cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of Contraction-Induced Injury in Age-Related Muscle Wasting and Weakness

In mammalian taxonomy, skeletal muscle constitutes a remarkable tissue not only in its innate capacity to generate force while shortening, remaining isometric, or lengthening, but in its capacity to adapt through atrophy or hypertrophy in response to decreased or increased loads, respectively and regenerate when injured. The chapter begins with Section 1 on the Structure of Skeletal Muscles and Skeletal Muscle Fibers. Section 2 describes Types of Contractions, shortening, isometric, and lengthening and the differences in the force development by each. The interactive roles of decreased usage and aging are covered in Section 3: Age-Related Muscle Wasting and Muscle Weakness and the condition of physical frailty is discussed. Section 4 focuses on Late-Onset Muscle Soreness described by Hough in 1902 and gaining widespread attention in the 1980s. The development of the concepts: Contraction-Induced Injury and Force Deficit are discussed in Section 5. Section 6 clarifies The Cause of the Contraction Induced Injury as a function of interactions between homogeneity of sarcomere strengths within a muscle and the severity of lengthening contraction protocols. Section 7 elaborates on the significance of the stability of the sarcomeres within fibers and the Contribution of Lateral Transmission of Force to Contraction-Induced Injury. Section 8, the Role of Contraction-Induced Injury in Wasting and Weakness contrasts the impact of contraction-induced injury on young and healthy and on elderly and frail subjects. The final Section 9: Measures to Prevent Contraction-Induced Injury emphasizes the positive aspects of utilizing lengthening contractions in training programs for both young and old participants.
Scattering by Inhomogeneities

Acoustic scattering problems are considered when the density and speed of sound are functions of position within a bounded region. An integro-differential equation for the pressure in this region is obtained. Solving this equation is equivalent to solving the scattering problem. Problems of this kind are often solved by regarding the effects of the inhomogeneity as an unknown source term driving a Helmholtz equation, leading to an equation of Lippmann-Schwinger type. It is shown that this approach is erroneous when the density is discontinuous.
Recent advances in the synthesis and applications of organoborane polymers

Recent advances in the synthesis of organoborane polymers are reviewed in this chapter. The last decade has witnessed new approaches for the direct polymerization of functional borane monomers as well as the use of innovative polymer modification techniques. Powerful new methods that allow for positioning of functional borane moieties at well-defined positions in the polymer chain have also been developed. The resulting organoborane polymers have been investigated as luminescent and electro-active materials, electrolytes for batteries, supported Lewis acid catalysts, sensors for anions and biologically relevant molecules, building blocks of stimuli-responsive and dynamic (supramolecular) materials, and for biomedical applications.
Primary Care Physician Attitudes and Intentions Toward the Use of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in Adolescents in One Metropolitan Region.

Abstract Purpose Understanding the attitudes of physicians toward the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention among youth is critical to improving access to PrEP. We examined PrEP-related attitudes among physicians who provide primary care to 13- to 21-year-old adolescents. Methods Individual, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 38 physicians from adolescent medicine, family practice, internal medicine/medicine-pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and pediatrics who care for any adolescents younger than 18 years. Interviews assessed familiarity with PrEP, perceived benefits and barriers to providing PrEP to adolescents, facilitating factors for prescribing PrEP, and likelihood of recommending and prescribing PrEP to adolescents. Results Mean age was 44.6 years (standard deviation 10.9). Fourteen physicians (37%) reported being somewhat or very familiar with PrEP. Perceived benefits of prescribing PrEP included decreased acquisition/rates of HIV, improved provision of sexual health services, and improved patient awareness of HIV risk. Barriers to PrEP were reported at the patient (e.g., lack of acceptability to patients), provider (e.g., concerns about patient adherence, safety/side effects, parents as a barrier to PrEP use), and system (e.g., high cost) levels. Facilitating factors for prescribing PrEP included low cost/coverage by insurance, physician education about PrEP, patient educational materials, and clinical guidelines for PrEP use in youth. A higher proportion of physicians reported being highly or somewhat likely to recommend (N = 16, 42%) than prescribe PrEP (N = 13, 34%). Conclusions In this study of primary care physician attitudes toward PrEP prescribing for adolescents, physicians identified numerous barriers to providing PrEP. Addressing these barriers may increase adolescents' access to PrEP.
How compulsive social media use influences college students' performance: a structural equation analysis with gender comparison

