cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract B248: Antitumor activity mediated by N-myristoylated cationic peptides (myrCP).

Although new chemotherapeutic agents are improving the survival rate of cancer patients, all of them have serious toxic side effects. Thus, it is still necessary to search for new agents with minimal side effects or to enhance the effectiveness of known cytotoxic agents at a reduced dose. The modification of peptides by adding myristol group is commonly used to facilitate intracellular delivery. It has been shown recently that the combination of myristoylation and the cationic charge of peptide confer new biological activity to the peptide. We examined the possibility of using such peptides for the treatment of cancer. In present studies, we evaluated the effect of two N-myristoylated cationic peptides (myrCP) on several human cancer cell lines: H1299 (lung), MCF7 (breast), and PC3 (prostate). The first peptide mimics the endogenous Protein kinase C (PKC) pseudosubstrate region and it is considered as a selective inhibitor of PKC (myr-SIYRRGARRWRKL-OH). This peptide has a dual effect on cancer cells as it prevents proliferation by inhibiting PKC and also serves as a cytotoxic agent. The second peptide that is a scrambled version of the first peptide (myr-RLYRKRIWRSAGR-OH) was used as a control to ensure that cytotoxic effect is not only dependent on PKC inhibition. We found that both myrCP had superior cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. Moreover, they dramatically enhanced the activity of commonly used chemotherapeutic agents such as mitoxantrone and cisplatin which were active in combination with peptides at significantly lower concentration. Since the lipophilic nature of myristoylation facilitates penetration of these peptides across cell membranes, we analyzed what lipids can be involved in such interaction. Membrane lipid arrays showed that myrCP preferably binds to PtdIns (3, 4, 5) P3, phosphatidic acid and at less extent to PI (4, 5) P2. Our results suggested that lipid membrane composition of cells could play an essential role in efficacy of myrCP. In summary, the potential outcome of the current studies will be the development of a useful therapeutic tool for efficient killing of tumor cells. Considering that cytotoxic effects of myrCP are non-specific to the type of cancer, a similar strategy can be applied for many different malignancies. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B248. Citation Format: Karina Krotova, George Aslanidi. Antitumor activity mediated by N-myristoylated cationic peptides (myrCP). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B248.
An agent-based C4ISR testbed

This paper describes six functional extensions to the oneSAF testbed baseline (OTB) modeling and simulation environment: (1) the addition of modules to access OTB's terrain database, (2) a supervised, on-line "batch-mode" interface to OTB for running experiments, (3) the addition of virtual reality (VR) agent proxies for integration with a low-cost, off-the-shelf VR engine, (4) a two-way OTB-agent bridge for the real-time query and control of OTB entities, (5) an unsupervised, off-line "batch-mode" interface for automatically loading, generating, reconfiguring, and executing experiments, and (6) the addition of new sensor model entities. These extensions enable the integration with OTB of C2 and multi-level information fusion algorithms that would not normally integrate with its event-based modeling and simulation engine. This paper describes the system architecture of the testbed and some of the research applications that demonstrate its use.
Three-dimensional simulation of slender delta wing rock and divergence

Computational simulation of three-dimensional flows around a delta wing undergoing rock and roll-divergence motions is presented. The problem is a multidisciplinary one where fluid-dynamics equations and rigid-body-dynamics equations are sequentially solved. For the fluid-dynamics part, the unsteady Euler equations, which are written relative to a moving frame of reference, are solved using an implicit, approximately-factored, central-difference, finite-volume scheme. For the rigid-body dynamics part, the Euler equation of rigid-body rolling motion is solved using a four-stage Runge-Kutta scheme. Since the applications do not include deforming wings or relative-rigid-body motions, the computational-fluid-dynamics grid, which is fixed in the moving frame of reference, does not need to be updated once it is generated.
A 1.45GHz 52-to-162GFLOPS/W variable-precision floating-point fused multiply-add unit with certainty tracking in 32nm CMOS

