cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed control of LPV systems over arbitrary graphs: A parameter-dependent lyapunov approach

The paper focuses on spatially distributed control systems where the controller sensing and actuation topology is inherited from that of the plant. Specifically, the paper considers distributed systems composed of discrete-time linear parametervarying subsystems interconnected over general graph structures. These distributed systems are subject to a communication latency of one sampling period, where the information sent by a subsystem at the current time step is received by the target subsystem at the next time step. The paper provides analysis and synthesis conditions for control design in this setting, employing a parameter-dependent Lyapunov approach with the l 2 -induced norm as the performance measure. The paper also gives a fast and easy-to-implement algorithm for constructing the controller in real-time.
Effects of Second-Hand Smoke and Gender on Infarct Size of Young Rats Exposed In Utero and in the Neonatal to Adolescent Period

Abstract Objectives. We sought to assess the effects of second-hand smoke (SHS) and gender on infarct size in young rats exposed in utero or in the neonatal to adolescent period, or both. Background. We previously demonstrated that exposure to SHS increases infarct size in a rat model of ischemia and reperfusion, with a dose-response relation. These results are consistent with epidemiologic studies demonstrating that SHS increases risk of death from heart disease. Methods. Thirty-one pregnant female rats were randomly divided into two groups: those exposed to SHS and a control group (non-SHS). After 3 weeks, each rat had given birth to 10 to 12 rats. One hundred one neonatal rats were divided into four groups according to exposure to SHS in utero (SHSu) and randomized to SHS exposure in the neonatal to adolescent period (SHSna). After 12 weeks, all rats were subjected to 17 min of left coronary artery occlusion and 2 h of reperfusion. Results. Birth mortality was higher in the SHSu group than in the non-SHSu group (11.9% vs. 2.8%, p Conclusions. Exposure to SHS in the neonatal to adolescent period and male gender increased myocardial infarct size in a young rat model of ischemia and reperfusion. These results are consistent with epidemiologic studies demonstrating that SHS increases the health risk to neonates and adolescents.
Expression of VEGF and Semaphorin Genes Define Subgroups of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) are difficult to treat due to a lack of targets and heterogeneity. Inhibition of angiogenesis is a promising therapeutic strategy, but has had limited effectiveness so far in breast cancer. To quantify heterogeneity in angiogenesis-related gene expression in breast cancer, we focused on two families – VEGFs and semaphorins – that compete for neuropilin co-receptors on endothelial cells. We compiled microarray data for over 2,600 patient tumor samples and analyzed the expression of VEGF- and semaphorin-related ligands and receptors. We used principal component analysis to identify patterns of gene expression, and clustering to group samples according to these patterns. We used available survival data to determine whether these clusters had prognostic as well as therapeutic relevance. TNBC was highly associated with dysregulation of VEGF- and semaphorin-related genes; in particular, it appeared that expression of both VEGF and semaphorin genes were altered in a pro-angiogenesis direction. A pattern of high VEGFA expression with low expression of secreted semaphorins was associated with 60% of triple-negative breast tumors. While all TNBC groups demonstrated poor prognosis, this signature also correlated with lower 5-year survival rates in non-TNBC samples. A second TNBC pattern, including high VEGFC expression, was also identified. These pro-angiogenesis signatures may identify cancers that are more susceptible to VEGF inhibition.
Reading the Text in its Worldly Situation: Marxism, Imperialism, and Contemporary Caribbean Women's Literature

If postcolonial critics are to meet the challenge of the new imperialist ideologues, we should heed Said's call to reunite texts with their "worldly situation"â€“one of imperialist conquest and global inequalities. Taking contemporary Caribbean women's literature, my field of expertise, as a reference point (although in this space I can only sketch a general approach), I suggest the usefulness of established marxist categories (imperialism, class, ideology) and critical practice (as informed by Georg LukAics and Raymond Williams) for this project. In so doing I follow the many scholars in the field who hold that historical materialism provides an important corrective to the idealism of postmodernist postcolonialism.
Remediation of Lead Contaminated Soil by EDTA. I. Batch and Column Studies

Extraction using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and other chelates has been demonstrated to be an effective method of removal of Pb from many contaminated soils. However, column leaching of Pb from alkaline soils with EDTA has been problematic due to extremely low soil permeability. The first purpose of this study was to develop batch extraction procedures and methods of analysis of batch extraction data to provide Pb solubility information which can be used to model the column extraction of Pb from soils. The second purpose was to determine the effect of the addition of KOH and CaCl2 to K2H2EDTA extract solution on both hydraulic conductivity and Pb removal. A Pb-contaminated soil sample was collected from an abandoned battery recycling facility. Both batch shaker extractions and column leaching experiments were completed using 5 different EDTA extract solutions. When only CaCl2 was added to EDTA no change in the amount of Pb removed by batch extraction was observed. As expected, lead solubility was observed to decrease as pH was increased by the addition of KOH. However, Pb solubility was only slightly decreased by the addition of both CaCl2 and KOH. The amount of time required to leach 6.0 L of extraction solution through the soil columns varied from 2 to 33 days. The addition of CaCl2 and/or KOH resulted in increased soil hydraulic conductivity relative to the EDTA-only solution. The hydraulic conductivity was related to residual calcium carbonate content, suggesting that dissolution of CaCO3 and subsequent production of CO2 gas in the soil pores was partially responsible for the observed reductions in soil permeability. However, Pb removal was diminished with the addition of CaCl2 and KOH because of the decreased Pb solubility and also kinetic limitations associated with the shorter residence time of the extract solution in the column.
Human herpesvirus 6 infection and associated pathogenesis following bone marrow transplantation

