cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The protocol for a scoping review analyzing the association between physical activity interventions after a genitourinary cancer diagnosis and incidences of depression and anxiety

Abstract The following is a protocol for a planned scoping review of the effect of physical activity interventions on incidences of depression and anxiety incidences in men diagnosed with a genitourinary cancer. If exercise interventions are found to correlate with lower incidences of depression and anxiety, physical activity interventions offer a potentially modifiable, low-cost, accessible, and natural intervention to improve quality of life outcomes in men with genitourinary cancers. We plan to screen literature from publicly available databases, PubMed and Embase, for intervention studies in this area by implementing abstract/title and full-text screening by two independent reviewers followed by data extraction performed by two independent reviewers. Results will be synthesized in narrative format accompanied by relevant tabulated findings. We anticipate no ethical risks while completing this scoping review. Upon completion of this scoping review, results will be disseminated via publication. Article Summary (Strengths and Limitations) This scoping review will address a critical area of potentially-modifiable interventions to improve quality-of-life indicators in genitourinary cancer survivorship research. This scoping review could inform the use of readily available, low-cost, and low-barrier, treatment options to men suffering from depression and anxiety. This review is limited to information from interventional studies only as a preliminary review of available research. This review is limited to interventional studies in male cancer patients of specific genitourinary cancers (prostate, bladder, kidney, testicular).
Correlates of Sleep and Arousal via Matrix Methods

Conventional computational modeling of sleep and arousal are primarily brain-centric in restricting attention to data from the nervous system. While such a view is warranted, the importance of considering the coupling of peripheral systems in the causes and effects of sleep are being increasingly recognized. An analysis is presented that has the capability to incorporate neural recordings of different modalities as well as data from the metabolic and immune systems. We formulate a matrix-based approach for inference of the arousal state based on the activity level of cell types that will comprise the matrix components. While the presented computations are intended to predict sleep/arousal, it is anticipated that a scrutiny of the structure of the matrices will provide insight into the dynamics of the constituent systems. A model is also proposed to consider the interaction of the signals recorded across the neural, metabolic, and immune systems in leading to the arousal state.
Association of Inpatient Continuity of Care With Complications and Length of Stay Among Hospitalized Medicare Enrollees.

Importance Continuity in primary care is associated with improved outcomes, but less information is available on the association of continuity of care in the hospital with hospital complications. Objective To assess whether the number of hospitalists providing care is associated with subsequent hospital complications and length of stay. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study used multilevel logistic regression models to analyze Medicare claims for medical admissions from 2016 to 2018 with a length of stay longer than 4 days. Admissions with multiple charges on the same day from a hospitalist or an intensive care unit (ICU) stay during hospital days 1 to 3 were excluded. The data were accessed and analyzed from November 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021. Exposures The number of different hospitalists who submitted charges during hospital days 1 to 3. Main Outcomes and Measures Overall length of stay and transfer to ICU or a new diagnosis of drug toxic effects on hospital day 4 or later. Results Among the 617 680 admissions, 362 376 (58.7%) were women, with a mean (SD) age of 80.2 (8.4) years. In 306 037 admissions (49.6%), the same hospitalist provided care on days 1 to 3, while 2 hospitalists provided care in 274 658 admissions (44.5%), and 3 hospitalists provided care in 36 985 admissions (6.0%). There was no significant association between the number of different hospitalists on days 1 to 3 and either length of stay or subsequent ICU transfers. Admissions seeing 2 or 3 hospitalists had a slightly greater adjusted odds of subsequent new diagnoses of drug toxic effects (2 hospitalists: odds ratio [OR], 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07; 3 hospitalists: OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.12). Conclusions and Relevance There was little evidence that receiving care from multiple hospitalists was associated with worse outcomes for patients receiving all their general medical care from hospitalists.
A Course in Minimal Surfaces

Minimal surfaces date back to Euler and Lagrange and the beginning of the calculus of variations. Many of the techniques developed have played key roles in geometry and partial differential equations. Examples include monotonicity and tangent cone analysis originating in the regularity theory for minimal surfaces, estimates for nonlinear equations based on the maximum principle arising in BernsteinAEs classical work, and even LebesgueAEs definition of the integral that he developed in his thesis on the Plateau problem for minimal surfaces. This book starts with the classical theory of minimal surfaces and ends up with current research topics. Of the various ways of approaching minimal surfaces (from complex analysis, PDE, or geometric measure theory), the authors have chosen to focus on the PDE aspects of the theory. The book also contains some of the applications of minimal surfaces to other fields including low dimensional topology, general relativity, and materials science. The only prerequisites needed for this book are a basic knowledge of Riemannian geometry and some familiarity with the maximum principle.
Addressing Measurement Issues in Two Large-Scale Mathematics Classroom Observation Protocols

