cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Having children after cancer. A pilot survey of survivors' attitudes and experiences.

BACKGROUND Although the prevalence of infertility after cancer treatment and the health of the offspring of survivors have been studied, little information has been available about survivors' attitudes, emotions, and choices with regard to having children. METHODS A questionnaire was received by 283 patients from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation tumor registry who were diagnosed before age 35 years, were age 18 years or older at the time of the survey, and were free of disease. The SF-36, a measure of health-related quality of life, was included, as well as questions about demographic and medical background, reproductive and fertility history, and a variety of concerns about having children after cancer. RESULTS The response rate to the survey was 47%, yielding a sample of 43 men and 89 women who had had cancer at various sites. Their mean age at diagnosis was 26 years and the mean time since diagnosis was 5 years. Before cancer, 35% had at least 1 child, compared with 46% currently. Of those currently childless, 76% want children in the future. Although about half of the entire sample view themselves as having impaired fertility, only 6% have undergone infertility treatment. Nineteen percent have significant anxiety that their cancer treatment could impact negatively on their children's future health. Of women, 18% fear that a pregnancy could trigger a cancer recurrence. Only 57% received information from their health care providers about infertility after cancer. Other reproductive concerns were discussed less often. Only 24% of childless men banked sperm before treatment. SF-36 scores were very similar to normative data for healthy Americans of similar age. About 80% of the sample viewed themselves positively as actual or potential parents. Feeling healthy enough to be a good parent after cancer was the strongest predictor (P < 0.001) of emotional well-being as measured by the Mental Component Score of the SF-36. CONCLUSIONS The great majority of younger cancer survivors see their cancer experience as potentially making them better parents. Those who are childless want to have children in the future. Many, however, are left with significant anxieties and insufficient information about reproductive issues. Cancer 1999;86:697–709. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
The relation between apparent stress and stress drop

A simple, frictional fault model, similar to that introduced by Orowan (1960), is used to show that the apparent stress (product of the seismic efficiency and the mean stress) must be less than one-half the stress drop. A review of the published values of apparent stress and stress drop indicates that within the uncertainties of observation the inequality is generally valid in the magnitude range 1.5 to 8.5 and apparently for all focal depths. The inequality appears to be violated in the case of the Kern County, California, earthquake of 1952 and the aftershocks of the Parkfield, California, earthquake of 1966. The discrepancy for the latter is probably explained by incorrect estimates of the fault parameters. The model also suggests a physical interpretation of the apparent stress; it is simply the stress associated with radiation resistance.
Beyond Mentoring: A Review of Literature Detailing the Need for Additional and Alternative Forms of Support for Novice Music Teachers

Support for music teachers new to the profession is important and necessary. Some school districts use traditional mentor–mentee pairings as their primary support for novice music teachers; however...
Convective heat transfer and mixing enhancement in a microchannel with a pillar

Abstract An experimental study of heat transfer in microchannel with pillar/pillars was conducted with air. Area-averaged temperature was measured by a 1 × 1 mm 2 resistance temperature detector (RTD), and data were collected over the range 100 ⩽ Re ⩽ 5600. The microchannel with a pillar had a heat transfer coefficient that was twice that of the channel without a pillar. Among the three geometric shapes of pillar studied, triangular pillar performed the best with 17.7 ⩽ ( Nu ) ⩽ 88.9. Micro particle image velocimetry ( μPIV ) was used to measure the velocity field in the mircochannel and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) calculation provided a measure of flow mixing. It was shown that TKE is closely related to the thermal performance and can be used to predict the Nusselt number.
Spinal cord dopamine D2/D3 receptors: in vivo and ex vivo imaging in the rat using 18F/11C-fallypride

Abstract Objectives The spinal cord is known to be innervated with dopaminergic cells with catecholaminergic projections arising from the medulla and pons and dopaminergic transmission in the spinal cord is vital for sensory and motor function. Our goal was to evaluate and compare the imaging capability of dopamine D2/D3 receptors in the rat spinal cord using PET ligands 18 F-fallypride and 11 C-fallypride. Methods Male Sprague–Dawley rats were used in all in vitro and in vivo studies. Spinal cord and brain sections were used for in vitro autoradiography and ex vivo autoradiography. For in vivo studies animals received a 18 F-fallypride scan or a 11 C-fallypride PET scan. The spinal cord and the brain were then harvested, flash-frozen and imaged ex vivo. For in vivo analysis Logan plots with cerebellum as a reference was used to evaluate binding potentials (BP). Tissue ratios were used for ex vivo analysis. Drug effects were evaluated using clozapine, haloperidol and dopamine were evaluated on spinal cord sections in vitro. Results In vitro studies showed 18 F-fallypride binding to superficial dorsal horn (SDH), dorsal horn (DH), ventral horn (VH) and the pars centralis (PC). In the cervical section, the greatest amount of binding appeared to be in the SDH. Ex vivo studies showed approximately 6% of 18 F-fallypride in SDH compared to that observed in the striatum. In vivo analysis of both 18 F-fallypride and 11 C-fallypride in the spinal cord were comparable to that in the extrastriatal regions. Haloperidol and clozapine displaced more than 75% of the 18 F-fallypride in spinal cord sections. Conclusions Our studies showed 18 F-fallypride and 11 C-fallypride binding in the spinal cord in vitro and in vivo. The binding pattern correlates well with the known distribution of dopamine D2/D3 receptors in the spinal cord.
Rapid decline in nitrate uptake and respiration with age in fine lateral roots of grape: implications for root efficiency and competitive effectiveness