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infections following bone marrow transplantation (BMT) have been shown to be associated with fever, skin rash, graft versus host disease, encephalitis, delay in engraftment, marrow suppression, and pneumonia. Unfortunately several of these studies were case reports and although the results were suggestive they prompted us to study these pathological events systematically. These associations were primarily based on either HHV-6 isolation, HHV-6 DNA detection, antigen detection or increases in HHV-6 specific antibodies. HHV-6 activity was more frequent during the post- rather than the pre-transplantation period. All HHV-6 isolates from BMT patients have been shown to be variant B. A better understanding of HHV-6 associated pathogenesis gained by larger prospective trials is needed to facilitate proper treatment of cases of idiopathic illnesses or those associated with symptoms (fever, skin rash) similar to those caused by HHV-6.
Shareholder Initiative: An Informal Social Choice and Game Theoretic Approach

Current arguments to increase shareholder power in the large public U.S. corporation need to take account of the well-established historical practice of extensive delegation by shareholders of business decision-making and agenda-control to management and the board, what might be characterized as an absolute delegation rule. This practice sharply limits the power of shareholders to put either business or governance proposals to the shareholders for dispositive resolution. The paper, originally published in 1991 but newly relevant, argues that the rule is based on potential pathologies in shareholder voting rather than the inherent information asymmetry between shareholders and managers. Rational shareholders who know of this asymmetry (and know that others know) would simply vote against most shareholder proposals. But shareholder voting gives rise to potential cycling problems, as shifting shareholder majorities vie for preferred policies, and potential opportunism, as shareholders engage in side deals with management and other shareholders to extract rents in corporate decision-making. Since shareholding patterns are in part a response to control rights, deviations from the absolute delegation rule will predictably lead to greater block ownership, for defensive and offensive reasons. These concerns need to be addressed in arguments for the expansion of shareholder power.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the effects of aluminum [18F]fluoride radiolabeling on an integrin αvβ6-specific peptide

Abstract Introduction Incorporation of fluorine-18 ( 18 F) into radiotracers by capturing ionic [ 18 F]-species can greatly accelerate and simplify radiolabeling for this important positron emission tomography (PET) radioisotope. Among the different strategies, the incorporation of aluminum [ 18 F]fluoride (Al[ 18 F] 2+ ) into NOTA chelators has recently emerged as a robust approach to peptide radiolabeling. This study presents Al[ 18 F] 2+ -radiolabeling of an α v β 6 integrin-targeted peptide (NOTA-PEG 28 -A20FMDV2) and its in vitro and in vivo evaluation. Methods Aluminum [ 18 F]fluoride was prepared at r.t. from [ 18 F]fluoride (40 MBq–11 GBq) and introduced into NOTA-PEG 28 -A20FMDV2 ( 1 ) in sodium acetate (pH 4.1; 100°C, 15 min). The radiotracer Al[ 18 F] NOTA-PEG 28 -A20FMDV2 ( 2 ) was purified by HPLC, formulated in PBS and evaluated in vitro (stability; binding and internalization in α v β 6 (+) and α v β 6 (−) cells) and in vivo (paired α v β 6 (+) and α v β 6 (−) xenograft mice: PET/CT, biodistribution, tumor autoradiography and metabolites). Results The radiotracer 2 was prepared in 90±6 min (incl. formulation; n= 3) in 19.3±5.4% decay corrected radiochemical yield (radiochemical purity: >99%; specific activity: 158±36 GBq/μmol) and was stable in PBS and serum (2 h). During in vitro cell binding studies, 2 showed high, α v β 6 -targeted binding (α v β 6 (+): 42.4±1.2% of total radioactivity, ratio (+)/(−) = 8.4/1) and internalization (α v β 6 (+): 28.3±0.5% of total radioactivity, (+)/(−) = 11.7/1). In vivo, 2 maintained α v β 6 -targeted binding (biodistribution; 1 h: α v β 6 (+): 1.74±0.38% ID/g, (+)/(−) = 2.72/1; 4 h: α v β 6 (+): 1.21±0.56% ID/g, (+)/(−) = 4.0/1; 11% intact 2 in tumor at 1 h), with highest uptake around the tumor edge (autoradiography). Most of the radioactivity cleared rapidly in the urine within one hour, but a significant fraction remained trapped in the kidneys (4 h: 229±44% ID/g). Conclusion The Al[ 18 F]/NOTA-based radiolabeling was rapid and efficient, and the radiotracer 2 showed good α v β 6 -selectivity in vitro and in vivo. However, in contrast to A20FMDV2 labeled with covalently bound [ 18 F]-prosthetic groups (e.g., [ 18 F]fluorobenzoic acid), 2 demonstrated significant trapping in kidneys, similar to radiometal-labeled chelator-analogs of 2 .
Creating magnetic field sensors from GMR nanowire networks

