cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The rising trends in asthma and allergic disease

Considerable variation in the prevalence of childhood asthma and allergic conditions has been shown in previous studies. These differences may in part be attributable to methodological problems in defining childhood asthma and wheezing illnesses. However, the results of recent surveys using identical study instruments suggest that the variation in the distribution of the disease is real. In western societies serial prevalence studies have furthermore shown an increasing trend in the prevalence of childhood asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness. A concomitant increase in the prevalence of hay fever and atopic eczema has been reported by others. Moreover, hospitalization rates for childhood wheezing illnesses have increased in affluent countries suggesting that indeed the morbidity from these causes has increased in the last decades. Interestingly, areas of low prevalence of asthma and atopic conditions have recently been identified in developing countries and in Eastern Europe. In Eastern Germany where drastic changes towards westernization of living conditions have occurred after reunification an increase in the prevalence of hay fever and atopic sensitization has been documented over the last 4–5 years in children aged between 9 and 10 years of age. The prevalence of asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness, however, remained virtually unchanged in this age group. These children spent their first 3 years of life under socialist living conditions and were exposed to a western lifestyle only after their third birthday. Therefore, environmental factors may affect an individual’s inherited susceptibility for the development of asthma and hay fever at different ages inducing changes in the prevalence of atopic diseases in populations in a time- and age-dependent way.
Motives of Non-American Firms Investing in the United States

Non-American firms have recently begun investing larger sums of money in the U.S. Such increased activity has created a great deal of interest and concern. The growth in foreign direct investment and findings of a mailed questionnaire will be reviewed in this article. Factor analysis was utilized to help isolate the salient motives for these investment activities. Although the size of the U.S. market and the attractiveness of a new market or the desire to preserve the existing U.S. market were the most frequently cited reasons for new investment in the U.S., factor analysis reveals that these reasons merely reinforce the primary motive: namely, the desire to benefit from a higher level of U.S. technology and innovation.
Soft song in song sparrows: response of males and females to an enigmatic signal

Low-amplitude “soft song” is used by a variety of songbirds; in some species during aggressive encounters, in others during courtship, and yet others in both these contexts. In song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), soft song has thus far been observed only in aggressive encounters, where its production is a more reliable predictor of attack than any other signaling behavior. We used song playback to test the response of both male and female song sparrows to soft song. The design of the playback experiments took into account the existence of two classes of soft song: crystallized soft song, which consists of song types also found in the broadcast repertoire, and warbled soft song, which consists of less-structured song types not found in the broadcast repertoire. Female song sparrows responded with significantly less courtship display to the playback of crystallized soft song than to that of normal broadcast song, and response to warbled soft song was if anything lower than to that of crystallized soft song. Male song sparrows responded equally aggressively to normal broadcast song as to crystallized soft song, and equally aggressively to warbled soft song as to crystallized soft song. The female results support the conclusion that neither form of soft song functions in courtship. The male results suggest that the reliability of soft song as a signal of aggressive intent is not maintained by a receiver retaliation rule.
Unusual microstructures formed during the mediated electrodeposition of polypyrrole on Al 2024-T3 at low current densities

We have recently described the direct electrodeposition of polypyrrole on aluminum alloy 2024-T3 using electron transfer mediation. While studying the nucleation and growth phases of this deposition process using atomic force microscopy, we observed the formation of unusual polypyrrole structures. These structures formed only at low current density (10–100 μA/cm2), only in the presence of the mediator (4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonic acid disodium salt), and only in cells employing a small-area counter electrode (relative to the working electrode area). In this report, we present some of these interesting polypyrrole structures and the conditions of their formation.
Pharmacokinetics of Ethanol: A Review

The pharmacokinetics of ethanol in man are reviewed from a historical perspective from the earliest attempts at kinetic analysis of urinary data in 1899 to the present nonlinear analysis of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and time data. Review of the various kinetic theories that have been utilized to describe the kinetics of alcohol metabolism is provided. Extensive review is made of recent investigations supporting the application of Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics to describe alcohol metabolism. Results of direct, nonlinear least-squares computer fitting of BAC following intravenous and oral feeding of alcohol both in the fasting and fed states are presented with appropriate theory. The kinetics of the oral absorption of alcohol and the relationship among stomach emptying rate, the apparent absorption rate, and the area under the BAC-time curve are discussed and data presented. The kinetics of multiple Michaelis-Menten pathways are discussed with application to the (potential) contributions of the MEOS and/or ADH systems to the observed BAC curve and resultant kinetic parameters. Several methods of obtaining pharmacokinetic (Michaelis-Menten) parameters from BAC curves and their interpretation and usage in comparative studies are presented.
Effect of thymocyte-stimulating factor-containing supernatants on the surface antigens of murine thymocytes.

