cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decline in isokinetic force with age: muscle cross-sectional area and specific force.

Humans produce less muscle force (F) as they age. However, the relationship between decreased force and muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) in older humans is not well documented. We examined changes in F and CSA to determine the relative contributions of muscle atrophy and specific force (F/CSA) to declining force production in aging humans. The proportions of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms were characterized to assess whether this was related to changes in specific force with age. We measured the peak force of isokinetic knee extension in 57 males and females aged 23–80 years, and used magnetic resonance imaging to determine the contractile area of the quadriceps muscle. Analysis of MHC isoforms taken from biopsies of the vastus lateralis muscle showed no relation to specific force. F, CSA, and F/CSA decreased with age. Smaller CSA accounted for only about half of the 39% drop in force that occurred between ages 65–80 years. Specific force dropped about 1.5% per year in this age range, for a total decrease of 21%. Thus, quantitative changes in muscle (atrophy) are not sufficient to explain the strength loss associated with aging.
A Robust Two Sample Procedure to Estimate a Shift Parameter

SYNOPTIC ABSTRACTThis study estimates the shift parameter in the two-sample location problem. The proposed method combines the sample X and sample Y which is shifted with an arbitrary shift variable and a convolution technique is used to smooth out the empirical density function of the combined samples. The smoothed empirical density function is later used in the construction of a log likelihood function for the combined sample. The likelihood function is minimized with respect to an arbitrary shift variable to find an estimate of the true shift parameter. As shown in the study, the proposed estimator is asymptotically efficient and robust against contaminations and outliers. This result is supported by an example and by a simulation study.
Role of Farnesyltransferase in ABA Regulation of Guard Cell Anion Channels and Plant Water Loss

Desiccation of plants during drought can be detrimental to agricultural production. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) reduces water loss by triggering stomatal pore closure in leaves, a process requiring ion-channel modulation by cytoplasmic proteins. Deletion of the Arabidopsis farnesyltransferase gene ERA1 or application of farnesyltransferase inhibitors resulted in ABA hypersensitivity of guard cell anion-channel activation and of stomatal closing. ERA1 was expressed in guard cells. Double-mutant analyses of era1 with the ABA-insensitive mutants abi1 and abi2 showed that era1 suppresses the ABA-insensitive phenotypes. Moreover, era1 plants exhibited a reduction in transpirational water loss during drought treatment.
Blood flow and oxygen saturation changes according to pressure effect in NIR breast cancer imaging study

NIR handheld LED breast cancer imaging is a novel design that we are using widely in clinical study. During the test, we found the pressure change may affect the signal from the breast, especially to the blood flow inside of tissue. In this paper, we will show a new design of the probe combined with pressure sensors. And, we also did 15 cases of normal person’s breast test by using this design. We try to dig out how the pressure works and the relationships between the pressure effect to blood flow, also oxygen saturation in vivo. Some patients’ data may be presented here too.
Low pH enhances connexin32 degradation in the pancreatic acinar cell

Decreased extracellular pH is observed in a number of clinical conditions and can sensitize to the development and worsen the severity of acute pancreatitis. Because intercellular communication through gap junctions is pH-sensitive and modulates pancreatitis responses, we evaluated the effects of low pH on gap junctions in the rat pancreatic acinar cell. Decreasing extracellular pH from 7.4 to 7.0 significantly inhibited gap junctional intracellular communication. Acidic pH also significantly reduced levels of connexin32, the predominant gap junction protein in acinar cells, and altered its localization. Increased degradation through the proteasomal, lysosomal, and autophagic pathways mediated the decrease in connexin32 under low-pH conditions. These findings provide the first evidence that low extracellular pH can regulate gap junctional intercellular communication by enhancing connexin degradation.
Review of a newly recognized disease of elephants caused by endotheliotropic herpesviruses