The purpose of the paper is to uncover antecedents that can predict compulsive social media use by college students and examines the impact of such use on their academic, social and physical perfor...
Evidence for biological effects in the radiosensitization of leukemia cell lines by PEGylated gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are promising radiosensitizers for cancer therapy. While the radiosensitizing effects of Au NPs have been shown in many epithelial cancers, there are no documented cases of their use in cells of hematopoietic origin, which constitute ~ 10% of all cancer cases and are frequently treated using radiation therapy. In this work, we measure the uptake of polyethylene glycol-coated (PEGylated) Au NPs (5 nm core diameter) in HL-60 II and Jurkat D1.1 cells using flow cytometry and ICP-AES. Electronic cell counting, metabolic activity assays, and DNA synthesis assays reveal cell line–specific radiosensitization that is independent of the number of internalized nanoparticles. The high SER value for the HL-60 II cell line (1.33 at 5 Gy) points to a dominant biological mechanism.
Auricular Hemosiderosis in a Diabetic Patient

A 74-year-old Caucasian man with poorly controlled diabetes and hypertension was seen in the dermatology clinic for treatment of a nodular basal cell carcinoma on his right temple. He had poorly controlled diabetes for decades and had been insulin dependent for 20 to 25 years. He had not been on any anticoagulation therapy in the past or present and had no history of a hematologic disorder. He was retired and did woodworking as a hobby. During a routine presurgical head and neck skin examination, he was noted to have macular bluegray dyspigmentation of the central portion of the anterior portion of his ear lobes, bilaterally (Figure 1). He had first noticed this color change approximately 2 years ago and thought the pigmentation was darkening. It was not symptomatic. A punch biopsy was obtained.
Diversity and Adaptation in Local Forest Governance in Yunnan, China

Natural resource governance is often approached with a single resource or goal in mind. Locally developed community based resource management systems may instead encompass a suite of different natural and cultural resources, as well as aim to achieve multiple social and ecological goals simultaneously. I examine contemporary commons management through the lens of community-based forest governance in 32 communities in Yunnan Province, China. Synthesizing interviews, ethnographic research and published literature on community-level wild mushroom management systems in Yunnan reveals that institutions are focused on social and economic goals, are often adapted over time, and make up only one component of complex multi-resource forest governance arrangements. Flexibility over time, resource type, and land tenure regime allows individuals to variably participate in forest resource extraction and management activities and may promote greater access and equitability than static regulations. Documenting diverse community-led forest management strategies in Yunnan highlights the importance of local experimentation and values for adaptive governance in complex socioecological systems.
Impact of Bit coin in Developing countries Economy

This paper examines the role of Bit coin (crypto currency) in Developing countries Economy. Bit coin is a new type of digital currency that has increases the importance of traction like as an economic instrument (no direct link established). Although Bit coin’s constantly increases, as compared with different areas of financial system now Bit coin in an emerging stage and there were not much of scholarly articles on bit coin topic. This paper is an outcome of examining study on the awareness and role of Bit coin in the economy and its impact on society with a special emphasis on Asia and also one of the first studies to examine Bit coin’s use as a complement to developing markets currencies. The overall reaction from the different group member of sample is mixed towards different variables. This study also focuses on both sides issues of bit coin particularly in interest of financial institutions and economists with a prospective transformation. This study also discusses and highlights an application of advance technology and revolution with a digital currency. Key Terms: Bit coin, Digital currencies, Cryptography, Developing Countries Economy
Low-Value Inhaled Corticosteroids in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and the Association with Healthcare Utilization and Costs.

Rationale: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are not first-line therapy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at low risk of exacerbations, but they are commonly prescribed des...
Learning Compositional Negation in Populations of Roth-Erev and Neural Agents.

Agent-based models and signalling games are useful tools with which to study the emergence of linguistic communication in a tractable setting. These techniques have been used to study the compositional property of natural languages, but have been limited in how closely they model real communicators. In this work, we present a novel variant of the classic signalling game that explores the learnability of simple compositional rules concerning negation. The approach builds on the work of Steinert-Threlkeld (2016) by allowing agents to determine the identity of the "function word" representing negation while simultaneously learning to assign meanings to atomic symbols. We extend the analysis with the introduction of a population of concurrently communicating agents, and explore how the complications brought about by a larger population size affect the type and stability of the signalling systems learned. We also relax assumptions of the parametric form of the learning agents and examine how neural network-based agents optimized through reinforcement learning behave under various task settings. We find that basic compositional properties are robustly learnable across a wide range of model relaxations and agent instantiations.
Delayed manifestation of extensive COVID-19-associated coagulopathy in high-risk patient

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus. It presents as an acute respiratory illness, however, it also affects multiple other organ systems. One such unique manifestation is systemic coagulopathy involving arterial and venous systems. We present a 29-year-old woman with Hodgkin's lymphoma, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection prior to initiating chemotherapy. Two months after resolution of symptoms and testing negative for COVID-19, she presented with multiple acute thromboembolic complications of the infection, including bilateral jugular venous thrombosis, right atrial clot and arterial emboli in the brain resulting in cerebrovascular injury. These were thought to be delayed manifestations of the systemic coagulopathy secondary to infection. Also, some of these thromboembolic phenomena occurred while the patient was on anticoagulation, which emphasises the extensive hyperinflammatory state caused by the virus. This case highlights the importance of thromboprophylaxis especially in high-risk patients with this infection.
Mapping the dynamic transfer functions of eukaryotic gene regulation

