cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Efficacy to Conduct the Multiple Sleep Latency Test With Actigraphy

This study explored the efficacy of 1 actigraphy (ACT) brand, at different analytic settings, for use to administer the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). Forty-one first-time postpartum mother and father participants were administered the MSLT with concurrent ACT. To identify ACT sleep onset latency (SOL), ACT signals were interpreted with iterations of different “wake threshold value” (WTV) and “immobile minutes for sleep onset” value (IMV) settings. The different iterations of ACT–SOL values were compared to MSLT–SOL values. The WTV settings did not affect ACT–SOL, but the ACT–SOL and MSLT–SOL significantly differed at each ACT–IMV setting. ACT consistently identified SOL too soon; however, future research, along with technological innovation, may identify a viable methodology to conduct an ambulatory MSLT.
The Forced van der Pol Equation I: The Slow Flow and Its Bifurcations ∗

The forced van der Pol oscillator has been the focus of scientific scrutiny for almost a century, yet its global bifurcation structure is still poorly understood. In this paper, we present a hybrid system consisting of the dynamics of the trajectories on the slow manifold coupled with "jumps" at the folds in the critical manifold to approximate the fast subsystem. The global bifurcations of the fixed points and periodic points of this hybrid system lead to an understanding of the bifurcations in the periodic orbits (without canards) of the forced van der Pol system.
SÁBATO'S FICTION: A JUNGIAN INTERPRETATION

Experimenting with new modes of expression, a number of Latin-American writers have made use of the psychology of C. G. Jung as a literary technique to give further depth to their depiction of the human condition. The unconscious world of psychic phenomena is manifested through archetypes and symbols which function dynamically in the growth and development of the psyche. Archetypes, according to Jung, are generally projected upon the outer world or seen in dreams and fantasies as active personalities. The dramas these figures enact may be interpreted to reveal the functioning of the psyche.
Language Impairment and Reading Disability: Connections and Complexities Introduction to the Special Issue

Researchers and practitioners in the fields of reading and language are well informed about the importance of phonological awareness in beginning reading. The purpose of this special issue of Learning Disabilities Research & Practice is to present recent research that extends the search for language and reading connections beyond the realm of phonological awareness. Many children with language impairment (LI) identified before formal schooling experience persistent difficulty in learning to read. Two interrelated issues are prerequisite for understanding the developmental course of events that might link language and reading (dis)ability in these children. One is an appreciation of exactly what is meant by LI, while the second concerns how LI should be explained. In this introductory article, we explore the complexities of these two issues, in particular the controversy between the domain-specific perspective and the domain-general perspective on the nature of specific LI (SLI). Consistent with these perspectives, future studies on possible language-reading links will need to measure language and related processes in greater breadth and depth, over time, and within a variety of experiential contexts. The five articles in this issue represent a critical first step in this direction.
Fourier transform approximations for sweeps and phase-encoded sweeps

The Fourier transform of a real sweep is often approximated by a complex exponential. This approximation fails under certain conditions related to taper length and bandwidth. Our intuitive graphical explanation using the Cornu spiral is supported by rigorous proof that the radius of the spiral decreases monotonically to zero. This proof is also useful elsewhere in diffraction study and other Fourier analyses of sweeps. With this approach, we found that the Fourier phase function of an approximate formulation of a phase-encoded sweep is affected in the same manner by the sweep parameters and the length of the taper. If the mean phase value is computed over the bandwidth, this mean phase agrees better with the ideal encoded phase. This simple phase-encoded sweep can also be improved computationally so that its individual phase component approximates more closely with the ideal. We conclude that, other than some time-compressed phase-encoded wavelets known to be useful in direction determination, our approximate and improved phase-encoded sweeps are equally applicable as well.
Integrating systems design and control using dynamic flexibility analysis

Currently, chemical process design and process control are separate disciplines assisting process development at different stages. Design and control decisions are made separately despite the common objective of dissipating the impact of uncertainty to ensure robust plant operation. Experience suggests that designing processes for flexibility against disturbances or parameter variations without considering dynamics under actual control feedback does not guarantee robust performance. Thus, it appears advantageous to address process design and control decisions simultaneously for maximizing performance in face of operational and model uncertainty. Realistic high-performance processes should be optimal in their dynamic operation with realizable control. The lack of integration between design and control objectives at the conceptual level is addressed here. The proposed procedure finds optimal trade-offs between design and control decisions, based on process dynamics and advanced control. A major innovation is a novel embedded control optimization approach. It suggests a two-stage problem decomposition leading to a massive reduction of problem size and complexity. Integration of design and control is expected to have a broad impact on high-performance systems operated close to their limits. Two case studies demonstrate the suitability of the methodology. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2007
Fault detection in CVS parity trees: application in SSC CVS parity and two-rail checkers

