cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Framework for Integrated Assessments of Global Warming Impacts

This paper provides a framework for integrated assessment of the impacts of climate change on natural resources and sets the stage for papers that follow in this volume. Integrated assessments are used to organize large quantities of technical information bearing on complex issues (environmental and others) in ways that facilitate application of the information in decision making and policy setting. Any integrated assessment must be based on the best available information. For that reason this paper includes a ‘primer’ on the current (and presumably best available) understanding of the science underlying climatic change. The remainder of the paper describes the component parts of one possible framework for integrated assessment.
High‐Z′ and twinning behavior in 3,4‐dinitrobenzoic acid

The title compound, C7H4N2O6, (I), crystallizes in P\overline{1} with Z′ = 4, but with no approximate or pseudosymmetry. The crystals were nonmerohedrally twinned, with at least four twin components related to the major moiety by 180° rotations around the real b and c axes, and by 180° rotation around the a* axis. The excessive twinning is not caused by a phase change from an untwinned room-temperature higher-symmetry polymorph. The mol­ecules are planar chiral and, owing to the tilt angle of the nitro groups and the position of protonation, there are altogether eight conformers possible. Six of these theoretically possible eight conformers are realized in the solid-state structure of (I). Packing analysis and force-field calculations indicate that the largest part of the packing inter­actions does not originate from the hydrogen-bonding inter­actions, as one might initially be tempted to assume; π–π stacking and Onitro⋯π inter­actions between neighboring mol­ecules of (I) seem to be the dominant factor that determines the packing observed in the structure of this nitro-substituted benzoic acid derivative.
Plantlet regeneration via somatic embryogenesis from subcultured callus of mature embryos ofPicea abies (Norway spruce)

Embryogenic callus was initiated from radicles of mature embryos removed from imbibed seeds (24 h). Embryogenic and other nonembryogenic types of callus proliferated on a modified half-strength Murashige-Skoog medium (MS) basal medium (BM) supplemented withmyo-inositol, casein hydrolysate (CH), L-glutamine (gln) and growth regulators kinetin (KN), N6-benzyladenine (BAP) each (20×10−6 M), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) (50×10−6 M) Embryogenic callus bearing suspensor-like cells in a mucilaginous gel matrix was isolated and maintained by subculture every 10 to 12 days on BM with KN, BAP each (2×10−6 M) and 2,4-D (5×10−6 M). Somatic embryos developed spontaneously from the callus on this medium at 23±1° C. Closer examination revealed that numerous polyembryonic clusters, comprised of elongated cells (suspensors) and small dense cells with large nuclei (somatic embryos), occurred in the viscous gel. When this enriched embryonal-suspensor mass was subcultured to low 2,4-D (1×10−6 M), globular embryos developed by 40 to 60 days. Upon transfer to a liquid medium without growth regulators, the embryos elongated and developed cotyledons and shoots with needles. Plantlet development was completed by 30 days in a basal medium without CH, gln and growth regulators. The total culture time was 150 days. Approximately 40±10 embryos were formed from 500 mg of initial callus. Somatic embryogenesis became aberrant if embryos remained attached to the callus mass and were not subcultured within 10 to 12 days according to the described protocol. Somatic embryos were encapsulated in an alginate gel and stored at 4° C for nearly two months without visible adverse effects on viability.
Extending CIELAB: Vividness, Vab *, depth, Dab *, and clarity, Tab *

CIE L*, a*, b* is a rectangular coordinate system used extensively for numerical color communication and quality assurance. Often the a*, b* coordinates are rotated to cylindrical polar coordinates of (radial distance) and hab (angle measured counterclockwise from the a* axis), reasonably relating to chroma and hue. When each coordinate is considered independently, it is observed that colors in our daily experiences do not change in a similar independent fashion. Changes in concentration for mixtures of colorants result in changes in both chroma and lightness. Directly illuminated three-dimensional colored objects change in both chroma and lightness between direct illumination and either shadow or highlight. Two new coordinates are defined for CIELAB: vividness, , and depth, . Each represents a Euclidean distance from a color defined by L* and to of 0 and either L* = 0 for vividness or L* = 100 for depth. Image-based visualizations were made to demonstrate how changes in these variables led to color changes more representative of our daily experiences. For cases where a color and background had the same lightness, it was observed that colors became less distinct with a reduction in chroma. A third dimension was defined, clarity, , a Euclidean distance from a color defined by L*, a*, and b* to its background color, similarly defined. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 39, 322–330, 2014
Changes in adolescents' knowledge and attitudes about AIDS over the course of the AIDS epidemic

