cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bromodeoxyuridine improves the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin: a comparison with 5-fluorouracil

We compared the effects of the radiosensitizers, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BUdR) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) alone and in combination and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin, DDP) on the growth of Bl6 amelanotic melanoma (Bl6a) tumors in mice. In a preliminary study, tumor growth was significantly inhibited in the presence of BUdR and was further reduced with the combination of BudR and DDP. In a second experiment, BUdR was found to be more effective than 5-FU when used in combination with DDP. At the completion of the study, tumor volumes as a percentage of control values in mice treated with a single drug were as follows: 5-FU (50 mg/kg per day for 7 days) 76.5% (P < 0.05), BUdR (100 mg/kg per day for 7 days) 68% (P < 0.05) and DDP (5 mg/kg × 3) 54% (P< 0.01). Combining 5-FU and DDP at these dosages reduced volumes to 38% (P < 0.01), while BUdR + DDP-treated mice had tumor volumes only 28% (P < 0.001) the size of untreated controls. Furthermore, the toxicity, as demonstrated by a decrease in body weight and an increase in mortality, was more severe in mice receiving 5-FU than in those receiving in BUdR. DDP interacts synergistically with either BUdR or 5-FU in its cytotoxic action in vivo. No such relationship could be demonstrated in vitro, suggesting that the pharmacologic activity of these drugs may be responsible for the antitumor activity rather than direct cytotoxic effects. We propose that BUdR is more effective than 5-FU as a potentiator of DDP in this murine melanoma model.
Endogenous RGS Protein Action Modulates μ-Opioid Signaling through Gαo EFFECTS ON ADENYLYL CYCLASE, EXTRACELLULAR SIGNAL-REGULATED KINASES, AND INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM PATHWAYS

Abstract RGS (regulators of Gprotein signaling) proteins are GTPase-activating proteins for the Gα subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins and act to regulate signaling by rapidly cycling G protein. RGS proteins may integrate receptors and signaling pathways by physical or kinetic scaffolding mechanisms. To determine whether this results in enhancement and/or selectivity of agonist signaling, we have prepared C6 cells stably expressing the μ-opioid receptor and either pertussis toxin-insensitive or RGS- and pertussis toxin-insensitive Gαo. We have compared the activation of G protein, inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, stimulation of intracellular calcium release, and activation of the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway between cells expressing mutant Gαo that is either RGS-insensitive or RGS-sensitive. The μ-receptor agonist [d-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly5-ol]enkephalin and partial agonist morphine were much more potent and/or had an increased maximal effect in inhibiting adenylyl cyclase and in activating MAPK in cells expressing RGS-insensitive Gαo. In contrast, μ-opioid agonist increases in intracellular calcium were less affected. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the GTPase-activating protein activity of RGS proteins provides a control that limits agonist action through effector pathways and may contribute to selectivity of activation of intracellular signaling pathways.
Depressive Symptoms, Social Support, and Walking Among Hispanic Older Adults

Objectives: Depressive symptoms and physical inactivity are health risks among minority older adults. This study examined whether social support moderated the relationship of depressive symptoms to walking behavior among 217 community-dwelling, Hispanic older adults. Method: Cross-sectional analyses were used to test whether different forms of social support interacted with depressive symptoms to affect both likelihood and amount of walking. Results: Analyses showed a significant interaction between depressive symptoms and instrumental support related to the likelihood of walking and a marginally significant interaction between depressive symptoms and instrumental social support related to the amount of walking. Depressive symptoms were associated with a lower likelihood and lower amount of walking among participants receiving high levels of instrumental social support (e.g., help with chores) but not low instrumental support. Emotional and informational support did not moderate the depression to walking relationship. Conclusion: Receiving too much instrumental support was related to sedentary behavior among depressed older adults.
The association of lowest hematocrit during cardiopulmonary bypass with acute renal injury after coronary artery bypass surgery

Abstract Background Acute renal injury is a common serious complication of cardiac surgery. Moderate hemodilution is thought to reduce the risk of kidney injury but the current practice of extreme hemodilution (target hematocrit 22% to 24%) during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been linked to adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery. Therefore we tested the hypothesis that lowest hematocrit during CPB is independently associated with acute renal injury after cardiac surgery. Methods Demographic, perioperative, and laboratory data were gathered for 1,404 primary elective coronary bypass surgery patients. Preoperative and daily postoperative creatinine values were measured until hospital discharge per institutional protocol. Stepwise multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to determine whether lowest hematocrit during CPB was independently associated with peak fractional change in creatinine (defined as the difference between the preoperative and peak postoperative creatinine represented as a percentage of the preoperative value). A p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results Multivariable analyses including preoperative hematocrit and other perioperative variables revealed that lowest hematocrit during CPB demonstrated a significant interaction with body weight and was highly associated with peak fractional change in serum creatinine (parameter estimate [PE] = 4.5; p = 0.008) and also with highest postoperative creatinine value (PE = 0.06; p = 0.004). Although other renal risk factors were significant covariates in both models, TM50 (an index of hypotension during CPB) was notably absent. Conclusions These results add to concerns that current CPB management guidelines accepting extreme hemodilution may contribute to postoperative acute renal and other organ injury after cardiac surgery.
Evidence for aqueous deposition of hematite-and sulfate-rich light-toned layered deposits in Aureum and Iani Chaos, Mars

