cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic susceptibility, plant-based dietary patterns, and risk of cardiovascular disease

Background Plant-based dietary patterns may be related to better cardiovascular profiles. Whether a healthy plant-based dietary index is predictive of future cardiovascular disease (CVD) across people with different genetic susceptibility remains uncertain. Objective We investigated associations of adherence to healthy plant-based diets with the incidence of CVD considering the genetic susceptibility. Methods This prospective cohort study included a total of 156,148 adults initially free of CVD and cancer. We calculated a healthful plant-based diet index (healthful-PDI) in which healthy plant foods received positive scores, and less healthy plant foods and animal foods received reverse scores. Genetic risk scores (GRSs) for myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke were calculated to assess interactions between healthful-PDI and GRSs. Results During 5 y of follow-up, we observed 1812 incident cases of CVD. Higher healthful-PDI was associated with a lower CVD risk [HR per 10-unit increment: 0.87 (95% CI: 0.81, 0.93) after adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and other dietary factors (model 1); HR 0.90 (0.84, 0.97) after further adjusting for obesity and metabolic factors (model 2)]. The risk of CVD was gradually decreased in association with higher adherence to healthful-PDI, regardless of genetic susceptibility. The inverse associations of healthful-PDI with CVD were consistently observed in people with low GRS-MI [HR 0.85 (95% CI: 0.76, 0.94) in model 1; HR 0.88 (0.79, 0.97) in model 2] and those with high GRS-MI [HR 0.91 (0.82, 0.99) in model 1; HR 0.94 (0.86, 1.04) in model 2], without significant interactions (Pinteraction = 0.59 in model 1; Pinteraction = 0.66 in model 2). Similarly, higher healthful-PDI was related to a lower risk of CVD, regardless of low/high GRS-stroke. Conclusion Adherence to healthy plant-based diets may be associated with a decreased incidence of CVD in the entire population, suggesting that plant-based dietary patterns may modify the risk of CVD, regardless of genetic susceptibility.
Asthma and Chronic Rhinosinusitis: Origins and Pathogenesis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common comorbidity in patients with asthma, and they share similar pathophysiologic mechanisms. The concomitant conditions of CRS and asthma can significantly exacerbate each other. The medical and/or surgical treatment of CRS may significantly improve asthma control.
Using Human-Inspired Signals to Disambiguate Navigational Intentions

People are proficient at communicating their intentions in order to avoid conflicts when navigating in narrow, crowded environments. Mobile robots, on the other hand, often lack both the ability to interpret human intentions and the ability to clearly communicate their own intentions to people sharing their space. This work addresses the second of these points, leveraging insights about how people implicitly communicate with each other through gaze to enable mobile robots to more clearly signal their navigational intention. We present a human study measuring the importance of gaze in coordinating people’s navigation. This study is followed by the development of a virtual agent head which is added to a mobile robot platform. Comparing the performance of a robot with a virtual agent head against one with an LED turn signal demonstrates its ability to impact people’s navigational choices, and that people more easily interpret the gaze cue than the LED turn signal.
The Role of Introductory Course Grades in Engineering Disciplinary Cultures

This work-in-progress paper builds on research that has found disciplinary differences in culture, demographics at initial enrollment ("starters"), demographics of students migrating later, and various student outcomes for both groups. An earlier longitudinal study using the Multiple-Institution Database for Investigating Longitudinal Development (MIDFIELD) showed no disciplinary stratification of grades in common early engineering courses based on the discipline in which a student matriculates (or first enrolls after a first-year engineering program). In contrast, this study finds that disciplinary differences in introductory courses emerge on the path to graduation. This can only be explained by a bias with respect to introductory course grades of students entering and leaving each major– students with lower grades in introductory courses are more likely to leave or be attracted by some majors than others. Citing prior research regarding cultural differences among the engineering disciplines, the authors propose that disciplines establish and enforce cultural norms regarding student performance in these introductory courses.
Towards an AI-Based After-Collision Forensic Analysis Protocol for Autonomous Vehicles

Safety-critical applications in the cooperative vehicular networks are built to improve safety, traffic efficiency and handle emergencies by communicating the road condition captured using data from sensors (camera, LiDAR, RADAR, etc.). These cyber-physical systems maintain records of the data received from its sensors to make decisions while driving on road. Such proliferation of data opens possibilities of scenarios where attackers can forge into the system with unrestricted access to the internal network of the vehicle and perform malicious acts. Due to the possibility of such acts, it is crucial how forensic analysis should be carried out in case of traffic accidents that include autonomous vehicles (AV). In this paper, we propose a forensic investigation protocol on autonomous vehicles, specifically to investigate if there was an attack that targeted the vehicle sensors. The proposed process consists of three main phases: data curation, analysis and decision making. We argue that, by using supervised deep neural network-based architecture YOLO trained in the Darknet framework and tested with SORT, an effective model to detect traffic data can be built to perform forensic investigations.
Double-Outlet Right Ventricle

