cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Play and the young hospitalized patient

As a result of continuous and oftentimes dramatic improvements in medicine during the past several decades, the prospects of restoring a hospitalized pediatric patient to the highest possible level of physical well‐being are better than ever before. Attending to the emotional vulnerability to which young hospitalized children are susceptible is only now receiving the attention it deserves. Attention is as important to preventing and treating psychological morbidity as is treating physiological disorders. One of Britain's most eminent professors of pediatric medicine has asserted that the provision of play is one of the top priorities in providing for a sick child's recovery and well‐being [Brimble‐combe, 1980]. In this article, the importance of play for the pediatric patient is described, and considerations associated with the successful implementation of play intervention for children in hospitals are advanced.
Stimulation of rat liver mitochondrial fusion by an outer membrane-derived aluminum fluoride-sensitive protein fraction.

Abstract In normal livers, hepatocytes contain a large number of spheroidal mitochondria. Mitochondrial morphology changes drastically in liver disease, but the underlying fusion–fission mechanisms are not known. We detected GTP- and aluminum fluoride-dependent membrane fusion events between rat liver mitochondria. Separation of outer mitochondrial membrane-derived proteins led to a subfraction containing a 60-kDa protein band that is detected by specific antibodies directed to common amino acid sequences of the GTP-binding site or carboxyl-terminus of eukaryotic heterotrimeric G-protein α subunits. Addition of this subfraction and aluminum fluoride to permeabilized rat hepatocytes triggered a substantial morphological change in hepatic mitochondria, giving them the three-dimensional appearance of a tubulovesicular network. Comparative stereology using electron and confocal microscopy showed that these morphological changes represent true mitochondrial fusion. Addition of aluminum fluoride alone induces a more limited change in mitochondrial morphology, from spheroidal organelles to short rods. Mitochondria maintained their normal membrane potential and overall membrane ultrastructure after all these morphological changes. Our results reveal that mammalian liver mitochondria contain proteins that stimulate mitochondrial fusion and suggest that members of the GTPase superfamily control the normalcy of mitochondrial morphology, which is closely linked to physiological cellular energetics.
Studies on adrenal steroid hydroxylases Chemical and enzymatic properties of selenium derivatives of adrenal iron-sulfur protein

The following isotopic derivatives of adrenal ferredoxin have been prepared by the replacement for the labile sulfur and iron of the native protein: 256Fe232S (native protein), 256Fe280Se, 256Fe277Se, 256Fe80Se32S, 256Fe77Se32S, 257Fe232S, 256Fe280Se, and 257Fe80Se32S. The 256Fe280Se derivative has been studied extensively in comparison to the native 256Fe232S protein. Both oxidized and reduced selenium derivatives displayed a red shift (25 nm) of the visible absorption bands. The g values of the electron spin resonance signal of the reduced selenium derivative were g|| = 2.051, and g⊥ = 1.975, which are shifted towards lower magnetic field. The near infrared absorption bands for the reduced selenium compound were 4450 and 5550 cm−1. From these data, the spin-orbit coupling constants were calculated to the 170 and 210 cm−1 for the respective d-d transitions. The oxidation-reduction mid-potential was found to be −288 mV at pH 7.0 and 25 C, which is more negative than that of the native protein (−274 mV). When both selenium and sulfur sources were present in the reaction mixture for reconstitution, the resulting compound had one sulfur and one selenium atom in replacement of the two labile sulfur atoms of the native protein, giving rise to electron paramagnetic resonance signal at g|| = 2.058 g2, 1.976 and g3 = 1.930. These results confirm the previously reported properties of the SeS mixed derivative of the 56Fe-protein. The 80Se-derivative was found to have NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity and steroid-11-β-hydroxylase activity comparable to that of the native protein (1% and 60%, respectively).
Hydrodynamics of flux liquids

A hydrodynamic theory of both isotropic and hexatic flux liquids in high-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ superconductors is presented. Weak microscopic pinning centers are described within the flux-flow model of Bardeen and Stephen, while strong macroscopic pinning centers set the boundary conditions for the flow. This model is relevant for understanding recent transport measurements by Worthington et al. in bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O single crystals. Flux-line entanglement leads to a large intrinsic viscosity, which increases at the isotropic-to-hexatic transition.
Genes for High Altitudes

During the past 100,000 to 200,000 years, anatomically modern humans successfully colonized a diverse range of environments across the planet. Some of the most extreme of these environments are found on the high-altitude plateaus of Central Asia and the Andes. The Tibetan Plateau appears to have been inhabited for ∼25,000 years, and permanent settlements have been established at elevations of 3500 to 4500 m ( 1 , 2 ). Residents of these lofty altitudes descend from a long line of highland ancestors who lived long enough to reproduce in spite of the physiological challenges associated with chronic oxygen deprivation. Thus, studies of indigenous high-altitude residents provide the opportunity to identify genes that may have played a role in hypoxia adaptation. On pages 72 and 75 of this issue, Simonson et al. ( 3 ) and Yi et al. ( 4 ), respectively, combine genomic and candidate-gene analyses to identify the genetic basis of high-altitude adaptation in Tibetans. Together with another recent analysis ( 5 ), the studies reveal that genes in the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) oxygen signaling pathway have been subject to strong and recent positive selection in Tibetan highlanders.
Parent‐to‐Child Aggression Among Asian American Parents: Culture, Context, and Vulnerability

