cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hospitalizations of Nursing Home Residents in the Last Year of Life: Nursing Home Characteristics and Variation in Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations

Objectives: To examine the incidence of, variations in, and costs of potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAHs) of nursing home (NH) residents at the end of life and to identify the association between NH characteristics and a facility-level quality measure (QM) for PAH. Design: Retrospective. Setting: Hospitalizations originating from NHs. Participants: Long-term care NH residents who died in 2007. Measurements: A risk-adjusted QM was constructed for PAH. A Poisson regression model was used to predict the count of PAH given residents� risk factors. For each facility, the QM was defined as the difference between the observed facility-specific rate (per 1,000 person-years) of PAH (O) and the expected risk-adjusted rate (E). A logistic regression model with state fixed-effects was then fit to examine the association between facility characteristics and the likelihood of having higher-than-expected rates of PAH (O�E > 0). QM values greater than 0 indicate worse-than-average quality. Results: Almost 50% of hospital admissions for NH residents in their last year of life were for potentially avoidable conditions, costing Medicare $1 billion. Five conditions were responsible for more than 80% of PAHs. PAH QM across facilities showed significant variation (mean 12.0 ± 142.3 per 1,000 person-years, range -399.48 to 398.09 per 1,000 person-years). Chain and hospital-based facilities were more likely to exhibit better performance (O�E < 0). Facilities with higher nursing staffing were more likely to have better performance, as were facilities with higher skilled staff ratio, those with nurse practitioners or physician assistants, and those with on-site X-ray services. Conclusion: Variations in facility-level PAHs suggest that a potential for reducing hospital admissions for these conditions may exist. Presence of modifiable facility characteristics associated with PAH performance could help us formulate interventions and policies for reducing PAHs at the end of life.
Adsorption of precious metal ions onto electrochemically oxidized carbon fibers

Electrochemically oxidized carbon fibers (ECF) adsorbed a prodigious amount of Ag+ in contrast to oxygen plasma and nitric acid treated carbon fibers. The amount of adsorbed Ag+ reached 3700 μmol/g after 5652 C/g of electrochemical oxidation. This value approaches the 4050 μmol/g of Ag+ which adsorbed onto steam-activated Kenaf-based carbon (with a surface area of 1284 m2/g determined by N2/BET) under the same adsorption conditions. ECF oxidized to 9540 C/g adsorbed more than its own weight of Ag+ (12 608 μmol/g). These fibers exhibited a surface area of 115 m2/g (CO2–DR). Two different reactions occurred during Ag+ adsorption. These reactions were ion exchange adsorption between Ag+ and acidic functions (carboxyl) and redox adsorption between Ag+ and reducing functions such as catechol groups on these electrochemically oxidized fibers (ECF). The redox capability was expressed by the reaction electric potential (E) using the Nernst equation. High resolution XPS C 1s spectra of ECFs (level of oxidation 5300 C/g), before and after Ag+ adsorption, showed that the carbon atoms present in phenolic, alcohol or ether groups and those present in carbonyl or quinone groups increased after Ag+ adsorption. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) Ag 3d spectra of the ECF showed that adsorbed Ag+ was reduced to Ag0 after both Ag+ adsorption and subsequent post-heat treatment of the fibers under N2 at 550°C for 30 min. Only about one-third as much Au3+ adsorption occurred versus the extent of electrochemical oxidation as was observed for Ag+. This ratio matches the requirement that three electrons are required to convert Au3+ to Au0 versus one to convert Ag+ to Ag. High resolution angle resolved XPS (ARXPS) Pd 3d and Pt 4f spectra show that there are two different Pd oxidation states and three different Pt oxidation states present after adsorption of Pd2+ and Pt2+ onto ECF. The peak areas as a function of take off angle showed that substantial amounts of Pd0 and Pt0 are present in addition to Pd2+ and Pt2+ and Pt4+ on the outermost surface regions of oxidized fibers.
Evaluation of protective immunity of Leptospira immunoglobulin like protein A (LigA) DNA vaccine against challenge in hamsters

We demonstrated earlier that immunization with recombinant Leptospira immunoglobulin like protein A (LigA) induced significant protection against virulent Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona challenge in hamsters. However, the protective immune mechanism remains unclear. In the present study we demonstrated the protective efficacy of a LigA DNA vaccine and evaluated the immune mechanism underlying the protection against leptospirosis in hamsters. The LigA DNA vaccine was constructed in two truncated forms as the conserved portion (LigAcon) and a variable portion (LigAvar). Four-week-old hamsters were immunized three times at two-week intervals with vector alone or an equal amount of a recombinant construct containing either LigAcon or LigAvar. All animals were challenged intraperitoneally 2 weeks after the last immunization with a dose (LD50=10(8)) of virulent L. interrogans serovar Pomona. Prior to challenge, four animals were sacrificed, the spleen was removed aseptically, and splenocytes were assayed for lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine profiles in response to recall antigen. The protective efficacy was evaluated on the basis of survival and histopathological lesions in the kidney. The immuno-protective mechanism was assessed on the basis of Th1/Th2 profile of cytokines in immunized animals. Our results indicate that immunization with LigA DNA vaccine provides significant protection against leptospirosis. We suggest that immuno-protection is conferred by both humoral and cellular immunity as revealed by an increase in antibody titers during subsequent boosters, significant proliferation of lymphocytes and enhancement of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Taken together, the present study suggests that a LigA DNA vaccine is a promising candidate for prevention of leptospirosis.
Electrochemical oxidation and ex-situ STM observations of bis(4-dimethylamino-2-dihydroxyphenyl)squaraine dye layers on HOPG electrodes

