cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accuracy of Smartphone Pulse Oximeters in Patients Visiting an Outpatient Pulmonary Function Lab for a 6-Minute Walk Test

Background: Pulse oximeters are commonly utilized medical devices used to measure blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). These devices are either stand-alone or integrated into physiologic monitoring systems, using 2 wavelengths of lights to determine SpO2. With recent advances in technology, some smartphones now have pulse oximetry capabilities. Since it is possible that some patients could utilize this technology, we sought to assess the accuracy, reliability and usability of smartphone pulse oximeters. Methods: This was an IRB-approved prospective, observational study which involved noninvasive measurements SpO2 by three devices: 1) Masimo Radical-7 pulse oximeter, 2) Kenek Edge Pulse Oximeter with the Apple iPhone 6S, and 3) Samsung S8 smartphone. Ambulatory patients above 18 years of age visiting the pulmonary function lab for a 6-minute walk test were eligible to participate in the study. Each participant’s SpO2 was measured using all three devices, simultaneously. Pre-test and post-test results were obtained for every participant. All results were calculated by Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots were used to compare smartphone values to the pulse oximeter used in the lab. When devices failed to provide a SpO2 result, it was recorded as Unable to Obtain (UTO). Results: 48 participants enrolled in the study. Of the 48 participants, 77.1% were females and 22.9% were males. For SpO2, there was a moderate, positive correlation between pre-test Masimo and Apple devices (n = 47, r = .519, P
Introducing the Sociopolitical Motive × Intergroup Threat Model to Understand How Monoracial Perceivers’ Sociopolitical Motives Influence Their Categorization of Multiracial People:

Researchers have used social dominance, system justification, authoritarianism, and social identity theories to understand how monoracial perceivers’ sociopolitical motives influence their categori...
Epidemiological analysis of measles in Jiaozuo from 2004 to 2008

Objective To understand epidemiological characteristics of measles in Jiaozuo, Henan Province and provide a scientific basis for strategies and measures of prevention and control of measles in the future. Methods Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the data of measles during 2004-2008. Results Measles was controlled at low attack rates and occurred sporadically and in a manner of smallrange outbreaks. The attack rates varied with different regions. The peak incidences were discovered from March to June(73.91%). Among 667 confirmed cases, 89.05% were observed in ＜ 15 year group, with 25.48% in ＜ 1 year group. The measles cases were mainly seen in scattered children(46.35%), followed by school-age and nursery children(42.10%). There were 33.13%, 44.38%, and 22.49% of the cases with immunized history, non-immunized history, and unclear immunized history, respectively. The serum collecting rate was 58.89%. Conclusions Strengthening monitoring, improving routine immunization rate and quality,and eliminating measles outbreaks are the main tasks in the future. Raising revaccination rate and reducing accumulation of susceptible population are the key points to establish an immune barrier against measles. Key words: Measles; Epidemiology; Measles vaccine
Evaluation of Alternative Continuations of Chess Openings

Controlled experiments with chess engines may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative continuation lines of chess openings. The proposed methodology is demonstrated by evaluating a selection of continuations by White after the Sicilian Defense Najdorf Variation has been played by Black. The results suggest that the nine continuations tested represent a wide range of effectiveness that are mostly consistent with expert opinion.
Changes at the edge: trends in sea ice, ocean temperature and ocean color at the Northwest Atlantic/Southern Arctic interface

Spatial and temporal trends of remotely sensed sea-ice cover, sea surface temperatures, chlorophyll-a concentration and primary production in the Baffin Bay, Davis Strait and Labrador Sea were analyzed for the 1998–2017 period. We found spatial variability in the trends of these cryospheric, biologic and oceanographic phenomena. For example, in the northern Baffin Bay, we observed decreases in annual sea-ice persistence, yet increases along the Labrador Sea-ice edge during winter, with the latter having significant correlations with broader atmospheric patterns. In general, we observed increases in summer sea surface temperatures across the study region, except a small area of cooling along the southern Greenlandic coast. We also found significant negative trends in April chlorophyll-a and primary production followed by significant positive trends for both biological phenomena in May, owing to anomalously high values in 2014 and 2015. Notably, we found a significant positive correlation between days of monthly sea ice presence in April with May primary production quantities. Finally, we found a significant positive trend in total annual primary production over the study period. This novel finding suggests an important relationship between the timing of breakup along the sea-ice edge and peaks in biological production.
Dietary Naringenin Preserves Insulin Sensitivity and Grip Strength and Attenuates Inflammation but Accelerates Weight Loss in a Mouse Model of Cancer Cachexia