High-throughput floating-point computations are key building blocks of 3D graphics, signal processing and high-performance computing workloads [1,2]. Higher floating-point precisions offer improved accuracy at the expense of performance and energy efficiency, with variable-precision floating-point circuits providing run-time precision selection [3]. Real-time certainty tracking enables variable-precision circuits not only to operate at the higher energy efficiency of low-precision datapaths, but also to preserve high-precision accuracy. A variable-precision floating-point unit that performs fused multiply-adds (FMA) with single-cycle throughput while supporting operation in either 1-way single-precision (24b mantissa), 2-way 12b precision or 4-way 6b precision modes is fabricated in 32nm High-k/Metal-gate CMOS [4]. Simultaneous floating-point certainty tracking, preshifted addends, a combined rounding and negation incrementer, efficient reuse of mantissa datapath for multiple parallel lower precision calculations, robust ultra-low voltage circuits, and fine-grained clock gating enable nominal energy efficiency of 52GFLOPS/W (IEEE 32b single-precision, measured at 1.45GHz, 1.05V, 25°C) with a dense layout occupying 0.045mm2 (Fig. 10.3.7) while achieving: (i) scalable performance up to 3.6GFLOPS (single-precision), 96mW measured at 1.2V; (ii) up to 4× higher throughput of 14.4GFLOPS with variable-precision, while maintaining single-precision accuracy; (iii) fast single-cycle precision reconfigurability; (iv) precision mode-dependent power consumption for up to 40% clock power reduction; (v) near-threshold single-precision operation measured at 300mV, 1.75MHz, 11μW; and, (vi) peak energy efficiency of 321GFLOPS/W (single-precision) and 1.2TFLOPS/W (6b precision) at 325mV, 25°C.
Depression and anxiety among US adults: associations with body mass index.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing a variety of chronic diseases, most of which are associated with psychiatric disorders. We examined the associations of depression and anxiety with body mass index (BMI) after taking into consideration the obesity-related comorbidities (ORCs) and other psychosocial or lifestyle factors. We analyzed the data collected from 177 047 participants (aged⩾18 years) in the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Current depression was assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 diagnostic algorithm. Lifetime diagnoses of depression, anxiety and ORCs were self-reported. The prevalence of the three psychiatric disorders was age standardized to the 2000 US population. Multivariate-adjusted prevalence ratios were computed to test associations of depression and anxiety with BMI using SUDAAN software. The age-adjusted prevalence of current depression, lifetime diagnosed depression and anxiety varied significantly by gender. Within each gender, the prevalence of the three psychiatric disorders was significantly higher in both men and women who were underweight (BMI<18.5 kg/m2), in women who were overweight (BMI: 25–<30 kg/m2) or obese (BMI⩾30 kg/m2), and in men who had class III obesity (BMI⩾40 kg/m2) than in those with a normal BMI (18.5−<25 kg/m2). After adjusting for demographics, ORCs, lifestyle or psychosocial factors, compared with men with a normal BMI, men with a BMI⩾40 kg/m2 were significantly more likely to have current depression or lifetime diagnosed depression and anxiety; men with a BMI<18.5 kg/m2 were also significantly more likely to have lifetime diagnosed depression. Women who were either overweight or obese were significantly more likely than women with a normal BMI to have all the three psychiatric disorders. Our results demonstrate that disparities in the prevalence of depression and anxiety exist among people with different BMI levels independent of their disease status or other psychosocial or lifestyle factors.
THE COMPLEXES OF SOME 5-SUBSTITUTED TETRAZOLES WITH NICKEL (II)

Abstract Unlike copper, nickel(II) forms only impure and poorly characterized compounds when its salts react with various 5-substituted tetrazoles in water, alcohols, dimethylformamide and other solvents. However in solutions, particularly in dimethylformamide, complexation is clearly indicated by studies of absorption spectra. In some cases, such as 5-aminotetrazole, 2:1 complexes are formed, but with others, such as 5-phenyltetrazole, only [ C 7 H 6 N 4 ] [ Ni 2+ ] = 3 2 is indicated. Nickel spectra suggest only octahedral co-ordination.
Determinants of Self-Reported Barriers to Glaucoma Medicine Administration and Adherence: A Multisite Study

Background: Many factors influence glaucoma medication adherence. A better understanding of the relationships between health literacy, depressive symptoms, and patient-reported problems in using glaucoma medications may reveal opportunities for intervention that could improve patients’ clinical outcomes. Objective: To examine the relationship between patient characteristics (demographics, health literacy, and depressive symptoms) and patient-reported problems in using glaucoma medications and to assess factors related to patients’ self-reported adherence to glaucoma medications. Methods: Patients diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma (n = 228) currently taking intraocular pressure–lowering medications were recruited at 6 ophthalmology clinics. Patients were interviewed to identify problems using glaucoma medications, and self-reported medication adherence was determined using a Visual Analog Scale. Questionnaires were administered to assess health literacy, depressive symptoms, outcome expectations, ...
Holographic bosonic technicolor

We consider a technicolor model in which the expectation value of an additional, possibly composite, scalar field is responsible for the generation of fermion masses. We define the dynamics of the strongly coupled sector by constructing its holographic dual. Using the AdS/CFT correspondence, we study the S parameter and the phenomenology of the light technihadrons. We find that the S parameter is small over a significant region of the model's parameter space. The particle spectrum is distinctive and includes a nonstandard Higgs boson as well as heavier hadronic resonances. Technihadron masses and decay rates are calculated holographically, as a function of the model's parameters.
An Evaluation of the Relative Influence of Habitat Complexity and Habitat Stability on Fish Assemblage Structure in Unregulated and Regulated Reaches of a Large Southeastern Warmwater Stream

