cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endophthalmitis and Orbital Cellulitis after Radial Keratotomy

Abstract Purpose: To report the findings concerning three patients with endophthalmitis and one with panophthalmitis and orbital cellulitis radial keratotomy surgery. Methods: One man referred with panophthalmitis and orbital cellulitis and three women referred with endophthalmitis were treated. Results: After radial keratotomy surgery, during which no microperforation or macroperforation had been reported, a severe Pseudomonas panophthalmitis and orbital cellulitis developed in the man. All vision was lost in that eye. Staphylococcus epidermidis endophthalmitis developed in one woman, Streptococcus pneumoniae endophthalmitis in the second woman and Pseudomonas endophthalmitis in the third woman, after undergoing radial keratotomy procedures during which microperforations occurred. In the latter patient, bilateral simultaneous surgery was performed, but only one eye became infected. The latter two infections resulted in light perception and hand motion vision respectively. In three cases, an initial keratitis was located in the inferior cornea. Conclusions: Severe bacterial endophthalmitis can occur after radial keratotomy surgery, even in the absence of microperforation during the procedure. Any evidence of postoperative keratitis must be regarded seriously and treated aggressively. Despite use of this approach, the effect on final visual acuity can be devastating.
Survival after orthotopic liver transplantation: the impact of antibody against hepatitis B core antigen in the donor.

Liver transplantation using grafts from donors with antibody against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) increases the recipients' risk of developing hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection post-transplantation. Our aim was to assess whether using such grafts was associated with reduced posttransplantation survival and whether this association depended on recipients' prior exposure to HBV on the basis of their pretransplantation serological patterns. Data were derived from the United Network for Organ Sharing on adult, cadaveric, first-time liver transplants performed between 1994 and 2006. Among recipients who did not have HBV infection before transplantation, those with anti-HBc–positive donors had significantly worse unadjusted posttransplantation patient survival than recipients with anti-HBc–negative donors [hazard ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21-1.50]. However, after adjustments for other predictors of posttransplantation survival, including donor age, donor race, and recipient underlying liver diseases, patient survival was not significantly different between the 2 groups (hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.97-1.24). Among recipients without antibody against hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), use of anti-HBc–positive donor grafts was associated with a trend toward worse survival (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.95-1.46), whereas no such trend was observed among recipients positive for anti-HBs. In conclusion, in patients without HBV infection before transplantation, using anti-HBc–positive donors was not independently associated with worse posttransplantation survival. Matching these donors to recipients with anti-HBs pre-transplantation may be especially safe. Liver Transpl 15:1343–1350, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.
Transition from Exercise to Rest: Ventilatory and Arterial Blood Gas Responses

The mechanisms leading to rapid changes in arterial blood gas values soon after exercise ends have not been well established. To further study these phenomena, we exercised seven normal male volunteers to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer with a 25-W/min ramped protocol measuring arterial blood gas values, and breath-by-breath gas exchange from rest to exercise and through 15 minutes of recovery. Arterial PO 2 (PaO 2 ) increased from 108 mm Hg at peak exercise to 125 mm Hg at 2 minutes of recovery. There was a smaller rise in calculated alveolar PO 2 (PAO 2 ) from 121 to 128 mm Hg over the same period. Arterial PCO 2 (PaCO 2 ) fell from 35.0 mm Hg to 31.9 mm Hg. The gas exchange ratio R rose from 1.21 to 1.52, after having peaked at 1.68 at 1 minute. The alveolar-arterial O 2 gradient (P[A-a]O 2 ) fell from 12.3 mm Hg at peak exercise to 3.2 mm Hg at 2 minutes. Following exercise, the rise in R is related to a more rapid fall in O 2 uptake than in CO 2 output, and the fall in P(A-a)O 2 is probably related to improved V/Q relationships and to a rise in mixed venous PO 2 . We conclude that the rise in PaO 2 in the recovery period after progressive nonsteady state exercise is due to several factors, including a fall in P(A-a)O 2 and a rise in PAO 2 due primarily to an elevation of R and also to a fall in PaCO 2 . (Chest 1991; 99:1145-50)
Sex difference in susceptibility of mice to pneumococcus.

L'injection deDiplococcus pneumoniae (type 12) par voie intraperitoneale a des souris albinos provoque un taux de mortalite significativement plus eleve chez les mâles que chez les femelles. Ce fait pourrait servir de modele a l'etude des differences sexuelles dans la resistance a l'infection.
Electron backscatter diffraction of a plutonium-gallium alloy

Abstract An experimental technique has recently been developed to characterize reactive metals, including plutonium (Pu) and cerium, using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Microstructural characterization of Pu and its alloys by EBSD had been previously elusive primarily because of the extreme toxicity and rapid surface oxidation rate associated with Pu metal. The experimental technique, which included ion-sputtering the metal surface using a scanning Auger microprobe (SAM) followed by vacuum transfer of the sample from the SAM to the scanning electron microscope (SEM), used to obtain electron backscatter diffraction Kikuchi patterns and orientation maps for a Pu–gallium alloy is described and the initial microstructural observations based on the analysis are discussed. The phase transformation behavior between the δ (face-centered cubic) and e (body-centered-cubic) structures is explained by combining the SEM and EBSD observations.
Global views of Venus from Magellan

