cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inferring Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk From Attractiveness in Online Dating Among Adolescents and Young Adults: Exploratory Study

Background: Sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates are on the rise among adolescents and young adults in the United States. With the popularity of online dating, adolescents and young adults must increasingly rely on limited cues to make initial judgments about potential sexual partners, including judgments about STI risk. Objective: This study aimed to assess whether in the context of online dating, an attractiveness heuristic would be used for STI risk assessment. We hypothesized that consistent with research on halo effects, decision makers would judge more attractive people to be less likely to have STIs. Methods: In a survey experiment, we asked participants to determine which individual in each of 20 sets of paired photographs was enrolled in a personals website for people with publicly disclosed STIs. Results: Despite financial incentives for accuracy and high levels of self-confidence in their judgments, participants performed no better than chance at identifying individuals with self-reported STIs. Contrary to our hypothesis, however, more attractive people were judged as being more likely to have an STI. This relationship appears to be mediated by inferences regarding the target individual’s sexual behavior, with more attractive individuals considered to have more partners. Conclusions: On showing adolescents and young adults photographs offering no diagnostic information about STIs, they appeared to use attractiveness as a cue for sexual risk, which was mediated by the belief that attractive individuals have more sexual opportunities. Health care providers may wish to address this heuristic process among their adolescent patients in discussions about sexual health.
Promoting professional growth in new teacher evaluation systems: Practitioners’ lived experiences in changing policy contexts

Abstract International recognition of the teacher’s role in student learning has increased attention to teacher quality and evaluation. In the U.S., policy has relaxed requirements for using student outcomes and granted more flexibility to evaluate teachers in ways that ostensibly improve instructional practice and student learning. This exploratory single case study examined the perceptions of practitioners at one high school in a large, suburban district during the implementation of a new evaluation system posited as focused on teacher support and growth. Findings suggest teachers and administrators appreciated the emphasis on communication. However, tensions inherent to the conflation of evaluation and support created challenges. These included distrust of policymaker motives, complexity of the model, technical challenges to implementation, time constraints, and teachers’ need for additional support. Practitioners’ lived experiences can inform policymakers reconsidering how and to what extent evaluation systems tied to accountability can meaningfully impact teacher professional growth and student learning.
Sensing Service Transformer Secondary Currents using Planar Magnetic Pick-up Coils

The rapid deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) is creating stresses on utility assets in the distribution networks. The service transformer, which is the most commonly used utility asset is often not monitored, since the cost of available sensing solutions is as high as the transformer itself. This paper presents a method to use an array of printed circuit board coils to intelligently monitor North American pole top service transformers. The approach, uses a novel, self-calibrating algorithm to infer the fixed geometry of the installation, by recording data over an extended period of time. The proposed method can enable rapid installation of a non-intrusive sensor that can be used to monitor loading levels of the distribution transformer. These sensors can help in planning, prognostics and advanced situational awareness for utilities.
Case report: use of lenzilumab and tocilizumab for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel disease associated with a cytokine-mediated, severe, acute respiratory syndrome. Tocilizumab and lenzilumab are recombinant monoclonal antibodies against IL-6 and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, respectively, and have been proposed as a potential treatment for acute, hypoxic respiratory failure associated with COVID-19. Results & methodology: We present the case of a 68-year-old man with COVID-19 who was initially treated with hydroxychloroquine and lenzilumab, but continued to develop hypoxemia, requiring an increase in respiratory support with an associated rise in serum inflammatory markers. He was subsequently treated with tocilizumab with marked clinical improvement and a decrease in acute phase reactants within 48 h. Discussion & conclusion: This case demonstrates the effective use of tocilizumab in the treatment of COVID-19 and suggests the superiority of tocilizumab over lenzilumab in the management of this cytokine-mediated syndrome.
The association of multimorbidity to mortality in older adults after permanent pacemaker placement

Background In the United States 2018 bradycardia guideline, the current class III recommendation that patients with permanent pacemaker (PPM) indications and high multimorbidity burden may not have meaningful clinical benefit from PPM therapy is based on limited data. Methods Observational study (January 1, 2008-December 31, 2015) of adults ≥65 years (N = 16,678) who underwent PPM implantation. Exposure variable: Elixhauser comorbidity number (ECN, 29 well-validated conditions). Primary outcome ≤1-year mortality; secondary outcome: > 1-year mortality. Results Those who died ≤1-year were older, had a lower body mass index (BMI), and higher ECN (p 1-year (HR 1.19 [95% CI: 1.17-1.20]) mortality. A predictive model including age, sex, BMI, PPM type, race, and ECN had greater discriminative ability (p Conclusion Across the heterogeneity of indications for PPM placement, multimorbidity is increasingly common. The association of multimorbidity to mortality (≤1-year, >1-year) should be routinely discussed during the shared decision-making process as an important prognostic geriatric domain variable.
Monolithically Integrated Electronic-Photonic Ultrasound Receiver Using Microring Resonator

