cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restaging Works from the Ballets Russes: A Conversation between

Abstract Critic Marcia Siegel and choreographer Millicent Hodson discuss problems of putting lost or nearly forgotten 20th century ballets back on stage, focusing on questions of authenticity, interpretation, choreographic process and documentation through direct contact with Diaghilev's dancers. The discussion refers specifically to reconstruction of ballets by Nijinsky and Balanchine which Hodson has done with scenic consultant Kenneth Archer during the last years when Ballets Russes artists still survived to pass on their knowledge. Siegel extends the discussion to Diaghilev's other choreographers, Fokine, Massine and Nijinska.
EARLY RADIATION LETHALITY: ENZYME RELEASE AND THE PROTECTIVE ACTION OF SOYBEAN TRYPSIN INHIBITOR.

SummarySoybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) can act to reduce early radiation lethality (<24 hours) in the 3-day chick as well as in the 14-day chick embryo. Plasma acid phosphatase activity was increased more than 2-fold in lethally irradiated chicks, but only small increases were demonstrated in groups that received near-lethal exposures or that were protected by SBTI before a lethal exposure.
Low-Complexity High-Speed Decoder Design for Quasi-Cyclic LDPC Codes

This paper studies low-complexity high-speed decoder architectures for quasi-cyclic low density parity check (QC-LDPC) codes. Algorithmic transformation and architectural level optimization are incorporated to reduce the critical path. Enhanced partially parallel decoding architectures are proposed to linearly increase the throughput of conventional partially parallel decoders through introducing a small percentage of extra hardware. Based on the proposed architectures, a (8176, 7154) Euclidian geometry-based QC-LDPC code decoder is implemented on Xilinx field programmable gate array (FPGA) Virtex-II 6000, where an efficient nonuniform quantization scheme is employed to reduce the size of memories storing soft messages. FPGA implementation results show that the proposed decoder can achieve a maximum (source data) decoding throughput of 172 Mb/s at 15 iterations
Virginia improves teaching and learning (VITAL): A comprehensive statewide data system for teacher quality

State-level institutional researchers develop a data system to help improve teacher quality.
How politics, economics, and institutions shaped electric utility regulation in the United States: 1879–2009

The history of electric utility regulation at both the state and national level from the beginning of the industry through the aftermath of the California energy crisis of 2000–01 is presented. That history was partly determined by the economics of the industry – on the supply side by its cost structure, network characteristics, and lack of storability – on the demand side by its price inelasticity for all but the largest consumers, and partly by politics. These factors influenced the institutions that were created to regulate the industry, a process also complicated greatly by US federalism. The intensity of regulation waxed and waned in response to real or perceived problems in the industry.
The diagnostic utility of brain biopsy procedures in patients with rapidly deteriorating neurological conditions or dementia

Object. Obtaining brain biopsy specimens is often the diagnostic test of last resort for patients with unexplained neurological conditions, particularly those with a rapidly deteriorating neurological course. The goals of this analysis were to determine the diagnostic sensitivity of brain biopsy specimens in these types of patients and retrospectively identify features of these disorders that may have enabled an earlier diagnosis, which may prevent the need for diagnostic brain biopsy procedures in the future. Methods. The authors reviewed the case records of all brain biopsy procedures that had been performed at a single tertiary care institution between January 1993 and April 2002 in 171 patients. Patients with HIV or nonlymphomatous brain tumors were excluded from this analysis because the utility of brain biopsy specimens for these conditions has been determined from previous studies. A subgroup analysis of this cohort was performed in the 64 patients who had comprehensive medical records and a clinical syndrome involving a progressively deteriorating neurological condition of less than 1 year in duration. The overall sensitivity of brain biopsy procedures for diagnostic purposes in the cohort was 65% (111 of 171 patients). The two most common diagnoses in the subgroup with rapidly deteriorating neurological conditions were primary central nervous system (CNS) B-cell lymphoma in 20.3% (13 patients) and Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease in 15.6% (10 patients), followed by viral encephalitis in 14.1% (nine patients) and CNS vasculitis in 9.4% (six patients). Clinical symptoms and laboratory data were compared among the diagnostic groups. Conclusions. These results will help guide the evaluation of patients with neurological conditions that are difficult to diagnose and will provide a foundation for further prospective studies.
Congregations and Older Adult Resources

This article defines ways in which a community can honor older adults as an invaluable resource to community life. A biographical study of a particular community is undertaken in order to extricate its theological convictions and ethical values. This study underscores the pivotal role of older adults in community function. Moreover, this article challenges scholars, caregivers, congregations to develop theories and strategies of care efficacious for healing.
Some methods for providing OSI transport in SNA

This paper is made up of three parts: first, a review of open systems interconnection (OSI) objectives, followed by a comparison/contrasting of OSI and systems network architecture (SNA) objectives; second, a description of techniques for providing communication between programs residing in systems based on different architectures; and third, the possible application of these techniques to the four lower OSI layers, demonstrating some ways which could be used to provide connectivity between SNA end users and other heterogeneous system end users through OSI protocols.
Analogs of quantum-Hall-effect edge states in photonic crystals