The problem of single stuck-at, stuck-open, and stuck-on fault detection in cascode voltage switch (CVS) parity trees is considered. The results are also applied to parity and two-rail checkers. CVS circuits are dynamic CMOS circuits which can implement both inverting and noninverting functions. If the CVS parity tree consists of only differential cascode voltage switch (DCVS) EX-OR gates, then it is shown that at most only five tests are needed for detecting all single stuck-at, stuck-open, and stuck-on faults, independent of the number of primary inputs and the number of inputs to any EX-OR gate in the tree. If, however, only a single-ended output is desired from the tree, than the final gate will be a single-ended cascode voltage switch (SCVS) EX-OR gate. For such a tree it is shown that only eight tests are enough. For a strongly self-checking (SSC) CVS parity checker the number of required tests is nine, whereas for an SSC CVS two-rail checker the size of the test set is at most five. >
The utilization of evaluation research in litigation

The courts, as compared to other branches of government, have made unique use of information. Given this perspective, a number of prospects for and barriers to increased utilization of applied social research in the courts are presented.
Much ado about norming: The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function

The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) is a rating scale designed to assess executive functions in everyday life that is widely used in school and clinical settings and in research studies. It has been recently suggested, however, that the limited geographic stratification of the standardization sample renders the measure overly sensitive. We evaluated this hypothesis by examining BRIEF scores across studies of typically developing children and adolescents. Thirty-nine studies were identified that included at least one of three possible index scores. Mean scores across studies were (a) within one to two T-score units from the standardization sample mean of 50, (b) tended to be slightly lower than 50, and (c) were unrelated to geographic location (US Census regions or internationally). These findings refute recent claims that the BRIEF is overly sensitive and further add to the large body of literature supporting the validity of the measure.
A method to test for a recent increase in HIV‐1 seroconversion incidence: Results from the multicenter AIDS cohort study (MACS)

We have formulated the problem of determining whether there has been an upturn in HIV-1 seroconversion incidence over the first five years of follow-up in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) as that of locating the minimum of a quadratic regression or examination of two-knot piecewise spline models. Under a quadratic model, we propose a method to obtain a direct estimate and a bootstrap estimate for the location of the temporal turning point (local minimum) for HIV-1 seroconversion incidence and three methods to estimate confidence intervals for the location of the turning point for HIV seroconversion incidence: (1) Wald confidence interval estimate with or without log transformation assuming the asymptotic normality and applying the Delta method; (2) asymmetric confidence intervals using Fieller's Theorem and its modification; and (3) bootstrapping confidence intervals. Inferences for the temporal turning point based on Wald tests for a single regression term in a non-linear regression model were not reliable compared to inferences based on confidence intervals placed on calendar time. We present results using these different methods applied to the MACS data and we obtain power estimates to illustrate the performances of different methods.
Ecology of drowning risk at a public swimming pool.

Abstract Introduction The fourth-leading cause of death in middle childhood is drowning, but there is remarkably little known about swimmer or lifeguard behavior patterns at public swimming pools. Method This study used non-intrusive obserxvational methodology to examine risk-taking by swimming patrons (predominantly children) and surveillance habits of lifeguards at a public swimming pool. The study also examined whether risk-taking behavior might be associated with density of swimmers, temperature, or lifeguard behaviors. Results Results suggested risk-taking behavior was common, with dangerous incidents observed over 90 times per hour. Particularly high were rates of running on the deck, which exceeded 100 incidents per hour near the deepest water of the pool, and jumping into the water dangerously close to other swimmers, which was witnessed about once every two minutes in the shallow water of the pool. Lifeguards tended to scan the pool well, and remain attentive to the areas under their responsibility, but they were distracted about 10 times per hour and warned patrons only about once for every 14 dangerous incidents observed. Conclusions No consistent correlates to risk-taking behavior by swimming pool patrons were identified. Results are discussed with respect to previous findings and implications for intervention. Impact on Industry: Findings emphasize the need to increase awareness and adherence to safety rules by swimmers at swimming pools; to educate and remind lifeguards about proper swimming pool surveillance techniques; and to consider environmental changes at public swimming pools that might increase swimmer safety.
Reciprocal influences of victimization, perceived social preference, and self-concept in adolescence

