cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidative degradation of reducing carbohydrates to ammonium formate with H2O2 and NH4OH

Oxidation of various carbohydrates into ammonium formate was investigated in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide. Most of the examined carbohydrates except nonreducing sugars were efficiently converted into ammonium formate under environment friendly and mild conditions in aqueous media.
Shear Strength as a Function of Test Rate for SiCf/BSAS Ceramic Matrix Composite at Elevated Temperature

Both interlaminar and in-plane shear strengths of a unidirectional Hi-Nicalon-fiber-reinforced barium strontium aluminosilicate (SiC f /BSAS) composite were determined at 1100°C in air as a function of test rate using double-notch shear test specimens. The composite exhibited a significant effect of test rate on shear strength, regardless of orientation. The shear strength degraded by about 50% as the test rate decreased from 3.3 x 10 -1 to 3.3 x 10 -5 mm/s. The rate dependency of shear strength was similar to that observed for ultimate tensile strength at 1100°C for the two-dimensional (2-D) SiC f /BSAS composite, in which tensile strength decreased by about 60% when the test rate varied from 5 to 0.005 MPa/s. A phenomenological, power-law slow crack growth model is proposed and formulated to account for the rate dependency of shear strength of the composite. The proposed model has been validated with additional results of both constant stress-rate and constant stress testing in shear at 1100°C using a 2-D Nicalon-fiber-reinforced crossply magnesium aluminosilicate (SiC f /MAS-5) ceramic matrix composite.
Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectroscopy: Part I. Instrumentation and Spectral Interpretation

Until recently only low molecular weight, volatile compounds were amenable to analysis by conventional mass spectrometric methods. Most larger species simply could not be promoted into the gas phas...
Lysyl oxidase copper-talon complex: a model

The translated primary amino-acid sequences from human genomic and human, rat and mouse lysyl oxidase cDNAs were subjected to computer comparison. This revealed a highly-conserved primary structure and similar computer-predicted secondary structures. A prototypical lysyl oxidase structural model was reconciled with the known physical, chemical and biological properties. Analysis of the post-translationally-modified and proteolytically-processed mature enzyme model revealed a copper coordination complex that may be contained as part of the active site. This integral copper coordination complex resembles a talon. The proposed model should facilitate the elucidation of these and other structural and functional relationships within the lysyl oxidase molecule.
Prevalence and likelihood ratios for aneuploidy in fetuses diagnosed prenatally with isolated congenital cardiac defects

Objective To determine the prevalence and likelihood ratios for aneuploidy in fetuses diagnosed prenatally with isolated congenital cardiac defects. Study Design Retrospective cohort study over a 16-year period using our computerized perinatal database. Cardiac diagnosis was confirmed before establishing karyotype by prenatal diagnosis or postnatal chromosome testing. The screening efficiency and likelihood ratios for any aneuploidy and for trisomy 21, 18, 13, and 45, X were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. Results A total of 233 (0.4%) isolated congenital cardiac defects were diagnosed among 62,111 patients who had obstetric ultrasounds during the study period. The likelihood ratio (LR+) for any aneuploidy was 24.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.8–35.0). The corresponding likelihood ratio for trisomy 21, 18, and 13 were 29.8 (95% CI, 19.6–45.4), 26 (95% CI, 10.5–64.6), and 19.7 (95% CI, 4.7–82.2), respectively. Conclusion Prenatal diagnosis of congenital cardiac defects is highly associated with aneuploidy.
The dynamic effects of sea level rise on low-gradient coastal landscapes: A review

Coastal responses to sea level rise (SLR) include inundation of wetlands, increased shoreline erosion, and increased flooding during storm events. Hydrodynamic parameters such as tidal ranges, tidal prisms, tidal asymmetries, increased flooding depths and inundation extents during storm events respond nonadditively to SLR. Coastal morphology continually adapts toward equilibrium as sea levels rise, inducing changes in the landscape. Marshes may struggle to keep pace with SLR and rely on sediment accumulation and the availability of suitable uplands for migration. Whether hydrodynamic, morphologic, or ecologic, the impacts of SLR are interrelated. To plan for changes under future sea levels, coastal managers need information and data regarding the potential effects of SLR to make informed decisions for managing human and natural communities. This review examines previous studies that have accounted for the dynamic, nonlinear responses of hydrodynamics, coastal morphology, and marsh ecology to SLR by implementing more complex approaches rather than the simplistic “bathtub” approach. These studies provide an improved understanding of the dynamic effects of SLR on coastal environments and contribute to an overall paradigm shift in how coastal scientists and engineers approach modeling the effects of SLR, transitioning away from implementing the “bathtub” approach. However, it is recommended that future studies implement a synergetic approach that integrates the dynamic interactions between physical and ecological environments to better predict the impacts of SLR on coastal systems.
Forgiveness as a mediator of the relationship between PTSD and hostility in survivors of childhood abuse