Abstract We compared AIDS-related attitudes of junior and senior high school students from 1988 to 1991 and across grade level to examine how effectively schools are addressing AIDS. Attitudes measured included knowledge and social anxiety about AIDS, as well as perceptions of vulnerability to HIV infection. Junior high school students (grades 7–9) were sampled three times, from 1989 to 1991. High school students (grades 10–12) were sampled four times, from 1988 to 1991. The 1991 junior high school sample had lower AIDS knowledge scores than the 1989 sample. Conversely, the 1991 high school sample had more accurate knowledge than earlier groups. With respect to grade level, 9th graders had more accurate knowledge than 7th and 8th graders, but knowledge did not increase from 10th through 12th grade. Anxiety about interacting with a person with AIDS and perceptions of vulnerability to HIV infection were unrelated to either sampling time or grade level. It is concluded that it will be important to redouble efforts to educate adolescents about AIDS and that particular attention needs to be paid to young adolescents.
A study of subsurface crack initiation produced by rolling contact fatigue

Results of subsurface crack initiation studies produced by pure rolling contact fatigue in 7075-T6 aluminum alloy are presented in this article. Microstructural changes and subsequent crack initiation below the contacting surface in cylindrical test specimens subjected to repeated rolling contact are illustrated. The rolling conditions are simulated in a three-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element model in order to estimate the plastic strains and residual stresses in the test material. The numerically estimated distribution of plastic strains in the model correlate well with the extent of microstructural changes observed in the test specimen. Results also indicate that a combination of plastic strains and low values of residual stresses is conducive to subsurface crack initiation and growth.
Thermodynamic properties of mixed valency compounds I. The low temperature heat capacity and phase transitions of ammonium hexabromohypoantimonate

Abstract The heat capacity of ammonium hexabromohypoantimonate, a mixed valency compound, was determined between 70 and 300 K. Two anomalous regions were observed at 212 and 236 K, each with an entropy increment of 1 2 R ln2 . The entropy between 0 and 70 K was estimated to be (33.9±4.0) cal mol−1 K−1. Based on the formula (NH4)2SbBr6 the molar thermodynamic properties: Csat, So, {H o −H o (70 K )} T , and −{G o −H o (70 K )} T , are tabulated from 70 to 300 K. The construction and calibration of a low temperature calorimeter is described.
Prefetching irregular references for software cache on cell

The IBM Single Source Research Compiler for the Cell processor (the SSC Research Compiler) was developed to manage the complexity of programming the heterogeneous multicore Cell processor. The compiler accepts conventional source programs as input, and automatically generates binaries that execute on both the PPU and SPU cores available on a Cell chip. The compiler uses a software cache and direct buffers to manage data in the small local memory of SPUs. However, irregular references, such as a[ind[i]], often become performance bottle-necks. These references are accessed through software cache, usually with high miss rates. To solve this problem, we propose a method to prefetch irregular references accessed through a software cache that is built upon hardware such as Cell. This method includes code transformation in the compiler and a runtime library component for the software cache. Our design simplifies the synchronization required when prefetching into software cache, overlaps DMA operations for misses, and avoids frequent context switching to the miss handler. It also minimizes the cache pollution caused by prefetching, by looking both forwards and backwards through the sequence of addresses to be prefetched. We evaluated our prefetching method using the NAS benchmarks. We found that when applicable, our prefetching can improve the performance of some benchmarks by 2 times on average, and by close to 4 times in the best case. We also present data to show the impact of different configurations and optimizations when prefetching in a software cache.
Stress and Inflammation: A Biobehavioral Approach for Nursing Research

Despite known advantages, the use of biobehavioral approaches in nursing research remains limited. The purposes of this article are to (1) present applications of stress and inflammation in various health conditions as examples of biobehavioral concepts and (2) stimulate similar applications of biobehavioral concepts in future nursing research. Under a biobehavioral conceptual framework, studies on stress and selective inflammatory biomarkers in cardiovascular, cancer, and pulmonary health are reviewed and summarized. Inflammation underlies many diseases, and stress is a significant source of increased inflammation. Biobehavioral concepts of stress and inflammation are highly relevant to nursing research concerned with health-related issues. Diverse biobehavioral concepts are readily applicable and should be utilized in nursing research with children and adults. To stimulate further biobehavioral research, more training and resources for nurse scientists, more unified conceptual definitions and biobehavioral conceptual frameworks, rigorous and expanded methodologies, and more collaboration are essential.
Does cigarette price influence adolescent experimentation

The economics literature generally agrees that state and federal excise taxes can play an important role in deterring adolescent smoking. Teens' apparent responsiveness to cigarette prices is puzzling, since the majority of adolescent smokers do not buy their cigarettes. Teens typically do not begin to purchase cigarettes until they have developed an established pattern of smoking. Previous studies have not had adequate measures of smoking experience to explore whether adolescents' price responsiveness may vary by smoking experience. This paper uses data from a 1993 national survey of youth smoking to explore this hypothesis.
Salicylaldimine Ruthenium Alkylidene Complexes: Metathesis Catalysts Tuned for Protic Solvents.

