cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Model-based Evaluation of Continued COVID-19 Risk at Long Term Care Facilities

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted long-term care facilities resulting in the death of approximately 8% of residents nationwide. As COVID-19 case rates decline and state and county restrictions are lifted, facility managers, local and state health agencies are challenged with defining their own policies moving forward to appropriately mitigate disease transmission. The continued emergence of variants of concern has highlighted the need for a readily available tool that can be employed at the facility-level to determine best practices for mitigation and ensure resident and staff safety. To assist leadership in determining the impact of various infection surveillance and response strategies, we developed an agent-based model and an online dashboard interface that simulates COVID-19 infection within congregate care settings under various mitigation measures. In this paper, we demonstrate how this dashboard can be used to quantify the continued risk for COVID-19 infections within a facility given a designated testing schedule and vaccine requirements. Our results highlight the critical nature of testing cadence, test sensitivity and specificity, and the impact of removing asymptomatic infected individuals from the workplace. We also show that monthly surveillance testing at long-term care facilities is unlikely to successfully mitigate SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in congregate care settings. Disclosures This work was supported by Colorado State University’s Center for Healthy Aging, the Center for Vector-Bourne Infectious Disease, the Office of the Vice President for Research, the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Collage of Natural Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and the Walter Scott Jr College of Engineering.
“Nasty Question” and “Fake News”: Metadiscourse as a Resource for Denying Accusations of Racism in Donald Trump’s Presidential Press Events

This paper analyzes how Trump uses metadiscourse as a strategy for denying accusations of racism. We conduct a discourse analysis of press event interactions where Trump denies journalists’ accusat...
Diverse neighbors and post-conflict recovery at the village level: Evidence from Iraq after ISIL:

Why do some towns recover faster than others after intrastate conflict? Many important decisions about post-conflict recovery are made at the substate level, but little empirical work has investiga...
When Neurotrophic Factors Get on Your Nerves: Therapy for Neurodegenerative Disorders

n a previous BRAINSTORMS, 1 we reviewed how neurotrophic factors regulate neuronal survival as well as sprouting of axons to form new synaptic connections. Here we discuss the therapeutic potential for neurotrophic factors in disorders characterized by degeneration of neurons, loss of synapses, or both.
Food Additives, Wholesomeness, and Consumer Protection

The public food supply must be protected in all matters of health and economic deception. This encompasses such far reaching concepts as safety, purity, wholesomeness, and honest value. Because in a highly complex society individual consumers are not in a position and usually do not have the specialized knowledge to protect themselves, the responsibility rests on the food industry and on government. Industry and government must cooperate in the role of providing protection. Quite commonly industry standards pertaining to food quality, wholesomeness, and accurate representation of food products are higher than minimum government regulations. This is because in addition to public-mindedness industry must protect its valuable brand names in order to survive and to compete effectively. The damaging publicity that a food company can get as a result of a single food-poisoning outbreak, the detection of a harmful chemical in its product, or exposure of a dishonest practice can often be sufficient to put it out of business. The food industry looks to government to set high standards and to enforce these standards, in order to protect itself against unethical competition. A special kind of wholesomeness of fundamental importance has to do with nutritional quality. This will be considered separately in Chapter 24.
Mechanisms of DNA entry into mammalian cells. II. Phagocytosis of calcium phosphate DNA co-precipitate visualized by electron microscopy.

Electron microscopic and autoradiographic techniques were used to follow the entry of calcium phosphate (Ca-Pi) crystals and co-precipitated DNA into mouse Ltk− cells. The complex was observed to enter cells primarily by phagocytosis. Filter hybridization experiments and examination of fluorescently-labelled DNA detected intracellular DNA at 2 h after incubation, and the uptake increased linearly to 8 h. Phagocytosis of DNA-Ca-Pi co-precipitate was an energy- and temperature-dependent process and was not observed in ATP-depleted cells or in cells incubated in the cold or in the presence of colcemid.
Chapter 5 Practical Aspects of Membrane Proteins Crystallization in Bicelles

Publisher Summary The structure determination of membrane proteins is a significant challenge. One of the important bottlenecks is growing high quality crystals. The crystallization of membrane proteins directly from detergents is by far the most popular approach; although, lipidic cubic phase crystallization is attracting increasing use. This chapter introduces the use of bicelles as an alternative method for the crystallization of membrane proteins. Bicelles are a mixture of a detergent and a lipid and can be described as a compromise between the two media with beneficial aspects from both. Membrane proteins reconstituted in bicelles are maintained in a native like bilayer environment and can be manipulated with almost the same ease as detergent solublized membrane proteins, making it compatible with standard high-throughput screening. An increasing number of recent bicelle crystallization successes support the expanded use of this method, including β 2-adrenergic receptor, the voltage-dependent anion channel, and xanthorhodopsin. This chapter describes the bicelle method, its properties, advantages and disadvantages and considers how to achieve future progress with the bicelle method.
The Foreign Exchange Option Market, 1917-1921

