cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parameter Identification for Hysteretic Models of Torsional-Shear Buildings

In this study, the authors present an algorithm for estimating the parameters of a hysteretic model of a single-story torsional-shear building. They adopt the Bouc-Wen model to parameterize the nonlinear force-displacement loops of the structure. Using an Extended Kalman filtering approach, and data gathered during a damaging event, they aim to localize hysteresis at the level of individual elements that comprise the lateral load-resisting system.
Early-Life Origins of the Race Gap in Men's Mortality∗

Using a life course framework, we examine the early life origins of the race gap in men’s all-cause mortality. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Older Men (1966–1990), we evaluate major social pathways by which early life conditions differentiate the mortality experiences of blacks and whites. Our findings indicate that early life socioeconomic conditions, particularly parental occupation and family structure, explain part of the race gap in mortality. Black men’s higher rates of death are associated with lower socioeconomic standing in early life and living in homes lacking both biological parents. However, these effects operate indirectly through adult socioeconomic achievement processes, as education, family income, wealth, and occupational complexity statistically account for the race gap in men’s mortality. Our findings suggest that policy interventions to eliminate race disparities in mortality and health should address both childhood and adult socioeconomic conditions.
The relation between surgeon volume and outcome following off-pump vs on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Study objective: Off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been recently reintroduced into clinical practice. In light of the relatively low level of experience of most cardiac surgeons with off-pump CABG surgery, and the exceptional technical challenge of working on a “beating heart,” off-pump CABG surgery presents a unique opportunity to explore the effect of surgeon case volume on surgical outcome after controlling for the effects of patient case mix and hospital volume. Design: A retrospective cohort study analyzing the association between surgeon volume and in-hospital mortality rate for off-pump and on-pump CABG surgery using random-effects logistic regression modeling. Setting and patients: The analyses were based on the New York State clinical CABG surgery registry. The study sample consisted of 36,930 patients undergoing isolated CABG surgery between 1998 and 1999 that was performed by 181 surgeons at 33 hospitals. Interventions: None. Results: There is no association between the number of CABG procedures performed off-pump by an individual surgeon and in-hospital mortality rates (p 0.93) after controlling for hospital CABG surgery volume and patient-level risk factors. There is also no association between the off-pump CABG surgery mortality rate and the total number of both off-pump and on-pump CABG surgery cases (p 0.78). In the on-pump CABG surgery cohort, surgeons performing a high volume of CABG procedures had significantly lower risk-adjusted mortality rates among their patients compared to those performing a very low volume, a low-volume, and a medium volume of CABG procedures (p < 0.006). Conclusion: For off-pump CABG surgery, surgeons performing a high volume of procedures do not have better mortality outcomes than those performing a low volume of procedures. However, higher surgeon case volumes are associated with lower mortality rates for on-pump CABG surgery. The absence of a volume-outcome association for off-pump CABG surgery is especially surprising in light of the more technically demanding nature of off-pump CABG surgery compared to on-pump CABG surgery. (CHEST 2005; 128:829–837)
A sequential procedure for average power analysis of sequential circuits

A new statistical technique for average power estimation in sequential circuits is presented. Due to the feedback mechanism, conventional statistical procedures cannot be applied to infer the average power of sequential circuits. As a remedy, we propose a sequential procedure to determine an independence interval which is used to generate an independent and identically distributed (iid) power sample. A distribution-independent stopping criterion is applied to choose an appropriate convergent sample size. The proposed technique is applied to a set of sequential benchmark circuits and demonstrates high accuracy and efficiency.
Short-term outcomes after incontinent conduit for gynecologic cancer: Comparison of ileal, sigmoid, and transverse colon

Abstract Objective The aim of this study is to estimate the overall rates of significant incontinent conduit-related complications and compare rates between conduit types. Methods This was a retrospective review of 166 patients who underwent incontinent urinary diversion from April 1993 through April 2013. Patients were categorized by conduit type—ileal, sigmoid colon, and transverse colon. Significant conduit-related complications were assessed at 30 and 90days after surgery. Significant conduit-related complication was defined as any of the following: ureteral stricture, conduit leak, conduit obstruction, conduit ischemia, ureteral anastomotic leak, stent obstruction requiring intervention via interventional radiology procedure or reoperation, and renal failure. Results A total of 166 patients underwent formation of an incontinent urinary conduit, most commonly during exenteration for gynecologic malignancy. There were 129 ileal, 11 transverse colon, and 26 sigmoid conduits. The overall significant conduit-related complication rate within 30days was 15.1%. Complication rates for ileal, transverse and sigmoid conduits were 14.7%, 0%, and 23.1%, respectively (Fisher's exact test, p =0.24). By 90days, the Kaplan–Meier estimated rates of significant complications were 21.8% overall, and 22.3%, 0%, and 28.9%, respectively, by conduit type (log-rank test, p =0.19). The most common significant conduit-related complications were conduit or ureteral anastomotic leaks and conduit obstructions. By 1 and 2years following surgery, the Kaplan–Meier estimated overall rate of significant conduit-related complication increased to 26.5% and 30.1%, respectively. Conclusions Our study suggests that there are multiple appropriate tissue sites for use in incontinent conduit formation, and surgical approach should be individualized. Most significant conduit-related complications occur within 90days after surgery.
Geochemistry of ikaite formation at Mono Lake, California: Implications for the origin of tufa mounds

