cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Weather, Climate, and the New Energy Economy

What: more than 100 participants, including representatives of academia, business, and government, discussed the nexus of weather and climate with the energy sector When: 17–21 January 2010 Where: atlanta, georgia t hough the relevance of weather to the energy industry’s predictions of energy demand (load) has long been recognized, only recently has the crucial role of meteorological information in the industry’s predictions of supply (source) been appre ciated. As increasing amounts of renewable energy are being brought onto the electric grid, the need for improved weather observations and forecasts across a range of time scales is growing. At this meeting, discussions centered on creative ways to obtain new measurements, improved models, and other informa tion required to support the instantaneous and con tinuous requirement to balance supply and demand in both traditional and renewable energy. A town-hall meeting, whose keynote speech was delivered by AMS President Tom Karl, kicked off this First Conference by outlining some of the key meteorological problems hindering greater use of renewable energy and the need for collaboration among private, public, and academic sectors. The conference continued with participants discussing the value and speed of delivery of accurate forecasts of temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speeds, and cloud cover, which influence energy demand for heating, cooling, and lighting, as well as the timing of certain industrial and manufacturing processes that depend on certain weather conditions. Participants attempted to bridge the gap between meteorology and the energy industry by discussing the information that those in the two respective fields need from the other. Meteorologists had the opportunity to learn about unique and challenging aspects of the energy trading market. This market’s incredible volatility, in which energy prices can change by a factor of as much as 3.8 within one day, as well as its possibility for negative prices, meaning that traders actually sometimes pay for others to take excess electricity to keep demand and supply balanced, leads to the prime importance of accurate weather forecasts. Deviations from the day-ahead forecast can lead to sudden and severe changes in market conditions and prices; millions of dollars are made and lost within a period of an hour, based on weather forecasts. The paucity of relevant observations for improving forecasts of winds at turbine heights (~100 m) for onshore and offshore wind power, and of clouds (insolation) and aerosols for solar power, led to discussions of how to fill these data gaps. Techniques using remote sensing by ground-based wind profilers, radars, and AFFILIATION: Marquis—noaa earth System research laboratory CORRESPONDING AUTHOR : melinda marquis, noaa/eSrl, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Co 80305 e-mail: melinda.marquis@noaa.gov
Performance of the CMS Endcap Muon detectors

Abstract In the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment, muon detection in the forward direction is accomplished by Endcap Muon system which is comprised of 468 Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs). These detectors identify muons, provide a fast muon trigger, and give a measurement of the muon trajectory. In this paper, we present results of the detector performance analyses based on the data collected during the Magnet Test and Cosmic Challenge (MTCC) exercise conducted by the CMS experiment in 2006. About 8% of the full system (36 CSCs) operated for a few months and collected cosmic ray data. We show that CMS CSCs identify two-dimensional trigger primitives with a 99.9% efficiency. These segments, found by the CSC electronics after the passing of a muon through the chambers, are the input information for the Level-1 muon trigger and, also, are a necessary condition for chambers to be read out by the Data Acquisition System (DAQ). The spatial resolution per chamber is measured to be around 100 – 200 μ m . In contrast to the earlier studies based on a total detector area typically limited to 0.01 m 2 (efficiency) and 3 m 2 (resolution), results presented in this report were obtained for many installed CSCs operating in situ over an area of 20 m 2 (efficiency) and 60 m 2 (spatial resolution).
Echocardiographic "smoke" is produced by an interaction of erythrocytes and plasma proteins modulated by shear forces.

Abstract Objectives. This study was designed to determine the blood elements responsible for spontaneous echocardiographic contrast. Background. Spontaneous contrast or “smoke” is an echocardiographic image usually found in low flow conditions. Two blood elements, erythrocytes and platelets, have been related to the generation of smoke. Methods. The echogenicity of percine blood products was assessed in static and flow conditions and was graded on a digitized videodensity computer program that assigned a score of 0 for black and 100 for white images. Blood elements were circulated from a small tube (4-mm diameter) into a larger cylindric chamber (30-mm diameter) under controlled flow rate conditions. The following blood products were studied: whole blood, platelet-depleted blood, platelet-rich plasma, platelet-poor plasma, erythrocytes suspended in saline solution, adenosine dipbosphate (ADP) added to platelet-rich plasma, and saline solution as a control medium. Results. As blood flow was increased in 30 ml/min increments from 0 to 180 ml/min, whole blood echo videodensity (scale 0 to 100) progressively decreased in the larger tube from 38 and 42 to 20, 12, 14, 16 and 14, respectively. When flow increased from 0 to 30 ml/min in the smaller tube, corresponding to a wall shear rate of 0 to 80 s−1, the blood entering the chamber was completely echolucent. The echogenicity of blood products in the larger tube was for static flow (0 ml/min) and high flow (180 ml/min), respectively: platelet-depleted blood = 36 and 14; platelet-rich plasma = 2 and 2; platelet-poor plasma = 0 and 0; erythrocytes in saline solution = 8 and 12; ADP added to platelet-rich plasma = 0 and 15; saline solution = 0 and 0. Because platelets alone were nonechogenic but platetet-depleted blood produced a flow-dependent echogenicity similar to that produced by whole blood, platelets may not be involved in the production of smoke. However, when platelets were aggregated by ADP, they were echogenic but in dense clumps and in a flow-independent pattern not typical of the smokelike images. Erythrocytes suspended in saline solution had an intermediate density image. Conclusions. Echogenic smoke appears to be due primarily to the interection of red blood cells and plasma proteins at low flow and low shear rate conditions.
Energy-performance trade-offs for spatial access methods on memory-resident data

