cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design Guidelines for Cooperative MTCM OFDM Systems

We introduce general design guidelines and study the properties of cooperative multiple trellis coded modulation (MTCM) OFDM systems, in the context of the decode and forward protocol based on orthogonal transmissions from the cooperating terminals to the destination. We present simulation results that support the theoretical designs and illustrate the viability of the proposed cooperative MTCM technique for OFDM systems.
Syrup of ipecac . . . 15 ml versus 30 ml in pediatric poisonings.

A prospective study was conducted to determine whether 30 ml of syrup of ipecac would produce a more rapid emesis than 15 ml in pediatric poisoned victims over twelve months of age. Data from 100 patients, where 15 ml of syrup of ipecac was administered, revealed an average time for emesis to occur of 25.82 minutes. Data from an additional 100 patients in which 30 ml of ipecac syrup was administered shows emesis to occur in 15.76 minutes. Clinically, six patients had repeated episodes of vomiting with 30 ml of ipecac; however, all were completely asymptomatic 60 minutes after ipecac administration. The difference of 10.06 minutes is statistically significant. Another aspect of the study evaluated whether the administration of clear liquids prior to or following ipecac substantially effected the onset of emesis. No differences were noted.
Wobbling on a One-Legged Stool: The Decline of American Pluralism and the Academic Treatment of Corporate Social Responsibility

B. Readings (University in Ruins. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1996) argued that universities have abandoned their original project of promoting a national culture and have tried to substitute by embracing “globalization,” but the vagueness and incoherence of the concept has failed to return purpose to the University. The academic treatment of corporate social responsibility illustrates this dilemma. For a generation after H.R. Bowen (Social Responsibilities of the Businessman. New York: Harper & Row, 1953) founded the field, scholars struggled to fit the concept within a national system of pluralistic power-sharing among a variety of institutions that would define and enforce standards of responsibility necessary for the general good of American society. That understanding changed in the nineteen eighties, shortly after corporate executives had united to an unprecedented degree to direct the power of government in their interests, influence the public agenda, and roll back the power of unions. In response, business ethicists began to reformulate corporate social responsibility as a voluntary practice on the part of these same executives. Since the Kantian and Lockean principles upon which this approach was based were themselves problematic, it is not surprising that the experience gained over the last generation casts doubt on the efficacy of this reliance on voluntary restraint and personal initiative. However, circumstances that include the failure of globalization to deliver on its promises may have changed sufficiently in recent years to revive interest in approaches that acknowledge the importance of countervailing power for encouraging greater corporate social responsibility.
The computerized operator-machine system (OMS) for the least cost combination of operators and machines

In designing a manufacturing system, we must determine not only the number of machines and operators but also how many machines we have to assign to an operator or a group of operators. To determine the right number of combinations for operators and machines, the author has developed the computerized Operator-Machine System (OMS). The system will determine the right number, by showing the percent (%) idle and percent (%) working for each of operators and machines for different combinations. OMS can also show step by step procedures of operators and machines chronologically, so that the operations analyst or the industrial engineer can visualize the operational sequence and the steady states of the operations. From this information, we can compute easily the cost for each alternative production system. The optimum combination of machines and operators is the combination that will result in the least cost for operating the production system.
An evaluation of New Jersey's hospital discharge database for surveillance of severe occupational injuries.

Computerized population-based hospital discharge data in New Jersey offer new opportunities for surveillance of serious work-related injuries. This database was evaluated for its potential in identifying selected injuries that occurred at work during 1985 and 1986. Hospital discharge data were compared with data collected by telephone interview of discharged patients. A total of 1,575 unique hospital discharge records for the selected injuries included finger amputation (1,041), thumb amputation (209), crush injury of the lower limb (208), toxic effects of heavy metals (69), and eye burns (48). Of 809 study subjects sent letters, 445 (55%) could be contacted and 289 (36%) were interviewed for the study. Sixty-one percent (175) said their injury was work related. A comparison was made between self-reported injury at work, and the presence of workers' compensation payer codes on the discharge database. The agreement beyond chance (Kappa) was 0.78 (95% CI = 0.67, 0.89). The sensitivity of this indicator of work relatedness was 83%; specificity was 98%. These data suggest that workers' compensation payment on the hospital discharge database may be a good to excellent proxy indicator of the work relatedness of these injuries. However, this proxy indicator will underestimate the number of work-related injuries by about 20%. Only 11% of hospital discharge records had external cause of injury codes (E-codes), which reduces the utility of the database for understanding the causal mechanisms of work-related injuries. Language: en
Change of minority carrier diffusion length in polycrystalline silicon by ultrasound treatment