There are two newly recognized herpesviruses that cause a fatal disease syndrome in elephants. They are known as the elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses, of which one is fatal for Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and the other for African elephants (Loxodonta africana) [Richman et al., Science 283:1171–1176, 1999a]. The disease syndrome affects predominantly young elephants and has been described in North America [Richman et al., J Wildl Dis 36:1–12, 2000], Europe [Richman et al., Verhandlangsbericht des 39 International Symposium uben Erkrankungen der Zoo und Wildtiere, Wien, 39:17–21, 1999b; Ossent et al., Vet Pathol 27:131–133, 1990], and Israel [Richman et al., Verhandlangsbericht des 39 International Symposium uben Erkrankungen der Zoo und Wildtiere, Wien, 39:17–21, 1999b]. The predominant clinical signs for both species include lethargy, edematous swellings of the head, neck, and thoracic limbs, oral ulceration, cyanosis of the tongue, and death of most elephants in 1–7 days [Richman et al., J Wildl Dis 36:1–12, 2000]. Three affected young Asian elephants recovered after a 3–4-week course of therapy with the anti-herpesvirus drug famciclovir [Richman et al., J Wildl Dis 36:1–12, 2000; Schmitt and Hardy, J Elephant Managers Assoc 9:103–4, 1998]. Additional reported herpesvirus-associated lesions in otherwise healthy elephants include localized skin papillomas in African elephants [Richman et al., Science 283:1171–1176, 1999a; Jacobson et al., J Am Vet Med Assoc 189:1075–8, 1986], proliferative vulval lymphoid patches in African elephants [Richman et al., Science 283:1171–1176, 1999a; Munson et al., J Zoo Wildl Med 26:353–8, 1995], and pulmonary nodules in African elephants [Richman et al., J Wildl Dis 36:1–12, 2000; McCulley et al., Onderstepoort J Vet Res 38:225–236, 1971]. Recent findings suggest that these localized herpesvirus-associated lesions in healthy African elephants may be one source of the herpesvirus that causes disseminated disease and death in the Asian species [Richman et al., Science 283:1171–1176, 1999a] and the African species [Richman et al., J Wildl Dis 36:1–12, 2000]. These findings have implications for management practices in facilities keeping both African and Asian elephants and in protecting natural elephant habitats from virulent forms of the virus. Zoo Biol 19:383–392, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Early psychosocial stressors: relationship to suicidality and course of bipolar illness

Abstract Substantial preclinical data support the view that early environmental stress may be associated with long-term changes in brain development and brain chemistry in association with long-lasting alterations in neuroendocrinology, behavior, and vulnerability to acquiring psychoactive drug self-administration. Similarly, a considerable clinical literature has evaluated the possible impact of early and ongoing psychosocial stress in the onset and recurrence of the unipolar and bipolar affective disorders and their comorbidities. In this article we review data on the association of the occurrence of severe environmental stressors in childhood and adolescence and subsequent course of illness in a cohort of more than 600 outpatients with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder studied in the Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network. Self-report of early physical or sexual abuse was used as the primary index of early stressors and a variety of other events were noted, both at illness onset and prior to the most recent affective episode. The early adversities in childhood and adolescence were associated with an earlier onset of bipolar disorder, a more adverse course of illness reported retrospectively and confirmed prospectively, more Axis I, II, and III comorbidities, lack or loss of ongoing social and medical supports, and an increased incidence of serious suicide attempts prior to network entry. These early extreme stressors interacted with a positive family history of affective disorders in relation to an earlier age of onset of bipolar disorder, and there also appeared to be a stressor ‘dose’ relationship to the incidence of prior suicide attempts. The impact and interaction of these stressors on course of illness, comorbidity, and suicide attempts are discussed in relation to the clinical and preclinical literature and opportunities for early intervention and prevention.
Reversible cold lesions of the parahippocampal gyrus in monkeys result in deficits on the delayed match-to-sample and other visual tasks

Two bilateral cooling probes were placed over the parahippocampal gyrus (pg) and the cortex just dorsolateral to it, the posterior inferotemporal gyrus (p.itg) in 4 Macaca fascicularis. Behavioral tests included: delayed match-to-sample (DMS); the acquisition and retention of single visual discriminations; the acquisition and retention of a concurrent visual discrimination task; and the retention of a spatial reversal task. During cooling of the pg and of the pg and p.itg together, there was a deficit at all delays of DMS. For both the single and concurrent visual discriminations, pg cooling produced an acquisition but not a retention deficit, although the acquisition deficit for the concurrent task was not significant at the 0.05 level. Cooling of p.itg had no significant effect on these tasks. No cooling had any effect on the spatial reversal task. It was concluded that pg serves as an important visual input into the anterior half of the itg for performance of DMS and the acquisition of visual discriminations. For several reasons, it was argued that the deficits were not caused by cooling of the hippocampus.
Dimension six corrections to the vector sector of AdS/QCD model

Abstract We study the effects of dimension six terms on the predictions of the holographic model for the vector meson form factors and determine the corrections to the electric radius, the magnetic and the quadrupole moments of the ρ-meson. We show that the only dimension six terms which contribute nontrivially to the vector meson form factors are X 2 F 2 and F 3 . It appears that the effect from the former term is equivalent to the metric deformation and can change only masses, decay constants and charge radii of vector mesons, leaving the magnetic and the quadrupole moments intact. The latter term gives different contributions to the three form factors of the vector meson and changes the values of the magnetic and the quadrupole moments. The results suggest that the addition of the higher dimension terms improves the holographic model.
Spinal shock revisited: a four-phase model

Spinal shock has been of interest to clinicians for over two centuries. Advances in our understanding of both the neurophysiology of the spinal cord and neuroplasticity following spinal cord injury have provided us with additional insight into the phenomena of spinal shock. In this review, we provide a historical background followed by a description of a novel four-phase model for understanding and describing spinal shock. Clinical implications of the model are discussed as well.
Advances in aesthetic hair restoration