Scope Cancer cachexia is characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle resulting in functional impairment, reduced quality of life and mortlity. Naringenin, a flavonoid found in citrus fruits, improves insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation and tumor growth in preclinical models. Therefore, we hypothesized that dietary supplementation of naringenin would improve insulin sensitivity, decrease inflammation, slow body weight loss and delay tumor growth in a mouse model of cancer cachexia. Methods & results Mice were fed 2 wt% dietary naringenin before and during initiation of cancer cachexia using inoculated adenocarcinoma-26 cells (C-26). Food intake, body weight, body composition, muscle function, insulin tolerance, and inflammatory status were assessed. Although naringenin-fed tumor-bearing mice exhibited reductions in body weight and food intake earlier than control diet-fed tumor-bearing mice, dietary naringenin was protective against loss of muscle strength, and attenuated the onset of insulin resistance and markers of inflammation. Conclusions Dietary supplementation of naringenin improved multiple aspects of metabolic disturbance and inflammation during cancer cachexia progression in [C-26 tumor-bearing] mice. However, the acceleration of anorexia and weight loss was also observed. These findings emphasize the link between inflammation and insulin resistance as a basis for understanding their roles in the pathogenesis of cancer cachexia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Parallel Randomized Techniques for Some Fundamental Geometric Problems

Computational Geometry is the field of computer science that is concerned with algorithmic techniques for solving geometric problems. Geometric problems arise in innumerable applications, particularly in the fields of Computer Graphics, Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM), Robotics and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A typical example of a fundamental problem in computational geometry is the computation of the convex hull of a set of points in d-dimensional space. The convex hull of a set of points is the smallest convex set containing those points. (Informally stated, a convex set is such that for any two points in the set, the line connecting those two points is also contained in the set.)
Medical Management of Hypocitraturia

Nephrolithiasis is a common disorder which left untreated has a high rate of recurrence. Hypocitraturia is a significant risk factor for the development of calcium kidney stones, and is present in up to 60 % of stone formers. Urinary citrate is an endogenous inhibitor of stone formation. Citrate forms soluble complexes with calcium, thereby reducing urinary free calcium. Furthermore, calcium-citrate complexes inhibit crystal nucleation, growth, and aggregation. Most often hypocitraturia is idiopathic, but may be associated with medical conditions such as renal tubular acidosis, gastrointestinal malabsorption, and hypokalemia. Diets high in animal protein and certain medications such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are also associated with hypocitraturia.
Towards a consumer perspective on information behaviour research

Taking as its departure point a recent article on information behaviour research, this article seeks to identify the dimensions of a framework for information behaviour research. The framework aims to facilitate an understanding of the relationship between the models and knowledge generated by research projects which investigate the nature of information behaviour in different contexts, and for different purposes. Inspiration for the framework is drawn from consumer behaviour research. Key issues in this field are the decision making process, user characteristics and profiles, contextual and environmental influences on user behaviour, and communication processes. A typology of user behaviour, which includes complex searching, limited searching, quality searching and lazy searching is proposed. The issue of the impact of lifestyle on information behaviour is identified as an area, which would benefit from further investigation. Description of environmental influences, including reference groups, and situation, might lend a further perspective on information behaviour. The dynamics of communication processes both between information intermediaries and users, and between users pose a number of interesting questions. The dimensions of the proposed framework are search processes, users, environments and communication processes.
Industrial energy demand: a simple structural approach

Abstract This paper describes a simple structural model of industrial energy demand based on production-function-like concepts, with vintaging of the available capital stock. The model is designed to help users understand the past and likely future effects of variations in factor prices and rates of output growth on industrial energy demands by major industry group. The approach handles capital-stock adjustment, electric/non-electric energy competition and business cycle effects in a simple, but natural, way. A description of an interesting initial application of the model to the primary metals industry is also included. This application improves our understanding of the approach, and demonstrates its usefulness in industrial energy demand analysis.
Juvenile Competency and Responsibility: Public Perceptions

The current study examined the relationship between knowledge of adolescent brain development and attitudes about juvenile competency, responsibility, likelihood to recidivate, and rehabilitative capacity. In addition, it examined what factors—a juvenile's age, the type of crime committed, or the immediacy of the crime—influenced participants' perceptions. Participants displayed some knowledge of adolescent brain development and social maturity, and tended to see adolescents as not ready, emotionally or psychologically, to handle the proceedings of adult court or a jury trial. However, a delay in criminal behavior (immediate vs. next morning) and type of victim (targeted vs. random) heavily influenced ratings of responsibility, likelihood to recidivate, and rehabilitative capacity. Implications for jury decision making and public policy are discussed.
Leaf demography and growth responses to altered resource availability in woody plants of contrasting leaf habit in a subtropical savanna