Summary Biological information can be encoded within the dynamics of signaling components, which has been implicated in a broad range of physiological processes including stress response, oncogenesis, and stem cell differentiation. To study the complexity of information transfer across the eukaryotic promoter, we screened 119 dynamic conditions—modulating the pulse frequency, amplitude, and pulse width of light—regulating the binding of an epigenome editor to a fluorescent reporter. This system revealed tunable gene expression and filtering behaviors and provided a quantification of the limit to the amount of information that can be reliably transferred across a single promoter as ∼1.7 bits. Using a library of over 100 orthogonal chromatin regulators, we further determined that chromatin state could be used to tune mutual information and expression levels, as well as completely alter the input-output transfer function of the promoter. This system unlocks the information-rich content of eukaryotic gene regulation.
Bundle Networks: Fiber Bundles, Local Trivializations, and a Generative Approach to Exploring Many-to-one Maps.

Many-to-one maps are ubiquitous in machine learning, from the image recognition model that assigns a multitude of distinct images to the concept of "cat" to the time series forecasting model which assigns a range of distinct time-series to a single scalar regression value. While the primary use of such models is naturally to associate correct output to each input, in many problems it is also useful to be able to explore, understand, and sample from a model's fibers, which are the set of input values $x$ such that $f(x) = y$, for fixed $y$ in the output space. In this paper we show that popular generative architectures are ill-suited to such tasks. Motivated by this we introduce a novel generative architecture, a Bundle Network, based on the concept of a fiber bundle from (differential) topology. BundleNets exploit the idea of a local trivialization wherein a space can be locally decomposed into a product space that cleanly encodes the many-to-one nature of the map. By enforcing this decomposition in BundleNets and by utilizing state-of-the-art invertible components, investigating a network's fibers becomes natural.
The Bivariate Normal Distribution

In the univariate case, a random variable X is said to have a normal distribution with mean μ and variance σ2 > 0 (in symbols, N(μ, σ2)) if its density function is of the form $$ f\left( {x;\mu ,{\sigma ^2}} \right) = \frac{1}{{\sqrt {2\pi \sigma } }}{e^{ - {Q_1}\left( {x;\mu ,{\sigma ^2}} \right)/2}},x \in \Re , $$ where $$ {Q_1}\left( {x;\mu ,{\sigma ^2}} \right) = \frac{1}{{{\sigma ^2}}}{\left( {x - \mu } \right)^2} = \left( {x - \mu } \right){\left( {{\sigma ^2}} \right)^{ - 1}}\left( {x - \mu } \right), $$ μ ∈ ℜ, and σ2 ∈ (0, ∞). The bivariate normal density function given below is a natural extension of this univeriate normal density.
A Review of “Proceedings of lhe 11th World Congress on Pain”

The International Association for the Study of Pain presented the 11th World Congress on Pain from August 21 to 26, 2005, in Sydney, Australia. Each Congress (held triennially from 1975 to 2008, an...
Magnetospheric Equilibrium Configurations and Slow Adiabatic Convection

This review paper demonstrates how the magnetohydrostatic equilibrium (MHE) theory can be used to describe the large-scale magnetic field configuration of the magnetosphere and its time evolution under the influence of magnetospheric convection. The equilibrium problem is reviewed, and levels of B-field modelling are examined for vacuum models, quasi-static equilibrium models, and MHD models. Results from two-dimensional MHE theory as they apply to the Grad-Shafranov equation, linear equilibria, the asymptotic theory, magnetospheric convection and the substorm mechanism, and plasma anisotropies are addressed. Results from three-dimensional MHE theory are considered as they apply to an intermediate analytical magnetospheric model, magnetotail configurations, and magnetopause boundary conditions and the influence of the IMF.
Locking and Latching in a Memory-Resident Database System

As part of the Starburst extensible database project developed at the IBM Almaden Research Center, we designed and implemented a memory-resident storage component that co-exists with Star-burst’s diskoriented storage component. The two storage components share the same common services, such as query optimization, transaction management, etc. However, the memory-resident storage component is faster than the disk-oriented storage component and hence needs faster run-time services. This paper examines two runtime services, the lock manager and the latch mechanism, and investigates possible cost-cutting measures. We propose the use of of a single latch for protecting a table, all of its indexes, and all of its related lock information, in order to reduce storage component latch costs. VVe then show that although a table-level latch is a large granule latch, it does not significantly restrict concurrency. VVe also examine traditional lock manager design and suggest a different design that is appropriate for memory-resident storage components. The new design exploits direct addressing of lock data and dynamic, multi-granularity locks. Performance measurements of the new lock manager show that it outperforms the regular Starburst lock manager, which is of a traditional lock manager design, by as much as
Northwest Juvenile Project

