cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial Differences in the Tracking of Childhood BMI to Adulthood

Objective: The possibility that there are racial differences in the patterns of BMI (kilograms per meter squared) change throughout life has not been examined. For example, the high prevalence of obesity among black women could result from a higher prevalence of obesity among black girls or because normal-weight black girls experience larger BMI increases in adolescence or adulthood than do their white counterparts. Therefore, we examined the tracking of childhood BMI into adulthood in a biracial (36% black) sample. Research Methods and Procedures: Five- to 14-year-old children (2392) were followed for (mean) 17 years. Childhood overweight was defined as BMI ≥ 95th percentile, and adult obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Results: The tracking of childhood BMI differed between whites and blacks. Among overweight children, 65% of white girls vs. 84% of black girls became obese adults, and predictive values among boys were 71% (whites) vs. 82% (blacks). These racial differences reflected contrasting patterns in the rate of BMI change. Although the initial BMI of black children was not higher than that of white children, BMI increases with age were larger among black girls and overweight black boys than among their white counterparts. In contrast, relatively thin (BMI < 50th percentile) white boys were more likely to become overweight adults than were their black counterparts. Discussion: These findings emphasize the black/white differences in BMI changes with age. Because of the adult health consequences of childhood-onset obesity, early prevention should be given additional emphasis.
A computational study of flame radiation in PMMA diffusion flames including fuel vapor participation

A numerical model of a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) diffusion flame in a stagnation-point geometry is solved with flame radiation. A narrow-band radiation model is used with carbon dioxide, water vapor (combustion products), and methylmethacrylate (fuel) vapor as the gaseous participating species. A detailed account of the emission and absorption from these species as well as the net radiative heat flux are given as a function of the flame stretch rate. Flame radiation is more important at low stretch rates. The contributions from carbon dioxide and water vapor to emission increase with decreasing stretch rate, because the thicker flames at low stretch rate produce a longer optical path. Because of the differnet concentrations at the fuel surface, the optical path length of the MMA vapor stays approximately the same with varying stretch rate, therefore contributing to a smaller fraction of the total emission at low stretch as compared with that at high stretch. Radiative absorption by these gaseous species is substantial and dominated by self-absorption. Consequently, the radiative contributin by MMA vapor is mainly as an emitter.
Scl binds to primed enhancers in mesoderm to regulate hematopoietic and cardiac fate divergence

Scl/Tal1 confers hemogenic competence and prevents ectopic cardiomyogenesis in embryonic endothelium by unknown mechanisms. We discovered that Scl binds to hematopoietic and cardiac enhancers that become epigenetically primed in multipotent cardiovascular mesoderm, to regulate the divergence of hematopoietic and cardiac lineages. Scl does not act as a pioneer factor but rather exploits a pre-established epigenetic landscape. As the blood lineage emerges, Scl binding and active epigenetic modifications are sustained in hematopoietic enhancers, whereas cardiac enhancers are decommissioned by removal of active epigenetic marks. Our data suggest that, rather than recruiting corepressors to enhancers, Scl prevents ectopic cardiogenesis by occupying enhancers that cardiac factors, such as Gata4 and Hand1, use for gene activation. Although hematopoietic Gata factors bind with Scl to both activated and repressed genes, they are dispensable for cardiac repression, but necessary for activating genes that enable hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell development. These results suggest that a unique subset of enhancers in lineage-specific genes that are accessible for regulators of opposing fates during the time of the fate decision provide a platform where the divergence of mutually exclusive fates is orchestrated.
The use of radiation in the management of spinal metastases

Skeletal metastases occur in the majority of patients with systemic cancer [47, 48]. However only between 5-10% will develop symptomatic spinal cord or cauda equina compression in their lifetime [49]. In one study by Lenz and Fried in autopsies on 168 patients with breast cancer 59 % had evidence of spinal metastases however only 9% had developed spinal cord compression [50]. Primary histology's leading to skeletal metastases in adults are breast, lung, prostate, kidney, lymphoma, myeloma and carcinomas of unknown origin in order of frequency and neuroblastoma, Ewing's sarcoma, osteogenic sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma in children [51, 52, 53]. Despite autopsy findings showing that metastases most often involve the lumbar spine in clinical practice symptomatic metastases most often effect the thoracic spine followed by the lumbar spine and least often the cervical spine [47].
Published, not perished, but has anybody read it? Citation success of finance research articles

Citation counts are widely used in academia in hiring, tenure, promotion, salary increases, merit pay as well as to rank departments, journals and authors. However, no previous study examined the factors that influence citations in finance journals. This article examines how the number of citations is affected by authors’ collaboration, advertising and ‘salesmanship’ efforts, journals rank, article placement in the journal, and authors’ experience. We employ 16 years of data and use the Tobit model to study the number of citations. Also, we use the hazard model to estimate the probability of an article being cited for the first time. The empirical results show significant relation between the number of citations and the ranking of authors’ university, placement of an article in a journal, the length of an article, and the number of references included but no significant effect of collaboration, grant support, and the number of presentations and acknowledgments. Additionally, we conclude that it is importa...
Linear polarization of radiation from planar channeled electrons and positrons

The polarization of channeling radiation emitted by planar channeled electrons and positrons has been calculated using the many-beam method. The radiation was found to be almost completely polarized in the direction perpendicular to the channeling plane for emission in the forward direction. This is an exact, analytical result and holds for all instances in which the particles satisfy the conditions for planar channeling.
Neural Pathways Associated with Hypothalamically Elicited Attack Behavior in Cats

Small electrolytic lesions were made in cats through electrodes, which, when stimulated, elicited either quiet biting attack or affective paw strike attack upon rats. The Nauta method for impregnating degenerating axoplasm was used to reveal that degeneration resulting from lesions at quiet attack sites followed largely along the course of the medial forebrain bundle, while the degeneration after lesions of affective attack sites was concentrated more heavily in the periventricular system.
The age of ferroan anorthosite 60025: oldest crust on a young Moon?

Sm-Nd isotopic data for mineral separates from the ferroan anorthosite 60025, which define a precise isochron of 4.44 + or - 0.02 Ga age, are discussed. This age is about 110 Myr younger than the formation of the first large solid objects in the solar nebula. If the moon is as old as the oldest meteorite, the relatively young age determined for 60025 implies that the magma ocean did not form synchronously with lunar formation or that the magma ocean required over 100 Myr to reach the stage of ferroan anorthosite crystallization. It is proposed that the accumulated body of radiogenic isotope data for lunar rocks permit the moon to be as young as 4.44-4.51 Ga. This is consistent with the idea that the materials that make up the moon were derived from the earth.
THE EFFECT OF GRAVITY AND FRICTION ON THE STABILITY OF BOILING FLOW IN A CHANNEL

Abstract The linear stability or boiling How in heated 'parallel channels is considered. A nondimensional lumped parameter model is derived from the Conservation equations of homogeneous two-phase Row. The marginal stability surfaces are constructed in a systematic way using the D-partition method. It is found that frictional and gravitational effects can lead to islands of instability within the stable region, which can produce higher order instabilities. Moreover, the model yields a unified treatment of Ledine[ggrave]g¨ and density-wave instability modes.
Prevention in Endodontic Practice

The use of a rubber dam for endodontic procedures can help prevent accidents such as ingestion or aspiration of root canal instruments. This simple precaution can prevent needless pain for the patient and a negligence lawsuit for the dentist.
Hypokalemia, in Bartter's Syndrome and Other Disorders, Produces Resistance to Vasopressors via Prostaglandin Overproduction

SummaryThe role of hypokalemia and increased synthesis of prostaglandins in the decreased response of blood pressure to intravenous angiotensin II was studied in patients with Bartter's syndrome and in patients with psychogenic vomiting. In patients with Bartter's syndrome with high urinary prostaglandin E, treatment with an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis corrected the hyperreninemia and restored the pressor response to angiotensin II to normal but only partially corrected the hypokalemia. In patients with psychogenic vomiting with high urinary prostaglandin E, correction of the hypokalemia corrected the hyperreninemia and restored the pressor response to angiotensin II and to norepinephrine to normal. The findings suggest that hypokalemia, by stimulation of the synthesis of prostaglandin E in the kidney, produces hyperreninemia. An increase in synthesis of prostaglandin E in vascular tissue, stimulated by hypokalemia per se or by angiotensin II (produced by the hyperreninemia) or by both, increases...
Cross-sectional echocardiography in the diagnosis of atrioventricular septal defect.

Abstract Between 1983–1988 cross-sectional echocardiography was performed in 63 patients having an atrioventricular septal defect with common atrioventricular orifice. We excluded from this study all those patients with separate right and left orifices ("ostium primum" defects), those with isomerism of the right and left atrial appendages, those with univentricular atrioventricular connexions and those with discordant atrioventricular and ventriculo-arterial connexions. Parasternal long- and short-axis views, apical 4-chamber views and subcostal long-axis views were employed in all patients. In the last 26 cases, we also obtained the subcostal short-axis view. Nineteen patients showed ventricular dominance, with the right ventricle being dominant in 15. Ten patients had an associated defect in the oval fossa, while the atrial septum was partially or completely absent in the other 53. A ventricular septal defect was observed in all, but it was small in 10 and multiple in 2. Attachments of the superior and inferior bridging leaflets to the crest or the right side of the ventricular septum were seen in 32 cases. The inferior leaflet was hypoplastic in 19 patients. There was narrowing of the left ventricular outflow tract in 8 patients, and obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract in 3. Abnormal attachment of the right portion of the common valvar orifice was present in 2 cases. A solitary papillary muscle supporting the left ventricular component of the common valve was seen in 6 cases producing a parachute-like arrangement. Our study shows that cross-sectional echocardiography is an excellent technique for the analysis of this anomaly.
In situ generation of HCN for mass spectrometric studies.

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) for use in ion preparation can be generated in the gas phase by the neutral-neutral reaction of trimethylsilyl cyanide (Me3SiCN) and water in a flowing afterglow mass spectrometer. We demonstrate that the approach can be used to generate a wide range of HCN solvated ions such as F−(HCN), Cl−(HCN), CN−(HCN), PhNO2·−(HCN), Me3SiO−(HCN),and PhSiF4−(HCN), many of which are otherwise difficult to generate. The bond dissociation energy of CN−(HCN), generated by using this approach, has been measured by using energy-resolved collision-induced issociation (CID) to be 0.87 ± 0.07 eV.
Molecular biology and the kinetics of growth. I. Cell growth.

The findings of molecular biology concerning biosynthesis of macromolecules are applied to the deduction of the kinetics of mass and volume growth in individual cells between divisions. The time course of increase of all macromolecules and of the total dry mass is found to be linear, in agreement with the available data; the corresponding volume growth curves are either quadratic, or exponential with a linear asymptote, depending on the relative contributions of metabolism and transport to cell water. A self-limiting mass and volume kinetics is derived by including repression among the other molecular mechanisms.
New approaches for high efficiency cascade solar cells

Abstract New approaches for current problems facing cascade solar cells in III-V compounds are addressed. Spinodal decomposition of metastable alloys such as AlGaAsSb resulting in the separation of low band gap phases is proposed as an interconnect between the two cells. A new superlattice structure based on the ternary alloys GaAsP and InGaAs has been used to reduce defects originating from a GaAs substrate or a lattice-mismatched interface. This superlattice structure with E g = 1.25 eV is used to extend photon absorption beyond the band gap GaAs without the introduction of lattice defects.
Submerged and unsubmerged natural hydraulic jumps in a bedrock step-pool mountain channel

High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for natural submerged and unsubmerged jump regions were tested against the classical hydraulic jump (CHJ) and engineering analogues that have dominated previous geomorphic and engineering research. DEMs were compared for two discharge conditions. The data showed bed and water surface features of the natural jump regions differ significantly from CHJ conditions and engineering analogues with respect to boundary conditions. Roughness elements were highly irregular in frequency, spacing, size, and orientation, and were comprised of form obliquity and bed scour in boulder-bed and pure-bedrock conditions. The data also showed bed and water surface features of natural jump regions have similarities and deviations from CHJ conditions and engineering analogues with respect to hydraulic characteristics. Several variations were observed in the hydraulic characteristics between the ballistic and sloping jets. Revised conceptual models based on idealized corollaries were developed for the natural jump regions based on upstream energy head relative to the downstream tailwater depth and step geometry. The DEMs highlight the importance of recognizing the interrelationship between spatial transcritical flow structures and localized topographic heterogeneities in bedrock channels.
Synthesis of an event based supervisor for deadlock avoidance in semiconductor manufacturing systems

With the emerging of highly automated and flexible manufacturing systems in semiconductor fabrication, reliability and optimal productivity of such systems require very intelligent and complex control systems. Deadlock issue arises easily in these systems due to shared equipment usage and high production flexibility. This work presents a new event-based deadlock avoidance supervisor. The supervisor is able to efficiently and smartly avoid the deadlock state space explosion problem. The method is built upon a directed graph model of process flows. Concepts such as compound events, operation strings and deadlock strings are introduced. Major features in the proposed method include: i) it enables the optimal deadlock free operation of regular systems; and ii) it runs in polynomial time (fast online computation) provided that the set of deadlock strings is calculated offline. Examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the method.
Voice and image recovery from lost samples

In a digital communication system, a common problem is a loss of samples due to channel fading, interfering signal, and additive noise. The authors introduce novel schemes for the interpolation of the missing samples, called the division method. From the nonuniform sampling theorem it is known that, as long as the sampling rate of a signal satisfies the Nyquist rate, the signal is uniquely determined by the set of the nonuniform samples. The authors consider the distorted signals as a set of nonuniform samples and derive the methods based on the theorem. A number of simulations have been performed for both distorted voice and image signals. The advantage of this method is that it is very simple to implement in real time. >
An EM algorithm for singular state space models: II

For pt.I see ibid. (2003). We develop a state space EM algorithm for the case when the state innovations covariance matrix is singular and where there is correlation between state and observation noise. Previous state space EM algorithms precluded this practically important case.
Eulerian Bond Graphs for Fluid Continuum Dynamics Modeling

The development of high resolution, general purpose models of viscous, compressible flows is extremely difficult with existing system dynamics modeling tools. Published work admits to significant limitations, with regards to the treatment of flow geometry, inertia effects, or mass and energy convection. Combining a finite element discretization scheme with a bond graph based model formulation procedure provides a very general purpose tool for continuum fluid system modeling.
Implementing Effective Community-Based Prevention Programs in the Community Youth Development Study:

There is mixed evidence regarding the extent to which communities can replicate science-based substance use and delinquency prevention programs with high implementation fidelity, that is, in close ...
A Channel-Select Filter With Agile Blocker Detection and Adaptive Power Dissipation

A dynamic biasing scheme that reduces the average DC power of channel-select filters in wireless receivers is presented. A blocker detection technique makes it possible to automatically adjust the power dissipation depending on the absence of presence of blockers, with low overhead in power consumption and circuit complexity. The scheme achieves a fast ramp-up, avoiding diminution of the desired signal response that could otherwise be caused by abruptly appearing large blockers. To ensure the stability of the dynamically biased class-AB opamp employed, a cascode Miller/feedforward compensation technique is used. A fifth-order Butterworth low-pass filter with adaptive IIP3 and adaptive power dissipation is demonstrated, with a test chip implemented in a 0.18-mum CMOS process with a 1.8-V supply. The filter quiescent current is 1.2 mA in the absence of blockers, with a -5 dBV out-of-channel IIP3. The current increases to 2.7 mA, with the IIP3 of +20 dBV, when the blocker level rises to -13 dBV
State digital library usability: contributing organizational factors

Usage and user feedback about a state digital library, in which the developers/designers, content providers, different types of libraries and their staffs, and a variety of user groups represent a loose federation of separate organizations with diverse expectations and needs, are investigated. Through corroboratory evidence from usage statistics of Internet-based database services available through the digital library, responses to a statewide-administered library survey, and a Web-based survey of end users, the authors identify contributing factors for the organizational usability of state digital libraries. The authors refine and enhance an organizational usability model for the unique environment of state digital libraries and identify three modes of interaction (influence, communication, activity) and the challenges each interaction presents: in addressing diverse player needs and expectations; the unequal awareness and training in using state digital libraries; and the lack of sufficient communication channels among players. In addition, the findings highlight the double-edged impact of physical libraries on the state digital library.
Cooperation in the Budgeting Process

In this article I analyze the role of cooperation between firm divisions in the budgeting process. I study a setting in which cooperation is a necessary condition for information sharing among division managers, which in turn benefits the principal. The results in this article can help reconcile the differing views between practitioners and academic researchers on the desirability of cooperation in the budgeting process. The results also have implications for some common budgeting processes observed in practice, including bundling budgeting and bottom-up budgeting.
Vibration response of geometrically nonlinear elastic beams subjected to pulse and impact loading

An understanding of the response of composite laminates to foreign object impact is of fundamental importance to the design and the accurate evaluation of aircraft and aerospace structures. A characterization of the basic deformation response of the system is needed for the accurate and consistent modeling of the damage caused by the impact. The response to low velocity impact of foreign objects (less than 10 m/sec at 10 J of impact energy or less) is of particular interest because it corresponds to tool drop problems. An investigation of the vibration response of a simple square beam was conducted, taking into account both sharp initial velocity pulse conditions and simulated impact conditions. Attention is given to nonlinear beam theory, boundary conditions and materials modeling, initial conditions and impact modeling, and a solution of the obtained system of partial differential equations by the finite difference approach.
Providing QoS support for wireless remote healthcare system

Recent advances in wireless sensor technology facilitate the development of remote healthcare systems, which can significantly reduce the healthcare cost. Despite the initial promising results, there remain many obstacles to apply this technology to the practical medical care context. One of the critical issues is to assure the timely and robust delivery of the life-critical medical data in the resource-constrained wireless sensor networking environment. This paper addresses this issue and presents a Quality of Service (QoS) support mechanism for wireless remote healthcare system, which integrates XML-based QoS specification, patient admission policy, and differentiated scheduling and queue management. The proposed QoS support mechanism is implemented in CareNet, our wireless sensor system for remote healthcare. Extensive performance study is presented to validate and evaluate our solution.
A 2.4-GHz, 2.2-W, 2-V fully-integrated CMOS circular-geometry active-transformer power amplifier

A 2.4-GHz, 2.2-W, 2-V fully integrated circular geometry power amplifier with 50 /spl Omega/ input and output matching is fabricated using 2.5 V, 0.35 /spl mu/m CMOS transistors. It can also produce 450 mW using a 1 V supply. Harmonic suppression is 64 dB or better. An on-chip circular-geometry active-transformer is used to combine several push-pull low-voltage amplifiers efficiently to produce a larger output power while maintaining a 50 /spl Omega/ match. This new on-chip power combining and impedance matching method uses virtual AC grounds and magnetic couplings extensively to eliminate the need for any offchip component such as wirebonds. It also desensitizes the operation of the amplifier to the inductance of bonding wires and makes the design more reproducible. This new topology makes possible a fully-integrated 2.2 W, 2.4 GHz, low voltage CMOS power amplifier for the first time.
Is It Time to Split the S&P 500 Futures Contract?

By October 1996, the value of the S&P 500 Index futures contract had grown to five times its value at its inception in April 1982. One way to make the contract more accessible to small investors and to smooth out trading is to split the contract. Splitting the contract could increase transaction costs, although competition would probably limit the amount of the increase. Less clear is the need for increasing the minimum percentage tick size. The current minimum tick size is small for S&P 500 futures compared with that of other futures and also common stocks. The larger tick size could affect volume, however, by increasing trading costs and reducing the willingness to trade.
A theory of compressive yield strength of nano-grained ceramics

While most coarse-grained ceramics are brittle, nano-grained ceramics can exhibit significant ductility before failure. Such ductility is primarily contributed by the grain-boundary phase, but in grains of certain ceramic phase some plastic deformation has been found to occur and contribute to the overall plastic strain. In this paper a micromechanics-based composite model is developed to elucidate and predict the compressive yield strength of nanograined ceramics as the grain size decreases from the coarse-grained to the nano-meter scale. The effects of porosity and second elastic phases are also considered. In such a multi-phase, porous, nano-grained ceramic, the collective behavior of all grains of a phase is represented by an elastoplastic constitutive equation, while the relative atomic sliding inside the grain boundary as observed in recent molecular dynamic simulations is represented by Drucker’s [Q. Appl. Math. 7 (1950) 411] pressure-dependent plasticity theory. The average stress and strain state of the collective grains of each phase and the grain boundary, as well as the strain of the pores, are determined by the generalized self-consistent scheme and the direct self-consistent scheme, respectively, in conjunction with the secant-moduli approach. Applications of the developed theory to a TiO2 indicated that the Hall–Petch plot, i.e., the compressive yield strength vs. d � 1=2 relation, showed a positive slope, but the slope continued to decrease, and eventually turned negative. Porosity can significantly lower the compressive yield stress, but it does not alter the fundament characteristics of its grain-size dependence. Second elastic phase can also have a significant effect on the yield strength of a nano-ceramic composite even at 10% of volume concentration.
A scalable wireless communication architecture for average consensus

This paper introduces a multiple-access coding technique that is tailored to solve average consensus problems efficiently in wireless networks. We propose a novel data driven architecture which grants channel access to nodes based on their local data values. We analyze the performance of the scheme in the presence of quantization errors and noise. We show that our scheme is unbiased with respect to quantized consensus algorithms, it achieves good MSE performance, and it can be configured to provide a speedup in the convergence rate. The amount of speedup achieved is a function of |Qk| which indicates the number of quantization bins used to represent the state variables exchanged during the computation.
Efficient Source-to-Fiber Coupling Method Using a Diamond Rod: Theory and Application to Multimode Evanescent-Wave IR Absorption Spectroscopy

The use of a diamond rod to couple a blackbody source optically to a chalcogenide glass fiber is described and shown to be useful for evanescent-wave IR absorbance measurements. One end of a short 0.5-mm-diameter diamond rod abuts an optical fiber of the same diameter; the other end is in direct contact with a glowing silicon carbide IR source. The close match of the refractive indices of SiC, diamond, and AsSeTe fiber reduces optical losses at the interfaces, allowing a high overall throughput as well as transmission into the fiber of a wider range of transverse optical modes than is available with the use of through-air focusing methods. Use of the higher-order modes for evanescent-wave spectroscopy leads to increases in sensitivity, due both to increased evanescent pathlength and to a larger number of internal reflections per unit length.
Can cognitive processes be inferred from neuroimaging data

There is much interest currently in using functional neuroimaging techniques to understand better the nature of cognition. One particular practice that has become common is 'reverse inference', by which the engagement of a particular cognitive process is inferred from the activation of a particular brain region. Such inferences are not deductively valid, but can still provide some information. Using a Bayesian analysis of the BrainMap neuroimaging database, I characterize the amount of additional evidence in favor of the engagement of a cognitive process that can be offered by a reverse inference. Its usefulness is particularly limited by the selectivity of activation in the region of interest. I argue that cognitive neuroscientists should be circumspect in the use of reverse inference, particularly when selectivity of the region in question cannot be established or is known to be weak.
Studies on the Pathogenesis of Swine Dysentery II. Search for a Cytotoxin in Spirochetal Broth Cultures and Colon Content

Broth cultures of Treponema hyodysenteriae and colonic content from pigs with swine dysentery were tested for cytotoxicity in cell cultures, erythrocyte suspensions and in ligated segments of pig colon. Live cells of T. hyodysenteriae attached to the surface of cells in all cultures tested but did not penetrate them nor cause morphologic change detectable by light microscopy. Only live T. hyodysenteriae caused erythrolysis. Broth cultures or colonic content sterilized by filtration or by disruption with ultrasound had no visible effect on the cell cultures, erythrocyte suspensions or the mucosa of ligated colonic segments.
Impact of gene variants on sex-specific regulation of human Scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-BI) expression in liver and association with lipid levels in a population-based study.

Background: Several studies have noted that genetic variants of SCARB1, a lipoprotein receptor involved in reverse cholesterol transport, are associated with serum lipid levels in a sex-dependent fashion. However, the mechanism underlying this gene by sex interaction has not been explored. Methods: We utilized both epidemiological and molecular methods to study how estrogen and gene variants interact to influence SCARB1 expression and lipid levels. Interaction between 35 SCARB1 haplotype-tagged polymorphisms and endogenous estradiol levels was assessed in 498 postmenopausal Caucasian women from the population-based Rancho Bernardo Study. We further examined associated variants with overall and SCARB1 splice variant (SR-BI and SR-BII) expression in 91 human liver tissues using quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Several variants on a haplotype block spanning intron 11 to intron 12 of SCARB1 showed significant gene by estradiol interaction affecting serum lipid levels, the strongest for rs838895 with HDL-cholesterol (p = 9.2 × 10 -4 ) and triglycerides (p = 1.3 × 10 -3 ) and the triglyceride:HDL cholesterol ratio (p = 2.7 × 10 -4 ). These same variants were associated with expression of the SR-BI isoform in a sex-specific fashion, with the strongest association found among liver tissue from 52 young women <45 years old (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Estrogen and SCARB1 genotype may act synergistically to regulate expression of SCARB1 isoforms and impact serum levels of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. This work highlights the importance of considering sexdependent effects of gene variants on serum lipid levels.
Flooding-induced landscape changes along dendritic stream networks and implications for wildlife habitat

Severe low frequency natural disturbances along stream networks can substantially alter urban and rural landscapes and impact habitat and population dynamics of wildlife species. In 1978, severe flooding along the North Prong of the Medina River significantly altered the habitat for the Rio Grande wild turkey and may have contributed to the decreased abundance of this species observed during recent decades in the southeastern Edwards Plateau, TX, USA. The objective of our study was to examine the changes in landscape structure caused by this flooding event and their potential impact on wild turkey habitat. Aerial photography from 1972, 1984, and 1995 was used to quantify habitat changes in riparian zones and adjacent bottomlands along the Medina River. We documented substantial reductions in habitat suitability and connectivity caused by the flooding, followed by a partial recovery over 17 years. Analysis using patch-level metrics in conjunction with class-level metrics, provided insights to the pattern and possible mechanisms of the landscape changes. Habitat along higher-order streams was most affected, reducing not only the suitable habitat locally, but also the habitat connectivity throughout the riparian network. This loss of connectivity rendered numerous habitat patches along lower-order streams unavailable to Rio Grande wild turkeys as this species depends on riparian corridors for dispersal and movement among habitat patches. Our results illustrate the critical importance of multiple-scale analysis based on hierarchical dendritic structures of river networks when assessing habitat changes and their impact on populations of terrestrial wildlife species dependent on riparian habitats in semi-arid landscapes.
Considerations for Prevention of HIV Infection among Hispanic Women.

Data on the characteristics of individuals diagnosed with AIDS show that Hispanic women, men, and children are overrepresented. In order to effectively reduce the risk of HIV infection in Hispanic ...
THE TRANSCEPHALIC DC POTENTIAL AND REACTION TIME PERFORMANCE

The relationship between transcephalic DC potential changes and simple serial reaction time performance was investigated with the hypothesis that Ss exhibiting more positive TCDC shift would be slower in RT performance than Ss with less positive (or negative) shift. In two experiments, measurements of shift in DC from an initial pre-performance reading to points just before, during, and following RT performance were made. Equal division into groups based on those Ss with most shift in a positive direction versus those with least positive (or negative) shift provided two groups of 12 male Ss in Experiment I, which used constant intertrial interval, and two groups of 11 Ss each in Experiment II, which used random intertrial intervals. The differences in performance between the groups were consistently in the direction expected by the hypothesis. In Experiment I, analysis of variance revealed significant interactions between groups and RT performance blocks over time. Significant differences between groups as well as significant interaction effects were found in Experiment II.
T-cell primary effusion lymphoma with pseudo-monoclonal rearrangements for immunoglobulin heavy chain.

![Figure][1] An 80-year-old HIV-negative man was found to have a large right pleural effusion. Cytology smears (panel A, Diff-Quik) showed numerous large atypical lymphoid cells with plasmablastic features. Flow cytometry showed these atypical cells were dimly positive for CD4 (panel B) but
Possible Experiments with Heavy Ions at the PS/SPS: CERN SPC 1982

I present the heavy ion program development at CERN, reproducing much of the pivotal discussion at the 123th meeting of the CERN Scientific Policy Committee (SPC), Geneva—21 and 22 June 1982, based on the Draft Minutes of the meeting (CERN/SPC/0490/Draft, 1982) and related clarifications as marked.
Problems in combinatorics on words originating from discrete dynamical systems

Properties of a family of quadratic maps of the real line are reviewed to illustrate the role of words on two letters in labeling the inverse graph of thenth iterate. Two problems in the abstract theory of words on two letters are described, the solutions of which are essential for the description of the inverse graphs.
Pathology reports and autopsy protocols: confidentiality, privilege, and accessibility.

The pathologist’s responsibility for confidential and privileged laboratory reports and autopsy protocols, and the accessibility of these to the patient or his representative, or to succeeding physicians, is examined in the light of existing statutes and case law. A physician–patient relationship is established between the pathologist and the patient although they rarely meet. During the patient’s life a pathologist may be liable for unauthorized release of confidential medical information, and in states with privileged communications statutes a pathologist may be precluded from providing this information to the courts unless the privilege is waived. The rules governing confidential communications during the patient’s life continue if the patient dies. The individual having legal custody of the body controls the release of autopsy information; however, privileged communications statutes do not include information provided by the autopsy. Pathology reports, autopsy protocols, and tissue slides are the property of the pathologist or hospital; nevertheless, the patient or his next of kin or their legal representative have a right of access and the right to prevent physical destruction of these. Also, a pathologist cannot refuse to allow succeeding physicians the opportunity to examine his reports or microscopic tissue sections, although he is probably within his legal rights if he refuses to allow these to be removed from his office or viewing premises.
Analysis of Mannose-binding lectin plasma concentration in children with infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae

Objective To understand the change of Mannose-binding lectin(MBL) plasma concentration in children with infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae,and to compare the difference of MBL plasma concentrations between healthy children and children infected by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Methods MBL plasma concentrations were measured by ELISA method with human MBL ELISA kit,and the MBL levels between two groups were analyzed with nonparametric test by SPSS 11.0(statistics package for social science). Results Data of MBL plasma concentrations were not normal distribution.The values of MBL plasma concentrations in healthy children(105 case) ranged from 3 ng/ml to 6 025 ng/ml and the median was 1 057 ng/ml,and the values in children with infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae(49 case) ranged from 0 to 6 544 ng/ml and the median was 1 307 ng/ml.Mannose-binding lectin(MBL) plasma concentration in children with infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae was significantly higher than that in the healthy children.5.71% of the healthy children and 10.2% of children with infection children caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae had low MBL levels whose concentrations were less than 200 ng/ml,however,no significant difference was found between the two groups(χ2= 1.02,P0.05). Conclusion The research can not prove the correlation between the sensitivity to Streptococcus pneumoniae and Mannose-binding lectin(MBL) plasma concentration.
Proteomics of Endosomal Compartments from Plants Case Study: Isolation of Trans -Golgi Network Vesicles

A detailed understanding of endomembrane processes and their biological roles is vital for a complete picture of plant growth and development; however their highly dynamic nature has complicated comprehensive and rigorous studies so far. Recent pioneering efforts have demonstrated that isolation of vesicles in their native state, paired with a quantitative identification of their cargo, offers a viable and practicable approach for the dissection of endomembrane trafficking pathways. The protocol presented in this chapter describes in detail the isolation of the SYP61 trans-Golgi network vesicles from Arabidopsis. With minor alterations, in a few key parameters, it can be adopted to yield a universal procedure for the broad spectrum of plant vesicles.
Novel hydraulic fracturing fluids with improved proppant carrying capacity and pH-adjustable proppant deposition behavior

Abstract In hydraulic fracturing, the design of the fracturing fluids is a crucial step in optimizing the effectiveness of hydrocarbon recovery. Herein, we describe a supramolecular dispersion with highly adjustable, reversible viscosity behavior, enabling control over the mobility, settling, and deposition of proppants. The supramolecular dispersion was obtained by complexation of an amino amide and maleic acid in an aqueous solution. The rheological properties of the developed fracturing fluid involving this supramolecular solution and proppant (silica sand) were characterized by frequency sweep and tixotropy tests, and settling studies. It was found that for a 2 wt% dispersion, viscosity at zero shear rate could be adjusted by a factor of 1600 by changing pH from 3.8 to 8.3 in a reversible fashion. Settling studies revealed that the sedimentation velocity of sand particles decreased by five orders of magnitude from 2.3×10 −3 m/s to 5.3×10 −8 m/s upon an increase in pH from 4 to 8 in a reversible manner. Moreover, the supramolecular solution was found to maintain the rheological integrity even at NaCl concentrations above those of seawater. The significant reduction in the rate of proppant sedimentation and enhancement in the sedimentation stability were ascribed to the increased viscosity and the intermolecular and interparticle interactions between proppant and microscale networks and entanglements. In summary, supramolecular assembly of an amino amide and maleic acid has a potential to be effective fracturing fluids due to its highly pH adjustable viscosity and proppant carrying capacity, reliability at high salinities, and availability of its bio-based precursors in a sustainable manner.
The spruce budworm and forest: a qualitative comparison of ODE and Boolean models

Boolean and polynomial models of biological systems have emerged recently as viable companions to differential equations models. It is not immediately clear however whether such models are capable of capturing the multi-stable behaviour of certain biological systems: this behaviour is often sensitive to changes in the values of the model parameters, while Boolean and polynomial models are qualitative in nature. In the past few years, Boolean models of gene regulatory systems have been shown to capture multi-stability at the molecular level, confirming that such models can be used to obtain information about the system’s qualitative dynamics when precise information regarding its parameters may not be available. In this paper, we examine Boolean approximations of a classical ODE model of budworm outbreaks in a forest and show that these models exhibit a qualitative behaviour consistent with that derived from the ODE models. In particular, we demonstrate that these models can capture the bistable nature of ...
Enhancing Collusion Resilience in Reputation Systems

Real-world applications, such as peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, e-commerce and social networks, usually employ reputation systems to provide guidance in selecting trustworthy node for high system reliability and security. A reputation system computes and publishes reputation score for each node based on a collection of opinions from others about the node. However, collusion behaviors impair the effectiveness of reputation systems in trustworthy node selection. Though many reputation calculation methods have been proposed to mitigate collusion's influence, little effort has been devoted to specifically tackling collusion. Based on the important collusion behavior characteristics in reputation evaluation and influence on reputation values, we propose a basic collusion detection method to specifically detect suspicious collusion behaviors in pairs. We further optimize the method by reducing the computing overhead. We also propose two pre-processing methods to firstly identify partial reputation raters of a node that are more likely to be colluders before applying the collusion detection method on them, thus reducing the collusion detection overhead. Extensive experimental results show that our proposed methods can significantly enhance the capability of existing reputation systems to detect collusion with low overhead. Also, the pre-processing methods are effective in reducing the collusion detection overhead without affecting the collusion detection accuracy.
Hereditary Progressive Dystonia

Four cases of hereditary progressive dystonia with diurnal fluctuation were treated at the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
An investigation of quality improvement initiatives in decreasing the rate of avoidable 30-day, skilled nursing facility-to-hospital readmissions: a systematic review

Objectives The main objective was to investigate the applicability and effectiveness of quality improvement initiatives in decreasing the rate of avoidable 30-day, skilled nursing facility (SNF)-to-hospital readmissions. Problem The rate of rehospitalizations from SNF within 30 days of original discharge has increased within the last decade. Setting The research team participants conducted a literature review via Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and PubMed to collect data about quality improvement implemented in SNFs. Results The most common facilitator was the incorporation of specialized staff. The most cited barriers were quality improvement tracking and implementation. Conclusion These strategy examples can be useful to acute care hospitals attempting to lower bounce back from subacute care providers and long-term care facilities seeking quality improvement initiatives to reduce hospital readmissions.
Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Urinary Tract Infection

UTI may involve the lower or upper urinary tract and may be uncomplicated or complicated. The emphasis of this chapter is uncomplicated UTI. The diagnosis of uncomplicated cystitis (bladder infection) and pyelonephritis (kidney infection) is usually easily made based on the clinical presentation, whereas the diagnosis in patients with complicated UTI is often more complex. Thus uncomplicated cystitis is usually manifested by dysuria, frequency and/or urgency without fever, and pyelonephritis is usually manifested by fever and back pain/costovertebral angle tenderness. However, pyuria is usually present with UTI, regardless of location, and its absence suggests that another condition may be causing the patient's symptoms. Treatment of cystitis is usually straightforward with one of several effective short-course antimicrobial regimens, although antimicrobial resistance continues to increase and can complicate treatment choices in certain areas. Likewise, antimicrobial resistance has complicated our management of uncomplicated pyelonephritis since resistance of uropathogens to the fluoroquinolone class, the mainstay of oral treatment for pyelonephritis, is increasing worldwide, and some of the other agents used for cystitis are not recommended for pyelonephritis due to low tissue levels. The goal of prevention of recurrent cystitis is to minimize the use of antimicrobials and there are several research efforts in progress to develop effective and safe antimicrobial-sparing preventive approaches for this common condition.