cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Audit Bodies: Embodied Participation, Disability Universalism, and Accessibility in India

: In this article we think critically about the role of the “access audit” in creating new forms of embodied participation, experiential and technical expertise, and imaginaries of what the modern Indian city should be. We analyze how disability activists make claims about the relationship between subjective bodily experiences and bodies of objective knowledge. We also explore the emergence of a professional access audit apparatus focused on technical standards. As neither volunteer nor professional access audits result in significant architectural or structural changes, we are interested in what other effects and affects these audits produce and what discursive authority claims of inaccessibility have. This article analyzes the practice of conducting “access audits” by lay and professional disability rights activists and organizations in urban India. We argue that access audits are overly focused and that they have limited impact. In overly focusing on physical and technical access, auditors miss the importance of programmatic and policy interventions as well as the need for a more collective contentious politics. Our research illustrates that the contested field of access auditing appears to prevent a unified disability coalition from forming. In addition, it is important for auditors to think critically about the concept of “access” and ask what social, economic, and political processes are embedded within the concept.
Quantification of Effective Connectivity in the Brain Using a Measure of Directed Information

Effective connectivity refers to the influence one neural system exerts on another and corresponds to the parameter of a model that tries to explain the observed dependencies. In this sense, effective connectivity corresponds to the intuitive notion of coupling or directed causal influence. Traditional measures to quantify the effective connectivity include model-based methods, such as dynamic causal modeling (DCM), Granger causality (GC), and information-theoretic methods. Directed information (DI) has been a recently proposed information-theoretic measure that captures the causality between two time series. Compared to traditional causality detection methods based on linear models, directed information is a model-free measure and can detect both linear and nonlinear causality relationships. However, the effectiveness of using DI for capturing the causality in different models and neurophysiological data has not been thoroughly illustrated to date. In addition, the advantage of DI compared to model-based measures, especially those used to implement Granger causality, has not been fully investigated. In this paper, we address these issues by evaluating the performance of directed information on both simulated data sets and electroencephalogram (EEG) data to illustrate its effectiveness for quantifying the effective connectivity in the brain.
Mechanical Circulatory Support for Advanced Heart Failure Patients and Technology in Evolution

After nearly 50 years of clinical development, durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices are widely available for patients with advanced heart failure. The field of circulatory support has matured dramatically in recent years, thanks to the advent of smaller, rotary pumps. The resulting transition away from older pulsatile devices has been swift. Accelerated use of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) for long-term support has changed the face of advanced heart failure care. MCS candidate selection, risk stratification, and management strategies are evolving in tandem with new pump technology, producing a shift in the profiles of patients being considered for MCS. Timely referral for MCS evaluation and appropriate implantation now depends on familiarity with recent advances in pump design and clinical outcomes. This review, the first in a series on Advances in Mechanical Circulatory Support , will focus on durable intracorporeal LVADs used in adults with advanced heart failure, and highlight the evolution in both patients and technology. The modern era of cardiac surgery began in 1953 with the first clinical use of cardiopulmonary bypass, allowing increasingly complex operations and laying the foundation for circulatory assist devices.1 Shortly after its invention, the heart-lung machine began to be used to support patients with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock to facilitate recovery after failed operations. By the 1960s, simple cardiac assist devices began to replace cardiopulmonary bypass for the treatment of postcardiotomy shock (Figure 1). The first clinical use of an implantable artificial ventricle was reported by Liotta et al2 in 1963. This primitive ventricular assist device (VAD) consisted of a pneumatically driven, tubular displacement pump with a valved conduit connecting the left atrium to the descending thoracic aorta. The pump provided partial left ventricular bypass for 4 days after postoperative cardiac arrest before the patient died of multiorgan failure. Inspired by …
Cognitive activities without cognition? ethnomethodological investigations of selected ‘cognitive’ topics

Ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (ethno/CA) investigate many of the activities that are featured in the cognitive sciences. These include memory, learning, perception, and calculative activities. However, for ethno/CA such activities are not necessarily ‘cognitive’, and their investigation as activities does not necessarily require observation or speculation about what goes on within the mind or brain. This article briefly discusses three examples of nominal ‘cognitive’ activities: looking-for/seeing; failing to recall; and counting things and people. The discussion suggests how these examples can be understood and elucidated in a way that has little to do with any existing program in cognitive science. The modest aim of the article is not to persuade readers that ethno/CA can contribute to cognitive studies. Instead, I argue that ethno/CA offers a path not taken in cognitive science: a viable research program for investigating nominally ‘cognitive’ themes without trading in mentalistic notions ...
Autoantibodies of Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus

The most common manifestations of neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) are cutaneous lupus and congenital heart block. Autoantibodies to Ro/SSA occur in almost all cases of NLE. The autoantibody response to Ro/SSA is complex, and antibodies may be detected to 60-kD Ro/SSA, 52-kD Ro/SSA, La/SSB, and U1 ribonuclear protein in anti-Ro/SSA-positive sera. Which of these anti-Ro/SSA-related autoantibody specificities are important in the clinical expression of NLE is not conclusively established. We examined the autoantibody specificities in 20 maternal NLE sera to determine whether autoantibody specificities correlate with the clinical findings and to evaluate the relative importance of autoantibodies to the different Ro/SSA-associated proteins. Autoantibodies were examined using immunodiffusion, immunoblotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Eleven babies had NLE skin disease, 11 had heart block, and two had both skin disease and heart block. All 20 maternal sera had antibodies to 60-kD Ro/SSA. Eighteen of the 20 had antibodies to 52-kD Ro/SSA, nine had antibodies to La/SSB, and one had antibodies to U1 ribonuclear protein. The prevalence of anti-La/SSB was the same in the skin-disease and heart-block subsets of NLE. Titers of anti-60-kD Ro/SSA were significantly (p < 0.02) lower in NLE skin disease maternal sera than in the NLE heart-block maternal sera. These results point out the importance of 60-kD Ro/SSA as a potential target in NLE. We speculate that the lower titers of anti-60-kD Ro/SSA in the sera from mothers of babies with skin disease may be due to substantial deposition of antibodies in the mothers' and babies' skin, leading to lower circulating titers, or may reflect a lower threshold for development of skin disease than for heart block.
An attempt to reconcile conflicting measurements of the bond strengths in the xenon fluorides

The heats of formation of gaseous XeF2, XeF4 and XeF6 were recently determined by means of bomb calorimetry and by photoionization mass spectrometry. Despite the high quality of these investigations, serious discrepancies arise upon their comparison. The calorimetric values are always higher than the corresponding photoionization numbers and the differences are always outside the quoted experimental errors. No literature explanation exists for this discrepancy. Four explanations are offered and discussed: two by H. H. Hyman and two by the author.
Structure-function relationships in side chain lactam cross-linked peptide models of a conserved N-terminal domain of apolipoprotein E.

Bioactive peptides have multiple conformations in solution but adopt well-defined conformations at lipid surfaces and in interactions with receptors. We have used side chain lactam cross-links to stabilize secondary structures in the following peptide models of a conserved N-terminal domain of apolipoprotein E (cross-link periodicity in parentheses): I, H2N-GQTLSEQVQEELLSSQVTQELRAG-COOH (none); III, (i to i + 3); IV, (i to i + 4); IVa, (i to i + 4) (lactams above the sequence, potential salt bridges below the sequence). We previously demonstrated [Luo et al. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 12367−12377; Braddock et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 13975−13984] that peptide III, containing lactam cross-links between the i and i + 3 side chains, enhances specific binding of LDL via a receptor other than the LDL-receptor. Peptide III in solution consists of two short α helices connected by a non α helical segment. Here we examine the hypothesis that the domain modeled by peptide III is one antipode of a conformational sw...
Sex Therapy with “A New View”

Abstract Sex therapy that incorporates a “new view” will question any sexual theories that essentialize women's and men's experiences and will refrain from overuse of gender socialization theories that level differences among women. Clinical examples are offered to illustrate how sex therapy with this “new view” would be conducted.
Induction when rats lick for 1% liquid-sucrose reinforcement

Previous research reported that rats responding for 1% liquid-sucrose reinforcement when 32% sucrose reinforcement is upcoming will decrease their response rate (contrast) if licking is the dependent measure and increase their response rate (induction) if pressing a lever is the dependent measure. The present study investigated whether induction could be observed when licking served as the dependent measure and whether induction in lever pressing and contrast in licking behaviour could be concurrently observed. Experiment 1 found induction when rats licked to earn the rewards but consumed them at a location separate from the spout licked to earn them. Experiment 2 also found induction when rats earned (and consumed) rewards by licking the same spout throughout the session. Experiment 3 separately measured instrumental lever pressing for sucrose rewards and licking the sucrose during the reward period. We found that both measures increased for 1% sucrose when 32% sucrose reinforcement was upcoming. The pre...
Anesthetic efficacy of the intraosseous injection in maxillary and mandibular teeth