The first optical ultrasound sensor with co-integrated read-out circuitry is presented. Based on a micro-ring resonator (MRR), it has a measured 7.3mV/kPa sensitivity, 480Pa minimum detectable pressure, operating at 80% fractional bandwidth around 5MHz.
Efficient SR-Latch PUF

In this paper we present an efficient SR-Latch based PUF design, with two times improvement in area over the state of the art, thus making it very attractive for low-area designs. This PUF is able to reliably generate a 128-bit cryptographic key. The proposed design is compact and the effect of inter-CLB routing is eliminated. The PUF response is generated by quantifying the number of oscillations during the metastability state for preselected latches. The derived design has been verified on 25 Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGAs (XC6SLX16). The uniqueness measure is 49.24%. In addition the design has been tested at ± 5% of core voltage and also over the rated temperature range [0-85°C]. The reliability at +5% of nominal voltage is 99.18%, while at -5% of nominal voltage it is 97.54%. We also propose a novel area-efficient error correcting scheme that assures that a key generated in the field, at the extreme values of voltage and temperature supported by the commercial-grade Spartan-6 FPGAs, is the same as the key generated during enrollment at nominal operating conditions.
Explosive nucleosynthesis and the composition of metal-poor stars

The character of the nuclear abundances synthesized under explosive carbon, oxygen and silicon burning conditions is demonstrated to be dependent upon the initial metal content of the star. Specifically, for metal-poor stars, the calculated abundances both of odd-Z nuclei and of the neutron rich isotopes of even-Z nuclei are found to be substantially reduced. This odd-even effect inZ is consistent with spectral studies of metal deficient stars.
The Federal Minimum Wage: In Brief

This report discuses the federal minimum wage and the various groups of workers who are covered and not covered by minimum wage requirements. Arguments for and against raising the federal minimum wage are also discussed.
Run-Time Support for Adaptive Load Balancing

Many parallel scientific applications have dynamic and irregular computational structure. However, most such applications exhibit persistence of computational load and communication structure. This allows us to embed measurement-based automatic load balancing framework in run-time systems of parallel languages that are used to build such applications. In this paper, we describe such a framework built for the Converse [4] in teroperable runtime system. This framework is composed of mechanisms for recording application performance data, a mechanism for object migration, and interfaces for plug-in load balancing strategy objects. In terfaces for strategy objects allow easy implementation of novel load balancing strategies that could use application characteristics on the entire machine, or only a local neighborhood. We present the performance of a few strategies on a synthetic benchmark and also the impact of automatic load balancing on an actual application.
HMGB1 is a key mediator of anemia in a murine model of sepsis survivors (CCR3P.224)

Anemia is omnipresent in patients with severe sepsis, and correlated to long term outcome. Its mechanism is incompletely understood. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is persistently elevated in murine sepsis survivors. To study the role of HMGB1 in anemia of sepsis, we used a murine model of severe sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Anemia developed 3 days after onset of sepsis and persisted for no less than 28 days. The compensatory regenerative response was blunted, as demonstrated by reduced and erratic reticulocytosis. Splenomegaly was present in CLP survivors for as long as the follow up period. Microscopy revealed splenic architecture disruption, with expansion of the red pulp, characteristic of stress erythropoiesis. Analysis of terminal erythroid differentiation using flow cytometry demonstrated an increase in all erythroid progenitors, from proerythroblast to orthochromatic erythroblast, while mature erythroid cell populations were significantly reduced. An anti-HMGB1 (2G7 clone; 50ug/day x3 days I.P.) administered 9 days after after CLP significantly protected septic mice from anemia. In contrast, exogenous administration of HMGB1 (500ug/mouse/day x7d I.P.) to healthy mice was sufficient to induce a significant decrease in hemoglobin (p>0.05) and splenomeglay. These results indicate HMGB1 is necessary and sufficient for developing anemia in murine sepsis, and suggest HMGB1 may be a novel therapeutic target of anemia in sepsis survivors.
NMR in superfluid He 3 in a confined geometry

NMR in superfluid $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ in a thin slab is studied in the Ginzburg-Landau regime. The predicted qualitative difference in response from the bulk case of both the A and B phases suggests that NMR can be a very sensitive experimental probe of the order parameter in severely confined geometries. We present numerical solutions for the NMR frequencies.
Galaxy Distances and Deviations from the Hubble Flow; Summary Remarks

Cosmology is an elusive subject. The discipline is somewhat like the mythical hero Proteus who had the ability to change his form, unpredictably altering himself from one type of beast to another. Whenever we get a bead on it, it changes. Whenever we feel we are about to answer the important questions, the subject wriggles out from under us and the questions change. It is not that our patient progress is not real. The scientific method does really work and we typically are able to close in on the well defined questions. It is rather that we wake up to find that the questions we have been asking are hopelessly naive.
A Brief Social History of Game Play.

