cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drell-Yan forward-backward and spin asymmetries for arbitrary vector boson production at next-to-leading order

Longitudinally polarized, unpolarized and forward-backward mass differential cross sections for Drell-Yan lepton-pair production by arbitrary vector bosons are calculated in next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD. Analytical results are presented in a form valid for all consistent n-dimensional regularization schemes, with the mass factorization scheme kept general. NLO predictions for all Drell-Yan type processes (W{sup {plus_minus}}, Z and {gamma}{sup {asterisk}}) at BNL{close_quote}s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) are made using polarized parton distributions which fit the recent deep-inelastic scattering data. These are examined as tools in the determination of the polarized parton distributions and the unpolarized {bar u}/{bar d} ratio. NLO predictions for the forward-backward lepton asymmetry at Fermilab are made and the precision determination of sin{sup 2}{theta}{sub W} from future runs is studied. In all the above, the QCD corrections are found to be significant. An introductory discussion is given of various theoretical issues, such as allowable factorization and regularization schemes, and scale dependences. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Lessons Learned from Seismic Analysis of a Seven-Story Concrete Test Building

A uniaxial shake table test of a full-scale slice of a seven-story reinforced concrete wall building was performed at the University of California, San Diego. A 2D analytical model that primarily employed fiber-based beam-column elements was used for a blind prediction of the global response of the building to the imposed input accelerations. An improved analytical model, which adequately simulates the building's dynamic response and comparison of measured and analytical results, is presented. The lessons learned from participation in the blind prediction with particular attention to the effects of issues commonly ignored in analytical modeling of concrete buildings are included.
A note on methemoglobinemia and Heinz body formation in cats fed commercial crayons.

Summary Methemoglobin and Heinz body formation were observed in a small percentage of cats fed wax crayon in their diet.
A simplified exerciser for the temporomandibular joint following condylotomy

Abstract A technique of fabricating an exerciser to prevent ankylosis or reankylosis of the condyles is presented which is relatively simple and inexpensive to make. The technique and a brief case report are illustrated and discussed.
Laparoscopic surgery in a small animal model. A simplified technique of retroperitoneal dissection in the rat.

Background: An adequate laparoscopic small-animal model would benefit surgical oncologic research. Immunobiologic data and reagents available for the rodent make them an ideal species. We developed a simple, inexpensive, reproducible technique for laparoscopic surgery in rodents. Methods: Carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum is achieved in anesthetized animals. Through a 0.5-cm midline incision a 4.8-mm bronchofiberscope is inserted into the peritoneal cavity and secured with a purse-string suture (PSS). Three additional PSSs are made to introduce the dissectors. Under fiberscopic vision, a blunt dissection of the retroperitoneum exposes the inferior vena cava and aorta. Necropsy 24 h after verifies the adequacy of dissection. Results: Eighteen animals survived. The only death resulted from bleeding. Mortality was 5.26%. Surgical time was 24.72±8.93 min with all animals active 2 h postlaparoscopy. Conclusions: Laparoscopic surgery (LS) can be done inexpensively without sophisticated equipment. The rodent is ideal for examining the immunologic consequences of laparoscopic surgery and pneumoperitoneum.
Modified Zernike Polynomials and Their Application to the Analysis of Fresnel Region Fields of Circular Apertures with Nonuniform and Nonsymmetric Illumination

Modified Zernike polynomials and also a set of generalized functions Wmν(γ,u) are introduced. These polynomials and functions are then applied to the analysis of the Fresnel region field of circular apertures with nonuniform and nonsymmetric illumination. With m=0, the general result obtained in this paper reduces to the case of nonuniform but circular symmetric illumination obtained by the author in a previous paper. A general expression for the far field (Fraunhofer field) of circular apertures with general illumination is also derived. Finally, a simple example is given as an illustration.
The Management of Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Current concepts and developments in the understanding of the pathologic mechanisms involved in respiratory distress syndrome have dramatically improved the survival of infants born with this disease. A knowledge of the pathophysiology is important in selecting the measures that are currently available for the management of these infants.
Association of heart disease with diabetes and hypertension in patients with ESRD.

Background: No published study has reported the combined effect of diabetes and hypertension on heart disease in patients with renal failure. We determined this effect by using data for all US adults who started renal replacement therapy from 1995 to 1999. Methods: Data for patient characteristics, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease were collected from the Medical Evidence Report, on which 6 cardiac conditions were recorded: congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmia, and pericarditis. On the basis of diabetic-hypertensive status, we categorized patients into 4 groups: diabetes only, hypertension only, both diabetes and hypertension, and neither diabetes nor hypertension. Adjusting for age, sex, race-ethnicity, and incidence year with logistic regression, we estimated the likelihood of heart disease according to diabetic-hypertensive status. Results: Of 373,539 patients, 49.8% had diabetes and 75.8% had hypertension; 11.4% had diabetes only, 37.4% had hypertension only, 38.4% had both diabetes and hypertension, and 12.8% had neither diabetes nor hypertension. Approximately 44% of patients (n = 163,570) had at least 1 condition, 19.4% had at least 2 conditions, and 6.5% had at least 3 of the 6 cardiac conditions. Logistic regression indicated that patients with diabetes only and hypertension only were 3.1 and 2.8 times more likely ( P P
Chemically activated channels in muscle and spinal cord.