In large-scale studies of mathematics achievement, many important variables are at the classroom level and therefore require the collection of classroom observation data. However, in these studies, collecting observation data is expensive, and collecting numerous observations can be cost prohibitive. In addition to these practical considerations, there are methodological and conceptual considerations to measuring instruction. This chapter raises several of these issues around measuring mathematics classroom instruction by using empirical data from two prominent observational protocols.
Rhetoric of the future: Writing and identity at a school for pregnant and parenting teens

Three cases of students’ writing at Eastview School for Pregnant and Parenting Teens are explored in this article. Through Bakhtinian concepts of rhetoric, heteroglossia, and genre, the article discusses the ways in which Eastview students responded to and refuted societal discourses of teen motherhood through their writing. The term rhetoric of the future is introduced as a way to characterise the link between writing and identity for a group of students considered to be ‘at risk’ of school failure.
Rejection criteria for endotracheal aspirates from adults.

Although criteria have been established to assess the quality of sputum specimens, no criteria for assessing the quality of endotracheal suction aspirates (ETSA) exist. Therefore, we compared the Gram stain (GS) and culture results for 504 consecutive ETSA specimens. Results recorded for GS included the numbers of squamous epithelial cells (SEC) and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PML) per low-power field (LPF) (magnification, x100) as well as the quantities and types of organisms per high-power field (HPF) (magnification, x1,000). Culture results were quantitated by organism. Only 15% of ETSA specimens tested by GS contained > 10 SEC per LPF, and 21, 20, and 59% had or = 25 PML per LPF, respectively. For 40% of ETSA specimens, no organisms were visible by GS. Of these specimens, 40% were sterile, 48% grew normal oropharyngeal flora (NF) only, 5% grew 1+ NF (i.e., > 10 colonies in the first quadrant) and 1+ gram-negative rods (GNR), and 7% grew 10 SEC per LPF were 2.35 and 4.05, respectively. We therefore recommend that ETSA specimens that show no organisms by GS be rejected, in addition to those with > 10 SEC per LPF. Application of these rejection criteria enabled us to reject 847 (41%) of 2,068 ETSA specimens over a 6-month period. This represents a saving of approximately $66,000/year in unnecessary laboratory charges to patients.
Unidirectional long short-term memory recurrent neural network with recurrent output layer for low-latency speech synthesis

Long short-term memory recurrent neural networks (LSTM-RNNs) have been applied to various speech applications including acoustic modeling for statistical parametric speech synthesis. One of the concerns for applying them to text-to-speech applications is its effect on latency. To address this concern, this paper proposes a low-latency, streaming speech synthesis architecture using unidirectional LSTM-RNNs with a recurrent output layer. The use of unidirectional RNN architecture allows frame-synchronous streaming inference of output acoustic features given input linguistic features. The recurrent output layer further encourages smooth transition between acoustic features at consecutive frames. Experimental results in subjective listening tests show that the proposed architecture can synthesize natural sounding speech without requiring utterance-level batch processing.
Complex Numbers and Number Sequences

The complex variable z is written in the form $$z = x + iy = r{e^{i\vartheta }}(x,y,r\vartheta real,r \geqq 0,\vartheta taken\bmod 2\pi ).$$
Advanced Concepts for Acceleration

The study of advanced methods of acceleration has been largely concentrated on two quite different areas of applicability — first, the acceleration of electrons and positrons to ultra-relativistic energies (> 1 TeV) and second, the acceleration of protons and ions from rest or very low energies to a speed that is a significant fraction of the speed of light. Both applications share the common goal of seeking to achieve accelerating gradients far in excess of those obtainable with conventional accelerating structures, e.g., E ≫ 10 MV/m.
The Role of Bronfenbrenners Ecological Systems Theory in Enhancing Interpretive Consistency in Mixed Research

One of the nine major threats to legitimation (i.e., the degree that integration of findings leads to credible and defensible meta-inferences) is sample legitimation integration (Onwuegbuzie & Johnson, 2006). Addressing this form of legitimation requires the researcher to maintain interpretive consistency between the selected sampling design and the inferences made from the ensuing findings. To facilitate researchers efforts to address interpretive consistency, in this article, we provide a meta-sampling framework that is structured in accordance to the dimensions of Bronfenbrenners (1979) ecological systems model. In this meta-framework, the four dimensions of the model are juxtaposed to various types of generalizations, sampling-based considerations, and mixed sampling criteria. Application of this inclusive framework is appropriate for the conduct of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research.
The Labor Force at Waltham Watch during the Civil War Era

The Waltham system of labor force recruitment and treatment is well known to students of American economic history. Inaugurated by the Boston Manufacturing Company at Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1813, the system was widely copied in the establishment of New England textile villages for several decades. And, since the textile industry was the leading manufacturing activity in the United States until the Civil War, the Waltham system for a time formed the core of industrial relations in manufacturing.
A New Method for Measuring Intestinal Cell Transit Time

