cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subtypes of Rumination in Adolescence: Associations Between Brooding, Reflection, Depressive Symptoms, and Coping

Prior research has indicated that rumination contributes to the maintenance or intensification of depressive symptoms among adults. This study examined associations between rumination and depressive symptoms in early adolescence. Using a short-term longitudinal design, we evaluated relations between subtypes of rumination and both depressive symptoms and coping among a community sample of 168 adolescents (70 boys, 98 girls, age M = 13.58). Results provided support for brooding and self-reflective subtypes of rumination. Brooding, but not reflection, predicted the development of depressive symptoms over time, particularly for girls. Brooding was related to maladaptive disengagement coping strategies, whereas reflection was related to adaptive primary and secondary coping strategies. These results suggest that not all types of self-focus on emotion contribute to the maintenance or intensification of depressive symptoms.
Association of birth weight with asthma-related outcomes at age 2 years

Background Although lower birth weight associated with prematurity raises the risk of asthma in childhood, few prospective studies have examined higher birth weight, and few have separated the two components of birth weight, fetal growth and length of gestation. Objective To examine the associations of fetal growth and length of gestation with asthma-related outcomes by age 2 years. Methods We studied 1,372 infants and toddlers born after 34 weeks' gestation in Project Viva, a prospective cohort study of pregnant mothers and their children. The main outcome measures were parent report of (1) any wheezing (or whistling in the chest) from birth to age 2 years, (2) recurrent wheezing during the first 2 years of life, and (3) doctor's diagnosis of asthma, wheeze or reactive airway disease (“asthma”) by age 2. We calculated gestational age from the last menstrual period or ultrasound examination, and determined birth weight for gestational age z-value (“fetal growth”) using US national reference data. Results Infants' mean birth weight was 3,527 (SD, 517; range, 1,559–5,528) grams. By age 2 years, 34% of children had any wheezing, 14% had recurrent wheezing, and 16% had doctor-diagnosed asthma. After adjusting for several parent, child, and household characteristics in logistic regression models, we found that infants with birth weight ≥4,000 g were not more likely to have any wheezing (odds ratio (OR), 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62, 1.34) or doctor-diagnosed asthma (OR, 0.80; 95% CI: 0.49, 1.31) than infants with birth weight 3,500–3,999 g. In models examining length of gestation and fetal growth separately, neither the highest nor the lowest groups of either predictor were associated with the three outcomes. Boys had a higher incidence of asthma-related outcomes than girls, and exposure to passive smoking, parental history of asthma, and exposure to older siblings were all associated with greater risk of recurrent wheeze or asthma-related outcomes at age 2 years. Conclusion Although male sex, exposure to smoking, parental history of asthma, and exposure to older siblings were associated with increased risk of wheezing and asthma-related outcomes in this prospective study of children born after 34 weeks gestation, fetal growth and length of gestation were not. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2006; 41: 643–648. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Binding phenomena and fluorescence quenching. I: Descriptive quantum principles of fluorescence quenching using a supermolecule approach ☆

Abstract Principal aspects of fluorescence and quenching are placed on an equal footing consistent with microscopic quantum concepts familiar to all who use fluorescence in the study of association of ligands with proteins. Quenching of fluorophores involved in determination of ligand binding to proteins is described in terms of generic quantum principles using a framework in which the fluorophore and quencher are together considered a “supermolecule”. Quenching then becomes just another form of internal conversion, which in turn leads to new language for defining “dynamic” and “static” quenching, for which there exist disparate definitions. The benefit of casting quenching in this manner, and citing relevant literature, has been to expand the vocabulary and mental imagery associated with quenching.
A Course in Social and Ethical Issues in Computing

In recent years many computer science educators have struggled with the problem of how to include instruction on social and ethical issues in the computing curriculum. This article describes one approach to solving this problem. It outlines a course called Perspectives in Computing that the author has taught for junior and senior computer science majors. One unifying theme of the course is that computers alter human relationships‐‐they create relationships that would not have existed otherwise and they change existing relationships. The course both examines the nature of those relationships and studies the ethical dimensions of the computer's impact. A second unifying theme is that computing as a discipline affirms a set of professional values. The course attempts to help students discern those values and to develop a thoughtful critique of them.
Tracking Early Readmission After Pancreatectomy to Index and Nonindex Institutions A More Accurate Assessment of Readmission