The mineral ikaite (CaCO 3 ⋅ 6H 2 O), not previously observed in lake environments, precipitates seasonally along the shore of Mono Lake, California, where Ca-HCO 3 spring water mixes with cold Na-CO 3 lake water. During the winter, cold water temperatures and high concentrations of PO 4 3- and organic carbon inhibit calcite precipitation, allowing the metastable ikaite to form. During the spring warming, however, ikaite decomposes to form calcium carbonate and water, occasionally leaving pseudomorphs of the primary precipitate. The identification of modern ikaite suggests that both Pleistocene and Holocene tufas in the Mono basin originally precipitated as ikaite. This mineral may also form in other lake environments, but rapid recrystallization after warming destroys the physical, chemical, and isotopic evidence of formation, and alters the geochemical record.
Platform-based product design and development: A knowledge-intensive support approach

This paper presents a knowledge-intensive support paradigm for platform-based product family design and development. The fundamental issues underlying the product family design and development, including product platform and product family modeling, product family generation and evolution, and product family evaluation for customization, are discussed. A module-based integrated design scheme is proposed with knowledge support for product family architecture modeling, product platform establishment, product family generation, and product variant assessment. A systematic methodology and the relevant technologies are investigated and developed for knowledge supported product family design process. The developed information and knowledge-modeling framework and prototype system can be used for platform product design knowledge capture, representation and management and offer on-line support for designers in the design process. The issues and requirements related to developing a knowledge-intensive support system for modular platform-based product family design are also addressed.
Attributions of Blame and Responsibility for Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Adjustment

Both clinical and empirical work suggest that attributions of responsibility and blame for child sexual abuse may be important determinants of subsequent adjustment. Measurement of the attributions has been problematic, however, and has hindered the conclusions that can be drawn. In this study, measures were developed that assess three types of attributions—self-blame, family blame, and perpetrator blame. The examination of the relationships between attributions and adjustment in a study of 154 adult women sexually abused as children found that both self-blame and family blame were related to some indicators of poor adjustment. In addition, there was a threeway interaction among blame types and one indicator of adjustment. These results suggest that the relationships between attributions and adjustment may be more complex than previously indicated.
Company Size and Human Factors and Ergonomics Awareness

The objective of this study was to better understand the knowledge and opinions of managers in the American furniture manufacturing industry regarding Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) and to explore significant relationships between company size and managers' awareness on HF/E. The furniture manufacturing industry has a high occupational injury and illness rate and HF/E awareness is vital to improve worker safety and health. A web-based survey was used to gage managers' awareness of HF/E. Development, pre-test, and review stages followed to design the final survey. Sixty-four managers participated in the survey. This study shows the awareness level of managers depended on company size. Smaller companies were less likely to provide HF/E training programs to both managers and employees, additionally; smaller companies were less likely to have a team or department for HF/E interventions or for establishing HF/E programs in their organizations. The main reason for lower commitment to HF/E in small companie...
Novel exon of mammalian ADAR2 extends open reading frame.

Background The post-transcriptional processing of pre-mRNAs by RNA editing contributes significantly to the complexity of the mammalian transcriptome. RNA editing by site-selective A-to-I modification also regulates protein function through recoding of genomically specified sequences. The adenosine deaminase ADAR2 is the main enzyme responsible for recoding editing and loss of ADAR2 function in mice leads to a phenotype of epilepsy and premature death. Although A-to-I RNA editing is known to be subject to developmental and cell-type specific regulation, there is little knowledge regarding the mechanisms that regulate RNA editing in vivo. Therefore, the characterization of ADAR expression and identification of alternative ADAR variants is an important prerequisite for understanding the mechanisms for regulation of RNA editing and the causes for deregulation in disease. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we present evidence for a new ADAR2 splice variant that extends the open reading frame of ADAR2 by 49 amino acids through the utilization of an exon located 18 kilobases upstream of the previously annotated first coding exon and driven by a candidate alternative promoter. Interestingly, the 49 amino acid extension harbors a sequence motif that is closely related to the R-domain of ADAR3 where it has been shown to function as a basic, single-stranded RNA binding domain. Quantitative expression analysis shows that expression of the novel ADAR2 splice variant is tissue specific being highest in the cerebellum. Conclusions/Significance The strong sequence conservation of the ADAR2 R-domain between human, mouse and rat ADAR2 genes suggests a conserved function for this isoform of the RNA editing enzyme.
Task-dependent changes in frontal brain asymmetry: effects of incentive cues, outcome expectancies, and motor responses.

