cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct costs of emergency medical care: A diagnosis-based case-mix classification system

Study objective: To develop a diagnosis-based case mix classification system for emergency department patient visits based on direct costs of care designed for an outpatient setting. Design: Prospective provider time study with collection of financial data from each hospital's accounts receivable system and medical information, including discharge diagnosis, from hospital medical records. Setting: Three community hospital EDs in Los Angeles County during selected times in 1984. Measurements and main results: Only direct costs of care were included: health care provider time, ED management and clerical personnel excluding registration, nonlabor ED expense including supplies, and ancillary hospital services. Indirect costs for hospitals and physicians, including depreciation and amortization, debt service, utilities, malpractice insurance, administration, billing, registration, and medical records were not included. Costs were derived by valuing provider time based on a formula using annual income or salary and fringe benefits, productivity and direct care factors, and using hospital direct cost to charge ratios. Physician costs were based on a national study of emergency physician income and excluded practice costs. Patients were classified into one of 216 emergency department groups (EDGs) on the basis of the discharge diagnosis, patient disposition, age, and the presence of a limited number of physician procedures. Total mean direct costs ranged from $23 for follow-up visit to $936 for trauma, admitted, with critical care procedure. The mean total direct costs for the 16,771 nonadmitted patients was $69. Of this, 34% was for ED costs, 45% was for ancillary service costs, and 21% was for physician costs. The mean total direct costs for the 1,955 admitted patients was $259. Of this, 23% was for ED costs, 63% was for ancillary service costs, and 14% was for physician costs. Laboratory and radiographic services accounted for approximately 85% of all ancillary service costs and 38% of total direct costs for nonadmitted patients versus 80% of ancillary service costs and 51% of total direct costs for admitted patients. Conclusion: We have developed a diagnosis-based case mix classification system for ED patient visits based on direct costs of care designed for an outpatient setting which, unlike diagnosis-related groups, includes the measurement of time-based cost for physician and nonphysician services. This classification system helps to define direct costs of hospital and physician emergency services by type of patient.
Can intelligence be estimated from drawings of a man

Abstract There has been some disagreement as to whether intelligence can be estimated reliably and validly from the Goodenough-Harris Draw-A-Man Test (DAM). In order to assess the DAM, 21 graduate students in psychology administered the Harris DAM and either the WISC or Stanford-Binet (S-B) to 158 “normal” children. Discrepancy scores between the DAM and the S-B or WISC indicated that the DAM IQ tends to be below, at times considerably, IQs obtained from individual scales. Moreover, the DAM seemed to be virtually useless in making discriminations among children of average and superior intelligence. The Harris scoring system was not found to be more discriminating than the original Goodenough, and the results provided little encouragement for the practice of estimating intelligence from a child's DAM.
Post-secular geographies and the problem of pluralism: Religion and everyday life in Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract The concept of post-secularism has come to signify a renewed attention to the role of religion within secular, democratic public spheres. Central to the project of post-secularism is the integration of religious ways of being within a public arena shared by others who may practice different faiths, practice the same faith differently, or be non-religious in outlook. As a secular state within which Sunni Islam has played an increasingly public role, Turkey is a prime site for studying new configurations of religion, politics, and public life. Our 2013 research with devout Sunni Muslim women in Istanbul demonstrates how the big questions of post-secularism and the problem of pluralism are posed and navigated within the quotidian geographies of homes, neighborhoods, and city spaces. Women grapple with the demands of a pluralistic public sphere on their own terms and in ways that traverse and call into question the distinction between public and private spaces. While mutual respect mediates relations with diverse others, women often find themselves up against the limits of respect, both in their intimate relations with Alevi friends and neighbors, and in the anonymous spaces of the city where they sometimes find themselves subject to secular hostility. The gendered moral order of public space that positions devout headscarf-wearing women in a particular way within diverse city spaces where others may be consuming alcohol or wearing revealing clothing further complicates the problem of pluralism in the city. We conclude that one does not perhaps arrive at post-secularism so much as struggle with its demands.
The Interchangeability of Homicide Data Sources: A Spatial Analytical Perspective

The authors extend the work of Wiersema, Loftin and McDowall (2000) by assessing the interchangeability of Supplemental Homicide Report (SHR) and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) homicide rates in the context of spatial analysis. Conclusions drawn from spatial analyses may be affected by the choice of data source if the underrecording of homicide tends to cluster in geographic space more strongly in one data source than the other. Such a situation could alter indications of homicide rate clustering and substantive conclusions drawn from multivariate spatial regression models. Results indicate that although these data sources are interchangeable for urban counties, spatial effects and the effects of social structural factors vary by data source for rural counties.
Global Error Estimates for Ordinary Differential Equations

The user of a code for solving the initial value problem for ordinary differential equations is normally interested in the global error, i.e. the difference between the solution of the problem posed and the numerical result returned by the code. This paper describes a way of estimating the global error reliably while still solving the problem with acceptable efficiency. Global extrapolation procedures are applied to parallel solutions obtained by a Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method. These ideas are implemented in a Fortran program called GERK, which is ACM Algomthm 504.
Performance characterization and optimization of various circuit topologies to combine batteries and ultra-capacitors

