cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial and ethnic diversity in studies of late-life mental health.

Depression and cognitive decline are two of the most important health problems for older adults. Both represent major sources of morbidity, reduced health-relatedquality of life, and societal cost. As older persons represent ever-increasing proportions of the worldwide population, addressing these two challenges will be critical to preserving and enhancing the wellness of hundreds of millions of people. This issue features six research articles that share a common theme ofexploring racial andethnicdiversity as it pertains to late-life depression and cognition. Furthermore, given the significant concerns regarding disparate health outcomes that are apparent for racial and ethnic minority groups, research interest on this topic has correspondingly grown. Indeed, leadership at the federal level has highlighted the problems of race/ethnic disparities and encouraged medical researchers to attend to diversity and inclusiveness in their work. This issue’s themed articles feature study populations consisting largely, or entirely, of members of racial and/or ethnic minority groups.
Static cosmic strings on S2 and criticality

In this paper we construct static cosmic string solutions in the Bogomol9nyi phase of the Abelian Higgs model in an S 2 setting. The strings are located at the north and south poles and have identical winding numbers. This construction, in particular, solves an open problem regarding the existence of a 2–string solution on S 2 . Furthermore, we prove that there are no symmetric solutions realizing N strings superimposed at a single point. Such a result implies, in particular, that there is no symmetric 1–string solution on S 2 and is the only known non–existence theorem for cosmic strings confined on a compact surface. The symmetry of the underlying system enables us to work on a nonlinear ordinary differential equation subject to some prescribed boundary data at t = ±∞ A shooting method is employed as an analytic tool in the study of the existence problem.
Risk assessment of satellite launch with reusable launch vehicle

Abstract A new methodology is developed for assessing the risk associated with launching satellites in space by use of Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs). The objective is to assess the Maximum Probable Loss (MPL) for third party insurance purposes, which is a requirement for licensing of private operators. Launch industry convention has been to execute an MPL analysis for each and every flight. With the advent of commercial, reusable launch vehicle services, much higher flight rates are anticipated. Consequently a method for developing a conservative, ‘once-and-for-all’ MPL value is desirable. Failures during the boost, orbital vehicle, and return phases of the flight that could lead to impact of the rocket or its stages on the ground are considered. Simple geometric models are used to evaluate an upper bound to the probability that assets of various form and size on the ground will be hit by a stray rocket or vehicle stage. Models for the loss resulting from hitting an asset are also developed. The methodology is applied to a proposed launch site in Southern Australia.
Cholesterol-dependent phase separation in cell-derived giant plasma-membrane vesicles

Cell-derived GPMVs (giant plasma-membrane vesicles) enable investigation of lipid phase separation in a system with appropriate biological complexity under physiological conditions, and in the present study were used to investigate the cholesterol-dependence of domain formation and stability. The cholesterol level is directly related to the abundance of the liquid-ordered phase fraction, which is the majority phase in vesicles from untreated cells. Miscibility transition temperature depends on cholesterol and correlates strongly with the presence of detergent-insoluble membrane in cell lysates. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy reveals two distinct diffusing populations in phase-separated cell membrane-derived vesicles whose diffusivities correspond well to diffusivities in both model systems and live cells. The results of the present study extend previous observations in purified lipid systems to the complex environment of the plasma membrane and provide insight into the effect of cholesterol on lipid phase separation and abundance.
Microfluidic devices for studies of shear-dependent platelet adhesion

Adhesion of platelets to blood vessel walls is a shear stress dependent process that promotes arrest of bleeding and is mediated by the interaction of receptors expressed on platelets with various extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that may become exposed upon vascular injury. Studies of dynamic platelet adhesion to ECM-coated substrates in conventional flow chambers require substantial fluid volumes and are difficult to perform with blood samples from a single laboratory mouse. Here we report dynamic platelet adhesion assays in two new microfluidic devices made of PDMS. Small cross-sections of the flow chambers in the devices reduce the blood volume requirements to <100 μl per assay, making the assays compatible with samples of whole blood obtained from a single mouse. One device has an array of 8 flow chambers with shear stress varying by a factor of 1.93 between adjacent chambers, covering a 100-fold range from low venous to arterial. The other device allows simultaneous high-resolution fluorescence imaging of dynamic adhesion of platelets from two different blood samples. Adhesion of platelets in the devices to three common ECM substrate coatings was verified to conform with published results. The devices were subsequently used to study the roles of extracellular and intracellular domains of integrin αIIbβ3, a platelet receptor that is a central mediator of platelet aggregation and thrombus formation. The study involved wild-type mice and two genetically modified mouse strains and showed that the absence of the integrin impaired adhesion at all shear stresses, whereas a mutation in its intracellular domain reduced the adhesion only at moderate and high stresses. Because of small sample volumes required, the devices could be employed in research with genetically-modified model organisms and for adhesion tests in clinical settings with blood from neonates.
Inexpensive, abundant, non-toxic thin films for solar cell applications grown by reactive sputtering

