cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges in Designing and Delivering Diets and Assessing Adherence: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Background Controlled-feeding trials are challenging to design and administer in a free-living setting. There is a need to share methods and best practices for diet design, delivery, and standard adherence metrics. Objectives This report describes menu planning, implementing, and monitoring of controlled diets for an 8-wk free-living trial comparing a diet pattern based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and a more typical American diet (TAD) pattern based on NHANES 2009-2010. The objectives were to 1) provide meals that were acceptable, portable, and simple to assemble at home; 2) blind the intervention diets to the greatest extent possible; and 3) use tools measuring adherence to determine the success of the planned and implemented menu. Methods Menus were blinded by placing similar dishes on the 2 intervention diets but changing recipes. Adherence was monitored using daily food checklists, a real-time dashboard of scores from daily checklists, weigh-backs of containers returned, and 24-h urinary nitrogen recoveries. Proximate analyses of diet composites were used to compare the macronutrient composition of the composite and planned menu. Results Meeting nutrient intake recommendations while scaling menus for individual energy intake amounts and food portions was most challenging for vitamins D and E, the sodium-to-potassium ratio, dietary fiber, and fatty acid composition. Dietary adherence for provided foods was >95%, with no differences between groups. Urinary nitrogen recoveries were ∼80% relative to nitrogen intake and not different between groups. Composite proximate analysis matched the plan for dietary fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Dietary fiber was ∼2.5 g higher in the TAD composite compared with the planned menu, but ∼7.4 g lower than the DGA composite. Conclusions Both DGA and TAD diets were acceptable to most participants. This conclusion was supported by self-reported consumption, quantitative weigh-backs of provided food, and urinary nitrogen recovery. Dietary adherence measures in controlled-feeding trials would benefit from standard protocols to promote uniformity across studies. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02298725.
Off-Label Utilization of Syphontrak Catheter for Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Stroke.

Background It is not known whether aspiration-specific catheters are necessary for successful mechanical thrombectomy, but if not, off-label use of more versatile catheters could offer significant cost savings over specialized aspiration catheters. The Syphontrak (Depuy Synthes, Raynham, MA, USA) support catheter is designed for introduction of devices into distal neurovasculature but is not specifically indicated for use in mechanical thrombectomy. We sought to compare our experience using this catheter to historical controls to show the non-inferiority of aspiration achieved. Methods Data were collected retrospectively on patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy using the Syphontrak catheter for aspiration at our institution. Patient demographics, procedure characteristics, and outcome information was recorded. Results were compared to five landmark studies on mechanical thrombectomy: MR CLEAN, ESCAPE, REVASCAT, SWIFT PRIME, and EXTEND-IA. Results There were 63 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy for anterior circulation ischemic stroke. Despite significantly older patients and greater time from symptom onset to groin puncture, Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction grade 2B or 3 reperfusion was achieved in significantly more patients than in MR CLEAN, ESCAPE, and REVASCAT. Development of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 6.4% of patients, which was not significantly different from MR CLEAN, ESCAPE, REVASCAT, and EXTEND-IA. Mortality was 19.1%, which was not significantly different from any of the trials. Conclusions These data support the off-label use of distal intracranial support catheters for this mechanical thrombectomy, which may result in significant cost savings over aspiration-specific catheters, especially in low-volume centers.
A Self-Calibrated 2-bit Time-Period Comparator-Based Synthesized Fractional- N MDLL in 22-nm FinFET CMOS

This article describes a synthesized fractional- $N$ multiplying delay-locked loop (MDLL) implemented in Intel 22-nm FFL FinFET technology. A 2-bit time-period comparator (TPC) is proposed to adjust the ring oscillator frequency to suppress the spurs without introducing errors due to its inherent phase offset. A programmable delay is used to compare the periods of the MDLL output in time domain, reducing power consumption and making the design synthesizable. TPC 2-bit output achieves fast and robust locking without any initial calibration. The fractional multiplication ratio is achieved by using a digital-to-time converter (DTC) in the reference path with a replica of the digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) to automatically achieve a range of one DCO period. Any variation in DTC delay due to gain mismatch is corrected by a digital loop operating in the background. A detailed analysis of the small-signal model and noise of the proposed MDLL has also been presented. The core area of the synthesized design is 0.0052 mm2 while operating over the frequency range from 1.2 to 3.8 GHz. The integrated rms jitter is 2.74 ps, and the spurs are below −47 dBc measured at 3.6175 GHz. Fractional- $N$ MDLL power consumption is 3.19 mW with the figure of merit (FOM) of −226.3 dB.
Streisand Games on Complex Social Networks

This paper deals with the study of adversarial social contagion processes as a two-player game on finite complex networks. In our formulation, a censor affects the information diffusion dynamics on finite complex social networks, modeled as a controlled Markov chain, to minimize the number of infected (information aware) individuals. A stopper chooses when to terminate the information relayed to the network. This makes it a two-player dynamic game between the censor and the stopper, and is named as the Streisand game.We show that the game has a well-defined upper value, achieved by pure minimax strategies under the feedback information structure, and establish that it is an increasing function of the state. We provide a game-value iteration algorithm to compute the upper value and the minimax strategies.
PgenePapers: a novel database and search tools of reported regulatory pseudogenes

