cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermo-Mechanically Trained Shape Memory Alloy for Temperature Recording With Visual Readout

Economical sensing and recording of temperature are important in the transportation and management of sensitive goods such as medicine. Existing approaches measure the entire temperature profile using electronic devices running on a continuous power source. This letter presents a simple, intelligent, and battery-free solution for capturing informative temperature events using the natural thermo-mechanical state of a shape memory alloy (SMA). This approach utilizes the temperature-induced irreversible mechanical deformation of the SMA as a natural way to capture the temperature history without the need for electronic data logging. In this letter, a two-way SMA-based sensor is used to record both high and low temperature peak events. The reading utilizes a smartphone to visualize and quantify temperature-induced deformation for monitoring. Detailed design and experimental studies have been performed to validate the proposed approach.
Forward Contracting Versus Hedging Under Price and Yield Uncertainty

Although apparently preferred by farmers to direct hedging as a forward pricing mechanism, forward contracting has received little attention in the literature dealing with optimal forward pricing levels. An often-cited reason for producer preference for forward contracting is the absence of basis risks under that forward pricing alternative. This paper presents models of optimal forward contracting and hedging under price and yield uncertainty within a mean-variance framework. The results indicate that basis certainty does not explain preferences for forward contracting.
Identification of human monoclonal antibodies specific for CCR5 from an antibody library derived from HIV-infected long-term non-progressors

It has been reported that about one quarter of long-term nonprogressors had anti-CCR5 antibodies and such antibodies were not found in disease progressing HIV-1 positive individuals [1]. To identify such antibodies we panned an HIV immune library constructed from bone marrow of three long-term nonprogressors against a synthetic sulfated N-terminal CCR5 peptide (2–15) (R5Nt). Twenty anti-CCR5 monoclonal antibodies were selected that bind to the R5Nt and cell-associated CCR5. Sequence analysis revealed that eighteen clones have VHs that were derived from the same germline sequence. Preliminary data showed that these antibodies inhibited primary HIV-1 isolates from clade B and E as tested in a pseudovirus assay. Identification of these anti-CCR5 human monoclonal antibodies indicates possible contribution to mechanisms determining the slow progression or lack of disease in long-term nonprogresssors. The selected anti-CCR5 antibodies may have potentials as therapeutics and/or prophylactics in combination with other HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies and antiretroviral drugs.
Microtubules, organelle transport, and steroidogenesis in cultured adrenocortical tumor cells. 1. An ultrastructural analysis of cells in which basal and ACTH-induced steroidogenesis was inhibited by taxol.

Abstract In adrenocortical cells, the first step in the enzymatic processing of cholesterol to steroid end products occurs in the mitochondria. ACTH increases mitochondrial cholesterol and steroidogenesis. In cultured mouse adrenocortical tumor cells, microtubule-based organelle motility may increase the proximity of mitochondria to the SER, lipid droplets and endosomederived lyosomes, thereby facilitating the transfer of cholesterol from these organelles to the mitochondrial outer membrane. ACTH may increase opportunities for the transfer by promoting organelle motility and by increasing the number of lysosomes. Taxol, a microtubule polymerizer, inhibits basal and ACTH-induced steroidogenesis in these cells, presumably at the step where mitochondria obtain cholesterol. We examined the ultrastructure of taxol-treated, unstimulated and ACTH-stimulated cells, seeking alterations which conceivably could interfere with the proposed organelle transport and encounters, and thus correlate with taxol's inhibition of steroidogenesis. Primary cultured cells were incubated in serum-containing medium for 4 hr with and without ACTH (10 mU/ml), with 10 μg/ml and 50 μg/ml of taxol, and with ACTH and taxol 10 or taxol 50 simultaneously. Culture media were analyzed for the presence of secreted steroids at the end of 1, 2, and 4 hr of incubation. At the end of the fourth hour, unstimulated cells and cells treated with ACTH, taxol 50, and both agents simultaneously, were fixed and processed for EM. Taxol inhibited basal and ACTH-induced steroidogenesis in a dose-dependent fashion. In both unstimulated and ACTH-stimulated cells, taxol 50 formed numerous microtubule bundles, but did not markedly change the distribution of mitochondria and lipid droplets. SER tubules, and clusters of Golgi fragments, endosomes, and lysosomes appeared to be translocated towards the cell periphery along some of the microtubules. Taxol permitted an ACTH-induced cell rounding and microfilament rearrangement considered to facilitate organelle motility. Our data indicate that taxol disrupts the formation of lysosomes by these adrenal cells, but it seemed unlikely that taxol's ultrastructural effects could prevent organelle transport proposed to cause meetings between mitochondria and the SER or lipid droplets, or prevent ACTH-caused increases in these encounters. Taxol may instead prevent the transfer of lipid droplet or SER-contained cholesterol to adjacent mitochondria, by a means not detectable in our electron micrographs.
A knowledge-based message generation system for the nonverbal, profoundly motor disabled

