cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing hospital emergency management plans: a guide for infection preventionists.

Background Hospital emergency management plans are essential and must include input from an infection preventionist (IP). Multiple hospital planning documents exist, but many do not address infection prevention issues, combine them with noninfection prevention issues, or are disease/event specific. An all-encompassing emergency management planning guide for IPs is needed. Methods A literature review and Internet search were conducted in December 2008. Data from relevant sources were extracted. A spreadsheet was created that delineated hospital emergency management plan components of interest to IPs. Results Of the sources screened, 49 were deemed relevant. Eleven domains were identified: (1) having a plan; (2) assessing hospital readiness; (3) having infection prevention policies and procedures; (4) having occupational health policies and procedures; (5) conducting surveillance and triage; (6) reporting incidents, having a communication plan, and managing information; (7) having laboratory support; (8) addressing surge capacity issues; (9) having anti-infective therapy and/or vaccines; (10) providing infection prevention education; and (11) managing physical plant issues. Conclusion Infection preventionists should use this article as an assessment tool for evaluating their hospital emergency management plan and for developing policies and procedures that will decrease the risk of infection transmission during a mass casualty event.
The Propagation of Submesoscale Coherent Vortices

Abstract A combined analytical and numerical examination of submesoscale coherent vortex (SCV) dynamics and propagation is conducted. This study is prompted by observations of the movement relative to their surroundings of one class of SCVs, that is, Meddies. An asymptotic analysis is performed to study the mechanics governing SCV propagation. It is found that the large-scale flow plays a dominant role in determining the trajectory of SCVs and that the β effect and form drag of neighboring layers are weaker effects. As a result, SCVs propagate at a speed that is a density-weighted average of the flow in the surrounding layers. Meddies may thus move relative to the surrounding water, which is in accordance with observations. This theory extends previous studies on eddy propagation by considering more general situations. For example, a lenslike eddy embedded in a nonzonal, vertically and horizontally sheared flow is studied. A significant difference between this study and most previous related work is that ...
Arrangement of Transmembrane Domains in Adrenergic Receptors SIMILARITY TO BACTERIORHODOPSIN

Abstract G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have seven hydrophobic domains, which are thought to span the lipid bilayer as α helical transmembrane domains (TMDs). The tertiary structure of GPCRs has not been determined; however, molecular models of GPCRs have generally been based on bacteriorhodopsin, which is functionally unrelated to GPCRs but has a similar secondary structure. We sought to examine the validity of using bacteriorhodopsin as a scaffold for GPCR model building by experimentally determining the orientation of the TMDs of adrenergic receptors in the plasma membrane. In separate experiments, three sequential amino acid residues (Leu-310, Leu-311, Asn-312) in TMD VII of the β adrenoreceptor were mutated to the amino acids found in the homologous domain of the α adrenoreceptor (Phe, Phe, Phe). Exchange of Asn-312 and Leu-311 in the β adrenoreceptor resulted in nonfunctional proteins, most likely due to incompatibility of the introduced bulky phenylalanine side chain with adjacent structural domains in the β adrenoreceptor. This structural incompatibility was “repaired” by replacing the specific β TMD sequence with an α receptor sequence. TMD I and TMD II complemented the Asn-312 Phe mutation, and TMD III and TMD VI complemented the Leu-311 Phe mutation. These results indicate that TMDs I, II, III, and VI surround TMD VII in a counterclockwise orientation analogous to the orientation of TMDs in bacteriorhodopsin.
Investigation of Flashback Propensity in Turbines with Syngas Fuels

The paper presents experimental measurements of combustion induced vortex breakdown (CIVB) flashback propensity for hydrogen (H2)-carbon Monoxide (CO) flames. The effects of H2 concentration, diluents and swirl number on the flashback propensity of H2-CO flames are discussed. For a given Ubulk, the stoichiometric ratio (%F) at which the CIVB flashback occurs decreases with the increase in H2 concentration in fuel mixtures. However, the flashback propensity decreases with the increase in the swirl number. Combustor flashback maps for syngas compositions derived from different coal source shows the distinct behavior due to the presence of various diluents in fuel mixtures.
A Scale for the Measurement of Anti-Semitism

(1944). A Scale for the Measurement of Anti-Semitism. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 339-370.
Characteristics of Patients with Injury Secondary to Smoking on Home Oxygen Therapy Transferred Intubated to a Burn Center

