cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical Activity and Diabetes: Opportunities for Prevention Through Policy

Over the past decade, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus has reached epidemic levels in the United States and other developed countries. With a concomitant rise in obesity levels in the United States and advances in the treatment of diabetes and its complications, the prevalence of diabetes is expected to continue to rise through the year 2050. Despite strong evidence that regular physical activity can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes, too many Americans are not meeting the recommended levels of regular physical activity. Although most physical activity interventions to date have been focused on characteristics of the individual, more-recent studies have considered how changing characteristics of the social and physical environment in which people live may ultimately have a greater impact on increasing population levels of physical activity. Policy interventions are a way to make sustainable changes in the physical environment of a community and thus provide support for other intrapersonal and interpersonal behavioral change interventions. Policy changes also can affect the social norms that shape behavior. The purposes of this perspective article are: (1) to describe the rationale for population approaches to primary prevention of type 2 diabetes, (2) to discuss how policy interventions can increase physical activity levels within populations, and (3) to provide recommendations for the role of physical therapists in interventions that can increase the level of physical activity in communities. Public health approaches to curb the diabetes epidemic are urgently needed. Policy interventions to increase population levels of physical activity show promise for diabetes prevention. Physical therapists are uniquely suited to influence primary prevention efforts for diabetes.
Civil War Settlements and the Implementation of Military Power-Sharing Arrangements

This article considers the role that the implementation of peace agreements has on the prospects for fostering a durable peace following the negotiated resolution of civil wars. Focusing on the 16 peace agreements between 1980 and 1996 that have included provisions for the sharing or dividing of military power among former combatants, the authors find that the complete implementation of this aspect of settlements significantly improves the prospects for maintaining peace. They suggest that this proves to be the case because of the important and credible signals of conciliatory intent among former enemies that are made through the process of implementation. They find that implementation serves as a concrete signal of a genuine commitment to peace as signatories to an agreement prove willing to endure the costs associated with both compromising their original war aims and withstanding potential challenges from within their own groups. Based on these results, the authors offer policy recommendations focusing on the role that third-party actors and aid donors might play in facilitating the successful implementation of negotiated peace agreements.
Regional anesthesia for bronchoscopy

The use of the superior laryngeal nerve block to ablate nociception above the vocal cords dates back to the turn of this century. When combined with transtracheal instillation of a local anesthetic, topicalization of the nasopharynx, and oropharynx and/or glossopharyngeal nerve blocks, a fiberoptic bronchoscopy can be performed with very little discomfort for the patient. Traditionally, the anesthetic technique of choice for performing bronchoscopy has been application of local anesthetics to the mucosal surfaces of the pyriform sinuses, followed by administration of the agent onto the vocal cords using indirect visualization. This method is time consuming and has been reported to cause discomfort for the patient. With a basic understanding of the anatomy of the neck, a few syringes and needles, and approximately 10 minutes, afferent nociceptive signals from the upper airway can be effectively blocked. The techniques necessary to provide this level of comfort to a patient are surprisingly easy to learn. Another benefit to using this method is that there are very few side-effects associated with the blocks. Moreover, these blocks can also be used to decrease patient's discomfort during other painful procedures such as awake intubation, transesophageal echocardiography, and direct laryngoscopies.
Accurate and Robust Prediction of Genetic Relationship from Whole-Genome Sequences

Computing the genetic relationship between two humans is important to studies in genetics, genomics, genealogy, and forensics. Relationship algorithms may be sensitive to noise, such as that arising from sequencing errors or imperfect reference genomes. We developed an algorithm for estimation of genetic relationship by averaged blocks (GRAB) that is designed for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data. GRAB segments the genome into blocks, calculates the fraction of blocks sharing identity, and then uses a classification tree to infer 1st- to 5th- degree relationships and unrelated individuals. We evaluated GRAB on simulated and real sequenced families, and compared it with other software. GRAB achieves similar performance, and does not require knowledge of population background or phasing. GRAB can be used in workflows for identifying unreported relationships, validating reported relationships in family-based studies, and detection of sample-tracking errors or duplicate inclusion. The software is available at familygenomics.systemsbiology.net/grab.
Designing for Zero‐defect Soldering

This paper describes how PCB designers must adjust their approach to take into account the new requirements for the production of high technology printed circuit boards using the latest plated‐through hole and surface mounting techniques. It also describes how the correct use of dry film solder masks is contributing towards the achievement of zero‐defect soldering.
Sequential estimation of optical properties of a two-layered epithelial tissue model from depth-resolved ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra

A method for estimating the optical properties of two-layered media (such as squamous epithelial tissue) over a range of wavelengths in the ultraviolet-visible spectrum is proposed and tested with Monte Carlo modeling. The method first used a fiber-optic probe with angled illumination and the collection fibers placed at a small separation (≤300 μm) to restrict the transport of detected light to the top layer. A Monte Carlo-based inverse model for a homogeneous medium was employed to estimate the top layer optical properties from the measured diffuse reflectance spectrum. Then a flat-tip probe with a large source-detector separation (≥1000 μm) was used to detect diffuse reflectance preferentially from the bottom layer. A second Monte Carlo-based inverse model for a two-layered medium was applied to estimate the bottom layer optical properties, as well as the top layer thickness, given that the top layer optical properties have been estimated. The results of Monte Carlo validation show that this method works well for an epithelial tissue model with a top layer thickness ranging from 200 to 500 μm. For most thicknesses within this range, the absorption coefficients were estimated to within 15% of the true values, the reduced scattering coefficients were estimated to within 20% and the top layer thicknesses were estimated to within 20%. The application of a variance reduction technique to the Monte Carlo modeling proved to be effective in improving the accuracy with which the optical properties are estimated.
Effective Management of DRAM Bandwidth in Multicore Processors

Technology trends are leading to increasing number of cores on chip. All these cores inherently share the DRAM bandwidth. The on-chip cache resources are limited and in many situations, cannot hold the working set of the threads running on all these cores. This situation makes DRAM bandwidth a critical shared resource. Existing DRAM bandwidth management schemes provide support for enforcing bandwidth shares but have problems like starvation, complexity, and unpredictable DRAM access latency. In this paper, we propose a DRAM bandwidth management scheme with two key features. First, the scheme avoids unexpected long latencies or starvation of memory requests. It also allows OS to select the right combination of performance and strength of bandwidth share enforcement. Second, it provides a feedback-driven policy that adoptively tunes the bandwidth shares to achieve desired average latencies for memory accesses. This feature is useful under high contention and can be used to provide performance level support for critical applications or to support service level agreements for enterprise computing data centers.
Refining image segmentation by integration of edge and region data

A basic requirement for understanding the dynamics of the Earth's major ecosystems is accurate quantitative information about the distribution and areal extent of the Earth's vegetation formations. Some of this required information can be obtained through the analysis of remotely sensed data. Image segmentation is often one of the first steps of this analysis. This paper focuses on two particular types of segmentation: region-based and edge-based segmentations. Each approach is affected differently by various factors, and both types of segmentations may be improved by taking advantage of their complementary nature. Included among region-based segmentation approaches are region growing methods, which produce hierarchical segmentations of images from finer to coarser resolution. In this hierarchy, an ideal segmentation (ideal for a given application) does not always correspond to one single iteration, but map correspond to several different iterations. This, among other factors, makes it somewhat difficult to choose a stopping criterion for region growing methods. To find the ideal segmentation, the authors develop a stopping criterion for their Iterative Parallel Region Growing (IPRG) algorithm using additional information from edge features, and the Hausdorff distance metric. They integrate information from regions and edges at the symbol level, taking advantage of the hierarchical structure of the region segmentation results. Also, to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach in processing the massive amount of data that will be generated by future Earth remote sensing missions, such as the Earth Observing System (EOS), all the different steps of this algorithm have been implemented on a massively parallel processor. >
Time-Varying Volterra System Identification Using Kalman Filtering

Most nonlinear system identification methods based on Volterra model assume that the underlying system is time-invariant. In this paper, a novel identification method for time-varying Volterra systems (TVVS) is proposed. We view this problem from a different perspective in the sense that the system identification problem is converted to a state estimation problem of a dynamic system. The time-varying Volterra kernels are governed by a Gauss-Markov stochastic difference equation upon which a state-space representation of time-varying Volterra systems is built. The state transition matrix and noise covariance of the underlying state equations are usually unknown. Therefore, we develop a method to estimate these unknown quantities. Finally, a Kalman filtering scheme is utilized to identify and track the time-varying Volterra system. Simulation examples are given to illustrate the better performance of the proposed method as compared with other adaptive identification methods such as the LMS and RLS algorithms.
Automated Rule-Based Decision Systems in Forensic Toxicology using Expert Knowledge: Basic Principles and Practical Applications

I This paper presents the basic principles and practical benefits of the application of expert systems (ES) and artificial Intelligence (AI) to problem solving in forensic toxicology. We acknowledge the complexity and elegance of the theoretical substance and program algorithms of exlstlng work in these disc|planes, while simultaneously observing that many presentations of this material cloak the essential facts and concepts In unnecessary Jargon and hyperbole. We attempt to remove the cloak without misrepresenting or oversimplifying the underlylng structures. We first present a summary of the history, basic functions, technical fundamentals, and typical applications in three major categories of established ES/Ai systems. We then assess the status of ES/AI In the forensic toxicology laboratory (FTL) with emphasis on potential applications. We conclude with an analysis of experiences with ESs in our laboratory where we have used an Integrated expert system to reduce laboratory errors, detect Internal Inconsistencies In data, discover new substance abuse subpopulatlons, and reduce the frequency of sample reprocessing. We have minimized specimen processing time and Instrument wear whim maximizing technician efficiency and thus performing more tests for the same or reduced costs.
X-ray reflectivity measurements of surface roughness using energy dispersive detection