Abstract River regulation and development are the foremost problems threatening lotic fishes and other aquatic biota in the United States. The operation of hydroelectric facilities can influence both habitat availability and environmental stability in downstream reaches. We evaluated the relative influence of habitat complexity and environmental stability on fish assemblage structure at unregulated and hydropower-regulated reaches of the Flint River in southwestern Georgia. The availability of different habitat types was highly variable at the regulated reach owing to large, daily fluctuations in discharge. Habitat-specific fish assemblages also differed between reaches, as a greater number of species occupied identical habitat types at the unregulated reach, most notably in shallow, slow-flowing habitats. Differences in fish assemblage structure between study reaches in comparable habitat types were explained equally well by patterns of habitat structure and variability. Within-reach patterns of fish ass...
Polymeric nanotherapeutics: clinical development and advances in stealth functionalization strategies

Long-circulating polymeric nanotherapeutics have garnered increasing interest in research and in the clinic owing to their ability to improve the solubility and pharmacokinetics of therapeutic cargoes. Modulation of carrier properties promises more effective drug localization at the disease sites and can lead to enhanced drug safety and efficacy. In the present review, we highlight the current development of polymeric nanotherapeutics in the clinic. In light of the importance of stealth properties in therapeutic nanoparticles, we also review the advances in stealth functionalization strategies and examine the performance of different stealth polymers in the literature. In addition, we discuss the recent development of biologically inspired “self” nanoparticles, which present a differing stealth concept from conventional approaches.
Priority-Ranking Workload Reduction Strategies to Address Challenges of Transportation Construction Inspection

Throughout the past decade, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has experienced an average increase in funding for projects of more than 44%. Similarly, other state departments of transportation (DOTs) have also seen significant funding increases. As a result, DOTs have been able to complete projects that would not have been feasible without the additional funding. However, the additional funding has also brought about an increase in the construction inspection and testing workload for these projects, but DOTs have not seen a sufficient increase in personnel to manage the additional work. As a result, TxDOT was motivated to identify efficient strategies for reducing the construction testing and inspection workload without decreasing the quality of the end product. TxDOT turned to other states facing a similar situation that were innovatively and efficiently addressing their challenges. Other states have implemented programs that include increasing contractor testing and inspection responsibilities, outsourcing testing and inspection to third parties, creating extensive training and certification programs, and modifying their specifications to minimize time-intensive testing and measurement. This study investigated current practices in other state DOTS and summarized workload reduction strategies that can reduce inspection workload. A list has been developed of the best workload reduction strategies that show the greatest potential for efficiently reducing the testing and inspection workload for TxDOT. The workload reduction strategies have also been priority-ranked for future implementation at TxDOT.
Achieving the Welch bound with difference sets

Consider a codebook containing N unit-norm complex vectors in a K-dimensional space. In a number of applications, the codebook that minimizes the maximal cross-correlation amplitude (I/sub max/) is often desirable. Relying on tools from combinatorial number theory, we construct analytically optimal codebooks meeting, in certain cases, the Welch lower bound. When analytical constructions are not available, we develop an efficient numerical search method based on a generalized Lloyd algorithm, which leads to considerable improvement on the achieved I/sub max/ over existing alternatives. We also derive a composite lower bound on the minimum achievable I/sub max/ that is effective for any codebook size N.
Applications of size biased couplings for concentration of measures

Let $Y$ be a nonnegative random variable with mean $\mu$ and finite positive variance $\sigma^2$, and let $Y^s$, defined on the same space as $Y$, have the $Y$ size biased distribution, that is, the distribution characterized by $$ E[Yf(Y)]=\mu E f(Y^s) \quad \mbox{for all functions $f$ for which these expectations exist.} $$ Under a variety of conditions on the coupling of $Y$ and $Y^s$, including combinations of boundedness and monotonicity, concentration of measure inequalities such as $$ P\left(\frac{Y-\mu}{\sigma}\ge t\right)\le \exp\left(-\frac{t^2}{2(A+Bt)}\right) \quad \mbox{for all $t \ge 0$} $$ are shown to hold for some explicit $A$ and $B$ in \cite{cnm}. Such concentration of measure results are applied to a number of new examples: the number of relatively ordered subsequences of a random permutation, sliding window statistics including the number of $m$-runs in a sequence of coin tosses, the number of local maxima of a random function on a lattice, the number of urns containing exactly one ball in an urn allocation model, and the volume covered by the union of $n$ balls placed uniformly over a volume $n$ subset of $\mathbb{R}^d$.
Effect of a LoBAG30 diet on protein metabolism in men with type 2 diabetes. A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: We previously reported that a weight-maintenance diet with a carbohydrate:protein:fat ratio of 30:30:40%, ingested for 5 weeks, improved blood glucose control in subjects with untreated type 2 diabetes. In this study we also determined that insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were increased. In this report we provide further information. Specifically, 24-hour total and individual amino acids, glucagon and cortisol data are provided. In addition, we determined whether these multiple effectors resulted in a positive nitrogen balance and an increase in fat-free mass. Insulin and IGF-I should stimulate protein accumulation. An increase in amino acids, particularly branched chain amino acids, should facilitate this, whereas glucagon and cortisol could have adverse effects in this regard. Methods: Eight men with untreated type 2 diabetes were studied. A randomized crossover design was used. Data were obtained before and after 5 weeks on a control diet (55% carbohydrate:15% protein:30% fat) and on a 30% carbohydrate:30% protein:40% fat diet. Nitrogen balance and body composition were determined at the beginning and end of each dietary intervention. Results: As expected, the mean 24-hour total amino acid area response was higher after ingesting the 30:30:40 diet. However, the increase was only statistically significant for the branched chain amino acids, and phenylalanine and tyrosine. The 24-hour cortisol profile was unchanged. Glucagon was increased. Nitrogen balance was positive. Body weight was stable. Body composition and computed tomography data indicate no change in the fat-free mass. Conclusion: This high protein, low carbohydrate diet induced a metabolic milieu which strongly favors a positive protein balance, and a positive balance was present. However, an increase in lean (protein) mass was not documented. Whether such a diet in people with type 2 diabetes is useful in preventing or delaying the loss of total lean body mass and/or sarcopenia associated with aging remains to be determined.
Modelling chemical depletion profiles in regolith

