cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Close to 1 million US adults aged 55 years or older have active epilepsy-National Health Interview Survey, 2010, 2013, and 2015.

Abstract Epilepsy is common in older adults because known risk factors—such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, cerebrovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and neoplasms—increase with age. This study uses the most recent data from the 2010, 2013, and 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to provide updated national estimates of epilepsy prevalence among US adults aged 55 years or older to help guide public health action. We used the following validated surveillance case definition for active epilepsy: adults with self-reported doctor-diagnosed epilepsy or seizure disorder who reported either currently taking medications to treat their epilepsy or seizure disorder or at least one seizure during the past 12 months. We estimated the prevalence of active epilepsy to be 1.4% (about 529,000) among US adults aged 55–64, 0.9% (225,000) for those aged 65–74, and 1.0% (178,000) for those aged ≥ 75 years. The prevalence of a history of epilepsy and active epilepsy among adults aged 55–64 years was significantly higher than the prevalence in older age groups. Collectively, close to 1 million adults aged 55 years or older reported active epilepsy. Epilepsy stakeholders should ensure that older adults with epilepsy have access to age-appropriate clinical preventive services, chronic disease self-management support, specialty care for epilepsy and other comorbidities, and appropriate community services to promote quality of life.
Advanced combustion free-piston engines: A comprehensive review:

A reciprocating engine without a crank-slider mechanism is called a free-piston engine. If the piston is directly connected to a linear alternator, it is called a free-piston linear alternator. Fre...
Faculty in Tamara-Land: Taylorism, Ritual, and Performance

More than twenty year after a postmodern analysis of Disney, we find more examples of Tamara emerging in different environments. One such environment is higher education, where the combination of p...
Media Marathoning Through Health Struggles: Filling a Social Reservoir:

This essay uses grounded theory to analyze interviews with a dozen people who media marathoned while going through a health struggle. Three prominent relationship-focused themes emerged from the an...
Transatlantic Catholic responses to Fascist anti-Semitism: the Racial Laws of 1938 in the Jesuit press of America and Civiltà Cattolica

This article examines the Catholic responses to the Fascist Racial Laws in a transatlantic and comparative perspective. It looks specifically at two foremost publications of the Jesuit press in Rom...
Phase Behavior of Resveratrol Solid Dispersions Upon Addition to Aqueous media

Purpose To investigate the phase behavior of resveratrol amorphous solid dispersions upon addition to aqueous media.
Fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous needle aspiration of posterior epidural abscesses: a report of two cases.

Spinal epidural abscesses are most commonly treated with surgical decompression and antibiotics or in specific instances managed medically with antibiotic therapy alone. Image-guided percutaneous aspiration as an alternative to surgery has only rarely been reported in the literature. We report two cases of successful fluoroscopy-guided needle aspiration of posterior epidural abscesses. Case 1 is a 48-year-old man who presented with several days of escalating back pain and constitutional symptoms with MRI showing a posterior epidural abscess at L2–L3 causing spinal stenosis. The patient remained neurologically intact. Percutaneous needle aspiration of the collection provided dramatic pain relief with the aspirate growing methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. The patient made a full recovery on antibiotic therapy. Case 2 is an 81-year-old man who presented with worsening upper back pain and was found to have osteomyelitis/discitis with a large posterior epidural abscess in the thoracic spine. Needle drainage was performed with the sample growing Bacteroides fragilis. This patient also responded successfully to nonsurgical management with full recovery after appropriate antibiotic therapy. In carefully selected patients, image-guided needle aspiration of posterior epidural abscesses may be a viable and less invasive alternative to surgery.
Doing Psychotherapy and Becoming A Psychiatrist

There is a danger that the central role of doing psychotherapy in becoming a psychiatrist has been and will continue to be downgraded. Learning to do psychotherapy makes core contributions to the development of a psychiatrist in three overlapping areas essential for functioning. These are the doctor/patient relationship; the development of a psychiatric identity; and the understanding of mental illness. Reviewing the development of this unfortunate trend as well as reaffirming the centrality of psychotherapy, and its implications for the development of more sophisticated and integrated models in our field are also discussed.
Health-Related Fitness Content Knowledge, Physical Activity, and Instructional Practices Among U.S. Physical Educators

ABSTRACTTo promote student physical literacy, physical educators must teach and assess health-related fitness content knowledge (HRFK) and model healthy lifestyles. Individual HRFK is associated wi...
Disease/Health/Medicine/History: On the Consolidation of a Subfield of Study