We present a new approach for defect engineering by ultrasound treatment (UST) in solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafers, leading to significant enhancement of minority carrier diffusion length (L) in wafer regions with short L. The maximum value of the UST effect is a 2.7 times increase of the diffusion length in regions of the sample with L=10 to 25 mu m. Using the surface photovoltage (SPV) method for non-contact mapping of the diffusion length, we have found both a positive and negative variation of L after UST in different wafer regions. The UST effect depends upon temperature, showing an activation energy of about 0.17 eV. A relaxation study of the UST effect shows two different behaviours: (i) stable result versus post-UST holding time, and (ii) partial or complete recovery of the diffusion length. Process (ii) is linked to the ultrasound-enhanced dissociation of FeB pairs followed by pairing kinetics.
Parent Retrospective Recollections of Bullying and Current Views, Concerns, and Strategies to Cope with Children's Bullying.

In this study, parent history of bullying was examined in terms of general involvement with bullying, specific types of bullying experienced, level of hurtfulness associated with the experience, and when bullying occurred. Parent current views, levels of concern, and strategies used to cope with bullying were also evaluated. Finally, the aforementioned constructs were analyzed for existing predictive relationships. Two-hundred-sixty parents from a public school district in the Northeast completed an online survey. Results revealed that 90.3 % of parents reported seeing and/or engaging in bullying during their youth. Few parents reported involvement as a bully, but comparable numbers of participants indicated being victimized or acting as a bystander. Additional findings suggest that a parent’s historical involvement with bullying was predictive of some of their current views, level of concern, and strategies implemented in association with bullying. Future research should attempt to account for the remaining variance among these variables. Implications for parents and school personnel are described, with recommendations for the increase of involvement by parents in anti-bullying initiatives.
When beauty isn't talent: The influence of physical attractiveness, attitudes toward women, and competence on impression formation

The present study investigated the effect of attitudes toward women, physical attractiveness, and competence on impression formation of women. Male and female undergraduates read a competent or incompetent essay allegedly written by a physically attractive or unattractive female and responded to questions about the essay and its writer. Subjects were classified as traditionals, moderates, or liberals on the basis of their scores on the Attitudes Toward Women Scale. Female subjects' impressions were affected by the competence of the stimulus person and by their sex-role attitudes, but were not influenced by the physical attractiveness of the writer. Males, however, were influenced by all three variables. Evidence was found for a reversal of the physical attractiveness stereotype for liberal males with reference to incompetent women. The implications of these findings for physical attractiveness research are discussed.
Constructing a Multicultural National Identity: South African Classrooms as Sites of Struggle Between Competing Discourses

This paper reports on aspects an ethnographic study carried out in six newly integrated schools in post-apartheid South Africa. It presents evidence that these schools are sites of struggle between competing discourses that construct, maintain and change social identities in those communities and the wider society. It suggests that South Africa's former limited bilingual policies and current multilingual language policies together with discourses at the micro-level that are congruent with them serve to construct quite different South African national identities: hegemonic, exclusive and conflicted on the one hand, and egalitarian and inclusive on the other. Finally, it speculates on the outcome of the struggle between the competing discourses, that is, on the prospects of South Africans being able to negotiate a truly multicultural national identity.
Echophonocardiographic Diagnosis of Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm

We report the presence of an unusual systolic murmur associated with a traumatic left ventricular pseudoaneurysm. Echophonocardiographic studies showed the murmur to begin at the first heart sound, but end well before the second heart sound. It seems likely that the murmur is caused by the systolic flow of blood from the left ventricle into the relatively noncompliant pseudoaneurysm. The echocardiographic scan of the left ventricle demonstrated a relatively echo-free space posterior to the left ventricular wall, supporting the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm, which was confirmed with angiographic studies and at surgery. These findings indicate that a combination of noninvasive techniques is useful in establishing this diagnosis.
Pediatric drug development: a perspective from the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Well-designed and carefully conducted pediatric phase I trials are critical to the process of evaluating new agents for potential benefit in children with cancer, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has for a number of years sponsored pediatric phase I trials. The development of new agents for children with cancer differs in important ways from drug development for adults with cancer, primarily necessitated by the smaller number of children eligible for phase I trials in comparison to adults. Pediatric drug development is characterized by a greater need to prioritize new agents for evaluation, since many more agents can be evaluated in adults than can be evaluated in children. Pediatric phase I trials are also commonly conducted as multi-institutional collaborations, since most single institutions do not have enough eligible patients to complete phase I trials within a reasonable time. In addition, pediatric phase I trials begin at doses close to the adult maximum tolerated dose, thereby minimizing the number of patients required to complete pediatric phase I trials. While pediatric phase I trials have traditionally evaluated conventional cytotoxic agents, new classes of agents with distinctive mechanisms of action are entering clinical evaluation. These agents target specific cellular proteins (e.g., protein tyrosine kinases, protein kinase C isoforms, enzymes involved in controlling progression through the cell cycle). Determining whether these agents with specificity for critical cellular proteins will be effective anti-cancer agents will be an important objective of pediatric clinical investigations in the coming years.
What's in a face: Individual differences in face perception☆

