cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endogenous testosterone and its relationship to preclinical and clinical measures of cardiovascular disease in the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.

Context: Epidemiologic studies suggest that endogenous testosterone (T) levels in males may be implicated in cardiovascular disease (CVD), however further clarification is needed. Objective: We assessed the cross-sectional relationship between endogenous plasma T and mean carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), and the longitudinal relationship with incident clinical CVD events, cardiac mortality, and all-cause mortality using male participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Design: This study involved a subset of men from visit 4 of the ARIC study. Setting: The study was conducted in a community based cohort. Participants: Males who provided a morning blood sample excluding those taking androgen therapy, with prevalent coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, or heart failure (HF) (n = 1558). Intervention: None. Main Outcome Measures: Plasma T by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and carotid IMT using high resolution B-mode ultrasound were obtained at visit 4. Incident CHD, HF...
Fractional charges and quantum phase transitions in imbalanced bilayer quantum Hall systems.

We extend the composite boson theory to study slightly imbalanced bilayer quantum Hall systems. In the global $U(1)$ symmetry breaking excitonic superfluid side, as the imbalance increases, the system supports continuously changing fractional charges. In the translational symmetry breaking pseudospin density wave (PSDW) side, there are two quantum phase transitions from the commensurate PSDW to an incommensurate PSDW and then to the excitonic superfluid state. We compare our theory with experimental data and also the previous microscopic calculations.
Intra-annual Variability in Hawaiian Shallow-water, Soft-bottom Macrobenthic Communities Adjacent to a Eutrophic Estuary

Abstract Temporal variability in shallow-water (10 m), soft-bottom macrobenthic communities was examined over a period of 25 months (November 1992–November 1994) off-shore of the Ala Wai canal, a tropical eutrophic estuary on the south shore of O'ahu, Hawaii. Despite significant temporal variations in the density of major taxonomic groups at the four stations examined, there was no evidence of a regular seasonal signal in the density fluctuations. Although all stations showed a steady decline in mean density during the unusually dry period in the spring of 1993, there was no evidence that observed macrofaunal density fluctuations (maximum and minimum) were associated with periods of increased runoff. Intensive macrobenthic sampling after a large runoff event showed no evidence that the event influenced the density or community composition of the benthos over a two month period. Total macrofaunal density ranged from 491 to 4743 ind. 0·1 m−2with total macrofaunal biomass ranging from 4·7 to 109 mg AFDW 0·1 m−2(AFDW—ash free dry weight), values consistent with those of other tropical and subtropical studies. A significant between-year difference in the density of total macrofauna was observed, perhaps associated with the 1991–1994 El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event and the corresponding decreased rainfall in Hawaii.
Effects of the volatile anesthetic agents on sinus node function and atrioventricular conduction in dogs: a comparison with chloralose anesthesia.

The effects of equipotent concentrations (1.5 times minimum alveolar concentration) of the inhalational agents halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane on sinus node function, and atrioventricular (A-V) conduction and refractoriness were compared with chloralose anesthesia in 49 mongrel dogs. Sinus node function was assessed using corrected sinus node recovery time. Atrial-His and His-ventricular conduction times were measured at paced heart rates of 150, 180, and 200 beats/min, and A-V refractoriness was assessed by Wenckebach periodicity. There was no evidence that sinus node function was impaired by any of the inhalational agents. Enflurane anesthesia was associated with a significant prolongation of atrial-His conduction at paced heart rates of 180 and 200 beats/min when compared to chloralose anesthesia and the other two inhalational agents (P < .001). Atrioventricular refractoriness was impaired by enflurane (P < .001) and halothane (P < .05), but not isoflurane, when compared with chloralose anesthesia. Ventricular-His conduction was not altered by any of the agents. The authors conclude that enflurane is associated with a greater impairment of AN conduction and refractoriness than halothane or isoflurane, and that these changes are related to the anesthetic agent .and not the anesthetic state.
Development of nasal basophilic cells and nasal eosinophils from age 4 months through 4 years in children of atopic parents

Abstract Background : The importance of the inflammatory response in allergic disease has warranted investigation of two of the more integral cells in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis, namely, nasal basophilic cells (NBCs) and nasal eosinophils (NEs). In the present study the natural history of NBCs and NEs was studied from birth through 4 years of age in infants of atopic parents to better understand their relationship to the development of various atopic disorders. Methods : During a prospective, randomized, controlled trial of the effect of maternal and infant food avoidance on the development of atopic disorders in 288 infants of atopic parents, NBCs and NEs were determined semiquantitatively on Wright-Geimsa stained nasal mucosal scrapings and related to each other and to various atopic parameters. Results : In these infants who are at high risk NBCs developed in both those becoming atopic and those remaining nonatopic, but they occurred with increased frequency and quantity in those children in whom most allergic disorders and food or inhalant sensitization developed. NEs, rare at 4 months in all infants, increased in atopic children from 1 to 4 years, and remained infrequent and nominal in nonatopic children. Levels of NBCs and NEs (1) correlated with each other strongly, directly, and with increasing magnitude in children from ages 4 months to 4 years and (2) correlated with log serum IgE levels weakly and moderately in children from ages 2 to 4 years. Stepwise linear regression analyses revealed that allergic rhinitis accounted for most of the variance seen in the level of NBCs and NEs during early childhood, reaching 50% by age 4 years. Asthma, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, food and inhalant sensitization, serum IgE level, and IgG beta-lactoglobulin level accounted for a small proportion of the variance in NBCs and NEs from ages 4 months to 4 years. Conclusions : These findings help to elucidate the natural history of NBCs and NEs in infants at risk for atopic disorders and document the temporal association of these cells with the development of atopic disease, principally allergic rhinitis.
Actions of Activins, Inhibins and Follistatins: Implications in Anterior Pituitary Function

