cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What do we really know about micronutrient supplementation and risk for upper respiratory infection

Dietary nutrition researchers have been trying to understand how nutrition and nutrients influence immune function for a long time—over 60 years, judging by the dates of some of the earliest published research papers on nutrition and immune function. It should come as no surprise then that this interest has reached a fever pitch as governments, healthcare systems and especially public health systems worldwide face what is likely the biggest health challenge in most of our lifetimes and probably over a century—preventing, treating and averting long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection. Within a month or two of acknowledgements that COVID-19 had reached pandemic proportions, it seems, the mainstream media was already reporting conflicting untested evidence about the possibility that vitamin D or C supplements might play a role in preventing or mitigating infection, and some reputable clinicians were asserting that even in the absence of evidence, perhaps it would be prudent just to take some extra vitamin D.1 It is in this context that Abioye and colleagues2 decided to systematically review the literature on the role of dietary vitamin and mineral supplements in preventing or shortening the course of upper respiratory infections (URIs). The bottom line is that much of the research, which dates back decades, was poorly designed and reported, and the evidence for benefits is weak, confirming the assertions of several other relatively recent reviews on nutrients and immune function.3 4 Nevertheless, the evidence, as weak as it is, could easily encourage false hopes, potentially improving nothing …
Test Anxiety and Metacognitive Performance in the Classroom

Test anxiety is a context-specific academic anxiety which can result in poorer academic and metacognitive performance. We assessed how the quantity and relative weight of assessments contribute to the effects of test anxiety on performance and metacognitive accuracy in a smaller seminar-style class on human memory (study 1) and a larger lecture-style class on cognitive psychology (study 2). Students took six low-stakes quizzes each worth 10% of their final grade in study 1 and two high-stakes exams each worth 40% of their final grade in study 2. All students provided their state anxiety and predicted their scores before and after each assessment. Students in both classes also provided their trait (overall) anxiety after the final assessment. In both studies, students’ higher post-state anxiety appeared to be associated with worse assessment performance; however, pre- and post-state anxiety decreased across the quarter in study 1 but remained constant in study 2. Additionally, we found that metacognitive accuracy moderated the effect of post-state anxiety on performance in study 1. Students with higher trait anxiety in study 1 were underconfident in their scoring predictions, while in study 2 students with higher trait anxiety performed worse on their assessments. Thus, students’ metacognitive accuracy appears to be influenced by trait anxiety when taking low-stakes quizzes, while performance is related to trait anxiety when taking high-stakes exams.
A Case Report of Sick Sinus Syndrome as an Initial Presentation of Primary Amyloidosis.

Primary light chain amyloidosis (AL amyloidosis) rarely presents as sick sinus syndrome (SSS), and only a few cases have been reported in the literature. A higher index of suspicion is needed to diagnose AL amyloidosis in patients presenting with SSS. Recognizing the electrocardiography (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) findings for amyloidosis are crucial for early recognition, proper management, and to improve the patients' quality of life. A 79-year-old female initially presented with dyspnea and was diagnosed with SSS that required a pacemaker insertion. Ten days later, the patient had complained of dysphagia and difficulty swallowing. She underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) to investigate further, and it revealed esophageal and duodenal ulcers, and biopsy was positive for amyloidosis. The patient was worked up for amyloidosis, including bone marrow biopsy, renal biopsy, frees light chains, and serum electrophoresis, which all confirmed the diagnosis of primary amyloidosis. Unfortunately, due to the terminal nature of her condition, the patient was discharged with comfort measures to hospice care.
Habitat use and activity patterns of female Deacon Rockfish (Sebastes diaconus) at seasonal scales and in response to episodic hypoxia

We combined a high-resolution acoustic telemetry array with presence/absence receivers to conduct a preliminary study of the seasonal movements, activity patterns, and habitat associations of the newly described Deacon Rockfish (Sebastes diaconus). Eleven mature female Deacon Rockfish were tagged and monitored during an 11-month period, at a nearshore rocky reef off Seal Rock, Oregon, USA, an area of recurring seasonal hypoxia (defined as dissolved oxygen concentration [DO] < 2 mg l−1). Two tags were detected leaving the study area by day 35, indicating predation or emigration. Three tags became inactive within the array, indicating tag loss or fish death. Six “resident” fish inhabited the array for 246–326 days. Resident fish exhibited high site fidelity, small home ranges (mean 95% KDE = 4907 m2), and consistent activity patterns for the duration of the summertime high-resolution array (5 months), except during seasonal hypoxia. Resident fish were strongly diurnal in summer, with high levels of daytime activity above the bottom in relatively rugose habitat, followed by nighttime rest periods in deeper, less rugose habitat. During summertime hypoxia, resident fish exhibited less daytime activity during daytime hours with no rest periods at night, inhabited shallower water depths, and moved well away from their core activity areas on long, erratic forays. During the winter, diel patterns were less evident with higher activity levels at night (than in the summer) and lower activity levels in the day (than in the summer). We propose that some Deacon Rockfish continuously inhabit nearshore reefs throughout the year, but that daily/seasonal movement patterns, seasonally occurring hypoxia, and prey preferences for planktonic organisms influence relocation.
Improved Physician Understanding of Patient End-of-Life Preferences: A Quality Improvement Project.