The proliferation of mobile and pervasive computing devices has brought energy constraints into the limelight. Energy-conscious design is important at all levels of system architecture, and the software has a key role to play in conserving battery energy on these devices. With the increasing popularity of spatial database applications, and their anticipated deployment on mobile devices (such as road atlases and GPS-based applications), it is critical to examine the energy implications of spatial data storage and access methods for memory resident datasets. While there has been extensive prior research on spatial access methods on resource-rich environments, this is, perhaps, the first study to examine their suitability for resource-constrained environments. Using a detailed cycle-accurate energy estimation framework and four different datasets, this paper examines the pros and cons of three previously proposed spatial indexing alternatives from both the energy and performance angles. Specifically, the Quadtree, Packed R-tree, and Buddy-Tree structures are evaluated and compared with a brute-force approach that does not use an index. The results show that there are both performance and energy trade-offs between the indexing schemes for the different queries. The nature of the query also plays an important role in determining the energy-performance trade-offs. Further, technological trends and architectural enhancements are influencing factors on the relative behavior of the index structures. The work in the query has a bearing on how and where (on a mobile client or/and on a server) it should be performed for performance and energy savings. The results from this study will be beneficial for the design and implementation of embedded spatial databases, accelerating their deployment on numerous mobile devices.
Incidence of apoptosis, cell proliferation and bcl-2 expression in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder : association with tumor progression

AbstractPurpose: Apoptosis is the distinctive form of programmed cell death that complements cell proliferation in maintaining normal tissue homeostasis. The significance of constitutive apoptosis in the development and progression of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder has yet to be investigated. In the present study, the incidence of baseline apoptosis and the expression of 2 genes regulating this molecular process, bcl-2 and TGF-beta1, as well as the level of cell proliferation, were examined by an intensive immunohistochemical analysis in normal bladder and bladder cancer specimens.Materials and Methods: Apoptosis was detected by in situ end-labeling of fragmented DNA using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase reaction in 45 paraffin-embedded primary transitional cell carcinoma specimens, 9 metastatic lymph nodes and 5 normal bladder specimens. The proliferation status of the tumor cells among the same bladder cancer specimens was evaluated by using a monoclonal antibody that recognizes th...
Molecular Interactions between Bacterial Symbionts and Their Hosts

Symbiotic bacteria are important in animal hosts, but have been largely overlooked as they have proved difficult to culture in the laboratory. Approaches such as comparative genomics and real-time PCR have provided insights into the molecular mechanisms that underpin symbiont-host interactions. Studies on the heritable symbionts of insects have yielded valuable information about how bacteria infect host cells, avoid immune responses, and manipulate host physiology. Furthermore, some symbionts use many of the same mechanisms as pathogens to infect hosts and evade immune responses. Here we discuss what is currently known about the interactions between bacterial symbionts and their hosts.
An improved system for data acquisition and analysis for viscoelastic measurements of dilute macromolecular solutions with the modified birnboim-schrag multiple lumped resonator

Abstract A new system of data acquisition and analysis has been developed for the modified Birnboim-Schrag multiple lumped resonator apparatus which is used to measure the viscoelastic properties of long-chain macromolecules in dilute solution. The modifications to the original apparatus include improved temperature control and vibration isolation. The original theory has been reworked so that each resonance mode can be characterized by a greater number of data points. The entire data acquistion/processing system is automated and placed under computer control; a correlation for mode coupling is derived. The modifications result in improved precision in the measured viscoelastic moduli and increased instrumental reliability.
Flowcytometric and cytogenetic analysis of human cultured cell lines derived from high- and low-grade astrocytomas