The success of CIGS and CdTe solar cells has shown that thin films have the potential to greatly reduce costs while matching the efficiencies of the best silicon devices. As such, a number of new thin film materials that have optimal properties are being explored for solar applications. One of these materials is Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS), which is composed of entirely abundant and nontoxic elements. Currently, all the processes used to grow this material involve the deposition of metallic/sulfide precursors and a subsequent anneal at high temperature in a H2S environment to incorporate sulfur into the film. Here we present a novel one-step deposition process where sulfur is incorporated into the film during deposition. Films grown by this process are textured in the (112) direction and show large columnar grains with diameters ranging from 50–500nm. The best of these films were incorporated into devices and efficiencies as high as 1.5% have been achieved.
Inferring larval type in fossil bryozoans

Pachut, J.F. & Fisherkeller, P. 2010: Inferring larval type in fossil bryozoans. Lethaia, Vol. 43, pp. 396–410. Larval type in extinct organisms might be recognizable because larvae of living marine invertebrates are approximately of the same size as the initial post-larval organism. Two larval types typically occur. Planktotrophic larvae feed on other members of the plankton, potentially prolonging their larval existence and producing broad geographic distributions. Conversely, lecithotrophic larvae feed on yolk supplied by the fertilized egg, often settle quickly after release, and display more restricted distributions. However, some lecithotrophic bryozoans undergo embryonic fission forming multiple, small, polyembryonic larvae. The relationship between post-larval size and larval type was evaluated in bryozoans by comparing the size of the ancestrula, the founding individual of a colony, to the sizes of extant planktotrophic, lecithotrophic and polyembryonic lecithotrophic larvae and ancestrulae. The sizes of larvae and ancestrulae in extant lecithotrophic and planktotrophic cheilostome (gymnolaemate) species are statistically the same. They are, however, statistically larger than the polyembryonic larvae of extant cyclostomes (stenolaemates). In turn, the sizes of cyclostome larvae are indistinguishable from the ancestrulae of extant and fossil cyclostomes, the ancestrulae of other fossil stenolaemate species measured from the literature, and the ancestrulae of three of four genera from North American Cincinnatian strata. Ancestrulae of a fourth genus, Dekayia, are the same size as cyclostome ancestrulae but are statistically smaller than the ancestrulae of other stenolaemates. With few exceptions, stenolaemates have statistically smaller larvae and ancestrulae than both lecithotrophic and planktotrophic cheilostomes. We infer that the sizes of fossil ancestrulae permit the discrimination of taxa that had polyembryonic lecithotrophic larvae from those possessing other larval types. This inference is strengthened, in several cases, by the co-occurrence of brood chambers (gynozooecia) and restricted palaeobiogeographic distributions. The presence of cyclostomes in Early Ordovician strata suggests that polyembryony may have been acquired during the initial radiation of Class Stenolaemata. Polyembryony appears to be a monophyletic trait, but confirmation requires the demonstration that species of several stenolaemate suborders lacking skeletally expressed brood chambers possessed polyembryonic larvae. □Ancestrulae, evolution, fossil bryozoans, gynozooecia, larvae.
Transmission of Biochemical Flavor Constituents from Apricot and Plum to their Interspecific Hybrid

Intact fruit from five plum × apricot hybrids, two Japanese plums and seven apricots were sampled for their volatile constituents by headspace analysis to study the transmission of biochemical flavor constituents from apricot and plum to hybrids between them. Volatiles were collected in Tenax traps, eluted with ether, and examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Forty-one compounds from seven chemical classes were identified in the fruit samples. Seven of the identified volatiles were unique to plumcot, and not present in either the plum or apricot parent. Aromatic profiles from plumcot accessions more closely resemble apricot profiles rather than plum.
Theory of the lateral surface magnetoplasmon in a semiconductor superlattice.

We study in detail the properties of the recently predicted magnetoplasmon excitations localized near the lateral surface of a semi-infinite superlattice. The dispersion relation of these surface modes is obtained both by a simple approximate method and by a numerical technique capable of arbitrary precision. Possible experimental observation of the surface excitation spectrum is discussed.
Design of array systems using shared symmetry

Theoretical and practical aspects are examined that relate to the development of multiple-array telescope systems that offer aspheric correction with the fewest components. The paper compares two designs and investigates the effects of different relative apertures for the primary mirror and different system lengths on the symmetry and order of aberrations generated by the eccentric aspheric. The first approach involves the use of Mersenne collecting telescopes, and the second configuration is based on four-mirror telescopes. It is shown that the use of special surfaces for decentered aspheric correction is limited and that pupil matching is important in the shared-symmetry array systems. Three- and five-mirror designs are analyzed and found to be diffraction-limited for a field of up to 60 arcmin, and reference is made to the complex calculations for determining the decentered asphericity.
Simulation of parvocellular demultiplexing

A massively parallel wiring of chromatic and achromatic receptive fields, of the type presumably present at some level in the visual cortex, is simulated starting from pseudo-random L/M cone lattices. It is shown that there is considerable variability in the relative L/M cone input to achromatic processes but there is also a intrinsic invariant in the chromatic decoding. With the usual caution required to link simple models derived from first principles to the behavior of complex biological systems, the results are useful to understand, on one hand, the variability of luminous spectral sensitivity for achromatic visual tasks under different spatial conditions, and on the other, the observed stability of unique yellow across individuals with normal color vision who nevertheless have very different proportion of L to M cones. The results are also consistent with those given by non-random non-massive demultiplexing examples previously reported.
Vitamin A deficiency and bone growth. I. Altered drift patterns.

