cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis C Virus Induces the Localization of Lipid Rafts to Autophagosomes for Its RNA Replication

Autophagy plays important roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis. It uses double- or multiple-membrane vesicles termed autophagosomes to remove protein aggregates and damaged organelles from the cytoplasm for recycling. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been shown to induce autophagy to enhance its own replication. Here we describe a procedure that combines membrane flotation and affinity chromatography for the purification of autophagosomes from cells that harbor an HCV subgenomic RNA replicon. The purified autophagosomes had double- or multiple-membrane structures with a diameter ranging from 200 nm to 600 nm. The analysis of proteins associated with HCV-induced autophagosomes by proteomics led to the identification of HCV nonstructural proteins as well as proteins involved in membrane trafficking. Notably, caveolin-1, caveolin-2, and annexin A2, which are proteins associated with lipid rafts, were also identified. The association of lipid rafts with HCV-induced autophagosomes was confirmed by Western blotting, immunofluorescence microscopy, and immunoelectron microscopy. Their association with autophagosomes was also confirmed in HCV-infected cells. The association of lipid rafts with autophagosomes was specific to HCV, as it was not detected in autophagosomes induced by nutrient starvation. Further analysis indicated that the autophagosomes purified from HCV replicon cells could mediate HCV RNA replication in a lipid raft-dependent manner, as the depletion of cholesterol, a major component of lipid rafts, from autophagosomes abolished HCV RNA replication. Our studies thus demonstrated that HCV could specifically induce the association of lipid rafts with autophagosomes for its RNA replication.IMPORTANCE HCV can cause severe liver diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and is one of the most important human pathogens. Infection with HCV can lead to the reorganization of membrane structures in its host cells, including the induction of autophagosomes. In this study, we developed a procedure to purify HCV-induced autophagosomes and demonstrated that HCV could induce the localization of lipid rafts to autophagosomes to mediate its RNA replication. This finding provided important information for further understanding the life cycle of HCV and its interaction with the host cells.
Reference scenarios for evaluating wood pellet production in the Southeastern United States

Wood pellet exports from the Southeastern United States (SE US) to Europe have been increasing in response to European Union member state policies to displace coal with renewable biomass for electricity generation. An understanding of the interactions among SE US forest markets, forest management, and forest ecosystem services is required to quantify the effects of pellet production compared to what would be expected under a reference case or ‘counterfactual scenario’ without pellet production. Inconsistent methods to define and justify the counterfactual scenario result in conflicting estimates and large uncertainties about the impacts of pellet production on SE US forests. Guidelines to support more consistent and transparent counterfactual scenarios are proposed. The guidelines include identifying major influences on current SE US forest conditions, developing potential futures that clearly document underlying assumptions and associated uncertainties, identifying the most likely alternative feedstock fates, and estimating the effects of no pellet demand on future forest conditions. The guidelines can help modelers to more accurately reflect the past and current forest dynamics and to consider the implications for SE US forest landscapes of future scenarios with and without pellet production. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Correlates of Unknown HIV Status Among MSM Participating in the 2014 American Men’s Internet Survey (AMIS)

Increasing serostatus awareness is a key HIV prevention strategy. Despite expanded testing efforts, some men who have sex with men (MSM) remain unaware of their HIV status. This study explored demographic characteristics, sexual identity, sexual role, and behavioral factors associated with unknown HIV status among MSM in the United States. Data from 9170 MSM in the 2014 American Men's Internet Survey were analyzed using logistic regression to identify correlates of unknown HIV status. Young age, race, low education, rural residence, and lack of recent healthcare visits were significantly associated with unknown HIV status. In addition, nondisclosure of one's sexual orientation (OR = 3.70, 95% CI 2.99-4.59) and a self-identified sexual role as "bottom" (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.24-1.70) were predictors of unknown HIV status. Post-hoc analysis showed HIV-negative MSM not tested in the last year had fewer self-reported risk behaviors than recent testers, suggesting that repeat testing among MSM may be aligned with individual risk.
MLLR-like speaker adaptation based on linearization of VTLN with MFCC features.

In this paper, an MLLR-like adaptation approach is proposed whereby the transformation of the means is performed deterministically based on linearization of VTLN. Biases and adaptation of the variances are estimated statistically by the EM algorithm. In the discrete frequency domain, we show that under certain approximations, frequency warping with Mel-£lterbank-based MFCCs equals a linear transformation in the cepstral domain. Utilizing the deduced linear relationship, the transformation matrix is generated by formant-like peak alignment. Experimental results using children’s speech show improvements over traditional MLLR and VTLN. The improvements occur even with limited amounts of adaptation data.
RATIONALE AND CHEMISTRY OF PROINSECTICIDAL METHYLCARBAMATES

