cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychometric properties of the self-sufficiency matrix among homeless and vulnerably housed individuals and families.

Homeless service systems have been implementing assessment tools to inform service provision for individuals and families. Although a variety of assessments are available, their psychometric evidence base is limited. The self-sufficiency matrix (SSM) is one assessment that demonstrates promising reliability and validity. However, the SSM's factor structure has been inconsistent across studies. This study explored the factor structure of the SSM, using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of individuals (N = 427) and families ( N = 428) at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Data were derived from a midwestern city's Homeless Management Information System and included all participants from the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program. Results suggest the SSM is multidimensional and the factor structure differs across individuals and families. Additionally, the SSM demonstrates measurement invariance across racial and gender groups. Further development and testing of the SSM is necessary to better serve individuals experiencing homelessness.
Open-source molecular modeling software in chemical engineering

The molecular modeling community within chemical engineering has been rapidly growing for several decades. This was recognized formally by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2000 with the establishment of a new programming group, the Computational and Molecular Science and Engineering Forum (CoMSeF). Many researchers in this community have embraced the principles of open source software, and have made significant contributions to the portfolio of open-source software available for use by the entire scientific and engineering community. In this article, we briefly review the concepts of molecular modeling and open-source software, and provide an overview of some of these contributions from the chemical engineering community. Additional information is provided in an extensive supplementary information (SI) addendum.
Acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions for health behavior change: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Behavioral health issues such as smoking and overweight are risk factors for a variety of adverse health outcomes, including mortality. Over the past decade, a growing number of randomized controlled trials have examined the efficacy of acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions for smoking cessation and weight loss. The purpose of the current meta-analytic reviews was to quantitatively synthesize the existing literature comparing these interventions to controls for a) smoking cessation and b) weight loss outcomes. Searches identified 17 smoking cessation studies and 31 weight loss studies eligible for inclusion. Meta-analytic results indicated a non-significant effect favoring acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions over controls for smoking cessation (OR = 1.13) and a small, significant effect favoring these interventions over controls for weight loss outcomes (Hedge's g = 0.30). Statistical heterogeneity and risk of bias were assessed. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were conducted to examine moderating variables (e.g., sample and intervention characteristics). The findings indicated that acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions were at least as efficacious as active control conditions. Given the significant health risks associated with smoking and overweight, these findings have important clinical and public health implications. Limitations (e.g., relative infancy of the literature; lack of diversity in sample demographics) and future directions (e.g., further exploration of mediators and moderators of change) are discussed.
3D-printed phononic crystal lens for elastic wave focusing and energy harvesting

Abstract We explore elastic wave focusing and enhanced energy harvesting by means of a 3D-printed Gradient-Index Phononic Crystal Lens (GRIN-PCL) bonded on a metallic host structure. The lens layer is fabricated by 3D printing a rectangular array of cylindrical nylon stubs with varying heights. The stub heights are designed to obtain a hyperbolic secant distribution of the refractive index to achieve the required phase velocity variation in space, hence the gradient-index lens behavior. Finite element simulations are performed on composite unit cells with various stub heights to obtain the lowest antisymmetric mode Lamb wave band diagrams, yielding a correlation between the stub height and refractive index. The elastic wave focusing performance of lenses with different design parameters (gradient coefficient and aperture size) is simulated numerically under plane wave excitation. It is observed that the focal points of the wider aperture lens designs have better consistency with the analytical beam trajectory results. Experiments are conducted using a PA2200 nylon lens bonded to an aluminum plate to demonstrate wave focusing and enhanced energy harvesting within the 3D-printed GRIN-PCL domain. The piezoelectric energy harvester at the focal region of the GRIN-PCL produces 3 times more power output than the baseline harvester at the same distance in the flat plate region. The results show that 3D printing can provide a simple and practical method for implementing phononic crystal concepts with minimal modification of the host structure.
Dual specificity phosphatase 5 regulates perfusion recovery in experimental peripheral artery disease.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is caused by atherosclerotic occlusions of vessels outside the heart, particularly those of the lower extremities. Angiogenesis is one critical physiological respons...
The neuroscience of vision and pain: evolution of two disciplines