Several topologies have been proposed for combining batteries and ultracapacitors (UC) to build a hybrid energy storage system (HESS). It is essential to quantify the performance benefits of these different circuit topologies. This will establish a metric for evaluating the performance of new topologies as well as providing the basis to select a certain topology and design a HESS optimized for the target application. The following HESS topologies; 1. Direct-parallel 2. Paralleling with an inductor and 3. Buck-Boost are evaluated in this work. A testbed has been proposed and utilized for comparing HESS topologies and an electric scooter is used as the target application.
Pseudo-inhibitors of neutrophil superoxide production: Evidence that soybean-derived polypeptides are superoxide dismutases

We have previously reported the purification of polypeptides from soybean which are potent inhibitors of superoxide production by human neutrophils. We now report that neither oxygen uptake nor hydrogen peroxide production by stimulated neutrophils is affected by these inhibitors. Furthermore, the E-1 and E-3 polypeptides inhibit ferricytochrome c reduction by a xanthine oxidase superoxide generation system. The inhibitory activity of E-3 in the model system is blocked by 1 mM KCN while E-1 is only slightly cyanide sensitive. Atomic absorption analysis of E-1 and E-3 polypeptides reveal copper in the latter and manganese in the former. Thus, E-3 is a copper-containing superoxide dismutase while E-1 appears to be a manganese-containing superoxide dismutase.
Electric dyadic Green's functions in the source region

A straightforward approach that does not involve delta-function techniques is used to rigorously derive a generalized electric dyadic Green's function which defines uniquely the electric field inside as well as outside the source region. The electric dyadic Green's function, unlike the magnetic Green's function and the impulse functions of linear circuit theory, requires the specification of two dyadics: the conventional dyadic G- e outside its singularity and a source dyadic L-which is determined solely from the geometry of the "principal volume" chosen to exclude the singularity of G- e . The source dyadic L-is characterized mathematically, interpreted physically as a generalized depolarizing dyadic, and evaluated for a number of principal volumes (self-cells) which are commonly used in numerical integration or solution schemes. Discrepancies at the source point among electric dyadic Green's functions derived by a number of authors are shown to be explainable and reconcilable merely through the proper choice of the principal volume. Moreover, the ordinary delta-function method, which by itself is shown to be inadequate to extract uniquely the proper electric dyadic Green's function in the source region, can be supplemented by a simple procedure to yield unambiguously the correct Green's function representation and associated fields.
Tensor properties of optically encoded second-harmonic generation in semiconductor-microcrystallite-doped glasses

Tensor properties of second-harmonic generation in optically encoded semiconductor-microcrystallite-doped glasses are measured and shown to be consistent with encoding of a DC electric field in the glasses. Semiconductor bandgaps 20 nm above and below the second-harmonic wavelength exhibit the expected deviation from Kleinman symmetry.
Thermoconvective instability of paramagnetic fluids in a uniform magnetic field

The effect of a uniform oblique magnetic field on a laterally unbounded insulating paramagnetic fluid layer heated from below is studied using a linear stability analysis of the Navier–Stokes equations supplemented by Maxwell’s equations and the appropriate magnetic body force. Two-dimensional rolls in an arbitrary vertical plane are considered. Longitudinal rolls with axes parallel to the horizontal component of the field are the rolls most unstable to convection. The corresponding critical Rayleigh number and critical wavelength for the onset of such rolls are less than the well-known Rayleigh–Benard values in the absence of magnetic fields. Vertical fields maximize these deviations, which vanish for horizontal fields. Horizontal fields increase the critical Rayleigh number and the critical wavelength for all rolls except longitudinal rolls. These effects should be observable in careful experiments at high fields.
Long-term effects (up to 18 months) of a smoking cessation program among women smokers in public health clinics.

Abstract Background. We conducted longitudinal analysis of long-term outcomes of a motivational smoking cessation program. The program consisted of clinic-based minimal interventions delivered to women smokers in public health clinics by clinic personnel, a reminder letter, and an optional brief telephone counseling. Methods. Subjects seen in six intervention ( N = 541) and six control clinics ( N = 527) were interviewed by telephone 2, 6, 12, and 18 months later. At each measurement point, unadjusted percent abstinence and mean action, motivation, and readiness scores by study group were compared with standard bivariate comparisons tests. Hierarchical linear modeling that adjusted for clustering of subjects within clinics and clustering of results over 18 months (four waves) within individuals was used to compare outcomes by study group. Results. Number of actions toward quitting, motivation, and stage of readiness to quit remained better in the intervention than in the control group up to 18 months. The program effect on abstinence was still significant at 12 months, but not at 18 months. Conclusions. Exposure to one-time, brief interventions in public health clinics appears sufficient to enhance abstinence up to 12 months, and action toward quitting and motivation and readiness to quit up to 18 months.
Carrier density from 19F nuclear magnetic resonance line shapes for graphite intercalated with SbF5