Abstract Methylcarbamate insecticides are intrinsically good inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and require no activation step before animals exposed to them are intoxicated. The substitution of the proton on the nitrogen atom of methylcarbamate insecticides by a variety of functional groups results in derivatives of lower anticholinesterase activity. While virtually all derivatized methylcarbamates are of reduced mammalian toxicity as compared to the parent compound, the utilization of proper functional groups maintain the insecticidal activity of the corresponding parent methylcarbamate. The rationale for the design of these selectively toxic derivatives is based on the basic premise of introducing a delay factor into compounds that otherwise are direct inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase analogous to the introduction of a thiono sulfur in an organophosphorous insecticide. A wide variety of functional groups have been introduced into toxic methylcarbamates as a delay factor. These include N-sulfenylated, sulfinylated, sulfonylated, phosphinothioylated, and acylated methylcarbamates. Examples of some of the favorable toxicological properties of these derivatives are presented. Chemical models are proposed for the activation of derivatized methylcarbamates. The chemistry leading to insecticide chemicals containing these functional groups is briefly reviewed.
Sound Localization and Screening

In this volume, Fagan and Rock present findings from their measure of visual novelty preference in infants 3 to 7 months of age, indicating that their measure is more predictive of 3-year intelligence scores than standardized measures of sensorimotor performance. Fagan and Rock’s findings provide support for Zelazo’s (1979) proposal that the use of an information processing approach (i. e., the ways in which infants process visual and auditory information) will be a more valid measure of underlying cognitive development than the prevalently used assessments of sensorimotor development. The assumption is that the early information processing abilities are more closely related to the processes assessed by subsequent measures of intelligence. In this chapter, I describe research that is studying the efficacy of using auditory processing abilities for the identification of those infants from a high-risk population who are truly at risk for subsequent developmental problems. The chapter is divided into two sections. The first section provides some necessary background and the rationale for the approach being taken. In the second section, a study employing 4-month-old infants as subjects is presented as an example of the research that is being done as part of this project.
Brucellosis in Dogs and Public Health Risk

Brucella canis infects dogs and humans. In dogs, it can cause reproductive failure; in humans, it can cause fever, chills, malaise, peripheral lymphadenomegaly, and splenomegaly. B. canis infection in dogs is underrecognized. After evaluating serologic data, transmission patterns, and regulations in the context of brucellosis in dogs as an underrecognized zoonosis, we concluded that brucellosis in dogs remains endemic to many parts of the world and will probably remain a threat to human health and animal welfare unless stronger intervention measures are implemented. A first step for limiting disease spread would be implementation of mandatory testing of dogs before interstate or international movement.
Recent progresses in lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal research: elasticity, viscosity, defect structures, and living liquid crystals

ABSTRACTLyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) are formed by linear stacks of disc-shaped molecular in water. Combined by weak, non-covalent forces, these aggregates are reversible, flexible and polydisperse. The self-assembly nature of the basic building units gives nematic LCLCs interesting physical properties, such as very small twist K2 constant as compared with splay K1 and bend K3 constants, very large splay ηsplay and twist ηtwist viscosities, strong temperature dependence of K1, ηsplay, and ηtwist, diverse responses to different ionic additives, and large and azimuthally asymmetric disclination cores. We discuss our experimental studies on the viscoelastic properties and the fine structure of disclinations of LCLCs and attribute their unusual properties to the fact that LCLC aggregates are not fixed in size, but vary in response to changes of temperature, concentration and ionic content in the system. We further use these properties to explain intriguing phenomena in the ‘living liquid crysta...
Healthy Aging and Exercise: Preventing Disease and Disability

Exercise provides numerous physiological and psychological benefits for healthy older adults. However, most older adults in the United States are physically inactive. This chapter first summarizes the evidence demonstrating the resultant health benefits from exercise based on both epidemiological and interventional research. Second, this chapter introduces the concept of exercise prescription, presents the physical activity guidelines for older adults from various professional committees and organizations, and discusses special considerations when prescribing exercise for older adults. Last, this chapter highlights several of the behavioral theories that can be used to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior among older adults.
Out of Our Silos, Into the Movement: Community Food Systems and Cooperative Extension in Oregon

Oregon has a vibrant community food systems (CFS) movement, which has grown from a few key actors and organizations two decades ago to an increasingly organized, statewide network of more than 50 organizations working on the full span of food system challenges. These diverse organizations have endorsed a common vision: “All Oregonians thrive with healthy, affordable foods from an environmentally and economically resil­ient, regional food system.” The CFS movement aims to expand Oregon’s sustainable agriculture and local and regional food sectors in ways that address the state’s chronic challenges with food insecurity and inequita­ble access to healthy food. Analysts have described Cooperative Extension’s potential and actual contribu­tions to local, regional, and community food system development. Because many Extension personnel feel limited in their ability to work toward transforming the food system, researchers suggest partnering with external organizations with a similar understanding of food system problems and possible solutions. As those partners develop their own theories of food system change and strategic paths forward, Extension can use these to organize its own CFS goals and strategies. I demonstrate that this is well underway in Oregon.
Who's a good boy? Effects of dog and owner body weight on veterinarian perceptions and treatment recommendations.