Fundamental issues related to the design of an intelligent communication (speech or text) device for the nonverbal, profoundly motor disabled are discussed. The device is to assist a person in the generation of a message by suggesting message elements one-at-a-time, for yes/no response. A graph theoretic approach to represent contextual knowledge about a fixed language is proposed, and message generation is viewed as one of decentralized control of graph search. A strategy for integrating information from a speech recognition system is formalized. Its significance is to allow the user to attempt to speak the message. The search strategy is based on a parsing tree traversal technique which dynamically adjusts its message element presentations in accordance with contextual knowledge embedded in the graph, the information from speech recognition, and the user's responses to interrogation.
Efectividad del programa grupal dirigido a hombres en situaciones de vulnerabilidad en la unidad de Atención y Prevención de la Violencia de la Fiscalía del D.N., República Dominicana (2ª parte)

Resumen es: La violencia intrafamiliar, desde sus mas amplias manifestaciones, es un tema de amplio estudio. Por lo que su viabilidad y desarrollo se justifica dentr...
Hyperthermic intraoperative pleural cisplatin chemotherapy extends interval to recurrence and survival among low-risk patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma undergoing surgical macroscopic complete resection

Objective Local recurrence limits long-term survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. We investigated whether hyperthermic intraoperative cisplatin chemotherapy lavage affects the interval to recurrence and overall survival among patients with favorable prognostic factors. Methods Using a preoperative risk assessment algorithm we had previously developed and validated, we retrospectively identified a cohort of patients treated with cytoreductive surgery from 2001 to 2009. The patients had epithelial histologic findings on biopsy and were characterized as having a low risk of early recurrence and death (ie, tumor volume ≤500 cm 3 and were either men with a hemoglobin level of ≥13 g/dL or were women). Those patients who had received hyperthermic intraoperative cisplatin chemotherapy were compared with a comparison group of those who had not. Fisher's exact test was used to determine the balance of prognostic factors. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were used to estimate and compare the interval to recurrence and overall survival. Cox proportional hazards regression was used for multivariate analysis. Results The cohort criteria identified 103 patients: 72 who received hyperthermic intraoperative cisplatin chemotherapy and 31 who did not. The groups were balanced for prognostic factors, except for the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (more common in the comparison group). The hyperthermic intraoperative cisplatin chemotherapy group exhibited a significantly longer interval to recurrence (27.1 vs 12.8 months) and overall survival (35.3 vs 22.8 months) than the comparison group. The improved interval to recurrence and overall survival for the hyperthermic intraoperative cisplatin chemotherapy group were particularly evident among the subgroups of patients who had not received hemithoracic radiotherapy and who had pathologic stage N1 or N2 lymph node metastases. Conclusions A favorable outcome and minimal incremental morbidity support the incorporation of hyperthermic intraoperative cisplatin chemotherapy into multimodality treatment strategies for patients with low-risk epithelial malignant pleural mesothelioma.
A simulation experiment to investigate food web polarization

Abstract The relationship between food web structure and function is complex, with few simplifying theories to aid in isolating patterns. In this paper we consider a hypothesis that relates pattern of trophic-level regulation to opposing forces of resource limitation and predation. A simulation exclusion experiment is used to compare patterns of regulation from lower to higher trophic levels. In these simulated food webs, species presence/absence and subsequent regulation of persisting species densities showed qualitatively different patterns of predation and resource control.
Assessing interactional competencies: The early social‐communication scales

Interactional competencies that develop in the first two years of life provide a foundation for all further social and communicative developments. Their normal acquisition, especially in the handicapped, can not be taken for granted. If delays in social-communicative development can be identified early in life and changes made in how the social environment interacts with the child, intervention may effectively facilitate social development. However, to accomplish this, both a model for describing and an instrument for assessing interactional competencies are needed. A recently developed set of scales, organized according to a cognitive-developmental framework and drawing upon recent research literature, is described in terms of its organization and content. Results that support the cognitive model underlying the set of scales are reported. The paper concludes with a consideration of potential criticisms that may apply to such a theoretically based instrument.
Bone marrow-derived macrophages express functional CGRP receptors and respond to CGRP by increasing transcription of c-fos and IL-6 mRNA.

