cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychological Predictors of Heart Disease

Psychological predispositions and associated behaviors, and emotions play an important role in the development of heart disease. Some individuals are psychologically vulnerable because of a combination of temperament and early socialization. When vulnerable people encounter stressful psychosocial environments, chronic negative patterns often result. These reactions are accompanied by physiological disturbances, social disruptions, and unhealthy behaviors. These disturbances may then interact with unhealthy life span trajectories, resulting in increased risk of illness that is comparable in size to that of many other commonly noted health risks. Although there are many misconceptions in this field, it is likely that individuals who develop appropriate techniques of self-regulation can maximize their potential for good health.
Of Men and Microbes: Physicians and the Ethics of Epidemics

The theme editor introduces a special issue about the ethics related to infectious disease epidemics. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Motoori, Norinaga (1730–1801)

Norinaga Motoori (1730–1801) was a leading Japanese studies (Kokugaku) scholar. He supported himself by practicing as a physician, so he was able to be more independent in his outlook than scholars who depended upon patronage by the central government or regional aristocrats. He produced carefully annotated texts of literary and historical classics, such as the Tale of Genji and the Kojiki, which are still consulted by scholars today. In the course of this work he studied the historical phonology, morphology, and syntax of classical Japanese and created systems of analysis that he applied to the language of his own time as well. His morphological study Kotoba no tama o (Beads of jeweled words) served as a model for later linguists who developed models for standard methods of teaching basic morphology still used today in the national school system.
Signaling Mechanisms of Axon Guidance and Early Synaptogenesis

The development of the vertebrate nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, progresses in a step-wise fashion that involves the function of thousands of genes. The birth of new neurons (also known as neurogenesis) and their subsequent migration to appropriate locations within the developing brain mark the earliest stages of CNS development. Subsequently, these newborn neurons extend axons and dendrites to make stereotyped synaptic connections within the developing brain, which is a complex process involving cell intrinsic mechanisms that respond to specific extracellular signals. The extension and navigation of the axon to its appropriate target region in the brain and body is dependent upon many cell surface proteins that detect extracellular cues and transduce signals to the inside of the cell. In turn, intracellular signaling mechanisms orchestrate axon structural reorganization and appropriate turning toward or away from a guidance cue. Once the target region is reached, chemical synapses are formed between the axon and target cell, and again, this appears to involve cell surface proteins signaling to the inside of the neuron to stabilize and mature a synapse. Here, we describe some of the key convergent and, in some cases, divergent molecular pathways that regulate axon guidance and synaptogenesis in early brain development. Mutations in genes involved in early brain wiring and synapse formation and pruning increase the risk for developing autism, further highlighting the relevance of brain development factors in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders.
FROM TICK BITE TO HEART FAILURE

Cardiac involvement in tick borne infection is an uncommon complication. We present here an unusual case of Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis resulting in myocarditis. A 58-year-old woman from Mississippi presented with altered mental status and difficulty breathing found to be hypotensive and hypoxic
Examining the Factor Structure of the Revised Sense of Purpose Scale (SOPS-2) with Adults

Based on the multidimensional conceptualization of purpose, the sense of purpose scale is designed to measure three distinct constructs: awareness of purpose, altruistic purpose, and awakening to purpose. Building on previous work, the present study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the revised sense of purpose scale (SOPS-2) and examined its associations with wellbeing among adults in three independent studies (N = 1209). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure and tests of measurement invariance were conducted across occupation (adult students and university employees) and gender (males and females). Positive correlations between sense of purpose and a number of constructs of socio-emotional wellbeing were found: positivity, humility, self-esteem, and moral identity (Study 2) and pride, compassion self-esteem, and life regret (Study 3). Taken together, findings suggest that the SOPS-2 can be used as a measure of sense of purpose in life in adults.
Destination Authenticity as a Trigger of Tourists’ Online Engagement on Social Media:

This study empirically investigates the dimensions of destination authenticity from the perspectives of outbound travelers from the United States. East Asian countries have invited Western tourists...
Extramedullary Disease in Multiple Myeloma.

Extramedullary disease (EMD) is a rare but recognized manifestation of multiple myeloma (MM), characterized by involvement of several organs including skin, liver, lymphatic system, pleura, and central nervous system. The incidence is about 3–5% in newly diagnosed MM patients, but has been reported in up to 20% patients in the relapsed MM setting. Presence of EMD has been associated with more aggressive phenotype of MM, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme, and high-risk cytogenetics [deletion 17p, translocation (4;14), translocation (14;16)]. There are several hypotheses of how EMD occurs, including factors leading to bone marrow emancipation and hematogenous spread. The treatment schema usually follows that of high-risk MM. The current review summarizes the disease characterization data, along with available data on clinical activity of available anti-MM agents for this entity.
Education Systems and Foreign Direct Investment

This paper examines the effect of the efficiency of the education system on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). First, it applies a frontier-based measure as a proxy of the ability of countries to opt...
Implantation of a HeartMate 3 ventricular assist device in a 21-kg pediatric patient with Fontan failure.