Abstract Background Great advances have taken place in recent years in hair transplantation for both aesthetic and reconstructive purposes. However, there are still cases in which results do not appear entirely natural. This may be a result of slight clumps caused by grafts that contain too many follicles, scarring, and hairlines that are too straight, too low, too thin, or otherwise artifical. Furthermore, too many surgical sessions (4, 5, or more) are often required for an aesthetically pleasing result. Objective A procedure for achieving natural and aesthetically pleasing hair restoration in 1 or 2 sessions through the use of large numbers of follicular micrografts and minigrafts is described. Methods Between March 1994 and March 2002, more than 400 consecutive patients underwent hair restoration with 2000 to 2500 micrografts and minigrafts. A horizontal ellipse of skin was harvested from the occipital area and dissected into 2-mm strips by the surgeon. The strips were further dissected into individual micrografts or minigrafts by surgical technicians. The grafts were inserted with the use of a technique in which scalp slits were made by the surgeon using a 22.5 Sharpoint (Surgical Specialties Corp, Reading, PA) blade and an assistant immediately inserted the graft by sliding it along the side of the blade. This process was repeated until all grafts were inserted and densely packed, about 1.5 mm apart. Results Satisfactory results with few complications were obtained predictably in 1 session. Further enhancement was obtained with a second session. Conclusions Natural-looking, aesthetically pleasing hair restoration without detectable scars and with reasonable hair density can be obtained in just 1 or 2 sessions through the use of large numbers of follicular micrografts and minigrafts.
Cytogenetic analysis of oocytes and early preimplantation embryos from XO mice

Abstract The meiotic segregation pattern of the X chromosome in XO mice was determined by counting second meiotic metaphase chromosomes. A total of 584 oocytes was collected from superovulated but unmated XO and XX mice. Second meiotic metaphase (MII) counts indicated that the X chromosome in XO mice did not segregate randomly but remained preferentially in the oocyte. Increased maternal age had no effect upon this segregation pattern. Selection against XO and YO preimplantation embryos was evaluated by observing their relative frequencies during first and second cleavage divisions. A combined total of 1650 preimplantation eggs was collected from superovulated and mated XO and XX female mice. Eggs were obtained during metaphase of first (CI) or second cleavage (CII) divisions by injecting mated females with colchicine at 28 or 49 hr, respectively, after human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration. Prior to analysis, chromosomes were banded by trypsin-Giemsa, which facilitated specific chromosome identification, including the X and Y. The proportion of XX, XY, XO, and YO embryos observed at CI from XO females was not significantly different from expected values based on MII counts. At CII, a significant difference was observed from the expected proportion of embryo classes resulting from a reduction in XO and YO embryos. The results provide cytogenetic evidence emphasizing that, in order for development to continue, at least one functional X chromosome is necessary as early as the two-cell stage. Triploid one- and two-cell embryos were observed more frequently in embryos from XO than XX females. The sex ratio was not significantly different from 1:1 during either cleavage stage regardless of the type of female from which the embryos were derived.
Long-term effects of universal preventive interventions on prescription drug misuse.

Background This is a supplemental report on tests of the long-term effects of universal preventive interventions conducted during middle school on 17–21-year-olds' prescription drug misuse. Design/setting/participants Two randomized controlled prevention trials were conducted in public schools in the rural midwestern United States. Study 1 began in 1993, with 667 6th-graders; follow-ups with 12th-graders and 21-year-olds included 457 and 483 participants, respectively. Study 2 began in 1998 with 7th-graders (total sample across waves 2127); follow-ups with 11th- and 12th-graders included 1443 and 1212 participants, respectively. Interventions In study 1, schools were assigned to the Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP), Preparing for the Drug Free Years, or a control condition. In study 2, schools were assigned to the school-based Life Skills Training (LST) plus a revised ISFP, called SFP 10–14 (LST + SFP 10–14), LST-only, or a control condition. Measurements Self reports of lifetime and past-year prescription drug misuse. Findings In study 1, ISFP 12th-graders' past year narcotic misuse was significantly less than controls, as were ISFP 21-year-olds' life-time narcotic and barbiturate misuse rates. In study 2, LST + SFP 10–14 showed significant effects on life-time prescription drug misuse at the 11th-grade follow-up, while effects at the 12th-grade follow-up were marginally significant. Conclusions Consistent with intervention effects on other substance use outcomes reported earlier, results suggest that universal interventions have potential for pubic health impact by reducing some types of prescription drug misuse among adolescents and young adults.
Oil-exporting countries of the Persian Gulf: What happened to all that money?

