cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with sickness absence among employees with chronic conditions

Background The growing prevalence of chronic conditions in the ageing workforce has been shown to have a negative impact in terms of optimal work performance and quality of life. It is therefore important to understand the factors associated with sickness absence due to health problems. Aims To examine the socio-demographics, health status indicators, barriers to self-care and social support associated with working adults missing work because of chronic conditions. Methods We analysed data from working adults in the USA with one or more chronic conditions who completed the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Chronic Care Survey. Analyses were performed using SPSS version 22; independent sample t-tests and chi-squared tests were used to compare sample characteristics and logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with missed work as a dichotomous outcome variable. Results Among the 250 study subjects, employees who reported poorer general health status [odd ratio (OR) = 1.62, P < 0.05], more physician visits (OR = 1.45, P < 0.01), not having enough money for their health (OR = 3.69, P < 0.01) and a higher reliance on their co-workers (OR = 1.71, P < 0.05) were significantly more likely to report sickness absence due to their chronic conditions. Conclusions To reduce absences among employees with chronic conditions, employers need to understand the importance of factors such as employee income, resources and knowledge of disease self-care. US employers should explore opportunities for employees to offset health care costs, apply appropriate time-flexible work policies and encourage employees' participation in health knowledge enhancing interventions.
Curcumin for radiation dermatitis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 30 breast cancer patients.

9027 Background: Radiation dermatitis occurs in approximately 95% of patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer and often leads to pain and treatment delays. There is no standard treatment with demonstrated effectiveness for the prevention of radiation dermatitis. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-control clinical trial to assess the efficacy of curcumin, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory component of turmeric, to reduce radiation dermatitis in 30 breast cancer patients. Methods: Eligible patients included adult females with non-inflammatory breast cancer or carcinoma in situ prescribed radiation therapy without concurrent chemotherapy. After randomization, patients took four 500 mg capsules of curcumin or placebo three times daily throughout their course of radiation therapy (total daily dose = 6.0 g). Weekly assessments included Radiation Dermatitis Severity (RDS) Score, presence/absence of moist desquamation, erythema measure, and McGill Pain and Symptom Inventory (SI) ques...
The phytochemical 3,3'-diindolylmethane decreases expression of AR-controlled DNA damage repair genes through repressive chromatin modifications and is associated with DNA damage in prostate cancer cells.

Androgen receptor (AR) is a nuclear receptor transcription factor that plays a central role in normal prostate physiology as well as in prostate cancer biology (PCa). Phytochemicals like 3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM) have emerged as promising therapeutic agents against PCa. DIM has been shown to influence both AR activity and other epigenetic regulators in PCa cells. However, it is not known if DIM contributes to PCa suppression via epigenetic regulation of AR target genes. Here we assessed epigenetic regulation of important AR-target genes in LNCaP PCa cells treated with DIM. DIM led to epigenetic suppression of AR-target genes involved in DNA repair (PARP1, MRE11 and DNA-PK) that coincided with an increase in DNA damage. Decreased AR-target genes expression was accompanied by an increase in repressive chromatin marks and loss of AR occupancy and recruitment of EZH2 to their regulatory regions. In addition, decreased expression of DNA repair genes was associated with an increase in DNA damage (γH2Ax) and up-regulation of genomic repeat elements LINE1 and α-satellite. Together our results suggest that the dietary phytochemical DIM suppresses AR-dependent gene transcription through epigenetic modulation, leading to DNA damage and genome instability in PCa cells.
Focus expansion and stability of the spread parameter estimate of the power law model for dispersal gradients

Empirical and mechanistic modeling indicate that pathogens transmitted via aerially dispersed inoculum follow a power law, resulting in dispersive epidemic waves. The spread parameter (b) of the power law model, which is an indicator of the distance of the epidemic wave front from an initial focus per unit time, has been found to be approximately 2 for several animal and plant diseases over a wide range of spatial scales under conditions favorable for disease spread. Although disease spread and epidemic expansion can be influenced by several factors, the stability of the parameter b over multiple epidemic years has not been determined. Additionally, the size of the initial epidemic area is expected to be strongly related to the final epidemic extent for epidemics, but the stability of this relationship is also not well established. Here, empirical data of cucurbit downy mildew epidemics collected from 2008 to 2014 were analyzed using a spatio-temporal model of disease spread that incorporates logistic growth in time with a power law function for dispersal. Final epidemic extent ranged from 4.16 ×108 km2 in 2012 to 6.44 ×108 km2 in 2009. Current epidemic extent became significantly associated (P < 0.0332; 0.56 < R2 < 0.99) with final epidemic area beginning near the end of April, with the association increasing monotonically to 1.0 by the end of the epidemic season in July. The position of the epidemic wave-front became exponentially more distant with time, and epidemic velocity increased linearly with distance. Slopes from the temporal and spatial regression models varied with about a 2.5-fold range across epidemic years. Estimates of b varied substantially ranging from 1.51 to 4.16 across epidemic years. We observed a significant b ×time (or distance) interaction (P < 0.05) for epidemic years where data were well described by the power law model. These results suggest that the spread parameter b may not be stable over multiple epidemic years. However, b ≈ 2 may be considered the lower limit of the distance traveled by epidemic wave-fronts for aerially transmitted pathogens that follow a power law dispersal function.
Health Realization: A Principle-Based Psychology of Positive Youth Development