Foreign exchange option markets were active during and after the First World War. Call options on German marks were the dominant instrument, but calls on French francs, Italian lira, and other currencies also traded. The market evolved from one involving relatively large sums of money per transaction to one focused on tiny retail transactions. The largest clientele for the options consisted of optimistic investors of German heritage. The ultimate focus on less sophisticated investors, and the low status of the entities offering options, provides insight into the perception of option dealers in the early 20th century.
A NOVEL MEASURE OF GENETIC DISTANCE FOR HIGHLY POLYMORPHIC TANDEM REPEAT LOCI

Genetic distance measures are indicators of relatedness among populations or species and are useful for reconstructing the historic and phylogenetic relationships among such groups. Classical measures of genetic distance were developed to analyze biochemical and serological polymorphisms, systems which generally show limited variability. However, these traditional measures of genetic distance are inadequate for the analysis of certain classes of variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) loci, which have a larger number of alleles and higher levels of heterozygosity than traditional genetic markers. At the higher levels of heterozygosity observed at these loci, the standard measures of genetic distance are nonlinear and do not account for the mutational mechanisms of hypervariable loci. We have developed a measure of genetic distance, DSW, which is appropriate for the analysis of highly polymorphic DNA loci. Using computer simulations of diverging populations, we show that DSW conforms to linearity and that the variance is similar in magnitude to traditional measures of genetic distance. Comparisons of phylogenetic trees derived from the simulated divergence of human racial groups demonstrate that the branch lengths of trees prepared using DSW are more similar to the model tree than those generated using other measures. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of DSW to evolutionary analysis by reconstructing the relationships among eight human populations using 14 microsatellite and STR loci. The phylogenetic trees generated using DSW are different from trees constructed with traditional measures and better reflect the well-documented ancient divergence of African and non-African populations.
The Caco-2 Cell Culture System Can be Used as a Model to Study Food Iron Availability

To assess the usefulness of the Caco-2 cell culture system as a model to study the availability of dietary iron, preliminary experiments were performed to determine the optimal conditions for iron uptake and transport. Iron uptake of radioactive ferrous sulfate was optimal at pH 5.5 using a 2:1 molar ratio of ascorbic acid to iron and a 1-h incubation time. Under these experimental conditions, we studied the effect on iron uptake of adding supernatants from homogenates of different meat sources, soybean protein isolates, egg albumen and bovine serum albumin. Iron uptake was 6.3 +/- 1.7% from meat, which was significantly greater (P < 0.001) than the values of 1.2 +/- 0.3% from soybean protein, 1.3 +/- 0.3% from egg albumen and 0.8 +/- 0.1% from bovine serum albumin. Iron uptake was also significantly higher from digested meat samples than from undigested meat when the protein concentration was equalized. Measurements of iron uptake and protein concentration from fractions obtained after preparative isoelectric focusing of meat and soybean protein extracts showed two peaks of higher protein concentration and iron uptake in meat, apparently not found in soybean protein, that contained the factor(s) responsible for the higher iron uptake by the cells. In view of these observed similarities with iron absorption studies in humans, we conclude that the Caco-2 cell culture system is a useful in vitro model to study food iron availability.
TLR-4 and Sustained Calcium Agonists Synergistically Produce Eicosanoids Independent of Protein Synthesis in RAW264.7 Cells

Arachidonic acid is released by phospholipase A(2) and converted into hundreds of distinct bioactive mediators by a variety of cyclooxygenases (COX), lipoxygenases (LO), and cytochrome P450s. Because of the size and diversity of the eicosanoid class of signaling molecules produced, a thorough and systematic investigation of these biological processes requires the simultaneous quantitation of a large number of eicosanoids in a single analysis. We have developed a robust liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method that can identify and quantitate over 60 different eicosanoids in a single analysis, and we applied it to agonist-stimulated RAW264.7 murine macrophages. Fifteen different eicosanoids produced through COX and 5-LO were detected either intracellularly or in the media following stimulation with 16 different agonists of Toll-like receptors (TLR), G protein-coupled receptors, and purinergic receptors. No significant differences in the COX metabolite profiles were detected using the different agonists; however, we determined that only agonists creating a sustained Ca(2+) influx were capable of activating the 5-LO pathway in these cells. Synergy between Ca(2+) and TLR pathways was detected and discovered to be independent of NF-kappaB-induced protein synthesis. This demonstrates that TLR induction of protein synthesis and priming for enhanced phospholipase A(2)-mediated eicosanoid production work through two distinct pathways.
Discussion on “Likelihood Ratio Identities and their Applications to Sequential Analysis” by Tze L. Lai

The fundamental likelihood ratio identity (1.1) is both simple and powerful. Professor Lai shows us a wide variety of applications, ranging from situations where (1.1) is invoked for the densities ...
Energy-Efficient and Metastability-Immune Timing-Error Detection and Instruction-Replay-Based Recovery Circuits for Dynamic-Variation Tolerance

