cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tobacco Use Classification by Inexpensive Urinary Cotinine Immunoassay Test Strips.

Urinary cotinine is one of the most commonly measured biomarkers reflecting recent exposure to nicotine. In some cases a simple qualitative dichotomization of smokers and non-smokers is all that is required. NicAlert® test strips have been evaluated for this purpose, but other recently introduced, inexpensive single-line test strips have not. In this study we evaluated two such strips with nominal cutoffs of 200 and 10 ng/mL. A total of 800 urine samples with known cotinine concentrations determined by an LC-MS-MS method were examined, including 400 urine samples ranging from 0.23 to more than 24,000 ng/mL by the 200 ng/mL strip, and 400 samples with concentrations 98%. Our results suggest that these simple and inexpensive lateral flow immunoassay test strips can provide useful qualitative estimates of nicotine exposures for appropriate applications within the inherent limitations of sensitivity and precision of the immunoassay test strip format.
Frailty and Outcomes After Liver Transplantation.

Frailty is an emerging concept in liver transplantation. We reviewed the literature for the tests of frailty which have been validated to predict outcomes in patients with cirrhosis evaluated for liver transplantation. Several tools have been developed to further stratify risk of adverse events independent of liver disease severity. These include tests of disability such as activities of daily living and the Karnofsky Performance Score, as well as tests of physical frailty, such as the Liver Frailty Index (handgrip, chair stands, and balance). Increasingly, the frailty assessment is seen as a critical component of the liver transplant evaluation. Further research is needed to clarify the optimal timing of testing and the implications of longitudinal change.
Deity Representation: A Prototype Approach

This research systematically evaluates via prototype analysis how conceptualizations of Western adult's monotheistic God are structured. Over 4 studies, using U.S. student and community samples of predominantly Christians, features of God are identified, feature centrality is documented, and centrality influence on cognition is evaluated. Studies 1 and 2 produced considerable overlap in feature frequency and centrality ratings across the samples, with “God is love” being the most frequently listed central feature. In Studies 3 (choice latency) and 4 (recall and recognition memory), the centrality of features influenced cognitive processes: central features were more quickly identified as features of God than peripheral features; were correctly recognized more often; and central features were correctly recalled more often than peripheral features. Results indicated that participants meaningfully judged centrality and that centrality affected cognition. Thus, the two criteria necessary for demonstrating dei...
An assessment of current penile prosthesis reimbursement guidelines for insurance plans nationwide

A lack of uniformity exists for insurance payer coverage for all categories of penile prostheses (PP). We sought to determine common insurance coverage criteria and barriers to implantation across common insurance plans from healthcare referral regions (HRR) nationwide. Coverage criteria and stipulations were reviewed regarding erectile dysfunction (ED) etiology, ED duration, contributing comorbid conditions, medications, drug use, diagnostic tests, use of procedures and prior interventions. Seventy of 100 plans included coverage criteria. 36.1% provided coverage only in cases of gender dysphoria. 27.7% required documentation of trial, contraindication or intolerance to pharmacologic therapy, with varying descriptors of what this entailed. 13.8% required at least consideration of prior pharmacologic therapy. 4.2% required trial or contraindication to classic second-line therapies. 25.0% stated that ED must be organic. Psychogenic ED was covered by 12.5% of plans. Eleven plans required at least 6 or 12 months of symptoms. Laboratory evaluation to rule out hypogonadism or hyperprolactinemia was required by five plans. Insurance coverage criteria for PP placement were highly variable by state and plan. Coverage is provided for PP implantation in most cases for ED of organic etiology following failure of pharmacologic therapy when contributing comorbidities are optimally managed.
Bone Flap Resorption Associated with Indolent Propionibacterium acnes Infection After Cranioplasty: Case Report with Pathological Analysis.

Background Autologous bone resorption is a frequent complication of cranioplasty, often necessitating reoperation. The etiology of this phenomenon is unknown, although it has recently been associated with indolent Propionibacterium acnes infection. Case Description A 59-year-old man initially presented with a traumatic acute subdural hematoma treated with emergent decompressive hemicraniectomy and hematoma evacuation. His bone flap was cryopreserved. He underwent cranioplasty with autologous bone 3 months later. Over the subsequent 14 months, serial imaging demonstrated progressive bone flap resorption, ultimately requiring repeat cranioplasty with a custom allograft. Although there was no evidence of infection at the time of repeat cranioplasty, routine culture swabs were taken and grew P. acnes after the patient had been discharged home. Pathologic analysis of the fragments of the original bone flap that were removed demonstrated osteonecrosis with marrow fibrosis but no evidence of inflammation or infection. He was treated with 6 weeks of intravenous antibiotics and had no evidence of infection at 8-month follow-up. Conclusions Indolent P. acnes infection can precipitate autologous bone flap resorption. While the mechanism of this is unknown, pathologic analysis of a partially resorbed bone flap in the setting of an indolent P. acnes infection found no evidence of an infectious process or inflammation within the bone. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism of action of P. acnes in bone flap resorption.
Generalized analytical dispersion equations for guided Rayleigh-Lamb (RL) waves and shear horizontal (SH) waves in corrugated waveguides