Research in the neuroscience of pain perception and visual perception has taken contrasting paths. The contextual and the social aspects of pain judgements predisposed pain researchers to develop computational and functional accounts early, while vision researchers tended to simple localizationist or descriptive approaches first. Evolutionary thought was applied to distinct domains, such as game-theoretic approaches to cheater detection in pain research, versus vision scientists' studies of comparative visual ecologies. Both fields now contemplate current motor or decision-based accounts of perception, particularly predictive coding. Vision researchers do so without the benefit of earlier attention to social and motivational aspects of vision, while pain researchers lack a comparative behavioural ecology of pain, the normal incidence and utility of responses to tissue damage. Hybrid hypotheses arising from predictive coding as used in both domains are applied to some perplexing phenomena in pain perception to suggest future directions. The contingent and predictive interpretation of complex sensations, in such domains as 'runner's high', multiple cosmetic procedures, self-harm and circadian rhythms in pain sensitivity is one example. The second, in an evolutionary time frame, considers enhancement of primary perception and expression of pain in social species, when expressions of pain might reliably elicit useful help. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain'.
Experimental phase diagram for beryllium-magnesium aluminate nanoparticles

Abstract An experimental phase diagram for nanoscale dimensions was constructed for BeAl2O4–MgAl2O4 solid solutions in which polymorphs can be identified as a function of crystallite size (or temperature) and composition. Spinel and chrysoberyl are the main phases present in the diagram. Because nanoscale phase diagrams account for the energetic contribution of the surface of particles, the results enabled the calculation of the surface energies for spinel and chrysoberyl nanoparticles at various compositions, which showed a decrease in the average surface energy of spinel particles as the Be2+ content increased while the average surface energy of chrysoberyl slightly increased. The energetic data suggest spinel particles incorporate Be2+ into the structure until it reaches a saturation concentration, after which, additional Be2+ ions segregate to the surface. Chrysoberyl particles do not readily incorporate Mg2+, as evident by the minimal change in surface energies and the formation of spinel at relatively low Mg2+ concentrations.
Chemoresistant Leukemia-Initiating Cell Expansion Is Inhibited By Targeting Oncogenic Self-Renewal

Abstract Leukemia is often maintained by a relatively rare subset of tumor-initiating cells, which may be resistant to traditional chemotherapy. Targeting these leukemic stem cells is expected to eliminate or reduce acquired resistance to chemotherapy and disease recurrence, but this goal has been elusive. It's also not clear whether eliminating the 'root' of cancer is sufficient or whether targeting both 'root' and 'branch' (i.e. LSCs and their bulk progeny) is necessary. To test this, we established and characterized a mouse model with clearly defined populations of rare leukemic stem cells (LSCs), abundant leukemic blast cell progeny, and normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). This was achieved by simultaneously activating the Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in HSPCs to drive stem cell self-renewal-resulting in successive expansion of HSPCs, LSCs, and leukemic blasts. Functional analysis showed a 1,300-fold increase in leukemia-initiating activity of sorted LSCs compared to bulk blast cells or sorted HSPCs. Since Akt activates β-catenin by phosphorylation at serine 552 and thus represents a molecular link mediating the synergistic, self-renewal promoting activity of these pathways, we sought to specifically target pS552-β-catenin. Unexpectedly, high-throughput screening (HTS) and subsequent validation assays found that doxorubicin (DXR) inhibits pS552-β-catenin with minimal effects on total β-catenin. DXR exhibits the broadest spectrum of anti-cancer activity known and has been employed as a standard chemotherapeutic agent for decades, but severe side-effects limit its use. We found that while standard chemotherapeutic treatment reduced the bulk leukemic blast cells as expected, it also induced pS552-β-catenin uniquely in LSCs and stimulated LSC expansion. Using long-circulating nanoparticles (NanoDXR) to deliver very low, sustained doses of DXR, we repurposed DXR as a targeted therapy for pS552-β-catenin inhibition rather than a broadly cytotoxic agent. In vivo, this treatment reduced pS552-β-catenin levels in LSCs, prevented LSC expansion, essentially eliminated LSC tumorigenic activity in transplant recipients, and was accompanied by recovery of HSPCs and substantially increased median survival from 44.5 days to 139 days. Our data reveals a dynamic relationship between rare LSCs and bulk leukemic blast cells in their response to cytotoxic chemotherapy and show how oncogenic self-renewal in chemoresistant LSCs can be targeted while sparing normal HSPCs. In distinguishing the unique properties of LSCs and their progeny, we find that both populations must be differentially targeted at both the 'root' and 'branch' of leukemia and can be effectively reduced or eliminated while allowing for recovery of normal HSPCs. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Cybersecurity Recommendations for Spectral Impact in Distributed Antenna Systems for Nuclear Energy