While we have numerous research-based programs for youth aimed at curbing drug use, violence, suicide, teen pregnancy, and delinquency, we lack a rigorous principle-based psychology of positive youth development. Instead of focusing on fixing what is assumed to be missing or broken in at-risk youth, we need a psychology grounded in fundamental causal principles that reveal clearly how such children and adolescents can become self-motivated, socially competent, compassionate, and psychologically vigorous adults. While the emerging field of positive psychology has attempted to shift the field's emphasis from understanding and treating youthful dysfunction to facilitating well-being and resiliency in young people, it lacks a principle-based foundation and continues to mistakenly endorse external causes of positive affect and prosocial behavior. This paper offers a unique, principle-based psychology of positive youth development commonly known as health realization (HR). The underlying principles of HR are delineated, contemporary research that supports its major assumptions cited, and the results of applied HR research with at-risk youth in clinical, educational, and community empowerment settings described.
An Update: Myasthenia Gravis and Pregnancy

Myasthenia gravis presents a risk factor for pregnancy and delivery, and can affect the newborn. In return, pregnancy can affect the course of myasthenia and worsen the disease during pregnancy requiring treatment modifications. Treatment optimization and drug safety should be addressed before conception. Delivery is complicated by prolonged labor. Newborns can develop neonatal myasthenia gravis, a treatable and transient disease. Patients should not be discouraged to become pregnant, but provided with supportive counseling, planning, and monitoring in a multidisciplinary team involving obstetrician, anesthesiologist, pediatrician, and neurologist. Pregnancy outcome is favorable in women who receive treatment and expert care.
Molecular assessment of the potential for in situ bioremediation of PCBs from aquatic sediments

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of xenobiotic compounds that are ubiquitous and oftentimes persistent environmental pollutants. As such, PCBs are a common target of sediment remediation efforts. Microbial degradation of sediment pollutants such as PCBs offers an environmentally sound and economically favorable alternative to conventional means of remediation such as dredging. This project describes the development of a PCR-based assay to determine the potential for PCB bioremediation by the resident microbial consortium in contaminated sediments. Using PCR and RT-PCR of DNA and RNA, respectively, extracted from aquatic sediments collected from the western basin of Lake Erie and one of its tributaries, we were able to amplify the bphA1 gene that encodes the large subunit of biphenyl dioxygenase. Since other studies have determined that the BphA1 gene product dictates PCB congener specificity, this assay may prove to be a useful screen for endemic catabolic activities for PCB mixtures in aquatic sediments.
C-H Activation by Low Valent Iron Complexes

The activation of C-H bonds by transition metal complexes is an area of considerable interest. This interest is indicated by the number of papers on the subject presented at this meeting [1]. Our work on C-H activation by Fe(dmpe)2 species (dmpe = bis (dimethyl-phosphino)ethane) has been reported elsewhere [2–5]. “Fe(dmpe)” reacts with activated sp3 [4], aromatic and non-aromatic sp2 [5], and acetylenic sp C-H [4] bonds to give new H-Fe-R species. The reactions, which involved reductive elimination of naphthalene from a hydrido-naphthyl precursor and oxidative addition of a variety of C-H bonds to the resultant, coordinatively unsaturated species, proceed through cis intermediates even when the hybride and the R-group are trans in the ultimate product. These results led us to suggest a transition state involving a three centered species such as \( \mathop{1}\limits_{\sim } \). It became apparent from our work and the work of others that Open image in new window there were two requirements for the oxidative addition of C-H bonds to transition metal complexes: the metal center must be a) coordinatively unsaturated, and; b) very electron rich. Continued work in low valent iron systems has led to additional insight into the activation of C-H bonds.
When Optimizer Chooses Table Scans: How to Make Them More Responsive

Recent studies show that table scans are increasingly more common than using secondary indices. Given that the optimizer may choose table scans when the selectivity is as low as 0.5% with large data, it is important to make initial query results faster for interactive data explorations. We formulate it as a query result timeliness problem, and propose two complementary approaches. The first approach builds lightweight statistics and judiciously determines an access order to data blocks for a given query. The second approach performs adaptive microscopic tuple reordering online without relying on pre-built statistics. Our systematic experimental evaluation further verifies the efficiency and efficacy of our approaches.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Pancreas Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) describes a phenotype of pancreatic steatosis (PS) that is not caused by alcohol consumption, viral infections, toxins, or congenital metabolic syndromes but is associated with insulin resistance, malnutrition, obesity, metabolic syndrome, or increasing age. NAFPD is a relatively new disease entity, as the clinical significance of fatty infiltration of pancreas has gained attention recently. Clinical consequences of NAFPD remain largely unknown despite clinical associations. This review aims to study similarities and differences between hepatic and PS and explore recent advances in NAFPD.
Nucleation of Co 3 C Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Supercritical Condition of Ethanol