Abstract Background Code status (CS) orders lack a universal definition. We aimed to improve provider understanding of order options. Measures Provider's knowledge of CS terminology, ease of understanding CS orders and ease of starting CS discussions. Intervention A multifaceted intervention including 1) altered CS order language in the electronic medical record (EMR) from “Full Interventions,” “Limited Interventions,” and “Comfort Measures Only” to “Full advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS),” “Partial ACLS,” and “No ACLS” 2) clinical tools for CS identification 3) provider education. Outcomes Correct provider response rate for “Partial ACLS” and “No ACLS” terms increased from 43.5 to 60% and 20 to 71% (odds ratio 1.95; 95% confidence interval 0.99–3.83; P = 0.03, OR 9.8; CI 4.48–21.49; P Conclusions/Lessons Learned Provider understanding of CS options can be improved with a combined QI intervention.
Psychological Correlates of Perceived Physical Activity Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Previously Active Individuals.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered daily life in the United States and disrupted how people engage in routine health behaviors, such as physical activity (PA). This study investigates factors that may have helped people sustain recommended levels of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) during this time. Using a cross-sectional design, we recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk in April/May 2020 a sample of individuals who reported that they had met recommended PA guidelines (≥ 150 weekly MVPA minutes; N = 397) prior to structural changes brought about by COVID-19. We assessed via self-report whether these individuals were meeting recommended levels of MVPA during the COVID-19 pandemic, their intrinsic motivation and identified regulation for exercise, exercise self-efficacy, perceived disruption to their exercise routine, and access to resources for PA. Higher identified regulation, self-efficacy, access to PA resources, and lower perceived disruption were associated with meeting PA guidelines during COVID-19. These findings provide insight into factors that may be important for continued engagement in MVPA when one experiences major disruptions to their exercise routine.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2021.1929811 .
Habitats of Freshwater Algae

Algae occur in every biome across the globe, and they colonize water bodies on every continent. Freshwater ecosystems encompass a very wide range of chemistry, temperature, and physical conditions, which select for a particular assemblage of species. Some inland waters are quite saline; others are temporary or have very little water at all. One reason for such a broad scope is that algal biologists who examine more traditional freshwater environments also study inland saline lakes, wetlands, hot springs, snow and ice, damp soils, and even the insides of plant tissues. Algal habitats span spatial scales of hundreds of square kilometers down to just a few cubic micrometers. This chapter examines the enormous range of inland aquatic habitats in which algae can be found in North America and offers a sampling of the diversity of algal taxa that occur in these systems.
Fiber connections of the basal ganglia.

Publisher Summary This chapter aims to incorporate the results of recent work on the anatomy into a general outline of the fiber connections of the basal ganglia. Progress of two types can be identified based on the anatomical studies of the basal ganglia: conformations and modifications of earlier findings, and major new conclusions as to the organization of the basal ganglia and their allied nuclei. Three major findings have singled out as representing not simply revisions but conclusions novel enough to reorient some lines of work on the basal ganglia. The first of these is the discovery of a high degree of compartmentalization within the striatum. The second major conclusion is that the nuclei allied to the corpus striatum proper provide not only important points of access into the circuitry of the basal ganglia but also outlets that extend the influence of the basal ganglia well beyond the confines of the traditional outflow channel from corpus striatum to thalamus to motor cortex. The third conclusion is that the two great subcortical divisions of the cerebral hemisphere—the corpus striatum and limbic system—are by no means insulated from one another but instead are tied together by pathways that over successive synaptic linkages lose their identities as skeletomotor or limbic.
Serine transhydroxymethylase. Studies on the role of tetrahydrofolate.

Abstract Studies of the reversible interconversion of glycine and serine catalyzed by rabbit liver serine transhydroxymethylase in the presence and in the absence of tetrahydrofolate are described. The studies include measurements of pH-rate profiles, isotope effects, and spectral properties of the enzyme-substrate complexes. Vmax, values for the synthesis of serine from glycine and formaldehyde and the exchange of the 2S proton of glycine with protons of the solvent were found to be constant between pH 6.0 and 8.0. The Vmax for the degradation of serine to glycine and formaldehyde decreased as the pH was increased from 6.0 to 8.4. A dissociable group on the enzyme with a pK of about 7 appears to be involved. An isotope effect of 2 was found for [2S-2H]glycine in the synthesis of serine both in the presence and in the absence of tetrahydrofolate. The rate of serine synthesis in the presence of tetrahydrofolate is limited at high enzyme concentration by the rate of the nonenzymatic formation of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate. That formaldehyde can react directly with the enzyme-glycine complex in the absence of tetrahydrofolate is suggested by the rapid quenching of the 495-nm and 343-nm absorption peaks of this complex by formaldehyde. Spectral evidence (the appearance of absorption maxima at 343 nm and 495 nm above pH 8 for solutions of enzyme and serine) suggests that serine is cleaved to an enzyme-glycine complex in the absence of tetrahydrofolate. The data are interpreted to support a mechanism in which formaldehyde is bound as an imine at the active site. The role of tetrahydrofolate appears to be catalyzing the formation or breakdown of this intermediate through the formation of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate.
Themes and Issues in Programming for Young Adults