This essay reviews the following works: Medicine and Nation Building in the Americas, 1890–1940. By Jose Amador. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2015. Pp. ix + 219. $39.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780826520210. Medicine and Public Health in Latin America: A History. By Marcos Cueto and Steven Palmer. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015. Pp. ix + 306. $32.99 paperback. ISBN: 9781107633018. A History of Family Planning in Twentieth-Century Peru. By Raul Necochea Lopez. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2014. Pp. xii + 234. $37.50 paperback. ISBN: 9781469618081. Progressive Mothers, Better Babies: Race, Public Health, and the State in Brazil, 1850–1945. By Okezi T. Otovo. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2016. Pp. x + 273. $29.95 paperback. ISBN: 9781477309056.
Abstract TS2-1: CTC Clusters, Cancer Stemness, and New Treatment Strategies

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) seed metastases which eventually kill most of the breast cancer patients; however, CTCs have not been effectively targeted partially due to the unclear cellular and molecular mechanisms. Emerging evidence and our studies demonstrate that CTCs are detectable as singles as well as multicellular clusters in cancer patients; and presence of the latter is associated with unfavorable progression-free survival (PFS) and poor overall survival (OS). Compared to single CTCs, CTC clusters show enriched stemness properties, including enhanced tumorigenic potential and polyclonal metastases, more efficient mammosphere formation, and upregulated expression of CD44 and stemness-related signaling pathways. Using intravital multiphoton microscopic imaging of patient-derived-xenograft (PDX) models and mouse tumor models, we found that clustered tumor cells in migration and circulation resulted from aggregation of individual tumor cells rather than collective migration and cohesive shedding. Molecularly, the intercellular CD44-CD44 homophilic interactions are essential for the multicellular CTC aggregation, recruitment of downstream PAK2, and activation of the FAK signaling. Depletion of CD44 or antibody-mediated blockade of CD44 interactions effectively prevent tumor cell aggregation and abolish polyclonal metastases. In addition to CD44, we have identified other surface receptors and adhesion molecules which also contribute to CTC cluster formation. Our studies highlight that CTC clusters, whose presence is correlated with a poor prognosis of breast cancer patients, can serve as a liquid biopsy-based biomarker as well as novel therapeutic targets of polyclonal metastasis. Citation Format: H Liu. CTC Clusters, Cancer Stemness, and New Treatment Strategies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr TS2-1.
Atom-Interferometric Test of the Equivalence Principle at the 10 − 12 Level

We use a dual-species atom interferometer with 2 s of free-fall time to measure the relative acceleration between $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ and $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ wave packets in the Earth's gravitational field. Systematic errors arising from kinematic differences between the isotopes are suppressed by calibrating the angles and frequencies of the interferometry beams. We find an E\"otv\"os parameter of $\ensuremath{\eta}=[1.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.8(\mathrm{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.4(\mathrm{syst})]\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}$, consistent with zero violation of the equivalence principle. With a resolution of up to $1.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{g}$ per shot, we demonstrate a sensitivity to $\ensuremath{\eta}$ of $5.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$.
Geographies of Food: Place, Space, and Scale in Food Studies.

Food is essential to human existence. What we eat and how we eat says who we are. There has long been interest in describing and explaining our connections to food as well as understanding the diff...
Whose Better? (Re)Orientating a Queer Ecopedagogy (Again)

The first section of this chapter is a reprint of a 2013 article, (The original paper first appeared in 2013 in the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education and is kindly reprinted with permission. For various reasons, there are only small edits conducted on that portion of this chapter, so terms and ideas reflect that period in time. As indicated, new contributions begin in the section entitled “When will it get better?”) when the author responded to previous invitations to queer environmental education research and practice that had largely fallen silent to that point in time. Seeking to address that silence by orientating ecopedagogy toward a phenomenology of queer experience, the original article examined the utopian promises of the “It Gets Better Project” and ecopedagogy generally. It draws on queer phenomenology in order to build up a vision of queer ecopedagogy, inclusive of diverse beings and celebrating (dis)orientating experiences that might lead to more egalitarian and democratic futures. At the end of this chapter, several questions and reflections are offered as to the emergent notions of queer futurity that might be offered in place of promises of a limited view of “better” living for LGBTQ2S+ people, and in fact, all beings.
Ballistic Impact Response of Complex Concentrated Alloys

Abstract The performance of complex concentrated alloys (or high entropy alloys) with widely varying microstructure is evaluated by ballistically impacting targets with spheres fired at normal incidence. By changing alloy composition in the Al-Co-Cr-Fe-Ni multi-principal system, the variation in microstructure included single-phase equiaxed grains, single-phase with bimodal grain-size distribution, and eutectic two-phase lamellar microstructure. Rigorous characterization in the form of bulk mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy, and spatially resolved nano-indentation on initial and ballistically impacted plates was used to connect microstructural details to aspects of ballistic behavior governing performance. Based on the results, it was shown that although the addition of a harder secondary phase improves strength, cracks that initiate and propagate within the harder phase and ultimately across the target plate drastically reduce the ballistic performance of the two-phase material. The single-phase alloy with bimodal grain-size distribution exhibited superior ballistic performance compared to the other high entropy alloys, although none of these materials exceeded the performance of conventional rolled homogeneous armor steel. These results pave the way for development of high-performance concentrated alloys for ballistic applications by appropriate microstructural design.
FlexFlow: A Flexible Flow Control Policy Specification Framework