Background: Pseudogenes are non-coding relatives of genes. Recent studies have shown that a considerable number of pseudogenes are transcribed, and some of them can regulate gene expression. Studies have detected pseudogene differential expression in cancer subtypes, indicating potential impact of pseudogenes on cancer development and clinical outcomes. Pseudogenes make a new class of expression modulators. However, there is not yet a database focusing on regulatory roles of pseudogenes. Methods: We constructed the regulatory networks involving pseudogenes and genes with disease and tissue specific annotations, and further included potential miRNAs and drugs targeting components of the networks, based on expression profiles, miRNA binding predictions and FDA approved drugs. Results and conclusion: We developed the first comprehensive database of reported regulatory pseudogenes, and developed the PgenePapers app which allows flexible database search and provides network visualisation. PgenePapers provides a knowledgebase upon which we can develop methods for pseudogene function prediction and validation.
Towards Transabdominal Functional Photoacoustic Imaging of the Placenta: Improvement in Imaging Depth Through Optimization of Light Delivery.

Functional photoacoustic imaging of the placenta could provide an innovative tool to diagnose preeclampsia, monitor fetal growth restriction, and determine the developmental impacts of gestational diabetes. However, transabdominal photoacoustic imaging is limited in imaging depth due to the tissue’s scattering and absorption of light. The aim of this paper was to investigate the impact of geometry and wavelength on transabdominal light delivery. Our methods included the development of a multilayer model of the abdominal tissue and simulation of the light propagation using Monte Carlo methods. A bifurcated light source with varying incident angle of light, distance between light beams, and beam area was simulated to analyze the effect of light delivery geometry on the fluence distribution at depth. The impact of wavelength and the effects of variable thicknesses of adipose tissue and muscle were also studied. Our results showed that the beam area plays a major role in improving the delivery of light to deep tissue, in comparison to light incidence angle or distance between the bifurcated fibers. Longer wavelengths, with incident fluence at the maximum permissible exposure limit, also increases fluence within deeper tissue. We validated our simulations using a commercially available light delivery system and ex vivo human placental tissue. Additionally, we compared our optimized light delivery to a commercially available light delivery system, and conclude that our optimized geometry could improve imaging depth more than 1.6×, bringing the imaging depth to within the needed range for transabdominal imaging of the human placenta.
Microstructural evolution in Cu–Nb processed via friction consolidation

Immiscible alloys, whether in well-mixed or layered forms, are of increasing interest based on their novel structural and functional properties, such as enhanced thermal stability against grain growth or radiation-induced defect trapping at the interfaces. To address the need for new approaches to tailor microstructures, the microstructural development of an immiscible Cu-4 wt.% Nb alloy processed via friction consolidation of elemental powders is investigated. Friction consolidation is a solid phase processing technique that imparts severe plastic strain into a deforming volume resulting in elevated temperatures below the melting temperature of the alloy. Two distinct processing pathways were chosen to understand the effect of thermomechanical conditions on the final microstructure. The microstructure was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Path 1 exhibited larger strain, strain rate, and temperature as compared with path 2. In path 1, agglomerated Nb particles were present in the recrystallized ultrafine-grained Cu matrix, while in path 2 extremely fine and dispersed Nb particles were present in a highly deformed Cu matrix. In both pathways, supersaturation of Cu in Nb lattices was noted, but not vice versa. The asymmetry in mixing is explained based on deformation-based, thermodynamic and kinetic factors. These findings provide a pathway for creation of novel tailored microstructures and improved properties in any number of binary immiscible alloy systems.
Constant Change at the Wisconsin Ballot Box: Voting Rights at Issue in Luft v. Evers

In Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, the United States Supreme Court held that “the risk of voter fraud [is] real” and “it could affect the outcome of a close election,” citing to Wisconsin...
PacBio sequencing detects genome-wide ultra-low-frequency substitution mutations resulting from exposure to chemical mutagens

Genetic toxicology uses several assays to identity mutagens and protects the public. Most of these assays, however, rely on reporter genes, can only measure mutation indirectly based on phenotype, and often require specific cell lines or animal models-features that impede their integration with existing and emerging toxicological models, such as organoids. In this study, we show that PacBio Single-Molecule, Real-Time (PB SMRT) sequencing identified substitution mutations caused by chemical mutagens in Escherichia coli by generating nearly error-free consensus reads after repeatedly inspecting both strands of circular DNA molecules. Using DNA from E. coli exposed to ethyl methanosulfonate (EMS) or N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), PB SMRT sequencing detected mutation frequencies (MFs) and spectra comparable to those obtained by clone-sequencing from the same exposures. The optimized background MF of PB SMRT sequencing was ≤ 1 × 10-7 mutations per base pair (mut/bp).
Food Insecurity is Related to Disordered Eating Behaviors Among College Students.

