cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Systemic Exclusion of Native Americans from Cancer Clinical Trials

Introduction: A major source of health care disparities derives from the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in clinical trials. The inclusion of ethnic minorities is necessary to generalize the results in terms of efficacy and toxicology of medications in cancer treatment. Methodology: In this retrospective study, 80 cancer clinical trials with an aggregate of 278,470 participants performed within the last ten years were selected at random. The number of ethnic minorities participating and inclusion of them in the results were evaluated. Results: Only, 42.5% of cancer clinical trials reported the ethnic background of participants in their trials while even less 5% reported the efficacy or toxicology of the therapeutic intervention for ethnic minorities. Whites, Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans make up 60.1%, 18.5%, 13.4% and 1.5% of the population they made up 85.3%, 2.54%, 7.6% and 0.12% of the participants that reported ethnicity, respectively. Out of 278,470 participants in cancer clinicals trials only 133 (0.048%) could be identified as Native American . Conclusion: Native Americans were nearly completely excluded from cancer clinical trials. African Americans and Hispanics were greatly underrepresented. Cancer Clinical trials may not be generalizable and have been inherently racist in the United States. This has led to the unnecessary death and suffering of Native Americans from cancer.
Noncompliance and instrumental variables for 2K factorial experiments

Factorial experiments are widely used to assess the marginal, joint, and interactive effects of multiple concurrent factors. While a robust literature covers the design and analysis of these experi...
Athletics for Women from a National Point of View

(1930). Athletics for Women from a National Point of View. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 1, No. 6, pp. 12-43.
Metal ion regulation of gene expression. Fur repressor-operator interaction at the promoter region of the aerobactin system of pColV-K30.

Abstract Transcription of the iron-controlled aerobactin operon of the enterobacterial plasmid pCoIV-K30 is negatively regulated through the interaction of a Fe2+-binding repressor (the Fur protein) with operator sequences within the promoter region of the operon. The DNA sequences essential for interaction with the repressor were located by site-directed mutagenesis of specific regions within the 31 base-pair protected by the repressor from DNase I nicking. Occupation of two contiguous repressor-binding sites appears to be required for the complete repression of the system. Contacts of the Fur repressor with the corresponding operator sequences were analyzed with hydroxyl radical footprint and methylation protection experiments. These indicate that DNA-protein contacts approach a symmetrical mode and take place at all sides of the DNA helix.
An effect of succinylcholine on the uterus. Clinical observations.

Abstract A clinical study of 70 obstetrical patients in whom increased uterine tone interfered with the second or third stage of labor has been presented. Succinylcholine was administered to these patients, and its effect on uterine musculature was evaluated. Succinylcholine produced useful uterine relaxation. A definite dose-response relationship was demonstrated. A correlation between the effect of succinylcholine on the uterine musculature and on the smooth muscles of the eye and the blood vessels has been indicated. The potential complications of the use of succinylcholine in obstetrics have been discussed.
Load Height and Moment Factors for Doubly Symmetric Wide Flange Beams

AbstractAn analytical procedure is used to study the effects of moment gradient and load height on the elastic stability of wide flange steel beams. Lateral torsional buckling is the limit state considered. Solutions are developed for a series of general moment functions which are produced by continuous load types with possible end moments. For each load type, an equivalent uniform moment factor is developed. Additionally, a load height factor is developed to modify the equivalent uniform moment factor for these load types where loading is applied above the shear center. Solutions are processed numerically using a Taylor series polynomial approximation. Results are presented in terms of an equivalent uniform moment factor and a load height factor. Comparison with national code procedures for moment factor show discrepancies that are conservative in some circumstances by up to 51% and unconservative in others by up to 8%. The largest discrepancies occur under the effect of reverse curvature bending and loa...
Property rights and welfare economics: Miller et al. v. Schoene revisited ( law).

The authors of the present comments have directed their attention to several points in our analysis of the case of Miller et al. v. Schoene. The purpose of our attempt at a diagrammatic exposition of the case was to ultimately illuminate the nature of choices open to society in utility space. While both have valid criticisms, it is unfortunate that neither attempted to fully explore and demonstrate the implications of their recommendations and suggestions on the grand utility frontiers. Following their lead we will specificially respond to their several comments sequentially:
Erotic Study: Fortune, Baby-Talk, and Jazz

INTRODUCTION How is it that the ability to study comes and goes even as we long for it? If I desire to study then, according to conventional wisdom, all that is left is to do it. In schools “study!” is an often-heard command and “study skills” are techniques to be acquired in remedial classes for the (supposedly) less able. In this essay, I will investigate the phenomenology of study with the growing intuition that conventional understandings of study in schools and elsewhere are incomplete. Study cannot be a simple matter of will, volition, or even learning, pure and simple. In addition to those things, study must also have something to do with the inarticulate, primal desire to be, to live, and to exist. To dwell. To be present. Study, like most things, cannot be wholly determined by a strong will, generated from a singular voluntary ego. In this essay, I hope to show that the art of study only comes through eros, desire, the desire for Desire.
p53 is involved in but not required for ionizing radiation-induced caspase-3 activation and apoptosis in human lymphoblast cell lines