We propose FlexFlow, a logic based flexible flow control framework to specify data-flow, work-flow and transaction systems policies that go beyond point-to-point flows. Both permissions and prohibitions are specifiable in FlexFlow and meta-policies such as permissions take precedence themselves can be specified over the meta-policy neutral policy specification environment of FlexFlow. We show the expressibility of FlexFlow by expressing three existing flow control models which were proposed for different applications and used different mechanisms.
Writing the Revival: The Intersections of Methodism and Literature in the Long 18th Century

The Methodist revival attracted as much negative press as it did converts during the 18th century – in religious polemic, satiric verse, prose fiction, and dramatic script; the Methodists themselves likewise produced a rich body of spiritual autobiography and sacred verse, mostly in the form of the Methodist hymnal. This essay offers a survey of the scholarship that addresses the textual culture surrounding the revival, including critical assessments of the literature produced by the Methodists, its impact on the movement and Methodist religiosity, as well as discussions of the anti-Methodist literature and how it registered within Methodism and the larger society. The essay also considers studies that connect Methodism and its literature to literary and cultural developments during the period, including developments in drama, the novel, and the Culture of Sensibility.
Policies for redistribution: The use of taxes and social transfers

Inequality can be addressed through a combination of social service provision, social transfers and taxation. Looking at the past two decades, this paper examines the extent to which inequality has been affected by changes in national tax systems and government expenditure on social transfers. Using secondary data, this paper discusses the trends in the composition and levels of social transfers and taxes, and explores how these trends relate to income inequality. It also looks into the extent to which taxes and social transfers are effective in redistributing income. And finally it shows how different government policy frameworks have been able to limit growth in income inequality and at the same time foster economic growth and job creation.
Low lower crustal velocity across Ethiopia: Is the Main Ethiopian Rift a narrow rift in a hot craton?

[1] The Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) is a classic narrow rift that developed in hot, weak lithosphere, not in the initially cold, thick, and strong lithosphere that would be predicted by common models of rift mode formation. Our new 1-D seismic velocity profiles from Rayleigh wave/receiver function joint inversion across the MER and the Ethiopian Plateau indicate that hot lower crust and upper mantle are present throughout the broad region affected by Oligocene flood basalt volcanism, including both the present rift and the adjacent Ethiopian Plateau hundreds of kilometers from the rift valley. The region of hot lithosphere closely corresponds to the region of flood basalt volcanism, and we interpret that the volcanism and thermal perturbation were jointly caused by impingement of the Afar plume head. Across the affected region, Vs is 3.6–3.8 km/s in the lowermost crust and ≤4.3 km/s in the uppermost mantle, both ∼0.3 km/s lower than in the eastern and western branches of the East African Rift System to the south. We interpret the low Vs in the lower crust and upper mantle as indicative of hot lithosphere with partial melt. Our results lead to a hybrid rift mode, in which the brittle upper crust has developed as a narrow rift along the Neoproterozoic suture between East and West Gondwana, while at depth lithospheric deformation is distributed over the broad region (∼400 km wide) thermally perturbed by the broad thermal upwelling associated with the Afar plume head. Development of both the East African Rift System to the south (in cold, strong lithosphere) and the MER to the north (in hot, weak lithosphere) as narrow rifts, despite their vastly different initial thermal states and depth-integrated lithospheric strength, indicates that common models of rift mode formation that focus only on temperature, thickness, and vertical strength profiles do not apply to these classic continental rifts. Instead, inherited structure and associated lithospheric weaknesses are the primary control on the mode of extension.
Structure of 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C- methylerythritol synthetase involved in mevalonate- independent isoprenoid biosynthesis.

