cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health and Medical Care for the Elderly and Aged Population: The State of the Evidence†

Emerging statistics emphasize the special needs of the elderly for health and medical care services. A variety of services are being recommended to meet these needs, but few of them have been subjected to rigorous study for determining efficacy, effectiveness or cost. Examination of about 1,000 studies of health and medical services for the elderly published between 1967 and 1978 revealed only 7 that met predetermined criteria for well-designed and executed investigations. The varied needs of the elderly are finally being recognized, and undoubtedly pressure will be increased for meeting these needs. In this era of finite monetary resources and budgetary restraints, we need better data upon which to base the selection of medical care services for the aged. Resources needed to provide care of known benefit should not be diverted to provide care of unknown benefit.
Connecting the "national backbone" with Regional Observing System Federations in the Integrated Ocean Observing System

The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) currently being planned through the efforts of the Ocean.US Office, will include a coastal ocean component, to be composed of the "national backbone" of federal agencies, combined with regional federations of observing systems. The "national backbone" must facilitate capacity building within regions, to ensure that all states and regions can contribute to and benefit from the IOOS. The coastal component of IOOS depends on enhancing existing federal networks for in situ measurements to improve resolution and expand measurements, and on building the National Federation by establishing regional observing systems.
Experiential learning, self-beliefs and adult performance in Senegal

Ability to update skills constitutes a key element in the process of improving adults' performance. Professional skills are usually updated through engagement in active learning by connecting prior experiences to new ones and also sharing information with others through reflection and hands-on activities. Such learning processes can be achieved through experiential learning. Experiential learning can lead to creation of retrievable knowledge, which can be applied to their daily professional activity. Results of this study indicated that experiential learning needs to be rooted in the culture and values of the social environment in which adults live. Further, individual characteristics may influence the impact of experiential learning on adult professionals' abilities to reach higher levels of performance. A random sample of 126 farmers was selected. Data were collected through a questionnaire and were examined by quantitative as well as qualitative data analysis techniques.
The Pathology of Bleomycin-Induced Fibrosis Is Associated with Loss of Resident Lung Mesenchymal Stem Cells That Regulate Effector T-cell Proliferation

Tissue-resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are important regulators of tissue repair or regeneration, fibrosis, inflammation, angiogenesis, and tumor formation. Here, we define a population of resident lung MSCs (luMSCs) that function to regulate the severity of bleomycin injury via modulation of the T-cell response. Bleomycin-induced loss of these endogenous luMSCs and elicited fibrosis (pulmonary fibrosis), inflammation, and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Replacement of resident stem cells by administration of isolated luMSCs attenuated the bleomycin-associated pathology and mitigated the development of PAH. In addition, luMSC modulated a decrease in numbers of lymphocytes and granulocytes in bronchoalveolar fluid and demonstrated an inhibition of effector T-cell proliferation in vitro. Global gene expression analysis indicated that the luMSCs are a unique stromal population differing from lung fibroblasts in terms of proinflammatory mediators and profibrotic pathways. Our results demonstrate that luMSCs function to protect lung integrity after injury; however, when endogenous MSCs are lost, this function is compromised illustrating the importance of this novel population during lung injury. The definition of this population in vivo in both murine and human pulmonary tissue facilitates the development of a therapeutic strategy directed at the rescue of endogenous cells to facilitate lung repair during injury.
Down-regulation of HCW9 mRNA in rat hepatocytes during chemical hypoxia involves both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms.

Abstract HCW9 cDNA encodes a rat protein with 95% homology to mouse phospholipase A 2 activating protein (PLAP). Its mRNA, which is substantially decreased in rat hepatocytes during chemical hypoxic injury, was found to be expressed in all rat tissues examined, including liver, heart, brain, spleen, lung, skeletal muscle, kidney, and testis. To elucidate the mechanisms responsible for this hypoxia-induced down-regulation of HCW9 mRNA levels, the transcription rate and half-life of HCW9 mRNA were measured. Nuclear run-off assays revealed a 54–57% inhibition in the transcription rate of HCW9 gene during chemical hypoxic injury. The half-life of HCW9 mRNA decreased from ≈15 min under normoxic conditions to ≈7 min during chemical hypoxic injury. These findings suggest that HCW9 expression in rat hepatocytes is regulated at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels during chemical hypoxia.
A Method for Manufacturing Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese

Abstract Mozzarella cheese was manufactured to contain up to 50% less fat than conventional part-skim Mozzarella cheese. Milk, which had been standardized to a casein to fat ratio of 1.2, 1.6, 2.0, or 2.4, was inoculated with single strains of Lactobacillus helveticus and Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus. A new manufacturing procedure was used to retain moisture in the cheese as fat percentages decreased and protein increased. Stretch, melt, and cook color were evaluated at 1, 7, 14, and 28 d during storage at 4°C. Analysis of variance showed no significant differences in stretch, melt, or cook color between cheeses with different casein to fat ratios. Cheese made with a casein to fat ratio of 2.4 retained more stretch over 28 d than did cheese with lower casein to fat ratios. Stretch decreased and melt increased significantly for all cheeses during storage for 28 d. The stretch and melt characteristics of Mozzarella cheese containing up to 50% less fat were similar to the part-skim Mozzarella reference cheese.
Dune morphology, sand transport pathways and possible source areas in east Thaumasia Region (Mars)

An aeolian system located in Aonia Terra (eastern Thaumasia region) consists of six dark dune fields. The dune pattern suggests an organized extended sand transport system, which is characterized by the presence of long sand corridors. The latter connects the different ergs with potential sources. The sand stored in the ergs is provided by layered materials exposed in pits and crater walls and by the ergs themselves. Most of the sand converges from the marginal dune fields into the central erg C. The latter develops in an area of convergence of at least three different winds: from the southwest, the northeast and the northwest. The northwesterly flows seem to postdate the other winds as suggested by the development of a complex dune pattern in the western portion of the erg C, representing a successive episode of aeolian construction. Collectively such complex dune patterns show how dune fields could record major changes in the wind regimes of Mars.
Clinical significance of in vitro and in vivo experimental findings regarding Doppler flow velocity recordings.

This issue of the Journal contains the final installment (1) of an excellent symposium regarding the findings of experimental studies concerning Doppler flow velocity recordings. The symposium has addressed a variety of issues relating to the hydrodynamic principles of blood flow in normal and disease states, and the relation of these principles to the Doppler examination obtained in the clinical setting. The studies utilized a variety of in vitro and in vivo experimental preparations that typically introduced conditions differing widely from those encountered in the noninvasive laboratory, and described complicated mathematics involving variables that cannot be readily measured clinically. It would not be surprising, therefore, for clinicians to wonder at the relevance of these data to their current use of echocardiography in patient care. Limitations of experimental models. Before discussing the relevance of the investigations presented in the Symposium, it seems appropriate to acknowledge the limitations imposed by the experimental preparations employed. Many studies utilized steady rather than pulsatile flow (pulsatile acceleration stabilizes flow), and evaluated jets that were not truly free and unbounded. The protocols typically did not employ red blood cells, often utilized prosthetic heart valves that were neither symmetric nor smooth orifices and did not duplicate either the normal elasticity of walls and blood vessels or the bends and branches in these structures. Finally, the studies were often performed at depths and utilized ultrasonic frequencies that are not practical clinically and did not deal with ultrasonic attenuation or scattering. Paradoxically, the presentation of multiple studies in the Symposium format tended to delineate and underscore the compromises that are inherent in experimental studies, a factor often somewhat submerged in an isolated report.
Turion formation in strains of Lemna minor (6591) and Lemna turionifera (6573,A)

Abstract Lemna minor L. (strain 6591) and L. turionifera Landolt (strains 6573 and A) respond differently to culture conditions. Turions are produced and the frondsdie in strains grown in Lm medium, while those same strains continue to grow without turion formation when cultured in E medium. Attempts were made to discover possible triggers for turion production in Lm medium. Nutrient limitation, especially of phosphorus and/or nitrogen, does not appear to be the principal cause of turion induction; however, phosphorus addition encouraged turion germination.
The evolution of saline lake waters: gradual and rapid biogeochemical pathways in the Basotu Lake District, Tanzania*

The biogeochemical evolution of solutes markedly alters the chemistry in the closed-basin maar lakes that comprise the Basotu Lake District (Tanzania, East Africa). Examination of 11 (out of 13) lakes in the Basotu Lake District identified two distinct evolutionary pathways: a gradual path and a rapid path. During the course of biogeochemical evolution these waters follow either the gradual path alone or a combination of the gradual and rapid paths. Solute evolution along the gradual path is determined by all of the biogeochemical processes that for these waters appear to be tightly coupled to evaporative concentration (e.g. mineral precipitation, sorption and ion exchange, CO2 degassing, and sulfate reduction). Rapid evolution occurs when mixing events suddenly permit H2S to be lost to the atmosphere. The chemistry of waters undergoing rapid evolution is changed abruptly because loss of every equivalent of sulfide produces an equivalent permanent alkalinity.
Effect of annealing on the ferroelectric behavior of nylon - 11 and nylon - 7

We have discovered recently that melt-quenched and cold-drawn Nylon - 11 films exhibit very clear ferroelectric hysteresis behavior. In the present study, a remanent polarization as high as 86 mC/m2 has been found in Nylon - 7 samples; this is significantly higher than that usually observed in poly (vinylidene fluoride) films. The effect of annealing on the electric displacement versus electric field characteristics of both Nylon - 11 and Nylon - 7 films have been studied and show an increased coercive field (62 to 115 MV/m for Nylon - 11 and 79 to 97 MV/m for Nylon - 7) and a decreased remanent polarization (51 to 17.3 mC/m2 for Nylon - 11 and 86 to 70.5 mC/m2 for Nylon - 7) with increasing annealing temperature from 25 to 145°C.
Openings between Defective Endothelial Cells Explain Tumor Vessel Leakiness

