cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliability Implications in Wood Systems of a Bivariate Gaussian–Weibull Distribution and the Associated Univariate Pseudo-truncated Weibull

Two important wood properties are the modulus of elasticity (MOE) and the modulus of rupture (MOR). In the past, the statistical distribution of the MOE has often been modeled as Gaussian, and that of the MOR as lognormal or as a two- or three-parameter Weibull distribution. It is well known that MOE and MOR are positively correlated. To model the simultaneous behavior of MOE and MOR for the purposes of wood system reliability calculations, we introduce a bivariate Gaussian–Weibull distribution and the associated univariate pseudo-truncated Weibull (PTW). We note that theoretical arguments suggest that the strength distributions of grades of lumber are likely to be PTW rather than Weibull. We describe a Web-based program that fits bivariate Gaussian–Weibull data sets (and thus fits PTW distributions to MOR data). We present data that demonstrate that strength distributions of visual grades of lumber are not Weibull and do display at least some of the characteristics of PTW data. Finally, we demonstrate via simulation that if we fit a Weibull distribution to PTW data (as is often done), we can obtain very poor estimates of probabilities of failure.
Incidence of mycorrhizal fungi on six field crops in monoculture on a newly cleared woodland site.

The yearly incidence of root colonization and extramatrical spores of vesicular-arbuscular (-VA) mycorrhizal fungi were determined for six agronomic crops grown in monoculture for 7 yr on a newly c...
Imaging Nanoprobe for Prediction of Outcome of Nanoparticle Chemotherapy by Using Mammography

Purpose: To prospectively predict the effectiveness of a clinically used nanochemotherapeutic agent by detecting and measuring the intratumoral uptake of an x-ray contrast agent nanoprobe by using digital mammography. Materials and Methods: All animal procedures were approved by the institutional animal care and use committee. A long-circulating 100-nm-scale injectable liposomal probe encapsulating 155 mg/mL iodine was developed. Preliminary studies were performed to identify the agent dose that would result in adequate tumor enhancement without enhancement of the normal vasculature in rats. This dose was used to image a rat breast tumor (n = 14) intermittently for 3 days by using a digital mammography system; subsequently, the animals were treated with liposomal doxorubicin. The predictive capability of the probe was characterized by creating good- and bad-prognosis subgroups, on the basis of tumor enhancement found during imaging, and analyzing the tumor growth after treatment of the animals in these tw...
Multi-Analyte Network Markers for Tumor Prognosis

Deregulation of gene expression, a hallmark of cancer, is caused by both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. The rapid accumulation of epigenome maps of various cancers suggests a new avenue of research, namely integrating epigenomic data with other types of omic data for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and biomarker discovery. We introduce the MAPIT algorithm (Multi Analyte Pathway Inference Tool), to enable principled integration of epigenomic, transcriptomic, and protein interactome data. As a proof-of-principle, we apply MAPIT to glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive form of brain tumor. Few predictive markers were reported for the prognosis of GBM patients. By integrating mRNA transcriptome, promoter DNA methylome and protein-protein physical interactome, we find ten expression- and three methylation-based network markers, involving 118 genes. When tested on additional GBM patient samples, the prognostic accuracy of the multi-analyte network markers (73.5%) is 9.7% and 8.6% higher than previous prognostic signatures built on gene expression or DNA methylation alone. Our results highlight the critical role of two novel pathways in the prognosis of GBM patients, small GTPase-mediated protein trafficking and ubiquitination-dependent protein degradation. A better understanding of these two pathways could lead to personalized therapies for subgroups of GBM patients. Our study demonstrates that integrating epigenomic, transcriptomic, and interactomic data can improve the accuracy network-based prognosis markers and lead to novel mechanistic understanding of cancer.
Spray Drying Fruits and Vegetables Using Skimmilk as a Carrier

Abstract A wide variety of fruits and vegetables have been spray dried using condensed skimmilk as the carrier in conventional milk drying equipment following comminution through a screen having 0.70 mm perforation. The proportion of skimmilk solids required ranged from 0% with peas and corn to 60% with tomatoes and the more hygroscopic fruits. The flavor and color of the natural plant material were retained.
Mechanisms of glucocorticoid receptor signaling during inflammation

Abstract Glucocorticoids are among the most widely prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs. They act by binding to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) that, upon activation, translocates to the nucleus and either stimulates or inhibits gene expression. GR inhibition of many proinflammatory response genes occurs through induction of the synthesis of anti-inflammatory proteins as well as through repression of proinflammatory transcription factors, such as nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) or activator protein-1 (AP-1). In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying GR inhibition of inflammatory responses, with an emphasis on repression of NF-κB and AP-1 and their respective signaling pathways.
EVALUATION AND COMPARISON OF LUBRICANT PROPERTIES IN MINIMUM QUANTITY LUBRICATION MACHINING

Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) machining involves the application of a minute amount of an oil-based lubricant to the machining process in an attempt to replace the conventional flood coolant system. Understanding the correlations between fluid properties and MQL performance can help in selecting lubricants from a variety of choices without going through extensive machining tests. This study compared nine different MQL fluids in terms of their physical properties, wettability, tribological properties (lubricity and extreme pressure (EP) properties), mist characteristics and machinability to determine the correlation of measured properties and MQL drilling and reaming performance. Results show that low fluid viscosity, high mist concentration, large mist droplet diameter and high wettability were best correlated with good machinability. Although it is difficult to draw strong relationships, the optimal machining in a mild cutting condition was found with the low viscosity fluids, which may also have th...
Thermal modeling of a calorimetric technique for measuring the emittance of surfaces and coatings

Abstract A finite element analysis model of a transient technique used to measure the emittance of surfaces and coatings was developed and used to estimate the uncertainty in emittance. The dimensions used in the model matched the dimensions used in the design of a low temperature calorimetric vacuum emissometer being built to characterize the thermal properties of space power materials in the temperature range 173–673 K. Radiant energy from a quartz halogen lamp impinged on an aluminum sample that was coated with a thermal control coating and suspended in a liquid-nitrogen-cooled vacuum chamber by narrow gauge thermocouple wires. After removing the heat source, the temperature of the sample was monitored vs . time and the temperature-time curve was used to calculate the emittance. Factors contributing to the uncertainty in the emittance included uncertainties in time, temperature, area of the sample, heat capacity of the sample and heat loss from the uncoated back side of the sample. Heat losses from the thermocouple wires were found to be negligible. The total probable error in the emittance obtained from the low temperature calorimetric vacuum emissometer design was estimated to be less than 4% for emittance values greater than 0.5 at temperatures between 173 and 673 K.
A Motivational Explanation for the Existence of Private Self‐Consciousness Differences

The present article investigates whether there are motivational underpinnings for individual differences in level of private self-consciousness The findings provide preliminary evidence that there are underlying motivational components of need for self-knowledge and need for self-defense In the first two studies, high private self-conscious individuals (PRSCs) reported placing a higher value on accurate self-knowledge than did low PRSCs (Study 2), and acted according to that value (Study 1) In Study 3, the pattern of results supported the view that low PRSCs may have a desire to avoid unpleasant self-knowledge Our tentative conclusion is that high PRSCs may have a need for self-knowledge that is stronger than their need to protect their self-esteem, whereas low PRSCs may have a need for self-defense that outweighs self-knowledge needs Implications of these findings both for other approaches to self-consciousness and for a better understanding of the etiology of self-consciousness are discussed
Muscle response to long chain quaternary ammonium ions. I.

Abstract 1. I. The effects of lipid-soluble analogues (long chain derivatives) of acetylcholine and tetramethylammonium on isolated frog's rectus abdominis muscle were investigated. 2. 2. Derivatives with chains less than io carbon atoms long produced contractures which were blocked by curare. Those with chains longer than io carbon atoms produced identical contractures in non-curarized and curarized muscles; they rendered the non-curarized muscle insentive to acetylcholine. 3. 3. Despite the antagonism of long chain derivatives to acetylcholine, they were not antagonistic to themselves and io successive contractures were produced in the same muscle by such compounds. 4. 4. Since these compounds are effective even when the end plate is inactivated, the most likely site of action is the excitable membrane. Suggestion is made that this activity is due to interaction with acetylcholine receptors in the excitable membrane.
Trigger Finger Release with Hand Surface Landmark Ratios: An Anatomic and Clinical Study

The purpose of this study was to identify surface landmark ratios to locate the A1 pulley and clarify the controversy of differing anatomic descriptions of the A1, C0, and A2 pulleys. Minimally invasive and percutaneous approaches to A1 pulley release may be facilitated with surface landmark ratios, which identify and predict the proximal and distal margins of the A1 pulley. Two-hundred fifty-sixty fingers were dissected in 64 preserved cadaver hands. Measurements of A1 pulley lengths and pulley margins in relation to surface landmarks were obtained. We found that the distance from the palmar digital crease to the proximal interphalangeal crease (mean, 2.42 +/- 0.03 cm) corresponds to the distance of the proximal edge of the A1 pulley from the palmar digital crease (mean, 2.45 +/- 0.03 cm). The mean absolute difference between these two measured distances in each finger was 0.13 cm, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 0.11 to 0.14 cm. Thus, the distance between the palmar digital crease and the proximal interphalangeal crease can be used to predict the distance between the palmar digital crease and the A1 pulley proximal edge with reasonable accuracy. A1 pulley length averaged 0.98 +/- 0.02 cm for the small finger and 1.17 +/- 0.02 cm for the index, middle, and ring fingers. The length of the A1 pulley was significantly shorter (p < 0.001) for the small finger than for the index, middle, and ring fingers. Additionally, a cruciate (C0) pulley was consistently located between the A1 and A2 pulleys, an average of 0.46 cm proximal to the palmar digital crease, which can serve as guide for concluding the release of the A1 pulley. Clinically, hand surface landmark ratios were used to release 32 trigger fingers with a minimally invasive technique, without a complication during 4- to 30-week follow-up. We conclude that hand surface landmark ratios can serve to locate the proximal A1 pulley edge, thus facilitating complete trigger finger release by either open or minimally invasive techniques. Additionally, our study clarifies the discrepancy of prior smaller reports of the pulley system anatomy regarding the existence of the C0 pulley between the A1 and A2 pulleys. The cruciate fibers of this C0 pulley can serve as the distal boundary for release of trigger finger.
‘Click’-functionalization of poly(sulfone)s and a study of their utilities as proton conductive membranes in direct methanol fuel cells