Abstract We present an elegant technique for the fabrication of magnetic field sensors based on FeCoNi/Cu multilayer GMR nanowire networks. Using a pulse electrodeposition technique, current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) multilayer GMR nanowires are fabricated inside of nanoporous templates. After GMR nanowires are fabricated, they are suspended in a carrier solution before being transferred to PET plastic substrates using vacuum filtration and a silicone stamp. Using this technique, each template of 4 cm 2 yields nanowires sufficient for a GMR nanowire network coverage of approximately 300 cm 2 . The GMR nanowire network creates magnetic field sensors having the unique attributes of being partially transparent, flexible, and scalable. The electrical sheet resistance of these sensors is on the order of 40 Ω/□. The GMR percentage of the network is 14%, at a magnetic saturation field of 600 mT, at room temperature
Team-Based Learning.

In this chapter, we examine the relationship between the best practices of evidence-based teaching and the principles that constitute team-based learning.
Enantioselective metabolism of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal by brain mitochondria

Trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is a product of lipid peroxidation with many cellular effects. HNE possesses a stereogenic center at the C4 carbon that influences the metabolism and alkylation targets of HNE. We tested the hypothesis that rat brain mitochondria metabolize HNE in an enantioselective manner after exposure to racemic HNE. The study of HNE chirality, however, is hindered by the lack of facile methods to chromatographically resolve (R)-HNE and (S)-HNE. We used a chiral hydrazine, (S)-carbidopa, as a derivatization reagent to form diastereomers with (R)-HNE and (S)-HNE that were separated by reverse-phase HPLC. After exposure to racemic HNE, rat brain mitochondria metabolized HNE enantioselectively with a higher rate of (R)-HNE metabolism. By using the purified enantiomers of HNE, we found that this enantioselective metabolism of HNE was the result of higher rates of enzymatic oxidation of (R)-HNE by aldehyde dehydrogenases compared to (S)-HNE. Conjugation of HNE to glutathione was a minor metabolic pathway and was not enantioselective. These studies demonstrate that the chirality of HNE affects its mitochondrial metabolism and potentially other processes in the central nervous system.
Signifying harassment: Communication, ambiguity and power

This essay reports on phenomenological research conducted with people who describe having been harassed, having been accused of harassment, and/or having mediated or adjudicated harassment disputes. The authors review recent legal conceptions of sexual harassment and articulate a methodology for analyzing individual narrative accounts. The analysis of six selected interviews (three alleged harassers and three declared harassees) depicts how, through discourse with others, persons in ambiguous cases of harassment come to perceive themselves as harassers or harasseesgradually, how intention is inferred from conductcontingently, and how perceptions and expressions are often reified as certainties in the effort to secure some sense of justiceinstitutionally.
Comparative studies of putrescine degradation by microorganisms.

Abstract Eighteen organisms were surveyed for both diamine α-ketoglutarate transaminase activity and diamine oxidase activity. Cell-free extracts and a spectrophotometric method were used. This method was based on the conversion of putrescine to γ-aminobutyraldehyde by either enzyme. The amount of radioactive glutamic acid formed by each bacterial extract exhibiting transaminase activity agreed with a stoichiometric formation of γ-aminobutyraldehyde calculated. Both enzymes were demonstrated in eight of the organisms tested. 4 organisms tested showed only transaminase activity and four showed only oxidase activity. In 5 organisms neither enzyme could be demonstrated. A high level of transaminase activity but no oxidase activity was found in both Escherichia coli and Aerobacter aerogenes which are two related species. Aside from this, the presence or absence of either enzyme did not bear a relationship to taxonomic groupings. The regulation of activity of these enzymes may depend on growth conditions.
Myocardial beta-adrenoceptor densityone month after acute myocardial infarctionpredicts left ventricular volumes at six months

Abstract Objectives To investigate whether myocardial beta-adrenoceptor (beta-AR) downregulation precedes and predicts left ventricular (LV) dilation after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we measured beta-AR density within four weeks of AMI and correlated it with serial measurements of LV volumes. Background Patients who develop heart failure following AMI have an increased sympathetic drive to the heart within the first four weeks after infarction. Methods We prospectively studied 61 patients in whom AMI was the first presentation of coronary artery disease (CAD) and with no signs of heart failure. The LV volumes were measured one, three, and six months after AMI by echocardiography. Beta-AR density was measured using positron emission tomography with S-[11C]CGP 12177. Seventeen matched healthy volunteers served as controls. Results Whole heart beta-AR density was lower in patients than in controls (6.25 ± 0.98 pmol/g vs. 8.32 ± 2.14 pmol/g, p Conclusions Myocardial beta-AR density is reduced after AMI in the absence of heart failure, and the reduction predicts later LV dilation. These data are suggestive of an enhanced sympathetic drive to the heart, having an important etiologic role in LV remodeling after AMI.
Elevated CO2 alters functional attributes of nematode communities in forest soils