Objective. The objective of theis study was to determine the anesthetic efficacy of the intraosseous injection as a primary technique in human maxillary and mandibular teeth. Study design. Forty subjects received two sets of intraosseous injections with 1.8 ml of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine at two successive appointments. The experimental teeth consisted of 40 groups of maxillary and mandibular first molars and lateral incisors. Each experimental tooth and adjacent teeth were tested with an electric pulp tester at 4-minute cycles for 60 minutes. Anesthetic success was defined as no subject response to the maximum output of the pulp tester (80 reading) for two consecutive readings. Results. Anesthetic success occurred in 75% of mandibular first molars, in 93% of maxillary first molars, in 78% of mandibular lateral incisors, and in 90% of maxillary lateral incisors. Overall, for the intraosseous injection onset was immediate, the duration of pulpal anesthesia steadily declined over the 60 minutes, there was a 78% incidence of subjective increase in heart rate, the majority of the subjects had no pain or mild pain with perforation and solution deposition, and 3% of the subjects had slow healing perforation sites. Conclusions. The results of this study indicate that the intraosseous injection may provide pulpal anesthesia in 75% to 93% of noninflamed teeth as a primary technique. However, the duration of pulpal anesthesia declines steadily over an hour.
FREEZE-DRIED BIOMOLECULES : FT-ICR STUDIES OF THE SPECIFIC SOLVATION OF FUNCTIONAL GROUPS AND CLATHRATE FORMATION OBSERVED BY THE SLOW EVAPORATION OF WATER FROM HYDRATED PEPTIDES AND MODEL COMPOUNDS IN THE GAS PHASE

Solvent evaporation from extensively hydrated peptides and selected model compounds formed by electrospray ionization has been examined using an external ion source Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. Water evaporation from the clusters, formed at room temperature by appropriate operation of an electrospray ion source, is initially rapid and results in evaporative cooling of the clusters to a temperature around 130−150 K, determined by the balance between evaporative cooling and heating by background blackbody radiation. In this “freeze-drying” process, it is observed that the kinetics of solvent evaporation and the cluster size distributions are highly dependent on the nature of the core ion in the cluster. In agreement with earlier studies of the hydrated proton, pure water clusters exhibit special stability characteristic of clathrate formation where, for example, a hydronium ion is encapsulated by a pentagonal dodecahedron of twenty water molecules. Similar clustering...
An Integrative View of Mechanisms Underlying Generalized Spike-and-Wave Epileptic Seizures and Its Implication on Optimal Therapeutic Treatments

Many types of epileptic seizures are characterized by generalized spike-and-wave discharges. In the past, notable effort has been devoted to understanding seizure dynamics and various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the underlying mechanisms. In this paper, by taking an integrative view of the underlying mechanisms, we demonstrate that epileptic seizures can be generated by many different combinations of synaptic strengths and intrinsic membrane properties. This integrative view has important medical implications: the specific state of a patient characterized by a set of biophysical characteristics ultimately determines the optimal therapeutic treatment. Through the same view, we further demonstrate the potentiation effect of rational polypharmacy in the treatment of epilepsy and provide a new angle to resolve the debate on polypharmacy. Our results underscore the need for personalized medicine and demonstrate that computer modeling and simulation may play an important role in assisting the clinicians in selecting the optimal treatment on an individual basis.
Supplemental vitamin C improves marbling in feedlot cattle consuming high sulfur diets

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of supplemental rumen-protected vitamin C (VC) on live and carcass-based performance, and antioxidant capacity of cattle consuming varying concentrations of dietary S. Angus-cross steers (n = 120) were blocked by initial BW (341 ± 11 kg) and assigned equally to 1 of 6 treatments, evaluating 3 concentrations of dietary S [0.22%, 0.34%, and 0.55%, for low S (LS), medium S (MS), and high S (HS), respectively] and 2 concentrations of supplemental VC (0 or 10 g • steer(-1) • d(-1)). Steers receiving VC-supplemented diets consumed an average of 10.3 g of supplemental VC • steer(-1) • d(-1) and increasing dietary S linearly increased (P < 0.01) grams of S consumed. Increasing dietary S decreased (P < 0.01) DMI, final BW, and ADG, and linearly increased (P < 0.05) rumen hydrogen sulfide and blood sulfhemoglobin concentrations. The inclusion of VC, regardless of S treatment, tended to increase (P = 0.08) plasma VC concentrations, specifically within the medium and high S diets (P = 0.04). Plasma total antioxidant capacity (d 90) linearly decreased (P = 0.003) and total liver glutathione (GSH; d 143) tended to decrease (P = 0.08) due to increased S intake. Within the high S treatment, addition of VC decreased (P = 0.04) the ratio of oxidized-to-reduced GSH compared with HS alone. Increased dietary S and VC decreased (P < 0.05) plasma Cu concentrations, whereas VC increased (P = 0.01) plasma Fe concentrations. Linear decreases (P < 0.02) in marbling score, backfat thickness (BF), yield grade, and HCW were observed as dietary S increased; however, the addition of VC to the HS diet increased (P < 0.01) BF, marbling scores, and percentage of cattle grading Choice compared with HS without VC. In conclusion, supplementation of VC to cattle receiving the high S diet improved marbling scores; although the exact mechanism for this improvement is unknown, it may be related to greater circulating VC available for lipid metabolism in these cattle.
An Application of a Mixed‐Effects Location Scale Model for Analysis of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) Data