Five human cell lines cultured from high- and low-grade astrocytomas in cerebral hemisphere have been analyzed for DNA and protein distribution by flowcytometric (FCM) and correlated with cytogenetic profiles. Simultaneous calibration with chicken erythrocytes as a co-running standard provided an estimate of chromosomal number of predominate stem cells of each cell line by the ratio of the DNA content of the major peak (G1) to that of chicken erythrocyte (T/E ratio) of FCM. Various lines had different distributions of chromosomal number, ranging from near diploid to tetraploid. Each line had a stem-cell population and chromosomal markers indicative of clonal selection, but no common marker specific to astrocytomas. The histogram of DNA distribution obtained by FCM correlated well with the chromosomal distribution by cytogenetic analysis. In addition, simultaneous measurement of protein and DNA content in multidimensional FCM demonstrated a sigmoid configuration of the profiles, which indicated a gradual increase of protein content associated with an increase of chromosomal number or with progression of cell cycle. To avoid confusion of a bimodal chromosomal distribution with the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, and to determine chromosomal numbers associated with a DNA histogram, simultaneous cytogenetic and FCM study are required. More rapid than cytogenetic analysis, the T/E ratio allows estimation of chromosomal number of the stem-cell population associated with DNA histograms of cultured glioma-derived cell lines.
Pulmonary vein antrum isolation for treatment of atrial fibrillation in patients with valvular heart disease or prior open heart surgery.

Abstract Objectives The goal of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of pulmonary vein antrum isolation in patients with moderate valvular heart disease or open-heart surgery and atrial fibrillation (AF). Background Valvular heart disease and open-heart surgery are commonly associated with AF and increase the risk of adverse events in AF patients. Methods A total of 391 consecutive patients who had pulmonary vein antrum isolation performed between December 2000 and December 2002 were screened. A total of 142 of these patients had clinically significant valvular disease or prior cardiac surgery. End points included AF recurrence and pulmonary vein antrum isolation complication rates. Results Patients with valvular heart disease or prior open-heart surgery were older, had larger left atria and a more advanced New York Heart Association class. They did not differ significantly with respect to gender, but had a longer history of AF. Procedure times were similar between patients with and without valvular heart disease or prior open-heart surgery. After 18 ± 7 months in the lone AF patients, 11 ± 5 months in patients with valvular heart disease, and 10 ± 5 months in patients with prior open heart surgery, there was a trend toward lower recurrence of AF in patients with lone AF who enjoyed a 98% overall cure rate after up to 2 pulmonary vein antrum isolations versus 93% among patients with valvular heart disease ( P = .04) and prior open heart surgery ( P = .07). Complication rates were comparable between groups. Conclusions Pulmonary vein antrum isolation is safe and effective in patients with moderate valvular heart disease and the patients who developed AF after open-heart surgery. These results have implications for our understanding of the pathophysiology of AF in patients with moderate valvular heart disease or past cardiac surgery and should be considered when discussing treatment options in these patients.
Patchy silica-coated silver nanowires as SERS substrates

We report a class of core–shell nanomaterials that can be used as efficient surface-enhancement Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. The core consists of silver nanowires, prepared through a chemical reduction process, that are used to capture 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA), a model analyte. The shell was prepared through a modified Stober method and consists of patchy or full silica coats. The formation of silica coats was monitored via transmission electron microscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, and phase-analysis light-scattering for measuring effective surface charge. Surprisingly, the patchy silica-coated silver nanowires are better SERS substrate than silver nanowires; nanomolar concentration of 4-MBA can be detected. In addition, “nano-matryoshka” configurations were used to quantitate/explore the effect of the electromagnetic field at the tips of the nanowire (“hot spots”) in the Raman scattering experiment.
Superparamagnetic behaviour of nanocrystalline Ni – Zn, Zn – Mn and Ni – Mn ferrites processed by reverse micelle method

AbstractThe magnetic behaviour of nanocrystalline nickel–zinc, zinc–manganese and nickel–manganese ferrites processed by reverse micelle technique was studied by Superconducting Quantum Interference Device. The surface roughness of the nanoparticles as measured by atomic force microscopy was less than 3 nm and the size of the particles was in the range of 25–100 nm. The mixed (Ni–Zn, Zn–Mn and Ni–Mn) ferrites exhibit blocking temperatures of 11, 20 and 15 K, respectively. The small differences in the blocking temperatures are attributed to the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and L-S coupling. The saturation magnetisation of nanocrystalline Ni–Zn, Zn–Mn and Ni–Mn at 300 K was 4.5, 9 and 7 emu g-1, respectively and at 2 K was 15, 19 and 14 emu g-1, respectively. The lower saturation magnetisation of the nanocrystalline ferrites compared to their bulk counterparts is attributed to the core–shell morphology of the particles consisting of ferromagnetically aligned core spins and a spin-glass like surface layer.
Quintet and Septet State Systems Based on Pyridylnitrenes: Effects of Substitution on Open-Shell High-Spin States