Abstract Electrochemical oxidation of insoluble highly ordered bis(4-dimethylamino-2-dihydroxyphenyl)squaraine (1-1OHSQ) dye layers adsorbed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) electrodes was studied in aqueous electrolytes. Staircase cyclic voltammetry obtained in chloride electrolytes revealed hysteresis characterized by large peak separations (100–200 mV) and sharp redox peaks (full width at half maximum (fwhm) 10–60 mV) the shape and potentials of which depended on electrolyte concentrations. Small stochastic reduction peaks were observed at more negative potentials that are associated with the reduction of small domains of the oxidized 1-1OHSQ layers. Peak potentials and peak shapes were also dependent on the identity of the electrolyte anion species. The results support a reaction scheme where electrolyte anions are incorporated into surface confined one-electron oxidized dye molecular layers. From the results of peak potential shifts, the preference for ion-pairing is estimated to be in the order of: I−>Br−>Cl−>SO42−≈ClO4−≈F−. Ex-situ STM observations were performed to reveal structural changes upon electrochemical oxidation of 1-1OHSQ layers in LiCl electrolytes. Two polymorphs with different angles of the long-axis of molecules to the directions of the molecular row were observed for the oxidized samples. Both polymorphs had larger packing densities compared to the reduced form of the dye.
What I like about you: the association between adolescent attachment security and emotional behavior in a relationship promoting context.

Because the ability to flexibly experience and appropriately express emotions across a range of developmentally relevant contexts is crucial to adaptive functioning, we examined how adolescent attachment security may be related to more functional emotional behavior during a relationship promoting interaction task. Data were collected from 74 early adolescent girls (Mean age 13.45 years; SD = 0.68; 89% Caucasian) and their primary caregiver. Results indicated that, regardless of the parent's interaction behavior and the level of stress in the parent-adolescent relationship, greater adolescent security was associated with more positive and less negative behavioral displays, including greater positivity, greater coherence of verbal content and affect, less embarrassment, and less emotional dysregulation in response to a situational demand for establishing intimacy with the parent. Implications for encouraging and fostering adolescents' capacity to respond to interpersonal contexts in ways that promote the relationship are discussed.
Bordetella pertussis virulence factors affect phagocytosis by human neutrophils.

The interaction between human neutrophils and wild-typeBordetella pertussis or mutants expressing altered lipopolysaccharide or lacking virulence factors—pertussis toxin, adenylate cyclase toxin, dermonecrotic toxin, filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), pertactin, or BrkA—was examined. In the absence of antibodies, the wild-type strain and the mutants, with the exception of mutants lacking FHA, attached efficiently to neutrophils. The addition of opsonizing antibodies caused a significant reduction (approximately 50%) in attachment of the wild-type strain and most of the mutants expressing FHA, suggesting that bacterium-mediated attachment is more efficient than Fc-mediated attachment. Phagocytosis was also examined. In the absence of antibodies, about 12% of the wild-type bacteria were phagocytosed. Opsonization caused a statistically significant reduction in phagocytosis (to 3%), possibly a consequence of reduced attachment. Phagocytosis of most of the mutants was similar to that of the wild type, with the exception of the mutants lacking adenylate cyclase toxin. About 70% of the adenylate cyclase toxin mutants were phagocytosed, but only in the presence of opsonizing antibody, suggesting that Fc receptor-mediated signaling may be needed for phagocytosis. These studies indicate that FHA mediates attachment ofB. pertussis to neutrophils, but adenylate cyclase toxin blocks phagocytosis.
Racetrack memory: A storage class memory based on current controlled magnetic domain wall motion

Racetrack Memory promises a novel storage-class memory with the low cost per bit of magnetic disk drives but the high performance and reliability of conventional solid state memories[1]. Unlike conventional memories, the fundamental concept of Racetrack Memory (RM) is to store multiple data bits — as many as 10 to 100 bits- p er access point, rather than the typical single bit per transistor. This is accomplished in Racetrack Memory by storing data bits in the for m of domain walls in m agnetic nanowires which are oriented either parallel to the surf ace or perpendicular to th e surface of a silicon wafer (see Figure 1). These distinct structures form “horizontal” and “vertical” Racetrack Memories. Conventional CMOS devices and circuits are used to provide for the creation and manipulation of the domain walls in the magnetic nanowires or “racetracks”. The domain walls are shifted along the nanowires using nano-second long current pulses via th e transfer of s pin angular momentum from the spin polarized curren t generated in the magnetic nanowire racetracks[2].
The protective role of family meals for youth obesity: 10-year longitudinal associations

