cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of UVA irradiance on photocatalytic and UVA inactivation of Bacillus cereus spores

The current study is the first to delineate the contribution of photocatalysis to inactivation of Bacillus cereus endospores on dry surfaces over a broad range (0-153W/m(2)) of UVA irradiance. Inactivation of spores at low UVA irradiance (30W/m(2)) was primarily due to photocatalysis, whereas at higher UVA irradiance inactivation was primarily due to UV alone. A linear relationship between UVA irradiance and the rate of spore inactivation was observed in the absence of photocatalyst. The rate of photocatalytic inactivation was non-linear with respect to UVA irradiance, exhibiting a maximum at 30W/m(2).
The swirling vortex

We consider an infinite vortex line in a viscous fluid interacting with a plane boundary surface at right angles to the line. If the boundary surface were absent, the vortex would impart to the fluid a circular motion about the vortex line with speed inversely proportional to the distance to the line. The presence of the boundary surface, however, leads to a secondary flow due to the forced adherence of the fluid at the surface. The purpose of the paper is to describe a family of exact solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations which applies to the above situation. Under quite general hypotheses, it is shown that there can exist only three types of motion compatible with the assumed structure. In the first kind, the radial velocity component (using spherical polar coordinates about the point where the vortex meets the plane surface) is directed inward along the plane surface and upward along the axis of the vortex. In the second type of motion the radial velocity component is directed inward along the plane surface and downward on the axis, with a compensating outflow at an intermediate angle. In the third kind the radial velocity is directed outward near the plane and downward on the central axis. The results can also be used as a basis for numerical calculations of the solutions in question, and several typical flow patterns have been explicitly computed in order to illustrate the theory. The paper concludes with a discussion of the relation between the theoretical solutions and observed phenomena near the point of contact of tornadoes with the ground; this requires that the flows under discussion be considered as mean motions in a turbulent flow with constant eddy viscosity. The present work adds theoretical weight to the argument that central downdrafts can occur in tornadoes. Moreover, the model provides an explanation, other than centrifugal action, for the frequent appearance of a cascade effect at the foot of both tornadoes and water-spouts; finally it offers a unified point of view from which to consider the diversity of flow patterns observed when vortex fields interact with a boundary surface.
THERMAL STRESSES IN LAMINATED BEAMS

Abstract This paper considers laminated beams consisting of layers of different materials fastened together by thin adhesives. The stresses that result from subjecting the beam to temperature stimuli are calculated. The problem is treated by two-dimensional elasticity theory in conjunction with the variational theorem of complementary energy. A pair of governing differential equations is developed, and boundary conditions concerning stress-free surfaces and ends of the beam are satisfied. The calculation of the distributions of interlaminar normal and shear stresses shows that high stress intensity occurs in the end zones of the beam. Thus, the satisfaction of end conditions is of prime importance in the analysis of laminated structural elements. Delamination failure-when it occurs - will probably start at the ends of the beam, This agrees with observed failures of laminated structural elements subjected to stress-free end conditions.
Male Body Image: Satisfaction and Its Relationship to Well-Being Using the Somatomorphic Matrix

In light of the increased recent research attention directed to the study of male body image (e.g., Pope, Phillips, & Olivardia, 2000), the somatomorphic matrix (Gruber, Pope, Borowiecki, & Cohane, 1999) was investigated in a sample of 60 male students from a Midwestern college. Significant muscle and body fat dissatisfaction was found. Contrary to past research with the somatomorphic matrix, bi-directional body fat dissatisfaction was noted, with approximately twothirds of the participants desiring less body fat and a third desiring more body fat. Muscle dissatisfaction was significantly associated with higher depression, lower self-esteem, and less satisfaction with life. Body fat dissatisfaction was not significantly associated with any of the assessed dimensions of psychological functioning. These data indicate that muscularity concerns of college men are significantly related to psychological functioning, suggesting that this dimension of body attitudes plays a significant role in men’s self-concept.
Bundle of his electrograms: A new method for analyzing arrhythmias

Abstract Aberrant conduction and infranodal block complicate the diagnosis of certain arrhythmias. Bundle of His electrograms enable the physician to recognize supraventricular beats and localize the site of block above or below the bundle of His. Four cases are presented to demonstrate the application of this technique in the analysis of difficult atrioventricular arrhythmias.
On the history of hormonal contraception I. Ludwig Haberlandt (1885–1932) and his concept of “hormonal sterilization”

The Beard-Prenant hypothesis of the antiovulatory action of the corpus luteum induced the physiologist Ludwig Haberlandt in 1919 to start experiments in animals. He suppressed ovulation by transplanting ovaries and by injecting or feeding ovarian and placental extracts. The oral application led to temporary or permanent sterilization. Haberlandt coined the word “hormonal sterilization”, but tried in vain to induce physicians to use this method in the human.
Thomas Nast: The Father of Modern Political Cartoons Fiona Deans Halloran. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.