The current study was designed to clarify the psychological functions most closely associated with frontal brain asymmetry. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded from 60 participants while they performed a delayed reaction time (RT) task that included manipulations of incentive, expectancy, and response. Significant alpha asymmetry effects were reflected in topographic differences across anterior EEG sites. Variations in monetary incentives resulted in parametric changes in anterior frontal alpha asymmetry. Manipulations of outcome expectancies were related to mid-frontal EEG changes that differed for men and women. Varied response requirements were related to central asymmetry patterns. Taken together, the findings suggest that regionally specific patterns of frontal asymmetry are functionally related to particular aspects of approach–withdrawal tendencies involved in the temporal guidance and regulation of goal-directed behavior.
Using Motor-Based Role-Play to Enhance Social Skills in a Nonverbal Adolescent With High Functioning Autism: A Case Report

In this study the authors collected pilot data about the effect of a motor-based role-play intervention on the social skills of a nonverbal adolescent with high functioning autism. Single subject design was used to tally frequency of targeted social skills at baseline, intervention, and 3-month probe. Intervention was delivered once per week in 1-hour sessions over 4 weeks. The Evaluation of Social Skills was also used at baseline and 3-month probe to assess changes in social skill quality. Although the participant's verbal use did not change, the quality and frequency of nonverbal social skill use increased significantly from baseline to 3-month probe (p = .038, t = −3.556).
Aqueous complexation constants of cyclohexaamylose with p-iodoaniline and p-iodo anilinium ion

Abstract Formation constants for binary complexes of cyclohexaamylose (Cy) with p -iodoaniline (B) and p -iodoanilinium cation (BH + ) were determined by means of pH potentiometric experiments at 10–45°. The temperature dependences of these constants yielded the following thermodynamic parameters: Δ H ° CyB = −8.2 ± 0.5 kcal · mol −1 , Δ S ° CyB = −12.1 ± 1.8 cal · mol −1 · K −1 ; and Δ H ° CyBH Psu+ = −6.3 ± 0.7 kcal · mol −1 , Δ S ° CyBH + = −7.6 ± 2.2 cal · mol −1 . K −1 . Enthalpic and entropic contributions to the overall complexation of BH + are discussed in terms of partial desolvation of the cationic center upon binding. A 13 C-n.m.r. investigation confirmed a configuration of the Cy · BH + complex reported earlier.
Chromatography of permethylated oligosaccharide alditols.

Abstract A new chromatographic method which enables the separation of permethylated oligosaccharide alditols has been developed. The method entails chromatography on precoated silica gel plates using benzene-methanol (16:1, v v or 10:1 v v ) as developing solvent. Separations of disaccharides were obtained on the basis of glycosidic linkage and anomeric configuration; the method can accomodate oligosaccharides containing up to 15 glycose units. The combined use of thin-layer chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography provides a powerful approach for the characterization of oligosaccharides. Retention indices are given of permethylated oligosaccharide alditols on a fused-silica capillary column bonded with DB-1.
Progression from sustained BK viruria to sustained BK viremia with immunosuppression reduction is not associated with changes in the noncoding control region of the BK virus genome

Changes in the BK virus archetypal noncoding control region (NCCR) have been associated with BK-virus-associated nephropathy (BKVAN). Whether sustained viremia, a surrogate for BKVAN, is associated with significant changes in the BK-NCCR is unknown. We performed PCR amplification and sequencing of (1) stored urine and (2) plasma samples from the time of peak viremia from 11 patients with sustained viremia who participated in a 200-patient clinical trial. The antimetabolite was withdrawn for BK viremia and reduction of the calcineurin inhibitor for sustained BK viremia. DNA sequencing from the 11 patients with sustained viremia revealed 8 insertions, 16 transversions, 3 deletions, and 17 transitions. None were deemed significant. No patient developed clinically evident BKVAN. Our data support, at a genomic level, the effectiveness of reduction of immunosuppression for prevention of progression from viremia to BKVAN.
A comparison of five standard methods for evaluating image intensity uniformity in partially parallel imaging MRI.