The YgbP protein of Escherichia coli encodes the enzyme 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methylerythritol (CDP-ME) synthetase, a member of the cytidyltransferase family of enzymes. CDP-ME is an intermediate in the mevalonate-independent pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis in a number of prokaryotic organisms, algae, the plant plastids and the malaria parasite. Because vertebrates synthesize isoprenoid precursors using a mevalonate pathway, CDP-ME synthetase and other enzymes of the mevalonate-independent pathway for isoprenoid production represent attractive targets for the structure-based design of selective antibacterial, herbicidal and antimalarial drugs. The high-resolution structures of E. coli CDP-ME synthetase in the apo form and complexed with both CTP–Mg2+ and CDP-ME–Mg2+ reveal the stereochemical principles underlying both substrate and product recognition as well as catalysis in CDP-ME synthetase. Moreover, these complexes represent the first experimental structures for any cytidyltransferase with both substrates and products bound.
Phonological and Grammatical Aspects of Jargon in an Aphasic Patient: a Case Study

A study is made of one patient's aphasic jargon. His case history is reviewed and attention is drawn to the effects of Dilantin. The data consist of eleven tape recorded interviews and are submitte...
Interference of large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis), redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus ), and hairy galinsoga (Galinsoga ciliata) with bell pepper

Abstract Large crabgrass, redroot pigweed, and hairy galinsoga are three important weed species in bell pepper and other crops in the northeastern United States. Field experiments were conducted in 1998 and 1999 to determine the influence of density and relative emergence time of the three weed species on bell pepper fruit yield. Densities of 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 plants m−1 row were established for each weed species from naturally occurring weed populations. The effects of relative emergence time were studied by investigating the different yield responses to weeds emerging at two different times: 3 d or 2 wk after transplanting of pepper. Both weed density and relative emergence time affected pepper yield loss. The relative competitive ability of weed species varied between years. Large crabgrass was the most competitive species in 1998 and the measure of yield loss at low weed densities, I, was estimated to be 34% on the basis of the nonlinear hyperbolic equation. Redroot pigweed was most competitiv...
Unheard Voices: The First Historians of Southern Women.

In this collective biography one of the preeminent historians of her generation retrieves the work and lives of the few who preceded her in writing the history of women in the South.
Nest-building behavior in seven species of muroid rodents

The amount of cotton pulled and the type of nest built were determined for 14 consecutive days for 10 males and 10 females of each of seven species: Peromyscus maniculatus, P. eremicus, P. leucopus, Microtus canicaudus, M. montanus, M. pennsylvanicus, and M. ochrogaster. There were appreciable species differences for both dependent variables, with Peromyscus species generally pulling more cotton and building more elaborate nests than Microtus. There were few sex differences or changes over the 14 days of testing. Nest building in the laboratory is considered in relation to such factors as body weight, general activity, food hoarding, basal metabolic rates, and nesting behavior in the field.
Light transmittance as an index of cell volume in hippocampal slices: optical differences of interfaced and submerged positions

Light transmittance (T) in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices was measured during exposure to media of various osmolarities to determine the utility of optical measurements as an index of changes in cell volume. In slices positioned at the gas-liquid interface, hypo-osmotic medium consistently produced a decrease in T and hyperosmotic medium produced an increase in T. The magnitude of deltaT was graded as a function of the strength of osmotic change. All changes in T were reversible upon return to isosmotic medium. In contrast, osmotically induced changes in T in submerged slices were consistently opposite in direction to those observed in slices at the interface. The magnitude and direction of deltaT could be altered by systematic variation of the level of the bathing medium within the same chamber, indicating that both extrinsic optical properties of various interfaces, such as refraction and reflection, and intrinsic optical properties of the tissue contribute to the observed T. Spectral measurements eliminated the possibility that osmotically induced deltaT was the result of changes in light absorbance by intrinsic chromophores such as cytochromes or hemoglobin. The results show that measurements of deltaT can be a useful index of changes in cell volume in brain slices, provided that the level of the bath remains constant.
All-Atom Contact Model for Understanding Protein Dynamics from Crystallographic B-Factors

An all-atom local contact model is described that can be used to predict protein motions underlying isotropic crystallographic B-factors. It uses a mean-field approximation to represent the motion of an atom in a harmonic potential generated by the surrounding atoms resting at their equilibrium positions. Based on a 400-ns molecular dynamics simulation of ubiquitin in explicit water, it is found that each surrounding atom stiffens the spring constant by a term that on average scales exponentially with the interatomic distance. This model combines features of the local density model by Halle and the local contact model by Zhang and Bruschweiler. When applied to a nonredundant set of 98 ultra-high resolution protein structures, an average correlation coefficient of 0.75 is obtained for all atoms. The systematic inclusion of crystal contact contributions and fraying effects is found to enhance the performance substantially. Because the computational cost of the local contact model scales linearly with the number of protein atoms, it is applicable to proteins of any size for the prediction of B-factors of both backbone and side-chain atoms. The model performs as well as or better than several other models tested, such as rigid-body motional models, the local density model, and various forms of the elastic network model. It is concluded that at the currently achievable level of accuracy, collective intramolecular motions are not essential for the interpretation of B-factors.
Microgeographic maladaptive performance and deme depression in response to roads and runoff

