cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of momentary pain and fatigue on physical activity in women with osteoarthritis.

Objective To examine the daily life patterns of both pain and fatigue symptoms and objective physical activity (using ambulatory monitoring) in women with symptomatic lower extremity osteoarthritis (OA), and to evaluate how momentary symptoms impact physical activity levels. Methods Sixty women age ≥55 years (40 with knee or hip OA and 20 matched controls) participated in an observational study involving 2 laboratory visits and a 5-day home data collection period. During the home period physical activity levels were assessed continuously, and symptoms were inputted 6 times a day into an enhanced accelerometer at prespecified time points. Results In the OA group as compared with the control group over the 5-day period, average physical activity was significantly lower (P = 0.02) and peak physical activity tended to be lower (P = 0.06). Although pain and fatigue overall were of moderate severity in this cohort, fatigue escalated throughout each day. In a hierarchical linear model, fatigue was most strongly associated with physical activity (β = −30.1, P < 0.0001). Pain was more weakly associated with physical activity and in the direction opposite to what was hypothesized (β = 16.9, P = 0.04). Conclusion Momentary reports of fatigue negatively predicted physical activity levels and were much more strongly related to physical activity than momentary pain. In order to help women with knee or hip OA manage symptoms and become more physically active, it may be important to emphasize fatigue management.
The Dendritic Hypothesis for Alzheimer’s Disease Pathophysiology

Converging evidence indicates that processes occurring in and around neuronal dendrites are central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. These data support the concept of a "dendritic hypothesis" of AD, closely related to the existing synaptic hypothesis. Here we detail dendritic neuropathology in the disease and examine how Aβ, tau, and AD genetic risk factors affect dendritic structure and function. Finally, we consider potential mechanisms by which these key drivers could affect dendritic integrity and disease progression. These dendritic mechanisms serve as a framework for therapeutic target identification and for efforts to develop disease-modifying therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease.
Combination thiazolidinedione and fibrate effect on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration in a Veterans Affairs patient population

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a coronary heart disease (CHD) risk equivalent warranting aggressive management of dyslipidemia and tight glycemic control. Recent reports demonstrate a paradoxic decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with thiazolidinedione (TZD) and fibrate combination therapy. Objective Evaluate change in HDL-C from start of combination therapy to 1 year and assess the proportion, characteristics, and regimens of patients who developed a ≥20% decrease in HDL-C from baseline. Methods Patients with T2DM treated concurrently with a combination of TZD and fibrate were identified through retrospective query from a Veterans Affairs medical center database. HDL-C was recorded for 1 year after patients started combination therapy. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine any predictors of HDL-C change. Results A total of 322 patients were included in the analysis. There was no significant differences in mean ± standard deviation HDL-C from baseline to end point (36.8 ± 8.5 to 40.3 ± 11.8 mg/dL; P = 0.097). There was a subset of patients identified (13%; n=43) on combination therapy who experienced a ≥20% reduction in HDL-C. Of these patients, a decrease in HDL-C was more likely to occur with fenofibrate-based regimens (odds ratio 3.08, 95% confidence interval 1.22 to 7.75; P = 0.018). There was a trend toward more of these patients in this subset to have the combination of rosiglitazone and fenofibrate in their profiles (odds ratio 2.82, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 8.0; P = 0.064). Conclusion Our study demonstrated that a subset of patients with T2DM experienced a paradoxic decrease in HDL-C when taking a fibrate and TZD combination.
Physical and sexual abuse, depression and alcohol use disorders in adolescents: onsets and outcomes

Adolescents with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) often have major depressive disorder (MDD). While physical abuse and sexual abuse (PS Abuse) have been observed to be common in adolescents with AUDs, the influence of PS Abuse on comorbid MDD and AUD has not been determined. The effect of pre-existing PS Abuse on the young adulthood outcomes of adolescents with AUDs has also not been adequately explored. This study examined the relationships among PS Abuse, MDD, and AUD in adolescence, as well as related young adult outcomes. Adolescents (mean age: 16.4 years; range: 14-18 years) were recruited from clinical and community sources and classified into four groups: (1) AUD+PS Abuse (n=154), (2) AUD only (n=255), (3) PS Abuse only (n=74), and (4) Controls (n=268). Subjects were longitudinally assessed through young adulthood (age 19 years or older). Measures included interview assessments of DSM-IV AUD and MDD, classified as "primary" or "secondary", and questionnaire measures of alcohol consumption and depression. Primary MDD preceded AUD whereas secondary MDD had a later onset than AUD. PS Abuse accelerated the onsets of primary MDD, secondary MDD and AUD. While affected adolescents had typically improved in both alcohol consumption and depression at the young adult assessment, the majority of those with adolescent AUD had AUDs in young adulthood, and MDD remained common in those with a history of PS Abuse. These results indicate that MDD among adolescents with AUD may be partly attributable to PS Abuse.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS ON DENITRIFYING COMMUNITIES AND DENITRIFICATION RATES: INSIGHTS FROM MOLECULAR METHODS

