cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract P136: Relationships between Health Behaviors and Physical & Mental Health among Smokers in California

Background: Tobacco use, physical inactivity (PA), and sedentary behavior (SB) are leading behavioral risk factors for mental and physical health problems. The combination of smoking and other unhealthy lifestyle behaviors heightens the risk from smoking alone. Examining the relationships between health behaviors and health problems in a representative sample of California smokers enables quantification of the negative health effects of engaging in multiple unhealthy lifestyle behaviors over and above any adverse health effects from smoking alone. Methods: The 2011 California Longitudinal Smokers Survey (CLSS) surveyed smokers who participated in the previous 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a population-based random sample of California residents. The present analyses included 1,718 current smokers surveyed again two years after participating in CHIS. The sample respondents were weighted to the age, gender, geographic place of residence, and ethnicity of the population of all adult California smokers. For the current analyses, physical inactivity was defined as Results: Results revealed a significant relationship between physical inactivity and obesity (t=3.5, p Conclusion: The combination of smoking and physical inactivity or excessive SB is associated with worse mental and physical health than smoking alone. The American Heart Association encourages individuals to improve their cardiovascular health by quitting smoking, increasing PA, reducing SB, and maintaining a healthy weight. Public health efforts to increase awareness of the significant benefits of improving these and other health behaviors rely upon the collection, analysis, and publication of data demonstrating the associations between health behaviors and outcomes.
Anisotropy of the magnetoresistance in Gd5Si2Ge2.

The observed magnetoresistance of single crystalline ${\mathrm{G}\mathrm{d}}_{5}{\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}}_{2}{\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}}_{2}$ is negative and strongly anisotropic. The absolute values measured along the [100] and [010] directions exceed those parallel to the [001] direction by more than 60%. First principles calculations demonstrate that a structural modification is responsible for the anisotropy of the magnetoresistance, and that the latter is due to a significant reduction of electronic velocity in the [100] direction and the anisotropy of electrical conductivity.
Three-Quasiparticle Intruder State in Te 125 and the Magnetic Moment of Sb 125

The levels of ${\mathrm{Te}}^{125}$ have been studied using ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{125}$ nuclei, polarized at $T=0.014$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K in an iron lattice, and Ge(Li) detectors. The magnetic moment of ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{125}$ was determined as $(2.59\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03) {\ensuremath{\mu}}_{N}$. Levels (spins) were assigned at $35.9(\frac{3}{2}+)$, $145.4(\frac{11}{2}\ensuremath{-})$, $322.2(\frac{9}{2}\ensuremath{-})$, $443.7(\mathrm{probably} \frac{3}{2}+)$, $462.5(\frac{5}{2}+)$, $525.4(\mathrm{probably} \frac{9}{2}\ensuremath{-})$, $636.1(\frac{7}{2}+)$, $642.3(\frac{7}{2}+)$, $671.6(\frac{5}{2}+)$ (energies in keV). The even-parity levels could be identified with levels calculated by Kisslinger and Sorensen. Using their wave functions, we calcualted $\frac{E2}{M1}$ mixing ratios and branching ratios, finding quite good agreement. The odd-parity states are of special interest. The $\frac{11}{2}\ensuremath{-}145.4$-keV state and $\frac{9}{2}\ensuremath{-}525.4$-keV state are assigned as ${h}_{\frac{11}{2}}$ quasiparticle and ${h}_{\frac{11}{2}}$ quasiparticle plus phonon. The $\frac{9}{2}$- state at 322.2 keV is not predictable on a single-quasiparticle-plus-phonon theory, and is assigned as a three-quasiparticle ${({h}_{\frac{11}{2}})}^{3}$ intruder state, bearing out Kisslinger's prediction that ${({j}^{3})}_{j\ensuremath{-}1}$ intruder states should be found in low-lying spectra for high $j$. Evidence for other intruder states in ${\mathrm{Rh}}^{100}$, ${\mathrm{Ag}}^{109}$, and ${\mathrm{Ag}}^{110}$ is given.
Empirical Earth Rotation Model: a Consistent Way to Evaluate Earth Orientation Parameters

It is customary to perform analysis of the Earth’s rotation in two steps: first, to present results of estimation of the Earth orientation parameters in the form of time series based on a simplified model of variations of the Earth’s rotation for a short period of time, and then to process this time series of adjustmentsby applying smoothing, re-sampling and other numerical algorithms. This approach suffers from self-inconsistency: the total set of Earth orientation parameters depends on a subjective choice of the apriori Earth orientation model, crosscorrelations between points of the time series are lost, and results of an operational analysis per se have a limited use for end users. Here, an alternative approach of direct estimation of the coefficients of expansion of Euler angle perturbations into basis functions is developed. These coefficients describe the Earth’s rotation over the entire period of observations and are evaluated simultaneously with stationpositions, source coordinates and other parameters in a single LSQ solution. In the framework of this approach considerably larger errors in apriori EOP model are tolerated. This approachgives a significant conceptual simplification of representation and estimation of the Earth’s rotation.
Wildfire extent and severity correlated with annual streamflow distribution and timing in the Pacific Northwest, USA (1984–2005)