Co3C magnetic nanoparticles have been synthesized using supercritical conditions of ethanol. The phase structure of the samples has shown two phases of orthorhombic Co3C and Co structures. The morphology of the prepared nanoparticles reveals a spherical-like shape. Tailoring the synthesis parameters has led to controlling the magnetic properties depending on the ratio of Co3C:Co in the samples. The magnetic properties of the samples have been measured, revealing ferromagnetic behavior. The data yield coercivity (HC) was of 600–950 Oe and saturation magnetization (MS) of 20–38 emu/g. The results present alternative approach to nucleate Co3C magnetic nanoparticles. The synthesis method will be optimized in the future to produce a pure Co3C phase structure.
Deconvolution of electroosmotic flow in hysteresis ion transport through single asymmetric nanopipettes.

Unveiling the contributions of electroosmotic flow (EOF) in the electrokinetic transport through structurally-defined nanoscale pores and channels is challenging but fundamentally significant because of the broad relevance of charge transport in energy conversion, desalination and analyte mixing, micro and nano-fluidics, single entity analysis, capillary electrophoresis etc. This report establishes a universal method to diagnose and deconvolute EOF in the nanoscale transport processes through current–potential measurements and analysis without simulation. By solving Poisson, Nernst–Planck (PNP) with and without Navier–Stokes (NS) equations, the impacts of EOF on the time-dependent ion transport through asymmetric nanopores are unequivocally revealed. A sigmoidal shape in the I–V curves indicate the EOF impacts which further deviate from the well-known non-linear rectified transport features. Two conductance signatures, an absolute change in conductance and a ‘normalized’ one relative to ion migration, are proposed as EOF impact (factor). The EOF impacts can be directly elucidated from current–potential experimental results from the two analytical parameters without simulation. The EOF impact is found more significant in intermediate ionic strength, and potential and pore size dependent. The less-intuitive ionic strength and size dependence is explained by the combined effects of electrostatic screening and non-homogeneous charge distribution/transport at nanoscale interface. The time-dependent conductivity and optical imaging experiments using single nanopipettes validate the proposed method which is applicable to other channel type nanodevices and membranes. The generalizable approach eliminates the need of simulation/fitting of specific experiments and offers previously inaccessible insights into the nanoscale EOF impacts under various experimental conditions for the improvement of separation, energy conversions, high spatial and temporal control in single entity sensing/manipulation, and other related applications.
Cross-sectional associations between the neighborhood built environment and physical activity in a rural setting: the Bogalusa Heart Study

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a common health risk and more prevalent in rural populations. Few studies have assessed relationships between the built environment and PA in rural settings, and community policy guidance to promote PA through built environment interventions is primarily based on evidence from urban studies. Participants in the Bogalusa Heart Study, a longitudinal study in rural Louisiana, with International Physical Activity Questionnaire data from 2012 to 2013 and a valid residential address (N = 1245) were included. PA was summarized as the number of weekly metabolic equivalent (MET)-minutes of total, transportation, and leisure time PA. The Rural Active Living Assessment street segment audit tool and Google Street View were used to assess features of the built environment overall and in six categories (path features, pedestrian safety features, aesthetics, physical security, destinations and land use) that influence PA. Scores for street segment built environment (overall and in categories) were calculated, for segments and buffers of 0.25, 0.50, 1.00 and 1.50 miles. Associations between built environment scores and PA were assessed with generalized estimating equations. Participants reported little weekly total, leisure time, and transportation PA (mean 470, 230 and 43 MET-minutes per week, respectively). A 1-point increase in the overall built environment score was associated with 10.30 additional weekly leisure time MET-minutes within a 1.50 mile buffer (p-value 0.05), with a similar magnitude observed for a 1.00-mile buffer. A 1-point increase in the aesthetic score was associated with significantly higher leisure time PA for all geographic units (from 22.21 to 38.75 MET-minutes weekly) when adjusted for individual covariates, but was attenuated and only significant for the segment of the residence after accounting for other neighborhood characteristics. Significant associations between features of the environment (overall and aesthetic scores) with leisure time PA were observed among adults in this rural population. Built environment interventions in rural settings face additional barriers of lower population density and greater distances for infrastructure projects, and it is important to identify approaches that are both feasible for rural communities and can promote PA.
Cell autonomous angiotensin II signaling controls the pleiotropic functions of oncogenic K-Ras

