cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Love Colorblind? Political Orientation and Interracial Romantic Desire

The present research examined the association of political orientation with ingroup favoritism in two live romantic contexts. In Study 1, White participants had sequential interactions with both a White and Black confederate and reported their romantic desire for each. In Study 2, both White and Black participants speeddated multiple potential romantic partners and reported whether they would be interested in meeting each speeddating partner again. In both studies, White participants’ political conservatism positively predicted the strength of the ingroup-favoring bias: White conser vatives were less likely than White liberals to desire Black (interracial) relative to White potential romantic partners. In contrast, Black participants’ political conservatism negatively predicted the strength of the ingroup-favoring bias: Consistent with system-justification theory, Black conservatives were more likely than Black liberals to desire White (interracial) relative to Black potential romantic partners. Political orientation may be a key factor that influences the initiation of interracial romantic relationships.
The Speed Bounds on Event Reporting in Mobile Sensor Networks with Energy Constraints

Ensuring timely delivery of event reports is a critical requirement in mobile sensor networks, as the effectiveness of area surveillance depends largely on the sensor network response delay. However, due to the sensor mobility and the energy limitation, fast report transportation is constrained by the intermittent wireless link connections between sensor nodes. We derive lower and upper analytical bounds to characterize quantitatively the event reporting speed by considering both the sensor mobility and the energy consumption. Our work evaluates the delay performance of mobile sensor networks to meet the prompt reporting requirement in these networks.
Is there an S in urban housing supply? or What on earth happened in Detroit?

This article examines the substantial housing stock declines between 2000 and 2010 in many major US central cities. It updates an analysis first formulated in the 1970s, of an S-shaped housing supply curve, to explain decreases in absolute housing stocks. Explanatory variables include Metropolitan Statistical Area standardized rents, center city prior occupancy rates, regional unemployment rates, and a set of regional and state dummy variables. The analysis provides strong evidence of a lower tail of the S, and more tentative evidence of an upper tail. Market fundamentals explain a considerable portion of the large housing stock losses, but in several cities loss of dwelling units and housing abandonment were worse than could be explained by the fundamentals.
EVALUATION OF 7SL RNA GENE SEQUENCES FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF LEISHMANIA SPP.

We evaluated the use of 7SL RNA gene sequences for the identification of Leishmania spp. A fragment (∼137 basepairs) of the 7SL RNA gene from 13 reference strains and 18 clinical isolates of 11 different Leishmania species was amplified and sequenced using conserved primers. Reference strains from each Leishmania spp. complex showed unique sequences. The nucleotide sequences were compared pairwise and a range of 81.0�99.3% intercomplex similarity was observed. Clinical isolates of the same species had sequences identical to the corresponding reference strains; thus, the intraspecies similarity was 100%. A phylogenetic tree derived from the 7SL RNA gene partial sequences was constructed and is in agreement with accepted phylogenetic schemes. and thus laboratory confirmation is required. 1 Leishmania major, L. tropica, L. aethiopica, and rarely L. donovani in- fantum cause cutaneous disease in the Old World. New World cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by members of the L. mexi- cana, L. braziliensis, and L. guyanensis complexes. It is im- portant to identify the complex and/or species of Leishmania for both clinical and epidemiologic reasons. Identification of Leishmania based on clinical presentations can be problem- atic, since several complexes and/or species cause both cuta- neous, and diffuse cutaneous or mucocutaneous disease (L. aethiopica and L. braziliensis complex), while others cause both visceral and cutaneous disease (L. donovani complex). Leishmania identification by geographic origin is inadequate in areas not endemic for this disease, as well as in disease- endemic regions where multiple complexes and/or species of Leishmania co-exist. Moreover, reports indicate that the re- sponse to therapeutic drugs can vary among different species
An iterative method with general convex fidelity term for image restoration

We propose a convergent iterative regularization procedure based on the square of a dual norm for image restoration with general (quadratic or non-quadratic) convex fidelity terms. Convergent iterative regularization methods have been employed for image deblurring or denoising in the presence of Gaussian noise, which use L2 [1] and L1 [2] fidelity terms. Iusem-Resmerita [3] proposed a proximal point method using inexact Bregman distance for minimizing a general convex function defined on a general non-reflexive Banach space which is the dual of a separable Banach space. Based on this, we investigate several approaches for image restoration (denoising-deblurring) with different types of noise. We test the behavior of proposed algorithms on synthetic and real images. We compare the results with other state-of-the-art iterative procedures as well as the corresponding existing one-step gradient descent implementations. The numerical experiments indicate that the iterative procedure yields high quality reconstructions and superior results to those obtained by one-step gradient descent and similar with other iterative methods.
Alpha-1-Antitrypsin-Human Leukocyte Elastase Complexes in Blood: Quantification by an Enzyme-Linked Differential Antibody Immunosorbent Assay and Comparison With Alpha-2-Plasmin Inhibitor-Plasmin Complexes