The drift patterns of the mandible, presphenoid, and femur were compared in calves fed graded levels (2 deficient, 2 control) of vitamin A for 16 weeks. In addition, gross measurements of endochondral growth were recorded. The results indicated that drift of deficient bones was altered because subperiosteal resorption failed and was often replaced by growth. On those periosteal surfaces where resorption was not required for normal modeling, little effect was found due to treatment. In light of the evidence that osteoclasts disappear from the periosteal surfaces during deficiency, it is suggested that vitamin A affects the ability of the periosteal progenitor cell to differentiate as an osteoclast.
On Calculating a Polymer's Enthalpy of Formation with Quantum Chemical Methods

Calculating the enthalpy of formation of a polymer with ab initio methods requires two choices. The first decision is whether to use oligomeric extrapolation or periodic boundary conditions to model the extended system, and the second choice is between formation reactions to be modeled, for example, formation from atoms, formation from standard states, or formation from some set of molecular systems. Utilizing trans-polyacetylene and polyethylene as examples, the oligomeric and periodic techniques are contrasted, leading to a discussion of the larger than minimal unit cell required when frequency calculations only include in-phase vibrations, that is, only the k = 0 frequencies, in an enthalpy of formation calculation. The accuracy of calculating the enthalpy of formation, in light of density functional theory's increased error with larger systems and with respect to various reference states, is also discussed. The calculation of the enthalpy of formation for a polymer is most accurate when the reference states are chosen carefully and most efficient when using periodic boundary conditions.
Calmodulin Mediates the Ca2+-Dependent Regulation of Cx44 Gap Junctions

We have shown previously that the Ca2+-dependent inhibition of lens epithelial cell-to-cell communication is mediated in part by the direct association of calmodulin (CaM) with connexin43 (Cx43), the major connexin in these cells. We now show that elevation of [Ca2+]i in HeLa cells transfected with the lens fiber cell gap junction protein sheep Cx44 also results in the inhibition of cell-to-cell dye transfer. A peptide comprising the putative CaM binding domain (aa 129–150) of the intracellular loop region of this connexin exhibited a high affinity, stoichiometric interaction with Ca2+-CaM. NMR studies indicate that the binding of Cx44 peptide to CaM reflects a classical embracing mode of interaction. The interaction is an exothermic event that is both enthalpically and entropically driven in which electrostatic interactions play an important role. The binding of the Cx44 peptide to CaM increases the CaM intradomain cooperativity and enhances the Ca2+-binding affinities of the C-domain of CaM more than twofold by slowing the rate of Ca2+ release from the complex. Our data suggest a common mechanism by which the Ca2+-dependent inhibition of the α-class of gap junction proteins is mediated by the direct association of an intracellular loop region of these proteins with Ca2+-CaM.
In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Staphylococcus aureus Endophthalmitis Implicate Specific Nutrients in Ocular Infection

Purpose: To define global transcriptional responses of Staphylococcus aureus and its codY mutant (CodY is a transcription regulator of virulence and metabolic genes in response to branched-chain amino acids) when growing in bovine aqueous (AH) and vitreous humor (VH) in vitro, and to investigate the impact of codY deletion on S. aureus virulence in a novel murine anterior chamber (AC) infection model. Methods: For the in vitro model, differential transcriptomic gene expression of S. aureus and its codY mutant grown in chemically defined medium (CDM), AH, and VH was analyzed. Furthermore, the strains were inoculated into the AC of mice. Changes in bacterial growth, electroretinography and inflammation scores were monitored. Results: Bovine AH and VH provide sufficient nutrition for S. aureus growth in vitro. Transcriptome analysis identified 72 unique open reading frames differentially regulated $10-fold between CDM, AH, and VH. In the AC model, we found comparable growth of the codY mutant and wild type strains in vivo. Average inflammation scores and retinal function were significantly worse for codY mutant-infected eyes at 24 h post-infection. Conclusion: Our in vitro bovine AH and VH models identified likely nutrient sources for S. aureus in the ocular milieu. The in vivo model suggests that control of branched-chain amino acid availability has therapeutic potential in limiting S. aureus endophthalmitis severity.
The use of networks of dissociated rat dorsal root ganglion neurons to induce myelination by oligodendrocytes in culture