Wireless access to data is a challenge for environments with poor radio frequency (RF) coverage, such as nuclear power plants. An 802.11 Wi-Fi data network often is not a cost-effective solution due to the extensive antenna outlay requirement for large nuclear facilities and poor signal penetration due to thick concrete walls. Combining commercial Long-Term Evolution (LTE) with an existing distributed antenna system (DAS) resources and infrastructure is an attractive solution due to the lower implementation costs, while achieving the needed RF coverage. A 2017 technical report by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) demonstrated that multiple systems such as Land Mobile Radio and LTE can be operated sharing the same DAS, leaky coaxial cabling and indoor antenna systems. Since the RF bands used by the two wireless systems are specified to be non-overlapping, it is believed that the systems are isolated from each other. This paper investigates the assumption of isolation between the two wireless systems and provides empirical testing to evaluate the channelization robustness of a DAS, identify specific vulnerabilities, and potential mitigations. The critical transceiver components were manipulated for the purpose of generating interference to adjacent incumbent protected communications users. This interference presents a direct vector to corrupt all signals being transmitted on the fiber link for the purpose of enabling a cyber-attack.
A passion for the profession: a festschrift honoring Erich Meyerhoff

An introduction to a series of essays honoring Erich Meyerhoff (1919–2015), AHIP, FMLA, who was active in and contributed to the Medical Library Association for generations.
Collaborative Family Program Development: Research Methods That Investigate and Foster Resilience and Engagement in Marginalized Communities

Programs and interventions for marginalized communities are typically created and evaluated by academics from their “expert position,” relying heavily on quantitative assessments, and based on what is already known about the community’s challenges from previous research. This approach fails to incorporate members’ detailed expertise on their own lives and their ideas about what would make a program useful. As a result, these programs fail to enroll many families, because they do not recognize families’ self-perceived needs and constraints around attending such programs. This chapter describes the ten-step Collaborative Family Program Development (CFPD) model for engaging families as experts in teaching researchers about their unique challenges and in creating and evaluating programs to serve families’ needs. The steps include (1) forming collaborative professional relationships and engaging senior mentors as cultural and methodological consultants, (2) intensive interviewing of family members, (3) intensive interviewing of agency professionals, (4) phrase-by-phrase qualitative coding, (5) creating program formats and contents and writing an initial manual, (6) piloting of the program with session-by-session evaluations by participants, (7) revising the program and manual based on ongoing interviews and families’ evaluations, (8) intensive interviewing of families for each subsequent group cycle, (9) evaluating the effectiveness of the program through traditional mixed methods in matched comparison or randomized designs, and (10) disseminating and adapting program to other settings. The CFPD approach was created to develop and evaluate a program to foster resilience in families living in homeless shelters but is applicable to program development for any community with any particular challenges.
RISK PROFILE AND LONG-TERM PROGNOSIS OF PATIENTS WITH PREMATURE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is increasing among young adults in the US. We aimed to describe cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and the prognosis in people under 50 years old with CAD. Using our Cardiovascular Databank, we included patients with a first diagnosis of obstructive CAD before 50 years
Reliability Assessment of Magnetic Cores and 3-D-Printed Constant-Flux Inductors

Constant-flux inductors (CFIs) are designed to have more uniform flux distribution in the core for efficient use of magnetic material and higher inductance density. However, they require elaborate winding structures, which pose challenges to fabrication by conventional fabrication techniques. Recently, we applied a paste-extrusion 3-D printer to fabricate spiral windings with different turn-to-turn widths for a pot-core CFI. The printed windings were sintered at 850 °C and then potted in a low-temperature curable magnetic composite to form inductors measured at 5 mm $\times 5$ mm $\times 2$ mm. In this article, reliability of the CFIs and the corresponding magnetic cores was evaluated by temperature cycling between −40 °C and 125 °C and storage testing at 125 °C. After 1000 temperature cycles and 1000 h at the storage temperature, the dc winding resistances of the pot-core CFIs had no significant change, while the inductances dropped by only 4.8% and 2%, respectively. The drop in inductance was found to correlate with the drop in magnetic permeability of the core, which was caused by degradation of the magnetic material under thermomechanical stresses.
Financial Literacy in Asia: A Scoping Review

This chapter is to provide an overview of financial literacy in Asia, describe financial literacy education in Asian countries, and propose recommendations for policy makers. The chapter demonstrates that: 1) Financial literacy is an important factor contributing to consumer financial capability and wellbeing in Asia; 2) Financial literacy national strategies and education programs in Asian countries are beneficial for consumer wellbeing and economic developments; and 3) Public policies promoting financial literacy education can be compatible with the socio-economic development goals of Asian countries.
Discovery of indole-modified aptamers for highly specific recognition of protein glycoforms

