE-2 cells. Using histone acetyltransferase (HAT) assays with acid-extracted histones as templates, we showed that lunasin specifically inhibited H4K8 acetylation while enhanced H4K16 acetylation catalyzed by HAT enzymes p300, PCAF, and HAT1A. These results suggest a novel mechanism for lunasin-dependent upregulation of gene expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) revealed hypoacetylation of H4K16 in RWPE-2 cells, specifically at the 5' end of THBS1 containing a CpG island. Moreover, bisulfite PCR (BSP) and subsequent DNA sequencing indicated that this CpG island was hypomethylated in RWPE-1 but hypermethylated in RWPE-2 cells. Histone hypoacetylation and DNA hypermethylation in the 5' region of THBS1 may explain the inability of lunasin to upregulate this gene in RWPE-2 cells.
A second order solution of the non-linear equations of conical shells

Abstract A second order asymptotic solution to the Donnell type non-linear equations of elastic homogeneous conical shells is presented. Closed form solutions for the displacements and stress resultants including twelve constants of integration are obtained by considering the lateral displacement to be of the order of kt where k is a geometric parameter and t is the shell thickness. Terms of order up tot/r in comparison to unity are omitted. The solutions are valid for asymmetric slowly varying edge or surface loads.
A single-inductor dual-input dual-output buck regulator with enhanced power-delivery capability for portable battery management system

A single-inductor dual-input dual-output (SIDIDO) buck regulator is presented for simultaneously regulating a battery charging current and a output DC voltage in portable battery management system. The proposed SIDIDO converter operates in the continuous-conduction mode for relaxing the peak current stress and thus enables the converter to deliver a maximum load power of 2.2W. Moreover, the cross regulation between two outputs is minimized due to fast dynamic response provided by the current-mode control at a switching frequency of 2.5MHz. The proposed SIDIDO converter was designed using a 0.35-µm standard CMOS process. Results show that the converter not only regulates the charging current up to 300mA with Li-Ion battery voltage ranging from 2.7V to 4.2V, but also provides a regulated output voltage with a maximum 400mA load current. The cross regulation between two outputs is less than 0.18mV/mA.
Promoting science-based approaches to teen pregnancy prevention: proactively engaging the three systems of the interactive systems framework

In the field of teen pregnancy prevention many efficacious prevention programs are available but adoption of these programs is slow at the community level. In this article, we present a multi-site, capacity-building effort called the Promoting Science-based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention project (PSBA) as a case example of a proactive application of the Interactive System Framework (ISF) for dissemination and implementation. The ISF is a multi-system model leading to dissemination and implementation of science-based prevention programming through the work of three interactive systems: The “Prevention Delivery,” “Prevention Support,” and “Prevention Synthesis & Translation” Systems. This article describes the proactive use of the ISF to conceptualize and bolster the PSBA program’s goal of assisting local prevention partners in the use of science-based approaches (SBA) to prevent teen pregnancy. PSBA uses all three systems of the ISF to facilitate practice improvements and offers valuable research opportunities to investigate factors related to dissemination and implementation processes across these systems. Describing our application of this framework highlights the feasibility of actively using the ISF to build prevention infrastructure and to guide large-scale prevention promotion strategies in the area of teen pregnancy prevention. The program’s ongoing evaluation is presented as an example of early efforts to develop an evidence base around the ISF. Research implications are discussed.
Technical Note: Analysis of Pulse Height in the Presence of Noise: Applications to Cathodic Protection

Abstract An algorithm by which noise in a square pulse signal can be filtered and the signal can be analyzed is presented. Simulated square pulses mixed with known levels of noise were used as model signals to test the algorithm. Application of this new algorithm for signal analysis in cathodic protection (CP) systems is demonstrated from data collected on an in-service gas pipeline. This pipeline carried both CP and stray currents that were of comparable magnitude.
Optimal holding times at transfer stations

Most bus transit systems only offer direct service between a small fraction of the origin/destination pairs that they serve. As a consequence, many travelers must transfer between bus lines to complete their journey. In this paper schedule control policies are created to minimize transfer time under stochastic conditions. We determine how long a bus should be held at a transfer stop in anticipation of the arrival of passengers from connecting bus lines. In general, the total expected waiting time function may have multiple local minima. However, we show there exists at most one non-boundary local minimum point for the special case where arrival times of connecting buses are identically and normally distributed. An application is provided based on bus lines in Los Angeles County's Metropolitan Transportation Agency to evaluate holding time policies.
Neuronotrophic activity for ciliary ganglion neurons. Induction following injury to the brain of neonatal, adult, and aged rats.