Oncogenic K-Ras (K-RasG12V) promotes senescence in normal cells but fuels transformation of cancer cells after the senescence barrier is bypassed. The mechanisms regulating this pleiotropic function of K-Ras remain to be fully established and bear high pathological significance. We find that K-RasG12V activates the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene promoter and promotes AGT protein expression in a Kruppel-like factor 6–dependent manner in normal cells. We show that AGT is then converted to angiotensin II (Ang II) in a cell-autonomous manner by cellular proteases. We show that blockade of the Ang II receptor type 1 (AT1-R) in normal cells inhibits oncogene-induced senescence. We provide evidence that the oncogenic K-Ras–induced synthesis of Ang II and AT1-R activation promote senescence through caveolin-1–dependent and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2–mediated oxidative stress. Interestingly, we find that expression of AGT remains elevated in lung cancer cells but in a Kruppel-like factor 6–independent and high-mobility group AT-hook 1–dependent manner. We show that Ang II–mediated activation of the AT1-R promotes cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of lung cancer cells through a STAT3-dependent pathway. Finally, we find that expression of AGT is elevated in lung tumors of K-RasLA2-G12D mice, a mouse model of lung cancer, and human lung cancer. Treatment with the AT1-R antagonist losartan inhibits lung tumor formation in K-RasLA2-G12D mice. Together, our data provide evidence of the existence of a novel cell-autonomous and pleiotropic Ang II–dependent signaling pathway through which oncogenic K-Ras promotes oncogene-induced senescence in normal cells while fueling transformation in cancer cells.
Solution of an Odds Inversion Problem

Abstract–“From a bag containing red and blue balls, two are removed at random. The chances are 50-50 that they will differ in color. What were the possible numbers of balls initially in the bag?” T...
Retrospective analysis of anti-inflammatory therapies during the first wave of COVID-19 at a community hospital.

Retrospective analysis of anti-inflammatory therapies during the first wave of COVID-19 at a community hospital
Europe: Monitoring Bodies for the Prevention of Ill Treatment

Independent monitoring bodies play an important role in preventing ill treatment in detention; they are a powerful tool for the respect of human rights in detention. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) visits all 47 countries of the Council of Europe and has unrestricted access to detention facilities at any time, has access to all documents, and possesses the right to speak in private with all detained persons. The CPT has emphasized the important role of healthcare services staff in regard to methodical recording and reporting of injuries. Nevertheless, the scope of health care in detention is larger, because inadequate provision of health care in detention can rapidly lead to situations falling within the scope of inhuman and degrading treatment. At the end of the CPT visit, the delegation presents its findings to the government, generally to the Ministers of Interior and Justice. An ongoing and confidential dialogue between the country’s government and regular visits of the CPT makes this monitoring body one of the most powerful worldwide.
Mathematical Foundations of Imaging, Tomography and Wavefield Inversion: Eigenfunction expansions of solutions to the Helmholtz equation

The “solutions” of boundary-value problems presented in Section 2.8 are merely formal in that the appropriate Green functions must be found, and finding these Green functions is extremely difficult except in certain special cases such as the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld problem. Moreover, even when the appropriate Green functions can be found they are often expressed in the form of superpositions of elementary solutions of the homogeneous Helmholtz equation that are especially suited for dealing with boundaries of a specific shape. One example of a set of such elementary solutions is the plane waves which arise from applying the method of separation of variables to the homogeneous Helmholtz equation using a Cartesian coordinate system and, as we will see below, form a complete set of basis functions for fitting boundary-value data specified on plane surfaces; e.g., for the RS problems. However, the plane waves have limited utility in solving boundary-value problems involving non-planar boundaries such as spherical boundaries. In that case the method of separation of variables is applied to the Helmholtz equation using a spherical polar coordinate system and the so-called multipole fields arise as a set of elementary solutions that form a basis for fitting boundary-value data specified on spherical boundaries. In this chapter we will briefly review the method of separation of variables for the Helmholtz equation and obtain the resulting eigenfunctions for the important cases of Cartesian, spherical polar and cylindrical coordinate systems.
Liver-Derived DEC205+B220+CD19− Dendritic Cells Regulate T Cell Responses

Leukocytes resident in the liver may play a role in immune responses. We describe a cell population propagated from mouse liver nonparenchymal cells in IL-3 and anti-CD40 mAb that exhibits a distinct surface immunophenotype and function in directing differentiation of naive allogeneic T cells. After culture, such cells are DEC-205(bright)B220+CD11c-CD19-, and negative for T (CD3, CD4, CD8alpha), NK (NK 1.1) cell markers, and myeloid Ags (CD11b, CD13, CD14). These liver-derived DEC205+B220+ CD19- cells have a morphology and migratory capacity similar to dendritic cells. Interestingly, they possess Ig gene rearrangements, but lack Ig molecule expression on the cell surface. They induce low thymidine uptake of allogeneic T cells in MLR due to extensive apoptosis of activated T cells. T cell proliferation is restored by addition of the common caspase inhibitor peptide, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone (zVAD-fmk). T cells stimulated by liver-derived DEC205+B220+D19- cells release both IL-10 and IFN-gamma, small amounts of TGF-beta, and no IL-2 or IL-4, a cytokine profile resembling T regulatory type 1 cells. Expression of IL-10 and IFN-gamma, but not bioactive IL-12 in liver DEC205+B220+CD19- cells was demonstrated by RNase protection assay. In vivo administration of liver DEC205+B220+CD19- cells significantly prolonged the survival of vascularized cardiac allografts in an alloantigen-specific manner.
RAD9 enhances radioresistance of human prostate cancer cells through regulation of ITGB1 protein levels.