1. The anterior pituitary is well documented to be under the control of central and peripheral factors that dynamically interact to affect cell-specific modulation of pituitary functions. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that these extrinsic factors work in concert with a variety of local products that exert autocrine/paracrine control on pituitary cells. 2. These factors modulate the activity of their target pituitary cells by altering the synthesis and secretion of cell-specific hormones and by exerting control on the growth and differentiation of cells of this tissue. Included in the list of growth factors and bioactive peptides known to be products of pituitary cells are the activins, possibly inhibins and follistatins. 3. These protein factors play an important role in the local modulation of several pituitary cell types and are crucial for the maintenance of normal follicle-stimulating hormone production and, thus, reproductive function and fertility.
Impact desolvation of electrosprayed microdroplets--a new ionization method for mass spectrometry of large biomolecules.

Impact desolvation of electrosprayed microdroplets (IDEM) is a new method for producing gas-phase ions of large biomolecules. Analytes are dissolved in an electrolyte solution which is electrosprayed in vacuum, producing highly charged micron and sub-micron sized droplets (microdroplets). These microdroplets are accelerated through potential differences ∼5 − 10 kV to velocities of several km/s and allowed to impact a target surface. The energetic impacts vaporize the droplets and release desolvated gas-phase ions of the analyte molecules. Oligonucleotides (2- to 12-mer) and peptides (bradykinin, neurotensin) yield singly and doubly charged molecular ions with no detectable fragmentation. Because the extent of multiple charging is significantly less than in atmospheric pressure electrospray ionization, and the method produces ions largely free of adducts from solutions of high ionic strength, IDEM has some promise as a method for coupling to liquid chromatographic techniques and for mixture analysis. Ions are produced in vacuum at a flat equipotential surface, potentially allowing efficient ion extraction. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Osteoporosis after solid organ and bone marrow transplantation.

Organ transplantation has become increasingly common as a therapy for end-stage renal, liver, cardiac and pulmonary disease. The population of patients who have survived organ transplantation has grown dramatically over the last 2 decades. Although organ transplant recipients now benefit from greatly improved survival, long-term complications of organ transplantation, such as osteoporosis, adversely affect quality of life and must be addressed. In the early post-transplantation period, the effects of high dose glucocorticoids, combined with other immunosuppressive drugs such as cycosporine A and tacrolimus, cause rapid bone loss particularly at the spine and proximal femur. In this setting, fracture incidence rates as high as 25–65% have been reported. Treatment and prevention strategies must target this early post-transplant period, as well as the patient awaiting transplantation and the long-term transplant recipient. This review will discuss the clinical features of transplantation osteoporosis, the pathophysiology of post-transplantation bone loss and prevention and therapy of this unique bone disease.
Schistosoma mansoni: Calcium efflux and effects of calcium-free media on responses of the adult male musculature to praziquantel and other agents inducing contraction

When male Schistosoma mansoni were incubated in a Ca2+-free medium their responsiveness to the contracture inducing agents, praziquantel (PZ), dinitrophenol (DNP), 60 mM K+ (high K+), ouabain, and low temperature, was rapidly attenuated. After 5 min in a zero Ca2+ medium the responsiveness to PZ was reduced by 60% but a residual response of 20% remained even after 40 min in a calcium-free medium. The contracture induced by ouabain or low temperature was totally lost within 1 min exposure to a zero Ca2+ medium. The efflux of 45Ca2+ from parasites incubated in a medium containing no Ca2+ closely parallels the drop in responsiveness of their musculature to high K+, DNP, and PZ. The total amount of Ca2+ in the parasite was reduced by only 30% after 60 min in zero Ca2+ medium. A relatively rapid exponential decline in muscle tension was noted when parasites, previously treated with PZ, high K+, or DNP, were transferred to a medium containing these agents but with no Ca2+. Parasites that had been contracted with ouabain or low temperature showed no significant relaxation 16 min after transfer to a zero Ca2+ medium. The 45Ca2+ efflux from worms bathed in zero Ca2+ medium was not significantly altered by the presence of ouabain. These results suggest the presence of active Ca2+ transport at the level of the parasites' muscle membranes.
Parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, and cardiovascular disease in chronic renal failure

Parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, and cardiovascular disease in chronic renal failure. Background Parathyroid hormone and vitamin D have been shown to influence cardiac and vascular growth and function experimentally in human subjects with normal renal function. Because of the increased prevalence of hyperparathyroidism and altered vitamin D status in chronic renal failure, these alterations have been considered to contribute to the increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease and hypertension seen in this patient population. Methods and Results In this article, we review experimental and clinical literature on the cardiovascular effects of parathyroid hormone and vitamin D and relate them to the development of cardiac and vascular dysfunction in uremia, such as: cardiomyopathy, myocardial hypertrophy, and fibrosis, as well as to myocardial ischemia; uremic glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis; hypertension; and vascular and cardiac calcifications. Conclusions The hyperparathyroid state and altered vitamin D status found in uremia contribute to the cardiovascular pathology seen clinically in uremia and also to the excess mortality from cardiovascular causes found in this patient group. The therapeutic implications of these observations are also discussed.
Practical management approaches to anticoagulation non-compliance, health literacy, and limited English proficiency in the outpatient clinic setting

Warfarin is a widely used oral anticoagulant. It is highly efficacious for the treatment and prevention of thromboembolic disorders despite its narrow therapeutic window. Poor compliance with warfarin is common and a major contributor to poor anticoagulation control. A number of psychosocial issues (e.g. depressive symptoms, attitudinal and behavioral factors, cognitive function, lack of social support, limited English proficiency, health illiteracy) have been associated with warfarin non-compliance among patients in anticoagulation clinics. Patient-specific features, such as these, are important to identify in order to develop appropriate and practical interventions. Health literacy and limited English proficiency are the extension of issues related to culture, language, and ethnicity. A better understanding of patients' functioning level and health utilization factors may help to develop and target interventions for high risk patients and reduce complications from suboptimal therapy and poor warfarin management due to non-compliance. Four patient case scenarios will be used to illustrate these issues and identify potential interventions to optimize warfarin therapy.
Modeling and Assessment of Crossing Elimination for No-Notice Evacuations:

Crossing elimination is a relatively recent strategy that emergency managers and departments of transportation may consider during no-notice evacuations. In this strategy, certain intersection movements that may be permissible under normal operating conditions are prohibited so that arterial traffic flow will increase. A few previous studies examined this strategy with contraflow operations. However, the benefits of crossing elimination alone remain unclear. An assessment of the effects of intersection crossing elimination during evacuations helps fill this knowledge gap. A simulation-optimization model was developed to determine the near-optimal configuration of intersection movements from a set of pre-specified possible configurations for intersections in a given area. At the optimization level, the total travel time of evacuees was minimized, and at the lower level, all traffic was assigned to the network with DYNUST traffic assignment simulation software. A simulated annealing heuristic was used to so...
Precision measurement of L X-ray wavelenghts and line widths for 74 ≦ Z ≦ 95 and their interpretation in terms of nuclear perturbations

Abstract Techniques for the precision measurement of x-ray lines using the two-crystal spectrometer are discussed, and then applied to measurement of the L x-ray spectra of the transuranic elements uranium, neptunium plutonium, and americium. In all, 52 emission lines and 4 LIII absorption edges were measured, all of them with higher precision than has heretofore been obtained and many of them for the first time. Using these data, the binding energies of the electrons for these atoms were computed. The LII-L-III level splitting was computed and compared with theory and it was found that current theory is not sufficient to account quantitatively for the observed data. Certain features of the emission line widths are discussed and given qualitative explanations in terms of the Coster-Kronig transition LIII-LIIIMV and hyperfine structure. The observed hyperfine structure is due to the large magnetic moment of Np237 which leads to increased widths of certain of the Np lines. It is believed that this is the first experimental observation of hyperfine structure in x-ray spectra.
Atomic force microscopy and surface plasmon resonance investigation of fibronectin interactions with group B streptococci

The interactions of fibronectin (Fn) with group B streptococci (GBS) were investigated using the atomic force microscope (AFM) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensing. Submonolayer amounts of Fn were immobilized onto the AFM tip by two different methods, using either a sulfosuccinimidyl-4-(N-maleimidomethyl) cycholhexane-1-carboxylate (SMCC) linker or a pyridyldithio poly(ethylene glycol) succinimidylpropionate (NHS-PEG-PDP) linker. Each step of both immobilization methods was characterized using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry experiments indicated both methods produced Fn immobilized in a similar conformation. AFM force-distance curves from live GBS plated onto polystyrene exhibited several types of interactions between the Fn functionalized AFM tip and the surface of capsule-deficient GBS (no interactions, interactions with the cell wall, Fn unfolding, large specific unbinding events, and small specific unbinding events). From analysis of the force-distance curves that exhibited only a single specific unbinding event, the work of adhesion and rupture force for the SMCC immobilized Fn tips (11 131 pN nm and 213 pN) were larger than the corresponding values for the NHS-PEG-PDP immobilized Fn tips (8115 pN nm and 189 pN). The unbinding event occurred at distances approximately 100 nm further from the surface with the NHS-PEG-PDP immobilized Fn tip compared to SMCC immobilized Fn tip. The SPR experiments of soluble Fn with adsorbed serine protease C5a peptidase (Scp), the surface protein on GBS that binds Fn, showed that both low (millimolar) and high binding (nanomolar) affinity interactions were present. However, the low binding affinity interactions dominated the adsorption process and, with increasing Fn solution concentration, the amount of Scp bound to Fn via the high binding affinity interaction decreased. These data confirm that Scp binds only to adsorbed Fn at the Fn concentrations typically present in blood plasma.
Intraoperative breast problem--focused sonography a valuable tool in the training of surgical residents.