Abstract Corrugated waveguides are periodic structures that exhibit important acoustic features. Features like acoustic bandgaps exhibit the ability to filter acoustic and ultrasonic frequencies. By varying the mean thickness, corrugation height, and periodicity, one can tune the propagating wave modes in the guide and thus can modify the bandgaps. This study aims to obtain a generalized Rayleigh–Lamb equation for corrugated waveguides such that a single equation is sufficient for both flat waveguides such as plates as well as corrugated and tapered plates. Further, the objective was to understand the effects of the corrugation height, periodicity, and mean thickness such that a physics-based predictive design of wave filters can be achieved. Instead of applying the Bloch–Floquet theorem to the displacement function directly, which is conventional, the theorem is applied to the scalar and vector wave potentials obtained from Helmholtz decomposition. The governing equations from these relationships after applying boundary conditions were then solved using a logical root-finding algorithm. To verify the generalized expressions guided wave band structure for a plate was obtained using Rayleigh–Lamb equation and compared with the generalized form setting the corrugation height to zero. The analytical solutions are then validated through a comparison with the results obtained from a rigorous finite element simulation. Finally, the effects on the propagating and evanescent wave modes due to the corrugation height and periodicity are studied for future reference.
Fredholm Theory with Integral Norms

The theory discussed in Chapter 1 does not seem to apply to even the trivial equation because the norms of the inhomogeneous term and the kernel are both infinite, if we use the supremum norm. However, most of the results that we have obtained depend only on general properties of norms, not on properties specific to the supremum norm. If we change the definition of the norm, the results remain valid, but with a different meaning.
Orthogonal STBC Set Building and Physical Layer Security Application

Given a selected complex orthogonal space-time block code (STBC), transformation algorithms are provided to build a set, S, of unique orthogonal STBCs with cardinality equal to $|{\mathbf{S}}| = {2^{r + c + k - 1}}\cdot r!\cdot c!$, where r, c, and k are the number of rows, columns, and data symbols in the STBC matrix, respectively. A communications link is discussed that encodes data symbols with a chosen STBC from the set known only to the transmitter and intended receiver as a means of providing physical layer security (PLS). Expected bit error rate (BER) and information-theoretic results for an eavesdropper with a priori knowledge of the communications link parameters with the exception of the chosen STBC are presented. Monte Carlo simulations are provided to confirm the possible BER results expected when decoding the communications link with alternative STBCs from the set. Application of the transformation algorithms provided herein are shown to significantly increase the brute force decoding complexity of an eavesdropper compared to a related work in the literature.
Mass Spectrometry for COVID-19

In the United States, response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has been hampered by inadequate testing resources for the causative virus SARS-CoV-2. In the early part of the pandemic, United States laboratories were initially heavily regulated and slow to provide testing. As the pandemic has progressed, the supply chain for instruments and reagents has been inconsistent and has revealed weaknesses in traditional sophisticated infectious disease testing. Testing capabilities of clinical laboratories could be substantially improved by assays that are more simplified and do not require multiple consumable reagents for extraction, purification, amplification and detection. One such technology with the potential to require minimal reagents is matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization combined with mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Recently, Nachtigall and colleagues reported the development of a MALDI-MS method for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection (1).
FlowTune: practical multi-armed bandits in boolean optimization

Recent years have seen increasing employment of decision intelligence in electronic design automation (EDA), which aims to reduce the manual efforts and boost the design closure process in modern toolflows. However, existing approaches either require a large number of labeled data for training or are limited in practical EDA toolflow integration due to computation overhead. This paper presents a generic end-to-end and high-performance domain-specific, multi-stage multi-armed bandit framework for Boolean logic optimization. This framework addresses optimization problems on a) And-Inv-Graphs (# nodes), b) Conjunction Normal Form (CNF) minimization (# clauses) for Boolean Satisfiability, c) post static timing analysis (STA) delay and area optimization for standard-cell technology mapping, and d) FPGA technology mapping for 6-in LUT architectures. Moreover, the proposed framework has been integrated with ABC [1], Yosys [2], VTR [3], and industrial tools. The experimental results demonstrate that our framework outperforms both hand-crafted flows [1] and ML explored flows [4], [5] in quality of results, and is orders of magnitude faster compared to ML-based approaches [4], [5].
Public Services, Geography, and Citizen Perceptions of Government in Latin America