Summary Intestinal epithelial cell transit time (time for cells to migrate from the proliferative zone of the crypts to the extrusion zone of the villi) was measured using liquid scintillation counting techniques. Tritiated thymidine was injected into mice every 5 hr, and at intervals segments of small intestine were removed for radioassay. The graph of disintegrations per minute per milligram (wet weight) versus time demonstrated a linear ascending limb (caused by cells incorporating tritiated thymidine and moving up the villi) followed by a plateau (representing a steady state between cell proliferation in the crypt and extrusion at the tips of the villi). The intersect of the regression lines for these two components of the curve represents the cell transit time.
Early features of zidovudine-associated myopathy: histopathological findings and clinical correlations

Zidovudine-induced myopathy is characterized by reversible muscle weakness, wasting, myalgia, fatigue, and elevated creatine kinase (CK). Some zidovudine-treated patients with normal muscle strength experience excessive fatigue, myalgia, or transient mild CK elevations that improve when zidovudine is stopped. To determine the cause of these symptoms, we studied 13 physically fit, HIV-infected men who developed fatigue, myalgia, and reduced endurance, while taking zidovudine for a mean period of 20 months (2-39 months), with neurological evaluation and muscle biopsy processed for enzyme histochemistry and electron microscopy (EM). All subjects had normal muscle strength. In 6 of the 13 patients, muscle biopsies were normal by enzyme histochemistry. EM, however, demonstrated proliferation of normal or abnormal mitochondria, and increased amounts of lipid, glycogen, and lipofuscin. Electromyographic (EMG) studies (5/5) and serum CK (6/6) were normal. The other 7 individuals had signs of moderate to severe mitochondrial abnormalities shown by both light microscopy and EM, characterized by severe destruction, vacuolization, and rare paracrystalline inclusions. Most had elevated CK (4 out of 7) and normal EMG (5 out of 7). The severity of morphological abnormalities did not correlate with duration of HIV infection, zidovudine therapy, or zidovudine dosage. We conclude that in zidovudine-treated patients, symptoms of fatigue, myalgia, reduced endurance, and exercise intolerance represent early signs of zidovudine-induced mitochondriotoxicity, which causes an energy shortage within the muscle fibers even when muscle strength is still normal. Zidovudine, a DNA chain terminator, results in overt myopathy when a critical threshold of molecular, histological, and biochemical dysfunction of mitochondria is crossed, which seems to vary between individuals.
Solution properties of lignin. Thermodynamic properties and molecular weight determinations

Number-average molecular weights and the thermodynamic parameters ΔF1, ΔH1, and ΔS1 have been obtained for lignin in the solvents dimethylsulfoxide, dimethyl-formamide, and dioxane. Widely different molecular weights were found in the different solvents and at the different temperatures as a consequences of molecular association. Analysis of the thermodynamic parameters revealed that these quantities are dominated by the change in solvent structure accompanying the solution process. A correlation between the “goodness” of a lignin solvent and the Hildebrand solubility parameter is consequently misleading in such systems.
Reliability and validity of a clinical test of reaction time in older adults.

PURPOSE: Reaction time is an important indicator of neuromuscular status in older adults. A simple, portable, and inexpensive method of measuring reaction time is needed for use in geriatric clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the response speed subtest of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT) as an indicator of reaction time in older adults. METHODS: A volunteer sample of 30 community-dwelling men and women over the age of 65 years performed the response speed subtest of the BOT and an electronic reaction time test during a single test session. Statistical analyses included calculation of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for reliability testing and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r) for validity testing. RESULTS: Intertester reliability for the BOT response speed subtest using either mean or median scores for 7 test trials for each subject was ICC2,1. = 0.99. Test-retest reliability for the BOT was ICC 2,1. = 0.53 using mean scores and ICC2,1. = 0.65 using median scores. Mean scores from both the first and second administrations of the BOT subtest were correlated with electronic reaction time test scores (r = -0.41 and r = -0.45, respectively; P Language: en
Reconstructed summer temperature in the northern Rocky Mountains wilderness, USA

Ring widths from whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Englem.) and subalpine larch (Larix lyallii Parl.) collected at three high-elevation sites were used to develop tree-growth chronologies to reconstruct summer temperature anomalies. A step-wise multiple regression procedure was used to screen potential predictor variables to generate a transfer function capable of skillfully reconstructing summer temperature. The resulting regression model explained approximately 38% of the adjusted variance in the instrumental temperature record. The fidelity of the reconstruction was verified using product mean and sign tests, both of which suggested significant predictive power in the reconstructions (p<0.05). Reduction of error (RE) and coefficient of efficiency (CE) measures were both positive, indicating the reconstruction contained useful climate information. Cool periods often coincided with reduced solar activity and/or periods of increased volcanic activity. Differences between this reconstruction and others encompassing a broader geographic scale highlight the importance of developing local reconstructions of climate variability, particularly when used in conjunction with ecological data sets that describe the occurrence of fires or insect epidemics. Mixed and divergent climate-response relationships were evident in the whitebark pine chronologies and suggest subalpine larch may be a more useful species than whitebark pine to target for the development of temperature reconstructions in this region.
ELECTRON HOPPING AND ELECTRONIC CONDUCTIVITY IN MONOLAYERS OF ALKANETHIOL-STABILIZED GOLD NANO-CLUSTERS AT THE AIR/WATER INTERFACE

