cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen-transfer catalytic activity of minerals common to coal

The hydrogenation/dehydrogenation catalytic activity of minerals commonly present in coal was investigated. The extent of reaction undergone by the model hydrogen-transfer system tetralin/1,2-dihydronaphthalene/naphthalene at 400 °C in the presence of these minerals was used to measure the catalytic activity. For the four most active minerals, the order of catalytic activity per gram of mineral, for a given range of particle size, is limonites > pyrites > diaspore > magnetites. The pure chemical analog of the limonites, Fe2O3, was found to have catalytic activity similar to that of the limonites. Heating the minerals at 400 °C before running the reaction was found to decrease these catalytic activities, despite the surface-area increases resulting from the annealing process. The catalytic activity per unit area of mineral was determined and used as an index of the catalytic activity of the reactive sites for these heterogeneous systems. The order of decreasing site catalytic activity for the more active minerals is pyrites > magnetites > diaspore > limonites. The observed mineral/ chemical compound catalytic activities indicate that the more reactive mineral hydrogenation/ dehydrogenation catalytic sites are composed of iron compounds.
Daily and seasonal variation in metabolic response to cold during rest and forced exercise in the common redpoll

Abstract Metabolic measurements of common redpolls ( Carduelis = Acanthis flammea ) acclimatized to outdoor conditions throughout the year at Fairbanks, Alaska, have shown that: 1. 1. Day-night (circadian) differences in the rate of oxygen consumption at various ambient temperatures, and changes in the slope of the metabolism vs. temperature relationship are more pronounced during winter than during summer. 2. 2. Heat production at very low temperatures (below −30°C) measured during daytime at rest and during forced exercise is significantly higher during winter than during summer. Higher rates of oxygen consumption are associated with higher body temperatures under both conditions. From the results it is concluded that the high capacity for heat production during the day as well as the reduced heat loss (increased insulation) during the night are the principal physiological factors permitting survival of the common redpoll at extreme low temmperatures in subarctic winter.
Coefficient of thermal expansion for composites with randomly oriented fibers

The effective coefficient of thermal expansion is derived for fiber com posites in two dimensional quasi-isotropic form and three-dimensional isotropic form. These systems represent constructions that have fibers ran domly oriented in a plane and in three dimensions. The effective coeffi cients of thermal expansion are related to the thermal-mechanical proper ties of individual fiber and matrix phases. These results are put into asymp totic forms appropriate to very stiff fiber systems. The asymptotic predic tions are evaluated against the complete forms, and both results are com pared with an experimental result.
Distribution of lysozyme activity in the exteriors of eggs from Gallus gallus.

Abstract 1. 1. The amount of lysozyme activity in the egg shell exteriors, including cuticle, shell, outer and inner shell membranes was determined. 2. 2. The cuticle, shell and membranes from one dozen eggs were separated and the lysozyme and protein extracted by grinding and by soaking in normal saline (0·.9 % NaCl). 3. 3. The cuticle and shell contained little lysozyme, but the membranes were rich in this enzyme. 4. 4. The amount of activity was dependent on the type of method used for extraction. 5. 5. The outer and inner shell membranes had approximately the same amount of lysozyme per unit of membrane. The presence of salt during the extraction procedure was found to be essential for the detection of lysozyme activity.
Keratouveitis from Euphorbia cyparissias exposure is a temporal phenomenon

We present the case of an 82-year-old woman with severe keratouveitis secondary to exposure to the plant Euphorbia cyparissias during the month of August. Despite copious irrigation of both eyes, she developed a case of Euphorbia keratouveitis that was typical in its course. Exposure to plant sap from this species should be treated much like an alkaline chemical injury as the pH of the ocular surface may be elevated. E. cyparissias should be carefully handled as it may result in keratouveitis, especially in early autumn.
Rice Fry Texture as Affected by Gum Application and Mechanical Perforation

This study was designed to evaluate the effects on rice fries with respect to lipid and moisture contents, as well as instrumental texture characteristics as a result of either coating with a water-soluble gum solution or processing with a mechanical pinhole. The rice fries were formulated from 2 different rice flour mixtures. Statistical analyses showed that gum application significantly decreased fat absorption during frying and retained more moisture. The incorporation of a pinhole decreased moisture and increased fat contents. Increasing gum application lowered hardness and fracturability values. Gum application improved the overall appearance, as well as decreased popping and blistering of fries during final frying. Cette etude evalue les effets d'un enrobage par une solution de gomme alimentaire ou d'un procede de perforation mecanique (par extrusion) sur les teneurs en eau et en lipides et sur les caracteristiques de texture des frites de riz. Les produits sont formules avec 2 melanges differents de farine de riz. Les analyses statistiques montrent que l'application de gomme reduit l'absorption de matiere grasse pendant la friture et augmente la retention d'eau. La perforation provoque l'effet inverse.
Sexual dimorphism and development of the human cochlea. Computer 3-D measurement.