Abstract Objective To determine the association between food insecurity and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) in undergraduate college students. Methods Cross-sectional data of college students (n = 533) were collected from February to April 2020. Food security was measured with the US Department of Agriculture's Adult Food Security Survey Module. Disordered eating behaviors were measured with the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. Associations were examined statistically with Pearson chi-square tests of independence and general linear regression models. Results Across all food security ranges, linear trends detailed significant associations between food insecurity and global DEBs (β = 0.17; P Conclusions and Implications Food insecurity was consistently related to DEBs. Future research may consider longitudinally examining this relationship, as food insecurity and DEBs may be associated worsen health outcomes among vulnerable college students.
Cardiovascular angiotensin II type 1 receptor biased signaling: Focus on non-Gq-, non-βarrestin-dependent signaling.

Abstract The physiological and pathophysiological roles of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor ubiquitously expressed throughout the cardiovascular system, have been the focus of intense investigations for decades. The success of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), which are AT1R-selective antagonists/inverse agonists, in the treatment of heart disease is a testament to the importance of this receptor for cardiovascular homeostasis. Given the pleiotropic signaling of the cardiovascular AT1R and, in an effort to develop yet better drugs for heart disease, the concept of biased signaling has been exploited to design and develop biased AT1R ligands that selectively activate β-arrestin transduction pathways over Gq protein-dependent pathways. However, by focusing solely on Gq or β-arrestins, studies on AT1R “biased” signaling & agonism tend to largely ignore other non-Gq-, non β-arrestin-dependent signaling modalities the very versatile AT1R employs in cardiovascular tissues, including two very important types of signal transducers/regulators: other G protein types (e.g., Gi/o, G12/13) & the Regulator of G protein Signaling (RGS) proteins. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the current state of cardiovascular AT1R biased signaling field with a special focus on the non-Gq-, non β-arrestin-dependent signaling avenues of this receptor in the cardiovascular system, which usually get left out of the conversation of “biased” AT1R signal transduction.
Diagnostic Approaches for COVID-19 and Its Associated Complications

With almost 4 million deaths worldwide from the COVID-19 pandemic, the efficient and accurate diagnosis and identification of COVID-19-related complications are more important than ever. Scales such as the pneumonia severity index, or CURB-65, help doctors determine who should be admitted to the hospital or the intensive care unit. To properly treat and manage admitted patients, standardized sampling protocols and methods are required for COVID-19 patients. Using PubMed, relevant articles since March 2020 on COVID-19 diagnosis and its complications were analyzed. Patients with COVID-19 had elevated D-dimer, thrombomodulin, and initial factor V elevation followed by decreased factor V and factor VII and elevated IL-6, lactate dehydrogenase, and c-reactive protein, which indicated coagulopathy and possible cytokine storm. Patients with hypertension, newly diagnosed diabetes, obesity, or advanced age were at increased risk for mortality. Elevated BUN, AST, and ALT in severe COVID-19 patients was associated with acute kidney injury or other organ damage. The gold standard for screening COVID-19 is reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using sputum, oropharyngeal, or nasopharyngeal routes. However, due to the low turnover rate and limited testing capacity of RT-PCR, alternative diagnostic tools such as CT-scan and serological testing (IgM and IgG) can be considered in conjunction with symptom monitoring. Advancements in CRISPR technology have also allowed the use of alternative COVID-19 testing, but unfortunately, these technologies are still under FDA review and cannot be used in patients. Nonetheless, increased turnover rates and testing capacity allow for a bright future in COVID-19 diagnosis.
Treatment of Sexual Obsessions in Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

As many as 25 % of youth diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) experience sexual obsessions. These youth have repetitive intrusive unwanted thoughts that can include sexual, possibly aggressive, acts with children, family members, the opposite sex, and strangers. Recurrent fears of being homosexual and/or a pedophile are also considered to be sexual obsessions. These thoughts are distressing to the youth who experience them and often lead to reassurance-seeking behaviors, avoidant behaviors, and anxiety or depressive symptoms. This chapter describes the nature and phenomenology of sexual obsessions, the impact of having sexual obsessions, and effective treatments for these obsessions. A case study of treating sexual obsession with exposure and response prevention (ERP) is presented to demonstrate individualized assessment and treatment. The chapter concludes with key points for clinicians working with youth with sexual obsessions.
The effect of pregnenolone sulfate on uterine contractility.