Summary 1 We tested the effects of elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO2 on herbivorous nematodes in soil supporting plantations of Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) or Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) trees in FACE experiments in the Eastern USA. We expected any net increase in carbon allocation to the rhizosphere to increase the abundance, biomass or respiration of the nematode community. 2 Data were analysed with effect of CO2 concentration nested within month and year to isolate the maximum potential effect of CO2 treatment on soil nematode communities. 3 Elevated CO2 decreased total abundance of nematodes in both forests, but impacts were greater in Sweet Gum than Loblolly Pine forests. Soil nematode community respiration and biomass increased with elevated CO2 in Loblolly Pine, but decreased with fumigation in Sweet Gum forests. 4 Fungivores were the only trophic group showing a consistent response at both sites, with reduced abundance, biomass and respiration at elevated CO2. 5 Estimated total respiration of soil nematode communities ranged from 2·9–11·2 g C m−2 year−1 in Pine soils and 0·6–4·7 g C m−2 year−1 in Sweet Gum soils, representing ≤1% of net primary production in these forests. 6 Our results indicate that effects of elevated CO2 on soil nematode communities will not necessarily have a simple functional relationship with rhizosphere carbon allocation.
Characteristic adaptations to grazing among algal turfs on a Caribbean coral reef

Tropical reef algal communities are dominated by a component frequently referred to as algal turfs. To study the composition of this turf assemblage, carbonate settling plates were placed in an are...
α-Enhanced Integrated Lick/IDS Spectral Indices and Milky Way and M31 Globular Clusters and Early-Type Galaxies

All 25 Lick/IDS spectral indices have been computed for the integrated light of simple stellar populations over broad ranges of age and metallicity and with effects from horizontal-branch stars fully implemented. Our models employ α-enhanced isochrones at the sub-solar metallicity regime, but solar-scaled ones at solar and super-solar metallicity. We have also employed the updated response functions of Houdashelt et al. at the solar and super-solar metallicity regime, so that we could assess the light-element enhancement phenomena seen from metal-rich early-type galaxies. For Balmer indices a significant response was noted for Hγ and Hδ when α-elements are enhanced, but Hβ is rather α-insensitive. We also find that our 5 and 12 Gyr models of Hγ and Hδ overlap in the metal-poor regime because of changing populations of blue horizontal-branch stars. Furthermore, for populations younger than 1 Gyr, Balmer lines become weaker in the metal-poor regime because the main-sequence turnoff is hotter than 10,000 K. We present models at fixed [Fe/H] (rather than fixed heavy element mass fraction Z) and compare to Milky Way globular clusters that have independently estimated mean [Fe/H] and [α/Fe]. Comparison of our models with observations of Milky Way and M31 globular clusters in index-index space are favorable, tracing the observations at a model age of 12 Gyr without any zero-point shifts that are needed by some other models. The metallicity range of M31 globular clusters is similar to that of their Galactic counterparts. We also verify Beasley et al.'s recent hypothesis of the existence of young and intermediate-age star clusters in M31. Contrary to the literature values, the Milky Way globular cluster NGC 6553 appears more metal-rich than NGC 6528 from metal indices. We present Hδ and Hγ Lick/IDS indices for the Lick/IDS sample of galaxies. We confirm the well-known enhancement of Mg and Na relative to Fe and Ca among early-type galaxies, and its increase with increasing velocity dispersion. There are distinct differences between globular clusters and galaxies in diagrams involving CN1 and CN2, hinting that the globular cluster environment may be a special one in terms of the amount of N incorporated into stars.
Building an effective audit committee

Times have changed. The audit committees of publicly traded firms are now under the gun. Regulators now expect—and shareholders now demand—committees that provide sharp and effective oversight. But how do you build that kind of committee? The author suggests some practical guidelines. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system in women with hemostatic disorders.

Objective To evaluate the use of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in women with known hemostatic disorders and abnormal uterine bleeding. Design Retrospective case series. Setting Tertiary medical center. Patient(s) Women with regular, heavy menstrual bleeding who have von Willebrand's disease and/or are receiving anticoagulation therapy for a thrombotic disorder. Intervention(s) Levonorgestrel intrauterine system. Main Outcome Measure(s) Impact on menstrual bleeding and quality of life. Result(s) Seven women with hemostatic disorders who had used the LNG-IUS were identified. All 7 women completed the survey. Median age was 38 years (range 28–48 years). Six women were white, 1 woman was black. Four women had von Willebrand's disease. Four women were using anticoagulation, 3 warfarin, and 2 aspirin. One woman had both von Willebrand's disease and was heterozygous for factor V Leiden. All 7 women had heavy menstrual bleeding. After placement of the LNG-IUS, a decrease in number of bleeding days was seen in 71% of subjects (5 of 7), with overall median days reduced from 9 to 3 days. One subject discontinued use of the LNG-IUS because she desired pregnancy. Two subjects (29%) had no benefit from the LNG-IUS. Quality of life improved after placement of the LNG-IUS. Conclusion(s) The LNG-IUS seems to be an effective treatment for heavy menses in women with hemostatic disorders. Providers should consider this option for women with hemostatic disorders because it is safe and simple to use.
Refeeding, metabolic rate, and weight gain in anorexia nervosa: A review