The advent of molecular techniques has improved our understanding of the microbial communities responsible for denitrification and is beginning to address their role in controlling denitrification processes. There is a large diversity of bacteria, archaea, and fungi capable of denitrification, and their community composition is structured by long-term environmental drivers. The range of temperature and moisture conditions, substrate availability, competition, and disturbances have long-lasting legacies on denitrifier community structure. These communities may differ in physiology, environmental tolerances to pH and O2, growth rate, and enzyme kinetics. Although factors such as O2, pH, C availability, and NO3- pools affect instantaneous rates, these drivers act through the biotic community. This review summarizes the results of molecular investigations of denitrifier communities in natural environments and provides a framework for developing future research for addressing connections between denitrifier community structure and function.
Influence of the Precursor Solution Molarity on the Dielectric Response of Chemical Solution Deposited Strontium Titanate Thin Films on Si

SrTiO3 films were deposited using metallo-organic solution deposition with different precursor solution molarities. The films were characterized via X-Ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The dielectric constant, loss tangent, tunability, and leakage current were measured as a function of electric field, frequency, and temperature. The film deposited with a lower precursor solution molarity solution had a larger permittivity and tunability, but it also had higher loss tangent and leakage current density. The internal stresses in the films are almost completely relaxed, and this is the main reason for the large, bulk-like dielectric constant in these films.
Genetic differentiation at allozyme loci in the Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) species complex.

New allozyme frequency data on die Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) species group, together with previously published data, are summarized to aid in identification of the species and in estimating the phylogeny of the group. Seven taxa were included in the study: the four described species, one host race or undescribed species infesting Cornus florida L. (flowering dogwood), and two outgroup species, each from a different species group. The phylogenetic tree was estimated by direct parsimony analysis of allele frequencies at 29 enzyme loci. To facilitate comparison with earlier electrophoretic studies, a UPGMA clustering of Nei unbiased genetic distance was also performed. The phylogenetic analysis suggests that two lineages exist in the R. pomonella species group, one consisting solely of R. cornivora Bush, and the other, the remainder of the group, consisting of a complex of extremely similar taxa. Support for the most parsimonious phylogeny is weak. The systematic status of the Cornus florida host-associated population and the evolution of fruit size preference in light of the allozyme phylogeny are discussed.
Systems biology of cancer: a challenging expedition for clinical and quantitative biologists.

A systems-biology approach to complex disease (such as cancer) is now complementing traditional experience-based approaches, which have typically been invasive and expensive. The rapid progress in biomedical knowledge is enabling the targeting of disease with therapies that are precise, proactive, preventive and personalized. In this paper, we summarize and classify models of systems biology and model-checking tools which have been used to great success in computational biology and related fields. We demonstrate how these models and tools have been used to study some of the twelve biochemical pathways implicated in but not unique to pancreatic cancer, and conclude that the resulting mechanistic models will need to be further enhanced by various abstraction techniques to interpret phenomenological models of cancer progression.
PATHOGENESIS OF EUSTRONGYLIDES IGNOTUS (NEMATODA: DIOCTOPHYMATOIDEA) IN CICONIIFORMES

Natural (n = 157) and experimental (n = 5) infections with the nematode Eustrongylides ignotus are described for ciconiforms collected in Florida (USA). Larvae perforated the ventriculus in 3 to 5 hr and caused hemorrhage and bacterial peritonitis that sometimes progressed to a fibrous peritonitis with extensive adhesions. Severity of the disease was related inversely to the age of the bird and directly to the number of parasites involved. Some infections in adult birds were resolved. As a consequence of eustrongylidosis, anorexia and behavioral abnormalities resulted in emaciation and may have predisposed birds to traumatic death. Host–parasite adaptations apparently were not adequate for nestling ciconiforms as death of nestlings usually occurred before infections become patent (longer than 14 days, less than 23 days). Patent infections were found in both color morphs of the great blue heron (Ardea herodius), and in great egrets (Casmerodius albus) and snowy egrets (Egretta thula). We propose that birds...
Effect of oxygen content on the magnetic properties of multiferroic YMn2O5+δ

The effect of oxygen content on magnetic properties in the multiferroic YMn2O5+δ system was investigated with samples prepared under different oxygen pressures. Our results show that, with increasing oxygen content, the magnetic response changes from being dominated by the anomaly at ~45 K to the one around 20 K. However, specific heat measurements and neutron powder diffraction studies indicate that the presence of the magnetic transition at ~45 K is independent of oxygen content. The results suggest that oxygen nonstoichiometry can be one important degree of freedom in manipulating the multiferroic properties.
The global reach of visual communication: Pitfalls and potentials

Today's digital, social communication technologies allow us to span physical boundaries in just seconds and with wide reach. In technical and professional communication, much of what is communicated digitally is done with visuals: icons, photographs, videos, and drawings. Visual communication is often considered to be more universally accessible than plain text, and while this consideration is true to some extent, all visual forms have cultural connotations. With the continued shift of technical and professional communication toward digital environments, and with such environments favoring the visual, this panel explores three cases of specific venues of visual communication and their impacts on global communication practices. These cases provide examples of the cultural implications of visual communication in global, digital settings; all three presentations offer practical advice for using the material in the teaching of technical and professional communication courses.
Probing the role of hydrogen bonds in the stability of base pairs in double-helical DNA.