Abstract Using the copper-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar “click” cycloaddition reaction, poly(sulfone)s containing pendant azide moieties were functionalized with various quantities of sodium 3-(prop-2-ynyloxy)propane-1-sulfonate and crosslinked with 1,7-octadiyne. The degrees of sulfonation and crosslinking were systematically varied by changing the ratios of the aforementioned reagents. The polymers were cast into membranes, acidified, and then tested for proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) performance. The membranes showed a reduction in methanol permeability with increasing concentration of crosslinker and exhibited performance on par with direct methanol fuel cells containing Nafion-based membranes.
Categorically Equivalent and Isotypic Blocks

Abstract Let N be a normal subgroup of the finite group G such that G = NC G ( D ) where D ∈ Syl p ( N ). Let ( O , K , k ) be a p -modular system that is "big enough," let f be the principal block idempotent of Z ( ON ), and let e be a block idempotent of Z ( OG ) that covers f and such that D is a defect group of e . Then the categories mod - e ( OG ) and mod - f ( ON ) are equivalent, e is of principal type, and the pairs ( G , e ) and ( N , f ) are of the same type.
Rationality, Bureaucratic Politics and Belief System: Explaining the Chinese Policy Debate, 1964-66

An understanding of the belief systems of foreign policy elites is necessary for any meaningful application of both the rational actor and the bureaucratic politics approaches of analysis. This argument is pursued through a case study of the policy debate between Chinese leaders during 1964-66. The analysis identifies the cognitive-analytic bases for the policy disagree ments between Peking officials, thus indicating which issues seem particularly likely to generate bureaucratic politics disputes. At the same time, this effort delineates the key logics and rationales in the Peking government's policy calculation. Such clarification is necessary if rational actor models are to yield accurate and powerful predictions of govern mental policy responses.
Effects of dieldrin on the uptake and metabolism of testosterone-1,2-3H by rodent sex accessory organs.

Abstract The oral administration of dieldrin (1.25, 2.50, or 5.00 mg/kg daily × 5) significantly reduced the total uptake and subsequent metabolism of labeled androgens in the mouse anterior prostate gland. The in vivo metabolism of testosterone-1,2-3H to dihydrotestosterone-3H (DHT-3H), androstanediol-3H, or androstenedione-3H by the mouse prostate gland was lowered by pretreatment with dieldrin. Similarly, the in vitro metabolism of testosterone-1,2-3H to these aforementioned radiometabolites was reduced by dieldrin at a treatment level of 5 mg/kg (daily × 5). This highest-dose regimen also reduced the formation of the metabolites of testosterone in mouse hepatic microsomes. Varying concentrations of dieldrin (4 × 10−7, 4 × 10−6, or 2 × 10−5 m ) in vitro effectively decreased the formation of DHT-H3 in the mouse anterior prostate gland and of androstanediol-3H in the rat ventral prostate gland.
The machine that decodes the genome.

Over half the talks presented at the symposium dealt with a broad swathe of issues in protein synthesis, which have not, as yet, been resolved at the atomic level. Topics ranged from the regulation of initiation to the mechanism of termination, and from mRNA turnover to evolution of the genetic code. Much of this ground has been covered in recent reviews 3xSee all References, 4xSee all References, so here we limit ourselves to a few highlights in an attempt to convey the overall flavor of the meeting.Notable advances in eukaryotic initiation include progress in deciphering its individual biochemical steps in vitro (Christopher Hellen, SUNY-Brooklyn, NY, USA) and in appreciating the pre-assembly of multi-factor complexes containing the initiator tRNA in yeast (Alan Hinnebusch, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA). Our understanding of the scanning mechanism, accepted as the conventional mode of eukaryotic initiation, is, in some respects, being outpaced by developments in alternative modes of initiation: shunting (Thomas Hohn, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland; Robert Schneider, New York University, NY, USA) and internal ribosome entry (Jennifer Doudna, Yale University; Richard Jackson, Cambridge University, UK). First recognized in viral mRNAs, and most strikingly in cricket paralysis virus, it is becoming increasingly clear that IRESs can also be found in cellular mRNAs (Peter Sarnow, Stanford University, CA, USA). Based on studies of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, both Paul Schimmel (Scripps Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA) and Dieter Soll (Yale University) were led to speculate about the origin of the genetic code, whereas Yoshi Nakamura (University of Tokyo, Japan) defined ‘tripeptide anticodons’ in release factors RF1 and RF2 that determine how termination codons are recognized. An emerging theme, aspects of which were discussed by Joel Richter (University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA, USA), Nahum Sonenberg (McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) and Marvin Wickens (University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA), is the regulation of translation via the apparent circularization of mRNA. This is mediated by protein bridges between the 5′-cap structure at one end of the mRNA, and the 3′ polyA tail or its neighboring sequences at the other. At a higher level of organization, Lynn Maquat (University of Rochester, NY, USA) reported that mRNA, while still bound to nuclear proteins, undergoes a ‘pioneering round’ of translation during which nonsense-mediated decay can take place to rid the cell of flawed transcripts.Space restrictions prevent this report from touching on all the interesting papers that were read, but one message came over loud and clear: now that we have the structure of the most prominent relic of the RNA world, the field of protein synthesis will never be the same. ‘Apocalyptic panic’ (Moore's words) greeting the announcement of the ribosome's structure has been translated into a sense of admiration for its intricacy. We look forward to the discovery of its modus operandi and anticipate far-reaching impacts on the translation field as a whole.
Price competition, free entry, and welfare in congested markets