Photonic crystals built with time-reversal-symmetry-breaking Faraday-effect media can exhibit chiral edge modes that propagate unidirectionally along boundaries across which the Faraday axis reverses. These modes are precise analogs of the electronic edge states of quantum-Hall-effect (QHE) systems, and are also immune to backscattering and localization by disorder. The Berry curvature of the photonic bands plays a role analogous to that of the magnetic field in the QHE. Explicit calculations demonstrating the existence of such unidirectionally propagating photonic edge states are presented.
Lipids of pigment gallstones

The lipids of pigment gallstones were analyzed. In contrast to previous reports, pigment stones were found to contain a wide variety of free fatty acids. In addition, pigment stones contained unhydrolyzed phospholipids. Both free fatty acids and phospholipids were present in much higher concentrations in a brown stone obtained from a patient with a biliary tract infection than in a black stone obtained from a patient with sterile bile and a long-standing hemolytic anemia. However, the phospholipids in both kinds of stone consisted primarily of phosphatidylcholine. Separation of stone and bile phosphatidylcholines into their individual molecular species by high performance liquid chromatography indicated that the phosphatidylcholines in stones closely resemble those in bile. The data suggest that both the free fatty acids and the phosphatidylcholine of pigment stones derive from bile phosphatidylcholine, but that the extent of bile phosphatidylcholine participation in pigment stone formation may be variable.
Analysing the evolution of a digital organization eco-systems (DOES)

Social Interaction of the actors of a DOES influences the system' evolution. Starting from this consideration, this paper analyses the evolution of an Italian Research Organization as a Digital Organization Eco-System. The evolution is analysed on considering the impact that the use of advanced ICT have on the creation, development and management of internal and external interactions and relations of the organizsation.
Transabdominal Preperitoneal Laparoscopic Inguinal Herniorrhaphy: Assessment of Initial Experience

Objective To evaluate our initial experience with laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy. Design We retrospectively studied a consecutive series of patients selectively chosen for laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernia. Material and Methods The study cohort consisted of 173 patients treated by a single surgeon between 1992 and 1995. For all operations, a transabdominal approach was used. Follow-up was obtained by telephone contact or letter. Results The study group consisted of 167 male and 6 female patients with a mean age at operation of 55 years (range, 15 to 81). During the study period, 206 laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs were performed in the 173 patients. Only one patient (0.6%) required conversion to laparotomy. Bilateral hernia repair was done in 31 patients (18%). Of the 206 procedures, 63 repairs (31 %) were performed for recurrent hernias. In 69% of the patients, the procedure was completed on an outpatient basis. Early postoperative complications necessitating surgical intervention occurred in four patients. The median time to return to work or normal physical activity was 7 days for unilateral and 12 days for bilateral hernia repair ( P - 0.18). A mean follow-up of 29 months was obtained for 171 patients (99%). In six patients (3%), a recurrent hernia developed. Four of these six patients had previously undergone an open surgical procedure on the side of the recurrence. Conclusion Laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy is a feasible alternative to open hernia repair. This operation, however, should be reserved for selected patients. Longer follow-up and controlled trials comparing laparoscopic and tension-free open herniorrhaphy are necessary for assessment of the relative benefits of this procedure.
Cognitive Assessment of the Sources of Mathematics Self-Efficacy: A Thought-Listing Analysis

This study explored the sources of information that students employ in appraising their mathematics self-efficacy. Responding to a thought-listing questionnaire, 103 college students cited personal...
Energy Management under General Task-Level Reliability Constraints

The negative impact of the popular energy management technique Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) on the reliability of real-time embedded systems, in terms of increased transient fault rates, has been recently identified. As a result, recent research literature includes a number of solutions within the so-called Reliability-Aware Power Management (RA-PM) framework, where the aim is to preserve the system's original reliability. In this research effort, we propose a more general framework where the aim is to achieve arbitrary reliability levels that may vary for each periodic task. A critical component of our solution is the use of dynamically allocated recoveries: we show that providing a relatively modest recovery allowance to a given periodic task helps to achieve surprisingly high reliability levels as long as these allowances can be reclaimed on-demand during the hyper period. We propose a pseudo-polynomial time feasibility test, as well as static and dynamic algorithms to determine the recovery allowance and frequency assignments to minimize energy consumption while satisfying timing and reliability constraints. Our experimental evaluation points to the significant gain potential of the new framework in terms of both energy and reliability figures.
A pneumatic power harvesting ankle-foot orthosis to prevent foot-drop

