cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurements of rat plasma coagulation proteins during prolonged exposure to diethylstilbesterol

Abstract The effects of diethylstilbesterol (DES) on concentration of selected plasma coagulation proteins in male rats was studied sequentially over a 28-day period. At the outset of the study, male rats underwent orchiectomy and implantation of a pellet containing DES 5.0 mg or a placebo pellet. At intervals of 7 days, 3 of the animals from each treatment group were sacrificed and blood samples were withdrawn for assay. Plasma concentrations of Factor II(pro-thrombin) and Factor VII, two vitamin K-dependent coagulation proteins, were significantly decreased in DES-treated animals (approximately 70% normal activity for both Factors) compared to placebo-treated animals. In contrast, Factor VIII activity was higher with DES treatment than with placebo. Plasma concentrations of both antithrombin III (AT III) and plasminogen were decreased in DES-treated animals compared to placebo by immunologic as well as activity assays. Albumin concentrations were not different between the two groups at any point of study, although both were increased at day 21 compared to beginning values. Fibronectin concentrations were slightly decreased in DES-treated animals compared to those which received placebo. The combination of orchiectomy and treatment with DES had profound metabolic effects on the animals; the DES treated animals had a mean body weight loss of 100 g after 28 days, while the placebo group gained an average of 78 g compared to a control group (no surgery) which had average weight gain of 85 g during the 28 day period of study.
Material Mismatch Effect on the Fracture of a Bone-Nanocomposite Interface

In every case where dissimilar materials are bonded together and undergo a subsequent change of dimension due to change of temperature, particle size and types, stresses develop at the interface due to mismatch of material properties. The magnitude of the stresses can be very large and may have a significant influence on the life of each material in the bonded construct. The potential application of nanocomposite cement in biomedical industry requires evaluating the material mismatch effects on the fracture toughness of bone-nanocomposite interfaces. Three point bend tests were conduct in this study on bovine femoral cortical bone and composite cements (Cobalt HV bone cement with 36 μm and 27 nm MgO additives) bonded specimen to measure the material mismatch effect on the interface fracture toughness. Experimental results found that particles size has significant influence on the interface fracture toughness of the bone-composite cements.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
California: Its Businesses, Industries, Economies, and Public Policies

Economic and political commentators in the popular media have become fond of describing California as if it were a separate country or a “nation state.” Legally, of course, California is no more a nation than any other state in the United States. Even so, when considering the global economic impact of the “Golden State,” there are several reasons why it is convenient and instructive to look at California as a separate entity.
Mechanics of discontinuous ceramic tile core sandwich structure: Influence of thermal and interlaminar stresses

The stress states in a discontinuous ceramic tile core sandwich structure due to mechanical and thermal loading are investigated. The influence of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the tile and face sheet layer on the in-plane and interlaminar stresses in the sandwich structure is evaluated. The factors affecting the interlaminar stresses in the structure are of particular interest. The influence of an adhesive layer between the face sheet and core on the effective properties of the sandwich is also discussed. A study is performed to evaluate tailoring of the adhesive properties to reduce interlaminar stresses for increased durability. A parametric study is performed to study how various geometric parameters such as tile and adhesive layer thickness affect the effective properties (e.g. axial modulus and CTE). Failure of the discontinuous core sandwich structure under in-plane tension loading is analyzed. It is observed that thermal property mismatch in the structure can significantly reduce the failure loads for the tile layer. Finally, failure of the sandwich corresponding to various failure modes is discussed.
Nuclear parity violation beyond the two-state approximation: Criteria for quantitative studies above neutron threshold

Issues involved in quantifying polarised neutron transmission studies of nuclear parity violation (PV) in the isolated resonance regime are considered. The adaptation of the appropriate theoretical tool (the on-resonance ensemble method) to PV studies with spinnon-zero targets is discussed. An approximate treatment utilising all the spectroscopic information available in practice is presented. The consequences of the restricted size of data samples for the reliable extraction of a PV spreading width are explored. A criterion for the minimum number of independent measurements required with a given target is established, and a simple figure of merit for the selection of targets deduced. The implications for other reaction studies of PV are addressed.
Turbulence Intensity Measurement Technique for Use in Icing Wind Tunnels

Current understanding of the ice accretion process is based largely on icing wind-tunnel tests. Wind-tunnel turbulence has been identie ed as having potentially important effects on the results of tests performed in icing tunnels. The turbulence intensity level in icing tunnels in the absence of the spray cloud had been previously measured and found to be quite high because of the lack of turbulence-reducing screens and because of the presence of the spray system in the settling chamber. However, the turbulence intensity level in the presence of the spray cloud had not been measured. A method for making such measurements was developed and a limited set of turbulence measurements was taken in the NASA Lewis Research Center’ s Icing Research Tunnel (IRT). Turbulentvelocitye uctuationsweremeasuredusinghot-wiresensors.Dropletsstrikingthewireresulted indistinct spikes in the hot-wire voltage that were removed using a digital acceleration threshold e lter. The remaining data were used to calculate the turbulence intensity. Using this method, the turbulence intensity level in the IRT was found to be highly dependent on nozzle air pressure, whereas other factors such as nozzle water pressure, droplet size, and cloud liquid water content had little effect.
Age-, sex-, and race-based differences among patients enrolled versus not enrolled in acute lung injury clinical trials*