Cryogenic matrix photolysis of 3,5-dichloro-2,4,6-triazidopyridine, 3-chloro-5-cyano-2,4,6-triazidopyridine, 3,5-dicyano-2,4,6-triazidopyridine, and 3,5-difluoro-2,4,6-triazidopyridine (1−4) gives rise to ESR spectral peaks of various triplet mononitrene, quintet dinitrene, and septet trinitrene species. The quintet 2,4-dinitrenes derived from 1−2 and 4 have zero-field splittings (zfs) of |D/hc| ∼ 0.22−0.24 cm-1, similar to values observed elsewhere for m-phenylene dinitrenes. 3,5-Dicyano-2,4,6-triazidopyridine (3) photolysis gives only a weak ESR signal corresponding to a mononitrene with a zfs of |D/hc| ∼ 1.22 cm-1. The spectrum from 1 also shows a 2,6-dinitrene with |D/hc| = 0.283 cm-1, |E/hc| = 0.036 cm-1, which illustrates the effects of heteroatom perturbation upon the zfs of a geometrically rigid m-arylene dinitrene. Spectral peaks for unusual septet 2,4,6-trinitrenopyridines derived from complete deazetation of 1−2 were also identified by simulation of the septet spectra. The zfs parameters for th...
“Let’s Hug It Out, Bitch” HBO’s Entourage, Masculinity in Crisis, and the Value of Audience Studies

Media scholars have begun to examine how masculinities function in the media through exploration of a variety of texts and personas; however, most have sought to do so by using textual analysis. We...
The association between magic Johnson's HIV serostatus disclosure and condom use in at‐risk respondents

Two waves of data from the National AIDS Behavioral Surveys, one collected prior to Magic Johnson's disclosure that he was HIV positive and one collected after, were used to address whether the disclosure was related to increases in condom use in a representative sample of respondents with a risk factor for HIV. Results indicated that Blacks, Hispanics, those with fewer than 12 years of education, and unmarried respondents were more likely to report being influenced by Magic Johnson's announcement. In addition, even when sociodemographic variables related to change in condom use were controlled, those respondents who reported being influenced by Magic Johnson's announcement were more likely to increase their condom use.
Activated carbons prepared from rice hull by one-step phosphoric acid activation

Abstract Activated carbons were prepared from rice hull by one-step phosphoric acid activation in this work. The evolution of pore structure and surface chemistry in the activation temperature range of 170–450 °C was investigated through various characterization techniques. The results showed that the development of porosity (extent of activation) was negligible at activation temperature below 300 °C, and rapid evolution occurred in 300–400 °C. Porous activated carbon with bimodel pore structure (pore 1 nm) and BET surface area as high as 1295 m2/g was obtained at 450 °C. The ash contents of samples prepared in this study were in the range of 5–21%. The ash contents of carbons prepared in this study initially decreased from 21.03% to 4.89% with the change of temperature from 170 to 300 °C, then increased to 8.72% at 450 °C. Boehm titration results suggested that low activation temperature (⩽300 °C) benefits the formation of acidic surface groups. With the increase of activation temperature from 300 to 350 °C, the concentrations of strong, intermediate and weak acidic surface groups decreased from 2.23, 1.87, and 2.73 to 1.66, 1.32, and 2.16 mmol H+/g, respectively. Over 350 °C, the change of these groups were insignificant. FTIR results revealed the existence of carbonyl-containing, phosphorus-containing groups, and groups containing Si–O bond. The relative concentration of carbonyl-containing groups decreases with an increase in activation temperature, while that of phosphorus-containing groups follows the reverse trend. The content of Si–O decreased first, then slowly increased with the increase of activation temperature. Boehm titration and FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) results indicated that the surfaces of these carbons contain both temperature-sensitive and temperature-insensitive groups. The temperature-sensitive part consists mainly of carbonyl-containing groups, such as carboxylic groups, while the temperature-insensitive part is primarily phosphorus-containing groups and groups containing Si–O bond. This study demonstrated that carbon products with relative low ash content and high activation degree can be prepared from rice hull by H3PO4 activation at suitable temperature.
Suppressive characteristics of the cultured umbilical cord blood lymphocytes: enhanced suppression of non specific MLR by short term cultured peripheral blood and rosetted lymphocytes.

Abstract We have used the mixed leukocyte reaction assay (MLR) to compare the non-specific suppressor activity of fresh and short-term cultured peripheral blood rosetted lymphocytes from human umbilical cord blood. To a one way MLR between adult responders and irradiated adult stimulator cells, we added adult or cord blood mononuclear cells. Cord-blood derived mononuclear cells were more potent suppressors of the MLR than the adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells. When the fresh cord blood T cell fraction was separated from non-T cells by rosetting, the frequency and capacity of suppression fell, suggesting a role of non-T cells in this phenomenon. However, short-term culture (up to nine days) of cord blood derived T cells in the absence of mitogen resulted in a significant increase in their suppressive characteristics. Maternal cells were not used in any of these assays and the suppression was non specific. There was no HLA restriction to the response. The cord blood lymphocytes responded poorly to alloantigen when compared to the adult lymphocytes. In addition, there was a correlation between the allogeneic proliferative response and the suppressive capacity of the cord blood cells. Such a correlation was not found with the adult periheral blood lymphocytes.
The role of the small GTPase Rac in macrophage phagocytosis after acute ethanol exposure