Thomas Nast: The Father of Modern Political Cartoons Fiona Deans Halloran. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.A reader would have to be quite uncultured to not recognize the sharply biting and satirical depictions of Boss Tweed or the representations of the Democratic and Republican parties as Donkeys and Elephants as the popular and enduring contributions of Thomas Nast to our understanding of nineteenth century political life in America in general and New York in particular. But, because they are so easily "read" and understood, there has been no serious attempts to contextualize the art beyond the obvious.There has been even less attention to the reasons that Nast took on the themes he did, nor an analysis of how his background and heritage were at work throughout his career. Indeed, there is little attention to his career after the destruction of the Tweed Ring.Nast came to New York from Germany, where his father was a supporter of the liberalizing movements of the late 1840s. The young lad was torn between trying to adjust to his new environment, with the excitement of the city, and his fear of the rougher parts of that experience in lower Manhattan. In particular, the Irish gangs were intimidating, to say the least.As Nast moved into a career as an artist-and Halloran introduces us to the reality that Nast also sold paintings that have hardly been seen since his deathhe developed a distinctive, but evolving, style that owes much to the political cartoons and caricatures of England. Subtlety was never part of his work, except in the more sentimental images of wives and soldier husbands dreaming of each other, during the Civil War, and, by the end of the War, his images became more powerful and didactic. They also increasingly portrayed the slaves and former slaves in a sympathetic light, while wholeheartedly supporting Lincoln and the fight to preserve the Union.After Lincoln's death, Nast lambasted President Johnson as a Southern sympathizer and appeaser and then turned his attention to supporting General Grant as the Republican candidate. He was extremely effective in that role but spent his greatest energy in taking on Tammany Hall and William "Boss" Tweed. Here, the author does an important service in pointing out both how Nast's work fits within the liberal clean government world of the magazines but also within the framework of the same Irish supporters of machine politics that first frightened him when he arrived as a new immigrant. …
Lactation activity, chemical composition, and in vitro metabolism of rat mammary tissue.

SummaryMammary tissue of rats at the end of pregnancy and at the height of lactation was analyzed for dry matter and nitrogen content, and the metabolic rate of this tissue was measured in vitro.Lactation increased the water content of the mammary tissue and the protein content of the mammary dry matter.Lactation did not affect the metabolic rate per unit of fresh tissue in vitro; it increased the metabolic rate per unit of dry matter and decreased the metabolic rate per unit of nitrogen in the tissue.Observations were also made on rats that suckled only 1-3 instead of 6 young; and measurements were taken on rats with 6 young at earlier stages of lactation before full milk production was reached. These indicate a positive correlation between the intensity of lactation and the magnitude of the effect that lactation has on the composition and metabolic rate of mammary tissue.
Influence of Nonuniform Distribution of Acoustic Wavefield Strength on Time-Distance Helioseismology Measurements

By analyzing numerically simulated solar oscillation data we study the influence of nonuniform distribution of acoustic wave amplitude, acoustic source strength, and perturbations of the sound speed on the shifts of acoustic travel times measured by the time-distance helioseismology method. It is found that for short distances, the contribution to the mean travel-time shift caused by nonuniform distribution of acoustic sources in sunspots may be comparable to (but smaller than) the contribution from the sound-speed perturbation in sunspots, and that it has the opposite sign to the sound-speed effect. This effect may cause some underestimation of the negative sound-speed perturbations in sunspots just below the surface, which was found in previous time-distance helioseismology inferences. This effect cannot be corrected by artificially increasing the amplitude of oscillations in sunspots. For large time-distance annuli, the nonuniform distribution of wavefields does not have significant effects on the mean travel times, and thus the sound-speed inversion results. The measured travel-time differences, which are used to determine the mass flows beneath sunspots, can also be systematically shifted by this effect, but only by an insignificant magnitude.
Differential role of PTK and ERK MAPK in superoxide impairment of KATP and KCa channel cerebrovasodilation