Abstract White and black females judged the similarity of all pairs of white and black male faces. An individual difference multidimensional scaling analysis of the similarity judgments indicated that most of the dimensions underlying the perceptions of male faces involved affective (honest, tense, attractive) characteristics rather than simple physical features (eye width, mouth height). The major physical dimension was face shape (long vs. wide). The dimensions were similar for black and white subjects. An individual difference hypothesis that we pay attention to those characteristics that we possess was partially confirmed.
Systemic and coronary hemodynamic effects of glucagon

The systemic and coronary hemodynamic effects of glucagon have been studied in anesthetized mongrel dogs. Administration of this agent produced an increase in cardiac rate, a decrease in systemic arterial pressure and increases in body and cardiac oxygen consumption. Arterial hemoglobin, hematocrit and oxygen content increased as did mixed venous oxygen content, but the coronary sinus oxygen content decreased. Cardiac output and coronary blood flow increased, but peripheral and coronary vascular resistances decreased. The systemic and coronary hemodynamic effects of glucagon were similar during beta adrenergic blockade induced by propranolol.
Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry as an Emerging Analytical Tool for Stabilization and Formulation Development of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies

The dynamic nature of the structure of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can be probed at a resolution of 5-20 residues using hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (H/D-MS). Recent studies using H/D-MS have shown that distinct regions of IgG1 mAbs experience significant changes in backbone dynamics in response to specific physicochemical alterations, varying solution conditions, or exposure to different environmental stresses. Tracking such changes in local dynamics may therefore serve as a key analytical tool, not only to monitor stability changes, but also to design improved, and more stable formulations of therapeutic mAbs in pharmaceutical dosage forms. This review article describes the H/D-MS method as applied to the analysis of formulations containing mAbs and summarizes recent studies monitoring changes in mAb local dynamics in response to chemical modifications, physical degradation, and presence of stabilizing and destabilizing excipients. Furthermore, the nature of the local dynamics of a highly conserved peptide segment in the CH 2 domain of IgG1 mAbs is reviewed, and the results are correlated with decreased pharmaceutical stability, supporting the identification of a common aggregation hotspot sequence in the Fc region of human IgG1 mAbs. In addition, unresolved challenges (and opportunities) in applying H/D-MS technology for stabilization and formulation development of mAbs are discussed.
A study of the NOAA 16 AMSU‐A brightness temperatures observed over Amazon rain forest

[1] Angular distributions of brightness temperatures over the Amazon rain forest observed by the NOAA 16 Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) window channels are studied and simulated with a radiative transfer model. The model is based on a combination of the atmospheric radiative transfer model and a vegetation canopy model which treats the rain forest as a uniform layer with an effective canopy temperature. Since emission from the ground surface is heavily attenuated by the rain forest canopy, only radiations from the rain forest canopy and the atmospheric medium contribute to the measurements. The measured angular distributions of brightness temperatures at the four window channels 1–3 and 15 (with frequencies centered at 23.8, 31.4, 50.3, and 89 GHz, respectively), have relatively small angular dependence that is attributed to the atmospheric path length since the canopy radiation is angular-independent. Data used in this study are collected from April 2001 to October 2002 for 1 month in each season. Angular distributions of the data from each month show remarkably stable patterns which can be well simulated by the model developed in this study. For the four window channels, ascending (day time 2 PM in the Sun) and descending (nighttime 2 AM in dark) measurements differ by 3–8 K, depending on channels. The root-mean-square (RMS) differences between 2 years' angular distributions for all four channels and the three overlapping months (April, July, and October) are 0.82 K for the ascending passes, and 0.47 K for the descending passes, respectively. The stable pattern and small variation of angular distributions can be potentially useful for postlaunch calibration of future microwave instruments.
Intentions in teasing: when "just kidding" just isn't good enough.

Teasing is ambiguous. Although the literal content of a tease is, by definition, negative, seldom do teasers intend for their tease to be taken literally. Toward this aim, teasers often attempt to mitigate the negative surface content of the tease by communicating via gesture, facial expression, or tone of voice that they are "just kidding." The research presented here suggests that such attempts often fall on deaf ears. Despite teasers' attempts to mitigate the tease, targets are often unaware of--and unmoved by--the teaser's benign intentions. As a result, teasers and targets systematically differ in their perceptions of teasing: Although it is often seen as innocent and playful by the teaser, it tends to be construed as considerably more malicious by the target. Language: en
Modulation of mu, kappa and delta opioid receptors in the rat brain by isoflurane and enflurane.