Introduction In surgical residency education, “hands-on” learning is important in the operating room. Mastering the interpretation of preoperative data is a must for intraoperative decisions. Because preoperative evaluations of breast masses by ultrasound are performed and interpreted in the Department of Radiology, our study aimed to assess and improve surgical residents' ability to perform ultrasound and to interpret their results before performing breast mass biopsies. Methods Between January 2000 and May 2007, 128 female patients found to have palpable breast masses were scheduled for biopsy. An on-table ultrasound was performed by a surgical resident under the supervision of an attending surgeon. The resident was unaware of the result reported by the Department of Radiology. The parameters used to evaluate on-table ultrasound were the echogenicity, diameter (transverse vs vertical), and margins (regular vs irregular) of patients' lesions. Based on these criteria, residents classified lesions as benign, malignant, or indeterminate. The results were compared with the preoperative ultrasound evaluations provided by the Department of Radiology and pathology reports. Results Eliminating the 10 indeterminate lesions on ultrasound, the residents found that 87 lesions were benign and 31 lesions were malignant. The residents' assessment of the breast lumps had a sensitivity of 90.32% and a specificity of 96.55%, with a positive predictive value of 90.32% and a negative predictive value of 96.55%. Conclusions The residents' overall accuracy of 94.91% approximates that of the radiologists in differentiating between benign and malignant lesions. The study allowed us to assess the knowledge and skills of residents who responded as required by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies.
Reevaluating herpes simplex virus hemifusion.

Membrane fusion induced by enveloped viruses proceeds through the actions of viral fusion proteins. Once activated, viral fusion proteins undergo large protein conformational changes to execute membrane fusion. Fusion is thought to proceed through a “hemifusion” intermediate in which the outer membrane leaflets of target and viral membranes mix (lipid mixing) prior to fusion pore formation, enlargement, and completion of fusion. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) requires four glycoproteins—glycoprotein D (gD), glycoprotein B (gB), and a heterodimer of glycoprotein H and L (gH/gL)—to accomplish fusion. gD is primarily thought of as a receptor-binding protein and gB as a fusion protein. The role of gH/gL in fusion has remained enigmatic. Despite experimental evidence that gH/gL may be a fusion protein capable of inducing hemifusion in the absence of gB, the recently solved crystal structure of HSV-2 gH/gL has no structural homology to any known viral fusion protein. We found that in our hands, all HSV entry proteins—gD, gB, and gH/gL—were required to observe lipid mixing in both cell-cell- and virus-cell-based hemifusion assays. To verify that our hemifusion assay was capable of detecting hemifusion, we used glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked hemagglutinin (HA), a variant of the influenza virus fusion protein, HA, known to stall the fusion process before productive fusion pores are formed. Additionally, we found that a mutant carrying an insertion within the short gH cytoplasmic tail, 824L gH, is incapable of executing hemifusion despite normal cell surface expression. Collectively, our findings suggest that HSV gH/gL may not function as a fusion protein and that all HSV entry glycoproteins are required for both hemifusion and fusion. The previously described gH 824L mutation blocks gH/gL function prior to HSV-induced lipid mixing.
Epidermotropic marginal zone lymphoma simulating mycosis fungoides

Cutaneous lymphomas can usually be distinguished by architectural features, where most atypical lichenoid infiltrates implicate cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). We report a case of an 80-year-old man who presented with asymptomatic golden brown patches and diffuse pink papules on his trunk, buttocks and hips. Biopsies revealed a lichenoid infiltrate and areas of epidermotropism. Although the overall architectural pattern was compatible with mycosis fungoides, the lymphocytes had a more monocytoid and plasmacytoid appearance, and there were interspersed mature plasma cells. Immunohistological studies revealed that the pleomorphic lymphocytes were predominantly B cells (CD20\+ and CD79a\+) with a subpopulation of smaller bland T cells (CD3\+). Moreover, the B-cell immunophenotype was compatible with marginal zone differentiation (bcl-2+, bcl-6-, CD10- and CD5-) and showed a lambda light chain restriction, confirming monoclonality. These findings were diagnostic for cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZL) with epidermotropism an entity which has only been reported twice in the literature, once in the setting of primary cutaneous disease, and once as cutaneous involvement of systemic disease. This case illustrates a rare pattern of cutaneous MZL, and underscores the importance of immunophenotypic characterization of cutaneous lymphomas in order to prevent the misdiagnosis of a CTCL.
Low dose adrenocorticotropin infusion in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

