cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Health Coaching Delivered by a Respiratory Therapist or Nurse on Self-Management Abilities in Severe COPD: Analysis of a Large Randomized Study.

BACKGROUND: Self-management of patients with COPD has received increasing attention in recent years given its association with improved outcomes. There is a scarcity of feasible interventions that can improve self-management abilities. We recently reported the positive effect of health coaching, started at the time of hospital discharge, on re-hospitalizations and emergency department visits for patients with COPD admitted for an exacerbation. In this substudy, we aimed to investigate the effects of health coaching delivered by a respiratory therapist or a nurse compared with guideline-based usual care on self-management abilities in COPD. METHODS: Self-management was measured by using the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire mastery domain and was assessed at baseline, at 6 months, and at 12 months after hospitalization. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifteen subjects hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation were randomized to the intervention or the control. The mean change in the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire mastery score from baseline to month 6 was Δ0.58 32 ± 1.29 on the intervention arm and Δ0.17 32 ± 1.14 on the control arm (P = .02). Of the intervention subjects, 55% had at least a 0.5-point increase in Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire mastery (minimum clinically important difference) compared with 38% in the control group. Health coaching was an independent predictor of the minimum clinically important difference or greater change in the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire mastery score at 6 months after initiation of the intervention (odds ratio 1.95, 95% CI 1.01–3.79). The changes in the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire mastery score at 12 months showed a trend but did not attain statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Health coaching delivered by a respiratory therapist or a nurse improved self-management abilities when applied to subjects with COPD after hospital discharge for an exacerbation. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01058486, Mayo IRB 09–004341).
Gender Differences in the Association between Marijuana and Menthol Cigarette Use among African American Adult Cigarette Smokers.

Introduction: Despite the strong relationship between marijuana and tobacco use, especially among African American individuals and males, very few studies have examined the association between mari...
Predicting the impact of asymptomatic transmission, non-pharmaceutical intervention and testing on the spread of COVID19 COVID19

Abstract We introduce a novel mathematical model to analyze the effect of removing non-pharmaceutical interventions on the spread of COVID19 as a function of disease testing rate. We find that relaxing interventions has a strong impact on the size of the epidemic peak as a function of intervention removal time. We show that it is essential for predictive models to explicitly capture transmission from asymptomatic carriers and important to obtain precise information on asymptomatic transmission by testing. The asymptomatic reservoir, reported to account for as much as 85% of transmission, will contribute to resurgence of the epidemic if public health interventions are removed too soon. Use of more basic models that fail to capture asymptomatic transmission can result in large errors in predicted clinical caseload or in fitted epidemiological parameters and, therefore, may be unreliable in estimating the risk of a second wave based on the timing of terminated interventions.
Impact of Fluid Resuscitation on Clinical Outcomes for Very Low Birth Weight infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Background: Administration of fluid resuscitation (bolus) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants is a common practice in NICU. There are no specific guidelines or indications for fluid resuscitation in VLBW infants. For older children, the FEAST Trial demonstrated increased risk of mortality with saline bolus as compared to controls in African children with severe infection, challenging the importance of fluid resuscitation in children with shock who do not have hypotension. It is plausible that empiric fluid resuscitation may be detrimental for VLBW infants as well, especially …
Stimulus Speech Decoding from Human Cortex with Generative Adversarial Network Transfer Learning

Decoding auditory stimulus from neural activity can enable neuroprosthetics and direct communication with the brain. Some recent studies have shown successful speech decoding from intracranial recording using deep learning models. However, scarcity of training data leads to low quality speech reconstruction which prevents a complete brain-computer-interface (BCI) application. In this work, we propose a transfer learning approach with a pre-trained GAN to disentangle representation and generation layers for decoding. We first pre-train a generator to produce spectrograms from a representation space using a large corpus of natural speech data. With a small amount of paired data containing the stimulus speech and corresponding ECoG signals, we then transfer it to a bigger network with an encoder attached before, which maps the neural signal to the representation space. To further improve the network generalization ability, we introduce a Gaussian prior distribution regularizer on the latent representation during the transfer phase. With at most 150 training samples for each tested subject, we achieve a state-of-the-art decoding performance. By visualizing the attention mask embedded in the encoder, we observe brain dynamics that are consistent with findings from previous studies investigating dynamics in the superior temporal gyrus (STG), pre-central gyrus (motor) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Our findings demonstrate a high reconstruction accuracy using deep learning networks together with the potential to elucidate interactions across different brain regions during a cognitive task.
Utilizing Critical Perspectives in Nonprofit Management Education: Implementation and Insights From an Online Course

