cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parameterization of Riming Intensity and Its Impact on Ice Fall Speed Using ARM Data

Abstract Riming within mixed-phase clouds can have a large impact on the prediction of clouds and precipitation within weather and climate models. The increase of ice particle fall speed due to riming has not been considered in most general circulation models (GCMs), and many weather models only consider ice particles that are either unrimed or heavily rimed (not a continuum of riming amount). Using the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program dataset at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site of the United States, a new parameterization for riming is derived, which includes a diagnosed rimed mass fraction and its impact on the ice particle fall speed. When evaluated against a vertical-pointing Doppler radar for stratiform mixed-phase clouds, the new parameterization produces better ice fall speeds than a conventional parameterization. The new parameterization is tested in the recently developed Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) atmospheric model (AM3) using prescribed sea surface temperatu...
Almost principal ideals in R[x]

For an integral domain R with quotient field K, an upper-type ideal of R[x] is an ideal of the form $${I_f = f({\rm x})K[{\rm x}] \cap R[{\rm x}]}$$ for some polynomial $${f({\rm x}) \in K[{\rm x}] \backslash K}$$ . Clearly, I f = I rf for each nonzero $${r \in R}$$ . Hence one can always choose f (x) from R[x]. Such an ideal I f is said to be almost principal if there is a nonzero element $${s \in R}$$ such that $${sI_f \subseteq f({\rm x})R[{\rm x}]}$$ . If each upper-type ideal of R[x] is almost principal, then R[x] is said to be an almost principal ideal domain. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a unifying technique for verifying that certain types of domains always have corresponding polynomial rings that are almost principal ideal domains. These same techniques also will be used to show that certain types of upper-type ideals are always almost principal.
An in vitro comparison of two dowel and core techniques for endodontically treated molars

A laboratory study was designed to compare the shear-compressive strength of two post and core systems in mandibular molars. A buildup with cemented posts and an amalgam core proved to have greater strength than a system in which only amalgam was used to create a dowel and core. The addition of crowns to the buildups did not produce a significant increase in the shear strength of the specimens. Most specimens prepared by a specific restorative technique fractured in a consistent predictable pattern. The dentist should be aware of the incidence of lingual wall fractures in planning the restorations for endodontically treated molars. Careful evaluation of the remaining amount of tooth structure should influence the selection of the dowel and core technique.
Clinical trials and soft tissue sarcomas

Soft tissue sarcomas are a challenging disease entity with a variety of histologic subtypes that can arise anywhere on the body. Much effort has been put forward to advance the care of patients with soft tissue sarcomas. Radical amputations have largely given way to limb-sparing procedures. With multimodality treatment, there has been progress in local control rates as well. As knowledge of the basic biology of this disease grows, there likely will be new strategies to treat soft tissue sarcomas. The development of STI-571, and its demonstrated effectiveness in GIST, represents an important advance in the treatment of these tumors and potentially a new paradigm for the development of therapeutic intervention in other sarcomas. Developing collaboration among ACOSOG other cooperative groups in the United States, Canada, and Europe may provide physicians with new venues for asking important clinical questions about these low-incidence tumors. The importance of collaboration in enrolling patients in clinical trials to evaluate these future therapies cannot be overstated.
The identical country assumption and CPI inflation adjustment processes in a two-country world under flexible exchange rate regime

Abstract In a world composed of a key country plus a home country, anticipated money stock disturbances in the key country produce adjustment in the home country CPI inflation rate which is decreasing in the parameter ‘ l ’ of the home country.
Level of protein kinase C activity correlates directly with resistance to adriamycin in murine fibrosarcoma cells

In this report, we demonstrate a direct correlation between protein kinase C (PKC) activity and adriamycin (ADR) resistance in mouse fibrosarcoma cells. PKC activity was measured in four murine UV-2237M fibrosarcoma cell lines that differed in the degrees to which they expressed resistance to ADR, which is an inhibitor of PKC. A comparison of the four cell lines revealed a positive correlation between the level of PKC activity and resistance to ADR. Incubation of the cells with the PKC inhibitor H-7 produced a partial reversal of ADR resistance. Taken together, these results suggest a role for PKC in the mechanism of ADR resistance.
How a Liquid Becomes a Glass Both on Cooling and on Heating

The onset of structural arrest and glass formation in a concentrated suspension of silica nanoparticles in a water-lutidine binary mixture near its consolute point is studied by exploiting the near-critical fluid degrees of freedom to control the strength of an attraction between particles and multispeckle x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy to determine the particles' collective dynamics. This model system undergoes a glass transition both on cooling and on heating, and the intermediate liquid realizes unusual logarithmic relaxations. How vitrification occurs for the two different glass transitions is characterized in detail and comparisons are drawn to recent theoretical predictions for glass formation in systems with attractive interactions.
Do Love Styles Predict Lifetime Number of Sex Partners