Morphology of Langmuir monolayers of gold clusters stabilized with a series of alkanethiols was investigated at the air/water interface with Brewster Angle Microscopy which revealed substantial differences depending on the length of the alkyl chains (clusters stabilized with C8 and C16 thiols were investigated). 2D electrochemical measurements carried out with line micro-band electrodes showed negligible electronic conductivity of all monolayers even in their most compressed state, apparently due to the presence of the stabilizing alkyl chains on the surface of the clusters. The same electrochemical measurement showed, however, full redox conductivity in the monolayers of gold nano-cluster stabilized with alkanethiols, 20% of which were terminated with ferrocene. In those cases, redox conductivity is supported by a facile electron hopping (self-exchange rate constant was measured to be ≥ 4.4 × 106 M−1 s−1) between neighboring ferrocene/ferrocenium sites.
Flavor hierarchy from F-theory

Abstract It has recently been shown that F-theory based constructions provide a potentially promising avenue for engineering GUT models which descend to the MSSM. In this Note we show that in the presence of background fluxes, these models automatically achieve hierarchical Yukawa matrices in the quark and lepton sectors. At leading order, the existence of a U ( 1 ) symmetry which is related to phase rotations of the internal holomorphic coordinates at the brane intersection point leads to rank one Yukawa matrices. Subleading corrections to the internal wave functions from variations in the background fluxes generate small violations of this U ( 1 ) , leading to hierarchical Yukawa structures reminiscent of the Froggatt–Nielsen mechanism. The expansion parameter for this perturbation is in terms of α GUT . Moreover, we naturally obtain a hierarchical CKM matrix with V 12 ∼ V 21 ∼ e , V 23 ∼ V 32 ∼ e 2 , V 13 ∼ V 31 ∼ e 3 , where e ∼ α GUT , in excellent agreement with observation.
Sister-chromatid cohesion via MEI-S332 and kinetochore assembly are separable functions of the Drosophila centromere

Attachment, or cohesion, between sister chromatids is essential for their proper segregation in mitosis and meiosis [1,2]. Sister chromatids are tightly apposed at their centromeric regions, but it is not known whether this is due to cohesion at the functional centromere or at flanking centric heterochromatin. The Drosophila MEI-S332 protein maintains sister-chromatid cohesion at the centromeric region [3]. By analyzing MEI-S332's localization requirements at the centromere on a set of minichromosome derivatives [4], we tested the role of heterochromatin and the relationship between cohesion and kinetochore formation in a complex centromere of a higher eukaryote. The frequency of MEI-S332 localization is decreased on minichromosomes with compromised inheritance, despite the consistent presence of two kinetochore proteins. Furthermore, MEI-S332 localization is not coincident with kinetochore outer-plate proteins, suggesting that it is located near the DNA. We conclude that MEI-S332 localization is driven by the functional centromeric chromatin, and binding of MEI-S332 is regulated independently of kinetochore formation. These results suggest that in higher eukaryotes cohesion is controlled by the functional centromere, and that, in contrast to yeast [5], the requirements for cohesion are separable from those for kinetochore assembly.
Mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints (MPECs) in process engineering

Mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints (MPECs) form a relatively new and interesting subclass of nonlinear programming problems. In this paper we propose a novel method of solving MPECs by appropriate reformulation of the equilibrium conditions. The reformulation can be easily incorporated in a certain class of interior point algorithms for nonlinear optimization. The algorithm used in the study follows a primal-dual interior point approach and shows encouraging results on a test suite of MPECs. The algorithm is also able to perform optimization of distillation columns with phase changes and tray optimization using only continuous variables. We also consider a number of topics to improve performance of the algorithm and to identify classes of process engineering problems that can be handled as MPECs.
Low Temperature Photochemical Vapor Deposition of SiO2 Using 172 nm Xe2* Excimer Lamp Radiation with Three Oxidant Chemistries: O2, H2O/O2, and H2O2

In this work, low temperature Xe2* excimer lamp photochemical vapor deposition (photo-CVD) of SiO2 is performed using SiH4 with three oxidant systems: O2, H2O/O2, and H2O2. While SiH4/O2 mixtures have been previously investigated, the H2O/O2- and H2O2-based chemistries are new. At 100 °C, high deposition rates can be achieved. FTIR spectra and refractive index measurements suggest that the as-deposited films have excellent stoichiometry and low hydrogen content. Our results are also used to develop a mechanistic framework for initial photodissociation reactions and subsequent chain homogeneous reactions that are important in the overall deposition chemistry. Increased gas-phase OH concentration which occurs in the H2O/O2 system accelerates the deposition rates, because of a chain mechanism that is operative when O2 is available. Experimental conditions that favor reactions initiated by O(1D) instead of O(3P) have only small effects on the observed deposition rates.
Temperature and initial conditions on strange repellers

