cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family History, Perceived Risk, and Prostate Cancer Screening among African American Men

Background: Many African American men have two major risk factors for prostate cancer. By ethnicity alone, they have twice the risk of Euro-American men of developing prostate cancer. Having a family history (brother or father with prostate cancer) also doubles their risk. The major hypotheses tested in this study are that men with a family history perceive their risk to be higher, are more worried about getting prostate cancer, and are more likely to have used cancer screening tests than men without such a history. Methods: A sample of 208 African American men, ages 40 to 74 years, were recruited through relatives or friends whose prostate cancer diagnosis was reported to the California Cancer Registry during the years 1997 to 2001 and from churches and African American social groups. Following a screening interview to determine eligibility, 88 men with self-reported, first-degree family history of prostate cancer and 120 without such history were interviewed by telephone. Logistic regression was used to create models of perceived risk, prostate cancer worries, receipt of a digital rectal exam, and/or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. Results: Men with a self-reported family history of prostate cancer did not perceive their risk as higher than men without a family history, nor did they report more cancer worries. They were more likely to report having a recent PSA test, but not a digital rectal exam. Having a higher than average perceived risk was associated with younger age, a college education, and lower mental well-being, and reporting more prostate cancer worries and being more likely to have had a recent PSA test. Conclusions: Although there continues to be controversy about PSA testing, these data suggest that African American men at above-average risk are inclined to be screened. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(11):2167–73)
Dipyridamole directly inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo: Implications in the treatment of restenosis after angioplasty

Abstract Objectives. The effect of dipyridimole on smooth muscle cell proliferation and prevention of intimal thickening after arterial injury was investigated. Background. In addition to antiplatetet activity, dipyridamole also inhibits cell proliferation. We examined whether the antiproliferative action of dipyridamole on smooth muscle cells, as demonstrated here, has a direct effect on intimal thickening after vascular injury. Methods. Cell proliferation was determined by measuring deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis and by cell counting. The in vivo effect of locally delivered dipyridamole was determined in a rabbit model with carotid or femoral artery injury. Results. Dipyridamole produced a dose-dependent inhibition of smooth muscle cell proliferation, producing 50% inhibition at 7 μg/ml. Structural analogues SH-869 and mopamidol were 10 to 100 times less effective than dipyridamole, suggesting that cell growth inhibition may be unrelated to the antiplatetet activity of dipyridamole. Inhibition of cell proliferation by dipyridamole was attenutated by increasing the serum concentration in the culture medium.Bypassing serum by local delivery of dipyridamole at the periadventitial site produced 63% inhibition (p Conclusions. Dipyridamole inhibited smooth muscle cell proliferation in vitro. This activity was attenuated by serum proteins. Locally delivered dipyridamole inhibited cell replication in arteries and intimal thickening after balloon injury. These results suggest that although systemic treatment with dipyridamole may not be efficacious because of inadequate serum levels, its antiproliferative action on smooth muscle cells may reduce restenosis when the drug is delivered locally after coronary angioplasty.
Particle loadings and resuspension related to floor coverings in chamber and in occupied school environments

Abstract A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate characteristics of varied flooring types which may influence dirt buildup and airborne particle levels. The experiments included investigation of typical dirt loadings found on flooring in school environments, the time necessary to effectively vacuum dirt from textile flooring (both in chamber and school conditions), and the resuspension of particles generated from walking activity on various flooring types in chamber and classroom environments. The flooring types studied included textile floored surfaces (flow through (FT) carpet and variable cushion tufted textile (VCTT) floorings) and hard surface (vinyl composition tile (VCT)). The study demonstrates that dirt buildup on textile floors will vary based on the location within the classroom. One of the primary findings of the study is that textile floor covering in schools is not a homogeneous medium. Physical characteristics vary based on the type of backing, carpet tufted type, face weight, gauge (including stitches/inch), and adhesive requirements. This variance in physical parameters contributes to significant differences in the resuspension rates (RRs) of particles into the air, generated by walking activity. FT carpet displayed significantly greater (2.5–5 times) RRs than VCTT in both chamber conditions and classroom environments at similar floor loadings and particle size ranges. Controlled chamber test runs revealed VCT flooring exhibiting 3.6 time higher RRs than FT flooring and 12.8 time greater RRs than VCTT flooring. Moreover, particle RRs and airborne concentrations are also a function of time of walking activity, floor dust loadings and particle size ranges.
The health policy election.