Leaf demography and growth of six common, co-occurring woody plant species that varied in stature (tree vs. shrub) and leaf texture (sclerophyllous, coriaceous, malacophyllous) were examined in a subtropical savanna parkland in southern Texas, USA. We tested the hypotheses that, (a) leaves of plants with evergreen canopies would have longer life spans than those of deciduous species; (b) supplementation of soil moisture would decrease leaf life span in both evergreen and deciduous species; (c) species responses to increased soil moisture availability would be inversely related to leaf longevity; and (d) deciduous growth forms would exhibit a greater growth response to increased soil moisture availability than their evergreen counterparts. A variety of seasonal leaf habits (evergreen, winter-deciduous and summer-deciduous canopies) and leaf life spans (median = 66 to 283 days) were represented by the targeted species, but there was no clear relationship between seasonal leaf habit and leaf longevity. Among species with evergreen canopies, median leaf longevity ranged from short (Zanthoxylum fagara = 116 days; Condalia hookeri = 158 days) to long (Berberis trifoliolata = 283 days) but did not exceed 1 yr. In fact, leaf longevity in evergreen shrubs was often comparable to, or shorter than, that of species with deciduous canopies (Ziziphus obtusifolia = 66 days; Diospyros texana = 119 days; Prosopis glandulosa = 207 days). Augmentation of surface soil moisture had no detectable effect on median leaf life span in any species and there was no clear relationship between leaf longevity and species growth responses to irrigation. Contrary to expectations, species with evergreen canopies responded to irrigation by producing more leaf biomass, longer shoots and more leaf cohorts/year than did deciduous species. Species differences in the annual cycle of leaf initiation, leaf longevity and canopy development, combined with contrasts in root distributions and a highly variable climate, may allow for spatial and temporal partitioning of resources and hence, woody species coexistence and diversity in this system. However, the lack of expected relationships between leaf longevity, leaf habit and plant responses to resource enhancement suggests that structure-function relationships and functional groupings developed in strongly seasonal environments cannot be applied with confidence to these subtropical savannas and thorn woodlands.
Activator-independent gene expression in Neurospora crassa.

A transgenic position effect that causes activator-independent gene expression has been described previously for three Neurospora crassa phosphate-repressible genes. We report analogous findings for two additional positively regulated genes, qa-2(+) and ars-1(+), indicating that such position effects are not limited to genes involved in phosphorus metabolism. In addition, we have characterized a number of mutants that display activator-independent gene expression. Each of these mutants contains a chromosomal rearrangement with one breakpoint located in the 5'-upstream region of the affected gene. This suggests that the rearrangements are associated with activator-independent gene expression and that these cis-acting mutations may represent a position effect similar to that responsible for rendering some transgenes independent of their transcriptional activators. We suggest that positively regulated genes in N. crassa are normally held in a transcriptionally repressed state by a cis-acting mechanism until specifically activated. Disruption of this cis-acting mechanism, either by random integration of a gene by transformation or by chromosomal rearrangement, renders these genes independent or partly independent of the transcriptional activator on which they normally depend.
Professional Expectations and Shattered Dreams: A Proficiency Dilemma.

The author presents a response to the article "Looking Into a Crystal Ball: Is Requiring High-Stakes Language Proficiency Tests Really Going to Improve World Language Education?," by Brigid M. Burke, particularly commenting on the debate between language proficiency and desire to teach as it relates to licensure standards for modern language teachers in the U.S. He discusses the importance of hiring motivated and passionate teachers, the need for language teachers with a high level of language proficiency to ensure a high-quality education, and issues of performance assessment.
Near and far infrared absorption in Cr doped ZnSe

Abstract The optical absorption in Cr doped ZnSe has been measured for photon wavenumbes,, ν , from 2 cm−1 to the bandedge at about 20 000 cm−1 for temperatures from 1.2 to 300°K. The Cr produces an extremely sharp absorption line at ν = 7.43 cm −1 , additional broad absorption lines between 50 and 100 cm−1, a broad absorption band at 5500 cm−1, and some further structure at higher energies. As we will show, these results support the conclusion of earlier paramagnetic resonance studies that a static Jahn-Teller distortion of E symmetry is present in the ground state for Cr2+ ions in ZnSe.
A Quasi-Analytical Model for Double-Gate Tunneling Field-Effect Transistors

Tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) are being widely investigated as a post-CMOS technology; however, despite significant experimental efforts, no quantitatively accurate device models are available. We derive an expression which provides the complete current characteristics of the double-gate TFET and demonstrate its agreement with simulation. This model will be useful in the design and circuit analysis of TFETs.
Sound retrieval and ranking using sparse auditory representations

To create systems that understand the sounds that humans are exposed to in everyday life, we need to represent sounds with features that can discriminate among many different sound classes. Here, we use a sound-ranking framework to quantitatively evaluate such representations in a large-scale task. We have adapted a machine-vision method, the passive-aggressive model for image retrieval (PAMIR), which efficiently learns a linear mapping from a very large sparse feature space to a large query-term space. Using this approach, we compare different auditory front ends and different ways of extracting sparse features from high-dimensional auditory images. We tested auditory models that use an adaptive pole--zero filter cascade (PZFC) auditory filter bank and sparse-code feature extraction from stabilized auditory images with multiple vector quantizers. In addition to auditory image models, we compare a family of more conventional mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) front ends. The experimental results show a significant advantage for the auditory models over vector-quantized MFCCs. When thousands of sound files with a query vocabulary of thousands of words were ranked, the best precision at top-1 was 73% and the average precision was 35%, reflecting a 18% improvement over the best competing MFCC front end.
Inhibition by castration of aflatoxin-induced hepatoma in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats

Abstract The effect of castration on aflatoxin-induced hepatoma in CCl4-treated CFN rats was investigated. After 40 days of recovery, rats castrated soon after weaning were given a total of 2.15 mg of aflatoxin B1-equivalents in 10 doses during a 166-day treatment period. All rats were given 0.1 ml CCl4 mixed with 0.1 ml of liquid paraffin at the same time treated animals were given aflatoxin. CCl4 was given to potentiate the effect of aflatoxin. Deaths (20–80%) occurred in all groups before the experiment was terminated on day 396. The highest incidence of deaths (80%) occurred in intact rats of both sexes treated with aflatoxin, and hepatomas were found in all 4 survivors among these animals. No hepatomas were found in any of the 16 aflatoxin-treated surviving castrated rats (39% deaths), in 15 surviving intact control rats (35% deaths), and in 15 surviving castrated control rats (38% deaths).
Oligomycin-resistant mitochondrial ATPase from mouse fibroblasts

Fourteen oligomycin-resistant LM(TK−) clones were isolated following the mutagenesis of minicells. In the absence of oligomycin, the mutants grew with population doubling times similar to that of the wild type (1 day). In 3 or 5 μg oligomycin/ml the doubling times of the mutants were 1.2–2.5 days. Both stable and unstable classes were represented among the oligomycin-resistant mutants. Mitochondrial ATPase activities of the mutants were 1.3–1130 times more resistant to oligomycin than the wild type. The mitochondrial ATPase of OLI 14 was found to be bound firmly to the mitochondrial membrane, showed no alteration in the pH optimum compared to wild-type, and exhibited increased resistance to DCCD and venturicidin. These results are consistent with the conclusion that oligomycin resistance in these mutants results from altered mitochondrial ATPase.
Impact of a veterans affairs continuity clinic on resident competencies in women's health.

BACKGROUND: Education in women’s health is now considered a core curricular component during residency training in Internal Medicine. There is potential for insufficient training in women’s health for residents with a continuity clinic based at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.
Neurite-like outgrowth from CNS explants may not always be of neuronal origin.

Abstract In living explants of the developing CNS ‘true’ neurites (neuronal processes) may appear virtually indistinguishable from the processes of radial and Bergmann glia. This inability to clearly distinguish the phenotype of responsive ‘neurites’ in the living state has profound implications for the interpretation of responses to ‘neurite-promoting’ substances. Labeling techniques, specific for intermediate filament proteins that are characteristic of neurons and neuroglia, should always be used to supplement morphologic observations on neurite-like outgrowth from living CNS explants.
Development and evaluation of GIS-based ArcPRZM-3 system for spatial modeling of groundwater vulnerability to pesticide contamination

The objectives of this study were to develop and evaluate a GIS-based modeling system called ArcPRZM-3 for spatial modeling of pesticide leaching potential from soil surface towards groundwater. The ArcPRZM-3 was developed by coupling a commonly used FORTRAN-based Pesticide Root Zone Model version 3 (PRZM-3) with user-friendly input and output interfaces through links to GIS using customized programming. A Visual PRZM-3 interface simplifies the entry of model inputs and links to the databases of crops, soils, and pesticides. The ArcPRZM-3 produces user-friendly outputs from the PRZM-3 batch simulations in the form of tables, charts, and maps. The Visual PRZM-3 can be used to run a single simulation for site-specific studies or simultaneous multiple simulations for spatial distributed modeling. The ArcPRZM-3 was applied to simulate maximum dissolved bentazon concentration at 0.75m soil depth for a period of 2 years. These simulation results were used to develop a health risk map for Woodruff County, Arkansas, based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Lifetime Health Advisory Level (USEPA-LHA) of bentazon in drinking water. The ArcPRZM-3 was evaluated by comparing the bentazon detection data from monitoring wells from the same area with the predicted bentazon health risk map. The results showed that 100% of the wells where bentazon was detected were within the high risk category based on the ArcPRZM-3 predictions. However, uncertainty in the ArcPRZM-3 model and the timing of groundwater well monitoring could both complicate the interpretations of the ArcPRZM-3 simulation results.
A New Synthetic Method for the Preparation of Protonated-NHCs and Related Compounds

Protonated versions of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC,H(+)) are classically prepared by closing the ring through the introduction of the CH+ fragment. He we report a totally different synthetic approach, which can be viewed as the addition of a 1,3-diazaallyl anion to a compound featuring two leaving groups (hereafter named "di-electrophile"). Using 1,3- and 1,4-dibromides, six and seven membered NHC,H(+)s have been prepared in good yields. Similarly, with 1,3,2-dioxathiolane-2,2-dioxide as a di-electrophile, imidazolidinium salts were obtained. To illustrate its broad scope of application, this synthetic route has been expanded to the preparation of protonated cyclic amino alkyl carbenes (CAACs) and amino thio carbenes, using 1-aza-allyl and 1,3-azathio-allyl anions, respectively.
Cryptic dioecy in Mammea (Clusiaceae)