ABSTRACT The relationship between love styles and lifetime number of sexual partners was explored using survey data from 507 college students. Love styles significantly (p < .001) contributed to the prediction of number of lifetime sex partners after controlling for demographic characteristics and attitudes toward sexually transmitted infections. In the final model (R 2 = .22), number of sex partners was positively correlated (p < .001) with respondent age, romantic lovers (eros), and game-playing (ludus) lovers, and was negatively correlated with religiosity (p < .05). The results suggest that the Love Attitudes Scale may provide an indirect measure of number of sex partners when direct assessment of risk for sexually transmitted infections is not feasible.
Shift in XPS levels in ionic adsorbate layers due to electrostatic effects

Abstract Using a point charge model, the electrostatic contribution to the core level electron binding energies in ionic adsorbate layers is examined. The system considered as an illustrative example is K and CO coadsorbed on transition metal surfaces. In an ionic model for coadsorption, the shifts in the K, C, and O core levels with respect to the singly adsorbed systems have two dominant contributions: a chemical shift due to charge transfer from K to CO and an offsetting shift due to a Madelung term deriving from Coulombic interaction of the core hole with the ionic surface layer. The Madelung potential is evaluated explicitly while the change in screening due to the addition or removal of a valence electron upon the formation of a core hole is obtained via an “equivalent core” approximation. Taken together, the two terms cause a shift to lower binding energy of all adsorbate core levels, offering a potential resolution to an apparent paradox for this coadsorbed system. For adsorbate surface densities typically observed for K + CO, it is found that the Madelung shift would be large, of order 7–8 eV, and must be considered to understand the photoemission results.
A non-adapted sparse approximation of PDEs with stochastic inputs

We propose a method for the approximation of solutions of PDEs with stochastic coefficients based on the direct, i.e., non-adapted, sampling of solutions. This sampling can be done by using any legacy code for the deterministic problem as a black box. The method converges in probability (with probabilistic error bounds) as a consequence of sparsity and a concentration of measure phenomenon on the empirical correlation between samples. We show that the method is well suited for truly high-dimensional problems.
Identification of an active site arginine in rat choline acetyltransferase by alanine scanning mutagenesis.

Kinetic as well as chemical modification studies have implicated the presence of an active site arginine in choline acetyltransferase, whose function is to stabilize coenzyme binding by interacting with the 3′-phosphate of the coenzyme A substrate. In order to identify this residue seven conserved arginines in rat choline acetyltransferase were converted to alanine by site-directed mutagenesis, and the properties of these mutants were compared with the wild type enzyme. Substitution of arginine 452 with alanine resulted in a 7-12-fold increase in the Km for both CoA and acetylcholine as well as kcat, with little change in the Km for dephospho-CoA. Product inhibition studies showed choline to be a competitive inhibitor with respect to acetylcholine, indicating R452A follows the same Theorell-Chance kinetic mechanism as the wild type enzyme. Similar results were obtained with R452Q and R452E, with the latter showing the largest changes in kinetic parameters. These findings are consistent with Arg-452 mutations increasing the rate constant, k5, for dissociation of the coenzyme from the enzyme. Direct evidence that arginine 452 is involved in coenzyme A binding was obtained by showing a 5-10-fold decrease in affinity of the R452A mutant for coenzyme A as determined by the ability to protect against phenylglyoxal inactivation as well as thermal inactivation.
Loss-framed minimal intervention increases mammography use.

Introduction Although mammography is the most effective early detection breast cancer screening technology available, it is underutilized. This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of a loss-framed minimal intervention to increase mammography use. Loss-frame refers to a communication strategy in which messages are framed from the perspective of what a person has to lose by not taking a particular behavioral action. Methods Participants were medically un- and underinsured women 50–64 years old who called one of two urban clinics randomly selected based on demographic statistical equivalency. The women who participated telephoned to inquire about a mammogram during the 6-month study period. The group randomly designated as the experimental group received a loss-framed message conveyed by trained staff telephonically. Members of the comparison group received the “usual” communication, also conveyed telephonically. In the experimental group, 31 of 112 (27%) women who inquired received mammograms, whereas 157 of the 992 (16%) comparison group women who inquired received mammograms. Results The odds of a mammogram, adjusted for race and breast cancer symptoms, significantly increased for the experimental (odds ratio [OR] = 1.914, χ2 = 7.48, p = .0063, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20–3.05) versus comparison group. Conclusions A loss-framed, in-reach, minimal intervention approach holds promise as a mammography promotion strategy.
A comparison of the anticonvulsant effects of two systemically active enkephalin analogues in rats

FK-33,824 (Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-MePhe-Met(O)-ol) and metkephamid (Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-N(Me)Met-CONH2; LY 127623) are two parenterally active synthetic analogues of the endogenous morphinomimetic pentapeptide, [Met5]-enkephalin. Acute s.c. administration of each analogue raised the seizure threshold in a dose-related manner in rats challenged with flurothyl, a volatile convulsant. The anticonvulsant action was antagonized by a low dose of naloxone (0.10 mg/kg s.c.). FK-33,824 and metkephamid can therefore be classified with typical μ-receptor agonists such as morphine and etorphine in this procedure.
Advances in health assessment: Organization of the conference and of this monograph