It was hypothesised that forgiveness mediates the relationship between PTSD and hostility within a population of adult childhood abuse survivors. Of the three components of forgiveness-self, other, and situation-self and situation forgiveness were posited as potent mediators of the PTSD and hostility relationship. No differences in the mediational role of forgiveness in sexual versus physical abuse and female versus male abuse survivors were hypothesised. As posited, overall forgiveness mediated the PTSD-hostility relationship and the forgiveness of self and situation were strong mediators. The theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed.
Histamine Release From a Gastric Carcinoid: Provocation by Pentagastrin and Inhibition by Somatostatin

We have previously reported that flushing associated with a gastric carcinoid tumor can be provoked by pentagastrin and inhibited by either somatostatin or combined histamine H 1 and H 2 -receptor blockade. In this report, the effects of pentagastrin and somatostatin on histamine release in a patient with a metastatic gastric carcinoid tumor were examined. Small doses of intravenous pentagastrin (0.1-0.4 μg) produced a dose-dependent increase in the level of circulating plasma histamine. Graded infusions of somatostatin supressed both basal and pentagastrinstimulated plasma histamine levels in a dose-dependent fashion. A close correlation was found between circulating plasma histamine levels and attendant changes in blood pressure and pulse rate. This study documents that pentagastrin directly evokes the release of histamine from this patient's gastric carcinoid tumor and that the release of histamine is inhibited by somatostatin. In addition, this study provides ddditional evidence that the primary mediator of the flushing in this patient with foregut carcinoid syndrome is histamine.
Cell Surface Expression of the Vaccinia Virus Complement Control Protein Is Mediated by Interaction with the Viral A56 Protein and Protects Infected Cells from Complement Attack

The vaccinia virus (VACV) complement control protein (VCP) is the major protein secreted from VACV-infected cells. It has been reported that VCP binds to the surfaces of uninfected cells by interacting with heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). In this study, we show that VCP is also expressed on the surfaces of infected cells and demonstrate that surface localization occurs independently of HSPGs. Since VCP does not contain a transmembrane domain, we hypothesized that VCP interacts with a membrane protein that localizes to the infected-cell surface. We show that the VACV A56 membrane protein is necessary for the cell surface expression of VCP and demonstrate that VCP and A56 interact in VACV-infected cells. Since the surface expression of VCP was abrogated by reducing agents, we examined the contribution of an unpaired cysteine residue on VCP to VCP surface expression and VCP's interaction with A56. To do this, we mutated the unpaired cysteine in VCP and generated a recombinant virus expressing the altered form of VCP. Following the infection of cells with the mutant virus, VCP was neither expressed on the cell surface nor able to interact with A56. Importantly, the cell surface expression of VCP was found to protect infected cells from complement-mediated lysis. Our findings suggest a new function for VCP that may be important for poxvirus pathogenesis and impact immune responses to VACV-based vaccines.
Focus on spiritual well-being: harmonious interconnectedness of mind-body-spirit--use of the JAREL spiritual well-being scale.

The JAREL Spiritual Well-Being Scale was developed as an assessment tool to provide a way of establishing a nursing diagnosis of sprituality; clinical use of the JAREL scale assessment data is one method to build on the order client's strengths, as well as to foster personal growth.
Nonlinear validation of arbitrary load X-parameter and measurement-based device models

X-parameters are the mathematically correct supersets of S-parameters valid for nonlinear (and linear) components under large-signal (and small-signal) conditions. This paper compares a PHD model generated from arbitrary load-dependent measured X-parameters and a measurement-based non-quasi-static device model and validates them against tuned-load measurements. CW, IMD, and ACPR swept-power measurements are compared. The models agree on the simulated device behavior and compare well to validation measurements..
Population Dispersal from Major Metropolitan Regions: An International Comparison:

Of the eighteen countries studied in this paper eleven (Japan. Sweden Norway Italy Denmark New Zealand. Belgium France West Germany East Germany and The Netherlands) show either a reversal in the direction of net population flow from their sparsely populated peripheral regions to their densely populated core regions or a drastic reduction in the level of this net flow. In the first seven of these eleven countries this reversal or reduction became evident only in the 1970s; in the last four its onset was recorded in the 1960s. Six countries (Hungary Spain Finland Poland. South Korea and Taiwan) have yet to show an attenuation in the movement of persons into their most densely populated regions. Some possibly unreliable British data likewise fail to reveal a slackening in the "drift south" of the British population. Three additional discoveries described in this paper are the following: (1) Migration continues strong into the capital regions of the three Eastern European countries studied here (Poland Hungary and East Germany). However the low natural increase of these regions has blunted their expansion. (2) Though domestic migration into the capital regions of France. Sweden and Norway has declined dramatically foreign immigration into these regions remains at a high level. (3) Net domestic migration into the core regions of Sweden Japan and Italy countries separated by vast distances fluctuate from year to year in a remarkably similar manner. (authors)
DVBMN-l: delay variation bounded multicast network with multiple paths