Double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) accounts for 1–3% of all congenital heart defects. The diagnosis of DORV is generally made by two-dimensional echocardiography. However, given the shortcomings in transthoracic echocardiography to delineate the extent of ventricular septal defect and great artery relationship and coronary arteries in young infants, cardiac CT is increasingly used both in preoperative and postoperative evaluation of DORV. The common indications for cardiac CT in DORV patients include evaluation of the pathway for ventricular septal defect closure and coronary arteries. The preferred cardiac CT technique is prospective gated cardiac CT using modern dual-source multidetector CT scanners; however retrospective gated CT is commonly used for ventricular volume evaluation.
The six capacities of community resilience: evidence from three small Texas communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey

This article builds upon disaster scholarship that suggests community resilience is driven by six capacities: social, economic, physical, human, institutional, and environmental. Together, these capacities constitute a conceptual framework that can be used to investigate and assess community resilience. While recent scholarship has provided insights into how resilience operates in large communities, there remain questions about whether this conceptual framework is appropriate for the study of resilience in small communities. To narrow this knowledge gap, we conducted interviews with twenty-six subjects from three small Texas communities affected by Hurricane Harvey: City of Dickinson; City of Port Aransas; and Town of Refugio. Analysis of the interview data confirms that the six capacities of resilience provide an appropriate framework for the investigation of resilience in small communities. Given the complex and dynamic nature of community resilience, the findings also suggest that it is unlikely policymakers will be able to develop a unified policy solution for hazard events that is appropriate for all communities. Rather, policymakers need to consider community-based resilience solutions, driven by local strengths and weaknesses, that facilitate the reduction of risks associated with hazard events.
The posterolateral upslope of a low-conforming insert blocks the medial pivot during a deep knee bend in TKA: a comparative analysis of two implants with different insert conformities

Tibial insert conformity in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is of interest due to the potential effect on tibiofemoral kinematics. This study determined differences in anterior–posterior movements of the femoral condyles, pivot locations, and internal tibial rotation in different arcs of flexion for two implants with different insert conformities in kinematically aligned TKA. Twenty-five patients treated with a medial and lateral low-conforming, posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) retaining (LC CR) implant followed by a medial ball-in-socket and flat, lateral PCL sacrificing (B-in-S CS) implant in the contralateral knee underwent single-plane fluoroscopy during a deep knee bend. Analysis following 3D-to-2D image registration determined tibiofemoral kinematics and patients completed validated outcome scores for both knees. The mean follow-up of 1.6 ± 0.4 years for the knee with the B-in-S CS implant was shorter than the 2.7 ± 1.2 years for the LC CR implant. From 0o to 30o of flexion, a medial pivot occurred with the tibia rotating internally approximately 5o with both implants. From 30o to 90o, the pivot remained medial and internal rotation increased to 10o with the B-in-S CS implant. In contrast, neither femoral condyle moved more than 1 mm with the LC CR implant from 30o to 60o, but from 60o to 90o degrees, a lateral pivot occurred and internal rotation increased. Internal rotation of the tibia on the femur from 0° to maximum flexion occurred about a medial pivot similar to the native knee for the B-in-S CS implant and was 4.5° greater than that of the LC CR implant (10.4° vs 5.9°). There was no difference in the median patient-reported outcome scores between implant designs. Tibial insert conformity is a primary determinant of a medial or lateral pivot during a deep knee bend. One explanation for the transition from a medial to lateral pivot between 30o and 60o with the LC CR implant is the chock-block effect of the insert’s posterolateral upslope which impedes posterior movement of the lateral femoral condyle. Because there is no posterolateral upslope in the insert of the B-in-S CS implant, the tibia pivots medially throughout flexion similar to the native knee. Level III.
Crime Scene Investigation: Simulated Post-mortem LC–MS/MS Analysis of Cocaine and Cocaine Metabolites in Synthetic Human Serum

This laboratory experiment introduces upper-division undergraduate analytical chemistry students to liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in a forensic application: the analysis of cocaine and metabolites of cocaine in simulated serum ostensibly from drug overdose victims. For this investigation, students developed the analytical methods. First, the students determined the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions and optimized collision energy. The MS methods developed were then added to an LC method for LC–MS/MS quantitation with a 2.5 min run time. Students successfully quantified the drugs and metabolites, and they were able to identify which samples indicated cocaine use and overdose.
H-scan imaging and quantitative measurement to distinguish melanoma metastasis