Abstract The role of myometrial progesterone block in the maintenance of pregnancy was tested in 12 women in labor by infusing pregnenolone sulfate, the immediate precursor of placental progesterone. Uterine contractions were recorded through a catheter inserted transparietally into the amniotic cavity. The intensity, frequency, and activity of contractions during a 90 minute control period (considered as 100 per cent) were compared with those during 45 minutes' infusion of pregnenolone sulfate (3 mg. per kilogram body weight). Uterine activity decreased significantly to a mean of 67 per cent and frequency of contractions to 75 per cent whereas the intensity decreased only 91 per cent of the preinfusion values. During the 90 minutes following the infusion, uterine activity started to recover. Plasma progesterone level which was 13.8 μg per cent during the control period did not change during pregnenolone infusion (13.3 μg per cent). This suggests that reduced uterine contractility cannot be caused by increased placental progesterone output. Plasma pregnenolone sulfate level rose from 21.05 to 1,333.39 μg per cent. This high level might exert a pharmacologic depressive effect on the myometrium. The therapeutic application of pregnenolone sulfate is now under study.
Effect of Individualized Social Activity on Sleep in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia

Objectives: To test the efficacy of an individualized social activity intervention (ISAI) on decreasing daytime sleep, improving nighttime sleep, and lowering the day/night sleep ratio and to determine its cost. Design: Pretest/posttest randomized with an experimental and control group. Setting: Seven nursing homes. Participants: One hundred forty-seven residents with dementia. Intervention: One to 2 hours of individualized social activities for 21 consecutive days. Measurements: Twenty-four-hour sleep/wake patterns using an Actigraph. Results: The ISAI group had significantly less daytime sleep (P=.001) and a lower day/night sleep ratio (P=.03) than the control group, after adjusting for baseline values. Because 40% of the sample slept 7 or more hours at night, a secondary analysis was conducted. When only those residents with a sleep efficiency of less than 50% (n=50) were included, the ISAI group (n=20) had less daytime sleep (P=.005), a lower day/night sleep ratio (P=.02), fell asleep faster (P=.03), and were awake less at night (P=.04) than the control group (n=30), after adjusting for baseline values. The weekly cost of the ISAI was roughly $70 per participant. Initial training and supply costs were $1,944. Conclusion: The ISAI provides an alternative to medications, without side effects.
Biosynthesis of the hemlock alkaloids-II. : The conversion of γ-coniceine to coniine and Ψ-conhydrine

Abstract -γ-Coniceine-1′- 14 C was fed to 8-month-old Conium maculatum (hemlock) plants growing in a greenhouse. Radioactive coniine and Ψ-conhydrine were isolated from the plants 8 days later, the specific incorporations of tracer being 9.9 and 4.15%, respectively. Systematic degradation of these alkaloids established that all the activity was located at C-1′ of their propyl side chains, indicating that γ-coniceine can serve as a direct precursor of coniine and Ψ-conhydrine. The biosynthesis of the hydroxy-coniines is apparently very sensitive to environmental conditions since plants grown out of doors contained mainly conhydrine as a minor alkaloid, whereas the same variety of C. maculatum cultivated in a greenhouse contained the isomeric Ψ-conhydrine.
Design Considerations for Short-Term Continuing Education Programs

Abstract Short-term continuing education programs have become a popular way to enhance social work practitioners' capabilities. While such programs have demonstrated their success through consumer participation the constraints of such programs pose significant instructional design issues. These issues are reviewed along with suggestions and cautions for designers of such programs.
Estimating interfacial areas resulting from lattice Boltzmann simulation of two-fluid-phase flow in a porous medium

The relationship among capillary pressure, fluid saturations, and interfacial areas ( psa relationship) has been a subject of significant recent attention in multiphase porous medium dynamics. First, we consider a set of computational approaches for estimating interfacial areas based upon both integer and real number representations of fluid distributions. We quantify the errors associated with such computations for model systems, and we show relatively accurate estimates are possible for the sorts of data that are available for multiphase prous medium systems. Second, we performed a preliminary investigation of the psa relationship using a lattice-Boltzmann (LB) simulation approach, which we have previously shown to agree well with highly resolved laboratory experiments. Preliminary results are presented and compared to other observations of the psa relationship that have appeared in the literature.
INFINITE TIME COMPUTABLE MODEL THEORY

We introduce infinite time computable model theory, the com- putable model theory arising with infinite time Turing machines, which provide infinitary notions of computability for structures built on the reals R. Much of the finite time theory generalizes to the infinite time context, but several fundamental questions, including the infinite time computable analogue of the Completeness Theorem, turn out to be independent of zfc. Computable model theory is model theory with a view to the computability of the structures and theories that arise (for a standard reference, see (EGNR98)). Infinite time computable model theory, which we introduce here, carries out this program with the infinitary notions of computability provided by infinite time Turing ma- chines. The motivation for a broader context is that, while finite time computable model theory is necessarily limited to countable models and theories, the infinitary context naturally allows for uncountable models and theories, while retaining the computational nature of the undertaking. Many constructions generalize from finite time computable model theory, with structures built on N, to the infinitary theory, with structures built on R. In this article, we introduce the basic theory and con- sider the infinitary analogues of the completeness theorem, the Lowenheim-Skolem Theorem, Myhill's theorem and others. It turns out that, when stated in their fully general infinitary forms, several of these fundamental questions are independent of zfc. The analysis makes use of techniques both from computability theory and set theory. This article follows up (Ham05). 1.1. Infinite time Turing machines. The definitive introduction to infinite time Turing machines appears in (HL00), but let us quickly describe how they work. The
The Evolution of Methods for Noise Prediction of High Speed Rotors and Propellers in the Time Domain