Abstract This study was done to investigate whether inhalational anesthetics modulated the binding of specific ligands to opioid receptors in the brain of the rat. The effect of isoflurane and enflurane on the binding of specific ligands to various subtypes of opioid receptors in vitro was studied. Isoflurane inhibited the binding of [ 3 H]naloxone to opioid receptors by 50% in the spinal cord, midbrain and cortex at 22, 49 and 50 mM, respectively. Enflurane was more potent than isofiurane in inhibiting the binding of [ 3 H]naloxone. Scatchard analysis of the binding of [ 3 H]naloxone, done in the presence of therapeutic level (5 mM) of isoflurane, suggested that it did not affect the K D (1.3 nM) but decreased the B max by 41% in the cortex. Isoflurane and enflurane, at large doses (30–50 mM), inhibited the binding of [ 3 H]ethylketocyclazocine (EKC) to kappa receptors in midbrain, cortex and spinal cord. At a smaller dose (5 mM), they increased the binding of EKC in spinal cord. The binding of the analogs of enkephalin [ 3 H]DSTLE(Tyr- D Ser-Gly-Phe-Leu-Thr-enkephalin) to delta receptors and [ 3 H]DAGO (Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Methyl-Phe-Glyol-enkephalin) to mu receptors in the midbrain and cortex was inhibited by isoflurane at a significantly smaller concentration than the binding of [ 3 H]naloxone, indicating that the binding of peptides was more susceptible to the inhibition by inhalational anesthetics than the binding of alkaloids, such as naloxone or EKC. These results suggest that the modulation of opioid receptors by inhalational anesthetics is a function of both the nature of the ligand and the tissue used for the receptor binding. In addition, the inhibition of opioid receptors by inhalational anesthetics was greater in the spinal cord than in the cortex or midbrain. Only in the spinal cord did inhalational anesthetics, at therapeutic doses, increase the binding of kappa agonists. Isoflurane increased the K D and B max for EKC in the spinal cord.
Observation of Couple Conflicts: Clinical Assessment Applications, Stubborn Truths, and Shaky Foundations

The purpose of this review is to provide a balanced examination of the published research involving the observation of couples, with special attention toward the use of observation for clinical assessment. All published articles that (a) used an observational coding system and (b) relate to the validity of the coding system are summarized in a table. The psychometric properties of observational systems and the use of observation in clinical practice are discussed. Although advances have been made in understanding couple conflict through the use of observation, the review concludes with an appeal to the field to develop constructs in a psychometrically and theoretically sound manner.
Role of the NMDA Receptor and Nitric Oxide in Memory Reconsolidation of Cocaine‐Induced Conditioned Place Preference in Mice

Classical pavlovian conditioning has a major role in the development and persistence of drug addiction. Appetitive conditioning by drug reward, as measured by the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm, is an exemplar of classical pavlovian conditioning. Aversive conditioning by footshock involves learning and memory processes similar to those involved in appetitive conditioning. Studies on fear conditioning have shown that long-term fear memory can be extinguished by disruption of reconsolidation of specific memories associated with the fear response. Hence disruption of memory reconsolidation may hold promise for the extinction of maladaptive conditioned behavior. In the present study the effects of the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, and the nNOS inhibitor 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) on memory reconsolidation of cocaine-induced CPP in mice were investigated. We report that, following the acquisition of cocaine CPP, a single acute administration of either MK-801 or 7-NI immediately after retrieval of place preference extinguished subsequent place preference. Moreover, a priming dose of cocaine did not reinstate place preference in the drug-treated groups compared to controls. Male nNOS knockout (KO) mice acquired short-lived cocaine CPP compared to wild-type (WT) mice. A single acute administration of the NO-donor molsidomine to nNOS KO mice immediately after retrieval of CPP prolonged the expression of place preference compared to controls that received saline, suggesting partial strengthening of memory reconsolidation. Taken together, these findings support the role of the NMDAR/NO signaling pathway in memory reconsolidation of cocaine CPP, and suggest that disruption of this pathway during memory reconsolidation may afford resistance to drug-seeking behavior.
Approaches to synthetic platelet analogs.