The H-scan analysis has been developed as a sensitive measure of ultrasound scattering types. In this study, we aim to distinguish between two different melanoma tumors: YUMM and YUMMER. To characterize the tumor tissues, H-scan was applied to the melanoma samples, resulting in estimation of several parameters. Multiparametric analysis was performed by measuring the H-scan blue fraction, attenuation coefficient, H-scan signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and B-scan SNR. Principal component analysis was applied to the parameters, forming clusters in 2D space. These were assigned as the inputs for support vector machine (SVM) classification. H-scan imaging was able to differentiate between YUMM and YUMMER; YUMMER showed as more blue (higher frequency) in color. The H-scan parameters of blue fraction and SNR show significant differences between the two types of melanoma. Combining the four parameters, principal components formed clusters of YUMM and YUMMER. The clusters were separated by the decision planes obtained using SVM analysis with 88.5% classification accuracy. We anticipate clinical use of H-scan parameters for melanoma diagnosis.
Case 75: Monitored Anesthesia Care. Watch Out

Today you are anesthetizing an 18-year-old girl (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I [ASA 1], 72 kg) for an orthopedic procedure. Her sister aged 28, who is accompanying her, has convinced the patient to have an epidural. The older sister has had two labor epidurals and claims, “They are the best thing since Swiss Cheese.” You explain the options she has beside epidurals and outline the advantages, disadvantages, and risks of each one. The patient still wants an epidural. You explain to her that you will place the epidural in the operating room (OR) and give her sedation and keep an eye on her. You tell her this is called monitored anesthesia care (MAC).
The Damage from Mega-Sporting Events in Brazil

Over the past several years, Brazil’s federal government and the city and state governments of Rio de Janeiro have invested tens of billions of dollars to develop the transportation, stadium, tourist, communications and security infrastructure required to host the 2007 Pan American Games, 2014 World Cup, and 2016 Summer Olympics. As Brazil seeks to use these mega- sporting events to assert itself as a major economic player on the word stage, its strategy demonstrates how hosting mega-events serves to attract regional and global capital, and to reinforce unequal power structures at the expense of the public treasury, environmental quality and social equity.
Principles of Space Plasma Wave Instrument Design

Space plasma waves span the frequency range from somewhat below the ion cyclotron frequency to well above the electron cyclotron frequency and plasma frequency. Because of the large frequency range involved, the design of space plasma wave instrumentation presents many interesting challenges. This chapter discusses the principles of space plasma wave instrument design. The topics covered include: performance requirements, electric antennas, magnetic antennas, and signal processing. Where appropriate, comments are made on the likely direction of future developments.
Magnetic trapping of cold atoms in a tapered guide

Summary form only given. Our guide is similar to the in-line magneto-optical trap (MOT) described previously. Two parallel wire structures placed outside the vacuum chamber (tilted at 11/spl deg/ from the horizontal) provide the transverse trapping field which is compatible with the simultaneous operation of an in-line MOT. A tapered iron alloy (magnetic iron) surrounds each of the wire structures and boosts the field gradient by up to a factor of 4.
State-specific low temperature reactions of DBr+2Πi(v+)+(D2,DBr)→D2Br+

Abstract State-specific reactions of DBr + ( 2 Π i ,v + ) with D 2 and DBr were studied in a low temperature free jet flow reactor. The selected spin–orbit and vibrational states of the DBr + ion were prepared by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. All of the reactant and product ions were monitored using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Rate coefficients for the DBr + /DBr reaction are ∼1.4×10 −9 cm 3 s −1 independent of the ion internal state, similar to those for the HBr + /HBr reaction. Rate coefficients of the DBr + /D 2 reaction rise from 0 (lower spin–orbit-vibrational states) to 2×10 −11 cm 3 s −1 (highest energy states) and are observed to follow a mass independent threshold function similar to the HBr + /H 2 reaction.
Resonant inverse photoemission of Bi2Ca1+xSr2-xCu2O8+y and YBa2Cu3O7-x, unoccupied oxygen states, and plasmons

Inverse photoemission studies of the unoccupied states of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{1+x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8+y}$, with and without 10% Pb substitution for Bi, show a low density of states within 2 eV of the Fermi level and broad structures at 4, 9.6, and 12.6 eV that are associated with Bi $6p$, Ca $3d$, and Sr $4d$ empty-state bands. Plasmon losses are observed via their radiative decay at photon energies of 15 and 21.2 eV. Resonant inverse photoemission, using incident electron energies that excite O $2s$ shallow core levels, enhances emission from the unoccupied O $2p$ levels. Resonance results for $\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}x}$ and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{1+x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8+y}$ show similar oxygen distributions near ${E}_{F}$.
Orientation-selective adaptation and tilt after-effect from invisible patterns