Tuning the electronic and steric environment of olefin metathesis catalysts with specialized ligands can adapt them to broader applications, including metathesis in aqueous solvents. Bidentate salicylaldimine ligands are known to stabilize ruthenium alkylidene complexes, as well as allow ring-closing metathesis in protic media. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of exceptionally robust olefin metathesis catalysts bearing both bidentate salicylaldimine and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands, including a trimethylammonium-functionalized complex adapted for polar solvents. NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallographic analysis confirm the structures of the complexes. Although the N-heterocyclic carbene–salicylaldimine ligand combination limits the activity of these catalysts in nonpolar solvents, this pairing enables efficient ring-closing metathesis of both dienes and enynes in methanol and methanol–water mixtures under air.
Comparison of inter- and intraobserver consistency for grading of esophagitis by expert and trainee endoscopists ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Background: This study evaluated intra- and interobserver variability in the endoscopic scoring of esophagitis by using two grading schemes, the Los Angeles and Hetzel-Dent scales. Methods: Three hundred twenty-five endoscopic photographs of esophagitis or healed esophagitis were randomly displayed twice to 9 endoscopist evaluators (4 experts, 5 trainees) by means of a CD-ROM. Evaluators scored each photograph by using both classification schemes. The analysis was based on the kappa (κ) statistic as a measure of consistency. Results: For trainees, intraobserver reproducibility was good (κ = 0.436) when using the Los Angeles classification and marginal (κ = 0.395) by using the Hetzel-Dent classification. For experts, intraobserver reproducibility was better by using both the Los Angeles (κ = 0.545) and Hetzel-Dent classification (κ = 0.552). Interobserver consistency for trainees was good when using both classifications (Los Angeles, κ = 0.459; Hetzel-Dent, κ = 0.427). Again, intraobserver reproducibility was better for experts when using both classifications (Los Angeles, κ = 0.556, Hetzel-Dent, κ = 0.571). By using the Los Angeles classification, only 5.1% and 7.5% of the photographs were interpreted to be more than 1 grade different from the mean grade for, respectively, experts and trainees. This same consistency was found by using the Hetzel-Dent classification scheme (experts 5.1%, trainees 10.2%). Conclusions: Reproducibility in grading esophagitis was good for both expert endoscopists and fellows, although there was greater consistency among the experts. Both the Los Angeles and Hetzel-Dent scoring systems are reproducible. (Gastrointest Endosc 2002;56:639-43.)
Initial response to rape: The impact of factors within the rape situation

The relationship between specific aspects of the rape situation and immediate post-rape measures of depression, fear, anxiety, and social and interpersonal functioning in 50 recent victims of sexual assault was examined. The data failed to reveal any significant relationships between rape situation variables (e.g., stranger vs. known assailant, weapon vs. no weapon) and the nature or severity of the victims' psychological response. It is emphasized that this negative finding contradicts previous and current clinical lore, and has a number of implications for the assessment and treatment of rape victims.
2D and 3D registration methods for dual-energy contrast-enhanced digital breast tomosynthesis

Contrast-enhanced digital breast tomosynthesis (CE-DBT) uses an iodinated contrast agent to image the threedimensional breast vasculature. The University of Pennsylvania is conducting a CE-DBT clinical study in patients with known breast cancers. The breast is compressed continuously and imaged at four time points (1 pre-contrast; 3 postcontrast). A hybrid subtraction scheme is proposed. First, dual-energy (DE) images are obtained by a weighted logarithmic subtraction of the high-energy and low-energy image pairs. Then, post-contrast DE images are subtracted from the pre-contrast DE image. This hybrid temporal subtraction of DE images is performed to analyze iodine uptake, but suffers from motion artifacts. Employing image registration further helps to correct for motion, enhancing the evaluation of vascular kinetics. Registration using ANTS (Advanced Normalization Tools) is performed in an iterative manner. Mutual information optimization first corrects large-scale motions. Normalized cross-correlation optimization then iteratively corrects fine-scale misalignment. Two methods have been evaluated: a 2D method using a slice-by-slice approach, and a 3D method using a volumetric approach to account for out-of-plane breast motion. Our results demonstrate that iterative registration qualitatively improves with each iteration (five iterations total). Motion artifacts near the edge of the breast are corrected effectively and structures within the breast (e.g. blood vessels, surgical clip) are better visualized. Statistical and clinical evaluations of registration accuracy in the CE-DBT images are ongoing.
Effects of cardioactive medications on retrograde conduction: Continuing relevance for current devices

Introduction. Retroconduction (ventriculo-atrial conduction) remains a problem for patients with implanted cardiac rhythm devices. Pacemaker algorithms can detect and terminate endless loop tachycardia (ELT), but actual prevention of ELT may require anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs). Similarly, AADs can affect ICD rhythm discrimination algorithms that depend on atrio-ventricular ratios. There is concern whether these drugs remain effective during stress situations.
Fluorimetric determination of dissociation constants of aryl-substituted alkylammonium ions

Abstract Although the absorption spectra of aryl-substituted alkylammonium ions are insensitive to prototropic dissociation, the fluorescence quantum yields of these ions are often very different from those of their uncharged conjugate bases. This is shown to be the result of different rates of non-radiative deactivation in excited acid and conjugate base and is analytically useful for the determination of pKa values. The pKa values of six drugs (procaine, butacaine, benoxinate, cinchonine, propranolol and dibucaine) which are aryl-substituted alkylammonium ions were evaluated fluorimetrically and are presented here.
Strategies for maximizing social security benefits