Chaotic maps generate symbol sequences whose lattice disorder may be described by a Gibbs distribution. In particular, the Gibbs distribution describes the frequency with which intervals are visited in chaotic motion on a multifractal. One of us pointed out earlier that the inverse temperature implies a choice of initial conditions of a map from a subset of the fractal that is typically unknown in advance. We show here that, for maps that generate strange repellers, almost all initial conditions belong to the infinite temperature distribution. Finite temperature Gibbs distributions therefore correspond to a set of symbol sequences that occur with measure zero.
STAT6⁻/⁻ mice exhibit decreased cells with alternatively activated macrophage phenotypes and enhanced disease severity in murine neurocysticercosis.

In this study, using a murine model for neurocysticercosis, macrophage phenotypes and their functions were examined. Mesocestoides corti infection in the central nervous system (CNS) induced expression of markers associated with alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs) and a scarcity of iNOS, a classically activated macrophage marker. The infection in STAT6−/− mice resulted in significantly reduced accumulation of AAMs as well as enhanced susceptibility to infection coinciding with increased parasite burden and greater neuropathology. These results demonstrate that macrophages in the helminth infected CNS are largely of AAM phenotypes, particularly as the infection progresses, and that STAT6 dependent responses, possibly involving AAMs, are essential for controlling neurocysticercosis.
Error field detection in DIII-D by magnetic steering of locked modes

Optimal correction coil currents for the n?=?1 intrinsic error field of the DIII-D tokamak are inferred by applying a rotating external magnetic perturbation to steer the phase of a saturated locked mode with poloidal/toroidal mode number m/n?=?2/1. The error field is detected non-disruptively in a single discharge, based on the toroidal torque balance of the resonant surface, which is assumed to be dominated by the balance of resonant electromagnetic torques. This is equivalent to the island being locked at all times to the resonant 2/1 component of the total of the applied and intrinsic error fields, such that the deviation of the locked mode phase from the applied field phase depends on the existing error field. The optimal set of correction coil currents is determined to be those currents which best cancels the torque from the error field, based on fitting of the torque balance model. The toroidal electromagnetic torques are calculated from experimental data using a simplified approach incorporating realistic DIII-D geometry, and including the effect of the plasma response on island torque balance based on the ideal plasma response to external fields. This method of error field detection is demonstrated in DIII-D discharges, and the results are compared with those based on the onset of low-density locked modes in ohmic plasmas. This magnetic steering technique presents an efficient approach to error field detection and is a promising method for ITER, particularly during initial operation when the lack of auxiliary heating systems makes established techniques based on rotation or plasma amplification unsuitable.
Direct numerical simulation of interfacial instabilities: A consistent, conservative, all-speed, sharp-interface method

We present a conservative and consistent numerical method for solving the Navier-Stokes equations in flow domains that may be separated by any number of material interfaces, at arbitrarily-high density/viscosity ratios and acoustic-impedance mismatches, subjected to strong shock waves and flow speeds that can range from highly supersonic to near-zero Mach numbers. A principal aim is prediction of interfacial instabilities under superposition of multiple potentially-active modes (Rayleigh-Taylor, Kelvin-Helmholtz, Richtmyer-Meshkov) as found for example with shock-driven, immersed fluid bodies (locally oblique shocks)-accordingly we emphasize fidelity supported by physics-based validation, including experiments. Consistency is achieved by satisfying the jump discontinuities at the interface within a conservative 2nd-order scheme that is coupled, in a conservative manner, to the bulk-fluid motions. The jump conditions are embedded into a Riemann problem, solved exactly to provide the pressures and velocities along the interface, which is tracked by a level set function to accuracy of O(@Dx^5,@Dt^4). Subgrid representation of the interface is achieved by allowing curvature of its constituent interfacial elements to obtain O(@Dx^3) accuracy in cut-cell volume, with attendant benefits in calculating cell- geometric features and interface curvature (O(@Dx^3)). Overall the computation converges at near-theoretical O(@Dx^2). Spurious-currents are down to machine error and there is no time-step restriction due to surface tension. Our method is built upon a quadtree-like adaptive mesh refinement infrastructure. When necessary, this is supplemented by body-fitted grids to enhance resolution of the gas dynamics, including flow separation, shear layers, slip lines, and critical layers. Comprehensive comparisons with exact solutions for the linearized Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz problems demonstrate excellent performance. Sample simulations of liquid drops subjected to shock waves demonstrate for the first time ab initio numerical prediction of the key interfacial features and phenomena found in recent experimental and theoretical studies of this class of problems [T.G. Theofanous, Aerobreakup of Newtonian and viscoelastic liquids, Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 43 (2011) 661-690.].
Mechanical models to describe the behaviour of polyaramid fibres

