cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Health and Retirement Study: Analysis of Associations Between Use of the Internet for Health Information and Use of Health Services at Multiple Time Points

Background: The use of the internet for health information among older people is receiving increasing attention, but how it is associated with chronic health conditions and health service use at concurrent and subsequent time points using nationally representative data is less known. Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the use of the internet for health information is associated with health service utilization and whether the association is affected by specific health conditions. Methods: The study used data collected in a technology module from a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older Americans aged 52 years and above from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N=991). Negative binomial regressions were used to examine the association between use of Web-based health information and the reported health service uses in 2012 and 2014. Analyses included additional covariates adjusting for predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Interactions between the use of the internet for health information and chronic health conditions were also tested. Results: A total of 48.0% (476/991) of Americans aged 52 years and above reported using Web-based health information. The use of Web-based health information was positively associated with the concurrent reports of doctor visits, but not over 2 years. However, an interaction of using Web-based health information with diabetes showed that users had significantly fewer doctor visits compared with nonusers with diabetes at both times. Conclusions: The use of the internet for health information was associated with higher health service use at the concurrent time, but not at the subsequent time. The interaction between the use of the internet for health information and diabetes was significant at both time points, which suggests that health-related internet use may be associated with fewer doctor visits for certain chronic health conditions. Results provide some insight into how Web-based health information may provide an alternative health care resource for managing chronic conditions.
Sexually Dimorphic Patterns of Cell Proliferation in the Brain Are Linked to Seasonal Life-History Transitions in Red-Sided Garter Snakes.

Seasonal rhythms in physiology and behavior are widespread across diverse taxonomic groups and may be mediated by seasonal changes in neurogenesis, including cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. We examined if cell proliferation in the brain is associated with the seasonal life-history transition from spring breeding to migration and summer foraging in a free-ranging population of red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) in Manitoba, Canada. We used the thymidine analog 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label newly proliferated cells within the brain of adult snakes collected from the den during the mating season or from a road located along their migratory route. To assess rates of cell migration, we further categorized BrdU-labeled cells according to their location within the ventricular zone or parenchymal region of the nucleus sphericus (homologue of the amygdala), preoptic area/hypothalamus, septal nucleus, and cortex (homologue of the hippocampus). We found that cell proliferation and cell migration varied significantly with sex, the migratory status of snakes, and reproductive behavior in males. In most regions of interest, patterns of cell proliferation were sexually dimorphic, with males having significantly more BrdU-labeled cells than females prior to migration. However, during the initial stages of migration, females exhibited a significant increase in cell proliferation within the nucleus sphericus, hypothalamus, and septal nucleus, but not in any subregion of the cortex. In contrast, migrating males exhibited a significant increase in cell proliferation within the medial cortex but no other brain region. Because it is unlikely that the medial cortex plays a sexually dimorphic role in spatial memory during spring migration, we speculate that cell proliferation within the male medial cortex is associated with regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Finally, the only brain region where cell migration into the parenchymal region varied significantly with sex or migratory status was the hypothalamus. These results suggest that the migration of newly proliferated cells and/or the continued division of undifferentiated cells are activated earlier or to a greater extent in the hypothalamus. Our data suggest that sexually dimorphic changes in cell proliferation and cell migration in the adult brain may mediate sex differences in the timing of seasonal life-history transitions.
Mitigating Disaster: A Communitarian Response

In this essay, I present a communitarian view as to how we might best respond to disaster, and in particular, to losses suffered by the direct victims of disaster. My focus will be on financial compensation to disaster victims, which admittedly occupies only a small part of the spectrum of disaster response. Emergency "first responder" activities are matters about which I have no expertise; volunteering at my local food bank hardly qualifies me to advise FEMA or the Red Cross. The blunders for which these organizations have recently been responsible are apparent, and so are some of their causes, but the engineering of more effective responses is a matter on which I would be foolish to opine. My background in tort law, conflict resolution, and administrative law does provide a modicum of expertise on compensation systems, so it is in that area that I will offer some communitarian principles and suggest some practical considerations.
Mucopolysaccharides in beef retina and small cerebral vessels

On Ecteola columns in 0.05M HCl (pH 1.3) the sulfate groups of mucopolysaccharides are. dissociated while the carboxyl groups are not. In 0.05M acetate buffer (pH 4.8), the carboxyl groups are dissociated and those mucopolysaccharides which do not bind, to Ecteola at the loioer pH can be resolved. These properties have been utilized, to resolve mixtures of beef retina and small beef cerebral blood vessel mucopolysaccharides in order to further characterize and partially identify those mucopolysaccharides which are associated with the nervous elements and those which are associated ivith the blood vessels. These studies reveal that the retina contains a complex mixture of mucopolysaccharides while the small cerebral vessels contain a more clearly defined mixture. .he first attempts to identify the alcianblue and periodic acid-Schiff positive materials located in the region of the retinal receptors 1 ' 2) 3 demonstrated that they contain hexosamine and possibly mucopolysaccharides. 4 ' 5 On the basis of electrophoretic separations, the material isolated from beef retina appeared to contain at least two metachromatic substances. These substances were resolved on cellulose columns and showed electrophoretic mobilities similar to authentic chondroitin and keratan sulfates. Treatment of the isolated retinal mucopolysaccharides with testicular hyaluronidase resulted in hydrolysis of the
Palmitoylation of ocular lens membrane proteins.

