cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Low-Cost Partner Notification Strategy for the Control of Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Case Study From Louisiana

Objectives. We estimated the costs and effectiveness of implementing a partner notification (PN) strategy for highly prevalent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) within the Louisiana STD/HIV Program.Methods. We carried out a telephone-based PN approach on an experimental basis in 2 public STD clinics in Louisiana from June 2010 to May 2012. We monitored data on the resources used for identifying, tracing, treating, and managing the infected cases and their partners to estimate the intervention costs.Results. Our results indicated that implementation of telephone-based PN should not increase the STD control program’s expenses by more than 4.5%. This low-cost PN approach could successfully identify and treat 1 additional infected case at a cost of only $171. We found that the cost per disability-adjusted life year averted (a health outcome measure), because of the adoption of selective screening with partner tracing, was $4499. This was significantly lower than the gross domestic product per capita of the...
Synthesis, characterization and properties of Mo6S8(4-tert-butylpyridine)6 and related M6S8L6 cluster complexes (M = Mo, W)

Octahedral molybdenum chalcogenide clusters are the building blocks of the well-known Chevrel phases. Although the synthesis of molecular Mo6S8L6 (L = PEt3 and pyridine) clusters has been previously reported, a high yield and larger scale synthetic procedure is needed to produce soluble Mo6S8L6 (L = Lewis base ligand) clusters, so that they can be used as precursors for the construction of novel network structures. Using the previously developed W6S8(4-tert-butylpyridine)6 synthesis as a starting point, a facile, high yield (70%) synthesis of Mo6S8(4-tert-butylpyridine)6 from (Bu4N)2Mo6Cl8Cl6 was developed. This general sulfidation reaction scheme can be extended to the direct preparation of many M6S8L6 (M = W, Mo; L = Lewis base ligand) complexes. Three Mo6S8L6 complexes (L = PEt3, methylamine, 4,4′-bipyridine) were also prepared via ligand exchange reactions with Mo6S8(4-tert-butylpyridine)6. The above Mo6S8L6 complexes were characterized and their reactivity was compared with their tungsten counterparts. Crystal structures were found for Mo6S8(4-tert-butylpyridine)6, Mo6S8(4,4′-bipyridine)6, and Mo6S8(methylamine)6.
Educational achievement and the cost of bureaucracy

Abstract It is the purpose of this paper to test the following proposition: holding other important factors constant, does the size of the educational bureaucracy have any effect on the efficiency of school systems in producing educational achievement? The empirical results suggest that this is indeed the case. Using 1984 data from the states, we find that public school students in states having relatively large educational bureaucracies are less likely to graduate from high school, and those who do tend to perform more poorly on standardized achievement tests.
Effects of hypoxia and putative transmitters on [Ca2+]i of rat glomus cells.

Abstract Dissociated rat glomus cells were loaded with Fura-2 AM to study the effects of hypoxia, and carotid body transmitters on intracellular calcium, [Ca 2+ ] i . The mean control [Ca 2+ ] i was 55 nM in isolated cells and 67 nM in clusters. The following procedures changed [Ca 2+ ] i : (1) 0[Ca 2+ ] o +EGTA reduced [Ca 2+ ] i by about 50%, suggesting that the remaining calcium originated from intracellular organelles. [Ca 2+ ] i increased when [Ca 2+ ] o was doubled. (2) Hypoxia by sodium dithionite (Na 2 S 2 O 4 ) induced large [Ca 2+ ] i increases in clustered and isolated cells. Smaller rises occurred with 100% N 2 hypoxia. The augmented [Ca 2+ ] i , induced by Na 2 S 2 O 4 , was reduced (not eliminated) in 0[Ca 2+ ] o +EGTA, suggesting that some calcium was intracellularly released. Nifedipine depressed (did not block) the Na 2 S 2 O 4 -induced calcium increase, implying some inflow via other (N, T or P/Q) voltage-dependent or voltage-independent calcium channels. (3) Cholinergic agents (ACh, nicotine, muscarine, bethanechol and pilocarpine) increased [Ca 2+ ] i . The ACh effect was produced exclusively by calcium inflow since it was eliminated in 0[Ca 2+ ] o +EGTA. Cholinergic effects were depressed (not obliterated) by d -tubocurarine ( d -TC), hexamethonium (C6) and atropine. (4) ACh, nicotine and pilocarpine potentiated the excitatory effect of Na 2 S 2 O 4 on [Ca 2+ ] i . Bethanechol depressed this excitation whereas muscarine had inconsistent effects. (5) Atropine and C6 depressed [Ca 2+ ] i increases elicited by Na 2 S 2 O 4 but the effects of d -TC were variable. (6) Dopamine (DA) had variable effects. It increased [Ca 2+ ] i in 75% of cases, and reduced the Na 2 S 2 O 4 -induced calcium increase. Thus, calcium increases during Na 2 S 2 O 4 occur by direct effects on the glomus cells and feedback action through released ACh and DA.
Validation of a fully automated 3D hippocampal segmentation method using subjects with Alzheimer's disease mild cognitive impairment, and elderly controls.

