cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AIRWAY RESISTANCE : AN OLD FRIEND RE-VISITED

Accurate interpretation of physiologic data underpins the effective management of patients receiving mechanical ventilation. The assessment of respiratory mechanics, for exarfiple, has recently assumed increasing importance, reflecting an improved understanding of the potential consequences of inappropriate machine settings [1 3]. While the latest equipment offers expanded options for monitoring and information processing, the correct interpretation and use of the data remain the clinician's unique responsibility. A significant number of therapeutic decisions (e. g., regarding mode selection, bronchodilator use, and pressure support) hinge on the perceived contributions to overall resistance of valves, endotracheal tube and native airway. In this issue of Intensive Care Medicine, Conti and colleagues [4] demonstrate the error of partitioning resistance between tube and patient on the basis of reasonable but unwarranted assumptions. The work is carefully done, the conclusions valid, and the implications clear. But even when each resistance component is accurarely determined, a more fundamental question must be asked: What do we understand by the term "resistance"? The simplified equation of motion for the respiratory system [5] assigns single lumped constants ("resistance" [Rrs] and "compliance" [Crs]) to the flow (~r)-related and volume (V)-related components of the applied transstructural pressure (Papp):
A multicenter evaluation of gentamicin therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Study Objective. To evaluate traditional nomogram (TN) versus individualized pharmacokinetic gentamicin dosing practices in neonatal intensive care units, focusing on achieving target therapeutic concentrations (peak > 8 μg/ml, trough < 2 μg/ml), number of dosing changes, number of concentrations obtained, and evidence of nephrotoxicity. Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. Three neonatal intensive care units. Patients. Three hundred nine infants prescribed gentamicin. Intervention. None. Measurements and Main Results. Sixty-seven percent of patients receiving pharmacokinetic dosing had initial peak concentrations of 8 μ/ml or greater compared with 7% of patients receiving TN dosing (p<0.001). Trough concentrations exceeding 2 μ/ml were reported in 23% of patients receiving TN dosing compared with 2% of pharmacokinetic-dosed patients (p<0.001). Forty-two percent and 6%, respectively, required dosage adjustments (p<0.01). The mean number of concentrations obtained per patient was 2.8 and 2.1, respectively (p<0.01). Neither group had evidence of gentamicin-related nephrotoxicity. Conclusion. Compared with TN dosing, administering gentamicin loading doses and performing initial pharmacokinetic analysis resulted in rapid attainment of desired concentrations and fewer dosage adjustments, and allowed for a decrease in the number of gentamicin concentrations.
Anti-angiogenesis therapy in cancer: Current challenges and future perspectives

It has been nearly 9years since the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved the first anti-angiogenic drug (bevacizumab) for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Other angiogenic inhibitors have since been approved or are in different stages of clinical trials. However, continued clinical and preclinical investigations have identified major drawbacks associated with the application of this class of agents, including inherent/acquired resistance and induction of tumor invasiveness. In addition, lack of thoroughly validated predictive biomarkers has been one of the major hurdles to stratify cancer patients and to monitor tumor progression and response to the therapy. Investigations in clinic and preclinical models have provided some molecular and cellular mechanisms for the above challenges. This review aims to provide a concise update from recent findings.
MEMS millimeter-wave transceiver architectures

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) RF components for millimeterwave reconfigurable transceivers are investigated. The components include reconfigurable Vee-antennas, sliding planar impedance tuners, microswitches and variable capacitors. These different components are fabricated using the same three-layer-polysilicon surface micromachining techniques. In this work, we focus on the demonstration of component architectures and the integration issues. The reconfigurability of the Vee-antenna is demonstrated with beam-steering and beam-shaping functionality. The antenna characteristics are also studied. The planar feature of the Vee-antennas allows integration of planar impedance tuners. The antenna impedance can be matched dynamically by two shunt sliding planar backshort impedance tuners. The tuning ranges of planar backshort impedance tuners on different transmission lines are studied. The mechanical architectures for microswitches, parallel-plate variable capacitors and circular variable capacitors are also investigated.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Bribery in International Business Transactions

Globalization leads to cross-border business transactions between societies with very different norms and regulations regarding bribery. Bribery in international business transactions can be seen as a function of not only the demand for such bribes in different countries, but the supply, or willingness to provide bribes by multinational firms and their representatives. This study addresses the propensity of firms from 30 different countries to engage in international bribery. The study incorporates both domestic (economic development, culture, and domestic corruption in the supplying country) and international factors (those countries’ patterns of trade and involvement in international accords) in explaining the willingness to bribe abroad. The propensity to provide bribes was the lowest when corruption was not tolerated in the multinational firms’ home countries, when the firms’ countries were signatories of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) anti-bribery convention, and when those countries traded heavily with wealthier nations. Further, these findings are maintained when controlling for levels of economic development and cultural values in the supplying country. In terms of culture, firms from high power distance countries showed a somewhat greater propensity for providing bribes in transactions with less-developed nations.
Passivity analysis of a system and its approximation

