cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distortions in Development of Intestinal Microbiota Associated with Late Onset Sepsis in Preterm Infants

Late onset sepsis (LOS) is a major contributor to neonatal morbidity and mortality, especially in premature infants. Distortions in the establishment of normal gut microbiota, commensal microbes that colonize the digestive tract, might increase the risk of LOS via disruption of the mucosal barrier with resultant translocation of luminal contents. Correlation of distortions of the intestinal microbiota with LOS is a necessary first step to design novel microbiota-based screening approaches that might lead to early interventions to prevent LOS in high risk infants. Using a case/control design nested in a cohort study of preterm infants, we analyzed stool samples that had been prospectively collected from ten preterm infants with LOS and from 18 matched controls. A 16S rRNA based approach was utilized to compare microbiota diversity and identify specific bacterial signatures that differed in their prevalence between cases and controls. Overall α-diversity (Chao1) was lower in cases two weeks before (p<0.05) but not one week before or at the time of diagnosis of LOS. Overall microbiota structure (Unifrac) appeared distinct in cases 2 weeks and 1 week before but not at diagnosis (p<0.05). Although we detected few operational taxonomic units (OTUs) unique or enriched in cases, we found many OTUs common in controls that were lacking in cases (p<0.01). Bifidobacteria counts were lower in cases at all time points. Our results support the hypothesis that a distortion in normal microbiota composition, and not an enrichment of potential pathogens, is associated with LOS in preterm infants.
Inhibition of bovine plasma amine oxidase by superoxide dismutase active CU(II) complexes

Abstract Aqueous Cu2+ and Cu(II) complexes of salicylate, lysine, and tyrosine decrease the rate of benzylamine oxidation by bovine plasma amine oxidase. Bissalicylato Cu(II) and Cu2+ inhibit non-competitively with respect to benzylamine. Lysine, tyrosine, Cu(EDTA)2−, Zn2+, and Co2+ do not inhibit, and erythrocyte Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase shows only slight inhibition of the amine oxidase. The data are most consistent with an inhibitory mechanism involving dismutation of O2− by the Cu(II) complexes within a site relatively inaccessible to the enzyme superoxide dismutase. Excess lysine significantly decreases inhibition by the bis-lysine complex of Cu(II).
Generalized Scaling Hypothesis in Multicomponent Systems. I. Classification of Critical Points by Order and Scaling at Tricritical Points

The goal of this work is to provide an analysis of spaces of critical points for multicomponent systems. First, we propose the geometric concept of order $\mathcal{O}$ for critical points; we distinguish it from a previous definition of a "multicritical" point. Specifically, we may define the intersection of spaces of critical points of order $\mathcal{O}$ to be a space of critical points of order ($\mathcal{O}+1$). Ordinary critical points are defined to be of order $\mathcal{O}=2$, so that the tricritical points introduced by Griffiths are of order $\mathcal{O}=3$. We discuss more general examples of critical spaces of order $\mathcal{O}=3$ which are known for a wide variety of systems; we also propose several examples of models of magnetic systems showing critical points of order $\mathcal{O}=4$---i.e., systems having intersecting lines of tricritical points. The analysis of critical and coexistence spaces also provides a new form of the Gibbs phase rule suitable for complex magnetic models. Next we define---for the critical points of order $\mathcal{O}$ of which examples have been given---special directions in terms of which to make a scaling hypothesis. We give the hypothesis for simple systems and then for tricritical points, and then, in a subsequent paper, part II, the special directions are used to make a scaling hypothesis at spaces of critical points of any order. Certain predictions (e.g., scaling laws and "single-power" scaling functions) follow in a simple and straightforward fashion. We consider the scaling hypothesis at a critical space of order $\mathcal{O}$ in terms of a group of transformations. We can define a set of invariants of the group. It is possible, for $\mathcal{O}\ensuremath{\ge}3$, to make a second scaling hypothesis for the space of order $\mathcal{O}\ensuremath{-}1$ using certain of these invariants as independent variables. This is advantageous because certain "double-power" scaling functions then follow directly; these predict that for $\mathcal{O}=3$, experimental data collapse from a volume onto a line. This prediction is to be contrasted with ordinary scaling functions, which predict that data collapse by only a single dimension (e.g., from a volume onto a surface or from a surface onto a line).
Rapid and early detection of Salmonella serotypes with hyperspectral microscopy and multivariate data analysis.

This study was designed to evaluate hyperspectral microscope images for early and rapid detection of Salmonella serotypes Enteritidis, Heidelberg, Infantis, Kentucky, and Typhimurium at incubation times of 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h. Images were collected by an acousto-optical tunable filter hyperspectral microscope imaging system with a metal halide light source measuring 89 contiguous wavelengths every 4 nm between 450 and 800 nm. Pearson correlation values were calculated for incubation times of 8, 10, and 12 h and compared with data for 24 h to evaluate the change in spectral signatures from bacterial cells over time. Regions of interest were analyzed at 30% of the pixels in an average cell size. Spectral data were preprocessed by applying a global data transformation algorithm and then subjected to principal component analysis (PCA). The Mahalanobis distance was calculated from PCA score plots for analyzing serotype cluster separation. Partial least-squares regression was applied for calibration and vali...
Numerical and experimental characterization of the inertance effect on pulse tube refrigerator performance.