Who has played video games? Where have they played them? And how have games helped or hindered social networks and communities? This article answers these historical questions for the birthplace of commercial video games—the United States. Moving from the descriptive to the analytical, it begins with the basic trends and figures: who played, when, where and why, and how changes in technology have impacted the social side of gaming. An immediate pattern appears—for both industrial and political reasons, the early 1980s were a crucial turning point in the social history of video game play. What began as an open and free space for cultural and social mixing was quickly transformed through social constructions that had little to do with content, the goals of the producers, or even demand. The legacy of that era persists today, influencing who plays, how we view games, and even how we investigate their uses and effects.
Disaster-aware datacenter placement and dynamic content management in cloud networks

Recent targeted attacks and natural disasters have made disaster-resilient cloud network design an important issue. Network operators are investigating proactive and reactive measures to prevent huge data loss and service disruptions in case of a disaster. We present novel techniques for disaster-aware datacenter placement and content management in cloud networks that can mitigate such loss by avoiding placement in given disaster-vulnerable locations. We first solve a static disaster-aware datacenter and content placement problem by adopting an integer linear program with the objective to minimize risk, defined as expected loss of content. It is a measure of how much, in terms of cost or penalty, a network operator may lose probabilistically due to possible disasters in a cloud network. We also show how a service provider's budget constraint can affect disaster-aware placement design. Since disaster scenarios, content popularity, and/or importance are always changing in time, content placement should rapidly adapt to these changes. We propose a disaster-aware dynamic content-management algorithm that can adjust the existing placement based on dynamic settings. Besides reducing the overall risk and making the network disaster-aware, reducing network resource usage and satisfying quality-of-service requirements can also be achieved in this approach. We also provide a cost analysis of employing a dynamic disaster-aware placement design in the network based on real-world cloud pricing.
How Licensing Resolves Hold-Up: Evidence from a Dynamic Panel Data Model with Unobserved Heterogeneity

In a patent thicket licensing provides a mechanism to either avoid or resolve hold-up. Firms' R&D incentives will differ depending on how licensing is used. In this paper we study the choice between ex ante licensing to avoid hold-up and ex post licensing to resolve it. Building on a theoretical model of a patent portfolio race, firms' choices of licensing contracts are modelled. We derive several hypotheses from the model and find support for these using data from the semiconductor industry. The empirical results show that firms' relationships in product markets and technology space jointly determine the type of licensing contract chosen. Implications for the regulation of licensing are discussed. We estimate a dynamic panel data model with unobserved heterogeneity and a lagged dependent variable. A method suggested by Wooldridge (2005) is employed to estimate a random effects probit model using conditional maximum likelihood.
Governance Matters II : Updated Indicators for 2000-01

Updated governance indicators report estimates of six dimensions of governance for 175 countries in 2000-01. They can be compared with those constructed for 1997-98. Kaufmann, Kraay, and Zoido-Lobaton construct aggregate governance indicators for six dimensions of governance, covering 175 countries in 2000-01. They apply the methodology developed in Kaufmann, Kraay, and Zoido-Lobaton ("Aggregating Governance Indicators," Policy Research Working Paper 2195, and "Governance Matters," Policy Research Working Paper 2196, October 1999) to newly available data to arrive at governance indicators comparable with those constructed for 1997-98. The data is presented in the appendix, and accessible through an interactive Web-interface at http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance/govdata2001.htm. This paper - a joint product of the Development Research Group and the Governance, Regulation, and Finance Division, World Bank Institute - is part of a larger effort in the Bank to develop and analyze governance research indicators and trends worldwide. For access to the data and related papers, visit http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance/pubs/govmatters2001.htm. The authors may be contacted at dkaufmann@worldbank.org or akraay@worldbank.org.
Time‐varying parametric subharmonic instability from repeat CTD surveys in the northwestern Pacific Ocean

[1] Time-varying diapycnal diffusivity signals are estimated using the fine-scale parameterization method from high-resolution CTD data along three repeat sections in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Indicative of the parametric subharmonic instability (PSI), locally-elevated diapycnal mixing is detected alongallthree sections within the 25°–29°N band where bottom topography is relatively featureless. Due to their proximity to the semidiurnal internal tide generation sites, the two sections along ∼137°E have a time-mean diffusivity value 2.5 × 10−5 m2 s−1 in the 300–2,000 m upper ocean. In contrast, it is 1.2 × 10−5 m2 s−1along the 165°E section. The time-varying diffusivity along both sections is dominated by signals whose vertical structure resembles the local first dynamic normal mode profile. At the 137°E site of 25°–29°N, the local spring-neap modulated semidiurnal tidal current is found to lead the CTD-derived diffusivity time series by 6 days and can alter the diffusivity level by 0.24 × 10−5 m2 s−1. Similarly, the concurrent surface wind work is found to modify the diffusivity level by 0.35 × 10−5 m2 s−1. The combined spring-neap tide and wind work forcing explains 47% of the observed, time-varying diffusivity signals.
Rapid recognition and treatment of cerebral air embolism: the role of neuromonitoring

