cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Even parity Θ pentaquark and stable antistrange nuclear matter

The newly discovered exotic $\ensuremath{\Theta}$ baryon of mass $1540\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV}$ (and very small width) truly has a very low mass, if it is a pentaquark system of even parity. A schematic model in which the coherent interaction of $u\overline{s}$ and $d\overline{s}$ pairs leads to a very large residual attractive interaction is introduced. This collective vibrational model accounts for the mass and small decay width to the $KN$ channel, but yields a significant coupling to the virtual $K*N$ channel. The schematic model predicts an attractive $\ensuremath{\Theta}$-nucleon interaction sufficient to produce a $\ensuremath{\Theta}$-nuclear bound state stable against strong decays. The discovery of $\ensuremath{\Theta}$-nuclei could be a proof that the $\ensuremath{\Theta}$ parity is even.
The association between sleep chronotype and obesity among black and white participants of the Bogalusa Heart Study.

Research indicates that sleep duration and quality are inter-related factors that contribute to obesity, but few studies have focused on sleep chronotype, representing an individual’s circadian pro...
Dynamic respiratory muscle function in late-onset Pompe disease.

Maximal inspiratory pressure (PIMAX) reflects inspiratory weakness in late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD). However, static pressure tests may not reveal specific respiratory muscle adaptations to disruptions in breathing. We hypothesized that dynamic respiratory muscle functional tests reflect distinct ventilatory compensations in LOPD. We evaluated LOPD (n = 7) and healthy controls (CON, n = 7) during pulmonary function tests, inspiratory endurance testing, dynamic kinematic MRI of the thorax, and ventilatory adjustments to single-breath inspiratory loads (inspiratory load compensation, ILC). We observed significantly lower static and dynamic respiratory function in LOPD. PIMAX, spirometry, endurance time, and maximal diaphragm descent were significantly correlated. During single-breath inspiratory loads, inspiratory time and airflow acceleration increased to preserve volume, and in LOPD, the response magnitudes correlated to maximal chest wall kinematics. The results indicate that changes in diaphragmatic motor function and strength among LOPD subjects could be detected through dynamic respiratory testing. We concluded that neuromuscular function significantly influenced breathing endurance, timing and loading compensations.
Beyond recent BMI: BMI exposure metrics and their relationship to health.

Abstract Body mass index (BMI) is generally used to classify adiposity. Despite the fact that the consequences of adiposity for chronic health accumulate and manifest over time, most population health research exploring the implications of high BMI measures only its recent intensity. Some studies have used retrospective measures involving maximum weight, and even fewer have used BMI at multiple time points to estimate cumulative exposure to adiposity. The goal of this study was to compare BMI exposure metrics that captured different dimensions of body mass – intensity, history, and duration – in models of health indicators linked with adiposity. We used self-reported BMI of young adults (ages 18 – 33 years, n = 8,608) across 11 waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to evaluate eight BMI exposure metrics: most recent, maximum, mean, and median BMI, proportion of time with overweight/obesity, and excess BMI-years with overweight/obesity. We used these metrics in models of self-reported general health, chronic condition, and diabetes, and ascertained how most recent BMI performed when compared with other metrics that better capture the dynamics of BMI. The Akaike information criteria and Vuong tests were used for model comparison, and the strengths of associations were also compared. Most recent BMI was the best metric for explaining general health. Median BMI was best for explaining diabetes, with most recent BMI under-estimating the association by 13% relative to median BMI. For chronic condition, there was no clear best metric. We concluded that most recent BMI is useful for explaining health outcomes, though other metrics should also be given consideration, particularly for conditions that develop over time. Metrics that accounted for both intensity and history performed quite well, but the duration measures might be less useful.
Soggettività, Epistemologia, Teoria Clinica e altro: risposta ai commenti di Barbieri, Bertoli e Mazzoleni

I am grateful for the responses of Giuliana Barbieri, Silvia Bertoli and Anna Lisa Mazzoleni, as well as to Fabio Vanni and the editors of this Journal for the opportunity to present my paper and to respond to my colleagues’ insights. They take up a very wide array of implications and complexities involved in theorizing intersubjectivity and the vicissitudes of the therapeutic action of psychoanalysis. Here is an incomplete list: idealization; self-idealization by analysts; the nature of attunement, and its particular relationship to imitation; the relationship between behavior and motivation; memory; mirror neurons; the strengths and weaknesses of applying infancy research to psychoanalysis; psychoanalytic epistemology; implicit knowledge; the many forms of analytic therapeutic action; and more. It is a great privilege for an author to have so many directions noted in response to a paper, especially in such a richly informed and consistently dialogical manner. I will take up the three comments in turn.
Analysis of Employee Patient Portal Use and Electronic Health Record Access at an Academic Medical Center