The patch clamp can be used to record single chemically activated channel currents in a variety of cell culture preparations. In the case of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) response in spinal cord cell culture, the channel is Cl−-selective. Cl− can be made to flow into or out of a cell by changing the direction of the electrochemical driving force for Cl−; as a result, positive or negative channel currents are produced. Channel currents generated by GABA and the GABA agonists muscimol and pentobarbital have the same amplitude. The kinetics of channel gating are studied by analyzing distributions of dwell times in conducting and nonconducting states. Such analyses of the GABA-activated channel and the acetylcholine-activated channel reveal that gating is complex. More elaborate procedures of data analysis have been used in an attempt to elucidate detailed molecular gating mechanisms.
Destination Mars a manifesto

In proposing a manned mission to Mars, President Bush has allowed Americans to dream again of greatness as a space-faring nation. But dream is more likely to become reality with the help of the Soviet Union.
The use of grey level information and fitting techniques for precise measurement of corneal curvature and thickness

This paper describes several methods to compute corneal curvature and thickness from slit-lamp images. The methodology to recover corneal shape from noisy data is based on original contour point extraction algorithms using gray levels and a threefold fit to the extracted points including a least-squares fit, low-pass filtering of the residue, and splines adjustment to this filtered residue. The results of both simulations and image processing of corneas in living eyes show that those methods improve the repeatability of the measurements as compared with usual processing techniques. Final results (40 μm for curvature repeatability and 30 μm for thickness) are discussed and limiting factors are analyzed.
MULTIPARTICLE PHASE SHIFT ANALYSIS IN PERIPHERAL PRODUCTION EXPERIMENTS: LESSONS FROM THE PAST

We recall some of our understanding of meson resonance production in high energy collisions from 20 years ago and its implications for a new generation of high statistics experiments. We discuss S-matrix theory, duality and Regge exchanges. We briefly mention some computing issues.
The significance of incidental thyroid abnormalities identified during carotid duplex ultrasonography.

Hypothesis Incidental thyroid masses identified during carotid duplex ultrasonography may represent clinically significant lesions. Design and Setting Retrospective review of a prospective database in a tertiary care referral center. Patients A total of 2004 consecutive patients from January, 2000, through January, 2002, undergoing carotid duplex ultrasonography. Interventions After bilateral carotid duplex ultrasonography, selected patients additionally underwent 1 or more of the following: dedicated thyroid ultrasound, fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and/or partial or total thyroidectomy. Main Outcome Measures The prevalence and type of thyroid abnormalities, correlation with a dedicated thyroid ultrasound, and results of histopathologic diagnosis. Results One or more thyroid abnormalities were identified in 188 duplexes (9.4%) involving 168 patients. Abnormalities were unilateral in 84 patients (50.6%) and bilateral in 81 patients (49.4%). Seventy-seven abnormalities (47%) were cystic, 72 (43%) were solid, and 16 (10%) were of mixed consistency. Sixty-six of the patients (40%) went on to have formal thyroid ultrasounds. Forty-five patients (70.3%) had masses greater than 1 cm on ultrasound. Based on ultrasound findings, 29 of 66 (44%) underwent fine-needle aspiration biopsy, with 13 of 66 (19.7%) eventually undergoing surgery. Surgical pathology included 5 patients with cancer (3 with papillary cancer, 2 with follicular cancer), 4 patients with a follicular adenoma, and 2 with lymphocytic thyroiditis). Two additional patients were discovered to have parathyroid adenomas following further workup and surgery. Thyroid abnormalities identified during carotid duplex ultrasonography correlated with formal ultrasound in 64 of 66 (97%) patients. Measurement of the thyroid mass by carotid duplex strongly correlated with measurement by formal thyroid ultrasound (r = 0.95, P Conclusions Incidental thyroid abnormalities identified during carotid duplex ultrasound are common and contain clinically significant pathology. A multidisciplinary clinical pathway may facilitate the appropriate evaluation of these abnormalities.
Generation and optical characterization of aerosol particles with controlled mixed composition