Background A self-contained, self-controlled, pneumatic power harvesting ankle-foot orthosis (PhAFO) to manage foot-drop was developed and tested. Foot-drop is due to a disruption of the motor control pathway and may occur in numerous pathologies such as stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. The objectives for the prototype PhAFO are to provide toe clearance during swing, permit free ankle motion during stance, and harvest the needed power with an underfoot bellow pump pressurized during the stance phase of walking.
Modifying soybean oil for enhanced performance in biodiesel blends

Soybean (Glycine max Merr.) oil is primarily composed of five fatty acids; palmitic acid (∼13%), stearic acid (∼4%), oleic acid (∼18%), linoleic acid (∼55%) and linolenic acid (∼10%). The average U.S. production of soybean oil from 1993 to 1995 was 6.8 billion kg and in 2002 soybeans were harvested from more than 30 million ha across the U.S., which accounts for 40% of the total world soybean output. This production capacity accounts for more than 50% of the total available biobased oil for industrial applications. A useful industrial application of soybean oil is in biodiesel blends. On a liquid basis, the total soybean oil production capacity would be equivalent to 1.9 billion gal of diesel, about 6.9% of the diesel fuel consumed in the United States for transportation in 1996. A number of positive attributes are realized with the use of soybean oil-derived biodiesel, including enhanced biodegradation, increased flashpoint, reduced toxicity, lower emissions and increased lubricity. However, the two parameters that have limited usefulness of a soybean oil-derived biodiesel as a fuel are oxidative instability and cold flow in northern climates. The latter is not an issue in warmer environments, and thus soybean oil modifications designed to maximize engine performance should be targeted with marketplace locale considerations in mind. Implementing the tools of biotechnology to modify the fatty acid profile of soybean for locale performance enhancement may increase the attractiveness of biodiesel derived from this commodity crop.
Scaling Analysis of Curved Fronts. Validity of the Balance Equations and Semigeostrophy

Abstract Strongly curved fronts occur when the ratios of cross-front to alongfront horizontal velocities and scales are comparably small for an order one distance in the alongfront direction. This means that all three velocity terms in the continuity equation contribute at leading order. The balance equations are shown to be formally accurate through two orders in powers of the small parameter in this situation; however, the semigeostrophic equations are accurate only at leading order. Both approximate models are accurate through two orders of magnitude if the front is more weakly curved.
Sister Jamaica: A Study of Women, Work, and Households in Kingston

Sister Jamaica: A Study of Women, Work, and Households in Kingston. A. LYNN BOLLES. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1996. xx + 129 pp., figures, tables, appendix, bibliography.
Social Psychological (Mis)Representations in Television Advertising

As a result of the FTC's more aggressive approach to regulating advertising, there has been a noticeable reduction in the amount of blatant lies in advertisements. More subtle forms of deceit are still a problem, however. This paper examines a special form of subtly deceptive advertising termed the social-psychological representation. A case is developed from available conceptual and empirical evidence to show how this apparently innocuous advertising method can deceive advertising receivers. Results are presented from a content analysis of television commercials which reveal that social-psychological representations are used extensively in national advertising.
Follow-up study of a randomized controlled trial of postnatal dexamethasone therapy in very low birth weight infants: effects on pulmonary outcomes at age 8 to 11 years.

Objective To determine whether postnatal dexamethasone (DEX) exposure affects pulmonary outcomes at school age in children born with very low birth weight (VLBW). Study design Follow-up study of 68 VLBW children who participated in a randomized controlled trial of postnatal DEX. Pulmonary function was assessed by spirometry. Current asthma status was obtained from a parent. Results Sixty-eight percent of the placebo group had below-normal forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ), compared with 40% of the DEX group (χ 2 = 4.84; P = .03), with trends for lower forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV 1 values in the placebo group. Fifty percent of the placebo group and 34% of DEX group had below normal FEV 1 /FVC (χ 2 =1.59; P =.21). Parent-reported prevalence of asthma did not differ between groups. Logistic regression analysis suggested that the positive effects of DEX on pulmonary function at follow-up were mediated in part by shortened exposure to mechanical ventilation. Conclusions Postnatal DEX exposure was associated with higher expiratory flow with no adverse effects on pulmonary outcomes at school age. The prevalences of asthma and impaired pulmonary function underscore the influence of neonatal illness on health at school age, and stress the importance of repeated follow-up examinations of these children.
Youth physical activity self-efficacy: a concept analysis.

