cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gender Inequality and the Division of Household Labor in the United States and Sweden: A Socialist-Feminist Approach

In this paper, we offer a socialist-feminist framework for exploring the persistence of gender inequality in the disvision of household labor. The inconsistent results generated by the relative resources, gender-role ideology, and time-availability hypotheses speak to the need to examine the structural bases for power relations based on gender. Emphasizing the relative autonomy and interrelations of capitalism and patriarchy, socialist-feminism posits that different forms of patriarchal capitalism have varying effects on the division of household labor. (We thus examine the usefulness of this approach by exploring the relationships expressed in three traditional hypotheses about gender inequality and the performance of five household tasks in the United States and Sweden.) The results of our regression analyses indicate that previous perspectives do not adequately examine the power differential embodied in gender relations and that socialist-feminism may give us insights into why gender inequities in the home are maintained despite progressive legislation
Superior vena caval reconstruction using autologous pericardium

Tumor involvement of the superior vena cava can occur either by direct extension of the primary tumor or by invasion of superior mediastinal lymph nodes. Removal of a portion of the caval wall may be required to allow adequate margins of resection. The technique described involves placement of an intraluminal shunt and resection of the involved caval wall with reconstruction using autologous pericardium.
Inhibition of l-alanine triggered Bacillus cereus T spore germination and outgrowth by fatty acids and glyceryl monododecanoate

Abstract Germination of Bacillus cereus T spores in l -alanine solutions was inhibited totally by lauric (0·25 mM) and oleic (0·885 mM) acids and partially by linoleic acid (0·71 mM), linolenic acid (0·36 mM) and glyceryl monododecanoate (0·36 mM). Inhibition of spore germination was reversible. Lauric or oleic acid inhibited commitment to germinate possibly by interference with germinant diffusion to the binding site(s). These two fatty acids also blocked reactions of postcommitment to germinate including loss of heat resistance. All fatty compounds inhibited outgrowth of fully germinated spores. This was accompanied by inhibition of oxygen consumption by glyceryl monododecanoate and linolenic acid.
The Quantitation of Cocaine on U.S. Currency: Survey and Significance of the Levels of Contamination

It has long been suspected that the illicit distribution of cocaine in the United States has led to a large-scale contamination of the currency supply. To investigate the extent of contamination, 418 currency samples (4174 bills) were collected from 90 locations around the United States from 1993 to 2009. The extent of their cocaine contamination was quantitated via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The level of cocaine contamination was determined to average 2.34 ng/bill across all denominations ($1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100). Levels of cocaine contamination on currency submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory in criminal cases over the 1993-2001 timeframe had significantly higher contamination than currency in general circulation. A mathematical model was developed based on the background survey that indicates the likelihood of drawing a bill in specific concentration ranges. For example, there is a 0.8349 likelihood that random bill will have contamination less than 20 ng. Language: en
Some aspects of corneal and scleral differnitation in the primate.

Abstract Electron microscopic observations were made of corneal and scleral structure in a series of staged primate fetuses from the time the earliest aggregated collagen fibrils appeared. Average diameters of these fibrils range from 31·2–33·3 nm in the cornea and from 26·0–26·6 nm in the sclera, at 43 days of gestation. Though scleral collagen fibrils lag in the initial phases of aggregation, at 54 days of development their average diameter surpasses that of the corneal collagen diameter by about 50%. The scleral collagen fibrils grow and differentiate rapidly, attaining an average thickness of approximately 100 nm with repeating periods of about 80 nm at 76 days of gestation. The diameter of corneal collagen fibrils remain essentially stable during fetal life; their macroperiod, in contrast to that of the scleral fibrils, is poorly defined till late in gestation. Within the fibrocyte the appearance of the organelles during fibrogenesis, the various forms of their contents, and their locations in relation to the cell membrane are noted. The cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum of all ages contain the flocculent or granular material indicative of protein syntheses. Cisternae have sites of ribosomal detachment, and either closely approach the plasma membrane, or they bleb and vesiculate. During the second trimester of gestation some Golgi vacuoles enclose granular or homogenous substances, others long, parallel filaments, often assembled in bundles. Membrane-enclosed, aggregated fibrils, resembling the extracellular collagen fibrils, occur frequently. Similarities between chick and primate collagen-producing cells are pointed out. Within the scleral fibrocytes, near the sites where the first presumed elastic microfibrils appear, are associated glycogen clumps, polysomes and small granules. Close to the outer side of the plasma membrane individual collagen fibrils and the fine filaments of the extracellular space may participate in the formation of pre-elastic foci.
Speaking for the underrepresented in the house of representatives: Voicing women's interests in a partisan era

We ask whether women's descriptive representation in Congress enhances women's substantive representation through speechmaking on the House floor. Much of the research on women's substantive representation has focused on members' votes for and sponsorship of “women's issues” legislation. We depart from this research by systematically analyzing how members' gender and partisan identities affect gendered rhetoric in their floor speeches. In an era marked by significant increases in the number of congresswomen and partisan polarization, understanding the interactive effect of gender and partisanship on women's representation is particularly important. In an analysis of more than 30,000 speeches from 1993 to 2008, we find that when members speak about issues of their choosing during one-minute speeches, and during specific legislative debates over the most important policies considered on the House floor, congresswomen in both parties are significantly more likely than men to discuss women, enhancing women's representation.
Impact of β-Blocker Dosage Changes during Heart Failure Exacerbation