Despite theoretical understanding and empirical detection of local adaptation in natural environments, our knowledge of such divergence in fragmented habitats remains limited, especially in the context of microgeographic spatial scales and contemporary time scales. I used a combination of reciprocal transplant and common garden exposure experiments to evaluate potential microgeographic divergence in a pool-breeding amphibian occupying a landscape fragmented by roads. As indicated by reduced rates of survival and increased rates of malformation, I found evidence for maladaptation in road adjacent populations. This response is in direct counterpoint to recently described local adaption by a cohabiting species of amphibian. These results suggest that while divergence might commonly follow habitat modification, the direction of its outcome cannot be generalized even in identical habitats. Further, maladaptive responses can be associated with a more generalized depression effect that transcends the local environment. Alongside recent reports, these results suggest that maladaptive responses may be an emerging consequence of human-induced environmental change. Thus future studies should carefully consider the population unit as a key level for inference.
Availability and Formation of Stereotypes

Availability refers to the ease with which instances of a particular class of events can be brought to mind and constitutes a potential source of bias in judgments of the size of that class. Bias occurs when the magnitudes of related classes do not correspond to the ease with which instances of those classes can be retrieved from memory. Previous research has indicated that, if events in a class are defined by the co-occurrence of phenomena which are themselves rare, then recall of that class is likely to be facilitated and its magnitude exaggerated. Based on a study by Hamilton and Gifford an experiment was designed in which male and female subjects viewed a series of slides. On each slide an attribution of a desirable or an undesirable trait was made to a member of one of two fictitious groups. The slide set was constructed such that one group had twice as many members as the other; desirable traits were two and one-half times more frequent than undesirable traits, and each group had the same ratio of m...
Mechanism of PdO thin film formation during the oxidation of Pd(1 1 1)

We investigated the mechanism by which a surface oxide layer on Pd(1 1 1) transforms to a PdO(1 0 1) thin film during oxidation with gaseous oxygen atoms in ultrahigh vacuum. Our results provide evidence that the precursor to bulk PdO formation is a distinct oxide phase that forms as small particles, referred to as PdO seeds, after the surface oxide saturates. With increasing oxygen coverage, the PdO seeds grow in size and eventually transform to more stable particles that agglomerate to yield a PdO film. Oxidation effectively ceases when the surface oxide layer is completely replaced by the bulk PdO film, demonstrating that the surface oxide is needed for PdO formation at the conditions studied. Both the kinetics of PdO formation and the final thickness of the PdO thin film depend strongly on the thermal stability of the PdO seeds. Below the decomposition temperature of the seeds (∼600 K), oxidation follows kinetics similar to Langmuirian adsorption and appears to be limited only by the rate of oxygen adsorption onto the surface oxide. In contrast, PdO formation above 600 K initially exhibits acceleratory kinetics, with the rates starting low but increasing steadily during the initial growth of PdO. We also observe a significant decrease in PdO(1 0 1) film thickness and improved crystallinity when oxidation is conducted below 600 K. We show that the trends observed in the oxidation kinetics and film thickness can be qualitatively explained within the context of a model in which the thermodynamic stability of PdO particles increases with increasing particle size and PdO seeds/particles coexist with a two-dimensional (2D) gas of oxygen atoms adsorbed on the surface oxide layer. This model suggests that the PdO particle-2D gas coexistence relation gives rise to three distinct growth regimes, namely, stable seed nucleation, metastable seed nucleation and oxygen dissolution into the subsurface where the latter is established at 2D gas coverages below the stability limit of a flat PdO surface.
The pyramid of success

Outlines the different qualities required, and the different responsibilities, for those individuals climbing the career pyramid.
Performance of a commercial cathode-supported solid oxide fuel cells prepared by single-step infiltration of an ion-conducting electrocatalyst

Abstract Infiltration of fine-grained electrocatalyst particles into ceramic porous scaffolds is a very effective way to improve electrode performance for low-to-intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Conventionally, fine particles of an electronic or mixed electronic and oxide-ion conducting material are impregnated into an ion conducting porous scaffold. However, this approach usually requires higher infiltrant-loading, therefore tedious repetitive infiltration/drying and calcinations steps, in order to form percolated electron conducting network for effective current collection. In this study, we present an alternative single-step route involving infiltration of an ion conducting Sm-doped CeO2 (SDC) into an electron conducting cathode porous scaffold as well as anode of a commercial cathode-supported SOFC. A comparative study shows that the cathode polarization can be reduced by a factor of five to thirteen from 700 to 1000 °C by the infiltrated SDC. The single-cell performance exhibits a performance improvement by a factor of three from 700 to 800 °C. Stability tests within a limited time frame and low current-density show a relatively flat performance for SDC-infiltrated cell and “break-in” behavior for the baseline cell, suggesting electrolyte/cathode interface being activated by the infiltrated electrocatalyst.
Initial treatment of Parkinson's disease: an update.