We consider the following problem: given two mathematical system models, one of which could represent a physical system accurately and the other could be an approximation of the system, what passivity properties of the system can be inferred from studying only the approximate model. Our results show that an excess of passivity (whether in the form of input strictly passive, output strictly passive or very strictly passive) in the approximate model guarantees a certain passivity index for the system, provided that the norm of the error between the two models is sufficiently small in a suitably defined sense. Further, we consider QSR dissipative systems and show that QSR dissipativity has a similar robustness property, even though the supply rates for the system and its approximation may be different.
On statistical-mechanical models for the molecular dynamics of striated muscle

The author addresses one class of formulations, namely, statistical-mechanical models as outlined by A.V. Hill (1938). He examines their utility and suggests muscle experiments which might differentiate between postulated mechanisms. He describes various modeling approaches possible with this formulation. >
Ultra-Low Background Dewar For Infrared Detector Characterization Studies

An extremely low background research dewar has been designed, and several have been built and are currently being used for characterization of visible and infrared photon detectors. The dewar has a background in the 106 photons/cm2-s range over our detection capability range of 0.4 to 28 micrometers wavelength. This low background environment facilitates visible and infrared detector experiments involving photon counting, long charge integration times or devices with large surface areas. The temperature of the device under test can be regulated between 4.3 and 20 K. The dewars have been in constant use for several years and have proved to be both flexible and trouble-free. The dewar design incorporates many features that are useful for infrared detector testing and characterization studies in general. Flood illumination of the detector under test can be provided by an internal bandpass-filtered hot resistor source, pinhole shutter, light-emitting diode, optical fiber, or any combination of these sources. The entire test stage is mounted as a plug-in module to accommodate packages with different pin configurations. Calibrated reference detectors are attached to the side of the test detector socket. The leads between the detector test socket and the vacuum feedthroughs are less than 15 centimeters long, to keep corresponding stray capacitances low. The combination of extremely low photon background, flexibility and trouble-free operation results in a dewar that is well-suited for the measurement of sensitive infrared detectors in a research environment.
Shiver motion and core body temperature classification for wearable soldier health monitoring systems

We present a wearable real-time shiver monitor based on the MIThril LiveNet system, a flexible distributed mobile platform that can be used for a variety of proactive healthcare applications. In this exploratory study, we demonstrate that shivering can be accurately determined from continuous accelerometer sensing. Our preliminary results also indicate that shivering characteristics may be correlated with core body temperature, indicating the potential for creating a real-world cold exposure monitoring and classification wearable system.
Influence of convergent and divergent productive thinking operations on estimates of transition probability in speech.

Transition-probability estimates derived from contextual word predictions of subjects who were high in divergent and convergent productive thinking were compared with those of subjects low in convergent and divergent productive thinking. No significant differences were observed in transition-probability estimates or in prediction strategies employed by the two groups of subjects.
Detection of Asian carp DNA as part of a Great Lakes basin-wide surveillance program

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a sensitive technique for early detection of rare species, including bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) carp, which are incipient invaders of the Great Lakes. Since 2009, 2822 samples have been collected from the Great Lakes basin to delimit the extent of Asian carp incursions. Samples collected in the Chicago Area Waterway System and in the western basin of Lake Erie indicate the presence of Asian carp DNA in the Great Lakes. These positive eDNA detections are within 6 and 4 km from where bighead carps were recovered in Lake Calumet, near Lake Michigan (2010), and from Sandusky Bay, Lake Erie (2000), respectively. To implement a Great Lakes surveillance plan for protecting imperiled species and reducing damages from invasive species, federal, state, and provincial agencies will need to cooperatively plan and implement a surveillance program that employs the unique strengths of multiple sampling tools, including eDNA methods.
Gastronationalism: Food Traditions and Authenticity Politics in the European Union

By developing the concept of “gastronationalism,” this article challenges conceptions of the homogenizing forces of globalism. I analyze (1) the ways in which food production, distribution, and con...
Floating body effects on the RF performance of FDSOI RF amplifiers

The impact of body contacts on the floating body effect of fully depleted (FD) SOI at high frequencies is studied. It is found that the floating body effect is negligibly small for FDSOI FETs and the body contact (BC) increased parasitic capacitance and degraded the performance. We show that the linearity of an X-band amplifier, fabricated with a 180-nm FDSOI technology, is unchanged by the BC in continuous wave and pulse mode operations.
D.C. Arc Analysis. Some Effects of Replacing Graphite with Carbon

The recent interest in comparing carbon and graphite electrodes has resulted in contributions by Mellichamp and Finnegan (1,2) and Allsopp and Shaw (3). Connor and Bass (4) have added carbon and graphite powder to the discussion and have considered high voltage a.c. arc excitation. Carbon has been compared with graphite in other situations using the d.c. arc. At times the differences in the behavior of carbon and graphite are appreciable.
Polypeptide-catalyzed silica for dental applications.