A method for controlled generation of composite aerosol particles is achieved by coating a core particle material, such as glass or polymer beads, with a second (analyte) material on the core surface. The mass fraction of the analyte can be varied over a wide range to generate resultant composite aerosol particles, which for the low end of analyte mass fractions has little influence on the particle size, but can be varied up to mass fractions nearly equivalent to the core material, as demonstrated in this paper. Analysis of this method was carried out using fluorescent analyte and core particle materials in separable spectral bands to measure both particle size distributions and fluorescent emission distributions on individual particle basis.
Pharmacotherapy of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE:To review the drug treatments and some of the popular, nontraditional remedies now available for type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as selected investigational agents; to describe each medication's place in the overall approach to treatment.DATA SOURCES:English-language journals, abstracts, review articles, and newspaper accounts.DATA SYNTHESIS:In the past five years, there has been tremendous progress in the pharmacotherapy of diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. Several new agents have entered the clinical arena, and many more are in the late stages of investigation leading to approval. Sulfonylureas stimulate the production and release of insulin; these drugs must be used in patients with an intact pancreas. The meglitinides are nonsulfonylurea agents that are also insulin secretagogues. Unlike the sulfonylureas, repaglinide appears to require the presence of glucose to close the adenosine triphosphate–sensitive potassium channels and induce calcium influx. Metformin reduces hepatic glucose...
Performance Prediction and Moisture Susceptibility of Anisotropic Pavement Foundations

Significant work has been done by the International Center for Aggregate Research (ICAR) to identify the effects of the anisotropic nature of compacted base courses on the stress, strain, and permanent deformation characteristics of pavement foundations. As continuation to this effort, current paper presents a mechanistic approach for determination of the variation of pore water pressure under a moving wheel load. This paper also presents a methodology as to evaluate the effect of pore water pressure on the anisotropic response of aggregate layers. Sixty-two aggregate systems were tested with varying fine contents and water contents. The aggregate blends were molded according to AASHTO T-180 and tested using state of the art equipment called the Rapid Triaxial Tester (RaTT) at three saturation levels to capture the moisture susceptibility of the aggregate systems. Variable Dynamic Confining Pressure (VDCP) stress paths were in turn used to determine the anisotropic material properties for each aggregate system. This approach shows that the external pressure applied on the surface of the pavement results in a reduction of the initial negative pore water pressure. The change in pore water pressure induced by traffic load for high fines content specimens at elevated saturation levels results in positive pore water pressure which is synonymous with more critical conditions for plastic deformation. Further analysis on the results shows the agreement between the proposed approach and the principle of change in pore water pressure presented by Henkel. Mohr-Coulomb yield function was employed as a performance indicator in this study. The stress sensitive and anisotropic material model showed that the hardening component of the stiffness in vertical direction at the centerline of the load and at the top of the aggregate base layer is approximately 20% smaller when the influence of pore water pressure is considered in the formulations.
Genetic Requirements for Sensitivity of Bacteriophage T7 to Dideoxythymidine

We previously reported that the presence of dideoxythymidine (ddT) in the growth medium selectively inhibits the ability of bacteriophage T7 to infect Escherichia coli by inhibiting phage DNA synthese (N. Q. Tran, L. F. Rezende, U. Qimron, C. C. Richardson, and S. Tabor, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 105:9373–9378, 2008, doi:10.1073/pnas.0804164105). In the presence of T7 gene 1.7 protein, ddT is taken up into the E. coli cell and converted to ddTTP. ddTTP is incorporated into DNA as ddTMP by the T7 DNA polymerase, resulting in chain termination. We have identified the pathway by which exogenous ddT is converted to ddTTP. The pathway consists of ddT transport by host nucleoside permeases and phosphorylation to ddTMP by the host thymidine kinase. T7 gene 1.7 protein phosphorylates ddTMP and ddTDP, resulting in ddTTP. A 74-residue peptide of the gene 1.7 protein confers ddT sensitivity to the same extent as the 196-residue wild-type gene 1.7 protein. We also show that cleavage of thymidine to thymine and deoxyribose-1-phosphate by the host thymidine phosphorylase greatly increases the sensitivity of phage T7 to ddT. Finally, a mutation in T7 DNA polymerase that leads to discrimination against the incorporation of ddTMP eliminates ddT sensitivity.
Staphylococcus aureus Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Abscess Samples from Adults and Children from the Kaleida Health System in Western New York State, 2003 to 2006

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common etiologic agent of skin abscesses. The regional rate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) abscesses may reflect the prevalence of local community-acquired MRSA (CAMRSA). A retrospective study was conducted to compare the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of S. aureus isolates recovered from abscesses from 2003 to 2006 from patients at hospitals of the Kaleida Health System in western New York. S. aureus susceptibility information was obtained from a Vitek Legacy system, and the location and source of each isolate were identified. EpiInfo software was used to analyze the antimicrobial susceptibilities of all isolates and the trends in the rates of MRSA. A total of 2,848 S. aureus abscesses were identified by the Kaleida Health Clinical Microbiology Laboratory. Of those, 978 S. aureus abscess events occurred in four hospitals, including three adult facilities (547 episodes with 62 cases of bacteremia) and one children9s facility (431 episodes with 2 cases of bacteremia). The MRSA rates in adults increased from 56% (2003) to 71% (2006), and that in children increased from 26% (2003) to 64% (2006). Of the MRSA isolates in the children9s samples, more than 92% were susceptible to clindamycin. Of the MRSA isolates in the adult samples, 50% were susceptible to clindamycin in 2003 and 2004, whereas greater than 75% were susceptible in 2005 and 2006. The increased rates of MRSA abscesses with susceptibility to clindamycin may reflect the high prevalence level of CAMRSA in the western New York community. The variations in S. aureus susceptibilities could serve as an indicator of the changing resistance patterns within a broad urban community.
This Year's Model Representing Modernism to the Post-war American Corporation

