cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distinct Functions of Social Support and Cognitive Function Among Older Adults

Background/Study Context: Social support has been shown to buffer cognitive decline in older adults; however, few studies have examined the association of distinct functions of perceived social support and cognitive function. The current study examined the relations between distinct functions of social support and numerous cognitive domains in older adults. Methods: Data were derived from a cross-sectional, correlational study of cardiovascular risk factors, cognitive function, and neuroimaging. The participants were 175 older adults with a mean age of 66.32. A number of neuropsychological tests and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List were administered. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to determine cross-sectional relations of social support to cognitive function after controlling for age, gender, education, depressive symptomatology, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol, and fasting glucose. Results: No significant positive relations were found between disti...
Analysis of the interfacial structure of a twinned variant of Ag precipitate in CuAg alloys

There have been numerous studies of orientation relationships (ORs) between precipitate and matrix phases in alloys. In contrast, there have been very few reports in the literature of the hetero-twin OR, where the lattice planes in the precipitate phase are in twin orientation with respect to the corresponding lattice planes in the parent phase. Examples of such an OR have been observed in metal silicide/Si systems. When a Co film is deposited on (111) Si, the CoSi[sub 2] reaction product displays two variants. One of these variants was found to have the hetero-twin orientation with respect to the underlying substrate. Similar ORs have also been observed in the NiSi[sub 2] system. In this study the authors report experimental results obtained on a binary Cu-Ag alloy consisting of Ag-rich precipitates in a Cu-rich matrix. The OR between some of the precipitates and the matrix is the hetero-twin orientation. The structural ledge (SL) theory is used to analyze the OR and to predict the habit plane.
John Cunningham virus T-antigen expression in anal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Anal carcinoma is thought to be driven by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection through interrupting function of cell regulatory proteins such as p53 and pRb. John Cunningham virus (JCV) expresses a T-antigen that causes malignant transformation through development of aneuploidy and interaction with some of the same regulatory proteins as HPV. JCV T-antigen is present in brain, gastric, and colon malignancies, but has not been evaluated in anal cancers. The authors examined a cohort of anal cancers for JCV T-antigen and correlated this with clinicopathologic data. METHODS: Archived anal carcinomas were analyzed for JCV T-antigen expression. DNA from tumor and normal tissue was sequenced for JCV with viral copies determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Southern blotting. HPV and microsatellite instability (MSI) status was correlated with JCV T-antigen expression. RESULTS: Of 21 cases of anal cancer (mean age 49 years, 38% female), 12 (57%) were in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals. All 21 cancers expressed JCV T-antigen, including 9 HPV-negative specimens. More JCV copies were present in cancer versus surrounding normal tissue (mean 32.54 copies/μg DNA vs 2.98 copies/μg DNA, P = .0267). There was no correlation between disease stage and viral copies, nor between viral copies and HIV-positive or -negative status (28.7 vs 36.34 copies/μg DNA, respectively, P = .7804). In subset analysis, no association was found between JCV T-antigen expression and HPV or MSI status. CONCLUSIONS: Anal carcinomas uniformly express JCV T-antigen and contain more viral copies compared with surrounding normal tissue. JCV and its T-antigen oncogenic protein, presumably through interruption of cell regulatory proteins, may play a role in anal cancer pathogenesis. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Diastereoselective Dieckmann condensation suitable for introduction of the duocarmycin A C6 center: Development of a divergent strategy for the total synthesis of duocarmycins A and SA

The development of a divergent approach to the introduction of the C-ring of the duocarmycin A and SA alkylation subunits is detailed and includes the development of a diastereoselective Dieckmann condensation suitable for introduction of the duocarmycin A C6 center with control of its relative and natural R absolute configuration.
Scale‐dependent responses of species richness to experimental manipulation of productivity and disturbance in Californian coastal grasslands

Question Relationships between species richness and environmental drivers such as productivity and disturbance are sensitive to the scale over which they are measured, but the extent to which this scale-dependence is important for experimental studies conducted over small scale ranges is not well known. We ask whether the response of species richness to experimental manipulation of productivity and disturbance varies across small spatial scales (0.016–4 m2). We show that species–area relationships are well suited to summarize cross-scale responses of species richness, and ask whether the responses of species–area relationships to experimental manipulations are more consistent than richness at any single scale. Location Northern Californian coastal grasslands. Methods We applied disturbance and productivity reduction treatments over 4 yr at two sites. We assessed changes in species richness over five grain sizes, encompassing a 256-fold range of plot size. This allowed us to construct a species–area relationship for each experimental plot in each sampling year. We used the slope of the species–area relationship to summarize changes in species richness across multiple spatial scales. Results Richness responses were scale-dependent and complex, causing changes at any one scale to be difficult to interpret. Disturbance either increased or had no effect on richness, while reducing productivity had idiosyncratic effects among sites, scales and years. Both treatments, however, had consistent and interpretable effects on the species–area relationship. Reducing productivity increased the slope of the species–area relationship, while disturbance decreased it. Conclusions Our results suggest that the productivity–richness and disturbance–richness relationships are scale-dependent, and that improved generality could be achieved by focusing attention on the response of the species–area relationship to these factors.
G-protein-coupled Receptor Rhodopsin Regulates the Phosphorylation of Retinal Insulin Receptor