Aromatic stacking and hydrogen bonding between nucleobases are two of the key interactions responsible for stabilization of DNA double-helical structures. The present work aims at defining the specific contributions of these interactions to the stability of individual base pairs in DNA. The two DNA double helices investigated are formed, respectively, by the palindromic base sequences 5′-dCCAACGTTGG-3′ and 5′-dCGCAGATCTGCG-3′. The strength of the NH···N inter-base hydrogen bond in each base pair is characterized from the measurement of the protium–deuterium fractionation factor of the corresponding imino proton using NMR spectroscopy. The structural stability of each base pair is evaluated from the exchange rate of the imino proton, measured by NMR. The results reveal that the fractionation factors of the imino protons in the two DNA double helices investigated fall within a narrow range of values, between 0.92 and 1.0. In contrast, the free energies of structural stabilization for individual base pairs span 3.5 kcal/mol, from 5.2 to 8.7 kcal/mol (at 15°C). These findings indicate that, in the two DNA double helices investigated, the strength of NH···N inter-base hydrogen bonds does not change significantly depending on the nature or the sequence context of the base pair. Hence, the variations in structural stability detected by proton exchange do not involve changes in the strength of inter-base hydrogen bonds. Instead, the results suggest that the energetic identity of a base pair is determined by the number of inter-base hydrogen bonds, and by the stacking interactions with neighboring base pairs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 87: 165–173, 2007. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Negative correlation of L-glutamine concentration with proliferation rate in rat hepatomas.

Abstract The concentration of L-glutamine was determined in freeze-clamped samples of normal liver of adult male fed rats (5.7–6.1 μmol /g) and in transplantable hepatomas of vastly different proliferative rates. The L-glutamine concentration in the slowly growing hepatomas was in the range of the normal liver and it decreased in relation to the increase of hepatoma growth rate, in the most rapidly growing tumors amounting to 12% of that of normal liver. In 24-hour regenerating liver, the glutamine content was slightly reduced (by 17%). In normal rat organs of high cell renewal, such as testis, intestinal mucosa, spleen, and thymus, the L-glutamine concentration was 18 to 46% of that of normal rat liver. The L-glutamine content was similar in rat brain and liver, but it was 1.6-fold higher in the heart, and low in the blood. Glutamine synthetase (EC 6.3. 1.3) activity in normal adult liver of ACI/N strain rats was 1,000 nmol per hr per mg protein; the activity increased in the very slowly growing hepatoma 20, but decreased markedly in all the other hepatomas. Thus, glutamine synthetase activity was essentially transformation-linked. The negative correlation of glutamine content with growth rate in transplanted hepatomas appears to be more closely linked with the activities of enzymes that utilize glutamine. The low L-glutamine concentration in the rapidly growing hepatomas provides a potential marker for anti-glutamine chemotherapy selectively targeted against the glutamine-utilizing enzymes.
Taxonomic Relation of Erythrocyte Count, Mean Corpuscular Volume, and Body-Weight in Mammals

Taxonomic Relation of Erythrocyte Count, Mean Corpuscular Volume, and Body-Weight in Mammals
Escaping the recent past: Which stimulus dimensions influence proactive interference?

Proactive interference occurs when information from the past disrupts current processing and is a major source of confusion and errors in short-term memory (STM; Wickens, Born, & Allen, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 2:440-445, 1963). The present investigation examines potential boundary conditions for interference, testing the hypothesis that potential competitors must be similar along task-relevant dimensions to influence proactive interference effects. We manipulated both the type of task being completed (Experiments 1, 2, and 3) and dimensions of similarity irrelevant to the current task (Experiments 4 and 5) to determine how the recent presentation of a probe item would affect the speed with which participants could reject that item. Experiments 1, 2, and 3 contrasted STM judgments, which require temporal information, with semantic and perceptual judgments, for which temporal information is irrelevant. In Experiments 4 and 5, task-irrelevant information (perceptual similarity) was manipulated within the recent probes task. We found that interference from past items affected STM task performance but did not affect performance in semantic or perceptual judgment tasks. Conversely, similarity along a nominally irrelevant perceptual dimension did not affect the magnitude of interference in STM tasks. Results are consistent with the view that items in STM are represented by noisy codes consisting of multiple dimensions and that interference occurs when items are similar to each other and, thus, compete along the dimensions relevant to target selection.
Paleotectonic significance of the quartzite of the Sauratown Mountains window, North Carolina