In this final chapter, we highlight recurring themes from the preceding chapters and discuss the potential impact these themes have on program planning and instructional practice in adult education.
Singular parabolic equations of second order on manifolds with singularities

Abstract The main aim of this article is to establish an L p -theory for elliptic operators on manifolds with singularities. The particular class of differential operators discussed herein may exhibit degenerate or singular behavior near the singular ends of the manifolds. Such a theory is of importance for the study of elliptic and parabolic equations on non-compact, or even incomplete manifolds, with or without boundary.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF METAL COMPLEXES OF P,P′-DI[3-(TRIMETHYLSILYL)-1-PROPYL] METHYLENEDIPHOSPHONIC ACID

ABSTRACT The silicon-substituted diphosphonic acid P,P′-di[3-(trimethyl-silyl)-1-propyl] methylenediphosphonic acid, H2DTMSP-[MDP], reacts with metal nitrates in methanol to form complexes M2(DTMSP[MDP])3 for M˭Fe, Eu and Yb and M(DTMSP[MDP])2 for M˭Th. The sodium salt, Na2-(DTMSP[MDP]), forms upon neutralization of H2DTMSP-[MDP] with NaOH. The calcium salt, Ca(DTMSP[MDP]), forms upon addition of the aqueous metal nitrate to an equivalent amount of the neutralized ligand in methanol. Elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements were used to characterize the compounds. Frequency shifts in the asymmetric and symmetric POO− stretching bands of the Fe, Eu, Yb and Th compounds indicate symmetrical coordination of the phosphonate groups through chelate and/or bridging interactions. The frequency difference between these stretching bands becomes smaller as the ionic potential (e/r) of the metal ion increases.
Trophic regulation of acetylcholinesterase isoenzymes in adult mammalian skeletal muscles.

This work addresses the physiological regulation of skeletal muscle acetylcholinesterase (AChE) isoforms by examining endplate-enriched samples from adult rat gracilis muscles 48 h after: lowintensity treadmill exercise; obturator nerve transection; nerve impulse conduction blockade by tetrodotoxin; acetylcholine (ACh) receptor (AChR) inactivation by α-bungarotoxin; and, addition of obturator nerve extracts to muscles in organ culture. Results document the important role(s) of functional AChRs and ACh-AChR interactions in the differential control of individual AChE isoenzymes. A theoretical model based on these and other findings considers that: AChR activation by spontaneously released ACh is the only neural factor required for the maintenance of G1+G2 AChE; the amount of A12 AChE is determined by the combined effects of ACh and another neurogenic substance; although mechanisms intrinsic to myofibers control normal levels of G4 AChE, enhanced production of this isoform is initiated through increasing the frequency of ACh-AChR interactions.
Ectoparasitism in mothers causes higher positional fluctuating asymmetry in their sons: implications for sexual selection.

Abstract Random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry, fluctuating asymmetry, arise from developmental instability. I tested experimentally whether parasitism in female Drosophila nigrospiracula increases fluctuating asymmetry in male offspring. I also developed a novel measure for estimating developmental instability in a meristic trait called positional fluctuating asymmetry, which is based on the difference in the position of thoracic bristles between the right and left sternopleuron. I expected this measure to be a more sensitive indicator of developmental instability than the traditional numerical fluctuating asymmetry, because the latter is based on the difference in the actual presence or absence of bristles. Female flies burdened with hematophagous mites, Macrocheles subbadius (Macrochelidae), produced sons with significantly higher positional fluctuating asymmetry than did females carrying no mites. This effect, which may have resulted from impaired provisioning of oocytes by infested female...
Origin of the grooves on Phobos

The age, surface density, and association with the 10-km crater Stickney of the grooves (long linear depression) on Phobos are investigated, and the results support the cratering hypothesis of groove formation and seem to rule out a tidal mechanism. The appearance of the grooves is described. The age of the grooves is estimated from the density of superimposed impact craters; the density of impact craters within the grooves is compared with the average value for all of Phobos. The old age of the grooves as well as their evident association with the crater Stickney are considered to be inconsistent with the tidal hypothesis.
Polyphosphoinositide formation in isolated cardiac plasma membranes

Phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns4P) kinase activities in plasma membranes isolated from canine left ventricle were partially characterized, and their sensitivity to a number of intracellular variables was established. PtdIns and PtdIns4P kinase activities were estimated by the formation of [32P]PtdIns4P and [32P]phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate ([32P]PtdIns(4,5)P2), respectively, when membranes were incubated with [γ-32P]ATP and 0.1% Triton X-100. Unlike [32P]-PtdIns4P formation, [32P]PtdIns(4,5)P2 formation required exogenous (PtdIns4P) substrate. [32P]-PtdIns4P and [32P]PtdIns(4,5)P2 formation were insensitive to Ca2+ at concentrations ranging from 0.1–30 μM. The hydrolysis of [32P]PtdIns4P was less than 15% under standard assay conditions for measuring its formation, and was unaffected by any of the variables tested. The apparent Km of the PtdIns kinase for ATP was 53±13 (S.E.M.) μM (N=3). ADP inhibited [32P]PtdIns4P formation competitively with respect to ATP, the Ki being 0.4 mM. The data indicate that ADP is a poor competitive inhibitor of PtdIns kinase at the concentrations which are believed to be present intracellularly normally or which may be attained during mild hypoxia provided ATP levels are maintained in the millimolar range. Hence, any response of the myocardium to α-adrenergic hormones during mild hypoxia would be largely unimpaired by effects of Ca2+ on PtdIns and PtdIns(4,5)P2, or of ADP on PtdIns kinase activity.
Congenital long-QT syndromes: who's at risk for sudden cardiac death?

The congenital long-QT syndromes (LQTS) were initially described approximately 50 years ago.1–3 The principal events are syncope, seizures, and ventricular tachycardia, characteristically torsade de pointes. Most often, this arrhythmia is self terminating, producing a syncopal episode; however, LQTS is responsible for a significant proportion of sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs) in young people without structural heart disease, estimated to have an incidence of approximately 1 in 2500 and causing thousands of deaths annually.4–6 Characteristic ECG signs of LQTS include QT-interval prolongation and T-wave abnormalities. The heart rate–corrected QT interval (QTc) can range from 370 to >700 ms, clearly overlapping that of normal individuals, and a single ECG may not manifest the stereotypical features.7–9 Some patients have a normal or borderline QTc at rest but prolongation with exertion or β-adrenergic stimulation. Provocative testing with exercise or catecholamine infusion may improve the sensitivity of LQTS clinical detection.9–11 The inciting triggers are somewhat mutation-specific. Patients with potassium channel mutations typically have episodes during physical or emotional stress, whereas those with sodium channel defects have more events with bradycardia and during sleep.12–15 Symptoms, including syncope or SCD, can manifest anytime from the neonatal period to adulthood. Because risk stratification is still being refined, it is often recommended that most LQTS patients be treated with β-adrenergic blocking medications, but a diagnostic challenge is deciding who needs more specific or aggressive therapies. Interventions for LQTS include implantation of a permanent pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), as well as consideration of left cardiac sympathetic denervation. If interventional therapy is warranted, what procedures are right for which patients, and when is the optimal time to intervene?16 The competing risks of the disease versus potential complications from the procedures or devices often increase the complexity of the clinical decision-making rationale. Articles p 2184 …
COMRADD: computerized radiographic differential diagnosis.

Abstract The development and testing of a computer program for dental radiographic diagnosis is reported.
Selection of a Novel Connection by Adult Molluscan Neurons

Predictable change in neuronal connectivity can be induced in the buccal ganglia of adult Helisoma snails when neuritic growth is evoked by axotomy. Both transient and stable novel electrical connections are established between identified neurons. The breaking of inappropriate, normally transient connections is contingent on the formation of an appropriate connection.
Interjurisdictional competition for FDI: The case of China's “development zone fever”☆

Abstract In the attempt to compete for foreign investment, local jurisdictions in China set up a large number of development zones for industrial and commercial uses. Many of these areas never received any investment and sat idle for years as undeveloped sites. In several periods of time, development zones mushroomed at such a rampant pace that the central government had to intervene in order to prevent the rapid reduction of agricultural land. In this paper, we propose a model to account for the “development zone fever” experienced in China. We consider local jurisdictions as participants in an all-pay auction competing for investment projects. An investment always goes to a jurisdiction with the highest-quality infrastructure in its development zone. A jurisdiction has to pay the cost of infrastructure in advance, which is irrecoverable whether it wins the investment or not. In equilibrium, many jurisdictions set up economic development zones and spend on infrastructure, although some of these sites will not receive any investment. Potential effects of several policies are examined. The model suggests that to reduce land use by development zones, the central government could either claim a larger share of the tax revenue generated by foreign investments or raise the tax on the land used for development zones. Other policies, such as putting a budget constraint on infrastructure spending or restricting some jurisdictions from competing, are either ineffective or have some undesirable effects.
SIGGRAPH future search survey: preliminary results

