cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-monogamy and sexual relationship quality among same-sex male couples

Relationship arrangements about sex with outside partners are common among gay couples, and meaningful distinctions in psychological and behavioral health correlates have been found among nonmonogamous agreement types. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between sexual agreements and partners' sexual relationship quality. Data were collected from both members of 161 gay male couples (n = 322 individuals). Couples were categorized as monogamous (52.8%), open (13.0%), monogamish (14.9%), and discrepant (19.3%). We used the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) to assess associations of relationship arrangement with four aspects of sexual relationship quality: sexual satisfaction, sexual communication, sexual jealousy, and the occurrence of at-least weekly sex between main partners. We found that sexual arrangements were not associated with sexual satisfaction, communication, or frequency. However, monogamous men reported significantly higher levels of sexual jealousy. Our findings indicate that gay men engage in a range of relationship agreements, and nonmonogamous agreements are associated with levels of sexual relationship quality equivalent to monogamous agreements.
A Year of Reflecting on Teaching: What We Know about the Classroom and What We Don't Know about the Hallways

Abstract In this essay I reflect on what we know about excellence in sociological teaching and conclude that, although we know quite a bit about teaching and learning in the classroom, we have much to learn and much research to conduct about the “informal” learning that may be taking place outside the classroom. I conclude with some recommendations for further research on the informal learning process.
Autophagy and antiviral immunity

Autophagy is an ancient pathway designed to maintain cellular homeostasis by degrading long-lived proteins and organelles in the cytosol. Recent studies demonstrate that autophagy is utilized by the cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems to combat viral infections. Autophagy plays a key role in recognizing signatures of viral infection, and represents a critical effector mechanism to restrict viral replication. On the other hand, autophagosomes have been exploited by certain viruses as a niche for viral replication. Furthermore, autophagy can be used to deliver endogenous viral antigens to the MHC class II loading compartment, allowing activation of CD4 T cells. In this review, we describe recent advances in the field of autophagy as it relates to innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses.
Occupational Networking as Normative Control: Collegial Exchange Among Contract Professionals

With workforce flexibility and nonstandard, “contingent,” work have come new mechanisms for labor market mediation and workforce control. This study examines occupational connection and control in two groups of contract professionals. For these occupational practitioners, networking is a mechanism for labor market regulation as well as for finding work. Networking perpetuates occupational norms that demand commitment towork, accountability to clients, and reciprocity among colleagues. Adhering to occupational norms, contractors develop reputations that can enhance the likelihood of referrals from colleagues for contract assignments. Collegial exchange in an occupational labor market, therefore, exposes contractors to the informal sanctions of normative control.
Hispanic perceptions of organ donation.

The low rate of organ donation among Hispanics is of increasing concern to the transplant community at a time when the Hispanic population is growing rapidly, especially in Southern California. OneLegacy, the nation's largest organ procurement organization, commissioned a series of in-depth individual interviews with Spanish-language-dominant Hispanics to identify barriers and motivators to organ and tissue donation. Participants included 5 families who had consented to the donation of a loved one's organs within the past year and 7 families from the general Hispanic public who were either opposed to or ambivalent about organ donation. Individuals from both groups indicated a common reticence to speak of or make plans for either their own or a family member's death and lacked knowledge of procedures surrounding donation (whether consenting or being a donor themselves). Some respondents from the opposing group did not understand that organ donation takes place after death, expressing fears that declaring t...
The Effects of Anemia on Pregnancy Outcome in Patients with Pyelonephritis

Objective. Pyelonephritis is a common infectious morbidity of pregnancy. Though anemia is commonly associated with pyelonephritis, there are little data describing the effect of pyelonephritis with anemia on pregnancy outcomes. The purpose of this study was to further assess the association of anemia with infectious morbidity and pregnancy complications among women with pyelonephritis. Study Design. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pregnant women admitted to Duke University Hospital between July 2006 and May 2012 with pyelonephritis. Demographic, laboratory, and clinical data from the subject’s pregnancy and hospitalizations were analyzed. Patients with pyelonephritis and anemia (a hematocrit < 32) were compared to those without anemia. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the two groups. Results. 114 pregnant women were admitted with pyelonephritis and 45 (39.5%) had anemia on admission. There was no significant difference in age, race, preexisting medical conditions, or urine bacterial species between patients with anemia and those without. Women with anemia were more likely to deliver preterm (OR 3.3 (95% CI 1.07, 11.4), ). When controlling for race and history of preterm delivery, women with anemia continued to have increased odds of preterm birth (OR 6.0, CI 1.4, 35, ). Conclusion. Women with pyelonephritis and anemia are at increased risk for preterm delivery.
Preparation and characterization of a composite of demineralized bone matrix fragments and polylactide beads for bone tissue engineering.

