cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation of an Infectious Diseases Telehealth Consultation and Antibiotic Stewardship Program for 16 Small Community Hospitals.

Background Telehealth improves access to infectious diseases (ID) and antibiotic stewardship (AS) services in small community hospitals (SCHs), but the optimal model has not been defined. We describe implementation and impact of an integrated ID telehealth (IDt) service for 16 SCHs in the Intermountain Healthcare system. Methods The Intermountain IDt service included a 24-hour advice line, eConsults, telemedicine consultations (TCs), daily AS surveillance, long-term AS program (ASP) support by an IDt pharmacist, and a monthly telementoring webinar. We evaluated program measures from November 2016 through April 2018. Results A total of 2487 IDt physician interactions with SCHs were recorded: 859 phone calls (35% of interactions), 761 eConsults (30%), and 867 TCs (35%). Of 1628 eConsults and TCs, 1400 (86%) were SCH provider requests, while 228 (14%) were IDt pharmacist generated. Six SCHs accounted for >95% of interactions. Median consultation times for each initial telehealth interaction type were 5 (interquartile range [IQR], 5-10) minutes for phone calls, 20 (IQR, 15-25) minutes for eConsults, and 50 (IQR, 35-60) minutes for TCs. Thirty-two percent of consults led to in-person ID clinic follow-up. Bacteremia was the most common reason for consultation (764/2487 [31%]) and Staphylococcus aureus the most common organism identified. ASPs were established at 16 facilities. Daily AS surveillance led to 2229 SCH pharmacist and 1305 IDt pharmacist recommendations. Eight projects were completed with IDt pharmacist support, leading to significant reductions in meropenem, vancomycin, and fluoroquinolone use. Conclusions An integrated IDt model led to collaborative ID/ASP interventions and improvements in antibiotic use at 16 SCHs. These findings provide insight into clinical and logistical considerations for IDt program implementation.
A Dual Perspective on Sexual Harassment Claims in the Workplace

This Essay provides a background of breach of contract claims in an employment setting. It also discusses an employee’s likelihood of prevailing in a breach of contract claim when that employee is accused of sexual misconduct. A hypothetical scenario will help to illustrate and guide an analysis of the outcome of such a claim, assuming no morality clause exists in the employment agreement and the state in which the action is brought is not “at-will.” It also discusses the remedies available should the employee prevail. Pending legislation surrounding NDAs and addresses how such legislation may alleviate some of the existing problems that accompany NDAs, using California law as a model. This Essay also offers a proposed modification to the pending legislation that would benefit both parties in a sexual harassment claim and concludes with an identification of the public policies behind an employer’s ability to terminate an employee based on sexual misconduct allegations that would best be served by the legislature adopting the proposed amendment.
Ad26.COV2.S boosts antibody and T-cell responses following BNT162b2 vaccination.

Multiple vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) have been demonstrated to protect against COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). While these vaccines have been ...
Demographic and sociocultural risk factors for adulthood weight gain in Hispanic/Latinos: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

BACKGROUND United States (US) Hispanic/Latinos experience a disproportionate burden of obesity, which may in part be related to demographic or sociocultural factors, including acculturation to an US diet or inactive lifestyle. Therefore, we sought to describe the association between adulthood weight histories and demographic and sociocultural factors in a large diverse community-based cohort of US Hispanic/Latinos. METHODS We estimated the effect of several factors on weight gain across adulthood, using multivariable linear mixed models to leverage 38,759 self-reported current body weights and weight histories recalled for 21, 45 and 65 years of age, from 15,203 adults at least 21 years of age at the baseline visit of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (2008-2011). RESULTS The average rate of weight gain was nearly 10 kg per decade in early adulthood, but slowed to < 5 kg a decade among individuals 60+ years of age. Birth cohort, gender, nativity or age at immigration, Hispanic/Latino background, and study site each significantly modified the form of the predicted adulthood weight trajectory. Among immigrants, weight gain during the 5 years post-migration was on average 0.88 kg (95% CI: 0.04, 1.72) greater than the weight gain during the 5 years prior. The rate of weight gain appeared to slow after 15 years post-migration. CONCLUSIONS Using self-reported and weight history data in a diverse sample of US Hispanic/Latinos, we revealed that both demographic and sociocultural factors were associated with the patterning of adulthood weight gain in this sample. Given the steep rate of weight gain in this population and the fact that many Hispanic/Latinos living in the US immigrated as adults, efforts to promote weight maintenance across the life course, including after immigration, should be a top priority for promoting Hispanic/Latino health and addressing US health disparities more broadly.
Origin of the Cell-Associated Dextransucrase of Streptococcus mutans