Patients with anorexia nervosa require refeeding to restore normal body weight. A variety of studies have examined the role of metabolic rate in the refeeding of anorectic patients. Several measurement techniques have been used to divide metabolic rate into its components: basal metabolic rate, resting energy expenditure, activity-induced thermogenesis, and dietary-induced thermogenesis. In anorexia nervosa patients several consistent findings are present. First, the number of kilocalories required for weight gain or weight maintenance increases as weight increases. Second, over 50% of the body mass gained in anorectic individuals represents fat tissue. Finally, both a history of bulimic symptoms and a higher premorbid body weight may lead to lower calorie requirements. These findings suggest the need for gradual increase in calories provided throughout treatment; resting energy expenditures may aid the determination of caloric requirements
Ultrastructure of metacercarial cysts of six heterophyid trematodes from fish.

The ultrastructure of metacercarial cysts of Ascocotyle sexidigita, A. (Phagicola) diminuta, and Pygidiopsoides spindalis (herein described for the first time) collected from natural hosts in California was compared with that of cysts from A. tenuicollis (also described for the first time), A. pachycystis, and A. leighi collected from natural fish hosts in Mississippi. The results show that none of the cysts studied approximated the thick cyst produced by A. pachycystis, but all cysts comprised several layers of putative glycoprotein except for A. (P.) diminuta, which was associated with a single layer of spongy cyst wall.
Free amino acids reflect impact of selenite-dependent stress on primary metabolism in rat lens.

PURPOSE. A decrease in phase separation temperature, prior to nuclear cataract, has been correlated with elevated free amino acid content. Hence, we determined how selenite-induced stress alters free amino acid pools in the rat lens, following a single subcutaneous dose of sodium selenite (30 nmol g -1 body weight) in 10- to 14-day-old Sprague Dawley rats. RESULTS. Oxidative stress was evident in lenses 24 h after rats were treated with selenite. Glutathione content was decreased by 60% in the lens cortex and nucleus; the flux of glucose through the pentose phosphate pathway was increased; and glycerol-3-phosphate content was elevated. Amino acid transport, evaluated as 14 C-cycloleucine uptake, was not altered, although 14 C-glutamine was oxidized at a slower rate. Lenses from treated animals displayed, among the free amino acids, increased glutamine, proline, serine, glycine and the branched chain amino acids, while aspartate, glutamate, and taurine were less. CONCLUSIONS. A systemic delivery of sodium ...
Chloride secretion by cultures of pig tracheal gland cells

Malfunction of airway submucosal glands contributes to the pathology of cystic fibrosis (CF), and cell cultures of CF human airway glands show defects in Cl− and water transport. Recently, a transg...
CONSISTENT ESTIMATION OF A LIMITING COVARIANCE MATRIX

This paper provides a consistent and positive semi-definite estimator of the limiting covariance matrix of a nonlinear instrumental variable estimator for a nonlinear simultaneous equation model with selectivity studied in Sapra (1989).
Congeners of Nα-acetyl-L-cysteine but not aminoguanidine act as neuroprotectants from the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal

Abstract Increased generation of neurotoxic lipid peroxidation products is proposed to contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Current antioxidant therapies are directed at limiting propagation of brain lipid peroxidation. Another approach would be to scavenge the reactive aldehyde products of lipid peroxidation. N α -acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and aminoguanidine (AG) react rapidly and irreversibly with 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) in vitro, and both have been proposed as potential scavengers of HNE in biological systems. We have compared NAC, AG, and a series of congeners as scavengers of HNE and as neuroprotectants from HNE. Our results showed that while both NAC and AG had comparable chemical reactivity with HNE, only NAC and its congeners were able to block HNE-protein adduct formation in vitro and in neuronal cultures. Moreover, NAC and its congeners, but not AG, effectively protected brain mitochondrial respiration and neuronal microtubule structure from the toxic effects of HNE. We conclude that NAC and its congeners, but not AG, may act as neuroprotectants from HNE.
Degenerative changes of the trapeziometacarpal joint: radiologic assessment.

The trapeziometacarpal joint is particularly prone to osteoarthritis due to the great amount of stress applied with everyday activities with the hands. In this essay, radiologic assessment and staging of “basal joint” osteoarthritis, treatments based on radiologic staging and intraoperative findings, and surgical complications are described.
Osteoporosis prevention in college women: application of the expanded health belief model.