Magellan data for Venus reveal a planet with a great diversity of volcanic and tectonic landforms, with good evidence of continuing volcanism and tectonism. Weathering, mass wasting and wind erosion and deposition have modified the surface only to the extent of a few meters, thereby preserving an excellent record of tectonic and volcanic processes on a terrestrial-size planet. All cycle 1 mosaics, radiometry, and altimeter data will be made available through the Planetary Data System and the National Space Science Data Center.
Inflammatory properties of bile from dogs with pigment gallstones

Background Gallbladder inflammation and mucus hypersecretion are prominent features of cholesterol and pigment gallstones in humans and animals. The factors leading to Inflammation and mucus hypersecretion are poorly understood. These studies examine the inflammatory potential of bile from dogs with pigment gallstones. Methods Dogs fed a methionine-deficlent diet that produces pigment gallstones by 6 weeks were compared to normal dogs. Mucus layer thickness, myeloperoxidase activity, and interleukin-1-like activities were measured in canine gallbladder. The inflammatory potential of canine bite was determined by measuring mucus layer thickness, sodium absorption, myeloperoxidase activity and interleukin-1-like activity in guinea pig gallbladders exposed to normal and llthogenic canine bile for 4 hours. Results Mean mucus layer thickness, myeloperoxidase, and interleukin-1 activity were significantly greater in canine gallbladders containing pigment gallstones. Bile from dogs with pigment gallstones markedly increased mucus layer thickness, myeloperoxidase activity, and interleukin-1 activity and decreased sodium absorption in normal guinea pig gallbladder. These effects were not eliminated by centrifuging bile to remove crystals and gallstones. Conclusions Canine bile from dogs with pigment gallstones contains soluble factors capable of causing inflammation in the gallbladder wall. Am J Surg. 1996;171:197-201.
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and bone.

Bone is not only a rich source of a diverse group of growth factors, but is also a very responsive tissue to such growth promoting agents. IGF-I and IGF-I1 are reported to be synthesized and retain...
EFFECTS OF SEDIMENTATION ON PLAYA WETLAND VOLUME

Over 50% of the wetlands in the conterminous United States have been lost; however, few studies have investigated the more insidious effects of sedimentation on wetland volume. We examined the effects of sedimentation on playa wetland volume in the Southern High Plains (Texas, USA). We compared 20 playas with watersheds dominated by rangeland to 20 playas that had cropland watersheds. Playas were located in fine- and medium-texture soil zones. Playas with cultivated watersheds contained more sediments than those with rangeland watersheds. Playas with cultivated watersheds had lost all of their original volume, on average, whereas playas with rangeland watersheds had lost only about one third of their volume. Of the ≈30000 playas in the region, most have cultivated watersheds, and therefore the hydroperiod of playas has been drastically altered over the last 60 yr, changing the structure and function of these ecosystems. Also, sedimentation in playas in the medium-texture soil zone was greater than in the ...
International Differences in Mathematical Achievement: Their Nature, Causes, and Consequences

Every now and then, a spate of popular-press articles reminds us of the poor educational achievement of American children in comparison to their international peers. For many people, concerns about the education of American children likely fade, as these articles are bumped from our memory by a slew of hotter popular-press issues. In this article, the mathematical achievement of American children is first contrasted with that of their cohorts in other industrialized nations, and then sources of these cross-national achievement differences are briefly reviewed. The article closes with a discussion of the potential consequences of the poor mathematical development of American children, conesquences that speak to the importance of the associated educational issues and remind us that our concern for the education of American children must continue unabated, even after the popular press has moved on to other issues.
Family Caregiver Perceptions of Benefits and Barriers to the Use of Adult Day Care for Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease:

To determine the perceived benefits and barriers to the use of adult day care (ADC) by family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 104 family caregivers (52 users of ADC and 52 nonusers) were interviewed by telephone using a semistructured interview protocol. Comparisons were made between users and nonusers of ADC. Analysis of the qualitative data identified seven categories of barriers to ADC and seven categories of benefits to ADC. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed no significant differences in reported barriers to ADC use by users and nonusers. Both users and nonusers reported barriers; more users overcame the barriers to use the service. Both users and nonusers saw benefits to the caregiver from using ADC; only users saw ADC as primarily benefiting the patient. ADC users also used other respite services more than nonusers.
NNDC Data Services

Received Accepted/orPublic(/(ioll Abstract. The National Nuclear Data Center has provided remote access to some of its resources since 1986. The _major databases ~E.~..~!h.er resources available currently through NNDC Web site are summarized.
Serum levels of methyl methacrylate following inhalational exposure to polymethylmethacrylate bone cement.

