Do logistic regression and signal detection identify different subgroups at risk? Implications for the design of tailored interventions.

Identifying subgroups of high-risk individuals can lead to the development of tailored interventions for those subgroups. This study compared two multivariate statistical methods (logistic regression and signal detection) and evaluated their ability to identify subgroups at risk. The methods identified similar risk predictors and had similar predictive accuracy in exploratory and validation samples. However, the 2 methods did not classify individuals into the same subgroups. Within subgroups, logistic regression identified individuals that were homogeneous in outcome but heterogeneous in risk predictors. In contrast, signal detection identified individuals that were homogeneous in both outcome and risk predictors. Because of the ability to identify homogeneous subgroups, signal detection may be more useful than logistic regression for designing distinct tailored interventions for subgroups of high-risk individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Supplemental Protein in Support of Muscle Mass and Health: Advantage Whey

Skeletal muscle is an integral body tissue playing key roles in strength, performance, physical function, and metabolic regulation. It is essential for athletes to ensure that they have optimal amounts of muscle mass to ensure peak performance in their given sport. However, the role of maintaining muscle mass during weight loss and as we age is an emerging concept, having implications in chronic disease prevention, functional capacity, and quality of life. Higher‐protein diets have been shown to: (1) promote gains in muscle mass, especially when paired with resistance training; (2) spare muscle mass loss during caloric restriction; and (3) attenuate the natural loss of muscle mass that accompanies aging. Protein quality is important to the gain and maintenance of muscle mass. Protein quality is a function of protein digestibility, amino acid content, and the resulting amino acid availability to support metabolic function. Whey protein is one of the highest‐quality proteins given its amino acid content (high essential, branched‐chain, and leucine amino acid content) and rapid digestibility. Consumption of whey protein has a robust ability to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. In fact, whey protein has been found to stimulate muscle protein synthesis to a greater degree than other proteins such as casein and soy. This review examines the existing data supporting the role for protein consumption, with an emphasis on whey protein, in the regulation of muscle mass and body composition in response to resistance training, caloric restriction, and aging.     

Functionalization of Scanning Force Microscopy Cantilevers via Galvanic Displacement Technique

A galvanic displacement technique is used to coat silicon scanning force microscopy cantilevers with copper. The copper coating is characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning force microscopy, contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. This coating technique results in uniform, reflective and conformal films and hence, no stress-induced bending of the cantilever is observed. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach for tribological studies, the coated cantilevers are chemically modified with alkanethiol monolayers in order to functionalize the cantilevers. The effect of changed surface energy are detected with adhesion measurements in water and ethanol.     

Relationship between mass transport and the quality of cured hide

The advantages of mathematical simulations of the process of cured hide desalination are presented. Full three‐dimensional model is presented and then its one‐dimensional and a two‐dimensional special cases are considered and compared. In the case of one‐dimensional approximation, the solution can be obtained in an analytic form, while for the two‐dimensional case only numerical solution is available. A possible occurrence of a concentration shock is modelled, and a method of its prevention is proposed to reduce losses in the hide substance. The predictions of the mathematical model are then compared with experimental data and found to be in good agreement.     

Specificity grafting of human antibody frameworks selected from a phage display library: generation of a highly stable humanized anti-CD22 single-chain Fv fragment

A prerequisite for the enrichment of antibodies screened fromphage display libraries is their stable expression on a phageduring multiple selection rounds. Thus, if stringent panningprocedures are employed, selection is simultaneously drivenby antigen affinity, stability and solubility. To take advantageof robust pre-selected scaffolds of such molecules, we graftedsingle-chain Fv (scFv) antibodies, previously isolated froma human phage display library after multiple rounds of in vitropanning on tumor cells, with the specificity of the clinicallyestablished murine monoclonal anti-CD22 antibody RFB4. We showthat a panel of grafted scFvs retained the specificity of themurine monoclonal antibody, bound to the target antigen withhigh affinity (6.4–9.6 nM), and exhibited exceptionalbiophysical stability with retention of 89–93% of theinitial binding activity after 6 days of incubation in humanserum at 37°C. Selection of stable human scaffolds withhigh sequence identity to both the human germline and the rodentframeworks required only a small number of murine residues tobe retained within the human frameworks in order to maintainthe structural integrity of the antigen binding site. We expectthis approach may be applicable for the rapid generation ofhighly stable humanized antibodies with low immunogenic potential. Received June 10, 2003; accepted August 27, 2003.     