Abstract High resolution nuclear magnetic resonance measurements were made on the 19 F line of antimony pentafluoride intercalated in graphite. Two types of graphite were used in the synthesis of the compound — natural and synthetic. Two lines, one broad and one narrow, were observed at the same location. It is proposed that the broad line is from the SbF 5 which is polymerized and the sharp line is motionally narrowed and due to SbF 6 − ions. This model can be rationalized with electronic transport data.
Combined Effects of Wakes and Pulsed Vortex Generator Jet Flow Control on Boundary Layer Separation on a Very High Lift Low Pressure Turbine Airfoil

Boundary layer separation control with pulsed vortex generator jets (VGJs) has been studied on a very high lift, low-pressure turbine airfoil in the presence of unsteady wakes. Experiments were done under low (0.6%) and high (4%) freestream turbulence conditions on a linear cascade in a low speed wind tunnel. Cases were considered at Reynolds numbers (based on the suction surface length and the nominal exit velocity from the cascade) of 25,000 and 50,000. Wakes were produced from moving rods upstream of the cascade with flow coefficient 1.13 and rod spacing equal 2 blade pitches, resulting in a dimensionless wake passing frequency F = fLj-te /Uave = 0.14, where f is the frequency, Lj-te is the length of the adverse pressure gradient region on the suction surface, and Uave is the average freestream velocity. The VGJs were injected at the beginning of the adverse pressure gradient region on the suction surface with maximum jet velocity in each pulse equal to the local freestream velocity and a jet duty cycle of 10%. Several different timings of the VGJs with respect to the wakes were considered. Pressure surveys on the airfoil surface and downstream total pressure loss surveys were documented. Instantaneous velocity profile measurements were acquired in the suction surface boundary layer and downstream of the cascade. In cases without VGJs, the boundary layer momentarily reattached in response to the wake passing, but separated between wakes. The VGJs also caused reattachment, and if the VGJ pulsing frequency was sufficiently high, separation was largely suppressed for the full wake passing cycle. The timing of the VGJs with respect to the wakes was not very important. The jet pulsing frequency needed for separation control was about the same as found previously in cases without wakes. The background freestream turbulence effect was negligible in the presence of the larger wake and VGJ disturbances.© 2011 ASME
Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma vasopressin in the fetal lamb: basal concentration and the effect of hypoxia.

The concentrations of vasopressin in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the chronically catheterized fetal lamb were measured under basal and hypoxic conditions. Under basal conditions, samples were obtained from 13 fetal lambs of 117–146 days gestation. The mean ± sem vasopressin level in CSF was 19.5 ± 1.5 pg/ml; the mean plasma vasopressin level of 1.9 ± 0.2 pg/ml was significantly less (P < 0.001). No consistent change in concentrations of vasopressin in CSF was observed with gestational maturation in 3 animals sampled sequentially or in individual samples obtained over the last 32 days of gestation. The mean vasopressin concentration in the CSF of the pregnant ewe was 5.1 ± 0.4 pg/ml. The gradients for osmolality, sodium, and potassium between fetal plasma and CSF were: osmolality, 298.4 ± 1.6 to 304.3 ± 1.4 mosmol/kg; sodium, 140.9 ± 0.5–142.5 ± 0.5 meq/liter; and potassium, 4.3 ± 0.1 to 3.3 ± 0.1 meq/liter. Fetal hypoxia was induced by exposure of the ewe to 10% O2 in N2 for 30 min. The co...
Biological effects on the cellular level of electric field pulses.

AbstractAnalyses of electric and magnetic fields in the human body generated upon exposure to external pulsed electric fields are used to consider possible biological effects at the cellular level. For peak external field strengths as high as 100 kV m−1, the effects of the consequent internal electr
Bulk property of 1/f noise for piezoresistive Ni/Cr thin films in pressure sensors on flexible substrate

In the current paper, we report the 1/f noise measurement of nichrome Ni/Cr (80/20 %) thin films for two types of pressure sensors: relative pressure sensors and absolute pressure sensors. The normalized Hooge coefficient for nichrome thin film was found to be 1.89 × 10?10 for the relative pressure sensors and 4.64 × 10?11 for the absolute pressure sensors. We demonstrated that the normalized Hooge coefficient multiplied by the volume of the thin film become constant regardless of the sensor types and discuss the complexities arise for the miniaturization of MEMS sensors due to the bulk noise properties of piezoresistive thin films.
Why Do So Many High Achieving High School Students Dislike School

A recent survey found that high ability students were often bored at school but not at home. If students do not perceive a valued purpose to their school assignments they may see the work as boring and irrel evant. What can principals do to help teachers challenge all students?
Medicine's ethical responsibility for health care reform - The top five list

Dr. Howard Brody argues that to help control costs, each specialty society create a “Top Five” list of common tests or treatments that provide no meaningful benefit to major categories of patients.
Resonance measurements of d-f-g-h intervals in Rydberg states of sodium and a redetermination of the core polarizabilities.

