cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequential Multiple-Assignment Randomized Trials: Developing and Evaluating Adaptive Interventions in Special Education:

Interventions often require multiple decisions to improve outcomes for every student. Whether the decision to implement a practice, tailor an existing protocol, or change approaches, these decisions should be based on individual variables and outcomes via a sequence of treatment. To develop adaptive interventions that have sufficient evidence to support decisions, components, and sequences, they must be evaluated as they operate. The sequential multiple-assignment randomized trial is a design that experimentally assesses the efficacy of the decisions, components, and sequence of an adaptive intervention. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of this novel methodology and describe how this design can provide meaningful information about components and sequence based on individual differences and response to maximize educational outcomes in special education.
Risk Factors for 30-Day Readmissions and Reoperations After 3-Column Osteotomy for Spinal Deformity

Study Design:Retrospective study of a prospectively collected database.Objective:To investigate the rate and risk factors for 30-day readmissions and reoperations after 3-column osteotomy (3CO).Met...
Volumetric bone mineral density of the spine predicts mortality in African-American men with type 2 diabetes

The study showed that in African-American men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), vertebral volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) predicts all-cause mortality, independent of other risk factors for death. Compared to European Americans, African Americans have lower rates of osteoporosis and higher rates of T2D. The relationships between BMD and fractures with mortality are unknown in this population. The aim of this study was to determine relationships between vertebral fractures and vertebral vBMD and mortality in African Americans with T2D. Associations between vertebral fractures and vBMD with all-cause mortality were examined in 675 participants with T2D (391 women and 284 men) in the African American-Diabetes Heart Study (AA-DHS). Lumbar and thoracic vBMD were measured using quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Vertebral fractures were assessed on sagittal CT images. Associations of vertebral fractures and vBMD with all-cause mortality were determined in sex-stratified analyses and in the full sample. Covariates in a minimally adjusted model included age, sex, BMI, smoking, and alcohol use; the full model was adjusted for those variables plus cardiovascular disease, hypertension, coronary artery calcified plaque, hormone replacement therapy (women), African ancestry proportion, and eGFR. After mean 7.6 ± 1.8-year follow-up, 59 (15.1%) of women and 58 (20.4%) of men died. In men, vBMD was inversely associated with mortality in the fully adjusted model: lumbar hazard ratio (HR) per standard deviation (SD) = 0.70 (95% CI 0.52–0.95, p = 0.02) and thoracic HR per SD = 0.71 (95% CI 0.54–0.92, p = 0.01). Only trends toward association between vBMD and mortality were observed in the combined sample of men and women, as significant associations were absent in women. Vertebral fractures were not associated with mortality in either sex. Lower vBMD was associated with increased all-cause mortality in African-American men with T2D, independent of other risk factors for mortality including subclinical atherosclerosis.
Tool 2: The Coefficient of Variation of the Insured’s Premiums

Insurance consists of a transfer of risk from the policyholder to the carrier. Without experience rating, the transfer is total (perfect solidarity): the variability of insureds’ payments is zero. With experience rating, personalized premiums will vary from year to year, according to claims history; cooperation between drivers is weakened. Solidarity between insureds can be evaluated by a measure of the variability of annual premiums. The coefficient of variation (standard deviation divided by mean) was selected, as it is a dimensionless parameter. There is thus no need for currency conversions.
The exact order of subsets of additive bases

Let A be a set of nonnegative integers. The h-fold sum of A, denoted hA, is the set consisting of all sums of h not necessarily distinct elements of A. The set A is an asymptotic basis of order if hA contains all sufficiently large integers. The set A is an asymptotic basis if A is an asymptotic basis of order h for some hel. If A is an asymptotic basis, the exact order of A, denoted g(A), is the smallest integer h such that A is an asymptotic basis of order h. Let kel. l'f A is an asymptotic basis, let Ik(A) denote the set of all subsets F~-A such that F has cardinality k and the set A\F is an asymptotic basis. An open problem in additive number theory is to estimate g(A\F) in terms of g(A). More precisely, define
MRI of atherosclerosis and fatty liver disease in cholesterol fed rabbits

