cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic bone morphometry and studies on the effects of serum on ben meta lism in vitro in a case of pycnodysostosis

Abstract Although pycnodysostosis, a disease characterized by generalized osteosclerosis and dwarfism, was first described in 1962, little is known about its pathogenesis. We report a 14-year-old male with short stature, increased bone density, abnormal facial features and bone pain. Biochemical studies showed elevated alkaline phosphatase, Immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and calcitonin (ICt). After treatment with pharmacologic doses of Vitamin D which relieved the patient's bone pain, serum iPTH decreased to normal. Serum ICt became normal and did not Increase after calcium or pentagastrin stimulation. No increase in calcitonin was detectable by bioassay at any time. Pretreatment dynamic histomorphometric analysis of bone from the lilac crest showed a marked Increase in trabecular volume with the presence of cartilaginous remnants. On the surface of these trabeculae the relative extent and thickness of the osteoid and the surface covered by osteoblasts were slightly decreased. The osteoclastic surface both with and without active osteoclasts was markedly increased. Because of the increase in bone volume absolute osteoblastic surface was actually increased. Rates of calcification and bone formation at these surfaces were normal. The marked Increase in osteoclastic surface associated with increased bone mass and cartilage rests indicates that these osteoclasts were not resorbing bone at a normal rate. This apparent defect in osteoclastic function results in increased bone mass, a pathogenesis similar to that seen in other forms of osteopetrosis. The patient's serum was assayed for its effects on bone formation and resorption in vitro Addition of serum to cultured bones did not alter spontaneous or parathyroid hormone-induced bone resorption but caused a small stimulation of the incorporation of 3 H-proline into coliagenase-dibestible and noncollagen protein In 21-day fetal rat calvarla. Thus, the impaired osteociastic activity in this patient cannot be explained on the basis of any circulating inhibitor or hormonal defect.
Human mononuclear cells and neutral proteinases. III: Neutral proteinases and rheumatoid arthritis: monocytes as a source of cathepsin G and proteinase potentiation of IgM rheumatoid factor elaboration

We have been interested in contributions of certain cells and mediators to synovial inflammation rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The present studies were designed to determine (1) whether monocytes contained the neutral proteinase cathepsin G and (2) if neutral proteinase could induce or potentiate cellular IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) production. Monocyte-rich and monocyte-poor populations were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque density sedimentation followed by glass adherence, and cellular lysates were obtained by repetitive freezing and thawing as we have reported for neutrophil-derived neutral proteinase. Cathepsin G was quantified immunochemically by an enzyme-linked irnmunoassay (ELISA) we developed utilizing commercially available anti-cathepsin G antibodies. Mononuclear and B-cel!-enriched cell cultures were prepared by standard methods and IgM RF measured by our ELISA. Cell-derived lysates from monocyte-enriched populations (84+3% monocytes, less than 1 % neutrophils) contained considerably greater amounts of measurable cathepsin G (OD280=0.393±0.153) than lysates from equal numbers of monocyte (15±2% monocytes, less than 1% neutrophils) -depleted cells (OD280=0.071±0.038;P<0.05). Eighteen patients with RA and three normal individuals did not have consistently increased cellular elaboration of Ig or IgM RF in vitro in response to proteinase (trypsin) stimulation; however, patients manifested 80% potentiation by trypsin of pokeweed-stimulated cellular IgM RF production in vitro (pokewee-dstimulated IgM RF 137±53 ng/mi, pokeweed/trypsin-induced IgM RF 246±100 ng/ml;P<0.02), changes being most striking for those patients seropositive by latex fixation test (84% increase,P<0.02). These data indicate that monocytes and/or macrophages localized to sites of inflammation are a source of cathepsin G and that neutral proteinases may potentiate cellular activation and auto antibody production in processes such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Effects of static electric fields on the photoionization spectra of two-electron atoms and ions

Abstract The simultaneous photoexcitation of two electrons is a highly correlated process, producing doubly excited states, observed as resonant structure in the ionization cross-section. This review paper explores the ability of a static electric field to affect these correlations, as evidenced by changes in the shape and energy of resonances. A comparison of field effects on the spectra of H − , Ps − , He, Ba and Cs − summarizes current understanding of the processes and the capability of theory to predict the cross-sectional features.
Three Demonstrations and a Funeral

: Gricean pragmatics seems to pose a dilemma. If semantics is limited to the conventional meanings of types of expressions, then the semantics of an utterance does not determine what is said. If all that figures in the determination of what is said counts as semantics, then pragmatic reasoning about the specific intentions of a speaker intrudes on semantics. The dilemma is false. Key points: Semantics need not determine what is said, and the description, with which the hearer begins, need not provide the hearer with knowledge of what was said, or the ability to express what was said, from the hearer's context.
Evaluation of maxillary sinus aspiration in patients with fever of unknown origin