Mechanical models which imitate the behaviour of polyaramid fibres are discussed. The models were developed from a phenomenological standpoint but the parameters which characterize certain of the elements in the model agree fairly closely with measured elastic properties, suggesting that structural analogies may exist between the model and the material.
H atom diffusion and CIDEP in room temperature fused silica

Abstract We report the observation of H atom CIDEP in electron-irradiated a-SiO2:OH glass at room temperature. Analysis of the signals implies that atomic hydrogen diffuses several orders of magnitude faster than helium in fused silica.
A Programmatic View of Portfolios for Urban Teacher Preparation A Second Look

This replication study represents an analysis of 47 exit portfolios of students enrolled in an urban teacher education program. Portfolios were analyzed to determine the degree to which students integrated concepts related to teaching in urban schools: asset/deficit perspectives, connections with families, social justice, high expectations for student learning, and contextualized teaching and learning. The portfolios fall into three groups along a continuum from “awareness” to “trying things out” to “making it their own.” With 30%, 51%, and 19% falling into each group respectively, the data are interpreted in relationship to faculty development and the challenges of scaffolding preservice teachers.
Modulation of TNFα and IL-1β from endotoxin-stimulated monocytes by selective PDE isozyme inhibitors

The effect of selective PDE isozyme inhibitors including vinpocetine (PDE-I), CI-930 and milrinone (PDE-III), rolipram and nitraquazone (PDE-IV) and zaprinast (PDE-V) on monocyte viability and production of tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) elicited from endotoxin-stimulated human monocytes was investigated. None of the inhibitors affected monocyte viability at 10 μM or lower concentrations. PDE-IV inhibitors and to a lesser extent, PDE-III inhibitors suppressed TNFα production. Only high concentrations of PDE-IV inhibitors modestly suppressed IL-1β. Zaprinast stimulated IL-1β and to a lesser extent TNFα production. These data show that TNFα and IL-1β production are differentially regulated, and that PDE III, PDE-IV and PDE-V isozymes are functional in endotoxin-stimulated monocytes. Clinical trials will be needed to ascertain if PDE-IV inhibitors are able to suppress TNFα levels in man.
The effects of diflubenzuron (Dimilin®) on selected mayflies (heptageniidae) and stoneflies (peltoperlidae and pteronarcyidae)

Two types of laboratory toxicity tests (exposure in water and feeding) were conducted to determine the effects of diflubenzuron (DFB) on nontarget aquatic insects. The mayflies Cynygmula subaequalis, Stenacron interpunctatum, Stenonema meririvulanum, and Stenonema femoratum (Heptageniidae) and the stonefly Peltoperla arcuata (Peltoperlidae) were exposed to DFB in water for 96 h, then transferred to pesticide-free water and observed for 36 d. The mayflies were exposed to 0, 0.6, 5.6, 55.7, or 557.2 ppb and the stoneflies to 0, 1.0, 10.2, 101.5, or 1,015 ppb DFB in water. The mayflies were found to be sensitive to DFB in water at concentrations as low as 0.6 ppb. The stonefly was less sensitive to DFB in water. In our feeding studies, Peltoperla arcuata and Pteronarcys proteus (Pteronarcyidae) were fed DFB-treated yellow poplar leaves for 24 d, then observed for 60 and 90 d, respectively. Survival of treated Peltoperla was significantly different from the controls at day 60. Survival of treated Pteronarcys was not significantly different from the controls during the 90-d test period, although the low number of molts that occurred during that time may have influenced these results. Future studies should use early life stages that coincide with leaf fall, when treated leaves would be introduced to headwater streams. The life histories of many aquatic insects are timed to make maximum use of leaf detritus as a food base. Introduction of DFB-treated leaves to headwater streams may adversely affect these organisms.
Kinetic and mechanistic studies of the OH-initiated oxidation of dimethylsulfide at low temperature - A reevaluation of the rate coefficient and branching ratio

Abstract The pulsed laser photolysis–pulsed laser induced fluorescence (PLP–PLIF) technique has been used to study the reactions of OH with DMS and DMS-d 6 . The effective rate coefficient for the reaction of OH with DMS-d 6 has been determined as a function of O 2 partial pressure at 600 Torr total pressure in N 2 /O 2 mixtures at 298 and 261 K and for both DMS and DMS-d 6 at 240 K. Currently recommended rates are based on an empirical fit to a two-channel mechanism. This work shows that at low temperatures the currently recommended expression underestimates both the effective rate coefficient for reaction together with the branching ratio between addition and abstraction.
Disparities in smoking and cessation status among cancer survivors and non-cancer individuals: a population-based study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Introduction Continued smoking after a cancer diagnosis is a critical problem. This study examined smoking prevalence among all and specific cancer survivors, and compared demographic profiles of the current smokers between cancer and non-cancer individuals.
Inhibition of α4-integrin stimulates epicardial-mesenchymal transformation and alters migration and cell fate of epicardially derived mesenchyme