A synergistic investigation of numerical and experimental studies is reported to elucidate the effects of the inertance tube length and diameter on the flow physics and the performance of a single stage inertance pulse tube refrigerator (IPTR). A time-dependent axisymmetric compressible computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model of the IPTR is used to predict its performance. The phase relationships between the pressure and the mass flow in the regenerator, pulse tube and inertance tube regions and the performance of the system are determined from the numerical simulations. The predictions from the computational model show that the phase angle difference between the pressure and the velocity at the center of the regenerator is the minimum and the pressure amplitude is the maximum at the optimum inertance value that leads to the largest acoustic power. In the experimental studies, the effect of inertance is studied for tubes of two different diameters and various lengths. The effect of input power supplied to the PTR on its performance was also studied. The experimental results complement the observations from the numerical simulations.
Decomposition of superimposed ground reaction forces into left and right force profiles

The process of collecting ground reaction force data by mounting a forceplate beneath a treadmill belt has the advantage that numerous walking trials can be analyzed without the problem of subjects 'targeting' their footsteps. However, a potential problem is that the measured forces represent a summation of bilateral force profiles during the double support phase of walking. To address this issue, an algorithm is described for decomposing superimposed ground reaction force data into individual left and right profiles. It is based on an examination of the side-to-side oscillations of the measured center of pressure (CoP). Whenever the measured CoP exceeds a certain threshold, it is assumed that the person is being supported by a single limb, and the measured GRF data reflect the forces under that limb. Conversely, when the measured CoP indicates that both feet are on the treadmill, it is assumed that the location of the individual CoP under each foot is given by wL2 and wR2. These quantities reflect the greatest excursion of the measured CoP towards the left and right sides of the forceplate, respectively. With this assumption, individual GRF profiles can be calculated by means of solving two simultaneous equations--one describing the equilibrium of forces in the vertical direction, and one describing the equilibrium of moments about an antero-posterior axis of the forceplate. The algorithm describing this procedure is simple enough to be implemented on a spreadsheet and yields estimates for average force, impulse, peak force and stance time that are typically within 3% of the true values.
Cyclic 3,5 adenoise monophosphate and cyclosporin A inhibit cellular proliferation and serine/threonine protein phosphatase activity in pituitary cells.

CAMP and cyclosporin A exert antiproliferative effects in many different cell types. In cultured pituitary cells, the antiproliferative effects of both agents correlate with the inhibition of a serine/threonine protein phosphatase activity. This inhibition is mediated by the heat-stable protein, inhibitor-l. The increase of CAMP levels, through the activation of the protein kinase A, induces inhibitor-l phosphorylation and activation. On the other hand, cyclosporin A, inhibiting the calcium-dependent serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin, prevents the dephosphorylation and inactivation of inhibitor-l. This dual regulation by CAMP and calcium on t,he inhibitor 1 activity parallel the effects of these agents on DNA synthesis and serine/ threonine phosphatase activity. Because inhibitor-l is the main regulator of protein phosphatase 1 activity, these results suggest that protein phosphatase 1 may be the common target of CAMP and cyclosporin A in regulating cell proliferation. We propose that proteinphosphatase 1 stimulates growth in these cells and that CAMP and cyclosporin A block this effect through their actions on inhibitor-l. (Endocrinology 137: 4409-4418, 1996)
Itinerant ferromagnetism in fcc cobalt

Abstract The ground-state properties of ferromagnetic fcc Co have been calculated in the local-spin-density approximation for exchange and correlation. Large magnetic effects on the lattice constant and bulk modulus are found. In addition, the calculations show that, as in fcc Fe, fcc Co has two magnetic states, one with low volume and low moment, and the other with higher volume and higher moment. It is unlikely that effects due to the low-moment state in Co are directly observable.
Thermomechanical Response of Materials and Interfaces in Electronic Packaging: Part I—Unified Constitutive Model and Calibration

The disturbed state concept (DSC) presented here provides a unified and versatile methodology for constitutive modeling of thermomechanical response of materials and interfaces/joints in electronic chip-substrate systems. It allows for inclusion of such important features as elastic, plastic and creep strains, microcracking and degradation, strengthening, and fatigue failure. It provides the flexibility to adopt different hierarchical versions in the range of simple (e.g., elastic) to sophisticated (thermoviscoplastic with microcracking and damage), depending on the user’s specific need. This paper presents the basic theory and procedures for finding parameters in the model based on laboratory test data and their values for typical solder materials. Validation of the models with respect to laboratory test behavior and different criteria for the identification of cyclic fatigue and failure, including a new criterion based on the DSC and design applications, are presented in the compendium paper (Part II, Desai et al., 1997). Based on these results, the DSC shows excellent potential for unified characterization of the stress-strain-strength and failure behavior of engineering materials in electronic packaging problems.
On connectivity of consecutive-d digraphs