Distributed Multi-party/Multi-stream systems require a multicast subnetwork capable of satisfying QoS constraints such as Delay and Delay Variation Bound so that the messages reach each destination node at almost the same time within a certain specified time limit. In addition, certain multi-stream systems also demand that different streams for each different destination node should reach with minimum delay variation. So, we propose the problem of minimizing both inter-destination and intra-destination delay variation along with the maximum delay bound and present efficient heuristic solution that achieves the tightest possible combined bound. This problem is NP-complete as shown in the literature. Computer simulation results approve that our heuristic is efficient with a low running time and the tightest combined delay variation.
Structural Changes in the RNA Polymerase II Transcription Complex during Transition from Initiation to Elongation

We obtained exonuclease III (exoIII) footprints for a series of RNA polymerase II transcription complexes stalled between positions +20 to +51. Downstream advance of the exoIII footprint is normally tightly coordinated with RNA synthesis. However, arrested RNA polymerases slide back along the template, as indicated by exoIII footprints in which the last transcribed base is abnormally close to the downstream edge of the footprint. None of the polymerase II complexes stalled between +20 and +51 were arrested. Nevertheless, the exoIII footprints of complexes with 20-, 23-, or 25-nucleotide RNAs resembled those of arrested complexes, with the last transcribed base very close to the footprint’s front edge. The exoIII footprint of the +27 complex was displaced downstream by 17 bp compared to the footprint of the +25 complex. Many complexes between +27 and +42 also showed evidence of sliding back along the template. We compared the effects of template sequence and transcript length by constructing a new template in which the initial transcribed sequence was duplicated beginning at +98. The exoIII footprints of transcription complexes stalled between +122 to +130 on this DNA did not resemble those of arrested complexes, in contrast to the footprints of analogous complexes stalled over the same DNA sequences early in transcription. Our results indicate that the RNA polymerase II transcription complex passes through a major, sequence-independent structural transition about 25 bases downstream of the starting point of transcription. The fully mature form of the elongation complex may not appear until more than 40 bonds have been made.
Rates of sediment accumulation in a tidal freshwater marsh

ABSTRACT Rates of sediment accumulation were determined for a Delaware River tidal freshwater marsh utilizing radiometric, palynological and sediment flux estimating techniques plus historical reviews. All techniques showed good agreement, indicating that tidal freshwater marshes are capable of preserving evidence of processes and events that have shaped the estuary through time. Prior to 1940, the marsh was a slowly accreting swamp accumulating material at the rate of 0.04 cm yr-1 prior to colonization of the region in the late 1600s and a somewhat more accelerated rate of 0.12 cm yr-1 prior to the introduction of regular tides in 1940. Between 1940 and 1988 average rates of accumulation ranged between 1.04 and 1.38 cm yr-1, being highest near the tidal channe . During the period 1954-65, rates averaged 1.67 cm yr-1 due to increased storm activity. Since 1966, storm activity has decreased and sediment accumulation rates have averaged 0.97 cm yr-1, reflecting these changes. The current average rate of accumulation is four times the rate of sea-level rise for this region of the estuary. It is hypothesized that sediment accumulation will continue to exceed sea level rise until the marsh surface approximates mean high water.
In vitro Replication of DNA Containing Either the SV40 or the Polyoma Origin

The replication of DNA containing either the polyoma or SV40 origin has been done in vitro. Each system requires its cognate large-tumour antigen (T antigen) and extracts from cells that support its replication in vivo. The host-cell source of DNA polymerase alpha - primase complex plays an important role in discriminating between polyoma T antigen and SV40 T antigen-dependent replication of their homologous DNA. The SV40 origin- and T antigen-dependent DNA replication has been reconstituted in vitro with purified protein components isolated from HeLa cells. In addition to SV40 T antigen, HeLa DNA polymerase alpha - primase complex, eukaryotic topoisomerase I and a single-strand DNA binding protein from HeLa cells are required. The latter activity, isolated solely by its ability to support SV40 DNA replication, sediments and copurifies with two major protein species of 72 and 76 kDa. Although crude fractions yielded closed circular monomer products, the purified system does not. However, the addition of crude fractions to the purified system resulted in the formation of replicative form I (RFI) products. We have separated the replication reaction with purified components into multiple steps. In an early step, T antigen in conjunction with a eukaryotic topoisomerase (or DNA gyrase) and a DNA binding protein, catalyses the conversion of a circular duplex DNA molecule containing the SV40 origin to a highly underwound covalently closed circle. This reaction requires the action of a helicase activity and the SV40 T antigen preparation contains such an activity. The T antigen associated ability to unwind DNA copurified with other activities intrinsic to T antigen (ability to support replication of SV40 DNA containing the SV40 origin, poly dT-stimulated ATPase activity and DNA helicase).
Approximate distribution and test of fit for the clustering effect in the dirichlet multinomial model