Microprocessor clock frequency (FCLK) is traditionally determined based on maximum supply voltage (Vcc) droop and temperature specifications. Since typical usage patterns usually run at nominal Vcc and temperature, these infrequent dynamic variations severely limit FCLK. The concept of timing-error detection and correction in previous work by Ernst, D., et al, (2003) is extended and implemented in a test-chip in 65nm CMOS in Bai, P., et al, (2004) to explore the effectiveness of resilient circuits in eliminating Vcc and temperature FCLK guardbands as well as exploiting path-activation probabilities to maximize throughput (TP).
Emission of trace compounds from catalytic cracking regenerators

Catalytic cracking units (CCUs) are a potential emissions source for a number of compounds listed as Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. In some cases, these compounds are formed in the catalyst regeneration process, and in others they are present in coke, converted to oxides in the regenerator, and then emitted. In this analysis, both average and median emission factors for these HAPs were developed based upon more than 1,400 field test data points covering over 60 compounds. For some of these compounds, there are large differences between the average and median emission factors due to significant scatter in the raw data. Comparisons to published emission factors from several sources indicate that, for formaldehyde, the median emission factor is more likely to be representative of actual CCU emissions.
A distributed approach to MPPT for PV sub-module differential power processing

This paper presents a distributed control algorithm for differential power processing in photovoltaic (PV) applications. This distributed algorithm performs true maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of series-connected PV sub-modules with only neighbor-to-neighbor communication and local measurements of each differential power converter voltages, obviating the need for local current measurements. Reduced number of perturbations at each step and potentially faster tracking can be achieved compared to previous solutions, while no extra hardware is required, all of which make this algorithm well-suited for long sub-module strings. The formulation of the control algorithm as well as three case studies are presented; both simulations and hardware experiments have confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed distributed algorithm.
The 3He3H charge form factor and the 3He coulomb energy

Abstract A formula for the Coulomb energy difference of 3 He and 3 H is derived on the assumption that the trinucleon S-state wave function and the symmetric part of the S'- and D-state wave functions can be represented as a linear superposition of Gaussians, The formula contains only experimentally measured quantities, since the nuclear physics can be parameterized directly in terms of the observed 3 He and 3 H charge form factors. The effect of two-body correlations is also discussed. The result for the Coulomb energy difference is 0.64±0.01 MeV.
Is the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis rising?: Results from Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1955-2007

Objective To examine the trends in incidence and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from 1995 to 2007.
Biological studies on the relatedness of subunits of human follicle stimulating hormone and chorionic gonadotropin.

A mixture of α- and β-subunits of human follicle stimulating hormone, hFSH (α,β), was prepared by propionic acid treatment of highly purified hFSH (4279 IU/mg). Incubation of hFSH (a,β) (198 IU/mg) under conditions previously shown to favor recombination of FSH subunits resulted in recovery of 24.8% FSH activity (1063 IU/mg). hCG-like activity was 43 IU/mg. When incubation of hFSH (α,β) was carried out in the presence of the αsubunit of hCG, recovery of FSH activity was 81% (3470 IU/mg). hCG-like activity was 89 IU/mg. When incubation of hFSH (α,β) was carried out in the presence of the P-subunit of hCG, recovery of FSH activity was only 12% (515 IU/mg). However, the hCG-like activity increased 93-fold, from 43 IU/mg-4010 IU/mg. These results are interpreted as indicating that biologically active hybrid molecules can be formed between the βsubunit of hFSH and the αsubunit of hCG, and between αsubunit of hFSH and the P-subunit of hCG. Because of this, it is predicted that the a-subunits of hCG and hFSH con...
RF impedance measurements on granular superconducting and normal thin films

Abstract We have used the technique devised by Hebard and Fiory1 to measure the ac impedance of granular thin films of oxygen-doped aluminum and copper as a function of temperature, applied magnetic field, and film transport current. Our data for aluminum is in good agreement with that of Hebard and Fiory although we observe some minor features not present in their data. We find no unusual effects in copper under the conditions employed, but we are continuing that portion of the work with samples having higher concentrations of oxygen and with larger applied magnetic fields.
Loss of the SKI proto-oncogene in individuals affected with 1p36 deletion syndrome is predicted by strain-dependent defects in Ski-/- mice.

Loss of the SKI proto-oncogene in individuals affected with 1p36 deletion syndrome is predicted by strain-dependent defects in Ski −/− mice
Microcirculatory effects of arachidonic acid and a prostaglandin endoperoxide (PGH2).