Abstract Incubation of murine thymocytes in thymocyte-stimulating factor (TSF)-containing supernatants causes a four- to fivefold increase in the expression of the H-2 k and H-2 d antigens and a similar decrease in the expression of the TL antigen (in TL + strains) on the surface of these cells. Experiments with antisera directed toward the private H-2K and H-2D antigens showed that TSF-containing supernatants cause approximately the same increase in the expression of the H-2K and H-2D antigens of thymocytes of the d and b haplotypes. With thymocytes of the k haplotype, only an increase in the expression of the H-2D antigens takes place, while no significant increase was found for the H-2K antigens. TSF-containing supernatants cause no significant change in the expression of the following antigens on the surface of thymocytes: Thy-1.1, Thy-1.2, Ly-1.2, Ly-2.2, Ly-6.2, Th-B, Ia-1,2,3,7, and G IX . A factor similar to murine TSF, produced by human peripheral blood leukocytes, does not affect appreciably the expression of the H-2 antigens on the surface of murine thymocytes. The factor(s) causing the increased expression of the H-2 antigens on the surface of murine thymocytes appears to be produced by T lymphocytes. The factor(s) is eluted from a Sephadex G-100 column in at least two broad peaks with molecular weights of 300,000 and 90,000-25,000. Most of the activity enhancing the expression of the H-2 antigens is lost at pH 2, while most of it is maintained at pH 11.5 and at 56 °C. On the basis of these properties, it is concluded that the factor under study is probably different from the factor enhancing the phytohemagglutinin responsiveness of thymocytes.
Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by liquid chromatography

Abstract Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) using fluorescence detection is a powerful analytical technique for the measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental samples. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been involved in the development of LC methods for the measurement of PAHs since the mid- 1970's particularly for the development of standard reference materials (SRMs) for PAH measurements in environmental samples. The NIST experience in the use of LC for the determination of PAHs in environmental samples is summarized in this paper including: selection of the appropriate column, approaches to analyzing complex PAH mixtures, and the accurate quantitation of PAHs in environmental samples.
Very long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases. Human "bubblegum" represents a new family of proteins capable of activating very long-chain fatty acids.

Activation by thioesterification to coenzyme A is a prerequisite for most reactions involving fatty acids. Enzymes catalyzing activation, acyl-CoA synthetases, have been classified by their chain length specificities. The most recently identified family is the very long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (VLCS). Although several members of this group are capable of activating very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA), one is a bile acid-CoA synthetase, and others have been characterized as fatty acid transport proteins. It was reported that the Drosophila melanogaster mutantbubblegum (BGM) had elevated VLCFA and that the product of the defective gene had sequence homology to acyl-CoA synthetases. Therefore, we cloned full-length cDNA for a human homolog of BGM, and we investigated the properties of its protein product, hsBG, to determine whether it had VLCS activity. Northern blot analysis showed that hsBG is expressed primarily in brain. Compared with vector-transfected cells, COS-1 cells expressing hsBG had increased acyl-CoA synthetase activity with either long-chain fatty acid (2.4-fold) or VLCFA (2.6-fold) substrates. Despite this increased VLCFA activation, hsBG-expressing cells did not have increased rates of VLCFA degradation. Confocal microscopy showed that hsBG had a cytoplasmic localization in some COS-1 cells expressing the protein, whereas it appeared to associate with plasma membrane in others. Fractionation of these cells revealed that most of the hsBG-dependent acyl-CoA synthetase activity was soluble and not membrane-bound. Immunoaffinity-purified hsBG from transfected COS-1 cells was enzymatically active. hsBG and hsVLCS are only 15% identical, and comparison with sequences of two conserved motifs from all known families of acyl-CoA synthetases revealed that hsBG along with the D. melanogaster and murine homologs comprise a new family of acyl-CoA synthetases. Thus, two protein families are now known that contain enzymes capable of activating VLCFA. Because hsBG is expressed in brain but previously described VLCSs were not highly expressed in this organ, hsBG may play a central role in brain VLCFA metabolism and myelinogenesis.
Lemons for obesity

An antiobesity medication called “Qnexa” (a combination of phentermine and topiramate) lead to 10% weight loss in obese adults in clinical trials, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommen...
Morphological image processing on a token passing pyramid computer

Describes an implementation of a processor node on a Texas Instruments EVM16 microprogrammable machine. In addition, the authors give an algorithm for performing morphological image processing-a commonly used image processing tool today-on such a distributed control architecture. Finally, they give an overview of a software simulator being implemented for simulating the whole pyramid machine. A simulator is essential for testing the working of the architecture and the algorithms before building the hardware. >
Distribution of catecholaminergic and peptidergic cells in the gerbil medial amygdala, caudal preoptic area and caudal bed nuclei of the stria terminalis with a focus on areas activated at ejaculation