Aims The HeartMate 3 (HM3) ventricular assist device (VAD) is gaining popularity in adults due to a favorable risk profile. However, reports of HM3 use in children are limited, potentially due to concerns with device size. Materials and methods Here we report the successful use of an HM3-VAD as a bridge to transplantation in a 21 kg (BSA 0.84), an 8-year-old male child with Fontan failure on home inotropes. Results Urgent VAD implantation was performed. The standard adult sewing ring was used. The tricuspid valve and papillary muscles were completely excised from the ventricular cavity to prevent inflow obstruction. The pump was placed in the left pleural space. Outflow graft and driveline implantation were routine. VAD function appeared excellent with a reduction in Fontan pressures and improved kidney and liver function. Reoperation was required once to rule out tamponade and twice to evacuate a recurrent right hemothorax. The patient was discharged 3 months later in good condition and underwent successful heart transplantation 10 months after VAD placement. Discussion This report demonstrates the feasibility of HM3-VAD implantation in a 21-kg Fontan patient, suggesting HM3 size is not a prohibitive limitation at this weight.
Systematic Optimization of Multiple-Output DC Distribution Architectures

Complex electronic systems often require a power distribution architecture that provides multiple, separate voltage domains for various subsystem loads, such as microprocessor cores, interface, memory, analog, and radio frequency components. The multiple point-of-load regulated voltages are typically generated using multiple dc–dc converters operating from a single input dc voltage. This article introduces the permutation-graph (PG) method to systematically optimize multiple-voltage-domain dc distribution architectures using commercially available or custom single-input single-output dc–dc converter building blocks. The PG method enumerates possible converter arrangements and selects the converter blocks to achieve the best system figure of merit (FOM) in terms of system efficiency, size, cost, power density, or a combination of these metrics. In representative case study examples, considering a system operating from 48-V input dc voltage and requiring seven regulated point-of-load dc voltages {1, 1.3, 3.3, 5, 12, 24, and 40} V, it is shown how the proposed approach can improve the system FOM by more than 50% compared with solutions offered by a commercially available tool using standard dc–dc blocks. It is also shown how the inclusion of custom dc–dc blocks results in a different optimal arrangement, which yields further system FOM improvements. The approach is validated by experimental results on two 120-W system prototypes, providing five regulated dc voltages {1, 3.3, 5, 12, and 24} V from a 48-V dc bus.
Outcomes of Radiofrequency Ablation Compared to Liquid Nitrogen Spray Cryotherapy for the Eradication of Dysplasia in Barrett’s Esophagus

Current guidelines recommend endoscopic eradication therapy (EET) for Barrett’s esophagus (BE) with dysplasia and intramucosal adenocarcinoma using either radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy (LNSC). The aims of this multicenter study are to compare the rate and number of treatment sessions of RFA vs. LNSC to achieve CE-D and CE-IM and assess outcomes for those who switched therapy. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with BE undergoing EET. Demographics, baseline variables, endoscopy details, and histology information were abstracted. One hundred and sixty-two patients were included in this study with 100 patients in the RFA group and 62 patients in the LNSC group. The rate of CE-D and CE-IM did not differ between the RFA group and LNSC group (81% vs. 71.0%, p = 0.14) and (64% vs. 66%, p = 0.78), respectively. The number of sessions to achieve CE-D and CE-IM was higher with LNSC compared to RFA (4.2 vs. 3.2, p = 0.05) and (4.8 vs. 3.5, p = 0.04), respectively. The likelihood of developing recurrent dysplasia was higher among patients who did not achieve CE-IM (12%) compared to those who did achieve CE-IM (4%), p = 0.04. Similar findings were found in those who switched treatment modalities. EET is highly effective in eradication of Barrett’s associated dysplasia and neoplasia. Both RFA and LNSC achieved similar rates of CE-D and CE-IM although LNSC required more sessions. Also, achievement of CE-IM was associated with less recurrence rates of dysplasia.
Strike Rights of Essential Employees in the U.S.A.