Background Patient portals provide patients and their caregivers online access to limited health results. Health care employees with electronic health record (EHR) access may be able to view their health information not available in the patient portal by looking in the EHR. Objective In this study, we examine how employees use the patient portal when they also have access to the tethered EHR. Methods We obtained patient portal and EHR usage logs corresponding to all employees who viewed their health data at our institution between January 1, 2013 and November 1, 2017. We formed three cohorts based on the systems that employees used to view their health data: employees who used the patient portal only, employees who viewed health data in the EHR only, and employees who used both systems. We compared system accesses and usage patterns for each employee cohort. Results During the study period, 35,172 employees accessed the EHR as part of patients' treatment and 28,631 employees accessed their health data: 25,193 of them used the patient portal and 13,318 accessed their clinical data in EHR. All employees who accessed their records in the EHR viewed their clinical notes at least once. Among EHR accesses, clinical note accesses comprised more than 42% of all EHR accesses. Provider messaging and appointment scheduling were the most commonly used functions in the patient portal. Employees who had access to their health data in both systems were more likely to engage with providers through portal messages. Conclusion Employees at a large medical center accessed clinical notes in the EHR to obtain information about their health. Employees also viewed other health data not readily available in the patient portal.
Prevalence of harm in mindfulness-based stress reduction.

Background Mindfulness meditation has become a common method for reducing stress, stress-related psychopathology and some physical symptoms. As mindfulness programs become ubiquitous, concerns have been raised about their unknown potential for harm. We estimate multiple indices of harm following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on two primary outcomes: global psychological and physical symptoms. In secondary analyses, we estimate multiple indices of harm on anxiety and depressive symptoms, discomfort in interpersonal relations, paranoid ideation and psychoticism. Methods Intent-to-treat analyses with multiple imputations for missing data were used on pre- and post-test data from a large, observational dataset (n = 2155) of community health clinic MBSR classes and from MBSR (n = 156) and waitlist control (n = 118) participants from three randomized controlled trials conducted contemporaneous to community classes in the same city by the same health clinic MBSR teachers. We estimate the change in symptoms, proportion of participants with increased symptoms, proportion of participants reporting greater than a 35% increase in symptoms, and for global psychological symptoms, clinically significant harm. Results We find no evidence that MBSR leads to higher rates of harm relative to waitlist control on any primary or secondary outcome. On many indices of harm across multiple outcomes, community MBSR was significantly preventative of harm. Conclusions Engagement in MBSR is not predictive of increased rates of harm relative to no treatment. Rather, MBSR may be protective against multiple indices of harm. Research characterizing the relatively small proportion of MBSR participants that experience harm remains important.
Abstract IA14: Immunosensitivity and resistance in advanced uveal melanoma

Despite the ability to effectively achieve control of uveal melanoma at the site of origin, patient outcomes have remained suboptimal due to the ultimate development of recurrent distant disease in a significant proportion of those diagnosed, together with the limited efficacy of currently available therapies in this setting. Initial insights into the tumorigenic effects of the functionally activating, mutually exclusive, early event mutations in GNAQ, GNA11, PLCB4, and CYSLTR2 led to the development of a generation of trials evaluating the effects of inhibition of single or multiple downstream pathways including the MAPK and PI3K pathways. Given the dramatic efficacy of targeted therapy in cutaneous melanoma harboring a BRAF mutation, there was initial hope that a similar strategy might demonstrate comparable effects in uveal melanoma. Unfortunately, the completed and reported clinical trials targeting these pathways have demonstrated minimal, if any, efficacy. Likewise, despite the initial enthusiasm for immunologic checkpoint blockade for the treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma given the durable antitumor responses and cures achieved in cutaneous melanoma, the activity observed thus far has been limited. Nevertheless, with the critical and clinically significant advances made over that past 10 years in precision oncology and immuno-oncology, coupled with rapidly developing advances in our understanding of the biology of uveal melanoma, there is now a new cause for hope for our patients. Trials evaluating the inhibition of alternative nodes in activated pathways alone or in preclinically synergistic combinations are ongoing, new epigenetic strategies are being explored, and preliminary promising data from novel immunologic treatment strategies including adoptive cellular therapy and T-cell redirection all provide new optimism that these innovative treatment options may meaningfully impact the course of the disease. Citation Format: Richard D. Carvajal. Immunosensitivity and resistance in advanced uveal melanoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Melanoma: From Biology to Target; 2019 Jan 15-18; Houston, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(19 Suppl):Abstract nr IA14.
Confabulating Research: Performing Memory-Work as Inquiry:

This collaborative autoethnographic essay centers on memory-work describing the ebbs and flows of boarding school policies’ effects on ethnic minorities in China and language policy decisions on mu...
PRACTITIONER APPLICATION: Characteristics of Successful Health Alliance Strategies: Evidence from Rural Healthcare Experiences

In the article, the author discusses the characteristics and benefits of successful health alliance strategies by presenting evidence from rural healthcare in the U S Also cited are how the COVID-19 pandemic provided opportunities to improve access to healthcare and promote strategic alliances, and the report by the National Rural Health Resource Center showing the trends and disruptors in rural healthcare environment
Holst: The Planets