The value of diagnostic maxillary sinus aspiration in patients with abnormal findings on sinus radiographs and fever of unknown origin is unclear. To better define indications for this procedure, the results of 51 sinus aspirations in 34 patients with fevers of unknown origin and abnormal findings on sinus radiographs were analyzed retrospectively. Results of aerobic and anaerobic cultures were evaluated in the context of clinical signs and symptoms at the time of the maxillary sinus puncture. Typical symptoms of paranasal sinus disease were found to be the best predictor of a positive culture. Of patients with sinusitis complaints, 86.4% had culture-positive aspirations, whereas only 8.3% of patients without clinical symptoms of sinusitis had culture-positive aspirations. This study indicates that symptoms of sinus disease play an important role in determining the benefit of sinus aspiration in this group of patients.
Claiming and naming resources on the border of the state: Akha strategies in China and Thailand

This paper explores the intersection of state policies and local interests in allocating and managing resources in mountainous border areas of China and Thailand. These two states differ markedly in policies and approaches both to forests and to ethnic minorities on the periphery. The first section of the paper traces the history of policies in both countries for forested border areas and for forest-dependent ethnic minorities. The next section explores the evolution of property rights, land use, and the meaning of resources for one Akha village in China, and one in Thailand, in response to these dramatically different political economies. The final section considers some current outcomes for both the Akha and the local landscape as a result of these differing policy histories, and Akha strategies for claiming and using resources under these two regimes.
Regeneration of fertile plants from protoplasts of elite inbred maize

We have obtained friable, non-mucilaginous embryogenic callus from cultured immature embryos of an elite maize inbred line derived from Iowa stiff stalk synthetic germplasm. This callus was used to generate embryogenic cell suspensions containing compact clumps of densely cytoplasmic cells. Plants were readily regenerated from the suspensions, which were also an excellent source of protoplasts. The suspension cultures maintained their plant regeneration capacity through many months. The cultures were cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen and embryogenic callus and suspension cultures were routinely recovered from cryopreserved cells. Protoplasts were isolated in large numbers from both primary and cryopreserved suspension cultures. Cultured protoplasts divided and formed embryogenic callus both when plated in agarose and on nurse cultures. Hundreds of plants were regenerated from protoplast-derived calli. Plants with viable progeny were obtained although many of the regenerates showed morphological and reproductive abnormalities.
Oxygen equilibrium and subunit aggregation of a holothurian hemoglobin.

Abstract The hemoglobin of the sea cucumber Cucumaria miniata Brandt has a mol. wt of about 36 000 in the oxy- form with a s 20,w equal to 2.9 and a subunit molecular weight of 18 000 by sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis. This pigment aggregates when deoxygenated to an oligomer with a s 20,w equal to 4.7, an aggregation which is reversible upon subsequent oxygenation. The hemoglobin shows a sigmoid binding equilibrium with “ n ” equal to 1.8 and a decrease in oxygen affinity with an increase in pigment concentration. This hemoglobin is compared with other hemoglobins showing oxygenation-linked subunit aggregation.
Parametric Decay of Obliquely Incident Radiation

An electromagnetic wave obliquely incident on an inhomogeneous plasma has a resonance near ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}={\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{pe}}(x)$. It is shown that temporally growing modes exist for parametric decay into ion-acoustic and electron-plasma waves in the vicinity of this resonance in spite of the density gradient. For typical laser fusion parameters the maximum growth rate is comparable to the ion-acoustic frequency. The mechanism can contribute to significant power absorption.
Characterization and testing of periodic mesoporous organosilicas as potential selective benzene adsorbents.

The effects of surface imprinting on the adsorption and desorption properties of benzene- and diethylbenzene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) acting as GC stationary-phase preconcen...
Angular distribution of Auger electrons due to 3d-shell impact ionization of krypton

Cross sections for electron impact ionization of krypton due to ejection of a 3rd shell electron have been calculated using screened hydrogenic and Hartree-Slater wave functions for target atom. While the total ionization cross sections in the two approximations are within 10% of each other, the Auger electron angular distribution, related to cross sections for specific magnetic quantum numbers of the 3rd electrons, is widely different in the two approximations. The angular distribution due to Hartree-Slater approximation is in excellent agreement with measurement. The physical reason for the discrepancies in the two approximations is explained.
Observation of Short Wind Waves in Coastal Waters

Abstract Observations of wind-generated gravity–capillary waves have been made during two recent field programs in coastal environments. The results of wave slope spectra on clean water show a well-defined correlation with the wind friction velocity. However, spectral values at higher wavenumbers (above 200 rad m−1) are significantly higher than previous laboratory results. In the presence of surface films wave spectra may decrease by more than one order of magnitude at lower wind stresses. The dispersion characteristics of short waves vary markedly depending on the wavenumber, the wind stress, and the surface chemical condition. Some results in the presence of surface films at intermediate winds show much higher apparent phase speeds than the theoretical dispersion relation. This may be because of an enhanced near-surface current or because of the relative increase of wave energy that is phase-locked to longer steep gravity waves.
Impact of liquid swine manure on nutrient loss and bacteria transport to subsurface drainage water under corn-soybean rotations