It addresses the strike rights of employees in essential services in the United States of America. Unlike at least most European countries, U.S. laws do not define ‘essential services’ for the purpose of strike rights, and generally such laws do not follow the rules the International Labour Organization has set out in this area. Also, unlike most other countries, strike rights are quite different for public employees and private employees. Private employees have broad strike rights (on paper, if not always in practice), under federal statutes. Public employees, in contrast, are typically covered by the laws of the states in which they work, and sometimes by the laws of counties or cities within those states. The clear majority of public-sector labor laws in the US bar strikes by all public employees. This chapter looks at the strike rights of police, firefighters, prison guards, and hospital, and utility workers. Police and fire employees are exclusively public employees (and thus covered by state and local government laws); prison guards are mostly, but not exclusively, public employees; and hospital and utility employees can be either public or private employees. The rights to strike (or lack thereof) of all these employees are determined primarily by whether they are public or private workers, not by the type of work that they do. Public-sector labor laws in the U.S. have some important commonalities regarding strike rights of the relevant employees, but they do vary widely. Still, where they differ, they tend to use one of several discrete types of models. For example, no public-sector labor law in the US permits police, fire service, or prison guards to strike. Instead, US public-sector labor law has developed various, but at least somewhat standardized, alternative methods for resolving bargaining impasses, using combinations of mediation, ‘fact-finding’ and various types of interest arbitration. This chapter first describes the political and historical background that led to modern U.S. labor laws. It then discusses strike rights and related rules for essential employees in the private sector. It then turns to the more complex issue of bargaining and strike rights for employees in the public sector, among other things describing the different types of models of bargaining and strike rights that exist among the states. This includes, but is not limited to, sanctions for illegal strikes and alternatives to strikes. The chapter also discusses policy debates and actual experience with strikes. It ends with this author’s evaluation of US labor law rules in this area.
Nuclear Import of HIV-1.

The delivery of the HIV-1 genome into the nucleus is an indispensable step in retroviral infection of non-dividing cells, but the mechanism of HIV-1 nuclear import has been a longstanding debate due to controversial experimental evidence. It was commonly believed that the HIV-1 capsid would need to disassemble (uncoat) in the cytosol before nuclear import because the capsid is larger than the central channel of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs); however, increasing evidence demonstrates that intact, or nearly intact, HIV-1 capsid passes through the NPC to enter the nucleus. With the protection of the capsid, the HIV-1 core completes reverse transcription in the nucleus and is translocated to the integration site. Uncoating occurs while, or after, the viral genome is released near the integration site. These independent discoveries reveal a compelling new paradigm of this important step of the HIV-1 life cycle. In this review, we summarize the recent studies related to HIV-1 nuclear import, highlighting the spatial–temporal relationship between the nuclear entry of the virus core, reverse transcription, and capsid uncoating.
DNA-Encoded Solid-Phase Synthesis: Encoding Language Design and Complex Oligomer Library Synthesis.

The promise of exploiting combinatorial synthesis for small molecule discovery remains unfulfilled due primarily to the “structure elucidation problem”: the back-end mass spectrometric analysis that significantly restricts one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) library complexity. The very molecular features that confer binding potency and specificity, such as stereochemistry, regiochemistry, and scaffold rigidity, are conspicuously absent from most libraries because isomerism introduces mass redundancy and diverse scaffolds yield uninterpretable MS fragmentation. Here we present DNA-encoded solid-phase synthesis (DESPS), comprising parallel compound synthesis in organic solvent and aqueous enzymatic ligation of unprotected encoding dsDNA oligonucleotides. Computational encoding language design yielded 148 thermodynamically optimized sequences with Hamming string distance ≥ 3 and total read length <100 bases for facile sequencing. Ligation is efficient (70% yield), specific, and directional over 6 encoding position...
Process and Substance in the War on Terror

Legal theorists have long debated the relationship between substantive and procedural law. This Article examines this relationship in the context of the “war on terror.” The most controversial programs in the “war on terror” involve profound infringements of individual rights — torture and other forms of cruel treatment, imprisonment, deportation, scrutiny of private phone calls and personal records. And yet six years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, most of the court decisions in cases challenging these policies have not directly addressed substantive rights claims. Instead, the court decisions have almost all been about process: whether particular courts have jurisdiction to hear the cases; whether the proper branch of government has made the determination of policy; whether particular plaintiffs have standing to challenge the policy; whether evidence is protected from discovery by the state secrets privilege; and so forth. These process-focused decisions have significant implications for substantive rights, but the relation between substance and procedure in these cases has received little attention. To fill this gap in our understanding of some of the most important cases of our time, the Article provides a descriptive and normative framework for examining the interconnection between substance and process. While this framework is developed in the context of the “war on terror” cases, it is relevant to and engages with broader debates about the relationship between substantive and procedural law.
Hydrogen-Poor Binary Stars

Hydrogen-poor and helium-rich stars are easy to produce in interacting binaries. Thus they should be found among Population I binaries, in which a large-scale mass transfer has occurred between the components (possibly associated with mass loss from the system). For in such cases, those layers are now on the surface of the “loser” (and, most likely, also on the surface of the “gainer”) that were subject to hydrogen burning and the associated mixing of processed material. Helium overabundance in these objects will be accompanied by an overabundance of nitrogen and underabundance of carbon, as a result of the CNO process. All the Algol-like semidetached binaries should be mild helium stars; so far this has been demonstrated only in s Lyrae, for the He/H ratio is not extreme in such cases. Extreme helium stars require a more complex process, with two stages of mass transfer and/or loss (“case BB”); υ Sagittarii and KS Persei seem to be good examples of this process. The optically invisible components of these two stars seem to have been detected with the IUE. Good model atmospheres do not exist yet, so caution must be exercised in interpreting the UV data.
Characterization of the Withdrawal Phase in a Porcine Donation after the Cardiac Death Model