Abstract The induction of neuronotrophic activity following injury to the brain of neonatal, adult, and aged Sprague-Dawley rats was compared using an improved in vitro assay. The maximal levels of activity in tissue surrounding the wound were reached at 3, 10–15, and about 15 days postlesion in neonatal, adult, and aged animals, respectively. Tissue neuronotrophic levels were always much lower in neonatal animals relative to the older animals. Accumulation of neuronotrophic activity in the gelfoam placed into the wound cavities in neonatal and adult animals lagged behind the levels in tissue by 4–5 days, suggesting that either the neuronotrophic factor itself or the cells which produce it are transferred from the tissue into the gelfoam. Relatively little activity accumulated in the gelfoam taken from aged Sprague-Dawley rats, and this observation was confirmed in aged Fischer rats. Aged animals seem to be unable to produce or release one of a number of neuronotrophic factors in response to injury.
Teaching responsibility through sport education: prospects of a coalition.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to provide a databased analysis of a combined sport model and from this to develop a theory from practice. In particular, the original concern was to examine the extent to which the teaching of personal and social responsibility (TPSR) could form a coalition with the Sport Education model. Forty-five 6th-grade boys, who had a previous history of struggling with the fair play requirements of Sport Education, participated in a 26-lesson season of Xball, an invasion game designed by those students. As a general summary, it was found that some of the features of TPSR strengthened the foundation of Sport Education, but due to the need to introduce new tasks and problems for students, a hybrid model (Empowering Sport) was developed. This hybrid, with a predominately ecological integration perspective, presents a curriculum model that allows for achievement within a powerful triangle of goals—sport skill competence, social responsibility, and personal empowerment.
Coronal breadth of human primary anterior teeth.

Original data for mesiodistal diameter of deciduous anterior teeth on 180 White children show: (1) mean size is smallest for the lower central incisor and largest for the upper canine, (2) means from combining widths on the left anterior teeth of each arch are larger in the maxilla than the mandible by 4.0 mm, (3) individual differences for widths of the upper central and lateral incisors extend from one child with these teeth of similar size to another child with the central incisor larger than the lateral by 2.3 mm, and (4) anterior tooth correlations are positive, varying from r = 0.4 for upper canine width with width of lower central incisor, to r = 0.8 for combined widths of left anterior teeth in the maxilla with combined widths of their antagonists. Comparative findings are drawn from investigations on Australian aborigines, South African Bushmen, Liberian Negroes, Tristan da Cunha islanders, Japanese, Japanese-Negro admixtures, Japanese-White admixtures, White groups living in several parts of Europe, and North American Whites. Among these ethnic groups, Australian aborigines have the largest deciduous anterior teeth. Composite means on each sex for North American Whites show boys to have slightly larger anterior deciduous teeth than girls.
Bartonella species antibodies and DNA in cerebral spinal fluid of cats with central nervous system disease

Bartonella species infection is associated with central nervous system (CNS) disease in some humans and cats but the diagnosis is difficult to confirm with blood or serum test results. In this retrospective study of 100 client-owned cats, serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) were assayed for Bartonella species IgG antibodies and CSF was assayed for Bartonella species DNA. Bartonella species IgG antibodies were detected in serum of 36 cats, Bartonella species C-values>1 (suggesting antibody production by the CNS) were detected in CSF of 11 cats, and B henselae DNA was amplified from the CSF of 10 cats. While the clinical significance of these findings cannot be assessed without a control group, the development of neurological signs in some cats inoculated with B henselae and the results of this study warrant prospective evaluation of the association of Bartonella species with feline CNS disease.
The leadermart system and service

The LEADERMART System and the service it provides are the product of a coordinated three-phased development project conducted at Lehigh University with National Science Foundation support. The service comprises a user-oriented, multi-optioned information retrieval system featuring innovative as well as standard retrieval techniques. Its available online data bases include nearly one half million documents derived from COMPENDEX, CAS Condensates, and various other document sets, oriented toward the transdisciplinary use of science and engineering information.The service also provides the user with special services which greatly expand his ability to control his information environment as desired or required. Built-in evaluation and feedback mechanisms also insure the most effective results relative to the user's needs over a given period of time.Finally, the possibility of expanding the LEADERMART System and Service into major/minor information nodes offers the user a maximum degree of flexibility and information coverage without modification of his information searching patterns.
A method for rapid in situ extraction and laboratory determination of Th, Pb, and Ra isotopes from large volumes of seawater