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed for the quantification of alpha 1-antitrypsin-human leukocyte elastase (alpha 1AT-E) complexes. In the ELISA, the alpha 1AT-E complex is bound to a surface by rabbit antileukocyte elastase antibody, and the inhibitor-proteinase complex is quantified by a second antibody, rabbit anti-alpha 1-antitrypsin F(ab')2, labeled with alkaline phosphatase. alpha 1AT-E complexes were detected when a final concentration of 2.2 nmol/liter of leukocyte elastase was added to plasma. The concentration of these complexes increased with additional elastase. In clotting blood, alpha 1AT-E complexes were generated in parallel with the conversion of 125I-fibrinogen to fibrin, whereas alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor-plasmin (alpha 2PI-P) complexes were not formed. The concentration of alpha 1AT-E complexes in 19 of 21 controls was less than 2.2 nmol/liter. Patients with laboratory evidence for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) demonstrated elevated alpha 2PI-P complexes with either increased or normal concentrations of alpha 1AT-E complexes. Patients without evidence for DIC, but who demonstrated prolonged reptilase clotting times, were studied. This group had increased alpha 1AT-E but normal alpha 2PI-P complex levels, raising the possibility that elastase release in vivo may be accompanied by limited degradation of fibrinogen. These assays thus serve as useful probes for the study of leukocyte activation and of the interactions between cellular and plasma proteolytic enzyme systems.
Cognitive integration of verbal and vocal information in spoken sentences

Abstract The problem of interpreting messages that contain both verbal and vocal information is similar to the problem of information integration in impression formation, clinical judgment, and decision-making. While the linear model has proven powerful in many experimental studies, the double bind theory and literature on incongruent communication suggest that configural effects should occur, particularly in the processing of inconsistent messages. Four models of the integration process were evaluated for short spoken sentences. Results confirmed the superiority of the linear model, but individual differences were observed. Evidence was found that inconsistent sentences are processed differently than consistent sentences, but the effects of inconsistency are not reflected in a multiplicative component. Comparison of this task with other information integration tasks is presented. Problems with methodologies for evaluating vocal information are presented, and implications of the results for the double bind theory are discussed.
Enhanced expression of mast cell growth factor and mast cell activation in the bladder following the resolution of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis in female rats

Aims Chronic pelvic pain disorders often overlap. We have shown that acute colonic irritation can produce acute irritative micturition patterns and acutely sensitize bladder afferent responses to mechanical and chemical stimuli. We hypothesize that with time, colonic irritation can lead to neurogenic changes in the bladder and the development of chronic bladder sensitization. Methods Micturition patterns were measured in rats 60–90 days after the induction of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis in the resolution phase of this model. Total and activated mast cells (MCs) were quantified in the bladder, while mRNA levels of stem cell factor (SCF; a.k.a. MC growth factor) and nerve growth factor (NGF; a MC and nociceptive C-fiber stimulator) were quantified in the bladder and L6-S1 dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Results Following intra-rectal TNBS, voiding volume was reduced (P < 0.005), while voiding frequency was increased (P < 0.05), both by ∼50%. Furthermore, both the percentage and density of activated bladder MCs were significantly elevated (P < 0.05), although total MC counts were not statistically increased. At the molecular level, urinary bladder SCF expression increased twofold (P < 0.005), as did NGF (P < 0.01), while L6-S1 DRG levels were not significantly elevated. Conclusions Chronic cystitis in the rat as evidenced by changes in micturition patterns and the recruitment of activated MCs can occur during the resolution phase of TNBS colitis. These changes, of which MCs may play an important role, appear to be maintained over time and may occur via stimulation of convergent pelvic afferent input resulting in the upregulation of neurotrophic factors in the target organ. Neurourol. Urodynam. 26:887–893, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Preparation effects on iron and calcium in traditional Pima foods

The iron and calcium contents of traditional Pima Indian foods were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy before and after preparation. Samples for analysis were obtained from Pima informants living on the Gila River Indian Reservation who demonstrated food preparation methods. The results indicated that traditional methods of food preparation such as baking bread in ashes or grinding foods with stone grinding implements greatly increases iron levels, while cooking corn in an ash solution increases its calcium content.
Japan: Cultural considerations

Abstract Japan, as a small island nation with limited natural resources, has demonstrated within the last 100 years remarkable energy and ineffable innovation. In the mid-19th century, the country drew to a close its period of self-imposed isolationism and is presently the Asian country, nonpareil, to have developed an industrial, urban, middle-class society that in many ways is similar to western industrial cultures. Understandably, Japan 's rapid and successful industrialization is today a subject of very intense interest to the world. The following article is a brief description of the Japanese culture for those who may be relatively unacquainted with Japan; it is a description of the people 's behaviors as shaped by the confluence of both natural forces and cultural antecedents. The material is derived from the author's observations while living for 2 years in Japan, all of which is supported by a substantial body of literature. Various characteristics of the Japanese are cited, such as their unique ability to accept new ideas while, at the same time, maintaining their traditional customs—as reflected in Japan's current blend of both western and indigenous influences. Topics such as the Japanese people 's emphasis upon group solidarity, Confucian discipline, sense of obligation, respect for authority, along with what appear to be cultural contradictions (paradoxical perhaps only to foreigners) are all explored in relation to physical geography, language factors, and historical data.
Improvements in phone based audio search via constrained match with high order confusion estimates