The caspase-3 has been shown to be involved in mediating apoptosis induced by different stimuli. However, it is still unclear whether p53 is required for the ionizing radiation (IR)-induced caspase-3 activation. In the present study, we examined IR-induced apoptosis in three closely related human lymphoblast cell lines that differ in p53 status. Irradiation of TK6 cells (wild-type p53) with 4 Gy gamma-rays resulted in rapid apoptosis, whereas the apoptotic response was delayed and reduced in WTK1 cells (mutant p53) and the TK6 derivative line expressing HPV16 E6 (abrogated p53). The differential apoptotic responses in these cell lines correlated with caspase-3 activation. IR induced an early as well as a late phase of caspase-3 activation in TK6 but only a delayed onset in WTK1 and TK6-E6-5E cells. The early phase of caspase-3 activation coincided with an elevation of p53 and bax protein levels. Pretreatment of all three cell lines with a caspases inhibitor z-VAD-FMK inhibited apoptosis. These results suggest that IR-induced apoptosis is mediated by a mechanism involving the caspase-3 cascade, which is shared by both p53-dependent and -independent pathways. The activation of caspase-3 by IR may thus engage at least two separate mechanisms, one through the regulation of the bcl-2 family members by p53, whereas the other yet-to-be-identified one involves neither p53 nor bax.
11C and 18F PET radioligands for the serotonin transporter (SERT)

The serotonin transporter (SERT) has been implicated in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and suicide, and is the target of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of antidepressants. The availability of SERT-specific positron emission tomography (PET) radioligands will allow the SERT to be studied noninvasively in living subjects through PET imaging of the SERT and occupancy studies of SSRIs. Numerous diaryl sulfide and tropane derivatives have been developed and radiolabeled with (11) C or (18) F for imaging the SERT with PET.
An answer to "The Nagging Question of the Function of N-Acetylaspartylglutamate"

Abstract In 1997, a paper was published entitled "The Nagging Question of the Function of N-Acetylaspartylglutamate". N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is an unusual acetylated dipeptide that is synthesized by neurons, but whose complete metabolism requires four different enzymes and a specific receptor distributed among three different cell types in the brain. In 2007, it was hypothesized that the primary function of NAAG was that of a homeostatic neuronal-astrocyte-vascular system control mechanism. The purpose of this mechanism being to initiate focal hyperemic responses increasing the availability of oxygen and glucose to stimulated neurons in order to replenish their energy stores and thus maintain their ability to transmit a full range of meaningful frequency-encoded messages. In this communication, evidence is presented supporting the NAAG feedback control hypothesis. This evidence shows that NAAG is not required by individual neurons for survival, for myelination, or for their basic "spiking" activity by which signals are transmitted at synapses. However, in the absence of NAAG, or if its complex intercellular metabolism is compromised, higher brain cognitive functions and coordinated motor activities that are dependent on the integrity of frequency-encoded signals are negatively affected.
Direct detection of Salmonella spp. in estuaries by using a DNA probe.

Abstract A method for direct detection of Salmonella spp. in water was developed by using a commercially available DNA probe. Particulate DNA was extracted from 500- to 1,500-ml water samples collected from New York Harbor and Chesapeake Bay and used as a substrate for a salmonella-specific DNA probe in dot blot assays. The method detected salmonellae in water samples from 12 of 16 sites, including 6 sites where salmonellae could not be cultured. The specificity of the probe was evaluated, and cross-hybridization, although negligible, was used to set detection limits for the assay. Salmonella DNA bound the probe quantitatively, and from these results Salmonella DNA in the total particulate DNA in environmental samples could be estimated. The data obtained in this study indicate that Salmonella spp. often are not detected in water samples by culture methods, even when they are present in significant numbers.
Redeeming Creation: Creatio ex nihilo and the Imago Dei in Augustine

Contemporary theology has sometimes been critical of the perceived abstract, speculative intellectualism in Augustine's anthropology, especially in his understanding of the imago Dei. Within the larger context of Augustine's claims on the soul, however, and, in particular, in the way he conceives the soul created from nothing according to the image of God, one finds an intimate binding of soteriological and moral concerns to his claims on the created origin of the soul. In this we see that Augustine's intellectualism does not remove the soul from time, history and the relations with God and the world forged therein, but underscores the soul's sensitivity to, and dependence on, its relations to God and the world.
Ultrafast capillary electrophoresis/mass spectrometry with adjustable porous tip for a rapid analysis of protein digest in about a minute.