In this paper we study the problem of price competition and free entry in congested markets. In particular, we consider a network with multiple origins and a common destination node, where each link is owned by a firm that sets prices in order to maximize profits, whereas users want to minimize the total cost they face, which is given by the congestion cost plus the prices set by firms. In this environment, we introduce the notion of Markovian Traffic Equilibrium to establish the existence and uniqueness of a pure strategy price equilibrium, without assuming that the demand functions are concave nor imposing particular functional forms for the latency functions. We derive explicit conditions to guarantee existence and uniqueness of equilibria. Given this existence and uniqueness result, we apply our framework to study entry decisions and welfare, and establish that in congested markets with free entry, the number of firms exceeds the social optimum.
Undergraduates' academic information and library behaviors: preliminary results

Purpose – This paper proposes to present preliminary findings from a larger study which examine and describe five issues of undergraduates' academic information and library behaviors: where students begin their research; how they evaluate online sources; what library resources they use; what formats they prefer for reading academic material; and specific laptop behaviors. Student perspectives on these issues and their impact on libraries and information literacy outreach and instruction are discussed.Design/methodology/approach – Three ethnographic methods were used to triangulate the data: tours of students' work areas in their dormitories, semi‐structured interviews, and free‐write essays about their information management systems. During October and November 2009, 41 participants were interviewed.Findings – Undergraduates displayed a broad diversity of behaviors that reach beyond the stereotypical lifestyles of this age group as presented in popular media. Behavioral tendencies showed more of a hybridi...
Oral hypoglycaemic activity of an anhydroformaldehyde aniline-insulin mixture.

TWENTY-FIVE to thirty per cent of diabetic patients require insulin to remain alive and well. In the main these patients have the juvenile-onset type of diabetes mellitus and treatment for many years is normal. So far, the insulin they require can only be administered parenterally, despite many attempts in the past 40 years to circumvent the injections needed and the physical risks and psychological trauma involved1.
Electrochemistry of fullerene films

Abstract The preparation of C 60 films on electrodes by drop coating, Langmuir-Blodgett and electrochemical techniques, and the electrochemical behavior of these films in acetonitrile solutions containing a variety of supporting electrolytes (e.g., quaternary ammonium, alkali metal, and alkaline earth salts) is reviewed. Reduction can form insoluble films with incorporated cations or lead to dissolution. The large splitting between cathodic and anodic waves is discussed in terms of structural rearrangements during the redox processes. Studies of C 60 electrodes with the quartz crystal microbalance and with the scanning electrochemical microscope, and by laser-desorption mass spectrometry and surface-enhanced Raman scattering are also discussed.
Stable modeling of value at risk

The value-at-risk (VAR) measurements are widely applied to estimate exposure to market risks. The traditional approaches to VAR computations-the variance-covariance method, historical simulation, Monte Carlo simulation, and stress-testing-do not provide satisfactory evaluation of possible losses. In this paper, we analyze the use of stable Paretian distributions in VAR modeling.
The Five-Box Method: The “Four-Box Method” for the Catholic Physician:

AbstractBackground/HypothesisThe traditional ethical model of the “Four-Box Method” can be adapted to integrate the perspective of a Catholic physician. In an increasingly secularist environment, medical students and physicians are often asked to “leave religious beliefs at the door” and not consider the care and stewardship of our own morality and involvement as a provider. We reject this view. A patient's own religious and moral beliefs should be respected to the extent that they do not destroy our own; for us, the Catholic viewpoint can shine a light into dark corners and aid us in translating true things to patients of any religion.MethodsWe analyzed a sample case in five different categories: medical indications, patient preferences, quality of life, contextual features, and the Catholic context. We explored how to methodically integrate the perspective of a Catholic physician into the analysis of this case to make the best decision for the patients.Results/DiscussionWe felt that we were successfully...
Efficient numerical technique for one-dimensional thermal problems with phase change