Abstract Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a sensory neuropeptide with inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties. CGRP inhibits IL-7 responses by B cell precursors by direct and indirect mechanisms. We recently found that CGRP induces IL-6 and TNF-α in long-term bone marrow cultures and that IL-6 and TNF-α also inhibit IL-7 responses. Because these are heterogeneous cultures, it was not clear which cells produced IL-6 and TNF-α. To determine whether bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) were the source, we did studies to determine whether BMDMs express mRNAs for CGRP receptors and whether CGRP induces c-fos, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA. We found that BMDMs express mRNAs for CRLR and RAMP1, the minimal components for CGRP receptors. CGRP also stimulated dose- and time-dependent increases in c-fos and IL-6. In contrast, CGRP did not induce TNF-α in BMDMs. These results suggest that BMDMs are a source of CGRP-induced IL-6 in bone marrow.
Predictor-based system identification under noise

In this paper we applied predictor-based system identification technique to several different systems, which are identified without and with integrated noise. The PBSID uses the Kalman observer whose Kalman gain is calculated from the Riccati equation thus, the observer matrix is guaranteed to be stable even identified system is unstable. We applied this concept to the CD player arm and the food extruder system to show its effectiveness with simulation using the Matlab©.
The effect of CNS opioid on autonomic nervous and cardiovascular responses in diet-induced obese rats

Abstract The intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of beta-endorphin can cause either a decrease in blood pressure in normal rats or an increase in obese rats. Diet-induced obesity is associated with an increase of hypothalamic mu opioid receptors. Since beta-endorphins act by opioid receptors, we investigated the effect of CNS mu as well as kappa opioid receptor agonist and antagonist on mean blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in male Wistar rats fed either a high fat (HF) (40% fat by weight) or a regular low fat (control) (4% fat by weight) diet. After a 12-week-feeding period the animals were implanted with i.c.v. cannulas and 3–5 days later they were anesthetized and instrumented to record MAP, HR and RSNA. HF rats have higher MAP and the i.c.v. injection of a mu opioid agonist (DAMGO) initially decreased the MAP and then increased MAP, HR and RSNA in the normal animals. The increase was greater in HF animals. The i.c.v. injection of the mu antagonist (β-FNA) resulted in a significantly greater decrease in MAP in HF animals. β-FNA increased the RSNA in the HF rats but decreased it in the normal rats. The kappa agonist (dynorphin) decreased MAP in normal rats followed by a return to baseline, but not in HF rats. The kappa antagonist, nor-binaltorphimine (N-BP), increased MAP and RSNA in normal rats and to a lesser extent in HF rats. These findings suggest that rats given a high fat diet have higher blood pressures and a greater mu opioid-mediated responsiveness with a greater mu opioid-mediated autonomic tone. Additionally there is a decreased kappa responsiveness and tone in the HF rats. Both these changes, increased mu and decreased kappa responsiveness could strongly contribute to the increased blood pressure in obese animals.
Variability of the temporal bone surface's topography: implications for otologic surgery

Otologic surgery is performed for a variety of reasons including treatment of recurrent ear infections, alleviation of dizziness, and restoration of hearing loss. A typical ear surgery consists of a tympanomastoidectomy in which both the middle ear is explored via a tympanic membrane flap and the bone behind the ear is removed via mastoidectomy to treat disease and/or provide additional access. The mastoid dissection is performed using a high-speed drill to excavate bone based on a pre-operative CT scan. Intraoperatively, the surface of the mastoid component of the temporal bone provides visual feedback allowing the surgeon to guide their dissection. Dissection begins in "safe areas" which, based on surface topography, are believed to be correlated with greatest distance from surface to vital anatomy thus decreasing the chance of injury to the brain, large blood vessels (e.g. the internal jugular vein and internal carotid artery), the inner ear, and the facial nerve. "Safe areas" have been identified based on surgical experience with no identifiable studies showing correlation of the surface with subsurface anatomy. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether such a correlation exists. Through a three-step registration process, we defined a correspondence between each of twenty five clinically-applicable temporal bone CT scans of patients and an atlas and explored displacement and angular differences of surface topography and depth of critical structures from the surface of the skull. The results of this study reflect current knowledge of osteogenesis and anatomy. Based on two features (distance and angular difference), two regions (suprahelical and posterior) of the temporal bone show the least variability between surface and subsurface anatomy.
Linear programming and simple associative memories

Many optimization procedures presume the availability of an initial approximation in the neighborhood of a local or global optimum. Unfortunately, finding a set of good starting conditions is itself nontrivial. We describe a procedure for identifying approximate solutions to constrained optimization problems. Simple associative memories are trained to map the inputs of closely related linear programs to optimal solution vectors. The procedure performs well, identifying good heuristic solutions for representative examples. Modest infeasibilities exist in these estimated solutions, but the basic variables associated with true optimums are readily apparent.
Arabidopsis Argonaute10 Specifically Sequesters miR166/165 to Regulate Shoot Apical Meristem Development

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) comprises a group of undifferentiated cells that divide to maintain the plant meristem and also give rise to all shoot organs. SAM fate is specified by class III HOMEODOMAIN-LEUCINE ZIPPER (HD-ZIP III) transcription factors, which are targets of miR166/165. In Arabidopsis, AGO10 is a critical regulator of SAM maintenance, and here we demonstrate that AGO10 specifically interacts with miR166/165. The association is determined by a distinct structure of the miR166/165 duplex. Deficient loading of miR166 into AGO10 results in a defective SAM. Notably, the miRNA-binding ability of AGO10, but not its catalytic activity, is required for SAM development, and AGO10 has a higher binding affinity for miR166 than does AGO1, a principal contributor to miRNA-mediated silencing. We propose that AGO10 functions as a decoy for miR166/165 to maintain the SAM, preventing their incorporation into AGO1 complexes and the subsequent repression of HD-ZIP III gene expression.
Intracellular determination of activated caspases (IDAC) by flow cytometry using a pancaspase inhibitor labeled with FITC.