Antigen-specific CD8D T cell response are reduced by chronic ethanol and by TLR agonists: CD8D T cell alterations Prajwal Gurung, Jodi McGill, Betty M. Young, Ruth A. Coleman, Kevin L. Legge and Robert T. Cook, Department of Pathology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA USA, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA USA.
Identification of a New Endogenous Metabolite and the Characterization of Its Protein Interactions through an Immobilization Approach

The emerging field of global mass-based metabolomics provides a platform for discovering unknown metabolites and their specific biochemical pathways. We report the identification of a new endogenous metabolite, N4-(N-acetylaminopropyl)spermidine and the use of a novel proteomics based method for the investigation of its protein interaction using metabolite immobilization on agarose beads. The metabolite was isolated from the organism Pyrococcus furiosus, and structurally characterized through an iterative process of synthesizing candidate molecules and comparative analysis using accurate mass LC-MS/MS. An approach developed for the selective preparation of N1-acetylthermospermine, one of the possible structures of the unknown metabolite, provides a convenient route to new polyamine derivatives through methylation on the N8 and N4 of the thermospermine scaffold. The biochemical role of the novel metabolite as well as that of two other polyamines: spermidine and agmatine is investigated through metabolite i...
Association of age and response to androgen-deprivation therapy with or without radiotherapy for prostate cancer: data from CaPSURE.

Study Type – Therapy (prospective cohort) Level of Evidence 2b OBJECTIVE To assess whether the response to primary androgen-deprivation therapy (PADT) and radiotherapy (RT) plus adjuvant ADT would be muted in older men, as their tumours might already be relatively androgen insensitive, because serum testosterone levels decline with increasing age. PATIENTS AND METHODS Using the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor database, we conducted an observational study evaluating two groups of men treated for prostate cancer from 1995 to 2006. One group of 1748 men was treated with PADT and the second group of 612 men was treated with RT (external beam RT or brachytherapy) with neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant ADT. We tested whether age was a predictor of disease progression in the PADT group and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence in the RT + ADT group (Phoenix definition). Secondary outcomes were all cause (ACM) and prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM). RESULTS In both univariate and multivariate analysis stratifying by clinical risk group, age ( 75 years) had an increased hazard ratio (2.26, 95% confidence interval 1.04–4.88; P = 0.02) for ACM, but a decreased ratio for PCSM (0.29, 0.21–0.42; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION If we assume that age is a valid proxy measure for free available testosterone levels, then these levels do not seem to affect the likelihood of response to ADT, either used alone or combined with RT.
A biotin–protein bond with stability in plasma

A nonradioactive label for peptide hormones would be useful for pharmacokinetic studies in infants, children, and pregnant women. Because the binding affinity between biotin and avidin is large (Ka=10(15) M(-1)), biotin could also serve as a covalent label for subsequent detection using a variety of avidin conjugates. However, biotin labels produced by most commercially available biotinylating reagents are rapidly cleaved from protein in plasma. We sought to synthesize a stable biotin label for protein. With the use of immunoglobulin G (IgG) as a model protein, biotin was conjugated through a cysteine residue; a carboxylate group was positioned alpha to the biotinamide bond. Stability of the bond in the presence of plasma and buffer control was assessed by release of biotin. Released biotin was separated from biotinylated IgG by ultrafiltration and was quantitated by an avidin-binding assay. In plasma, less than 0.6% of bound biotin was released. This release rate is not significantly different from buffer and is less than 7% of the release rate for IgG biotinylated by N-hydroxysuccinimide-LC-biotin. We conclude that this biotin-protein bond is stable in plasma. We speculate that many uses of avidin-biotin technology could be improved by using this method for protein labeling.
Atrial natriuretic factor release is enhanced by incremental atrial pacing.