RATIONALE This paper introduces a novel ultrafast capillary electrophoresis (UFCE) mass spectrometry (MS) method comprised of a short (< 20 cm) and narrow (≤ 5 µm) capillary, with an integrated porous segment at the terminus of the capillary, for sheathless interfacing of CE to MS. The sheathless nature of the interface minimizes dead volume which is particularly important for ultrafast CE because of the small diameters of the capillaries. METHODS The separation voltage across the capillary was set to produce an electric field of ≥1000 V/cm to provide an analysis time of approximately 1 min. For the analysis of peptides and protein digests, a background electrolyte containing 0.1% cationic polymer (polybrene or Poly-E) in 0.1% acetic acid in water was used to prevent analyte–wall interaction. RESULTS Uniquely, the porous tip of the capillary is adjustable. This allows the porous tip to be pulled inside the sheath liquid for sample stacking during injection, or sample focusing in isoelectric focusing (IEF), or, alternatively, pushed outside of the sheath liquid for electrospray ionization (ESI). The adjustable interface preserves electrical conductivity during electrokinetic injection with reverse electro-osmotic flow. Therefore, pre-concentration of analytes at the capillary inlet is achieved without the need to disassemble the interface, improving the throughput. CONCLUSIONS As a proof of concept, the application of UFCE-MS was demonstrated by the analysis of a peptide mixture and a protein digest in ~1 min. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of polyhydric alcohols on the conformational stability of the purple membrane

The effect of different-sized polyhydric alcohols on the absorption and circular dichroic spectra of the purple membrane has been studied over the wavelength region 800 to 185 nm. Analysis of both the solution and the film spectra of the membrane revealed that these solvents induce conformational changes in the sole membrane protein, bacteriorhodopsin. Additional evidence supportive of these changes was obtained from protein fluorescence spectral studies. Although the net secondary structure of the bacteriorhodopsin is not observably altered, there is a reversible change in the protein tertiary structure. This change does not result in any significant change in the membrane crystallinity or the alignment of the protein helical polypeptide segments with respect to the membrane plane. However, it is of sufficient extent to change the protein-induced screw sense of the retinyl-chromophore symmetry and the local environments of the protein aromatic residues. The underlying mechanism appears to be a membrane surface-solvent interaction phenomenon since the spectral perturbation caused by these solvents appears to be independent of their effective sizes. Furthermore, partial enzymatic removal of the hydrophilic portion of the bacteriorhodopsins with papain increased the response of the membrane to this perturbation. An interpretation of these results is that polyhydric alcohols enhance hydrophobic interactions in the purple membrane which induces a more compact conformation of the bacteriorhodopsin. A possible molecular mechanism is presented.
Polymer-controlled release of tobramycin from bone graft void filler

Despite clinical, material, and pharmaceutical advances, infection remains a major obstacle in total joint revision surgery. Successful solutions must extend beyond bulk biomaterial and device modifications, integrating locally delivered pharmaceuticals and physiological cues at the implant site, or within large bone defects with prominent avascular spaces. One approach involves coating clinically familiar allograft bone with an antibiotic-releasing rate-controlling polymer membrane for use as a matrix for local drug release in bone. The kinetics of drug release from this system can be tailored via alterations in the substrate or the polymeric coating. Drug-loaded polycaprolactone coating releases bioactive tobramycin from both cadaveric-sourced cancellous allograft fragments and synthetic hybrid coralline ceramic bone graft fragments with similar kinetics over a clinically relevant 6-week timeframe. However, micron-sized allograft particulate provides extended bioactive tobramycin release. Addition of porogen polyethylene glycol to the polymer coating formulation changes tobramycin release kinetics without significant impact on released antibiotic bioactivity. Incorporation of oil-microencapsulated tobramycin into the polymer coating did not significantly modify tobramycin release kinetics. In addition to releasing inhibitory concentrations of tobramycin, antibiotic-loaded allograft bone provides recognized beneficial osteoconductive potential, attractive for decreasing orthopedic surgical infections with improved filling of dead space and new bone formation.
A refinement to the Sharpe ratio and information ratio

By modifying the denominator, both the Sharpe ratio and information ratio provide correct rankings during periods of negative excess returns.
Intramolecular redox processes induced in biquinoline-centered and metal to ligand charge transfer excited states of ru(ii)-(4,4 -bipyridine)-re(i)- and ru(ii)-(pyrazine)-re(i)-containing dyads

The photochemical and photophysical properties of the (CO)3(biq)ReI(4,4‘-bipy)RuII(biq)(CO)2Cl2+ and (CO)3(biq)ReI(pz)RuII(biq)(CO)2Cl2+ dyads and the monometallic compounds ReI(biq)(CO)3(4,4‘-bipy)+, ReI(biq)(CO)3(pz)+, and RuII(biq)(CO)2Cl2 have been investigated. Deaerated solutions of these compounds were irradiated at wavelengths between ∼350 and 532 nm. Intraligand, biq-centered, excited states decay by populating Re(I) to biq charge transfer excited states. In the dyads, the Re(I) to biq charge transfer excited states decay by radiative/radiationless relaxation pathways and by forming reaction intermediates. Oxidants and reductants reacted with these intermediates. The Ru(II) to biq charge transfer excited state, 3MLCTRu(II)→biq, could not be observed in a time domain t ≥ 5 ns, and the transfer of energy from the 3MLCTRe(I)→biq to the Ru(II) moiety is an inefficient process.
Detecting a salinity plume in an unconfined sandy aquifer and assessing secondary soil salinization using electromagnetic induction techniques, North Dakota, USA

