cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economic analysis of amifostine as adjunctive support for patients with advanced head and neck cancer: preliminary results from a randomized phase II clinical trial from Germany.

In a randomized phase II trial in Germany, we investigated the clinical and economic impact of amifostine protection against the hematological and oral toxicities of carboplatin administered concurrently with standard fractions of radiotherapy. 28 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck received adjunctive or primary radiotherapy (5 days per week with daily fractions of 2 Gy, up to a total dose of 60 Gy) in conjunction with carboplatin (70 mg/m2) on days 1-5 and days 21-26. All patients received radiation encompassing at least 75% of the major salivary glands. Patients were randomized to receive radiation and carboplatin (RCT) alone or RCT preceded by rapid infusion of amifostine (500 mg) on days carboplatin was administered. The 14 patients who received amifostine, in comparison to 14 patients in the control arm, had significantly fewer episodes of grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia (p = 0.001), mucositis (p = 0.001), and xerostomia (p = 0.001). The patients receiving amifostine accrued significantly lower supportive care costs for resources related to infection ($241 vs. $1,275, p < 0.01), red blood cell and platelet support ($286 vs. $1,276 p = 0.06) alimentation ($343 vs. $894, p = .01), and hospitalization ($286 vs. $2,429, p < 0.01). Overall, including the costs of amifostine, mean per patient supportive care costs were $4,401 for the amifostine group and $5,873 (p = .02) for the control group. Our results from a randomized phase II trial indicate that selective cytoprotection with amifostine potentially offers clinical and economic benefits in patients with advanced head and neck cancer receiving radiochemotherapy. Additional economic studies alongside randomized phase III trials and from other countries are needed.
The Polydora cornuta complex (Annelida: Polychaeta) contains populations that are reproductively isolated and genetically distinct

. We have collected evidence that the nominal species, Polydora cornuta Bosc 1802, contains at least three separate species in North America. Specimens of P. cornuta were collected in California, Florida, and Maine, raised in the laboratory, and assessed for reproductive compatibility, genetic similarity, gamete characteristics, and developmental rates. Reproductive crosses between each combination of sex and population revealed variable levels of hybridization at the level of fertilization. Percent fertilization was very low for all combinations (0–7%) except for California females crossed with Florida males (42%). In all interpopulation crosses, fertilized eggs arrested in cleavage and no viable larvae were produced. All pairwise comparisons of the studied populations showed significant differences in multiple reproductive traits. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I DNA sequences revealed large differences between Florida and California worms with a maximum likelihood genetic distance of d=0.860, while Florida and Maine worms were d=0.806, and California and Maine d=0.156. California and New Zealand worms were very similar genetically (d=0.010). These data strongly suggest that populations of P. cornuta in North America comprise a cryptic species complex composed of at least three distinct lineages.
Comprehending Implied Meaning in English as a Foreign Language.

This study investigated whether second language (L2) proficiency affects pragmatic comprehension, namely the ability to comprehend implied meaning in spoken dialogues, in terms of accuracy and speed of comprehension. Participants included 46 native English speakers at a U.S. university and 160 Japanese students of English in a college in Japan who were at different L2 proficiency levels. They took a 38-item computerized listening task measuring their ability to comprehend conversational implicatures of different types (i.e., 2 sets of items in different degrees of conventionality). The participants' comprehension was analyzed in terms of accuracy (i.e., test scores on a multiple choice measure) and comprehension speed (i.e., average time in seconds taken to answer each item correctly). The results revealed a significant L2 proficiency influence on accuracy, but not on comprehension speed. There was no significant relationship between accuracy and comprehension speed. A post hoc analysis of error data revealed a short-term memory influence on comprehension accuracy for L2 learners.
Protecting rare, old-growth, forest-associated species under the Survey and Manage Program guidelines of the Northwest Forest Plan.