Nonpoint source pollution continuously draws the attention of both scientist and the public. Nutrient and microbial pathogens from the application of liquid swine manure (LSM) have been implicated as the source of contamination and pollution to water and soil. The overall goal of this dissertation was to investigate the effects of LSM on nutrient loss and pathogenic bacteria transport to subsurface drainage water quality under corn and soybean crop rotation. A field experiment at the plot-scale was conducted to achieve this goal. Data collected from the 6-year experiment (2001-2006) at Nashua research site was used to study the effects of LSM applied to both corn and soybeans in comparison to manure applied to the corn phase only in term of NO3-N and PO4-P losses to subsurface drainage and its residual in the soil. Data used for investigation of directly connected macropores in transporting bacteria from soil surface to subsurface drainage were conducted in four different experiments in 2008 and 2009. Overall the results showed that LSM applied to soybean crop every year increased the NO3-N in subsurface drainage water and accumulated a high concentration of phosphorus in soil profile, especially in the top 30 cm of soil depth. So, the changes of this LSM application should be modified in terms of application rate and/or adding a land cover crop to minimize the contamination of these nutrients. Also, transport of bacteria like E. coli from LSM through macropores, especially for the ones that are directly connected from soil surface to subsurface tile drainage are clearly shown. This is specially shown in the first three hours if rainfall occurred after manure application. For these reasons, it is suggested that weather conditions should be seriously taken into consideration in the timing of the LSM application in order to minimize the transportation not only of bacteria, but also nutrients to tile drainage.
SecureMR: A Service Integrity Assurance Framework for MapReduce

MapReduce has become increasingly popular as a powerful parallel data processing model. To deploy MapReduce as a data processing service over open systems such as service oriented architecture, cloud computing, and volunteer computing, we must provide necessary security mechanisms to protect the integrity of MapReduce data processing services. In this paper, we present SecureMR, a practical service integrity assurance framework for MapReduce. SecureMR consists of five security components, which provide a set of practical security mechanisms that not only ensure MapReduce service integrity as well as to prevent replay and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, but also preserve the simplicity, applicability and scalability of MapReduce. We have implemented a prototype of SecureMR based on Hadoop, an open source MapReduce implementation. Our analytical study and experimental results show that SecureMR can ensure data processing service integrity while imposing low performance overhead.
Macroscopic modeling of large power systems using distributed dynamic measurements with dependence on network topology

Wide-area analysis and control of large-scale electric power systems are highly dependent on the idea of aggregation. For example, one often hears power system operators mentioning how ‘Northern Washington’ oscillates against ‘Southern California’ in response to various disturbance events. The main question here is whether we can analytically construct dynamic electro-mechanical models for these conceptual, aggregated generators representing Washington and California, which in reality are some hypothetical combinations of thousands of actual generators. We address this problem in this paper and present several new results on how to construct simplified macroscopic models of large power networks by using dynamic measurements available from specific points on the network edges. Our examples of study are motivated by widely encountered power transfer paths in the US west coast power system, namely, a two-node radial network and a star-connected three-node system.
NEXSORT: sorting XML in external memory

XML plays an important role in delivering data over the Internet, and the need to store and manipulate XML in its native format has become increasingly relevant. This growing need necessitates work on developing native XML operators, especially for one as fundamental as sort. We present NEXSORT, an algorithm that leverages the hierarchical nature of XML to efficiently sort an XML document in external memory. In a fully sorted XML document, children of every nonleaf element are ordered according to a given sorting criterion. Among NEXSORT's uses is in combination with structural merge as the XML version of sort-merge join, which allows us to merge large XML documents using only a single pass once they are sorted. The hierarchical structure of an XML document limits the number of possible legal orderings among its elements, which means that sorting XML is fundamentally "easier" than sorting a flat file. We prove that the I/O lower bound for sorting XML in external memory is /spl Theta/(max{n,nlog/sub m/(k/B)}), where n is the number of blocks in the input XML document, m is the number of main memory blocks available for sorting, B is the number of elements that can fit in one block, and k is the maximum fan-out of the input document tree. We show that NEXSORT performs within a constant factor of this theoretical lower bound. In practice we demonstrate, even with a naive implementation, NEXSORT significantly outperforms a regular external merge sort of all elements by their key paths, unless the XML document is nearly flat, in which case NEXSORT degenerates essentially to external merge sort.
Chromosome instability in the murine melanoma cell line K-1735 is due to drug-specific mechanisms

