cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Eulerian differencing method for unsteady compressible flow problems

Abstract An Eulerian finite difference method is presented which can be used with a high-speed computer to solve the time-dependent equations of motion for the compressible flow of a fluid. The difference equations are described in detail, and the nature of the truncation errors introduced by the numerical approximations is discussed, as are the stability properties of the equations. Three solutions involving time-dependent flow in two space dimensions are described and analyzed: the diffraction of a weak shock travelling through a z-shaped tunnel, the interaction of a supersonic blunt body with a plane shock wave, and the passage of a plane shock over a conical body. Good agreement with experimental data is obtained in all cases where comparisons are made.
State Estimator Condition Number Analysis

This paper develops formulas for the condition number of the state estimation problem as a function of the different types and number of measurements. We present empirical results using the IEEE RTS-96 and IEEE 118 bus systems that validate the formulas.
Numerical investigation of three-dimensional flow separation using the boundary layer equations

The steady, incompressible, three-dimensional laminar and turbulent boundary-layer equations are solved in a streamline coordinate system and in a self-adaptive grid system using Matsuno's finite difference method. Techniques are described for calculating laminar and turbulent separation using the boundary-layer equations. Any type (bubble type or free vortex-layer type) of major separation line can be calculated at an angle of attack on ellipsoids of revolution by this boundary layer code. Results are presented for ellipsoids of revolution at angles of attack up to 45 degrees. Agreements with other numerical and experimental results are very good for laminar flows. Turbulent flows are also investigated with algebraic turbulence models proposed by Rotta and Cebeci and Smith. Good agreement with experimental results was obtained at a small angle of attack (10 degrees) but only qualitative agreement was obtained at a high angle of attack (30 degrees) for turbulent flow on a 6:1 ellipsoid of revolution.
Effect of Prostaglandins E1 and F2α on Heart Rate by Direct Injection Into the Canine Sinus Node Artery

Abstract A number of investigators have found that intravenous injection of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) or prostaglandin F2α(PGF2α) increased heart rate in humans (Bergstrom et al. (1)) and in dogs (Nakano and McCurdy (2); Emerson et al. (3)). Lavery et al. (4) also showed that the intra-vertebral arterial injection of PGE1 and PGF2α also increased heart rate in dogs. Nakano and McCurdy (2) showed that the tachycardia induced by intravenous injection of PGE1 was completely abolished by the administration of propranolol (1 mg/kg). The present study was undertaken to examine whether or not PGE1 or PGF2α has a direct effect on the sinus node by injecting the prostaglandins into an isolated sinus node artery.
Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis treatment are associated with reduced breast cancer risk

Bisphosphonates are commonly prescribed for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis (Rosen, 2005). By inhibiting bone resorption, bisphosphonate therapy also reduces skeletal complications from bone involvement in breast, prostate, and other cancers, and from the bone-depleting consequences of some treatments (Berenson et al, 1996; Aapro et al, 2008; Saad et al, 2008). In addition to the reduction in osteoclastic bone resorption, the more potent aminobisphosphonates inhibit the mevalonate pathway, thereby affecting cell function and survival(Luckman et al, 1998; Dunford et al, 2001). As this pathway leads to the prenylation of key signalling proteins required by all cells, aminobisphosphonates may affect the viability of other cell types, such as tumours (Russell et al, 1999; Caraglia et al, 2006). Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates have also been shown to directly induce tumour apoptosis, inhibit angiogenesis, and prevent tumour cell adhesion (Neville-Webbe et al, 2002; Wood et al, 2002). These anti-proliferative actions may be relevant to the development of a broad range of cancers, including breast neoplasms(Green, 2003; Winter et al, 2008). We examined the association between bisphosphonate use and breast cancer in a population-based case–control study.
Oxygen diffusion in β-Zircaloy

Abstract The diffusion of oxygen in β-Zircaloy-4 has been studied from 900 to 1500°C with survey measurements for β-zirconium and β-Zircaloy-2. The tracer diffusivity was measured over the entire temperature range and the chemical diffusivity from 1100 to 1450°C. The experiments were performed by using oxygen-18 as the tracer and activating it by proton bombardment. Some complementary measurements were made using Auger Electron Spectroscopy. The results indicated that the tracer and chemical diffusivity of oxygen in β-Zircaloy-4 are statistically identical, and that there is no oxygen concentration dependence over the oxygen concentration range studied, 0.1 to 0.6 wt.%. The temperature dependence of the diffusivity of 18 O from 1000 to 1500°C is given by D = 2.48 × 10 −2 exp(−28200/ RT ) cm 2 /sec. The results for the β-zirconium and β-Zircaloy-2 indicated that the compositional differences between the three host materials exert no influence upon the oxygen diffusivity. An examination of the activation entropy, calculated assuming that Snoek's model describes the diffusion process, indicates that this model probably is not appropriate.
1776: The British Dimension

When I was invited to speak here today and it was suggested that I talk on the political aspects of Anglo-American intellectual relations, especially in the Revolutionary period, I thought I would try to summarize the recent writings of American historians on the development of American political thought in the formative years of the eighteenth century—its branching off from a peculiar line of English radical thought and its realization in American political institutions in ways that have profoundly affected American public life. It is a subject on which American historians have lavished much thought and writing in the past fifteen years, and while its outlines are now quite clear, it is still a subject with unresolved problems in interpretation. It is that subject that I indicated in a few sentences in the programme notes that you received.
Childhood asthma acute primary care visits, traffic, and traffic-related pollutants.