The authors discuss the background and organization of the February 1986 Conference on Advances in Health Assessment.
Synthesis of 4,4′-isopropylidene diphenol (bisphenol A) based polybenzoxazoles via an acid-catalysed solution cyclization process

Abstract Polybenzoxazoles were successfully prepared from bisaminophenols based upon 4,4′-isopropylidene diphenol (bisphenol A) and terephthaloyl chloride and optionally isophthaloyl chloride monomers. The successful ‘one-pot’ process involves a low-temperature polycondensation followed by an acid-catalysed solution cyclization reaction. The fully cyclized copolymers were isotropic in nature, displayed glass transition temperatures as high as 300°C, and formed tough films when prepared from m-cresol. Semicrystallinity could be developed in the 100% terephthaloyl chloride polybenzoxazole (PBO) system when annealed 40°C above its Tg. Characterization of the fully cyclized materials was demonstrated via the aid of spectroscopic and solution characterization techniques. The process is also amenable to higher-performance PBO systems.
Polycomb Group Protein Ezh2 Controls Actin Polymerization and Cell Signaling

Polycomb group protein Ezh2, one of the key regulators of development in organisms from flies to mice, exerts its epigenetic function through regulation of histone methylation. Here, we report the existence of the cytosolic Ezh2-containing methyltransferase complex and tie the function of this complex to regulation of actin polymerization in various cell types. Genetic evidence supports the essential role of cytosolic Ezh2 in actin polymerization-dependent processes such as antigen receptor signaling in T cells and PDGF-induced dorsal circular ruffle formation in fibroblasts. Revealed function of Ezh2 points to a broader usage of lysine methylation in regulation of both nuclear and extra-nuclear signaling processes.
On a Grouping Method for Constructing Mixed Orthogonal Arrays

Mixed orthogonal arrays of strength two and size smn are constructed by grouping points in the finite projective geometry PG(mn-1, s). PG(mn-1, s) can be partitioned into [(smn-1)/(sn-1)](n-1)-flats such that each (n-1)-flat is associated with a point in PG(m-1, sn). An orthogonal array Lsmn((sn)(smn-)(sn-1) can be constructed by using (smn-1)/( sn-1) points in PG(m-1, sn). A set of (st-1)/(s-1) points in PG(m-1, sn) is called a (t-1)-flat over GF(s) if it is isomorphic to PG(t-1, s). If there exists a (t-1)-flat over GF(s) in PG(m-1, sn), then we can replace the corresponding [(st-1)/(s-1)] sn-level columns in Lsmn((sn)(smn-)(sn-1) by (smn-1)/( sn-1) st -level columns and obtain a mixed orthogonal array. Many new mixed orthogonal arrays can be obtained by this procedure. In this paper, we study methods for finding disjoint (t-1)-flats over GF(s) in PG(m-1, sn) in order to construct more mixed orthogonal arrays of strength two. In particular, if m and n are relatively prime then we can construct an Lsmn((sm)smn-1/sm-1-i(sn-1)/ (s-1)( sn) i(sm-1)/ s-1) for any 0i(smn-1)(s-1)/( sm-1)( sn-1) New orthogonal arrays of sizes 256, 512, and 1024 are obtained by using PG(7,2), PG(8,2), and PG(9,2) respectively.
PP-171. Early use of intravenous lipids in two different doses in the group of very low birth weight newborns — RCT

Newborns (n=72) were randomized into two groups, despite of the dose of lipid infusion. Group I (n=37) received 0.5 g/kg on the 1st day, 1.0 g/kg on the 2nd day, 1.5 g/kg on the 3rd day, 2.0 g/kg on the 4th day and 3.0 g/kg on the 5th day of life. Group II (n=35) received 1.5, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 g/kg of lipids respectively. Serum levels of triglycerides (TG) were measured at 24, 48 h and on the 5th day of life. Additionally we calculated the amount of parenteral calories obtained in both groups.
Solution structure of actinomycin-DNA complexes: drug intercalation at isolated G-C sites.