Background Flow cytometry–based methods of simultaneous detection of multiple activated caspases in single cells are of diagnostic value and remain to be fully explored. Methods Genomic DNA fragmentation was determined by agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry. Whole cells were incubated with the cell-permeable pancaspase inhibitor, FITC-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoro-methyl-Rerone (FITC-VAD-FMK), and propidium iodide (PI) and analyzed for intracellular activated caspases and plasma membrane integrity, respectively, by flow cytometry. Results Two distinct populations of apoptotic cells were identified by flow cytometry: an early apoptotic population indicated by FITC-VAD-FMK binding and the late apoptotic cells characterized by FITC-VAD-FMK staining and permeability to PI. The binding of FITC-VAD-FMK to apoptotic cells was time dependent and concurred with DNA fragmentation. Pretreatment with the pancaspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-methyl-fluoro-methyl-kerone (Z-VAD (OMe)-FMK), coordinately attenuated apoptosis induction and activation of caspases. The pancaspase inhibitor also competitively blocked the binding of FITC-VAD-FMK to early apoptotic cells in vitro. Significantly, the use of FITC-VAD-FMK permitted apoptosis determination in a number of cell lines including the caspase-3 gene–deleted MCF-7 responding to various apoptotic stimuli. Conclusions Apoptosis detection based on FITC-VAD-FMK binding is specific and easily performed by flow cytometry in a variety of cells. This novel technique has implications for detecting apoptosis in pathophysiologic conditions. Cytometry Part A 56A:104–112, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
α-Fluorovinyl Weinreb Amides and α-Fluoroenones from a Common Fluorinated Building Block

Synthesis and reactivity of N-methoxy-N-methyl-(1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfonyl)fluoroacetamide, a building block for Julia olefination, is reported. This reagent undergoes condensation reactions with aldehydes and cyclic ketones to give α-fluorovinyl Weinreb amides. Olefination reactions proceed under mild, DBU-mediated conditions, or in the presence of NaH. DBU-mediated condensations proceed with either E- or Z-selectivity, depending upon reaction conditions, whereas NaH-mediated reactions are ≥98% Z-stereoselective. Conversion of the Weinreb amide moiety in N-methoxy-N-methyl-(1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl)fluoroacetamide to ketones, followed by oxidation, resulted in another set of olefination reagents, namely (1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfonyl)fluoromethyl phenyl and propyl ketones. In the presence of DBU, these compounds react with aldehydes tested to give α-fluoroenones with high Z-selectivity. The use of N-methoxy-N-methyl-(1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl)fluoroacetamide as a common fluorinated intermedia...
Does Language Arise from a Calculus of Dominance

Robin Dunbar's hypothesis that language capacity in response to the demands of maintaining large groups suggests a more specific hypothesis that language arose from a cognitive calculus by which animals could predict their status in complex dominance situations.
Ritz solutions for axisymmetric temperature and stress fields in finite elastic cylinders

Variational formulations are given for the stationary heat conduction and thermodelasticity problems of an orthotropic, non-homogeneous, finite length, cylinder. It is demonstrated that a single-element approach based upon Ritz approximations and the method of Lagrange multipliers offers and efficient means for computing the temperature and thermal stress distributions.
Dynamics and instabilities of lipid bilayer membrane shapes

Biological membranes undergo constant shape remodeling involving the formation of highly curved structures. The lipid bilayer represents the fundamental architecture of the cellular membrane with its shapes determined by the Helfrich curvature bending energy. However, the dynamics of bilayer shape transitions, especially their modulation by membrane proteins, and the resulting shape instabilities, are still not well understood. Here, we review in a unifying manner several theories that describe the fluctuations (i.e. undulations) of bilayer shapes as well as their local coupling with lipid or protein density variation. The coupling between local membrane curvature and lipid density gives rise to a ‘slipping mode’ in addition to the conventional ‘bending mode’ for damping the membrane fluctuation. This leads to a number of interesting experimental phenomena regarding bilayer shape dynamics. More importantly, curvature-inducing proteins can couple with membrane shape and eventually render the membrane unstable. A criterion for membrane shape instability is derived from a linear stability analysis. The instability criterion reemphasizes the importance of membrane tension in regulating the stability and dynamics of membrane geometry. Recent progresses in understanding the role of membrane tension in regulating dynamical cellular processes are also reviewed. Protein density is emphasized as a key factor in regulating membrane shape transitions: a threshold density of curvature coupling proteins is required for inducing membrane morphology transitions.
Interleukin-2 signals during priming are required for secondary expansion of CD8+ memory T cells