Platelet transfusion is routinely used for treating bleeding complications in patients with hematologic or oncologic clotting disorders, chemo/radiotherapy-induced myelosuppression, trauma and surgery. Currently, these transfusions mostly use allogeneic platelet concentrates, while products like lyophilized platelets, cold-stored platelets and infusible platelet membranes are under investigation. These natural platelet-based products pose considerable risks of contamination, resulting in short shelf-life (3–5 days). Recent advances in pathogen reduction technologies have increased shelf-life to ∼7 days. Furthermore, natural platelets are short in supply and also cause several biological side effects. Hence, there is significant clinical interest in platelet-mimetic synthetic analogs that can allow long storage-life and minimum side effects. Accordingly, several designs have been studied which decorate synthetic particles with motifs that promote platelet-mimetic adhesion or aggregation. Recent refinement in this design involves combining the adhesion and aggregation functionalities on a single particle platform. Further refinement is being focused on constructing particles that also mimic natural platelet's shape, size and elasticity, to influence margination and wall-interaction. The optimum design of a synthetic platelet analog would require efficient integration of platelet's physico-mechanical properties and biological functionalities. We present a comprehensive review of these approaches and provide our opinion regarding the future directions of this research.
Gene Expression Profile of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes from Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated with IL-2, Interferon-α and Dendritic Cell Vaccine

Lymphocytes are a key component of the immune system and their differentiation and function are directly influenced by cancer. We examined peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) gene expression as a biomarker of illness and treatment effect using the Affymetrix Human Gene ST1 platform in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) who received combined treatment with IL-2, interferon-?-2a and dendritic cell vaccine. We examined gene expression, cytokine levels in patient serum and lymphocyte subsets as determined by flow cytometry (FCM). Pre-treatment PBLs from patients with mRCC exhibit a gene expression profile and serum cytokine profile consistent with inflammation and proliferation not found in healthy donors (HD). PBL gene expression from patients with mRCC showed increased mRNA of genes involved with T-cell and T(REG)-cell activation pathways, which was also reflected in lymphocyte subset distribution. Overall, PBL gene expression post-treatment (POST) was not significantly different than pre-treatment (PRE). Nevertheless, treatment related changes in gene expression (post-treatment minus pre-treatment) revealed an increased expression of T-cell and B-cell receptor signaling pathways in responding (R) patients compared to non-responding (NR) patients. In addition, we observed down-regulation of T(REG)-cell pathways post-treatment in R vs. NR patients. While exploratory in nature, this study supports the hypothesis that enhanced inflammatory cytotoxic pathways coupled with blunting of the regulatory pathways is necessary for effective anti-cancer activity associated with immune therapy. This type of analysis can potentially identify additional immune therapeutic targets in patients with mRCC.
Magnon renormalization in disordered ferromagnets

Abstract The renormalization of the magnon energies in disordered, isotropic ferromagnets is investigated in the Hartree approximation. An expression equivalent to the Keffer-Loudon-Bloch renormalization factor is obtained by replacing products of normal mode expansion coefficients by their weighted sample averages. The results of self-consistent calculations of the renormalization factor and the magnetization are reported for dilute bond and amorphous ferromagnets.
The effect of social networking websites on positive self-views: An experimental investigation

Millions of people use social networking sites (SNSs), but it is unclear how these sites shape personality traits and identity. In Experiment 1, college students were randomly assigned to either edit their MySpace page or complete a control task online (interacting with Google Maps). Those who focused on their MySpace page scored significantly higher on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) than a control group. In Experiment 2, those who focused on their Facebook page scored significantly higher in general self-esteem, but not narcissism, than a control group. Thus, spending time on SNSs profiles causes young people to endorse more positive self-views, although the specific form this takes depends on the site. Consistent with previous research, narcissism was associated with a larger number of SNSs ''friends'' in both experiments.
How to control unfolding when specializing interpreters

An interpreter can be viewed as performing two tasks: parsing and execution. Interpreters are specialized by partially evaluating the parsing activity while leaving the execution component as residue. We give a procedure for identifying goals that participate in the parsing process and present rules for unfolding these goals. The unfolding rules are independent of the object-program being compiled and can be generated by a one-time inspection of an interpreter. This makes specializing interpreters a practical technique for compiling programs.
Patient-subjective cosmetic outcomes following the varying stages of tissue expander breast reconstruction: The importance of completion

Abstract Introduction Tissue expander breast reconstruction consists of three major surgical steps: placement of the expander after mastectomy, exchange of the expander for an implant, and nipple-areola complex reconstruction. The evolution of patient satisfaction throughout this process has not been evaluated. Here we performed a stratified analysis of patient-subjective cosmetic outcomes during the stages of breast reconstruction. Methods Twenty-eight consecutive tissue expander-implant reconstructions were performed by the senior author using human acellular dermis. Cosmetic outcomes were assessed after each reconstructive stage using a validated Breast Evaluation Questionnaire consisting of questions related to breast size, shape and firmness in three separate contexts: intimate or sexual activities, leisure or social activities, and professional or job-related activities. Results Eighteen patients underwent unilateral reconstruction, while 10 underwent bilateral reconstruction. Satisfaction scores were statistically higher following Stage I and II procedures for bilateral reconstructions. For unilateral reconstructions, there was a statistically significant elevation in scores following Stage II. The addition of nipple-areola reconstruction resulted in the highest scores for both unilateral and bilateral reconstructions. These score elevations were significant ( p Conclusion Satisfaction with tissue expander reconstruction is significantly affected by the patients' stage during the reconstructive process. Completion of all three stages, including nipple-areolar complex reconstruction, achieves maximal patient satisfaction. For unilateral reconstructions, completion of the entire reconstructive process, including contralateral symmetry procedures and nipple-areolar complex reconstruction, results in cosmesis scores that are similar to those in bilateral cases.
EVALUATION OF FLUID SHORTENINGS FOR DEEP‐FAT FRYING UNDER INSTITUTIONAL CONDITIONS