Background The aim of this study was to compare outcomes of patients who sustained burn and ostensible inhalation injuries while on home oxygen therapy with those suffering equivalent injuries via other mechanisms. Study Design Between December 2002 and January 2006, 109 burn patients were transferred to our center intubated. Their charts were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who sustained injuries while on home oxygen therapy were age and total body surface area matched to patients with inhalation and burn injuries secondary to other mechanisms. Results Fourteen of 109 patients were injured while smoking on home oxygen therapy (15.26%). All 14 had COPD. Mean age was 63 years (range 53 to 77 years) and average total body surface area burned was 4% (range 0% to 10%). Charges for the 14 hospitalizations totaled $1,097,860 ($8,003 to $284,835; mean $78,418 per admission). Average time to extubation was 5.7 ± 10.2 days and average length of stay was 11.4 ± 15.2 days. No significant differences in the average time to extubation, length of stay, cost of hospitalization, or clinical signs of inhalation injury (ie, soot and edema in the pharynx) were noted between our series and the control group. Conclusions Injury secondary to smoking on home oxygen therapy is a perennial problem, and guidelines for prescribing home oxygen therapy for smokers should be reassessed. Despite underlying lung disease, patients in our series did as well as patients without COPD who sustained similar injuries.
Analysis of large-scale fire test data

Abstract Large-scale room fire testing has evolved from simple fire performance measurements such as intensity and duration of ‘room fires’ to sophisticated measurements to understand the properties which cause the fire. This paper provides a overview of typical calculations, based upon published research results, that are used at the Center for Fire Research and elsewhere for the analysis of a large-scale room fire test. Analysis of large-scale fire test data requires the development of a series of algorithms that combine individual measurements to produce the desired physical quantity. A set of algorithms for the analysis of fire test data based upon published research results is described. Included are fire-specific calculations such as smoke and gas analysis, layer temperature and interface position, mass loss and flows, and rate of heat release. Examples of the application of the calculations are provided.
Interactions between scientists and public officials: A comparison of the use of science in regulatory programs in the United States and West Germany

This essay compares and contrasts important attributes of the use of scientific knowledge and judgment in regulatory decisions in the United States and West Germany. It decribes the broader historical context for such decisions in each country. Although the system in America exhibits considerable conflict and assumption of adversarial positions, it is argued that a more fundamental attribute of the system is that policy decisions are reviewed according to rules of evidence and its interpretation. Similarly, although the German system involves a great deal of consultation, a more fundamental aspect of policy decisions there is that of the determination of the social obligation to act. In the United States, it is more important that a decisionmaker has properly developed and interpreted the evidence than that he or she has consulted with all the relevant parties. In Germany, the order of importance of the two is reversed.
Shear and normal stress effects in finite circular shear of a compressible non-linear viscoelastic solid

A non-linear single integral constitutive equation is developed for a compressible isotropic viscoelastic solid. Its initial elastic and equilibrium responses are given by the generalized Blatz-Ko model for compressible isotropic non-linear elasticity. A reduced time is introduced which causes stress relaxation to be accelerated by volume change and/or shear deformation. The constitutive equation is used to study circular shear of a hollow cylinder which is bonded to a rigid support at its inner surface and a rigid shell at its outer surface. Two kinds of loading conditions on the shell are investigated, moment control and rotation control. The circular shear causes interior cylindrical surfaces to rotate about the center line and radially expand or contract. The results show the strong influence on the radial distribution and time variation of important physical quantities of two important features of the constitutive equation, the specific form of dependence on the strain tensors and the volume and/or shear dependence of the reduced time.
Flight stagnation-point heating calculations on Aeroassist Flight Experiment vehicle

NASA's Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) vehicle will be deployed from the Space Shuttle Orbiter in 1994 to make a data-gethering aeropass through the upper atmosphere before returning to orbit for Shuttle pickup. An axisymmetric, chemically-reacting viscous shock-layer code is presently used to calculate AFE heating rates which automatically accounts for the viscous-inviscid interaction and entropy layer-swallowing effects which are ignored by the conventional boundary-layer methods. Results are presented for the stagnation-point heating of the current AFE baseline trajectory.
Ephedra: yesterday, DSHEA, and tomorrow--a ten year perspective on the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994

The Dietary Supplement Heath and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) established the regulatory framework for dietary supplements in the United States, triggering the growth of a multi-billion dollar industry. Ephedra is a dietary supplement used for weight loss. However, due to its sympathomimetic activity, it has caused stroke, cardiac arrhythmia, and death. Accordingly, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has prohibited its sale in the United States since April 12, 2004. Consequently, numerous other dietary supplements are attempting to fill the marketing void. An evaluation of these products demonstrates a general lack of efficacy and safety data. Thus, in the ten years since the passage of DSHEA, the dietary supplement industry remains controversial and a concern for consumer safety.
Rupture of the lower lumbar intervertebral disks

Abstract 1. 1. Some of the more recent concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of ruptured intervertebral disk are presented. 2. 2. Only a small percentage of patients suffering from low back pain have findings consistent with this diagnosis. 3. 3. Myelography has largely been eliminated in the diagnosis and a neurological approach has been adopted, based on evidence of unilateral, single nerve root pressure. 4. 4. Operation should be reserved for those cases in which conservative treatment has failed. The operation itself has been simplified and the period of disability greatly shortened during the past few years. 5. 5. In properly selected cases the results from operation are gratifying and a return to full duty is usually possible.
Cardiorespiratory adjustments of homing pigeons to steady wind tunnel flight.

