cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Common Forward Rate Volatility

Statistical analyses of forward interest rate behavior provide evidence that these rates share a common volatility. We develop a risk-neutral term structure model based on this assumption. The main feature of this model is that each discounted bond price is both an explicit local martingale and a diffusion. The Markov property of discounted bonds is convenient for pricing interest rate derivatives. We give price formulas for caps and swaptions and compare caplet prices to the market-standard Black formula. The two formulas have nearly identical numerical values.
Study on Splitting Tensile Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber/Polymer Latex Powder Composite Modified Concrete

The effects of carbon fiber and polymer latex powder on the split tensile mechanical properties of concrete in single and compound mixing conditions are studied. The results show that both carbon fiber or polymer latex powder can improve the split tensile strength and peak strain of concrete. When the carbon fiber content is 0.2%, the split tensile mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) are the best. When the amount is 8%, the mechanical properties of polymer modified concrete (PMC) in split tension are the best. When the carbon fiber content is 0.3% and the polymer latex powder content is 0.8%, the splitting tensile mechanical properties of the carbon fiber/polymer latex powder composite modified concrete (CFRPMC) specimens are the best, and are better than CFRC specimens and PMC specimens.
Prostate cancer active surveillance outcomes in a cohort composed primarily of African American and Hispanic American Men.

Abstract Introduction Active surveillance outcomes in minority patients are poorly characterized, as most surveillance series are comprised primarily of Caucasian men. We aimed to characterize outcomes of African American and Hispanic men undergoing surveillance and to identify factors associated with transition to definitive treatment. Material and Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of men undergoing active surveillance at our institution. Reasons for transition to definitive treatment were determined. Cessation of active surveillance was recommended for Gleason upgrading on surveillance biopsy. We characterized treatment-free survival for men on surveillance and compared this by race/ethnicity (as self reported by patients). Demographic and clinical variables associated with active surveillance cessation were identified using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results A total of 141 men were on active surveillance: 84 non-Hispanic Black/African American (59.6%), 32 Hispanic (22.7%), and 25 non-Hispanic White/Caucasian (17.7%). Two-year treatment-free survival for Caucasian, Black and Hispanic patients was 81.2%, 54.4%, and 75.0%, respectively. Pairwise Cox proportional hazards analysis showed significantly decreased treatment-free survival in Black compared to Caucasian men (HR 2.42, 95% CI 1.03–5.68). In African American men, cessation of active surveillance occurred most commonly due to grade reclassification at the time of confirmatory biopsy. Conclusions Among our active surveillance cohort composed primarily of racial and ethnic minorities, we identified relatively high rates of progression to definitive treatment. African American race was associated with surveillance cessation on univariate analysis. These findings stress the importance of confirmatory biopsy and strict compliance with surveillance protocols in AA men to ensure timely detection of disease reclassification.
Analysis of Pump-to-Signal Noise Transfer in Multi-Stage OPCPA

Pump-to-signal noise transfer in an ultra-broadband, single-laser‒pumped, two-stage nanosecond OPCPA was experimentally and numerically investigated. The dependence of signal-noise‒induced, pulse-contrast degradation on both pump-seed delay and amplifier operating regime was also studied.
POLITICS AND PERSONAL LIFE IN THE ERA OF REVOLUTION: THE TREATMENT AND REINTIGRATION OF ELITE LOYALISTS IN POST-REVOLUTIONARY VIRGINIA

POLITICS AND PERSONAL LIFE IN THE ERA OF REVOLUTION: THE TREATMENT AND REINTIGRATION OF ELITE LOYALISTS IN POSTREVOLUTIONARY VIRGINIA By Gregory Harkcom Stoner A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006. Major Director: Dr. Sarah H. Meacham, Assistant Professor, Department of History Historians of loyalism in Virginia during the American Revolution typically characterize supporters of the Crown as a small and unorganized group that had little bearing on the outcome of the war. However, these historians greatly underestimate the extent and nature of Virginia loyalists. Patriots throughout the state feared and loathed outright demonstrations of loyalty to the Crown, sought to identify and remove Tories in their communities, and worked to prevent the reentry of these Loyalists into postwar Virginia. Those loyalists who attempted to return to Virginia realized that continual attention was required to shape and present an image that would eliminate questions about their loyalty and protect interests and property. This study examines how a select group of returning loyalists sought to reestablish their citizenship and membership in the postwar Virginia community. To illustrate how young elites successfully negotiated their return into a hostile environment, the specific cases of Presly Thornton, John and Ralph Wormeley, and Philip Turpin are examined in great detail. As sons of well-to-do members of the community, they embraced Virginia's tradition of deference to elites and utilized social, political, and economic connections to achieve readmission. From studying the lives of these young men in the context of the vigorous anti-loyalist sentiment in Virginia, one can better understand the distinctly Virginian attitudes toward both loyalists and members of a select social class.
Rapid online language mapping with electrocorticography

Object Emerging research in evoked broadband electrocorticographic (ECoG) measurement from the cortical surface suggests that it might cleanly delineate the functional organization of cortex. The authors sought to demonstrate whether this could be done in a same-session, online manner to identify receptive and expressive language areas. Methods The authors assessed the efficacy of simple integration of “χ-band” (76–200 Hz) change in the ECoG signal by implementing a simple band-pass filter to estimate broadband spectral change. Following a brief (less than 10-second) period to characterize baseline activity, χ-band activity was integrated while 7 epileptic patients with implanted ECoG electrodes performed a verb-generation task. Results While the patients were performing verb-generation or noun-reading tasks, cortical activation was consistently identified in primary mouth motor area, superior temporal gyrus, and Broca and Wernicke association areas. Maps were robust after a mean time of 47seconds (using ...
Assessment of Autism Symptoms During the Neonatal Period: Is There Early Evidence of Autism Risk?

OBJECTIVE To define neonatal social characteristics related to autism risk. METHOD Sixty-two preterm infants underwent neonatal neurobehavioral testing. At age 2 yr, participants were assessed with the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition. RESULTS Positive autism screening was associated with absence of gaze aversion, χ=5.90, p=01, odds ratio=5.05, and absence of endpoint nystagmus, χ=4.78, p=.02, odds ratio=8.47. Demonstrating gaze aversion was related to better language outcomes, t(55)=-3.07, p≤.003. Displaying endpoint nystagmus was related to better language outcomes, t(61)=-3.06, p=.003, cognitive outcomes, t(63)=-5.04, p<.001, and motor outcomes, t(62)=-2.82, p=.006. CONCLUSION Atypical social interactions were not observed among infants who later screened positive for autism. Instead, the presence of gaze aversion and endpoint nystagmus was related to better developmental outcomes. Understanding early behaviors associated with autism may enable early identification and lead to timely therapy activation to improve function.
Abstract B21: Chemoresistant bladder cancer cells induces epithelial mesenchymal transition

Although chemotherapeutic treatments are efficacious in a number of cancers, some cancer cells ultimately will become resistant to chemotherapy. It has been suggested that chronic chemotherapy-resistance is linked to the induction of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is associated with increased tumor invasiveness, development of angiogenesis, and the development of drug resistance and is linked to more aggressive cancer. The objective of this study is to determine if a link exists between mitomycin C (MMC)-resistant RT-4 bladder cancer cells and the induction of EMT. EMT is a process where cells acquire molecular alterations characterized by loss of cell-cell adhesion, repression of E-cadherin expression, and increased cell mobility. Clinical studies have shown that as bladder cancer grade increases, tumors typically exhibit a decreased expression of E-cadherin, a cell-cell adhesion molecule. In addition, there is an increase in N-cadherin expression in muscle invasive bladder tumors. We have shown that MMC-resistant human RT-4 bladder cancer cells demonstrate a decrease in cell-cell adhesion, a higher invasion potential, and a higher CD44(+)/CD24(-) ratio (96.4%) compared to parental human RT-4 bladder cancer cells. In addition, the invasion capacity of MMC-resistant RT-4 bladder cancer cells was higher than that of parental cells. The MMC-resistant RT-4 bladder cancer cells expressed higher levels of N-cadherin and numerous apoptotic related proteins including pSTAT3, RAD17, Bcl-X and catalase. Using an exon array we showed that the MMC-resistant RT-4 bladder cancer cells up-regulate several EMT markers including vimentin (77 times), transforming growth factor -beta (27 times), and Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (33 times) and down-regulate E-cadherin (71 times). In summary, in our MMC-resistant RT4 bladder cancer cells, EMT was activated, and there was an increase in apoptotic related proteins as well as an increase N-cadherin expression. Our data suggest a link between chemotherapy-resistant bladder cancer cells and EMT. Deactivating EMT and down-regulating apoptotic related proteins may offer a novel strategy for overcoming bladder cancer drug resistance. Citation Format: Jingchun Liu, Darryl T. Martin, Marcia A. Wheeler, Robert M. Weiss. Chemoresistant bladder cancer cells induces epithelial mesenchymal transition. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Drug Sensitivity and Resistance: Improving Cancer Therapy; Jun 18-21, 2014; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(4 Suppl): Abstract nr B21.
Cruciform π-systems: hybrid phenylene-ethynylene/phenylene-vinylene oligomers

The cruciform pentamers 3a–g were synthesized by a combined Horner–Sonogashira approach; their band gaps vary significantly with emission varying from blue to red depending upon their substituent pattern.
Occurrence of squalene, di- and tetrahydrosqualenes, and vitamin MK8 in an extremely halophilic bacterium, Halobacterium cutirubrum

The nonpolar (acetone-soluble) lipids of the extremely halophilic bacterium, Halobacterium cutirubrum, were found to consist of red carotenoid pigments (43%) and squalenes (48%) with a small amount of a vitamin K-type quinone. The squalenes were shown by n.m.r. and mass spectra to consist of the fully isoprenoid squalene (S; C3OH5o), dihydrosqualene (S2; CJ&152), and tetrahydrosqualene (S4; C30H54) in the ratio of 1.0:0.4:0.1. S2 probably has one re- duced internal isoprenoid group, and S4 has one internal and one terminal reduced isoprenyl group. The vitamin K-type quinone was shown by n.m.r. and mass spectra to have a Cho isoprenoid side chain, and is thus identified as menaquinone-8 (MK-8).
Computation of heteroazeotropes. Part II: efficient calculation of changes in phase equilibrium structure

Abstract This paper, the second in a two-part series, discusses how a new approach for the computation of the heteroazeotropes present in a multicomponent mixture can be extended to compute efficiently the changes in phase equilibrium structure with parameters such as pressure. One particular advantage of the approach is the capability to detect incipient azeotropes and heteroazeotrope (i.e., azeotropes and heteroazeotropes that do not appear under current conditions but may appear under different conditions). The algorithm for computing the azeotropes and heteroazeotropes is analyzed in the first paper in this series: Computation of Heteroazeotropes. Part I: Theory. This paper includes a brief discussion of the implementation of this approach and some numerical examples as well as examples illustrating the effectiveness in determining the bifurcation pressures at which azeotropes and heteroazeotropes appear and disappear or switch between each other.
Rare pelvic floor hernias. Report of a case and review of the literature

The case of a 64-year-old female who presented with difficult evacuation of stool is reported. A posterior perineal hernia was diagnosed by dynamic proctography. The patient had an unusual herniation of the upper rectum through the perineal defect. At surgery, there was no peritoneal sac, since the herniation occurred extraperitoneally. The patient was treated with repair of the pelvic floor using Marlex mesh and rectopexy. Pelvic floor hernias are rare and often difficult to diagnose. The three types, in order of decreasing frequency, are obturator, perineal, and sciatic. The etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of each is discussed.
Managerial Incentives, Internalization, and Market Valuation of Multinational Firms

This paper examines the role of firm technology investment, in concert with managerial incentives alignment, to explain the relative market value compared to the accounting value for a multinational firm. The results are consistent with internalization theory in that greater multinationality corresponds to a higher valuation of the firm if technology investment is high, and the impact is even greater if managerial incentives alignment is high as well. However, greater multinationality alone does not correlate to a significantly greater value, which differs from the tenets of imperfect capital markets theory.
Sex differences in touch communication

Twenty male and 20 female students received training in the notation of touch events and recorded their own touches with others over a series of days. Females initiated more touches and were also involved in more total touching than males. Both males and females participated in more opposite‐sex than same‐sex touching. Females initiated more opposite‐sex touches and specifically more opposite‐sex control touches than males, contrary to Henley's theoretical outlook. Those who initiated more touches to females also received more touches from females, and females predisposed to talk more also initiated touch more. The findings are discussed in terms of “feminine‐appropriate/masculine‐inappropriate” and communication competence interpretations.
Biologically important thiols in aqueous extracts of spices and evaluation of their in vitro antioxidant properties.

The levels of the biologically important thiols in aqueous extracts of different spices were determined using a sensitive high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. The spices analysed: turmeric, ginger, cardamom, mustard, fenugreek, and coriander showed different levels of thiols. Biologically important thiols or biothiols measured in these spices included glutathione (GSH), cysteine (CYS), N-acetylcysteine (NAC), homocysteine (HCYS), and γ-glutamyl cysteine (GGC). Our results showed that thiol levels varied from 4 to 1089 nM/g weight (dry or wet). Furthermore, none of the biothiols analysed were found in cumin, nutmeg, clove or star anise. We also studied the antioxidant abilities of these aqueous extracts using various in vitro antioxidant methods to correlate between the levels of these thiols and their antioxidant effects. Our results suggested that antioxidant activities may be independent of thiol content and may be, in part the combination of all the phytochemicals present. These results may be useful in explaining the effect of spices on thiol levels in in vitro and in vivo studies.
Recruiting women to vascular surgery and other surgical specialties

Vascular surgery is a subspecialty that attracts future surgeons with challenging technical procedures and complex decision making. Despite its appeal, continued promotion of the field is necessary to recruit and retain the best and brightest candidates. Recruitment of medical students and residents may be limited by the lifestyle inherent to vascular surgery and the length of residency training. The young adults of the current applicant and resident pool differ from prior generations in their desire for hands-on mentoring, aspirations to affect change daily, a penchant for technology, and strong emphasis on work-life balance. Furthermore, the percentage of women pursuing careers in vascular surgery is not representative of the eligible workforce. Women are now the majority of graduates in all of higher education, and thus, vascular surgery may need to make a concerted effort to appeal to women in order to attract the most talented young professionals to the field. Recruiting strategies for both men and women of Generation Y should target a diverse group of potential candidates with an awareness of the unique characteristics and needs of this generation of rising surgeons.
Function of epithelial rests as suggested by their ultrastructure.

Based on the evidence produced in this investigation it is apparent that what has been termed “Epithelial Rests of Malassez” are groups of epithelial cells surrounded by an outer argyrophilic limiting membrane. Further it is evident that the cells bear a strong resemblance to the epithelial cells seen in the basal layers of epidermis and the oral mucous membranes and have little or nothing in common With secretory cells. Based on the ultrastructural morphology and histochemical evidence, “resting epithelial cells” seem to be an appropriate description of these cell groups. Presumably, however, the cells contain all the necessary components to meet whatever functional demands may be placed upon them through environmental alterations.
Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Medical Students: A Tale of Two Schools

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening has been shown to decrease the incidence of CRC cancers and decrease mortality. Studies show that the most important predictor of patient compliance with CRC screening is physician recommendation. We assessed the knowledge and attitudes of medical students regarding cancer screening. A study-specific questionnaire was distributed to medical students (MS) at two medical schools. There was a significant difference in the percentage of correctly answered questions regarding screening recommendations between first year MS and all other years for both schools. However, MS attitudes towards CRC screening were consistent between classes and schools. Although most MS had positive attitudes regarding cancer screening our survey identified several important deficits in knowledge.
An investigation of the synthesis of nickel aluminides through gasless combustion

The formation of nickel aluminidms by the thermal explosion mode of gasless combustion synthesis was investigated for Ni-Al powders ranging in composition from 5 to 3O at% Al. Compound formation was found to take place sequentially starting with the most aluminium-rich and ending with AlNi3 as the predominant compound in the product. Compounds formed through both solid- and liquid-sate reactions, with the relative contribution of each depending on the rate of heating of the powders to the reaction temperature. The effect of the particle size of nickel on these reactions vvasalso investigated for powders with average diameters from 14 to 58μm.
MOLECULAR MECHANISMS FOR COOPERATIVE FOLDING OF PROTEINS

The folding of single-domain globular proteins exhibits the character of first-order or two-state thermodynamics. The origin of such high cooperativity in relatively small polymer systems is still not well understood. Recently, the statistical mechanics of protein folding has been studied extensively with simple protein models such as short cubic-lattice chains with contact-based interactions. While many valuable insights about protein folding were gained with such models, some concerns have also arisen, viz. that they lack the character of protein backbones whose interactions would limit the folding patterns of proteins. Here, a comparative study of the conventional cubic-lattice chain model and a fine-grained more realistic lattice protein model with both backbone and side-chain interactions is carried out. It is found that, even though both types of models exhibit a cooperative two-state folding transition to the native structure with optimized force fields, the character and origin of cooperativity of the two models are different. In the simple contact-based model, the free-energy barrier occurs at the low end of the energy scale, and the cooperativity arises from a concerted formation of native contacts among many residues in a compact state. In the other more complicated model, the free-energy barrier occurs in the intermediate energy region, and the folding cooperativity arises from collective orientational arrangements of locally structured units in semi-open conformational states. On the basis of these results, two limiting molecular mechanisms for protein folding emerge, which can be used for analyzing the folding process of real proteins.
Size effects on the properties of high z scintillator materials

Particle size effects of nano- and polycrystalline metal tungstate MWO4 (M = Ca, Pb, Cd) scintillators were examined through a comparison of commercially available powders and solution precipitation prepared nanoscaled materials. The scintillation behaviors of nanoparticles and commercial powders were examined with ion beam induced luminescence (IBIL), photoluminescence (PL), and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy techniques. For commercial microns sized MWO4 powders, spectral emission differences between CL and PL were only observed for Cd and Pb tungstates when compared to reported single crystals. The IBIL wavelength emissions also differed from the commercial MWO4 CL and PL data and were red shifted by 28 and 14 nm for CaWO4 and CdWO4; respectively, while PbWO4 had no significant change. IBIL analysis on CaWO4 nanoparticles produced a 40 nm blue shift from the commercial powder emission. These preliminary results suggest that both size and cation Z may affect the emission properties of the MWO4 scintillators.
Self-correcting approximate solution by the iterative method for linear and nonlinear stochastic differential equations

Abstract The iterative method of the first author makes possible a self-correcting scheme for the approximate solution obtained. This scheme accelerates the convergence and substantially decreases the number of terms necessary in computation for applications involving either linear or nonlinear stochastic systems. A “feedback” term compensates for the approximation of the system inverse operator by a partial sum. Further, errors are determined in calculating the mean solution 〈y〉 and the correlation R y (t 1 ,t 2 ) = 〈y(t 1 ) y ∗ (t 2 )〉 by using the approximations 〈φn〉 and 〈φn(t1)φn(t2)〉 , where φn represents n terms of the solution by the iterative method for stochastic differential equations.
Three-Dimensional Compositional Gradients in Water-Borne Urethanes and Latexes: Spectroscopic Approaches

Abstract Stratification of individual components in thermosetting coatings plays an important role during film formation and affects a number of macroscopic properties. This behavior is particularly pronounced for water-borne coatings, and therefore molecular level understanding of interactions in latexes and responsiveness of individual components during coalescence of water-borne polyurethanes are of particular interest. The presence of macromolecular arrangements and interactions among various components near the film–air (F–A) and the film–substrate (F–S) interfaces can be effectively monitored using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and step-scan photoacoustic (SSPA) Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Both approaches are capable of obtaining information from various surface depths and complement each other if one seeks molecular level information from 0 to 150 μm into the film. In this presentation combined ATR and PA information along with IR and/or Raman surface imaging will be presented to establish three-dimensional representation of polyurethane film formation and the effect of copolymer/polymer blend latexes on coalescence processes in Sty/ n -BA.
WebSplitter: a unified XML framework for multi-device collaborative Web browsing

WebSplitter symbolizes the union of pervasive multi-device computing and collaborative multi-user computing. WebSplitter provides a unified XML framework that enables multi-device and multi-user Web browsing. WebSplitter splits a requested Web page and delivers the appropriate partial view of each page to each user, or more accurately to each user's set of devices. Multiple users can participate in the same browsing session, as in traditional conferencing groupware. Depending on the access privileges of the user to the different components of content on each page, WebSplitter generates a personalized partial view. WebSplitter further splits the partial view among the devices available to each user, e.g. laptop, wireless PDA, projection display, stereo speakers, orchestrating a composite presentation across the devices. A wireless PDA can browse while remotely controlling the multimedia capabilities of nearby devices. The architecture consists of an XML metadata policy file defining access privileges to XML tags on a Web page, a middleware proxy that splits XML Web content to create partial views, and a client-side component, e.g. applet, enabling user login and reception of pushed browsing data. Service discovery finds and registers proxies, browsing sessions, and device capabilities. We demonstrate the feasibility of splitting the different tags in an XML Web page to different end users browsers, and of pushing updates from the browsing session to heterogeneous devices, including a laptop and a PDA.
Bold New Change: Open Access

I moved to Washington, DC, from Memphis in 1995, and now consider myself a native. It's interesting to me that it usually takes a decade or two before people around here commit to actually being from here. Until then, they are usually just visiting or they are "from" somewhere else. One of my favorite quotes about DC came from John F. Kennedy: "Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm." When I hear his quote (from many around here), I chuckle, "that just about sums it up." Kennedy had another good quote: "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." SPIE's journals are not going to miss the future, and now is an exciting time for change in all of SPIE's journals, including Optical Engineering. These changes are what I want to talk about in this editorial.
Mesenteric vascular insufficiency and claudication following acute dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm

Abstract Mesenteric vascular insufficiency and claudication of the left leg were observed in a patient 6 weeks after intraluminal aortic prosthesis placement for acute type III thoracic aortic dissection. Aortography revealed double-channel deformity of the thoracoabdominal aorta and complete occlusion of the celiac axis, inferior mesenteric artery, and left common iliac artery. An aortobi-iliac interposition graft placed end to end with an additional limb to the common hepatic artery was curative. (J VASC SURG 1985;2:472-6.)
The intersection of race and crime in television news stories: An experimental study

Studies of media content consistently find that black criminal suspects are portrayed more frequently and more menacingly than white suspects in television news stories of violent crime. Here we investigate the impact of such portrayals on white viewers’ attitudes by means of a video experiment in which we manipulate only the visual image of the race of the suspect in a television news story of violent crime. We found, consistent with our expectations, that even a brief visual image of an African American male suspect in a televised crime story was capable of activating racial stereotypes, which in turn heavily biased whites’ evaluations of the suspect along racial lines. Thus, white participants in our experiment who endorsed negative stereotypes of African Americans viewed the black suspect in the crime story as more guilty, more deserving of punishment, more likely to commit future violence, and with more fear and loathing than a similarly portrayed white suspect. In the conclusion of the article, we d...
Nutrition status in patients younger and older than 60 y at hospital admission: a controlled population study in 995 subjects.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Body weight and body mass index are easily obtainable indicators of nutrition status but do not provide information on changes in fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass with age. In this prospective controlled study, we investigated whether body composition measurements were useful in identifying moderately or severely depleted patients, as judged by the Subjective Global Assessment at hospital admission. In addition, the subjects were grouped by age (≤60 and >60 y) to determine whether there was an effect of aging on the prevalence of malnutrition. METHODS: Nine hundred ninety-five consecutive patients were evaluated for malnutrition by body mass index, serum albumin, Subjective Global Assessment, and 50-kHz bioelectrical impedance analysis and compared with 995 age- and height-matched healthy volunteers for FFM and fat mass. RESULTS: A body mass index less than 20 kg/m 2 was found in 17.3% of patients. Low albumin (≤34.9 g/L) was found in 14.9% of all patients and 23.7% of those older than 60 y. In contrast, 23.1% and 38.3% of all patients were severely and moderately depleted, respectively, according to the Subjective Global Assessment. FFM was significantly lower in severely depleted men and women and moderately depleted women ( P ≤ 0.001), and fat mass was significantly higher ( P ≤ 0.05) in well-nourished patients than in volunteers. Patients older than 60 y had lower FFM and higher fat mass than did patients 60 y or younger or volunteers ( P ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of malnutrition was greater in patients older than 60 y than in those 60 y and younger. Patients classified as severely depleted according to the Subjective Global Assessment were depleted of FFM. Body composition measurement can help to identify patients with low FFM and high fat mass.
Bootstrapping GEE models for fMRI regional connectivity

An Alzheimer's fMRI study has motivated us to evaluate inter-regional correlations during rest between groups. We apply generalized estimating equation (GEE) models to test for differences in regional correlations across groups. Both the GEE marginal model and GEE transition model are evaluated and compared to the standard pooling Fisher-z approach using simulation studies. Standard errors of all methods are estimated both theoretically (model-based) and empirically (bootstrap). Of all the methods, we find that the transition models have the best statistical properties. Overall, the model-based standard errors and bootstrap standard errors perform about the same. We also demonstrate the methods with a functional connectivity study in a healthy cognitively normal population of ApoE4+ participants and ApoE4- participants who are recruited from the Adult Children's Study conducted at the Washington University Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
Development and progression of secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease: lessons from molecular genetics

The identification of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and the clarification of its role as the major regulator of parathyroid gland function have important implications for understanding the pathogenesis and evolution of secondary hyperthyroidism in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Signaling through the CaSR has direct effects on three discrete components of parathyroid gland function, which include parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion, PTH synthesis, and parathyroid gland hyperplasia. Disturbances in calcium and vitamin D metabolism that arise owing to CKD diminish the level of activation of the CaSR, leading to increases in PTH secretion, PTH synthesis, and parathyroid gland hyperplasia. Each represents a physiological adaptive response by the parathyroid glands to maintain plasma calcium homeostasis. Studies of genetically modified mice indicate that signal transduction via the CaSR is a key determinant of parathyroid cell proliferation and parathyroid gland hyperplasia. Because enlargement of the parathyroid glands has important implications for disease progression and disease severity, it is possible that clinical management strategies that maintain adequate calcium-dependent signaling through the CaSR will ultimately prove useful in diminishing parathyroid gland hyperplasia and in modifying disease progression.
State Sovereignty and the Anti-Commandeering Cases:

The anti-commandeering doctrine, recently announced by the Supreme Court in New York v. United States and Printz v. United States, prohibits the federal government from commandeering state governments: more specifically, from imposing targeted, affirmative, coercive duties upon state legislators or executive officials. This doctrine is best understood as an external constraint upon congressional power—analogous to the constraints set forth in the Bill of Rights—but one that lacks an explicit textual basis. Should the Constitution indeed be interpreted to include a judicially enforceable constraint upon national power—and, if so, should that constraint take the form of an anti-commandeering rule?
Nitrogen effects on conservation of carbon during corn residue decomposition in soil

Nitrogen fertilization is widely recognized for its potential to help maintain soil organic matter (SOM) concentrations by increasing plant growth and amounts of plant material decomposed in soils. We studied possible mechanisms by which annual additions of more N than needed to maximize yields of corn (Zea mays L.) could cause losses of SOM. Various amounts of stover and NO − 3 were added to a Galva silty clay loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludoll), and NO − 3 concentrations and CO 2 evolution were monitored for periods up to 90 d at 24°C in the laboratory. The added NO − 3 suppressed mineralization of C from SOM and stimulated mineralization of C frome stover. Adjustment of rates of stover decomposition to temperature regimes normally encountered in Iowa fields after harvest showed that stover decomposition would not be complete within 1 yr and that increases in NO − 3 availability decreased the amount of stover C remaining in the soil. This effect of NO − 3 could explain how additions of unneeded N could decrease concentrations of SOM in long-term studies in which residues and NO − 3 are added in annual cycles. These observations suggest that practices that reduce unnecessary fertilization could help conserve SOM and reduce net amounts of CO 2 released to the atmosphere
TREC: Continuing information retrieval's tradition of experimentation

Large-scale test collections drive improvement in search technology to help users find information in free text.
Design and implementation of a quantum compiler

We present a compiler for programming quantum architectures based on the Quantum Random Access Machine (QRAM) model. The QRAM model consists of a classical subsystem responsible for generating the quantum operations that are executed on a quantum subsystem. The compiler can also be applied to trade studies for optimizing the reliability and latency of quantum programs and to determine the required error correction resources. We use the Bacon-Shor [9, 1, 3] quantum error correcting code as an example quantum program that can be processed and analyzed by the compiler.
Mechanisms causing myocardial ischaemia.

Myocardial ischaemia can result from many processes in patients with coronary artery disease. Alterations in haemodynamics in patients with fixed-resistance coronary stenoses can upset the balance between oxygen supply and demand. A maldistribution of coronary flow can occur when a potent coronary dilator is given to a patient with "steal-prone" coronary anatomy. Primary reductions in coronary flow can result from coronary spasm or when the vessel is partially or totally occluded by thrombus. It is important to understand how these various mechanisms operate in order to prevent or treat the underlying cause of ischaemia. What clues provide information about the likelihood of each mechanism in a given patient? What treatments are most likely to be effective? Are some treatments counter-productive when applied to the wrong situation?
Point source nerve bundle stimulation: effects of fiber diameter and depth on simulated excitation

Excitation response of different diameter myelinated nerve fibers situated at various depths within a cylindrical nerve bundle from the applied field of a point source electrode are analytically evaluated. For the potential field calculation, the fiber bundle is considered to be immersed in an infinite isotropic conductive medium and is idealized as an infinitely extending cylinder represented as an anisotropic bidomain (where electrical coupling from interstitial to intracellular space is included). Myelinated nerve fiber excitation is determined from a core-conductive nerve model, whose nodal currents are described by the Frankenhaeuser-Huxley kinetics and the aforementioned field providing the applied potentials. The stimulation level necessary for a nerve fiber to reach threshold is quantified in response to four descriptions of the volume conductor: the isotropic homogeneous case, the monodomain case, the bidomain case, and the modified monodomain case. Model results indicate the importance of a bidomain representation of the nerve bundle and provide insight into the relationship between the physical medium and the physiological properties of nerve fiber excitation. >
Positive Attitudinal Shifts with the Physics by Inquiry Curriculum across Multiple Implementations.

Recent publications have documented positive attitudinal shifts on the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) among students enrolled in courses with an explicit epistemological focus. We now report positive attitudinal shifts in classes using the Physics by Inquiry (PbI) curriculum, which has only an implicit focus on student epistemologies and nature of science issues. These positive shifts have occurred in several different implementations of the curriculum, across multiple institutions and multiple semesters. In many classes, students experienced significant attitudinal shifts in the problem-solving categories of the CLASS, despite the conceptual focus of most PbI courses.
Gα minigenes expressing C-terminal peptides serve as specific inhibitors of thrombin-mediated endothelial activation

The C termini of G protein alpha subunits are critical for binding to their cognate receptors, and peptides corresponding to the C terminus can serve as competitive inhibitors of G protein-coupled receptor-G protein interactions. This interface is quite specific as a single amino acid difference annuls the ability of a G alpha(i) peptide to bind the A(1) adenosine receptor (Gilchrist, A., Mazzoni, M., Dineen, B., Dice, A., Linden, J., Dunwiddie, T., and Hamm, H. E. (1998 ) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 14912--14919). Recently, we demonstrated that a plasmid minigene vector encoding the C-terminal sequence of G alpha(i) could specifically inhibit downstream responses to agonist stimulation of the muscarinic M(2) receptor (Gilchrist, A., Bunemann, M., Li, A., Hosey, M. M., and H. E. Hamm (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 6610--6616). To selectively antagonize G protein signal transduction events and determine which G protein underlies a given thrombin-induced response, we generated minigene vectors that encode the C-terminal sequence for each family of G alpha subunits. Minigene vectors expressing G alpha C-terminal peptides (G alpha(i), G alpha(q), G alpha(12), and G alpha(13)) or the control minigene vector, which expresses the G alpha(i) peptide in random order (G(iR)), were systematically introduced into a human microvascular endothelial cell line. The C-terminal peptides serve as competitive inhibitors presumably by blocking the site on the G protein-coupled receptor that normally binds the G protein. Our results not only confirm that each G protein can control certain signaling events, they emphasize the specificity of the G protein-coupled receptor-G protein interface. In addition, the C-terminal G alpha minigenes appear to be a powerful tool for dissecting out the G protein that mediates a given physiological function following thrombin activation.
Antagonistic active knee prosthesis. A metabolic cost of walking comparison with a variable-damping prosthetic knee

This paper examines the impact of a biomimetic active knee prosthesis on the metabolic costs associated with a unilateral transfemoral amputee walking at self selected speed. In this study we compare the antagonistic active knee prosthesis developed at MIT to an electronically controlled, variable-damping commercial knee prosthesis, the Otto Bock C-leg. Use of the active knee prosthesis resulted in both, a 17% increase in an amputee's average self selected walking speed from 1.12 m/s to 1.31 m/s, and a 6.8% reduction in metabolic cost. The results of this study suggest that an agonist-antagonist active knee prosthesis design with variable impedance control can offer walking energetic advantages over commercially available systems.
Microfluidic device for the discrimination of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in DNA oligomers using electrochemically actuated alkaline dehybridization.

This work describes an integrated microfluidic (μ-fl) device that can be used to effect separations that discriminate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) based on kinetic differences in the lability of perfectly matched (PM) and mismatched (MM) DNA duplexes during alkaline dehybridization. For this purpose a 21-base single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe sequence was immobilized on agarose-coated magnetic beads, that in turn can be localized within the channels of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic device using an embedded magnetic separator. The PM and MM ssDNA targets were hybridized with the probe to form a mixture of PM and MM DNA duplexes using standard protocols, and the hydroxide ions necessary for mediating the dehybridization were generated electrochemically in situ by performing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) using O2 that passively permeates the device at a Pt working electrode (Pt-WE) embedded within the microfluidic channel system. The alkaline DNA dehybridization process was followed us...
Frequency and impact of high-resolution monitor failure in a filmless imaging department

The purpose of this study was to assess the image quality and the rate of failure of the high-resolution (2,048×1536 pixel) monitors used for primary diagnosis in a filmless radiology department and to analyze the type of problems encountered as well as the action taken to repair the monitors. Data were collected from Picture Archival and Communication System (PACS) service logs to determine rates of monitor adjustment and replacement, the symptoms reported, and the action taken. Additionally, random surveys of the high-resolution monitors were performed using a standard test pattern to assess spatial and contrast resolution in the center and outer corners of the monitors. Analysis of monitor service records showed a high rate of monitor replacement (41% per year) resulting in a relatively short “life expectancy” (defined as average time required before replacement) of 2.4 years. Random surveys of monitor quality using a standard test pattern showed suboptimal image quality in approximately 54% of the monitors with moderate image quality degradation present in at least one region of 27% of the high-resolution monitors, despite our vendor’s quality control program. The results of this study support our subjective impression and those of other colleagues in the PACS community of an unacceptably high monitor failure rate and persistent image quality problems with 2,000 pixel monitors used for primary diagnosis. The relatively high incidence of suboptimal quality monitors suggests that more frequent quality control should be performed using a test pattern particularly given the fact that radiologists often are unable to discern degradation of monitor performance using clinical images. The high incidence of problems with image quality on high-resolution monitors indicates that vendors need to develop better quality control in monitor design and testing. Radiologists should review briefly a test pattern on each monitor at the beginning of each day. A computer program should be incorporated into the PACS, which asks radiologists to evaluate a test pattern and records the results in a central database, which is communicated to the service engineers. Further studies should be evaluated to determine the clinical impact of monitor image degradation, which is relatively easily seen using a test pattern but may be difficult to discern on clinical images. Requests for proposals (RFPs) for PACS and service contracts must specify carefully requirements for monitor image quality and conditions under which the vendor is required to replace these monitors.
Sintering of foamed silica gels

Foamed silica gels prepared from a colloidal silica containing sodium were leached to avoid α-cristobalite crystallization during sintering. The sodium content in the foamed gels was decreased from 1.5 to 0.1 wt% by first drying at 80°C and then leaching in 5M nitric acid for 2 days at 40°C. When sintered at 1000°C for 4 h or 1100°C for 8 min, the leached foams did not crystallize, had a matrix density of 92%, and a foam bulk density of about 30%. Prior to densification, the foam consists of spherical cells of 100–150 μm diameter uniformly distributed in a matrix of 12 nm silica particles. The colloidal silica matrix densifies according to Scherer's viscous sintering model. Due to their low surface curvature, cellular voids do not contribute to the sintering driving force and thus, bulk foam densification and cell size shrinkage can be calculated by applying Scherer's viscous sintering model.
Nck and Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate Synergistically Activate Actin Polymerization through the N-WASP-Arp2/3 Pathway

The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) and its relative neural WASP (N-WASP) regulate the nucleation of actin filaments through their interaction with the Arp2/3 complex and are regulated in turn by binding to GTP-bound Cdc42 and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. The Nck Src homology (SH) 2/3 adaptor binds via its SH3 domains to a proline-rich region on WASP and N-WASP and has been implicated in recruitment of these proteins to sites of tyrosine phosphorylation. We show here that Nck SH3 domains dramatically stimulate the rate of nucleation of actin filaments by purified N-WASP in the presence of Arp2/3 in vitro. All three Nck SH3 domains are required for maximal activation. Nck-stimulated actin nucleation by N-WASP·Arp2/3 complexes is further stimulated by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, but not by GTP-Cdc42, suggesting that Nck and Cdc42 activate N-WASP by redundant mechanisms. These results suggest the existence of an Nck-dependent, Cdc42-independent mechanism to induce actin polymerization at tyrosine-phosphorylated Nck binding sites.