An in situ pump and six channel extraction system, operating typically at 351 min−1, can not only filter seawater samples but also extract dissolved Th, Pb and Ra isotopes from large volumes of seawater at six different depths on a single lowering. By gamma counting the ash residues of three cartridges (one particle extractor and two nuclide extractors), we can determine 234Th and 210Pb concentrations in the particulate and dissolved phase. Extraction efficiencies for 234Th from the dissolved phase average 93 ± 5% and for 210Pb average ≥90%. At the same time we can determine radium isotopic ratios precisely, but, at present radium concentrations can only be established by the determination of 226Ra in a 30-1 cohort sample. This system can be deployed easily from ships having an A-frame. It eliminates the problems of transporting and processing large volumes of samples and involves relatively little manual labor and analytical time. We have tested and used this device repeatedly in the Gulf of Mexico. Our preliminary results agree well with values of 234Th and 210Pb concentrations and 228Ra/226Ra activity ratios reported in the literature for the Gulf of Mexico.
Role of acid and duodenogastric reflux in esophageal mucosal injury: A review of animal and human studies

The role of acid and duodenogastric reflux (DGR) in the development of esophageal mucosal injury has been extensively investigated using both animal and human models. In this report, clinical and experimental data are reviewed. The mechanisms by which gastric and duodenal contents produce esophageal mucosal injury are also discussed. Acid and pepsin are unquestionably important in causing mucosal damage at low pH values in both animal and human models. Animal models suggest synergistic damaging potential for conjugated bile acids and HCI as well as that of unconjugated bile acids and trypsin in more neutral pH values. Human evidence for the involvement of bile and its constituents has been controversial; however, the advent of better technology to detect DGR is beginning to clarify the role of these constituents. The contribution of each methodology in clarifying the extent of involvement of DGR in esophageal mucosal injury is reviewed. Despite some conflicting results, preliminary human studies support the results from the animal data suggesting synergistic damaging effects for both bile and acid in esophageal mucosal injury. The implication of these studies in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease are discussed.
A differential-difference equation for a KdV-MKdV equation

Abstract In this paper a differential-difference equation is derived by methods related to the inverse scattering transform (IST), which has as its limiting form the nonlinear partial differential equation ut+6αuux+6βu2ux + uxxx=0. It is shown that the differential-difference equations which have as limiting forms the KdV and MKdV equations are obtained from the new differential-difference equation.
A theory of fluctuations in stock prices: effects of discreteness

A diffusive model with a price dependent diffusion coefficient was recently proposed to explain the occurrence of non-Gaussian price return distributions observed empirically in real markets [J.L. McCauley and G.H. Gunaratne, Physica A 329, 178 (2003)]. Depending on the functional form of the diffusion coefficient, the exactly solved continuum limit of the model can produce either an exponential distribution, or a "fat-tailed" power-law distribution of returns. Real markets, however, are discrete, and, in this paper, the effects of discreteness on the model are explored. Discrete distributions from simulations and from numerically exact calculations are presented and compared to the corresponding distributions of the continuum model. A type of phase transition is discovered in discrete models that lead to fat-tailed distributions in the continuum limit, sheading light on the nature of such distributions. The transition is to a phase in which infinite price changes can occur in finite time.
Mechanisms of the Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) Process in Integrated Circuit Fabrication

Abstract A contact mechanics model that describes the polishing mechanisms of copper-patterned silicon wafers in the fabrication of ultra-large-scale integrated (ULSI) circuits is presented. The model explains the die-scale variation of material removal rates due to pattern geometry, and predicts results that are in agreement with experimental observations. When the width of the copper interconnect is less than 0.5 μm, dishing of interconnects is less than 20 nm and thus does not contribute much to surface nonuniformity. However, because the overpolishing rate varies with the copper area fraction, it may contribute to die-scale nonuniformity.
Slow bimolecular reactions in a deflected turbulent jet

Abstract An integral method that incorporates the entrainment hypothesis of Hoult, Fay and Forney (JAPCA, 19 (1969) 585) is used to predict the concentration of product formed within a turbulent jet in a laminar crossflow. The analysis is restricted to a slow irreversible bimolecular reaction and asymptotic expressions are derived for the product formed in both the near and far field. Reliable laboratory data are presented for the oxidation of nitric oxide by the reaction 2NO + O 2 → 2NO 2 with excess O 2 and the results are correlated with the theory in the far field.
Derived schemes and the field with one element

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to define derived schemes over F 1 , the “field with one element”. More generally, we define our derived algebraic geometry over a symmetric monoidal category ( C , ⊗ , 1 ) by adapting the constructions of Lurie. We also suggest that the construction of derived schemes over F 1 has an analogue in the “homotopy theory of algebraic varieties” over an algebraically closed field k , which we refer to as “derived schemes over T 1 ( k ) ”. This is motivated by the fact that the S -modules in the category of schemes over k are analogous to Z -modules.
Lymphocyte adherence in multiple sclerosis: lack of virus specificity.