Transplantation of donation after cardiac death (DCD) livers has higher rates of organ failure and complications, specifically ischemic biliary injuries. Reported large animal DCD models all employ active means to halt circulation, contrary to human DCD protocol. We report a DCD porcine model in which the animal passively progresses to cardiac death, thereby more closely mimicking human DCD scenario. Sixteen Yorkshire pigs (10 females, 6 males, 30–45 kg) had a mean time of 26:19 min ± 14:14 from withdrawal of ventilatory support (WVS) to circulatory arrest and 44:38 min ± 16:37 from WVS to electrical standstill. Cessation of hepatic flow (HF) occurred well before electrical standstill (22:15 min ± 10:09), previously not described in human or animal DCD. Histologically comparing livers from our DCD model demonstrated a dramatic increase in hepatocyte vacuolization, disorganization of endoplasmic reticulum, formation of mitochondrial inclusions and apoptosis compared with control specimens. Subtle changes were also evident in biliary epithelial cells (BEC). This results in severe cellular changes before reperfusion. Early histologic evidence suggests that there is severe hepatocyte and biliary cell disruption in our DCD model. Further research using this model may provide a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of the DCD liver.
Inheritance of flower color in Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev. (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) using cultivars and inbreds. I. Plastid pigmentation

Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) garden cultivars Vulcan, with deep red ray florest, and Superior, with orange ray petals, were crossed as female with 16 inbred clones and the progeny assessed visually for flower color in 3 environments. Intensity of vacuole pigmentation in ray florets appeared to vary continuously. Evaluation was facilitated by placing plants in 7 color classes ranging from red, the most intense, through orange, an intermediate intensity, to yellow, the apparent lack of vacuole pigmentation. A simple hexaploid model with additive gene action, suggested by the 7 color classes, was inappropriate, as more than 50% of the plants in ‘Vulcan’ families were red and more than 60% of the plants in ‘Superior’ families were orange. Comparing evaluations of parental clones in 2 glasshouse and 2 field environments and considering data from an experiment, in which progeny first classified in the glasshouse were reevaluated in the field, revealed substantial shifts in classification. In the glasshouse, more individuals appeared in the red and orange classes, while field evaluation placed more individuals in classes adjacent to red and orange. However, the predominance of progeny in the color class of the common parent, that is, red for the ‘Vulcan’ and orange for the ‘Superior’ families, occurred in both glasshouse and field. Plants scored as other than red appeared in crosses between ‘Vulcan’ and 3 red inbreds, suggesting that red ray petals are not conditioned by a homozygous genotype. The orange of ‘Superior’ and orange progeny may be due to a single dominant gene causing mosaic-like distribution of red vacuole pigmentation over yellow plastid pigmentation. Because cloned genotypes were classified differently in diverse environments, critical genetic analysis of vacuole pigmentation will require cloned progeny and multiple-environment evaluation.
Managing Dynamic Change: Public Policy and Genomics.

Developments in genomic science and its applications raise significant public policy issues. Restrictive governance regimes can inhibit progress that has the potential to significantly enhance social and economic outcomes. But permissive regimes run the risk of mistakes, inappropriate management practices, and accidents having costly effects on human populations, various agricultural activities, and ecosystems. This paper provides an overview of genomic science. It surveys public policy issues raised by this science and how existing public policy models and approaches have been used to consider and address them. Issues covered include the quality of the science, non-human applications, human applications, and social impacts. From here, attention turns to challenges posed both at the conceptual and practical level that are expected to promote further policy learning. Consideration is given to the need for effective oversight and regulatory regimes, and greater transparency and participation in decision-making.
On choosing the form of the objective functional for optimal control of molecules

Optimal control techniques can be used to direct molecular dynamics to meet specified physical goals. However, the effectiveness of finding an optimal control field depends on the nature of the control landscape, defined as the objective as a functional of the control. Extensive analysis has considered the prospect of such landscapes being free of suboptimal traps for particular cases of different objective functions in both classical and quantum systems. While many typical objective functions have been shown to yield trap-free landscapes upon satisfaction of certain assumptions, this work more broadly considers the freedom in the choice of objective functionals. The latter freedom can be exploited to possibly accelerate the search for an optimal control, but we also show that the choice of functional needs to be made carefully to avoid inducing artificial landscape traps.
Thermodynamic and Turbulence Characteristics of the Southern Great Plains Nocturnal Boundary Layer Under Differing Turbulent Regimes