The purpose of the present study was to investigate chromosomal instability and DNA repair by exposing clones from the murine melanoma cell line K-1735 to the radiomimetic drug bleomycin and to the DNA polymerase a inhibitor aphidicolin. Results from previous experiments conducted with human lymphocytes have suggested synergistic chromosomal damage after simultaneous exposure to these two agents. However, in the murine cell line studied here, there was no direct correlation between the effects of these two agents. Indeed, the extensive variation in the responses to aphidicolin and bleomycin suggested different mechanisms for the repair of bleomycin-induced DNA damage by the clones. Evaluation of the unexplained propensity of some bleomycin-treated metaphase cells to disintegrate suggested that this phenomenon was most likely the result of a direct action of bleomycin, rather than a potential manifestation of tumor cell instability.
Charm Offensive Or 'Axis Of Evil'? An Analysis Of The Iranian Nuclear Program And American Responses

This paper assesses the likelihood that Iran’s nuclear program poses a threat to American foreign-policy interests and the extent to which the American response has succeeded in reducing this threat. The researcher conducted this assessment using publicly available data from governmental or intergovernmental agencies such as the IAEA and the CIA, think tanks such as the Brookings Institute, and contemporary press reports. The findings indicate that Iran’s nuclear program has some military aspects, which might pose a threat to American security interests either by emboldening the Iranian leadership to engage in brinksmanship or by increasing the Israeli perception of Iran as a threat. This threat appears to be exacerbated by the failure of most American responses to reduce the threat from the nuclear program, with the partial exceptions of the sanctions regimes and cyberwarfare tactics applied to Iran. In 2009, an Iranian nuclear scientist named Shahram Amiri vanished while on a pilgrimage to Mecca, raising suspicions in the Iranian media that he had been kidnapped. They were proved partially right after Amiri turned up in Tucson claiming to be a defector. The resulting cascade of media claims and counterclaims—Amiri later claimed to have been kidnapped, while Iranian media suggested that he was a double agent-was one of many moves in a key part of American foreign policy: the shadow war over Iran’s nuclear program. The Iranian nuclear program dates back to the reign of Shah Reza Pahlavi, during the alliance between the United States and Iran. However, this program was continued well after Pahlavi’s reign and into the strongly anti-American government of the Ayatollah Khomeini. 2 In spite of Iranian claims to the contrary, international intelligence agencies therefore have long suspected that Iran’s post-Pahlavi nuclear program may have a military purpose. Consequently, the questions of greatest concern regarding Iran’s nuclear program are: 1) “Does Iran’s nuclear program pose a threat to American interests?” and 2) “What responses are most likely to have a 1 Crist, David. The Twilight War: The Secret History Of America’s Thirty-Year Conflict With Iran. 2012. Penguin. Pg.554. 2 Berman, Illan. Tehran Rising: Iran’s Challenge To The United States. 2005. Rowan & Littlefield, Oxford. Pg. 32. 3 Amano, Yuki. “IAEA Board Report.” 5 June 2013. IAEA. http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Board/2013/gov2013-27.pdf Pg. 13. 1 Menon: The Iranian Nuclear Program And American Responses, 2000-2012
Defining remission in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective Given the inconsistency of remission definitions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) trials, the goal of this American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism committee was to define remission. Methods The committee instructed a working group that a new remission definition, among other requirements, needed to allow for little, if any, active clinical disease and to be defined using the core set of outcome measures for RA trials and that those in remission at one time needed to have a low risk of later worsening function or radiograph progression. Remission was to be defined using trial data for use in trials but needed to anticipate use in a practice setting. Results The working group started by evaluating the thresholds for core set measures compatible with remission and determined that patient-reported outcomes contributed importantly to the ability of outcome assessment to distinguish more from less effective treatments. The group created a candidate group of remission definitions to test, including Boolean versions and widely used indexes. Testing how well these candidate definitions predicted later good outcomes, the group found that Disease Activity Score 28 thresholds for remission performed worse than Simplified Disease Activity Index/Clinical Disease Activity Index or Boolean versions. Also, persons with low Disease Activity Score 28 occasionally had high joint counts, which were incompatible with remission. The parent committee chose two definitions: one Boolean (patient had to have all of the following: tender joint count, swollen joint count ≤1, C reactive protein ≤1 mg/dl) and patient global assessment ≤1 (on a 0–10 scale) and one Simplified Disease Activity Index ≤3.3. Conclusion The American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism has promulgated two new similar definitions of remission for RA trials.
Quantitative trait loci for thermotolerance phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster

For insects, temperature is a major environmental variable that can influence an individual's behavioral activities and fitness. Drosophila melanogaster is a cosmopolitan species that has had great success in adapting to and colonizing diverse thermal niches. This adaptation and colonization has resulted in complex patterns of genetic variation in thermotolerance phenotypes in nature. Although extensive work has been conducted documenting patterns of genetic variation, substantially less is known about the genomic regions or genes that underlie this ecologically and evolutionarily important genetic variation. To begin to understand and identify the genes controlling thermotolerance phenotypes, we have used a mapping population of recombinant inbred (RI) lines to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) that affect variation in both heat- and cold-stress resistance. The mapping population was derived from a cross between two lines of D. melanogaster (Oregon-R and 2b) that were not selected for thermotolerance phenotypes, but exhibit significant genetic divergence for both phenotypes. Using a design in which each RI line was backcrossed to both parental lines, we mapped seven QTL affecting thermotolerance on the second and third chromosomes. Three of the QTL influence cold-stress resistance and four affect heat-stress resistance. Most of the QTL were trait or sex specific, suggesting that overlapping but generally unique genetic architectures underlie resistance to low- and high-temperature extremes. Each QTL explained between 5 and 14% of the genetic variance among lines, and degrees of dominance ranged from completely additive to partial dominance. Potential thermotolerance candidate loci contained within our QTL regions are identified and discussed.
Double midsystolic clicks in ischemic heart syndromes.

W h e association of arteriosclerotic heart disease aneurysm was made after a complete work-up, including with midsystolic clicks alolle has been observed angiography. The ventricular aneurysm was later resected. A double midsystolic click has been a constant phonocardioand reported only recently by as well as graphic finding (Fig ) , other^.^-^ This article describes a constant double midsystolic click encountered in two patients: in the first, with development of a myocardial aneurysm after an extensive anterolateral wall myocardial infarction, and in the second patient with ischemic heart syndrome.
A hybrid adaptive array minimizing the effects of the random weight vector errors

The authors propose a hybrid adaptive array that minimizes the effects of the random weight vector errors in the LMS (least-mean squares) array and the Applebaum array. The algorithm developed for adjusting the weighting factors did not require any prior knowledge of the variance of the random errors. The results are summarized. It is found that the hybrid array performs better than the Applebaum array or the LMS array since its output SINR (signal-to-interference-plus-noise) is always larger. In addition, it is less sensitive to the variance of random errors. >
Detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains by the Etest ESBL screen.

Resistance to contemporary broad-spectrum beta-lactams, mediated by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) enzymes, is an increasing problem worldwide. The Etest (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden) ESBL screen uses stable gradient technology to evaluate the MIC of ceftazidime alone compared with the MIC of ceftazidime with clavulanic acid (2 micrograms/ml) to facilitate the recognition of strains expressing inhibitable enzymes. In the present study, ESBL-producing strains (17 Escherichia coli transconjugants) were studied to define "sensitive" interpretive criteria for the Etest ESBL screen. These criteria (reduction of the ceftazidime MIC by > 2 log2 dilution steps in the presence of clavulanic acid) defined a group of 92 probable ESBL-positive organisms among the 225 tested strains of Klebsiella species and E. coli having suspicious antibiogram phenotypes. With a subset of 82 clinical strains, the Etest ESBL screen was more sensitive (100%) than the disk approximation test (87%) and was more convenient. The MICs of ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin at which 50% of isolates are inhibited were 16- to 128-fold higher (coresistance) for the ESBL screen-positive group of strains than for the ESBL screen-negative group of strains. Some strains for which cephalosporin MICs were elevated and which were Etest ESBL screen negative were also cefoxitin resistant, i.e., consistent with a chromosomally mediated AmpC resistance phenotype. The Etest ESBL screen test with the ceftazidime substrate appears to be a useful method for detecting or validating the presence of enteric bacilli potentially producing this type of beta-lactamase.
DRUG AND VACCINE ALLERGY

In this review, we focus on five main areas of current concern in the management of drug and vaccine allergy in pediatrics: active and passive immunization products, β-lactam antimicrobial drugs, antimicrobials in patients infected with HIV, and patients who have multiple drug allergies.
Learning-Assisted Multi-Step Planning

Probabilistic sampling-based motion planners are unable to detect when no feasible path exists. A common heuristic is to declare a query infeasible if a path is not found in a fixed amount of time. In applications where many queries must be processed – for instance, robotic manipulation, multi-limbed locomotion, and contact motion – a critical question arises: what should this time limit be? This paper presents a machine-learning approach to deal with this question. In an off-line learning phase, a classifier is trained to quickly predict the feasibility of a query. Then, an improved multi-step motion planning algorithm uses this classifier to avoid wasting time on infeasible queries. This approach has been successfully demonstrated in simulation on a four-limbed, free-climbing robot.
Hyperbanyan networks: a new class of networks for distributed-memory multiprocessors

A new class of connection topologies for distributed-memory multiprocessors, hyperbanyan networks, is introduced. A hyperbanyan is a combination of the topological designs of a banyan and the hypertree networks. Since the hypertree combines the advantages of the binary tree and the hypercube, a hyperbanyan has the features of a binary tree, a hypercube, and a banyan. The hyperbanyans have a fixed degree of five, and the diameter of an (n stage*2/sup n-1/ nodes/stage) hyperbanyan is 2(n-1). A routing algorithm which is close to optimal is presented. >
The End of Creeping Competence? EU Policy-Making Since Maastricht*

