cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preteen-Parent Experiences With PREP-T1 Feasibility Intervention.

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to report the focus group perspectives of preteens’ and parents’ experiences with a feasibility intervention entitled PREP-T1 (Preteen Re-Education with Parents–Type 1 Diabetes), an interactive education and peer mentoring intervention.MethodsThe parent and preteen focus groups were conducted by the principal investigator, coinvestigator, and note takers at 2 sites. The preteen-parent groups were conducted concurrently with a total of 11 preteens and 11 parents. Note-based qualitative content analysis was used, resulting in preteen-parent perspectives on reeducation and strategies for families to work more effectively in managing type 1 diabetes (T1DM).ResultsThe findings suggest that the preteens enjoyed learning about their diabetes management from a teen educator mentor in conjunction with a human patient simulator. They reported this type of peer support would benefit other preteens with T1DM. Parents were overwhelmingly positive about their interactions with the ...
Expedition inspiration consensus 2001.

Christopher C. Benz1, Leena Hilakivi-Clarke2, Suzanne Conzen3, Ronald V. Dorn4, Gini F. Fleming3, Kathleen Grant5, Geoffrey Greene6, Samuel Hellman7, Craig Henderson8, Robert Hoover9, William Hryniuk10, Stefanie Jeffrey11, Marc Lippman12, John Lung4, Malcolm Mitchell10 and Malcolm Pike13 1Buck Institute for Age Research, Novato, CA; 2Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC; 3University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL; 4Mountain States Tumor Institute, Boise, ID; 5California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA; 6Ben May Institute for Cancer Research, University of Chicago; 7University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; 8University of California, San Francisco, CA; 9National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD; 10Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI; 11Stanford University, Stanford, CA; 12University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; 13University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Schottky-Barrier Profiling Techniques in Semiconductors - Gate Current and Parasitic Resistance Effects

The theory for obtaining mobility and carrier concentration profiles by the Hall‐effect, magnetoresistance, and capacitance‐conductance methods is developed in the relaxation‐time approximation. This theory is then applied to semiconductors in which a Schottky barrier is used to control a depletion region. Particular emphasis is given to field‐effect transistor structures which are ideally suited for geometric magnetoresistance measurements. A unique feature of the present model is the correction for finite gate (Schottky‐barrier) current, which can be very important under forward‐gate‐bias conditions. The ability to use forward‐bias makes the near‐surface region more accessible. Also, parasitic resistance effects are treated. We apply these results to GaAs conducting layers formed by direct implantation of 4×1012/cm2, 100‐keV Si ions into Cr‐doped GaAs.
Urban Growth in Chengdu, Western China: Application of Remote Sensing to Assess Planning and Policy Outcomes:

The majority of studies on Chinese urbanization have been focused on coastal areas, with little attention given to urban centers in the west. Western provinces, however, will unquestionably undergo significant urban change in the future as a result of the ‘Go West’ policy initiated in the 1990s. In this paper the authors examine the relationship between drivers of urban growth and land-use outcomes in Chengdu, capital of the western province of Sichuan, China. In the first part of this research, remotely sensed data are used to map changes in land cover in the greater Chengdu area and to investigate the spatial distribution of development with use of landscape metrics along seven urban-to-rural transects identified as key corridors of growth. Results indicate that the urbanized area increased by more than 350% between 1978 and 2002 in three distinct spatial trends: (a) near the urban fringe in all directions prior to 1990, (b) along transportation corridors, ring roads, and near satellite cities after 199...
Comparison of the elevated plus and elevated zero mazes in treated and untreated male Sprague-Dawley rats: effects of anxiolytic and anxiogenic agents.

Abstract The elevated plus and zero mazes (Plus and Zero, respectively) are used to assess behavior related to anxiety in rodents but direct comparisons of the two tests are lacking for rats. We compared the two methods in adult male Sprague–Dawley rats. Untreated rats in the Zero spent more time in open zones and exhibited more head dips than in the Plus whereas start latency and closed area entries were lower in the Zero than in the Plus. Diazepam (1 mg/kg) exposure increased time in the open in both mazes. Restraint (60 min prior to testing), yohimbine (2.5 mg/kg), and caffeine (100 mg/kg) had the opposite effect, significantly decreasing time spent in open zones in both mazes. No sexual dimorphism in behavior was seen in either maze in untreated rats. Although more open area time was evident in untreated animals in the Zero, after drug challenge both mazes detected anxiolytic and anxiogenic effects equally. Zero maze data can be analyzed directly because no center region exists; otherwise the two methods appear comparable following challenge.
Adenosine A2A and A2B receptor activation of erythropoietin production

First published July 12, 2001; 10.1152/ajprenal.0083.2001.—We have examined the effects of adenosine receptors and protein kinases A and C in the regulation of erythropoietin (Epo) production using...
PROSTATE TISSUE COMPOSITION AND RESPONSE TO FINASTERIDE IN MEN WITH SYMPTOMATIC BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

AbstractPurpose: We sought to quantify prostate tissue changes induced by finasteride and to identify a predictor of finasteride response in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) via a randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind clinical trial.Materials and Methods: Men with symptomatic BPH (52 to 78 years old) were randomly assigned to 6 months of treatment with finasteride (26) or placebo (15). Outcome measures were clinical (urinary symptom score and flow rate), chemical (serum prostate specific antigen and dihydrotestosterone levels), volumetric (transrectal ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging for whole and zonal prostate volumes) and histological (morphometry of prostate sextant biopsies, separated into inner and outer gland segments, to measure the percent epithelium, stroma and glandular lumen).Results: In the finasteride group we found a suggestion of decreasing symptom scores and increasing flow rates (not significant) with significant decreases (p <0.01) in prostate spe...
Messages versus Messengers in Distributed Programming

Messengers are autonomous objects, each capable of navigating through the underlying network and performing various tasks at each node. Messengers applications are written usingnavigationalcommands rather than thesend/receiveprimitives of conventional message-passing approaches. In this paper we contrast the two programming styles. From a software engineering viewpoint, the navigational style generally results in a smaller semantic gap between abstract algorithm descriptions and their actual implementations, which makes programs easier to construct, understand, and maintain. In terms of performance, Messengers programs are highly competitive with message-passing. We demonstrate these advantages using two concrete applications programmed using Messengers and PVM.
Plasma Testosterone, Aggressive Behavior, and Personality Dimensions in Young Male Delinquents

Abstract Forty male delinquent recidivists had a slightly higher mean plasma testosterone (T) level than a group of normal adolescents of the same age and pubertal stages. Delinquents who had committed armed robbery tended to have higher mean T levels than less violent offenders. Age at onset of delinquency showed no correlation with T levels. On self-report scales, delinquents with high mean T levels had higher scores on verbal aggression, aggressive attitude, and preference for physical sports and exhaustive activities. These offenders also obtained higher scores on the Extraversion scale and lower scores on the Neuroticism and Lie scales of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The relationships between T and behavioral and personality variables were small in degree, suggesting that rising T production in puberty is only one factor which may contribute to antisocial behavior in certain vulnerable boys with previous psychosocial and organic traumatization.
Visual transformations underlying apparent movement

Apparent movement of a rigid object is seen when two different views of the same object are separated by relatively long distances and times. In a series of experiments, the minimum stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) required for the apparent form-preserving movement of an object was recorded. In Experiment 1, an object was alternately displayed in two positions obtained by displacing and rotating the object about the center of the display screen. In Experiment 2, objects varying in size were presented in alternate positions, again differing by both location and orientation. In Experiment 3, stimulus location and orientation were varied orthogonally. In all three experiments, the minimum SOA was predicted by a linear combination of the distance separating the two locations of the object and the angle separating the two orientations of the object. The results support the hypothesis that the long-range apparent movement of a rigid object may be constructed by internal processes corresponding to rotation and translation of the object.
Evaluating improvements to a meta-heuristic search for constrained interaction testing

Combinatorial interaction testing (CIT) is a cost-effective sampling technique for discovering interaction faults in highly-configurable systems. Constrained CIT extends the technique to situations where some features cannot coexist in a configuration, and is therefore more applicable to real-world software. Recent work on greedy algorithms to build CIT samples now efficiently supports these feature constraints. But when testing a single system configuration is expensive, greedy techniques perform worse than meta-heuristic algorithms, because greedy algorithms generally need larger samples to exercise the same set of interactions. On the other hand, current meta-heuristic algorithms have long run times when feature constraints are present. Neither class of algorithm is suitable when both constraints and the cost of testing configurations are important factors. Therefore, we reformulate one meta-heuristic search algorithm for constructing CIT samples, simulated annealing, to more efficiently incorporate constraints. We identify a set of algorithmic changes and experiment with our modifications on 35 realistic constrained problems and on a set of unconstrained problems from the literature to isolate the factors that improve performance. Our evaluation determines that the optimizations reduce run time by a factor of 90 and accomplish the same coverage objectives with even fewer system configurations. Furthermore, the new version compares favorably with greedy algorithms on real-world problems, and, though our modifications were aimed at constrained problems, it shows similar advantages when feature constraints are absent.
A Dynamic Model of Switched-Capacitor Power Converters

Switched-capacitor (SC) converters are frequently used for low-power applications that require little or no output regulation. Previous work has established static SC converter models, essentially composed of an ideal transformer (with turns ratio determined by the topology) and an output resistance that varies with component choices, switching frequency, and duty ratio. In this paper, the static model is expanded to include the dynamic response to the input voltage and output current changes. The dynamic model is particularly important in systems that experience large output power transients, such as low-power systems that enter and exit sleep modes. For applications that are only concerned with input-output behavior, a reduced-order model that neglects internal dynamics is derived. The dynamic model is validated with both simulations and experimental results.
Dorsal surgery for myelopathy and myeloradiculopathy.

Objective To review the dorsal approaches to the cervical spine for myelopathy and myeloradiculopathy. Methods The literature was reviewed in reference to dorsal approaches for cervical myelopathy and myeloradiculopathy. Results There are a variety of surgical approaches in the management of cervical myelopathy and myeloradiculopathy. Deciding which is the best method for any individual requires the surgeon to be aware of the advantages of each technique, as well as the complications and limitations of each approach. Conclusion Laminectomy is the traditional technique used for multilevel cervical stenosis. The complications related to laminectomy, such as late neurological decline, kyphosis, instability, and postoperative radiculopathy, led to laminectomy with fusion. In Japan, dissatisfaction with both laminectomy and laminectomy with fusion led to the development of laminoplasty for dorsal treatment of multilevel cervical stenosis. This article highlights the salient features of preoperative evaluation in this patient population as it pertains to dorsal surgical approaches. Additionally, the techniques of laminectomy, laminectomy with fusion, and laminoplasty are compared, and the results are reviewed.
Welfare, Choice and Solidarity in Transition: Reforming the Health Sector in Eastern Europe

Part I. Points of Departure: 1. The general principles of reform 2. The characteristics of the health sector 3. Some international experiences 4. The health sector in Eastern Europe: the initial state Part II. Guidelines for Reform: 5. The demand side: financing, benefits, and organization of insurance 6. The supply side: delivery system ownership, organization, and contracting 7. The interaction of supply and demand: pricing, payment, hard budget constraints, and overall health-sector development 8. Concluding remarks.
Nonlinear dynamics of vortices in easy flow channels along grain boundaries in superconductors

A theory of nonlinear dynamics of mixed Abrikosov vortices with Josephson cores (AJ vortices) on low-angle grain boundaries (GB) in superconductors is proposed. As the misorientation angle $\ensuremath{\vartheta}$ increases, vortices on low-angle GBs evolve from the Abrikosov vortices with normal cores to intermediate AJ vortices with Josephson cores, whose length l along GB is smaller that the London penetration depth $\ensuremath{\lambda},$ but larger than the coherence length $\ensuremath{\xi}.$ Dynamics and pinning of the AJ vortex structures determine the in-field current transport through GB and the microwave response of polycrystal in the crucial misorientation range $\ensuremath{\vartheta}l20--30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ of the exponential drop of the local critical current density ${J}_{b}(\ensuremath{\vartheta})$ through GB. An exact solution for an overdamped periodic AJ vortex structure driven along GB by an arbitrary time-dependent transport current in a dc magnetic field $Hg{H}_{c1}$ is obtained. It is shown that the dynamics of the AJ vortex chain is parametrized by solutions of two coupled first-order nonlinear differential equations which describe self-consistently the time dependence of the vortex velocity and the AJ core length. Exact formulas for the dc flux flow resistivity ${R}_{f}(H),$ and the nonlinear voltage-current characteristics are obtained. Dynamics of the AJ vortex chain driven by superimposed ac and dc currents is considered, and general expressions for a linear complex resistivity $R(\ensuremath{\omega})$ and dissipation of the ac field are obtained. A flux flow resonance is shown to occur at large dc vortex velocities $v$ for which the imaginary part of $R(\ensuremath{\omega})$ has peaks at the ``washboard'' ac frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}=2\ensuremath{\pi}v/a,$ where a is the intervortex spacing. This resonance can cause peaks and portions with negative differential conductivity on the averaged dc voltage-current $(V\ensuremath{-}I)$ characteristics. ac currents of large amplitude cause generation of higher voltage harmonics and phase locking effects which manifest themselves in steps on the averaged dc $I\ensuremath{-}V$ curves at the Josephson voltages, $n\ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath{\omega}/2e$ with $n=1.2,\dots{}.$
Power, conflict, control, and the application of contingency theory in marketing channels

The confusing, and often contradictory, implications for channel strategy emerging from existing theories and empirical studies of power, conflict, and control in marketing channels are discussed.
Support of the Implementation of Modern Automation and Robotics Solutions through the Application of Innovative Training Methods and Techniques

Technological progress and specific of the modern consumer market forces the use of more and more advanced solutions in the field of automation and robotics. Companies offering such solutions must also provide future users with the knowledge necessary to operate the equipment. In many cases, traditional methods of knowledge transfer are not effective due to the nature of the applications offered and the specifics of work in the production area. The article presents solutions for the transfer of knowledge related to the operation of automation equipment and robotics, and information technology solutions to support this process. Mentioned in the article methods allow the effective dissemination of solutions in these areas.
Satellite images monitor volcanos

In response to the rare but serious threat that volcanoes pose to airplanes, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently established a volcano monitoring service. Under the agreement NOAA will contact FAA if satellite images show ash eruptions reaching higher than 5 km along flight routes. The volcano monitoring service will also depend on pilots, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Smithsonian Institution's Scientific Event Alert Network for reports of volcanic eruptions.
African American English-speaking students: an examination of the relationship between dialect shifting and reading outcomes.

Purpose In this study, the authors evaluated the contribution made by dialect shifting to reading achievement test scores of African American English (AAE)–speaking students when controlling for the effects of socioeconomic status (SES), general oral language abilities, and writing skills. Method Participants were 165 typically developing African American 1st through 5th graders. Half were male and half were female, one third were from low-SES homes, and two-thirds were from middle-SES homes. Dialect shifting away from AAE toward Standard American English (SAE) was determined by comparing AAE production rates during oral and written narratives. Structural equation modeling evaluated the relative contributions of AAE rates, SES, and general oral language and writing skills on standardized reading achievement scores. Results AAE production rates were inversely related to reading achievement scores and decreased significantly between the oral and written narratives. Lower rates in writing predicted a substan...
A remanent and induced magnetization model of Magsat vector anomalies over the west African craton

Scalar and vector Magsat anomalies over the west African craton are analyzed by forward and inverse models. A forward model of the Man shield is based on Liberia. Induced magnetization contrasts due to sporadic iron-formations and to regional metamorphic rocks, and a contrast in remanent magnetization within the lower crust are included. This combination reproduces the location, magnitude and adopted local zero level of anomalies in the initial Magsat maps. An inverse model of the Reguibat shield estimates the magnetization contrast of its lithosphere, and when magnetism is restricted to shallower than 75 km both shields can be represented by a susceptibility contrast of +0.02. A residual anomaly between the shields involves a relative deficiency of induced magnetization along with other causes.
Factors affecting low-income women's food choices and the perceived impact of dietary intake and socioeconomic status on their health and weight.

Abstract Objective To investigate factors affecting food choice and health beliefs among low-income women in the context of their weight and socioeconomic status. Design Two researchers conducted 14 90-minute focus groups, which were audiotaped. Setting Libraries, homeless shelters, and a community center. Participants Ninety-two low-income women (18–65 years) with at least 1 child aged 9–13 years in the household. Main Outcome Measures Food choice and health beliefs of low-income women. Analysis Transcripts were coded and reconciled; common themes and subthemes were identified. Results Over 75% of participants were overweight/obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25), and most were in charge of purchasing and preparing food for their families. Health concerns included diabetes, hypertension, and overweight/obesity, and most felt their health status had genetic or metabolic origins. Although many would like to regularly consume healthful food (eg, fresh fruits and vegetables), such food was perceived as unaffordable. Conclusions and Implications A disconnect between diet and health among low-income women calls for nutrition interventions that educate low-income families on inexpensive, healthful eating in a structured environment, and diet-disease relationships. Changes at a policy level should be considered to increase affordability and accessibility of healthful food in low-income neighborhoods and through federal food assistance programs.
‘Second-order’ ethnic minorities in Asian secessionist conflicts: problems and prospects

This article provides some conceptual foundations for a special issue of Asian Ethnicity concerned with what we call ‘second-order minorities’. If secessionist conflicts involve minorities resisting abusive, assimilationist states, leading rebel groups to embark on their own nation-building efforts, how does this affect the minorities of aspiring secessionist nations? How do the minorities of secessionist groups respond to secessionism? Despite many insightful studies of secessionism and rebel ethno-nationalism, scholars have yet to explore the ways that local minorities navigate secessionist conflicts. We suggest that the relationship between secessionists and second-order minorities depends on three key factors: whether minorities are territorially concentrated or dispersed, indigenous or migrant, and nation majorities or small national minorities. These characteristics provide us some idea of the types of violence and counter-mobilization we might see among second-order minorities faced with secessioni...
Dependence of quantum efficiency of alkali halide photocathodes on the radiation incidence angle

We studied variation efficiencies of CsI, KBr and KI- evaporated reflective planar phototcathodes with the angle of radiation incidence in the spectral range of 25-115 nm. The photocurrent increases with the photon incidence angle for short wavelengths, while it changes only approximately 5 percent at wavelengths approximately 90-115 nm. The theoretical calculations of the photocathode angular response based on the absorption length of the photons and the escape length of the photoelectronics are in a relatively good agreement with the measured data. A detailed study of the detection efficiency angular variation for the microchannel plates with CsI, KI and KBr photocathodes in the spectral range of 25-191 nm is also presented. Heat annealing of the planar photocathodes did not result in any significant variation in their angular response.
The effect of copper and protein on iron metabolism in rats fed a cereal diet.

Abstract Weanling male white rats were fed a diet containing a commercially available breakfast cereal. In 28 days they developed a mild anemia coupled with an increased amount of iron in the liver. In parallel work, this same diet was supplemented in a factorial fashion with casein, iron, copper and zinc. The zinc had no effect. Copper supplementation increased the hemoglobin level. Casein decreased liver iron. The copper and casein, when fed together, produced results approaching normal control levels. Supplementation of the diet with additional iron did not increase the hemoglobin or hematocrit but it did further increase iron storage in the liver. It is suggested that cereal enrichment programs might do well to consider copper and protein rather than focus total attention on additional iron and zinc.
Comparison of the attachment rates of males of the ticks Amblyomma hebraeum and A. variegatum to cattle, sheep and rabbits in the absence of aggregation-attachment pheromone.

Losses in domestic ruminants caused by heartwater (Cowdria ruminantium infection) in Zimbabwe and Mozambique are greater when the vector isAmblyomma hebraeum than when the vector isA. variegatum. It has been suggested that the epidemiology of the disease may be influenced by the rates at which unfed adults of these two tick species attach to uninfested hosts (i.e. in the absence of the male-produced aggregation-attachment pheromone [AAP]). In this study we confined unfed males ofA. hebraeum andA. variegatum on uninfested cattle, sheep and rabbits and recorded their attachment rates. Males of both species attached more rapidly on cattle than on sheep or rabbits. Males ofA. hebraeum attached more rapidly than males ofA. variegatum on all three host species. The differences in the attachment rates between the two species were much greater on sheep and rabbits than on cattle. The findings suggest that in the absence of AAP, pioneer males of both tick species may attach to cattle, and pioneer males ofA. hebraeum may also attach to sheep. The differences in the attachment rates ofA. hebraeum andA. variegatum provide a possible explanation for observed differences in the epidemiology of heartwater associated with these two vector species.
Symbols of Power: Statues in Nineteenth-Century Provincial France

Maurice Agulhon, in his classic French historical study, revealed how the changing political fortunes of Republicanism were reflected in the many metamorphoses that statues of the Republic had undergone in the century after the French Revolution. This study and a number of important works by North Americans, like those of James Leith and Lynn Hunt, are also important in making us understand French political iconography.
Epidemiologic and clinical data linking factors XI and XII to thrombosis

Currently available evidence supports the contention that elevated levels of factor XI (fXI) are associated with a greater risk of venous thromboembolism and ischemic stroke, but, less convincingly, with myocardial infarction. Conversely, reduced plasma levels of fXI seem to offer some protection from venous thromboembolism and stroke, but not myocardial infarction. Factor XI-deficient patients are at risk for certain types of bleeding, particularly posttraumatic hemorrhage on mucosal surfaces where there is a high endogenous fibrinolytic activity. In contrast, the situation with fXII in human thrombosis remains enigmatic. Deficiency of fXII is clearly not associated with any bleeding risk, but neither does it seem to be protective against thrombosis. The longstanding debate as to whether partial fXII deficiency represents a risk factor for thrombosis remains unresolved, with seemingly conflicting results depending on study design, type of assay used, and analyte evaluated. The possibility that elevated fXII levels represent a risk factor for thrombosis is not borne out in the literature.
Zeroing in on early arrest onset: Results from a population of extreme career criminals

Abstract Although the negative relationship between age of first arrest and subsequent criminal career severity is well known, it lacks empirical specificity. Using a population of five hundred adult career criminals, descriptive, OLS regression, and negative binomial regression analyses produced six key findings. Offenders first arrested at age fourteen were among the most chronic, versatile, and dangerous offenders and were justifiably the threshold in differentiating early from late starters. Those arrested in middle childhood were rare, yet accumulated hundreds of career arrests. Persons first arrested at ages sixteen or seventeen were most likely to be convicted of felonies and sentenced to prison. The most violent offenders were first arrested at ages fourteen or fifteen. While early onset was undoubtedly important, 62 percent of offenders with extensive criminal careers were not initially arrested until adulthood. In sum, these findings added empirical specificity to the theoretical and empirical significance of experiencing an early arrest.
B lymphocytes regulate airway granulocytic inflammation and cytokine production in a murine model of fungal allergic asthma

Sensitization to fungi often leads to a severe form of asthma that is particularly difficult to manage clinically, resulting in increased morbidity and hospitalizations in these patients. Although B lymphocytes might exacerbate asthma symptoms through the production of IgE, these cells might also be important in the protective response against inhaled fungi. Through cytokine release and T-cell interactions, these lymphocytes might also influence the development and maintenance of airway wall fibrosis. JH−/− mice lack the JH gene for the heavy chain component of antibodies, which is critical for B-cell function and survival. These animals have facilitated the elucidation of the role of B lymphocytes in a number of immune responses; however, JH−/− mice have not been used to study fungal allergy. In this study, we examined the role of B lymphocytes using an Aspergillus fumigatus murine fungal aeroallergen model that mimics human airway disease that is triggered by environmental fungal exposure. We compared disease progression in sensitized wild-type BALB/c and JH−/− mice that were exposed to repeated fungal exposure and found no differences in airway hyperresponsiveness, overall pulmonary inflammation or collagen deposition around the large airways. However, the levels of the Th2-type cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 were significantly attenuated in the airways of JH−/− mice relative to the BALB/c controls. By contrast, levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-17A and IL-6 were significantly elevated in the JH−/− animals, and there was significantly more robust airway eosinophilia and neutrophilia than in control animals. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that B lymphocytes help to regulate granulocytic responses to fungal exposure in the pulmonary compartment.
Platelet-derived growth factor gene delivery stimulates ex vivo gingival repair

Destruction of tooth support due to the chronic inflammatory disease periodontitis is a major cause of tooth loss. There are limitations with available treatment options to tissue engineer soft tissue periodontal defects. The exogenous application of growth factors (GFs) such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has shown promise to enhance oral and periodontal tissue regeneration. However, the topical administration of GFs has not led to clinically significant improvements in tissue regeneration because of problems in maintaining therapeutic protein levels at the defect site. The utilization of PDGF gene transfer may circumvent many of the limitations with protein delivery to soft tissue wounds. The objective of this study was to test the effect of PDGF-A and PDGF-B gene transfer to human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) on ex vivo repair in three-dimensional collagen lattices. HGFs were transduced with adenovirus encoding PDGF-A and PDGF-B genes. Defect fill of bilayer collagen gels was measured by image analysis of cell repopulation into the gingival defects. The modulation of gene expression at the defect site and periphery was measured by RT-PCR during a 10-day time course after gene delivery. The results demonstrated that PDGF-B gene transfer stimulated potent (>4-fold) increases in cell repopulation and defect fill above that of PDGF-A and corresponding controls. PDGF-A and PDGF-B gene expression was maintained for at least 10 days. PDGF gene transfer upregulated the expression of phosphatidylinosital 3-kinase and integrin alpha5 subunit at 5 days after adenovirus transduction. These results suggest that PDGF gene transfer has potential for periodontal soft tissue-engineering applications.
Optimization using variations of simulated annealing

Abstract Kalivas, J.H., 1992. Optimization using variations of simulated annealing. Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems , 15: 1–12. Simulated annealing (SA) was originally developed for determining global optima for combinatorial optimization problems, but it has been shown to be amenable to continuous functions as well. Difficulties in SA arise when determining proper operating cooling schedule variables for particular optimization problems. Generalized simulated annealing (GSA) reduces many of these complications. However, GSA usually locates near-global optima and not exact optima. If GSA is set up interactively, convergence to the exact global optimum becomes achievable. In order to attain automatic convergence to the exact global optimum, the variable step size generalized simulated annealing (VSGSA) algorithm tunes its operation variables based on data collected during optimization. This tutorial describes the basic operating principles for SA, GSA, and VSGSA, and incorporates worked examples from the literature.
Family health effects: complements or substitutes.

Genetic endowments play a fundamental role in the production of health. At birth individuals have different capacities to be healthy, largely due to genetic dispositions. Whether or not individuals realize this health depends on their choice of health behaviours. Previous research has linked negative factors beyond the individual's control, which include genetic endowments, to both poor health and poor health behaviours. The health economics literature proposes that behaviours and genetic (or family health) endowments can be either substitutes or complements in the production of health. The goal of this paper is to investigate the behavioural consequences of changes in knowledge about one's genetic endowment. Using two waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Followup Study, I find that for smokers, smoking intensity substitutes for newly diagnosed smoking-related family cancers, while smoking intensity is complementary to newly diagnosed non-smoking-related family cancers. I find no evidence for the hypothesized relationships with respect to alcohol consumption among drinkers. These results have implications for the growing field of genetic testing and test development. These results also reinforce current practices of ascertaining family health histories in the context of medical history taking.
Implementing effective ventilator practice at the bedside.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: New data on the efficacy of low tidal volume ventilation for acute lung injury, noninvasive ventilation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, weaning from mechanical ventilation, and prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia provide, for perhaps the first time in respiratory care, compelling evidence for clinicians to change practice. However, experience from every other field in medicine suggests that there will be significant barriers to changing clinical practice at the bedside. Studies on implementation of effective practice in medicine shows that a multifaceted, team-oriented approach incorporating reminders, efficient use of non-physician personnel, protocols, and education is required to change clinical practice. Limited data on current practice of mechanical ventilation suggest that it deviates from recommended practice. Unfortunately, there are no studies exploring community-based implementation of mechanical ventilation guidelines and only a few studies to inform clinicians as to why ventilator practice may be difficult to change. As the evidence base grows for effective critical care practice, so does the responsibility to translate practices that improve outcome from research journals to patients' bedsides. Strategies for doing this are presented in the review.
Democracy Works in New Jersey

American democracy works. That was the proud conclusion of those who thoughtfully observed the actions of the New Jersey Constitutional Convention in session on the Rutgers University campus during the summer months of 1947. The people of the state, through their elected representatives, exercised their right to alter their form of government. On November 4 it will be the people who will decide whether to accept or reject the document prepared for them by the convention. In an era when democracy faces serious challenges, when skeptics taunt and believers waver, it is heartening to ponder the significance of what took place at New Brunswick.
Automated measurement of bioelectric impedance at very low frequencies.

Abstract An on-line real-time system utilizing a simple package of dedicated hardware in conjunction with a small computer for measuring two-terminal electrical impedance is described. Operating efficiently from 0.005 to 500 Hz, it covers most of the interesting range for bioelectrode, organ, and tissue studies in electrocardiography, encephalography, myography, and other electrographic researches. The impedance to be measured is driven sinusoidally at a constant current chosen by the operator. By sampling the voltage and the associated current at appropriate paired times during one electrical cycle, coefficients for a discrete Fourier series expansion are obtained in a form which makes calculation of real and imaginary impedance components, DC offset, and harmonic content very simple. Results are displayed on a television-type raster for immediate evaluation and may then be recorded on high-speed tape for subsequent detailed analysis.
The Politics of Collective Inaction: NATO's Response to the Prague Spring

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) kept close track of developments in Czechoslovakia throughout 1968, but the alliance did not pursue a coherent policy toward the uprising. A close examination of NATO actions from January 1968 until the invasion on 20–21 August helps explain why a coordinated approach never materialized. Certain structural features of the alliance and a host of domestic and external distractions precluded a joint response. NATO members worked individually rather than collectively to avert Soviet military action through quiet diplomacy, but these efforts made almost no difference.
Response and Cardiac Toxicity of Trastuzumab Given in Conjunction with Weekly Paclitaxel After Doxorubicin/Cyclophosphamide

Abstract Background Adjuvant trastuzumab improves relapse-free survival in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer but is associated with cardiac toxicity. This phase II study was undertaken to determine the neoadjuvant clinical and pathologic response rate and the acute and chronic cardiac toxicity of trastuzumab given with weekly paclitaxel after AC (doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide). Patients and Methods Fifty-two women with newly diagnosed, stage II-IV, HER2-overexpressing breast cancer received AC for 4 cycles, followed by weekly TP (paclitaxel/trastuzumab) for 12 weeks, neoadjuvantly or adjuvantly, followed by 40 weeks of adjuvant trastuzumab. Results Congestive heart failure occurred in 4% of patients (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5%-13.2%). Asymptomatic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) decreases to P Conclusion In this study, the AC-TP regimen resulted in a high clinical but moderate pathologic response rate, and although asymptomatic cardiac systolic dysfunction was common, most of the severe decreases recovered over time.
Status of the Pallid Sturgeon: Scaphirhynchus albus

Abstract Information presented concerning the pallid sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus, was compiled from published and unpublished papers, from personal communications with numerous biologists, and from the results of a survey of 45 agencies and individuals. Pallid sturgeon occur in the Missouri River and the lower half of the Mississippi River and certain of their tributaries. Of the 250 pallids that were reported, approximately 76% were collected from the Missouri River in Montana and the Dakotas. Because of the rarity of this species, information on its life history is limited. Regression equations were developed for the length-weight relationships of pallids from two Missouri River reservoirs. The apparent rarity of the pallid sturgeon and the lack of knowledge concerning it has prompted 9 of the 13 states within its range to classify it as either threatened or endangered or to give it some other special recognition. The Endangered Species Committee of the American Fisheries Society has also classified ...
Crowd evacuation for indoor public spaces using Coulomb's law

This paper focuses on designing a tool for guiding a group of people out of a public building when they are faced with dangerous situations that require immediate evacuation. Despite architectural attempts to produce safe floor plans and exit door placements, people will still commit to fatal route decisions. Since they have access to global views, we believe supervisory people in the control room can use our simulation tools to determine the best courses of action for people. Accordingly, supervisors can guide people to safety. In this paper, we combine Coulomb's electrical law, graph theory, and convex and centroid concepts to demonstrate a computer-generated evacuation scenario that divides the environment into different safe boundaries around the locations of each exit door in order to guide people through exit doors safely and in the most expedient time frame. Our mechanism continually updates the safe boundaries at each moment based on the latest location of individuals who are present inside the environment. Guiding people toward exit doors depends on the momentary situations in the environment, which in turn rely on the specifications of each exit door. Our mechanism rapidly adapts to changes in the environment in terms of moving agents and changes in the environmental layout that might be caused by explosions or falling walls.
Sonographic predictors of obstructive defecatory dysfunction

We aimed to evaluate the association between obstructive defecatory symptoms in women with levator ani deficiency (LAD), worsened minimum levator hiatus measurements, widened anorectal angle (ARA), and increased levator-plate descent angle (LPDA). Using a cross-sectional study design, patients who had undergone 3D endovaginal ultrasound (3D EVUS) imaging of the pelvic floor were sampled and categorized into two groups: those with and those without obstructive defecatory symptoms (ODS) based on their Colorectal and Anal Distress Index (CRADI-8) questionnaire. The levator ani (LA) muscle was scored based on severity of defect. ARA and LPDA were measured and dichotomized (ARA ± 170°; LPDA ± 9°. One hundred patients were analyzed: 52 asymptomatic and 48 with ODS. The mean (standard deviation ) age was 59 years (SD ±14.97). There was no difference in the distribution of LAD severity between groups (p = 0.1438) or mean minimal levator hiatus (MLH) (p = 0.3326). ARA and LPDA were significantly different in those with ODS compared with their asymptomatic counterparts (p 170° had seven times the odds of ODS than those with ARA ≤170° [odds ratio (OR) = 7.01, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2.30–21.35; p = 0.0006). Patients with an LPDA <9° had 3 times the odds of ODS than those with an LPDA ≥9° (OR = 3.30, 95 % CI 1.22, 8.96, p = 0.0190). This study demonstrates that increased levator plate descent and widened ARA as measured on 3D endovaginal ultrasound imaging are associated with ODS.
Shuttlebox avoidance programs for the 6502

Two programs were written in assembly language for the 6502 microprocessor to control a wide variety of learning procedures for a shuttlebox. Both programs can control two shuttleboxes simultaneously. The first program includes routines for the traditional discrete-trial avoidance procedures, including operant level (CS only), avoidance, punishment, and Pavlovian conditioning (US presentation independent of the response). Session parameters (number of trials, durations of the CS, US, and IT!) may be set over a wide range of values, and response-contingent CS termination is an option. Session-identification data, the latency of the first response on each trial, and the total number of intertrial responses are both printed and stored in memory. Latencies, rather than just the occurrence of a response, are measured. Bolles (1979) argued that the failure of the response latencies to change over time is evidence that the animal is showing a species-specific defense reaction rather than avoidance learning. The second program controls the linear presentation procedure described by Zerbolio (1981). This method was developed with the thought that the traditional shuttlebox avoidance procedures do not provide unambiguous evidence for the acquisition of a discriminated avoidance response in goldfish. In the typical avoidance learning experiment, an increase in response rate is taken as evidence for learning. Goldfish present a problem in that they are known to increase their rate of responding not only in the situation in which there is response-contingent shockomission, but also under a large variety of procedures, including no US presentation (Steiner, 1971) and Pavlovian procedures (Woodard & Bitterman, 1971). Zerbolio's procedure provides a parallel to the response requirements of a Y maze. In the shuttlebox, each trial begins with a trial-start stimulus. If the fish responds, by shuttling to the other end of the tank, either an S+ or an Sstimulus is presented on a randomized basis. Ifthe fish makes additional responses on this trial, the S+ and Sstimuli alternate. At the end of the trial, the fish receives the US if the trial-start or S stimuli are in effect. To avoid the
HYLIFE-II Inertial Confinement Fusion Reactor Design

The HYLIFE-II inertial fusion power plant design study uses a liquid fall, in the form of jets to protect the first structural wall from neutron damage, x-rays, and blast to provide a 30-y lifetime. HYLIFE-I used liquid lithium. HYLIFE-II avoids the fire hazard of lithium by using a molten salt composed of fluorine, lithium, and beryllium (Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4}) called Flibe. Access for heavy-ion beams is provided. Calculations for assumed heavy-ion beam performance show a nominal gain of 70 at 5 MJ producing 350 MJ, about 5.2 times less yield than the 1.8 GJ from a driver energy of 4.5 MJ with gain of 400 for HYLIFE-I. The nominal 1 GWe of power can be maintained by increasing the repetition rate by a factor of about 5.2, from 1.5 to 8 Hz. A higher repetition rate requires faster re-establishment of the jets after a shot, which can be accomplished in part by decreasing the jet fall height and increasing the jet flow velocity. Multiple chambers may be required. In addition, although not considered for HYLIFE-I, there is undoubtedly liquid splash that must be forcibly cleared because gravity is too slow, especially at high repetition rates. Splash removal can be accomplishedmore » by either pulsed or oscillating jet flows. The cost of electricity is estimated to be 0.09$/kW{center dot}h in constant 1988 dollars, about twice that of future coal and light water reactor nuclear power. The driver beam cost is about one-half the total cost. 12 refs., 9 figs., 5 tabs.« less