Leakiness of blood vessels in tumors may contribute to disease progression and is key to certain forms of cancer therapy, but the structural basis of the leakiness is unclear. We sought to determine whether endothelial gaps or transcellular holes, similar to those found in leaky vessels in inflammation, could explain the leakiness of tumor vessels. Blood vessels in MCa-IV mouse mammary carcinomas, which are known to be unusually leaky (functional pore size 1.2–2 μm), were compared to vessels in three less leaky tumors and normal mammary glands. Vessels were identified by their binding of intravascularly injected fluorescent cationic liposomes and Lycopersicon esculentum lectin and by CD31 (PECAM) immunoreactivity. The luminal surface of vessels in all four tumors had a defective endothelial monolayer as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. In MCa-IV tumors, 14% of the vessel surface was lined by poorly connected, overlapping cells. The most superficial lining cells, like endothelial cells, had CD31 immunoreactivity and fenestrae with diaphragms, but they had a branched phenotype with cytoplasmic projections as long as 50 μm. Some branched cells were separated by intercellular openings (mean diameter 1.7 μm; range, 0.3–4.7 μm). Transcellular holes (mean diameter 0.6 μm) were also present but were only 8% as numerous as intercellular openings. Some CD31-positive cells protruded into the vessel lumen; others sprouted into perivascular tumor tissue. Tumors in RIP-Tag2 mice had, in addition, tumor cell-lined lakes of extravasated erythrocytes. We conclude that some tumor vessels have a defective cellular lining composed of disorganized, loosely connected, branched, overlapping or sprouting endothelial cells. Openings between these cells contribute to tumor vessel leakiness and may permit access of macromolecular therapeutic agents to tumor cells.
Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trials to Evaluate Adoption of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions and Their Combination in Rural Western Kenya

In preparation for a larger trial, the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Benefits pilot study enrolled 72 villages and 499 subjects in two closely related randomized trials of WASH interventions in rural western Kenya. Intervention households received hardware and promotion for one of the following: water treatment, sanitation and latrine improvements, handwashing with soap, or the combination of all three. Interventions were clustered by village. A follow-up survey was conducted 4 months after intervention delivery to assess uptake. Intervention households were significantly more likely than controls to have chlorinated stored water (36-60 percentage point increases), covers over latrine drop holes (55-75 percentage point increases), less stool visible on latrine floors (16-47 percentage point reductions), and a place for handwashing (71-85 percentage point increases) with soap available (49-66 percentage point increases). The high uptake in all arms shows that combined interventions can achieve high short-term adoption rates if well-designed.
Visualization of the infectious pancreatic necrosis virus replication cycle by labeling viral intermediates with a TUNEL assay

Abstract Investigating the capacity of the infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) to promote apoptosis with a TUNEL kit, designed to visualize fragmented DNA, a striking labeling pattern was found. In addition to the fluorescence observed in the nucleus of cells with fragmented DNA, the infected cells showed an intense particulate fluorescence in their cytoplasm. The cytoplasmic labeling seems to be concomitant with the timing of virus life cycle because labeled viral proteins coexist with TUNEL cytoplasmic fluorescence at different times during infection. In principle the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) used in TUNEL assays should not be able to label substrates other than DNA, however, our results are consistent with the idea that viral structures are being labeled. We propose that the TdT enzyme label the 3′-hydroxyl ends of viral RNAs during its polymerization. This kind of reaction could be possible because it has been reported that TdT is an enzyme that can use rNTPs as substrates and the 3′-hydroxyl priming end can be provided by a ribonucleotide as well. Thus, allowing the visualization of virus RNA-containing intermediates during IPNV replication.
The Year in Review: Surgical Revascularization of Coronary Artery Disease—2011

Important studies highlighting the practice of coronary artery bypass surgery for 2011 are reviewed.
Broiler litter application effects on yield and nutrient uptake of 'Alicia' bermudagrass