The globally rising obesity epidemic is associated with a broad spectrum of diseases including atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) disease. In the past, research focused on the vasculature or liver, but chronic systemic effects and inter-organ communication may promote the development of NAFL. Here, we investigated the impact of confined vascular endothelial injury, which produces highly inflamed aortic plaques that are susceptible to rupture, on the progression of NAFL in cholesterol fed rabbits. Aortic atherosclerotic inflammation (plaque Gd-enhancement), plaque size (vessel wall area), and composition, were measured with in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in rabbits fed normal chow or a 1% cholesterol-enriched atherogenic diet. Liver fat was quantified with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) over 3 months. Blood biomarkers were monitored in the animals, with follow-up by histology. Cholesterol-fed rabbits with and without injury developed hypercholesterolemia, NAFL, and atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta. Compared with rabbits fed cholesterol diet alone, rabbits with injury and cholesterol diets exhibited larger, and more highly inflamed plaques by MRI (P < 0.05) and aggravated liver steatosis by MRS (P < 0.05). Moreover, after sacrifice, damaged (ballooning) hepatocytes and extensive liver fibrosis were observed by histology. Elevated plasma gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT; P = 0.014) and the ratio of liver enzymes aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (AST/ALT; P = 0.033) indicated the progression of steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Localized regions of highly inflamed aortic atherosclerotic plaques in cholesterol-fed rabbits may contribute to progression of fatty liver disease to NASH with fibrosis.
Recovery of valuable metals from copper blast furnace slag

Recovery of valuable metals such as copper and nickel from copper blast furnace slag by carbon was studied. The optimum conditions necessary for maximum recovery of these metals with minimum reduction of iron oxide were derived. The effect of several experimental parameters, such as temperature, carbon addition and CaO addition to the slag, on the efficient recovery of copper and nickel was studied. A two-stage reduction process was also employed to study the improvement in copper and nickel recoveries over single-stage reduction. Based on the results obtained in this investigation, a carbon addition of 5%, a CaO addition of 5% and a reducing temperature of 1,573 K were found to be the optimum conditions for maximum recovery of both copper and nickel. Alloy phase of higher grade with respect to copper and nickel was obtained by employing a two-stage reduction process.
A Semiparametric Bayesian Approach to Dropout in Longitudinal Studies With Auxiliary Covariates

We develop a semiparametric Bayesian approach to missing outcome data in longitudinal studies in the presence of auxiliary covariates. We consider a joint model for the full data response, missingn...
Sudan Ebolavirus VP35-NP Crystal Structure Reveals a Potential Target for Pan-Filovirus Treatment.

ABSTRACT The filoviruses are etiological agents of life-threatening hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rate and risk of potential outbreak. Among members of this family, the Ebola (EBOV), Sudan (SUDV), and Marburg (MARV) viruses are considered the most pathogenic for humans. The ebolavirus nucleoprotein (NP) is the most abundant protein in infected cells and is essential for viral transcription and replication; thus, it represents an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. Here, we present the structure of SUDV NP in complex with the amino-terminal portion of the phosphoprotein VP35 at 2.3 A. This structure captures VP35 chaperoning SUDV NP in a monomeric and RNA-free state. This transient state has been proposed to be key to maintaining a pool of monomeric and RNA-free NPs prior to NP-NP polymerization and encapsidation of the viral RNA genome. This structure also reveals a newly visualized interaction between NP and VP35, a well-defined beta sheet that is not present in previous structures. Affinity binding assays demonstrate that this beta sheet is essential for maintaining the high-affinity interaction between VP35 and a hydrophobic pocket on SUDV NP, and electron microscopy indicates the importance of this binding interaction to the oligomeric state and assembly of NP in human cells. Complementary structure-directed mutagenesis identifies critical residues conserved across the filovirus family that could be targeted by broadly effective antivirals. IMPORTANCE Outbreaks of the filoviruses can be unpredictable in timing, location, and identity of the causative virus, with each of Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Bundibugyo virus, and Marburg virus reemerging in the last several years to cause human disease with 30 to 90% lethality. The 2014–2016 outbreak in particular, with nearly 30,000 patients, highlighted the ability of these viruses to emerge unexpectedly and spread rapidly. Two ebolavirus outbreaks have emerged this year, yet we still lack FDA-approved drugs with pan-filovirus activity to treat existing and emergent ebolaviruses. For all filoviruses, the interaction between the nucleoprotein and the phosphoprotein is essential for the virus life cycle and is a potential target for therapeutic intervention. In this report, we describe the crystal structure of the SUDV nucleoprotein with the interacting domain of the viral phosphoprotein, and we identify residues critical for high-affinity interaction and for control of the oligomeric state of the nucleoprotein. Structural comparison of this heterodimer with other members of the filovirus family allowed us to find conserved and essential atomic features that will facilitate understanding of the virus life cycle and the rational design of antivirals.
Seismology: Why giant earthquakes keep catching us out.