Abstract A new numerical scheme for one-dimensional heat flow problems with phase change is presented. The technique, which continuously monitors the progression of the phase interface, is unusual for the high accuracy achieved without sacrifice to computing efficiency.
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients Predicts Day 100 Mortality

• As opposed to critically ill pediatric ICU patients, in which 82% of AKI occurs in the first few days of ICU admission, incident AKI occurred throughout first 30 day post HSCT. • AKI at 30 days post-HSCT was associated with increased mortality at 100 days post-transplant (p=0.05), but not 1-year mortality. • We were not able to show a significant difference between AKI within 7 days of life and mortality. • Improved understanding of the risks of AKI, and differences in early and late AKI after HSCT needs to be explored
Performance model for FEL wigglers

Abstract We present a concise analytic model which links the statistics of wiggler field errors to statistics of phase errors and FEL power. In particular, we demonstrate that wiggler performance can be expressed in terms of phase error statistics, and we find explicit relationships. The emphasis is on development of a self-consistent method which can be applied to more complex problems, such as inclusion e-beam trajectory corrections, errors due to beam position monitors, energy spread, emittance, and ponderomotive force. The resulting model can be used for parametric studies that previously were only in the domain of numerical simulations. It will be shown that the theory is in good agreement with the results of other theories or computer models.
Human fatty acid synthase: properties and molecular cloning.

Abstract Fatty acid synthase (FAS; EC 2.3.1.85) was purified to near homogeneity from a human hepatoma cell line, HepG2. The HepG2 FAS has a specific activity of 600 nmol of NADPH oxidized per min per mg, which is about half that of chicken liver FAS. All the partial activities of human FAS are comparable to those of other animal FASs, except for the beta-ketoacyl synthase, whose significantly lower activity is attributable to the low 4'-phosphopantetheine content of HepG2 FAS. We cloned the human brain FAS cDNA. The cDNA sequence has an open reading frame of 7512 bp that encodes 2504 amino acids (M(r), 272,516). The amino acid sequence of the human FAS has 79% and 63% identity, respectively, with the sequences of the rat and chicken enzymes. Northern analysis revealed that human FAS mRNA was about 9.3 kb in size and that its level varied among human tissues, with brain, lung, and liver tissues showing prominent expression. The nucleotide sequence of a segment of the HepG2 FAS cDNA (bases 2327-3964) was identical to that of the cDNA from normal human liver and brain tissues, except for a 53-bp sequence (bases 3892-3944) that does not alter the reading frame. This altered sequence is also present in HepG2 genomic DNA. The origin and significance of this sequence variance in the HepG2 FAS gene are unclear, but the variance apparently does not contribute to the lower activity of HepG2 FAS.
Characterization of the difference spectrum of diisopropylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin versus α-chymotrypsin IV. The environment of tryptophyl residues

The nature of the ultraviolet difference spectrum of diisopropylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin versus α-chymotrypsin is considered in this paper. A comparison was made of the difference spectrum of diisopropylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin versus chymotrypsin and the difference spectra of amino acid derivatives in media of varying polarity. The difference spectrum of acetyl-l-tryptophan amide in 20% (v/v) lycerol versus this derivative in water (a more polar solvent) indicates that the spectra of tryptophyl residues, modified through incorporation into a protein, could easily account for the difference spectrum of diisopropylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin versus chymotrypsin. These observations suggest that one or more tryptophyl residues of diisopropylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin are in a less polar medium than the analogous residues in chymotrypsin. Evidence against chemical substitution of a chromophore by the diisopropylphosphoryl group is given by the effect of urea denaturation on the diisopropylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin versus chymotrypsin difference spectrum. The solvent perturbation method of Herskovits and Laskowski and the specific oxidation of tryptophyl residues in chymotrypsin and diisopropylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin by N-bromosuccinimide both indicate that the diisopropylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin versus chymotrypsin spectrum is caused by tryptophyl residues accessible neither to glycerol nor to N-bromosuccinimide. In conjunction with previous experiments, it can be concluded that the difference spectrum of diisopropylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin versus chymotrypsin is due to a non-ionic solvent effect and not to a charge or an inductive effect. Furthermore, the tryptophyl residues which give rise to the difference spectrum appear to be buried in both chymotrypsin and diisopropyylphosphoryl-α-chymotrypsin.
Population distribution of the sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) from a representative sample of US adults: comparison of SAD, waist circumference and body mass index for identifying dysglycemia.