MUCH IS AT STAKE IN THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECtion. President Barack Obama’s vision and former Governor Mitt Romney’s vision differ across many domains, but perhaps most starkly in the area of health policy. Fundamentally, the candidates disagree on the role of government as the guarantor of affordable access to health insurance, as evidenced by their plans for private insurance markets, Medicare, and Medicaid.
A planning model to assess hydrogen as an alternative fuel for national light-duty vehicle portfolio

Abstract This paper assesses using hydrogen as alternative fuel in U.S LDV (light-duty vehicle) transportation system. Firstly, the paper develops the hydrogen network model consisting of multiple production pathways that eventually lead to the FCVs (fuel-cell vehicles) for passenger transportation; such that the interdependency of hydrogen network with energy system and the competition of FCVs with other LDV modes (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and gasoline vehicles) are captured. Then, the evaluation of economics and environmental impact of large-scale hydrogen deployment in national LDV market is analyzed by simulating long-term energy and transportation infrastructure planning studies, and the factors that influence the penetration of FCVs are assessed from the national economics and sustainability standpoint. It is seen from the results that economics and sustainability of PHEV (pluggable electric hybrid vehicle) penetration is very much dependent on the availability of low cost renewables, and given a practical limit on renewable generation expansion and tighter imposition of carbon policies, FCVs do prove to be highly valuable in rendering the national LDV portfolio sustainable and resilient against petroleum related events. With improvements in FCV investment cost of about 11–19%, they can outperform PHEVs and gasoline vehicles as the economic and sustainable LDV option under high renewable power generation portfolio.
Resource utilization and outcomes from percutaneous drainage and interval appendectomy for perforated appendicitis with abscess.

Objective Given the perceived technical demands of laparoscopic appendectomy and the expected postoperative morbidity in patients with a well-defined abscess, initial percutaneous drainage has become an attractive option in this patient population. This strategy allows for a laparoscopic appendectomy to be performed in an elective manner at the convenience of the surgeon. However, the medical burden on the patient and on the quality of patient outcomes has not been described in the literature. Therefore, we audited our experience with initial percutaneous drainage followed by laparoscopic interval appendectomy to evaluate the need for a prospective trial.
Salivary Electrolytes in Infants Receiving Digoxin

Recent adult studies have suggested an increase in salivary K+ and Ca++ in patients receiving digitalis. In order to investigate this phenomenon in the pediatric patient, whole saliva electrolytes were studied in 32 hospitalized infants (mean age 10 weeks); 17 receiving digoxin (aean digoxin level 2.Ing/ml) and 15 controls. Simultaneous serum electrolytes were also measured. Mean salivary K+ was significantly increased, 25,4±3.7mEq/l in the digitalised infants when compared to controls, 21.6±3mEq/l (p < 01). Mean salivary Ca++ was also elevated in the infants receiving digoxin, 4.3±2.8mEq/l versus controls 3.0±.96mEq/l (p < .05). The K+ x Ca++ product was 111.4±84.0 in infants receiving digoxin and 65.3±27.1 for controls (p < .025). Salivary Na+ was not different in the two groups. Serum K+ was elevated in the group receiving digoxin 5.1±.69 as compared to controls 4.6±.68 (p < .05) but serum Ca++ and Na+ concentration were similar. The mean salivary electrolyte concentrations in control infants and those receiving digoxin were comparable to levels reported for adults. The Increase in K+ concentration in saliva of infants receiving digoxin with no change in salivary Na+ lends support to the hypothesis that the increase in K+ in saliva is due to K+ loss from cells or elevated plasma K+ rather than inhibition of Na+/K+ exchange.
Some more space-group corrections

A survey of approximately 100 000 entries in recent releases of the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) has uncovered 156 crystal structures that were apparently described in inappropriate space groups. We have revised these space groups and prepared CIFs containing the new coordinates and brief comments describing the revisions.
Increased N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activity in primary breast carcinomas corresponds to a decrease in N-acetylglucosamine containing proteins

N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification on serine or threonine residues of cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins has become a more recognized intracellular covalent modification. Removal of this modification is carried out by N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (O-GlcNAcase). Since little information exists on monoglycosylation and O-GlcNAcase activity in mitogenic systems, we investigated O-GlcNAcase activity in primary breast tumors compared to matched normal adjacent breast tissue and examined enzymatic activity in relationship to the level of protein monoglycosylation. Using a variation of the acidic hexosaminidase activity assay, we demonstrated an increase in both O-GlcNAcase and lysosomal hexosaminidase activity in breast tumor tissue compared to matched adjacent tissue. Although no clear correlation with tumor grade or type was apparent among the samples examined (12 matched pairs), the increase in O-GlcNAcase and lysosomal hexosaminidase activity in tumor tissue was consistently elevated and statistically significant (P<0.05). Protein monoglycosylation was evaluated using immunoblotting, affinity blotting, and radioactive labeling. While the variety of modified proteins was greater in tumor tissue compared to adjacent tissue, the total amount of O-GlcNAc monoglycosylation was significantly decreased in the tumor tissue especially on proteins in the molecular mass range of 45-65 kDa. O-GlcNAcase may be involved in the selective removal of O-GlcNAc on certain proteins in breast tumor tissue.
Induced technological change and the attractiveness of CO2 abatement policies

Abstract This paper investigates the significance of induced technological change (ITC) for the attractiveness of CO2 abatement policies. We use analytical and numerical general equilibrium models in which technological change results from profit-maximizing investments in R&D. We show that carbon abatement policies have very different impacts on R&D across industries, and do not necessarily raise the economy-wide rate of technological progress. Focusing only on the sectors with positive R&D impacts can lead to substantial underassessment of the GDP costs of CO2 abatement policies. The presence of ITC implies lower costs of achieving a given abatement target, but it implies higher gross costs (costs before netting out environment-related benefits) of a given carbon tax. Gross costs depend importantly on the efficiency of R&D markets prior to the introduction of CO2 policies.
Work, heart disease and mental health.