OBJECTIVE: To examine personal characteristics and expanded health belief model (EHBM) constructs associated with the practice of osteoporosis-protective behaviors among a random sample of nontraditional college women. METHODS: A valid and reliable written mail questionnaire assessing osteoporosis knowledge, EHBM constructs, weight-bearing exercise (EX), and dietary calcium intake (CA) was completed by 273 women. RESULTS: A high proportion of women did not meet current guidelines for EX (50.7%) or CA (67.8%). Exercise self-efficacy and barriers to exercise were the best predictors of overall EX and CA behaviors. CONCLUSION: The EHBM was useful in predicting EX and CA.
Determination of Hydrogen Sulfide in Heated Milks by Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Headspace Analysis

Abstract A rapid, accurate method for detecting and measuring hydrogen sulfide production during processing of milk products was developed. A gas-liquid chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector and a Teflon column containing 40/60 mesh Haloport-F treated with 12% polyphenyl ether and .5% orthophos-phoric acid was used for hydrogen sulfide analysis. Headspace sampling was accomplished by adding 10ml of water to the milk sample, forcing headspace vapors into a 6-port sampling valve attached to the chromatograph. A 1-ml vapor sample was flushed into the column for analysis. As little as 10 μ g of hydrogen sulfide/ml of milk were detected. Instrumental responses were compared to sensory evaluation of several heated milk samples. A correlation was established between hydrogen sulfide in milk headspace and the degree of cooked flavor determined organoleptically.
Biogeochemical characteristics of wetlands developed after strip mining for coal

Abstract Since the costly practice of toxic spoil burial and topsoil replacement during surface mine reclamation are mandated by law, it has become feasible to consider creation of constructed wetlands for wildlife habitat as an alternative mined land reclamation practice on active or abandoned mine sites. This is also a novel approach for metigation of lost natural wetland in the past. Implementation of this concept will require proper baseline information from the biogeochemical properties of constructed wetlands developed on surface mined sites. Baseline data were collected from two wetlands developed on strip mined sites in Alabama. We took samples from each wetland in April and September 1992. Since the naturalization of these wetlands with regard to the spatial variabilities within each wetland were the main objective of this work, a natural wetland developed on undisturbed soil was sampled at the same time so that it could be used as a reference to wetlands developed on disturbed soils. The natural...
Prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke and childhood externalizing behavioral problems: a propensity score matching approach

We examined the possibility that the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood behavioral problems is the result of confounding. Data from the first three waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study were analyzed. We estimated the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and externalizing problems in three-year olds using a propensity score matching approach. After successfully matching children based on their mother's propensities to smoke during pregnancy, the results indicate that maternal cigarette smoking is related to childhood externalizing behavioral problems, but only among mothers who smoked more than a pack per day while pregnant. At lower levels of exposure, the association between exposure to cigarette smoke in utero and externalizing behavioral problems in childhood can be explained by confounding. The results of this study support prevention efforts intended to reduce prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke, especially by mothers who smoke hea...
Psychology and Values

Gordon Allport's contribution to psychology was infused with value-related issues and exemplified ways in which psychology as a science contributes to the clarification of values. Values as conceptions of the desirable are at risk of attrition into mere preferences. Skinner would so reduce them. In application to personality (“mental health”), evaluative perspectives have not successfully crossed the barrier between fact and value. Nor has Piagetian developmentalism (Kohlberg, Loe-vinger). No frontal assault on it works. Yet psychology can participate legitimately and has participated in the dialectic of value controversy. The social role of Allport's The Nature of Prejudice is cited as a model for psychology's dialectical role in social, historical process.
Decentralized guidance and control for spacecraft formation flying using virtual leader configuration

This paper proposes a novel guidance and control scheme for decentralized spacecraft formation flying on SE(3) via virtual leader configuration. The configuration space for a spacecraft modeled as a rigid body is the Lie group SE(3), which is the set of positions and orientations of the spacecraft moving in three-dimensional Euclidean space. A combined guidance and feedback control law in continuous time for the full (translational and rotational) motion of a rigid body under the influence of external disturbance is designed. The guidance scheme aims to reach a final relative configuration according to the desired formation where the relative configuration is described in terms of the exponential coordinates on SE(3). The control law then obtains the desired trajectory leading to the desired formation. The stability of the feedback control system is analyzed. Numerical simulation results demonstrates that the control law can effectively perform a decentralized formation flying for a selected rigid spacecraft formation between three spacecraft.
A HPLC method for the quantitation of propafenone and 5-hydroxy propafenone

This paper presents a method for the simultaneous detection of propafenone and 5-hydroxypropafenone (5-OH propafenone) using HPLC. The method is sensitive, selective, and reproducible. The chromatographic separation is based on a 25×0.4 cm 5 μm ODS column, a mobil phase of 0.1 M potassium phosphate (K2HPO4) buffer (pH 2.5) and acetonitrile (63∶37), and UV absorbance detection. There is excellent intra- and interassay variation. Retention times of the internal standard, propafenone, and 5-OH propafenone are 4.3, 6.0 and 2.9 minutes respectively. This method shows linearity over the therapeutic range for propafenone and 5-OH propafenone (0.15 to 3.0 μg/ml and 0.075 to 1.5 μg/ml respectively). No interference has been found from other commonly administered drugs, including several antiarrhythmic drugs, at therapeutic levels.
Hemostatic markers are associated with the risk and prognosis of atrial fibrillation: the ARIC study.