The scale model has always performed a dual communicative function: to demonstrate revolutions in building technology and to express to a client why he should take a chance on the latest material, the newest form. The post-war building boom in the USA was accompanied by a model boom, as architects began to capitalize on interwar and wartime technological advances, as well as a profusion of deep-pocketed industrial clients. In this article, I focus on a set of postwar American architects and designers-Gordon Bunshaft, Florence Knoll, Eero Saarinen, as well as friends and collaborators Charles and Ray Eames and Eliot Noyes-who found that the scale model was no longer enough for corporate work. To communicate with their clients, who needed to be led towards the latest architectural form; to communicate with their contractors, required to construct these brand new assemblies and to communicate with the public, who needed to be educated about modernism, they needed to expand the definition of model. These designers all began to present their work, the latest in American modern design and architecture, in new ways, including life-size mock-ups, abstract paste-ups, animated films and through the publicity given to the husband-and-wife design team.
A mathematical perspective for software measures research

Basic principles which necessarily underlie software measures research are analysed. In the prevailing paradigm for the validation of software measures, there is a fundamental assumption that the sets of measured documents are ordered and that measures should report these orders. The authors describe mathematically, the nature of such orders. Consideration of these orders suggests a hierarchy of software document measures, a methodology for developing new measures and a general approach to the analytical evaluation of measures. They also point out the importance of units for any type of measurement and stress the perils of equating document structure complexity and psychological complexity. >
Application of the controlled active vision framework to robotic and transportation problems

Flexible operation of a robotic agent in an uncalibrated environment requires the ability to recover unknown or partially known parameters of the workspace through sensing. Of the sensors available to a robotic agent, visual sensors provide information that is richer and more complete than other sensors. In this paper we present robust techniques for the derivation of depth from feature points on a target's surface and for the accurate and high-speed tracking of moving targets. We use these techniques in a system that operates with little or no a priori knowledge of the object-related parameters present in the environment. The system is designed under the controlled active vision framework and robustly determines parameters such as velocity for tracking moving objects and depth maps of objects with unknown depths and surface structure. Such determination of intrinsic environmental parameters is essential for performing higher level tasks such as inspection, exploration, tracking grasping, and collision-free motion planning. For both applications, we use the Minnesota Robotic Visual Tracker (a single visual sensor mounted on the end-effector of a robotic manipulator combined with a real-time vision system) to automatically select feature points on surfaces, to derive an estimate of the environmental parameter in question, and to apply a control vector based upon these estimates to guide the manipulator. The paper concludes with applications of these techniques to transportation problems such as vehicle tracking. >
Introduction: The relevance of public choice for constitutional political economy

Constitutional political economy is a research program that directs inquiry to the working properties of rules and institutions within which individuals interact and to the processes through which these rules and institutions are chosen or come into being (Buchanan 1990:1). As such, it has both normative and positive connotations, although arguably the normative emphasis has tended to dominate the early contributions of this relatively young program (Voigt, 1996), which developed initially as an important extension of Paretian welfare economics to determine the logical foundations of constitutional democracy (Buchanan and Tullock, 1962).
Mucus supramolecular topology: An elusive riddle

The supramolecular conformation that keeps mucins interconnected in the mucus gel matrix is still uncertain. In the granule, a Ca-bonded matrix keeps mucus condensed. Upon exocytosis, Na/Ca exchange removes Ca bonds, triggering characteristic polymer gel phase transition and massive swelling (1). Failure to remove Ca by increased extracellular Ca inhibits mucus hydration (2). Transepithelial movement of −HCO3 is defective in cystic fibrosis, and the demonstration that −HCO3 can modulate mucus swelling (3) suggests that deficient −HCO3 Ca buffering might be at the source of cystic fibrosis mucus pathology.
The Zinc-Sensing Mechanism of Mouse MTF-1 Involves Linker Peptides between the Zinc Fingers