Microwave resonances in Na Rydberg states n=22--30 between d, f, g, and h states have been detected by field ionization. The 39 new transition frequencies have been combined with previously measured frequencies in the same Rydberg series, n=9--17, in order to test the internal consistency and reliability of the data by using series formulas. A new analysis of the effective dipole and quadrupole core polarizabilities in ${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$, based on the enlarged data set, has been carried out, and the sensitivity of the results to several model assumptions has been examined. The results are ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{d}^{\mathcal{'}}$=0.9980\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0033 a.u. and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{Q}^{\mathcal{'}}$=0.351\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.081 a.u.
Cellular localization of tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA and its regulation in the rat adrenal medulla and brain by in situ hybridization with an oligodeoxyribonucleotide probe

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of catecholamines in neural tissues and adrenal medulla. To study the expression of the TH gene and its regulation in adult and developing neural tissues, we have synthesized an oligodeoxyribonucleotide probe (oligomer) that is specific for TH mRNA. Using Northern blot hybridization of polyadenylated RNAs from adrenal gland, brain stem, liver, and cerebral cortex with the 32P-labeled oligomer, a single TH mRNA of 1.9 kb was detected in adrenal gland and brain stem but not in liver and cerebral cortex. Using this TH-specific oligomer, TH mRNAs were localized to the chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla and to catecholaminergic neurons in locus coeruleus and substantia nigra by in situ hybridization histochemistry. After reserpine administration, the intensity of hybridization signal was increased to threefold that of normal in sections of adrenal medulla and twofold that of normal in locus ceruleus. No difference in hybridization signal intensity was observed in the substantia nigra of normal and reserpine-treated animals. Use of this specific TH probe in in situ hybridization procedures represents a powerful approach to the study of regulation of TH gene expression at the cellular level.
Discovery and Characterization of Atropisomer PH‐797804, a p38 MAP Kinase Inhibitor, as a Clinical Drug Candidate

PH-797804 ((aS)-3-{3-bromo-4-[(2,4-difluorobenzyl)oxy]-6-methyl-2-oxopyridin-1(2H)-yl}-N,4-dimethylbenzamde) is a diarylpyridinone inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase derived from a racemic mixture as the more potent atropisomer (aS), first proposed by molecular modeling and subsequently confirmed by experiments. Due to steric constraints imposed by the pyridinone carbonyl group and the 6- and 6'-methyl substituents of PH-797804, rotation around the connecting bond of the pyridinone and the N-phenyl ring is restricted. Density functional theory predicts a remarkably high rotational energy barrier of >30 kcal mol(-1), corresponding to a half-life of more than one hundred years at room temperature. This gives rise to discrete conformational spaces for the N-phenylpyridinone group, and as a result, two atropic isomers that do not interconvert under ambient conditions. Molecular modeling studies predict that the two isomers should differ in their binding affinity for p38α kinase; whereas the atropic S (aS) isomer binds favorably, the opposite aR isomer incurs significant steric interference with p38α kinase. The two isomers were subsequently identified and separated by chiral chromatography. IC50 values from p38α kinase assays confirm that one atropisomer is >100-fold more potent than the other. It was ultimately confirmed by small-molecule X-ray diffraction that the more potent atropisomer, PH-797804, is the aS isomer of the racemic pair. Extensive pharmacological characterization supports that PH-797804 carries most activity both in vitro and in vivo, and it has a stability profile compatible with oral formulation and delivery options.
Barbiturate dependence in mice induced by a simple short-term oral procedure

A procedure for inducing phenobarbital (PB) dependence in mice is presented, using an adulterated milled diet. Marked withdrawal symptoms, including convulsions, were readily produced. In comparison with C57BL/6J mice, DBA/2J mice showed markedly greater intoxication and withdrawal, while consuming less PB during the same period. Thus, DBA/2J animals showed a heightened sensitivity to PB dependence than did C57BL/6J animals.
Combined Exfoliation and Pigment Dispersion Syndrome

Both exfoliation syndrome and pigmentary dispersion syndrome can lead to secondary glaucoma. We treated five patients who had pigmentary dispersion and who subsequently developed exfoliation. In one patient who had bilateral pigment dispersion syndrome, the presence of exfoliation increased the difficulty of controlling intraocular pressure in the affected eye. In a monocular patient, exfoliation and pigmentary dispersion were concurrently present with characteristic defects of both pigmentary dispersion and exfoliation as seen by transillumination defects of the iris. A third patient had bilateral pigmentary dispersion and uncontrollable intraocular pressure in an eye with exfoliation. Despite argon laser trabeculoplasty, the pressure remained uncontrolled. Another patient had a filtering operation in the left eye, with gradually increasing intraocular pressure in the right eye. Exfoliation material complicated the pressure control in the unoperated on eye. Another patient had an eight-year history of glaucoma in the left eye for which filtering surgery was performed. Exfoliation was present in both eyes with controlled pressure in the filtered eye but uncontrolled pressure in the nonfiltered eye.
The Effect of Heparin Pretreatment on Development and Clearing of Alimentary Lipemia