Recent mapping within the metamorphic core of the southern Appalachians has led to the identification of several internal basement massifs interpreted to be windows that expose parautochthonous basement beneath the main thrust sheet. One such internal massif is exposed within the Inner Piedmont of North Carolina by the Sauratown Mountain window and is overlain by a cover sequence of arkose, schist, and quartzite. Detailed examination of the primary cross-stratification types preserved within the quartzite at Pilot Mountain indicates that deposition took place in several marine environments ranging from foreshore to inner shelf. Deposits of similar origin within the Early Cambrian North American passive-margin sediments appear to thin west to east, from 80 m at the Chilhowee Group type locality at Chilhowee Mountain (300 km west-southwest of Pilot Mountain) to 40 m within the Unaka belt (150 km west of Pilot Mountain). The quartzite at Pilot Mountain is more than 45 m thick and therefore does not appear to represent a distal part of this passive-margin sequence. Alternatively, two paleotectonic interpretations seem plausible: (1) quartzites of the Sauratown Mountains window, North Carolina, represent Late Proterozoic (Tallulah Falls-Ashe Formation equivalent) deposition along a sea-floor high associated with the rifted basement terrane during the rift phase prior to the opening of Iapetus; or (2) quartzites of the Sauratown Mountains window, North Carolina, represent latest Proterozoic to Early Cambrian (Chilhowee Group time equivalent) deposition on an isolated, rifted continental fragment during the drift phase of the North American-Iapetus margin evolution.
An unusual route to 1,4-diphenyl-2,3-dimethylbutadiene-1,3

Treatment of 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-diphenylbutanediol-1,4-ditosylate with tetra-n-butylammonium bromide in dimethyl-acetamide did not give the expected 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-diphenyl-1,4-dibromobutane but, rather, by a double phenonium ion rearrangement, 1,4-diphenyl-2,3-dimethylbutadiene-1,3. 2,3-Dimethyl-2, 3-diphenyl-1,4-dibromobutane was required as starting material for the synthesis of head to head poly(α-methyl-styrene) by Grignard coupling.
The effects of age and full palatal coverage on oral stereognostic ability.

A number of studies have investigated the oral sensory abilities of denture wearers. Many techniques have been utilized, including discriminations of thickness,’ hardness,’ texture,’ size,’ oral stereognosis ability,,‘-” and oral manipulative ability.‘+ I2 These studies have had inconsistent results, with some investigators reporting significant alterations in oral sensory abilities and others finding no such changes. Any reported change in oral sensory ability may be confounded by a number of variables not specifically related to the ability in question. One such factor is the test itself, which may not be adequately sensitive to detect altered oral sensory function. For example, in evaluating discriminative ability for hardness,’ it was possible to discriminate clearly between denture wearers and nondenture wearers when testing with hard rubber disks but not with soft rubber disks. Another major variable that has not been adequately controlled in previous studies of oral sensory ability is age. Most denture wearers are older, and sensory discrimination is highly age dependent. I.‘, ‘-+ A third factor which must be considered is the role of palatal receptors in the performance of the specific task being tested. Numerous studies of subjects with abnormal oral anatomy have suggested that the palate plays a significant role in oral sensory tasks, including stereognostic ability. Specifically, patients with abnormal palatal vaults secondary to gonadal dysgenesis and pseudohypoparathyroidysm’5, “I consistently demonstrate abnormal oral stereognostic ability. Some evidence also suggests that patients
Laboratory extrusion of Nb 3 Sn

A study of laboratory direct extrusion of HIP processed Nb3Sn has been undertaken to assess the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the ductile fracture process that is observed in simple compression above 1400 °C. (Remanent porosity and low melting point microconstituents provide fracture centers; and void growth, linkage, and gross fracture can proceed rather rapidly, with pore linkage being obvious at the specimen surface after a 15 pct reduction in simple compression.) A rather porous, 1200 °C HIP processed material (5 pct porosity and 2.4 pct of low melting point phases) has been successfully extruded at 1650 °C in round bar form to a 51 pct area reduction with neither extensive pore linkage nor gross fracture. The results imply that little porosity development occurs in the presence of hydrostatic pressure of about twice the flow stress. Moreover, in the absence of free surface conditions, effective strains of the order of 0.7 will produce no more than about 10 pct porosity development under hydrostatic pressures of about one-half of the flow stress. Gross porosity development is associated with free surface deformation. Powdered graphite proves to be a poor lubricant, with the bulk of the extrusion pressure reflecting sticking friction.
The role of context in assessing international marketing opportunities

Purpose – The choice of which country or countries to enter is a critical decision and needs to be made with considerable care and deliberation. Initial market entry decisions have typically focused on country evaluations based on macro‐economic data. While appropriate in providing an initial screening of countries, other factors, notably contextual factors, can provide important insights in assessing international market opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of context at four distinct levels.Design/methodology/approach – The literature on the influence of context on consumption and purchase behavior is reviewed to provide a framework to understand contextual factors as a means to refine entry strategy and develop effective segmentation strategies.Findings – A wide range of contextual factors exert influence on consumption choices and contribute to within‐country heterogeneity. These are typically examined at the macro‐level, but also need to be examined at the meso‐level, mic...
Monitoring of 1-min personal particulate matter exposures in relation to voice-recorded time-activity data.