Polypeptides such as polylysine have been shown to catalyze the condensation and direct the structure of silica from precursor solutions under ambient conditions. Several of the reaction parameters have been shown to mediate this activity. Specifically, mechanical perturbation seems to play a role in the formation of hierarchical structures. Most studies have been conducted in solution, but biomedical and particularly dental applications will likely require control of biosilicified coatings, films or particle formation on surfaces. Tetraethylorthosilicate was reacted with polylysine and then spin coated onto a surface. The process parameters catalyst structure, pH, buffer: ethanol ratio and percentage of cocatalyst polyethyleneimine were varied to determine their effects on the formed silica. The chemical nature and morphology of the silica were investigated with FTIR and SEM, respectively and reaction rates were monitored with a colorimetric assay. Our results show that these process parameters had only minor effects on composition, but the catalyst conformation influenced the degree of hydration while the pH, choice of solvent and cocatalyst strongly influenced morphology. We also found that perturbation from spin coating significantly influences the silicification dynamics. The ability to catalyze nano- to micron-sized mineral with different morphologies using polypeptides could have numerous dental applications including, sealing of dentin tubules, in situ reinforcement of resin interfaces or preparation of implant surfaces. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009
''Deaf Identities'' Is Not a Plural Form of ''Deaf Identity''

What first caught my attention about Irene Leigh's book was its title. The plural in the phrase ''Deaf Identities'' made me pause and wonder if she is dis- cussing something that is different from the more familiar phrase ''Deaf Identity.'' Deaf Identity is an abstract sociocultural construct reflecting the collec- tive view that members of the Deaf world have of themselves. Leigh is writing about the notion that not all deaf people's lives are the same. Her book is about how the process of identity formation of indi- vidual deaf people is a product of the world each person happens to grow up in and how the person interfaces with that world. The focus of Leigh's book is the psychological question of how different deaf people come to terms with their identity as an indi- vidual who is deaf. Leigh would agree that the formation of identity is largely a product of the enculturation process: learning
Stressful Life Events and Impulsiveness in Failed Suicide

The relationship of recent stressful life events with impulsiveness in triggering suicide attempts and how impulsiveness changes from one suicide attempt to another is unclear. This study used structured-interview tools and standardized measurements to examine the relationship between life stress and impulsiveness in a sample of patients who required hospitalization for a medically serious suicide attempt. After controlling for potentially confounding variables, the number of disrupted interpersonal relationships in the preceding year was a significant predictor of the impulsiveness of the suicide attempt, with three or more losses (but not other life stresses) associated with less impulsive attempts (T = 2.4, p = .02). Female gender (T = -1.98, p = .05) and lifetime DMS-III-R diagnoses (T = -2.45, p = .02) were significantly associated with more impulsive attempts. In 55 patients with at least two suicide attempts, impulsiveness, lethal intent, and communication of intent were significantly greater for the present compared to the prior attempt (p = 0.000). Certain stressful life events, gender, and total lifetime DSM-III-R diagnoses are associated with impulsiveness of failed suicide attempts; yet, impulsiveness is not necessarily consistent from one suicide attempt to another. This evidence supports and amplifies a stress-diathesis model of suicide behavior. Accordingly, efforts to increase personal resilience in individuals who have "failed suicide" may be more effective at preventing suicide morbidity than simple stress-reduction measures alone.
Use of antennas as sensors to discover signals to form mobile broadband networks

Antennas are not generally thought of as a sensor in a classic sense. An antenna used in combination with a radio form a technology capable of being classified as a sensor; specifically, when the system is used in the process of discovery or other similar systems in an uncertain task environment. In this research, antennas are used with radios and other mechanical devices and software to create nodes which can autonomously form mobile broadband networks. Each node of the network must sense and discover other nodes via a process of search, identification and connection. As each of the nodes connects to others, the end result will be a broadband network of potentially many nodes covering a great physical distance. This self-configuring network can be used in defense, homeland security, emergency response, agriculture and many other specific areas where communication is of paramount importance.
The Relative Effects of Offense, Offender, and Victim Variables on the Decision to Prosecute Domestic Violence Cases

Traditionally, even when the police have arrested suspected spouse abusers, prosecutors have been reluctant to follow through with prosecution. Using a sample of 424 cases in which abusers were either arrested on the scene or issued citations for court appearance, this research study investigates whether characteristics surrounding the offense (such as cause of the argument and victim injury), offender characteristics (such as prior record and substance abuse), or victim characteristics (such as relationship with the offender and substance abuse) most impact the prosecution's decision to prosecute. The policy implications of the findings are also discussed.
Family interaction Patterns as a Function of Task Characteristics1