The length of the cochlear turns was measured in 9 pairs of temporal bones from age-matched male and female individuals (1 day to 76 years old), using a computer-aided three-dimensional reconstruction and measurement method. The mean cochlear length was significantly longer (Two-way analysis of variance, F =31.87, d.f. = 1, p < 0.01) in males (37.1 ± 1.6 mm) than in females (32.3 ±1.8 mm), whereas it did not vary with postnatal age in either sex. Sexually dimorphic cochlear length may pose a new issue in auditory physiology in man. The lack of postnatal elongation also indicates that length of the cochlea becomes close to its maximum during fetal life.
Femtosecond synchrotron radiation pulses generated in the als storage ring

Scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have generated 300-femtosecond pulses of bend-magnet synchrotron radiation at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) with the aid of a laser ''time-slicing'' technique. This technique allows an ultrashort portion of an electron bunch in the ALS storage ring to be spatially displaced in such a way that the synchrotron radiation from the displaced portion can then be collected separately. Their proof-of-principle experiment demonstrates that this technique is a viable one for producing ultra-short pulses of x-rays. An ALS bend-magnet beamline is already under construction that will be dedicated to time-resolved x-ray diffraction, EXAFS, and other techniques capable of probing the long-range and local structure of matter on a femtosecond time scale. A proposed undulator beamline based on the same technique would further enhance the flux and brightness by orders of magnitude.
Therapeutic play and bone marrow transplantation

Constructive, therapeutic play is an essential part of the care of children with long-term hospitalizations. The O'Connor theoretical framework supports the importance of play in ensuring the emotional, developmental, and physical health of children. The negative effects of long-term hospitalization are particularly evident for children who have undergone bone marrow transplants and must be kept in germ-free environment and isolation for extended periods of time. This article describes a successful play therapy program in a Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, using a play cabinet designed to provide readily available, sterilized toys that are appropriate for each of four age groups. Two cases are presented that show the efficacy of the use of the play cabinet in play therapy programs.
Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of dimethylsulfoxide, propranolol and chlorpromazine on the partial reactions of ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Abstract The effects of dimethylsulfoxide, propranolol and chlorpromazine on the partial reactions of the ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum were investigated. When analyzed according to a reaction scheme in which the ADP-sensitive (E 1 P) and ADP-insensitive (E 2 P) phosphoenzymes occur sequentially and P i is derived from the latter, dimethylsulfoxide decreased the rate of E 2 P hydrolysis whereas it stimulated the rate of the E 1 P to E 2 P conversion. Propranolol increased the rate of E 2 P hydrolysis while it decreased the rate of the E 1 P to E 2 P conversion. Propranolol exerted an additional effect, presumably inhibition of the phosphoenzyme formation. These effects of dimethylsulfoxide and propranolol can account for both the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of these drugs on the overall rate of ATP hydrolysis observed in the presence and absence of added alkali metal salts. Chlorpromazine accelerated E 2 P hydrolysis whereas it appeared to inhibit the E 1 P to E 2 P conversion. These effects of chlorpromazine appear able to account for its stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the overall rate of ATP hydrolysis in the presence and absence of alkali metal salts. In the presence of chlorpromazine, however, the rate of P i liberation during the steady state ATP hydrolysis was found to be greater than the hydrolysis rate of E 2 P. This finding suggests that under these conditions P i is derived not only from E 2 P but also from source(s) other than E 2 P.
Two Lyt-2 polypeptides arise from a single gene by alternative splicing patterns of mRNA

Abstract The Lyt-23 molecule is a glycoprotein expressed on T lymphocytes and has classically been considered a marker for the cytotoxic/suppressor T cell subset. It has been postulated to be a receptor for class I major histocompatibility complex proteins. We have used a cDNA clone encoding the analogous human protein, Leu-2/T8, to isolate mouse cDNA clones, which were used as probes to isolate mouse genomic clones. By transfection we have shown that the mouse homologue of Leu-2/T8 is Lyt-2 and not Lyt-3. We have further demonstrated that two Lyt-2 polypeptide chains are encoded by a single gene and result from alternative modes of mRNA splicing. The nucleotide sequence of cDNA clones encoding each of these polypeptide chains has been determined and shows the difference between the two Lyt-2 polypeptide chains to be in the lengths of their cytoplasmic tails.
Tropospheric Effects in Ionosphere-Supported Radio Transmission

The importance of meteorological effects in tropospheric transmission has been presented by the authors in previous papers. More extended observations in the 40- to 50-Mc band, recently analyzed, substantiate high correlations with temperature, atmospheric refraction, and wind direction. Since ionospheric-supported transmissions must pass at least twice through the troposphere, investigations have been made for possible meteorological effects at frequencies from the broadcast band to 10 Mc and comparisons made with known tropospheric reception at frequencies in the 40 to 50 Mc band. Correlation coefficients as high as 0.8 ± 0.1 are shown. Reception from WBBM, Chicago, 850 miles distant, based on 3 years data, show a direct correlation with surface refraction and with atmospheric temperature changes. Night fields rise from a minimum one day before a temperature rise equal to 10°F to a maximum on the day such temperature change occurs. Similarly, a drop in field occurs one day prior to an equal temperature fall. Studies of reception at Needham of WWV, 5 Mc (Beltsville, Md.) 373 miles distant, show similar correlations as those determined for the broadcast band. Furthermore, night fields of WWV, 5 Mc tend to a maximum one day preceding a prevailing SE wind directed broadside to the transmission path. Little correlation was found with NE winds directed along the path. Variations in field intensities, range from 15 to 30 per cent of mean fields dependent upon meteorological conditions at the receiving end.
Family Lessons and Funds of Knowledge: College-Going Paths in Mexican American Families

