cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of clinician- and patient-applied mobilisation with movement technique to increase ankle dorsiflexion range of motion

Background/aims Restricted ankle dorsiflexion has the potential to cause acute and chronic injuries. One method for increasing dorsiflexion range of motion is the application of joint mobilisation ...
Formative Design and Evaluation of a Responsive eHealth/mHealth Intervention for Positive Family Adaptation Following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

This paper describes the formative design and evaluation of a self-guided online program called “Road to Recovery” to provide education, support, and skills training for parents and caregivers of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the acute phase following injury. TBI is a leading cause of death and disability in childhood and can lead to substantial family stress and burden, particularly during the initial months post-injury. Road to Recovery directly addresses the need for resources to support families while adapting to this “new normal.” This online program was designed and developed using the Successive Approximation Model of instructional design. Formative evaluation was conducted across three phases of design, with improvements implemented following each phase. The result is a highly usable online program that is responsive to identified parent and caregiver needs.
The Historical Development of the U.S. Presidential Nominations Process

The presidential-candidate nomination process is increasingly a train wreck. Voters are now asked to sort through 15-25 candidates. Celebrity and prior name recognition are just as important or moreso than high-level experience in government. The ability to raise small donations from 65,000 donors, mainly through the internet, has become a factor one party is now using in deciding which candidates are "serious" enough to be eligible to participate in the key candidate debates. The ability to achieve early success in a few (not particularly representative) states has dramatic affects on a candidate's prospects. How did we get to this point? This piece looks at the development of the contemporary presidential nominations process. We now take for granted that this is how we select nominees for the presidential election, but we have actually been using our current system only since the 1970s. This piece explores the context and reasons for those changes in the 1970s, and shows how much the current system came about almost as a matter of accident, rather than as the conscious plan of those who re-designed the selection process. This work also contrasts the current system with the way the nominations process had been designed until the 1970s -- the system of political conventions. Seeking to rehabilitate the understanding of how that prior system worked, this piece illuminates the greater complexity and positive aspects of the convention nominating process. The main aim of this work is to destabilize the notion that there is anything "natural" or inherent to democracy about the way we currently select nominees of the major parties for the presidency. This work is a chapter in a forthcoming 2020 book entitled The Best Candidate: Presidential Nomination in Polarized Times. The book reflects current unease with the nominations process and ideas about how critical element in our elections might be better designed.
Fecal microbiota transplants: A review of emerging clinical data on applications, efficacy, and risks (2015–2020)

As the importance of the gut microbiota in health and disease is a subject of growing interest, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was suggested as an attractive therapeutic strategy to restore homeostasis of the gut microbiota, thereby treating diseases that were associated with alteration of the gut microbiota. FMT involves the administration of fresh, frozen, or dried fecal microorganisms from the gut of a healthy donor into the intestinal tract of a patient. This rediscovery of the potential benefits of an ancient practice was accompanied by a rapid progression of our understanding of the roles and mechanisms of gut microbes in the pathogenesis of disease. With a growing number of diseases being associated with dysbiosis or the alteration of gut microbiota, FMT was suggested as an attractive therapeutic strategy to “reset the gut” and initiate clinical resolutions or remissions. The number of FMT clinical trials is increasing worldwide, but no trials are registered in the Gulf region; this suggested the need for raising awareness of the latest studies on FMT. This review presented the emergent preclinical and clinical data to give an overview of the potential clinical applications, the benefits, and inconveniences that were worth considering for eventual future testing of fecal transplants in Qatar and the Middle East. This study highlighted the diversity of methods tested and commented on the variables that can affect the assessment of the effectiveness of FMT in specific diseases. The risks associated with FMT and the threat of antimicrobial resistance for this therapeutic approach were reviewed. From gastrointestinal diseases to neurodevelopmental disorders, understanding the roles of the gut microbiota in health and disease should be at the heart of developing novel, standardized, yet personalized, methods for this ancient therapeutic approach.
Pre-existing immune status associated with response to combination of sipuleucel-T and ipilimumab in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Background Sipuleucel-T is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved autologous cellular immunotherapy that improves survival in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We examined whether administering ipilimumab after sipuleucel-T could modify immune and/or clinical responses to this treatment. Methods A total of 50 patients with mCRPC were enrolled into a clinical trial (NCT01804465, ClinicalTrials.gov) where they received ipilimumab either immediately or delayed 3 weeks following completion of sipuleucel-T treatment. Blood was collected at various timepoints of the study. Luminex assay for anti-prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and anti-PA2024-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and ELISpot for interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production against PAP and PA2024 were used to assess antigen-specific B and T cell responses, respectively. Clinical response was defined as >30% reduction in serum prostate-specific antigen levels compared with pretreatment levels. The frequency and state of circulating immune cells were determined by mass cytometry by time-of-flight and statistical scaffold analysis. Results We found the combination to be well tolerated with no unexpected adverse events occurring. The timing of ipilimumab did not significantly alter the rates of antigen-specific B and T cell responses, the primary endpoint of the clinical trial. Clinical responses were observed in 6 of 50 patients, with 3 having responses lasting longer than 3 months. The timing of ipilimumab did not significantly associate with clinical response or toxicity. The combination treatment did induce CD4 and CD8 T cell activation that was most pronounced with the immediate schedule. Lower frequencies of CTLA-4 positive circulating T cells, even prior to treatment, were associated with better clinical outcomes. Interestingly, these differences in CTLA-4 expression were associated with prior localized radiation therapy (RT) to the prostate or prostatic fossa. Prior radiation treatment was also associated with improved radiographic progression-free survival. Conclusion Combining CTLA-4 blockade with sipuleucel-T resulted in modest clinical activity. The timing of CTLA-4 blockade following sipuleucel-T did not alter antigen-specific responses. Clinical responses were associated with both lower baseline frequencies of CTLA-4 expressing T cells and a history of RT. Prior cancer therapy may therefore result in long-lasting immune changes that influence responsiveness to immunotherapy with sipuleucel-T and anti-CTLA-4.
Why we are not all novelists