Objective Little is known about the participation of racial/ethnic minorities, women, and the elderly into critical care clinical trials. We sought to characterize the representation of racial and ethnic minorities, women and older patients in clinical trials of patients with acute lung injury (ALI) and to determine the reasons for non-enrollment.
The molecular Zeeman effect in PH2D and PHD2 and the molecular g-values, magnetic susceptibilities, and molecular quadrupole moment in PH3

Abstract The Zeeman effect was observed for two rotational transitions in PH 2 D and two rotational transitions in PHD 2 . The combined results were analyzed to determine the ratio of g -value to rotational constant parallel and perpendicular to the symmetry axis in PH 3 . The results are g ∥ / G ∥ = − (0.0279 ± 0.0015) × × 10 −11 sec and g ⊥ / G ⊥ = (0.0128 ± 0.0012) × 10 −1 sec. The magnetic susceptibility anisotropy was determined to be χ ∥ –χ ⊥ = − (2.7 ± 0.8) × 10 −6 erg/G 2 mole. The molecular quadrupole moment is Q ″ = = − (2.1 ± 1.0) × 10 −26 esu cm 2 . The diagonal elements of the diamagnetic, paramagnetic and total susceptibility tensors and the second moments of the electronic charge distribution are given and compared to NH 3 .
Loss‐on‐Ignition Method to Assess Soil Organic Carbon in Calcareous Everglades Wetlands

Measurement of soil carbon (C) is important for determining the effects of Everglades restoration projects on C cycling and transformations. Accurate measurement of soil organic C by automated carbon–nitrogen–sulfur (CNS) analysis may be confounded by the presence of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in Everglades wetlands. The objectives of this study were to compare a loss‐on‐ignition (LOI) method with CNS analysis for assessment of soil C across a diverse group of calcareous Everglades wetlands. More than 3168 samples were taken from three soil depths (floc, 0–10, 10–30 cm) in 14 wetlands and analyzed for LOI, total C, and total calcium (Ca). The LOI method compared favorably to CNS analysis for LOI contents ranging from 0 to 1000 g kg−1 and for soil total Ca levels from 0 to 500 g Ca kg−1. For all wetlands and soil depths, LOI was significantly related to total C (r2 = 0.957). However, LOI was a better predictor of total C when LOI exceeded 400 g kg−1 because of less interference by CaCO3. Total C measureme...
Issues of measuring ideological sophistication: Level of conceptualization, attitudinal consistency, and attitudinal stability

This study uses the CPS 1972–1976 election panel to examine the construct validity of three traditional measures of belief system sophistication: level of conceptualization, attitudinal consistency, and attitudinal stability. The analysis reveals that these measures tap two distinct characteristics that are virtually unrelated to one another. As expected, level of conceptualization proves to be a valid but modestly reliable indicator of ideological sophistication. However, the consistency and stability measures are found to tap a structural or configurational property of belief systems that apparently has nothing to do with ideological sophistication. These findings strongly recommend against the use of attitudinal consistency and stability measures in future studies of political sophistication. They also call for a major reappraisal of prior attitudinal consistency and stability research.
Structural Properties of Ionic Detergent Aggregates: A Large-Scale Molecular Dynamics Study of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

The properties of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) aggregates were studied through extensive molecular dynamics simulations with explicit solvent. First, we provide a parametrization of the model within Gromacs. Then, we probe the kinetics of aggregation by starting from a random solution of SDS molecules and letting the system explore its kinetic pathway during the aggregation of multiple units. We observe a structural transition for the surfactant aggregates brought upon by a change in temperature. Specifically, at low temperatures, the surfactants form crystalline aggregates, whereas at elevated temperatures, they form micelles. We also investigate the dependence of aggregation kinetics on surfactant concentration and report on the molecular level structural changes involved in the transition.
[125I]protein A: a tracer for general use in immunoassay.

Abstract An immunoassay method was developed in which 125 I-labeled Protein A ([ 125 I]PA) of high specific activity (100 Ci/mmole) and functional activity (⩾85%) served as a general tracer. Antigen (or hapten) was immobilized by covalent binding to a solid bead support. Aliquots of the appropriate beads were incubated with antibody (either purified IgG fraction or whole antiserum), washed with buffer, then incubated with [ 125 I]PA. The amount of [ 125 I]PA bound to the antibody-coated beads was a measure of antibody binding. The ability of antigen (or hapten) in the fluid phase to inhibit the binding of antibody under optimal conditions, measured as inhibition of [ 125 I]PA binding, served as the basis for quantification in the assay. The method was applied to 3 antigens (human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), human immunoglobulin M (IgM) and goat immunoglobulin G (IgG)) and to methotrexate as an example of a hapten. Optimal assay conditions were developed and, in each case, picomole levels or less of the homologous ligand could be detected. Antibody specificity was determined by measuring the ability of compounds related to the antigen or hapten to act as inhibitors. Levels of HCG in urine from pregnant women and levels of IgM in normal human sera were determined by this method. The assay required only approximately 3 h to perform, gave accurate reproducible results, and was at least as sensitive as other available immunoassay methods (e.g. radioimmunoassay).
Effects of rootstock and thinning on yield, fruit quality and elemental composition of ‘Redspur Delicious’ apple