Families are crucial in the development of a college-going culture in the home. This qualitative study illustrates that Mexican American families are no exception. Using a multiple case study design, this study explored the funds of knowledge present in Mexican American families. Findings from this study reveal how daily educational practices, extended family networks, and preexisting college knowledge contribute to the development of positive college ideologies. Findings suggest that a shift in how researchers and practitioners understand and incorporate families in educational programming must take into consideration the fact that families have knowledge both about education in general and about college specifically.
Separating earthworms from organic media using an electric field

Earthworms have been shown to be effective in processing biodegradable organic waste. Typically, they are mechanically separated from the resulting vermicompost before it is marketed. Electric currents have been shown to repel earthworms and could be used to separate them from processed waste. This study investigated the effectiveness of an electric current at repelling earthworms from a soil slab of organic media as a function of the voltage created across the worms. This voltage is itself a function of electrode depth, spacing, earthworm diameter and its resistance, and electric current. The effectiveness of the electric field was significantly affected by each of these factors and was logarithmically proportional to the voltage generated across earthworms at a given electrode spacing, up to the onset of earthworm mortality, after which effectiveness decreased exponentially. The time period over which earthworms left the soil slab increased exponentially up to peak electric field effectiveness and then decreased exponentially afterwards. Mathematical models were derived from this study and could ultimately be used for preliminary designs of an electric earthworm separator.
How Capitalism Was Built: The Transformation of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia

Anders Aslund foresaw the collapse of the Soviet Union in his book Gorbachev's Struggle for Economic Reform (1989). He depicted the success of Russia's market transformation in How Russia Became a Market Economy (1995). After Russia's financial crisis of 1998, Aslund insisted that Russia had no choice but to adjust to the world market (Building Capitalism, 2001), though most observers declared the market economic experiment a failure. Why did Russia not choose Chinese gradual reforms? Why are the former Soviet countries growing much faster than the Central European economies? How did the oligarchs arise? Who is in charge now? These are just some of the questions answered in How Capitalism Was Built, covering twenty-one former communist countries from 1989 to 2006. Anybody who wants to understand the confusing dramas unfolding in the region and to obtain an early insight into the future will find this book useful and intellectually stimulating.
Advanced propulsion for the Mars Rover Sample Return Mission

The present evaluation of highly detailed advanced propulsion system design concepts for the Mars Rover Sample Return Mission proceeded by comparing a baseline chemical propulsion option with both storable and cryogenic advanced chemical propulsion alternatives and solar- and nuclear-based electric propulsion OTVs. Substantial launch mass reductions and commensurate payload mass increases were obtainable with both advanced chemical and electric propulsion cycles.
Specific Interactions between ATPase Subunits of the 26 S Protease

The regulatory complex of the 26 S protease contains at least 15 distinct subunits. Six of these subunits (S4, S6, S6′, S7, S8, and S10b) belong to a novel subfamily of presumptive nucleotidases that we call subunit 4 (S4)-like ATPases. Each of these putative ATPases was synthesized in reticulocyte lysate containing [35S]methionine, and the radiolabeled proteins were used in binding studies. S4, S6, S10b, and S6′ displayed specific binding to components of the regulatory complex separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) or two-dimensional PAGE. S4 bound to S7, and S6 bound two proteins: S8 and centractin, a component of the dynactin complex. S10b bound to S6′ and bound much more weakly to S1 and p50, another component of the dynactin complex. S6′ bound to S10b. Two subunits, S7 and S8, did not bind any components present on nitrocellulose membranes, presumably because S7 and S8 are already oligomeric following synthesis. Co-translation and sucrose gradient sedimentation of 35S-labeled ATPases demonstrated the formation of S6′-S10b dimers in solution but revealed more complex associations, namely the formation of trimers and tetramers, among S4, S6, S7, and S8. Progressive COOH-terminal deletions that removed as much as 300 amino acids from S4 had no effect on the binding of S4 to S7. In striking contrast, truncation of 85 NH2-terminal amino acids from S4 abrogated binding, clearly implicating the NH2 terminus of S4 in its specific interaction with S7. Since S4-like ATPases contain putative coiled-coils within the first 150 NH2-terminal amino acids, we propose that coiled-coil interactions are responsible for the specificity of the observed subunit associations and that these associations are important for self-assembly of the regulatory complex.
Acute and late clinical outcome after rotational atherectomy for complex coronary disease

