cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do Ratings of Swallowing Function Differ by Videofluoroscopic Rate? An Exploratory Analysis in Patients After Acute Stroke

Abstract Objective To determine differences between continuous videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) with a pulse rate and frame rate of 30 and the same swallows reduced to 15 frames per second (fps) on measures of swallowing function in patients after acute ischemic stroke. Design Blinded comparison. Setting Acute hospital. Participants Patients after ischemic stroke (N=20). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Single and sequential sips of thin liquids, single sips of nectar liquids, pudding, and cookie boluses were rated on measures of timing of swallowing events, Modified Barium Swallowing Impairment Profile component scores, and Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores. The ratings for videos at 15 fps and 30 fps were compared by Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Results Pharyngeal transit time was longer and bolus entry into the hypopharynx was later for 30 fps than for 15 fps. Components of Oral Residue and Pharyngoesophageal Segment Opening ratings were more severe for 15 fps than 30 fps, whereas Bolus Transport and Initiation of Pharyngeal Swallow were rated as more severe for 30 fps than for 15 fps. There was no difference between 30 fps and 15 fps on the remaining measures, including Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores. Conclusion Continuous VFSS recorded at 30 fps and their down-sampled 15 fps duplicates yielded contrasting results on certain durational and functional measures of swallowing, though not on others. VFSS should be administered continuously or at 30 pulses per second for valid assessment of swallowing while using other methods to reduce radiation exposure.
SRC: transferring scale-independent features to support multi-scale object recognition with deep convolutional neural network

Object detection is an essential remote sensing data application that attempts to detect and recognize semantically meaningful instances from complicated context and background [1]. Recently, a great number of works have reported that the state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks (CNNs), significantly facilitates automatically detecting a predefined class of object from high resolution aerial or satellite imageries [2]. However, different from the object in a photo, the objects in remote sensing imageries are always represented by largely varied scale or spatial resolution. Scale has become a critical attribute for recognizing an object from aerial or satellite imagery [3]. Up to now, the state-of-the-art DCNNs for object detection requires predefined scale, which produces a big challenge to automatically adjust the representative scale for an object on the ground [3-4].
Roles and Counterroles within the Family

In man, social systems are functions of interacting biologic systems. However, we, as humans, would not be capable of considering biologic systems without tools, language, and concept formations that are imposed on our biologic systems by social systems.
A Dual Fluorescent 3-D Multicellular Coculture of Breast Cancer MCF-7 and Fibroblast NIH-3T3 Cells for High Throughput Cancer Drug Screening

Abstract Tumor microenvironment plays a vital role in tumor progression, metastasis and aggressiveness. The interaction between tumor and surrounding stromal cells, especially fibroblasts, is closely related to antitumor drug sensitivity. We developed a novel 3-dimensional (3D) multicellular tumor model with the coculture of breast cancer MCF-7 and mouse fibroblast NIH-3T3 cells simulating the in vivo tumor microenvironment for cancer drug screening. MCF-7 and NIH-3T3 cells were engineered to express enhanced green fluorescent protein and red fluorescence protein, respectively. These cells were cocultured in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibrous matrices as 3D scaffolds in microbioreactors modified from a 384-well plate, and their growth was monitored in real time by the dual fluorescence signals measured with a plate reader. The 3D coculture was used to evaluate cytotoxicity or IC50 of three antitumor drugs: tamoxifen, oxaliplatin and cisplatin. In general, the drug resistance or IC50 of MCF-7 increased significantly when cocultured with NIH-3T3. These drugs also showed lower cytotoxicity to NIH-3T3 cells, versus MCF-7 cells, confirming that they are cancer-specific agents and relatively harmless to non-cancerous cells. The dual fluorescence 3D coculture assay can provide a reliable high throughput platform for screening cancer drugs whose efficacy may be impacted by fibroblasts in tumor stroma.
A Foundation for Change: Using Challenges and Opportunities as Building Blocks for Collection Management

Large-scale collection management represents not just opportunities in terms of space, budgets, and personnel but also an important responsibility for the library’s ability to provide quality servi...
Active surveillance for patients with very low‐risk thyroid cancer

Over the past 30 years in the United States, increasing identification of small thyroid nodules has led to a dramatic rise in the detection of small thyroid cancers, many of which are unlikely to progress to overt clinical disease. Because autopsy studies reveal that up to 30% of people harbor clinically occult thyroid cancers, the growing use of diagnostic technologies has identified an increasing number of small, clinically low risk papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs). In recent years, clinical practice has evolved to de-intensify the treatment for PTCs, with fewer total thyroidectomy and nodal dissection procedures being performed, in favor of more limited operations. In addition, vigilant observation of selected low risk cancers has demonstrated outcomes comparable to those patients who undergo immediate surgical intervention. Active surveillance has emerged as a new option within the treatment algorithm of PTCs. There is now robust data from cancer centers in Japan and Korea which have reported excellent oncologic outcomes among patients undergoing active surveillance for PTC, as well as more recent, similar data from the United States. American Thyroid Association guidelines now include the option of active surveillance for appropriately selected patients with low-risk PTC. With active surveillance now one option within the standard of care for patients with certain thyroid cancers, surgeons have become critical to facilitating shared decision-making for patients facing this diagnosis.
Cost-Effectiveness of Immediate Ventricular Assist Device Implantation in Children with Inotrope-Dependent Heart Failure