Cerebral air embolism is a rare but serious complication of cardiac operations. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography is a sensitive monitor of gas bubble entry into the cerebral circulation. Here we describe a case of cerebral air embolism during a Fontan procedure and the role of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, cerebral oximetry, and electroencephalography (EEG) in its recognition and management.
Physical pictures of the pairing interaction in the Hubbard model

Physical pictures which have been suggested to describe the pairing interaction in a two-dimensional Hubbard model doped near half-filling are compared with numerical Monte Carlo results. We find that the single spin-fluctuation exchange picture provides a reasonable representation if Monte Carlo results are used for the spin susceptibility. We also find that the spatial structure of the pairing interaction in the singlet channel is repulsive when both fermions are on the same site but attractive when they are on near-neighbor sites favouring\(d_{x^2 - y^2 } \) pairing correlations.
Basic Limitations in the Fabrication of Radiation Detectors by Gamma Compensation of Germanium

The process of ?-compensation as a method for fabricating Ge radiation detectors has been studied in some detail. Particular attention has been focused on the energy distribution and concentration of the levels created by the ?-irradiation, on the differences between crystals before and after irradiation, on the field configurations in junctions with deep traps, and on obtaining the carrier trapping cross-sections due to irradiation. It is found that crystals with impurity concentrations of 5 × 1010 to 5 × 1012 (cm)-3 can be quite different from each other before and after irradiation. Compensation of n-type material to a very low n or p-type residual conductance is always feasible, although the compensation mechanism for devices at near thermal equilibrium is different from that of diodes with bias applied. From measurements with several compensated detectors, it is found that effective hole trapping cross-sections of 10-12 to 10-13 cm2 are commonly obtained, resulting in poor resolution even with initial materials of the highest purity. One exceptional crystal gave excellent resolution after compensation but suffered catastrophic failure with a small amount of over-irradiation. This particular result has helped to propose a two threshold mechanism, which, in combination with the knowledge gained from the calculation of field distributions in junctions with deep levels, may explain the results observed. Emphasis is then placed on the apparent need for extreme crystal uniformity, which, if confirmed, will result in declaring the ?-compensation process impractical for the fabrication of radiation detectors.
Biological interactions between cell membranes and glycerol or DMSO

Abstract Human erythrocytes washed with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) were frozen for 1 or 16 min at temperatures ranging from −10 to −80 °C. Red cell suspensions contained either no protective agent or various concentrations of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or glycerol. The similarities between cryoprotection by DMSO and glycerol reinforce Rapatz and Luyet's classification of cryoprotective agents into three types and support Mazur's two-factor theory of cryoprotection. However, there are important differences between the cryoprotective effects of DMSO and glycerol. The most noteworthy is that for all concentrations of DMSO a 16-min freezing exposure was equal to or more damaging than a 1-min exposure; the converse was true for 11.8 and 17.7% glycerol solutions. This and other differences suggest that the general mechanism of freeze-thaw damage and cryoprotection is more complex than described by Mazur's two-factor theory. Likewise cryoprotective agents cannot be consistently classified into two or three types. A multifactor theory was suggested as a more extensive model for understanding freeze-thaw damage and cryoprotection. The major new contribution of this theory is the idea of biological interaction. This latter refers to solutes in conjunction with various factors which disturb the steady state of the cell membrane. The change in the membrane may be reversible or irreversible depending upon the circumstances.
A technique for evaluating the ability of selections to yield consistently in different locations or seasons

Varieties differ in their ability to produce a, dependable crop. In New York experience has shown Katahdin and Cobbler to be favorable in this respect, whereas Green Mountain has a reputation of being variable
SU-E-T-258: Assessment of Radiation Induced Second Cancer Risks in Proton Therapy and IMRT for Organs inside the Main Radiation Field.

Purpose:Radiation therapy can potentially cause a second malignancy. There is clinical evidence that those occur typically within the beam path in the medium/high dose region. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk for developing a radiation induced tumor within the treated volume and to compare this risk for proton therapy and IMRT.Methods: Fully contoured age and gender specific whole body phantoms (4‐year and 14‐year old) were uploaded into a treatment planning system and typical tumor volumes were contoured based on patients treated for optic glioma and vertebral body Ewing's sarcoma. Lifetime attributable risks (LARs) for developing a second malignancy were calculated using a risk model incorporating factors for cell kill, mutations, repopulation, and inhomogeneous organdoses.Results: For standard fractionation schemes, the LAR for developing a second malignancy from radiation therapy alone were found to be up to 2.7% for a 4‐year old optic glioma patient treated with IMRT considering a soft tissue carcinoma risk model only. Sarcoma risks were found to be below 1% in all cases. For the 14‐year old, risks were found to be about a factor of 2 lower. For the Ewing's sarcoma cases the risks based on the sarcoma model were typically higher than the carcinoma risks, i.e. up to 1.3% LAR for soft tissue sarcoma. Generally, the risk from proton therapy turned out to be lower by a factor of 2 to 10. However, comparison of a 3‐field and 4‐field proton plan shows that the distribution of the dose, i.e., the particular treatment plan, plays a role as well. Conclusions: In general, proton therapy can significantly reduce the risk for developing an in‐field second malignancy. Risk analysis based on our formalism could be applied within treatment planning programs to guide treatment plans for pediatric patients. Federal Share of program income earned by Massachusetts General Hospital on NIH/NCI C06 CA059267
Forward, together forward: Coping strategies of students following the 2008 mass shootings at Northern Illinois University.