From its origins in the Treaty of Rome to the Maastricht Treaty on European Union, the EU has expanded the range of its activities dramatically, adopting both budgetary and regulatory policies across a broad range of issue-areas. The 1990s, however, witnessed a political and economic backlash against the creeping centralization of policy-making in Brussels, threatening a major retrenchment, or even devolution, of EU policy-making. This article examines budgetary and regulatory data from the late 1990s and early 2000s, to determine whether the centralization of policy-making has slowed, or even reversed, during the post-Maastricht era. The data reveal selective evidence of retrenchment in EU budgetary expenditures, which have been limited by the fiscal restrictions of EMU, German resistance to any increase in its net contribution, and the new budgetary demands of enlargement. By contrast, data on EU regulation suggest that the EU has been, and remains, an active regulator across a wide range of issue-areas after Maastricht, and will continue to play the role of a regulatory state in the future.
Downloads and citations in Intelligent Systems in Accounting, Finance and Management

This paper summarizes the papers downloaded most from the years 2000–2002 and traces the number of citations from Google Scholar (beta) for those papers at the beginning of 2008. It is found that the number of downloads and citations are highly correlated, suggesting that downloads is a leading indicator of citations, even years into the future. In addition, this paper assesses which of the papers from the journal have been cited most over the history of the journal, using both ISI–Social Science Citation Index and Google Scholar. It is found that the numbers of citations using both approaches are highly correlated. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Viability of Trichomonas vaginalis in Transport Medium

The ability of Amies gel agar transport medium to maintain the viability of Trichomonas vaginalis was determined by comparing transported vaginal specimens to specimens immediately inoculated into culture medium. The prevalence of trichomonosis in the study population was 26% (68 of 260 women). The immediate inoculation method detected infections in 64 of 68 infected women (sensitivity of 94.1%). The transport method detected 62 of 68 infections (sensitivity of 91.2%). There was no significant difference between the two methods.
Evidence against a contribution of conventional urine risk factors to de novo ESRD renal stones

Background. The authors measured urine and blood stone risk factors in African-American (AA) haemodialysis (HD) patients with new onset of stones during dialysis. Methods. Patients with nephrolithiasis (NL) newly manifested during dialysis were matched by age, sex and urine output and dialysis duration to AA HD patients without history or symptoms of stones. Two 24 h urine and serum samples were collected and analysed for conventional stone risk factors. Results. Three percent of the patients formed new stones while on HD; none had formed stones prior to end-stage renal disease. Newly onset NL patients had higher urine citrate and lower serum potassium levels than HD patients without stones. Conclusion. Usual stone risk factors did not correlate with new stones during dialysis.
Therapeutic potential of targeting glucose metabolism in glioma stem cells

Glioblastoma is a highly lethal cancer. Glioma stem cells (GSCs) are potentially an attractive therapeutic target and eradication of GSCs may impact tumor growth and sensitize tumors to conventional therapies. The brain is one of the most metabolically active organs with glucose representing the most important, but not the only, source of energy and carbon. Like all other cancers, glioblastoma requires a continuous source of energy and molecular resources for new cell production with a preferential use of aerobic glycolysis, recognized as the Warburg effect. As selected metabolic nodes are amenable to therapeutic targeting, we observed that the Warburg effect may causally contribute to glioma heterogeneity. This Editorial summarizes recent studies that examine the relationship between GSCs and metabolism and briefly provides our views for the future directions. The ultimate goal is to establish a new concept by incorporating both the cellular hierarchical theory and the cellular evolution theory to explain tumor heterogeneity. Such concept may better elucidate the mechanisms of how tumors gain cellular and molecular complexity and guide us develop novel and effective targeted therapies.
Acculturated Italian-American Drinking Behavior

Drinking behavior, like all other behaviors, is culturally learned. This premise has been given greater credence in recent decades as an increasing number of anthropologists and sociologists have focused on drinking customs and their association to problem drinking. Studies that look at the cultural differences in drinking behavior (Bales, 1944; Snyder, 1958; Lolli, Serianni, Golder, & Luzzatto-Fegiz, 1958; Jessor, Young, Young, & Tesi, 1970; Simboli, 1976; Blane, 1977) offer convincing support for the inclusion of cultural factors in a holistic theory of the causes of alcoholism. One of the apparent finds from the “cultural difference” studies is that some societies have been able to enjoy the benefits of alcohol and avoid its severe liabilities.
Changes in the world rivers’ discharge projected from an updated high resolution dataset of current and future climate zones