This paper investigates an approximate similarity measure for searching in phone based audio transcripts. The baseline method combines elements found in the literature to form an approach based on a phonetic confusion matrix that is used to determine the similarity of an audio document and a query, both of which are parsed into phone N-grams. Experimental results show comparable performance to other approaches in the literature. Extensions of the approach are developed based on a constrained form of the similarity measure that can take into consideration the system dependent errors that can occur. This is done by accounting for higher order confusions, namely of phone bi-grams and tri-grams. Results show improved performance across a variety of system configurations.
Recent advances in the prenatal interrogation of the human fetal genome

The amount of genetic and genomic information obtainable from the human fetus during pregnancy is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. Two themes have dominated recent technological advances in prenatal diagnosis: interrogation of the fetal genome in increasingly high resolution and the development of non-invasive methods of fetal testing using cell-free DNA in maternal plasma. These two areas of advancement have now converged with several recent reports of non-invasive assessment of the entire fetal genome from maternal blood. However, technological progress is outpacing the ability of the healthcare providers and patients to incorporate these new tests into existing clinical care, and further complicates many of the economic and ethical dilemmas in prenatal diagnosis. This review summarizes recent work in this field and discusses the integration of these new technologies into the clinic and society.
Rate feasibility under medium access contention constraints

Wireless nodes within the same vicinity contend for accessing the shared medium. The contention constraints on sharing the medium depend on the medium access control (MAC) protocol. For example, in IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol-based networks, if node i is in communication with node j, then all nodes within the same transmission range of i or j cannot communicate. On the other hand, if nodes within each other's transmission range can use different frequencies (e.g., FDMA) or different codes (e.g., CDMA), then neighbor nodes can communicate simultaneously. Furthermore, if nodes are equipped with two radios (e.g., WINS sensor networks), then nodes not only can communicate concurrently but also can receive while they are transmitting. In this paper, we prove a sufficient condition under which a flow rate vector is feasible given the MAC protocol. We also prove that the sufficient condition is necessary for some MAC protocols such as those used by WINS sensor and Bluetooth [Marsan, M., 2002] networks. We give illustrative and real examples for which these conditions apply.
Molecular‐mechanics studies on d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2 and dA12·dT12: An illustration of the coupling between sugar repuckering and DNA twisting

Molecular-mechanics calculations have been carried out on the base-paired deoxy dodecanucleoside undecaphosphates d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2 and d(A12)·d(T12). These refinements were carried out using the model-built Arnott B-DNA geometry as initial coordinates (with a helix repaeat of 10.0 residues/turn), as well as helix repeats ranging from 9 to 12 residues/turn. There was some variation in the optimum calculated helix repeat, depending on the dielectric model, the presence or absence of counterions, and the method used for inclusion for nonbonded interactions; the most interesting general result of these calculations was the coupling between furanose sugar puckering and twist. This coupling was observed for all models. With a helix repeat of 9.0 residues/turn, all sugars remain C(2′)endo after refinement; as the helix repear increases to 12.0 residues/turn, the number of sugars repuckering to O(1′)endo and C(3′)endo increases also. With our most rigorous model (i.e., a model with no cutoff distance for nonbonded interactions) and a helix repeat of 10.0 residues/turn, we find a greater tendency for pyrimidine than purine repuckering in d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2, in agreement with the x-ray structural data of Drew et al. [(1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA78, 2179–2185]. We also carried out a number of calculations in which we “forced” one of two deoxy sugars to repucker or one of the C3′-O3′-P-O5′ (ω) torsion angles to change from gauche− to trans using dihedral angle constraints. After the constraints were removed, some of these structures “reverted” to the sugar pucker of the initial structures, while others remained repuckered. In all cases, the energies for repuckered structures after refinement were very similar to energies of the initial structure. Experiments and theory suggest that local conformational fluctuations play an essential role in nmr relaxation of 31P and 13C atoms in double-helical DNA. The results of our previous calculations on hexanucleoside phosphates and the calculations presented there are consistent with an important contribution to nmr relaxation processes of conformational changes in the torsion angle ω′ from gauche− to trans and deoxy sugar repuckering from C(2′)endo to C(3′)endo. Specifically, the calculations presented here indicate a very flexible phosphate backbone in helixes having an intermediate helix repeat of 10 to 11 residues/turn. These helixes may accommodate sugars of variable pucker without significantly disrupting base–base hydrogen-bonding and stacking interactions. All of the variant structures are similar in energy, suggesting that conversion between them can occur on a nanosecond time scale, as observed in nmr relaxation experiments.
Cytokeratin 18 Fragment Levels as a Noninvasive Biomarker for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in Bariatric Surgery Patients