SUMMARY We made detailed cardiorespiratory measurements from homing pigeons during quiet rest and steady wind tunnel flight. Our pigeons satisfied their 17.4-fold increase in oxygen consumption during flight with a 7.4-fold increase in cardiac output (Q) and a 2.4-fold increase in blood oxygen extraction. Q was increased primarily by increasing heart rate sixfold. Comparisons between our study and those from the only other detailed cardiorespiratory study on flying birds reveal a number of similarities and important differences. Although the avian allometric equations from this earlier study accurately predicted the flight Q of our pigeons, this was primarily due to due to compensating discrepancies in their heart rate and stroke volume predictions. Additionally, the measured heart mass (MH)-specific Q (Q/MH) of our pigeons during wind tunnel flight was about 22% lower than the estimated value. Compared to running mammals in previous studies, the 1.65-fold Q of our pigeons is consistent with their larger heart mass.
An examination of the phenomenology and the reliability of ratings of compulsive behavior in autism

To clarify the nature of compulsive behavior in autism, staff reports of behavioral patterns of 17 young autistic adults living in a farmstead residential facility were analyzed. Three staff members who had worked most closely with each resident for at least 3 months completed three questionnaires, including Quantitative and Qualitative compulsive behavior scales, and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). The questionnaires were completed on two occasions with a 2-week interval between administrations. Test-retest and interrater consistencies were examined for each of the scales. Both the Qualitative and Quantitative questionnaires show promise as instruments that could be used as objective baselines or descriptors for compulsive behavior in autism. Information gathered from these scales could be utilized to determine how to intervene in the behavior, and to assess progress in treatment programs.
TREMOR—a tool for retrieving transcriptional modules by incorporating motif covariance

A transcriptional module (TM) is a collection of transcription factors (TF) that as a group, co-regulate multiple, functionally related genes. The task of identifying TMs poses an important biological challenge. Since TFs belong to evolutionarily and structurally related families, TF family members often bind to similar DNA motifs and can confound sequence-based approaches to TM identification. A previous approach to TM detection addresses this issue by pre-selecting a single representative from each TF family. One problem with this approach is that closely related transcription factors can still target sufficiently distinct genes in a biologically meaningful way, and thus, pre-selecting a single family representative may in principle miss certain TMs. Here we report a method-TREMOR (Transcriptional Regulatory Module Retriever). This method uses the Mahalanobis distance to assess the validity of a TM and automatically incorporates the inter-TF binding similarity without resorting to pre-selecting family representatives. The application of TREMOR on human muscle-specific, liver-specific and cell-cycle-related genes reveals TFs and TMs that were validated from literature and also reveals additional related genes.
VDVR: Verifiable Volume Visualization of Projection-Based Data

Practical volume visualization pipelines are never without compromises and errors. A delicate and often-studied component is the interpolation of off-grid samples, where aliasing can lead to misleading artifacts and blurring, potentially hiding fine details of critical importance. The verifiable visualization framework we describe aims to account for these errors directly in the volume generation stage, and we specifically target volumetric data obtained via computed tomography (CT) reconstruction. In this case the raw data are the X-ray projections obtained from the scanner and the volume data generation process is the CT algorithm. Our framework informs the CT reconstruction process of the specific filter intended for interpolation in the subsequent visualization process, and this in turn ensures an accurate interpolation there at a set tolerance. Here, we focus on fast trilinear interpolation in conjunction with an octree-type mixed resolution volume representation without T-junctions. Efficient rendering is achieved by a space-efficient and locality-optimized representation, which can straightforwardly exploit fast fixed-function pipelines on GPUs.
Marsupial robots for law enforcement

Marsupial robots are a type of heterogeneous mobile robot team. A mother robot transports, supports, and recovers one or more daughter robots. This paper will cover the marsupial robot concept, the application of law enforcement, and recent results in collaborative teleoperation for the related task of urban search and rescue.
Update on Epidemiology and Clinical Assessment Tools of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus and Dermatomyositis

Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE) and Dermatomyositis (DM) are cutaneous autoimmune diseases that have been among the least systematically studied, due in part to the lack of validated outcome instruments in the past. More recent epidemiologic studies have elucidated the incidence and prevalence of these diseases and their subtypes. In addition, the advent of validated clinical outcome measures, including the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI) and the Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI), has led to an objective means of measuring activity and damage of the disease. These outcome measures have established the framework for evaluating responsiveness and therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials as well as longitudinal studies to study disease course.
Age and growth information available from the otoliths of the Hawaiian snapper, Pristipomoides filamentosus