Importance Readmission after pancreatectomy is common, but few data compare patterns of readmission to index and nonindex hospitals. Objectives To evaluate the rate of readmission to index and nonindex institutions following pancreatectomy at a tertiary high-volume institution and to identify patient-level factors predictive of those readmissions. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected institutional database linked to statewide data of patients who underwent pancreatectomy at a tertiary care referral center between January 1, 2005, and December 2, 2010. Exposure Pancreatectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was unplanned 30-day readmission to index or nonindex hospitals. Risk factors and reasons for readmission were measured and compared by site using univariable and multivariable analyses. Results Among all 623 patients who underwent pancreatectomy during the study period, 134 (21.5%) were readmitted to our institution (105 [78.4%]) or to an outside institution (29 [21.6%]). Fifty-six patients (41.8%) were readmitted because of a gastrointestinal or nutritional problem related to surgery and 42 patients (31.3%) because of a postoperative infection. On multivariable analysis, factors independently associated with readmission included age 65 years or older (odds ratio [OR], 1.80; 95% CI, 1.19-2.71), preexisting liver disease (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.23-4.24), distal pancreatectomy (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.11-2.84), and postoperative drain placement (OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.00-7.14). Conclusions and Relevance In total, 21.5% of patients required early readmission after pancreatectomy. Even in the setting of a tertiary care referral center, 21.6% of these readmissions were to nonindex institutions. Specific patient-level factors were associated with an increased risk of readmission.
Immunological paralysis to pneumococcal polysaccharide in man

A 9-month-old infant had severe pneumococcal meningitis and for the next two years showed immunological paralysis to the causal serotype. He remained normally responsive to a protein antigen (tetanus toxoid) and to polysaccharide antigens (Haemophilus influenzae type b capsule and pneumococcal capsule antigens other than the infecting/paralysing serotype). By the fourth year of life the child was spontaneously producing antibody to the infecting/paralysing pneumococcal serotype, at which time rechallenge with the previously tolerising antigen resulted in a secondary response. The occurrence of pneumococcal immunological paralysis in man is therefore validated.
Simple scaling parameters for air-breathing engines.

a,b,c = see Eqs. (7) and (8) A = const of proportionality, Eq. (4) B = conversion factor from heat to mechanical units D = see Eqs. (7) and (8) e = see Eqs. (7) and (8) E = energy in the propulsive fluid (E)i,2, . . . , e = see Fig. 1 7 = mechanical inertia of rotating parts N = rotational speed Q = energy input rate (fuel) t = time x = A7V 5 = delay 8a = aerodynamic delay df = combustion or energy input delay
Synchronous neoplasms in patients with diminutive colorectal adenomas

The distribution of synchronous neoplasms was retrospectively analyzed in 220 patients undergoing initial colonoscopic evaluation for colorectal neoplasms. In 159 of the 220 patients, an index neoplasm was present in the rectosigmoid region. Of these 159 patients, 32 had an index rectosigmoid adenoma less than 5 mm in diameter (diminutive), 105 had an index rectosigmoid adenoma greater than or equal to 5 mm in diameter and 22 had an index rectosigmoid adenocarcinoma. Among these patients with different index neoplasms the frequency of synchronous neoplasms was 34%, 53%, and 73%, respectively. The synchronous neoplasm was an adenoma greater than or equal to 5 mm in diameter in 13%, 40%, and 64%, respectively. The synchronous neoplasm was a carcinoma in 0%, 7%, and 5%, respectively. Two or more synchronous neoplasms occurred in 9%, 34%, and 41% of the index neoplasm groups, respectively. Finally, symptoms providing an indication for colonoscopy were present in 31%, 75%, and 86%, respectively. It is concluded that patients with diminutive index adenomas had fewer and smaller synchronous neoplasms (P less than 0.025) than patients with larger adenomas or invasive carcinoma as the index lesion. Thus, total colonoscopy does not appear to be necessary in asymptomatic patients with only diminutive adenomas found at flexible sigmoidoscopy.
Na,K-ATPase activity decreases in the cochlear lateral wall of quiet-aged gerbils.

Abstract Alterations in the distribution and activity of Na,K-ATPase have been implicated in declining cell function with age. However, the location, size and anatomical complexity of the cochlea have limited study of this essential enzyme. Here we describe a micro-colorimetric assay which measures Na,K-ATPase activity in subregions of individual cochleae. Na,K-ATPase activity was determined in lateral wall and organ of Corti tissues by measuring liberation of inorganic phosphate (P i ) from ATP against a standard phosphate curve. Na,K-ATPase specific activity, expressed as μmol P i liberated/mg protein/h, was calculted as the differences between total P i liberated versus P i liberated in the presence of ouabain. Na,K-ATPase specific activity and total protein content in the lateral wall significantly exceeded those of the organ of Corti. Although lateral wall protein content remained constant with age, Na,K-ATPase specific activity declined in some older gerbils, suggesting a basis for age-related reduction in magnitude of the endocochlear potential and confirming previous histochemical results. This microassay offers a sensitive, reliable means to assay enzyme activity in subregions or single turns of the cochlea that unlike other methods does not rely on use of radioisotopes, enzymatic cycling or sample pooling.
Uv-Ozone Cleaning of GaAs (100) Surfaces for Device Applications