This study investigated the effects of utilizing critical pedagogy and perspectives in a course on nonprofit management. A description of the course and assessment approach is provided, followed by the results of a series of surveys and student reflections gathered from students electing to participate in this research project. Quantitative and qualitative results are presented from the various data collection tools, with insights into how each collection tool tells a unique story. The qualitative data provide insights into student engagement with the material and their appreciation for an alternative approach to learning how to manage nonprofit organizations.Subscribe to JNEL
Germanium charge-coupled devices for hard x-ray astronomy

A germanium charge-coupled device (CCD) offers all of the advantages of silicon CCDs – notably excellent uniformity, high energy resolution, and noiseless on-chip charge summation – but covers an even broader spectral range, extending into the hard X-ray band. MIT Lincoln Laboratory has been developing germanium CCDs for applications in astrophysics, with the goal of realizing megapixel-class arrays with read noise less than a few electrons, sensitivity to both soft and hard X-rays, and high energy resolution. We recently realized our first small pixel arrays and have since been working to increase both the format and performance of these devices. In this article, we discuss performance improvements, identification of yield-limiting process steps in fabrication of frontside-illuminated devices, fabrication and analysis of our first backside-illuminated detectors, and design of prototypes which includes a 512 × 512 pixel frame-transfer CCD with 24 µm pixel pitch.
Environmental Influence on Fracture and Delamination of Electrically Conductive Adhesives

This paper presents our continued work on developing a degradation model for electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) interconnects in photovoltaic modules. Here, we characterize the fracture mechanics properties of an epoxy based ECA, for both critical and subcritical loading conditions. Emphasis is put on the influence of different environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. We found that high levels of humidity not only weaken the adhesive joint but also promote subcritical debonding at significantly lower driving forces than in dry environments.
Variable wheelbase reference for vehicle with active front and rear-wheel steering

Rear-wheel steering has seen new popularity in recent years. Many explanations of rear-wheel steering systems use the concept of a ‘virtual wheel base’ to explain in-phase or out-of-phase steering....
Spectral characterization of flash and high flux x-ray radiographic sources with a magnetic Compton spectrometer

In this work, we present a new analysis method applied to revitalize permanent magnet Compton spectrometers used to measure photon energy spectra in the MeV range. The inversion of the measured electron distribution to determine the original photon distribution is achieved via a method of consistent coupled radiation transport and magnetic field mapping of the input photon spectra to the measured electron distribution. The method of linear least squares was used to perform the unfolding of the electron distribution to the initial photon spectra, without any assumptions made regarding the electron distribution. We present an application of this method to data from a nominal 19.4 MeV flash radiographic source (the first axis of the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydro-Test Facility) capable of generating 500 R @ 1 m in ∼60 ns and a medical therapy source (a Scanditronix M22, Microtron) capable of variable energies with nominal endpoints of 6, 10, 15, and 20 MeV and an output of ∼1000–2000 R/min @ 1 m. The results provide agreement between the modeled and unfolded experimentally measured photon spectra as quantified by statistical tests, from 1.5 to 20 MeV. Experimental results are presented as well as a discussion of the novel MCNP6-based simulations and methods for reconstruction of the spectra.
System Inductance for MVDC Circuit Breakers

One option for implementing circuit protection in Medium Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) naval power systems is to employ Solid-State Circuit Breakers (SSCB) in a manner similar to the employment of conventional circuit breakers in Medium Voltage Alternating Current (MVAC) applications. One important system design characteristic that impacts the operation of SSCBs is the system inductance measured on either side of the SSCB. Because cable resistance is very small, this inductance limits the rate of current rise during a fault. A minimum inductance is required to enable the SSCB to interrupt the fault current within the time needed to detect, localize and isolate the fault. This paper provides a method for approximating the system inductance, offers strategies for increasing it should it prove to be too small, and discusses stability and pulsed load implications.
The role of time and mixing in the degradation of terrestrial derived dissolved organic carbon in lakes of varying trophic status

Abstract The processing of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in lakes has important implications for aquatic metabolism, temperature, and how organisms respond to sunlight. In temperate lakes, few studies have focused on the degradation of terrestrially derived dissolved organic carbon (tDOC). Here, we conducted three experiments to evaluate the long-term response to both photodegradation and biodegradation of tDOC, the short-term response to the photodegradation of tDOC, and the effects of mixing tDOC with surface water from each lake. We measured changes in DOC concentration and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) due to photo and or biodegradation in three lakes of varying trophic status. Results showed that tDOC is capable of being photodegraded up to 90 days and that biodegradation can take up 20 days to become relevant in certain systems. The short-term experiment depicted variable changes in each lake. Mixing surface and ground water together in varying ratios provided a clear response pattern in Lake Lacawac, but not in the other lakes.
Formal methods of attack modeling and detection