Objective To examine whether having family meals as an adolescent protects against becoming overweight or obese 10 years later as a young adult. Study design Data from Project Eating and Activity in Teens -III, a longitudinal cohort study with emerging young adults, were used. At baseline (1998-1999), adolescents completed surveys in middle or high schools, and at 10-year follow-up (2008-2009) surveys were completed online or via mailed surveys. Young adult participants (n = 2117) were racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse (52% minority; 38% low income) between the ages of 19 and 31 years (mean age = 25.3; 55% female). Logistic regression was used to associate weight status at follow-up with family meal frequency 10 years earlier during adolescence, controlling and testing for interactions with demographic characteristics. Results All levels of baseline family meal frequency (ie, 1-2, 3-4, ≥5 family meals/wk) during adolescence were significantly associated with reduced odds of overweight or obesity 10 years later in young adulthood compared with never having family meals as an adolescent. Interactions by race indicated that family meals had a stronger protective effect for obesity in black vs white young adults. Conclusions Family meals during adolescence were protective against the development of overweight and obesity in young adulthood. Professionals who work with adolescents and parents may want to strategize with them how to successfully carry out at least 1 to 2 family meals per week in order to protect adolescents from overweight or obesity in young adulthood.
Gas-phase epoxidation of propylene over small gold ensembles on TS-1

Abstract A series of Au/TS-1 catalysts with varying gold and titanium contents was prepared by deposition–precipitation (DP) and examined at 140–200 °C in a 10/10/10/70 vol.% mixture of hydrogen, oxygen, propylene and helium at a space velocity of 7000 mL/h/g cat . Gold loading was found to be closely related to titanium loading, implying that low gold loadings using deposition–precipitation results in an inherently small number of very active sites. Forcing the gold loading to higher values resulted in poor activity and stability. A catalyst prepared with a Si/Ti = 36 and a gold loading of 0.05 wt% produced 116 g PO /h/kg cat at 200 °C, which is the highest rate thus reported for a TS-1-based catalyst, with no evidence of deactivation during the 40 h temperature program. Catalysts prepared with lower titanium and gold contents resulted in very active catalysts when rates were normalized to the total gold content, 350 g PO /h/g Au at 200 °C for 0.01 wt% Au/TS-1 (Si/Ti = 500), indicative of the more efficient use of gold and titanium for the epoxidation reaction. The low gold loadings coupled with the absence of gold particles in TEM micrographs make it likely that, in these materials, significant activity is attributable to gold entities much smaller than 2 nm.
User Perceptions of MetaLib Combined Search: An Investigation of How Users Make Sense of Federated Searching

SUMMARY This article presents an investigation of users' understanding of MetaLib Combined Search (MCS), a federated search system implemented for the Washington Research Library Consortium. Through a survey instrument, librarians and students reported their experience, usage, and opinions of the system. Upon responding to process-related questions about a search simulation included in the questionnaire, participants described and illustrated their understanding of MCS operation. Data show that students considered MCS primarily as a tool for locating full text, while librarians viewed it as a secondary search tool with disappointing performance. In discussing MCS operation, students focused largely on full-text retrieval capability and search efficiency whereas librarians paid more attention to search strategies and retrieval quality. Both students and librarians indicated that the lack of background information about MCS operation was problematic. Both groups identified knowledge and skills related to fe...
Infections Due to Resistant Candida Species in Patients with Cancer Who Are Receiving Chemotherapy

The apparent increase in the prevalence of candidal infections among patients with cancer and the changes in the spectrum of Candida pathogens infecting these patients are associated with a number of factors. Selection of less-susceptible organisms occurs because antibacterial and antifungal agents alter microbial flora, and the use of these agents can lead to mutations that confer antibiotic resistance to initially susceptible organisms. Candida organisms that are resistant to polyenes and azoles have been increasingly isolated from specimens from oncology patients, and outbreaks of infections due to these less-susceptible organisms have been reported in several centers. Antifungal resistance has largely been observed among non-albicans Candida species, especially Candida parapsilosis, Candida lusitaniae, and Candida krusei. However, there also has been an increase in the isolation of resistant Candida albicans, the more prevalent and more virulent species of Candida, from specimens from other patients. Isolation of resistant C. albicans from oncology patients has been rare, although the potential for further problems exists. These observations emphasize the importance of the selective pressure exerted by antifungal agents on the microbiological flora of patients and the influence of these agents on the prevalence and spectrum of fungal pathogens in clinical settings.
Ascidiatrienolids A-C, novel lactonized eicosanoids from the colonial marine ascidian Didemnum candidum

Abstract Three new eicosanoids ( 1-3 ) possessing a unique 9-membered ring lactone and novel sites of oxidation have been isolated from the colonial marine ascidian Didemnum candidum (F. Didemnidae). These compounds further illustrate some intriguing differences in the pathways of eicosanoid production between mammals and several marine invertebrates.
Comparative observations of ultrastructure of five species of Candida