Changes in function as an individual root ages has important implications for understanding resource acquisition, competitive ability and optimal lifespan. Both nitrate uptake and respiration rates of differently aged fine roots of grape (Vitis rupestris x V. riparia cv. 3309 C) were measured. The resulting data were then used to simulate nitrate uptake efficiency and nutrient depletion as a function of root age. Both nitrate uptake and root respiration declined remarkably quickly with increasing root age. The decline in both N uptake and root respiration corresponded with a strong decline in root N concentration, suggesting translocation of nitrogen out of the roots. For simulations where no nutrient depletion occurs at the root surface, daily uptake efficiency was maximal at root birth and lifetime nitrate uptake efficiency slowly increased as the roots aged. Simulations of growth of roots into unoccupied soil using a solute transport model indicated the advantage of high uptake capacity in new roots under competitive conditions where nitrate availability is very transitory.
Adenovirus E2F1 Overexpression Sensitizes LNCaP and PC3 Prostate Tumor Cells to Radiation In Vivo

Purpose: We previously showed that E2F1 overexpression radiosensitizes prostate cancer cells in vitro. Here, we demonstrate the radiosensitization efficacy of adenovirus (Ad)-E2F1 infection in growing (orthotopic) LNCaP and (subcutaneous) PC3 nude mice xenograft tumors. Methods and Materials: Ad-E2F1 was injected intratumorally in LNCaP (3 x 10{sup 8} plaque-forming units [PFU]) and PC3 (5 x 10{sup 8} PFU) tumors treated with or without radiation. LNCaP tumor volumes (TV) were measured by magnetic resonance imaging, caliper were used to measure PC3 tumors, and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Apoptosis was measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling, and key proteins involved in cell death signaling were analyzed by Western blotting. Results: Intracellular overexpression of Ad-E2F1 had a significant effect on the regression of TV and reduction of PSA levels relative to that of adenoviral luciferase (Ad-Luc)-infected control. The in vivo regressing effect of Ad-E2F1 on LNCaP tumor growth was significant (PSA, 34 ng/ml; TV, 142 mm{sup 3}) compared to that of Ad-Luc control (PSA, 59 ng/ml; TV, 218 mm{sup 3}; p <0.05). This effect was significantly enhanced by radiation therapy (compare: Ad-E2F1+RT/PSA, 16 ng/ml, and TV, 55 mm{sup 3} to Ad-Luc+RT/PSA, 42 ng/ml, andmore » TV, 174 mm{sup 3}, respectively; p <0.05). For PC3 tumors, the greatest effect was observed with Ad-E2F1 infection alone; there was little or no effect when radiotherapy (RT) was combined. However, addition of RT enhanced the level of in situ apoptosis in PC3 tumors. Molecularly, addition of Ad-E2F1 in a combination treatment abrogated radiation-induced BCL-2 protein expression and was associated with an increase in activated BAX, and together they caused a potent radiosensitizing effect, irrespective of p53 and androgen receptor functional status. Conclusions: We show here for the first time that ectopic overexpression of E2F1 in vivo, using an adenoviral vector, significantly inhibits orthotopic p53 wild-type LNCaP tumors and subcutaneous p53-null PC3 tumors in nude mice. Furthermore, we demonstrate that E2F1 strongly sensitizes LNCaP tumors to RT. These findings suggest that E2F1 overexpression can sensitize prostate tumor cells in vivo, independent of p53 or androgen receptor status.« less
Comparison of Echocardiographic Dyssynchrony Assessment by Tissue Velocity and Strain Imaging in Subjects With or Without Systolic Dysfunction and With or Without Left Bundle-Branch Block

Background— Several echocardiographic dyssynchrony indexes have been proposed to identify responders to cardiac resynchronization therapy using tissue velocity and strain. The present study aimed to compare tissue velocity–derived and strain-derived dyssynchrony indexes in patients with or without systolic dysfunction and left bundle-branch block. Methods and Results— Tissue Doppler imaging was performed in 120 subjects divided into 4 groups: group 1 (n=40), normal subjects; group 2 (n=20), normal left ventricular ejection fraction and left bundle-branch block; group 3 (n=20), left ventricular ejection fraction <35% and normal conduction; and group 4 (n=40), left ventricular ejection fraction <35% and left bundle-branch block. Dyssynchrony indexes based on time to peak tissue velocity (septal-lateral delay, anteroseptal-posterior delay, and SD in time to peak systolic velocity in the 12 left ventricular segments) and strain (SD of time to peak strain in 12 segments) were measured. The SD in time to peak s...
Probes for narcotic receptor mediated phenomena 8. Tritiation of irreversible mu or delta specific opioid receptor affinity ligands to high specific activity