Abstract Our objective is to assess the economic performance of Middle Eastern oil-exporting countries over the past 25 years based on their general economic characteristics (economic dependence on a depletable resource) and attendant policy requirements (transforming to a non-depletable resource-based economy). As oil-exporting countries, we assess the macroeconomic and development policies that they should have implemented and have actually implemented over time. We find that their policies have rarely been consistent with the requirements of exhaustible resource-based economies. This has resulted in a widespread misallocation of resources and a divergence from their essential goal of economic transformation.
Biodegradation of aromatic compounds under mixed oxygen/denitrifying conditions : a review

Bioremediation of aromatic hydrocarbons in groundwater and sediments is often limited by dissolved oxygen. Many aromatic hydrocarbons degrade very slowly or not at all under anaerobic conditions. Nitrate is a good alternative electron acceptor to oxygen, and denitrifying bacteria are commonly found in the subsurface and in association with contaminated aquifer materials. Providing both nitrate and microaerophilic levels of oxygen may result in oxidation of the stable benzene rings in aromatic contaminants and allow for the intermediates of this oxidation to degrade via denitrification. The effects of using mixed electron acceptors on biodegradation of subsurface contaminants is unclear. Below some critical oxygen threshold, aerobic biodegradation is inhibited, however high levels of oxygen inhibit denitrification. The mechanisms which regulate electron transfer to oxygen and nitrate are complex. This review: 1) describes the factors which may affect the utilization of oxygen and nitrate as dual electron acceptors during biodegradation; 2) summarizes the incidence of dual use of nitrate and oxygen (aerobic denitrification); and 3) presents evidence of the effectiveness of bioremediation under mixed oxygen/nitrate conditions.
Contingency management treatments that reinforce completion of goal-related activities: Participation in family activities and its association with outcomes

Abstract Contingency management (CM) techniques that reinforce completion of nondrug related activities may be efficacious in treating substance dependence. No studies to date have evaluated whether involvement in particular types of activities reduces problems in those domains. One hundred fifty-nine cocaine-abusing adults who had been randomized to a CM intervention were categorized based on whether or not they engaged in three or more family related activities during the 12-week treatment period. Differences between the groups were evaluated with respect to treatment retention, length of continuous abstinence, and changes from baseline to the end of the intervention in ASI-family scores and days of family conflict. Participants who engaged in family activities ( N = 29) remained in treatment longer, were abstinent for more weeks, and reported greater reduction in family conflict compared to participants who did not engage in family activities ( N = 130). These data suggest that participants who elect to complete family related activities during CM treatments may evidence improved outcomes and reduced family conflict.
Shearing of oriented polyethylene and polypropylene

To learn more about the out-of-plane deformation of polymer lamellae during drawing, we have measured the resistance to shear along various planes in uniaxially oriented polyethylene and polypropylene. Fissures parallel to the orientation axis in oriented materials always cause too small an experimental value for the resistance of crystal glide parallel to the chain axes, but a rough estimate for the resistance to crystal glide is obtained using the elastic anisotropy. Also, the results suggest that kinking can be easier than glide when glide is inhibited by tie molecules.
Tracking deformable objects with unscented Kalman filtering and geometric active contours

Geometric active contours represented as the zero level sets of the graph of a surface have been used very successfully to segment static images. However, tracking involves estimating the global motion of the object and its local deformations as functions of time. Some attempts have been made to use geometric active contours for tracking, but most of these minimize the energy at each frame and do not utilize the temporal coherency of the motion or the deformation. Recently, particle filters for geometric active contours were used for tracking deforming objects. However, the method is computationally very expensive since it requires a large number of particles to approximate the state density. In the present work, we propose to use the unscented Kalman filter together with geometric active contours to track deformable objects in a computationally efficient manner.
Acoustic Packaging: Maternal Speech and Action Synchrony

The current study addressed the degree to which maternal speech and action are synchronous in interactions with infants. English-speaking mothers demonstrated the function of two toys, stacking rings and nesting cups to younger infants (6-9.5 months) and older infants (9.5-13 months). Action and speech units were identified, and speech units were coded as being ongoing action descriptions or nonaction descriptions (examples of nonaction descriptions include attention-getting utterances such as “Look!” or statements of action completion such as “Yay, we did it!”). Descriptions of ongoing actions were found to be more synchronous with the actions themselves in comparison to other types of utterances, suggesting that: 1) mothers align speech and action to provide synchronous “acoustic packaging” during action demonstrations; and 2) mothers selectively pair utterances directly related to actions with the action units themselves rather than simply aligning speech in general with actions. Our results complement past studies of acoustic packaging in two ways. First, we provide a quantitative temporal measure of the degree to which speech and action onsets and offsets are aligned. Second, we offer a semantically based analysis of the phenomenon, which we argue may be meaningful to infants known to process global semantic messages in infant-directed speech. In support of this possibility, we determined that adults were capable of classifying low-pass filtered action- and nonaction-describing utterances at rates above chance.
Messages Influencing College Women's Tanning Bed Use: Statistical versus Narrative Evidence Format and a Self-Assessment to Increase Perceived Susceptibility

