cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local Agency in Old-Age Care: Articulating State, Society, and Family

This chapter explores the case of old-age care reform in context of an emerging aging crisis. Similar to earlier chapters, it begins with an overview of three policy instruments in pension and old-age care: the contributory employee and resident social pensions, and the means-tested or category-based elderly assistance programs. Pension reform is particularly intriguing because of the strong resistance in the state sector yet greater inclusion of migrants across all four cases. While the civil servant pension reform in 2010s involved significant bargaining and compromise at both central and local level, the inclusion of migrants helped sustain local pension funds while meeting top-down pressure. Beyond employment-based pension, nonetheless, local governments are highly selective in providing elderly protection for the “new urban poor,” while adopting varying strategies in coordinating service delivery.
Genetic hearing loss: the audiologist’s perspective

As knowledge regarding the genetic underpinnings of hearing loss has rapidly evolved, the role of the clinician in managing the patient has expanded beyond that of defining the characteristics of the auditory phenotype. The importance and impact of a genetic diagnosis has yet to be fully realized in routine clinical care. However, audiologists are uniquely situated to be front-line healthcare providers for persons of all ages with hereditary hearing loss. Here, we discuss why the combination of genotype and phenotype are necessary for the delivery of personalized and effective clinical care for individuals with genetic hearing loss.
Providing Breastfeeding Support During COVID-19: A Survey of Staff Experiences.

Background:The COVID-19 pandemic presents unique challenges to maternity settings. Its effect on providing in-hospital lactation support has not been well described.Research Aim:To describe the exp...
Time to end the misuse of race in medicine: cases from nephrology

Chandrasekar Gopalakrishnan and Elisabetta Patorno argue that a focus on understanding the effects of socioeconomic and cultural factors rather than biological differences would improve treatment for all racial groups
Engaging Art : The Next Great Transformation of America's Cultural Life

Acknowledgments. Introduction: The Question of Participation, Bill Ivey Section 1: Conceptualizing and Studying Cultural Participation 1.Engaging Art: What Counts? Steven J. Tepper and Yang Gao 2. Comparing Participation in the Arts and Culture, J. Mark Schuster 3. Multiple Motives, Multiple Experiences: The Diversity of Cultural Participation, Francie Ostrower, Ph.D. 4. In and Out of the Dark: A Theory about Audience Behavior from Sophocles to Spoken Word, Lynne Conner Section Two: Getting off the Beaten Path: Investigating Non-Traditional Audiences, Places and Art Forms 5. Faithful Audiences: The Intersection of Art and Religion, Robert Wuthnow 6. Immigrant Arts Participation: A Pilot Study of Nashville Artists, Jennifer C. Lena and Daniel B. Cornfield 7. Artistic Expression in the Age of Participatory Culture: How and Why Young People Create, Henry Jenkins and Vanessa Bertozzi Section Three: New Technology and Cultural Change 8. Music, Mavens, and Technology, Steven Tepper, Eszter Hargittai, and David Touve 9. Audiences for the Arts in the Age of Electronics, Joel L. Swerdlow 10. Can There Ever Be Too Many Flowers Blooming? Barry Schwartz 11. Numbers: Lessons from Radio, Gabriel Rossman Section Four: Revisiting Cultural Participation and Cultural Capital, 12. Arts Participation as Cultural Capital in the United States, 1982-2002: Signs of decline? Paul DiMaggio and Toqir Mukhtar 13.Changing Arts Audiences: Capitalizing on Omnivorousness, Richard A. Peterson and Gabriel Rossman 14. The Crisis in Culture and Inequality, Bonnie H. Erickson Conclusion The Next Great Transformation: Leveraging Policy and Research to Advance Cultural Vitality, Steven J. Tepper
Who lives in greener neighborhoods? The distribution of street greenery and its association with residents' socioeconomic conditions in Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Abstract Street greenery plays an important role in enhancing the environmental quality of a city. Current urban environmental studies mainly focus on the distribution of desirable land uses (e.g., open spaces and parks). Few studies have been conducted on street greenery in residential areas, although it may provide a series of benefits to urban residents, such as energy saving, provision of shade, and aesthetic values. Google Street View (GSV) provides profile views of urban landscapes, and thus may be used for residential street greenery assessment. In this project, GSV was used in a case study to examine the relationships between the spatial distributions of residential street greenery and some socioeconomic variables in different block groups of Hartford, Connecticut, USA. The green view index was calculated based on the GSV images captured at different horizontal and vertical view angles to quantitatively represent how much greenery a pedestrian can see from ground level. Results showed that people with various social conditions have different amounts of street greenery in their living environments in Hartford. People with higher incomes tend to live in places with more street greenery. In summary, this study makes contribution to literature by providing insights into the living environments of urban residents in terms of street greenery, and it also generates valuable reference data for future urban greening programs.
Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice Concepts in Undergraduate Athletic Training Education: Experiences of Select Educators.