The Dirichlet-multinomial model is considered as a model for cluster sampling. The model assumes that the design's covariance matrix is a constant times the covariance under multinomial sampling. The use of this model requires estimating a parameter C, that measures the clustering effect. In this paper, a regression estimate for C is obtained. An approximate distribution of this estimator is obtained through the use of asymptotic techniques. A goodness of fit statistic for testing the fit of the Dirichlet Multinomial model is also obtained, based on those asymptotic techniques. These statistics provide a means of knowing when the data satisfy the model assumption. These results are used to analyze data concerning the authorship of Greek prose.
Combinatorial Reliability Analysis of Multiprocessor Computers

This paper proposes a combinatorial method to evaluate the reliability of multiprocessor computers. Multiprocessor structures are classified as crossbar switch, time-shared buses, and multiport memories. Closed-form reliability expressions are derived via combinatorial path enumeration on the probabilistic-graph representation of a multiprocessor system. The method can analyze the reliability performance of real systems like ``C.mmp'', ``Tandem 16'', and ``Univac 1100/80''. User-oriented performance levels are defined for measuring the performability of degradable multiprocessor systems. For a regularly structured multiprocessor system, it is fast and easy to use this technique for evaluating system reliability with statistically independent component reliabilities. System availability can be also evaluated by this reliability study.
Electrical and noise characteristics of graphene field-effect transistors

Low frequency noise in virgin (not aged) graphene transistors might be relatively low (comparable to average Si MOSFETs), at least for high quality devices with the bottom gate configuration. Graphene channels are the dominant sources of noise, even though the contact resistances have an important effect on the noise magnitude due to the voltage re-distribution between the contacts and the channel. Gate voltage dependences of noise in graphene transistors reveal that the noise mechanism cannot be described by a conventional McWhorter model and might be linked to graphene mobility fluctuations. Aging in ambience causes a substantial degradation of device characteristics and increase of noise level. The temperature dependences of the current-voltage characteristics of graphene revealed a new effect of a “memory step” near the charge neutrality voltage. Further studies of low frequency noise under such conditions might help in understanding of this novel phenomenon.
Community‐level consequences of cattle grazing for an invaded grassland: variable responses of native and exotic vegetation

Questions: Does grazing by cattle mediate the composition of a coastal grassland community and do native and exotic taxa from different plant groups, based on life-history and life-form characteristics, vary in their response to grazing? To what degree does grazing impact the growth and fecundity of Bromus diandrus, the most dominant exotic grass invader in this system? Location: Coastal grassland/prairie near Carmel, central California, USA. Methods: Using a 3-yr exclosure experiment, we evaluated the effects of light winter/spring grazing by cattle (average of 0.75 cow-calf pairsha 1 )o n species richness and percentage cover of native and exotic plants from different lifehistory and life-form groups. Results: We found that cattle grazing reduced total vegetative cover by 25% and increased bare ground by 40%. Grazing also caused a 70% reduction in above-ground plant biomass and a 40% reduction in the cover of exotic annual grasses, which were by far the most dominant group in this system. Grazing also reduced the height and spikelet production of the exotic annual grass B. diandrus. In contrast, grazing increased the cover of exotic annual forbs by 15%. Contrary to our expectations, grazing did not affect the cover of native forbs and grasses, and we hypothesize that these taxa possess life-history characteristics and/or depleted seed banks that prevented them from responding to grazing during our experiment. Grazing also did not affect the species richness of any native or exotic plant group. Conclusions: Our 3-yr exclosure experiment has shown that grazing by cattle caused major changes in a coastal grassland community, with the responses of native and exotic taxa having different life-history and life-form characteristics varying markedly. Understanding the responses of these divergent groups is not only important for basic research evaluating the effects of mammalian herbivores on plant communities, but is also critical for developing science-based approaches for sustainably managing invaded grasslands.
Spray Cooling Performance of Single and Multi-Jet Spray Nozzles Using Subcooled FC-72

In this study experiments were performed to evaluate the spray cooling performance of three different spray nozzles using gassy-subcooled (∼Tsub = 31°C) FC-72 as the working fluid. The three different nozzles tested can be characterized as a single hollow cone spray nozzle (Nozzle A), 2×2 jet array spray nozzle (Nozzle B) and a 4×4 jet array spray nozzle (Nozzle C). For all tests, a 10×10 mm polished (600 grit) copper surface was utilized as the heater and tests were carried out at near atmospheric pressure conditions. All three nozzles were tested at various flow rates and nozzle-to-heater distances and the results were compared. Results show that changing the nozzle-to-heater distance affects heat transfer rates more than critical heat flux (CHF). The spray boiling curves for all three nozzles were similar with Nozzle C, for some cases, demonstrating the highest heat transfer rates. The disparity in CHF values between the various nozzles was more apparent. Compared at an equivalent flow rate, Nozzle C consistently produced CHF values which were higher than those of the other nozzles. Some common trends observed for all nozzles are, increasing flow rate increases heat transfer rates and critical heat flux (CHF) but decreases nozzle efficiency.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Efficacy of Hip Arthroscopy in the Management of Synovial Chondromatosis