The concept of a consecutive-d digraph was proposed by Du, Hsu and Hwang as a generalization of de Bruijn digraphs, Kautz digraphs, and their generalizations given by Imase and Itoh and Reddy, Pradhan and Kuhl. In this paper, we determine the connectivity of consecutive-d digraphs and study how to modify consecutive-d digraphs to reach maximum connectivity. Our results will generalize and improve several existing results on the connectivity of de Bruijn digraphs, Kautz digraphs and Imase-Itoh digraphs.
Missing the Forest for the Trees: Justice and Environmental Economics

The field of environmental economics, while offering powerful tools for the diagnosis of environmental problems and the design of policy solutions to them, is unable to effectively incorporate normative concepts like justice or rights into its method of analysis, and so needs to be supplemented by a consideration of such concepts. I examine the two main schools of thought in environmental economics – the New Resource Economics and Free Market Environmentalism – in order to illustrate the shortcomings of their methods of analysis, taken on their own, and to demonstrate how a consideration of concepts like rights or justice might usefully supplement them.
Field Use of Orifice Metersa

A well-designed and calibrated orifice meter is an accurate and inexpensive measuring device for flow. Endline orifices can be calibrated at work sites by solving an equation that interrelates easily measured dimensions of the orifice and outflow.
The Excitatory Amino Acid Receptors: Their Classes, Pharmacology, and Distinct Properties in the Function of the Central Nervous System

'The following abbreviations have been used in the text; I3-L-ODAP, I3-N-uxalyl-L-a,l3diaminu-prupiunic acid; ACPD, Trans-l-aminu-cydupentyl-I,3-dicarbuxylate; AMPA, a­ aminu-3-hydruxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionate; AP4, 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate; AP5, 2-amino-5-phuphonovalerate; ASP, aspartate; CNQX, 6-cyano-7-nitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione; CPP, 3-(2-earboxypiperazin-4-yl)prupyl-l -phosphate; cyelo-Leu, eydo-Ieucine; DAA, D-a­ amino-adipate; DGG, y-D-glutamylglycine; DNQX, 6,7-dinitro-quinoxaline-2,3dione; EAA, excitatory amino acids; GABA, gamma-aminu-butyric acid; GDEE, glutamate diethyl ester; GLU, glutamate; GL Y, glycine; HA-966, 3-amino-l-hydroxypyrrolidone-2; lBO, ibotenate; IP, inositol phosphate; KA, kainate; KYN, kynurenate; MK-801, dibenzoeyclohepteneimine; NMDA, N-methyl-D-aspartate; PCP, phencyclidine; QA, quisqualate; SER, serine; SOP, serine­ O-phosphate; TCP, 1-[1-(2-thienyl)-eyclohexyIJpiperidine
Search for patents using treatment and causal relationships

An interesting area of research in information retrieval is that of relationship extraction. The ability to scan an article or set of articles and extract relationships such as "X treats Y" or "A happens because of B" is key to retrieving articles of interest to a large population.In this paper, we describe our method of identifying and extracting treatment and causal relationships from medical patent documents. We use a medical patent corpus to show that using relationship patterns to retrieve medical patent documents helps improving the recall of the system immensely. We also show that expanding our search to look for a broader set of relationships and including causal relationships along with treatment relationships, addresses a larger range of patent documents thereby improving the recall of the system significantly.
Contrails of Small and Very Large Optical Depth

This work deals with two kinds of contrails. The first comprises a large number of optically thin contrails near the tropopause. They are mapped geographically using a lidar to obtain their height and a camera to obtain azimuth and elevation. These high-resolution maps provide the local contrail geometry and the amount of optically clear atmosphere. The second kind is a single trail of unprecedentedly large optical thickness that occurs at a lower height. The latter was observed fortuitously when an aircraft moving along the wind direction passed over the lidar, thus providing measurements for more than 3 h and an equivalent distance of 620 km. It was also observed by Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) sensors. The lidar measured an optical depth of 2.3. The corresponding extinction coefficient of 0.023 per kilometer and ice water content of 0.063 grams per cubic meter are close to the maximum values found for midlatitude cirrus. The associated large radar reflectivity compares to that measured by ultrasensitive radar, thus providing support for the reality of the large optical depth.
Advancing process modeling, simulation, and analytics in practice

If you take a broad view, there are many ways ahead for software process modeling and simulation. One way to broaden the view is to include not just software processes but also systems and service processes. Another is to address not just technical processes but also business processes. In any scope, impact can be strengthened by combining modeling and simulation with analytics. A way to assure longevity of the field is to solve problems in practice. These afford a variety of ways to make contributions, including both applied and fundamental. Challenges that must be overcome in achieving practical results are getting access to practitioners, acquiring useful data, and getting your solution adopted (among others). More empirical studies and experience reports are needed. But there are many routes by which contributions may flow to and from the field.
Application specific data replication for edge services