As detailed in the previous article by Chair Mary Whitton, a survey was distributed over the Internet this past April in order to solicit opinions from the computer graphics community about SIGGRAPH. The initial results of this survey are summarized below. The survey itself is reprinted following this article. We encourage you to respond. Input from the community is vital to planning for the future of SIGGRAPH.
Solid-State Epitaxial Effects in Structurally Diphasic Xerogel of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3

Lead magnesium niobate (PMN), Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3, with perovskite structure has been prepared using structurally diphasic PMN gels. The diphasic gels were made using various concentrations of perovskite PMN seeds. The unseeded gel calcined at 775°C for 2 h gave ∼98% of perovskite PMN phase. The use of 1% PMN perovskite seed not only led to a pure perovskite phase but also lowered the crystallization temperature of these gels by about 75°C. These results show that isostructural seeding helps to lower the crystallization temperature of perovskite PMN phase.
Fatty acid biosynthesis and dietary regulation in pulmonary adenomas

Abstract Studies of fatty acid metabolism in mouse pulmonary adenomas demonstrate that the alveolar type II cell tumors synthesize fatty acids at a greater rate than either normal or host lungs. This is reflected in elevated levels of both acetyl-CoA (coenzyme A) carboxylase and fatty acid synthase. Carboxylase activity is 4.4-fold, and synthase activity is 7.9-fold higher in the adenomas than normal tissue. Both enzymes from adenomas respond to dietary manipulation in a manner that is qualitatively similar to normal tissue, indicating that the adenomas maintain metabolic control over fatty acid biosynthesis and, therefore, constitute a useful model for normal type II cells. These data suggest that alveolar type II cells have a greater capacity for fatty acid biosynthesis than other cell types of normal lung.
Use of a Carbon Dioxide Laser as an Adjunct to Scaling and Root Planing for Clinical New Attachment: A Case Series

Introduction: Severe, chronic periodontitis (CP) is typically treated either with scaling and root planing (SRP) or surgical therapy in an effort to gain clinical attachment. The advantage of non-surgical therapy is decreased morbidity to the patient; however, the site typically heals by formation of a long junctional epithelium. The advantage of surgical therapy is access for debridement and the use of bone or bone substitutes in combination with a barrier membrane for epithelial exclusion. Compared with a non-surgical approach, surgical therapy is more invasive, and patient acceptance of treatment is typically more challenging. The use of lasers in dentistry appears to be rapidly increasing, as evidenced by the influx of new lasers into the dental market as well as numerous anecdotal reports of beneficial results with their use.Case Series: This report presents a novel approach to the treatment of severe CP using a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser in combination with SRP. This study presents the findings of 1...
Polymyxin B-Penicillin Antagonism in Proteus Mirabilis

causingmorphological changes inthecell surface (4, 9)andinactivation ofthebiological activity of endotoxin (1, 5). Proteus mirabilis isresistant tothelethal action ofhighconcentrations ofpolymyxin B butisusually susceptible tothepenicillins. Several studies suggest thatpolymyxin Bresistance inthese organisms results fromacell wallwhich blocks access oftheantibiotic tothecytoplasmic membrane (3, 7,8). Teuber, using aP.mirabilis strain unusually susceptible toL-form generationbypenicillin, showed thattheL-forms are 400times moresusceptible topolymyxin Bthan intact organisms (8). Thelikely interpretation of this experiment isthatdamaged, orabsent, cell wallallows polymyxin Baccess tothepolymyxin B-susceptible cytoplasmic membrane. Inthe studies presented herein, wehavedemonstrated another typeofinteraction between polymyxin B andpenicillin onP.mirabilis. Atlow, but lethal, concentrations ofpenicillin there isantagonism between theantibiotics. Polymyxin B protects theorganisms fromlethal penicillin damage. FourP.mirabilis strains usedwereisolates
Clinical comparison of a novel breast DXA technique to mammographic density

We compare mammography breast density (BD(MD)) to the measure of breast composition using a clinical dual energy absorptiometry (DXA) system (BD(DXA)) calibrated to measure breast density. A DXA scanning protocol was developed to scan breasts isolated in the DXA scan field in either a prone pendulous or decubitus mediolateral position. A total of 17 participants were recruited among women undergoing clinical mammography examinations. Each participant had duplicate DXA scans and duplicate craniocaudal-view mammograms of their right breast with repositioning between each scan and one DXA and one craniocaudal-view mammogram of their left breast. The in vivo repeatability (RMS SD) of BD(DXA) and BD(MD) on duplicate scans was found to be 1.2% for BD(DXA) and 1.4% for BD(MD) when repeat BD(MD) measures were made on the same day. When repeat BD(MD) measures of the same breast were made more than 50 days apart, the repeatability decreased to 5.5%. Left and right breast measurements were highly correlated with both techniques at r2 = 0.98 for BD(DXA) and r2 = 0.86 for BD(MD). Moderate correlation (r2 = 0.52) was found between BD(DXA) and BD(MD) measurements. However, after recalibrating the DXA system to mammography reference materials, negative percent fibroglandular values were measured for the most fatty breasts. Thus, our results are reproducible and accurate to common mammography tissue standards, but did not accurately reflect true percent fibroglandular levels and further development of phantom standards are necessary. We conclude that breast composition can be precisely evaluated and assessed with clinical DXA densitometers at a lower dose than with mammographic breast density methods.
A DEA–Tobit Analysis to Understand the Role of Experience and Task Factors in the Efficiency of Software Engineers