Recent studies on the association between exposures to airborne particulate matter (PM) and disease have identified short-term peaks in PM exposures as posing especial health threats. Lightweight personal instruments are needed to characterize short-term exposures to PM and to identify the most important sources of high PM excursions. In this study, we measured exposure to fine PM using a small personal nephelometer (pDR; MIE, Inc) to investigate the utility of this instrument in identifying activities and microenvironments most associated with high PM exposures and the magnitude and duration of peaks in PM exposures. Ten adult volunteers wore a pDR recording PM concentrations at 1-min time intervals for 1 week each. PM concentrations were measured by the pDR in units of μg/m3 based on light scatter. The use of a time-stamped voice recorder enabled activity and location to be continuously documented in real time. In addition, a small, inexpensive light intensity logger was affixed to the pDR to evaluate the potential of this instrument to assist in verifying wearer- recorded data. For each person, patterns of PM exposure were remarkably consistent over daily activities and showed large excursions associated with specific indoor and outdoor microenvironments and activities, such as cooking. When the magnitude and duration of excursions in PM were analyzed, we found that high PM levels occurred in relatively few of the minutes measured but comprised a substantial fraction of the total exposure to PM. Fifteen-minute averaged PM levels were found to be as much as 10 times the daily average. When the data were analyzed with a generalized estimating equation model to account for effects of autocorrelation and clustering, PM exposure was significantly higher during subject-reported events including barbeque, yard work, being near pets or construction activities, cooking, and environmental tobacco smoke exposure, as compared with periods with no pollution events. When light intensity data were explored to determine whether these loggers could be of potential use in establishing or verifying indoor vs outdoor location for future PM studies, we found that personal light intensity measurements differed among indoor, outdoor, and in-car environments (P<0.001). Overlap between measured values implies that light intensity cannot be used to absolutely predict location; however, a sudden increase or decrease in light intensity was highly associated with participant report of location change between indoors and outdoors. This study demonstrates the utility of the pDR in identifying patterns of personal exposures to particulate matter and especially in registering the magnitude and duration of excursions in PM in relation to location and activity.
Positive solutions for a class of higher order boundary value problems with fractional q-derivatives

Abstract The authors study the boundary value problem with fractional q -derivatives - ( D q ν u ) ( t ) = f ( t , u ) , t ∈ ( 0 , 1 ) , ( D q i u ) ( 0 ) = 0 , i = 0 , … , n - 2 , ( D q u ) ( 1 ) = ∑ j = 1 m a j ( D q u ) ( t j ) + λ , where q ∈ ( 0 , 1 ) , m ⩾ 1 and n ⩾ 2 are integers, n - 1 ν ⩽ n , λ ⩾ 0 is a parameter, f : [ 0 , 1 ] × R → [ 0 , ∞ ) is continuous, a i ⩾ 0 and t i ∈ ( 0 , 1 ) for i = 1 , … , m , and D q ν is the q -derivative of Riemann–Liouville type of order ν . The uniqueness, existence, and nonexistence of positive solutions are investigated in terms of different ranges of λ .
Improved fNIRS using a novel brush optrode

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) may be impaired by absorption from the subject’s hair. Improved sensitivity is achieved using a redesigned optrode with fiber tips designed to thread through the hair for better scalp contact.
PROJECT CHANGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Changes in projects are common and may be deleterious or beneficial—whether you see a change as a conflict or a valuable lesson depends only on your prospective. Project changes affect the cost, the scheduling, and the duration of projects, both directly and indirectly. Despite many articles and much discussion in practice and academic literature, there is a lack of information about systematic approaches to manage project change. This paper introduces a comprehensive project change management system that is founded on five principles: (1) promote a balanced change culture; (2) recognize change; (3) evaluate change; (4) implement change; and (5) continuously improve from lessons learned. By applying this project change management system, project participants can minimize deleterious change and promote beneficial change.
Identification and Characterization of an Ovary-Selective Isoform of Epoxide Hydrolase