There is ample evidence from animal models indicating that secretion of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) can be induced by an increase in atrial contraction frequency or atrial distension. The influence of these stimulatory signals on ANF secretion in humans has not been fully elucidated. We assessed the responses to graded right atrial pacing in 28 patients (aged 33 to 70 years) at rates of 100, 125, and 150 beata/min on right atrial pressure, left atrial size (by two-dimensional echocardiography in 9 of 28 patients), and circulating plasma ANF levels. At pacing rates of 125 and 150 beats/min, ANF levels increased from a baseline value of 64 ± 9 fmol/ml (mean ± SEM) to 89 ± 13 fmol/ml (pp < 0.05) and to 132 ± 17 fmol/ml, respectively (p < 0.001). Right atrial pressure increased from a baseline value of 4.1 ± 0.7 mm Hg to 4.5 ± 0.6 mm Hg at a pacing rate of 125 beats/min (p < 0.05) and to 6.1 ± 0.8 mm Hg at a pacing rate of 150 beats/min (p < 0.001). Left atrial dimension increased from a baseline value of 44.5 ± 3 mm to 49.5 ± 3 mm at a pacing rate of 125 beats/min (p < 0.05) and increased further to 52.5 ± 3 mm at a pacing rate of 150 beats/min (p < 0.001). No significant changes in atrial pressure or size or in plasma ANF were observed at a pacing rate of 100 beats/min. These data suggest that increased atrial distension and intracavitary pressure result from higher atrial pacing frequencies (125 and 150 beats/min) and contribute significantly to increased circulating ANF levels in humans. An independent effect of atrial pacing frequency on plasma ANF in humans could not be identified.
Mindful Awareness and Non-judging in Relation to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess group differences between veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in mindful awareness and mindful non-judging. The relationships between mindfulness and PTSD symptom clusters were also evaluated. Three age and gender-matched groups, (1) 15 combat veterans with PTSD, (2) 15 combat veterans without PTSD, and (3) 15 non-combat veterans without PTSD, completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and the Accept without Judgment Scale. PTSD status was determined with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and excluded disorders screened with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Mindfulness scale group differences were assessed with analysis of variance. Mindfulness and the PTSD symptom clusters relationships were assessed with hierarchical regression analysis. There were group differences on mindful non-judging (F(2,44) = 7.22, p = .002) but not mindful awareness (p > .05). Combat exposure accounted for significant variation in PTSD symptoms (hyper-arousal 47%; numbing-avoiding 32%; re-experiencing 23%). Mindfulness accounted for a significant percentage variance of PTSD symptoms (re-experiencing 32%; numbing-avoiding 19%, hyper-arousal 16%), beyond combat exposure effects, although only mindful non-judging was significant in the model. This study confirms in a clinical sample that mindful non-judging is associated with PTSD symptoms and could represent a meaningful focus for treatment.
Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Self-Reported Colorectal Cancer Screening Status Using Face-to-Face Administration

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-developed colorectal cancer screening questionnaire. Methods We conducted 36 cognitive interviews and made iterative changes to the questionnaire to improve comprehension. The revised questionnaire was administered face-to-face to 201 participants. The primary outcome was agreement between questionnaire responses and medical records for whether or not a participant was up-to-date for any colorectal cancer screening test. Results Comprehension of descriptions and questions was generally good; however, the barium enema description required several revisions. The sensitivity of the questionnaire for up-to-date screening status was 94%, specificity 63%, and concordance 88%. Conclusions The modified questionnaire was highly sensitive for determining if a person was up-to-date for any colorectal cancer screening test, although the specificity was low. Given the difficulty of obtaining all relevant records, self-report using this questionnaire is a reasonable option for identifying people who have undergone testing.
Observation of embedded lattice solitons

We report the first demonstration of embedded lattice soliton trains. Such solitons arise from the X-symmetry points in the first Bloch band but still reside (embedded) in the first band of a 2D photonic lattice.
Distribution of C-reactive protein and its relation to risk factors and coronary heart disease risk estimation in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III

The authors examined the distribution of, and risk factors associated with, the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) among a large sample of non-institutionalized American adults aged 30-74 years of age, and its relation to estimated 10-year coronary heart disease risk. The population studied comprised 4472 men and 5212 women aged 30-74 years, without coronary heart disease, who had CRP measurements in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). The 10-year risk of coronary heart disease was estimated from Framingham risk factor algorithms among those with CRP levels of less-than-or-equal0.21 mg/dL, >0.21 to 0.21 to <0.5 mg/dL, 0.5 to <1.0 mg/dL and greater-than-or-equal1.0 mg/dL, the 10-year estimated risk of coronary heart disease were 13.4%, 17.6%, 19.6%, and 21.1% among men, respectively, and 2.7%, 3.6%, 4.1% and 4.3% among women, respectively (both p<0.001 across CRP categories); higher risks across CRP groups were also found among ethnic/gender subgroups. CRP remained a significant predictor of coronary heart disease risk in unadjusted and age-adjusted analyses. Conclusion. Elevation of CRP is associated with several major coronary heart disease risk factors and with unadjusted and age-adjusted projections of 10-year coronary heart disease risk in both men and women. (c)2001 CHF, Inc. Presented at the Fifth International Conference on Preventive Cardiology, Osaka, Japan, May, 2001.
Integrated modeling environment for statewide assessment of groundwater vulnerability from pesticide use in agriculture.