The nocturnal stable boundary layer (SBL) can generally be classified into the weakly stable boundary layer (wSBL) and very stable boundary layer (vSBL). Within the wSBL, turbulence is relatively continuous, whereas in the vSBL, turbulence is intermittent and not well characterized. Differentiating characteristics of each type of SBL are still unknown. Herein, thermodynamic and kinematic data collected by a suite of instruments in north central Oklahoma in autumn 2012 are analyzed to better understand both SBL regimes and their differentiating characteristics. Many low-level jets were observed during the experiment, as it took place near a climatological maximum. A threshold wind speed, above which bulk shear-generated turbulence develops, is found to exist up to 300 m. The threshold wind speed must also be exceeded at lower heights (down to the surface) in order for strong turbulence to develop. Composite profiles, which are normalized using low-level jet scaling, of potential temperature, wind speed, vertical velocity variance, and the third-order moment of vertical velocity ( $$\overline{w'^3}$$ ) are produced for weak and moderate/strong turbulence regimes, which exhibit features of the vSBL and wSBL, respectively. Within the wSBL, turbulence is generated at the surface and transported upward. In the vSBL, values of vertical velocity variance are small throughout the entire boundary layer, likely due to the fact that a strong surface inversion typically forms after sunset. The temperature profile tends to be approximately isothermal in the lowest portions of the wSBL, and it did not substantially change over the night. Within both types of SBL, stability in the residual layer tends to increase as the night progresses. It is thought that this stability increase is due to differential warm air advection, which frequently occurs in the southern Great Plains when southerly low-level jets and a typical north–south temperature gradient are present. Differential radiative flux divergence also contributes to this increase in stability.
Spatial frequency and attention: effects of level-, target-, and location-repetition on the processing of global and local forms.

Is attentional selection between local and global forms based on spatial frequency? This question was examined by having subjects identify local or global forms of stimuli that had been “contrast balanced,” a technique that eliminates low spatial frequencies. Response times (RTs) to global (but not local) forms were slowed for contrast-balanced stimuli, suggesting that low spatial frequencies mediate the global RT advantage typically reported. In contrast, the beneficial effect of having targets appear at the same, as opposed to a different, level as that on the immediately preceding trial was unaffected by contrast balancing. This suggests that attentional selection between different levels of structure is not based on spatial frequency. The data favor an explanation in terms of “priming,” rather than in terms of adjustments in the diameter of an attentional “spotlight.”
Economic Impact of the Arts in a Small US County

This paper presents an assessment of the economic influence of the arts in a small county in the USA. The arts in this community consist of university, non-profit and private-sector employers and individual artists. A discussion of the methodology used to estimate the impact is provided. Over one thousand arts patrons and 62 artists and arts organizations responded to the survey. The direct and indirect economic impact of the arts in the community was estimated to be US$24 million. Normative prescriptions are offered for arts and county administrators.
National Trends and Cost of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Urology

Abstract Introduction We determine national trends in costs of care as well as associated growth and adoption of minimally invasive surgery for major uro-oncology procedures. Methods Using a nationally representative sample we identified patients diagnosed with prostate, renal and bladder cancer who underwent prostatectomy, nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy and cystectomy from 2000 to 2011. Temporal trends in patient demographics, hospital and procedure related characteristics, surgical volume, minimally invasive surgery use and costs of hospitalization over the years were analyzed. Hierarchical linear regression was performed to evaluate the effects of hospital volume, time and surgery type on costs of hospitalization. Results Overall 836,563, 440,337 and 122,992 patients underwent prostatectomy, nephrectomy and cystectomy from 2000 to 2011, respectively. There was a 33.6%, 50.8% and 25.5% increase in annual surgical volume for these 3 surgeries during the 10 years, with the most prominent increase at high volume hospitals. The use of minimally invasive surgery increased 65.6% for prostatectomy, 22.0% for nephrectomy and 12.5% for cystectomy, and this increase was more prominent at high volume hospitals. For all 3 surgeries the hospital stay for minimally invasive surgery cases was more expensive than for open procedures, but decreased during the study period from $17,367 to $11,145 for prostatectomy and from $54,209 to $28,753 for cystectomy. Conclusions High volume hospitals experienced greater growth in surgery caseloads and minimally invasive surgeries but this did not lead to higher costs of care. While minimally invasive surgery has consistently been more expensive than open surgery, the costs of minimally invasive prostatectomy and cystectomy have decreased in the last decade.
Use of a tracheoscopic ventilation tube for endotracheal intubation in the difficult airway

Difficult endotracheal intubation is a clinical challenge for anesthesiologists and other practitioners of airway management. The use of a tracheoscopic ventilation tube, a novel airway device, for endotracheal intubation during general anesthesia in two patients with difficult airways after unsuccessful direct laryngoscopy is presented.
Inconsistency in deception for defense

The use of deception is one of many defensive techniques being explored today. In the past, defenders of systems have used deception haphazardly, but now researchers are developing systematic methods of deception. The cornerstone of these methods is internal consistency: projecting a "false reality", or "fiction", that the attacker is to accept as reality. We challenge the necessity of this cornerstone, and explore the nature and possible uses of inconsistency in deception as a defense.
Use of Rotenone and Potassium Permanganate in Estuarine Sampling

(1985). Use of Rotenone and Potassium Permanganate in Estuarine Sampling. North American Journal of Fisheries Management: Vol. 5, No. 3B, pp. 500-502.
An evidence-based systematic review of amplitude compression in hearing aids for school-age children with hearing loss.