People nearing retirement face a well-known decision: When should Social Security benefits be initiated? The answer may not seem obvious since there is a key trade-off involved. The retiree can choose low benefits for a longer period of time, or high benefits for a shorter period of time, or something in between. The optimal initiation date that maximizes Social Security wealth is a quantitative question and it depends on the life expectancy of the person and on the real rate of return they expect to earn on their investments, among other things. The authors attempt to provide some answers to this practical and important question. Their focus throughout is on relatively high-wealth individuals who will receive the maximum Social Security benefits. They show how the government’s Social Security benefit calculator—which makes recommendations on the optimal age to initiate benefits—can be inappropriate for high-wealth individuals. They conclude with the following rough rule of thumb. Take benefits early ( i.e., at age 62): If an individual expects to make a good return on their investments. This is true regardless of their life expectancy. Take benefits later (i.e., at age 70): If an individual expects to make modest investment returns and they expect to live a long time.
High-frequency modulation characteristics of 1.3-/spl mu/m InGaAs quantum dot lasers

In this letter, we report results of small-signal modulation characteristics of self-assembled 1.3-/spl mu/m InGaAs-GaAs quantum dot (QD) lasers at room temperature. The narrow ridge-waveguide lasers were fabricated with multistack InGaAs self-assembled QDs in active region. A high characteristic temperature of T/sub o/=210 K with threshold current density of 200A/cm/sup 2/ was obtained. Small-signal modulation bandwidth of f/sub -3 dB/=12 GHz was measured at 300 K with differential gain of dg/dn/spl cong/2.4/spl times/10/sup -14/ cm/sup 2/ from detailed characteristics. We observed that a limitation of modulation bandwidth in high current injection appeared with gain saturation. This property can direct future high-speed QD laser design.
Honeywell, Inc. and integrated risk management

The finance committe of Honeywell, Inc. must decide whether to approve a new type of multi-year, multiple-risk insurance contract. This contract bundled Honeywell's traditionally-insurable risks with its foreign-exchange risk using a share deductible. The new contract would be a first step in a firm-wide integrated risk management program that would extend to cover Honeywell's financial and operation risks. The committee's vote would depend upon whether the anticipated cost savings of the program could be realized, and whether the coverage it offered was adequate. Teaching Purpose: This case is designed to allow students to better understand the specific sources of value that can be created in an integrated risk management program. It focuses on the integration of risks in the firm (both financial and other) and the cost savings that can accrue through this integration. It also allows students to learn how insurance and derivatives, two seemingly different products, are functionally related. The case is taught as part of a module on risk management within Corporate Financial Management, a second-year MBA elective, at Harvard Business School (the risk management module also includes Risk Management at Apache (HBS No. 9-201-113), Jaguar (HBS No. 9-290-005), and Fleetwood Enterprises (HBS No. 293-013) cases, as well as an overview lecture on risk management). It has also been used in an executive education course on corporate financial engineering.
Stability properties of integration methods in SPICE transient analysis

Experimental evidence shows that the usage of MOS transistor charge-control models in the SPICE circuit simulator may cause trouble in transient analysis, independent of the dimensions of the circuits. If the trapezoidal integration method is adopted for the branch currents' computation of an MOS circuit in transient analysis, the solution sometimes oscillates indefinitely, alternating a positive error and a negative error at each SPICE internal time point. Device models and numerical algorithms have been taken into account in order to determine the causes of this behavior. The trapezoidal method has been identified as the main factor responsible for wrong outputs while Gear methods recover from errors in a finite number of steps. >
Intracardiac Thrombosis and Embolism in Patients With Cardiac Amyloidosis

Background—Patients with primary amyloidosis (AL type) have a poor prognosis, in part due to frequent cardiac involvement. Although intracardiac thrombus has been reported in anecdotal cases, neither its frequency nor its role in causing mortality is known. Furthermore, the clinical and echocardiographic variables that may be associated with thromboembolism in cardiac amyloidosis have not been defined. Methods and Results—A total of 116 autopsy or explanted cases of cardiac amyloidosis (55 AL and 61 other type) were identified in the Mayo Clinic. Forty-six fatal nonamyloid trauma cases served as controls. Each heart was examined for intracardiac thrombus. The cause of death was determined from autopsy and clinical notes. Intracardiac thrombosis was identified in 38 hearts (33%). Twenty-three had 1 thrombus, whereas 15 had 2 to 5 thrombi. Although subjects in the AL group were younger and had less atrial fibrillation than those with other types of amyloidosis, the AL group had significantly more intracardiac thrombus (51% versus 16%, P0.001) and more fatal embolic events (26% versus 8%, P0.03). Control hearts had no intracardiac thrombus. The presence of both atrial fibrillation and AL was associated with an extremely high risk for thromboembolism (odds ratio 55.0 [95% confidence interval 8.1 to 1131.4]). By multivariate analysis, AL type (odds ratio 8.4 [95% confidence interval 1.8 to 51.2]) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (odds ratio 12.2 [95% confidence interval 2.7 to 72.7]) were independently associated with thromboembolism. Conclusions—A high frequency of intracardiac thrombosis was present in cardiac amyloidosis. Furthermore, thromboembolism caused significant fatality. Several risk factors for thromboembolism were identified. Early screening, especially in high-risk patients, and early anticoagulation might reduce morbidity and mortality. (Circulation. 2007;116: 2420-2426.)
Mega Cross-Bedding in Pyroclastic Flow Deposits: A Product of High Energy, High Aggradation Deposition on Steep Slopes: ABSTRACT