Background The sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) measured in supine position is an alternative adiposity indicator that estimates the quantity of dysfunctional adipose tissue in the visceral depot. However, supine SAD’s distribution and its association with health risk at the population level are unknown. Here we describe standardized measurements of SAD, provide the first, national estimates of the SAD distribution among US adults, and test associations of SAD and other adiposity indicators with prevalent dysglycemia. Methods and Findings In the 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, supine SAD was measured (“abdominal height”) between arms of a sliding-beam caliper at the level of the iliac crests. From 4817 non-pregnant adults (age ≥20; response rate 88%) we used sample weights to estimate SAD’s population distribution by sex and age groups. SAD’s population mean was 22.5 cm [95% confidence interval 22.2–22.8]; median was 21.9 cm [21.6–22.4]. The mean and median values of SAD were greater for men than women. For the subpopulation without diagnosed diabetes, we compared the abilities of SAD, waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) to identify prevalent dysglycemia (HbA1c ≥5.7%). For age-adjusted, logistic-regression models in which sex-specific quartiles of SAD were considered simultaneously with quartiles of either WC or BMI, only SAD quartiles 3 (p<0.05 vs quartile 1) and 4 (p<0.001 vs quartile 1) remained associated with increased dysglycemia. Based on continuous adiposity indicators, analyses of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) indicated that the dysglycemia model fit for SAD (age-adjusted) was 0.734 for men (greater than the AUC for WC, p<0.001) and 0.764 for women (greater than the AUC for WC or BMI, p<0.001). Conclusions Measured inexpensively by bedside caliper, SAD was associated with dysglycemia independently of WC or BMI. Standardized SAD measurements may enhance assessment of dysfunctional adiposity.
Three pediatric patients with extension of prostatic embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma anterior to the bladder into the space of Retzius

Invasive embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the prostate often extends superiorly into the bladder base requiring partial cystectomy as part of excision of the primary tumor. Three patients were studied with ultrasonography CT and MRI and showed the extension of the tumor superiorly and anterior to the bladder in the prevesical space of Retzius. Complete excision with bladder sparing was successful in two of the patients. The imaging of pelvic tumors in children (although well studied with ultrasonography, CT) is helped by MRI in the sagittal plane and/or lateral films of intravenous pyelograms and cystograms to establish the relation of the tumor to the bladder.
Linearizing Geometric Programs

A geometric program concerns minimizing a function subject to constraint functions, all functions being of posynomial form. In this paper the posynomial functions are condensed to monomial form by the use of the inequality reducing a weighted arithmetic mean to a weighted geometric mean. The geometric mean is a monomial and by a logarithmic transformation it becomes a linear function. This observation shows that the condensed program is equivalent to a linear program. Moreover by suitable choice of the weights it is found that the minimum of the condensed program is the same as the minimum of the original programs. This fact together with the duality theorem of linear programming proves that the maximum of the dual geometric program is equal to the minimum of the primal geometric program. With this result as a basis a new approach to the duality properties of geometric programs is carried through. In particular it is shown that a “duality gap” cannot occur in geometric programming.
Supernova explosions and hydrodynamical instabilities: from core bounce to 90 days

Abstract Since the advent of SN 1987A, considerable progress has been made in our understanding of supernova explosions. It is now realized that they are intrinsically multidimensional in nature due to the various hydrodynamical instabilities which take place at almost all stages of the explosion. These instabilities not only modify the observables from the supernova, but are also thought to be at the heart of the supernova mechanism itself, in a way which provides robust and self-regulated explosions. In this paper, we review these instabilities placing them into their appropriate context and identifying their role in the genesis of core-collapse supernovae.
Four environment model of mixing and chemical reaction. Part I. Model development

A new mathematical model (the four environment model) to describe turbulent flow chemical reactors with complex reactions and separate reactant feed streams is developed. The feed stream residence time distributions, the batch chemical kinetics, and a single turbulent micromixing parameter, which may be estimated from direct turbulence theory, are required as input information to the model. The model is computationally efficient as it involves only ordinary differential equations.
Apollo lunar descent guidance

Apollo Lunar-descent Guidance transfers the Lunar Module from a near-circular orbit to touchdown, traversing 17^o central angle and 15 km altitude in 11 min. A group of interactive programs in an onboard computer guide the descent, controlling altitude and the descent propulsion system throttle. A ground-based program precomputes guidance targets. This paper describes the concepts involved. Explicit and implicit guidance are discussed, guidance equations are derived, and the earlier Apollo explicit equation is shown to be an inferior special case of the later implicit equation. The paper describes interactive guidance by which the two-man crew selects a landing site in favorable terrain and directs the trajectory there. Interactive terminal-descent guidance enables the crew to control the essentially vertical descent rate in order to land in minimum time with safe contact speed. The attitude maneuver routine uses concepts that make gimbal lock inherently impossible. The throttle routine yields zero steady-state thrust-acceleration error or avoids operation within a thrust region forbidden because of hardware limitations. The ground-based program precomputes guidance targets which shape the trajectory to produce an efficient descent with adequate visibility and no transients at the final phasic interface.
Uptake of iodinated luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogs in the pituitary.