We examined correlates of lifetime parent-tochild aggression in a representative sample of 1,293 Asian American parents. Correlates examined included nativity, indicators of acculturation, socioeconomic status, family climate, and stressors associated with minority status. Results revealed that Asian Americans of Chinese descent and those who immigrated as youth were more likely to report minor parentalaggression; ethnicity and nativity were not associated with severe aggression. Indices of acculturation did not predict risk, but minority status stressors (perceived discrimination, low social standing) predicted risk of both minor and severe aggression. Affective climate differed markedly in families with minor versus severe aggression. Parental aggression in Asian American families may not be cultural per se, but stress associated with immigrant family context may heighten vulnerability. It is widely accepted that child physical abuse poses a major threat to public health. The psychological sequelae of physical abuse are widely recognized with elevated risk for mental health problems (for review see Kolko, 2002). Beyond
Enkephalin analogues and naloxone modulate the release of growth hormone and prolactin--evidence for regulation by an endogenous opioid peptide in brain.

Abstract Met 5 -enkephalin amide, D-Ala 2 -Met 5 -enkephalin amide, D-Ala 2 -Leu 5 -enkephalin amide, morphine sulfate and naloxone hydrochloride were examined for their effects on growth hormone and prolactin release in vivo and in vitro . Subcutaneous injection of D-Ala 2 -Met 5 enkephalin amide a , D-Ala 2 -Leu 5 enkephalin amide b and morphine sulfate, but not Met 5 -enkephalin and amide c , resulted in significant elevations in the serum growth hormone and prolactin of immature female rats. Naloxone blocked the hormone-stimulatory effect of the opioid receptor agonists and when administered alone significantly reduced serum growth hormone and prolactin concentrations. None of the drugs demonstrated a direct action on anterior pituitary tissue growth hormone or prolactin release in vitro .
Boundaries in Lesbian Therapy Relationships

Lesbian therapists who are active participants in the lesbian community face unique challenges concerning the establishment of professional boundaries. Both the relatively small size of the community and the high incidence of informal contact between lesbian therapists and clients make boundary delineation difficult. This article describes strategies for managing self-disclosure, physical contact with clients, "special" treatment, and client gifts. It also discusses informal community contact with clients and relationships with former clients. The difficulty of maintaining personal privacy for the therapist is also addressed.
Simulation of Thermal Transport in a Nanocomposite Blow Mold

In this study, the thermal transport issues for a nanocomposite material used in the blow molding process are addressed in the fabrication of the composite mold. For low production cycles, there is a significant interest in using lower cost composite molds to replace the expensive traditional metal molds used for making polymer parts by the blow molding process. A critical issue in using a polymer matrix composite as an alternative to a metal mold is the large difference in the thermal transport property. The composite mold design must integrate enhanced cooling so that the product can cool sufficiently within each cycle time. Nanocomposites that use carbon nanofiber offer improvements in thermal and mechanical properties; therefore they are potential candidates for making molds for polymer products. This paper describes the design of the cooling system for a nanocomposite blow mold using numerical simulations; and the processing steps by which the design is incorporated in the fabrication of the mold.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Does water pH control habitat segregation of sibling species of sunfish (Enneacanthus)

Enneacanthus obesus andE. gloriosus, sibling centrarchids, are genetically distinct, but morphologically alike. They both inhabit dense vegetation where they glean invertebrates. Their geographic distributions overlap as well, yet there are marked differences in their local distributions. A review of the physiological and distributional evidence strongly suggests that water pH plays a key role in the observed habitat segregation. Physiological data indicate thatE. obesus possesses a number of specializations that allow it to regulate sodium even at extremely low pH. WhileE. gloriosus demonstrated striking acid tolerance, it was clearly not as tolerant asE. obesus. Sodium efflux, body sodium levels, and rate of growth ofE. gloriosus were negatively affected below pH 4.5, butE. obesus was unaffected until below pH 4.0. Distributional data show thatE. obesus is a specialist for acidic waters, whereasE. gloriosus is a habitat generalist. In New Jersey, for example, the distribution ofE. obesus is restricted to the acidic waters of the Pine Barrens, whileE. gloriousus is considered peripheral to the Pine Barrens and has a widespread distribution throughout the rest of New Jersey. The data further suggest that water pH acts asymmetrically on the competitive abilities of these 2 species.Enneacanthus gloriosus seems to avoid waters where it would be sublethally stressed by low pH (pH<4.5). We suggest that it may be indirectly excluded from these habitats byE. obesus, which is unaffected at these pHs.
Glutamate-based therapeutic approaches: ampakines.