One of the linchpins of democratic accountability runs through service quality. Because citizens are sensitive to the quality of basic services, they can translate (dis)satisfaction into assessments of incumbent politicians. Yet, although previous research has shown that both access to, and the quality of, basic services decline in rural settings, this seems not to translate into increased dissatisfaction with incumbents. In this paper we seek to understand why. We theorize four potential mechanisms that might underpin the weaker accountability for poor service outcomes in more remote settings. To test these mechanisms, we use data from 34,514 geocoded survey respondents across 19 countries in Latin America. We show that the likelihood of translating dissatisfaction with services into discontent with elected officials decreases as distance to urban centers increases. We find some evidence that a low sense of political efficacy and deference to hierarchy mediate the relationship between remoteness, service quality and accountability. Nevertheless, some of the direct relationship between distance and attitudes towards elected officials persists in the face of our mediation analysis, suggesting that more work needs to be done on the relationship between remoteness, service quality and accountability.
Sex Steroids and Their Influence in Lung Diseases Across the Lifespan

The economic burden of lung diseases continues to be on the rise, with increasing annual expenditures every year. However, the pathophysiology of lung diseases remains complex. Sex steroids are known to influence the development and the physiology of lungs across the life course. During puberty, there is a progressive increase in sex-steroid levels, which results in anatomical and physiological differences between the sexes, and the interactions are most likely causes of the observable sexual dimorphism in the incidence, prevalence, and severity of multiple lung pathologies. Notably, fluctuations during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy impact many lung pathologies, suggesting a link between female sex steroids and lung health. This chapter highlights the influence of sex steroids in lung diseases across the lifespan, adding to our understanding of their complex roles. Focusing on various time points, we aim to understand the following: (1) the inherent function of sex steroids in lung physiology, (2) their differential nature in lung diseases, (3) contribution of sex steroids in males versus females across the lifespan, (4) the implications of sex-steroid signaling, and (5) the probing questions on sex steroids and their interactions influencing the lungs. With the intention of appreciating the nuances of sex steroids in humans pertaining to epidemiological sex differences, we inform readers about the mechanisms involved in the sex–age interaction and sex steroids’ contributions in lung diseases across the lifespan.
Addressing Legislation That Restricts Access to Care for Transgender Youth.

* Abbreviations: GAC — : gender-affirmative medical care GnRHa — : gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue TGD — : transgender and gender-diverse Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth experience barriers to accessing health care and are at risk for poorer overall health compared with cisgender peers. In the last year, dozens of US legislative bills have been proposed to restrict the rights of TGD youth.1 A subset of these bills aims to restrict access to essential treatment of youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria, even when they meet rigorous criteria, as determined by a multidisciplinary evaluation (Table 1).1,2 Other proposed legislation would criminalize clinicians who provide gender-affirmative medical care (GAC) for TGD adolescents, with one bill currently under consideration in Oklahoma classifying providing GAC as a felony punishable by 3 years to life in prison.1 Clinicians and parents fear that legislation eliminating access to GAC will lead to worsening mental health and increased suicidality for their TGD children.3 View this table: TABLE 1 Bills Proposed During the 2021 US State Legislative Session to Date Despite these objections, in December 2020, the Bell versus Tavistock ruling in the United Kingdom mandated … Address correspondence to Jessica Kremen, MD, Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: jessica.kremen{at}childrens.harvard.edu
Some Thoughts on the Convective Urca Process

I have repeatedly grappled with the question of how the convective Urca process affects stellar evolution, in particular during the high-density convective carbon burning that can occur in near-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarfs. This manuscript collects some fragmentary thoughts from various failed and abandoned attempts. This is not a complete work, does not provide a comprehensive overview of the literature, and has no definitive conclusions. It is posted in the hope that some part of it might prove useful to someone at some point in the future. I also take this opportunity to include anotter important result of more general interest (Appendix B).
Family Caregivers' Experience of Patients With Delirium in Critical Care Units: A State-of-the-Science Integrative Review.

Background Delirium as a sudden cognitive and behavioral change can be traumatic for family caregivers. An understanding of family caregivers' experiences with delirium in their loved one in an intensive care unit (ICU) will help clinicians provide family-centered care. Objective To explore the impact of delirium on, and the needs of, family caregivers of ICU patients with delirium. Methods A comprehensive search was done of literature in the PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases published from 2000 to 2020. Primary studies written in English and done in critical care settings were included. Studies that did not focus on the family experience of delirium were excluded. Additional studies were identified by reviewing the reference lists of selected articles. Evidence was synthesized, and common themes were identified. Results Among 210 studies, 7 were included after irrelevant and duplicate studies had been removed. Findings were categorized as (1) psychological impacts of a patient's delirium on family caregivers and (2) family caregivers' needs. Common psychological impacts included anxiety, depression, concern, fear, anger, uncertainty, shock, insecurity, and disappointment. Family caregivers reported needing informational and emotional support from, and effective communication with, health care professionals. Conclusions Family caregivers' health is crucial to ensuring the effectiveness of family engagement in delirium management. Future studies should consider family caregiver characteristics that could be used to predict psychological symptoms when caregivers are exposed to a patient's delirium and explore whether specific types of delirium cause more psychological impacts and needs among family caregivers than other types of delirium cause.
Orofacial pain among Chinese older adults in the last year of life.

OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence of orofacial pain and associated factors in Chinese older adults at the end of life. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 1646 participants (65 years or older) in their last year of life from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). We used the 6-month prevalence questions to measure two specific orofacial pain symptoms: toothache, and jaw or facial pain. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine factors, such as socioeconomic status, health behaviours and chronic diseases, that were associated with these two orofacial pain symptoms in the last year of life. RESULTS The 6-month prevalence estimates for toothache and jaw pain or facial pain for older adults in the last year of life were 14.1% and 4.5% respectively. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with lower odds of toothache and jaw pain or facial pain. Smoking was associated with high odds of toothache. Participants who brushed their teeth at least once a day were more likely to have toothache and jaw or facial pain than those who did not. Having any chronic conditions was associated with higher odds of toothache and jaw or facial pain. Older adults who had at least one tooth were more likely to have jaw or facial pain than those without any teeth. CONCLUSION A considerable proportion of Chinese older adults in their last year of life reported toothache and/or jaw pain or facial pain. These findings suggest that appropriate measures need to be taken to address the oral health needs in these vulnerable individuals, especially those of low socioeconomic status and chronic conditions.
Protocol for Evaluating Changing global Attitudes toward Innovation and Intellectual Property Regimes

There have been several challenges to the architectonics of the domestic and global regimes that define and provide protection to property interests. These challenges include advances in technology, changes in product configuration and market structure, perceived evolution in innovation paradigms, and shifts in the perspectives of individuals and groups with respect to access to and use of products of the mind. In principle, such is not a new phenomenon. It is, in fact, an inherent attribute of most systems to address the delicate balance between the demands of those who have lent their hands, minds, talents, and time to the creation of new works and those who desire access to the creative products. However, there appears to be current urgency to revisit these various topics. Whatever the catalyst, the issues are very dynamic, and at times, the interests considered are extraordinarily pressing and dramatic. Misunderstanding punctuates the discussion for many potential reasons, such as failure of inquiry, failure to truly appreciate the presumptions and perspectives of others in the * Professor of Law, The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. Professor Scott was also a Fulbright Scholar in Japan in 2005 and conducted extensive research on Asian and Pacific Rim regimes for the recognition and protection of intellectual property. Professor Scott concentrates his teaching and research interests in IP, and among other activities relevant to this paper has been a Visiting Professor at Doshisha University Kyoto, Japan (2005 and 2010) and at Monash University Melbourne, Australia (2009). A preliminary paper on this topic was presented at a conference on Innovation in the 21st Century sponsored by the School of International Affairs, Penn State University that was held in the fall of 2009. Professor Scott wishes to thank Professor Karen Maull, Esq. and Jaime Bumbarger, Esq. for their assistance with this project. 1 Scott: Protocol for Evaluating Changing global Attitudes toward Innovati Published by Penn Law: Legal Scholarship Repository, 2014 SCOTT_POST CONVERSION.DOC 4/24/2011 9:54 AM 1166 U. Pa. J. Int‘l L. [Vol. 32:4 dialogue, or intentional or unintentional nondisclosure of assumptions. This has, in fact, led to continuing tension, and often, unsatisfactory outcomes in the global intellectual property community. This Article will discuss certain innovations and the conditions that have precipitated the current focus upon intellectual property regimes. Further, it will propose consideration of four discriminant and differential factors that might be used in developing a responsible protocol to cogently evaluate various considered approaches to recognizing and adjusting the myriad and sometimes competing interest in products of the mind.
Adjustment and Adaptation On the Northern Plains: The Case of Equestrianism Among the Hidatsa

Using the concepts of adaptation and adjustment as contrasting definitions of cultural change, the impact of horses on a Plains Village society is examined. The integration of horses into Hidatsa subsistence practices, political economy, and domestic economy is analyzed. It is argued that cultural factors, rather than purely environmental ones, placed constraints on horse integra tion and herd size. Hence, the extent and magnitude of equestrianism among the Hidatsa were quite different from that described for nomadic groups in Plains studies. Comparisons with the Arikara, Cheyenne, and Crow are made to put the Hidatsa case within the larger context of adaptive versus adjustive change in the Northern Plains.
Impact of mount st. Helens eruption on bacteriology of lakes in the blast zone.