The Northwestern Juvenile Project (NJP) is the first large-scale, prospective longitudinal study of alcohol, drug, and mental (ADM) disorders in juvenile detainees. The NJP examines (i) changes in ADM disorders and comorbidity as youth age; (ii) patterns of mental health service use over time; and (iii) pathways and patterns of drug use, violence, and risk behaviors for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) over time. The methodology of the NJP is an advancement over earlier studies on juvenile detainees. Participants were randomly sampled at intake to detention. To obtain enough data to compare key subgroups, the sample was stratified on the following variables: age (10–13 years or ≥ 14 years), gender, race/ethnicity (African-American, non-Hispanic white, and Hispanic), and legal status (processed as a juvenile or an adult). The final sample includes 1829 participants, a sample size large enough to allow for reliable estimates of uncommon disorders, comorbidity of disorders, and high-risk behaviors. The longitudinal design of the NJP spans three critical developmental periods: adolescence, emerging adulthood, and young adulthood. Published results from the NJP indicate the substantial need for ADM disorder services and HIV/AIDS prevention among juvenile detainees. Data from projects such as the NJP are essential to policy makers addressing the many needs of juvenile detainees. Keywords: mental disorder; psychiatric disorder; substance use disorders; HIV/AIDS; sexually transmitted infections; detained youth; longitudinal
Caenorhabditis elegans auxilin: a J-domain protein essential for clathrin-mediated endocytosis in vivo

The budding of clathrin-coated vesicles is essential for protein transport. After budding, clathrin must be uncoated before the vesicles can fuse with other membranous structures. In vitro, the molecular chaperone Hsc70 uncoats clathrin-coated vesicles in an ATP-dependent process that requires a specific J-domain protein such as auxilin. However, there is little evidence that either Hsc70 or auxilin is essential in vivo. Here we show that C. elegans has a single auxilin homologue that is identical to mammalian auxilin in its in vitro activity. When RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) is used to inhibit auxilin expression in C. elegans, oocytes show markedly reduced receptor-mediated endocytosis of yolk protein tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP). In addition, most of these worms arrest during larval development, exhibit defective distribution of GFP-clathrin in many cell types, and show a marked change in clathrin dynamics, as determined by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). We conclude that auxilin is required for in vivo clathrin-mediated endocytosis and development in C. elegans.
The Microjansky Sky at 8.4 GHz

We present the results from two deep radio integrations at 8.4 GHz using the Very Large Array. One of the fields, at 13h, +43° (SA 13 field), has an rms noise level of 1.49 μJy and is the deepest radio image yet made. Thirty-four sources in a complete sample were detected above 7.5 μJy, and 25 are optically identified to a limit of I = 25.8, using our deep Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based images. The radio sources are usually located within 05 (typically 5 kpc) of a galaxy nucleus and generally have a diameter less than 25. We have also analyzed a complete flux density–limited sample at 8.4 GHz of 89 sources from five deep radio surveys, including the Hubble deep and flanking fields, as well as the two new fields. Half of all the optical counterparts are with galaxies brighter than I = 23 mag, but 20% are fainter than I = 25.5 mag. There may be a small tendency for the microjansky radio sources to prefer multigalaxy systems. The distribution of the radio spectral index between 1.4 and 8.4 GHz peaks at α ≈ -0.75 (S ~ ν+α), with a median value of -0.6. The average spectral index becomes steeper (lower values) for sources below 35 μJy and for sources identified with optical counterparts fainter than I = 25.5 mag. This correlation suggests that there is an increasing contribution from starburst galaxies compared to AGNs at lower radio flux densities and fainter optical counterparts. The differential radio count between 7.5 and 1000 μJy has a slope of -2.11 ± 0.13 and a surface density of 0.64 sources (arcmin)-2, with a flux density greater than 7.5 μJy.
Don't forget the posters! Quality and content variables associated with accepted abstracts at a national trauma meeting