Abstract The virus specificity of adherence of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis and from age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers to tissue culture cells infected with measles virus, Newcastle disease virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus was studied. Lymphocyte adherence to uninfected cells is uniformly low (5–15% tissue culture cells with > 3 lymphocytes adhered). Adherence to cells infected with virus is enhanced 2- to 4-fold in controls and 2- to 10-fold in patients with multiple sclerosis. Virus-specific antigen, antiserum, and receptor, at least in part, inhibited adherence to all cells tested. It is concluded from these studies that increased lymphocyte adherence in multiple sclerosis is not measles virus specific.
Solid-state transformer stability and control considerations

This paper addresses the stability issues and some control solutions in solid-state transformers (SST). An SST is built using three cascaded stages, including an ac-dc rectifier, a dual active bridge (DAB) converter, and a dc-ac inverter. Multistage cascaded converters are highly prone to instabilities due to the interaction between stages. Hence, the control system must be designed in a way that solves this detrimental interaction effect. Additionally, the stability issue can become even more complicated when a distributed energy storage device (DESD) and a distributed renewable energy resource (DRER) are added to the SST. In this paper, the stability of the SST is studied by applying the Middlebrook's criterion. To do so, the converters' small-signal models will be derived, and the frequency domain analyses is carried out to predict the time domain behavior of the SST. An average model of SST will be simulated in PSCAD to validate the stability analyses predictions.
Influence of Leaf Detritus Type on Production and Longevity of Container-Breeding Mosquitoes

Freshwater ecosystems are positioned at low levels in the landscape and receive large inputs of diverse plant-based detritus, a major source of energy for consumers in aquatic ecosystems. We conducted Þeld experiments in Urbana, IL to determine the independent and combined effects of leaves of common tree species including the northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall), and common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.) on the performance of container- dwelling mosquitoes, especially Culex restuans Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae). We tested the hy- pothesis that leaf species have asymmetric effects on adult mosquito production and longevity. Hackberry followed by combined leaf treatments and maple produced the greatest number of pupae, whereas oak leaves produced the fewest. Leaf treatments had no signiÞcant effects on adult female sizes but female longevity was signiÞcantly lower in oak leaf treatments compared with the other leaf treatments. These Þndings support the hypothesis that leaf species identity insuences the performance of container-dwelling mosquitoes with potential consequences for the transmission of infectious diseases.
Passive Transfer of Antibodies Protects Immunocompetent and Immunodeficient Mice against Lethal Ebola Virus Infection without Complete Inhibition of Viral Replication

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe, usually fatal illness caused by Ebola virus, a member of the filovirus family. The use of nonhomologous immune serum in animal studies and blood from survivors in two anecdotal reports of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in humans has shown promise, but the efficacy of these treatments has not been demonstrated definitively. We have evaluated the protective efficacy of polyclonal immune serum in a mouse model of Ebola virus infection. Our results demonstrate that mice infected subcutaneously with live Ebola virus survive infection and generate high levels of anti-Ebola virus immunoglobulin G (IgG). Passive transfer of immune serum from these mice before challenge protected upto 100% of naive mice against lethal Ebola virus infection. Protection correlated with the level of anti-Ebola virus IgG titers, and passive treatment with high-titer antiserum was associated with a delay in the peak of viral replication. Transfer of immune serum to SCID mice resulted in 100% survival after lethal challenge with Ebola virus, indicating that antibodies alone can protect from lethal disease. Thus antibodies suppress or delay viral growth, provide protection against lethal Ebola virus infection, and may not require participation of other immune components for protection.
Factors associated with increased risk of head tremor in essential tremor: A community-based study in northern Manhattan