The emerging edge services architecture promises to improve the availability and performance of web services by replicating servers at geographically distributed sites. A key challenge in such systems is data replication and consistency so that edge server code can manipulate shared data without incurring the availability and performance penalties that would be incurred by accessing a traditional centralized database. This paper explores using a distributed object architecture to build an edge service system for an e-commerce application, an online bookstore represented by the TPC-W benchmark. We take advantage of application specific semantics to design distributed objects to manage a specific subset of shared information using simple and effective consistency models. Our experimental results show that by slightly relaxing consistency within individual distributed objects, we can build an edge service system that is highly available and efficient. For example, in one experiment we find that our object-based edge server system provides a factor of five improvement in response time over a traditional centralized cluster architecture and a factor of nine improvement over an edge service system that distributes code but retains a centralized database.
Efficient Generation of Human iPSCs by a Synthetic Self-Replicative RNA

The generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) holds great promise for the development of regenerative medicine therapies to treat a wide range of human diseases. However, the generation of iPSCs in the absence of integrative DNA vectors remains problematic. Here, we report a simple, highly reproducible RNA-based iPSC generation approach that utilizes a single, synthetic self-replicating VEE-RF RNA replicon that expresses four reprogramming factors (OCT4, KLF4, and SOX2, with c-MYC or GLIS1) at consistent high levels prior to regulated RNA degradation. A single VEE-RF RNA transfection into newborn or adult human fibroblasts resulted in efficient generation of iPSCs with all the hallmarks of stem cells, including cell surface markers, global gene expression profiles, and in vivo pluripotency, to differentiate into all three germ layers. The VEE-RF RNA-based approach has broad applicability for the generation of iPSCs for ultimate use in human stem cell therapies in regenerative medicine.
Preparation and polymerization of vinyl esters of chloro‐ and hydroxystearic and eicosanoic acids

Homopolymers and copolymers with vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride have been prepared from the vinyl esters of 9-chlorostearic acid, 12-chlorostearic acid, 14-chloroeicosanoic acid, 9-hydroxystearic acid, 9,10-dihydroxystearic acid, 14-hydroxyeicosanoic acid, and 8-(1,3-dioxylone-2-yl) octanoic acid.
LOW INDUCTANCE TRANSVERSE GRADIENT SYSTEM OF RESTRICTED LENGTH

A new transverse gradient coil assembly of restricted length is presented. The coil is symmetric, has the advantage of simplicity, generates a remarkably large volume of uniform transverse gradient field, features very low inductance, and can therefore be suitable for applications requiring fast switched gradients. A prototype coil has been constructed to check computer simulations and to compare measured parameters of the system with those expected. Coils of this type may be used for MRI of the human head, and of animals, and for NMR microimaging.
Gimme 5 Fruit, Juice, and Vegetables for Fun and Health: Outcome Evaluation

A theory-based multicomponent intervention (Gimme 5) was designed and implemented to impact fourth- and fifth-grade children's fruit, juice, and vegetable (FJV) consumption and related psychosocial variables. Gimme 5 was a randomized controlled intervention trial with school (n = 16 elementary) as unit of random assignment and analysis. Participants included the cohort of students who were in the third grade in the winter of 1994 and students who joined them in the fourth and fifth grades. The intervention included a curriculum, newsletters, videotapes, and point-of-purchase education. Evaluation included 7-day food records and psychosocial measures from students, telephone interviews with parents, and observational assessments. Favorable results were observed for consumption of FJV combined, FJV consumed at weekday lunch, eating FJV self-efficacy, social norms, asking behaviors, and knowledge. A theory-based school nutrition education program can help change children's FJV consumption and impact factors at home that predispose to FJV consumption, but changes were small, and their persistence is unknown.
Relationship between sex, shape, and substrate in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease characterized by substantial genetic, morphologic, and prognostic heterogeneity. Recently, sex-related differences in HCM were reported, with women being older at diagnosis and exhibiting greater left ventricular outflow tract obstruction than men. We sought to evaluate the influence of sex on the HCM phenotype in a large cohort of unrelated patients with genetically and morphologically classified HCM. Methods Comprehensive genotyping of 13 HCM-susceptibility genes encoding myofilament and Z-disc proteins of the cardiac sarcomere was performed previously on 382 unrelated patients with HCM. Blinded to the genotype, the septal morphology was graded as reverse-curvature, sigmoidal, apical, or neutral-contour HCM by echocardiography. Results Overall, women ( a ) were significantly older at diagnosis (45.1 ± 20 vs 35.8 ± 17 years, P b ) had greater left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (53.5 ± 45 vs 41.7 ± 42 mm Hg, P = .009), ( c ) were more likely to have concomitant hypertension (19% vs 11%, P = .02), and ( d ) had a higher rate of surgical myectomy (49% vs 36%, P = .01) than men. Interestingly, these sex-based differences were apparent only among patients with sigmoidal HCM ( P Conclusions In this largest cohort of comprehensively genotyped and morphologically classified patients with clinically diagnosed HCM, we observed that the striking sex-related differences in the clinical phenotype are confined largely to the subset of mutation-negative sigmoidal HCM. Whereas mutations within the sarcomere appear to dominate the disease process, in their absence, sex has a significant modifying effect, specifically noted in cases of sigmoidal HCM.
p27Kip1 in stage III colon cancer: implications for outcome following adjuvant chemotherapy in cancer and leukemia group B protocol 89803.