Broiler litter should be applied to coincide with crop growth to maximize nutrient uptake. We determined the influence of rate and date of litter application on bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] yield and nutrient uptake. Litter was applied to 'Alicia' hybrid bermudagrass on a Savannah fine sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Typic Fragiudult) at 9 and 18 Mg ha -1 as a single application in early April, May, and June or as a split application in early April and June, May and July, and June and August. Increasing application rate increased yield and P uptake when litter was applied in April [12.8-15.6 Mg ha -1 dry matter (DM); 43.3-49.9 kg P ha -1 ] or June (14.3-16.9 Mg ha -1 DM; 45.4-51.3 kg P ha -1 ) but not in May (mean of 15.0 Mg ha -1 DM and 48.4 kg P ha -1 ). Delaying application of 9 Mg ha -1 until May or 18 Mg ha -1 until June increased annual yield and N, K, and Cu uptake compared with applications in April. Split application improved yield and nutrient uptake only when litter was applied in April and June compared with April application. Phosphorus uptake was unaffected by application date, possibly due to high soil P levels (351 mg kg -1 ) and to the small quantity of P required by the grass relative to that applied. The results suggest that litter should be applied to bermudagrass only after minimum temperatures exceed those necessary for optimum growth.
Radio Scattering in the Troposphere

The theory of radio scattering in the troposphere is modified in the light of recent observations of the fluctuations in refractive index. The theory is applied to the communication problem and yields some characteristics which are peculiar to the scattering mechanism. One characteristic imposes a limit on the maximum size of an antenna which yields its full theoretical gain. This characteristic is deduced from the prediction of diversity distance. Height gain is also deduced from diversity distance. Other characteristics are derived pertinent to the communication problem, including fading rates and frequency bandwidth of the scattering mechanism.
Mechanics of continental rift architecture

Continental rifts are long narrow features bounded on one or both sides by normal faults along which several kilometers of displacement has occurred, resulting in deep rift valleys that form sedimentary basins. Continental rifts all share the same geometrical features: They have widths that are characteristic of the region in which they form, they are predominantly asymmetric, and they are segmented along axes at a length scale that is also characteristic of the region. We describe a very simple mechanical model to explain these three features. The rift initiates with the formation of a conjugate set of normal faults that intersect at the center of the seismogenic layer. One of these becomes the boundary fault system; the other, the failed conjugate fault (being offset by the former), becomes locked early in the rifting history. Hence an asymmetric graben is formed, which is the basic building block of rifts. The failed conjugate fault has distinctive properties that allow it to be easily distinguished from other faults. Examples of these faults from the Tanganyika and Malawi rifts show excellent agreement with predictions about their positions with respect to the boundary fault system and their net displacement and slip history. The width of the asymmetric graben is a simple function of seismogenic thickness. The net displacement on the boundary fault system is limited by the resistive friction and the flexural restoring force. We calculate this limiting boundary fault system displacement and, using the displacement-length scaling law for normal faults, suggest that this controls the along-axis segmentation length. Both maximum fault slip and segmentation length are functions of the seismogenic thickness and the effective elastic thickness of the crust. These calculations agree very well with observations of segmentation from the African rifts and the maximum length of range-fronting normal faults in Nevada.
Long-time tails of the green-kubo integrands for a binary mixture

The long-time tails for the mutual diffusion coefficient, the thermal diffusivity, the thermal conductivity, and the shear and longitudinal viscosities (from which the tail of the bulk viscosity can be calculated) of a nonreactive binary mixture are calculated from mode-coupling theory, and compared with a prior calculation by Pomeau. Three different choices of the thermal forces and currents are considered, with the results found to take their simplest form in the case of the de Groot “double-primed set”. The decompositions into the kinetic, potential, and cross terms are given.
Differential responses of phenotypically distinct rat trophoblast cell lines to MHC class I antigen-inducing cytokines

Summary Phenotypically distinct rat trophoblast cell lines, the Rcho-1 and R8RP.3 cells, were compared for their responses to cytokines known to induce major histocompatibility (MHC) class I antigens, tumour necrosis factor (TNF), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Cell enzyme immunosorbent assays and flow cytometry experiments showed that only IFN-γ could induce RT1 class I antigens on the Rcho-1 cells. Non-adherent cells were slightly less responsive than adherent, giant cell-like Rcho-1 cells. By contrast, RT1 class I antigens on the R8RP.3 cells were induced by both TGF-β1 and IFN-γ. The cytokines also had different effects on mitochondrial enzyme activity in the two lines. TNF and TGF-β1 mRNAs were demonstrated in both lines by using Northern blot hybridization. Rcho-1 but not R8RP.3 cells contained two TNF messages (≈2.2, 1.9 kb). Steady state levels of transcripts from the TNF gene, and, to a lesser extent, the TGF-β1 gene, were increased in cultures of Rcho-1 cells that contained high proportions of giant cells. Thus, phenotypically distinct rat trophoblast cell lines do not respond identically to TNF, TGF-β1 or IFN-γ, transcription of cytokine genes does not prevent the cells from responding to paracrine cytokine signals, and the cells contain novel TNF transcripts that might be important in cell maturation or differentiation.
A canine minidystrophin is functional and therapeutic in mdx mice