The purpose was to determine differences by gender and over time in use of coping strategies by students following the 2008 mass shootings at Northern Illinois University. Students (N=336) complete...
Free energy perturbation calculations on binding and catalysis after mutating Asn 155 in subtilisin

Site-directed mutagenesis is a very powerful approach to altering the biological functions of proteins, the structural stability of proteins and the interactions of proteins with other molecules. Several experimental studies in recent years have been directed at estimating the changes in catalytic properties, (rates of binding and catalysis) in site-directed mutants of enzymes compared to the native enzymes. Simulation approaches to the study of complex molecules have also become more powerful, in no small measure owing to the increase in computer power. These simulations have often allowed results of experiments to be rationalized and understood mechanistically. A new approach called the free-energy pertubation method, which uses statistical mechanics and molecular dynamics can often be used for quantitative calculation of free energy differences. We have applied such a technique to calculate the differential free energy of binding and free energy of activation for catalysis of a tripeptide substrate by native subtilisin and a subtilisin mutant (Asn 155----Ala 155). Our studies lead to a calculated difference in free energy of binding which is relatively small, but a calculated change in free energy of catalysis which is substantial. These energies are very close to those determined experimentally (J. A. Wells and D. A. Estell, personal communication), which were not known to us until the simulations were completed. This demonstrates the predictive power and utility of theoretical simulation methods in studies of the effects of site-specific mutagenesis on both enzyme binding and catalysis.
Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS): History, Applications, and Future Enhancements

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) manages the National Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) system that comprises a network of over 1,350 sites, each containing a geodetic quality Global Navigation Satellite System receiver. This network is currently growing at a rate of about 15 sites per month. NGS collects, processes, and distributes data from these sites in support of high-accuracy three-dimensional positioning activities throughout the United States, its territories, and a few foreign countries. CORS data are also used by geophysicists, meteorologists, atmospheric and ionospheric scientists, and others in support of a wide variety of applications. This paper addresses the history of the CORS network, some of its applications, and plans for enhancing it within the next few years.
Rates of vertebral bone loss before and after liver transplantation in women with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Atraumatic fractures caused by osteoporosis may be a serious complication of primary biliary cirrhosis. Mean (+/- S.D.) bone mineral density in the lumbar spine in 210 ambulatory women with primary biliary cirrhosis was 1.02 +/- 0.19 gm/cm2, 7% lower than that in 139 age-matched normal women (after adjustment for age and body weight) (p less than 0.001). Bone mineral density in the lumbar spine was inversely related to a risk score index of liver disease severity (r = -0.29, p less than 0.001). The mean rate of bone loss in 105 of these 210 women was 2%/yr +/- 4%/yr, twice as great as in the 139 normal women (p less than 0.02). In 20 women with primary biliary cirrhosis followed up after orthotopic liver transplantation, bone mineral density in the lumbar spine decreased at 3 mo (p less than 0.01), and this decrease may have resulted in atraumatic fractures in 13 of them. Bone mineral density in the lumbar spine then increased (p less than 0.01) so that by 12 mo the median bone mineral density in the lumbar spine was similar to that before transplantation and by 24 mo it was 5% above it. Therefore we conclude that the progressive bone loss observed in primary biliary cirrhosis (which is further accentuated immediately after transplantation) may be halted, and the bone mass may be restored toward normal within 2 to 3 yr after orthotopic liver transplantation.
Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is increased in osteoarthritis and regulates chondrocyte catabolic and anabolic activities