The Survey and Manage Program of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) represents an unparalleled attempt to protect rare, little-known species associated with late-successional and old-growth forests on more than 9.7 million ha of federal lands. Approximately 400 species of amphibians, bryophytes, fungi, lichens, mollusks, vascular plants, arthropod functional groups, and one mammal were listed under this program because viability evaluations indicated the plan's network of reserve land allocations might not sustain the species over time. The program's standards and guidelines used an adaptive approach, protecting known sites and collecting new information to address concerns for species persistence and to develop management strategies. Since implementation in 1994, approximately 68,000 known sites have been recorded at an expense of several tens of millions of dollars. New knowledge from surveys reduced concern for nearly 100 species, and they were removed from the protection list. Although successful in protecting hundreds of rare species not typically considered in most conservation programs, some of the enacted conservation measures created conflicts in meeting other management objectives of the plan, particularly timber harvest. The program accrued important gains in knowledge, reduced uncertainty about conservation of a number of species, and developed new methods of species inventory that will be useful in future management planning and implementation at many scales. The program, however, was not completed because of changes in land-management philosophy. Ongoing litigation regarding its termination and potential changes to the plan cast further uncertainty on how the original goal of maintaining persistence of late-successional and old-growth species will be met and measured. The outcomes, controversies, and management frustrations of the program exemplify the inherent difficulties in balancing broad, regional conservation goals with social and economic goals of the NWFP. Defining acceptable trade-offs to reach that balance and developing practical conservation solutions remain challenges for the science and management communities. Lessons learned from the program provide a valuable biological and managerial reference to benefit future discussion on meeting those challenges.
Subpicosecond jitter from a precision optical triggering and timing system without active stabilization

Pulses from an ultrafast oscillator are conditioned, amplified, and delivered in an all-optical-fiber architecture. Combined with an electro-optic receiver, the complete system delivers a 4-V electrical trigger with less than 400 fs additive jitter.
Students' Reactions to Attending 12-Step Meetings: Implications for Counselor Education

This content analysis of reflective papers examined undergraduate and graduate students' reactions to attending a 12-step meeting. Qualitative analysis of student comments suggested that meeting attendance had a personal impact and increased understanding of the purpose of 12-step programs. Implications for counselor educators are discussed.
Ethological analyses of crayfish behavior: a new invertebrate system for measuring the rewarding properties of psychostimulants

Recent investigations in invertebrate neurobiology have opened up a new line of research into the basic behavioral, neurochemical and genomic alterations that accompany psychostimulant drug exposure. However, the extent to which such findings relate to changes in motivational and learning processes, such as those that typify drug addictions, remains unclear. The present study addressed this issue in the crayfish, Orconectes rusticus. The first set of experiments demonstrated that intramuscular injections of cocaine and amphetamine have robust and distinguishable effects on crayfish behavior. In the second part of the study, the reinforcing properties of psychostimulants were tested in a series of conditioned place preference experiments. Amphetamine and, to a lesser extent, cocaine were both found to serve as rewards when their intra-circulatory infusion was coupled to a distinct visual environment. The monoaminergic regulation of behavior has been extensively studied in decapod crustaceans and the present experiments demonstrated that (mammalian) drugs of abuse, capable of interfering with monoamine chemistry, are similarly rewarding to crayfish. Behavioral studies in crayfish can provide a complementary approach to using other invertebrate species in addiction research.
Insights into the biology of cord blood stem/progenitor cells.

Objectives: To review information on cord blood banking and transplantation with respect to the author’s studies, and in context of this field of investigation. Results: Cord blood transplantation has been successfully used to treat a number of malignant and non-malignant disorders. However, this technique is still associated with limited numbers of cells for transplantation, and with delayed engraftment of neutrophils and platelets. The field of cord blood transplantation will benefit from enhanced and mechanistically based information on haematopoietic stem cell function and potential means to enhance its effectiveness are reviewed. This includes notions concerning possibility of retrieving more cells from the placenta and cord blood, to expand haematopoietic stem cells ex vivo and to increase efficiency of homing and engraftment of these cells. Also discussed are cryopreservation and long-term storage of cord blood haematopoietic and progenitor cells, and new laboratory findings and animal studies for non-haematopoietic uses of cord blood.
Using Poisson mixed-effects model to quantify transcript-level gene expression in RNA-Seq

Motivation: RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a powerful new technology for mapping and quantifying transcriptomes using ultra high-throughput next-generation sequencing technologies. Using deep sequencing, gene expression levels of all transcripts including novel ones can be quantified digitally. Although extremely promising, the massive amounts of data generated by RNA-Seq, substantial biases and uncertainty in short read alignment pose challenges for data analysis. In particular, large base-specific variation and between-base dependence make simple approaches, such as those that use averaging to normalize RNA-Seq data and quantify gene expressions, ineffective. Results: In this study, we propose a Poisson mixed-effects (POME) model to characterize base-level read coverage within each transcript. The underlying expression level is included as a key parameter in this model. Since the proposed model is capable of incorporating base-specific variation as well as between-base dependence that affect read coverage profile throughout the transcript, it can lead to improved quantification of the true underlying expression level. Availability and implementation: POME can be freely downloaded at http://www.stat.purdue.edu/~yuzhu/pome.html. Contact:yuzhu@purdue.edu; zhaohui.qin@emory.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
I know something you don't: the use of asymmetric personal information for interpersonal advantage