In order to better understand self-concept development, the association between adolescents' social self-perceptions and their peers' perceptions of them was examined in a three-year longitudinal study of 491 middle school students. Each spring for three years, adolescents' peer-perceived victimization, metaperceptions of their social preference by peers (i.e., Who likes me the most/least?), and self-reported social self-concept scores were obtained. The associations among these constructs across time were examined with structural equation modeling. The results supported a model in which adolescents' reputations as victims of peer harassment influenced both their subsequent metaperceptions of social preference and their self-concept. Additionally, bi-directional influences were found between adolescents' self-concepts and their metaperceptions of social preference over time. The discussion highlights the practical implications of the associations between adolescents' peer experiences and their social perc...
International Classification of Diseases Coding Changes Lead to Profound Declines in Reported Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Mortality and Hospitalizations: Implications for Database Studies

Background Database studies have reported several associations between the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and mortality attributable to IPAH, including older age, black race, and diabetes. Methods We investigated reported deaths and hospital discharges coded as IPAH and compared these with other forms of pulmonary hypertension. Three databases were used: the US National Center for Health Statistics database (1979–2006), queried for mortality data; the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (1993–2007), queried for hospital discharge data; and the University of Texas Southwestern Hospital-Zale Lipshy discharge database (1999, 2002). Results Marked increases in mortality attributable to IPAH and to pulmonary hypertension (all codes combined) generally were reported from 1979 until 2002 in the National Center for Health Statistics database. In 2003, reported IPAH mortality fell sharply while total pulmonary hypertension deaths increased. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database showed a similar pattern of changes beginning approximately 2 years earlier. In both cases, the timing of these observations corresponded with changes made to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding system in use for pulmonary hypertension in that particular database. Review of pulmonary hypertension discharge data from the University of Texas Southwestern Hospital-Zale Lipshy showed similar changes in diagnosis code use. Conclusions Sudden shifts in reported IPAH mortality and hospital discharges were seen in all databases, likely related to coding changes. These findings raise questions about the accuracy of pulmonary hypertension diagnosis codes. Studies based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes may have inadvertently included patients with other forms of pulmonary hypertension and should be reevaluated in this context. Validation studies of the IPAH diagnosis code are needed, and changes to the ICD coding system should be considered.
PEDIATRICS AND SOCIETY SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE SOCIOLOGY OF PEDIATRIC EDUCATION AND PRACTICE

A recent editorial entitled "Can the new pediatrics be practiced?" raised many significant issues which deserve elaboration. The "new" pediatrics has been developing over a period of years and it might be advantageous, therefore, to view the development of current pediatric practice and education in the somewhat broader historical perspective of social process. Since each person views social process from the vantage point of his own background and experience, these observations are not presented with the thought that they are a consensus of pediatricians generally. I should emphasize at the outset, however, that I am not presenting value judgments, but rather that I am making an effort to record certain trends of which we should take note. For if we are aware of social process, we are in a better position to direct it in the interests of progress rather than to drift randomly.
Effect of Intermittent, Supine Cervical Traction on the Myoelectric Activity of the Upper Trapezius Muscle in Subjects with Neck Pain

This study was undertaken to compare the myoelectric activity of the upper trapezius muscle before, during, and after intermittent, supine cervical traction. Twelve people with diagnosed disease or injury of the cervical spine served as subjects. Electromyographic recordings were taken from the upper trapezius muscle with bipolar surface electrodes. The subjects were treated with 20 minutes of intermittent, cervical traction at a force of 8% of their body weight. Recordings were taken with the subjects in the supine position before the traction, during one pull and release phase of the 10th and 20th minutes of traction, and after completion of the traction treatment. An analysis of variance with repeated measures showed no significant differences in the myoelectrical activity during the six time periods measured. The results of this study do not support the clinical use of intermittent, supine traction to produce cervical muscle relaxation.
Variably saturated modeling of transient drainage: sensitivity to soil properties