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common and lethal genetic muscle disorder lacking a curative treatment. We wish to use the dystrophin-deficient golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dog, a canine model of DMD, to investigate adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-mediated minidystrophin gene therapy. The dog model is useful in evaluating vector dose requirement and immunological consequences owing to its large size and outbred nature. In this study, we have cloned and constructed a canine minidystrophin gene vector. Owing to limited availability of the GRMD dogs, here we first examined the functions and therapeutic effects of the canine minidystrophin in the mdx mouse model. We observed efficient minigene expression without cellular immune responses in mdx mice after AAV1-cMinidys vector intramuscular injection. We also observed restoration of the missing dystrophin-associated protein complex (DPC) onto the sarcolemma, including sarcoglycans and dystrobrevin, and a partial restoration of alpha-syntrophin and neural nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). In addition, minidystrophin treatment ameliorated dystrophic pathology, such as fibrosis and myofiber central nucleation (CN). CN remained minimal (<2%) after AAV injection in the neonatal mdx mice and was reduced from more than 75% to about 25% after AAV injection in adult mdx mice. Finally, in vivo cell membrane leakage test with Evans blue dye showed that the canine minidystrophin could effectively protect the myofiber plasma membrane integrity. Our results, thus, demonstrated the functionality and therapeutic potential of the canine minidystrophin and paved its way for further testing in the GRMD dog model.
Gravity as the limit of the type-II superstring theory.

The amplitude for graviton-graviton scattering in D dimensions is calculated in the tree approximation. We show explicitly that in ten dimensions this agrees completely with the zero-slope limit of the four-particle tree amplitude given by the type-II superstring theory. When six of the spatial dimensions are compactified it is shown that the four-particle string amplitude agrees with the helicity amplitudes obtained from general relativity in four dimensions.
Induction of Apoptosis by X-linked Ectodermal Dysplasia Receptor via a Caspase 8-dependent Mechanism

X-linked ectodermal dysplasia receptor (XEDAR) is a recently isolated member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family that is highly expressed during embryonic development and binds to ectodysplasin-A2 (EDA-A2). In this report, we demonstrate that although XEDAR lacks a death domain, it nevertheless induces apoptosis in an EDA-A2-dependent fashion. The apoptosis-inducing ability of XEDAR is dependent on the activation of caspase 8 and can be blocked by its genetic and pharmacological inhibitors. Although XEDAR-induced apoptosis can be blocked by dominant-negative Fas-associated death domain (FADD) protein and FADD small interfering RNA, XEDAR does not directly bind to FADD, tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated death domain (TRADD) protein, or RIP1. Instead, XEDAR signaling leads to the formation of a secondary complex containing FADD, caspase 8, and caspase 10, which results in caspase activation. Thus, XEDAR belongs to a novel class of death receptors that lack a discernible death domain but are capable of activating apoptosis in a caspase 8- and FADD-dependent fashion. XEDAR may represent an early stage in the evolution of death receptors prior to the emergence of the death domain and may play a role in the induction of apoptosis during embryonic development and adult life.
Structure of a poly(2,5-benzimidazole)/phosphoric acid complex

As-cast films of poly(2,5-benzimidazole) exhibit uniplanar orientation in which the planes of the aromatic rings lie parallel to the film surface. Upon doping with phosphoric acid, the original crystalline order is lost, but the doped film can be stretched to produce films with uniaxial orientation. After thermal annealing at 540 °C, nine Bragg reflections are resolved in the fiber diagram, and these are indexed by an orthorhombic unit cell with the dimensions a = 18.1 A, b = 3.5 A, and c = 11.4 A, containing four monomer units of two chains. The absence of odd-order 00l reflections points to a 21 chain conformation, which is probably planar so that the aromatic units can be stacked along the b axis. The water and phosphoric acid contents of the crystalline structure cannot be determined exactly because of the presence of extensive amorphous regions that probably have different solvation. The best agreement between the observed and calculated intensities is for an idealized structure containing two phosphoric acids and two water molecules per unit cell. However, the phosphoric acid is probably present mainly in the form of pyrophosphoric acid and its higher oligomers. In addition, the X-ray data are consistent with a more disordered structure containing chains with random (up and down) polarity and a lack of c-axis registry. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2576–2585, 2004
Infrared Spectra and Quantum Chemical Calculations of Group 2 MO2, O2MO2, and Related Molecules

Laser-ablated group 2 metal atoms have been reacted with O2 in condensing N2 to complement earlier Ar studies owing to different relaxation dynamics of N2 and Ar with respect to excited metal atoms and ionic product molecules. In the case of Ca + O2, the reaction in condensing Ar gives primarily the 3B2 open bent OCaO dioxide product, but the reaction in condensing N2 favors the 1A1 cyclic CaO2 peroxide species. Three fundamentals are observed with 18O and 44Ca substitution for CaO2, and isotopic frequencies are in excellent agreement with the predictions of quantum chemical calculations. Although DFT/B3LYP frequencies are slightly higher than MP2 and CASSCF values, a similar pattern is calculated. Ionic molecules interact more strongly with a nitrogen matrix than with argon, and calculations of N2MOx and ArMOx molecules can be used to explain matrix shifts. Several N2MO2 species are formed spontaneously from MO2 molecules in solid nitrogen, and a match is found for observed matrix and DFT calculated isot...
Organic cation transport by cultured renal proximal tubular epithelia