Commercial fluid soybean oil shortenings were evaluated for their performance over a 5-week period in deep fat fryers at two residential hall foodservice operations. Normal menu items were prepared including french fried potatoes, poultry, fish, and other items. French fried potatoes accounted for over 65% of the foods fried. Evaluation of the shortenings was based on acid value of the shortening, frylife, yield (kg of food fried per kg of oil used) and sensory evaluation of foods fried in the oils. Comparison of manufacturer's specifications (free fatty acid level and smoke point) with performance showed that oils with below-average quality specifications performed poorly; however, above average specifications did not ensure good performance. It is suggested that inhouse testing be considered as part of purchasing decisions for frying shortenings.
Description of a Mixed Ethnic, Elderly Population. II. Food Group Behavior and Related Nonfood Characteristics

Background. Elderly persons 60–103 years of age, who were participants in a Title III-C Nutrition Program, provided information regarding weekly frequencies of food group consumption, weekend meals and snack patterns, and several nonfood items that may affect food intakes.Methods. Nonrandomized volunteers were interviewed in senior centers or in their homes. Chi-square, t test, and Pearson's product moment correlations were used to assess differences in the population sample with regard to six independent variables: ethnicity, gender, type meal (congregate or home delivered), age, proportion of noon meal usually eaten, and socialization factor (lived alone or with others).Results. White subjects ate more fruits, dairy products, and weekend snacks than black subjects. White elders also consumed more caffeine, had larger incomes, and more often had sufficient money to buy food. Black subjects ate more pasta and desserts, and in sickness more often had help available. Men consumed more meats, dairy products, eggs, and starchy foods than women. There were no gender differences in income, but men ate more weekend meals in restaurants, spent more money weekly for food, more often were able to shop for food and leave home without assistance, and reported greater pleasure associated with eating. Home delivery clients ate more desserts and Sunday snacks and more frequently ate breakfast on the weekend than congregate clients. Congregate clients had more money to buy food, were better able to shop for and prepare food, and more frequently had help available in sickness. Young-old (<75 yr) and old-old (≥75 yr) clients showed no difference in consumption of any of the food groups. Persons who usually ate all or most of the noon meal more frequently experienced pleasurability in eating, reported less anorexia, and had larger intakes of the vegetable and pasta groups. Persons living with others ate more meats, pasta, and desserts, spent more weekly for food, and ate more weekend meals in restaurants.Conclusion. The need for focus of the elderly nutrition program is greater in home delivery than congregate clients. The average home delivery client is older, has more chronic health problems and less physical prowess, less income, less frequently has help available in sickness, and has greater need for services other than the noon meal.
Cigarette smoking-induced coronary vasoconstriction in atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and prevention by calcium antagonists and nitroglycerin

In patients with coronary artery disease, cigarette smoking increases myocardial oxygen demand but may cause an inappropriate alpha-adrenergically mediated fall in myocardial oxygen supply. This study was performed to determine if smoking-induced coronary vasoconstriction is prevented by nitroglycerin, verapamil or nifedipine treatment. In 25 smokers with coronary artery disease (20 men, 5 women, aged 32 to 65 years), heart rate-systolic arterial pressure double product and coronary sinus blood flow (thermodilution) were measured before and during smoking both before and 30 to 60 minutes after administration of saline solution (n = 5, control subjects); nifedipine, 10 mg sublingually (n = 6); verapamil, 10 mg intravenously (n = 7); or nitroglycerin, 0.4 mg sublingually (n = 7). During the first smoking period, double product increased, but coronary sinus flow did not change or decreased. During the second smoking period, in the control subjects double product and coronary sinus flow responded in a manner similar to that observed previously. In those given nifedipine, double product did not change, but coronary sinus flow increased (-4 +/- 5% during the first smoking period [before nifedipine] and 17 +/- 12% during the second period [after nifedipine], p less than 0.01). In those given verapamil, double product and coronary sinus flow increased during smoking (-12 +/- 8% during the first smoking period [before verapamil], 10 +/- 9% during the second period [after verapamil], p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Delayed Propagation of Solar Cosmic Rays on September 3, 1960