A neuronal culture system has been developed that has the demonstrated ability to induce myelin formation by added oligodendrocytes. Networks of dissociated dorsal root ganglion neurons were prepared by suppressing non-neuronal cells (i.e. fibroblasts and Schwann cells) with a continuous 2 week exposure to 10(-5)M fluorodeoxyuridine in the culture medium. After drug withdrawal, neuroglial cells were introduced in optic nerve implants from 1-2 week-old rats. These added glial cells migrated extensively over the unensheathed neurites and central myelin was formed by 2 weeks after the implant addition.
Diet quality and obesity in women: the Framingham Nutrition Studies

Obesity affects one in three American adult women and is associated with overall mortality and major morbidities. A composite diet index to evaluate total diet quality may better assess the complex relationship between diet and obesity, providing insights for nutrition interventions. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether diet quality, defined according to the previously validated Framingham nutritional risk score (FNRS), was associated with the development of overweight or obesity in women. Over 16 years, we followed 590 normal-weight women (BMI or = 25 kg/m2) during follow-up. In a stepwise multiple logistic regression model adjusted for age, physical activity and smoking status, the FNRS was directly related to overweight or obesity (P for trend = 0.009). Women with lower diet quality (i.e. higher nutritional risk scores) were significantly more likely to become overweight or obese (OR 1.76; 95 % CI 1.16, 2.69) compared with those with higher diet quality. Diet quality, assessed using a comprehensive composite nutritional risk score, predicted development of overweight or obesity. This finding suggests that overall diet quality be considered a key component in planning and implementing programmes for obesity risk reduction and treatment recommendations.
Cyclopropane PNA: Observable triplex melting in a PNA constrained with a 3-membered ring

Abstract The first peptide nucleic acid (PNA) with a cyclopropane in the backbone has been synthesized, and the effects of the ring on DNA/RNA binding properties of the PNA have been examined. Well-defined triplex to duplex melting transitions of PNA 2 DNA complexes is clearly observed by variable temperature UV absorbance with the cyclopropane-constrained PNA.
Improving security information gathering with IEEE 802.21 to optimize handover performance

In mobile networks, authentication is a time-consuming operation that needs to be shortened in order to provide seamless handovers. Furthermore, the time required for negotiating security parameters and obtaining security policies increases the importance of the authentication performance during handovers. Many optimizations have been proposed for different authentication mechanisms in different layers. However, they fail to provide means to learn in advance security capabilities and policies in candidate networks, and thus do not reduce the chance of connecting to potentially incompatible target networks. In this paper we use the information capabilities provided by IEEE 802.21 and propose an extension to current network selection algorithms that takes into account security parameters and policies to optimize the handover performance and reduce the negotiation delay.
Referral by clergy who counsel older adults

The purpose of this cross sectional study of clergy (N = 493) was to examine the likelihood of referral to formal mental health providers by those clergy who counsel older adults. Responding clergy completed a brief questionnaire that included information on the amount of counselling they do with older adults, the Attitudes towards Older Adults and Mental Illness (AOAMI) scale, their relationships with mental health professionals, their knowledge of resources for referring people for additional help, and basic demographic data, such as race, age, years in the clergy, and education level. In logistic regression analysis, respondents with more education, those who felt less prepared to provide counselling, and those with more positive attitudes based on the AOAMI indicated that they were more likely to refer, and no differences were found based on their denominational affiliation race, relationships with mental health professionals, or knowledge of resources for referring people for additional help. We beli...
Roles for TbDSS-1 in RNA surveillance and decay of maturation by-products from the 12S rRNA locus

The Trypanosoma brucei exoribonuclease, TbDSS-1, has been implicated in multiple aspects of mitochondrial RNA metabolism. Here, we investigate the role of TbDSS-1 in RNA processing and surveillance by analyzing 12S rRNA processing intermediates in TbDSS-1 RNAi cells. RNA fragments corresponding to leader sequence upstream of 12S rRNA accumulate upon TbDSS-1 depletion. The 5' extremity of 12S rRNA is generated by endonucleolytic cleavage, and TbDSS-1 degrades resulting upstream maturation by-products. RNAs with 5' ends at position -141 and 3' ends adjacent to the mature 5' end of 12S rRNA are common and invariably possess oligo(U) tails. 12S rRNAs with mature 3' ends and unprocessed 5' ends also accumulate in TbDSS-1 depleted cells, suggesting that these RNAs represent dead-end products normally destined for decay by TbDSS-1 in an RNA surveillance pathway. Together, these data indicate dual roles for TbDSS-1 in degradation of 12S rRNA maturation by-products and as part of a mitochondrial RNA surveillance pathway that eliminates stalled 12S processing intermediates. We further provide evidence that TbDSS-1 degrades RNAs originating upstream of the first gene on the minor strand of the mitochondrial maxicircle suggesting that TbDSS-1 also removes non-functional RNAs generated from other regions of the mitochondrial genome.
Elucidating Risk Factors for Androgen Deficiency Associated with Daily Opioid Use