Background: Although (3-blockers are important life-saving medications in heart failure patients, studies evaluating β-blocker dosing in decompensated heart failure are limited. Objective: To determine the clinical outcomes in patients with severe decompensated heart failure receiving the same dose of β-blockers as well as those whose outpatient regimen was altered. Methods: A retrospective chart analysis was conducted in patients with severe decompensated heart failure receiving chronic β-blocker therapy who were admitted to the hospital for decompensated heart failure. Of 245 patients identified, 76 were included in the study: same dose (n = 26), decreased dose (n = 19), discontinued dose (n = 21), or increased dose (n = 10). Χ 2 Analysis for K-independent samples evaluated the incidence of proarrhythmic events, mortality, and the number of recurrent hospitalizations after the index admission. Stepwise forward linear regression analysis determined the variables correlated with morbidity and mortality in these patients. Results: New arrhythmias during hospital admission occurred in 19 (25%) patients. The discontinued dose group had the most proarrhythmic events (47.6%; n = 10) and the most deaths (50%) in 6 months. Arrhythmias developed 1.8 and 3 days following β-blocker discontinuation or dosage reduction, respectively. Conclusions: Patients who remained on their outpatient β-blocker dose upon admission for decompensated heart failure had better clinical outcomes than others whose β-blocker dose was changed. A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial is warranted to further explore the implications of this drug-disease state interaction.
Tennyson's IN MEMORIAM

Alfred Lord Tennyson's In Memoriam (1850), an elegy written to honor Tennyson's deceased friend Arthur Henry Hallam, conveys Tennyson's mindset during the seventeen-year period following the death ...
Felt heaviness is used to perceive the affordance for throwing but rotational inertia does not affect either

Bingham et al. discovered a perceptible affordance property, composed of a relation between object weight and size, used to select optimal objects for long-distance throwing. Subsequent research confirmed this finding, but disconfirmed a hypothesis formulated by Bingham et al. about the information used to perceive the affordance. Following this, Zhu and Bingham investigated the possibility that optimal objects for throwing are selected as having a particular felt heaviness. The results supported this hypothesis. Perceived heaviness exhibits the size–weight illusion: to be perceived as equally heavy, larger objects must weigh more than smaller ones. Amazeen and Turvey showed that heaviness perception is determined by rotational inertia. We investigated whether rotational inertia would determine both perceived heaviness and throw-ability when spherical objects were held in the hand and wielded about the wrist. We found again that a particular judged heaviness corresponded to judged throw-ability. However, rotational inertia was found to have no effect on either judgment, suggesting that rotational inertia does not determine perceived heaviness of spherical objects held in the hand, as it did for the weighted-rod-type objects used by Amazeen and Turvey.
Limitations of Direct Methods and the Reference Method for Measuring HDL and LDL Cholesterol

To the Editor: Miller and colleagues (1) compared the results obtained by direct measurements of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) and LDL-C with those obtained with reference methods requiring ultracentrifugation. They used frozen pooled serum samples and fresh serum samples from 37 healthy controls and 138 individuals with dyslipidemia or heart disease that they had obtained from the NIH. Assay kits, calibrators, and controls were provided by 7 manufacturers. The authors reported CVs of <3.7% for HDL-C and <4.4% for LDL-C for the frozen serum pools, biases for fresh serum from the healthy controls of −5.4% to 4.4% for HDL-C and −6.8% to 1.1% for LDL-C. The biases for the patients with disease were −8.6% to 8.8% for HDL-C and −11.8% to 4.1% for LDL-C, compared with the reference method. The total error for the healthy controls ranged from −13.4% to 1.6% for HDL-C and from −13.3% to 13.5% for LDL-C. For the disease group, total errors ranged from −19.8% to 36.3% for HDL-C and from −26.6% to 31.9% for LDL-C. The authors concluded that 6 of 8 direct HDL-C …
Neuropeptides amplify and focus the monoaminergic inhibition of nociception in Caenorhabditis elegans