Background Various hemostatic markers are associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease; however, limited information exists on their relationship with the occurrence and prognosis of atrial fibrillation (AF).
Understanding the effects of task-specific practice in the brain: Insights from individual-differences analyses

We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study practice effects in different mental imagery tasks. The study was designed to address three general questions: First, are the results of standard group-based analyses the same as those of a regression method in which brain activation changes over individual participants are used to predict task performance changes? With respect to the effects of practice, the answer was clear: Group-based analyses produced different results from regression-based individual-differences analyses. Second, are all brain areas that predict practice effects consistently activated across participants? Again, the answer was clear: Most areas that predicted the effects of practice on performance were not activated consistently over participants. Finally, does practice affect different areas in different ways for different people in different tasks? The answer was again clear: The areas that predicted changes in performance with practice varied for the different tasks, but this was more dramatically and clearly revealed by the individual-differences analyses. In short, individual-differences analyses provided insights into the relation between changes in brain activation and changes in accompanying performance, and these insights were not provided by standard group-based analyses.
Controls on the origin of the Devonian-Mississippian oil and gas shales, east-central United States

Abstract An abundance of organic matter, development of bottom anoxia in a stratified water column, and absence of major clastic dilution are the principal factors controlling the accumulation of organic-rich black shales. During the Devonian and Early Mississippian, such shales became abundant across much of east-central United States, apparently controlled by a unique coincidence of paleoclimatic, paleogeographic and tectonic factors. Like most major black-shale depositional episodes, Devonian-Mississippian deposits were formed during a time of global transgressive and greenhouse states. During this time, the east-central United States was located in the subtropical trade-wind belt where marine and terrestrial organic productivity would have been high and where surface waters would rarely have become cool enough to overturn and disrupt the water stratification necessary to generate bottom anoxia. Location in the trade-wind belt may also have enhanced upwelling which would have increased organic productivity and the likelihood of anoxia. Perhaps most importantly, however, black-shale deposition coincided with early phases of tectonism, when, because of rapid deformational loading in the orogen, subsidence in the adjacent Appalachian foreland basin far outstripped sedimentation. In the resulting deep-water conditions, water stratification and accompanying anoxia were soon established. Because most of the deformational load at this stage was subaqueous, there was no major source of clastic dilution, so that clastic starvation prevailed and largely organic-rich sediments accumulated. Thus hydrocarbon source beds of broad extent like the Devonian-Mississippian black shales, are rarely attributable to a single cause. They typically result from a complex interplay of factors unique to a given time and place.
Deglaciation and postglacial timberline in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Lake Emma, which no longer exists because of a mining accident, was a tarn in a south-facing cirque near the headwaters of the Animas River in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. During the Pinedale glaciation, this area was covered by a large transection glacier centered over the Lake Emma region. Three radiocarbon dates on basal organic sediment from Lake Emma indicate that by ca. 15,000 yr B.P. this glacier, one of the largest in the southern Rocky Mountains, no longer existed. Twenty-two radiocarbon dates on Picea and Abies krummholz fragments in the Lake Emma deposits indicate that from ca. 9600 to 7800 yr B.P., from 6700 to 5600 yr B.P., and at 3100 yr B.P. the krummholz limit was at least 70 m higher than present. These data, in conjunction with Picea:Pinus pollen ratios from both the Lake Emma site and the Hurricane Basin site of J. T. Andrews, P. E. Carrara, F. B. King, and R. Struckenrath (1975, Quaternary Research 5, 173–197) suggest than from ca. 9600 to 3000 yr B.P. timberline in the San Juan Mountains was higher than present. Cooling apparently began ca. 3000 yr B.P. as indicated by decreases in both the percentage of Picea pollen and Picea:Pinus pollen ratios at the Hurricane Basin site (Andrews et al., 1975). Cooling is also suggested by the lack of Picea or Abies fragments younger than 3000 yr B.P. at either the Lake Emma or the Hurricane Basin site.
You think you know me.