Previously, superoxide (O2 -) has been observed to impair pial artery dilation (PAD) to activators of the ATP-sensitive (KATP) and calcium-sensitive (KCa) K+ channels. This study tested the hypothesis that activation of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) and the ERK isoform of MAPK by O2 - contribute to impairment of KATP and KCa channel PAD. Exposure of the cerebral cortex to a xanthine oxidase O2 --generating system (OX) blunted PAD to cromakalim, a KATP agonist, but preadministration of genistein, a PTK antagonist, or U-0126, an ERK MAPK inhibitor, almost completely prevented such impairment (11 +/- 1 and 22 +/- 1 vs. 3 +/- 1 and 7 +/- 1 vs. 10 +/- 1 and 16 +/- 2% for cromakalim with 10-8 and 10-6 M PAD during control, OX, and OX + genistein conditions). In contrast, neither genistein nor U-0126 robustly protected PAD to NS-1619, a KCa agonist, after OX exposure (11 +/- 1 and 18 +/- 2 vs. 1 +/- 1 and 2 +/- 1 vs. 4 +/- 1 and 6 +/- 1% for 10-8 and 10-6 M NS-1619 during control, OX, and OX + genistein conditions). These data show that PTK and ERK MAPK activation contribute to O2 --induced KATP and KCa channel PAD impairment and suggest a differential greater role for PTK and ERK MAPK in KATP vs. KCa channel PAD impairment.
Plasma norepinephrine concentrations: No differences among normal volunteers and low, high or normal renin hypertensive patients

Abstract Plasma norepinephrine concentrations were measured by a sensitive radioenzymatic method in 51 patients with essential hypertension and 26 age-matched normal volunteers under conditions of ad libitum sodium intake, after volume expansion by infusion of saline intravenously, and after volume contraction by administration of furosemide orally. The hypertensive patients were classified into low, normal and high renin groups both by renin-sodium indexing and by their renin response to furosemide and saline administration. Plasma norepinephrine concentrations were similar among normal volunteers and patients with low, normal or high renin hypertension while the people were either recumbent or after they stood for 5 min. These and other results do not support the hypothesis that abnormal activity of the sympathetic nervous system accounts for the low or high renin values seen in many hypertensive patients.
On the parallel complexity of computing a maximal independent set in a hypergraph

A maximal independent set in a hypergraph is a subset of vertices that is maximal with respect to the property of not containing any edge of the hypergraph. We show that an algorithm proposed by Beame and Luby is in randomized NC for hypergraphs in which the maximum edge size is bounded by a constant. To prove this, we bound the upper tail of sums of dependent random variables defined on the edges of a hypergraph. These bounds may be viewed as extensions of bounds on the tail of the binomial distribution. We derandomize this algorithm to obtain the first sublinear time deterministic algorithm for hypergraphs with edges of size O(1). The algorithm exhibits the following time-processor tradeoff: it can be made to run in time O(ne) with nO(1/e) processors for a hypergraph on n vertices, for any e ≥ 2d+1• (log log n)/(log n); here d = O(1) denotes the maximum size of an edge in H. In particular, for any constant e > O, we have an algorithm running in time O(ne) on a polynomial number of processors, and we have an algorithm running in time (log n)O(1) on nO(log n/log log n) processors.
Social Science and Soviet Administrative Behavior

FEW scholars have utilized contemporary social science theory in designing research on Communist countries. And fewer still have systematically incorporated data from Communist countries into the existing body of social science theory. That is, middle-range theories such as organization, development, and socialization theory have not significantly shaped Western research on Communist systems. And surprisingly few one-, two-, and multivariable generalizations from the existing social science literature have been confirmed, rejected, or refined-even tentatively-with data from Communist countries. In a word, good social science and good area studies research have rarely been combined. Considering these endeavors to be unrelated or irrelevant to one another, many specialists on Communist states have neither sought to construct nor to test empirical theory. This state of affairs is unfortunate. Despite the formidable problems of cross-national studies, and despite the conceptual and theoretical limitations of contemporary social science, the Communist area specialist may have much to contribute to, and much to gain from, social science theory. Particularly important are theories and hypotheses of a "puzzle-solving" or an anomaly-reducing nature.' Also of considerable importance are hypotheses that are both logically and topically related -hypotheses that have been deduced from insightful and rigorous causal models or sets of carefully formulated axioms and theorems. Greater confirmation, disconfirmation, or refinement of the latter propositions helps to confirm, disconfirm, or refine the other propositions to which they are logically related and the larger theories of which they are a part. Deductive empiricism also helps to forestall a serious methodological problem common to both social scientists and area specialists-namely, the formulation of hypotheses from essentially
Temporally and Spatially Resolved Air Pollution in Georgia Using Fused Ambient Monitor Data and Chemical Transport Model Results