Monoamines and neuropeptides interact to modulate most behaviors. To better understand these interactions, we have defined the roles of tyramine (TA), octopamine, and neuropeptides in the inhibition of aversive behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. TA abolishes the serotonergic sensitization of aversive behavior mediated by the two nociceptive ASH sensory neurons and requires the expression of the adrenergic-like, Gαq-coupled, TA receptor TYRA-3 on inhibitory monoaminergic and peptidergic neurons. For example, TA inhibition requires Gαq and Gαs signaling in the peptidergic ASI sensory neurons, with an array of ASI neuropeptides activating neuropeptide receptors on additional neurons involved in locomotory decision-making. The ASI neuropeptides required for tyraminergic inhibition are distinct from those required for octopaminergic inhibition, suggesting that individual monoamines stimulate the release of different subsets of ASI neuropeptides. Together, these results demonstrate that a complex humoral mix of monoamines is focused by more local, synaptic, neuropeptide release to modulate nociception and highlight the similarities between the tyraminergic/octopaminergic inhibition of nociception in C. elegans and the noradrenergic inhibition of nociception in mammals that also involves inhibitory peptidergic signaling.
Aldosterone, Through Novel Signaling Proteins, Is a Fundamental Molecular Bridge Between the Genetic Defect and the Cardiac Phenotype of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background— Human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in the young, is characterized by cardiac hypertrophy, myocyte disarray, and interstitial fibrosis. The genetic basis of HCM is largely known; however, the molecular mediators of cardiac phenotypes are unknown. Methods and Results— We show myocardial aldosterone and aldosterone synthase mRNA levels were elevated by 4- to 6-fold in humans with HCM, whereas cAMP levels were normal. Aldosterone provoked expression of hypertrophic markers (NPPA, NPPB, and ACTA1) in rat cardiac myocytes by phosphorylation of protein kinase D (PKD) and expression of collagens (COL1A1, COL1A2, and COL3A1) and transforming growth factor-β1 in rat cardiac fibroblasts by upregulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-p100δ. Inhibition of PKD and PI3K-p110δ abrogated the hypertrophic and profibrotic effects, respectively, as did the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist spironolactone. Spironolactone reversed interstitial fibros...
Process variation tolerant online current monitor for robust systems

Large inter-die and intra-die process variations result in significant uncertainty in delay of circuits. Large delay variations may lead to parametric/functional failures. In this paper we propose a leakage-variation-tolerant online current monitor, namely leakage canceling current sensor, to detect completion of operations in logic blocks. The current monitor is applied to self timed logic to design process variation tolerant circuits. It is observed that, for self-timed circuits, the probability of functional failures can be reduced by 50% with no performance degradation and with same power consumption.
The Global Arms Trade After the Persian Gulf War

(1992). The Global Arms Trade After the Persian Gulf War. Security Studies: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 260-309.
A wireless sensor network based closed-loop system for subsurface contaminant plume monitoring

A closed-loop contaminant plume monitoring system is being developed that integrates wireless sensor network based monitoring with numerical models for subsurface plumes. The system is based on a novel virtual sensor network architecture that supports the formation, usage, adaptation, and maintenance of dynamic subsets of nodes. This automated monitoring system is intended to capture transient plumes to assess the source, track plumes in real-time, and predict future plumes behavior using numerical models that can be continuously re-calibrated by sensor data. This paper presents recent progress made in (1) developing a proof-of-concept study using a porous media test bed with sensors deployed; and (2) developing distributed algorithms for virtual sensor networking.
Percutaneous Tracheostomy Tube Obstruction: Warning

Study objectives: To determine the patency of standard and modified Portex tracheostomy tubes inserted by the percutaneous dilatational technique. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Medical-surgical ICUs in a tertiary care community hospital. Patients: Medical-surgical ICU patients requiring tracheostomy. Interventions: Consecutive medical-surgical ICU patients requiring tracheostomy were eligible for the study. Percutaneous tracheostomy tubes were inserted using the percutaneous dilatational technique with bronchoscopic guidance. The study population consisted of the following two groups: group 1 (receiving the standard Portex Per-fit percutaneous tracheostomy tube); and group 2 (receiving the modified Portex Per-fit percutaneous tracheostomy tube). Patients underwent daily fiberoptic evaluation to assess tracheostomy tube patency following the first 72 h after the tracheostomy tube placement. Demographic data and clinical signs or symptoms of airway obstruction were recorded. Measurements and results: Thirty-seven patients received the standard percutaneous tracheostomy tube (group 1), and 17 patients received the modified percutaneous tracheostomy tube (group 2). Partial tracheostomy tube occlusion (> 25%) was observed in 21 of 37 group 1 patients (57%) and in 1 of 17 group 2 patients (6%; p 40% occlusion of the distal tracheostomy tube opening (p < 0.005). One patient from group 1 had clinical manifestations of tracheostomy tube obstruction. None of the patients in group 2 experienced signs or symptoms of airway obstruction. Conclusions: The standard Portex Per-fit percutaneous tracheostomy tubes used in this study were associated with partial airway obstruction. Modifications of the standard Portex percutaneous tracheostomy tube markedly decreased the airway obstruction. Due to the findings in this study, the authors recommend abandoning the continued use of the Portex Per-fit percutaneous tracheostomy tube in its current configuration and replacing it with the modified tracheostomy tube described in this study. (CHEST 2002; 122:1377–1381)
The isomer ratio 236Np(l)236Np(s) in the reaction 237Np(n, 2n)236Np from neutrons produced in thermonuclear devices

Abstract The ratio of the long-lived to the 22-hr isomer of 236Np was measured for the reaction 237Np(n, 2n)236Np by exposing 237Np to the neutron spectra produced in underground thermonuclear tests. The average value of this ratio was found to be 0·35 ± 0·05.
Fault management in avionics telecommunication using passive testing