A spate of huge earthquakes in the past seven years has provided humbling lessons, says Thorne Lay.
Headland Turning Optimisation for Agricultural Vehicles and Those with Towed Implements

Abstract As an essential part of field coverage path planning process, mobile agricultural field equipment headland turning is a process that should be done in a manner that can maximise the equipment's operational efficiency through minimising the time or travel distance during the turning. However, this headland turning trajectory optimisation task represents a challenging dynamic nonlinear optimisation problem which is difficult to solve by using traditional indirect numerical methods. In this research, we investigated the possibility of using direct numerical methods to solve such a nonlinear optimisation problem in a restricted parameter neighborhood with constraints. We developed the kinematic models of the tractor and the tractor-implement(s) systems and formulated their headland turning optimisation problems through incorporating their models and the operational constraints. A range of headland turning scenarios from symmetrical bulb turn to fishtail turn and to turns with single and double trailers. With integration of the tractor and trailer models and by implementing the optimisation process with the TOMLAB/SNOPT software tool, results for diverse circumstances of the tractor/trailer headland turning scenarios were generated and illustrated in this paper.
Towards completing understanding of genome size characters in plants. A commentary on: 'Genome size and endopolyploidy evolution across the moss phylogeny'

Major differences between moss and vascular plant genome sizes have major implications for stomatal biology whilst an absence of endopolyploidy in Sphagnum is most probably related to the unique development of the capitulum.
Excellent Outcomes with Surgery or Radiotherapy in the Management of Castleman Disease Including a Case of Oligocentric Disease

Abstract Background Castleman disease (CD) is a rare polyclonal lymphoproliferative disorder of unclear etiology. Standard therapy for unicentric CD is surgical resection. Radiotherapy can be used; however, its efficacy is poorly characterized. Patients and Methods We reviewed patients with histologically confirmed CD undergoing definitive local therapy at our institution between 1990 and 2017. Overall survival was determined from the date of diagnosis. Local progression-free survival and distant failure-free survival were determined from the date of first definitive therapy. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze survival. Results Forty-four patients (29 female and 15 male) were identified with a median age at diagnosis of 40 years (range, 14-70 years). Thirty-five (80%) patients received surgery alone, 3 (7%) had surgery followed by radiotherapy, and 6 (14%) had radiotherapy alone. Thirty-nine (89%) patients had a single area of involvement, and 3 (7%) patients had limited regional involvement. Two (5%) patients had multicentric CD and received consolidative radiotherapy. The 3-year overall, local progression-free, and distant failure-free survival were 92%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. No distant failures were observed. The median radiation dose was 3960 cGy (range, 3600-5940 cGy) in 22 fractions (range, 18-33 fractions). Conclusions Unicentric CD is readily amenable to cure with local therapy. Surgical excision is preferred, but radiation appears to be an effective alternative for patients when surgery is high risk or not feasible. Patients with oligo- or multi-centric CD may experience prolonged disease-free survival with consolidative radiotherapy after partial response to systemic therapy.
A Text Messaging Intervention to Increase Engagement and Retention of Men in a Community-Based Father Involvement Program

Cell phone technology is increasingly used in health and social work services for information delivery, engagement, and retention in research protocols. In this study, we explored the use of text m...
Using synthetic data to replace linkage derived elements: a case study

While record linkage can expand analyses performable from survey microdata, it also incurs greater risk of privacy-encroaching disclosure. One way to mitigate this risk is to replace some of the information added through linkage with synthetic data elements. This paper describes a case study using the National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS), which collects patient records under a pledge of protecting patient privacy from a sample of U.S. hospitals for statistical analysis purposes. The NHCS data were linked to the National Death Index (NDI) to enhance the survey with mortality information. The added information from NDI linkage enables survival analyses related to hospitalization, but as the death information includes dates of death and detailed causes of death, having it joined with the patient records increases the risk of patient re-identification (albeit only for deceased persons). For this reason, an approach was tested to develop synthetic data that uses models from survival analysis to replace vital status and actual dates-of-death with synthetic values and uses classification tree analysis to replace actual causes of death with synthesized causes of death. The degree to which analyses performed on the synthetic data replicate results from analysis on the actual data is measured by comparing survival analysis parameter estimates from both data files. Because synthetic data only have value to the degree that they can be used to produce statistical estimates that are like those based on the actual data, this evaluation is an essential first step in assessing the potential utility of synthetic mortality data.
Migration and Climate Change

Gertrude Stein's famous declaration, "there is no there there", has been used to describe myriad circumstances. Generally understood to convey a sense of place, some have argued that the space she describes is without passion or focus. It was not a place with distinct characteristics that her commonly trenchant observation could serve. Others have theorized that upon her return to her childhood home of Oakland-which had changed dramatically since she had departed-saying there was "no there there" was an expression of "painful nostalgia". Her home was gone, and the pastoral place she remembered had changed completely and irrevocably. Upon completing Migration and Climate Change-a book seeking to capture the complexity of climate-induced migration-the question that arose for this reader was: is there a there?
"We Can Talk to You, You're Less Radical": Reflexivity and Developing Answerability.