A novel ovary-selective gene was identified by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) that is expressed only during the mouse periovulatory phase of a stimulated estrous cycle. Analysis of the protein encoded by the full-length cDNA revealed that the majority of it, with the exception of the first 44 amino acids, matched soluble epoxide hydrolase (Ephx2, referred to as Ephx2A). By comparing the cDNA sequence of this newly identified variant of soluble epoxide hydrolase (referred to as Ephx2B) with the mouse genome database, an exon was identified that corresponds to its unique 59 cDNA sequence. Through the use of an Ephx2A-specific probe, Northern blot analysis revealed that this mRNA was also expressed in the ovary, with the highest level of expression occurring during the luteal phase of a stimulated estrous cycle. In situ hybridization revealed that Ephx2B mRNA expression was restricted to granulosa cells of preovulatory follicles. Ephx2A mRNA expression, however, was detectable in follicles at different stages of development, as well as in the corpus luteum. Total ovarian epoxide hydrolase activity increased following the induction of follicular development, and remained elevated through the periovulatory and postovulatory stages of a stimulated estrous cycle. The change in enzyme activity paralleled the combined mRNA expression profiles for both Ephx2A and Ephx2B, thus supporting a role for epoxide metabolism in ovarian function. corpus luteum, granulosa cells, ovary, ovulation
Once-Yearly Administered Intravenous Zoledronic Acid for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Objective:To review studies that investigated the use of once-yearly administered intravenous zoledronic acid (or the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.Data Sources:Searches of MEDLINE (1966–February 2008) and EMBASE (1974–February 2008) were conducted using the terms zoledronic acid, once-yearly, and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Literature review was limited to human studies.Study Selection and Data Extraction:All literature Identified from the data sources was evaluated for review inclusion. Studies investigating the use of zoledronic add in conditions other than postmenopausal osteoporosis, including malignant hypercalcemia, multiple myeloma, and Paget's disease, were excluded. Five randomized controlled studies were included in this review.Data Synthesis:Oral bisphosphonates represent one of the most commonly prescribed drug classes for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, due to poor gastrointestinal absorption and poor patient adherence to bisphosphonate therapy, once-yearly...
Prosociality enhances meaning in life

A central feature of meaning in life is a consideration of more than oneself. We extend this logic to suggest that altruistically motivated prosociality – acting in ways that benefit others – is a self-transcending action that may provide meaning in life. Study 1 provided evidence of a relationship between self-reported prosocial behavior and meaning in life, even after statistically controlling for personality traits and self-esteem. Study 2 provided evidence that engaging in a prosocial action, via writing notes of gratitude, increased meaning in life. Study 3 provided evidence that individuals bolster perceptions of prosociality following threats to meaning. Study 4 suggested relationship satisfaction partially mediates the link between prosocial actions and meaning in life. These studies provide initial evidence that prosociality enhances meaning in life.
Cell culture models and animal models of viral hepatitis. Part II: Hepatitis C

The lack of a preventive vaccine, coupled with common unresponsiveness to treatment and coinfection with HIV, has made HCV a major threat to public health. The authors review in vitro and in vivo models that are being used to study HCV and to develop new treatments and preventive measures.
The interaction of thermal radiation and water mist in fire suppression

Water mist is a highly effective fire-protection agent. In addition to the direct interaction of evaporating droplets with a flame to cause weakening or extinction, the mist serves to scatter and absorb thermal radiation. The central objective of this paper is to characterize the interaction of the water mist with thermal radiation. The droplet cloud can absorb thermal radiation, especially in the wavelengths associated with water bands. The radiation serves to preheat and pre-evaporate the droplets upstream of the flame itself, altering the structure and extinction of the flame. The mist also acts as a radiation shield that attenuates radiation. The radiative characteristics of the mist depend strongly on droplet size and number density. Spectrally dependent gas-phase emission and absorption is modeled using an exponential wide-band model and radiation-droplet interaction is modeled using Mie-scattering theory. Radiative transfer in the mist is described with a two-flux model.
Transient performance and robustness of direct adaptive control

It is shown that a discrete adaptive controller with a fixed gain gradient estimator can be applied to linear systems that are undermodeled provided that the mismatch is small and the estimated parameters are projected into a compact convex set which contains stabilizing control parameters and excludes the possibility of dividing with small numbers. The latter implies that the sign and a lower bound for the high-frequency gain of the modeled part of the system are known. The performance of the adaptive system is related to the size of the external perturbations, and the ideal result as these tend to zero is obtained. The main conclusion is that while convergence, stability, and robustness may be achieved, the transient performance may not be acceptable and the gradient estimator should probably not be used unless modifications are added. Design guidelines are established. The results extend readily to indirect adaptive laws like pole assignment, linear quadratic optimal, and predictive controllers. >
The Use of Integrated Electronic Data Capture and Analysis for Accelerator Construction and Commissioning: Pansophy from the SNS Towards the ILC

Jefferson Lab has extensively used a proprietary web-based system (Pansophy) that integrates commercial database, data analysis, document archiving and retrieval, and user interface software, as a coherent knowledge management product during the construction of the cryomodules for the SNS Superconducting Linac, providing elements of process and procedure control, data capture and review, and data mining and analysis. With near real-time and potentially global access to production data, process monitoring and performance analyses could be pursued in a timely manner, providing crucial feedback. The extensibility, portability, and accessibility of Pansophy via universally available software components provide the essential features needed in any information and project management system capable of meeting the needs of future accelerator construction efforts requiring an unprecedented level of regional and international coordination and collaboration.
Algebraic Soft-Decision Decoder Architectures for Long Reed–Solomon Codes