With the widespread use of social networking sites, it is easy to acquire a great deal of personal information about someone before meeting them. How do people use this information when initiating relationships? In the present study, participants either had access to an unknown partner's Facebook profile or did not, and were instructed to get their partners to like them in a short instant messaging conversation. Participants used social network and profile information in two ways: probes, asking questions whose answer they already knew, and implicit mentions, referencing information that made them seem more similar to their partner. These strategies successfully increased interpersonal attraction. Participants, however, frequently rated these strategies as deceptive, raising important concerns about the use of asymmetrical personal information for interpersonal gain.
The Effects of Mentoring Relationships on Preservice Teachers' Attitudes Toward Academically Diverse Students

Preservice teachers from seven universities were studied as part of a three-year project focusing on how preservice teachers develop an awareness of the needs of academically diverse learners and then implement or modify instruction to meet those needs. The research reported here describes the impact of the study's interventions on preservice teachers' attitudes, beliefs, and practices as they relate to academically diverse learners. All participants completed a survey designed to assess their attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding struggling and gifted learners prior to and upon completion of the interventions.Using a univariate repeated analysis of variance technique, statistically significant differences were found between the two intervention groups' attitudes toward differentiation. Results suggest that, as novices become more acquainted with the realities of the classroom, they gain a clear picture of the complexity involved in appropriate curriculum modifications to address the academic needs ...
Simple Pareto-Improving Policies

Abstract Pareto improvements that require no information about individual characteristics are analyzed. Initially, equilibrium must be production inefficient. After the policy change, consumer prices differ from producer prices, but allocations, although second-best, are Pareto superior and production efficient. Policy implementation is modeled as a dynamical system that governs aggregate consumer wealth, producer prices, and production levels. With knowledge of the maximum feasible level of consumer wealth and no other information, a policymaker can choose policy rules such that this system converges globally to the targeted equilibrium. With knowledge of only the aggregate income effect, local convergence is achievable.Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Numbers: D51, D60, P11.
Predicting Gender Differences in Same-Sex Friendships from Affiliation Motive and Value:

In order to explore factors that influence gender differences in same-sex friendship behaviors, the present study examined how affiliation motive, as measured by thematic apperception to same-sex c...
TrkA Receptor Endolysosomal Degradation is Both Ubiquitin and Proteasome Dependent

Gaps in our knowledge exist regarding the degradation of the tropomyosin-regulated kinase A (TrkA) receptor after addition of neurotrophin, nerve growth factor (NGF). TrkA is rapidly and transiently ubiquitinated upon addition of NGF. Here, we demonstrate that the polyubiquitin tag plays a definitive role in receptor sorting. Treatment of PC12 cells with lactacystin prevented NGF-dependent deubiquitination and degradation of TrkA. However, treatment with methylamine, bafilomycin or leupeptin, did not prevent NGF-dependent deubiquitination but blocked the degradation of TrkA. Employing co-immunoprecipitation, biochemical fractionation and confocal microscopy, the kinetics of receptor trafficking post-internalization was observed to occur as a sequel from endosome/multivesicular body, proteasomes, culminating with degradation in the lysosomes. The trafficking of the polyubiquitin-deficient TrkA receptor mutant K485R was impaired and likewise failed to degrade revealing that the receptor escapes degradation. The interaction of TrkA with proteasomes was confirmed by purification and co-immunoprecipitation. We provide evidence that proteasomal deubiquitinating enzymes trim K63-ubiquitin chains from the TrkA receptor prior to its delivery to lysosomes for degradation. Taken together, our results reveal the existence of a novel proteasome-dependent step in receptor degradation.
The structure of human GALNS reveals the molecular basis for mucopolysaccharidosis IV A.

Lysosomal enzymes catalyze the breakdown of macromolecules in the cell. In humans, loss of activity of a lysosomal enzyme leads to an inherited metabolic defect known as a lysosomal storage disorder. The human lysosomal enzyme galactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS, also known as N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase and GalN6S; E.C. 3.1.6.4) is deficient in patients with the lysosomal storage disease mucopolysaccharidosis IV A (also known as MPS IV A and Morquio A). Here, we report the three-dimensional structure of human GALNS, determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.2A resolution. The structure reveals a catalytic gem diol nucleophile derived from modification of a cysteine side chain. The active site of GALNS is a large, positively charged trench suitable for binding polyanionic substrates such as keratan sulfate and chondroitin-6-sulfate. Enzymatic assays on the insect-cell-expressed human GALNS indicate activity against synthetic substrates and inhibition by both substrate and product. Mapping 120 MPS IV A missense mutations onto the structure reveals that a majority of mutations affect the hydrophobic core of the structure, indicating that most MPS IV A cases result from misfolding of GALNS. Comparison of the structure of GALNS to paralogous sulfatases shows a wide variety of active-site geometries in the family but strict conservation of the catalytic machinery. Overall, the structure and the known mutations establish the molecular basis for MPS IV A and for the larger MPS family of diseases.
Catecholamine-Induced Vascular Wall Growth Is Dependent on Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species