Land-use changes on the Sheyenne Delta in southeastern North Dakota, USA, have prompted research on impacts to the unconfined Sheyenne Delta aquifer (SDA). This study examines effects of the saline discharge of a flowing artesian well that taps the Dakota aquifer (DAK) on SDA groundwater chemistry and soil salinity. Objectives were to map the saline plume in the SDA using induction techniques, to assess chloride migration in the SDA, and to evaluate induction sensitivity to moderately saline sands. Induction data, collected in a 2.9-ha grid, were compared to 31 soil profiles analyzed for gravimetric moisture, electrical conductivity, and chloride. Soil salinization is widespread, but only 7% of the area meets the 4-dS/m threshold for saline soils. SDA chloride distribution was determined on transects oriented with and perpendicular to the flow path determined from induction readings. Chloride was detected in the aquifer 550 m from the source, indicating a transport rate of 21 m/yr. Complex recharge and discharge patterns and hummocky relief contribute to a wide chloride plume at this site. A mass balance based on soil-water content and chloride concentration shows that only 4% of the chloride from the DAK well remains in the grid volume.
The effects of party fractionalization and party polarization on democracy

Previous research claims that there is a significant relationship between party systems and democracy. Although party system institutionalization is seen as a necessity for democratic consolidation, the effects of different party system characteristics on democracy are sharply contested. This study contributes to this debate through a systematic analysis of the relationship between two party system characteristics (party fractionalization and party polarization) and level of democracy. It is found that party polarization is positively related to the level of democracy in a country, i.e. the higher level of party polarization can produce the higher level of democracy. It is found, however, that there is no significant relationship between party fractionalization and level of democracy in a country.
Effects of diltiazem on phosphate metabolism in ischemic and reperfused myocardium using phosphorus31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in vivo.

Diltiazem may provide a protective effect to ischemic and reperfused myocardium through preservation of high-energy phosphate metabolism. lo test this hypothesis, rabbits had a 1.3 cm solenoidal coil placed over the myocardium to be rendered ischemic. Data were acquired with a 22 cm bore nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer at 2.0 T. Animals were treated with diltiarem (200 Ag/kg intravenous bolus of drug followed by a 15 Ag/kg/min continuous intravenous infusion, n = 10) or by an equal volume of saline (n = 6). The left circumflex artery was occluded and reperfused using a reversible snare while electrocardiogram-gated spectra were accumulated. Levels of phosphocreatine were decreased during occlusion in both groups; however, this decrease was attenuated in the diltiazem treated animals compared to control (in relative percent area: 7.6 * 1.0 to 2.5 % 0.5, p < 0.01). Levels of phosphocreatine promptly returned to baseline following reperfusion and there was no difference between the two groups. The inorganic phosphate metabolites of high-energy phosphate consumption increased with occlusion, though more so in the control group compared with the diltiazem-treated rabbits (in relative percent area: 72.5 + 0.9 to 55.4 f 1.3, p < 0.01). With reperfusion, levels of inorganic phosphates returned toward baseline in both groups; however, the diltiazem group had a more complete recovery relative to control (in relative percent area: 36.6 ? 2.1 to 47.6 It 2.7, p < 0.05). Levels of adenosine triphosphate decreased in both groups relative to baseline; however, the amount of decrease was similar in the two groups. With reperfusion there was a definite though incomplete recovery of levels of adenosine triphosphate in the diltiarem-treated group (in relative percent area: 10.7 + 1.0 at occlusion, 12.3 ? 0.4 during reperfusion, p < 0.05) but in the control group levels of adenosine triphosphate remained depressed (in relative percent area: 9.8 * 0.6 at occlusion, 9.8 rt 0.8 during reperfusion, p = NS). During ischemia there was a trend toward attenuation of intracellular acidosis in the diltiazem group; however, this trend did not reach statistical significance. These data indicate that diltiazem provides a protective effect on myocardial high-energy phosphate metabolism during regional ischemia and reperfusion in the intact animal. (AM HEART J 1989;118:1210.)
Fabrication of InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice LWIR planar photodiodes

We have evaluated selective doping techniques for the fabrication of type II LWIR superlattice planar detectors. Ion-implantation and diffusion of dopants were evaluated for selective doping of the electrical junction region in planar photodiodes. Residual damage remains when superlattice structures are implanted with Te ions with an energy of 190 keV and a dose of 5x1013 cm-2, at room temperature. Controlled Zn diffusion profiles with concentrations from 5x1016 to > 5x1018 cm-3 in the wide bandgap cap layer was achieved through a vapor phase diffusion technique. Planar p-on-n diodes were fabricated using selective Zn diffusion. The I-V characteristics were leaky due to G-R and tunneling in the homojunction devices, for which no attempts were made to optimize the n-type absorber doping level. Work is underway for the implementation of planar diodes with the n-on-p architecture through selective Te diffusion. Due to increased minority carrier lifetimes for p-type InAs/GaSb superlattice absorber layers, planar device with the n-on-p architecture have the potential to provide improved performance as compared to the p-on-n counterparts.
The spatial distribution of 10 micron luminosity in spiral galaxies