We have shown previously that phosphoinositide 3-kinase in the retina is activated in vivo through light-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor (IR). The light effect is localized to photoreceptor neurons and is independent of insulin secretion (Rajala, R. V., McClellan, M. E., Ash, J. D., and Anderson, R. E. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 43319–43326). These results suggest that there exists a cross-talk between phototransduction and other signal transduction pathways. In this study, we examined the stage of phototransduction that is coupled to the activation of the IR. We studied IR phosphorylation in mice lacking the rod-specific α-subunit of transducin to determine if phototransduction events are required for IR activation. To confirm that light-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the IR is signaled through bleachable rhodopsin, we examined IR activation in retinas from RPE65-/- mice that are deficient in opsin chromophore. We observed that IR phosphorylation requires the photobleaching of rhodopsin but not transducin signaling. To determine whether the light-dependent activation of IR is mediated through the rod or cone transduction pathway, we studied the IR activation in mice lacking opsin, a mouse model of pure cone function. No light-dependent activation of the IR was found in the retinas of these mice. We provide evidence for the existence of a light-mediated IR pathway in the retina that is different from the known insulin-mediated pathway in nonneuronal tissues. These results suggest that IR phosphorylation in rod photoreceptors is signaled through the G-protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin. This is the first study demonstrating that rhodopsin can initiate signaling pathway(s) in addition to its classical phototransduction.
High-speed, dynamic spatial control of cold atoms with combined acousto-optic and spatial light modulation

We demonstrate an experimental technique for manipulating atom clouds with high-speed and high resolution. By combining holographically engineered laser beams from a spatial light modulator with acousto-optic deflection, we manipulate the spatial locations of multiple cold atom clouds held in dark optical traps with individual site control. Additionally, we demonstrate smooth 2-dimensional motion of atomic ensembles.
Positive Parenting Practices Associated with Subsequent Childhood Weight Change

We aimed to identify positive parenting practices that set children on differential weight-trajectories. Parenting practices studied were cognitively stimulating activities, limit-setting, disciplinary practices, and parent warmth. Data from two U.S. national longitudinal data sets and linear and logistic regression were used to examine association of initial parenting practices with subsequent change in body mass index (BMI) Z-score and being overweight, stratified by income and gender. Lower change in BMI Z-score and lower likelihood of being or becoming overweight occurred among girls if parents engaged in cognitively stimulating activities or set bedtime; among low-income girls if parents helped with art and set bedtime; among high-income girls if they participated in dance or music, parents talked about nature or visited a museum or library, or parents had rules about number of hours for watching television; among low-income boys if they participated in dance or parents built something with them or set bedtime; and among high-income boys if they participated in dance or music. Greater expression of warmth was associated with lower change in BMI Z-score. Parenting practices facilitating cognitive stimulation, setting limits, and expressing warmth are associated with lower likelihood of being or becoming overweight and can be promoted by healthcare professionals.
Maximizing Vocational Outcome after Brain Injury: Integration of Medical and Vocational Hospital-Based Services

Objective To describe a medical and vocational case-management system that has been implemented at the Mayo Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota, to decrease the time between onset of brain injury and successful community reintegration. Design Barriers to employment are identified and targeted as part of a system that integrates medical center- and community-based services. Material and Methods The success of the project will be determined by several sources, including the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory, a vocational rating scale, and traditional measures of vocational success (for example, level of independent living, job type and setting, rate of pay, and the type and cost of vocational supports being used). Overall study outcomes will be compared against benchmarks derived from the literature on vocational outcome after brain injury. Results Preliminary data are encouraging that project goals are attainable. The medical case-management system has decreased the amount of time between injury and initiation of vocational and other rehabilitation services. During the first year, 67 persons with brain injury began receiving vocational services through the project, and 34% are in community-based nonsheltered work or training programs. Second-year data will reveal whether the goal of 70% placement within 9 months after admission to the project can be maintained.
Organic, Organometallic and Polymeric Materials with Nonlinear Optical Properties,

Abstract : New approaches to both second-order and third-order nonlinear optical materials are presented. A series of organometallic and organic salts, in which the cation has been designed to have a large molecular hyperpolarizability, has been prepared and the SHG efficiencies were measured. Partially substituted derivatives of polyacetylene are synthesized via the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclooctatetraene (COT) and its derivatives. Certain polyCOT derivatives afford soluble, highly conjugated polyacetylenes. These materials exhibit large third-order optical nonlinearities and low scattering losses.
Management of pediatric plunging ranula