[1] Two new gray hematite-rich units have been found in Aureum and Iani Chaos, Mars, using data acquired by the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer. These regions correspond with light-toned sulfate-rich deposits identified by the European Space Agency's OMEGA visible/near-IR spectrometer. Much of the light-toned material in Aureum and Iani Chaos is in the form of a capping unit similar to that seen in Aram Chaos. However, some light-toned material is also seen within the chaotic mounds, indicating that it was present before the formation of the chaotic terrains. The stratigraphy of the units in Iani and Aureum Chaos suggests that the capping and hematite-rich units must have been deposited after the formation of the chaotic terrains in the mid to late Hesperian, up to 1 Gyr after the formation of the light-toned outcrop in Meridiani Planum. The geologic contexts of these and other hematite- and sulfate-rich units in Aram Chaos, Valles Marineris, and Meridiani Planum indicate that they likely formed in similar environments under aqueous conditions. If this is the case, it suggests an active hydrological cycle lasting from the late Noachian to the late Hesperian.
Dopamine D4 receptor variants in unrelated schizophrenic cases and controls.

The D4 dopamine receptor (D4DR) exists in multiple allelic forms (Van Tol et al.: Nature 358:149–152, 1992) which involve different numbers of a 48 basepair repeat sequence in the putative third cytoplasmic loop. Different binding properties have been reported for at least three of the alleles in cDNA binding assays with clozapine, an atypical neuroleptic, and spiperone (Van Tol et al., 1992). We have examined 115 unrelated schizophrenic cases defined by DSM-III-R criteria and 115 controls of similar ethnicity to determine the frequency of seven different D4 alleles in these groups. No statistically significant difference in the distribution of the alleles existed between cases and controls, although a trend towards a greater prevalence of homozygotes for the 4-repeat allele was observed in schizophrenics. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dissociative Aspects of the Bacteriostatic Action of the Sulfonamide Compounds

Preliminary experiments showed that when the optimum therapeutic dose of the tested drugs was used, the organisms disappeared too rapidly from the peritoneal cavity of the infected animals to detect culturally the degree or the nature of the pneumococcal variation. It was necessary to recognize two important considerations, and to modify experimental procedures accordingly. The first concerned a proper ratio between infective dose of the highly virulent organisms and the therapeutic dose of the drug; the other dealt with a suitable medium for differentiation of variant phases. In order to elicit the changes undergone by the organisms after adequate drug treatment, the amount of drug administered to the mouse was increased to toxic or sub-toxic levels. Penfold's benzidine blood agar as modified by the Hadleys' and first used to detect the relative amount of hydrogen peroxide production between colonies, was also effective in stabilizing the phasic differentiation which had taken place in the animal.
Increased Rates of Bipolar Disorder Diagnoses among U.S. Child, Adolescent, and Adult Inpatients, 1996-2004

Background Volatile, aggressive behavior is the chief complaint that brings children to inpatient psychiatric care. These difficulties are increasingly conceptualized as bipolar disorder (BD). The impact of doing so on clinical diagnoses in clinical care is uncertain. Methods We extracted records from the annual National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) for which a psychiatric diagnosis was primary and examined trends in the rates of hospitalization for BD. Results Population-adjusted rates of hospital discharges of children with a primary diagnosis of BD increased linearly over survey years. The rate in 1996 was 1.3 per 10,000 U.S. children and climbed to 7.3 per 10,000 U.S. children in 2004. Bipolar disorder related discharges also increased fourfold among adolescents. Adults showed a more modest, though still marked, rise of 56%. Bipolar disorder related hospitalization was more prevalent among female adolescents and adults, while male children had larger risk than female children. Children's BD diagnoses tended not to specify a prevailing mood state, while depression and psychotic features were the most common codes for adults. Black individuals, especially men, had lower rates of BD diagnoses in early survey years, but more recently their rate of BD related hospitalizations has exceeded other NHDS race groups. Conclusions Higher rates of inpatient admissions among youth associated with BD may reflect greater appreciation of the importance of affective dysregulation in this patient group or "upcoding" to putatively more severe conditions for reimbursement or administrative reasons. Further study is warranted to examine this shift's causes and implications for treatments and outcomes.
Structure theorems for nonlinear systems

One of the main results is a proposition to the effect that under some typically mild conditions finite sums of the form $$\sum\limits_\ell {K_\ell \sigma } \left[ {\sum\limits_m {\eta _{\ell m} Q_m (\cdot) + \rho _\ell } } \right]$$ are dense in an important sense in the set of shift-invariant approximately-finite-memory mapsG(·) that take a certain type of subsetU ofR intoR, whereR is the set of real-valued functions defined onR n orZ n . Here theQ m (·) are linear, σ is any element of a certain set of nonlinear maps fromR toR, and the κl, ρl, and ηlm are real constants. Approximate representations comprising only affine elements and lattice nonlinearities are also presented.
Cytotoxic/tumor suppressor role of zinc for the treatment of cancer: an enigma and an opportunity.