The present ground-based 10-micron observations of 133 nearby luminous, noninteracting IR galaxies indicate that about 40 percent of the early-type barred spirals are associated with enhanced 10-micron luminosity in the central (about 1-kpc diameter) region. The luminosity source may be either Seyfert activity or star formation, or both. The difference in bar-central luminosity association in early- and late-type spirals indicates that the bulge/disk ratio may be an important parameter in the determination of central IR luminosity in barred spirals.
Theoretical models for binder burnout

The kinetics of binder burnout, from a ceramic green body, are considered for the case of an “unzipping” binder which decomposes to produce a volatile monomer. The process is considered to fail if the concentration of monomer in the green body exceeds that in equilibrium with vapor at 1 atm (≅105 Pa), when an internal bubble would be expected to form. Steady-state diffusional calculations and computer simulations explore the size and temperature dependence of the process and are in agreement. The model suggests that it is not feasible to burn out a large flat piece greater than about 3 mm thick, without going to very long times of burnout. The kinetics are significantly improved if porosity develops in the piece during the early stages of decomposition, as opposed to the retreat of the binder into the piece on a uniform front.
Surface core-level spectroscopy of Cu(100) and Al(100).

We present experimental and theoretical results for the surface core-level binding-energy shifts of Al(100), representative of an sp metal, and Cu(100), representative of a transition metal. Our analysis of these results leads to a unified interpretation for the different behavior of sp and transition metals. The d-electron contribution to smaller surface core-level binding energies is elucidated.
Short-chain fatty acids induce cell cycle inhibitors in colonocytes.

Abstract Background & Aims: We tested the hypothesis that short-chain organic acids in the colon derived from dietary pectin, wheat bran, and oat bran are protective against the development of colon cancer because they induce transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, which in turn inhibits cell growth by inducing cyclin-directed kinase (cdk) inhibitors. Methods: U4 human colon carcinoma cells differentiate into water- and salt-transporting columnar enterocytes and therefore model normal colonocytes. The composition and kinase activity of cdk/cyclin complexes were determined by immunoprecipitation and Western blotting studies in U4 cells treated in vitro with short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) mixtures that mimic the digestion products of wheat bran, oat bran, pectin, and cellulose (as control), which is largely unfermentable. Results: Induction of the cdk inhibitors p21cip1 and p27kip1 by fiber-mimicking SCFA mixtures occurs much more rapidly and is many-fold greater than their induction by TGF-β1. The SCFA mixtures most effective in causing growth inhibition and cdk inhibitor production mimicked those from wheat bran > oat bran > pectin. Conclusions: cdk inhibitor induction by SCFA mixtures is not mediated by TGF-β1. The SCFA mixture mimicking digested wheat bran fiber was the most effective of all mixtures tested in inhibiting cell growth through induction of cdk inhibitors. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;114:940-946
Commutativity theorems: examples in search of algorithms

Commutativity theorems are part of the study of polynomial identities in non-commutative rings. They are theorems which assert that, under certain conditions, the ring at hand must be commutative. The proofs of theorems of this sort in their general form require the structure theory for non-commutative rings. Instances of these theorems have a strongly computational flavor. They provide interesting test examples for algorithms which use rewrite rules and reduction theory for polynomial rings in noncommuting variables. This paper presents several examples of commutativity theorems with solutions. The solutions were obtained using a reduction process for non-commutative polynomials with integer coefficients. The reduction process blends a treatment of integer coefficients due to Buchberger with handling of non-commutative polynomials due to Mora. Some comparisons are made between automated solutions and solutions “by hand”.
Scaling limits and regularity results for a class of Ginzburg-Landau systems

We study a class of parabolic systems which includes the Ginzburg-Landau heat flow equation, u∈t−Δu∈+1∈2(|u∈|2−1)u∈=0 for uϵ: Rd → R2, as well as some natural quasilinear generalizations for functions taking values in Rk, k ≥ 2. We prove that for solutions of the general system, the limiting support as ϵ → 0 of the energy measure is a codimension k manifold which evolves via mean curvature. We also establish some local regularity results which hold uniformly in ϵ. In particular, we establish a small-energy regulity theorem for the general system, and we prove a stronger regularity result for the usual Ginzburg-Landau equation on R2.
Socioeconomic disparities in the knowledge of basic life support techniques