Abstract Glycosylation is one of the most abundant forms of post-translational modification, and can have a profound impact on a wide range of biological processes and diseases. Unfortunately, efforts to characterize such modifications in the context of basic and clinical research are severely hampered by the lack of affinity reagents that can differentiate protein glycoforms. This lack of reagents is largely due to the challenges associated with generating affinity reagents that can bind to particular glycan epitopes with robust affinity and specificity. In this work, we use a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-based approach to generate and screen aptamers with indole-modified bases in an effort to isolate reagents that can differentiate between protein glycoforms. Using this approach, we were able to select multiple aptamers that exhibit strong selectivity for specific glycoforms of two different proteins, with the capacity to discriminate between molecules with identical tertiary structures that differ only in terms of their glycan modifications.
Geographic and Demographic Variability in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Dispersion in the United States

Background Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has transformed the management of aortic valve stenosis. However, little national data are available characterizing the geographic and demog...
Who is mobilized to vote by information about voter ID laws

Advocacy groups often work to educate the public about voting requirements following changes to election laws. These outreach efforts have the potential to mobilize partisan groups who consider the...
Comparing in-class scenario-based learning to scenario-based eLearning through an interactive, self-paced case study

Scenario-Based Learning (SBL) is a learning method that promotes authentic learning through real-world circumstances. eLearning software allows for the creation of robust Scenario-Based eLearning (...
Seasonal and stormflow chloride loads in an urban–agricultural watershed in central Illinois, USA

Manual and high-frequency measurements (n = 535) of chloride (Cl−) along a low-order stream in an urban–agricultural watershed (8% urban, 87% agriculture) were conducted to investigate the importance of stormflow to Cl− transport. Sampling was conducted from February 2018 to February 2019; manual sampling occurred weekly, while stormflows were sampled at high frequency. Total Cl− export was nearly 780,000 kg, of which 42.1% occurred during winter. Stormflows, which represented 19% of the period, contributed 57.6% of the total Cl− load. The importance of stormflows varied seasonally; winter and spring storms exported nearly half of total Cl−, 29.1% and 18.2% respectively, while summer (8.2%) and fall storm (2.1%) events account for only ~ 10% of total export. A substantial portion of Cl− export, 43.4%, also occurred during baseflow, likely from accumulation of Cl− related to road salt and KCl fertilizer in groundwater. The results identified two periods of elevated Cl− concentrations: (1) flushing of road salt from impervious surfaces during and immediately following the cold season and (2) transport of salt accumulated from the dry season. Elevated discharges associated with summer and fall stormflows when road salt was not present did not generate similar Cl− loads, despite peak discharge values larger than those measured in the winter and spring. The lack of deicing application and a shift to stored Cl− during the summer stormflows created a discharge–load relationship that reached an asymptote where further increases in discharge do not correspond with increased Cl− load.
AdAlyze Redux: Post-Click and Post-Conversion Text Feature Attribution for Sponsored Search Ads

In this paper, we present our ongoing research on an ads quality testing tool that we call AdAlyze Redux. This tool allows advertisers to get individual best practice recommendations based on an expandable set of textual ads features, tailored to exactly the ads in an advertiser's set of accounts. This lets them optimize their ad copies against the common online advertising key performance indicators clickthrough rate and, if available, conversion rate. We choose the Web as the tool's platform and automatically generate the analyses as platform-independent HTML5 slides and full reports.
Assessment and Application of National Environmental Databases and Mapping Tools at the Local Level to Two Community Case Studies

Communities are concerned over pollution levels and seek methods to systematically identify and prioritize the environmental stressors in their communities. Geographic information system (GIS) maps of environmental information can be useful tools for communities in their assessment of environmental-pollution-related risks. Databases and mapping tools that supply community-level estimates of ambient concentrations of hazardous pollutants, risk, and potential health impacts can provide relevant information for communities to understand, identify, and prioritize potential exposures and risk from multiple sources. An assessment of existing databases and mapping tools was conducted as part of this study to explore the utility of publicly available databases, and three of these databases were selected for use in a community-level GIS mapping application. Queried data from the U.S. EPA's National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment, Air Quality System, and National Emissions Inventory were mapped at the appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions for identifying risks of exposure to air pollutants in two communities. The maps combine monitored and model-simulated pollutant and health risk estimates, along with local survey results, to assist communities with the identification of potential exposure sources and pollution hot spots. Findings from this case study analysis will provide information to advance the development of new tools to assist communities with environmental risk assessments and hazard prioritization.
Real-Time Scheduling of Sensor-Based Control Systems