Abstract We have examined the vascular effects of arachidonic acid and a prostaglandin endoperoxide, precursors of prostaglandins (PG), in the rat cremaster (skeletal muscle) microcirculation. Five-week-old male, Wistar-strain rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital (30 mg/kg) and the cremaster muscle was prepared for direct in vivo observation and quantitation of changes in vascular diameters in response to the topical application of arachidonic acid (AA), PGH 2 , or PGE 2 . All three agents elicited dose-dependent arteriolar dilator responses. However, threshold doses were different; for AA they were between 0.5 × 10 −7 and 0.5 × 10 −6 M , for PGH 2 between 0.5 × 10 −8 and 0.5 × 10 −7 M , and for PGE 2 between 0.5 × 10 −9 and 0.5 × 10 −8 M . At the high dose studied (0.5 × 10 −3 M ) both AA and PGH 2 required approximately 60 sec for the development of a maximum dilator response, whereas PGE 2 required only about 30 sec. Indomethacin, an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, did not significantly alter control arteriolar diameters but inhibited completely the responses to AA. We conclude that the rat cremaster skeletal muscle microcirculatory compartment does possess the necessary enzymatic machinery for the conversion of AA and PGH 2 into vasodilator prostaglandin metabolites.
Impinging water jet cooling of VLSI circuits

Abstract This communication describes a new method of cooling of planar Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits which allows one to obtain chip heat fluxes in excess of 500 W/cm2 with acceptable temperature rises. It is shown that by scaling impinging fluid jet heat transfer technology to small geometrical dimensions, and by using water as the coolant, a high-performance cooling system can be designed. The convective heat transfer coefficients obtained in this method are significantly greater than that obtained in the convectional liquid cooling technology used for microelectronic devices, including the immersion cooling. The method lends itself to control of non-uniformities in the temperature field which could result from uneven heat dissipations in the integrated circuit elements. Experimental verification of predictions of the present analysis is planned.
Mössbauer spectroscopy on the surface of Mars: constraints and expectations

Abstract Mossbauer spectrometers will be included on the upcoming MER/Athena and Mars Express/Beagle rovers. These instruments have the exciting potential to characterize the surface mineralogy of Mars, but there are several complicating factors. It is difficult to differentiate minerals with similar structures, particularly if the rock or soil is multimineralic and the peaks overlap. Mineral modes cannot be determined from Mossbauer spectra alone. The temperature dependence of Mossbauer parameters for common rock-forming minerals and glasses is known for only a few minerals, but it is strong. No database of Mars surface temperature Mossbauer spectra of minerals or glasses currently exists, with which Martian data can be compared. Peak areas in Mossbauer spectroscopy do not directly correspond to the abundances of the minerals that give rise to them, and the calibration/correction factors to compensate for this problem are currently known for only a few minerals. We assess here the advantages and disadvantages of Mossbauer spectroscopy for remote data acquisition, and describe work currently under way in our laboratory to address these potential complications.
HIPAA and Talking with Family Caregivers: What does the law really say?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (PL 104-191), known as HIPAA, has confused and unnecessarily alarmed many conscientious health care providers. Nurses in particular are likely to be on the front line of family caregivers' inquiries, because physicians are often difficult to reach and because family caregivers look to nurses as sources of reliable information. A major retraining of health care providers at all levels is needed to dampen the "HIPAA scare" and clarify what HIPAA does and does not say about communication with family caregivers.
Performance of Load Balancing Techniques for Join Operations in Shared-Noting Database Management Systems

We investigate various load balancing approaches for hash-based join techniques popular in multicomputer-based shared-nothing database systems. When the tuples are not uniformly distributed among the hash buckets, redistribution of these buckets among the processors is necessary to maintain good system performance. Two recent load balancing techniques which rely on sampling and incremental balancing, respectively, have been shown to be more robust than conventional methods. The comparison of these two approaches, however, has not been investigated. In this study, we improve these two schemes and implement them along with a conventional method and a standard join technique which does not do load balancing on an nCUBE/2 parallel computer to compare their performance. Our experi- mental results indicate that the sampling technique is the better approach. To further evaluate the performance of these techniques under diverse hardware conditions, we also develop a cost model and implement a simulator to perform sensitivity analyses with respect to various hardware parameters. The simulation results show that both sampling and incremental techniques provide noticeable savings over conventional methods, with the sampling approach being more scalable in supporting very large database systems.
Effect of amplifier gain, loss, and gain profile on system performance

The effect of a change in the system parameters upon the one micron laser's power, energy and beam quality will be discussed. The parameters varied in the study were the optical losses, the gain and gain profile of the amplifiers. Additionally, the effect upon power, energy and beam quality as a function of slab count and position will be presented.
Electronic Properties of Bismuth Nanowires

The pressure filling of anodic alumina templates with molten bismuth has been used to synthesize single crystalline bismuth nanowires with diameters ranging from 7 to 200nm and lengths of 50μm. The nanowires are separated by dissolving the template, and electrodes are affixed to single Bi nanowires on Si substrates. A focused ion beam (FIB) technique is used first to sputter off the oxide from the nanowires with a Ga ion beam and then to deposit Pt without breaking vacuum. The resistivity of a 200nm diameter Bi nanowire is found to be only slightly greater than the bulk value, while preliminary measurements indicate that the resistivity of a 100nm diameter nanowire is significantly larger than bulk. The temperature dependence of the resistivity of a 100nm nanowire is modeled by considering the temperature dependent band parameters and the quantized band structure of the nanowires. This theoretical model is consistent with the experimental results.
Efficiency and robustness in subsampling for dependent data

