cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence of a “Heart Failure Belt” in the Southeastern United States

The southeastern region of the United States is known as the "stroke belt" because of excess stroke mortality in this region compared to the rest of the country. However, whether a similar geographic variation in heart failure mortality exists is unknown. Using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research publicly available compressed mortality data files and 2000 United States population as the standard, we estimated age-adjusted heart failure and stroke mortality rates per 100,000 for patients of all ages, men and women, and all races during 1979 through 1998 in the United States and mapped rates at the state level. Age-adjusted heart failure mortality rate for the 6 contiguous southeastern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Georgia) was 31.0/100,000, which was 69% higher than the national rate of 18.3/100,000. This geographic disparity was similar in African-Americans (32.9/100,000 in the southeast vs 21.7/100,000 nationally) and whites (30.8/100,000 in the southeast vs 18.1/100,000 nationally). These findings suggest that, in addition to the stroke belt, the southeastern region of the United States may also be burdened by a "heart failure belt." To better understand the causes of excess stroke mortality in the stroke belt, the National Institutes of Health has funded the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study (n = 30,239, >1/2 from the southeastern region), which provides a unique opportunity to study the underlying causes of excess heart failure mortality in the heart failure belt.
Decoupling of and inverses for time-varying linear systems

Attention is given to time-varying linear dynamic systems of a discrete or continuous time variable. For this class of systems the question of the existence and form of an inverse system is analyzed together with the question of decoupling a fixed plant by state variable feedback. It is shown that recent results (see [1], [2]) on the decoupling of stationary systems have a partial counterpart in the setting of nonstationary systems. A synopsis of the main results may be obtained by reading Theorem 1 and its corollaries.
Room-temperature mechanical behavior of FeAl: effects of stoichiometry, environment, and boron addition

Abstract The intrinsic ductility of FeAl (in ultrahigh vacuum) decreases with increasing Al content, from around 16% in Fe–37Al to zero in Fe–48Al. The sharpest decline occurs around the composition where the fracture mode changes from transgranular to intergranular. Boron shifts this ductile–brittle transition to higher Al levels by segregating to the grain boundaries and suppressing grain-boundary fracture. However, its effectiveness decreases with increasing Al concentration, even though the amount of B segregating to the grain boundaries remains the same, independent of alloy stoichiometry. Consequently, even the B-doped alloys become brittle and fracture intergranularly as the stoichiometric composition is approached. Low-pressure hydrogen embrittles FeAl, although not as severely as atmospheric moisture. Environmental embrittlement is most noticeable in Fe-rich FeAl; with increasing Al concentration, the grain boundaries become intrinsically weak, and brittle fracture persists even after environmental effects are eliminated.
Optical receivers using DFE-IIR equalization

Future computing systems will require increasingly high bandwidth to supply data to microprocessors, FPGAs, and other computational blocks [1,2]. Increasing data rate is a common solution, as I/O pad density is not scaling with bandwidth requirements. Copper interconnect has increasingly high loss with frequency, requiring complex, power-hungry equalization to overcome the channel response at high data rates. In contrast, optical interconnect can transport signals over long distances without complex equalization. Chip-to-chip optical interconnect will require sensitive, low-power, clocked receiver (RX) circuits that operate at high data rates. Conventional TIA-based RXs [1,2] require high power to maximize gain and minimize noise while maintaining high BW. A low-noise, low-BW, low-power TIA is combined with a 2-tap DFE to achieve high sensitivity in [3], but the data rate is 4Gb/s and limited dynamic range is demonstrated. Double-sampling architectures eliminate the TIA, replacing it with a large resistor [4] or a capacitive integrator [5], which decreases the front-end BW. The BW is equalized by double sampling, which is equivalent to a 2-tap FFE. However, the use of small sampling capacitors in [4,5] adds kT/C noise, limiting sensitivity. In this work, we demonstrate an optical RX with a large input resistance to maximize gain and sensitivity, while DFE with IIR feedback (DFE-IIR) [6] eliminates the resulting ISI with minimal added noise.
The growth of capital cities in the world economic system

In this article we examine several determinants of the population growth of national capital cities. Two competing explanations are outlined: The first views state participation in the economy as the major determinant of capital city population growth, while the second position views world‐system position as the major determinant of capital city growth. Results of three analyses of cross‐national data suggest more support for the world‐system position than for the state intervention position.
Output Feedback Adaptive Robust Control of Uncertain Linear Systems With Disturbances