Pyroclastic flow deposits of May 13, 1980, found high on the steep (14°-28°) slopes of Mount St. Helens, show large-scale internal cross-stratification and upper surface bed forms. Antidune structures of up to 0.8 m (2.5 ft) amplitude migrated sourceward and developed from free-surface flows that lay in or close to a supercritical condition. Sigmoidal, upflow-migrating bed forms, up to 2 m (6.5 ft) in amplitude and with internal angles up to 65°, formed in response to high aggradation flows. Stoss-side truncations of low-angle dune forms are also very common. The depositional products of the passage of one pyroclastic flow can be identified by erosional surfaces between bed sets. To produce and preserve these bed forms we must appeal to special conditions of deposition. These conditions include steep slopes, excessive sediment load, velocities of 30-100 m/sec, flow densities of 1.0-1.2 for the particle and gas mixture, and minimum bed load thicknesses of 1-2 m (3-6 ft), equivalent to individual flow units. Turbulence, which plays an important role in the formation of these bed forms, is believed to be enhanced by the increase in velocity and possible thinning of the flows as they rushed down the steep, rough slopes of Mount St. Helens. Data from bed-form measurements and grain-size analysis are presented to document and help understand the development of these bed forms. These data will be compared to and contrasted with other cross-stratification types in primary pyroclastic flows from the Laacher See volcano of West Germany and Tambora volcano in Indonesia. End_of_Article - Last_Page 453------------
Design Projects in Civil Engineering Curriculum

Community projects often offer exceptional opportunities for civil engineering students to develop their design skills. The University of Delaware had such an opportunity when a local nature center needed a pedestrian bridge to an island in a river. A special bridge-design course was organized at the University of Delaware and students sited, designed, and prepared construction documents and permits for a cable-stayed pedestrian bridge. The class organization simulated a design office. The project organization developed design components and each design group developed their own design component. The organization, design development, student interaction, professional support, and class evaluation for this project are described in detail. Perhaps the most significant part of the project was the interaction between the local professional community and permitting agencies as the students developed their designs and made presentations to the owner and the permitting agencies.
Inconsistent leukocyte removal by IBM 2991 blood cell processor.

: Studies done in the 1970's have documented the efficiency of leukocyte removal by saline washing using the IBM 2991 Blood Cell Processor. In June 1982, an evaluation of 52 consecutive units washed using the IBM 2991 yielded results for leukocyte removal that varied considerably from the results determined by previous published studies. Evidence from our institution and others within the last year supports a recent alteration in the ability of the IBM 2991 to remove leukocytes. Since the machine has not changed considerably since previous successful studies, alterations in the product being washed need to be considered as a cause of the inconsistency in leukocyte removal by the IBM 2991. Until consistent leukocyte-removal can be achieved, individual blood banks should carefully scrutinize their washed units and be prepared for possible leukocyte-associated reactions.
Achieving Global End-to-End Maxmin in Multihop Wireless Networks

Following the huge commercial success of WLAN, multihop wireless networks are expected to lead in the next wave of deployment. Fundamental methods for traffic engineering must be developed to support diverse application requirements in these networks. This paper studies the problem of how to support weighted bandwidth allocation among all end-to-end flows in a multihop wireless network. Our goal is to enable the network to adapt the flow rates such that global maxmin can be achieved. Our approach is to transform the global maxmin objective into four local conditions and design a distributed rate adaptation protocol based on those local conditions. Comparing with the prior art, our protocol has a number of advantages. It is designed for the popular IEEE 802.11 DCF. It replaces per-flow queueing with per-destination queueing. It achieves far better fairness (or weighted fairness) among end-to-end flows.
Constrained multiobjective designs for functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments via a modified non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm

Summary. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an advanced technology for studying brain functions. Owing to the complexity and high cost of functional MRI experiments, high quality multiobjective functional MRI designs are in great demand; they help to render precise statistical inference and are keys to the success of functional MRI experiments. Here, we propose an efficient approach for obtaining multiobjective functional MRI designs. In contrast with existing methods, the approach proposed does not require users to specify weights for the different objectives and can easily handle constraints to fulfil customized requirements. Moreover, the underlying statistical models that we consider are more general. We can thus obtain designs for cases where brief, long or varying stimulus durations are utilized. The usefulness of our approach is illustrated by using various experimental settings.
Promoting Community Pediatrics: Recommendations From the Community Access to Child Health Evaluation