This autoethnographic paper discusses the complex methodological issues of a Latina scholar activist conducting research about the undocumented in a law enforcement context in the presence of power...
Effects of Smoked Cannabis and Oral δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Nausea and Emesis After Cancer Chemotherapy

Abstract In 1999 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report entitled Marijuana and Medicine(Joy, Watson and Benson, 1999). It recommended the development of cannabinoid drug delivery systems which might be effective for nausea, vomiting and AIDS wasting syndrome, among other chronic disorders. The report went on to recognize that patients should be allowed to smoke marijuana if they failed to achieve relief from approved symptoms that could be relieved by cannabinoid drugs with rapid onset. Recommended criteria of the report included: access to marijuana within 24 hours of submission by a physician, supervision that allows for assessment of treatment effectiveness, and an oversight strategy comparable to an institutional review board. In this context a review of previously unpublished state-run clinical trials with Cannabis sativa(marijuana and/ or δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol capsules) to test efficacy in reducing nausea and vomiting following cancer chemotherapy is warranted. The impetus for these studi...
Patient — Physician collaboration on FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources)

With electronic health record adoption now far advanced the focus has largely shifted to interoperability — the ability to meaningfully share data among these systems and to collect and share data with devices, sensors, apps and tools increasingly available to patients. At the same time new forms of reimbursement encourage greater collaboration among providers and their patients. These twin imperatives have led to the rapid development and adoption of FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources), a more facile approach to representing and sharing health data based on familiar, standard technologies widely used by other industries and a potential universal health app platform. This paper explains FHIR and the impact it will potentially have on patient-physician collaboration.
Preparation and Characterization of Plasma Membranes from Bovine Corpus Luteum

Abstract A rapid method for preparing plasma membranes from bovine corpus luteum is described. Various fractions are isolated by differential centrifugation and discontinuous sucrose density gradients. The plasma membrane fractions have a density in sucrose of 1.16 and 1.18. The yield is 0.5 to 0.75 mg per g of corpus luteum. This fraction is characterized by electron microscopy, enzymatic assay, and binding properties of 125I-luteinizing hormone. The plasma membrane fraction is free of nuclei and mitochondria when examined by electron microscopy. It is mainly vesicular in nature, with a unit membrane structure evident in most sections. The cholesterol to phospholipid ratio is 0.72. A small amount of RNA is found to be associated with the plasma membrane but no DNA is detected. 5'-Nucleotidase and ouabain-sensitive ATPase are concentrated in the plasma membrane. No more than 3 to 8% contamination by mitochondria is indicated by the activity of the mitochondrial markers: cytochrome c oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase. The microsomal marker activities of glucose 6-phosphatase and glucose-6-P dehydrogenase are low, corresponding to 2 to 5% contamination by microsomes. The binding of 125I-luteinizing hormone to the plasma membrane fraction is 20 times greater than its binding to the homogenate. The binding of 125I-luteinizing hormone to nuclei, mitochondria, and microsomes is low and parallels the 5'-nucleotidase activity of those fractions. It probably reflects their contamination by plasma membranes.
II The Case for and Against Semiclassical Radiation Theory

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the case for and against semiclassical radiation theory. Although semiclassical theories have had considerable success in accounting for many observed effects, including photoelectric correlations, pulse propagation through a resonant medium, photon echoes and optical free induction, they fail completely in other cases, and no evidence exists that should cause one to think of giving up quantum electrodynamics (Q.E.D.) in favor of a semiclassical theory. Despite the internal difficulties of Q.E.D. that remain to be resolved, all existing experimental evidence points rather to the validity of Q.E.D., whose predictions have never actually failed, and to the inadequacy of the semiclassical approach in certain situations. Of the various semiclassical approaches, neoclassical theory is the most internally self-consistent and divergence-free theory. Moreover, its predictions frequently differ from those of Q.E.D. and can, therefore, be put to the test, whereas much of the work on zero-point field theory has been aimed at reproducing the results derived by Q.E.D. The chapter, therefore, emphasizes the evidence relating to neoclassical theory although some of this evidence relates equally to all semiclassical theories.
Use of the geotechnical centrifuge as a tool to model dense nonaqueous phase liquid migration in fractures

[1] We describe a study undertaken to investigate the potential of the geotechnical centrifuge as an experimental tool to study dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) behavior in fracture systems. Scaling laws are developed that link observations made in a centrifuge model of a fracture system to the full-scale problem (prototype). Centrifuge experiments carried out in synthetic fractures, described by smooth-walled vertical capillary tubes, demonstrate for the first time that the geotechnical centrifuge can be used to model DNAPL transport in a simplified system provided that inertial forces are negligible in both the model and the prototype. Experiments also confirm, as predicted by Kueper and McWhorter [1991], that DNAPL invades a smooth-walled, vertical fracture when the DNAPL pool height at its entrance reaches its entry pressure. A simple mathematical model describing the displacement of the DNAPL-water interface is also presented. The predictions of this model and the experimental data are in good agreement with each other in the lower half of an invaded fracture. However, at the early stages of DNAPL invasion into the fracture, our observed DNAPL-water interface velocities are slower than predicted by the model. We attribute this to an apparent dependence of the local capillary pressure on the interface displacement velocity.
Induction of polycystic ovarian disease in rats by continuous light: II. Observations on mating, pregnancy, and the postpartum period