GaAs (100) substrates were subjected to UV-ozone, wet chemical, and thermal treatments prior to deposition of Ni contact structures. The use of UV-ozone showed marked improvement in the electrical characteristics compared to the wet chemical and thermal treatments alone. The major effect of UV-ozone is the nondestructive removal of carbonous contaminants. Results of C-V and I-V barrier height measurements on Ni contact structures fabricated on the treated surfaces are presented.
Modal equations of linear structures with viscoelastic dampers

Several types of energy dissipation devices using viscoelastic materials have been proposed to reduce vibration in structures subjected to wind and earthquake excitations. At constant temperature and small strain levels, the mechanical behaviour of Viscoelastic (VE) materials can be described using linear operators. In general, the stiffness and damping matrices of structures using VE devices are frequency dependent; this implies that the classical second-order differential equations for the modal co-ordinates are not a complete model for this type of structures. In this paper, the concept of modal coupling in the frequency domain is addressed, expressions for diagonalizable frequency-dependent stiffness and damping matrices are given, and an iterative technique for the computation of the response of viscoelastic structures is studied. Necessary and sufficient conditions for convergence of the technique are given and numerical examples are developed to illustrate the application of the method.
Skills Practice in Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Suicidal Women Meeting Criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based practice for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and suicidal behavior that has been replicated with a variety of populations. Patients’ practice of behavioral skills taught in the group skills training component of DBT may be partly responsible for the positive treatment outcomes according to the skills deficit model of BPD that underlies DBT. This study was designed to examine the type and frequency of skills practiced by DBT patients. Participants were 49 women, who met criteria for BPD and current and chronic suicidal behavior, receiving 1 year of standard DBT as part of a clinical trial. Skills were recorded on the daily diary cards completed by participants each week and reviewed by their individual therapists. Results indicated that the majority of participants reported practicing skills most days throughout treatment. Crisis survival and mindfulness skills were practiced most frequently in our sample. Hierarchical linear modeling demonstrated that skills practice increased as a function of time in therapy. Directions for future research are discussed.
Note on the nature of cosmic-ray particles

Measurements (1) of the energy loss of particles occurring in the cosmic-ray showers have shown that this loss is proportional to the incident energy and within the range of the measurements, up to about 400 Mev, is in approximate agreement with values calculated theoretically for electrons by Bethe and Heitler. These measurements were taken using a thin plate of lead (0.35 cm), and the observed individual losses were found to vary from an amount below experimental detection up to the whole initial energy of the particle, with a mean fractional loss of about 0.5.
Homogeneous models for porous catalysts and tubular reactors with heterogeneous reactions

Abstract One-dimensional models for porous catalysts and laminar flow tubular reactors with first-order reactions at the walls are developed. The method which is used replaces the transport equations containing the local concentrations with equations, similar to those used in the dispersion theory, for the concentrations averaged over the cross section. The main assumption is the approximation of the coefficients in the dispersion equations by those valid for a pulse of concentration introduced at time zero at the mouth of the pore or at the inlet of the tube. The effectiveness factor depends not only on the Thiele modulus but also on the length-to-radius ratio of the catalyst pore. The one-dimensional model for the catalytic tubular reactor provides a good approximation to the area-mean concentration for β ( k s R / D ) up to 1·0. The comparison is made with an exact orthogonal expansion solution developed also in the paper. For larger values of β, say β ≈ 100, the discrepancies between the exact solution and the one-dimensional model may be as high as 50 per cent. Therefore, a generalized dispersion solution is presented to obtain more accurate predictions for β > 1·0.
Comparing Three-Dimensional Representations of Data to Scatterplots

Jensen (1985) described a method for presenting data in a three-dimensional format that would typically be presented in a scatterplot. The present paper compared these two methods of presenting data. Twenty-four subjects, all of whom had completed an undergraduate class in statistics, were presented with sets of graphs depicting bi-variate data that varied in correlation from about 0.0 to about .99. Three different data groups were depicted as both scatterplots and as three-dimensional graphs. Subjects rank ordered these sets of graphs on the basis of the degree of relationship present. For each set of graphs the order the subject chose was compared with the known order using Spearman's rho. In the early trials performance was better with the scatterplots, but by the last trial there was no difference between presentation methods for two out of the three data groups presented. The implications and limitations of these data are discussed.
Anterior chamber‐associated immune deviation‐inducing cells activate T cells, and rescue them from antigen‐induced apoptosis