Purpose: To investigate the utility of five different standard measurement methods for determining image uniformity for partially parallel imaging (PPI) acquisitions in terms of consistency across a variety of pulse sequences and reconstruction strategies. Methods: Images were produced with a phantom using a 12-channel head matrix coil in a 3T MRI system (TIM TRIO, Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany). Images produced using echo-planar, fast spin echo, gradient echo, and balanced steady state free precession pulse sequences were evaluated. Two different PPI reconstruction methods were investigated, generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition algorithm (GRAPPA) and modified sensitivity-encoding (mSENSE) with acceleration factors (R) of 2, 3, and 4. Additionally images were acquired with conventional, two-dimensional Fourier imaging methods (R = 1). Five measurement methods of uniformity, recommended by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) were considered. The methods investigated were (1) an ACR method and a (2) NEMA method for calculating the peak deviation nonuniformity, (3) a modification of a NEMA method used to produce a gray scale uniformity map, (4) determining the normalized absolute average deviation uniformity, and (5) a NEMA method that focused on 17 areas of the image to measure uniformity. Changes in uniformity as a function of reconstruction method at the same R-value were also investigated. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether R-value or reconstruction method had a greater influence on signal intensity uniformity measurements for partially parallel MRI. Results: Two of the methods studied had consistently negative slopes when signal intensity uniformity was plotted againstR-value. The results obtained comparing mSENSE against GRAPPA found no consistent difference between GRAPPA and mSENSE with regard to signal intensity uniformity. The results of the two-way ANOVA analysis suggest that R-value and pulse sequence type produce the largest influences on uniformity and PPI reconstruction method had relatively little effect. Conclusions: Two of the methods of measuring signal intensity uniformity, described by the (NEMA) MRI standards, consistently indicated a decrease in uniformity with an increase inR-value. Other methods investigated did not demonstrate consistent results for evaluating signal uniformity in MR images obtained by partially parallel methods. However, because the spatial distribution of noise affects uniformity, it is recommended that additional uniformity quality metrics be investigated for partially parallel MR images.
An output feedback controller for store-operated calcium entry and extracellular calcium sensing in yeast cells

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) and extracellular calcium sensing are two important feedback control mechanisms of calcium ion uptake into yeast cells observed in experiments. In this work, we design output feedback controllers for these two mechanisms. Using the control model, we simulate the experimental observations on these two mechanisms and on high-affinity calcium ion influx system in pmr1 mutants.
Trypanosoma cruzi: cytokine effects on macrophage trypanocidal activity.

Abstract Mouse macrophages infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro may be activated to reduce parasite infection by interferon γ (IFN-γ). The addition of up to 10,000 units of IFN-γ however, does not result in a 100% reduction of intracellular parasites. We, therefore, investigated the possibility that macrophages require an additional signal or signals to completely clear T. cruzi infection. Because the combination of IFN-γ with lipopolysaccharide greatly enhanced macrophages ability to decrease the number of intracellular parasites, the interaction of IFN-γ with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was examined. TNF alone and the combination of TNF with IFN-γ did not have a significant effect on reducing parasite numbers below that obtained with IFN-γ alone. This was also true for lymphotoxin, a lymphokine similar to TNF in structure and function. The effect of IFN-γ in combination with a cytokine-rich supernatant containing IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, and IFN-γ on macrophage clearance of the parasite was also examined. The cytokine-rich supernatant alone had no effect on reducing parasite infection of the macrophages; indeed, in some experiments the addition of the supernatant resulted in an increase in the level of parasite infection. However, 1000 units of IFN-γ combined with the complex cytokine mixture caused a decrease in parasite infection of nearly 100% compared to that of control cultures treated with media alone. To determine which cytokine or cytokines in the supernatant were responsible for this synergistic activity, anti-cytokine antibodies were added to the supernatant prior to its addition with IFN-γ to the cultures. Anti-IL-4 was the only antibody found to inhibit the synergism of IFN-γ with the cytokine-rich supernatant. IL-4, however, did not significantly enhance the ability of IFN-γ to induce macrophage clearance of the parasite, and IL-4 alone caused a slight increase in parasite infection in vitro. These results further define the role that cytokines play in T. cruzi infection of macrophages in vitro and suggest that the interaction of cytokine networks within this system is complex.
Excited-state properties of DNA methylated at the N-7 position of guanine and its free fluorophore at room temperature.