Lakes lying within the blast zone of Mount St. Helens showed dramatic increases in heterotrophic bacterial numbers after the eruption of 18 May 1980. The total microscopic counts of bacteria in some of the most severely affected lakes were more than 107 cells per ml, an order of magnitude above the counts in outlying control lakes. Likewise, the numbers of viable bacteria reached levels of more than 106 cells per ml, compated with fewer than 104 cells per ml in control lakes. The CPS medium used for enumeration provided growth of up to 81.5% of the bacteria during sampling of one of the blast zone lakes. The high numbers of bacteria and the efficacy of the viable enumeration procedure are evidence that the lakes have been transformed rapidly from oligotrophy to eutrophy due to the eruption and its aftermath. Organic material leached from the devastated forest vegetation is thought to be responsible for the enrichment of heterotrophs. Total coliform bacteria were found in all of the blast zone lakes, and some lakes contained fecal coliform bacteria. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the predominant total coliform and was also identified as one of the fecal coliform bacteria, although Escherichia coli was the predominant species in that category. Our data indicate that bacterial populations peaked in the outer blast zone lakes in the summer of 1980 and in most of the inner lakes during the summer of 1981.
Molecular Characterization of a Putative Antiretroviral Transcriptional Factor, OTK18

Elucidation of the factors involved in host defense against human immunodeficiency viral infection remains pivotal if viral control may be achieved. Toward these ends, we investigated the function of a putative antiretroviral factor, OTK18, isolated by differential display of mRNA from HIV type 1-infected primary human monocyte-derived macrophages. Molecular and immunohistochemical analyses showed that the OTK18 nucleotide sequence contains 13 adjacent C(2)H(2)-type zinc finger motifs, a Kruppel-associated box, and is localized to both cytosol and nucleus. Mutational analyses revealed that both the Kruppel-associated box and zinc finger regions of OTK18 are responsible for the transcriptional suppressive activities of this gene. OTK18 was copiously expressed in macrophages following HIV type I infection and diminished progeny virion production. A mechanism for this antiretroviral activity was by suppression of HIV type 1 Tat-induced viral long terminal repeat promoter activity. Our findings suggest that one possible function of OTK18 is as a HIV type 1-inducible transcriptional suppressor.
CGU: An Algorithm for Molecular Structure Prediction

A global optimization method is presented for predicting the minimum energy structure of small protein-like molecules. This method begins by collecting a large number of molecular conformations, each obtained by finding a local minimum of a potential energy function from a random starting point. The information from these conformera is then used to form a convex quadratic global underestimating function for the potential energy of all known conformers. This underestimator is an L1 approximation to all known local minima, and is obtained by a linear programming formulation and solution. The minimum of this underestimator is used to predict the global minimum for the function, allowing a localized conformer search to be performed based on the predicted minimum. The new set of conformers generated by the localized search serves as the basis for another quadratic underestimation step in an iterative algorithm. This algorithm has been used to predict the minimum energy structures of heteropolymers with as many as 48 residues, and can be applied to a variety of molecular models. The results obtained also show the dependence of the native conformation on the sequence of hydrophobic and polar residues.
Bacillus anthracis Toxins Inhibit Human Neutrophil NADPH Oxidase Activity

Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium. B. anthracis virulence is ascribed mainly to a secreted tripartite AB-type toxin composed of three proteins designated protective Ag (PA), lethal factor, and edema factor. PA assembles with the enzymatic portions of the toxin, the metalloprotease lethal factor, and/or the adenylate cyclase edema factor, to generate lethal toxin (LTx) and edema toxin (ETx), respectively. These toxins enter cells through the interaction of PA with specific cell surface receptors. The anthrax toxins act to suppress innate immune responses and, given the importance of human neutrophils in innate immunity, they are likely relevant targets of the anthrax toxin. We have investigated in detail the effects of B. anthracis toxin on superoxide production by primary human neutrophils. Both LTx and ETx exhibit distinct inhibitory effects on fMLP (and C5a) receptor-mediated superoxide production, but have no effect on PMA nonreceptor-dependent superoxide production. These inhibitory effects cannot be accounted for by induction of neutrophil death, or by changes in stimulatory receptor levels. Analysis of NADPH oxidase regulation using whole cell and cell-free systems suggests that the toxins do not exert direct effects on NADPH oxidase components, but rather act via their respective effects, inhibition of MAPK signaling (LTx), and elevation of intracellular cAMP (ETx), to inhibit upstream signaling components mediating NADPH oxidase assembly and/or activation. Our results demonstrate that anthrax toxins effectively suppress human neutrophil-mediated innate immunity by inhibiting their ability to generate superoxide for bacterial killing.
Countercyclical Policy and the Speed of Recovery after Recessions

The nature of the business cycle appears to have changed. Prior to the 1990s, recoveries from recessions were quick and steep; after the past three recessions, however, recoveries were weak and prolonged. We consider the effect of a number of countercyclical policies intended to shorten recessions and speed recoveries. Our innovation is to analyze the duration of the recoveries of various U.S. states, which gives us a cross-section of both state- and national-level policies. Because we study multiple recessions for the same state and multiple states for the same recession, we can control for differences in the economic conditions preceding recessions and the causes of the recessions when evaluating various policies. We find that expansionary monetary policy at the national level helps to stimulate the exit of individual states from recession. We also find certain factors extend expected recovery times: other states in the same region suffering from recession around the same time, the length of the preceding recession, and shocks to oil prices at the peak.
The effect of compression socks worn during a marathon on hemostatic balance.