Climate change effects on wildfire occurrence have been attributed primarily to increases in temperatures causing earlier snowpack ablation and longer fire seasons. Variability in precipitation is also an important control on snowpack accumulation and, therefore, on timing of meltwater inputs. We evaluate the correlation of total area burned and area burned severely to snowmelt-induced streamflow timing and total annual streamflow metrics across the Pacific Northwest region from 1984-2005. Principal component scores on total annual water year flow and date of 50th percentile flow (PC1T) in the Pacific Northwest were used as predictors of satellite-inferred area burned and area burned severely in forested settings. Both annual area burned and burned severely are significantly correlated with mean annual flow and streamflow timing. PC1T alone explains 24% of the variability in annual area burned. Path analysis suggests that a substantial amount of the variability in annual area burned, previously attributed solely to temperature effects on melt timing, may be primarily driven by trends in precipitation and total annual streamflow. Principal component analysis scores on mean annual streamflow explain as much as 46% of the variability in annual area burned from 1984-2005. Thus, although streamflow timing may be a better single correlate of annual wildfire activity, timing is, in turn, strongly dependent on precipitation. These results suggest that recent fire activity in forests of this region are influenced more by precipitation variability than temperature-induced shifts in snowmelt timing, with significant implications for our ability to predict wildfire activity in the future. Published in 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Therapeutic options and multifaceted treatment paradigms in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The field of prostate cancer therapeutics has undergone a rapid and dramatic change in the last few years. Multiple agents with very distinct mechanisms of actions and unique toxicities and efficacies have become available for clinical use. The focus of this review is to give a summary of clinical perspectives of the indications, including pros and cons of the currently approved regimens. The next generation of novel targets and agents is also highlighted. RECENT FINDINGS Addition of docetaxel-based chemotherapy to conventional androgen suppression therapy in hormone sensitive advanced prostate cancer demonstrated overall survival benefit in recently released results of ECOG 3805. In castrate-resistant metastatic disease, development of novel immunotherapy (Sipuleucel T), chemotherapy (docetaxel and cabazitaxel), radiation (alpharadin) and hormone therapy (abiraterone and enzalutamide) agents has created a range of choices for treatment, palliation and improved life expectancy. SUMMARY A paradigm shift has occurred in the management of advanced prostate cancer, with multiple novel agents addressing distinct pathways, and demonstrating powerful efficacy. The judicious use of the available agents, with finesse of sequencing, and concomitant palliative care has prolonged survival and made living with the disease more reasonable and tolerable.
Competitive immunoassays for simultaneous detection of metabolites and proteins using micromosaic patterning.

New high-throughput immunoassay methods for rapid point-of-care diagnostic applications represent an unmet need and current focus of numerous innovative methods. We report a new micromosaic competitive immunoassay developed for the analysis of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4), inflammation biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP), and the oxidative damage marker 3-nitrotyrosine (BSA−3NT) on a silicon nitride substrate. To demonstrate the versatility of the method, both direct and indirect format competitive immunoassays were developed and could be applied simultaneously for single samples. Signals from standard solutions were fit to a logistic equation, allowing simultaneous detection of T4 (7.7−257.2 nM), CRP (0.3−4.2 μg/mL), and BSA−3NT (0.03−22.3 μg/mL). Total assay time including sample introduction, washing, and fluorescence measurement was less than 45 min. Dissociation constants for affinity pairs in the system have been estimated using regression. This proof-of-concept experiment shows that both small...
Byron—In-Between Sade, Lautréamont, and Foucault: Situating the Canon of “Evil” in the Nineteenth Century

Sade’s evil influence on Lord Byron haunts the margins of Byronic criticism. In this article I resuscitate the marginalized Marquis by tracing Byron’s influence on another son of Sade, the pseudo-Comte de Lautreamont. If Sade’s forever violated heroine Justine forms a hopelessly contradictory representation of Byron’s desire for in-nocence (or non-noxiousness) in the name of himself, his illicit affair with his half-sister Augusta, and his interminably complex rapport to other feminine, homosocial, and homosexual objects of desire, how does this clandestine influence estrange a user-friendly Byron from our comfortable stereotype of the poet as wholly different from that other aristocrat? An examination of Sade alongside Lautreamont’s Sadean strain in Maldoror replaces le mal at the core of Byron’s life-writing, thereby foregrounding his lordship’s attempt to evade the practical consequences of evil in his own work. Since Sade is also influential on contemporary criticism via poststructuralism or La Pensee 68, I work through the case of Foucault in order to show how this Sadean order of things is responsible for the tendency to evade confronting the ephemeral or merely literary status of “evil” in the nineteenth century (and beyond).
A comparison of methods of benchmark-dose estimation for continuous response data