Immune responses to antigens injected into the anterior chamber of the eye are devoid of T helper 1 (Th1)-type responses of the delayed hypersensitivity type, which has been termed anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID). Recently, it has been found that peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) from normal mice can be made to acquire the capacity to induce ACAID in vivo when the cells are pulsed with antigen in vitro in the presence of transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-beta2), a major cytokine in the ocular microenvironment. We now report that when ovalbumin (OVA)-specific T cells from DO11.10 transgenic mice, or from OVA-primed normal mice, were activated in vitro by normal (untreated) PEC pulsed with OVA, the responding T cells were induced to undergo apoptosis. However, when PEC were first treated with TGF-beta2 and then used to stimulate DO11.10 T cells in the presence of OVA, T-cell proliferation occurred without evidence of increased apoptosis. The ability of TGF-beta2 to rescue responding T cells from apoptosis rested with the capacity of this cytokine to inhibit interleukin-12 (IL-12) production by PEC. Untreated PEC produced large amounts of IL-12 upon interaction with responding T cells. Under these conditions, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production was up-regulated, and this cytokine, in turn, triggered apoptosis among T cells stimulated with OVA-pulsed PEC. From these results, we conclude that TGF-beta2-treated APC promote ACAID by rescuing antigen-activated T cells from apoptosis, and by conferring upon these cells the capacity to down-regulate delayed hypersensitivity.
Molecular and cellular influences of permethrin on mammalian nociceptors at physiological temperatures

The influence of pyrethroid insecticides is thought to be abrogated at mammalian physiological temperatures. Yet there are many reports of transient pain and paresthesia following accidental exposures. Using whole cell patch clamp techniques, we examined the interaction of the pyrethroid insecticide permethrin on skin, muscle and putative vascular nociceptors of the rat DRG (dorsal root ganglion). Following permethrin (10 μM) application, action potential (AP) duration was increased in all nociceptor populations, but only muscle nociceptors developed spontaneous activity or increased excitability (tests at 21 °C). TTX (tetrodotoxin) did not prevent the development of spontaneous activity or reduce excitability. We examined the influence of permethrin on TTX resistant channel proteins that control excitability and spontaneous activity (Nav1.8, voltage-gated sodium channel 1.8; Kv7, voltage gated potassium channel 7). In all nociceptor populations, permethrin increased the tau of deactivation (taudeact), in a voltage dependent manner, and hyperpolarized the V1/2 for activation over 10 mV. There were no permethrin dependent influences on Kv7, or on the voltage dependence of inactivation of Nav1.8. The influence of permethrin on AP duration, after hyperpolarization, spontaneous activity, half-activation potential (V1/2) and taudeact were reduced, but not fully reversed, when tests were conducted at 35 °C. In conclusion, permethrin greatly modifies the voltage dependent activation and deactivation of Nav1.8 expressed in skin, muscle and vascular nociceptors. These influences remain significant at 35 °C. One population of muscle nociceptors exhibited a unique vulnerability to the acute administration of permethrin manifested as increased excitability and spontaneous activity.
PROPERTIES OF THE VENEZIANO FIVE-POINT FUNCTION IN THE REGGE REGION.

Differential cross sections for the quasi-two-body meson process $\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}(\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sigma})\ensuremath{\sigma}$ (where $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ is a scalar, isoscalar pion) are calculated using the Bardakci-Ruegg formula for $\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sigma}$. The slope of $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\mathrm{dt}}$ in the 2 \ensuremath{\rightarrow} 2 reaction is found to change with the ($\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sigma}$) mass in a manner similar to experiment. The shape of predicted resonances in the ($\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sigma}$) mass is, however, distinctly different from the Breit-Wigner form.
Public finance principles and national health care reform.

Public finance principles, though usually treated as a minor consideration, lie at the heart of effective national health care reform. Four principles are discussed: charge for a service where its cost is created; distinguish rents, resources, and transfers; know what services cost and pay accordingly; balance distributional and equity concerns. The principles' implications include: since employment does not much affect health costs, financing (particularly of incremental insureds) need not be employer-based; health resources being immobile, many cutbacks in expenditure will not reflect real resource savings; and health care financing should mesh with an overall program of taxation and expenditure.
Structured medium-chain and long-chain triglyceride emulsions are superior to physical mixtures in sparing body protein in the burned rat

The present study was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of a physical mixture of long-chain and medium-chain triglycerides with an emulsion consisting of chemically synthesized triglycerides composed of medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids in similar proportions. Sprague-Dawley rats received a 25% body surface area full-thickness scald burn on the dorsum. For the next three days, all rats received 300 kcal/kg/day as 160 kcal/kg/day glucose, 50 kcal/kg/day amino acid, and an additional 90 kcal/kg/day lipid emulsion as either long-chain triglyceride, medium-chain triglyceride, a 1:1 physical mix of medium-chain and long-chain triglycerides or a chemically structured triglyceride made up of 60% medium-chain fatty acid and a 40% safflower oil. Rats receiving the chemically structured lipid emulsion showed the greatest gain in body weight, the greatest positive nitrogen balance, and the highest serum albumin concentration, outstripping rats receiving the long-chain triglyceride, medium-chain triglyceride, and even the physical mixture long-chain and medium-chain triglycerides (P less than 0.01). A 30% increase in oxygen consumption and 35% increase in energy expenditure in rats given the medium-chain triglyceride emulsion alone (P less than 0.01) was observed. This study confirms that the metabolism of chemically structured triglycerides composed of medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids markedly differs from similar physical mixtures. For these reasons, the new structured lipid emulsions may prove advantageous in feeding the severely injured patient.
Four Paradigms of Philosophical Politics