TRAUMA, Shapiro / YOU VIOLENCE, THINK YOU & ABUSE KNOW / January ME YOU THINK YOU KNOW ME You think you know me but you don’t You think you know how to help me but you don’t. Does he hit you? you wonder I don’t want to sound like our former president but I have to ask What do you mean by “hit”? Because it’s true he can be rough but it’s not like he’s beaten me to a pulp. You have to leave, you insist as if I’m the problem, a trespasser in my own house. Where am I supposed to go? To a shelter, like some homeless person? Plan an escape route, you urge which is ridiculous Whoever heard of anybody trying to escape from the place she’s lived her entire adult life the place her children were born? It’s not like I’m a prisoner, you know. It’s not your fault, you say But how do you know? Have you ever seen me when I’m mean-mad, when I provoke him beyond reason, beyond control? You’ve never seen me like that and you better hope you never will. He has no right, you argue and that’s true It’s not like it’s in the Constitution or anything But then he says abortion isn’t really in the Constitution either and women still do it whenever they want for their own selfish reasons So who’s to say really what’s a right and what’s not? Does he hurt the children? you worry and I have to laugh As a matter of fact, he adores those kids He’d do just about anything for them as long as they behave themselves And he’s a very good provider he really is. And when I try to explain how that man comes on his bended knees to me and is sincerely repentant and you say It’s just part of the pattern Then I know you’ll never understand me because when he holds me and kisses me and tells me he is sorry truly sorry Then at that moment I am the most cherished woman in the world and I am loved as I never have been before and never will be again in all my miserable, pathetic life. Johanna Shapiro TRAUMA, VIOLENCE, & ABUSE, Vol. 7, No. 1, January 2006 61-63 DOI: 10.1177/1524838005282865 © 2006 Sage Publications Downloaded from tva.sagepub.com at UNIV CALIFORNIA IRVINE on December 16, 2014
Linking electrophoretic resolution with experimental conditions

Previously, we described a quantitative measure of electrophoretic resolution called resolving power that can be computed for individual bands of DNA separated by electrophoresis. An alternate approach is to determined analytical functions, based on a few experimentally determined parameters, that describe the resolving power of a particular electrophoretic system for al of the length classes of resolving power of a particular electrophoretic system for all of the length classes of molecules that are separated. Such analytical functions have been obtained for single-stranded DNA separated in a polyacrylamide gel and detected at a fixed distance from the origin of electrophoresis. Six experimentally determined constants are required to describe the analytical function for resolving power in this system: four constants describe the mobility of DNA in the gel as a function of molecular length, and two describe the width of the bands as a function of the length of molecular length. One of our goals is to develop systematic methods of improving the resolving power of longer molecules, and hence extending the number of bases that can be determined in a single sequencing experiment. Our approach is to determine how the small number of parameters that describe resolving power depend on experimentally controllably conditions. Knowing such relationships should permit systematic selection of combinations of experimental conditions that improve resolving power. Here, we show the relationship between the four parameters describing DNA mobility as a function of molecular length for systematic variations of gel composition and electric field strength. The data set employed is for double-stranded DNA separated in agarose gels, but the principles are similar to those encountered in DNA sequencing studies.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Entertaining Features in the Teaching of Modern Languages

A few practical methods of making the classroom procedure more stimulating and enjoyable are presented in this article.)
Thermal reactions and micro-structure of TiN–AlN layered nano-composites

Abstract Bilayer and multilayer structures of TiN and AlN thin films were synthesized using pulsed laser deposition technique in a substrate temperature range 300–700°C. The chemical reactions at TiN–AlN interfaces and the formation of different alloy phases were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was observed that TiN–AlN interface remains sharp and stable for deposition temperatures up to ∼650°C. At higher deposition temperatures, however, substantial chemical reactions were found to occur. The ternary alloy phases such as Ti 3 Al 2 N 2 and Ti 3 AlN have been observed, for the first time. The composites synthesized at temperatures lower than 650°C and subsequently annealed at higher temperature were found to exhibit very limited or no interfacial chemical reactions. The effect of layer thickness on the microstructure is also studied. The studies revealed that by controlling the thickness of individual layers and substrate temperatures, it was possible to control microstructure and obtain composite coatings consisting of ternary Ti–Al–N alloy phases. The results are discussed in terms of characteristic features of pulsed laser ablation process in which evaporated flux contains energetic ions, electrons and neutral particles. Preliminary nano-indentation measurements and oxidation measurements reveal that these composites possess desirable mechanical properties at high temperatures.
Understanding variability in hospital-specific costs of coronary artery bypass grafting represents an opportunity for standardizing care and improving resource use

Background This study was undertaken to examine interhospital variability in inpatient costs of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify isolated CABGs performed between 2005 and 2008 in the United States. Charges for inpatient care were supplied by the data set, and hospital charge-to-cost ratios were used to derive inpatient costs for each patient and aggregated at the hospital level. Mixed-effect linear regression models were created to evaluate variability in costs between hospitals adjusting for 34 patient, operative, complication, and hospital-related variables. Results A total of 633 hospitals performed isolated CABG in 183,973 patients. In unadjusted analysis, there was significant baseline variability in average inpatient costs of CABG between hospitals (SD, $12,130; P P Conclusions There is a wide variation in the cost of performing CABG in the United States. We determined that individual hospital centers, independent of multiple patient- and outcome-specific factors, are drivers of these differences. Comparison of hospital-specific behavior with identification of the causes of cost discrepancies represents an opportunity for standardization of care and improvement in resource use.