An electron microscopic comparison was made of five species ofCandida, namely:C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, C. stellatoidea andC. tropicalis. The cell wall, plasma membrane and the cytoplasm with its organelles were described. The cell wall ofC. tropicalis was twice as thick as the cell wall in the other species.C. krusei appeared with distinct, rather elaborate wall sculpturing, a feature not pronounced in the other four species. A single nucleus with nucleolus appeared only in micrographs ofC. guilliermondii andC. krusei. At the same time, large central electron-luscent area (vacuole) appeared in the cells ofC. guilliermondii, C. parapsilosis andC. stellatoidea. The cytoplasm ofC. tropicalis was characterized by a granular appearance. Budding cells and pseudohyphae appeared similar to single cells in their general organelles. Such organelles in species studied were similar to these reported for other yeasts. These include: mitochondria, lipid granules, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes and vacuoles.
One Molecule of Guanosine Triphosphate is Present in Each 30S Initiation Complex

FOR some time guanosine triphosphate (GTP) has been known to be involved in the initiation of bacterial protein synthesis1–4, although its exact function remains obscure. Although GTP stimulates the binding of fMet-tRNA to 30S ribosomes5,6, it does not seem to be hydrolysed in the process7. Hydrolysis is thought to occur later, either during or immediately after the junction of the 30S initiation complex (composed of a 30S ribosome, fMet-tRNA, mRNA, initiation factor F1, and probably other components as we shall show; and hereafter referred to as 30S i-complex) with a 50S ribosome to form a 70S initiation complex7–9. The use to which the energy released in this hydrolysis step is put is not yet known for certain.
Critical Current of Type-II Superconductors in a Broken Bose Glass State

The tilt modulus of a defective Abrikosov vortex lattice pinned by material line defects is computed using the boson analogy. It tends to infinity at long wavelength, which yields a Bose glass state that is robust to the addition of weak point-pinning centers and which implies a restoring force per vortex line for rigid translations about mechanical equilibrium that is independent of magnetic field. It also indicates that the Bose glass state breaks into pieces along the direction of the correlated pinning centers if the latter have finite length. The critical current is predicted to crossover from two-dimensional to three-dimensional behavior as a function of sample thickness along the correlated pinning centers in such case. That crossover notably can occur at a film thickness that is much larger than that expected from point pins of comparable strength. The above is compared to the dependence on thickness shown by the critical current in certain films of high-temperature superconductors currently being developed for wire technology.
Willingness and Opportunity: A Study of Domestic Terrorism in Post-Cold War South Asia

Domestic terrorism, as a form of intrastate violence, has varied widely in South Asia along with the post-Cold War period of global economic integration and political openness. How are these two phenomena—economic integration and emergence of democracies—related to domestic terrorism in South Asia? I argue that resorting to terrorism is a rational choice when individuals'/groups' cost of heterogeneity—deprivation from public goods due to geographical and ideological distance—increases; opportunity is provided by democratization and integration into the global economy. The testable hypotheses derived from the theory are empirically tested on a dataset of five South Asian countries for the time period between 1990 and 2007. The results show that both minority discrimination and presence of unconsolidated democratic institutions increase terrorism in the highly heterogeneous South Asian countries. International trade in the presence of minority discrimination increases homegrown terrorism, but foreign direct...
A Rank Test For Two Group Concordance.

A test statistic is introduced which allows one to test the hypothesis of agreement of several judges on the ranking of items within each of two groups and between the two groups. The groups of judges may be unequal in size. A normal approximation for the test statistic is developed. The relationship to existing techniques given by Kendall, Friedman, Page, Spearman, and Lyerly is discussed. A generalization of the coefficient of concordance is presented and the extension of the method to multi-group problems is suggested.
Age-related cellular resistance of the chicken embryo to viral infections. III. Escherichia coli resistance-inducing protein.

SummaryEscherichia colt 0111:B4:2 in doses greater than 108 heat-killed cells protected 13-day chicken embryos against challenge with a lethal dose of Newcastle disease virus or neurotropic influenza virus. Intact cells were not required since antiviral resistance was also produced by most E. coli fractions, including a 100,000g soluble fraction obtained from differential centrifugation of disrupted bacterial cells. The resistance-inducing material appeared to be a protein. Various proteolytic enzymes reduced the antiviral activity of the 100,000g soluble fraction, while treatment with lipolytic enzymes or nucleases did not affect activity. The protective ability of this fraction was not extractable into lipid solvents nor was it removed by periodate treatment to destroy carbohydrate. The resistance-inducing moiety was recovered in the precipitates formed by ammonium sulfate or ethanol-ether. E. coli mutants deficient in cell-wall lipopolysaccharide provided antiviral resistance equivalent to that produce...
FreshCache: Statically and dynamically exploiting dataless ways