For longitudinal data, mixed models include random subject effects to indicate how subjects influence their responses over repeated assessments. The error variance and the variance of the random effects are usually considered to be homogeneous. These variance terms characterize the within-subjects (i.e., error variance) and between-subjects (i.e., random-effects variance) variation in the data. In studies using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), up to 30 or 40 observations are often obtained for each subject, and interest frequently centers around changes in the variances, both within and between subjects. In this article, we focus on an adolescent smoking study using EMA where interest is on characterizing changes in mood variation. We describe how covariates can influence the mood variances, and also extend the standard mixed model by adding a subject-level random effect to the within-subject variance specification. This permits subjects to have influence on the mean, or location, and variability, or (square of the) scale, of their mood responses. Additionally, we allow the location and scale random effects to be correlated. These mixed-effects location scale models have useful applications in many research areas where interest centers on the joint modeling of the mean and variance structure.
Nosocomial influenza: new concepts and practice.

Purpose of reviewNosocomial influenza constitutes a serious risk among patients with underlying diseases and those of extreme age, and is associated with excess health-care costs. This article will review recent literature on this area.Recent findingsDespite longstanding recommendations and the fact
Endoscopic sphincterotomy permits interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with moderately severe gallstone pancreatitis.

Patients with moderately severe gallstone pancreatitis with substantial pancreatic and peripancreatic inflammation, but without organ failure, frequently have an open cholecystectomy to prevent recurrent pancreatitis. In these patients, prophylactic endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) with endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) may prevent recurrent pancreatitis, permit laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and decrease risks. The medical records of all patients with pancreatitis undergoing cholecystectomy from 1999–2004 at the University of North Carolina Memorial Hospital were reviewed. Data regarding demographics, clinical course, etiology of pancreatitis, operative and endoscopic interventions, and outcome were extracted. Moderately severe gallstone-induced pancreatitis was defined as pancreatitis without organ failure but with extensive local inflammation. Thirty patients with moderately severe gallstone pancreatitis underwent ERC and ES and were discharged before cholecystectomy. Mean interval between ES and cholecystectomy was 102 ± 17 days. Cholecystectomy was performed laparoscopically in 27 (90%) patients, open in three (10%) patients, and converted to open in two (7%) patients, with a morbidity rate of 7% (two patients). No patient required drainage of a pseudocyst or developed recurrent pancreatitis. Interval complications resulted in hospital readmission in seven (23%) patients. In conclusion, recurrent biliary pancreatitis in patients with moderately severe gallstone pancreatitis is nil after ERC and ES. Hospital discharge of these patients permits interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but close follow-up is necessary in these potentially ill patients.
Adaptive, self-validating numerical quadrature

Integrals of a function of a single variable can be expressed as the sum of a numerical quadrature rule and a remainder term. The quadrature rule is a linear combination of function values and weights, or the integral of a Taylor polynomial, while the remainder term depends on some derivative of the integrand evaluated at an unknown point in the interval of integration. Numerical quadrature is made self validating by using interval computations to capture both the roundoff and truncation errors made when using a given formula. Necessary derivatives can be generated automatically by using well-known recurrence relations for Taylor coefficients. In order for quadrature methods of this type to be accurate (in the sense that small intervals are produced) and efficient (to obtain results of given accuracy in a reasonably short time), an accurate scalar product and an adaptive strategy are required. The necessary scalar product and support for interval arithmetic are provided in Pascal-SC (for microcomputers) and ACRITH (for IBM 370 computers). The adaptive strategy chooses the subintervals of integration and the order of the quadrature formula in each subinterval on the basis of guaranteed, rather than estimated, information about the error of numerical integration in each subinterval. The program described here implements standard Newton-Cotes, Gaussian and Taylor series formulas for numerical integration. The handling of singularities is discussed, and comparisons are given with a standard numerical integration method.
Supplementary report: A search for spontaneous recovery of verbal associations