The flowers of Mammea (Clusiaceae) have been reported to be androdioecious, a rare condition in the angiosperms. Pollen from eight taxa from most of the geographic range of the genus was examined to clarify the type of flowers, and thus the breeding system, of the genus. In six of these taxa pollen from both morphologically perfect and male flowers was examined, while in the other two, only pollen from the perfect flowers was used. In all cases pollen from perfect flowers was inaperturate, while that from the staminate flowers was aperturate. Since the inaperturate pollen probably cannot germinate, it is concluded that the perfect flowers are functionally female. Therefore, Mammea has a cryptic dioecious breeding system.
The use of decision trees for cost-sensitive classification: an empirical study in software quality prediction

This empirical study investigates two commonly used decision tree classification algorithms in the context of cost-sensitive learning. A review of the literature shows that the cost-based performance of a software quality prediction model is usually determined after the model-training process has been completed. In contrast, we incorporate cost-sensitive learning during the model-training process. The C4.5 and Random Forest decision tree algorithms are used to build defect predictors either with, or without, any cost-sensitive learning technique. The paper investigates six different cost-sensitive learning techniques: AdaCost, Adc2, Csb2, MetaCost, Weighting, and Random Undersampling RUS. The data come from case study include 15 software measurement datasets obtained from several high-assurance systems. In addition, to a unique insight into the cost-based performance of defection prediction models, this study is one of the first to use misclassification cost as a parameter during the model-training process. The practical appeal of this research is that it provides a software quality practitioner with a clear process for how to consider during model training and analyze during model evaluation the cost-based performance of a defect prediction model. RUS is ranked as the best cost-sensitive technique among those considered in this study. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2011 1 448-459 DOI: 10.1002/widm.38
Two-stage methanotrophic bioreactor for the treatment of chlorinated organic wastewater

A two-stage continuous methanotrophic bioreactor was developed for the treatment of wastewater contaminated by chlorinated organic solvents. The chosen design eliminated the problem of competitive inhibition during cometabolic biodegradations by separating the consumption of growth substrate (methane) and the degradation of chlorinated organics into two stages. In the first stage, a mixed methanotrophic culture was grown in a dispersed-growth continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CFSTR). In the second stage, trichlorethylene (TCE) and/or cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cDCE) contaminated wastewater was mixed with the suspended cells from the growth reactor and fed into a plug-flow reactor (PFR) where the cometabolic degradation occurred. The mixed methanotrophic culture in the CFSTR was grown in a copper-free, iron-enriched nitrate mineral salts medium to induce methanotrophic cells to produce soluble methane monooxygenase enzymes which are highly active in cometabolic degradations. Formate and oxygen were added prior to the PFR to enhance the chlorinated organic degradation rates and capacities. A kinetic model that incorporates chlorinated organic transformation capacity and competitive inhibition was used to develop the reactor design and to predict treatment performance for TCE and/or cDCE. Model predictions were verified by comparisons with experimental data. A bench-scale two-stage reator (with a 4-h wastewater retention time) was demonstrated to be capable of treating wastewater mixtures containing TCE (4.7 mg/l) and cDCE (4.8 mg/l) to below the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs, 5 μg/l each) continuously for at least 31 d. The optimal overall material cost of methanotrophic cell growth, formate amendment, and oxygen amendment for the treatment of TCE and cDCE wastewater (5 mg/l each) to the MCLs was estimated to be $0.17 per 1000 liters of wastewater.
Extraction of Petroleum Pitch with Supercritical Toluene: Experiment and Prediction

A heat-soaked isotropic petroleum pitch has been extracted with supercritical toluene in a region of liquid−liquid equilibrium at temperatures from 600 to 640 K, pressures from 60 to 155 bar, and solvent-to-pitch (S/P) ratios of 2.0 and 3.0. The solvent compositions of both the solvent-rich top phase and the pitch-rich bottom phase were measured, along with the weight fraction of pitch extracted into the top phase (i.e., the extraction yield). A thermodynamic model that incorporates the molecular weight distribution of the feed pitch, mathematically generated pseudocomponents, and the SAFT equation of state was used to predict phase compositions and extraction yields over a range of temperatures, pressures, and S/P ratios; good agreement is obtained with subsequently measured experimental data. The model contains a total of three adjustable parameters, which are determined by fitting a limited set of experimental data (e.g., phase compositions at one temperature and S/P ratio). Because these parameters ar...
Effects of Maternal Alcohol, Nicotine, and Caffeine Use During Pregnancy on Infant Mental and Motor Development at Eight Months

Infant mental and motor development at 8 mo of age is significantly related to maternal alcohol use during early pregnancy. Data on 462 infants were analyzed with multiple regression techniques, adjusting for effects of nicotine, caffeine, gestational age, parity, and maternal education. Other possible intervening variables were evaluated and not found to explain the results. This study presents further evidence that maternal alcohol use during pregnancy at levels of about four drinks per day and above has an adverse effect on offspring, even in a sample that is basically low risk.
Thermally modulated plasma frequency of free holes in the Sb2Te3-xSex compounds☆

Abstract The plasma resonance frequency ω p of free holes in a single-crystal of the narrow-band semiconductor Sb 2 Te 3- x was obtained using thermally-modulated reflectivity. This method gave accurate values of ω p even in the case of broadening due to strong free-carrier and interband absorption.
Effects of MgO-CaO-P2O5-Na2O-based additives on mechanical and biological properties of hydroxyapatite.