The cell-associated dextransucrase produced by sucrose-grown cells of cariogenic Streptococcus mutans K1-R is derived from soluble dextransucrase. Synthesis of insoluble dextran by soluble dextransucrase gives rise to two dextransucrase fractions bound to the insoluble polysaccharide; a reversibly bound enzyme, which can be eluted in solutions of clinical dextran, and an irreversibly bound enzyme, which cannot be solubilized in this manner. Both of these fractions of dextransucrase are also present on sucrose-grown cells. During the synthesis of insoluble dextran by sucrose-grown cells, dextransucrase is progressively converted from soluble enzyme, first to the reversibly bound fraction and then to the irreversibly bound fraction, and is finally inactivated as insoluble dextran accumulates. The two cell-associated dextransucrase fractions therefore represent two stages in the insolubilization and inactivation of their precursor, soluble dextransucrase. As a result of this process of inactivation, the yield of dextransucrase from cells cultured on sucrose is markedly decreased by high concentrations of sucrose in the culture medium.
A Migraine Prophylaxis Educational Intervention in a Medicaid Population

Objectives.— To assess migraine prophylactic drug utilization in the Idaho Medicaid population and to evaluate responsiveness of practitioners to an educational intervention from the Idaho Medicaid Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Program. Background.— While established guidelines recommend migraine prophylactic therapies for defined patient populations and several drugs have demonstrated efficacy, their actual utilization is reportedly low. Methods.— Profiles for Idaho Medicaid patients were reviewed retrospectively to identify candidates for migraine prophylactic therapy based on excessive triptan utilization. Use of a prophylactic agent was then characterized for these patients, and an educational mailing was sent to practitioners directly involved in the care of patients who did not appear to be using prophylaxis. Patient profiles were again assessed 6 months following the mailing to determine if a trial of a prophylactic drug had been attempted. Results.— A total of 1909 patients were identified as having at least one claim for a triptan drug in the year studied. Of these patients, 360 appeared to be candidates for prophylaxis, but 154 had no record of prophylactic drug use. In the 6 months following the intervention mailing, 27 of the 91 non-prophylaxis patients (30%) who were still active clients of Idaho Medicaid and who had seen their physician during that time, appeared to have been given a trial of a migraine prophylactic drug. Conclusions.— Following an educational intervention for Idaho Medicaid patients identified through retrospective DUR, a trial of a migraine prophylactic drug was initiated for approximately one-third of potential candidates.
An Experimental Study Concerning the Pressurization and Stratification of Liquid Hydrogen

The so-called temperature stratification phenomenon, which has been observed in containers of cryogenic fluids under certain conditions, is of sufficient interest in the field of cryogenic engineering to warrant special investigation. Areas in which the results of such research may be applied profitably include those concerning the transfer of liquefied gases by pres sur ization, the transfer of liquefied gases by pumping, and the sealed storage of liquefied gases. In the first case, the stratification of contents in a vessel used to supply transfer fluid permits the utilization of subcooled liquid, whose properties are desirable from the aspect of single-phase flow characteristics. In the second case, stratification provides a means to attain, and sustain, net positive suction head for transfer by pumping, the absolute magnitude of NPSH required here depending upon both fluid and pump characteristics. For the final case, the effect of stratification is undesirable, generally, due to the accompanying promotion of an excessive rate of pressure rise in the storage vessel ullage space; the unde sir ability is pronounced for sealed “no-ioss” transport containers in which the maximum time permissible in transit is a direct function of the container design pressure.
Biomaterials, Corrosion and Wear of

Many materials suffer degradation with time when exposed to aggressive chemical environments within the human body. In metallic biomaterials, degradation results from electrochemical corrosion. Ceramic and polymeric biomaterials may undergo physical or chemical deterioration processes. In addition, mechanical forces may act to increase damage by wear, abrasion, or environment-induced cracking processes. Keywords: wear; biomaterials; corrosion; environment-induced cracking; corrosion fatigue
Power considerations for DS/CDMA personal communication systems (PCS)

Spread-spectrum direct sequence/code division multiple access (DS/CDMA) is a promising technique for personal communication systems (PCS) because of its superiority over both FDMA and TDMA. However, DS/CDMA suffers from the near-far problem. Thus, adaptive power control (APC) of the transmitted signal is needed to perform at reasonable efficiency. This requires the simultaneous recording of the performance degradation caused by multipath fading and interference from other users. A model for the DS/CDMA PCS is studied in a Nakagami fading channel, and the probability of error at the base station, along with its upper bounds is evaluated. The results will aid in designing effective and sufficient adaptive power control schemes, and in evaluating the required amount of power needed by each portable set to achieve a reasonable quality in the received signal. >
Genetic Analysis of Cold-Sensitive Ribosome Maturation Mutants of Escherichia coli