SOCIAL scientists are in general agreement that failing health and disability are often accompanied by adverse psychological states [I, 21. VERWOERDT and DOVENMUEHLE [3,4] report a high incidence of depressive affect among cardiac patients. Depressive symptoms were found to be severe even among mild cardiac cases, and the more severe the condition, the greater the depression [4]. More negative self-attitudes among the ill were reported by SCHWARTZ and KLEEMEIER [5]. LUDWIG [6] refers to aging as a process of disillusionment precipitated by the concomitants of age, poor health and loss of function. Further, YOUMANS [7] found an association between pessimism and poor health. He concluded that a pessimistic outlook was due to the inability to gain access to appropriate means of achieving worthwhile goals brought about by failing heatlh. Several of these studies suggest that the psychological impact of a disabling illness depends on the life situation and orientation of the individual, particularly his age, occupation, and orientation toward work. None of them, however, systematically examines the relationship between failing health and adverse psychological states for those who differ in life situation and orientation. This study, then, is concerned with the association of heart disease and mental health as influenced by two intervening variables: age and work orientation. It is hypothesized that the general life organization of the patient will determine the extent to which heart disease will have a negative effect upon mental health. More specifically, the younger the heart patient, and the higher the value placed on work, the greater the negative effects upon mental health. Heart disease is an illness which severely limits or threatens to limit the functional capacity of the victim. The greater the individual’s commitment to work, the more disturbing is that limitation likely to be. Moreover, younger victims with greater responsibilities and unfulfilled hopes and goals will suffer the greater psychological impact of functional limitation. This is particularly true among men whose occupations require considerable physical labor, such as farmers, who are the subjects of this investigation.
The Factor Structure of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and Participants of Vocational Rehabilitation

This study investigated the factor structure of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire when used by individuals with psychiatric disabilities who are participating in vocational rehabilitation. The sample consisted of 87 respondents recruited from Columbus, Ohio, in 1996 who worked in noncompetitive employment. Factor analyses with varimax rotation conducted on the short-form of the questionnaire indicated three factors, an intrinsic factor and an extrinsic factor (as proposed by the Herzberg two-factor theory) as well as another pertaining to satisfaction derived from participating in vocational rehabilitation.
Animal Cruelty Motivations Assessing Demographic and Situational Influences

Few studies have examined childhood and adolescent animal cruelty motives. Using a sample of 261 inmates surveyed at both medium and maximum security prisons ina southern state, the present study examined the impact of demographic attributes and situational factors relating specifically to a range of animal cruelty motivations. Almost half of the inmates who engaged in animal abuse reported committing some of the acts out of anger, whereas more than a third did so for fun. Regression analyses revealed that the most statistically salient variable in 7 of the 10 motivational models was whether animal cruelty was committed alone. Respondents who reported hurting or killing animals alone were more likely to commit the acts out of anger but less likely to have committed them to impress others, for sex, or to imitate others.
Integrating investment and equity: a critical regionalist agenda for a progressive regionalism

Since the 1980s, different conceptions of regionalism have emerged, reflecting distinct perspectives on place and space and a variety of policy orientations. The debates in planning over which regional policies are both “equitable” and “democratic” have been intense. This article clarifies these debates through a critical regionalist approach to the two prominent “regionalisms,” investment and distributive. This article then proposes how to strengthen the connections between investment and distributive regionalism and build on the successful practices in each arena. The authors argue that a progressive regionalism requires focus on (1) the labor market as a whole and (2) multiscalar coalitions and policy initiatives.
Fungal protein for food and feeds. IV. Whole sugar beets or beet pulp as a substrate

From the results of these exploratory experiments, sugar beets appear to be well suited for use in a program designed to produce protein by utilization of fungi. The fastest fungus growth rate in any medium prepared and tested in the program which was initiated five years ago was observed in beet root medium. Growth was completed in 30 hr., although total crude protein per 100 g beet roots was not as great as that obtained in later work employing a modified medium and longer incubation time. The highest yield obtained to date was 3.48g protein/100g roots. Thus it is possible to produce 15.79g of protein per pound of fresh roots which initially contained only 3.40g of crude protein. World production of sugar beets in the 1962–63 season was 148,910,000 metric tons (FAO Production Yearbook). If this material were utilized as such in a fungus conversion process, it would be possible to produce sufficient protein to supply the annual needs of 218,153, 150 people—slightly more than the present United States population, although, unless it differs from other vegetable proteins in being complete in so far as man is concerned, it would undoubtedly have to be fed in combination with proteins from other sources.
Ribo- and deoxyribonucleoside effect on 3'-amino-2',3'-dideoxycytidine-induced cytotoxicity in cultured L1210 cells.