In this research, we improved densification, hardness, and compression strength of synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics by introducing small quantities of MgO-CaO-P2O5-Na2O-based sintering additives. Biological properties of HAp were not altered by this procedure. Phase analyses were performed by using a Philips Xpert fully automated diffractometer with Co K-alpha radiation to understand the influence of additives on phase purity in the final products. All compositions were characterized at green and sintered densities to understand the influence of additives on densification. Some of the compositions showed >40% increase in Vickers microhardness compared with pure HAp processed under the same conditions. Improvement in compression strength was also detected in some compositions. In vitro biological testing used a modified human osteoblast cell line to test biocompatibility, cell attachment, and cell proliferation. All these compositions were nontoxic and biocompatible. Our results indicate that MgO-CaO-P2O5-Na2O-based sintering additives can be used to improve both mechanical and biological properties of HAp ceramics. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 71A: 35–44, 2004
Investigation of Detached Eddy Simulations in Capturing the Effects of Coriolis Forces and Centrifugal Buoyancy in Ribbed Ducts

The predictive capability of Detached Eddy Simulations (DES) is investigated in stationary as well as rotating ribbed ducts with relevance to the internal cooling of turbine blades. A number of calculations are presented at Re =20,000 and rotation numbers ranging from 0.18 to 0.67 with buoyancy parameters up to 0.29 in a ribbed duct with ribs normal to the main flow direction. The results show that DES by admitting a LES solution in critical regions transcends some of the limitations of the base RANS model on which it is based. This feature of DES is exemplified by its sensitivity to turbulence driven secondary flows at the rib side-wall junction, to the effect of Coriolis forces, and centrifugal buoyancy effects. It is shown that DES responds consistently to these non-canonical effects when RANS and URANS with the same model cannot, at a cost which is about a tenth of that of LES for the geometry and Reynolds number considered in this study.
Different Strategies Contribute to Community Physical Activity Program Participation in Rural versus Metropolitan Settings

Abstract Purpose. Determine if recruitment methods are differentially related to the reach of a physical activity program in metro/urban vs. rural settings. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Setting. Kansas counties. Subjects. Ninety-four Cooperative Extension agents responsible for 102 counties. Measures. Promotional score, task force activity, and years of program delivery were assessed using a self-report survey. Reach was assessed for each county by dividing the number of participants by intended population using census data. Analysis. Rural/urban comparisons on reach were completed using a Mann-Whitney test. Multiple linear regression models were used to determine the relationship between independent variables and participation rate by setting type. Results. Metro/urban counties had lower mean participation rates than rural counties (z = −4.5; p < .001). In metro/urban counties, the regression on participation rate was significant (R2 = .19; F = 4.09; p = .011), but only promotional score signi...
Infection of MCH Chinese hamster cells with herpes simplex virus: Relation of cell killing to time of division

Abstract Cell killing of MCH Chinese hamster cells by herpes simplex virus (HSV) required shaking of cells in the presence of virus. The shaking method employed had no effect on the subsequent growth rate of cells. The relationship of cell killing to time of first cell division was studied by microscopic examination of single cells. The rate of first cell division following shaking of uninfected cells remained linear. The majority of surviving infected cells successfully completed their first cell division after initiation of division by uninfected cells. Once infected cells started to divide, their rate and time for completion of first cell division was similar to that of controls. It was concluded that cell death following shaking with HSV was primarily restricted to those cells that would normally have reached division first.
Radiation Benchmarking in a Model Combustor

Radiation heat transfer in a model combustor with interior and exterior conjugate heat transfers has been numerically studied. The previous investigations on turbulence, combustion and scalar transfer modeling (Reynolds analogy), and comparisons with a comprehensive experimental database provide a reliable base to evaluate the effect of radiation heat transfer on the flow field and NO emission in the combustor. Some of the numerical results with and without radiation are presented and compared with the experimental measurements. It is found that the total radiation heat flux through the combustor wall is about 4.2% of the total energy released from the input fuel. The effect of radiation on the flow field is minor, particularly to the velocity field. In contrast, it has significant effects on the NO field, where the predicted values without radiation are two times higher than those with radiation or the experimental data. A considerable effect of radiation on the combustor wall temperature is also observed. In summary, to provide valuable predictions of NO emission and combustor liner temperature, the radiation heat transfer should be properly taken into account in numerical simulations.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Responsiveness to Thyroid Hormone and to Ambient Temperature Underlies Differences Between Brown Adipose Tissue and Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in a Mouse Model of Diet-Induced Obesity