Data from two experiments were evaluated to test the widely held assumption that family process remains essentially constant regardless of the conditions under which it occurs. Significant differences and reversals in patterns of dominance between interacting husbands and wives were obtained under different task conditions. In general, stressful tasks and tasks with structured goals elicited paternal dominance, while maternal dominance of more equalitarian patterns resulted from tasks which involved discussion of feelings and opinions. These and other task dimensions were discussed. The findings of this study generate four conclusions: prior studies must be reviewed to evaluate task effects; future researchers must systematically investigate task characteristics; researchers must exercise care in the selection of tasks in future studies; and the relationship between role behaviors and task demands must be understood in order to help meet the increasing stress impinging upon the modern family system.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): Is it all that it can be? The Case for Evaluating Stigma Effects

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has long been regarded as the"Magna Carta" of environmental policy legislation. The government in implementing its requirements on NEPA is required to evaluate potential environmental impacts from "significant" projects, to examine alternatives to proposed actions, and to enable the public to provide meaningful input to decisionmakers. Despite the significance of NEPA there is evidence to suggest that environmental impact analyses may in fact be understating potential negative effects to citizens and communities. In particular potential impacts associated with stigma have been almost universally ignored in documents prepared under NEPA. The proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada exemplifies how stigma issues if not examined could result in dramatic impacts to the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Analogous impacts could occur from similar projects elsewhere. The paper will examine issues associated with stigma vis-a-vis NEPA.
Unforeseen, Counterintuitive and Possibly Prophetic Findings

We take our clues where we can get them, even in odd places. In this instance, the key to the puzzle came from an on-line advertisement by some plaintiffs’ attorneys, who were trolling the Internet for cases [2]. The physician and medical student reviewed two papers. One was by Nations et al. describing four patients who suffered copper deficiency with profound neurologic disease owing to chronic use of large amounts of denture cream [3]. The second report was by Hedera et al. describing 11 patients with similar findings of progressive myelopolyneuropathy associated with hypocupremia and excessively high blood levels of zinc, all related to inappropriate use of denture creams [4]. The physiologic key to the problem is that zinc and copper are absorbed competitively from the intestine, and thus a high zinc intake can result in a copper deficiency.
Baseline Sensitivities of Fungal Pathogens of Fruit and Foliage of Citrus to Azoxystrobin, Pyraclostrobin, and Fenbuconazole.

ABSTRACT The baseline sensitivities for mycelial growth of foliar fungal pathogens of citrus, Colletotrichum acutatum, Alternaria alternata, Elsinoe fawcettii, Diaporthe citri, and Mycosphaerella c...
A Review of Hot Deck Imputation for Survey Non-response.

Hot deck imputation is a method for handling missing data in which each missing value is replaced with an observed response from a “similar” unit. Despite being used extensively in practice, the theory is not as well developed as that of other imputation methods. We have found that no consensus exists as to the best way to apply the hot deck and obtain inferences from the completed data set. Here we review different forms of the hot deck and existing research on its statistical properties. We describe applications of the hot deck currently in use, including the U.S. Census Bureau’s hot deck for the Current Population Survey (CPS). We also provide an extended example of variations of the hot deck applied to the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Some potential areas for future research are highlighted.
Abstract #4435: Dephosphorylation of Rb by inhibition of cdk activity or upregulation of PP1 leads to Rb cleavage and apoptosis

The function of the Rb tumor suppressor in restricting proliferation is regulated by cell cycle dependent phosphorylation. In addition, it has been shown that Rb plays a protective role against apoptosis. Our work focuses on the regulation of Rb phosphorylation with respect to its function in apoptosis. Our previous studies have shown that siRNA mediated knockdown of Phosphatase Nuclear Targeting Subunit (PNUTS) leads to Protein Phosphatase 1 (PP1) activation toward Rb, Rb dephosphorylation and apoptosis in several cancer cell types. The apoptosis induced by PNUTS knockdown is dependent on Rb expression and occurs only in transformed cells and not in nontransformed cells. In addition, the ability of PNUTS siRNA to cause apoptosis is independent of p53 activation. In this study we analyzed the effect of combining cdk inhibition with the activation of PP1 using PNUTS knockdown. We have found that PNUTS knockdown significantly increases the apoptotic effects of the clinically relevant cdk inhibitor Roscovitine on HCT116 colon cancer cells and MCF7 breast cancer cells. The mechanism by which Roscovitine and PNUTS knockdown cause apoptosis appear to be similar in some aspects but not others. For example, both these treatments require expression of E2F1 to induce apoptosis. In addition, cleavage of the carboxy terminus of Rb is required for Roscovitine and PNUTS knockdown to stimulate apoptosis. However, a different subset of Rb phosphorylation sites are targeted by Roscovitine or PNUTS knockdown. Thus this data shows the importance of Rb phosphorylation in its function in apoptosis. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 4435.
EXOTIC PLANT INVASION ALTERS NITROGEN DYNAMICS IN AN ARID GRASSLAND