3′Amino-2′,3′-dideoxycytidine (3′-NH2-dCyd) is a potent inhibitor of the replication of cultured L1210 cells, with an ic50 of 1 μM. When ribo- and deoxyribonucleosides were examined for their effects on 3′-NH2-dCyd-induced cytotoxicity, only dCyd could both prevent and reverse these effects. Furthermore, even when the maximum increase in modal cell volume was allowed to develop (24 hr) in the presence of 2.5 μM 3′-NH2-dCyd, the addition of 25 μM dCyd to the medium containing 3′-NH2-dCyd reduced the modal cell volume nearly to control levels within 24 hr. Examination of the viability of these cells by colony formation in soft agar, following as much as a 9.5-hr exposure of 1, 2.5 and 10 μM 3′-NH2-dCyd, revealed that the lethal effects of the 3′-NH2-dCyd treatment were not observed only when 25 μM dCyd was added to the medium during this time. However, the lethality of a 24-hr exposure of 2.5 and 10 μM 3′-NH2-dCyd could not be prevented either by removal of the drug from the medium or by a 24-hr exposure of the medium containing 3′-NH2-dCyd to 25 μM dCyd. When the effect of 3′-NH2-dCyd on DNA biosynthesis in L1210 cells was examined, it was found that radiolabeled dAdo incorporation decreased by approximately 60, 80 or 90% following a 2.5-hr exposure to 2.5, 10 or 20 μM 3′-NH2-dCyd respectively. The addition of 25 μM dCyd under the same conditions resulted in a greater amount of dAdo incorporation compared to the unrescued cultures. Deamination of 3′-NH2-dCyd by partially purified human cytidine-deoxycytidine deaminase was about 2.5% that of either Cyd or dCyd deamination. The deaminated derivative, 3′-amino-2′,3′-dideoxyuridine, was significantly less cytotoxic even at 50 μM.
Real-time volumetric contrast-enhanced ultrasound and microbubble destruction-replenishment imaging: Preliminary in vitro and in vivo results

Noninvasive assessment of renal perfusion would help improve treatment and outcome for patients with acute kidney injury. Although there are current methods with the capability of imaging and quantifying renal vascularity perfusion parameters, the nephrotoxic nature of their contrast agents prevents their use on compromised kidneys. Ultrasound (US) contrast agents are both non-toxic and capable of enhancing visualization of vasculature by up to 25 dB. Described in this study are preliminary results for quantifying perfusion parameters in a flow phantom and rat kidney model with volumetric contrast-enhanced US (VCEUS) imaging. Results showed significant correlations between time-to-peak intensity and concentration flow rate in a phantom model (P <; 0.05). Renal perfusion experiments in healthy rats validate VCEUS as a valuable tool for obtaining consistent time-intensity curves and parametric perfusion information. Further study is expected to reveal the advantageous nature of VCEUS for compromised and ischemic kidneys compared to alternative imaging modalities.
Improved channel quantization for secret key establishment in wireless systems

Recent work has explored the establishment of secret keys for data encryption in a symmetric cryptosystem using the reciprocal wireless channel as common randomness [1], typically by quantizing some element of the observed channel [2, 3, 4]. One challenge associated with this approach, however, is that it tends to suffer from high probability of disagreement for the bits generated at the two nodes. While error correction coding strategies can reduce the error rate, they also reduce the key establishment efficiency [4]. In this paper, we extend a recently-proposed algorithm for channel quantization [5] to dramatically improve the resulting key agreement while maintaining key establishment efficiency. Simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
A bridge for separating the components of traveling waves

By which the incident, reflected, and standing waves of voltage on a trans-mission line may be separated for simultaneous and independent measurement
Pharmacodynamics of Chemotherapeutic Effects: Dose-Time-Response Relationships for Phase-Nonspecific Agents

Abstract Pharmacodynamic relationships were developed to characterize the necrobiotic effects of phase-nonspecific chemotherapeutic agents which attach irreversibly to cell receptors. The site of drug action is considered to be a specific body compartment, and target cell inactivation by the agent results from a bimolecular drug-receptor interaction. Turnover of cells is assumed to occur by natural synthetic and degradative processes. Based on these premises, a log-linear relationship was evolved to relate the fraction of surviving cells to the drug level-time integral at the pharmacologic site. The integral was shown to be proportional to the dose and independent of the mode of administration when the entire drug level-time course is evaluated. Data from the literature for the effects of cyclophosphamide on three cell systems of mice demonstrate the usefulness and certain therapeutic implications of the equations.
Factors Affecting Survival in Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: Review of the Effectiveness of Prophylaxis