Thyroid hormone accelerates energy expenditure (EE) and is critical for cold-induced thermogenesis. To define the metabolic role played by thyroid hormone in the dissipation of calories from diet, hypothyroid mice were studied for 60 d in a comprehensive lab animal monitoring system. Hypothyroidism decreased caloric intake and body fat while down-regulating genes in the skeletal muscle but not brown adipose tissue thermogenic programs, without affecting daily EE. Only at thermoneutrality (30 C) did hypothyroid mice exhibit slower rate of EE, indicating a metabolic response to hypothyroidism that depends on ambient temperature. A byproduct of this mechanism is that at room temperature (22 C), hypothyroid mice are protected against diet-induced obesity, i.e. only at thermoneutrality did hypothyroid mice become obese when placed on a high-fat diet (HFD). This is in contrast to euthyroid controls, which on a HFD gained more body weight and fat at any temperature while activating the brown adipose tissue and a...
It Has Always Been More Than Just Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic: A Text for Preparing Teachers for Diverse Classrooms in the 21st Century—A review of Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real About Race in School (Mica Pollock, Editor. 2008. New York: The New Press)

A New Beginning I'll use ‘those type’ of children's books if I get enough Black, Asian, or Hispanic kids in my class. Otherwise, I don't see a need for them. The white teachers are always asking me...
Influence of monomer preemulsification on formation of particles from monomer drops in emulsion polymerization

Evidence was obtained supporting the theory that monomer droplets can become a locus of initiation and propagation in emulsion polymerization. This was done by reducing the size of the monomer droplets prior to initiation of polymerization using different preemulsification techniques for a typical latex recipe containing a common anionic surfactant. Monomer droplet size reduction caused an increase in the total surface area of the monomer droplets and thereby increased the competitiveness of these droplets for capturing active free radicals which are generated in the aqueous phase. As the total surface area of the monomer droplets was increased by preemulsification, a corresponding increase in the number of large particles formed by polymerization of these monomer droplets was experimentally measured. This work shows that monomer droplets are a locus of emulsion polymerization. However, the importance of monomer droplet polymerization is limited by their total surface area because of the competition for free radicals with other surfaces and/or particle nucleation processes. The results offer a basis for explaining why broad, and sometimes bimodal, particle size distributions are obtained in some commercial processes where the reactants are preemulsified prior to being charged into a reaction vessel.
Geographical Rural Status and Health Outcomes in Pediatric Liver Transplantation: An Analysis of 6 Years of National United Network of Organ Sharing Data

Objective To determine whether children in rural areas have worse health than children in urban areas after liver transplantation (LT). Study design We used urban influence codes published by the US Department of Agriculture to categorize 3307 pediatric patients undergoing LT in the United Network of Organ Sharing database between 2004 and 2009 as urban or rural. Allograft rejection, patient death, and graft failure were used as primary outcome measures of post-LT health. Pediatric end-stage liver disease/model of end-stage liver disease scores >20 was used to measure worse pre-LT health. Results In a multivariate analysis, we found greater rates of allograft rejection within 6 months of LT (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.05-1.53) and a lower occurrence of posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.41-0.99) in patients in rural areas. The difference in allograft rejection was eliminated at 1 year of LT (OR 1.18; 95% CI 0.98-1.42). Rural location did not impact other outcome measures. Conclusion We conclude that rural location makes a negative impact on patient health within the first 6 months of LT by increasing the risk for allograft rejection, although patients in rural areas may have lower rates of developing posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder. Long-term adverse health effects were not seen.
Epstein-Barr virus–associated smooth muscle tumor—report of 3 tumors including 1 intracerebral case with a prominent intratumoral B-lymphocytic component and plasma cells

Three Epstein-Barr virus-associated smooth muscle tumors (intracranial, endobronchial, and paraspinal) in 2 patients are presented. The patient with the intracranial tumor had no concurrent or previous manifestation of this neoplasm and was immunosuppressed because of a renal transplant. The other patient had AIDS and radiologic evidence of involvement of multiple other sites. Although mitotic activity was present, none of the tumors displayed any high-grade malignant histologic features. All tumors were strongly positive for smooth muscle actin and variably expressed h-caldesmon. Desmin was negative in all 3 tumors. The intracranial tumor was associated with prominent intracerebral edema and displayed, in addition to a prominent intratumoral T-cell component, a hitherto unreported component of prominent intratumoral B cells and plasma cells.
Inhaled beta-2 adrenergic receptor agonists and primary cardiac arrest