This study employs the data-envelopment analysis (DEA)-Tobit regression approach to analyze data from a leading software engineering organization to gain insights regarding the role of various types of technical experience and task factors in the efficiency of personnel assigned to software tasks. “Efficiency” follows a holistic-view definition as the quality and productivity achieved from the overall personnel experience, and it is evaluated with DEA. Then, a Tobit regression model is employed to determine the effect that various types of technical experience and task factors have on the DEA efficiency scores. Although the DEA-Tobit technique has been applied to various areas within the management science and operations research fields, it has not yet been presented as a general evaluation tool within the software-engineering field to understand drivers of software quality and productivity. We demonstrate how DEA-Tobit fills a gap not addressed by commonly applied methods in the literature.
1.4.1 Practical SysML Applications: A Method to Describe the Problem Space

Customers are looking for solutions to problems that they are having. The problem description methodology starts with the group of customers called the stakeholders and ends with a set of functions that need to be implemented to satisfy the needs of each of the stakeholders. Building the wrong feature or building features that are not used are costly forms of waste in engineering development. Likewise, building exactly what the customer wants and delivering the most valuable functions early is the key to project success. There are a number of SysML and UML methodologies published. These methodologies generally lead the engineer from requirements to analysis to structural design and back to behaviors. Because of the methodology, it is easy to mix the solution ideas in with the problem definition. Adding solution ideas too early constrains the possible solutions that can be utilized when the set of problems is investigated. Also, these existing methodologies yield poor traceability and throw-away diagrams. This problem description methodology describes a logical evolution of thought, a reduced simplified set of diagrams, traceable requirements, and diagrams that easily evolve into implementation or test.
Probability assessment of conformational ensembles: sugar repuckering in a DNA duplex in solution

Conformational flexibility of molecules in solution implies that different conformers contribute to the NMR signal. This may lead to internal inconsistencies in the 2D NOE-derived interproton distance restraints and to conflict with scalar coupling-based torsion angle restraints. Such inconsistencies have been revealed and analyzed for the DNA octamer GTATAATG.CATATTAC, containing the Pribnow box consensus sequence. A number of subsets of distance restraints were constructed and used in the restrained Monte Carlo refinement of different double-helical conformers. The probabilities of conformers were then calculated by a quadratic programming algorithm, minimizing a relaxation rate-base residual index. The calculated distribution of conformers agrees with the experimental NOE data as an ensemble better than any single structure. A comparison with the results of this procedure, which we term PARSE (Probability Assessment via Relaxation rates of a Structural Ensemble), to an alternative method to generate solution ensembles showed, however, that the detailed multi-conformational description of solution DNA structure remains ambiguous at this stage. Nevertheless, some ensemble properties can be deduced with confidence, the most prominent being a distribution of sugar puckers with minor populations in the N-region and major populations in the S-region. Importantly, such a distribution is in accord with the analysis of independent experimental data--deoxyribose proton-proton scalar coupling constants.
Synthesis and reactions of carbamoyl carbonyl complexes of rhenium(I)

Abstract Re(CO)5Br reacts with primary and secondary aliphatic amines, NHRR′, to form the carbamoyl complex,cis-Re(CO)4(NHRR′)(CONRR′). Anhydrous HCl removes -NRR′ from the carbamoyl group to yield the cation, [Re(CO)5(NHRR′)]+. This cation reacts with NHRR′ to regenerate the carbamoyl complex. With hydrazine, [Re(CO)5(NH2CH3)]+ initially yields the carbazoyl compound,cis-Re(CO)4(NH2CH3)(CONHNH2), which loses NH3 to give the isocyanate complexcis-Re(CO)4(NH2CH3)(NCO) as the Final product. Reactions with some methylsubstituted hydrazines proceed in the same manner. The isocyanate complex may also be prepared by reaction of the cation with azide ion, N−3. With I−, the cation yields Re(CO)5I. IR and PMR spectra of the new compounds and mechanisms of their reactions are discussed.
Thyroid aspiration cytology: current status

In the adult population, thyroid nodules are common and are increasingly detected by ultrasound examination or other scanning techniques. Depending on their size and ultrasonographic features, these nodules may require further investigation, including tissue diagnosis. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) has become the predominant method to obtain tissue for microscopic analysis. In October 2007, the National Cancer Institute sponsored a conference to review the state of the science for the use of FNA in the management of thyroid nodules. This conference reviewed indications for thyroid FNA and pre-FNA requirements, training and credentialing, techniques for thyroid FNA, diagnostic terminology and morphologic criteria, utilization of ancillary studies, and post-FNA testing and treatment options. The results of those discussions have been published in both print and electronic versions. The aim of the current article was to discuss indications for FNA, diagnostic terminology, and post-FNA options, issues that are important to physicians who are managing patients with thyroid nodules.
JRF-E: using model checking to give advice on eliminating memory model-related bugs