Abstract Numerical analysis of a transient, two-dimensional (rectangular symmetry), unconfined-drainage problem, using a variably saturated flow model, shows that the location of the phreatic surface and the height of the seepage face are functions of the capillary forces exerted in the vadose zone. A sensitivity analysis investigating the effects of independent variations in the saturated hydraulic conductivity and the two Van Genuchten parameters is compared to one performed where the saturated hydraulic conductivity is functionally related to the Van Genuchten parameters. The relationship between these descriptive soil parameters, which may be used to describe the pore-size—density function of a porous medium, and the saturated hydraulic conductivity is surmised based upon limited empirical evidence. Expressing the permeability as a function of these soil properties reverses the sensitivities of the variably saturated model to the Van Genuchten parameters. From the preliminary work performed herein, consideration of the number of degrees-of-freedom used when performing a sensitivity analysis is shown to warrant great care, if the predicted sensitivities are to have meaningful physical interpretations.
Work and leisure time physical activity and mortality in men and women from a general population sample.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term relationships between total physical activity and mortality from all causes and coronary heart disease (CHD) in the general population. METHODS: A prospective design was used, following participants for 29 years, beginning in 1960. The study population consisted of a randomly selected sample of white male (n = 698) and female (n = 763) residents of Buffalo, New York with a 79.0% participation rate and follow-up rates of 96.0% and 90.2% in males and females, respectively. At baseline, comprehensive information was obtained regarding participants' usual physical activity at work and during leisure time. RESULTS: As of December 31, 1989, three hundred and two (43.3%) men and 276 (41.0%) women died, 109 (15.6%) and 81 (10.6%) from CHD, respectively. In men, a significant interaction was found between activity and body mass index (BMI) for both outcomes. In women, a significant activity by age interaction was observed. In non-obese men (BMI < 27.02), activity was inversely associated with all-cause [relative risk (RR) = 0.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.39–0.89] and CHD mortality (RR = 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18–0.83), independent from the effects of age and education. No such associations were found in obese men and increased risks could not be ruled out. Among women, younger participants (age < 60 years) had a significantly reduced risk of CHD death with increased activity (RR = 0.26; 95% CI, 0.07–0.99). No other significant associations were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity favorably influences mortality risks in non-obese men and younger women. Gender-specific factors should be considered for potential effect modification.
Kinesthetic performance analysis of asymmetric dual-user shared teleoperation system

Different from traditional symmetric dual-user shared control method, a novel dual-user teleoperation system asymmetric shared control method is proposed. The asymmetric architecture contains three dominance factors—one affects the control authority and the other two ones balance the effect of transparency and movement tracking performance of the masters. The main sections conclude the properties of kinesthetic performance of the asymmetric dual-user shared control structures that are different from the traditional system, which are evaluated by several measuring functions. Experiments are taken to verify the conclusions, and the results represent that the performance range and best kinesthetic performance of asymmetric architecture are wider and superior than the ones of traditional method. In addition, the masters have more autonomy during the manipulating process.
Cation and Vacancy Disorder in U1-yNdyO2.00-X Alloys

In the present article, the intermixing and clustering of U/Nd, O, and vacancies were studied by both laboratory and synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction in U1−yNdyO2−x alloys. It was found that an increased holding time at the high experimental temperature during initial alloy preparation results in a lower disorder of the Nd distribution in the alloys. Adjustment of the oxygen concentration in the U1−yNdyO2−x alloys with different Nd concentrations was accompanied by the formation of vacancies on the oxygen sublattice and a nanocrystalline component. The lattice parameters in the U1−yNdyO2−x alloys were also found to deviate significantly from Vegard’s law when the Nd concentration was high (53%) and decreased with increasing oxygen concentration. Such changes indicate the formation of large vacancy concentrations during oxygen adjustment at these high temperatures. The change in the vacancy concentration after the oxygen adjustment was estimated relative to Nd concentration and oxygen stoichiometry.
A Class by Herself: protective laws for women workers, 1890s–1990sNANCY WOLOCH

In 1902, the Washington state Supreme Court noted in its ruling on a case involving women's protective legislation that it was ‘a matter of universal knowledge with all reasonably intelligent peopl...
Numerical study of heat transfer in fully developed laminar flow inside a circular tube

This numerical study is aimed at investigating the convective heat transfer and flow fluid inside a horizontal circular tube in a fully developed laminar flow regime under a constant wall temperature boundary condition, commonly called the Graetz problem; our goal is to get the steady temperature distribution in the fluid. The complexity of the partial differential equation that describes the temperature field with the associated linear or non-linear boundary conditions is simplified by means of numerical methods using current computational tools. The simplified energy equation is solved numerically by the orthogonal collocation method followed by the finite difference method (Crank-Nicholson method). The calculations were effected through a FORTRAN computer program, and the results show that the orthogonal collocation method gives better results than the Crank-Nicholson method. In addition, the numerical results were compared to the experimental values obtained on the same tube diameter. It is important to note that the numerical results are in good agreement with the published experimental data.
Method of Monitoring the Profile of a Blast Furnace and the Results of its Use

A new method is proposed for monitoring the internal profile of blast furnaces. The method is based on the use of a compact measurement unit comprised of a laser rangefinder and a digital goniometer. Results are reported from the use of the method to evaluate the actual profile of the shaft of a blast furnace while it was banked. The technology is shown to have promise when used in combination with thermographic monitoring of the technical condition of the top of the shaft and monitoring of heat losses in the cooling system.
Studies of Some Tremellaceae. V. a New Genus, Efibulobasidium

A new genus of the Tremellaceae, Efibulobasidium, is proposed to include Epidochium albescens and Exidia rolleyi. The basidiocarps of these two species are initially pustular but may become conflue...
“Field Research” in Journalism: A Tentative Review and Appraisal:

Faculty members and research specialists on the staffs of schools of journalism have long relied on market research people and their know-how as they have gone about the task of conducting surveys. THE JOURNAL OF MARKETING has published numerous articles concerning media research.1 Many reports issued by commercial research organizations have provided ideas which have led to better inquiries by journalism researchers. As a discipline, however, journalism is a neighbor as far as most market research people are concerned rather than a "home" field.
The Ascending Role of Crime Victims in Plea-Bargaining and Beyond

This Article looks to the nationwide trend of promoting a victims’ rights agenda alongside three recent United States Supreme Court opinions affirming defendants’ rights during various stages of the plea-bargaining process, in an attempt to harmonize these seemingly anomalous rights. The three Supreme Court decisions focusing on defendants’ rights in the plea-bargaining context highlight the need to consider victims’ rights in that same milieu and to further guarantee victims the right to meaningful participation in all aspects of a criminal prosecution. Particularly as the constitutional rights of victims become further defined and embedded into the criminal justice system, ensuring a proper role for the crime victim is of timely and crucial concern. Though crime victims’ rights (or lack thereof) are demonstrated through the critical stage of plea-bargaining, this phase of the criminal justice process can be considered a vehicle for the larger platform of victims’ rights in general. It sets the stage for the broader query as to whether and when victims of crime, like their assailants, will finally be granted a full panoply of constitutional rights.
Race and Historiography: Advancing a Critical-Realist Approach

This scholarly essay interrogates the seemingly necessary engagement of normative and essentialist characterizations of identity in the historical study of race in U.S. higher education. The author’s study of the experiences of Black collegians in private, liberal arts colleges in the Midwestern Great Lakes region between 1945 and 1965 grounds this discussion. Although engaging racial essentialism is necessary, the author presents alternative treatments of historicizing race to illustrate the benefits of a critical-realist approach to producing a synthetic cultural educational history.
Size-specific optimization of CT protocols based on minimum detectability.

Purpose To develop a comprehensive model of task-based performance of CT across a broad library of CT protocols, so that radiation dose and image quality can be optimized within a large multi-vendor clinical facility. Methods 80 adult CT protocols from the Duke University Medical Center were grouped into 23 protocol groups with similar acquisition characteristics. A size-based image quality phantom (Duke Mercury Phantom 2.0) was imaged using these protocol groups for a range of clinically relevant dose levels on two CT manufacturer platforms (Siemens SOMATOM Definition Flash and GE CT750 HD). For each protocol group, phantom size, and dose level, the images were analyzed to extract task-based image quality metrics, the task transfer function (TTF) and the noise power spectrum (NPS). The TTF and NPS were further combined with generalized models of lesion task functions to predict the detectability of the lesions in terms of areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Az). A graphical user interface (GUI) was developed to present Az as a function of lesion size and contrast, dose, patient size, and protocol, as well as to derive the necessary dose to achieve a detection threshold for a targeted lesion. Results The GUI provided the prediction of Az values modeling detection confidence for a targeted lesion, patient size, and dose. As an example, an abdomen pelvis exam for the GE scanner, with a reference task size/contrast of 5-mm/50-HU, and an Az of 0.9 indicated a dose requirement of 4.0, 8.9, and 16.9 mGy for patient diameters of 25, 30, and 35 cm, respectively. For a constant patient diameter of 30 cm and 50-HU lesion contrast, the minimum detected lesion size at those dose levels were predicted to be 8.4, 5.0, and 3.9 mm, respectively. Conclusions A CT protocol optimization platform was developed by combining task-based detectability calculations with a GUI that demonstrates the tradeoff between dose and image quality. The platform can be used to improve individual protocol dose efficiency, as well as to improve protocol consistency across various patient sizes and CT scanners. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Rural Healthcare Facilities: Monopolies to Cooperatives

U.S. Legislation around the turn of the 19th Century was created to prevent large companies from influencing prices. This net loss to society came in the form of misallocated resources and increased prices. Notwithstanding the societal costs of a monopoly structure, some monopolies are government mandated, such as rural electric and water service. Monopolies have benefits (and are sometimes the only business structure that will work) especially in rural America. In rural healthcare, the monopoly structure is sometimes the only business organization that effectively serves a community or rural area and makes sense. A healthcare monopoly can have the same negative characteristics associated with the monopoly-structure, like increasing costs and misallocation of resources. A cooperative is a viable alternative to monopoly. The rural community would participate in the monopoly profits and decisions. A self-imposed tax could be levied on the area the rural healthcare facility would serve offset by charitable donations; thus, making the community stakeholders in the healthcare facility. The people who make up the tax base would be benefactors for the facility’s profits and the whole community would benefit from access to expanded services otherwise unavailable to underserved areas.
A Review of “From Periphery to Center: Art Museum Education in the 21st Century”

