cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Persistence of IgM Antibodies after Vaccination with Live Attenuated Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vaccine-preventable, mosquito-borne disease. Substantial progress with JE control in Asia has been made during the past decade, with most endemic countries now having JE vaccination programs, commonly using live attenuated SA14-14-2 JE vaccine (CD-JEV). If a child develops encephalitis during the weeks to months following CD-JEV vaccination and anti-JE virus IgM (JE IgM) antibody is detected in serum, the question arises if this is JE virus infection indicating vaccine failure, or persistent JE IgM antibody postvaccination. To better understand JE IgM seropositivity following vaccination, sera from 268 children from a previous CD-JEV study were tested by two different JE IgM assays to determine JE IgM antibody frequency on days 28, 180, and 365 postvaccination. With the CDC JE IgM antibody capture ELISA (MAC-ELISA), 110 children (41%) had JE IgM positive or equivocal results on their day 28 sample, and eight (3%) and two (1%) had positive or equivocal results on day 180 and day 365 samples, respectively. With the Inbios JE Detect™ MAC-ELISA, 118 (44%) children had positive or equivocal results on day 28 sample, and three (1%) and one (0.4%) had positive or equivocal results on day 180 and day 365 samples, respectively. Our results indicate that more than 40% children vaccinated with CD-JEV can have JE IgM antibodies in their serum at 1 month postvaccination but JE IgM antibody is rare by 6 months. These data will help healthcare workers assess the likelihood that JE IgM antibodies in the serum of a child with encephalitis after vaccination are vaccine related.
Role Exit or Transition? Continuity and Change for Retired Faculty at a Liberal Arts Midwestern University.

Using the theory of continuity, and based on quantitative and qualitative data collected from an online survey and one-on-one interviews from a nonrandom sample of retired faculty, this exploratory...
Accountability in Intervention Research: Developing a Fidelity Checklist of a Mental Health Intervention in Prisons.

Adherence to intervention content and delivery protocols is vital in establishing the efficacy of treatment programs for mental illnesses. Using a fidelity tool during interventions can substantially increase the likelihood of clients receiving the most scientifically rigorous treatment. This article outlines the steps taken to develop a fidelity checklist to measure treatment adherence of a two-part intervention delivered in a prison setting. Researchers followed the five-step guide by Feely et al. (Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 35(2), 139–152: 2018) and describe the process of developing a fidelity tool to measure treatment adherence to a newly adapted CBT-based intervention designed to maximize uptake for participants with serious mental illnesses. Key decision points are discussed, along with final decisions and contextual considerations. A 26-item checklist was developed to measure treatment adherence related to process, content, and adaptations of the intervention. The checklist follows the structure of the CBT intervention, as well as provides flexibility for the delivery adaptations. Pilot testing of the checklist revealed all sessions were implemented with at least 85% fidelity, and 90% of sessions were implemented with at least 90% fidelity. Raters agreed on the fidelity of a session in 99.6% of sessions. Contextual considerations included the highly secure study setting, reconciling the constant monitoring of a group and creating a treatment environment, the flexibility mandated by the intervention, the relative newness of the intervention, and the limitations based on study aims and resources. These results illustrate how study specific considerations and challenges can be successfully navigated in the development and deployment of a fidelity tool in a real-world setting. The fidelity checklist achieved our goal of measuring treatment adherence for this intervention. In the development of a fidelity tool, we recommend leaving space for raters to note specific considerations that disrupt facilitators’ ability to deploy the intervention precisely. Measuring fidelity is imperative for mental health interventions to ensure that the treatment is responsible for the changes observed in clients.
An Ultrasensitive 14-GHz 1.12-mW EPR Spectrometer in 28-nm CMOS

This work presents an integrated sensing platform for clinical electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The sensor core comprises a $LC$ tank the resonance frequency of which matches the radical Larmor frequency and detects its EPR signal via the change of the tank inductance. To achieve high sensitivity, the inductance variation is measured in a self-mixing interferometric fashion with an on–off modulated RF source to attenuate the noise from the source and the readout circuitry. A sensor prototype was fabricated in 28-nm CMOS. It achieved a spin sensitivity of $6.1\times 10^{\mathrm{ 8}}$ spins/rtHz with only 1.12-mW power consumption, demonstrating over $10\times $ improvement in terms of power and sensitivity compared with prior arts of similar system complexity.
Teaching Formal Languages with Visualizations and Auto-Graded Exercises

The material taught in a Formal Languages and Automata (FLA) course is mathematical in nature and requires students to practice proofs and algorithms to understand the content. Traditional FLA textbooks are heavy on prose, and homework typically consists of solving many paper exercises. Instructors often make use of Finite State Machine simulators like the JFLAP package. JFLAP allows students to interactively build models and apply different algorithms to these models, providing both a more interactive and a more visual approach. However, course materials have still traditionally relied largely on prose and hand-graded exercises, limiting both the interaction and the amount of practice. In this paper, we propose an eTextbook with integrated tools (simulators and auto-graded exercises) that allow for greater interactivity and levels of engagement. To evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of our approach, we conducted performance evaluations across different offerings of an FLA course. Results indicate that students using the integrated eTextbook performed better than did a control group using a traditional textbook approach. Students gave positive feedback regarding the usefulness of the auto-graded exercises for practicing different FLA concepts.
A demonstration of RELIC: a system for retrospective lineage inference of data workflows

The ad-hoc, heterogeneous process of modern data science typically involves loading, cleaning, and mutating dataset(s) into multiple versions recorded as artifacts by various tools within a single ...
Anharmonicity and necessity of phonon eigenvectors in the phonon normal mode analysis

It is well known that phonon frequencies can shift from their harmonic values when elevated to a finite temperature due to the anharmonicity of interatomic potential. Here, we show that phonon eigenvectors also have shifts, but only for compound materials in which each atom has at least two types of anharmonic interactions with other atoms. Using PbTe as the model material, we show that the shifts in some phonon modes may reach as much as 50% at 800 K. Phonon eigenvectors are used in normal mode analysis (NMA) to predict phonon relaxation times and thermal conductivity. We show, from both analytical derivations and numerical simulations, that the eigenvectors are unnecessary in frequency-domain NMA, which gives a critical revision of previous knowledge. This simplification makes the calculation in frequency-domain NMA more convenient since no separate lattice dynamics calculations are needed. On the other hand, we expect our finding of anharmonic eigenvectors may make difference in time-domain NMA and other areas, like wave-packet analysis.
Longitudinal Relations Among Depression, Stress, and Coping in High Risk Youth

The structural relationships among risk and protective factors were examined in a sample of 646 continuation high school students. Although depression predicted more perceived stress, it was not a unique predictor of anger coping, seeking social support, or substance use. Perceived stress increased seeking social support. Seeking social support decreased the utilization of anger coping, which suggests that it may be a means of prevention for adolescents. Anger coping behaviors were implicated as being significant in sustaining depression and perceived stress, and in increasing hard drug use over time. Moderation analysis indicated that although there was no difference in the stress–coping–depression relationship between Latinos and Caucasians, the relationship among perceived stress, anger coping, and depression was stronger for female than for male adolescents. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Frequency-based analysis of diastolic function

Quantitative determination of the filling (diastolic) function of the heart has been primarily correlative rather than causal and has been thwarted by the inability to define sensitive and specific non-invasive numerical indexes. In analogy to impedance, Z(/spl omega/)=V(/spl omega/)/I(/spl omega/) relating voltage V to current I in circuit theory, we introduce the concept of frequency-based analysis of diastolic function (DF) by analyzing the left ventricular (LV) filling pressure (P) to flow(Q) relation in terms of impedance as, Z(/spl omega/)=P(/spl omega/)/Q(/spl omega/). This allows abnormal DF to be viewed as a state of impedance mismatch between pressure and flow, relative to normal. Simultaneous pressure-flow data in 11 subjects was recorded during catheterization. Analysis of variance between groups (ANOVA) shows that the direct current (DC) component of impedance, Z/sub 0/ and the first harmonic coefficient, Z/sub 1/, differentiated between normal and abnormal DF groups (p<0.05). We conclude frequency-based analysis of DF differentiates between normal and abnormal DF states, elucidates the physiology of normal filling as a low-pass filter and has potential as a method for noninvasive DF quantitation.
An experimental perfusion system using the rabbit Vx-2 carcinoma

Summary An experimental system, employing a small modification of the Kay-Cross disk oxygenator and rabbits with Vx-2 carcinoma transplanted to both hind limbs, has been used for evaluation of regional perfusion techniques. With this system a spectrum of agents was studied which included alkylating agents (HN2 and cyclophosphamide), antimetabolites (Methotrexate and FUdR) and antibiotics (actinomycin D and mitomycin C). One hour perfusion with Methotrexate or FUdR was without effect on this tumor system. The effect of actinomycin D was extremely variable. Mitomycin C, cyclophosphamide and HN2 all produced regression of Vx-2 carcinome but “cure” was rarely achieved at dosage tolerated by the normal tissues of the limb. A comparative study was also made of the effect of HN2 introduced intra-arterially followed by tourniquet application (“trapping”) and local circulatory arrest. The antitumor effect of this approach compared favorably with active perfusion of the same agent. Radiation therapy was also administered in this tumor system, at varying dosages, as a frame of reference for the results obrained by perfusion. The selective effect of irradiation was generally as good as or better than perfusion with any of the agents utilized in this study. The limitation of dosage of these agents by local tissue tolerance prompted a comparative study of the maximum concentrations of agents that were achieved and the concentrations required to destroy Vx-2 cells in vitro. This is the subject of a subsequent report.
Abstract P228: Cardiovascular Risk Profiles and the 10-Year Risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in HIV Infected Adult African American Females Using ACC/AHA 2013 Pooled Cohort Risk Equation (Findings from a Minority Healthcare University Institute in Washington DC, USA)

Back ground: Data on the patterns of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in HIV-infected African American Females (AAF) is limited due to their under-representation in epidemiological studies. We examined patterns of CVD risk factors and estimated 10-year primary risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) in HIV-infected [on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)], and compared with HIV-uninfected adult AAF seeking routine medical care in a minority healthcare institute in Washington DC, USA. Methods: The study cohort comprised of HIV-infected and age-matched HIV-uninfected adult (age > 20 years) AAF seeking routine health and HIV care (3-6 month intervals) at a large minority healthcare university institute. Data on demographic and HIV characteristics as well as cardiovascular risk profile was compared in participants with a minimum of five clinic visits since registration. Race adjusted, pooled cohort equation was used to estimate and compare 10-year primary risk of ASCVD in HIV-infected females (age ≥ 40 to 79 years), free of pre-existing CVD at baseline to their age-matched controls. Results: The mean (SD) age, systolic blood pressure, and BMI of 325 (N) patients (67% HIV-infected), was 52 (15) years, 126 (16) mmHg, and 30 (9) kg/m2, respectively. We observed that the HIV-infected (95% on HAART) females were younger [mean (SE) age; 47 (1.6) vs. 62 (1.3) years], had better controlled systolic blood pressure [132 (2.4) vs.139 (1.7) mmHg], lower proportion of diabetics (14% vs. 31%), and had a higher proportion of smokers (52% vs. 31%), compared to HIV-uninfected females (all p= 0.05). The 10-year primary risk for ASCVD in HIV-infected (age ≥ 40-79 years, 72% on HAART) compared to HIV-uninfected females was statistically different at baseline [mean (SE) risk score; 5.3 (1.5) % vs. 8.5 (1.3) %, p = 0.03)], but not at the last clinic visit [(5.6 (1.1) % vs. 7.5 (0.9) %, p= 0.11)] Conclusions: From a minority cohort of a large metropolitan area, we report evidence of favorable CVD risk profile in HIV-infected AAF on HAART compared to their age-matched controls. However, the 10-year primary risk for ASCVD was similar over time between the two groups of females.
Rhythms in Fos expression in brain areas related to the sleep-wake cycle in the diurnal Arvicanthis niloticus

Most mammals show daily rhythms in sleep and wakefulness controlled by the primary circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Regardless of whether a species is diurnal or nocturnal, neural activity in the SCN and expression of the immediate-early gene product Fos increases during the light phase of the cycle. This study investigated daily patterns of Fos expression in brain areas outside the SCN in the diurnal rodent Arvicanthis niloticus. We specifically focused on regions related to sleep and arousal in animals kept on a 12:12-h light-dark cycle and killed at 1 and 5 h after both lights-on and lights-off. The ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO), which contained cells immunopositive for galanin, showed a rhythm in Fos expression with a peak at zeitgeber time (ZT) 17 (with lights-on at ZT 0). Fos expression in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) increased during the morning (ZT 1) but not the evening activity peak of these animals. No rhythm in Fos expression was found in the centromedial thalamic nucleus (CMT), but Fos expression in the CMT and PVT was positively correlated. A rhythm in Fos expression in the ventral tuberomammillary nucleus (VTM) was 180 degrees out of phase with the rhythm in the VLPO. Furthermore, Fos production in histamine-immunoreactive neurons of the VTM cells increased at the light-dark transitions when A. niloticus show peaks of activity. The difference in the timing of the sleep-wake cycle in diurnal and nocturnal mammals may be due to changes in the daily pattern of activity in brain regions important in sleep and wakefulness such as the VLPO and the VTM.
Informalidad empresarial en Colombia: problemas y soluciones

Resumen es: Este documento muestra que las empresas informales en Colombia tienen en promedio menor acceso al credito y a programas de capacitacion, mayores problema...
Dissipation and distribution of herbicides in a Fluventic Hapludoll soil

Determination of dissipation rates and/or accumulation of herbicides from long-term field studies can increase our understanding of agricultural chemical distribution within the environment. Unfortunately, the cost of sample collection and analysis has limited the development of significant, long-term data sets describing chemical dissipation under natural climatic conditions. In this study, 15 dis sipation curves for atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine] and 25 dissipation curves for alachlor [2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-N-(methoxy- methyl)acetamide] were developed by using data collected over a 5-year period in a Fluventic Hapludoll. Three agricultural management systems that included differences in tillage and crop rotations were imposed on the surface. Statistically significant differences in atrazine dissipation curves occurred among treatments in the fall and winter of the first year of the experiment. Only two of the 39 sampling events showed a statistically signific...
Use of botulinum-A toxin for the treatment of refractory overactive bladder symptoms: an initial experience

Abstract Objectives To define the role of botulinum toxin type A (botulinum-A) intradetrusor injections in the treatment of patients with symptoms of bladder overactivity in whom previous anticholinergic therapy has failed. Methods Thirty-five patients (29 women and 6 men) with frequency, urgency, and/or urge incontinence received 300 U of botulinum-A toxin injected transurethrally at 30 sites within the bladder. Patients were evaluated at 3 weeks and 6 months after treatment by completion of the short forms of the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7) and the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), as well as questions assessing global response to the treatment. Results After 3 weeks, the mean IIQ-7 score decreased from 19.4 to 13.9 (P = 0.0006) and the mean UDI-6 score decreased from 16.8 to 12.8 (P = 0.0003). Overall, 21 (60%) of 35 patients reported slight to complete improvement of voiding symptoms after 3 weeks. Among the initial responders followed up for 6 months, the mean IIQ-7 score improved from 20.6 to 15.1 (P = 0.008) and the mean UDI-6 score improved from 16.9 to 13.5 (P = 0.008). Mild hematuria, pelvic pain, and dysuria were seen in 7 patients, lasting for 3 days or less after the procedure. Conclusions Botulinum-A toxin injections may provide improvement in symptoms associated with bladder overactivity in a subset of patients. Improvement may be seen for at least 6 months after treatment. The procedure was well tolerated with minimal side effects. Additional study to define the role of injections in a broad group of patients with irritative voiding symptoms is warranted.
Eye Movements and Electroencephalogram Activity during Sleep in Diurnal Lizards

IN a recent study of the sleep behaviour of a reptile (tortoise) it has been reported that a paradoxical or rapid eye movement stage was not observed during extended periods of sleep1–2. Eye movement patterns of the turtle family are not so prominent as are those of certain other reptilians, for example the chameleon, a diurnal lizard. Assuming that the organization of eye movements in the waking state might be reflected during sleep, and because the lizard is phylogenetically more advanced than the turtle, we studied the sleep pattern of two species of chameleons: Chameleo jacksoni and C. melleri. Not only are their eye movements of extraordinary range, but their visual acuity is also superb. Retinal structure is claimed to be superior to that of man3,4.
The $50 000 Physical.

Recently, I was discussing the physical examination with some of our house staff after a conference on evidence-based medicine. I asked whether there was evidence to support performing an annual physical examination on a healthy patient. They did not know. “It couldn’t hurt,” one resident offered. I countered that it might, and then challenged them to come up with an example. Blank looks. Embracing the power of anecdote,
The Effect of Self-control on Willingness to Sacrifice in Close Relationships

Previous research has identified that willingness to sacrifice promotes romantic relationship maintenance. In addition, research has identified relationship-specific factors that promote sacrifice. However, research has neglected to examine the importance of non-relationship-specific factors (e.g., self-control) in sacrifice. The current research examined the possibility (and found evidence) that self-control underlies sacrifice. In Study 1, trait self-control was associated with willingness to sacrifice in a series of hypothetical scenarios, even after controlling for established relationship-specific correlates of sacrifice. In Study 2, romantically involved individuals, who had previously been depleted of self-control resources, were less able to make major sacrifices. Thus, self-control is important for romantic individuals' ability to sacrifice.
Uterine blood flow during supine rest and exercise after 28 weeks of gestation

Objective To test the null hypothesis that, after 28 weeks of gestation, uterine blood flow during supine rest and supine exercise is no different than uterine blood flow at left-lateral rest. Design In vivo experimental study in pregnant women. Setting Department of Obstetrics, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA. Population Fourteen, physically active, late-pregnant women who continued supine exercise throughout gestation. Methods Studies were carried out between 29 and 38 weeks of gestation. Maternal blood pressure, maternal heart rate, and ultrasound estimates of volume blood flow in the right ascending branch of the uterine artery were obtained serially at rest in the left-lateral position, at rest in the supine position, during and immediately after 10 minutes of supine exercise, and again at rest in the left-lateral position. Exercise sessions included alternating 60- to 90-second periods of abdominal crunches and leg exercise at moderate/high intensity (Borg’s rating of perceived exertion 14 ± 1). Main outcome measures Blood pressure, heart rate, and uterine artery volume flow. Results Data are presented as the mean ± SD. Maternal heart rate and blood pressure were unchanged at supine rest but increased during supine exercise (heart rate increased from 76 ± 9 to 98 ± 12 beats per minute, mean arterial pressure increased from 81 ± 6 to 102 ± 12 mmHg). Volume flow fell from 410 ± 93 to 267 ± 73 cc/minute after 5 minutes of supine rest and then, during supine exercise, increased to 355 ± 125 cc/minute. Uterine artery luminal diameter and blood flow correlated directly with tissue weights at birth (r2 values between 0.32 and 0.59). Conclusions In physically active women, uterine blood flow decreases during both supine rest and supine exercise but the decrease in the former is twice that seen in the latter.
PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS OF THE FRAGILE X CHROMOSOME

The development and validation of prenatal testing for the fragile X chromosome [fra(X)] is important because of the estimated high prevalence of the disorder. In order to confirm the validity of the successful prospective prenatal diagnostic techniques which we reported in 1982, a plan was designed for the use of amniocytes in tissue culture which included: tissue culture medium 199 for the last 72-96 hours of culture and medium RPMI-1640 to which FUdR in various concentrations, trimethoprim, or methotrexate was added. To date, a total of 18 amniotic fluid specimens have been tested for fra(X) with the following results: 2 male fetuses positive for fra(X), 8 negative males, and 8 negative females. One of the males positive for fra(X) was confirmed by fetal blood testing prior to termination. The second positive male was confirmed by peripheral blood testing after birth. Follow-up confirmation has been accomplished in 5 of the negative females with 4 cases awaiting delivery and 7 pending. Additional cases are required for further validation and experimental efforts should continue.
Gender Differences in Adapting Driving Behavior to Accommodate Visual Health Limitations

This study investigated whether men and women are equally likely to adapt their driving behaviors in response to visual limitations. Participants were 376 (222 women and 154 men) pre-surgical cataract patients from the Shiley Eye Center in La Jolla, California. All participants completed the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire, which assesses self-reported visual symptoms, functional limitations, and behaviors including driving during the day, at night, or in difficult conditions. Visual acuity was assessed using the log of the minimal angle of resolution (LogMAR) scale. There were no significant differences in LogMAR visual acuity between men and women who reported either that they stopped driving at night because of visual impairment or reported having no difficulty driving at night. Of participants who reported having difficulty driving at night, mean weighted LogMAR scores indicated significantly better visual acuity for women than men. There were no significant differences in LogMAR visual acuity between women and men in any of the difficult driving condition categories. Significantly more women than men reported that they stopped driving in difficult conditions because of eyesight, despite the lack of gender differences in visual acuity for this sample. We found no evidence that cataract disease had different effects on the visual acuity of older adult men and women. However, there was a significant difference between genders in self-reported driving behavior. It is possible that some women are more cautious or have less need to drive. However, failing to adapt driving behaviors to accommodate visual limitations may represent a potential behavioral public health risk for men.
Doppler ultrasonic investigation of Raynaud's phenomenon: Effect of temperature on blood velocity

We have used spectral analysis of signals from a pulsed, range-gated Doppler ultrasonic instrument to make quantitative measurements of arterial blood flow velocity in the hands of normal subjects and persons with Raynaud's phenomenon. We measured the peak velocity during the cardiac cycle and the time integral of the velocity signal over the cardiac cycle. This latter parameter gives a sensitive indication of the degree of vasoconstriction in response to cold. Our preliminary results, based on findings in 13 subjects, suggest that Doppler ultrasound can differentiate persons with Raynaud's phenomenon from normal subjects.
Are Colombian sickness funds cream skimming enrollees? An analysis with suggestions for policy improvement

One of the primary objectives of Colombian social health insurance reform was to increase competition among for-profit insurers. Unfortunately, the flat capitated formula creates an opportunity for sickness funds to maximize reimbursement gains by “cream skimming”—selecting against unhealthy individuals. This paper explores sickness fund selection behavior to evaluate the efficiency losses associated with the introduction of managed competition in Colombia. Data from a 1997 Colombian household survey are analyzed with a bivariate probit model with partial observability using instrumental variables. The model yields some evidence of sickness fund selection based on health status. Public policy options to discourage risk selection by health status are discussed. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Synoptic- and Frontal-Scale Influences on Tropical Transition Events in the Atlantic Basin. Part II: Tropical Transition of Hurricane Karen

Abstract A finescale simulation of the tropical transition of Atlantic Hurricane Karen in October 2001 is examined to determine the processes leading to the development of upshear convection and its effects on the process of tropical transition. The analysis shows that, as in marine extratropical cyclones, the area upshear of the pretransition cyclone is characterized by reduced stability. Lower-tropospheric frontogenesis leads to an intense burst of convection there and instigates three important processes that combine to produce a full-fledged tropical cyclone. First, the convection generates intense low-level vorticity on the western half of the cyclone, which quickly dominates the cyclone’s vorticity field eventually organizing the circulation into a small-scale, intense vortex. Second, the diabatically enhanced circulation hastens the isolation of the cyclone’s developing warm core by intensifying cold air advection on the northern and western sides of the storm and by placing evaporatively cooled ai...
Escape from Designers' Dilemma on Creeping Featurism

Creeping featurism is a serious problem that provides a surplus of complexity to users, and causes user dissatisfaction and eventual sales loss. The purpose of this study is to find the opposite of creeping featurism. In examining the situation of design practitioners, this paper discusses why it is hard to get out of the design traps of creeping featurism and why simplicity is not enough for achieving the opposite. It was suggested that we need new design management strategies to prevent and escape creeping featurism.
Applications of Response Shift Theory and Methods to Participation Measurement: A Brief History of a Young Field

Measurement of participation in people with disability can pose psychometric and conceptual challenges. Ambiguous or paradoxical findings can occur because of differences among people or changes within people regarding internal standards, values, or conceptualization of participation. These response shifts can affect standard psychometric indices, such as reliability and validity. We focus herein on the interpretation of patient-reported outcomes and, in particular, on the cognitive appraisal processes known as response shift. We present theoretical and conceptual distinctions building on response shift theory and other current developments in health-related quality of life research to inform participation measurement research. We discuss how response shifts can influence the interpretation of reliability, validity, and responsiveness of participation measures. We then discuss the evidence for the clinical significance of response shift phenomena and describe current design, statistical, and individualized approaches for detecting response shift phenomena.
The distant shielding effect in trinucleoside diposphates

A comparative study on the proton magnetic resonance of the dinucleoside monophosphates TpT, dApT, TpdA, the trinucleoside diphosphates dApTpT, TpTpdA, and poly T has been made. The purpose of this investigation was to establish whether in a trimer the proton chemical shifts of one terminal residue are influenced by the magnetic anistropy of the other terminal residue. The conformation of the trimers was first studied and shown to the similar to that of the corresponding dimer, except that of the percentage of the lefthanded conformers in the population of the trimers is probably lower than in the population of the dimers. The methylprotons, H-6, and H-1′ of the 3′-terminal T residue in TpTpdA (or the 5′-terminal T residue in dApTpT) are found to be more upfield than the same protons on the dimer TpT up to a magnitude of about 0.1 ppm. The shielding of these protons of the terminal T(s) in these trimers is even larger than those corresponding protons in the poly(T) at the same condition. From these results, it is concluded that a distant shielding effect is exerted by the 5′-terminal. A residue (or by the 3′-terminal A residue) on the other terminal residue in the trimers studied.
Dead time, decay and background effects in counting

Abstract The combined effects of background, decay and dead time losses in counting are considered, particularly as they relate to the variance of the measure of the true counting rate. Expressions are given for the variances attached to the several components in coincidence counting.
Review: reaction synthesis processing of Ni–Al intermetallic materials

Abstract Nickel aluminide intermetallic compounds possess attractive properties that make them good candidates for high temperature structural applications. The production of these materials in short processing times and low energy via reaction synthesis routes has been reviewed in this article including most recent novel reactive methods applied to Ni–Al intermetallics (e.g. microwave combustion synthesis and hot extrusion reaction synthesis). Future directions in this field have been suggested.
Delusions of a Dictator: The Mind of Marcos As Revealed in His Secret Diaries

Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines kept a private daily journal of his second presidential term. When it began in 1969 he was at the height of his power, but students, intellectuals and the news media united against him, calling his politics and ethics suspect, his regime corrupt. His diaries reflect his confusion at the decline in his fortunes; his growing conviction, verging on clinical paranoia, that all around him were enemies; his elaborate rationalization of his dictatorship; his continual scheming; and his willingness to resort to violence, including assassination. The author of this book, a Los Angeles journalist, has had access to Marcos's diaries, and provides an account of a mind obsessed with power and a portrait of the collapse of a national leader and the government he ruled.
Lunar rhythms of the meal and alcohol intake of humans

Lunar variations in the nutrient intakes and the meal patterns of humans were investigated by reanalyzing the data previously collected by paying 694 adult humans to maintain a 7-day diary of everything they ate, when they ate it, and their subjective state of hunger. A small but significant lunar rhythm of nutrient intake was observed with an 8% increase in meal size and a 26% decrease in alcohol intake at the time of the full moon relative to the new moon. This effect was present for meals ingested either during the daytime or the evening, indicating that nocturnal illumination level was not the critical variable. The results suggest that there is a true internal lunar rhythm which influences nutrient intakes of normal humans free-living in their natural environments.
Multitask Classification Hypothesis Space With Improved Generalization Bounds

This paper presents a pair of hypothesis spaces (HSs) of vector-valued functions intended to be used in the context of multitask classification. While both are parameterized on the elements of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces and impose a feature mapping that is common to all tasks, one of them assumes this mapping as fixed, while the more general one learns the mapping via multiple kernel learning. For these new HSs, empirical Rademacher complexity-based generalization bounds are derived, and are shown to be tighter than the bound of a particular HS, which has appeared recently in the literature, leading to improved performance. As a matter of fact, the latter HS is shown to be a special case of ours. Based on an equivalence to Group-Lasso type HSs, the proposed HSs are utilized toward corresponding support vector machine-based formulations. Finally, experimental results on multitask learning problems underline the quality of the derived bounds and validate this paper’s analysis.
Rapid Cadence EUNIS-06 Observations of a He II Transient Brightening in the Quiet Sun

We observed a transient brightening in the quiet Sun at rapid cadence (2.10 s) with the Extreme Ultraviolet Normal Incidence Spectrograph (EUNIS-06) sounding rocket instrument on 2006 April 12. The transient was visible only in He II at 303.78 A (T ≈ 5 × 104 K), and its maximum temperature T was <4 × 105 K. Taking its linear extent along the EUNIS slit to be the diameter of a circular feature, the transient's solar surface area was 7.8 × 107 km2. EUNIS observed the brightening to begin at 18:12:52 and peak at 18:13:29 UT; coordinated observations with SOHO's EIT confirm that EUNIS observed the onset of the brightening. EUNIS spectra yield maximum and average He II intensity enhancements of 2.09 and 1.46, respectively, relative to the pre-event quiet Sun. He II line profiles from EUNIS reveal that relative upflows were persistent during the transient (with a maximum speed around 20 km s−1) and that the upflow speed and intensity were positively correlated. Variations in the observed He II intensity and relative Doppler velocity were neither abrupt not impulsive, but occurred slowly compared to the EUNIS cadence. The local photospheric longitudinal magnetic field strength measured with SOHO's MDI revealed no significant variability. The transient's measured properties are consistent with its identification as a blinker or an elementary blinker, and its observed behavior suggests a formation mechanism involving gentle chromospheric evaporation.
Chemical, optical, and X-ray analysis of an unusual muscovite-biotite intergrowth

Abstract A specimen of intergrown biotite and muscovite from a pegmatite was subjected to detailed chemical, optical, and X-ray analysis. The crystals are intergrown in such a way that certain structural elements are common to both and that parts of the crystal structure must pass unbroken through the contact between them. Numerous ‘edge dislocations’ must occur at the boundary because of the different basal spacings. Partitioning of elements between the minerals, along with the structural observations, suggest that the crystals are an equilibrium intergrowth.
Strategically employing natural channels in an emerging market

In an era in which the cost efficiencies associated with standardization tend to be the dynamic force that drives international strategy, the growing movement toward understanding and adapting to natural channels of distribution appears to be an anomaly. The authors explore the natural channel phenomena—i.e., the local or national channel that has evolved within a market—within the context of U.S. multinational operations in the emerging market of India. Twenty-two in-depth interviews conducted with U.S. multinational international marketing managers engaged in distribution operations in India guide the exploration of the internal and external factors influencing channel strategy. The interviews provide validity for the natural channel model put forth by Griffith and Ryans (1995) while substantially advancing theoretical and managerial insights into the importance of factors influencing distribution. Finally, strategic distribution approaches employed by U.S. multinationals to effectively operate in India are presented. Insights for academics and practitioners are addressed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prospects for NMR of large proteins

During the last decade, solution structures of many small proteins have been solved by NMR. The size of proteins that are being analyzed by NMR seems to increase steadily. Protein structures up to 18 kD have been solved sofar, and spectra of proteins up to 30 kD have been assigned. Thus, NMR emerges as an attractive technique, in particular for structural studies of proteins that cannot by crystallized. However, the application of the technology is limited by relaxation properties of the proteins. If relaxation would only be determined by Stokes-Einstein-type rotational diffusion, the effects of the molecular size on relaxation properties of proteins and thus on the performance of multi-dimensional multiple-resonance experiments could readily be estimated. From this perspective, solving two- or three-fold larger structures seems possible. However, most larger proteins exhibit serious line broadening due to aggregation or other still unknown effects. Sample conditioning to minimize these effects is presently the challenge in the work with large proteins.
Impact of Spatial Resolution on the Prediction of Trabecular Architecture Parameters

Although the efficacy of various measures for the assessment of trabecular bone architecture has been widely studied, the impact of spatial resolution on the estimation of these measures has remained relatively unexplored. In this study, ten cubes each of human trabecular bone from the femur and vertebral bodies were obtained from nine cadavers (four males and five females), aged 23-67 years (mean 42.3 years). These specimens were serially milled and imaged at a resolution of 40 microm to produce three-dimensional digitizations from which traditional morphometric and structural anisotropy measures could be computed based on a three-dimensional approach. The cubes were then artificially degraded to an in-plane resolution of 100 microm and an out-of-plane (slice) resolution of 100-1000 microm. These resolutions mimicked in vivo resolutions as seen using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. All images, original and degraded, were individually segmented using a thresholding algorithm, and both the traditional morphometric and structural anisotropy measures were recomputed. The choice of slice direction was varied along the superior-inferior (axial), anterior-posterior (coronal), and medial-lateral (sagittal) directions to minimize the impact of the lower slice resolution on the architectural measures. It was found that traditional morphometric measures such as trabecular spacing and trabecular number showed weak resolution dependency; measures such as trabecular thickness, however, showed strong resolution dependency and required very high resolutions for precise measurement. In the case of the femur specimens, both structural anisotropy as well as the preferred orientation showed a strong resolution dependency. The resolution dependency of these parameters could be minimized for the femur and the vertebral body specimens if the slice direction was taken along the superior-inferior direction.
Experiments on focusing and use of acoustic energy to enhance the rate of polymer healing

We consider the effects of acoustic pressure on the curing of a two-part epoxy, which can be considered analogous to the polymer healing process. An epoxy sample is loaded into a tube and monitored throughout the early stages of curing by measuring its vibrational response upon periodic impulses. By tracing the natural frequencies of the epoxy-tube system and cross-checking the temperature of the epoxy, the progress of the curing can be quantified. Acoustic stimulation at three different frequencies is investigated and compared to the unstimulated case. We find that external acoustic pressure does seem to affect the curing, though much work remains to be completed.
Au Nanomatryoshkas as Efficient Near-Infrared Photothermal Transducers for Cancer Treatment: Benchmarking against Nanoshells

Au nanoparticles with plasmon resonances in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the spectrum efficiently convert light into heat, a property useful for the photothermal ablation of cancerous tumors subsequent to nanoparticle uptake at the tumor site. A critical aspect of this process is nanoparticle size, which influences both tumor uptake and photothermal efficiency. Here, we report a direct comparative study of ∼90 nm diameter Au nanomatryoshkas (Au/SiO2/Au) and ∼150 nm diameter Au nanoshells for photothermal therapeutic efficacy in highly aggressive triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumors in mice. Au nanomatryoshkas are strong light absorbers with 77% absorption efficiency, while the nanoshells are weaker absorbers with only 15% absorption efficiency. After an intravenous injection of Au nanomatryoshkas followed by a single NIR laser dose of 2 W/cm2 for 5 min, 83% of the TNBC tumor-bearing mice appeared healthy and tumor free >60 days later, while only 33% of mice treated with nanoshells survived the...
Motion Matters: Secretory Granule Motion Adjacent to the Plasma Membrane and Exocytosis

Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy was used to monitor changes in individual granule motions related to the secretory response in chromaffin cells. Because the motions of granules are very small (tens of nanometers), instrumental noise in the quantitation of granule motion was taken into account. ATP and Ca2+, both of which prime secretion before fusion, also affect granule motion. Removal of ATP in permeabilized cells causes average granule motion to decrease. Nicotinic stimulation causes a calcium-dependent increase in average granule motion. This effect is more pronounced for granules that undergo exocytosis than for those that do not. Fusion is not preceded by a reduction in mobility. Granules sometimes move 100 nm or more up to and within a tenth of a second before fusion. Thus, the jittering motion of granules adjacent to the plasma membrane is regulated by factors that regulate secretion and may play a role in secretion. Motion continues until shortly before fusion, suggesting that interaction of granule and plasma membrane proteins is transient. Disruption of actin dynamics did not significantly alter granule motion.
Video-assisted repair of a traumatic intercostal pulmonary hernia

A case of traumatic right lung herniation to an area of anterior costal sternal separation and right hemothorax is presented. Application of a thoracoscopic approach to a traumatic lung hernia of the chest wall in this case is discussed.
Base-induced conversion of macrocyclic tetradentate to bidentate salicylamide complexes. Structure of the picoline adduct to a CoII(1,2-bis(o-hydroxybenzoyl)ethylenediamine)

Abstract The synthesis of the cobalt(II) complex of the tetradentate ligand 1,2-bis(o-hydroxybenzoyl)ethylenediamine (salam) and its 2,2′,4,4′tetrachloro-8,8, 8′,8′-tetramethyl analogue (I) is described. Treatment of I with picoline yields the base adduct II showing an unusual octahedral coordination of cobalt(II) to only a single salicyl group (as a η2-β- ketoenolate ligand) and four picoline bases. The remainder of the original tetradentate ligand exists as a pendant salicylamide moiety that is stabilized by two very strong hydrogen bonds. The structural transformarion of I attendant upon the addition of pyridine bases is discussed. Complex II crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c with lattice constants a=12.174(4), b=10.430(6), c=40.790(24) A, β= 98.16(4)° and Z=4.
A thermal route to stereospecifically 13CO labelled group VIB metal pentacarbonyl amine derivatives

Abstract A method for the synthesis of stereospecifically, equatorially labelled cis -M(CO) 4 ( 13 CO)(amine) derivatives where M = Cr, Mo, and W has been developed involves 13 CO substitution into the vacant coordination site created by the facile dissociation of an amine ligand from cis -M(CO) 4 (amine) 2 derivatives. The mechanistic implications of this extremely stereoselective reaction are discussed.
Hybrid s-parameters for modeling cavity-cable-PCB interactions

In this paper, hybrid S-matrix approach is demonstrated for relatively complex EMI/EMC problems involving cavity-cable-PCB interactions. The purpose of these simulations is to validate the hybrid S-matrix formulation for EMI illuminations other than plane waves. Consequently, the PCB and cables are placed inside a resonant cavity, thereby exposing system ports to the cavity fields. As demonstrated below, calculated EMI induced voltages agree quite well with full wave simulations.