cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hand Nicotine and Cotinine In Children Exposed to Cigars: A Pilot Study.

Objectives Past research has not examined secondhand and thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure in children of cigar smokers. We examined hand nicotine and cotinine levels in children of cigar smokers to explore the contribution of cigar smoke to tobacco smoke exposure (TSE). Methods Participants were children (N = 24; mean (SD) age = 6.5 (3.6) years) whose parents smoked cigars only or poly-used cigars and/or cigarettes. Primary outcomes were hand nicotine and urinary cotinine levels. Results All children had detectable hand nicotine (range: 7.6-312.5ng/wipe) and cotinine (range: 0.3-100.3ng/ml). Positive correlations were found between hand nicotine and cotinine (r = 0.693, p = .001), hand nicotine and parents who also smoked cigarettes (r = 0.407, p = .048), and hand nicotine and number of smokers around the child (r = 0.436, p = .03). Hand nicotine (r = -0.464, p = .02), but not cotinine (r = -0.266, p = .26), was negatively correlated with child age. Multiple regression results indicated a positive association between hand nicotine and cotinine (p = .002; semi-partial r2 = 0.415), irrespective of child age. Conclusions The significant association of hand nicotine with urinary cotinine suggests that THS pollution should be assessed in evaluating children's overall TSE to cigars and other tobacco products, and hand nicotine may be a proxy for overall TSE. Younger children may have increased THS pollutant uptake.
The “Counseling+” Roles of the Speech-Language Pathologist Serving Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia From Alzheimer's Disease

Purpose Persons with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are major consumers of services provided by speech-language pathologists (SLPs). These services include not only direct assessment ...
Abstract 98: Custom Gene Fusion Assays for the Rapid Diagnosis of Pediatric Cancers in Low-Resourced Settings

Purpose: Risk stratification and molecular targeting have been key to increasing cure rates for pediatric cancers in high-income countries. Precise diagnosis and successful treatment of pediatric cancer in low-resourced settings is often hindered by insufficient pathology infrastructure, including lack of laboratory platforms for molecular analysis. Given the high frequency of gene fusions in pediatric cancers, identifying such fusions would greatly aid cost-effective pediatric cancer diagnosis, risk stratification, and precision medicine in low-resourced settings. Methods: To allow for implementation of gene fusion detection at Global HOPE sites in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), methodologies were reviewed to consider minimal technical expertise required, the ability to utilize samples with sub-optimal RNA quality, and rapid turn-around-time. Literature review, clinical laboratory results, public databases, and large-scale genomic studies were used to obtain exact breakpoint sequence information for gene fusions associated with pediatric and adolescent cancers. Results: Two custom pediatric gene fusions panels were designed using the NanoString Elements technology. The hematologic malignancy panel was designed to detect 439 breakpoints for 223 non-IGH/TCR fusions reported in ALL, AML, lymphomas, and histiocytosis. The solid tumor panel was designed to detect 204 breakpoints for 436 fusions associated with pediatric sarcomas, brain tumors, and renal malignancies. Each panel was tested using 96 samples with known fusion status at Texas Children9s Hospital to determine specificity, sensitivity, precision, and ease of workflow. Conclusions: The design, testing, and implementation of a rapid assay to detect gene fusions with diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic impact would be transformational in the care of pediatric cancer patients in low-resourced settings. The custom designed panels will allow for large-scale fusion detection in 2-3 days with only 15 minutes of technician time after RNA isolation. Additional steps are needed to identify and address any challenges upon initiation in SSA to fully realize the potential of such technology. Citation Format: Julie Gastier-Foster, Fredrick Lutwama, Joseph Lubega, Kevin Fisher, Dolores Lopez-Terrada, Angshumoy Roy, Nmazuo Ozuah, Jeremy Slone, Peter Wasswa, Carl Allen, David Poplack. Custom Gene Fusion Assays for the Rapid Diagnosis of Pediatric Cancers in Low-Resourced Settings [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 9th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; Global Cancer Research and Control: Looking Back and Charting a Path Forward; 2021 Mar 10-11. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2021;30(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 98.
Low-cost Open-source 12-channel MPPT Data Logger for Solar Cell Research

The emergence of perovskite solar cells has brought increased attention to the importance of stability testing and continuous maximum-power-point tracking (MPPT) for the characterization of experimental solar cells, even at early stages of R&D. As many experimental cells are often fabricated in multitude, e.g., as multiple ‘pixels’ on each substrate, it is desirable to have a large number of measurement instruments, each of which can be committed for long periods of time, ranging from days to weeks or longer, to characterize the performance of each individual research device. Here, we present a low-cost measurement circuit capable of performing and recording simultaneous measurements on up to 12 devices, including MPPT, I–V sweeps, fixed-voltage, and fixed-current operation. The circuit is suitable for cells with ISC up to ~150 mA and VOC up to ~3 V. Complete schematics, PCB layouts, and firmware are available online, offered for use and improvement by the greater PV research community.
Black Nationalism in American Politics and Thought

Black Nationalism in American Politics and Thought revisits the activism and arguments in support of separate black statehood from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, detailing the ways black nationalism historically mirrors broader currents in US politics and thought. This book challenges the idea that black nationalism is an essentially timeless, unchanging, and anti-assimilationist impulse with respect to the alternative goal of racial inclusion. It argues that black nationalism in the United States draws on analogous political strategy and thinking unique to specific historical eras – often inadvertently reproducing strategies and thinking responsible for racial inequality in the first place.
CP violation in Lambda -->p pi - beyond the standard model.