The room-temperature optical properties of calf thymus DNA, with about 75% of its guanine residues methylated at position N-7, are compared with those of 7-methyl GMP which has the same fluorophore. The fluorescence spectrum of the methylated guanine residues depends strongly on the excitation wavelength, shifting to the blue as the wavelength increases. The fluorescence quantum yield, corrected for the contribution to absorption by the other virtually nonfluorescent residues, exhibits a pronounced drop at long excitation wavelengths relative to that for excitation at 265 nm. The degree of fluorescence polarization exhibits a weak dependence on the excitation and emission wavelengths. For 7-methyl GMP, the fluorescence spectrum is very weakly dependent on the excitation wavelength and its fluorescence quantum yield shows a moderate increase at long wavelengths. The degree of fluorescence polarization increases with increasing excitation wavelength particularly when monitoring the emission in the short wavelength region of the fluorescence spectrum. A pronounced drop of unknown origin is observed when exciting at 265 nm, which is not observed for methylated DNA. The methylated DNA data are interpreted in terms of a combination of (i) a heterogeneous environment of the methylated guanine residues, which results from sequence-dependent stacking interactions, and (ii) transfer of excitation energy from the other residues to the fluorescing methylated guanine residues. From the values of the quantum yields and those of the decay times, which we have recently reported (Georghiou et al., 1985), the following values are obtained for the radiative, kt, and the sum of the nonradiative, σk1, rate constants for deexcitation of the excited states of methylated DNA and its free fluorophore: 1.6 × 108 s-1 7 × 107 s-1 and 5 × 1010 s-lvs 6 × 109 s-1. Because of energy transfer from the other residues. the kf value for the methylated guanine residues is overestimated but their σk1, value is not affected significantly and is by about an order of magnitude larger than that for 7-methyl GMP, apparently because of stacking interactions.
The Pathogenesis of Pneumococcal Otitis Media in Chinchillas and the Efficacy of Vaccination in Prophylaxis

Acute pneumococcal otitis media was produced experimentally in 100% of chinchillas whose middle ear cavities were inoculated with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Although intranasal inoculation with S. pneumoniae led to otitis media in 21% of animals, 66% of the colonized chinchillas that had negative pressure in the middle ear developed otitis media. Intranasal inoculation with S. pneumoniae followed by intranasal inoculation with influenza A virus led to otitis media in 73% of chinchillas, while inoculation with infleunza A virus alone produced otitis media in 4% of animals. Measurement of middle ear pressure by tympanometry showed the influenza virus-infected chinchillas developed negative middle ear pressure before the appearance of clinical signs of otitis media. While direct inoculation of the middle ear with pneumococci produced a purulent effusion within days after inoculation, intranasal inoculation with both pneumococci and influenza A virus resulted in the rapid appearance of a serous effusion, which became culture-positive for S. pneumoniae during the second week after inoculation. Spontaneous resolution of middle ear infection occurred within three to eight weeks after inoculation and was associated with an increase in the level of type-specific pneumococcal antibody in serum and middle ear effusion. The histopathology of pneumococcal otitis media included purulent middle ear effusion, epithelial metaplasia, and subepithelial edema and hypercellularity. The initial infiltration of the subepithelial space with polymorphonuclear leukocytes was superceded by infiltration with mononuclear leukocytes in animals that were observed for longer than eight weeks. Among untreated animals observed for long periods, production of granulation tissue, development of submucosal fibrosis, and osteoneogenesis were observed. Systemically administered pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine was effective for prevention of type-specific otitis media in chinchillas when vaccinated animals were challenged by intranasal inoculation with pneumococci followed by deflation of the middle ear. Animals that seroconverted with at least a twofold increase in the level of antibody in serum after vaccination had an 87% lower incidence of otitis media than did unvaccinated animals. Protection was associated with high levels of antibody in serum before intranasal inoculation, and higher antibody levels were found in sterile middle ear effusions than in effusions that contained pneumococci.
Improvement Interventions Are Social Treatments, Not Pills

In this issue, Goldman and colleagues evaluated an improvement intervention designed to reduce the rate of return emergency department visits and readmissions. The editorialist discusses how the st...
Alternating Access Mechanism of Glutamate Transporters

In the central nervous system, glutamate transporters are responsible for the glutamate clearance following rounds of neurotransmission. They are molecular pumps, which utilizes the energy of pre-existing electrochemical gradients of ions to drive substrate uptake against steep concentration gradients. Sodium coupled aspartate transporter from Pyrococcus horikoshii, GltPh, is a homologue of the mammalian transporters and has served as a model system, within which to understand the molecular details of transport. The previously determined crystal structures of GltPh revealed the substrate and sodium binding sites located near the extracellular solution leaving the question of how they reach the cytoplasm unanswered. Recently, we have determined the crystal structure of a double cysteine mutant of GltPh, captured by cross-linking in a novel conformational state. In this state the substrate-binding sites are near the cytoplasmic surface of the protein. These findings suggest a novel and unexpected mechanism, by which GltPh and, by analogy mammalian glutamate transporters catalyze trans-membrane transport of their substrates.
The Absent Body: Female Signature and Poetic Convention in Cecília Meireles

Por que me destes um corpo se estava tao descansada, nisso que e talvez o Todo mas parece tanto o Nada? (242)1 In an unpublished letter of 3 July 1946, Cecilia Meireles writes to Beata Vettori: … s...
Synthesis and evaluation of non-genotoxic direct dyes

Non-genotoxic diamines 2,2′-dimethyl-5,5′-dipropoxybenzidine and 5,5′-dipropoxy-benzidine were employed as potential alternatives to benzidine in the synthesis and evaluation of new direct dyes for cotton. Assessment of the resultant dyes indicated that both diamines can be used to prepare new direct dyes having colors and fastness properties that make them comparable to commercial direct dyes, and that the structures of the new direct dyes can be confirmed by negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry (ESMS). The mutagenic properties of new direct dyes were established using the standard Ames Salmonella mammalian mutagenicity assay.
Pharmacotherapy for allergic rhinitis: a critical review of leukotriene receptor antagonists compared with other treatments.