Evaluation des quatre paradigmes antiques de l'homme public que sont: 1) l'activite elenctique du Socrate historique; 2) le philosophe-legislateur de la «Republique» de Platon; 3) le philosophe formateur des politiciens chez Aristote; 4) l'art de l'autogestion chez les Stoiciens. L'A. mesure leur validite en fonction des criteres de popularite, de competence, de specificite et generalite, de traitement des passions et du regime politique.
Longitude force estimation for bandwidth conservative communication and vehicular monitoring

In this paper, we address a driver behavior reconstruction problem which is important to enhance traffic safety. More specifically, the task in this study is to estimate the longitude tire force which can be transferred to the corresponding throttle/brake positions under the assumption that the steering angles are known. Although the sensors mounted on the throttle/brake pedals can directly measure the pedal positions and multimodal sensors can also be used to measure vehicle states to estimate the longitude tire force, the sensors are costly and cannot be readily mounted in the vehicle. In order to avoid such shortcomings, we consider using a low cost 1Hz GPS receiver as the vehicle data acquisition equipment. In our work, a longitude force estimation scenario is developed for the nonlinear extended 2-wheel vehicle dynamic model only according to the GPS information. Firstly, two states, i.e. the sideslip angle and the yaw rate are estimated since they are not available from GPS measurements. Secondly, an optimization scheme is proposed to estimate the longitude tire force. Finally, the estimation results can validate our methods by comparing to the reference longitude tire force command.
Electromechanical Response of Nanostructured Polymer Systems with no Mechanical Pre‐Strain

A dielectric elastomer derived from a polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-co-butylene)-block-polystyrene triblock copolymer swollen with a midblock-selective solvent is reported to show promise as a nanostructured organic actuator requiring no pre-strain. This might provide an attractive alternative to conventional acrylic, siloxane, and polyurethane elastomers since the electromechanical properties are composition-tunable.
THE PARTIAL EXPULSION OF A MAGNETIC FLUX ROPE

We demonstrate the partial expulsion of a three-dimensional magnetic flux rope, in which an upper, escaping rope is separated from a lower, surviving rope by cusped, reconnecting loop field lines. We use the three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model recently presented by Fan, extended to examine the erupting rope's end state. As in that work, the modeled flux rope in spherical coordinates erupts when enough twist has emerged to induce a loss of equilibrium. After multiple reconnections at current sheets that form during the eruption, the rope breaks in two, so that only a part of it escapes. We consider the details of how this separation occurs and discuss the observational significance of such a partially expelled flux rope for partially erupting filaments and re-forming X-ray sigmoids.
Assessment of the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Clinical Trials of Glaucoma Neuroprotection

Assessment of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) is appealing for use in clinical trials of glaucoma neuroprotection, as it is directly correlated with loss of ganglion cells, which is assumed to be a primary event in glaucomatous damage. Qualitative assessment of the RNFL includes ophthalmo- scopy, color stereophotography, and red-free monochromatic photography. In contrast, confocal scan- ning laser ophthalmoscopy (CSLO), scanning laser polarimetry (GDx), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and retinal thickness analysis (RTA) objectively and quantitatively measure the RNFL thick- ness. These latter techniques are still in evolution. Continuing meticulous objective validation is neces- sary to assess the usefulness and limitations of these powerful tools. Nevertheless, there are excellent prospects for using longitudinal assessment of the RNFL in clinical trials of glaucoma neuroprotection. ( Surv Ophthalmol 45(Suppl 3) :S305-S312, 2001. © 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.)
TNF-α and myocardial depression in endotoxemic rats: temporal discordance of an obligatory relationship

Exogenous tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) induces delayed myocardial depression in vivo but promotes rapid myocardial depression in vitro. The temporal relationship between endogenous TNF-α and end...
An asynchronous approach to efficient execution of programs on adaptive architectures utilizing FPGAs

PRISM, a computer architecture consisting of a general-purpose core processor and a reconfigurable FPGA platform, was designed to bridge the gap between general-purpose and specialized computers. The proof-of-concept system, PRISM-I suffers from several limitations, principal among them being: single bus-cycle restriction on the evaluation time of the function synthesized on an FPGA, inability to execute loops with dynamic loop-counts, and inefficient execution of control constructs such as "if-then-else". This paper presents a novel execution model in PRISM-II, that addresses the above limitations in a general manner. Also presented is a new framework for translating a C function into an PPGA-based custom architecture. >
“I Am Not [Just] a Rabbit Who Has a Bunch of Children!”: Agency in the Midst of Suffering at the Intersections of Global Inequalities, Gendered Violence, and Migration:

This article is based on an analysis of the life history narrative of Antonia, a Peruvian immigrant in Chile, in the context of ethnographic research on Chilean women’s experiences of domestic violence (DV) and the post-dictatorship state’s responses to DV. Structural and socio-cultural constraints and forms of violence, including global and local economic inequalities, migration, racism, and intimate, gender-based abuses in both home and receiving countries interact in Antonia’s experience to produce suffering and influence a form of gendered agency. This analysis points to the need for research and policies specifically designed to attend to the intersecting vulnerabilities migrant women who suffer DV often face, as well as their agentive acts.
AutoPower: toward energy-aware software systems for distributed mobile robots

Autonomous robot systems have to manage their energy wisely in order to complete their missions. Typical approaches seek to conserve energy by energy-efficient motion or sensor planning. This paper puts forth a distributed systems approach to power management. Specifically, it develops and presents AutoPower, which is a model that characterizes robot software systems' computation and communication energy behaviors. With AutoPower, it is possible to make principled decisions about (1) where to deploy software components across the distributed computing resources of autonomous robotic systems, and (2) how the different systems involved should communicate to best meet overall mission objectives. We showcase AutoPower by using a multi-robot search-and-rescue mission as a guiding application. For this scenario, application of the model shows that there are counter-intuitive energy trade-offs in configuring such application software. Further, by using AutoPower to guide deployment and interconnects at runtime, for certain configurations, overall computing system lifetimes can be increased by up to 57% over a base-line configuration
A comparison of policies on nurse faculty workload in the United States.

Abstract AIM This article describes nurse faculty workload policies from across the nation in order to assess current practice. BACKGROUND There is a well-documented shortage of nursing faculty leading to an increase in workload demands. Increases in faculty workload results in difficulties with work-life balance and dissatisfaction threatening to make nursing education less attractive to young faculty. METHOD In order to begin an examination of faculty workload in nursing, existing workloads must be known. Faculty workload data were solicited from nursing programs nationwide and analyzed to determine the current workloads. RESULTS The most common faculty teaching workload reported overall for nursing is 12 credit hours per semester; however, some variations exist. CONCLUSION Consideration should be given to the multiple components of the faculty workload. Research is needed to address the most effective and efficient workload allocation for nursing faculty.
Debugging and testing behavioral UML models

As software complexity increases, the process of software development is shifting from being code-centric to model-centric. For this purpose, UML augments the object-oriented paradigm with powerful and flexible behavioral modeling capabilities. It allows the developer to describe the system's behavior in a higher level of abstraction by using state machines, activities, and interactions. To facilitate such model-driven development, we present a plug-in for IBM Rational's modeling tools, which enables the execution, debugging and testing of UML models. The presentation will show how to use our tools to discover defects early in the development cycle, thus preventing costly rework at later stages. We will highlight the innovative features of our tools, such as model-level debug control, interactive dynamic debugging, and the extensibility that allows developing support for UML profiles.
Effect of legal status of pharmacy syringe sales on syringe purchases by persons who inject drugs in San Francisco and San Diego, CA.

Abstract Background Sharing blood-contaminated syringes is the main risk factor for acquiring and transmitting blood-borne infections among persons who inject drugs (PWID). To reduce this risk, in 2005, California enacted legislation allowing local health jurisdictions to legalize non-prescription syringe sales after approving a disease prevention demonstration project (DPDP). With San Francisco approving a DPDP immediately and San Diego never approving one, we compared PWID across cities for their use of pharmacies PWID to obtain syringes. Methods PWID age 18–30 years old were recruited into separate studies in San Francisco ( n =243) and San Diego ( n =338) between 2008 and 2011. We used multivariable logistic regression to compare the proportions of PWID who obtained syringes from pharmacies by city while controlling for sociodemographics, injection practices and other risk behaviors. Results Overall, most PWID were White (71%), male (63%), and between the ages of 18–25 years (55%). Compared to San Francisco, a smaller proportion of PWID in San Diego had bought syringes from pharmacies in the prior three months (16.9% vs. 49.8%; p Conclusions Use of pharmacies to obtain syringes was greater where it was legal to do so. Public health policy can influence HIV and hepatitis C associated risk among PWID; however, implementation of these policies is crucial for the benefits to be realized.
Sex Expression, Plant Size, and Spatial Segregation of the Sexes Across a Stress Gradient in the Desert Moss Syntrichia caninervis

Abstract Spatial variation in population sex ratios is common in bryophytes, but the ecological correlates of this variation are not well documented. The dioecious desert moss Syntrichia caninervis presents an example of this variation occurring at the regional scale (kilometers) as well as the microscale (centimeters). Here, our goal is to correlate variation in plant traits and sex expression levels to relevant ecological variation, and specifically to investigate whether spatial segregation of the sexes (SSS) exists at the level of the patch. Five sporophytic patches of S. caninervis were sampled at 10 cm intervals along a transect extending from shrub understory into the exposed intershrub region, thus representing a stress gradient of light intensity and moisture availability. Along a gradient from understory to intershrub microsites, individual plant length and biomass declined significantly, with plants under the canopy twice as large as those in the more exposed microsites. Sex expression declined...
Integrating multirobot coordination in a mobile-robot control system