Last level caches (LLCs) account for a substantial fraction of the area and power budget in many modern processors. Two recent trends - dwindling die yield that falls off sharply with larger chips and increasing static power - make a strong case for a fresh look at LLC design. Inclusive caches are particularly interesting because many commercially successful processors use inclusion to ease coherence at a cost of some data being stale or redundant. Prior works have demonstrated that LLC designs could be improved through static (at design time) or dynamic (at runtime) use of “dataless ways”. The static dataless ways removes the data-but not tags-from some cache ways to save energy and area without complicating inclusive-LLC coherence. A dynamic version (dynamic dataless ways) could dynamically turn off data, but not tags, effectively adapting the classic selective cache ways idea to save energy in LLC but not area. We find that (a) all our benchmarks benefit from dataless ways, but (b) the best number of dataless ways varies by workload. Thus, a pure static dataless design leaves energy-saving opportunity on the table, while a pure dynamic dataless design misses area-saving opportunity. To surpass both pure static and dynamic approaches, we develop the FreshCache LLC design that both statically and dynamically exploits dataless ways, including a predictor to adapt the number of dynamic dataless ways as well as detailed cache management policies. Results show that FreshCache saves more energy than static dataless ways alone (e.g., 72% vs. 9% of LLC) and more area by dynamic dataless ways only (e.g., 8% vs. 0% of LLC).
Growth of Zymomonas mobilis CP4 on mannitol

The ethanologenZymomonas mobilis has a restricted substrate range, namely glucose, fructose and sucrose. It would be useful to expand its substrate range to include other carbohydrates.Z. mobilis was screened for growth on 30 different carbohydrates and organic acids. A single spontaneous mutant,Z mobilis CP4.60, was isolated which illustrated feeble growth on mannitol as the sole carbohydrate source after three months of incubation. Growth ofZ. mobilis CP4.60 for several months in continuous culture with excess mannitol, and including a round of NTG (N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine) mutagenesis in the chemostat, led to the isolation a sequential series of mutants (CP4.62, CP4.64 and CP4.66), each with improved growth rates on mannitol. Metabolism of mannitol byZ. mobilis is oxygen-dependent, resulting in limited production of ethanol and incresed production of lactic acid. This is an initial example of extension of the substrate range ofZymomonas. The conversion of mannitol to fructose could be via an altered alcohol dehydrogenase.
THE HISPANO HOMELAND IN 1900

ABSTRACT In 1900 140,000 Hispanos lived in a Homeland that stretched through parts of five southwestern states and covered an area the size of Utah. Hispanos constituted two-thirds of the Homeland's population and Anglos accounted for most of the rest. Three fundamentally different zones existed: an innermost “Stronghold”(90–100 percent Hispano) where Hispanos were socially and politically dominant, a largely middle-ground “Inland”(50–90 percent Hispano) where non-Hispano intruders had been attracted by Hispanos and shared the economic wealth and political control, and a peripheral “Outland”(10–50 percent Hispano) where Hispanos had been attracted by Anglo economic opportunity and were residentially segregated.
Deep brain stimulation in midline thalamic region facilitates synaptic transmission and short-term memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Based on evidence suggesting that deep brain stimulation (DBS) may promote certain cognitive processes, we have been interested in developing DBS as a means of mitigating memory and learning impairments in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this study we used an animal model of AD (TgCRND8 mice) to determine the effects of high-frequency stimulation (HFS) on non-amyloidogenic α-secretase activity and DBS in short-term memory. We tested our hypothesis using hippocampal slices (in vitro studies) from TgCRND8 mice to evaluate whether HFS increases α-secretase activity (non-amyloidogenic pathway) in the CA1 region. In a second set of experiments, we performed in vivo studies to evaluate whether DBS in midline thalamic region re-establishes hippocampal dependent short-term memory in TgCRND8 mice. The results showed that application of HFS to isolated hippocampal slices significantly increased synaptic plasticity in the CA1 region and promoted a 2-fold increase of non-amyloidogenic α-secretase activity, in comparison to low frequency stimulated controls from TgCRND8 mice. In the in vivo studies, DBS treatment facilitated acquisition of object recognition memory in TgCRND8 mice, in comparison to their own baseline before treatment. These results provide evidence that DBS could enhance short-term memory in the CA1 region of hippocampus in a mouse model of AD.
New FDA guidelines for anti-infective drugs

Abstract The 1977 Guidelines for the Evaluation of Anti-infective Drug Products are no longer useful. The IDSA has established a contract with the FDA to revise and update these documents. Thirteen sub-committees will address specific areas of infectious diseases. A general guideline will also be written that proposes modification of the drug evaluation process. The documents will be reviewed by specialist in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology working in practice, academic medicine, the pharmaceutical industry, and the FDA. A second series of draft documents will be prepared and reviewed again, with final approval provided by the FDA. Current plans call for presentation of these guidelines to FDA Advisory Committees in November 1990. Publication of most or all of these guidelines is the primary objective of the contract. If successful, the process may be used to develop guidelines for the evaluation of other classes of drugs, medical devices, and biologic products.
BoardLab: PCB as an interface to EDA software