A major issue relating to many cancers is the absence of effective chemotherapeutic agents; so that most often untreatable morbidity and death are prevalent once the cancer has been detected and has advanced. The search for efficacious anticancer agents is imperative. One potential agent is zinc, which is decreased in the development of some cancers in order to avoid its cytotoxic/tumor suppressor effects on the malignant cells. This provides the basis and opportunity to employ a treatment regimen that restores elevated zinc levels in the malignant cells and elicits the cytotoxic/tumor suppressor effects of zinc. The enigma is that this approach and expectation has not reached fruition. The question is “why?”. This article provides a discussion of relevant zinc issues that need to be considered and resolved. Important areas of research are identified as being essential for the successful application of zinc cytotoxicity/tumor suppression actions for the treatment of specific cancers.
Isolation and sequence of a cDNA encoding porcine mitochondrial NADP-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase

The cDNA for porcine mitochondrial NADP-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase was isolated from a lambda gt11 library using polymerase chain reaction. Translation of the DNA sequence gave a 413-residue amino acid sequence and a calculated molecular weight of 46,600 for the mature polypeptide. Previously determined peptide sequences for the amino terminus and for internal tryptic peptides were all contained within the translated sequence. The porcine protein was found to share 63% residue identity with yeast mitochondrial NADP-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase and to be immunoreactive with an antiserum against the yeast protein. Highly conserved regions include residues which have been implicated in substrate and cofactor binding in previous studies of the porcine enzyme. The two eucaryotic enzymes exhibit only minimal homology with the NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli, with the exception of a striking conservation of residues implicated in formation of the metal-isocitrate site of the procaryotic enzyme.
Identification of novel hemes generated by heme A synthase: evidence for two successive monooxygenase reactions.

Heme A, an obligatory cofactor in eukaryotic cytochrome c oxidase, is produced from heme B (protoheme) via two enzymatic reactions catalyzed by heme O synthase and heme A synthase. Heme O synthase ...
Primary structure of the marmoset (Saguinus fusicollis) hemoglobin. I. Use of tryptic maleylated peptides in the solubilization and sequence elucidation of the alpha- and beta-chains.

The primary structure of adult marmoset hemoglobin has been determined. The α- and β-chains of HbA were separated on a CM23 column in 8 M urea using a sodium phosphate gradient. Tryptic digests of the α- and β-chains were fractionated on a Dowex 50W-X2 column using a pH and pyridine acetate gradient. Large peptide fragments were obtained by the cyanogen bromide cleavage of the α- and β-chains, as well as by tryptic digestion of the maleylated α- and β-chains. The sequence was derived from the amino acid compositions and sequences of the individual tryptic peptide, automated sequence determination of intact α- and β-chains, as well as automated sequence determination of cyanogen bromide fragments and tryptic maleylated peptides derived from the α- and β-chains. The complete structure of marmoset adult hemoglobin is closely homologous to that of other primate hemoglobins. The sequence of the marmoset α-chain differs from the α-chain of human HbA at positions 8, 19, 23, 68, and 116. The β-chain from marmoset HbA differs from the β-chain of human HbA at positions 5, 13, 21, 50, 87, and 125.
Mathematical-Verbal Ability Differentials and Somatic Expressions of Situational Anxiety

ONE OF the most common problems con fronting the counselor in an educational setting concerns students who appear to demonstrate marked ability discrepancies indifferent areas of academic endeavor. Probably the most frequent form of such ability differentials is that between verbal and mathematical skills. The number of studies and discussions on suchdifficulties is, needless to say, exceedingly great. Among the various approaches utilized has been the attempt to relate such verbal-quantitative aptitude differ ences to personality factors. To date, however, the investigations conducted appear to have pro duced more contradiction and conflict than agree ment and support (2, 11, 12, 15). One reason for this may be that the emphasis has been on the general characteristics of personality rather than with immediate situational variables. In this re gard, Dreger and Aiken (6) recently pointed to the probability that situational anxiety relating to nu merical materials rather than gene ral anxiety may be of considerable significance. The theory underlying this view has been stat ed by Lecky (8), Sullivan (16) and Wilson (21) a mong others. In brief, "early failure experien ces in handling numerical materials. .. ha s pro vided a basis for the conditioned association of anxiety and mathematical symbols. " (14, p. 60). Evidence for such conditioned associations should be found on all levels of m anifest anxiety, such as feeling-tone expressions (6), and behavioral, and somatic expressions of anxiety manifesta tions. The present study represented an attempt to assess this last form of situational anxiety ex pression. Specifically it was hypothesized that somatic expressions of anxiety w o u 1 d be found largely during the testing of abilities in the deficient skill area.
USE OF PHOSPHATES AND SALT TO IMPROVE LEAN MEAT WATER RETENTION IN HIGH-MOISTURE PREBLENDS1