The actinomycin-D-d(A1-A2-A3-G4-C5-T6-T7-T8) complex (1 drug per duplex) has been generated in aqueous solution and its structure characterized by a combined application of two-dimensional NMR experiments and molecular dynamics calculations. We have assigned the exchangeable and nonexchangeable proton resonances of Act and d(A3GCT3) in the complex and identified the intermolecular proton-proton NOES that define the alignment of the antitumor agent at its binding site on duplex DNA. The molecular dynamics calculations were guided by 70 intermolecular distance constraints between Act and nucleic acid protons in the complex. The phenoxazone chromophore of Act intercalates at the (G-C)I·(G-C)II step in the d(A3GCT3) duplex with the phenoxazone ring stacking selectively with the G4I and G4II purine bases but not with C4I and C4II pyrimidine bases at the intercalation site. There is a pronounced unwinding between the A3·T6 and G4·C5 base pairs which are the next steps located in either direction from the intercalation site in the Act-d(A3GCT3) complex. The Act cyclic pentapeptide ring conformations in the complex are similar to those for free Act in the crystal except for a change in orientation of the ester linkage connecting meVal and Thr residues. The cyclic pentapeptide rings are positioned in the minor groove with the established G-C sequence specificity of binding associated with intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the Thr backbone CO and NH groups to the NH2-2 and N3 positions of guanosine, respectively. Complex formation is also stabilized by van der Waals interactions between nonpolar groups on the cyclic pentapeptide rings and the sugar residues and base pair edges lining the widened minor groove of the (A3-G4-C5-T6)I·(A3-G4-C5-T6)II binding site segment of the DNA helix.
Unknown Arbitrary Phase Shift Retrieval and Holographic Reconstruction from Images Obtained from Self-Interference Incoherent Digital Holography

The algorithm to retrieve the phase shift from the image recorded using the self-interference incoherent digital holography is proposed. Using the proposed algorithm, the complex hologram can be retrieved with unknown and arbitrary phase shift.
Mind the Gaps: What Limits the Impact of Leadership Education

Although leadership education holds great promise for enhancing the effectiveness of individuals in their work lives, it is limited by certain critical shortcomings. Unless these are successfully addressed, the classroom experiences we create will not facilitate the transfer of useful learning and its application to the day-to-day challenges that leaders face. In this article, the author addresses three important gaps in our approaches: the reality gap, the skill intensive gap, and the application gap. The author illustrates how and why each gap creates barriers to the transfer of learning to individuals and to their work-lives.
Learning produced by escape and spontaneous alternation

If rats in a T-maze made an arbitrarily designated correct response, that response was the terminal trial of the day. If, instead, they made the other incorrect response, they were shocked on the next trial whenever they failed to choose either arm of the maze within 3 sec. All rats quickly learned to choose one arm, but the incorrect arm was chosen as often as the correct. Thus the original hypothesis that escape from shock in conjunction with the tendency to alternate would mediate the learning of the correct response was not supported. However, the animals that learned the incorrect response had a much weaker tendency to alternate on shock trials than had the learners of the correct response. Fourteen of the 16 subjects fixated on the arm to which they went when first shocked, which seems consistent with elicitation theory.
Global decrease in atmospheric carbon monoxide concentration

CARBON monoxide plays an important role in the oxidizing capacity of the Earth's atmosphere, and may thereby indirectly affect the concentrations of many man-made and natural trace gases, which in turn affect climate, atmospheric chemistry and the ozone layer1. CO is produced in the atmosphere by the oxidation of methane and other hydrocarbons, and is released into the atmosphere from automobiles, agricultural waste and the burning of savanna1–4. Recent estimates1 show that human activities such as these are presently responsible for more than half the annual emissions of CO. During the 1980s there was evidence that atmospheric CO concentrations were increasing at ∼1.2±0.6% per year, leading to feedbacks that could amplify global warming. Here we present a continuation of these measurements which show that from 1988 to 1992 global CO concentrations have started to decline rapidly at a rate of about −2.6±0.8% per year. A recent study5 has verified our findings with data from the past 3–4 years. The rate of decrease is particularly rapid in the Southern Hemisphere; we hypothesize that this may reflect a reduction in tropical biomass burning. The total amount of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere is less now than a decade ago.
Non-specific effect of fear conditioning and specific effect of social defeat on social recognition memory performance in female rats.

The so called “emotion learning” literature describes the ability of distressing and aversive unconditioned stimuli to classically condition a learned avoidance response. In order to investigate the impact of experience with noxious stimuli in one conditioning context on learning and memory performance in a separate, non-aversively motivated task, juvenile recognition ability was examined in adult female rats exposed previously to one of two environmental stressors. In particular, experimental adult rats were either socially defeated by exposure to an aggressive conspecific rat or fear conditioned using single or multiple pairings with footshock prior to performance of the social recognition task. Experiment 1 established that repeated exposure to a single juvenile resulted in social memory formation reflected in decreased social investigation from the first to the second exposure. Experiment 2 documented that both single and multiple pairings of an environment with footshock produced robust freezing beha...
Determination of Catheter - Manometer System Linearity