Summary Objective There appears to be a high incidence of ranula in New Zealand. This study was designed to evaluate the diagnosis and surgical treatment of plunging ranula in children at Auckland Starship Children's Hospital, New Zealand. Methods A prospective study of 21 pediatric patients with a clinical diagnosis of plunging ranula was conducted. All children underwent clinical assessment and fine needle aspiration cytology. Cytological diagnosis was considered definitive and radiological investigations were not conducted. Surgical treatment comprising intraoral excision of the ipsilateral sublingual gland and pseudocyst was performed. Results The preoperative diagnosis was unchanged after surgery and histopathological analysis in all cases. There were no recurrences at 24-month follow up. There are no long-term complications to date. Conclusions Intraoral removal of the sublingual glands and pseudocyst is an effective and safe method for the treatment of plunging ranula in the pediatric population.
Longitudinal Effect of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) on Student Achievement

Linn, Baker and Betebenner (2002) suggested using the effect size statistic as a measure of adequate yearly progress target (AYPT) as is required by PL 107-110. This paper analyzes a four-year data set from the required high-stakes test--Washington Assessment of Student Learning—using effect size as the AYPT metric. Mean scale scores for 4th, 7th and 10th grade reading and mathematics were examined. Nominal descriptors suggested by Cohen (1988) were applied and showed no yearly effect in student achievement as a function of the WASL. Comparing the 1998 scale scores to those of 2001 showed a small effect. However, manipulating the effect size criterion from 0.20 to 0.05 did show small yearly effects in student achievement. Meeting AYPT objectives will be a problem of defining the standard as yearly score fluctuations occur. The educational research community should challenge the statistical logic associated with setting AYPT’s.
Tachyon condensation and ‘bounce’ in the D1–D5 system

Abstract We construct supergravity solutions dual to microstates of the D1–D3–D5 system with nonzero B field moduli. Just like the D1–D5 solutions in [ hep-th/0109154 ] these solutions are generically nonsingular everywhere, with the ‘throat’ closing smoothly near r=0. We write expressions relating the asymptotic supergravity fields to the integral brane charges. We study the infall of a D1 brane down the throat of the geometries. This test brane ‘bounces’ off the smooth end for generic initial conditions. The details of the bounce depend on both the choice of D1–D3–D5 microstate and the direction of approach of the infalling D1 brane. In the dual field theory description we see that the tachyon mode starts to condense, but the tachyon bounces back up the potential hill without reaching the deepest point of the potential.
DNA-templated self-assembly of protein and nanoparticle linear arrays.

Self-assembling DNA tiling lattices represent a versatile system for nanoscale construction. Self-assembled DNA arrays provide an excellent template for spatially positioning other molecules with increased relative precision and programmability. Here we report an experiment using a linear array of DNA triple crossover tiles to controllably template the self-assembly of single-layer or double-layer linear arrays of streptavidin molecules and streptavidin-conjugated nanogold particles through biotin−streptavidin interaction. The organization of streptavidin and its conjugated gold nanoparticles into periodic arrays was visualized by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.
TH‐C‐M100E‐04: Cerenkov Light From Phantom Cassettes in Absolute Dose Measurements Using Radiographic Film

Purpose: To determine the impact of Cerenkov light on radiographic film response and to recommend a methodology for correcting absolute dose measurements when using bare film, but calibrated using prepackaged film. Method and Materials: The Gammex RMI Film Dosimetry Cassette Model 436‐AST (Solid Water) and two in‐house cassettes (white opaque, high‐impact polystyrene) were studied using Kodak XV or EDR2 film. Films were exposed perpendicular to 16‐MeV electron (15×15 cm2) or 6 MV x‐ray (20×20 cm2) beams. Films were oriented such that quadrant ♯1 had bare film; quadrant ♯2 had film covered by the prepackaged white paper; quadrant ♯3 had film in its prepackaged container; and quadrant ♯4 had film covered by the prepackaged carbon jacket. To account for beam asymmetry, dose response for each quadrant was normalized to that in the corresponding quadrant of a film irradiated in the carbon jacket, which blocked phantom‐produced Cerenkov light. A prepackaged film, irradiated using a multi‐exposure technique, provided the dose‐response calibration.Results: The “carbon jacket only” dose values averaged 96.1% of the “prepackaged” dose values, indicating that the prepackaged white paper produced Cerenkov light that increased film response by 4.0%. No significant difference due to radiation modality or film type was evident. The “white paper only” dose values ranged from 103.6–107.5% of the “prepackaged” dose values, indicating that Cerenkov light from the phantom material contributed to an increased film response. For white opaque, high‐impact polystyrene the “bare film” dose values ranged from 102.2–109.6% of the “prepackaged” dose values, depending on phantom and modality. For Solid Water the “bare film” dose value was 117.3% of the “prepackaged” dose values. Conclusion: When making absolute dose measurements using bare film and calibrating using prepackaged film, a correction for excess film response arising from Cerenkov light is required, and the reported quadrant method is recommended.
Stable isotope trophic patterns in echinoderm megafauna in close proximity to and remote from Gulf of Mexico lower slope hydrocarbon seeps

Abstract Hydrocarbon-seep communities in the Gulf of Mexico have a high biomass that is exploited as a food source to varying degrees by the photosynthesis-dependent fauna inhabiting the surrounding mud bottom. A decline concurrent with ocean depth in detritus influx to that background habitat results in a much lower background biomass. The biomass contrast between population-rich seeps and depauperate mud bottom leads to the prediction that seep utilization by the background fauna should be extensive at all depths and should increase with depth. Species depth zonation makes like-species comparisons over the full depth of the Gulf of Mexico impossible. Seeps and normal bottom above 1000 m have different fauna from those below 1000 m. Lower slope seeps are surrounded by a fauna rich in echinoderm species, especially asteroids, ophiuroids, and holothuroids. All three taxa have species that are abundant within seeps and are probably endemic to them. They also contain species found only in mud background or within mud and seeps backgrounds. Tissue analyses of δ 13 C and δ 15 N of echinoderms collected by ROV within seeps and trawling away from seeps indicate a pattern of utilization similar to that found in upper slope seeps exploited by different taxa. Seastar and ophiuroid species abundant in or endemic to seeps have tissue isotope values reflecting seep chemosynthetic input via a free-living microbial detritus or predation. A single seep-endemic deposit-feeding holothuroid showed distinct seep tissue values. Background deposit-feeding holothuroids collected within seeps showed either no or only minor incorporation of seep carbon, indicating either a lack of access to seep detritus or short feeding times within the seep. A predicted extensive utilization of seep productivity at the deeper seeps was not found. Seeps may be relatively closed systems that require special adaptations of species in order for them to enter, exploit, and survive. Alternately, the surrounding deep benthos may not be as food-poor as assumed from biomass measurements and flux estimates.
Is it a good investment to attend an elite private college

Abstract This paper attempts to determine whether the cost of attending elite private colleges bears a return comparable to other human capital investments. The empirical work compares the net present value of attending elite private colleges to that of less selective public colleges. The results imply that private investments in educational quality yield a rate of return which is at least equal to the return of investments in the quantity of education. If the real tuition differential between private and public colleges continues to rise, this rate of return will gradually fall. It is unclear whether attending an elite private college will remain a good private investment.
Long-range temporal correlations in epileptogenic and non-epileptogenic human hippocampus

Epileptogenic human hippocampus generates spontaneous energy fluctuations with a wide range of amplitude and temporal variation, which are often assumed to be entirely random. However, the temporal dynamics of these fluctuations are poorly understood, and the question of whether they exhibit persistent long-range temporal correlations (LRTC) remains unanswered. In this paper we use detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) to show that the energy fluctuations in human hippocampus show LRTC with power-law scaling, and that these correlations differ between epileptogenic and non-epileptogenic hippocampus. The analysis shows that the energy fluctuations exhibit slower decay of the correlations in the epileptogenic hippocampus compared with the non-epileptogenic hippocampus. The DFA-derived scaling exponents demonstrate that there are LRTC of energy fluctuations in human hippocampus, and that the temporal persistence of energy fluctuations is characterized by a bias for large (small) energy fluctuations to be followed by large (small) energy fluctuations. Furthermore, we find that in the period of time leading up to seizures there is no change in the scaling exponents that characterize the LRTC of energy fluctuations. The fact that the LRTC of energy fluctuations do not change as seizures approach provides evidence that the local neuronal network dynamics do not change in the period before seizures, and that seizures in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy may be triggered by an influence that is external to the hippocampus. The presence of LRTC with power-law scaling does not imply a specific mechanism, but the finding that temporal correlations decay more slowly in epileptogenic hippocampus provides electrophysiologic evidence that the underlying neuronal dynamics are different within the epileptogenic hippocampus compared with contralateral hippocampus. We briefly discuss possible neurobiological mechanisms for LRTC of the energy fluctuations in hippocampus.
Studies on the Nutrition of Pheasant Chicks

Abstract THE results of Callenback and Hiller (1933) and of Norris, Elmore, Ringrose, and Bump (1936) on the protein requirements of Ringnecked pheasants showed that the young of this species require a level of protein in the diet of about 28 to 30 percent, which indicates that the nutritional requirements of the pheasant resemble those of the turkey poult (Scott, Heuser, and Norris, 1948) more than they do those of the domestic chick. Therefore, in an attempt to establish the nutritional needs of the pheasant for rapid, efficient, uniform growth and feathering, and for optimum bone formation, it was decided to begin with a basal diet which had been shown to give excellent results with turkey poults. By making systematic changes in this basic formula it was hoped that the nutritional needs of the pheasant could be determined, within limits, and information could be obtained which would aid in the formulation . . .
Chromosomal translocation in a human leukemic stem-cell line disrupts the T-cell antigen receptor delta-chain diversity region and results in a previously unreported fusion transcript

We have studied a leukemic stem-cell line, DU.528, that is able to differentiate into myeloid and lymphoid cells. The leukemic cells have a translocation between chromosomes 1 and 14, t(1;14)(p33;q11), which we have molecularly cloned and sequenced. Initial screening used joining (J)-segment probes from the T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha- and delta-chain loci. In apparent concert with the translocation, a deletion has occurred between delta-chain diversity (D)-region genes D delta 1 and D delta 2. D delta 2 was observed on derivative chromosome 1 [der(1)] and D delta 1 on der(14) with a deletion of the intervening 10 kilobases of germ-line DNA. The nature of the D delta 1-D delta 2 deletional event implicates a lymphoid recombinase in the mechanism of the translocation. As a consequence of the translocation, an unusual fusion transcript was generated. Probes from chromosome 1 detected a previously unreported transcript in RNA from both the cell line and the patient. A chromosome 14 probe identified the same transcript, thus confirming a fusion transcript derived from both chromosomes 1 and 14. This translocation may identify a gene for which we propose the name SCL (stem-cell leukemia) that is important for hemopoietic development and oncogenesis and that has been disrupted or altered in this stem-cell line.
FINITE-ELEMENT MODELING OF G2 GUARDRAIL

A finite-element model of the AASHTO G2 guardrail (weak-post W-beam) was developed and analyzed under vehicle impact conditions by using LLNL-DYNA3D, a nonlinear, explicit, three-dimensional, public-domain, finite-element code. The modeling procedures and problems encountered are described, and suggestions for further research are given. W-beam and S3 X 5.7 steel post mesh optimization procedures and results are described. A suitable point of fixity for the posts to account for soil effects is determined. W-beam-to-post connections were investigated by three different methods. Impact influence lengths and problems associated with modeling flexible barriers are discussed. The steps taken to assemble a model, including a prebuilt vehicle model, are given. The G2 guardrail was struck with the 820C vehicle model, developed by FHWA, at a speed of 26.69 m/sec (59.7 mph) and an angle of 15.4 degrees.
The Power of the Vulnerable Body: From Sappho to Erin Belieu

Roland Barthes wrote that “To try to write love is to confront the muck of language: that region of hysteria where language is both too much and too little, excessive (by the limitless expansion of...
Tsarist authorities and Lithuanian book-smuggling

(1980). Tsarist authorities and Lithuanian book-smuggling. Journal of Baltic Studies: Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 334-340.
The role of spatial training in improving spatial and calculus performance in engineering students

Abstract Freshman engineering students who took a mental rotation (MR) test as a pretest at freshman orientation and as a posttest at the end of the first semester (675 students; 542 males, 133 females) were divided into intervention and comparison groups based on a pass/fail MR pretest cutoff score. Those who failed the test were all assigned to a spatial intervention consisting of a 1-credit course meeting weekly over the semester; those who passed were assigned to the comparison group. The present study used a regression discontinuity (RD) analysis to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. A treatment effect was found for posttest MR performance as there was a discontinuity or jump in the regression intercepts at the cutoff score of the pretest variable, with the intervention group performing at higher levels than would be expected if there had been no intervention. Using the same RD analysis, the intervention also showed transfer effects, improving calculus performance of the students in the intervention condition.
Reliability and validity of self-reported smoking in an anonymous online survey with young adults.

Objective The Internet offers many potential benefits to conducting smoking and other health behavior research with young adults. Questions, however, remain regarding the psychometric properties of online self-reported smoking behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of self-reported smoking and smoking-related cognitions obtained from an online survey.
The infrared echo of a type II supernova with a circumstellar dust shell: applications to SN 1979c and SN 1980k

Merrill (1980) and Telesco et al. (1981) have reported observations according to which supernovae developed a thermal infrared excess about 7-9 months after visual maximum. The two supernovae involved are SN 1979c in NGC 4321 and SN 1980k in NGC 6946. The infrared behavior of these supernovae is almost identical to that observed in several novae. The present investigation is concerned with the question whether the thermal infrared radiation from SN 1979c and SN 1980k could have been emitted by dust particles which were present in a circumstellar shell prior to the supernova event. The obtained results confirm the suggestion of Bode and Evans (1980) that the thermal emission from SN 1979c may have originated from preexisting dust present in a circumstellar shell and heated up by the UV-visual output of the supernova. The thermal infrared emission from SN 1980k may have a similar origin.
Estimation of the severity of aortic valve stenosis by frequency analysis of the murmur

This study of 23 patients was designed to test the hypothesis that the severity of aortic stenosis can be estimated by application of the principle that higher murmur frequencies are generated as severity of the stenosis increases. The frequency content of the systolic murmur of aortic stenosis was determined using fast Fourier transform spectral analysis and correlated blindly with the transvalvular peak systolic pressure gradient. The 23 patients averaged 52 years of age (range 29 to 70). The systolic pressure gradient ranged between 10 and 140 mm Hg. After cardiac catheterization, the electrocardiogram and sound vibrations from the aortic area and cardiac apex were recorded on tape. The R wave initiated analog to digital conversion for the duration of the murmur. Frequency spectra of 10 murmurs were computed to obtain an average spectrum, which was normalized to minimize coupling and transmission variability. The plot of murmur frequency versus magnitude from 25 to 75 Hz (constant area) and that from 75 to 150 Hz (predictive area) were computer-integrated. The integrated areas were normalized for comparison of patients by calculating the ratio of predictive area to constant area. This ratio recorded at the aortic area increased linearly as systolic pressure gradient increased (r = 0.90, p
Damage accumulation and cyclic fatigue in Mg-PSZ at Hertzian contacts

Hertzian contact damage in as-fired, peak-aged, and over-aged Mg-PSZ is studied, in single-cycle and multiple-cycle loading. Indentation stress-strain curves reveal a monotonically increasing quasi-plasticity component in the contact deformation with increasing aging time. A bonded-interface technique is used to obtain surface and subsurface views of the damage zones beneath the spherical indenter. Analytical techniques, including optical and scanning electron microscopy, acoustic emission, Raman spectroscopy, and thermal wave imaging, are used to characterize the damage. The damage patterns are fundamentally different in the three aging states: microfracture dominated in as-fired; tetragonal-monoclinic phase-transformation-dominated in peak-aged; monoclinic-phase twinning-dominated in over-aged. The damage accumulates with increasing number of cycles, most strongly in the as-fired state. It also increases with increasing test duration in the as-fired and over-aged states, but not perceptibly in the peak-aged. The results imply predominantly mechanical fatigue effects, augmented by a chemical component in the as-fired and over-aged states. Broader implications in relation to the susceptibilities of zirconia ceramics to fatigue degradation in concentrated stress configurations, with special relevance to the evolution of flaws at the microstructural level, are considered.
Performance Testing of Huber Needles for Coring of Port Septa

The Food and Drug Administration received complaints of Huber needles creating cores in the septa of ports of gastric banding devices. One of these complaints represented a cluster of similar events, even though no deviations from design specifications or recommended practices were subsequently identified by the manufacturer. The authors conducted this comparative investigation of off-the-shelf Huber needles and ports from several manufacturers to determine if engineering parameters could be identified that could account for the coring complaints. Huber needles from ten manufacturers were evaluated for coring using intravascular access ports from five manufacturers. A detailed optical analysis was also performed to identify needle features that would possibly account for coring. The majority of the tested needles performed as they should, i.e., they perforated the port septa without creating cores. However, needles that did produce cores were found to have sharp edges at the heel edge of the needle lumen, the edge of the ground bevel opposite from the needle tip that opens to the inner surface of the cannula tube. Manufacturing processes, which dulled or rounded the sharp heel of the bevel after bevel grinding, prevented coring. As a result of this investigation one manufacturer voluntarily recalled their product and another manufacturer implemented coring testing as part of their quality control. To prevent coring needles from entering the market as a result of manufacturing flaws, optical inspection of the heel edge and coring testing should be performed as part of routine quality control.
Pollutant loadings from solvay waste beds to lower Ninemile Creek, New York

Concentrations of Cl, total ammonia (TNH3), NO3 plus NO2, total P (TP), and soluble reactive P (SRP) were measured at two sites, located 5 km apart, on Ninemile Creek, New York, for a period of more than 8 mo. The sites bound the most recently formed Solvay waste beds, associated with the production of soda ash, that adjoin the creek. Concentrations of Cl and T-NH3 increased on average by factors of 16.1 and 7.6, respectively, over the monitored stream reach. The estimated average loadings of these materials to the stream over this reach were 2.3 × 105 and 1.2 × 102 kg d−1, respectively. These inputs are attributable to the Solvay waste beds. The loading of Cl from this source has not changed significantly over a 4 yr period since the closure of the soda ash manufacturing facility. This is the single largest source of Cl, and the second largest source of T-NH3, to polluted Onondaga Lake. Profiles of Cl in the lake indicated that at times the creek inflow plunges to subsurface layers as a result of its elevated density. This is at least in part a result of the creek's ionic enrichment. The concentration of SRP decreased by a factor of 2.0 on average over the study reach, probably due to adsorption to the CaCO3 deposits that cover the stream bed in this area. However, the TP load from the creek to the lake is not significantly affected by this phenomenon.
Abstract 2163: RSK signaling in HER2-positive breast cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Heregulin (HRG) is a soluble growth factor involved in the control of proliferation, survival, invasion, and differentiation of normal and malignant mammary epithelial cells. HRG binds its receptor, HER3, leading to activation of the HER2-HER3 heterodimer, which acts as an oncogenic factor in breast cancers. Pharmacological inhibitors to HER2 are currently being used in the clinic to treat HER2-positive breast cancer, however, they are associated with resistance after one year of therapy. A more comprehensive understanding of the signaling network downstream of HRG, in HER2-positive breast cancer cells, will be crucial for further development of inhibitors that do not elicit resistance. This study assessed HRG signaling in the HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines BT474 and SKBR3. The RSK (p90 ribosomal S6 Kinase) pathway was activated in an ERK-dependent manner. HRG stimulation increased phosphorylation of RSK at S380, T359, and S363. HRG stimulated the phosphorylation of CREB (cAMP Response-Element Binding Protein), an established substrate of RSK, at S133 and this was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of RSK. HRG induced the expression of c-FOS in an RSK-dependent manner. These data demonstrate that RSK has an important role in transducing HRG signaling to the gene expression program and suggest that inhibitors of RSK may be useful in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2163. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2163
Low-cycle fatigue-crack initiation study in René 95

A microstructural study of fatigue deformation and cracking was conducted on Rene95, which is a thermomechanically processed superalloy developed for use as discs in advanced gas turbine engines. Optical, replica, scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used in order to study the deformation structures and mode of cracking during crack initiation under low-cycle fatigue. As in a previous tensile study, it was found that the deformation occurred very homogeneously throughout the material. This is believed to be due to the slip dispersive effect of the substructure in the warm worked grains and the very small size of the necklace grains. The study also showed that the number of load cycles to produce crack initiation can be strongly affected by brittle constituents of the microstructure, such as MC carbides. It was found that the specimens that had shorter lives were characterized by MC carbide cracking at the site of the crack initiation, whereas those which had longer lives under the same conditions of loading and temperature were characterized by only slip band cracking with no evidence of MC carbide cracking or decohesion in influencing the initiation.
Diffusion-controlled deposition on fibers and surfaces

Monte Carlo simulations have been carried out to investigate the deposition of particles on surfaces and fibers under conditions where the deposition is diffusion controlled. Deposits prepared under diffusion-controlled conditions have a completely different morphology from deposits prepared under conditions where diffusion is not important. For the case of deposition on thin fibers we find that the radius of gyration of the deposit is related to the number of particles in the deposit ($N$) by ${R}_{g}\ensuremath{\sim}{N}^{\ensuremath{\delta}}$ ($\ensuremath{\delta}=0.665\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.030$) in the limit of large $N$ and long fibers. Consequently, deposits formed on fibers under diffusion-controlled conditions have fractal characteristics similar to those associated with clusters formed under diffusion-controlled conditions. Similar, but less quantitative, results are presented for surface deposits. For two-dimensional deposits grown on a one-dimensional "surface" under diffusion-controlled conditions, the root-mean-square thickness ($T$) of the deposit is related to the number of particles by $T\ensuremath{\sim}{N}^{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}$ ($N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$). The exponent $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ has the value 1.30\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.075. Similar results were obtained in three-dimensional simulations of diffusion-controlled deposition on a surface $T\ensuremath{\sim}{N}^{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}$, with ($\ensuremath{\epsilon}=1.70\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2$). All of the results reported in this paper were obtained using two- and three-dimensional lattice models. Our results suggest that the structural characteristics of systems grown by diffusion-controlled processes are determined mainly by the dimensionality of the space in which the growth is occurring and are insensitive to geometric variables such as "surface" curvature.
Response to Comment on "Inflammatory Exposure and Historical Changes in Human Life-Spans"

Barbi and Vaupel ([ 1 ][1]) argue that period effects have generally been more important than cohort effects in contributing to the historical decline in old-age mortality. We respond by summarizing key points in our initial article and providing data that was mentioned but not discussed in detail
Symposium: Immune function in environmental extremes--an introduction.

Abstract : The purpose of these series of papers presented at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, is to review the current knowledge about the effects of cold, hypoxia and space travel on the immune system.
Studies of immune function of CD-1 mice exposed to aflatoxin B1.