Health data geo-coded with residential coordinates are being used to investigate the relationship between ambient air quality and pediatric emergency department visits in the State of Georgia over the time period 2000–2010. Two types of ambient air quality data – observed concentrations from ambient monitors and predicted concentrations from a chemical transport model (CMAQ) – are being fused to provide spatially resolved daily metrics of five air pollutant gases (CO, NO2, NOx, SO2 and O3) and seven airborne particulate matter measures (PM10, PM2.5, and PM2.5 constituents SO4 2−, NO3 −, NH4 +, EC, OC). The observational data provide reliable temporal trends at and near monitors, but limited spatial information due to the sparse monitoring network; CMAQ data, on the other hand, provide rich spatial information but less reliable temporal information. Four data fusion techniques were applied to provide daily spatial fields of ambient air pollutant concentrations, with data withholding used to evaluate model performance. Two of the data fusion methods were combined to provide results that minimized bias and maximized correlation over time and space with withheld data. Results vary widely across pollutants. These results provide health researchers with complete temporal and spatial air pollutant fields, as well as with temporal and spatial error estimate fields that can be incorporated into health risk models. Future work will apply these methods to five cities for use in ongoing air pollution health studies and to examine strategies for incorporating land use regression variables for spatial downscaling of data fusion results.
International Association of Hydrogeology Meeting: Tokyo, Japan, August 18–21, 1971

More than 300 persons, including more than 160 non-Japanese, registered for the Asian Regional Meeting of the International Association of Hydrogeology Countries represented included Belgium, France, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Republic, Ethopia, Afghanistan, Ceylon, Nepal India, Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, ECAFE, Argentina, the United States, and the host country, Japan The main emphasis of the program was artificial recharge, hut several papers dealt with groundwater development and the occurrence of groundwater. The meeting consisted of two days of technical papers, a one-day field trip to the experimental groundwater recharge site of the Geological Survey of Japan, and a second day devoted to visiting the manufacturers of pumps, well drilling equipment, and other allied water development and treatment equipment
Annualized wind energy improvement using variable speeds

To optimize the operation of a wind turbine, variable turbine speeds are desirable. To determine the advantages of a variable-speed turbine, the annualized energy production of the turbine needs to be considered. This is done by using a Rayleigh probability distribution to determine the number of hours of a particular wind speed which occur in a given year. This distribution is used with the aerodynamic power generated at a given average wind speed to determine the total energy generated during the year. The total energy for fixed- and variable-speed turbine control are compared. The variable-speed turbines show improved energy production over constant-speed systems.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized primarily by irreversible lung damage resulting in reduced airflow. Approximately 16 million Americans have the disease, which is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Current practice is guided by staging guidelines for both diagnosis and treatment. Pharmacotherapy, particularly with the brochodilators ipratropium and β 2 -agonists, remains the cornerstone of treatment. Corticosteroids are recommended for patients who experience frequent acute exacerbations accompanied by reversible symptoms. Noninvasive ventilation therapy may be used for patients experiencing acute exacerbations of COPD. Oxygen therapy should be started in patients with hypoxemia. For qualified candidates with very severe COPD, lung volume reduction surgery may be appropriate. Pulmonary rehabilitation therapy of varying levels is recommended for all patients with COPD. Patient education is an important component of any rehabilitation program, particularly instruction on drug management. Several treatment strategies that may dramatically affect the management of COPD are in development. Prevention remains the most powerful approach in reversing climbing prevalence rates.
Freeing the serial mechanism designer from inverse kinematic solvability constraints

This paper presents a fast numerical solution for the inverse kinematics of a serial manipulator. The method is implemented on the C-arm, a manipulator designed for use in robotic surgery. The inverse kinematics solution provides all possible solutions for any six degree-of-freedom serial manipulator, assuming that the forward kinematics are known and that it is possible to solve for the remaining joint angles if one joint angle's value is known. With a fast numerical method and the current levels of computing power, designing a manipulator with closed-form inverse kinematics is no longer necessary. When designing the C-arm, we therefore chose to weigh other factors, such as actuator size and patient safety, more heavily than the ability to find a closed-form inverse kinematics solution.
Numerical Analysis of Sandstone Composition, Provenance, and Paleogeography

ABSTRACT Cretaceous deltaic sandstones of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska exhibit an extreme variability in their mineral makeup. A series of numerical techniques, however, provides some order to the petrographic characteristics of these complex rocks. Ten mineral constituents occur in the sandstones, including quartz, chert, feldspar, mica, and organic matter, plus rock fragments of volcanics, carbonates, shale, phyllite, and schist. A mixing coefficient quantifies the degree of heterogeneity in each sample. Hierarchical cluster analysis then groups sandstones on the basis of similarities among all ten mineral components--in the Alaskan example, six groupings characterized mainly by the different rock fragments. Multidimensional scaling shows how the clusters relate to one another and arranges them along compositional gradients--two trends in Alaska based on varying proportions of metamorphic/volcanic and shale/carbonate rock fragments. The resulting sandstone clusters and petrographic gradients can be mapped across the study area and compared with the stratigraphic section. This study confirms the presence of three different source areas that provided diverse sediment to the Cretaceous deltas as well as the general transport directions and distances. In addition, the sand composition is shown to have changed over time, probably related to erosional unroofing in the source areas. This combination of multivariate-analysis techniques proves to be a powerful tool, revealing subtle spatial and temporal relationships among the sandstones and allowing us to enhance provenance and paleogeographic conclusions made from compositional data.
What do we need to know about the culture-bound syndromes?