Abstract Introduction. Marathon running evokes parallel increases in markers of coagulation and fibrinolysis (i.e. hemostatic activation) immediately following strenuous, endurance exercise such that hemostatic balance is maintained. However, other factors incident to marathon running (i.e. dehydration, travel) may disproportionately activate the coagulatory system, increasing blood clot risk after an endurance event in otherwise healthy individuals. We investigated the effect of compression socks on exercise-induced hemostatic activation and balance in endurance athletes running the 2013 Hartford Marathon. Methods. Adults (n = 20) were divided into compression sock (SOCK; n = 10) and control (CONTROL; n = 10) groups. Age, anthropometrics, vital signs, training mileage and finishing time were collected. Venous blood samples were collected 1 day before, immediately after and 1 day following the marathon for analysis of coagulatory (i.e. thrombin–antithrombin complex [TAT] and D-dimer) and fibrinolytic (i.e...
Recruitment of dioxin receptor to active transcription sites.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR or dioxin receptor) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that heterodimerizes with the AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT/HIF-1β) to form an AhR/ARNT transcription factor complex. This complex binds to specific DNA sites in the regulatory domains of numerous target genes and mediates the biological effects of exogenous ligands. Herein, we have investigated the subcellular distribution of the AhR/ARNT complex in response to ligand stimulation, by using live-cell confocal and high-resolution deconvolution microscopy. We found that unliganded AhR shows a predominantly cytoplasmic diffuse distribution in mouse hepatoma cells. On addition of ligand, AhR rapidly translocates to the nucleus and accumulates in multiple bright foci. Inhibition of transcription prevented the formation of AhR foci. Dual- and triple-immunolabeling experiments, combined with labeling of nascent RNA, showed that the foci are transcription sites, indicating that upon ligand stimulation, AhR is recruited to active transcription sites. The interaction of AhR with ARNT was both necessary and sufficient for the recruitment of AhR to transcription sites. These results indicate that AhR/ARNT complexes are recruited to specific subnuclear compartments in a ligand-dependent manner and that these foci represent the sites of AhR target genes.
Skew Weyl Modules for GLn and Degree Reduction for Schur Algebras

Abstract We prove a strong characteristic-free analogue of the classical adjoint formula 〈sλ, sμf〉 = 〈sλ/μ, f〉 in the ring of symmetric functions. This is done by showing that the representative of a suitably chosen functor involving a tensor product is the skew Weyl module. By “strong” we mean that this representative preserves not only Hom groups, but higher Ext groups also—a fact which can be used to compute some homological invariants of Weyl modules for GLn via recursion on degree. We use the following main tools: existence of Weyl filtrations in tensor products of Weyl modules, the Akin–Buchsbaum–Weyman constructions of Weyl modules and certain vanishing properties of Ext groups.
Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Background The clinical course of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is generally marked by a decline in pulmonary function over time. Increasingly, patients have been recognized as having an acute, and often fatal, clinical deterioration, termed an acute exacerbation of IPF (AE-IPF). Methods Review of the current literature pertaining to AE-IPF. Results Acute exacerbations are defined by an acute onset of dyspnea ( Conclusions AE of IPF is a complication that demands additional careful study to clarify its relationship to the clinical course of patients with IPF.
Anticipatory socialization for retirement: A multilevel dyadic model

Role theory, widely used to examine human behavior, has often been used to describe the transition from work to retirement. Anticipatory socialization, a role theory concept, describes the process that occurs prior to role transitions and assists in that transition by helping individuals learn the norms for the new role. However, not all workers engage in retirement planning. Lack of retirement planning is of concern because those individuals who do not plan for major life transitions tend to be less successful in adjusting to role changes. Data from the Health and Retirement Study were used; selection criteria required participants to be age 45 or older, working full- or part-time, and have complete data for the study variables. Multilevel modeling results of dyadic data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 1,028 dual-earner couples) indicate that older age, being White, higher income, greater retirement wealth, and looking forward to retirement predicted greater anticipatory socialization (i.e., th...
Life Styles Inventory: Evidence for its Factorial Validity:

The primary objective of the present study was to assess the stability and generality of the Level I: Life Styles Inventory's factor structure. The importance of the objective emerged from a discrepancy between the conceptual model and the inventory's derived factor structure. This self-report inventory was constructed to measure 12 thinking patterns or life styles and is used by business managers for organizational and individual development. Analysis of the data from 116 college students yielded a three-factor solution that was similar in communalities, percent variance accounted for, and factor pattern coefficients to those from the one previous study. The factors were People/Security, Satisfaction, and Task/Security. Those similarities existed despite differences between the studies in subjects, method of extraction, and sample size. Evidence supported a conclusion for the factor invariance and generality of the inventory.
The Geranylgeranyltransferase-I Inhibitor GGTI-298 Arrests Human Tumor Cells in G0/G1 and Induces p21WAF1/CIP1/SDI1 in a p53-independent Manner *