V ARIOUS abnormalities of lipid metabolism have been reported in patients with atherosclerotic heart disease, among them elevation of plasma triglyceride levels” and reduced clearing of alimentary lipemia.”4 Since it has been observed that heparin accelerates the removal of triglycerides from the blood stream�’6 and promotes the clearing of lipemia,7’8 some investigators have advocated its use in the treatment of atherosclerosis.9”0 Although there is no question about the effectiveness of heparin in clearing a previously developed lipemia, relatively little is known as to whether heparin can be used to prevent or modify the postprandial rise in blood lipid levels by appropriate timing of its administration in relation to the mealtime. The present study describes an investigation of the lipemia-clearing effects of heparin injected shortly before and 3 hours after inges
OXYGEN-RICH MASS LOSS WITH A PINCH OF SALT: NaCl IN THE CIRCUMSTELLAR GAS OF IK TAURI AND VY CANIS MAJORIS

The NaCl molecule has been observed in the circumstellar envelopes of VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) and IK Tauri (IK Tau)—the first identifications of a metal refractory in oxygen-rich shells of evolved stars. Five rotational transitions of NaCl at 1 and 2 mm were detected toward VY CMa and three 1 mm lines were observed toward IK Tau, using the telescopes of the Arizona Radio Observatory. In both objects, the line widths of the NaCl profiles were extremely narrow relative to those of other molecules, indicating that sodium chloride has not reached the terminal outflow velocity in either star, likely a result of early condensation onto grains. Modeling the observed spectra suggests abundances, relative to H2, of in VY CMa and in IK Tau, with source 9 9 f ∼ 5 # 10 f ∼ 4 # 10 sizes of 0.5 and 0.3, respectively. The extent of these sources is consistent with the size of the dust acceleration zones in both stars. NaCl therefore appears to be at least as abundant in O-rich shells as compared to C-rich envelopes, where , although it appears to condense out earlier in the O-rich case. Chemical 9 f ∼ (0.2–2) # 10 equilibrium calculations indicate that NaCl is the major carrier of sodium at K for oxygen-rich stars, with T ∼ 1100 predicted fractional abundances in good agreement with the observations. These measurements suggest that crystalline salt may be an important condensate for sodium in both C- and O-rich circumstellar shells. Subject headings: astrochemistry — radio lines: stars — stars: chemically peculiar —
Status of the IEEE P1547 draft interconnection standard and distributed energy resources R&D

The Department of Energy (DOE) Distributed Power Program (DPP) is conducting work to complete, validate in the field, and support the development of a national interconnection standard for distributed energy resources (DER), and to address the institutional and regulatory barriers affecting the commercial adoption of DER systems. This work includes support for the IEEE interconnection standard development process, including P1547 Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems, P1589 Standard for Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems, and the P1608 Application Guide. Work is also in progress on system integration research and development (R&D) on the interface and integration of control of DER with local energy systems. Additional efforts are supporting DER's role in providing high-reliability power for industry, evaluating innovative concepts for DER applications, and exploring effective interface and control technologies for intelligent autonomous interconnection systems. This paper summarizes (1) the current status of the IEEE interconnection standards and application guides in support of DER and (2) the R&D in progress at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for interconnection and system integration and application of distributed energy resources.
Recognizing post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe and complex disorder precipitated by exposure to a psychologically distressing event. PTSD first appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-III) in 1980,1,,2 arising from studies of the Vietnam war, and of civilian victims of natural and man-made disasters.3,,4 However, the study of PTSD dates back more than 100 years. Before 1980, post-traumatic syndromes were recognized by different names, including railway spine, shell shock, traumatic (war) neurosis, concentration-camp syndrome, and rape-trauma syndrome.2,,3 The symptoms described in these syndromes overlap considerably with what we now recognize as PTSD. According to the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-IV-TR),5 the essential feature of PTSD is the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor characterized by: direct personal experience of an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or other threat to one's physical integrity; or witnessing an event that involves death, injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of another person; or learning about unexpected or violent death, serious harm, or threat of death or injury experienced by a family member or other close associate. The person reacts to this event with fear and helplessness, and tries to avoid being reminded of it. Traumatic events include military combat, violent personal assault, being kidnapped, being taken hostage, terrorist attack, torture, incarceration, natural or man-made disasters, automobile accidents, or being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The principal symptoms of PTSD are the painful re-experiencing of the event, a pattern of avoidance and emotional numbing, and fairly constant hyperarousal. Post-traumatic reactions fall on a continuum, and many clinicians and researchers believe it is useful to conceptualize partial symptoms as well.2, …
Contribution of AmyA, an extracellular α‐glucan degrading enzyme, to group A streptococcal host–pathogen interaction