Recently I was asked to take part in developing a core curriculum for teaching transcultural nursing. I was assigned the section on mental health and illness and asked to outline four topics. One o...
Fast evolution of image manifolds and application to filtering and segmentation in 3D medical images

In many instances, numerical integration of space-scale PDEs is the most time consuming operation of image processing. This is because the scale step is limited by conditional stability of explicit schemes. We introduce the unconditionally stable semiimplicit linearized difference scheme that is fashioned after additive operator split (AOS) [Weickert, J. et al. (1998)], [Goldenberg, R et al., (2001)] for Beltrami and the subjective surface computation. The Beltrami flow [Kimmel, R. (1997) (1999)], [Sochen, N. et al. (1998)], is one of the most effective denoising algorithms in image processing. For gray-level images, we show that the flow equation can be arranged in an advection-diffusion form, revealing the edge-enhancing properties of this flow. This also suggests the application of AOS method for faster convergence. The subjective surface [Sarti, A. et al. (2002)] deals with constructing a perceptually meaningful interpretation from partial image data by mimicking the human visual system. However, initialization of the surface is critical for the final result and its main drawbacks are very slow convergence and the huge number of iterations required. We first show that the governing equation for the subjective surface flow can be rearranged in an AOS implementation, providing a near real-time solution to the shape completion problem in 2D and 3D. Then, we devise a new initialization paradigm where we first "condition" the viewpoint surface using the fast-marching algorithm. We compare the original method with our new algorithm on several examples of real 3D medical images, thus revealing the improvement achieved.
A Comparative Study of Interventions for Delaying The Initiation of Sexual Intercourse Among Latino And Black Youth

CONTEXT: Latino and black adolescents are disproportionately affected by STDs, including HIV, and unintended pregnancies. Few parent-based interventions have targeted these youth, focused on early adolescence and had high participation rates. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2009, a randomized clinical trial was conducted with 2,016 Latino and black mother-adolescent dyads in New York City. Adolescents were eligible if they were in grade 6 or 7. Dyads were assigned to one of three conditions: a parent-based intervention, Families Talking Together (FTT); an adolescent-only intervention, Making a Difference! (MAD); or a combined FTT+MAD intervention. Respondents completed questionnaires at baseline and 12 months later. Single-degree-of-freedom contrasts and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate differences in outcomes by intervention. RESULTS: The proportion of youth who reported ever having engaged in vaginal intercourse increased over the study period by eight percentage points among those in the MAD group, five points in the FTT group and three points in the combined group; the differences among these increases were not statistically significant. Adolescents in the two FTT groups were significantly more likely than those in the MAD group to indicate that their mother had talked to them about not having intercourse (79% vs. 68%). They also scored higher than youth in the MAD group on measures of communication and perceived maternal attributes, and lower on activities that might lead to risky behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The proportions of adolescents who initiated intercourse during the study period were not significantly different across groups, implying that the interventions were comparable. Findings suggest that FTT may have led to improved parenting behaviors.
Temperature effects induced by climate change on the growth and consumption by salmonines in Lakes Michigan and Huron

We used bioenergetics models to investigate temperature effects induced by climate change on the growth and consumption by Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, and steelhead O. mykiss in Lakes Michigan and Huron. We updated biological inputs to account for recent changes in the food webs and used temperature inputs in response to regional climate observed in the baseline period (1964–1993) and projected in the future period (2043–2070). Bioenergetics simulations were run across multiple age-classes and across all four seasons in different scenarios of prey availability. Due to the increased capacity of prey consumption, future growth and consumption by these salmonines were projected to increase substantially when prey availability was not limited. When prey consumption remained constant, future growth of these salmonines was projected to decrease in most cases but increase in some cases where the increase in metabolic cost can be compensated by the decrease in waste (egestion and excretion) loss. Consumption by these salmonines was projected to increase the most during spring and fall when prey energy densities are relatively high. Such seasonality benefits their future growth through increasing annual gross energy intake. Our results indicated that lake trout and steelhead would be better adapted to the warming climate than Chinook salmon. To maintain baseline growth into the future, an increase of 10 % in baseline prey consumption was required for Chinook salmon but considerably smaller increases, or no increases, in prey consumption were needed by lake trout and steelhead.
Geochemical processes and nutrient uptake by plants in hydric soils