Abstract Mating, pregnancy, and the postpartum period of adult rats with polycystic ovarian disease induced by constant light (constant-light rats) were studied. Following pairing with male breeders the constant-light rats mated; some became pregnant and were delivered of normal young at term (21 to 22 days). The average litter size was 8 (range, 6 to 10). A single subcutaneous injection of 1 mg. progesterone caused no significant difference in the incidence of mating. In the postpartum period the constant-light rats had ovulated at 48 hours but not at 24 hours. On further continuing the constant light exposure for one month in the postpartum period, the persistent vaginal estrus with polycystic ovaries had recurred in the majority of rats. It is concluded that mating and pregnancy cause a temporary remission of the persistent vaginal estrus in the constant-light rat.
Intraperitoneal Spread of Malignancies

The spread of neoplasms within the peritoneal cavity occurs by direct invasion, intraperitoneal seeding, embolic metastases, and lymphatic extension (27,40). Recent insights and basic correlation with the pathogenesis of the intraabdominal spread of malignancies have established that the pattern of involvement and the individual effects of secondary malignancies of the bowel often present characteristic roentgen features (25–27,31). These reflect the mode of dissemination and thereby indicate the primary site. They are based on the application of certain gross anatomic relationships, the dynamic factors of the flow of ascites, and conditions of hematogenous dissemination. Distinction between the major pathways of spread (Table 2–1) is of critical practical importance for several reasons: (a) It closely correlates the roentgen changes with the pathogenesis and provides a rational system for radiologic analysis, (b) Since it is not rare for a malignant neoplasm to be manifested initially by its gastrointestinal metastasis or extension (9), recognition of the type of secondary involvement can aid in the search for the primary lesion.
Cross‐Language Similarity Modulates Effectiveness of Second Language Grammar Instruction

We investigated the effects of instruction method and cross-language similarity during second language (L2) grammar learning. English speakers learned a subset of Swedish using contrast and color highlighting (Salience Group), contrast and highlighting with grammatical explanations (Rule & Salience Group), or neither (Control Group with exposure only). Comprehension of grammatical features corresponding to three levels of L1–L2 similarity (similar, dissimilar, unique to L2) were contrasted in three posttests. Grammaticality judgments on L2 sentences: (a) improved across tests for all three training groups, (b) were least accurate for dissimilar features in all groups, and (c) were most accurate for cross-linguistically similar features in both the Control and Salience groups. Only a trend was found for high language-learning aptitude (as measured by the Words-In-Sentences instrument of the Modern Languages Aptitude Test) possibly facilitating the learning of grammatical features that are distinct from L1. The findings suggest that ideal instructional conditions for L2 morphosyntax may vary with cross-language similarity.
High-temperature tribology of future diesel engines

Future diesel engines will be operated at higher cycle temperatures. These higher cycle temperatures will invariably pose tribological problems of the top ring, piston, valve seats, and valve guides. Current lubricating oil with a thermal oxidative stability up to 204°C will be inadequate: polyol ester-base formulated synthetic oil, such as Stauffer Chemical SDL-1 or US TACOM MRI-1, with 310°C thermal oxidative stability could possibly be the next generation of lubricating oil. However, as we get nearer to the time when diesel engines will be constructed in advanced structural ceramics or composites for ‘adiabatic’operation, the thermal stability of the lubricating oil will have to approach 445°C. To withstand a top ring reversal temperature beyond 310°C, polyphenyl ether base oil and other high-temperature liquid lubricants are sought, but the highly aromatic polyphenyl ether type oil has thus far shown little promise for this application. The hybrid piston with solid lubricated top ring has potential. Densified Cr2O3 on Cr2O3 has demonstrated the possibility of operating at 380°C top ring reversal temperature, with acceptable wear and life. NASA PS212 with Stellite 6B has also been tested without a liquid lubricant. The tribological needs of the next generation of high-output, high-temperature diesel engines can therefore be met with the synthetic polyol ester base, cost-effective, formulated lubricant. The adiabatic ceramic engine will require much higher temperature capability. To this end, tribologists will have to direct their efforts to other higher temperature liquid lubricants and to solid lubricants. A laboratory coefficient of friction of < 0.06 must be achieved in order to maintain acceptable brake-specific fuel consumption. This target is based on cast iron on cast iron with lubricating oil, and it must be achieved with acceptable wear and cost.
Juvenile hormone and RNA synthesis in pupal tissues of saturniid moths