A composite that utilizes the osteoinductivity of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) and the attractive characteristics of polylactide (PL) may be useful as a tissue-engineered bone substitute. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of a composite system consisting of DBM fragments and PL beads to support the attachment and proliferation of multipotent mouse marrow stromal cells and to provide a structure for the cells' differentiation into the osteoblast lineage. Furthermore, the overarching goal was to provide a preliminary assessment of the DBM/PL cultures in order to facilitate the development of injectable composite DBM/PL systems in the long term. Demineralized bone matrix fragments were produced from bovine femurs and polylactide beads were produced by a single emulsion process. Differential scanning calorimetry and gel-permeation chromatography were used to characterize the PL samples. Multipotent mouse marrow stromal cells were cultured on several different substrate mixtures i...
Refractory Trichomoniasis in HIV-positive and HIV-negative Subjects

Trichomonas vaginalis, a common pathogen, remains widely unknown to the public. Its clinical consequences include upper genital tract infection, increased risk of preterm delivery, and increased risk of HIV transmission. Diagnostic tests, especially in men, have historically had low sensitivity, but the recent development of rapid, reliable point-of-care testing is a step toward improved detection. Reliable treatments for trichomoniasis are limited to the nitroimidazoles, and options for cases with either hypersensitivity or resistance remain limited. In select resistant cases, alternatives, most notably paromomycin, may play a role. A complex interaction exists between T. vaginalis and HIV, whereby women with trichomoniasis are at increased risk for HIV and vice versa. It is hoped that diagnosis and treatment of trichomoniasis in women at high risk for HIV may help to lower the incidence of both infections.
Empirical bayes estimation and inference for the random effects model with binary response

Waclawiw and Liang introduced an estimating function-based approach for estimating the parameters of the classical two-stage random effects model for longitudinal data. In the present paper, the authors conduct a case study of the general approach for the binary response setting, where the fully specified parametric two-stage model with fixed and univariate random effects has an analytically intractable likelihood. With successful convergence of the algorithm, the authors propose a fully parametric bootstrapping method for deriving empirical Bayes confidence intervals for all model parameters. The bootstrapping approach is a blend of the estimating function technique with the developments of Laird and Louis. The estimating function approach to estimation and inference provides a general framework for the analysis of a wide variety of medical data, including the setting of small and varying numbers of discrete repeated observations. An application of the methodology to the analysis of binary responses in a crossover clinical trial is presented.
Real-time PCR and its application for rapid plant disease diagnostics

Rapid-cycle real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods may revolutionize the manner in which plant pathogens are identified and diseases are diagnosed. As the genomics age progresses and more and more DNA sequence data become available, highly specific primers and fluorescent probe sequences can be designed to yield target amplicons to unique regions of a pathogen's genome. Portable real-time PCR instruments described here are now allowing for diagnostic assays to be run directly in the field or at remote locations other than the standard diagnostic laboratory. Rapid real-time PCR diagnosis can result in appropriate control measures and (or) eradication procedures more quickly and accurately than traditional methods of pathogen isolation. Disease losses are minimized and control costs reduced. Advantages and disadvantages of rapid real-time PCR for the detection of bacterial, fungal, and viral plant pathogens are described.
Determination of the relative involvement of μ-opioid receptors in opioid-induced depression of respiratory rate by use of β-funaltrexamine

Abstract Using a simple method to measure respiratory rate, it was clearly shown that the depression of respiratory rate caused by morphine, ethylketazocine or [D-Ala 2 ,D-Leu 5 ]enkephalin was not altered by the highly selective, irreversible μ-antagonists, β-funaltrexamine (β-FNA) at a dose which produced marked antagonism of morphine antinociception. These results indicated that antinociception and depression of respiratory rate are mediated by different receptor interactions. However using a different method to measure respiratory rate (body plythesmograph), β-FNA caused substantial antagonism of morphine-induced respiratory depression indicating that the degree to which μ-receptor interactions contribute to the depression of respiratory rate depends on the methodology. Possible explanations for this difference are discussed. It is concluded that careful consideration of the methodology must be given when one measures respiratory rate and caution must be exercised if measurement of rate alone is used to assess opioid-induced respiratory depression.
Heat Shock Protein 27 Association with the IκB Kinase Complex Regulates Tumor Necrosis Factor α-induced NF-κB Activation

Heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) is a ubiquitously expressed member of the heat shock protein family that has been implicated in various biological functions including the response to heat shock, oxidative stress, and cytokine treatment. Previous studies have demonstrated that heat shock proteins are involved in regulating signal transduction pathways including the NF-κB pathway. In this study, we demonstrated that Hsp27 associates with the IκB kinase (IKK) complex and that this interaction was stimulated by tumor necrosis factor α treatment. Phosphorylation of Hsp27 by the kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2, a downstream substrate of the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38, enhanced the association of Hsp27 with IKKβ to result in decreased IKK activity. Consistent with these observations, treatment of cells with a p38 inhibitor reduced the association of Hsp27 with IKKβ and thus resulted in increased IKK activity. These studies indicate that Hsp27 plays a negative role in down-regulating IKK signaling by reducing its activity following tumor necrosis factor α stimulation.
Container Terminal Gate Appointment System Optimization