We review factors affecting survival of 44 episodes of prosthetic valve endocarditis occurring in 39 patients from 1965 to 1982. The mortality was 31.8 percent (14/44), and 21.6 percent (8/37) if the fungal cases are excluded. The development of a new murmur of valvular regurgitation in 18 patients led to valve replacement or death in every patient. Streptococcal endocarditis in 11 patients resulted in no deaths and only two valve replacements; staphylococcal infections had a mortality of 27.1 percent (6/22). Length of medical therapy before valve replacement did not relate to a successful outcome. Eight cases of early staphylococcal endocarditis occurred in which the organism was susceptible to the prophylactic antibiotic therapy. Changes in prophylaxis have led to no cases of early endocarditis over the past three years in 261 valve replacements.
The impact of product market strategy-organizational culture fit on business performance

Drawing on the organization theory literature concerning configuration theory, competing values theory, and fit assessment methodologies, we examine the existence and performance impact of product market strategy–organization culture fit. Specifically, we assess the relationship among three important elements of a firm’s product market strategy and the four cultural orientations that comprise the competing values theory of organizational culture using primary and secondary data from the US trucking industry. Using two different conceptualizations and operationalizations of fit, our results provide the first empirical support for the existence of interrelationships among product market strategy decisions and organizational culture orientations consistent with configuration theory conceptualizations of product market strategy–organizational culture fit. We also find support for theorized but previously untested relationships between product market strategy–organizational culture fit and firms’ customer satisfaction and cash-flow return on assets (CFROA) performance. Since product market strategy is heavily reliant on the input of marketers, and organizational culture has long been recognized as having an important impact on marketing-related decision making, these findings have important implications for marketing strategy research and practice.
Radioimmunoassay of arginine-rich apolipoprotein of rat serum.

Abstract A double-antibody radioimmunoassay was developed for quantification of rat arginine-rich apolipoprotein in sodium decyl sulfate. Arginine-rich protein, labeled with 125 I by the chloramine-T method, had the same chromatographic characteristics on Sephadex G-200 as unlabeled arginine-rich protein and up to 70% of 125 I-labeled arginine-rich protein was precipitated by antisera to arginine-rich protein in rabbits. The assay is sensitive at the level of 1–10 ng and has intraassay and interassay coefficients of variation of 5.4 and 6.8%, respectively. The specificity of the assay was established by competitive displacement of 125 I-labeled arginine-rich protein from its antiserum by arginine-rich protein and lipoproteins containing this protein, but not by rat albumin or other purified apolipoproteins. Immunoreactivity of rat serum and lipoproteins was complete as demonstrated by comparison with their delipidated form. The accuracy of the immunoassay was further substantiated by comparison with the amount of arginine-rich protein in chromatographic fractions of total apoprotein of very low and high density lipoproteins, and by recovery experiments in ultracentrifugally separated fractions of serum. In contrast to an immunoassay reported previously for rat apo A–I, sodium decyl sulfate was not required for complete immunoreactivity of serum and lipoproteins. The inclusion of sodium decyl sulfate (9 mM final concentration) was necessary, however, for stability of labeled and unlabeled preparations of arginine-rich protein. Content (weight %, mean values ±S.D.), of immunoassayable arginine-rich protein in isolated lipoproteins was 15 ± 1.5% in very density lipoproteins; 6.8% in low density lipoproteins (1.02 d
Transverse Stress Decay in a Specially Orthotropic Strip under Localized Normal Edge Loading

Solutions are presented for the stresses in a specially orthotropic infinite strip which is subjected to localized uniform normal loading on one edge while the other edge is either restrained against normal displacement only, or completely fixed. The solutions are used to investigate the diffusion of load into the strip and in particular the decay of normal stress across the width of the strip. For orthotropic strips representative of a broad range of balanced and symmetric angle-ply composite laminates, minimum strip widths are found that ensure at least 90% decay of the normal stress across the strip. In addition, in a few cases where, on the fixed edge the peak shear stress exceeds the normal stress in magnitude, minimum strip widths that ensure 90% decay of both stresses are found. To help in putting these results into perspective, and to illustrate the influence of material properties on load 9 orthotropic materials, closed-form solutions for the stresses in similarly loaded orthotropic half-planes are obtained. These solutions are used to generate illustrative stress contour plots for several representative laminates. Among the laminates, those composed of intermediate-angle plies, i.e., from about 30 degrees to 60 degrees, exhibit marked changes in normal stress contour shape with stress level. The stress contours are also used to find 90% decay distances in the half-planes. In all cases, the minimum strip widths for 90% decay of the normal stress exceed the 90% decay distances in the corresponding half-planes, in amounts ranging from only a few percent to about 50% of the half-plane decay distances. The 90% decay distances depend on both material properties and the boundary conditions on the supported edge.
Effect of low- and high-calcium dairy-based diets on macronutrient oxidation in humans.