As the title suggests, the central thesis of this text is to advance the field of art museum education so that education programming can move from an auxiliary service in the museum to one of equal...
The Proper Interpretation of Significance Tests in Risk Assessment

In experimental and epidemiological assessments of potential carcinogens, two complementary techniques of data analysis are commonly employed. Data are cranked through an appropriate test of significance to determine whether or not the substance or factor is risk increasing. If the data are statistically significant, the magnitude of the risk to humans is estimated. Such estimates are highly controversial if the study involves extrapolation from data of a large dose animal study. In those cases where the substance tested is a food additive, the main burden falls on the first pattern of analysis under the so-called Delaney clause of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. This is especially true when the substance is weakly, if at all, carcinogenic. In such cases, no clear dose response curve is exhibited by the data, and significance tests play a crucial role.
Abstract P231: Dispensability of Dmitofusin in Calcium Signaling in Intact Drosophila Heart Tubes

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum (SR) drives cardiomyocyte excitation-contraction coupling through the release and storage of Ca2+. Phasic fluctuations of Ca2+ require ATP. Mitochondria occupy ∼30% of the volume of cardiomyocytes and provide cardiomyocytes with ATP. Perturbations of mitochondria therefore have a detrimental effect on the heart. Mitochondrial homeostasis in mammals is regulated in part through fusion and fission by outer mitochondrial membrane proteins mitofusin 1 and 2 (Mfn1 and Mfn2) and in Drosophila by the homolog dMfn. Mutations in Mfn2 show impaired contractile function in humans (hMfn), mice (mMfn) and RNAi suppression in Drosophila (dMfn). Additionally Mfn2, independently of Mfn1, tethers the SR to mitochondria allowing for efficient transfer of Ca2+ between the organelles. It is currently not known whether mitochondria-SR tethering is required for proper Ca2+ cycling in cardiomyocytes. We monitored calcium transients in heart tubes of live flies, using the genetically encoded calcium indicator (GECI) GCaMP3.0 to study dynamic Ca2+ oscillations. Intensity signals from GCaMP3.0 in fly heart tubes are comparable to isolated cardiomyocytes in their rate cycling amplitude, and their response to L-type calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine. Additionally, non-calcium responsive GFP does not produce a signal that mimics the Ca2+ oscillations observed with GCaMP3.0. Comparisons between Wt Drosophila hearts and cardiomyopathic RNAi dMfn hearts expressing GCaMP3.0 have normal amplitude and time to decay constant Ca2+ signals. This study shows that suppression of dMfn with RNAi in the fly heart tube leads to cardiomyopathy. Monitoring intercellular Ca2+ levels with the (GECI) GCaMP3.0 demonstrates that Ca2+ signaling is not affected when mitochondria-SR tethering is disrupted.
The effect of undulations on the particle stress in dilute suspensions of rod-like particles

We compared a dilute suspension of undulating rod-like particles (active suspension) with a similar one consisting of rigid rods (passive suspension) under shear flow. For the active suspension, a ...
A novel association between high red blood cell alloimmunization rates and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

BACKGROUND Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant disorder associated with multiple arteriovenous malformations. HHT patients may require red blood cell (RBC) transfusion due to spontaneous hemorrhage or surgical bleeding. Because HHT-associated hemorrhage often occurs in submucosa we hypothesized that RBC alloimmunization rates in HHT patients may be higher than those observed in other transfused patients and investigated this in a retrospective study. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Eighty-five patients with HHT who were transfused at our tertiary care facility were identified. A group of randomly selected, chronically transfused patients without HHT were used as controls (n = 207). RBC transfusion and alloantibody data were extracted from medical records. RESULTS Alloimmunization rates among patients with HHT were significantly higher than those of controls (15.29% vs. 2.42%; p < 0.001), while HHT patients received fewer RBC transfusions at our institution compared to controls (4.27 units vs. 8.84 units; p < 0.0001). Anti-E, -K, and -c were the three most common alloantibodies identified in HHT patients. There was a trend for HHT patients to make more antibodies per alloimmunized patient than controls (2.38 alloantibodies vs. 1.60 alloantibodies), although this difference was not significant (p = 0.37). CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate RBC alloimmunization rates in patients with HHT. It is unclear whether the high alloimmunization rates observed are due to lifetime transfusion burden, underlying disease pathophysiology, or other variables. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the generalizability of our findings to other HHT populations and to consider the utility of prophylactic antigen matching for C/E/K.
Slot antenna SIS mixers for submillimeter wavelengths