Purpose Two clinical questions were developed: one addressing the comparison of linear amplification with compression limiting to linear amplification with peak clipping, and the second comparing wide dynamic range compression with linear amplification for outcomes of audibility, speech recognition, speech and language, and self- or parent report in children with hearing loss. Method Twenty-six databases were systematically searched for studies addressing a clinical question and meeting all inclusion criteria. Studies were evaluated for methodological quality, and effect sizes were reported or calculated when possible. Results The literature search resulted in the inclusion of 8 studies. All 8 studies included comparisons of wide dynamic range compression to linear amplification, and 2 of the 8 studies provided comparisons of compression limiting versus peak clipping. Conclusions Moderate evidence from the included studies demonstrated that audibility was improved and speech recognition was either maintai...
Robotics Technology In Japan And Its Impact On Workers

Japan's capabilities in robotics technology has developed with amazing speed. The nation has gone from an importer of robotics technology to the leading exporter in a little more than fifteen years. How did Japan manage to achieve such a feat? Are workers happy with this new technology? In order to answer these and other questions, the author spent several weeks in Japan in the summer of 1983 visiting many organizations and interviewing individuals. This paper summarizes the author's findings on the current status of Japan's robotization and its implications to workers.
Guinea Pig Vestibular Blood Flow in Response to Calcitonin-Gene Related Peptide

Little is known about the physiologic regulation of the vestibular end organ blood flow. The purpose of the current study was to examine posterior semicircular canal ampulla blood flow in addition to systemic factors during intravenous infusions of calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP), a factor involved in the tonic regulation of blood How. Receptors for this factor are known to be available to the vascular supply of the vestibular organs. Local blood flow using laser Doppler fiowmetry and systemic parameters were monitored during infusion of CGRP, CGRP antagonists and control vehicle. The results show relatively stable vestibular blood flow (VBF), concentration-dependent decreases in systemic blood pressure, and elevations in heart rate. Pretreatment with CGRP(8-37), a specific receptor antagonist, attenuated these responses to subsequent CGRP infusions.These findings suggest a rigid regulation of VBF in the presence of a systemically active vasodilator.
Effects and Mechanism of Aflatoxin on Variation in Shell Strength

Abstract Changes in shell strength and relative size of the egg components associated with feeding dietary aflatoxin to hens differing in shell strength were determined. Shell strength was increased in groups fed aflatoxin because the shell weight of these groups was not decreased in proportion to the decrease in total egg weight. This resulted in a greater percentage shell. The effects of aflatoxin on percentage shell was greater for hens whose initial shell strength was poorer. A consistent relationship was observed between shell strength and percentage shell of groups differing in shell strength.
Quantitative studies on prophylactic effectiveness of western equine encephalitis antiserum in mice.

Summary(1) Hyperimmune, WEE antiserum, prepared in rabbits by a series of 5 fairly closely spaced inoculations, yielded a 50% serum dilution titer of 1:1,800 against 40 LD50 of virus in the routine intracerebral neutralization test. When the intra-abdominal neutralization test was used, the amount of virus neutralized by various dilutions of the serum was always greater, but the limiting effective dilution of the serum was about the same as in the intracerebral assay against 40 LD50 of virus. (2) After intravenous injection of this antiserum in mice, the mouse serum acquired a neutralizing activity which indicated that the antibody underwent a dilution roughly in proportion to the size of the animal. (3) Prophylactic effectiveness was tested by injecting intravenously various dilutions of antiserum into 2-week-old mice, and 4 hours later inoculating these mice intra-abdominally with varying dilutions of the virus. Passive transfer of just enough antibody to impart to the undiluted serum an intracerebral n...
THE NODAL WATER REGION OF NORTH AMERICA