Head tremor is one of the major expressions of essential tremor (ET). It is not well understood why some patients develop head tremor, whereas others do not. A study of the characteristics of patients with head tremor has not been undertaken. Our goal was to estimate the prevalence of head tremor and to identify demographic and clinical characteristics associated with an increased risk of head tremor in ET. Cases were ascertained from a community-based study of ET in northern Manhattan, New York. Arm tremor severity was rated with a total tremor score. Logistic regression analyses resulted in odds ratios (OR). Head tremor was present in 37 (34.9%) of 106 ET cases. Female gender was associated with a fourfold increased risk of head tremor (OR = 3.73; P = 0.005). Total tremor score was divided into quartiles; individuals in the lowest or highest quartile were four times more likely to have head tremor (OR = 4.16; P = 0.001). Individuals with both risk factors (female gender and lowest or highest total tremor score quartile) were 16 times more likely to have head tremor (OR = 15.88; P = 0.0006). Being related to a proband with head tremor marginally increased the risk of head tremor (OR = 11.30; P = 0.08). Age and tremor duration did not influence the risk of head tremor. We identified several factors that were associated with an increased risk of head tremor in ET; female gender, coexisting arm tremor that was either very mild or extremely severe, and relation to an ET case with head tremor. These disease associations require further exploration, and might provide insight into the mechanisms underlying head tremor.
Distributed correction of proximity effect in electron beam lithography on a heterogeneous cluster

Summary form only given. Electron-beam lithography is one of the techniques used in transferring circuit patterns onto substrates. Proximity effect caused by electron scattering imposes a severe limitation on the ultimate spatial resolution attainable by e-beam lithography. Therefore, proximity effect correction is essential particularly for fine-feature, high-density circuit patterns. Proximity effect correction is very time-consuming due to intensive computation required in the correction procedure and a large size of circuit pattern data to be processed. Therefore, it is an ideal candidate for distributed computing where the otherwise-unused CPU cycles of a number of computers on a network (cluster) can be efficiently utilized. One of the characteristics of such a cluster is its heterogeneity, i.e., the available computing power varies with computer and/or time. This variation may degrade performance of distributed computing significantly. We describe a distributed implementation of proximity effect correction, and static and dynamic load balancing schemes which attempt to minimize execution time of distributed proximity effect correction by considering heterogeneity of a cluster and nonuniformity in a circuit pattern. Also, experimental results obtained on a cluster of Sun workstations shared by multiple users are presented.
Lossless FMO and Slice Structure Modification for Compressed H.264 Video

We introduce a scheme to losslessly modify pre-compressed H.264 video to enable at streaming time (1) modification of slice sizes to fit transport packet size, and (2) introduction of an error resilience feature, namely flexible macroblock ordering. By lossless we mean the reconstructed video from the modified bitstream is identical to that from the original compressed bitstream. We outline how this transcoder operates, and discuss some of its restrictions. The bit rate overhead for operating on the pre-compressed, rather than directly encoding the original video with the desired characteristics, is analyzed. Simulation results show 1 to 2 dB improvement when our scheme is applied to QuickTime generated H.264 videos transported over a lossy packet network.
Directed Control of Discrete Event Systems for Safety and Nonblocking

We introduce the notion of directed control, where a directed controller is one that selects at most one controllable event to be enabled at any instant. This is in contrast to supervisory control, where a supervisory controller enables a maximum allowable set of controllable events at any instant, i.e., no specific selection for executing an enabled event is made. While the design of a supervisory controller is meaningful for plants that are generator of controllable events, a directed controller design makes more sense for plants that are executor of controllable events. The control goal is the same as that in a supervisory control setting, namely, safety and nonblockingness. A safe and nonblocking directed controller exists if and only if a safe and nonblocking supervisory controller exists, thereby proving the polynomiality of verifying existence. We also develop a set of algorithms of polynomial complexity to compute a safe and nonblocking directed controller (whenever one exists).
Cost-Based Monte Carlo Sampling Approaches for Sensor Self-Localization Under Beacon Position Uncertainty

Sensor localization methods based on Monte Carlo sampling approximate the sensor position distributions by a weighted set of samples. These approaches traditionally require complete knowledge of the probabilistic distributions of the uncertainties in the sensor system. In this paper, we propose alternative sampling-based methods which do not require complete knowledge of the probabilistic distributions. The sensor position distributions are represented by a set of samples and costs which are described by spatial parametric regions. Few parameters are needed to characterize these regions, and therefore the amount of information to be transmitted to the rest of the sensors to self-localize is simplified. Computer simulations show that the proposed methods are more robust and less computationally intensive than standard sampling approaches.
Preparation of small poly(butylene terephthalate) spheres by crystallization from solution

The crystallization of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) from moderately dilute solutions of PBT in a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy has been investigated. PBT dissolves in this epoxy approximately 35°C below its usual melting temperature of 227°C to form a one-phase solution. Cooling this solution below 165°C leads to rapid crystallization of the PBT. The resulting mixture of liquid epoxy and crystalline PBT has a low viscosity and contains highly birefringent, individual PBT spherulites. The PBT spherulites have a narrow size distribution and a high surface-to-volume ratio. These particles are suggested to arise from a rapid crystallization that follows liquid–liquid phase separation. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Adherence to the WCRF/AICR guidelines for cancer prevention is associated with lower mortality among older female cancer survivors