The tools used to work with Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), for example soldering iron, multi-meter and oscilloscope involve working directly with the board and the board components. However, the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software used to query a PCB's design data requires using a keyboard and a mouse. These different interfaces make it difficult to connect both kinds of operations in a workflow. Further, the measurements made by tools like a multi-meter have to be understood in the context of the schematics of the board manually. We propose a solution to reduce the cognitive load of this disconnect by introducing a handheld probe that allows for direct interactions with the PCB for just-in-time information on board schematics, component datasheets and source code. The probe also doubles up as a voltmeter and annotates the schematics of the board with voltage measurements.
Leveraging social networks for information sharing

Saori is a computation infrastructure that enables users and end-user applications to leverage social networks to mediate information dissemination. Saori provides users with awareness of and control over the information dissemination process within social networks; Saori enables users to employ both technological and social methods to manage information sharing. Saori users can create policies that mediate sharing by exploiting social network structures. Saori also provides social data to users; this data encourages users to be accountable for how they share information. We integrated Saori into a Wiki Wiki Web to demonstrate a concrete use of the infrastructure.
Detection of deletions spanning the Duchenne muscular dystrophy locus using a tightly linked DNA segment

The Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) locus has been localized to the short arm of the human X chromosome (Xp21) by detection of structural abnormalities and by genetic linkage studies. A library highly enriched for human DNA from Xp21 was constructed using DNA isolated from a male patient who had a visible deletion and three X-linked disorders (DMD, retinitis pigmentosa and chronic granulomatous disease). Seven cloned DNA probes from this library and the probe 754 (refs 5, 8) are used in the present study to screen for deletions in the DNA isolated from 57 unrelated males with DMD. Five of these DMD males are shown to exhibit deletions for one of the cloned DNA segments and at least 38 kb of surrounding DNA. In addition, two subclones from the same region detect four restriction fragment length polymorphisms which exhibit no obligate recombination with DMD in 34 meiotic events. These new DNA segments will complement the existing Xp21 probes for use in carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis of DMD. Elucidation of the end points of the five deletions will help delineate the extent of the DMD locus and ultimately lead to an understanding of the specific sequences involved in DMD.
The anatomy of a photojournalistic icon: marginalization of dissent in the selection and framing of ‘a death in Genoa’

This study examines the case of a recent news ‘icon’, a celebrated product of photojournalism, Dylan Martinez’s so-called ‘death in Genoa’. The picture shows a scene moments before the death by police gunfire of a protester during the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Genoa in July 2001. The image was chosen by news and political elites as a metonym for the antiglobalization movement. Fitting into the typical characteristics and assumptions of the news icon, it served less to show what happened than to direct public gaze and interpretations to framed ‘meanings’ that, in this instance, marginalized a strike against authority by establishing ‘protestor violence’ as the news lead. The study highlights news photography’s interpretive role of historical events and their context and complexity.
Reliability of transparent conducting substrates for rollable displays: A cyclic loading investigation

Failure mechanisms for flexible conducting substrates are investigated herein in the context of rollable/flexible display applications. Cyclic loading experiments (substrates subjected to multiple cycles of tensile strain) were carried out on both ITO-coated PET and PEDOT:PSS-coated PET substrates. The resistance was measured after each bending cycle. The resistance increased with the number of cycles and was not reversible. Even when the tensile strain on the ITO/PET was below the virgin cracking threshold (∼2%) previously reported [Appl Phys Lett76, 1425 (2000)], slight increases in resistance were measurable after just a few cycles.
Effects of chronic administration of sheep stalk-median eminence extract on organ weights of immature hypophysectomized rats with pituitary grafts.

SummarySingle pituitary grafts from donors of the same sex maintained some growth and led to slight maintenance of testes in male and uteri in female hypophysectomized rats. There was slight maintenance of adrenal weight in both sexes. Injection of crude sheep stalk-median eminence (SME) extracts resulted in a further significant increase in testes and ventral prostate weights in hypophysectomized, grafted males and in uterine and ovarian weights in grafted females on comparison to the weights of these organs in grafted animals injected with cerebral cortical extract. Adrenal weight was increased in rats of both sexes by SME extract. The results provide evidence that chronic injection of hypothalamic extract can increase the weight of pituitary target organs in both male and female rats presumably via stimulation of both release and synthesis of pituitary hormones.
Modeling the Mediating Role of Volition in the Learning Process

According to action-control theory, volition plays a mediating role between the intention to learn (motivation) and goal-directed behavior (the use of learning strategies). Although extensive theoretical work has been done to document this flow of events, more empirical studies have been needed to identify the specific means by which volitional control protects the intention to learn and maintains the attempts to learn; our intention here was to address this gap in the literature. Using data from a sample of 487 college students in two different domains, we found that the positive effects of intrinsic goal orientation and self-efficacy on cognitive engagement were augmented by volitional control. We also found that the effects of volition differed by domain as well as by the type of learning strategy being considered. These results suggest that volitional control merits greater attention from those doing research in self-regulated learning.
The temperature of Amalthea