Abstract Chemical or mineralogical profiles in regolith display reaction fronts that document depletion of leachable elements or minerals. A generalized equation employing lumped parameters was derived to model such ubiquitously observed patterns: C = C 0 C 0 − C x = 0 C x = 0 exp ( Γ ini · k ˆ · x ) + 1 Here C, Cx = 0, and Co are the concentrations of an element at a given depth x, at the top of the reaction front, or in parent respectively. Γini is the roughness of the dissolving mineral in the parent and kˆ is a lumped kinetic parameter. This kinetic parameter is an inverse function of the porefluid advective velocity and a direct function of the dissolution rate constant times mineral surface area per unit volume regolith. This model equation fits profiles of concentration versus depth for albite in seven weathering systems and is consistent with the interpretation that the surface area (m2 mineral m− 3 bulk regolith) varies linearly with the concentration of the dissolving mineral across the front. Dissolution rate constants can be calculated from the lumped fit parameters for these profiles using observed values of weathering advance rate, the proton driving force, the geometric surface area per unit volume regolith and parent concentration of albite. These calculated values of the dissolution rate constant compare favorably to literature values. The model equation, useful for reaction fronts in both steady-state erosional and quasi-stationary non-erosional systems, incorporates the variation of reaction affinity using pH as a master variable. Use of this model equation to fit depletion fronts for soils highlights the importance of buffering of pH in the soil system. Furthermore, the equation should allow better understanding of the effects of important environmental variables on weathering rates.
Family ties: molecular phylogeny of crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae)

The first quantitative phylogenetic analysis of three sequenced genes (16S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, histone 3) of 25 genera of crab spiders and 11 outgroups supports the monophyly of Thomisidae. Four lineages within Thomisidae are recovered. They are informally named here as the Borboropactus clade, Epidius clade, Stephanopis clade and the Thomisus clade, pending detailed morphology based cladistic work. The Thomisus clade is recovered as a strongly supported monophyletic group with a minimal genetic divergence. Philodromidae previously widely considered a subfamily of Thomisidae do not group within thomisids and is excluded from Thomisidae. However, Aphantochilinae previously generally considered as a separate family falls within the Thomisus clade and is included in Thomisidae. The recently proposed new family Borboropactidae is rejected, as it is paraphyletic. � The Willi Hennig Society 2008.
Aperture coupled microstrip antenna with image line feed

The paper presents an aperture coupled microstrip antenna with an image line feed operating at 10.5 GHz. The image line is terminated by a matched load. The back radiation resulting from the image line at the aperture is eliminated by the use of a reflector. The measured E-plane and H-plane patterns are very good showing very little cross-polarization (less than 18 dB). This structure has applications in passive linear arrays. >
Effects of Postmortem pH and Temperature Muscle Structure and Meat Tenderness

Bovine longissimus muscles with postmortem pH in the range 5.5 - 7.0 were subjected to different postmortem temperatures of 1°, 4°, 25° and 37°C. Intact beef sides with different postmortem pH were also subjected to two different environmental temperatures of 1° and 25°C. High pH muscles exhibited an extensive degradation of Z-lines, whereas low pH muscles showed a preferential degradation of M-lines and myosin heavy chains. Intermediate pH muscles did not show much degradation of muscle proteins, resulting in tougher meat than either low or high pH muscles. High postmortem temperatures enhanced the degradation of muscle proteins in excised and incubated muscle strips, but the delayed chilling of intact beef sides at 25°C for 8-hr did not affect either the structural changes or meat tenderness.
Knowing your ancestors: themes in the history of evo-devo.