According to Java's relaxed memory model, programs that contain data races need not be sequentially consistent. Executions that are not sequentially consistent may exhibit surprising behavior such as operations on a thread occurring in a different order than indicated by the source code or different threads having inconsistent views of updates of shared variables. Java Racefinder (JRF) is an extension of Java Pathfinder (JPF), a model checker for Java bytecode. JRF precisely detects data races as defined by the memory model and can thus be used to verify sequential consistency. We describe an extension to JRF, JRF-Eliminator (JRF-E), that analyzes information collected during model checking, specifically counterexample traces and acquiring histories, and provides advice to the programmer on how to eliminate detected data races from a program. If data races have been eliminated, standard model checking and other verification techniques that implicitly assume sequential consistency can be soundly employed to verify additional properties.
Prostate-Specific Antigen: Critical Issues for the Practicing Physician

Background Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), when used in combination with existing detection methods, improves the clinician's ability to detect early and potentially curable prostate cancer. Findings This report describes clinically important issues about use of the serum PSA concentration for detecting early prostate cancer. Other PSA-related factors—PSA density, PSA velocity, and age-specific reference ranges—seem to enhance the ability of clinicians to distinguish benign prostatic conditions from early prostate cancer. Because digital rectal examination only minimally affects the serum PSA concentration, delaying a determination after this examination is unnecessary. Finasteride therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia should be initiated only after the prostate has been evaluated for cancer because this 5α-reductase inhibitor lowers the serum PSA value by approximately 50%; however, reassessment of the prostate for cancer is necessary if the PSA level fails to decrease as expected or increases to more than 2 ng/mL during finasteride treatment. Conclusion Currently, PSA is the most important, accurate, and clinically useful tumor marker for prostate cancer.
Enteric immunization reveals a T cell network for IgA responses and suggests that humans possess a common mucosal immune system.

The local IgA response is a result of two related events, the induction of sensitized T and B cells in gut- or b ronchial-associated lymphoreticular tissues (GALT or BALT) and the final differentiation of IgA plasma cells in mucosal tissues where IgA is produced and transported to become secretory IgA (S-IgA) antibodies into external secretions. Oral administration of various types of antigens/vaccines may result in two types of response, i.e., S-IgA antibodies at mucosa and systemic unresponsiveness to antigen, a state termed oral tolerance. Regulatory T cells in GALT help account for both S-IgA responses and oral tolerance and thus serve to fine tune responses to orally encountered antigens. Studies in animal models and humans have shown that oral administration of antigens sensitize lymphoid cells in GALT which subsequently home to mucosa and result in S-IgA responses in several external secretions. The significant promise of oral vaccines for prevention of microbial diseases including neisserial diseases is discussed.
A quantitative analysis of the Greek soft-drink market, or: How your advertisement will help your competitor's sales

Abstract This paper is deailing with the application of quantitative methods in analysing the Greek soft drink market. Single equation and simultaneous-equation regression models are developed and tested against real time-series data. The use of these methods in a real life case brought out the serious problem of interelationships existing between advertising and sales of products with minor differences and also marked the need of its further investigation.
Architecting Efficient Peak Power Shaving Using Batteries in Data Centers

Peak power shaving allows data center providers to increase their computational capacity without exceeding a given power budget. Recent papers establish that machines may repurpose energy from uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) to maintain power budgets during peak demand. Our paper demonstrates that existing studies overestimate cost savings by as much as 3.35x because they use simple battery reliability models, Boolean battery discharge and neglect the design and the cost of battery system communication in the state-of-the-art distributed UPS designs. We propose an architecture where batteries provide only a fraction of the data center power, exploiting nonlinear battery capacity properties to achieve longer battery life and longer peak shaving durations. This architecture demonstrates that a centralized UPS with partial discharge sufficiently reduces the cost so that double power conversion losses are not a limiting factor, thus contradicting the recent trends in warehouse-scale distributed UPS design. Our architecture increases battery lifetime by 78%, doubles the cost savings compared to the distributed design (corresponding to $75K/month savings for a 10MW data center) and significantly reduces the decision coordination latency by 4x relative to the state-of-the-art distributed designs.
Centriole and basal body formation during ciliogenesis revisited.