A system that coordinates the activity of several mobile robots is described. In the author's (1989) previous work, he developed a control system for one mobile robot that executes high-level tasks or missions. This new capability called multirobot control level (MRC), is viewed as a new layer in the system that uses functionalities offered by the lower levels. This improvement shows the flexibility of the approach. In order to maintain this flexibility, the coordination must also be programmable therefore an extension of the previous formalism is also proposed. This coordination is validated by the use of labeled Petri nets. A first step towards error recovery at the coordination level is also addressed. Several experiments are also proposed that show the advantages of the approach. >
The Reducing Transformation and Smith Predictor Methods for Stabilizing Plants with Transport Lag

The reducing transformation and Smith Predictor methods facilitate finite dimensional controller design techniques for stabilizing plants with transport lag. This paper begins by deriving nominal stability results confirming the fact that for unstable plants, controllers which use the Smith Predictor compensator cannot stabilize the closed loop system. By contrast, it is verified that the reducing transformation can be applied in these unstable plant cases. After developing the nominal stability results, the structured singular value is used to define conditions for robust stability of an entire parameter family of plants. An example, using the reducing transformation, is given at the end of the paper.
Entrapment of Carbon Dioxide in the Active Site of Carbonic Anhydrase II

The visualization at near atomic resolution of transient substrates in the active site of enzymes is fundamental to fully understanding their mechanism of action. Here we show the application of using CO2-pressurized, cryo-cooled crystals to capture the first step of CO2 hydration catalyzed by the zinc-metalloenzyme human carbonic anhydrase II, the binding of substrate CO2, for both the holo and the apo (without zinc) enzyme to 1.1A resolution. Until now, the feasibility of such a study was thought to be technically too challenging because of the low solubility of CO2 and the fast turnover to bicarbonate by the enzyme (Liang, J. Y., and Lipscomb, W. N. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 87, 3675–3679). These structures provide insight into the long hypothesized binding of CO2 in a hydrophobic pocket at the active site and demonstrate that the zinc does not play a critical role in the binding or orientation of CO2. This method may also have a much broader implication for the study of other enzymes for which CO2 is a substrate or product and for the capturing of transient substrates and revealing hydrophobic pockets in proteins.
Age and Sex Modification of Responses to Adrenocorticotropin in Young Chickens 1. Changes in Adrenal and Lymphatic Gland Weights

Abstract THE ability of an organism to adapt to its ever changing external and internal environment depends in large measure on the integrative mechanism of the endocrine system. With much of the present understanding of avian endocrines transferred from research in other species, information concerning the avian adrenal may be particularly incomplete since its microscopic morphology differs from that of mammals. The adrenal gland occupies a cardinal position with respect to an organism’s response to physiological stress. In mammals, the resistance phase to general systemic stress is characterized by adrenal cortical hyperactivity as manifested by adrenal hypertrophy, adrenal cholesterol and ascorbic acid depletion, general lymphatic tissue involution and associated blood element changes (Selye, 1950). In birds, adrenal hypertrophy and lymphatic degeneration have been shown to accompany such stress stimuli as muscular fatigue, reduced atmospheric pressure and exposure to cold (Garren and Shaffner, 1956), increased population density (Siegel, 1959, 1960) and increased…
Integrating predictive analytics into a spatiotemporal epidemic simulation

The Epidemic Simulation System (EpiSimS) is a scalable, complex modeling tool for analyzing disease within the United States. Due to its high input dimensionality, time requirements, and resource constraints, simulating over the entire parameter space is unfeasible. One solution is to take a granular sampling of the input space and use simpler predictive models (emulators) in between. The quality of the implemented emulator depends on many factors: robustness, sophistication, configuration, and suitability to the input data. Visual analytics can be leveraged to provide guidance and understanding of these things to the user. In this paper, we have implemented a novel interface and workflow for emulator building and use. We introduce a workflow to build emulators, make predictions, and then analyze the results. Our prediction process first predicts temporal time series, and uses these to derive predicted spatial densities. Integrated into the EpiSimS framework, we target users who are non-experts at statistical modeling. This approach allows for a high level of analysis into the state of the built emulators and their resultant predictions. We present our workflow, models, the associated system, and evaluate the overall utility with feedback from EpiSimS scientists.
Model Order Reduction of Nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli Beam

Numerical simulations of large-scale models of complex systems are essential to modern research and development. However these simulations are also problematic by requiring excessive computational resources and large data storage. High fidelity reduced order models (ROMs) can be used to overcome these difficulties, but are hard to develop and test. A new framework for identifying subspaces suitable for ROM development has been recently proposed. This framework is based on two new concepts: (1) dynamic consistency which indicates how well does the ROM preserve the dynamical properties of the full-scale model; and (2) subspace robustness which indicates the suitability of ROM for a range of initial conditions, forcing amplitudes, and system parameters. This framework has been tested on relatively low-dimensional systems; however, its feasibility for more complex systems is still unexplored.
American White Protestant Clergy as a Low-Risk Population for Mortality Research