Exposure to visual patterns of high contrast (for example, gratings formed by alternating white and black bars) creates after-effects in perception. We become temporarily insensitive to faint test patterns that resemble the pre-exposed pattern (such as gratings of the same orientation), and we require more contrast to detect them. Moreover, if the test pattern is slightly tilted relative to the pre-exposed one, this tilt may be perceptually exaggerated: we experience a tilt after-effect. Here we show that these visual after-effects occur even if the pre-exposed grating is too fine to be perceptually resolved. After looking at a very fine grating, so high in spatial frequency that it was perceptually indistinguishable from a uniform field, observers required more contrast to detect a test grating presented at the same orientation than one presented at the orthogonal orientation. They also experienced a tilt after-effect that depended on the relation of the test pattern's tilt to the unseen orientation of the pre-exposed pattern. Because these after-effects are due to changes in orientation-sensitive mechanisms in visual cortex, our observations imply that extremely fine details, even those too fine to be seen, can penetrate the visual system as far as the cortex, where they are represented neurally without conscious awareness.
Landau Levels, Anisotropy and Holography

We analyze properties of eld theories dual to extremal black branes in (4+1) dimensions with anisotropic near-horizon geometries. Such gravity solutions were recently shown to fall into nine classes which align with the Bianchi classication of real three-dimensional Lie algebras. As a warmup we compute constraints on critical exponents from energy conditions in the bulk and scalar two point functions for a general type I metric, which has translation invariance but broken rotations. We also comment on the divergent nature of tidal forces in general Bianchi-type metrics. Then we come to our main focus: extremal branes whose near-horizon isometries are those of the Heisenberg algebra (type II). We nd hyperscaling-violating solutions with type II isometries in (4+1)-dimensions. We show that scale invariant (4+1)-dimensional type II metrics are related by Kaluza-Klein reduction to more symmetric AdS2 R 2 and (3+1)-dimensional hyperscaling-violating spacetimes. These solutions generically have 0. We discuss how one can obtain ows from UV CFTs to Bianchi-type spacetimes in the IR via the Higgs mechanism, as well as potential inhomogeneous instabilities of type II. Finally, we compute two-point functions of massive and massless scalar operators in the dual eld theory and nd that they exhibit the behavior of a theory with
Cryptic diversity within and amongst spring-associated Stygobromus amphipods (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae)

Multiple species of troglomorphic, spring-associated Stygobromus amphipods, including the endangered, narrow-range endemic Stygobromus pecki, occupy sites in the Edwards Plateau region of North America. Given the prevalence of cryptic diversity observed in disparate subterranean, animal taxa, we evaluated geographical genetic variation and tested whether Stygobromus contained undetected biodiversity. Nominal Stygobromus taxa were treated as hypotheses and tested with mitochondrial sequence cytochrome oxidase C subunit 1, nuclear sequence (internal transcribed spacer region 1), and AFLP data. Stygobromus pecki population structure and diversity was characterized and compared with congeners. For several Stygobromus species, the nominal taxonomy conflicted with molecular genetic data and there was strong evidence of significant cryptic diversity. Whereas S. pecki genetic diversity was similar to that of congeners, mitochondrial data identified two significantly diverged but sympatric clades. AFLP data for S. pecki indicated relatively recent and ongoing gene flow in the nuclear genome. These data for S. pecki suggest either a substantial history of isolation followed by current sympatry and ongoing admixture, or a protracted period of extremely large effective population size. This study demonstrates that Edwards Plateau Stygobromus are a complex, genetically diverse group with substantially more diversity than currently recognized. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London
Design and analysis of generalized dynamic pipeline for scientific functions

A generalized pipeline has been proposed which can perform the evaluation of scientific functions like Sin(x), Sinh(x), Sin/sup -1/(x), x/sup Y/ logarithm, and antilogarithm. In this design, the same pipeline is used for evaluating different scientific functions. This pipeline is dynamic and thus can achieve significant speed improvement over other pipeline architectures available in the literature. Furthermore, it utilizes hardware efficiently and has more application flexibility. >
Kinetics of reaction of living polymers with linking agents resulting in ring closure

Reaction of a living polymer endowed with two reactive end-groups with a bifunctional linking agent results in ring closure as well as in chain extension. These competing reactions are described by a kinetic scheme involving dimensionless rate constants which gives the fractions of the initial reagents converted into products as functions of a dimensionless “time”. The treatment leads to 9 coupled differential equations solved numerically. The results are discussed and the approximation involved in this treatment was shown to be reliable.
Validation of quasi-induced exposure representativeness assumption among young drivers.

ABSTRACTObjective: Young driver studies have applied quasi-induced exposure (QIE) methods to assess relationships between demographic and behavioral factors and at-fault crash involvement, but QIE's primary assumption of representativeness has not yet been validated among young drivers. Determining whether nonresponsible young drivers in clean (i.e., only one driver is responsible) 2-vehicle crashes are reasonably representative of the general young driving population is an important step toward ensuring valid QIE use in young driver studies. We applied previously established validation methods to conduct the first study, to our knowledge, focused on validating the QIE representativeness assumption in a young driver population.Methods: We utilized New Jersey's state crash and licensing databases (2008–2012) to examine the representativeness assumption among 17- to 20-year-old nonresponsible drivers involved in clean multivehicle crashes. It has been hypothesized that if not-at-fault drivers in clean 2-veh...
Developmental origins of obesity: early feeding environments, infant growth, and the intestinal microbiome.