Abstract Teratogenic effects of polymethylmethacrylate cement at levels used during routine orthopaedic procedures have never been reported, however the hypothetical risk remains a major concern among female surgeons. Our aim was to determine if methyl methacrylate is detectible in the serum during routine cement exposure. Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers were exposed during the mixing of polymethylmethacrylate cement in a simulated operating room environment. Forty serum samples were obtained during the expected peak inhalational exposure and levels of methyl methacrylate were assessed utilizing headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Results: Methyl methacrylate was not detected in any of the forty experimental specimens. Conclusions: With a detection level of 0.5 ppm, methyl methacrylate is undetectable in the serum during routine mixing of polymethylmethacrylate cement.
Domain perturbation analysis of the interaction between a charged particle and a charged deformable interface

The interaction between a charged, spherical colloidal particle and a charged liquid/liquid interface is studied by domain perturbation analysis. A general solution for the potential near the nonplanar interface is derived in the form of a Hankel transform, and that solution is used in conjunction with the surface stress balance to find the interface shape and force on the particle to leading order. The range of accuracy of the asymptotic methods used are evaluated by direct comparison with corresponding numerical results obtained via a boundary integral method. In addition, analytic expressions for the interface shape at radial positions on the order of and much larger than a Debye length are given, and the scaling dependence of influences such as surface tension, surface charge density, gravity and separation distance are discussed. In particular, it is shown that under many conditions of interest the breadth of a perturbation in interface position (i.e., the distance over which the perturbation decays) can be many orders of magnitude larger than the depth of the perturbation, and scaling relationships illustrating this fact are derived.
Expression of the μ-Opioid Receptor in CHO Cells: Ability of μ-Opioid Ligands to Promote α-Azidoanilido[32P]GTP Labeling of Multiple G Protein α Subunits

The identities of heterotrimeric G proteins that can interact with the mu-opioid receptor were investigated by alpha-azidoanilido[32P]GTP labeling of alpha subunits in the presence of opioid agonists in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-MORIVA3 cells, a CHO clone that stably expressed mu-opioid receptor cDNA (MOR-1). This clone expressed 1.01 x 10(6) mu-opioid receptors per cell and had higher binding affinity and potency to inhibit adenylyl cyclase for the mu-opioid-selective ligands [D-Ala2,N-MePhe4, Gly-ol]-enkephalin and [N-MePhe3,D-Pro4]-morphiceptin, relative to the delta-selective opioid agonist [D-Pen2,D-Pen5]-enkephalin or the kappa-selective opioid agonist U-50,488H. mu-Opioid ligands induced an increase in alpha-azidoanilido[32P]GTP photoaffinity labeling of four G alpha subunits in this clone, three of which were identified as Gi3 alpha, Gi2 alpha, and Go2 alpha. The same pattern of simultaneous interaction of the mu-opioid receptor with multiple G alpha subunits was also observed in two other clones, one expressing about three times more and the other 10-fold fewer receptors as those expressed in CHO-MORIVA3 cells. The opioid-induced increase of labeling of these G proteins was agonist specific, concentration dependent, and blocked by naloxone and by pretreatment of these cells with pertussis toxin. A greater agonist-induced increase of alpha-azidoanilido[32P]GTP incorporation into Gi2 alpha (160-280%) and Go2 alpha (110-220%) than for an unknown G alpha (G? alpha) (60%) or Gi3 alpha (40%) was produced by three different mu-opioid ligands tested. In addition, slight differences were also found between the ability of various mu-opioid agonists to produce half-maximal labeling (ED50) of any given G alpha subunit, with a rank order of Gi3 alpha > Go2 alpha > Gi2 alpha = G? alpha. In any case, these results suggest that the activated mu-opioid receptor couples to four distinct G protein alpha subunits simultaneously.
Issue Definition, Conflict Expansion, and Tort Reform: Lessons from the American General Aviation Industry

This article examines the concepts of issue definition and conflict expansion through an analysis of the debate over tort reform in the general aviation industry. More specifically, the article studies the efforts of the general aviation manufacturers to define the issue of tort reform in ways that strengthened their unlikely coalition with important consumer groups and minimized opposition from organized labor, which typically sides with the plaintiffs bar in the tort reform debate. The case is intriguing because it provides more than just a snapshot of the industry's efforts. The analysis begins by examining some of the manufacturers’ less successful strategies and traces the evolution of their campaign, which culminates in the rather clever use of issue definition and conflict expansion strategies for which the trial lawyers were unprepared to match. In the end, effective use of these strategies overcame what appeared to most observers to he a classic political mismatch.
The Social Identity Politics of Peer Networks

Building on recent studies of social pressure and group conformity in peer groups, I apply a social identity framework from social psychology to the study of political networks. Using the American National Election Studies (ANES) 2008-2009 Panel Study, I test several hypotheses regarding the relationship between peer networks, the salience of partisan identity, and the consequences for intergroup attitudinal and affective polarization. The findings suggest that peer network homogeneity produces the strongest association with more salient partisan identities across several network characteristics, including cohesiveness, sophistication, and density. Both the salience of partisan identities and network homogeneity are also linked to significant intergroup polarization, that is, differences in in-group and out-group partisan affect. The current research contributes to the existing literature on political networks by highlighting the role of social identities and providing a theoretical framework worth consid...
Frère Jacques Beaulieu: from rogue lithotomist to nursery rhyme character.