Aim To report an analysis of the concept of youth physical activity self-efficacy. Background Physical activity self-efficacy is a concept that has been frequently examined as a key variable in research aimed at increasing physical activity among youth. Different conceptual definitions and empirical measures indicate the need for concept analysis to advance knowledge of the concept. Design Rodger's evolutionary method of concept analysis was used to collect and analyse the data. Social cognitive theory guided the analysis. Data sources The PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsychInfo, Educational Resources Information Center and Sociological Abstracts databases were searched for publications from 1990–2013. Search terms included self-efficacy, physical activity, youth, children, adolescent and teen. Review methods A total of 276 articles were identified. Fifty-five articles meeting inclusion criteria were included in the review. Data were analysed with particular focus on the attributes, antecedents and consequences of the concept. Results Defining attributes of physical activity self-efficacy were identified as personal cognition/perception, self-appraisal process, related action, power to choose physical activity, dynamic state and bi-dimensional nature. Antecedents and consequences were consistent with social cognitive theory. Youth physical activity self-efficacy is defined as a youth's belief in his/her capability to participate in physical activity and to choose physical activity despite existing barriers. Conclusions This concept analysis provided an in-depth analysis and clarification of youth physical activity self-efficacy. Future research should be aimed at establishing consistency in conceptual definitions and empirical measurement to further develop the concept across disciplines.
Fully developed pulsatile flow in a curved pipe

The fully developed region of periodic flows through curved pipes of circular cross-section and arbitrary curvature has been simulated numerically. The volumetric flow rate, prescribed by a cosine function, remains positive throughout the entire cycle. Such flows are characterized by three parameters: the frequency parameter α, the amplitude ratio γ and the mean Dean number κm. We use the Projection Method to solve the finite-difference approximation of the Navier–Stokes equations in their primitive form. The effect of κm on the flow has been extensively studied for the range 0.7559 [les ] κm [les ] 756 for α = 15 and γ = 1, and the curvature ratio, δ, equal to . Interactions between the Stokes layer and the interior are noted and a variety of pulsatile motions along with reversal of the axial-flow direction are revealed. The manner in which the secondary motions evolve with increasing Dean number, and how they change direction from outward to inward ‘centrifuging’ at the centre, is also explained. Reversal in the axial flow is observed for all values of Dean number studied and occupies a region ranging from the area immediately adjacent to the entire wall for low values of Dean number to the entire inner half of the cross-section for larger values. When reversal of the axial flow is present, the local maximum axial shear stress is found at the inner bend where the backflow region is located. The values of circumferential shear stress for κm = 0.7559 and 151.2 confirm the existence of a single-vortex structure in the half-cross-section, whereas the values for larger values of mean Dean number are indicative of more complicated vortical structures.
Degradation Dynamics of Polymeric Housing Materials Used for HV Line and Station Apparatus

A combination of laser irradiation and thermogravimetric analysis has been utilized to understand the degradation dynamics of polymeric materials used for housings of outdoor high voltage (HV) line and apparatus insulators, namely, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and cycloaliphatic epoxy. The induced temperature rise was calculated using laser photo-thermal models and the results were found to be in good agreement with experimental findings. It has been shown that there are significant differences in the degradation dynamics of silicone rubber when compared with ethylene propylene diene monomer and epoxy. It has also been shown that the laser irradiation technique can be used as an efficient method to rank polymers materials for arc tracking and erosion resistance, especially for present day materials that will easily pass the screening tests prescribed in the ASTM and IEC standards.
Nonmethane hydrocarbon composition of urban and rural atmospheres

Abstract Nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC) are not measured routinely at most ambient monitoring stations. Yet this type of information is required to evaluate existing control strategies aimed at achieving the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for O 3 . This paper summarizes data from ambient air monitoring programs in seven urban centers (Houston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Newark, Boston, Milwaukee,) and six rural areas in California, Wisconsin, Texas, Illinois, Maine and Florida. Gas Chromatographie analysis was used to identify individual C 2 -C 10 HCs in more than 990 ambient air samples. Measurements in urban and rural areas are compared based on total and individual HC concentrations.
Spontaneous swallowing rate and emotional state. Possible mechanism for stress-related gastrointestinal disorders.

Excessive spontaneous swallowing has been associated with a variety of common gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, heartburn, and bloating and may contribute to disorders such as hiatus hernia, duodenal ulcer, and irritable bowel syndrome. The present study investigated the hypothesis that changes in emotional state alter spontaneous swallowing rate. Subjects were 38 generally healthy undergraduates assigned to either a pleasant low arousal, neutral, or aversive high arousal condition. Each experimental session was divided into 30-min baseline and arousal manipulation periods. Spontaneous swallowing rate increased significantly with emotional arousal: for low, neutral, and high arousal groups, means were 7.9±1.9 (se), 15.8±2.4, and 23.7±3.6 swallows/30 min, respectively. Other physiological and self-report measures, used to check the effectiveness of the arousal manipulation, varied appropriately with experimental procedures. These results indicate that changes in emotional state alter spontaneous swallowing rate in generally healthy individuals. Further research with patients is needed to establish whether stress-induced increases in swallowing rate produce or exacerbate clinically significant gastrointestinal symptomatology.
Radical densities in fluorocarbon/O2 discharges—interpretation based on a simple plasma chemistry model

Abstract In CF 4 based discharges admixed with oxygen the density of CF 2 radicals decreases with an increase in the oxygen flow at a fixed CF 4 flow and pressure. This decrease is attributed to the increased reaction of CF 2 radicals and O atoms in the bulk plasma and to the O 2 dilution effect. By taking into account these two factors the behavior of the densities of CF 2 radicals, F and O atoms in CF 4 /O 2 discharges was theoretically investigated in terms of oxygen flow using a simple plasma chemistry model. The data provided by Buchmann et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 67 (1990) 3635] were interpreted based on the proposed model, and the validity of the model was discussed.
The impact of gender and NASH on chronic kidney disease before and after liver transplantation.