Purpose Ventricular assist devices (VADs) have improved wait list survival in children with end-stage heart failure. However, questions remain about the optimal timing of VAD implantation. In this cost-effectiveness analysis, we compared immediate intracorporeal continuous VAD implantation to a watchful waiting approach using continuous inotropic therapy. Methods Using a Markov model, we simulated a cohort of pediatric patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. We used a monthly cycle and 20-year time horizon. We estimated cost and benefits (in terms of quality-adjusted life years, QALYs) from a healthcare perspective discounted at 3% per year. Transition probabilities, costs, and utility weights were taken from published and grey literature, which we supplemented with expert opinion where there were gaps. We calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and performed one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) using 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations to understand the impact of parameter uncertainty in the main findings. Cost variables were assigned gamma distributions, while transition probabilities and utilities were assigned beta distributions. Results In a base case analysis, the incremental costs and benefits of immediate intracorporeal continuous VAD implantation compared to medical management was $221,269 (2017 US$) and 0.21 QALYs, respectively, resulting in an ICER of $1.04 million per QALY. One-way sensitivity analysis found that the discount rate, the probability of heart transplant among patients on VAD and medical management, and the cost of VAD implantations exerted the most influence on the ICER, though varying any of the parameters to their lowest and highest values did not bring the ICER close a $100,000 per QALY willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold. The PSA showed a 3% chance of immediate VAD implantation to be cost-effective at a WTP of $500,000 per QALY and a 36% chance at $1 million per QALY. Conclusion Though VADs provide a net health benefit as a bridge to transplant, immediate implantation in children with inotrope-dependent heart failure is not likely to be a cost-effective strategy compared to medical management based on commonly used ICER thresholds. Future analyses should explore the cost-effectiveness of VAD implantation in children with other disease states, diagnoses and device types.
Feeding the World: Brazil's Transformation into a Modern Agricultural Economy; Agribusiness and the Neoliberal Food System in Brazil: Frontiers and Fissures of Agro-Neoliberalism

Herbert S. Klein and Francisco Vidal Luna. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2018. xvii and 451 pp., maps, tables, figures, notes, bibliography, index. $32.99 paper (ISBN 9781108460972), $9...
Methodologies to mitigate wind-induced vibration of tall buildings: A state-of-the-art review

Abstract This paper reviews the state-of-the-art and –practice on various methodologies developed to control the wind-induced vibration of tall buildings. Tall buildings experience wind-induced vibration in the along- and across-wind directions depending on the wind direction, building shape, height, and structural properties. It is possible to control the wind response of buildings through passive, active, and semi-active systems. Damping systems, which are widely used to reduce the structural vibrations, are reviewed, and their performance in alleviating the building vibration is discussed. It was found that the application of conventional dampers needs to be reassessed to ensure their efficiency in dissipating the energy, especially caused by wind loads. Specific attention has been given to the aerodynamic modification of building shapes considering their effectiveness and high popularity within the wind engineering community. A comprehensive review of the existing wind tunnel experiment and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies are conducted here to present the past and recent achievements on the response mitigation of tall buildings. A comparative study on the performance of different systems has been provided that can provide a point to commence from for future studies. The existing challenges and their solutions are explained, and suggestions for future studies are proposed. It is expected that the information provided in this paper will facilitate further research in the area of vibration mitigation of tall buildings under wind events.
Stability of ripple events during task engagement in human hippocampus

Abstract Periods of cognitive disengagement, such as rest or sleep, are thought to support the progressive consolidation of episodic memories. During these states, the hippocampus displays transient high-frequency oscillatory bursts, known as ripples, which are thought to promote interactions with the neocortex, consolidating memory traces. More recent findings have suggested ripples in the human hippocampus may also occur during task engagement, particularly for tasks requiring episodic memory processes. However, it is unclear if hippocampal ripples occur during other cognitive states or whether ripple properties are modulated by specific types of task demands. In addition, identifying genuine hippocampal ripple events in the human brain can be methodological challenging. To address these questions, we used intracranial recordings from the human hippocampus to quantify ripple events across perceptual, memory and resting task states. Using spectro-temporal identification of hippocampal ripples, we observed highly similar ripple event properties across tasks, with a modest yet significant increase in ripple properties (rate, duration & amplitude) during resting task states. These ripple event attributes did not differ between hemisphere, nor across or within the time of day examined. Supporting data further highlighted that while hippocampal ripples occurred during all task states, these rates were typically lower than that observed during sleep. Together, these findings highlight that hippocampal ripples occur consistently, but sparsely, during a broad range of cognitive task states. Such findings may be incorporated into existing models of systems consolidation, whereby hippocampal ripples help to initially establish latent memory traces.
Prediction of lack-of-fusion porosity in laser powder-bed fusion considering boundary conditions and sensitivity to laser power absorption