Abstract The immunotoxic potential of aflatoxin B1 (ABF1), a secondary metabolite of Aspergillus flavus and a known animal hepatocarcinogen, was evaluated in CD-1 mice. Male mice received 0, 0.03, 0.145 or 0.70 mg/kg of AFB1 orally every other day for 2 weeks in a corn oil: ethanol vehicle. Splenic lymphocytes were cultured in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), or pokeweed mitogen (PWM). A dose-related inhibition of [3H]thymidine uptake in lymphocyte cultures, with or without the above mitogens, was observed after 2 weeks of AFB1 exposure. Synthesis of DNA was decreased in mixed lymphocyte cultures. Primary antibody production by splenic cells, from animals challenged with a T-dependent antigen (sheep red blood cells), was affected by AFB1. No effects were observed, however, when animals were challenged with a T-independent antigen (LPS). A dose-related suppression of a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to keyhole limpet hemocyanin was observed. The results suggested that AFB1 was immunotoxic in CD-1 mice.
Electrophoretic confirmation of sperm mixing in mated Colorado potato beetles (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae)

Sperm precedence in the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), was investigated using phosphoglucomutase (Pgm) allozymes as genetic markers. Females were mated to 2 males carrying different Pgm alleles, and the proportion of offspring sired by each male was determined by cellulose acetate gel electrophoresis. Our results indicate that Pgm alleles in the Colorado potato beetle are inherited in the Mendelian fashion, and there is no change in sperm utilization over time. We also were able to confirm that sperm precedence in this insect is incomplete, with approximately equal to 72% of the larvae fathered by males at the 2nd mating. Possible implications of incomplete sperm precedence for insecticide resistance management are discussed.
Radiatively Induced Seesaw Mechanism for Neutrino Masses

It is shown that small and calculable Majorana neutrino masses featuring the seesaw mechanism can be induced radiatively in the context of left-right-symmetric models. An exactly conserved multiplicative quantum number and the possibility of low-mass right-handed gauge bosons (m/sub W//sub >//sub R//sub =//similar to/00 GeV) are additional features of the model presented.
Transport of the harmful bloom alga Aureococcus anophagefferens by oceangoing ships and coastal boats

It is well established that cyst-forming phytoplankton species are transported in ships' ballast tanks. However, there is increasing evidence that other phytoplankton species which do not encyst are also capable of surviving ballast transit. These species have alternative modes of nutrition (hetero- or mixotrophy) and/or are able to survive long-term darkness. In our studies of no-ballast-on-board vessels arriving in the Great Lakes, we tested for the presence of the harmful algal bloom species Aureococcus anophagefferens (brown tide) in residual (i.e., unpumpable) ballast water using methods based on the PCR. During 2001, the brown tide organism was detected in 7 of 18 ballast water tanks in commercial ships following transit from foreign ports. Furthermore, it was detected after 10 days of ballast tank confinement during a vessel transit in the Great Lakes, a significant result given the large disparity between the salinity tolerance for active growth of Aureococcus (>22 ppt) and the low salinity of the residual ballast water (approximately 2 ppt). We also investigated the potential for smaller, recreational vessels to transport and distribute Aureococcus. During the summer of 2002, 11 trailered boats from the inland bays of Delaware and coastal bays of Maryland were sampled. Brown tide was detected in the bilge water in the bottoms of eight boats, as well as in one live-well sample. Commercial ships and small recreational boats are therefore implicated as potential vectors for long-distance transport and local-scale dispersal of Aureococcus.
Reform or Resistance? Local Government Responses to State-Mandated Ethics Reform in Kentucky

Although several studies have examined state and federal regulation of political corruption andethics reform, few studies have extended their focus to local governments. In this study, we examine the local government response to stale-mandated ethics reform in Kentucky during the 1990s. Based on a quantitative analysis of local government ethics codes in 288 cities, we conclude that local compliance with state-mandated ethics reform has been largely driven by local political factors. Cities with relatively developed democratic institutions, characterized by high levels of electoral competition and a strong media presence, were significantly more likely to construct strict ethics ordinances, as were cities reflecting moralistic political cultural values. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.
Spectral relative clarity of Black and Aegean Seas

The data on relative clarity or visibility of blue, green, red, and white (Secchi) disks measured in 1984 at the Black and Aegean seas during the 9th trip of the research vessel "Professor Kolesnikov" are presented. The analysis of results of measurements show strong correlation between visibilities of colored and Secchi disk. The regressional relationship between visibilities of blue, green and red disks and the visibility of the Secchi (white) disk are given and discussed.
Multiseason Lead Forecast of the North Atlantic Power Dissipation Index (PDI) and Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE)

AbstractBy considering the intensity, duration, and frequency of tropical cyclones, the power dissipation index (PDI) and accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) are concise metrics routinely used to assess tropical storm activity. This study focuses on the development of a hybrid statistical–dynamical seasonal forecasting system for the North Atlantic Ocean’s PDI and ACE over the period 1982–2011. The statistical model uses only tropical Atlantic and tropical mean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) to describe the variability exhibited by the observational record, reflecting the role of both local and nonlocal effects on the genesis and development of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic basin. SSTs are predicted using a 10-member ensemble of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Climate Model, version 2.1 (GFDL CM2.1), an experimental dynamical seasonal-to-interannual prediction system. To assess prediction skill, a set of retrospective predictions is initialized for each month from November to April, over...