Rotational atherectomy is effective acutely in treating complex coronary disease, but less is known about its long-term clinical outcome. We examined the acute results and late clinical outcome in 178 patients undergoing treatment with this device. Rotational atherectomy was used to treat 240 lesions in 178 individual patients. Nineteen percent had multilesion or staged multivessel procedures, and 71% had AHA-ACC Type B2/C lesions. The procedure was completed successfully in 94% of patients. Major complications occurred in 6% (death 1%, Q-MI 2.8%, and emergency bypass surgery 2.2%). Clinical follow-up was available for 167 (94%) patients at 13+/-6 months. Thirty-five percent required additional catheterization because of recurrent symptoms or an abnormal stress test. Clinical restenosis was confirmed in 18%, and an additional 2.2% of patients had progression of disease in previously untreated segments. At the end of 1 year, 14% had undergone repeat target vessel revascularization. Cumulatively at follow-up, approximately 80% had avoided an acute major complication and repeat revascularization for restenosis. Rotational atherectomy provides excellent acute and good late clinical results. At 1 year follow-up, the likelihood of developing clinical restenosis or significant progression of disease was 1 in 5, and patients had a 1 in 7 chance of requiring revascularization because of restenosis. These findings are encouraging and indicate that rotational atherectomy can be performed safely and with a high degree of acute and late clinical success in complex coronary disease characterized by multivessel or multilesion involvement and a predominance of B2 and C lesions.
Use of Milk Derivative, Lactose, in Other Foods

Abstract Samples are drawn from the literature to illustrate how lactose can be used to advantage in foods. These uses are based on relative sweetness, browning reaction, protein stabilizing properties, alteration of crystallization patterns, flavor accentuation, selective fermentation, and the nutritional attributes of lactose.
Concanavalin A simultaneously primes liver hematopoietic and epithelial progenitor cells for parallel expansion during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in mice

Liver hematopoietic progenitor cells (LHPC) and liver epithelial progenitor cells (LEPC) share a remarkable number of growth and differentiation-controlling receptor-ligand signaling systems. These likely account for the ability of the liver to support hematopoiesis in fetal life, and possibly for suggestions that LHPC can differentiate into hepatocytes. In these experiments, the kinetics and magnitude of LHPC and LEPC activation and expansion were studied by using a concanavalin A (Con A) liver injury model followed by partial hepatectomy (PH). Studies were performed in interleukin 6-deficient (IL-6(-/-)) mice and wild-type (IL-6(+/+)) controls, which show equal susceptibility to Con A- induced injury, because IL-6/gp130 signaling has been implicated in both LHPC and LEPC expansion. Con A pretreatment primed LHPC and LEPC for a rapid and parallel expansion after PH in IL-6(+/+) mice, which was significantly blunted and delayed in the IL-6(-/-) mice. Exogenous IL-6 given immediately before PH after Con A, augmented both LHPC and LEPC expansion in the IL-6(-/-) mice. Thus, the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, commonly produced in liver injury and inflammatory disease, is an important growth factor involved in the expansion of LHPC and LEPC. This observation has implications for both hepatic carcinogenesis and transplantation.
Correlations and brain states: from electrophysiology to functional imaging

Neural activity in cortex is correlated, an observation that has traditionally been attributed to neurons receiving input from a shared and limited presynaptic pool. Recent studies have shown that correlations are also strongly influenced by network fluctuations that operate over a range of spatial and temporal scales, extending in some cases across cortical areas. These fluctuations are sensitive to internal states and external drive, so that correlations themselves depend strongly on cognitive state and stimulus properties. Given the potential impact on population coding, this modulation of correlations may play an important role in sensory processing.
Persuasiveness in social multimedia: the role of communication modality and the challenge of crowdsourcing annotations

With an exponential growth in social multimedia contents online, there is an increasing importance of understanding why and how some contents are perceived as persuasive while others are ignored. This paper outlines my research goals in understanding human perception of persuasiveness in social multimedia contents, which involve studying how different communication modalities influence our perception and identifying key verbal and nonverbal behaviors that eventually lead us to believe someone is convincing and influential. For any research involving in-depth human behavior analysis, it is imperative to obtain accurate annotations of human behaviors at the micro-level. In addition to investigating persuasiveness, this work will also provide to the research community convenient web-based annotation tools, effective procedures for obtaining high-quality annotations with crowdsourcing, and evaluation metrics to fairly and accurately measure the quality and agreement of micro-level behavior annotations.
Intercycle Serum Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Elevations: Significance in Recruitment and Selection of the Dominant Follicle and Assessment of Corpus Luteum Normalcy

The significance of the intercycle elevation in serum FSH during recruitment and selection of the dominant follicle in the primate ovarian cycle was investigated. Five monkeys were laparotomized when serum estradiol levels exceeded 100 pg⁄ml, and the largest visable follicle was cauterized in two consecutive cycles, followed by uninterrupted ovarian function in the third cycle. Daily sera were collected for LH, FSH, estradiol, and progesterone determinations by RIA.Elevated serum estradiol concentrations were abruptly terminated after follicle cautery of the putative dominant follicle. The contiguous intervals from onset of menstrual flow to first ablation, then to the second ablation, and finally to the subsequent LH surge were 9.8 ± 1.4, 10.4 ± 1.6, and 13.7 ± 2.0 days, respectively. In addition, serum FSH levels were significantly lower (P < 0.03) than normal during the follicular phase of the cycle after follicle cautery. These data suggest that the timely recruitment, selection, and ovulation of the ...
A simple positional accuracy measure for linear features