Understanding the effect of messages and other influences on health decision-making has the potential to decrease risky behavior such as tanning bed use. This study explores the effect of type of evidence, self-assessments of risk for skin cancer, and personality factors on intention to use and use of tanning beds among Caucasian female college students. Specifically, it targeted the perceived susceptibility component of the Health Belief Model and its impact on intention to tan as well as changes in actual tanning behavior. College students (N=141) in the southeast United States read randomly assigned messages and self-assessments, filled out surveys, and were later contacted for a follow-up telephone survey. The statistical message was rated higher on information value and also resulted in decreased intention to tan, decreased tanning behavior, and increased perceived susceptibility to skin cancer. The narrative message, in contrast, increased perceptions of realism and also worked to decrease intentions to tan. Additionally, the self-assessment manipulation resulted in increased susceptibility and decreased intention to tan and post tanning behavior. Personality factors explained small portions of variance. Key limitations and directions for future research are also addressed.
Black and White Commuting Behavior in a Large Southern City: Evidence from Atlanta

Previous research has shown that households are sensitive to commuting distance. In particular, households beyond a threshold distance move closer to the job when they change residence. The questions that motivate this paper are: how does race affect the probability of moving closer to the job when households change residence, and is there a trade off between commuting distance and neighborhood composition? Using a specialized data set the research shows that the commuting behaviors of minority and white households are consistent with the overall hypothesis that households minimize their commuting distance whenever possible. The research also shows that there is a tendency for both white and black households to choose slightly more integrated settings after changing residences. Yet, black households have to juggle the trade-off between neighborhoods with high socioeconomic status and commute distance and those who choose higher socioeconomic status neighborhoods have longer commutes.
Detection of selective logging and regrowth with CBERS CCD imagery

We used imagery from the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS1) to detect selective logging in Mato Grosso state, Brazil. An automated procedure using optical data was developed to determine which areas are under active, or recent, selective logging. We were able to detect selective logging using CBERS1 CCD images.
Pro: Regional anesthesia is better than general anesthesia for lower extremity revascularization

0 NE OF THE most controversial subjects in anesthesia today is whether or not regional anesthesia (RA) is superior to general anesthesia (GA) in high-risk patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Patients undergoing peripheral vascular surgery (PVS) may be an ideal population to address this question due to their high incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and coexisting illness (ie, diabetes, chronic obstructive lung disease, renal insufficiency). In addition, patients undergoing lower extremity PVS can elect to have a GA, RA (spinal, epidural) or a combined technique (GA/epidural). Perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) is reported to occur in up to 15% of patients undergoing PVS and accounts for more than 50% of their perioperative mortality.lJ In fact, in one large series, the perioperative myocardial event rate was higher in patients undergoing lower extremity revascularization procedures than in patients undergoing surgery that involved crossclamping of the abdominal aorta.3 The merits of both GA and RA for patients with CAD undergoing noncardiac surgery have been previously debated in the PRO and CON sections of this journaL4a5 Currently, there is no uniform preference for one form of anesthesia over another in patients undergoing lower extremity revascularization procedures. Each technique has both real and theoretical advantages for high-risk patients undergoing this kind of surgery. Advantages of GA include (1) quick onset, (2) reliability in providing adequate surgical anesthesia, (3) securement of the airway, and (4) avoidance of oversedation or restlessness in the awake patient undergoing a long procedure. General anesthesia, when accompanied by the use of appropriate monitoring techniques and the judicious use of vasoactive agents, can be tailored to meet the physiologic needs of even the most critically ill patients. Heart rate, vascular resistance, and contractility can be adjusted in order to optimize both myocardial oxygen supply and organ perfusion. Potential disadvantages of GA include (1) minimal suppression of the neuroendocrine “stress response,” (2) adverse hemodynamic changes associated with the induction and emergence from GA (ie, tachycardia, hypertension).6s7 Potential advantages of RA include (1) attenuation of the neuroendocrine “stress response,” (2) improvement in cardiac function in patients with ischemic heart disease due to reductions in both preload and afterload, and (3) fewer postoperative pulmonary complications.6,8 Advantages of epidural anesthesia, in particular, include (1) slow titration of local anesthetic agents producing a desired level of blockade, (2) avoidance of rapid fluctuations in either heart rate or blood pressure, (3) the ability to continue epidural
Modeling Cellular Lysis in Skeletal Muscle Due to Electric Shock