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various phosphates and preblend duration on high-moisture beef preblends. Six preblends were manufactured with a 1:1 lean beef:solution ratio. The treatments included a control, salt with no phosphate, and reduced salt with one of two neutral phosphates or one of two alkaline phosphates. These preblends were sampled at 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h. Preblending time did not alter (P>0.05) cooking stability or protein solubility of preblends containing phosphates. Preblends containing phosphates had higher levels (38-50% vs 25-33%) of soluble protein and higher cook stability (90-97% vs 60-65%) than controls with no salt or phosphate, or salt only. There was no decrease in phosphate improvement of protein functionality with time, even though phosphate hydrolysis continued throughout the 48h preblending period. Phosphate addition into high-moisture preblends may be an effective strategy to use in the manufacture of low-fat/high-moisture products.
Business Educators' Use of Conferences, Journals, and Textbooks.

Abstract Faced with declining budgets, university administrators have reduced expenditures on faculty-development programs and other “basic tools” of faculty development, such as professional conferences, academic journals, and textbooks. In this exploratory study, a mail survey of 100 faculty from the colleges of business at three universities measured the extent to which these basic tools are used as well as the faculty's perceived usefulness of the tools. The findings show that all three tools are used extensively, and all three are perceived to provide significant benefits, though the benefits vary in terms of each tool's usefulness for teaching, research, or consulting. The findings, though exploratory, have implications for future budgetary decisions.
Epilation in the Non-Irradiated Member of Parabiotically United Rats.

Discussion and ConclusionParabiotically united rats influence their partners by the mixing of their body fluids through their common circulation. Therefore, an effect such as epilation must result from the transfer of material from one member to the other. Whether the epilation represents the passage of physiologically active material from the radiated to the non-radiated or is a manifestation of loss of material from the non-irradiated to the irradiated is not demonstrated.
TBA studies of prepreg curing behavior

Abstract : The torsional braid analysis (TBA) equipment has been used as an automated torsion pendulum to characterize prepreg materials in the form of single ply strips (2-1/2 x 1/8 inch). Compared to the use of coated glass braids, the main difference was a marked weakening of the gelation mechanical damping peak in isothermal runs. However, prepreg materials consisting of epoxy resins on glass, carbon or aramid fibers were successfully run isothermally to provide gelation and vitrification times as a function of temperature, or in constant heating rate scans to reveal the T Tg and the Tg relaxations of the uncured resins, and at higher temperatures phenomena associated with gelation, vitrification and devitrification. (Author)
Estimating the analog perimeter of a pre-digitized shape

Given a general digital shape of high-resolution, its analog perimeter of the pre-digitized shape (APPS) can be adequately estimated using the classic chain-code based methods. For a digital shape of low resolution, however, these methods may not provide accurate or consistent estimates due to the variations of APPS with shape orientations, which are inversely proportional to the digitization resolutions. Aiming at improving the accuracy and consistency in estimating APPS for low-resolution digital shapes, this paper presents a method to find the median values of digital perimeter curves (DPC) obtained from rotating the shapes. Examples are given to illustrate the proposed method.
The Reporting of Nonresponse Analyses in Survey Research

Because survey respondents may not be representative of the population being studied, the external validity of many research conclusions may be of concern. Nonresponse analyses helps address this c...
Lyapunov redesign of adaptive controllers for polynomial nonlinear systems

In this paper, we study adaptive control redesign problem of polynomial nonlinear systems with matching parametric uncertainties. By transforming the system into its corresponding error dynamics, we will develop an adaptive control scheme in attenuating the effect of the unknown parameters on the controlled output, which is composed of tracking errors and control efforts. To achieve better controlled performance, the Lyapunov functions will be relaxed from quadratic to higher order and the resulting controller gain is generalized from constant to parameter dependent. The synthesis conditions of adaptive control will be formulated as polynomial matrix inequalities and are solvable by recast the resulting conditions into a Sum of Squares (SOS) optimization problem, from which the adaptive control law as well as the parameter adaptation law are derived with zero tracking and parameter estimation errors. An example is provided to demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed adaptive control redesign approach.
The Oculina Banks Experimental Research Reserve: A Habitat Assessment Using Multi-Media and Internet GIS

The Oculina Banks Experimental Research Reserve extends from Fort Pierce to Cape Canaveral off the eastern coast of Florida. This area contains a species of branching coral, Oculina varicosa, or the Ivory Tree Coral, which grows on high-relief pinnacles and ridges, 10–30 m in height. The reefs span over 90 nautical miles at depths ranging from 70–100 m and represent the only colony of deep water O. varicosa on earth (Reed 1980; Reed 2002). The colonies provide valuable habitat for a variety of fish species, including the economically important snapper/grouper fishery. However, as fishing pressures have increased, so have the impacts to the habitat resulting in a decline of the fisheries over the last twenty years (Koenig et al. 2000).
Intelligent control of robotic manipulators: a multiple model based approach