Algebraic soft-decision (ASD) decoders of Reed-Solomon (RS) codes can achieve significant coding gain with polynomial complexity. Most prior work on ASD decoder architecture design is for relatively short RS codes. However, one major application of RS codes, magnetic recording, usually requires a code length of 4Kbits or longer. For long RS codes, the low-complexity Chase (LCC) ASD decoding needs to interpolate over a large number of test vectors, which leads to long latency. This brief proposes a unified backward-forward interpolation scheme and a corresponding architecture for the LCC decoding. The proposed architecture can achieve almost twice the speed with only 40% area overhead. Another contribution of this brief is that the hardware complexity analysis for different ASD decoders is provided for the first time. For a (458, 410) RS code over GF(210), the proposed LCC decoder can achieve much higher efficiency in terms of speed-over-area ratio than other ASD decoders with similar error-correcting performance.
Stigma, mental health, and resilience in an online sample of the US transgender population.

Objectives. We assessed the association between minority stress, mental health, and potential ameliorating factors in a large, community-based, geographically diverse sample of the US transgender population.Methods. In 2003, we recruited through the Internet a sample of 1093 male-to-female and female-to-male transgender persons, stratified by gender. Participants completed an online survey that included standardized measures of mental health. Guided by the minority stress model, we evaluated associations between stigma and mental health and tested whether indicators of resilience (family support, peer support, identity pride) moderated these associations.Results. Respondents had a high prevalence of clinical depression (44.1%), anxiety (33.2%), and somatization (27.5%). Social stigma was positively associated with psychological distress. Peer support (from other transgender people) moderated this relationship. We found few differences by gender identity.Conclusions. Our findings support the minority stres...
Interactions between Metallic Interconnects and Ceramic Electrodes in SOFC Operating Environments

Ferritic stainless steel bipolar plates are widely used to interconnect individual cells in planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell stacks. In this study, thin films of electrode ceramic materials, LSM for the cathode and Ni/YSZ for the anode, were screen printed on the selected metallic alloys (with and without surface coatings). Samples were then placed in a test rig which allows simultaneous exposures to single (air/air) and dual atmospheres (air/fuel) at 800°C for 100 hours. This research is focused on the investigation of the thermally grown oxide layer and ionic transport phenomena for a better understanding of materials interactions during realistic SOFC exposures. Morphology of the surfaces and cross sections were analyzed by a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and the composition was assessed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS).
Phase-Change Materials for Electro-Optical Switching in the Near- and Mid-Infrared

At wavelengths of 1.55 to 3.0 μm, theoretical simulations were made of electro-optical 2 x 2 switching utilizing a thin-film of Ge2Sb2Te5 or GeTe or GeSe that offers two voltage-triggered self-holding optical states. Low loss and low crosstalk were predicted but experiments are needed to confirm the theory.
Use of cidofovir in pediatric patients with adenovirus infection

Background : Adenoviruses contribute to morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised pediatric patients including stem cell and solid organ transplant recipients. Cidofovir (CDV), an antiviral compound approved by the FDA in 1996, is used for treatment of adenoviral (ADV) infections in immunocompromised patients despite concern of potential nephrotoxicity. Methods : We conducted a retrospective 5-year review at Boston Children’s Hospital of 16 patients (mean age = 6.5 years) receiving 19 courses of CDV. During therapy all pertinent data elements were reviewed to characterize potential response to therapy and incidence of renal dysfunction. Results: Of the 19 CDV courses prescribed, 16 courses (84%) were in patients who had a positive blood ADV Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) alone or in combination with positive ADV PCR/ Direct Immunofluorescence Assay (DFA) at another site. Respiratory symptoms with or without pneumonia were the most common presentation (10/19, 53%). In the majority of blood positive courses (10/16, 63%), viral clearance was also accompanied by clinical response. This was not the case in four courses where patients expired despite viral clearance, including one in which death was directly attributable to adenovirus. There was reversible renal dysfunction observed during the use of CDV. Conclusions: CDV appeared safe and reasonably tolerated for treatment of ADV in this pediatric population and was associated with viral response and clinical improvement in the majority of patients but reversible renal dysfunction was a side effect. Further studies of the efficacy of CDV for immunocompromised children with ADV infection are warranted.
Epidemiological Analysis of Scarlet Fever in Longgang District,Shenzhen City form 2005 to 2011

Objective To explore the incidence features and prevalence status of scarlet fever in Longgang District so as to develop targeted prevention and control measures.Methods We analyzed the epidemiological data of scarlet fever cases reported by National Disease Supervision Information Management System in Longgang District from January 2005 to December 2011.Results There were 342 cases of scarlet fever occurred in Longgang District from 2005 to 2011.The morbidity in 2011 increased several times.Most of the cases occurred in December and July.The incidence of children aged 1 to 10 years accounted for 89.18% of the total incidence.The incidence of scattered children,kindergarten children and students took 93.28% of the total cases.Conclusions Surveillance of the epidemic in kindergartens and schools should be further strengthened;meanwhile,it is necessary to conduct good public health education,especially in children aged 1 to 10 years and their parents so as to improve their health knowledge level and prevention consciousness.
Migraine clinical diagnostic criteria.