BACKGROUND Mouse embryonic stem cells null for Rad9 are sensitive to deleterious effects of ionizing radiation exposure. Likewise, integrin β1 is a known radioprotective factor. Previously, we showed that RAD9 downregulation in human prostate cancer cells reduces integrin β1 protein levels and ectopic expression of Mrad9 restores inherent high levels. METHODS We used RNA interference to knockdown Rad9 expression in PC3 and DU145 prostate cancer cells. These cells were then exposed to ionizing radiation, and integrin β1 protein levels were measured by immunoblotting. Survival of irradiated cells was measured by clonogenicity, cell cycle analysis, PARP-1 cleavage, and trypan blue exclusion. RESULTS The function of RAD9 in controlling integrin β1 expression is unique and not shared by the other members of the 9-1-1 complex, HUS1 and RAD1. RAD9 or integrin β1 silencing sensitizes DU145 and PC3 cells to ionizing radiation. Irradiation of DU145 cells with low levels of RAD9 induces cleavage of PARP-1 protein. High levels of ionizing radiation have no effect on integrin β1 protein levels. However, when RAD9 downregulation is combined with 10 Gy of ionizing radiation in DU145 or PC3 cells, there is an additional 50% downregulation of integrin β1 compared with levels in unirradiated RAD9 knockdown cells. Finally, PC3 cells growing on fibronectin display increased radioresistance. However, PC3 cells with RAD9 knockdown are no longer protected by fibronectin after treatment with ionizing radiation. CONCLUSIONS Downregulation of RAD9 when combined with ionizing radiation results in reduction of ITGB1 protein levels in prostate cancer cells, and increased lethality. Prostate 74:1359–1370, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Correlation of neutron and heavy-ion damage: I. The influence of dose rate and injected helium on swelling in pure nickel

Abstract Displacement damage structures in pure nickel at the 1 dpa level are compared for two widely disparate damage rates, 10 −7 dpa/s for neutron irradiations and 3 X 10 −3 dpa/s for self-ion bombardments over a range of temperatures spanning those for void formation. Peak swelling at about 0.7% is found at 400° and 600°C, respectively. At equivalent swelling temperatures, voids in the ion-bombarded material are larger and fewer than those from neutron irradiation, especially at temperatures above the peak swelling temperature. Additions of 20 appm He, matching that generated in the neutron irradiations, were made to the ion-bombarded nickel either prior to ion bombardment (preinjection) or during ion bombardment (simultaneous injection). This helium caused increased swelling at the upper and lower temperature extremes. Simultaneously implanted helium did not otherwise significantly affect microstructures, whereas preinjected helium increased the dislocation density and caused more but smaller voids over the full temperature range of swelling.
Chromatographic separation and antigenic analysis of proteins of the oncornaviruses. II. Mammalian leukemia-sarcoma viruses.

Gel filtration of avian tumor virus proteins in 6 m guanidine hydrochloride clearly resolved seven major protein species. The antigenic activity of these proteins was recovered in good yield after removal of the denaturing solvent, permitting a correlation of specific polypeptides with the principal antigens of the virion. Two of the proteins, of molecular weights 70,000 and 32,000, contain carbohydrate and are situated on the viral membrane, as shown by their being accessible in the intact virus to specific antibodies. Four proteins, with molecular weights (in guanidine) of 27,000, 19,000, 15,000, and 12,000, have different group-specific (gs) antigens and are enclosed within the viral membrane. The smallest protein, with a molecular weight of 10,000, has not previously been described; it is not detectable with antisera and possesses a mobility identical to that of one gs protein when subjected to electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Of the proteins lacking carbohydrate, three are present in the virion in a molecular ratio of 2:2:1, and the two others, present in almost equal amount, are rich in lysine and arginine.
Impulse response of elastic half-space in the wave number-time domain

This paper presents formulas for the response functions in the mixed wave number–time domain for a homogeneous, elastic half-space subjected to impulsive, spatially harmonic sources on its surface. These functions are useful when obtaining the wave field in a half space elicited by dynamic surface sources of arbitrary spatial distribution on the surface, in either two or three dimensions. The formulas in this paper are obtained by contour integration of the Green’s functions in the frequency–wave number domain. The correctness and accuracy of these solutions is then assessed by comparison with the results of the well-known transient response functions for suddenly applied loads in both two and three dimensions.
Effects of slow-release formulation of syntheticendo- andexo-brevicomin on southern pine beetle flight and landing behavior