The paper presents a novel methodology for the trajectory tracking control of robotic manipulators. The proposed method utilizes multiple models of the manipulator for the identification of its dynamics in an adaptive control frame work. Simulations and experimental test results are also included to demonstrate the improvement in the tracking performance when the proposed methodology is used for different tracking tasks.
Cooperative binding mode of the inhibitors of R6K replication, π dimers

The replication initiator protein, pi, plays an essential role in the initiation of plasmid R6K replication. Both monomers and dimers of pi bind to iterons in the gamma origin of plasmid R6K, yet monomers facilitate open complex formation, while dimers, the predominant form in the cell, do not. Consequently, pi monomers activate replication, while pi dimers inhibit replication. Recently, it was shown that the monomeric form of pi binds multiple tandem iterons in a strongly cooperative fashion, which might explain how monomers outcompete dimers for replication initiation when plasmid copy number and pi supply are low. Here, we examine cooperative binding of pi dimers and explore the role that these interactions may have in the inactivation of gamma origin. To examine pi dimer/iteron interactions in the absence of competing pi monomer/iteron interactions using wild-type pi, constructs were made with key base changes to each iteron that eliminate pi monomer binding yet have no impact on pi dimer binding. Our results indicate that, in the absence of pi monomers, pi dimers bind with greater cooperativity to alternate iterons than to adjacent iterons, thus preferentially leaving intervening iterons unbound and the origin unsaturated. We discuss new insights into plasmid replication control by pi dimers.
Enhanced inflammatory responses in α-tocopherol transfer protein null mice

Abstract The liver preferentially secretes α-tocopherol into plasma under the control of the hepatic α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP). α-TTP-null mice (Ttpa−/− mice) are vitamin E deficient, therefore were used for investigations of in vivo responses to sub-normal tissue α-tocopherol concentrations during inflammation. Increased basal oxidative stress in Ttpa−/− mice was documented by increased plasma lipid peroxidation, and superoxide production by bone marrow-derived neutrophils stimulated in vitro with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injected intraperitoneally induced increases in lung and liver HO-1 and iNOS, as well as plasma NOx in Ttpa+/+ mice. LPS induced more modest increases in these markers in Ttpa−/− mice, while more marked increases in plasma IL-10 and lung lavage TNFα were observed. Taken together, these results demonstrate that α-tocopherol is important for proper modulation of inflammatory responses and that sub-optimal α-tocopherol concentrations may derange inflammatory–immune responses.
Stop-flow lithography in a microfluidic device

Polymeric particles in custom designed geometries and with tunable chemical anisotropy are expected to enable a variety of new technologies in diverse areas such as photonics, diagnostics and functional materials. We present a simple, high throughput and high resolution microfluidic method to synthesize such polymeric particles. Building off earlier work that we have done on continuous flow lithography (CFL) (D. Dendukuri, D. C. Pregibon, J. Collins, T. A. Hatton, P. S. Doyle, Nat. Mater., 2006, 5, 365–369; ref. 1), we have devised and implemented a new setup that uses compressed air driven flows in preference to syringe pumps to synthesize particles using a technique that we call stop-flow lithography (SFL). A flowing stream of oligomer is stopped before polymerizing an array of particles into it, providing for much improved resolution over particles synthesized in flow. The formed particles are then flushed out at high flow rates before the cycle of stop-polymerize-flow is repeated. The high flow rates enable orders-of-magnitude improvements in particle throughput over CFL. However, the deformation of the PDMS elastomer due to the imposed pressure restricts how quickly the flow can be stopped before each polymerization event. We have developed a simple model that captures the dependence of the time required to stop the flow on geometric parameters such as the height, length and width of the microchannel, as well as on the externally imposed pressure. Further, we show that SFL proves to be superior to CFL even for the synthesis of chemically anisotropic particles with sharp interfaces between distinct sections.
Striking Differences: The Impact of Moderate and High Trauma on Reading Achievement

This study explored the relationship between childhood traumatic exposure, such as violence and loss of a significant other, and reading achievement. With a sample of 163 urban elementary children (grades 2–5), the impact of traumatic events on 3 years of reading scores was examined. Results suggested that violence exposure had an adverse effect on reading scores and that there was a striking difference between students who experienced moderate exposure as compared to students with high exposure. However, both groups of students experienced a significant decrease in reading achievement. Discussion of these findings proposes an explanation for why reading achievement might be adversely affected by traumatic exposure and gives suggestions for teachers to utilize with those students identified as having been exposed to traumatic events.
Tobacco direct mail marketing and smoking behaviors in a cohort of adolescents and young adults from the U.S. upper Midwest: a prospective analysis.

INTRODUCTION We assessed the characteristics of adolescents and young adults who received tobacco direct mail materials and the association of receiving these materials with subsequent smoking behaviors. METHODS Adolescents from the upper Midwest region of the United States were sampled through clustered random sampling in 2000 and surveyed every 6 months. Participants (n = 3546) were asked at baseline (October 2006-March 2007) whether they had received direct mail materials from tobacco companies during the previous 6 months. Smoking behaviors were assessed 6 months later (April-September 2007). We assessed associations between demographics and receiving tobacco direct mail materials at baseline and the association of receiving these materials with smoking behaviors at follow-up, stratified by baseline smoking status. RESULTS Overall, 5.2% of nonsmokers and 23.9% of current smokers in our sample received tobacco direct mail materials during the past 6 months (2.6% and 17.1% among nonsmokers and smokers <18 years old, respectively; p < .05). Participants who were older and living with smokers were more likely to receive these materials (p < .05). Baseline nonsmokers who received these materials smoked more cigarettes during the previous 30 days at follow-up (p < .05); baseline current smokers who received these materials were less likely than those who did not to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked during the past 30 days at follow up (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS Those younger than 18 years old (particularly smokers) in addition to older individuals in our regional sample were exposed to tobacco direct mail marketing. Exposure to this market strategy is associated with faster escalation of cigarette consumption among nonsmokers and lower likelihood of smoking reduction among smokers in this adolescent and young adult sample.
Differential protein synthesis and utilization during cilia formation in sea urchin embryos.

Abstract Pulse labeling with [ 14 C]leucine, hypertonic deciliation, fractionation of axonemes by differential solubilization, and autoradiographic analysis of electrophoretically resolved components reveal that the onset of ciliogenesis is marked by the de novo synthesis of numerous architectural proteins of the “9 + 2” axoneme. The synthesis of most of these components continues, some at reduced rates, after full growth of cilia at hatching. Deciliation results in enhanced synthesis of these minor components, dynein, and tubulin. The A- and B-tubulin dimers, derived from the respective subfibers, have essentially identical specific activities after regeneration in the presence of isotope. Subsequent regeneration in cold leucine demonstrates substantial pools of most of the architectural proteins, but at least two such proteins (nexin and ribbon component-20) are made quantally and in limiting amounts in response to each regeneration. Such second regeneration cilia (whose pools were labeled during the first regeneration) have a decreased specific activity of B-tubulin (10–15%) and an increased specific activity of A-tubulin (30–35%), indicating a limited pool of the former but an apparent retarded synthesis, delayed activation, or initial compartmentalization of the latter. This 45% difference in specific activity of the two tubulin dimer pools offers independent evidence that chemically unique tubulin dimers form the structurally unique subfibers. During natural ciliary augmentation or after stimulation by repeated deciliation, the bulk of the initial incorporation occurs in the quantal, minor components, while newly synthesized dynein and tubulin are not maximally utilized until the succeeding generation. The limited, quantal synthesis of microtubule-associated proteins may be a control mechanism for ciliary assembly or elongation, while a delayed utilization of the major proteins of the axoneme may reflect a replenishment of pools and a requisite activation or post-translational modification of stored components.
Contrastive Estimation: Training Log-Linear Models on Unlabeled Data

Conditional random fields (Lafferty et al., 2001) are quite effective at sequence labeling tasks like shallow parsing (Sha and Pereira, 2003) and named-entity extraction (McCallum and Li, 2003). CRFs are log-linear, allowing the incorporation of arbitrary features into the model. To train on unlabeled data, we require unsupervised estimation methods for log-linear models; few exist. We describe a novel approach, contrastive estimation. We show that the new technique can be intuitively understood as exploiting implicit negative evidence and is computationally efficient. Applied to a sequence labeling problem---POS tagging given a tagging dictionary and unlabeled text---contrastive estimation outperforms EM (with the same feature set), is more robust to degradations of the dictionary, and can largely recover by modeling additional features.
Optimization of surface plasmon excitation using resonant nanoparticle arrays above a silver film

A plasmonic coupling device consisting of an array of ellipsoidal silver nanoparticles embedded in silica in close proximity to a silver surface is studied. By tuning the inter-particle spacing, the shape of the particles in the array, and the height of the array above the silver film, the array-mediated surface plasmon excitation is studied. Finite Integration Technique simulations of such a plasmon coupler optimized for operation at a free space wavelength of 676 nm are presented. Plane wave normal incidence excitation of the system results is seen to result in resonantly enhanced fields near the nanoparticles, which in turn excite surface plasmons on the metal film. The existence of an optimum particle-surface separation for maximum surface plasmon excitation efficiency is demonstrated. Analysis of the frequency dependent electric field in the simulation volume as a function of particle aspect ratio reveals the influence of the particle resonance and the surface plasmon resonance on the excitation efficiency.
NESTING SUCCESS AND BREEDING BIOLOGY OF CERULEAN WARBLERS IN MICHIGAN