Background: In retrospective studies, loss of p27 Kip1 (p27), a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, has been associated with poor prognosis following colorectal cancer treatment. In a prospective study, we validated this relationship in patients enrolled on a trial of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer. Methods: Cancer and Leukemia Group B protocol 89803 randomized 1,264 stage III colon cancer patients to receive weekly bolus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin or weekly bolus irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin (IFL). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); disease-free survival was a secondary endpoint. Expression of p27 and DNA mismatch repair proteins were determined by immunohistochemistry in primary tumor and normal tissue from paraffin blocks. Data were analyzed using log-rank test. Results: Of 601 tumors analyzed, 207 (34.4%) showed p27 loss, 377 (62.8%) retained p27, and 17 (2.8%) were indeterminate. Patients with p27-negative tumors showed reduced OS [5-year OS 66%: 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.59-0.72 versus 75%: 95% CI, 0.70-0.79; log-rank P = 0.021]. This relationship was not influenced by treatment arm. Combination of p27 status with mismatch repair status, however, identified a small subset of patients that may benefit from IFL ( n = 36; 5-year disease-free survival 81%: 95% CI, 0.64-0.98 versus 47%: 95% CI, 0.21-0.72; log-rank P = 0.042; 5-year OS 81%: 95% CI, 0.64-0.98 versus 60%: 95% CI, 0.35-0.85; log-rank P = 0.128). Conclusions: Loss of p27 is associated with reduced survival in stage III colon cancer but by itself does not indicate a significant difference in outcome between patients treated IFL or 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin.
Digital image steganography using universal distortion

Currently, the most secure practical steganographic schemes for empirical cover sources embed their payload while minimizing a distortion function designed to capture statistical detectability. Since there exists a general framework for this embedding paradigm with established payload-distortion bounds as well as near-optimal practical coding schemes, building an embedding scheme has been essentially reduced to the distortion design. This is not an easy task as relating distortion to statistical detectability is a hard and open problem. In this article, we propose an innovative idea to measure the embedding distortion in one fixed domain independently of the domain where the embedding changes (and coding) are carried out. The proposed universal distortion is additive and evaluates the cost of changing an image element (e.g., pixel or DCT coefficient) from directional residuals obtained using a Daubechies wavelet filter bank. The intuition is to limit the embedding changes only to those parts of the cover that are difficult to model in multiple directions while avoiding smooth regions and clean edges. The utility of the universal distortion is demonstrated by constructing steganographic schemes in the spatial, JPEG, and side-informed JPEG domains, and comparing their security to current state-of-the-art methods using classifiers trained with rich media models.
Policy Barriers to Best Practices: The Impact of Restrictive State Regulations on Access to Long-acting Reversible Contraceptives.

This commentary delves into the impact of restrictive state regulations on access to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). The article discusses three types of state policies affecting LARC use – those impacting insurance coverage those regulating which providers can initiate these methods and those affecting LARC eligibility in special populations.
Speeding DSP algorithm design

The boom in the use of systems based on digital signal processing (DSP) is rivalled only by the swiftness with which their technology changes. No sooner do engineers master the latest development than a still newer one emerges. It's the same with design tools; it never seems quite possible for the users to catch up. Designing DSP based systems, therefore, remains a challenging and multidisciplinary task. More often than not, unfortunately, there is a gap between the algorithm development and implementation phases of a DSP design project. Therefore, DSP engineers are turning in droves toward a methodology that integrates the design of DSP algorithms with the later stages of development and implementation. Called "accelerated DSP design" (ADD), the methodology makes use of high level algorithm simulation and rapid prototyping (on off the shelf DSP boards)-both offline and in real time environments-to achieve its goals. The tools it uses allow early validation of algorithms and evaluation of tradeoffs, increasing the designer's confidence that a particular design will meet its requirements.
Racial and anthropometric differences in plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3.