Abstract When intact pupae of saturniid moths developed into ‘second pupae’ under the influence of a juvenile hormone extract, their fat-body, blood cells, and tracheal epithelium synthesized RNA at a higher rate than during normal development. In contrast, juvenile hormone extract had no effect on the rate of RNA synthesis of tissues of isolated pupal abdomens which lack prothoracic glands. It is suggested that juvenile hormone extract has no direct metabolic effects on any pupal tissues in saturniid moths except for the prothoracic glands.
The impact of an air quality advisory program on voluntary mobile source air pollution reduction

Abstract Air pollution from mobile source emissions is a major cause of air quality degradation in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area. The projected increase in both population and vehicle miles driven, coupled with the high altitude, predominantly clear skies, and prevalent wintertime temperature inversions aid in the formation and retention of pollutants. The Colorado Department of Public Health issues an air quality advisory daily during the high pollution season (November 1–March 31) with the objective of improving air quality through voluntary driving restrictions and a mandatory wood burning ban. We hypothesized that the advisory had no effect on commuter behavior due to lack of awareness and understanding, lack of alternative means of travel, or lack of concern. We mailed an anonymous, self-administered survey to 1000 commuters living in the cities of Boulder and Westminster, Colorado. Despite the fact that the vast majority of the respondents were aware of the daily advisory (94%), understood what it meant (93%), and heard the posting at least once a day (71%) in time to choose alternative forms of transportation, the advisory did not alter commuter travel. Commuters traveled mainly as the sole occupant of a car and most (76%) never changed the way they commuted based on the daily advisory. Many claimed schedules or work locations did not allow them to use alternative transportation methods. We suggested a practical way to improve the advisory would be to reduce or eliminate public transit fares on poor air quality days.
Risk communication and radiological/nuclear terrorism: a strategic view.

It is now widely recognized that effective communication is a crucial element in radiological/nuclear terrorism preparedness. Whereas in the past, communication and information issues were sometimes viewed as secondary in comparison with technical concerns, today the need to improve risk communication, public information, and emergency messaging is seen as a high priority. The process of improving radiological/nuclear terrorism risk communication can be conceptualized as occurring in four overlapping phases. The first phase involves the recognition that communication and information issues will be pivotal in shaping how a radiological/nuclear terrorism incident unfolds and in determining its outcome. This recognition has helped shape the second phase, in which various research initiatives have been undertaken to provide an empirical basis for improved communication. In the third and most recent phase, government agencies, professional organizations and others have worked to translate research findings into better messages and informational materials. Like the first and second phases, the third phase is still unfolding. The fourth phase in risk communication for radiological/nuclear terrorism-a mature phase-is only now just beginning. Central to this phase is a developing understanding that for radiological/nuclear terrorism risk communication to be fully effective, it must go beyond crafting better messages and materials (as essential as that may be). This emerging fourth phase seeks to anchor radiological/nuclear communication in a broader approach: one that actively engages and partners with the public. In this article, each of the four stages is discussed, and future directions for improving radiological/nuclear terrorism risk communication are explored. Language: en
Proliferation of cultured human prostate cancer cells is inhibited by insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein-1: evidence for an IGF-II autocrine growth loop.

In this study, we examined the expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) ligands, receptors, (IGFR1, IGFR2), and binding proteins (IGFBPs) in the human prostate cancer cell line DU145, as well as its mitogenic response to the IGFs. Using RNase protection assays, we found expression of IGF-II, IGFR1, and IGFR2 but failed to detect IGF-I messenger RNA. Distinct binding protein species as well as immunoreactive IGF-II were detected in conditioned media using radioligand and immunoblotting assays. Compared with controls, treatment with exogenous IGF-I and IGF-II resulted in stimulation of monolayer and anchorage-independent growth. Recombinant human IGFBP-1, which binds IGF-II with high affinity, inhibited IGF-II-induced monolayer growth and both baseline and IGF-II-induced anchorage-independent growth in this cell line. Our data suggest IGF-II is as an autocrine growth factor in DU145 cells, and that inhibition of IGF-II-dependent growth of human prostate cancer cells may represent a new therapeutic str...
Absence of effects of prostaglandins E1 and E2 on ganglionic transmission.