In his magnum opus on the structure of evolutionary theory, Stephen Jay Gould offers the following justification for his extensive attention to the history of evolutionary ideas: ‘‘I regard such analysis not as an antiquarian indulgence, but as an optimal path to [a] proper understanding of our current commitments, and the underlying reasons for our decisions about them’’ (Gould 2002). Evolutionary developmental biology (‘‘evo-devo’’) has become a legitimate research discipline in contemporary biology, and it is time to more adequately trace its origins. A number of articles and conferences have begun an attempt at addressing the historical background to the emergence of evo-devo. The Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology has held two workshops entitled ‘‘From Embryology to EvoDevo’’ (summer 2001 at Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole, MA; fall 2002 at the Dibner Institute in Cambridge, MA), with biologists, historians, and philosophers attempting to seek key contours for a history of evodevo. Some participants have attempted to highlight the relevance of particular researchers, whereas others have tried to isolate key institutional changes that fostered evo-devo as we now see it. Similar work is also emerging in refereed journals (Guralnick 2002). Our goal here is to suggest that a different sorting of the
The lethal plant defense paradox remains: inducible host-plant aristolochic acids and the growth and defense of the pipevine swallowtail

Toxic plants with sequestering specialists are presented with a problem because plant derived toxins protect herbivores against natural enemies. It has been suggested that early induction of toxins and later relaxation of these defenses may help the plant resolve this problem because neonate caterpillars incur the physiological cost of dealing with toxins in early life, but are denied toxins when they are able to sequester them efficiently. In California, the pipevine swallowtail, Battus philenor L. (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), feed exclusively on Aristolochia californica Torrey (Aristolochiaceae), an endemic vine that contains toxic alkaloids called aristolochic acids that caterpillars sequester to provide chemical defense in immature and adult stages. In a field experiment, the concentration of aristolochic acids doubled in the plant following leaf damage and returned to constitutive levels after six days. Neonate pipevine swallowtail caterpillars showed no aversion to high levels of aristolochic acid in a preference test. Caterpillars reared on leaves with supplemented aristolochic acid showed no physiological cost or increased mortality compared to caterpillars reared on un-supplemented leaves. Searching efficiency and capture rate of lacewing larvae (Chrysoperla), a common predator of first instar caterpillars, was compromised significantly after feeding on caterpillars reared on leaves with supplemented concentrations of aristolochic acid compared to caterpillars feeding on control plants. Additionally, mortality of lacewings increased when they were provided with a diet of B. philenor caterpillars reared on supplemented leaves compared to caterpillars reared on control leaves. Thus, the induction of aristolochic acids in the plant following leaf damage does not resolve the problem confronted by the plant and may confer benefits to this sequestering specialist.
Low power RF system for the ALS linac

The linear accelerator (linac) in the Advanced Light Source (ALS) is designed to provide either single or multiple bunches of 50 MeV electrons for the booster synchrotron. The design and operation of the low power RF system for the ALS linac are presented. Three cavities are used in the linac for electron bunching. The two subharmonic bunching cavities operate at 124.914 MHz and 499.654 MHz, respectively. The S-band buncher operates at 2.997924 GHz. The low level RF system includes a master signal source, RF burst generators, signal phase control, timing trigger generators and a water temperature control system. >
Are the Mentally Ill Homeless a Distinct Homeless Subgroup

The question has been raised whether it is useful or meaningful to dichotomize the homeless population by mental illness - i.e., to consider the mentally ill homeless as distinct from other homeless people. The current article presents evidence from a single data set to address this question empirically. Data from a randomly sampled population of 900 homeless men and women systemically interviewed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule were examined to determine associations of mental illness with the problems of homelessness, controlling for the presence of substance abuse in the analyses. Although a few clinically meaningful associations with mental illness were found that might suggest directions for appropriate interventions, mental illness did not differentiate individuals in many important demographic and biographic respects. Individual diagnoses did not perform much better in differentiating the homeless by mental illness. Schizophrenia and bipolar mania showed a few significant associations not identified by the "major mental illness" construct. Major depression, constituting the majority of nonsubstance Axis I disorder in the homeless, provided no association beyond that obtained with the "major mental illness" category. The data provide little support for conceptualizing homeless subgroups or homelessness in general on the basis of mental illness alone. To do so also risks neglecting the emotional distress of the majority without major mental illness and the other problems that homeless persons share regardless of psychiatric illness. While serious mental illness is overrepresented among the homeless, it represents just one of many important vulnerability factors for homelessness. Substance abuse is far more prevalent than other Axis I disorders. Media images equating homelessness with major mental illness unnecessarily stigmatize homeless people and encourage oversimplified and narrowly conceived psychiatric interventions. While continuing attention is needed on improving identification and management of serious mental illness among the homeless, this must be accomplished within the broader context of social and economic aspects of homelessness.
An evaluation of a handheld indirect calorimeter against a standard calorimeter in obese and nonobese adults.