A slow release formulation of the bark beetle pheromones,endo- andexo-brevicomin, significantly reduced landing of southern pine beetles on host trees. Beetle flight activity within the infestation was not affected by the pheromones. The pheromones were released at approximately 600 mg/ha/day via Conrel® hollow fiber controlled-release dispensers.
Unexpected shape changes of encapsulated oblate spheroids in response to equatorial traction

The purpose of the study was to determine the change in shape of an encapsulated spheroid associated with an increase in its circumferential equatorial diameter. Using nonlinear finite element analysis the effects of changing the spheroid's aspect ratio, the elastic modulus of its capsule and the Poisson's ratio of the encapsulated fluid were assessed. We found that when the equatorial diameter of a spheroid with an aspect ratio of ≤0.6 was increased, the new central sagittal cross sectional profile of the oblate spheroid was no longer elliptical. The new profile had a larger minor axis, the curvature at its poles was steeper and the curvature near its equator was flatter than the original profile. The new profile referred to herein as a 'steep profile' also occurred when the major axis of a two-dimensional ellipse with an aspect ratio of ≤0.6 was increased providing the area enclosed by the ellipse was held constant or allowed to minimally decrease. 'Steep profiles' occur in encapsulated oblate spheroids with different material properties, in two-dimensional ellipses and floating oil films. This suggests that the phenomenon may have universal implications.
Artifacts introduced by spectacle lenses in the measurement of strabismic deviations.

The peripheral prismatic effects of corrective spectacle lenses introduce an artifact when strabismic deviations are measured. Plus lenses decrease and minus lenses increase the measured deviation. This effect begins to become clinically significant with corrective lenses with powers of more than ±5 diopters. We developed a simplified model that predicts the magnitude of this effect. The model agreed with actual ray tracing analysis through commonly used spectacle lenses and also agreed closely with clinical data. The clinical use of this model is facilitated by remembering the artifacts produced by +20, +10, -10, and -20 diopter spectacle lenses and interpolating for intermediate values. Correcting for these artifacts should enhance the predictability of strabismus surgery in patients with significant ametropia.
Decision Point: IT Infrastructure Mismatch

In the defense industry, quality training is key to the military success of our troops. Increasingly, more training is developed for delivery in an online format, as â€œe-learningâ€ ?a convenient and cost-effective alternative to instructor-led training. With a learning management system such as the U.S. Navy uses, courses developed by contractors are posted into its database and accessed by naval users across the world. The Defense Source Company is an industry leader in defense products and services, including training. There are two divisions that provide such training, but there are differences in orientation and infrastructure that muddy the situation when developing training. This case provides an overview of this defense contractor with two related divisions that both offer similar resources. Readers are challenged to understand the infrastructure resources of both divisions and to decide what should be done with them for the ultimate success of the company.
The clinical approach to autonomic failure in neurological disorders

Central or peripheral neurological disorders can manifest with autonomic failure or autonomic hyperactivity, which may affect the sympathetic, parasympathetic and/or enteric nervous systems. Disorders causing autonomic failure can be classified according to the presence or absence of associated neurological manifestations, such as peripheral neuropathy or parkinsonism, and their temporal profile (acute or subacute, chronic progressive, static, or episodic). A systematic approach allows focused evaluation to detect treatable, potentially disabling or life-threatening conditions. Subacute isolated autonomic failure affecting sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric nervous system function, in various combinations, occurs in autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy, which might be the first manifestation of an underlying neoplasm. Autonomic failure can be an important feature of several types of peripheral neuropathy, including sensorimotor peripheral neuropathies, sensory ganglionopathy, and distal painful peripheral neuropathies. Progressive autonomic failure occurs in neurodegenerative synucleinopathies such as multiple system atrophy and Lewy body disorders. Autonomic failure may also occur in hereditary leukoencephalopathies or prion disorders. This Review outlines the clinical approach to patients with generalized autonomic failure, focusing predominantly on classification and diagnosis, but also touching briefly on treatment and management.
Calibrating the MINERvA detector

Abstract The MINERvA experiment, located at Fermilab, will use the NuMI beam line for measuring neutrino-nucleus interaction rates with very high precision. In order to obtain the unprecedented precision MINERvA is capable of, sophisticated calibration techniques are applied both prior to installation and in situ.Calibration of PMT gains and scintillator response is discussed.
Estimating size and scatter of world physics journal literature