In recent years, pervasive computing has changed the way we interact with information. The multitude of connected devices as well as machines has demanded fast, robust and mostly secure information systems. As computer attacks have taken new dimensions with changing complexity, developing formal methods to model them has become a necessity. Formal methods allow understanding an attack vector before it occurs and implementing measures to thwart it, as well as assessing the damage it has caused based on live data analysis if it was successful. In this chapter, we present an introduction of computer system attacks and attack modeling as well as formal methods for analysis and prevention.
DOMESTIC RELATIONS Parent and Child Relationship Generally: Establish New Protocols for Child Abuse Investigations, Deprivations, and Access to Records; Establish Battered Spouse and Child Defenses

These Acts are a comprehensive reform to existing child abuse legislation. The Acts provide for law enforcement involvement in child abuse investigations, require each county to reform a child abuse committee and a child fatality subcommittee, and allow access to child abuse reports by child abuse committees, law enforcement personnel, school counselors, medical examiners, and certain state officials. They also require court approval to return a deprived child to his parents, and they establish a battered spouse or child defense.
NMDA-induced lesions of the amygdaloid complex block the retention-enhancing effect of posttraining epinephrine

Rats with either bilateral amygdaloid complex (AC) lesions (produced by injection of the excito-toxin NMDA) or control surgery were trained on a one-trial step-through inhibitory-avoidance task and given immediate posttraining injections of either epinephrine (100 μg/kg, ip) or saline. Epinephrine significantly enhanced retention performance (measured 24 h after training) in rats that received the control surgery. The enhancement was completely blocked, however, in the AC-lesioned subjects. Furthermore, the lesions themselves significantly impaired learning of the task. The results are discussed in the context of evidence suggesting that the AC is involved in mediating the effects of endogenous hormones on memory processes.
The rhythms of high technology firms: nonlinear dynamics and strategic analysis

Summary form only given as follows. The focus of this discussion is the implications (both theoretical and practical) of a new generation of tools and concepts derived from advances in nonlinear dynamical systems (e.g. chaos and complexity of studies). Primary among these tools are simulations involving "artificial agents" who learn and adapt through processes represented by "genetic algorithms" and "cellular automata". These tools in the hands of students of strategic management offer a direct challenge to the dominance of neo-classical economic theory in game theoretic or industrial organization approaches to strategic choice of high tech firms. While nonlinear simulations have been limited thus far to a narrow range of specific issues, the ramifications are far reaching. For example, studies of systematic learning (using annealing and/or co-evolving automata) merely assumed to prevail. In competitive (i.e. Nash) solutions. As one theorist explained "they provide an artificial reality check for economists". Moreover, the explorations of these nonlinear dynamics at the level of firms as well as entire industries, explicate curious processes, such as technological "lock-in" and "lock-out" which are currently merely represented as "network externalities". These analytics also signal a firm when and whether to enter the heretofore intractable dominant design contest.
Adrenal Medulla (Catecholamines and Peptides)

Some primitive autonomic ganglia transform into neurons, some into satellite and neurolemma cells associated with neurons, and others become distinct endocrine elements. The latter stain brown with chrome salts and are thus designated chromaffin cells. This reaction is due to the presence of the hormone epinephrine contained within the cells. The chromaffin system consists of various aggregates of these cells throughout the body. The adrenal medulla is the most prominent member of the group.
Evidence for wave heating in the solar corona.

The temperature of the Sun increases over a short distance from a few thousand degrees in the photosphere to over a million degrees in the corona. To understand coronal heating is one of the major problems in astrophysics. There is general agreement that the energy source is convective motion in and below the photosphere. It remains to determine how this mechanical energy is transported outward into the corona and then deposited as heat. Two classes of models have been proposed, namely those that rely on magnetic reconnection and those that rely on waves, particularly Alfven waves. There is increasing evidence that waves are ubiquitous in the corona. However, a difficulty for wave-driven models has been that most theories predict Alfven waves to be undamped in the corona, and therefore they cannot dissipate their energy into heat. Our research has shown unambiguous observational evidence that the waves do damp at sufficiently low heights in the corona to be important for coronal heating.
Hallazgos en radiografía normal y en TCHC en un caso de osteonecrosis del maxilar en relación con bifosfonatos

Las tecnicas de imagen, junto con el examen clinico, juegan un papel clave en la determinacion de la presencia y gravedad de la osteonecrosis de los maxilares en relacion con bifosfonatos (ONMRB). En este caso, se empleo la tomografia computarizada de haz de cono (TCHC) para detectar una zona de secuestro e hiperostosis de tamano importante, que condujo al diagnostico de osteonecrosis del maxilar en relacion con bifosfonatos, en un paciente con antecedentes de toma de bifosfonatos orales para el tratamiento de la osteoporosis. Se discuten las caracteristicas radiologicas de este caso de ONMRB.
Saiegh, Sebastián M. Ruling by Statue: How Uncertainty and Vote Buying Shape Lawmaking. Nueva York: Cambridge University Press, 2011, 234 p