The impacts of road and walking trails upon adjacent vegetation: effects of road building materials on species composition in a nutrient poor environment

Roads represent an important landscape element affecting both biotic and abiotic components. Alteration of soil properties along roads (addition of nutrients) is assumed to have a great impact on vegetation structure especially in nutrient poor ecosystems. Existing studies focus mainly on road dust. In our study we assessed the overall effects of roads upon adjacent alpine tundra vegetation and soils in Krkonoše Mts, Czech Republic. Our aims were to (1) reconstruct the road-related changes using aerial data and GPS mapping to study colonization of roadside plant species; (2) assess the road effects on physical-chemical soil properties and vegetation composition along transects; and (3) propose conservation measures to stop further damage. Changes were reconstructed from historical multispectral aerial photography (1986 to 1997), measured by GPS device (1997, 2004), and accompanied by detailed soil (1998, 2000 and 2001) and vegetation (2000 and 2004) surveys along transects. Along alkaline roads, fast and profound shifts in physical-chemical soil properties (pH increased from 3.9 up to 7.6, base saturation from 9-30% up to 100%), and species composition were recorded. The roadside vegetation doubled in area during the studied decade. Stress-tolerant tundra species were replaced by meso- to nitrophilous species and species preferring man-made habitats. The intensity of changes depended significantly on the type of road material and the position relative to the road (slope position, distance from the road). Our findings support the assumption that alkaline gravel is the main cause of changes along roads in the area, and indicate the leading role of water transport in the soil and consequent vegetation alteration. To prevent the further damage we recommended replacement of alkaline gravel by granite, even though expensive and technically complicated. Based on our recommendations, the National Park authorities started to reconstruct the trails, although recovery is expected to be slow.     

Energy policy scenarios to reach challenging climate protection targets in the German electricity sector until 2050

In this article we demonstrate how challenging greenhouse gas reduction targets of up to 95% until 2050 can be achieved in the German electricity sector. In the analysis, we focus on the main requirements to reach such challenging targets. To account for interdependencies between the electricity market and the rest of the economy, different models were used to account for feedback loops with all other sectors. We include scenarios with different runtimes and retrofit costs for existing nuclear plants to determine the effects of a prolongation of nuclear power plants in Germany. Key findings for the electricity sector include the importance of a European-wide coordinated electricity grid extension and the exploitation of regional comparative cost effects for renewable sites. Due to political restrictions, nuclear energy will not be available in Germany in 2050. However, the nuclear life-time extension has a positive impact on end consumer electricity prices as well as economic growth in the medium term, if retrofit costs do not exceed certain limits.     

Autogenous healing and reinforcement corrosion of water-penetrated separation cracks in reinforced concrete

Depending on the crack width, the thickness of the structure, the water pressure, and the degree of acid of the water, long-term investigations have been performed over a period of 2 years with respect to the autogenous healing and reinforcement corrosion of water-penetrated separation cracks in reinforced concrete by the University of Kaiserslautern, supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). For the waters penetrating the cracks deionised water (neutral, pH=7.0), and boric acid treated deionised water with a pH-value of 6.1 and 5.2 (weakly acid waters) were used. A complete autogenous healing could not be observed. The water penetrating the cracks could hardly be measured with a pH-value of 7.0 at the end of the test. While naturally at the beginning of the test, no influence of the water-chemical degree of the acids could be determined, the existing flow-through quantities towards the end of the test period depended clearly on the crack width and the pH-value. With an increasing crack width and an increasing acid-degree larger flow-through quantities were measured. Depending on the pH-value and the crack width it was determined whether and to which extent corrosion developed at the reinforcing steel bars crossing the cracks. With a crack width of 0.1 mm, corrosion was not to be observed in any case. For the test specimens with a crack width of 0.2 mm a start of the corrosion was found depending on the pH-value. With an increasing width of the crack, an increasing corrosion development is to be expected for test specimens penetrated by acid water. For a crack width of 0.4 mm and a pH-value of 5.2, the highest corrosion development was to be observed, however, there were weakenings of the cross section not worth being mentioned even after a 2-year test period.