Described are the methods used to study the transport of organic cations across the apical membrane of LLC-PK1 and OK cells. The method for performing a time course experiment of tetraethylammonium uptake is also outlined.
The influence of altitude on the performance of desiccant-cooling systems

Abstract The impact of height above sea level (i.e. ambient pressure) on the performance of the ventilation cycle desiccant-cooling system and its components has been studied using computer simulations. The impact of ambient pressure depends on whether the system was designed for fixed-mass flow rate or fixed-volume flow rate operation. As the ambient pressure is decreased from 1.0 to 0.8 atm, the system thermal coefficient of performance increases by 8% for both fixed-mass and fixed-volume flow rate; the cooling capacity of the system is decreased by 14% for the fixed-volume flow rate system and increased by 7% for the fixed-mass flow rate system. The electric power requirements for the system with fixed-volume flow rate did not change; for the fixed-mass flow rate system, it increased by 44%. The overall coefficient of performance increased up to 5% for the fixed-volume flow rate system and decreased up to 4% for the fixed-mass flow rate system.
Isolation of metal-binding agents from coal dust and their effects on mitochondrial function.

Abstract Bituminous coal samples from mines in Utah and Pennsylvania were extracted with a series of organic solvents, used in order of increasing polarity. The extracted materials, amounting to 58–70 mg/g of Utah coal and 12–15 mg/g of Pennsylvania coal, were each fractionated on a carboxymethyl cellulose column in the Cu (II) form. The copper-complexing fractions for Utah and Pennsylvania were 30% and 22%, respectively, of the total extract. Copper-binding capacity was 400 ug copper/g Utah coal and 40 ug/g for Pennsylvania. The copper-binding ligands from both coals uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation of isolated rat liver mitochondria, a system containing copper and iron metalloenzymes. The inhibitory activity per gram of extracted material was higher for Pennsylvania than Utah. These results suggest that the extraction and absorption of metal-binding agents from coal may adversely alter vital cellular energetics. Coal dust and its effects on human health is of concern because of the prevalence of resp...
Cardiac function following mitral valve replacement

Abstract 1. 1. Hemodynamic studies have been performed in 22 patients assessed as having had an excellent result from mitral valve replacement surgery. 2. 2. Following mitral valve replacement, a striking decrease in pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary artery wedge pressure, and pulmonary arteriolar resistance was observed. Cardiac output increased, and the cardiac output response to exercise was improved. 3. 3. Residual abnormalities in cardiac function remain, however. Pulmonary artery wedge pressure becomes elevated during exercise, the cardiac output at rest is low, and the increase of cardiac output during exercise is less than normal. 4. 4. The cause of the hemodynamic dysfunction following mitral valve replacement surgery is not clear. Loss of papillary muscle function incident to surgery as a possible mechanism has been reviewed. 5. 5. Although the hemodynamic improvement in selected patients with closed or open valvotomy approximates that obtained with valve replacement surgery, the success of valve replacement techniques in patients with mitral insufficiency and severe mitral valve disease not amenable to nonreplacement techniques constitutes a striking advance in cardiovascular surgery.
Incarceration as Exposure: The Prison, Infectious Disease, and Other Stress-Related Illnesses∗:

This article examines the relationship between incarceration and health functioning. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, the relationship between incarceration and more than 20 different measures of health are tested. Using multiple analytic procedures, a distinctive pattern of association emerges. Individuals with a history of incarceration appear consistently more likely to be afflicted with infectious disease and other illnesses associated with stress. In contrast, no consistent relationships were observed between incarceration status and ailments unrelated to stress or infectious disease. The results suggest that exposure to infectious disease and stress are important to understanding the lasting impact of incarceration on health.
The Death of the Sons of Eli

In the last sentence of this quotation one easily recognizes the concept that God may harden the hearts of men.' Indeed, it is probable that nowhere in the Hebrew Bible is it stated more pointedly and more disturbingly if we except the latter part of the sixth chapter of Isaiah.2 That God hardens Pharaoh's heart3 is the more famous case, but there the problem is seemingly rendered less acute by the particular circumstances: God does what he does in order to bring about the miraculous rescue of Israel, and for this purpose a nonIsraelite, a person of lesser responsibility and, presumably, lesser responsiveness, is used. The same is true in the similar case of the Canaanites.a Here, however, Israelites, the sons of Eli, are sent to their death,4 and it is very questionable whether anything but punishment is intended, much less achieved. This problem has always weighed heavily on the minds of readers of the Bible. More important than the tribulations of their creed, however, is the complication it creates in the Old Testament itself. If history in the biblical view is the march of mankind, and specifically of Israel, through time that is set and kept in motion by divine call and human response, then at these junctures biblical history ceases, for the response is forestalled. The resulting inconsistency goes to the root of biblical philosophy; the reason, the raison
Suppression and enhancement of emotional responses to unpleasant pictures