Background: The 2007 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) guidelines encourage cancer survivors to follow its cancer prevention recommendations. We evaluated whether adherence to the WCRF/AICR guidelines for cancer prevention was associated with lower mortality among older female cancer survivors. Methods: From 2004-2009, 2,017 participants in the Iowa Women's Health Study who had a confirmed cancer diagnosis (1986-2002) and completed the 2004 follow-up questionnaire were followed. Adherence scores for the WCRF/AICR guidelines for body weight, physical activity, and diet were computed assigning one, 0.5 or 0 points to each of eight recommendations depending on the degree of adherence. All-cause (n=461), cancer-specific (n=184), and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-specific mortality (n=145) were compared by the total adherence score and by adherence scores for each of the three components of the recommendations. Results: Women with the highest (6-8) vs. lowest (0-4) adherence score had lower all-cause mortality (HR=0.67, 95%CI=0.50-0.94). Meeting the physical activity recommendation was associated with lower all-cause ( p trend<0.0001), cancer-specific ( p trend=0.04), and CVD-specific mortality ( p trend=0.03). Adherence to dietary recommendations was associated with lower all-cause mortality ( p trend<0.05), whereas adherence to the body weight recommendation was associated with higher all-cause mortality ( p trend=0.009). Conclusions: Adherence to the WCRF/AICR guidelines was associated with lower all-cause mortality among older female cancer survivors. Adherence to the physical activity recommendation had the strongest association with lower all-cause and disease-specific mortality. Impact: Older cancer survivors may decrease their risk of death by leading a healthy lifestyle after a cancer diagnosis.
The efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells to regenerate and repair dental structures

Structured Abstract Authors – Shi S, Bartold PM, Miura M, Seo BM, Robey PG, Gronthos S Objectives – Identification, characterization, and potential application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from human dental tissues. Methods – Dental pulp and periodontal ligament were obtained from normal human impacted third molars. The tissues were digested in collagenase/dispase to generate single cell suspensions. Cells were cultured in α-MEM supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum, 2 mM l-glutamine, 100 μM l-ascorbate-2-phosphate. Magnetic and fluorescence activated cell sorting were employed to characterize the phenotype of freshly isolated and ex vivo expanded cell populations. The developmental potential of cultured cells was assessed following co-transplantation with hydroxyapetite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) particles into immunocompromised mice for 8 weeks. Results – MSC were identified in adult human dental pulp (dental pulp stem cells, DPSC), human primary teeth (stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth, SHED), and periodontal ligament (periodontal ligament stem cells, PDLSC) by their capacity to generate clongenic cell clusters in culture. Ex vivo expanded DPSC, SHED, and PDLSC populations expressed a heterogeneous assortment of makers associated with MSC, dentin, bone, smooth muscle, neural tissue, and endothelium. PDLSC were also found to express the tendon specific marker, Scleraxis. Xenogeneic transplants containing HA/TCP with either DPSC or SHED generated donor-derived dentin-pulp-like tissues with distinct odontoblast layers lining the mineralized dentin-matrix. In parallel studies, PDLSC generated cementum-like structures associated with PDL-like connective tissue when transplanted with HA/TCP into immunocompromised mice. Conclusion – Collectively, these data revealed the presence of distinct MSC populations associated with dental structures with the potential of stem cells to regenerate living human dental tissues in vivo.
Impact of age, location, and bicycle style on helmet usage by adults.

Objective: Our objective was to describe current patterns of bicycle helmet usage in a university community using a direct observation approach. Participants: Cyclists in a university community observed in 2010 and 2011. Methods: We identified 6 locations in Athens, Georgia, and recorded the type of bicycle, age group, sex, and helmet usage of passing cyclists. We performed univariate and multivariate analysis to identify independent predictors of helmet usage. Results: We observed 433 cyclists: 74 percent male, 74 percent college age, and 45 percent of whom wore a helmet. Helmet usage varied by bicycle type, location of observation, and age group. Independent predictors of bike helmet were on-campus location (0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22–0.66), college-age rider (0.29, 95% CI: 0.15–0.54), and use of a city or leisure bike (0.39, 95% CI: 0.23–0.65). Conclusions: College-age riders, riders on campus, and those riding a city or leisure-style bike are less likely to wear a helmet. Health promotio...
Clinical Aspects of Endometriosis