Abstract We introduce a new method for brain MRI segmentation, called the auto context model (ACM), to segment the hippocampus automatically in 3D T1-weighted structural brain MRI scans of subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). In a training phase, our algorithm used 21 hand-labeled segmentations to learn a classification rule for hippocampal versus non-hippocampal regions using a modified AdaBoost method, based on ∼ 18,000 features (image intensity, position, image curvatures, image gradients, tissue classification maps of gray/white matter and CSF, and mean, standard deviation, and Haar filters of size 1 × 1 × 1 to 7 × 7 × 7). We linearly registered all brains to a standard template to devise a basic shape prior to capture the global shape of the hippocampus, defined as the pointwise summation of all the training masks. We also included curvature, gradient, mean, standard deviation, and Haar filters of the shape prior and the tissue classified images as features. During each iteration of ACM – our extension of AdaBoost – the Bayesian posterior distribution of the labeling was fed back in as an input, along with its neighborhood features as new features for AdaBoost to use. In validation studies, we compared our results with hand-labeled segmentations by two experts. Using a leave-one-out approach and standard overlap and distance error metrics, our automated segmentations agreed well with human raters; any differences were comparable to differences between trained human raters. Our error metrics compare favorably with those previously reported for other automated hippocampal segmentations, suggesting the utility of the approach for large-scale studies.
Location of optical transitions in k space from angular photoemission measurements on W

The energy and emission angle of electrons photoemitted from the (110) and (111) surfaces of W have been measured for photon energies between 7.7 and 10.7 eV. For prominent transitions, the component of internal $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}$ vector tangential to the surface was obtained from angular measurements on each of the two surfaces. The two components of $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}$ were used to determine the internal $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}$ vector of prominent transitions occurring in the plane defined by the $〈110〉$ and $〈111〉$ axes.
Comparative effects of dietary energy restriction in young adult and aged rats on body weight, adipose mass and lipid metabolism

Abstract The effects of dietary energy restriction on adipose mass and lipid metabolism were evaluated in young and aged F344 rats. Male rats, 8/group, 15 weeks (YA) or 16 months (AG) old were fed either control diet (C) or diets restricted to 80% or 60% (R-60, R-80) of average daily control intake for 16 weeks. Energy restriction achieved was as intended and intake of all other nutrients was similar in all groups. Body weights (BW) in the R-80 and R-60 groups decreased with increasing energy restriction. Liver and epididymal fat pad (EFP) weights declined with BW and were the lowest in the AG R-60 group; ratio of EFP to BW was also the lowest in the AG R-60 group. Liver to BW ratios were similar in all groups. A parallel loss of EFP lipid and free fatty acids was found in the R-60 group of YA & AG rats, but the greatest loss was in the AG R-60 rats. EFP lipoprotein lipase (LPL)/g tissue declined only in the AG R-60 group, whereas, LPL activity in whole EFP decreased in most restricted groups along with energy restriction. These data suggest that moderate energy restriction can alter adipose lipid metabolism to produce a significant mobilization of lipid from EFP of aged rats and to a lesser extent from young rats.
New neuron production can be increased in the hippocampus of aged rats following cannabinoid treatment.

New neuron production can be increased in the hippocampus of aged rats following cannabinoid treatment
Pre-steady-state analysis of the turn-on and turn-off of water permeability in the kidney collecting tubule.

Water transport across the mammalian collecting tubule is regulated by vasopressin-dependent water channel insertion into and retrieval from the cell apical membrane. The time course of osmotic water permeability (Pf) following addition and removal of vasopressin (VP) and 8-Br-cAMP was measured continuously by quantitative fluorescence microscopy using an impermeant fluorophore perfused in the lumen. Cortical collecting tubules were subjected to a 120 mOsm bath-to-lumen osmotic gradient at 37°C with 10–15 nl/min lumen perfusion and 10–20 ml/min bath exchange rate. With addition of VP (250 μU/ml), there was a 23±3 sec (sem,n=16) lag in whichPf did not change, followed by a rise inPf (initial rate 1.4±0.2×10−4 cm/sec2) to a maximum of 265±10×10−4 cm/sec. With addition of 8-Br-cAMP (0.01–1mm) there was an 11±2 sec lag. For [8-Br-cAMP]=0.01, 0.1 and 1mm, the initial rate ofPf increase following the lag was (units 10−4 cm/sec2): 1.1±0.1, 1.2±0.1 and 1.7±0.3. MaximumPf was (units 10−4 cm/sec): 64±4, 199±9 and 285±11. With removal of VP,Pf decreased to baseline (12×10−4 cm/sec) with aT1/2 of 18 min; removal of 0.1 and 1mm 8-Br-cAMP gaveT1/2 of 4 and 8.5 min. These results demonstrate (i) a brief lag in thePf response, longer for stimulation by VP than by 8-Br-cAMP, representing the transient build-up of biochemical intermediates proximal to the water channel insertion step, (ii) similar initialdPf/dt (water channel insertion) over a wide range of [8-Br-cAMP] and steady-statePf values, and (iii) more rapidPf decrease with removal of 8-Br-cAMP than with VP. These pre-steady-state results define the detailed kinetics of the turn-on and turn-off of tubulePf and provide kinetic evidence that the rate-limiting step for turn-on ofPf is not the step at which VP regulates steady-statePf. If water channel insertion is assumed to be the rate-limiting step in the turn-on ofPf, these results raise the possibility that water channels must be activated following insertion into the apical membrane.
Multitrait-multimethod models in aging research.