Summary In this paper, an updated global map of the current climate zoning and of its projections, according to the Koppen–Geiger classification, is first provided. The map at high horizontal resolution (0.5° × 0.5°), representative of the current (i.e. 1961–2005) conditions, is based on the Climate Research Unit dataset holding gridded series of historical observed temperature and precipitation, while projected conditions rely on the simulated series, for the same variables, by the General Circulation Model CMCC-CM. Modeled variables were corrected for their bias and then projections of climate zoning were generated for the medium term (2006–2050) and long term (2056–2100) future periods, under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios. Results show that Equatorial and Arid climates will spread at the expenses of Snow and Polar climates, with the Warm Temperate experiencing more moderate increase. Maps of climate zones are valuable for a wide range of studies on climate change and its impacts, especially those regarding the water cycle that is strongly regulated by the combined conditions of precipitation and temperature. As example of large scale hydrological applications, in this work we tested and implemented a spatial statistical procedure, the geographically weighted regression among climate zones’ surface and mean annual discharge (MAD) at hydrographic basin level, to quantify likely changes in MAD for the main world rivers monitored through the Global Runoff Data Center database. The selected river basins are representative of more than half of both global superficial freshwater resources and world’s land area. Globally, a decrease in MAD is projected both in the medium term and long term, while spatial differences highlight how some areas require efforts to avoid consequences of amplified water scarcity, while other areas call for strategies to take the opportunity from the expected increase in water availability. Also the fluctuations of trends between the medium to long term time frames is viewed in order to pay attention to the lifespan of investments and decisions. Despite preliminary and illustrative, this study suggests how large scale valuable information can be extracted even through indicators derived from statistical spatial modeling procedures, without the pretention to replace more sophisticated studies that allow process based reproduction of inter-annual and intra-annual discharge variability, and on which a robust and comprehensive assessment of future water resource reliability should be however also based.
Operation Reuse on Handheld Devices

Compilers have long used redundancy removal to improve program execution speed. For handheld devices, redundancy removal is particularly attractive because it improves execution speed and energy efficiency at the same time. In a broad view, redundancy exists in many different forms, e.g., redundant computations and redundant branches. We briefly describe our recent efforts to expand the scope of redundancy removal. We attain computation reuse by replacing a code segment by a table look-up. We use IF-merging to merge conditional statements into a single conditional statement. We present part of our preliminary experimental results from an HP/Compaq iPAQ PDA.
Revising LeChatelier's Principle

LeChâtelier's principle states that firms are more responsive to price shocks in the long run than in the short run. This result is usually shown in a static environment. I build a more nuanced model of dynamic optimization in which firms take into account intertemporal considerations when responding to price shocks. I obtain results similar to the traditional LeChâtelier principle when firms produce intertemporal complements. But if they produce an intertemporal substitute, best exemplified by the oil and mining industries, a reverse LeChâtelier principle holds: firms are more responsive to long-lived shocks, and their initial response to permanent shocks is greater than the final response.
Thermo-Mechanical Analysis of Mixed-Mode Damage: Cohesive Zone Modeling

Damage detection and diagnostics is a key area of research in structural analysis. This paper presents results from the analysis of mixed-mode damage initiation in a composite beam under thermal and mechanical loads. A finite element model in conjunction with a cohesive zone model (CZM) is used in order to determine the location of joint separation as well as the contribution of each mode in damage (debonding) initiation. The composite beam is modeled by using two layers of aluminum that are bonded together through a layer of adhesive. Simulation results show that the model can successfully detect the location of damage under a thermo-mechanical load. The model can also be used to determine the severity of damage due to a thermal load, a mechanical load and a thermo-mechanical load. It is observed that integrating thermal analysis has a significant influence on the fracture energy.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Ab Initio Studies of Calcium Carbonate Hydration.

Ab initio simulations of large hydrated calcium carbonate clusters are challenging due to the existence of multiple local energy minima. Extensive conformational searches around hydrated calcium carbonate clusters (CaCO3·nH2O for n = 1–18) were performed to find low-energy hydration structures using an efficient combination of Monte Carlo searches, density-functional tight binding (DFTB+) method, and density-functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP level, or Moller–Plesset perturbation theory at the MP2 level. This multilevel optimization yields several low-energy structures for hydrated calcium carbonate. Structural and energetics analysis of the hydration of these clusters revealed a first hydration shell composed of 12 water molecules. Bond-length and charge densities were also determined for different cluster sizes. The solvation of calcium carbonate in bulk water was investigated by placing the explicitly solvated CaCO3·nH2O clusters in a polarizable continuum model (PCM). The findings of this study prov...
SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF INTRACELLULAR PH AND CA2+ USING THE FLUORESCENCE OF SNARF-1 AND FURA-2

Upon cell stimulation with hormones and other mitogens, a variety of biochemical and physiological responses occur within the first few minutes. Changes in both intracellular pH (pHin) and intracel...
Current profile control for the development of consistent discharges in DIII-D