AbstractPurpose: We discuss the history of Frere Jacques Beaulieu, a celebrated 17th century French lithotomist, and question the relationship of his name to a well-known nursery rhyme character.Materials and Methods: We reviewed historical reports about Beaulieu and his career as a lithotomist. Nursery rhyme interpretations were also reviewed.Results: Beaulieu was born in 1651 to a peasant family and learned the practice of lithotomy by apprenticeship. He was never formally ordained yet donned a monk habit and called himself Frere Jacques. He was the first person to use the lateral approach to perineal lithotomy and openly shared his surgical technique. His lithotomy procedure was observed by the high court in Paris on 3 separate occasions between 1697 and 1704. Unfortunately his patients had significant morbidity and mortality, and he was denied operating privileges. He performed approximately 5,000 lithotomies in 30 years and died in 1719 at age 68 years. The nursery rhyme “Frere Jacques” probably refe...
Computational analysis of thin film InGaAs/GaAs quantum well solar cells with back side light trapping structures

Simulations of thin film (~2.5 µm thick) InGaAs/GaAs quantum well solar cells with various back side reflective and planar, symmetric scattering structures used for light trapping have been performed using rigorous coupled-wave analysis. Two-dimensional periodic metal/dielectric scattering structures were numerically optimized for Airmass 0 photocurrent generation for each device structure. The simulation results indicate that the absorption spectra of devices with both reflective and scattering structures are largely determined by the Fabry-Perot resonance characteristics of the thin film device structure. The scattering structures substantially increase absorption in the quantum wells at wavelengths longer than the GaAs absorption edge through a combination of coupling to modes of the thin film device structures and by reducing parasitic metal absorption compared to planar metal reflectors. For Airmass 0 illumination and 100% carrier collection, the estimated short-circuit current density of devices with In0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs quantum wells improves by up to 4.6 mA/cm2 (15%) relative to a GaAs homojunction device, with the improvement resulting approximately equally from scattering of light into thin film modes and reduction of metal absorption compared to a planar reflective layer.
Increasing replayability with deliberative and reactive planning

Opponent behavior in today's computer games is often the result of a static set of Artificial Intelligence (AI) behaviors or a fixed AI script. While this ensures that the behavior is reasonably intelligent, it also results in very predictable behavior. This can have an impact on the replayability of entertainment-based games and the educational value of training-based games. This paper proposes a move away from static, scripted AI by using a combination of deliberative and reactive planning. The deliberative planning (or Strategic AI) system creates a novel strategy for the AI opponent before each gaming session. The reactive planning (or Tactical AI) system executes this strategy in real-time and adapts to the player and the environment. These two systems, in conjunction with a future automated director module, form the Adaptive Opponent Architecture. This paper describes the architecture and the details of the deliberative and reactive planning components.
EphB2 signaling regulates lesion-induced axon sprouting but not critical period length in the postnatal auditory brainstem.

Background: Studies of developmental plasticity may provide insight into plasticity during adulthood, when neural circuitry is less responsive to losses or changes in input. In the mammalian auditory brainstem, globular bushy cell axons of the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) innervate the contralateral medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) principal neurons. VCN axonal terminations in MNTB, known as calyces of Held, are very large and specialized for high-fidelity transmission of auditory information. Following unilateral deafferentation during postnatal development, VCN axons from the intact side form connections with novel targets, including the ipsilateral MNTB. EphB signaling has been shown to play a role in this process during the first postnatal week, but mechanisms involved in this reorganization during later developmental periods remain unknown. Results: We found that EphB2 signaling reduces the number of induced ipsilateral projections to the MNTB after unilateral VCN removal at postnatal day seven (P7), but not after removal of the VCN on one side at P10, after the closure of the critical period for lesion-induced innervation of the ipsilateral MNTB. Conclusions: Results from this study indicate that molecular mechanisms involved in the development of circuitry may also play a part in rewiring after deafferentation during development, but do not appear to regulate the length of critical periods for plasticity.
Nasogastric Tube Placement in Rabbits

Abstract Emergency procedures and critical care of rabbits are similar to those of other mammals. However, special attention must be paid to the unique physiology and anatomy of the rabbit when performing life-saving measures on these patients. Nasogastric tube placement allows for continuous nutritional support as well as easy administration of fluids and medications. Nasogastric tube placement should be considered in critically ill rabbits when syringe feeding is not an option because of associated stress and/or oropharyngeal disease. Enteral feeding decreases the likelihood of colic, aids in stimulating the motility of the gastrointestinal tract, and reduces opportunities for bacterial translocation.
Synaptic nests lack glutamate transporters in the cochlear nucleus of the mouse.