Background & Aims Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is extremely common among morbidly obese patients. We assessed the usefulness of plasma caspase–generated cytokeratin 18 (CK-18) fragments as a novel marker for NAFLD in a bariatric cohort. Methods The cohort consisted of 99 consecutive patients who underwent liver biopsy at the time of bariatric surgery. CK-18 levels were measured by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and 6 months after surgery. Patients were subdivided into 4 histologic groups: not NAFLD (normal liver biopsy), nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), borderline diagnosis, and definitive nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Results CK-18 levels were significantly higher in subjects with NASH compared with those with not NAFLD, NAFL, or borderline diagnosis (median [25th quartile, 75th quartile], 389 U/L [275, 839] vs 196 U/L [158, 245], vs 217 U/L [154, 228], or vs 200 U/L [176, 274], respectively; P Conclusions These results support the potential utility of this test for diagnosis and staging of NAFLD before bariatric surgery.
An Introduction to Medieval Environmental History

Medieval environmental history is a dynamic and growing field, and this article introduces some of the topics and regions that have become central to the field. As this article argues, environmental history takes advantage of new and exciting sources and methods but is also deeply rooted in older questions of medieval history. After an introduction to the range of topics this discipline works with, this article discusses in greater detail a few of the representative topics that environmental historians are exploring: climate and ecological history, the history of agriculture and water, religious history, and landscape studies. Since it is no longer possible to provide a survey of all work on the medieval environment, it also discusses a few of the regions (such as the Mediterranean and the Low Countries) that have been extensively studied. This article is intended to encourage medievalists to read further in environmental history, and to use the provided readings as a gateway to accessing the broader discipline.
Bioenergetic consequences of opening the ATP-sensitive K(+) channel of heart mitochondria.

There is an emerging consensus that pharmacological opening of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel protects the heart against ischemia-reperfusion damage; however, there are widely di...
Revisiting Word Neighborhoods for Speech Recognition

Word neighborhoods have been suggested but not thoroughly explored as an explanatory variable for errors in automatic speech recognition (ASR). We revisit the definition of word neighborhoods, propose new measures using a fine-grained articulatory representation of word pronunciations, and consider new neighbor weighting functions. We analyze the significance of our measures as predictors of errors in an isolated-word ASR system and a continuous-word ASR system. We find that our measures are significantly better predictors of ASR errors than previously used neighborhood density measures.
COPROLITHS IN CHILDREN: RECOGNITION AND SIGNIFICANCE.

1. Coproliths are sufficiently common in children and of such significance that the pediatrician should be "coprolith cognizant." 2. Eleven children with coproliths are reported including 2 under 2 years of age, the youngest recorded cases to date. 3. An abdominal roentgenogram in any child with unusual abdominal symptoms or pain is recommended since only by this step can a coprolith be detected and proper treatment implemented. 4. Immediate appendectomy is indicated in the child with abdominal pain and a demonstrable coprolith, even though the signs and symptoms are atypical for appendicitis. In 50% of such cases, rupture has already occurred. 5. Prophylactic appendectomy in the asymptomatic child in whom a coprolith is incidentally discovered is justified because of the frequent subsequent development of acute appendicitis.
Quantifying the thermal conductivity enhancement of percolating thermal underfills

A major limitation in high-power three-dimensional chip stacks is the heat removal of dissipated power. To this end, highly thermally conductive intra-stack bondlines are required. Percolating thermal underfills (PTUs), where densely packed micron-sized dielectric particles fill the open space resulting from the electrical interconnects between individual chips, are expected to improve the effective thermal conductivity within the chip stack. Even more so, the thermal performance of the layer is additionally enhanced by areal contacts between micron-sized features created by the self-assembly of nanoparticles. Accurate and precise thermal characterization of these underfill layers is required for appropriate electronic packaging design. In this paper, a technique is introduced to allow the thermal characterization on non-dense thin material layers, such as particles only. The effects of different material combinations are investigated, as well as processing influences. Ultimately the effects of dielectric nanoparticle neck contributions are determined, showing a 2.4-fold thermal conductivity increase for an appropriate mixture of large and small nanoparticles, compared to microparticles only. This constitutes a very significant improvement to state-of-the-art thermal underfill systems, which will enable more efficient electronic packaging designs and ultimately contribute to energy savings.
Why Interpret Quantum Physics

This article probes the question of what interpretations of quantum mechanics actually accomplish. In other domains, which are briefly considered, interpretations serve to make alien systematizations intelligible to us. This often involves clarifying the status of their implicit ontology. A survey of interpretations of non-relativistic quantum mechanics supports the evaluation that these interpretations make a contribution to philosophy, but not to physics. Interpretations of quantum field theory are polarized by the divergence between the Lagrangian field theory, which leads to the Standard Model of Particle physics and the Algebraic quantum field theory that discounts an ontology of particles. Ruetsche’s interpretation offers a potential for loosening the sharp polarization that presently obtains. A brief evaluation focuses on the functional ontology of quantum field theory considered as an effective theory.
A myeloid-related sequence that localizes to human chromosome 8q21.1-22.