Recently we have shown that in fibroblasts (NIH 3T3 and Rat-1 cells) inhibition of protein geranylgeranylation leads to a G0/G1 arrest, whereas inhibition of protein farnesylation does not affect cell cycle distribution. Here we demonstrate that in human tumor cells the geranylgeranyltransferase-I (GGTase-I) inhibitor GGTI-298 blocked cells in G0/G1, whereas the farnesyltransferase (FTase) inhibitor FTI-277 showed a differential effect depending on the cell line. FTI-277 accumulated Calu-1 and A-549 lung carcinoma and Colo 357 pancreatic carcinoma cells in G2/M, T-24 bladder carcinoma, and HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cells in G0/G1, but had no effect on cell cycle distribution of pancreatic (Panc-1), breast (SKBr 3 and MDAMB-231), and head and neck (A-253) carcinoma cells. Furthermore, treatment of Calu-1, Panc-1, Colo 357, T-24, A-253, SKBr 3, and MDAMB-231 cells with GGTI-298, but not FTI-277, induced the protein expression levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF. HT-1080 and A-549 cells had a high basal level of p21WAF, and GGTI-298 did not further increase these levels. Furthermore, GGTI-298 also induces the accumulation of large amounts of p21WAF mRNA in Calu-1 cells, a cell line that lacks the tumor suppressor gene p53. There was little effect of GGTI-298 on the cellular levels of another cyclin- dependent kinase inhibitor p27KIP as well as cyclin E and cyclin D1. These results demonstrate that GGTase-I inhibitors arrest cells in G0/G1 and induce accumulation of p21WAF in a p53-independent manner and that FTase inhibitors can interfere with cell cycle events by a mechanism that involves neither p21WAF nor p27KIP. The results also point to the potential of GGTase-I inhibitors as agents capable of restoring growth arrest in cells lacking functional p53.
Seismic Structure of the Southern East Pacific Rise

Seismic data from the ultrafast-spreading (150 to 162 millimeters per year) southern East Pacific Rise show that the rise axis is underlain by a thin (less than 200 meters thick) extrusive volcanic layer (seismic layer 2A) that thickens rapidly off axis. Also beneath the rise axis is a narrow (less than 1 kilometer wide) melt sill that is in some places less than 1000 meters below the sea floor. The small dimensions of this molten body indicate that magma chamber size does not depend strongly on spreading rate as predicted by many ridge-crest thermal models. However, the shallow depth of this body is consistent with an inverse correlation between magma chamber depth and spreading rate. These observations indicate that the paradigm of ridge crest magma chambers as small, sill-like, midcrustal bodies is applicable to a wide range of intermediate- and fast-spreading ridges.
Corrosion protection of metals by water-based silane mixtures of bis-[trimethoxysilylpropyl]amine and vinyltriacetoxysilane

A silane surface treatment based on the water soluble mixtures of bis-[trimethoxysilylpropyl]amine and vinyltriacetoxysilane has been developed with the aim of replacing conventional chromating processes in metal-finishing industries. A variety of performance tests were employed to evaluate the anti-corrosive ability of these silane mixtures on different metals. The test results consistently demonstrated that corrosion protection performance of silane mixtures is comparable to that of chromates. In addition, a characterization study of these silane mixtures was also carried out with respect to solution stability, film thickness measurements and the effect of metal substrates on silane film structures, in order to obtain a better understanding of these silane mixtures.
Three-Dimensional FEM Simulation of a Microfluidic Diode Considering Coupled Fluid-Structure Interaction

This paper presents fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation of a microfluidic diode, which features a thin flexible flap and a rigid stopper embedded closely inside a microchannel. The thin flap deforms under different applied pressure, leading to a small flow resistance for forward flow and a large flow resistance for reverse flow. Three-dimensional simulations of structure deflection and CFD were interactively carried out to calculate the flap deformation and flow filed using ANSYS® Multi-field™ solver. In the simulations nonlinear hyperelastic material property was used for the thin flap, and the pressure drop across device inlet and outlet was applied in small increments to solve the nonlinear continuum mechanics problems. The simulated flap deflections under both forward and reverse flow show nonlinear relation between deflection and pressure, consistent with experimental data. The simulated flow rates under various pressures also agree well with the measurement results, within 15% error for forward flow and 17% for reverse flow. The simulations can be used as guidelines for optimal design of the microfluidic diode.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
NASDAQ-listed European and Asia Pacific ADRs: does market-timing affect long-term performance?