Objectives To review the mechanisms and clinical efficacy of leukotriene receptor antagonists, which are investigational therapies for allergic rhinitis, compared with intranasal corticosteroids and nonsedating antihistamines, which are the most commonly prescribed pharmacotherapies for allergic rhinitis. Data Sources Computer-assisted MEDLINE searches for articles and manual searches of conference proceedings on intranasal corticosteroid , antihistamine , leukotriene receptor antagonist , leukotriene modifier , zafirlukast , montelukast , allergic rhinitis , rhinitis , and asthma . Selection Published articles and pertinent abstracts on the topics identified above were selected. Head-to-head comparator trials as well as data from placebo-controlled trials were selected. Results and Conclusions The studies published to date demonstrate that leukotriene receptor antagonists are sometimes more effective than placebo, are no more effective than nonsedating antihistamines, and are less effective than intranasal corticosteroids in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. The combination of a leukotriene receptor antagonist and an antihistamine has not been proven to be more effective than either agent alone. This review reveals several inconsistencies that require resolution. First, whereas leukotriene receptor antagonists are predicted on the basis of their mechanism of action to improve nasal congestion significantly, clinical studies reveal leukotriene receptor antagonists to be no better than antihistamines at improving congestion. Second, leukotriene receptor antagonists would not be expected on the basis of their putative mechanism of action or nasal challenge data to improve significantly sneezing, nasal itching, or drainage. However, some studies show improvement in these symptoms during treatment with leukotriene receptor antagonists. Considered in aggregate, the data available to date do not clearly support a unique role of leukotriene receptor antagonists in the treatment of allergic rhinitis whether or not it is accompanied by asthma.
The Effects of Mayoral Power on Urban Fiscal Policy

Can mayors of American cities overcome the enormous constraints of environmental forces to exert some control over municipal spending priorities? Despite case study evidence suggesting that mayors can and do influence public policy making, the expectation of this research was that mayoral power in a comparative research design likely would not have a pronounced effect on city spending. Using multiple regression techniques and various socioeconomic, demographic, and political variables, the analysis indeed showed that mayoral strength was not a significant predictor of municipal expenditures for 1987. The findings also revealed only slight differences in the way the mayoral power variable operated when cities were divided by city government form (mayor-council vs. council-manager). The research did demonstrate that mayoral power was most likely to be effective in controlling city spending among localities having partisan ballots.
Understanding the application of mathematical morphology to machine vision

As part of the solution to the automatic compilation problem, a discussion of the analysis performed on a set of morphological vision procedures developed by vision experts is presented. The basic definitions for both binary and gray-scale morphological operators are reviewed. Examples of morphological algorithms developed by vision experts are described. Comments regarding the solution of automatic compilation of vision procedures are given. >
Evolving a diversity of virtual creatures through novelty search and local competition

An ambitious challenge in artificial life is to craft an evolutionary process that discovers a wide diversity of well-adapted virtual creatures within a single run. Unlike in nature, evolving creatures in virtual worlds tend to converge to a single morphology because selection therein greedily rewards the morphology that is easiest to exploit. However, novelty search, a technique that explicitly rewards diverging, can potentially mitigate such convergence. Thus in this paper an existing creature evolution platform is extended with multi-objective search that balances drives for both novelty and performance. However, there are different ways to combine performance-driven search and novelty search. The suggested approach is to provide evolution with both a novelty objective that encourages diverse morphologies and a local competition objective that rewards individuals outperforming those most similar in morphology. The results in an experiment evolving locomoting virtual creatures show that novelty search with local competition discovers more functional morphological diversity within a single run than models with global competition, which are more predisposed to converge. The conclusions are that novelty search with local competition may complement recent advances in evolving virtual creatures and may in general be a principled approach to combining novelty search with pressure to achieve.
CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS: FEEDBACK AS A STIMULUS TO CREATIVITY IN SOFTWARE DESIGN