As a consequence of continuing growth of container volume and the introduction of 12 000 TEU plus containerships into major trade routes, the port industry is under pressure to come up with the necessary capacity to accommodate the increasing freight volume. One critical issue is the marine terminal gate capacity. Limited gate capacity leads to congestion. The harbor trucking industry operates in a very competitive environment; gate congestion is detrimental to their economic well-being. This article applies a multi-server queuing model to analyze marine terminal gate congestion and quantify truck waiting cost. An optimization model is developed to balance the gate operating cost and trucker’s cost associated with excessive waiting time. The model is tested using data from field observations. A case study is applied to analyze gate congestion behavior and truck waiting cost. Model sensitivity is discussed. The results indicate that truck waiting cost at marine terminal gates is an issue that needs to be addressed. A truck appointment system seems to be the most viable way to reduce gate congestion and increase system efficiency. With an optimized appointment system, the total system costs, especially truck waiting cost, can be drastically reduced.
An exact algebraic solution of the infimum in H-infinity optimization with output feedback

This paper presents a simple and noniterative procedure for the computation of the exact value of the infimum in the standard H-infinity-optimal control with output feedback. The problem formulation is general and does not place any restrictions on the direct feedthrough terms between the control input and the controlled output variables, and between the disturbance input and the measurement output variables. The method is applicable to systems that satisfy (1) the transfer function from the control input to the controlled output is right-invertible and has no invariant zeros on the j(w) axis and, (2) the transfer function from the disturbance to the measurement output is left-invertible and has no invariant zeros on the j(w) axis. A set of necessary and sufficient conditions for the solvability of H-infinity-almost disturbance decoupling problem via measurement feedback with internal stability is also given.
Chemically sensitive field-effect transistors.

Sometimes unjustified, but nonetheless ever present need for more information continues to stimulate the development of new sensors and detectors. One of the more recent additions to the armory of these devices is the chemically sensitive field effect transistor (chemfet). It was born in the early seventies out of two very successful technologies: solid state integrated circuits and ion-selective electrodes (ise). It is still in its infancy but already out of the teething stage and with a very bright prospect ahead.
Theoretical study of carrier confinement in a-Si-SiC quantum wells.

We present a systematic theoretical analysis of carrier confinement in amorphous semiconductor quantum wells. Our study is based on a fourfold-coordinated continuous random-network model for the amorphous state. A semiempirical tight-binding approach and the recursion method are used to calculate the average electronic density of states of clusters consisting of typically 57 600 atoms. For narrow wells we find that the average local density of states near the well center exhibits these features both at the valence- and conduction-band edge. Comparison with calculations for the bulk and corresponding crystalline quantum wells allows the interpretation that quantum confinement effects due to the presence of barrier materials are responsible for these features in the density of states. For quantum well width below about 20 \AA{} the onset of a gap formation which separates strongly localized states from extended conduction-band states is observed.
Sea Surface Backscatter Distortions of Scanning Radar Altimeter Ocean Wave Measurements

This paper examines the distortions in the measured wave topography caused by sea surface backscatter variation within the 25 to 50 m antenna footprint of the 1deg antenna beam of the NASA Scanning Radar Altimeter at its typical 1.5 to 3 km operating altitude and possible corrections to the directional wave spectra computed from the wave topography
Immunohistochemical distribution of renal prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase and prostacyclin synthase: Diminished endoperoxide synthase in the hepatorenal syndrome

To evaluate possible causes of the diminished prostaglandin production in advanced hepatorenal syndrome, prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase and prostacyclin synthase were localized and semiquantitated by immunofluorescence in postmortem, biopsy and nephrectomy renal tissues. In normal kidneys, antiprostacyclin synthase serum caused intense staining in peritubular capillaries, in the adjacent renal interstitial cells and in glomerular mesangial regions. Antiprostaglandin endoperoxide synthase serum caused staining of collecting duct epithelial cells, cells of the thin ascending limb and possibly glomerular mesangial cells. Prostacyclin synthase-positive staining was graded 5+ (scale of 0+ to 5+) in all kidney samples. Medullary collecting tubule prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-positive staining was graded 4+ or 5+ in kidney samples from patients with acute tubular necrosis or acute tubulointerstitial nephritis and from patients with liver failure without the hepatorenal syndrome. However, prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-positive staining was markedly diminished or absent (average 1+) in patients with the hepatorenal syndrome. These data suggest that loss of the medullary prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase is the cause of diminished urinary prostaglandin E2 excretion in the hepatorenal syndrome.
Relationship between superoxide anion radical generation and aging in the housefly, Musca domestica