Atrazine, a herbicide widely used for corn production in the Midwest, has been detected in groundwater of several states, and has been identified as a possible human carcinogen. With the widespread use of pesticides in crop production, and the frequent detection of these chemicals in groundwater, large-scale risk assessments would help water resource managers to identify areas that are more susceptible to contamination and implement practices to ameliorate the problem. This paper presents an integrated, visual and interactive system for predicting potential environmental risks associated with pesticide contamination at spatial scales ranging from fields to landscapes and regions. The interactive system extends the predictive ability of the Pesticide Root Zone Model Release 2.0 (PRZM-2) to a landscape and statewide scale through integration with a geographic information system (GIS), graphical user interface and environmental databases. Predictions of statewide (Iowa) vulnerability of groundwater from atrazine leaching below the unsaturated zone were made to demonstrate the utility of the system, and the results were used in risk assessment. In the example application, atrazine fate and transport were evaluated using long-term climatic data (1980–1989) in combination with several environmental databases (eg STATSGO soils database) and exposure risks were expressed in terms of the probability of the predicted pesticide concentrations exceeding the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water. The results indicate that the predicted pesticide concentrations were significantly lower than the EPA-established MCL. In addition to providing an interactive environment for landscape-level assessment of potential risks from pesticide leaching, the system significantly reduces the time and resources needed to organize and manipulate data for use with PRZM-2, and provides an analytical framework for evaluating groundwater-leaching impacts of pesticide management practices. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Comparison of time-dependent Hartree-Fock with the exact solution in a solvable model

Abstract The Lipkin model has been used to compare the exact evolution in time of a many-particle wave function, which is initially a Slater determinant, with the evolution in time of the determinant as given by the TDHF equation of motion. The solution of the model is discussed, and numerical comparisons of the TDHF and exact solutions are presented.
Skeletal muscle satellite cell proliferation in response to members of the fibroblast growth factor family and hepatocyte growth factor

Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) have the ability to regulate satellite cell proliferation in culture and in muscle tissue, but the specific FGF receptors (FGFR) expressed by adult rat muscle satellite cells and the action of members of the FGF family have not been assessed. Therefore, the expression of FGF receptors 1-4 was examined in proliferating satellite cells in culture, and the effects of eight members of the fibroblast growth factor family (FGFs1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) on adult rat muscle satellite cells were evaluated. In addition, the interactions of FGFs with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were described. Of the eight FGFs evaluated, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 9 significantly (P < 0.05) stimulated proliferation above control. FGFs5, 7, and 8 displayed no mitogenic activity. Furthermore, combinations of HGF with FGFs2, 4, 6, or 9 stimulated satellite cell proliferation above that of optimal concentrations of HGF alone. Expression of four FGFR genes was detected in satellite cell cultures by reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). FGFR1 and FGFR4 were the most prominent forms expressed, and FGFR2 was only expressed at low levels. FGFR3 was difficult to detect. FGFR1 and FGFR2 were also expressed in muscle-derived fibroblasts, but FGFR4 and FGFR3 were not. In proliferating cultures of satellite cells, HGF, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and FGF1 stimulated significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of FGFR1 message content, relative to control conditions, and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-II) significantly (P < 0.05) depressed FGFR1 expression. During the activation period of satellite cell growth in culture (0-48 h), FGFR1 message content significantly (P < 0.05) increased from less than 1,000 copies per cell to approximately 5,000 copies per cell between 18 and 48 h, and HGF treatment significantly (P < 0.05) accelerated the accumulation of FGFR1 message during this period.
Pyrazyl methyl ketones as potential chelating agents

A series of 2-pyrazylmethyl ketones was prepared by the acylation of 2-pyrazylmethylsodium with the esters of various carboxylic acids. The methyl, ethyl,iso-propyl,tent-butyl, and phenyl ketones were prepared.
Carbothermal Synthesis of Boron Nitride Coatings on Silicon Carbide

Pure BN coatings have been synthesized on the surface of SiC powders and fibers by a novel carbothermal nitridation method. Three stages are involved in the process: first, formation of a carbon layer on the SiC by the extraction of Si with chlorine; second, infiltration of the resulting nanoporous carbide-derived carbon (CDC) coating by a saturated boric acid solution; and finally, nitridation in ammonia at atmospheric pressure to produce the pure BN coating. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) were used to characterize the phase, elemental composition, and surface morphology of the coatings. The intermediate carbon layer acts as a template for BN growth, facilitates the formation of BN, and prevents the degradation of SiC fibers during nitridation. The whole process is simple, cost-effective, and less toxic due to the use of H3BO3 and NH3 as precursors at atmospheric pressure compared with most commonly used chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. Uniform BN coatings obtained by this method prevent the bridging of fibers in the tow. The coating of powders is possible, which cannot be achieved by conventional CVD methods.
Age and Oxygen Utilization During Submaximal Treadmill Exercise in Males

One thousand and fifty-eight men walked on a motor-driven treadmill at 3 miles/hour with the grade increasing 3% at 3-min intervals. (The 30 oldest men walked at 2 miles/hour.) Ventilation, Vo2, and Vco2 were recorded at each treadmill grade. During exercise Vo2 (in ml/min/kg of body wt) is significantly higher in younger compared with older boys. Vo2 increases slightly from age 20 though 59 years at any given work load. The respiratory exchange ratio (Vco2/Vo2) increases throughout the age range, particularly at the higher work loads. Ventilation (in 1/min/kg of body wt) decreases from age 10 to 20 years and increases thereafter, as does the ventilatory equivalent. The increased ventilation in young boys is characterized by an increase in respiration rate, whereas in older men it is accomplished through an increase in tidal volume.
GaAs permeable base transistors fabricated with 240-mm-periodicity tungsten base gratings

