cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transnational strategies for the promotion of physical activity and active aging: the world health organization model of consensus building in international public health.

In this paper we focus our attention on an examination of the four-step process adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its systematic campaign to promote physically active lifestyles by older adults across the 193 WHO member states. The four steps adopted by the WHO include (1) Building Consensus Among Professionals; (2) Educating the Public and Building Consumer Demand; (3) Developing an Active Aging Public Policy Framework; and (4) Refining, Expanding, and Evolving the Model. For each of these steps we describe the processes by which the WHO sought input from a wide variety of sources in each of the six WHO regions (Africa, Americas, South-East Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific). Using this approach they helped to systematically build a transnational consensus with regard to the importance of regular physical activity as a critical component of the prevention of chronic disease and the promotion of high quality of life in the older adult population. The focus of WHO activit...
Estimating and comparing correct-use failure probabilities in clinical studies of condom functionality.

In a clinical study comparing the failure probabilities of two condom types, the sample of all reported acts of intercourse in which a study condom was used by a randomized participant is typically defined to be the primary analysis sample. However, it may also be desirable to make comparisons among only those acts in which the participants correctly followed all condom use instructions before, during, and after the act of intercourse (i.e., the “correct-use” subset). The timing associated with the definition of correct use creates a dilemma in that an act cannot be classified as a “correct-use act” until after the completion of both intercourse and withdrawal; if a condom fails (e.g., breaks or slips completely off of the penis) during intercourse then the couple has no chance at correct use during withdrawal. As a result of the implicitly conditional nature of this problem, it is not a simple matter to specify a correct-use subset of the primary analysis sample. With this in mind, we develop estimators ...
Enhancing mechanical properties of silica aerogels

Abstract Low-density monolithic silica and hexylene-bridged polysilsesquioxane aerogels were chemical vapor deposition (CVD) treated with hexamethyldisilazane or hexachlorodisilane silylating agents producing TMS (trimethylsilane) or Si layers on the aerogel. Reinforcing the weak aerogels by controlled deposition process improved their compressive strength and preserved their properties characteristic of low-density aerogels. When the silica and hexylene-bridged polysilsesquioxane aerogels were CVD treated with hexamethyldisilazane, the compressive modulus more than doubled in some cases. However, when treating hexylene-bridged aerogels with hexachlorodisilane the compressive modulus increased six fold. Not only did CVD treatment of the aerogels improve the compressive modulus, but the low densities, high surface areas, high porosities, and the transparency of the aerogels were not significantly affected.
Detection of HLA Haplotype Associations with Disease

In a recent paper, Thomson & Bodmer (1979) explored several conceptual and analytic issues involved in studying the association of HLA haplotypes with disease. One key problem they emphasized was the assessment of the statistical significance of the third order linkage disequilibrium between two HLA genes and a disease susceptibility gene. We have formulated an approach to this problem and illustrate this approach by deriving such statistical tests of true haplotype associations for two models of disease susceptibility previously studied by Terasaki & Mickey (1975) and by Thomson & Bodmer (1977). A numerical example using actual phenotypic data is then presented to demonstrate the practicality of the methods.
Are allografts the biologic valve of choice for aortic valve replacement in nonelderly patients? Comparison of explantation for structural valve deterioration of allograft and pericardial prostheses.

Objective To compare explantation for structural valve deterioration in nonelderly patients after aortic valve replacement with stented bovine pericardial and cryopreserved allograft valves. Methods From 1981 to 1985, 478 patients received pericardial prostheses during premarket approval; from 1987 to 2000, 744 patients received cryopreserved allografts. Mean age of patients receiving allografts was 49 ± 12 years, and that of those receiving pericardial prostheses was 65 ± 11 years; pericardial valves were used in 138 patients younger than age 60. Mean follow-up was 15 ± 5.1 years for pericardial valves (4674 patient-years of follow-up) and 5.6 ± 3.1 years for allografts (3892 patient years of follow-up). Multivariable hazard function methodology, age-group stratification, and propensity matching were used to compare age-specific explantation for structural valve deterioration. Results Ninety-five pericardial valves and 46 allografts were explanted, and structural valve deterioration was the mechanism of failure in 74% and 59%, respectively. The risk of structural valve deterioration increased with younger age at implantation for both allografts ( P = .07) and pericardial valves ( P P = .5), 50 to 60 years ( P = .7), and greater than 60 years ( P = .9) and in propensity-matched pairs ( P = .2). Thus, pericardial valves were as durable as allografts at all adult ages. Conclusions Structural valve deterioration is the most frequent cause of valve-related reoperation after both pericardial and allograft aortic valve replacement and is similarly age dependent, suggesting that pericardial valves may be appropriate for nonelderly as well as older persons.
Use of the minirhizotron-miniature video camera technique for measuring root dynamics