The posterodorsal preoptic nucleus (PdPN), lateral part of the posterodorsal medial amygdala (MeApd) and medial part of the medial preoptic nucleus (MPNm) are activated at ejaculation in male gerbils as assessed by Fos expression. We sought to immunocytochemically visualize substance P (SP), cholecystokinin (CCK), oxytocin, vasopressin and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a catecholaminergic marker, in the mating-activated cells, but the need for colchicine precluded behavioral testing. Instead, we detailed distributions of cells containing these molecules in the medial amygdala, caudal preoptic area and caudal bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (BST) and quantified their densities in the PdPN, MPNm and lateral MeApd for comparison to densities previously assessed for mating-activated efferents from these sites. TH cells were as dense in the PdPN and lateral MeApd as activated efferents to the anteroventral periventricular nucleus. In the lateral MeApd, TH cells were grouped where cells activated at ejaculation are clustered and where CCK cells form a ball. Lateral MeApd CCK cells and PdPN SP cells were as dense as activated efferents to the principal BST. Oxytocinergic PdPN cells and SP cells in the MPNm were as dense as mating-activated efferents to the lateral MeApd. If some oxytocin cells in the PdPN project to the neurohypophysis, as in rats, they could be a source of the oxytocin secreted at ejaculation. Since gerbils are monogamous and biparental, it was also interesting that, unlike monogamous prairie voles, they had few TH cells in the MeApd or dorsal BST, resembling promiscuous rats, hamsters and meadow voles.
Partially Averaged Navier–Stokes (PANS) Method for Turbulence Simulations—Flow Past a Square Cylinder

The partially averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) approach is a bridging closure model intended for any level of resolution between the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method and direct numerical simulations. In this paper, the proposed closure model is validated in the flow past a square cylinder. The desired ratio of the modeled-to-resolved scales in the PANS closure is achieved by appropriately specifying two bridging parameters: the ratios of unresolved-to-total kinetic energy (f k ) dissipation (f e ). PANS calculations of different bridging parameter values are performed and the results are compared with experimental data and large-eddy simulations. The Strouhal number (S t ), mean/root-mean-square (RMS) drag coefficient (C D ), RMS lift coefficient (C L ), mean velocity profiles, and various turbulent stresses are investigated. The results gradually improve from the RANS level of accuracy to a close agreement with the experimental results with decreasing value of the bridging parameter f k . Overall, the results indicate that the PANS method clearly satisfies the basic tenets of a bridging model: (i) provides a meaningful turbulence closure at any modeled-to-resolved scale ratio and (ii) yields improved accuracy with increasing resolution (decreasing modeled-to-resolved ratio).
A new approach to paleoclimatic research using linear programming

Abstract One of the most frequently attempted correlations in Quaternary research is between insolation and paleoclimatic data. Yet there are a large number of insolation time series that could potentially explain a Quaternary dataset, individually or in combination. We computed 342 insolation time series (varying by latitude, time of year and time of day) for fitting to four different paleoclimatic records: foraminiferal δ 18 O from SPECMAP; temperatures inferred from Vostok, Antarctica ice cores; marine accumulation rates of a freshwater diatom, Melosira , originating from tropical Africa lakebeds; and δ 18 O variations in calcite at Devil's Hole, Nevada. We developed two “inductive” linear programming models that solve for the weighted combination of insolation curves that minimize either the average or maximum residual from the proxy curve. Each of the four proxy records, lagged and unlagged, was solved by both model types. On average, our composite insolation curves fit the proxy records 48–76% better than does June daily insolation at 60°N, the key insolation curve of the Milankovitch paradigm. Globally, high latitude insolation (60°–70° N and S) and insolation at specific times of day (noon or non-noon, as opposed to daily) dominated the results. Regionally, the model tended to select insolation curves from absolute latitudes similar to those of the proxy records. The fact that these results are plausible given known biophysical processes, combined with the fact that a small number of curves repeatedly accounted for a disproportionate share of the explanation, suggest strongly that the correlations found are not happenstance, despite the inductive method used.
Perceptions of Cooperation in a Longitudinal Social Dilemma

Most social dilemma studies of communication’s effects on cooperation are based on laboratory results with trivial incentives. Studies of real-life social dilemmas with nontrivial rewards are needed to extend the generality of laboratory results. Perceptions of cooperation on a group product (weekly group essay) were examined as a public goods dilemma embedded in a longitudinal study of groups using either face-to-face or computer-mediated communication. Perceptions of cooperation increased over time, whereas measures of group identity did not. No media effect on perceptions of cooperation was observed. Several predictors of late perceptions of cooperation were examined, but only early perception of cooperation was significant. Results are discussed with respect to several current hypotheses regarding communication and cooperation in social dilemmas.
Coastal eutrophication and harmful algal blooms : Importance of atmospheric deposition and groundwater as new nitrogen and other nutrient sources