Despite the prominence of emotional dysfunction in psychopathology, relatively few experiments have explicitly studied emotion regulation in adults. The present study examined one type of emotion regulation: voluntary regulation of short-term emotional responses to unpleasant visual stimuli. In a sample of 48 college students, both eyeblink startle magnitude and corrugator activity were sensitive to experimental manipulation. Instructions to suppress negative emotion led to both smaller startle eyeblinks and decreased corrugator activity. Instructions to enhance negative emotion led to larger startle eyeblinks and increased corrugator activity. Several advantages of this experimental manipulation are discussed, including the use of both a suppress and an enhance emotion condition, independent measurement of initial emotion elicitation and subsequent regulation of that emotion, the use of a completely within-subjects design, and the use of naturalistic emotion regulation strategies.
‘The Hand That Stirs the Pot Can Also Run the Country’: electing women to parliament in Namibia

In early 2004, 29 % of Namibian Members of Parliament were women, putting Namibia fourth in continental Africa and seventeenth worldwide in terms of women's representation in a national legislature. This article sets out to determine how such a high percentage of women has been elected to the National Assembly in Namibia since independence. It suggests that electoral gains have been achieved through a combination of factors: the use of a closed list proportional representation electoral system and voluntary quotas on the part of political parties at the national level, sustained pressure over the past three to five years from a nascent women's movement influenced by the global women's movement, and the active participation of women inside and outside the country in a protracted and violent struggle for independence that was only attained in 1990. The first two factors confirm past experience and accumulated knowledge on the significance of choice of electoral system and use of quotas, and the importance of women's organisations to elected women's legislative agendas and success. The last factor deviates from experience, and from a literature that suggests that women's active participation in political struggles has not always translated into tangible gains for women.
Towards 2000: Church and State Relations

Mr Chairman, Vicar General, Worshipful Chancellors, ladies and gentlemen. This is the second time that I have been privileged to address this Society. Three years ago I spoke after a good dinner at Corpus Christi, Cambridge, when members' critical faculties had undoubtedly been dimmed by the College claret! It is quite a different thing to speak to you today on a dull Saturday in the solemn environs of Westminster Cathedral, especially as in 1987 I spoke as a diocesan bishop and today I speak as one of those living in what is euphemistically called “retirement”. It is a demanding way of life in which one lacks the resources and the defences long taken for granted, and of course, it is subject to the changes and chances of British Rail for which I profoundly apologise. I had an unscheduled bus journey of an hour and three quarters round the villages of my former diocese this morning.
Examining the links between community participation and health outcomes: a review of the literature

As a key principle of Primary Health Care (PHC) and Health Systems Reform, community participation has a prominent place in the current global dialogue. Participation is not only promoted in the context of provision and utilization of health services. Advocates also highlight participation as a key factor in the wider context of the importance of social determinants of health and health as a human right. However, the evidence that directly links community participation to improved health status is not strong. Its absence continues to be a barrier for governments, funding agencies and health professionals to promote community participation. The purpose of this article is to review research seeking to link community participation with improved health status outcomes programmes. It updates a review undertaken by the author in 2009. The search includes published articles in the English language and examines the evidence of in the context of health care delivery including services and promotion where health professionals have defined the community’s role. The results show that in most studies community participation is defined as the intervention seeking to identify a direct causal link between participation and improved health status modeled on Randomized Control studies (RCT). The majority of studies show it is not possible to examine the link because there is no standard definition of ‘community’ and ‘participation’. Where links are found, they are situation-specific and are unpredictable and not generalizable. In the discussion, an alternative research framework is proposed arguing that community participation is better understood as a process. Once concrete interventions are identified (i.e. improved birth outcomes) then the processes producing improved health status outcomes can be examined. These processes may include and can lead to community uptake, ownership and sustainability for health improvements. However, more research is needed to ensure their validity.
An examination of factors impacting athlete alumni donations to their alma mater: a case study of a U.S. university

It has been suggested that athlete alumni do not give as generously as they could to their alma maters. Athlete alumni may feel they have given enough to their schools by playing sports, and they may feel greater loyalty to their former sports teams than their alma maters. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study investigated whether such attitudes among athlete alumni at a U.S. university were related to lifetime donations. Results indicate: the quality of alumni's athletic experience and the perception that they have already given to their school by playing sports are predictive of giving amount. similar to the general alumni donor, the variables of age, income, and geography were also found to be related to giving level. Universities and colleges may need to develop specialized marketing communications programs to mitigate athlete alumni's perceptions of not needing to donate because they competed for their school. Implications for universities and other nonprofit organizations are offered. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What alternatives has minimally invasive surgery provided the surgeon