We describe a new technique for measuring x-ray reflectivity using energy dispersive x-ray detection. The benefits of this method are the use of a fixed scattering angle and parallel detection of all energies simultaneously. These advantages make the technique more readily useable with laboratory x-ray sources and more compatible with growth chambers. We find excellent agreement between the calculated Fresnel reflectivity and the reflectivity obtained from a smooth Ge (001) surface. Reflectivities obtained during 500 eV Xe ion bombardment of Ge surfaces demonstrate the sensitivity of the technique to be better than 1 {angstrom}. 9 refs., 4 figs.
Asymptotic results for passive wavefront curvature ranging using a large-scale distributed array system

In this work, we present some asymptotic results on the maximum likelihood multi-rank processor for passive wavefront curvature ranging systems using large-scale distributed arrays. We assume that the operation environment for the distributed arrays is subject to a spatial coherence loss. Under an exponential coherence model, analytical expressions for the multi-rank combiners are derived. The results provide a simple guideline for choosing inter-module spacing according to the spatial coherence length for formulating multi-rank mode filters and weights used in the combiner. The general framework and the numerical procedures of designing a multi-rank combiner can be applied to other coherence models.
Poetics in Schizophrenic Language: Speech, Gesture and Biosemiotics

This paper offers a biosemiotic account of the poetic aspects of gesture and speech in schizophrenia. The argument is that speech and gesture are not the mere expression of pre-verbal thoughts. Instead, meaning is enacted by the temporal and semantic coordination of speech and gesture. The bodily basis of language is highlighted by the fact that, failing to create language that is organized around topics, individuals with schizophrenia often rely on poetic associations in directing their utterances. Accordingly, the analysis of schizophrenic speech and gesture based on McNeill’s Growth Point theory is enriched with reference to both Cowley’s (2007b) views on language as distributed social coordination, and Alexander’s (Biosemiotics 2(1):77–100, 2009) description of formal causes in nature. Schizophrenic language can be seen as a hypertrophied manifestation of the discourse-scaffolding function of poetic associations in speech and gesture. The analysis of schizophrenic language shows that language behavior need not be built on pre-verbal thoughts and important aspects of schizophrenic language, such as metalinguistic awareness and semiotic agency, can be clarified by applying concepts from biosemiotics.
Effect of Dynamic Film Debonding on Self-Assembled Monolayers

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) provide an enabling platform for molecular tailoring of the chemical and physical properties of an interface in an on-demand fashion. In this work, we systematically vary SAM end-group functionality and investigate the failed interface between a transfer printed gold (Au) film and a SAM-functionalized fused silica substrate. SAMs with two different end groups are investigated: 11-bromo-undecyltrimethoxysilane and 11-mercapto-undecyltrimethoxysilane. The SAM-mediated interfaces are loaded by a non-contact laser-induced spallation method at strain rates in excess of 106 s−1. A high strain rate test method is selected to facilitate comparison with forthcoming molecular dynamics simulations of the molecular failure process. By making multiple measurements at increasing stress amplitudes (controlled by the laser fluence), the onset of delamination of Au films transfer-printed on different SAM modified substrates are compared. Varying the end-group functionality drastically alters the laser fluence necessary to induce delamination of Au films. We investigate failed interfaces for chemical composition and surface roughness using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy respectively. We demonstrate that the end group functionality for both 11-mercapto-undecyltrimethoxysilanes and 11-bromo-undecyltrimethoxysilane is expelled from the surface during laser spallation testing.
The Dipping Point: Law Review Circulation 2010

For the past couple of years we have needled the Harvard Law Review (HLR) about its tendency to err on the side of inflation when describing the size of its subscriber base. So, it seems only fair now to salute the HLR’s recent correction, and to note that the extravagant circulation claims made these days by the Virginia Law Review make the HLR’s old claims seem downright modest. This year we are offering two new perspectives on the law review business. The first is really just a bigger version of an old one. We have added several law schools’ flagship law reviews to our little tables of journal circulation rates. The newcomers are: Boston University Law Review, Emory Law Journal, Minnesota Law Review, Indiana Law Journal, Illinois Law Review, Notre Dame Law Review, Boston College Law Review, Iowa Law Review, William and Mary Law Review, George Washington Law Review, Fordham Law Review, Alabama Law Review, North Carolina Law Review, Washington Law Review, Washington and Lee Law Review, Ohio State Law Journal, UC Davis Law Review, Georgia Law Review, Wisconsin Law Review. We also corrected a few errors in earlier versions of the tables and filled in a few blanks, an exercise that will doubtless be repeated in the future. The second new perspective is a look at the distant past, when only a few law reviews published any circulation numbers. A casual review of some of those early numbers, in tandem with an equally casual glance at the advertising pages of those early law reviews, provides an ironic reminder of a plausible piece of conventional wisdom about the decline in sales of print editions of law reviews: that the decline has been and is being caused by the rise of searchable electronic databases and of an Internet via which to conveniently tap into those databases.
100 Basic Programming Exercises