Abstract The effects of prostaglandins E 1 and E 2 on ganglionic transmission were assessed using postganglionic action potentials elicited by preganglionic repetitive stimulation of the cervical sympathetic trunk in the cat. Prostaglandin E 1 (10–100 μg) given intravenously or intra-arterially did not affect the ganglionic transmission to any detectable extent. Prostaglandin E 2 (50–100 μg) was also found to have no effect on the ganglionic transmission. A transient facilitation of transmission by these drugs injected during sith higher frequency was actually a non-specific action due to the vehicle, a weak alcoholic solution. Although a physiological role, possibly a modulatory action, of prostaglandins in the central synapses has been postulated by other investigators on the basis of pertinent experimental evidence, the results obtained in the present work do not support any similar physiological role of these naturally occuring substances in the sympathetic ganglion.
Sensitive Detection Of Tunable Diode Laser Absorption By Polarization Rotation

Results are presented demonstrating that diode laser absorption sensitivity can be increased by using the Faraday or Kerr effect to rotate the polarization of the source so that crossed polarizers can be used to reduce source noise. The Faraday effect is demonstrated using nitric oxide in a magnetic field, and the Kerr effect is demonstrated using methyl fluoride in an electric field. Some description of how absorption in an external field causes polarization rotation is presented as well as some conclusions on the types of molecules for which this technique is best suited.
A note on the geographical concentration of scientific personnel in the USA

Theories of urban size and growth have assumed that innovativeness is more common to larger cities. This paper tests the relationship between three measures of scientific employment, and the population of U. S. metropolitan areas. Elasticities of scientific employment with respect to city size and nonlinear functions of city size suggest that innovative ability of the largest urban areas declined somewhat from 196 to 1972. Diseconomies of size for scientific activity may be becoming dominant in thelargest cities in contrast to prevailing assumptions about the advantages of urban size.
Transportation Integrating Green Energy Resources (TIGER)™: A Solar-Biodiesel Hybrid Commuter Vehicle

Over the past two decades, several options have emerged as alternatives to traditional internal combustion engine-powered transportation systems. The alternative power sources garnering the most commercial interest have been hydrogen fuel-cells, battery-powered electric, propane, biodiesel, ethanol, and compressed natural gas. “T ransportation I ntegrating G reen E nergy R esources” (TIGER)™ is a prototype hybrid vehicle that optimizes consumer desire for performance, alternative fuels, and environmental emissions reduction. It is powered by a combination of an electric motor and a biodiesel internal combustion engine. It is a two-passenger vehicle with a solarelectric, zero-emissions primary energy source for the daily commute while still permitting long-range travel utilizing the range-extension provided by the biodiesel engine. The average daily commute in the United States is less than 50 miles. During daily commuting use, the vehicle will operate solely as a solar-electric car. The electric vehicle (EV) system will be charged by deployable solar cells on its top surface while it is parked in a sun-lit parking lot during the workday. This charge will be sufficient to replenish energy used during a 50-mile commute. The commute is patterned as being comprised of 40 mph segments representing travel on arterial city roads and a 70-mph segment representing interstate highway travel. The biodiesel engine functions as the secondary power source to permit long-range trips with a refueling stop planned for around 350 miles; comparable to a conventional vehicle. The paper will report key elements of the vehicle design, including trade-offs between energy efficiency and passenger comfort/safety. Details of the various sub-systems such as the energy sources, the hybrid drive-train, and subsystem integration will be presented.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Familial aggregation in the presence of temporal trends.

Models for assessing temporal trends in familial aggregation are described for both cross-sectional and longitudinal family data. Simultaneous linear structural equations on latent variables are used to model the dependence among family members. The coefficients of the equations are assumed to be parametric functions of time, so that quite complex temporal trends in familial aggregations can be accommodated. Variable family sizes and missing data values pose no problem as the parameters of the models are estimated via maximum likelihood techniques. One of the models is applied to systolic blood pressure data in 542 Japanese–American nuclear families. The results indicate limited evidence for temporal variation in the genetic expression, but that there is substantial temporal variation in environmental influences, which appear to peak at middle age.
Synergistic Interaction Between Dehydroepiandrosterone and Prednisolone in the Inhibition of Rat Lymphocyte Proliferation

AbstractThe interaction between dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and prednisolone (PD) in the inhibition of rat lymphocyte proliferation was evaluated. The in vitro proliferative response of splenocytes from male Sprague-Dawley rats stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was measured by the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the DNA. DHEA and PD were added at the initiation of cultures individually and in various molar ratio combinations. The search for synergy additivity or antagonism between the two compounds was performed by using the median-effect method of Chou and Talalay and Drewinko's statistical analysis. Both compounds individually inhibit the proliferation of PHA-stimulated rat lymphocytes. DHEA with an IC50 value of 13.4 pM was a thousand times less potent than PD which had an IC50 value of 5.4 nM. Synergy was observed between DHEA and PD. The intensity of the interaction appeared to be function of the molar ratio of the two drugs. The association of DHEA and PD could produce enhanced steroid e...
Modeling the combustion of toluene-butane blends