The objective of this study was to elucidate the possible cause of increased oxidative stress observed in the adult housefly during aging. The hypothesis that increased production of oxygen radicals may be a cause of the increased oxidative stress was tested by comparison of 8-day and 15-day old flies, which represented the stage of full maturation and the beginning of the dying phase, respectively. Rates of both antimycin A-resistant respiration of isolated mitochondria and O2− generatin at ubiquinone-cytochrome b site by submitochondrial particles increased during aging and were associated with life expectancy of flies. Flies destined to die earlier than their cohorts of the same age exhibited a relatively higher rate of O2− production. Age-related increase in O2− generation was not associated with corresponding changes in ubiquinone content of mitochondria.
XVII. On a method of comparing inductance and capacity

(1925). XVII. On a method of comparing inductance and capacity. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 49, No. 289, pp. 165-167.
A multipass, magnetically confined sputter source for absorption-based spectroscopy of transient molecules: the spectrum of NiH

A sputter source with characteristics well suited to absorption-based spectroscopies of unstable, reactive, and refractory molecules, such as transition metal monohydrides, is described. The molecular number density (1010 cm−3) and active pathlength (20 cm times 40 passes) are sufficient for spectroscopies in which the signal is carried by the transmitted laser beam rather than induced fluorescence. Magnetic (<3 kG) confinement and inductive stabilization of the glow discharge allow enhanced sputer efficiency and stability of operation at ⩾ 50 mTorr, thereby minimizing collisional degradation of resolution and signal strength. The utility of this source is illustrated by magneto-optic rotation, polarization, and direct absorption spectra of the NiH molecule.
Systemic review: the prevalence and clinical course of functional dyspepsia.

Summary Aim : To examine the prevalence of functional dyspepsia in the general population, and to evaluate the natural history/clinical course of patients with functional dyspepsia. Methods : Full-length published manuscripts during 1980–2002 were included if: (i) participants had uninvestigated or functional dyspepsia; (ii) dyspepsia was defined; (iii) for prevalence, population-based samples were evaluated; (iv) for prognosis, the total number of the inception cohort and the total number of individuals available at the end of follow-up were reported. Results : Twenty-two studies (1976–2002) that examined the prevalence of dyspepsia fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria; 17 studies examined more than 1000 participants, but only two studies provided information sufficient to calculate the prevalence of functional dyspepsia (11.5–14.7%). The prevalence of uninvestigated dyspepsia was in the range 10–40%. When the definition of dyspepsia was restricted to participants with upper abdominal pain, irrespective of the presence of heartburn or acid regurgitation, the prevalence rate estimate was 5–12%. Thirteen studies examined the clinical course of functional dyspepsia (seven retrospective and six prospective). Sample sizes were small (n = 35–209). A follow-up ascertainment of symptoms amongst individuals in the original cohorts was obtained in 92.5–98.2% of prospective studies and in 67.7–82.2% of retrospective studies. The follow-up duration was in the range 1.5–10 years for prospective studies and 5–27 years for retrospective studies; the median follow-up duration for all studies was approximately 5 years. A variable prognosis was reported. An outcome of symptom improvement or becoming asymptomatic was reported in at least one-half of patients in 10 of the 13 studies, and in at least two-thirds of patients in six of the 13 studies. Prognostic factors were inconsistent and, in general, poorly described. Conclusions : Functional dyspepsia is prevalent world-wide, but the prognosis remains poorly defined. There is a need for population-based studies to examine the prevalence and clinical course of documented functional dyspepsia.
Endothelial deletion of Sag/Rbx2/Roc2 E3 ubiquitin ligase causes embryonic lethality and blocks tumor angiogenesis.

SAG (Sensitive to Apoptosis Gene), also known as RBX2 or ROC2, is a RING protein required for the activity of Cullin–RING ligase (CRL). Our recent study showed that Sag total knockout caused embryonic lethality at E11.5–12.5 days with associated defects in vasculogenesis. Whether Sag is required for de novo vasculogenesis in embryos and angiogenesis in tumors is totally unknown. Here, we report that Sag endothelial deletion also causes embryonic lethality at E15.5 with poor vasculogenesis. Sag deletion in primary endothelial cells (ECs) or knockdown in MS-1 ECs inhibits migration, proliferation and tube formation, with p27 accumulation being responsible for the suppression of migration and proliferation. Furthermore, Sag deletion significantly inhibits angiogenesis in an in vivo Matrigel plug assay, and tumor angiogenesis and tumorigenesis in a B16F10 melanoma model. Finally, MLN4924, an investigational small molecule inhibitor of NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE) that inhibits CRL, suppresses in vitro migration, proliferation and tube formation, as well as in vivo angiogenesis and tumorigenesis. Taken together, our study, using both genetic and pharmaceutical approaches, demonstrates that Sag is essential for embryonic vasculogenesis and tumor angiogenesis, and provides the proof-of-concept evidence that targeting Sag E3 ubiquitin ligase may have clinical value for anti-angiogenesis therapy of human cancer.
Optimization of selective stimulation parameters for multi-contact electrodes