The CP-violating asymmetry A(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}^{0}$) has been estimated to occur at the level of a few times ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}5}$ within the minimal standard model. The experiment E871 expects to reach a sensitivity of ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$ to the asymmetry A(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}^{0}$)+A(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Xi}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$). In this paper we study some of the implications of such measurement for CP violation beyond the minimal standard model. We find that it is possible to have A(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}^{0}$) at the few times ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$ level while satisfying the constraints imposed by the measurements of CP violation in kaon decays.
The Use of Benefit Transfer in the United States

This chapter provides an overview of applications and trends in benefit transfer for the United States. Benefit transfer has been widely applied in the United States for several decades. Initially it was used to value recreation at public water resource projects and on public lands. Now it is used extensively for benefit-cost analysis of new environmental regulations, and for monetizing natural resource damages and small oil spills. Groups that use benefit transfer, once primarily federal agencies, have grown to now include state agencies, consulting firms, and non-governmental organizations. As the underlying body of information continues to expand through primary research, new benefit transfer methods are developed to take advantage of this growth in information. Benefit transfer has become an important valuation tool in the United States where applications are expected to continue in the future.
A Genealogy of (post-)Soviet Dependency: Disabling Productivity

Nancy Fraser and Linda Gordon's 1994 article “A Genealogy of Dependency: Tracing a Keyword of the US Welfare State” explored the historical emergence of "dependency" as a moral category of post-industrial American state. In this article, I engage their framework to explore the genealogy of dependency in America's post-industrial sister, the post-Soviet Russian Federation. I also add disability as a core element of 'dependency' that was largely absent from Fraser and Gordon's original analysis. Considering cross-cultural translation, I ask how Russian deployments of three words that all relate to a concept of interdependence align with and depart from American notions of dependency, and trace historical configurations of the Soviet welfare state vis-a-vis disability. To do so, I draw on historical and cultural texts, linguistic comparisons, secondary sources, and ethnographic research. Given this analysis, I argue that rather than a Cold War interpretation of the Soviet Union and the US as oppositional superpowers in the 20th century, a liberatory disability studies framework suggests that in the postindustrial era the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as dual regimes of productivity. I suggest that reframing postsocialism as a global condition helps us to shift considerations of disability justice from a critique of capitalism to a critique of productivity. Keywords: dependency, disability, citizenship, russia, productivity
The Spin-1÷2 Heisenberg ferromagnet via anticommutator Green’s functions utilizing Tyablikov decoupling

The spin-1/2 Heisenberg ferromagnet is analysed via anticommutator Green’s functions. The generated second-order Green’s functions are linearized via Tyablikov decoupling. The resulting normalized magnetization as a function of temperature, utilizing a modified Coulomb approximation for the exchange integral and a first-order Fermi approximation, iteratively, is found to reproduce the Weiss molecular-field results.
Correction and use of biomedical literature affected by scientific misconduct.

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe published research articles that were named in official findings of scientific misconduct and to investigate compliance with the administrative actions contained in these reports for corrections and retractions, as represented in PubMed. Between 1993 and 2001, 102 articles were named in either the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts (“Findings of Scientific Misconduct”) or the U.S. Office of Research Integrity annual reports as needing retraction or correction. In 2002, 98 of the 102 articles were indexed in PubMed. Eighty-five of these 98 articles had indexed corrections: 47 were retracted; 26 had an erratum; 12 had a correction described in the “comment” field. Thirteen had no correction, but 10 were linked to the NIH Guide “Findings of Scientific Misconduct”, leaving only 3 articles with no indication of any sort of problem. As of May 2005, there were 5,393 citations to the 102 articles, with a median of 26 citations per article (range 0–592). Researchers should be alert to “Comments” linked to the NIH Guide as these are open access, and the “Findings of Scientific Misconduct’ reports are often more informative than the statements about the retraction or correction found in the journals.
Preliminary design and analysis of a lidar based obstacle detection system

This paper outlines the use of a high-resolution laser range scanner to detect terrain features and obstacles and the development of a test bed for the obstacle and terrain feature detection system. Results from tests conducted at Ohio University and simulations from data collected during flight tests in the vicinity of Braxton County Airport (K481), WV are presented.
Probability of Singlet-Triplet Transitions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses transition probabilities, relativistic N-Particle equation (one particle and two or more particles, non-relativistic transition probabilities. It also discusses sources of intensity in single-triplet (S-T) transitions followed by two-electron spin-orbit coupling. Since Kowalski's observation of phosphorescence and Sklar's assignment of the singlet-triplet bands in benzene, followed by Lewis and Kasha's; and Terenin's identification of phosphorescence as T → S o emission, the study of singlet-triplet transitions has developed a large niche in molecular spectroscopy. A recent selective review of the triplet state by Lower and El-Sayed lists over 400 papers on organic molecules alone. Despite this activity, some fundamental aspects concerning the probability of singlet-triplet transitions-even at the most basic level-remain unresolved. There has been concern over the validity of carrying over the spin-free fundamental optical transition probability expressions to S-T transitions, for example. A proper quantum mechanical treatment of spin-forbidden transitions must then be relativistic. In this way, the basic probability expressions evolve unambiguously.
Strategic Sales Conversations As A Foundation For Effective Partnership Selling

This paper presents a new sales organization tool, strategic sales conversations, that can be used to enhance relationships with customers. Strategic sales conversations are an adaptation of strategic conversations in an inter- and intra- organizational context in which the selling firm is attempting to utilize open and honest communication to better understand the long-term needs of the buying organization. A process model of strategic sales conversations is developed and its implications are discussed.
The Anger of Pain Sufferers: Attributions to Agents and Appraisals of Wrongdoings

In this chapter, anger is viewed as a major element in the affective component of pain. How this anger comes about is a matter of some debate. While it has been speculated that pain and anger are hardwired, our critical analysis of the evidence raises several definitional problems and alternative interpretations. Even sudden noxious stimuli are subject to information processing in a variety of ways including “personification.” In the more common and pervasive case of chronic pain, it is evident that pain does not occur in a vacuum but exerts far-reaching effects on occupational, recreational, social, interpersonal, and self-care functions. These become the material for appraisals of wrongdoing and attributions of anger. The many targets of this anger are surveyed, including health-care providers, mental health professionals, insurance carriers, and even significant others. Apart from such anger as an appraised consequence of pain, other possible interactions between the two are outlined. As explained, anger may also function as a predisposing factor, a precipitant, an exacerbating factor, and a perpetuating factor in pain. This framework accounts for the many complex and diverse interactions between pain and anger and also directs us to different pathways to the alleviation of pain and anger in populations with medical ailments.
Implementation of ICH S6: US Perspective

In the United States, biopharmaceutical products have been developed in accordance with ICH S6 since its publication in 1997. The ICH S6 document creates a case-by-case, science-driven approach to biotechnology preclinical product development, providing information and for designing and conducting clinical trials. This article reviews specific sections and considerations of the ICH S6 document and discuss how this guidance has been implemented in the United States. Keywords: biotechnology products; safety evaluation; regulatory agencies; FDA; toxicokinetics; immunotoxicity parameters
The Impact of Religious Homogeneity on the Rate of Divorce in the United States

This study extends the understanding of the relationship between religious homogeneity, that is, the extent to which formal religious groups are concentrated at the county level, and the rate of persons currently divorced in those counties. Linking the research question to Durkheimian precepts of religion as an integrative force in social life, the essential question is, “At the county level, does the rate of currently divorced vary inversely with more concentrated affiliation with formal religious organizations?” We investigate this relationship using data from the 1990 U.S. Census and from the Glenmary Research Center that encompasses 621 counties in the U.S., that is, a 20 percent random sample of counties from each state. As hypothesized, the divorced rate is inversely related to religious homogeneity, even after controlling for a series of factors that have been shown to be correlated with divorce in other studies.
Model potentials for protonic orbitals in molecules

A new approach to the problem of a proton in a molecule is developed. Plausibility arguments are given for the form of model potentials for protons in molecules. Model potential results are evaluated and a simple approach to a hydrogen bond is presented.
Microbial Modification Of Crude Oil In The Sea

Abstract Virtually all kinds of hydrocarbons and crude oils from many fields are susceptible to microbial oxidation. More than a hundred species of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi are able to oxidize hydrocarbons. Each species is limited in the kinds of hydrocarbons it can attack. Each species is also limited by the temperature, salinity, surface tension, pH, oxygen tension, and other environmental conditions at which it is biochemically active. Environmental conditions also affect the rate of microbial reporduction and oil oxidation. Enrichment cultures, consisting of several different species growing under optimal conditions, tend to convert crude oils and refinery products mainly to carbon dioxide and microbial biomass. From 10 to 90 per cent of the carbon may be converted into microbial biomass. Oil-oxidizing bacteria are most abundant in coastal waters and mud where oil pollution is chronic. Such bacteria are extremely scarce in the open sea. In unpolluted waters the ratio of oil oxidizers to the total b...
AN INVARIANT FOR CERTAIN SMOOTH MANIFOLDS

Starting with Hirzebruch's A-genus we define a numerical invariantμ for certain (4k-1)-manifolds. We produce examples to show howμ can distinguish differentiable structures on certain topological manifolds.
The replication band of Euplotes is DNase I sensitive

Employing in situ nick translation on isolated macronuclei from the ciliate Euplotes eurystomus, the replication band exhibited heightened DNase I sensitivity. This enhanced reactivity was not significantly affected by decreased replication induced with heat shock or added inhibitors, implying that the underlying chromatin modulations are reasonably stable. The nuclease sensitivity of the replication band is probably related to the ‘maturation’ of nascent chromatin, since transcriptional activity is known to be absent within the band. An additional observation of this study was the in vivo incorporation of halogen-deoxynucleosides into replication bands, facilitating future studies of matrix-associated nascent DNA.
A method of masking oxytocin infusion rates.

Abstract Background: Controversy exists as to the optimum infusion rate of oxytocin during labor. A system is described to mask infusion rates, and this may help eliminate bias in the study of oxytocin infusion. Method: The hardware consists of a commercially available infusion pump that has the capability to receive and send computer messages and a laptop computer. The pump and a programmed computer are attached to a portable stand for bedside use. The display on the pump may be masked while the computer displays the level for any one of three actual rates. Experience: Masked and unmasked simulations were performed without human subjects, followed by unmasked bedside testing in 45 patients. The simulation and bedside testing confirmed the system had the ability to maintain designated flow rates in all manner of increases, decreases, stoppages, and restarts. Conclusion: This system is a computer-controlled infusion pump with the ability to mask infusion rates. This may allow investigators to compare oxytocin infusion rates objectively in the induction and augmentation of labor.
Notch signalling in solid tumours: a little bit of everything but not all the time

The discovery of Notch in Drosophila melanogaster nearly a century ago opened the door to an ever-widening understanding of cellular processes that are controlled or influenced by Notch signalling. As would be expected with such a pleiotropic pathway, the deregulation of Notch signalling leads to several pathological conditions, including cancer. A role for Notch is well established in haematological malignancies, and more recent studies have provided evidence for the importance of Notch activity in solid tumours. As it is thought to act as an oncogene in some cancers but as a tumour suppressor in others, the role of Notch in solid tumours seems to be highly context dependent.
Phase I/II Trial of Thymostimulin in Opportunistic Infections of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Fifteen patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and opportunistic infection, were randomized to receive treatment with either thymostimulin (TP-1) at 1 mg/kg for 14 days then weekly for 12 weeks or placebo. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the toxicity of TP-1 in this patient population and to make observations on clinical response as measured by time to second opportunistic infection (OI) and changes in laboratory parameters of immune function. The study demonstrates that TP-1 can be administered safely. There were no differences, however, in time to second OI or overall survival between patient groups. In addition, no change in the immune function could be detected in patients receiving thymostimulin.
Development of 3.5 Million DN Tapered Roller Bearing Cage

Finite element methods were used to analyze structurally potential cage (rolling element retainers) designs for use in high-speed tapered roller bearings. Included in this study were both roller and inner/outer race-guided types with geometric and material variations. Several cage designs were fabricated and experimentally tested. The performance criterion was to operate in a 108 mm bore bearing at speeds to 3.5 million DN. The Z-type completely machined and race-guided, exhibited the lowest calculated stress levels and performed best in the development tests. Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 24–26, 1978
Time-frequency representations applied to canonical Newtonian gradient forms: I

Canonical polynomial forms taken from Thom's cuspoid family of catastrophes are studied as anharmonic oscillator potentials via time-frequency representations. Polynomial coefficients are control parameters, allowed to vary with time, inducing sudden changes in instantaneous equilibrium positions as well as characteristic oscillations about those equilibria that exhibit slowly varying spectra. Higher order potentials organize lower order potentials, which are contained in the higher order potentials, resulting in similar time-frequency signatures of the Newtonian dynamics ensuing as the potential changes with time.
Robustness analysis of two-step integrators with uncertainty in the system model

Abstract Quantitative bounds for the nonlinear perturbation of linear time-invariant continuous-time systems simulated using two-step matrix integrators are obtained. These bounds ensure that systems being simulated using two-step integrators remain stable under such perturbations. The effect of the sampling time T on the bounds is investigated via numerical examples.
Chitin biosynthesis in imaginal discs cultured in vitro

We have investigated the stimulation of cuticle production by imaginal discs ofPlodia interpunctella in tissue culture. We turned to biochemical methods to assess the quantitative effects of beta-ecdysone on chitin biosynthesis in wing discs incubated with 0.5 μC of C14-glucosamine for the final 24 h of culture. We demonstrated that imaginal discs ofP. interpunctella respond to increasing concentrations of β-ecdysone with increased synthesis. The threshold is between 0.01 and 0.1 μg/ml of hormone (2×10−8 M to 2×10−7 M). These data represent the first demonstration of quantitative biosynthesis of chitin by a developing tissue in vitro in relation to varying amounts of hormone. Additionally, protein synthesis during the β-ecdysone-dependent period was necessary for chitin synthesis. This system thus lends itself to a detailed investigation of the control of chitin biosynthesis.
Fast, inexpensive, diffraction limited cylindrical microlenses

We have developed a technique for fabricating fast, well corrected cylindrical microlenses. With this technique we have made a number of different microlenses with dimensions and focal lengths in the range of few hundred {mu}m, and diffraction limited numerical apertures as high as 0.9. The microlenses are specifically designed for applications where they can increase the radiance or otherwise enhance the optical characteristics of laser diode light. The fabrication method we use is very versatile, and the microlenses produced this way would be very inexpensive in production quantities. 6 refs., 4 figs.
Cycloaddition chemistry of 2-vinyl-substituted indoles and related heteroaromatic systems.

The intramolecular Diels−Alder cycloaddition reaction (IMDAF) of several N-phenylsulfonylindolyl-substituted furanyl carbamates containing a tethered π-bond on the indole ring were examined as an approach to the iboga alkaloid catharanthine. Only in the case where the tethered π-bond contained two carbomethoxy groups did the [4 + 2]-cycloaddition occur. Push−pull dipoles generated from the Rh(II)-catalyzed reaction of diazo imides, on the other hand, undergo successful intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition across both alkenyl and heteroaromatic π-bonds to provide novel pentacyclic compounds in good yield and in a stereocontrolled fashion. The facility of the cycloaddition was found to be critically dependent on conformational factors in the transition state. Ligand substitution in the rhodium(II) catalyst markedly altered the product ratio between [3 + 2]-cycloaddition and intramolecular C−H insertion. The variation in reactivity reflects the difference in electrophilicity between the various rhodium c...
Macrophages gain a partner at the table: epidermal cells digest peripheral dendritic debris in Drosophila.

In this issue of Neuron, Han et al. (2014) develop powerful methods to visualize phagocytosis of Drosophila peripheral sensory neuron dendrites. Remarkably, epidermal cells rather than professional phagocytes are the primary mediators of debris clearance, using both familiar and new molecular players.
The use of nutrient-optimizing/cost-minimizing software to develop ready-to-use therapeutic foods for malnourished pregnant women in Mali.

Malnutrition affects people of all ages in many countries in the developing world. One treatment for malnutrition is the intervention involving ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs). This study developed RUTFs for pregnant women in Mali using formulation computer software and largely local, plant-based ingredients. Mali has the world's second highest birth rate and infant mortality rate. Nutrient profiles of possible ingredients and their prices from 2004 to 2009 were entered into the software. Computer-selected ingredients included peanuts, cowpeas, and millet as well as rice or barley koji (sources of α-amylase and ingredients). Components of the six selected formulations were milled, hydrolyzed with koji α-amylase, and heated at 121°C for 15 min. The contents of protein, fat, ash, fiber, carbohydrates, amino acid, and energy of dehydrated products were determined and compared with software-predicted values. Actual and predicted values were comparable: the protein content was 1.45–2.04% higher, and ash content was 0.60–0.89% higher than the predicted values, while the fat content was 0.18–0.88% lower, the lysine content was 0.17–0.25% lower, and fiber content was 0.16% lower to 2.06% higher than the predicted values. The difference in actual and predicted energy levels were 14.8–22.2%. The amount of RUTF needed to meet the requirement of most limiting nutrients, lysine and energy, ranged from 2620 to 3002 g. The costs for producing the RUTFs were substantially lower than importing commercial RUTFs even with increased ingredient prices in Mali from 2004 to 2009.
Long-term outcome in patients who survive out of hospital ventricular fibrillation and undergo electrophysiologic studies: Evaluation by electrophysiologic subgroups

The long-term outcome of 241 survivors of out of hospital ventricular fibrillation who underwent programmed electrical stimulation was evaluated. Patients were categorized according to the rhythm induced at baseline drug-free electrophysiologic testing. Ventricular fibrillation was induced in 39 patients (16%) (Group 1), sustained ventricular tachycardia in 66 patients (27%) (Group 2) and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in 34 patients (14%) (Group 3); 102 patients (42%) (Group 4) did not have an arrhythmia inducible at baseline electrophysiologic testing. Antiarrhythmic drugs were administered over the long term to 92% of patients in Group 2, 91% of patients in Group 1 and 47% of patients in Group 4. At a mean follow-up time of 30 +/- 15 months, recurrent sudden cardiac death or nonfatal ventricular fibrillation occurred in 11 (28%) of 39 patients with inducible ventricular fibrillation (Group 1), 14 (21%) of 66 patients with inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia (Group 2), 4 (12%) of 34 patients with inducible nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (Group 3) and 16 (16%) of 102 patients without inducible arrhythmias (Group 4). Actuarial analysis revealed a 2 year cumulative arrhythmia-free survival rate of 65% for patients in Group 2, 71% for patients in Group 1, 79% for patients in Group 3 and 81% for patients in Group 4 (p = 0.02). Actuarial survival of patients with inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation suppressed by electrophysiologically guided drug therapy was not significantly different from that in patients whose arrhythmia was not suppressed. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that only the presence of congestive heart failure was an independent predictor of outcome in these patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
On the Almost Periodic Solutions of Differential Equations on Hilbert Spaces

For the differential equation 𝑢  ( 𝑡 ) = 𝐴 𝑢 ( 𝑡 ) + 𝑓 ( 𝑡 ) , 𝑡 ≥ 0 on a Hilbert space 𝐻 , we find the necessary and sufficient conditions that the above-mentioned equation has a unique almost periodic solution. Some applications are also given.
Structure-property-processing correlations in freeze-cast composite scaffolds.

Abstract Surprisingly few reports have been published, to date, on the structure–property-processing correlations observed in freeze-cast materials directionally solidified from polymer solutions, or ceramic or metal slurries. The studies that exist focus on properties of sintered ceramics, that is materials whose structure was altered by further processing. In this contribution, we report first results on correlations observed in alumina–chitosan–gelatin composites, which were chosen as a model system to test and compare the effect of particle size and processing parameters on their mechanical properties at a specific composition. Our study reveals that highly porous (>90%) hybrid materials can be manufactured by freeze casting, through the self-assembly of a polymer and a ceramic phase that occurs during directional solidification, without the need of additional processing steps such as sintering or infiltration. It further illustrates that the properties of freeze-cast hybrid materials can independently be tailored at two levels of their structural hierarchy, allowing for the simultaneous optimization of both mechanical and structural requirements. An increase in freezing rate resulted in decreases in lamellar spacing, cell wall thickness, pore aspect ratio and cross-sectional area, as well as increases in both Young’s modulus and compressive yield strength. The mechanical properties of the composite scaffolds increased with an increasing particle size. The results show that both structure and mechanical properties of the freeze-cast composites can be custom-designed and that they are thus ideally suited for a large variety of applications that require high porosity at low or medium load-bearing capacity.
Necessary and sufficient conditions for zero assignment by constant squaring down

The problem of zero assignment by constant squaring down (CZAP) is studied for minimal systems described by a transfer function G(s)ϵRm×l(s), m > l, using tools from exterior algebra and algebraic geometry. Conditions for its solvability are given in terms of the numbers m, l, the Forney dynamical order δ, and the rank ϱδ of the Plucker matrix Pδ. For the cases l = 1 or l = m−1, it is shown that G(s) is completely zero-assignable (CZA) if and only if ϱδ = δ+1. For the cases l≠1, m−1, it is proved that G(s) is CZA, or generically zero-assignable (GZA), under a complex squaring down if and only if l(m−l)⩾δ+1 and ϱδ = δ+1. The latter conditions also provide necessary conditions for the existence of a real solution. For a generic G(s), sufficient conditions for solvability of CZAP by a real squaring down are that l(m−l)⩾δ+1 and that the number g(a0,...,al−1)=(δ+1)!/a0! ⋯. al−1!Πi >j (ai−aj) is odd for some set {a0,...,al−1} satisfying δ+1=∫l−1i=0ai− l(l−1)/2 and 0⩽a0<a1<⋯<al−1⩽m−1. Apart from the existence results, the present approach also allows the computation of the solutions (whenever they exist). Finally, it is proved that the only fixed zeros of CZAP are the zeros of G(s), and a procedure for computing the solutions of CZAP, whenever such solutions exist, based on an optimization problem is given.
Introduction to Panels on E-Security, Granular Computing and Web Intelligence

Granular Computing is a new computing paradigm. The panel will focus on its potentials on E-security and web intelligence among others. One of the main component of granular computing is "Granulate and Conquer," that lies in the heart of this conference. Fruitful discussions and conclusions will be expected.
Introduction: Management Of Osteoporosis, 1997

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is linked clearly to estrogen deprivation. Recent research has identified estrogen receptors in bone cells and in other organ systems that help to regulate bone remodeling and calcium homeostasis. Long-term use of estrogen in appropriate doses reduces the risk of hip fractures by 50% to 60% and the risk of vertebral deformation by 90%. This protective effect is maintained as long as estrogen is taken and adequate levels of biologically active estrogen are achieved. Thus, the type, dose, and route of administration of estrogen need to be individualized and the efficacy of treatment monitored by annual bone density testing and selective ultilization of biochemical bone markers. The ability of estrogen therapy to increase bone mass is enhanced by added androgens and progestin therapy, calcium supplementation, and exercise.
Spontaneous radiative decay of a continum

An interesting aspect of atoms capable of undergoing photoionization1 is the spontaneous decay of the excited continuum to a lower discrete state. This process is an extension of the classical spontaneous decay of a single two-level atom where the excited level is replaced by a continuum of states with a given dipole-strength distribution and initial mode of preparation. As is shown below,2 there exists a closed form for the time-dependent density matrix, which yields in the proper limit the spontaneous decay of an N-level atom where the only couplings are between the excited states and a common lowest state. In the trivial limit of a two-level atom we recover the well known expression for the Einstein A-coefficient.
Microparticle transport and concentration with surface acoustic waves

We describe lithium niobate SAW devices and PDMS microfluidic channels with which we study microparticle movement. We generate standing surface acoustic waves (with wavelengths of 200 micrometers) and show that microparticles (between 5 and 35 micrometers in diameter) move to nodes or antinodes. We report measurements of device response in the presence and absence of the microfluidic channel, which we combine with finite element simulation modeling to extract estimates of the PDMS damping.
Do Analysts Understand Conservatism

This study investigates whether analysts understand accounting conservatism. It is well documented that financial reporting system exhibits conservatism, that is, bad news are recognized in earnings in a more timely manner than good news. We find that analysts’ short-term earnings forecasts exhibit similar conservatism as the accounting earnings. We further find that as the forecast horizon increases the conservatism becomes weaker. On the contrary, the analysts’ long-term forecasts are not conservative. Collectively, the results suggest analysts do understand accounting conservatism.
Data Overlap Policies at AMJ

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses changes to the data overlap policies at the "Academy of Management Journal," with information on the review process for papers under consideration for publication and the article submission process for authors.
The use of long-term bone marrow culture as a model of the aging process

We examined total production of myeloid cells and committed granulocytic/macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-C) produced at weekly intervals from long-term cultures of 8 young (5 month), 8 old (24 month) and 8 very old (42 month) mouse marrows. For the first 3 or 4 weeks myeloid cell and CFU-C production was significantly greater in cultures from old and very old mice probably due to the more rapid formation of an adherent layer. After 9 weeks of culture a marked decline in the myeloid cell and CFU-C production occurred in very old mouse cultures whereas production in cultures from young mice continued to increase. The mechanism for the shorter survival is most likely stem cell depletion since the adherent layer was maintained and cellular maturation persisted despite declining cell production. These findings support a finite replicative capacity, related to donor age that determines cellular life expectancy in cultured marrow cells.
Reynolds number dependence of mixing in a lock-exchange system from direct numerical and large eddy simulations

Abstract Turbulent mixing of water masses of different temperatures and salinities is an important process for both coastal and large-scale ocean circulation. It is, however, difficult to capture computationally. One of the reasons is that mixing in the ocean occurs at a wide range of complexity, with the Reynolds number reaching Re = O ( 10 6 ) , or even higher. In this study, we continue to investigate whether large eddy simulation ( LES ) can be a reliable computational tool for stratified mixing in turbulent oceanic flows. LES is attractive because it can be O ( 1000 ) times faster than a direct numerical simulation ( DNS ) of stratified mixing in turbulent flows. Before using the LES methodology to compute mixing in realistic oceanic flows, however, a careful assessment of the LES sensitivity with respect to Re needs to be performed first. The main objectives of this study are: (i) to investigate the performance of different LES models at high Re, such as those encountered in oceanic flows; and (ii) to study how mixing varies as a function of Re. To this end, as a benchmark we use the lock-exchange problem, which is described by unambigous and simple initial and boundary conditions. The background potential energy, which accurately quantifies irreversible mixing in an enclosed system, is used as the main criterion in a posteriori testing of LES . This study has two main achievements. The first is that we investigate the accuracy of six combinations of two different classes of LES models, namely eddy-viscosity and approximate deconvolution types, for 3 × 10 3 ⩽ Re ⩽ 3 × 10 4 , for which DNS data is computed. We find that all LES models almost always provide significantly more accurate results than cases without LES models. Nevertheless, no single LES model that is persistently superior to others over this Re range could be identified. Then, an ensemble of the four best performing LES models is selected in order to estimate mixing taking place in this system at Re = 10 5 and 10 6 , for which DNS is presently not feasible. Thus the second achievement of this study is to quantify mixing taking place in this system over an Re range that changes by three orders of magnitude. We find that the background potential energy increases by about 67% when Re is increased from Re = 10 3 to Re = 10 6 , within the computation period, with the most significant increase taking place from Re = 3 × 10 3 to Re = 10 5 .
Speaking power to sex in Auckland.

BACKGROUND. Sex-specific differences in attitudes and behaviors, arising from a division of human nature into male and female types, have been core findings of evolutionary psychology and are now among its key investigational presumptions. These differences have largely been ignored by mainstream political and social theories. METHOD. I explored one potential path toward incorporation, using ‘‘Q’’ methodology to test for malefemale differences in attitudes toward social power. A 33-factor survey was administered confidentially and in single-blinded fashion to 26 participants, 8 adult males and 18 adult females in Auckland, New Zealand. Nine
Interictal Spikes and Hippocampal Somatostatin Levels in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

We investigated the relationship between somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SSLI) and interictal spikes (IIS) in human temporal lobe epileptic tissue. IIS counted manually from depth electrode recordings obtained preoperatively were expressed as spike frequency in anterior, middle, and posterior portions of hippocampus. SSLI was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). An inverse relationship between SSLI in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and IIS frequency in hippocampus was present (r = -0.55, p = 0.06). No correlation between IIS and SSLI in CA4, CA3, CA1, or the dentate was evident. This finding suggests a role of the EC in generation, regulation, or expression of interictal paroxysmal electrical activity in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), for which somatostatin may be a marker.
Mining the possibilities behind RBC alloimmunization

In this issue of Blood , Higgins and Sloan use clinical data to develop and test mathematical models of human red-cell alloimmunization. Among the most common risks of red-blood cell (RBC) transfusion is the development of RBC alloantibodies. The incidence of RBC alloimmunization is not
Validity of beachgoers' self-report of their sun habits.

screenswabs(,0.54,0.70,and0.72fortheface,legs,and arms, respectively). Participants’ self-report of clothing worn to the beach had substantial agreement with researcher observation: coefficients ranged from 0.63 for footwear to 0.77 for head wear. Agreement was variable for clothing worn while on the beach, with slight to fair agreementforsunglasses(,0.11)andfootwear(,0.23) and substantial agreement for upper body clothing (, 0.79).Agreementbetweenself-reportedandobservedsunburn was consistently lower (, 0.21, 0.33, and 0.39 for the face, legs, and arms, respectively), with participants reporting more sunburn on arrival than was observed. Conclusions: Overall, self-report measures of time outside,sunscreenuse,andclothingworndemonstratedgood criterionvaliditywhencomparedwithobservationandsunscreen swabbing. Sunscreen swabbing proved an effective procedure for detecting sunscreen at a beach setting.
Isolation of mutants of the Arabidopsis thaliana alternative oxidase (ubiquinol:oxygen oxidoreductase) resistant to salicylhydroxamic acid

Abstract The plant-type ubiquinol:oxygen oxidoreductase, commonly called the alternative oxidase, is a respiratory enzyme thought to contain non-heme iron at its active site. To explore the structure of the enzyme by identifying amino acids involved in inhibitor-binding, a library of random mutants of the Arabidopsis thaliana alternative oxidase was constructed using error-prone polymerase chain reaction and expressed in the heme-deficient Escherichia coli SASX41B. Selection for resistance to salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) resulted in the recovery of four mutations. Three of these, F215L, M219I, and M219V, confer a small, but measurable resistance to SHAM of between 1.4- and 1.7-fold relative to the wild type alternative oxidase. These changes are located in a putative amphipathic helix following the second transmembrane helix. The fourth mutation, G303E, is found three residues from the C-terminus of the protein, and results in 4.6-fold resistance to SHAM. None of the mutations have any effect on the sensitivity of the alternative oxidase to propyl gallate. The identification of distant residues involved in SHAM resistance suggests that the poorly conserved C-terminal region is in spatial proximity to the amphipathic helix, and thus located in the vicinity of the iron-binding motif.
Peirce’s Demon Abduction: How to Charm the Truth out of a Quark

It is apparent to the most casual student of Peirce that he was fascinated with, if not obsessed by, the ‘logic of discovery’, as he called it. In fact, a large part of his pragmatic philosophy and phenomenological speculation (5:195) was centred in this core problem of the study of logic. Deductive processes are fairly obvious once one recognises semantic relationships and syntactic operations, and inductive processes are the stuff of a good part of human experience; so analytic and synthetic propositions suggest themselves easily in a logician’s quest. But human experience also provides a not-so-neat process of information handling: the hunch, the guess, the intuition, the insight, the eureka, the revelation, the enlightenment, the inspiration, the Voice, the satori,1 and so on. Our sensory experience, although trained in cultural time, provides a whole range of data, appropriately called ‘raw data’, which must be processed by methods based on previous knowledge, on the already known, but how is it that one discovers what one does not know? If experience is our teacher (as Peirce and most of us seem to think), then how do we learn lessons which deal with new material and new experiences? How can we know about what we don’t already know? How do we gain new information when information is a matter of the sign’s perspective in the first place?
Psychomotor retardation found in college students seeking counseling

Psychomotor retardation (PMR) has been documented for inpatient populations. Futterman and Tryon (1994) [Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25, 41-48] provided the first report of PMR in a female outpatient sample. Because 8 of their 11 depressed Ss were receiving medication, the possibility remains that Futterman and Tryon's findings were due to medication side effects. The present study documents PMR in a nonmedicated male and female college population. Two-week, 24-h per day, content-valid behavioral measurements were obtained using step-counters from 73 college students seeking counseling. The 20 males and 53 females completed the Inventory to Diagnose Depression, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Inventory, and a structured interview. Regression analysis revealed that depression was negatively related to daytime activity. Significant age and gender effects were statistically controlled.