Los ejecutivos necesitan a las asambleas legislativas. En ciertas condiciones, los presidentes y los primeros ministros pueden ignorar al poder legislativo y gobernar por decreto. Sin embargo, el respaldo legislativo confiere un grado de legitimidad a las iniciativas del ejecutivo que los decretos no pueden ofrecer y, ademas, la participacion legislativa ayuda a que las propuestas del ejecutivo queden fuera del control judicial. El nuevo e importante libro de Sebastian Saiegh, titulado Ruling by Statute: How Uncertainty and Vote Buying Shape Lawmaking, aborda la relacion entre el poder ejecutivo y el legislativo como eje central de las politicas establecidas por la ley. Ruling by Statute busca responder las siguientes dos preguntas: ?Por que las legislaciones iniciadas por el ejecutivo nunca son rechazadas?, y ?como se explica la variacion en la habilidad de cada jefe del ejecutivo para promulgar sus agendas legislativas? El libro ofrece una serie de contribuciones importantes y sin duda estimulara la investigacion en diversas areas de las ciencias politicas institucionales
Training finite state machines to improve PCR primer design

We present preliminary results on training finite state machines (FSMs) as good/bad classifiers for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers. Novel features of the work presented include hybridization of multiple populations of FSMs and an incremental fitness function. The system presented here is a post-production add-on to a standard primer picking program intended to compensate for organism and lab specific factors.
Molecular genetic aspects of sex determination in Drosophila.

Analysis of the mechanisms underlying sex determination and sex differentiation in Drosophila has provided evidence for a complex but comprehensible regulatory hierarchy governing these developmental decisions. It is suggested here that the pattern of sexual differentiation and dosage compensation characteristic of the male is a default regulatory state. Recent results have provided, in addition, some surprising and intriguing conclusions: (1) that several of the critical controlling genes produce more transcripts than was predicted from the genetic analyses; (2) that setting of the alternative sex-specific states of the doublesex (dsx) locus involves differential transcript processing; and (3) that some aspects of sexual differentation require the prolonged action of certain elements of the regulatory hierarchy. These findings are discussed in connection with the current model of sex determination in Drosophila.
Life Skills Counseling for Preventing Problems in Adolescence

Many social and health problems first appear in adolescence. Prevention is a humane and cost effective approach for human services professionals who work with young people. This paper addresses theoretical, methodological, and outcome issues for the behavioral approach called life skills counseling for helping adolescents avoid potentially serious social and health problems. The authors define life skills, discuss the applicability of the life skills approach to problem prevention, provide an overview of life skills counseling methods, and present results from four applications of the life skills approach to preventing problems encountered in social work with adolescents.
Spatial and Luminance Determinants of the Increment Threshold under Monoptic and Dichoptic Viewing

Increment thresholds for a 5-ms, 3.5′ test flash (TF) were measured as a function of conditioning-flash (CF diameter at four retinal positions for photopic and scotopic luminances. CF was either 200 or 50 ms, synchronized with TF onset (transient) or continuously exposed (steady state). TF was presented to the right eye, CF either concentrically to the right eye (monoptic), or to the homotopic contralateral retinal location (dichoptic). A four-channel maxwellian-view optical system was used. When TF luminance at threshold was plotted against CF diameter, inverted ∪-shaped functions were obtained for both monoptic and dichoptic conditions, the peaks occurring at progressively larger CF diameters with more peripheral stimulation. For any given retinal position, monoptic and dichoptic peaks occurred over the same CF diameter. Monoptic thresholds were higher than dichoptic, except for foveal photopic data where both showed over 10-fold maximum threshold change. The transient CF produced higher threshold elevation than the steady-state CF. Dichoptic stimulation with the transient CF often produced over 10-fold threshold changes, especially for scotopic stimulation. For any nonfoveal retinal position, the scotopic peak occurred over a larger CF diameter than the corresponding photopic condition. The results are discussed in terms of receptive-field organization.
Titan aerosol analog absorption features produced from aromatics in the far infrared

Abstract We present results on the formation of Titan aerosol analogs produced via far-UV irradiation of five aromatic precursors: benzene, naphthalene, pyridine, quinoline and isoquinoline. This is the first reported evidence of far-IR emission features observed below 200 cm−1 in laboratory-created Titan aerosols. These laboratory studies were motivated by recent analyses of Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) spectra that show a broad aerosol emission feature in the far-IR spectral region centered near 140 cm−1, which is unique to Titan’s photochemically-produced aerosol (Anderson, C.M., Samuelson, R.E. [2011]. Icarus 212, 762–778). We find that all three of the aerosol analogs formed from nitrogen-containing aromatics have similar broad emission features near that of the observed CIRS far-IR aerosol spectral feature. In addition, the inclusion of 1.5% methane to that of trace amounts of benzene also gives rise to an aerosol with a weak far-IR emission feature located below 200 cm−1.
The postnatal skull of the extant North American turtle Pseudemys texana (Cryptodira: Emydidae), with comments on the study of discrete intraspecific variation

This study describes the postnatal morphology of the skull in the extant testudinoid turtle Pseudemys texana. The material basis of this study is drawn from a single population and therefore provides the opportunity to document cranial variation expressed at multiple levels of inference (e.g., ontogeny, sexual dimorphism, individual) within a taxonomically restricted sample. Such descriptions are exceedingly rare for reptiles but are important for evaluating the inherent biological information that skeletal morphology provides to more inclusive biological questions. Results indicate that postnatal variation in Pseudemys texana for discrete cranial characters is considerable, especially when recognizing the taxonomically conservative nature of the sample and the fact that most of the examined characters were drawn from published phylogenetic analyses. Results demonstrate a complex relationship between size, skeletal maturity, and the expression of discrete skeletal characters in this sexually dimorphic reptile. Such complexity potentially could affect our interpretation of evolutionary history based on discrete characters. This study emphasizes the need for increasing the numbers and taxonomic breadth of morphological descriptions based on expanded samples so that a better understanding of the phylogenetic distribution and modular expression of anatomical variability can be achieved. The available empirical data lag seriously behind recent theoretical advances that broaden the application of intraspecific variation data for discrete characters to phylogenetic and evolutionary questions. J. Morphol., 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Design, Synthesis, and Properties of Conformationally Fixed Semiquinone Monoradical Species

The design of novel, functionalized semiquinone (SQ) ligands which combine structural rigidity and electron-withdrawing, electron-donating, and electroneutral substituents enables investigation of multiple structure−property relationships and building blocks for new materials, including components of sensors, switches, and molecular spintronics. Along these lines, we report the synthesis of several new SQ ligands containing fused heterocyclic ring systems. Using both electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations, we show how spin density is affected by the fused ring system substituents.
Atrial fibrillation and stroke. Three new studies, three remaining questions.

There new studies help clarify important clinical issues regarding antithrombotic therapy for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. The European Atrial Fibrillation Trial compared the efficacy of oral anticoagulation, aspirin, and placebo for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation with a recent stroke or transient ischemic attack. The results of the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation II trial, which compared the efficacy of warfarin and aspirin, provide new information regarding the risk of intracranial hemorrhage in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation. Finally, an analysis of pooled data from the first five randomized trials identified clinical features that are predictive of stroke risk in individual patients with atrial fibrillation. These studies address unanswered questions regarding atrial fibrillation and stroke and have significant implications for patient management. (Arch Intern Med. 1994;154:1443-1448)
Human accountability in a community mental health center: report of an automated system.

An automated system for human accountability in a community mental health center is described. Background factors that served as constraints are indicated, the development and operation of the system are illustrated, and examples of the output of the system are described. The system is designed to assist elements of a center in providing coordinated services without unnecessary duplication. By means of a single form that is completed whenever an administrative transaction takes place, it is possible to keep collaborating program elements informed regarding their patients' efforts to obtain help within the consortium and to study the status of the entire mental health center as a care-giving network.
The relationship between self-monitoring, outcome expectancies, difficulties with eating and exercise, and physical activity and weight loss treatment outcomes.

Background/Purpose: During a behavioral weight loss program (BWLP), weight loss and exercise can vary considerably from week to week. Weekly fluctuations in outcome expectancies and perceived difficulties with eating and exercise may be associated with weekly variability in weight loss and exercise. Also, inconsistent self-monitoring of exercise may be associated with poor weight loss and physical activity treatment outcomes.Methods:Forty obese, sedentary participants completed a 6-month BWLP. Body weight, outcome expectancies, and difficulties with eating and exercise were assessed weekly. Weekly self-monitoring of exercise was computed from physical activity diaries. Physical activity, VO2 max, and caloric intake were assessed pre-and posttreatment.Results:Within-subjects analyses indicated that participants exercised less during weeks that participants reported greater difficulties with exercise, relative to weeks participants reported fewer difficulties. Participants lost significantly more weight during weeks that participants reported more positive outcome expectancies and greater difficulties with exercise, compared to weeks participants reported less positive outcome expectancies and fewer difficulties with exercise. Consistent self-monitoring of exercise was associated with fewer difficulties with exercise and greater exercise and weight loss.Conclusions:Interventions that are targeted to increase self-monitoring and to improve transient difficulties with exercise and diminished outcome expectancies may improve BWLP treatment outcomes.
Color Distance and Geodesics in Color 3 Space

The problem of determining color distance between two arbitrary colors is considered. The color solid is assumed to be a riemannian space so that small color differences can be described by a quadratic form in the three-dimensional color space. The geodesics and the corresponding distances are generated by a steepest-descent method with fast convergence and small storage requirements on the digital computer. The results are illustrated by means of tables and graphs.
Dopamine D3 receptors are involved in amphetamine-induced contralateral rotation in 6-OHDA lesioned rats

Abstract The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the possibility that alterations in dopamine D3 receptors have a role in the normalization of function that occurs following a unilateral lesion of the medial forebrain bundle induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Unilateral lesions result in an enhanced rotational response to dopamine agonists that appears to be due to an increase in stimulatory D2 receptors on the lesioned side that occurs by about 1 week postlesion. The present experiment assessed the involvement of D3 receptors in rotational behavior by testing the animals at 48 h postlesion. At this time interval, D2 receptors have not become up-regulated. In contrast, D3 receptors have been shown to be down-regulated. Rats with ≥98% dopamine depletion induced by 6-OHDA exhibited mostly ipsilateral rotation in response to an injection of amphetamine. This rotation was not affected by pretreatment with the D3 antagonist U-99194A. Rats with 80–97% dopamine depletion exhibited mostly contralateral rotation in response to amphetamine and this rotation was blocked by pretreatment with U-99194A. In addition, a decrease in D3 receptor binding was observed by 48 h postlesion. These results support the hypothesis that the decrease in D3 receptors seen following denervation is involved in the compensatory response of the system. This may have important clinical relevance in the treatment of disorders such as Parkinson's disease and drug abuse.
Current neuroradiologic techniques and their anaesthetic implications

The variety and sophistication of neuroradiologic procedures has increased dramatically over the last twenty years because of the rapid technological advances in radiological tools. Since 1960, most of the studies which are now mainstays of neuro-imaging have been developed or have been radically altered. Previously direct carotid angiography and pneumoencephalography were the most useful procedures in the armamentarium of the neuro-radiologist. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerised tomography, both of which have been developed in the last twenty years, are now the most prevalent diagnostic neuro-imaging procedures. Angiography has changed radically, as has myelography. Digital angiography and ultrasound techniques (carotid and transcranial doppler) are possible due to the increasing use of computer technology in medical imaging. Interventional neuroradiology, which was first discussed in 1960,1 has changed the notion that radiologists are simple diagnosticians by allowing the performance of endovascular surgery. Anaesthesia plays an important role in the performance of neuro-imaging procedures and as such, an accurate understanding of the commonly performed procedures is crucial.
Systems requirements engineering—State of the methodology

There are many references about the characteristics of a good requirement. But what is the process for developing clear, unambiguous requirements, and how do we know when we have defined the requirements successfully? This paper investigates the current state of the methodology for developing complex system requirements. Significant work has been accomplished over the last several years to describe requirements development and systems engineering. This paper identifies and investigates requirements development methodologies and techniques. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 16
Volunteerism of older adults in the United States

The current study sought to provide a better understanding of the factors that motivate older consumers to engage in volunteering activities in the United States. Using Socioemotional Selectivity theory (SST) as a guide, we examined the influence of age, physical health status, life satisfaction, subjective well-being, and materialism on the older adults’ volunteerism. We also examined the effects of education and income on volunteerism. Results demonstrated that education and income are not related to volunteerism among the older people; age is negatively related to volunteerism. Life satisfaction is not related to volunteerism but materialism, physical health, and subjective well-being are all related to volunteerism. Implications for non-profit organizations are discussed.
A prolyl endopeptidase from murine macrophages, its assay and specific inactivation.

Abstract The presence of a prolyl endopeptidase in the soluble fraction of murine peritoneal macrophages is reported. The prolyl endopeptidase is apparently highly specific for cleaving peptides after proline residues. A sensitive new fluorogenic assay substrate matching this specificity, benzyloxycarbonyl-AlaAlaPro β-methoxynaphthylamide, is described. The enzyme is rapidly inactivated by benzyloxycarbonyl-AlaAlaPro diazomethyl ketone, one of a class of reagents specific for cysteine proteinases, and by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, an inhibitor of serine proteinases. Culture of macrophages with the addition of low levels of benzyloxycarbonyl-AlaAlaPro diazomethyl ketone to the media allows the selective inhibition of the cytoplasmic enzyme as measured in lysates at the termination of culture. After exposure to inhibitor, macrophages resynthesize the enzyme over a period of days, a process which is inhibited by cycloheximide. Similar amounts of activity were found in both normal peritoneal macrophages and those elicited by prior injection of thioglycollate media. The enzyme from murine macrophages appears similar to that reported in bronchopulmonary lavage fluid and lung tissue and to those isolated from brain and pituitary tissues.
A wavelet method for power system frequency and harmonic estimation

This paper proposes a new method for estimating frequency and harmonic parameters in power system. The method is based on recursive wavelet transform and uses the wavelet transform coefficients of voltage and current signals. The complex magnitudes contain the phasor information of interest needed to estimate the frequency and selective harmonic components. This approach is capable of accurately estimating the frequency and selective harmonic parameter utilizing one cycle of an input signal. It features fast response and achieves high accuracy over a wide range of frequency variation. Effects of the sampling frequency and data window size on the algorithm performance are investigated. The two parameters can be selected to meet desirable applications requirements, such as fast response, high accuracy and low computational burden. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves good performance.
The Scalar Transport Equation of Coalescence Theory: Moments and Kernels

Abstract This paper is concerned with complementing the known analytical studies of the pure coalescence equation. There is still a need for better analytical tools for the analysis of this problem even though high-speed computers have contributed much to the knowledge of this system. Specifically, when the detailed microphysics is incorporated into a large-scale, three-dimensional, moist, deep-convection model, it is currently impossible to solve the coalescence equation numerically for several size categories. Hence, there is a need for better analytical tools. In particular, we are concerned with the relationships between integral power moments of the size spectrum and the collection kernel, relationships between Friedlander's similarity solutions and the kernel, bounds for the size spectrum, and various power-moment inequalities. The results we obtained will allow us to make reasonable approximations for spectra which can, in turn, be used in large-scale convection models.
Thr394Thr polymorphism (rs2970847) of PPARGC1A gene and obesity in Asian Indians

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator-1 (PPARGC1 or PGC1) is one of the genes of current research interest among diabetes and obesity researchers because of its recently described role in orchestrated change of oxidative phosphorylation pathway gene expression.1 In a recently published article in the International Journal of Obesity, Vimaleswaran et al.2 presented the association of a synonymous Thr394Thr (G to A) polymorphism in PPARGC1 gene with increased total, visceral and subcutaneous body fat in a cohort of 82 randomly selected diabetic and 82 control individuals of Asian Indian (Southern India) ethnicity. In this Letter to the Editor, I would like to draw the attention to the readers about major analytical and interpretational errors in this article.
Art Therapy with Hispanic Clients: Results of a Survey Study

Despite the growing number of Hispanics in the US and in caseloads of art therapists, previous literature on this topic is scarce and predominantly based on case studies. This survey assessed the perceptions of 27 art therapists from large metropolitan areas regarding the use of art therapy with Hispanic clients. These perceptions included client therapeutic needs, the benefits of art therapy with Hispanic clients, the limitations of art therapy with this population, as well as most and least beneficial techniques. Participants rated art therapy to a large degree as very helpful with Hispanic clients.
The steady state hole mobility lifetime product in undoped a-Si:H

Abstract We have applied the steady state photocarrier grating technique to study the hole mobility lifetime product ( μτ ) p near the room temperature in undoped a-Si:H. The dependences of ( μτ ) p on temperature and generation rate fit well the theoretical relation derived here. The low activation energy of ( μτ ) p is due to the strong temperature dependence of the quasi-Fermi level for the holes.
Effect of Co-solutes on the Products and Solubility of Uranium(VI) Precipitated with Phosphate

Abstract Uranyl phosphate solids are often found with uranium ores, and their low solubility makes them promising target phases for in situ remediation of uranium-contaminated subsurface environments. The products and solubility of uranium(VI) precipitated with phosphate can be affected by the pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and co-solute composition (e.g. Na+/Ca2 +) of the groundwater. Batch experiments were performed to study the effect of these parameters on the products and extent of uranium precipitation induced by phosphate addition. In the absence of co-solute cations, chernikovite [H3O(UO2)(PO4)·3H2O] precipitated despite uranyl orthophosphate [(UO2)3(PO4)2·4H2O] being thermodynamically more favorable under certain conditions. As determined using powder X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy, the presence of Na+ or Ca2 + as a co-solute led to the precipitation of sodium autunite ([Na2(UO2)2(PO4)2] and autunite [Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2]), which are structurally similar to chernikovite. In the presence of sodium, the dissolved U(VI) concentrations were generally in agreement with equilibrium predictions of sodium autunite solubility. However, in the calcium-containing systems, the observed concentrations were below the predicted solubility of autunite, suggesting the possibility of uranium adsorption to or incorporation in a calcium phosphate precipitate in addition to the precipitation of autunite.
Attitudes toward communication and the assessment of rhetorical sensitivity

This series of studies operationalized the concept of rhetorical sensitivity first discussed by Hart and Burks in 1972. A measuring instrument (RHETSEN) was developed and the attitudes‐toward‐communication held by several thousand individuals were thereby assessed. RHETSEN was found to have sufficient reliability and validity. When a national sample of college students responded to RHETSEN, it appeared that their feelings about encoding messages were related to their various sociocultural backgrounds. When a large group of adult nurses took the test, their responses seemed associated with their particular professional duties and life experiences.
Hematologic and Economic Impact of Aprotinin in Reoperative Pediatric Cardiac Operations

Background. Aprotinin consistently reduces blood loss and transfusion requirements in adults during and after cardiac surgical procedures, but its effectiveness in children is debated. We evaluated the hemostatic and economic effects of aprotinin in children undergoing reoperative cardiac procedures with cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods. Control, low-dose aprotinin, and high-dose aprotinin groups were established with 15 children per group. Platelet counts, fibrinogen levels, and thromboelastographic values at baseline and after protamine sulfate administration, number of blood product transfusions, and 6-hour and 24-hour chest tube drainage were used to evaluate the effects of aprotinin on postbypass coagulopathies. Time needed for skin closure after protamine administration and lengths of stay in the intensive care unit and the hospital were recorded prospectively to determine the economic impact of aprotinin. Results. Coagulation tests performed after protamine administration rarely demonstrated fibrinolysis but did show significant decreases in platelet and fibrinogen levels and function. The thromboelastographic variables indicated a preservation of platelet function by aprotinin. Decreased blood product transfusions, shortened skin closure times, and shortened durations of intensive care unit and hospital stays were found in the aprotinin groups, most significantly in the high-dose group with a subsequent average reduction of nearly $3,000 in patient charges. Conclusions. In children undergoing reoperative cardiac surgical procedures, aprotinin is effective in attenuating postbypass coagulopathies, decreasing blood product exposure, improving clinical outcome, and reducing patient charges.
Global seasonal climate predictability in a two tiered forecast system. Part II: boreal winter and spring seasons

We examine the Florida Climate Institute–Florida State University Seasonal Hindcast (FISH50) skill at a relatively high (50 km grid) resolution two tiered Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM) for boreal winter and spring seasons at zero and one season lead respectively. The AGCM in FISH50 is forced with bias corrected forecast sea surface temperature averaged from two dynamical coupled ocean–atmosphere models. The comparison of the hindcast skills of precipitation and surface temperature from FISH50 with the coupled ocean–atmosphere models reveals that the probabilistic skill is nearly comparable in the two types of forecast systems (with some improvements in FISH50 outside of the global tropics). Furthermore the drop in skill in going from zero lead (boreal winter) to one season lead (boreal spring) is also similar in FISH50 and the coupled ocean–atmosphere models. Both the forecast systems also show that surface temperature hindcasts have more skill than the precipitation hindcasts and that land based precipitation hindcasts have slightly lower skill than the corresponding hindcasts over the ocean.
Gαi2 signaling: friend or foe in cardiac injury and heart failure?

Receptors coupled to G proteins have many effects on the heart. Enhanced signaling by Gαs and Gαq leads to cardiac injury and heart failure, while Gαi2 signaling in cardiac myocytes can protect against ischemic injury and β-adrenergic-induced heart failure. We asked whether enhanced Gαi2 signaling in mice could protect against heart failure using a point mutation in Gαi2 (G184S), which prevents negative regulation by regulators of G protein signaling. Contrary to our expectation, it worsened effects of a genetic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and catecholamine-induced cardiac injury. Gαi2G184S/+/DCM double heterozygote mice (TG9+Gαi2G184S/+) had substantially decreased survival compared to DCM animals. Furthermore, heart weight/body weight ratios (HW/BW) were significantly greater in TG9+Gαi2G184S/+ mice as was expression of natriuretic peptide genes. Catecholamine injury in Gαi2G184S/G184S mutant mice produced markedly increased isoproterenol-induced fibrosis and collagen III gene expression vs WT mice. Cardiac fibroblasts from Gαi2G184S/G184S mice also showed a serum-dependent increase in proliferation and ERK phosphorylation, which were blocked by pertussis toxin and a mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase inhibitor. Gαi2 signaling in cardiac myocytes protects against ischemic injury but enhancing Gαi2 signaling overall may have detrimental effects in heart failure, perhaps through actions on cardiac fibroblasts.
The effects of amphetamine on attack behavior in the cat

Summary Amphetamine was given intraperitoneally in doses of 5 mg and 10 mg to cats which had been chronically implanted with electrodes in the lateral hypothalamus and midbrain reticular formation. The attack on an anesthetized rat which could be elicited by electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus was facilitated by amphetamine. The facilitation of this attack by simultaneous electrical stimulation of the midbrain reticular formation was further enhanced by amphetamine, provided that the combined stimulation did not exceed a certain level above the level the attack behavior was inhibited. The facilitation occurred between the onset of stimulation and the first translational movement and between the first movement and moment of attack. It is postulated that the action of amphetamine is similar to direct electrical stimulation of the midbrain reticular formation but with some differences occurring as a result of concomitant indirect actions.