Weight bias against persons with obesity impairs health care delivery and utilization and contributes to poorer health outcomes. Despite rising rates of pet obesity (including among dogs), the potential for weight bias in veterinary settings has not been examined. In two online, 2 × 2 experimental studies, the effects of dog and owner body weight on perceptions and treatment recommendations were investigated in 205 practicing veterinarians (Study 1) and 103 veterinary students (Study 2). In both studies, participants were randomly assigned to view one of four vignettes of a dog and owners with varying weight statuses (lean vs. obesity). Dependent measures included emotion/liking ratings toward the dog and owners; perceived causes of the dog’s weight; and treatment recommendations and compliance expectations. Other clinical practices, such as terms to describe excess weight in dogs, were also assessed. Veterinarians and students both reported feeling more blame, frustration, and disgust toward dogs with obesity and their owners than toward lean dogs and their owners (p values < 0.001). Interactions between dog and owner body weight emerged for perceived causes of obesity, such that owners with obesity were perceived as causing the dog with obesity’s weight, while lean owners were perceived as causing the lean dog’s weight. Participants were pessimistic about treatment compliance from owners of the dog with obesity, and weight loss treatment was recommended for the dog with obesity when presenting with a medical condition ambiguous in its relationship to weight. Veterinarians and students also reported use of stigmatizing terms to describe excess weight in dogs. Findings from this investigation, with replication, have implications for training and practice guidelines in veterinary medicine.
VERY HIGH ENERGY GAMMA-RAY-INDUCED PAIR CASCADES IN THE RADIATION FIELDS OF DUST TORI OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI: APPLICATION TO Cen A

The growing number of extragalactic high-energy (HE, E > 100 MeV) and very high energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) γ-ray sources that do not belong to the blazar class suggests that VHE γ-ray production may be a common property of most radio-loud active galactic nuclei. In a previous paper, we have investigated the signatures of Compton-supported pair cascades initiated by VHE γ-ray absorption in monochromatic radiation fields, dominated by Lyα line emission from the broad-line region. In this paper, we investigate the interaction of nuclear VHE γ-rays with the thermal infrared radiation field from a circumnuclear dust torus. Our code follows the spatial development of the cascade in full three-dimensional geometry. We provide a model fit to the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) of the dust-rich, γ-ray-loud radio galaxy Cen A and show that typical blazar-like jet parameters may be used to model the broadband SED, if one allows for an additional cascade contribution to the Fermi γ-ray emission.
Lecture notes of Relativistic Mechanics: Worldlines, times and velocities of a particle

In these notes, we define and study some concepts from Special Relativistic Mechanics, in a differential geometric perspective. Our approach allows us to revisit and rethink some basic theoretical structures, in a way that reveals more feasible to developments in various directions, in particular in view of a better integration with Quantum Mechanics.
Fingerprinting the Checker Policies of Parallel File Systems

Parallel file systems (PFSes) play an essential role in high performance computing. To ensure the integrity, many PFSes are designed with a checker component, which serves as the last line of defense to bring a corrupted PFS back to a healthy state. Motivated by real-world incidents of PFS corruptions, we perform a fine-grained study on the capability of PFS checkers in this paper. We apply type-aware fault injection to specific PFS structures, and examine the detection and repair policies of PFS checkers meticulously via a well-defined taxonomy. The study results on two representative PFS checkers show that they are able to handle a wide range of corruptions on important data structures. On the other hand, neither of them is perfect: there are multiple cases where the checkers may behave sub-optimally, leading to kernel panics, wrong repairs, etc. Our work has led to a new patch on Lustre. We hope to develop our methodology into a generic framework for analyzing the checkers of diverse PFSes, and enable more elegant designs of PFS checkers for reliable high-performance computing.
The Fixed Point Property in the Set of All Order Relations on a Finite Set

For a finite ground set X, this paper investigates properties of the set of orders with the fixed point property as a subset of the set ${\mathcal O} (X)$ of all orders on X, ordered by inclusion. In particular, it is shown that this set can have singleton components in the covering graph of ${\mathcal O} (X)$ , we identify longest possible chains of orders such that orders alternate between having and not having the fixed point property, and we give examples of nondismantlable orders with the fixed point property such that every upper cover in ${\mathcal O} (X)$ has the fixed point property, too.
Age-Related Changes in the Rhesus Macaque Eye