The introduction of nonnative plant species may decrease ecosystem stability by altering the availability of nitrogen (N) for plant growth. Invasive species can impact N availability by changing litter quantity and quality, rates of N 2-fixation, or rates of N loss. We quantified the effects of invasion by the annual grass Bromus tectorum on N cycling in an arid grassland on the Colorado Plateau (USA). The invasion occurred in 1994 in two community types in an undisturbed grassland. This natural experiment allowed us to measure the immediate responses following invasion without the confounding effects of previous disturbance. Litter biomass and the C:N and lignin:N ratios were measured to determine the effects on litter dynamics. Long-term soil incubations (415 d) were used to measure potential microbial respiration and net N mineralization. Plant-available N was quantified for two years in situ with ion-exchange resin bags, and potential changes in rates of gaseous N loss were estimated by measuring denitrification enzyme activity. Bromus invasion significantly increased litter biomass, and Bromus litter had significantly greater C:N and lignin:N ratios than did native species. The change in litter quantity and chemistry decreased potential rates of net N mineralization in sites with Bromusby decreasing nitrogen available for microbial activity. Inorganic N was 50% lower on Hilaria sites with Bromus during the spring of 1997, but no differences were observed during 1998. The contrasting differences between years are likely due to moisture availability; spring precipitation was 15% greater than average during 1997, but 52% below average during spring of 1998. Bromus may cause a short-term decrease in N loss by decreasing substrate availability and denitrification enzyme activity, but N loss is likely to be greater in invaded sites in the long term because of increased fire frequency and greater N volatilization during fire. We hypothesize that the introduction of Bromus in conjunction with land-use change has es- tablished a series of positive feedbacks that will decrease N availability and alter species composition.
Planet of the Microbes

Regardless of where you find yourself at the moment while reading these lines, visually inspect your surroundings and you will see signs of life. I ask you now to, for a moment, imagine planet Earth devoid of all plant and animal life. For all the desolation such an image will conjure in your mind, such an Earth would still be teeming with life—life unseen, microbial life. Yet, attempt to imagine an Earth without microbes and then, indeed, you will have to confront a lifeless planet. Microbial activities throughout much of our planet’s history yielded the setting propitious for the evolution of plants and animals, the setting that we constantly appreciate in our daily lives.
The NCCU Veterans Law Clinic: Students Learning to Help Veterans

Veterans have been crying aloud for relief in the area of obtaining legal assistance in the processing of claims. Students are attracted to the NCCU Veterans Law Program because they gain hands-on experience handling claims and because many of the NCCU law students are veterans or active duty personnel committed to serve in active duty military service upon graduation from law school. Our hope is that the experience that law students gain from working with this Veterans Law Program will not only assist veterans who otherwise would have meritorious claims denied but also will prepare these students for rendering service to veterans once they become practicing attorneys—and fill the void that has existed since 1862. Our society must be ready to assist our existing and returning veterans legally, medically, and socially, and this Veterans Law Program is committed to doing its part.
Unaltered metabolism of antipyrine and tolbutamide in fasting man

Effects of fasting on the metabolism and distribution of antipyrine and tolbutamide were studied in 13 obese, but otherwise healthy, volunteers. Only 6 of the 13 subjects decreased their metabolic clearance rate (MCR) during fasting; no significant change occurred during fasting in the mean MCR of either drug. These results are in contrast with reported changed rates of drug metabolism in fasting experimental animals. The apparent volume of distribution (aVd) of antipyrine decreased during fasting in each of 7 subjects receiving oral test doses of antipyrine; the mean control value ± standard deviation was 61 ± 16 l, whereas during fasting the mean became 52 ± 17 l. The aVd ± SD of tolbutamide decreased in 4 of the 6 volunteers receiving intravenous test doses of tolbutamide; the mean control value in these 6 volunteers was 8.3 ± 1.7 l; during fasting it was 7.4 ± 1.91.
Method on the Spatial Position of the UHV AC V-style Suspension Insulators

Focussing on difficulty in exactly fixing the positions of UHV V-style suspension insulators in UHV AC demonstration project,we proposed a method to calculate the positions of them.Firstly,we analyzed the force model of combined structure of UHV V-style suspension insulators,fittings,and extended diameter conductors.Secondly,we summarized the load distribution of extended diameter conductors between upper hanging point and lower junction point from test data to clarify the boundary condition for the spatial position of UHV V-style suspension insulators.Finally,we analyzed the effect of vertical load on spatial position for UHV V-style suspension insulators,and applied an equation to get the position of each insulator.Compared with those of actual test,the results show that the proposed method improves accuracy.The method can accurately calculate the spatial position of each insulator in UHV V-style suspension insulators,and provide accurate parameters for equalizing ring design in subsequent UHV engineering projects.
Sex and race differences in food preferences of military personnel.