We are developing improved versions of a slot antenna SIS mixer which we have previously described. The initial work demonstrated a double sideband noise temperature of 420 K for a 500 GHz quasi-optical SIS mixer employing a twin-slot antenna on a quartz dielectric substrate. A quartz hyperhemispherical lens is used to focus the incoming radiation onto the twin-slot antenna. The advantages of a twin-slot antenna include a low impedance (35 omega) and a clean, symmetric beam pattern into the dielectric with a 70 percent efficiency. In our original mixer, the radiation was coupled from the two slot antennas onto superconducting microstrip lines which fed the SIS junction. By performing an impedance transformation using tapered lines and by feeding the radiation from the two slots to the junction in parallel, the effective (real) impedance seen by the junction was reduced to just 4 omega. This very low impedance allowed a junction area of 2.3 sq micron to be used at 500 GHz, which was manufactured using optical lithography. However, no attempt was made to tune out the junction capacitance. We estimate that this capacitance reduces the impedance coupling efficiency to eta(sub Z) approx. equals 0.23, for our junction with omega R(sub N) C = 5.3 at 500 GHz. The recent development of techniques using electron-beam lithography to manufacture junctions with very small areas (approx. equals 0.1 sq microns) now allows considerably more flexibility in the design of SIS mixer circuits. We have redesigned the slot-antenna mixer to take advantage of this possibility. In particular, we have included a novel circuit which allows the junction capacitance to be tune out over a broad bandwidth. For instance, mixers designed for 800 GHz using NbN/MgO/NbN junctions with realistic parameters achieve a 3 dB impedance bandwidth of nearly 400 GHz. Furthermore, our circuit uses only short lengths of microstrip and should be less sensitive to RF losses than other designs. The improved impedance match should give a large reduction in noise temperature as compared to our previous mixer. The new devices are currently under fabrication. Further details of the design and any available experimental results are discussed.
Leakage effect analysis on the performance of a cylindrical adjustable inertance tube

Abstract The inertance tube plays a significant role in improving the performance of the Stirling type pulse tube cryocooler by providing the desired phase angle between the mass flow and pressure wave. The phase angle is highly depended on the inertance tube geometry, such as diameter and length. A cylindrical threaded root device with variable thread depth on the outer screw and inner screw creates an adjustable inertance tube whose diameter and length can be adjusted in the real time. However, due to its geometry imperfectness, the performance of this threaded inertance tube is reduced by the leaks through the roots between the two screws. Its phase angle shift ability is decreased by 30% with the leakage clearance thickness of 15.5 μm according to both the theoretical prediction and the experimental verification.
Thoughts on Drug Policy, Public Health, and Crime: More Support for Decriminalization

In this paper I describe the nature of my interest in drug policy; discuss questions about whether and why drugs pose a public health problem; present some empirical results that bear on whether drug proscriptions might be justified because of their causal role in contributing to crime; hazard a few observations about how a society should deal with drug problems; and comment on the recent opiate epidemic plaguing much of the United States. My overall conclusion is that a good rationale for drug prohibitions has yet to be found, and the liberal alternative to criminalization, which recommends that drug use be treated as a public health problem, is problematic as well---even though it certainly would be an improvement on the status quo.
Safer Pertussis Vaccines for Children: Trading Efficacy for Safety

* Abbreviations: DTaP — : diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis DTwP — : diphtheria, tetanus, whole-cell pertussis VAERS — : Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System The decision to replace effective whole-cell vaccines for pertussis with less reactogenic but potentially less efficacious acellular vaccines for the primary immunization of children in the United States in the 1990s was carefully considered.1 The performance of the heat- or formalin-inactivated Bordetella pertussis whole-cell vaccine combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (diphtheria, tetanus, whole-cell pertussis [DTwP]) licensed in the 1940s had resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of cases of pertussis to a nadir in the mid-1970s.2 However, parallel to this success, the occurrence of rare but potentially serious adverse events associated with DTwP administration became unacceptable. Particularly concerning was the occurrence of high fever, febrile seizures, prolonged crying, and acute encephalopathy that sometimes followed whole-cell pertussis vaccination in some young infants. The development and licensure of diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccines in the United States in the 1990s was an anticipated event for pediatric providers and parents who feared the reactogenicity associated with the administration of DTwP vaccines in infants and toddlers. … Address correspondence to Flor M. Munoz, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Feigin Tower, 1102 Bates, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: florm{at}bcm.edu
Local High-Intensity Cryogenic Cooling

The applications of cryogens are many and varied» A recent application utilized a cryogenic system to remove heat from a space simulator solar radiation source. The source, a 5-kW compact xenon arc lamp, was housed in a small leak-tight enclosure and operated within the simulator chamber on a movable on-axis system. The heat generated by the source had to be dissipated outside the space simulator.
α-Galactosidase A-deficient rats accumulate glycosphingolipids and develop cardiorenal phenotypes of Fabry disease

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease caused by α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) deficiency. Kidney and heart failure are frequent complications in adulthood and greatly contribute to patient morbidity and mortality. Because α-Gal A-deficient mouse models do not recapitulate cardiorenal findings observed in patients, a nonmouse model may be beneficial to our understanding of disease pathogenesis. In this study, we evaluated disease processes in a recently generated Fabry rat model. We found that male Fabry rats weighed significantly less than wild-type (WT) males, whereas female Fabry rats weighed significantly more than WT females. Whereas no difference in female survival was detected, we observed that male Fabry rats had a decreased lifespan. Skin histology revealed that inflammation and lipoatrophy may be chief disease mediators in patients. With respect to the kidney and heart, we found that both organs accumulate α-Gal A substrates, including the established biomarkers, globotriaosylceramide and globotriaosylsphingosine. Longitudinal serum and urine chemistry panels demonstrated pronounced renal tubule dysfunction, which was confirmed histologically. Mitral valve thickening was observed in Fabry rats using echocardiography. We conclude that Fabry rats recapitulate important kidney and heart phenotypes experienced by patients and can be further used to study disease mechanisms and test therapies.-Miller, J. J., Aoki, K., Mascari, C. A., Beltrame, A. K., Sokumbi, O., North, P. E., Tiemeyer, M., Kriegel, A. J., Dahms, N. M., α-Galactosidase A-deficient rats accumulate glycosphingolipids and develop cardiorenal phenotypes of Fabry disease.
Altered K+ Channel Expression in the Hypertrophied and Failing Heart

Hypertrophied and failing hearts display abnormal electrophysiological properties. Commonly, myocytes from these diseased hearts exhibit a prolongation of action potential duration. The most consistently detected change in ionic currents that could produce this property is a decrease in the transient outward K+ current (I to). Recent studies have revealed that two Kv4 subfamily channel subunits, Kv4.2 and Kv4.3, constitute cardiac I to channels. Furthermore, expression of these subunits is decreased in hypertrophied and failing hearts. In this chapter, we will summarize these electrophysiological and molecular biological findings. Possible mechanisms leading to the downregulation of I to channels and consequences of the altered I to channel expression in arrthythmogenesis also will be discussed.
Is Realistic History of Science Possible

A recent well-known aphorist, Imre Lakatos, told us that the history of science is a caricature of its rational reconstruction.1 If this is indeed the case, which do we prefer: do we want a rational reconstruction which is an idealization? do we want a history which is a senseless, even somewhat ridiculous rendition of events? Brought to such a pass, we would also surely ask: must the choice be limited, as the aphorist paradoxically implies, to an idealization and a caricature? Perhaps instead, a realistic account of the history of science is possible, a rendition of the past which is both accurate and theoretically respectable. Is such a history possible? In my view, the aphorist’s paradox cuts much deeper than many who admire the excellent and sophisticated work of modern historians of science may suppose. Let me explain.
No evidence for morphometric associations of the amygdala and hippocampus with the five-factor model personality traits in relatively healthy young adults

Despite the important functional role of the amygdala and hippocampus in socioemotional functioning, there have been limited adequately powered studies testing how the structure of these regions relates to putatively relevant personality traits such as neuroticism. Additionally, recent advances in MRI analysis methods provide unprecedented accuracy in measuring these structures and enable segmentation into their substructures. Using the new FreeSurfer amygdala and hippocampus segmentation pipelines with the full Human Connectome Project sample (N = 1105), the current study investigated whether the morphometry of these structures is associated with the five-factor model (FFM) personality traits in a sample of relatively healthy young adults. Drawing from prior findings, the following hypotheses were tested: 1) amygdala and hippocampus gray matter volume would be associated with neuroticism, 2) CA2/3 and dentate gyrus would account for the relationship of the hippocampus with neuroticism, and 3) amygdala gray matter volume would be inversely associated with extraversion. Exploratory analyses were conducted investigating potential associations between all of the FFM traits and the structure of the hippocampus and amygdala and their subregions. Despite some previous positive findings of whole amygdala and hippocampus with personality traits and related psychopathology (e.g., depression), the current results indicated no relationships between the any of the brain regions and the FFM personality traits. Given the large sample and utilization of sophisticated analytic methodology, the current study suggests no association of amygdala and hippocampus morphometry with major domains of personality.