An examination of 28,134 clergymen in five predominantly white Protestant denominations, 1950--60, showed a more favorable mortality for these clergymen for all causes of deaths, total cancers, and cardiovascular-renal diseases compared with the mortality for U.S. white males, total U.S. males with work experience, and total U.S. white clergymen. The standardized mortality ratios for cancer of the lung and non-motor-vehicle accidents were particularly depressed. However, those for diabetes, leukemia, and cancers of the prostate gland and, to a lesser extent, lymphoma and cancers of the intestine and pancreas were not significantly different from 100. The findings were interpreted in the social class contest, with emphasis on cross-national investigations and critical assessment of clerical statistics.
Capillariasis in the Gyrfalcon

According to Gudmundsson (personal communication), a fatal disease of wild Gyrfalcons has existed in Iceland for at least the last 10 years, and periodically birds have been found dead or sick and delivered to the Museum of Natural History. Skins were preserved from these birds, and caseous growths in the mouth and throat, typical of the formalin-fixed specimens submitted to this laboratory, were usually found. When such lesions were shown to falconers they replied, "Oh yes, this is frounce, a well-known disease among birds of prey." Birds with this condition were usually emaciated but otherwise had no other conspicuous lesions. A taxidermist in Iceland reported that as long ago as 1920 he had received Gyrfalcons with the above lesions. Frounce has been considered a major mortality factor of Gyrfalcons that may well affect population size (Gudmundsson personal communication).
Randomized Controlled Trial: 4 Month versus 6 Month Monitoring of HIV-infected Patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

As HIV treatment becomes more widely available and efficacious, and persons with HIV live longer, considerations for the financial and healthcare impact are of important. The best interval for routine HIV monitoring has been identified as area in which gaps in knowledge exist. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of changing scheduled follow up care for persons with HIV from a 4 to 6 months interval. HIV infected adults with a CD4 count ≥250 cells/μl, and an undetectable HIV viral load (VL) by an ultrasensitive assay for at least 1 year were randomized to routine HIV care at either a 4 or 6 months interval. Subjects were monitored for virological failure, adherence and quality of life (QOL). 142 subjects were enrolled and completed study protocol. Two subjects in the 6 months arm developed virological failure, p value = 0.5. There was no difference in adherence, or QOL scores. Subjects in the 4 months arm had higher rates of HIV visits (8.5/100 vs. 5.2/100 person months, p = 0.01) and non-HIV related visits (9.4/100 vs. 6.0/100 person months, p = 0.01) and were more likely to change antiretroviral regimen (34.8 vs. 15.8 %, p = 0.01). Despite strict inclusion criteria in this relatively short follow up time, 2/142 (1.4 %) subjects developed virological failure and many more had transient detectable VL. While not statistically significant a larger study with longer follow up is needed.
The SC phocomelia and the Roberts syndrome: Nosologic aspects

We reviewed the SC phocomelia syndrome (SCS) and the Roberts syndrome (RS) to demonstrate techniques of nosologic analysis based primarily on the phenotype analysis. We considered the type, localization, severity, and variability of the manifestations. In this patient sample these techniques are not sensitive enough to rule out any one of the three most likely etiologic hypotheses, namely whether the SCS and the RS are due to different recessive genes, different alleles, or the same recessive gene. However, this study does suggest certain implications for each of these possibilities.
Temperature-induced curl behavior of prestressed concrete and its effect on railroad crossties

Abstract Warping or curling due to temperature gradients is a well-documented behavior in concrete pavements, girders, and slab-track, but this behavior has not been documented in concrete crossties. As concrete crossties begin to be used more frequently in heavy-haul lines in North America in both new construction and replacement projects, it becomes even more critical to improve the understanding of concrete crosstie curling and corresponding flexural behavior. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) began to investigate this curling behavior in concrete crossties. This investigation used finite element modeling along with laboratory and field experimentation. Curling was found to follow a direct relationship with thermal gradient. The maximum and minimum gradients recorded were 29.1 °F (16.2 °C) and −10.4 °F (−5.8 °C), respectively, with resulting crosstie curling ranging from 4.23 mils (108 μm) to −5.46 mils (−139 μm), or approximately 10 mils (250 μm) total from its initial configuration. Both analytical and empirical methods were found for predicting curl based solely on temperature measurements. Finally, field testing was conducted on a North American heavy-haul freight railroad line to investigate the effect temperature-induced curl has on center negative bending moments. In three separate site visits, a strong inverse relationship was seen between temperature gradient and center negative bending moments. Center negative bending moments were found change to by up to 50% under changes in temperature gradient of less than 30 °F (16.7 °C). These findings show that curl occurs in concrete crossties and causes significant changes in the flexural behavior of the crosstie.