The adrenocorticoid responses to low doses of ACTH (0.03–10 ng/min) in sodium-deplete normal subjects and end-stage renal disease patients maintained on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) were compared. All subjects were pretreated with dexamethasone. ACTH was administered by graded iv infusions in doses of 0.03, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, and 10 ng ACTH/min. Each rate of infusion was maintained for 30 min. Plasma aldosterone, 18-hydroxycorticosterone, corticosterone, 18-hydroxy-ll-deoxycorticosterone, and cortisol were measured in plasma sampled at the end of each rate of infusion in both groups. Plasma 11-deoxycorticosterone was measured in CAPD patients. The plasma steroid levels in the CAPD patients after each infusion rate were equal to or greater than the levels in normal subjects. The slopes of the cumulative increases above baseline in plasma steroid levels in the CAPD patients were equal to or greater than those in the normal subjects. In both groups, plasma corticosterone increased the most an...
Bacteria‐Induced or Bacterial Product‐Induced Preterm Parturition in Mice and Rabbits Is Preceded by a Significant Fall in Serum Progesterone Concentrations

Bacterial products are thought to induce labor by stimulating the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins in gestational tissues, leading to the onset of preterm parturition. Progesterone withdrawal is a prerequisite of parturition in many species. Yet a role for progesterone in the mechanisms responsible for preterm parturition, in the setting of infection, is unclear. The current studies were conducted to determine if a fall in serum progesterone concentrations occurs before the onset of bacterial product-induced preterm parturition in animals.Accordingly, pregnant mice at day 15 (70% gestation) were injected i.p. with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 50 μg/mouse) and timed-pregnant rabbits were inoculated transcervically with a suspension of E. coli to cause an ascending intrauterine infection. Control animals in both groups received equal volumes of sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution. Blood specimens were collected at regular intervals and serum progesterone ...
The Three-Faced Janus: An Initial Metaphor for the Model of the Subject

These words of an eminent psychologist and psychiatrist have great significance for us, especially the concluding phrase. Why is it so difficult to turn the metaphor of two-phased Janus into a real model of the subject? We will show later that the reasons lie in the metaphor’s incompleteness. It must be expanded to include a third face, turned toward the present.
Mathematical Modeling as a Tool for Investigating Cell Cycle Control Networks

Although not a traditional experimental "method," mathematical modeling can provide a powerful approach for investigating complex cell signaling networks, such as those that regulate the eukaryotic cell division cycle. We describe here one modeling approach based on expressing the rates of biochemical reactions in terms of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. We discuss the steps and challenges in assigning numerical values to model parameters and the importance of experimental testing of a mathematical model. We illustrate this approach throughout with the simple and well-characterized example of mitotic cell cycles in frog egg extracts. To facilitate new modeling efforts, we describe several publicly available modeling environments, each with a collection of integrated programs for mathematical modeling. This review is intended to justify the place of mathematical modeling as a standard method for studying molecular regulatory networks and to guide the non-expert to initiate modeling projects in order to gain a systems-level perspective for complex control systems.
Receptivity and Preferences in Cancer Risk Reduction Lifestyle Programs: A Survey of Colorectal Cancer Family Members.

BACKGROUND Cancer is a shared family experience, and thus the purpose of this study was to assess receptivity and preferences for cancer risk reduction programs among at-risk family members with two or more relatives affected with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS The sample comprised 401 at-risk family members with two or more relatives affected with CRC from the Colon Cancer Family Registry. In March 2009, respondents completed a mailed survey assessing receptivity and preferences for participating in cancer risk reduction programs and evaluated their relationship to demographic, medical, and psychosocial variables. Multivariable generalized estimating equation approaches were used to model preferences. RESULTS Overall, 81% of respondents were receptive to a lifestyle cancer risk reduction program; of these, about half (54%) preferred to participate with their family. Program preferences included: weight management (36%) and nutrition (31%); delivered through the internet (41%) or mail (39%). In a multivariate model, a greater level of concern about cancer (p<0.001), female gender (p=0.002), and higher education (p=0.016) were significantly correlated with willingness to participate in lifestyle programs. CONCLUSIONS Family members of those with CRC are receptive to cancer risk reduction programs that focus on weight management and nutrition delivered via the internet or mail. Future research is needed to determine how best to incorporate a family-based approach that addresses the cancer experience when designing lifestyle intervention programs.
SIZE EFFECT IN PENETRATION OF SEA ICE PLATE WITH PART-THROUGH CRACKS. II: RESULTS