A myeloid-related sequence (mrs) has previously been identified that is highly expressed in selected subpopulations of myeloid leukocytes. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that mrs encodes what is apparently a unique 93-amino acid protein that includes an 18-amino acid leader sequence. Hybridization of an mrs cDNA probe to a Southern blot made from somatic cell hybrid DNAs shows 100% concordance with human chromosome 8, thus indicating that mrs localizes to this chromosome. In situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes further sublocalizes mrs to bands 8q21.1–23 as 58% of the grains displayed on chromosome 8 were clustered in this region. This area encompasses the translocation breakpoint 8q22, which is rearranged in an estimated 18% of patients diagnosed with the M2 subclassification of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (M2-ANLL). When Southern blot hybridization was performed by using somatic cell hybrid DNAs harboring either a single 8q- or a single 21q+ chromosome from two different patients with M2- ANLL, a signal was only detected in the hybrid containing the 8q- chromosome.
TARGETING A NEW SAFE ZONE: A STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PATIENT-SPECIFIC COMPONENT POSITIONING IN HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Surgeons often target the Lewinnek zone (40°±10° of inclination; 15°±10° of anteversion) for acetabular orientation during total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, matching native anteversion (20°-25°) may achieve optimal stability. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine incidence of early dislocation with increased target acetabular anteversion, and (2) report the accuracy of imageless navigation for achieving target acetabular position in a large, single-surgeon cohort. A posterolateral approach with soft tissue repair was performed in the 553 THA meeting the inclusion criteria. The same imageless navigation system was used for acetabular component placement in all THA. Target acetabular orientation was 40° ± 10° of inclination and 25° ± 10° of anteversion. Computer software was used to measure acetabular positioning on 6-week postoperative anteroposterior pelvic radiographs. Incidence of dislocation within 6 months of surgery was determined. Repeated measures multiple regression using the Generalised Estimating Equations approach was used to identify baseline patient characteristics (age, gender, BMI, primary diagnosis, and laterality) associated with component positioning outside of the targeted ranges for inclination and anteversion. Fisher exact tests were used to examine the relationship between dislocation and component placement in either the Lewinnek safe zone or the targeted zone. All tests were two-sided with a significance level of 0.05. Mean inclination was 42.2° ± 4.9°, and mean anteversion was 23.9° ± 6.5°. 82.3% of cups were placed within the target zone. Variation in anteversion accounted for 67.3% of outliers. Only body mass index was associated with inclination outside the target range (p = 0.017), and only female gender was associated with anteversion outside the target range (p = 0.030). Six THA (1.1%) experienced early dislocation, and 3 THA (0.54%) were revised for multiple dislocations. There was no relationship between dislocation and component placement in either the Lewinnek zone (p = 0.224) or the target zone (p = 0.287). This study demonstrates that increasing target acetabular anteversion using the posterolateral approach does not increase the incidence of early THA dislocation. However, the long-term effects on bearing surface wear and stability must be elucidated. The occurrence of instability even in patients within our target zone emphasises the importance of developing patient-specific targets for THA component alignment.
Cyhexatin Resistance in Oregon Populations of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acarina: Tetranychidae)

Cyhexatin was the principal acaricide used for control of the two spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch in southern Oregon pear orchards from 1972 until the early 1980’s. By 1978, a low-level resistance (4.1-fold at LC50) was found in mites from one orchard. With continued use of cyhexatin at higher rates the resistance increased by 1980 (24.9-fold at LC50). Subsequently, exclusive and intensive use of cyhexatin was discontinued in this orchard with some possible reversion of resistance levels (9.9-fold at LC50) by 1983. Resistance levels remained very high in 1983 (31.3- and 107.8-fold at LC50) in two nearby orchards where cyhexatin use was continued.
Exercise capacity and risk of new onset of atrial fibrillation in hypertensive and diabetic patients

Objective: Sleep quantity and quality have been known to be associated with blood pressure (BP) or the risk of incident hypertension. However, there have been few studies regarding the effect of sleep duration and quality on blood pressure variability (BPV). Methods: We analyzed the data of 4,002 participants of the Korean ambulatory BP (KOR-ABP) registry. The average real variability (ARV) of systolic and diastolic BP was analyzed as an index for 24hour BPV. Sleep duration was calculated with the participants’ record and sleep quality was categorized as the participants’ subjective evaluation. Results: The mean age was 54.7 ( 15.0) years and 2,183 (54.5%) participants were men. 2,357 patients had hypertension (58.9%), of whom 1,279 (54.3%) were taking anti-hypertensive medication. Mean sleep duration was 7:09 ( 1:42) hours and mean 24-hour systolic and diastolic BP were 135.3 ( 16.7) and 84.4 ( 11.4) mmHg, respectively. There were significant differences in mean 24-hour BP and BPV among the participants who slept < 7 hour, 7 w 8 hours and 8 hours. In multivariate analysis, short sleep duration (< 7 hours) is associated with higher risk of having increased 24-hour systolic and diastolic BP as well as BPV even after adjusting age, sex, clinic BP, and anti-hypertension medication. Conclusion: Short sleep duration is associated with increased 24-hour BP levels and has an independent influence on BPV. This finding can explain the adverse clinical outcome related with short sleep duration.
Site E14 in hemoglobins and myoglobins: a key residue that affects hemin loss and lipid oxidation capacity.