This paper proposes an analytical modeling method for the prediction of lack-of-fusion porosity of parts fabricated by laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF), with the consideration of boundary heat transfer and sensitivity to laser power absorption. The temperature distribution of the part was first predicted by an analytical thermal model, which consists of a linear heat source solution and a heat sink solution. The temperature increase due to laser power input was calculated by the point moving heat source solution. The temperature drop due to thermal conduction, convection, and radiation at part boundaries was calculated by the heat sink solution. The coefficient of laser power absorption was inversely obtained by comparing predicted molten pool widths with experimental measurements. The lack-of-fusion area was then calculated by plotting molten pool shapes of multi-tracks and multi-layers on a transverse cross-sectional area of the part. The powder bed porosity was calculated by an advancing front method with the consideration of powder size distribution and packing pattern. Finally, the lack-of-fusion porosity was obtained by multiplying the lack-of-fusion area with powder bed porosity. The predicted results were close to the measurements of Ti6Al4V in LPBF. The maximum deviation for porosity prediction is 5.91%. The presented model shows high computational efficiency without relying on iteration-based numerical method. The computational time for five consecutive layers is less than 100 s. The acceptable accuracy, short computational time, and the ability to consider complex boundary effects make the proposed method a good basis for future research and a promising tool for optimization of process parameters in LPBF of complex parts.
Opportunities and challenges in studying air pollution and pregnancy loss

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pregnancy loss is common (spontaneous abortion/miscarriage: 30%, stillbirth: 1%) but its cause is largely unknown. Air pollution has a wide range of reproductive health effects ...
A Wearable Meter That Actively Monitors the Continuity of E-Textile Circuits as They Are Sewn

The e-textile landscape has enabled creators to combine textile materiality with electronic capability. However, the tools that e-textile creators use have been adapted from traditional textile or hardware tools. This puts creators at a disadvantage, as e-textile projects present new and unique challenges that currently can only be addressed using a non-specialized toolset. This paper introduces the first iteration of a wearable e-textile debugging tool to assist novice engineers in problem solving e-textile circuitry errors. These errors are often only detected after the project is fully built and are resolved only by disassembling the circuit. Our tool actively monitors the continuity of the conductive thread as the user stitches, which enables the user to identify and correct circuitry errors as they create their project.
In the Dark on the Sunny Side: A Memoir of an Out-of-Sight Mathematician

Prologue 1. Uncle Al's truss 2. A quantum moment 3. Louis and the problem of sixty-three 4. A cane mutiny 5. Pinocchio becomes a real boy 6. Aunt Mildred and the circle of fifths 7. Scarlet ribbons 8. Dauntless courage 9. The age of enlightenment 10. Baggett v. Bullitt, and all that jazz 11. Publish or perish, my best work 12. The renaissance 13. 'So how'd that all work out for you?' Epilogue.
Theatre in the Expanded Field: Seven Approaches to Performance by Alan Read (review)

This book concerns the relationship between performance studies and theatre studies, treated through seven approaches: “Pre-Historical and Archaeological,” “Pastoral and Anthropological,” Theological and Historical,” Digital and Technological,” Psychological and Legal,” “Social and Sensible,” “Tactical and Critical.” Wide-ranging in reference and dynamic in argument: recommended for advanced students and professional scholars.
Managing the Paradoxes of Discussion Pedagogy.

AbstractDiscussion pedagogy is part of a larger curricular goal that intersects the two aspirations of diversity of perspectives and democratic inquiry in that it challenges stereotypes and assumptions through student discourse. Yet, teaching with discussion is a complex and sometimes ambiguous endeavor that leaves instructors feeling pulled between desirable, but seemingly contradictory, goals. This article discusses these paradoxes of instructional choices and student outcomes that instructors may negotiate through polarity management, a theoretical framework that focuses on values that are diametrically opposed, yet interdependent upon each other. Implications of polarity management for discussion pedagogy are highlighted.
Neurological Diseases: Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is the use of nucleic acids as drugs. This type of genetic pharmacology can be used to treat either inherited (e.g. Huntington disease) or mainly sporadic (e.g. Parkinson disease) neurological diseases. Keywords: viral vectors; neurodegeneration; brain tumors; clinical trials in neurology; growth factors
The non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism: An elementary introduction