National and regional surgical meetings represent the key venue in which investigators present research results and a frequent source of continuing medical education for community and academic-based providers.1,2 Results from the presented research are often reprinted in the lay press, allowing results to reach thousands more nonattendees and in some cases, the public. Because of this potential for such “high-profile” dissemination, research selected for presentation should be of the highest scientific merit and research quality. Despite this, abstracts submitted to societal meetings typically do not undergo the same critical peer review as published manuscripts. Many academic societies do not have formal qualifications for abstract reviewers nor do they publish standardized reviewing or selection criteria. The most frequently used quality measure of a meeting’s scientific merit has been the number of abstracts presented that go on to peer-reviewed publication. A number of authors have described the publication rates for abstracts presented at national and international meetings, reporting proportions of 23% to 55% with publication delays of 12 months to 28 months.3–5 It is possible that these low publication rates indicate a lack of methodological quality in presented abstracts that do not ultimately stand up to peer review. Rather than basing abstract acceptance on methodological quality, other criteria, such as institutional affiliation and authorship, may play a role in selection. In addition, it is possible that particularly “hot” clinical topics are preferentially selected without particular attention to research methodology. A lack of methodological scrutiny can provide seriously flawed research the opportunity to attain a high-profile platform. It is also possible that such flaws are detected in manuscript review and result in the work not being published. We sought to describe the level of methodological detail reported in the abstracts presented at a major, national and international surgical meeting. We hypothesized that accepted abstracts would rate high on the key methodological factors selected and we further hypothesized that oral presentations would rate higher than poster presentations.
Promoting Faculty Scholarship – An evaluation of a program for busy clinician-educators

Background: Clinician educators face barriers to scholarship including lack of time, insufficient skills, and access to mentoring. An urban department of family medicine implemented a federally funded Scholars Program to increase the participants’ perceived confidence, knowledge and skills to conduct educational research. Method: A part-time faculty development model provided modest protected time for one year to busy clinician educators. Scholars focused on designing, implementing, and writing about a scholarly project. Scholars participated in skill seminars, cohort and individual meetings, an educational poster fair and an annual writing retreat with consultation from a visiting professor. We assessed the increases in the quantity and quality of peer reviewed education scholarship. Data included pre- and post-program self-assessed research skills and confidence and semi-structured interviews. Further, data were collected longitudinally through a survey conducted three years after program participation to assess continued involvement in educational scholarship, academic presentations and publications. Results: Ten scholars completed the program. Scholars reported that protected time, coaching by a coordinator, peer mentoring, engagement of project leaders, and involvement of a visiting professor increased confidence and ability to apply research skills. Participation resulted in academic presentations and publications and new educational leadership positions for several of the participants. Conclusions: A faculty scholars program emphasizing multi-level mentoring and focused protected time can result in increased confidence, skills and scholarly outcomes at modest cost.
Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais – uma estratégia para a conservação ambiental nas regiões produtivas do Brasil?/ Payment for Ecosystem Services - A strategy for environmental conservation in productive agricultural regions of Brazil?

The world population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, which will put greater pressure on natural resources to ensure the nutritional requirements and well-being for such a large population. Enormous investments in agricultural research, health, energy sources, material technologies, policies for poverty reduction and strategies for sustainable development must be made to meet this scenario. Actions to conserve natural resources and ecosystem services are implicit in sustainable development strategies. An increase in the number of public policies being implemented, their results, ongoing projects and research related to environmental conservation are being observed and attest to their current and future relevance. This is a bilingual article presented in English and Portuguese.
Effect of ethionine in castrated male rats, with and without testosterone.

Summary1. The per cent tumor inhibition, change in carcass weight, and concentration of nonprotein methionine in the liver, resulting from administration of ethionine to normal, castrated, and testosterone-treated castrated male rats, has been determined. 2. Tumor inhibition by ethionine, and the toxi-city of this substance, was greater in castrated than in normal or testosterone-treated castrated male rats and closely resembled that observed in female rats. 3. The concentration of free nonprotein methionine in the liver of castrated male rats was similar to that found in female rats and differed from that observed in normal male or testosterone-treated castrated male rats. The presence of a methionine conjugate was indicated in the liver of castrated male and normal female rats following ethionine administration while such a conjugate was lacking in the liver of normal male or testosterone-treated castrated male rats. 4. It was concluded that the sex difference observed in tumor inhibition, toxicity, and...
Solving the Reconfigurable Design Problem for Multiability With Application to Robotic Systems

Systems that can be reconfigured are valuable in situations where a single artifact must perform several different functions well, and are especially important in cases where system demands are not known a priori. Design of reconfigurable systems present unique challenges compared to fixed system design. Increasing reconfigurable capability improves system utility, but also increases system complexity and cost. In this article a new design strategy is presented for the design of reconfigurable systems for multiability. This study is limited to systems where all system functions are known a priori, and only continuous means of reconfiguration are considered. Designing such a system requires determination of (1) what system features should be reconfigurable, and (2) what should the range of reconfigurability of these features be. The new design strategy is illustrated using a reconfigurable delta robot, which is a parallel manipulator that can be adapted to perform a variety of manufacturing operations. In this case study the tradeoff between end effector stiffness and speed is considered over two separate manipulation tasks.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Optimization of atomic sphere radii in the scattered-wave Xα method: A second look at the water molecule