In this paper, a discontinuous projection based output feedback adaptive robust control (ARC) scheme is constructed for a class of linear systems subjected to both parametric uncertainties and disturbances that might be output dependent. An observer is first designed to provide exponentially convergent estimates of the unmeasured states. This observer has an extended filter structure so that on-line parameter adaptation can be utilized to reduce the effect of possible large disturbances that have known shapes but unknown amplitudes. Estimation errors that come from initial state estimates and uncompensated disturbances are dealt with via certain robust feedback at each step of the backstepping design. Compared to other existing output feedback robust adaptive control schemes, the proposed method explicitly takes into account the effect of disturbances and uses both parameter adaptation and robust feedback to attenuate their effects for an improved tracking performance. Experimental results on the control of an iron core linear motor are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and achievable performance of the proposed scheme.
Reply to Daiber et al.: “Doubt about an essential role for constitutive nitric oxide synthase in nitroglycerin-mediated vasodilation”

In a recent PNAS article (1) we demonstrated that endothelial NOS (eNOS) is phosphorylated at Ser-1177, an index of eNOS activation, in HUVEC and blood vessels of rodents challenged with nitroglycerin. In addition, we showed that the time scale in which this phosphorylation happens correlates with the drop in the blood pressure. We have also shown that at <10 nM concentrations nitroglycerin action depends on the endothelium and that above this dose the endothelium removal has little impact on vasodilation in isolated rat aortic rings. Contrary to the allegation by Daiber et al. (2) that our data contradict the literature are demonstrations that nitroglycerin activates eNOS (3, 4). Also, endothelium dependence of nitroglycerin effects, particularly at low concentrations, has been reported in experimental models (5) and in patients (6) with heart failure. The reading of our article reveals that we were aware that eNOS knockout animals are responsive to nitroglycerin. This has been published for some time and was referenced in our study (7). To reconcile our findings with this and other articles showing that impairment of eNOS leads to an improved response to nitroglycerin, we evaluated whether nitroglycerin modulates neuronal NOS (nNOS). Our findings demonstrated that nNOS is sensitive to nitroglycerin, which makes the statement that our article does not make any effort to reconcile our findings with the literature incorrect. We believe that considerable research is still needed to completely understand the mechanisms that lead to vasodilation and endothelial dysfunction, and our article adds to the literature, inviting the investigators of the field to consider eNOS and nNOS as possible mediators of nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation.
Mass flux boundary conditions in linear theory

On montre que la condition aux limites de flux de masse approchee utilisee dans les calculs d'ecoulements autour de corps aerodynamiques est equivalente a la condition aux limites de vitesse «exacte»
Real-Time Visualization of Macromolecule Uptake by Epidermal Langerhans Cells in Living Animals

As a skin-resident member of the dendritic cell family, Langerhans cells (LCs) are generally regarded to function as professional antigen-presenting cells. Here we report a simple method to visualize the endocytotic activity of LCs in living animals. BALB/c mice received subcutaneous injection of FITC-conjugated dextran (DX) probes into the ear skin and were then examined under confocal microscopy. Large numbers of FITC + epidermal cells became detectable 12–24hours after injection as background fluorescence signals began to disappear. Most (>90%) of the FITC + epidermal cells expressed Langerin, and >95% of Langerin + epidermal cells exhibited significant FITC signals. To assess intracellular localization, Alexa Fluor 546-conjugated DX probes were locally injected into IAβ-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) knock-in mice and Langerin-EGFP-diphtheria toxin receptor mice—three dimensional rotation images showed close association of most of the internalized DX probes with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules, but not with Langerin molecules. These observations support the current view that LCs constantly sample surrounding materials, including harmful and innocuous antigens, at the environmental interface. Our data also validate the potential utility of the newly developed imaging approach to monitor LC function in wild-type animals.
Unified theory of Type I and Type II irregularities in the equatorial electrojet

A nonlinear unified theory of type I and II irregularities is presented that explains their principal observed characteristics. The power spectrum is predicted by using Kolmogoroff-type conservation law for the power flow in cascading eddies.
Quantum transport through cantori

We study the effect of classical cantori in quantum mechanics, extending previous results by several groups. We find that cantori form exponential barriers to quantum transport not only when Planck's constant exceeds the flux through the cantorus but also when it is smaller than the flux. The mechanism of localization in the two cases is different, and we describe the switch from dynamical localization to a mechanism we call ``retunneling'' as Planck's constant increases. We investigate the $\ensuremath{\Elzxh}$ dependence of the exponential decay for retunneling and find that the ${\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}^{\ensuremath{-}0.66}$ coefficient found previously at criticality appears to hold also away from criticality provided $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\Elzxh}$ is large enough compared to the flux. Numerical evidence as well as an analytic argument are given. Our final contribution to this subject is a phase space view of cantori in quantum mechanics. We illustrate our results using the whisker map.
Multielectron effects and nonadiabatic electronic dynamics in above threshold ionization and high-harmonic generation