Although interleukin-2 (IL-2) was initially characterized as the primary T-cell growth factor following in vitro activation, less is known about its role in shaping T-cell responses to acute infections in vivo. The use of IL-2- or IL-2-receptor-deficient mice is problematic owing to their early development of autoimmunity, attributable to the central role of IL-2 in the generation, maintenance and function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. To bypass these inherent difficulties, we have studied the effect of IL-2 on T-cell responses to acute infections by adopting a mixed chimaera strategy in which T cells lacking the high-affinity IL-2 receptor could be studied in an otherwise healthy mouse containing a full complement of regulatory T cells. Here we show that although IL-2 signalling to pathogen-specific CD8+ T cells affects the number of developing effector and memory cells very little, it is required for the generation of robust secondary responses. This is not due to an altered T-cell-receptor repertoire development or selection, and does not reflect an acute requirement for IL-2 during secondary activation and expansion. Rather, we demonstrate a previously unappreciated role for IL-2 during primary infection in programming the development of CD8+ memory T cells capable of full secondary expansion. These results have important implications for the development of vaccination or immunotherapeutic strategies aimed at boosting memory T-cell function.
ON THE LEAST STRONGLY COMPACT CARDINAL

We prove that under the assumption of a supercompact cardinal κ which is a limit of supercompact cardinals, for any increasing Σ2 function φ the set {∂<κ:∂ is at least φ(∂) supercompact, is strongly compact, yet is not fully supercompact} is unbounded in κ. We then use ideas of Magidor to show that under the hypotheses of a supercompact cardinal which is a limit of supercompact cardinals it is consistent for the least strongly compact cardinal κ0 to be at least φ(κ0) supercompact yet not to be fully supercompact, where φ is again an increasing Σ2 function which also meets certain other technical restrictions.
Global analysis of Helicobacter pylori gene expression in human gastric mucosa

Abstract Background & Aims: Helicobacter pylori inhabits a highly restricted ecological niche in the human gastric mucosa. Microbial gene expression in the context of persistent infection remains largely uncharacterized. Methods: An RNA analysis method, selective capture of transcribed sequences, was used in conjunction with genomic array hybridization to characterize H. pylori complementary DNAs (cDNAs) obtained from both human and experimentally infected gerbil gastric tissue specimens. Results: Bacterial cDNAs obtained by selective capture of transcribed sequences from tissues hybridized to arrayed DNA fragments representing approximately 70% of open reading frames in the H. pylori genome. RNAs for most of these open reading frames were also detected by array hybridization analyses of total RNA prepared from the isolated H. pylori strains cultured in vitro. However, a subset of H. pylori RNAs detected in gastric tissue specimens was consistently undetectable in bacteria grown in vitro. The majority of these RNAs encode factors unique to H. pylori that are potentially produced in response to interactions with mammalian gastric mucosa. Conclusions: The combination of selective capture of transcribed sequences with array hybridization has allowed a global analysis of bacterial gene expression occurring in human tissues during a natural infection. GASTROENTEROLOGY 2002;123:1637-1648
Increased callus mass and enhanced strength during fracture healing in mice lacking the sclerostin gene.

Abstract Humans with inherited sclerostin deficiency have high bone mass. Targeted deletion of the sclerostin gene in mice (SOST-KO) causes increases in bone formation, bone mass and bone strength. Inhibition of sclerostin by a monoclonal antibody increases bone formation and enhances fracture healing in rodent and primate models. In this study, we describe the temporal progression of femoral fracture healing in SOST-KO mice compared with wild type (WT) control mice to further characterize the role of sclerostin in fracture healing. Sixty-seven male 9–10 week-old SOST-KO (N = 37) and WT (N = 30) mice underwent a closed femoral fracture. Weekly radiography was used to monitor the progress of healing. Histologic sections were used to characterize callus composition, evaluate callus bridging, and quantify lamellar bone formation on days 14 and 28. Densitometry and biomechanical testing were utilized to characterize bone mass and strength at the fractured and contralateral femurs on day 45. A significant improvement in time to radiographic healing (no discernible fracture line) was observed in SOST-KO mice, which corresponded to an increase in histologic bony bridging at 14 days (38% versus 0% in WT). Both genotypes appeared to be nearly fully bridged at 28 days post-fracture. The increased bridging at 14 days was associated with 97% greater bone area and 40% lower cartilage area in the callus of SOST-KO mice as compared to WT mice. Bone formation-related endpoints were higher in SOST-KO mice at both 14 and 28 days. At 45 days post-fracture, peak load and bone mass were significantly greater in the fractured femurs of SOST-KO mice as compared to WT mice. In conclusion, fractures in mice lacking sclerostin showed accelerated bridging, greater callus maturation, and increased bone formation and strength in the callus.
Traits of persons who drink decaffeinated coffee.