The American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) revised policy statement, “The Pediatrician's Role in Community Pediatrics,” published in this month's issue of Pediatrics ,1 provides a fitting backdrop to presentation of our findings and recommendations from the evaluation of the Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Program. The evaluation was conducted over a 20-month period by a team of investigators from the Women's and Children's Health Policy Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health within the Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University. Both the evaluation and this supplement were funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to inform those concerned about the health of this country's children about characteristics of effective approaches to promoting community activism, and to provide guidance for future efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of pediatricians in building community-based programs. This supplement to Pediatrics includes three articles that present findings from the evaluation and a set of commentaries reflecting on the place of CATCH in the development of the field of Community Pediatrics. The first article uses a historical analysis to document the events, achievements, and themes that constitute the transition from a national demonstration program of community-based child advocacy projects to the establishment of a Community Pediatrics infrastructure at the AAP.2 The second article uses case study methods to identify the characteristics of successful pediatrician-led efforts to improve child health services in communities.3 The third article provides in summary form the case studies of those 12 community child health initiatives assessed in the evaluation.4 In this introduction, we summarize the findings and recommendations from the evaluation, highlighting in particular those issues and ideas not otherwise discussed in the three articles. We evaluated the CATCH program over a 7-year period, …
A letter from the United States: The romance of medicine - voyages and heroes

Becoming a physician is a lifelong journey, not merely the completion of medical school and postgraduate training. For those pedagogues that wish to train doctors as technicians the notion that there is something heroic and romantic in a physician's life is quaint, old fashioned, and out of date! In today's teaching hospitals virtual patients come via digital technology in computed x-ray and magnetic resonance images, automated laboratory test panels, electrophysiologic studies, and algorhythmic histories. Doctors have no need to leave their computer and increasingly doctors do not leave their computers for the bedside, the home, the neighborhood, or the country of their "patients". Contemporary doctors are in danger of losing their bedside clinical skills and with them go the role of physician as a wise, widely traveled human being knowledgeable about the rigors of inhospitable environs, the hardiness of the species, the despair of poverty, and the seductive dangers of wealth. There is similarity of this kind of physician to mythic heroes, and they still have stories to tell.
Graphs, matrix inequalities, and switching for the formation flying control of multiple spacecraft

We present several results of the leader-following paradigm in the formation flying of multiple spacecraft in free space. In this direction, ideas from elementary graph theory and linear matrix inequalities are combined with logic-based switching to shed light on the various control designs which are feasible using the leader-following mechanism for various formation flying scenarios.
Electrical-logic simulation and its applications

Electrical-logic (ELogic) is a form of circuit modeling and simulation that solves for the amount of time required for a network variable to make a particular change, rather than solving for the network variables at the given time point as in conventional circuit simulation. Three ELogic algorithms are presented. The algorithms are based on the nodal analysis method and provide a continuous speed-precision tradeoff between the circuit level and logic/switch level, as well as providing more accurate timing information than existing strength-oriented logic simulation or switch-level simulation at comparable speed. These ELogic algorithms have been used to implement both a simulator, ELOSIM, and a timing verifier, E-Crystal, and experimental results from these programs are also included. >
The role of “prespecification” in an embodied cognition

Grush makes extensive use of von Holst and Mittelstaedt's (1950) efference copy hypothesis. Although his embellishment of the model is admirably more sophisticated than that of its progenitors, I argue that it still suffers from the same conceptual limitations as entailed in its original formulation.
Association between previously diagnosed circulatory conditions and a dietary inflammatory index

Inflammation is a key contributor to the development or recurrence of circulatory disorders. Diet is a strong modifier of inflammation. It was hypothesized that more pro-inflammatory diets, as indicated by higher Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores, would be associated with self-reported previously diagnosed circulatory disorders using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. This analysis included NHANES respondents from 2005-2010 (n = 15,693). The DII was calculated from micro and macronutrients derived from a single 24-hour recall. Logistic regression, stratified by sex and adjusted for important covariates, was used to determine the odds of previous circulatory disorder diagnoses by quartile of DII scores. Excluding hypertension, which had a prevalence of 30%, the prevalence of any circulatory disorder was 8%. Those in DII quartile 4 were 1.30 (95%CI = 1.06-1.58) times more likely to have a previous circulatory disorder (excluding hypertension) compared to those in DII quartile 1. Similar findings were observed for specific CVDs including congestive heart failure, stroke, and heart attack. Participants in DII quartile 4 were more likely to have a diagnosis of hypertension compared to those in DII quartile 1 (prevalence odds ratio = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.05-1.34). Results tended to be stronger among females. Individuals with a previous circulatory disorder diagnosis from NHANES appear to have more pro-inflammatory diets compared to those without a previous diagnosis. Because inflammation is an important factor related to recurrence of circulatory disorders, the DII could be used in treatment programs to monitor dietary modulators of inflammation among individuals with these conditions.
Chromatographic separation of multiple renin substrates in women: effect of pregnancy and oral contraceptives.