Context: Professional athletic training education must transition toward instruction of evidence-based practice in order to maintain progress with other health professions’ clinical practices and educational standards. Objective: To evaluate athletic training educators’ experience with implementation of evidence-based practice concepts in CAATE accredited professional athletic training education programs in order to establish the current state of instructional approaches and incorporation of evidence-based practice concepts. Design and Setting: Interviews of emergent design and modified-grounded theory. Instructors currently teaching at 11 undergraduate institutions were interviewed regarding their experience and perceptions of teaching evidence-based concepts. Participants: Eleven educators (3 males, 8 females; average [SD] years teaching 14.73 [7.06]) were interviewed to evaluate their implementation of evidence-based concepts within their courses. Measure(s): Instructors’ experiences regarding teaching of these concepts was explored qualitatively through coding by the researcher. Established categories were triangulated and member checked to establish trustworthiness of the findings. Results: The analysis determined that instructors have three primary approaches to evidence-based practice concept implementation within their programs: curricular emphasis, teaching strategies, and student activities. Analysis also revealed that teaching objectives for concept implementation transcended the cognitive levels of Bloom’s revised taxonomy. Conclusions: Athletic training educators should be creative in how they implement EBP within their programs and share their experience with the profession. The teaching objectives, strategies, and activities presented should provide other educators with a foundation to initiate evidence-based instruction. Educating the future of our profession in EBP concepts will promote critical thinking, potential research interest, and further development of the available body of knowledge of our growing clinical practice.
The quest for restoring hearing: Understanding ear development more completely

Neurosensory hearing loss is a growing problem of super-aged societies. Cochlear implants can restore some hearing, but rebuilding a lost hearing organ would be superior. Research has discovered many cellular and molecular steps to develop a hearing organ but translating those insights into hearing organ restoration remains unclear. For example, we cannot make various hair cell types and arrange them into their specific patterns surrounded by the right type of supporting cells in the right numbers. Our overview of the topologically highly organized and functionally diversified cellular mosaic of the mammalian hearing organ highlights what is known and unknown about its development. Following this analysis, we suggest critical steps to guide future attempts toward restoration of a functional organ of Corti. We argue that generating mutant mouse lines that mimic human pathology to fine-tune attempts toward long-term functional restoration are needed to go beyond the hope generated by restoring single hair cells in postnatal sensory epithelia.
Ab initio studies of structural features not easily amenable to experiment: Part 70. On the additivity principle in structure-conformation relations: quantitative predictions of some conformational structural trends in aliphatic ketones from acetone and butanone

Abstract The geometries of 2-butanone, of 3-methylbutan-2-one, and of 3,3-dimethylbutan-2-one were determined by ab initio gradient geometry refinements with the 4–21G basis set at regular intervals of the τ(C-C-CO) torsional energy space. The results define the standard geometry functions of the systems investigated; i.e. the conformationally dependent changes of their bond distances and angles as functions of τ. Confirming a previously formulated additivity principle, it is found that some of the geometry functions of the composite systems, 3-methylbutan-2-one and 3,3-dimethylbutan-2-one, can be simulated by adding standard functions of the simple systems, acetone and butanone. It is anticipated that this additivity principle is generally valid for organic molecules and may allow some of the structure-conformation relations of polymer systems to be predicted from the conformational properties of their component fragments.
Studies in medical education: The role of cognitive and psychological characteristics as career choice correlates

Abstract This study tests the power of selected cognitive and psychological measures collected near the end of the second medical school year from 230 preclinical students to discriminate among 6 specialty career choices that they had made after medical school. Findings are presented in terms of predictive accuracy for the total study group, for each specialty choice, and for selected individuals. The data are discussed in terms of the dynamics of cognitive and psychological characteristics in specialty career choice and the potential predictive value of the methodology. However, the need for confirmation of its predictive accuracy is stressed.
A recursive Lagrangian method for clustering problems

Abstract The problem of partitioning a finite set of objects into subsets or clusters so as to optimize an objective function is treated. It is shown that for the particular case where all the objects lie upon a line, the clustering problem may be solved exactly by an algorithm utilizing only Lagrangian relaxation and dynamic programming. By exploiting the approximately unimodal shape of the envelope of optimal objective values a search procedure in the λ space is devised and this allows the solution in reasonable computation time of the combinatorially large problem. Several. examples are presented, and the method is applied to one set of noncollinear data which is first transformed so as to become collinear. Further promising directions for computational enhancement are noted. The important aspects of computer implementation are given.
Intestinal restitution: progression of actin cytoskeleton rearrangements and integrin function in a model of epithelial wound healing.