In this chapter I consider one of the necessary conditions for being a novelist, the ability to open up and sustain a fictional world. My approach will draw from psychopathology, phenomenology and neuroscience. Using the phenomenological concept of “multiple realities,” I argue that the novelist is in some ways like and in some ways unlike someone who experiences delusions insofar as the novelist can enter into a sustained engagement with an alternative reality. I suggest, however, that, compared with the delusional subject, the novelist has better control of the mechanisms that allow for this sustained engagement.
The Unexamined Meal is Not Worth Eating

(2006). The Unexamined Meal is Not Worth Eating. Food, Culture & Society: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 201-219.
Leveraging Static Analysis in an IDE

In recent years, Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) have risen from nicety to an essential part of most programming language tool-chains. Indeed, they are widely seen as critical to the widespread adoption of a new programming language. This is due in part to the emergence of a higher-level dialogue between a developer and his code, made possible by advanced tooling that aids in navigating, understanding, and manipulating code. In turn, much of this advanced tooling relies heavily on various forms of static analysis.
Optimization of filter banks based on properties of the input signal

Filter banks and wavelets have found applications in signal compression, noise removal, and in many other signal processing contexts. In this tutorial we review a number of recent results on the optimization of filter banks based on the knowledge of the input. The main emphasis will be the minimization of error due to subband quantization, and its connection to principal component reconstruction. Both uniform and nonuniform filter banks are considered.
Power transistor switching characterization

The switching properties of power transistors are investigated. The devices studied were housed in IO-3 cases and were of an n(+)-p-n(-)-n(+) vertical dopant structure. The effects of the magnitude of the reverse-base current and temperature on the reverse-bias second breakdown characteristics are discussed. Brief discussions of device degradation due to second breakdown and of a constant voltage turn-off circuit are included. A description of a vacuum tube voltage clamp circuit which reduces clamped collector voltage overshoot is given.
High performance low power video compression techniques for future digital video solution

This paper presents a comprehensive solution for future digital video techniques with the constraints of timing, memory storage and power dissipation such that the quality of video and/or image is still maintained. Our contributions in this paper include: (i) software codec techniques such as fixed-point YUV components, factorized DCT, various DCT block sizes based on the quad tree data structure algorithm for the propose of reducing the complexity of the computations, increasing compression ratio, improving the performance, and (ii) hardware codec techniques such as compiler technique, software synthesis, and dynamic voltage scaling incorporated in the hardware design procedures. Our benchmark results show that for an intra-frame with a 352/spl times/288 image size, 3157 frames can be processed in 22.23 seconds - almost 6/spl times/ faster than the commercial MPEG2 in the Linux GCC environment in the Pentium III 866 MHz laptops. Furthermore, the power consumption is reduced by 23% due to the techniques of dynamic voltage scaling incorporated in the hardware design.
Anti-HLA alloantibodies in surgical patients refractory to platelet transfusion

Alloimmune platelet refractoriness (alloPR) among actively bleeding surgical patients with thrombocytopenia represents a life-threatening problem. Here we present three cases in which surgical bleeding was complicated by life-threatening thrombocytopenia and alloPR. We demonstrate that the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) antibodies associated with alloPR are broadly reactive and in high concentration, are not removed by hemodilution, and are not absorbed by transfusion of multiple doses of platelet concentrates. HLA alloPR may be under-recognized among surgical patients. Research is needed to develop pre-operative screening methods that will identify patients in need of specialized platelet support using HLA compatible donor products.
Genetic variation over 10,000 years in Ctenomys: comparative phylochronology provides a temporal perspective on rarity, environmental change and demography.