Chromatographic separation of multiple renin substrates was carried out to study the effect of pregnancy and oral contraceptives (OCs) in women. Blood plasma proteins were separated on a Sephadex G-200 column and the amount of renin substrate in each fraction was determined. The molecular weight of the renin substrate peaks was estimated by comparison with the elution position of proteins of known molecular weight. Normal nonpregnant women revealed the presence of 2 renin substrates: a major 1 with a molecular weight of 65000 and 1 amounting to 3-5% of the quantity of the major peak with a molecular weight of 450000-500000. In women taking OCs the same 2 peaks were seen but the quantity of each was increased markedly. In pregnant women at term a 3rd renin substrate of intermediate size was seen (molecular weight 350000 daltons). The quantities of the intermediate and low molecular weight renin substrates were found to be greatly increased in pregnancy.
Polypoid cystitis mimicking transitional cell carcinoma.

AbstractA case of polypoid cystitis without a history of catheterization and grossly mimicking papillary transitional cell tumor is reported.
Functionalized fullerenes in water: a closer look.

The excellent photophysical properties of C60 fullerenes have spurred much research on their application to aqueous systems for biological and environmental applications. Spontaneous aggregation of C60 in water and the consequent diminution of photoactivity present a significant challenge to aqueous applications. The mechanisms driving the reduction of photoactivity in fullerene aggregates and the effects of functionalization on these processes, however, are not well understood. Here, we take a closer look at the molecular phenomena of functionalized fullerene interactions in water utilizing simulation and experimental tools. Molecular dynamic simulations were performed to investigate time-evolved molecular interactions in systems containing fullerenes with water, oxygen, and/or neighboring fullerene molecules, complimented by physical and chemical characterizations of the fullerenes pre- and postaggregation. Aggregates with widely different photoactivities exhibit similar fullerene–water interactions as ...
Characterizing Motor and Cognitive Effects Associated With Deep Brain Stimulation in the GPi of Hemi-Parkinsonian Rats

The globus pallidus internus (GPi) is the main output nucleus of the basal ganglia, which is associated with a variety of functions including motor performance and cognition. The GPi is one of the primary targets of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with movement disorders. However, the therapeutic mechanism of GPi-DBS is poorly understood and rodent models have not been characterized. Cognitive side effects, such as impulsivity and depression, of DBS treatment for Parkinson's disease are known, but their relationship to the efficacy of the treatment is not well explained. The goal of this study is to illuminate the effects of GPi-DBS on both motor and cognitive function in a hemi-Parkinsonian rat model. In this work, we study the motor performance of the rodents in multiple behaviors, as well as of impulsivity and depression, and consider the relationship between these behavioral variables and the stimulation frequency of the DBS signal. For the first time, the connection is directly established between stimulating the GPi, motor performance and cognition is directly established in the hemi-Parkinsonian rodent model.
EVOLUTIONARY AND ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AQUILEGIA FORMOSA AND A. PUBESCENS (RANUNCULACEAE), TWO PERENNIAL PLANTS

Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae), a genus of about 100 species of attractive herbs found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, has been studied extensively from a number of points of view. Differentiation within the genus has largely concerned floral characteristics, and several papers have been published concerning these and the presumed phylogeny of the included species (Prazmo, 1965a, 1965b; Taylor, 1967; Taylor and Campbell, 1969). All investi gated species of A quilegia have been diploid (n = 7; Prazmo, 1965b), and all that have been tested have been hybridized. Although no meiotic irregularities have been detected in hybrids, not all are completely interfertile (Prazmo, 1965b) as had been previously assumed (Payson, 1918; Anderson, 1931; Kappert, 1943; Pelton, 1958; Linnert, 1961). Aquilegia has been divided into five major complexes (Grant, 1952; Prazmo, 1965b), based largely on morphology and the results of experimental hybridization. According to Grant, each complex is characterized by a different kind of pollination system and has evolved its distinctive floral characteristics in relation to that system. Of these five complexes two are entirely North American-the canadensis and caerulea complexes. Members of the canadensis complex have red or red and yellow, nodding flowers with short spurs. They generally are considered to be hummingbird pollinated (Schneck, 1901; Graenicher, 1910; Pickens, 1931; Grant, 1952), although Schneck (1901) reported two species of the hawkmoth genus Manduca (Macrosilia) and four genera of bees at the flowers of A. canadensis L. in his garden in Illinois. Aquilegia formosa Fisch., a widespread western columbine, is a member of this group. The caerulea complex is characterized by erect blue, yellow or white flowers with long spurs and petal laminae. Moths and butterflies have been predicted to be the pollinators of this complex (Gray, 1883; Trelease 1883; Payson, 1918; Knuth, 1909). Aquilegia pubescens Coville, a species restricted to high elevations in the Sierra Nevada of California, belongs to the caerulea complex. Prazmo (1965b), Taylor (1967) and Taylor and Campbell (1969) agree that these two complexes are very closely related, and that they have differentiated from a common ancestor in North America. In the Sierra Nevada of California, Aquilegia formosa and A. pubescens are often marginally sympatric, and hybrids are observed rather frequently, if locally. Despite this, they remain largely distinct. Grant (1952) argued that their distinctiveness in this area is maintained largely by differential visitation by pollinating agents, hummingbirds in A. formosa, hawkmoths in A. pubescens. The present study was carried out in an effort to evaluate this hypothesis and to investigate what additional factors might be involved, such as the ecological differences mentioned by Grant (1952) and discussed by Baker (1961).
Microsatellite markers screening from EST sequences of Pinctada martensii Dunker