Abstract Purpose To assess age-related changes in the rhesus macaque eye and evaluate them to corresponding human age-related eye disease. Methods Data from eye exams and imaging tests including intraocular pressure (IOP), lens thickness, axial length, and retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were evaluated from 142 individuals and statistically analyzed for age-related changes. Quantitative autofluorescence (qAF) was measured as was the presence of macular lesions as related to age. Results Ages of the 142 rhesus macaques ranged from 0.7 to 29 years (mean = 16.4 years, stdev = 7.5 years). Anterior segment measurements such as IOP, lens thickness, and axial length were acquired. Advanced retinal imaging in the form of optical coherence tomography and qAF were obtained. Quantitative assessments were made and variations by age groups were analyzed to compare with established age-related changes in human eyes. Quantitative analysis of data revealed age-related increase in intraocular pressure (0.165 mm Hg per increase in year of age), ocular biometry (lens thickness 7.2 μm per increase in year of age; and axial length 52.8 μm per increase in year of age), and presence of macular lesions. Age-related changes in thicknesses of retinal layers on OCT were observed and quantified, showing decreased thickness of the retinal ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layer, and increased thickness of photoreceptor outer segment and choroidal layers. Age was correlated with increased qAF by 1.021 autofluorescence units per increase in year of age. Conclusions The rhesus macaque has age-related ocular changes similar to humans. IOP increases with age while retinal ganglion cell layer thickness decreases. Macular lesions develop in some aged animals. Our findings support the concept that rhesus macaques may be useful for the study of important age-related diseases such as glaucoma, macular diseases, and cone disorders, and for development of therapies for these diseases.
Association of Medicaid Expansion With 5-Year Changes in Hypertension and Diabetes Outcomes at Federally Qualified Health Centers

Importance State decisions to expand Medicaid eligibility were particularly consequential for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which serve 30 million low-income patients across the US. The longer-term association of Medicaid expansion with health outcomes at FQHCs is unknown. Objective To assess the 5-year association of Medicaid expansion with uninsurance rates and hypertension and diabetes outcome measures by race and ethnicity in a nationally representative population of FQHCs. Design, Setting, and Participants Using a difference-in-differences analysis of a retrospective cohort from the universe of US FQHCs, changes in uninsurance rates and intermediate health outcomes for hypertension and diabetes by race and ethnicity were compared between Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states before (2012-2013) vs after (2014-2018) expansion. Data were analyzed from September 2020 to March 2021. Exposures Location in a state that expanded Medicaid eligibility as of 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures Rates of uninsurance, the proportion of patients with hypertension with a blood pressure less than 140/90 mm Hg, and the proportion of patients with diabetes with glycosylated hemoglobin levels of 9% or less, as stratified by race and ethnicity. Results Of the patients at 578 expansion-state FQHCs (serving 13.0 million patients per year) and 368 nonexpansion-state FQHCs (serving 6.0 million patients per year) in our study sample, 64.4% were age 18 to 64 years, 57.4% were women, 18.9% were non-Hispanic Black, and 27.3% were Hispanic. Following expansion, FQHCs in Medicaid expansion states experienced a 9.24 percentage point (PP) (95% CI, 7.94-10.54) decline in rates of uninsurance over the pooled 5-year expansion period compared with nonexpansion-state FQHCs. Across this 5-year period, expansion was associated with a 1.61-PP (95% CI, 0.58-2.64) comparative improvement in hypertension control and a 1.84-PP (95% CI, 0.71-2.98) comparative improvement in glucose control. Stratified results suggest that improvements were consistently observed in Black and Hispanic populations. The magnitude of change tended to increase with implementation time. For instance, by year 5, expansion was associated with a 3.38-PP (95% CI, 0.80-5.96) comparative improvement in hypertension control and a 3.88-PP (95% CI, 0.86-6.90) comparative improvement in glucose control among Black populations. Conclusions and Relevance In this nationally representative cohort study, Medicaid expansion was associated with sustained increases in insurance coverage and improvements in chronic disease outcome measures at FQHCs after 5 years overall and among Black and Hispanic populations. States considering Medicaid expansion may benefit from improved longer-run health measures for underserved patients with chronic conditions.
Applications of the Optimal Monetary Indicator in Policy Analysis

The entire focus of this investigation to this point has centered on the selection of the optimal monetary indicator. With this task accomplished in a consistent manner, it is now appropriate to examine some of the ways in which the resulting measures may be applied to the analysis of Federal Reserve actions. In addition to the obvious viability of M1* and M2* as tools in the formulation and execution of both intermediate and long-term policy programs, these gauges are highly useful tools for researchers desiring to explore various aspects of the monetary landscape. In fact, several of these potential areas of relevance have been discussed at length during the process of determining the best available indicator. These approaches include (1) the basic characterization of monetary policy for the 1953–1975 period, (2) the assessment of the countercyclical performance of Federal Reserve officials, (3) the determination of the extent of bias associated with endogenous monetary variables, and (4) the detection of causal patterns in policy responses. The present chapter discusses several additional applications of the noncyclical indicators. These illustrations serve to reveal both the flexibility of the measures and their value as a device to achieve a greater understanding of the monetary process.
Deception in the Workplace: Recent Research and Promising New Directions