Mouse metal response element-binding transcription factor-1 (MTF-1) regulates the transcription of genes in response to a variety of stimuli, including exposure to zinc or cadmium, hypoxia, and oxidative stress. Each of these stresses may increase labile cellular zinc, leading to nuclear translocation, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation of metallothionein genes (MT genes) by MTF-1. Several lines of evidence suggest that the highly conserved six-zinc finger DNA-binding domain of MTF-1 also functions as a zinc-sensing domain. In this study, we investigated the potential role of the peptide linkers connecting the four N-terminal zinc fingers of MTF-1 in their zinc-sensing function. Each of these three linkers is unique, completely conserved among all known vertebrate MTF-1 orthologs, and different from the canonical Cys2His2 zinc finger TGEKP linker sequence. Replacing the RGEYT linker between zinc fingers 1 and 2 with TGEKP abolished the zinc-sensing function of MTF-1, resulting in constitutive DNA binding, nuclear translocation, and transcriptional activation of the MT-I gene. In contrast, swapping the TKEKP linker between fingers 2 and 3 with TGEKP had little effect on the metal-sensing functions of MTF-1, whereas swapping the canonical linker for the shorter TGKT linker between fingers 3 and 4 rendered MTF-1 less sensitive to zinc-dependent activation both in vivo and in vitro. These observations suggest a mechanism by which physiological concentrations of accessible cellular zinc affect MTF-1 activity. Zinc may modulate highly specific, linker-mediated zinc finger interactions in MTF-1, thus affecting its zinc- and DNA-binding activities, resulting in translocation to the nucleus and binding to the MT-I gene promoter.
Multi-view 3D vehicle tracking with a constrained filter

We present a vehicle tracker for automatic data collection at intersections and freeways. Key features of our approach are the ability to measure the real-world state of tracked vehicles, to hand off targets between cameras, and to track simultaneously from multiple views for improved handling of occlusions and scene clutter. Further, the proposed measurement model supports both full and partial measurements from any number of views, which are seamlessly fused by the estimation procedure. State constraints are incorporated in the tracking method, and issues caused by stop-and-go traffic and turning vehicles are addressed. The use of constrained estimation, the support of partial measurements, and the multi- view capability represents a significant improvement of our past efforts in automating the tracking of vehicles in challenging situations.
UBCA: Utility-Based Clustering Architecture for Peer-to-Peer Systems

Peer-to-peer (P2P) systems are currently used in a variety of applications. File sharing applications and ad hoc networking have fueled the usage of these systems. P2P systems generate new challenges in scalability, fairness, and quality of service. Current systems often approach these challenges through incentive-based solutions and structured system design. Incentive-based solutions appeal to the self-interested nature of peers by utilizing payment or penalty to encourage peers to contribute to the system. System design principles, which attempt to improve performance through protocols and system-algorithms, include distributed hash tables and graph-theoretic designs. These approaches have seen some success, but also result in new problems such as overhead costs of authenticity/security for incentives, increased centralization, and decreased ability to handle dynamic peers. We introduce Utility-Based Clustering Architecture, (UBCA) designed to improve quality of service through the use of implicit incentives. UBCA runs on peers and groups them into logical clusters in real time, based on mutual utility gained as a result of the grouping. Simulation studies show with a high confidence that UBCA exhibits improved bandwidth and latency per access.
Guidelines for the diagnosis of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ)

Bisphosphonates are a class of agents used to treat osteoporosis and malignant bone metastases. Despite these benefits, osteonecrosis of the jaws has recently emerged as a significant complication in a subset of patients receiving these drugs. Based on a growing number of case reports and institutional reviews, bisphosphonate therapy may cause exposed and necrotic bone that is isolated to the jaw. This complication usually presents following simple dentoalveolar surgery and can cause a significant adverse effect on the quality of life for most patients. The pathogenesis for this complication appears to be related to the profound inhibition of osteoclast function and bone remodeling. This report will review the clinical signs and symptoms and risks associated with this new complication and provide a guideline for establishing a stage-specific diagnosis of BRONJ.
Velocity Selection in Two-Dimensional Excitable Media: From Spiral Waves to Retracting Fingers

Spiral waves in excitable media are typically observed to rotate at a unique angular frequency ω around an effective hole region of radius ro. We investigate the selection problem for ro and ω in the large ro limit of the free-boundary problem of wave propagation in excitable media for the case where the recovery variable is non-diffusive. Analytical forms are derived for the dependence of ro and ω on the usual small parameter e (which measures the abruptness of excitation) and a parameter A which measures the excitability of the medium. Where spiral wave solutions cease to exist we find a new class of solutions to the free-boundary problem analogous in shape to the Saffman-Taylor fingers of viscous hydrodynamics. These solutions correspond physically to wave fronts with a retracting tip structure.
Altruism among non-relatives: alternatives to the 'Prisoner's Dilemma'.