Abstract The multitrait-multimethod matrix is a versatile tool for structuring the design and analysis of studies in many areas of psychology, including the aging of psychological processes. The basic goal for which the multitrait-multimethod matrix was developed is the establishment of the construct validity of measures. With newer forms of analyzing multitrait-multimethod data, particularly those using structural equation modeling, it is possible to specify models and employ model comparisons for an even broader goal: the more adequate generalization of conclusions across the facets included in the study. Topics addressed in this paper include the design of multitrait-multimethod studies, the specification of an array of structural models for such data, model comparisons that allow the estimation of the degree of convergent validity, discriminant validity, and method variance exhibited by a set of measures, and the extension of structural models to more than a single group, which allows the testing of q...
Polyribosome metabolism in Escherichia coli starved for an amino acid.

Abstract Most polyribosomes are inferred to be inert in starving cells, but some are in a dynamic state, since (1) messenger RNA continues to enter polyribosomes; (2) about 20 to 40% of the polyribosomes are labile after rifampycin addition; (3) β-galactosidase can be induced with a lag period no more than three times as long as in growing cells; and (4) the apparent rate of synthesis of protein chains, judged by the distribution of pulse-labeled protein between ribosomes and soluble protein, is about half that in growing cells.
Impact of Genetic Causal Information on Medical Students’ Clinical Encounters with an Obese Virtual Patient: Health Promotion and Social Stigma

Background Health care providers will increasingly encounter information about the genetics of obesity as genetics research progresses.
An efficient method for classifying perfectionists

Multiple samples of university students (N = 1,537) completed the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R; R. B. Slaney, M. Mobley, J. Trippi, J. Ashby, & D. G. Johnson, 1996). Cluster analyses, cross-validated discriminant function analyses, and receiver operating characteristic curves for sensitivity and specificity of APS-R scores were used to derive efficient and straightforward calculations and decision rules for classifying students as perfectionists (and as either adaptive or maladaptive). Convergent validity of the cutoff scores for group membership was supported by expected group differences on other measures of perfectionism. Criterion-related (concurrent) validity of the classification scheme was supported by comparison of groups on measures of depression, life satisfaction, and grade point average. The cutoffs and decision rules should prove useful in applied or future research situations in which differentiation of perfectionists and nonperfectionists is desired.
Anaerobic biooxidation of Fe(II) by Dechlorosoma suillum.

A B S T R A C T Anaerobic microbial oxidation of Fe(II) was only recently discovered and very little is known about this metabolism. We recently demonstrated that several dissimilatory perchlorate-reducing bacteria could utilize Fe(II) as an electron donor under anaerobic conditions. Here we report on a more in-depth analysis of Fe(II) oxidation by one of these organisms, Dechlorosoma suillum. Similarly to most known nitrate-dependent Fe(II) oxidizers, D. suillum did not grow heterotrophically or lithoautotrophically by anaerobic Fe(II) oxidation. In the absence of a suitable organic carbon source, cells rapidly lysed even though nitrate-dependent Fe(II) oxidation was still occurring. The coupling of Fe(II) oxidation to a particular electron acceptor was dependent on the growth conditions of cells of D. suillum. As such, anaerobically grown cultures of D. suillum did not mediate Fe(II) oxidation with oxygen as the electron acceptor, while conversely, aerobically grown cultures did not mediate Fe(II) oxidation with nitrate as the electron acceptor. Anaerobic washed cell suspensions of D. suillum rapidly produced an orange/ brown precipitate which X-ray diffraction analysis identified as amorphous ferric oxyhydroxide or ferrihydrite. This is similar to all other identified nitrate-dependent Fe(II) oxidizers but is in contrast to what is observed for growth cultures of D. suillum, which produced a mixed-valence Fe(II)-Fe(III) precipitate known as green rust. D. suillum rapidly oxidized the Fe(II) content of natural sediments. Although the form of ferrous iron in these sediments is unknown, it is probably a component of an insoluble mineral, as previous studies indicated that soluble Fe(II) is a relatively minor form of the total Fe(II) content of anoxic environments. The results of this study further enhance our knowledge of a poorly understood form of microbial metabolism and indicate that anaerobic Fe(II) oxidation by D. suillum is significantly different from previously described forms of nitrate-dependent microbial Fe(II) oxidation.
Process Modeling of Composite Materials: Residual Stress Development during Cure. Part I. Model Formulation

In the production of composite parts the pertinent processing parameters are time, temperature, and pressure. A judicious choice of these three parameters pro duces composites which are fully cured...
Automated two- and three-dimensional, fine-resolution radar imaging of rigid targets with arbitrary unknown motion

An automated system for the SAR/ISAR imaging of rigid bodies which are undergoing arbitrarily complicated unknown motions is being developed. This system determines, from only the radar data, all observable parameters of motion, on a pulse by pulse basis. The approach makes it possible to: (1) exploit any type of relative motion: translational, rotational, two dimensional, three dimensional, deterministic, or stochastic; no prior parametric assumptions on the functional form of the motion are required; (2) require only the radar data; no ancillary motion measurement system on either the radar platform or on the target is required; (3) automatically provide all the motion information needed to form correctly scaled images, without cross range scale ambiguities; (4) make full use of all the radar data; no signals returning from a target are discarded; and (5) require a known computation time, which is not signal dependent, as all iterative processes used have known, guaranteed convergence rates.
J Curve in Hypertension

The relationship between blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk among treated hypertensives is J-shaped: risk is increased at high levels of blood pressure, falls in parallel with blood pressure reduction and increases again when blood pressure falls below a nadir (the point at which blood pressure is too low to maintain perfusion of vital organs). Randomized controlled trials of antihypertensive treatment have identified J-shaped relationships between achieved systolic and diastolic blood pressures and all-cause mortality, as well as fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, but not stroke or renal outcomes, in the general population of hypertensives and high-risk prehypertensives, particularly in subgroups such as the elderly and those with coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, left ventricular hypertrophy, and high cardiovascular risk because of multiple comorbidities and concomitant risk factors. Blood pressure targets <130–140/70–85 mm Hg were not beneficial for any outcome except stroke and chronic kidney disease.
Cyclometallation. Palladium 2-arylpyridine complexes

Abstract A number of new cyclometallated compounds of palladium with 2-arylpyridines have been synthesized and characterized. Palladium acetate has been proven to be a more useful starting material than Li2PdCl4, since the resulting acetato-bridged dimers, [Pd(OAc)(2-arylpyridine)]2, unlike the chloro-bridged dimers, are conveniently soluble in common organic solvents. The effect of varying substituents on the aryl nucleus supports the concept that after initial N-complexation, the 2-position of the aryl nucleus undergoes electrophilic attack by the palladium atom. Detailed NMR studies of the soluble acetato compounds showed that the 6-heteroaryl and “ortho” to the Pd-C bond protons in the complexes are shifted (≈0.75 and 0.5 ppm, respectively) upfield from the ligand position. These shielding effects are believed to be due primarily to through-space interactions of overlying aromatic rings and secondarily to through-bond (Pd-to-ligand) effects. Both acetato- and chloro-bridged dimers will react with certain ligands to give mononuclear species containing the intact cyclometallated ligand.
The Pragmatic Biblioblogger: Examining the Motivations and Observations of Early Adopter Librarian Bloggers

ABSTRACT This phenomenological study examines the motivations and experiences of librarians who author professionally-focused Weblogs. The researcher constructed a model of librarianship based on Wilson and Buckland. The results show a close fit between librarian bloggers and the ideals of the field as expressed by two primary library and information science philosophers. A Web survey generated 239 responses to demographic and open-ended questions. Using the results of the survey, the researcher analyzed demographic data and performed a phenomenological analysis of the open-ended questions. A list of category responses was generated from each set of answers via the coding of descriptive words and phrases. Results indicated the motivations of librarian bloggers are based around themes of sharing, participation in community, and enhanced professional development. Respondents reported feeling more connected to the profession and to colleagues across the world because of blogging. Respondents perceived the li...
Liquid‐based cervical‐cell collection with brushes and wooden spatulas: A comparison of 100 conventional smears from high‐risk women to liquid‐fixed cytocentrifuge slides, demonstrating a cost‐effective, alternative monolayer slide preparation method

Our purpose was to demonstrate that 17.5-mm liquid-based cytocentrifuge circle-slides made using a Hettich (Andreas Hettich Co., Tuttlingen, Germany) cytocentrifuge are at least as efficacious as conventional smears for detecting cervical abnormalities. One hundred conventional smears were collected with cytobrushes and wooden spatulas from high-risk women. Both devices were then placed into CytoRich Red (AutoCyte, Inc., Burlington, NC). Cells were concentrated from CytoRich Red by centrifugation and suspended in CytoRich Yellow. Two 17.5-mm circle-slides were produced, compared to each other in order to test reproducibility of diagnoses between slides, and compared to conventional slides. Sixty-five normals, three ASCUS, three LSIL, and two HSIL matched. Overall, cytocentrifugation yielded 27 additional findings among 25 cases. Also, it downgraded one conventional ASCUS to normal (immature metaplasia and chronic inflammation) and one conventional HSIL to normal (transitional cell metaplasia). Cytocentrifugation of 14 conventional normals afforded four ASCUS and 10 LSIL. Cytocentrifugation of 11 conventional ASCUS afforded nine LSIL and two HSIL (one with AIS). One HSIL + AIS was found with a conventional HSIL. Cytobrushes and wooden spatulas can be used to collect material for liquid-based cervico-vaginal cytology if they are placed into CytoRich Red. Hettich cytocentrifuge slides were more reliable than conventional smears in presenting well-dispersed, sharply imaged cells, affording greater diagnostic sensitivity and certainty. Compared to previous split-sample studies, three different outcomes were noted: 1) the endocervical component was consistently well-represented; 2) AIS was seen more often in liquid-based slides; and 3) the liquid-based slide did not underdiagnose its conventional companion. The liquid-based preparations downgraded one ASCUS to normal and one conventional HSIL to transitional-cell metaplasia. Histology correlation of these two cases agreed with the liquid-based cytology diagnoses, which validates their specificity. These improvements are ascribed to differences in fixation and processing. The low cost, ease of operation, and reusable chambers of the Hettich cytocentrifuge make it a cost-effective liquid-based cytology instrument, especially for small to intermediate-size laboratories. The claims that this paper makes must be proven by additional studies, and test implementation needs to be scrutinized by appropriate regulatory agencies whose standards may vary from country to country. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2000;22:86-91.
Tumors of the Mediastinum

Tumors of the mediastinum are rare in pediatrics but may present in dramatic fashion. Respiratory symptoms such as cough, stridor, and wheezing are present in more than 60% of patients on presentation. A small but significant subset of patients will present with respiratory failure, superior vena cava syndrome, or other immediately life-threatening complaints. Greater than 50% of these masses are malignant, but even nonmalignant tumors can obstruct vital structures and present in a critical fashion. This review seeks to explain the most common mediastinal tumors in childhood and presents a reasonable algorithm for initial workup and treatment by the primary care or emergency department physician. To optimize outcome, these children are best served by a tertiary hospital where the availability of pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists and potential life-saving interventions are possible.
Increasing the Rate of New Venture Creation: Does Location Matter?

The article discusses research relating to the impact of location on increasing the rate of new venture creation. Liquidity evens such as initial public offerings (IPO) and acquisitions of new ventures do appear to increase the likelihood that new ventures will form in a metropolitan region. The research clearly demonstrates the potentially important role that liquidity events, wealth creation, and state regulations play in the founding rates of new ventures in metro areas. Regional economic development may be due to the presence of supporting companies with the potential to have liquidity events to help jump-start new venture clusters.
Semisynthetic production of unnatural L -α-amino acids by metabolic engineering of the cysteine-biosynthetic pathway

There is an increasing demand for peptide-mimicking molecules to modulate the interactions between proteins of pharmaceutical and agrochemical interest and their target polypeptides. Unnatural L-α-amino acids differing from the 20 naturally proteinogenic amino acids only in their side chain are ideal for this purpose, but their chemical synthesis is complex. Here we describe a fermentation-based approach for biosynthesis of unnatural amino acids after re-engineering the cysteine-biosynthetic pathway in Escherichia coli. O-acetylation of serine, the committed step of the pathway, was released from feedback inhibition by mutating the serine acetyltransferase gene. Next, the naturally broad substrate specificity of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase was exploited for the direct in vivo incorporation of an unnatural side chain in a semisynthetic fermentation process comparable to the production of β-lactams. O-acetyl-L-serine extruded from the cells by way of the O-acetylserine efflux protein was amenable to further biotransformations.
On the normal stress effects of incompressible non-newtonian fluids

Abstract There are various viscometric flow models available at present to determine the mechanical properties of incompressible non-Newtonian fluids. In most of these, measurement of the normal stresses is quite a challenge. We introduce a new viscometric flow model and derive a theory for the measurement of the “second normal stress”. We also indicate how such a measurement can be performed in practice.
Physical therapy for a child with sudden-onset choreoathetosis: a case report.

Purpose:This case report describes the physical therapy examination, intervention, and outcomes for a 5-year-old girl who developed choreoathetosis following mitral valve repair.Case Description:This child was admitted to an inpatient short-term rehabilitation program with marked choreoathetosis and
Experiences in developing a research-focused project course: IP-core based IC design enabled by 3D wafer bonding

Three-dimensional (3D) integrations offer the potential of reducing fabrication and performance limitations of future generations of planar ICs. Our approach using dielectrics as the bonding glue layer provides a monolithic 3D integration process, which is fully compatible with back-end-of-the-line processing. This 3D technology enables heterogeneous systems, such as future electronic and photonic systems using a mix-and-match hard IP core design approach. We offer a new course on core-based IC design and technology, with both 2D and 3D implementations.
The Performance of Elliptic Curve Based Group Diffie-Hellman Protocols for Secure Group Communication over Ad Hoc Networks

The security of the two party Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol is currently based on the discrete logarithm problem (DLP). However, it can also be built upon the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP). Most proposed secure group communication schemes employ the DLP-based Diffie-Hellman protocol. This paper proposes the ECDLP-based Diffie-Hellman protocols for secure group communication and evaluates their performance on wireless ad hoc networks. The proposed schemes are compared at the same security level with DLP-based group protocols under different channel conditions. Our experiments and analysis show that the Tree-based Group Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (TGECDH) protocol is the best in overall performance for secure group communication among the four schemes discussed in the paper. Low communication overhead, relatively low computation load and short packets are the main reasons for the good performance of the TGECDH protocol.
Religion/spirituality and adolescent health outcomes: A review

Religion/spirituality is important to adolescents, is usually considered a protective factor against a host of negative health outcomes, and is often included in adolescent health outcomes research. Previous reviews of the relationship among spirituality, religion, and adolescent health have been limited by scope, focusing primarily on distal aspects of religion/spirituality (e.g., attendance at religious services). We reviewed the literature examining proximal domains of religion/spirituality (e.g., spiritual coping) in adolescent health outcomes research. Constructs such as spiritual coping and religious decision-making were the ones most often studied and were generally positively associated with health outcomes. Measurement of proximal domains, associations of proximal domains with health outcomes, methodological issues and recommendations for future research were covered in this review.
Stochastic algorithm for approximating soft morphological operators

A technique that approximates the output of the soft morphological operators is described. The soft operators can be viewed as a voting process across neighborhoods defined by the structuring element. Instead of processing all votes across a neighborhood, this approximation technique randomly samples elements in the neighborhood and uses these values as inputs to a two-state finite state machine, where the state of the machine corresponds to the output at a given pixel. When properly designed, the machines sample a small fraction of the neighborhood, obtain output that is 91 to 100% accurate at each pixel, and is one to two orders of magnitude faster than conventional algorithms. Experiments on binary textures and digits confirm the theoretical results.
A simple hermitian estimator of the quantile mjnction

The most commonly used quantile estimator, based upon the linear interpolation between two order statistics, lacks smoothness, and because of its nondifferentiability is not always usable to estimate the density-quantile function. In this note a monotone cubic version of the Hemite interpolation formula is used to construct and study a smooth quadratic estimator of the entire quantile function presented at (2.8), and the associated estimator for the density quantile function. These are simple enough to replace even where the latter does-not exist. The asymptotic expansions up to O(n−3) for the expectation and variance for are provided. As special cases the Hermitian medians and Hermitian quartiles are examined. It is shown that an apparent anomaly of the variance of considered by Hodges [I] and Hodgcs and Lehmann [2] is alleviated for the Hermitian median .
Radioinmunoterapia en los linfomas no Hodgkin: desarrollo histórico y estado actual

Radioimmunotherapy treatment for lymphoma is a novel targeted therapeutic approach. Several years of development of radioimmunotherapeutic compounds came to fruition in February of 2002 when 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin, Y2B8) was approved in the USA and later in Europe, for the treatment of relapsed or refractory, low grade or transformed B-cell lymphoma in the USA. 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan utilizes a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody to deliver beta-emitting yttrium-90 to the malignant B-cells. Clinical trials have demonstrated its efficacy, with observed clinical responses in the 80 % range. This product has become available in Europe, with simplified administration, for the treatment of relapsed follicular lymphoma. A similar anti-CD20 radiotherapeutic compound, 131I-tositumomab, was subsequently approved in the USA. Promising studies exploring expanded applications of radioimmunotherapy as consolidation, as part of transplant, or in other histologic types have been recently completed or are under way. Radioimmunotherapy has been shown to be an effective and clinically relevant complementary therapeutic approach for patients with lymphoma, bringing the Nuclear Medicine into lymphoma therapeutics.
Beyond foraging: behavioral science and the future of institutional economics

Institutions affect economic outcomes, but variation in them cannot be directly linked to environmental factors such as geography, climate, or technological availabilities. Game theoretic approaches, based as they typically are on foraging only assumptions, do not provide an adequate foundation for understanding the intervening role of politics and ideology; nor does the view that culture and institutions are entirely socially constructed. Understanding what institutions are and how they influence behavior requires an approach that is in part biological, focusing on cognitive and behavioral adaptations for social interaction favored in the past by group selection. These adaptations, along with their effects on canalizing social learning, help to explain uniformities in political and social order, and are the bedrock upon which we build cultural and institutional variability.
Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part XIV - Motion Practice Overview Continued

This column, the 14th in a series on drafting civil-litigation documents in New York, continues the discussion on how to draft motions.
Residential Radon Appears to Prevent Lung Cancer

Residential radon has been found to be associated with lung cancer in epidemiological/ecological studies and the researchers have inappropriately concluded that residential radon causes lung cancer. Their conclusion relates to the linear-no-threshold (LNT) hypothesis-based, risk-assessment paradigm; however, the LNT hypothesis has been invalidated in numerous studies. It is shown in this paper that our hormetic relative risk (HRR) model is consistent with lung cancer data where detailed measurements of radon in each home were carried out. Based on the HRR model, low-level radon radioactive progeny is credited for activated natural protection (ANP) against lung cancer including smoking-related lung cancer. The proportion B(x) (benefit function) of ANP beneficiaries increases as the average radon level x increases to near the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level of 4 picocuries/L (approximately 150 Bq m−3). As the average level of radon increases to somewhat above the action level, ANP beneficiaries progressively decrease to zero (B(x) decreases to 0), facilitating the occurrence of smoking-related lung cancers as well as those related to other less important risk factors. Thus, residential radon does not appear to cause lung cancer but rather to protect, in an exposure-level-dependent manner, from its induction by other agents (e.g., cigarette-smoke-related carcinogens).
Surface Albedo Feedback Estimates for the AR4 Climate Models

Abstract A technique for estimating surface albedo feedback (SAF) from standard monthly mean climate model diagnostics is applied to the 1% yr−1 carbon dioxide (CO2)-increase transient climate change integrations of 12 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fourth assessment report (AR4) climate models. Over the 80-yr runs, the models produce a mean SAF at the surface of 0.3 W m−2 K−1 with a standard deviation of 0.09 W m−2 K−1. Relative to 2 × CO2 equilibrium run estimates from an earlier group of models, both the mean SAF and the standard deviation are reduced. Three-quarters of the model mean SAF comes from the Northern Hemisphere in roughly equal parts from the land and ocean areas. The remainder is due to Southern Hemisphere ocean areas. The SAF differences between the models are shown to stem mainly from the sensitivity of the surface albedo to surface temperature rather from the impact of a given surface albedo change on the shortwave budget.
Very Important Pool (VIP) genes - an application for microarray-based molecular signatures

Background Advances in DNA microarray technology portend that molecular signatures from which microarray will eventually be used in clinical environments and personalized medicine. Derivation of biomarkers is a large step beyond hypothesis generation and imposes considerably more stringency for accuracy in identifying informative gene subsets to differentiate phenotypes. The inherent nature of microarray data, with fewer samples and replicates compared to the large number of genes, requires identifying informative genes prior to classifier construction. However, improving the ability to identify differentiating genes remains a challenge in bioinformatics.
Scale-dependent shifts in the species composition of flower visitors with changing floral density

Responses of flower-visiting animals to floral density can alter interactions between plants, influencing a variety of biological processes, including plant population dynamics and the evolution of flowering phenology. Many studies have found effects of floral or plant density on pollinator visitation rates at patch scales, but little is known about responses of flower visitors to floral densities at larger scales. Here, I present data from an observational field study in which I measured the effects of floral density on visitation to the annual composite Holocarpha virgata at both patch (4 m(2)) and site (12.6 ha) spatial scales. The species composition of flower visitors changed with floral density, and did so in different ways at the two scales. At the site scale, average floral density within patches of H. virgata or within patches of all summer-flowering species combined had a significant positive effect on per-flowerhead visitation by the long-horned bee Melissodes lupina and no significant effects on visitation by any other taxa. At the patch scale, per-flowerhead visitation by honeybees significantly increased whereas visitation by M. lupina often decreased with increasing floral density. For both species, responses to patch-scale floral density were strongest when site-scale floral density was high. The scale-dependence of flower visitor responses to floral density and the interactions between site- and patch-scale effects of floral density observed in this study underscore the importance of improving our understanding of pollinators' responses to floral density at population scales.
A utilization management intervention to reduce unnecessary testing in the coronary care unit.

Background There have been no studies of interventions to reduce test utilization in the coronary care unit. Objective To determine whether a 3-part intervention in a coronary care unit could decrease utilization without affecting clinical outcomes. Methods Practice guidelines for routine laboratory and chest radiographic testing were developed by a multidisciplinary team, using evidence-based recommendations when possible and expert opinion otherwise. These guidelines were incorporated into the computer admission orders for the coronary care unit at a large teaching hospital, and educational efforts were targeted at the house staff and nurses. Utilization during the 3-month intervention period was compared with utilization during the same 3 months in the prior year. The hospital's medical intensive care unit, which did not receive the specific intervention, provided control data. Results During the intervention period, there were significant reductions in utilization of all chemistry tests (from 7% to 40%). Reductions in ordering of complete blood counts, arterial blood gas tests, and chest radiographs were not statistically significant. After controlling for trends in the control intensive care unit, however, the reductions in arterial blood gas tests ( P = .04) and chest radiographs ( P P Conclusion The utilization management intervention was associated with significant reductions in test ordering without a measurable change in clinical outcomes.
Effects of appetite, BMI, food form and flavor on mastication: almonds as a test food

To investigate the effects of appetitive sensations, body mass index (BMI) and physical/sensory properties of food (almonds) on masticatory indices and resultant pre-swallowing particle sizes. Twelve lean (BMI=22.2±0.3) and 12 obese (BMI=34.3±0.6) adults. After collecting appetitive ratings, electromyographic recordings were used to assess participants’ microstructure of eating for five almond products (raw, dry unsalted roasted, natural sliced, roasted salted and honey roasted) under fasted and satiated conditions. Duplicate samples were masticated to the point of deglutition and then were expectorated and size sorted. No statistically significant effects of BMI were detected for any of the mastication measures. Maximum and mean bite forces were greater under the fasted condition. Sliced almonds required lower bite force than did the other almond varieties. The pre-swallowing particle sizes were significantly greater for the sliced almonds than all other varieties. Both the number of chews and mastication time were negatively correlated with particle size. There were no significant effects of almond form or flavor on particle size. These results do not support differences in masticatory performance between lean and obese individuals, nor effects of sensory properties. Instead, the physical form of foods as well as an individuals’ appetitive state may have a greater influence on masticatory behavior. The health implications of these observations warrant further investigation.
Learning Desert Geomorphology Virtually versus in the Field