High-voltage electrical trauma frequently results in injury patterns that cannot be completely attributed to Joule heating. An electrical-injury model describing cellular lysis damage caused by supraphysiological electric fields is introduced, and used to evaluate the effects of high-voltage electric shock on the skeletal muscle of a human upper limb in a configuration that simulates hand-to-hand contact. A novel multiresolution admittance method, capable of efficiently handling large computational models while maintaining excellent accuracy, was used to perform the numerical computations. Values for the computed current through the arm and the upper limb impedance are reported.
Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review of Cross Cultural Studies

The dementing disorders affect approximately 5 to 11% of the communitydwelling population aged 65 years and over in Western societies, with the prevalence rates approximately doubling every five years after age 65 and rising to more than 30% in patients 85 years of age and over (Rocca et al. 1986; Torm et al. 1987; Evans et al. 1989; Henderson 1988). If milder forms of the syndrome are included, an additional 10% or more of the elderly population may be affected (Hendrie 1998). Approximately half or more of all nursing home residents have dementia (Class et al. 1996). In most studies, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) accounts for approximately two-thirds of all cases of dementia (Hendrie 1998). It has been estimated that the cost to the United States for dementia in 1991 was $ 67 billion (Ernst and Hay 1996). The direct expenditures in the United Kingdom have been estimated at £ 738 million (Smith et al. 1995). These costs ignore the enormous impact, both social and economic, on care givers. Dementia, therefore, represents a major public health problem for Western society and one that is only likely to increase over the next several decades, given the current demographic trends. The impact of the dementing disorders has been less well studied in disadvantaged minority groups in countries such as the United States and in developing countries, where the emphasis on healthcare has been focused on children and women of childbearing age. When it is considered, however, that in the United States the so-called minority groups will represent the majority of the population by the mid-twenty-first century, and that already more than half of the elderly in the world live in developing countries where health care resources are less available than in Western countries, studies in these populations become vital (Osuntokun et al. 1992).
A Systemic Functional Approach to Teaching Spanish for Heritage Speakers in the United States.

Abstract Heritage language speakers constitute a unique cultural and linguistic resource in the United States while also presenting particular challenges for language educators and language programs. This paper examines the potential of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) in a curriculum for Spanish second language learners/heritage speakers, with particular emphasis on the meaning-making of language in the construal of discourse. Following SFL pedagogy, descriptive language teaching refers to ways of treating language in functional terms; productive language teaching involves students in using the resource of their language in powerful ways in light of the demands of particular social contexts. Many heritage speakers have developed their heritage language (Spanish) in the family context but want to be able to use it in the professional areas. SFL with its explicit focus on language allows for the development of advanced literacy in a heritage language in the educational context. Accordingly, the paper discusses explicit instruction of genre/register theory as a way of promoting students’ awareness of discourse-semantics and lexicogrammatical features of academic language in courses for heritage speakers. Students’ success in developing academic registers in Spanish is evident in their use of lexicogrammatical features (such as grammatical metaphor) that index academic writing.
Model-Driven dynamic control of embedded wireless sensor networks

Next-generation wireless sensor networks may revolutionize understanding of environmental change by assimilating heterogeneous data, assessing the relative value and costs of data collection, and scheduling activities accordingly. Thus, they are dynamic, data-driven distributed systems that integrate sensing with modeling and prediction in an adaptive framework. Integration of a range of technologies will allow estimation of the value of future data in terms of its contribution to understanding and cost. This balance is especially important for environmental data, where sampling intervals will range from meters and seconds to landscapes and years. In this paper, we first describe a general framework for dynamic data-driven wireless network control that combines modeling of the sensor network and its embedding environment, both in and out of the network. We then describe a range of challenges that must be addressed, and an integrated suite of solutions for the design of dynamic sensor networks.
Influence of the Valley Surroundings on Valley Wind Dynamics

AbstractIn a recent study, the authors investigated the mechanisms leading to the formation of diurnal along-valley winds in a valley formed by two isolated mountain ridges on a horizontal plain. The main focus was on the relation between the valley heat budget and the valley–plain pressure difference. The present work investigates the influence of the valley surroundings on the evolution of the valley winds. Three valley–plain configurations with identical valley volumes are studied: a periodic valley, an isolated valley on a plain (the former case), and an isolated valley entrenched in an elevated plateau. According to the valley volume argument (topographic amplification factor), these three cases should develop identical temperature perturbations and thus similar along-valley winds. However, substantial differences are found between the three cases, in particular a much stronger daytime up-valley wind and nighttime down-valley wind for the plateau configuration. The analysis demonstrates the importanc...
Variation of Bulk-Derived Surface Flux, Stability, and Roughness Results Due to the Use of Different Transfer Coefficient Schemes