Background & Aims Chronic kidney disease (CKD) after liver transplant (LT) is associated with increased long-term mortality. The impact of gender on CKD before and after LT is unknown. To further define risk factors and analyse gender differences in the incidence and progression of CKD after liver transplant. Methods Four hundred and fifty-five consecutive adult primary solitary LT recipients were included. Iothalamate clearance tests performed over time were analysed. Results Mean age was 51.4 ± 10.4 years with 63% males. A percentage of 29.1% of females and 21.1% of males had a GFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and 10.2% of females and 5.9% of males had GFR<30 ml/min/1.73 m2 prior to transplant. At 1 year, 52.6% of recipients tested (69.6% females, 43.0% males) had GFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and 7.3% (11.6% females, 4.9% males) had GFR<30 ml/min/1.73 m2. Pre-LT GFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m2 [OR 3.28, (1.76–6.10), P ≤ 0.001], female gender (OR 2.96, (1.72–5.10), P < 0.001) and age [OR 1.09, (1.05–1.12), P < 0.001] were independently predictive of stage ≥3 CKD at 1 year post-LT. Female gender [OR 2.52, (1.25–4.71), P = 0.004], age [OR 1.05, (1.02–1.08), P = 0.003] and NASH [OR 2.95, (1.06–8.21), P = 0.039] were independently predictive of ≥stage 3 CKD at 5 years post-LT. Pre-LT diabetes was associated with stage 4 CKD at 5 years [OR 2.91, (1.33–6.36), P = 0.008] post-LT. Conclusions In addition to age and pre-LT CKD, female gender and NASH are independent predictors of ≥stage 3 CKD post-LT. Gender-based approaches to optimize modifiable risk factors are needed to improved post-transplant renal function.
Role of parathyroid hormone-related peptide and Indian hedgehog in skeletal development

Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), which frequently causes the humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy syndrome, is an autocrine/paracrine regulator of chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation that acts through the PTH/PTHrP receptor (PTH1R). PTHrP is generated in response to Indian hedgehog (Ihh), which mediates its actions through the membrane receptor patched, but interacts also with hedgehog-interacting protein (Hip). Mice lacking PTHrP show accelerated chondrocyte differentiation, and thus premature ossification of those bones that are formed through an endochondral process, and similar but more-severe abnormalities are observed in PTH1R-ablated animals. The mirror image of these skeletal findings, i.e., a severe delay in chondrocyte differentiation and endochondral ossification, is observed in transgenic mice that overexpress PTHrP under the control of the α1(II) procollagen promoter. Severe abnormalities in chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation are also observed in two genetic disorders in humans that are most likely caused by mutations in the PTH1R. Heterozygous PTH1R mutations that lead to constitutively activity were identified in Jansen metaphyseal chondrodysplasia, and homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations that lead to less-active or completely inactive receptors were identified in patients with Blomstrand lethal chondrodysplasia. Based on the growth plate abnormalities observed in these human disorders and in mice with abnormal expression of either PTHrP or the PTH1R, it appears plausible that impaired expression of PTHrP and/or its receptor contributes to the growth abnormalities in children with end-stage renal disease. In fact, mild-to-moderate renal failure leads in animals to a reduction in PTH1R expression in growth plates and impaired growth, but it remains uncertain whether this contributes to altered chondrocyte growth and differentiation.
Complementary Descriptive and Experimental Studies of Clinal Variation in Birds

In this paper I argue that the general concordance among species of birds in theirclinal (gradual) patterns of geographic variation in size and color of plumage is so high that the primary regulatory process must be physiological adaptation to climate or its correlates. Size variation in the American Robin, a widespread species that shows the pattern of clinal variation typical in North American passerines, can be well predicted by measures of summer climate that include the effects of both temperature and humidity. July mean noon absolute humidity is a good predictor of size variation in the robin within the United States. Geographic variation in the color of the plumage of the robin, which involves interactions among several pigments, is independent of its size variation but in accord with color variation in other species. Both Bergmann's and Gloger's ecogeographic rules are important empirical models for which the physiological basis needs further study. To establish that functional differences are subject to natural selection requires showing that geographic differences have a genetic basis and that these differences are related to the survival and reproduction of individuals at different localities. Laboratory and field experiments with Red-winged Blackbirds show that environmentally induced effects on development probably contribute to clines in measurements of adults in this species. Further work is needed to clarify the generality of the relationship between clinal variation and environmentally induced variation and to determine the functional significance of clines and their relationship to survival and reproduction in different localities. Environmental plasticity itself is geographically variable. It may have a genetic basis and be an object of selection.
Prognosis of Statin Myopathy (P04.090)