Abstract A method for determining the atomic sphere radii which strongly influence the results in the scattered-wave Xα method is proposed on the basis of optimization of the virial theorem and total energy minimization. Molecular structure calculations are carried out on the water molecule. The minimum energy geometry has been found for a bond distance of 0.960 A and bond angle of 106.2°, which are very close to the experimental values and have never been well-explained by previous SW-Xα calculations. Good agreement between calculated ionization energies and the force constant and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Computer Simulation of Solid Electrolyte Fuel Cells

This paper presents the results of mathematical modeling of the performance of solid electrolyte fuel cells. The system of fundamental physical equations has been solved using a computer program which was developed expressly for this purpose, in order to simulate the performance of arrays of fuel cells for which experimental data exists in the literature. The comparison of experimental data and simulated performance is excellent. The results of the simulation show the influence of each irreversible process within the fuel cell, quantitatively; that is, the relative importance of each source of inefficiency—and the consequent voltage loss—is determined. Because certain rate constants (for diffusion and for chemical kinetics) employed in the model were obtained by regression, it cannot be claimed that the ability to fit the experimental data is a definitive test of the model; more work is needed for that purpose. Nevertheless, it is shown that (a) modeling of fuel cells on the basis of basic physical principles is a worthwhile venture, (b) the model presented here simulates performance well and warrants further development, and (c) it not only simulates the overall performance of the cells, but also provides the important breakdown of the effects of each irreversibility in the cells. Furthermore, specific recommendations are made in this paper for improving the model.
Covariant action for Ashtekar's form of canonical gravity

Ashtekar's new Hamiltonian formulation of general relativity is derived starting from a complex covariant four-dimensional action principle. The action is a modification of the tetrad-Palatini action that results from splitting the connection into the self-dual and anti-self-dual pieces and keeping only the former.
In vitro maturation of mouse oocytes isolated from late, middle, and pre-antral graafian follicles.

Oocytes were dissected from late, middle, and pre-antral Graafian follicles from sexually mature mice (6–8 weeks old), cultured in vitro in a chemically defined medium for 18 hours, and scored for meiotic maturation. Between 83–91% of the oocytes removed from antral follicles (300–600 μm in diameter) progressed to either metaphase I or metaphase II. In marked contrast, 98% of the oocytes removed from pre-antral follicles (100–150 μm in diameter) failed to resume meiosis and remained in the germinal vesicle stage. These and other data suggest there is a close correlation between the capacity of the mouse oocyte to resume meiosis and the appearance of the antrum in the developing follicle.
High-Performance Annotation Tagging over Solr Full-text Indexes

In this work, we focus on the problem of “annotation tagging” over Information Spaces of objects stored in a full-text index. In such a scenario, tags are assigned to objects by “data curator” users with the purpose of classification, while generic end-users will perceive tags as searchable and browsable object properties. To carry out their activities, data curators need “annotation tagging tools” which allow them to “bulk” tag or untag large sets of objects in temporary work sessions, where they can “virtually” and in “real-time” experiment the effect of their actions before making the changes visible to end-users. The implementation of these tools over full-text indexes is a challenge, since bulk object updates in this context are far from being real-time and in critical cases may slow down index performance. We devised TagTick, a tool which offers to data curators a fully functional annotation tagging environment over the full-text index Apache Solr, regarded as a “de-facto standard” in this area. TagTick consists of a TagTick Virtualizer module, which extends the APIs of Solr to support real-time, virtual, bulk-tagging operations, and a TagTick User Interface module, which offers end-user functionalities for annotation tagging. The tool scales optimally with the number and size of bulk tag operations, without compromising index performance.
Re-examination of interest rate sensitivity of commercial bank stock returns using a random coefficient model

This article develops and tests a random coefficient two-index model for commercial bank stock returns which controls for the time-varying interest rate sensitivity caused by a bank's changing maturity profile. Using a sample of 51 actively traded commercial banks, the seemingly unrelated regression results provide evidence that commercial bank stock returns are significantly interest rate sensitive. The effect of interest rate changes on bank stock returns is found to be positively related to the maturity mismatch between the bank's assets and liabilities, when the proxy for interest rate changes and the proxy for maturity mismatch are compatible to each other.
Target Enhancement and Distractor Suppression in Naturalistic Visual Search

The human visual system has a limited processing capacity. Consequently, mechanisms of selective attention are required to prioritize behaviorally relevant sensory input. Leading theoretical models propose that selective attention facilitates visual processing by enhancing the cortical
Comparison of clindamycin phosphate vaginal cream with triple sulfonamide vaginal cream in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.