Abstract Triver's model of reciprocal altruism, and its descendants based on the Prisoner's Dilemma model, have dominated thinking about cooperation and altruism between non-relatives. However, there are three alternative models of altruism directed to non-relatives. These models, which are not based on the Prisoner's Dilemma, may explain a variety of phenomena, from allogrooming among impala to helping by non-relatives in cooperatively breeding birds and mammals
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Kidney Function Decline among Persons without Chronic Kidney Disease

Whether the rate of kidney function decline before the onset of CKD differs among racial and ethnic groups remains unclear. Here, we evaluated kidney function decline and incident CKD among white, black, Hispanic, and Chinese participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) during 5 years of follow-up. We estimated GFR using both cystatin C (eGFRcys) and creatinine (eGFRcreat). The definition of incident CKD required eGFRcys 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) at baseline, blacks had a significantly higher rate of kidney function decline than whites (0.31 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)/yr faster on average, P=0.001), even after adjusting for multiple potential confounders. Among Hispanics, Dominicans and Puerto Ricans had faster rates of decline than whites (0.55 and 0.47 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)/yr faster, respectively). Mexicans, South Americans, or other Hispanics had similar rates of decline compared to whites. We did not detect significant differences in the rates of kidney function decline among Chinese and white participants. Among those with normal or near-normal kidney function at baseline, blacks and Hispanics had the highest rates of incident CKD during follow-up. Adjustment for comorbidities attenuated some of these differences. In conclusion, the average rate of kidney function decline before the onset of CKD differs among racial and ethnic groups. Traditional risk factors do not explain these differences fully, highlighting the need to explore these disparities.
A hardware-aware process for the design of low-power pulse-shaping filters

A design process for decreasing the average dynamic power consumption of any pulse-shaping filter (PSF) for spread-spectrum communication systems is presented. The process begins with the development of a power consumption approximation function derived from a transistor-level model of the adder used to compute the PSF outputs. This function is then used as the cost function in a simulated annealing search through a set of candidate PSFs produced by perturbing the ideal PSF coefficients. Using a set of PSFs indicative of what would be found in a real application, our process found alternative PSFs with estimated average dynamic power consumption savings ranging from 23.3% to 74.5%. The effects of our process on the frequency response of the PSF, discussed and quantified in this work, are minimal.
Role of Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1) in the Transcriptional Regulation of the Mullerian-Inhibiting Substance Promoter

The Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) gene product may regulate the mullerian-inhibiting substance (MIS) gene, because mutations in WT1 can cause persistence of the mullerian duct in men. In the present study, we show by gel shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays that WT1 bound to a GC-rich sequence in the murine Mis promoter. Mutation in this site abolished WT1-mediated activation of the Mis promoter. The WT1, SRY box protein 9, and steroidogenic factor 1 could synergistically activate the Mis promoter, and at least two factors were necessary for minimal activation. The WT1 is an essential factor for activation of the Mis promoter; therefore, the persistence of the mullerian duct in patients with Denys-Drash syndrome may result from deregulation of the MIS gene.
Cell motion analysis without explicit tracking

Automated cell tracking using in vivo imagery is difficult, in general, due to the noise inherent in the imaging process, occlusions, varied cell appearance over time, motion of other tissue (distractors), and cells traveling in and out of the image plane. For certain types of cells these problems are exacerbated due to erratic motion patterns. In this paper, we introduce the Radial Flow Transform, which provides motion estimates for objects of interest in a scene without explicitly tracking each object. The transform is robust to misdetected objects, temporally-disjoint motion events, and can represent multiple directions of flow at a single location. We provide operations to convert to and from a vector field representation. This allows for intuitive reasoning about the motion patterns in a scene. We demonstrate results on synthetic data and in vivo microscopy video of a mouse liver.
Mapping exchange and residence time in a model of Willapa Bay, Washington, a branching, macrotidal estuary

[1] The numerical model GETM is used to examine transport pathways and residence time in Willapa Bay, Washington, a macrotidal estuary with a complex channel geometry. When the model is run with realistic forcing, it reproduces both tidal velocities and the decrease of the salt intrusion length with increasing river flow with errors of 5–20%. Furthermore, a more stringent test, when the model is run with tidal forcing only, it reproduces the along-channel profile of the effective horizontal diffusivity K, a direct measure of the strength of subtidal dispersion, which is known from previous empirical estimates. A Lagrangian, particle-tracking method is used to map subtidal transport pathways at the resolution of the model grid. This analysis reveals an interweaving of coherent lateral exchange flows with discontinuous, small-scale dispersion as well as tidal residual currents that in some locations, sharpen rather than smooth gradients between water masses. Comparison between these Lagrangian results and an Eulerian salt flux decomposition suggests that along-channel complexity (channel junctions and channel curvature) is at least as important as cross-sectional depth variation in shaping the subtidal circulation. Finally, a nonconservative tracer method is used to produce high-resolution, three-dimensional maps of residence time. This analysis shows that consistent with previous observational work in Willapa, at all except the highest winter-storm-level river flows, river- and ocean-density-driven exchanges are discernable but secondary to tidal stirring. In all seasons, despite the fact that half the volume of the bay enters and leaves with every tide, average retention times in the upper third of the estuary are 3–5 weeks.
Psychology and Neurobiology of Puberty