In this chapter, short programming exercises based on the material from Chaps. 2 to 5 are presented.
Pulmonary Resection in Sarcoma Metastases

The first pulmonary resection of a metastatic sarcoma to lung performed at Memorial Hospital was in 1940. For the ensuing 25 years, surgery was offered only to select patients with 1 or 2 metastases and a long disease-free interval after treatment of their primary tumor. Our early experience in treating systematically pulmonary metastases began in 1965 and was limited to osteogenic sarcoma. The initial 22 patients with resected metastases that we reported in 1971 have now been followed for 20 years and 6 of these (27%) are still alive and well.
The Importance of Appropriate Nutrition Assessment and NutritionEducation for Older Adults

As the population of older adults continues to increase, there is even more urgency to establish nutrition assessment standards to evaluate the nutritional status of this vulnerable population, and to provide appropriate nutrition education and intervention. There is a high prevalence of undernutrition among seniors, and the cases of insufficient energy or micro and macronutrients are alarming. Unfortunately, this nutritional state is often misdiagnosed because of inappropriate assessment. The nutrition diagnosis needs to be accurate in order to provide effective intervention. The nutrition assessment of older people is sometimes challenging because older adults are often dealing with chronic medical conditions that require multiple pharmaceuticals for therapy. Therefore, drug-nutrient interactions are a prime concern among this population group.
Heuristic Methods for Finding Ground-states of Ising Models

We describe rhe application of simulated annealing and genetic algorithms to determine the ground-state of various classes of Lsing models. This problem is relevant to finding equilibrium contigurations(at zero Kelvin)of adsorbed monolayers, multi-component alloys, and magnetic systems. Because of the presence of metastable configurations (local minima) the detection of the ground-state (global minimum) is a non-trivial problem, especially in the case of complex interactions or frustrated systems. The speed of convergends analyzed for various model systems.
Conversion of mevalonic acid-2-C14 to biliary cholesterol and cholanic acids in the guinea pig.

SummaryAfter intravenous administration of mevalonic acid-2-C14 the labeled constituents of guinea pig bile were cholesterol, 3α, 7α-dihydroxycholanic (chenodeoxycholic) and 3α-hydroxy, 7-ketocholanic (7-ketolithocholic) acid. The relative amount of C14 in these compounds suggested that most of the C14 not excreted in urine entered the cholesterol pool as such.
Quality of life after myocardial revascularization. Effect of increasing age.

The effect of increasing age on quality of life, survival, and risk of reoperation was studied in 2479 patients followed up prospectively 2 to 20 years after myocardial revascularization. Quality of life was determined from annual questionnaires, which we used to calculate a health status index from the patient's symptomatic status and subjective response to the operation, which was graded between zero and 1.00 (asymptomatic). Four age groups were studied: age 49 years or less (AG40), 50 to 59 years (AG50), 60 to 69 years (AG60), and 70 years or older (AG70). Associated problems (left ventricular aneurysm, valve disease, acute myocardial infarction) necessitating treatment were present in 17 % (61/361) of AG40 patients, 19% (165 of 859) of AG50 patients, 23% (213/927) of AG60 patients, and 31% (102/332) of AG70 patients. The hospital mortality rate was higher in older patients undergoing combined procedures but not in patients undergoing coronary bypass grafts only. Probability of survival and health status indexes were calculated excluding patients with valve disease and cardiogenic shock. Probability of survival was significantly better (p horac C ardiovasc S urg 1992;103:108—15)
Nonlinear Interaction of Modes in the Ring Laser with a Saturable Absorber

We present here the studies of deterministic as well as fluctuation properties of the laser light from a two mode Ring laser with an intracavity saturable absorber (LSA). The saturable absorber adds many novel features to the two mode laser1,2 such as new steady states, multistability, and multicriticality. These features are due to the presence of saturable absorption in addition to the usual laser processes.
Regulation of Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase Activity by Rubisco Activase: Aspects of the Mechanism