Three peptides: LHRH\FSHRH, [DAla6, des-Gly NH2 10]LHRH/FSHRH-ethylamide (DAla6) and [D-Leu8, des-Gly NH2 10]LHRH/FSHRH-ethylamide (D-Leu6) were iodinated by a lactoperoxidase technique and separated from the mixture on QAE-A-25 Sephadex columns. In experiment I, 20 ovariectomized rats were used to evaluate competitive uptake of the monoiodinated D-Leu6 vs. unlabeled D-Leu6 in various tissues. Rats were injected iv with either 0, 75, 225, 675 or 2025 ng of D-Leu6 followed 15 sec later by 17.5 ng labeled D-Leu6. The rats were exsanguinated 30 min posttreatment and serum and tissues were collected. A ratio of tissue cpm/mg to serum cpm/μl (T/S) was used to express uptake by each tissue. A decrease in uptake was found in the anterior pituitary tissue but not other tissues of rats injected with increasing doses of unlabeled analog. These data suggest that competition of labeled and unlabeled hormone was occurring for specific sites in the pituitary. In Experiment II the monoiodinated preparations were used to...
Functional neuroanatomy and sleep-disordered breathing: implications for autonomic regulation.

A major concern with sleep-disordered breathing conditions, which include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central apnea, and congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), is the high incidence of accompanying autonomic dysfunction and metabolic disorders. Patients with OSA show exaggerated sympathetic tone, leading to hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, profuse sweating, impaired cerebral perfusion, and stroke. In addition, OSA appears in 86% of obese Type II diabetic patients, suggesting common deleterious processes. Autonomic deficiencies also appear in CCHS patients, who are often hypoglycemic. The impaired autonomic control may stem from injury to central sympathetic and parasympathetic regulatory areas resulting from apnea-related inflammation, hypoxia, or perfusion-related consequences in OSA, and genetic mutation repercussions in CCHS. Disturbed sleep organization from apnea arousals may also disrupt hormonal release. Brain areas affected in both OSA and CCHS include cortical and limbic regions that influence hypothalamic-regulated sympathetic control and hormone release, essential for glycemic regulation, as well as parasympathetic nuclei influencing the pancreas and other viscera, and raphe serotonergic sites, important for thermal and vascular regulation. Brain injury and altered functional responses appear in OSA and CCHS, assessed with magnetic resonance imaging techniques, in areas which show regional gray matter loss, alterations of free water within tissue, loss of axonal integrity, and disruption of functional responses to autonomic and ventilatory challenges. Evaluation of neural injury and distortion in functional signals to autonomic challenges in localized brain areas can provide insights into common pathological mechanisms for dysregulation of hormonal release and autonomic processes in sleep-disordered breathing and metabolic disorders. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Proportion of US Congregations that have People Living with HIV

Surveillance studies monitor the prevalence and incidence of HIV, and this information is used by policy makers to design prevention programs and facilitate care for people living with HIV (PLWHIV). Although most of these studies monitor the presence of PLWHIV in the general population or specific communities, some assess the presence of PLWHIV in organizations. One type of organization that has not been examined, yet could potentially play a large role in caring for PLWHIV, is the religious congregation. In this study, we estimate the proportion of US religious congregations that have PLWHIV and examine whether congregations that are in contact with populations with high HIV prevalence and incidence rates are more likely to have PLWHIV using data from a nationally representative sample of congregations and the 2000 Census. Over 10,000 congregations have PLWHIV, and congregations containing, open to, or located in areas with populations with high HIV prevalence and incidence rates are more likely to have them. This study offers new insight into the presence of HIV in the United States and provides information about which congregations may be amenable to serving as sites of HIV programs.
INDIVIDUAL INVESTMENT POLICY AND THE NEW ECONOMICS

Investment is an art! This is not to say that the "system" boys are not constantly at work. Implicit in all plans to convert the art of investment to a science, however, are assumptions concerning the future. The "Dow" theorist assumes that informed groups are able to foresee trends and that changes in direction of movement will foretell future market action. Followers of formula plans assume that future movements of security prices will follow a pattern similar to the past and that the prices of the securities purchased will keep pace with some arbitrarily selected average. The use of investment timing indexes assumes that statistical indicators which have been reliable in the past will continue to be so. None of these plans, of course, solves the intricate problem of the selection of securities for investment.
Modified Relative Strength Effect to Facilitate Artificial Neural Network Development for Hydrologic Data

AbstractA new index called a modified relative strength effect (RSE) is developed for determining the influence of an input in an artificial neural network (ANN) model. This modified RSE, which is an improvement over the usual RSE, indicates the influence of each input on the target output in different ranges and can be estimated easily during ANN model development by a user. The potential of this modified RSE was examined using ANN models developed for finding atypical bacteria counts and daily flow. The modified RSE and traditional RSE were used to identify the essential inputs for the ANN models in this research. The results show an improvement of 10% in the mean square error when the modified RSE is used for input selection instead of the traditional RSE. This study also explores the usefulness of the modified RSE in identifying the required input lags while developing an ANN time-series model. A time-series model was constructed using ANN, and the modified RSE values of inputs were compared to the pa...
The hot ISM of early-type galaxies