Abstract Many sensor-based control systems are dynamically changing, and thus require a flexible scheduler. The rate mo no tonic (RM) real-time scheduling algorithm does not support such dynamic systems very well. On the other hand, with earliest-deadline-first (EDF) and minimum-laxity-first (MLF) dynamic scheduling algorithms, a transient overload in the system may cause a critical task to fail, which is certainly undesirable. This paper proposes a new realtime scheduling algorithm, which we call maximum-urgency-first (MUF), which combines the advantages of the RM, EDF, and MLF algorithms. Like EDF and MLF, MUF has a schedulable bound of 100% for the critical set. And like RM, a critical set can be defined that is guaranteed to meet all its deadlines. The MUF algorithm also allows the scheduler to detect three forms of deadline failures, and call failure han-dler routines for tasks which fail to meet their deadlines.The MUF scheduler has been implemented as the default sched-uler of CHIMERA II, a real-time operating system being used to control sensor-based control systems both at Carnegie Mellon University and elsewhere. There are still many issues to be addressed with regards to the MUF algorithm. This paper also presents those issues, with possible approaches that should be investigated further.
Workshop on Indices and Indicators for Climate Extremes, Asheville, NC, USA, 3–6 June 1997 Breakout Group A: Storms

The Working Group on Storms considered tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones, thunderstorms and their associated winds and effects other than on temperatures and precipitation (which are dealt with by the other working groups) to be in their purview. Changes in observing systems and distribution of observers and people impacted by these phenomena confound trend analysis. In light of the difficulty of assembling homogeneous time series of small-scale phenomena such as thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail, and also the problems in wind measurements, the working group recommends that indices of wind be developed by taking advantage of long surface (r. sea-level) pressure measurements and analyses. Because wind is a vector, two pairs of readings that are orthogonal are desirable. Instantaneous values over about 1000 km scales are desirable to generate statistics relevant to wind extremes. Recommendations are given on how the data might profitably be processed. Several other recommendations are made concerning data acquisition and processing, some of which apply to reanalysis of past data and some apply to future processing of data. Various “extremes indices” are also suggested.
Protein folding: Matching speed and locality

The study of protein folding is both a theoretical and an experimental discipline. But whereas experimentalists generally study specific proteins, theoreticians often use models that apply only to generic proteins. Can the two be reconciled? One study goes some way towards this through a statistical analysis of measured folding rates and theoretical determinants. The authors conclude that, for one group of proteins, the speed of folding depends on the number of local versus non-local contacts between amino-acid residues in the protein.
Clinical update on fluid therapy and nutritional support in acute pancreatitis.

Abstract Background/objectives The aim of this focused review is to provide a valuable and updated source of information for clinical practice on fluid therapy (FT) and nutritional support in acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods The review encompasses important new clinical information that has become available for understanding and offering these specific treatments since the 2013 publication of two guidelines, both the joint International Association of Pancreatology and American Pancreatic Association and the American College of Gastroenterology. The 2015 Revised Japanese Guideline is discussed selectively. To this end, the review is divided into 7 sections, including timing and cause of mortality; severity classification systems; predicting severity; response to treatment; nutritional support; fluid therapy and steps for further research. Conclusions In mild AP, begin oral feeding when nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are improving. In (predicted) severe AP, feeding decisions should commence by 72 h, offering oral feeding if GI symptoms improve or enteral feeding if patients are symptomatic and/or intolerant to orals. All patients should be offered goal-directed FT during the first 6–12 h of presentation. Cautious FT is advised in those age >55 years or with preexisting organ failure or predictors of developing fluid sequestration.
Adaptive filtering of stable processes for active attenuation of impulsive noise

Describes a new class of algorithms for active noise control (ANC) for use in environments in which impulsive noise is present. The well known filtered-X and filtered-U ANC algorithms are designed to minimize the variance of a measured error signal. For impulsive noise, which can be modeled using non-Gaussian stable processes, these standard approaches are not appropriate since the second order moments do not exist. The authors propose a new class of adaptive algorithms for ANC that are based on the minimization of a fractional lower order moment, p<2. By studying the effect of p on the convergence behavior of adaptive algorithms, they observe that superior performance is obtained by choosing p/spl ap//spl alpha/ where /spl alpha/<2 is a parameter reflecting the degree of impulsiveness of the noise. Applications of this approach to noise cancellation in a duct are presented.
Low-Cost, High-Rate Data Processing

The next generation telemetry system has been prototyped at GSFC. This High Rate Prototype (HRP) implementation uses a set of commercial and custom subsystem components based on state-of-the-art Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) elements and advanced digital system technologies. It is the application of these technologies, together with standardized telemetry formats, that make it possible to build a high-performance telemetry processing systems at low cost in a short development cycle. Workstations running standard UNIX O/S, (DEC 4100 with DEC UNIX or better).
Metabolic precursors and effects of obesity in children: a decade of progress, 1990–1999