The otoliths of tropical fish may provide important life history information incorporated within their structural and chemical constituents. All three otoliths (sagitta, lapillus, asteriscus) of the tropical fish Pristipomoides filamentosus were examined internally by Scanning Electron Microscope methods to observe micro-increments and externally to determine three dimensional structure. It was discovered that the sagitta contained four cores and that the plane chosen to be sectioned for micro-increment enumeration could result in errors if more than one core were transversed. The medial cross sectional plane was consequently resolved to effer the most accurate micro-increment counts. Obserations of lapilli also revealed micro-increments and subsequent counts were closely correlated to those detected in the sagittae. The visualization of increments made it feasible to assess age and evolve a growth model. In addition, sagitta weight was found to be related to growth rate and may provide a quick estimate of relative growth. Chemical analyses of otoliths for stable isotopes and Sr/Ca ratios all suggested that an individual fish inhabited warmer waters as it became older. A combination of otolith structural and chemical information can provide age and growth data which is essential to the calculation of accurate population parameters.
Alignment enhanced spectra of molecules in intense non-resonant laser fields

Abstract The dipole moment induced in a polarizable molecule by an intense non-resonant laser field interacts with the field to create aligned pendular states of definite parity, hybrids of the field-free rotational states. Electric dipole transitions between these states, driven either by a permanent moment (if the molecule is polar) or the induced moment (whether polar or non-polar), give rise to characteristic spectral features. For perpendicular transitions, at high fields the librational period of the molecular axis becomes directly observable. For parallel transitions in Raman spectra, the axis alignment can markedly enhance the transition probability by ≈ 10 3 or more.
Not Just Another Book on NGOs

Agenda Setting, the UN and NGOs: Gender Violence and Reproductive Rights. By Jutta M. Joachim Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2007. 256 pp., $29.95 (ISBN: 9781589011755). Much has been written about transnational advocacy networks and the global human rights movement, particularly in terms of women's activism at the international level (see, for example, Keck and Sikkink 1998). But only recently have scholars begun to combine this constructivist tradition with rationalist approaches to more fully account for the complex process by which NGOs strategically frame issues to effectively influence global and national policies (Hertel 2006). And this is where Agenda Setting, the UN and NGOs: Gender Violence and Reproductive Rights makes a real contribution. By situating NGO strategies and subsequent activities that pressured the United Nations (UN) to take on crucial initiatives affecting women's rights and reproductive health, Jutta Joachim successfully builds the bridges between subfields and disciplines that are so essential to understanding the complexity of international politics today. Her study draws critical connections between social movement and organizational theory from various political science subfields, and her findings have significant implications not only for international relations, but for history, sociology and women's studies as well. Integrating sound theory with rich historical detail, Joachim sheds light on the conditions under which NGOs are able to frame new issues, seize political opportunities available to them, strategically utilize various resources and ultimately shape the international agenda. Those interested in transnational activism, human rights, international institutions, and dynamics of contemporary social movements today will want to …
On the volume expansion accompanying the f.c.c. to b.c.c. transformation in ferrous alloys

Abstract A dilatometric study of a variety of Fe-Ni-Co alloys has been performed in order to examine the influence of austenite ferromagnetism on the volume change at Ms. It is found that some of the ferromagnetic austenites exhibit exceptionally small volume expansions on transforming from the f.c.c. to the b.c.c. structure. In particular, in iron alloys containing 30 % Co with either 23 or 24 % Ni, the volume change is not measurably different from zero, i.e. ΔVγ−α Vγ = 0.0005 ± 0.0008 . Examination of previous measurements indicate ΔVγ-α Vγ for invar alloys whereas at room temperature, ΔVγ-α Vγ > 0.03 for “normal” austenites. These observations are shown to be consistent with the suggestions by Kaufman et al.(30) and by Weiss(42) that iron can exist in austenite with two different electronic structures (and volumes). It is shown that the model predicts the lower volume changes and also lower entropy changes, ΔSVγ−α, for invar austenites, which transform to martensite. This second factor accounts for the steep Ms-composition dependence found in such alloys. Experiments performed upon alloys with systematic changes in solΔVγ−α Vγ show that the volume expansion does not have an important influence on either the habit plane of the martensite formed or the driving force necessary to initiate the martensitic reaction.
Family tourism: multidisciplinary perspectives

Family tourism: multidisciplinary perspectives, edited by Heike Schanzel, Ian Yeoman and Elisa Backer, Bristol, UK, Channel View Publications, 2012, 199pp., US$39.96 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-84541-...
The identification of empirically derived cancer patient subgroups using psychosocial variables.