Objectives: Pediatric overweight and obesity are growing problems worldwide, with increasing prevalence among even infants and young children. The refractory nature of early overweight necessitates identifying the factors contributing to early excess weight gain for successful intervention. Early feeding practices may be particularly important in shaping long-term vulnerability to obesity. How and what infants are fed can influence weight gain, adiposity, and energy metabolism during infancy and across the life course through a number of interacting physiological and behavioral pathways. This article argues that these biological mechanisms interact with the social and behavioral context of infant feeding to create differential vulnerability to later obesity. Methods: This article reviews recent research on the potential mechanisms linking infant feeding and risk of later obesity, focusing on the emerging role of microflora colonization. Results: The nutritive and non-nutritive components of breastmilk, formula and solid foods and the practices surrounding feeding shape the infant metabolome, programming growth rates and body composition, altering metabolism and physiology, promoting differential microfloral colonization, and shaping behavioral responses to foods and eating. Conclusion: The occurrence of chronic disease precursors at increasingly younger ages and the tendency of overweight young children to become overweight adolescents and adults underscore the importance of understanding this complex early exposure and intervening early to prevent the development of obesity in increasingly weight-promoting environments. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effects of attitude similarity, spatial relationship, and task difficulty on interpersonal attraction

In a laboratory experiment, 80 females had their personal space occupied (in one of two spatial positions—near and far) by a female confederate who was either similar or dissimilar to the subject, while the subject was involved in either a difficult or leisure task. Regardless of task or spatial position, attraction responses were more positive toward similar than toward dissimilar confederates (p<.001). Regardless of task or proportion of similar attitudes, attraction responses were more positive toward confederates who sat very close to the subject than toward those who sat one seat away (p<.01). No attraction differences were found for the effect of the difficulty of the task.
Errata to “Taper Design of Vivaldi and Co-Planar Tapered Slot Antenna (TSA) by Chebyshev Transformer” [May 12 2252-2259]

In the above titled paper (ibid., vol. 60, no. 5, pp. 2252-2259, May 2012), a subscript in Eq. (8) appeared incorrectly. The correct form is presented here. The IEEE regrets the error.
Computer graphic visualization of Orbiter lower surface boundary-layer transition

Computer graphic techniques are applied to the processing of Shuttle Orbiter flight data in order to create a visual presentation of the extent and movement of the boundary-layer transition front over the orbiter lower surface during entry. Flight-measured surface temperature-time histories define the onset and completion of the boundary-layer transition process at any measurement location. The locus of points which define the spatial position of the boundary-layer transition front on the orbiter planform is plotted at each discrete time for which flight data are available. Displaying these images sequentially in real-time results in an animated simulation of the in-flight boundary-layer transition process.
CLOSTRIDIUM SORDELLI TOXIN IN STRANGULATION OBSTRUCTION: FURTHER STUDIES OF SERIAL CHANGES OF INTESTINAL CONTENTS.

Summary Gas gangrene antitoxin neutralized lethal doses (LD 50 ) of soluble preformed heat-labile toxin in loop fluid of dogs with experimental strangulation obstruction. A reconstruction experiment was employed to demonstrate that C. sordelli toxin was the only lethal agent in supernatant fractions of strangulation fluids from dogs and rabbits. Peritoneal fluid was not as heavily laden with bacteria as loop contents from the same animals. The viable bacterial content of strangulation fluids was greatly diminished after being frozen or refrigerated. Clostridial toxins, viable bacteria and endotoxins may each play a role in the toxicity of strangulation obstruction. Preformed clostridial exotoxins have now been demonstrated in strangulation obstruction in the rabbit, rat, guinea pig and dog.
THE GLYCOGENIC ACTIVITY OF CERTAIN CRYSTALLINE STEROIDS OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX WHEN ADMINISTERED SINGLY AND WITH CORTICAL EXTRACT TO FASTED, NORMAL AND ADRENALECTOMIZED RATS1

THE MODIFIED Kendall assay procedure for the evaluation of the glycogenic factors of the adrenal cortex described in the preceding paper (Olson, et al., 1944) has been applied in glycogenic studies of the pure crystalline hormones of the cortex. Reinecke and Kendall (1943) have reported desoxycorticosterone acetate to betotally inactive in glycogenic potency and compounds A, B, and E, i.e.,dehydrocorticosterone, corticosterone, and ll-dehydro-17-hydroxycorticosterone to show “less than one-fold difference” in activity. Our results confirm these findings and extend them. By application of our modified procedure to the assay of 11-dehydrocorticosterone, corticosterone, 1 l-dehydro-17-hydroxycorticosterone, 17-hydroxycorticosterone, allopregnanepentol-3,11,17,20,21, and desoxycorticosterone acetate, certain important differences in both the slope of the regression lines obtained for these steroidsand their potency in glycogenic units have been revealed. It has been noted, further, that the administration of ...
Choreography and Performance with Deaf Adults who have Mental Illness: Culturally Affirmative Participatory Research

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) techniques, particularly choreography and performance techniques, have not been well-researched with Deaf adults who have mental illness. This study investigated the use of DMT, choreography, and performance techniques with Deaf adults with severe and chronic mental illness through participatory artistic inquiry. Primary research questions addressed pragmatic matters of participatory artistic inquiry: What aesthetic choices will the co-researchers make in the dance-making process? How does the researcher provide structure and incorporate her experience as a choreographer without overshadowing the contributions of the co-researchers? Broader philosophical research questions included: How does the use of American Sign Language and other culturally affirmative practices support the dance-making process? How do choreography and performance techniques impact this population’s well-being? Data was gathered by engaging the participants as co-researchers, involving them in the development of research protocol, data collection, data analysis, and the presentation of the research findings. Findings indicated that engaging in a choreographic process addressed the co-researchers’ preexisting treatment goals, provided opportunities for transferring skills learned in previous DMT groups, and empowered the co-researchers to incorporate performance techniques common to Deaf culture. The final choreographic product was presented at the site where the co-researchers receive mental health services and shared with the larger mental health care community through a digital video recording at http://vimeo.com/47632696.
Bilingualism as a Future Investment: The Case of Japanese High School Students at an International School in Japan.

Abstract The present study explores the outcomes of early bilingualism for speakers of the society's majority language in a Japanese context. English and Japanese proficiency of 48 Japanese high school students attending an English medium international school in Japan were assessed. Cummins' common underlying proficiency (CUP) theory was supported in both basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP). In addition, initial schooling in Japanese seemed to help students develop the highest level of balanced bilingualism found in the school. As a whole, for Japanese majority students attending an international school in Japan, systematic teaching of Japanese academic and technical skills in students' earlier years of schooling may enhance cognitive academic proficiency in their two languages.
Using tactile rhythm to convey interpersonal distances to individuals who are blind

This paper presents a scheme for using tactile rhythms to convey interpersonal distance to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, with the goal of providing access to non-verbal cues during social interactions. A preliminary experiment revealed that subjects could identify the proposed tactile rhythms and found them intuitive for the given application. Future work aims to improve recognition results and increase the number of interpersonal distances conveyed by incorporating temporal change information into the proposed methodology.
Identification of a Zinc Finger Protein that Binds to the Sterol Regulatory Element

Cholesterol balance in mammalian cells is maintained in part by sterol-mediated repression of gene transcription for the low density lipoprotein receptor and enzymes in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. A promoter sequence termed the sterol regulatory element (SRE) is essential for this repression. With the use of an oligonucleotide containing the SRE to screen a human hepatoma complementary DNA expression library, a clone for a DNA binding protein was isolated that binds to the conserved SRE octanucleotide in both a sequence-specific and a single-strand--specific manner. This protein contains seven highly conserved zinc finger repeats that exhibit striking sequence similarity to retroviral nucleic acid binding proteins (NBPs). We have designated the protein "cellular NBP" (CNBP). CNBP is expressed in a wide variety of tissues, is up regulated by sterols, and exhibits binding specificity that correlates with in vivo function. These properties are consistent with a role in sterol-mediated control of transcription.
Intrinsic cardiac enkephalins & vagal control

Abstract Met-enkephalin-arg-phe (MEAP) has been identified in acid extracts of canine heart. The effects of synthetic MEAP on the vagal control of heart rate and atrial contractility were investigated in anesthetized dogs. Arterial MEAP (3 nmol/min/kg) inhibited right vagal bradycardia by two thirds. Postinfusion responsiveness to vagal stimulation returned to normal with an estimated half-time of 2–3 min. Inhibition by MEAP was reversed by the high affinity opiate antagonist, diprenorphine at pmolar concentrations. Since MEAP did not alter the negative chronotropic effect of methacholine, the effective site must reside in the efferent vagal tract proximal to nodal muscarinic receptors. Left vagal stimulation dramatically suppresses left atrial contractile activity. Infused MEAP also interrupts this negative inotropic response through a diprenorphine sensitive mechanism. Increasing MEAP infusions (0.09 – 3.00 nmol/min/kg) produced a graded suppression of vagal bradycardia with an ED50 near 0.3 nmol/min/kg. Heart rate dose responses for methionine-enkephalin were shifted to the right of MEAP and required approximately 3 X the dose to produce the same effect. The data suggest that the intrinsic cardiac enkephalin, MEAP can regulate vagal control of heart rate at physiologically achievable concentrations and may serve as a local regulator of the parasympathetic/myocardial interface.
Children's Books in Child Care Classrooms: Quality, Accessibility, and Reasons for Teachers' Choices

Abstract The importance of child care classrooms as contexts for early literacy development makes it critical to investigate the child care teacher's role in selecting, reading, and making accessible high-quality children's books, and in providing a variety of reading opportunities. The present study was designed to obtain exploratory descriptive information about this neglected topic. Twenty-one teachers of 4-year-old children from a stratified random sample of 21 child care centers participated. Data were obtained using interview, questionnaire, booklist, and observation measures. The results indicate that more than half of the books teachers reported reading during group storytime had been recommended for their literary quality, and that teachers had specific reasons for choosing the books they read. However, a much smaller proportion of the books that were accessible for children's voluntary use were of high quality. Additional concerns relate to the limited genres teachers mentioned, the absence of b...
Sertraline for the Treatment of Depression in Alzheimer Disease

Objective Depression is common in Alzheimer disease (AD), and antidepressants are commonly used for its treatment, however, evidence for antidepressant efficacy in this population is lacking. The authors conducted a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial titled "Depression in Alzheimer's Disease-2" to assess the efficacy and tolerability of sertraline for depression in AD. Methods One hundred thirty-one participants from five U.S. medical centers with mild-to-moderate AD (Mini-Mental State Examination scores 10-26) and depression of AD were randomized to double-blinded treatment with sertraline (N = 67) or placebo (N = 64), with a target dosage of 100 mg daily. Efficacy was assessed using logistic regressions and mixed effects models in an intention-to-treat analysis with imputation of missing data. Principal outcome measures were modified Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Clinical Global Impression of Change (mADCS-CGIC), change in Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) scores, and remission defined by both mADCS-CGIC score ≤2 and CSDD score ≤6. Results mADCS-CGIC ratings (odd ratio [OR = 1.01], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52-1.97, p=0.98), CSDD scores (median difference at 12 weeks 1.2, 95% CI: 1.65-4.05, p=0.41), and remission at 12 weeks of follow-up (OR = 2.06, 95% CI: 0.84-5.04, p=0.11) did not differ between sertraline (N = 67) and placebo (N = 64). Sertraline-treated patients experienced more adverse events, most notably gastrointestinal and respiratory, than placebo-treated patients. Conclusion Sertraline did not demonstrate efficacy for the treatment depression symptoms in patients with AD. In addition, its use was associated with an increased incidence of adverse events. Thus, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be of limited value for treating depression in patients with AD.
Integrating the IS functions after mergers and acquisitions: Analyzing business-IT alignment

Abstract This exploratory positivist case study uses multiple case design to examine the impacts of strategic alignment during the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) process and the implications for strategic formulation of successful M&A outcomes. According to alignment theory, for a firm to achieve M&A integration success, the business-IS strategies should be aligned during the M&A execution. However, our results indicate that successful, non-aligned M&A integrations can also occur, strongly supporting the emergent perspective of strategy formation in M&A integration as a valuable addition to the a priori formal planning view of strategy formation.
Three-dimensional culture of differentiating marrow stromal osteoblasts in biomimetic poly(propylene fumarate-co-ethylene glycol)-based macroporous hydrogels

This study assesses the ability of biomimetic poly(propylene fumarate-co-ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels to sustain the differentiation of marrow stromal cells (MSCs) to the osteoblastic phenotype and to produce a mineralized matrix in vitro. Macroporous hydrogels based on poly(propylene fumarate-co-ethylene glycol) with and without covalently linked RGD cell-adhesive peptide were synthesized and seeded with rat MSCs suspended in media or in a type I collagen solution. Cells suspended in media were found to adhere to RGD-modified but not to unmodified hydrogels. Cells suspended in a collagen solution were entrapped after collagen gelation and proliferated independent of the peptide modification of the hydrogel. Hydrogel modification with RGD peptide was sufficient to allow for the adhesion and differentiation of MSCs to the osteoblastic phenotype in the presence of osteogenic culture supplements. MSCs seeded with a collagen gel onto RGD-modified macroporous hydrogels after 28 days of culture showed a significant increase in cell numbers, from 15,200 +/- 2,000 to 208,600 +/- 69,700 cells (p < 0.05). Moreover, significant calcium deposition was apparent after 28 days of culture in RGD-modified hydrogels for cells suspended in a collagen gel in comparison to cells suspended in media, 3.47 +/- 0.26 compared to 0.82 +/- 0.20 mg Ca(2+) per scaffold (p < 0.05). Confocal microscopy revealed that MSCs suspended in a collagen gel and cultured on RGD-modified hydrogels for 28 days were adhered to the surface of the hydrogel while MSCs suspended in a collagen gel and cultured on unmodified hydrogels were located within the pores of and not in direct contact with the hydrogel surface. The results demonstrate that these biomimetic hydrogels facilitate the adhesion and support the differentiation of MSCs to the osteoblastic phenotype in the presence of osteogenic culture media.
Teachers’ instructional perspectives and use of educational software

Abstract It has been argued that technology will promote the use of constructivist approaches to teaching and learning advocated by the current reform movement. Yet computer technology, in and of itself, does not embody a single pedagogical orientation. Different types of software can be used to address different educational goals. This article examines relationships between teachers’ instructional perspectives and their use of technology in instruction. Findings indicate that views about effective computer-based pedagogy are related to the types of software teachers report using with their students. Addressing these perspectives about effective instruction is necessary if computers are to reach their educational potential.
Integrating Model Validation and Uncertainty Analysis Into an Undergraduate Engineering Laboratory

In undergraduate engineering education, a commonly used teaching method for an experimental methods course would be to compare an engineering calculation with an experimental result. A fundamental question for the students is “Do the theoretical model predictions and the experimental data agree?” Sometimes uncertainty is assigned to the experimental data, but to answer the comparison question with validity, the uncertainty of the theoretical calculations must also be considered. In this paper, the concept and methodology of using experimental data and uncertainty analysis for the validation of theoretical predictions is described in the context of the application to an undergraduate engineering laboratory course at Mississippi State University (MSU).Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The effect of the 3.10 MeV state of F17 on the O16(p, γ) reaction

Abstract The yields of the two capture gamma rays in the O16(p, γ) reaction have been measured at 90° to the beam for bombarding energies in the range 2.56–2.76 MeV. An anomaly was observed in the yield of the capture gamma ray leading to the 0.500 MeV 1 2 + state of F17. No anomaly was observed in the yield of the capture gamma ray leading to the 5 2 + ground state of F17. The experimental results were found to be in good agreement with theoretical calculations made on the basis of the extranuclear capture model of Christy and Duck. On the basis of the experimental results and these calculations, the single-particle reduced widths for the 1 2 + 0.500 MeV state and the 5 2 + ground state of F17 were determined. These single-particle reduced widths were found to be θ 1 2 + 2 = 0.57±0.10 and θ 5 2 + 2 = 0.38±0.08 , where the definition of Lane has been used for θ2. From the shape of the anomaly observed in the yield of the capture gamma ray leading to the 1 2 + state and the extranuclear calculations, an upper limit was placed upon the width of the gamma ray transition leading from the resonant 1 2 − state at 3.10 MeV to the 1 2 + 0.500 MeV state. This limit was Γγ
Understanding variability in binary and continuous choice

Excessive variability in binary choice (categorical judgment) can take the form of probability matching rather than the normatively correct behavior of deterministically choosing the more likely alternative. Excessive variability in continuous choice (judgment rating) can take the form of underconfidence, understating the probability of highly likely events and overstating the probability of very unlikely events. We investigated the origins of choice variability in terms of noise prior to decision (at the evidence stage) and at the decision stage. A version of the well-known medical diagnosis task was conducted with binary and continuous choice on each trial. Noise at evidence stage was reduced by allowing the subjects to view historical summaries of prior relevant trials, and noise at the decision stage was reduced by giving the subjects a numerical score on the basis of their continuous choice and the actual outcome. Both treatments greatly reduced variability. Cash payments based on the numerical score had a less reliable incremental effect in our experiment. The overall results are more consistent with a Logit model of decision than with a simple criterion (or maximization) rule or a simple probabilitymatching rule.
Response of Nasal Airway Resistance to Hypercapnia and Hypoxia in the Dog

Nasal airway resistance was calculated in 9 anesthetized mongrel dogs by measuring the pressure difference across the nasal airway while a continuous flow of humidified air was passed through the upper airway. Hypercapnia produced a significant decrease in nasal airway resistance (P less than 0.05, Wilcoxon signed-rank test), which was proportional to the Paco2 over the range of 40 to 70 torr. Hypoxia produced a decrease in nasal airway resistance only when there was severe depression of Pao2. Direct stimulation of peripheral chemoreceptors by intravenously administered NaCN (100 microgram/kg) resulted in a significant decrease in nasal airway resistance (P = 0.06, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Interruption of the cervical sympathetic trunk bilaterally abolished or reversed the response of the nasal airway resistance to hypercapnia and to NaCN. The study indicates that the nasal airway can modify airway resistance in response to respiratory stimuli and that this reflex is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system.
The effect of spiritual intelligence in the classroom: God only knows

Quietly, ever so tentatively, science and spirituality are beginning to take a closer look at one another. Though this new relationship is a tenuous one at best, further research may produce a systemic change in the way we educate our children. If educators acknowledge that a holistic approach to teaching is most beneficial to students, it is essential to determine the effect spirituality may have in their everyday classroom lives and allow inquiry to take place. The complicated nature of this task, coupled with the highly charged subject matter, will not make it easy. Pioneers in this field have experienced both professional trepidation and controversy. Their persistence in this area of research will be key to providing insights previously unobtainable.