This book is the first comprehensive guide to Holst's popular orchestral suite The Planets. It considers the music in detail and places the work in its historical context, describing the circumstances of its composition and its meteoric rise to popular acclaim. Starting with Holst's particular interest in astrology, Professor Greene explores the plotting of the work's central melodic and harmonic gestures to reveal a profound statement of human character and Holst's own psychological journey toward the mystic state. Using parallels in the verbal arts Greene weaves a fascinating tale of musical communication. An understanding of The Planets is crucial to a full appreciation of Holst's profound late works, and Greene's systematic appraisal provides the first revealing light in this direction.
Social-Stratification Probabilistic Routing Algorithm in Delay-Tolerant Network

Routing in mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) is complicated due to the fact that the network graph is episodically connected. In MANET, topology is changing rapidly because of weather, terrain and jamming. A key challenge is to create a mechanism that can provide good delivery performance and low end-to-end delay in an intermittent network graph where nodes may move freely. Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) architecture is designed to provide communication in intermittently connected networks, by moving messages towards destination via "store, carry and forward" technique that supports multi-routing algorithms to acquire best path towards destination. In this paper, we propose the use of probabilistic routing in DTN architecture using the concept of social-stratification network. We use the Opportunistic Network Environment (ONE) simulator as a simulation tool to compare the proposed Social- stratification Probabilistic Routing Algorithm (SPRA) with the common DTN-based protocols. Our results show that SPRA outperforms the other protocols.
Core Temperature, Heart Rate and Sweatsuits

Core temperature and heart rate are recorded for three male subjects, while jogging on a treadmill, to determine the influence of sweatsuits. Three trials were run and at each trial the subjects wo...
ALBUMIN METABOLISM IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS

The cause of hypoalbuminemia in cystic fibrosis was investigated with I123-albumin and Cr51-albumin metabolic studies in 19 patients, including 10 patients with hypoalbuminemia. The mean plasma volume of hypoalbuminemia patients was 57.4 ± 9.4 cc/kg, while that of normoalbuminemic patients and control individuals was 43.6 ± 3.1 cc/kg and 42.0 ± 4.4 cc/kg, respectively. Mean albumin synthetic rates, total circulating albumin, and frational catabolic rates in the three groups did not differ significantly. Thus, hypoalbuminemia in older patients with cystic fibrosis results primarily from dilution of a normal albumin mass in an enlarged plasma volume. Seven of 14 patients with cystic fibrosis demonstrated slightly increased gastrointestinal clearance of Cr51-albumin. This was a contributing but relatively minor factor in the production of hypoalbuminemia. Two of the six patients with liver involvement exhibited decreased albumin synthetic rates. In one of these two cases, hyposynthesis was a significant contributing factor to hypoalbuminemia. Hypoalbuminemia in patients with advanced cystic fibrosis suggests the presence of severe cor pulmonale and is therefore of diagnostic significance.
Regulation of the Escherichia coli lrp gene

Abstract Lrp (leucine-responsive regulatory protein) is a major Escherichia coli regulatory protein which regulates expression of a number of operons, some negatively and some positively. This work relates to a characterization of lrp, the gene encoding Lrp. Nucleotide sequencing established that the coding regions of lrp and trxB (encoding thioredoxin reductase) are separated by 543 bp and that the two genes are transcribed in opposite directions. In addition, we used primer extension, deletion analyses, and lrp-lacZ transcriptional fusions to delineate the promoter and regulatory region of the lrp operon. The lrp promoter is located 267 nucleotides upstream of the translational start codon of the lrp gene. In comparison with a wild-type strain, expression of the lrp operon was increased about 3-fold in a strain lacking Lrp and decreased about 10-fold in a strain overproducing Lrp. As observed from DNA mobility shift and DNase I footprinting analyses, Lrp binds to one or more sites within the region -80 to -32 relative to the start point of lrp transcription. A mutational analysis indicated that this same region is at least partly required for repression of lrp expression in vivo. These results demonstrate that autogenous regulation of lrp involves Lrp acting directly to cause repression of lrp transcription.
Structural Basis for Akt Translocation to the PM in Breast Cancer Cells

Akt is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a key role in the regulation of cell survival, apoptosis and oncogenesis. The translocation of Akt to the plasma membrane (PM) for phosphorylation and subsequent activation is a critical step in the Akt activation pathway. It has been established that membrane binding of Akt is mediated by direct interactions between it's pleckstrin homology domain (PHD) and lipids such as phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3). There is now evidence that Akt activation in breast cancer cells is also modulated by the calcium-binding protein, calmodulin (CaM). Upon epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation of these cells, CaM co-localizes with Akt at the PM to promote membrane anchoring and activation. Although previous studies have shown that both PI(3,4,5)P3 and CaM may modulate Akt activation, the molecular mechanisms governing these interactions have not been well characterized. We hypothesize that PI(3,4,5)P3 and CaM act in synergy by binding to Akt(PHD) si...
Oxygen chemisorbed on Ni(100): A renormalization-group study of the global phase diagram

Epitaxial adsorption onto a square substrate is studied with a Hamiltonian including nearest-neighbor exclusion, second- and third-neighbor pair and trio interactions. The resulting phase diagrams exhibit $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1$, $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2$, and $\sqrt{2}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{2}$ ordered phases and a disordered phase. Thus all three ordered structures observed with oxygen on nickel (100) are obtained within the same phase diagram in the coverage and temperature variables. Other cross sections of the global phase diagram may be applicable to chemisorbates such as oxygen, sulfur, selenium, or tellurium, on substrates such as nickel, copper, tungsten, or platinum (100). First- and second-order phase boundaries are evaluated, punctuated by tricritical, critical-end, bicritical, and tetracritical points. Reentrant tricriticality is found, yielding closed-loop coexistence regions. The possibility of two distinct 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2 phases, uniaxial and biaxial, is raised. We use a Migdal-Kadanoff approximation on a cell system, with renormalization-group flows in 16 coupling constants.
Cell-Size Control and Homeostasis in Bacteria

How cells control their size and maintain size homeostasis is a fundamental open question. Cell-size homeostasis has been discussed in the context of two major paradigms: "sizer," in which the cell actively monitors its size and triggers the cell cycle once it reaches a critical size, and "timer," in which the cell attempts to grow for a specific amount of time before division. These paradigms, in conjunction with the "growth law" [1] and the quantitative bacterial cell-cycle model [2], inspired numerous theoretical models [3-9] and experimental investigations, from growth [10, 11] to cell cycle and size control [12-15]. However, experimental evidence involved difficult-to-verify assumptions or population-averaged data, which allowed different interpretations [1-5, 16-20] or limited conclusions [4-9]. In particular, population-averaged data and correlations are inconclusive as the averaging process masks causal effects at the cellular level. In this work, we extended a microfluidic "mother machine" [21] and monitored hundreds of thousands of Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis cells under a wide range of steady-state growth conditions. Our combined experimental results and quantitative analysis demonstrate that cells add a constant volume each generation, irrespective of their newborn sizes, conclusively supporting the so-called constant Δ model. This model was introduced for E. coli [6, 7] and recently revisited [9], but experimental evidence was limited to correlations. This "adder" principle quantitatively explains experimental data at both the population and single-cell levels, including the origin and the hierarchy of variability in the size-control mechanisms and how cells maintain size homeostasis.
Clonidine-induced delirium

Clonidine-induced delirium has rarely been reported. To the best of our knowledge, there are six related case reports in the literature. We describe one such case here and review the six previously published cases. Clonidine may induce a variety of psychological side effects ranging from depression to acute hallucination and delirium. However, there are no clearly identifiable risk factors for the development of severe psychological side effects, including dose of medication, duration of treatment, and predisposing mental illness. Treatment for clonidine-induced delirium involves cessation of the medication and patient observation. Given the large clinical burden of hypertension and the not uncommon requirement for polypharmacy to achieve blood pressure goals, heightened clinical awareness of this potential side effect appears justified.
Sorting food from stones: the vagal taste system in Goldfish, Carassius auratus

The sense of taste, although a relatively undistinguished sensory modality in most mammals, is a highly developed sense in many fishes, e.g., catfish, gadids, and carps including goldfish. In these species, the amount of neural tissue devoted to this modality may approach 20% of the entire brain mass, reflecting an enormous number of taste buds scattered across the external surface of the animal as well as within the oral cavity. The primary sensory nuclei for taste form a longitudinal column of nuclei along the dorsomedial surface of the medulla. Within this column of gustatory nuclei, the sensory system is represented as a fine-grain somatotopic map, with external body parts being represented rostrally within the column, and oropharyngeal surfaces being represented caudally. Goldfish have a specialization of the oral cavity, the palatal organ, which enables them to sort food particles from particulate substrate material such as gravel. The palatal organ taste information reaches the large, vagal lobe with a complex laminar and columnar organization. This lobe also supports a radially-organized reflex system which activates the musculature of the palatal organ to effect the sorting operation. The stereotyped, laminated structure of this system in goldfish has facilitated studies of the circuitry and neurotransmitter systems underlying the goldfish's ability to sort food from stones.
Footprints of carbon and nitrogen: Revisiting the paradigm and exploring their nexus for decision making

Abstract Paradigms used for developing footprint metrics define the efficacy of these metrics for guiding decisions in the correct direction. Several metrics in use are developed from a narrow viewpoint of only looking at the output side impact of human activities on natural systems. This underestimates or overlooks other impacts on natural systems that occur due to input side interaction of human systems with natural systems. We revisit the paradigms used for development of footprint metrics and analyze the carbon and nitrogen footprints from these perspectives. Based on our analysis, utilizing both input and output side footprint measures is suggested such that heterogeneity of the nature of impact on both sides is not ignored. Utilizing these viewpoints, updated carbon and nitrogen footprints are proposed. Eco-LCA data for 2002 US economy is used to study the effect on decisions if these updated metrics are used. We also highlight the importance of understanding the multidimensional nature of environmental impacts that does not get captured by a single footprint, thus necessitating attention to the nexus of various footprints in decision making. Thus, the nexus between the updated carbon and nitrogen metrics is studied to show the shift in decisions resulting from looking at multidimensional impacts. Results for the US economy show that revisiting the paradigm for development of footprint metrics is a crucial step to avoid pushing decisions in incorrect directions due to use of narrowly focused footprint measures.
The time course of development of acetylcholinesterase and choline acetyltransferase in Drosophila melanogaster

Twenty stages in the life cycle of Canton-S, a normal strain of Drosophila melanogaster, were investigated for protein content and the activities of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase, enzymes associated with the metabolism of acetylcholine. The maximum protein content is reached at the prepupal stage. Specific activities of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase were high in the larval stages and again in the mature fly. The activities of these enzymes expressed on a per fly basis were compared with the activities of other enzymes, previously published by other workers, expressed on the same basis. The developmental pattern of acetylcholinesterase and choline acetyltransferase differed from the patterns exhibited by the other enzymes described earlier. It was possible to relate the different enzyme patterns to known changes occurring in the life cycle of Drosophila melanogaster.
Infrared pulsed gas laser studies of combined resonance and cyclotron-phonon resonance in Hg1−xCdxTe

Abstract Combined resonance and cyclotron-phonon resonance have been observed for the first time in Hg1−xCdxTe (x = 0.203) using a far infrared pulsed gas laser. The results are in good agreement with the transition energies calculated from the theory of Bowers and Yafet with the following band parameters: EG = 0.064 ± 0.003 eV, Ep = 18.5 ± 1 eV, and the zero field g-value is −172.
Improvement in cognitive function following a switch to ziprasidone from conventional antipsychotics, olanzapine, or risperidone in outpatients with schizophrenia

Abstract Objective : To assess changes in cognitive function in stable outpatients with schizophrenia switched to ziprasidone from conventional antipsychotics ( n =108), olanzapine ( n =104), or risperidone ( n =58) because of suboptimal efficacy or poor tolerability. Methods : In three separate 6-week trials, patients received ziprasidone 40 mg b.i.d. for 2 days, followed by 20–80 mg b.i.d. for the next 40 days. Before switching, and at endpoint, patients were evaluated with tests of working and secondary verbal memory, vigilance, visuomotor speed, verbal fluency, and executive functioning. Principal components factor analysis was performed to test for clustering of cognitive variables. Results : Significant improvements were seen at endpoint in secondary verbal memory (in all three groups), vigilance (in patients switched from conventional antipsychotics or risperidone), executive function (in patients switched from conventional antipsychotics or risperidone), and verbal fluency. Factor analysis on baseline scores suggested reduction of the cognitive variables to three factors: verbal skills, attention and short-term memory, and executive functioning. Analysis of z -transformed mean change in factor scores showed significant improvement in verbal skills and global score following the switch from conventional antipsychotics, olanzapine, or risperidone. Conclusions : Patients requiring a change in antipsychotic therapy may exhibit cognitive improvement following a switch to ziprasidone.
Follow‐up study of chrysotile asbestos textile workers: Cohort mortality and case‐control analyses

Previous studies of mortality among white males employed in a Charleston, South Carolina asbestos textile plant using chrysotile demonstrated significant excess mortality due to asbestos-related disease and a steep exposure-response relationship for lung cancer. This cohort was further studied by adding 15 years of follow-up and including mortality among white female and black male workers. Nested case-control analyses were undertaken to further explore possible differences in lung cancer risk by textile operation as well as possible confounding by mineral oil exposures. Preliminary data for white males have been previously published. White males experienced statistically significant excess mortality due to lung cancer (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 2.30; confidence interval [CI] = 1.88-2.79), all causes (SMR = 1.48; CI = 1.38-158), all cancers (SMR = 1.50; CI = 1.29-1.72), diabetes mellitus (SMR = 2.05; CI = 1.18-3.33), heart disease (SMR = 1.41; CI = 1.26-1.58), cerebrovascular disease (SMR = 1.50; CI = 1.08-2.02), pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases (SMR = 4.10; CI = 3.10-5.31), and accidents (SMR = 1.49; CI = 1.15-1.91). Among white females, statistically significant excesses occurred for lung cancer (SMR = 2.75; CI = 2.06-3.61), all causes (SMR = 1.21; CI = 1.11-1.32), pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases (SMR = 2.40; CI = 1.53-3.60), and other respiratory cancers (SMR = 14.98; CI = 4.08-38.7). Among the total cohort of black males, the only statistically significant excess observed was for pneumoconiosis (SMR = 2.19; CI = 1.23-3.62). Based on historical exposure measurements at the plant, there was a positive exposure-response relationship for both lung cancer and pneumoconiosis. Data for the entire cohort demonstrate an increase in the lung cancer relative risk of 2-3% for each fiber/cc-year of cumulative chrysotile exposure. This relationship was more consistent for the white male workers. The excess risk for lung cancer among white males and females appeared to occur at cumulative exposures lower than those for black males. Possible reasons for the lesser lung cancer risk among black males include less smoking and differences in airborne fiber characteristics experienced by black males as a result of plant job placement patterns. The case-control analysis found employment in preparation and carding operations (where most of the black males worked) to be associated with a slightly reduced lung cancer risk, although not statistically significant, whereas spinning and twisting employment was associated with a statistically significant increased lung cancer risk compared to other plant operations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Diagnostic Accuracy of the Matrix 24-2 and Original N-30 Frequency-Doubling Technology Tests Compared with Standard Automated Perimetry

Frequency-doubling technology (FDT) perimetry measures contrast sensitivity. Although participants are not asked to assess the spatial frequency of the FDT stimuli, the test is based on the frequency-doubling illusion first described by Kelly1 and later proposed as a sensitive measure of glaucomatous visual field loss.2,3 This illusion occurs when a sinusoidal grating of low spatial frequency undergoes counterphase flickering at a high temporal frequency. Under these conditions, the sinusoidal grating is perceived to have twice its physical spatial frequency. It was originally believed that the FDT test isolates the spatially nonlinear My cells,2,4 a subset of the magnocellular retinal ganglion cells. However, more recent evidence suggests that the magnocellular pathway is isolated as a whole by the FDT stimulus.5,6 This isolation reduces redundancy within the visual system and is responsible for the greater sensitivity to glaucoma achieved by function-specific tests.7 Several reports suggest that FDT perimetry in both the screening8–11 and the thresholding12 modes is sensitive to glaucomatous visual losses. Medeiros et al.13 showed that FDT is also able to predict future visual loss on standard automated perimetry (SAP). Furthermore, the variability of FDT is independent of visual field loss,14 and its test-retest variability is more uniform than that of SAP over the dynamic range of the instrument.15,16 The proliferation of new tests and instruments to assess vision requires frequent reevaluations, comparing each new test with its precursors and with other tests. Frequency-doubling technology is a useful clinical tool that sensitively detects glaucoma and is robust to blur, pupil size, and refractive errors.17 The FDT instrument is also relatively inexpensive and easy to transport. Although several studies have reported better diagnostic accuracy for FDT than for SAP, most were performed using the first-generation FDT perimeter.18,19 The original FDT perimeter allowed testing of the central 30° of the visual field with screening and thresholding strategies. Targets were relatively large, and a maximum of 19 locations could be tested. Johnson et al.20 showed that the sensitivity of FDT to glaucomatous loss was maintained using smaller targets distributed in a pattern similar to that of the SAP 24-2 test. The Humphrey Matrix was commercially introduced in 2003, offering the following tests: macula, 10-2; N-30-F, 24-2 and 30-2. The Glaucoma Hemifield Test (GHT) is available for the FDT 24-2 and 30-2 tests. The purpose of the present study was to compare the ability of the Matrix FDT 24-2, first-generation FDT N-30, and SAP-SITA 24-2 tests to discriminate between healthy and glaucoma eyes.
Increased protein productivity from immobilized recombinant yeast

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain Mc16/p520 has an unstable plasmid, p520, which directs production of a wheat alpha-amylase. The effects of immobilizing this microorganism on the plasmid stability and the specific productivity of the secreted alpha-amylase were investigated. Small gelatin beads were used as the support in both fluidized and packed bed configurations, and the yeast cells were attached by covalent cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. These data were then compared to those for nonimmobilized, suspension cells.Plasmid stability was increased for the immobilized cells during continuous culture at dilution rates both above and below washout. Continuous suspension cultures were not stable and rapidly lost the plasmid. Immobilization caused an increase in specific and volumetric productivity during continuous culture, with a packed bed design resulting in the highest specific productivity.
Dynamics of protein-protein docking: cytochrome c and cytochrome c peroxidase revisited.

Abstract The dynamics of the docking step in the electron transfer reaction between yeast cytochrome c peroxidase and iso-1-cytochrome c has been studied using the Brownian dynamics method. In particular we have calculated the bimolecular rate constant at which a specific complex, the xray crystalline complex, can form in solution by translational and rotational diffusion in a field of force. Complexation criteria have been assessed based on the simultaneous alignment of three atom-atom contacts, as well as alternative criteria. The proteins are able to align one or two contacts at remarkably high rates, in fact, at rates approaching the diffusion-controlled limit for two spheres reactive over their entire surfaces. Three contacts may align, and hence the specific complex may dock, at rates on the order of 10s M-−1S−1, which is quite representative of the experimental association rate constant for ET-competent complex(es). The formation of the specific complex is strongly influenced by the favorable elect...
Certifying Wrestlers' Minimum Weight: A New Requirement

High school and college wrestlers often attempt to "cut weight" before a tournament in an effort to wrestle in the lightest possible weight class and thereby gain an edge on opponents. Some wrestlers use unhealthy weight-loss practices, and last fall three college wrestlers died after extreme weight cutting.
Long-term calcium addition increases growth release, wound closure, and health of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) trees at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest

We surveyed and wounded forest-grown sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) trees in a long-term, replicated Ca manipulation study at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, USA. Plots received applications of Ca (to boost Ca availability above depleted ambient levels) or Al (to compete with Ca uptake and further reduce Ca availability). We found significantly greater total foliar and membrane-associated Ca in foliage of trees in plots fertilized with Ca when compared with trees from Al-addition and control plots (P = 0.005). Coinciding with foliar Ca differences, trees exhibited a significant difference in crown vigor and in percent branch dieback among treatments (P < 0.05), with a trend towards improved canopy health as Ca levels increased. Annual basal area increment growth for the years following treatment initiation (1998–2004) was significantly greater in trees subjected to Ca addition compared with trees in control and Al treatments. Treatment-related improvements in growth were parti...
Numerical Analysis on Stress Induced Corrosion With Emphasis on Ti-Alloy Total Hip Arthroplasty Stem Failure

Modular designs give orthopaedic surgeons a greater flexibility to custom fit the implant to the patients bone while performing total hip arthroplasty. Titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V (ASTM F-136)) is typically used for modular hip implant stems. This highly corrosion resistant alloy forms passive surface oxide films spontaneously. However, with modular designs, micro-motion may occur at the taper junctions during mechanical loading. Crevices between the taper junctions may allow the body fluids to enter and remain stagnant. These conditions make the modular tapers susceptible to fatigue and mechanically assisted crevice corrosion. The in vivo degradation of metal alloy implants compromises the structural integrity. The influence of stress induced corrosion and pitting leading to the in vivo catastrophic failure of a titanium-alloy modular implant in cementless total hip arthroplasty was numerically investigated. The effect of pit geometric parameters are discussed in terms of taper performance.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Effects of Phytase and 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol on Phytate Utilization and the Quantitative Requirement for Calcium and Phosphorus in Young Broiler Chickens

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of supplementing 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] and a commercial phytase product on Ca and P requirements of 0- to 21-d-old broiler males. These experiments were conducted with four levels of dietary Ca and P in corn-soybean diets with and without supplementation of 5 micrograms/kg of 1,25-(OH)2D3, 600 units/kg of phytase, and the combination of these supplements. The results show that these levels of phytase and 1,25-(OH)2D3 can replace up to 0.1% of the inorganic P for criteria such as BW, bone ash, and plasma P. Both supplements increased phytate P retention, whereas higher levels of Ca and P decreased phytate P retention. The addition of 1,25-(OH)2D3, but not phytase, reduced Ca requirements and decreased the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia. The combination of these levels of phytase and 1,25-(OH)2D3 replaced 0.2% inorganic P for criteria such as BW, bone ash, and P rickets. Total dietary P requirements are estimated to be between 0.55 and 0.60% at the levels of phytase and 1,25-(OH)2D3, listed above, or 0.45% when the combination is added. The Ca requirements are estimated to be 0.77% when 1,25-(OH)2D3 is added to the diet and 0.9 to 0.95% when phytase is added.
A Low-Power 4-PAM Transceiver Using a Dual-Sampling Technique for Heterogeneous Latency-Sensitive Network-on-Chip

This brief presents a four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (4-PAM) transceiver for latency-sensitive network-on-chip (NoC) applications. The proposed source-synchronous PAM transceiver uses a novel encoder/decoder and dual-sampling technique that transmits and receives two data streams through a shared single-ended channel simultaneously. A conventional PAM transceiver for heterogeneous NoCs is sensitive to a possible latency skew between on-chip intellectual properties during encoding/decoding multiple PAM signals. To mitigate this problem, a dual-sampling technique that makes the link insensitive to PAM latency skews is used to transfer data signals reliably. The proposed 4-PAM transceiver is designed and fabricated using the 130-nm CMOS technology at a 1.2-V supply. The proposed transceiver operates at 6 Gb/s/pin with a power efficiency of 0.7 pJ/b/pin and with a 0.13-mm2 die area. The proposed transceiver achieves a bit error rate of < 10−10, with 27-1 and 215-1 pseudorandom binary sequences at 6 Gb/s/pin.
Electronic Structure of Halogen-Substituted Methyl Radicals: Equilibrium Geometries and Vibrational Spectra of CH2Cl and CH2F

Anharmonic corrections for the out-of-plane (OPLA) vibrational modes of CH2Cl, CH2F, and CH3 radicals have been calculated. For these radicals, it is possible to describe the OPLA motion within a simple one-dimensional model based on the adiabatic separation of the (slowest) OPLA mode from all other vibrations. The effective potentials have been calculated by CCSD(T) and DFT/B3LYP methods with 6-311(+,+)G(3df,2pd) basis sets. It is found that halogen substitution increases the anharmonicities dramatically, i.e., from 19% in CH3 up to about ±100% in CH2Cl and CH2F. The resulting frequencies of the fundamental OPLA transition are in good agreement with the experimental values. In the case of CH2F, the large anharmonicity in the OPLA mode results in a wave function delocalized over the two minima of the double well potential. This reconciles the experimentally determined planar (C2v) structure with the calculated pyramidal (Cs) equilibrium geometry.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE TRAINING AND PERCEIVED KNOWLEDGE: PREDICTORS OF PERCEIVED PREPAREDNESS TO WORK IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE

As frontline mental health care providers, social workers need to be prepared to confront and properly manage substance abuse issues in practice. This study examined predictors of recent master of social work (MSW) graduates' perceptions of preparedness to practice in the area of substance abuse. A cross-sectional design was used, and 232 recent MSW graduates completed a mail-in survey (65.7% response rate). Respondents were more likely to perceive themselves as prepared to work with substance abuse issues if they received more formal academic training in substance abuse and had higher knowledge of substance abuse concepts and models. The findings support the need to include substance abuse education in social work curricula.
Variation in the composition and partitioning of adsorbed cations at a brine-contaminated crude oil production facility in southeastern Louisiana, USA

Abstract The first geological materials impacted by oil field wastes released into near-surface environments in southern Louisiana, USA, are typically clays and silts. Clay minerals within these siliciclastic sediments have the potential for altering the composition of produced water wastes through cation exchange. The general relations between the composition of adsorbed cations and interstitial water salinity in brine-contaminated samples from a site in southeastern Louisiana are consistent with previous studies of multicomponent exchange in groundwater systems of varying salinity. The divalent cations Ca and Mg dominate as adsorbed cations at low salinities ( Calculated interstitial water compositions, assuming exchange equilibrium, are consistent with the source of contamination being produced waters having Na as the dominant dissolved cation, followed by Ca, rather than some other type of saline waste. The calculated partitioning for Ba indicates that in low to moderate salinity pore waters, Ba, and by extension Ra, are nearly quantitatively adsorbed on the clays and would be of low mobility in a physically active groundwater system. However, at the elevated salinities typical of many produced waters, Ba and Ra are not preferentially adsorbed.
Photoproperties of a mesochlorin e6—N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymer conjugate

Abstract In the photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumors, improved efficiency of photosensitizer delivery to tumor cells and tumors can sometimes be obtained by binding them to monoclonal antibodies or other proteins, particulate materials, and certain types of synthetic water soluble polymers. Synthetic polymers are of particular interest as drug delivery carriers since targeting groups specific for surface markers on tumor cells can be attached to the polymer backbone increase the cellular uptake via receptor-mediated endocytosis. However, in many cases, the binding of sensitizers to macromolecules significantly alters their spectral and photosensitizing properties. This paper describes the effects of covalently binding the photosensitizer, mesochlorin e 6 monoethylenediamine (CM), to a model N -(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer on its spectral, photophysical, photosensitizing and photobleaching properties in aqueous solution. Binding had little effect on the spectrum or triplet lifetime of CM, but significantly decreased the bimolecular quenching constant of oxygen for the chlorin triplet. Binding also reduced the quantum yield of singlet oxygen production by illuminated CM from 0.73 to 0.25. Photo-oxidation efficiencies for furfuryl alcohol and certain biomolecules were also decreased. Addition of a cationic detergent to the CM—HPMA copolymer increased the yield of singlet oxygen production and the photosensitizing efficiency up to the levels of the free sensitizer. Binding CM to the HPMA copolymer significantly increased its resistance to photobleaching.
Partial inhibition of the laser reaction in man by topical corticosteroids

Abstract An individual working in laser research was made reactive to impacts of low energy normal mode ruby laser. The energy level at the beginning of the experiments was 100 joules/cm 2 . His minimal reactive dose was found to be 38 joules/cm 2 . Partial inhibition to the delayed papular response of his laser skin reaction was done by topical applications of 0.2 and 0.025% fluocinolone acetonide, but not by 0.01% fluocinolone acetonide. Occlusive dressings with 0.01% fluocinolone acetonide, 0.4 mgs. and 0.1 mgs. of fluorandrenolone acetonide per 100 square centimeters of an occlusive tape were also effective. The failure of inhibition of the petechial phase of the delayed inflammatory response to the laser is not explained.
Flash Boys: Cracking the Money Code

High speed trading was controversial in financial circles before Michael Lewis began writing this book. But now that he has, and it is a bestseller, it has reached the popular consciousness. It is ...
Headphone–Headset–Jetset: DJ Culture, Mobility and Science Fictions of Listening

This article explores the practice of DJ performance through the use of headphones as opposed to the preferred instruments of analysis: vinyl, turntables, and mixers. It focuses on the DJ as a listener who uses headphones on stage, which complicates the traditional construction of "headphone culture" as tending toward exclusively private use. The examination of the public and private tension of the DJ on stage leads to a larger examination of the history of the "disc jockey" and headphones as intersecting with cultures of command-and-control, aviation, broadcasting, and the figure of the cyborg.
CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF INTRAOSSEOUS INJECTIONS OF 2 PERCENT LIDOCAINE WITH 1:100,000 EPINEPHRINE AND 3 PERCENT MEPIVACAINE

Background Because a number of patients have reported an increase in heart rate with the intraosseous, or IO, injection, it is important to evaluate changes in the cardiovascular system with this injection technique. The purpose of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of an IO injection of 2 percent lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine and 3 percent mepivacaine.