In this paper we propose a simple technique for assessing the positional accuracy of digitized linear features. The approach relies on a comparison with a representation of higher accuracy, and estimates the percentage of the total length of the low accuracy representation that is within a specified distance of the high accuracy representation. The approach deals successfully with three deficiencies of other methods: it is statistically based; is relatively insensitive to extreme outliers; and does not require matching of points between representations. It can be implemented using standard functions and a standard scripting language in any raster or vector GIS. We present the results of a test using data from the Digital Chart of the World.
IRON METABOLISM IN ACUTE STARVATION.

SummaryIron metabolism was studied in acutely starved and erythropoietically stimulated rats. Acute starvation did not alter blood volume or gastrointestinal absorption of radioiron. However, prolongation of the plasma iron clearance with concomitant diminution in plasma iron turnover and radioiron in the bone marrow was demonstrated in starved animals. These results can be explained by diminished erythropoiesis. Eryth-ropoietin administration reversed these changes, augmenting plasma iron turnover, gastrointestinal absorption of radioiron and bone marrow radioiron content. Approximately equal increases in plasma iron turnover were produced in both the fed and starved animal by injection of equal amounts of erythropoietin.
A polarized photobleaching study of chromatin reorientation in intact nuclei.

Polarized fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (pFRAP) was used to monitor the effects that condensation, i.e. compaction and aggregation, have on the (microseconds and ms) internal dynamics of chromatin in intact nuclei. When divalent cations were present with physiological (approximately 90 mM) monovalent salt the chromatin was found to exist in a compact and aggregated state which was characterized by rotational immobilization over timescales that range from 10 microseconds to 40 milliseconds. This immobilization is attributed to suppression of internal dynamics by intermolecular interactions. When the divalent cations were removed, the compact fibers no longer aggregated and were free to reorient with a characteristic decay time of about 1.2 milliseconds. It is shown that this millisecond relaxation could represent rigid rotation of topologically independent structural domains. Dilution of the monovalent salt induced a gradual change in the structural state of the chromatin that was manifest as a dramatic increase in internal flexibility. At the lowest salt concentration studied (11 mM-monovalent salt) the chromatin reorients in fewer than ten microseconds. These changes in flexibility are continuous with salt concentration, indicating that there are no well-defined endpoints to structural transitions and that the microsecond-millisecond internal dynamics of chromatin are a sensitive measure of structure. Measurements made on nuclei from cells that are either transcriptionally quiescent or active indicate that the dynamics mirrors biological activity.
Synthesis and biological activity of the hexalin moiety of compactin (ML-236B)

Abstract Alcohols 14 and 21 and the derived half-glutarate esters 15 and 22 have been prepared and evaluated as inhibitors of HMG CoA reductase. Compound 14 , the hexalin moiety of the natural fungal metabolite compactin (ML-236B) and compound 21 , its isomeric diene, have essentially no inhibitory properties. Compounds 15 and 22 show definite activity, although several orders of magnitude lower than that shown by compactin.
Assessing topographic patterns in moisture use and stress using a water balance approach

Through its control on soil moisture patterns, topography’s role in influencing forest composition is widely recognized. This study addresses shortcomings in traditional moisture indices by employing a water balance approach, incorporating topographic and edaphic variability to assess fine-scale moisture demand and moisture availability. Using GIS and readily available data, evapotranspiration and moisture stress are modeled at a fine spatial scale at two study areas in the US (Ohio and North Carolina). Model results are compared to field-based soil moisture measurements throughout the growing season. A strong topographic pattern of moisture utilization and demand is uncovered, with highest rates of evapotranspiration found on south-facing slopes, followed by ridges, valleys, and north-facing slopes. South-facing slopes and ridges also experience highest moisture deficit. Overall higher rates of evapotranspiration are observed at the Ohio site, though deficit is slightly lower. Based on a comparison between modeled and measured soil moisture, utilization and recharge trends were captured well in terms of both magnitude and timing. Topographically controlled drainage patterns appear to have little influence on soil moisture patterns during the growing season. In addition to its ability to accurately capture patterns of soil moisture in both high-relief and moderate-relief environments, a water balance approach offers numerous advantages over traditional moisture indices. It assesses moisture availability and utilization in absolute terms, using readily available data and widely used GIS software. Results are directly comparable across sites, and although output is created at a fine-scale, the method is applicable for larger geographic areas. Since it incorporates topography, available water capacity, and climatic variables, the model is able to directly assess the potential response of vegetation to climate change.
Prospective study of body mass index, height, physical activity and incidence of bladder cancer in US men and women