alpha-Glucans such as starch and glycogen are abundant in the human oropharynx, the main site of group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection. However, the role in pathogenesis of GAS extracellular alpha-glucan binding and degrading enzymes is unknown. The serotype M1 GAS genome encodes two extracellular proteins putatively involved in alpha-glucan binding and degradation; pulA encodes a cell wall anchored pullulanase and amyA encodes a freely secreted putative cyclomaltodextrin alpha-glucanotransferase. Genetic inactivation of amyA, but not pulA, abolished GAS alpha-glucan degradation. The DeltaamyA strain had a slower rate of translocation across human pharyngeal epithelial cells. Consistent with this finding, the DeltaamyA strain was less virulent following mouse mucosal challenge. Recombinant AmyA degraded alpha-glucans into beta-cyclomaltodextrins that reduced pharyngeal cell transepithelial resistance, providing a physiologic explanation for the observed transepithelial migration phenotype. Higher amyA transcript levels were present in serotype M1 GAS strains causing invasive infection compared with strains causing pharyngitis. GAS proliferation in a defined alpha-glucan-containing medium was dependent on the presence of human salivary alpha-amylase. These data delineate the molecular mechanisms by which alpha-glucan degradation contributes to GAS host-pathogen interaction, including how GAS uses human salivary alpha-amylase for its own metabolic benefit.
Linkage and association analyses of microsatellites and single-nucleotide polymorphisms in nuclear families.

Several simulation studies have suggested that a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) marker set may be as useful as a traditional microsatellites (MS) marker set in performing whole-genome linkage analysis. However, very few studies have directly tested the SNPs-based genome-wide scan. In the present study, we compared the linkage results from the SNPs-based scan with a map density of 3-cM spacing with those from the MS scan using a 10-cM marker set among 300 nuclear families each from the Aipotu (AI), Danacaa (DA), and Karangar (KA) populations from the simulated Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 Problem 2 data. We found that information contents obtained from the SNPs scan were somewhat lower than those from the MS scan. However, the linkage results obtained from the two scans showed a high degree of similarity. Both scans identified a similar number of chromosomal regions attaining nominal significance (p < 0.05). Specifically, both scans detected confirmed evidence for linkage (NPL ≥ 4.07, p = 2 × 10-5) to chromosome 1 in the AI families, chromosomes 1 and 3 in the DA families, and chromosomes 3, 5, and 9 in the KA families. An additional confirmed linkage to chromosome 5 in the AI families was detected only by the MS scan. We also observed slightly wider 1-LOD intervals for more of the SNP peaks than for the MS peaks, which is likely due to lower information contents for the SNPs. Subsequent fine-mapping association analysis further identified 2 to 3 markers significantly associated with disease status in each population; B03T3056, B03T3058, and B05T4139 in the AI population, B03T3056 and B03T3058 in the KA population, and B03T3056, B03T3057, and B03T3058 in the DA population. Among the four markers, three were chosen based on results obtained from the two scans, but one was solely from the SNP scan. In summary, our finding suggests that the SNP-based genome scan has the potential to be as powerful as the traditional MS-based scan and offers good identification of peak location for further fine-mapped association analysis.
A Precision, Low-Cost GPS-Based Transmitter Synchronization Scheme for Improved AM Reception

This paper describes a highly accurate carrier-frequency synchronization scheme for actively, automatically locking multiple, remotely located AM broadcast transmitters to a common frequency/timing reference source such as GPS. The extremely tight frequency lock (to ~1 part in 109 or better) permits the effective elimination of audible and even sub-audible beats between the local (desired) station's carrier signal and the distant stations' carriers, usually received via skywave propagation during the evening and nighttime hours. These carrier-beat components cause annoying modulations of the desired station's audio at the receiver and concurrent distortion of the audio modulation from the distant station(s) and often cause listeners to ldquotune outrdquo due to the low reception quality. Significant reduction or elimination of the beats and related effects will greatly enlarge the effective (interference-limited) listening area of the desired station (from 4 to 10 times as indicated in our tests) and simultaneously reduce the corresponding interference of the local transmitter to the distant stations as well. In addition, AM stereo (CQUAM) reception will be particularly improved by minimizing the phase shifts induced by co-channel interfering signals; hybrid digital (HD) signals will also benefit via reduction in beats from analog signals. The automatic frequency-control hardware described is inexpensive ($1000-$2000), requires no periodic recalibration, has essentially zero long-term drift, and could employ alternate wide-area frequency references of suitable accuracy, including broadcasts from WWVB, LORAN-C, and equivalent sources. The basic configuration of the GPS-disciplined oscillator which solves this problem is extremely simple. The main oscillator is a conventional high-stability quartz-crystal type. To counter long- term drifts, the oscillator is slightly adjusted to track a high-precision source of standard frequency obtained from a specialized GPS receiver (or other source), usually at 10.000 MHz. This very stable local reference frequency is then used as a clock for a standard digitally implemented frequency synthesizer, which is programmed to generate the specific carrier frequency desired. The stability of the disciplining source, typically ~1 part in 109 to 1011, is thus transferred to the final AM transmitter carrier output frequency.
Effects of Quetiapine on Sleep in Nonpsychiatric and Psychiatric Conditions

Objective:To evaluate the use of immediate-release quetiapine for the treatment of insomnia.Data Sources:Pre-MEDLINE and MEDLINE were searched (1966 to October 2008) using the terms quetiapine, sleep, insomnia, and antipsychotics.Study Selection and Data Extraction:All studies and case reports evaluating insomnia as a primary endpoint were reviewed.Data Synthesis:The role of quetiapine for improving sleep in various patient populations is uncertain. Quetiapine has moderately sedative properties, and closes used in treatment of insomnia have ranged from 12.5 to 800 mg. Results of clinical trials and observations in case studies have revealed possible beneficial effects of quetiapine on several subjective and objective sleep parameters. In most studies, significant improvements in sleep were found in areas of total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and subjective sleep scores. However, some of these results may not be clinically significant. Also, quetiapine has been found to have adverse effects such as period...
Chiral force constants: recommendations for the presentation of internal coordinate force constants

Some force constants associated with the internal coordinates that sense handedness or chirality can have opposite signs in the enantiomers of chiral molecules. Examples of such force constants include interaction force constants between a torsional and stretching or bending internal coordinates. The sign reversal for these force constants in the enantiomers of chiral molecules or in opposite-handed molecular segments is best recognized by labeling them as chiral force constants. Recognition of chiral force constants suggests that certain guidelines are to be followed in the presentation of internal coordinate force constants. © 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A novel pathway for the activation of phospholipase D by P2z purinergic receptors in BAC1.2F5 macrophages.

Abstract Macrophages express two distinct types of nucleotide (P2 purinergic) receptors for extracellular ATP: one type induces a Ca(2+)-mobilizing response via the activation of phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C (PI-PLC) while the second type induces the rapid formation of nonselective pores which are permeated by ions and small ( ATP > ATP gamma A; there was no response to other adenine nucleotides or to non-adenine nucleotides. Significantly, the ability of P2z receptor agonists to stimulate this PLD activity was not dependent on the presence of extracellular [Ca2+] or elevation of cytosolic [Ca2+]. The inability of ionomycin, gramicidin, digitonin, UTP, platelet-activating factor, or phorbol ester to quantitatively mimic these nucleotide effects suggested that activation of this PLD by P2z receptor agonists was not a secondary response due to: 1) enhanced Ca2+ influx; 2) membrane depolarization; 3) nonselective permeabilization of the plasma membrane; 4) stimulation of Ca(2+)-mobilizing ATP receptors; 5) stimulation of a primary PI-PLC pathway; or 6) activation of protein kinase C. These findings suggest that activation of a novel PLD-based signaling pathway may play an important role in the modulation of macrophage function by pore-forming P2z receptors for extracellular ATP.
A Developmental Approach to Political Systems

During the past decade two tendencies have come to dominate the field of comparative politics. One of these is the concern for theoretical explication and methodological rigor, and the second is the emphasis on field studies of the “emerging,” “new,” and “non-Western” nations. The theoretical tendency has largely taken the form of applications of "systems" theory to the study of politics, and the chief criticism of this approach has been that it is a static theory, not suitable for the analysis and explanation of political change.
Task Dynamics in a College Biology Course for Prospective Elementary Teachers.

This paper explores the dynamic profile of a task as interpreted by a group of six prospective elementary teachers enrolled in a college biology course. Because of various constraints, such as lack of planning time, provision of materials and equipment, and lack of previous knowledge, the assigned task shifted from the planned or intended task (as defined by the instructor before implementation and presented to the students during the field trip) to a transitional or technical task (influenced by the list of materials available and on-site conditions) and, finally, to an enacted task (tasks actually performed by the different students).
Flexible framework for commodity FPGA cluster computing

With falling costs and successful demonstrations of performance, FPGAs have become a prime candidate for use in high performance computing. However, the use of FPGA technology in clustered environments has largely been limited to commercial and/or proprietary designs that require developers to learn new programming models and software tools. In this paper, a framework is presented which enables development of parallel programs across application-specific reconfigurable hardware using simple hardware interface abstractions and standard MPI application structure. This approach leverages commodity technologies including embedded Linux running on hardwired PowerPC processors to manage communication such that each hardware acceleration unit can function as a fully MPI-2 compatible node. The implied hardware/software design and programming model are discussed and an application case study is presented to demonstrate functionality and elucidate platform benefits through performance analysis.
Multi-input square iterative learning control with input rate limits and bounds

We present a simple modification of the iterative learning control algorithm of Arimoto et al. (1984) for the case where the inputs are bounded and time-rate-limited. The Jacobian error condition for monotonicity of input-error, rather than output-error, norms, is specified, the latter being insufficient to assure convergence, as proved herein. To the best of our knowledge, these facts have not been previously pointed out in the iterative learning control literature. We present a new proof that the modified controller produces monotonically decreasing input error norms, with a norm that covers the entire time interval of a learning trial.
The interstitial cystitis symptom index and problem index

Abstract Objectives To develop 2 brief self-administered indices for measuring lower urinary tract symptoms and their impact in patients with interstitial cystitis (IC). Methods An initial set of questions was developed and evaluated in focus groups. The index was revised, shortened, and validated with patients diagnosed in 3 large urologic practices with experience in interstitial cystitis (N = 45). Controls were recruited from a group of healthy volunteers in a gynecology clinic (N = 67). Internal consistency, construct validity, and test-retest reliability were evaluated. Results The IC symptom index and the IC problem index measure urinary and pain symptoms and assesses how problematic symptoms are for patients with interstitial cystitis. Psychometric performance of both instruments is good, with the symptom index demonstrating excellent ability to discriminate characteristics between patients and controls. Conclusion Both indices should be useful in the evaluation and management of patients with IC and should be particularly useful in clinical trials of new therapies for this condition, where reliable, validated, and reproducible outcome measures are critically important.
MM5 Modeling of the Madden–Julian Oscillation in the Indian and West Pacific Oceans: Implications of 30–70-Day Boundary Effects on MJO Development

Abstract The results of an experiment designed to isolate the initiation phase of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) from 30–70-day boundary effects is presented. The technique used to accomplish this involves employing the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU–NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5), as first presented in the companion paper to this paper. Two runs, each 2 yr long, are integrated forward from 1 June 1990. The first run, called the control, uses the unmodified National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)–NCAR reanalysis (NRA) dataset for boundary conditions. The second run, called the notched, uses the same NRA dataset for the boundary conditions, with the exception that all signals with periodicities in the 30–70-day range have been removed. Any signals in the 30–70-day range subsequently generated by the notched run are then solely due to signals generated from within the model domain or from signals entering through the domain boundar...
Connectivity of Random Wireless Networks with Distributed Resource Allocation

We study the connectivity of wireless networks consisting of $n$ nodes that are located independently and uniformly at random on the unit square. Our focus is on an orthogonal multiple access scenario where there are $M$ orthogonal resources (e.g. time slots and/or frequency bands) that are to be assigned to each connection in the network. Correspondingly, we consider a disk-interference model where two nodes can be connected over resource $m$ if (i) they are within communication range $R$, and (ii) no other node within distance $R$ to either one of the two nodes uses the resource $m$. In such a scenario, it is known that if one is allowed to optimally choose (depending on the node locations) the node connections and the associated resources, the conditions $R^2 \in \Theta(\tfrac{\log n}{n})$ and $M\in\Theta(\log n)$ are necessary and sufficient to ensure asymptotically almost sure connectivity as $n\rightarrow\infty$. We propose a distributed resource allocation scheme where each node, unaware of its (and other nodes') geographical location(s), decides on its connections and the associated resources by communicating with its neighboring nodes only. Our scheme provides a connected network under the best- possible conditions $R^2 \in O(\tfrac{\log n}{n})$ and $M\in O(\log n)$.
The Wild and Woolly West: Early Irish Christianity and Latin Orthodoxy *

In recent historiography a rather unlikely alliance has emerged which is concerned to normalize Early Irish Christianity by emphasizing its links with the religious culture of Western Europe. One wing of the alliance represents a historiographical tradition that originated in the debates of the Reformation with the introduction of a formidable Aunt Sally by the erudite ecclesiastical historian Archbishop Ussher, who purported to discover in the Early Irish Church a form of Christianity in conformity with the Pure Word of God, uncorrupted by papal accretions. Ussher’s A Discourse of the Religion anciently professed by the Scottish and Irish initiated a debate that has reverberated down the centuries around the issue of which of the two major post-Reformation Christian traditions may claim Early Irish Christianity for its heritage. The debate continues to echo, even in these ecumenical times, in a Roman Catholic tradition of writing about the history of the Early Irish Church which emphasizes its links with Roman Orthodoxy—which were, in reality, tenuous and tension-ridden—and glosses over its highly characteristic idiosyncrasies. More recently that tradition has received unlikely and, indeed, unwitting support in consequence of the development of a revisionist trend in Celtic historical studies against a perception of Celtic Ireland that originated in the romantic movement of the nineteenth century and that was taken over holus-bolus by the cultural nationalists. This romantic-nationalist interpretation pivots upon an ethnographic antithesis between the Celt and the other races of Western Europe which endows the former with singular qualities of spirit and of heart and interprets Early Irish Christianity accordingly. By way of antidote modern scholarship has taken to emphasizing external influences and the European context as the key to an understanding of the historical development of Christianity in Ireland, playing up its debt to the Latin West and playing down the claims made on its behalf as the light of Dark Age Europe.