Abstract Objective To determine if there are subgroups of cancer patients who differ on coping, psychological, and quality of life (QOL) measures, and to determine if these subgroups have a different course of distress and health following a cancer diagnosis. Methods Three hundred fifty-one individuals presenting to a multidisciplinary melanoma clinic completed a baseline questionnaire packet containing the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Medical Outcomes Survey Short-Form 36 (SF-36), Ways of Coping (WOC), State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), an informed consent form, and a demographic questionnaire. Participants subsequently completed measures at 2, 5, and 9 months after completion of their baseline assessment. A k-means cluster analysis was conducted using the subscales of the STAI, SF-36, and WOC. Results Four distinct clusters, psychologically unhealthy, physically unhealthy, combined psychologically and physically unhealthy, and healthy, were identified. These clusters differed on the General Severity Index (GSI) of the BSI and the General Health scale of the SF-36 at each of the four assessment points. The course of distress and general health was distinct for each cluster during the study, with combined and psychologically unhealthy clusters having greater levels of distress and combined and physically unhealthy clusters having poorer overall health. Conclusions The findings from this study provide support for distinct subgroups of patients presenting with a diagnosis of cancer whose level of distress and general health vary greatly following a cancer diagnosis. Clinical interventions tailored to the level of psychological or physical impairment as determined by the cluster may result in better outcomes following cancer treatment.
Comment on the compressibility of Cs determined from pressure dependence of Fermi surface cross sections

We report measurements of the angular dependence of the pressure derivatives of cross-sectional areas of the Fermi surface of Cs which vary from 2.67% kbar −1 for the minimum area cross section to 3.30% kbar −1 forH‖[[111]. This anisotropy invalidates the assumption of free-electron behavior in Cs used by Glinski and Templeton to arrive at a compressibility value for Cs which differed by −14% from that determined from the piston-cylinder measurements of Andersonet al. and by −8% from the ultrasonic result of Kollarits and Trivisonno. While a compressibility derived from our results is admittedly model dependent, we feel there is essentially no inconsistency between our compressibility and those derived by more conventional means.
A Stable and Efficient Algorithm for Nonlinear Orthogonal Distance Regression

One of the most widely used methodologies in scientific and engineering research is the fitting of equations to data by least squares. In cases where significant observation errors exist in the independent variables as well as the dependent variables, however, the ordinary least squares (OLS) approach, where all errors are attributed to the dependent variable, is often inappropriate. An alternate approach, suggested by several researchers, involves minimizing the sum of squared orthogonal distances between each data point and the curve described by the model equation. We refer to this as orthogonal distance regression (ODR). This paper describes a method for solving the orthogonal distance regression problem that is a direct analog of the trust region Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. The number of unknowns involved is the number of model parameters plus the number of data points, often a very large number. By exploiting sparsity, however, our algorithm has a computational effort per step which is of the same order as required for the Levenberg-Marquardt method for ordinary least squares. We prove our algorithm to be globally and locally convergent, and perform computational tests that illustrate some differences between ODR and OLS.
An identification problem in distributed-parameter systems †

The problem of identification of the heat-transfer coefficient between, two media is analysed for the one-dimensional slab. In particular the equations of a practical furnace heating a slab are formulated, and the complete solution is obtained. The identification problem is reduced to the minimization of a certain ‘ performance criterion ’, Different performance criteria are denned and analysed. Noisy measurements are also considered, and computer simulation examples are presented.
Cosmology: the infrared dawn of starlight.

The modest-sized but successful Spitzer Space Telescope has detected fluctuations in cosmic light at infrared frequencies. Is this the signature of the first population of stars that formed in the Universe?
Aqueous Dispersion Behavior of Barium Chromate Crystals: Effect of Cationic Polyelectrolyte

In polyelectrolyte-enhanced ultrafiltration (PEUF), a cationic polyelectrolyte binds to chromate and is ultrafiltered from solution. The permeate passing through the membrane can contain a very low chromate concentration; the retentate solution not passing through the membrane must be treated to recover a large fraction of the polymer for reuse for economical operation. In the regeneration step, barium chloride can be added to the retentate to precipitate chromate anion as a compact barium chromate solid waste. The solution containing the polymer can be directly recycled after the solid barium chromate is separated from the solution. Gravity settling is much less expensive than filtration or centrifugation, so this investigation studies the ability to separate solid from solution in a settling unit. Unfortunately, the polyelectrolyte can act as a dispersing agent that stabilizes the dispersion of barium chromate particles, resulting in poor separation efficiency in the settler. The adsorption of cationic ...
Notes Toward a Dialectical Method: Modernities, Modernisms, and the Crossings of Empire