Background: Handheld indirect calorimetry has the potential to allow simple and inexpensive measurement of resting metabolic rate in spontaneously breathing people. However, validation work on these devices is contradictory. The purpose of the current study was to determine the bias and level of agreement of oxygen consumption and resting metabolic rate as measured by a handheld indirect calorimeter against a standard open-circuit indirect calorimetry cart. Materials and Methods: One hundred community-living, spontaneously breathing, ambulatory nonobese and obese adults were studied in single sessions by a single investigator. Sequential measurements were undertaken using the handheld indirect calorimeter and the standard metabolic cart. Measurement sequence was varied randomly. Results: The mean value for oxygen consumption and metabolic rate of the 2 devices was not significantly different. However, agreement between the 2 devices was only 43% in nonobese and obese participants, and there was proportion...
Increased Therapeutic Gain of Combined cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and Whole Body Hyperthermia Therapy by Optimal Heat/Drug Scheduling

Abstract To maximize therapeutic gain, the timing sequence of whole body hyperthermia (WBH) and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (DDP) was examined. Normal tissue injury as well as growth of a s.c. transplanted fibrosarcoma were measured in F344 rats treated with variable schedules of WBH and DDP. Simultaneous application of DDP (2 mg/kg i.v.) with WBH (120 min at 41.5°C) resulted in severe renal injury, body weight loss, and mortality; while sequential use of the modalities caused minimal to no toxicity. DDP or WBH alone produced only minimal tumor growth delay, whereas supraadditive antitumor effects occurred with all tested schedules of DDP combined with WBH, regardless of sequence or interval between the two modalities. We designated the ratio of antitumor effect to nephrotoxicity as specific therapeutic efficacy (STE). DDP given simultaneously with WBH produced the lowest STE (0.6–1.2), which was less than or equal to either DDP (STE = 1.2) or WBH (STE = 1.5) alone. On the other hand, schedules of DDP prior to and after WBH resulted in a STE of 1.8–3.0, a supraadditive effect. These results indicate that an optimal scheduling of DDP with WBH significantly improves therapeutic gain by reducing normal tissue injury while maintaining enhanced antitumor activity.
An energy harvesting scheme for underwater sensor applications

We present our work regarding an energy harvesting scheme for underwater wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The scheme uses principles of galvanic cells, with zinc and brass electrodes, and river water as the electrolyte. Our preliminary work shows that one can harvest a few microwatts per cm2. While modest, this could augment a sensor's primary power supply thus increasing the longevity of the WSN. In some instances the energy may fully power a WSN node.
Predation Analysis and the FTC’s Case against Intel

The Federal Trade Commission's pending antitrust case against Intel challenges a number of Intel's discounting and rebating practices. The Commission appears poised to apply a cost-price test to the challenged practices, but proposes to include "fixed sunk costs" in the appropriate measure of cost. This paper explains the importance of using cost-price screens to assess unilaterally imposed prices and analyzes the futility of including sunk costs in the relevant cost measure.
Delivery of health care to the underserved : potential contributions of telecommunications technology

Objective To evaluate the potential uses of telecommunications in medicine (telemedicine), determine the most important principles in designing telemedicine applications, decide what research questions to address, and identify potential barriers to full use of telemedicine. Design A consensus conference on telemedicine was convened in October 1993 to assemble a wide variety of participants with the assigned task of addressing the objective. Results Consensus was achieved on several key principles for implementation of successful telemedicine. Two of the most important principles will be (1) to focus on the needs of the underserved people more than on the capabilities of the available technologies and the regional centers and (2) to use the least expensive but appropriate telecommunications technology for any specific application. Greater professional connectivity between providers of health care in underserved areas and colleagues in tertiary medical centers is expected to minimize professional isolation in underserved areas. Conclusion Telecommunications technologies have considerable potential for improving health care to the rural and underserved populations, but a systematic approach to implementation, which takes into account the identified key principles, is needed.
Epidermal growth factor signaling induces behavioral quiescence in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/ErbB receptor tyrosine kinases regulate several aspects of development, including the development of the mammalian nervous system. ErbB signaling also has physiological effects on neuronal function, with influences on synaptic plasticity and daily cycles of activity. However, little is known about the effectors of EGFR activation in neurons. Here we show that EGF signaling has a nondevelopmental effect on behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. Ectopic expression of the EGF-like ligand LIN-3 at any stage induces a reversible cessation of feeding and locomotion. These effects are mediated by neuronal EGFR (also called LET-23) and phospholipase C‐c (PLC-c), diacylglycerol-binding proteins, and regulators of synaptic vesicle release. Activation of EGFR within a single neuron, ALA, is sufficient to induce a quiescent state. This pathway modulates the cessation of pharyngeal pumping and locomotion that normally occurs during the lethargus period that precedes larval molting. Our results reveal an evolutionarily conserved role for EGF signaling in the regulation of behavioral quiescence.
In Situ Treatment of Chromium-Contaminated Groundwater.