Abstract Objectives Substantial disparities exist in health measures between different socioeconomic groups, including mortality. We hypothesized that a difference in knowledge of life-saving basic life support (BLS) techniques between groups may also contribute. Methods A 34-question survey was administered to a convenience sample of patients 18 and older presenting to an urban ED in Boston. Patients who were intoxicated, prisoners, critically or mentally ill, had an insurmountable language barrier or victims of abuse were excluded. Trained research assistants collected the data. An inactivated automated external defibrillator (AED) device was utilized to test identification of the device and its correct usage. Results 440 patients were considered for inclusion. 163 patients met exclusion criteria, leaving 277 eligible patients. 59 patients refused, and 218 patients (78.7%) completed the survey instrument. Overall, 144 (66.7% (95% CI 60.1–72.6%)) felt confident recognizing the signs of a heart attack. 93 (42.9% (95% CI 36.5–49.5%)) recognized that heart attack symptoms were different in men and women. 112 (51.3% (95% CI 44.8–57.9%)) were trained to do CPR. Patients were more likely to be trained in CPR if English is their first language (OR 2.25 (1.18–4.28) p = 0.012) or if they earned >$40,000 per year (OR 2.15 (1.17–3.95) p = 0.013). Recognition of the AED was more common in those who completed college (OR 2.70 (1.52–4.78) p = 0.0005), were white (OR 1.78 (1.03–3.08) p = 0.036), had English as the 1st language (OR 3.33 (1.63–6.81) p = 0.0005), earned >$40,000 per year (OR 3.21 (1.70–6.06) p = 0.0002) or had private insurance (OR 2.32 (1.33–4.04) p = 0.003). Demonstration of correct usage of the AED was more common in patients who completed college (OR 1.91 (1.09–3.32) p = 0.022) and had private insurance (OR 2.19 (1.26–3.82) p = 0.005). No differences were detected between the genders, age > or Conclusions Multiple socioeconomic disparities exist in the knowledge of BLS techniques. This study describes these disparities, and presents an opportunity to target education and potentially reduce mortality for these specific groups.
Weighting Games in robust linear regression

In a number of problems, interest is centered on only a few of the coefficients of the multiple linear regression model, while the remaining parameters are treated as nuisance parameters. At the same time, the experimenter is interested in estimating the parameters robustly. We propose a new weighting scheme which generates estimators for the parameters of interest that are more efficient than their bounded influence counterparts. The new weighting scheme differentially downweights the components of the explanatory variables and produces the estimators as solutions of a set of estimating equations. Moreover, the differential downweighting allows us to maintain a bound on a selected sensitivity while increasing the efficiency of the subvector of parameters of interest. We study the covariance structure of the new estimators and derive conditions which guide us in the weight construction.
Effects of implementing PSI-light on hydrogen production via biophotolysis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant strains

Abstract A new strategy in hydrogen production via biophotolysis developed previously was implemented in mutant strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii . Implementing PSI-light successfully demonstrated improved hydrogen production in the wild type strain of C. reinhardtii in a previous study, however, the results also showed rapid attenuation of hydrogen production even under PSI-light due to inhibited hydrogenase activity caused by oxygen, which was simultaneously produced through the water splitting reactions of PSII under light. In order to further decrease oxygen generation under PSI-light during the hydrogen production phase, use of some mutant strains of C. reinhardtii , that are known to show limited oxygen generation, were investigated. Continuous supply of PSI-light after a short anaerobic adaptation under dark conditions achieved significantly prolonged hydrogen production up to ≈ 18 h in a chlorophyll b deficient mutant (cbn 1–48) and a very high light tolerant mutant (VHL R -S4) yielding chlorophyll content based H 2 production of 220 and 176 dm 3 kg −1 (equivalent to dry cell weight based H 2 production of 4.24 and 8.73 dm 3 kg −1 ), respectively. In addition, by iterating light and dark every 1.5 h with PSI-light, hydrogen production was successfully extended to 27 h yielding chlorophyll content based H 2 production of 366 dm 3 kg −1 (equivalent to dry cell weight based H 2 production of 8.81 dm 3 kg −1 ) in cbn 1-48. Further, greater energy conversion efficiency from light to the formation of hydrogen molecules was achieved with the combination of PSI-light and some mutant strains compared to alternate methods of biophotolysis.
Propylthiouracil Is Teratogenic in Murine Embryos

Background Hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is treated with the antithyroid drugs (ATD) propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (MMI). PTU currently is recommended as the drug of choice during early pregnancy. Yet, despite widespread ATD use in pregnancy, formal studies of ATD teratogenic effects have not been performed. Methods We examined the teratogenic effects of PTU and MMI during embryogenesis in mice. To span different periods of embryogenesis, dams were treated with compounds or vehicle daily from embryonic day (E) 7.5 to 9.5 or from E3.5 to E7.5. Embryos were examined for gross malformations at E10.5 or E18.5 followed by histological and micro-CT analysis. Influences of PTU on gene expression levels were examined by RNA microarray analysis. Results When dams were treated from E7.5 to E9.5 with PTU, neural tube and cardiac abnormalities were observed at E10.5. Cranial neural tube defects were significantly more common among the PTU-exposed embryos than those exposed to MMI or vehicle. Blood in the pericardial sac, which is a feature indicative of abnormal cardiac function and/or abnormal vasculature, was observed more frequently in PTU-treated than MMI-treated or vehicle-treated embryos. Following PTU treatment, a total of 134 differentially expressed genes were identified. Disrupted genetic pathways were those associated with cytoskeleton remodeling and keratin filaments. At E 18.5, no gross malformations were evident in either ATD group, but the number of viable PTU embryos per dam at E18.5 was significantly lower from those at E10.5, indicating loss of malformed embryos. These data show that PTU exposure during embryogenesis is associated with delayed neural tube closure and cardiac abnormalities. In contrast, we did not observe structural or cardiac defects associated with MMI exposure except at the higher dose. We find that PTU exposure during embryogenesis is associated with fetal loss. These observations suggest that PTU has teratogenic potential.
Brief paper: Composite adaptive control for Euler-Lagrange systems with additive disturbances