Summary Objective We determined if the epidermal growth factor receptor ligand HB-EGF is produced in cartilage and if it regulates chondrocyte anabolic or catabolic activity. Methods HB-EGF expression was measured by quantitative PCR using RNA isolated from mouse knee joint tissues and from normal and osteoarthritis (OA) human chondrocytes. Immunohistochemistry was performed on normal and OA human cartilage and meniscus sections. Cultured chondrocytes were treated with fibronectin fragments (FN-f) as a catabolic stimulus and osteogenic protein 1 (OP-1) as an anabolic stimulus. Effects of HB-EGF on cell signaling were analyzed by immunoblotting of selected signaling proteins. MMP-13 was measured in conditioned media, proteoglycan synthesis was measured by sulfate incorporation, and matrix gene expression by quantitative PCR. Results HB-EGF expression was increased in 12-month old mice at 8 weeks after surgery to induce OA and increased amounts of HB-EGF were noted in human articular cartilage from OA knees. FN-f stimulated chondrocyte HB-EGF expression and HB-EGF stimulated chondrocyte MMP-13 production. However, HB-EGF was not required for FN-f stimulation of MMP-13 production. HB-EGF activated the ERK and p38 MAP kinases and stimulated phosphorylation of Smad1 at an inhibitory serine site which was associated with inhibition of OP-1 mediated proteoglycan synthesis and reduced aggrecan ( ACAN ) but not COL2A1 expression. Conclusion HB-EGF is a new factor identified in OA cartilage that promotes chondrocyte catabolic activity while inhibiting anabolic activity suggesting it could contribute to the catabolic-anabolic imbalance seen in OA cartilage.
The angle between the anticodon and aminoacyl acceptor stems of yeast tRNA(Phe) is strongly modulated by magnesium ions.

Many tRNAs undergo tertiary folding transitions at temperatures well below the main thermally induced (hyperchromic) transition. Such transitions are essentially isochromic and isoenthalpic and dis...
CORRELATION BETWEEN FIBER LENGTH, ULTRASTRUCTURE, AND THE LENGTH-TENSION RELATIONSHIP OF MAMMALIAN SMOOTH MUSCLE

The length-tension relationship was determined for strips of guinea pig taenia coli and correlated with the length and ultrastructural organization of the component fibers. The mean fiber length in "stretched" strips (passive ≥ active tension) was 30% greater than that for fibers in "unstretched" strips (active >> passive tension). In stretched fibers the dense bodies and 100 A diameter myofilaments were consolidated into a mass near the center of fibers in cross-sectional profile. The thick myofilaments were segregated into the periphery of the fiber profiles. In unstretched fibers the dense bodies-100 A diameter filaments and the thick myofilaments were uniformly distributed throughout cross-sectional profiles. A tentative model is proposed to account for the change in fiber length and ultrastructural organization that accompanies stretch. The basic features of the model require the dense bodies to be linked together into a network by the 100 A diameter filaments. The functional consequences of stretching the fibers are discussed in relation to the model proposed for this network.
Polymer‐mode‐coupling theory of the slow dynamics of entangled macromolecular fluids

A microscopic statistical dynamical theory of the slow dynamics of entangled macromolecular fluids has been formulated at the level of effective generalized Langevin equations-of-motion of a tagged polymer. A novel macromolecular version of mode-coupling theory is employed to approximately capture the cooperative motions of entangled polymers induced by the long range, self-similiar interchain correlations. Polymer integral equation methods are used to determine the required equilibrium structural input. Entanglements arise due to time and space correlations of the excluded volume forces exerted by the surrounding matrix on a tagged macromolecule. A spatially resolved description of entanglement constraint amplitudes relates the fluctuating forces to fluid structure. Constraint relaxation proceeds via three parallel processes: probe center-of-mass translation and shape fluctuations, and collective matrix relaxation. Asymptotic scaling law predictions for the molecular weight and concentration dependences of transport coefficients and relaxation times of chain polymer solutions and melts are in qualitative agreement with the phenomenological reptation theory. Predictions for finite frequency properties such as anomalous diffusion, and shear stress and dielectric relaxation, are derived. Enhanced, power law dissipation for properties controlled by conformational relaxation is predicted, with the corresponding frequency scaling exponents in good agreement with experiments but differing from reptation behavior. For experimentally accessible chain lengths strong finite size corrections for the transport coefficients arise due to entanglement constraint porosity and constraint release. Successful quantitative applications to many experimental data sets suggest the theory provides a unified microscopic understanding of the non-asymptotic scaling laws observed for the viscosity, dielectric relaxation time, and solution self and tracer diffusion constants. Generalization to fractal macromolecular architectures allows semi-quantitative treatment of ring and spherical microgel melts, and tracer diffusion in gels. A theory for the influence of concentration fluctuations in entangled polymer blends and diblock copolymers has also been developed. Self-diffusion in blends is quantitatively suppressed due to dynamical constraints associated with domain formation. Much stronger suppression of diffusion and chain relaxation is predicted near and well below the order-disorder transition of diblock copolymer melts due to microdomain formation. New dynamical scaling laws are predicted, and quantitative agreement of the theory with recent measurements on polyolefin diblocks is demonstrated. Limitations of the theory, open problems, and possible future directions are discussed.
Prognostic Implication of Early Ejection Fraction on Long-Term Mortality and Quality of Life Following Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

In this study of a unique cohort of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors with ventricular fibrillation, the initial ejection fraction was predictive of increased long-term mortality. However, overall long-term quality-of-life was favorable and independent of the ejection fraction.
How Americans Perceive Foreign Policy Threats: A Magnitude Scaling Analysis

post-Cold War era: the replacement of a military conception of threat by an economic one; fluidity in threat perceptions because of an absence of a polestar nation; and Huntington's clash of civilizations theory. Using psychophysical magnitude measures of threat perception, these findings provide no support for the notion that threats are perceived economically. There is limited support for the theory that threat perceptions are unstable; most countries are clustered around a core of weakly hostile or friendly perceptions, which is suggestive of instability. At the same time, however, there does appear to be stability in perceptions of strong friends and enemies. The hypothesis best supported by these data is Huntington's theory that culture determines threat perceptions. In this study, not a single Western country is perceived as hostile, and all nations that do receive hostile scores are non-Western.
CO 2 laser wavelength standards

This paper discusses the possibilities of the CO 2 laser for providing a very large number of accurate wavelength-frequency standards in the submillimeter to micrometer region of the spectrum and reviews measurements of the absolute wavelengths, including previously unpublished measurements, leading to a value of 9.305 385 635 μm for the R(14) transition, with an accuracy limited by the present definition of the international meter.
Laparoscopic Rectopexy for Rectal Prolapse to Reduce Surgical-Site Infections and Length of Stay

Rectal prolapse is commonly seen in patients with significant co-morbidities. Multiple approaches have been described, including the use of laparoscopy. The purpose of this study was to determine if laparoscopic approaches for repair of rectal prolapse are associated with less short-term morbidity than open approaches. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients who underwent laparoscopic or open rectopexy (R) or sigmoid resection and rectopexy (SR + R) between 2005 and 2008. Co-morbidities analyzed included diabetes, body mass index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, cardiac (history of congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease, previous percutaneous cardiac intervention or surgery), and neurologic disorder (history of transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular accident). Postoperative complications analyzed included surgical-site infections (SSIs), pneumonia, reintubation, pulmonary embolus, stroke, myocardial infarction, and sepsis. The χ 2 or t test/ANOVA were used to assess significance for categoric and continuous variables, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine risk factors for morbidity after rectal prolapse repair. Altogether, 685 patients underwent surgical treatment of rectal prolapse. Most patients underwent open SR + R (open: 247 SR + R, 193 R; laparoscopic: 161 SR + R, 84 R). All patients had similar co-morbidity profiles. Patients undergoing laparoscopic R were significantly older (mean age 61.4 years) than those in the other three groups (p = 0.04). Operating time ranged from 128 min (open R) to 185 min (laparoscopic SR + R; p < 0.001). Open SR + R and open R were associated with significantly more morbidity than laparoscopic SR + R and R [odds ratio (OR) 0.42, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.22–0.83, p = 0.01]. Comparing all four procedures, there was a trend to decreased overall morbidity with laparoscopic R, but without statistical significance (OR 0.31, 95 % CI 0.07–1.40, p = 0.13). Length of hospital stay (LOS) and SSI rates were significantly lower with laparoscopic R than with the other three procedures. Patients who undergo laparoscopic rectopexy have a shorter LOS and lower SSI rate than patients who undergo other abdominal procedures for repair of rectal prolapse. Further study is necessary to determine the long-term outcomes from laparoscopic rectopexy, but in high-risk patients the laparoscopic approach can decrease perioperative risk.
Correlation analysis among highway stormwater pollutants and characteristics

Stormwater runoff from highway land use is a common non-point source of pollutants. A large quantity of highway stormwater runoff characteristics were collected in California during the past three years. Correlations among various water quality parameters and constituents were performed using data sets collected over the 2000–2001, 2001–2002, and 2002–2003 wet seasons for 18, 21 and 23 storm events at three highway sites in west Los Angeles, California. In addition, statistical and graphical correlation analysis of the mass first flush ratio (MFF) with storm characteristics was made to determine if the first flush is related to site or storm characteristics. The results and analyses performed indicate that (1) TSS correlates well with most particulate-bound metals. However, TSS was poorly correlated with most other pollutants. (2) Strong correlations were also observed among dissolved and total metals; DOC, COD, TKN and oil and grease; conductivity and Cl. (3) Total metals, COD and DOC were generally well correlated with mass first flush, suggesting that BMPs that treat the early portion of runoff have an opportunity to remove high concentrations of these pollutants. Keywords Correlation analysis; highway stormwater runoff; mass first flush; storm characteristics
Search for proton decay from a predicted isomer of 77 Rb