We explore the effects of multiple participating final ion states during strong field ionization (SFI) and high-harmonic generation (HHG) using a two-electron two-center reduced-dimensionality model. In particular, we propose to use above threshold ionization (ATI) photoelectron spectra to identify ionic states that are active in SFI, and demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal to track multiple ionic states in a dissociation scenario. In addition to offering clear signatures of multiple participating ionic states, our method is shown to be sensitive to sub-cycle nonadiabatic laser-driven couplings between the ionic states. Finally, we calculate the high-harmonic emission and show how the multiple ionic states identified in the ATI spectra can manifest themselves in the high-harmonic spectra.
Energetics of collision between grinding media in ball mills and mechanochemical effects

Abstract This paper describes the physical and chemical changes such as decomposition, double decomposition, oxidation, and phase transformation reported in the literature as a consequence of solid surfaces coming into contact under mechanical forces. These changes, generally termed mechanochemical and chemomechanical effects, occur in the near-surface regions when surfaces come into contact as in abrasion between solid surfaces and repeated collisions among grinding media in ball mills. For understanding mechanochemical effects in ball mills, the normal impact between two grinding balls is quantified in terms of collision force, contact radius, contact time, and collision energy. These measures are quantitied as a function of ball sizes (diameters varying between 1 and 4 cm), ball material (steel and alumina), and collision velocity (0.4–4 m/s), using expressions developed by previous investigators from the principles of continuum mechanics.
Characterization of the copper chaperone Cox17 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Assembly of functional cytochrome oxidase in yeast requires Cox17, which has been postulated to deliver copper ions to the mitochondrion for insertion into the enzyme. This role for Cox17 is supported by the observation that it binds copper as a binuclear cuprous−thiolate cluster. X-ray absorption spectroscopy, together with UV−visible absorption and emission spectroscopy, indicates the presence of bound cuprous ions, trigonally coordinated by thiolate ligands. Analysis of the EXAFS shows three Cu−S bonds at 2.26 A, plus a short Cu−Cu distance of 2.7 A, indicating a binuclear cluster in Cox17. The cuprous−thiolate cluster in Cox17 is substantially more labile than structurally related clusters in metallothioneins.
Depletion of lamina-associated polypeptide 1 from cardiomyocytes causes cardiac dysfunction in mice

We previously showed that striated muscle-selective depletion of lamina-associated polypeptide 1 (LAP1), an integral inner nuclear membrane protein, leads to profound muscular dystrophy with premature death in mice. As LAP1 is also depleted in hearts of these mice, we examined their cardiac phenotype. Striated muscle-selective LAP1 knockout mice display ventricular systolic dysfunction with abnormal induction of genes encoding cardiomyopathy related proteins. To eliminate possible confounding effects due to skeletal muscle pathology, we generated a new mouse line in which LAP1 is deleted in a cardiomyocyte-selective manner. These mice had no skeletal muscle pathology and appeared overtly normal at 20 weeks of age. However, cardiac echocardiography revealed that they developed left ventricular systolic dysfunction and cardiac gene expression analysis revealed abnormal induction of cardiomyopathy-related genes. Our results demonstrate that LAP1 expression in cardiomyocytes is required for normal left ventricular function, consistent with a report of cardiomyopathy in a human subject with mutation in the gene encoding LAP1.
Making the financial case for a surgeon-directed critical care ultrasound program.

BACKGROUND We sought to demonstrate that a well-staffed, surgeon-directed, critical care ultrasound program (CCUP) is financially sustainable and provides administrative and educational support for point-of-care ultrasound. METHODS The CCUP provides a clinical service and training as well as conducts research. Initial costs, annual costs (C), revenue (R), and savings (S) were prospectively recorded. Using data from the first 3 years, we calculated the projected C, R, and S at 5 years. We determined CCUP sustainability by C < R and C < R + S at 3 years and 5 years. RESULTS During 36 months, the CCUP covered four surgical intensive care units (55 beds). Start-up costs included one basic and one cardiovascular device per 25 beds and a data storage system linking reports and images to the electronic medical record ($203,650). Billing increased threefold from Years 1 to 3, with a 21% increase between Years 2 to 3. Yearly costs included 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) sonographer and 0.2 FTE surgeon ($106,025); this was increased to 1 FTE and 0.25 FTE, respectively, for Years 4 and 5. The total 3-year cost was $521,725 and projected to be $863,325 by Year 5. The total 3-year revenue was $290,775 and projected to be $891,600 at 5 years. The total 3-year savings associated with the CCUP was $600,035 and is projected to be $1,194,220. With the use of the C < R, the CCUP meets operating expenses at Year 3 and covers overall cost at 5 years. If savings are included, then the CCUP is sustainable by its third year and is potentially profitable by Year 5. CONCLUSION A surgeon-directed CCUP is financially sustainable, addresses administrative issues, and provides valuable training in point-of-care ultrasound.
Language Ability Groups in Bilingual Children: A Latent Profile Analysis