In an attempt to evaluate the pressure distortion due to clinical catheter-manometer systems, it becomes necessary to establish their linearity. While others have either discussed or have sought to establish the existence of linearity by investigation, no classification in present clinical systems has been made. Available discussions of the effect of a catheter-manometer system transfer function on pressure pulses start with the assumption that the transfer function is linear. Without linearity tests of the systems employed and with some investigators' results implying nonlinearity, this assumption remains unjustified. The work presented here establishes a linearity classification for systems now in use. A system is considered linear if its transfer function coefficients can be shown to be independent of pressure and time in the applicable zone of pressure and frequency. The coefficients of mass and damping, found with the aid of Womersley's equations, satisfy this criterion. The catheter spring constant, a complex number, and the remaining coefficient then determine system linearity. Different classes of catheters having differing cross-sectional structures lead to linearity in one case but do not necessarily imply linearity in a second case. With this in mind, linearity is then individually established for different catheters. Additionally, the compressibility of the catheter's fluid, previously ignored, is shown to influence the catheter's spring constant in some cases. The adverse effects of air bubbles on system fidelity is often not considered in the clinical application.
Direct chemical measurement of DNA synthesis and net rates of differentiation of rat lens epithelial cells in vivo: applied to the selenium cataract.

This report describes a direct chemical method for rapidly estimating DNA synthesis and net rates of epithelial cell differentiation in the ocular lens in vivo. DNA synthesis in the lens of control and selenium-treated rats (12- or 13 days of age) was estimated by chemically isolating and measuring trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-insoluble 3H from the lens following injection of [3H]thymidine. Labeled substrate for DNA synthesis peaked in the lens at 1 hr after injection, decreased markedly by the third hour and was essentially gone by hour 12. Synthesis of labeled DNA in the lens was largely complete by about 3 hr. The [3H]DNA content of the whole lens, measured as TCA-insoluble 3H, remained constant for at least 4 months. The distribution of labeled epithelial cells between the epithelial-cell layer and fiber-cell mass was followed for up to 1 month after injection by measuring the ratio of [3H]DNA in the capsule (epithelial-cell layer) to lens body. Between days 2–3 and day 14 after injection, the ratio of [3H]DNA in the epithelialcell layer to lens fiber cells decreased linearly in a semilogarithmic plot of the ratio vs. time; i.e. the rate of change of the ratio followed first-order kinetics. Thus, the rate constant (k) for the rate of change in the ratio of [3H]DNA in the capsule layer to lens body can provide an estimate of the percentage of the labeled epithelial cells which leave the capsule per day through differentiation into fiber cells. An apparent rate constant of 0.27 day−1 was estimated from the mean of five experiments; i.e. 27% of labeled epithelial cells were differentiating into cortical fiber cells per day. Therefore, about 70% of the germinative epithelial cells would be replaced every 4 days in these rats. This value is in good agreement with results of studies using autoradiographic technics. The selenium cataract is reported to involve rapid damage to lens epithelial cells. Incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA was decreased by at least 60% in the lens of selenium-treated rats. Selenium did not decrease the availability of substrate in the lens for DNA synthesis. The cause of the decreased incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the selenium-exposed lenses remains to be determined.
An introduction to geoscience education resources on the Internet

Abstract There is an abundance of material on the Internet which is of potential interest to individuals involved in higher education in the geosciences. The challenge is how to make judicious use of the material and how to help develop this skill for students. Experiments conducted during the fall semester 1994, lead to the conclusion that structured assignments are preferred as opposed to encouraging Internet “surfing”.
A PC program to aid in the choice of the design matrix in multiple linear regression

Abstract A PC program, DESIGN, which can be used to evaluate and compare alternative choices of the design matrix, X, in the general linear model y = Xβ + ϵ is described, illustrated and made available to interested readers. Given X, the program (1) computes various measures of the ‘stability’ of X and X′X and (2) determines the precisions of estimates of the model parameters, β, and of predicted values ŷ, at the given design points. Examples focusing on polynomial regression are given.
With microscope and tweezers: an analysis of the Internet virus of November 1988

In early November 1988 the Internet, a collection of networks consisting of 60,000 host computers implementing the TCP/IP protocol suite, was attacked by a virus, a program which broke into computers on the network and which spread from one machine to another. The authors present a detailed analysis of the virus program. The describe the lessons that this incident has taught the Internet community and topics for future consideration and resolution. A detailed routine-by-routine description of the virus program, including the contents of its built-in dictionary is provided. >
An Examination of Health Inequities among College Students by Sexual Orientation Identity and Sex.

BACKGROUND: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) college students may have an increased number of health inequities compared to their heterosexual counterparts. However, to date, no research has provided a comprehensive examination of health-related factors by sexual orientation identity and sex among a national sample of college students. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine physical, sexual, interpersonal relations/safety, and mental health inequities by sexual orientation identity and sex among a national sample of college students. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants (n=39,767) completed the National College Health Assessment II during the fall 2008/spring 2009 academic year. Hierarchical binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine health inequities by sexual orientation identity and sex. RESULTS: LGB students compared to heterosexual students, experienced multiple health inequities including higher rates of being verbally threatened and lower rates of physical activity and condom use. CONCLUSIONS: An understanding of health inequities experienced by LGB college students is critical as during these years of transition, students engage in protective (e.g., physical activity) and risky (e.g., lack of condom use) health behaviours, establishing habits that could last a lifetime. Future research should be used to design and implement targeted public health strategies and policies to reduce health inequities and improve health-related quality of life among LGB college students. Significance for public healthHealth inequities based on sexual orientation identity and sex among college students is a critical public health concern. Based on the results of the current study, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) college students experienced multiple physical, sexual, interpersonal relations and safety, and mental health inequities. This understanding of health inequities experienced by LGB college students is critical as during these years of transition, students engage in protective (e.g., physical activity) and risky (e.g., lack of condom use) health behaviours, establishing habits that could last a lifetime. By intervening during the college years, targeted public health strategies and policies can be designed and implemented to reduce health inequities and improve health-related quality of life among LGB individuals during mid-to-later adulthood. Language: en
Development and validation of a patient-specific predictive instrument for the need for dose reduction in chemotherapy for breast cancer: a potential decision aid for the use of myeloid growth factors

A predictive instrument for chemotherapy dose reductions would help optimize delivery of planned chemotherapy and rationalize the use of myeloid growth factors. We analyzed data on 833 women with breast cancer treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and fluorouracil, for six cycles in two phase III clinical trials. From the first study (n=323), we generated a logistic regression model that predicts an individual patient's probability of receiving significantly reduced chemotherapy, defined as less than 85% of the planned dose over cycles 2–6, using data generated from cycle 1. The model was validated on data from the second study (n=510). The predictive model's variables include nadir absolute neutrophil count (ANC) in cycle 1 (OR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.06–0.30, P<0.001) and percent drop of platelets between day 1 and the nadir in cycle 1 (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02–1.05, P<0.001). Both variables are dose adjusted based on the chemotherapy cycle 1 dose. The model's discriminatory performance was good (ROC area=0.82), as was the calibration of predicted with actual frequencies of dose reductions. In the validation dataset, model variables remained significant, with an ROC area of 0.78 and good calibration. In summary, we devised and validated a predictive instrument that uses data from a patient's first cycle of chemotherapy to compute the probability of requiring a significant chemotherapy dose reduction on subsequent cycles. This instrument could help clinicians select patients who will benefit from early administration of myeloid growth factors.
Environmental signal integration by a modular AND gate

Microorganisms use genetic circuits to integrate environmental information. We have constructed a synthetic AND gate in the bacterium Escherichia coli that integrates information from two promoters as inputs and activates a promoter output only when both input promoters are transcriptionally active. The integration occurs via an interaction between an mRNA and tRNA. The first promoter controls the transcription of a T7 RNA polymerase gene with two internal amber stop codons blocking translation. The second promoter controls the amber suppressor tRNA supD. When both components are transcribed, T7 RNA polymerase is synthesized and this in turn activates a T7 promoter. Because inputs and outputs are promoters, the design is modular; that is, it can be reconnected to integrate different input signals and the output can be used to drive different cellular responses. We demonstrate this modularity by wiring the gate to integrate natural promoters (responding to Mg2+ and AI-1) and using it to implement a phenotypic output (invasion of mammalian cells). A mathematical model of the transfer function is derived and parameterized using experimental data.
Modelling smectite illitization in earthen barriers of buried radioactive wastes

The textural characteristics of engineered clay barriers of deeply buried radioactive waste repositories are likely to change in response to hydro-thermo-mechanical stresses during the 10 000-year service and risk analysis period. Expected textural changes stem from a combination of processes, the most significant of which is smectite illitization. To pose significant risks of radionuclide release from buried waste canisters, illitization must, as a minimum, produce barrier textural changes that are significant within the timeframe in which radioactive activity is still significant. Besides, the canister must be damaged, principally through corrosion by substance-laden infiltrating moisture. In the current paper, simulations of three scenarios of illitization of a clay barrier that is initially 100% smectite under a temperature regime that does not exceed 150°C indicate that the accumulation of potassium ions ( ) borne by infiltrating water close to the waste canister is likely to be insignificant within ...
Seminal discoveries in regenerative medicine: contributions of the male germ line to understanding pluripotency

Germ cells are highly specialized cells that form gametes (sperm and eggs), and they are the only cells within an organism that contribute genes to offspring. Due to the fact that the genetic information contained within germ cells is passed from generation to generation, the germ line is often thought of as immortal. Studies have revealed that germ cells are remarkably similar to pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs). For example, there is a significant overlap in the gene expression profile between ESCs and primordial germ cells (PGCs), the founders of the germ cell lineage. In addition, pluripotent embryonic germ (EG) cell lines have been derived from mammalian PGCs. Secondly, a subset of testicular germ cell tumors, known as non-seminomas, often contain differentiated cells representative of all three germ layers, a definitive test of pluripotency. Lastly, recent results have demonstrated the ability of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) to de-differentiate into pluripotent ES-like cells, underscoring a unique relationship between the germ line and pluripotent cells that are present during the earliest stages of embryonic development. Here, we will review the factors that regulate the self-renewal and maintenance of male germline stem cells (GSCs) and discuss how these factors may allow us to manipulate the germ line to create pluripotent cells that could serve as a critical tool in cell replacement therapies and regenerative medicine.
Modes of ontogenetic allometric shifts in crocodylian vertebrae