Objective: To characterize the prognosis of statin myopathy. Background Statin drugs cause myalgias, fatigue, weakness, and CK elevation, which often linger after discontinuing the drugs. The prognosis has not been well studied. Design/Methods: 143 patients with a diagnosis of toxic myopathy or myopathy and hyperlipidemia were identified from our patients9 database. 69/143 with muscle symptoms and/or CK elevation developed after initiating statin therapy without other identifiable causes were chosen for further studies by chart review. Results: Mean age at presentation was 62 years (range:37-91). 49 (71.0%) patients were men. Mean duration of statin use was 29.6 months (range:0.25-122). Myalgias was reported by 63 (91.3%), fatigue by 47 (68.1%), and weakness by 42 (60.9%). 18 (26.1%) patients had detectable muscle weakness. Mean CK level at presentation was 790 IU/L (range: 33-5091), normal in 17 (24.6%), mildly elevated ( 1,000) in 16 (23.2%). 32 (46.4%) patients had NCS/EMG, with myopathy diagnosed in 4 (12.5%). 16 (23.2%) patients underwent muscle biopsies, with non-specific myopathic changes seen in 4 (25.0%). Statin was discontinued in all patients. Mean duration of follow-up was 18.2 months (range: 1-120). Muscle symptoms completely resolved in 50 (72.5%), improved in 9 (13.0%), and unchanged in 10 (14.5%). Of those with symptoms resolved, 24.0% occurred within 1 month, 62.0% within 3 months, 90.0% within 6 months, and 96.0% within 1 year. 10/52 (19.2%) patients had their CK levels return to normal. Clinical improvement was not influenced by the presence of weakness, CK elevation, or myopathic changes on EMG or muscle biopsies. Conclusions: Majority of patients with statin myopathy are men and their disease is mild. Muscle symptoms can linger but rarely beyond 1 year. NCS/EMG and muscle biopsy, which can be useful to rule out other diseases, are not helpful to determine the prognosis. Disclosure: Dr. Armour has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhou has nothing to disclose.
Heliospheric ion energization due to emerging CME shocks

[1] Formation of inhomogeneous electromagnetic structures with gradients in magnetic field and intrinsic electric fields is commonly observed in magnetized plasmas. Heliospheric plasmas are susceptible to formation of localized, supersonically propagating electromagnetic inhomogeneities. Coronal relaxation may result in an emergence close to solar surface of a shock wave which traverses significant parts of the heliosphere. Shocks of solar origin may accelerate ions to high energies, and some of these ions can be trapped in quasi-stable orbits of planetary magnetospheres. The observationally deduced ion acceleration close to the Sun, at low Mach numbers and low turbulence levels, poses a dilemma regarding the energization mechanism. When the magnetic ramp of an obliquely propagating electromagnetic substructure narrows to a size of a fraction of ion skin depth, as conjectured during merging of successively propagating shocks, the trajectories of some ions exhibit strongly nonadiabatic characteristics. Subset of ions is energized while surfing along the shock due to the combined forces of magnetic fields and cross-shock electric potential gradient, forming a high-energy tail. This tail may be additionally accelerated after traversing the shock multiple times as a result of scattering and reflection due to Alfvenic wave diffusion. We follow the orbits of seed ions in a presence of a stationary, fluid-based, self-consistent model, and investigate their behavior for a variety of plasma parameters and geometries. The results indicate that (1) the energization of ions for low Mach numbers, as observed for emerging shocks close to the Sun, depends crucially on the narrowness of the electromagnetic structures, (2) the sufficiently narrow heliospheric structure can energize thermal protons and a subset of rare ions which were enriched due to impulsive coronal processes, (3) the energization is sensitive to the pitch angle of the seed population, indicating dependence on the geometry of the shock-plasma flow system, and (4) the preacceleration by surfing mechanism is a prerequisite for an additional energization due to diffusive shock acceleration. We conclude that the best configuration for an effective acceleration due to an emerging shock at small heliocentric distances and low Mach number consists of a narrow electromagnetic substructure which energizes heliospheric thermal protons directly from their thermal level, as well as trace elements which enrich the seed population due to previous coronal processes. The narrowness of the shock or its substructure and the surfing mechanism may help in explaining the observed energization when other mechanisms become inefficient due to an insufficient level of the turbulence. The energetic ion populations may have a direct profound impact on human space exploration.
Water relations of Quercus palustris: field measurements on an experimentally flooded stand