Statistical analyses of pre-test and post-test results, as well as qualitative insight obtained by essays, compared introductory physical geography college students who learned desert geomorphology only virtually, in the field and both ways. With the exception of establishing geographic context, the virtual field trip was statistically indistinguishable from real field trips in establishing basic knowledge about desert geomorphology. However, qualitative results reveal the deepest personal ownership of knowledge among field trip participants. These findings should not be construed as having validity beyond an introductory course.
Property taxes, tax-cost illusion and desired education expenditures

The extensive tax-cost illusion found in the Marshall survey is interesting both in terms of its magnitude and the direction of its impact. Counter to the common view that tax illusion will result in higher expenditures, there appears to be at least one case where the overestimation of tax cost has the potential of leading to lower expenditure levels.
Acute in vivo inhibition of testosterone by endotoxin parallels loss of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein in Leydig cells

In an experimental endotoxemia model utilizing mice, serum testosterone was found to be decreased 90% two h post ip injection of 200 micrograms of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This decrease was sustained for 9 days. The early depression of serum testosterone was shown to be associated with a decrease in Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory (StAR) protein levels while the prolonged decrease corresponded to decreased protein and transcript levels of steroidogenic enzymes in Leydig cells. This acute and prolonged depression of testosterone production could lead to impaired spermatogenesis, accessory duct failure, and contribute to decreased male fertility following acute inflammation.
Are neighbourhood food resources distributed inequitably by income and race in the USA? Epidemiological findings across the urban spectrum

Objective Many recent policies focus on socioeconomic inequities in availability of healthy food stores and restaurants. Yet understanding of how socioeconomic inequities vary across neighbourhood racial composition and across the range from rural to urban settings is limited, largely due to lack of large, geographically and socio-demographically diverse study populations. Using a national sample, the authors examined differences in neighbourhood food resource availability according to neighbourhood-level poverty and racial/ethnic population in non-urban, low-density urban and high-density urban areas. Design Cross-sectional data from an observational cohort study representative of the US middle and high school-aged population in 1994 followed into young adulthood. Participants Using neighbourhood characteristics of participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Wave III, 2001–2002; n=13 995 young adults aged 18–28 years representing 7588 US block groups), the authors examined associations between neighbourhood poverty and race/ethnicity with neighbourhood food resource availability in urbanicity-stratified multivariable linear regression. Primary and secondary outcome measures Neighbourhood availability of grocery/supermarkets, convenience stores and fast-food restaurants (measured as number of outlets per 100 km roadway). Results Neighbourhood race and income disparities were most pronounced in low-density urban areas, where high-poverty/high-minority areas had lower availability of grocery/supermarkets (β coefficient (β)=–1.91, 95% CI –2.73 to –1.09) and convenience stores (β=–2.38, 95% CI –3.62 to –1.14) and greater availability of fast-food restaurants (β=4.87, 95% CI 2.26 to 7.48) than low-poverty/low-minority areas. However, in high-density urban areas, high-poverty/low-minority neighbourhoods had comparatively greater availability of grocery/supermarkets (β=8.05, 95% CI 2.52 to 13.57), convenience stores (β=2.89, 95% CI 0.64 to 5.14) and fast-food restaurants (β=4.03, 95% CI 1.97 to 6.09), relative to low-poverty/low-minority areas. Conclusions In addition to targeting disproportionate fast-food availability in disadvantaged dense urban areas, our findings suggest that policies should also target disparities in grocery/supermarket and fast-food restaurant availability in low-density areas.
inTune: coordinating multicore islands to achieve global policy objectives

Multicore platforms are moving from small numbers of homogeneous cores to 'scale out' designs with multiple tiles or 'islands' of cores residing on a single chip, each with different resources and potentially controlled by their own resource managers. Applications running on such machines, however, operate across multiple such resource islands, and this also holds for global properties like platform power caps. The inTune software architecture meets the consequent need to support platform-level application requirements and properties. It (i) provides the base coordination abstractions needed for realizing platform-global resource management and (ii) offers management overlays that make it easy to implement diverse per-application and platform-centric management policies. A Xen hypervisor-level implementation of inTune supports policies that can (i) pro-actively prepare for increased or decreased resource usage when the inter-island dependencies of applications are known, or (ii) re-actively respond to monitored overloads, threshold violations or similar. Experimental evaluations on a larger-scale multi-core platform demonstrate that its use leads to notable performance and resource utilization gains: such as a reduction in the variability across request response times for a three-tier web server by up to 40%, and completion time gains of 15% for parallel benchmarks.