This article is a survey of time domain methods available for prediction of discrete frequency noise of rotating blades. It describes mainly the evolution of time domain analysis at the NASA Langley Research Center in the past decade. The theoretical aspect of noise prediction is stressed in this article. The results presented here are all based on the linear wave equation. Although nonlinear effects are important for high speed rotating machinery with thick blades, the related mathematical theory, at least as used by practicing acousticians, is in its infancy. It is a major challenge of the coming decade to rigorously analyze nonlinear effects.
Ulysses Observations of the Solar Wind Out of the Ecliptic Plane

This chapter presents a summary of Ulysses plasma observations of the global structure of the solar wind in the inner heliospliere (1.3 AU < R < 5.4 AU) made between the maximum and minimum phases of solar cycle 22. Salient features are the presence of a low speed, variable flow that marks the extension of the heliomagnetic streamer belt into interplanetary space. A high speed, relatively structure-free wind flows from the large-area coronal holes that cover both solar polar caps. The streamer belt was roughly planar and tilted by about 30° relative to the ecliptic plane just after the Ulysses Jupiter encounter. It evolved to an approximately 42°- wide disk parallel to the equatorial plane at the time of perihelion. The 30° tilt at the beginning of the high latitude traverse of Ulysses caused the generation of a series of strong corotating interaction regions that were bounded by equatorward-propagating forward shocks at their leading edges and poleward-propagating reverse shocks at their trailing edges. A new class of forward-reverse shock pairs driven by the over-expansion of coronal mass ejections was also observed. Both types of shocks were observed up to — 58° heliographic latitude. The radial and latitudinal dependences of many basic quantities that characterize the high-latitude solar wind are documented and discussed.
Ultra-wideband sensor fusion for BMD discrimination

There is considerable interest within the ballistic missile defense (BMD) community for the various theater and area defense systems to operate as a family of systems. Initially this interoperability would focus on sharing track and feature data between sensors. Subsequently, as the technology drivers mature, coherent fusion of signature data will evolve. This paper presents an overview of the technology advances required in order to fully realize the potential utility of signature data fusion for enhanced BMD discrimination. Emphasis is placed on potential advances realized in the areas of arbitrary wideband waveform generation, high speed digital circuitry, wideband communication links and real-time signal processing.
Optimal Three-Layer Channel Routing

In this paper we show that any channel routing problem of density d involving only two-terminal nets can always be solved in the knock-knee mode in a channel of width equal to the density d with three conducting layers. An algorithm is described which produces in time O(n log n) (in its simplest implementation) a layout of n nets with the following properties: 1) it has minimal width d; 2) it can be realized with three layers; 3) it has at most 3n vias; 4) any two wires share at most four grid points. Without sacrificing any of the above properties (but possibly obtaining slightly longer wires), the layout algorithm can be modified to run in time θ(n).
A SIGNALING MODEL OF PREDATORY PRICING

Predatory pricing involves pricing lower in the presence of competition than would otherwise be o ptimal in order to deter entry,induce exit, or discipline (reduce the future ou tput of) a rival. Signalling of private information about market conditions thro ugh price can give rise to predation aimed at the latter two objectives. However , in separating equilibrium, no extra exit or output reduction is induced relati ve to the full information benchmark. Nevertheless, such predation is not innocu ous, because the expectation of its occurrence may reduce entry. Copyright 1986 by Royal Economic Society.
A Counter-Curriculum for the Pop Culture Classroom

Popular culture courses first appeared in the college and university curriculum in social science and humanities departments in the late 1950s in response to the Frankfurt School critique of the postwar bourgeois order. The Frankfurt School critics, Herbert Marcuse, Erich Fromm, Hannah Arendt, Max Horkheimer, and Theodor W. Adorno, were in turn responding to Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, and Walter Benjamin. As a discipline, "popular culture studies" (shortened in recent years to "culture studies") began as a disestablishmentarian enterprise pursued by activist intellectuals of left-liberal disposition. The names of Richard Hoggart and Raymond Williams are important as successors to the Frankfurt School figures and as contemporary cue-givers of the discipline. The scholar-radicals typically construed nineteenth-century civic custom--and even more so, twentieth-century bourgeois culture--as ideology, using the term in its Marxist sense as the expression of a false and fre... Language: en
Oxygen binding and subunit equilibria of Busycon hemocyanin

Abstract The subunit size of Busycon hemocyanin has been, examined as a function of pH and percentage oxygenation. It was found that at pH 8.2 the 60 s subunit and its 100 s dimer are in equilibrium and that the position of this equilibrium is determined by the number of oxygen molecules bound. Also the oxygenated and deoxygenated 100 s forms were shown by circular dichroic and sedimentation studies to be conformationally distinct. These results are discussed in terms of recent theories of ligand-mediated changes in subunit aggregation in extended protein systems.
Vitamin usage patterns in the prevention of advanced age-related macular degeneration.