We evaluated prospectively the association between body mass index (BMI), height, recreational physical activity and the risk of bladder cancer among US adults. Data were used from 2 ongoing cohorts, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Nurses' Health Study, with 3,542,012 years of follow-up and 866 incident bladder cancer cases (men = 507; women = 359) for the anthropometric analysis and 1,890,476 years of follow-up and 706 incident bladder cancer cases (men = 502; women = 204) for the physical activity analysis. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) between BMI, height, physical activity and bladder cancer risk adjusting for age, pack-years of cigarette smoking and current smoking. Estimates from each cohort were pooled using a random-effects model. We observed no association between baseline BMI and bladder cancer risk, even when we compared a BMI of > or =30 kg/m(2) to a BMI of 18-22.9 kg/m(2) [pooled multivariate (MV) RR, 1.16; 95% CI: 0.89-1.52]. A weak, but statistically significant, association was observed for the same comparison after excluding bladder cancer cases diagnosed within the first 4 years of follow-up (pooled MV RR, 1.33; 95% CI: 1.01-1.76). Height was not related to bladder cancer risk (pooled MV RR, 0.82; 95% CI: 0.65-1.03, top vs. bottom quintile). Total recreational physical activity also was not associated with the risk of bladder cancer (pooled MV RR, 0.97; 95% CI: 0.77-1.24, top vs. bottom quintile). Our findings do not support a role for BMI, height or physical activity in bladder carcinogenesis.
On the Application of Transition State Theory to Atomic-Scale Wear

The atomic force microscope (AFM) tip is often used as a model of a single sliding asperity in order to study nanotribological phenomena including friction, adhesion, and wear. In particular, recent work has demonstrated a wear regime in which surface modification appears to occur in an atom-by-atom fashion. Several authors have modeled this atomic-scale wear behavior as a thermally activated bond breaking process. The present article reviews this body of work in light of concepts from formal transition state theory (also called reaction rate theory). It is found that this framework is viable as one possible description of atomic-scale wear, with impressive agreements to experimental trends found. However, further experimental work is required to fully validate this approach. It is also found that, while the Arrhenius-type equations have been widely used, there is insufficient discussion of or agreement on the specific atomic-scale reaction that is thermally activated, or its dependence on stresses and sliding velocity. Further, lacking a clear picture of the underlying mechanism, a consensus on how to measure or interpret the activation volume and activation energy is yet to emerge. This article makes suggestions for measuring and interpreting such parameters, and provides a picture of one possible thermally activated transition (in its initial, activated, and final states). Finally, directions for further experimental and simulation work are proposed for validating and extending this model and rationally interrogating the behavior of this type of wear.
The torsion of composite tubes and cylinders

Abstract Exact solutions are presented for the Saint-Venant torsion of circular tubes and solid cylinders which are reinforced by cylindrical inclusions of different material equally spaced around a concentric circle. The problems simulate those encountered in matrix rods reinforced by longitudinal fibers, and also in corresponding problems of reinforced concrete. Formulae are obtained for the boundary stress distributions and the torsional rigidities. Stress function formulations are made for the torsion of cylinders having multiply connected composite sections. Two systems of polar coordinates are employed, and use is made both of periodicity and symmetry. Three degenerate cases—the respective torsion of a homogeneous tube, ring of circular rods and tube with eccentric circular holes—are deduced for checking purposes. Several numerical examples are worked out and the results presented in tabular and graphical forms.
Complication rates, dislocation, pain, and postoperative range of motion after reverse shoulder arthroplasty in patients with and without repair of the subscapularis.

Background Despite improved results with reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA), questions still remain regarding certain technical aspects of the operation. One particular area of question is the effect of subscapularis repair on complication rates, dislocation, pain, and overall range of motion. Some authors suggest that when a deltopectoral approach is used, not repairing the subscapularis leads to a higher complication rate, especially for dislocation. Materials and methods From a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty database of 3 surgeons at 1 institution, we identified 55 patients who underwent RSA using the deltopectoral approach without subscapularis repair and 65 patients with subscapularis repair. Results Complications were documented in 11 of 55 shoulders (20%) without subscapularis repair and in 13 of 65 shoulders (20%) with subscapularis repair. Dislocation occurred in 3 shoulders in the nonrepair group and in 2 shoulders in the repair group. These data indicate that nonrepair of the subscapularis did not have a significant effect on the risk of any complication, dislocation, infection, disassociation, or function. Conclusion Repairing the subscapularis has no appreciable effect on complication rate, dislocation events, or range of motion gains and pain relief.
Margins of anxiety and centres of confidence

Those who work on Islam in South Asia often come to face the realization that while Islam can be studied and taught without India, India cannot be studied and taught without Islam. This contradicti...
Mixed Methods, Culture, and Psychology: A Review of Mixed Methods in Culture-Specific Psychological Research

This methodological review was undertaken to explore how researchers use mixed methods in culture-specific psychological research. Mixed methods represents a budding approach with the potential to ...
Ultrafast electron diffraction: complex landscapes of molecular structures in thermal and light-mediated reactions

Complex reactions involve the transformation of molecular structures with many atoms. Ultrafast electron diffraction is developed here to directly observe such transient structures. The level of complexity is demonstrated for both the thermal and light-mediated reactions involving the electrocyclic Cope bond rearrangement and ring opening of 1,3,5-cyclooctatriene. For the former, we determine the ground-state structures, and for the later we observe the transient structures in their non-equilibrium state. The selective structural determination reported here using pulse sequences would not have been possible without the high sensitivity and spatio-temporal resolution of ultrafast electron diffraction.
Structure and electro-catalytic properties of electrode materials consisting of Pt nanorod decorated/RuO2 nanorod coated substrates

Abstract Nanorod coated materials have the potential of being exceptional electro-catalysts. In this investigation Pt nanorod decorated ruthenium dioxide square nanorods have been grown on aluminized Si substrates and used as the cathode in a system to electrolyze a [2M] aqueous solution of KOH. Gaseous hydrogen was produced at the cathode. The voltage measured at the cathode relative to the solution, and that across both electrodes was found to be dependent on the cathode material used. At a current density of 30 mA/cm 2 , the potential drop from the cathode electrode to the liquid electrolyte was measured to be −0.72 V for a solid Pt electrode and −0.69 V for the best Pt nanorod coated electrode.
BACK TO GOLD, 1252

De tous les appareils enregistreurs, capables de reveler a l'historien les mouvements pro-fonds de l'economie, les phenomenes monetaires sont sans doute le plus sensible. Mais… ils ont ete et sont, a leur tour, des causes: quelque chose comme un sismographe qui, non content de signaler les tremblements de terre, parfois les provoquerait.
GENERALIZED SOLUTIONS TO HYBRID DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS

Several recent results in the area of robust asymptotic stability of hybrid systems show that the concept of a generalized solution to a hybrid system is suitable for the analysis and design of hybrid control systems. In this paper, we show that such generalized solutions are exactly the solutions that arise when measurement noise in the system is taken into account.
Exploring single-sample SNP and INDEL calling with whole-genome de novo assembly

Motivation: Eugene Myers in his string graph paper suggested that in a string graph or equivalently a unitig graph, any path spells a valid assembly. As a string/unitig graph also encodes every valid assembly of reads, such a graph, provided that it can be constructed correctly, is in fact a lossless representation of reads. In principle, every analysis based on whole-genome shotgun sequencing (WGS) data, such as SNP and insertion/deletion (INDEL) calling, can also be achieved with unitigs. Results: To explore the feasibility of using de novo assembly in the context of resequencing, we developed a de novo assembler, fermi, that assembles Illumina short reads into unitigs while preserving most of information of the input reads. SNPs and INDELs can be called by mapping the unitigs against a reference genome. By applying the method on 35-fold human resequencing data, we showed that in comparison to the standard pipeline, our approach yields similar accuracy for SNP calling and better results for INDEL calling. It has higher sensitivity than other de novo assembly based methods for variant calling. Our work suggests that variant calling with de novo assembly can be a beneficial complement to the standard variant calling pipeline for whole-genome resequencing. In the methodological aspects, we propose FMD-index for forward–backward extension of DNA sequences, a fast algorithm for finding all super-maximal exact matches and one-pass construction of unitigs from an FMD-index. Availability: http://github.com/lh3/fermi Contact: hengli@broadinstitute.org
Using an evolutionary algorithm to solve the weighted view materialisation problem for data warehouses

A common problem in data warehousing is reduction of response time for ad hoc queries. To reduce query processing time, a selected number of views are materialised. Selecting the optimal number of views in a data warehouse is known to be an NP-complete problem as no feasible deterministic algorithm exists. In this paper, we discuss a weighted materialised view selection MVS problem where both the amount and importance of data retrieved are considered. Existing versions of the MVS problem only consider the amount of data retrieved and ignore the relative importance of data to the data warehouse user. We apply an evolutionary algorithm EA to solve the weighted MVS problem in which a higher priority is given to the optimisation of high-demand queries over infrequently-used queries. Several experiments are conducted on large sized datasets that are commonly found in real world applications. EA results are compared to those obtained by the best known heuristic algorithm for this weighted MVS problem from the current literature. EA is shown to outperform the heuristic algorithm for all experiments conducted.
Effects of Thioether Substituents on the O2 Reactivity of β-Diketiminate−Cu(I) Complexes: Probing the Role of the Methionine Ligand in Copper Monooxygenases

The activation of dioxygen by dopamine β-monooxygenase (DβM) and peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) is postulated to occur at a copper site ligated by two histidine imidazoles and a methionine thioether, which is unusual because such thioether ligation is not present in other O2-activating copper proteins. To assess the possible role of the thioether ligand in O2 activation by DβM and PHM, two new ligands comprising β-diketiminates with thioether substituents were synthesized and Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes were isolated. The Cu(II) compounds are monomeric and exhibit intramolecular thioether coordination. While the Cu(I) complexes exhibit a multinuclear topology in the solid state, variable-temperature 1H NMR studies implicate equilibria in solution, possibly including monomers with intramolecular thioether coordination that are structurally defined by DFT calculations. Low-temperature oxygenation of solutions of the Cu(I) complexes generates stable 1:1 Cu/O2 adducts, which on the basis o...
Dementia Incidence Continues to Increase with Age in the Oldest Old The 90+ Study