Methods of quantitative risk assessment for toxic responses that are measured on a continuous scale are not well established. Although risk-assessment procedures that attempt to utilize the quantitative information in such data have been proposed, there is no general agreement that these procedures are appreciably more efficient than common quantal dose-response procedures that operate on dichotomized continuous data. This paper points out an equivalence between the dose-response models of the nonquantal approach of Kodell and West and a quantal probit procedure, and provides results from a Monte Carlo simulation study to compare coverage probabilities of statistical lower confidence limits on dose corresponding to specified additional risk based on applying the two procedures to continuous data from a dose-response experiment. The nonquantal approach is shown to be superior, in terms of both statistical validity and statistical efficiency.
Complementary polarity exposures for cost-effective line-cutting in multiple patterning lithography

Multiple patterning is the only known way to extend current 193 nm immersion-based optical lithography beyond 40 nm half-pitch. A highly effective technique for multiple patterning uses self-aligned etched spacers to define the tightest pitch lines as critical features. However, to complete the patterning, the lines must be cut with at least one separate additional exposure. In order to reduce the costs associated with multiple cut locations, it is proposed to group the locations into portions of larger features. Specifically, the cut locations can be the intersection of the spacer lines and the overlap of at least two polygons of opposite exposure polarity. The cost reduction is determined by the reduced number of exposures, as well as the looser pitch and dimensions of the exposures. Besides cost reduction, greater immunity to exposure shot noise (if EUV or EBL is used for cutting) is provided by the use of larger polygons. The benefits of complementary polarity patterning based on these key issues will be analyzed for the 10 nm half-pitch application, and extensions to even smaller half-pitches will be discussed.
The Impact of Comparative Genomics on Our Understanding of Evolution

If an essential gene is displaced by a horizontally transferred one (be it related or unrelated) with the same function, the latter should for the most part be adaptive (confer a distinct evolutionary advantage to the organism) to be fixed in the population. Generally, an alien gene is likely to be at a disadvantage compared to a resident, well-integrated gene with the same function. The reverse may be true, however, after a significant change of the environment, which could apply to the origin of bacterial hyperthermophily via continuous acquisition of archaeal genes. At least one case where the nature of the advantage is clear has been described—eukaryotic isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase confers antibiotic resistance to bacteria whose genome it invades via horizontal transfer (Brown et al. 1998xBrown, J.R, Zhang, J, and Hodgson, J.E. Curr. Biol. 1998; 8: R365–R367Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMedSee all ReferencesBrown et al. 1998). Comparative genome analysis reveals other features that appear to be adaptive, such as lineage-specific expansion of gene families. A striking example of this is the expansion of the photosensory PAS domain in the photosynthetic cyanobacterial lineage, which is without any precedence in nonphotosynthetic organisms. More frequently, however, the teleology behind the presumed adaptation remains unclear.More generally, what we realize with due humility from our first forays into complete-genome-scale comparative genomics, is that we do not truly understand the connection between the genome and the phenotype of an organism. Comparative analysis of the genomes of archaeal and bacterial thermophiles reveals numerous interesting features, including strong evidence of extensive, specific horizontal gene transfer, but fails to identify the genomic basis for thermophily. Similarly, a comparison of the genome of the extreme radioresistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans to those of other bacteria showed many peculiarities in its DNA repair and stress response systems (White et al. 1999xWhite, O, Eisen, J.A, Heidelberg, J.F, Hickey, E.K, Peterson, J.D, Dodson, R.J, Haft, D.H, Gwinn, M.L, Nelson, W.C, Richardson, D.L et al. Science. 1999; 286: 1571–1577CrossRef | PubMed | Scopus (627)See all ReferencesWhite et al. 1999), but failed to explain how this organism survives under irradiation of an intensity that makes pyrex glass crack. We believe that the problem of the genome–phenotype connection, which, in a sense, is the central theme of biology, can be solved only through an experimental program strategically planned on the basis of comparative-genomic results. Much of the biological research of the next few decades is likely to develop along these lines.*To whom correspondence should be addressed (e-mail: koonin@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics of Preasymptotic Dispersion.