Three decades of creating software to support design rationale showed the author that rationale processes can promote generation of novel ideas by promoting critical conversations among designers and other project participants. Critical conversations intertwine ideation and evaluation, using feedback about consequences of decisions to challenge designers to devise new ideas. Such conversations take two forms. The first is discussion involving feedback from speculation about consequences of design decisions for implementation and use. The second is discussion involving feedback from actual experiences of implementation and use of the software being designed. The former is purely a process of reflective discourse, the latter a process of situated cognition involving both action and reflective discourse. Thus, the former is pure argumentation, the latter situated argumentation. Exploiting the full potential of critical conversations for creative design requires rethinking rationale methods and integrating them into software supporting implementation and use.
Imaging of facial trauma

Facial trauma is a commonly encountered injury in the emergency department. Facial fractures can be categorized into limited, transfacial, and smash fractures. Limited fractures may involve one or two adjacent facial supporting struts. Transfacial fractures are classically the Le Fort fractures. Smash fractures are comminuted fractures that do not follow classical facial fracture patterns. Depending on the severity of injury, treatment may be conservative or surgical. [figure: see text] Computed tomography is superior to conventional radiography, tomography, and MRI in detecting facial fractures, defining their direction, extent, and displacement.
Interactions between 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and COX-2 in kidney

The syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (SAME) is an autosomal recessive form of salt-sensitive hypertension caused by deficiency of the kidney type 2 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11...
Acute Myocardial Infarction and Renal Dysfunction: A High-Risk Combination

Patients with renal failure are at increased risk for death after acute myocardial infarction and receive less aggressive treatment compared with patients who have normal renal function.
Testing and Assessment in Counseling Psychology Contemporary Developments and Issues

Testing and assessment have long been and continue to be regarded as important roles of counseling psychologists. This issue of The Counseling Psychologist considers several contemporary developments and issues in the testing and assessment areas and their relevance for the counseling specialty. Our article primarily provides an introduction for what follows. We briefly introduce each of the subsequent papers, identify the topics that they examine, and conclude by identifying five additional developments or issues in the testing and assessment areas that are of importance to counseling psychologists.
Estimating Test Score Reliability When No Examinee Has Taken the Complete Test.

In some settings, the reliability of test scores must be approximated even though no examinee has taken the complete instrument. Rather, one group of individuals has taken one fraction of the items; a second independent group has taken a different, nonoverlapping fraction of the items; and so on. Ultimately, a representative sample of examinees will take the complete test, but at the time when the estimate of reliability is required, no such sample is available. Formulas are developed in this article to cope with this situation. The choice of one formula over another is contingent on the degree of similarity between or among the part-tests. Different estimators are developed for part-tests that are judged to be classically parallel, tau-equivalent, or congeneric. Standards are proposed for differentiating among these three models for the part-tests.
Pad++: a zooming graphical interface for exploring alternate interface physics

We describe the current status of Pad++, a zooming graphical interface that we are exploring as an alternative to traditional window and icon-based approaches to interface design. We discuss the motivation for Pad++, describe the implementation, and present prototype applications. In addition, we introduce an informational physics strategy for interface design and briefly compare it with metaphor-based design strategies.
Replacement of proline with valine does not remove an apparent proline isomerization-dependent folding event in CRABP I

Site-directed mutagenesis has frequently been used to replace proline with other amino acids in order to determine if proline isomerization is responsible for a slow phase during refolding. Replacement of Pro 85 with alanine in cellular retinoic acid binding protein I (CRABP-I) abolished the slowest refolding phase, suggesting that this phase is due to proline isomerization in the unfolded state. To further test this assumption, we mutated Pro 85 to valine, which is the conservative replacement in the two most closely related proteins in the family (cellular retinoic acid binding protein II and cellular retinol binding protein I). The mutant protein was about 1 kcal/mole more stable than wild type. Retinoic acid bound equally well to wild type and P85V-CRABP I, confirming the functional integrity of this mutation. The refolding and unfolding kinetics of the wild-type and mutant proteins were characterized by stopped flow fluorescence and circular dichroism. The mutant P85V protein refolded with three kinetic transitions, the same number as wild-type protein. This result conflicts with the P85A mutant, which lost the slowest refolding rate. The P85V mutation also lacked a kinetic unfolding intermediate found for wild-type protein. These data suggest that proline isomerization may not be responsible for the slowest folding phase of CRABP I. As such, the loss of a slow refolding phase upon mutation of a proline residue may not be diagnostic for proline isomerization effects on protein folding.
Betakid--lessons learned while developing a microcomputer pediatric case simulation.