Background: Multi-contact stimulating electrodes are gaining acceptance as a means for interfacing with the peripheral nervous system. These electrodes can potentially activate many independent populations of motor units within a single peripheral nerve, but quantifying their recruitment properties and the overlap in stimulation between contacts is difficult and time consuming. Further, current methods for quantifying overlap between contacts are ambiguous and can lead to suboptimal selective stimulation parameters. This study describes a novel method for optimizing stimulation parameters for multi-contact peripheral stimulating electrodes to produce strong, selective muscle contractions. The method is tested with four-contact spiral nerve-cuff electrodes implanted on bilateral femoral nerves of two individuals with spinal cord injury, but it is designed to be extendable to other electrode technologies with higher densities of contacts. Methods: To optimize selective stimulation parameters for multi-contact electrodes, first, recruitment and overlap are characterized for all contacts within an electrode. Recruitment is measured with the twitch response to single stimulus pulses, and overlap between pairs of contacts is quantified by the deviation in their combined response from linear addition of individual responses. Simple mathematical models are fit to recruitment and overlap data, and a cost function is defined to maximize recruitment and minimize overlap between all contacts. Results: Results are presented for four-contact nerve-cuff electrodes stimulating bilateral femoral nerves of two human subjects with spinal cord injury. Knee extension moments between 11.6 and 43.2 Nm were achieved with selective stimulation through multiple contacts of each nerve-cuff with less than 10% overlap between pairs of contacts. The overlap in stimulation measured in response to selective stimulation parameters was stable at multiple repeated time points after implantation. Conclusions: These results suggest that the method described here can provide an automated means of determining stimulus parameters to achieve strong muscle contractions via selective stimulation through multicontact peripheral nerve electrodes.
Variation in charges for 10 common blood tests in California hospitals: a cross-sectional analysis

Objectives To determine the variation in charges for 10 common blood tests across California hospitals in 2011, and to analyse the hospital and market-level factors that may explain any observed variation. Design, setting and participants We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the degree of charge variation between hospitals for 10 common blood tests using charge data reported by all non-federal California hospitals to the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development in 2011. Outcome measures Charges for 10 common blood tests at California hospitals during 2011. Results We found that charges for blood tests varied significantly between California hospitals. For example, charges for a lipid panel ranged from US$10 to US$10 169, a thousand-fold difference. Although government hospitals and teaching hospitals were found to charge significantly less than their counterparts for many blood tests, few other hospital characteristics and no market-level predictors significantly predicted charges for blood tests. Our models explained, at most, 21% of the variation between hospitals in charges for the blood test in question. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the seemingly arbitrary nature of the charge setting process, making it difficult for patients to act as true consumers in this era of ‘consumer-directed healthcare.’
Effects of cultural ethnicity, firm size, and firm age on senior executives’ trust in their overseas business partners: Evidence from China

We investigate trust relationships between senior business executives and their overseas partners. Drawing on the similarity-attraction paradigm, social categorization theory, and the distinction between cognition- and affect-based trust, we argue that executives trust their overseas partners differently, depending on the partners’ cultural ethnicity. In a field survey of 108 Chinese senior executives, we found that these executives have higher affect-based trust in overseas partners of the same cultural ethnicity as themselves; cognition-based trust is associated with affect-based trust differently when overseas partners are of the same or different cultural ethnicity. We also examine the role of relative firm size and age in shaping intra- and intercultural trust. Relative firm size has a stronger negative effect on executives’ cognition-based trust if their partners are of a different cultural ethnicity. Although firm age does not have a negative effect on executives’ affectbased trust as hypothesized, we found firm age to be positively associated with affect-based trust for partners of the same cultural ethnicity. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of this pattern of inter- and intra-cultural trust on international business and networking (guanxi) dynamics in China. Journal of International Business Studies (2011) 42, 1150–1173. doi:10.1057/jibs.2011.35
Osteogenic protein-1 increases gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in primary cultures of fetal rat calvaria cells

Osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1 or BMP-7) stimulates new bone formation in vivo and induces cell proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts in vitro. In the present study, we examined effects of OP-1 on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in primary cultures of fetal rat calvaria (FRC) cells. OP-1 increased the steady-state level of VEGF mRNA by about 3-fold in an OP-1 concentration- and time-dependent manner. The increase in VEGF mRNA level depended on transcription and was sensitive to cell replication. The VEGF mRNA stability was unaffected. The mRNA levels for both types of VEGF receptors, Flk-1 and Flt-1 were low but detectable in FRC cells by RT-PCR and were not changed by OP-1. Inhibition of VEGF synthesis and function by antisense oligonucleotide and by suramin, respectively arrested the OP-1-induced alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralized bone nodule formation. Together with published studies of VEGF on vascular endothelial cells which are usually found in close proximity to osteoblastic cells in vivo, these results suggest that VEGF participates in the OP-1-induced osteogenesis by taking part in bone cell differentiation and by promoting angiogenesis at the site of bone formation.
Hyperhydration: thermoregulatory effects during compensable exercise-heat stress

Latzka, William A., Michael N. Sawka, Scott J. Montain, Gary S. Skrinar, Roger A. Fielding, Ralph P. Matott, and Kent B. Pandolf.Hyperhydration: thermoregulatory effects during compensable exercise...
The Design of Minimum-Cost Survivable Networks

We consider the problem of designing a network which satisfies a prespecified survivability criterion with minimum cost. The survivability criterion demands that there be at least r_{ij} node disjoint paths between nodes i and j , where (r_{ij}) is a given redundancy requirement matrix. This design problem appears to be at least as difficult as the traveling salesman problem, and present techniques cannot provide a computationally feasible exact solution. A heuristic approach is described, based on recent work on the traveling salesman problem, which leads to a practical design method. Algorithms are described for generating starting networks, for producing local improvements in given networks, and for testing the redundancy of networks at each stage. This leads to networks which are locally optimum with respect to the given transformation. Randomizing the starting solution ensures that the solution space is widely sampled. Two theorems are given which allow great reduction in the amount of computation required to test the redundancy of a network. Finally, some design examples are given.
Emotional Responses to the Sports Page

Spectators' emotional responses during actual competitions and attributions for game outcomes have been previously examined. In the current research, emotional responses of fans either high or low in identification with a team were measured after they simply read a newspaper article written by another fan of their team or a fan of a competing team. The author was described as either loyal or disloyal to his own team following a competition that was either won or lost in overtime. As hypothesized, persons with varying degrees of identification with the team exhibited different patterns of reactions to the article. For highly identified persons, the most positive mood state followed exposure to a sports article that described a victory for the ingroup whose author was also an admitted loyal fan of the same team. The most negative affect was evoked when the author of the article was a disloyal fan of the subjects' favorite team and the competition was lost. This pattern was not found for individuals low in i...
Time and Transition in Work Teams: Toward a New Model of Group Development

This study of the complete life-spans of eight naturally-ocurring teams began with the unexpected finding that several project groups, studied for another purpose, did not accomplish their work by progressing gradually through a universal series of stages, as traditional group development models would predict. Instead, teams progressed in a pattern of “punctuated equilibrium,” through alternating inertia and revolution in the behaviors and themes through which they approached their work. The findings also suggested that groups' progress was triggered more by members' awareness of time and deadlines than by completion of an absolute amount of work in a specific developmental stage. The paper proposes a new model of group development that encompasses the timing and mechanisms of change as well as groups' dynamic relations with their contexts. Implications for theory, research, and practice are drawn.
Molecular identification of venous progenitors in the dorsal aorta reveals an aortic origin for the cardinal vein in mammals

Coordinated arterial-venous differentiation is crucial for vascular development and function. The origin of the cardinal vein (CV) in mammals is unknown, while conflicting theories have been reported in chick and zebrafish. Here, we provide the first molecular characterization of endothelial cells (ECs) expressing venous molecular markers, or venous-fated ECs, within the emergent dorsal aorta (DA). These ECs, expressing the venous molecular markers Coup-TFII and EphB4, cohabited the early DA with ECs expressing the arterial molecular markers ephrin B2, Notch and connexin 40. These mixed ECs in the early DA expressed either the arterial or venous molecular marker, but rarely both. Subsequently, the DA exhibited uniform arterial markers. Real-time imaging of mouse embryos revealed EC movement from the DA to the CV during the stage when venous-fated ECs occupied the DA. We analyzed mutants for EphB4, which encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase for the ephrin B2 ligand, as we hypothesized that ephrin B2/EphB4 signaling may mediate the repulsion of venous-fated ECs from the DA to the CV. Using an EC quantification approach, we discovered that venous-fated ECs increased in the DA and decreased in the CV in the mutants, whereas the rest of the ECs in each vessel were unaffected. This result suggests that the venous-fated ECs were retained in the DA and missing in the CV in the EphB4 mutant, and thus that ephrin B2/EphB4 signaling normally functions to clear venous-fated ECs from the DA to the CV by cell repulsion. Therefore, our cellular and molecular evidence suggests that the DA harbors venous progenitors that move to participate in CV formation, and that ephrin B2/EphB4 signaling regulates this aortic contribution to the mammalian CV.
Clinical Mimics of Infant Botulism