Abstract PURPOSE: Little is known about the traits of decaffeinated coffee drinkers, who are sometimes used to ascertain whether the health effects of coffee intake are due to caffeine or some other coffee ingredient. METHODS: We studied these traits in 12,467 persons who reported type of coffee consumed at health examinations; 36% drank caffeinated only, 13% drank decaffeinated only, 27% drank both types and 24% drank no coffee. RESULTS: Odds ratios estimated from logistic regression analyses revealed that compared with regular (caffeinated) coffee drinkers or abstainers, decaffeinated coffee drinkers were less likely to be heavy coffee drinkers, smokers, alcohol drinkers, users of caffeinated soft drinks and medication and to be free of illness. Increased decaffeinated coffee drinking was associated with older age, female sex, African American ethnicity, use of special diets and cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, or neuropsychiatric symptoms. Persons on special diets were more likely to drink decaffeinated coffee whether they had heart disease or were free of any illness. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that decaffeinated coffee use is related to illness in some persons but to a healthy lifestyle in others. These potential and possibly conflicting confounding factors need to be considered when studying the health effects of coffee or caffeine.
Review of Current Primary Care Physician Attitudes and Practices in Obesity Counseling and Potential Resources Relevant to the Primary Care Setting

s / Can J Diabetes 39 (2015) S38eS74 S51 linked to lost-time injuries. The aim of this paper was to evaluate predictors of workplace lost-time injuries and how they may be related to obesity or high body mass index (BMI) scores by examining factors associated with lost-time injuries in the healthcare sector, a well-studied industry with the highest number of reported time loss injuries in Canada. A literature review focusing on lost-time injuries in Registered Nurses (RNs) was conducted using the keywords and terms: lost time injury, workers’ compensation, occupational injury, workplace injury, injury, injuries, work, workplace, occupational, nurse, registered nurse, RN, health care, predictors, risk factors, risk, risks, cause, causes, obese, obesity, BMI and body mass index. Data on predictors or factors associatedwith lost-time injuries in RNs was gathered and organized using Loisel’s Work Disability Framework and extrapolated upon using existing literature surround obesity in the Canadian workplace.
Location Isolability of Intake and Exhaust Manifold Leaks in a Turbocharged Diesel Engine With Exhaust Gas Recirculation

An investigation into the isolability of the location of intake and exhaust manifold leaks in heavy duty diesel engines is presented. In particular, established fault detection and isolation (FDI) methods are explored to assess their utility in successfully determining the location of a leak within the air path of an engine equipped with exhaust gas recirculation and an asymmetric twin-scroll turbine. It is further shown how consideration of the system’s variation across multiple operating points can lead to improved ability to isolate the location of leaks in the intake and exhaust manifolds.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Staphylococcal superantigens as inducers of signal transduction in MHC class II-positive cells

Abstract Staphylococcal superantigens (SEs and TSST-1) interact with and potentially activate two of the main subsets of the immune system: T lymphocytes and MHC class II-positive cells. Since the interaction of SEs and TSST-1 with MHC class II molecules is the first step in triggering immune cells activation, a detailed understanding of the nature of this interaction is essential for understanding its effect on the immune system and for designing therapeutic strategies for SEs and TSST-1-mediated injury. A series of events is induced in MHC class II-positive cells (B cells, activated T cells, monocytes, and synoviocytes) upon engagement with superantigens. Some of these events require monomeric forms of superantigens, whereas others are critically dependent on crosslinking of toxin-bound MHC class II molecules by a biochemical agent (biotin-avidin) or a natural physiological one such as the TCR. The ability of superantigens to induce polyclonal activation of MHC class II-positive cells may confer to the superantigen its capacity to trigger autoimmune diseases.
IIT Intranet Mediator: bringing data together on a corporate intranet

A mediator is a software module that interacts with a user and a variety of data sources to provide one-stop shopping for an organization's data. This approach is especially attractive when taken over a large, heterogeneous system of data, because the cost of source integration for such a system is high. Intranet and digital libraries could benefit from mediators because they handle myriad data types and must treat all data appropriately, according to its type. A mediator's key goal is to simply answer natural-language questions, deriving answers from sources that contain structured, semistructured, and unstructured data in a particular domain. Various efforts, like those conducted as part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's annual Text Retrieval Conference, focus on unstructured sources. The IIT Intranet Mediator extends these efforts to include structured and semistructured sources.
A new classification of the toxemias of pregnancy

Abstract The number of cases of toxemia of pregnancy recorded in this paper is too small to allow definite conclusions. However, the analysis of this series indicates that the new classification of the Committee appointed by the American Committee on Maternal Welfare, can readily be applied, being simple and workable. Although the author has been an advocate of certain different concepts, he is more than willing to use this classification in the indexing and study of the material in the New York Lying-in Hospital, and hopes that all maternity services throughout the country will adopt this new classification. Should this obtain, we would be in a far better position to gain valuable information regarding the etiology and treatment of these disorders of pregnancy. Cooperative studies, similar to those already being conducted by the cooperative clinical group interested in syphilis complicating pregnancy, are most desirable, but, of course, cannot be successfully carried out unless all clinics entering into such a study employ a uniform classification.
Investigation of the interaction of HCl and three amino acids, HEPES, MOPSO and glycine, by EMF measurements