Abstract Infrared photometry of Amalthea (JV) indicates that it is at a temperature of 155±15 K and has a raduis of 120±30 km. There is no evidence for substantial heating by the Jovian radiation belts.
Lepidopteran Leaf Mine from the Early Eocene Wind River Formation of Northwestern Wyoming

A lepidopteran mine, probably of Phyllocnistis, on a leaflet impression of Cedrela (Meliaceae) discovered in late early Eocene strata near Dubois, Wyoming, is the earliest record of leaf mining and of the Phyllocnistidae. Considerable prior evolution of the mining habit, antiquity of the Cedrela-Phyllocnistis relationship, and subtropical climatic conditions are indicated.
Effects of Calcium Carbonate, Sevelamer Hydrochloride or Pantoprazole on the Pharmacokinetics of Cinacalcet

Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a common consequence of chronic kidney disease. Cinacalcet (Sensipar®) is often prescribed in combination to reduce elevated levels of parathyroid hormone, calcium and phosphorus. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of concomitantly administered therapies of calcium carbonate (CaCO3; TUMS®), sevelamer hydrochloride (HCl; Renagel®) and pantoprazole sodium (Protonix®) on the pharmacokinetics and safety of cinacalcet in healthy subjects. Three randomized, open-label, two-way crossover pharmacokinetic studies were conducted in healthy subjects. Participants received single doses of cinacalcet alone or in combination with either CaCO3, sevelamer HCl or pantoprazole. The pharmacokinetic profile of cinacalcet was characterized. Safety assessments including adverse event reporting, changes in vital signs and clinical laboratory measurements were conducted throughout the studies. The 90 % confidence intervals for the area under the concentration–time curve from time zero to the last quantifiable concentration (AUClast), area under the concentration–time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0–∞) and maximum plasma concentration (C max) of cinacalcet were within the accepted range of 80–125 % for both CaCO3 and sevelamer HCl co-administration with cinacalcet. No severe or serious adverse events or clinically relevant changes in physical or laboratory findings occurred during the studies. The pharmacokinetic parameters of cinacalcet were not affected by co-administration of CaCO3, sevelamer HCl or pantoprazole. Co-administration of these agents with cinacalcet does not require an adjustment of the dose of cinacalcet.
Improved fiber tractography with Bayesian tensor regularization

Diffusion tensor tractography suffers from the effects of noise and partial volume averaging (PVA). For reliable reconstruction of fiber pathways, tracking algorithms that are robust to these artifacts are called for. To meet this need, the present study establishes a novel Bayesian regularization framework for fiber tracking that takes into account the effects of noise and PVA, thereby improving tracking accuracy and precision. With this framework, the propagation of a fiber path follows an optimal vector determined by Bayes decision rule; the probability functions involved are modeled on the basis of multivariate normal distributions of diffusion tensor elements, which allows the optimal solution with maximum a posteriori probability to be derived analytically. Parameters for the probability functions are estimated from the uncertainty of tensor elements and the variance among tensors within an oriented sampling volume weighted by fractional anisotropy. Experiments with Monte Carlo simulations, synthetic, and in vivo human diffusion tensor data demonstrate that this specialized scheme enhances the immunity of fiber tracking to noise and PVA, and hence enables fibers to be more faithfully reconstructed.
Integration of Single Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube on Micro Systems

This paper presents new techniques for depositing single multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) on metal electrodes based on micro-fabrication and an electric-field-guided assembly technique. It was demonstrated that a single MWCNT can be directionally deposited across a microscale gap guided by a biased AC electric field. The biased AC method could effectively avoid the deposition of undesirable particles, and yet maintained highly ordered deposition results. A specific AC frequency component was applied to attract only desired CNTs into a gap and a DC component was used to diminish electric field significantly when the first CNT is deposited. This method can be easily combined with other micromachining process and possibly applied to batch production.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
An Exploratory Examination of Correlates of Organizational Culture

This article reports the outcomes of a study investigating the correlates of the three aspects of organizational culture – cultural consensus, structure, and organizational values. Nine hundred ten employees in 79 nonprofit organizations in the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida constituted the sample for this study. Cultural consensus was positively related to transformational leadership practices and negatively related to formalization. Organizational values were positively related to transformational leadership practices, negatively related to size, formalization, and centralization. Finally, five structures of organizational cultures differed with regard to leadership, size, and occupational differentiation.
Selective loss of myelin proteins during autolysis

Rat brains allowed to autolyze in situ for 12 h selectively lost myelin proteins. Basic proteins are markedly decreased, but DM-20 (1) and proteolipid proteins also are lost from the myelin of developing and mature rat brain. At room temperature there is a 50% decrease in the concentration of basic protein in myelin isolated from 15-day-old rats. Reducing the ambient temperature to 0°C reduces the loss to 20%. Similar but less marked changes occur in the brains of adult animals. The molar ratios of cholesterol, phospholipids, and glycolipids are unaffected by autolysis, and there is also no change in the specific activity of the myelin marker enzyme 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide-3′-phosphohydrolase (E.C.3.1.4.37). Electron microscopic examination of the isolated myelin demonstrates multilammelar structure with intraperiod lines.
Evaluation of end-tidal carbon dioxide role in predicting elevated SOFA scores and lactic acidosis.