Puberty is derived from the Latin word pubertas, which means adulthood. It represents the transition from childhood to adulthood and is characterized by physical maturation and attainment of fertility. Adolescence and puberty are not exchangeable terms. Puberty usually marks the beginning of adolescence and is a 3–4 year process where hormonal and physical changes cause an individual to reach sexual maturity. In females, the signal for maturity is the first menstrual period. Adolescence represents that time frame where social and psychological growth transform a dependent child into a functionally independent young adult; it encompasses puberty and can take up to a decade for full maturation to occur. The psychology of puberty is closely intertwined with the physiologic changes that take place as a female undergoes maturation. Physiologic changes are initiated by hormonal surges from the brain to the gonads (ovaries) which secondarily produce hormones that stimulate peripheral entities such as the breast, hair, and sexual organs. The attainment of the milestones of development is a process in which females undergo thelarche (breast development), pubarche (sexual hair development), menarche (onset of menstrual cycle), and the growth spurt. The neurobiology of puberty is a complex topic on which there is an abundance of information. The goal of this chapter is to provide basic information concerning the physiology; also the mental and behavioral characteristics surrounding this phase of life will equally be examined.
A genome landscape of SRSF3-regulated splicing events and gene expression in human osteosarcoma U2OS cells

Alternative RNA splicing is an essential process to yield proteomic diversity in eukaryotic cells, and aberrant splicing is often associated with numerous human diseases and cancers. We recently described serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 3 (SRSF3 or SRp20) being a proto-oncogene. However, the SRSF3-regulated splicing events responsible for its oncogenic activities remain largely unknown. By global profiling of the SRSF3-regulated splicing events in human osteosarcoma U2OS cells, we found that SRSF3 regulates the expression of 60 genes including ERRFI1, ANXA1 and TGFB2, and 182 splicing events in 164 genes, including EP300, PUS3, CLINT1, PKP4, KIF23, CHK1, SMC2, CKLF, MAP4, MBNL1, MELK, DDX5, PABPC1, MAP4K4, Sp1 and SRSF1, which are primarily associated with cell proliferation or cell cycle. Two SRSF3-binding motifs, CCAGC(G)C and A(G)CAGCA, are enriched to the alternative exons. An SRSF3-binding site in the EP300 exon 14 is essential for exon 14 inclusion. We found that the expression of SRSF1 and SRSF3 are mutually dependent and coexpressed in normal and tumor tissues/cells. SRSF3 also significantly regulates the expression of at least 20 miRNAs, including a subset of oncogenic or tumor suppressive miRNAs. These data indicate that SRSF3 affects a global change of gene expression to maintain cell homeostasis.
Effect of shear-void-growth-softening on adiabatic shear-band-spacing in ductile materials

Fragmentation occurs in structures when subjected to large-strain-rate loading that commonly occurs in ballistic and asteroid impacts. In ductile materials, fragmentation is preceded by localized plastic deformation forming multiple adiabatic shear-bands. The shear-band-spacing thus formed controls the final fragment-size distribution. The observed fragment-size distribution is different from the theoretically predicted values. The above discrepancy can be deciphered by simulating multiple-shear-band formation that accounts for both thermal- and shear-void-growth-softening (which is often ignored). We model the shear-void-growth-softening by using the extended Gurson-model Nahshon–Hutchinson model)) in our method of characteristics-based finite-difference solution methodology. We perform parametric simulations varying the shear-void-growth-rate. Our results indicate that the number of shear-bands increases linearly with increase in the shear-void-growth-rate for any applied strain-rate. The average shear-band-spacing thus predicted is reduced, signifying the important role of shear-void-growth-softening in the simulations of multiple-shear-band formation.
Personal Characteristics of Effective Home Visitors

ABSTRACTHome visitation continues to be a common social service delivery strategy. In recent years, early childhood home visitation is experiencing a boon in popularity. Home visitors empower parents and are the lynchpin of home visitation programs but little research is available on these helpers. This qualitative study, conducted in the Midwest, examines a small (n = 11) purposive sample of home visitors who stood out to their administrators as excelling in their practice. Data include a) open-ended interviews with home visitors; b) home visiting situational vignettes; and c) a quantitative empathy scale. Results indicate that the home visitors possessed some important similarities, including the ability to form and maintain empathic relationships, a self-awareness allowing for reflective practice, an attitude of lifelong learning, and a belief in the ability of their clients to change by relying on their strengths and recognizing the importance of the environment in change efforts. The description of t...
Modifiable Risk Factors for New-Onset Slow Gait in Older Adults.