Abstract Epithelial–mesenchymal transformation of the embryonic epicardium produces the subepicardial mesenchyme that is essential for normal coronary vascular development. Gene targeting experiments in mice have demonstrated an essential role for α4-integrin in normal epicardial development, but the precise cellular consequences of α4-integrin loss remain uncertain. To better understand the function of α4-integrin in epicardial development, we constructed a replication-incompetent adenovirus (AdlacZα4AS) that expresses antisense chicken α4-integrin as the 3′ untranslated region of a lacZ reporter gene. This construct effectively labeled cells while greatly reducing levels of α4-integrin mRNA and protein. In quail chick chimeras, transplanted epicardial cells infected with AdlacZα4AS adhered to the heart and were incorporated into the epicardium, but 4 days after grafting, were largely absent from the epicardial epithelium, recapitulating the defect in α4-null mice. This did not result from epicardial cell apoptosis or anomalous migration of epicardial cells to extracardiac sites. Rather, AdlacZα4AS-infected epicardial cells were particularly invasive, being three to four times more likely to migrate to the interstitium of the myocardium than AdlacZ-infected epicardial cells. Accelerated epicardial–mesenchymal transformation and migration of α4-negative epicardium was observed in an organ culture system that does not require prior culture of epicardial cells. Remarkably, AdlacZα4AS infection also prevented targeting of epicardially derived mesenchyme to the media of developing coronary vasculature in the myocardial interstitium. This study provides evidence that epicardial α4-integrin normally restrains epicardial–mesenchymal transformation, invasion, and migration and is essential for correct targeting of epicardially derived mesenchyme to the developing coronary vasculature.
Kidnapping by Terrorist Groups, 1970-2010 Is Ideological Orientation Relevant?

This article examines whether a terrorist group’s ideology has a meaningful impact on its involvement in kidnapping. On a global level, incident data (1970-2010) indicate that in the past decade the number of kidnappings by terrorist groups has increased, while Muslim extremists have replaced left-wing/Marxist revolutionaries as the world’s leading kidnappers. However, when we incorporate data about the attributes of terrorist organizations and their operating environments, this analysis indicates that ideology does not play an important role in determining the likelihood of a group’s involvement in kidnapping. The article concludes with implications and suggested topics for further study.
Where have all the interactions gone? Estimating the coverage of two-hybrid protein interaction maps.

Yeast two-hybrid screens are an important method for mapping pairwise physical interactions between proteins. The fraction of interactions detected in independent screens can be very small, and an outstanding challenge is to determine the reason for the low overlap. Low overlap can arise from either a high false-discovery rate (interaction sets have low overlap because each set is contaminated by a large number of stochastic false-positive interactions) or a high false-negative rate (interaction sets have low overlap because each misses many true interactions). We extend capture–recapture theory to provide the first unified model for false-positive and false-negative rates for two-hybrid screens. Analysis of yeast, worm, and fly data indicates that 25% to 45% of the reported interactions are likely false positives. Membrane proteins have higher false-discovery rates on average, and signal transduction proteins have lower rates. The overall false-negative rate ranges from 75% for worm to 90% for fly, which arises from a roughly 50% false-negative rate due to statistical undersampling and a 55% to 85% false-negative rate due to proteins that appear to be systematically lost from the assays. Finally, statistical model selection conclusively rejects the Erdos-Renyi network model in favor of the power law model for yeast and the truncated power law for worm and fly degree distributions. Much as genome sequencing coverage estimates were essential for planning the human genome sequencing project, the coverage estimates developed here will be valuable for guiding future proteomic screens. All software and datasets are available in Datasets S1 and S2, Figures S1–S5, and Tables S1−S6, and are also available from our Web site, http://www.baderzone.org.
Cell Pathology and Developmental Effects of Mine Waste Contamination on Invertebrates and Fish in the Methow River, Okanogan County, Washington (USA)

A study of the effects of mine waste on Methow River habitat in the north Cascade Mountains in the state of Washington, U.S.A. revealed impacts of sediment metal contamination on invertebrates and fish. The objectives were to determine: (1) effects of metal contamination on the growth and development of caddisfly larvae (Ecclesomyia spp.) and trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), (2) whether in vivo exposure of caddisfly larvae in microcosms to metal contaminants induces nuclear apoptosis and the formation of electron-dense granules in gut epithelial cell mitochondria, (3) whether in situ exposure of trout and caddisfly larvae to sediment metal contamination induces nuclear apoptosis and the formation of electron-dense granules in mitochondria of gut epithelial cells and hepatocytes, and (4) whether the composition of the mitochondrial granules reflects sediment metal contamination. Electron microscopy was used to detect the cytotoxic effects of metal contamination. An above-and-below-mine approach was used to compare exposed and reference populations. Copper contamination in sediments was associated with effects on trout and caddisfly larvae at the cellular level and with secondary effects related to reduced body weights and delayed development occurring at higher levels of biological organization. Electron dense granules in the mitochondria of exposed caddisfly and trout mitochondria were detected. Elemental analysis of mitochondrial granules by X-ray analysis suggested Cu was being sequestered by mechanisms that normally regulate transient cell Ca concentrations. Chromatin compaction, margination, and the observation that large vesicles with bi-layer membranes were being expelled from the nuclei of affected cells suggest that apoptosis was also occurring.
THERMAL EXPANSION OF ALPHA-URANIUM SINGLE CRYSTALS