Synaptic nests are closely packed collections of synaptic endings. Nests may be deficient in the glial processes which usually separate terminals in the CNS and which transport much of the glutamate associated with high levels of excitatory activity. We hypothesized that nests might lack glial glutamate transporters, but possibly would conserve neuronal glutamate transporter. Although present throughout the brain, nests are especially numerous in the cochlear nucleus. We performed immunoelectron microscopy by preembedding peroxidase and immunogold methods and by postembedding immunogold to detect expression of the glutamate transporters GLAST, GLT-1, and EAAC1 in the mouse cochlear nucleus. Our results show that the glial transporters, GLAST and GLT-1, are absent in synaptic nests. This deficiency is not compensated by the neuronal transporter EAAC1, which is poorly represented in nests. Outside synaptic nests, all three glutamate transporters are strongly expressed in the cochlear nucleus. Thus, glutamate released outside nests should be quickly bound by transporters and removed from the extracellular glutamate pool. Glutamate released within synaptic nests may persist long enough to permit diffusion to extrajunctional targets in the nest, including presynaptic receptors. Consequently, synaptic nests may play a role in modulation of synaptic activity but also in excitotoxic mechanisms.
Lipoprotein Receptors in the Nervous System

The low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) receptor family is an evolutionarily ancient gene family of structurally closely related cell-surface receptors. Members of the family are involved in the cellular uptake of extracellular ligands and regulate diverse biological processes including lipid and vitamin metabolism and cell-surface protease activity. Some members of the family also participate in cellular signaling and regulate the development and functional maintenance of the nervous system. Here we review the roles of this family of multifunctional receptors in the nervous system and focus on recent advances toward the understanding of the mechanisms by which lipoprotein receptors and their ligands transmit and modulate signals in the brain.
Europium, tris(6,6,7,7,8,8,8‐heptafluoro‐2,2‐dimethyl‐3,5‐octanedianato)

[17631-68-4] C30H30O6F21Eu (MW 1037.50) InChI = 1S/3C10H11F7O2.Eu/c3*1-7(2,3)5(18)4-6(19)8(11,12)9(13,14)10(15,16)17;/h3*4,19H,1-3H3;/q;;;+3/p-3/b3*6-4-; InChIKey = NWBNFEYYYNUYIQ-KYQUTVEVSA-K (NMR shift reagent; Lewis acid catalyst) Alternate Name: Eu(fod)3. Physical Data: mp 203–307 °C. Solubility: soluble in most organic solvents. Form Supplied in: solid; widely available. Purification: sublimation. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: stable; hygroscopic; dry in vacuo at rt over P4O10; store in a desiccator.
CMILLS: Adapting Semantic Role Labeling Features to Dependency Parsing

We describe a system for semantic role labeling adapted to a dependency parsing framework. Verb arguments are predicted over nodes in a dependency parse tree instead of nodes in a phrase-structure parse tree. Our system participated in SemEval-2015 shared Task 15, Subtask 1: CPA parsing and achieved an Fscore of 0.516. We adapted features from prior semantic role labeling work to the dependency parsing paradigm, using a series of supervised classifiers to identify arguments of a verb and then assigning syntactic and semantic labels. We found that careful feature selection had a major impact on system performance. However, sparse training data still led rule-based systems like the baseline to be more effective than learning-based approaches.
Fabrication and testing of large flats

Flat mirrors of around 1 meter are efficiently manufactured with large plano polishers and measured with Fizeau interferometry. We have developed technologies and hardware that allow fabrication and testing of flat mirrors that are much larger. The grinding and polishing of the large surfaces uses conventional laps driven under computer control for accurate and systematic control of the surface figure. The measurements are provided by a combination of a scanning pentaprism test, capable of measuring power and low order irregularity over diameters up to 8 meters, and subaperture Fizeau interferometry. We have developed a vibration insensitive Fizeau interferometer with 1 meter aperture and software to optimally combine the data from the subaperture tests. These methods were proven on a 1.6 m flat mirror that was finished to 6 nm rms irregularity and 11 nm rms power.
Adenosine-aminohydrolase activity in the erythrocytes, lymphocytes, and plasma of healthy subjects and kidney transplant recipients.