BackgroundSynovial chondromatosis can result in intra-articular loose bodies. Open arthrotomy has been the conventional treatment for this condition in the hip. Hip arthroscopy, however, is a minimally invasive approach and avoids potential problems with open arthrotomy.PurposeThis series was described to evaluate the role of arthroscopy in treatment and outcome of synovial chondromatosis of the hip at early to intermediate follow-up.Study DesignCase series; Level of evidence, 4.MethodsTwenty-nine patients had arthroscopic treatment for synovial chondromatosis of the hip. All loose bodies were intracapsular and smaller than 10 mm. Radiographs of the painful hip, computed tomography (CT), and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were obtained preoperatively. Intraoperatively, loose bodies were removed, and partial synovectomy, partial labrectomy, chondroplasty, and microfracture were done as needed.ResultsThere were 14 women and 15 men (mean age, 41 years; mean duration of symptoms, 52 mont...
Imaging gender differences in sexual arousal.

Men tend to be more interested than women in visual sexually arousing stimuli. Now we learn that when they view identical stimuli, even when women report greater arousal, the amydala and hypothalamus are much more strongly activated in men.
Monoclonal Gammopathies and the Kidney

The major causes of renal insufficiency, present initially in half of the patients with multiple myeloma, are "myeloma kidney" and hypercalcemia. There is no reliable evidence that the isoelectric point (pI) or the type of light chain has an important role in renal failure. Acute renal failure must be treated vigorously with appropriate fluids and electrolytes as well as hemodialysis if necessary. The benefit of plasma exchange has not been proven. Primary systemic amyloidosis or light-chain deposition disease is the usual cause of the nephrotic syndrome in patients with monoclonal gammopathy. The monoclonal gammopathies are a group of disorders that are characterized by the proliferation of plasma cells producing a homogeneous, monoclonal protein (M-protein).
Mental Health Research in the Global Era: Training the Next Generation.

Psychiatric disorders are among the leading cause of disability worldwide, yet fewer than 25 % of affected individuals are estimated to have access to treatment. In many low-income settings, it is estimated that less than 10 % of affected individuals are able to access basic mental health care and, even when they do, it is often below minimum ethical and clinical standards [1]. The discipline of global mental health is dedicated to reducing mental health disparities within and between countries by preventing mental disorders and improving access to psychiatric treatment, particularly in low-resource settings [2]. The study of cross-cultural mental health dates back to the late 1800s, when European psychiatrists and anthropologists began to identify and document locally specific mental diseases in their colonies [3]. Transcultural psychiatry branched into two research traditions: “relativists,” who were focused on characterizing culture-bound syndromes, and “universalists,” who sought to identify universality across cultures in the manifestation of mental disorders [2]. Both research traditions emerged from a colonial paradigm, wherein Western researchers studied the non-Western “other.” Whereas relativists relied primarily on qualitative and ethnographic methods [4], universalists employed epidemiological methods to estimate the cross-cultural prevalence of mental disorders, as defined by Western criteria. Cross-cultural mental health research has evolved significantly from its colonial roots to what is now a global partnership model emphasizing interdependency, bi-directional knowledge generation and transfer, and shared ownership (see Fig. 1). Though the relativist and universalist perspectives still exist, most global mental health researchers have gravitated towards an integrationist perspective, recognizing both broad universality in mental disorders across cultures as well as meaningful cross-cultural variation. Global mental health research now requires an interdisciplinary approach to bridge multiple perspectives and address complex questions related to cultural adaptation, effectiveness, dissemination, and implementation. It is grounded in the social justice and human rights perspective that all people have the right to health and mental health [5], with an emphasis on creating sustainable interventions to reduce mental health disparities. This paradigm shift has many implications for the training of the next generation of global mental health researchers, including both identifying and developing critical new skill sets to propel the field forward. Fig. 1 History and evolution of global mental health research and training
Extensive Individual Differences in Brain Activations Associated with Episodic Retrieval are Reliable Over Time

The localization of brain functions using neuroimaging techniques is commonly dependent on statistical analyses of groups of subjects in order to identify sites of activation, particularly in studies of episodic memory. Exclusive reliance on group analysis may be to the detriment of understanding the true underlying cognitive nature of brain activations. In the present study, we found that the patterns of brain activity associated with episodic retrieval are very distinct for individual subjects from the patterns of brain activity at the group level. These differences go beyond the relatively small variations due to cyctoarchitectonic differences or spatial normalization. We quantify this individual variability by cross-correlating volumes of brain images. We demonstrate that individual patterns of brain activity are reliable over time despite their extensive variability. We suggest that varied but reliable individual patterns of significant brain activity may be indicative of different cognitive strategies used to produce a recognition response. We believe that individual analysis in conjunction with group analysis may be critical to fully understanding the relationship between retrieval processes and underlying brain regions.
Is the Law a Barrier to Campus Safety