Abstract Objectives To analyze the differences in the plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and their ratio between black and white men while controlling for factors that could confound the relationship between IGF levels and race. Furthermore, we analyzed the association between age, height, prostate-specific antigen level, digital rectal examination status, and current smoking status on IGF levels separately in black and white men. Greater levels of IGF-I and lower levels of IGFBP-3 have been associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in many studies. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was performed on 171 white and 130 black men aged 40 to 80 years. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to model the data separately for blacks and whites. A chi-square global test was used to test for racial differences in regression curves. Results Our results indicated that black men have lower levels of IGFBP-3 and IGF-I and a greater IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio than white men across all ages younger than 70, with and without an adjustment for height. We found racial differences in the effect of age and height on levels of IGF-I, IGFBP-3, and the molar ratio. Age had an inverse correlation with IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels in whites, but no such relationship in blacks. Conclusions The differences in IGF levels between blacks and whites may explain some of the racial disparity in prostate cancer risk. Because age and height affect IGF levels differently in black and white men, future analysis exploring the determinants of IGF levels may need to be stratified by race.
Component rating requirements for wide constant power operation of interior PM synchronous machine drives

Previous work has established that wide ranges of constant power operation can be achieved with interior permanent magnet (IPM) synchronous machine drives when the machine parameters meet or approach the critical condition /spl Psi//sub m//L/sub d/=I/sub rated/. Closer examination reveals that the machine parameters also play a pivotal role in determining the necessary ratings of the inverter and the machine to achieve any particular value of constant-power speed ratio (CPSR). The purpose of this paper is to methodically describe the impact of the IPM machine parameters on the inverter and machine ratings in order to clarify the dependencies and tradeoffs that are involved in achieving wide ranges of constant-power operation, The importance of maintaining the values of the IPM machine's magnet flux linkage /spl Psi//sub m/ and inductance saliency ratio /spl xi/(=L/sub q//L/sub d/) close to the optimal constant-power design locus line is explained as a means of minimizing the inverter component overratings (i.e., cost). However, tradeoffs emerge between inverter and machine overrating factors that must be considered in the process of minimizing the total system cost.
Tungsten Oxide Nanowires on Tungsten Substrates

A simple method was discovered to prepare tungsten oxide nanowires directly from tungsten metal. The structure and composition of the nanowires were characterized by high resolution tunneling electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy dispersive X-ray scattering (EDX), respectively. The growth mechanism and potential applications of this material are discussed.
Monte Carlo simulations of the dissolution of borosilicate and aluminoborosilicate glasses in dilute aqueous solutions

The aim of this study was to use Monte Carlo simulations to provide atomic-level insights into the dissolution behavior of borosilicate and aluminoborosilicate glasses in dilute aqueous solutions. In the first part of this work, the effects of different structural features, such as the presence of non-bridging oxygens (NBO) or the formation of boroxol rings, on glass dissolution were evaluated separately and led to the following conclusions. (1) The dependence of the dissolution rate on the amount of NBO was found to be linear at all Si/B ratios and the accelerating effect of NBO was shown to increase with increasing Si/B ratio. (2) The formation of boroxol rings and of clusters of boroxol rings resulted in an increase of the dissolution rate at all Si/B ratios and, again, the extent of the rate increase was strongly dependent on the Si/B ratio. (3) For aluminosilicate glasses, the implementation of the aluminum avoidance rule was found to increase the rate of dissolution relative to that obtained for a random distribution. In the second part of this work, the dissolution of the NeB glasses studied by Pierce et al. (2010) was modeled in dilute aqueous solutions. Pierce et al. concluded from their study that either the rupture of the Al–O bonds or that of the Si–O bonds was the rate-limiting step controlling the dissolution of the NeB glasses. The simulations refined this conclusion and showed that, at low B/Al ratios, the rupture of both Al–O–Si and Si–O–Si linkages contributed to the dissolution rate whereas, at high B/Al ratios, the dissolution rate was independent of the rupture of Al–O–Si linkages and was controlled by S1 sites (silicon sites at the glass–water interface with one connection to nearest-neighbor sites) and dissolution via detachment of clusters.
Fighting for Survival The Fate of Leaders and the Duration of War

This article examines how the postdefeat fate of leaders of different regimes affects their incentives to end or continue a losing war and how the outcome of war interacts with regime type to affect the leaders' postwar fate. Three regime types—democracies, dictatorships, and mixed regimes—and three fates—staying in power, losing power, and losing power with additional punishment in the form of exile, imprisonment, or death—are distinguished. Only leaders of mixed regimes are likely to lose power and suffer additional punishment whether they lose a war moderately or disastrously. Therefore, leaders of such losing mixed regimes have a disincentive to settle on moderately losing terms; they prefer to continue war in a gamble for resurrection. As a result, wars with losing mixed regimes last longer and produce higher numbers of battle deaths for both sides than other wars.
Nondimensional Parameters and Equations for Nonlinear and Bifurcation Analyses of Thin Anisotropic Quasi-Shallow Shells

A comprehensive development of nondimensional parameters and equations for nonlinear and bifurcations analyses of quasi-shallow shells, based on the Donnell-Mushtari-Vlasov theory for thin anisotropic shells, is presented. A complete set of field equations for geometrically imperfect shells is presented in terms general of lines-of-curvature coordinates. A systematic nondimensionalization of these equations is developed, several new nondimensional parameters are defined, and a comprehensive stress-function formulation is presented that includes variational principles for equilibrium and compatibility. Bifurcation analysis is applied to the nondimensional nonlinear field equations and a comprehensive set of bifurcation equations are presented. An extensive collection of tables and figures are presented that show the effects of lamina material properties and stacking sequence on the nondimensional parameters.
Pattern of BOLD signal in auditory cortex relates acoustic response to perceptual streaming