The non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism provides a sound conceptual basis for the development of quantitative models for quantum transport. The purpose of this talk is to present a simple intuitive discussion of the NEGF equations illustrating the basic physics.
Proteomic Profiling of Acute Stroke Patients Post IV Thrombolysis: Mapping tPA Efficacy in Real Time (S15.005)

Objective/Background: While highly efficacious, the utilization of IV tPA remains low. The ability to monitor tPA response in patients9 blood in real time can triage and individualized clinical care, where currently we primarily use a one-size-fits-all time window and therapeutic dosing. We aim to widen the therapeutic window for tPA and guide clinical decision making, by understanding clinical thrombolysis response, especially in light of other novel anticoagulants. Besides its intended role in clot lysis, tPA is also a pleiotrophic signaling protease in the blood, whose efficacy may potentially be monitored by proteomic profiles directly in stroke patients. Method/Results: To study thrombolysis response, we performed proteomic analysis of tPA patients’ plasma pre and post IV tPA in acute ischemic stroke patients. Plasma was sampled from stroke patients before and 6-12hrs after tPA administration. Of more than 200 proteins found, 24% changed significantly post tPA. Compared to pre-tPA levels, we found significantly increased post-tPA levels of thrombolysis-related proteins such as gamma fibrinogen subunits, α-2-antiplasmin, and a decrease in other fibrinogen specific subunits etc. Changes were also found in factors outside of standard thrombolytic pathways, such as CD14, and α-2-macroglobulin etc. A composite individual profile can be mapped for tPA response. Conclusion: In order to study thrombolysis response and monitor efficacy at the bedside, we mapped proteomic changes of IV tPA responders and found a coordinated change not only in known pathways, but also in other novel proteolytic peptides in patient plasma. Thrombolysis-specific fibrinogen subunits and other factors can be utilized to gauge IV tPA-related clinical outcome and perhaps help to adjust dosing and monitor interaction with other anitcoagulants. These early results are a step toward monitoring clinical thrombolysis response in acute stroke patients in real time. Further studies are under way to compare plasma profiles of tPA-treated stroke patients with respect to different clinical outcome. Study Supported by: NIH/NINDS and Genentech Disclosure: Dr. Ning has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lopez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sarracino has nothing to disclose. Dr. McMullin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Buonanno has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lo has nothing to disclose.
Trace Element Biology: The Knowledge Base and its Application for the Nutrition of Individuals and Populations

Impressive strides are being made in the understanding of trace element metabolism and function. This is underscored by the many contributions in these proceedings. However, not so impressive are: i) the precise recognition of mild trace element deficiencies and how to establish their functional consequences, possibly confounded by concurrent trace element inadequacies, are difficult to assess, ii) approaches to the quantitative determination of requirements for trace elements remain unsatisfactory and archaic, in so many ways, iii) our understanding of the extent of the biological basis for the variation in requirements among apparently similar individuals is poor, and iv) much needs to be leamed about the quantitative extent to which genetic, epigenetic and dietary factors interact to determine the nutritional phenotype. Some ideas are presented as to how we might embrace, in the context of a reconstructive approach, the exciting new knowledge and related techniques emerging during the postgenome era and develop new paradigms for assessing trace element needs and status, and for establishing effective nutrient intake under different conditions of complex genotype-environment interactions. Metabolites are functional cellular entities and I also urge a vigorous application of metabolomics and of metabolic profiling that is closely linked with genomics, proteomics, trace element kinetics and system analysis, as components of the new integrative paradigm. We need to understand the system and its strategy, not only the molecular details of its component parts and its individual controls. An interdisciplinary research and teaching enterprise will be necessary to best achieve this aim. All of this is related to our common goal to promote, through expanded biological knowledge and its effective application, the enhanced role of trace elements for human well-being.
Type 2 diabetes susceptibility single-nucleotide polymorphisms are not associated with polycystic ovary syndrome

Two cohorts of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), comprising 400 probands and affected sisters in 365 families and a case-control group including 395 women with PCOS and 171 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles, were studied to determine whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified as susceptibility loci in genomewide association studies of type 2 diabetes are also associated with PCOS. None of the 18 allelic variants in 10 genes previously shown to be associated with type 2 diabetes were found to be associated with PCOS, but some were associated with indices of beta cell function.
Indigenous soil properties influencing the availability of Fe in calcareous hot spots