The last few decades of postcolonial, national, and transnational studies make it possible to do fuller justice to the layered histories that have shaped literature's circulation. Recent historical work on the medieval period through the 18th century establishes that both inter-imperial jockeying and anti-colonial resistance have shaped literature as it travels. Historians' accounts of these interconnected histories enable us to construct a transnational ‘histoire croisee’ with a highly dialectical accent. Building on this scholarship, this essay first of all foregrounds the interactive co-production of modern empires, including Ottoman and European empires. It then surveys some of the complex histories of cultural transmission by which Ottoman, Asian, and African cultures have formed ‘the West’ at its cultural foundations, whether through modeling ‘public sphere’ spaces, such as coffeehouses or western philosophers' study of Asian ideals of ‘organic’ esthetic form and political ethics. The essay then closes with a brief consideration of global modernisms in the light of this long history, highlighting new scholarship that moves toward the dialectical methodology conceptualized here.
A Conceptual Scheme for Analysis of the Social Planning Process

Several factors have contributed to the decline in social planning in community development since the 1970s. This paper presents a three-phase model for the analysis of social planning respecting some of the misconceptions confronting social planning. No consensus exists as to the definition of social planning among scholars and practitioners. It is accepted, however, that the general purpose of social planning is to attempt to combat societal inequities such as homelessness and poverty. The three phases of social planning discussed are socially aware planning, socially responsible planning and institutional change. The dynamic interactions between the phases are presented to support the challenge to the community development practitioners to help improve the quality of life for all citizens.
Molecular and Immunological Significance of Chimpanzee Major Histocompatibility Complex Haplotypes for Hepatitis C Virus Immune Response and Vaccination Studies

The chimpanzee is a critical animal model for studying cellular immune responses to infectious pathogens such as hepatitis B and C viruses, human immunodeficiency virus, and malaria. Several candidate vaccines and immunotherapies for these infections aim at the induction or enhancement of cellular immune responses against viral epitopes presented by common human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles. To identify and characterize chimpanzee MHC class I molecules that are functionally related to human alleles, we sequenced 18 different Pan troglodytes (Patr) alleles of 14 chimpanzees, 2 of them previously unknown and 3 with only partially reported sequences. Comparative analysis of Patr binding pockets and binding assays with biotinylated peptides demonstrated a molecular homology between the binding grooves of individual Patr alleles and the common human alleles HLA-A1, -A2, -A3, and -B7. Using cytotoxic T cells isolated from the blood of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected chimpanzees, we then mapped the Patr restriction of these HCV peptides and demonstrated functional homology between the Patr-HLA orthologues in cytotoxicity and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) release assays. Based on these results, 21 HCV epitopes were selected to characterize the chimpanzees' cellular immune response to HCV. In each case, IFN-γ-producing T cells were detectable in the blood after but not prior to HCV infection and were specifically targeted against those HCV peptides predicted by Patr-HLA homology. This study demonstrates a close functional homology between individual Patr and HLA alleles and shows that HCV infection generates HCV peptides that are recognized by both chimpanzees and humans with Patr and HLA orthologues. These results are relevant for the design and evaluation of vaccines in chimpanzees that can now be selected according to the most frequent human MHC haplotypes.
To each according to his need

It is the aim of medical science to increase our capacity to treat effectively the most severe manifestations of disease. It is our expectation that society will reward this pursuit of new medical knowledge by providing the enabling resources to translate it to better care for patients. The report
CONSUMPTION SPENDING AND THE PAPER-BILL SPREAD: THEORY AND EVIDENCE

This paper explains recent findings that the paper-bill spread helps forecast consumption spending using an intertemporal optimizing model of consumption and portfolio allocation. The spread is simply the opportunity cost in terms of foregone future consumption of holding government debt rather than higher yielding private debt. Thus, if government debt appears along with consumption in the single period utility function, the spread appears in one of the Euler equations for consumption and asset accumulation. Empirical tests strongly support the model. Finally, including the spread in a rule of thumb model of consumption reduces the importance of non-optimizing behavior. (JEL E21, E43, C22, C32)
Fast statistical circuit analysis with finite-point based transistor model

A new approach of transistor modeling is developed for fast statistical circuit simulation in the presence of variations. For both I-V and C-V characteristics of a transistor, finite data points are identified by their physical meaning; the impact of process and design variations is embedded into these points as closed-form expressions. Then, the entire I-V and C-V are extrapolated using polynomial formulas. This novel approach significantly enhances the simulation speed with sufficient accuracy. The model is implemented in Verilog-A at 65nm node. Compared to simulations with the BSIM model, the computation time can be reduced by 7times in transient analysis and 9times in Monte-Carlo simulations
A weed for all reasons.