Turbulent transport in bulk-phase fluids and transport in porous media with fractal character involve fluctuations on all space and time scales. Consequently one anticipates constitutive theories should be nonlocal in character and involve constitutive parameters with arbitrary wavevector and frequency dependence. We provide here a nonequilibrium statistical mechanical theory of transport which involves both diffusive and convective mixing (dispersion) at all scales. The theory is based on a generalization of classical approaches used in molecular hydrodynamics and on time-correlation functions defined in terms of nonequilibrium expectations. The resulting constitutive laws are nonlocal and constitutive parameters are wavevector and frequency dependent. All results reduce to their convolution-Fickian quasi-Fickian, or Fickian counterparts in the appropriate limits.
High frequency hot electron conductivity and admittance in Si and Ge

Abstract The method of power and force balance (PFB) based on energy and momentum conservation using energy and momentum relaxation times and a Maxwellian distribution with an effective electron temperature is shown to give an accurate solution of the hot electron problem within a factor of about 3 from the exact numerical solution for both the small-signal high d.c. field case in the frequency range where the energy relaxation time becomes important and the large-signal and low d.c. field case. A new exact solution is obtained using a power series multiplier in the Maxwellian distribution function as trial function which gives explicit formulae for the circuit elements of the small-signal admittance at high electric field. The admittance function is synthesized into a d.c. high field conductance in parallel with a series combination of a negative resistance and an inductance. The inductance is negative for phonon scattering and positive for ionized impurity scattering.
My Oldest Sister Is a Sea Walnut

With common names such as “sea walnut,” “sea gooseberry,” and “Venus' girdle” that reflect their morphological diversity, the jelly-like creatures belonging to the phylum Ctenophora that bear distinctive “combs” of cilia are not only breathtakingly beautiful ( 1 ) but are also key to understanding early animal evolution. On page 1336 of this issue, Ryan et al. ( 2 ) decode the genome of the sea walnut Mnemiopsis leidyi , the first member of this phylum to be sequenced, and propose that ctenophores might be the earliest branch of the animal tree and the sister lineage to that of all other animals. This paints a picture of early animal evolution full of cell type complexity, as well as its loss.
Learning to teach with mandated curriculum and public examination of teaching as contexts

Abstract This case study explores how a Chinese beginning teacher developed her professional knowledge of mathematics instruction under the influences of a mandated curriculum and a contrived teaching organization. It finds that the teacher was able to develop a mathematics lesson that engaged students in discovering mathematics ideas and making sense of their relationships and her way of teaching was influenced directly and indirectly by the nature of the mandated curriculum and teaching organization in the context of her work. Her exploration of the mandated curriculum individually and with her colleagues contributed to her understanding about mathematics concepts and their representations. Other teachers’ systematic observations and discussions about her teaching with a focus on pedagogical content knowledge helped her develop and refine her teaching strategies. Such a focus was again shaped by the ways in which the mandated curriculum and teaching organization are structured. Some shared concepts in mandated curriculum and the teachers’ working language mediated her understanding of the curriculum and other teachers’ examinations about her instruction. The study indicates that the ways in which the mandated curriculum is structured and teachers are organized may help teachers develop the necessary professional knowledge for teaching.
IMAGE: An interactive computer system for multi-constrained spatial synthesis

IMAGE is a system of computer programs which generates three dimensional spatial arrangements to satisfy spatial requirements specified by a designer. A problem specification is composed of two elements: geometric descriptions of the spaces to be configured; and relationships between those spaces which the designer wishes to achieve. Given a problem description, IMAGE generates arrangements until a configuration is achieved which satisfies all specified relationships. If no such configuration is possible, IMAGE produces arrangements which minimize dissatification of the specified relationships.IMAGE, the computer design aid system described in this paper, has been developed to go beyond the single parameter approach, to operate on a more flexible set of form explicit criteria and to facilitate its interaction with the designer's own process.
Microbial water quality concerns for water supply use

The greatest impact of water pollution on public health comes through drinking water, the source of which may be degraded by point and nonpoint pollution sources including municipal wastewater, storm water runoff, agricultural drainage, and food processing. While water treatment technology can successfully process poor quality source waters containing in excess of 2000 fecal coliforms/100 mL to produce potable water that meets the accepted drinking water standards, there is serious concern that the barriers to microbial breakthrough in the finished water may prove to be dangerously thin. Any momentary break in the treatment train could allow substantial levels of microorganisms to enter the final product—potable water. The burden of water quality enhancement should be a shared responsibility among all discharges and downstream users of these irreplaceable resources. Much can be accomplished through the application of a multiple barrier approach in wastewater treatment, controlled storm water releases, and water supply enhancement. Dischargers must seek to minimize pathogen releases, reduce particulate dispersion, and diminish organics in effluents. These factors impact heavily on the effectiveness of wastewater disinfection. Furthermore, with passage downstream to the water intake, these organic residuals may be the precursors of disinfection by-products created during drinking water treatment. Some water supply operations must revise their treatment practices to provide better protection from the passage of protozoan cysts and enhance the removal of organics before applying disinfection. Disinfection of water supply is critical and will only be consistently effective in a clean processed water.
Early referral makes the decision-making about fertility preservation easier: a pilot survey study of young female cancer survivors