Tritiation of the delta-specific opioid alkylating ligand FIT, 3 and the mu-specific opioid alkylating ligand BIT, 9 to high specific activity is described. Both compounds were derived from dibrominated amino intermediates (4 and 10, respectively) which were tritiated with tritium gas over Pd/C before conversion of the amine functions to isothiocyanates.
Recovering Genetic Regulatory Networks from Chromatin Immunoprecipitation and Steady-State Microarray Data

Recent advances in high-throughput DNA microarrays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays have enabled the learning of the structure and functionality of genetic regulatory networks. In light of these heterogeneous data sets, this paper proposes a novel approach for reconstruction of genetic regulatory networks based on the posterior probabilities of gene regulations. Built within the framework of Bayesian statistics and computational Monte Carlo techniques, the proposed approach prevents the dichotomy of classifying gene interactions as either being connected or disconnected, thereby it reduces significantly the inference errors. Simulation results corroborate the superior performance of the proposed approach relative to the existing state-of-the-art algorithms. A genetic regulatory network for Saccharomyces cerevisiae is inferred based on the published real data sets, and biological meaningful results are discussed.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Treatment and Depression are Associated with Poststroke Mortality

Background:Studies generally do not examine patients' prestroke depression diagnoses and treatments.Objective:To examine the association of depression diagnosis and prestroke and/or poststroke selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment with poststroke mortality.Methods:We conducted a retrospective study of the medical records of a cohort of veterans with a stroke diagnosis between July 31, 2000, and September 30, 2001. Data regarding demographics, comorbidities, depression diagnosis, and treatment were abstracted from automated databases and electronic medical records for 6 months before and 1 year after the stroke index date. The survival rates of veterans who received an SSRI before and/or after the stroke were estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between risk factors and mortality.Results:Among 870 veterans, 80 died less than 60 days after their stroke. Among the remaining 790, 12% died w...
The true cost of construction: An analysis of the carbon dioxide emissions from the materials used in a pedestrian bridge

Design of ‘green buildings’ has become a major area of research in architecture and civil engineering. However, construction of buildings and infrastructure has not evolved at a similar pace. This paper uses various life cycle assessment techniques to examine the carbon dioxide emissions from the production of key materials used in the construction of a landmark pedestrian bridge and how those emissions add to the financial cost of the bridge. The carbon dioxide emissions from the construction of the actual Streicker Bridge are compared with two hypothetical bridges of identical design constructed in Germany and Spain. This case study serves as an example of further research that should be performed to lessen the environmental impacts of construction.
Implementing Vehicle Routing Models

Abstract This paper shows how idealized models can be used to obtain cost-effective, implementable solutions to large and complex logistics problems. It advocates the use of fine tuning software to translate the guidelines produced by idealized models into specific feasible solutions. The “traveling salesman” (TSP) and “vehicle routing” (VRP) problems were used to test the approach. For sufficiently large problems the proposed procedure leads to solutions that improve on those produced by either idealized models or numerical methods alone. Simulated annealing (SA) was chosen for fine tuning. This optimization procedure is ideally suited for this purpose because of its general applicability, and as the research demonstrates, a prototype software package can be quickly produced. The experiments also revealed that the TSP and VRP tour lengths predicted by the idealized models are close (surprisingly so in some cases) to those of actual tours.
Nonlinear wave-packet interferometry and molecular state reconstruction in a vibrating and rotating diatomic molecule.

We formulate two-color nonlinear wave-packet interferometry (WPI) for application to a diatomic molecule in the gas phase and show that this form of heterodyne-detected multidimensional electronic spectroscopy will permit the reconstruction of photoinduced rovibrational wave packets from experimental data. Using two phase-locked pulse pairs, each resonant with a different electronic transition, nonlinear WPI detects the quadrilinear interference contributions to the population of an excited electronic state. Combining measurements taken with different phase-locking angles isolates various quadrilinear interference terms. One such term gives the complex overlap between a propagated one-pulse target wave packet and a variable three-pulse reference wave packet. The two-dimensional interferogram in the time domain specifies the complex-valued overlap of the given target state with a collection of variable reference states. An inversion procedure based on singular-value decomposition enables reconstruction of ...
Chemoproteomic profiling of lysine acetyltransferases highlights an expanded landscape of catalytic acetylation.