In a typical adaptive update law, the rate of adaptation is generally a function of the state feedback error. Ideally, the adaptive update law would also include some feedback of the parameter estimation error. The desire to include some measurable form of the parameter estimation error in the adaptation law resulted in the development of composite adaptive update laws that are functions of a prediction error and the state feedback. In all previous composite adaptive controllers, the formulation of the prediction error is predicated on the critical assumption that the system uncertainty is linear in the uncertain parameters (LP uncertainty). The presence of additive disturbances that are not LP would destroy the prediction error formulation and stability analysis arguments in previous results. In this paper, a new prediction error formulation is constructed through the use of a recently developed Robust Integral of the Sign of the Error (RISE) technique. The contribution of this design and associated stability analysis is that the prediction error can be developed even with disturbances that do not satisfy the LP assumption (e.g., additive bounded disturbances). A composite adaptive controller is developed for a general MIMO Euler-Lagrange system with mixed structured (i.e., LP) and unstructured uncertainties. A Lyapunov-based stability analysis is used to derive sufficient gain conditions under which the proposed controller yields semi-global asymptotic tracking. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the approach.
GABA α6 receptors mediate midazolam-induced anxiolysis

Abstract Study Objective: To compare the ability of midazolam to produce sedation and anxiolysis and attenuate memory in 100 patients aged 20 to 70 years. The effect of a point mutation (Pro385Ser) for the gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA) α6 receptor on the sedative, anxiolytic, and memory effects of midazolam was determined. Setting: University hospital. Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind study. Patients: 100 ASA physical status I and II patients scheduled for surgery. Interventions: Two midazolam dose groups, 20 μg/kg and 40 μg/kg, with 40 patients per group and 20 control patients receiving saline as a sham control. Treatments were randomly assigned. Blood was collected at the beginning of each study. Measurements: Patient sedation and anxiolysis were measured using a visual analog scale and explicit and implicit memory of a word task determined before and six minutes after midazolam or saline. A 365-base pair fragment of the GABA α6 receptor gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from patient blood DNA and digested with the restrictase Fok I. Restriction fragments were visualized by ethidium bromide staining after electrophoresis to evaluate the GABA α6 receptor subunit mutation. Main Results: Midazolam produced dose-related sedation and anxiolysis. Explicit (recall) memory was attenuated with high-dose midazolam but implicit (recognition) memory remained intact. The GABA α6 receptor mutation did not affect baseline sedation, anxiety, or memory but significantly attenuated the anxiolytic effect of low-dose midazolam. Sedation and explicit memory were not affected by the mutation. Conclusions: A Pro385Ser mutation of the GABA α6 receptor subunit decreased the anxiolytic effect of low-dose midazolam.
INFLUENCE OF GONADAL HORMONES ON THE METABOLISM OF CORTISONE

Liver homogenates from adult male rats reduced the 17,21-dihydroxy-20- ketone sidechain of cortisone more rapidly than did similar preparations from female rats. Conversely, the female preparation metabolized the Δ4–3 ketone group at a faster rate than did the male. The ratio A-ring reduction/sidechain reduction for the female is 3.4; for the male it is 0.88. The sex difference in the metabolism of the sidechain of cortisone is not present in rats younger than about 25 days of age but becomes evident by the time the animals are 30 days old. Gonadectomy and injections of estradiol-17β and testosterone indicate that the male hormone promotes the ability of the liver to reduce the sidechain of cortisone while the female hormone has an inhibitory effect.
Explaining discrepancies between longitudinal and cross-sectional models.

Abstract Data from longitudinal studies may be analyzed both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Discrepancies between estimates obtained from these analyses pose questions about the validity of cross-sectional estimates of change. In some cases these discrepancies are the result of period effects, cohort effects, or selective dropout. In others, they are the result of incomplete modeling of the process and are spurious rather than substantive. In this report, we show that when the true relation between a dependent variable and age is non-linear (e.g. quadratic), but is modeled as linear, the estimated age effect will be a function of the age distribution. In a continuous-time idealization, if the age distribution is Gaussian, the estimated age effects agree. If the age distribution is symmetric and the non-linearity is quadratic, cross-sectional and longitudinal results agree. Otherwise they do not. We illustrate these points by analysis of the relation between aging and pulmonary function in middle and old age using data from a large, prospective, longitudinal study.
Status of dosimetry for 252Cf medical neutron sources.