Adenosine-aminohydrolase activity in the red blood cells and lymphocytes of transplant patients were assayed by continuous flow analysis. This enzyme, which has been implicated in the ability of lymphocytes to mount an immune response, was evaluated in renal allografted patients immunosuppressed by azothioprine and methylprednisone. Red cell adenosine-aminohydrolase activity was depressed in all patients when compared to nontreated healthy controls. Adenosine aminohydrolase activity was raised in the lymphocytes of the renal allografted patients. Renal transplant patients' in vitro lymphocyte reactivity to antigens, mitogens, or skin testing to specific antigens, confirmed the depressive effects of immunosuppression observed in vivo. We conclude from these studies that red cell adenosine-aminohydrolase activity may be a more sensitive index of the state of immunoresponsiveness than the corresponding enzyme activity in the lymphocyte.
Initial Investigation of Jewish Early Adolescents’ Ethnic Identity, Stress, and Coping

Ethnic identity was examined as a source of stress and as a coping resource among Jewish sixth through eighth graders (N = 75). Over 50% of the students reported having experienced various ethnic-related stressors in the past year (e.g., being restricted from activities due to the Sabbath, experiencing anti-Semitic comments). Jewish early adolescents also endorsed ethnic and religious coping strategies from three coping scale factors: Seeking God’s Direction/Support (e.g., “I ask God to forgive me for the things I did wrong”); Seeking Cultural/Social Support (e.g., “I look forward to the Sabbath”); and Spiritual Struggle (e.g., “I start to wonder whether God can really do everything”). Components of ethnic identity were related positively both to ethnic-related stressors and coping strategies, indicating that although high levels of ethnic identity might heighten Jewish adolescents’ sensitivity to ethnic-related stressors, ethnic identity might serve also as a resource for coping with those stressors.
Continuing education in critical care medicine

Historically, basic medical, nursing, and other healthcare training started with the mastery of a specified body of didactic material demonstrated by successful completion of written, often multiple choice, tests in each subject area. Next, basic patient evaluation and treatment in a clinical setting with expert guidance and feedback provided by experienced clinicians was coupled with directed reading and/or lectures. Evaluation consisted of more written exams, and perhaps a clinical grade that encompassed the faculty’s overall impression of the student’s clinical performance. If successful, the student would progress to specialty training with a focused apprenticeship in the area of interest. Board exams were viewed as an end-point designating competency for future practice. Ongoing education was largely left up to the initiative of the individual, or perhaps to the local requirements of the workplace, and measured in hours of continuing education.
Optimization Analysis of the U.S. Aggregate Consumption: A Goodness-of-Fit Approach

This paper examines the hypothesis of optimizing behavior of the U.S. consumers using quarterly and seasonally adjusted series on real consumer expenditures on eight commodity groups: clothing, durable goods, energy, food, housing, medical care, transportation, and others for the period of 1947:I through 1993:I. Following the Weak Axiom of Revealed Preference (WARP), a money-metric utility function is derived to calculate an efficiency index to determine the percentage difference between the observed cost of consumption and the optimum cost of consumption in each period of the sample. The empirical results provide evidence that the allocative efficiency in the U.S. has improved only slightly due to the wave of deregulations in the early 1980s. Our results are consistent with the predictions of the general theory of second best in showing that gains in the allocative efficiency may be minimal as long as many sectors of the economy remain partially or totally regulated.
Dominant ataxias and Friedreich ataxia: an update.

Purpose of reviewThe present review covers recent developments in inherited ataxias. The discovery of new loci and genes has led to improved understanding of the breadth and epidemiology of inherited ataxias. This has resulted also in more rational classification schemes. Research on identified loci
Antiplasticization and Water Uptake of Nafion Thin Films

Fluorescence of 9-(2-carboxy-2-cyanovinyl)julolidine (CCVJ) was measured to probe the local motion within 70–600 nm thick Nafion films at controlled levels of hydration. Thinner films showed increased confinement under dry conditions as evidenced by their high fluorescence intensity values per unit thickness. Antiplasticization, or a stiffening of the film, was observed as an increase in fluorescence intensity when the sample was exposed to low water activity (≤30% RH) and the extent of antiplasticization changed with film thickness. At higher relative humidities, the films became plasticized with water and the fluorescence of CCVJ declined. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) experiments revealed higher hydration numbers (λ = nH2O/nSO3H) in thinner films on SiO2 surfaces. The higher water uptake in thin films was explained by considering the polymer order at the Nafion–SiO2 interface and the influence of this interfacial layer on the swelling properties of thin films.
[N(n-Bu)4]2[Pu(NO3)6] and [N(n-Bu)4]2[PuCl6]: starting materials to facilitate nonaqueous plutonium(IV) chemistry.