Abstract Background Opioids can suppress testosterone in men, which can lead to extensive morbidity. Identifying risk factors for androgen deficiency in men using daily opioids could improve monitoring and safety. Methods In a retrospective cohort study, we used Kaiser Permanente Northern California databases to identify men on stable doses of opioids. These subjects had no diagnoses of cancer or endocrine disorders except treated primary hypothyroidism. Subjects were divided into those using long-acting opioids and short-acting opioids. Total testosterone was measured in blood drawn in the morning while the subjects were on their regular dose of opioid. The association between opioid duration of action and androgen deficiency, controlling for dose, body mass index, age, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, was assessed using logistic regression. Results The study included 1585 men. Men on long-acting opioids were more likely to be androgen deficient than men on short-acting opioids (57% vs 35%, P Conclusion Use of long-acting opioids is a key risk factor in the development of androgen deficiency. Dose was significantly associated with androgen deficiency, but more so for men on short-acting than on long-acting opioids.
Bombardment of planetary rings by meteoroids: General formulation and effects of Oort cloud projectiles

A general solution is obtained for the angular distribution of the intensity and velocity of interplanetary projectiles impinging on a planetary ring system. Three significant results emerge from the solution: (1) a variation with orbital longitude is demonstrated in the impact velocity-weighted impact rate of the planetary rings' cometary meteoroids; (2) the angular distribution of ejecta intensity due to the bombardment of a planetary ring by interplanetary meteoroids is determined; and (3) the radial drift velocity due to both simple mass-loading and aberration-induced asymmetry in the impact rate is calculated for a planetary ring of arbitrary optical depth. Attention is given to results for projectiles with Oort Cloud-type orbits.
Kos1, a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase that suppresses Ras signaling

Kinase of embryonic stem cells (Kos1), a nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase (NRPTK), was identified and cloned from differentiating murine embryonic stem cells. Kos1 is localized on mouse chromosome 11 that corresponds to human chromosome 17p13.1 and is homologous to Tnk1, Ack1 and Ack2, making it a new member of the Ack family of NRPTKs. Kos1 is a ubiquitously expressed 47-kDa protein with autotyrosine kinase activity that is developmentally regulated during embryogenesis. Kos1 is also upregulated following IL3 withdrawal from factor-dependent murine NSF/N1.H7 cells that undergo apoptosis, suggesting a role in growth inhibition. Stable overexpression of Kos1 inhibits growth of NIH 3T3 cells, while the kinase-dead Kos1(CN) promotes cell growth in both liquid culture and soft agar. In addition, forced expression of Kos1 inhibits Ras activity in an indirect mechanism that results in the downregulation of the Ras–Raf1–MAPK growth pathway. Furthermore, overexpression of Kos1 in NCI-H82 lung cancer cells that express oncogenic Ha-Ras(G12V) inhibits cell growth under reduced serum (0.5%) conditions in close association with the upregulation of the Ras inhibitor, Rap1A. Collectively, these data support a negative regulatory role for Kos1 in regulating the Ras–Raf1–MAPK growth pathway by a mechanism that requires its autotyrosine kinase activity.
NYSE Execution Quality Subsequent to Migration to Hybrid

In October 2006, the NYSE began rolling-out phase three of a four-phase plan initiate its new Hybrid trading mechanism. The results show that this new trading platform introduced a much larger proportion of electronic transactions relative to floor auction transactions. This migration to electronic transactions is further evidenced by a mirror shift in price discovery from floor trades to trades marked for automatic electronic execution. In addition, the move to Hybrid trading introduced a significant decrease in inventory control costs, as well as a noticeable increase in trade persistence. Finally, the new trading platform has increased the speed with which orders are met, and has also decreased the proportion of executed shares which receive price improvement.
Developing and Implementing a K-12 Character Education Program

(1998). Developing and Implementing a K-12 Character Education Program. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 69, No. 2, pp. 21-23.
Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita: a disease of autoimmunity to type VII collagen.

Abstract Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is one of a group of primary blistering diseases characterized by dermal/epidermal separation at the basement membrane (BM) of stratified squamous epithelium and IgG anti-BM autoantibodies (ABM) (Tables 1 and 2). EBA ABMs can be distinguished from IgG ABMs in all other primary blistering diseases by their reactivity with the BM matrix protein, type VII collagen (C-VII). The clinical and histological features of EBA are highly variable and may be indistinguishable from those of other primary bullous diseases. The diagnosis can be confirmed by one of several methods that directly or indirectly demonstrate IgG ABMs to C-VII. IgG ABMs to C-VII are not specific for EBA. They have been described in SLE patients with and without a secondary blistering eruption, bullous eruption of SLE (BSLE). IgA ABMs to C-VII have been described in a subgroup of patients with linear IgA bullous dermatosis. Recent evidence suggests that autoimmunity to C-VII in EBA and BSLE is regulated by the same genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and contributes to the pathogenesis of acute inflammation and blisters in both disorders. The finding of ABMs to C-VII in SLE and BSLE, evidence that EBA and BSLE share an immunogenetic predisposition to C-VII autoimmunity, and an apparent association between susceptibility to SLE and EBA suggest a close relationship between SLE and autoimmunity to C-VII.
Novel thermotropic behavior of (diphenyl/phenyl‐o‐tolyl)phosphazene random copolymer