The food preferences and selections of military personnel were studied to determine the effects of race and sex on food habits and to provide recommendations for menu planning. A food preference survey for 200 foods was administered to 653 personnel and a Food Selection Questionnaire to 1,719 personnel. Food preferences and selections were analyzed for the overall sample, for the two variables of race and sex, and for the four subsamples of white men, white women, black men, and black women. There were food preference differences among all of these groups for highly preferred, moderately preferred, and disliked foods. Women more highly preferred vegetables, salads, and fruit; tossed green salad was the most preferred food of both white and black women. In contrast, men never preferred a starch, a vegetable, or a salad more than women. Many of men’s preferences were meat-containing; grilled steak was the most preferred food for both white and black men. Blacks preferred and selected fruit and fruit juices, confirming prior studies. Race could be predicted from food preference data in 77% of cases and sex in 70% of cases, demonstrating the general izabiIity of average food preferences for these subgroups.
Na-K-Cl cotransport in the shark rectal gland. I. Regulation in the intact perfused gland

To investigate regulation of the Na-K-Cl cotransport system in the rectal gland of the dogfish shark Squalus acanthias, we examined binding of the loop diuretic [3H]benzmetanide to the intact gland. Glands were perfused with a shark Ringer solution, either in a basal state or stimulated with vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). [3H]benzmetanide was added to the perfusion solution for the last 25 min of perfusion, after which the gland was homogenized and the amount of bound [3H]benzmetanide was determined in the membrane fraction. Most of the membrane-associated [3H]-benzmetanide appeared to be associated with the Na-K-Cl cotransporter as judged by the dissociation rates at 0 degree C and 20 degrees C, by labeling with a photosensitive analogue, and by continued association of [3H]benzmetanide with membrane protein on solubilization. With the use of [3H]4-benzoyl-5-sulfamoyl-3-(3- thenyloxy)benzoic acid, a photosensitive analogue of benzmetanide, a 200-kDa protein was selectively labeled on exposure to ultraviolet light. It was also possible to detect [3H]-benzmetanide binding during the perfusion period as an arterial-venous difference, thereby providing a time course of the binding process. In comparing two groups of five glands each, VIP stimulated NaCl secretion 20-fold and [3H]benzmetanide binding 16-fold, providing strong evidence that the Na-K-Cl cotransport system is activated as part of the process of stimulation of secretion. The VIP-stimulated increase in [3H]benzmetanide binding was completely inhibited when Ba was added to the perfusate to block K channel-mediated K exit across the basolateral membrane.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
VPS34 regulates TSC1/TSC2 heterodimer to mediate RheB and mTORC1/S6K1 activation and cellular transformation

// Nishant Mohan 1 , Yi Shen 1 , Milos Dokmanovic 1 , Yukinori Endo 1 , Dianne S. Hirsch 1 , Wen Jin Wu 1 1 Division of Biotechnology Review and Research I, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, 20993, Maryland, USA Correspondence to: Wen Jin Wu, email: Wen.Wu@fda.hhs.gov Keywords: VPS34, TSC1/TSC2, RheB, mTORC1/S6K1, cellular transformation Received: January 22, 2016 Accepted: June 07, 2016 Published: July 07, 2016 ABSTRACT VPS34 is reported to activate S6K1 and is implicated in regulating cell growth, the mechanisms of which remain elusive. Here, we describe novel mechanisms by which VPS34 upregulates mTOR/S6K1 activity via downregulating TSC2 protein and activating RheB activity. Specifically, upregulation of VPS34 lipid kinase increases local production of ptdins(3)p in the plasma membrane, which recruits PIKFYVE, a FYVE domain containing protein, to ptdins(3)p enriched regions of the plasma membrane, where VPS34 forms a protein complex with PIKFYVE and TSC1. This in turn disengages TSC2 from the TSC1/TSC2 heterodimer, leading to TSC2 ubiquitination and degradation. Downregulation of TSC2 promotes the activation of RheB and mTOR/S6K1. When VPS34 lipid kinase activity is increased by introduction of an H868R mutation, ptdins(3)p production at the plasma membrane is dramatically increased, which recruits more PIKFYVE and TSC1 molecules to the plasma membrane. This results in the enhanced TSC2 ubiquitination and degradation, and subsequent activation of RheB and mTORC1/S6K1, leading to oncogenic transformation. The role played by VPS34 in regulating mTOR/S6K1 activity and cellular transformation is underscored by the fact that the VPS34 kinase dead mutant blocks VPS34-induced recruitment of PIKFYVE and TSC1 to the plasma membrane. This study provides mechanistic insight into the cellular function of VPS34 in regulating oncogenic transformation and important indications for identifying VPS34 specific mutations in human cancers.
Quantum Information Theory, the Entropy Bound, and Mathematical Rigor in Physics