Class 3 solar flares were observed at 0706 and 2234 U. T. Sept. 2, 1960 and 0040 U. T. Sept. 3, 1960. Cosmic radiation from the third flare was required to pass through or around the clouds formed by the first 2 flares. The cosmic radiation from the Sept. 3 flare was documented by rockets, balloons, and ground stations at several latitudes. A Forbush decrease, x-radiation, and radioemission associated with the flares and clouds are studied. (T.F.H.)
A Comparative Study of Shape Representation in Macaque Visual Areas V2 and V4

We compared aspects of shape representation in extrastriate visual areas V2 and V4, which are both implicated in shape processing and belong to different hierarchical levels. We recorded responses of cells in awake, fixating monkeys to matched sets of contour and grating stimuli of low or intermediate complexity. These included simple stimuli (bars and sinusoids) and more complex stimuli (angles, intersections, arcs, and non-Cartesian gratings), all scaled to receptive field size. The responses of cells within each area were substantially modulated by each shape characteristic tested, with substantial overlap between areas by many response measures. Our analyses revealed many clear and reliable differences between areas in terms of the effectiveness of, and response modulation by, various shape characteristics. Grating stimuli were on average more effective than contour stimuli in V2 and V4, but the difference was more pronounced in V4. As a population, V4 showed greater response modulation by some shape characteristics (including simple shape characteristics) and V2 showed greater response modulation by many others (including complex shape characteristics). Recordings from area V1 demonstrated complex shape selectivity in some cells and relatively modest population differences in comparison with V2. Altogether, the representation of 2-dimensional shape characteristics revealed by this analysis varies substantially among the 3 areas. But surprisingly, the differences revealed by our analyses, individually or collectively, do not parallel the stepwise organization of the anatomical hierarchy. Commonalities of visual shape representation across hierarchical levels may reflect the replication of neural circuits used in generating complex shape representations at multiple spatial scales.
Designing for distractions: a human factors approach to decreasing interruptions at a centralised medication station

Objective To decrease interruptions around a centrally-located, centralised, open paediatric medication station. Methods Several established human factors methodologies were used to study paediatric medication administration, including cases with ‘walk through’ and verbal protocols; semi-structured interviews, including critical incident analysis; hierarchical task analysis; and observation. Results Inexpensive barriers were constructed that protected the tasks likely to lead to errors if interrupted. Meanwhile, sight lines were maintained preserving a family-friendly sense of accessibility of nurses, staff situation awareness and collegiality. Interruptions were significantly reduced and staff attitudes towards the station were significantly improved. Discussion Targeted barriers may prove useful in other interruptive and chaotic hospital workspaces. They do not require costly training, can be achieved inexpensively and may reduce distractions and interruptions during tasks vulnerable to error. Additionally, the human factors methodologies employed can be applied to other safety improvement projects.
Evaluating Health Services, Programs, and Systems

Evaluation will continue to play an important role for health care managers in all coun- tries, particularly in light of population-based planning, for several reasons. First, the organiza- tion of formal and informal alliances in the health care industry and the competition among them will prompt managers to continuously evaluate morbidity, mortality, and disability trends associated with service delivery and treatment of health problems in order to modify or discard services and treatments that are not efficient, effective, and of high quality. Second, the number and size of social programs have grown over time with the broadening scope of government involvement in health and social service issues. The application of epidemiological methods is useful for monitoring the health of the population and identifying changes over time. Epidemiology is based on the premise that health problems that can be identified often can be corrected. Last, programs addressing the needs of aging populations will proliferate and necessitate evaluation to assess changing needs, assure that expectations are met, and promote achievement of the desired health outcomes.Epidemiological methods can be used effectively to target identified needs and to assess the implications of programs or interventions for health care policy.
Development of Nanoenergetic Gas-Generators

The air force needs a variety of energetic materials, such as aircraft fuel, rocket propellants, and explosives. Nanoenergetic thermite materials release energy much faster than conventional energetic materials. We report here the development of nanoenergetic gas-generator (NGG) systems that may be used for various military applications. Our experiment revealed that the Al/Bi203 generates the highest pressure pulse among various thermite reaction mixtures. The addition of some boron to the reactant mixture increases the peak pressure release for MoO3/AI and WoO3/AI reactant mixtures.
Association between AKI and Long-Term Renal and Cardiovascular Outcomes in United States Veterans