Lysine acetyltransferases (KATs) play a critical role in the regulation of gene expression, metabolism, and other key cellular functions. One shortcoming of traditional KAT assays is their inability to study KAT activity in complex settings, a limitation that hinders efforts at KAT discovery, characterization, and inhibitor development. To address this challenge, here we describe a suite of cofactor-based affinity probes capable of profiling KAT activity in biological contexts. Conversion of KAT bisubstrate inhibitors to clickable photoaffinity probes enables the selective covalent labeling of three phylogenetically distinct families of KAT enzymes. Cofactor-based affinity probes report on KAT activity in cell lysates, where KATs exist as multiprotein complexes. Chemical affinity purification and unbiased LC–MS/MS profiling highlights an expanded landscape of orphan lysine acetyltransferases present in the human genome and provides insight into the global selectivity and sensitivity of CoA-based proteomic...
Supercritical and Near-critical Carbon Dioxide Assisted Low-Temperature Bubble Drying

If supercritical or near-critical carbon dioxide is mixed with an aqueous solution and the mixture is subsequently decompressed through a flow restrictor, a dense aerosol plume is formed that can be rapidly dried at 25-95 °C. This temperature range is lower than that typically needed in conventional spray-drying aqueous solutions. At 1100 psi and ambient temperature, up to 2 mol % of carbon dioxide can dissolve in aqueous solutions, and when the aqueous solution is ejected from a 5-cm-long flow restrictor, 50-130 μm in inner diameter, it is hypothesized that fine droplets and microbubbles are formed. This aerosol plume can be diluted with dry nitrogen (or air if there is no explosion hazard) at temperatures usually between 25 and 80 °C. In a drying chamber <1-m long, the bubbles and droplets become rapidly dried and the powder is collected on a filter. The particles are usually spherical or nearly spherical and residual moisture is typically 1% or less. For some substances, such as sodium chloride, mannitol, or tobramycin sulfate, hollow particles can be formed. For others, such as lactose and albuterol sulfate, the spherical particles are solid, with diameters mostly between 0.5 and 5 μm. Depending on the solute and conditions of drying, the particles are crystalline in some cases and amorphous in others.
A ROM-based high-accuracy line frequency and line frequency deviation meter

The meter is based entirely on basic digital circuits and does not include a microprocessor. A large-capacity ROM is used to convert the data, which are proportional to the line period, into line frequency and line frequency deviation. The meter provides 0.001-Hz resolution and an updating speed of 4 times per second. A computer algorithm for developing the ROM memory map is also presented. A prototype of the meter has been constructed and found to work well. >
Multiple myeloma and family history of cancer. A case-control study.

A hospital-based case-control study was done to examine the hypothesis that persons with a family history of multiple myeloma (MM) or other cancers are at increased risk of multiple myeloma. Study members were 439 cases of multiple myeloma and 1317 matched controls seen at the Duke University Medical Center. Only 3 cases and 4 controls reported multiple myeloma in their families. The relative risk (RR) was 2.3, but the 95% confidence interval (CI) was 0.5–10.1, allowing no firm conclusion about the risk associated with familial MM. A family history of cancer of any type resulted in a relative risk of MM of 1.4 (CI: 1.1–1.8). This association was strongest (RR - 2.5, CI: 1.1–5.3) among young study members (age ⩽ 49). A family history of hematologic malignancy (ICD 20–208) resulted in a RR of 2.4 (95% CI: 1.4–4.0). The data also suggested that a family history of lung cancer, breast cancer, and genitourinary cancer may be associated with increased risk of myeloma in older persons. Cancer 56: 2133-2139, 1985.
The Representation of Immigrants in Federal, State, and Local Government Work Forces

Public sector employment of immigrants can increase their economic assimilation and potentially improve their treatment by government. Yet, as we show using Census data from 1990, 2000, and 2009–2011, immigrants are substantially underrepresented in federal, state, and local governments. To understand why, we use logit analysis for federal and for state and local government employment in each time period to test whether immigrants’ weaker educational attainment and English proficiency, lower probabilities of being citizens and military veterans, and different age, gender, and race/ethnicity distributions can explain that underrepresentation. Disparities in education and preferential government treatment of veterans are factors, but citizenship requirements appear to be the major obstacle to immigrant employment in the public sector.
Same Path, Different Purpose: Chopin’s La Folle and Welty's Phoenix Jackson

In her collection of lectures entitled Playing in the Dark (1992), Toni Morrison argues that "[t]he ways in which artists-and the society that bred them-transferred internal conflicts to a 'blank darkness,' to conveniently bound and violently silenced black bodies, is a major theme in American literature" (38). Among other instances, Morrison catalogs works by Cather, Hemingway, and Poe as examples of this transference. Black characters in American literature are not simply studies in blackness, however. Instead, by examining these examples of writing black (i.e., white authors creating black characters) we can learn, surprisingly, a great deal about whiteness, Morrison suggests. Additionally, there is a good deal we can learn about the authors. To wit, Morrison's concern is for "how Africanist personae, narrative, and idiom moved and enriched the text in self-conscious ways, to consider what the engagement meant for the work of the writer's imagination" (16). For my purposes, such an undertaking of looki...
Establishment and plasticity of neuronal polarity.