This is an update to an article published in this journal in 2006, which covered the initial treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this update, we review new research into symptomatic treatments, potential disease modifying (“neuroprotective”) agents, and evidence-based reviews of current treatment. We discuss the usage of the MAO-B inhibitors, including the controversy surrounding the possible neuroprotective effects of rasagiline. Usage of extended release formulations of pramipexole and ropinirole, as well as the transdermal dopamine agonist rotigotine, are reviewed. Side effects of the dopamine agonists are discussed, including the cardiac side effects of ergot-derived dopamine agonists, and the impulse control disorders associated with the dopamine agonists. The use of zonisamide as an agent for PD tremor is reviewed. We touch on the clinical research into the benefits of exercise in PD, and briefly review some of the current studies for new formulations of levodopa and other medications and treatments with novel mechanisms of action.
Abstract 479: The effects of sarcophine-diol (SD) on melanoma B16F10 cell line

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Sarcophine diol (SD) is a non-toxic semi-synthetic derivative of sarcophine, a marine natural product. Previously, we studied the chemopreventive effects of SD on non-melanoma tumor development using both animal and cellular models. In this current study, we used the mouse melanoma B16F10 cell line to investigate the possible effects of SD on melanoma cell development. We found that SD at a 250 µM concentrations inhibits cell duplication. Melanoma cells treated with SD do not form the contractile ring, a multi-protein complex involved in cell division. As a result of cytoskeleton modification, cells treated with SD do not show the ability to carry out de novo synthesis of DNA, and their DNA show a high degree of fragmentation compared to untreated controls. To explore the molecular mechanism(s) involved in the disassembly of the contractile machinery, our studies show that SD treatment inhibits cell membrane permeability for small molecular mass compounds (e.g. ethidium bromide which is used as an indicator for cell permeability to Ca2+ ions). These findings are consistent with the observation that SD increases cleavage of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), resulting in low PLA2 enzymatic activity. These findings are also consistent with the observation that SD, in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, inhibits the expression level of the cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2). As a result of the decline in membrane permeability in SD treated cells and the negative effect of SD on the protein level of phospholipase C (PLC), which both affect the activity of contractile machinery, the non-dividing cells undergo apoptosis. The latter notion is supported by findings that SD inhibits the expression of STAT-3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription protein), and cyclin D1 (an activator of cyclin-dependent kinase 4, Cdk4). SD treatment also enhances the cellular level of the tumor suppressing protein 53 (p53) and stimulates cleavage of the nuclear poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (cleaved-PARP). SD also enhances the cellular level of cleaved-Caspase-3, -8, -9 and stimulates enzymatic activities of Caspase-3, -8 and -9. All these findings, in addition to inhibition of cell viability, suggest that SD most likely inhibits melanoma cell growth by arresting the cell-division cycle in a Go quiescent phase and simultaneously activates apoptosis via extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 479. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-479
Association of cystatin C and estimated GFR with inflammatory biomarkers: the Heart and Soul Study

Background Cystatin C is a marker of kidney function that may also be associated with inflammation. In this study, we compared the relative strengths of association of cystatin C and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with inflammatory biomarkers.
New options in physiological and behavioural ecology through multichannel telemetry

Abstract This paper is intended to acquaint physiological and behavioural ecologists with the options offered by modern telemetry technology, and encourage collaboration between biologists and engineers. When direct observation is impossible, telemetry can be used to acquire a wide spectrum of environmental, physiological and behavioural data. This spectrum is expanding rapidly due to dramatic increases in the availability of miniaturized, micropower transducers and electronic components. The “pros and cons” of telemetry are presented, particularly with reference to crustaceans in marine systems. The kinds of phenomena that now can be telemetered are listed, alongside representative devices that transduce them into electrical signals. Transduced data may be stored for subsequent uploading, or transmitted over radio or ultrasound carrier waves. Radio is most useful in air, ultrasound in saline (conductive) water. Data can be encoded on pulsed or continuous carriers, depending on the data rate needed; common schemes are summarized. A sequence of questions about crab ecology is used to illustrate how both simple and complex telemetry systems can provide unique data sets and provide significant insights into the biological system. Simple tracking transmitters provided time budgets for ghost crabs [ Ocypode quadrata (Fabr.)], revealing that they are predators rather than scavengers. Single-channel behavioural transmitters have provided detailed spatial and temporal data on how blue crabs ( Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) move about while seeking moulting sites or food, and where they feed or moult. A multichannel system incorporating microcontroller-based “smart” transmitters and multiple receivers integrated with a data-reduction unit is providing automated logging of feeding and threat behaviours, as well as location within a field enclosure, for multiple blue crabs. A rationale is presented for incorporating telemetry technology into a research programme. An incremental approach that involves experienced collaborators is most likely to yield results quickly and minimise expenditure of resources.
A preliminary evaluation of lithium batteries for extended-life continuous-operation applications