The horrifying killings committed by Seung Hui Cho on the Virginia Tech campus on April 16, 2007 highlighted a growing concern about students with mental health problems on campuses across the country. Many students arrive on campus taking anti-depressants and other psychiatric medications. The American College Health Association’s Survey in 2006 indicated that about half of students are depressed to the point of feeling overwhelmed at times, 10% said they felt hopeless nine or more times over the past year, and 10% have considered suicide. There are in fact about 1300 suicides on campus every year.
Weekly carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel plus trastuzumab, or plus or minus bevacizumab: Clinical response in patients with breast cancer

10699 Background: We previously reported a high, complete pathological remission rate in the neoadjuvant setting using carboplatin and metronomic paclitaxel plus or minus trastuzumab (TC ± H) follo...
Health Insurance Coverage of the Near Elderly, 1994-2005

This paper presents Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's March 2006 Current Population Survey on the health insurance status of the near elderly, adults ages 55-64. The findings reveal that the near elderly were one of two groups (the other was children) most likely to have health insurance coverage in 2005. Older adults are not only the least likely group of nonelderly adults to be uninsured, but they were also no more likely to have been uninsured in 2005 than they were in 2000, and they are only slightly more likely to be uninsured as compared with 1995. However, future retired adults ages 55-64 may experience an increase in the likelihood of being uninsured if employer cutbacks to retiree health benefits affect them and they have no other means of obtaining health insurance. In addition, the size of the uninsured population ages 55-64 may also grow as the baby boom generation ages. Expected trends have implications for policy proposals aimed at increasing health insurance coverage among adults ages 55-64. The PDF for the above title, published in the January 2007 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another January 2007 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: "IRA Assets, Contributions, and Market Share."
The Prevalence of Chapped Lips during an Army Hot Weather Exercise

OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors associated with chapped lips in soldiers during prolonged exposure to a hot, dry environment. METHODS: We examined 1,053 of 2,500 soldiers (42%) participating in a desert training exercise at Fort Irwin, California, in September 1983. We measured the prevalence of chapped lips during the third week of a 4-week training period. Our independent variables (complexion, sex, lip protectant use, age, and the prevalence of recurrent herpes labialis) were obtained by observation and interview. RESULTS: We found severe chapping in 150 (10%) and moderate chapping in 247 (23.5%) of the soldiers. Stepwise ordinal logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with chapped lips and to determine the prevalence odds ratios (OR). Risk factors with statistically significant associations with chapped lips were the presence of recurrent herpes labialis (OR = 2.88), very fair complexion (OR = 3.23), and fair complexion (OR = 1.58). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate to severe chapping occurred in approximately one-third of the soldiers. Lip protectants appeared to be relatively ineffective in the prevention and treatment of chapped lips but were associated with a lower prevalence of recurrent herpes labialis. Language: en
Temperature Regulation and Rate of Metabolism in Three Bornean Bats

Data are presented on temperature regulation and rate of metabolism in three Bornean bats, Cynopterus brachyotis, Eonycteris spelaea , and Hipposideros galeritus . These species maintain core body temperature at 36.5, 34.0, and 31.9°C, respectively, a sequence also found in the level of basal rate of metabolism, namely 92, 73, and 55% of the values expected from mass, respectively. These data and those available in the literature demonstrate that much of the variation in basal rate among bats correlates with food habits, independent of phylogeny. Thus, Cynopterus , like other frugivorous species, has the highest basal rate reported here, and Hipposideros , an insectivorous species, has a low basal rate. The intermediate basal rate in Eonycteris may reflect a large mass (52 g) for a nectarivorous species. The variation in basal rate may be understood principally in terms of the phenology of foods used. Previous estimates for basal rate of metabolism and minimal thermal conductance of Neotropical bats have been readjusted for temperature and pressure.
Hygienic evaluation of shopping mall construction project in Harbin

Objective To forecast health issues that may exist after the completion of a hotel nest apartment construction project, this study proposed appropriate protective measures,countermeasures and suggestions in order to protect human health, also provided a example for hotel hygienic evaluation. Methods This hygienic evaluation used empirical method,checklists analysis, and field survey evaluation. Results The layout, air quality, microclimate, lighting, noise and other indoor environments of apartment mall, and the layout, health protection measures accorded with hygienic evaluation requirements. Conclusion By the results of field testing of related materials, this shopping mall are expected to meet health standards and related requirements after the formal operation.
Diaphragm pacing: Histopathological changes in the phrenic nerve following long-term electrical stimulation

Phrenic nerves were obtained at autopsy from 7 patients with chronic ventilatory insufficiency. One or both nerves had been subjected to electrical stimulation to pace the diaphragm for about 2 months to 4 years. Sections of the nerves made from above, at the level of, and below the site of application of the cuff electrode were studied microscopically. In most specimens, focal areas of demyelination were seen ranging in severity from swelling and fragmentation of isolated fibers to focal myelin destruction with phagocytic activity and total removal of myelin with fibrosis. Some axone loss was seen. The fact that the nerves from 2 patients, each stimulated for about 2 years, showed no changes suggests that injury to the nerve was not caused by the electrical stimuli but rather was secondary to the technique of application and fixation of the cuff electrode to the nerve.
Despite past disappointments, the future of melanoma therapy appears bright.