Background: Segregating auditory scenes into distinct objects or streams is one of our brain’s greatest perceptual challenges. Streaming has classically been studied with bistable sound stimuli, perceived alternately as a single group or two separate groups. Throughout the last decade different methodologies have yielded inconsistent evidence about the role of auditory cortex in the maintenance of streams. In particular, studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have been unable to show persistent activity within auditory cortex (AC) that distinguishes between perceptual states. Results: We use bistable stimuli, an explicit perceptual categorization task, and a focused region of interest (ROI) analysis to demonstrate an effect of perceptual state within AC. We find that AC has more activity when listeners perceive the split percept rather than the grouped percept. In addition, within this ROI the pattern of acoustic response across voxels is significantly correlated with the pattern of perceptual modulation. In a whole-brain exploratory test, we corroborate previous work showing an effect of perceptual state in the intraparietal sulcus. Conclusions: Our results show that the maintenance of auditory streams is reflected in AC activity, directly relating sound responses to perception, and that perceptual state is further represented in multiple, higher level cortical regions.
A genetic algorithm based optimization framework to visualize, evaluate, and modify 3D space configurations in Desktop VR

This paper presents the design and implementation of a Desktop VR (Virtual Reality) framework for generating and evaluating Pareto-optimal alternate 3D spatial configurations using GA (genetic algorithms). The 3-tier framework involves the generation of the Pareto-optimal plans using GA which are subsequently visualized first using a Java-based 2D Interface and finally in the form of a 3D VR scene. The search spaces (function domains) are extremely large in today’s multifaceted interior design situations, and the optimization procedure involves conflicting objective functions, and limitations in the form of constraint functions. The interior space allocation problem is formulated and implemented as the “optimal configuration of artifacts”. When using GAs, a group of Pareto-optimal solutions (Pareto set) are available for the planners and decision-makers, wherefrom one solution ought to be picked. Therefore, this study applies a tool to not only visually evaluate the plans, but also to interact with those plans to develop them further if needed. Besides enabling the optimal spatial configuration of the scene elements, this framework also facilitates evaluation and interaction via the 3D VR worlds. The framework aids the proactive exploration, analysis, and finalization of design aspects such as color, size, lighting, etc. of the various elements prior to the actual construction. The results demonstrate the robust performance of the GA and the final 3D VR environment with dynamic interactive capabilities. This final interface facilitates “GA-Compliant” transformations and scene modifications thereby facilitating the exploration and examination of alternative scene configurations.
Anomalous Oxidation of Intermetallics

MoSi 2 , (γ-NiAl and TiAl with Cr additions are of interest for high temperature applications in oxidizing environments, where an oxide layer such as SiO 2 or Al 2 O 3 should form to protect the base material. At elevated temperatures (600-1700°C), a protective SiO 2 layer forms on MoSi 2 , while near 500°C pesting and/or accelerated oxidation could disintegrate the material to powder as Mo and Si oxidize to form a complex, thick, non-protective oxide layer. Use of γ -TiAl is limited by poor oxidation resistance, whereby layered mixed oxides of TiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 form. With the addition of Cr from 4 to 34 at%, results are varied: protective Al 2 O 3 formation, mixed oxide formation as with TiAl or more rapid oxidation than TiAl. NiAl is currently used as a diffusion coating on Ni-based superalloys and is being considered for use as a structural material itself because of its excellent oxidation resistance, i.e. forming α-alumina above 1000°C. Recent work indicates that pure NiAl oxidized under low oxygen partial pressures in a contained atmosphere develops nonprotective oxide scales similar to accelerated oxidation of MoSi 2 . This study explores the parameters defining protective behavior of these intermetallics and attempts to describe and explain anomalies at low temperatures and pressures.
Grinding On the Dance Floor Gendered Scripts and Sexualized Dancing at College Parties

In this article, the author explores the gendered dynamics of “grinding,” sexualized dancing common at college parties. Drawing on the observations of student participant observers, the author describes the common script for initiating this behavior. At these parties, men initiated more often and more directly than women, whose behaviors were shaped by a sexual double standard and (hetero-) relational imperative. The heterosexual grinding script enacts a gendered dynamic that reproduces systematic gender inequality by limiting women’s access to sexual agency and pleasure, privileging men’s pleasure and confirming their higher status.
The Marketing Plan: An Overview