After development of the theory in the part I paper, systems of up to 300 nonlinear equations are solved in this paper by the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization algorithm. The maximum load is reached when the circumferential cracks begin to form. Numerical calculations show a typical quasi brittle size effect such that the plot of log σN versus log h (where αN= nominal stress at maximum load and h= plate thickness) is a descending curve whose slope is negligible only for h< 0.2 m and then gets gradually steeper, asymptotically approaching −1/2. The calculated size effect agrees with the existing test data, and contradicts previous plasticity solutions.
Natural Mentoring Relationships and Adolescent Health: Evidence From a National Study

Objectives. We used nationally representative data to examine the impact of natural (or informal) mentoring relationships on health-related outcomes among older adolescents and young adults. Methods. We examined outcomes from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health as a function of whether or not respondents reported a mentoring relationship. Logistic regression was used with control for demographic variables, previous level of functioning, and individual and environmental risk. Results. Respondents who reported a mentoring relationship were more likely to exhibit favorable outcomes relating to education/work (completing high school, college attendance, working ≥10 hours a week), reduced problem behavior (gang membership, hurting others in physical fights, risk taking), psychological wellbeing (heightened self-esteem, life satisfaction), and health (physical activity level, birth control use). However, effects of exposure to individual and environmental risk factors generally were larger in magnitude than protective effects associated with mentoring. Conclusions. These findings suggest a broad and multifaceted impact of mentoring relationships on adolescent health. However, mentoring relationships alone are not enough to meet the needs of at-risk youths and therefore should be incorporated into more comprehensive interventions. (Am J Public Health. 2005; 95:518‐524. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2003.031476)
#93-S u.s.-mexico cohort study of Helicobacter pylori Infection in children

Abstract PURPOSE: Helicobacter pylori infection occurs frequently in early childhood; persistence leads to chronic digestive diseases in adults. The Pasitos Cohort Study follows children from El Paso, Texas, USA and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico at 6-month intervals to identify predictors of acquisition and persistence of H. pylori infection. METHODS: Pregnant women were recruited from El Paso WIC clinics and Mexican Social Security Institute maternal-child clinics in Juarez from April 1998 to October 2000. Active H. pylori infection is detected in children by the 13C-urea breath test; results are corrected for body-size-dependent metabolic variation using Klein's method. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of H. pylori at baseline was 74% in 360 Juarez mothers and 56% in 368 El Paso mothers. To date, 350, 295, 196, 153 infants had breath tests around 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age, respectively; H. pylori prevalence in the children was 0.07 [95% Confidence interval (CI) 0.05–0.10], 0.14, [0.11–0.19], 0.17 [0.12–0.23], and 0.20 [0.14–0.27] for these four ages, respectively. The total follow-up time was 6181 person-months; 108 infants had one or more positive breath tests, thus, the incidence rate of first detectable infection was 0.21/year [95% CI, 0.17–0.25]. Incidence rates for subgroups: Juarez infants, 44/2260 person-months = 0.23/year [0.16–0.30]; El Paso infants, 64/3921 person-months = 0.20/year [0.15–0.24]; boys, 49/2976 person-months = 0.20/year [0.14–0.25]; girls, 59/3205 person-months = 0.22/year [0.16–0.28]; first year of age, 66/4243 person-months = 0.19/year [0.14–0.23]; second year of age, 31/1340 person-months = 0.28/year [0.18–0.38]. CONCLUSION: H. pylori incidence rate from birth through age two years was similar in infants on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border and varied little by sex; the rate increased in the second year of life relative to the first.
Moderately elevated levels of basal follicle-stimulating hormone in young patients predict low ovarian response, but should not be used to disqualify patients from attempting in vitro fertilization.

Objective To evaluate and compare IVF outcomes of patients within different age categories who had a normal basal FSH level with outcomes of patients with an elevated day 3 FSH level. Design Retrospective analysis. Setting Large, private IVF center. Patient(s) We analyzed 2,708 patients. Of these, 2,477 had normal basal FSH levels, and 231 had elevated basal FSH levels (≥13.03 IU/L). Patients were segregated into various age groups. Intervention Follow-up. Main Outcome Measure(s) Outcomes of IVF overall, including cancellation rates, oocyte yield, and fertilization, implantation, and clinical pregnancy rates (PRs). Result(s) Cancellation rates were significantly higher in patients with elevated day 3 FSH levels compared with patients with normal FSH levels in all age groups. A significantly lower oocyte yield was observed in patients with elevated basal FSH. Fertilization rates were not affected by FSH levels. A significant decrease in the number of embryos available for transfer in patients ≥38 with an elevated day 3 FSH level was found. Implantation and clinical PRs were lower in patients >40 years of age who had an elevated day 3 FSH level when compared to same age patients with a normal day 3 FSH level. Loss rates were not significantly different. Conclusion(s) Young women with an elevated basal FSH level should be counseled differently than older women, and should be given adequate counseling and granted the opportunity to undergo an IVF cycle.
Curved fences for part alignment