[(Ph2PN)0,76(Ph(o-tolyl)PN)0,24] random copolymer (Ph: phenyl) was synthesized by the reaction of Ph2POCH2CF3 and Ph(o-tolyl)POCH2CF3 with trimethylsilyl azide. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements showed that this copolymer has a single glass transition at ≈ 80°C and transforms into a mesophase at 162 ∼ 189°C depending upon the thermal history of the specimens. Lath shaped crystals with unit cell dimensions a = 1,30 nm, b = 1,13 nm and y = 87° (Form-I) were obtained from mixed dilute monochlorobenzene and p-xylene solution of the copolymer. Upon heating the specimens to 140°C, the “a” parameter of Form-I changes to a = 2,21 nm and the “b”, “y” remain unaltered (Form-II). When the specimens are cooled (10°C/min) from above T(1), the mesophase (δ-form) is “frozen in” and the δ-form specimens transform into Form-II by heating to 140°C. Another structure change (Form-III) occurs after the δ-form specimens were heated to 180°C followed by cooling below the glass transition temperature Tg. However, upon cooling the specimens slowly (0,2°C/min) from above T(1), Form-III results.
Authoritarian Physicians And Patients’ Fear Of Being Labeled ‘Difficult’ Among Key Obstacles To Shared Decision Making

Relatively little is known about why some patients are reluctant to engage in a collaborative discussion with physicians about their choices in health care. To explore this issue further, we conducted six focus-group sessions with forty-eight people in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the focus groups, we found that participants voiced a strong desire to engage in shared decision making about treatment options with their physicians. However, several obstacles inhibit those discussions. These include the fact that even relatively affluent and well-educated patients feel compelled to conform to socially sanctioned roles and defer to physicians during clinical consultations; that physicians can be authoritarian; and that the fear of being categorized as "difficult" prevents patients from participating more fully in their own health care. We argue that physicians may not be aware of a need to create a safe environment for open communication to facilitate shared decision making. Rigorous measures of patient engagement, and of the degree to which health care decisions truly reflect patient preferences, are needed to advance shared decision making in clinical practice.
Body Size and Prostate Cancer

Anthropometry deals with the comparative measurements of the human body and its associated parts which is widely utilized as a method of assessing human body compositions. A number of studies have been done to assess the relation of body size to prostate cancer. Investigations of the relation between body size and prostate cancer used anthropometric measurement focusing mainly on weight and measurements of obesity such as the body mass index (BMI) that is highly correlated with percent body fat. Obesity is associated with numerous endocrine changes which leads to lowered sex hormone-binding globulin that could increase testorene levels. Researchers believed that testosterone is related to prostate cancer risk. Moreover obesity is related to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Studies have supported the presence of positive association of insulin-like growth factors-1 with prostate cancer risk. However case-control studies have noted inconsistency of results on BMI which is related to both lean body mass and body fat leading to limitation of interpretation of results. In this regard inexpensive and uninvasive methods of assessing adiposity need to be developed as substitute to the commonly used BMI that has apparent shortcomings in estimating obesity.
Monads on projective spaces

Let ℰ be a vector bundle on Pn. There is a strong relationship between ℰ and its intermediate cohomology modules. In the case where ℰ has low rank, we exploit this relationship to provide various splitting criteria for ℰ. In particular, we give a splitting criterion for ℰ in terms of the vanishing of certain intermediate cohomology modules. We also show that the Horrocks-Mumford bundle is the only non-split rank two bundle on P4 with a Buchsbaum second cohomology module.
Heparin cofactor II levels do not predict the development of coronary heart disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

To the Editor: Heparin cofactor II (HCII) is a plasma glycoprotein that inactivates thrombin rapidly in the presence of dermatan sulfate or heparin.1 Although the presence of thrombin–HCII complexes in normal human plasma indicates that HCII inhibits thrombin in vivo,2 the physiological function of HCII remains unknown. Homozygous HCII-deficient mice develop thrombotic occlusion of the carotid artery faster than wild-type mice after photochemically-induced damage to the endothelium,3 suggesting that HCII might play a role in inhibiting thrombosis after arterial injury. Numerous clinical studies, however, have failed to demonstrate a convincing association between HCII deficiency and arterial or venous thrombosis.4 More recent studies suggest that individuals with higher than average HCII levels are less likely to develop …
Glucose-induced release of nitric oxide from mouse pancreatic islets as detected with nitric oxide-selective glass microelectrodes.