α 1 -Adrenoceptor–dependent proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is strongly augmented by vascular injury, and may contribute to intimal growth and lumen loss. Because reactive oxygen species (ROS) are increased by injury and have been implicated as second messengers in proliferation of VSMCs, we investigated the role of ROS in catecholamine-induced VSMC growth. Rat aortae were isolated 4 days after balloon injury, maintained in organ culture under circumferential wall tension, and exposed to agents for 48 hours. The antioxidants N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 10 mmol/L) and Tiron (5 mmol/L) and the flavin-inhibitor diphenylene iodonium (DPI, 20 μmol/L) abolished norepinephrine-induced increases in protein synthesis and DNA content in media. In aortic sections, norepinephrine augmented ROS production (dihydroethidium confocal microscopy), which was dose-dependently inhibited by NAC, Tiron, and DPI. In cultured VSMCs, phenylephrine caused time- and dose-dependent ROS generation (aconitase activity), had similar efficacy to thrombin (1 U/mL), and was eliminated by the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic Mn-(III)-tetrakis-(4-benzoic-acid)-porphyrin-chloride (200 μmol/L) and Tiron. Phenylephrine-induced ROS production and increases in DNA and protein content were blocked by prazosin (0.3 μmol/L) and abolished in p47 phox −/− cells. PEG-SOD (25 U/mL) had little effect, whereas PEG-catalase (50 U/mL) eliminated phenylephrine-induced proliferation in VSMCs. DPI (10 μmol/L) and apocynin (30 μmol/L) abolished phenylephrine-stimulated mitogenesis, whereas inhibitors of other intracellular ROS sources had not effect. Furthermore, PE increased p47 phox expression (RT-PCR). These data demonstrate that the trophic effect of catecholamines on vascular wall cells is dependent on a ROS-sensitive step that we hypothesize consists of activation of the NAD(P)H-dependent vascular oxidase.
Who Does What: Role Stereotypy, Children's Work, and Continuity Between Generations in the Household Division of Labor

Inclusion of children in the present interview study of 99 families required adaptation of the Blood and Wolfe measures of division of labor. The revised measure of stereotypy reveals a more complex picture than reported previously. There are distinct differences unrelated to objective conditions between families in their attitudes toward children's chores. It is suggested that the best single predictor of a family's division of labor may be the previous generation, but there is also less variation between families now than in the past. Most families continue to be quite traditional in their pattern, with strong emphasis on division of labor by sex for both parents and children.
Regulatory Enforcement Styles

The enforcement styles of inspectors are particularly important when a regulatory agency deals with issues that are low in salience and low in complexity In this article, based on interviews with 104 child care in spectors in four states, I distinguish between individual-level and state- level variations in regulatory stringency, regulatory flexibility, and technical support. The evidence suggests a breakdown of democratic accountabil ity but also techniques for restoring it.
Optimal Transmission Time of Secondary User in an Overlay Cognitive Radio System

Optimal Opportunistic channel access of the unlicensed users has been a major problem in a cognitive radio system. In this paper, we consider an overlay cognitive radio system, where the secondary user senses the channel for an empty slot and transmits a constant power for a time period without sensing the channel again. We obtain the optimal transmission time of the secondary user to achieve the maximum data rate while keeping the interference on the primary user under a given threshold. We derive closed-form expressions for the interference at the primary receiver side and the achievable data rate of the secondary user. Our analysis is based on a Markov model for the primary user statuses and we consider the probability of error in sensing by the secondary user. Computer simulation results of the system show the validity of our analysis.
Recovery of the integral kernel in the kinetic fragmentation equation

Recovery of the fragmentation kernel for the time-dependent fragmentation kinetics is a nonlinear inverse problem. We propose a new method for such a recovery based on the transformation of the problem to the inverse problem for the right-hand side of the equation with a modified linear operator. To minimize the variational functional, we develop an algorithm based on the system of three equations: the direct, adjoint and control equations. Then working backwards we recover the kernel in the original problem. We assume that the only available information are partial observations of the solution at two time instants.
Strongly coupled fields