Abstract Objective Despite the growing importance of slow gait as a universal screen of health, systematic investigation of risk factors for incident slow gait is lacking. Our objective was to identify potentially modifiable risk factors for incident slow gait. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting The Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative US sample. Participants A total of 2306 individuals age 65 and older (56.5% women) from the 2008 wave with timed walks at baseline and 4 years later. Measurements Incident slow gait (walking speed 1 SD below age and sex means) was the outcome. Fifteen potentially modifiable medical and lifestyle risk factors were examined as predictors. Results Incident slow gait developed in 243 participants (11%) at 4 years. Physical inactivity (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 1.94), cognitive impairment (aRR 1.77), muscle weakness (aRR 1.48), pain (aRR 1.45), obesity (aRR 1.35), vision (aRR 1.36), and falls (aRR 1.32) predicted increased risk of developing incident slow gait. Together, these risk factors accounted for 77% (95% confidence interval 14–95) of the Population Attributable Risk for incident slow gait. Conclusion A limited set of potentially modifiable risk factors is associated with new-onset slow gait in older adults. These findings provide a foundation for developing clinical guidelines and preventive interventions for slow gait.
Effect of hyperthyroidism on distribution of adenosine phosphates and glycogen in liver.

SummaryChronic hyperthyroidism induced in guinea pigs by daily injection of thyroxin has no effect on concentrations of ATP, ADP, and AMP in the liver. This finding gives no support to the postulat...
Analysis of Diesel Components in Soil and Water Contaminated by Semivolatile Synthetic Organic Compounds

A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric detection method for the analysis of diesel components in soil and water contaminated by semivolatile synthetic organic compounds is proposed. n-Alkanes in the range of C 11 -C 22 are used as representative components for the analysis of diesel. It is shown that C 3 H 7 + (MW 43) and C 4 H 9 + (MW 57) have almost the same abundance with respect to their total ion chromatograms. Ions at m/z 43 and 57 are used as qualifier and target ions, respectively. It is demonstrated that none of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 8270 components (more than 100 semivolatile synthetic organic compounds) interfere with the analysis of diesel. The analysis of heavy oils (C 23 -C 34 ) or fingerprints (C 8 -C 34 ) in soil or water contaminated by semivolatiles can be performed in a similar way
Endophytic Phytoaugmentation: Treating Wastewater and Runoff Through Augmented Phytoremediation

Limited options exist for efficiently and effectively treating water runoff from agricultural fields and landfills. Traditional treatments include excavation, transport to landfills, incineration, stabilization, and vitrification. In general, treatment options relying on biological methods such as bioremediation have the ability to be applied in situ and offer a sustainable remedial option with a lower environmental impact and reduced long-term operating expenses. These methods are generally considered ecologically friendly, particularly when compared to traditional physicochemical cleanup options. Phytoremediation, which relies on plants to take up and/or transform the contaminant of interest, is another alternative treatment method which has been developed. However, phytoremediation is not widely used, largely due to its low treatment efficiency. Endophytic phytoaugmentation is a variation on phytoremediation that relies on augmenting the phytoremediating plants with exogenous strains to stimulate associated plant-microbe interactions to facilitate and improve remediation efficiency. In this review, we offer a summary of the current knowledge as well as developments in endophytic phytoaugmentation and present some potential future applications for this technology. There has been a limited number of published endophytic phytoaugmentation case studies and much remains to be done to transition lab-scale results to field applications. Future research needs include large-scale endophytic phytoaugmentation experiments as well as the development of more exhaustive tools for monitoring plant-microbe-pollutant interactions.
Health Information Exchange: What do patients want?

To determine whether emergency department patients want to share their medical records across health systems through Health Information Exchange and if so, whether they prefer to sign consent or sh...
Nature, Darwin, and the Pattern in the Carpet

Hardy’s lifelong refusal to commit himself to a single theoretic position should not be interpreted as evidence of confusion or equivocation, for, it must be remembered, the times into which he was born and matured were dense and richly woven through with enormously divergent patterns in religious and philosophic thought. Sir Charles Lyell might never have published Principles of Geology in the diverse climate of 1833 had he foreseen that a score of rationalists hungry for scientific validation would appropriate its essential argument as proof of the incredibility of the Old Testament. His thesis, innocently enough, maintained that rather than a short series of cataclysmic events, natural forces such as erosion by wind and water, gradual land movement, and sedimentation were the causes of geological reformation of the earth’s surface. In the process of these exceedingly slow alterations, many species had evolved and become extinct; one of these relatively new species was man, perhaps himself on his way to becoming a transmuted creature.
HOW DOES ADVANCE ORGANISER MODEL AFFECT THE LEARNING OUTCOMES IN COMPARISON TO INQUIRY TRAINING MODEL

Advance Organiser Model (AOM) is an information processing theory for meaningful verbal learning. According to Ausubel, meaningful verbal learning occurs in a situation where the material being presented to learners is related with the existing cognitive structure. The Inquiry Training Model (ITM) helps students learn to organise data, examine facts, reason about cause and effect, build and test theories and become independent learners. The present study compares the effect of AOM and ITM on the learning outcomes and retention of the prospective teachers in physical science education. The investigator adopted One-Group, Pre-test-Post-test design for the study. Thirty prospective teachers for experimental groups I and II were selected as the sample for the study. Experimental group I was taught by AOM and experimental group II was taught by ITM. Findings of the study reveal that learning outcome and retention of the experimental group I taught by AOM was significantly higher than that of the experimental group II taught by ITM.