Abstract The Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea) is a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory bird species that has declined significantly over the long-term. Poor reproductive success may be an important factor contributing to the observed decline, but reproductive output has been measured for very few breeding populations. From 2003 to 2005, I intensively monitored 22–23 breeding territories/year in each of two large forest habitats in southwestern Michigan: oak- (Quercus spp.) hickory (Carya spp.) (2003: Barry State Game Area) and black locust- (Robinia pseudoacacia) black cherry (Prunus serotina) (2004–2005: Fort Custer U.S. Army Michigan National Guard Reservation). I also gathered descriptive data on nonsong vocalizations and age of territorial males. I describe four distinctive call notes, by sex, including the social and environmental contexts in which they were used. Using two independent methods of aging, there was a strong preponderance of after-second-year males at both study sites. Only 9 (n = 7 nest...
Locally efficient estimation of the survival distribution with right-censored data and covariates when collection of data is delayed

SUMMARY For many sources of survival data, there is a delay between the recording of vital status and its availability to the analyst, and the Kaplan-Meier estimator is typically inconsistent in these situations. In this paper we identify the optimal estimation problem. As a result of the curse of dimensionality, no globally efficient nonparametric estimator exists with a good practical performance at moderate sample sizes. Following the approach of Robins & Rotnitzky (1992), given a correctly specified model for the hazard of censoring conditional on the delay process and T, we propose a closed-form one-step estimator of the distribution of T whose asymptotic variance attains the efficiency bound, if we can correctly specify a lower-dimensional working model for the conditional distribution of T given the ascertainment process. The estimator remains consistent and asymptotically normal even if this latter submodel is misspecified. In particular, if we choose as working model independence between T and the ascertainment process, then the estimator is efficient when this holds and remains consistent and asymptotically linear otherwise. Moreover, we incorporate in our data structure a covariate process that is observed during the follow-up time and is reported with the same delays. We propose closed-form locally efficient estimators of the type described above which use all the data and allow for dependent censoring.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) using simultaneous 2-channel acquisitions: Application for mouse brain examination by reconfiguration of a “standard” Bruker spectrometer

In the field of small animal imaging, the interest for phased array coil imaging is growing but high field MR experimental systems with multiple receiver channels are still rare and the upgrade of existing systems is relatively expensive. In this work, a standard 4.7 T Bruker Biospec Avance II spectrometer was modified to allow simultaneous two-channel acquisitions. Modifications were validated on imaging and spectroscopy on metabolite solution phantom as well as on mice brain using a home-made two-channel array coil operating at 200.3 MHz. A dedicated two-channel array coil with two square elements encompassing the mouse brain was designed and built. Compared to a single- channel surface coil, the mean SNR measured on images in the ROI corresponding to whole mouse brain was improved by about 30% as well as the signal uniformity. For spectroscopic acquisition, the SNR gain in a voxel located close to the coils was improved by about 65%. Modifications realized for proton multiple-channel acquisitions could also be applied for any X-nucleus. Compared to quadrature detection coils, two-channel coils offer the ability to use parallel acquisitions techniques.
STUDIES OF THYROID AND SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM INTERRELATIONSHIPS. I. THE BLEPHAROPTOSIS OF MYXEDEMA

Blepharoptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid) was observed in 20 of 27 patients (74 per cent) with untreated myxedema of various types and in 6 of 18 myxedematous patients (33 per cent) treated with desiccated thyroid. The blepharoptosis was characteristically of modest degree and could bo overlooked easily. Lid edema, although frequent, was not always associated with ptosis. The tarsal fold was intact and normal voluntary and conjugate lid elevation was possible. Phenylephrine hydrochloride, when instilled into the conjunctival sac, corrected the ptosis in all cases. Electromyograms of the levator palpebrae superioris muscles were normal in 4 patients. Urinary catecholamine excretion was normal in 4 patients. Intravenous infusion of epinephrine did not correct the ptosis in 6 patients. The evidence suggests that blepharoptosis in myxedema results primarily from diminished tone of the sympathetic nerve fibers to Muller's superior palpebral muscle rather than from an abnormality of the levator palpebrae su...
Algorithms for Web Services Discovery and Composition Based on Syntactic and Semantic Service Descriptions

As the number of available web services is rapidly increasing, the effective and efficient service discovery and composition becomes a pressing problem for value-added distributed applications. To address this problem, in this paper, we present efficient service discovery and composition algorithms that exploit both syntactic and semantic service descriptions of web services.
Modelling of cracks developed in lithium-ion cells under mechanical loading

This research reports on an experimental and numerical study of material failure in the electrode assemblies (i.e. “jelly roll” and/or “electrode stack”) of lithium-ion batteries after local mechanical loading. Deformed cylindrical and pouch cells (i.e. lithium-ion polymer cells) were subjected to X-ray computed tomography (CT scanning) to detect location, size, and orientation of cracks that developed in the electrode assemblies at onset of short-circuit. An experimental program was completed to acquire properties of electrode–separator micro components of electrode assemblies in tension. This data was used for calibration of an anisotropic material model. Finite element models were developed for both cell types and a maximum strain criteria was used for element failure and deletion at short circuit. The models developed here predict the location of cracks in both pouch and cylindrical cells. The finite element models corroborated the CT scan regarding location and orientation of cracks formed in the electrode assemblies. In both pouch and cylindrical cells, cracks were found to initiate perpendicular to the transverse direction of the separator.
φX216, a P2-like bacteriophage with broad Burkholderia pseudomallei and B . mallei strain infectivity