Abstract Root measurement techniques for annual row crops that are non-destructive, quick and efficient, and quantitative measures of root dynamics are critical to understanding environmental effects on rooting. This paper describes, utilizing data from Minirhizotron (MR) and miniature color video camera recordings, wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and peanut ( Arachis hypogae L.) seasonal rooting habits. Data for multiple and linear regression analysis were acquired by making root count ( C a , counts cm −2 MR) and root length ( L a cm root cm −2 MR) measurements on the surface of MR during the plant growing season. Roots on the surface of MR were recorded on video cassettes, displayed on a video screen, and traced on cellulose acetate each sampling date. Root dynamics were determined by comparing successive tracings. Wheat root length density ( L v cm root cm −3 soil) and root dry weight ( W v g root cm −3 soil) were determined from soil cores. A correlation coefficient of 0.88 for a multiple regression expression describing C a as a function of cultivar, sampling date, and soil depth was obtained. Linear regression for C a as function of L v W v or L a were highly significant, and correlation coefficients with C a were 0.72, 0.69, and 0.82, respectively.
Relationship between grown-in defects and thermal history during CZ Si crystal growth

Abstract An abrupt change of the crystal growth rate at temperatures in the range 1150–1080°C affects the annihilation or the agglomeration of grown-in defects such as flow pattern defects (FPD), crystal originated particles (COP), laser scattering defects (LSTD) and the defects measured by an optical precipitate profiler (OPPDs). Moreover, it is demonstrated that the densities of FPDs and LSTDs correlate with each other, and also with the cooling rate in such a temperature range. These relationships were investigated by growing several silicon single crystals in 10 kinds of hot-zone (HZ) configurations designed by using a numerical simulation. The cooling rate from 1412°C, the melting point of silicon, to 1150°C does not seem to be so important for the generation or the annihilation of these defects.
The Enlightenment Philosopher as Social Critic

A philosopher invariably takes up some stance on the social and political norms and practices of his times, and the persona of the philosopher is by no means fixed in this respect. Philosophers may...
121Sn, 123Sn, 125Sn, and 128Sn from fission-purification, half-lives, and 128Sn gamma-ray energies

Abstract A new, rapid, relatively simple procedure for separating tin isotopes from all the other fission products has been developed. The method is based on extraction of tin(II) into methyl isobutyl ketone from an aqueous sulphuric acid-potassium iodide solution and back-extraction of tin(IV) under the same conditions. The half-life values determined are generally consistent with previously reported values: the following values are recommended. 121 Sn: 27·0±0·1 hr; 123 Sn: 40·1±0·2 min, 129·3±0·5 day; 125 Sn: 9·6±0·1 min, 9·64±0·03 day; 128 Sn; 59·3±0·5 min. The energies of 12 γ-ray lines from 128 Sn in equilibrium with 10-min 128 Sb were determined with a germanium detector and are reported.
Phosphorylase inhibitor in potato: separation from activator and possible relation to chlorogenic acid.

IN a previous study of the factors in ethanolic extracts of potato which influence the activity of potato phosphorylase, it was found that although the observed shortening of the amylose chains synthesized by this enzyme could, in part, be attributed to the presence of inorganic orthophosphate in the extracts, the latter did not cause an inhibition of phosphorylase as measured by the rate of liberation of phosphate from glucose-1-phosphate in the presence of starch primer1. However, demonstration of primer (activator) activity of such extracts after de-ionization with ion-exchange resin implied the presence of true inhibitory activity in the extracts. Presumably this inhibitory action is obscured by the presence of activator (primer). Since no inhibitory activity could be demonstrated in the acid or alkaline eluates from cation-exchange columns after chromatography of the potato extracts, it would appear that the inhibitor is acidic. However, attempts to recover inhibitory activity in acid eluates from anion-exchange chromatography of the extracts was complicated by the appearance in these eluates of trace amounts of material, derived from the columns, which in themselves possessed considerable inhibitory activity. In the case of weak phenolformaldehyde resins, the inhibition was traced to the inactivating effect of formaldehyde, whereas polystyrene-quaternary amine resins yielded a green non-fluorescent material devoid of nitrogen which also exhibited inhibitory activity. Pretreatment of the resins under a variety of conditions did not eliminate subsequent elution of inhibitory material.
Workshop synopsis: Frontiers of environmental engineering education

A workshop on environmental engineering education, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) and the American Academy of Environmental Engineering (AAEE), was held on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, AZ, January 8-10, 2007. Approximately 60 attendees represented a broad cross-section of environmental engineering education and practice, including faculty and stakeholders from industry, government, and professional organizations. A major objective of the workshop was to explore emerging ldquofrontiersrdquo - innovations, developments, and needs in environmental engineering curriculum and education. Such developments and needs were assessed in the context of how environmental engineering has evolved as a field. Breakout sessions identified trends and needs in environmental curricula and plenary speakers discussed future needs in engineering education, and trends in environmental engineering education. These included sustainability and how systems engineering applies to environmental issues. Different environmental curriculum structures were discussed in the context of a study supported by the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD).
Unusual representations of local groups