This note presents a simple outline for operating a marketing plan. Excerpt UVA-M-0613 The Marketing Plan: An Overview For several reasons, every Darden graduate should know how to write a marketing plan. First, some graduates will take marketing positions in which they will be required to write marketing plans for specific products or services. Second, those graduates who assume other functional positions will find that their jobs are affected by the marketing plans that others write. For example, the plant manager will find that his operations are affected by the marketing plans of his colleagues. If the plant manager plans to produce 100,000 widgets, he needs to find out sooner rather than later whether or not his marketing colleagues plan on selling 100,000 widgets. Third, any competitive analysis involves understanding the marketing plans of current and potential competitors. Fourth, investors must evaluate the marketing plans of companies that are possible investment candidates. Finally, many Darden graduates aspire to start their own business. In most cases, they will have to write a marketing plan that will convince others to invest in their start-up venture. For all of these reasons, we believe that Darden graduates should feel comfortable with the various elements of a marketing plan. We hope that you will develop this comfort over the course of your first year at Darden. For our first class, we offer the following simple summary of a marketing plan. Any marketing plan consists of five key elements: a statement of goals and objectives, a marketing strategy, a set of marketing mix decisions, financial projections, and arrangements for monitoring the plan's implementation. Each of these elements is defined briefly below. Goals and Objectives . . .
Acoustooptic mode coupler for bimode optical fibers

A recent demonstration of the growth of oriented zinc oxide films directly onto optical fibers has allowed the fabrication of acoustic transducers on fibers, resulting in a new generation of acoustooptic modulators.1,2
Exploiting dual otoacoustic emission sources

Two distinct processes generate otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). Reflection-source emissions, here recorded as stimulus frequency OAEs, are optimally informative at low sound levels and are more sensitive to slight hearing loss; they have been linked to cochlear amplifier gain and tuning. Distortion-source emissions are strongest at moderate-high sound levels and persist despite mild hearing loss; they likely originate in the nonlinear process of hair cell transduction. In this preliminary study, we exploit the unique features of each by generating a combined reflection-distortion OAE profile in normal hearing and hearing-impaired ears. Distortion-product (DP) and stimulus-frequency (SF) OAEs were recorded over a broad range of stimulus levels and frequencies. Individual I/O and transfer functions were generated for both emission types in each ear, and OAE peak strength, compression threshold, and rate of compression were calculated. These combined SFOAE and DPOAE features in normal and hearing-impaired ears may provide a potentially informative and novel index of hearing loss. This is an initial step toward utilizing OAE source in characterizing cochlear function and dysfunction.
Enhancing Speech Recognition in Fast-Paced Educational Games using Contextual Cues

Arcade-style games like Tetris and Pacman are often difficult to adapt for educational purposes because their fast-paced intensity and keystroke-heavy nature leave little room for simultaneous practice of other skills. Incorporating spoken language technology could make it possible for players to learn as they play, keeping up with game speed through multimodal interaction. To date, however, it remains exceedingly difficult to augment fast-paced games with speech interaction because the frustrating effect of recognition errors highly compromises entertainment. In this paper, we design a modified version of Tetris with speech recognition to help students practice and remember word-picture mappings. Using utterances collected from learners interacting with the speechenabled Tetris game, we present and evaluate several techniques for leveraging contextual cues to increase recognition accuracy in fast-paced game environments.
Influence of cobaltous chloride on aortic atheromatosis and plasma lipid pattern in cholesterol-fed chickens.

Summary and conclusions(1) Feeding of cobaltous chloride to cholesterol-fed chickens reduced the incidence and severity of their aortic lesions and caused blood cholesterol concentrations to be lower than in controls.The amounts of cholesterol in β-lipoprotein were similarly reduced and ratios were increased. There was no consistent effect on lipid phosphorus concentrations. Cobalt in the diet did not seem to influence activity of the thyroid. When given either in the diet or intravenously, cobalt did not change the structure of the pancreatic α-cells. (2) Subcutaneous injection of cobaltous chloride generally increased the incidence and severity of aortic lesions and concentration of cholesterol in blood. These findings are similar to those of Caren and Carbo in the rabbit(8). (3) The influence of cobalt in the diet on lipid pattern and aortic lesions was opposite to that of parenterally administered cobalt. It did not produce other effects indicative of previously reported specific systemic actions. Sip...
Scattering lengths in the multichannel case by current-algebra techniques

The calculation ofS-wave scattering lengths in the multi-channel case by current-algebra techniques is considered with the inclusion of unitarity corrections. As an example of the formalism the πΣ scattering lengths are calculated in the case of nondegenerate Λ and Σ masses. One finds that theI=1, πΣS-wave scattering length is given bya1+ib1=0.22+i0.0 in agreement with recent partial-wave analysis of\(\bar K\mathcal{N}\) data. The formalism is also used to investigate the consistency of the πΣ scattering lengths with a πΣ forward dispersion relation. One finds that if the πΣ→πΛ amplitude at the πΣ threshold is left as a free parameter and the dispersion integral is approximated byS-waves and resonances, then a large value which contradicts the\(\bar K\mathcal{N}\) data is required for consistency. This suggests that in this case such an approximation of the dispersion integral is inadequate.