There are two main approaches to subsampling/resampling for dependent data: model based and model free. In the former, the dependence structure is modelled in terms of a few unknown parameters and independent errors. In the latter, the observed series is divided into blocks, and these blocks are used to capture the dependence in the original series. It is reasonable to assume that the model-based approach is superior under the correct model and inferior under misspecification of the correct model. We formalize this tradeoff between efficiency and robustness and examine how it plays out in the autoregressive-moving average class of models.
Cholesteryl ester metabolism in tissue culture cells. I. Accumulation in Fu5AH rat hepatoma cells.

Exposure of Fu5AH rat hepatoma tissue culture cells to hyperlipemic rabbit serum results in the accumulation of cellular cholesteryl esters. Accumulation is not a characteristic of all cells in culture, as evidenced by the lack of response of mouse and human fibroblasts. Fu5AH cells grown for 24 hr on 5% hyperlipemic rabbit serum have an 8- to 12-fold increase of cellular cholesteryl esters, small increases in free cholesterol and triglycerides, and no change in phospholipids, when compared to cells grown in normal rabbit serum. Rapid accumulation of cholesteryl esters occurs during the first 8–12 hr of incubation, and maximum cellular concentration is achieved within 24 hr. The maximum level of cellular cholesteryl esters obtained with individual samples of hyperlipemic rabbit serum is correlated with the cholesterol content of the original sera, even when the incubation medium is adjusted to a constant concentration of cholesterol. Heating hyperlipemic rabbit serum (60 C/30 min) does not destroy activity; however, no cholesteryl ester accumulation occurs in heated cells. The stimulatory activity of hyperlipemic rabbit serum primarily is associated with lipoproteins having densities <1.006. High levels of cellular cholesteryl ester are associated with the appearance of cytoplasmic vacuoles containing cholesteryl esters. The increase in cellular cholesteryl esters is accompanied by a decrease of the cholesteryl esters in the growth medium. Cellular cholesteryl esters are not rapidly hydrolyzed or released upon removal of hyperlipemic rabbit serum.
Use of the Z-plasty technique for forehead defects.

Background. Surgical defects of the forehead are commonplace for the Mohs surgeon. The relaxed skin tension lines (RSTLs) of this region allow for repairs ranging from direct linear closures to more complex advancement flaps. Defects in which the longitudinal axis orients perpendicular to the RSTLs, whether secondary to wound shape or ease of tissue movement, present a somewhat more challenging problem. Objective. To describe the use of the Z-plasty in repairing forehead surgical defects. Method. We illustrate two Mohs surgical cases in which the size and location of the forehead defect did not allow for a straightforward and cosmetically acceptable closure. Tissue mobility and defect shape permitted design and implementation of a Z-plasty. Results. Use of the Z-plasty technique allowed a portion of the vertical incision line to be reoriented within the forehead RSTLs, producing a favorable cosmetic outcome. Conclusion. Forehead defects that are shaped such that the long axis is perpendicular to the RSTLs or located in a region where tissue mobility more easily permits a vertical closure can present a challenge for the reconstructive surgeon. Knowledge of tissue mechanics and use of rotation and advancement make the Z-plasty a favorable option in many of these situations. MARK R. POMARANSKI, MD, EDWARD A. KRULL, AND MARK R. BALLE, MD, HAVE INDICATED NO SIGNIFICANT INTEREST WITH COMMERCIAL SUPPORTERS.
Acoustic generation of intra-arterial contrast boluses.

Abstract Microbubbles generated by ultrasonic cavitation in vivo might be useable as flow indicators in some situations instead of injectable contrast agents. Knowledge of those vascular microbubble-generating ultrasonic fields which produce from negligible up to significant damage will help improve guidelines for more effective, safer diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound. Microbubble boluses have been generated by a 1.8-MHz, focused sound field in the in vivo canine abdominal aorta. Spatial peak acoustic intensities of 19,000 W cm−2 generated microbubble boluses when exposure was longer than 12 ms, whereas intensities greater than 4300 W cm−2 generated a bolus when exposure was for 250 ms. The onset time of these boluses (less than one cardiac cycle) is unachievable with intravenous contrast injection. With optimized waveforms and focusing, acoustic bolus generation may prove to be an effective, minimally invasive method for fast performance of certain selective angiography.
The Effects of Morning Naps, Car Trips, and Maternal Separation on Adrenocortical Activity in Human Infants