Abstract Purpose We sought to investigate if short-acting, inhaled β 2 -adrenergic receptor agonists were associated with higher risk of primary cardiac arrest in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Subjects and methods We conducted a population-based study involving 454 patients enrolled in a health maintenance organization, aged 40 to 79 years, who had asthma or COPD and who experienced primary cardiac arrest during 1980 to 1994. We randomly selected 586 controls from strata of enrollees, defined by age, sex, calendar year, and prior heart disease. Medication use was assessed from computerized pharmacy data, and risk factors from medical record review. Results Use of inhaled β-agonists was associated with a twofold increased risk of primary cardiac arrest (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1 to 3.3) among patients with asthma, but not among those with COPD (OR = 1.3; 95% CI: 0.6 to 2.7), after adjustment for risk factors. This association was observed only with use of two or more canisters of metered-dose, inhaled β-agonists for 3 months, and when inhaled steroids were not used. Conclusion These results support current guidelines recommending inhaled steroids as first-line asthma therapy.
Are Numbers Gendered

We examined the possibility that nonsocial, highly generic concepts are gendered. Specifically, we investigated the gender connotations of Arabic numerals. Across several experiments, we show that the number 1 and other odd numbers are associated with masculinity, whereas the number 2 and other even numbers are associated with femininity, in ways that influence judgments of stimuli arbitrarily paired with numerical cues; specifically, babies' faces and foreign names were more likely to be judged as "male" when paired with odd versus even numbers. The power of logically irrelevant numerical stimuli to connote masculinity or femininity reflects the pervasiveness of gender as a social scaffolding for generating understandings of abstract concepts.
Poorly differentiated carcinoma of bladder producing granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and parathyroid hormone related protein.

A 75-year-old man presented in urinary retention with fever and malaise. White blood count (WBC) was 34,700/ml. (normal 3.9 to 10.6) and serum calcium was 13.0 mg./dl. (normal 8.5 to 10.5). Abdominal computerized tomography (CT) without contrast material revealed bilateral hydronephrosis, a large bladder mass and multiple bladder calculi (fig. 1). Cystoscopy showed a large friable bladder mass and biopsies were consistent with poorly differentiated carcinoma. Serum parathyroid hormone was less than 9 pg./ml. (normal 10 to 65) and serum parathyroid related protein was 5.4 pmol./l. (normal 0 to 1.3). Despite culture specific antibiotic therapy, WBC continued to increase, reaching a peak of 44,000/ml. Bone scan, chest x-ray and brain CT failed to show any metastatic disease. The patient underwent radical cystoprostatectomy and ileal conduit urinary diversion. Pathological examination revealed poorly differentiated carcinoma with squamous and spindle cell differentiation (fig. 2). Lymph nodes were positive. Postoperatively, calcium decreased to 5.4 mg./dl. requiring aggressive calcium replacement and vitamin D administration. At hospital discharge calcium and serum parathyroid hormone were normal. WBC decreased to 9,000/ ml. by postoperative day 9. Within 4 weeks the patient had a large recurrent tumor in the pelvis and no evidence of infection. Leukocytosis returned with levels greater than 70,000/ ml. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was 113 pg./ml. (normal less than 39.1). The patient died shortly thereafter.
Containment and equivalence for an XPath fragment

XPath is a simple language for navigating an XML document and selecting a set of element nodes. XPath expressions are used to query XML data, describe key constraints, express transformations, and reference elements in remote documents. This paper studies the containment and equivalence problems for a fragment of the XPath query language, with applications in all these contexts.In particular, we study a class of XPath queries that contain branching, label wildcards and can express descendant relationships between nodes. Prior work has shown that languages which combine any two of these three features have efficient containment algorithms. However, we show that for the combination of features, containment is coNP-complete. We provide a sound and complete EXPTIME algorithm for containment, and study parameterized PTIME special cases. While we identify two parameterized classes of queries for which containment can be decided efficiently, we also show that even with some bounded parameters, containment is coNP-complete. In response to these negative results, we describe a sound algorithm which is efficient for all queries, but may return false negatives in some cases.
Calculation of the standard molal thermodynamic properties as a function of temperature and pressure of some geochemically important organic sulfur compounds

Abstract The standard molal thermodynamic properties and heat capacity power function coefficients of more than 100 organic sulfur compounds in the crystalline, liquid, and/or gas state have been calculated by combining regressions of experimental data reported in the literature together with carbon number systematics and group additivity algorithms. The compounds for which these calculations have been made include carbon disulfide, branched thiols, cyclic thiols, aromatic thiols, n-alkyl sulfides, branched sulfides, cyclic sulfides (including long-chain n-alkylthiolanes and n-alkylthianes), aromatic sulfides, n-alkyl disulfides, alkylthiophenes, methylated benzothiophenes and dibenzothiophenes, and thianthrene. In addition, the corresponding properties and coefficients for 12 sulfur-containing groups in the crystalline, liquid, and/or gas states have been retrieved, which can be used to estimate the standard molal thermodynamic properties and heat capacity power function coefficients of sulfur-rich kerogens or other high molecular weight organic sulfur compounds of geochemical interest.