Purpose Classifying children into two language ability groups, with and without language impairment, may underestimate the number of groups with distinct language ability patterns, or, alternatively, there may be only a single group characterized by a continuum of language performance. The purpose of the current study was to identify the number and characteristics of latent (unobservable) language ability groups in an unclassified sample of predominantly Spanish-speaking children. Method An unclassified sample of 431 predominantly Spanish-speaking 5- to 7-year-olds learning English participated in the study. The groups were identified on the basis of (a) language sample analyses (semantic, grammatical, and sentence-length measures); (b) language processing tasks (phonological working memory and processing speed measures); and (c) nonverbal cognitive abilities assessed using a standardized measure. All tasks were administered in Spanish. Latent profile analysis was used to examine the number and nature of ...
Alternative therapies for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a medical condition that affects millions of men and women. People with this condition have low bone mass, which places them at increased risk for bone fracture after minor trauma. The surgeries and treatments required to repair and heal bone fractures involve long recovery periods and can be expensive. Because osteoporosis occurs frequently in the elderly, the financial burden it places on society is likely to be large. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has approved several drugs for use in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. However, all of the currently available agents have severe side effects that limit their efficacy and underscore the urgent need for new treatment options. One promising approach is the development of alternative (nonpharmaceutical) strategies for bone maintenance, as well as for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. This review examines the currently available nonpharmaceutical alternatives that have been evaluated in in vitro and in vivo studies. Certain plants from the following families have shown the greatest benefits on bone: Alliceae, Asteraceae, Thecaceae, Fabaceae, Oleaceae, Rosaceae, Ranunculaceae, Vitaceae, Zingiberaceae. The present review discusses the most promising findings from studies of these plant families.
Metschnikowia chrysoperlae sp. nov., Candida picachoensis sp. nov. and Candida pimensis sp. nov., isolated from the green lacewings Chrysoperla comanche and Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Fourteen yeast isolates comprising three taxa were cultured from digestive tracts of adult Chrysoperla species (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) and their eggs. The yeast taxa were distinguished based on an estimated molecular phylogeny, DNA sequences and traditional taxonomic criteria. The new yeasts are closely related to Metschnikowia pulcherrima but are sufficiently distinguished by sequence comparison of rRNA gene sequences to consider them as novel species. Here, three novel species are described and their relationships with other taxa in the Saccharomycetes are discussed. Metschnikowia chrysoperlae sp. nov. (type strain, NRRL Y-27615T=CBS 9803T) produced needle-shaped ascospores and was the only teleomorph found. Large numbers of chlamydospores similar to those observed in M. pulcherrima were also produced. The other two novel species are asexual yeasts, Candida picachoensis sp. nov. (type strain, NRRL Y-27607T=CBS 9804T) and Candida pimensis sp. nov. (type strain, NRRL Y-27619T=CBS 9805T), sister taxa of M. chrysoperlae and M. pulcherrima. A specialized relationship between yeasts and lacewing hosts may exist, because the yeasts were isolated consistently from lacewings only. Although M. chrysoperlae was isolated from eggs and adult lacewings, suggesting the possibility of vertical transmission, no yeast was isolated from larvae.
SNM1B/APOLLO functions in the Fanconi anemia pathway in response to DNA interstrand crosslinks

Fanconi anemia (FA) is an inherited chromosomal instability disorder characterized by childhood aplastic anemia, developmental abnormalities and cancer predisposition. One of the hallmark phenotypes of FA is cellular hypersensitivity to agents that induce DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), such as mitomycin C (MMC). FA is caused by mutation in at least 14 genes which function in the resolution of ICLs during replication. The FA proteins act within the context of a protein network in coordination with multiple repair factors that function in distinct pathways. SNM1B/Apollo is a member of metallo-β-lactamase/βCASP family of nucleases and has been demonstrated to function in ICL repair. However, the relationship between SNM1B and the FA protein network is not known. In the current study, we establish that SNM1B functions epistatically to the central FA factor, FANCD2, in cellular survival after ICL damage and homology-directed repair of DNA double-strand breaks. We also demonstrate that MMC-induced chromosomal anomalies are increased in SNM1B-depleted cells, and this phenotype is not further exacerbated upon depletion of either FANCD2 or another key FA protein, FANCI. Furthermore, we find that SNM1B is required for proper localization of critical repair factors, including FANCD2, BRCA1 and RAD51, to MMC-induced subnuclear foci. Our findings demonstrate that SNM1B functions within the FA pathway during the repair of ICL damage.
Modeling and Analysis of the 1949 Narrows Landslide, Tacoma, Washington