Pinctada martensii is an important cultured marine mollusc in the southern China. In order to draw up tissue-specific gene expression map, nine cDNA libraries of P. martensii, including blood, foot, gill, stomach, liver, heart, mantle, pearl sac and Polydora ciliata infected blood, were constructed. Totally 6979 ESTs were obtained by sequencing clones from these cDNA libraries. Thoroughly screened with the software of Misa, at a criterion of at least 5, 4, 4, 4, 3 to the copy level of di-, tri-, tetra-, pentra-, hex-motif respectively, a total number of 268 simple repeat sequences were found. 243 ESTs (3.48%) have at least one microsatellite repeat. Among these 9 cDNA libraries, 6.16% pearl sac ESTs, the highest, contain microsatellite, while the lowest, 1.65% P. ciliata infected blood ESTs have at least one microsatellite. In the 268 repeat sequences, the number of the di-nucleotide repeats is 130,about 48.5%, and the most among all of the repeat sequences. (AT/AT)n, the most, account for 29.1% of total repeat sequences. The second is the tri-nucleotide repeats, 83, almost 31%. More than 50% are the two most abundant tri-nucleotide repeats types of (AAT/ATT)n and (AAG/CTT)n. The third is the tetra-nucleotide repeats, 30(11.2%), and (AAAT/ATTT)n nearly reaches 50% of tetra-nucleotide repeats. Primers can be designed in 151 microsatellite containing ESTs. 130 pairs of primers, about 86.09%, could be amplified in P. martensii DNA. There was no difference of microsatellite containing EST ratio among plasmid libraries and phage libraries. However, libraries constructed with ZAP-cDNA synthesis method have much higher ratio of microsatellite containing EST than those with SMART cDNA. 45 EST-SSRs were confirmed to be polymophic by PCR and PAGE electrophoresis in 8 individuals, 4 each from Sanya population and Indian population respectively. These polymophic EST-SSRs will be useful for molecular genetics study,identification and wild resource conservation.
Human myocardial cytosolic Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 is modulated by ATP: Concordant ATP-induced alterations in enzyme kinetics and mechanism-based inhibition

Abstract Although phospholipases A2 (PLsA2) have been implicated as enzymic mediators of electrophysiological dysfunction during myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion in man, no information on the regulation of human myocardial PLsA2 is available. We now report that human myocardial cytosolic Ca(2+)-independent PLA2 is modulated by ATP through mechanisms which are independent of protein phosphorylation, since: (1) ATP and its non-hydrolysable analogues reversibly augment the initial rate of crude (but not purified) human myocardial cytosolic PLA2 activity 3-4 fold; (2) ATP and its non-hydrolysable analogues dramatically attenuate the rate of thermal denaturation of human myocardial cytosolic PLA2 activity; (3) ATP and its non-hydrolysable analogues alter the sensitivity of human myocardial cytosolic PLA2 to mechanism-based inhibition by (E)-6-(bromomethylene)tetrahydro-3-(1-naphthalenyl)-2H-pyran-2-one; (4) adenine nucleotide triphosphates are more potent than guanine nucleotide triphosphates in activating and stabilizing human myocardial cytosolic PLA2; (5) adenosine 5'-[beta gamma-methylene]triphosphate is more potent than its guanosine counterpart in protecting an essential thiol residue(s) in human myocardial cytosolic PLA2 from covalent modification by 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid); and (6) ATP-dependent activation and stabilization of human myocardial cytosolic PLA2 are mediated by a cytosolic protein(s) which can be functionally reconstituted with purified human myocardial cytosolic PLA2 catalytic polypeptide. Collectively these results demonstrate that multiple physical and kinetic properties of human myocardial cytosolic Ca(2+)-independent PLA2 are dramatically influenced by dynamic interactions with ATP.
Reactions in Aromatic Molecules and Complexes

In Chapter 6 we saw that the energy of the optical transition (hv max) between the highest occupied and lowest empty π orbitals (π→π* transition) of aromatic molecules decreased rapidly with increasing pressure. Similarly, the optical absorptions associated with electron transfer between a donor and acceptor frequently decreased with increasing pressure. The theory of Chapter 3 indicated that a moderate decrease in this energy might be sufficient to permit thermal occupation of the excited state at high pressure, especially when configuration interaction and related effects were considered. In Chapters 6, 8, 9, and 10 we saw that for a variety of systems this thermal occupation was highly probable at high pressure, and that these electronic transitions led to new spin states and oxidation states for iron, particularly when complexed to aromatic or quasi-aromatic molecules.