Current data suggest that 20% of US children are overweight. An analysis of secular trends suggested a clear upward trend in body weight in children of 0.2 kg/y between 1973 and 1994. In addition, childhood obesity is more prevalent among minority subgroups, such as African Americans. Obesity that begins early in life persists into adulthood and increases the risk of obesity-related conditions later in life. Obesity is now considered a disease of epidemic proportions, not just in the United States but also worldwide. In the past 10 y there has been a tremendous increase in the number of studies examining the etiology and health effects of obesity in children. The major objectives of this article are to 1) review highlights in pediatric obesity research from 1990 to 1999; 2) summarize our research on the roles of energy expenditure, physical activity, and aerobic capacity in the etiology of pediatric obesity, and on ethnic differences in the relation between obesity and type 2 diabetes risk factors in children; and 3) discuss areas of future study that will require greater emphasis as the field of childhood obesity research evolves over future years.
Effect of chronic alcohol use on smooth pursuit eye movements.

We determined the role of long-term alcohol use on eye tracking by comparing the eye tracking of chronic but detoxified alcoholic subjects to that of normal subjects. We also correlated smooth pursuit tracking performance with indices of the severity of alcohol abuse
Experimental studies of natural convection in partitioned enclosures with a Trombe wall geometry

Natural convection heat transfer was investigated in a scaled test facility of a Trombe wall geometry. A silicone oil was employed as the convecting medium to obtain large Rayleigh numbers (up to 1.5 {times} 10{sup 10}, based on enclosure height) characteristic of a full-scale Trombe wall in a passive solar building. The main objectives were to study the effects of Trombe wall nonisothermality and location on heat transfer, fluid temperature and fluid flow patterns. As expected, Nusselt numbers were slightly larger on the Trombe wall space side than on the living space side. Nusselt numbers increased slightly as the mass transfer gaps in the Trombe wall were increased. The results were verified, for the zero gap case, by comparing with previous studies. Physical understanding of the convection process was enhanced by flow visualization data. The information obtained should be useful to designers in optimizing overall building performance for passive solar heating.
Effects of trimetazidine on myocardial perfusion and the contractile response of chronically dysfunctional myocardium in ischemic cardiomyopathy: a 24-month study.

The aim was to assess the long-term effect of trimetazidine on myocardial perfusion, using gated single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). 200 patients (aged 54.7 ² 12 years) with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) and multivessel coronary artery disease were randomized to receive trimetazidine 20mg three times daily or a placebo for 24 months. At baseline and after 24 months of treatment, all patients underwent a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test concluded by the injection of 99mTc-MIBI (technetium-99m methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile). Imaging of post-stress gated SPECT and resting gated SPECT were performed. Standard antianginal therapy was interrupted for 48 hours (nitrates for 6 hours) before the exercise tests and resumed immediately after testing. On initial evaluation, summed stress and rest scores (SSS and SRS, respectively), systolic wall thickness (SWT), and wall motion score index (WMI), heart rate, SBP, and rate pressure product were similar at rest and peak exercise in both groups. After 24 months, 91 % of patients in the trimetazidine group versus 22% in the placebo group showed a significant decrease of the frequency of anginal episodes per week (3.9 vs 5.7, p < 0.01). Weekly nitroglycerin (glyceryl trinitrate) tablet consumption was significantly lower with trimetazidine than with placebo at endpoint (2.3 ² 0.8 vs 6.1 ² 1.6, p < 0.01). This was supported by perfusion SPECT data. Compared with baseline values, SSS and SRS were significantly reduced with trimetazidine (from 19.8 ² 7.7 to 11.2 ² 6.1, p < 0.00001 and from 12.4 ² 8.7 to 5.8 ² 3.3, p < 0.00001, respectively). There was a nonsignificant decrease from baseline values in both SRS and SSS with placebo group (from 11.9 ² 8.3 to 11.2 ² 7.4 and 18.1²6.3 to 17.9 ² 9.2, respectively). Duration of peak exercise increased significantly from baseline values with trimetazidine (from 4.6 to 5.8 minutes, p < 0.01) but not with placebo (from 5.4 to 5.8 minutes). Accordingly, mean maximum work at peak exercise improved by 1.2 metabolic equivalents with trimetazidine. This was proved by gated SPECT with an increase in SWT score of 89.5% (p < 0.00001) and in ejection fraction of 23% with trimetazidine (p < 0.001) without significant changes in hemodynamic parameters. Trimetazidine improves ischemic attacks in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, clinically and objectively as seen in gated SPECT myocardial perfusion. The improvement in myocardial function with trimetazidine was not accompanied by hemodynamic changes.
Neural coding in the chick cochlear nucleus.