In this paper, the author employs the Communicating Finite State Machine (CFSM) model for avionics telecommunication networks to investigate fault management using passive testing. First, he introduces the concept of passive testing. Then, he introduces the CFSM model and the observer model with necessary assumptions and justification. The author introduces the fault model and the fault detection algorithm using passive testing. He presents the new passive testing approach for fault location, fault identification, and fault coverage based on the CFSM model. Examples are given for each fault management function to illustrate our approach. Then, the illustrates the effectiveness of the new technique through simulation of a practical protocol example, the network layer protocol for the Aeronautical Telecommunication Networks. Finally, future extensions and potential trends are discussed.
On the testability of FFT arrays

This paper presents new approaches for testing VLSI array architectures used in the computation of the complex N-point fast Fourier transform. Initially, an unrestricted single cell-level fault model is considered. The first proposed approach is based on a process whose complexity is independent (or C- as constant) of the number of cells in the FFT architecture. This is accomplished by showing a topological equivalence between the FFT array and a linear (one-dimensional) array. The process of fault location is also analyzed. The second proposed method is based on a testing process whose complexity is linear with respect to the number of stages (columns) of the FFT array. A component-level fault model is also proposed and analyzed. The implications of this model on the C-testability process are fully described. >
Class Switching in B Cells Lacking 3′ Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Enhancers

The 40-kb region downstream of the most 3′ immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain constant region gene (Cα) contains a series of transcriptional enhancers speculated to play a role in Ig heavy chain class switch recombination (CSR). To elucidate the function of this putative CSR regulatory region, we generated mice with germline mutations in which one or the other of the two most 5′ enhancers in this cluster (respectively referred to as HS3a and HS1,2) were replaced either with a pgk-neor cassette (referred to as HS3aN and HS1,2N mutations) or with a loxP sequence (referred to as HS3aΔ and HS1,2Δ, respectively). B cells homozygous for the HS3aN or HS1,2N mutations had severe defects in CSR to several isotypes. The phenotypic similarity of the two insertion mutations, both of which were cis-acting, suggested that inhibition might result from pgk-neor cassette gene insertion rather than enhancer deletion. Accordingly, CSR returned to normal in B cells homozygous for the HS3aΔ or HS1,2Δ mutations. In addition, induced expression of the specifically targeted pgk-neor genes was regulated similarly to that of germline CH genes. Our findings implicate a 3′ CSR regulatory locus that appears remarkably similar in organization and function to the β-globin gene 5′ LCR and which we propose may regulate differential CSR via a promoter competition mechanism.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN MANAGEMENT, FIRM PERFORMANCE, AND THE MODERATING ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION DIMENSIONS

Extending previous theorizing on cultural diversity's organizational effects by integrating value-in-diversity and social identity perspectives with the framework of Blau's (1977) theory of heterog...
Depression and asthma: a potentially lethal mixture.

of death due to asthma: a national study. Am .I Epidemiol 1986;124:1004-11. IO. Sears MR, Rea HH, Rothwell RPG, et al. Asthma mortality: comparison between New Zealand and England. Br Med .I 1986;293: 1342-5. Il. Sears MR, Rea HH, Fenwick J, et al. Seventy-five deaths in asthmatics prescribed home nebulisers. Br Med J 1987;294: 477-80 12. Rea HH, Sears MR. Beaglehole R, et al. Lessons from the national asthma mortality study: circumstances surrounding death. NZ Med J 1987;100:10-13. 13. Rothwell RPG, Rea HH, Sears MR, et al. Lessons from the national asthma mortality study: deaths in hospitals. NZ Mcd J 1987;100:199-202. 14. Beaglehole R, Jackson R, Rea H, Sears M. Asthma mortality in New Zealand: a review with some policy implications. NZ Med J (in press). 15. Sears MR, Rea HH, Beaglehole R. Asthma mortality: a review of recent experience in New Zealand. J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL (in press). 16. Strunk RC, Mrazek DA, Fuhrmann GSW, LaBrecque JF. Physiologic and psychological characteristics associated with deaths due to asthma in childhood. A case-controlled study. JAMA 1985;254:1193-8. 17. Sears MR, O’Donnell TV, Rea HH. Asthma mortality and socioeconomic status. NZ Med J 1985;98:765.
Rank 1 preservers on the unitary Lie ring

The surjective additive maps on the Lie ring of skew-Hermitian linear transformations on a finite-dimensional vector space over a division ring which preserve the set of rank 1 elements are determined. As an application, maps preserving commuting pairs of transformations are determined.
Surveying Professionals’ Views of Positive Behavior Support and Behavior Analysis:

Positive behavior support (PBS) is an empirically driven approach to improve quality of life influenced by the science of behavior analysis. Recent discussions have evolved around PBS, behavior analysis, and their relationship within education and human services fields. To date, few data have been offered to guide behaviorally oriented professionals with respect to PBS and behavior analysis as complementary approaches. In this article, the authors surveyed 847 behavioral professionals about their views of PBS and behavior analysis. Results indicate small but consistent differences between those who affiliate exclusively with either PBS or behavior analysis in regards to their ratings of the importance of service delivery methods, values, and research methods. Although statistically significant differences emerged, both groups provided generally favorable ratings for core components of PBS and behavior analysis. Historical analysis of differences and similarities are discussed, as are considerations for fu...
Pushkinist or P.R. Man? Sergei Lifar in 1930s Europe

In a 1997 essay for a pre-bicentennial exhibition of Pushkiniana in Paris, Helene Henry noted the irony of Aleksandr Pushkin’s situation: nicknamed “le Francais” when he was at school, Pushkin never set foot on French soil. What’s more, his debt to French philosophy and poetry did little to enhance his reputation in the country of Voltaire and Andre Chenier. “In current opinion,” writes Henry, “nothing could come from Russia but ‘exotic’ objects, marked by local color and folklore: tales and legends, popular refrains, ‘Muscovite songs of old times’, and other ‘verses of moujiks’, as Merimee expressed it.” When the French read Pushkin, it was the fantastic elements of “Ruslan and Liudmila” and the exotic locale of “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” which drew their attention.
Environmental Damage and the Destruction of Life - Problems that Add a New Balancing Dimension to International Port Access vs. Efficient Trade under International Law

The problem is that while we do not want to see a repeat of a 9/11 type incident occurring in our ports, we do not want to twist the term "security" (a word that can mean different things to different countries) into a meaning that would destroy navigational freedom and international shipping access to ports. In Article 25, the 1982 Convention UNCLOS confirms the right of the coastal State to regulate access to its internal waters, including its ports, by stipulating in relation to innocent passage in the territorial sea that: in the case of ships proceeding to internal waters or a call at a port facility outside internal waters, the coastal state also has the right to take the necessary steps to prevent any breach of the conditions to which admission of those ships to internal waters or such a call is subject. He concludes that: First, the ports of a State which are designated for international trade are, in the absence of express provisions to the contrary made by a port State, presumed to be open to the merchant ships of all States. Globally, each year over 48 million full cargo containers move between major seaports; overall some 200 million full and empty containers are transported between the world's seaports. Hidden in one of those containers was a crude explosive device comprised of nearly ten tons of ammonium nitrate, an explosive charge twice the amount used in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1994. MTSA attempts to resolve maritime threats (recognizing that the central threat is presented by container ships departing for the United States taking place during the foreign port phase) by trying to achieve the following: (1) identifying and tracking vessels; (2) accessing the level of security preparation of particular vessels and port facilities; (3) limiting access to secure areas; (4) developing an automatic identification system allowing port officials to identify and position vessels in U.S. waters; and (5) requiring foreign and domestic owners or operators of vessels operating in U.S. waters to prepare and submit a "vessel security plan," for approval, to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Cooperative Extension Answers the Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding.

Extension has many opportunities to promote breastfeeding, one of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant, and herself. This manuscript describes how and why Cooperative Extension can partner with federal and state efforts to promote breastfeeding. Rutgers Family and Community Health Sciences department members served on state workgroups to identify and implement evidence-based strategies to promote breastfeeding in the health care, childcare, and worksite settings. Extension is an important public health partner, providing technical assistance, content expertise, and resources that meet the needs of its community.
Association of ambulatory heart rate and atherosclerosis risk factors with blood pressure in young non-hypertensive adults

Objective The study objective was to assess the association between 24 h ambulatory heart rate (HR), atherosclerosis risk factors and blood pressure (BP) in young non-hypertensive patients. Methods We recruited 186 participants aged 18–45 years from a large urban academic Family Medicine outpatient practice, serving 40 000 individuals for this observational study. The main analyses were based on multiple linear regression, with mean 24 h BP (systolic BP (SBP) or diastolic BP (DBP)) as the outcomes, mean 24 h HR as the main predictor of interest, and controlling for age, gender, race, insulin sensitivity/resistance and endothelial function measured by strain gauge venous occlusion plethysmography. Results HR was independently associated with mean 24 h SBP and DBP (SBP and DBP: p=0.042 and 0.001, respectively). In our analyses, associations were markedly stronger for ambulatory compared with office BP measurements. Endothelial dysfunction was associated with higher SBP (p=0.013); plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 was significantly associated with both SBP and DBP (p=0.041 and 0.015, respectively), while insulin resistance was not associated with either SBP or DBP. Insulin resistance and C reactive protein were significant predictors of HR (p=0.013 and 0.007, respectively). Conclusions These findings suggest that HR may be a potential marker of elevated cardiovascular risk in young asymptomatic individuals, prior to the development of clinical hypertension or cardiovascular disease.
Inertial Measurement Unit-Based Wearable Computers for Assisted Living Applications: A signal processing perspective

There has been a very rapid growth in wearable computers over the past few years. Assisted living applications leveraging wearable computers will enable a healthier lifestyle and independence in a variety of target populations, including those suffering from neurological disorders, patients in need of rehabilitation after surgical procedures or injury, the elderly, individuals who might be at high risk of emotional stress, and those who are looking for a healthier lifestyle. Application paradigms for assisted living include activities of daily living (ADLs) monitoring, indoor localization, emergency and fall detection, and rehabilitation. All of these applications require monitoring of movements and physical activities for individuals. Wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based sensors can offer low-cost and ubiquitous monitoring solutions for physical activities. Signal processing techniques with a focus on enhancing accuracy, lowering computational complexity, reducing power consumption, and improving the unobtrusiveness of the wearable computers are of interest in this article, which constitutes the first attempt made at reviewing the literature of wearable IMU-based signal processing techniques for assisted living applications. Various signal processing techniques with the aforementioned performance metrics in mind are reviewed here.
Nano-Tubes in GaN

Gallium nitride is one of the promising semiconductors for laser diodes for the blue and UV wavelength regions. Even though recent progress has greatly improved the crystal quality of GaN films grown on various substrates, its practical application is still hampered by the high defect density. Formation of vertical hollow nano-tubes in GaN grown on different substrates using different growth methods is described. These defects are shown to be of several different types, some related to threading dislocations, but others originating at tubular inversion domains, or crystal inhomogeneities. Kinetic mechanism based on slow growth rate on polar (0{bar 1}11) surfaces is proposed to explain the origin of these defects.
Temperature Dependence of Ar Sputtering of CoSi2 Thin Films on Si and SiO2

The temperature dependence of 300eV argon ion sputtering of CoSi2 thin films in the range 50–600° has been investigated. At temperatures above 400°, the etch rate of CoSi2 on Si is significantly reduced, while the underlying Si reacts with the Co atoms diffusing from the silicide surface. As a result, the silicide layer effectively moves into the substrate during Ar bombardment. During sputtering of CoSi2 on Sio2, the thickness of the silicide layer decreases almost linearly with bombarding time until all the silicide is removed. Similar behavior is observed in low temperature sputtering of CoSi2 on (100) Si and evaporated Si. However, at elevated temperatures (400°<T<600°), sputtering of CoSi2 on Si undergoes two consecutive stages. During the initial stage, the thickness of the silicide layer decreases at the same rate as that of the silicide on SiO2, and is accompanied by an enrichment in Co concentration near the surface. During the second stage, the etch rate of the silicide is reduced to only one third of the rate during the initial stage.
Temperature Rise in Large-Amplitude Oscillatory Shear Flow from Shear Stress Measurements

Recently, we derived the temperature rise in a viscoelastic fluid undergoing large-amplitude oscillatory shear flow (LAOS) using the corotational Maxwell model [Giacomin et al. Phys. Fluids, 2012, 24, 103101]. The results of this derivation are used to estimate the temperature rise a priori. In the present paper, we show how to calculate the temperature rise in any liquid after measuring the shear stress response to LAOS. Specifically, if the measured response is represented by a Fourier series of odd harmonics, we can then combine this Fourier series with the equation of energy, written in terms of temperature, to calculate the temperature rise. This yields both a time-averaged contribution to the temperature rise, and an oscillating part. We find both contributions to be significant. We estimate the oscillating part with an analytical solution for the worst case, LAOS between adiabatic plates. We can thus use this calculation to see if the ±0.5 °C temperature requirement of the current standard for osci...
AP-1 blockade prevents breast cancer development by suppressing cyclin D and E2F factors.

Fifth AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, Nov 12-15, 2006 A120 The AP-1 transcription factor transduces growth signals through signal transduction pathways to the nucleus, leading to the expression of genes involved in proliferation and malignant transformation in many cell types. We have previously shown that overexpression of a dominant-negative form of the cJun proto-oncogene, Tam67, blocks AP-1 transcriptional activity, induces a G1 cell cycle block, and inhibits breast cancer cell growth. We also found that in vivo inducible AP-1 blockade downregulates cyclin D1 expression in mammary cells and suppresses mammary gland development. Further, AP-1 blockade suppresses and partially prevents oncogene-induced mammary tumors. To study the mechanism how AP-1 regulates mammary cell proliferation, we expressed inducible Tam67 in breast cancer cells. We found that AP-1 blockade by Tam67 in MCF-7 breast cancer cells downregulates cyclin D1 transcriptional activity by two mechanisms: by suppressing transcription at the known AP-1 binding site (-934/-928) and by suppressing growth factor-induced expression through suppressing E2F activation at the E2F-responsive site (-726/-719). AP-1 blockade also led to reduced expression of E2F1 and E2F2, but not E2F4 at the mRNA and protein levels. ChIP and supershift assays demonstrated decreased binding of E2F1 protein to the E2F site in the cyclin D1 promoter. We also found that the E2F1 dimerizing partner, DP1, was suppressed by Tam67. In addition, Tam67 suppressed the expression of E2F-upregulated cell cycle genes (cyclins E, A, B and D3), and enhanced the expression of E2F-downregulated cell cycle genes (cyclins G1 and I). Reduced expression of other E2F-regulated genes was also seen with AP-1 blockade and E2F suppression. Thus, the AP-1 factor regulates the expression of cyclin D and E2F (the latter in turn regulates E2F-downstream genes), leading to cell cycle progression and breast cancer cell proliferation. These results suggest that AP-1 is a critical connecting node for growth signals and cell proliferation, and therefore is a promising target for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Rapid detection and diagnosis of human enterovirus caused an encephalitis outbreak in Guangdong,China