A feature article, in Environmental Science and Technology, which describes recent advances in the treatment of chromate contaminated groundwater, with particular emphasis on in situ methods.
Innate Immune Molecule Surfactant Protein D Attenuates Sepsis-induced Acute Pancreatic Injury through Modulating Apoptosis and NF-κB-mediated Inflammation

Sepsis causes multiple-organ dysfunction including pancreatic injury, thus resulting in high mortality. Innate immune molecule surfactant protein D (SP-D) plays a critical role in host defense and regulating inflammation of infectious diseases. In this study we investigated SP-D functions in the acute pancreatic injury (API) with C57BL/6 Wild-type (WT) and SP-D knockout (KO) mice in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model. Our results confirm SP-D expression in pancreatic islets and intercalated ducts and are the first to explore the role of pancreatic SP-D in sepsis. CLP decreased pancreatic SP-D levels and caused severe pancreatic injury with higher serum amylase 24 h after CLP. Apoptosis and neutrophil infiltration were increased in the pancreas of septic KO mice (p < 0.05, vs septic WT mice), with lower Bcl-2 and higher caspase-3 levels in septic KO mice (p < 0.05). Molecular analysis revealed increased NF-κB-p65 and phosphorylated IκB-α levels along with higher serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in septic KO mice compared to septic WT mice (p < 0.01). Furthermore, in vitro islet cultures stimulated with LPS produced higher TNF-α and IL-6 (p < 0.05) from KO mice compared to WT mice. Collectively, these results demonstrate SP-D plays protective roles by inhibiting apoptosis and modulating NF-κB-mediated inflammation in CLP-induced API.
Nutritional Survey of an Elderly Russian Population

During March and April 1992, CARE International, with epidemiological support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted household surveys of pensioners 70 years of age or older in two Russian cities. The objectives of these studies were to assess survey feasibility, to report baseline nutritional data, and to determine if demographic identifiers on computerized government listings could be used to target nutritional aid toward the most needy among elderly people. Pensioners in each city were administered questionnaires regarding food consumption and financial and health status. We calculated scores for body mass index (BMI) and Nutritional Screening Initiative (NSI) Checklist (a tool for assessing the nutritional risk status of U.S. elderly). Median pension income was 410 roubles (about $4.00) per month. Forty-five percent of the participants had < or = 500 roubles in savings, 64% reported dental problems, and 60% responded that they had medical problems that interfered with eating. Although the Russian BMI distribution was similar to that of a comparison U.S. elderly population, the Russian NSI score totals were unfavorably elevated. The mean NSI score of 8.8 is more than twice the reported U.S. mean. We found no single demographic identifier to predict the elderly subjects considered at greatest risk, according to NSI scoring. Longitudinal follow-up of these pensioners will be used for continuing assessment of the impact of economic restructuring in Russia upon elderly citizens.
Historiography and the politics of land, identity, and belonging in the twentieth-century North Caucasus

Intercommunal, socio-economic, and political relations in the North Caucasus have historically revolved around access to this mountain region’s prized pasturage and scarce farmland. Given the centrality of the land question in the North Caucasus, it is unsurprising that historiography on land relations in the region has been highly politicized. This article examines how indigenous writing on the history of land relations in the central Caucasus – a region inhabited by today’s Kabardians, Balkars, Ossetians, Ingushes, and Karachais, and dominated by the princely confederation of Kabarda before the tsarist conquest – has been subject to wide revision in response to changes in local and national political dynamics and the emergence of ethnicized identity politics. In the late-imperial and early Soviet periods, Karachai, Balkar, and Ossetian elites-cum-historians, writing for an audience of imperial policy-makers, crafted histories to influence state policies toward land reform. By the 1930s, historians from ...
Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate contraception in women with medical problems.

The contraceptive implant depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) may offer advantages to women with medical problems which contraindicate the use of estrogen. In such women the risks of pregnancy must be weighted against the risk posed by a contraceptive method. While young women with well-controlled hypertension can use DMPA or the combined oral contraceptive patients with uncontrolled hypertension or other risk factors may be better managed with DMPA. DMPA is also an appropriate choice for many women with cardiac disorders which can be associated with an extremely high risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Because it is not associated with increased thrombotic risk DMPA is also safe in women over 35 years old who smoke. The contraceptive is likewise indicated in women with a history of thromboembolic disease (despite package labeling which was based on trials of high doses of DMPA as a cancer treatment). DMPA also is safe in women with sickle cell disease and actually has been shown to reduce the incidence of sickle cell crisis. Evidence also suggests that DMPA injections in anticoagulated women do not increase the incidence of hematoma formation. DMPA will not protect women with underlying predisposing causes of thrombosis from experiencing a thrombotic event. Whereas the contraceptive efficacy of hormonal contraception may be reduced in epileptic women using hepatic enzyme induction agents DMPA has been reported to reduce seizure frequency with few contraceptive failures in such women. In diabetic women with peripheral vascular disease and in women with systemic lupus erythematosus DMPA unlike contraceptives with estrogen avoids the enhanced risk of thrombosis. Because the best pregnancy outcome in women with medical problems occurs when the pregnancy is planned such women should use the most effective contraceptive methods available to them.
Bagging-like effects for decision trees and neural nets in protein secondary structure prediction