The development of organ dysfunction is a key contributor to morbidity and mortality in sepsis. End-tidal carbon dioxide levels measured by non-invasive end-tidal capnography (ETCO2) may provide a rapid assessment of a patient’s underlying metabolic status. The objective of this study was to explore the association between ETCO2 and (1) organ dysfunction [sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score], and (2) serum lactate levels in febrile emergency department (ED) patients. Prospective, observational cohort study of a convenience sample of 97 adult (age 18 years or older) patients presented to an academic urban ED with a fever and suspected infection. The outcomes were ED SOFA score and serum lactate level. Based on prior studies, we categorized an ETCO2 2, and an abnormal lactate as >4 mmol/L. The correlation of ETCO2 with SOFA and lactate level was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient. Operating characteristics were calculated with 95% confidence intervals, along with the area under the curve (AUC). Among 97 patients enrolled, 5 (5%) had an abnormal lactate and 34 (35%) had a SOFA score >2. A significant correlation was found between ETCO2 and SOFA score (r = −0.35, p 2 had an AUC of 0.69. ETCO2 of 2. ETCO2 4 with an AUC of 0.62. We found a small, but statistically significant correlation, between ETCO2 and SOFA scores; however, based on questionable operating characteristics, the test seems to have limited ability to meaningfully impact clinical decision making. Larger confirmatory studies are required before final assessment.
Unsteady Magnetohydrodynamic Flows in a Rotating Elastico-Viscous Fluid

This paper points out the errors in the solutions of a research work by N. Nanousis under the same title published in this journal, volume 199, 1993. The correct solutions of the problem for the velocity field and the drag on the plate, by the Laplace transform technique, are presented. The results are discussed for two cases of an arbitrary time-dependent forcing effect. It is shown that the viscoelastic parameterk > 0 influences the velocity and introduces reverse flow. For a suddenly accelerated plate,k > 0 increases the velocity forz \(\sqrt {2t} \). In the case of the ramp-type boundary condition,k > 0 tends to decrease the velocity.
Tipranavir/ritonavir induction of buprenorphine glucuronide metabolism in HIV-negative subjects chronically receiving buprenorphine/naloxone.

Background: Previous reports on the pharmacokinetic of tipranavir (TPV) and buprenorphine (BUP)/ naloxone found that coadministration resulted in an 80% reduction in the area under the curve AUC of the primary BUP metabolite, norBUP, without any pharmacodynamic consequences. This study was conducted to characterize how tipranivir/ritonavir effects the glucuronide metabolites of BUP and may explain the reduction in the norBUP. Methods: HIV-seronegative subjects stabilized on at least 3 weeks of BUP/naloxone sequentially underwent baseline and steady-state pharmacokinetic evaluation of twice daily TPV 500 mg coadministered with ritonavir 200 mg (TPV/r). Results: Twelve subjects were enrolled and ten completed the study. The steady-state pharmacokinetics for BUP-3-glucuronide (BUP-3G) and norBUP-3-glucuronide (norBUP-3G) in the presence and absence of steady-state TPV/r were analyzed. The Cmax of BUP-3G was 8.78 ± 5.23 ng/mL without TPV/r and increased to 12.7 ± 11.7 after steady state of TPV/r was achieved....
Is it Possible to do Experimental Cosmology Using Cold Atoms

We analyze the possibility of using cold atoms to experimentally investigate the cosmic relic neutrinos and photons that were created after the Big Bang and presently constitute a background at temperatures of a few degress Kelvin.
Bifurcation control of rotating stall with actuator magnitude and rate limits: Part II-control synthesis and comparison with experiments

Rate requirement for active control of rotating stall is investigated via theoretical analysis of the three-state Moore-Greitzer model, numerical simulations of a higher order model, and experiments on a low-speed axial compressor.
Determination of fluvoxamine concentration in plasma by reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Fluvoxamine, a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, was quantified in plasma by modifying a previously published procedure for monitoring plasma concentrations of tricyclic antidepressants. Alkalinized plasma samples were extracted with n-hexane/isoamyl alcohol, followed by back-extraction with diluted phosphoric acid. The extracts were analysed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography using a C-18 column, with phosphate/acetonitrile as the mobile phase. The assay was linear from 10 to 800 micrograms/L. Precision studies showed within-run and day-to-day coefficients of variation to be 4.5 and 6.8%, respectively. Desipramine interfered with the detection of fluvoxamine. The assay was used to measure a total of 8 plasma samples from 4 alcohol-dependent patients medicated with fluvoxamine as an adjunct to relapse prevention psychotherapy. In these patients, the plasma concentrations ranged from 54 to 241 micrograms/L. Dosage of fluvoxamine, duration of treatment, interval between last dosage and blood collection were associated with effects on plasma concentrations that were consistent with the pharmacokinetic profile of fluvoxamine.