We formulate a general theory of the strong-coupling limit of renormalizable interacting quantum fields. For definiteness, our ideas are explicitly illustrated in the case of the scalar field with quartic selfcoupling, the usual testing ground for new ideas in field theory. More precisely, the generating functional for connected Green’s functions is explicitly constructed for this latter theory in the limit of large coupling. The problem of regularization is treated in detail. For purposes of illustration, the first two orders in the large-coupling limit of the Fourier transform of the connected two-point function are computed. It is found that the Fourier transform for 4-momentump approaches its large-p 2 limit essentially exponentially. The applicability of our approach to all renormalizable theories is thereby made more manifest.
Epithelial Plasticity versus EMT in Kidney Fibrosis

Ten percent of the population worldwide suffers from chronic kidney disease (CKD), characterized by fibrotic changes in the kidney. Fibrosis is associated with loss of epithelial parenchyma, and accumulation of myofibroblasts, fibrillary collagen, and inflammatory cells. Two recent papers highlight the critical role of Twist and Snai1 transcription factors in kidney fibrosis.
An Assessment of Tritium Breeding Requirements Based on the Tritium Fuel Cycle

An assessment of tritium breeding requirements for fusion power reactors is presented. The analysis is based on an evaluation of time-dependent tritium inventories in the reactor system. The method presented can be applied to any fusion systems operating in a steady-state mode as well as in a pulsed mode. As an example, the UWMAK-I design was analyzed and it has been found that the start-up inventory requirement calculated by the present method significantly differs from those previously calculated. The effect of reactor parameter changes on the required tritium breeding ratio is also analyzed for a variety of reactor operation scenarios. A FORTRAN-IV Computer Program, the JET-I code, has been developed to implement the present method. It is now in operation on the Argonne National Laboratory IBM-3033 Computer System.
Affiliate Nexus in E-Commerce

This article explains why the expansion of Internet commerce has caused individual U.S. states to lose substantial amounts of tax revenue, and explores what the states are doing to combat that revenue loss. In particular, the article traces the U.S. Supreme Court precedents that prevent states from forcing Internet retailers to collect taxes on the goods they sell. After exploring the existing legal framework, the article examines California’s most recent effort to require internet retailers to collect taxes on Internet sales through so-called “affiliate nexus” legislation — legislation that imposes a tax collection obligation on out-of-state internet retailers based on the in-state presence of an affiliate company. The article explains the theoretical foundation for affiliate nexus and then reviews several lower court decisions that have considered (and rejected) the theory. The Supreme Court has not directly addressed affiliate nexus, but the article contends that to uphold California’s recently-enacted legislation would require an extension of the Court’s previous jurisprudence.
Broch's Death of Vergil: Program Notes

The book to be discussed brings to mind a fascinating chapter of the fossil record of the evolution of life. Some two hundred million years ago, the geologists tell us, the Ammonites began to make their appearance among the crustaceans. Starting from modest and primitive beginnings, they were destined for a notable future. In the course of ages a million times beyond the span of human memory they grew in size and complexity, attaining to functional perfection of their chambered septa and streamlined beauty of their spiral convolutions. They grew in numbers until they came to dominate the scene of teeming marine life. Then a change set in. The conservative classical form of the shell gave way to striking variations. It is as if the ingenuity of the race had suddenly abandoned itself to an orgy of formal experiments. The curves became more intricate and capricious, producing a bewildering variety of scallops and flutings, spirals and fantastic ornaments and an equally bewildering range of sizes and proportions. The whole genus seemed to be off balance, to be skidding erratically along the screen of evolutionary Time. Then, suddenly, when this giddy orgy seemed to have reached its climax the whole genus disappeared, as though a relentless hand had blotted it from the screen once and for all.
Evaluation of Promalin to promote growth of young mangosteen seedlings.

A major impediment to the development of a mangosteen ( Garcinia mangostana L.) industry is the long pre-bearing stage that seedlings require to produce fruits. A field study was conducted to determine the effect of Promalin on the growth of mangosteen seedlings. Year-old seedlings were transplanted to the field in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Four applications of Promalin were used as a foliar spray at concentrations of 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 mg/L beginning when seedlings were approximately 2.5 years old, and then every 10 to 15 weeks over a period of almost one year. Final measurements were made 10 weeks after the final application, and 353 days after treatment initiation, when seedlings were 3.5 years old. No significant differences were observed in plant height, stem diameter, or number of branches and leaves.
Progress of Wind Power Integration

This paper reviews the related paper of wind power integration in the IEEE/PES 2011 General Meeting,covering the following research topics: wind turbine models,dynamic equivalence of wind farm,the impact of large scale wind power integration on power system and related countermeasures,voltage control and voltage-ride through,unit commitment and frequency control,and offshore wind farm.
Surgical considerations in management of angina pectoris