Nitrogen-limited csluaries, shallow coastal waters, and continental shelf ivatcrs cover only 15% of the world’s ocean area, but account for nearly half the global oceanic primary production. This disproportionality is partly attributed to accelerating and geographically expanding anthropogenic N h-lading and eutrophication. Among accelerating N inputs, atmospheric deposition (AD) (as wet- and dryfall) and groundwater (GW) discharge are of considerable and growing importance. AD contributes from 300 to > 1,000 mg N m -2 yr -I lo coastal waters as the biologically available forms NO, , NHJNH,‘, and dissolved organic N. GW-N inputs have not been extensively characterized and quantified but in certain regions may be comparable to 11D. AD and GW can -jointly account from 20 lo >50% of total exogenous, or “new,” N loading and may uniquely mediate coastal eutrophication by bypassing estuarine filters of terrigenous N inputs. Direct AD and offshore GW inputs may impact harmful algal bloom dynamics of coastal and pelagic waters downwind of emissions and downstream of discharges. Example include Norlh American Atlantic coastal waters, the Baltic and North Seas, the western Mediterranean, and the Yellow Sea. Impacts include enhanced N availability and alteration of stoicl-iometric ratios of nutrients (N, P, Si). Trace metal enrichment (e.g. Fe) in AD and GW may interact synergistically with N to stimulate coastal production. Growing urban, industrial, and agricultural AD and GW inputs to coastal and offshore waters may be linked to a purported expansion of harmful algal blooms. Nitrogen limitation characterizes large segments of the world’s oceanic, coastal, and estuarine waters (Dugdale 1967; Ryther and Dunstan 1971; Codispoti 1989). The rate of biologically available nitrogen supply to these waters is a key control of primary production and resultant trophic state (Ryther and Dunstan 197 1; Eppley and Peterson 1979; D’Elia et al. 1986; Nixon 1986, 1988). Biologically available N originates from either endogenous or exogenous sources. Primary production supported by endogenous N is referred to as “regenerated production,” while exogenous production is termed “new” production. In deep (>200 m) oceanic regions away from land masses, much of the primary production is dependent on regenerated ammonium derived from organic matter mineralization. Exceptions include production supported by N, fixation or NO, from upwelled deep water, both of which are considered new N sources. Coastal and estuarine environments are heavily influenced by new N, supplied either naturally by weathering of minerals, decomposition, lightning, and geothermal emissions or anthropogenically. Anthropogenic sources include urban and
Spatiotemporal change footprint pattern discovery: an inter-disciplinary survey

Given a definition of change and a dataset about spatiotemporal ST phenomena, ST change footprint discovery is the process of identifying the location and/or time of such changes from the dataset. Change footprint discovery is fundamentally important for the study of climate change, the tracking of disease, and many other applications. Methods for detecting change footprints have emerged from a diverse set of research areas, ranging from time series analysis and remote sensing to spatial statistics. Researchers have much to learn from one another, but are stymied by inconsistent use of terminology and varied definitions of change across disciplines. Existing reviews focus on discovery methods for only one or a few types of change footprints e.g., point change in a time series. To facilitate sharing of insights across disciplines, we conducted a multi-disciplinary review of ST change patterns and their respective discovery methods. We developed a taxonomy of possible ST change footprints and classified our review findings accordingly. This exercise allowed us to identify gaps in the research that we consider ripe for exploration, most notably change pattern discovery in vector ST datasets. In addition, we illustrate how such pattern discovery might proceed using two case studies from historical GIS. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2014, 4:1-23. doi: 10.1002/widm.1113
Serotonin Syndrome Resulting from Coadministration of Tramadol, Venlafaxine, and Mirtazapine

OBJECTIVETo report a case of serotonin syndrome (SS) resulting from the addition of tramadol to a medication regimen of venlafaxine and mirtazapine.CASE SUMMARYA 47-year-old white man receiving combined mirtazapine and venlafaxine therapy for major depressive disorder developed agitation, confusion, severe shivering, diaphoresis, myoclonus, hyperreflexia, mydriasis, tachycardia, and fever on coadministration of tramadol for chronic pain. An objective causality assessment revealed that the addition of tramadol was the probable cause of the adverse reaction.DISCUSSIONSS is a potentially fatal iatrogenic complication of serotonergic polypharmacy. Considered idiopathic in presentation, it typically appears after initiation or dose escalation of the offending agent to a regimen including other serotonergic agents. All drugs that directly or indirectly increase central serotonin neurotransmission at postsynaptic 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors can produce SS. Individual vulnerability appears to play a role in the d...
An Unsupervised Approach for Segmentation and Clustering of Soccer Players

In this work we consider the problem of soccer team discrimination. The approach we propose starts from the monocular images acquired by a still camera. The first step is the soccer player detection, performed by means of background subtraction. An algorithm based on pixels energy content has been implemented in order to detect moving objects. The use of energy information, combined with a temporal sliding window procedure, allows to be substantially independent from motion hypothesis. Colour histograms in RGB space are extracted from each player, and provided to the unsupervised classification phase. This is composed by two distinct modules: firstly, a modified version of the BSAS clustering algorithm builds the clusters for each class of objects. Then, at runtime, each player is classified by evaluating its distance, in the features space, from the classes previously detected. Algorithms have been tested on different real soccer matches of the Italian Serie A.
Signs of progress: The debate over civic education