Abstract: Endometriosis is one of the most commonly encountered gynecologic diseases requiring medical and/or surgical therapy. It is a leading cause of hysterectomy in the United States and has significant associated morbidity. The most frequent symptoms of genital tract endometriosis are dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Endometriosis occurs in the pelvis, most commonly the ovaries and the dependent areas covered with peritoneum. Diagnosis requires surgical intervention and is usually made by laparoscopy. In women being evaluated for pelvic pain, the diagnosis of endometriosis is made frequently (40-60%) and varies with the population being studied. Infertility and endometriosis have long been associated. Although women with infertility may have pelvic pain, subfertility (20-30%) can be the only presenting symptom. In asymptomatic women, the diagnosis of endometriosis ranges from 2% to 22% of reproductive-age women. Its true incidence and natural history remain to be clarified. Endometriosis is a significant public health issue because of the large number of women it affects and the significant morbidity associated with this disease.
Property Rights: The Neglected Theme of 20th-Century American Planning

Problem: Planning affects individual property rights, which have a special cultural significance in the United States, and it has often protected the interests of affluent and influential groups in the past. Thus, it is not surprising that many Americans perceive planning negatively. Purpose: We provide a perspective on the role of property rights in the history of American planning, arguing for confronting these issues as part of finding a better way forward. Methods: We reviewed primary and secondary historical sources and analyzed key legal cases and legislation. Results and conclusions: Planners should honestly acknowledge the role planning has played in protecting elite property rights and should consider taking three steps toward a more positive future. First, they should tell their own story, rather than leaving this to opponents of planning. Second, they should highlight both the rights and the duties of private property owners and of the larger community. Third, planners should not shy away from ...
PARVALBUMIN-IMMUNOREACTIVE AXON TERMINALS IN MACAQUE MONKEY AND HUMAN PREFRONTAL CORTEX : LAMINAR, REGIONAL, AND TARGET SPECIFICITY OF TYPE I AND TYPE II SYNAPSES

In sensory regions of primate neocortex, the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV) is present in axon terminals that form both Gray's type I (asymmetric) and type II (symmetric) synapses. Those terminals forming type I synapses appear to arise from relay nuclei in the thalamus, whereas those forming type II synapses derive from cortical local circuit neurons. However, whether PV is present in both of these two types of terminals in the association regions of the primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) is not known. In the present study, PV-immunoreactive (IR) axon terminals in the superficial layers (layers 2-3a) of monkey PFC area 9 were found to form exclusively type II synapses onto the dendritic spines (44%), shafts (39%), or somata/axon initial segments (17%) of pyramidal neurons. In contrast, in the middle layers (layers 3b-4), 52% of the PV-IR axon terminals formed type I synapses, and 79% of these terminals contacted dendritic spines. However, in the adjacent area 46, only 12% of the PV-IR terminals in the middle layers formed type I synapses. In addition, the PV-IR axon terminals forming type I synapses were 50% larger than those terminals forming type II synapses. Similar to the macaque monkey, in area 9 of the human PFC, PV-IR axon terminals forming type I synapses onto dendritic spines were found in the middle layers. These findings indicate that PV-IR axon terminals in macaque monkey and human PFC are likely to have both intrinsic and extrinsic sources. In addition, the laminar, regional, and target specificity of the labeled terminals forming type I synapses suggests that they arise from PV-IR neurons in the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.
The strength and rheology of methane clathrate hydrate

[1] Methane clathrate hydrate (structure I) is found to be very strong, based on laboratory triaxial deformation experiments we have carried out on samples of synthetic, high-purity, polycrystalline material. Samples were deformed in compressional creep tests (i.e., constant applied stress, σ), at conditions of confining pressure P = 50 and 100 MPa, strain rate 4.5 × 10−8 ≤ ≤ 4.3 × 10−4 s−1, temperature 260 ≤ T ≤ 287 K, and internal methane pressure 10 ≤ PCH4 ≤ 15 MPa. At steady state, typically reached in a few percent strain, methane hydrate exhibited strength that was far higher than expected on the basis of published work. In terms of the standard high-temperature creep law, = Aσne−(E*+PV*)/RT the rheology is described by the constants A = 108.55 MPa−n s−1, n = 2.2, E* = 90,000 J mol−1, and V* = 19 cm3 mol−1. For comparison, at temperatures just below the ice point, methane hydrate at a given strain rate is over 20 times stronger than ice, and the contrast increases at lower temperatures. The possible occurrence of syntectonic dissociation of methane hydrate to methane plus free water in these experiments suggests that the high strength measured here may be only a lower bound. On Earth, high strength in hydrate-bearing formations implies higher energy release upon decomposition and subsequent failure. In the outer solar system, if Titan has a 100-km-thick near-surface layer of high-strength, low-thermal conductivity methane hydrate as has been suggested, its interior is likely to be considerably warmer than previously expected.
A functional inflammasome activation assaydifferentiates patients with pathogenic NLRP3mutations and symptomatic patients with lowpenetrance variants.