An arcade-style game, Betakid, was developed to provide diabetic children an opportunity to practice and evaluate skills in food and insulin dose selection. The user participates in the events through displays of text and graphics, occasionally accompanied by music. Choices are made concerning insulin dose, diet, and exercise. A displayed score indicates the appropriateness of the user's actions. Remediation is available after each decision. During the design and initial evaluation of Betakid, a number of lessons were learned about the application of computer-based simluations to diabetes education and care. The approach that was followed in developing Betakid, a summary of the characteristics of the simulation, and a list of suggestions for efficiently developing this type of project are presented.
Solder joint reliability modeling for a 540-I/O plastic ball-grid-array assembly

A three-dimensional finite element model has been developed to study the effects of solder volume and pad size on the reliability of a 540-I/O plastic ball grid array (PBGA) assembly. The model consisted of four parts: solder joint profile model, global model for the PBGA assembly, local model for the single solder joint, and solder joint fatigue life calculation. A submodeling technique was used to transfer the displacements to the local model for a detailed analysis under thermal cycling conditions. By using this model, the effects of solder volume and pad size on the fatigue life of BGA solder joints have been studied. With different volumes or pad sizes, the fatigue life could change from 1800 to 15000 thermal cycles. Since the fatigue life of this PBGA assembly was dominated by local mismatch in most cases, short joints could have longer fatigue lives than those with long joints. In addition, the effect of pad size on fatigue was also increased from second order to a higher order relationship. Such uncommon conclusions resulted from strong coupling effects of solder joint shape, global mismatch, and local mismatch.
Obama in Words and Deeds

Objective We assess how President Barack Obama acted as chief legislator using the rhetoric contained in his initial joint address to Congress and his three subsequent State of the Union addresses (SUAs). Method Using content analysis, we analyze how Obama conveyed policy substance (both credit claiming and position taking) and used symbolism as he carried out the constitutional requirements of reporting and recommending measures to Congress. Results Obama's first-term SUA rhetoric is consistent in regard to credit claiming; he devotes about 17 percent of his speeches to this activity. His SUAs typically contain about 35 legislative requests, and these are frequently requests for fairly large-scale actions. His use of symbolic rhetoric is unique. Obama uses individuals and historical examples to highlight the instrumental and effective role government has played in supporting the pursuit of the American Dream. His legislative requests, for his first three full years in office, have been fully or partially successful at a median rate of almost 45 percent, placing him slightly above the median yearly rate since 1965. Conclusions Obama's rhetorical choices in the SUA portray him as an unusual chief legislator in many ways. He is deferential to Congress on legislative detail, tending to focus his SUA requests on large-scale items and leaving the details of legislation to Congress. If Congress failed to act, he occasionally sought to accomplish his policy goals through executive actions if he could. He was then able to use the rhetoric of the SUA to portray himself as an active and effective president, something that would aid his reelection and legacy goals. Furthermore, Obama often had to confront unreasonably high expectations, and this strategy helped him position himself against the unpopular institution of Congress as he sought reelection.
Curved edge modification of compact range reflector

For many years, the compact range has successfully been used to design and evaluate many electromagnetic radiation and scattering systems. However, it has had limited use for large structures because of the large discrepancy between the reflector and target zone sizes. The limitation results from the large edge diffracted signal which emanates from the termination of the reflector. Previous attempts to solve this problem have involved using serrated edges to diffuse the diffracted field. While this reduces the edge diffracted field in the target zone, it is not eliminated. In addition, one has introduced many new corners which also diffract into the target zone. A curved edge modification is presented which reduces the edge diffraction by an order of magnitude or more and in the process does not create new mechanisms which perturb the plane wave in the target zone. Using this curved modification, one is able to design a compact range reflector whose target zone cross section approaches the size of the reflector parabolic surface. This makes the compact range ideal for scale model measurements since larger targets (antennas) can be measured. It also makes it more practical to consider systems which can measure full scale vehicles.
Status of Fluid and Electrolyte Absorption in Cystic Fibrosis

Salt and fluid absorption is a shared function of many of the body's epithelia, but its use is highly adapted to the varied physiological roles of epithelia-lined organs. These functions vary from control of hydration of outward-facing epithelial surfaces to conservation and regulation of total body volume. In the most general context, salt and fluid absorption is driven by active Na(+) absorption. Cl(-) is absorbed passively through various available paths in response to the electrical driving force that results from active Na(+) absorption. Absorption of salt creates a concentration gradient that causes water to be absorbed passively, provided the epithelium is water permeable. Key differences notwithstanding, the transport elements used for salt and fluid absorption are broadly similar in diverse epithelia, but the regulation of these elements enables salt absorption to be tailored to very different physiological needs. Here we focus on salt absorption by exocrine glands and airway epithelia. In cystic fibrosis, salt and fluid absorption by gland duct epithelia is effectively prevented by the loss of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). In airway epithelia, salt and fluid absorption persists, in the absence of CFTR-mediated Cl(-) secretion. The contrast of these tissue-specific changes in CF tissues is illustrative of how salt and fluid absorption is differentially regulated to accomplish tissue-specific physiological objectives.