Objective: Higher calcium and dairy intakes may be associated with lower body weights, but a mechanism in humans has yet to be elucidated. We compared the effects of a dairy-based high-calcium diet and a low-calcium diet on macronutrient oxidation. Research Methods and Procedures: Subjects (10 men and nine women) consumed a low-dairy (LD, ∼one serving per day, ∼500 mg Ca2+/d) or high-dairy (HD, ∼three to four servings per day, ∼1400 mg Ca2+/d) energy balance diet for 1 week. Each diet condition was performed twice. On the 7th day, subjects were studied in a room calorimeter under one of four study conditions, applied in a randomized crossover design. Within each diet condition, subjects were studied under conditions of energy balance and acute energy deficit. The deficit (−600 kcal/d) was induced only for the 24 hours that subjects resided in the room and was achieved by a combination of caloric restriction and exercise. Results: Under energy balance conditions, there was no effect of diet treatment on respiratory quotient or 24-hour macronutrient oxidation. Under energy deficit conditions, 24-hour fat oxidation was significantly increased on the HD diet (HD with deficit = 136 ± 13 g/d, LD with deficit = 106 ± 7 g/d, p = 0.02). Discussion: Consumption of a dairy-based high-calcium diet increased 24-hour fat oxidation under conditions of acute energy deficit. We hypothesize that these effects are due to an increased fat oxidation during exercise.
Comprehensive evaluation of wind speed distribution models: A case study for North Dakota sites

Accurate analysis of long term wind data is critical to the estimation of wind energy potential for a candidate location and its nearby area. Investigating the wind speed distribution is one critical task for this purpose. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation on probability density functions for the wind speed data from five representative sites in North Dakota. Besides the popular Weibull and Rayleigh distributions, we also include other distributions such as gamma, lognormal, inverse Gaussian, and maximum entropy principle (MEP) derived probability density functions (PDFs). Six goodness-of-fit (GOF) statistics are used to determine the appropriate distributions for the wind speed data for each site. It is found that no particular distribution outperforms others for all five sites, while Rayleigh distribution performs poorly for most of the sites. Similar to other models, the performances of MEP-derived PDFs in fitting wind speed data varies from site to site. Also, the results demonstrate that MEP-derived PDFs are flexible and have the potential to capture other possible distribution patterns of wind speed data. Meanwhile, different GOF statistics may generate inconsistent ranking orders of fit performance among the candidate PDFs. In addition, one comprehensive metric that combines all individual statistics is proposed to rank the overall performance for the chosen statistical distributions.
Habitat selection and recruitment of an assemblage of temperate zone reef fishes

Abstract Spatial and temporal patterns of recruitment are described for young-of-year of nine species of rockfish (Scorpaenidae, genus Sebastes) in a giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C.Ag. forest off central California, USA. Though all nine species recruited during or soon after the months of maximum coastal upwelling, variation in timing of peak recruitment among species corresponded to the sequential parturition of pelagic larvae. Recruits of each rockfish species exhibited strong and significantly distinct habitat selection based on substratum type and relief, algal type, and vertical position in the water column. To determine the effect of habitat structure on the distribution and abundance of recruits, observations of habitat selection were made within an unmanipulated M. pyrifera forest and compared to sites where the presence of M. pyrifera was altered. Whereas variation in substratum type can contribute to spatial pattens of rockfish recruitment, the temporal dynamics of algal abundance, especially M. pyrifera, may strongly influence temporal, as well as spatial variability of rockfish recruitment. These results indicate that the structural composition of a reef, particularly the occurrence of M. pyrifera, strongly influences the magnitude and species composition of local recruitment of this rockfish assemblage.
Mini-review: A priori considerations for bacteria–algae interactions in algal biofuel systems receiving municipal wastewaters

Abstract Bacteria may be critical for the functionality, associated productivity, and risk profile of wastewater based algal systems. Both wastewaters and algal stocks act as sources of bacteria effectively creating a tripartite system where it is reasonable to expect interactions between algae, bacteria from wastewater, and algae associated bacteria. The functionality associated with this complex system will be critically derived from the synergistic activities of its biological members, which in turn will be affected by the induced trophic status of the very same system. It is critical that, as algal biofuel research expands into large-scale cultivation trials and production, these interactions and associated functions are assessed, monitored, and considered when management options are being developed.
Sustained magnetic fields in binary millisecond pulsars

The two known binary millisecond pulsars1,2 PSR1953 + 29 and PSR1855 + 09 with periods P =6.1ms and 5.4ms, respectively, and the long orbital-period binary radio pulsars3 are believed to have evolved from low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs)4. The neutron stars in these binaries are believed to have formed from the accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs with shorter orbital periods5. These neutron stars have weak magnetic fields (3×108 G≲B≲6×1011 G) and rapid spin (5 ms≲P≲1s), compared with typical isolated pulsars, and are believed to have been spun up by accretion after their magnetic fields had decayed (see ref. 6 for review) on a timescale tD ˜9×106 yr (ref. 7). If correct, the fraction of pulsars which are binary millisecond pulsars is too large8 by a factor of >100. This severe discrepancy is removed if, as we propose here, the magnetic fields of neutron stars do not decay either in such binaries or in general. We also show that, if such neutron stars are formed from the accretion-induced magnetic flux and angular momentum-conserving collapse of white dwarfs, most of them are likely to have been born, and remain, spinning rapidly and to have weak magnetic fields, in agreement with observations of binary millisecond pulsars and LMXBs.
Potential of radiolabeled anti platelet antibodies in the detection of vascular thrombi

Platelets play a major role in the pathogenesis of hemostasis and thrombosis. During normal hemostasis, platelets adhere to the injured vascular endothelium. The accretion is promoted by various factors such as collagen, released from the underlying tissues, adenosinediphosphate (ADP), thrombin derived from activation of coagulation and probably other unidentified amines. The net result is formation of a thrombus. Although the process may be prevented by some physiologic mechanism that is far from clear at the present time, the thrombus thus formed can be life threatening. This is due to the fact that the thrombus may prevent blood flow to the adjoining tissue and lead to infarction. Detection of thrombus is therefore an important need for a vigorous anticoagulant therapy in the management of these patients.
Conventional High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy With Concomitant Complementary IMRT Boost: A Novel Approach for Improving Cervical Tumor Dose Coverage

Purpose To investigate the feasibility of combining conventional high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy with a concomitant complementary intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) boost for improved target coverage in cervical cancers. Methods and Materials Six patients with cervical cancer underwent conventional HDR (C-HDR) treatment. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired with a CT/MRI-compatible applicator in place. The clinical target volumes (CTVs), defined as the gross target volume with a 3-mm margin and the uterus, were delineated on the CT scans, along with the organs at risk (OARs). The IMRT plans were optimized to generate dose distributions complementing those of C-HDR to cover the CTV while maintaining low doses to the OARs (IMRT-HDR). For comparison, dwell-weight optimized HDR (O-HDR) plans were also generated to cover the CTV and spare the OARs. The three treatment techniques (C-HDR, O-HDR, and IMRT-HDR) were compared. The percentage of volume receiving 95% of the prescription dose (V 95 ) was used to evaluate dose coverage to the CTV, and the minimal doses in the 2.0-cm 3 volume receiving the greatest dose were calculated to compare the doses to the OARs. Results The C-HDR technique provided very poor CTV coverage in 5 cases (V 95 95 ≥96.9%), it resulted in unacceptably high doses to the OARs in all 6 cases and unsatisfactory coverage to the whole CTV in 3 cases. IMRT-HDR not only yielded substantially improved CTV coverage (average V 95 = 95.3%), but also kept the doses to the bladder and rectum reasonably low. Conclusion Compared with C-HDR and O-HDR, concomitant IMRT boost complementary to C-HDR not only provided excellent CTV coverage, but also maintained reasonably low doses to the OARs.
Skin is a window on heritable disorders of connective tissue.

A skin biopsy contains the macromolecules present in most connective tissues: collagens, elastin, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans. The specific combination and assembly of these matrix components and their interactions with other structures (e.g., epidermal appendages, nerve and vascular networks) and cells are responsible for the distinction among specific regions of the dermis. The matrix components are interactive and interdependent and modification of one of them, by extrinsic (environmental) and/or intrinsic (systemic, genetic, age-related) factors, may have consequences on the tissue as a whole. The skin, therefore, provides a window through which it is possible to examine how mutations in one connective tissue macromolecule can change the interactions among matrix components and affect tissue structure and organization. Light and electron microscopic studies of skin from patients with inherited connective tissue disorders (e.g., Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, Marfan syndrome, cutis laxa) have led us to the following generalizations about what components change, how individual collagen or elastic fibers are altered and how individual alterations affect overall dermal organization: 1) There is a limited change in the repertoire of collagen fibrils in the skin; 2) there appears to be a greater range of abnormal structure in dermal elastic fibers than in the collagen fibrils; 3) the morphology of the fibroblastic cells may provide clues to the defect in matrix components; 4) similar structural abnormalities result from different molecular defect; 5) a molecular defect in one connective tissue molecule has consequences for the structural properties of other connective tissue components; and 6) although structural alterations in connective tissue fibers are rarely specific for a given disease, there are characteristic patterns of structural change in the matrix that may be used to confirm a diagnosis. These generalizations show that mutations rarely affect only a single aspect of macromolecular function and because of the interactions of matrix components in this complex organ (skin) often disturb the organization of the entire dermis. Genotype-phenotype relationships are important to understand if effective therapies are to be designed. The structure of skin should provide the next level of integration in our efforts to determine how mutations produce disease.
Paper: Some design guidelines for discrete-time adaptive controllers

There have been many algorithms proposed for adaptive control which will provide globally asymptotically stable controllers if some stringent conditions on the plant are met. The conditions on the plant cannot be met in practice as all plants will contain high frequency unmodeled dynamics. This paper uses a linearization analysis of a nonlinear adaptive controller to demonstrate analytically some design guidelines which alleviate some of the problems associated with adaptive control in the presence of unmodeled dynamics. The points made are further demonstrated by simulation results.
On the possible role of involution in the natural history of breast cancer.

Although the importance of the relationship between age and cancer incidence rates is recognized universally, little attention seems to have been paid to the relationship between the physiologic aging process in the breast and breast cancer risk. The natural history of breast cancer was examined in the context of involution of the breast, and it was proposed that the rate and extent of involution might be important determinants of breast cancer risk. It was concluded that additional studies to characterize the process of involution better histopathologically and to examine the associations between the rate and extent of involution and breast cancer risk are warranted
The Fog of Negotiation: What Negotiators Can Learn from Military Doctrine

On the surface, warfare and negotiation may seem to be polar opposites. The objective in war is to defeat the enemy. In negotiation, the goal is to find a solution that satisfies all the parties. Not surprisingly, little cross-learning and exchange has occurred across the two domains. In spite of important differences, however, the dynamics of war and negotiation have much in common. Specifically, both involve the interaction of motivated agents with distinct interests, perceptions, and values (especially in high-stakes contexts). As a result, robust strategy, creativity, and nimble tactics are essential both on the battlefield and at the bargaining table. Just as negotiation theory could be enriched by principles of maneuver warfare, military doctrine offers officers and soldiers a potentially useful foundation to better understand and manage the negotiation process, especially in complex, cross-cultural contexts.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF IODINE TO THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE AND TO THE CHANGES IN THE THYROID GLAND IN PREGNANT RABBITS—AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

The changes in the thyroid gland during pregnancy have held the interest of clinicians and pathologists for many years. The problem is especially recognized in the goiter districts, where without early prophylaxis, thyroid disturbances are inevitable. By clinical observation and laboratory tests, variations in thyroid function during pregnancy have been estimated. Iodine is given throughout pregnancy to minimize such functional disturbances. That such administration is justified is common knowledge and is supported by the mass of current literature dealing with this subject. It is an established fact that pregnancy is associated with a considerably exaggerated metabolic rate. This has been recognized by clinical observation for many years but was not established definitely until recently. The earliest determinations are quoted by Root and Root (1) as a relative and absolute increase in the oxygen consumption per kilogram of body weight, early in pregnancy.
Research challenges in control engineering of computing systems

A wide variety of software systems employ closed loops (feedback) to achieve service level objectives and to optimize resource usage. Control theory provides a systematic approach to constructing closed loop systems, and is widely used in disciplines such as mechanical and electrical engineering. This paper describes recent advances in applying control theory to computing systems, and identifies research challenges to address so that control engineering can be widely used by software practitioners.
Field guide to next-generation DNA sequencers

The diversity of available 2 nd and 3 rd generation DNA sequencing platforms is increasing rapidly. Costs for these systems range from $10 ⁄Mb for 454 and some Ion Torrent chips). In terms of cost per nonmultiplexed sample and instrument run time, the Pacific Biosciences and Ion Torrent platforms excel, with the 454 GS Junior and Illumina MiSeq also notable in this regard. All platforms allow multiplexing of samples, but details of library preparation, experimental design and data analysis can constrain the options. The wide range of characteristics among available platforms provides opportunities both to conduct groundbreaking studies and to waste money on scales that were previously infeasible. Thus, careful thought about the desired characteristics of these systems is warranted before purchasing or using any of them. Updated information from this guide will be maintained at: http://dna.uga.edu/ and http://tomato.biol.trinity.edu/blog/.
Pull-Out and Push-Out Tests for Rubber-to Metal Adhesion

Abstract A study has been carried out of adhesive failure forces for a steel rod embedded in and bonded to a rubber block. Emphasis has been placed on comparing tension (pull-out) and compression (push-out) forces. A fractional contribution to the pull-out force appeared to be significant for rods having a diameter greater than about 0.5 mm in the present experiments. Indeed, it became a large fraction of the total force when the rod diameter was 1 mm or more. On the other hand, it was negligibly small in push-out experiments. They would therefore be preferred on this basis for measuring the strength of adhesion. But experimental difficulties in carrying out compression tests are considerable. Tall blocks become unstable under large compressive loads, and short ones are markedly stiffer than long ones, due to restraints on their lateral expansion, which are difficult to specify and control. Thus, although measurements of push-out force for a wide variety of samples have been shown to be in good accord wit...