The long-term excess returns for European and Asia Pacific American Depository Receipts (ADRs) listed on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) from 1990 to 2002 are tested to determine differences in performance and evidence of market-timing effects. While the overall sample outperformed the NASDAQ index during the first 36 months of trading by over 30%, those ADRs listed before 1 January 1998 underperformed by less than 3% while those issued after outperformed the index by nearly 48%. Breaking the sample down into European and Asia Pacific issues reveals a huge market-timing difference in performance for Asia Pacific issues and a smaller, but significant, market-timing effect for European ADRs.
CAD Eight Years Later

Cohen's “An Interpersonal Orientation to the Study of Consumer Behavior” was replicated using a convenience sample of 265 undergraduate students. The significant comparisons observed by Cohen between product and brand behavior and interpersonal orientations were not supported.
Molecular biogeography and origins of the Hawaiian fern flora

Abstract Located approximately 4000 km from the nearest continent, the Hawaiian Islands comprise the most isolated archipelago on Earth. This isolation has resulted in a unique flora that includes nearly 200 native ferns and lycophytes, 77% of which are endemic to the islands. Because the Hawaiian Islands are volcanic in origin, all abiotically dispersed organisms must have arrived there via the wind or the water. Fern spores are most likely dispersed through the air, and thus patterns of air movement have undoubtedly played a significant role in determining the geographic origins of the ancestors of the Hawaiian ferns. We have identified four possible climate-based or weather-based spore dispersal hypotheses that could have resulted in the movement of ancestral spores to the Hawaiian Islands: (1) the northern subtropical jetstream, moving spores from Indo-Pacific regions; (2) the trade winds, dispersing spores from Central and North America; (3) storms carrying spores from southern Mexico and/or Central ...
The role of miR-150 in normal and malignant hematopoiesis

MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that have been implicated to mediate gene regulation in virtually all important biological processes. Recently there is accumulating evidence showing that miR-150 has essential regulatory roles in both normal and malignant hematopoiesis and holds great potential as a therapeutic target in treating various types of hematopoietic malignancies. The purpose of this review is to summarize our current knowledge about the expression patterns, biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of miR-150 in normal and malignant hematopoiesis, and to highlight the important questions to be answered in this burgeoning field.
Brand Appearances on Prime-Time Television

Abstract This research provides a baseline study documenting the frequency, context and portrayal characteristics of brands appearing on prime-time television. One week of prime-time television on four major networks was used. A content analysis, using a coding scheme developed by Gupta and Lord (1998), was performed that captured the nature of brand portrayal in programs suitable for subtle persuasion. Results indicate that brands are prevalent on prime time television. The majority appear in sports, news, feature magazine and game shows. Forty percent appear in shows suitable for product placement—ones similar in context to commercial movies. Appearances in these shows are characterized by extended portrayals and prominence of display, involve character interaction and are essential to the scene dialog. Marketing implications and future research directions are explored.
STRUCTURE AND OPTICAL ANISOTROPIES OF CRITICAL POLYMER SOLUTIONS IN ELECTRIC FIELDS

We present simultaneous measurements of both the small angle light scattering (SALS) structure factor and the dichroism for near‐critical polymer solutions in electric fields. The theory of flow birefringence and dichroism proposed by Onuki and Doi is extended to the electric field case. This theory relates the electric‐field‐induced form dichroism to the second moment of the structure factor. Excellent agreement is observed between the form dichroism calculated from measured scattering intensities and the dichroism measured by optical polarimetry. In addition, a possible mechanism of dipolar coupling between the large critical concentration fluctuations and the electric field is proposed. Similar simultaneous SALS and birefringence measurements confirm this model of dipolar interaction.
Effect of condensed silica fume on the steel-cement paste transition zone

Abstract The microstructure of the transition zone between steel and cement paste, and the effect of replacing portland cement by two levels of condensed silica fume was studied. Even with a high level of cement replacement (16%), some calcium hydroxide crystals with preferred orientation are formed near the interface. However, in the presence of silica fume, at a replacement level as low as 5%, the amount of preferentially oriented calcium hydroxide in the transition zone is considerably reduced, and a denser hydration product is formed. This may account for the observed increase in mechanical strength of the transition zone when condensed silica fume is used as concrete admixture.
Functional Military Textile: Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization of DADMAC for Antimicrobial Treatment on Nylon-Cotton Blend Fabric

In this study, diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC), a quaternary ammonium salt monomer, is graft polymerized on 50–50 Nylon-Cotton (NyCo) standard military fabric using atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma to impart self-detoxification capability. Atmospheric pressure plasma is used to induce free radical chain polymerization of the DADMAC monomer to introduce a graft polymerized network on the fabric with durable antimicrobial properties. Pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETA) is used as a cross-linking agent to obtain a highly cross-linked, durable polymer network. The presence of polyDADMAC on the fabric surface is confirmed using acid dye staining, SEM, and TOF–SIMS. Antibacterial performance is investigated using standard AATCC Test Method 100 for both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Results show 99.9 % reduction in the bacterial activities of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus.