cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of a Smart Pump and Dedicated Medication Line to Reduce Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Damage.

Background Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants frequently require peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement for medication and nutrition. The occurrence of leaking catheters led to practice evaluation of manual intravenous (IV) flush and medication push technique in an upper Midwest NICU. A variation in unit practice was revealed. Purpose To describe an evidence-based practice change that standardized medication administration, eliminating routine manual IV push medication and flush administration and reducing catheter malfunction. Emergency "code" medication administration was not addressed. Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed. A unit practice investigation ensued to study medication administration techniques and syringe size utilization, understand syringe pressure generated by various sizes of syringes, select optimal IV tubing supplies, review the smart pump library, electronic order sets/documentation, and address staff knowledge and skills. Practice change eliminating IV push and recommendations incorporating best evidence occurred. Results Moving from a traditional method of manual pushing/flushing medication to use of medication delivery via smart pump can decrease or eliminate PICC damage and potential harm to neonatal patients. Implications for practice Examination of IV push technique may identify opportunities for safer medication administration. Use of an infusion pump and a dedicated medication line can be a feasible option to deliver most IV medication doses in the NICU. Implications for research Safe medication administration practices for the neonatal population and barriers to that practice.Video Abstract available athttps://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/Pages/videogallery.aspx?autoPlay=false&videoId=41.
Microstructural processing of steel at ambient surface temperature

Abstract We provide evidence that microstructural processing of metallic materials can be achieved at lower temperatures by passing dc current and simultaneously cooling the specimens. As the Joule heat is removed, the electron wind force due to transfer of momentum to defects become the predominant stimulant for grain boundary and defect migration. We demonstrate this technique on nominally 50 μm thick additive manufactured 316 stainless steel specimens, electrically biased at around 200 A/mm2 current density while actively cooled to maintain ambient surface temperature. The microstructural analysis involved electron backscattered diffraction, grain boundary misorientation plots, and grain size analysis. Experimental results indicate that both grain growth and grain refinement are possible, depending upon the controlled temperature and processing time. The results also showed significant changes in misorientation angle distributions for both grain growth and grain refinement with almost all low angle grain boundaries being converted to high angle grain boundaries. These results are encouraging for further development of the electron wind force as a driver for low temperature post processing of metals and alloys.
Envisioning a Just Response to the Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis

In this article, I argue that the only way Catholics will experience the conversion of heart necessary to engage in authentic Christian discipleship and respond justly to the clergy sexual abuse cr...
Hardware Acceleration for DBMS Machine Learning Scoring: Is It Worth the Overheads?

Query processing for data analytics with machine learning scoring involves executing heterogeneous operations in a pipelined fashion. Hardware acceleration is one approach to improve the pipeline performance and free up processor resources by offloading computations to the accelerators. However, the performance benefits of accelerators can be limited by the compute and data offloading overheads. Although prior works have studied acceleration opportunities, including with accelerators for machine learning operations, an end-to-end application performance analysis has not been well studied, particularly for data analytics and model scoring pipelines. In this paper, we study speedups and overheads of using PCIe-based hardware accelerators in such pipelines. In particular, we analyze the effectiveness of using GPUs and FPGAs to accelerate scoring for random forest, a popular machine learning model, on tabular input data obtained from Microsoft SQL Server. We observe that the offloading decision as well as the choice of the optimal hardware backend should depend at least on the model complexity (e.g., number of features and tree depth), the scoring data size, and the overheads associated with data movement and invocation of the pipeline stages. We also highlight potential future research explorations based on our findings.
GPU-based simulation of cloth wrinkles at submillimeter levels

In this paper, we study physics-based cloth simulation in a very high resolution setting, presumably at submillimeter levels with millions of vertices, to meet perceptual precision of our human eyes. State-of-the-art simulation techniques, mostly developed for unstructured triangular meshes, can hardly meet this demand due to their large computational costs and memory footprints. We argue that in a very high resolution, it is more plausible to use regular meshes with an underlying grid structure, which can be highly compatible with GPU acceleration like high-resolution images. Based on this idea, we formulate and solve the nonlinear optimization problem for simulating high-resolution wrinkles, by a fast block-based descent method with reduced memory accesses. We also investigate the development of the collision handling component in our system, whose performance benefits greatly from the grid structure. Finally, we explore various issues related to the applications of our system, including initialization for fast convergence and temporal coherence, gathering effects, inflation and stuffing models, and mesh simplification. We can treat our system as a quasistatic wrinkle synthesis tool, run it as a standalone dynamic simulator, or integrate it into a multi-resolution solver as an additional component. The experiment demonstrates the capability, efficiency and flexibility of our system in producing a variety of high-resolution wrinkles effects.
Negotiating the Modern: Orientalism and Indianness in the Anglophone World

1. After Empire: British Orientalism in Decline 2. Orientalism, Antiquity and the Beginnings of British Colonial Rule in India: The Textual Basis of Early Orientalism-Hastings, Jones, Mill 3. Orienalism, Vedanta and Indian Modernity: Raja Rammohan Ray on Sanskritic Antiquity 4. Colonial Divides and Shared Orientalisms: Kipling and Tagore in the World 5. Modernist Orientalism and Empathetic Subjectivity: Mrs. Dalloway and the Discontents of Modernity Notes Bibliography Index
An Overview of the Archaeology of East Texas

This brief survey attempts to define, and to offer explanations for, the major patterns of aboriginal adaptations presently recognizable in the eastern part of Texas. It is organized from a chronol...
Finite frequency response of nano magnetic structures

We apply the Holstein-Primakoff and Bogoliubov transformations to compute the spin wave states of small magnetic structures including the effect of the dipolar interaction. We found that as the film gets thicker, states with a significant q=0 component are hybridized with states with higher Fourier components. Surface states that are responsible for magnetization reversal are coupled to the extended states. In the presence of a static magnetic field opposite to the magnetization direction, the response function is increased by an order of magnitude. This suggests an intriguing scenario for assisted switching of the magnetization with an additional external a.c. field. Nonlinear effects are discussed.
THE SHADOW PRICE OF MORALITY

The pre-classical and classical economists were primarily moral philosophers whose writings were infused with discussions of ethical subjects—witness Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments. But moral issues generally fell out of vogue among the neoclassical economists of the 20th century, as the profession strove to emulate the natural sciences by emphasizing mathematical models of measurable phenomena. Only recently has morality resurfaced as a topic of formal economic inquiry, subject to modern tools of analysis.1 There is already some evidence that morality enters the decision-making processes of most individuals in some way. This helps to explain why people generally obey civil laws, religious and ethical codes, and other social norms despite risk-adjusted inducements to the contrary. As a review of the literature shows, however, no satisfactory measure of morality has yet been introduced. The present paper is therefore an initial, context-specific attempt to define, model, and measure the shadow price of morality. Broadly speaking, this concept represents the value that an individual places on his or her own adherence to ethical standards of conduct. Like all shadow prices, however, the value of morality is not directly observable; nor is it likely to be the same in all circumstances. Thus, to make the concept tractable, we develop it in the context of an income tax compliance problem, where the shadow price of morality measures the value of one’s own honesty—or equivalently, the psychic tax that an individual places on his or her own dishonesty—in a specific financial matter. Data from an income tax experiment are then used to impute the value of morality. Among the participants in this experiment, the average shadow price lies within a fairly narrow range, acting as a psychic tax on undeclared income at rates near 15 percent.
Output architecture of the primate putamen

The basal ganglia act through direct and indirect striatopallidal output pathways that have different effects on cortical activity. This division has been proposed to underlie the fundamental distinction between hyperkinetic and hypokinetic movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Evidence to date does not favor a relationship between this dual organization and the division of the striatum into striosome and matrix compartments. However, the possibility has been raised that the division of striatopallidal output paths reflects a compartmentalization of the matrix itself into clusters of different striatopallidal projection neurons. We directly tested this hypothesis in squirrel monkeys by comparing the distributions of striatal output neurons retrogradely labeled from the two pallidal segments. Striatopallidal neurons labeled by small injections confined to either the external pallidum (GPe) or the internal pallidum (GPi) formed small clusters ("matrisomes") in the matrix compartment of the putamen. However, contrary to previous predictions, labeled matrisomes projecting to GPe were not systematically separated from those projecting to GPi. They could overlap extensively, and within individual matrisomes GPe-projecting neurons and GPi-projecting neurons were extensively intermixed. Double-retrograde labeling analysis in single sections demonstrated that only 2.1 +/- 2.7% of labeled striatal neurons were doubly labeled from both GPe and GPi--a number not significantly different from zero. GPe-projecting and GPi-projecting neurons in the putamen also differed sharply in their expression of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity: 71.3 +/- 7.6% of the neurons labeled by GPe injections were enkephalin positive, in contrast to 10.0 +/- 3.6% of the neurons labeled by GPi injections. These results suggest that in the primate, populations of striatopallidal output neurons are grouped in clusters in the matrix, but that individual neurons in any given cluster project either to GPe or to GPi. Matrisomal clustering may thus coordinate signals sent into the direct and indirect pathways of the basal ganglia from distributed populations of projection neurons in the striatum.
Relativistically generated asymmetry in the missing-momentum distribution from the (e,e'p) reaction.

We calculate the asymmetry in the missing-momentum distribution from the ([ital e],[ital e][prime][ital p]) reaction in a relativistic formalism. Longitudinal and transverse response functions are evaluated in parallel kinematics as a function of the three-momentum transfer to the nucleus. Analytic expressions for the responses are obtained in a relativistic plane-wave impulse approximation. These expressions reveal a large asymmetry in the momentum distribution, at the plane-wave level, induced by the lower components of the bound-state wave functions. These relativistic effects contaminate any attempt to infer color transparency from a measurement of the asymmetry in the ([ital e],[ital e][prime][ital p]) reaction.
Insertion of CO 2 into divalent group 2 and 12 bis(silylamides)

Previous studies have shown that CO2 can insert into divalent Sn and Ge bis(silylamides) to give mixtures of sily- lated isocyanates and bis(silyl)carbodiimides, albeit rather sluggishly. In order to more effectively utilize the divalent metal bis(silylamides) in synthesis, more active and selective reactions to form only isocyanates or carbodiimides were needed. We have now shown that the more electropositive Group 2 complexes react with CO2 virtually instantaneously under the very mild conditions of room temperature and atmospheric pressure CO2. We have also demonstrated that CO2 can react under high pressure directly with the solid Mg bis(silylamides) to produce an unusual, high melting point solid. Different products are obtained when the cyclic, tied-back complex Mg(N(SiMe2CH2)2)2(Et2O)2 is used in place of Mg(N(SiMe3)2)2(THF)2. Various Zn bis(silylamides) can be designed to afford either the silyl isocyanate or the bis(alkyl)carbodiimide in near quantitative con- versions in ∼100% selectivities. Lastly, we have shown that the tied-back Zn complex can react with CO2 at room temperature and 4 atm CO2 pressure to cleave CO2 and generate a product containing a stable, (Zn4O) 6+ core with a bridging 4-O atom.
Self-Efficacy and Mental Health Services Provided by Rural and Frontier Oncology Social Workers

This pilot study explores the relationship between self-efficacy and professional behaviors of a non-random membership sample of the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) who practice in rural and frontier settings (N = 19). The New Generalized Self-Efficacy (NGSE) scale was used to measure provider self-efficacy; a researcher-designed questionnaire was used to assess the professional behaviors of conducting mental health assessments and providing supportive counseling to individuals diagnosed with cancer. Pearson correlation and two-sample t-tests were used to analyze data. While study results did not elucidate relationships explored, results revealed a disparity between participants’ overall high sense of professional preparedness and comfort conducting mental health assessments and the regularity with which they perform these functions of oncology patient care.
Adults with high social anhedonia have altered neural connectivity with ventral lateral prefrontal cortex when processing positive social signals

Social anhedonia (SA) is a debilitating characteristic of schizophrenia and a vulnerability for developing schizophrenia among people at risk. Prior work (Hooker et al, 2014) has revealed neural deficits in ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) during processing of positive emotion in a community sample of people with high social anhedonia. Deficits in VLPFC neural activity are related to worse self-reported schizophrenia-spectrum symptoms and worse mood and behavior after social stress. In the current study, psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis was applied to investigate the neural mechanisms mediated by VLPFC during emotion processing. PPI analysis revealed that, compared to low SA controls, participants with high SA displayed reduced VLPFC integration, specifically reduced connectivity between VLPFC and premotor cortex, inferior parietal and posterior temporal regions when viewing positive relative to neutral emotion. Across all participants, connectivity between VLPFC and inferior parietal region when viewing positive (versus neutral) emotion was significantly correlated with measures of emotion management and attentional control. Additionally connectivity between VLPFC and superior temporal sulcus was related to reward and pleasure anticipation, and connectivity between VLPFC and inferior temporal sulcus correlated with attentional control measure. Our results suggest that impairments to VLPFC mediated neural circuitry underlie the cognitive and emotional deficits.
Crack-enhanced creep in polycrystalline material: strain-rate sensitive strength and deformation of ice

A non-linear viscoelastic creep equation for polycrystalline material is presented. It incorporates the effect of cracking and is capable of describing primary, secondary and tertiary behaviour. The model predicts the formation of microcracks and thus the damage state due to the high-temperature grain-boundary embrittlement process. This paper describes its application in formulating crack-enhanced creep and material response under constant strain-rate loading conditions (theoretically the simplest case but actually the most difficult to maintain). The formulation makes it possible to define the rate effect on stress-strain response and the rate sensitivity of strength, failure time, failure strain, damage and damage rate, strain recovery, etc. Numerical correspondence between theory and experiment was observed when predictions were compared with available closed-loop, controlled, constant strain-rate strength and deformation data on pure ice. Calculations made use of material constants determined from independent constant-load creep tests.
Infants Show Ratio-dependent Number Discrimination Regardless of Set Size

Evidence for approximate number system (ANS) representations in infancy is robust but has typically only been found when infants are presented with arrays of four or more elements. In addition, several studies have found that infants fail to discriminate between small numbers when continuous variables such as surface area and contour length are controlled. These findings suggest that under some circumstances, infants fail to recruit either the ANS or object file representations for small sets. Here, we used a numerical change detection paradigm to assess 6-month-old infants' ability to represent small values. In Experiment 1, infants were tested with 1 versus 3, 1 versus 2, and 2 versus 3 dots. Infants successfully discriminated 1 versus 3 and 1 versus 2, but failed with 2 versus 3. In Experiment 2, we tested whether infants could compare small and large values with a 2 versus 4 condition. Across both experiments, infants' performance exhibited ratio dependence, the hallmark of the ANS. Our results indicate that infants can attend to the purely numerical attributes of small sets and that the numerical change detection paradigm accesses ANS representations in infancy regardless of set size.
The effect of nonlinear conduction on the cooling of flare loops

Attention is drawn to consequences of the non-linear nature of thermal conductivity on the cooling rate of solar flares.
DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTIVE AUDITORY ATTENTION SKILLS IN CHILDREN

This study investigated the development of selective auditory attention skills of 53 children aged 5 through 9 yr. old. Each child was tested individually via headphones at a comfortable listening level. The task required pointing to the appropriate picture of a monosyllabic word presented diotically. The task was presented first in quiet and then under each of three noise (distractor) conditions, white noise (nonlinguistic), speech backwards (linguistic nonsemantic), and speech forward (semantic). Age and type of distractor significantly influenced test scores. The semantic distractor caused the greatest distraction for all children.
The Role of GABAA Receptors in the Development of Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a common, heritable, chronic relapsing disorder. GABAA receptors undergo allosteric modulation by ethanol, anesthetics, benzodiazepines and neurosteroids and have been implicated in the acute as well as the chronic effects of ethanol including tolerance, dependence and withdrawal. Medications targeting GABAA receptors ameliorate the symptoms of acute withdrawal. Ethanol induces plasticity in GABAA receptors: tolerance is associated with generally decreased GABAA receptor activation and differentially altered subunit expression. The dopamine (DA) mesolimbic reward pathway originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and interacting stress circuitry play an important role in the development of addiction. VTA GABAergic interneurons are the primary inhibitory regulators of DA neurons and a subset of VTA GABAA receptors may be implicated in the switch from heavy drinking to dependence. GABAA receptors modulate anxiety and response to stress; important elements of sustained drinking and relapse. The GABAA receptor subunit genes clustered on chromosome 4 are highly expressed in the reward pathway. Several recent studies have provided strong evidence that one of these genes, GABRA2, is implicated in alcoholism in humans. The influence of the interaction between ethanol and GABAA receptors in the reward pathway on the development of alcoholism together with genetic and epigenetic vulnerabilities will be explored in this review.
Influence of intensity fluctuation on exercise metabolism.

This investigation was undertaken to examine the influence of intensity fluctuation on metabolic responses during and after exercise. Twenty-four males and 24 females were randomly assigned into one of the four groups consisting of 12 subjects of equal gender. Each group performed one of four 30-min exercise protocols: (1) cycling at a constant power output of 75 W (P1), (2) cycling with power output alternating between 50 and 100 W every 5 min (P2), (3) same as P2 except power output was alternated in a reverse order (P3), and (4) same as P2 except power output was alternated between 25 and 125 W (P4). Each exercise session was followed by a 25-min recovery and all protocols yielded the same mechanical work. Oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and plasma lactate concentrations ([La]) were measured at rest and during exercise and recovery. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded during exercise only. During exercise, VO2, HR and RPE did not differ across the four protocols. RER was higher (P < 0.05) in P4 than P1 and P2. [La] was higher (P < 0.05) in P4 than P1 and P3. During recovery, VO2 were lower (P < 0.05) in P1 than P2, P3, and P4, while [La] was higher in P4 than P3. When the total workload was equated, intensity fluctuation exerted no added effect upon metabolic responses during exercise, but provoked greater energy expenditure following exercise. Reversing the order or increasing the magnitude of intensity fluctuation would not further alter metabolic consequences.
Survey of select practice behaviors by primary care physicians on the use of opioids for chronic pain

ABSTRACTBackground: Severe allergic asthma patients may not be controlled even with guideline recommended care, including inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting beta-2 agonists, theophylline, oral steroids and anti-leukotrienes. They experience exacerbations requiring intensive healthcare use and which may be fatal. Omalizumab, a new monoclonal antibody for use in IgE-mediated allergic diseases, reduces exacerbations and daily symptoms in this patient population. The aim of this study is to estimate the cost effectiveness of adding omalizumab to optimized standard therapy (ST) in patients with severe persistent IgE-mediated (allergic) asthma.Objective: To assess the use of opioids by primary care physicians for the treatment of chronic pain.Methods: A written survey was completed by 248 primary care physicians. Outcomes of interest included type of opioids prescribed, common pain diagnoses treated, opioid prescribing concerns, treatment of patients with a history of substance use disorders and clinic-based ...
A Review of Ensemble Classification for DNA Microarrays Data

Ensemble classification has been a frequent topic of research in recent years, especially in bioinformatics. The benefits of ensemble classification (less prone to overfitting, increased classification performance, and reduced bias) are a perfect match for a number of issues that plague bioinformatics experiments. This is especially true for DNA microarray data experiments, due to the large amount of data (results from potentially tens of thousands of gene probes per sample) and large levels of noise inherent in the data. This work is a review of the current state of research regarding the applications of ensemble classification for DNA microarrays. We discuss what research thus far has demonstrated, as well as identify the areas where more research is required.
Detection of Adulteration in Cow, Goat, and Sheep Cheeses Utilizing Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Fatty Acid Data

Abstract The fatty acid profiles of 134 cheeses of foreign and domestic origin were examined by programmed temperature GLC of the fatty acid butyl esters. Goat milk and sheep milk cheeses exhibited a characteristically different lower chain length fatty acid pattern than did the cow milk cheeses. The mean lauric:capric fatty acid (12:10) ratio for cow cheeses was 1.16, this is the same mean value previous calculated for 140 butters. The mean ratio for 10 goat milk cheeses was .46. The mean ratio for sheep cheeses (Roquefort) was .58. The 12:10 ratio was used to determine the presence of cow's milk in cheeses labeled goat or sheep milk cheeses. The ratio becomes proportionally larger with increased substitution of cow's milk in lieu of goat's or sheep's milk in the manufacture of cheeses.
Aortic Mural Thrombus Embolization: An Unusual Presentation of Essential Thrombocytosis

Hypercoagulable conditions are increasingly recognized as a causative factor in patients with thromboembolic phenomenon. Essential thrombocytosis (ET) is one such condition. This particular myeloproliferative disorder is most commonly associated with thrombotic complications of the microvasculature and bleeding complications involving mucosal surfaces (e.g., gastrointestinal tract bleeding). This case identifies an uncommon manifestation of ET-aortic mural thrombus leading to visceral embolism. Vascular surgeons should be aware of the diagnosis, treatment, and complications of ET, as patients with this condition may first present with an arterial occlusion.
Response properties of rapidly recurring hippocampal seizures in rats

Previous work has shown that closely spaced stimuli can activate short-term and long-term inhibitory processes that suppress kindling and the expression of kindled responses. The present experiments employed stimulus trains of longer duration than traditionally used in kindling work. Hippocampal seizures were triggered in rats at rates considerably faster than those reported to activate these inhibitory processes. Such rapidly recurring hippocampal seizures (RRHS) promptly led to a persistent, fully kindled state in which consistent kindled motor responses, constant duration electrographic seizures and stable afterdischarge thresholds were present. These kindled responses could be elicited every 30 min for 6-8 h/day on an alternate day schedule, but the kindled responses depended on delivery of supramaximal stimuli. Extending the number of RRHS on a given test day led to the appearance of a slowly developing but enduring suppression of kindled responses and an elevation of afterdischarge thresholds. Restricting the study period to 6 h on a given day, but using a consecutive instead of alternate day schedule, also led to a long-duration suppression of kindled responses. These results show that the short-duration inhibitory processes associated with kindled seizures can be more easily overcome than long-duration processes. The latter seem to involve an elevation of afterdischarge thresholds. The experiments also establish procedures by which detailed investigations of the effects of experimental manipulations on kindled responses can be examined.
Ethnic differences in birth weight by gestational age: at least a partial explanation for the Hispanic epidemiologic paradox?

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate ethnic differences in low birth weight and gestational age–dependent birth weight. Study design A retrospective cohort study of 47,669 newborn infants was conducted with the use of the perinatal database of the Memorial Health Care System. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio for low birth weight by ethnic group, which took into account gestational age at delivery. Multiple linear regression models were then developed to predict ethnic differences in birth weight by gestational age. Results When compared with white women, the adjusted odds ratio for low birth weight in of Mexican origin women (1.16; 95% CI, 1.02-1.32) was substantially lower than that of African American women (2.21; 95% CI, 1.87-2.60). An analysis of birth weight by gestational age suggested that African American neonates were intrinsically smaller than Hispanic neonates (difference, 4.22%). Conclusion At least some of the differences in low birth weight that are noted among ethnic minorities may be attributable to ethnic differences in birth weight by gestational age.
Influence of joint topology on the formation of brazed joints

This paper discusses the influence of joint topology on the formation of brazed joints. For the purposes of this study, the joint topology is defined by dimensionless parameters that characterize: (i) the geometry of the mating surfaces (shape and configuration), (ii) the gap between bonded parts (clearance and tolerances), (iii) the joint orientation in the gravity field and (iv) the volume of the joint. The influence of these parameters is presented for several joints with a topology that is typically found in the manufacture of compact heat exchangers. The results were obtained by employing a method that is based on a variational principle and minimization of the potential energy of the molten aluminium liquid metal just prior to the onset of solidification. The method, which was verified by comparison with experimental data obtained from controlled atmosphere brazing of aluminium alloys, is discussed in an accompanying paper.
Party systems and human well-being

This article analyses the impact of party systems on human well-being and argues that multiparty systems are associated with better welfare outcomes for two primary reasons: first, multiparty systems provide representation to multiple issue-dimensions in society, thereby indicating a more inclusive system, which ensures that diverse societal interests are taken into account during formulation of welfare policies. Second, multiparty systems also indicate a competitive party system, which provides incentives for parties to perform effectively while in office and propels parties to appeal to multiple segments of society by providing broader welfare services. The impact of party systems on human well-being is tested on a global sample of 68 democratic countries from 1975–2000. The findings show support for the hypothesized relationship between party systems and human well-being.
A slender‐body theory for interfacial failure in unidirectional fiber‐reinforced composites

Based on asymtotic techniques which have been recently developed for the mechanics of linear continuous media containing slender inclusions, a theory is presented for the nonlinear problem of interfacial failure in a fiber-reinforced composite. Based on the lowest order slender-body theory, and a correspondingly simple model of interfacial slip or plastic yielding, a constitutive equation is, derived for unidirectional, dilute-fiber composites. This equation provides a tensile stress-strain relation which exhibits microscopic, ductile yield arising from the microscopic failure process. Approximate formulae are proposed to account for fiber interactions among closely-spaced parallel fibers and for interfacial slip with sliding friction. It is shown that all the results can be represented in terms of a “reduced-variable” plot, which suggests that experirniental data for various fiber aspect ratios and concentrations might he reducible to a single curve, depending only on tine mode of interfacial failure.
Cisplatin-DNA adducts inhibit ribosomal RNA synthesis by hijacking the transcription factor human upstream binding factor.

Several eukaryotic cellular proteins recognize DNA modified by the anticancer drug cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) or cis-DDP); among these proteins is a class of DNA-binding molecules containing the HMG (high-mobility group) box DNA recognition motif. We have previously reported the extraordinarily high binding activity to cisplatin adducts by human upstream binding factor (hUBF), an HMG box containing transcription factor that stimulates ribosomal RNA synthesis (Treiber et al. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91, 5672-5676). In the present study, we discovered that (1) hUBF interacted selectively with DNA lesions formed by therapeutically effective platinum compounds [Pt(en)Cl2] and [Pt(dach)Cl2], in addition to the lesions formed by cis-DDP, suggesting a possible association with their anticancer effect; (2) multiple HMG boxes contributed additively to the hUBF-adduct interaction, providing a possible explanation for the unusually high affinity of hUBF for cis-DDP adducts as compared to the lower affinities of other HMG box proteins; and (3) ribosomal RNA transcription in a reconstituted system is specifically inhibited in the presence of cis-DDP adducts. In this third experiment, a ratio of adducts/promoter of approximately 4:1 completely abolished the transcription activated by hUBF. Taken together, these data lend support to the view that transcription factors involved in cellular growth regulation, such as ribosomal RNA transcription, may be hijacked by cis-DDP adducts resulting in functional inhibition.
Antigenic changes in the developing brain of the hamster.

Abstract The appearance and subsequent disappearance of certain brain antigens were followed through several stages of early mammalian development. Antiserum against 5-day postnatal, premyelinated hamster brain was reacted in micro gel-diffusion plates with homogenates of whole brain from 11- and 14-day fetal, newborn, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 15-day postnatal and adult hamsters. Precipitin line specificity was tested by the method of Bjorklund (3). Three distinctive precipitin lines were selected for study. One, containing antigen specific to brain, was present in reactions involving all the ages studied. Another, also containing brain-specific antigen, was present in reactions involving fetal and all postnatal ages except that of the adult. The third line, containing non-brain-specific antigen, was present in reactions involving 14-day fetal and all postnatal ages except that of the adult. The antigenic components identified with this third line were located increasingly nearer the antigen wells in reaction with progressively older brain. These components also varied in position depending on their source, as observed when different subdivisions of 5-day postnatal brain were reacted against the antiserum. Limited tests with repetitively frozen and thawed brain suggest that some antigenic determinants, otherwise thought to disappear with age, may be residually retained in adult brain. These observations, along with those of others, indicate a significant time relationship between the period of myelination and changes involving a number of antigens in developing vertebrate brain.
Temperature-Dependent Water and Ion Transport Properties of Barley and Sorghum Roots I. Relationship to Leaf Growth

Root temperature strongly affects shoot growth, possibly via “nonhydraulic messengers” from root to shoot. In short-term studies with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) seedlings, the optimum root temperatures for leaf expansion were 25° and 35°C, respectively. Hydraulic conductance (Lp) of both intact plants and detached exuding roots of barley increased with increasing root temperature to a high value at 25°C, remaining high with further warming. In sorghum, the Lp of intact plants and of detached roots peaked at 35°C. In both species, root temperature did not affect water potentials of the expanded leaf blade or the growing region despite marked changes in Lp. Extreme temperatures greatly decreased ion flux, particularly K+ and NO3−, to the xylem of detached roots of both species. Removing external K+ did not alter short-term K+ flux to the xylem in sorghum but strongly inhibited flux at high temperature in barley, indicating differences in the sites of temperature effects. Leaf growth responses to root temperature, although apparently “uncoupled” from water transport properties, were correlated with ion fluxes. Studies of putative root messengers must take into account the possible role of ions.
Assessing Sexual Abuse/Attack Histories with Bariatric Surgery Patients

This study assessed sexual abuse/attack histories in 573 [corrected] bariatric surgery patients using the PsyBari. The prevalence rates found were lower (15.5%, 19.3% of women, 5.2% of men) than other studies that used bariatric surgery patients but consistent with studies that used nonbariatric obese subjects. Furthermore, bariatric surgery patients who disclosed sexual abuse/attack were more likely to disclose physical abuse, psychological problems, psychological treatment, psychiatric medication, and psychiatric hospitalization. Among bariatric surgery patients who disclosed sexual abuse/attack, females were more likely to disclose suicidal ideation. A logistic regression found that for females, physical abuse and suicidal ideation reliably predicted abuse/attack status. For males, psychological problems, psychiatric medications, hospitalization, and suicidal ideation, reliably predicted abuse/attack status.
Interventional Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review

Historically, acute ischemic stroke (AIS) trials defined syndromes according to acute clinical presentation and post-ictus parenchymal imaging. With improvements in real-time arterial imaging, modern AIS treatment demands a structural approach based upon the level of cerebrovascular occlusion. The poor concordance of presenting National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) with vessel occlusion in recent trials bespeaks the need for an anatomic perspective. Specifically, patients with large-vessel occlusion (LVO) represent a distinct entity with a poorer prognosis than general AIS patients. Ongoing clinical trials and therapeutic strategies must recognize the varied natural history of AIS patients. Endovascular therapy offers promise in patients with the most severe strokes.
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG): A critical appraisal

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) can quickly, reliably, and safely establish enteral feedings for a wide variety of indications. Morbidity associated with PEG is less than conventional surgical gastrostomy, and no mortality has been reported to date. PEG can be performed safely at the bedside, if needed. Moreover, there is no period of gastric atony, and feedings can be initiated after 1 day. PEG is contraindicated in patients with altered hemostasis or mechanical barriers to apposing the stomach to the anterior abdominal wall. Routine broad spectrum antibiotic prophylaxis may limit procedure-related cellulitis and pneumonia.
Levels of 108Cd populated in the 96Zr(16O, 4nγ)108Cd reaction

Abstract Levels in 108Cd were studied using the reaction 96 Zr ( 16 O , 4nγ) 108 Cd with a bombarding energy of 56 MeV. The experiments included γ-ray yields as a function of bombarding energy, γ-ray angular distributions, γ-ray linear polarizations and γ-γ coincidence measurements. The decay scheme which includes 48 γ-ray transitions is very similar to those reported for even-even Pd isotopes. In addition to the ground-state band, there appear to be four collective bands built on two-quasiparticle states. The results are in excellent agreement with a slightly deformed rotor description of the 108Cd nucleus.
Eosinophilic temporal and systemic arteritis

We describe a 39-year-old patient with an unusual type of bilateral temporal arteritis characterized histologically by inflammation, diffuse eosinophilic infiltration, destruction of elastic tissue, and fibrosis. In addition, the patient had a history of systemic vasculitis, peripheral eosinophilia, eosinophilic lymphadenitis, and membranous glomerulonephritis. The patient has been followed up for 14 years and is well controlled on moderate doses of steroids. We propose that this patient suffers from an immune reaction to an unknown, possibly infectious, antigen.
Detrimental Effects of Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Cyanotic Infants: Preventing the Reoxygenation Injury

Background Recent experimental studies have shown that acute hypoxia followed by abrupt reoxygenation using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) results in an unintended injury mediated by oxygen free radicals, which can be modified by initiating CPB at a lower fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO 2 ) or by leukocyte filtration. However, the clinical relevance of these experimental studies has been questioned because chronic hypoxia may allow compensatory changes to occur. Methods Seven acyanotic infants had CPB initiated at an FiO 2 of 1.0. Of 21 cyanotic infants, 7 (group 1) had CPB initiated at an FiO 2 of 1.0, 6 (group 2) at an FiO 2 of 0.21, and 8 (group 3) underwent CPB using leukocyte filtration. Biopsy of right atrial tissue was performed before and 10 to 20minutes after the initiation of CPB. The tissue was incubated in 4-mmol/L t -butylhydroperoxide (a strong oxidant), and the malondialdehyde (MDA) level was measured to determine the antioxidant reserve capacity. The more MDA produced, the greater was the depletion of tissue antioxidants secondary to oxygen free radical formation during reoxygenation. Results There was no difference in the prebypass antioxidant reserve capacity between cyanotic and acyanotic hearts (492±72 versus 439±44nmol MDA/g protein). However, after the initiation of CPB without leukocyte filtration, MDA production rose markedly in the cyanotic (groups 1 and 2) as compared with the acyanotic hearts (322% versus 40%; p 2 of 1.0 (group 1) resulted in increased MDA production (407% versus 227%) as compared with hearts in which CPB was initiated at an FiO 2 of 0.21 (group 2), indicating a greater generation of oxygen free radicals in group 1. Conversely, there was only a minimal increase in MDA production in 8 of the 21 infants (group 3) in whom white blood cells were effectively filtered (19% versus 322%; p Conclusions First, increased amounts of oxygen free radicals are generated in cyanotic infants with the initiation of CPB. Second, this production is reduced by initiating CPB at an FiO 2 of 0.21 or by effectively filtering white blood cells. Third, these changes parallel those seen in the acute experimental model, validating its use for future study.
Strategy and tactics: A primer for CI professionals

This article defines and describes the concepts of strategy and tactics in ways that can be applied to business operations in general, and to competitive intelligence in particular. Its aim is to dispel ambiguity and confusion over the meaning and use of these terms. The author relates examples from military history to contemporary competitive business scenarios. This brings into focus the interaction between specific applications of strategy and tactical action deployed to achieve strategic goals with a particular bearing on the activities of competitive intelligence professionals. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Dietary antioxidants (selenium and N-acetylcysteine) modulate paraoxonase 1 (PON1) in PCB 126-exposed rats

Environmental pollutants polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), especially dioxin-like PCBs, cause oxidative stress and associated toxic effects, including cancer and possibly atherosclerosis. We previously reported that PCB 126, the most potent dioxin-like PCB congener, not only decreases antioxidants such as hepatic selenium (Se), Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione (GSH) but also increases levels of the antiatherosclerosis enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) in liver and serum. To probe the interconnection of these three antioxidant systems, Se, GSH, and PON1, we examined the influence of varying levels of dietary Se and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and precursor for GSH synthesis, on PON1 in the absence and presence of PCB 126 exposure. Male Sprague–Dawley rats, fed diets with differing Se levels (0.02, 0.2, or 2 ppm) or NAC (1 %), were treated with a single intraperitoneal injection of corn oil or various doses of PCB 126 and euthanized 2 weeks later. PCB 126 significantly increased liver PON1 mRNA, protein level and activity, and serum PON1 activity in all dietary groups but did not consistently increase thiobarbituric acid levels (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS), an indicator of lipid oxidation and oxidative stress, in liver or serum. Inadequate (high or low) dietary Se decreased baseline and PCB 126-induced aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) expression but further increased PCB 126-induced cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) expression, the enzyme believed to be the cause for PCB 126-induced oxidative stress. In addition, a significant inverse relationship was observed not only between dietary Se levels and PON1 mRNA and PON1 activity but also with TBARS levels in the liver, suggesting significant antioxidant protection from dietary Se. NAC lowered serum baseline TBARS levels in controls and increased serum PON1 activity but lowered liver PON1 activities in animals treated with 1 μmol/kg PCB 126, suggesting antioxidant activity by NAC primarily in serum. These results also show an unexpected predominantly inverse relationship between Se or NAC and PON1 during control and PCB 126 exposure conditions. These interactions should be further explored in the development of dietary protection regimens.
Studies in Motivation and Retention: II. Retention of Nonsense Syllables Learned Under Different Degrees of Motivation

(1949). Studies in Motivation and Retention: II. Retention of Nonsense Syllables Learned Under Different Degrees of Motivation. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 143-152.
Opportunistic controls: leveraging natural affordances as tangible user interfaces for augmented reality

We present Opportunistic Controls, a class of user interaction techniques for augmented reality (AR) applications that support gesturing on, and receiving feedback from, otherwise unused affordances already present in the domain environment. Opportunistic Controls leverage characteristics of these affordances to provide passive haptics that ease gesture input, simplify gesture recognition, and provide tangible feedback to the user. 3D widgets are tightly coupled with affordances to provide visual feedback and hints about the functionality of the control. For example, a set of buttons is mapped to existing tactile features on domain objects. We describe examples of Opportunistic Controls that we have designed and implemented using optical marker tracking, combined with appearance-based gesture recognition. We present the results of a user study in which participants performed a simulated maintenance inspection of an aircraft engine using a set of virtual buttons implemented both as Opportunistic Controls and using simpler passive haptics. Opportunistic Controls allowed participants to complete their tasks significantly faster and were preferred over the baseline technique.