A large landslide failed catastrophically along steep, 90-m (300-ft) high bluffs overlooking the waters of Puget Sound at Tacoma, Washington, in April of 1949, three days after the region was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. The area of failure was investigated to estimate the static and seismic stability of the pre-earthquake slope and to identify factors that contributed to the failure. Results of static analyses suggest that the slope was marginally stable and that high ground-water conditions would have significantly reduced slope stability. The Newmark analysis of dynamic (seismic) slope stability was used to calculate predicted inertial displacements for the landslide for a range of possible material property and ground-water conditions. Comparison of predicted displacements with a reported displacement suggests that the ground motion could have initiated the large-scale failure. Results of the study provide a basis for discussion and comparison of similar bluffs in the Puget Sound region that may be susceptible to catastrophic, earthquake-induced slope failure.
Low loss multilayer transitions using via technology on LCP from DC to 40 GHz

This paper presents low loss CPW (Co-Planar Waveguide) and microstrip via transitions on LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) substrate. The CPW transition using 105 µm via holes on a 4 mil LCP shows virtually no loss up to 25 GHz and about 0.13 dB of loss per transition at 40 GHz. The microstrip transition has no loss up to 15 GHz and approximately 0.5 dB of loss per transition at 30 GHz. In addition, the response with 70 µm vias opposed to 105 µm vias on a 4 mil substrate added slightly more loss of 0.16 dB per transition at 40 GHz. Using 2 mil thick LCP, a back to back transition with 55 µm via holes has been made on a single layer LCP and also on LCP bonded to a silicon wafer. The results show less than 0.1 dB loss per transition up to 40 GHz in both designs.
Sequence learning and planning on associative spiking neural network

We have been building an auto/heteroassociative spiking neural network combined with a working memory model. In this model, a state-driven forward sequence and a goal-driven backward sequence on the associative network are respectively represented by a sequence of synchronous firing in a particular gamma subcycle during a theta oscillation. These forward and backward sequence firings are transmitted to the working memory, temporarily maintained, and integrated based on a competition principle to make a plan. The paper shows that our system can learn forward and backward sequences simultaneously and a plan is incrementally synthesized by repeating their recall and integration.
Online Ad Slotting With Cancellations

Many advertisers buy advertisements (ads) on the Internet or on traditional media and seek simple, online mechanisms to reserve ad slots in advance. Media publishers represent a vast and varying inventory, and they too seek automatic, online mechanisms for pricing and allocating such reservations. In this paper, we present and study a simple model for auctioning such ad slots in advance. Bidders arrive sequentially and report which slots they are interested in. The seller must decide immediately whether or not to grant a reservation. Our model allows a seller to accept reservations, but possibly cancel the allocations later and pay the bidder a cancellation compensation (bump payment). Our main result is an online mechanism to derive prices and bump payments that is efficient to implement. This mechanism has many desirable properties. It is individually rational; winners have an incentive to be honest and bidding one's true value dominates any lower bid. Our mechanism's efficiency is within a constant fraction of the a posteriori optimally efficient solution. Its revenue is within a constant fraction of the a posteriori revenue of the Vickrey-Clarke-Groves mechanism. Our results make no assumptions about the order of arrival of bids or the value distribution of bidders and still hold if the items for sale are elements of a matroid, a more general setting than slot allocation.
The Effect Of Self-Efficacy And Adaptability On Salesperson Orientation And Customer Orientation And On Job Performance And Customer Satisfaction

The importance of the effect of self-efficacy and adaptability on salesperson orientation and customer satisfaction (SOCO) and on job performance and customer satisfaction is an issue of major importance. As an application of this issue, the relationships among self-efficacy and adaptability involved with telemarketing customers is utilized. Self-efficacy is operationalized as the extent to which telemarketers feel confident about their job skills and abilities . Employee Adaptability is operationalized as the ability of telemarketers to adjust their behavior on the job. The measure is adapted from the 16-item adaptive selling scale. Job Performance is operationalized as the number of applications filed by the salesperson, the dollar amount of premiums, and the service quality. Customer Satisfaction is operationalized as a post choice evaluative judgment concerning a specific purchase selection. The justifications for eight hypotheses are provided.
Coronary artery rupture and pseudoaneurysm formation resulting from percutaneous coronary angioscopy

We describe a case in which coronary angioscopy was complicated by inability to deflate the device's occlusion balloon. Rapid over-inflation to rupture the balloon resulted in massive dissection of the artery, pseudoaneurysm formation, and ultimately coronary bypass. While the cause of failure of balloon deflation remains obscure, deliberate over-inflation to cause rupture may be hazardous. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Tracking cortical surface deformations based on vessel structure using a laser range scanner