Superficial injury involving the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract heals by a process termed restitution that involves epithelial sheet movement into the damaged area. The forces that drive epithelial sheet movement are only partially understood, although it is known to involve changes in the morphology of cells bordering the damage, such as the formation of large, flat, cytoplasmic extensions termed lamellae. We investigated the mechanism of epithelial sheet movement by following the response of the actin cytoskeleton and specific integrins (α6β4, α6β1, and α3β1) to wounding. To model this event in vitro, monolayers of T84 cells, well-differentiated colon carcinoma cells, were damaged by aspiration and the ensuing response was analyzed by a combination of time-lapse video microscopy, fluorescence confocal microscopy and antibody inhibition assays. We show that wound healing begins with retraction of the monolayer. α6β4 integrin is localized on the basal surface in structures referred to as type II hemidesmosomes that persist throughout this early stage. We hypothesize that these structures adhere to the substrate and function to retard retraction. Once retraction ceases, the wound is contracted initially by actin purse strings and then lamellae. Purse strings and lamellae produce a pulling force on surrounding cells, inducing them to flatten into the wound. In the case of lamellae, we detected actin suspension cables that appear to transduce this pulling force. As marginal cells produce lamellae, their basal type II hemidesmosomes disappear and the α6 integrins appear evenly distributed over lamellae surfaces. Antibodies directed against the α6 subunit inhibit lamellae formation, indicating that redistribution of the α6 integrins may contribute to the protrusion of these structures. Antibodies directed against the α3β1 integrin also reduce the size and number of lamellae. This integrin's contribution to lamellae extension is most likely related to its localization at the leading edge of emerging protrusions. In summary, wounds in epithelial sheets initially retract, and then are contracted by first an actin purse string and then lamellae, both of which serve to pull the surrounding cells into the denuded area. The α6 integrins, particularly α6β4, help contain retraction and both the α6 integrins and α3β1 integrin contribute to lamellae formation.
Removing bias from discrete time models based on finite interval response data

Modern off-line system identification methods necessarily form a system realization using a finite amount of data. The models constructed are usually of an order smaller than the actual order of the physical system because it is not practical to model the relatively unimportant states. A method is presented to improve the selection of the important states and the model order in system identification methods based on generalized Hankel matrices. When forming a reduced-order model, it is critical to be able to accurately identify the important states and to select the appropriate model order. Some currently popular methods implicitly contain a frequency weighting that comes from the use of a finite tune interval of data in the identification. A method is presented to remove this implicit bias, and excellent results are obtained, even when the response data used span only a fraction of a cycle of the dominant frequency.
Evaluation of commonly used assumptions for isolated and cluster heptane drops in nitrogen at all pressures

A study is performed to assess commonly used assumptions in the modeling of drop behavior in moderate to high temperature surroundings and at all pressures. The model employed for this evaluation has been previously validated for isolated drops by using microgravity data, and is very general: it contains Soret and Dufour effects, does not assume mass transfer quasi-steadiness at the drop boundary, or necessarily the existence of a drop surface (i.e., phase discontinuity). Moreover, the numerical simulations are performed with accurate equations of state and transport properties over a wide range of thermodynamic variables. Consistent with low pressure conditions, the drop boundary is identified a posteriori of the calculations with the location of the largest density change. Simulations are here performed for isolated drops, and for monodisperse as well as binary size drop clusters. The results show that at locations arbitrarily near the boundary, the drop does not reach the mixture critical point within the wide range of conditions investigated (far-field temperatures of 470–1000 K and pressures ranging from 0.1 to 5 MPa). However, the state arbitrarily near the boundary is closer to the critical condition for smaller drops in a cluster than for the larger drops. Evaluations of the effect of the relaxation time at the drop boundary show that quasi-steadiness of the mass transfer prevails for drops of radius as small as 2 × 10^(−3) cm. Finally, the diameter squared exhibits a linear time variation only at atmospheric pressure. At all other pressures investigated (1–5 MPa), the diameter squared displays a negative curvature with time which never becomes linear. In agreement with existing experimental data, the drop lifetime increases monotonically with pressure at low far field temperatures (470 K), but exhibits a maximum as a function of pressure at high temperatures (1000 K). On an appropriate scale, the slope of the diameter squared versus time is shown to be independent of the drop size at all pressures.
PHOTOSENSITIVE BILAYER MEMBRANES AS MODEL SYSTEMS FOR PHOTOBIOLOGICAL PROCESSES