Four cold-sensitive mutants of Escherichia coli, which have defects in the maturation of the 50S ribosomal subunit, were isolated. Each of the mutations was shown to map at a different locus. The loci were assigned the name rim (ribosome maturation) and were shown to map as follows: rimA is co-transduced with ilvD and with pyrE; rimB is co-transduced with aroD; conjugation experiments limited rimD to a region between ilv and malB, and conjugation experiments limited rimC to the 22 to 30 min region of the chromosome. In merodiploids heterozygous for rimA, rimB, or rimD, the wild-type allele was shown to be dominant to the mutant allele. The observation that the rim loci lie outside the strA region and separate from each other, as well as the recessive character of the rim loci, suggests that the mutants may be defective in ribosome maturation factors rather than being defective in ribosomal structural proteins.
The dilemma of neutrality

This paper focuses on the dilemma that humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) face in their efforts to gain access to populations caught up in current wars. Narrow and broad concepts of humanitarian protection are discussed and it is argued that despite high levels of professionalism, the space for humanitarian action has constricted sharply since the events surrounding the attacks of 11 September 2001. Increasingly, aid workers are now being viewed with suspicion as agents of the great powers and assertions of humanitarian neutrality are not heeded or rejected. Non-governmental organizations have evolved a range of options to address this problem, but there is an urgent need to work collectively to find more durable and coherent solutions.
Oxidative stress and aging: beyond correlation

The oxidative stress theory of aging has become increasingly accepted as playing a role in the aging process, based primarily on a substantial accumulation of circumstantial evidence. In recent years, the hypothesis that mitochondrially generated reactive oxygen species play a role in organismal aging has been directly tested in both invertebrate and mammalian model systems. Initial results imply that oxidative damage, specifically the level of superoxide, does play a role in limiting the lifespans of invertebrates such as Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. In mammalian model systems, the effect of oxidative stress on lifespan is less clear, but there is evidence that antioxidant treatment protects against age-related dysfunction, including cognitive decline.
Household Air Pollution from Cookstoves: Impacts on Health and Climate

Household air pollution (HAP) is an exposure of poverty. The success in having a sustainable reduction in HAP requires an understanding of the traditions and culture of the family as well as the causes of poverty that place the family at the bottom of the energy ladder. An integrated approach to reducing HAP with efforts also aimed at correcting other poverty-related issues is challenging but offers the hope for addressing root causes of poverty in a community setting that provides a more comprehensive and sustainable approach to improving health, the environment, and, ultimately, the global climate. From one perspective, research that provides detailed exposure-responses to HAP may seem superfluous to the obvious need for poor families to breathe cleaner air at home. One can argue that we already have decades of information on the health risks from outdoor air pollution or the products of incomplete combustion from tobacco smoke and so further research is not needed. However, there is a compelling need to know how clean a stove or fuel must be to significantly reduce health risks, so that with proper use, major implementation of such new technology may reasonably provide the intended benefits for improved health, the regional environment, and the global climate. The alternative of providing electrification or use of clean fuels such as LPG may not be realistic for the world’s poor for decades to come, if ever. Addressing the key scientific gaps related to HAP and its reduction will provide critical new information that can inform large scale implementation programs to provide sufficiently clean household air for families living in poverty, such that diseases are prevented, a healthier lifestyle is promoted, and a reduction in global warming trends buys more time for a planet in peril from climate change.
Leakage from sub-national climate policy: The case of Californias capandtrade program

With federal policies to curb carbon emissions stagnating in the U.S., California is taking action alone. Sub-national policies can lead to high rates of emissions leakage to other regions as state-level economies are closely connected, including integration of electricity markets. Using a calibrated general equilibrium model, we estimate that California's cap-and-trade program without restrictions on imported electricity increases out-of-state emissions by 45% of the domestic reduction. When imported electricity is included in the cap and "resource shuffling" is banned, as set out in California's legislation, emissions reductions in electricity exporting states partially offset leakage elsewhere and overall leakage is 9%.
A Hierarchical Examination of the Immigrant Achievement Gap The Additional Explanatory Power of Nationality and Educational Selectivity Over Traditional Explorations of Race and Socioeconomic Status

This study compared immigrant and nonimmigrant educational achievement (i.e., the immigrant gap) in math by reexamining the explanatory power of race and socioeconomic status (SES)—two variables, perhaps, most commonly considered in educational research. Four research questions were explored through growth curve modeling, factor analysis, and regression analysis on a sample of participants in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort of 1998 (ECLS-K) from kindergarten to eighth grade (N = 6,861). Findings indicated that immigrant students who had been in the United States since at least their preschool years had lower math achievement than nonimmigrants when they began kindergarten; 1.75-generation students caught up to their nonimmigrant peers but second-generation students did not. Nationality played a greater role in determining immigrant performance than did race. Educational selectivity had significant explanatory power over SES in accounting for gaps between immigrant and nonimmigra...
Residual gas and storage conditions affect sensory quality of diced pears in flexible retortable pouches

Abstract Diced pears packed in flexible retortable pouches were manufactured to obtain packages with 10, 15, 20 and 30 cm 3 residual gas, then stored at 4.4, 26.7 and 37.8 °C for six months. The 2-furaldehyde and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde values increased and pears turned darker, softer, more homogeneous in shape/size, less fruity in flavor and aroma, and less acceptable to consumers over time. Elevated temperatures and high residual gas levels were particularly detrimental to pear quality. Highest quality was maintained for 6 months when pears packaged at any residual gas level were stored at 4.4 °C. Acceptable quality was maintained for 6 months in pears packaged with less than 30 cm 3 residual gas, stored at 26.7 °C. Pear quality declined most rapidly at 37.8 °C, 30 cm 3 residual gas. Residual gas volume of 15 cm 3 should not be exceeded to maintain highest quality and acceptability of diced pears packed in flexible retortable pouches.
Lessons from living-wage campaigns

This article looks at 10 years of living-wage campaigns to draw out lessons for labor-movement revitalization. Living-wage advocates have succeeded in passing legislation, building labor-community coalitions, raising awareness on economic development and wage issues, assisting new union organizing and winning raises for already unionized workers. Unions could also benefit by following lessons based on the living-wage movement. For example, labor must develop long-term allies, create a moral vision of its own, work from inside and outside the political process to pass and then enforce laws, and do a better job at involving rank-and-file members.
Modeling of the capture and thermal escape of the carriers from InAs quantum dots at different temperatures

A theoretical model for the dependence on temperature of the carrier behavior in a semiconductor structure containing InAs quantum dots grown inside a Ga 0.85 In 0.15 As quantum well is presented. The conditions, that have to be imposed in order to obtain analytical solutions with obvious physical interpretation are kept to minimum. Two temperature domains are approached in this model. In the low temperature case the equation system that describes the carrier behavior can be reduced to a cubic equation. One of the solutions of the equation represents the quantum dot photoluminescence yield. Also, a solution is obtained for the dot emission yield in the high temperature domain, where the carrier thermal escape from dots cannot be neglected. The solution depends, on the probabilities for electron and hole capture and reemission, and on the number of dot states occupied by electrons and holes. Temperature dependent measurements of the quantum dot photoluminescence are performed and the results are fit with the theoretical model.
Langmuir probe characterization of a miniature inductively coupled plasma source for ion thrusters

Summary form only given. A miniature inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source has been developed. The ICP source is a 1.5cm diameter 5-turn spiral antenna embedded in low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC). LTCC has a permittivity of er=7.8. The ICP source operates in a range of 700-900MHz and can strike a plasma from 3-50W at pressures ranging from 50mTorr to 1.75 Torr. The ICP source is now being characterized for use as a plasma generator for a miniature ion thruster. These characterization tests are being conducted for operating conditions comparable to an ion thruster in space, i.e. background pressure of <;10E-6 Torr and a propellant mass flow rate of <;10sccm. A single Langmuir probe is inserted into the plasma approximately 2mm from the antenna, and the voltage is swept from -50 to +50V. The IV curve produced from this voltage sweep is used to estimate the density of the plasma. The results of these experiments will help describe the relationship between the plasma density with RF input power to the ICP source and mass flow rate of propellant. The experiment will be conducted with the ICP source by itself, the ICP source integrated with thruster discharge chamber, and the ICP source with the thruster discharge chamber with a magnetic cusp. Each experiment should show an increase in plasma density compared to the prior experiment. These results will be used to determine the optimum operating condition for an ion thruster by maximizing the mass utilization efficiency and electrical efficiency of the ICP source.
CDK1 and calcineurin regulate Maskin association with eIF4E and translational control of cell cycle progression.

Maskin regulates assembly of the eIF4F translation initiation complex on messenger RNAs that contain cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements (CPEs) in their 3′ untranslated regions. Because Maskin and eIF4G contain similar peptide motifs that bind eIF4E, they compete for occupancy of this factor and consequently control translation. One mRNA that is regulated by Maskin encodes cyclin B1, whose translation oscillates with the early cell cycles of Xenopus laevis embryos. Here we show that Maskin phosphorylation-dephosphorylation also oscillates with the cell cycle and is controlled by the kinase CDK1 and the phosphatase calcineurin. These phosphorylation events control the Maskin-eIF4E interaction and, as a result, translation of cyclin B1 mRNA. Cell cycle progression requires this Maskin-mediated translational regulation.
Effect of Hydrogen Sulfide on Northern Pike Eggs and Sac Fry

Abstract A series of bioassays were conducted to test the effect of H2S at two concentrations of oxygen on northern pike (Esox lucius L.) eggs and sac fry. At an oxygen concentration of approximately 2 ppm mean median tolerance limits (TLm) for eggs were 0.411, 0.076, 0.038, 0.034, and 0.030 ppm H2S for 24, 48, 72, 96 hours, and for the duration of the embryonic period, respectively. At an oxygen concentration of approximately 6 ppm mean median tolerance limits (TLm) were 0.181, 0.046, 0.041, 0.037, and 0.032 ppm H2S for 24, 48, 72, 96 hours, and for the duration of the embryonic period, respectively. Mean TLm values for sac fry were 0.035, 0.016, 0.012, and 0.009 ppm H2S at 2 ppm oxygen and 0.160, 0.047, 0.030, and 0.026 ppm H2S at 6 ppm oxygen for 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours, respectively. Eggs subjected to H2S resulted in increasing percentages of sac fry with anatomical malformations. Sac fry hatched from eggs held at the higher H2S concentrations were smaller than the controls. Sac fry subjected to H2S ...
Spectrophotometric method for the enzymic microdetermination of succinic acid

Abstract A spectrophotometric method for the quantitative determination of succinic acid has been described. The determinations were carried out in the presence of an easily purified, highly specific, soluble succinic dehydrogenase preparation obtained from Ascaris lumbricoides. For low concentrations of succinate (0.003 to 0.055 μmole/ml) the assay utilizes a tetrazole as the final electron acceptor, and for higher concentrations (0.03 to 0.35 μmole/ml) ferricyanide is used. The Ascaris enzyme is stable for at least one year when stored at −20°.
Cognitive nonlinear radar test-bed

Providing situational awareness to the warfighter requires radar, communications, and other electronic systems that operate in increasingly cluttered and dynamic electromagnetic environments. There is a growing need for cognitive RF systems that are capable of monitoring, adapting to, and learning from their environments in order to maintain their effectiveness and functionality. Additionally, radar systems are needed that are capable of adapting to an increased number of targets of interest. Cognitive nonlinear radar may offer critical solutions to these growing problems. This work focuses on ongoing efforts at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to develop a cognitive nonlinear radar test-bed. ARL is working toward developing a test-bed that uses spectrum sensing to monitor the RF environment and dynamically change the transmit waveforms to achieve detection of nonlinear targets with high confidence. This work presents the architecture of the test-bed system along with a discussion of its current capabilities and limitations. A brief outlook is presented for the project along with a discussion of a future cognitive nonlinear radar test-bed.
EndothelinA–endothelinB receptor cross-talk in rat basilar artery in situ

The rationale for the therapeutic use of dual as opposed to selective endothelin (ET) receptor antagonists stems in part from cross-talk between the ETA and ETB receptors. However, whether ETA–ETB receptor cross-talk is present in the cerebral vasculature is difficult to discern since findings of cross-talk contrast even among the few reports available. Thus, this study tested whether ETA–ETB receptor cross-talk is present in the rat basilar artery. In an in situ cranial window, 0.1 μM sarafotoxin S6c, an ETB receptor agonist, relaxed basilar artery basal tone by 54%. ET-1 (3 nM) in the absence and presence of 10 μM BQ123, an ETA receptor agonist, induced 13% contraction and 15% relaxation, respectively. In contrast, the 3-nM ET-1 plateau contraction was relaxed by only ∼50% by 3–10 μM BQ123 and 10 μM BQ610, ETA receptor antagonists. Nω-nitro-l-arginine, an NO synthase inhibitor, did not enhance contraction to 3 nM ET-1, suggesting that the partial relaxation of the ET-1 plateau contraction did not involve unmasked endothelial ETB receptor-mediated relaxation. The ∼50% ET-1 contraction that remained following ETA receptor antagonist was relaxed by 3–10 μM BQ788, consistent with an ETB receptor-mediated component of contraction. However, 10 μM BQ788 in the absence of prior ETA receptor antagonist did not cause relaxation. Subsequent BQ123 addition in the presence of BQ788 completely relaxed the ET-1 contraction. PD145065 (1 μM), an ETA/B receptor antagonist, completely relaxed 3-nM ET-1 contracted vessels in both the absence and presence of BQ123. These findings suggest that the inability of ETA receptor antagonist to completely relax the ET-1 plateau contraction in rat basilar artery is due to ETA–ETB receptor cross-talk.
Additivity of the Kerr effect in thin-film magnetic systems

Abstract A universal approach is developed for calculating magneto-optic coefficients in multimedia systems. Three configurations are described: (i) a two-media, one-boundary system, (ii) a film sandwiched between two media and (iii) a multilayer system, such as a superlattice or even a randomly stacked sequence. It is proven that in the thin-film limit, the Kerr effect for a multilayer system obeys an additivity law: it is equal to the algebraic sum of the Kerr signals of the individual magnetic films in the system. The prediction is verified experimentally and in numerical calculations on an Fe/Cu/Fe 3-layer stack grown on a Pd-substrate.
The family role in the context of long-term care.

Current long-term care policy and practices are built on the premise that family is and should be the primary party responsible for impaired older persons. This article presents evidence that this premise and the resulting policies and practices are (a) built on myth; (b) fueled by gender, income, and ethnic inequalities; and (c) largely responsible for the creation of a service system that has inadequate capacity to meet current and future needs. An alternate paradigm, which places primary responsibility for long-term care needs on the individual, is proposed here and implications for newpolicy direction are outlined. The projected benefits of this shift in paradigm will be the development of a more viable and more equitable long-term care system that has the capacity to provide high quality care to meet the expanding need.
The shape of things to come

The future of software engineering isn't what it used to be. The nature of the software we write, the reasons we write it and the way we write it and maintain it have changed rapidly and dramatically over the last few years. And software development is likely change even faster over the next decade. In this talk I will reflect on how commercial software has evolved and what it might look like in the not-to-distant future.
Anxiety disorders among African Americans, blacks of Caribbean descent, and non-Hispanic whites in the United States

The central aim of this study is to estimate prevalence, ages of onset, severity, and associated disability of anxiety disorders among African Americans, Caribbean Blacks, and non-Hispanic whites in the U.S. Results indicated that whites were at elevated risk for generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety compared to Caribbean Blacks and African Americans. Black respondents were more likely to meet criteria for PTSD. When African American and Caribbean Black respondents met criteria for an anxiety disorder, they experienced higher levels of overall mental illness severity and functional impairment compared to whites. White respondents were at greater risk to develop generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and panic disorders late in life. Risk of developing PTSD endured throughout the life course for blacks whereas whites rarely developed PTSD after young adulthood. These results can be used to inform targeted interventions to prevent or remediate anxiety disorders among these diverse groups.
IMMUNOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS OF CELL CONSTITUENTS OF ENCAPSULATUS PNEUMONIAE (FRIEDLANDER'S BACILLUS).

1. The soluble specific substance of Friedlander's bacillus is non-antigenic when dissociated from the cell. It is different for each type and it is highly reactive in the corresponding anti-S serum. 2. The nucleoprotein is antigenic, induces the species or protein antibody which reacts with capsule-free cells and protein derived from all types. Antiprotein sera do not react with either the encapsulated cell or the polysaccharide derived from it, and they offer no protection against infection. 3. Anti-R and antiprotein sera are identical in their behavior. 4. The carbohydrate of Friedlander's bacillus is demonstrable in filtrates of actively growing cultures and in the blood and urine of infected animals. 5. The protein is demonstrable in filtrates of only old, disintegrating cultures.
When is a nation

Abstract Although numerous authorities have addressed the question, ‘What is a nation?’, far less attention has been paid to the question, ‘At what point in its development does a nation come into being?’ Evidence is offered that Europe's currently recognized nations emerged only very recently, often centuries later than the dates customarily assigned. In some cases, it is problematic whether nationhood has even yet been achieved. Four problems involved in dating the emergence of a nation are: (1) national consciousness is a mass not an elite phenomenon, and the masses, until quite recently semi‐ or totally illiterate, were quite mute with regard to their sense of group identity(ies); (2) nation‐formation is a process, not an occurrence, and the point in the process at which a sufficient number has internalized the national identity in order to cause nationalism to become an effective force for mobilizing the masses does not lend itself to precise calculation; (3) the process of nation‐formation is not se...
The accuracy of public beliefs about crime: Further evidence.

Criminologists largely agree that public beliefs about crime are inaccurate, and some seem willing to abandon crime reduction as a policy goal in favor of strategies which directly affect public perceptions of crime. Yet direct tests of the accuracy of public beliefs about crime are rare. In a sample survey of Tucson adults, respondents were asked to estimate the percentage of Tucson juveniles who had committed each of fifteen offenses (i.e., the categorical rates of the offenses) and the offender sex ratio for each offense. Responses were compared with self-reported data from students in three Tucson high schools. Among the fifteen offenses there is remarkable agreement between the perceived categorical rates, sex ratios, and the self-reported figures. Taken in conjunction with earlier studies, these findings suggest that strategies designed to reduce the social consequences of crime by altering public beliefs about crime are unlikely to succeed unless they are accompanied by true reductions in the crime rate.
Special simulator to study metastability

Metastability has been long documented as a problem in digital systems with asynchronous inputs. This problem has been analyzed in CMOS latches using a 2nd order small signal model. However, uses of a third order model taking into account that the effect of the feedback transistor. While second order models are helpful in understanding how to model the circuit in the region, they do not provide sufficient information to accurately predict the essential parameter (tau) the maximum time at which the circuit may leave the metastable state. The only way to analyze such a circuit is to simulate it, using a simulator that combines small signal and large signal analysis. Future work on metastability will include modeling the feedback transistor as a resistor, and determining whether such a model is a reasonable simplification. The simulator can be modified easily to model small transistor geometries devices and to study the effect of large signal noise, such as ground and power supply bounce, on metastability. The model may also be applied to an interconnect model to improve delay and cross-talk simulations.
Prevalence of lifestyle risk factors in a family practice.

Abstract The prevalence of eight adverse lifestyle risk factors which are linked to increased morbidity and mortality was determined. Smoking, excess alcohol use, obesity, lack of exercise, lack of seatbelt use, use of hazardous transportation vehicles, and inadequate rest were studied. A random sample of 147 patients from a private family practice were selected in a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected by mailed questionnaire. The most prevalent adverse habits were lack of seatbelt use (71%) and sedentary lifestyle (44%). Patients with multiple adverse health habits and poorer self-reported physical as well as emotional well-being. Using a factor analysis of the correlations among eight habits, no signifiant clustering of habits emerged as indicators of high risk. Thus, no abbreviated list of adverse lifestyle risk factors for clinical use was found that could replace a complete review of risk factors.
MINERVA: Information-Centric Programming for Social Sensing

In this paper, we introduce Minerva; an information-centric programming paradigm and toolkit for social sensing. The toolkit is geared for smartphone applications whose main objective is to collect and share information about the physical world. Information-centric programming refers to a publish-subscribe paradigm that maximizes the amount of information delivered. Unlike a traditional publish-subscribe system where publishers are assumed to have independent content, Minerva is geared for social sensing applications where different sources (participants sharing sensor data) often overlap in information they share. For example, through lack of coordination, they might collect redundant pictures of the same scene or redundant speed measurements of the same street. The main contribution of Minerva, therefore, lies in a data prioritization scheme that maximizes information delivery from publishers to subscribers by reducing redundancy, taking into account the non-independent nature of content. The algorithm is implemented on Android phones on top of the recently introduced named data networking framework. Evaluation results from both two smartphone-based experiments and a large-scale real data driven simulation demonstrate that the prioritization algorithm outperforms other candidates in terms of information coverage.
Direct determination of vinyl acetate content of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers in thick films by infrared spectroscopy

An infrared spectroscopic method was developed for the determination of vinyl acetate content in thick films of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers. The A 3460 /A 3610 ratio was used for the quantitative analysis. The technique is simple, quick and does not require a complicated sample preparation procedure.
Integrative bargaining in a competitive market

Abstract The behavioral decision theory literature was used to identify the determinants of negotiation success in an integrative bargaining, free-market exercise. This study provides a novel methodology for studying negotiation. Specifically, buyers and sellers were allowed to engage in negotiations with as many competitors as possible in a fixed time period. The results suggest that integrative bargaining behavior increases and the market converges toward a Nash equilibrium as negotiators gain experience. In addition, the results suggest that (1) positively framed negotiators (“What will be my net profit from the transaction?”) complete more transactions than negatively framed negotiators (“What will be my expenses on this transaction?”), (2) negotiators who are given moderately difficult profit constraints in order to be allowed to complete a transaction achieve more profitable transactions than negotiators without such constraints, and (3) both framing and the existence of constraints affect the total profitability of the negotiator.
Effects of metaraminol perfusion of kidney, liver, or brain on renal response to saline infusion in the dog.

SummaryThe exaggerated natriuretic response to infusion of saline observed in hypertensive man or dog might be related to vaso-constriction within some key organ rather than to elevation of blood pressure. To examine this thesis saline infusion was administered to 16 mongrel dogs while individual organs were perfused with suppressor doses of metar-aminol. The dose of metaraminol was that which the organ would receive during a systemic pressor infusion known to result in exaggerated natriuresis in the dog. The local pharmacologic effects of metaraminol on kidney, liver or brain did not result in an augmented natriuretic response to the infusion of saline. These data are therefore consistent with the view that hypertension itself is necessary for the appearance of exaggerated natriuresis in response to saline infusion in the dog.
Semantic requirements sharing approach to develop software systems using concept maps and information entropy: A Personal Health Information System example

In this paper we describe a process of developing software systems by capturing the conceptual domain knowledge of the problem domain using concept maps. To illustrate the implementation of this process we have used the example of developing Personal Health Information Systems. In addition to the aforementioned development process, the paper also describes an evaluation metric developed using Design Structure Matrix and information entropy to measure the structural properties of the concept map. The determination of entropy is based on the information derived from the hierarchical structure of a concept map. The probability distributions and the information entropy were calculated defining a new metric: node source connectivity strength based on the number of unique paths from a node to another. The results were compared by using a more standard metric, the graph node connectivity.
Role of maternal exposures and newborn genotypes on newborn chromosome aberration frequencies