This paper reports a vessel structure based non-rigid registration method for cortical surface registration and deformation tracking using a laser-range scanner(LRS). The LRS contains both geometric and texture information of the brain surface, i.e. the unit produces a three-dimensional (3-D) textured point cloud. Unlike our previous registration work, in this paper we investigate using vessel structures on the brain surface in conjunction with a 3-D point-based nonrigid registration method to measure brain deformations from LRS data. Specifically, three separate 3-D vessel contour models were extracted from two LRS textured point clouds (pre- and post-deformed cortical surfaces) and the robust point matching (RPM) by Chui and Rangarajaan was used to align the vessel structures non-rigidly. The measurements of four landmarks were compared to those acquired with an independent optically tracked stylus. Preliminary results improved target registration error from 5.7 mm to 4.1 mm, and the angular error from 32.7/spl deg/ to 21.2/spl deg/. When analyzing each landmark independently across the vessel models, the results indicate that this error may potentially be reduced to less than 2 mm.
Vitamin D and gestational diabetes mellitus

The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing worldwide. GDM can be responsible for an important proportion of adverse fetal and maternal outcomes during pregnancy, and it is associated with long-term health deterioration for both mother and child. Therefore, it is important to identify potentially modifiable risk factors for GDM. Accumulating evidence links vitamin D deficiency with abnormal glucose metabolism, and epidemiological studies have shown that women who develop GDM are more likely to be vitamin D deficient. This review discusses the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of GDM and vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women, outlines the possible mechanism of action of vitamin D in glucose homeostasis, and summarizes emerging evidence that associates vitamin D deficiency with the risk of developing GDM. This critical review of the literature indicates there is a need for intervention trials to test the possible beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women with low vitamin D status to reduce the risk of developing GDM.
In-Situ Probing of Domain Poling in Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 Thin Films by Optical Second Harmonic Generation

We quantitatively track in real-time, the changes in domain statistics with electric field poling, of a ferroelectric Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 thin film using optical second harmonic generation as a probe. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop is extracted from these optical measurements using a theoretical model. The model also yields ratios of intrinsic nonlinear coefficients such as d 11 / d 12 = m 3.54 - 0.31, d 26 / d 11 = 0.4 - 0.03, and optical birefringence | n b m n a | = 0.079 - 0.015.
GAP DYNAMICS FOLLOWING FOREST DECLINE: A CASE STUDY OF RED SPRUCE FORESTS

Forest decline is perceived as a threat to forest health in many regions of the world. The decline of red spruce in the mountains of the northeastern United States is one well-known example. We evaluated the impact of spruce decline by considering its effect on the prevailing gap dynamics. We compared plant composition, height growth, and indices of resource availability in gaps to the forest as a whole in four old-growth stands. In our study, there were no appreciable compositional differences between gaps and the forest as a whole. However, the relative height growth rate of saplings and seedlings was greater in gaps and was significantly different in three of the four old-growth communities studied. There were also significant differences in the response of species to gaps; birches grew faster than balsam fir which grew faster than spruce. The initial stage of vegetation recovery in the spruce–fir forest was dominated by advance regeneration of balsam fir. Much of the recovery in the hardwood–conifer t...
Pharmacotherapeutics for substance-use disorders: a focus on dopaminergic medications.

Introduction: Illicit substance-use is a substantial public health concern, contributing over $150 billion in costs annually to Americans. A complex disease, a substance-use disorder affects neural circuits involved in reinforcement, motivation, learning and memory, and inhibitory control. Areas covered: The modulatory influence of dopamine in mesocorticolimbic circuits contributes to encoding the primary reinforcing effects of substances and numerous studies suggest that aberrant signaling within these circuits contributes to the development of a substance-use disorder in some individuals. Decades of research focused on the clinical development of medications that directly target dopamine receptors has led to recent studies of agonist-like dopaminergic treatments for stimulant-use disorders and, more recently, cannabis-use disorder. Human studies evaluating the efficacy of dopaminergic agonist-like medications to reduce reinforcing effects and substance-use provide some insight into the design of future ...
Making difficult ethical decisions in patient care during natural disasters and other mass casualty events.

OBJECTIVE: Recent experiences in the United States with unprecedented terrorist attacks (9/11) and a devastating natural disaster (Hurricane Katrina) have demonstrated that the medical care of mass casualties during such disasters poses ethical problems not normally experienced in civilian health care. It is important to 1) identify the unique ethical challenges facing physicians who feel an obligation to care for victims of such disasters and 2) develop a national consensus on ethical guidelines as a resource for ethical decision making in medical disaster relief. STUDY DESIGN: A survey of pertinent literature was performed to assess experience and opinions on the condition of medical care in terrorist attacks and natural disasters, the ethical challenges of disaster medical care, and the professional responsibilities and responsiveness in disasters. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to develop a national consensus on the ethical guidelines for physicians who care for patients, victims, and casualties of disasters, and to formulate a virtue-based, yet practical, ethical approach to medical care under such extreme conditions. An educational curriculum for medical students, residents, and practicing physicians is required to best prepare all physicians who might be called upon, in the future, to triage patients, allocate resources, and make difficult decisions about treatment priorities and comfort care. It is not appropriate to address these questions at the time of the disaster, but rather in advance, as part of the ethics education of the medical profession. Important issues for resolution include inpatient and casualty triage and prioritization, medical liability, altered standards of care, justice and equity, informed consent and patient autonomy, expanding scope of practice in disaster medicine, and the moral and ethical responsibilities of physicians to care for disaster victims. Language: en
Motor drive technologies for the power-by-wire (PBW) program: options, trends and tradeoffs