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco) is only catalytically competent when its active site is completed by the addition of CO2 as a carbamate and Mg2+ (1). This may be achieved spontaneously in vitro by preincubation of the enzyme with high CO2 and Mg2+ at alkaline pH. However the normal in vivo conditions of low CO2 and the presence of RuBP do not permit the formation of fully active enzyme without an additional protein factor called rubisco activase (2,3). This was first shown clearly by the phenotype of the rca mutant of Arabidopsis (4). The rubisco in this plant can be fully activated by high CO2 in the dark (5) or after the isolation of the enzyme (4). However in vivo after several minutes under saturating light, the activity of the enzyme is very low even at high CO2 concentrations. The rca mutant lacks two nearly identical polypeptides of about 45 and 41 kD (2,6). The ability to observe a rubisco activase dependent activation of rubisco in vitro was followed by the rapid development of procedures to purify the protein for detailed biochemical study (7) and the cloning and sequencing of the rubisco activase gene (8).
A carbon nanofiber network for stable lithium metal anodes with high Coulombic efficiency and long cycle life

Li metal is considered one of the most promising candidates for the anode material in high-energy-density Li-ion batteries. However, the dendritic growth of Li metal during the plating/stripping process can severely reduce Coulombic efficiency and cause safety problems, which is a key issue limiting the application of Li metal anodes. Herein, we present a novel strategy for dendrite-free deposition of Li by modifying the Cu current collector with a three-dimensional carbon nanofiber (CNF) network. Owing to the large surface area and high conductivity of the CNF network, Li metal is inserted into and deposited onto the CNF directly, and no dendritic Li metal is observed, leaving a flat Li metal surface. With Li metal as the counter electrode for Li deposition, an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.9% was achieved for more than 300 cycles, at large current densities of 1.0 and 2.0 mA·cm−2, and with a high Li loading of 1 mAh·cm−2. The scalability of the preparation method and the impressive results achieved here demonstrate the potential for the application of our design to the future development of dendrite-free Li metal anodes.
Bonfires of Belfast

In Belfast, Northern Ireland, annual bonfires and parades operate as political and cultural capital claims over a contested city.
Cicatricial keratoconjunctivitis associated with lichen planus.

Purpose: To describe a case of cicatricial keratoconjunctivitis associated with lichen planus. Methods: Case report. Results: To our knowledge, this is the sixth reported case of cicatricial keratoconjunctivitis associated with lichen planus. A 73-year-old woman had persistent cicatricial keratoconjunctivitis. Histopathologic studies of the buccal mucosa biopsy specimen revealed lichen planus. Conclusion: Lichen planus is a possible cause of cicatricial keratoconjunctivitis. Topical cyclosporine may stabilize the ocular surface, and additional systemic immunosuppression may be needed in severe cases. A correct diagnosis through biopsy is essential to start aggressive anti-inflammatory treatment to avoid vision loss.
Chemical interactions of thiophene with ZnO and Al-doped ZnO thin films

Abstract In this study, ZnO and Al-doped ZnO films have been synthesized by five different deposition methods. Electrochemical measurements performed on films immersed in S-containing isooctane indicate that the texture and polarity of the surface of the films are key features affecting the adsorption of thiophene molecules. Specifically, ZnO films possessing a large amount of Zn-terminated (002) wurtzite surfaces are observed to be the most sensitive to the concentration of thiophene in isooctane.
Myocardial apoptosis and mesenchymal stem cells with acute exercise.

Aerobic exercise confers many health benefits. However, numerous reports have shown that acute aerobic exercise can injure the heart. We tested the general hypothesis that acute moderate-intensity exercise in rodents induces cardiomyocyte damage and stimulates mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to increase paracrine-mediated protective effects on cardiomyocytes. A single session of treadmill running (13 m/min, 0% grade, for 45 min) in untrained C57BL/6 male mice (n = 18) increased cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), a marker of apoptosis, in the myocardium 24 h postexercise. Microarray analysis of mouse myocardium identified 11 relevant apoptotic genes and several shifts in matrix remodeling transcripts over the postexercise window. Postexercise cardiomyocyte death was recapitulated in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) by culturing cells in 2% plasma harvested from exercised rats. The increased cell death observed in exercise-treated NRCMs was attenuated by β-adrenergic blockade, but not antioxidant treatment. MSC survival, proliferation, and chemotaxis showed no significant differences between sedentary and exercise plasma conditions, despite increased IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IFN-γ secretions from MSCs treated with exercise plasma. NRCM survival was increased nearly 500% when cocultured with MSCs, but this effect was not altered under exercise plasma culture conditions. Our results suggest acute moderate-intensity aerobic treadmill running in exercise-naive rodents induces temporal cardiomyocyte death due to plasma-borne factors, namely, catecholaminergic stress. Even though exercise conditions prompt an inflammatory response in MSCs, the exercise milieu does not alter the MSC-protective phenotype on cardiomyocytes.
Efavirenz plus zidovudine and lamivudine was more effective than indinavir plus zidovudine and lamivudine in adults with HIV-1 infection