Previous studies have found associations between traffic-related air pollution and asthma exacerbation in children, where exacerbations were measured according to emergency department visits and hospital admissions. Fewer studies have been undertaken that look at asthma exacerbations in a less severe primary care setting. Therefore, the authors sought to examine the associations between childhood asthma exacerbations, measured as acute visits to a primary care setting, and vehicular-traffic measures in a population of children aged 18 and under in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Statistical tests for differences of mean monthly visits for members with traffic measures above the median compared with below the median and for the upper quartile compared with the lower quartile were conducted. We also compared the odds of having one or more visits in a month for those who lived closer to a major roadway were compared with those who lived farther (greater than 300 m) from a major roadway. Poisson general linear...
Quantitative optical imaging of vascular response in vivo in a model of peripheral arterial disease

The mouse hind limb ischemia (HLI) model is well established for studying collateral vessel formation and testing therapies for peripheral arterial disease, but there is a lack of quantitative tech...
C-Reactive Proteins and Chronic Disease: What Role Does Nutrition Play?

The following review provides an update on C-reactive proteins (CRPs) and how they are related to chronic diseases and diet. Emphasis is placed on the mechanism that is involved in the infection/stress-induced formation of CRPs. CRPs' role as biomarkers for coronary heart disease is discussed. This review also discusses the roles that obesity, diabetes, smoking, and synthetic hormones play in increasing serum CRP concentrations. It also summarizes information about how dietary manipulation and exercise can decrease CRP concentrations. The dietary components that seem to lead to a decrease in CRPs include ω-3 fatty acids (fish oil), vitamin E, and moderate amounts of alcohol. Aspirin intake is also discussed as a method that can be used to decrease CRP concentrations.
Mobilization of RAG-Generated Signal Ends by Transposition and Insertion In Vivo

In addition to their essential roles in V(D)J recombination, the RAG proteins have been found to catalyze transposition in vitro, but it has been difficult to demonstrate transposition by the RAG proteins in vivo in vertebrate cells. As genomic instability and chromosomal translocations are common outcomes of transposition in other species, it is critical to understand if the RAG proteins behave as a transposase in vertebrate cells. To facilitate this, we have developed an episome-based assay to detect products of RAG-mediated transposition in the human embryonic kidney cell line 293T. Transposition events into the target episome, accompanied by characteristic target site duplications, were detected at a low frequency using RAG1 and either truncated "core" RAG2 or full-length RAG2. More frequently, insertion of the RAG-generated signal end fragment into the target was accompanied by deletions or more complex rearrangements, and our data indicate that these events occur by a mechanism that is distinct from transposition. An assay to detect transposition from an episome into the human genome failed to detect bona fide transposition events but instead yielded chromosome deletion and translocation events involving the signal end fragment mobilized by the RAG proteins. These assays provide a means of assessing RAG-mediated transposition in vivo, and our findings provide insight into the potential for the products of RAG-mediated DNA cleavage to cause genome instability.
Optimization of Stochastic Estimation Techniques in a High-Speed, Axisymmetric Jet

Stochastic Estimation (SE) is utilized to investigate the large-scale structure of a jet exhausted through a baseline axisymmetric nozzle and two chevron nozzles with different penetrations. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure the streamwise and radial velocity components on a 2D streamwise plane over the first 15 jet equivalent diameters. Two 16 microphone, linear, near-field arrays separated by 180° in the azimuthal plane were simultaneously acquired with the PIV measurements. The analysis included investigation of the near-field pressure spectra and flow field mean velocity and Turbulent Kinetic Energy. SE was used to reconstruct the velocity field from the acquired pressure data. The optimal number and optimal placement of sensors was investigated to obtain the best reconstructed velocity. Near the nozzle, the optimal sensor location was near the jet while further downstream, SE was better when the microphones were slightly farther away. This is directly related to the wavelength of the large-scale structures which increased downstream. SE was successful at reconstructing the TKE profiles in shape but significantly under predicted the amplitudes. It was also shown that SE was not as successful reconstructing flow exiting the chevron nozzles due to a drop in correlation between the flow velocity and near-field pressure. Even with the lower correlations, the shape of the TKE profiles were successfully reconstructed using SE for the chevron flow fields.
Initial operation of the UCLA plane wave transformer (PWT) linac

We report on the initial operation of a novel compact rf linac-the plane wave transformer (PWT). The PWT is a 42 cm long, 8 cell standing-wave structure, operated at S-band, in a /spl pi/-mode. We present the properties of this linac at rf power levels from 4 MW to 8 MW and beam energy from 7 MeV to 10 MeV, measured initially using both dark current and photo-electrons. Some technical issues associated with the operation are discussed. Future improvements of the PWT, using a modified design, are also studied.
Inception Point for Embankment Dam Stepped Spillways