The microwave performance of the first GaAs permeable base transistors (PBTs) fabricated with 240-nm-periodicity tungsten base gratings is described. These PBTs have demonstrated a maximum stable gain of 20.1 dB at 26.5 GHz, which is believed to be the largest small-signal power gain for any microwave transistor at this frequency. Extrapolation of this maximum stable gain using a 6 dB/octave rolloff yields a maximum frequency of oscillation (f/sub max/) of 265 GHz. The breakdown voltage is approximately 20 V, which should make these devices excellent microwave power sources. Extrapolation microwave measurements on these devices from 3 GHz using a 6 dB/octave rolloff yields a unity-current-gain frequency (f/sub T/) of 38 GHz, which matches the best prior result for a PBT. These 240-nm-periodicity PBTs that have given the best f/sub T/ have been depletion-mode devices, suggesting that 240-nm-periodicity depletion-mode PBTs should have f/sub T/ values above 38 GHz. >
Optimizing FEC Transmission Strategy for Minimizing Delay in Lossless Sequential Streaming

As cloud computing is taking off, the presence of high-performance interactive Internet applications is exploding. By nature, these applications require responsive client-server data exchange and lossless, in-order delivery. Previous work has shown that by using forward error correction (FEC), it is possible to reduce the data streaming latency caused by retransmissions of lost packets. However, the prior schemes only send FEC packets when there are no original packets pending transmission. In this paper, we further expand the hybrid FEC-ARQ protocol and show that sometimes, the transmission latency can be further reduced by preempting original data packets with FEC packets. We have formulated the decision of whether to send new original data packets, FEC packets, or resend original data packets as a transmission policy. An optimal transmission policy is selected to minimize the delay experienced by the application subject to a constraint on the amount of overhead. By using this optimal policy, we significantly improve the delay performance over straightforward FEC schemes while controlling the amount of overhead due to FEC.
Adaptive control for a class of nonlinear systems with a time-varying structure

We present a direct adaptive control method for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with a time-varying structure. We view the nonlinear systems as composed of a finite number of "pieces," which are interpolated by functions that depend on a possibly exogenous scheduling variable. We assume that each piece is in strict-feedback form, and show that the method yields stability of all signals in the closed-loop, as well as convergence of the state vector to a residual set around the equilibrium, whose size can be set by the choice of several design parameters. The class of systems considered is a generalization of the class of strict-feedback systems traditionally considered in the backstepping literature. We also provide design guidelines based on L/sub 2/ bounds on the transient.
Association Between Specific Mutations in KRAS Codon 12 and Colorectal Liver Metastasis.

Surgical therapy, often combined with adjuvant systemic chemotherapy, is the best therapeutic option to treat patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM), However, while overall survival (OS) has improved, many patients with CRLM will recur and ultimately die of their disease.1,3 The factors used to predict outcome following surgical resection of CRLM largely focus on clinicopathological prognostic factors such as preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, presentation of disease (ie, synchronous vs metachronous disease), disease-free interval between primary tumor and hepatic metastasis, and metastatic tumor number and size.4 There has been increasing interest in the use of biologic and molecular markers in the prognostic assessment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer undergoing liver resection.4 Among patients with colorectal adeno-carcinoma, mutated Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) is the most common oncogene of the RAS family, reported in up to 30% to 40% of patients.5–9 While the frequency and prognostic impact of KRAS mutation status have been described for both primary and metastatic colorectal cancer, to our knowledge, the role of specific mutations on KRAS codons remains undefined.10–14 Most KRAS mutations are detected in codons 12 and 13, while mutations in codons 61 and 146 are less common.15–17 KRAS mutations in codons 12 and 13 include different point mutations; the most common are codon 12 Gly→Asp (G12D), codon 12 Gly→Val (G12V), and codon 13 Gly→Asp (G13D) substitutions.18 Previous evidence has suggested that different biologic characteristics of specific KRAS mutations can lead to variations in epidermal growth factor receptor resistance.19–21 In addition, some investigators have suggested that specific KRAS mutations may also be associated with a more aggressive tumor phenotype in patients with unresectable stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer.5,22 However, the prognostic implication of different point mutations on survival of patients following curative intent liver resection for CLRM has not been previously investigated. As such, the purpose of the present study was to define the incidence of different specific KRAS mutations among patients with resected CRLM. Specifically, we sought to characterize the prognostic impact of different KRAS point mutations on recurrence and the survival of patients undergoing curative intent liver resection for CRLM.