Soil reduction caused by flooding has profound effects on species adaptation and mineral nutrition of higher plants. Anaerobic conditions inhibit normal root respiration of higher plants. Alternate metabolic pathways may be utilized in combination with the development of anatomical characteristics that result in the internal movement of oxygen to the roots. Soil organisms use other oxidants when the oxygen supply is interrupted, which results in profound changes in oxidative states of many metals and nonmetals, and changes in soil reaction and conductivity. The products of reduction are primarily nitrogen gas, manganous manganese, ferrous iron, sulfide sulfur, methane, and organic acids. These reduction products alter the availability of soil nutrients and can drastically alter the soil acidity. Plant-soil interactions on flooded soils can sometimes be altered, as has been demonstrated by the use of phosphorus fertilizer on southern pine and zinc on rice.
Factors influencing elderly women's mammography screening decisions: implications for counseling

Background: Although guidelines recommend that clinicians consider life expectancy before screening older women for breast cancer, many older women with limited life expectancies are screened. We aimed to identify factors important to mammography screening decisions among women aged 80 and older compared to women aged 65–79. Methods: Telephone surveys of 107 women aged 80+ and 93 women aged 65–79 randomly selected from one academic primary care practice who were able to communicate in English (60% response rate). The survey addressed the following factors in regards to older women's mammography screening decisions: perceived importance of a history of breast disease, family history of breast cancer, doctor's recommendations, habit, reassurance, previous experience, mailed reminder cards, family/friend's recommendations or experience with breast cancer, age, health, and media. The survey also assessed older women's preferred role in decision making around mammography screening. Results: Of the 200 women, 65.5% were non-Hispanic white and 82.8% were in good to excellent health. Most (81.3%) had undergone mammography in the past 2 years. Regardless of age, older women ranked doctor's recommendations as the most important factor influencing their decision to get screened. Habit and reassurance were the next two highly ranked factors influencing older women to get screened. Among women who did not get screened, women aged 80 and older ranked age and doctor's counseling as the most influential factors and women aged 65–79 ranked a previous negative experience with mammography as the most important factor. There were no significant differences in preferred role in decision-making around mammography screening by age, however, most women in both age groups preferred to make the final decision on their own (46.6% of women aged 80+ and 50.5% of women aged 65–79). Conclusion: While a doctor's recommendation is the most important factor influencing elderly women's mammography screening decisions, habit and reassurance also strongly influence decision-making. Interventions aimed at improving clinician counseling about mammography, which include discussions around habit and reassurance, may result in better decision-making.
Bone Sialoprotein and the Paradox of Angiogenesis Versus Atherosclerosis

Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is a protein thought to be highly specific for bone. BSP contains an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) cell attachment sequence involved in osteoclast adhesion to bone matrix via the vitronectin receptor and plays an important role in the early process of bone mineralization and resorption. The study by Bellahcene et al1 in this issue of Circulation Research indicates that BSP mediates adhesion and chemotactic migration of endothelial cells and promotes angiogenesis, suggesting that BSP may be an important factor in angiogenesis and the initiation of atherosclerosis, two processes that are probably related. In earlier studies, Folkman2 hypothesized that tumor growth beyond a few millimeters requires recruitment and growth of a new microcirculation, or angiogenesis, which is induced by tumors as lifelines for oxygen and nutrients. New blood vessels also provide exits for cancer cells to spread to other parts of the body. Angiogenesis is also involved in physiological conditions, such as embryogenesis, and other pathological conditions, such as wound healing. The process of angiogenesis requires a highly coordinated series of events, including endothelial cell proliferation, migration, tube and lumen formation, and, in some cases, recruitment of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and other adventitial cells. Adhesive interaction of cells with components of the extracellular matrix is a recognized requirement for cell proliferation and migration. Evidence indicates that many of the adhesive interactions are mediated by members of the integrin family of heterodimeric adhesion receptors. Among these integrins, αvβ3, which is expressed by a variety of cell types, has been shown to play a key role in the cell migration involved in metastasis and angiogenesis.3 The work presented by Bellahcene et …
Intermittent Positive Pressure Breathing in Patients with Respiratory Muscle Weakness: Alterations in Total Respiratory System Compliance

Intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPB) is reported to improve lung compliance and decrease the work of breathing in subjects with kyphoscoliosis. These results suggest that IPPB may improve chest wall and lung compliance in patients with neuromuscular disease. We studied the short-term effects of IPPB on total respiratory system compliance in 14 subjects with neuromuscular disease. Seven were quadriplegics, and seven had muscular dystrophy. Vital capacity was reduced to 38±14 percent of the predicted normal values. Baseline measurements of total respiratory system compliance were 57±18 percent when compared to normal control values. After a 20 minute treatment of IPPB delivered with inspiratory pressures of 20 to 25 cm H 2 O that more than tripled resting tidal volume, there was no significant change in total respiratory system compliance in either group of patients. These findings indicate that patients with quadriplegia or muscular dystrophy do not derive immediate improvement in ventilatory mechanics from IPPB treatments.
Sampling-based garbage collection metadata management scheme for flash-based storage