Objective To describe micronutrient usage patterns among patients at a tertiary ophthalmic center. Design Cross-sectional clinical case series. Participants Three hundred thirty-two adult patients with a diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Participants were surveyed about micronutrient usage patterns. The treating ophthalmologist recorded AMD severity using the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) classification system. Main Outcome Measures Responses to study questionnaire and level of AMD severity. Results Among 332 participants, 309 (93%) were using supplements, among which 174 (52%) supplemented with an AREDS-like formulation. Of these 174, 140 (80%) were considered AREDS supplement candidates based on study guidelines. Applying AREDS supplementation guidelines to the full cohort, 228 (69%) were candidates for supplementation. Only 140 (61%) of these individuals were confirmed to be using the correct formulation and dosage; an additional 13 (6%) used the AREDS formulation but were not using the recommended dosage. Conclusions Among patients receiving care for AMD at a tertiary retinal center, more than one third of those deemed candidates for AREDS-type supplements were not using them or were using an incorrect dose. Furthermore, nearly one fifth of participants who were using high-dose supplements did not have a level of AMD anticipated to benefit from usage. Increased patient education is needed regarding the recommendations of AREDS.
Comparison of the experience with acute and chronic electrically stimulated detrusor myoplasty.

Aims To evaluate the acute and chronic urodynamic effects of electrically stimulated detrusor myoplasty in dogs. Methods Eight female mongrel dogs were studied acutely and six dogs chronically (0 to 12 weeks postoperatively). Bladders were wrapped with the rectus abdominis muscle, keeping an intact blood supply and at least two intercostal nerves of the flap preserved. Bladders were electrically stimulated with bipolar electrodes inserted into the muscle. Urodynamics and post void residual were measured post operatively in the acute studies and every 2 weeks for 3 months in chronic studies. Results Acutely, the increase in intravesical pressure was 45±7 cm H2O, which resulted in a postvoid residual of 26±3%. In the chronic study, increases of intravesical pressure sufficient to empty the bladder during myoplasty electrical stimulation were not sustained, although detrusor compliance and flap viability were preserved. Conclusions The electrically stimulated detrusor myoplasty worked well acutely to increase vesical pressure sufficient to empty the bladder, but the chronically stimulated myoplasty did not maintain efficient bladder emptying primarily due to electrode problems. Further studies with improved electrode material and placement are required before clinical application of the electrically stimulated detrusor myoplasty can be assessed. Neurourol. Urodynam. 21:516–521, 2002. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Urgent assessment of decision-making capacity in a patient with schizophrenia and an evolving myocardial infarction who is refusing care.

It is not typical that an urgent psychiatry consultation regarding decision-making capacity is required to save a life; however, this was the case for a middle-aged woman with schizophrenia who presented with a myocardial infarction and was fully oriented to the situation yet was refusing potentially life-saving treatment. Although this case brings up classic yet complicated issues relating to decision-making capacity with a presentation that is rarely reported, it also raises questions about how the current emphasis on patient autonomy can affect patient care in the current medical-ethical-legal landscape.
Stable inhibition of human thymidylate synthase expression following retroviral introduction of an siRNA gene

Thymidylate synthase (TS) is an essential enzyme that synthesizes thymidylic acid in the de novo biosynthetic pathway. Inhibiting TS enzyme activity with substrate or cofactor analogs leads to inhibition of DNA replication and cell death. For this reason, TS is an important target enzyme for cancer chemotherapeutic drugs. We describe an alternative approach to reducing cellular TS enzyme activity using short interfering RNA (siRNA) technology to lower TS mRNA levels. Plasmids that direct the synthesis of siRNAs that target nucleotides 898-916 and 965-983 (relative to the A of the translational start codon) of human TS mRNA were highly effective at reducing TS enzyme levels in transient transfection assays. Infection of HeLa cells with retroviruses that contain the effective siRNA genes led to a stable 80-95% reduction of TS enzyme and mRNA. A similar percent reduction in TS expression was observed in a cell line that overproduces TS enzyme 100-fold due to TS gene amplification. Cells that exhibited the greatest reduction in TS enzyme level grew poorly in medium that lacked thymidine. These observations suggest that siRNA approaches may provide an alternative therapeutic strategy to reduce TS enzyme levels.
Are iris crypts useful in identity recognition

We conducted an experiment in which participants were asked to annotate the crypts they see in iris images. The results were used to assess the utility of crypts in identity recognition for forensic applications. Although the inter-participant annotation consistency may be limited by crypts' noticeability and the range of genuine similarity scores obtained by the adopted matcher is correlated to the number of crypt pixels in the given image, the intra-iris crypt perception is sufficiently consistent for nearly 95% of query images to be correctly identified. The performance is expected to be better for the professional examiners with comprehensive training.
Secondary Disability Prevention: Involving Consumers in the Development of a Public Health Surveillance Instrument:

Recent legislation has directed the Centers for Disease Control of the Public Health Service to develop a program of disability prevention. Importantly, this new program focuses attention on preventing secondary disabilities—conditions that occur after an individual has acquired a primary (or first) disability. An important influence on the agenda of secondary disability prevention involves identifying the conditions that define the problem for intervention. In public health, this is often accomplished through surveillance systems. In this paper we describe the development of a consumer-directed secondary disability surveillance tool that is consistent with consumer control tenets of independent living philosophy.
Effects of Assembly Errors on Hypoid Gear Mesh and Dynamic Response

Gear tooth contact is simulated by applying a quasi-static method to study the effects of assembly errors on hypoid gear mesh characteristics. Based on the mesh parameters derived, the dynamic analysis can also be performed to predict the way assembly errors control gear dynamic response. The effective mesh point, line of action, mesh stiffness and static transmission error are assumed time-invariant in the model. Of the numerous misalignments analyzed, the shaft angle error, positive error of pinion offset, positive error of pinion axial position and negative error of gear axial position appear to worsen dynamics and hence noise response as well.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Textural Properties and Sensory Quality of Processed Sweetpotatoes as Affected by Low Temperature Blanching

Sweetpotatoes (SP) stored for 9-12 mo after harvest were cut into cylindrical pieces and, following factorial experiments and response surface design, were blanched at 50-80°C for 15-274 min. Instrumental textural properties were measured by uniaxial compression and texture profile analysis. Samples of selected blanching treatments were canned in syrup for textural and sensory evaluations. Both blanching temperature and time had significant effects on firmness. Optimal temperature for maximal firmness retention was about 62°C. For canned SP, the 62°C blanched samples were more intact (2-3-fold) and firmer (2-7-fold) than controls. Sensory texture and overall acceptability were greatest for samples blanched at 62°C for 30 or 45 min before canning.
Small-kernel constrained-least-squares restoration of sampled image data

Following the work of Park (1989), who extended a derivation of the Wiener filter based on the incomplete discrete/discrete model to a more comprehensive end-to-end continuous/discrete/continuous model, it is shown that a derivation of the constrained least-squares (CLS) filter based on the discrete/discrete model can also be extended to this more comprehensive continuous/discrete/continuous model. This results in an improved CLS restoration filter, which can be efficiently implemented as a small-kernel convolution in the spatial domain.
On the mechanism of arylamine-DNA adduct formation

Abstract 7-Methoxy-9-benzylguanine was converted to a mixture of 8-keto-9-benzylguanine and 8-methoxy-9-benzylguanine upon treatment with aqueous base. This model system highlights the reactivity of a heteroatom-N7 guanyl species (implicated as an intermediate in the mechanism of formation of arylamine-guanine adducts) toward nucleophilic attack at C8.
A naturally controlled experiment of managerial transition: sprint corporation's transfer of Len Lauer from President of FON to President of PCS

This study presents an analysis of Len Lauer's transfer from the presidency of Sprint's FON division to the presidency of its PCS division. By examining the unique nature of Sprint's dual tracking stocks, the study analyses what was perhaps the most perfectly controlled study possible involving a change in top management. The results suggest that Lauer's transfer to PCS (from FON) was accompanied by striking increases (decreases) in shareholder wealth.
An immunocytochemical marker for early type I muscle fibers in the developing rat hindlimb

Muscle fibers develop sequentially from several generations of myotubes that express specific isoforms of myosin heavy chain (MHC). We observed that the chicken-derived monoclonal antibody (mAb) S46 binds to myotubes of the fetal rat hindlimb in a specific temporal and spatial pattern. To determine the type and fate of the S46-reactive myotubes, we immunoreacted sections of fetal, neonatal and postnatal hindlimb muscles to this antibody. The mAb S46 bound to a subpopulation of primary myotubes in the tibialis anterior, and to all primary and slow/fast secondary myotubes in the soleus muscle. The S46-reactive primary myotubes represented the oldest set of myotubes in the muscles. Reactivity to S46 was present from the earliest stages of muscle development, peaked in the late fetal period, and dissipated in the first postnatal week, suggesting that mAb S46 binds to a developmental form of slow myosin. The regional distribution of myotubes that bound S46 in fetal muscles was identical to the distribution of type I (slowtwitch) fibers in the adult, indicating that S46-reactive myotubes ultimately develop into type I extrafusal fibers. Thus, mAb S46 can be used as a marker for prospective type I extrafusal fibers in the rat hindlimb.
Humans are apex predators