Power-By-Wire (PBW) is a program involving the replacement of hydraulic and pneumatic systems currently used in aircraft with an all-electric secondary power system. One of the largest loads of the all-electric secondary power system will be the motor loads which include pumps, compressors and electrical actuators (EAs). Issues of improved reliability, reduced maintenance and efficiency, among other advantages, are the motivation for replacing the existing aircraft actuators with electrical actuators. An EA system contains four major components. These are the motor, the power electronic converters, the actuator and the control system, including the sensors. This paper is a comparative literature review of motor drive technologies, with a focus on the trends and tradeoffs involved in the selection of a particular motor drive technology. The reported research comprises three motor drive technologies. These are the induction motor (IM), the brushless dc motor (BLDCM) and the switched reluctance motor (SRM). Each of the three drives has the potential for application in the PBW program. Many issues remain to be investigated and compared between the three motor drives, using actual mechanical loads expected in the PBW program.
FDTD Simulation of Substrate Environments

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) waves in inhomogeneous medium are analyzed by numerical methods in this paper. The theory analysis provides physical interpretation of a calculation model for characteristics of subsurface layers. In this model, the thickness and permittivity of subsurface layers would be estimated by traveling time of reflection wave in GPR measurement. A 3-D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code is used to simulate electromagnetic fields in multi-layer ground. Numerical simulations of the responses of GPR are described. Responses of different offset radars are studied in this paper. The thickness of the planar layer is calculated by simulated results. The results calculated from FDTD simulations verify the accuracy of the model for estimating the parameters of ground by GPR
Crossing cultures: the lived experience of Jordanian graduate students in nursing: a qualitative study

This qualitative phenomenologic study explores the meaning of crossing cultures as experienced by Jordanian graduate students in nursing. Seven male and female students participated in conversations and journals regarding their experiences in the academic, social and professional realms of an American culture at a private, mid-Atlantic university. An analysis of the text revealed an overarching theme, "metamorphosis of self." Events leading to the metamorphosis included being chosen, experiencing a time full of memories, feeling bombarded with stimuli and "looking to do something" as professional nurses in Jordan.
Visualizing audio in group table conversation

In this paper, we create social visualizations of aural group conversation. These visualizations are tailored to a table setting. Examples of such settings are a family sitting about a table eating dinner or colleagues sitting about a table in a meeting. The form of the visualization is highly coupled to its function. People sit about the table structure and see their conversation visualized on the table surface as they speak. Using this physical structure, we present two graphical table interfaces. The first interface depicts the rhythm and conversational patterns in table top interaction; the second visualization extends this theme by incorporating a voting mechanism to highlight agreement and disagreement in spoken interaction. The visualizations evolve over time to create an evocative, graphical, interactive snapshot of the entire conversation within that table space.
Cancer Survivorship Issues in Older Adults

Advancing age comes bundled with increased cancer incidence and mortality.1,2 Indeed, the median age at diagnosis of all cancers combined is 69 years for men and 67 years for women.3 Age-adjusted cancer incidence is ten times higher in the 65+ population compared to their younger counterparts (2,151.2 versus 208.8/100,000 persons).2 Similarly, age-adjusted cancer mortality is 15-fold higher in the 65+ population (1,068.2 versus 67.3/100,000 persons).2 Figures 16.1 and 16.2 illustrate the proportions of the commonest cancers incidence and mortality in the 65+ population.2 As a result, while the total US population is expected to grow by 9% between 1990 and 2010, the incidence of cancer is expected to increase by a disproportionate 32% in the same timeframe.4,5 These trends are mirrored in countries across the globe.6,7
A cytokeratin 8-like protein with plasminogen-binding activity is present on the external surfaces of hepatocytes, HepG2 cells and breast carcinoma cell lines