In deciding on the best form of treatment for patients with angina pectoris, a substantial number of important factors must be carefully and individually considered. These include symptomatic status, extent and location of occlusive coronary artery disease, left ventricular functional status, and risk factors. Relief of angina pectoris with revascularization surgery can be expected in 80% to 90% of patients, with an operative mortality well below 5% when preoperative left ventricular function is normal or only moderately depressed.
Abstract A79: African American women breast cancer disparities in Indiana: An overlooked dilema

Second to lung cancer, breast cancer is one of the top cancer killers of women in the United States. Data from the American Cancer Society predicts that over 200,000 cases of invasive breast carcinoma with a resulting 40,000 fatalities among American women will be diagnosed next year. This trend is certainly alarming and disheartening. Even more discouraging is the trends many African American women diagnosed with breast cancer follow. Though African American women have a lower incidence of diagnosis overall compared to white women, there continues to be a noticeable disparity in mortality of African American women suffering from this disease. Statistics for the state of Indiana are not far differentiated from those of the nation. In this state, more than ten times the number of white women is diagnosed with breast cancer as compared to their African American counterparts. Though only a fraction of the overall diagnosed population is African American, the percentage of fatalities for this group of women is higher than that of their white counterparts. It is important to specifically examine breast cancer disparities in this group since African Americans are severely underrepresented overall in the state. Additionally, breast cancer diagnoses for this population are fewer compared to the number of white women diagnosed with the disease which may cause African American women to be overlooked. This study will highlight breast cancer disparities in African American women in the state of Indiana, particularly in counties of with a high concentration of African Americans.
All-cause mortality risk as a function of sedentary behavior, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness

ABSTRACTObjective: Emerging work demonstrates individual associations of sedentary behavior, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on mortality risk. Limited research has evaluated all three of these parameters in a model when considering mortality risk, and their potential additive association on mortality risk has not been fully evaluated, which was the purpose of this study.Methods: Data from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used (N = 2,295 adults 20–85 yrs), with follow-up through 2011. Sedentary behavior and MVPA were objectively assessed (accelerometry) with cardiorespiratory estimated from a prediction equation taking into consideration participant demographic, anthropometric and behavioral characteristics. Using the median values, a PACS (Physical Activity Cardiorespiratory Sedentary) score was created that ranged from 0–3, indicating the number of these three positive characteristics.Results: Those with below median se...
Containment of a reactor meltdown

The purpose here is to draw wider attention to the possibilities for increased public protection offered by the last barrier between the radioactivity released from a molten core and the outside world: the reactor containment building. The vented containment concept is emphasized here because it is specific evidence for our more general contention that there is a great potential for enhancing the capabilities of reactor containment buildings to retain the radioactivity from accidents which might otherwise contaminate a large area.
The Tumor Microenvironment in Nanoparticle Delivery and the Role of Imaging to Navigate Roadblocks and Pathways

Effective delivery and distribution of nanoparticles (NPs) are at the core of successful applications of the exciting new advances being made in nanomedicine to achieve precision medicine in cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME) can pose a barrier but can also be exploited for delivery and distribution. Here we have outlined the characteristics of the TME and the influence that different aspects of the TME such as vascularization, permeability, the extracellular matrix (ECM), and stromal cells can have on NP delivery and distribution. We also discuss TME modification strategies to improve delivery and distribution of NPs.
Overview of Foodservice Energy Research: Heat Processing1,2

A conceptual framework for factors affecting energy usage for heat processing in United States foodservice operations was developed and used to analyze the direction of foodservice energy research in this area. The literature was reviewed from 1930 to 1981. Most research has been related to alternate food product flows within foodservice operations and to increasing the operating efficiency of foodservice equipment. Some researchers have studied the effect of altering operating parameters upon energy expended per unit of production. Due to research cost constraints, ground beef has been a frequently studied commodity. Research using economical bentonite-water dispersions for food models during foodservice energy research was included. Activities involving the energy-modification of recipes, revealed energy savings from 11-79%. The need for research methodologies for foodservice energy research was delineated to study all variables, including microbial quality and safety, which influence energy usage during heat processing.
Impacts of Mating Behavior on Plant–Animal Seed Dispersal Mutualisms: A Case Study from a Neotropical Lek-Breeding Bird