Abstract Influence of two rootstocks and five levels of hand thinning (fruit spacing) on yield, fruit quality at harvest and after storage, and leaf and fruit elemental composition of ‘Redspur Delicious’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) were studied. Trees on M.7 rootstock had a higher yield with heavier and firmer fruit at harvest than those on M.26. Trees on M.7 had significantly lower leaf and fruit N which resulted in a darker fruit color than those on M.26 rootstock. Fruit from trees on M.26 had a higher soluble solids concentration (SSC) at harvest than those on M.7. Leaf and fruit potassium (K) increased but fruit calcium (Ca) decreased with an increase in fruit spacing. Thinning fruit to 10 cm or 18 cm spacing, depending on market demand for fruit size, is recommended for improvement of fruit quality. Fruit weight and quality was improved with 18 cm fruit spacing without a significant decrease in yield, while thinning fruit further than 18 cm apart reduced yield without a significant change in the f...
Rat navigation guided by remote control

Free animals can be 'virtually' trained by microstimulating key areas of their brains. Procedures used to train laboratory animals often incorporate operant learning1 paradigms in which the animals are taught to produce particular responses to external cues (such as aural tones) in order to obtain rewards (such as food). Here we show that by removing the physical contraints associated with the delivery of cues and rewards, learning paradigms based on brain microstimulation enable conditioning approaches to be used that help to transcend traditional boundaries in animal learning. We have used this paradigm to develop a behavioural model in which an experimenter can guide distant animals in a way similar to that used to control 'intelligent' robots.
A Within-Persons Examination of the Effects of Goal Assignment on Choice of Personal Goal

The process by which an increase in assigned goal affects an individual's choice of personal goal was examined in a within-subjects laboratory experiment in which 51 undergraduate students responded to a series of decision-making scenarios. Analyses supported the idea that formal goal assignment affects personal goal choice via the assigned goal's influence on subjects' judgments of valence and motivational force across various levels of task performance (i.e., performance-valence and performance-force functions). Distinctions between within-persons and across-persons research on these issues are discussed.
Supramolekulare Chemie von Gasen

Die molekulare Erkennung von Gasen ist ein neu aufkommendes Forschungsgebiet. Anhand von Prinzipien der supramolekularen Chemie konnen wir verstehen, wie Gase mit biologischen Molekulen wechselwirken, und Einzelheiten zum Mechanimus ihrer physiologischen Aktivitat erfahren. Das Konzept der molekularen Erkennung wurde zur Gassensorik genutzt, wobei grundlegende Kenntnisse zur Struktur und Dynamik von Rezeptor-Analyt-Komplexen erhalten wurden. In diesem Zusammenhang gelang die Entwicklung neuer Gassensoren und Gasspeicherungselemente, fur die sich auch in der Natur zahlreiche Beispiele finden lassen. Konzepte der supramolekularen Chemie liefern die Basis zur Umwandlung von Gasen in synthetisch nutzliche Reagentien. Das rationale Design neuartiger Katalysatoren fur Reaktionen mit Gasen und von Einlagerungskomplexen mit Gasen liefert ausgezeichnete Perspektiven fur die praparative synthetische Chemie.
Sensory processing as an evidence-based practice at school.

Among the many theoretical and conceptual foundations for pediatric practice, sensory processing has been one focus of attention. Sensory processing concepts are firmly grounded in neuroscience. Th...
Annotation confidence score for genome annotation

Motivation: The massively parallel sequencing technology can be used by small research labs to generate genome sequences of their research interest. However, annotation of genomes still relies on the manual process, which becomes a serious bottleneck to the high-throughput genome projects. Recently, automatic annotation methods are increasingly more accurate, but there are several issues. One important challenge in using automatic annotation methods is to distinguish annotation quality of ORFs or genes. The availability of such annotation quality of genes can reduce the human labor cost dramatically since manual inspection can focus only on genes with low-annotation quality scores. Results: In this article, we propose a novel annotation quality or confidence scoring scheme, called Annotation Confidence Score (ACS), using a genome comparison approach. The scoring scheme is computed by combining sequence and textual annotation similarity using a modified version of a logistic curve. The most important feature of the proposed scoring scheme is to generate a score that reflects the excellence in annotation quality of genes by automatically adjusting the number of genomes used to compute the score and their phylogenetic distance. Extensive experiments with bacterial genomes showed that the proposed scoring scheme generated scores for annotation quality according to the quality of annotation regardless of the number of reference genomes and their phylogenetic distance. Availability: http://microbial.informatics.indiana.edu/acs. Contact: sumkim2@indiana.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Probabilistic Relational Database Applications for Biomedical Informatics

In the information age, information is usually communicated and exchanged with heterogeneous databases in a distributed internetworking environment. When multiple heterogeneous databases show different values for the same data item, its actual value is not known with certainty. Probabilistic relational databases have extended from the relational database model by incorporating probability measures to capture the data uncertainty associated with data items. In this paper, we apply the probabilistic relational database techniques to the area of biomedical informatics. We address the issue of database interoperability by using a data warehousing approach to resolve mismatched domains and to integrate information from different data sources. We then develop query processing strategies to effectively evaluate and answer queries from the consolidated database.
Educational Exchange and Cultural Diplomacy in the Cold War

The United States after World War II experienced symbiotically the fear of the Soviet threat and the belief in its own system as the ultimate choice for the world. In the confrontation with the Soviet Union, cultural relations programs began to be organized and designed in accordance with national security interest. George F. Kennan, the architect of US containment policy, urged: “let us by all means have the maximum cultural exchange.” The mission of cultural contact, according to Kennan, was “combatting the negative impressions about this country [USA] that mark so much of world opinion.” The US government made new cultural policies in terms of Cold War political concerns and relied extensively on private resources for the implementation of cultural diplomacy via educational exchange. It mobilized the American society for the achievement of “total diplomacy” with political rhetoric, legislative measures, and financial support. Private institutions, which pioneered and dominated US cultural interactions with other nations before the war, now began to play a new but supportive role for the state. Because of their expertise and their unique roles in a democratic society, American philanthropies, professional organizations, and universities became indispensable in delivering the multitude of exchange programs.
Are gender differences in the responses to hypoglycemia relevant to iatrogenic hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes

Iatrogenic hypoglycemia is the limiting factor in the glycemic management of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (1). Because of the interplay of relative or absolute therapeutic insulin excess— which must occur from time-to-time because of the pharmacokinetic imperfections of all insulin replacement regimens—and of compromised physiological and behavioral defenses against falling plasma glucose concentrations, the clinical syndromes of defective glucose counterregulation, and hypoglycemia unawareness, hypoglycemia is a barrier to true glycemic control in T1DM (2, 3) and insulin-requiring T2DM (4, 5). As a result, albeit at lower rates, long-term complications of diabetes occur despite aggressive attempts to reduce glycemia. For example, retinopathy developed or progressed in 14% of the patients with T1DM treated intensively (compared with 32% of those treated conventionally) in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (2), and a microvascular end point developed in 8% of the patients with T2DM treated intensively (compared with 11% of those treated conventionally) in the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (4). In the short term, hypoglycemia often
Necessity of vitamin B12 for growth of rats fed on an odd- or even-carbon-number fat.

I. The effect of vitamin BIZ on growth was studied in young male and female rats fed on diets sufficient (+BIZ) or deficient (-Biz) in vitamin B,, containing 30 % of the dietary energy as fat, either maize oil (CO) or triundecanoin (TUD). 2. Vitamin BI2 deficiency severely depressed growth. After 6 weeks the weight gain of CO(-B,,) rats was only 72 % of that of CO(+B12) rats and the gain of TUD(-B,,) rats was only 47% of TUD(+B12) rats. 3. After fasting 24 or 96 h TUD-fed rats, both fB,, and -B12, had greater glycogen reserves and higher plasma glucose levels than CO-fed rats. 4. It is concluded that vitamin Bla is required for the metabolism and utilization of both an odd-carbonnumber medium-chain fat, TUD, and an even-C-number long-chain fat, CO, during growth in rats. The ,5-oxidation of odd-carbon-number fatty acids yields propionate and acetate residues as the end-products of metabolism, whereas metabolism of even-C-number fatty acids would yield primarily acetate. Several studies have demonstrated that vitamin B,, is required in the metabolism of propionate under in vitro conditions (Smith & Monty, 1959; Stadtman, Overath, Eggerer & Lynen, 1960) and in the ruminant (Marston, Allen & Smith, 1961). In an earlier study from this laboratory (Dryden & Hartman, 1g71), it was found that feeding C,, C5, C,, and C9 fatty acids to vitamin BIZ-deficient rats depressed growth. The present study was designed to compare the growth of rats and their response to fasting when given diets sufficient or deficient in vitamin Biz. Experimental diets containing either an even-Cnumber long-chain fat, maize oil (CO), or an odd-C-number medium-chain fat, triundecanoin (TUD), either containing no additional vitamin B,, or supplemented with vitamin B,,, were fed to male and female rats for 6 weeks. EXPERIMENTAL
Online control of active camera networks for computer vision tasks

Large networks of cameras have been increasingly employed to capture dynamic events for tasks such as surveillance and training. When using active cameras to capture events distributed throughout a large area, human control becomes impractical and unreliable. This has led to the development of automated approaches for online camera control. We introduce a new automated camera control approach that consists of a stochastic performance metric and a constrained optimization method. The metric quantifies the uncertainty in the state of multiple points on each target. It uses state-space methods with stochastic models of target dynamics and camera measurements. It can account for occlusions, accommodate requirements specific to the algorithms used to process the images, and incorporate other factors that can affect their results. The optimization explores the space of camera configurations over time under constraints associated with the cameras, the predicted target trajectories, and the image processing algorithms. The approach can be applied to conventional surveillance tasks (e.g., tracking or face recognition), as well as tasks employing more complex computer vision methods (e.g., markerless motion capture or 3D reconstruction).
Cyberbullying: What Does Research Tell Us?

This article reviews what research has learned about cyberbullying, and the practical implications of those research findings. In general, there are few firm conclusions that can be drawn from the extant literature, as differences in definitions, methods, and measures make it impossible to compare findings across studies. We do have enough information to identify important trends with respect to associations with traditional bullying, gender, age, risk factors, and outcomes. Even though the research is not yet conclusive, we have sufficient knowledge to inform prevention and intervention strategies.
In situ decomposition of northern hardwood tree boles: decay rates and nutrient dynamics in wood and bark

The decomposition of coarse woody debris contributes to forest nutrient sustainability and carbon (C) balances, yet few field studies have been undertaken to investigate these relationships in northern hardwood forests. We used a paired-sample approach to study the decomposition of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), American beech (Fagus grandifolia Erhr.), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) boles at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. Mass loss over 16 years followed a first-order exponential decay pattern with half-lives ranging from 4.9 to 9.4 years in bark and from 7.3 to 10.9 years in wood. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations increased significantly during decomposition, resulting in sharp decreases in C:N and C:P ratios. We did not, however, observe significant net increases in the amount of N or P stored in decomposing boles, as reported in some other studies. Calcium (Ca) concentration decreased by up to 50% in bark but more than doubled in wood of all species. The retention of Ca in decomposing wood helps maintain Ca pools in this base-poor ecosystem. Together, the exponential model for mass loss and a combined power-exponential model for changes in nutrient concentrations were able to simulate nutrient dynamics in decomposing boles after clear-cutting in an adjacent watershed.
Detection and acceptability of stroboscopic effects from flicker

Previous studies have demonstrated that the perception of stroboscopic effects from flickering light is strongly influenced by both the frequency and the amount of modulation (e.g. percent flicker). The relationship, if any, between these factors for the detection and acceptability of stroboscopic effects has not been elucidated under conditions corresponding to illuminating engineering practice. In a laboratory study, participants reported whether they could detect stroboscopic effects from flickering light with a range of frequencies and percent flicker values, and if detected, whether it was acceptable. The resulting data can provide functional relationships between frequency and percent flicker in terms of detection and acceptability of stroboscopic effects under conditions corresponding to those tested.
How Good is the Crowd at "real" WSD?

There has been a great deal of excitement recently about using the "wisdom of the crowd" to collect data of all kinds, quickly and cheaply (Howe, 2008; von Ahn and Dabbish, 2008). Snow et al. (Snow et al., 2008) were the first to give a convincing demonstration that at least some kinds of linguistic data can be gathered from workers on the web more cheaply than and as accurately as from local experts, and there has been a steady stream of papers and workshops since then with similar results. e.g. (Callison-Burch and Dredze, 2010). Many of the tasks which have been successfully crowdsourced involve judgments which are similar to those performed in everyday life, such as recognizing unclear writing (von Ahn et al., 2008), or, for those tasks that require considerable judgment, the responses are usually binary or from a small set of responses, such as sentiment analysis (Mellebeek et al., 2010) or ratings (Heilman and Smith, 2010). Since the FrameNet process is known to be relatively expensive, we were interested in whether the FrameNet process of fine word sense discrimination and marking of dependents with semantic roles could be performed more cheaply and equally accurately using Amazon's Mechanical Turk (AMT) or similar resources. We report on a partial success in this respect and how it was achieved.
The effects of a post-workout nutraceutical drink on body composition, performance and hormonal and biochemical responses in Division I college football players

Football players walk a fine line between optimal training and overtraining. Manipulating nutrient intake has the potential to maximize the biochemical environment necessary to induce peak performance and proper recovery. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of supplementing the diet of Division I football players with a proprietary nutraceutical recovery drink on changes in performance, body composition, anabolic status, muscle damage, inflammation and oxidative stress over the course of a 7-week conditioning period immediately prior to preseason camp. At the beginning (trial 1) and end (trial 2) of a 7-week training phase, body composition, vertical jump and 225 lb bench press were assessed in Division I college football players (n ¼ 25). A 30 s Wingate Anaerobic Test plus eight 10 s intervals was used to examine power and biochemical responses. Blood samples were collected pre-, 0 and 60 min post-test for analysis of interleukin-6 (IL), 8-isoprostane (8-iso), cortisol (CORT) and resting testosterone:CORT (T:C) ratios. Athletes were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EXP) receiving the nutraceutical drink (n ¼ 13) or a control group (CON) receiving an isocaloric equivalent (n ¼ 12). EXP had a significantly greater increase in peak power (P , 0.05) and significant decreases in percentage body fat and fat mass (P , 0.05). Multivariate ANOVA for repeated measures (RM MANOVA) revealed a significant test £ time £ group interaction (P , 0.05) for changes in CORT, IL-6 and 8-iso from trial 1 to trial 2. Follow-ups revealed no significant differences between groups at trial 1 for any of the variables. At trial 2, EXP had significantly lower CORT at rest (P ¼ 0.01) and 60 min post-test (P ¼ 0.001). Additionally, IL-6 was significantly different between EXP and CON at 0 (P , 0.01) and 60 min post-test (P , 0.01), with CON having an elevated IL-6 response. There were also differences in both 8-iso and creatine kinase at all time points at trial 2, with CON having higher levels (P , 0.02.). There were significant differences between groups in T:C ratio changes (P , 0.05), with EXP having an improved T:C ratio. It appears that supplementing the post-workout diet of Division I college football players with a nutraceutical recovery drink has favourable effects on body composition, peak power output and biochemical markers. Based on differences between groups that emerged at rest at trial 2, it appears that this supplement positively impacts both acute and chronic physiological responses indicative of improved recovery.
ExPert: Dynamic Analysis Based Fault Location via Execution Perturbations

We are designing dynamic analysis techniques to identify executed program statements where a fault lies, i.e. the fault candidate set. To narrow the set of statements in the fault candidate set, automated dynamic analyses are being developed which consider not only a failed run of a program but also execution perturbations of the failed run. The goal of this work is to focus the users attention on a small subset of statements in the fault candidate set.
Coping with Stress: The Effectiveness of Different Types of Music

Listening to classical and self-selected relaxing music after exposure to a stressor should result in significant reductions in anxiety, anger, and sympathetic nervous system arousal, and increased relaxation compared to those who sit in silence or listen to heavy metal music. Fifty-six college students, 15 males and 41 females, were exposed to different types of music genres after experiencing a stressful test. Several 4 × 2 mixed design analyses of variance were conducted to determine the effects of music and silence conditions (heavy metal, classical, or self-selected music and silence) and time (pre–post music) on emotional state and physiological arousal. Results indicate listening to self-select or classical music, after exposure to a stressor, significantly reduces negative emotional states and physiological arousal compared to listening to heavy metal music or sitting in silence.
Neuromediators and pigmentation.

FONDATION RENE TOURAINE POUR LA RECHERCHE EN DERMATOLOGIE SCIENTIFIC MEETING 2001 Thursday 15th November 2001, Paris, France Ministere de la Recherche et de la Technologie Amphitheâtre Poincare, 1, rue Descartes, F-75005 Paris *** NEUROPHYSIOLOGY OF THE SKIN 9h30–10h30 E. DUPIN Embryogenesis of neuro-epithelial interactions 10h30–11h15 D. METZE Functional anatomy of the skin nervous system 11h15–12h00 T. LUGER Neuroimmunology 12h00 Winners of fellowships 12h30 Cocktail and Lunch 14h30–15h00 H. O. HANDWERKER Neuromediators, pruritus and pain 15h00–15h30 J. ANSEL Neuromediators and inflammation 15h30–16h00 Z. ABDEL-MALEK Neuromediators and pigmentation Break 16h30–17h00 R. PAUS Stress and skin 17h00–17h30 N. W. BUNNETT Pharmacological modulation of skin neuromediators (PAR II) La Fondation Rene Touraine est une Fondation reconnue d’utilite publique. Les Membres Fondateurs sont: les Laboratoires BAILLEUL, BERGADERM, BOOTS-LUTSIA, CHANEL, PIERRE FABRE, FONDATION LEO, GALDERMA, LABORATOIRES SEROBIOLOGIQUES, LA ROCHE POSAY, L’OREAL, L.V.M.H., ROCHE, SCHERING PLOUGH. Inscription : Fondation Rene Touraine, Hopital Saint-Louis, Pavillon Bazin, 1, Avenue Claude Vellefaux – 75475 – Paris – France. Tel : ++33 1 53 72 20 60 – Fax : ++33 1 53 72 20 61 – e-mail: fond.r.touraine@chu-stlouis.fr
Harvesting 18F-fluoride ions in water via direct 18F–19F isotopic exchange: radiofluorination of zwitterionic aryltrifluoroborates and in vivo stability studies

In this report, we show that [18F]-zwitterionic aryltrifluoroborates with ortho-phosphonium groups are: (i) easily accessible via direct 18F–19F isotopic exchange reactions in aqueous solutions; and (ii) efficiently stabilized in vivo against fluoride ion dissociation.
Electrochemical Preparation of Barium Titanate Films at Ultra-Low Temperatures

Preparation of BaTiO 3 thin films on titanium substrates by hydrothermal-electrochemical methods at temperatures ranging from 80 to 200°C have recently been reported in literature. In the present work, polycrystalline, homogeneous, and electrically insulating films of BaTiO 3 have been electrochemically synthesized at temperatures as low as 55°C. Effects of various electrochemical and thermodynamic parameters such as temperature, solution pH, electrolyte composition, current density, and atmosphere on phase stability and film characteristics have been investigated. Formation of BaTiO 3 is favored only under highly alkaline conditions. This finding is consistent with the reported phase stability criteria for BaTiO 3 in Ba-Ti-CO 2 -H 2 O system. Auger spectroscopic analyses with depth profiling indicate a titanium oxide layer, whose thickness depends on current density, acts as a precursor to BaTiO 3 . Use of highly oxidizing atmospheres promotes the formation of thick, well-crystallized and electrically insulating films of BaTiO 3 at low temperatures. Films synthesized at 55'C exhibit a characteristic bilayer structure consisting of a large grained porous top layer above a fine grained and dense bottom layer. In contrast, the films prepared at higher temperatures are uniform, fine grained but porous. Preliminary experiments indicate the feasibility to electrochemically synthesize BaTiO 3 at temperatures near 25°C.
A continuous-time reduced-sample-rate ΔΣ-pipeline ADC for broadband wireless applications

This paper presents a continuous-time 2-0 cascade delta-sigma modulator. The first stage of the modulator is a second-order continuous-time modulator with low-distortion structure. The second stage is a pipeline ADC with reduced sample rate. Matlab simulation shows it can achieve maximum SQNR of 77 dB with OSR=8 for the first stage and OSR=2 for the second stage. Circuit level implementation of the modulator is given and the effects of circuit nonideal properties, such as RC time-constant variation, finite opamp gain and bandwidth, on the modulator performance are discussed.
Neurocomputing for large-scale design automation

The author and his associates have been working on creating novel design theories and computational models with two broad objectives: automation and optimization. The paper is a summary of research done by the author and his associates recently. Novel neurocomputing algorithms are presented for large scale design optimization. This research demonstrates how a new level is achieved in design automation through the ingenious use and integration of a novel computational paradigm, mathematical optimization, and new high performance computer architecture.
In tribute: Dr. Jacquelin Perry.

On March 11, 2013, Jacquelin Perry died at the age of 94 years. I am so very pleased that PTJ honored her with a special issue in February 2010 titled “Jacquelin Perry Special Issue: Stepping Forward With Gait Rehabilitation.” As I stated in the editorial in that special issue,1 Perry was a remarkable woman. She received her training as a physical therapist at Walter Reed Army Hospital from 1940 to 1941 and practiced during the polio epidemic in the US Army and at Georgia Warm Springs Foundation (now Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation). In 1950, she graduated from the University …
The Asheville Project: long-term clinical and economic outcomes of a community pharmacy diabetes care program.

Objective: To assess the persistence of outcomes for up to 5 years following the initiation of community-based pharmaceutical care services (PCS) for patients with diabetes. Design: Quasi-experimental, longitudinal pre−post cohort study. Setting: Twelve community pharmacies in Asheville, N.C. Patients and Other Participants: Patients with diabetes covered by self-insured employers’ health plans. Community pharmacists trained in a diabetes certificate program and reimbursed for PCS. Interventions: Education by certified diabetes educators, long-term community pharmacist follow-up using scheduled consultations, clinical assessment, goal setting, monitoring, and collaborative drug therapy management with physicians. Main Outcome Measures: Changes in glycosylated hemoglobin (A1c) and serum lipid concentrations and changes in diabetes-related and total medical utilization and costs over time. Results: Mean A1c decreased at all follow-ups, with more than 50% of patients demonstrating improvements at each time. The number of patients with optimal A1c values (< 7 %) also increased at each follow-up. More than 50% showed improvements in lipid levels at every measurement. Multivariate logistic regressions suggested that patients with higher baseline A1c values or higher baseline costs were most likely to improve or have lower costs, respectively. Costs shifted from inpatient and outpatient physician services to prescriptions, which increased significantly at every follow-up. Total mean direct medical costs decreased by $1,200 to $1,872 per patient per year compared with baseline. Days of sick time decreased every year (1997‐2001) for one employer group, with estimated increases in productivity estimated at $18,000 annually. Conclusion: Patients with diabetes who received ongoing PCS maintained improvement in A1c over time, and employers experienced a decline in mean total direct medical costs.
Thermal phonons and defects in semiconductors: The physical reason why defects reduce heat flow, and how to control it

It is generally accepted that heat-carrying phonons in materials scatter off each other (normal or Umklapp scattering) as well as off defects. This assumes static defects, implies quasi-instantaneous interactions and at least some momentum transfer. However, when defect dynamics are explicitly included, the nature of phonon-defect interactions becomes more subtle. Ab initio microcanonical molecular-dynamics simulations show that (1) spatially localized vibrational modes (SLMs), associated with all types of defects in semiconductors, can trap thermal phonons; (2) the vibrational lifetimes of excitations in SLMs are one to two orders of magnitude longer (dozens to hundreds of periods of oscillation) than those of bulk phonons of similar frequency; (3) it is phonon trapping by defects (in SLMs) rather than bulk phonon scattering, which reduces the flow of heat; and (4) the decay of trapped phonons and therefore heat flow can be predicted and controlled—at least to some extent—by the use of carefully selected interfaces and δ layers.
An Update on the Diagnosis of Adrenal Insufficiency and the Use of Corticotherapy in Critical Illness

Objective:To examine recent literature regarding corticotherapy in critically ill patients suffering from sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP).Data Sources:Literature was identified through MEDLINE (1966–April 2007) using combinations of the key words hydrocortisone, adrenal insufficiency, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, sepsis, and cortisol. Bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed for additional citations. Presentations at recent critical care meetings were also incorporated.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Articles were chosen based upon their relevance to the topics covered.Data Synthesis:Earlier studies using high-dose corticotherapy in the intensive care unit have shown treatment to be ineffective. Recent studies using extended courses of low-to-moderate doses of steroids have found favorable results; however, these results must be interpreted with caution due to limitations in the data. One trial of steroids i...
¿Cómo funciona Bolsa Familia? Mejores prácticas en la implementación de programas de transferencias monetarias condicionadas en América Latina y el Caribe