Background: Triple sulfonamide vaginal cream has been used to treat bacterial vaginosis for many years. There are few studies in which triple sulfonamide cream has been compared with newer regimens. Goal: To compare the efficacy and safety of clindamycin phosphate vaginal cream with that of triple sulfonamide vaginal cream in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis. Study Design: In this double-blind, randomized multicenter study, nonpregnant women 16 years of age or older with symptomatic bacterial vaginosis were assigned to receive either 2% clindamycin phosphate vaginal cream or triple sulfonamide vaginal cream for 7 days. Follow-up visits were conducted 5 to 10 days and 25 to 39 days after completion of treatment. Results: Clinical cure or improvement at 25 to 39 days was noted in 55 (69.6%) of 79 assessable participants who received clindamycin vaginal cream and in 33 (41.8%) of 79 women who received triple sulfonamide vaginal cream (P < 0.0001). Most of the difference between the treatment groups was noted in women with a history of bacterial vaginosis. Among women without a history of bacterial vaginosis, clindamycin and triple sulfonamide creams had similar efficacy. Evaluation of Gram-stained vaginal smears correlated with clinical outcome. Most patients in both treatment groups reported an improvement in symptoms. No significant difference was observed between the treatment groups in the incidence of adverse events. Conclusion: Clindamycin 2% vaginal cream is more effective than triple sulfonamide vaginal cream in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.
Rottlerin Induces Calcium Influx and Protein Degradation in Cultured Lenses Independent of Effects on Protein Kinase Cδ

Rottlerin has been widely accepted as a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C delta (PKC delta); however, recent data suggest that the specificity of this compound become a question. Herein, we address this issue using a lens organ culture system, as PKC delta might regulate the gap junction permeability in lens. Interestingly, we found that rottlerin induced the degradation of connexin50 more rapidly than that of PKC delta. Furthermore, comparison of rottlerin with a protonophore, carbonylcyanide-4-(trifluoromethoxy)-phenylhydrazone (FCCP) that shares many characteristics with rottlerin, showed that both rottlerin and FCCP dramatically increased lens weight over time. This increase in lens weight was partially reversed by depletion of extracellular calcium with ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid (EGTA) or by blocking L-type calcium channels with verapamil, suggesting rottlerin may induce calcium influx. Indeed, the rapid degradation of connexin50 (but not PKC delta) induced by rottlerin and FCCP was blocked by EGTA. In addition, rottlerin and FCCP also induced degradation of connexin46, filensin, vimentin and CP49. In order to determine whether this protein degradation is associated with the decrease of ATP due to uncoupling mitochondria by rottlerin, ATP content in lenses with different treatments were examined. The result indicated that EGTA had no effect on lens ATP content. Taken together, these data suggest that rottlerin, like FCCP, induces calcium influx, leading to protein degradation and cleavage in the lens, and that this effect is unrelated to the inhibition of PKC delta. Thus, extreme caution must be taken when considering use of rottlerin as a PKC delta inhibitor.
Waist-to-height ratio and body mass index as indicators of cardiovascular risk in youth.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this investigation was to determine if waist-to-height ratio (WHTR) or body mass index (BMI) is the better indicator of cardiovascular disease risk in children and adolescents of varying ages. METHODS Data from children and adolescents (N = 2300) who were part of the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Chi-square analyses (2 × 2) were used to compare risk levels of WHTR (>0.50) and BMI (>85th percentile) to systolic blood pressure (SBP) (>90th percentile) as well as total cholesterol (TC) (>200 mg.dL−1) for the entire cohort and specified age groups. RESULTS Significant relationships were detected between SBP and WHTR and BMI, respectively, for the entire cohort as well as the 2 oldest subsamples. A significant association was also noted for both WHTR and BMI to TC for the entire sample and the eldest age group. CONCLUSIONS A significant association was observed between indicators of cardiovascular health risk and both WHTR and BMI in the entire NHANES cohort of boys and girls as well as in the older age groups. The younger groups of participants did not display a notable link between these cardiovascular indicators and WHTR or BMI.
RF device forensics using passband filter analysis

Given the wide use of Radio Frequency (RF) devices for applications ranging from data networks to wireless sensors, it is of interest to be able to characterize individual devices to verify compliance with FCC Part 15 rules. In an effort to characterize these types of devices we have developed a system that utilizes specially designed probe signals to elicit a response from the device from which unique characteristics can be extracted. The features that uniquely characterize a device are referred to as device signatures or device fingerprints. We apply this approach to RF devices which employ different bandpass filters, and construct training based classifiers which are highly accurate. We also introduce a model-based framework for optimal detection that can be employed to obtain performance limits, and to study model mismatch and probe optimization.
Biochemical properties of the agonist-induced desensitization of the follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin-responsive adenylyl cyclase in cells expressing the recombinant gonadotropin receptors.