Dementia incidence increases exponentially with age between the ages of 65 and 90 years and doubles approximately every 5 years.1 Whether this doubling of rates continues at older ages2,3 and whether the pattern is the same in very elderly men and women are not known.4–6 The number of people aged 90 years and older was approximately 2 million in 20077 but will increase to 8.7 million by the middle of the 21st century,8 making the oldest old the fastest growing segment of the US population. Precise estimates of dementia rates in the oldest old are therefore critical for accurate projection of the number of affected people and estimation of the social and economic impact of dementia in future years. To this end, we estimated the age- and sex- specific incidence of all-cause dementia in people aged 90 years and older, including estimates for centenarians, in The 90+ Study.
Ocular hypotensive activity of the adenosine agonist (R)-phenylisopropyladenosine in rabbits

Adenosine A1 agonists have been shown to induce a variety of pharmacolgical effects. In New Zealand White rabbits, the t opical administration of 500 pg of the relatively s elective adenosine A1 receptor agonist R(-) phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA) produced a biphasic response in IOP in the ipsilateral eye: an initial ocular hypertension (3.5 2 1.4 mm of Hg) at 0.5 hour, followed by significant reduction in IOP (5 to 8 mm of Hg) from 2 to 6 hours postadministrati on. The IOP response to 50 and 165 lg of R-PIA demonstrated that the ocular hypotensive response to R-PIA was dose-related; however, no initial hypertension was observed at these lower doses. The ocular response to R-PIA was primarily unilateral with only a small reduction in contralateral IOP at 1 hour observed in animals treated with 500 kg. No significant change in pupil diameter was observed with any dose of R-PIA. Pretreatment with the adenosine antagonist CPT (10 mg/kg; i.p.) significantly i nhibited t he ocular hypotensive response to R-PIA. However, pretreatment with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (50 mg/kg; i.p.) did not alter the change in IOP induced by R-PIA. The administration of R-PIA once a day for five days demonstrated that tolerance does not develop in rabbits with repeated administration. These data demonstrate that the adenosine A1 agonist R-PIA can lower IOP. The unilateral nature and the inhibition by CPT supports the idea that this response is mediated by adenosine receptors l ocated in the eye. However, the b iphasic response produced by 500 pg of R-PIA indicates that multiple receptor types or sites can be activated by large doses of R-PIA.
Explosion puffing of fruits and vegetables

Explosion puffing is a processing system which facilitates hot air drying of fruits and vegetables. Explosion puffed foods are easily rehydrated and have excellent sensory properties. The process costs are similar to the cost of conventional hot air drying. Previous publications have reported the results relevant to carrots, potatoes, apples, and blueberries. Sufficient research has been done on other fruits and vegetables to establish that they, too, can be satisfactorily explosion puffed and dried to yield a good product. The processing conditions for explosion puffing of mushrooms, celery, onions, peppers, rutabagas, beets, yams, pears, pineapples, strawberries, and cranberries are presented.
Transvaginal gamete intra-fallopian transfer and embryo intra-fallopian transfer

This study describes the conduct and results of a recently developed technique for transvaginal catheterization of the Fallopian tube in order to transfer gametes or early embryos. Transvaginal gamete intra-Fallopian transfer (TV-GIFT) was performed in 46 patients after stimulation with human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) and transvaginal oocyte retrieval. This resulted in 11 (23.9%) pregnancies. Eight patients delivered healthy children, including one set of twins. Two patients had abortions at 8 and 11 weeks of gestation and one had an ectopic pregnancy. In a first series of 11 women, oocytes were fertilized in vitro and a maximum of three embryos at the 2- to 8-cell stages were transferred into one tube. Three of the 11 cycles with tubal embryo-stage transfer' (TV-TEST) resulted in clinical pregnancy.
A new continuous-time MOS implementation of feedback neural networks

An economical, simple, and versatile MOS cell that lends itself to the MOS implementation of feedback/feedforward neural networks is introduced. The new cell achieves vector scalar product of the form Sigma T/sub ij/V/sub j/, where y=1 . . ., n, i is fixed, V/sub j/ is the output of neuron i, and T/sub ij/ is the assigned positive or negative weight that is realized through voltage levels. The new circuit comprises only one operational amplifier (op-amp) and two input MOS depletion transistors. The vector scalar product of 2 n-tuple vector inputs is achieved by using 2(n+1) MOS transistors. This offers an economical alternative for VLSI analog neural networks. The analog neural network is realized by interconnecting double inverters through the new vector scalar product circuits. Moreover, the output voltage is tunable via programmable DC control voltages. The technique is demonstrated with an example of a two neuron circuit. >