Since 1992, Human Botulism Immune Globulin has been provided by the California Department of Health Services to infants with probable infant botulism, the intestinal toxemia form of human botulism. Human Botulism Immune Globulin became available in California in 1992-1997 within a randomized, controlled, double-blinded, pivotal clinical trial and subsequently became available nationwide in 1998-2003 in an open-label study until its licensure in October 2003 as BabyBIG. Thereafter, Human Botulism Immune Globulin remained available nationwide as an approved orphan-drug product. To achieve prompt neutralization of circulating botulinum toxin, the decision to treat with Human Botulism Immune Globulin has been based on clinical criteria that include a consistent history and physical findings of bulbar palsies, hypotonia, and weakness. After licensure, the charts of patients who did not have laboratory-confirmed infant botulism were reviewed to identify their actual diagnoses. The approximately 5% of 681 patients treated with Human Botulism Immune Globulin who did not have infant botulism fell into 5 categories: spinal muscular atrophy, metabolic disorders, other infectious diseases, miscellaneous, and probable infant botulism lacking laboratory confirmation.
Full-Spectrum CT Reconstruction Using a Weighted Least Squares Algorithm With an Energy-Axis Penalty

Recent developments in X-ray detectors have created the potential to perform energy-sensitive X-ray computed tomography (CT); that is, to reconstruct a series of CT images associated with different X-ray energies from a single scan. In this paper we propose a penalized weighted least squares (PWLS) algorithm for reconstruction of polychromatic energy-differentiated X-ray CT data and a unique experimental setup to take energy-differentiated X-ray CT data. The experimental setup is designed to acquire a complete X-ray spectrum for every projection ray. We use these data to estimate the linear attenuation coefficient as a function of energy for every pixel in the reconstructed attenuation map. We use prior knowledge of the properties of attenuation spectra to smooth the reconstructions, significantly reducing the noise and improving the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in the reconstructed images without significantly biasing the data. We conclude that this algorithm is an effective method for reconstructing energy-sensitive CT data and provides justification for further research in energy sensitive CT systems.
Erwinia chrysanthemi strains cause death of human gastrointestinal cells in culture and express an intimin-like protein

The bacterium Erwinia chrysanthemi is a model plant pathogen, responsible for causing cell death in plant tissue. Cell-wall depolymerizing enzymes and avirulence proteins essential for parasitism by this bacterium utilize dedicated type II and type III secretion systems, respectively. Although E. chrysanthemi is not recognized as a mammalian pathogen, we have observed that the bacterium can adhere to, cause an oxidative stress response in and kill cultured human adenocarcinoma cells. These bacteria express a surface protein that bears immunological identity to intimin, a protein required for full virulence of enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. A type III secretion mutant of E. chrysanthemi was observed to have a significantly lower capability of causing death than the wild-type strain in parallel cultures of human colon adenocarcinoma cells. These observations suggest that E. chrysanthemi has the potential to parasitize mammalian hosts as well as plants.
Antioxidant components of naturally-occurring oils exhibit marked anti-inflammatory activity in epithelial cells of the human upper respiratory system

Background: The upper respiratory tract functions to protect lower respiratory structures from chemical and biological agents in inspired air. Cellular oxidative stress leading to acute and chronic inflammation contributes to the resultant pathology in many of these exposures and is typical of allergic disease, chronic sinusitis, pollutant exposure, and bacterial and viral infections. Little is known about the effective means by which topical treatment of the nose can strengthen its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defenses. The present study was undertaken to determine if naturally-occurring plant oils with reported antioxidant activity can provide mechanisms through which upper respiratory protection might occur. Methods: Controlled exposure of the upper respiratory system to ozone and nasal biopsy were carried out in healthy human subjects to assess mitigation of the ozone-induced inflammatory response and to assess gene expression in the nasal mucosa induced by a mixture of five naturally-occurring antioxidant oils - aloe, coconut, orange, peppermint and vitamin E. Cells of the BEAS-2B and NCI-H23 epithelial cell lines were used to investigate the source and potential intracellular mechanisms of action responsible for oil-induced anti-inflammatory activity. Results: Aerosolized pretreatment with the mixed oil preparation significantly attenuated ozone-induced nasal inflammation. Although most oil components may reduce oxidant stress by undergoing reduction, orange oil was demonstrated to have the ability to induce long-lasting gene expression of several antioxidant enzymes linked to Nrf2, including HO-1, NQO1, GCLm and GCLc, and to mitigate the pro-inflammatory signaling of endotoxin in cell culture systems. Nrf2 activation was demonstrated. Treatment with the aerosolized oil preparation increased baseline levels of nasal mucosal HO-1 expression in 9 of 12 subjects. Conclusions: These data indicate that selected oil-based antioxidant preparations can effectively reduce inflammation associated with oxidant stress-related challenge to the nasal mucosa. The potential for some oils to activate intracellular antioxidant pathways may provide a powerful mechanism through which effective and persistent cytoprotection against airborne environmental exposures can be provided in the upper respiratory mucosa.
Does physical activity behavior vary by handedness