A fundamental feature of neurons is that they possess a polarized morphology, typified by a single long axon and several short dendrites. This cellular polarity forms the basis for directionalized rapid signaling, and for bi-directional trophic signaling, in neuronal circuits. While a catalog of structural, molecular, and functional differences between axons and dendrites is accumulating, the mechanisms involved in the establishment of neuronal polarity (also referred to as axogenesis) are not well understood. Cytoskeletal components, including microtubules and actin filaments, and cytoskeleton-regulating proteins such as microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), actin-binding proteins, and "motor" proteins, likely play important roles in the establishment and maintenance of neuronal polarity. Polarized sorting of membranes and proteins occurs in neurons, and a better understanding of such sorting mechanisms will likely provide insight into the process of axogenesis. Calcium plays a pivotal role in the regulation of neurite elongation and growth cone motility. Studies in which intracellular calcium levels are measured and manipulated in embryonic neurons during the process of axogenesis suggest a necessary role for calcium gradients in the establishment of neuronal polarity. Experimental models in which developing neurons are induced to switch their polarity support central roles for calcium-regulated cytoskeletal reorganization and protein sorting in the process of axogenesis. Finally, recent findings suggest that mitochondria play an important role in organizing neuronal polarity, possibly by controlling local calcium and/or energy gradients. While considerable progress is being made in elucidating mechanisms that regulate neuronal polarity, the seminal event(s) underlying this process remain a mystery. J. Neurosci. Res. 57:577-589.
Numerical modeling of coupled nitrification-denitrification in sediment perfusion cores from the hyporheic zone of the Shingobee River, MN

Abstract Nitrification and denitrification kinetics in sediment perfusion cores were numerically modeled and compared to experiments on cores from the Shingobee River MN, USA. The experimental design incorporated mixing groundwater discharge with stream water penetration into the cores, which provided a well-defined, one-dimensional simulation of in situ hydrologic conditions. Ammonium (NH 4 + ) and nitrate (NO 3 − ) concentration gradients suggested the upper region of the cores supported coupled nitrification–denitrification, where groundwater-derived NH 4 + was first oxidized to NO 3 − then subsequently reduced via denitrification to N 2 . Nitrification and denitrification were modeled using a Crank–Nicolson finite difference approximation to a one-dimensional advection–dispersion equation. Both processes were modeled using first-order reaction kinetics because substrate concentrations (NH 4 + and NO 3 − ) were much smaller than published Michaelis constants. Rate coefficients for nitrification and denitrification ranged from 0.2 to 15.8 h −1 and 0.02 to 8.0 h −1 , respectively. The rate constants followed an Arrhenius relationship between 7.5 and 22 °C. Activation energies for nitrification and denitrification were 162 and 97.3 kJ/mol, respectively. Seasonal NH 4 + concentration patterns in the Shingobee River were accurately simulated from the relationship between perfusion core temperature and NH 4 + flux to the overlying water. The simulations suggest that NH 4 + in groundwater discharge is controlled by sediment nitrification that, consistent with its activation energy, is strongly temperature dependent.
The great divide: principals, teachers, and the long hallway between them

This article, one of the keynote addresses at the joint ANZHES conference in December 2008, explores a concept that I call the Great Divide, by which I mean the cultural division between principals and teachers, and between principals and students. Drawing on visual imagery, historical reports, and cultural studies of American schools, I argue that the Great Divide is a historical construction of both administrative practices and representational culture that has led to misunderstandings of the complexity of the school principal’s middle managerial work in the school organisation.
Functional development of the hypothalamic-adenohypophyseal-testicular (HAT) axis in the chick embryo.

Abstract Plasma testoterone concentrations in intact and surgically partially decapitated (hypothalamo-hypophyseoprivic) chick embryos were determined by radioimmunoassay for the incubation interval, Days 7.5–17.5. “Hypophysectomy” of male chick embryos at 33–38 hr of incubation resulted in plasma testosterone levels which were significantly lower than those of intact embryos on Days 13.5, 15.5, and 17.5. The addition of luteinizing hormone (LH) to the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of decapitated embryos increased plasma testosterone concentrations to normal levels by Day 13.5, while LH and pituitary transplants to the CAM elevated plasma testosterone to above normal values by Day 15.5. These observations, together with other findings, are interpreted as demonstrating that in the chick embryo the adenohypophyseal-testicular axis is functional by Day 13.5 of incubation. There are also indications that the hypothalamic-adenohypophyseal-testicular complex is functional at this same embryonic time.
Multi-Beam Spatio-Spectral Beamforming Receiver for Wideband Phased Arrays

This paper reports the first analog integrated spatio-spectral beamforming front-end. The proposed front-end allows for accurate beam steering of signals with large fractional bandwidths, thus minimizing beam squinting, and simultaneous and independent steering of multi-carrier signals. Different spatio-spectral beamforming strategies are discussed and compared. As a proof of concept, an 8 GHz 2-channel, 4-frequency phased-array beamformer is designed and implemented in 65 nm CMOS. The IF signal on each channel is frequency split using an all passive 4-point analog FFT. The orthogonal frequency outputs are then beam-steered using an all passive I-Q vector-combiner. The RF circuit draws 22.8 mA from a 1.2 V supply while the analog baseband consumes 135 μW at 120 MS/s (9 pJ/conv.).
Sleep efficiency and nocturnal hemodynamic dipping in young, normotensive adults.