Covalent attachment of fatty acids to proteins may be a means of anchoring cytoplasmic proteins to the plasma membrane. The possibility that lens membrane proteins can be fatty acid acylated was studied by incubating the lenses of young rats with 9,10- 3 H-palmitate. The distribution of 3 H-palmitate among the lens membrane polypeptides separated by electrophoresis was determined by fluorography and by direct measurement of radiolabel in sliced gels. 3 H-palmitate was found to be incorporated into membrane polypeptide fractions of approximately 19, 30, and 35 kD; the 30 kD fraction appeared to be most highly labeled. The principal lens membrane protein, the main intrinsic protein (MIP 26), was not labeled. This incorporation appeared to be due to covalent attachment rather than to noncovalent binding, and was temperature dependent, independent of protein synthesis, and resistant to displacement by /3-mercaptoethanol. Whether the acylation is enzymatic or nonenzymatic is unclear. The identity of the acylated polypeptides is unknown. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 31:368-373,1990 Acylation of proteins with palmitic as well as myristic acids could be a means of attaching otherwise soluble proteins to membranes (see Reference 1 for review) and of providing a mechanism for protecting proteins from proteolytic attack. 2 The possibility that proteins of the fiber-cell plasma membrane of the ocular lens could be fatty acid acylated is worthy of study for several reasons. Plasma membrane is essentially the only subcellular organelle of the lens, 3 and it is believed to be the site of the initial insult leading to formation of cataracts. 4 Over one half of the cytosolic crystallin proteins of the lens can become membrane-associated in cataracts. 4 Whether fatty acid acylation could also be a means for attachment of cytoplasmic proteins to lens membranes remains to be determined. Acylation of lens membrane proteins may also provide a mechanism for protecting these proteins from proteolytic degradation. Lens membranes and cytosol contain active proteases, 5 " 7 and both aging and cataract development involve degradation of the principal membrane protein from a 26-kD to a lower-molecular-weight species (see Reference 8 for review).
Identification of botanicals with potential therapeutic use against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen. Over- and improper-use of pharmaceuticals against S. aureus has led to the development of antibiotic resistance, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). This study examined the efficacy of botanical extracts as an alternative form of treatment to S. aureus and MRSA, including penicillin/methicillin-resistant S. aureus (PenR ), and multidrug resistant S. aureus (MDR). Initial screening of botanicals was done via a minimum inhibitory concentration procedure. In addition, a temporal growth curve was performed in order to quantify the growth of the bacteria in the presence of the extracts. Results demonstrated 13 botanicals that had varying activities against S. aureus, PenR , and MDR. These botanicals were separated into mild, moderate, and highly efficacious based on the concentration needed to inhibit bacterial growth. These results propose a comparison of botanical-derived antimicrobial extracts that may be utilized against S. aureus and different antibiotic resistant strains of MRSA.
Quality of Health Care

The challenge to deliver the highest quality health care to patients with diabetes is complex and multifaceted. The goal of this chapter is to provide the reader with a working knowledge of the conceptual framework of health care quality and measurement as applied in the treatment and management of diabetic foot care. A general understanding of the existing systems that monitor diabetes-related quality indicators and outcomes is summarized. Finally, additional information is provided on the current emphasis placed on the promotion of preventive services, reduction of quality gaps, and advancement of scientific knowledge through comparative effectiveness research.
Ruptured intracranial dermoid cyst in a child. Cause of atypical neurological symptoms

Abstract Intracranial dermoid cysts are uncommon lesions with characteristic imaging appearances. Although they are characterized by slow growth rate, they are often associated with serious complications due to the location and pressure of the adjacent structures. Rarely, rupture of dermoid cysts in the CNS can cause a variety of clinical presentation that vary from no symptoms to sudden death. We report a case of spontaneously ruptured intracranial dermoid cyst in a 10-year-old boy, who presented due to daily partial seizures, strabismus, unilateral eyelid drooping, headaches, walking abnormalities and poor school performance, with progressive deterioration in the past two years. Brain MRI was performed, which led to the diagnosis. Partial surgical removal and VP shunting was placed and anticonvulsant therapy was started. Two years after diagnosis, our patient has neurological deficits. Diplopia and eyelid drooping as well as unsteady gait still consist disability.
Wastewater MAR and Indirect Potable Reuse