Abstract By means of duality transformations we obtain representations of Yang-Mills groups which are neither tensors nor gauge fields, and fields which under general coordinate transformations are neither tensors nor tensor densities.
Document selection methodologies for efficient and effective learning-to-rank

Learning-to-rank has attracted great attention in the IR community. Much thought and research has been placed on query-document feature extraction and development of sophisticated learning-to-rank algorithms. However, relatively little research has been conducted on selecting documents for learning-to-rank data sets nor on the effect of these choices on the efficiency and effectiveness of learning-to-rank algorithms. In this paper, we employ a number of document selection methodologies, widely used in the context of evaluation--depth-k pooling, sampling (infAP, statAP), active-learning (MTC), and on-line heuristics (hedge). Certain methodologies, e.g. sampling and active-learning, have been shown to lead to efficient and effective evaluation. We investigate whether they can also enable efficient and effective learning-to-rank. We compare them with the document selection methodology used to create the LETOR datasets. Further, all of the utilized methodologies are different in nature, and thus they construct training data sets with different properties, such as the proportion of relevant documents in the data or the similarity among them. We study how such properties affect the efficiency, effectiveness, and robustness of learning-to-rank collections.
Averaging and summation of influences on visually perceived eye level between two long lines differing in pitch or roll-tilt.

Abstract The presence of one or two long, dim, eccentrically-placed, parallel, pitched-from-vertical lines in darkness generates a systematic influence on the physical elevation that appears to correspond to eye level (VPEL). The influence of the line(s) in darkness is nearly as large as that produced by a complexly-structured, well-illuminated visual field (Matin L, Li W. Vis Res, 1994;34:311–330); oblique lines in a frontoparallel plane that strike the same projected orientations generate the same influences as those generated by pitched-from-vertical lines (Li W, Matin L. Perception, 1996;25:831–852). The two experiments described here examined the influence on the physical elevation of VPEL due to simultaneous viewing of two long lines of different pitch (Experiment 1) or two long lines of different obliquity in a frontoparallel plane (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 employed two long (66°), simultaneously-presented, pitched-from-vertical lines in darkness on bilaterally symmetric locations at 25° horizontal eccentricity, with each line at one of seven pitches in the range from −30° to +30°; VPELs were measured for all 49 possible pitch combinations. Experiment 2 was identically constructed, but employed oblique 2-line stimuli from a frontoparallel plane that struck the same projected orientations as did the pitched-from-vertical lines in Experiment 1. VPELs measured on four subjects in the two experiments were indistinguishable for corresponding conditions of pitch and obliquity. For a given pitch (obliquity) of one of the lines the elevation of VPEL increased linearly with the pitch (obliquity) of the second line. The VPEL for any 2-line combination is very close to the average of the VPELs for the two individual lines; a small amount of additive summation between the influences of the two lines was also found. Parallel and nonparallel 2-line stimuli appear to follow the same rules of combination. The results are clear in showing that the visual influence on VPEL is controlled by an opponent-process mechanism.
Surface Plasmon Mediated Optical Limiting in Dilute Metallodielectric Systems

An extension of the Maxwell Garnett theory is used to computationally study the influence of metal nanoparticle induced field enhancement on the optical limiting performance of a metallodielectric composite medium.
Parkinson's Disease and Related α-Synucleinopathies Are Brain Amyloidoses

A paradigm shift in understanding Parkinson's disease (PD) and related disorders is emerging from studies showing that alpha-synuclein (AS) gene mutations cause familial PD; AS is abnormally nitrated, phosphorylated, and ubiquitinated; AS forms neuronal and glial inclusions; AS fibrillizes in vitro; and AS transgenic animals develop neurodegeneration with AS amyloid inclusions. Thus, PD and related synucleinopathies are brain amyloidoses that may share similar mechanisms and targets for drug discovery.
Market value effects of acquisitions involving internet firms: a resource‐based analysis

While most prior research suggests that the average change in market value of acquiring firms varies closely around zero, recent research grounded in the resource-based view and organizational learning theory identify positive returns to acquirers. We contribute to this literature by focusing on acquisitions of Internet firms and the potential for the transfer of scarce resources. We hypothesize that acquisitions made by offline firms of Internet firms and by Internet firms of other Internet firms lead to positive market valuation for the acquirer. Results of an event study of 798 acquisitions of Internet firms provided support for these predictions. We also find that prior alliances with online firms do not reduce the gains from such acquisitions to offline firms. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Febuxostat in the treatment of gout: 5-yr findings of the FOCUS efficacy and safety study

Objectives. This 5-yr study assessed urate-lowering and clinical efficacy and safety of long-term febuxostat therapy in subjects with gout. The primary efficacy end-point was reduction to and maintenance of serum urate (sUA) levels <6.0 mg/dl. Methods. Subjects who completed a previous 28-day study were entered into an open-label extension study and initially received febuxostat 80 mg daily. Between Weeks 4 and 24, dosing could be adjusted to febuxostat 40 or 120 mg. All subjects received gout flare prophylaxis during the first 4 weeks. Gout flares were recorded and treated throughout the study, and sUA, baseline tophi and safety were monitored. Results. Among 116 subjects initially enrolled, dose adjustments were made for 44 (38%) subjects. As a result, 8 subjects received febuxostat 40 mg, 79 received 80 mg, and 29 received 120 mg daily maintenance dose. At 5 yrs, 93% (54/58) of the remaining subjects had sUA <6.0 mg/dl. Fifty-eight subjects (50%) discontinued prematurely; 38 did so in the first year. Thirteen subjects withdrew due to an adverse event. Sustained reduction of sUA was associated with nearly complete elimination of gout flares. In 26 subjects with a tophus at baseline, resolution was achieved in 69% (18/26) by last visit on study drug at any point during the study (Final Visit). There were no deaths reported during the study. Conclusions. Long-term treatment with febuxostat resulted in durable maintenance of sUA <6.0 mg/dl for most subjects. There was nearly complete abolition of gout flares in patients completing the study. Baseline tophi resolved in a majority of subjects.
FPGA device and architecture evaluation considering process variations

Process variations in nanometer technologies are becoming an important issue for cutting-edge FPGAs with a multi-million gate capacity. Considering both die-to-die and within-die variations in effective channel length, threshold voltage, and gate oxide thickness, we first develop closed-form models of leakage and timing variations at the FPGA chip level. Experiments show that our models are within 3% from Monte Carlo simulation, and the leakage and delay variations can be up to 3/spl times/ and 1.9/spl times/, respectively. We then derive analytical yield models considering both leakage and timing variations, and use such models to evaluate FPGA device and architecture under process variations. Compared to the architecture similar to a commercial FPGA and device setting from ITRS roadmap, device tuning alone improves leakage yield by 39% and architecture and device co-optimization increases leakage yield by 73%. We also show that LUT size 4 gives the highest leakage yield, LUT size 7 gives the highest timing yield, but LUT size 5 achieves the maximum combined leakage and timing yield. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in-depth study on FPGA device and architecture co-evaluation considering process variations.
Straying From the Beaten Path, and Other Stories About Molecules

What determines a person’s course in life is to a great extent an accident. Even though my entry into the field of electron diffraction was largely a matter of chance, once in the field, I found it offered an extraordinary opportunity for scientific adventure. The following stories recount some of the serendipitous advances in the field that came from probing molecules by electron waves, as well as references to a few of the interesting personalities who played a role in the field.
Cranial and cardiac neural crest defects in endothelin-A receptor-deficient mice

Neural crest cells arise in the dorsal aspect of the neural tube and migrate extensively to differentiate into a variety of neural and non-neural tissues. While interactions between neural crest cells and their local environments are required for the proper development of these tissues, little information is available about the molecular nature of the cell-cell interactions in cephalic neural crest development. Here we demonstrate that mice deficient for one type of endothelin receptor, ETA, mimic the human conditions collectively termed CATCH 22 or velocardiofacial syndrome, which include severe craniofacial deformities and defects in the cardiovascular outflow tract. We show that ETA receptor mRNA is expressed by the neural crest-derived ectomesenchymal cells of pharyngeal arches and cardiac outflow tissues, whereas ET-1 ligand mRNA is expressed by arch epithelium, paraxial mesoderm-derived arch core and the arch vessel endothelium. This suggests that paracrine interaction between neural crest-derived cells and both ectoderm and mesoderm is essential in forming the skeleton and connective tissue of the head. Further, we find that pharyngeal arch expression of goosecoid is absent in ETA receptor-deficient mice, placing the transcription factor as one of the possible downstream signals triggered by activation of the ETA receptor. These observations define a novel genetic pathway for inductive communication between cephalic neural crest cells and their environmental counterparts.
Small Mammal Mycophagy Response to Variations in Green‐Tree Retention

Abstract We studied the effects of 6 green-tree retention levels and patterns on the diets of northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus), Townsend's chipmunks (Tamias townsendii), Siskiyou chipmunks (T. siskiyou), western red-backed voles (Myodes californicus), and southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) using fecal pellet analysis. These rodents are truffle spore dispersers and prey for forest predators such as the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). Pretreatment diets showed differences in truffle and plant consumption among genera. Tree harvesting, especially in the 15% aggregated retention pattern, reduced frequency of Rhizopogon spores in the diet of voles, which may reflect a reduced ability of these animals to forage for Rhizopogon truffles, a decreased access to these truffles, or a reduction in Rhizopogon truffle abundance or frequency. Habitat island effects and edge effects provide conceptual frameworks for the reduction in consumption of Rhizopogon truffles by voles in gr...
Infrared Photorefractive Polymers and Their Applications for Imaging

Photorefractive polymers with high diffraction efficiency in the visible and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum have been developed. These polymers, which have a large dynamic range because of their high orientational birefringence, incorporate a dye designed to have a large dipole moment and a high linear polarizability anisotropy. Such polymers have enabled demonstrations of imaging through scattering media, using a holographic time-gating technique at a wavelength that is compatible with the transparency of biological tissues and with the emission of low-cost semiconductor laser diodes.
Uncommon Surface Electromyography

Abstract Surface electromyography (SEMG) can be used as a tool to help gain the return/discovery of motor function in those with disabilities. This article presents the case of “Joey,” an 18-month-old toddler. An already challenging case due to age is made even more difficult considering his genetically based multiple impairments. SEMG provided a window of opportunity, previously unavailable, to allow Joey to demonstrate the new motor skills that he was capable of learning.
Hierarchical abnormal event detection by real time and semi-real time multi-tasking video surveillance system

In this paper, we describe how to detect abnormal human activities taking place in an outdoor surveillance environment. Human tracks are provided in real time by the baseline video surveillance system. Given trajectory information, the event analysis module will attempt to determine whether or not a suspicious activity is currently being observed. However, due to real-time processing constrains, there might be false alarms generated by video image noise or non-human objects. It requires further intensive examination to filter out false event detections which can be processed in an off-line fashion. We propose a hierarchical abnormal event detection system that takes care of real time and semi-real time as multi-tasking. In low level task, a trajectory-based method processes trajectory data and detects abnormal events in real time. In high level task, an intensive video analysis algorithm checks whether the detected abnormal event is triggered by actual humans or not.
Modulating gas sensing properties of CuO nanowires through creation of discrete nanosized p-n junctions on their surfaces.

We report significant enhancement of CuO nanowire (NW) sensing performance at room temperature through the surface functionalization with SnO2 nanocrystals (NCs). The sensitivity enhancement can be as high as ∼300% for detecting 1% NH3 diluted in air. The improved sensitivity could be attributed to the electronic interaction between p-type CuO NWs and n-type SnO2 NCs due to the formation of nanosized p–n junctions, which are highly sensitive to the surrounding gaseous environment and could effectively manipulate local charge carrier concentration. Our results suggest that the NC-NW structure is an attractive candidate for practical sensing applications, in view of its outstanding room-temperature sensitivity, excellent dynamic properties (rapid response and quick recovery), and flexibility in modulating the sensing performance (e.g., by adjusting the coverage of SnO2 NCs on CuO NWs and doping of SnO2 NCs).
Impact of Changing U.S. Demographics on the Decline in Smoking Prevalence, 1980–2010

INTRODUCTION U.S. smoking prevalence has been declining over the last several decades. During this time, the population has also experienced changes in its demographic composition, as Americans are living longer and becoming increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. Since smoking rates vary across age and race/ethnicity groups, demographics alone could contribute to changes in smoking prevalence among the general population. We examined the effect of changing age and race/ethnicity distributions on total smoking prevalence from 1980 to 2010. METHODS Using the National Health Interview Survey weighting scheme, we applied the distribution of smokers across age and race/ethnicity categories for the years 1980 and 2010 to the distribution of adults in those categories for both years. The total number of smokers was summed to determine resulting smoking prevalence. RESULTS The combined effect of aging and the changing racial/ethnic composition of the U.S. population has contributed 2.1% points to the decline in smoking prevalence. If the age and racial/ethnic demographic composition had not changed since 1980, smoking prevalence would have been 21.3% in 2010 (with rounding)--statistically significantly higher than the reported 19.3%. Of the 3 demographic factors we considered (age, race, and ethnicity), ethnicity--specifically the rising share of Hispanics in the population--is the most important contributor to declines in smoking. CONCLUSIONS Our changing demographics have had an impact on smoking prevalence over the last 3 decades. Future declines in smoking may be driven even more by the aging of the population and increasing racial and ethnic diversity.
The compatibility of compositional and structural features of aluminous large pore zeolites with sorption characteristics

The parent NaX and KL samples were prepared by hydrothermal crystallization and their corresponding K- and Na-exchanged forms were obtained by post-synthesis modification by conventional ion-exchange technique. NaX, NaKX, KL and NaKL samples were characterized by powder XRD, IR, low temperature nitrogen adsorption and chemical analyses. Their sorption uptake behaviour has been investigated by gravimetric method. The kinetics of sorption using different sorbate probe molecules such as water, benzene and n-hexane was measured at 298 K, at P/P0 = 0.5 for 90 minutes. All the results obtained were discussed in terms of the compositional and structural variations of the adsorbents. Lack of high dimensionality of the pore system, less openness in structure, low average framework oxygen charge and less number of accessible nonframework cations are some of the prominent factors which has resulted in reduced hydro- and organo-philicity in LTL type zeolites as compared to X-type. The size and concentration of the accessible nonframework cations were also found to influence the sorptive properties of these aluminous large pore zeolites. Among all the probe molecules, n-hexane was found to be as a promising probe for differentiating the structural peculiarities especially dimensionality of the pore system.
Cholesterol-fed heterozygous Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits: a new model for atherosclerosis

Homozygous Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits are used widely to study atherosclerosis, but the WHHL heterozygous rabbit has received little attention. To study their potential as a model for atherosclerosis, heterozygous WHHL and New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits were fed diets containing 0%, 0.5% and 1.0% cholesterol. Plasma lipids were analyzed at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 24 weeks, and animals were killed at 12 and 24 weeks. Plasma cholesterol levels were significantly higher in cholesterol-fed WHHL heterozygotes at 8 weeks compared with NZW rabbits, but no differences were apparent at other times. Atherosclerotic plaques in the aortas of cholesterol-fed WHHL heterozygous rabbits differed from those in NZW rabbits, in that the WHHL had complicated lesions with necrosis, cholesterol clefts, fibrous caps and calcification, similar to that found in humans and homozygous WHHL rabbits. In contrast, NZW rabbits had predominantly foam cell lesions. Heterozygous WHHL rabbits also had less extensive extravascular foam cell deposits. Our results suggest that the cholesterol-fed heterozygous WHHL rabbit may provide a promising model for studying the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
Supporting Consumers by Characterizing the Quality of Online Health Information: A Multidimensional Framework

Health care consumers increasingly turn to the World Wide Web for health information to support active participation in their health care. Use of the best health information requires consumers to assess the quality of this information. However, consumers face a number of challenges in their online health searches as well as in their use of quality appraisal tools. Our review and synthesis of health information quality appraisal methods reveals a novel model for characterizing the quality of health information from multiple dimensions. Content, usage, authorship, and publication characteristics provide consumers with an organizing framework for assessment that can be suited to match a variety of needs, purposes, and characteristics. New informatics tools that describe quality in multiple ways could meet the needs of consumers by highlighting these multiple dimensions. We present a usage case example and prototype using our Multidimensional Quality Framework to visualize the quality of MEDLINE search results.
Synthesis, characterization, and electrocatalysis using Pt and Pd dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles prepared by galvanic exchange

In this report we present the synthesis and characterization of Pt and Pd dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) using the method of galvanic exchange. Sixth-generation hydroxyl-terminated poly(amidoamine) dendrimers were used to prepare Cu DENs composed of 55 atoms. In the presence of either PtCl42− or PdCl42−, the less noble Cu DENs oxidize to Cu2+ leaving behind an equal-sized DEN of Pt or Pd, respectively. DENs prepared by direct reduction with BH4−, which is the common synthetic route, and those prepared by galvanic exchange have the same composition, structure, and properties as judged by UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and electrochemical methods. However, the galvanic exchange synthesis is much faster (3 h vs. 96 h), and the yield of reduced DENs is significantly higher (nearly 100% in the case of galvanic exchange).
Detailed analysis of grid-based molecular docking: A case study of CDOCKER-A CHARMm-based MD docking algorithm.

The influence of various factors on the accuracy of protein-ligand docking is examined. The factors investigated include the role of a grid representation of protein-ligand interactions, the initial ligand conformation and orientation, the sampling rate of the energy hyper-surface, and the final minimization. A representative docking method is used to study these factors, namely, CDOCKER, a molecular dynamics (MD) simulated-annealing-based algorithm. A major emphasis in these studies is to compare the relative performance and accuracy of various grid-based approximations to explicit all-atom force field calculations. In these docking studies, the protein is kept rigid while the ligands are treated as fully flexible and a final minimization step is used to refine the docked poses. A docking success rate of 74% is observed when an explicit all-atom representation of the protein (full force field) is used, while a lower accuracy of 66-76% is observed for grid-based methods. All docking experiments considered a 41-member protein-ligand validation set. A significant improvement in accuracy (76 vs. 66%) for the grid-based docking is achieved if the explicit all-atom force field is used in a final minimization step to refine the docking poses. Statistical analysis shows that even lower-accuracy grid-based energy representations can be effectively used when followed with full force field minimization. The results of these grid-based protocols are statistically indistinguishable from the detailed atomic dockings and provide up to a sixfold reduction in computation time. For the test case examined here, improving the docking accuracy did not necessarily enhance the ability to estimate binding affinities using the docked structures.
Neural Correlates of the Automatic Processing of Threat Facial Signals

The present study examined whether automaticity, defined here as independence from attentional modulation, is a fundamental principle of the neural systems specialized for processing social signals of environmental threat. Attention was focused on either scenes or faces presented in a single overlapping display. Facial expressions were neutral, fearful, or disgusted. Amygdala responses to facial expressions of fear, a signifier of potential physical attack, were not reduced with reduced attention to faces. In contrast, anterior insular responses to facial expressions of disgust, a signifier of potential physical contamination, were reduced with reduced attention. However, reduced attention enhanced the amygdala response to disgust expressions; this enhanced amygdala response to disgust correlated with the magnitude of attentional reduction in the anterior insular response to disgust. These results suggest that automaticity is not fundamental to the processing of all facial signals of threat, but is unique to amygdala processing of fear. Furthermore, amygdala processing of fear was not entirely automatic, coming at the expense of specificity of response. Amygdala processing is thus specific to fear only during attended processing, when cortical processing is undiminished, and more broadly tuned to threat during unattended processing, when cortical processing is diminished.
Vortex pairing : the mechanism of turbulent mixing-layer growth at moderate Reynolds number

A mixing layer is formed by bringing two streams of water, moving at different velocities, together in a lucite-walled channel. The Reynolds number, based on the velocity difference and the thickness of the shear layer, varies from about 45, where the shear layer originates, to about 850 at a distance of 50 cm. Dye is injected between the two streams just before they are brought together, marking the vorticity-carrying fluid. Unstable waves grow, and fluid is observed to roll up into discrete two-dimensional vortical structures. These turbulent vortices interact by rolling around each other, and a single vortical structure, with approximately twice the spacing of the former vortices, is formed. This pairing process is observed to occur repeatedly, controlling the growth of the mixing layer. A simple model of the mixing layer contains, as the important elements controlling growth, the degree of non-uniformity in the vortex train and the ‘lumpiness’ of the vorticity field.
Impact of Food and Drug Administration hepatotoxicity warning on prescribing and monitoring of dronedarone in a tertiary teaching hospital

Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hepatotoxicity warning on 14 January 2011 on the prescribing practices and hepatic monitoring of patients receiving dronedarone. Methods Patients who received dronedarone 1 year before and after the FDA warning were retrospectively evaluated for the appropriateness of dronedarone prescribing, hepatic injury evaluation and medication discontinuation rates in a tertiary medical centre. Key findings Ninety-one patients (66.4%) were prescribed dronedarone prior to the FDA warning, compared with 46 patients (33.6%) after the warning. The frequency of liver function testing (72.5% versus 76.1%) and discontinuation rates (42.9% versus 50%) were similar before and after the FDA warning. Conclusions There was no significant change in dronedarone prescribing practice, monitoring of hepatic function or discontinuation rates following an FDA hepatotoxicity warning.
S2P: a stable 2-pole RC delay and coupling noise metric [IC interconnects]

The Elmore delay is the metric of choice for performance-driven design applications due to its simple, explicit form and ease with which sensitivity information can be calculated. However, for deep submicron technologies, the accuracy of the Elmore delay is insufficient. In this paper we formulate a delay model using a provably stable two pole waveform response that provides a unique mapping between four moments and a specific delay value. Unlike traditional moment matching, this two-pole model permits us to precharacterize the delays, and store them in a table, as a mapped function of three parameters. The model also provides an explicit expression for the peak noise induced on a coupled line as a function of the same three moments. The results indicate runtimes comparable to an Elmore delay calculation but with the accuracy of an AWE approximation.
Modeling and performance evaluation of a reinforced movable boundary hybrid switched multiplexing scheme with adaptive speech interpolation

A novel multiplexing scheme for integrated networks characterized by the coexistence of circuit-switched and packet-switched traffic is described. The new scheme is realized by reinforcement of the basic movable boundary hybrid-switching technique by incorporating a packet queue-size dependent adaptive TASI (time assigned speech interpolation) mechanism. A detailed queuing model representation of the multiplexer is given, and an analytical evaluation of several performance parameters of interest, such as the blocking probability of the packet-switched subsystem, the freezeout probability of the circuit-switched subsystem, and the expected number of packets in the packet queue, is conducted. The results of some numerical studies are presented to illustrate the multiplexer performance under different conditions. Of particular significance is the tradeoff between the freezeout probability performance of the circuit-switched subsystem and the packet blocking performance of the packet-switched subsystem, which could be exploited in a systematic design of the integrated multiplexing scheme for specific applications. >
Pipelined Consensus for Global State Estimation in Multi-Agent Systems

This paper presents pipelined consensus, an extension of pair-wise gossip-based consensus, for multi-agent systems using mesh networks. Each agent starts a new consensus in each round of gossiping, and stores the intermediate results for the previous k consensus in a pipeline message. After k rounds of gossiping, the results of the first consensus are ready. The pipeline keeps each consensus independent, so any errors only persist for k rounds. This makes pipelined consensus robust to many real-world problems that other algorithms cannot handle, including message loss, changes in network topology, sensor variance, and changes in agent population. The algorithm is fully distributed and self-stabilizing, and uses a communication message of fixed size. We demonstrate the efficiency of pipelined consensus in two scenarios: computing mean sensor values in a distributed sensor network, and computing a centroid estimate in a multi-robot system. We provide extensive simulation results, and real-world experiments with up to 24 agents. The algorithm produces accurate results, and handles all of the disturbances mentioned above.
Study of carrier lifetime degradation in (Zn)CdTe/MgCdTe double heterostructures

(Zn)CdTe/MgCdTe double heterostructures (DH) are grown on InSb substrates using MBE. The DHs are capped with 10∼30 nm (Zn)CdTe layers to prevent MgCdTe from oxidization. The carrier lifetimes of the DHs with Mg0.24Cd0.76Te barrier layer degrade fast within the first week in atmosphere and then at a much slower rate. The carrier lifetime degradation is about 20–30% compared with the initial value. However, for the DHs with Mg0.36Cd0.64Te barrier layer, the carrier lifetime is stable over time. The degradation of the lifetime for samples with Mg0.24Cd0.76Te barrier is attributed to the degradation at the surface of (Zn)CdTe cap, since photogenerated carries can more easily overcome the lower Mg0.24Cd0.76Te barrier layer through thermionic emission and recombine non-radiatively at the top surface. The Mg0.36Cd0.64Te barrier with a much higher potential height will prevent those carriers from escaping the CdTe region, thus resulting in a much longer carrier lifetime and less impact from surface conditions.
Una mirada transatlántica a narrativas contestatarias de hegemonías mercadotécnicas: Belén Gopegui y Rodolfo Fogwill

A study of 21st-century narratives and their use of discursive strategies to contest consumer-oriented cultural practices and the mass media appropriation of cultural politics, particularly in post-dictatorship societies that underwent a rapid immersion into a market economy in the context of democratic transition. These processes took place on both sides of the Atlantic, as was the case with Spain and Argentina. This article will examine Spanish writer Bel??n Gopegui???s Lo real (2001) and Argentine author Rodolfo Fogwill???s novel En otro orden de cosas (2001) as examples of discursive resistance to hegemonic cultural initiatives in the context of globalization.
Biopower generation in a microfluidic bio-solar panel

Abstract We developed a scalable and stackable bio-solar panel that integrated significantly improved miniature bio-solar cells in an array. A 3 × 3 bio-solar panel was fabricated by installing nine bio-solar cells with a common microfluidic channel. The bio-solar panel continuously generated electricity from cyanobacterial photosynthetic and respiratory activities under day–night cycles. The open circuit voltages from individual bio-solar cells differed by less than 2% to the cell units in the array. The connection of the nine cells in series generated 5.59 μW maximum power and 1.28 V operating voltage under a 200 kΩ external resistor, which is the highest-reported numbers of any existing small-scale bio-solar cells. Bio-solar cell performance has improved significantly through miniaturizing innovative device architectures and connecting multiple miniature cells in a panel.
A Dispatch from the Crypto Wars (Review of Matt Curtin, Brute Force: Cracking The Data Encryption Standard (2005))

Matt Curtin's Brute Force is a primarily personal account of one early effort to harness the power of distributed computing. In 1997, Mr. Curtin and other members of the DESCHALL (DES Challenge) project built, distributed, and managed software that united thousands of computers, many of them ordinary personal computers, in the search for a single decryption key among 72 quadrillion possibilities. The DESCHALL project sought to demonstrate that DES, then the U.S. national standard encryption algorithm, was no longer as secure as advertised. While Brute Force also offers some background on encryption regulation, export control policy, and other aspect of the Crypto Wars, it succeeds best as an almost diaristic account of the technical and organizational challenges at the heart of one of the earliest large- scale widely dispersed volunteer computing projects. The DES cracking project chronicled in Brute Force exemplifies the interplay between technology and politics. More importantly, Brute Force reminds us that although we survived one round of the Crypto Wars without actual controls on the use of cryptography, and indeed with some substantial relaxation of the export control regime that stood in the way of the routine adoption of strong crypto in many types of software, that result was not inevitable – and might again come under threat.
Cancer Survivorship in the Digital Age

The diagnosis of cancer has surpassed heart disease as the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality for certain age groups in the USA [1]. Once a diagnosis is inextricably linked to mortality, this array of illnesses falling under the umbrella of cancer is now increasingly associated with survival [2]. The number of cancer survivors in the USA is growing [3]. The two most prevalent cancer diagnoses found in this blend of survivorship, outside of nonmelanoma skin cancer, are persons with a history of breast or prostate cancer [4]. Improvements in survivorship have been achieved for most malignancies afflicting children or adults. Some of these improvements have been, albeit, modest [5].
Behaving in an Aboveboard Manner and Judging Others Favorably: The Talmudic View

There were an amazing 700 cases of whistleblower complaints about Wells Fargo's dishonest sales tactics, yet no one did anything. Fox News appears to have been covering up cases of sexual harassment for many years. Clearly, there are problems that need to be addressed at many companies when it comes to allegations of unethical or immoral behavior. This paper examines two interesting Talmudic principles that are related: First, that a person is required to behave in an aboveboard manner and not act in a manner that will cause others to suspect that s/he is doing something immoral or unethical. Second, that one should judge others favorably and give them the benefit of the doubt. The problem of persistent rumors about misbehavior is also studied.