Abstract A test program of several ambient temperature lithium battery systems has been initiated. Its purpose is to provide both real-time and accelerated data to determine the suitability of these systems to operate continuously for extended periods of up to 10 years. The Li/CuO and Li/(CFx)n systems are compared with the Sandia-modified Li/SO2 system that is currently being used in applications requiring operation for up to five years. Preliminary results show the Li/CuO system to be stable over a wide range of temperatures (−40 to +70 °C) with a narrow performance band. Cell capacities ranged from 17 to 21 A h for spirally-wound D cells over the entire temperature range studied, for current drains up to several hundred milliamperes. The major drawback of the Li/CuO system is its low operating voltage coupled with a large voltage drop at the beginning of discharge. The Li/(CFx)n system has a substantial temperature effect. At 70 °C, cells vented at currents above 100 mA due to the buildup of internal pressure, while at −40 °C, cells operated only at 20 mA or less. At all conditions evaluated, a voltage step occurred near the end of life. This step occurred after complete utilization of the carbon monofluoride in the cathode-limited cells, when electrolyte reduction began. Further development is needed to make this system a viable candidate for long-life applications. Specifically, a new electrolyte solvent and an anode-limited design are required. The modified Li/SO2 cells gave a very consistent performance over the current and temperature range studied. Due to the large data base available for this system and the modifications to improve long-life capability (elimination of premature failure due to materials corrosion), Li/SO2 remains the primary system for use in extended-life applications pending further developments in the evolution of the Li/CuO and Li/(CFx)n designs.
15N enrichment as an integrator of the effects of C and N on microbial metabolism and ecosystem function

Organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are essential for heterotrophic soil microorganisms, and their bioavailability strongly influences ecosystem C and N cycling. We show here that the natural (15)N abundance of the soil microbial biomass is affected by both the availability of C and N and ecosystem N processing. Microbial (15)N enrichment correlated negatively with the C : N ratio of the soil soluble fraction and positively with net N mineralization for ecosystems spanning semiarid, temperate and tropical climates, grassland and forests, and over four million years of ecosystem development. In addition, during soil incubation, large increases in microbial (15)N enrichment corresponded to high net N mineralization rates. These results support the idea that the N isotope composition of an organism is determined by the balance between N assimilation and dissimilation. Thus, (15)N enrichment of the soil microbial biomass integrates the effects of C and N availability on microbial metabolism and ecosystem processes.
Spatial Patterns of Seasonal Level Diurnal Variations of Ozone and Respirable Suspended Particulates in Hong Kong

In this study we analyzed the diurnal spatial patterns of cycles of ozone (O3) and respirable suspended particulate (RSP) matter in Hong Kong between 2001 and 2011. We used harmonic analysis to reveal the diurnal cycle in the seasonal-level spatial patterns. The diurnal cycle of O3 is stronger in the northeast rural areas of Hong Kong than in the urban center due to the lower titration effects of nitric oxide in the rural areas. For RSP, the southern sections show the strongest diurnal cycle and the northeastern sections show the weakest diurnal cycle, which could be explained by the heavy vehicular traffic in the southern urban areas and light vehicular traffic in the northeast rural areas. The diurnal patterns of O3 and RSP both show stronger cycles in the summer months, which might be related to the diurnal rainfall pattern. The time of maximum for O3 is around 1400 Local Standard Time (LST) in the afternoon in summer, whereas a wider range in the time of maximum, between 1100 and 1400 LST, was observe...
The utility of menstrual cycle length as an indicator of cumulative hormonal exposure

Context: Associations between menstrual cycle length and chronic diseases are hypothesized to be due to differences in underlying hormonal patterns. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between menstrual cycle length and the hormonal profile and anovulation. Design and Setting: We conducted a prospective cohort study at the University at Buffalo from 2005 to 2007. Participants: We recruited 259 healthy, regularly menstruating women aged 18–44 yr. Main Outcome Measures: Cycle length was observed for up to two cycles. Serum estradiol, progesterone, LH, and FSH were measured up to eight times per cycle for up to two cycles. Results: Women with short cycles ( 35 d), estradiol and LH peaks occurred on average about 3 d later, and FSH peaks about 1 d later compared to women with normal...
Analysis of differential pulse polarography with multiple electrode reactions