In automated packing or assembly it is often necessary to bring randomly oriented parts into uniform alignment. A slanted fence attached to the stationary sides of a conveyor belt is capable of orienting a stream of parts. The design of an individual fence, consisting of a straight slanted section followed by an optimal curved tail, is considered. The straight section selectively aligns certain edges of the part while the curved tail preserves this alignment precisely as the part leaves contact with the fence. The shortest tail which guarantees alignment is found. >
Mobile communications in the twenty-first century city

The internet received widespread attention from social scientists in the years following the release of Mosaic in 1993 and subsequent growth of the world wide web. Yet, the technologies with which humans communicate changed significantly in many other ways during the 1990s. The mass diffusion of inexpensive mobile communications technologies avoided scholarly attention, perhaps because it seemed pedestrian compared to the fantastic, nebulous depths of cyberspace. Yet the mobile telephone represented merely the first wave of a torrent of personal technologies that were leading to fundamental transformations in individuals’ perceptions of self and the world, and consequently the way they collectively constructed that world.
Design of LAN-Lock, a system for securing wireless networks

Wireless LANs are becoming increasingly available, affordable and attractive due to their increasing speeds and decreasing costs, in addition to their ability to offer easy configuration and reconfiguration of nodes in a LAN. However, most commercial wireless LAN products have limited security over the link, and none that we are aware of use NSA-approved cryptographic methods. This paper describes a system developed jointly by a team at the University of Florida in its Integrated Process and Product Design (IPPD) course and a liaison engineer at Raytheon Systems Division that uses Fortezza cryptographic cards to provide authenticated, encrypted connections between hosts running MS Windows.
CTCF binding site classes exhibit distinct evolutionary, genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic features

Background CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor) is an evolutionarily conserved zinc finger protein involved in diverse functions ranging from negative regulation of MYC, to chromatin insulation of the beta-globin gene cluster, to imprinting of the Igf2 locus. The 11 zinc fingers of CTCF are known to differentially contribute to the CTCF-DNA interaction at different binding sites. It is possible that the differences in CTCF-DNA conformation at different binding sites underlie CTCF's functional diversity. If so, the CTCF binding sites may belong to distinct classes, each compatible with a specific functional role.
Analysis of driver behaviors during common tasks using frontal video camera and CAN-Bus information

Even a small distraction in drivers can lead to life-threatening accidents that affect the life of many. Monitoring distraction is a key aspect of any feedback system intended to keep the driver attention. Toward this goal, this paper studies the behaviors observed when the driver is performing in-vehicle common tasks such as operating a cellphone, radio or navigation system. The study employs the UTDrive platform -a car equipped with multiple sensors, including cameras, microphones, and Controller Area Network-Bus (CAN-Bus) information. The purpose of the analysis is to identify relevant features extracted from a frontal video camera and the car CAN-Bus data that can be used to distinguish between normal and task driving conditions. Statistical hypothesis tests are used to assess whether the differences observed in the selected features are significant. Then, these features are used in binary classification tasks (normal versus task). For most of the considered tasks, features extracted from the frontal video camera are found to be the most prominent indicators to distinguish between normal and task driving conditions (e.g., head pitch and yaw). The features from the car CAN-Bus data slightly improve the classification accuracy, from 76.7% (using features only from the frontal video) to 78.9% (using all features).
Comparison of in Situ and Ship-Board Vane Measurements on a Deep-Sea Clay

Analysis of most marine geotechnical engineering problems requires information on the shear strength of the natural sediment. One approach is to test samples from borings or cores using conventional geotechnical procedures, such as miniature vane, triaxial compression or direct shear tests. However, the disturbance caused by sampling, pressure release, handling, transportation, etc. can be severe, or at least undetermined, and hence it is often difficult to assess the in situ properties from the results. The problems are probably greater in deep water where sampling equipment is usually tethered on a long cable and the dynamics of coring are difficult to control. In addition, the volume expansion on bringing the sample to an atmospheric condition is 2 to 3% in the deep ocean basins and this would presumably cause changes in effective stresses and microstructural alterations. The expansion of gases greatly increases this problem and in many cases can render samples essentially useless for strength determinations. For these reasons, there has been a growing interest in conducting more in situ geotechnical tests. The vane shear method is only one of several which can be used to determine the in situ strength of an ocean sediment. Some others that are being used are the cone penetro-meter, the pressuremeter and even the standard penetration test. There are instances where a particular method or device may not be well suited to the situation. For example, the vane shear method is intended for use with fine-grained (cohesive) material and it cannot be expected to give meaningful results for anything coarser than a very fine sand or silt. Yet the vane method is used almost routinely in testing oceanographic core samples without regard for the texture of the material. Conversely, the cone penetro-meter method is probably not as reliable with clay as it is with sand.
Schusterphotopsis , a new genus of Sphaeropthalminae (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from California, with notes on the closely related genera Acrophotopsis Schuster and Dilophotopsis Schuster