The number of tokamak discharges required to carry out meaningful experiments can be significantly reduced by current profile control in the early startup phase. The tokamak is a plasma-confinement device, suitable for confining plasma at the requisite high temperature necessary for initiating fusion. It is currently the most promising device for realizing sustained fusion power generation at a commercial grade level, though it is still in the experimental stage. Presently, difficult to achieve plasma conditions, such as the shape of the plasma current profile, are achieved in a trial and error fashion, which can be a lengthy, wasteful process. In this work we make use of model-based control techniques such as optimal feedforward control via nonlinear programming and linearized feedback control to obtain a target current profile at a specified time in low-confinement-mode (L-mode) discharges. The effectiveness of the controller is demonstrated experimentally.
Gesture Supports Spatial Thinking in STEM

ABSTRACTThe present article describes two studies that examine the impact of teaching students to use gesture to support spatial thinking in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) discipline of chemistry. In Study 1 we compared the effectiveness of instruction that involved either watching gesture, reproducing gesture, or reading text. The results indicate that students in the reproducing gesture condition produced significantly more gestures while problem solving than students in the other two groups and significantly outperformed the other groups on study measures. In Study 2 we compared the effectiveness of gesture to an instructional approach that involved manually handling concrete models without gesture. Students performed equally well in both conditions; however, students taught with concrete models performed significantly worse if concrete models were not available during assessment. These studies show that gesture is an effective strategy for supporting spatial thinking in S...
Abstract 3616: Androgen deprivation therapy and second primary lung cancer risk in prostate cancer patients in the US Veterans.

Background Previous observational studies have consistently reported decreased risk of lung cancers among prostate cancer patients. Recent literature suggests a role of estrogen receptor (ER) beta and aromatase, which can convert testosterone to estrogen, in development and progression of non small cell lung cancers. Second primary lung cancer risk among breast cancer patients appears to be higher in ER negative patients compared to ER positive patients probably from estrogen receptor blockade. As androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been well established for more than 70 years as an effective treatment modality for prostate cancer, we hypothesized the hormone modulation may decrease lung cancer risk and investigated the effect of ADT on second primary lung cancer risk among patients with prostate cancer. Methods We identified 62,589 men in VA Central Cancer Registry (VACCR) who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1999 and 2008, with follow-up available through 2010. The primary outcome was development of lung cancer, determined by VACCR. Descriptive statistics were used to compare basic characteristics between the groups. Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the influence of ADT on the lung cancer incidence, adjusted for patient characteristics and prostate cancer stage. All the statistical analyses were performed using STATA 10 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX). Results Men who had ADT as part of their treatment for prostate cancer tend to be older (median age 71.3 vs 65.7, p Conclusion Our study suggests that ADT in prostate cancer patients is associated with a decreased risk of second primary lung cancers. Independent validation studies and subgroup analyses to clarify the association is warranted. This work was supported by Veteran9s Health Administration 1IK2BX001283-01 and NCI 5P50CA128613-02. Citation Format: Hyunseok Kang, Rathi N. Pillai, Johann C. Brandes. Androgen deprivation therapy and second primary lung cancer risk in prostate cancer patients in the US Veterans. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3616. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3616
Short-Wave Instrument Development for CLARREO

Benchmarking Earth’s climate via remote sensing from space, as planned by CLARREO, requires radiometry with high absolute accuracy and SI-traceability. We present an on-orbit radiometric calibration approach for hyperspectral imaging from 300 to 2400 nm.
Development of Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (RSOFCs)and Stacks

A reversible solid oxide fuel cell (RSOFC) is a SOFC that can function efficiently under both power generation mode for electricity production and electrolysis mode for hydrogen/chemical production. The RSOFC thus can be used as a fuel cell or an electrolysis cell or both depending on the application. Multi-cell RSOFC stacks have been built and reversible operation has been demonstrated. Experiments on RSOFCs (yttria-stabilized zirconia or YSZ electrolytes, Ni/YSZ hydrogen electrodes, and perovskite oxygen electrodes) showed certain performance irreversibility of the perovskite electrode. Significant performance degradation was observed under electrolysis mode for predominantly electronic-conducting oxygen electrodes such as Sr-doped lanthanum manganite (LSM). Mixed-conducting oxygen electrodes such as lanthanum strontium cobalt iron oxides (LSCF) showed better performance and performance stability. Long-term operation of RSOFC stacks using stainless steel interconnects at 800oC showed elemental (Sr and Cr) migration and interactions at oxygen electrode/interconnect interfaces.
Organic Acid Losses from Whole Egg Products During Spray Drying

Abstract Liquid whole eggs containing 0, 5 and 50 mg. per 100 g. egg of each of six organic acids added were spray dried and evaluated for recovery of the organic acids. Four of these organic acids are presently used to assess microbial deterioration in egg products. Control samples of dried egg contained 2.0 to 4.1 mg. of lactic acid (calculated per 100 g. liquid egg). When 5 mg. (per 100 g. liquid egg) of the acids were added, 32 to 58% of the volatile acids were lost during drying and 37 and 32% of lactic and succinic acids, respectively, were lost. Thus extreme care must be exercised in using the quantity of these acids in dried egg products for quality purposes.