Source Citation Staszewski S, Morales-Ramirez J, Tashima KT, et al., for the Study 006 Team. Efavirenz plus zidovudine and lamivudine, efavirenz plus indinavir, and indinavir plus zidovudine and la...
The Thyroid Hormone Feedback Control System

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the thyroid hormone feedback control system. The two major hormones secreted into blood by the thyroid gland are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). The regulation of the amounts of T4 and T3 in the blood circulation is achieved by means of a feedback control system whose major component organs are the thyroid and anterior pituitary glands and the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a relatively small midbrain structure situated just above the pituitary in man; it is generally considered the major interface between the nervous and endocrine systems. In its capacity as a neuroendocrine organ, it receives both neural and humoral inputs and has humoral outputs in the form of neurosecretions called releasing hormones (RH). The releasing hormones are transmitted directly to the pituitary via a special portal circulation (pathway) connecting the two organs. The releasing hormone specific to thyroid hormone regulation is called thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH), because it stimulates the release of thyrotrophin or thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) from the anterior pituitary. The chapter discusses the physiology of thyroid hormones, a feedback control system model, and the development of a model of the dynamics of the binding, distribution, and disposal of T3 and T4.
A Simulated Annealing Genetic Algorithm for the Electrical Power Districting Problem

Due to a variety of political, economic, and technological factors, many national electricity industries around the globe are transforming from non-competitive monopolies with centralized systems to decentralized operations with competitive business units. A key challenge faced by energy restructuring specialists at the World Bank is trying to simultaneously optimize the various criteria one can use to judge the fairness and commercial viability of a particular power districting plan. This research introduces and tests a new algorithm for solving the electrical power districting problem in the context of the Republic of Ghana and using a random test problem generator. We show that our mimetic algorithm, the Simulated Annealing Genetic Algorithm, outperforms a well-known Parallel Simulated Annealing heuristic on this new and interesting problem manifested by the deregulation of electricity markets.
Abstract LB-B28: Abietane natural products as novel therapeutics against solid tumors

Dysregulation of protein synthesis can lead to aberrant cellular proliferation and survival, a hallmark of cancer. Protein synthesis is a multistep process tightly controlled by specific translation factors. In eukaryotes, at the initiation point, the 43S preinitiation complex is formed by the association of several factors [eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2), GTP and methionyl initiator tRNA] with the 40S ribosomal subunit and the eukaryotic initiation factor 3 (eIF3). Over expression of eIFs has been reported in breast cancer, particularly in the most aggressive subtype, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). More than one million global cases of breast cancer are diagnosed yearly and approximately 15% are characterized as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype that lacks effective targeted therapy modalities. Recently, we generated a library of cell permeable abietane natural product derivatives (i.e. SJ6038) and showed that these compounds are more potent against TNBC over the estrogen receptor positive cellular models. These compounds were tagged with biotin for affinity enrichment and with a fluorescent chromophore to facilitate protein target(s) identification. A SILAC proteomics approach was used to distinguish specific binding targets from the non-specific ones. Gene Ontology analysis showed the targets identified were affiliated with regulation of protein synthesis. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis suggested that abietanes may exert their anticancer effects on critical biological pathways such as the eIF2, eIF4/p70S6K, and mTOR signaling pathways. Live cell experiments utilizing fluorescent abietane derivatives demonstrate that these probes localize to subsections of the ER, supporting the SILAC findings. Time of Exposure and Dose Response experiments further demonstrate that Abietane derivatives affect the eIF2 signaling axis. Using chemical biology and medicinal chemistry approaches, we show that abietane natural products preferentially promote cell death in TNBC cellular models by targeting the eIF2 signaling axis. These compounds will serve as unique chemical tools targeting the eIF2/eIF4 signaling axis and advance from hit- to lead for further preclinical development as a targeted therapy against aggressive solid tumors. Citation Format: Walter Lang, Taotao Ling, Jangsoon Lee, Naoto T. Ueno, Fatima Rivas. Abietane natural products as novel therapeutics against solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-B28.
Targeted composite value-based endpoints in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objectives FDA-approved treatments for platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer (PSROC) include bevacizumab and PARP inhibitors (PARPi); clinical decisions regarding therapy must be made prior to initiating chemotherapy. Using the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) value frameworks, we assessed relative values of concurrent/maintenance biologic therapies in PSROC. Methods Value scores were calculated for key maintenance therapies based on randomized controlled trials: bevacizumab (OCEANS, GOG 213); olaparib (Study 19, SOLO2); niraparib (NOVA); rucaparib (ARIEL3). Personalized value scorecards were constructed for patients with germline/somatic-BRCA mutations, homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), and wild-type BRCA (wBRCA). ASCO value scores assess clinical benefit, toxicity, long-term survival, symptom palliation, treatment-free interval, and quality of life (QOL). ESMO value scores assess clinical benefit, toxicity, and QOL. Results ASCO scores were highest for maintenance PARPi in germline/somatic-BRCA mutation cohorts: olaparib (SOLO2) = 47, (Study 19) = 62; niraparib = 50; rucaparib = 54. HRD cohorts had slightly lower scores: niraparib = 46; rucaparib = 37. wBRCA cohorts had the lowest scores: niraparib = 26; rucaparib = 26; and olaparib (Study 19) = 32, as did patients receiving bevacizumab (OCEANS) = 35, (GOG 213) = 26. ESMO scores demonstrated high-value for maintenance PARPi in germline/somatic-BRCA mutation cohorts and low-value for bevacizumab and PARPi in wBRCA cohorts. Conclusions The value of maintenance PARPi therapy depends heavily on BRCA status, with the highest value scores in germline/somatic-BRCA mutation cohorts. Personalized value scorecards provide a visual aid to assess the harm-benefit balance of maintenance PARPi for PSROC.
Massive Strawberry Hemangioma of the Male Genitalia