Nitric oxide (NO) is believed to play an important role in pancreatic islet physiology and pathophysiology. Research in this area has been hampered, however, by the use of indirect methods to measu...
Optical Extinction of Metal Spheres

Limitations on series-expansion methods for calculating the optical extinction of small metal spheres on the Mie theory are discussed. The series expansion for the extinction coefficient in powers of the particle radius is shown to be invalid in cases of greatest interest. The results of calculations based directly upon Mie’s series and upon the empirical optical constants are given for a wide range of wavelengths and particle diameters for Na, K, Rb, and Cs.
Occipital cortex ablation in adult rat causes retrograde neuronal death in the lateral geniculate nucleus that resembles apoptosis

Abstract The mechanisms of retrograde neurodegeneration following axotomy and target deprivation in the adult central nervous system remain poorly understood. We used a unilateral occipital cortex ablation model in adult rats to test the hypothesis that retrograde neurodegeneration in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus resembles apoptosis. Using the retrograde tracer Fluorogold, combined with nuclear dyes or the terminal transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate–biotin nick end labeling method for detecting nuclear DNA fragmentation, apoptotic geniculocortical projection neurons were identified at approximately six to seven days postlesion. Degeneration of dorsal lateral geniculate neurons was characterized by aberrant accumulation of perikaryal non-phosphorylated neurofilaments and, ultrastructurally, by early vacuolation and subsequent swelling of dendrites. Ultrastructural alterations in the perikaryon of dying dorsal lateral geniculate neurons included the classic chromatolytic response, with redistribution of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and dispersion of free ribosomes followed by fragmentation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, as well as dilatation and vesiculation of the Golgi, and accumulation of intact mitochondria. Subcellular alterations evolved into classic apoptotic changes, including progressive cytoplasmic and nuclear condensation with chromatin compaction into uniformly large round clumps, while the morphological integrity of mitochondria was preserved until late in the progression of neuronal death. Cytoplasmic and then nuclear fragments budded into the surrounding neuropil and were engulfed by oligodendrocytes. We conclude that the retrograde neurodegeneration of geniculocortical neurons in adult brain results in neuronal death which has a phenotype that closely resembles apoptosis. The morphological changes that occur during this process progress from chromatolysis through consecutive stages associated with apoptosis.
The effect of group size on public good provision in a repeated game setting

Abstract The ability to cooperate in the provision of a pubic good is analyzed in a repeated game. Holding the level of provision fixed, with quasi-linear utility we find that the critical value of the discount parameter converges to 0 in the limit. Thus, cooperation is feasible in a large market. Next, we allow the level cooperation to be adjusted optimally as the group size increases, both for a specific form of quasi-linear utility and for Cobb–Douglas utility. In each case, we find that there are admissible values of the discount parameter such that cooperation may be maintained in the limit.
Azole resistance in oropharyngeal Candida albicans strains isolated from patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

For 212 oropharyngeal isolates of Candida albicans, the fluconazole MICs for 50 and 90% of strains tested were 0.5 and 16 micrograms/ml, respectively, and those of itraconazole were 0.05 and 0.2 micrograms/ml, respectively. Of 16 isolates for which fluconazole MICs were > 64 micrograms/ml, itraconazole MICs for 14 were 6.4 micrograms/ml. Most fluconazole-resistant strains remained susceptible to itraconazole; whether itraconazole will prove effective for refractory thrush remains to be shown.
Upper esophageal sphincter and pharyngoesophageal motor function in infants with and without gastroesophageal reflux

Abstract Upper esophageal sphincter and pharyngeal motor function were assessed in 16 infants with gastroesophageal reflux and 11 age-matched control infants. Resting upper esophageal sphincter pressure in gastroesophageal reflux infants was 26.6 ± 10.0 cmH 2 O (x ± SD) and was similar to that of control infants (28.9 ± 10.0 cmH 2 O). Pharyngeal contraction amplitude, duration, and velocity were the same in control and reflux subjects. A minor degree of incoordination between pharyngeal contraction and upper esophageal sphincter relaxation was noted in 2 control subjects and 2 infants with gastroesophageal reflux. Esophageal acidification produced an increase in mean upper esophageal sphincter resting pressure of 10.0 cmH 2 O in controls and 11.1 cmH 2 O in reflux patients.
COUPLED CONTINUUM-DISCRETE MODEL FOR SATURATED GRANULAR SOILS

A coupled hydromechanical model was used to analyze the mesoscale pore fluid flow and microscale solid phase deformation of saturated granular soils. The fluid motion was idealized using averaged Navier-Stokes equations, and the discrete element method was employed to model the assemblage of solid particles. The fluid-particle interactions were quantified using established semiempirical relationships. Simulations were conducted to investigate the three-dimensional response of sandy deposits when subjected to critical and overcritical upward pore fluid flow. These simulations revealed complex response patterns after the onset of quicksand conditions and provided valuable insight into the associated mechanisms. The employed model provides an effective tool to assess the microscale mechanisms and characteristics of the partially drained response of saturated granular media.
Intellectual property in cyberspace-what technological/legislative tools are necessary for building a sturdy global information infrastructure?