This review identifies some of the promising new directions that scholars are pursuing in current research on deceptions in places of work. I identify and explore five main emphases that have emerged. These directions are comprised of studies that count the pervasiveness of deceptions; examine deception in service provision and emotional labor; identify varied workplace cultures of deception; examine accounts for deception in the wake of corruption, financial misconduct and other misbehaviors; and studies of Internet and computer technologies as new territories for deception. I conclude by suggesting some additional arenas for research into workplace deception, specifically, on professions that produce deception as a form of legitimate work; on deceptions in non-profit organizations, and research into the technical and dramaturgical efforts that people put into making lies appear believable.
Bioinformatics and the identification of imprinted genes in mammals

With the identification of DNA sequence features that are unusually distributed in regions undergoing genomic imprinting, the basis is created for the bioinformatic prediction of the remaining imprinted genes in mammalian genomes, believed to number several hundreds. It is technically challenging to prove that a gene is imprinted, so any technique that narrows down the candidates for analysis is of obvious value. Genome sequence annotations can be mined to create large datasets for analysis, introducing a number of statistical challenges. We discuss how these challenges can be addressed, allowing every gene in the genome to be assigned a relative likelihood of imprinting on the basis of their similarity to known imprinted genes in terms of their most discriminatory sequence characteristics. Keywords: genomic imprinting; bioinformatics; biostatistics; repetitive sequences
Taking a Measured Approach to Toxicity Data in Phase I Oncology Clinical Trials

The standard categorical system for assessing attribution of toxicity to study drug(s) in phase I trials is cumbersome and uninformative. Although a binary system ("related" vs. "unrelated") would be sufficient to define maximum tolerated dose (MTD), a probability estimation would better support dose selection for randomized dose-ranging phase II trials.
Elimination of Error Caused by Hemolysis and Bilirubin-induced Color Quenching in Clinical Radioimmunoassays

In radioimmunoassays and radioassays for various constituents of serum, color quenching is a source of error when liquid-scintillation methods are used in samples that contain hemolyzed blood and samples from jaundiced patients. A quench correction can be made by using the External Standard Channels Ratio method and normalizing the ratios, or, alternatively, by chemical decolorization with tetramethylammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and ascorbic acid.
Square-well mixtures: a study of their coexistence using theory and simulation

We study coexistence and thermodynamic properties of square-well monomeric mixtures using both continuum integral equation theory and Monte Carlo simulation. We focus most of our attention on a mixture which is slightly asymmetric, both in terms of size and energetics, and explore the liquid-vapour coexistence behaviour for both the pure components, and selected phase envelopes in the mixture. We find the theory to be in semi-quantitative agreement with the simulation results and expect to make use of the tools developed here as we move towards studies of chain mixtures.
National trends in school victimization among Asian American adolescents

The model minority perception of Asian American students often ignores the academic and social challenges that many face in schools. One area that has received less attention is the school victimization experiences of Asian American adolescents. While some qualitative researchers have explored factors contributing to school victimization in recent years, missing in the literature is the scope of these incidents among Asian Americans. This paper contributes to this literature by (1) examining national trends in the victimization of Asian American adolescents in schools over the last decade and (2) investigating how victimization varies according to their gender, socioeconomic status, and achievement levels. The results show that although Asian American adolescents are consistently less likely to be bullied relative to other students, they are more likely to report experiences of racial discrimination. Victimization incidents for Asian Americans also differ by gender and academic achievement levels. ©
Temperature regulation of the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus after acclimation at various ambient temperatures

1. 1. The effect of temperature acclimation on the thermoregulatorymetabolic adjustments of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) was investigated. 2. 2. Regardless of the season of capture, bats acclimated at 10°, 20°, or 30°C showed three significantly different (P < 0·05 level) metabolic rate patterns when exposed to cold. An increased metabolic rate and ability to maintain a body temperature of 30°C or above was inversely related to the temperature at which bats were acclimated. Thermoregulation was apparently incomplete inasmuch as Newton's Law of Cooling was not applicable to these data. 3. 3. Earlier reports suggest that the thermoregulatory pattern for summer-and winter-captured bats resembles that for the warm and cold-temperature acclimated bats in this study. 4. 4. The thermoregulatory-metabolic patterns for each of the three groups of acclimated bats, including such homeothermic-like features as thermal neutrality, standard metabolic rate, maximum metabolic rate, and body temperature were described, and found to be in general agreement with information reported for other similar-sized acclimated mammals.
Effect of medical castration on CYP3A4 enzyme activity using the erythromycin breath test

Testosterone administration can lead to increased antipyrine clearance in humans. Medical or surgical castration is a standard treatment of progressive prostate carcinoma, but the effect of the subsequent fall of testosterone concentrations upon drug metabolism has not been reported. Eleven men with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of progressive prostate cancer were enrolled after providing informed consent. CYP3A4 activity was determined using the erythromycin breath test (EBT) in each patient prior to their beginning with an LHRH-agonist (leuprolide or goserelin). No patients had elected to undergo orchiectomy during the period of subject accrual. Each subject underwent a second EBT 2 months after beginning LHRH suppression. Blood samples were collected at these time points to determine changes in testosterone and leutinizing hormone. All subjects had a predictable drop in serum testosterone concentrations over the 8-week course of the study, but concentrations in three did not fall below castrate levels (<50 ng/dl). There was no statistically significant change in CYP3A4 activity using the EBT method (p = 0.88). The extent and direction of changes in CYP3A4 activity was highly variable, with three subjects experiencing an increase in activity, and five demonstrating a decrease in activity. There is no clinically significant change in CYP3A4 activity after medical castration. No changes in the clearance of docetaxel or other CYP3A4 substrates are likely during and after medical castration. Although similar findings are expected after orchiectomy, we were not able to test this presumption because of patient preference for medical castration.
Enhanced magnetoresistance below the spin-flip transition of Cr(001) thin films

Abstract Magnetoresistance measurements are used to identify the spin-flip transition temperature Tsf in 500 and 3000 A thick Cr(001) films grown epitaxially on LiF(001). Tsf is suppressed to a lower temperature in the 500 A film compared to the bulk value of 123 K. The shift in Tsf with film thickness follows a similar stress dependence as that reported previously for bulk Cr crystals. The magnetoresistance is 50% at 4.2 K in a field of 5 T and still shows no sign of approaching saturation.
A 65-year-old man presents with pelvic pain

Tophaceous gout of the symphysis pubis is an exceedingly rare event, with only four other cases reported in the literature [1–4]. Gout is the oldest recognized arthropathy and results from the deposition of monosodium urate crystals [5]. Gouty tophi are a consequence of prolonged hyperuricemia and can be found in soft tissues, tendon sheaths, joints, and bony prominences [3]. Calcium may precipitate with the urate crystals to varying degrees, making tophi more apparent on radiographs. Gout most often afflicts the feet, ankles, knees, hands, and elbows, in decreasing order of frequency [5]. This case is exceptional because it demonstrates the hallmark imaging characteristics of tophaceous gout in spite of its uncharacteristic location. The symphyseal joint space is preserved. The erosions on either side of the joint are well-demarcated with sclerotic margins. These erosions have been described as “punched-out,” resembling “mousebites,” with overhanging edges that are typical of gout. The association of these erosions with the hyperdense calcified tophus is a reflection of the indolence of this arthropathy [5]. This case diagnosis may be achieved from the images and information provided. Following the patient’s initial presentation, a skeletal survey and laboratory workup were performed. The serum uric acid level was elevated, in keeping with the suspected diagnosis. Skeletal survey was notable in that the first tarsometatarsal (TMT) joint was unaffected. However, other sites, including the ulnar styloid process, displayed erosions with sclerotic margins and overhanging edges (Fig. 1). The combination of imaging findings, history and laboratory evaluation led to this patient’s diagnosis of tophaceous gout involving the symphysis pubis. Synovial fluid analysis of this joint was deferred. Other conditions that may afflict the symphysis pubis include metastasis, plasmacytoma, primary osseous neoplasm such as chondrosarcoma, septic arthritis, osteoarthritis in isolation or in association with calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease, and amyloidosis. Neoplasms, both primary and secondary, and infection are much less likely given the well-defined pattern of osteolysis with sclerotic margins. Preservation of the joint space and lack of periosteal elevation further mitigate against these diagnoses on imaging alone. Septic joint is unlikely in an afebrile patient with normal white blood cell count. This patient had no systemic symptoms such as weight loss and generalized malaise to suspect malignancy. Erosions are typical of osteoarthritis involving the symphysis pubis, as in the temporomandibular, acromioThe case presentation can be found at doi:10.1007/s00256-010-0898-0
A multivariate investigation of perceptual attributions concerning gender appropriateness in language

Two stimulus tapes were created to manipulate male and female communicators' use of task and socioemotional behavior, pronunciation of-ing word endings, interruptions, amount of words, pitch, and intonation. To determine the source of perceptual attributions to male and female communicators, this study compared subjects' perceptions of male and female communicators who use gender-appropriate language features with perceptions of the same male and female communicators who use gender-inappropriate language features. Results indicate that regardless of whether they are used by a male or female communicator, “female” language features consistently contribute to the communicator's credibility; a communicator, regardless of gender, who uses “male” language features is consistently perceived as more extroverted. It was concluded that (1) communicators are differentially perceived as a consequence of linguistic features in their messages, rather than as a consequence of mere identification of source gender; (2) one's language should not be restricted by traditional sex-role prescriptions, but should be guided by situational appropriateness.
DEVELOPMENT OF HEPATIC N-DEMETHYLASE ACTIVITY AS MEASURED IN VIVO BY THE AMINOPYRINE BREATH TEST