Blunted dipping of nocturnal systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and heart rate (HR) are independent risk factors for hypertension and all-cause mortality. While several epidemiological studies report...
Master's degree nursing education and health care reform: Preparing for the future

Current and anticipated changes in health care delivery indicate a need for reform within nursing education. Master's degree education can be a valuable component in the preparation of future nurses, but assessment and revision of existing programs are necessary. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing's position paper, Nursing Education's Agenda for the 21st Century, provides recommendations for educational reform in general and for master's degree education specifically. Overall recommendations include greater focus on the development of unique aspects in each school's mission, emphasis on nursing as a practice discipline, and the inclusion of all aspects--content, processes, and outcomes--in curricular revisions. Master's degree education is reaffirmed as preparation for those who will advance practice. In keeping with health care delivery trends, advanced practice nurses will require substantial expertise in health promotion, primary health care, case management, health care economics, and change strategies. Many questions remain unanswered regarding appropriate future directions for master's degree education. There is little consensus on core knowledge or a single appropriate title for advanced practice nurses. The amount and type of research preparation, and the need for role preparation are other controversial issues. The future holds exciting potential, but there will be significant challenges in program revisioning, faculty redevelopment and clarification of goals and methods for master's degree education.
Nucleotide fluctuation of RecA repair gene in Siberian permafrost Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5

A nucleotide sequence can be expressed as a numerical sequence when each nucleotide is assigned its proton number. A resulting gene numerical sequence can be investigated for its fractal dimension in terms of evolution and chemical properties for comparative studies. We have investigated such nucleotide fluctuation in the RecA repair gene of Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5, Psychrobacter arcticus 273-4, and Psychrobacter sp. PRwf-1. The fractal dimension was found to correlate with the gene's operating temperature with the highest fractal dimension associated with P. cryohalolentis K5 living at the low temperatures found in Siberian permafrost. The CpG dinucleotide content was found to be about 5% for the three species of Psychrobacters , which is substantially lower than that of Deinococcus radiodurans at about 12%. The average nucleotide pair-wise free energy was found to be lowest for Psychrobacter sp. PRwf-1, the species with the lowest fractal dimension of the three, consistent with the recent finding that Psychrobacter sp. PRw-f1 has a temperature growth maximum of 15-20°C higher than P. arcticus 273-4 and P. cryohaloentis K5. The results suggest that microbial vitality in extreme environments is associated with fractal dimension as well as high CpG dinucleotide content, while the average nucleotide pair-wise free energy is related to the operating environment. Evidence that extreme temperature operation would impose constraints measurable by Shannon entropy is also discussed. A quantitative estimate of an entropy-based measure having the characteristics of a mechanical pressure shows that the Psychrobacter RecA sequence experiences lower pressure than that of the human HAR1 sequence.
The relation between the crystallography of quartz, and upturned aeolian cleavage plates

The relation between the crystallography of artificially abraded quartz sand grains and aeolian surface textures has been studied using an X-ray precession camera and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Crushed Brazilian quartz was sieved to between 250 and 350 μm, eroded in a paddle wheel device which simulated aeolian action at 8 m s−1 for 3 h, and photographed with the SEM. A typical grain was selected and over 1100 photographs were combined to create a 3 × 3 m photomosaic; because of the large size, it was possible to observe and measure the angular and linear relations between the various features. After the c axis direction in the grain was determined by precession X-ray analysis, the most important aeolian features were related to the crystallography of quartz. The upturned plates or cleavage plates probably represent traces parallel to r(10Ī1) and z(01Ī1) cleavages in quartz. Blocky areas appear to be an expression of a cleavage parallel to m(10Ī0). In addition, plate spacing on thirty-five experimental, modern, and ancient quartz sand grains is fairly constant. Assuming that abrasion in most sedimentary environments acts in the same manner with respect to quartz crystallography, much of the fine silt and clay in sediments and sedimentary rocks may be the result of cleavage following abrasion parallel to the r and z cleavage planes, while the less common blocky particles are probably the result of cleavage parallel to the m planes.
ADVANCED SUPERSONIC CRUISE AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY

A multidiscipline approach is taken to the application of the latest technology to supersonic cruise aircraft concept definition, and current problem areas are identified. Particular attention is given to the performance of the AST-100 advanced supersonic cruise vehicle with emphasis on aerodynamic characteristics, noise and chemical emission, and mission analysis. A recently developed aircraft sizing and performance computer program was used to determine allowable wing loading and takeoff gross weight sensitivity to structural weight reduction.
Persistence of the enzymatic block in adolescent patients with salt-losing congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