RESUME L'auteur fait l'examen d'un probleme de geographic humaine appliquee et attire l'attention sur l'importance de percevoir diverses possibilites d'innover. Les faits de culture sont des phenomenes cycliques complexes operant simultanement sur trois paliers distincts: celui des valeurs humaines ou de la tradition, celui des modes d'activites et, enfin, celui des oeuvres qui s'expriment dans diverses formules de l'organisation de l'espace par l'homme. Le probleme a l'etude est celui de l'approvisionnement en eau et de ses usages multiples dans une region nodale—celle du bassin des Grands Lacs nord-americains. Il s'agit la d'un probleme d'ordre pratique auquel on pourrait trouver solution par la desalaison de l'eau de mer. Cette operation par centre presuppose l'adoption d'attitudes nouvelles et une meilleure comprehension des rapports mutuels, exprimes en termes spatiaux, entre les trois categories principales de facteurs qui influeraient sur la reorientation des eaux: technologic, cout et benefice. En presumant qu'un tel projet soil techniquement realisable, la solution suggeree ne sera efficace que si l'on considere l'eau comme une denree minerale qu'il faut extraire, ameliorer et distribuer aux usagers par la voie des lacs et rivieAres existants. On n'y arrivera que par la construction du strict minimum d'installations artificielles necessaires a l'accroissement absolu de l'approvisionnement en eau douce pour fins industrielles, agricoles, domestiques ou autres. Par cette etude, l'auteur suggere qu'il est possible de formuler et de realiser un programme d'amenagement des ressources en eau et de donner ainsi une orientation nouvelle et positive a la politique des etats nordamericains en ce qui touche les usages multiples de ces ressources.
The metabolism of triiodothyronine in Graves' disease.

ABSTRACT Chromatographically pure triiodothyronine (T3) labeled with I131 was given to 12 patients with current or recent hyperthyroidism of Graves′ disease (4 still hyperthyroid, 5 euthyroid, and 3 hypothyroid) and to 8 normal controls. The fate of T3 in these patients was observed by quantitative chromatography carried out on serial samples of blood and urine. In addition, radioactivity over the liver was measured. The behavior of the injected T3 in the patients with Graves′ disease, regardless of their metabolic state, was quite different from that in the controls. During the first forty-eight hours, the labeled T3 remained in the serum of patients with Graves′ disease in greater amounts than in the controls. More radioactivity was excreted in the urine by patients with Graves′ disease than by the controls; this difference was largely owing to free iodide. There was also slightly more unaltered T3 in the urine of patients with Graves′ disease. Measurement of radioactivity over the liver revealed maxima...
Coherent peculiar velocities and periodic redshifts

A coherent, sinusoidal peculiar velocity field of 0.003 amplitude and wavelength of 128/h Mpc could explain the apparent redshift periodicity seen in the recent pencil-beam survey of Broadhurst et al. (1990). Such a peculiar velocity field could arise if the power spectrum of density perturbations has a strong feature at about this wavelength. This explanation has additional predictions: the phase, period, and strength of the periodicity should vary in different directions; the strength of the periodicity should decrease at higher redshifts; and there should be more 'thin' structures perpendicular to the line of sight than parallel to it.
Net kinetic energy in littoral transport.

Studies of coastal erosion and coastal management can be put on a firm physical basis only after methods have been developed for closely estimating the energy expended in actual unidirectional net littoral transport of sediment. Such measures have now been obtained for six coastal drift cells. The results, for a 68-year period, vary from a minimum of 0.6 x 10 4 ergs (very low energy) to a maximum of 340 x 10 4 ergs (moderately high energy) per cell.
A small effect of weight bearing in promoting fracture healing

We treated 66 consecutive type IV comminuted femoral shaft fractures with static Grosse-Kempf interlocking nails and followed them up for at least 1 year (median 27 months). Although the effect of weight bearing was completely lost, 60 fractures healed primarily without dynamization. We conclude that weight bearing contributes only an auxiliary role in promoting fracture healing, and that the most decisive role is adequate mechanical stability with sufficient nutrition.
Association between cell-derived microparticles and adverse events in patients with nonpulsatile left ventricular assist devices.

Background Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) expose blood cells to high shear stress, potentially resulting in the production of microparticles that express phosphatidylserine (PS+) and promote coagulation and inflammation. In this prospective study, we attempted to determine whether PS+ microparticle levels correlate with clinical outcomes in LVAD-supported patients. Methods We enrolled 20 patients undergoing implantation of the HeartMate II LVAD (Thoratec Corp, Pleasanton, CA) and 10 healthy controls who provided reference values for the microparticle assays. Plasma was collected before LVAD implantation, at discharge, at the 3-month follow-up, and when an adverse clinical event occurred. We quantified PS+ microparticles in the plasma using flow cytometry. Results During the study period, 8 patients developed adverse clinical events: ventricular tachycardia storm in 1, non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction in 2, arterial thrombosis in 2, gastrointestinal bleeding in 2, and stroke in 3. Levels of PS+ microparticles were higher in patients at baseline than in healthy controls (2.11% ± 1.26% vs 0.69% ± 0.46%, p = 0.007). After LVAD implantation, patient PS+ microparticle levels increased to 2.39% ± 1.22% at discharge and then leveled to 1.97% ± 1.25% at the 3-month follow-up. Importantly, levels of PS+ microparticles were significantly higher in patients who developed an adverse event than in patients with no events (3.82% ± 1.17% vs 1.57% ± 0.59%, p Conclusions Our results suggest that an elevation of PS+ microparticle levels may be associated with adverse clinical events. Thus, measuring PS+ microparticle levels in LVAD-supported patients may help identify patients at increased risk for adverse events.
Drupal: Collaborative framework for science research