The foregoing analysis assumes the whole of physics journal literature to follow a Bradford distribution. However, figure 1, as well as other published Bradford plots of physics literature, show similar “Groos droop” deviations from linearity at the upper end [13, 14]. The common explanation for this deviation is incompleteness of the bibliographic data [5], but this of course cannot be proven without compiling a truly complete world bibliography on the subject. If the droop is real, i.e. not the consequence of bibliographic incompleteness, then the estimates of journals and papers are exaggerated. On the other hand, another assumption is that the first 110 ranked journals in this study are indeed the top producing physics journals, and that all source items published in these journals are actually physics papers. The extent to which this assumption does not hold means a decrease in the estimates, thereby opposing the first possible error. The fact that the actual number of papers published by the journal of first rank exceeds B, the theoretical number derived from analysis, suggests an underestimate of total journals and papers. This supports the assumption that any deviation from the Bradford distribution is minimal and that the Groos droop is a consequence of bibliographic incompleteness.
Composing and combining policies under the policy machine

As a major component of any host, or network operating system, access control mechanisms come in a wide variety of forms, each with their individual attributes, functions, methods for configuring policy, and a tight coupling to a class of policies. To afford generalized protection, NIST has initiated a project in pursuit of a standardized access control mechanism, referred to as the Policy Machine (PM) that requires changes only in its configuration in the enforcement of arbitrary and organization specific attribute-based access control policies. Included among the PM's enforceable policies are combinations of policy instances (e.g., Role-Based Access Control and Multi-Level Security). In our effort to devise a generic access control mechanism, we construct the PM in terms of what we believe to be abstractions, properties and functions that are fundamental to policy configuration and enforcement. In its protection of objects under one or more policy instances, the PM categorizes users and objects and their attributes into policy classes, and transparently enforces these policies through a series of fixed PM functions, that are invoked in response to user or subject (process) access requests.
Coherent electroproduction of pions from He 3

The $^{3}\mathrm{He}$(e,${\mathit{e}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{+}$${)}^{3}$H reaction is the simplest of the coherent charged pion electroproduction reactions in nuclear physics. It is sensitive to the structure of the trinucleons, and can be studied with the high duty factor electron accelerators now available. It may also provide some insight for understanding the basic p(e,${\mathit{e}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{+}$)n reaction if the latter can be described within the constituent quark models of nucleons. In this work, we calculate the ratio of p(e,${\mathit{e}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{+}$)n and $^{3}\mathrm{He}$(e,${\mathit{e}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{+}$${)}^{3}$H cross sections for two kinematical conditions with invariant photon-nucleon mass W=1160 and 1230 MeV, respectively. The four important contributions to this ratio are identified as (i) the finite size (i.e., the form factor) of the trinucleons, (ii) the spin-isospin correlations in the trinucleons, (iii) the finite range of the propagation of the struck proton, and (iv) the possible pion-nucleon final state interactions. Together they reduce the ratio of the cross section to \ensuremath{\sim}0.4 in this kinematic range. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Vascularized Medial Femoral Trochlea Osteochondral Flap Reconstruction of Advanced Kienböck Disease

Purpose To describe the operative technique and report the results of 16 consecutive cases of arthroplasty for advanced Kienbock disease using a vascularized osteochondral graft from the medial femoral trochlea (MFT) with a minimum 12-month follow-up. Methods Chart reviews of 16 cases of osteochondral MFT flap transfers for lunate reconstruction were performed in 2 institutions. Mean patient age was 35 years (range, 19-51 y). Preoperative Lichtman staging was 2 in 7 patients, 3a in 8 patients, and 3b in 1. Five of 16 patients had undergone a previous procedure for Kienbock disease (3 radial shortening osteotomies, 1 wrist denervation, and 1 distal radius vascularized bone grafting). Ulnar variance recorded at the time of the MFT reconstruction was negative in 8 patients, positive in 6 patients, and neutral in 2 patients. Follow-up data were recorded at a minimum of 12 months (average, 19 mo). Radiographic parameters recorded included preoperative ulnar variance, preoperative and final follow-up radioscaphoid angle, lunate height, lunate diameter, and the Stahl index and Lichtman stage. Results Healing was confirmed in 15 of 16 reconstructed lunates. Lichtman staging remained unchanged in 10 patients, improved in 4 patients from grade 3a and 3b to 2, and worsened in 2 patients from grade 3a to 3b. All but 1 patient experienced improvement in wrist pain (12/16 complete relief; 3/16 incomplete relief). Wrist motion at follow-up averaged 50° extension and 38° flexion, similar to preoperative measurements. Grip strength at follow-up was 85% of the contralateral side. Conclusions Osteochondral vascularized MFT flaps provided a reliable means of lunate reconstruction in advanced Kienbock disease. This flap allowed resection of the proximal portion of the collapsed lunate and reconstruction with an anatomically analogous convex segment of vascularized cartilage-bearing bone. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Ganglion cells are required for normal progenitor-cell proliferation but not cell-fate determination or patterning in the developing mouse retina