— Photobiological processes such as photosynthesis, photomorphogenesis, photomovement, and photoreception are all associated with the membranous portions of cells. The unique properties of membrane surfaces are apparently required to achieve biologically relevant energy transduction and photocontrol phenomena and consequently the use of model membrane systems is suggested as an advantageous approach to elucidation of the important physical and chemical processes involved. Black lipid membrane (BLM) and liposome techniques are critically reviewed as preferred techniques for constructing and manipulating lipid bilayers. The lipid bilayer is considered to be the basic foundation for biological membrane models, and specific physical phenomena observed with the bilayers and their biological ramifications are analyzed. Light-stimulated polarization of the membrane and electron transfer across the bilayer are viewed as appropriate analogs of vision and photosynthesis, respectively. Bilayer-adsorbed dye experiments are the simplest systems explored that exhibit polarization and charge transfer across the membrane. Chloroplast extract BLM experiments are cited as an example of the light-stimulated transfer of electrons across the membrane under the influence of a preexisting redox gradient. Biliprotein (phycocyanin or phycoerythrin) on one side of the chloroplast extract membrane permits the direction of electron flow across the membrane so that a redox gradient is created in a manner truly analogous to photosynthesis. The potential for solar energy conversion from such membranes is explicitly considered utilizing a schematic photoelectrochemical cell. Model membranes containing bacterial rhodopsin and phytochrome represent examples of ionic gradients that result in biological energy transduction. Studies of membranes that exhibit transient photoeffects are considered potentially relevant for the elucidation of phototaxis. The analysis of many properties of photosensitive membranes is greatly aided by the use of appropriate theoretical models. It is apparent that there is a great potential for the application of photosensitive model membranes in many research areas involving complex photobiological phenomena and novel methods for solar energy conversion.
Selective deposition of films of polypyrrole, polyaniline and nickel on hydrophobic/hydrophilic patterned surfaces and applications

Abstract Computer-generated patterned hydrophobic films are produced on hydrophilic glass substrates by a microcontact “stamp” printing technique. The hydrophobic pattern is produced when the silicone elastomeric stamp (“inked” with C18H37SiCl3) contacts the hydrophilic surface. Thin films of polypyrrole and polyaniline are deposited preferentially on the hydrophobic patterned surfaces from dilute aqueous solutions of the polymerizing monomer. Conversely, strongly adhering films of metals such as nickel are deposited selectively by an electroless process on the hydrophilic substrate surfaces. The properties of the polymers deposited on the hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces will be discussed as well as the application of the patterned polymer in liquid crystal displays.
Endomyocardial biopsy: Advantages of adding a posterior bend to the bioptome

A modification of the distal end of a flexible bioptome used for endomyocardial biopsy is described which facilitates the approach to the interventricular septum. Contact with the right ventricular free wall is avoided.
Presidential Conditional Agenda Setting in Latin America

Ten Latin American presidents have a power that has not received the study that it deserves: the ability to make positive suggestions to vetoed bills. These “amendatory observations” return to Congress for afinalround of voting. Sometimes the presidential version of the bill becomes the default alternative automatically and may require qualified majorities to be overturned. The authors analyze veto procedures in eighteen Latin American countries and argue that amendatory veto power significantly increases presidential weight in legislative decision making.
Territorial behavior and fear of crime in the elderly

Observations were made of the visible territorial markers of elderly homeowners. Attitudinal measures of their fear of crime indicated that high-territorial elderly were less fearful of being victimized than were low-territorial elderly. Strong sex differences in the amount of fear were also found, as were interactions of territoriality with the sex and with the living arrangement (alone or not alone) of the homeowner. The results are discussed in the context of the mastery of the environment by the elderly.
Penile foreskin avulsion from parrot fish bite.

A healthy, uncircumcised 34-year-old male presented to an emergency department (ED) in Tinian (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) after a parrot fish bite. The patient was spearfishing in the Philippine Sea and impaled a 15-pound parrot fish. As the patient was attempting to grasp the speared fish it bit him in the groin exterior to his swimming trunks. He experienced immediate penile pain and swam back to shore. Upon removal of his intact swimming trunks, the patient noticed a two-centimeter foreskin avulsion at the proximal penile shaft (picture). He presented to the ED where extensive irrigation of the wound with normal saline was initiated, followed by administration of local anesthesia and laceration repair with sutures. The patient was offered systemic analgesics but declined. He received tetanus toxoid immunization and was discharged with an antibiotic prescription for skin and marine flora with instructions to follow up in one week. The patient was contacted 10 weeks later for follow-up and stated that the avulsion healed well with good comesis and he has had no infections or issues with urination or erections.
Childhood pet ownership, attachment to pets, and subsequent meat avoidance. The mediating role of empathy toward animals.

Researchers studying childhood pet ownership outcomes do not typically focus on measures of adult diet, and those studying the psychology of meat consumption do not normally consider early experiences with companion animals. The present research sought to integrate these two areas by examining relationships between childhood pet ownership, pet attachment, empathy toward animals, belief in human–animal similarity, meat avoidance, and justifications for eating meat. Results from 273 individuals responding to a survey on an internet platform revealed that participants with greater childhood attachment to a pet reported greater meat avoidance as adults, an effect that disappeared when controlling for animal empathy. Greater childhood pet attachment was also related to the use of indirect, apologetic justifications for meat consumption, and this effect too, was mediated by empathy toward animals. Child pet ownership itself predicted views toward animals but not dietary behavior or meat-eating justifications. The authors propose a sequence of events by which greater childhood pet attachment leads to increased meat avoidance, focusing on the central role played by empathy toward animals.
The Morgan Hill earthquake of April 24, 1984 ― investigation of lifelines

Abstract The overall response of all lifelines was good although there was some significant damage. In the power system there was significant damage to 500 kV circuit breakers at two substations, some other minor substation damage, and some damage to feeders in the distribution system. The substation damage did put a segment of one of the AC Pacific Interties out of service for a couple of days but the remaining intertie was able to carry the load. The loss of feeder lines caused local disruption of power for up to 5 hours. In water and sewage systems two 8 inch transit water lines broke in Morgan Hill and a break in an 8 inch pipe to a 350,000 gallon tank caused a large water loss. Five 6 inch water line couplings disengaged. There were numerous water service connection failures in the high damage area. There was no significant damage to communication systems but there was a significant downgrade in the quality of service due to system overload. Calls from outside the area were limited by AT&T. Damage to...
Effective use of hormonal contraceptives Part I: Combined oral contraceptive pills

This systematic review examines evidence regarding when during the menstrual cycle a woman can initiate combined oral contraceptive (COC) use and what can be done if a woman misses COCs. We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for articles published from 1966 to March 2005 related to COC initiation and to the effects of late or missed COCs. We identified 11 studies related to COC initiation and 25 studies related to the effects of missed pills. Evidence from these studies suggested that taking hormonally active pills for 7 consecutive days prevents normal ovulation and that initiating COCs through Day 5 of the menstrual cycle suppresses follicular activity. Studies on the effects of missed COCs generally showed that the risk of ovulation is greatest when the pill-free interval lasts >7 days. Limitations of this body of evidence include small sample sizes that may not reflect variation in larger populations, lack of a standard measurement of ovulation and difficulty in discerning how ovulation resulting from late or missed COCs corresponds to the risk of conception.
Population Parameters of a Relatively Unexploited Stock of Snowy Grouper in the Lower Florida Keys

Abstract Age, growth, mortality, and reproduction of a relatively unexploited stock of snowy grouper Epinephelus niveatus from the lower Florida Keys, were studied during April 1978-July 1981. Biological statistics were derived from 309 snowy grouper. Ages, determined by otolith sectioning, ranged from 0 to XXVII. Back-calculated mean total lengths (TL) ranged from 209 mm at the end of year 1 to 909 mm at the end of year 15. The von Bertalanffy growth equation for snowy grouper was Lt = 1,320{1 - exp[-0.087(t + 1.013)]}, where L = total length (mm), and t = age (years). Annual mortality, determined by catch-curve analysis, was 16%. Full recruitment into the fishery occurred at 575–600 mm TL and at age VIII. The snowy grouper exhibited protogynous hermaphroditism. Most females (81%) were sexually mature by age IV to V. Males did not appear until age VI, but they comprised 40% of all fish of ages VIII or older. These biological findings preliminarily suggest that snowy grouper stocks in the Florida Keys can...
Computation of turbulent reactive flows: first- principles macro/micromixing models using probability density function methods

Abstract Reactive flows encountered in the chemical industry commonly involve turbulent fluid motion, complex chemical kinetics, and nontrivial reactor geometries. When applied to these flows, traditional computation fluid dynamics approaches based on solving a turbulence model coupled with chemical balance equations often prove inadequate due to thier inability (or to the high cost needed) to resolve the microscales of the concentration fields. In this work, an alternative computational methology based on probabality-density-function (PDF) methods is introduced. In the PDF approach, both macro-and micromixing are treated explicitly using first-principles physical models. The crucial unclosed term in the PDF description of reactive flows is that associated with subgrid-scale micromixing. Here, results found using the Fokker-Planck closure for passive scalar mixing and for a second-order reaction in homogeneous turbulence are presented.
The Process of Socialist Economic Transformation

In this paper, we consider the reform process in those Central and East European countries that have made the decision to move from a more-or a less-planned socialist system to a private market economy, one in which private ownership predominates and most resources are allocated through markets. Because the reform process is both complex and intertwined with political factors—especially the shift towards representative democracy—and because there are substantial differences among the reforming countries, no single detailed road map can guide the way to the new systems. Rather, the paper sets out general considerations that provide a framework for reform and relates the choices to some initial conditions of the various reforming countries. (The framework applies also to the Soviet Union, or in the event of its disintegration, to its successor states as they move to market systems.)
Is the Hancock Porcine Valve the Best Cardiac Valve Substitute Today

Abstract Valve replacement with the Hancock stabilized glutaraldehyde porcine aortic valve has been accomplished in 454 patients. Hospital mortality (influenced by a high proportion of patients in New York Heart Association Functional Class IV) was 17.6% (80/454). The first 221 patients discharged from hospital were followed for 36 to 75 months after valve replacement. There have been 26 late deaths among these patients; 88% (195/221) are alive. Of these 221 patients, 185 had single-valve replacement, (125 mitral and 60 aortic), and 36 underwent multiple-valve replacement. There have been 260 valves at risk up to 6 1/4 years, which is equivalent to 12,984.5 valve-months or 1,082 valve-years. Average follow-up is 4.16 years. There have been 13 valve failures in 10 patients. In 4 patients endocarditis was proved to be the cause of failure, and in 5 it was suspected; in 1 patient the failure is unexplained. The pathological similarity between those in whom infection was documented and the other 5 is remarkable and raises the question of whether low-grade infections may be the cause of certain types of valve failure.
Stiffness machine characteristics and its application in an earthquake model

Abstract In this paper, the earthquake source development of tectonic earthquakes is discussed by applying the theory of the Stiffness Machine. Taking into consideration of the stiffness effect of the geological medium, a new stiffness effect model of earthquake source development is proposed. The critical condition for the instability is given by considering the interaction of the failed geological medium with the elastic medium around. Also, the characteristic of this stiffness effect model and the possibility for the earthquake prediction according to the model are discussed.
Relationships between mindfulness, self-control, and psychological functioning

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dispositional mindfulness (the tendency to be mindful in general daily life) accounts for variance in psychological symptoms and wellbeing after accounting for the influence of dispositional self-control (the tendency to be self-disciplined, reliable, hardworking, etc.). A large sample of undergraduate students (N = 280) completed self-report measures of mindfulness, self control, psychological wellbeing, and general psychological distress (depression and anxiety, and stress). As expected, both mindfulness and self-control were positively correlated with wellbeing and negatively correlated with general distress. Mindfulness was found to account for significant variance in psychological wellbeing and general distress after accounting for self-control. In addition, mindfulness was a significant moderator of the relationship between self-control and psychological symptoms. Results show that although self-control predicts significant variance in psychological health, mindfulness predicts incremental variance, suggesting that a mindful approach to ongoing experience can contribute to mental health in persons who are highly self-disciplined and hardworking.
An extension of the ideal diode analysis for the heavily doped p-n diode

Abstract In this paper, an extension of the ideal-diode analysis for the heavily-doped p - n junction diode is proposed. The heavy doping effects such as carrier degeneracy and band gap narrowing are accounted for by using a tractable empirical approximation for the reduced Fermi-energy given by[12] and employing effective intrinsic density. Under the assumption of low-level injection, it is found that the injected minority-carrier current, and the charge storage in the quasi-neutral regions should depend exponentially on values of F ( Y ), where F ( Y ) is a function of dopant dentisy at the depletion edge of the quasi-neutral emitter (or) base region of the p - n junction. Results of our calculations of excess hole current for the short base and the long-base diode show significant change from the values predictged by the conventional diode theory.
High spatial resolution x-ray mapping of CdZnTe detectors

CdZnTe (CZT) is the most promising semiconductor for room-temperature nuclear radiation detectors. At Brookhaven's National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), we used a highly collimated synchrotron X-ray radiation to map different CZT detectors. In this paper, the latest results from high spatial resolution X-ray mapping of CZT detectors are reported. Effects of different internal defects on the performance of CZT detectors are discussed.
On a mathematical theory of the reaction of cells to X-ray irradiation

To describe the variation of concentration of certain substances in cells subjected to X-rays for a finite length of time, R. M. Sievert (1941) has given an equation of mixed differences involving time-lag and having discontinuous coefficients. In the present paper Laplace transform methods are applied to solve this equation in terms of a series valid for all values of time. In particular, the conditions given by J. Th. van der Werff (1943) that the concentration approaches a constant value are confirmed; otherwise steady oscillations in concentration may be expected, or oscillations appear whose amplitude steadily increases until the cell is destroyed or the assumed mathematical model otherwise fails to apply.
Effect of speed limit increases on crash injury severity: Analysis of single-vehicle crashes on North Carolina Interstate highways

The recent congressional action revoking the national maximum speed limits has rekindled the debate over safety and travel time tradeoff. The effect of speed limit increases on the most severe occupant injury in a crash is analyzed here. Single-vehicle crashes on Interstate highways in North Carolina (N = 2729) are examined. Two analysis methods are used: a paired-comparison analysis and an ordered probit model. Increasing speed limits from 88.5 to 96.6 km/h (55 to 60 mph) and from 88.5 to 104.6 km/h (55 to 65 mph) increased the probability of sustaining minor and nonincapacitating injuries, but increasing speed limits from 104.6 to 112.7 km/h (65 to 70 mph) did not have a significant effect on crash severity. There were too few fatal crashes to draw conclusive results for this category of injury severity. Crashes involving the face of a guardrail were more severe on segments where the speed limit was raised than on comparison segments or study segments before the limits were increased. These findings may...
UNEQUAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MIGRATIONS: ANALYTICAL SPECULATIONS ABOUT THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS

In the period following World War II, the less-developed countries have experienced significant progress toward modernization, development, and explosive rates of population growth. In the medium to long run these trends are bound to have a major impact over the worldwide distribution of political and military power (Fucks [12], Organski [25, p. 484 ff.], Rostow [32, p. 409 ft.]). In particular, as the large, densely populated, less-developed countries modernize they will acquire a political and military power incomparably larger than they possess at present. The technology for the production and delivery of atomic weapons is a segment of the stock of scientific and technological knowledge that societies learn to assimilate and use in the process of development. The proliferation of the ability to produce atomic weapons is just one of the many processes of diffusion of technology. As such, it can perhaps be slowed down but not arrested, and it would not be reasonable to expect that the large contemporary less-developed countries will not acquire full atomic capability as their political and military power increases. The twin impact of economic development and population growth will produce tremendous population pressures on the resources of the large, densely populated, less-developed countries. At the same time huge regions, both in the developed and in the less-developed parts of the world, are and will remain by comparison almost empty. Which brings us to the focal point of this paper. Can we really expect that in the not-too-distant future overcrowded countries with superpower status and atomic arsenals would find it acceptable to be denied access to the resources and territories of thinly populated areas? Consider the contrast between the population densities in Africa, the Americas, the Soviet Union, and Australia, and those of India and China. When India and China will have political and military power as well as population densities far larger than at present and full atomic capabilities, will they be content to accept the real and perceived hardships associated with inordinately high population pressure on resources while looking across their boundaries at huge territories, almost empty by comparison? This paper will explore the possible role of three developments with a potential for alleviating the tensions and conflicts that can arise from economic development and population growth in large densely populated countries of the contemporary world. These developments are (a) accelerated modernization, (b) effective population control policies, and (c) migrations.
D600 increases the resistance associated with the equatorial potassium current of the lens.

Abstract The effects of D600, the methoxy analog of verapamil, on a pCMPS system were studied. A major effect of D600 is to increase the resistance associated with the equatorial potassium current of the lens. The increase in resistance is statistically significant at concentrations above 200 μ m . At concentrations of 25–50 μ m , D600 counteracts the decrease in resistance produced by binding sulfhydryl groups with 1 μ m pCMPS. This effect is similar to that produced by quinine and by a calcium-free medium, and is attributed to the prevention of an increase in the calcium-dependent potassium conductance produced by pCMPS.
A sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the quantitation of antigen-specific murine immunoglobulin E1

Abstract An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the quantitation of 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-specific murine immunoglobulin (Ig) E is described. The assay uses β-galactosidase, which is conjugated to goat anti-rabbit γ-globulin (GARG) via a method using a mild heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent, m -maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxy-succinimide ester (MBS). The assay has a sensitivity for detection of about 200 pg/ml of anti-DNP IgE. Analyses of murine serum samples using this ELISA correlate well with those obtained using the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction in rats. With the use of automated 96-well reader, data acquisition is rapid and, therefore, this ELISA is ideal for analyses of large numbers of samples. The assay can be easily modified for the measurement of other Ig classes and of IgE of other antigen specificities.
Identification of Three Major Sentrinization Sites in PML

Acute promyelocytic leukemia arises following a reciprocal chromosome translocation t(15;17), which generates PML-retinoic acid receptor α fusion proteins (PML-RARα). We have shown previously that wild type PML, but not PML-RARα, is covalently modified by the sentrin family of ubiquitin-like proteins (Kamitani, T., Nguyen, H. P., Kito, K., Fukuda-Kamitani, T., and Yeh, E. T. H. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 3117–3120). To understand the mechanisms underlying the differential sentrinization of PML versus PML-RARα, extensive mutational analysis was carried out to determine which Lys residues are sentrinized. We show that Lys65 in the RING finger domain, Lys160 in the B1 Box, and Lys490 in the nuclear localization signal contributes three major sentrinization sites. The PML mutant with Lys to Arg substitutions in all three sites is expressed normally, but cannot be sentrinized. Furthermore, the triple substitution mutant is localized predominantly to the nucleoplasm, in contrast to wild type PML, which is localized to the nuclear bodies. Thus, sentrinization of PML, in the context of the RING finger and the B1 box, regulates nuclear body formation. Furthermore, we showed that sentrinization of PML-RARα could be restored by overexpression of sentrin, but not by retinoic acid treatment. These studies provide novel insight into the pathobiochemistry of acute promyelocytic leukemia and the sentrinization pathway.
Mechanisms of antiphospholipid antibody-associated pregnancy complications

Women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are at high risk for recurrent spontaneous miscarriage and late pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and preterm labor. Recent clinical and experimental observations suggest that the pathophysiology of pregnancy failure in patients with APS may involve inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface and disruption of normal trophoblast function and survival, rather than a pro-thrombotic event. While treatment with heparin and aspirin from early pregnancy has been shown to significantly increase the live birth rate in recurrent miscarriage patients with APS, the incidence of severe late pregnancy complications still remains high. This review will discuss what is currently known about the mechanisms by which aPL may compromise pregnancy outcome.
Effect of 6-hydroxydopamine on the incorporation of 14C-leucine into rat brain protein☆

Abstract The effect of 6-hydroxydopamine on in vitro and in vivo cerebral protein synthesis was studied in rats. Male rats receiving 200 μg of 6-hydroxydopamine intracisternally daily for three injections showed a significant decrease in incorporating activity of 14 C-leucine into brain microsomal and synaptosomal proteins over that of control animals in vitro . Experiments with intracisternally injected 14 C-leucine also showed a decreased incorporation of labeled amino acid in 6-hydroxydopamine treated animals in mitochondria, crude nuclei, “noncholinergic” synaptosome and myelin fraction, while no change was demonstrated in the other fractions. The degeneration of adrenergic nerve endings by 6-hydroxydopamine may be related to its inhibitory action on brain protein synthesis.
Chemistry of Organic Polyheterocyclic Conductors

The synthesis and some properties of polymeric heterocycles as well as the latest results in the area of soluble conducting polymers are reviewed. Polyheterocycles with long chain substituents exhibit unusual properties in solution while retaining a relatively high conductivity in the solid state. All known methods for the preparation of conducting polymers are presented and their merits discussed. Among the insoluble polymers, the electrochemical methods are still the best because they afford films on a large variety of substrates.
Special Education Teacher Candidate Assessment: A Review.

Teacher preparation has been under intense scrutiny in recent years. In order for preparation of special education teacher candidates to remain viable, candidate assessment practices must apply practices identified in the extant literature base, while special education teacher education researchers must extend this base with rigorous efforts to link preservice candidate assessment of knowledge, skills, and dispositions, to authentic experiences in the field, in-service professional practice, and student achievement. The authors review prior research on special education candidate assessment from 2000 to the present in three primary domains: skills and knowledge related to academics, behavior, collaboration, and transition; dispositional factors, including attitudes about disability, inclusion, and diversity; and authentic, field-based assessments, including measures of candidates’ impact on students and their induction experiences. Implications for policy and practice are provided.
Robust fault detection of turbofan engines subject to adaptive controllers via a Total Measurable Fault Information Residual (ToMFIR) technique

This paper provides a new design of robust fault detection for turbofan engines with adaptive controllers. The critical issue is that the adaptive controllers can depress the faulty effects such that the actual system outputs remain the pre-specified values, making it difficult to detect faults/failures. To solve this problem, a Total Measurable Fault Information Residual (ToMFIR) technique with the aid of system transformation is adopted to detect faults in turbofan engines with adaptive controllers. This design is a ToMFIR-redundancy-based robust fault detection. The ToMFIR is first introduced and existing results are also summarized. The Detailed design process of the ToMFIRs is presented and a turbofan engine model is simulated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed ToMFIR-based fault-detection strategy.
The Impact of Federalism on National Party Cohesion in Brazil

This article explores the impact of federalism on national party cohesion. Although credited with increasing economic growth and managing conflict in countries with diverse electorates, federal forms of government have also been blamed for weak party systems because national coalitions may be divided by interstate conflicts. This latter notion has been widely asserted, but there is virtually no empirical evidence of the relationship or even an effort to isolate and identify the specific features of federal systems that might weaken parties. In this article, I build and test a model of federal effects in national legislatures. I apply my framework to Brazil, whose weak party system is attributed, in part, to that country's federal form of government. I find that federalism does significantly reduce party cohesion and that this effect can be tied to multiple state-level interests but that state-level actors' impact on national party cohesion is surprisingly small.
Descriptive Models of Customer–Supplier Relationships in the Electronics Manufacturing Industry

ABSTRACT This paper is about customer–supplier relationships between original equipment manufacturers, contract electronics manufacturers, and component suppliers in the electronics manufacturing industry. This research provides descriptive models indicating when customers and suppliers chose closer collaboration, how they designed their information exchange and decision-making processes to achieve closer collaboration, and what issues prevented them from achieving closer collaboration. Specifically, 3 descriptive models are presented that illustrate the determinants that encouraged transactional versus collaborative relationships and the processes used to manage both types of relationships.