In order to accommodate the increased Internet traffic of the past several years, the infrastructure of the Internet has grown, and has subsequently become more and more complex. The technological subtleties of expanding the Internet are not the only nor even the greatest problems associated with the growing cyberspace population, however. More troubling (to the Internet pioneers and purists) are the different visions these new Internet users have for the building of the global information infrastructure of the future. Businessmen, politicians, and entrepreneurs see in the Internet the potential for a rapid-fire global marketplace; but in this digital world, content would have to be tightly controlled. This is a world far different from the highly unregulated infant Internet, in which the free-flow of information was of fundamental importance. There is now a palpable tension, therefore, between the users and the providers of information on the Internet. The providers require measures to protect their property and users desire, at the very minimum, "fair use" of the content they download from the Internet. Aside from a few militant Internet aficionados, most people agree that some regulatory devices should he implemented in order to protect intellectual property on the Internet to some extent. How then, can intellectual property owners assert some control over their property in the digital world without impinging upon users basic rights? There are two main ways by which owners can hope to exert some control over their property on the Internet.
THIN SPUTTERED GLASS AS A PERMEATION BARRIER FOR PLASMA POLYMER SHELLS

We have successfully sputter coated sub-micron layers of quartz onto plasma polymer shells. An agitation mechanism based on an electromagnetic shaker was used. Coatings as thin as 0.4 μm that retain their integrity have been deposited. These coatings have permeation rates against helium at room temperature that are similar to those of thermal quartz. However, the permeation rates to D 2 and argon of coatings thinner than 2 μm are higher than expected. In contrast, coatings thicker than 2 μm had D 2 half-lives that were long enough to make them useful as a permeation barrier. Diffusion along grain boundaries or through pinholes is a likely reason for the high permeation rates through the thinner coatings. Because plasma polymer becomes thermally unstable near 300°C, these composite shells have to be filled at a maximum temperature of 250°C.
Pre-reply probe and route request tail: approaches for calculation of intra-flow contention in multihop wireless networks

Several applications have been envisioned for multihop wireless networks that require different qualities of service from the network. In order to support such applications, the network must control the admission of flows. To make an admission decision for a new flow, the expected bandwidth consumption of the flow must be correctly determined. Due to the shared nature of the wireless medium, nodes along a multihop path contend among themselves for access to the medium. This leads to intra-flow contention; contention between packets of the same flow forwarded by different hops along a multihop path, resulting in an increase in the actual bandwidth consumption of the flow to a multiple of its single hop bandwidth requirement. Determining the amount of intra-flow contention is non-trivial since interfering nodes may not be able to communicate directly if they are outside each other's transmission range. In this paper we examine methods to determine the extent of intra-flow contention along multihop paths in both reactive and proactive routing environments. The highlight of the solutions is that carrier-sensing data is used to deduce information about carrier-sensing neighbors, and no high power transmissions are necessary. Analytical and simulation results show that our methods estimate intra-flow contention with low error, while significantly reducing overhead, energy consumption and latency as compared to previous approaches.
Extension of Kaplan-Meier methods in observational studies with time-varying treatment

Abstract Objectives Inverse probability of treatment weighted Kaplan-Meier estimates have been developed to compare two treatments in the presence of confounders in observational studies. Recently, stabilized weights were developed to reduce the influence of extreme inverse probability of treatment-weighted weights in estimating treatment effects. The objective of this research was to use adjusted Kaplan-Meier estimates and modified log-rank and Wilcoxon tests to examine the effect of a treatment that varies over time in an observational study. Methods We proposed stabilized weight adjusted Kaplan-Meier estimates and modified log-rank and Wilcoxon tests when the treatment was time-varying over the follow-up period. We applied these new methods in examining the effect of an anti-platelet agent, clopidogrel, on subsequent events, including bleeding, myocardial infarction, and death after a drug-eluting stent was implanted into a coronary artery. In this population, clopidogrel use may change over time based on a patient's behavior (e.g., nonadherence) and physicians' recommendations (e.g., end of duration of therapy). Consequently, clopidogrel use was treated as a time-varying variable. Results We demonstrate that 1) the sample sizes at three chosen time points are almost identical in the original and weighted datasets; and 2) the covariates between patients on and off clopidogrel were well balanced after stabilized weights were applied to the original samples. Conclusions The stabilized weight-adjusted Kaplan-Meier estimates and modified log-rank and Wilcoxon tests are useful in presenting and comparing survival functions for time-varying treatments in observational studies while adjusting for known confounders.
Mouse papillomavirus MmuPV1 infects oral mucosa and preferentially targets the base of the tongue.

Abstract In 2010, a new mouse papillomavirus, MmuPV1, was discovered in a colony of NMRI- Foxn1 nu /Foxn1 nu athymic mice in India. This finding was significant because it was the first papillomavirus to be found in a laboratory mouse. In this paper we report successful infections of both dorsal and ventral surfaces of the rostral tongues of outbred athymic nude mice. We also report the observation that the base of the tongue, the area of the tongue often targeted by cancer-associated high-risk papillomavirus infections in humans, is especially susceptible to infection. A suitable animal model for the study of oral papillomavirus infections, co-infections, and cancers has long been sought. The work presented here suggests that such a model is now at hand.