AbstractRetrofitting embankment dams with stepped spillways has become a common design practice, particularly for those dams that change hazard classification from low to high. For embankment dams retrofitted with stepped spillways, the chute length is often insufficient for developing aerated flow or an inception point. The inception point is a key spillway design parameter used in energy dissipation, flow depth, and air entrainment prediction relationships. Original research for developing an inception-point relationship for stepped spillways was based on primarily gravity (θ≥26.6°) stepped spillways, with the majority having an ogee crest control section. The resulting, inception-point relationship tends to overestimate the inception-point location for broad-crested weir stepped spillways (θ≤26.6°) when the Froude surface roughness (F*) is less than 10. Consequently, research on broad-crested weir stepped spillways retrofitted for embankment dams has been conducted to provide an optimized inception-poi...
Commentary: screening for alcohol use disorders-barriers and excuses

Abstract [Runge JW. NHTSA Notes Commentary: Screening for alcohol use disorders—barriers and excuses. Ann Emerg Med. December 2000;36:629-630.]
A 3-GHz 70-mb SRAM in 65-nm CMOS technology with integrated column-based dynamic power supply

Column-based dynamic power supply has been integrated into a high-frequency 70-Mb SRAM design that is fabricated on a high-performance 65-nm CMOS technology. The fully synchronized design achieves a 3-GHz operating frequency at 1.1-V power supply. The power supply at SRAM cell array is dynamically switched between two different voltage levels during READ and WRITE operations. Silicon measurement has proven this method to be effective in achieving both good cell READ and WRITE margins, while lowering the overall SRAM leakage power consumption.
Composite Devonian island-arc batholith in the northern Sierra Nevada, California

The Bowman Lake batholith intrudes the pre-Upper Devonian Shoo Fly Complex in the northern Sierra Nevada. The eastern margin of the batholith extends to within 1.5 km of the base of a thick sequence of Paleozoic island-arc rocks that rests unconformably on the Shoo Fly Complex. Hypabyssal silicic intrusions associated with the batholith penetrate the Upper Devonian Sierra Buttes Formation, the lowest volcanic unit of the arc sequence, but do not extend to higher stratigraphic levels. The intrusions in the Sierra Buttes Formation possess marginal peperites and show other evidence of their injection into wet, unconsolidated sediments. On the basis of these field relations, the batholith is interpreted to represent a subvolcanic magma chamber emplaced concurrently with deposition of Sierra Buttes arc rocks. The batholith is composite and consists of trondhjemite, granodiorite, biotite granite, and hornblende tonalite, formed from discrete batches of magma injected into a common plutonic chamber. Mingling of tonalitic and trondhjemitic magmas produced abundant rounded inclusions of tonalite dispersed within trondhjemite and led to hybridization of the two magmas by fine-scale intermixing. Zircons from the trondhjemitic, granodioritic, and granitic phases of the batholith and an associated Sierra Buttes rhyolite sill show complex U-Pb isotopic systematics. A multistage history is suggested, involving the incorporation of earliest Paleozoic and/or Proterozoic zircons during magma generation or ascent in Devonian time and one or more stages of disturbance in Mesozoic-Cenozoic(?) time. Consideration of these different discordance mechanisms results in a model U-Pb igneous age for the batholith of 364 to 385 Ma (Middle to Late Devonian); on the basis of the field relations, a Late Devonian age for the batholith is adopted. Zircon characteristics and isotopic systematics suggest that petrogenesis of the granite involved mixing of trondhjemitic and/or granodioritic magmas with partial melt from a separate, large-ion-lithophile-enriched source.
Going Green in Public Organizations: Linking Organizational Commitment and Public Service Motives to Public Employees' Workplace Eco- Initiatives

Public servants are expected to be good stewards of resources, including the energy and environmental resources consumed in a public organization’s day-to-day operations. Many government organizations have enacted policies to mitigate the environmental impact of their operations. Even in the absence of formal policies, however, individual public employees might engage in a number of discretionary, pro-environmental behaviors known as eco-initiatives. What motivational factors cause a public employee to exhibit eco-initiative? To answer this question, we draw on a theoretical framework based on connectedness to nature, organizational commitment, public service motivation (PSM), and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). We use employee-level data from a large city in the southeast United States to examine employee participation in individual eco-initiatives. We contextualize these discretionary initiatives as interesting forms of OCB, which are directed toward the environment (OCB-E). Our findings sugg...
[2,2′‐(1‐Methylethylidene)[(4S)‐4‐(1,1‐dimethylethyl)‐4,5‐dihydrooxazole‐κN3]]copper(II) Bis[hexafluorophosphate] and [2,2′‐(1‐Methylethylidene)[(4S)‐4‐(1,1‐dimethylethyl)‐4,5‐dihydrooxazole‐κN3]]‐copper(II) Bis(triflate)