Background and objectives AKI is associated with major adverse kidney events (MAKE): death, new dialysis, and worsened renal function. CKD (arising from worsened renal function) is associated with a higher risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE): myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and heart failure. Therefore, the study hypothesis was that veterans who develop AKI during hospitalization for an MI would be at higher risk of subsequent MACE and MAKE. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Patients in the Veterans Affairs (VA) database who had a discharge diagnosis with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, code of 584.xx (AKI) or 410.xx (MI) and were admitted to a VA facility from October 1999 through December 2005 were selected for analysis. Three groups of patients were created on the basis of the index admission diagnosis and serum creatinine values: AKI, MI, or MI with AKI. Patients with mean baseline estimated GFR 2 were excluded. The primary outcomes assessed were mortality, MAKE, and MACE during the study period (maximum of 6 years). The combination of MAKE and MACE—major adverse renocardiovascular events (MARCE)—was also assessed. Results A total of 36,980 patients were available for analysis. Mean age±SD was 66.8±11.4 years. The most deaths occurred in the MI+AKI group (57.5%), and the fewest (32.3%) occurred in patients with an uncomplicated MI admission. In both the unadjusted and adjusted time-to-event analyses, patients with AKI and AKI+MI had worse MARCE outcomes than those who had MI alone (adjusted hazard ratios, 1.37 [95% confidence interval, 1.32 to 1.42] and 1.92 [1.86 to 1.99], respectively). Conclusions Veterans who develop AKI in the setting of MI have worse long-term outcomes than those with AKI or MI alone. Veterans with AKI alone have worse outcomes than those diagnosed with an MI in the absence of AKI.
The Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma Formulations and Blood Products on Human Synoviocytes Implications for Intra-articular Injury and Therapy

Background:The effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on chondrocytes has been studied in cell and tissue culture, but considerably less attention has been given to the effect of PRP on synoviocytes. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) compose 80% of the normal human synovium and produce cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases that can mediate cartilage catabolism.Purpose:To compare the effects of leukocyte-rich PRP (LR-PRP), leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP), red blood cell (RBC) concentrate, and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) on human FLS to determine whether leukocyte and erythrocyte concentrations of PRP formulations differentially affect the production of inflammatory mediators.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:Peripheral blood was obtained from 4 donors and processed to create LR-PRP, LP-PRP, RBCs, and PPP. Human synoviocytes were cultured for 96 hours with the respective experimental conditions using standard laboratory conditions. Cell viability and inflammatory mediator production were then eva...
Intensity and frequency noise in semiconductor lasers

Summary form only given. The author reviewed the physics governing field fluctuations in semiconductor lasers, discussed the performance levels that have been achieved in state-of-the-art devices, and tried to forecast future performance levels and novel structures/materials that may be used in these devices. Commercial semiconductor lasers are nearly ideal in terms of their physical properties. Their intensity noise spectra and short-term frequency stability are governed almost exclusively by quantum mechanical effects, and these, in turn, determine system performance levels. >
The soliton wavenumber cut-off and the excitation spectrum of the 1-D Heisenberg ferromagnet in the semiclassical continuum approximation

The scheme for the semiclassical quantisation of the solitons of the 1-D continuum Heisenberg ferromagnet is examined. A parameter that can be interpreted as the intrinsic wavenumber Q of a classical soliton is identified. The cut-off restriction that Q lies within the first Brillouin zone has to be added to the continuum model if its results are to be consistently interpreted in terms of an underlying spin S lattice model.
Fatty Acid Profile of Sunshine Bass: II. Profile Change Differs Among Fillet Lipid Classes

Fatty acid (FA) profile of fish tissue mirrors dietary FA profile and changes in a time-dependent manner following a change in dietary FA composition. To determine whether FA profile change varies among lipid classes, we evaluated the FA composition of fillet cholesteryl esters (CE), phospholipids (PL), and triacylglycerols (TAG) of sunshine bass (SB, Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis) raised on feeds containing fish oil or 50:50 blend of fish oil and coconut, grapeseed, linseed, or poultry oil, with or without implementation of a finishing period (100% FO feed) prior to harvest. Each lipid class was associated with a generalized FA signature, irrespective of nutritional history: fillet PL was comprised largely of saturated FA (SFA), long-chain polyunsaturated FA (LC-PUFA), and total n-3 FA; fillet TAG was higher in MC-PUFA and total n-6 FA; and fillet CE was highest in monounsaturated FA (MUFA). Neutral lipids reflected dietary composition in a near-direct fashion; conversely, PL showed evidence of selectivity for MC- and LC-PUFA. Shorter-chain SFA were not strongly reflected within any lipid fraction, even when dietary availability was high, suggesting catabolism of these FA. FA metabolism in SB is apparently characterized by a division between saturated and unsaturated FA, whereby LC-PUFA are preferentially incorporated into tissues and SFA are preferentially oxidized for energy production. We demonstrated provision of SFA in grow-out feeds for SB, instead MC-PUFA which compete for tissue deposition, meets energy demands and allows for maximum inclusion of LC-PUFA within fillet lipids.