Fish hemoglobins (Hbs) frequently contain glycine at site E14 while mammalian Hbs contain larger residues (e.g., alanine and serine). These differences were examined by creating structural variants at E14 using recombinant bovine myoglobin (Mb) as a model heme protein that contains alanine at E14. The Ala(E14)Gly mutation increased kox and hemin loss 3-fold and 45-fold, respectively. Glycine at E14 creates a channel for solvent to enter the heme crevice, which enhances autoxidation and hemin loss rates. Hydration of the proximal heme pocket facilitates hemin loss because protonation of the proximal histidine weakens the linkage of the imidazole group to the iron atom of the hemin moiety. Ala(E14)Gly promoted lipid oxidation in washed fish muscle more rapidly during iced storage compared to wild type Mb at pH 5.7. This suggested that the rapid hemin loss from Ala(E14)Gly accelerated lipid oxidation. Ala(E14)Ser and Ala(E14)Val had little effect on kox but somewhat accelerated net hemin loss. These studies ...
The Effect of Food Grade Polyphosphates on the Microbial Population of Chicken Meat

Abstract INTRODUCTION MOST of the previous work with polyphosphate salts in meat and meat products has been concerned with moisture retention and weight control (Schermerhorn, 1963; and Thomson et al., 1963). An article by Mahon (1962) and recent work by Spencer et al. (1962) and Mahon (1963) indicated that polyphosphate salts may also prove to be useful in altering the microbial population of poultry meat. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of two commercial blends of polyphosphate salts on the micro-organisms found on broiler carcasses. METHODS AND MATERIALS Experiments 1 and 2. For each of these experiments, 36 broilers were processed in the University poultry processing laboratory. The broilers were dispatched by severing the jugular vein. After a two-minute bleeding period, the birds were sub-scalded (60°C.) in a batch-type scalding machine for a 45 second period. Then the birds were transferred to an automatic cyclomatic picking machine for one-minute,…
Predation on Indian Meal Moth Eggs by Liposcelis bostrychophilus

Eggs of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) were consumed by Liposcelis bostrychophilus Badonnel. Egg contents were usually consumed before the chorion. The psocids attacked the eggs regardless of the presence or absence of other food. The psocids did not attack the live first-instar P. interpunctella larvae, but they did cat some dead larvae.
Efficient conversion of a nonselective norepinephrin reuptake inhibitor into a dual muscarinic antagonist-β₂-agonist for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Following interrogation of a wide-ligand profile database, a nonselective norepinephrin reuptake inhibitor was converted into a novel muscarinic antagonist using two medicinal chemistry transformations (M3/NRI selectivity of >1000). Conjugation to a β2 agonist motif furnished a molecule with balanced dual pharmacology, as demonstrated in a guinea pig trachea tissue model of bronchoconstriction. This approach provides new starting points for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and illustrates the potential for building selectivity into GPCR modulators that possess intrinsic promiscuity or reverse selectivity.
Radionuclide Imaging and Treatment of Children with Thyroid Cancer

Radioactive iodine (RAI) was first proposed as a specific therapy for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) by Seidlin et al. in 1946. Since then, RAI has been incorporated into therapy protocols for both adults and children with DTC. Remnant ablation and adjuvant RAI treatment may improve disease-free survival in young adults (including some adolescents), but this has not been universally shown for those with small, stage 1 lesions who enjoy a good prognosis without RAI ablation. Recent therapy guidelines from the American Thyroid Association support the selective rather than universal administration of RAI for young patients (<45 years of age) with small, intra-thyroidal cancers. Until recently, however, studies specifically examining the benefits of RAI in children have been difficult to perform because the number of patients is small and the prognosis is favorable for almost all children, regardless of remnant ablation and/or adjuvant therapy.
The Talent Development of American Physics Olympians

AbstractFifty-five United States Physics Olympians and their parents participated in the study to answer three research questions: Did the United States Physics Olympians fulfill their high potential? What factors contributed to or hindered the development of the Olympians’ talent? What was the impact of the Olympiad program? The results showed that these Olympians produced 328 research products and patents and over 55% of them have or are pursuing a Ph.D. degree. Several home and school influences were found to contribute to the Physics Olympians’ talent development. The overall evaluation of the Olympiad program was positive, although some hindrances were identified.
The Role of Routine Peritoneal and Omental Biopsies at Risk-Reducing Salpingo-Oophorectomy