Maternal exposures may induce chromosome damage and birth defects in the fetus. Polymorphic variation in genes coding for enzymes involved in metabolic activation and detoxification of environmental procarcinogens may account for some of the differences in chromosome aberration frequencies in newborns. In this study, 40 mothers completed questionnaires regarding exposures they received during their pregnancy. Umbilical cord blood samples were analyzed for chromosome aberrations. An average of 1020 metaphase cell equivalents (equal to 1020 G-banded cells) were examined from each newborn. In 26 of the newborns, genotyping analysis was performed for genes functioning in metabolic activation and detoxification (cytochrome P450 genes: CYP2D6 and CYP1A1, and phase II genes: NAT1, NAT2, GSTT1, GSTM1, GSTP1, and epoxide hydrolase). A significant association between the CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism and chromosome aberration frequencies was observed in the newborns (p=0.02), with heterozygotes showing higher aberration frequencies than the wild type homozygotes. Some large differences in chromosome aberration frequencies for other genotypes were also noted, but these were not statistically significant. Exposure to tobacco smoke in utero also appeared to increase translocation frequencies. The mean frequency of translocations per 100 cell equivalents from newborns of mothers who smoked during pregnancy was significantly higher than that of newborns whose mothers did not smoke (0.21 vs. 0.11, respectively, p=0.045).
Evidence for mechanisms of the hypotriglyceridemic effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Ingestion of modest amounts of n − 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (2.8% w/w) decreased plasma triglyceride levels in Syrian hamsters by 49%. This was associated with a 45% increase in hepatic carnitine palmitoyl transferase activity. Significantly, at this low level of n − 3 PUFA intake, hepatic peroxisomal oxidation measured as CN− insensitive palmitoyl-CoA dependent NAD reduction was unaffected. Consumption of increasing amounts of dietary n − 3 PUFA up to 2% (w/w) in hamster diets containing 15% fat, gradually decreased plasma triglycerides to 56% of the control levels. The diet induced changes in plasma triglyceride levels were highly correlated (r = −0.97, P
Direct three-dimensional reconstruction of a corneal stromal lamella from electron micrographs.

Abstract A direct three-dimensional reconstruction was made of single lamella from the posterior stroma. The reconstruction uses an iterative technique based on a good approximation for the zeroth-order density distribution. The basic information was obtained from rotation electron micrographs. The special methods used to align the micrographs are also given. Advantage was made of the known reconstruction region and the known shape and size of the fibrils. The results show that fibrils weave in and out without intertwining.
Lesbian mothers and their children: a comparison with solo parent heterosexual mothers and their children.

Two types of single-parent households and their effects on children ages 3–11 years were compared. One type comprised 50 homosexual mothers and their 56 children, and the other was a group of 40 heterosexual mothers and their 48 children. There were 30 daughters and 26 sons of homosexual mothers and 28 daughters and 20 sons of heterosexual mothers. The sexual identity and social relationships of the children were assessed in relation to the sexual orientation of the mothers. The samples consisted of families from rural and urban areas in 10 American states. All have lived without adult males (18 years or older) in the household for a minimum of 2 years (average 4). Families with heterosexual mothers were matched to families with homosexual mothers on age and race of mother; length of mother and child separation from father; educational level and income of mother; and number, age, and sex of children. Data are reported from childrens' tests designed to provide information on general intelligence, core-morphologic sexual identity, gender-role preferences, family and peer group relationships, and adjustment to the single-parent family. No significant differences were found between the two types of households for boys and few significant differences for girls. Concerns that being raised by a homosexual mother might produce sexual identity conflict and peer group stigmatization were not supported by the research findings. Data also revealed more similarities than differences in parenting experiences, marital history, and present living situations of the two groups of mothers. The postulated compromised parental fitness of lesbian mothers, commonly asserted in child custody cases, is not supported by these data.
Factors influencing the efficiency of amorphous silicon solar cells

Abstract This paper briefly reviews the status of amorphous silicon solar cells and considers the factors that limit the performance. While poor minority carrier transport is the major factor limiting the efficiency of amorphous silicon solar cells, other properties may be altered so as to achieve efficiencies in excess of 10%. Several specific recommendations are made for improving the performance.
Breeding Methodology and Practice of Super Rice in China

Abstract To meet the growing demand for rice production, the Ministry of Agriculture, P. R. China initiated a nationwide project on the development of super rice in 1996. Through efforts in research, super rice breeding in China has gained significant advances in the aspects of breeding theories, creation of breeding materials and selection and promotion of elite rice varieties. A creative super rice breeding path of the construction of harmonious plant type combined with the utilization of heterosis was proposed. Super rice plays more and more important roles in rice production. Totally, 71 super rice varieties in China have been successfully developed and released to production. These varieties have 12 t/hm2 yield potential in on-farm demonstration fields, 8% to 15% higher than the check varieties with high resistance to pest and medium to high level of grain quality, the total growing area of which has reached 23.7 million hectares, and rice grain production increased by 17.7 million tons from 1996 to 2009. This paper reviewed the development and achievements of super rice breeding in aspects of the breeding methodology and breeding practices, summarized the successful experience of super rice breeding in China and proposed the developmental strategies of super rice for the future.