An understanding of how ecological traits influence past species response to environmental change can aid our future predictions of species persistence. We used ancient DNA and serial coalescent modelling in a hypothesis-testing framework to reveal differences in temporal genetic variation over 10 000 years for two species of subterranean rodents that currently differ in rarity (abundance, range size and habitat specificity) and mating system, but that reside in the same volcanically active region. Comparative phylochronologic analyses indicated little genetic change and suggest genetic stability in the solitary widespread Ctenomys haigi over thousands of years. In contrast, we found a pattern of haplotypic turnover in the rare and currently endangered Ctenomys sociabilis. Serial coalescent modelling indicated that the best-fit models of microevolutionary change included gene flow between isolated populations for this species. Although C. haigi and C. sociabilis are congeners that share many life history traits, they have behavioural, habitat-preference and population-size differences that may have resulted in contrasting patterns of temporal variation during periods of environmental change.
Experimental and analytical study of SIMCON tension members

Abstract The strength and ductility of slurry infiltrated mat concrete (SIMCON) tension members were investigated both experimentally and analytically to construct a mechanical model for simulating tensile force–displacement relationships. In addition to standard strength testing, special tests were conducted on tension specimens with preset cracks to determine the interaction between steel fibers and the cement matrix near an opening crack. These tests were conducted on two sets of preset-crack specimens: (i) with symmetrically inclined fibers and (ii) with aligned fibers having variable debonded lengths on each side of the crack. Using measured bridging forces of inclined fibers, an efficiency factor of plane random fibers, compared to aligned fibers, was determined to be approximately 0.58. It was found that the ductility of SIMCON mainly stems from plastic deformation of steel fibers rather than fiber pull-out. SIMCON tensile response was characterized by elastic, nonlinear hardening and softening regimes. The hardening response was notch insensitive without multiple crack formation. In the elastic regime, only minute stiffness reduction was observed. The nonlinear hardening regime was characterized by internal damage growth without visible crack formation and ended with the appearance of a co-linear set of partial cracks. The softening regime was described by a localized failure of fibers with variable failure strains at the co-linear cracks. Based upon the experimental observation that a co-linear set of partial cracks form at the ultimate composite stress, upper and lower bounds of the SIMCON stress–strain relation in the hardening regimes were obtained.
Phase I study of phenylacetate administered twice daily to patients with cancer

Background. The growth-inhibiting and differentiating effects of sodium phenylacetate against hematopoietic and solid tumor cell lines has aroused clinical interest in its use as an anticancer drug. In an earlier Phase I trial of phenylacetate aimed at maintaining serum drug concentrations in the range that proved active in vitro (>250 μg/ml) for 2 consecutive weeks, infusion rates approached the maximum velocity of drug elimination and commonly resulted in drug accumulation and reversible dose-limiting neurologic toxicity. In this study, the authors described the nonlinear pharmacokinetics, metabolism, toxicity, and clinical activity of phenylacetate. Methods. The treatment regimen of this Phase I study was designed to expose patients intermittently to drug concentrations exceeding 250 μg/ml and to allow time for drug elimination to occur between doses to minimize accumulation. Sodium phenylacetate was administered as a 1-hour infusion twice daily (8 a.m., 5 p.m.) at two dose levels of 125 and 150 mg/kg for a 2-week period. Therapy was repeated at 4-week intervals for patients who did not experience dose-limiting toxicity or disease progression. Results. Eighteen patients (4 of whom previously were treated with phenylacetate by continuous intravenous infusion) received 27 cycles of therapy. Detailed pharmacokinetic studies for eight patients indicated that phenylacetate induced its own clearance by a factor of 27% in a 2-week period. Dose-limiting toxicity, consisting of reversible central nervous system depression, was observed for three patients at the second dose level. One patient with refractory malignant glioma had a partial response, and one with hormone-independent prostate cancer achieved a 50% decline in prostate specific antigen level, which was maintained for 1 month. Conclusions. Phenylacetate administered at a dose of 125 mg/kg twice daily for 2 consecutive weeks is well tolerated. High grade gliomas and advanced prostate cancer are reasonable targets for Phase II clinical trials. Cancer 1995;75:2932–8.
Imaging of basement control of shallow deformation: Application to Forth Worth Basin