Abstract In addition to affecting access to mates, traits under sexual selection may also impact interspecific ecological interactions such as predation, parasitism, and mutualistic interactions. This chapter addresses the ways in which sexual selection in general, and mating behavior in particular, may impact seed dispersal by lek-breeding birds. This phenomenon is likely to be of special importance in tropical rainforests, where the majority of plant species depend upon animal vectors for dispersal, and where the incidence of lekking behavior by frugivorous birds is high. We develop a series of predictions for how lekking might be expected to impact seed dispersal outcomes, tracing a chain of causality from lekking behavior to foraging ecology, to seed movement and deposition, to demographic and genetic characteristics of associated plants. Next, we summarize our efforts to test these predictions in the long-wattled umbrellabird (Cotingidae: Cephalopterus penduliger), a lek-breeding bird from a neotropical rainforest. Finally, we compare umbrellabirds with tropical and temperate counterparts that form leks and/or provide seed dispersal services. We conclude that mating behavior is likely to have an indirect but significant impact on plant species and communities via its effects on seed dispersal, and that this impact is likely to be disproportionately important in tropical rainforests.
Role of Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Review

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important cause of the heart failure. Timely diagnosis and optimal management decrease morbidity and mortality in heart failure patients. Although transthoracic echocardiography is used as the diagnostic test of choice in these patients, new modalities like speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) have promising results in diagnosing these patients in the earlier course of the disease. Advancements in cardiac imaging are expected as more clinical studies on the role of STE in different cardiac diseases that emerge. In this review article, we will discuss the basics of STE and its role in diagnosing DCM.
Video game addiction in emerging adulthood: Cross-sectional evidence of pathology in video game addicts as compared to matched healthy controls.

Abstract Background The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS) is a widely used measure of video game addiction, a pathology affecting a small percentage of all people who play video games. Emerging adult males are significantly more likely to be video game addicts. Few researchers have examined how people who qualify as video game addicts based on the IGDS compared to matched controls based on age, gender, race, and marital status. Method The current study compared IGDS video game addicts to matched non-addicts in terms of their mental, physical, social-emotional health using self-report, survey methods. Results Addicts had poorer mental health and cognitive functioning including poorer impulse control and ADHD symptoms compared to controls. Additionally, addicts displayed increased emotional difficulties including increased depression and anxiety, felt more socially isolated, and were more likely to display internet pornography pathological use symptoms. Female video game addicts were at unique risk for negative outcomes. Limitations The sample for this study was undergraduate college students and self-report measures were used. Conclusions Participants who met the IGDS criteria for video game addiction displayed poorer emotional, physical, mental, and social health, adding to the growing evidence that video game addictions are a valid phenomenon.
Faculty promotion must assess reproducibility

Research institutions should explicitly seek job candidates who can be frankly self-critical of their work, says Jeffrey Flier.
Dumas and Heidegger on Death to Come

The aim of this paper is to provide a reflection on the relationship of images and words through the painting of Marlene Dumas, specifically her well-known painting, “Measuring Your Own Grave.” I discuss how Dumas’ painting calls forth the Heideggerian existential notion of being-towards-death that is connected to the possibility of becoming responsible for our own choices. In addition, following Guignon, I discuss the “existential meaning” of Dumas’ work and thus the sense in which it discloses our mortality as well as our connection to others.
Keeping Track of the Electrons

Mechanistic investigation and new reaction development are intertwined. This interdependence presents challenges and opportunities in development of all transformations, particularly for those that employ base metal catalysts. In comparison to precious metal counterparts, these catalysts yield less easily to mechanistic analysis. However, base metal catalysts can provide new modes of reactivity and opportunities for discovery. In this Commentary, we highlight a developing field: nickel-catalyzed stereoselective alkyl cross-coupling reactions. While key features of the relevant catalytic cycles remain ambiguous, chemical intuition and key mechanistic experiments have provided the stepping stones for discovery of stereoselective transformations.
Toileting and Hygiene

Much of the stress that parents of autistic and developmentally handicapped children experience comes from their children’s prolonged dependence on them. Often their children are unable to eat, toilet, dress, and wash independently. This places extreme demands on the parents’ time and energy, and can be a source of embarrassment for them. The lack of basic toileting and hygiene skills can also lead to health problems for the children.
The Present State of Pupillometrics

As is well known, Hess and Polt (1960) published the first modern report on pupillometrics, which demonstrated, even though the methodology, in terms of controlling completely for brightness contrast, had not yet been perfected, that sequential pupil size changes in response to an experimental situation provide a quantified method of measuring or scoring how appealing or interesting something is. In the subsequent five years Hess gave many lectures and colloquia on his research over the country so that many scientific people learned about pupil phenomena even though the published literature was not yet extensive.
Remote Sensing of Pollutants by Means of Stereo Analysis

Air pollution levels depend strongly upon the spatial and time variations of various pollutant concentrations. In the vicinity of pollution sources locally high concentrations and significant variation with time of pollutants occur. Surveillance of pollutant concentrations and dispersion requires adequate monitoring over large relevant areas at fixed time intervals. Particularly, strong and stable temperature inversion can cause such circulation conditions where vertical mixing of pollutants is prohibited.
Inner Product on $$\dot{\rm U}$$