Physiological recordings were made from single units in the two divisions of the chick cochlear nucleus — nucleus angularis (NA) and nucleus magnocellularis (NM). Sound evoked responses were obtained in an effort to quantify functional differences between the two nuclei. In particular, it was of interest to determine if nucleus angularis and magnocellularis code for separate features of sound stimuli, such as temporal and intensity information. The principal findings are:
Getting to know the user

Abstract The relation of products to users has become a central theme of design discourse, though users still remain little understood by designers. A key term in this new discourse is experience and its presence in discussions of how users relate to products is essential to our grasp of who a user is. To better conceive this essential relation between designers, products and users, we need to encourage large-scale research on product use. We also need to develop better ways of broadening participation in the design process itself.
Nutritional and Sensory Properties of Canned and Stored Moin‐Moin

Canned moin-moin was studied for nutritional and sensory properties after processing and following storage at 22.2°C and 29.4°C for periods up to 6 months. Comparisons were made with freshly prepared, traditional steamed moin-moin. The canned product remained a very good source of thiamin after thermal processing and storage losses. Chemical assays of lysine, available lysine, methionine, and tryptophan showed no losses of these amino acids from processing or storage, but PER values indicated that thermal processing significantly decreased protein quality of products in rat feeding studies. PER values of canned product then remained stable in storage. After 6 months at both storage temperatures, a Nigerian taste panel ranked overall acceptability of the canned product at 6.5 on a 9 point nedonic scale, compared to 7.5 for the freshly prepared traditiona moin-moin.
The dynamical equations of black-body radiation

The dynamical equations for black-body radiation are derived from the vanishing of the stress-energy tensor and shown to imply a theorem which generalizes that of Tolman and Ehrenfest[Phys. Rev.36,1791 (1930)]. A method for finding the general solution of these equations is given.
A novel cathepsin B active site motif is shared by helminth bloodfeeders

Abstract This study compared specific protein sequence motifs present within cathepsin B-like cysteine proteases from a number of helminth parasites. We have focused our efforts on cathepsin B-like proteases of Haemonchus contortus , Caenorhabditis elegans , Schistosoma mansoni , Schistosoma japonicum , Ostertagia ostertagi , and Ancylostoma caninum . The goal of this work is to correlate specific features, or proposed roles, of the cathepsin B-like proteases with primary sequence motifs discovered within the proteins. We report here a general motif for the identification of cathepsin B enzymes, and more significantly, a motif within this pattern that is found, with one exception, only in cathepsin B-like proteases of helminth bloodfeeders. We suggest that the “hemoglobinase” motif arose evolutionarily in a minimum of three independent events as a specialized response to increase the efficiency of hemoglobin degradation by these cathepsin B-like enzymes. This motif should be useful in identifying additional helminth hemoglobinases and may provide a specific target for drug design efforts. Index Descriptors and Abbreviations : Haemonchus contortus , Caenorhabditis elegans , Schistosoma mansoni , Schistosoma japonicum , Ostertagia ostertagi , Ancylosotoma caninum , Ascaris suum , hemoglobinase; helminth; motif; phylogenetic analysis
Adaptation of a 3-D Quadrupole Ion Trap for Dipolar DC Collisional Activation

Means to allow for the application of a dipolar DC pulse to the end-cap electrodes of a three-dimensional (3-D) quadrupole ion trap for as short as a millisecond to as long as hundreds of milliseconds are described. The implementation of dipolar DC does not compromise the ability to apply AC waveforms to the end-cap electrodes at other times in the experiment. Dipolar DC provides a nonresonant means for ion acceleration by displacing ions from the center of the ion trap where they experience stronger rf electric fields, which increases the extent of micro-motion. The evolution of the product ion spectrum to higher generation products with time, as shown using protonated leucine enkephalin as a model protonated peptide, illustrates the broad-band nature of the activation. Dipolar DC activation is also shown to be effective as an ion heating approach in mimicking high amplitude short time excitation (HASTE)/pulsed Q dissociation (PQD) resonance excitation experiments that are intended to enhance the likelihood for observing low m/z products in ion trap tandem mass spectrometry.
The soaps: Their sex, gratifications, and outcomes

This review identifies soap viewers, explains their primary motives for viewing, describes the sexual content of soaps, and reviews studies of viewer responses to soaps. Soap viewers are disproportionately female, ethnic minority, less educated, and lower income. Primary motives for adolescent viewers are escapism, habit, social learning, and social excitement, matching those found in studies of adults. Soap content focuses heavily on sexual intercourse among unmarrieds, and sexual content increased 35% between 1985 and 1994 studies (Greenberg & D'Alessio, 1985; Greenberg & Busselle, 1996). A 1996 study (Heintz‐Knowles, 1996) found a large increase in visual sexual activity, although two thirds of the sex on soaps is talked about rather than demonstrated. Social effects of soaps have been examined primarily within a cultivation paradigm, with viewers expected to make larger estimates of frequent story behaviors, such as adultery, than nonviewers. Studies have yielded a moderate level of support for this p...
Compatibilizing effects of block copolymers in low-density polyethylene/polystyrene blends