During postnatal ontogeny of vertebrates, allometric trends in certain morphological units or dimensions can shift drastically among isometry, positive allometry, and negative allometry. However, detailed patterns of allometric transitions in certain timings have not been explored well. Identifying the presence and nature of allometric shifts is essential for understanding the patterns of changes in relative size and shape and the proximal factors that are controlling these changes mechanistically. Allometric trends in 10 selected vertebrae (cervical 2–caudal 2) from hatchlings to very mature individuals of Alligator mississippiensis (Archosauria, Crocodylia) are reported in the present study. Allometric coefficients in 12 vertebral dimensions are calculated and compared relative to total body length, including centrum, neural spine, transverse process, zygapophysis, and neural pedicle. During the postnatal growth, positive allometry is the most common type of relative change (10 of the 12 dimensions), although the diameter of the neural canal shows a negative allometric trend. However, when using spurious breaks (i.e. allometric trends subdivided into growth stages using certain growth events, and key body sizes and/or ages), vertebral parts exhibit various pathways of allometric shifts. Based on allometric trends in three spurious breaks, separated by the end of endochondral ossification (body length: approximnately 0.9 m), sexual maturity (1.8 m), and the stoppage of body size increase (2.8 m), six types of ontogenetic allometric shifts are established. Allometric shifts exhibit a wide range from positive allometry restricted only in the early postnatal stage (Type I) to life-long positive allometry (Type VI). This model of ontogenetic allometric shifts is then applied to interpret potential mechanisms (causes) of allometric changes, such as (1) growth itself (when allometric trend gradually decreases to isometric or negative allometric change: Type II–IV allometric shift); (2) developmental constraint (when positive allometry is limited only in the early growth stage: Type I allometric shift); and (3) functional or biomechanical drive (when positive allometry continues throughout ontogeny: Type VI allometric shift).
Location and characterization of genes involved in binding of starch to the surface of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.

Abstract Previous studies of starch utilization by the gram-negative anaerobe Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron have demonstrated that the starch-degrading enzymes are cell associated rather than extracellular, indicating that the first step in starch utilization is binding of the polysaccharide to the bacterial surface. Five transposon-generated mutants of B. thetaiotaomicron which were defective in starch binding (Ms-1 through Ms-5) had been isolated, but initial attempts to identify membrane proteins missing in these mutants were not successful. We report here the use of an immunological approach to identify four maltose-inducible membrane proteins, which were missing in one or more of the starch-binding mutants of B. thetaiotaomicron. Three of the maltose-inducible proteins were outer membrane proteins (115, 65, and 43 kDa), and one was a cytoplasmic membrane protein (80 kDa). The genes encoding these proteins were shown to be clustered in an 8.5-kbp segment of the B. thetaiotaomicron chromosome. Two other loci defined by transposon insertions, which appeared to contain regulatory genes, were located within 7 kbp of the cluster of membrane protein genes. The 115-kDa outer membrane protein was essential for utilization of maltoheptaose (G7), whereas loss of the other proteins affected growth on starch but not on G7. Not all of the proteins missing in the mutants were maltose regulated. We also detected two constitutively produced proteins (32 and 50 kDa) that were less prominent in all of the mutants than in the wild type. Both of these were outer membrane proteins.
Accounting for topology in spreading contagion in non-complete networks

We are interested in investigating the spread of contagion in a network, G, which describes the interactions between the agents in the system. The topology of this network is often neglected due to the assumption that each agent is connected with every other agents; this means that the network topology is a complete graph. While this allows for certain simplifications in the analysis, we fail to gain insight on the diffusion process for non-complete network topology. In this paper, we offer a continuous-time Markov chain infection model that explicitly accounts for the network topology, be it complete or non-complete. Although we characterize our process using parameters from epidemiology, our approach can be applied to many application domains. We will show how to generate the infinitesimal matrix that describes the evolution of this process for any topology. We also develop a general methodology to solve for the equilibrium distribution by considering symmetries in G. Our results show that network topologies have dramatic effect on the spread of infections.
Trading nutrition for education: nutritional status and the sale of snack foods in an eastern Kentucky school.