This year's meeting on the model plant Arabidopsis highlighted the progress that has been made in many areas of its biology by the use of a variety of genetic and genomic tools. One recurring theme was how multiple layers of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation are integrated to produce a biological response.
Tracing the re-ionization-epoch intergalactic medium with metal absorption lines

Intergalactic medium (IGM) metal absorption lines observed in z 6 spectra offer the opportunity to probe early feedback processes, the nature of enriching sources and the topology of re-ionization. We run high-resolution cosmological simulations including galactic outflows to study the observability and physical properties of five ions (C II ,C IV ,O I ,S iII ,S iIV )i n absorption between z = 8 and 5. We apply three cases for ionization conditions: fully neutral, fully re-ionized and a patchy model based on the flux from the nearest galaxy. We find that our simulations can broadly fit available z ∼ 5–6 IGM metal-line data, although all observations cannot be accommodated with a single ionization condition. Variations in O I absorbers among sight lines seen by Becker et al. suggest significant neutral IGM patches down to z ∼ 6. Strong C IV absorbers at z ∼ 6 may be the result of ionization by the galaxy responsible for that enrichment, although the identification of the neighbouring galaxy will have to wait to confirm this. Our outflows have typical speeds of ∼200 km s −1 and mass loading factors of ∼6. Such high mass loading is critical for enriching the IGM to the observed levels while sufficiently curtailing early star formation to match the observed rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity function. The volume filling factor of metals increases during this epoch, but only reaches ∼1 per cent
Aquatic Instructors' Beliefs Toward Inclusion: The Theory of Planned Behavior.

The purpose was to (a) examine aquatic instructors' beliefs (female, n = 82; male, n = 29) about teaching swimming to individuals with disabilities in inclusive settings and (b) test the theory of planned behavior model (Ajzen, 1985, 1988, 2001). Aquatic instructors from 25 states representing 122 cities across the U.S. participated in this study. The instrument, named Aquatic Instructors' Beliefs Toward Inclusion (AIBTI), was an extended version of the Physical Educators' Attitudes Toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities- Swim (Conatser, Block, & Lepore, 2000). A correlated t test showed aquatic instructors' beliefs (attitudes toward the behavior, normative beliefs, perceived behavioral control, intention, behavior) were significantly more favorable toward teaching aquatics to individuals with mild disabilities than individuals with severe disabilities. Stepwise multiple regression showed perceived behavioral control and attitude significantly predicted intention, and intention predicted instructors' inclusive behavior for both disability groups. Further, results indicated the theory of planned behavior predicts aquatic instructors' behavior better than the theory of reasoned action.
Effects of coronae on electric fields beneath thunderstorms

Intense electric fields beneath thunderstorms produce electrical discharges (coronae) at the tips of trees, bushes and other sharp objects attached to the surface of the earth. We find typical corona current densities of about 1 nA m−2 in an 8 kV m−1 field at the ground. The ions released into the air limit the magnitude of the field at the ground to about 10kV m−1. Our measurements beneath thunderstorms with a balloon-borne electric field meter show that the magnitude of the field a hundred metres above the ground is several times larger than at the ground; in one case the field 300 metres above ground was 6 times that at the ground. The substantial thickness of the space charge layer and the speed with which it vanishes when the electric field strength declines imply that the charge carriers have substantial velocities (0.4m s−1) either because their mobilities are high or because they are carried by air motions. Coronae also influence the time behaviour of the electric field at the ground. The field at the ground often changes very rapidly after a lightning flash. The rate of change decreases as the field approaches the value it had prior to the flash. In contrast, the field a hundred metres above the ground, which is often above most of the influence of space charge produced by coronae, increases more uniformly (linearly) during the time interval between lightning flashes. This behaviour is similar to that of the field farther aloft in the interior of the cloud. Our numerical simulations of the shapes of recovery curves indicate that the corona current density is more accurately described by a cubic function than by a quadratic function of the electric field strength at the ground. Despite strong influences of coronae, three properties of the field at the ground accurately reflect what happens above the space charge layer. First, the rapid changes in electric field during a lightning flash are not usually affected by corona space charge. Second, when the field at the ground is nearly constant it usually has the same polarity as the field above the space charge layer. And third, when the field strength at the ground is nearly zero, and when certain other conditions are met, the time rate of change of the field at the ground is the same as that above the space charge layer.
REVERSE OSMOSIS MEMBRANE SENSITIVITY TO OZONE AND HALOGEN DISINFECTANTS

SUMMARY The sensitivity of commercial reverse osmosis (RO) membranes toward halogen and ozone disinfectants has been measured at carefully controlled concentration and pH levels. Membrane sensitivity varies with polymer type, disinfectant chemical, and solution pH. Aromatic polyamide membranes are damaged by halogen addition to aromatic rings within the polymer. This process follows predictable reaction kinetics. Polymer viscosity changes with increasing membrane damage have also been followed. Results of this study will be useful in planning disinfection strategies for RO units in the field.
The American Pacific : from the old China trade to the present