Ampakines are a structurally diverse family of small molecules that positively modulate α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors, and thereby enhance fast, excitatory transmission throughout the brain. Surprisingly, ampakines have discrete effects on brain activity and behavior. Because their excitatory synaptic targets mediate communication between cortical regions, serve as sites of memory encoding, and regulate the production of growth factors, ampakines have a broad range of potential therapeutic applications. Several of these possibilities have been tested with positive results in preclinical models; preliminary clinical work has also been encouraging.
A repeater encryption unit for 1Pv4 and 1Pv6

IPsec is a powerful mechanism for protecting network communications. However, it is often viewed as difficult to use due to the elaborate configuration that is needed to ensure correct (and secure) operation. In this paper, we seek to answer the question of how to build IPsec VPNs without affecting the network assets. We exploit "repeater-encryption", which is similar to the IPsec bump-in-the-wire mode of operation. Our IPsec encryption unit works at Layer-2 of the network stack and does not encrypt control packets that are used for routing, address resolution and resource reservation. Although this is fairly straightforward for IPv4 networks, IPv6 introduces several new features and messages that complicate the operation of such a box. We report our findings of implementing transparent, repeater-based IPsec protection for IPv4 and IPv6. Our approach requires no configuration changes to other devices in the network, making it an attractive mechanism for security network traffic. We discuss the features of our IPsec encryption unit and show how it adapts to IPv4 and IPv6 networks. We also implement our approach on the OpenBSD IPsec stack to demonstrate its feasibility. We show that our transparent IPsec box can easily support speeds in excess of 100 Mbps.
Underlying dimensions of human problem solving and learning: implications for personnel selection, training tasks design and expert system

This study presents experimental evidence on the dimensions underlying the interaction of the learning process with human cognitive representation of problem solving. An experiment was conducted in three sessions. Each session consisted of performing 12 problem solving tasks and obtaining their similarity rating. The observed four-way data made up of 12 tasks × 12 tasks × 6 subjects × 3 sessions were analyzed using a multidimensional scaling model. The analysis resulted in three major dimensions across the learning process. Two of the dimensions are described as distinctions of bottom-up vs. top-down and conscious vs. subconscious reasoning. The third one is identified as a dimension inherent to the task characteristics. It is shown that the former two dimensions are affected significantly by learning and hence become more dominant in the process of understanding. The implication of the findings for personnel selection, job rotation, task design, and expert system design is discussed.
The effect of systemic arterial hypertension on blood-to-tissue transport in experimental gliomas.

Systemic arterial hypertension was induced with epinephrine in 15 rats with 39 transplanted RG-2 brain tumors in an attempt to increase blood-to-tissue transport of a water-soluble compound. In 4 rats, hypertension was induced acutely (< 5 sec), and in 11 hypertension was induced more slowly (over 5 min). Regional values of the unidirectional blood-to-tissue transfer constant (K) of alpha aminoisobutyric acid were measured with quantitative autoradiography. Mean arterial blood pressure (BP) over the experimental period increased from 117 ± 17 mmHg (SD) to 168 ± 18 mmHg in the rats with slowly induced hypertension, and from 124 ± 4 to 142 ± 5 mmHg in the acute hypertension group. Peak BP was 208 ± 16 in the first group and 216 ± 13 mmHg in the second. Intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 10/15 animals, and there was disruption of BBB in tumor-free brain in 10/15 animals. Averaged mean whole tumor K of AIB in all hypertensive rats was 0.052 ± 0.022 ml/g/min, compared to 0.037 ± 0.015 ml/g/min in normotensive controls; there was no difference in mean tumor K between the two hypertensive groups. However, in intraparenchymal tumors without hemorrhage, K was only 0.039 ± 0.013 ml/g/min. Although the mean K of AIB was higher in brain tumors of the hypertensive rats, the increase is unlikely to be meaningful in terms of augmented delivery of watersoluble drugs to brain tumors, and the high incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage countermands any clinical use of this approach.
Thermal processing of ilmenite and titania-doped haematite using microwave energy

To test the potential for microwave processing of lunar materials the heating of ilmenite-rock mixtures, and TiO2-doped haematite were investigated using microwave radiation, llmeniterich rocks will couple, without a coupling agent, to microwave radiation. The microwave experiments are repeatable. Attempts to couple TiO2-doped haematite to microwave radiation were very successful, with susceptibility increasing with TiO2 content. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed increased grain size and particle size with increased TiO2 content in the microwave-heated products of the haematite-TiO2 system. The differences between microwave and furnace melts of ilmenite-rich rocks were also investigated. Petrographic analysis revealed a large amount of titanomagetite in microwave melts while furnace melts contained a large amount of haematite, but the cause of this difference is not fully understood.
Matrix isolation study of the products of the interaction of electrons and metastable argon atoms with HCCl2F