In the Third Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction ("CASP-3") contest, the best performance was obtained with a classifier that uses neural networks, a window size of fifteen around a given amino acid, and a training set of about 299,186 amino acids. We set out to investigate the possibility of obtaining better performance by using a bagging-like committee of binary decision trees, created using an order-of-magnitude more training data. There are two main reasons to believe that it should be possible to obtain better performance in this way. One is that Jones did not use a committee of classifiers in CASP-3 (and used only a four-classifier committee in CASP-4), whereas bagging studies indicate that improvement plateaus in the range of thirty to fifty classifiers in a committee. A second is that, by using supercomputers available at the Sandia National Labs, it is feasible to use an order of magnitude more training data than was used by Jones. This paper reports on our experiences pursuing this line of research. We show that with "large" data sets and with bag size equal to partition size, simple disjoint partitioning performs at least as well as standard bagging. Given large datasets, either outperforms a single classifier built on all the data. We also show that there are subtle differences in the operation of binary decision trees and neural networks for this problem. One difference is that the neural network seems less prone to "over-learning" the "easy" subset of the training data.
The ‘harder problem’ of the devil's fall is still a problem: a reply to Wood

William Wood has importantly distinguished between a ‘hard problem’ and a ‘harder problem’ in explaining the devil's fall. He points out that previous attempts to explain Satan's sin have focused only on the former and cleverly argues that consumer preference theory, when applied to Anselm's account of Satan's sin, can solve the latter. In this article, I demonstrate that Wood's solution (i) undermines itself, (ii) fails to absolve God of the charge of being tyrannical, (iii) surreptitiously reintroduces the harder problem, and (iv) eventually collapses back into the initial hard problem. I conclude by suggesting why one might nonetheless be motivated to distinguish between the two problems and what this implies about a belief in the devil's fall.
Two Planks and a Passion: The Dramatic History of Skiing

When I was asked to review this book, I asked myself: Why would they want a ski book reviewed? Then I remembered that present and former members of INSTAAR have done winter research using skis in t...
8 keys to recovery from an eating disorder, by C. Costin, & G. S. Grabb. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2017, 269 pp., $19.95 (paperback)

This workbook, a compliment to an eponymous book by the same authors, covers a model for transition from an Eating Disordered Self to a Healthy Self. It is intended to guide readers in an explorati...
Assessing the Validity of ACTFL Can‐Do Statements for Spoken Proficiency: A Rasch Analysis

The NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements describe what language learners can do at the various ACTFL proficiency sublevels. Unlike the European equivalent of the Can-Do Statements (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), few researchers have assessed the construct validity of the NCSSFL-ACTFL statements. Concerns have included whether the difficulty levels of the skills described in the statements match the statements’ assigned proficiency levels and whether each statement accurately indicates the underlying construct: language proficiency on the ACTFL subscales. This study addressed those two concerns. Undergraduate Spanish learners at an American university (N = 382) self-assessed their speaking proficiency by responding to a selection of 50 NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements. A Rasch analysis revealed 15 misfitting items that did not fit the model. The suspected reasons for the misfit were that the statements were vague, described experiences that the learners may not have had, or assessed multiple skills in a single statement. However, 35 statements fit the model. Discussed are how the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements can be used to self-assess proficiency and how the statements should be assessed for content validity and psychometric value.
The Migraine Attack as a Homeostatic, Neuroprotective Response to Brain Oxidative Stress: Preliminary Evidence for a Theory.

Background Previous research has suggested that migraineurs show higher levels of oxidative stress (lipid peroxides) between migraine attacks and that migraine triggers may further increase brain oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is transduced into a neural signal by the TRPA1 ion channel on meningeal pain receptors, eliciting neurogenic inflammation, a key event in migraine. Thus, migraines may be a response to brain oxidative stress. Results In this article, a number of migraine components are considered: cortical spreading depression, platelet activation, plasma protein extravasation, endothelial nitric oxide synthesis, and the release of serotonin, substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Evidence is presented from in vitro research and animal and human studies of ischemia suggesting that each component has neuroprotective functions, decreasing oxidant production, upregulating antioxidant enzymes, stimulating neurogenesis, preventing apoptosis, facilitating mitochondrial biogenesis, and/or releasing growth factors in the brain. Feedback loops between these components are described. Limitations and challenges to the model are discussed. Conclusions The theory is presented that migraines are an integrated defensive, neuroprotective response to brain oxidative stress.