Publisher Summary Migraine headache represents a diverse group of disorders that includes migraine with and without aura, childhood periodic syndromes, retinal migraine, complications of migraine, and probable migraine. The criteria as proposed by the International Headache Society (IHS) have standardized the diagnosis of migraine headache for use within clinical and research settings. The IHS diagnostic criteria have employed a hierarchical structure which divides all headaches into two broad categories: secondary headache disorders, in which the headache may be attributed to an identifiable underlying abnormality (etiological diagnosis), and primary headache disorders, in which such a causal abnormality cannot be identified (syndromic or symptomatic diagnosis). The primary and secondary headache disorders are divided into headache types, subtypes, and subforms. Such a hierarchical system allows physicians and scientists to employ the criteria to the level of precision required for their purposes. Further research in the field will guide future revisions of the diagnostic criteria to provide more precise and accurate diagnoses of this complex disorder called “migraine headache.”
Qualitative perspectives on aquatic exercise initiation and satisfaction among persons with multiple sclerosis.

AbstractPurpose: To identify the individual and social experiences underlying the initiation and satisfaction with aquatic exercise among persons with MS.Methods: A convenience sample (n = 45) of persons aged ≥18 with MS who had engaged in water-based exercise within the previous six months completed a 60–90 min semi-structured telephone interview regarding their aquatic exercise experiences.Results: An aquatic exercise history was not a prerequisite for the adoption of aquatic exercise. Rather, participants described aquatic exercise routines as stemming from recognition of a decline in physical function combined with encouragement and invitations to join aquatic programs. Despite regular visits, health care providers were not a common source of information regarding the feasibility of aquatic exercise. Participants’ aquatic activities included MS-specific and generalized aquatics courses, with class satisfaction resting on the instructor, class “fit” and a feeling of acceptance.Conclusion: Communication...
Radon Exposure: Using the Spectrum of Prevention Framework to Increase Healthcare Provider Awareness.

The radioactive properties of radon have been known for decades, but the risks of exposure have been understated in most professional healthcare curriculums. Healthcare providers in areas with low levels of radon exposure may not consider radon to be a main source of concern in the development of lung and other cancers. Just as nurses counsel patients to avoid tobacco exposure, they should advocate that patients have their homes tested for radon. This article aims to increase radon awareness and address opportunities for providers to work toward various objectives to reduce radon exposure. .
Seeking a shortcut to universal wisdom

The term "universality" has become a buzzword in certain scientific circles such as thermodynamics and statistical physics. Its roots go back to the 1960s when the theory of critical phenomena in the natural sciences was established. This theory, which was fully developed in the 1970s, describes the peculiar organizational changes that can occur in fluids, magnets and many other condensed-matter systems.
Utilization and impact of adjuvant chemotherapy among patients with resected stage II colon cancer: a multi-institutional analysis.

Abstract Background The use of chemotherapy among patients with stage II colon cancer is controversial. We aimed to define the utilization and factors associated with the receipt of chemotherapy and the impact of chemotherapy on long-term prognosis among a large, multiinstitutional cohort of patients. Materials and methods We identified 876 patients who underwent resection for stage II colon cancer between 2004 and 2013 at one of seven participating institutions. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) time was calculated from the date of the index procedure to the date of death. Results A total of 163 patients (18.6%) received adjuvant chemotherapy and this utilization decreased over time ( P = 0.003). Younger age ( P P = 0.002), and the presence of perineural invasion (OR, 1.24; 95% CI: 1.07-1.44; P = 0.005) increased the likelihood of receiving chemotherapy. Receipt of chemotherapy was associated with improved median OS and RFS. After controlling for all factors, the addition of oxaliplatin to 5-fluorouracil did not affect survival, and there was no difference in OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74; 95% CI: 0.27-2.06; P = 0.57) or RFS (HR, 0.71; 95% CI: 0.32-1.58; P = 0.88) with adjuvant treatment, including for patients with high-risk features (OS—HR, 0.63; 95% CI: 0.33-1.19; P = 0.15; RFS—HR, 0.77; 95% CI: 0.32-1.86; P = 0.56). Conclusions The utilization of chemotherapy has declined over time after resection for stage II colon cancer. Chemotherapy was not independently associated with improved OS or RFS in this study group, including in patients with high-risk features. Future prospective studies should strive to identify the subset of stage II colon cancer patients that will benefit the most from the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy.