cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time Trends in the Incidence of Parkinson Disease

Importance Changes over time in the incidence of parkinsonism and Parkinson disease (PD) remain uncertain. Objective To investigate secular trends (period effects) and birth cohort trends in the incidence of parkinsonism and PD over 30 years in a geographically defined American population. Design, Setting, and Participants We used the medical records–linkage system of the Rochester Epidemiology Project to identify incidence cases of PD and other types of parkinsonism in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1976 to 2005. All cases were classified by a movement disorder specialist using defined criteria through the review of the complete medical records within the system. The analyses for this study were conducted between May 2015 and January 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence rates of parkinsonism and PD over 30 years. We tested for secular trends (period effects) using negative binomial regression models and for birth cohort effects using age–period-cohort models. Results Of 906 patients with parkinsonism, 501 were men, and the median age at onset was 74 years (interquartile range, 66-81 years). Of the 464 patients with PD, 275 were men, and the median age at onset was 73 years (interquartile range, 64-80 years). The overall incidence rates increased significantly over 30 years in men for both parkinsonism (relative risk [RR], 1.17 per decade; 95% CI, 1.03-1.33) and PD (RR, 1.24 per decade; 95% CI, 1.08-1.43). These trends were driven primarily by the older age groups. In particular, for men 70 years or older, incidence rates increased for both parkinsonism (RR, 1.24 per decade; 95% CI, 1.07-1.44) and PD (RR, 1.35 per decade; 95% CI, 1.10-1.65). The secular trends were not significant for women overall or in age strata. We observed an increased risk for both men and women born in the 1920 cohort (1915-1924). However, this birth cohort effect was significant only for PD and only in men. Conclusions and Revelance Our study suggests that the incidence of parkinsonism and PD may have increased between 1976 and 2005, particularly in men 70 years and older. These trends may be associated with the dramatic changes in smoking behavior that took place in the second half of the 20th century or with other lifestyle or environmental changes. However, the trends could be spurious and need to be confirmed in other populations.
After the Map: Cartography, Navigation, and the Transformation of Territory in the Twentieth Century. By William Rankin

Readers of Imago Mundi are likely to be familiar with Jorge Luis Borges’s famous story about a map being drawn at a scale of 1:1, the very same size as the territory of the kingdom itself, a story ...
Controlled single bubble cavitation collapse results in jet-induced injury in brain tissue

Multiscale damage due to cavitation is considered as a potential mechanism of traumatic brain injury (TBI) associated with explosion. In this study, we employed a TBI relevant hippocampal ex vivo slice model to induce bubble cavitation. Placement of single reproducible seed bubbles allowed control of size, number, and tissue location to visualize and measure deformation parameters. Maximum strain value was measured at 45 µs after bubble collapse, presented with a distinct contour and coincided temporally and spatially with the liquid jet. Composite injury maps combined this maximum strain value with maximum measured bubble size and location along with histological injury patterns. This facilitated the correlation of bubble location and subsequent jet direction to the corresponding regions of high strain which overlapped with regions of observed injury. A dynamic threshold strain range for tearing of cerebral cortex was estimated to be between 0.5 and 0.6. For a seed bubble placed underneath the hippocampus, cavitation induced damage was observed in hippocampus (local), proximal cerebral cortex (marginal) and the midbrain/forebrain (remote) upon histological evaluation. Within this test model, zone of cavitation injury was greater than the maximum radius of the bubble. Separation of apposed structures, tissue tearing, and disruption of cellular layers defined early injury patterns that were not detected in the blast-exposed half of the brain slice. Ultrastructural pathology of the neurons exposed to cavitation was characterized by disintegration of plasma membrane along with loss of cellular content. The developed test system provided a controlled experimental platform to study cavitation induced high strain deformations on brain tissue slice. The goal of the future studies will be to lower underpressure magnitude and cavitation bubble size for more sensitive evaluation of injury.
Infant feeding decisions and behaviours among low-income smoke-exposed women: timing and change during pregnancy.

Objective The present study aimed to describe change in feeding intentions and predictors of breast-feeding intentions during the course of pregnancy. Design Analysis of prospectively collected data from a larger randomized controlled trial of a health education intervention to reduce environmental smoke exposure among women during and after pregnancy. Setting Participants were recruited from prenatal clinics, but all further communication occurred with participating women living in the community. Subjects Low-income, adult women (n 399) were interviewed during the 16th and 32nd week of pregnancy to ascertain prenatal feeding intentions and breast-feeding knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy. Characteristics of women by infant feeding intention were assessed along with differences in intention from 16 to 32 weeks of pregnancy and feeding behaviours after delivery. Differences in psychosocial variables between women of different intention for infant feeding were measured. Women in each category of feeding intention were assessed for changes in psychosocial factors by eventual infant feeding behaviour. Results Feeding intention early in pregnancy was strongly, but not consistently, associated with feeding intention late in pregnancy, feeding initiation and later feeding patterns. Over one-third of women who were undecided at 16 weeks' gestation or earlier initiated breast-feeding. Increases in knowledge and improvement in time, social factors and social support barriers were found among those who exclusively breast-fed. Conclusions Results indicate that feeding decisions may change during pregnancy. Determining when women make feeding decisions during their pregnancy warrants more research. Interventions to increase breast-feeding intentions should target knowledge, self-efficacy and barriers.
The Distribution of the Platinum-Group Elements in the Palisades Sill, New Jersey and New York

The Palisades sill is a high-titanium quartz-normative shallow diabase intrusion with a relatively simple geometry; it was emplaced during the Early Jurassic into Triassic strata of the Newark Supergroup. The sill is approximately 300m thick and crops out along the western shore of the Hudson River. It has well-developed upper and lower chill margins, which are exposed in several areas along its strike length. Immediately above the lower chill is a cumulate zone (olivine and orthopyroxene), which is overlain by a diabase zone, above which is a ferrodiorite zone of late differentiates. An anomalous unit with very high Pd contents was found in the lower part of the ferrodiorite zone.
The Intellectual World of the Italian Renaissance: Language, Philosophy, and the Search for Meaning

In this book, Christopher Celenza provides an intellectual history of the Italian Renaissance during the long fifteenth century, from c.1350–1525. His book fills a bibliographic gap between Petrarch and Machiavelli and offers clear case studies of contemporary luminaries, including Leonardo Bruni, Poggio Bracciolini, Lorenzo Valla, Marsilio Ficino, Angelo Poliziano, and Pietro Bembo. Integrating sources in Italian and Latin, Celenza focuses on the linked issues of language and philosophy. He also examines the conditions in which Renaissance intellectuals operated in an era before the invention of printing, analyzing reading strategies and showing how texts were consulted, and how new ideas were generated as a result of conversations, both oral and epistolary. The result is a volume that offers a new view on both the history of philosophy and Italian Renaissance intellectual life. It will serve as a key resource for students and scholars of early modern Italian humanism and culture.
Almost Periodic Functions

The theory of almost periodic functions was introduced in the literature around 1924–1926 with the pioneering work of the Danish mathematician Bohr [25]. A decade later, various significant contributions were then made to that theory mainly by Bochner [24], von Neumann [159], and van Kampen [155]. The notion of almost periodicity, which generalizes the concept of periodicity, plays a crucial role in various fields including harmonic analysis, physics, dynamical systems, etc.
Review: Endogenously Produced Volatiles for In Vitro Toxicity Testing Using Cell Lines

Abstract Due to the ∼86,000 chemicals registered under the Toxic Substances Control Act and increasing ethical concerns regarding animal testing, it is not economically or technically feasible to screen every registered chemical for toxicity using animal-based toxicity assays. To address this challenge, regulatory agencies are investigating high-throughput screening in vitro methods to increase speed of toxicity testing, while reducing the overall cost. One approach for rapid toxicity testing currently being investigated is monitoring of volatile emissions produced by cell lines in culture. Such a metabolomics approach would measure gaseous emissions from a cell line and determine if such gaseous metabolites are altered upon exposure to a xenobiotic. Herein, we describe the history and rationale of monitoring endogenously produced volatiles for identification of pathologic conditions, as well as emerging applications in toxicity testing for such an approach.
Experimental and Numerical Approaches on Behavior of GLARE 5 Beams: Influences of Thickness and Stacking Sequence

In this study, GLARE 5 fiber-metal laminates (FMLs) of dimensions: 254 mm ×25.4 mm (10″ × 1″) with various stacking sequences and thicknesses were impacted by a 0.22 caliber bullet shaped projectile using a high-speed gas gun. The effect of stacking sequence was considered for the GLARE 5 (3/2) panels with cross-ply [0°/90°]s, unidirectional [04°], unidirectional [904°] and quasi-isotropic [0°/±45°/90°] lay-up orientations; whereas, thickness effect was studied for the GLARE 5 cross-ply panels with various layers. The experimentally obtained incident projectile impact velocity versus the residual velocity was plotted for each type of specimen. The data were then fitted numerically according to the classical Lambert-Jonas equation for the determination of the ballistic limit velocity, V50. The 3D dynamic nonlinear finite element (FE) code, LS-DYNA, was used to validate the experimental results. Excellent agreement between experimental and FE results was found.
Gödel And The Intuition Of Concepts

Godel has argued that we can cultivate the intuition or ‘perception’ of abstractconcepts in mathematics and logic. Godel's ideas about the intuition of conceptsare not incidental to his later philosophical thinking but are related to many otherthemes in his work, and especially to his reflections on the incompleteness theorems.I describe how some of Godel's claims about the intuition of abstract concepts are related to other themes in his philosophy of mathematics. In most of this paper, however,I focus on a central question that has been raised in the literature on Godel: what kind of account could be given of the intuition of abstract concepts? I sketch an answer to this question that uses some ideas of a philosopher to whom Godel also turned in this connection: Edmund Husserl. The answer depends on how we understand the conscious directedness toward ‘objects’ and the meaning of the term ‘abstract’ in the context of a theory of the intentionality of cognition.
Using Hardware Acceleration to Improve the Security of Wi-Fi Client Devices

As mobile devices prevail, communications security has become a critical and popular topic in recent years. For example, when a mobile device accesses Wi-Fi, the data communicated with the Wi-Fi access point may be encrypted to provide extra security. However, on a mobile device with limited energy budget, data encryption/ decryption often imposes high pressure on the battery life. In this paper, we review how a recently introduced Extremely Heterogeneous Architecture (EHA) can potentially be used to improve performance and energy efficiency of data encryption/decryption on mobile devices.
Phase Extension and Refinement Using Convolutional and Related Equation Systems

The mathematical solution of a set of relations among the phases of the structure factors of a crystal may be attempted either ab initio, or by starting from some partial or approximate information concerning the desired solution. In the first case one speaks of a direct method of phase determination, in the second case of a direct method of phase extension or refinement. The preceding chapters have dealt principally with the first case, although phase extension and refinement have been mentioned at some length as .components of methods whose overall purpose is ab initio phasing. Starting with this chapter, attention will shift to the second case. Mathematically the shift will involve a change in the type of relation system solved. Chapter 8 will discuss methods of phase extension and refinement based on the solution of convolutional and related systems of equations, and Chapters 9 and 10 will deal, respectively, with methods involving the maximization of Karle-Hauptman determinants and the solution of relation systems arising out of structural redundancy. The shift will involve also a change in solution technique.
Mouse incising central pattern generator: Characteristics and modulation by pain.

Abstract Introduction Vertebrate incising and chewing are controlled by a set of neurons comprising the central pattern generator (CPG) for mastication. Mandibular positioning and force generation to perform these tasks is complex and requires coordination of multiple jaw opening and closing muscle compartments located in muscles on both sides of the jaw. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of the CPG by recording mouse incising forces in the home cage environment to evaluate changes in force characteristics with incising frequency and force direction. A second purpose was to evaluate the effects of jaw closing muscle pain on CPG output parameters. Methods Digitized incising forces were recorded for approximately 24 h using a 3-dimensional force transducer attached to solid food chow. Male and female CD-1 mice were evaluated during their last (fourth) baseline assessment and seven days after a second acidic saline injection into the left masseter muscle when maximum pain was experienced. Incising force resultants were calculated from the three axes data and force parameters were assessed including inter-peak intervals (IPI), peak amplitude, load time and unload time. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify incising episodes that had parameters of force that were significantly correlated (p Results A significant correlation between incising frequency (IPI) and the load time was observed. A significant decrease in peak amplitude was observed with higher incising frequency while the load rate significantly increased. The force peak amplitude and load rates were found to be statistically different when the force direction was considered, with smaller peak amplitudes and smaller load rates found in the jaw closing direction. The effect of pain on incising was to reduce the peak amplitude and load rate of incising compared to the baseline condition at lower incising frequencies. Conclusions Like the central pattern generator for locomotion, the CPG for incising controls rhythmicity, peak amplitude and force load duration/rate. However, unlike the CPG for locomotion, the amplitude of incising force decreases as the frequency increases. During incising, load rate increases with faster rhythm and is consistent with the recruitment of larger motor units. Muscle pain reduced the excitatory drive of the CPG on motoneurons and provides further support of the Pain Adaptation Model.
RAPid signaling in platelets

In this issue of Blood, Stefanini et al untangle the specific roles of RAP1A and RAP1B in platelet production, signal transduction, and their individual contributions to hemostasis, thrombosis, and vascular integrity in vivo to find both redundant and isoform-specific functions.1
Investigation of chemotherapy-induced tumor angiogenesis: Rationale for combination of nab-paclitaxel with anti-VEGF therapy

4636 Background: VEGF levels in breast cancer patients decreased after 2 anthracycline cycles, but subsequently increased compared with pretreatment (Mills, 2004, Clin Cancer Res 10: 4998), suggesting that repetitive chemotherapeutic treatments may trigger aggressive production of VEGF and stimulate reactionary angiogenesis in the tumor environment. Here, we investigated the effect of nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane, ABX) on tumor VEGF production and angiogenesis as a basis for a combination therapy with anti-angiogenesis agents. Methods: To demonstrate chemotherapy-induced angiogenesis in vitro, conditioned medium was collected from human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 and HUVEC cells with or without exposure to ABX at below IC50 concentrations (5 ng/mL). Endogenous production of VEGF, FGF-2, and IL-8 were analyzed by ELISA. Chemotherapy-induced VEGF production was evaluated in vivo using MB-231 xenograft treated (qdx5) with saline, doxorubicin (10 mg/kg), solvent-based paclitaxel (Taxol, 10 mg/kg), or ABX (15 mg/kg), followed by VEGF quantitation of the tumor extract on day 12. To demonstrate chemotherapy-induced angiogenesis in vivo, MX-1, MESA, and MESA-DX tumor xenografts (N=5/group) were treated with saline or ABX at 13.4 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg (qdx5). The treated tumors were harvested after 11 days and microvessel density (MVD) quantitated by CD31 staining and reported as % CD31 of tissue. Results: MB-231 and HUVEC cells increased production of VEGF and IL-8 (but not FGF-2) after exposure to low dose of ABX. MB-231 tumors treated with one cycle of saline, doxorubicin, solvent-based paclitaxel, or ABX exhibited significant tumor shrinkage (p Conclusion: ABX treatment triggered reactionary angiogenesis both in vitro (increased VEGF production) and in vivo (increased VEGF production and increased MVD by CD-31 staining). Increased MVD was noted only in tumors sensitive to ABX. These data suggest a biologic basis for combination of ABX with anti-angiogenic therapy against VEGF.
A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) Decomposition Based Validation Metric for Use with Full Field Measurement Situations

A validation metric that involves principal component analysis (PCA) decomposition of simulation and test data is developed for potential use in the quantification of margin and uncertainty (QMU) for an upcoming USAF design exercise (OEM Aero-Thermo-Structures Design Study—USAF Task Order 0015: “Predictive Capability for Hypersonic Structural Response and Life Prediction”). This validation metric allows for use of nearly full-field, simulation and test data over a wide range of spatial realizations (3-D responses over multiple input conditions) and temporal (time or frequency) information, as needed. A demonstration example utilizing two datasets explains how the validation metric is formed and how it can be used to quantify the margin between the simulation and the test data as well as how it can quantify the uncertainty. The primary advantage of the proposed PCA validation metric is that it preserves the engineering units (EU) of the original data so that the quantifications of margin and uncertainty can be made in EU. A second advantage of the PCA validation metric is that it can be used over a wide range of temporal information. While the proposed method shows considerable promise, future work is identified in terms of exploring other decomposition methods commonly used in fingerprint, iris and facial biometric pattern recognition.
Nonconvex Optimization Meets Low-Rank Matrix Factorization: An Overview

Substantial progress has been made recently on developing provably accurate and efficient algorithms for low-rank matrix factorization via nonconvex optimization. While conventional wisdom often takes a dim view of nonconvex optimization algorithms due to their susceptibility to spurious local minima, simple iterative methods such as gradient descent have been remarkably successful in practice. The theoretical footings, however, had been largely lacking until recently. In this tutorial-style overview, we highlight the important role of statistical models in enabling efficient nonconvex optimization with performance guarantees. We review two contrasting approaches: (1) two-stage algorithms, which consist of a tailored initialization step followed by successive refinement; and (2) global landscape analysis and initialization-free algorithms. Several canonical matrix factorization problems are discussed, including but not limited to matrix sensing, phase retrieval, matrix completion, blind deconvolution, and robust principal component analysis. Special care is taken to illustrate the key technical insights underlying their analyses. This article serves as a testament that the integrated consideration of optimization and statistics leads to fruitful research findings.
Eccentricity in Trees

The eccentricity of a vertex, ecc(v) = maxu∈T dT(v,u), was one of the first, distance-based, tree invariants studied [Jordan, J. Reine Angew. Math., 70(1869), 185-190]. The total eccentricity of a tree, Ecc(T), is the sum of eccentricities of its vertices. We determine extremal values and characterize extremal tree structures for the ratios Ecc(T)/ecc(u), Ecc(T)/ecc(v), ecc(u)/ecc(v), and ecc(u)/ecc(w) where u,w are leaves of T and v is in the center of T. Analogous problems have been
Simultaneous Beamforming and Nullforming for Covert Wireless Communications

In this paper, we investigate the problem of distributed coherent beamforming in wireless networks where multiple distributed transmitters adjust the phases of their signals to form a directional and targeted communication link to a client receiver. The quality-of-service (QoS) and security are key components of robust and covert wireless networks. Although the security can be improved by exploiting information about potential adversaries, such information may not be available in practical networks since the adversaries are often passive. Therefore, we introduce transmission strategies which not only send a confidential message by forming a beam towards the client but also broadcast interference with the aim of obfuscating adversaries without having any information about them. Two different client feedback scenarios are considered, two-bit and rich feedback. The proposed algorithms can be performed in a fully distributed manner without any knowledge about potential adversaries. Numerical simulations validate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.
Evolution and plasticity of morph-specific integration in the bull-headed dung beetle Onthophagus taurus.

Developmental and evolutionary processes underlying phenotypic variation frequently target several traits simultaneously, thereby causing covariation, or integration, among phenotypes. While phenotypic integration can be neutral, correlational selection can drive adaptive covariation. Especially, the evolution and development of exaggerated secondary sexual traits may require the adjustment of other traits that support, compensate for, or otherwise function in a concerted manner. Although phenotypic integration is ubiquitous, the interplay between genetic, developmental, and ecological conditions in shaping integration and its evolution remains poorly understood. Here, we study the evolution and plasticity of trait integration in the bull-headed dung beetle Onthophagus taurus which is characterized by the polyphenic expression of horned ('major') and hornless ('minor') male morphs. By comparing populations subject to divergent intensities of mate competition, we tested whether mating system shifts affect integration of traits predicted to function in a morph-specific manner. We focussed on fore and hind tibia morphology as these appendages are used to stabilize major males during fights, and on wings, as they are thought to contribute to morph-based differences in dispersal behavior. We found phenotypic integration between fore and hind tibia length and horn length that was stronger in major males, suggesting phenotypic plasticity in integration and potentially secondary sexual trait compensation. Similarly, we observed that fore tibia shape was also integrated with relative horn length. However, although we found population differentiation in wing and tibia shape and allometry, populations did not differ in integration. Lastly, we detected little evidence for morph differences in integration in either tibia or wing shape, although wing allometries differed between morphs. This contrasts with previous studies documenting intraspecific differentiation in morphology, behavior, and allometry as a response to varying levels of mate competition across O. taurus populations. We discuss how sexual selection may shape morph-specific integration, compensation, and allometry across populations.
Poisson’s Ratio Characteristic Curve of Unsaturated Soils

AbstractPoisson’s ratio is an elastic property needed as input in a wide range of geotechnical engineering applications. Despite experimental evidence, there is currently no model in the literature...
A Review of Publication Policies from Missions and Projects in Astronomy and Related Fields

Modern science is a communal affair, with researchers joining into groups of all sizes for a single project or perhaps a career-long endeavor. Each field has its own standards and norms of practice, driven by history and funding patterns. Astronomers, broadly defined here to include astrophysicists, planetary scientists, heliophysicists, and physicists involved in astronomy, have an extremely long history and an eclectic funding pattern that includes private donors, government grants, and multi-national funding.
18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Following Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapy in Large B-cell Lymphoma

18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) is a well-established imaging modality to assess responses in patients with B-cell neoplasms. However, there is limited information about the utility of FDG PET/CT after chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) therapies for large B-cell lymphomas. In this retrospective analysis, we aimed to evaluate how FDG PET/CT performs in patients receiving commercially available anti-CD19 CART therapies for relapsed/refractory (r/r) large B-cell lymphomas. In addition, we examined the time to repeat scan and the rate of pseudoprogression within this population. Lastly, the rates of radiographic response to CART therapy using FDG PET/CT are reported. The pre-treatment and post-treatment scans were analyzed from a selected cohort of 43 patients from a single institution. Patients were stratified by diagnosis of either a first occurrence of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL); or a transformed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma arising from indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (t-iNHL). More patients received CART therapy for DLBCL than t-iNHL (65 % vs 35 %). FDG PET/CT had a 99 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity for detecting recurrent disease in this group. The median time to initial response assessment was 86 days (IQR 79–91; full range 24–146) after infusion. There were no biopsy-proven cases of pseudoprogression identified. In this selected group of patients, the overall response rate by Lugano 2014 criteria was 56 %. All patients with a partial response (N = 6) eventually progressed despite additional therapy. Due to its excellent test characteristics and ability to detect asymptomatic disease, routine surveillance with PET/CT at 3 months after CART infusion is supported by our data. Earlier PET/CT may be of value in select situations as we did not find any cases of pseudoprogression.
Comparison of Deterministic Methods to Estimate Sidereal Rotation Period from Light Curves

The importance of determining the sidereal rotation period of an astronomical object on future investigations pertaining to said object has been well documented in the literature. Researchers, howe...
Corporate Social Responsibility in a Globalizing World: Explaining the rise of national corporate social responsibility: the role of global frameworks, world culture, and corporate interests

My chapter addresses the question: to what extent did global CSR frameworks shape national-level business-led CSR organizations? I find that national CSR associations were already successfully consolidated in several countries in the 1970s and 1980s and were relatively autonomous from global CSR frameworks that struggled to be institutionalized during the same time period.From a political economy perspective, it is not surprising that corporations would engage more with domestic business-led CSR organizations than alternative global frameworks over which they have less control. However, I also find that the establishment of national CSR associations is strongly correlated with country memberships in international non-governmental organizations. This suggests an important global-domestic dynamic whereby global nongovernmental linkages may have first encouraged the growth of national CSR associations before pushing CSR concerns up to the level of global CSR frameworks. This paper this chapter highlights the importance of both world society and political economy perspectives for understanding CSR in a globalizing world.
Mortality and adverse health events in newly admitted nursing home residents with and without dementia.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between dementia and mortality, adverse health events, and discharge disposition of newly admitted nursing home residents. It was hypothesized that residents with dementia would die at a higher rate and develop more adverse health events (e.g., infections, fevers, pressure ulcers, falls) than residents without dementia because of communication and self-care difficulties. Design: An expert clinician panel diagnosed an admission cohort from a stratified random sample of 59 Maryland nursing homes, between 1992 and 1995. The cohort was followed for up to 2 years or until discharge. Setting: Fifty-nine Maryland nursing homes. Participants: Two thousand one hundred fifty-three newly admitted residents aged 65 and older not having resided in a nursing home for 8 or more days in the previous year. Measurements: Mortality, infection, fever, pressure ulcers, fractures, and discharge home. Results: Residents with dementia had significantly lower overall rates of infection (relative risk (RR)=0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.70–0.85) and mortality (RR=0.61, 95% CI=0.53–0.71) than those without dementia, whereas rates of fever, pressure ulcers, and fractures were similar for the two groups. These results persisted when rates were adjusted for demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, and functional status. During the first 90 days of the nursing home stay, residents with dementia had significantly lower rates of mortality if not admitted for rehabilitative care under a Medicare qualifying stay (RR=0.25, 95% CI=0.14–0.45), were less often discharged home (RR=0.33, 95% CI=0.28–0.38), and tended to have lower fever rates (RR=0.78, 95% CI=0.63–0.96) than residents without dementia. Conclusion: Newly admitted nursing home residents with dementia have a profile of health events that is distinct from that of residents without dementia, indicating that the two groups have different long-term care needs. Results suggest that further investigation of whether residents with dementia can be well managed in alternative residential settings would be valuable.
On the Relationship of CCS and CSP

This paper compares two models of concurrency, Milner's Calculus of Communicating Systems (CCS) and the failures model of Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) developed by Hoare, Brookes and Roscoe. By adapting Milner's synchronisation trees to serve as notation for both CCS and CSP, we are able to define a representation mapping for CSP processes. We define an equivalence relation on synchronisation trees which corresponds precisely to the notion of failure equivalence. Milner's calculus is founded on a different notion, observation equivalence. We show how these two equivalences are related. Just as Milner's equivalence can be characterised as the smallest relation satisfying a set of axioms, we find a suitable set of axioms for the failures equivalence relation. This again makes explicit the differences between the two systems, as well as revealing that the semantic models underlying CCS and CSP are comparable.
Regulation of embryonic diapause in Artemia: Environmental and physiological signals

Environmental cues terminating embryonic diapause and a potential regulatory mechanism involving depressed pH were investigated in the encysted embroyos of the brine shrimp, Artemia. Two species, Artemia franciscana and Artemia monica, were used for this comparative study. To determine if alteration of intracellular pH (pHi) can terminate diapause, the pHi of diapause cysts was manipulated by exposure to NH3 and CO2. Alkalinization did not result in activation of cysts from either species but acidification activated A. franciscana cysts. A. monica did not respond to acidification. The pHi of aerobic diapausing embryos was determined using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. During diapause, embryos from both species had pHi's similar to those reported for activated (nondiapause) embryos, indicating that diapause is not imposed by depressed pHi, as is the case during suppression of metabolism under anaerobic conditions. Diapause embryos were exposed to varying conditions of temperature, salinity, and oxygen to determine what conditions are necessary to break diapause. A. franciscana cysts were activated by cold temperature or salinites above 2.0 M NaCl, while A. monica cysts only responded to cold temperature. The availability of oxygen did not influence either population's ability to terminate diapause. The results are discussed with respect to each population's environment and potential mechanisms of diapause regulation.
Characterization of Candida albicans dihydrofolate reductase.

Abstract Dihydrofolate reductase from Candida albicans was purified 31,000-fold and characterized. In addition, the C. albicans dihydrofolate reductase gene was cloned into a plasmid vector and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the enzyme was purified from this source. Both preparations showed a single protein-staining band with a molecular weight of about 25,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzymes were stable and had an isoelectric point of pH 7.1 on gel isoelectric focusing. Kinetic characterization showed that the enzymes from each source had similar turnover numbers (about 11,000 min-1) and Km values for NADPH and dihydrofolate of 3-4 microM. Like other eukaryotic dihydrofolate reductases, the C. albicans enzyme exhibited weak binding affinity for the antibacterial agent trimethoprim (Ki = 4 microM), but further characterization showed that the inhibitor binding profile of the yeast and mammalian enzymes differed. Methotrexate was a tight binding inhibitor of human but not C. albicans dihydrofolate reductase; the latter had a relatively high methotrexate Ki of 150 pM. The yeast and vertebrate enzymes also differed in their interactions with KCl and urea. These two agents activate vertebrate dihydrofolate reductases but inhibited the C. albicans enzyme. The sequence of the first 36 amino-terminal amino acids of the yeast enzyme was also determined. This portion of the C. albicans enzyme was more similar to human than to E. coli dihydrofolate reductases (50% and 30% identity, respectively). Some key amino acid residues in the C. albicans sequence, such as E-30 (human enzyme numbering), were "vertebrate-like" whereas others, such as I-31, were not. These results indicate that there are physical and kinetic differences between the eukaryotic mammalian and yeast enzymes.
Mirror, Mirror in the Brain, What's the Monkey Stand to Gain?

Primatologists generally agree that monkeys lack higher-order intentional capacities related to theory of mind. Yet the discovery of the so-called “mirror neurons” in monkeys suggests to many neuroscientists that they have the rudiments of intentional understanding. Given a standard philosophical view about intentional understanding, which requires higher-order intentionality, a paradox arises. Different ways of resolving the paradox are assessed, using evidence from neural, cognitive, and behavioral studies of humans and monkeys. A decisive resolution to the paradox requires substantial additional empirical work and perhaps a rejection of the standard philosophical view.
Development procedure of a hypermedia application in support of industrial tasks

Abstract A technical environment which involves great amounts of specifications and procedure instructions is conducive to hypermedia technology. In a hypermedia environment, pertinent information is relationally retrieved and presented via a multitude of media avenues such as text, fullmotion video, photographs, audio, and graphics. This technology greatly reduces both the documentation search time and the confusion of interpretation associated with an information overload. Ultimately, a substantial increase in productivity is the result. In this paper we report our experience in the development of a hypermedia-based information center. This development procedure is a by-product of a pilot project currently being conducted at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, FL. The subject of our research is the working environment of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). A typical process from routine work instructions was selected and served as a basis of our development and evaluation. The outcome of the study is a computer-based hypermedia information center which employs full-motion video (via a laserdisc player), hypertext, graphics, and an authoring language.
Are qualia just representations ? A critical notice of Michael Tye's ten problems of consciousness

Critique de la conception representationnelle des qualia developpee par M. Tye dans son ouvrage intitule «Ten problems of consciousness» (1995). Soulevant le paradoxe de la conscience phenomenale entre le caractere perspectiviste et la nature physique des etats phenomenaux, l'A. montre que la strategie representationnelle de Tye, fondee sur l'idee d'un contenu intentionnel, non-conceptuel, abstrait et equilibre (PANIC en anglais), ne permet pas de resoudre les problemes majeurs de la conscience concernant l'abime explicatif entre le physique et le mental, d'une part, l'inversion et l'absence des qualia, d'autre part
An Improved Self-Consistent Phonon Approximation

A self-consistent phonon approximation that includes odd-order anharmonic terms is found to give improvement over the usual lowest-order self-consistent phonon approximation when applied to computation of several properties of crystalline Ne and Ar. At low temperatures the improved theory joins smoothly onto the results of conventional perturbation theory.
Comparison of intradermal dilutional testing with the Multi-Test II applicator in testing for mold allergy.

OBJECTIVES: To compare and correlate wheal size using the Multi-Test II applicator with the endpoint obtained by intradermal dilutional testing (IDT) for common mold allergens. To validate the safe...
NOR activity and satellite association patterns in a family carrying a doubly satellited marker.

Activity and association patterns of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) were studied in cultured blood lymphocytes from six members of a family, three of whom carried a doubly satellited marker. The marker consisted of a centromere with two sets of satellites and stalks which showed consistent NOR activity. The children with the marker had significantly higher frequencies of NOR activity and satellite association than their non-carrier siblings. The acrocentris of the children with the marker did not appear to have decreased association tendency.
Russia's non‐strategic nuclear forces

This article provides a brief overview of current debates in Russia on nuclear weapons before examining several factors that suggest that Moscow's interest in arms control arrangements affecting its NSNF is likely to be limited. Indeed, while Moscow has maintained its demands since the 1950s that all US nuclear forces in Europe be removed, its willingness to retain existing arms control limits such as the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and less formal obligations such as the 1991-2 unilaterial commitments on NSNF may be in decline. Moreover, Russia's implementation of the latter commitments remains unclear. The prospects for Moscow's endorsing new negotiated constraints on Russian NSNF therefore appears doubtful.
Some neuronal cell populations express human dopamine β-hydroxylase-lacZ transgenes transiently during embryonic development

Abstract The 5′ flanking region from the human dopamine β-hydroxylase gene directs expression of bacterial β-galactosidase reporter genes to a subset of adult neurons and adrenal chromaffin cells of transgenic mice. In this paper, we examine the spatial and temporal patterns of expression of these transgenes during embryogenesis. Expression begins at embryonic day 9 in the developing central and peripheral nervous systems and persists in cell populations in which expression is observed in adult transgenic mice. However, transient embryonic expression occurs in presumptive neuroblasts in developing sensory ganglia and ventrolateral neural tube that are destined to synthesize neurotransmitters other than catecholamines. These observations support the concept that some cells fated to become “non-catecholaminergic” neurons exhibit transient catecholaminergic features during their differentiation.
Impact-Parameter Method for Proton-Hydrogen - Atom Collisions. II. The Coupled-State Calculation, and Convergence of the Two - Centered Traveling Hydrogenic Expansion

Several calculational procedures for generating approximate solutions to the time-dependent Schrodinger equation of the impact-parameter model are discussed in this work. It is emphasized that in these calculational procedures a trial wave function is selected from a definite class of functions-the class of functions which have the asymptotic form of the exact wave function-and then some property satisfied by the exact wave function is used to fix the trial wave function. The customary set of coupled equations can be obtained by requiring that the Schrodinger equation be satisfied in the subspace defined by the basis set used to express the trial wave function. Recently, it has been popular to show that these coupled equations follow by making certain functionals stationary. It is shown, however, that these functionals are not stationary about the exact solution for the variations represented by available trial wave functions which, as they must, reflect our ignorance of the exact nature of the true wave function. In this work, a functional related to the norm of the exact wave function is given, and this functional is shown to be stationary about the exact wave function for the variations represented by available trial wave functions. A calculational proceduremore » based upon the stationary property of this functional is given by which variational parameters in a trial wave function can be determined. If these parameters are taken to be time-varying nuclear charges in the basis functions, one obtains the equations given by Cheshire. Finally, the question of convergence of the two-centered traveling hydrogenic orbital expansion is considered. We conclude that the two-centered expansion doese not provide a scheme by which a sequence of approximate wave functions can be generated that converges to the exact wave function. However, it appears from the comparison of the approximate cross sections obtained in two-, four-, eight-, and l4-state calculations that the cross sections for the 1s-exchange reaction and possibly for the 2s transitions may be tending to limiting values. (auth)« less
The chiral symmetric transition phase in quantum chromodynamics

We develop the gauge technique to investigate the Dyson-Schwinger equation for the quark propagator in quantum chromodynamics. We retain the transverse vertex function and extend the theory to finite temperatures. We demonstrate thatTc≥TF: Chiral-symmetry restoration cannot take place before quark liberation. We conclude that chiral-symmetry restoration occurs at some critical temperatureTc as a result of the infrared properties of the transverse vertex function whose presence is responsible for the broken symmetric solution at zero temperature.
DIVERSE NODAL ANATOMY OF THE CUNONIACEAE

A comprehensive study of nodal anatomy of the Cunoniaceae has revealed an unusually diverse assemblage of nodal types, including patterns with "split-lateral" traces previously undescribed for dicotyledons. On the basis of leaf arrangement and nodal vascularization, six distinct nodal conditions are recognized in the family. The trilacunar, three-trace pattern is the ancestral type from which the multilacunar condition evolved by amplification in the number of lateral traces. The "split-lateral" condition, distinguished by the fusion of lateral leaf traces of adjacent leaves, or the bifurcation of a single trace, and their association with a "common gap," probably evolved concomitant with the transition from opposite to whorled leaves. The characteristic interpetiolar stipules of the Cunoniaceae are vascularized by veins originating from lateral leaf traces, or by a combination of complete lateral traces and veins arising from lateral leaf traces. Both Aphanopetalum and Bauera possess unilacunar one-trace nodes. The most satisfactory family placement of both genera remains uncertain, although the unilacunar nodes of Bauera can reasonably be interpreted as a case of reduction from the trilacunar pattern in response to reduced plant size.
Pigmented (melanotic) schwannomas of the spinal canal

Primary pigmented neoplasms of the nervous system are rare tumors. The literature suggests that they behave aggressively and carry a guarded prognosis. We present 2 patients with pigmented schwannomas of spinal nerves who following therapy are alive, functioning and without evidence of tumor 14 and 17 years later. We wish to emphasize that the presence of melanin alone does not equate with a malignant course. The literature is reviewed and theories of histogenesis for these unusual lesions are discussed.