Background Burkholderia pseudomallei and B. mallei are closely related Category B Select Agents of bioterrorism and the causative agents of the diseases melioidosis and glanders, respectively. Rapid phage-based diagnostic tools would greatly benefit early recognition and treatment of these diseases. There is extensive strain-to-strain variation in B. pseudomallei genome content due in part to the presence or absence of integrated prophages. Several phages have previously been isolated from B. pseudomallei lysogens, for example φK96243, φ1026b and φ52237.
Ship of Death: A Voyage That Changed the Atlantic World. By Billy G. Smith. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2013. Pp. xv, 306. $35.00.)

In an engaging narrative, the author of this book tells the story of the Hankey, one of a trio of ships that set sail from Britain in 1792 on a journey to Bolama—an island off the west coast of Afr...
Paradox of stability of nanoparticles at very low ionic strength.

The scaling of electrical double layer interaction energy from a plate–plate system to a sphere–plate system was reexamined, and it was found that accurate scaling without resorting to the Derjaguin approximation theoretically predicts the destabilization of nanoparticles in water depleted of added electrolyte and, consequentially, a maximum stability at a moderate ionic strength. This theoretical feature re-emphasizes the dual-role nature of added electrolyte that was supported by experimental results of direct surface force measurement but not by those of colloidal stability of nanoparticle deposition/aggregation. Inconsistences between the theoretical prediction and the experimental observation and between experimental observations in different systems were discussed. Possible reasons leading to the inconsistences were explored, including the effect of curvature, the contribution from counterions, the mode of interaction, and the applicability of an equilibrium model to describe the colloidal interacti...
Trajectory Analysis for Accident Investigation

The accident investigator is often faced with an in-flight breakup of an aircraft. In such cases, the wreckage is scattered over the ground and, depending on the pattern, it may be possible to determine some aspect of the state of the aircraft at breakup. Sometimes part of an aircraft, such as an engine turbine, leaves the aircraft, but the aircraft is able to continue to a safe landing or, alternatively, most of the aircraft is found but a piece is missing. In such cases, it is desirable to locate the shed part for analysis to determine the cause of the failure. To be considered a ballistic object for such analysis, an object must behave as having no organized lift. Most wreckage items will have a tumbling falling mode, which fits this category or “fly” in a tight circle around what can be described as a ballistic trajectory. This paper will discuss the equations needed to describe ballistic motion, which are simplified from the general simulation equations. It will then discuss general ballistic behavior and the cues a visual inspection of the scatter pattern can provide as to the breakup state. It will then present case studies from accident investigations.
On sided branching in Anosov foliations

We study topologically transitive Anosov flows in 3-manifolds. We show that if one of the stable or unstable foliations in the universal cover does not have Hausdorff leaf space (branching occurs) then both have branching in the positive and negative directions.
Utilization of Exogenous Ceramide for the Synthesis of Sphingolipids in Cultured SV40-Transformed Rat Schwann Cells

Homogeneous SV40-transformed rat Schwann cell lines were prepared from cultured primary Schwann cells (Chen and Chen, 1983). Cultured transformed Schwann cells actively synthesize sphingomyelin and glucosylceramide, as well as myelin-associated sulfatide, galactosylceramide and highly sialylated gangliosides. In this report we used 14C-palmitoyl sphingosine (14C-ceramide) as a precursor to investigate the biosynthesis of sphingolipids in these cells. In cultured human skin fibroblasts, degradation of ceramide internalized via LDL-mediated and liposomal uptake is compartmentalized (Sutrina and Chen, 1982). The presence of lysosomal and nonlysosomal ceramidases in cultured Schwann cells, suggests that hydrolysis of internalized ceramide can take place in different compartments. Therefore, in addition to the utilization of intact ceramide for the sphingolipids synthesis, we have investigated whether internalized ceramide is hydrolyzed by different ceramidases and the resulting fatty acid moiety can then be utilized for the glycerolipid synthesis. We also examined the regulation of these two lipid synthetic pathways.
Calculation of Over-load Capacity of Large Power Transformer

Analysis of normal over-load and fault over-load capacity of power transformers is provided,and according to Loading Guide to calculate the over-load capacity method based on the actual statistics of power transformer is introduced,which is more practical,and an example using this method is offered.
When is increasing consumption of common property optimal? Sorting, congestion and entry in the commons

Abstract First-best pricing or assignment of property rights for rival and non-excludable goods is often infeasible. In a setting where the social planner cannot limit total use, we show that common-property resources can be over or under-consumed. This depends on whether the external benefits of reallocating users to less congested resources outweigh the additional costs imposed by new entrants. Importantly, we show that it may be optimal to encourage consumption of some common property resources. Our results have important implications for settings ranging from fisheries and forestry to recreational demand and transportation.