The fundamental role of the entropy bound, \(I \leqslant S\left( {\bar \rho } \right)\; - \;\bar S\left( \rho \right)\), is illustrated through its use in determining the information capacities of quantum systems and the ultimate accuracy limits of precision quantum measurements, leading to a discussion on the relevance of mathematical rigor in the treatment of physics problems. The history of this bound is also reviewed.
Coronal tibial slope is associated with accelerated knee osteoarthritis: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Accelerated knee osteoarthritis may be a unique subset of knee osteoarthritis, which is associated with greater knee pain and disability. Identifying risk factors for accelerated knee osteoarthritis is vital to recognizing people who will develop accelerated knee osteoarthritis and initiating early interventions. The geometry of an articular surface (e.g., coronal tibial slope), which is a determinant of altered joint biomechanics, may be an important risk factor for incident accelerated knee osteoarthritis. We aimed to determine if baseline coronal tibial slope is associated with incident accelerated knee osteoarthritis or common knee osteoarthritis. We conducted a case–control study using data and images from baseline and the first 4 years of follow-up in the Osteoarthritis Initiative. We included three groups: 1) individuals with incident accelerated knee osteoarthritis, 2) individuals with common knee osteoarthritis progression, and 3) a control group with no knee osteoarthritis at any time. We did 1:1:1 matching for the 3 groups based on sex. Weight-bearing, fixed flexion posterior-anterior knee radiographs were obtained at each visit. One reader manually measured baseline coronal tibial slope on the radiographs. Baseline femorotibial angle was measured on the radiographs using a semi-automated program. To assess the relationship between slope (predictor) and incident accelerated knee osteoarthritis or common knee osteoarthritis (outcomes) compared with no knee osteoarthritis (reference outcome), we performed multinomial logistic regression analyses adjusted for sex. The mean baseline slope for incident accelerated knee osteoarthritis, common knee osteoarthritis, and no knee osteoarthritis were 3.1(2.0), 2.7(2.1), and 2.6(1.9); respectively. A greater slope was associated with an increased risk of incident accelerated knee osteoarthritis (OR = 1.15 per degree, 95 % CI = 1.01 to 1.32) but not common knee osteoarthritis (OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 0.91 to 1.19). These findings were similar when adjusted for recent injury. Among knees with varus malalignment a greater slope increases the odds of incident accelerated knee osteoarthritis; there is no significant relationship between slope and incident accelerated knee osteoarthritis among knees with normal alignment. Coronal tibial slope, particularly among knees with malalignment, may be an important risk factor for incident accelerated knee osteoarthritis.
CHAPTER 57 – Cytokines and transplantation

This chapter summarizes cytokines and transplantation, where the cytokine actions are redundant. Therefore, blocking one cytokine at a time is not sufficient for preventing rejection or inducing tolerance. Instead, strategies that target multiple cytokine actions simultaneously are required to achieve these goals. Immunostimulatory cytokines, such as IL-2 and IFNγ, are also regulatory and are essential for turning off the immune response. Therefore, judicial timing of therapies that suppress the actions of these cytokines must be applied in order to achieve long-term allograft acceptance or tolerance in transplant recipients. Emerging tools, such as gene polymorphism analysis, and microarray technology, deserve further exploration to develop methods that predict, and accurately diagnose rejection. More recently, cytokine gene-knockout mice and cytokine-neutralizing agents have been utilized to dissect cytokine functions in vivo.
Analysis of gate CD drift by EES

To reduce the gate CD variation, effect of Etch Tool variation to CD drift was investigate. On the basis of the statistical analysis, the prediction model of the gate CD was constructed. This model was used to estimate the effect of equipment parameter on gate CD variation. The decrease of the CD variation was achieved by adjusting the equipment parameter selected from this model on mass production of system LSI.
On the utility of dominator mutants for mutation testing

Mutation testing has been shown to support the generation of test sets that are highly effective at detecting faults. However, practitioner adoption of mutation testing has been minimal in part because of problems that arise from the huge numbers of redundant and equivalent mutants that are generated. The research described here examines the relationship between mutants and attempts to reduce the number of redundant and equivalent mutants in order to make mutation testing more practical for the software tester.
A rare case of perineal abscess caused by aerococcus urinae