Abstract Iron deficiency associated with sorghum or soybean is frequently observed as a localized chlorosis of variable extent and severity, commonly referred to as a “hot spot”;, within the field. In this study, 31 paired soil samples representing the chlorotic and adjacent non‐chlorotic areas from three major geographic regions of Texas were taken and examined with respect to the carbonate, organic matter and iron oxide phases, along with particle size distribution, pH, alkalinity, and extractable P. A greenhouse study was conducted and 3‐week old sorghum seedlings were visually evaluated and chemically analyzed for Fe uptake. Statistical analyses showed different parameters to be related to chlorosis in the three geographic regions. In the coastal bend area of Texas the majority of hot spot soils were associated with localized areas of CaCO3‐rich surface horizons surrounded by soils which had generally non‐calcareous surface horizons. Amorphous Fe oxide content was negatively correlated with the incide...
Discovery of native metal ion sites located on the ferredoxin docking side of photosystem I

Photosystem I (PSI) is a large membrane protein that catalyzes light-driven electron transfer across the thylakoid membrane from plastocyanin located in the lumen to ferredoxin in the stroma. Metal analysis reveals that PSI isolated from the cyanobacterial membranes of Synechococcus leopoliensis has a near-stoichiometric 1 molar equiv of Zn2+ per PSI monomer and two additional surface metal ion sites that favor Cu2+ binding. Two-dimensional hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy reveals coupling to the so-called remote nitrogen of a single histidine coordinated to one of the Cu2+ centers. EPR and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) studies of 2Cu?PSI complexes reveal the direct interaction of ferredoxin with the Cu2+ centers on PSI, establishing the location of native metal sites on the ferredoxin docking side of PSI. On the basis of these spectroscopic results and previously reported site-directed mutagenesis studies, inspection of the PSI crystal structure reveals a cluster of three highly conserved residues, His(D95), Glu(D103), and Asp(C23), as a likely Cu2+ binding site. The discovery of surface metal sites on the acceptor side of PSI provides a unique opportunity to probe the stromal region of PSI and the interactions of PSI with its reaction partner, the soluble electron carrier protein ferredoxin.
Transient Target Patterns in Phase Separating Filled Polymer Blends

Recent simulations suggest that the presence of filler particles in a phase separating blend can induce the development of composition waves having the symmetry of the filler particles. We investigate these predictions through atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements on ultrathin (L ≈ 100 nm) polystyrene and poly(vinyl methyl ether) blend films containing a low concentration of model filler particles (silica particles having a nominal diameter ≈100 nm). The filled blend films were spun-cast on acid-cleaned silica wafers, and phase separation was induced by a temperature jump into the two-phase region (T ≈145 °C) of the bulk polymer blend. By rinsing off the polymer film with solvent, we show that the silica particles are associated with the substrate so that the filler particles represent a quenched disorder perturbation of the film phase separation. The presence of the filler particles leads to the development of circular composition waves (“target patterns”) about the filler particles during the inter...
The mobility of ethyl acetate in poly(vinylidene fluoride): rheo-photoacoustic fourier transform infra-red studies

Abstract The rate of diffusion of ethyl acetate (EtAc) in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF 2 ) has been monitored using a newly developed rheo-photoacoustic Fourier transform infra-red technique. The rate depends on the degree of applied strain, the structural changes occurring during the polymer plastic deformation, the concentration of EtAc in PVF 2 as well as the morphology of the polymer. These relationships are discussed in terms of the fractional free volume (FFV) theory of transport properties in polymers. The data indicate that for larger FFV, the rate of diffusion increases. Furthermore, the elongations at which plastic strain reaches a maximum, the changes that occur during plastic deformation and the difference between relaxed and non-relaxed plastically deformed films can be determined using specially designed rheo-photoacoustic Fourier transform infra-red apparatus.
Sperm fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis reveals normal sperm cells for 14;14 homologous male Robertsonian translocation carrier

Objective To report the presence of normal sperm cells for chromosome 14 in a homologous 14;14 Robertsonian translocation carrier. Design Case report. Setting In vitro fertilization clinic and genetics laboratory in a private hospital. Patient(s) Infertile couple referred for IVF. Intervention(s) Conventional cytogenetic and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques were used in karyotype and sperm FISH analysis. Three IVF treatments were performed, two of which included preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Main Outcome Measure(s) Cytogenetic analysis revealed pure 45,XY,t(14;14)(q10;q10) karyotype. Sperm FISH analysis for chromosome 14 revealed 13% normal sperm cells in the sperm sample. Result(s) Sperm FISH analysis revealed 13% normal sperm cells for chromosome 14 in the homologous 14;14 Robertsonian translocation carrier. The couple underwent two IVF cycles together with PGD. In the first trial there was no suitable embryo for transfer. In the second trial one normal blastocyst was transferred on day 6. However, pregnancy was not established in this second PGD cycle. Conclusion(s) To our knowledge, this is the first sperm FISH study revealing the presence of normal sperm in the ejaculate of a pure homologous translocation carrier. The PGD study performed for this couple is also unique in the literature.
From the Patient Room to the Board Room: An Imperative for Nursing Action