Abstract Two groups of infrared absorptions common to experiments in which samples of HCCl 2 isolated in an argon matrix at 14 K are exposed to vacuum ultraviolet radiation or to electrons produced by ultraviolet irradiation of an alkali metal, as well as to experiments in which the Ar:HCCl 2 F sample is codeposited with a beam of argon atoms excited in a microwave discharge, have been assigned to anions produced upon associative and dissociative electron capture by HCCI 2 F. Detailed isotopic substitution studies suggest that these anions are (Cl 2 C)H⋯F − , representing a unique type of hydrogen bonding, and HCCIF − . The HCClF − anion photodecomposes in the 345–250nm spectral region, but the products of its photodecomposition have not been identified. Both CCl 2 and Cl 2 CF are also produced in the discharge experiments, but there is no evidence for the production of HCF. Mechanisms for the formation of ion products by electron capture and by exposure of HCCl 2 F to radiation or to excited argon atoms of energy equal to or less than 11.8 eV are considered.
Long-run credit growth in the US

Abstract The paper explores the long-term income elasticity of consumer and mortgage credit growth since World War II. It also examines other economic factors, to determine whether recent credit use is anomalous. Two-stage least squares show consumer credit income elasticity to be slightly below 1.0, taking other factors into account. A vector autoregressive error correction (VAREC) model for cointegrated variables with unit roots determine short-run and long-run credit impact multipliers which are consistent with the elasticities. Except for 1974–1979, the long-run consumer credit impact multiplier of 0.23 is very close to the debt–income limit that Enthoven projected as long ago as 1957. These results are very different from the simplistic media perspectives.
Primary culture of microvascular endothelial cells from canine meniscus.

Microvascular endothelial cells were isolated and cloned from canine knee menisci. Intitially, the endothelial cell colonies in culture exhibited a cobblestone morphology. With passage and time, these cultures adopted a fibroblastic or fusiform morphology. The endothelial nature of the cells was demonstrated by positive immunostaining with antibodies to von Willebrand factor, laminin, and type-IV collagen and by capillary-like tube formation on Matrigel. These endothelial cells could be passaged as many as 10 times with retention of the endothelial characteristics. This population of meniscal microvascular endothelial cells will facilitate studies on the role of blood vessels in meniscal repair.
Computational Model for Substrate Motion in EB-PVD Process

This article presents a computational model for simulating the dynamic processes of EB-PVD where a complex substrate is coated inside a vapor plume evaporated from an ingot, while being manipulated on a holder. The motivation is to provide an efficient computation tool that combines the substrate manipulation with the evaporation and deposition process. This is important because the substrate motion significantly affects the microstructure and texture of the coating produced. Specifically, we mathematically formulate a substrate manipulation model using the coordinate transformation technique commonly used in robotics. The proposed model has been implemented in Matlab, and computational simulations are presented to illustrate the developments. The computational model is used for experiments to investigate manipulation parameters for a yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coating on a turbine blade.
RNA Binding Protein CUGBP2/CELF2 Mediates Curcumin-Induced Mitotic Catastrophe of Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Background Curcumin inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer tumor xenografts in nude mice; however, the mechanism of action is not well understood. It is becoming increasingly clear that RNA binding proteins regulate posttranscriptional gene expression and play a critical role in RNA stability and translation. Here, we have determined that curcumin modulates the expression of RNA binding protein CUGBP2 to inhibit pancreatic cancer growth. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, we show that curcumin treated tumor xenografts have a significant reduction in tumor volume and angiogenesis. Curcumin inhibited the proliferation, while inducing G2-M arrest and apoptosis resulting in mitotic catastrophe of various pancreatic cancer cells. This was further confirmed by increased phosphorylation of checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) protein coupled with higher levels of nuclear cyclin B1 and Cdc-2. Curcumin increased the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA, but protein levels were lower. Furthermore, curcumin increased the expression of RNA binding proteins CUGBP2/CELF2 and TIA-1. CUGBP2 binding to COX-2 and VEGF mRNA was also enhanced, thereby increasing mRNA stability, the half-life changing from 30 min to 8 h. On the other hand, silencer-mediated knockdown of CUGBP2 partially restored the expression of COX-2 and VEGF even with curcumin treatment. COX-2 and VEGF mRNA levels were reduced to control levels, while proteins levels were higher. Conclusion/Significance Curcumin inhibits pancreatic tumor growth through mitotic catastrophe by increasing the expression of RNA binding protein CUGBP2, thereby inhibiting the translation of COX-2 and VEGF mRNA. These data suggest that translation inhibition is a novel mechanism of action for curcumin during the therapeutic intervention of pancreatic cancers.
A CMOS quaternary threshold logic full adder circuit with transparent latch

A circuit that realizes the quaternary threshold logic full adder function with transparent latching has been realized in a standard polysilicon-gate CMOS technology. In its FOLLOW mode, the quaternary full adder accepts two quaternary inputs and a binary CARRY input, and develops a two-quaternary-digit output word that is the base-four sum of the inputs. In the HOLD mode, these output states are held by the transparent multiple-valued latch subcircuit. The circuit is presented and its experimental performance described. >
Mechanistic basis for nonlinearities and thresholds in rat liver carcinogenesis by the DNA-reactive carcinogens 2-acetylaminofluorene and diethylnitrosamine.