Abstract Study Objective To assess the potential role of peritoneal and omental biopsies in women undergoing risk-reducing salpingo-oopherectomy (RRSO) for prophylactic management of hereditary breast/ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndromes. Design A retrospective observational cohort (Canadian Task Force classification II.1). Setting An academic gynecology practice. Patients All women who underwent RRSO for a high-risk BRCA1/2 mutation or deletion at a single institution between January 2003 and June 2016. Interventions After obtaining institutional review board approval, patient demographics, types of surgical intervention, histopathology reports, and outcomes were abstracted. Bilateral fallopian tubes were histologically evaluated using the “sectioning and extensively examining of the fimbriated end” protocol. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize findings. Measurements and Main Results Seventy women underwent RRSO within the study window; 60% (n = 42) carried a high-risk mutation in BRCA1, 37.1% (n = 26) carried a high-risk mutation in BRCA2, and 2.9% (n = 2) had a high-risk BRCA deletion identified by BRAC analysis rearrangement testing (BART). Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas were identified in the distal fallopian tube of 3 subjects. In addition to RRSO, subjects underwent pelvic washings (n = 58, 82.9%), omental biopsy (n = 44, 62.9%), peritoneal biopsies of the bilateral paracolic gutters (n = 51, 72.9%), anterior and posterior cul-de-sac (n = 53, 75.7%), and rectosigmoid mesentery (n = 11, 15.7%). Rare atypical cells favoring reactive cells were identified in pelvic washings of 1 subject (1.7%) with histologically normal fallopian tubes. No evidence of atypical mesothelial proliferations or carcinoma was identified in any omental or peritoneal biopsies. The mean duration of follow-up was 32.5 ± 24.7 months. At the last contact, 3 women (4.3%) had died of metastatic breast cancer, whereas another 3 (4.3%) had been diagnosed with a recurrence of their breast cancer. All other subjects were alive and well (n = 64, 91.4%). Conclusion The routine use of peritoneal and omental biopsies for women undergoing RRSO does not appear to improve detection of occult malignancy.
On-Line Performance Evaluation of a TMP Refining Process - A Feasibility Study

Abstract The feasibility of an on-line performance evaluation of a disc refining process is presented. The spectral moments of the refiner torque signal dynamics in combination with a recently developed Dynamic Data System (DDS) modeling technique is being proposed for the analysis and evaluation of the TMP refining operation. The zeroth and second order spectral moments of the torque signal were found to be closely related to the process performance. Lower values of the zeroth moment (variance) and higher values of the second moment are generally associated with a good refining operation. The application of these two spectral moments is extended by formulating an “On Line Quality Index” (ONQI), which represents a suitable combination of the above moments together with other statistical quantities and the average torque itself. In a parallel development, a quality control chart is also presented which could be useful as a surveillance tool during the actual refining process.
Clinical utility of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography as an adjunct for tomosynthesis-detected architectural distortion.

Abstract Objective Supplement tomosynthesis-detected architectural distortions (AD) with CESM to better characterize malignant vs benign lesions. Methods Retrospective review CESM prior to biopsied AD. Pathology: benign, radial scar, or malignant. Results 49 lesions (45 patients). 29 invasive cancers, 1 DCIS (range, 0.4–4.7 cm); 9 radial scars; 10 benign. 37 (75.5%) ADs had associated enhancement. PPV 78.4% (29/37), sensitivity 96.7% (29/30); specificity, 57.9% (11/19); NPV, 91.7% (11/12). False-positive rate 21.6% (8/37); false-negative rate, 8.3% (1/12). Accuracy 81.6% (40/49). Conclusions High sensitivity and NPV of CESM in patients with AD is promising as an adjunct tool in diagnosing malignancy and avoiding unnecessary biopsy, respectively.
The geometry of the relay channel

Consider a memoryless relay channel, where the channel from the relay to the destination is an isolated bit pipe of capacity C 0 . Let C(C 0 ) denote the capacity of this channel as a function of C 0 . What is the critical value of C 0 such that C(C 0 ) first equals C(∞)? This is a long-standing open problem posed by Cover and named “The Capacity of the Relay Channel,” in Open Problems in Communication and Computation, Springer-Verlag, 1987. In our recent work, we answered this question in the case when the channels from the source to the relay and destination are symmetric, which is the original assumption imposed by Cover, and when these channels are Gaussian. We showed that C(C 0 ) can not equal to C(∞) unless C 0 = ∞, regardless of the SNR of the Gaussian channels, while the cut-set bound would suggest that C(∞) can be achieved at finite C 0 . In this paper, we show that our techniques for solving Cover's problem can be naturally extended to the general Gaussian case, where the channels from the source to the relay and destination may be asymmetric, and prove an upper bound on the capacity C(C 0 ) of a general Gaussian relay channel for any C 0 . This upper bound immediately implies that our previous conclusion, i.e. C(C 0 ) can not equal to C(∞) unless C 0 = ∞, also holds in the asymmetric case. Our approach is geometric and relies on a strengthening of the isoperimetric inequality on the sphere by using the Riesz rearrangement inequality.
Atomistic Origins of High Capacity and High Structural Stability of Polymer-Derived SiOC Anode Materials.