In this paper we present how research projects at Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL - DAAC) are using the Drupal content management system (CMS) for creating collaborative environments for scientists. We will discuss how scientific data and documents are stored and represented in Drupal and how they can be shared with scientists in other organizations.
Nanocavity plasmonic device for ultrabroadband single molecule sensing

We present a new structure that combines a metal-dielectric-metal sandwich with a periodic structure to form a plasmon polariton photonic crystal. Three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain simulations show a clear bandgap in the terahertz regime. We exploited this property by adding a defect to the crystal, which produces a cavity with a quality factor of 23.3 at a wavelength of 3.45 μm. Despite the small Q factor, the ultrasmall sensing volume of 15 zeptoliters produces an extremely large Purcell constant of 4.8×106. Compared to photonic crystals with similar Purcell constant, the bandwidth is several orders of magnitude larger, or about 7 THz, ensuring high tolerances to manufacturing parameters, and environmental changes, as well as a high specificity owing to the possibility of broadband spectral fingerprint detection.
Toward a molecular dynamics force field for simulations of 40% trifluoroethanol-water.

Various computational models of trifluoroethanol (TFE) and water have been explored with the goal of finding a system for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that reliably predict properties of 40% TFE–water (v/v) and can be used in studies of peptide–solvent nuclear cross-relaxation. Models derived by modification of TFE parameters developed by Fioroni et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B 2000, 104, 12347), in combination with either TIP4P-Ew or TIP5P-E water, were most successful. Simulations of 40% TFE–TIP4P-Ew water evidenced separation of the system into large TFE-rich and water-rich domains. With TIP5P-E water, simulations showed aggregation of each solvent component into small clusters. Nuclear spin dipolar interactions between solvent fluorines and the methyl hydrogens of acetate ion dissolved in 40% TFE–water were calculated. The cross-relaxation parameter σHF reckoned for the TFE–TIP5P-E system agreed with experiment while the value calculated using the TFE–TIP4P-Ew system was too low. While the TFE–TIP5P-E...
Research Article Learning in Color: How Color and Affect Influence Learning Outcomes

Research problem: The purpose of the study is to understand how affective reactions to color impact learning attitudes and outcomes in a computer-mediated learning environment. Research question: How do color differences change affective processes and outcomes in computer-mediated communication? Literature review: Several previous studies exploring particular characteristics and learning in computer-mediated environments influenced the review of the literature. The literature on color psychology indicates that color preferences and affective reactions to color can influence behaviors and attitudes. The literature on goal achievement motivation posits that affective dispositions influence goal orientation, motivation, and individual outcomes. The literature on affect infers that affective reactions are responses to events, and these reactions influence attitudes and behaviors. The current study draws on these prior studies to examine affective reaction to color and learning outcomes in a computer-mediated learning environment. Methodology: We conducted a quasiexperimental study with 79 participants, who listened to a visual presentation lecture with either blue or yellow background and then completed a survey on their affective reactions, learning attitudes, and outcomes. Results and discussion: The results of our study indicate that color is not neutral and may influence learning attitudes and outcomes and, hence, the color of computer technology interface design can influence learning outcomes. Practitioners and academics must take people's affective reactions to color into account in designs and studies of visual information presentations. The sample size and the focus on two color hues (yellow and blue) may have some limitations on the conclusions and generalizability of this study. Future studies should examine more color hues and color saturation to further our understanding of affective reactions to colors and consequent impact on attitudes and behavioral outcomes.
Molecular sieving and sensing with gold nanotube membranes.

We have developed a new class of synthetic membranes that consist of a porous polymeric support that contains an ensemble of gold nanotubes that span the thickness of the support membrane. The support is a commercially available microporous polycarbonate filter with cylindrical nanoscopic pores. The gold nanotubes are prepared via electroless deposition of Au onto the pore walls; i.e., the pores act as templates for the nanotubes. We have shown that by controlling the Au deposition time, Au nanotubes that have effective inside diameters of molecular dimensions (<1 nm) can be prepared. These nanotube membranes can be used to cleanly separate small molecules on the basis of molecular size. Furthermore, use of these membranes as a novel electrochemical sensor is also discussed. This new sensing scheme involves applying a constant potential across the Au nanotube membrane and measuring the drop in the transmembrane current upon the addition of the analyte. This paper reviews our recent progress on size-based transport selectivity and sensor applications in this new class of membranes. © 2002 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 2:259–267, 2002: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/tcr.10027