Overweight and poor nutrition of children in the United States are becoming issues of increasing concern for public health. Dietary patterns of U.S. children indicate they are consuming too few fruits and vegetables and too many foods high in fat and sugar. Contributing to this pattern of food consumption is snacking, which is reported to be on the increase among adults and children alike. One place where snacking is under increased scrutiny, and where it is being increasingly criticized, is in U.S. schools, where snack foods are often sold to supplement inadequate budgets. This article takes a biocultural approach to understanding the nutritional status of elementary school children in a rural community in eastern Kentucky. It pays particular attention to the ways in which the school's nutrition environment shapes overweight and nutritional status for many of the children, focusing on the sale of snack foods and the reasons behind the principal's decision to sell snack foods in the school.
Derivative-free optimization: a review of algorithms and comparison of software implementations

This paper addresses the solution of bound-constrained optimization problems using algorithms that require only the availability of objective function values but no derivative information. We refer to these algorithms as derivative-free algorithms. Fueled by a growing number of applications in science and engineering, the development of derivative-free optimization algorithms has long been studied, and it has found renewed interest in recent time. Along with many derivative-free algorithms, many software implementations have also appeared. The paper presents a review of derivative-free algorithms, followed by a systematic comparison of 22 related implementations using a test set of 502 problems. The test bed includes convex and nonconvex problems, smooth as well as nonsmooth problems. The algorithms were tested under the same conditions and ranked under several criteria, including their ability to find near-global solutions for nonconvex problems, improve a given starting point, and refine a near-optimal solution. A total of 112,448 problem instances were solved. We find that the ability of all these solvers to obtain good solutions diminishes with increasing problem size. For the problems used in this study, TOMLAB/MULTIMIN, TOMLAB/GLCCLUSTER, MCS and TOMLAB/LGO are better, on average, than other derivative-free solvers in terms of solution quality within 2,500 function evaluations. These global solvers outperform local solvers even for convex problems. Finally, TOMLAB/OQNLP, NEWUOA, and TOMLAB/MULTIMIN show superior performance in terms of refining a near-optimal solution.
Segregation and Exchange Properties of Alkylammonium Ions in a Smectite and Vermiculite

X-ray diffraction analysis of mixed alkylammonium-exchanged smectite revealed segregation of different ion species into randomly ordered layers. Vermiculite, however, showed segregation into crystallites, a behavior attributed to clay inhomogeneity. Ion segregation is explained by the hydration properties of cations as well as the energy requirements of layer expansion. Quaternary ammonium ions of different size were used to exchange ethylammonium-clays, and the effectiveness, as well as steric hindrance, of cation size in ion exchange was demonstrated. Layer charge density was related to the degree of ease of large cation adsorption. Basal spacing in suspension was found to be important in determining the preference of vermiculite for certain cations, while more freely-expanding, lower layer charge smectite did not demonstrate this phenomenon.
Degradation and utilization of exogenous allantoin by intact soybean root

Allantoin is produced by soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Harper] nodules during nitrogen fixation. Decomposed nodules, therefore, may release allantoin into the surrounding soil. If the released allantoin were to be taken up by the plant without degradation, it is possible that the exogenous allantoin might repress subsequent nodulation. Using a hydroponic growth system, degradation of exogenous allantoin by soybean root was studied. In the presence of intact soybean root exogenous allantoin was rapidly degraded, yielding ca 2 mmol of urea per mmol of allantoin. Hydrolysis of urea to ammonia proceeded very slowly. Instead, the urea seemed to be taken up by the intact soybean root. The enzyme(s) required for the production of urea from exogenous allantoin could not be detected in the aqueous rooting medium. Therefore, these enzymes seem to be attached to the exterior surface of the intact soybean root. This study shows that exogenous allantoin can be readily degraded and assimilated by the growing soybean plant.
Misremembering pain: memory bias for pain words in women reporting sexual pain.

ABSTRACT Introduction The debate over the classification of dyspareunia as a sexual dysfunction or as a pain disorder raises the question of the comparative cognitive salience of sex and/or pain in the experience of women who report pain with intercourse. Refinements in our understanding of cognitive factors in the experience of pain with intercourse may be important in the development of effective treatments. Aim This study aimed to compare the cognitive salience of sex and pain word stimuli in women reporting pain with intercourse and in a control group of women without sexual dysfunction. Methods Twenty women reporting pain during sexual intercourse and 20 women reporting no sexual dysfunction (controls) participated in a memory protocol designed to detect differences as a function of group membership and type of stimulus (sex, pain, and two other control stimuli). Main Outcome Measures Dependent measures were recall, recognition, intrusions, and false positives for sex words, pain words, and two other control word types. Results Regardless of group membership, women had best recall for sex-related words; however, women reporting sexual pain evidenced more false memories for pain words than did control women, and pain words elicited more false memories than any other type of word for women with sexual pain. Conclusion Results are interpreted to suggest that repeated activation through experience with persistent sexual pain may have contributed to the: (i) development of stronger semantic networks related to pain in comparison to no sexual dysfunction controls and; (ii) activation of pain networks more easily triggered by pain-related stimuli in women with sexual pain than in no sexual dysfunction controls. Sex, however, had not attained the cognitive salience of pain. Thaler L, Meana M, and Lanti A. Misremembering pain: Memory bias for pain words in women reporting sexual pain. J Sex Med 2009;6:1369–1377.