In 1784, the United States was scarcely more than a strip of seaports, inland towns, and farms along the Atlantic coast--and already the China trade had begun, as the Empress of China sailed into Canton. From this small beginning, an American empire in the Pacific grew until it engulfed Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippines, and hundreds of small islands. With World War II, U.S. power advanced further, into China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia--where it was finally halted. Today American influence continues to ebb, as Japanese economic supremacy mounts and Manila forces the U.S. to dismantle its bases. In The American Pacific, Arthur Dudden provides a sweeping account of how the U.S. built (and lost) a vast empire in the ocean off our west coast. Opening with a fascinating account of the early China trade, Dudden provides a region-by-region history of the Pacific basin. What emerges is the story of how American commercial interests evolved into territorial ambitions, with the aquisitions of Alaska, Hawaii, and the Philippines, and finally into far-reaching efforts to project American power onto the shores of mainland Asia. Dudden's vivid narrative teems with the dynamic individuals who shaped events: William Seward, the Senator and Lincoln's Secretary of State who was driven by a vision of American dominion in the Pacific; Kamehameha I, the Hawaiian conqueror who tried to bring his kingdom into the modern world; William Howard Taft, who as the first governor-general of the Philippines built the institutions of American rule; Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the architect of Japan's attacks on Pearl Harbor and Midway Island; and of course General Douglas MacArthur, whose immensely influential career spanned supreme command of the pre-war Philippine army, the Allied occupation forces in Japan, and the U.N. forces in Korea. Dudden brings the story up to date, reviewing the war in Vietnam, the aftermath of Tiananmen Square, the triumph of the Pacific rim economies, and the tremendous impact of Asian immigration on American society. Since the days when Commodore Perry sailed his black ships to open feudal Japan, the histories of the American republic and the peoples of the Pacific have been closely intertwined. Dudden seamlessly blends developments in domestic politics, military campaigns, commercial trends, and international relations, providing the first comprehensive overview of this critically important region.
Phloeophagous and predaceous insects responding to synthetic pheromones of bark beetles inhabiting white spruce stands in the great lakes region

Tree killing and saprophytic bark beetles exert important ecological and economic roles in North American spruce forests. Chemical signaling among bark beetles, and responses by associate insects such as predators and competitors, have significant effects on the population dynamics and ecology of this community. Synthetic pheromones of primary (tree killing) and secondary (saprophytic) bark beetle species and blank controls were tested using multiple funnel and lower stem flight traps in white spruce forests in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. Six phloeophagous and four predaceous species were collected with significant attraction by the bark beetles Dryocoetes affaber, Dryocoetes autographus, and Polygraphus rufipennis, and the predatory checkered beetles (Coleoptera: Cleridae) Thanasimus dubius and Enoclerus nigrifrons. In general, trap catches to synthetic lures resembled the species composition obtained by felling trees and collecting emerging beetles in a companion study, although several species showed differing trends. Some cross attraction occurred among bark beetles and between bark beetles and predatory beetles. For example, P. rufipennis was abundant in traps baited with Dryocoetes spp. pheromones. Thanasimus dubius and E. nigrifrons were collected in significant numbers in traps baited with the pheromone of the spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis), frontalin plus α -pinene. This is a new observation for E. nigrifrons. Attraction of T. dubius to the pheromones of at least three bark beetle species in the Great Lakes region, as well as to several southern and western species, reflects its role as a habitat specialist and feeding generalist. Several other important predators and competitors commonly obtained in pine forests in this region were not obtained in these spruce stands, either in response to synthetic pheromones of spruce colonizing beetles, or in host material colonized by these beetles. Potential differences in predator prey dynamics between spruce and pine ecosystems in the Great Lakes region are discussed.
Perioperative Outcomes of Elderly Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Renal Procedures

Objectives To assess the perioperative outcomes in patients >75 years old to better define the role of laparoscopic renal surgery in this expanding segment of the U.S. population. The outcomes of elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic renal procedures are less well defined than those of younger patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of 115 patients >75 years old who had undergone laparoscopic renal surgery. The clinical and pathologic features and complication rates were analyzed. The patients were substratified according to the type of laparoscopic procedure performed and extreme age (>80 years). Results The mean age of our 115 patients was 79.9 years (range 75-91). The median estimated blood loss was 200 mL (interquartile range 100-387). The transfusion rate was 9.6%. The median length of stay was 4 days (interquartile range 3-5). The overall complication rate for the entire cohort was 22.6% and was 13.7% in those >80 years. The number of patients who experienced a complication was 22 (19.1%). Patients with a Charlson comorbidity index >2 were more likely to experience a perioperative complication than were patients with a Charlson comorbidity index P = .034). Conclusions Our data support the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic renal procedures in elderly patients. Furthermore, this safety extends to patients of advanced age (>80 years). The overall complication rates and other perioperative parameters appear to be comparable to those in published studies; however, patients with a Charlson comorbidity index >2 are at a greater risk of complications in the perioperative period.
Stability and change in genetic and environmental influences on hand-grip strength in older male twins.

The aim of this study was to investigate aging-related changes in the contribution of genetic and environmental influences to hand-grip strength in late adulthood. Subjects in this study are 152 in...