Question The cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS) are characterized by recurrent episodes of systemic inflammation. CAPS is caused by mutations in the NLRP3 gene encoding cryopyrin, an important component of the NLRP3 inflammasome that activates caspase-1 resulting in inflammation by excessive production of IL-1b and others. Besides confirmed pathogenic NLRP3 mutations, patients with CAPS-like symptoms frequently show low penetrance variants in NLRP3. The disease relevance of these variants is inconsistent. The analysis of IL-1b in the serum did not prove to be a valid diagnostic test in these individuals.
A Review of: “Gramsci is Dead: Anarchist Currents in the Newest Social Movements by R. Day”

Every once in a while, an idea arrives as if by lightning. The title of Richard Day's book Gramsci is Dead is just such a bolt out of the blue. It is a declaration-as-provocation, ultimately posing...
Hardware Optimizations for Anytime Perception and Control

Autonomous vehicles promise significant benefits to society, from reduced accident rates to greater mobility for the elderly. The biggest challenge in the design of autonomous vehicles comes from the uncertainty of the environment in which they will operate. Their control algorithms must be able to cope with driving events that occur on widely ranging time scales. For example, relaxed rural driving can accommodate planning actions every few seconds, while imminent collision avoidance requires planning and actuation on the order of a few milliseconds. Thus 'real-time' performance will imply different things depending on the context.
Heat shock protein receptors: Implications for vaccination

Heat shock protein (hsp)-peptide complexes are taken up by dendritic cells through hsp receptors such as CD91. Endocytosed hsp-peptide complexes are re-presented (or cross-presented) by the DCs through their MHC I (and to a lesser extent, MHC II) molecules. In an analysis of re-presentation of ovalbumin-derived SIINFEKL peptides from ova-expressing E.G7 cells, we observe that the hsp-peptide complexes and not the ova protein are the dominant form of antigen utilized in re-presentation. These observations and other considerations (to be discussed at the meeting) lead us to explore the hypothesis that hsp-peptide complexes represent a dominant instrument of cross-presentation and cross-priming in vivo . This abstract was published in Cancer Immunity , a [Cancer Research Institute][1] journal that ceased publication in 2013 and is now provided online in association with Cancer Immunology Research . [1]: http://cancerresearch.org/
Swarm Vision

Swarm Vision is an installation consisting of multiple pan-tilt-zoom cameras on rails positioned above spectators in an exhibition space. Each camera behaves autonomously based on programmed rules of computer vision.
Abstract PL05-01: Heterogeneity in DCIS and invasive breast cancers.

Intratumor genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of cancer cells underlies tumor progression and therapeutic resistance; thus, it is a major clinical problem. We have characterized intratumor genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity by immunoFISH (iFISH) in DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), primary invasive tumors, lymph node and distant metastases, as well as breast tumor biopsies before and after treatment. We found the highest genetic diversity in distant metastases but surprisingly these lesions were less divergent than primary-lymph node pairs. Intratumor diversity was also associated with tumor subtype and response to treatment. We also developed preclinical models to address the functional relevance of intratumor clonal heterogeneity in breast cancer and found cooperative interactions that promote tumor growth and metastatic progression. Our analyses of clonal frequency and drivers of tumor growth have revealed some unexpected findings. Our results emphasize the need to understand the cancer cell populations that compose tumors to be able to predict tumor evolution. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):PL05-01. Citation Format: Kornelia Polyak. Heterogeneity in DCIS and invasive breast cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr PL05-01.
Disparities of the Chinese Elderly: Activities of Daily Living and Socioeconomic Characteristics

Using data from a national survey conducted in 2006 by the China Research Center on Aging, this study examines the disparities between the socioeconomic characteristics of the Chinese elderly and their daily mobility and household activities. This study tests the hypothesis that the disparities of daily living activities among the Chinese elderly are associated with their socioeconomic characteristics, including age, gender, residence, marital status, education, economic security, and health. By utilizing both cross-classification and the Chi-square significance test, the findings show support for the underlying hypothesis. Policy implications are discussed.