Abstract This review is concerned with the formation during ciliogenesis of centrioles and basal bodies, primarily in epithelial multiciliated cells from the developing vertebrate respiratory and reproductive tracts. During ciliated cell differentiation, in these as well as in other cell types, cilium formation is preceded by the formation of centrioles assembled from precursor structures having little resemblance to the mature organelle. The origin, composition and function of the centriole precursor structures in generating large numbers of centrioles in a short period of time during ciliogenesis is discussed. This review also focuses on the biochemistry of centrioles and basal bodies and on recent experimental evidence that DNA might be associated with these structures.
AN APPROACH/AVOIDANCE BEHAVIORAL MODEL OF COLLEGE STUDENT ATTRITION

We used approach/avoidance theory to develop a conceptual model of student attrition that we estimated using 262 first- and second-year students at a major midwestern research university. We found that we could use psychological theories to enhance our understanding of the retention process; that psychological and sociological factors accounted for 37 percent of the variance in student attrition; and that institutions can enhance retention by developing programs that increase appropriate academic and social approach behaviors and reduce avoidant behaviors.
A multi-scale statistical study of twinning in magnesium

Hexagonal close packed (HCP) materials such as Mg, Zr, Ti, and Be are used in automotive, nuclear, aeronautic, and defense technologies. Understanding and controlling the formability of these materials is extremely relevant for these technologies. Such understanding requires an understanding of deformation twinning, an important deformation mechanism in HCP. Here we present a multi-scale modeling paradigm that passes information from the atomistic scale to the mesoscale represented by an individual grain in a polycrystalline metal. The single crystal model is, in turn, integrated into an Effective Medium model, which relates the behavior of all grains in the aggregate to the bulk response, such as stress-strain and texture evolution. This article focuses on application of the multi-scale model to HCP polycrystalline magnesium.
A phase I safety, pharmacological, and biological study of the farnesyl protein transferase inhibitor, lonafarnib (SCH 663366), in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors

Purpose This phase I study was conducted to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacological properties and biological activity of the combination of the lonafarnib, a farnesylproteintransferase (FTPase) inhibitor, with gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced solid malignancies.
A comparison of heat-induced hyperactivation in patients' sperm after colloid or pentoxifylline wash methods.

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to compare kinematic parameters of human sperm after processing through two different wash methods and 40°C heat treatment. Study Design: Sperm specimens (N = 169 cases) were washed by either colloid or pentoxifylline wash methods, and the motility parameters were measured at either 37°C or 40°C at baseline (0 hours) and after 4 hours. Five randomly selected washed specimens with matching 37°C (control) or 40°C heat treatments were assessed for changes in a sentinel gene. Results: The percentage of sperm hyperactive motility was >5 times higher after the 40°C heat treatment, in comparison with the 37°C treatment, for both the colloid- and the pentoxifylline-washed sperm. The percentages of total motility and progression were equally enhanced in heated sperm for the two wash methods. No changes were detected in the sentinel gene with the heat treatment. Conclusion: Sperm cells mildly heated at 40°C responded with greater motility, progression, and hyperactivation. The data suggest that mild heat is a stimulus for sperm function because greater sperm hyperactivation is associated with increased sperm fertilizing capacity. The absence of change in the sentinel gene in heated sperm suggests that a temperature of 40°C is too low to initiate alterations in the highly condensed sperm chromatin. More studies are needed before mild heating of ejaculated sperm becomes acceptable for use in assisted reproductive technologies. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;184:1057-9.)
The influence of variable-thickness ice on the loads exerted on sloping structures

Abstract A test program has been carried out to investigate the influence of non-uniform ice thickness on the loads exerted by an ice sheet failing against both an upward-breaking and a downward-breaking sloping structure. Tests were performed with both level and non-uniform ice sheets in a model test basin. The comparison of the loads was used as a basis to determine the ‘effective’ thickness ( h eff ) of the ice sheet where h eff = h μ + kh σ where h μ is the average ice thickness, h σ is the standard deviation of the ice thickness distribution, and k is a parameter that depends on structure slope and width and the mode of ice failure. For a wide, upward-breaking structure, k = 0.5 and 0.8 for slopes of 60° and 75°, respectively. For a wide downward-breaking structure, k = 1.4 and 1.6 for slopes of −60° and −75°, respectively. Based on these findings, analytical models for predicting ice forces on sloping structures have been modified to take into account the influence of non-uniform ice thickness.
Turbo-coded trellis-based constructions for data hiding

It has recently been discovered that many current applications such as data hiding and watermarking can be posed as the problem of channel coding with side information. As a result there has been considerable interest in designing codes to try and attain the theoretical capacity of the problem. It was shown by Pradhan et. al that in order to achieve capacity, a powerful channel codebook that partitions into a powerful source codebook should be chosen. The data to be embedded will index the source codebook partition. The constructions that exist in the literature, however, are typically based on powerful channel codebooks and weak source codebook partitions and hence remain at a considerable gap to capacity. In this paper, we present several methods of construction that are based on a powerful channel codebook (i.e. turbo codes) and powerful source codebook partitions (i.e., trellis coded quantization) to try and bridge the gap to capacity. For the Gaussian channel coding with side information (CCSI) problem at a transmission rate of 1 bit/channel use, our proposed approach comes within 2.72 dB of the information-theoretic capacity.