Field measurements of water relations were used to examine the response of mature Quercus palustris (20 m tall), a flood tolerant tree, to experimental flooding treatments. Flooding treatments included: 1) flooding in the dormant season, 2) short-term flooding in the growing season and 3) long term (<2 years) continuous flooding. Dormant season flooding had no apparent effect on phenology or physiology during the following growing season. Short term flooding in the growing season caused immediate but reversible stomatal closure without significant development of water stresses. Within 10 days after the growing season flooding treatment water relations measurements were not significantly different from pre-treatment measurements or controls. Although no significant differences in water relations were found in growing season measurements on continuously flooded trees, continuous flooding reduced reproductive fitness and caused premature autumn coloration and leafabscission.
Growth, production and energy transformations in the salt-marsh killifish Fundulus heteroclitus

Populations of Fundulus heteroclitus (L.) at the beginning of a growth season in a New England salt marsh consist of 3 yearly age classes, with the 1-year-old class contributing most of the biomass. Calculation of production rates revealed that the young fish were the most active part of the population and that females were more productive than males. The entire population spent equal amounts of energy in growth and in metabolism. Including the young of the year, we obtained total production of 160 kg dry weight/ha, a value among the highest obtained for natural fish populations. About 5 to 15% of the production is available to predators. Rates of food consumption by F. heteroclitus are high enough to turn over the population of prey relatively often. Popululations of F. heteroclitus are thus capable of exerting an important influence on the abundance and distribution of their prey.
Bivariate box splines for image processing

ABSTRACT Bivariate box splines for image interpolation, enhancement, digital filter design, sub- band coding bank, hexagonal filtering will be discussed. Some existing and new results will be presented. A computational method for box spline image interpolation and box splinedigital filters are included. Keywords: bivariate box splines, image interpolation, filter design, hexagonal spline wavelets, Toeplitz matrices. 1. INTRODUCTION We are interested in applying bivariate box spline theory to image processing. Our studyis motivated by recent papers on the applications of B-spline theory to signal and image processing (cf. [Chui'93}, [Aidroubi, Eden, Unser'94], [Aldroubi and Unser'93,'94], [Unser, Aidroubi, and Eden'93a, '93b]). It is well-known that the univariate B-spline functions havefound successful applications in signal and image processing, especially, B-spline wavelets for image compression (cf. [Chui and Wang'92].) Bivariate box spline functions are a
Seeking reassuring or threatening information about environmental cancer.

This study examined information seeking as a potentially adaptive response to a new environmental health threat. College students in a state with a particularly high cancer rate were offered an opportunity to obtain either a reassuring or a threatening informational message concerning the cancer rate. Interviews were later conducted with students who had and had not requested a message (N=502). The results suggested that unconcern rather than defensiveness was the principal reason for not seeking information. Although a majority of both information seekers and nonseekers preferred the threatening message, the choice of message did depend on an individual's beliefs concerning the seriousness of the cancer threat. Most respondents selected the message which supported their own view of the issue. A preliminary model proposed to explain the data emphasized the ambiguity and controversy surrounding most environmental and health warnings.
Development of a glycemic index database for dietary assessment

To address growing research interests and needs, a glycemic index (GI) database was developed for the more than 18,000 foods in the University of Minnesota's dietary data collection software, the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR). The primary source of data was current scientific literature with GI selected whenever possible from studies that used the following methodology: North American foods, healthy subjects, and a 2-h glucose response. Two GI numbers were included for all foods, one based on glucose as a reference, and the other, a white bread reference. Assigning indices within a large database also required imputation, because there are relatively few data available from the literature. For database foods that were not a match to foods in the literature, GI was either estimated from similar foods or calculated from available carbohydrate amounts and the GI of ingredients within the food. To evaluate the calculation procedure, GIs were calculated and then compared to known literature values for 102 multi-ingredient foods. A wide range of foods had comparable GIs, while some sweetened dairy products and unsweetened breakfast cereals showed larger GI differences. The GI database provides researchers with a tool to identify low- and high-GI foods and to investigate whether GI or glycemic load (GL) in the diet will influence disease risk factors.
Multidimensional scaling of subjective colors by color-blind observers

Temporal coding theories of color vision suggest explanations of flicker-induced subjective colors such as those that appear on Benham’s disk. If color blindness were due simply to photopigment anomalies, then subjective colors might be elicited by central patterns of neural activity in color-blind observers that mimic those which the cones normally produce in colornormal observers. We had color-normal and color-blind observers scale subjective colors like those on Benham’s disk for similarity. The inferred color spaces for six normal observers resembled the familiar hue circle, but the spaces for five red-green-deficient observers were compressed along the red-green axis. This is consistent with the position that flicker colors are due to retinal processes, and suggests that color blindness may involve variations of the central nervous system in addition to photopigment anomalies.
Quantitative light and scanning electron microscopic study of the developing auditory organs in the bullfrog: implications on their functional characteristics