Summary The vertebrate retina develops from an amorphous sheet of dividing retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) through a sequential process that culminates in an exquisitely patterned neural tissue [1]. A current model for retinal development posits that sequential cell-type differentiation is the result of changes in the intrinsic competence state of multipotent RPCs as they advance in time and that the intrinsic changes are influenced by continuous changes in the extracellular environment [2]. Although several studies support the proposition that newly differentiated cells alter the extrinsic state of the developing retina [2, 3], it is still far from clear what role they play in modifying the extracellular environment and in influencing the properties of RPCs. Here, we specifically ablate retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) as they differentiate, and we determine the impact of RGC absence on retinal development. We find that RGCs are not essential for changing the competence of RPCs, but they are necessary for maintaining sufficient numbers of RPCs by regulating cell proliferation via growth factors. Intrinsic rather than extrinsic factors are likely to play the critical roles in determining retinal cell fate.
Long-term physical activity patterns and health-related quality of life in U.S. women.

Background Despite studies showing that physically active individuals report higher quality-of-life scores, few data exist on the impact of changing physical activity levels on subsequent changes in quality of life. Methods Subjects were 63,152 women in the Nurses’ Health Study aged 40 to 67 years in 1986. Women reported their physical activity on questionnaires in 1986, 1988, 1992, 1994, and 1996, and were grouped according to quartile of change in activity from 1986 to 1996. Women also reported seven health-related quality-of-life dimensions in 1996 and 2000 using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 Health Status Survey. The main outcome measures were scores for each of these seven dimensions in 1996, as well as changes in each of these dimensions from 1996 to 2000. Data were analyzed in 2006. Results In age and baseline activity adjusted analyses, compared to women whose physical activity was relatively stable from 1986 to 1996, women who saw any increase in physical activity levels had higher quality-of-life scores in 1996. Among women with a clear increase in physical activity, the increase in quality-of-life scores ranged from 2.23 (95% confidence intervals [CI]=1.94–2.52) for mental health to 8.23 (95% CI=7.49–8.97) for role limitations due to physical problems. Increasing physical activity also was associated with greater increases in quality-of-life scores from 1996 to 2000 compared to women whose physical activity level was stable. The strongest association was for role limitations due to physical problems, where women with a clear increase in physical activity had a significant improvement (1.81, 95% CI=1.09–2.53) in the outcome. Conclusions Long-term physical activity patterns are an important determinant of health-related quality of life.
Resting cardiovascular levels and reactivity to interpersonal incivility among Black, Latina/o, and White individuals: the moderating role of ethnic discrimination.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine cardiovascular responses among Black, non-Hispanic White, and Latina/o participants exposed to a potentially discriminatory situation. The study also examined the moderating role of prior history of discrimination on cardiovascular responses. Design: Black, Latina/o, and White participants engaged in a resting baseline and then interacted with an uncivil White research assistant. Main Outcome Measures: Two measures of prior exposure to discrimination were administered. Participants' blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were monitored throughout the protocol. The primary outcomes were resting cardiovascular function and cardiovascular reactivity to the uncivil interaction. Results: Past discrimination was related to higher resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) among Latina/o participants and lower resting SBP among White participants. Further, past discrimination was related to attenuated SBP and HR reactivity among Latina/o participants but was related to augmented HR reactivity among White participants. Discrimination was not related to resting levels or reactivity among Black participants. Conclusion: This study is the first to examine the relationship between discrimination and cardiovascular responses to interpersonal incivility among Black, Latina/o, and White individuals. Findings suggest that the relationship between discrimination and cardiovascular risk may differ by ethnicity.
Differential Subnuclear Localization of RNA Strands of Opposite Polarity Derived from an Autonomously Replicating Viroid

The wide variety of RNAs produced in the nucleus must be localized correctly to perform their functions. However, the mechanism of this localization is poorly understood. We report here the differential subnuclear localization of RNA strands of opposite polarity derived from the replicating Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd). During replication, (+)- and (-)-strand viroid RNAs are produced. We found that in infected cultured cells and plants, the (-)-strand RNA was localized in the nucleoplasm, whereas the (+)-strand RNA was localized in the nucleolus as well as in the nucleoplasm with distinct spatial patterns. Furthermore, the presence of the (+)-PSTVd in the nucleolus caused the redistribution of a small nucleolar RNA. Our results support a model in which (1) the synthesis of the (-)- and (+)-strands of PSTVd RNAs occurs in the nucleoplasm, (2) the (-)-strand RNA is anchored in the nucleoplasm, and (3) the (+)-strand RNA is transported selectively into the nucleolus. Our results imply that the eukaryotic cell has a machinery that recognizes and localizes the opposite strands of an RNA, which may have broad ramifications in the RNA regulation of gene expression and the infection cycle of pathogenic RNAs and in the development of RNA-based methods to control gene expression as well as pathogen infection.
Biology department splits.

I was less than astounded to read of the sundering of Yale University's biology department along “levels of analysis” (W. Roush, News & Comment, 14 Mar., p. 1556), as the tensions that led to the split were already evident in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when I was a graduate student there.