cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract B65: Profiling and characterization of ethnicity-associated metabolic pathways in breast cancer.

Large variations in breast cancer incidence and survival among the various population groups in the United States continue to exist and differences in the clinical presentation of the disease between African American (AA) and European-American women have been recognized. Specifically, AA develop breast cancer at a relatively younger age, have a two-fold increased risk of developing triple-negative (TN) tumors and present more commonly with the stage IV disease, when compared with EA women. While the precise reasons for this disparity are still debated, genetic, environmental, and health care access/utilization factors may all contribute to the excessive burden of breast cancer among the AA patients. We therefore asked the question whether metabolomic differences in either breast tissue or body fluids may exist between AA and EA women that could help explain the substantial inequality in TN breast cancer-related outcomes. Metabolomics describes the science of quantifying the levels of metabolites (e.g., small molecules <1kDa) that are the byproducts of cellular metabolism. Metabolomic analysis is less complex than genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic studies (i.e., ~3,000 metabolites vs. 40,000 genes, 150,000 transcripts and 1x106 proteins) and may accentuate subtle upstream gene/protein level alterations. To date, a systematic breast cancer metabolomic analysis focusing on the distinction between AA and EA women has not been reported. Furthermore, a metabolomically derived prognostic model for TN in each of these ethnic groups has not yet been defined. The presentation will discuss our results on profiling and validating the levels of 120 metabolites in both TN breast tumors from AA and EA women and in cell lines representing the two patient groups. A subset of the functional pathways has been characterized for their activity using BIOLOG-based flux assays to identify their role in TN breast cancer. The information gleaned from this study could reveal the biochemical underpinnings of TN breast cancer health disparity Citation Format: Atsushi Terunuma, Nagireddy Putluri, Susmita Samanta, Prachi Mishra, Ewy Mathe, Tiffany H. Dorsey, Rick Kittles, Stefan Ambs. Profiling and characterization of ethnicity-associated metabolic pathways in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B65.
Radioelectrocardiography during Exercise in Patients with the Anginal Syndrome Use of Multiple Leads

The electrocardiographic alterations during the period of and immediately following exercise were studied by means of radioelectrocardiography, in 90 patients with angina pectoris. Three leads (II, V4, and V6) were utilized. The criteria for abnormality were based on the findings of 229 "normal" subjects between the ages of 17 and 39 and 300 "normal" subjects between the ages of 40 and 60. Sixty-eight of the 90 patients (76 per cent) with angina pectoris showed electrocardiographic abnormalities during and after the period of exercise. An additional seven patients (8 per cent) manifested alterations that were considered to be "probably abnormal." The incidence of false-negative tests was 10 per cent, those patients being excluded in whom the test had to be stopped early because of fatigue, leg pain, or other complaints. The findings indicate that the recording of the electrocardiogram during exercise adds considerably to the value of the test. In some patients (12 per cent), the electrocardiogram was positive only during the period of exercise, and in 30 per cent the abnormal findings were obtained chiefly during this period. The Master two-step test involves various technical and subjective difficulties such as interpretation of the alterations, wandering of the baseline, and lack of cooperation from the patient. In a certain percentage of patients with clinical angina pectoris false-negative tests are obtained. Also positive tests in subjects without definite anginal symptoms are not rare, but not enough long-term follow-up studies have been performed to delineate the significance of these findings. In spite of some limitations, the exercise electrocardiogram, especially that taken during as well as after exercise, is an important adjunct in the diagnosis of angina pectoris.
Attitudes of Nurse and Physician trainees towards an interprofessional simulated education experience on Pain Assessment and Management

An interprofessional group of educators from multiple institutions piloted a simulation-based learning experience focusing on acute pain management. The participants in the program were resident physicians-novice nurse dyads, and medical student-nursing student dyads from large universities and a magnet health care system. Each dyad was challenged to assess and manage acute pain in a simulated hospitalized patient using effective collaboration skills. The simulations included pre-debriefing, simulation, and a debriefing session. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys measuring confidence in pain management and attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration. There was a significant positive shift in the confidence of the learners' ability to assess and manage acute pain in a hospitalized patient after the simulation and debriefing (23.2% strongly agreed versus 7% at baseline). Participants' attitudes regarding education to enhance interprofessional collaboration improved after the simulation experience (83.9% strongly agreed versus 73.7% at baseline). Based on these encouraging findings, we are extending this interprofessional experience to a larger group of learners with the same targeted dyads.
Direct in vitro stimulation of pituitary LH release by alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone.

Abstract The present in vitro superfusion study demonstrates that synthetic α-MSH acts at the pituitary level, independent of the hypothalamus, to increase the release of LH in male but not in female rats.
Quasiperiodically kicked quantum systems

We consider a two-state system kicked quasiperiodically by an external force. When the two kicking frequencies assumed for the force are incommensurate, there can be quantum chaos in the sense that (a) the autocorrelation function of the state vector decays, (b) the power spectrum of the state vector is broadband, and (c) the motion on the Bloch sphere is ergodic. The time evolution of the state vector is nevertheless dynamically stable in the sense that memory of the initial state is retained. We also consider briefly the kicked quantum rotator and find, in agreement with Shepelyansky [Physica 8D, 208 (1983)], that the quantum localization effect is greatly weakened by the presence of two incommensurate driving frequencies.
Independence of blood pressure and plasma cholesterol in mice.

Abstract Systolic blood pressure and plasma cholesterol levels were determined in male mice from lines genetically selected either for high and low systolic blood pressure or for high and low plasma cholesterol. No association was found between the two characteristics in these lines.
Reply to comment by Alley et al. on “Catastrophic ice shelf breakup as the source of Heinrich event icebergs”

[1] The authors of Hulbe et al. [2004] are grateful for the opportunity afforded by Alley et al.’s [2005] remarks. The original draft of the comment was shared via e-mail, after which a compelling dialog ensued among the combined group of authors. This is, we believe, exactly what should transpire in the scientific marketplace of ideas, and we were pleased to be approached by Alley et al. [2005] in this way. [2] Three glaciologic issues do seem to warrant clarification. First, the notion of ice shelves as debris filters derives mainly from observations at the fronts of Antarctica’s large ice shelves, not from the small fringing ice shelves advocated in the work of Hulbe et al. [2004]. Indeed, the presence of significant englacial debris in the shattered remains of the Larsen B ice shelf was a primary motivation in our revisitation of the original ice shelf hypothesis. Second, it has been observed recently that glaciers in the Antarctic Peninsula and elsewhere are speeding up in the wake of ice-shelf disintegration. The details of those speed-ups require investigation, but this may be a source for additional Heinrich layer sediment after the initial ice-shelf breakup pulse. Third, the ‘‘trigger’’ for ice-shelf breakup is summertime warmth, a signal that may not be apparent in the mean annual temperature revealed by ice-core isotopes. [3] Through all the discussion, one fact seems clear: neither an ice-shelf nor an ice-stream surge model adequately addresses all the known demands of theHeinrich layer record. Neither mechanism is completely unique in its sedimentary and geomorphic signature, yet hope exists, for each has particular attributes that might be exploited in identifying the correct mechanism. [4] We believe our original paper addressed the concerns raised by Alley et al. [2005]. Thus we decline further comment and eagerly await more news from the geologic record. Our goal is to improve the understanding of Heinrich events, not to cling to one explanation or another. PALEOCEANOGRAPHY, VOL. 20, PA1011, doi:10.1029/2004PA001118, 2005
Presidential Address Surgical Oncology: A Specialty in Evolution

Surgical oncology has established its role in the multidisciplinary care of the cancer patient. Surgical oncology fellowships are organized to teach multimodality treatment. The typical fellow has completed 6 years of general surgery residency and 1 year in the laboratory with the resultant eight publications. Data compiled from the review of two Society of Surgical Oncology–approved fellowship programs, the Surgical Residency Review Committee and the American Board of Surgery, indicate that the majority of fellows join academic faculties and enhance the training of general surgeons, who, in turn, have the major responsibility for oncologic care of the population at large.
Analyte-triggered gelation: initiating self-assembly via oxidation-induced planarization.

An alternative design strategy for inventing new triggered gelations was tested. Single crystal X-ray diffraction confirmed that an oxidation can convert a nonplanar dihydropyridine (1) that exhibits weak 1-D intermolecular interactions into a planar pyridine (2) that exhibits significant 1-D π-stacking interactions. Moreover, an electron-rich aryl ethynylene substituent was used to enhance the self-assembly process through donor−acceptor interactions. Pyridine 2 was discovered to form gels in mixtures of water with DMSO, alcohols, acetone, and DMF. Scanning electron microscopy revealed high-aspect-ratio fibers, and Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the π-stacking direction is coincident with the fiber axis. Gelation was induced at room temperature by adding a strong oxidant (cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate) to a solution of 1. A gel is also formed at room temperature when DMSO/H2O is added after the reaction of 1 with a weaker oxidant (nitric oxide).
Dose escalation for localized prostate cancer: substantial benefit observed with 3D conformal therapy

Abstract Purpose To determine the effect of radiation dose escalation on biochemical and/or disease failure in patients with localized prostate cancer treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). Methods and materials Between May 1987 and December 2000, 1473 patients were assessed after treatment with 3D-CRT. The mean patient age was 70.4 ± 6.8 years, 1316 patients had T1-T2 disease, and 1150 had Gleason score ≤7. The median pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 8.9 ng/mL. The mean dose was 71.7 ± 4.3 Gy (range 60.0–80.4). Failure was defined as the first event of any of the following: biochemical failure, local recurrence or metastasis, postirradiation hormonal therapy, or death from disease. Results At a median follow-up of 35.2 months, 395 failures (26.8%) had occurred. Adjusting for dose as a continuous variable, the hazard ratio for failure was 2.03 ( p p 20 ng/mL or Gleason score ≥8) compared with 448 low-risk patients (stage T1-T2 and Gleason score ≤6 and PSA p = 0.005). Conclusion Dose escalation using 3D-CRT significantly reduces the risk of biochemical/disease failure among intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients.
On the Radial Induced Electromotive Force Discovered by Corbino

This effect, which is essentially the Hall effect on induced currents in circular disks, was found in bismuth by Corbino. According to his theory, the quantity of charge transported through the circuit of resistance $R$ is $\ensuremath{-}(\frac{1}{8\ensuremath{\pi}R}){c}_{H}S{H}^{2}$, where the coefficient, ${c}_{H}$, corresponds to the final field $H$, and $S$ is the area of the disk. On the other hand, K. K. Smith derived the following formula for the equivalent change of flux, $N=\ensuremath{-}(\frac{S}{4\ensuremath{\pi}})\ensuremath{\int}{{H}_{1}}^{{H}_{2}}\mathrm{cH}\mathrm{dH}$. These expressions agree only if $c$ is independent of $H$. Our experiments on bismuth show that the value of the coefficient derived from the first formula is always greater than that derived from the second. This discrepancy is explained by the fact that the coefficient $c$ decreases as the strength of the field increases. The ratio of Hall coefficient to resistivity, found for plates cut from the disks, agrees quite well with the coefficient ${c}_{2}$ derived from the second formula. In antimony the induced effect, small and opposite in sign to that in bismuth, is found. In this metal, the coefficients decrease only slightly with the field and no discrepancy between ${c}_{H}$, ${c}_{2}$ and $\frac{R}{\ensuremath{\rho}}$ has been detected. In the case of bismuth, the graphs relating the induced throws and magnetic field are, for sufficiently strong fields, linear. Hence one can deduce simple expressions for the Hall and Corbino coefficients in intense fields.
New 5,17-(di-ionizable)-25,26,27,28-tetraalkoxycalix[4]arene ligands: synthesis and selected divalent metal ion extractions

Four new series of 5,17-(di-ionizable)-25,26,26,28-tetraalkoxycalix[4]arene ligands are prepared. The ionizable groups are carboxylic acid and N-(Z)sulfonyl formamide functions with Z = –Me, –Ph, –C6H4–4-NO2, and –CF3. When the four alkoxy groups are methoxy, the ligand conformation is flexible. With four butoxy groups, the ligands are locked in cone, partial-cone, or 1,3-alternate conformations. Complexation abilities of the new ligands are evaluated in solvent extractions of selected divalent metal ions from aqueous solutions into chloroform. Both the conformation of the calix[4]arene unit and identity of the acidic group are found to influence the divalent metal ion extraction selectivity and efficiency.
The problem of detecting a free glutamate decrease in the dorsal sensory neuron following dorsal root crush.

Dorsal root crush results in a highly significant decrease in the free glutamate/total free amino acid concentration ratio over an extended time period. Perhaps this is a good measurement to use in glutamate crush studies.
Long-wavelength optical phonons and phase transitions in SbSI

Optical phonons and temperature dependent phase transitions in paraelectric antimony and ferroelectric sulfoiodide semiconductors, using polarized IR and Raman spectra measurements
Droplet distributions at the liquid core of a turbulent spray

Initial droplet distributions at the liquid core are examined for various Weber number and pulsing conditions. While experimental investigation in the liquid core region is nearly impossible due to difficulty in the optical access to the region, the distribution at the region is investigated computationally, and typical droplet distributions are identified. It is found that the Nukiyama–Tanasawa and log-normal distributions can best describe the droplet size and velocity distributions, respectively. By comparing computational results obtained at the liquid core (0<x<8mm) and experimental data collected at x=48mm, it is suspected that the droplet gradation occurs immediately after droplets are separated from the liquid core. Thus, the distribution shape changes rapidly in both axial and radial directions. Such droplet–gradation behavior is numerically confirmed when the Nukiyama–Tanasawa droplet size distribution is used as an initial condition for the stochastic separated flow model. When the jet velocity...
Flexural fatigue analysis of a CFRP form reinforced concrete bridge deck

Abstract Concrete bridge decks reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite panels have recently been used where the FRP panels also serve as the permanent formwork for concrete. Comparing to their short-term behavior, their long-term performance especially under repeated traffic loads (fatigue) has not yet been widely known. This paper presents a fatigue analysis tool developed for a new steel-free concrete bridge deck reinforced with carbon FRP stay-in-place form. The developed model takes into account the cyclic creep of concrete in compression, the reduction in flexural stiffness due to fatigue tensile cracking and the reduction in modulus of rupture under cyclic loading. Comparisons with experimental data show reasonable agreement where a full-size 2-span deck specimen was subjected to millions of fatigue cycles. The parametric study recommends reducing the amount of FRP reinforcement and concrete strength of the current design, and lower loading rate may introduce more stiffness degradation in the system.
Ethnic-specific prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in the United States.

Background Individuals diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are at increased risk for future functional limitations as well as cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to estimate the age-, gender-, and ethnic-specific burden of PAD in the United States for the year 2000. Methods Data were collected from seven community-based studies that assessed subjects for the presence of PAD using the ankle-brachial index (ABI). Using standardized weighting criteria, age-, gender-, and ethnic-specific prevalence rates were computed and then multiplied by the corresponding 2000 Census population totals to estimate the burden of PAD in the United States for that year. Evidence-based adjustments for studies which did not consider possible subclavian stenosis, prior revascularization for PAD, or both were employed. Results In 2000, it is conservatively estimated that at least 6.8 million (5.8%) individuals aged 40 years or older had PAD based on an ABI of less than 0.9 or previous revascularization for PAD, and that that there are an additional 1.7 million Americans with PAD but "normal" ABIs. Including this group gives a total of 8.5 million (7.2%) individuals with PAD. Conclusions Roughly one in 16 individuals residing in the United States in 2000 who were aged 40 years and older had PAD. Clinicians are encouraged to screen for the presence of PAD using the ABI.
A systems biology analysis of the unique and overlapping transcriptional responses to caloric restriction and dietary methionine restriction in rats

Dietary methionine restriction (MR) and calorie restriction (CR) each improve metabolic health and extend life span. We used comprehensive transcriptome profiling and systems biology analysis to interrogate the unique and overlapping molecular responses in rats provided these dietary regimens for 20 mo after weaning. Microarray analysis was conducted on inguinal white adipose (IWAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), liver, and skeletal muscle. Compared to controls, CR-induced transcriptomic responses (absolute fold change ≥1.5 and P≤0.05) were comparable in IWAT, BAT, and liver (~800 genes). MR-induced effects were largely restricted to IWAT and liver (~2400 genes). Pathway enrichment and gene-coexpression analyses showed that induction of fatty acid synthesis in IWAT was common to CR and MR, whereas immunity and proinflammatory signaling pathways were specifically down-regulated in MR-treated IWAT and liver (FDR≤0.07-0.3). BAT demonstrated consistent down-regulation of PPAR-signaling under CR and MR, whereas muscle was largely unaffected. Interactome analysis identified CR-specific down-regulation of cytoskeletal matrix components in IWAT and MR-specific up-regulation of ribosomal genes in liver (FDR≤0.001). Transcriptomic down-regulation of inflammation genes by MR in IWAT was consistent with upstream inhibition of STAT3. Together, these results provide an integrated picture of the breadth of transcriptional responses to MR and CR among key metabolic tissues.
An Arabidopsis Inositol 5-Phosphatase Gain-of-Function Alters Abscisic Acid Signaling

Signals can be perceived and amplified at the cell membrane by receptors coupled to the production of a variety of second messengers, including inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). We previously have identified 15 putative inositol 5-phosphatases (5PTases) from Arabidopsis and shown that At5PTase1 can hydrolyze IP3. To determine whether At5PTase1 can terminate IP3-mediated signaling, we analyzed transgenic plants ectopically expressing At5PTase1. Stomata from leaves of At5PTase1 transgenic plants were abscisic acid (ABA) and light insensitive, and ABA induction of genes was delayed. Quantification of IP3 in plants exposed to ABA indicated that ABA induced two IP3 increases in wild-type plants. Both of these IP3 increases were reduced in At5PTase1 transgenic plants, indicating that IP3 may be necessary for stomatal closure and temporal control of ABA-induced gene expression. To determine if ABA could induce expression of At5PTase1, we examined RNA and protein levels of At5PTase1 in wild-type plants exposed to ABA. Our results indicate that At5PTase1 is up-regulated in response to ABA. This is consistent with At5PTase1 acting as a signal terminator of ABA signaling.
Seismic Risk and Society Development Indicators: Examination of Three Countries

AbstractThis paper investigates the underlying relationship between the implicit level of risk accepted for natural hazards, and the level of economic, social, and political development of the country. Vulnerability information is related to the seismic provisions of the building codes and the atmosphere of code enforcement. Haiti, Chile, and New Zealand all experienced major earthquakes in 2010. The loss of life and devastation in Haiti, however, was much worse than in Chile and New Zealand, despite a somewhat smaller magnitude of the earthquake. Specifically, this paper compares the differences among the three events, and notes some of the social aspects that led to the conditions in each country at the time of the earthquakes. Variables evaluated are aspects of the social solidity, political stability, and economic growth. Implicit considerations include magnitude of the earthquake, local geological conditions, demographics of the population, and population at seismic risk. Damage is continuing to be i...
Measuring risk attitude of agricultural producers using a mail survey: how consistent are the methods?

A mail survey is used to examine the consistency of alternative risk preference elicitation procedures using five commonly used methods. These elicitation procedures have been used in previous studies to characterise risk preference. Results show little consistency across procedures, supporting strength-of-preference studies. A general recommendation for mail surveys is the development of relatively easy-to-understand risk-preference elicitation procedures that are framed according to the situational construct in question.
Skin dressings in the treatment of contaminated wounds

Practices of extensive debridement and open wound management in World War II resulted in a large number of open wounds that were not amenable to secondary closure. Contamination of the wound at the time of injury often led to the development of surface infection, further complicating this problem. During this military conflict surgeons utilized split thickness skin grafts to convert these infected open wounds into clean closed wounds. The success of this practice of covering open wounds with "skin dressings" was reviewed by Gay [I] in 1946. Split thickness skin grafts were applied to the open wound after the wounds had been packed, with dressings soaked in saline or boric acid, for twenty4odr to forty-eight hours. The skin grafts were very thin since the use of thin split thickness grafts resulted in a higher percentage of complete takes in the presence of excessive exudation or moderate infection than did the thicker grafts. Complete takes of the skin grafts were noted in 87 per cent of the cases. The benefits of skin dressings in the treatment of the contaminated wound have been realized by other civilian and military surgeons [2-5]. Coverage of contaminated wounds with either auto-
Spatial and Temporal Variability in Bottom Roughness: Implications to High Frequency Subcritical Penetration and Backscatter

Quantitative prediction of high frequency, low grazing angle penetration into, and scattering from, sand sediments requires knowledge of the roughness of the water/sand interface. Since the sediment roughness evolves due to hydrodynamic and biological processes, concurrent, co-located measurement of roughness and acoustic penetration/backscattering is essential for testing acoustic models or using such models to determine the likelihood of buried target detection. Here, we examine both roughness and acoustic measurements carried out during a six week sediment acoustics experiment in 1999 (SAX99). A ripple field was present throughout the experimental period but changed wavelength and orientation as a result of a storm event (i.e., the ripple field was temporally non-stationary). The predicted impact of this change in the ripple field on acoustic penetration at shallow grazing angles is presented. The small-scale roughness important for backscattering was measured at several locations near to, but not co-located with, acoustic backscattering measurements. These measurements indicate roughness changes with location. The effect of this spatial non-stationarity on tests of alternative backscattering models is discussed. Finally, simple sonar equation predictions of high frequency, low grazing angle, buried mine detection are made using various combinations of interface roughness conditions.
A STATE-LEVEL ANALYSIS OF BUSINESS CYCLE ASYMMETRY

This paper provides a comprehensive examination of asymmetry in US state-level business cycles. We consider two different types of asymmetry in the adjustment process of a stationary time series: deepness and steepness. The data used in the study are a comparable set of state-level coincident indexes (SCIs) developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Specifically, results from using the momentum-threshold autoregressive model provide evidence of asymmetry in the growth rate of 23 SCIs as well as the equivalent national coincident index.
Water management studies in PEM fuel cells, Part I: Fuel cell design and in situ water distributions

A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) must maintain a balance between the hydration level required for efficient proton transfer and excess liquid water that can impede the flow of gases to the electrodes where the reactions take place. Therefore, it is critically important to understand the two-phase flow of liquid water combined with either the hydrogen (anode) or air (cathode) streams. In this paper, we describe the design of an in situ test apparatus that enables investigation of two-phase channel flow within PEMFCs, including the flow of water from the porous gas diffusion layer (GDL) into the channel gas flows; the flow of water within the bipolar plate channels themselves; and the dynamics of flow through multiple channels connected to common manifolds which maintain a uniform pressure differential across all possible flow paths. These two-phase flow effects have been studied at relatively low operating temperatures under steady-state conditions and during transient air purging sequences.
Levels of C-Reactive Protein Associated with High and Very High Cardiovascular Risk Are Prevalent in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective C-reactive protein (CRP) levels>3 mg/L and>10 mg/L are associated with high and very high cardiovascular risk, respectively, in the general population. Because rheumatoid arthritis (RA) confers excess cardiovascular mortality, we determined the prevalence of these CRP levels among RA patients stratified on the basis of their RA disease activity. Methods We evaluated physician and patient global assessments of disease activity, tender and swollen 28 joint counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and CRP measured in a single clinic visit for 151 RA patients. Disease activity was calculated using the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and the Disease Activity Score 28 Joints (DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP). Results Median CRP level was 5.3 mg/L. 68% of patients had CRP>3 mg/L, and 25% had CRP>10 mg/L. Of those with 0–1 swollen joints (n = 56), or 0–1 tender joints (n = 81), 64% and 67%, respectively, had CRP>3 mg/L, and 23% and 20%, respectively, had CRP>10 mg/L. Of those with remission or mildly active disease by CDAI (n = 58), DAS28-ESR (n = 39), or DAS28-CRP (n = 70), 49–66% had CRP>3 mg/L, and 10–14% had CRP>10 mg/L. Of patients with moderate disease activity by CDAI (n = 51), DAS28-ESR (n = 78), or DAS28-CRP (n = 66), 67–73% had CRP>3 mg/L, and 25–33% had CRP>10 mg/L. Conclusion Even among RA patients whose disease is judged to be controlled by joint counts or standardized disease scores, a substantial proportion have CRP levels that are associated high or very high risk for future cardiovascular events in the general population.
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale: Examiner vs Machine Administration?

Scores obtained when the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was administered by a trained examiner were compared with those obtained when the test was administered mechanically. Ss, 40 university students, were given half the items of the WAIS Verbal scale by an examiner and half by machine. Analysis of the scores obtained under these two modes of test presentation, using Lindquist's Type V “mixed” design, showed no significant differences in performance, except for the Information subtest. Scores on the Information subtest, when administered by the examiner, were significantly higher than when administered mechanically.
Mapping the natural variation in whole bone stiffness and strength across skeletal sites

Abstract Traits of the skeletal system are coordinately adjusted to establish mechanical homeostasis in response to genetic and environmental factors. Prior work demonstrated that this ‘complex adaptive’ process is not perfect, revealing a two-fold difference in whole bone stiffness of the tibia across a population. Robustness (specifically, total cross-sectional area relative to length) varies widely across skeletal sites and between sexes. However, it is unknown whether the natural variation in whole bone stiffness and strength also varies across skeletal sites and between men and women. We tested the hypotheses that: 1) all major long bones of the appendicular skeleton demonstrate inherent, systemic constraints in the degree to which morphological and compositional traits can be adjusted for a given robustness; and 2) these traits covary in a predictable manner independent of body size and robustness. We assessed the functional relationships among robustness, cortical area (Ct.Ar), cortical tissue mineral density (Ct.TMD), and bone strength index (BSI) across the long bones of the upper and lower limbs of 115 adult men and women. All bones showed a significant (p
Leveraging phase change memory to achieve efficient virtual machine execution

Virtualization technology is being widely adopted by servers and data centers in the cloud computing era to improve resource utilization and energy efficiency. Nevertheless, the heterogeneous memory demands from multiple virtual machines (VM) make it more challenging to design efficient memory systems. Even worse, mission critical VM management activities (e.g. checkpointing) could incur significant runtime overhead due to intensive IO operations. In this paper, we propose to leverage the adaptable and non-volatile features of the emerging phase change memory (PCM) to achieve efficient virtual machine execution. Towards this end, we exploit VM-aware PCM management mechanisms, which 1) smartly tune SLC/MLC page allocation within a single VM and across different VMs and 2) keep critical checkpointing pages in PCM to reduce I/O traffic. Experimental results show that our single VM design (IntraVM) improves performance by 10% and 20% compared to pure SLC- and MLC- based systems. Further incorporating VM-aware resource management schemes (IntraVM+InterVM) increases system performance by 15%. In addition, our design saves 46% of checkpoint/restore duration and reduces 50% of overall IO penalty to the system.
Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Confined Water in AOT Reverse Micelles

Reverse micelles are attractive nanoscale systems used for the confinement of molecules in studies of structure and chemical reactions, including protein folding, and aggregation. The simulation of reverse micelles, in which a water “pool” is separated from a nonpolar bulk phase by a surfactant layer, poses significant challenges to empirical force fields due to the diversity of interactions between nonpolar, polar, and charged groups. We have explored the dependence of system density, reverse micelle structure, and water configurational relaxation times as a function of reverse micelle composition, including water:surfactant ratio, absolute number of water molecules, and force field using molecular dynamics simulations. The resulting structures and dynamics are found to depend more on the force field used than on varying interpretations of the water:surfactant ratio in terms of absolute size of the reverse micelle. Substantial deviations from spherical reverse micelle geometries are observed in all unres...
Modeling the thermal behavior of chalcogenide based phase change memory cell

The presented work, reports a 2D thermal model for a PCM cell employing stacked Ge-chalcogenide (Ge2Se3) and Sn-chalcogenide (SnSe) layers as phase change materials. The thermal behavior exhibited by the PCM cell upon melting of the Ge2Se3 layer is explored at the 130nm, 65nm and 45nm technology nodes. The suitability of doped polysilicon, TiN and TaSiNx as potential heater materials with the purpose of reducing programming current below 1 mA is examined. Possibility of thermal crosstalk between adjacent cells driven by MOSFETs, is also investigated.
Variation-Aware Placement With Multi-Cycle Statistical Timing Analysis for FPGAs

Deep submicron processes have allowed field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to grow in complexity and speed. However, such technology scaling has caused FPGAs to become more susceptible to the effects of process variation. In order to obtain sufficient yield values, it is now necessary to consider process variation during physical design. It is common for FPGAs to contain designs with multi-cycle paths to help increase the performance, but current statistical static timing analysis (SSTA) techniques cannot support this type of timing constraint. In this paper, we propose an extension to block-based SSTA to consider multi-cycle paths. We then use this new SSTA to optimize FPGA placement with our tool VMC-Place for designs with multi-cycle paths. Experimental results show our multi-cycle SSTA is accurate to 0.59% for the mean and 0.0024% for the standard deviation. Our results also show that VMC-Place is able to reduce the 95% performance yield clock period by 15.36% as compared to VPR.
Biosynthesis of ecdysteroids from cholesterol by crab Y-organs, and eyestalk suppression of cholesterol uptake and secretory activity, in vitro.

Abstract Precursor incorporation studies were conducted in vitro with activated Y-organs from 48-hr de-eyestalked Cancer antennarius donors. When the glands were prelabeled in vivo by systemic injection of [3H]cholesterol 12 hr prior to removal, and subsequently incubated 24 hr in label-free medium, the glands secreted 3H-labeled ecdysone. The glands also secreted an unidentified ecdysteroid with comigrating 3H-label with characteristic retention time on normal-phase HPLC of 4 min (4-min unknown). The compound is less polar, and is secreted in a quantity and apparent specific activity approximately fivefold greater, than ecdysone. Compared with chromatographic retention times and competitive binding curves of authentic standards, the 4-min unknown was determined not to be ponasterone A, inokosterone, makisterone, or several other possible products or intermediates. In contrast with Y-organs from intact donors, those from de-eyestalked crabs exhibit gretly increased cholesterol uptake and secretion of both ecdysone and 4-min ukknown in vitro. All three responses were suppressed in dose-dependent manner by eyestalk extract in the dose range, 1–4 eyestalk equivalents/Y-organ. Secretion of 4-min unknown was the response most sensitive to eyestalk extract (requiring the least dose for 50% inhibition.
The anodic dissolution of dental amalgams studied with abrasive stripping voltammetry

The recently described technique abrasive stripping voltammetry was used to study the corrosion behavior of five commercial dental amalgams. Abrasive stripping voltammetry of these amalgams reveals details of the anodic dissolution of the alloys that are not accessible by other methods. Systematic studies of SnHg alloys, SnAg alloys, and dental amalgams lead to a method that allows the identification of the γ2-phase in dental amalgams. It can be shown that the non-γ2 amalgams have a higher stability than γ2-containing amalgams only in solutions of very low complexation ability. In cases of more aggressive solutions such as lemon juice, non-γ2 and conventional amalgams exhibit identical behavior during the anodic oxidation.
Determination of polyelectrolyte pKa values using surface-to-air tension measurements

Abstract The determination of pKa values of acids can be done in a multitude of manners, ranging from the classic potentiometric titration to computationally. We envisioned that it would be possible to determine the pKa values of polyelectrolytes using surface tension measurements at the surface-to-air interface. When measuring surface tension at the surface-to-air interface of polyelectrolytes at differing solution pH values a classic sigmoidal curve was obtained with the inflection point being the pKa value of the polymer. The pKa value of PAA, PAH, PEI, PSS, and PMA were all obtained with this novel technique. We were also able to illustrate how both the polymer and salt concentration effects the surface tension at the surface-to-air interface and thus the pKa values. This is the first reported study of using surface tension at the surface-to-air interface to determine pKa values of acids.
Bony Exostosis After Treatment of Gingival Recession With Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft and Enamel Matrix Derivative.

Introduction: Biologic materials, such as enamel matrix derivative (EMD), are often used to improve the regenerative outcome of periodontal treatment. On occasion, unintended effects of such treatment may occur. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report to document the development and treatment of a bony exostosis subsequent to a subepithelial connective tissue (CT) graft with the addition of EMD.Case Presentation: A healthy female patient received a CT graft and the application of EMD for the treatment of gingival recession at a maxillary premolar. In the following year, a bony exostosis developed and was excised using a piezoelectric surgical device and examined histologically. At the 1-year follow-up, the lesion had not recurred.Conclusion: The use of EMD in conjunction with a CT graft represents a new potential contributing factor in the etiology of bony exostoses occurring after gingival augmentation procedures that warrants additional investigation.
A Procedure for Estimating the Unconditional Cumulative Incidence Curve and Its Variability for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

SUMMARY A backcalculation procedure is presented for estimating both the cumulative incidence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-the total number of seropositive individuals as a function of calendar time-and the unconditional sampling distribution of this estimate. This estimation framework explicitly accounts for corrections for reporting lags in the most recent AIDS diagnosis data and imposes no functional form restrictions, besides a roughness penalty, on the resulting estimate of the cumulative incidence function. The construction of the sampling distribution for this estimate 'integrates out' the variation due to the use of estimated reporting lag and incubation distributions to obtain the unconditional distribution. The estimation procedure amounts to solving an inequality-restricted generalized least squares estimation problem subject to smoothness priors on the regression coefficients. We find that both the point estimate of the cumulative incidence curve for HIV and its associated upper and lower confidence bound paths remain stable over a wide range of estimation scenarios. In addition, not accounting for the use of estimated incubation and reporting lag distributions in the procedure for estimating the cumulative incidence curve can lead to a substantial underestimation of its sampling variability.
Economic Impact of a Lightning Strike–Induced Outage of Air Traffic Control Tower: Case Study of Baltimore–Washington International Airport

This research investigates how lightning strike–induced outages of airport infrastructure and facilities affect airport performance from an economic perspective, using Baltimore (Maryland)–Washington (D.C.) Thurgood Marshall International (BWI) Airport as a case study. On September 12, 2013, lightning struck within 300 m of the air traffic control (ATC) tower at BWI, causing injury and ATC tower and airport closures. The study findings reveal that the economic losses of the outage-related delays from that single event were almost five times higher than the ATC tower refurbishment that was planned, but unimplemented, in support of lightning protection, grounding, bonding, and shielding (LPGBS). The aim of this research is to support FAA’s mission to better understand and quantify consequences of lightning strike–induced outages on airport performance. The research methodology and results can assist FAA in making sound decisions in support of LPGBS, and thereby help protect the National Airspace System infr...
Commission-Based Reform of Occupational Pension Laws: What Can the United States and Other Countries Learn from the Ontario Expert Commission on Pensions?

Professor Harry Arthurs recently served as the sole member of the Ontario Expert Commission on Pensions. With the assistance of a number of Pension Advisors, he advanced 142 recommendations for reforming and reinvigorating Ontario’s occupational pension system. Some of the substantive pension reforms have already been enacted, while most of the process and institutional reforms have not. By examining the Ontarian process of occupational pension reform, this paper provides insights for policymakers in the United States and other countries regarding the best institutional model for pension reform and considers whether process and institutional-based pension proposals should be part of that reform effort. The article concludes by proposing the formation of an Occupational Pension Reform Commission in the United States to implement process and institutional pension reforms to its private occupational pension system.
Migration of Central Venous Catheters in Neonates: A Radiographic Assessment

Objective This study aims to determine the frequency that umbilical venous catheters (UVCs) and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) migrate into the cardiothymic silhouette after initial verification of correct placement. Study Design This is a single-center, retrospective study in neonates in whom a PICC or UVC was placed. The frequency of catheter tip migration into the cardiothymic silhouette requiring catheter manipulation was determined radiographically at 1 and 24 hours, respectively, after insertion. Results At 1 and 24 hours, 36 and 23% of UVCs (n = 41) migrated into the cardiothymic silhouette, respectively. At 1 and 24 hours, 23 and 11% of PICCs (n = 63) migrated into the cardiothymic silhouette, respectively. Migration was not associated with birth weight, weight at insertion, or postnatal age at insertion. Conclusion UVCs and PICCs frequently migrate into the cardiothymic silhouette increase the risk for development of a pericardial effusion. Serial radiographic assessment of catheter tip location is needed to assess catheter migration within the first 24 hours of line placement.
Performance characterization of USRPs

This paper presents transmitter and receiver characterization and calibration results for software defined radio systems designed using the combination of RF front end hardware like USRPs (from Ettus Research) and software interfaces like GNU Radio. The main motivation for this study was the lack of useful references pertaining to calibration of such SDR systems, confining them to proof of concept experimentation. Measurements were taken using an SDR system designed using the USRP N210 with WBX daughterboard, GNU Radio utilities, and laboratory instruments. The main aim was to determine the differences between the values obtained on the GNU Radio spectrum analyzer software GUI utility and a laboratory spectrum analyzer. One-dB compression point, third order Input Intercept point and transmitted power variation with gain were measured to determine calibration factors and offsets. Experiments were conducted over sample set of USRP N210 devices to get standardized values. The calibration factors thus obtained were used in indoor path-loss modeling and position location estimation using the CORNET nodes at Virginia Tech to determine their effectiveness. As expected the root mean square deviations from expected values were lower when calibration factors were used to correct the power measurement readings from the GNU Radio utilities.
School connectedness and valuing as predictors of high school completion and postsecondary attendance among Latino youth

Abstract This longitudinal study examined whether school connectedness and valuing were protective factors in contributing to positive educational outcomes (i.e., high school completion and postsecondary attendance) among a nationally representative sample of Latino youth. Participants were drawn from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and included 1,743 Latino youth. Results from structural equation modeling, testing direct and indirect effects, showed that there were significant, indirect effects from school connectedness and school valuing to high school completion and postsecondary attendance, which were mediated by Latino students' classroom behavioral engagement. The structural equation model accounted for approximately 35% of the variance in Latino students' high school completion rates (R2 = .347, p
Lymphadenopathy in a Heterogeneous Population at Risk for the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)— A Morphologic Study

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) appears to be expanding both in the population at risk and in its clinical form of presentation. Persistent generalized lymphadenopathy has been reported in homosexual men who have immunologic abnormalities associated with AIDS. We are reporting ten cases of unexplained persistent generalized lymphadenopathy that have occurred in a heterogeneous population group at risk for AIDS (homosexual men, drug addicts, or Haitians). The morphologic findings of reactive follicular hyperplasia, increased interfollicular cellularity including an abundance of plasma cells and immunoblasts, preservation of the sinuses containing a sprinkling of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and occasional multinucleated lymphoid cells constitute a constellation of features that are consistent enough so that AIDS should be included in the differential diagnosis.