We report a case of a massive strawberry hemangioma involving the penis and scrotum of a neonate. The lesion and its minor complications (ulceration) were managed conservatively with an excellent outcome. A conservative approach should be strongly recommended in lesions of this type.
Electrolyte beverage consumption alters electrically induced cramping threshold.

Background Recent investigations have questioned the role of hydration and electrolytes in cramp susceptibility and thus the efficacy of consuming electrolyte-rich carbohydrate beverages (EB) to control/prevent cramping. Methods Nine euhydrated, cramp-prone participants had their cramp susceptibility assessed by measuring the nerve stimulation threshold frequency at which cramping occurs (TF) before and after consumption of an EB (kCal: 120, Na: 840 mg, K: 320 mg, Mg: 5 mg) and placebo beverage (PB: kCal: 5, Na: 35 mg). Cramp intensity was assessed using a verbal pain scale and poststimulation electromyography (EMG). Results TF was greater in EB (14.86 ± 7.47 Hz) than PB (14.00 ± 5.03 Hz; P = .038) and reported pain was lower in EB (2.0 ± 0.6) than PB (2.7 ± 0.8; P = .025) while EMG was similar (P = .646). Discussion EB consumption decreased cramp susceptibility and pain but did not prevent cramping in any participants. These results suggest that electrolyte consumption independent of hydration can influence cramp susceptibility in young people.
An SPSS Companion for the Third Edition of The Fundamentals of Political Science Research

An R Companion for the Third Edition of The Fundamentals of Political Science Research offers students a chance to delve into the world of R using real political data sets and statistical analysis techniques directly from Paul M. Kellstedt and Guy D. Whitten's best-selling textbook. Built in parallel with the main text, this workbook teaches students to apply the techniques they learn in each chapter by reproducing the analyses and results from each lesson using R. Students will also learn to create all of the tables and figures found in the textbook, leading to an even greater mastery of the core material. This accessible, informative, and engaging companion walks through the use of R step-by-step, using command lines and screenshots to demonstrate proper use of the software. With the help of these guides, students will become comfortable creating, editing, and using data sets in R to produce original statistical analyses for evaluating causal claims. End-of-chapter exercises encourage this innovation by asking students to formulate and evaluate their own hypotheses.
TETRAHEDRAL INTERMEDIATES IN CYTOCHROME P450 HYDROXYLATIONS

Using isotopic tracer methods, single turnover studies with bacterial cytochrome P450 have indicated that one oxygen-18 atom is incorporated into the carboxylate group of lipoic acid for each oxygen-18 inserted into the substrate, camphor, forming product, 6-exo-hydroxycamphor. Such an incorporation ratio for label implies that a tetrahedral intermediate between lipoate and dioxygen is formed prior to generation of the hydroxylating species and suggests that either a peracid or an oxene type mechanism for hydroxylation of substrate during the cytochrome P450 catalytic cycle.
Use of In Vitro Translation Extract Depleted in Specific Initiation Factors for the Investigation of Translational Regulation

Regulation of gene expression often involves the control of translation mediated through one or more initiation factors that are required for the translation of eukaryotic mRNAs. Genetic and molecular biological approaches can be highly useful in the initial identification of translational regulation, but the use of in vitro translation lysates can be essential in elucidating the details of translational regulatory mechanisms. Wheat germ lysate has long been used for in vitro translation studies. The noncompetitive conditions that prevail in this lysate as it is normally produced, however, preclude the translational regulatory analysis of many mRNAs involving the preferential recruitment of initiation factors. The development of lysate depleted in specific translation initiation factors converts wheat germ lysate from a noncompetitive system to one that is competitive in a fast and simple procedure that enables it to be used in the analysis of many more translational regulatory mechanisms than is currently possible with unfractionated lysate.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease refers to infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and adjacent pelvic structures that is not associated with surgery or pregnancy. It is also known as salpingitis. This is an important infection, particularly among disadvantaged women from urban areas. An estimated 1 million American women have pelvic inflammatory disease each year. Long-term sequelae such as infertility occur in about 25 percent1–3. The direct and indirect costs of the disease and its complications were estimated to exceed $4 billion in 19904. Etiology and Pathogenesis Pelvic inflammatory disease is almost always an ascending infection in which pathogenic . . .
Distress-related internalizing symptoms interact with externalizing symptoms to predict alcohol problems in an inpatient adolescent sample