Capacity and structural stability are often mutually exclusive properties of electrodes in Li-ion batteries (LIBs): a gain in capacity is usually accompanied by the undesired large volumetric change of the host material upon lithiation. Polymer-derived ceramics, such as silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) of hybrid Si–O–C bonds, show an exceptional combination of high capacity and superior structural stability. We investigate the atomistic origins of the unique chemomechanical performance of carbon-rich SiOC using the first-principles theoretical approach. The atomic model of SiOC is composed of continuous Si–O–C units caged by a graphene-like cellular network and percolated nanovoids. The segregated sp2 carbon network serves as the backbone to maintain the structural stability of the lattice. Li insertion is first absorbed at the nanovoid sites, and then it is accommodated by the SiOC tetrahedral units, excess C atoms, and topological defects at the edge of or within the segregated carbon network. SiOC expands up ...
Channel surfing uncovers a dual-use transporter.

Beyond their roles in generating nerve impulses, ion channels are important for many facets of cell biology, including swelling and osmotic stress responses. Sabirov and colleagues now report that the prostaglandin transporter SLCO2A1 is a central component of the ubiquitous Maxi‐Cl anion channel. These findings add to a growing number of transporters displaying ion channel activity and not only provide a molecular handle for future Maxi‐Cl physiological and biophysical studies, but also underscore general questions about the principles that underlie such transporter/channel dual‐use behavior.
"Negative emotions" live in stories, not in the hearts of readers who enjoy them.

The commendably ambitious project by Menninghaus et al. fails because its main connective tissue - "negative emotions" - is beyond the grasp of the authors' largely literary approach. The critique focuses on their treatment of the Paradox of Fiction, the neglect of the biological, adaptive nature of emotions, and the absence of convincing empirical support for key aspects of the proposed model.
The commensal microbiome is associated with anti-PD-1 efficacy in metastatic melanoma patients

Anti–PD-1–based immunotherapy has had a major impact on cancer treatment but has only benefited a subset of patients. Among the variables that could contribute to interpatient heterogeneity is differential composition of the patients’ microbiome, which has been shown to affect antitumor immunity and immunotherapy efficacy in preclinical mouse models. We analyzed baseline stool samples from metastatic melanoma patients before immunotherapy treatment, through an integration of 16 S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing, metagenomic shotgun sequencing, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for selected bacteria. A significant association was observed between commensal microbial composition and clinical response. Bacterial species more abundant in responders included Bifidobacterium longum , Collinsella aerofaciens , and Enterococcus faecium. Reconstitution of germ-free mice with fecal material from responding patients could lead to improved tumor control, augmented T cell responses, and greater efficacy of anti–PD-L1 therapy. Our results suggest that the commensal microbiome may have a mechanistic impact on antitumor immunity in human cancer patients.
Revisiting Isolation as Invention: The Obviousness of Isolated Natural Genes and a New Test for Naturalness

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) is presently being sued for its practice of issuing patents on isolated but otherwise-natural genes. In this essay I challenge such patents on two distinct but related grounds: obviousness and naturalness.The Supreme Court has held all “human-made inventions” - biological or otherwise - to be patentable, in contrast to “products of nature” which are not. Hence, patentability is well-settled for truly modified genes or engineered organisms, but it is less clear when a substance exists in nature - albeit encumbered by other commingled matter obstructing its access or use. The PTO contends that “isolated and purified” genes are patentable subject matter (not just the means of isolation, or subsequent uses). However, genes do become isolated and purified in the natural course of cells synthesizing proteins via transient structures which are readily extractable and substantially identical to their artificially-reconstituted (and patented) counterparts. Although precedent on the product-of-nature doctrine admittedly makes it an easy barrier to overcome, such precedent uses an inadequate test for naturalness. Additionally, in general when courts have regarded mere isolation as invention, they seem to have implicitly misattributed the ingenuity of certain methods and processes to the underlying objects thereof. I submit that an isolated gene is an obvious variation of - and a distinct element within - a product of nature.
Direct‐space solution in the EXPO package: the combination of the HBB–BC algorithm with GRASP

The hybrid big bang–big crunch algorithm is a combination of a global optimization algorithm inspired by one of the theories of the evolution of the universe, named the big bang and big crunch theory, and the simulated annealing method. The procedure was implemented in the latest version of the program EXPO and applied to crystal-structure solution from powder diffraction data. Several aspects of the hybrid big bang–big crunch algorithm can be further optimized with the aim of obtaining good quality solutions in a shorter computation time. In the present study, the hybrid big bang–big crunch procedure has been combined with the greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) and some steps of the algorithm have been improved. The new approach, implemented in the EXPO package, has been successfully tested on numerous known crystal structures.