In this reply to my critics, I begin by clearing away some misunderstandings: I do not reject autonomy and critical self-reflection as possible bases for political judgment and action; I do not dissent from the standard view that some civic education should be mandatory; and I claim neither that each citizen need possess civic virtue nor that there is a one-size-fits-all conception of pro-civic traits within a liberal society. I do endorse the idea of a ‘civic core’ - beliefs, skills and traits of character that ideally every citizen would possess. I then distinguish civic from philosophic education, characterize liberal civic virtues as instrumentally rather than intrinsically valuable, and clarify the relation between these virtues and the idea of limited government that lies at the heart of liberalism. I defend my account of civic education against the claims that it cannot justify citizens’ resistance to unjust or immoral government policies and that it safeguards neither the basic needs nor the meani...
A robust sensorless fault diagnosis algorithm for low cost motor drives

This paper presents a sensorless fault diagnosis technique for low cost AC drives. Currently, in order to achieve a reliable fault diagnosis, a high resolution speed sensor is employed to measure the frequencies of fault signature which depends on motor shaft speed. There is an increased tendency toward sensorless control of AC motor drives because of mounting problems, associated cost, etc. Therefore, the speed sensors become less common feedback tools in high performance motor control applications. The fault diagnosis becomes quite a challenging task in the absence of information from a speed sensor as highly precise motor speed estimation is needed. In this paper, a simple and efficient algorithm for fault diagnosis is proposed utilizing frequency tracking method which does not require speed sensor feedback. It is explicitly verified that the performance of the proposed algorithm is almost comparable to the cases where an accurate speed sensor is used. The algorithm is derived mathematically and its efficacy is proved experimentally using a 3-hp motor generator setup.
Avian Response to Wildfire in Interior Columbia Basin Shrubsteppe

Abstract. Wildfire and conversion of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) shrublands to cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) grasslands is a serious threat to the shrubsteppe ecosystem, but few studies have documented wildfire's effects on birds with multiple years of pre-and post-fire data. Using data from avian point counts recorded 4 years before and 7 years after a large-scale, severe wildfire in the Columbia Basin of south-central Washington, we found significant effects of fire on population trends or mean abundance of nearly all species investigated. The Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli), a sagebrush obligate, was decreasing at a high rate both pre- and post-fire. Among species inhabiting more open shrubsteppe or grasslands, the mean abundance of three (Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum; Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta; Vesper Sparrow, Pooecetes gramineus) was lower post-fire and one (Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus) showed an initial, but short-lived, increase post-fire before dropping below pre-fi...
The role of retrospective weather forecasts in developing daily forecasts of nutrient loadings over the southeast US

It is well known in the hydrometeorology litera- ture that developing real-time daily streamflow forecasts in a given season significantly depends on the skill of daily pre- cipitation forecasts over the watershed. Similarly, it is widely known that streamflow is the most important predictor in es- timating nutrient loadings and the associated concentration. The intent of this study is to bridge these two findings so that daily nutrient loadings and the associated concentration could be predicted using daily precipitation forecasts and previously observed streamflow as surrogates of antecedent land surface conditions. By selecting 18 relatively undevel- oped basins in the southeast US (SEUS), we evaluate the skill in predicting observed total nitrogen (TN) loadings in the Water Quality Network (WQN) by first developing the daily streamflow forecasts using the retrospective weather forecasts based on K-nearest neighbor (K-NN) resampling approach and then forcing the forecasted streamflow with a nutrient load estimation (LOADEST) model to obtain daily TN forecasts. Skill in developing forecasts of streamflow, TN loadings and the associated concentration were com- puted using rank correlation and RMSE (root mean square error), by comparing the respective forecast values with the WQN observations for the selected 18 Hydro-Climatic Data Network (HCDN) stations. The forecasted daily streamflow and TN loadings and their concentration have statistically significant skill in predicting the respective daily observa- tions in the WQN database at all 18 stations over the SEUS. Only two stations showed statistically insignificant relation- ships in predicting the observed nitrogen concentration. We also found that the skill in predicting the observed TN load- ings increases with the increase in drainage area, which in- dicates that the large-scale precipitation reforecasts corre- late better with precipitation and streamflow over large wa- tersheds. To overcome the limited samplings of TN in the WQN data, we extended the analyses by developing retro- spective daily streamflow forecasts over the period 1979- 2012 using reforecasts based on the K-NN resampling ap- proach. Based on the coefficient of determination ( R 2-daily ) of the daily streamflow forecasts, we computed the potential skill (R 2 TN-daily ) in developing daily nutrient forecasts based on the R 2 of the LOADEST model for each station. The analyses showed that the forecasting skills of TN loadings are relatively better in the winter and spring months, while skills are inferior during summer months. Despite these lim- itations, there is potential in utilizing the daily streamflow forecasts derived from real-time weather forecasts for devel- oping daily nutrient forecasts, which could be employed for various adaptive nutrient management strategies for ensuring better water quality.
Gleason Score 6 Adenocarcinoma: Should It Be Labeled As Cancer?

Overtreatment of low-grade prostate cancer (Gleason score 6) is a recognized problem today, with systematic prostate gland sampling triggered by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurements. The extent to which overtreatment is caused by fear of death resulting from cancer, fear of litigation from undertreatment, and misaligned incentives that reimburse more for treating rather than monitoring when appropriate is not known. Nevertheless, fear of death resulting from cancer likely plays some role, and removing the label “cancer” could reduce unnecessary treatment of low-grade disease. On the other hand, undertreatment of prostate cancer and a missed opportunity for cure in those who could benefit is a real risk of relabeling a cancer as noncancer. We have decided on an alternative modification of the Gleason scoring system and herein present the arguments for and against removing the label of cancer from Gleason 6 tumors. We believe that our alternative approach may help: one, ensure that patients receive the proper counseling/treatment; two, reduce the risk of overtreatment and its associated harms; and three, improve shared decision making.
Preliminary Results of Pressure Drop Modeling During Flow Boiling in Open Microchannels with Uniform and Tapered Manifolds (OMM)

Flow boiling with microchannel can dissipate high heat fluxes at low surface temperature difference. A number of issues, such as instabilities, low critical heat flux (CHF) and low heat transfer coefficients, have prevented it from reaching its full potential. A new design incorporating open microchannels with uniform and tapered manifold (OMM) was shown to mitigate these issues successfully. Distilled, degassed water at 80 mL/min is used as the working fluid. Plain and open microchannel surfaces are used as the test section s. Heat transfer and pressure drop performance for uniform and tapered manifold with both the surfaces are discussed. A low pressure drop of 7.5 kPa is obtained with tapered manifold and microchannel chip at a heat flux of 263 W/cm 2 without reaching CHF. The pressure drop data is further compared with the homogenous model and the initial results are presented.
Data allocation for multidisk databases

This paper deals with I/O throughput maximization in a single processor/multidisk database system, by means of optimal allocation of entire relations (or other nonfragmented data objects) to disks. We examine the cases in which such allocation is beneficial, and present a mathematical formulation of the problem. This formulation is shown to be flexible enough to accommodate various objectives and constraints of a typical system design. >
Effects of Temperature, Photoperiod, and Ration Size on Growth of Hybrid Striped Bass X White Bass

Abstract Growth and food conversion efficiency of hybrid bass juveniles (female striped bass Morone saxatilis × male white bass M. chrysops) were measured as a function of diel oscillating and constant temperatures, spring (increasing day length) and autumnal (decreasing day length) photoperiods, and ration sizes ranging from no food to daily satiation. The optimum temperatures for growth and peak conversion efficiency were estimated to be 26.8 and 21.2°C, respectively, for fish under constant temperatures, 12 h of daylight, and a maximum ration size. Springtime photoperiod significantly increased growth, and autumnal photoperiod significantly reduced growth. There was a significant temperature-photoperiod interaction; maximum growth occurred at 27.9°C under the springtime photoperiod and at 25.7°C under the autumnal photoperiod. Diel temperature oscillations with an amplitude of ±4, 6, and 8°C did not influence growth rate or conversion efficiency. Reduced ration sizes led to a lower optimum temperature ...
A molecular dynamics study of water mass accommodation on condensed phase water coated by fatty acid monolayers

As the water uptake by particles and clouds influences the radiative balance of the Earth, it is desirable to understand the mechanisms and parameters, which regulate water uptake in these colloidal particles. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were used to simulate scattering or accommodation of water vapor molecules impinging on a slab of water and slabs of water coated by monomolecular amphiphile films: octanoic acid (C-8) at surface densities of 29 and 18 angstrom(2) per molecule and myristic acid (C-14) at 29 angstrom(2) per molecule. The mass accommodation coefficient of near unity on a pure water slab is in agreement with values estimated using similar scattering simulations using other potentials for water. The addition of surface-active organic molecules in quantities corresponding to less than 1% of mass in a typical cloud droplet are predicted to reduce this mass accommodation coefficient by 70-100% in similar types of scattering simulations. The mass accommodation coefficient decreased monotonically with projected surface coverage of the hydrocarbon backbones, although the accommodation mechanisms differed by packing density and type of organic molecule. The mechanisms of interaction of the impinging water vapor molecules with the simulated organic films are discussed in the context of their chemical characteristics and physical structures (e.g., fatty acid chain orientation).
The Impact of Classification of Interest on Predictive Toxicogenomics

The era of toxicogenomics has introduced a new way of monitoring the effect of environmental stressors and toxicants on biological systems via quantification of changes in gene expression. Because the liver is one of the major organs for synthesis and secretion of substances which metabolize endogenous and exogenous materials, there has been a great deal of interest in elucidating predictive and mechanistic genomic markers of hepatotoxicity. This mini-review will bring context to a limited number of toxicogenomics studies which used genomics to evaluate the transcriptional changes in blood and liver in response to acetaminophen (APAP) or other liver toxicants, but differed according to the classification of interest (COI), i.e., the partitioning of the samples a priori according to a common toxicological characteristic. The toxicogenomics studies highlighted are characterized by a classification of either no/low vs. high APAP dose exposure, none vs. observed necrosis, and severity of necrosis. The overlap or lack thereof between the gene classifiers and the modulated biological processes that are elucidated will be discussed to enhance the understanding of the effect of the particular COI model and experimental design used for prediction.
Dependence of firing pattern on intrinsic ionic conductances: Sensitive and insensitive combinations

Abstract We construct maps of the intrinsic firing state (silent, tonically firing, or bursting) of a model neuron as a function of its maximal ionic conductances. The firing properties vary significantly only in response to changes in particular, sensitive combinations of conductances that may serve as targets for neuromodulation. Less sensitive combinations define directions along which neuronal conductances may drift without triggering significant changes in firing activity. This suggests that neurons may have similar functional properties despite widely varying conductance densities.
A Gene That Encodes a Proline-Rich Nodulin with Limited Homology to PsENOD12 Is Expressed in the Invasion Zone of Rhizobium meliloti-Induced Alfalfa Root Nodules

To define the early stages of the interaction between Rhizobium and host legumes, we have cloned and characterized three early nodulin-encoding sequences from an alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cDNA library by probing with a fragment of a cDNA clone for PsENOD12, an infection-related nodulin from pea (Pisum sativum L.). Although the coding regions of the three clones are 95 to 98% homologous to each other, they are only 43% homologous to the pea clone. However, the putative signal peptide encoded by the alfalfa cDNA clones is 100% homologous to the PsENOD12 signal peptide. The spatial and temporal expression patterns of PsENOD12 and the alfalfa clones were compared. In situ hybridization experiments detected RNA transcripts in the invasion zone of mature nitrogen-fixing nodules, the same site where PsENOD12 mRNAs are found. Transcripts were also found by in situ hybridization in cells of Rhizobium meliloti exoH mutant-induced nodules penetrated by infection threads, but northern analysis did not detect transcripts in Inf- (infection thread minus) nodules elicited by R. meliloti exoB nodules or in pseudonodules elicited by treatment with the auxin transport inhibitor N-1-(naphthyl)phthalamic acid. In addition, the alfalfa gene represented by these cDNA clones exhibited a temporal expression pattern that differed from that of PsENOD12, which is transiently expressed. These data, plus information derived from Southern blot analysis, indicate that we have isolated cDNA clones for a novel early nodulin, which we have designated MsENOD10 (Medicago sativa Early Nodulin 10).
Specialization and Prestige in the Legal Profession: The Structure of Deference

The process of specialization is now well advanced within the legal profession, and the specialties have acquired clearly varying levels of prestige among the practicing bar. What are the characteristics of the specialties, or of the lawyers who practice in them, that might account for these variations in prestige? In describing the prestige differences and several of the variables that might be thought to account for them, the authors analyze the results of a survey of a large random sample of Chicago lawyers. Among the findings are a strong relationship between prestige within the legal profession and the type of clients that the specialty serves, a substantial correlation between prestige and the degree of intellectual challenge presented by the subject matter of the specialty, and the perhaps surprising result that prestige is not significantly associated with the income earned by lawyers practicing in the specialty. The authors conclude that legal specialties that regularly confront personal suffering lose social standing as a result, that prestige within the profession is directly proportional to the degree to which the specialty facilitates the conduct of corporate enterprise, and that the varying prestige of the specialties is likely to affect the political and professional power of the lawyers who practice in them and to influence the patterns of recruitment of lawyers into law practice.
The History of Cortisone Discovery and Development.

Abstract Philip Hench, Edward Kendall, and Tadeus Reichstein received the Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology in 1950 for their "investigations of the hormones of the adrenal cortex." Hench and Kendall took compound E from the laboratory to the clinic to the Nobel Prize in a span of 2 years. This article examines the paths that led to the day when the first rheumatoid arthritis patient received cortisone, and from there to the 1950 Nobel Prize ceremony. The aftermath of this achievement is also discussed. Although there have been significant advances in corticosteroid preparations and use since 1950, the side effects remain daunting.
Attractiveness and Specificity of Pheromone-baited Traps for Male Dogwood Borer, Synanthedon scitula Harris (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae)

Abstract Captures of male dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), in traps baited with trinary and binary blends of the female sex pheromone components were compared with those in traps baited with the most effective commercially available lure in apple orchards in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Traps baited with the trinary blend [88:6:6 vol:vol:vol (Z,Z)-3,13 octadecadienyl acetate (ODDA):(E,Z)-2,13-ODDA:(Z,E)-3,13-ODDA] and the binary blend [96:4 (Z,Z)-3,13-ODDA:(E,Z)-2,13-ODDA] captured significantly more male dogwood borers than traps baited with the best commercial lure. Although the trinary blend captured the most males, there was no significant difference in captures with the binary blend at all six field sites. Chemical analysis revealed that the commercial lure contained 91.5% (Z,Z)-3,13-ODDA, 7.3% (Z,E)-3,13-ODDA, and 1.2% (E,Z)-3,13-ODDA, a potent behavioral antagonist of dogwood borer. Species specificity of the trinary and binary blends was very high; >97% of all moths cap...
Comparison of anileridine and meperidine as obstetric analgesia. A double blind study of 471 patients.

Abstract Anileridine, a relative newcomer to the field of obstetric analgesia, was compared with meperidine in a double blind study involving four treatment groups. These treatment groups were as nearly alike in size and make-up as it is possible to obtain with a random sampling of patients. Four hundred seventy-one women were given a primary injection of either 75 mg. meperidine (Group 1), 30 mg. anileridine (Group 2), 75 mg. meperidine with 5 mg. perphenazine (Group 3), or 30 mg. anileridine with 5 mg. perphenazine (Group 4). All four of the treatment groups received 0.4 mg. of atropine sulfate and 0.5 mg. levallorphan tartrate. The state of anxiety of each woman was noted on admission and an evaluation of combined sedative-analgesic effect was made following the primary injection of medication. The patient's behavior in the postmedication period was noted, and the infants were rated by Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes after delivery. The analgesics produced almost exactly comparable effects, with 30 mg. anileridine apparently being equivalent to 75 mg. meperidine. When a phenothiazine derivative was added to either analgesic, an increase in the optimum response was obtained among the apprehensive patients but not in the calm patient. This increase was not statistically significant. Apgar ratings were essentially the same in all four treatment groups and indicated that anileridine, in equivalent dosage, had no more depressant effect on the fetus than meperidine whether or not these drugs were combined with the phenothiazine derivative. No significant side effects were noted following the use of either analgesic agent.
Tower: Design System for Guyed Towers

TOWER consists of a package of analysis routines that are manipulated by the use of a problem-oriented language. The system has been specifically designed for remote terminal, time-sharing applications, although batch processing modes can be utilized. This system can be applied to the design of any symmetrical tower that is laterally supported by guy cables. A maximum of eight cables attached to each of twenty different levels can be analyzed. The tower may contain either three or four legs and may be hinged or fixed at its support. It can have projecting cable arms, concentrated antennae loads, and intermediate span loads. The advantages of a real-time communication capability, easy modificaiton of input data facilitating iterative use, choice of solution techniques, automatic comparison of results to AISC allowable values, and direct access to and output of parameter values at any point in the design process are presented. These are illustrated with designs of actual U.S. Coast Guard navigational towers.
Mixed configuration ground state in iron(II) phthalocyanine

We calculate the angular dependence of the x-ray linear and circular dichroism at the ${L}_{2,3}$ edges of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-Fe(II) Phthalocyanine (FePc) thin films using a ligand-field model with full configuration interaction. We find the best agreement with the experimental spectra for a mixed ground state of ${}^{3}{E}_{g}({a}_{1g}^{2}{e}_{g}^{3}{b}_{2g}^{1})$ and ${}^{3}{B}_{2g}({a}_{1g}^{1}{e}_{g}^{4}{b}_{2g}^{1})$ with the two configurations coupled by the spin-orbit interaction. The ${}^{3}{E}_{g}(b)$ and ${}^{3}{B}_{2g}$ states have easy-axis and easy-plane anisotropies, respectively. Our model accounts for an easy-plane magnetic anisotropy and the measured magnitudes of the in-plane orbital and spin moments. The proximity in energy of the two configurations allows a switching of the magnetic anisotropy from easy plane to easy axis with a small change in the crystal field, as recently observed for FePc adsorbed on an oxidized Cu surface. We also discuss the possibility of a quintet ground state (${}^{5}{A}_{1g}$ is 250 meV above the ground state) with planar anisotropy by manipulation of the Fe-C bond length by depositing the complex on a substrate that is subjected to a mechanical strain.
What High School Administrators Need to Know about Secondary Transition Evidence-Based Practices and Predictors for Students with Disabilities.

In response to legislative mandates that schools use evidence-based instructional practices, the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center has identified evidence-based practices and predictors in the area of secondary transition for high school students with disabilities. This article provides an overview of practices and predictors, as well as providing examples of how school administrators can use the practices and predictors to help guide staff development and school policy.