In most experiments done in cell-free systems, the LH/CG-induced desensitization of the ovarian LH/CG-responsive adenylyl cyclase has been reported to be dependent on GTP. Little is known, however, about the molecular basis of this phenomenon or about the FSH-induced desensitization of the FSH-responsive adenylyl cyclase. We report here that, contrary to most previous findings, ATP is required for desensitization of the LH/CG- and FSH-responsive adenylyl cyclase in human kidney cells stably transfected with the complementary DNAs for the rat LH/CG or FSH receptor. This requirement does not seem to be peculiar to transfected cells because under our experimental conditions ATP is also preferred over GTP for the human CG-induced desensitization of the LH/CG-responsive adenylyl cyclase in highly purified plasma membranes from MA-10 Leydig tumor cells. Maximal desensitization of both FSH- and LH/CG-sensitive adenylyl cyclase in membranes from the transfected cells was achieved with millimollar concentrations o...
Evaluating the Impacts of Forest Management Policies and Community-Level Institutions in the Buffer Zone of Chitwan National Park, Nepal

A Master Plan for Nepal’s Forestry Sector (MPFS), enacted in 1989, and subsequent legislation laid the foundation for modern community-based forest management in Nepal. In 2014, the MPFS reached the end of its 25-yr lifespan, after successfully ushering in significant institutional changes that fundamentally transformed the management of Nepal’s forests, mostly through devolving management and benefits from the national level to local communities. Here, we use the 25-yr anniversary of the MPFS to explore forest cover trends in the buffer zone surrounding Chitwan National Park (CNP). Landsat imagery was used for the years 1989, 2005, and 2013 to compute a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to analyze trends in forest cover for 36 buffer zone village development committees (VDCs). The analysis, covering approximately 1,267 km2, found that since the MPFS was enacted, there was first a continued decrease in forest cover, followed by a significant recovery. These data offer insight into the success ...
The validity of the ADHD section of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children.

The purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent criterion validity of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) portion of the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children–IV (NIMHDISC-IV). Fifty-seven adolescent participants were divided into three groups on the basis of whether participants met criteria for ADHD on caretaker and adolescent responses on the DISC: (a) 18 participants for whom both the caretakers and adolescents endorsed ADHD, (b) 17 participants for whom the caretakers but not the youth endorsed ADHD, and (c) a clinical control group with no ADHD diagnosis (n = 22). These three groups were compared across parent, teacher, and adolescent checklists; clinician diagnosis; and three objective measures of behavior (continuous performance task, actigraphy monitoring, and a structured observation). Findings lend partial support to the concurrent criterion validity of the ADHD section of DISC.
More data and appropriate statistical methods needed to fully measure the displacement effects of development assistance for health.

Christopher Murray and colleagues provide a perspective on displacement due to development assistance for health, and argue for more data and better statistical methods to measure aid displacement.
A computational evaluation of the mechanism of penicillin-binding protein-catalyzed cross-linking of the bacterial cell wall.

Penicillin-binding protein 1b (PBP 1b) of the Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae catalyzes the cross-linking of adjacent peptidoglycan strands, as a critical event in the biosynthesis of its cell wall. This enzyme is representative of the biosynthetic PBP structures of the β-lactam-recognizing enzyme superfamily and is the target of the β-lactam antibiotics. In the cross-linking reaction, the amide between the -d-Ala-d-Ala dipeptide at the terminus of a peptide stem acts as an acyl donor toward the e-amino group of a lysine found on an adjacent stem. The mechanism of this transpeptidation was evaluated using explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations and ONIOM quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations. Sequential acyl transfer occurs to, and then from, the active site serine. The resulting cross-link is predicted to have a cis-amide configuration. The ensuing and energetically favorable cis- to trans-amide isomerization, within the active site, may represent the key event drivi...
Sample solvent effects in an apparent chiral high-performance liquid chromatographic separation on β-cyclodextrin

Abstract The effect of sample solvent on chromatographic peak shape using a β-cyclodextrin column has been investigated. Sample solvents ranging in polarity from hexane to mobile phase (water-methanol-0.5 M pH 4.5 borate buffer, 600:400:1) were used with assessments of column efficiency made by calculating theoretical plates as N 5 σ , N 4 σ and N SYS . Best agreement with observed peak shape resulted from use of N 5 σ especially in the narrow polarity span from 40 to 100% methanol. No chiral separation was obtained on the cyclodextrin column for the aminoalkylindole compounds investigated, although one possessed a naphthaldehyde substituent which should have promoted such separation.