[165275-72-9] C17H30CuF12N2O2P2 (MW 647.91) InChI = 1S/C17H30N2O2.Cu.2F6P/c1-15(2,3)11-9-20-13(18-11)17(7,8)14-19-12(10-21-14)16(4,5)6;;2*1-7(2,3,4,5)6/h11-12H,9-10H2,1-8H3;;;/q;+2;2*-1/t11-,12-;;;/m1.../s1 InChIKey = JRGHZMRLEDKHQR-BEOOHURISA-N [172323-63-6] C19H30CuF6N2O8S2 (MW 656.11) InChI = 1S/C17H30N2O2.2CHF3O3S.Cu/c1-15(2,3)11-9-20-13(18-11)17(7,8)14-19-12(10-21-14)16(4,5)6;2*2-1(3,4)8(5,6)7;/h11-12H,9-10H2,1-8H3;2*(H,5,6,7);/q;;;+2/p-2/t11-,12-;;;/m1.../s1 InChIKey = HTLSIKPJOWORIQ-BEOOHURISA-L (versatile chiral C2-symmetric Lewis acid catalyst for numerous asymmetric reactions) Preparative Methods: can be prepared immediately before use from the commercially available bis(oxazoline) ligand and Cu(PF6)2 or Cu(OTf)2 by simply combining the two reagents in an appropriate solvent and stirring until complexation is complete (>2 h).5, 6 Addition of 2 equiv of water to the bis(triflate) complex affords a di-aquo derivative that is bench-stable for several months. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: the reagent is most effective under anhydrous conditions. The hydrated bis(triflate) complex can be activated in the presence of molecular sieves.
Winter warming facilitates range expansion: cold tolerance of the butterfly Atalopedes campestris.

Our ability to predict ecological and evolutionary responses to climate change requires an understanding of the mechanistic links between climate and range limits. The warming trend over the past half-century has generated numerous opportunities to develop much-needed case studies of these links. Species that are only limited by climatic factors are likely to shift range quickly during periods of warming. Such species directly impact recipient communities and indicate trends that will become more widespread. Because minimum temperature (T min) is rising at twice the rate of maximum temperature, species with this range-limiting factor may be especially responsive to global warming. In this study, I test the hypothesis that rising T min has directly affected the range of a skipper butterfly. Atalopedes campestris has moved northward rapidly this century, recently colonizing eastern Washington where January T min has risen 3°C in 50 years. The results show that:
Effects of plate location and selection on the stability of midshaft clavicle osteotomies: A biomechanical study

Operative fixation of midshaft clavicle fractures is controversial with few biomechanical data to assist surgical decision making. The purpose of this 2-phase biomechanical investigation is to report on the effects of plate location and selection on the stability of midshaft clavicle fractures. Thirty matched pairs of human adult formalin-fixed clavicles were used. In the first phase, in which a 3.5-mm reconstruction plate and simulated midshaft transverse clavicle osteotomies were used, we observed the effect of superior plate placement compared with anterior placement on fracture rigidity, construct stiffness, and strength. In the second phase, in which simulated midshaft oblique clavicle osteotomies were repaired on the superior aspect, we compared the fracture rigidity, construct stiffness, and strength of the 3.5-mm reconstruction, 3.5-mm limited contact dynamic compression (LCDC), and 2.7-mm dynamic compression (DC) plates. Intact clavicles were prepared, potted, and tested for axial and torsional stiffness in an Instron test frame equipped with gimbaled fixtures. Clavicles were band-sawed to simulate an osteotomy, repaired, re-mounted on the test frame with shear and opening extensometers placed across the osteotomy site, and then tested to observe axial and torsional fracture rigidity and stiffness. Constructs were then loaded to failure in compression. First-order regressions were used to estimate fracture rigidity (in kilonewtons per millimeter)and retained construct stiffness (in kilonewtons per millimeter), whereas the maximum applied compressive load at collapse or gross deformation determined the failure load. Values for the comparisongroups were tested for significance at the 95% confidence level. In the first phase we found that constructs plated at the superior aspect of the clavicle exhibited significantly greater fracture rigidity and mean retained stiffness than the anterior location (P <.05). In the second phase we found that the torsional fracture rigidity of LCDC-plated constructs significantly exceeded that of the reconstruction and DC plates (P <.05), whereas the axial fracture rigidity of the LCDC-plated constructs significantly exceeded that of the reconstruction plate (P <.05). In retained stiffness the performance of the LCDC-plated constructs significantly exceeded that of the DC plate in torsion (P <.05), whereas in load to failure the LCDC plate withstood significantly more compressive load than the reconstruction plate (P <.05). We concluded that clavicles plated at the superior aspect exhibit significantly greater biomechanical stability than those plated at the anterior aspect. Furthermore, we concluded that the LCDC plate offers significantly greater biomechanical stability than the reconstruction and DC plates.
Fault tolerance of switch blocks and switch block arrays in FPGA

A new application-independent approach for evaluating the fault tolerance of field-programmable gate-array (FPGA) interconnect structures is presented. Signal routing in the presence of faulty resources at switch block and FPGA levels is analyzed; this problem is directly related to the fault tolerance of FPGA interconnects for testing and reconfiguration at manufacturing and run-time applications. Two criteria are proposed and used as figure-of-merit for evaluating different FPGA interconnect architectures. The proposed approach is based on the number of available paths between pairs of end points and the probability to establish a one-to-one mapping between all input and output end points. A probabilistic approach is also presented to evaluate the fault-tolerant routing of the entire FPGA by connecting switch blocks in chains, as required for testing and to account for the input-output (I/O) pin restrictions of an FPGA chip. All possible interconnect faults for programmable switches and wiring channels are considered in the fault model. The proposed method is applicable to arbitrary switch block structures. Experimental results on commercial as well as academic designed FPGAs are presented and analyzed.
Does Prospective Payment Really Contain Nursing Home Costs

Objective To examine whether nursing homes would behave more efficiently, without compromising their quality of care, under prospective payment.
Exercise and Depressive Symptoms A Comparison of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Effects on Emotional and Physical Function in Older Persons With High and Low Depressive Symptomatology

This study examines and compares the effect of aerobic and resistance exercise on emotional and physical function among older persons with initially high or low depressive symptomatology. Data are from the Fitness, Arthritis and Seniors Trial, a trial among 439 persons 60 years or older with knee osteoarthritis randomized to health education (control), resistance exercise, or aerobic exercise groups. Depressive symptoms (assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression scale) and physical function (disability, walking speed, and pain) were assessed at baseline and after 3, 9, and 18 months. Compared with results for the control group, aerobic exercise significantly lowered depressive symptoms over time. No such effect was observed for resistance exercise. The reduction in depressive symptoms with aerobic exercise was found both among the 98 participants with initially high depressive symptomatology and among the 340 participants with initially low depressive symptomatology and was the strongest for the most compliant persons. Aerobic and resistance exercise significantly reduced disability and pain and increased walking speed both, and to an equal extent, in persons with high depressive symptomatology and persons with low depressive symptomatology.
Guanxi vs networking: Distinctive configurations of affect- and cognition-based trust in the networks of Chinese vs American managers

This research investigates hypotheses about differences between Chinese and American managers in the configuration of trusting relationships within their professional networks. Consistent with hypotheses about Chinese familial collectivism, an egocentric network survey found that affect- and cognition-based trust were more intertwined for Chinese than for American managers. In addition, the effect of economic exchange on affect-based trust was more positive for Chinese than for Americans, whereas the effect of friendship was more positive for Americans than for Chinese. Finally, the extent to which a given relationship was highly embedded in ties to third parties increased cognition-based trust for Chinese but not for Americans. Implications for cultural research and international business practices are discussed.
The Influence of Variations in Surface Treatment on 24-Hour Forecasts with a Limited Area Model, Including a Comparison of Modeled and Satellite-Measured Surface Temperatures

Abstract The effect of variations in surface parameters on 24-hour limited area forecasts has been examined on a day in July 1981. The vehicle for the study is a ten-level primitive equation model covering most of the continental United States. Variations in moisture availability, surface roughness and soil flux treatment generally do not produce large differences in 24-hour forecasts of primary variables, except in the extreme cases. Precipitation totals, however, are surprisingly sensitive to the surface treatment in several areas where significant amounts of precipitation are evidenced in a control forecast. In these areas, modulations of 10–30% of the control amount due to surface changes are common. In the areas exhibiting principally large-scale precipitation, evidence points to modulations in evaporation as the cause for the precipitation differences. Areas of principally convective precipitation exhibit differences which can be attributed to model-calculated changes in low-level moisture convergen...
IRF2BP2: A New Player at the Crossroads of Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease driven by hyperlipidemia.1 There is accumulating evidence that lipid metabolism and inflammation are closely linked.2 However, the cross talk between these processes in the development and progression of atherosclerosis are not fully defined. Macrophages mediate tissue innate immune response and lipid metabolism and, therefore, act as a key player at the crossroads of innate immunity and lipid homeostasis in atherosclerosis.1 Article, see p 671 In lipid-loaded macrophages, cholesterol biosynthetic intermediates, such as desmosterol, and oxysterols derived from cholesterol, activate the transcription factor, liver X receptors. Liver X receptors form heterodimers with retinoid X receptors on the promoters of many genes involved in cholesterol metabolism, for example, ATP-binding cassette transporters A1 and G1 (ABCA1 and ABCG1), to upregulate their expression and enhance cholesterol efflux.3 When exceeding capacity, cholesterol begins to accumulate and macrophages become lipid-enriched. Cholesterol enrichment in the plasma membrane promotes the formation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)–MD2 complexes,4 which enhance macrophage response to TLR4 ligands, such as lipopolysaccharide. Excessive free cholesterol can trigger crystal formation and inflammasome activation, which further exacerbates macrophage inflammation and cholesterol accumulation. Beyond promotion of cholesterol homeostasis, ligand-dependent conjugation of SUMO2/3 (small ubiquitin-like modifier) to liver X receptors targets them to promoters of TLR target genes, where they preserve nuclear receptor corepressor complexes and thus maintain suppression of target gene transcription.5 Conversely, through activation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), TLR3 and TLR4 ligands inhibit the transcriptional activity of liver X receptor on its target genes, including ABCA1 and ABCG1, and disrupt lipid homeostasis.2,3 Thus, cross talk between inflammation and lipid metabolism in macrophages can synergistically exacerbate the pathological progress in atherosclerosis.3 Elucidation of the functional denominators linking macrophage activation and derailed cholesterol metabolism may facilitate the development of novel …
Disparate affinities of antifolates for folylpolyglutamate synthetase from human leukemia cells

Previous work showed that acute myelocytic leukemia blasts accumulate less long chain polyglutamates of methotrexate (MTX) than acute lymphocytic leukemia blasts when incubated with this radiolabeled antifolate. This difference likely explains the increased sensitivity of lymphoid leukemias to short-term exposure of MTX as compared with myeloid leukemias. In this study, we examined the basis for differences between long chain MTX polyglutamate accumulation between different leukemia cell types using both leukemia cell lines and blasts freshly isolated from blood of leukemic patients. The major difference found between leukemia cells that accumulate long chain polyglutamates and those that do not were differences in Km values for the enzyme folylpolyglutamate synthetase. Km values did not change with partial purification of this enzyme, indicating that interfering substances in crude lysates were not responsible for this difference. We postulate that there may be differences in the properties of this enzyme related to tissue specific expression. In contrast to MTX, both Tomudex (Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, DE) and 1843U89, potent inhibitors of thymidylate synthetase, have low Kms for folylpolyglutamate synthetase, and polyglutamate forms of these inhibitors are accumulated to the same degree in both myeloid and lymphoid acute leukemia cells, paralleling the equivalent cytotoxicity found between myeloid and lymphoid leukemia cell lines. Based on these results, we believe a clinical trial of Tomudex in patients with acute myeloid leukemia is warranted.
INDUCED ABORTION AND SPONTANEOUS ABORTION: NO CONNECTION?

The hypothesis that spontaneous abortion is associated with prior induced abortion is tested in an epidemiologic study. The reproductive histories of a consecutive series of women admitted to hospital with spontaneous abortions were compared with those of a control series of women who delivered after 28 weeks gestation. There is no association between spontaneous abortion and prior induced abortion. The power of the analysis to detect a 30% excess in the frequency of induced abortion in cases as compared to controls is 82% at alpha = .05. The design and analysis effectually controlled for all potentially confounding factors.
Resistance Development in Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) to Bacillus sphaericus

Larvae of laboratory and field-collected colonies of Culex quinquefasciatus Say were subjected to selection pressure with a preparation of Bacillus sphaericus Neide strain 2362 in the laboratory. Young fourth instars of every generation of both colonies were treated with the B. sphaericus 2362 preparation at a concentration that yielded 80% mortality (LC80). The survivors then were reared to continue to the next generation. The selected laboratory colony began developing resistance (based on the resistance ratio [RR] at LC50) in F20 with an RR of 8.1. The magnitude of resistance increased gradually and reached 37-fold by F80. In contrast, the selected, field-collected colony developed a slight degree of resistance as early as in F5 (RR = 4.4). The resistance level then fluctuated between 10 and 30-fold, with an RR of 27.4 in F80. The unselected laboratory and field colonies, reared without any exposure to the B. sphaericus 2362 toxins, did not show any marked change in their susceptibility to this microbial agent. The susceptibility level of all successive generations of these unselected colonies remained about the same as that of their parental generation.
Developmental level and speed of relational concept formation: a possible inverse relationship

In two studies involving concept problems of different difficulty levels, 1st grade children reached a learning criterion in fewer trials than 4th grade children. A significant interaction was observed between grade level and trials to relearn the concept. Older Ss showed more savings.
What Is the Natural History of "Asymptomatic" Pseudotumours in Metal-on-Metal Hip Arthroplasty? Minimum 4-Year Metal Artifact Reduction Sequence Magnetic Resonance Imaging Longitudinal Study.

Abstract Background Metal Artifact Reduction Sequence Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MARS-MRI) is an important cross-sectional imaging modality in detection of metal-on-metal (MoM) hip arthroplasty (HA) pseudotumours. Potential evolution of pseudotumours detected by MARS-MRI in “asymptomatic” patients with MoMHA arthroplasty beyond 2 years remains largely unknown. The aims of this longitudinal study were to (1) determine the natural history of pseudotumours in “asymptomatic” MoMHA patients under MARS-MRI surveillance and (2) characterize MRI feature(s) associated with progressive pseudotumours. Methods A total of 37 MoMHA (32 patients, mean 56 years old) with pseudotumours on MARS-MRI were evaluated longitudinally using a standardized MARS-MRI protocol. Serum cobalt and chromium levels, pseudotumour size, thickness of the cyst wall, and MRI signal intensity of the abnormality were recorded and analyzed. Results At minimum of 4-year follow-up (range 49-54 months), 4 Type II pseudotumours (11%) demonstrated MRI evidence of progression. Five Type I pseudotumours (14%) were found to have “regressed.” No measurable MRI progression was detected in remaining patients (75%). MRI features associated with progressive pseudotumours included the presence of increased cystic wall thickness and “atypical” mixed fluid signal. MRI pseudotumour progression was not associated with metal ion levels. Conclusion The natural history of type I cystic pseudotumours continues to be nonprogressive in most “asymptomatic” MoMHA patients at minimum 4 years, suggesting the importance of patient symptoms and MRI characteristic features in the clinical decision-making process. Routine follow-up MARS-MRI evaluation of “asymptomatic” patients with low-grade cystic pseudotumours in the absence of interval clinical changes may not be indicated.
Research and design of photoelectric detection circuit with low noise

In order to remove the noise of the photoelectric detection circuit and solve the noise problem when the photoelectric detection circuit detects the weak optical signal,this paper analyzes the inside and outside noise sources of the photoelectric detection circuit,designs a kind of photoelectric detection circuit with low noise,gives the noise model of the photoelectric detection circuit,derives the output signal-to-noise ratio formula of the photoelectric detection circuit,analyses and studies the factors which affect the output signal-to-noise ratio formula of the photoelectric detection circuit in detail,and suggests the method and the basis of selecting the relevant parameters of the components when the photoelectric detection circuit with low noise is designed,such as the photoelectric components,the electronic components,the pre-amplifier,and so on.This method has a very important directive function for designing the photoelectric detection circuit with low noise.
Toward a General Systems Theory of Marketing

General living systems theory is shown to furnish a basis for development of a theory of marketing that can be used to portray small-scale systems of interest to marketing scholars, as well as to aid understanding of the structure and process of the whole of marketing. A set of 19 subsystems held to exist in all living systems is shown relevant to marketing by linking each conceptual subsystem to concrete examples taken from a wide variety of marketing systems.
Rinsing of high-aspect-ratio features on patterned wafers

A comprehensive process model is developed to simulate the mechanism and the dynamics of rinsing and cleaning of deep and narrow structures on patterned substrates. This process is critical in a number of applications such as post-etch cleaning of patterned wafers during the manufacturing of semiconductor devices. The model takes into account various mass transport mechanisms including convection and diffusion/dispersion that occur simultaneously with various surface interactions such as adsorption and desorption of impurities on the substrate surfaces. The influences of charged species in the bulk and on the surface, and their induced electric field that affect both transport and surface interactions, are included in this paper. The results of this paper illustrate the model usefulness and potentials to predict the change in the rinse time and efficiency with changes in the key operational parameters such as temperature, concentration, flow rate, and mass transfer on the wafer surface. Ammonium hydroxide on SiO 2 surface is used as the model system in this study because of its wide application; however, the model can be used for analyzing the rinsing of other impurities by simply changing the model parameter inputs.
The Relationship Between Serum Free Light Chain Levels and Urine Protein in Patients with IgG or IgA Myeloma.

Abstract 1810 Poster Board I-836 The serum free light chain (SFLC) assay is often though to be a replacement for the cumbersome process of 24-hour urine collection for monoclonal protein estimation (http://www.freelite.co.uk/initialinvestigationpro-24.asp; accessed 16 July 2009) despite evidence suggesting that SFLC estimation cannot replace urine protein quantification (Singhal et al. Blood 2007; 109:3611-2). We studied results from patients with IgG or IgA myeloma if all the following criteria were satisfied: concomitant SFLC and 24-hour urine specimens analyzed, no oligoclonal proteins, no diminished free light chain levels (involved or uninvolved). The aim was to study the correlation between SFLC and 24-hour urine total protein (24UTP), 24-hour urine monoclonal protein (24UMP) and urine immunofixation electrophoresis (UIFE). Only concordant abnormal SFLC ratios were considered abnormal (Singhal et al. Blood 2009; 114:38-9). 558 samples in 114 patients were identified. SFLC ratio was abnormal in 242 and normal in 316 (including 2 discordant abnormal). UIFE (available in 540) was negative in 290. The proportion of samples with normal SFLC ratio decreased as 24UTP increased (P 1000 mg - 6% of 32. Similarly, the proportion of samples with normal SFLC ratio declined as 24UMP increased (P=0.001): ≤200 mg (including negative) - 41% of 145, 200-500 mg 4% of 28, 501-1000 mg - 0% of 14, and >1000 mg - 0% of 15. SFLC ratio was normal in 84% of samples with negative UIFE and in 26% of samples with positive UIFE (P If a positive UPEP is considered the “gold standard” evidence of the presence monoclonal light chains in the urine, the sensitivity of UIFE in detecting urine monoclonal protein is 93% and that of an abnormal SFLC ratio is 72%. On the other hand, if a positive UIFE is considered the “gold standard” evidence of monoclonal light chains in the urine, the sensitivity of an abnormal SFLC ratio in detecting urine monoclonal protein is 74%. These data, obtained from a much large number of homogeneous clinical samples, confirm our previous observations (Singhal et al. Blood 2007; 109:3611-2) that an abnormal SFLC ratio cannot consistently predict the presence of either non-specific or monoclonal proteinuria. Fortunately, the proportion of urine samples with large aounts of non-specific or monoclonal proteinuria that is associated with normal SFLC ratios is small. The sensitivity of the SFLC ratio in detecting urine monoclonal protein is less than that of UIFE. The SFLC assay cannot replace 24-hour urine collection in clinical practice without compromising patient care. Whether a less cumbersome technique such as a spot (random) urine protein-creatinine ratio - used in conjunction with the SFLC assay - can avert the need for 24-hour urine collections in myeloma patients remains to be investigated. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Problem Set 9.1 – Ligand Binding