3 studies of adrenocortical activity in healthy 9-month-old infants were conducted to examine unanticipated results obtained in previous research. In the first study, morning naps were examined and found to be associated with significant decreases in salivary cortisol. These decreases were followed by a significant return to prenap cortisol concentrations. In the second study, riding for 40 min in the car was also shown to significantly lower salivary cortisol concentrations. This effect was obtained both for infants who did and who did not sleep during the car trip. In the third study, the effect of 30 min of maternal separation in the laboratory on salivary cortisol was compared to the effect of 30 min of play with mother present. Separation resulted in significantly higher salivary cortisol concentrations as compared to play with mother present. In general, correlations between cortisol and behavior were found to be nonsignificant under conditions that did not produce stress elevations in cortisol, while less positive, more distressed behaviour was significantly correlated with cortisol under separation or stress conditions. Language: en
Health insurance and job creation by the self-employed

Health insurance is regulated at the state level by the use of state-mandated health benefits. These are regulations issued by the state that mandate minimum levels of certain benefits as part of policies offered, e.g., drug abuse and alcohol treatment services, treatment for mental illnesses, etc. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of state health insurance mandates on job creation by small firms using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) dataset for the period 1993–1995. Results from an ordered probit regression indicate that, the larger the number of mandates in a state, the lower the probability that a self-employed person will be a significant employment generator. These results hold when we consider both the sum of mandates as well as a cost-weighted measure of the most expensive mandates.
Making Decisions About the Forgoing of Life-sustaining Therapy

The incidence of withholding and withdrawal of life support from critically ill patients has increased to the extent that these practices now precede well over half of all deaths in many intensive care units (ICUs). Although the forgoing of life-sustaining therapy is ethically acceptable and clinically desirable in certain instances, and although physicians do not have a responsibility to provide futile care even if a patient or surrogate insists on it, they must be cautious in exercising their influence, if not authority, over patients and surrogates in prompting the withholding and withdrawal of life support. Such caution is particularly indicated because managed care has made patients suspicious of healthcare institutions and physicians who are rewarded for restricting access to care. Most patients and surrogates agree with reasonable physician recommendations to forgo life-sustaining therapy. When they do not agree, physicians should not limit care on the basis of their own personal notions of futility, but should instead rely on institutional or multiinstitutional futility policies. Such policies should be developed by health professionals, patients, community leaders, and, when appropriate, participants in managed-care organizations. They should specify which ICU interventions are beneficial, address potential conflicts of interest, and be available to persons who could use such information in selecting the source of their care.
Inverse-Dynamics Based State and Disturbance Observers for Linear Time-Invariant Systems

An output-feedback observer is proposed in this paper to simultaneously estimate unknown states and disturbances of linear time invariant systems. The states are estimated using a Luenberger-like observer while the disturbance signals are estimated based on an inverse-dynamics motivated algorithm. The proposed schemes can be applied to a wide variety of disturbances since no disturbance model is required in the estimation. Depending on the input/output rank conditions of the plant, two different designs are proposed. The observer gains are selected based on sufficient conditions for exponentially converging estimation. The design procedure is illustrated step-by-step by using two examples: a hypothetical problem and the ground vehicle lateral speed estimation problem. A standard H‘-filter is used as the benchmark to illustrate the performance of the proposed method. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1485748#
On the strengthening effects of interfaces in multilayer fcc metallic composites

Abstract The slip behaviour in coherent and semicoherent metallic bilayer composites is examined by atomic simulation in the Cu/Ni and Cu/Ag systems. The coherent interface in Cu/Ni, although energetically unfavourable relative to the semicoherent interface in thick layers, reveals several interesting phenomena. Linear elastic predictions of lattice strains to achieve coherency (removing the 2.7% lattice mismatch) are found not to satisfy equilibrium. The cause is nonlinearity in the elastic response. The application of stresses needed for glide dislocations to cross the interface or to escape from the interface exacerbates the nonlinearities in the elastic response of the system. Koehler forces, arising from elastic mismatch, are in some cases observed to have the wrong sign relative to linear elastic predictions. Core structures of misfit dislocations in semicoherent interfaces are observed to be quite different in the cube-on-cube oriented Cu/Ni and Cu/Ag systems with interfaces parallel to (010). In t...
Possible use of wetlands in ecological restoration of surface mined lands

Surface mining for coal has dramatically altered millions of hectares throughout the Appalachian region of eastern North America. Flat benches and vertical high walls have replaced well-drained slopes, and wetlands have developed ‘accidentally’ on abandoned benches. Surface mining is continuing in this region, but new regulations do not include specifications for wetland construction in the reclamation process. Recent research has suggested that many ecosystem services appropriate for the Appalachian landscape could be performed by constructed wetlands. Inclusion of wetland construction in a reclamation plan could lead to a net increase in wetland acreage locally, as well as offset the loss of natural and/or accidental wetlands. By studying accidentally-formed wetlands, we hope to determine what species can be established in wetlands that are constructed to enhance nontreatment goals in reclamation. Study sites included 14 emergent wetlands in Wise County, Virginia. Sampling in June and August detected a total of 94 species in 36 vascular plant families. Obligate wetlands species, species that occur in wetlands over 99 percent of the time, were found in all 14 sites and included 26 species. The presence of so many wetland species without intentional management efforts suggests that wetland establishment could become a common component of mine reclamation.
Analysis of Periodic Updating for Systems with Multiple Timescales

Abstract Current meteorological observational networks are capable of observing only a limited number of the dependent variables that describe the state of the atmosphere. For example, the large-scale temperature and horizontal wind are commonly observed, but not the large-scale vertical velocity. In the late 1960s, Charney suggested that any missing dependent variables might be reconstructed from the time history of the fields that are observed; for example, the winds could be reconstructed by continually inserting satellite observations of the temperature into a numerical weather prediction model. (Some modern weather prediction models are essentially still using this technique to reconstruct the missing variables.) Charney's hypothesis is analyzed for systems of equations with and without multiple timescales. In the absence of dissipation, the hypothesis is not correct. However, the addition of dissipation can produce convergence that varies in degree relative to the variables that are inserted and the...
Differential scanning calorimetric analysis of Ca(OH)2: Some anomalous thermal effects

Abstract An examination of the thermal characteristics of moist Ca(OH) 2 showed three peaks at 100, 400–450 and 250–300°C. The effect at 250–300°C was caused by calcium aluminate hydrate formed from the reaction of Ca(OH) 2 with the aluminum sample holder. This effect could be eliminated by using a sample holder made of gold.
Comment on “Kinetic study on the hexacelsian-celsian phase transformation”

A value of 20.1 +/- 4 kcal/mole for the activation energy (E) for the hexacelsian to celsian phase transformation in BaAl2Si2O8 was reported in an earlier work. In the present work, the earlier experimental data were reanalyzed and a much higher value of E was obtained. This revised E value is consistent with the transformation mechanism of a layered hexacelsian structure into a three-dimensional feldspar structure of celsian which would necessitate the breaking of the Si-O and/or the Al-O bonds.
5.1.2 DEVELOPMENT AND EVOLUTION OF AN INTEGRATED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM/CENTER AT THE SPACE AND MISSILE SYSTEMS CENTER

An Integrated Product Development Center (IPDC) was developed at the Air Force Space and Missile System Center (SMC) and achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in June 1994. The IPDC provides a computer-aided environment to accomplish systems engineering and program management activities characteristic of Integrated Product Development (IPD) implemented within the Air Force. The IPDC serves as the nucleus of an overall IPD System (IPDS), connecting Integrated Product Team (IPT) members internal and external to SMC, and facilitating and encouraging a “paperless”, efficient, and cost-effective environment. Initial emphasis was on establishing a collaborative work environment and providing acquisition support tools for IPTs. Users of the IPDC expressed general satisfaction with the center, its initial usage in its first three months exceeded 80 percent of its daily availability. The paper addresses the conceptualization of the IPDS/C, the systems engineering process applied to identify its requirements, design, and current and planned user environments.
Evidence for a biological role of somatostatin in the Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti.

Immunoreactive somatostatin was found in acetic acid extracts of the intestine (10–11 pg/mg wet wt) and the islet-organ (approximately 10 ng/mg wet wt) of the Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti. Hagfish islet-organs were incubated in vitro in a modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium, and the concentration of insulin released into the medium was measured with a specific radioimmunoassay for hagfish insulin. The amount of insulin released by islet-organs incubated in medium containing 20 mg of glucose/dl did not differ significantly from that released by tissues incubated in medium containing 120 mg of glucose/dl. Release of insulin decreased markedly when tissues were incubated in medium containing 120 mg of glucose/dl and 100 ng of cyclic somatostatin/ml. Subsequent incubation of the somatostatintreated islet-organs in medium without somatostatin resulted in recovery of insulin secretion to the expected rate. The results of this study provide evidence that somatostatin may function in the regulation of insulin secretion in the cyclostomes.
Role Play in Counselor Education and Supervision: Innovative Ideas, Gaps, and Future Directions

Ideas for using role play in counselor education have been discussed in the literature. While there are “how-to” suggestions for using role play, rather than students' personal material, or “real” play in the classroom, a lack of “how-to” articles exists for using role play in counseling supervision. Literature on role play in counselor education and supervision is reviewed with an aim to highlight innovative ideas and gaps. Two case studies are provided describing the use of role play in supervision. Critical questions and future research directions are provided related to using role play in counselor supervision.
The role of foreign direct investment in the development of regional industrial systems: Current knowledge and suggestions for a future American research agenda

O hUallachain B. (1985) The role of foreign direct investment in the development of regional industrial systems: current knowledge and suggestions for a future American research agenda, Reg. Studies 20, 151–162. The role of foreign direct investment in American regional industrial systems differs from the experiences found in other countries. Foreign investment in the US is increasing rapidly outside of the traditional industrial heartland, it is highly integrated with the domestic economy and it does not seem to be developing the same truncated character found in other countries. American research should concentrate on the impact increasing foreign investment is having on the technological makeup and total linkage structure of regional economies. Understanding these impacts will require a variety of research approaches ranging from sectoral studies to analysis of individual corporations. This paper attempts to identify research priorities using the knowledge of foreign direct investment generated abroad ...
Scheduling to Minimize Interaction Cost

A model is developed for a scheduling problem in which several activities are competing for a limited number of facilities. It is assumed that any number of activities may be scheduled on any single facility; however there is an interaction cost corresponding to every combination of two activities scheduled on the same facility. This problem is a quadratic program with a rather special structure. An efficient algorithm is developed for determining feasible schedules that are local minima. The nonconvexity of the objective function prevents the identification of a global minimum.
Lateral diffusion measurements on genetically introduced fluorescent proteins

Genetic introduction of fluorescent labels such as the Visible Fluorescent Proteins (VFP) has revolutionized the visualization and characterization of cellular proteins. Lateral diffusion measurements, most commonly accomplished through Fluorescence Photobleaching Recovery (FPR or FRAP), provide important information on such molecules’ size, environment and participation in intermolecular interactions. However, serious difficulties arise when these techniques are applied to VFP fusion proteins since cytoplasmic species contribute to the fluorescence recovery signal and thus distort measurements aimed at surface molecules. Two new methods help eliminate these difficulties through distinctly different strategies. In Total Internal Reflection Interference Fringe FPR, interfering laser beams enter a 1.65 NA Olympus objective at the periphery of the back focal plane where the NA exceeds 1.38. This creates an interference pattern totally internally reflected at the coverslip-medium interface. Fluorescence excitation occurs only where the cell contacts the coverslip so no contribution arises from cytoplasmic species. Alternatively, High Probe Intensity (HPI) FPR measurements retain the intrinsic confocality of spot measurements to eliminate interference from fluorescent cytoplasmic species. However, HPI-FPR methods lift the previous requirement that FPR procedures be performed at probe beam intensities low enough to not induce bleaching in samples during measurements. The high probe intensities now employed provide much larger fluorescence signals and thus more information on molecular diffusion from each measurement. We report successful measurements of membrane dynamics of various VFP species obtained by these techniques and compare them with results of earlier FPR methods which previously proved unsatisfactory in these instances.
Fluorescence Bronchoscope for Lung Tumor Localization

A fluorescence bronchoscope has been developed for localization of small bronchogenic tumors at the carcinoma in situ stage. Injected hematoporphyrin-derivative is preferentially taken up or retained by a malignant tumor, and very small amounts can be detected by the red fluorescence under excitation by violet light. The target lesion is 80 ?m thick, with a mass of 250 ?g, containing 250 pg of hematoporphyrin-derivative. A fiberoptic bronchoscope system with a 200W high pressure mercury arc lamp, primary filter passing 405 nm light, special violet transmitting light conductor, coherent imaging bundle, red secondary filter, and three-stage electrostatic focus image intensifier tube was designed for this application. Tumors have been visualized in animals and preparations for clinical use are underway.
Deterrence, Blackmail, Friendly Persuasion

The long history of deterrence, and especially nuclear deterrence, is replete with debates regarding the nature and effectiveness of the concept, changes and contradictions in how it is employed in...
GABA-containing neurons in the rat ventral tegmental area project to the prefrontal cortex.

Dopamine-containing projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) have been extensively characterized since their discovery over 25 years ago. However, the VTA projection to the PFC also contains a substantial nondopamine component, whose neurochemical phenotype is unknown. To examine if a portion of this nondopamine VTA projection contains GABA, anterograde and retrograde tract-tracing in the rat was combined with GABA immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy. Following injections of Fluoro-Gold (FG) into the PFC, many VTA neurons were retrogradely labeled, as visualized by immunoperoxidase staining for FG. A large portion of FG-labeled somata (58%) and dendrites (33%) within the VTA also contained immunogold-silver labeling for GABA. These dually labeled profiles exhibited a morphology similar to dopamine-containing cells within the VTA. To confirm and extend these findings, anterograde transport of biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) from the VTA was combined with immunogold-silver labeling for GABA within the PFC. Consistent with the results obtained from retrograde tracing, a portion of BDA-labeled terminals in the PFC also contained immunoreactivity for GABA. These dually labeled terminals formed symmetric synapses onto small caliber dendrites and dendritic spines. Some PFC dendrites contacted by GABA-containing VTA terminals were themselves GABA-labeled. The results of this investigation have identified a substantial population of GABA-containing neurons in the VTA that send axons to the PFC where they synapse on the distal processes of both pyramidal and local circuit neurons. This GABA-containing mesocortical pathway may provide substrates for both inhibitory and disinhibitory influences on PFC neuronal activity.