Traditionally, the areas of policy and politics have referred more to state and federal governmental activities than to the area of institutional governance. This article uses an academic health center as a point of reference to query a number of important issues related to institutional governance. The questions raised by the author guide readers to formulate answers to a set of questions that could ultimately serve as an impetus and rationale for expanding political influence to include institutional boards. Just as nurses have begun to engage in efforts to move from the sidelines of influencing public policy through lobbying and influencing campaigns of others running for office, to themselves being elected to public office, the case for direct participation in the governance of the business of health care must be made and systematic action to ensure nursing’s inclusion must begin.
Economic Conditions, Causal Attributions, and Political Evaluations in the 1984 Presidential Election

Using data from the 1984 American National Election Study, this paper examines the influence of personal finances on political evaluations. Evaluations of the presidential candidates were affected by perceived changes in personal economic well-being only among citizens who held the government or society responsible for these changes. Attributions of responsibility were, in turn, related to the direction of change in financial well-being and to political interest--those citizens whose economic well-being had declined, and those who followed the campaign closely were more likely to attribute responsibility to the government (or society) than those whose circumstances had improved, and those who paid less attention to the campaign.
Functionality defense through diversity: a design framework to multitier systems

Diversification is one of the most effective approaches to defend multitier systems against attacks, failure, and accidents. However, designing such a system with effective diversification is a challenging task because of stochastic user and attacker behaviors, combinatorial-explosive solution space, and multiple conflicting design objectives. In this study, we present a systematic framework for exploring the solution space, and consequently help the designer select a satisfactory system solution. A simulation model is employed to evaluate design solutions, and an artificial neural network is trained to approximate the behavior of the system based on simulation output. Guided by a trained neural network, a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) is proposed to search the solution space and identify potentially good solutions. Our MOEA incorporates the concept of Herbert Simon’s satisficing. It uses the decision maker’s aspiration levels for system performance metrics as its search direction to identity potentially good solutions. Such solutions are then evaluated via simulation. The newly-obtained simulation results are used to refine the neural network. The exploration process stops when the result converges or a satisfactory solution is found. We demonstrate and validate our framework using a design case of a three-tier web system.
DIRECT OBSERVATION OF GROWTH OF THE LANDAU DOMAIN STRUCTURE.

Abstract The growth process of the Landau Domain Structure has been directly observed for the first time, in superconducting lead. These observations have resulted in a simple experimental procedure for growing more regular examples of that structure than previously obtained.
Genetic relatedness in viscous populations

Hamilton's inclusive fitness rule shows that the evolution of altruism is facilitated by high genetic relatedness of altruists to their beneficiaries. But the evolution of altruism is inhibited when the beneficiaries are also close competitors of the altruist, as will often be true in structured or viscous populations. However, Hamilton's rule still gives the correct condition for the evolution of altruism if relatedness is measured with respect to the local competitive neighbourhood.
Study on the Electrochemical Behaviors of CeO2 in Eutectic CaCl2 – NaCl Melt

The electro–reduction of CeO2 in eutectic CaCl2–NaCl melt was studied by cyclic voltammetry and constant voltage electrolysis techniques. One cathodic current peak in the cyclic voltammogram was observed and supports a one–step electro–reduction mechanism of CeO2. During different times of electrolysis at 800°Cof temperature and 3.0V of constant voltage, the products CeOCl and CeO2 were observed by XRD and confirms the following electro–reduction sequence: CeO2CeOCl.
Contextual tensions of the clinical environment and their influence on teaching and learning.

Background Academic medical centres face major challenges, and finding creative, effective strategies to support patient care and teaching are critical for survival. At the centre of these challenges is clinical teaching. Aim To characterise how context influences clinical teaching. Methods Multiple embedded case-study design analysed 3 internal medicine in-patient teams. Direct observations, interviews and documents were data sources. Triangulated data, audit trails and member checks enhanced trustworthiness. Results Three tensions influenced clinical teaching: 1, patient census; 2, time sensitivity of the context; and 3, the multiple and conflicting commitments of participants. Patient census exhibited the greatest influence and was the catalyst for teaching, learning, and the allocation of total time. Time functioned as an important element influencing the pace of action, reflective and interpretative cognitive processes of the team, time available for action, and the general fatigue of the team. Conflicts among the multiple roles of ward team members disrupted individual and team teaching and learning. Conclusion Clinical teaching is an open system influenced by multiple forces. Learning, teaching and patient care were very closely coupled, and learning knowledge and using knowledge were parts of the same process within the clinical context.
Reconstructing the Status Quo: Linguistic Interaction in a Dual-Language School

Abstract This paper investigates how bilingualism is understood and practiced by adults and students in a dual-language elementary school. In this dual-language program, native English speakers and native Spanish speakers receive language and content instruction in both languages in linguistically integrated settings. I examine the participants' use of “tactics of intersubjectivity” to understand how children use their two languages to ally themselves with and distance themselves from particular people, groups, and linguistic varieties. I ultimately argue that, while the program model is fundamentally based on the idea of the separation of languages and “parallel monolingualism”, it does offer students opportunities to explore linguistic forms and their attendant social meanings.
Epidemiologic applications of novel molecular methods to detect and differentiate small round structured viruses (Norwalk-like viruses).

The molecular epidemiology of a large, multi-state outbreak of oyster-associated gastroenteritis [Kohn et al. (1995): Journal of the American Medical Association 273:466–471. Dowell et al. (1995): Journal of Infectious Diseases 171:1497–1503.] was examined using new methods to detect small round structured viruses (SRSVs) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and to characterize strains by Southern hybridization and nucleotide sequencing of 81-bp of a PCR product amplified from the RNA polymerase gene. Of 37 stool specimens examined from patients in eight clusters of the multi-state outbreak, 32 (86%) gave RT-PCR products specific for SRSVs of PI-A phylogenetic group. Nineteen PCR products from the eight clusters were confirmed to have the identical sequence, indicating that this large outbreak was attributed to a single strain of SRSV. In one of the eight clusters, five (63%) of eight patients had a mixed infection with a second SRSV strain that belonged to P2-B phylogenetic group. Of 12 specimens from patients in five other outbreaks and one sporadic case which occurred at the same time as the multistate outbreak, 10 (83%) gave products specific for SRSVs representing four phylogenetic groups (PI-A, PI-B, P2-A, and P2- B). The sequences of the PI-A products from two outbreaks and that of the P2-B product from another outbreak were identical to the P1-A sequence from the eight clusters and the P2–6 sequence from the one cluster of the multistate outbreak, respectively. These results demonstrate the first application of these methods to enhance our understanding of the molecular epidemiology of SRSVs and provide answers of public health interest that could not have been obtained using classical epidemiologic methods alone. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, lnc.1
Use of Categorical Knowledge to Aid Recall.

Recall performance of 84 mildly retarded adolescents and 84 non-retarded fourth graders was compared under various encoding conditions. The seven encoding conditions consisted of the following format-cueing combinations: simultaneous-subject cues, simultaneous-experimenter cues, sort-subjects cues, sort-experimenter cues, sequential-subject cues, sequential-experimenter cues, and sequential-no cues. Stimuli were 24 colour pictures from six categories. Results indicated generally comparable levels of performance for retarded and non-retarded subjects. However, retarded subjects were less responsive to sort and experimenter cue conditions, which led to increased recall in the non-retarded subjects. It was suggested that retrieval difficulties may be interfering with the ability of retarded individuals to utilize categorical knowledge to facilitate recall.
Reduction of the equilibrium binding of cardiac glycosides and related compounds to Na+, K+-ATPase as a possible mechanism for the potassium-induced reversal of their toxicity

The influence of potassium ions on the equilibrium state of the binding of cardiac glycosides and their derivatives to partially purified dog heart and rat brain enzyme preparations was studied in vitro. The addition of potassium to the incubation mixture containing enzyme preparation, 3H-ouabain, Na+, Mg2+ and ATP, at the time when the binding reaction is close to equilibrium, caused an immediate reduction of the bound drug concentration; the concentration apparently shifting toward a lower equilibrium state. The degree of the potassium-induced reduction in bound drug concentration was dependent on the potassium concentration and on the chemical structure of the compound. The binding of aglycones, pentacetyl-gitoxin and cassaine was affected to a greater extent than that of the glycosides. These data suggest that one of the mechanisms by which potassium antagonizes the toxic actions of digitalis on the heart is to reduce the drug binding to cardiac Na+, K+-ATPase.
Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) Study: A cohort of early stage breast cancer survivors (United States)

The Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) Study, a cohort of 2321 early stage breast cancer survivors, was established in 2000 to examine how modifiable behavioral risk factors affect quality of life and long-term survival. Women were recruited primarily from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Cancer Registry (KPNCAL) and the Utah cancer registry (UCR), United States. Baseline data were collected, on average, at two years post-diagnosis through self-administered questionnaires that included information on demographics, medical history, anthropometry, diet, supplements, physical activity and quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to describe the creation and baseline characteristics of the cohort. Forty-six percent of women to whom questionnaires were mailed agreed to participate. The cohort which is 80% white, was diagnosed predominantly with Stage I and II breast cancer (93%), and will have been followed for 5.6 years post-diagnosis, on average, by the end of 2004. Women reported slightly over four daily servings of fruit and vegetables, well below the suggested 5-A-Day national guidelines. Compared to women free of cancer, physical activity patterns were similar, while weight gain, especially in younger women, was higher than is typical. These data suggest that in the early years post-diagnosis, breast cancer survivors exhibit similar patterns to the general population in many health behaviors.
Scattering and absorption cross sections of compounded spheres. III. Spheres containing arbitrarily located spherical inhomogeneities

The theory of light scattering by spheres possessing one or more spherical inhomogeneities is developed. The inhomogeneities, or subspheres, are of uniform but otherwise arbitrary composition and are restricted in size and number by only the volume of the host. Numerical results for single inclusions are considered in regard to questions that have arisen in the course of recent experimental research on morphology-dependent resonances in droplets. The modification of the light-absorbing properties of carbon by its entrainment in droplets is also studied. The predicted absorption by mass of soot particles in cloud droplets tends to be higher when the particles are centered in the droplets than when the more realistic eccentric inclusion model is used. Absorption by carbon that is internally mixed in sulfate hazes is more sensitive to the relative sizes of the sulfate and carbon particles, but absorption by eccentrically included grains tends not to differ greatly from that predicted by concentric models.
Metabolic heat production during repeated testing at 24°C and 6°C in adult and aged male C57BL/6J mice: The effect of physical restraint before cold stress

Adult (9-14 month) and aged (29-31 month) male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to 3 baseline tests (BASE), 3 cold tests (COLD), or 3 baseline immediately followed by cold tests (BASE/COLD). All tests consisted of partial restraint, and baseline tests were at 24 degrees C for 1 h while cold tests were at 6 degrees C for 3 h. All tests were started at 0900 and were repeated every 2 weeks. Mice were weighed before each test and colonic temperature, O2 consumption, and CO2 production were measured every 4 min for the duration of the test. Mean metabolic heat production during baseline and/or cold and slopes of colonic temperature over time during cold were calculated for each animal. Metabolic heat production at 24 degrees C in both BASE and BASE/COLD was the same in aged mice as adults, however, at degrees C BASE/COLD adult mice increased metabolic heat production compared to 24 degrees C, while aged mice produced a similar amount of heat at both 6 degrees C and 24 degrees C. When comparing metabolic heat production at 6 degrees C between COLD and BASE/COLD mice, adult COLD mice demonstrate an habituation to repeated cold exposure accompanied by increasing heat production, while BASE/COLD adults produce higher heat in all 3 cold exposures. The authors suggest that this is due to a priming of heat production in adults by restraint before the cold. In aged mice, neither COLD nor BASE/COLD groups demonstrate habituation, but BASE/COLD mice produce more heat than COLD during cold exposure, again indicating baseline priming of heat production. The data imply that aged mice have an impairment in specific cold-induced thermogenesis, while their abilities to produce heat in response to restraint-induced sympathetic activation remains intact.
Analytical Lower Bounds on the Capacity of Deletion Channels

We develop several analytical lower bounds on the capacity of deletion channels by considering independent uniformly distributed (i.u.d.) inputs and computing lower bounds on the mutual information rate between the input and output sequences. We consider the usual independent identically distributed (i.i.d.) binary deletion channel, i.i.d. deletion/substitution channel and i.i.d. deletion channel with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). We emphasize the importance of these results by noting that 1) our results are the first analytical bounds on the capacity of deletion-AWGN channels, 2) the results developed are the best available analytical lower bounds on the deletion/substitution case, 3) for the deletion only channel, our results compete well with the best available lower bounds for small deletion probabilities and they explicitly obtain the first order terms in the recently derived capacity expansions.
Restricted immunoglobulin junctional diversity in neonatal B cells results from developmental selection rather than homology-based V(D)J joining.

The mechanism by which coding ends are joined during immunoglobulin (Ig) recombination is poorly understood. Recently, short sequence similarities (2-6 bp) observed at the ends of certain variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) gene segments of Ig have been correlated with limited junctional diversity observed in coding exons assembled from these elements. However, it is unclear whether these sequence homologies play any direct role in favoring coding joint formation by influencing the V(D)J recombination process. In this report, we demonstrate that coding sequence similarities do not influence the position of coding joints during V(D)J recombination in vivo. Instead, during embryonic development, B cells with certain joining products undergo progressive selection. Developmental selection is completed before exposure to external antigens and appears to be determined by the amino acid sequence encoded by the coding joint. We conclude that the nucleotide sequences of the coding regions do not play a major role in directing V(D)J recombination. Instead, we propose that limited Ig junctional diversity results from prenatal developmental selection of B cells based on the protein sequence of their surface Ig antigen-binding site. Sequence identities at the ends of coding segments may have evolved because they increase the likelihood that a selectable antigen- binding site is created during a random recombination process.