The author presents a review of the parameters of 252Cf medical neutron sources. A comparison of 252Cf absorbed dose deterioration is made and the evaluation of data and sources of error are discussed.
Culture for Sale: Western Classical Architecture in China’s Recent Building Boom

Abstract The widespread use of Western classical forms in China's recent building boom demonstrates that the process of formalizing and ennobling a locally and spontaneously created building form can also be inverted, wherein a high architecture is appropriated and vernacularized into a mainstream architecture in a different cultural setting. In this article, I examined the recent popularity of Western classical architecture in China and its historical, social, and cultural conditions. Focusing on the ideological implications of the style, I also investigated the dynamic application of the classical forms and their iconographical effects on China's constructed landscape.
Molecular dynamics study of equilibrium concentration profiles and the gradient energy coefficient in Cu-Pb nanodroplets

Atomistic simulations were used to equilibrate the concentration profiles in $5.3\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$ liquid droplets for an embedded atom method model of Cu-Pb. The strong tendency of Pb to surface segregate establishes a nonuniform profile, which decays over a length comparable to the particle radius. With the free energy vs composition determined from separate Monte Carlo simulations, the composition profile can be analyzed in terms of the Cahn-Hilliard diffuse interface model and the gradient energy coefficient, $\ensuremath{\kappa}$, can be obtained. Results from three different temperatures indicate that $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ lies in the range $1.0--1.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{J}∕\mathrm{m}$. In addition to the gradient energy coefficient, various aspects of phase equilibria at the nanoscale have been investigated. The critical point of the liquid-liquid miscibility was found to decrease by $\ensuremath{\approx}50\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ for the $5.3\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$ particle size, the melting point of pure Cu is suppressed by $\ensuremath{\approx}110\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, and the liquidus slope is shallower than that of the bulk system.
Individual Differences in Children's and Parents' Generic Language

Generics (“Dogs bark”) convey important information about categories and facilitate children's learning. Two studies with parents and their 2- or 4-year-old children (N = 104 dyads) examined whether individual differences in generic language use are as follows: (a) stable over time, contexts, and domains, and (b) linked to conceptual factors. For both children and parents, individual differences in rate of generic production were stable across time, contexts, and domains, and parents' generic usage significantly correlated with that of their own children. Furthermore, parents' essentialist beliefs correlated with their own and their children's rates of generic frequency. These results indicate that generic language use exhibits substantial stability and may reflect individual differences in speakers' conceptual attitudes toward categories.
Plasma lipoproteins of cholesterol-fed guinea pigs.

Abstract 1. 1. Dietary cholesterol induces a hemolytic anemia in guinea pigs accompanied by changes in the lipid composition of their red cells and plasma. This report presents a characterization of the plasma lipoproteins of normal and cholesterol-fed, anemic guinea pigs. 2. 2. Plasma of guinea pigs fed a control diet contained no detectable high-density lipoproteins and no lipoproteins with alpha mobility, as determined by analytical ultracentrifugation and agarose gel electrophoresis, respectively. 3. 3. In response to a dietary supplement of 1% cholesterol, a high-density lipoprotein fraction appeared in the plasma, which exhibited α-mobility. 4. 4. The cholesterol-containing diet also increased the concentration of the lowdensity fraction of the plasma and altered its lipid composition.
Anatomy of High-Performance Many-Threaded Matrix Multiplication

BLIS is a new framework for rapid instantiation of the BLAS. We describe how BLIS extends the "GotoBLAS approach" to implementing matrix multiplication (GEMM). While GEMM was previously implemented as three loops around an inner kernel, BLIS exposes two additional loops within that inner kernel, casting the computation in terms of the BLIS micro-kernel so that porting G E M M becomes a matter of customizing this micro-kernel for a given architecture. We discuss how this facilitates a finer level of parallelism that greatly simplifies the multithreading of GEMM as well as additional opportunities for parallelizing multiple loops. Specifically, we show that with the advent of many-core architectures such as the IBM PowerPC A2 processor (used by Blue Gene/Q) and the Intel Xeon Phi processor, parallelizing both within and around the inner kernel, as the BLIS approach supports, is not only convenient, but also necessary for scalability. The resulting implementations deliver what we believe to be the best open source performance for these architectures, achieving both impressive performance and excellent scalability.
The Budget Enforcement Act in 1991: Isometric Budgeting

The immediate effect of the Budget Enforcement Act (BEA) of 1990 was to cancel a pending $110 billion sequester and to change the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings deficit targets. These and other changes allowed Congress and the administration to escape responsibility for increases in the deficit if discretionary spending was kept within the caps and no new entitlement programs or revenue enhancements were added. This assumption and others relating to the empowerment of the Appropriations Committees and the new authority of the OMB are explored in this article.