Existing garbage collection algorithms for the flash-based storage use score-based heuristics to select victim blocks for reclaiming free space and wear leveling. The score for a block is estimated using metadata information such as age, block utilization, and erase count. To quickly find a victim block, these algorithms maintain a priority queue in the SRAM of the storage controller. This priority queue takes O(K) space, where K stands for flash storage capacity in total number of blocks. As the flash capacity scales to larger size, K also scales to larger value. However, due to higher price per byte, SRAM will not scale proportionately. In this case, due to SRAM scarcity, it will be challenging to implement a larger priority queue in the limited SRAM of a large-capacity flash storage. In addition to space issue, with any update in the metadata information, the priority queue needs to be continuously updated, which takes O(lg(K)) operations. This computation overhead also increases with the increase of flash capacity. In this paper, we have taken a novel approach to solve the garbage collection metadata management problem of a large-capacity flash storage. We propose a sampling-based approach to approximate existing garbage collection algorithms in the limited SRAM space. Since these algorithms are heuristic-based, our sampling-based algorithm will perform as good as unsampled (original) algorithm, if we choose good samples to make garbage collection decisions. We propose a very simple policy to choose samples. Our experimental results show that small number of samples are good enough to emulate existing garbage collection algorithms.
Zstretch: a stretchy fabric music controller

We present Zstretch, a textile music controller that supports expressive haptic interactions. The musical controller takes advantage of the fabric's topological constraints to enable proportional control of musical parameters. This novel interface explores ways in which one might treat music as a sheet of cloth. This paper proposes an approach to engage simple technologies for supporting ordinary hand interactions. We show that this combination of basic technology with general tactile movements can result in an expressive musical interface.
Pressure Ulcer Management in the Geriatric Patient

OBJECTIVE:To increase the understanding of pharmacists and other health-system clinicians regarding pharmaceutical applications of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in geriatric patients.DATA SOURCES:An extensive MEDLINE retrieval was conducted which encompassed the years 1967–1998; the search terms used included pressure sore, pressure ulcer, decubitus ulcer, and geriatrics.DATA SUMMARY:Pressure ulcers affect populations with limited mobility, reduced cognition, and less-independent activities of daily living, such as the elderly. Identification of the high-risk patient is required for successful prevention outcomes. For existing lesions, a variety of treatment modalities exist, not all of which have demonstrated therapeutic benefit. Given these options, clinicians are faced with treatment selection challenges that should be based on the clinical setting, available scientific evidence, and individualized patient care needs.CONCLUSIONS:Prevention of pressure ulcerations is imperative to reduce patie...
Thinking About White-Collar Crime and Punishment

This article reviews white-collar crime questions now under review by the ABA Criminal Justice Section (“CJS”), especially the question of federal sentencing for economic crimes where there is a large loss to victims but little gain to the defendant. This question, which will be a focus of the CJS’s November 5, 2010 conference, has troubled the Department of Justice, which in such cases opposes downward departures from the Federal Sentencing Guidelines ranges and may advocate for reform of the Guidelines or mandatory minimum sentences to reduce sentencing disparities. This article suggests, as an alternative, that the U.S. Sentencing Commission collect judicial reasoning in exemplary sentencing decisions in order to promote the development of the common law of sentencing. The article invites comment on this and other issues under study by the CJS.
Forecasting Health Workforce Supply and Demand: From the Survey to the Models

Rationale: Many nations are facing shortages of Registered Nurses (RNs) and other health professionals. Within the United States, the U.S. Bureau of the Health Professions has conducted surveys of RNs since 1977, and has periodically published forecasts of the supply, demand, and shortage of RNs. The state of California also has conducted surveys of RNs and developed its own shortages. The ability of statistically-based surveys, and econometric and stock-flow forecasting models to predict future health workforce supply and demand needs close examination. Objectives: This paper critically assesses strategies to forecast supply and demand for health professionals, using the RN workforce as an example. Methodology: First, we review methods for obtaining data about the RN workforce, from surveys and administrative data. We compare the patterns of employment and demographics identified in different datasets and identify potential causes for discrepancies. Second, we review methods for forecasting the supply of RNs. Most approaches to estimating future supply focus on stock-and-flow models. Third, we review methods for forecasting the demand for RNs. Here, there is substantial divergence in the literature. Some researchers use RN-per-capita ratios as a proxy for demand. Others create simple forecasts from current RN-per-patient ratios and forecasts of future hospitalization rates. A third approach involves developing econometric models. The results of these three strategies will be compared using California as a case study. We then will examine how forecasting strategies can be applied to regions within a nation or other jurisdiction, again using California as an example. Finally, we will compare forecasts that have been published over time, to learn how accurate these forecasts have been. The findings of this assessment will be discussed in the context of general development of health workforce forecasting models. Results: A careful examination of health workforce forecasting strategies, with a focus on the economic factors that affect supply and demand, will help states, provinces, cities, and nations better assess whether and how to plan for future health workforce needs. The US government has completed the 2004 National Sample Survey of RNs, and data will be released soon (the author has a pre-release version of the data). US forecasts are now being updated. The California government has the 2006 Survey of California RNs in the field now, and a final report, with forecasts, is due to the government before May 2007.
Analysis of tetrode recordings in cat visual system