The reaction of plutonium(IV) in aqueous nitric acid with tetra-n-butylammonium nitrate leads to the immediate precipitation of [N(n-Bu)4]2[Pu(NO3)6] (1) in high yield. The analogous reaction in HCl with tetra-n-butylammonium chloride gives [N(n-Bu)4]2[PuCl6] (2). Both 1 and 2 are soluble in a range of organic solvents and have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and solid- and solution-phase vis–near-IR spectroscopy. 1 and 2 provide facile synthetic entry routes to study plutonium(IV) ligand complexation reactions in organic solvent media under both air/moisture-stable and -sensitive conditions.
MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND LONELINESS: A Cross-National Study

Previous research on loneliness has often neglected the role of marriage andfamily ties, comparative analysis, and cohabitation. It is not clear if the marriedlparent - loneliness relationship is consistent across nations, is stronger than a cohabitant-loneliness relationship, and applies to both genders. The present study addresses these issues. Data are from 17 nations in the World Values Survey. The results of multiple regression analyses determined that (1) Marriage is associated with substantially less loneliness, but parenthood is not (2) being married was considerably more predictive of loneliness than cohabitation, indicating that companionship alone does not account for the protective nature of marriage (3) both marriage and parental status were associated with lower levels of loneliness among men than women, (4) marriage is associated with decreased loneliness independent of two intervening processes: marriage's association with both health andfinancial satisfaction, (5) the strength of the marriage-loneliness relationship is constant across 16 of the 17 nations. Theoretically, the results are consistent with a social causation hypothesis on marriage and well-being, but also suggest possible support for a social selection thesis. The findings provide wide sweeping, strong, and largely consistent supportfor the married-loneliness thesis, but only weak supportfor a relationship between parenting and loneliness. The significance of loneliness includes the fact that it is a fairly common psycho- logical problem, affecting millions of Americans. Further, loneliness is tied to a number of well known psychological distress symptoms and problems including depression, low self esteem, and anxiety (e.g., Snodgrass 1989:173). Feelings of loneliness are also correlated with major behavioral problems including suicide, alcohol abuse and deteriorated health. Finally, loneliness is antithetical to the shared values of love and friendship in society. The study of loneliness involves a study of the reasons why some people fail to achieve these shared values (Torn- stam 1992).
Design and Force Analysis of Luffing Mechanism Coal Tunnel Gas Drainage Rig

This paper designed the luffing mechanism in the coal tunnel gas drainage rig,introduced its structure and working principle,established its mechanics model,and derived the force expressions of oil cylinder.Base on the MATLAB software the force state of the two sets of the oil cylinder was described.The force state of the luffing mechanism was analyzed after installed the steady device.Those achievements provide a kind of theoretical basis for the design.
A dynamic Bayesian network approach for device-free radio vision: Modeling, learning and inference for body motion recognition

In this paper, a time-varying dynamic Bayesian network model is shown to describe human-induced RF fluctuations for the purpose of non-cooperative and device-free radiobased body motion recognition (radio vision). The technology relies on pre-existing wireless communication network infrastructures and processes channel quality information (CQI) for human-scale sensing. Body movements leave a characteristic footprint on the CQI sequences collected during consecutive radio transmissions over multiple co-located links. Body-induced RF footprints are proved to be effectively characterized by temporarily coupled hidden Markov chains: abrupt changes of body postures make CQIs observed over co-located links temporarily coupled while being uncoupled for slow body movements. Learning and classification/inference problems are discussed based on experimental measurements. Device-free radio vision performances are evaluated for arm gesture and fall detection applications.
The Lin gering Killer: Agent Orange

This paper explores the utilization of the chemical herbicide, Agent Orange, as it was sprayed over Vietnam during the Vietnam War in 1961 to 1971. The United States government, military, and corporations acted irresponsibly by creating the chemical and spraying it as a war tactic. The outcome of the spraying includes detrimental socioeconomic impacts, environmental degradation, and health problems. The socioeconomic impact is explained with statistics and an explanation of loss of job and education capabilities. With data on the destroyed trees and vegetation, this paper demonstrates the degree to which the environment faced harm. The health effects of Agent Orange are detailed by listing the diseases associated with the chemical. The struggle for justice, reparations, and policies remedying the harmful effects of Agent Orange are explored. Conclusions are made about the failing human rights record of the United States.
Effects of Uneven Ground Surface on Human Balance

The effect of anteroposteriorly slanted ground surface on human posture control at fully flexed trunk postures was investigated in this study. Custom made wooden apparatus were used to simulate slanted ground surfaces, the slanted were set at -15, 0 and 15 degrees respectively. The flat ground condition was included in the study as a control. Fourteen healthy male subjects were asked to maintain in fully flexed trunk posture while standing on different ground surfaces. The segmental sway motion of C7, T12 and S1 spinal vertebrae in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions were recorded. Results showed that when standing on an anteroposteriorly slanted ground surface and facing downhill (i.e. -15 degree condition) subjects consistently demonstrated the highest sway speeds and reported the highest subjective rating of instability. Therefore, we concluded that, when standing on an anteroposteriorly slanted ground surface in a fully flexed trunk posture facing downhill may result in much high...
Realizing infrared power-law liquids in the cuprates from unparticle interactions