26.1.1. In the following theorem, p : U → U is as in 19.1.1, and \(\bar \rho :{\rm{U}} \to {\rm{U}}\) : is denned by \(\bar \rho (u) = \overline {\rho (\bar u)}\).
Performance of V-Band On-Chip Antennas in GlobalFoundries 45nm CMOS SOI Process for Mm-Wave 5G Applications

This paper reports the performance of multiple V-band on-chip antennas implemented in Globalfoundries 45nm CMOS SOI process with high-resistivity substrate option. Dipole, slot and loop antennas are implemented as proof-of-concept designs. The antenna samples are flip-chip packaged on a PCB for testing. After de-embedding the loss from the feeding/matching network, the measured boresight antenna gains of the dipole, slot and loop are 3.9dBi, 3.8dBi and 3.7dBi, respectively, matching well with the 3D EM simulations. The measured radiation efficiencies are greater than 79% for all the three cases. Compared to other on-chip/on-package mm-Wave antennas, the demonstrated antennas are fully integrated in CMOS SOI process and do not require any post-processing, substrate-thinning/etching, lossy chip-to-package interconnections, or silicon lenses. It is demonstrated that the high-resistivity substrate option in Globalfoundries 45nm CMOS SOI technology is an effective solution to support high-ef-ficiency and high-performance mm-Wave on-chip antennas, which paves the way for highly integrated mm-Wave transceiver systems including 5G phased arrays and massive MIMO systems.
Correlation between chronological age and computed tomography attenuation of trabecular bone from the os coxae

Abstract Objective: Fields such as biological anthropology, forensic anthropology, archaeology, and mummy studies have increased the use medical imaging, such as computed tomography (CT), to analyze human remains through virtual examination. When predicting chronological age from virtual anatomy, methods developed on skeletal collections do not always produce accurate age predictions when applied to virtual anatomy. Age estimation methods developed specifically for medical imaging can improve accuracy of chronological age prediction when examining virtual anatomy. The present study examines the relationship between attenuation of trabecular bone from the os coxae and chronological age using CT scanning data. Materials and Methods: A sample of 324 CT scans of living and cadaveric individuals were randomly selected from a CT scan database and used to identify a correlation between trabecular bone CT attenuation in four regions of the os coxae and chronological age. The four regions included trabecular bone deep to the auricular surface, pubic symphysis, posterior superior iliac spine, and the ischial tuberosity. Results: Through cross validation, the trabecular bone deep to the pubic symphysis, posterior superior iliac spine, and ischial tuberosity resulted in the best prediction models based on model testing. Model testing identified models with adjusted R2 values of 0.83 and 0.86 for combine male/female bone attenuation and only female bone density, respectively. Discussion: The resulting models, when used in relation with CT scanning data, provide a quantitative method that predicts chronological age and can be used in situations when remains are recently deceased fleshed individuals.
Computer vision and behavioral phenotyping: an autism case study

Abstract Despite significant recent advances in molecular genetics and neuroscience, behavioral ratings based on clinical observations are still the gold standard for screening, diagnosing, and assessing outcomes in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Such behavioral ratings are subjective, require significant clinician expertise and training, typically do not capture data from the children in their natural environments such as homes or schools, and are not scalable for large population screening, low-income communities, or longitudinal monitoring, all of which are critical for outcome evaluation in multisite studies and for understanding and evaluating symptoms in the general population. The development of computational approaches to standardized objective behavioral assessment is, thus, a significant unmet need in autism spectrum disorder in particular and developmental and neurodegenerative disorders in general. Here, we discuss how computer vision, and machine learning, can develop scalable low-cost mobile health methods for automatically and consistently assessing existing biomarkers, from eye tracking to movement patterns and affect, while also providing tools and big data for novel discovery.
Teachers' knowledge about language constructs related to literacy skills and student achievement in low socio‐economic status schools

Teachers' knowledge is a critical component to students learning to read proficiently. The present research sought to determine the literacy knowledge of 150 urban, elementary school teachers from 11 low socio-economic schools in one of nation's largest cities. Teachers' ability to understand concepts relating to phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle/phonics, and morphology as well as their knowledge about teaching these fundamental skills were assessed through a standardized measure. Using exploratory factor analysis to understand the latent constructs underlying the survey scores and hierarchical linear modelling on factor scores of each construct, the results revealed that teachers located in low socio-economic status schools did not have explicit knowledge needed to effectively teach struggling readers. Although the teachers possessed a high level of knowledge regarding syllable counting skills, they lacked knowledge related to morphology. Practical implications are provided to assist teachers in increasing their literacy knowledge.