Dilatometry has been used to measure the thermal expansions of alpha-uranium single crystals between 25° C and 650° C. Equations for length (L) in the three principal crystallographic directions and volume (V) as functions of temperature (t° C) are as follows: L[100]t = L[100]0 (1+ 23.53 × 10−6t + 13.74 × 10−9t2 + 9.94 × 10−12t3) L[010]t = L[010]0 (1 + 1.16 × 10−6t − 9.43 × 10−9t2 − 11.79 × 10−12t3) L[001]t = L[001]0 (1 + 19.38 × 10−6t + 21.58 × 10−9t2+ 3.32 × 10−12t3) Vt= V0 (1+43.98 × 10−6t + 26.88 × 10−9t2+ 1.00 × 10−12t3). The differences in the [010] and [001] expansions obtained by dilatometry when compared with values calculated from lattice parameter data are ascribed to elastic strains in the polycrystalline X-ray samples.
Evaluation of a DNA probe test kit for detection of Salmonellae in biosolids

Aims: Current US regulations (40 CFR 503) for ‘Class A’ biosolids (treated sewage sludge) requires use of multiple-tube fermentation techniques for fecal coliform or multiple tube enrichment techniques for Salmonella spp. followed by isolation and biochemical and serologic confirmation. The technical difficulties and the time required to complete the procedure for enumeration of Salmonellae in biosolids and sludges has limited the use of this assay. This study was conducted to determine if a commercially available molecular probe system could be used to isolate and enumerate Salmonella spp. in biosolids or sludges in less time than cultural techniques with biochemical confirmation. Methods and Results: Several types of treated and untreated municipal sludges were assayed for Salmonellae using a cultural technique with biochemical and serologic confirmation and a DNA probe diagnostic test kit. The results indicate that the molecular probe and the conventional fermentation tube technique yielded equivalent results. Interestingly, the probe technique yielded results within 52 h following initiation of sample analysis compared with the conventional fermentation tube technique with confirmation which required approx. 120 h. Conclusions: These results suggest that the molecular probe system used for this work may be used to determine the presence or absence of Salmonella spp. in biosolids within a relatively short time frame. Significance and Impact of the Study: The ease of using the DNA probe test kit, along with its ability to produce results in less than half the time of conventional culture techniques, suggests that this assay is useful for determining the presence or absence of Salmonellae in biosolids samples.
Fibroblast growth factor 23 regulates renal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and phosphate metabolism via the MAP kinase signaling pathway in Hyp mice

In X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) and in its murine homologue, the Hyp mouse, increased circulating concentrations of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) are critical to the pathogenesis of disordered metabolism of phosphate (P(i)) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)(2)D]. In this study, we hypothesized that in Hyp mice, FGF-23-mediated suppression of renal 1,25(OH)(2)D production and P(i) reabsorption depends on activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Wild-type and Hyp mice were administered either vehicle or the MEK inhibitor PD0325901 (12.5 mg/kg) orally daily for 4 days. At baseline, the renal abundance of early growth response 1 (egr1) mRNA was approximately 2-fold greater in Hyp mice than in wild-type mice. Treatment with PD0325901 greatly suppressed egr1 mRNA abundance in both wild-type and Hyp mice. In Hyp mice, PD0325901 induced an 8-fold increase in renal 1α-hydroxylase mRNA expression and a 4-fold increase in serum 1,25(OH)(2)D concentrations compared with vehicle-treated Hyp mice. Serum P(i) levels in Hyp mice increased significantly after treatment with PD0325901, and the increase was associated with increased renal Npt2a mRNA abundance and brush-border membrane Npt2a protein expression. These findings provide evidence that in Hyp mice, MAPK signaling is constitutively activated in the kidney and support the hypothesis that the FGF-23-mediated suppression of renal 1,25(OH)(2)D production and P(i) reabsorption depends on activation of MAPK signaling via MEK/ERK1/2. These findings demonstrate the physiologic importance of MAPK signaling in the actions of FGF-23 in regulating renal 1,25(OH)(2)D and P(i) metabolism.
Genomic medicine: bringing biomarkers to clinical medicine

An important by-product of sequencing the human genome has been the development of a novel ‘toolbox’ for biomarker discovery and development. Genomic medicine is an emerging discipline in the genome sciences that integrates these tools to interrogate genomic variation in well-defined populations in order to develop predictors of disease susceptibility, progression and drug response. Several important classes of biomarkers result from these analyses which, when translated to clinical medicine and drug development, will have an important impact on human health and disease. This review highlights both the opportunities and challenges in bringing biomarkers into clinical medicine.