Recent photoemission experiments [1] reveal that the excitations along the nodal region in the strange metal phase of the cuprates, rather than corresponding to poles in the single-particle Green function, exhibit power-law scaling as a function of frequency and temperature. Because such power-law scaling is indicative of a scale-invariant sector, as a first step, we perturbatively evaluate the electron self-energy due to interactions with scale-invariant unparticles. We focus on a ${G}_{0}W$-type diagram with an interaction $W$ mediated by a bosonic scalar unparticle. We find that in the high-temperature limit, the imaginary part of the self-energy $\mathrm{Im}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}$ is linear in temperature. In the low-temperature limit, $\mathrm{Im}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}$ exhibits the same power law in both temperature and frequency, with an exponent that depends on the scaling dimension of an unparticle operator. Such behavior is qualitatively consistent with the experimental observations. We then expand the unparticle propagator into coherent and incoherent contributions and study how the incoherent part violates the density of states (DOS) and density-density correlation function sum rules (f-sum rule). Such violations, in principle, can be observed experimentally. Our work indicates that the physical mechanism for the origin of the power-law scaling is the incoherent background, which is generated from the Mott-scale physics.
Investigation of different sensor systems to classify plant and weed in organic farming applications

As part of a research project, a robot with the ability to distinguish root plants and weeds with various sensors will be developed. The given information is then being used to destroy the weeds automatically. This will help to minimize the use of pesticides, or even completely erase it, thus improving the environmental impact. The first step in this project is to evaluate various sensors to find out which sensor and which configuration can be used. Another wanted information is at what time of the plant growth period the plants can be distinguished. Too small plants give too little information to distinguish them. If the plants are too large, they overlap each other so much that the individual plants can no longer be separated good enough.
Prevalence of Nasal Colonization by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Persons Using a Homeless Shelter in Kansas City.

Nasal colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) plays an important role in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of disease. Situations of close-quarter contact in groups are generally regarded as a risk factor for community acquired MRSA strains due to transmission via fomites and person to person contact. With these criteria for risk, homeless individuals using shelter facilities, including showers and toilets, should be considered high risk for colonization and infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of nasal colonization of MRSA in a homeless population compared to established rates of colonization within the public and a control group of subjects from a neighboring medical school campus, and to analyze phylogenetic diversity among the MRSA strains. Nasal samples were taken from the study population of 332 adult participants, and analyzed. In addition, participants were surveyed about various lifestyle factors in order to elucidate potential patterns of behavior associated with MRSA colonization. Homeless and control groups both had higher prevalence of MRSA (9.8% and 10.6% respectively) when compared to the general population reported by previous studies (1.8%). However, the control group had a similar MRSA rate compared to healthcare workers (4.6%) while the homeless population had an increased prevalence. Risk factors identified in this study included male gender, age over 50 years and use of antibiotics within the past 3 months. Phylogenetic relationships between 9 of the positive samples from the homeless population were analyzed, showing 8 of the 9 samples had a high degree of relatedness between the spaA genes of the MRSA strains. This indicates that the same MRSA strain might be transmitted from person to person among homeless population. These findings increase our understanding of key differences in MRSA characteristics within homeless populations as well as risks for MRSA associated with being homeless, such as age and gender, which may then be a useful tool in guiding more effective prevention, treatment, and healthcare for homeless individuals.
Truth as a relational property

In this paper I investigate the claim that truth is a relational property. What does this claim really mean? What is its import?—Is it a basic feature of the concept of truth; or a distinctive feature of the correspondence theory of truth; or even both? After introducing some general ideas about truth, I begin by highlighting an ambiguity in current uses of the term ‘relational property’ in the truth debate, and show that we need to distinguish two separate ideas: that truth is a relational property, and that truth is an extrinsic property. I go on to examine what both of these ideas are in more detail, and consider what would need to hold for truth to be in either of these categories. I then discern where all the main competitors in the truth debate stand on these issues. In doing so we learn more about these views and what they entail, and build a general picture of what stances different theories of truth take on whether truth is extrinsic or relational. Moreover, in doing this we will be able to answer one of the questions with which we began: whether truth’s being extrinsic or relational is something that, if accepted, lends support to the correspondence theory of truth. We will see that this is not so, and discern some interesting variations between various theories of truth on the issues of whether truth is extrinsic or relational. Following this we will be in a better position to judge whether the notions of extrinsicality or relationality are basic features of the concept of truth. In the final part of the paper I argue that, even if we are not in a position to conclude that they are basic features, they are features that any prospective theory of truth needs to take seriously.
Life Writing and Philosophy: Bryan Magee and the Subjectivities of the Examined Life

ABSTRACTAn independent man of letters in an era of professional philosophers, Bryan Magee wrote extensively about the personal origins of his philosophic interests and activities. The emotions and subjectivities of his early years helped shape a polymath whose deep absorption in culture and compulsive need to communicate created a unique figure in modern Britain. This article analyses Magee’s personal narratives of both isolation and connection. It shows why and how he brought philosophers to a larger audience and a new public to philosophy.