Annually, about 8,000 patients are found to have metastatic melanoma presenting as recurrence of an earlier primary melanoma, and this number closely approximates the annual number of deaths from the disease. This statistic illustrates the lack of progress that has been made in the treatment of stage IV melanoma over the past several decades.
Experimental Production of Pyridoxine Deficiency Anemia in Rats

Rats fed a diet deficient in pyridoxine all exhibited a severe microcytic hypochromic anemia after 40 to 50 weeks. This anemia responded promptly to pyridoxine administration. The myeloid:erythroid ratio in the bone marrow of the severely anemic rats was definitely increased, suggestive of hypoplasia of the erythroid series, after prolonged deprivation of pyridoxine. The ratio was markedly decreased shortly after the inception of pyridoxine treatment, indicating active erythropoiesis induced by therapy; the ratio subsequently returned toward normal when hemoglobin level improved. There was no evidence of accumulation of iron in the bone marrow. The serum iron level increased only slightly, to high-normal values in the anemic rats, but fell to low-normal level after the administration of pyridoxine.
An empirical analysis of US vessel-related port accidents (2002–2012): Impact of union membership and port efficiency on accident incidence and economic damage

We examine the impact of several factors, including union membership and port efficiency, on the number of vessel related accidents and the resulting economic damage at major US ports during the time period 2002–2012. We show that, on average, the union membership rate and port efficiency have a positive and a statistically significant impact on the number of vessel-related port accidents. This could be possibly explained by the increased use of contract and casual workers, an issue exacerbated by the antagonistic relationship between management and the unions, at the ports. We also evaluate the resulting economic damages of the port-related accidents. In this analysis, contrary to our earlier results, we find that union membership has a negative impact on economic damages, while all other findings noted in the analysis on the number of accidents hold. Though this initially appears contradictory to the results on the number of accidents, it may be related, given the duties specifically performed by the aforementioned contract employees. We evaluate the robustness of the results from our initial models, which evaluated the number of accidents and economic damages based on efficiency estimates obtained by employing Data Envelopment Analysis, by comparison with those models in which the efficiency is estimated using Stochastic Frontier Analysis. Our findings could help policymakers improve planning and to better manage port traffic risks.
Arno Mulot, Das Reich in der deutschen Dichtung der Gegenwart: Stuttgart: J. B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1940. vii, 96 pp.

(1940). Arno Mulot, Das Reich in der deutschen Dichtung der Gegenwart. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 307-307.
President’s Remarks

![Figure][1] Well, it’s been an incredible past six months as our LSU family and all of us in New Orleans have been consumed with the devastation of Katrina. The word “tragedy” took on new meaning for us when the hurricane flooded our dental school with over ten feet of water, leaving
Nucleotide-dependent stiffness suggests role of interprotofilament bonds in microtubule assembly

Many eukaryotic cell functions depend on dynamic instability, meaning the nucleotide-driven assembly and disassembly of microtubules. Assembly requires the constituent tubulin dimers to bind the nucleotide GTP, and its subsequent hydrolysis to GDP induces disassembly. The underlying structural mechanisms, however, are not well understood. Here, we determine the strength of contacts in the microtubule lattice by combining high precision measurements of the bending stiffness of analogues of GTP and GDP microtubules with a recent theoretical model. While previous structural studies have focussed on how the curvature of the tubulin dimer is affected by nucleotide binding, we present evidence of a dramatic regulation of the lateral interactions between the parallel protofilaments that dimers form in the microtubule. We conclude that the shear coupling between neighboring protofilaments is at least two orders of magnitude stronger in the GTP state than in the GDP state, and discuss the implications for the microtubule assembly.
Locality-Aware Task-Parallel Execution on GPUs

GPGPUs deliver high speedup for regular applications while remaining energy efficient. In recent years, there has been much focus on tuning irregular, task-parallel applications and/or the GPU architecture in order to achieve similar benefits for irregular applications running on GPUs. While most of the previous works have focused on minimizing the effect of control and memory divergence, which are prominent in irregular applications and which degrade the performance, there has been less attention paid to decreasing cache pressure and hence improving performance of applications given the small cache sizes on GPUs.
Sensitivity of the WFIRST coronagraph performance to key instrument parameters

The WFIRST coronagraph, currently in the design phase, will make possible for the first time the direct imaging of exoplanets down to Jupiters. The main technical challenge in direct detection comes from three areas: starlight suppression, low flux detection, and speckle stabilization in the dark zone where the planet or disk light is to be detected. These three aspects in turn place requirements on key instrument parameters such as system throughput, raw contrast and detector effects. The link between instrument limitations and instrument performance is captured in models, and balanced using error budgets. Instrument performance can be measured in terms of the science yield, which is itself limited by available mission time and the instrument sensitivity floor. In this paper, we present an overview of the modeling and methodology to assess the sensitivity of the coronagraph and some of the key results pertaining to the WFIRST coronagraph.
Intermittent Motor Control: The "drift-and-act" Hypothesis.