When a new technology bursts on the horizon and reenergizes a field that has seemed to be flagging, as minimally invasive surgery has done for the field of general surgery, many enthusiasts rapidly embrace the discipline. Questions should arise, however, as to what novelty has really been introduced, where it should fit in our treatment of patients, and, when the dust settles, what alternatives truly have been provided to the advantage of our patients. This article provides information and data about some of these procedures, while trying to address these issues and answer some questions that new technology raises.
Throughput analysis of ARQ protocols for parallel multichannel communications

This paper shows that the SW and GBN retransmission protocols must be generalized when used in a multichannel communications system. The generalization takes the form of packet-to-channel assignment rules. A general condition governing the packet-to-channel assignment rule is derived and important special cases are identified. Simulation results were used to demonstrate that 1) packet-to-channel assignment impacts channel utilization when the channels are different and 2) the optimal assignment rule produces a channel utilization that is better than the channel utilization that results from doing something else or nothing at all.
Are user-contributed reviews community property?: exploring the beliefs and practices of reviewers

User-contributed reviews form the cornerstone of many Web communities and online services. People rely on reviews as a source of information about products, services, creative efforts, and the reputation of other buyers and sellers. Although specific rights about the ownership and control of these reviews are spelled out in licensing agreements and by copyright law, most reviewers' actions are guided instead by evolving social norms. In this paper, we report on 203 responses to a questionnaire offered to reliable US-based Mechanical Turk workers who have written different types of online reviews. The questionnaire uses a series of realistic scenarios and specific questions about recent practice to probe participants about how online reviews may be reused, archived, re-purposed, deleted, and otherwise manipulated. We use these collective attitudes and behaviors to arrive at a picture of current social norms and examine user-contributed reviews as a counterpart to other types of online content, including photos and tweets.
Tracing connections between women's personal narratives and the short stories of Grace Paley

The shortest of Grace Paley's short stories are frequently dismissed by the critics as weak works which fail to conform to the minimal requirements for a successful short story. Yet an examination of these works in light of research identifying the characteristics of women's personal narratives suggests that Paley is not failing to conform to the requirements of a narrative literary tradition but rather drawing on an alternative oral narrative tradition—that of women's personal narratives. This alternative tradition enables her to tell stories muted within the dominant tradition and in so doing to expand and refigure narrative conventions.
Recent research on premixed flames in stagnating turbulence

ABSTRACT Theoretical research on premixed turbulent reactants impinging on a nearby wall is reviewed. The virtues of these flows for fundamental studies and the significant possibilities of flows not studied to date are discussed. An asymptotic analysis which exploits the small magnitude of two parameters arising in the describing Equations is outlined and shown to expose the main features of these flows. If the mean density distribution is taken from experiment, the analysis is shown to yield results in excellent agreement with data for the mean axial velocity from a variety of experiments and with the only available second moment data. The problem of predicting the mean density distribution is discussed.
General-purpose neural chips with electrically programmable synapses and gain-adjustable neurons

Circuit cells for DRAM-style programmable synapses and gain-adjustable neurons, which achieve high packing density and hardware annealing, are described. The 8-b accuracy in synapse weights can be achieved in a 0.2-s refresh cycle and the gain-adjustable neurons can be used to apply the hardware annealing technique for efficient searching of the optimal solution. >
A limited-global information model for fault-tolerant routing in dual-cubes

In this paper, we focus on the minimal path fault-tolerant routing without adding any extra link. First, a depth-first search routing is provided. Unlike the routing by Y. Li and S. Peng (2001), it can handle more faulty components, even when the network is disconnected. And then, it is extended by using our limited global information model. We use limited-safety-level and limited-safety-vector to represent our limited global information in dual-cubes. In a given dual-cube, the limited-safety-level (or the limited-safety-vector) of each node a is its safety level (or safety vector) of the local cluster (an r-cube). Each cluster cube maintains its own safety level and safety vector information just like in a regular cube. Adjacent clusters exchange their safety information through the cross-edge to approximate their global safety information for the routing process. Faulty nodes and faulty links are both considered in this paper. In each local cluster cube, the minimal path routing is guaranteed based on our limited global information. We propose the whole routing process by using segments of minimal routing paths. Compared with the depth-first search routing based on neighbor information, the routing based on limited global information needs fewer extra steps by using several rounds of neighbor information exchanges for each new fault configuration. The simulation results show that the limited global information model can help our routing process to generate a minimal path or a sub-minimal path (a path with only two extra steps).