The 24-hour integrated concentration of aldosterone, plasma renin activity, and 17-hydroxprogesteronewas measured simultaneously in 12 patients with congenital virilizing adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Eight were salt-losers and four nonsalt-lowers. Seven normal children served as control subjects. All patients were receiving glucocorticoid replacement therapy (32 mg/m 2 /day). All but one of the SL-CVAH patients were also being treated with 9α-fluorocortisol. The mean (±SD) IC-PRA of the control subjects was 1.6±0.7 ng/ml/hour and in the NSL-CVAH patients was similar (1.6±0.7 and 2.2±1.0 ng/ml/hour). The IC-PRA of the SL-CVAH patients (21.1±28.8 ng/ml/hour) was significantly ( P P
Remote monitoring of environmental particulate pollution: a problem in inversion of first-kind integral equations

The possibility of remotely sensing the optical properties of scattering particulates from the variations in either the angular or the spectral characteristics, or both, of the radiation they transmit or scatter, is a problem of fundamental importance in the monitoring of environmental particulate pollution. It is shown that the corresponding problem is (or can be brought to) one of inverting first kind Fredholm integral equations. The solution to this problem would also enable one to follow the dynamical evolution of the polluted environment if it can be obtained in a time scale that is comparable to, or shorter than, the time constant of the physical measurements. The direct problem of how given physical parameters of such particles affect the transmission and scattering of incident radiation is first analyzed on the basis of the corresponding radiative transfer problem, including single and multiple scattering, and polarization induced on scattering. The various available methods for reconstructing the size distribution from the observed directly transmitted or scattered light are reviewed, particularly with regard to their main advantages and shortcomings. For direct light transmission, these include: library, iterative, and least-squares methods; the trial-and-error method; the matrix inversion method with smoothing constraint (MIM); the resolution accuracy trade-off method; and the analytical method. A minimization search method with smoothing constraint, an essential modification to the MIM, is also proposed. The corresponding methods for singly and multiply scattered light are likewise reviewed. The proposed forward-scattering method is shown to provide excellent reconstructions from either angular or spectral light measurements under proper experimental conditions. It can also be coupled with a minimization search in order to provide simultaneously the complex refractive index of the particles. The potentialities of other methods for the complete multiple scattering problem-the minimization search method, quasilinearization method, and small-angle Gaussian approximation method-are also studied.
Runoff and soil loss from ultra-narrow row cotton plots with and without stiff-grass hedges

Abstract Grass hedges and no-till cropping systems reduced soil losses on standard erosion plots in ultra-narrow row (20 cm) cotton during a 4-year study (1999–2002). No-till cotton with grass hedges, no-till cotton without grass hedges, conventional-till cotton with grass hedges, and conventional-till cotton without grass hedges produced 4-year average annual soil losses of 1.8, 2.9, 4.0, and 30.8 t ha −1 , respectively, and produced 4-year average runoff amounts of 267, 245, 353, and 585 mm, respectively. The annual ratio of soil loss for no-till ultra-narrow row cotton plots with grass hedges to those without hedges averaged 0.62. The annual ratio of soil loss for conventional-till plots with grass hedges to without hedges was 0.13. Averaged over all plots (with and without grass hedges), no-till plots had 86% less soil loss than conventional-till plots. No-till plots without grass hedges had 90% less soil loss than conventional-till plots without grass hedges. Grass hedges effectively reduced soil loss on erosion plots with similar cropping practices as compared to plots without hedges. Along with the reduced soil losses from no-till system as compared to conventional-till system, the no-till ultra-narrow row cotton system resulted in an average 0.2 t ha −1 yield increase as compared to the conventional-till system. Reduced soil loss and increased crop yield are both positive factors that the user should consider when adopting this cotton system. Other studies of contoured grass hedges on field-sized areas are being conducted to determine their applicability on larger areas with greater concentrations of runoff.
Self-efficacy and independence from social influence: Discovery of an efficacy-difficulty effect

Past research has demonstrated that as tasks become more difficult, individuals tend to become more susceptible to the influence of others. This study investigates the potential of a specific self‐efficacy to moderate this effect. Participants exposed to easy maths problems were more independent of erroneous social influence on those problems than participants exposed to difficult maths problems. However, this effect was moderated by participants' mathematical self‐efficacy, with high self‐efficacy participants remaining more independent than low self‐efficacy participants under high problem difficulty. In addition, the effect of self‐efficacy on independence from social influence was mediated through participants' subjective perceptions of problem difficulty. Overall, these results demonstrate how behaviour in a social influence setting can result from the interaction of social/situational and individual difference variables. Portions of this research was presented at the 2003 annual conference of the So...
Multilayer Microstrip Transmission Lines (Short Papers)