Abstract Ten published bulk transfer coefficient schemes are used with more than 2600 sets of shipboard observations made in the North Atlantic at Ocean Station C over a one-year period. Using the same input data, the differences in the various coefficient schemes were found to produce substantial variations in the resulting flux, stability, and roughness determinations. A conservative analysis found that the scheme-to-scheme differences resulted in a typical maximum variation of 45% for an average stress determination of 0.2 N m−2, 70% for an average sensible heat flux determination of ±25 W m−2, 45% for an average latent heat flux determination of ±40 W m−2, 60% for an average Bowen ratio determination of ±0.06, 500% for an average roughness length determination of 3 × 10−4 m, and 700% for an average roughness Reynolds number determination of 6. It is argued that much of the differences in the various coefficient schemes is due to the widespread use of indirect flux measurements, rather than eddy-correl...
Ophthalmologic Findings in Patients Using Oral Contraception

A detailed study was initiated to investigate thoroughly the possibility that any significant ophthalmologic changes might have occurred in patients using oral contraceptives (OCs) for varying periods. There were 212 patients and 50 control patients who were selected at random 1/2 from private ophthalmology practice and 1/2 from Planned Parenthood Centers in Los Angeles. During eye examinations the visual acuity and tonometric measurements were recorded. After pupillary dilation slit-lamp and funduscopic examinations were performed. Among the compounds being taken by patients in this program were norethynodrel-mestranol combinations norethindrone-mestranol preparations medroxyprogesterone acetate with ethinyl estradiol norethindrone acetate-ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone-mestranol sequential. None of the control patients were using any medication similar to that of the patients under study and all were given the same examination by the same opthalmologist. A substantial percentage of patients using OCs had some degree of ocular pathology. Much of this was of an insignificant variety and could in no way be related to OC use. In 212 patients (424 eyes) there were 6 instances in which there were potentially progressive lens conditions of unknown cause. None was of the classic complicated or toxic types of cataract. In the small group of control patients 4% of the eyes had subcapsular vacuoles of the lens. In the contraceptive-treated group there were only approximately 1.5% showing similar potentially progressive lens pathology. There was 1 case of potential galucoma in the control group and 1 in the contraceptive-treated group. No papilledema was observed in this series.
The FTAIA and Claims by Foreign Plaintiffs Under State Law

In F. Hoffman LaRoche Ltd. v. Empagran S.A., 542 US 155 (2004), the Supreme Court limited access to American courts by foreign plaintiffs suing under the Sherman Act based on foreign transactions. Jurisdiction over foreign antitrust claims is governed by the Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvements Act (“FTAIA”). However, rather than parsing this opaque and poorly drafted statute, the Court drew on the doctrine of prescriptive comity and held that where a statute is vague, it should be construed narrowly so as not to interfere with the prerogatives of co-sovereigns. Alternatively, the Court concluded that if the conduct in question would have been beyond the reach of the Sherman Act prior to the enactment of FTAIA, it would not be cognizable under the FTAA because that statute was designed to limit — not expand — jurisdiction over foreign claims. The Court found that there were no pre-FTAIA cases to support jurisdiction.On remand, the D.C. Circuit ruled that even if foreign plaintiffs could show that “but for” participation of U.S. firms in the conspiracy, they would not have been injured, their claims would still be barred. The FTAIA contemplates that (1) the illegal foreign have a “direct, substantial and reasonably foreseeable effect” on U.S. commerce; and (2) such adverse effect on foreign commerce gives rise to claims by foreign plaintiffs. Incidental or “but for” linkage does not suffice; proximate cause is the standard.Moreover, foreign claims based on foreign transactions are also barred under the doctrines of standing and antitrust injury. Antitrust courts have traditionally denied standing to firms that were neither competitors nor consumers in the U.S. market. Similarly, the doctrine of antitrust injury limits the universe of antitrust plaintiffs to those who have suffered injury of the kind that the antitrust laws are met to protect against and that flows from that which makes the conduct unlawful. The U.S. antitrust laws were not meant to protect plaintiffs who were not participants in the U.S. market. Empagran may not eliminate antitrust actions by foreign purchasers, but the decision is a major hurdle to their successful prosecution.
GeoTess: A Generalized Earth Model Software Utility

GeoTess is a model parameterization and software support library that manages the construction, population, storage, and interrogation of data stored in 2D and 3D Earth models. The software is available in Java and C++, with a C interface to the C++ library. The software has been tested on Linux, Mac, Sun, and PC platforms. It is open source and is available online (see Data and Resources).
Dethroning an Established Platform

What can you firms do when a competitor has already established a leading platform? Learn from Apple's iPhone, Google's Gmail and Facebook -- and how they overtook earlier market leaders.
The Future of IPRs in the Multilateral Trading System

This chapter primarily addresses intellectual property related issues confronting developing countries in the run-up to the Cancun Ministerial Conference of the WTO that took place in September 2002. It also addresses potential means for developing countries to improve their negotiating strategies in multilateral and regional forums.
Enlarged Pore Size in Mesoporous Silica Films Templated by Pluronic F127: Use of Poloxamer Mixtures and Increased Template/SiO2 Ratios in Materials Synthesized by Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly

Although evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) has proven to be a convenient method for synthesizing nanoporous silica films (and particles), accessing material structures with pore sizes larger than ca. 10 nm remains experimentally inconvenient. The use of pore swelling agents (SAs), commonly used during the hydrothermal synthesis of mesoporous silicas, results in little or no pore size expansion due to evaporation or phase separation. Moreover, diblock copolymer templates can yield large pores but are quite expensive and generally require the addition of strong organic cosolvents. Here, we hypothesized that pores templated by the Pluronic triblock polymer F127 could be successfully enlarged, without phase separation, by using a chemically similar, nonvolatile, secondary Pluronic polymer (P103) as the SA. We find pore size increased up to 15 nm for a spherical pore morphology, with a phase transition to a multilamellar vesicle (MLV)-based nanostructure occurring as the P103/F127 ratio is further incre...
Enhancing Scholarship Focused on Trans People and Issues

Scholarship about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and issues has been growing. However, trans issues are often overlooked or addressed only nominally in this literature, leading to calls for further focused attention to trans people and issues. In a series of articles, this Major Contribution addresses such calls by (a) providing a content analysis of scholarship about trans people and issues, (b) discussing methodological considerations and strategies for conducting research with trans populations, and (c) presenting an empirical study that addresses how intersecting identities (e.g., ethnicity/race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status) combine in relation to trans people’s mental health. This article provides a context for the Major Contribution and offers an overview of each of the component articles.
Toward Collaboration Sensing: Multimodal Detection of the Chameleon Effect in Collaborative Learning Settings

In this paper, I describe part of my doctoral dissertation in which I have attempted to automatically detect a phenomenon known as the chameleon effect in collaborative learning settings. The chameleon effect refers to non-conscious mimicry of other comportments (e.g. postures, mannerisms, facial expressions), such that one's behavior passively and unintentionally changes to match a partner’s behaviors. As described below, social mimicry is associated with more productive collaborations and potentially higher learning gains in classroom settings. I describe several studies where I was able to show that visual synchronization (i.e. joint attention), and verbal synchronization (i.e. discourse coherence) were associated with higher learning gains and better collaboration in groups of students, while body synchronization and grammatical mimicry did not predict any of those outcomes. I conclude by discussing implications for educational data mining and describe future work using additional measures such as voice synchronization (e.g. variations in pitch and volume) and arousal synchronization (i.e. variations in heart beat rhythms).
Applying Research About Adolescence in Real-World Settings: The Sample Case of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development

The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD) explored the foundations and implications of thriving across much of the second decade of life. In this chapter, we describe the theory framing this study, present additional research on PYD, and present the details of the method used in the study. In addition, we provide an overview of the chapters in this book and discuss the ways in which the chapters illustrate different facets of the thriving process. Finally, we point to how the book offers directions for future research and for applications aimed at improving the life chances of diverse adolescents.
Epidemiological Analysis of the Influenza Outbreaks in Changgui Rural in Wuxi County

Objective To study the epidemiological characteristics of influenza in Changgui rural of Wuxi County in 2008,and to provide scientific basis for prevention and treatment of influenza.Methods Epidemiological survey was done for the students in central primary school and the residents living in the surrounding school in Changgui township in Wuxi County.We filled in the questionnaire,and throat swab samples from 12 patients with typical symptoms were collected(6 swab samples and 6 serum samples) for laboratory testing.Results 48 patients(24 male and 24 female subjects,age range of 2～47 years old) with the symptoms of fever and cough were noted in May 2008 in Wuxi County Changgui rural.47.9% of the patients were in the age group of 11,12 and 13.Influenza B virus was isolated in 1 out of the 6 throat swab samples.One out of 6 serum samples was also positive in the rapid influenza detection test.Conclusions Early treatment and patient isolation is an effective mean to control the outbreak of influenza.Efforts to reduce crowing in the primary and secondary schools,maintaining personal hygiene,promotion of health education are the effective measures for the prevention of epidemic and control of influenza outbreaks.
Drug resistance to second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Henan province,China

OBJECTIVE To explore the drug resistance to second-line antibiotics used by tuberculosis patients in Henan,to provide a foundation for developing reasonable chemotherapy and control measures.METHODS Clinical isolated M.TB strains were tested with proportion method.And the types were identified by differential medium culture method.RESULTS Among 167 clinical MDR M.TB strains,any drug-resistance to second line drug was 34.75%,XDR was 11.38%;Among them,the resistant rate to OFX was the highest(31.14%).Among 3 kinds of injection drugs,the resistant rate to CPM was the highest(14.97%).CONCLUSION Clinical isolated M.TB of Henan is very serious on drug-resistant.Drug resistant TB should be given a sufficiency attention.