In their recent paper, Bonhommeau et al. (1) calculate human trophic levels (HTL) as fractional trophic levels (FTL), which is the mean trophic level of all species in a consumer’s diet weighted according to their proportions in the diet. Producer species are assigned FTL 1, and consumer values range from 2 (primary consumers) to 5 or greater. The authors conclude that HTL varies globally between 2.04 and 2.57. The mean HTL of 2.21 has increased over time as societies trend toward meatier diets. The authors also assert that humans, therefore, are not apex predators nor at the top of the food chain, being more comparable to low FTL omnivores.
The natural history of human gait and posture: Part 1. Spine and pelvis

The human fossil record is one of the most complete for any mammal. A basal ancestral species, Australopithecus afarensis, exhibits a well-preserved postcranium that permits reconstruction of important events in the evolution of our locomotor skeleton. When compared with those of living apes and modern humans, this species provides a number of insights into the origin and design of the modern human frame as well as the selective agencies that have guided its evolution during the past three million years. Evolutionary aspects of the human spine and pelvis are reviewed, including their impact on several clinically relevant aspects of human gait and posture.
Pharyngoesophageal intubation injuries: Three case reports

The hypopharynx and cervical esophagus are particularly vulnerable to intubation trauma. Contributing factors include hasty intubation by inexperienced personnel; the use of curved, beveled endotracheal tubes containing stylets; malpositioning of the head, and the application of cricoid pressure. Iatrogenic pharyngoesophageal perforations may go unsuspected until characteristic signs and symptoms are recognized. These include cervical pain, fever, dysphagia, leukocytosis, subcutaneous emphysema, and pneumomediastinum. We present three cases that illustrate important points in recognizing, evaluating, and treating pharyngoesophageal perforations. The third case presents a chronic cervical esophageal perforation with secondary pseudodiverticulum, requiring resection of the pseudodiverticulum and a primary sternocleidomastoid muscle flap repair of the cervical esophageal defect. To our knowledge, this technique has not previously been reported.
U.S.A. experience in direct heat use

Abstract Direct heat use of geothermal energy in the U.S.A. occurs mainly in the western states. A total of 216 projects is operational, with six under construction and 21 planned. The operational projects account for about 2100 TJ/yr (233 MWt-peak) with an average load factor of 29%. The under-construction and planned projects would approximately double the energy use. Not included are an estimated 10,000 TJ (400 MWt-peak) used in enhanced oil recovery. Space and district heating account for almost half (45.8%) of the annual use, whereas greenhouses account for 20.2%, fish farming for 20.7%, industrial processing for 6.7%, and pools and spas for 6.6%. Future growth is expected to be greatest in district heating, where eight proposed projects will produce 1360 TJ annually (149 MWt-peak). Future growth of all direct heat uses in the U.S. is estimated at 8% annually.
A note on epithelial metaplasia in the male genital tract.

Attempts have been made by several investigators to study various instances of metaplasia of sex accessory epithelia and to arrive at a possible common etiologic factor for all such metaplasia. On the basis of somewhat inconclusive data, McCullough and Dalldorf (1937) suggested that vitamin A deficiency was a prerequisite for all true epithelial metaplasia. Hume, Burbank, and Korenchevsky (1939) produced identical lesions in male rat sex accessories by deprivation of vitamin A and by administration of large amounts of estrogen. Whether such identical lesions occurred in non-genital tissues was not fully indicated. Cramer (1942) obtained similar results from experiments on the rat uterus. Kasman and Gold (1933) and Sutton and McDonald (1943) studied metaplasia in the human prostate, and the latter concluded that benign metaplastic changes following transurethral resection were due to “the basic polymorphism of epithelial cells” and their reaction to necrotic and regenerative processes following the resection.
A Rickettsial Mixed Infection in a Dermacentor Variabilis Tick from Ohio

We present the first report of superinfection in a Dermacentor variabilis tick from nature. The single tick, collected in Ohio, was found infected with Rickettsia belli, R. nontanensis, and R. rickettsii.
The use of optical polarimetry as a noninvasive in vivo physiological glucose monitor

There is a need to effectively and accurately monitor physiological glucose levels in individuals afflicted with diabetes mellitus. One promising noninvasive technique involves the use of optical polarimetry, in which the eye is commonly used as the sensing location. Since glucose is a chiral molecule, it has the ability to rotate plane polarized light by an amount that is proportional to glucose concentration. It has also been shown that glucose levels in the aqueous humor of the eye correlate well to those of blood. Therefore, we will report on an in vivo study that is conducted using a New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit model in conjunction with a custom developed Faradaybased optical polarimeter with sub-millidegree resolution. All animals used in this investigation were anesthetized with isoflurane and an insulin/dextrose protocol was used to control blood glucose concentration. A polarized laser light (632.8nm HeNe) signal was coupled through the anterior chamber of the eye using a custom designed ocular apparatus. System calibration was performed through measurement of the detected optical polarimetric signal and corresponding discrete blood glucose measurements taken with a handheld glucometer. Reference blood glucose samples were also measured using a YSI 2300+ glucose analyzer. The study results show that physiological glucose can be predicted with error levels on the order of 15%.