The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between patients’ decision-making about fertility preservation (FP) and time between cancer diagnosis and FP consultation in young female cancer survivors. This is a pilot survey study of women aged 18–43 years seen for FP consultation between April 2009 and December 2010. Among 52 women who completed the survey, 15 (29 %) had their FP consultation more than 2 weeks after their cancer diagnosis (late referral group) and 37 (71 %) were within 2 weeks of their cancer diagnosis (early referral group). In univariate analysis, the only difference between the late referral and early referral groups was a higher decisional conflict scale (DCS) in late referral group (p = 0.04). In multivariable analysis, late referral group was more likely to have high DCS (>35) compared to early referral group (odds ratio 4.8, 95 % confidence interval 1.5, 21.6) after adjusting for age, center, and type of cancer. Early referral to a fertility specialist can help patients make better decision about FP. This is the first study to suggest that early referral is important in patients’ decision-making process about FP treatment. Our finding supports the benefit of early referral in patients who are interested in FP which is consistent with prior studies about FP referral patterns.
Analog low-power hardware implementation of a Laguerre-Volterra model of intracellular subthreshold neuronal activity

The right level of abstraction for a model mimicking a neural function is often difficult to determine. There are trade-offs between capturing biological complexities on one hand and the scalability and efficiency of the model on the other. In this work, we describe a nonlinear Laguerre-Volterra model of the synaptic temporal integration of input spikes to postsynaptic potentials. This model is then efficiently implemented using analog subthreshold circuits and can serve as a foundation for future large-scale hardware systems that can emulate multi-input multi-output (MIMO) spike transformations in populations of neurons. The normalized mean square error in estimating real data using the circuit implementation of this model is less than 15%. The model components are modular and its parameters are adjustable for modeling temporal integration by neurons in other brain regions. The total power consumption of this nonlinear Laguerre-Volterra system is less than 5nW.
Prenatal programming of rat cortical collecting tubule sodium transport.

Prenatal insults have been shown to lead to elevated blood pressure in offspring when they are studied as adults. Prenatal administration of dexamethasone and dietary protein deprivation have demon...
Diskussion der EPR‐Spektren von Radikalanionen des TCNQ und TCNE auf der Basis von Solvensparametern

Die Bildung und Stabilisierung von Radikalanionen des TCNQ und TCNE sowohl aus den neutralen Akzeptoren als auch aus EDA-Komplexen in Losung wurde EPR-spektroskopisch untersucht. Die z. T. erhebliche Abhangigkeit der Konzentration an gebildeten Radikalanionen, der Linienbreite der EPR-Linien und der Auflosung der Hyperfeinstruktur von der Art des verwendeten Losungsmittels konnte mittels ausgewahlter Solvensparameter interpretiert werden. Als geeignete Parameter fur die Radikalanionenbildung erwies sich hierbei die Donizitat, wahrend die Parameter Akzeptorzahl und die Grose δ, die der Energie zur Ausbildung eines Losungsmittelkafigs proportional ist, als Maszahl fur die Stabilisierung der gebildeten Radikalanionen in Losung herangezogen werden konnten. Discussion of the EPR-Spectra of TCNQ and TCNE Radical Anions on the Basis of Solvent Parameters The formation and stabilization of TCNQ and TCNE radical anions as well from neutral molecules as from EDA complexes in solution was investigated by EPR spectroscopy. The remarcable dependence of generated radical anion concentration, line width and resolution of EPR signals from the nature of used solvents was explaint in terms of selected solvent parameters. It was shown, that the donicity is a proper parameter for characterizing the generation of radical anions, whereas the parameters acceptor number and the quantity δ, which is proportional to the energy of solvent cage formation, can be used as a measure for stabilization of the generated radical anions in solution.
Coalition formation as a function of differences in resources

A number of studies on coalition formation have focused, at least in part, on the triad where resources are divided A > B >C and A B>C and A C, and A outside the coalition, because (B + C) > A. In an AB coalition, B controls only C outside the alliance, since A's greater resources' give A control of B within the coalition. C controls the person outside the alliance and is controlled by
On Social Capital and Diversity in a Feminized Industry: Further Developing a Theory of Internal Public Relations

Women's work relationships with other women in public relations management settings provide context for further developing Kennan and Hazleton's (2006) conception of internal public relations (IPR) theory. To date, undertheorized in the public relations literature are intra-management relationships, social capital-diversity links, and connections between practitioners’ day-do-day lives and organizational contexts. Interviewed were 42 senior-level female public relations managers (African American, Asian American, Caucasian, and Hispanic) whose experiences reveal outcomes of woman/woman dyad work relationships over the past 5 decades and ways these may impact IPR in feminized industries. Explication of IPR theory and suggestions for further development are offered.
Embryological induction and predation ecology in Daphnia pulex

Results of laboratory experiments suggest that a water-soluble factor released into the environment by the predacious phantom midge larva Chaoborus americanus (Diptera: Chaoboridae) causes embryos of the waterflea Daphnia pulex Leydig 1860 emend. Richard 1896 (Crustacea: Cladocera) to develop into a form called Daphnia minnehaha Herrick 1884. Chaoborus larvae are unable to eat the D. minnehaha form as readily as the D. pulex form.
Matching regulatory arrangements with public values in the provision of energy and telecommunications: one view

The staying power of certain public values underpinning public policy in the provision of utility infrastructure is remarkably strong. A list of (nine) Public Values is offered (e.g., universal service, affordability) that has varied little in the past 100 years in the USA. To accommodate these named public values policymakers in the utility field have an array of Institutional Arrangements to choose from (e.g., public ownership, market competition). Five major ones are identified. The thrust of this paper is to see how far each of the Arrangements is likely to satisfy each Public Value.
Performance gains from directed training do not transfer to untrained tasks

Given the increasing complexity of the tasks and skills needed in modern society, developing effective training strategies is of tremendous practical importance. Furthermore, training that improves performance of both trained and untrained tasks would be highly efficient. In the present study, we examined how directed training contributes to skill acquisition, and more importantly, to engendering transfer of training to untrained tasks. Participants learned a complex video game for 30 h (Space Fortress, Donchin, Fabiani, & Sanders, 1989) using one of two training regimens: Hybrid Variable-Priority Training (HVT), with a focus on improving specific skills and managing task priority, or Full Emphasis Training (FET) in which participants simply practiced the game to obtain the highest overall score. We compared game performance, retention of training gains, and transfer of training to untrained tasks as a function of the training regimen. Compared to FET, HVT learners reached higher levels of mastery on the game and HVT was particularly beneficial for initially poor performing participants. This benefit persisted seven months after training. However, contrary to expectation, both HVT and FET were unsuccessful in producing transfer to untrained tasks compared to a group that received limited game experience, suggesting that directed training and practice can produce task-specific improvements, but improvements do not necessarily transfer from trained to untrained tasks.
Gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue therapy alters signal transduction pathways involving mitogen-activated protein and focal adhesion kinases in Leiomyoma

Because gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) therapy often causes leiomyoma regression, in part through alteration of growth factor and receptor expression, we determined whether GnRHa therapy alters the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which are linked to intracellular signaling pathways activated by ovarian steroids, growth factors, and adhesion molecules. Leiomyoma and matched unaffected myometrium were collected from women who received GnRHa therapy (n = 5) and untreated women (n = 10). We determined the expression of ERK1, ERK2, FAK, phosphorylated ERK (pERK1/2), and pFAK using Western blotting and immunohis-tochemical analysis. Leiomyoma and myometrium expressed ERK1 (44 kD), ERK2 (42 kD), and FAK (125 kD) at variable levels with increased ERK2, pERK, and FAK expression in leiomyoma. We found that GnRHa therapy resulted in a noticeable decrease in ERK2 and FAK, with significant reduction in pERKl/2 and low or undetectable levels of pFAK in both leiomyoma and myometrium compared with the untreated group (P <.05). Immunohis to chemically ERK1, ERK2, FAK, pERKl/2, and pFAK were localized in smooth muscle cells and connective tissue fibroblasts in GnRHa-treated and untreated leiomyoma and myometrium, with considerable reduction in their intensity as indicated by HScore in GnRHa-treated tissues. The data provide further evidence that leiomyoma regression induced by GnRHa is mediated in part through a mechanism involving suppression of signal transduction pathways involving growth factors or ovarian steroid and adhesion molecules.
Cyclosporin A specifically inhibits function of nuclear proteins involved in T cell activation

One action of cyclosporin A thought to be central to many of its immunosuppressive effects is its ability to inhibit the early events of T lymphocyte activation such as lymphokine gene transcription in response to signals initiated at the antigen receptor. Cyclosporin A was found to specifically inhibit the appearance of DNA binding activity of NF-AT, AP-3, and to a lesser extent NF-kappa B, nuclear proteins that appear to be important in the transcriptional activation of the genes for interleukin-2 and its receptor, as well as several other lymphokines. In addition, cyclosporin A abolished the ability of the NF-AT binding site to activate a linked promoter in transfected mitogen-stimulated T lymphocytes and in lymphocytes from transgenic mice. These results indicate that cyclosporin A either directly inhibits the function of nuclear proteins critical to T lymphocyte activation or inhibits the action of a more proximal member of the signal transmission cascade leading from the antigen receptor to the nucleus.
Andreev current in finite-size carbon nanotubes

We investigate the effect of interactions on Andreev current at a normal-superconductor junction when the normal phase is a Luttinger liquid with repulsive interactions. In particular, we study the system of a finite-size carbon nanotube placed between one metallic and one superconducting lead. We show that interactions and finite-size effects give rise to significant deviations from the standard picture of Andreev current at a normal-superconductor junction in the nearly perfect Andreev limit.
Development and validation of a prognostic index for fracture risk in older men undergoing prostate cancer treatment

Abstract Objectives Men treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or radiation therapy (RT) for prostate cancer have an increased risk for fractures. Given uncertainty as to whether specific clinical factors can identify men at increased risk, we sought to develop a prognostic index for risk of fracture in this population. Materials and methods We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database to identify men who received ADT or RT after being diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in 2007–2009. Cox proportional hazards models tested the association of potential risk factors with fracture. In a derivation group, hazard ratios were used to assign points for factors independently related to fracture. The prognostic index was then applied to a validation group. Results The sample of 5824 men had a median age of 73.0 years; 82.9% were white and 8.6% had a fracture within 2 years of treatment for prostate cancer. The Cox model identified 8 variables (age, race, hormone treatment, Elixhauser score, anxiety, Parkinson's, fall-inducing medications and disability status) independently associated with fracture. In the derivation cohort, 4.3% of the sample experienced a fracture in the low-risk group, 8.9% in the intermediate group, and 19.2% in the high-risk group (C statistic, 0.749). The index was applied to the validation cohort (C statistic, 0.782). Conclusion The prognostic index can help to identify patients at increased risk for fracture. This underscores the importance of identifying risk factors for fracture, given the substantial variation in fracture risk in men treated with ADT or RT.
Sperm competition: motility and the midpiece in primates.

In animals with multiple-partner mating systems, the gametes of two or more males must compete to fertilize a given set of ova1,2,3,4,5. Here we show that the volume of the midpiece in individual sperm is significantly greater in primate species in which the females mate with multiple partners, and in which males have larger testes in relation to their body weight, than in those species that mate with only one partner and have relatively small testes. Our results indicate that sexual selection by sperm competition has influenced the evolution of a specific component of male-gamete morphology, the volume of the sperm midpiece.
James Mill on Universal Suffrage and the Middle Class

JAMES MILL'S Essay on Government is widely known as a succinct theoretical statement of Mill's political views. It is thus somewhat surprising, in view of Mill's reputation as a forthright and bold reformer who was greatly concerned with clarity in thought and expression, that there should be no general agreement as to the position he takes up in the Essay. This is made more surprising when it is recalled that Mill modelled his argument on what Macaulay called the geometric method of Euclid, a method not calculated to leave doubt as to the author's conclusion. Some of Mill's interpreters, by far the majority, believe the Essay to be a theoretical defense of the middle class and Mill an advocate of a suffrage restricted to that class, while others see it as a defense of universal suffrage. Since the Essay is properly considered to be important for the way it exemplifies the political application of Utilitarianism, a good deal turns on the question. According to MIill's initial premise, human nature is such that men will seek to gratify their individual interests, even to the extent of behaving in a predatory manner. From this he deduced that rulers, if they were responsible to only a segment of the populace, would sacrifice the interests of the remainder. Mill suggested that such difficulties can be avoided only if an identity of interests between rulers and the community be established. His argument thus implies universal suffrage. Yet Mill is also supposed to have ignored this implication, holding that since middle class interests comprehended all others, the suffrage could reasonably be confined to that class. This view, held by Sabine, Dicey, and Wilson, among others, and perpetuated by the editor of the most recent edition of the Essay, finds support in Mill's famous eulogy of the middle class at the end of the Essay. It is the middle class that is "the most wise and the most virtuous part of the community"; it "gives to science, to art, and to legislation itself their most distinguished ornaments"; and "the opinions of that class of the people who are below the mid(le rank are formed, and their minds are directed by that intelli-
Compressive multiplexers for correlated signals

We propose two compressive multiplexers for the efficient sampling of ensembles of correlated signals. We show that we can acquire correlated ensembles, taking advantage of their (a priori-unknown) correlation structure, at a sub-Nyquist rate using simple modulation and filtering architectures. We recast the reconstruction of the ensemble as a low-rank matrix recovery problem from generalized linear measurements. Our theoretical results indicate that we can recover an ensemble of M correlated signals composed of R ≪ M independent signals, each bandlimited to W=2 Hz, by taking O(RW logq W) samples per second, where q > 1 is a small constant.
A commercial approach to military system sustainment

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has utilized commercially-built military systems designed with Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) hardware and software in an attempt to cut costs. Supporting and maintaining these commercial systems need to have a different approach than the existing maintenance concepts for the proprietary military systems. In this paper we will look at a streamlined process on DoD C-17 Automated Test Equipment (CATE) using a commercial approach to support and maintain them. Test equipment obsolescence is a serious problem in DoD ATE systems today, especially with a commercial system. The CATE is a commercial system integrated with COTS software and hardware. In its brief lifetime of approximately 10 years the CATE in particular averages an obsolescence of two and a half COTS hardware or Tester Replaceable Units (TRUs) every three years. The lifespan support on the CATE COTS software averages just less than two years. As the TRUs and software become obsolete and unsupportable a streamlined process is necessary and critical in finding and qualifying alternate TRUs and software. This streamlined process needs to reduce the total life-cycle costs of maintenance support while maintaining the current availability of the deployed fleet of CATEs and the continued seamlessly uninterrupted support of the Test Program Sets (TPSs) that run on them.
Testing a Seasonal Slaughter Model for Colonial New England Using Tooth Cementum Increment Analysis

Abstract Seasonality and the potential for seasonal cycles in domestic animal use have not been adequately studied by zooarchaeologists working with faunal assemblages from sedentary populations husbanding domestic mammals. Studies of subsistence practices in colonial New England demonstrate the strongly seasonal nature of animal husbandry and slaughtering practices. This paper examines the historically derived seasonal patterns, and evaluates them against faunal data. Seasonal slaughtering cycles are interpreted from cementum increment patterns in 61 cattle, pig, and caprid teeth from four historical sites in Massachusetts, spanning the period 1630-1825. The methods used to prepare and analyse the tooth thin-sections are outlined, and an interpretation of seasonal slaughter patterns is then presented and discussed. The seasonal slaughter cycle interpreted from the cementum increment analysis is extremely similar to that derived from historical studies. Comparison of the urban and rural slaughter patterns suggests that the seasonal slaughter cycle in urban areas was extremely traditional and fundamentally similar to rural patterns. This implies that meat distribution systems in colonial New England's urban areas were not sufficiently developed to overcome the meat preservation problems underlying the rural seasonal slaughter cycle.
Scattering-phase theorem

We derive two mathematical relations between quantitative phase images of thin slices of inhomogeneous media and the scattering parameters of the bulk, i.e., scattering mean free path, l(s), and anisotropy factor, g. The l(s) turns out to be inversely proportional to the spatial variance of the phase shift, and g is related to the variance of the phase gradient. These formulas, referred collectively to as the scattering-phase theorem, allow for extracting l(s) and g in a spatially resolved manner and across an entire tissue section, that is, mapping large cross sections of tissues in terms of l(s) and g.
Changes in mesocorticolimbic dopamine and D1/D2 receptor levels after low level lead exposure: a time course study

Abstract Chronic post weaning low-level lead exposure produces cognitive deficits associated with Pb-induced alterations of mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) function. This study examined Pb-induced changes in the temporal profile of D1/D2 receptor protein and DA levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAC), hippocampus (HIP), and the frontal cortex (FC). Male Long–Evans rats were exposed to 0 (n=16–20) and 50 ppm Pb (n=16–20) for 180 days. Blood Pb analysis by atomic absorption spectroscopy showed BPb 9 μg/dl in the Pb-exposed group. Brain DA levels were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography; D1/D2 receptor expressions, by autoradiographic analysis. Pb exposure produced a transient hyperdopaminergic state, followed by a sustained decline in dopaminergic function within the NAC and a longer-lasting hyperdopaminergic condition within the HIP, whereas it decreased FC D1/D2 without significantly affecting FC DA levels. These findings indicate that time plays a critical, region-specific role in Pb's effects on the normal synaptic profile of the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system.
A simple filtration assay for measuring hydrogen exchange kinetics of proteins: application to peptide and ligand binding reactions.

Abstract A rapid filter assay for measurement of the hydrogen exchange kinetics of proteins and peptides is described. In this assay a tritium-labeled protein or peptide is separated from tritiated solvent by adsorption onto phosphocellulose paper at pH 3, 0°C. This filter assay yields data identical to data obtained by gel filtration and lyophilization assays. The utility of the assay is demonstrated by the measurement from exchange data of the small dissociation constants of S-peptide bound to RNase S (8.8 × 10 −11 m at pH 6.9, 0°C) and of 2′-CMP bound to RNase S (4 × 10 −7 m at pH 6.4, 0°C).
Relationships Among Locus of Control, Coping Behaviors, and Levels of Worry Following Exposure to Hurricanes

To explore the relationships among locus of control, coping behaviors, and levels of worry following exposure to hurricanes, the current study examines the responses of college students who were exposed to one or more hurricanes affecting central Florida in 2004. The results show that an external locus of control is related significantly and positively to avoidant coping behaviors. External locus of control and different types of coping behaviors (i.e., problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant coping) also are related significantly and positively to levels of worry. Finally, in regression analyses, avoidant coping behaviors are a partial mediator in the relationship between locus of control and worry, and worry is a partial mediator in the relationship between locus of control and avoidant coping behaviors. Our findings suggest the importance of examining individuals' explanations for the major events that occur in their lives, so that these explanations can be examined in psychological interventions.