El Programa Bolsa Familia (PBF) es un programa de transferencias monetarias condicionadas (PTMC) con corresponsabilidades en salud y educacion implementado por el gobierno federal de Brasil desde 2003. El Ministerio de Desarrollo Social (MDS) es el organo responsable del programa y esta encargado de establecer los criterios de elegibilidad y la autorizacion del pago a las familias. Algunas de las principales caracteristicas del PBF son el foco en las familias como beneficiarias (aquellas con un ingreso menor a R$154,00 mensuales por persona), beneficios variables de acuerdo a la composicion familiar priorizando a ninos y adolescentes, pago directo a traves de una tarjeta bancaria, acceso al programa a traves de la inscripcion en el Cadastro Unico, gestion del programa compartida con estados y municipios y la administracion de cupos por municipio utilizando una estimacion de las familias pobres elaborada en conjunto con el Instituto Brasileno de Geografia y Estadistica (IBGE). En junio de 2015, el PBF respaldo a 13.827.369 familias que en promedio recibieron R$167,15. A un costo de 0,5% del Producto Interno Bruto, el PBF contribuye a reducir en mas de 50% la mortalidad infantil causada por problemas de desnutricion y diarrea, asi como a aumentar la tasa de aprobacion en educacion media de 75,7% a 79,7%. Este documento es parte de una serie de estudios realizados en varios paises de America Latina y el Caribe que tiene el objetivo de sistematizar el conocimiento sobre la operacion de los PTMC.
Citation Differences between ABC Journals and Related, but, Unaffiliated Quality Journals

This study sought to determine if the Association of Business Communication journal articles are influencing the business communication field than articles published by unaffiliated journals. Since researchers have agreed that citations effectively measure impact on a field, analyzing citations could determine if ABC articles are leading or lagging in influence. We examined 172 articles (cited 4,624 times) listed in Google Metrics, published between 2009 and 2013. We found 36 articles published by ABC’s two journals having the most influence when they were compared to 136 articles published in 10 unaffiliated journals. Using one-way analysis of variance revealed means differed between ABC journals and unaffiliated journals significantly when citations was the dependent variable. When time, as a factor, was added, the two-way ANOVA resulted in a non-significant interaction effect, which suggested the unaffiliated articles were gaining influence. Therefore, we have provided some recommendations for how ABC can offset these gains.
Muscleblind-like 1 suppresses breast cancer metastatic colonization and stabilizes metastasis suppressor transcripts

Post-transcriptional deregulation is a defining feature of metastatic cancer. While many microRNAs have been implicated as regulators of metastatic progression, less is known about the roles and mechanisms of RNA-binding proteins in this process. We identified muscleblind-like 1 (MBNL1), a gene implicated in myotonic dystrophy, as a robust suppressor of multiorgan breast cancer metastasis. MBNL1 binds the 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of DBNL (drebrin-like protein) and TACC1 (transforming acidic coiled-coil containing protein 1)-two genes that we implicate as metastasis suppressors. By enhancing the stability of these genes' transcripts, MBNL1 suppresses cell invasiveness. Consistent with these findings, elevated MBNL1 expression in human breast tumors is associated with reduced metastatic relapse likelihood. Our findings delineate a post-transcriptional network that governs breast cancer metastasis through RNA-binding protein-mediated transcript stabilization.
Numerical Study of Axisymmetric Gas Flow in Conical Micronozzles by DSMC and Continuum Methods

Gas flow in conical micronozzles was numerically studied by DSMC and continuum methods. Experimental data of helium flow in a converging-diverging nozzle with throat diameter of 1 mm were used as the reference problem. In the experiment, the throat Reynolds number ranged from 0.16 to 22.69 and the flow experienced the transition from slip to transitional regimes at the nozzle entrance. 2D axisymmetric models were used for both DSMC and continuum methods with slip wall boundary condition applied in the latter one. The two different approaches were validated with the experimental data and compared with each other for performance evaluations. For throat Reynolds number larger than 10, the two numerical methods predicted nozzle exit thrust values in agreement with the experimental data. Pressure and Mach number contours were similar in pattern, but different in magnitude and smoothness of distributions. DSMC method predicts larger thrust value compared to continuum solution for Re < 10 where the flow is in transition regime.
Syntheses of (-)-cryptocaryolone and (-)-cryptocaryolone diacetate via a diastereoselective oxy-Michael addition and oxocarbenium allylation.

The total syntheses of both (−)-cryptocaryolone and (−)-cryptocaryolone diacetate is presented herein. The usage of a diastereoselective oxy-Michael addition/benzylidene acetal formation coupled with a selective axial oxocarbenium allylation allowed for the preparation of the α-C-glycoside moiety present in the bicyclic bridged structure. In addition, the syn-1,3-diol of the linear portion was installed via a Wacker oxidation followed by a subsequent directed reduction of the appropriate homoallylic alcohol precursor.