From simultaneous recording of closely located neurons one can obtain information about local inter-neuronal connectivity and acquire fine-scale neuronal response mappings. A multitrode (by which we mean a tight bundle of traditional extracellular electrodes) (McNaughton et al., 1983) is a natural choice for this kind of recording, because it allows discrimination of multiple neurons at a single recording site. Separation of spikes from different neurons is based on the assumption that spike amplitude decreases with the distance between the neuron and the tip of the electrode. Thus, the ratio of spike amplitudes measured on different wires provides reliable information for spike discrimination. The tetrode, which is made of four very thin wires (typical wire diameter with the insulation is 20 μm) is the minimal set of electrodes that provides “triangulation” in the three- dimensional space. If tetrode tips are not located in a plane, and under the idealization that neurons are point sources in a homogenous medium, the ratios of spike amplitudes will be unique for each neuron. In contrast to the tetrode, a single electrode is “spatially blind”, and its use for multi-neuron recordings can easily lead to mixing of signals from different cells whose spike amplitudes as measured at the electrode site are equal.
An inexpensive magnetic separator of fine-grained magnetic and paramagnetic particles

We describe the construction of a magnetic separator of fine-grained wet sediments. Components for assembling such a separator are readily available. Suggestions are given on its calibration. The separator distinguishes among minerals having relatively small amounts of iron.
Wettability and friction of water on a MoS2 nanosheet

The molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheet is a promising two-dimensional (2D) material and has recently been used in biological sensing. While the electronic structure of 2D MoS2 sheet has been actively studied, the role of its atomic structure and thus the interfacial interactions with bio-fluids are still elusive. Using Molecular dynamics simulations, we developed MoS2 force field parameters to reproduce the experimentally determined water contact angle of the MoS2 nanosheet and then predicted the slip-length of water that has not been measured in experiment yet. Simulation results suggest that the MoS2 nanosheet is a hydrophobic and low-friction surface, despite its seemingly significant charges of surface atoms and relatively strong strength of van der Waals potentials. We expect that the developed force fields for depicting surface atoms of MoS2 will facilitate future research in understanding biomolecule-MoS2 interactions in MoS2-based biosensors.
Using Remotely Sensed Soil Conductivity to Monitor Restoration Activities on Vernal Pools, Northern Great Basin, USA

The sagebrush-steppe of the northern Great Basin, USA, receives 120–500 mm of precipitation per year. Clay horizon formation in these semiarid/arid Pleistocene-lake landscapes allows development of seasonal wetlands (vernal pools) that are recognized critical habitat for several native animal species. Most pools were dug out to create livestock water holes in the early and mid-1900s. Restoration efforts are underway to restore these ecosystems. This study was undertaken to evaluate the pre- and post-restoration hydrology of several regraded vernal pools. Five total sites, one undisturbed and four dugouts, were mapped for apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) using electromagnetic induction to evaluate hydrologic flow patterns. Two sites were subsequently regraded to fill in dugouts and redistribute excavated piles. ECa for the restored sites was remeasured 1 year later. ECa patterns of the dugout pools indicate that the hydrology is directed toward the low areas concentrating soluble salts in the dugout through evaporation. Patterns of the undisturbed site suggest a broader distribution of water and salts. Conductivity patterns of post-restoration show a marked difference in conductivity with a broadening out of the high-concentration area and a decreased difference between the former dugout area and surrounding area. The pattern after 1 year of hydrologic activity suggests that regrading allows the water to spread across a larger area and begins to develop hydrologic patterns similar to undisturbed pools, suggesting potential to restore desired ecological function. Results of this study will refine understanding of vernal pool hydrology and ecology for the region.
Special communication‐ Organizational planning: A program evaluation survey of AACE members

Abstract The Long Range Planning Committee of the American Association for Cancer Education (AACE) has completed a comprehensive survey of AACE members. The survey was distributed in July and August 1989 to 592 AACE members, and 360 (61%) returned completed forms. The respondents did not differ markedly from the membership as a whole on selected member characteristics. Survey questions addressed the following aspects of the AACE: Annual Meeting, Special Interest Sections, Liaison Relationships, Journal of Cancer Education (JCE), and Communications. Results showed that the AACE is healthy and responsive to the needs of its members. Several areas needing attention were indicated, but no significant concerns were noted.