Aerococcus urinae, a previously misidentified pathogen, has become increasingly recognized to cause severe and even fatal infections. Aerococcus-related perineal abscess infections have not previously been reported in the literature. Most reported cases of infections caused by Aerococcus are urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and even rare cases of endocarditis. We report an unusual case of a perineal abscess caused by Aerococcus urinae.
New Approaches to Reduction of Computational Complexity in Signal Processing Systems

Mathematically, most computer-implemented signal processing activity can be represented as discrete form matrix-vector multiply or matrix inversion processes, wherein the matrix structure exhibits some form of symmetry with regard to a repetitious arrangement of elements in it. A direct computation approach to the implementation of these discrete mathematical processes, which ignores the nature of the symmetries, would require respectively O(n2) and O(n3) multiply operations for an n-order system. On the other hand, if one exploits the form of the matrix symmetry in the problem, it becomes possible to define partitioned solution approaches that significantly reduce the level of computation for these processes. Two well-known examples of such an exploitation are the use of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) method in implementing the generation of a discrete Fourier spectrum with O(n log2 n) multiply operations and the use of the Levinson recursive method in the solution of the Toeplitz equation problem with O(n2) multiply operations.
Understanding and controlling chromaticity shift in LED devices

Chromaticity shift in light-emitting diode (LED) devices arises from multiple mechanisms, and at least five different chromaticity shift modes (CSMs) have been identified to date. This paper focuses on the impacts of irreversible phosphor degradation as a cause of chromaticity shifts in LED devices. The nitride phosphors used to produce warm white LEDs are especially vulnerable to degradation due to thermal and chemical effects such as reactions with oxygen and water. As a result, LED devices utilizing these phosphors were found to undergo either a green shift or, less commonly, a red shift depending on the phosphor mix in the LED devices. These types of chromaticity shifts are classified as CSM-2 (green shift) and CSM-5 (red shift). This paper provides an overview of the kinetic processes responsible for green and red chromaticity shifts along with examples from accelerated stress testing of 6″ downlights. Both CSMs appear to proceed through analogous mechanisms that are initiated at the surface of the phosphor. A green shift is produced by the surface oxidation of the nitride phosphor that changes the emission profile to lower wavelengths. As the surface oxidation reaction proceeds, reactant limitations slow the rate and bulk oxidation processes become more prevalent. We found that a red chromaticity shift arises from quenching of the green phosphor, also possibly due to surface reactions of oxygen, which shift the emission chromaticity in the red direction. In conclusion, we discuss the implications of these findings on projecting chromaticity.
Sinus Microanatomy and Microbiota in a Rabbit Model of Rhinosinusitis

Background: Rabbits are useful for preclinical studies of sinusitis because of similar physiologic features to humans. The objective of this study is to develop a rabbit model of sinusitis that permits assessment of microanatomy and sampling for evaluating shifts in the sinus microbiota during the development of sinusitis and to test how the mucociliary clearance (MCC) defect might lead to dysbiosis and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Methods: Generation of CRS was accomplished with an insertion of a sterile sponge into the left middle meatus of New Zealand white rabbits (n = 9) for 2 weeks. After sponge removal, 4 rabbits were observed for another 10 weeks and evaluated for CRS using endoscopy, microCT, visualization of the functional micro-anatomy by micro-optical coherence tomography (μOCT), and histopathological analysis of the sinus mucosa. Samples were taken from the left middle meatus and submitted for microbiome analysis. Results: CT demonstrated opacification of all left sinuses at 2 weeks in all rabbits (n = 9), which persisted in animals followed for another 12 weeks (n = 4). Histology at week 2 showed mostly neutrophils. On week 14, significant infiltration of plasma cells and lymphocytes was noted with increased submucosal glands compared to controls (p = 0.02). Functional microanatomy at 2 weeks showed diminished periciliary layer (PCL) depth (p < 0.0001) and mucus transport (p = 0.0044) compared to controls despite a thick mucus layer. By 12 weeks, the thickened mucus layer was resolved but PCL depletion persisted in addition to decreased ciliary beat frequency (p < 0.0001). The mucin fermenting microbes (Lactobacillales, Bacteroidales) dominated on week 2 and there was a significant shift to potential pathogens (e.g. Pseudomonas, Burkholderia) by week 14 compared to both controls and the acute phase (p< 0.05). Conclusion: We anticipate this reproducible model will provide a means for identifying underlying mechanisms of airway-surface liquid (ASL) depletion and fundamental changes in sinus microbial communities that contribute to the development of CRS. The rabbit model of sinusitis exhibited diminished PCL depth with delayed mucus transport and significant alterations and shift in the sinus microbiome during the development of chronic inflammation.
Islam and competing nationalisms in the Middle East, 1876–1926

In Islam and Competing Nationalisms, Kamal Soleimani argues that, contrary to what he claims has until now been the conventional scholarly wisdom, the emphasis on Islam as a basis of communal ident...