Irrigation with wastewater has been practiced for millennia in areas facing water scarcity because it does not require water of the highest quality and wastewater contains nutrients needed for crops. Wastewater is also recycled for industrial uses and there is increasing interest in its use to augment potable water supplies. Some areas facing water scarcity are now investigating indirect and direct potable reuse of wastewater, which would have been unthinkable a couple of decades ago. Wastewater also has the characteristic of being a very reliable supply of water. Wastewater can be treated to produce water of virtually any desired quality. Wastewater managed aquifer recharge (MAR) opportunities include augmentation of overall groundwater supplies (groundwater banking), providing additional treatment through natural aquifer contaminant attenuation processes, seasonal storage of reclaimed water for later reuse, and as a water source for salinity barrier systems. MAR is used as an environmental buffer in some indirect potable reuse systems in which it can both improve water quality and increase public acceptance.
Cautiously optimistic rationalism may not be cautious enough

May expresses optimism about the source, content, and consequences of moral judgments. However, even if we are optimistic about their source (i.e., reasoning), some pessimism is warranted about their content, and therefore their consequences. Good reasoners can attain moral knowledge, but evidence suggests that most people are not good reasoners, which implies that most people do not attain moral knowledge.
Glial cells influence cardiac permittivity as evidenced through in vitro and in silico models

Excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in the heart has, until recently, been solely accredited to cardiomyocytes. The inherent complexities of the heart make it difficult to examine non-muscle contributions to contraction in vivo, and conventional in vitro models fail to capture multiple features and cellular heterogeneity of the myocardium. Here, we report on the development of a 3D cardiac μTissue to investigate changes in the cellular composition of native myocardium in vitro. Cells are encapsulated within micropatterned gelatin-based hydrogels formed via visible light photocrosslinking. This system enables spatial control of the microarchitecture, perturbation of the cellular composition, and functional measures of EC coupling via video microscopy and a custom algorithm to quantify beat frequency and degree of coordination. To demonstrate the robustness of these tools and evaluate the impact of altered cell population densities on cardiac μTissues, contractility and cell morphology were assessed with the inclusion of exogenous non-myelinating Schwann cells (SCs). Results demonstrate that the addition of exogenous SCs alter cardiomyocyte EC, profoundly inhibiting the response to electrical pacing. Computational modeling of connexin-mediated coupling suggests that SCs impact cardiomyocyte resting potential and rectification following depolarization. Cardiac μTissues hold potential for examining the role of cellular heterogeneity in heart health, pathologies, and cellular therapies.
Probabilistic reliability assessment and case studies for predicted energy savings in residential buildings

Abstract This study aims to (1) investigate the key influential parameters (KIPs) in estimating the uncertainty of energy savings using a residential building energy simulation model and (2) perform uncertainty quantification for energy savings for several different scenarios. The proposed methodology was successfully applied to the calculation of uncertainties associated with residential energy retrofits using two test houses designed for pre- and post-retrofit cases. Uncertainties were determined using basic parameters that might be supplied to an energy model and then reevaluated based on an audit of the KIPs identified, resulting in substantially reduced uncertainty. Of four different scenarios, the most uncertain scenario estimated the annual energy savings from the retrofit would be between 18% and 51% at a 95% confidence level, and the least uncertain scenario estimated the annual savings would be between 26% and 40% at a 95% confidence level. The actual measured annual savings from the two test houses was 28%, which shows an agreement with the uncertainty analysis.
Electronic and Physical Market Channels: A Multiyear Investigation in a Market for Products of Uncertain Quality

Many markets that have traditionally relied on collocation of buyers, sellers, and products have introduced electronic channels. Although these electronic channels may provide benefits to buyers and sellers by lowering the transaction costs of participating in the market, there are trade-offs related to quality uncertainty and increased risk that may limit the adoption of the electronic channels. As a result, buyers and sellers use physical channels for some transactions and electronic channels for others. These usage patterns may evolve over time, particularly when the electronic channels are new. We examine buyer and seller use of electronic and physical channels in a market for products of uncertain quality (used vehicles) over a 2.5-year period. Results indicate that transactions involving low quality uncertainty and relatively rare products occurred in the electronic channels, whereas transactions involving high quality uncertainty and relatively plentiful products occurred in the physical channels. These patterns became clearer over time as buyers and sellers gained experience with the electronic channels. The electronic channels led to discounts for products of high quality uncertainty, but not for those of low quality uncertainty.
Hope Dies Last: The Progressive Potential and Regressive Reality of the Antibalkanization Approach to Racial Equality

This Article relies on Critical Race Theory concepts and social science research to make an important and timely contribution to a debate in law and public policy that is both longstanding and of immense current importance: What is the relationship between social cohesion on the one hand, and racial equality progress on the other. Events over the last year have put this question into sharp relief. On the one hand, portions of the general public and at least some policymakers have signaled support for the demands of racial justice activists to reduce and eliminate systemic racism after too many tragedies of police brutality against the black community have made painfully obvious that such systemic racism continues. At the same time, the country is perhaps more politically divided than ever before, the racial dimensions of this division are evident, and events since the 2020 election have shown that appetite for racial reform is by no means universal. In this environment, calls to “unify” and take time to “heal” as well as to “root out systemic racism” are made at the same time. Can these calls be realistically pursued at the same time or is there a need to prioritize one over the other? This is not just a question of policy but also of constitutional law. Over the last four decades, the Supreme Court’s equal protection jurisprudence on governmental race-consciousness has answered with an “antibalkanization approach” which prioritizes social cohesion. Indeed, this approach views social cohesion as a prerequisite for racial equality progress. It considers racial hostility and resentment among white Americans as the most important racial equality obstacle and polices governmental race-consciousness in an attempt to minimize such hostility and resentment. It believes that this is the only way to reach the constitutional ideal of racial equality. Many policymakers in the past have agreed. This Article posits that while this approach appears to be well-meaning and cares about some of the right kinds of considerations, it is ultimately flawed because it misunderstands the dynamics of racial inequality and racial hierarchy. The antibalkanization approach attempts to solve a structural problem with a “bad apple” approach—what Critical Race Theory scholars have called a perpetrator perspective. This Article goes in depth to illustrate both the inner workings of the antibalkanization approach and how social science research on the sociological and social psychological dimensions of racial hierarchy shows it to be flawed. The approach ought to be replaced by a more accurate model of racial equality progress that would view white racial hostility and resentment not as an obstacle but as a likely inevitable side-effect of the path of structural change that is necessary for achieving both racial equality and social cohesion over the long-term. Adopting such a structural understanding of racial hostility and resentment would have important implications for both policymakers and for the Court.
Teaching International Business in Europe and Latin America

An important topic in IB education is to convey the importance of international differences in culture, institutions (economic, political, legal), language, and religion; and the business impact of...
The prevalence and incidence of early-onset dementia among adults with autism spectrum disorder.

The prevalence and incidence of early-onset dementia among adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently unknown. In this case-control study, the prevalence and incidence of early-onset dementia in individuals with ASD was examined during 2008-2012 using Medicaid Analytic eXtract files. Participants were 30-64 year-old adults who were Medicaid beneficiaries and had either a diagnosis of ASD only (n = 12,648), a diagnosis of ASD with co-occurring intellectual disability (ID) (n = 26,168), a diagnosis of ID without ASD (n = 406,570), or no ASD nor ID diagnoses (n = 798,828). The 5-year prevalence of dementia was 4.04% among adults with ASD only, and 5.22% for those with ASD and co-occurring ID. This prevalence was higher compared to the prevalence of dementia in individuals with no ASD and no ID (0.97%), but lower compared to individuals with ID only (7.10%). Risk factors associated with the increased prevalence in the general population were similarly associated with the increased risk of dementia in individuals with ASD. Even after adjusting for these risk factors, compared to the general population, dementia was found to occur more frequently in individuals with ASD only (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.69-2.28), as well as individuals with ASD and co-occurring ID (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.89; 95% CI, 2.62-3.17). In conclusion, adults with ASD under the age of 65 were approximately 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia compared to the general population in our study. LAY SUMMARY: It is unclear whether adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at higher risk of being diagnosed with early-onset dementia compared to those who are not on the autism spectrum. In this study we examined for the first time the nationwide prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia in ASD in a sample of adults with ASD aged 30-64 years who were enrolled in Medicaid, the largest insurer of behavioral health services in the US. Medicaid claims data, which include information on the diagnoses that beneficiaries receive, suggested that the adults with ASD were approximately 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease and related dementias compared to the general population.
Impact of DER Communication Delay in AGC: Cyber-Physical Dynamic Co-simulation

Distributed energy resources (DERs) providing frequency regulation is a promising technology for future grid operation. Unlike conventional generators, DERs can use open communication networks to exchange signals with control centers, possibly through DER aggregators; therefore, the impacts of communication variations, including latency, on the system frequency stability need to be investigated. This paper develops a cyber-physical dynamic simulation model based on the Hierarchical Engine for Large-Scale Co-Simulation (HELICS) framework to evaluate the impact of communication variations, such as delays in DER frequency regulation. The feasible delay range can be obtained under different automatic generation control (AGC) parameter settings. The results show that the risk of instability generally increases with the communication delay and that the different impacts of delays in the AGC provided from DERs and conventional generation units should be recognized when designing frequency regulation controllers.
Patient-Reported Versus Physician-Estimated Symptoms Before and After TAVR.

Aims In contrast to patient-reported health status measures (such as the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire [KCCQ]), New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class is based on a physician's assessment of heart failure symptoms and functional limitations on behalf of the patient. We sought to determine the concordance and predictors of physician under- and overestimation of symptoms prior to and after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods and results The analytic cohort included 172,667 patients within the STS/ACC TVT Registry who underwent transfemoral TAVR. At baseline, physicians underestimated patients' symptoms in 47.4%, correctly assessed symptoms in 26.6%, and overestimated symptoms in 26.0%. At 30 days after TAVR, these proportions were 22.8%, 50.3%, and 26.9%, respectively. Using nominal logistic regression with random intercepts to account for within hospital clustering, we found that physicians were more likely to incorrectly estimate patients' symptoms when patients were older, women, had a prior stroke, had severe lung disease, had atrial fibrillation, or were more obese. There was marked variability in the rates of underestimation, correct estimation, and overestimation across the 641 sites. Conclusion Among patients undergoing treatment for severe aortic stenosis, physicians estimate patients' symptoms and functional status poorly both prior to and after TAVR, with different patterns. These findings emphasize the need to collect patient-reported health status to more reliably assess the benefits of TAVR in routine clinical practice.
Two-item same/different discrimination in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

Almost all nonhuman animals can recognize when one item is the same as another item. It is less clear whether nonhuman animals possess abstract concepts of "same" and "different" that can be divorced from perceptual similarity. Pigeons and monkeys show inconsistent performance, and often surprising difficulty, in laboratory tests of same/different learning that involve only two items. Previous results from tests using multi-item arrays suggest that nonhumans compute sameness along a continuous scale of perceptual variability, which would explain the difficulty of making two-item same/different judgments. Here, we provide evidence that rhesus monkeys can learn a two-item same/different discrimination similar to those on which monkeys and pigeons have previously failed. Monkeys' performance transferred to novel stimuli and was not affected by perceptual variations in stimulus size, rotation, view, or luminance. Success without the use of multi-item arrays, and the lack of effect of perceptual variability, suggests a computation of sameness that is more categorical, and perhaps more abstract, than previously thought.
The U.T. Electronographic Camera: Present Status, Astronomical Performance and Future Developments

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the current status, astronomical performance, and future developments of the U.T. electronographic camera. The electronographic camera is a unique instrument capable of recording simultaneously and accurately millions of information elements. In the U.T. camera, photoelectrons are accelerated and focused by highly corrected electric and magnetic fields which ensure freedom from image distortion and uniform high resolution over the entire 5 cm diameter field. One of the major problems occurring with cameras using separation foil is the dust or foreign particles introduced by the emulsion into the camera and sticking to the foil, thus producing undesirable shadows in the picture. Such difficulties occurre when plate holder is loaded by hand. The new techniques used prevent this happening and significantly shortens the camera loading time.
Flavian Visual Propaganda : Building a Dynasty

The Flavian triumph itself was a complex and elaborate pageant that must be examined in each of its parts. It, as Beard persuasively argues, was designed to be the “Flavian coronation, the official launch party and press night of the Flavian dynasty.” The usurpers are transformed into an “established imperial dynasty” and Titus changes from “conqueror of Jerusalem to Flavian Caesar.” The triumph is the beginning of the propaganda program designed to give legitimacy to Vespasian and his sons. This article is available in Constructing the Past: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol8/iss1/10 Flavian Visual Propaganda 107 Flavian Visual Propaganda: Building a Dynasty 1
Electroanalysis of oxygen reduction

Abstract Fe(III) tetra-(o-aminophenyl)porphyrin and Fe(III) tetra-(N-(2-hydroxyethyl)pyridyl)-porphyrin were attached to glassy carbon electrodes through amidization or esterifification of the methyl acryl chloride polymer. Long-term stability as well as high coverage (up to 10−9 mol cm−2) enabled these electrodes to be useful with respect to catalysis of oxygen reduction. The reduction of O2 to H2O2 or H2O can be controlled by changing the surface coverage of the porphyrin. Based on results obtained for dissolved, adsorbed and polymercoated porphyrin, a general mechanism, for O2 electrocatalysis is proposed.
Breast Cancer Prevention

Although screening recommendations have been long established, more than 40 000 women died of breast cancer in the US in the year 2001. Risk factors for developing breast cancer have been identified, leading to the possibility of breast cancer prevention. Adjuvant tamoxifen for 5 years decreases the incidence of contralateral breast cancer by 50%. This finding and the favorable safety profile of tamoxifen led to the NSABP P-1 trial, which demonstrated a 50% reduction of breast cancer in a high-risk population. The benefit was seen only in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers, but was seen in all age groups. Furthermore, tamoxifen was found to reduce the overall rate of osteoporotic fractures. Endometrial cancer in the tamoxifen arm of the NSABP P-l trial was increased 3- to 4-fold in women >50 years, similar to the increased risk seen with adjuvant tamoxifen therapy. Other agents that are currently under study for breast cancer chemoprevention include raloxifene and retinoids. The STAR trial is under way and compares raloxifene to tamoxifen for breast cancer chemoprevention in high-risk women. Tamoxifen is currently the only agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for chemoprevention in breast cancer but has not produced a survival advantage to date.
A foundation perspective on Community Access to Child Health Program.

The emergence of Community Pediatrics as a significant domain of interest and attention within the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has been encouraged in part by the grant-making strategies pursued by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Since its establishment as a national philanthropy in 1972, the Foundation has maintained an abiding commitment to the protection and advancement of the health of America's children. From the outset, however, the RWJF has recognized that if it is to make the most of its role as a source of private investment capital, it must apply its funds thoughtfully and strategically. Thus, in child health and in other areas, its grant-making activities are crafted proactively and are governed by a range of strategies. The Foundation's broadest strategy is to invest in initiatives seeking to generate improvements in entire systems. The work force infrastructure of public health systems is an example. Initiatives specific to child health systems include demonstrations to consolidate services targeted on high-risk young people, to establish child-health taxing authorities, and to ensure the enrollment of eligible children in health care entitlements. A second grant-making strategy pursued by the RWJF seeks to foster changes that are most beneficial when configured at the regional level. Examples include regional perinatal referral programs, immunization tracking …
Factors associated with caregiver readiness to use nonpharmacologic strategies to manage dementia-related behavioral symptoms.

One of the most challenging aspects of caring for individuals with dementia is managing behavioral symptoms. Behavioral symptoms are a hallmark of dementia, almost universal, occur across disease progression, and are associated with high caregiver distress, health care utilization, risk of nursing home placement, and if untreated, rapid disease progression (Beeri et al., 2002; Fauth et al., 2006; Gitlin et al., 2012; Lyketsos et al., 2011). All purpose caregiver interventions have been shown to reduce behavioral symptoms and associated caregiver distress (Brodaty and Arasaratnam, 2012), but the mechanisms by which they do so remain unclear. Most nonpharmacologic interventions are dependent upon families to implement recommended strategies to manage behaviors. Yet, some caregivers may be more “ready” than others to learn about and enact strategies that require behavioral change on their part (e.g., employing different communication strategies), and their readiness may affect participation in and the benefits derived from intervention. Understanding factors associated with caregiver readiness to use nonpharmacologic strategies may enhance the potency and implementation potential of these types of interventions. As dementia is pandemic (Alzheimer’s Association, 2012), designing more efficient and effective nonpharmacologic interventions for managing behavioral symptoms remains a public health priority. This exploratory study examines the construct of readiness among caregivers participating in Project ACT, a trial showing that training families in nonpharmacologic strategies reduced targeted behavioral symptoms and caregiver upset (Gitlin et al., 2010b). As an initial foray into understanding readiness, this study posed five basic questions: 1) What was the initial readiness level of caregivers prior to beginning the intervention? 2) What patient and caregiver characteristics at study entry were associated with initial caregiver readiness? 3) Did caregiver readiness change from initial to final intervention sessions? 4) What patient and caregiver characteristics upon study entry predict positive change in readiness level? and 5) What treatment characteristics were associated with positive change in readiness?
Do Impact Fees Pay For The Infrastructure Costs Required By New Developments

This study investigated impact fees used by counties and communities to pay for infracture costs required by development and found that the impact fees do not pay the full costs of the infrastructure required by the new development. The major impact fees are for roads and schools, however, impact fees are also routinely used for fire protection, police protection, emergency services, correctional facilities, parks, libraries, government buildings and drainage. Florida was used as a proxy for the 34 states that use impact fees. Since roads and schools cause the highest burden on the communities experiencing growth, comparisons of cost vs. impact fee revenues were limited to roads and schools.
Design of a 16-point Winograd fast Fourier transform algorithm integrated circuit system

This paper describes the use of VHDL in the specification, design, and development of a large-scale project that includes several custom ASICs, standard digital components, board-level design, and bus interfacing. The common mechanism for the design was the use of VHDL in system testing, behavioral descriptions, structural descriptions, and synthesis. The use of VHDL allowed the project to be completed in one-fifth of the time used for previous methods. >
The Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer Burst Alert Telescope (BAT)

The Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer, to be launched in late September 2003, will observe hundreds of gamma ray bursts per year and study their X-ray and optical afterglow with its multiwavelength complement of three instruments: a large gamma ray telescope called the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), an X-Ray Telescope (XRT), and a UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT). The BAT is a large coded aperture gamma ray telescope with a wide field-of-view that provides the gamma ray burst triggers for the Swift Mission. BAT will observe and locate hundreds of bursts per year to better than 4 arc minutes accuracy. Using this prompt burst location information, Swift will slew quickly (within 20-70 s) and autonomously to point the on-board narrow field-of-view XRT and UVOT instruments at the burst for continued afterglow studies. A full description of the BAT instrument, including its 32,768-element CdZnTe detector array are presented and performance results from initial tests of BAT detector modules are also discussed.
Aerobic Fate of the C-3‘-Thymidinyl Radical in Single-Stranded DNA

Oxidative events that target the sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA can lead to reactive fragments that interfere with DNA repair, transcription and translation by the formation of cross-links and adducts of proteins and nucleobases. Here we report the formation of several such lesions through the aerobic degradation of an independently generated C-3'-thymidinyl radical in 2'-deoxyoligonucleotides. Individual fragments were identified by independent synthesis and comparison of retention times in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and/or matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) along with gel electrophoresis. The formation of this reactive intermediate in the presence of oxygen was found to produce 3'-phosphoglycolaldehyde (3'-PGA) as well as 3'-ketoenolether (3'-KEE), 3'-phosphoglycolate (3'-PG), and 5'-aldehyde terminated oligonucleotide fragments. Additionally, a significant outcome of C-3'-thymidinyl radical formation in DNA oligomers is a strand break resulting in one 3'- and two 5'-phosphate-terminated oligomers. These results suggest the involvement of several sugar derived reactive species upon C-3'-radical initiated scission of single-stranded DNA under aerobic conditions. The electrophilic nature of several of these products as well as their formation through a single oxidative event can make the presence of a C-3'-DNA radical more detrimental to the cell than products derived from more frequently occurring DNA sugar radicals.
Gating-induced Conformational Rearrangement of the γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor β-α Subunit Interface in the Membrane-spanning Domain

GABAA receptors mediate fast inhibitory synaptic transmission. The transmembrane ion channel is lined by a ring of five α helices, M2 segments, one from each subunit. An outer ring of helices comprising the alternating M1, M3, and M4 segments from each subunit surrounds the inner ring and forms the interface with the lipid bilayer. The structural rearrangements that follow agonist binding and culminate in opening of the ion pore remain incompletely characterized. Propofol and other intravenous general anesthetics bind at the βM3-αM1 subunit interface. We sought to determine whether this region undergoes conformational changes during GABA activation. We measured the reaction rate of p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonate (pCMBS) with cysteines substituted in the GABAA receptor α1M1 and β2M3 segments. In the presence of GABA, the pCMBS reaction rate increased significantly in a cluster of residues in the extracellular third of the α1M1 segment facing the β2M3 segment. Mutation of the β2M2 segment 19′ position, R269Q, altered the pCMBS reaction rate with several α1M1 Cys, some only in the resting state and others only in the GABA-activated state. Thus, β2R269 is charged in both states. GABA activation induced disulfide bond formation between β2R269C and α1I228C. The experiments demonstrate that α1M1 moves in relationship to β2M2R269 during gating. Thus, channel gating does not involve rigid body movements of the entire transmembrane domain. Channel gating causes changes in the relative position of transmembrane segments both within a single subunit and relative to the neighboring subunits.
Cloning and Sequence Analysis of the Human Mitochondrial Translational Initiation Factor 2 cDNA

Complete cDNAs encoding human mitochondrial translational initiation factor 2 (IF-2mt) have been obtained from liver, heart, and fetal brain cDNA libraries. These cDNAs have a long open reading frame 2181 residues in length encoding a protein of 727 amino acids. Overall, human IF-2mt has 30-40% identity to the corresponding prokaryotic factors. Surprisingly, it is no more homologous to yeast IF-2mt than to the IF-2s from bacterial sources. The greatest region of conservation lies in the G-domain of this factor with less conservation in the COOH-terminal half of the protein and very little homology near the amino terminus. The 5′-untranslated leaders of the liver and heart cDNAs contain a number of short open reading frames. These sequences may play a role in the translational activity of the IF-2mt mRNA. Northern analysis indicates that the IF-2mt gene is expressed in all tissues but that the level of expression varies over a wide range.
Disraeli, the Rothschilds, and Anti-Semitism

Disraeli, as Stanley Weintraub has amply demonstrated in his recent biography, was subjected to displays of the most virulent and repulsive anti-Semitism throughout his career. At the beginning, the displays were cruder and more vulgar. Cries of "old clothes" greeted him at early election meetings. Roast pork hoisted on a stick was proferred for his delectation. And a donkey was offered to carry him back to Jerusalem.1
Engaging the ribosome: universal IFs of translation

Eukaryotic initiation factor 1A (eIF1A) and the GTPase IF2/eIF5B are the only universally conserved translation initiation factors. Recent structural, biochemical and genetic data indicate that these two factors form an evolutionarily conserved structural and functional unit in translation initiation. Based on insights gathered from studies of the translation elongation factor GTPases, we propose that these factors occupy the aminoacyl-tRNA site (A site) on the ribosome, and promote initiator tRNA binding and ribosomal subunit joining. These processes yield a translationally competent ribosome with Met-tRNA in the ribosomal peptidyl-tRNA site (P site), base-paired to the AUG start codon of a mRNA.
The origin of the Na-Dene

Linguistic evidence indicates that the Yeniseian family of languages, spoken in central Siberia, is most closely related to the Na-Dene family of languages spoken, for the most part, in northwestern North America. This hypothesis locates the source of one of the three migrations responsible for the peopling of the Americas.
Carbon dioxide exchange of plants in natural environments

It is now possible to measure, with considerable precision and accuracy, the gas exchange characteristics of plants in natural environments. Controlled experiments can be made in the field on the influence of environmental variables on the gas exchange rates of plants growing in and conditioned to the limitations of native habitats. Information can now be derived on the ecological significance of the varied photosynthetic strategies of plants
The value of plasmid profiling in monitoringLactobacillus plantarum in silage fermentations

Two strains ofLactobacillus plantarum were used to inoculate chopped, whole plant corn in a model ensiling system. At specific intervals up to 32 days, pH values and populations of lactic acid bacteria were determined for both uninoculated and inoculated forages in 15-kg minisilos. At all times after the second day, the inoculated forage had lower pH values and higher levels of homofermentative lactobacilli than the uninoculated material. Plasmid profiling indicated that this shift was due to the added strains ofL. plantarum. This study demonstrates that plasmids of naturally occurringLactobacillus plantarum strains are stable during the ensiling process and hence can be used to monitor the succession of introduced organisms at the expense of epiphytic populations.
Friendship Concepts of Young Adults in Two Age Groups

Summary Content analysis of friendship descriptions from university alumni in their late twenties (n = 84) and from students (n = 49) showed few sex differences but several age differences. Alumni were less likely than students to emphasize trust, acceptance, confiding, and respect and were more likely to refer to the individuality of the friend and the importance of ready communication.
Urgency and negative emotions: Evidence for moderation on negative alcohol consequences

Abstract Prior research had shown that impulsivity may enhance the impact of negative emotions on alcohol related problems. However, these studies used broad measures of both negative emotions and impulsivity that may have obscured the effects of more specific constructs of impulsivity or negative emotions. One such construct is urgency, which is defined as the tendency to act impulsively in the face of strong positive emotions (positive urgency) or negative emotions (negative urgency). The present study tested whether urgency moderated the association between separate negative emotions (anger, depression and anxiety) and alcohol related problems. Data were obtained from a large online sample of currently drinking college students attending a large Northwestern university (n = 442). Findings indicated that alcohol related problems were directly associated with anger and both urgency facets. Additionally, positive urgency, but not negative urgency, enhanced the effects of depression, while the buffering effects of positive urgency on the anxiety-consequences association approached significance. These results suggest the importance of emotional context in understanding how dispositions towards rash action may lead to problematic alcohol use.
Group 1B phospholipase A2 inactivation suppresses atherosclerosis and metabolic diseases in LDL receptor-deficient mice

Objective Previous studies have shown that inactivation of the group 1B phospholipase A2 (Pla2g1b) suppresses diet-induced obesity, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia in C57BL/6 mice. A possible influence of Pla2g1b inactivation on atherosclerosis has not been addressed previously. The current study utilized LDL receptor-deficient (Ldlr−/−) mice with plasma lipid levels and distribution similar to hyperlipidemic human subjects as a preclinical animal model to test the effectiveness of Pla2g1b inactivation on atherosclerosis.
The impact of an objective structured teaching evaluation on faculty teaching skills

Background: Objective structured teaching evaluations (OSTEs) have been utilized to evaluate educational curricula and for resident and faculty development. Purpose: This study examines the impact of an OSTE on faculty teaching effectiveness and faculty satisfaction. Methods: From 2004 to 2007, 46 faculty members participated in the OSTE. Faculty assessed their teaching abilities with a retrospective pre-post-test analysis. Faculty teaching evaluations for the 6 months before and after the OSTE were compared. Faculty participants completed satisfaction questionnaires regarding their OSTE experience and made teaching plans for the future. Results: After the OSTE, faculty reported statistically significant improvements in all self-assessed teaching skills. There was, however, no improvement in their teaching evaluations. Faculty satisfaction with the OSTE experience was high. They indicated teaching plans incorporating lessons from the OSTE. Conclusions: Faculty felt the OSTE was a rewarding experience and ...