Abstract A model has been developed to describe the combined effects of electrochemical kinetics, ohmic potential drop, and mass transfer for multiple electrochemical reactions at a dropping mercury electrode. The analysis is used to determine the influence of exchange current densities, standard electrode potentials, and operating conditions on the characteristics of differential pulse polarograms for a consecutive EE reaction mechanism. Criteria for the attainment of a separate peak for each reaction are presented. Also, conditions under which standard rate constant can be determined from peak potentials are identified. Results for a consecutive EE mechanism are compared with differential pulse polarograms for a single electrochemical reaction.
Power delivery dynamics and its impact on silicon validation

The drive to low power regimes has highlighted the impact of power delivery dynamics on the operation and testing of the die. In normal functional mode, the transient draw of transistor currents will create scenarios that, via voltage droop, may impact the maximum operational frequency of the die. The same is true for functional testing. Even a need to replicate these effects for scan-based testing is not easily done without understanding both the dynamics of the power delivery as well as its impact on frequency during functional operation and functional testing. In this talk, power delivery dynamics will be discussed. Global and local voltage fluctuations will be mapped into the roughly four different kinds of voltage droops including the frequencies associated with each. It will be shown how decoupling capacitor placement either on a die or externally on the package will affect each of the kinds of voltage droops described. A description of the different die events, in either functional or scan mode, which can set up frequencies to impact each of the kinds of voltage droops, will be given. It will be shown that postsilicon functional speed-paths are often a clear function of the voltage droop dynamics. The second part of the problem consists in creating tests to excite the correct sequence of voltage droops to cause impact on the total droop seen by the transistors. We will discuss an early flow based on machine abstraction, charge assignment to reflect current draw, and charge sequence optimization to enable one to accomplish test-generation for droop post-silicon and the application of this flow on a major microprocessor. Post-silicon voltage measurements will be used to demonstrate the complexity needed to achieve a large droop impact in a short test which would be equivalent to running multiple functional tests.
Modification of the TRAC Ebers-Moll Model for Improved High Frequency and Collector Storage Time Predictions

The present TRAC Ebers-Moll model is modified in order to obtain an improved high frequency prediction. This is achieved by means of a three lump Linvill model to account for diffusion transport of minority carriers in the base region of a bipolar transistor. The modified Ebers-Moll model obtained in this manner yields two pole representations for the transport factors in the frequency domain. The two pole representation for hfe is shown to give reasonable fit both in amplitude and phase with experimental data obtained from a low frequency bipolar transistor, while the phase correlation obtained with the single pole representation of the present TRAC Ebers-Moll model is unsatisfactory, especially, at high frequencies. The present TRAC Ebers-Moll model was also modified so as to obtain an improvement in collector storage and recovery time prediction. This was accomplished by the introduction of two Linvill lumps in the collector region to account for minority carrier storage and transport. The observed experimental collector-base diode turn-off transient response for the same low frequency bipolar transistor was found to be in agreement with the prediction of the modified model. Finally, the paper is concluded with a discussion of a modified model to account for both the high frequency response, as well as, collector storage and recovery time effects.
Theory of Planetary Wave-Zonal Flow Interaction.

Abstract Small amplitude planetary waves are superimposed on a mean zonal flow with arbitrary horizontal and vertical shears. An expression is derived for the change of the zonal wind and temperature field forced by statistically stationary eddies satisfying a source-free planetary wave equation. This result depends on the existence of singular lines, where the phase speed of an elementary wave is equal to the mean zonal wind speed, or on the presence of a Newtonian cooling process. Second-order interactions vanish when both of these phenomena are absent. The planetary wave-zonal flow interaction is discussed in terms of the eddy transport of potential vorticity. The theory provides a partial interpretation of the maintenance of atmospheric zonal flows, such as that of the wintertime stratosphere, by planetary waves propagating from some other region of the atmosphere.
Determination of perfluorochemicals in cow's milk using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

This study describes a new method developed for detection of 10 different perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in cow’s milk, seven perfluorinated carboxylates and three perfluorinated sulfonate salts. After ...
Numerical modeling of softening hinges in thin Euler-Bernoulli beams

This paper presents new finite elements for thin Euler-Bernoulli beams that incorporate the softening hinges observed at failure. The proposed methods rely crucially on the identification of the classical notion of inelastic hinge with strong discontinuities of the generalized displacements describing the beam's deformation. The development of a multi-scale framework that effectively incorporates the localized dissipative mechanisms associated with these discontinuous solutions into the large-scale problem of the beam, or general frame system, defines a crucial step undertaken here. This framework defines the setting of its numerical implementation by finite elements enhanced with the singular strains corresponding to the discontinuities. A general procedure is presented that leads, in particular, to finite elements free of stress-locking and that resolve exactly the kinematics of the hinge. Several numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed methods.