Ionic interaction in the three systems Hcl-HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N′-2-ethanesulfonic acid), HCl-MOPSO (3-(N-Morpholino)-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid), and HCl-glycine have been studied in terms of their mutual influence on the respective activity coefficients of each component. Activity coefficients for each component of the three systems are calculated from emf measurements of solutions containing HCl and the amino acid in a H2/solution/AgCl,Ag cell at 25°C. The first dissociation constant of HEPES at 25°C has also been determined using emf and pH titration measurements.
Spectroscopic Study of HD 179821 (IRAS 19114+0002): Proto-Planetary Nebula or Supergiant?

A detailed chemical composition analysis of the bright post-AGB candidate HD 179821 (IRAS 19114 + 0002) is presented. The LTE analysis, based on high-resolution (R approximately equal 50,000) and high-quality (S/N approximately equal 300) spectra, yields atmospheric parameters T(sub eff) = 6750 K, log g = 0.5, and xi(sub t) = 5.25 km/s. The elemental abundance results of HD 179821 are found to be [Fe/H] = -0.1, [C/Fe] = +0.2, [N/Fe] = +1.3, [O/Fe] = +0.2, [alpha-process/Fe] = +0.5, and [s-process/Fe] = +0.4. These values clearly differ from the elemental abundances of Population I F supergiants. The C, N, and O abundances and the total CNO abundance value relative to Fe, [C+N+O/Fe] = +0.5, indicate that the photosphere of HD 179821 is contaminated with both the H- and He-burning products of the AGB phase. The evidence for He burning through the 3.alpha process and deep AGB mixing also comes from the observed overabundances of s-process elements. Remarkably, the abundance of the element Na is found to be very large, [Na/Fe] = +0.9. The ratio O/C = 2.6 indicates that the atmosphere is oxygen rich. The results of this abundance study support the argument that HD 179821 is a proto-planetary nebula,. probably with an intermediate-mass progenitor. However, the strength of the O I triplet lines at 7774 A and the distance derived from the interstellar Na I D1 and D2 components imply that the star is a luminous object (M(sub bol) approximately -8.9 +/- 1) and thus a massive supergiant. Thus, while this study contributes important new observational results for this star, an unambiguous determination of its evolutionary status has yet to be achieved.
Exploiting parallelism in automatic differentiation

The numerical methods employed in the solution of many scientific computing problems require the computation of first or second order derivatives of a function f:R{sup n} {yields} R{sup m}. We present an approach that, given a serial C program for the computation of f(x), derives a parallel execution schedule for the computation of f and its derivatives in a completely automatic fashion. This is achieved by overloading the computation of f(x) in C++ to obtain a trace of the computations to be performed and then transforming this trace into a data flow graph for the computation of f(x). In addition to the computation f(x), this graph also allows us to exactly and inexpensively compute derivates of f by the repeated use of the chain rule. Parallelism is exploited in two ways: Rows or Columns of derivative matrices can be computed by independent passes through the computational graph, and parallelism within the processing of this computational graph can be exploited by processing independent subgraphs concurrently. We present experimental results that show that good performance on shared-memory machines can be obtained by using a graph interpreter approach. We then present some ideas that are currently under development for regulating computational granularity, andmore » to allow for the derivation of a compiled program for the parallel computation of f and its derivatives, using the PCN (Parallel Composition Notation) parallel language environment. 28 refs., 5 figs.« less
Inhalation simulation and the effects of lung environmental conditions on consumer aerosol products and NaCl aerosol.

Abstract The use of an inhalation simulation apparatus to determine the effects of conditions of 98% relative humidity and 37°C temperature on the size distribution of aerosol particulates is demonstrated. Ten common household and cosmetic aerosol products and NaCl aerosol were sampled from the apparatus by the Single Particle Aerodynamic Relaxation Time (SPART) analyzer. Some products, such as the spray powder antiperspirant, spray lubricant, and furniture polish, showed little increase in count and mass median aerodynamic diameter under humid conditions. The size distribution of other products, such as oven cleaner, air freshener, insecticide, and pump spray antiperspirant, shifted such that the mass median aerodynamic diameters increased two- to fourfold.
Seeking Reemployment in Nonmetropolitan America

Unemployment is particularly pervasive in nonmetropolitan communities with few employment opportunities. The authors examined how unemployed nonmetropolitan adults’ daily affective experiences influenced same-day and next-day job search times. Positive affect and high reemployment beliefs were related to higher same-day, but not next-day, job search times. Next-day job search times were higher when job seekers reported high effort and perceived progress on the previous day. Lower job search times occurred after days of low effort with high progress perceptions or if high effort was paired with low progress. Theoretical implications, limitations, and practical applications are discussed.
Effects of SO2/redox exposure on the microstructure of cerium–zirconium mixed metal oxides