Plasminogen binding to cell surfaces may be important for tumor invasion and other processes that involve cellular migration. In this investigation, the principal plasminogen-binding protein was identified in the plasma membrane fraction of rat hepatocytes. The protein had an apparent mass of 59 kDa, was insoluble in a spectrum of detergents, and was identical to cytokeratin 8 (CK 8) as determined by sequence analysis of nine amino acids at the N terminus of two cyanogen bromide fragments. The 59 kDa protein bound CK 8-specific antibody in western blot analyses. These studies demonstrate that CK 8 or a CK 8-like protein binds plasminogen. Given this newly determined and potentially important CK 8 function, immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy studies were performed to determine whether CK 8 may be present on the external surfaces of unpermeabilized, viable hepatocytes. All of the cells in each preparation were immunopositive with two separate CK 8-specific antibodies. A punctate pattern of immunofluorescence was detected on the cell surface with approximately even intensity from cell to cell. By immunoelectron microscopy, CK 8 was preferentially associated with microvilli. In order to determine whether other epithelial cells express cell-surface CK 8, immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy studies were performed with HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells and with BT20 and MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells. The pattern of antigen expression was equivalent with each cell type and comparable to that observed with hepatocytes. These studies support the hypothesis that CK 8 is associated with the external cell surface where it may express important proteinase receptor function.
Two-Nucleon Potential from the Cut-Off Yukawa Theory

Using the Yukawa theory with cutoff, the two-nucleon interaction is calculated up to fourth order in the coupling constant. The resulting potential at large distances (\ensuremath{\gtrsim}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ cm) is similar to the well-known potential with no cutoff. At small distances, however, the tensor potential approaches zero, and the central potential is strongly repulsive. The details are essentially determined by two parameters, the coupling constant and curoff. The Schr\"odinger equation for the two-nucleon problem at low energies is solved numerically, and values are obtained for the binding energy, the quadrupole moment, and the four $n\ensuremath{-}p$ scattering parameters. It is found that the triplet experimental values are reproduced quite well, and the singlet parameters reasonably well by the same coupling constant and cutoff required to explain pion-nucleon scattering and photoproduction.
Complementary Institutions and Economic Development: A Demonstration Experiment

This paper considers the problem of why societies develop differently, a question most recently articulated by Acemoglu and Robinson (2012). We follow North (1990) in defining institutions as the "rules of the game in society." The question then becomes why do different societies develop different societal rules? To investigate this we examine a specific type of dynamic game (called an "Institutional Game"). Finally, we examine these ideas using what Charles Plott calls a "Demonstration Experiment", an experiment whose purpose is simply to demonstrate that the phenomena we are discussing could occur both in the laboratory and in the real world.
Getting Them While They’re Young: Two Experiences Using Traditional Legal Practice Skills to Interest High School Students in Attending Law School

Take a moment and think back to how you first got the idea to become a lawyer. Chances are, your inspiration was someone you knew personally. Now, imagine that your path had never crossed with that of the person who inspired you. This situation is real life for some young people of economic disadvantaged backgrounds: they never have considered a career in law because they rarely encounter such professionals in positive situations. Law schools need to be creative when it comes to increasing diversity among their student population. Diversity is a compelling state interest and is important to the legitimacy of legal education and the legal community. The rate of minority enrollment in institutions of higher learning is decreasing, and as a result, so are the number of minority students entering law school. One way that may help to increase minority enrollment is to invest time and resources in the surrounding community. This paper explores two exercises using traditional legal practice skills - research and oral advocacy - as a way to interest high school students in attending law school.
Business Interests, Political Parties and Democratic Rule

One of the lesser-acknowledged conclusions from analyses of the third wave relates to the importance of conservatives to democratic consolidation. Several landmark studies point to the centrality of protecting elite and business interests in democratic frameworks – for without that protection, it is posited, those interests may mobilize outside the democratic framework, destabilize politics, and support anti-democratic rule as they had in the past (Rueschemeyer, et al. 1992, 274;O’Donnell and Schmitter 1986, 70-72; Middlebrook 2000, 288). Those early warnings seem to resonate with recent actions by business interests in Latin America (in Bolivia and Ecuador; see Eaton 2008), suggesting that there are continuing reasons for us to be concerned about the place of conservative, traditional, and business interests in democratic politics. Yet, in reality we know very little about the way that such interests are incorporated into the formal, institutional arena of parties and elections – especially as relates to business interests. This is true in spite of a clear, cross-regional rise in the presence of entrepreneurs themselves in politics. It is now time to step back and assess what is known about the organization of business interests and their relationship to electoral politics. In addition to reviewing that literature and exposing its inconsistencies and holes, this paper works through two sets of related hypotheses. First, it asks why the state of scholarship on business interests and institutional politics is what it is. Second, given the scant attention these questions have received in the literature, it generates a set of expectations for how we might see business interests behaving politically. I focus my empirical attention on Mexico, where business interests are historically speaking very well organized internally, to see what evidence that case offers to inform how we understand the political mobilization of business. I conclude by considering where we might look for the political mobilization of business interests – in the interest of identifying a research agenda for the future.