During postmetamorphic development in the bullfrog, there is a downward shift in the distributions of best excitatory frequencies (BEFs) of the three populations of primary auditory fibers. This decrease in BEF distribution suggests that concurrent morphological changes occur in the peripheral auditory system during postmetamorphic growth. The postmetamorphic development of the auditory organs in the bullfrog was quantitatively investigated with light and scanning electron microscopy. In the basilar papilla, there are dramatic increases in the lumen volume, contact membrane area, and mass of the tectorial membrane (TM). The area of the sensory epithelium and the total number of hair cells also increase slightly. In the amphibian papilla, the mass of the TM is spatially graded in a step-wise fashion along the length of the organ in both juvenile and adult bullfrogs, but there is an increase in the absolute mass of the TM throughout the papilla with age. The height of the tallest stereocilia of the predominant hair cell type systematically decreases caudally in the juvenile amphibian papilla, but is uniform throughout the adult papilla. The increase in stereociliary height in the caudal end of the organ presumably results in a decrease in stereociliary stiffness with postmetamorphic age. The length of the amphibian papilla sensory epithelium and the number of hair cells also increase during postmetamorphic development. Theoretically, the observed morphological changes alter the micromechanical tuning properties of the auditory organs so that there is a decrease in the BEFs of the auditory fibers that innervate the two papillae.
Clinical decision making: recognition of confusion and application of restraints.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to test the effects of patients' social, behavioral and medical characteristics on nurses' clinical decision for patient confusion. Design Factorial survey. Methods A random sample of 100 registered nurses scored 30 unique situation based vignettes on the likelihood the patient described was confused and whether restraints should be used. Every vignette contained a combination of eight independent patient variables: age; gender; race; patient affect; type, seriousness and time of patient act and medical diagnosis. Findings Examination of the recognition model and the intervention (applying restraints) models showed that patient variables explained approximately 40% and 43% of the variance respectively. Type of act, seriousness of act, time of act, and patient age all significantly increased nurses identifying patients as confused. The variables that were strong predictors for recognizing confusion were strong predictors for restraint use except that patients who exhibited a negative affect were more likely to be restrained than patients' who were portrayed as pleasant. Conclusion Confusion is a complex clinical phenomenon with many dimensions. Confusion tools should be standardized and routinely used.
Coupled Fluidic Vibration Isolators for Rotorcraft Pitch Link Loads Reduction

Replacing rigid pitch links on rotorcraft with coupled fluidic devices has the potential to reduce the aerodynamic blade loads transmitted from the blade root to the swashplate. An analytical model of two coupled fluidic isolators is derived and experimentally validated for even and odd harmonic pitch link loads. The system consists of two elastomeric pumpers with fluid chambers that are coupled by an inertia track. This passive fluidic device can be tuned to reduce the transmitted force at a particular odd harmonic of the rotor speed by tailoring the fluid inertance in the inertia track. Benchtop experimental results agree with theory, demonstrating a reduction in odd harmonic pitch link loads of up to 90% compared to the system without fluid. The coupled fluidic isolators also significantly reduce transmitted loads relative to a rigid pitch link over a wide frequency range. Simulation of a UH-60 Blackhawk retrofit example shows potential for targeted odd harmonic excitation loads reduction up to 94% for multiple frequencies without affecting the even harmonic excitation response.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Analytic exosphere models for geocoronal applications

Abstract A modification of the analytic approach to planetary exospheres of Chamberlain (1963, Planet. Space Sci. 11 , 901) is presented, intended for use in the analysis of geocoronal observations. The extent of the satellite hydrogen atom population is delineated with a spherical exopause, and the kinetic distribution function (KDF) is parameterized in terms of an effective exobase density n s and temperature T s having values distinct from ballistic values and expected to reflect the effects of charge exchange collisions in the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere : n s > n c and T s T c . Application to averaged atomic hydrogen density distributions generated by Monte Carlo simulation (Tinsley et al ., 1986, J. geophys. Res. 91 ,13,631) is made to illustrate the meaning of the satellite KDF parameters. The empirical modefderived from DE -1 Ly- α measurements by Rairden et al . (1986, J. geophys. Res . 91 , 13,613) is also discussed.
Inhibition of rabbit skeletal muscle phosphorylase phosphatase by spermine.

The effect of three naturally occurring polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) on the activity of rabbit skeletal muscle phosphorylase phosphatase was investigated. Only spermine significantly inhibited the enzyme. The mode of inhibition (Ki value of 0.3mm) of the phosphatase by spermine appears to be different from that caused by divalent metal ions or by other organic cations, such as arginine and lysine esters, since it is noncompetitive with respect to the substrate, phosphorylasea.
The world’s continuance: divine conservation or existential inertia?

According to the Doctrine of Divine Conservation, the world could not endure through time were God not actively sustaining its existence. An alternative to the conservationist view is one according to which the existence of whatever is the fundamental material of our universe is characterized by inertia, so that its continuance stands in no need of active causal intervention by some other being. In this article I develop in some detail the Doctrine of Existential Inertia and reply to some of the objections brought against it by conservationists.