To explore differences in mechanisms of carcinogenicity at low and high exposures, we have conducted a series of exposure-response studies of hepatocarcinogenesis in rats using 2 well-studied DNA-reactive carcinogens, 2-acetylaminofluorene and diethylnitrosamine. In these studies, we have used intraperitoneal injection or intragastric instillation to deliver exact doses during an initiation segment followed by phenobarbital as a liver tumor promoter to enhance manifestation of initiation. This protocol results in carcinogenicity comparable to that produced by lifetime exposure to the carcinogens. Our findings in these experiments provide evidence for the following: (a) formation of DNA adducts can be nonlinear, with a plateau at higher exposures; (b) cytotoxicity shows no-effect levels and is related to exposure; (c) compensatory hepatocyte proliferation shows no-effect levels and can be supralinear at high exposures; (d) formation of preneoplastic hepatocellular altered foci can show no-effect levels and...
Information theoretic reward shaping for curiosity driven learning in POMDPs

In the real world, intelligent agents must use multi-modal, limited range and limited accuracy sensors to gain knowledge of the environment in service of their goals. The problem of choosing both sensing and task-specific actions can be viewed as a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP), for which reinforcement learning (RL) can be used to learn policies from experience. In this paper we propose a mechanism for speeding up RL in POMDPs by using an information-based shaping reward, which can be automatically derived from the belief distribution. This reward acts as a domain-general intrinsic curiosity that allows the agent to improve its behavior even when it is not skilled enough to achieve task-specific goals. Previous work has shown that this intrinsic reward can lead to intelligent behaviors in absence of a task. In this paper, we combine the curiosity reward with a task-specific reward in the parameter exploring policy gradient (PGPE) algorithm in a “Market”, and show through several experiments that the curiosity reward significantly speeds up learning and improves the quality of policies compared to those that use only the extrinsic, task-specific reward signal.
WDM routing with low cross-talk in the data vortex packet switching fabric

Routing of 10 Gbit/sec optical packets is demonstrated with WDM-encoded header bits. The traffic flow control mechanism uniquely reduces latency and simplifies packet processing. Significantly lower cross-talk is obtained using linear optical amplifier switching gates.
Ventilation-perfusion inequality during normoxic and hypoxic exercise in the emu.

Many avian species exhibit an extraordinary ability to exercise under hypoxic condition compared with mammals, and more efficient pulmonary O2 transport has been hypothesized to contribute to this ...
Effects of coronary bypass graft occlusion on left ventricular performance.

High-fidelity recordings of left ventricular (LV) pressure and its corresponding first derivative (dP/dt), electrocardiogram, and systemic arterial pressure were obtained intraoperatively following insertion of aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass grafts in eight men. During sequential 3-min periods, the bypass grafts were, in turn, open, occluded by vascular clamps, and opened by releasing the clamps. Peak dP/dt averaged 1342 mm Hg/sec before graft occlusion, fell to 1223 mm Hg/sec during occlusion, and rose following release of occlusion to 1373 mm Hg/sec. LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) averaged 14.5 mm Hg before, 17.6 mm Hg during, and 16.1 mm Hg after graft occlusion. Arterial systolic and diastolic pressure and heart rate showed little change (P > 0.05) throughout the experiments. Left ventricular performance as gauged by peak dP/dt/LVEDP decreased an average of 25% (P < 0.001) during graft occlusion and returned to control levels following release of occlusion. Total vein graft blood flow, measure...
Isotopic assay of lithium by means of hydride band emission spectra

A spectrographic method applicable to the determination of the Li6-Li7 isotopic ratio is described. The procedure involves the low current d.c. arc excitation of lithium sulphate samples in an atmosphere of 50 per cent H2-50 per cent He. The intensity ratio of selected Li6H and Li7H band lines is plotted against the concentration ratio to yield linear analytical curves of unit slope. Although only the concentration range from 8 per cent to 25 per cent Li6 is covered by the line pairs used in this investigation, it should be possible to extend the range up to 92 per cent Li6 using the same line pairs.
60 GHz transmitter circuits in 65nm CMOS

This work presents fundamental building blocks for a 60 GHz transmitter front-end. The circuits are implemented in a 65 nm bulk CMOS technology, operate from a 1.2 V supply, and attain state-of-the-art performance for multi-Gb/s wireless applications. A single-stage, single-ended, power amplifier achieves peak power gain of 4.5 dB, output 1 dB compression point of 6 dBm, saturated power of 9 dBm, and peak power added efficiency of 8.5% at 62 GHz. A double-balanced, Gilbert-based, up-conversion mixer achieves 6.5 dB of conversion loss and output 1 dB compression point of -5.0 dBm with LO of 50 GHz and IF of 10 GHz. Millimeter-wave design considerations and measurements over frequency and temperature are discussed.
Salt Sensitivity and Hypertension in African Americans: Implications for Cardiovascular Nurses

Hypertension is a major public health problem in the U.S. Salt sensitivity is an important factor associated with hypertension and its complications, yet it has not been addressed in the nursing literature. Salt sensitivity is a directionally appropriate rise or fall in blood pressure when salt is added or removed, respectively. The change in blood pressure in salt-sensitive subjects occurs to a degree exceeding random blood pressure fluctuations. Salt sensitivity is present in 30% of normotensive and over 50% of hypertensive persons. It is more prevalent among African Americans, older persons, and individuals with renal insufficiency or diabetes. This paper provides nurses with an overview of salt sensitivity and its significance in hypertension. It presents conceptual and operational definitions of salt sensitivity, identifies factors contributing to its development, and describes implications for nursing practice.
The Blended Business Librarian: Technology Skills in Academic Business Librarian Job Advertisements