This talks reviews the history of the discovery of the hot ISM in elliptical galaxies, and the ensuing debate on the suitability of X-ray observations of these galaxies for mass measurements. How much of the X-ray emission is truly from a hot ISM, and is this ISM in hydrostatic equilibrium? While the debate went on, a deeper understanding on the evolution of the halos was generated. High resolution Chandra observations are providing an answer.
Phase operator for the harmonic oscillator

Abstract A physically meaningful quantum-mechanical phase operator is constructed for the harmonic oscillator. The phase operator is an exact canonical conjugate to the number operator, and becomes the appropriate phase angle in the classical limit.
Development of the Ionic Lattice Model Theory for Concentrated Aqueous Electrolytes

In their landmark paper published in 1948, Stokes and Robinson (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1948, 70, 1870−1878) proposed a modified form of the Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) adsorption isotherm to explain the water activity of various concentrated 1:1 and 2:1 aqueous electrolytes. Their pioneering idea of viewing such solutions as an irregular ionic lattice structure inspired much of the author’s work from the mid 1980s to the present time. This paper, written in celebration of Prof. Stokes’ 90th birthday anniversary, briefly describes the author’s contribution toward further development of the theory, its capabilities, and future directions.
Time perception in children in the absence of external temporal synchronizers

Abstract Seventeen healthy elementary school children, ages 7–12 years, remained in an isolated room for six days and repeatedly estimated short durations of auditory and visual stimuli as well as the time of day. A significant age effect (p
A tracer study of pollutant transport and dispersion in the Los Angeles area.

Abstract Sulfur hexafluoride was used as a tracer in a large-scale test over the urban region near Los Angeles, California. On 19 July 1973, 33.5 kg of SF 6 was released over a period of 45 min from the city of Anaheim. The transport and dispersion from Anaheim was traced in five neighboring communities including Palm Springs, which at 124 km away was the furthest location tested. A preliminary analysis of the data indicated that the cities of Riverside and Palm Springs may possibly lie in a direct path of the pollutant transport from Anaheim.
Temperature dependence of hybrid quantum oscillations

Abstract The temperature dependence of the hybrid quantum oscillation amplitude in an accumulation layer on n-InAs is interpreted by analogy to the Shubnikov-de Haas effect. Amplitudes for oscillations corresponding to excited subbands follow the expected decay law. Characteristic decay energies, on the order of 5 meV, are compared to known intersubband spacings.
Cotton Seedling and First-Bloom Plant Characteristics: Relationships with Drought-Influenced Boll Abscission and Lint Yield

Root growth and distribution are important plant adaptations to conditions where limited soil water availability is a major constraint to crop growth and yield. Field studies were conducted to evaluate root characteristics at seedling stage and first bloom of six cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genotypes, and to determine the relationship between root growth parameters and drought-influenced boll abscission and lint yield (.)
EFFECT OF BROMOCRIPTINE ON THYROID HORMONE-INDUCED GROWTH HORMONE PRODUCTION IN CULTURED CH1 CELLS

L-triiodothyronine induces a three-fold increase in growth hormone production in cultured GH1 cells. The dopaminergic agonist, bromocriptine, inhibits the thyroid hormone-induced growth hormone production to the level of that produced by the control cells. This effect can be observed within eight hours of incubation and persists as long as forty-eight hours in culture and is not due to a change in cell population. In contrast, bromocriptine appears to have no effect on growth hormone production in the control cultures. The estimated concentration of bromocriptine which gives a half-maximal inhibitory effect is 0.3 nM, and concentrations above 5 nM give a complete inhibitory effect. The intracellular growth hormone concentration represents only a very small fraction of total hormone production and does not appear to be influenced by bromocriptine. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of bromocriptine on growth hormone production in thyroid hormone treated cultured GH1 cells may result from its action on the sy...
European Union Institutions and French Political Careers

This article examines one aspect of the relationship between European Union institutions and the French political field: politicians' careers. What is the value of positions in the Commission and the European Parliament for French politicians in terms of career mobility? This study shows that the value of the Commission as a source of domestic political capital has risen since the 1950s, whereas the value of the European Parliament has remained relatively low. The position of Commissioner is now comparable to a ministerial-level position. Membership in the European Parliament has remained secondary to a national political career. Yet, as a result of the European Parliament's peripheral position in the French political field, new social groups, linking the regions to the European institutions or forming cross-partisan interest groups, have been created. Evidence shows that if the European Union institutions present an alternative type of political capital to national political capital, political careers and ambitions are still formed in national terms. National mechanisms for the formation of groups having a vested interest in the relative autonomy of supranational political institutions have not developed sufficiently. This inadequacy might be the single most important reason for the democratic deficit in the European Union. We are not in business at all; we are in politics. (Former President of the EC Commission Walter Hallstein, quoted in Swann 1990, vii)