A characteristic of living organisms is the intermittency of their movement patterns. In this chapter, we discuss a mechanism for intermittent control in the context of human stick balancing at the fingertip. It is suggested that corrective movements are made only when deviations of the vertical displacement angle, and possibly the speed at which this angle changes, exceed certain thresholds. This “drift and act” control strategy is facilitated by interplay between noise and delay which makes this balancing task easier to control. It is suggested that noise and delay are not part of the balance control problem, but rather, part of the solution used by the nervous system to control this complex voluntary motor task.
HSD3B1 and Response to a Nonsteroidal CYP17A1 Inhibitor in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Importance TheHSD3B1 (1245C) germline variant encodes for a gain-of-function missense in 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase isoenzyme 1 (3βHSD1) that results in increased dihydrotestosterone synthesis from extragonadal precursors and is predictive of more rapid progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Objective To determine whether theHSD3B1 (1245C) genotype is predictive of clinical response to extragonadal androgen ablation with nonsteroidal 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17A1) inhibition in men with metastatic CRPC. Design, Setting, and Participants An observational study of men with metastatic CRPC treated with ketoconazole between June 1998 and December 2012 was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco. Exposures Extragonadal androgen ablation with the nonsteroidal CYP17A1 inhibitor ketoconazole among men with metastatic CRPC. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end points of analysis were duration of ketoconazole therapy and time to disease progression stratified byHSD3B1genotype. Disease progression was defined as either biochemical or radiographic progression, using the Prostate Cancer Working Group 3 andResponse Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors(RECIST) version 1.1 definitions, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate time on therapy and time to disease progression. A log-rank test for trend was used to compare outcomes byHSD3B1genotype. Results A total of 90 men (median [interquartile range] age, 61.5 [55.3-67.0] years) with metastatic CRPC were included in the analysis, with sufficient data to determine duration of ketoconazole therapy and time to disease progression in 88 and 81 patients, respectively. The median duration of therapy increased with the number of inheritedHSD3B1 (1245C) variant alleles: 5.0 months (95% CI, 3.4-10.4) for 0 variant alleles; 7.5 months (95% CI, 4.9-19.2) for 1; and 12.3 months (95% CI, 1.8-not reached) for 2 (overall comparison for trend,P = .01). Median progression-free survival also increased with number ofHSD3B1 (1245C) variant alleles inherited: 5.4 months (95% CI, 3.7-7.5) for 0 variant alleles; 9.7 months (95% CI, 5.6-32.9) for 1; and 15.2 months (95% CI, 7.8-not reached) for 2 (overall comparison for trend,P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance Inheritance of theHSD3B1 (1245C) variant allele, which is a predictive biomarker of resistance to castration, is also a predictive biomarker of sensitivity to extragonadal androgen ablation with a nonsteroidal CYP17A1 inhibitor. These findings signal a possible pathway of treatment stratification for patients with prostate cancer.
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: diagnosis and management from the hematologist’s perspective

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome, is an autosomal dominant disorder that causes abnormal blood vessel formation. The diagnosis of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is clinical, based on the Curacao criteria. Genetic mutations that have been identified include ENG, ACVRL1/ALK1, and MADH4/SMAD4, among others. Patients with HHT may have telangiectasias and arteriovenous malformations in various organs and suffer from many complications including bleeding, anemia, iron deficiency, and high-output heart failure. Families with the same mutation exhibit considerable phenotypic variation. Optimal treatment is best delivered via a multidisciplinary approach with appropriate diagnosis, screening and local and/or systemic management of lesions. Anti-angiogenic agents such as bevacizumab have emerged as a promising systemic therapy in reducing bleeding complications but are not curative. Other pharmacological agents include iron supplementation, antifibrinolytics and hormonal treatment. This review discusses the biology of HHT, management issues that face the practising hematologist, and considerations of future directions in HHT treatment.
Dry-aging improves meat quality attributes of grass-fed beef loins.

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dry-aging on meat quality and microbiological properties of grass-fed beef loins. At 7 d postmortem, eighteen bone-in loins (M. longissimus lumborum) from 9 beef carcasses (USDA Select) were obtained. Each loin was cut in half yielding a total of 36 sections, which were assigned to three aging methods: wet-aging (WA); dry-aging (DA); and dry-aging in a water permeable bag (DW). DA resulted in greater shrink and trim loss compared to WA (P