By definition, the focus of seismic exploration for hydrocarbons is to directly image structural, stratigraphic, and diagenetic features in the ‘soft’ sedimentary sequence. However, understanding the geologic processes that gave rise to these shallow features often requires an understanding of the structural deformation of the more ‘rigid’ basement. In our study area from the Fort Worth Basin of North Texas we see on pre-existing pre-stack time migrated sections that the shallow faulting appears to be basement controlled. In neighboring surveys, there is some question as to whether the collapse features in the sedimentary section are controlled by what appear to be rhombochasms in the basement, or whether these rhombochasms are a velocity push down artifact due to infill of the collapse features by a slower velocity material. In this paper we apply a suite of migration schemes ranging from simple stack to prestack depth migration to evaluate the importance of velocity-depth models and imaging algorithm on illuminating basement control.
High-speed FPS vidicon camera

A new high-speed, high-resolution electrostatic deflection vidicon camera for use with high-definition diode electron gun focus projection and scan (FPS) vidicons has been designed and partially developed. It is asynchronously resettable to permit time-phased synchronization with randomly occurring transient optical events. Programmable rasters allow selection of nonstandard variable size and speed formats for specific imaging aspect ratios and readout requirements. Readout rates as high as 625 Hz (1.6 ms field period) with 256 scan lines per field with limiting resolution >= 20 lp/mm and dynamic range >= 200:1 from Plumbicon (PbO) and Saticon (Se-As-Te) targets are presented. Charge equilibrium problems resulting in superlinear transfer characteristics from transient low intensity pulsed illumination are discussed. Camera circuitry and potential scientific and medical applications are included.
Laboratory study of beam quality in an image-rotating optical parametric oscillators

We performed laboratory and numerical studies of optical parametric oscillators with 90° intracavity image rotation. We found the signal beam was more symmetric than that from comparable cavities without image rotation, and it had low values of M2.
Fabric map for kaolinite: effects of pH and ionic concentration on behavior

The behavior of fine-grained mineral systems is dependent on pore-fluid characteristics. The systematic analysis of previously published studies supports the development of a fabric map in the pH and ionic concentration space as a working hypothesis. This conceptual study is complemented with an extensive battery of tests where surface charge and particle interactions are controlled through pore-fluid characteristics. The macro-scale tests include sedimentation, viscosity and liquid limit, and involve a wide range of solid volume fractions (suspension to sediment) and strain levels. Experimental results permit the development of an updated fabric map on the pH-ionic concentration space which takes into consideration all experimental results. The fabric map is structured around a critical pH level and a threshold ionic concentration beyond which van der Waals attraction prevails.
Experimental Measurements of Fluence Distribution in a UV Reactor Using Fluorescent Microspheres

One concern with current techniques of UV reactor validation is that they provide only a measure of the mean UV fluence. In this research, the actual fluence distribution of a UV reactor is measured through the use of photochemically active fluorescent microspheres. Experimental tests were performed in a pilot-scale monochromatic UV 254 nm reactor operated at two flow rates. Analysis of the fluorescence intensity decay was performed using collimated beam experiments for determination of decay rate kinetics. A stochastic hierarchal process involving Bayesian statistics, and the Markov chain Monte Carlo integration technique was used to correlate the microsphere fluorescence intensity distribution to the UV fluence distribution. The experimental UV fluence distribution was compared with the fluence distribution predicted using a computational fluid dynamics model. The results showed that the fluorescent microspheres measured a wider distribution of UV fluences with a flow rate of 3 gpm than with 7.5 gpm. The principal differences between the modeled and the measured distribution were in the low UV fluences where the microspheres predicted lower fluence levels than the model. The use of microspheres is demonstrated as a novel technique for measurement of the fluence distribution in UV reactors. This technique has both fundamental and practical implications for reactor evaluation and testing and could improve confidence in the future use of mathematical models for UV reactor characterization. It also serves as a complement to biodosimetry testing by providing greater insights regarding reactor behavior and validation.
Bathymetry (Part I), sedimentary regimes (Part II), and abyssal waste-disposal potential near the conterminous United States

Abstract Placing waste on the seafloor, with the intention that it remain in place and isolated from mankind, requires a knowledge of the environmental factors that may be applicable to a specific seafloor area. DBDB5 (Digital Bathymetric Database gridded at 5′ latitude by 5′ longitude cell dimension) is used here for regional assessments of seafloor depth, slope, and relief at five surrogate abyssal waste sites; two each in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific, and one in the Gulf of Mexico. Only Pacific-1 exhibits a `high' slope (2°) by DBDB5 standards, whereas the remaining sites are located on almost level seafloor. Detailed examination of the sites using multibeam-based contour sheets show the area around Atlantic-1 to be a featureless plain. Atlantic-2 and both Pacific sites are surrounded by abyssal hill topography, with local slopes ranging from greater than 6° at all sites to above 15° at Pacific-2. Neither Pacific site features a seafloor as `flat' as at Atlantic-1 or at the Gulf of Mexico site. Locating waste sites on sedimented slopes could have serious consequences due to catastrophic slope failure and downslope displacement of waste by mass sediment-transport processes. Neither slumping nor sliding are perceived as critical processes affecting the surrogate sites because of their locations on negligibly sloping seafloors. However, debris flows and turbidity currents are capable of transporting large volumes of sediment for long distances over low gradients and, in the case of turbidity currents, at great speed. Dispersal of loose waste material by these processes is virtually assured, but less likely if the waste is bagged. The turbidity current problem is alleviated (but not eliminated) by locating waste sites on distal portions of abyssal plains. Both Pacific sites are surrounded by abyssal hills and, in the case of Pacific-2, far beyond the reach of land-derived turbidity currents. Thin sediment cover and low rates of sedimentation have also resulted in highly stable slope (abyssal hill) deposits. Hence, the probability of locally derived, small-volume flows is low at these sites. Existing high sea levels have also resulted in a worldwide decrease in turbidity current activity relative to glacial times when sea levels were much lower.
Shared Neurobiological Pathways Between Type 2 Diabetes and Depressive Symptoms: a Review of Morphological and Neurocognitive Findings

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients are twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms than people without T2D, resulting in greater economic burden, worse clinical outcomes, and reduced quality of life. Several overlapping pathophysiological processes including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity, sympathetic nervous system activation, and elevated pro-inflammatory biomarkers are recognized as playing a role between T2D and depressive symptoms. However, other neurobiological mechanisms that may help to further link these comorbidities have not been extensively reviewed. Reduced neuroplasticity in brain regions sensitive to stress (e.g., hippocampus) may be associated with T2D and depressive symptoms. T2D patients demonstrate reduced neuroplasticity including morphological/volumetric abnormalities and subsequent neurocognitive deficits, similar to those reported by patients with depressive symptoms. This review aims to summarize recent studies on morphological/volumetric abnormalities in T2D and correlated neurocognitive deficits. Modifying factors that contribute to reduced neuroplasticity will also be discussed. Integrating reduced neuroplasticity with other biological correlates of T2D and depressive symptoms could enhance future therapeutic interventions and further disentangle the bidirectional associations between these comorbidities.
Catabolism of Phospholipids by Chicken Seminal Components After Storage

Abstract The possibility of an activation of chicken spermatozoal phospholipase A2 during in vitro storage of undiluted semen was investigated. After storage for periods up to 24 hr at 5 C, the ability of semen to catabolize added phosphatidylcholine labeled on the 2nd carbon of glycerol with 14C oleic acid was assessed. Neither spermatozoa nor plasma from undiluted chicken semen was found to be capable of catabolizing added 14C labeled phosphatidylcholine, regardless of the storage period. No enzyme activity was evident when fresh semen was incubated under various assay conditions to determine the influence of cholic acid, calcium, and the type of phospholipid substrate on phospholipase A2 activity. The influence of spermatozoal protease activation on phospholipase A2 activity from undiluted chicken semen and from Naja naja naja was also investigated and found to have no influence on phospholipase A2 activity.
A knowledge-based framework for dynamic semantic Web services brokering and management

The concept of automating Web services, specifically the brokering activities, is an active research topic. We need a comprehensive and overarching framework that handles the discovery, differentiation, negotiation and selection processing within the context of workflow management, and addresses the issues related to virtual organizations. The goal is to add semantics to Web services to endow them with capabilities currently lacking in the literature, but necessary for their successful deployment in future systems. This paper references how such a framework, called the KDSWS framework, addresses in an integrated end-to-end manner, the life-cycle of activities involved in brokering and managing semantic Web services. The following issues are addressed: semantic specification of services' capabilities; brokering the services, workflow management, resource management, interoperation and evolution of the virtual organization.
Optical modeling of the internal back reflectance of various c-Si dielectric stacks featuring AlO x , SiN x , TiO 2 and SiO 2

One promising path to a reduced cost of crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaics (PV) is to increase silicon usage efficiency by using thinner wafers. Many challenges arise when transitioning to thin wafer cells, including increased surface recombination at the rear side of the cell, increased wafer bowing, and a reduction in optical absorption due to a decreased optical path length within the silicon. Rear side passivation provides great promise in addressing these challenges. This paper addresses rear side dielectric configurations that can optimize back surface reflectance, in addition to providing excellent surface passivation. Optical modeling of various stack configurations is examined to explore the back surface reflectance at the Si-dielectric interface for different film combinations and thicknesses as a function of wavelength and internal angle of incidence. Specifically, configurations using aluminum oxide (AlO x ), silicon nitride (SiN x ), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), and silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) were investigated with a focus on designing stack configurations that will also allow for high quality passivation and are compatible with a high-volume manufacturing environment.
The effect of organic acids on gelation characteristics of protein gels made from silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) protein recovered by isoelectric solubilization and precipitation

Isoelectric solubilization and precipitation (ISP), a protein recovery process, was applied to ground, headed and gutted silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) at both acidic and basic solubilization pH values using either glacial acetic acid (AA) or a combination of formic and lactic acid (FL pastes presented with endothermic reactions typical of non-denatured protein. Protein solubilized using AA and FL therefore, potential exists for its use as a high quality protein source.
Dietary modification in patients with prostate cancer on active surveillance: a randomized, multicentre feasibility study.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a diet-based intervention in men with prostate cancer on active surveillance, as changes in diet might potentially inhibit the progression of prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS As part of the Men’s Eating and Living (MEAL) Study (a multicentre pilot trial of a diet-based intervention for prostate cancer) 43 men aged 50–80 years with prostate cancer and on active surveillance were randomized to receive either telephone-based dietary counselling or standardized, written nutritional information. Telephone counselling targets included increased intakes of vegetables (particularly cruciferous vegetables and tomato products), whole grains, and beans/legumes. Dietary intakes and plasma carotenoid levels were assessed at baseline and at after 6 months. RESULTS In the intervention arm the mean daily intakes of total vegetables, crucifers and tomato products increased by 71%, 180% and 265%, respectively (P < 0.05); in the control arm there were no significant changes in mean intakes of these components. Similarly, in the intervention arm, mean plasma levels of α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein, lycopene and total carotenoids increased by 37%, 32%, 23%, 30% and 25%, respectively (P < 0.05); in the control arm there were no significant changes in plasma levels of these components. There were no significant changes in either group in whole grain, beans/legumes, or fat intake. CONCLUSIONS Telephone-based dietary counselling increases vegetable intake and plasma concentrations of potentially anticarcinogenic carotenoids in men with prostate cancer on active surveillance. These data support the feasibility of implementing clinical trials of diet-based interventions in this population.
The interaction of an atom with electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations in the presence of a pair of perfectly conducting plates

The interaction of an atom with the electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations in the space between a pair of parallel, perfectly conducting plates is investigated. The retarded Van der Waals potential between the atom and the plates is calculated. The extent to which the atom may be regarded as measuring the expectation value of quantities which are quadratic in the field operators is discussed. A heuristic treatment of the effect of the plates on the Lamb shift is also given.
Land-Based Birds as Potential Disseminators of Avian/Mammalian Reassortant Influenza A Viruses

Abstract Chickens, quail, and other land-based birds are extensively farmed around the world. They have been recently implicated in zoonotic outbreaks of avian influenza in Hong Kong. The possibility that land-based birds could act as mixing vessels or disseminators of avian/mammalian reassortant influenza A viruses with pandemic potential has not been evaluated. In this report, we investigated whether chickens and Japanese quail are susceptible to a mammalian influenza virus (A/swine/Texas/4199-2/98 [H3N2]). This virus did not grow in chickens and replicated to low levels in Japanese quail but did not transmit. Replacing the H3 gene of this virus for one of the avian H9 viruses resulted in transmission of the avian/swine reassortant virus among quail but not among chickens. Our findings demonstrated that Japanese quail could provide an environment in which viruses like the A/swine/Texas/4199-2/98 [H3N2] virus could further reassort and generate influenza viruses with pandemic potential.
A fibre optic Fresnel ratio meter for measurements of solute concentration and refractive index change in fluids

A new and simple normalization technique that greatly enhances the measurement resolution of conventional fibre-optic reflectometry based on Fresnel reflection from the tip of a fibre is used for demonstrating the feasibility of measuring solute concentrations and index changes in fluids to very high precision. The amplitude of pulses originating from reflection from the fibre?fluid interface is compared in real time with the amplitude of reference pulses from a fibre?air interface such that errors caused by pulse amplitude fluctuations and slightly varying detector responses are corrected. Using solutions of sodium chloride and water, it is demonstrated that the technique is capable of measuring index changes of 2 ? 10?5 corresponding to a NaCl concentration of 0.02%.
The problem of external mixing in isobaric analog resonances

Abstract External mixing in isobaric analog resonances is studied within the frame-work of R-matrix theory in the many-channel case and the general behavior of the enhancement of the T
Thermodynamic properties of fluids near the critical point, as interpreted by a simplified renormalization theory and the self-limitation of fluctuations

Abstract The simplified renormalization theory has been applied to fluids and generalized so that it can be used elsewhere than on the critical isochore. A general expression for the correlation has been found, and applied to the critical isotherm to get the critical exponent δ. The equation of state is shown to be consistent with that used in our previous discussion of the self-limitation of fluctuations. The coexistence curve and the equation of state in the metastable region below the coexistence curve have been examined, and the pressure has been found to become infinite along a curve which has the same critical exponent as the coexistence curve. There is no ordinary spinodal. In the last section a correction is made to one of our papers on the self-limitation of fluctuations. It is found that the feedback of the fluctuations on the compressibility is large, and the actual inverse compressibility is a small difference between the original value and the correction. This is discussed in the light of the simplified renormalization theory and the self-limitation of fluctuations.
THE IMPACT OF CAR AVAILABILITY ON URBAN TRANSPORTATION BEHAVIOR

Travel demand estimates that derive from the traditional sequential process often derive their values from some consideration of household car ownership. This variable may be misleading in that not all who live in households with cars may have access to a car; conversely, not all in households without cars are captive solely to other modes.
Forms of Iron in Meats Cured with Nitrite and Erythorbate

Solubility, valence, and complexation of iron were measured in four different processed meats cured with or without 156 ppm sodium nitrite and with or without 550 ppm sodium erythorbate (d-isoascorbate). Nitrite caused less ionic iron and erythorbate caused more ferrous and soluble iron after a conventional curing process. Heme iron levels were unchanged. No changes were detected in vacuum packed meats after 160 days at -40 or after 14 days at 5°C. Exposure to air at 5°C depleted ferrous iron and oxidized erythorbate. Boiling for 15 min doubled complexed iron in all four meat formulations. The forms of iron in processed meat depended on the curing ingredients as well as air and heat exposure.
Assembly of vimentin in vitro and its implications concerning the structure of intermediate filaments

After dialysis against 10 mM-Tris-acetate (pH 8.5), vimentin that has been purified in the presence of urea is present in the form of tetrameric 2 to 3 nm X 48 nm rods known as protofilaments. These building blocks in turn polymerize into intermediate filaments (10 to 12 nm diameter) when they are dialyzed against a solution of physiological ionic strength and pH. By varying the ionic conditions under which polymerization takes place, we have identified two classes of assembly intermediates whose structures provide clues as to how an intermediate filament may be constructed. The structure of the first class, seen when assembly takes place at 10 to 20 mM-salt at pH 8.5, strongly suggests that one of the initial steps of filament assembly is the association of protofilaments into pairs with a half-unit axial stagger. Increasing the ionic strength of the assembly buffer leads to the emergence of short, full-width intermediate filaments at approximately 50 mM-salt at pH 8.5. In the presence of additional protofilaments, these short filaments elongate to many micrometers when the ionic strength and pH are further adjusted to physiological levels. The electron microscope images of the assembly intermediates suggest that vimentin-containing intermediate filaments are made up of eight protofilaments, assembled such that there is an approximately 22 nm axial stagger between neighboring protofilaments. We propose that this half-unit staggering of protofilaments is a fundamental feature of intermediate filament structure and assembly, and that it could account for the 20 to 22 nm axial repeat seen in all intermediate filaments examined so far.
Dynamics of Laminar Premixed Flames Forced by Harmonic Velocity Disturbances

This paper describes the dynamics of constant-burning-velocity premixed flames responding to harmonic velocity disturbances. Results are derived from analytical and computational solutions of the nonlinear G equation and compared with available experimental data. It is shown that the flame dynamics are controlled by the superposition of two waves propagating along the flame sheet: those originating at the flame-anchoring point and from flow nonuniformities along the flame. They may either constructively or destructively superpose, and so the overall linear flame response depends upon two Strouhal numbers, St 2 and Stc, related to the amount of time taken for a flow (St c ) and flame-front (St 2 ) disturbance to propagate the flame length, normalized by the acoustic period. The nonlinear flame response is controlled by flame propagation normal to itself, which smoothens out the wrinkles induced by the forcing at an amplitude-dependent rate. The flame's nonlinear response is shown to exhibit two qualitatively different behaviors. For parameter values at which these disturbances constructively interfere, the nonlinear flame response saturates. When the flame disturbances destructively interfere, the nonlinear transfer function may actually exceed its linear value before saturating. This result explains experimentally observed variations of the nonlinear flame response with frequency.
A physical and transcript map of the MCOLN1 gene region on human chromosome 19p13.3-p13.2.

Mutations in MCOLN1 have been found to cause mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV; MIM 252650), a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder found primarily in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. As a part of the successful cloning of MCOLN1, we constructed a 1.4-Mb physical map containing 14 BACs and 4 cosmids that encompasses the region surrounding MCOLN1 on human chromosome 19p13.3-p13.2-a region to which linkage or association has been reported for multiple diseases. Here we detail the precise physical mapping of 28 expressed sequence tags that represent unique UniGene clusters, of which 15 are known genes. We present a detailed transcript map of the MCOLN1 gene region that includes the genes KIAA0521, neuropathy target esterase (NTE), a novel zinc finger gene, and two novel transcripts in addition to MCOLN1. We also report the identification of eight new polymorphic markers between D19S406 and D19S912, which allowed us to pinpoint the location of MCOLN1 by haplotype analysis and which will facilitate future fine-mapping in this region. Additionally, we briefly describe the correlation between the observed haplotypes and the mutations found in MCOLN1. The complete 14-marker haplotypes of non-Jewish disease chromosomes, which are crucial for the genetic diagnosis of MLIV in the non-Jewish population, are presented here for the first time.
Modified arias-stella reaction in paratubal epithelium

The Arias-Stella reaction (hyperplastic changes of the endometrial epithelium associated with cellular atypia) may be seen in uterine or extra-uterine pregnancies. I found a modified Arias-Stella reaction in paratubal epithelial cells. The fallopian tube studied was removed because of ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Although this phenomenon has not been previously reported, it is not really remarkable because of the embryological similarity of paratubal and endometrial epithelium.
On the derivation and extension of the uniquac equation

Abstract The UNIQUAC equation is derived by phenomenological arguments based on a two-fluid theory. This derivation is free of the inconsistencies which arise when a lattice one-fluid theory is used to derive UNIQUAC or any other local-composition equation. The essential step in the derivation is the adoption of Wilson's assumption that local compositions can be related to overall compositions through Boltzmann factors. In UNIQUAC, the energy terms in the Boltzmann factors are assumed identical to those in the excess energy of mixing. When the assumption of identity is replaced by the much less stringent assumption of proportionality, a three-parameter UNIQUAC equation is derived. This equation often gives a better fit of experimental data whenever all three binary paramters are freely adjusted. Upon assigning a universal value to the third parameter, only marginal improvement is obtained.
The Influence of Religiosity on Consumer Ethical Judgments and Responses Toward Sexual Appeals

This research explores the influence of religiosity on consumer perception of, and response toward, sexual appeals. The first study (survey, national sample; n = 423) examines the relationship between religiosity and consumer response toward sexual appeals using causal modeling. Study 1 finds that high intrinsic religiosity consumers exhibit more adverse ethical judgments toward the company’s use of sexual appeals and these judgments, in turn, result in inferior attitudes and purchase intent toward the advertised brand. To confirm and expand on these findings, the second study (experiment, young adult sample; n = 216) examines the influence of intrinsic religiosity on consumer response toward both sexual and nonsexual appeals. The results show that sexual appeals elicit inferior (superior) ethical judgments, attitudes, and purchase intent among consumers high (low) in intrinsic religiosity. In contrast, nonsexual appeals elicit (un)favorable responses from consumers who are (low) high in intrinsic religiosity.
Discovering Highly Potent Pore-Forming Peptides using Synthetic Molecular Evolution

There are many natural and designed peptides that permeabilize membranes, and there are multiple mechanisms by which membrane permeabilization can occur. Yet, peptides that unequivocally self-assemble into equilibrium, membrane-spanning pores at low peptide to lipid ratios (P:L1:1000) are very rare. The design and engineering of such peptide “nanopores” in lipid bilayer membranes is desirable as it could lead to improved biosensor platforms, targeted therapeutics, exogenous ion channels, or drug delivery vehicles. While the few well studied pore-forming peptides have provided a lot of information about the architecture of peptide pores, especially -helical pores, our knowledge of the fundamental molecular principles of pore formation is not detailed enough for rational engineering. This is a roadblock to the design of new pore-forming peptides and to the optimization of known pore-formers for particular applications. In this work we show how novel, highly potent, equilibrium pore-forming peptides can be discovered using synthetic molecular evolution, i.e. iterative cycles of combinatorial library design and high-throughput screening. In the first example, we used two generations of de novo library design and screening to identify highly potent pore-formers that self-assemble into -sheets in membranes. These peptides may be the only known examples of highly potent, pore-forming peptides that have -sheet secondary structure in membranes. In the second example we designed an iterative library that used the helical pore-former melittin as a template. From this library we identified gain-of-function pore-formers that are much more potent than melittin. The results demonstrate the power of synthetic molecular evolution for the discovery and engineering of membrane active peptides.
Stability Analysis of a Dynamic Surface Control for Piezoelectric Fuel Injection During Rate Shaping

Piezoelectric fuel injection provides a high bandwidth response that can be utilized in a common rail system to control injection during rate shaping. A model-based control is necessary to compensate for the nonlinearities, including the non-smoothness, in a piezoelectric fuel injector. Since the injector has a high order, a dynamic surface control was developed and simulated in MATLAB. In this paper, a stability analysis of the dynamic surface control is performed and show the stability and the guarantee of tracking performance.Copyright © 2014 by ASME