The aminopyrine (AP) breath test (BT) has been used in adults as a measure of hepatic N-demethylase activity. In order to study maturational changes in enzyme function, 13C AP (2 mg/kg) was administered orally to infants (n=13) between the ages of 1 and 38 wk. Breath samples for measurement of 13CO2 enrichment were collected for six hours after administration. Nine of 10 term infants < 6 wk of age showed no detectable oxidation (peak 13CO2 output < 0.05% dose/min). Three of 3 infants over 14 wk of age showed oxidation (0.221, 0.196, and 0.261% dose/min at 15, 18, and 38 wk, respectively). Absorption was excluded as a limiting variable since no improvement in oxidation rates was found when the AP was administered again as an IV bolus in 9 of the original 10 infants < 6 wk. Elimination of labeled 13CO2 as a limiting variable was excluded since the 9 infants displayed normal bicarbonate kinetics measured by a 6-h 13C bicarbonate BT using an IV dose of 50 μmol/kg. Conclusions: 1) Maturational differences are seen in the metabolism of AP; 2) These differences may reflect immaturity of N-demethylase activity or diversion of the liberated formaldehyde into biosynthetic rather than oxidative pathways.
Lapping of Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC)

This paper is aimed at developing an efficient process, in terms of the material removal rate (MRR), for the lapping of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC). A carbomer based viscoelastic vehicle with a non-reversible shear-thinning property was first developed for the effective suspension of diamond grits used for lapping. The effects of key process parameters on the MRR such as lapping pressure, speed, vehicle concentration, diamond grit concentration, and vehicle flow rate have been investigated through experiments. To obtain an insight into what happened to the diamond grits during lapping, diamond abrasives were reclaimed and sieved after lapping. The grit size distributions of diamond abrasives before and after the lapping were then compared.
Selection of fluorescent aptamer beacons that light up in the presence of zinc

In order to generate nucleic acid biosensors that could undergo a reversible conformation change in the presence of the metal zinc, a random sequence pool of single-stranded DNA was immobilized on an oligonucleotide affinity column. In the presence of zinc, those species that underwent a conformational change were released from the column, collected, and amplified. A series of negative and positive selections refined the metal specificity of the selected aptamer beacons. Since the aptamer beacons contained a fluorophore, while the bound oligonucleotide contained a quencher, zinc binding also resulted in an increase in fluorescence. One of the selected beacons, Zn-6m2, bound zinc in the low micromolar range, gave a dose-dependent fluorescence signal, and showed an approximately sixfold increase in fluorescence on zinc binding. While some cross-reactivity with cadmium was observed, it should nonetheless prove possible to use the novel selection method to generate and tune the specificity of a variety of reversible metal biosensors. Such biosensors could potentially be used for continuous monitoring of metals in environmental samples.
PLASTIC DEFORMATION OF MgO SINGLE CRYSTALS UP TO 1600 C

Stress-strain curves are presented for MgO single crystals, compressed with (100) and (111) stress axes, for temperatures from 1000° to 1600°C. The yield stress of (100) specimens decreases slightly in this temperature range. The strain-hardening rate passes through a maximum at about 1100°C and decreases by a factor of about 8 at 1600°C. Above about 1100°C, the strain rate of (100) specimens is considerably less sensitive to changes in stress and the shape of the stress-strain curves changes. The yield stress of (111) specimens decreases rapidly with increasing temperature without a change of slope up to 1600°C. The ratio of the yield stresses for (111) and (100) specimens decreases continually from 1200° to 1600°C. Various stress rates were used to obtain a measure of strain hardening at 1300°C. Static recovery experiments were carried out at 1000° and 1400°C. At 1000°C static pinning occurred during the unloaded period; at 1400°C orthorecovery occurred. Stress-strain curves were analyzed by a dynamic approach based on the length of moving dislocation line in the crystal and the average dislocation velocity.
Models for statistical decomposition of metal clusters: Decay on multiple electronic states

The inclusion of electronic degrees of freedom in the statistical unimolecular decomposition of metal clusters is considered using Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (RRKM) theory. All vibronic states are included in the sums and densities of states in both adiabatic and nonadiabatic treatments of the electronic states. To model the metal cluster electronic structure, a simple semiclassical treatment is used to calculate energy levels of electrons in a variable‐size spherical cavity based on the Woods–Saxon radial potential. The potential parameters are adjusted to mimic the average level spacings and electron detachment energies of realistic metal clusters of various charge states. Direct permutations of the electron occupancies of these cluster electron energy levels generate a set of cluster electronic states, which are then used in numerical calculations of the vibronic sums and densities of states for the RRKM rates. The electronic corrections to the RRKM dissociation rates of the ground electronics states are presented for several examples to show trends with respect to cluster size, charge state, number of delocalized valence electrons, and dissociation energy. Inclusion of electronic degrees of freedom always reduces the cluster dissociation rate, by a few percent to a factor of 20 or more depending on cluster size, charge state, metal properties, and the excitation energy. The adiabatic and nonadiabatic approaches give quantitatively similar rates, except for the smallest cluster sizes.
Population in Preindustrial England: An Econometric Analysis

I. Introduction, 581. — II. Data, 583. — III. Effects of population change, 587. — IV. Causes of population change, 590. — V. Econometrics: testing and estimation, 594. — VI. The estimated model: comparative statics, 599. — VII. The estimated model: dynamics, 600. — VIII. Conclusions, 604. — Appendix: basic data series, 606.
Expectations and Preferences in Presidential Nominating Campaigns

Survey data from the preconvention waves of the 1980 National Election Study are used to estimate the effect of expectations about who will be nominated on respondents' own preferences. The results confirm the conventional belief that bandwagons play an important role in nominating campaigns; at the same time, they suggest that the dynamics of the nominating process may be more subtle than simple bandwagon models would indicate. First, preferences are strongly and consistently projected onto expectations, making the relationship of central interest a reciprocal one. Second, the bases of candidate choice appear to change systematically with political circumstances. In close, volatile campaigns, support for bandwagon candidates (like George Bush in early 1980) is based largely on favorable expectations and on relatively general, diffuse political evaluations (e.g., “leadership”). By comparison, when expectations about the nomination are very one-sided, their impact on preferences approaches zero, and more specific, substantive political evaluations become increasingly important.
Exchange rate dynamics with wealth effects: Some theoretical ambiguities

Abstract This paper helps fill in a remaining gap in the exchange rate dynamics literature: the role of wealth and relative-price effects. The analysis differs from Dornbusch (1976) in the inclusion of wealth effects. It differs from Engel and Flood (forthcoming) in the inclusion of relative-price effects in the savings function. The basic result of the paper is that when relative price effects dominate wealth effects, exchange rate undershooting occurs, but when wealth effects dominate, overshooting may occur.
Effects of pipe elbows and tube bundles on selected types of flowmeters

Abstract This paper presents experimental results for the decay of pipe elbow-produced swirl in pipeflows and its effects on flowmeter measurement accuracy. Experiments include the decay of swirl produced by single and double elbow configurations for pipe diameter Reynolds numbers of 104 to 105 using water in a 50 mm diameter facility at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD. Results show that different types of swirl are produced by the different piping configurations. The swirl decay is found to be dependent on the type of swirl and the pipe Reynolds number. At high Reynolds number very long lengths of straight, constant diameter pipe are required to dissipate the single eddy type swirl that is produced by the two elbows out-of-plane configuration. Without flow conditioning, it is concluded that the specifications of upstream pipe lengths in the current flowmetering standards may not be sufficient to achieve the desired flow metering accuracy. Experimental results are also presented for the effects produced by tube bundle-type flow conditioners. These results show shifts in orifice meter discharge coefficients that are both positive and negative depending upon pertinent conditions. A range of orifice geometries, Reynolds numbers and meter locations are studied and explanations are put forth to explain these shifts. Results are also presented for a specific type of turbine meter. These show meter factor shifts that are also both positive or negative depending upon the type of swirl pattern entering this meter. An example is given in which the insertion of a tube bundle flow conditioner between a single elbow and the turbine meter produces a larger disturbance to the meter factor than would occur without the conditioner.
Analog and configuration states in 49Sc (Jπ = 32− and 12−) and the low-lying level structure in 48Sc

Abstract The J π = 3 2 − and 1 2 − states in 49Sc generated by the configurations {(1 f 7 2 ) 8 (2 p 3 2 , 1 2 )} are discussed. Excitation energies. M1 transitions, and E2 transitions among the seven 3 2 − and five 1 2 − levels, including the 3 2 − analog state at Ex = 11.56 MeV and a putative excited analog 1 2 − state at ≈ 13.6 MeV, were calculated and compared with experiment where possible. The β-decay of 49Ca to the 3 2 − level at 3.08 MeV and the (presumably) 1 2 − level at 4.49 MeV (the lowest-lying 3 2 − and 1 2 − levels) were also calculated. Two interactions were used, the well-known Kuo-Brown (KB) force and a new interaction which we call the PMM force, the latter being derived mainly from direct-reaction cross sections of nucleons on various nuclei. Both KB and PMM interactions lead to cancellations which cut down both the β-decay of 49Ca and the M1 decay of the A-state to the lowest-lying 3 2 − and 1 2 − states, as observed experimentally. In addition, strong M1 decays to several 3 2 − and 1 2 − levels with excitations of 7–11 MeV are predicted, as is observed experimentally. The E2 decays of all the predicted 3 2 − states to the 7 2 − ground state were also calculated. In the case of the E2 decay of the A( 3 2 − ) state, comparison with experiment is hampered by the role of fine structure; experiment is weaker than theory by a factor of ≈ 50. The (1 f 7 2 ) 8 group of levels in 48Sc were also calculated (Jπ = 0+ → 7+). The PMM force gave excellent agreement with recent experimental results while the KB force gave relatively poor agreement, as might be expected from the severe truncation of the shell-model basis. The suggestion is that the phenomenological basis of the PMM force corresponds physically to the (1 f 7 2 ) 8 space of 48Sc as well as the (1 f 7 2 − ) 8 (2 p 3 2 or 2 p 1 2 ) space of 49S