A new genus of Mutillidae from southern California, Schusterphotopsis Pitts, is described and illustrated, including the new species Schusterphotopsis barghesti Pitts. The genus can be distinguished from males of other sphaeropthalmine genera by the dilated and deeply emarginated condition of the mandibles, the posterior position and shape of the mesosternal processes, the presence of lateral carinae on the hypopygidium, and the flattened condition of the hypopygidium. A discussion of this new genus’s relationship to Acrophotopsis and Dilophotopsis is given.
Murder and the black market: Prohibition's impact on homicide rates in American cities

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of state alcohol prohibition on homicide rates using city-level data from 1911 to 1929. During this time period, urban dwellers generally opposed prohibition and did not voluntarily adopt it. Subsequently, policy changes were more exogenous. The results suggest that there are dynamic aspects of prohibition. State-level prohibition decreased homicides immediately after enforcement began, but after three years of enforcement, the law ceased having a measurable effect.
Hyperglycemia induces accumulation of glucose in human skeletal muscle.

The effect of hyperglycemia on whole body substrate utilization and the metabolic profile of skeletal muscle has been investigated. Eight glucose-tolerant men were infused with somatostatin (S) for 190 min. During the last 120 min of S infusion, glucose was infused to achieve a steady-state plasma level of 26 mmol/l. Biopsies were obtained from the quadriceps femoris muscle immediately before and 35 and 120 min after induction of hyperglycemia. Steady-state glucose disposal during hyperglycemia averaged (+/- SE) 33.8 +/- 3.2 mumol.kg fat-free mass-1.min-1, and approximately 70% of the glucose disposal was accounted for by skeletal muscle. Intracellular glucose increased from 0.9 +/- 0.2 mmol/kg dry wt during S to 9.5 +/- 2.5 during hyperglycemia (P less than 0.01). It was estimated that approximately 35% of the glucose taken up by muscle during 120 min of hyperglycemia was not phosphorylated. Muscle contents of alpha-D-glucose 1,6-diphosphate, D-glucose 6-phosphate, ATP, ADP, and AMP (both of which are based on the phosphocreatine-to-creatine ratio), which have been shown to inhibit hexokinase in vitro, did not change significantly during hyperglycemia, nor were there any significant changes in any of the other postphosphofructokinase intermediates, D-fructose 2,6-diphosphate, and citrate. Hyperglycemia did not alter the fractional activities of glycogen synthase or phosphorylase, nor total phosphorylase activity. However, hyperglycemia resulted in a 55% increase in glycogen synthase-specific activity (P less than 0.01). It is concluded that hyperglycemia results in a marked increase in muscle glucose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Response of plateau-phase mouse embryo fibroblasts to ultra-violet light.

SummaryClonogenic survival was measured in plateau-phase cultures of the 10T½ mouse cell line exposed to 254 nm ultra-violet light. The survival curve was found to be biphasic, D0 for the two components being 37 and 1191 erg/mm2 respectively. This extreme resistance at higher doses can only be partly accounted for by the increased cytoplasmic absorption of U.V.L. due to an increased thickness of plateau-phase cells. When the cultures were held for 24 hours in plateau phase in conditioned medium after irradiation, recovery yielding a 1·4-fold enhancement of survival was found at higher doses. This recovery process was inhibited by neither caffeine nor cycloheximide. When caffeine was given for 48 hours after sub-culture, the effect on survival was also negligible. We propose that this plateau-phase recovery process is associated with excision repair of DNA adducts induced by U.V.L. Delayed sub-culturing favours the excision mode of repair and renders the post-replication mode less necessary.
Controlled Particle Collision Leads to Direct Observation of Docking and Fusion of Lipid Droplets in an Optical Trap

As an intracellular organelle, phospholipid-coated lipid droplets have shown increasing importance due to their expanding biological functions other than the lipid storage. The growing biological significance necessitates a close scrutiny on lipid droplets, which have been proposed to mature in a cell through processes such as fusion. Unlike phospholipid vesicles that are well-known to fuse through docking and hemifusion steps, little is known on the fusion of lipid droplets. Herein, we used laser tweezers to capture two micrometer-sized 1,2,3-trioleoylglycerol (triolein) droplets coated with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) that closely resemble intracellular lipid droplets. We started the fusion processes by a well-controlled collision between the two lipid droplets in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4. By monitoring the change in the pathway of a trapping laser that captures the collided lipid droplets, docking and physical fusion events were clearly distinguished for the first time and their lifetimes were determined with a resolution of 10 μs after postsynchronization analysis. Our method revealed that the rate-limiting docking process is affected by anions according to a Hofmeister series, which sheds light on the important role of interfacial water shedding during the process. During the physical fusion, the kinetics between bare triolein droplets is faster than lipid droplets, suggesting that breaking of phospholipid coating is involved in the process. This scenario was further supported by direct observation of a short-lived hemifusion state with ∼46 ms lifetime in POPC-coated lipid droplets, but not in bare triolein droplets.