A chemical kinetic model has been developed to predict the high-temperature (1200 K) oxidation of neat toluene, neat butane (CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 ), and toluene-butane blends in an atmospheric-pressure flow reactor. Because the chemical interactions of toluene and butane would be indicative of those that occur in practical fuel blends, an extensive experimental and kinetic modeling study of their oxidation processes was undertaken. Because the experimental portion of the study indicated that the interactions were limited to radical pool effects, the focus here is on the approach taken to model these effects in the blended fuel experimental results. The basis for the proposed blend model was obtained from neat butane and neat toluene models available in the literature. Prior to its validation against blended fuel experimental data, the new model was compared with neat fuel data to ensure it retained the ability to predict the oxidation of the neat fuels. During this important neat fuel validation step, it was determined that improvements were needed in the existing toluene model. The improvements include addition of iC 4 H 5 reactions, which significantly improve predictions of 1,3-butadiene and acetylene experimental results. Additionally, improvements were made in the modeling of benzaldehyde. Experimentally measured benzaldehyde profiles were obtained with a gas chromatograph better configured to separate polar compounds than in previous experimental toluene studies, and these better profiles led to the adoption of a more appropriate rate constant for the overall reaction that accounts for the formation of benzaldehyde during the oxidation of toluene, C 6 H 5 CH 2 +HO 2 →C 6 H 5 CHO+OH+H The modeling results presented here demonstrate that when the chemical interactions between the various fuel components are limited to radical pool effects, the blended fuel oxidation process is more likely to be predicted when the blend model is properly configured to predict the oxidation processes of the neat fuel components.
Simulations of stable crack propagation based on cavity growth by coupled diffusional and creep processes

Abstract A model based on cavity growth by coupled diffusional and creep processes has been developed to describe the stable crack growth behavior that has been observed experimentally in pure copper and Cu + 1 wt% Sb. Favorable comparisons of the predictions with experimental data for different possible stress distributions suggest that cavity growth and coalescence on transverse grain boundaries limit the rate of crack growth once cavitation has become extensive. These comparisons also indicate that stable crack growth can occur in the presence of a gradual, nonsingular stress distribution once a stable cavity size gradient exists ahead of the crack tip.
Protein-bound amino acid content of normally and abnormally faunated Formosan termites, Coptotermes formosanus

Abstract In Coptotermes formosanus workers containing all (normally faunated), none (completely defaunated), or all but one species (partially defaunated) of their symbiotic protozoa, protein-bound amino acid contents changed little in 1, 3, 5, or 8 weeks after defaunation. There were few differences in the amino acid contents of the three termite groups at any one time. Thus, the termites may be able to maintain their protein levels without protozoa, dead protozoa probably do not furnish needed nitrogen, and symbiotic protozoa gave no evidence of the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen.
Are Interpersonal Violence Rates Higher Among Young Women in College Compared With Those Never Attending College

Estimates of sexual violence and partner violence rates among young women are generated primarily from college samples. Few studies have data to compare rates among similar-aged women attending college with those who never attended college. This study aims to estimate rates of partner violence by type (sexual, physical, and psychological) and severity (mild, moderate, severe), sexual harassment, and knowing or suspecting that someone put a drug in a drink (drugged drink) among a national sample of 959 young women aged 18 to 24 in an intimate relationship in the past 12 months who were either currently in college (college;n= 272) or never attended college (non-college;n= 687). After adjusting for demographic differences between these two groups, no significant differences were found in rates of sexual partner violence (28.4% non-college, 23.5% college), physical partner violence (27.9% non-college, 26.3% college), psychological partner violence (Mscore: 6.10 non-college, 5.59 college), sexual harassment (15.5% non-college, 14.1% college), or drugged drink (8.5% non-college, 7.8% college). Finding high rates of interpersonal violence among young women who are and are not currently attending college indicates the need to target all young adults with violence prevention interventions in educational, workplace, and other community-based settings.
Uptake of HNO3 on hexane and aviation kerosene soots.

The uptake of HNO3 on aviation kerosene (TC-1) soot was measured as a function of temperature (253−295 K) and the partial pressure of HNO3, and the uptake of HNO3 on hexane soot was studied at 295 K and over a limited partial pressure of HNO3. The HNO3 uptake was mostly reversible and did not release measurable amounts of gas-phase products such as HONO, NO3, NO2 or N2O5. The heat of adsorption of HNO3 on soot was dependent on the surface coverage. The isosteric heats of adsorption, Δ0Hisosteric, were determined as a function of coverage. Δ0Hisosteric values were in the range −16 to −13 kcal mol-1. The heats of adsorption decrease with increasing coverage. The adsorption data were fit to Freundlich and to Langmuir−Freundlich isotherms. The heterogeneity parameter values were close to 0.5, which suggested that a HNO3 molecule can occupy two sites on the surface with or without being dissociated and that the soot surface could be nonuniform. Surface FTIR studies on the interaction of soot with HNO3 did not ...