Objective To rapidly detect and identify the viral encephalitis caused by human enterovirus.Methods Cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)and stool specimens of the viral encephalitis cases were rapidly screened by using real-time quantitative PCR with universal enterovirus primers.The partial VP1 gene fragment from positive specimens was amplified using semi-nested PCR(Sn-PCR),sequenced and aligned using BLAST with the corresponding subtypes in the NCBI GenBank.Results Out of 32 CSF specimens tested,26(81.3%)were enterovirus positive by real-time PCR,and all 7(100.0%)stool specimens tested were enterovirus positive.Twenty-six out of 33 positive samples were successfully amplified for the target VP1 gene fragment by Sn-PCR.Sequencing analysis showed that 13 of the 15 CSF specimens were ECV30,the other two were ECV9;6 of the 7 stool specimens were ECV30,only one was ECV9.Conclusions The pandemic of viral encephalitis was proved to be an enterovirus outbreak in Luoding city,west Guangdong province of China.Real-time PCR and Sn-PCR are very effective ways for rapid detection and identification of the intestinal viral encephalitis.
An evaluation of health care expenditures in Crohn's disease using the United States Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2003 to 2013.

Abstract Background Previous estimates of the economic burden of Crohn's disease (CD) varied widely from $2.0 to $18.2 billion per year (adjusted to 2015 $US). However, these estimates do not reflect recent changes in pharmaceutical treatment options and guidelines. Objective The goal of this study was to update cost estimates of Crohn's disease based on a representative sample of the US population from the most recent 11 years (2003–2013) of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). A secondary aim described expenditure trends in respondents with and without Crohn's disease pre-post FDA approvals of new biologics and the American College of Gastroenterology Crohn's disease treatment guidelines. Methods Average annual expenditures (total, prescription, inpatient, and outpatient) were evaluated using a pooled cross-sectional design. Respondent data from the most recent 11 years (2003–2013) of MEPS were analyzed. Two-part generalized linear models with power-link were used to estimate the average annual expenditures per patient adjusted to multiple covariates. Confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using bootstrap methods. Difference-in-differences estimations were performed to compare the changes in health care expenditures pre-post FDA approvals of new biologics and the American College of Gastroenterology Crohn's disease treatment guidelines. Results The annual aggregate economic burden of CD was $6.3 billion in the US. Respondents with CD had higher total (+$6442; 95% CI: $4864 to $8297), prescription (+$3283; 95% CI: $2289 to $4445), inpatient (+$1764; 95% CI: $748 to $3551), and outpatient (+$1191; 95% CI: $592 to $2160) expenditures compared to respondents without CD. In the difference-in-differences estimation, respondents with CD had significantly higher total ( P = 0.001) and prescription ( P Conclusions Respondents with CD diagnosis had higher expenditures compared to respondents without CD diagnosis from 2003 to 2013. This study captured the most recent availability of new treatment options and changes to treatment guidelines, while providing updated estimates of the economic burden of CD in the US. However, this research was unable to study the causes of these increased health care expenditures in respondents with CD. Future investigations will need to determine the causal factors for increased expenditures in CD.
Basic Ideas and Tools

In this chapter we will introduce the basic definitions, theorems, and some of the analytic techniques and tools that will be used throughout the book. Here we will consider harmonic functions and their basic properties, the Poisson kernel, the Dirichlet problem, HP spaces, and singular integrals. We will then state and prove some of the classical results relating the nontangential maximal function and Lusin area function. Our goal is not to give a comprehensive introduction to these topics, but rather to introduce, as quickly and efficiently as possible, the requisite background, both mathematical and historical, for what follows in the subsequent chapters. We provide proofs for most of the results in this chapter, especially those concerning harmonic functions on half spaces, since these occupy center stage throughout this monograph. However, it will be impossible, in the space of an introductory chapter, to present complete proofs of all the material mentioned above. Although we will be thorough with the development of harmonic functions, we will merely give references for some of the real analysis tools we will use, in particular, those results readily attainable in the literature. (We do assume that the reader is familiar with the rudiments of analysis.) Readers knowledgeable on these topics may skip this chapter, although it should serve such readers as a convenient reference. Those wishing a complete and comprehensive introduction to these topics are advised to consult some of the numerous texts already in existence: [ABR], [Du], [Fo], [Ga], [Ho], [Jou], [Koo], [St4], [St6], [SW2], [To] and [Zy2]. As we discussed in the Preface, and as the title clearly indicates probabilistic ideas and techniques play an essential role in what we do in this monograph. Much of the material of this chapter can also be presented from this point of view. In order to maintain this chapter as short and as elementary as possible, we decided to present the analytic point of view in this introduction and refer the interested reader to [Dur] or [Bas2] for the probailistic approach.
A decade of DNA methylation profiling in cancer: What have we learned?