Abstract Cerium–zirconium solid solutions were prepared and characterized to determine the effects of SO 2 /redox exposure on the microstructure of the crystallites. The mixed oxides were prepared via co-precipitation of cerium(IV) ammonium hydroxide and zirconium oxynitrate using ammonium hydroxide. The oxides were characterized prior to and after SO 2 exposure to discern the effects of temperature and SO 2 on crystallite properties. The samples were treated at 673 and 1073 K with a flow of 100 ppm SO 2 /balance N 2 with a concomitant redox pulse of 5% H 2 /balance N 2 and 5% O 2 /balance N 2 on 10 s intervals. The cubic crystalline structure (CaF 2 ) was observed and maintained for compositions ranging from 100 to 25 at.% cerium without indication of a separate tetragonal phase. While the cubic structure was maintained, the addition of zirconium in the cubic lattice reduced the cubic lattice parameter ( a 0 ) and the crystallite grain size. Under identical redox conditions and temperatures, exposure to SO 2 resulted in smaller grain sizes, as calculated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, higher exposure temperatures resulted in larger crystallite grain sizes without altering the cubic lattice parameter. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) confirmed the absence of surface sulfur species, indicating sulfur dioxide alters the microstructure of the crystallites under redox conditions without the formation of cerium–zirconium chemisorbed sulfur species.
The emergent literacy construct and kindergarten and readiness books of basal reading series.

Abstract Reading instruction is beginning earlier and earlier for American children. This study examined the nature of reading instruction, as evidenced in the early childhood components of the basal reading materials that guide a majority of American teachers. Basal activities were examined from the emergent literacy perspective which suggests developmentally appropriate experiences that build on what and how young children learn in natural settings. Activities in student and teacher books of kindergarten and readiness components of four basal reading series were analyzed to answer two questions. The first related to the match between basal activities and the emergent literacy construct. Analyses showed that conventional readiness activities like visual, shape, and color discrimination dominated kindergarten books and that auditory discrimination activities dominated readiness books. Emergent literacy activities that experts identified as appropriate for instructional materials were not prominent in either student or teacher books. The second question pertained to differences between meaning- and decoding-oriented series in implementation of literature and decoding activities. Although series did not differ from one another in the amount of attention devoted to either literature or decoding, descriptive analyses of comprehension and decoding instruction showed that meaning-oriented series incuded more high-quality literature for teacher read-alouds, whereas decoding-oriented series allowed more connections between letter-sound correspondences and word identification. The implications of assumptions underlying these materials on children's reading acquisition and adaptations in materials that implement the emergent literacy construct are discussed.
Occupational change and differing returns to migration by gender

Abstract In this paper I explore the consequences of migration on the earnings of individuals by gender and marital status. Microdata taken from the Panel study of Income Dynamics are used to measure the financial returns to intercounty migration for individuals in a temporal framework accounting for gains that accrue over time. Earnings are estimated for a pooled sample of migrants and nonmigrants in a two-stage procedure correcting for self-selection bias. In order to explain initial losses often incurred by migrants, employer and occupational change are interacted with migration status in earnings estimations. Results indicate that the impact of migration and occupational change vary by gender and marital status.
Internal and near-surface scattered field of a spherical particle at resonant conditions

On presente quelques caracteristiques generales apparaissant dans les conditions de resonance dans la distribution d'intensite du champ a l'interieur des particules spheriques diffusantes et dans le champ proche et la forte augmentation de l'intensite du champ dans le champ proche juste a l'exterieur de la sphere
ABC/M: Which companies have success?

No technique works equally well for every company. That's especially true for activity-based costing and management (ABC/M). But which companies and industries have had the greatest success—and why? © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A new world of infectious disease

When Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, he brought together two worlds of infection which had developed in virtual isolation from each other for thousands of years. The picture of infectious disease in the New World differed from that in the Old World in many ways, but probably most dramatically in the absence or near absence of crowd infections capable of causing severe epidemics. The devastating effects of these crowd diseases in the post-Columbian period are well known, with conditions such as smallpox, diphtheria, measles, malaria, bubonic plague, yellow fever, and possibly typhus killing thousands of Native Americans, thus allowing inhabitants of the eastern hemisphere to become firmly established in the western hemisphere. Less is known about the diseases present in the Americas prior to 1492, but they probably included treponemal infections (pinta and syphilis), tuberculosis, forms of leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis, fungal diseases such as coccidioidomycosis and paracoccidioidomycosis, various coccal infections, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, legionellosis, hydatid disease, and a variety of intestinal parasite infections. It must be noted, however, that some of these syndromes were likely already present in both hemispheres in 1492. Recent research suggests that adult rheumatoid arthritis may also have its origin in the Americas. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.