A method used to treat covered microstrip is extended to multilayer microstrip. Detailed results are obtained for the general three-layer problem. Series expansion and term-by-term integration are used to obtain a closed form expression for the Green's function. Matrix methods are then used to obtain the characteristic impedance. Data obtained agree closely with experiment.
The compliment as a social strategy

Abstract Within the framework of ethnography of speaking, this paper presents an analysis of the speech act of complimenting in American English. The major focus is a discussion of the way in which compliments are used in a variety of social situations. It is argued that, whatever the immediate discourse function, complimenting has the underlying social function of creating or reinforcing solidarity between the speaker and the addressee. The linguistic structure of compliments is seen to be closely tied to this basic interactive function.
Clustering of genes dispensable for growth in culture in the S component of the HSV-1 genome

The herpes simplex virus 1 genome consists of one long and one short stretch of unique sequences flanked by inverted repeat sequences. The nucleotide sequence and RNA map predict 12 open reading frames designated as US1 through US12 within the short stretch of unique sequences. This paper reports the construction of virus mutants from which US2, US3, or US4 had been deleted that are capable of growth in cell culture. One of the three deleted genes, US4, specifies the viral envelope glycoprotein G. Mutants with deletions in US1, US8, US9, US10, US11, and US12 have been previously reported. The nine genes deleted from this region form two clusters, US1 through US4 and US8 through US12, and encode at least two and possibly more structural proteins. The presence of so many genes dispensable for growth in cell culture suggests several hypotheses regarding their function and evolution.
Tiospaye in Engineering and Science: Inculcating a sustained culture for recruiting, retaining, and graduating American Indian students

While the general population of South Dakota is 10 percent American Indian, participation in higher education of this group in South Dakota universities remains relatively low, typically around 1.5 percent. Following best practices developed by American Indian educators and tribal colleges, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has developed a new program, Tiospaye in Engineering and Science, which offers a new paradigm for recruitment and support for American Indian students. Following the Lakota word for extended family, Tiospaye, the program provides both scholarship support and positive intervention strategies through an extended campus network of support. The program features extensive classroom support through a combination of campus and small group tutoring sessions, designed within department advisors, and a program mentor that offers one-on-one academic advising and mentoring. In this paper, we describe the recruitment process, positive intervention strategies for academic success, and social support networks. We conclude with a discussion of the current status of the program and early assessment results.
Diagnosis and management of pheochromocytoma – recent advances and current concepts

Pheochromocytoma is a rare but extremely treacherous neuroendocrine tumor, usually occurring in the adrenals but sometimes elsewhere in the abdomen, pelvis, chest, neck, and head. It causes manifestations by secreting catecholamines into the circulation. Tragically, up to 50% of pheochromocytomas are discovered at autopsy, mainly because this tumor was not considered. Clinicians must think of pheochromocytoma whenever any manifestations suggesting hypercatecholaminemia occur. Manifestations can mimic many other diseases, but manifestations without sustained or paroxysmal hypertension are rarely due to pheochromocytoma. However, familial pheochromocytoma, which comprises about 30% of tumors, may rarely be asymptomatic and cause no hypertension. Biochemical testing can almost always establish the presence or absence of a pheochromocytoma. Tumor localization with magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, or 131I or 123I-MIBG is nearly always possible. Surgical removal is usually curative; chemotherapy and radiotherapy are palliative for malignant pheochromocytoma.
Exposure to Chlorpyrifos in Gaseous and Particulate Form in Greenhouses: A Pilot Study

Phase distribution of airborne chemicals is important because intake and uptake mechanisms of each phase are different. The phase distribution and concentrations are needed to determine strategies of exposure assessment, hazard control, and worker protection. However, procedures for establishing phase distribution and concentration have not been standardized. The objective of this study was to compare measurements of an airborne semivolatile pesticide (chlorpyrifos) by phase using two different procedures. Six pesticide applications in two facilities were studied and at each site, samples were collected for three time slots: T1, the first 1 or 2 hr after the commencement of application; T2, a 6-hr period immediately following T1; and T3, a 6-hr period after the required re-entry interval (24 hr for chlorpyrifos).Two phase-separating devices were co-located at the center of each greenhouse: semivolatile aerosol dichotomous sampler (SADS) using flow rates of 1.8 l.min−1 and 0.2 l.min−1, corresponding to a t...
Outcome of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung after antenatal diagnosis.

Abstract Objective We evaluated the outcome of fetuses diagnosed with having congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) on ultrasonographic examination and managed conservatively. Methods A retrospective study of 19 cases of CCAM diagnosed antenatally in our hospital was conducted between 1990 and 2001. Complete clinical information was available for all patients, with a mean follow-up of 62 months. Results The median gestational age at which CCAM was diagnosed was 23 weeks and there were eight live births. With conservative postnatal management, seven neonates had no major complications and one developed bronchopneumonia. Conclusion Taken together, the findings of the present study and a review of the literature strongly support the conservative management of selected neonates with CCAM.