Investigators have studied DNA methylation in tumor cells for nearly 50 years. Differences in gene-specific methylation between cancer cells and their normal counterparts were described more than 30 years ago. From early techniques that measured overall DNA methylation levels to enzyme-associated techniques that interrogated methylation at a single CpG dinucleotide to present day assays that catalogue the methylation of every cytosine in the genome, technical advancement progressively has brought increasing clarity to our understanding of the complex epigenomes of normal and neoplastic cells. Over the past 10 years we have been witness to an explosion of investigation into the epigenetic basis of cancer, and application of the powerful genome-wide DNA methylation profiling techniques to be reviewed have yielded critical insights into the organization of the cancer methylome with its broad regions of hypomethylation and foci of hypermethylation resulting in critical differences in gene expression and chromosomal stability compared to normal cells. These insights, in turn, have prompted novel, testable hypotheses, to be discussed, pertaining to fundamental aspects of cancer biology including the potential stem cell/progenitor cell origins of cancer and the plasticity of gene expression that may underlie tumor heterogeneity and tumor progression. Finally to be discussed is the growing portfolio of epigenetic tools being provided by modern methylome profiling analyses. These biomarker tools are complementing and extending the current genomic tests that are improving cancer diagnosis and that increasingly will facilitate highly individualized cancer treatment in the upcoming decade.
A hybrid polyketide–nonribosomal peptide in nematodes that promotes larval survival

Polyketides and nonribosomal peptides are two important types of natural products that are produced by many species of bacteria and fungi but are exceedingly rare in metazoans. Here, we elucidate the structure of a hybrid polyketide-nonribosomal peptide from Caenorhabditis elegans that is produced in the canal-associated neurons (CANs) and promotes survival during starvation-induced larval arrest. Our results uncover a novel mechanism by which animals respond to nutrient fluctuations to extend survival.
A Communication “Tools” Model for AAC Intervention: Case Illustrations for Two Early Communicators

In a 2001 article in Perspectives in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (now a part of Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups), Cress outlined her Communication Tools model as a s...
Bioaccumulation of Dechloranes, organophosphate esters, and other flame retardants in Great Lakes fish

We measured the concentrations of 60 flame retardants (and related compounds) in fish samples collected in the Great Lakes basin. These analytes include dechlorane-related compounds (Decs), organophosphate esters (OPEs), and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Composite lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) or walleye (Sander vitreus, from Lake Erie) samples were collected (N=3 for each lake) in 2010 from each of the five Great Lakes (a total of 15 samples). Among the dechlorane-related compounds, Dechlorane, Dechlorane Plus, Dechlorane-602, Dechlorane-603, and Dechlorane-604 (with zero to three bromines and with four chlorines) were detected in >73% of the fish samples. The concentrations of some of these dechlorane-related compounds were 3-10 times higher in Lake Ontario trout than in fish from the other four lakes. Tris(1-chloroisopropyl) phosphate, tri-n-butylphosphate, tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate, and triphenyl phosphate were found in >50% of the fish samples. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were the most abundant of the flame retardants in fish, with a mean concentration of 250ng/g lipid. Our findings suggest that the Decs and BFRs with 3-6 bromines are more bioaccumulative in the fish than the OPEs and high molecular weight BFRs.
Estimation of nocturnal CO 2 and N 2 O soil emissions from changes in surface boundary layer mass storage

Abstract. Annual budgets of greenhouse and other trace gases require knowledge of the emissions throughout the year. Unfortunately, emissions into the surface boundary layer during stable, calm nocturnal periods are not measurable using most micrometeorological methods due to non-stationarity and uncoupled flow. However, during nocturnal periods with very light winds, carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) frequently accumulate near the surface and this mass accumulation can be used to determine emissions. Gas concentrations were measured at four heights (one within and three above canopy) and turbulence was measured at three heights above a mature 2.5 m maize canopy from 23 July to 10 September 2015. Nocturnal CO2 and N2O fluxes from the canopy were determined using the accumulation of mass within a 6.3 m control volume and out the top of the control volume within the nocturnal surface boundary layer. Diffusive fluxes were estimated by flux gradient method. The total accumulative and diffusive fluxes during near-calm nights (friction velocities
Ethics and palliative care in the perinatal world

The perinatal world is unique in its dutiful consideration of two patients along the lines of decision-making and clinical management - the fetus and the pregnant woman. The potentiality of the fetus-newborn is intertwined with the absolute considerations for the woman as autonomous patient. From prenatal diagnostics, which may be quite extensive, to potential interventions prenatally, postnatal resuscitation, and neonatal management, the fetus and newborn may be anticipated to survive with or without special needs and technology, to have a questionable or guarded prognosis, or to live only minutes to hours. This review will address the ethical ramifications for prenatal diagnostics, parental values and goals clarification, birth plans, the fluidity of decision-making over time, and the potential role of prenatal and postnatal palliative care support.