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Previous research has yielded equivocal findings regarding whether internalizing symptoms are risk factors for adolescent hazardous alcohol use (AU), specifically in the presence of externalizing symptoms. This may be due to the type of internalizing symptoms examined (ie, distress vs fear), and the use of primarily normative rather than clinical samples. Thus, we tested internalizing and externalizing symptom interactions as they relate to adolescent hazardous AU in a high-risk, clinical sample of adolescents. METHODS Adolescents (N = 101; 66% female; Mage = 15) were recruited from an inpatient psychiatric unit and assessed for current symptoms. Hypotheses were tested by running a series of moderation models regressing hazardous AU on a set of internalizing symptoms (ie, depression, generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], social anxiety, separation anxiety, school avoidance, and panic), each interacting with externalizing symptoms. RESULTS We observed significant interactions between several internalizing symptoms (depression, GAD, and panic symptoms) and externalizing symptoms predicting hazardous AU. These internalizing symptoms were unrelated to AU at low and average levels of externalizing symptoms, but were positively related to AU at high levels of externalizing symptoms. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS In this clinical sample, distress-related internalizing symptomatology was associated with risk for, and not protection against, hazardous AU, but only when accompanied by high externalizing symptoms. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Findings suggest that whether or not internalizing symptoms operate synergistically with externalizing symptoms to predict hazardous AU depends on the subdomain of internalizing symptoms (distress vs fear) and perhaps the type of sample (ie, clinical vs community). (Am J Addict 2019:00:00-00).
Serum ionised calcium and the risk of acute respiratory failure in hospitalised patients: a single-centre cohort study in the USA.

Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of acute respiratory failure in all hospitalised patients based on admission serum ionised calcium. Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting A tertiary referral hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. Participants All hospitalised patients who had serum ionised calcium measurement within 24 hours of hospital admission from January 2009 to December 2013. Patients who were mechanically ventilated at admission were excluded. Predictors Admission serum ionised calcium levels was stratified into six groups: ≤4.39, 4.40–4.59, 4.60–4.79, 4.80–4.99, 5.00–5.19 and ≥5.20 mg/dL. Primary outcome measure The primary outcome was the development of acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation during hospitalisation. Logistic regression analysis was fit to assess the independent risk of acute respiratory failure based on various admission serum ionised calcium, using serum ionised calcium of 5.00–5.19 mg/dL as the reference group. Results Of 25 709 eligible patients, with the mean serum ionised calcium of 4.8±0.4 mg/dL, acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation occurred in 2563 patients (10%). The incidence of acute respiratory failure was lowest when admission serum ionised calcium was 5.00–5.19 mg/dL, with the progressively increased risk of acute respiratory failure with decreased serum ionised calcium. In multivariate analysis with adjustment for potential confounders, the increased risk of acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation was significantly associated with admission serum ionised calcium of ≤4.39 (OR 2.52; 95% CI 2.12 to 3.00), 4.40–4.59 (OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.49 to 2.07) and 4.60–4.79 mg/dL (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.27 to 1.72), compared with serum ionised calcium of 5.00–5.19 mg/dL. The risk of acute respiratory failure was not significantly increased when serum ionised calcium was at least 4.80 mg/dL. Conclusion The increased risk of acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation was observed when admission serum ionised calcium was lower than 4.80 mg/dL in hospitalised patients.
Effects of the Interaction

In Chapter 5, we tested competing hypotheses from legal development theory (Levine & Tapp, 1977; Tapp & Kohlberg, 1977) and social learning theory (Akers, 1985; Akers et al., 1979; Aronfreed, 1968, 1969; Bandura, 1969a, 1969b, 1976) in order to determine the relative influence of internal and external factors in legal socialization. We found that one’s level of legal reasoning was a better predictor of attitudes toward rules and rule-violating behaviors than was the rule-enforcing environment. In this chapter, we examine the possibility of an interaction between legal development and the socializing conditions. The theoretical basis for this possibility can be found in both legal development theory and social learning theory. We now test the hypothesis that an interaction between legal development level and rule-enforcing conditions explains a significant amount of the variance in legal socialization effects (normative status of rule-violating behaviors, enforcement status of the rules, and frequency of rule-violating behaviors).