Abstract The phase and mechanical properties of a low-density polyethylene/polystyrene 70/30 (LDPE/PS 70/30) blend has been determined after compatibilization with various styrene-ethylene, styrene-ethylene/butene and styrene-ethylene/propylene type block copolymers. It is shown that high interfacial activity, as reflected in the reduction of the dispersed phase size, does not necessarily bring about an improvement in the mechanical properties of the blend. Although the diblock copolymers were more efficient in reducing the phase size, the triblock copolymers were more effective in improving the mechanical properties. The effect of poly(styrene- b -ethylene)(S-E) block copolymer on the particle coalescence and rheological properties of the LDPE/PS 70/30 blend has been investigated. It is shown that small amounts of the block copolymer can significantly retard or actually suppress the coalescence of the dispersed phases, and thus stabilize the morphology of the blend. The addition of the S-E copolymer increases the elastic modulus and dynamic viscosity of the blend, and the samples become more non-Newtonian as the block copolymer concentration increases.
Putrescine activated S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase from Trypanosoma brucei brucei

Trypanosoma brucei brucei contained a S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) strongly activated by putrescine. The enzyme was also activated to a lesser extent by cadaverine and 1,3-diaminopropane. Spermidine and spermine had no effect on basal activity of the enzyme. However, they interfered with putrescine activation of trypanosomal AdoMetDC. The trypanosomal enzyme could not be precipitated with antiserum against human AdoMetDC. The trypanosomal AdoMetDC enzyme subunit was labeled by reaction with 35S-decarboxylated AdoMet in the presence of NaCNBH4, and found to have a molecular weight of 34 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The subunit was readily degraded on storage to a form with a molecular weight of 26 kDa. The specificity of labeling of AdoMetDC by this procedure was confirmed by the prevention of 35S-decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) binding in the presence of specific AdoMetDC inhibitors [either methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone (MGBG), a reversible inhibitor, or 5′-deoxy-5′-[(2-hydrazinoethyl)methylamino]adenosine (MHZEA), an irreversible inactivator]. As compared to human AdoMetDC, the trypanosomal enzyme showed weaker binding to a column of MGBG-Sepharose and also was significantly less sensitive to inhibition by MGBG and its congener ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (EGBG). Thus, the trypanosomal AdoMetDC differs significantly from its mammalian and bacterial counterparts and may therefore be exploited as a specific target for chemotherapy of trypanosomiasis.
When caregivers are in need of care: African-American caregivers' preferences for their own later life care

Abstract To “care for one's own” is a cultural expectation within a larger ethic of care in the African-American community. Applied to caregiving of aging elders, this ethic of care emphasizes the importance of providing in-home family care rather than opting for out-of-home placement. This study explores why a subset of African-American caregivers prefer or are open to out-of-home placement over in-home family care if they are no longer able to care for themselves. In-depth interviews with 24 family caregivers are analyzed. Three themes emerged including the desire to “spare our children” the burden associated with caregiving, viewing the next generation of potential caregivers as unequipped for the task, and having no one left to provide care for them.
Molecular Genetics of the Maize (Zea mays L.) Aspartate Kinase-Homoserine Dehydrogenase Gene Family

Aspartate kinase (AK) and homoserine dehydrogenase (HSDH) are enzymes in the aspartate-derived amino acid biosynthetic pathway. Recent biochemical evidence indicates that an AK-HSDH bifunctional enzyme exists in maize (Zea mays L.). In this report, we characterize three genes that encode subunits of AK-HSDH. Two cDNAs, pAKHSDH1 and pAKHSDH2, containing the full-coding sequence, and one partial cDNA, pAKHSDH3, encode amino acid sequences similar to the reported monofunctional AK and HSDH enzymes from prokaryotes and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and to AK-HSDH bifunctional enzymes of prokaryotes, yeast, carrot (Daucus carota), and Arabidopsis thaliana. Immuno-logical and biochemical analyses verify that the cDNAs encode AK-HSDH and indicate that both the AK and HSDH activities are feedback inhibited by threonine. RNA blots identify a 3.2-kb transcript in all maize tissues examined. pAKHSDH1 and pAKHSDH2 map to chromosomes 4L and 2S, respectively. This study shows that maize contains AK-HSDH bifunctional enzyme(s) encoded by a small gene family of at least three genes. Maize AK-HSDH has conserved sequences found in communication modules of prokaryotic two-component regulatory systems, which has led us to propose that maize AK-HSDH may be involved in a similar regulatory mechanism.