Abstract Purpose. Explore whether adults' physical activity behavior or their use of physical activity behavior-change strategies, as derived from the Transtheoretical Model, differed by handedness. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of 151 adults' hand preference (i.e., handedness: right, left, ambidextrous) and their use of the behavioral and cognitive processes of change, decisional balance scores (i.e., pros minus cons), self-efficacy, and their stage of change for physical activity involvement. Results. Left-handers showed significantly less use of the behavioral and cognitive processes of change compared to right-handers (M = 46.9 vs. M = 40.5 and M = 46.9 vs. M = 40.5, respectively). Left-handers were also significantly more likely to be in the earlier (i.e., inactive or irregularly active) stages of change relative to right-handers (84.6% vs. 48.1%, respectively). Discussion. Handedness may be a previously unrecognized, heritable correlate of physical activity behavior and the use of physical activ...
The neoliberal mom: how a discursive coalition shapes low-income mothers’ labor market participation

Research has elucidated the conflict low-income mothers face when trying to comply with the imperatives of the neoliberalism and mothering discourses. Feminist scholars have argued that low-income mothers’ alternative conceptions of morality and behavior constitute an act of resistance to inferiorizing definitions embedded in these discourses. Drawing on this literature, I offer a new conceptualization of the seemingly contradictory discourses. Based on interviews with 48 low-income Israeli mothers, I suggest that the neoliberal ideology is not limited to the neoliberal discourse, which primarily measures the individual's commitment to the labor market, but rather has diffused into the mothering discourse, which sets the standards for good mothering. This diffusion constructs a discursive coalition of ‘neoliberal moms’, wherein the current hegemonic notion of good mothering and the neoliberal call for personal responsibility intersect and shape mothers’ perceptions and decision-making processes. Moreover,...
Policy Analysis of Water Availability and Use Issues for Domestic Oil Shale and Oil Sands Development

Oil shale and oil sands resources located within the intermountain west represent a vast, and as of yet, commercially untapped source of energy. Development will require water, and demand for scarce water resources stands at the front of a long list of barriers to commercialization. Water requirements and the consequences of commercial development will depend on the number, size, and location of facilities, as well as the technologies employed to develop these unconventional fuels. While the details remain unclear, the implication is not – unconventional fuel development will increase demand for water in an arid region where demand for water often exceeds supply. Water demands in excess of supplies have long been the norm in the west, and for more than a century water has been apportioned on a first-come, first-served basis. Unconventional fuel developers who have not already secured water rights stand at the back of a long line and will need to obtain water from willing water purveyors. However, uncertainty regarding the nature and extent of some senior water claims combine with indeterminate interstate river management to cast a cloud over water resource allocation and management. Quantitative and qualitative water requirements associated with Endangered Species protection also stand as barriers to significant water development, and complex water quality regulations will apply to unconventional fuel development. Legal and political decisions can give shape to an indeterminate landscape. Settlement of Northern Ute reserved rights claims would help clarify the worth of existing water rights and viability of alternative sources of supply. Interstate apportionment of the White River would go a long way towards resolving water availability in downstream Utah. And energy policy clarification will help determine the role oil shale and oil sands will play in our nation’s future.
Induction of Endotoxin Tolerance

Resistance to gram-negative bacterial endotoxins occurs in two general forms. One appears genetically determined, the affected species (or strain) exhibiting minimal responses to an initial intravenous injection of relatively massive quantities of endotoxin. Examples are the lethal and pyrogenic unresponsiveness seen in baboons, vervets, and C3H/ HeJ mice (Sultzer, 1968; Westphal, 1975). In contrast to such natural resistance, other species respond to an initial intravenous injection of endotoxin with an array of striking physiologic and biochemical alterations, man being one of the most highly responsive (Greisman and Hornick, 1973). Most of these responses decrease progressively when the endotoxin is readministered at appropriate intervals. Such acquired resistance, or tolerance, does not necessarily develop in the same temporal sequence for each response; indeed, particularly during the initial several days, hyperreactivity may occur to one while tolerance appears to another (Greer and Rietschel, 1978). This review will consider some of the mechanisms underlying the induction of endotoxin tolerance to two responses that have been most intensively studied—fever and lethality.