The purpose of this study was to identify technological trends in academic business librarianship. Forty-five job advertisements were collected over a 5-year period spanning from 2007 to 2012. Ten technology skill categories were identified, and the frequency at which the skills appeared in the job advertisements was measured. This article also includes a discussion about the impact of technology on business librarianship and recommendations for academic business librarians and employers.
Diapycnal Diffusivity Inferred from Scalar Microstructure Measurements near the New England Shelf/Slope Front*

Abstract Conductivity microstructure was used to estimate the diapycnal thermal eddy diffusivity KT near the New England shelf/slope front in early August 1997. Two datasets were collected with a towed vehicle. One involved several horizontal tows in and above a warm, salty layer near the seafloor, and the other was from a tow-yo transect that sampled most of the water column. In the bottom layer, KT derived from microstructure is a factor of about 5 smaller than estimates derived from tracer dispersion at the same density level, and the diffusivity decreases sharply as the buoyancy frequency N increases: KT ∝ N−3.1. With several assumptions, this behavior is consistent with laboratory results for shear-driven entrainment across a density interface. The bottom layer cools as it moves up the shelf mainly due to diapycnal mixing, and a simplified temperature budget of the layer yields a diffusivity of 3 × 10−6 m2 s−1, which is between the values derived from microstructure and tracer dispersion. In the tow-...
Involvement of Peripheral Purinoceptors in Sympathetic Modulation of Capsaicin-Induced Sensitization of Primary Afferent Fibers

Purinoceptors are distributed in primary afferent terminals, where transmission of nociceptive information is modulated by these receptors. In the present study, we evaluated whether the activation...
The lateral decubitus breast boost: description, rationale, and efficacy.

Purpose To describe and evaluate the modified lateral decubitus boost, a breast irradiation technique. Patients are repositioned and resimulated for electron boost to minimize the necessary depth for the electron beam and optimize target volume coverage. Methods and Materials A total of 2,606 patients were treated with post-lumpectomy radiation at our institution between January 1, 2000, and February 1, 2008. Of these, 231 patients underwent resimulation in the lateral decubitus position with electron boost. Distance from skin to the maximal depth of target volume was measured in both the original and boost plans. Age, body mass index (BMI), boost electron energy, and skin reaction were evaluated. Results Resimulation in the lateral decubitus position reduced the distance from skin to maximal target volume depth in all patients. Average depth reduction by repositioning was 2.12 cm, allowing for an average electron energy reduction of approximately 7 MeV. Mean skin entrance dose was reduced from about 90% to about 85% ( p Conclusions The lateral decubitus position allows for a decrease in the distance from the skin to the target volume depth, improving electron coverage of the tumor bed while reducing skin entrance dose. This is a well-tolerated regimen for a patient population with a high BMI or deep tumor location.
Rapid Genomic-Scale Analysis of Escherichia coli O104:H4 by Using High-Resolution Alternative Methods to Next-Generation Sequencing

Two technologies, involving DNA microarray and optical mapping, were used to quickly assess gene content and genomic architecture of recent emergent Escherichia coli O104:H4 and related strains. In real-time outbreak investigations, these technologies can provide congruent perspectives on strain, serotype, and pathotype relationships. Our data demonstrated clear discrimination between clinically, temporally, and geographically distinct O104:H4 isolates and rapid characterization of strain differences.
Improved methods for computing masses from numerical simulations

Abstract An important advance in the computation of hadron and glueball masses has been the introduction of non-local operators. This talk summarizes the critical signal-to-noise ratio of glueball correlation functions in the continuum limit, and discusses the case of (q q and qqq) hadrons in the chiral limit. A new strategy for extracting the masses of excited states is outlined and tested. The lessons learned here suggest that gauge-fixed momentum-space operators might be a suitable choice of interpolating operators.
Race/Ethnic-Specific Variation in Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization

This article examines the effects of various demographic and biomedical covariates on the level of prenatal care utilization (Kotelchuck's APNCU) received by U.S. resident women giving birth between the years 1989 and 1991 (N10 million). Results from multinomial logistic regression models for thirteen different race/ethnic groups show a strikingly consistent pattern of effects between covariates and the level of prenatal care obtained. Across race/ethnic groups, mothers that were young, low-educated, unmarried, high-parity, and smoked were most at risk of receiving no or inadequate prenatal care. Those women who had experienced a previous preterm or small-for-gestational-age birth or prior infant loss were more likely to receive more extensive ("intensive") care. Presence of a medical risk during pregnancy increased the odds of no/inadequate care and of intensive care. These results support the view that prenatal care intervention strategies can be expected to affect all race/ethnic populations in essentially the same way.
Hedging and Synthetic Funds Creation in the China Market

Following a meeting of the US-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue in Beijing on May 25, 2010, China reported that it will permit QFIIs (qualified foreign institutional investors) to use the newly created CSI 300 Stock Index futures that began trading on the CFFEX (China Financial Futures Exchange) on April 16 of this year. To accommodate expanded usage by QFIIs, the quota assigned for use by these institutions was raised to $30 billion, which may seem like a large sum but in fact is a very small part of the $2.7 trillion in China stock market capitalization. Nevertheless, this announcement, which further opens capital markets in the world’s third-largest stock market, will allow foreign investors to expand their use of derivatives to hedge their investment risks and to create new investment products. Martin Currie, Aviva Investors and AMP Capital, all QFIIs, agree that the use of stock index futures will enable them to hedge country risks and compete with China’s domestic money managers as investments in China’s markets expand. Following the pattern of development in other new futures markets, the primary uses by such institutional investors for these derivative instruments will be to hedge assets under management and to develop new investment products. This article focuses on professional uses for CSI 300 futures that are likely to emerge in the very near future.
The Xeon® Processor E5-2600 v3: a 22 nm 18-Core Product Family

The next generation enterprise Xeon server processor maximum configuration supports 18 dual-threaded 64 bit Haswell cores, 45 MB L3 cache, 4 DDR4–2133 MHz memory channels, 40 8 GT/s PCIe lanes, and 40 9.6 GT/s QPI lanes. The processor has 5.56 B transistors on a 31.9 mm $\,\times\,$ 20.8 mm die in Intel's Hi-K metal-gate tri-gate 22 nm CMOS technology with 11 metal layers and achieves up to 33% performance boost. The design supports a wide range of configurations including thermal design power ranging from 55 to 160 W and frequencies ranging from 1.6 to 3.7 GHz. Key architectural innovations include the addition of AVX2 technology, DDR4, and fully integrated voltage regulators (FIVR) that enable per core p-states and uncore frequency scaling.
Self-collimation in photonic crystals with anisotropic constituents

In a photonic crystal composed of anisotropic constituents we quantify the range of input angles and the degree of collimation of the beam inside the crystal. The optical properties of a photobleached 4-dimethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium-tosylate (DAST) crystal are used in our model to demonstrate the efficacy of the self-collimation features.
Deciphering evolutionary strata on plant sex chromosomes and fungal mating-type chromosomes through compositional segmentation

Sex chromosomes have evolved from a pair of homologous autosomes which differentiated into sex determination systems, such as XY or ZW system, as a consequence of successive recombination suppression between the gametologous chromosomes. Identifying the regions of recombination suppression, namely, the "evolutionary strata", is central to understanding the history and dynamics of sex chromosome evolution. Evolution of sex chromosomes as a consequence of serial recombination suppressions is well-studied for mammals and birds, but not for plants, although 48 dioecious plants have already been reported. Only two plants Silene latifolia and papaya have been studied until now for the presence of evolutionary strata on their X chromosomes, made possible by the sequencing of sex-linked genes on both the X and Y chromosomes, which is a requirement of all current methods that determine stratum structure based on the comparison of gametologous sex chromosomes. To circumvent this limitation and detect strata even if only the sequence of sex chromosome in the homogametic sex (i.e. X or Z chromosome) is available, we have developed an integrated segmentation and clustering method. In application to gene sequences on the papaya X chromosome and protein-coding sequences on the S. latifolia X chromosome, our method could decipher all known evolutionary strata, as reported by previous studies. Our method, after validating on known strata on the papaya and S. latifolia X chromosome, was applied to the chromosome 19 of Populus trichocarpa, an incipient sex chromosome, deciphering two, yet unknown, evolutionary strata. In addition, we applied this approach to the recently sequenced sex chromosome V of the brown alga Ectocarpus sp. that has a haploid sex determination system (UV system) recovering the sex determining and pseudoautosomal regions, and then to the mating-type chromosomes of an anther-smut fungus Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae predicting five strata in the non-recombining region of both the chromosomes.
Research on the Combustion of Bio-Derived Fuels in Hybrid Propellant Rocket Engine

Paper describes the extension of the research of the combustion of non-conventional bioderived fuels in a small-scale Hybrid Propellant Rocket Engine (HPRE) started in 2010. The long-term goal of the research is the investigation of the combustion of non-conventional bioderived fuels such as paraffin, beeswax, lard with different oxidizers (oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide), including combustion of above fuels with additives, and obtaining regression rate formulas for listed propellants. The small-scale HPRE, test fixture and instrumentation system have been designed, manufactured, assembled and used for the study and analysis of the combustion. The results of the research of combustion of paraffin were presented at the 51 AIAA Meeting and Exhibit. Paper summarizes the results of the study of combustion of bee’s wax with oxygen and represents regression rate formulas. Experimental data were compared with theoretical results and existing data of other researchers. The paper also describes indirect method and shows preliminary results of the estimation of losses of unburned fuel, based on the measurements of exit temperature of combustion products and calculation of actual values of the equivalence ratios and combustion temperatures in the combustion chamber of HPRE.
Diabetes Prevention and Management among Minority Ethnic Groups in Nicaragua: Findings from Phase 2 of a Community-Based Participatory Research Study.

Objectives:To (1) describe barriers to diabetes prevention and self-management, (2) explore how religious beliefs inform diabetes prevention and self-management and (3) describe community action st...
Surveys and analysis of Eysenck personality of 403 train drivers

[Objective]To explore Eysenck Personality of train drivers,and provide psychological basis for the safety of train driving.[Methods]A total of 403 train divers of Liuzhou locomotive depot in Guangxi were assessed with Eysenck Personality Questionnaire revised by Gong Yaoxian.The two dimensions,E and N,defined four quadrants.These were made up of stable introverts(T 38.5),unstable introverts(T 38.5-43.3),intermediate(T 43.4-56.6),unstable extraverts(T 56.7-61.5),stable extraverts(T 61.5).According to P and L dimensions,three quadrants lay in P scale,they were neuroticism(T 61.5),unstable neuroticism(T 56.7-61.5) and normal(T 56.7).According to L scale: the result was invalid(T 70).[Results] Of 403 train drivers,142(35.23%) were stable extraverts,145(35.98%) were emotionally unstable;emotionally unstable accounted for 58.82% in introverts;16 were stable and unstable neuroticism.The tendency of L was in low distribution.Furthermore,significant difference existed in E compared with executives and workers(P 0.05).Significant difference also existed in N and L compared with executives,workers,scientific and technical personnel and judicial police(P 0.05).It also lay in P compared with executives,workers,scientific and technical personnel and judicial police(P 0.05).However,significant difference only existed in N in terms of age and education background(P 0.01).[Conclusion]Eysenck Personality of train drivers are emotionally unstable,naive and gentle hearted.Stable extraverts are more suitable for train driving.Moreover,age and education background have a slight impact on the Eysenck Personality.
A survey on metaheuristics for optimization in food manufacturing industry

A state-of-the-art survey on metaheuristics application in the food manufacturing industry is presented.The metaheuristics covered include local search, Simulated Annealing, Tabu search, Ant Colony, Different Evolution, Genetic Algorithms, Particle Swarm and others.The food manufacturing optimization covers both process and system optimization. This paper surveys recent articles on the applications of metaheuristics for solving optimization problems in the food manufacturing industry. Metaheuristics for decision making has attracted significant research and industry attention due to the increasing complexity of models and quick decision making requirements in the industry. Metaheuristics have been applied to food processing/production technologies including fermentation, thermal drying and distillation and other system wide optimization such as transportation, storage (warehousing), production planning and scheduling. In terms of metaheuristics algorithms, Genetic Algorithm and Differential Evolution are the most popular while other algorithms have also demonstrated their effectiveness in addressing various optimization problems. Most problems were typically formulated as single objective mathematical models constructed from experimental or collected data. Recently, multi-objective optimization is becoming more popular because it is able to consider problems from several perspectives and attain more practical results.
Rapid determining quantity of bromadiolone in raticides by HPLC

Objective:To set up a method for rapid determining the quantity of bromadiolone in the raticides.Methods:The samples were dealed with CH3OH and detected bromadiolone by HPLC.Results:This method had good relativity(r0.9998) between 0 mg/L～100 mg/L and good analytic precision(RSD4%).The samples′ average rates of recovery were 89.0%～96.4%.The detection limit were 0.11 mg/kg.Conclusion:The method is simple,sensitive,accurate and reproducible.
Scalable recommendation with hierarchical Poisson factorization

We develop hierarchical Poisson matrix factorization (HPF), a novel method for providing users with high quality recommendations based on implicit feedback, such as views, clicks, or purchases. In contrast to existing recommendation models, HPF has a number of desirable properties. First, we show that HPF more accurately captures the long-tailed user activity found in most consumption data by explicitly considering the fact that users have finite attention budgets. This leads to better estimates of users' latent preferences, and therefore superior recommendations, compared to competing methods. Second, HPF learns these latent factors by only explicitly considering positive examples, eliminating the often costly step of generating artificial negative examples when fitting to implicit data. Third, HPF is more than just one method— it is the simplest in a class of probabilistic models with these properties, and can easily be extended to include more complex structure and assumptions. We develop a variational algorithm for approximate posterior inference for HPF that scales up to large data sets, and we demonstrate its performance on a wide variety of real-world recommendation problems—users rating movies, listening to songs, reading scientific papers, and reading news articles.
What Is the K in K-pop? South Korean Popular Music, the Culture Industry, and National Identity

In the early 2010`s, the expansion of South Korean popular culture around the world is led by popular music, usually known as Kpop. In this paper I seek to answer two questions. First, what are the sources of its success beyond the South Korean national border? Secondly, what does it say about contemporary South Korean society and culture?
Neurologic complications of corticosteroid therapy.

A neurologic disorder appearing during long-term corticosteroid therapy can be and often is related to dosage and duration of treatment, or it can be an expression of the disease under treatment. The circumstances may necessitate adjusting the dosage of corticosteroid or stopping its use, treating the complication or accepting its presence.