Publisher Summary This chapter presents various problem sets related to ligand binding which include the amount of blood that would have to flow through the kidneys to achieve a half-life for PTH of 2 min assuming that PTH is destroyed only by the kidneys in a single pass and the blood volume is 5 L; and the half-life of thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) that has a Mr of 54 kDa, metabolic clearance rate is 800 mL day−1, and a volume of distribution of 7 L.
Contextual Impact of Neighborhood Obesogenic Factors on Postmenopausal Breast Cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort.

Background: While obesity is well-understood to increase breast cancer risk, the role of the neighborhood obesogenic environment, encompassing social and built environment attributes that influence body size, is poorly understood.Methods: Using principal components factor analysis, five composite factors [neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), urban, mixed-land development, unhealthy food environment, parks] on the basis of geospatial data were developed to characterize the obesogenic environment for 48,247 postmenopausal women in the Multiethnic Cohort, residing predominately in Los Angeles County. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to examine the association between neighborhood obesogenic factors and breast cancer risk (n = 2,341 cases after 17 years of follow-up), adjusting for body mass index (BMI), weight gain since age 21, education, established risk factors, other neighborhood factors, and clustering by block group.Results: Lower nSES was associated with lower breast cancer risk [quintile 1 vs. 5: HR, 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.66-0.95], with a more pronounced association observed in Latinos (quintile 1 vs. 5: HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43-0.85). More urban environments were associated with lower breast cancer risk in Japanese Americans (quintile 5 vs. 1: HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.26-0.90), and lower mixed-land development was associated with higher breast cancer risk in Latinos (quintile 1 vs. 5: HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.10-1.93).Conclusions: Obesogenic neighborhood environment factors, especially nSES, urbanicity, and mixed-land development, were differentially and independently associated with breast cancer risk in this multiethnic population.Impact: These findings highlight the need for additional studies of the driving contextual aspects of nSES that influence breast cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(4); 480-9. ©2017 AACRSee all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, "Geospatial Approaches to Cancer Control and Population Sciences."
Payer Type and Low-Value Care: Comparing Choosing Wisely Services across Commercial and Medicare Populations

Objective To compare low-value health service use among commercially insured and Medicare populations and explore the influence of payer type on the provision of low-value care. Data Sources 2009–2011 national Medicare and commercial insurance administrative data. Design We created claims-based algorithms to measure seven Choosing Wisely-identified low-value services and examined the correlation between commercial and Medicare overuse overall and at the regional level. Regression models explored associations between overuse and regional characteristics. Methods We created measures of early imaging for back pain, vitamin D screening, cervical cancer screening over age 65, prescription opioid use for migraines, cardiac testing in asymptomatic patients, short-interval repeat bone densitometry (DXA), preoperative cardiac testing for low-risk surgery, and a composite of these. Principal Findings Prevalence of four services was similar across the insurance-defined groups. Regional correlation between Medicare and commercial overuse was high (correlation coefficient = 0.540–0.905) for all measures. In both groups, similar region-level factors were associated with low-value care provision, especially total Medicare spending and ratio of specialists to primary care physicians. Conclusions Low-value care appears driven by factors unrelated to payer type or anticipated reimbursement. These findings suggest the influence of local practice patterns on care without meaningful discrimination by payer type.
The political economy of food price policy during the global food price crisis of 2006-2008

This paper finds support for seven political economy hypotheses that influenced governments’ policy choices during the 2006–2008 global food price crisis. Governments focused most heavily on consumer and trade policies rather than on policies designed to increase production. They also preferred policy changes with lower implementation costs, implying that responses to past crises were the best predictor of future actions. To explain the variety of responses and policy failures, a framework is proposed that locates policies along the twin dimensions of unitary vs. fragmented decision-making processes and social welfare maximizing vs. self-interested policy goals. Many of the common policy responses can be explained by a benchmark model of unitary decision makers seeking to increase social welfare. In contrast, fragmented government decision-making, uncertainty, and self-interest generate policy and implementation failures, significant departures from the benchmark model, and reductions in social welfare. Mistrust between government and the private sector causes a lack of transparency, which fuels mistrust and uncertainty, leading to additional policy and implementation failures.