A search for proton decay from a predicted (19) /(2) {sup {minus}} isomer of {sup 77}Rb has been performed. Products of the {sup 40}Ca+{sup 40}Ca reaction at average laboratory bombardment energies of 145 and 160 MeV were transported by a helium jet to an array of particle-identification telescopes. No evidence of proton emission from the predicted isomer was observed. In a second measurement, mass 77 residues of the {sup 40}Ca+{sup nat}Ca reaction at an average laboratory bombardment energy of 132 MeV were separated using the on-line mass separator RAMA. The yields of {sup 77}Rb and {sup 77}Sr were monitored by observation of beta-delayed gamma rays; 1.6{times}10{sup 6} atoms of {sup 77}Rb were transported to the detectors. A single particle-identification telescope subtending 23{percent} of 4{pi} sr again showed no evidence of proton emission from the predicted isomer. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Helical modes of instability in swirling flow between concentric cylinders

Die Stabilitat einer reibungsfreien und schraubenartigen Stromung zwischen zwei konzentrischen Zylindern wird untersucht. Schranken fur die Anfachungsgrosse und Fortpflanzungsgeschwindigkeit von nicht-rotationssymmetrischen Storungen sind abgeleitet und genaue Werte dieser Grossen fur die Spezialfalle von Couette-Stromung zwischen einem ruhenden ausseren und einem drehenden inneren Zylinder mit zusatzlicher Axial-Geschwindigkeitskomponente, die lienare oder parabolische Funktionen der Radialrichtung sind, werden erhalten. Es ergibt sich, dass der Zusatz einer linear abhangenden axialen Geschwindigkeit destabilisierend wirkt, weil der Zusatz einer parabolischen Komponente stabilisierend ist. Die Maximalanfachungsgrossen befinden sich bei schraubenformigen Storungen mit endlicher Steigung.
Differential effects of camptothecin derivatives on topoisomerase I-mediated DNA structure modification

The effects of eleven camptothecin derivatives on calf thymus topoisomerase I-mediated cleavage of synthetic DNA duplex have revealed that the A ring of camptothecin is very important for its biochemical activity. Depending on the type, number, and location of substituents, highly active or inactive analogues were obtained. The persistence of CPT-induced topoisomerase I-DNA covalent binary complexes was investigated by using as substrates DNA containing several good topoisomerase I cleavage sites, or else a synthetic DNA duplex of defined structure with a single high-efficiency cleavage site. The ligation kinetics at a given topoisomerase I cleavage site were sometimes quite different in the presence of CPT derivatives whose structures were closely related. Even in the presence of a single CPT analogue, topoisomerase I-DNA covalent binary complexes underwent ligation with different kinetics, presumably reflecting a dependence on DNA sequences flanking the individual topoisomerase I cleavage sites. Individual camptothecin derivatives also exhibited a spectrum of inhibitory potentials in blocking the topoisomerase I-mediated rearrangement of branched, nicked, and gapped DNA duplex substrates; in some cases the potencies of inhibition observed in these assays for individual camptothecin analogues were quite different than those determined for stabilization of the unmodified DNA-topoisomerase I binary complex.
Clove oil as an anaesthetic for adult sockeye salmon: Field trials

Wild migrating sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka exposed to 20, 50 and 80 mg 1−1 of clove oil could be handled within 3 min, recovered within 10 min, and survived 15 min exposure trials. Fish tested at 110 mg 1−1 did not recover from 15 min exposure trials. Response curves developed for induction and recovery time considered the following predictors: clove oil concentration, sex, fish length and depth. A significant positive dependence was observed between induction time and fish length for 20, 50 and 80 mg 1−1 test concentrations; no dependence was observed between induction time and length at 110 and 140 mg 1−1. Recovery time differed as a function of clove oil concentration, but not fish size. A concentration of 50 mg 1−1 is recommended for anaesthetizing sockeye salmon ranging in length from 400 to 550 mm at water temperatures averaging 9–10° C.
Patient-focused websites related to stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse: a DISCERN quality analysis

Introduction and hypothesis The quality of information related to pelvic floor disorders is varied and understudied. Using a validated instrument we evaluated the quality of selected websites addressing treatment options for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Outcomes in Pharyngoplasty: A 10-Year Experience

Abstract Objective: The outcomes of 61 patients who underwent a pharyngoplasty for velopharyngeal insufficiency were reviewed to determine potential risk factors for reoperation. Design: This was a retrospective chart review of 61 consecutive patients over approximately 10 years (1993 to 2003). Variables analyzed included gender, cleft type, age at the time of pharyngoplasty, length of time between palate repair and pharyngoplasty, and associated syndromes. Participants: Of the 61 patients, 20 (34%) had a unilateral cleft lip and palate, 5 (8%) had a bilateral cleft lip and palate, 13 (21%) had an isolated cleft palate, 7 (11%) had a submucous cleft palate, and 16 (26%) were diagnosed with noncleft velopharyngeal insufficiency. Results: Of the 61 patients, 10 (16%) required surgical revision. No statistically significant difference was found among gender, cleft type, age at the time of pharyngoplasty, the length of time between palate repair and pharyngoplasty, and associated congenital syndromes, with re...