Two hundred and twenty-four Experimental S s learned two A-B, A-C, paired-associates lists and were given unlimited time for recall after retention intervals ranging from 0 to 144 hr. One hundred and twelve Control S s learned and recalled just one list. Results showed no spontaneous recovery of OL. It was suggested that mutual unlearning might result from the learning of two competing lists.
Biokinetically-Based In Vitro Cardiotoxicity of Residual Oil Fly Ash: Hazard Identification and Mechanisms of Injury

Epidemiological studies have associated air pollution particulate matter (PM) exposure with adverse cardiovascular effects. Identification of causal PM sources is critically needed to support regulatory decisions to protect public health. This research examines the in vitro cardiotoxicity of bioavailable constituents of residual oil fly ash (ROFA) employing in vivo, biokinetically-based, concentrations determined from their pulmonary deposition. Pulmonary deposition of ROFA led to a rapid increase in plasma vanadium (V) levels that were prolonged in hypertensive animals without systemic inflammation. ROFA cardiotoxicity was evaluated using neonatal rat cardiomyocyte (RCM) cultures exposed to particle-free leachates of ROFA (ROFA-L) at levels present in exposed rat plasma. Cardiotoxicity was observed at low levels (3.13 μg/mL) of ROFA-L 24 h post-exposure. Dimethylthiourea (28 mM) inhibited ROFA-L-induced cytotoxicity at high (25–12.5 μg/mL) doses, suggesting that oxidative stress is responsible at high ROFA-L doses. Cardiotoxicity could not be reproduced using a V + Ni + Fe mixture or a ROFA-L depleted of these metals, suggesting that ROFA-L cardiotoxicity requires the full complement of bioavailable constituents. Susceptibility of RCMs to ROFA-L-induced cytotoxicity was increased following tyrosine phosphorylation inhibition, suggesting that phosphotyrosine signaling pathways play a critical role in regulating ROFA-L-induced cardiotoxicity. These data demonstrate that bioavailable constituents of ROFA are capable of direct adverse cardiac effects.
Assessing the Value of Academic Library Consortia

ABSTRACT The value proposition of academic library consortia often focuses on the benefits a member library expects to receive in return for its paid membership in a consortium. This article takes a look at the literature of library and information science as well as the Web sites of 45 academic library consortia to understand how consortia communicate their benefits, especially in terms of financial value. It initiates a discussion about how academic library consortia could adopt assessment measures that strengthen their value proposition and improve the ways they demonstrate their impact and the impact that their members wield within higher education.
TH‐B‐M100A‐01: Multimodality and 4D Image Registration: Methods and Clinical Use

Acquisition of anatomic and functional data from magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine studies is becoming increasingly common for patient management in radiation therapy. These data can help improve tumor localization and normal tissue delineation for treatment planning and may provide information about treatment efficacy during or after a course of radiotherapy. Time series data from serial and 4D CT before and during the treatment course, including CT data acquired in the treatment room at the time of treatment, is also helping to estimate motion and shape changes of relevant anatomy which can be used to accumulate dose and possibly adapt treatments. In order to fully realize the benefits of the multitude of data we can now acquire, the different imaging studies must be registered to each other or to a common coordinate system. The geometric transformation required to register the image data can range from simple rotate‐translate to account for differences in patient orientation to 3D or 4D deformation models to account for changes in internal anatomy during and over the course of therapy. Once registered, data derived from the various studies such as anatomic outlines and computed dose can be integrated or fused to help construct a more complete and accurate representation of the patient. This lecture will focus on the mechanics of registering and displaying data from different imaging studies using distinct modalities or a single modality over time. A description and taxonomy of the different methods will be described. Methods for display and interaction with multimodality data will also be presented. The overall goal is to provide the basic knowledge required to understand what is happening “under‐the‐hood” of the different registration systems one might encounter in the clinic, the different ways these systems are being used and their limitations. Educational Objectives: 1. Understand the basic mechanics of multi‐modality and 4D image registration techniques. 2. Understand the different techniques used to combine, display & interact with multimodality/4D image and dose data. 3. Understand the clinical use and limitations of these techniques for Tx planning, Tx delivery and plan adaptation.
The impact of the listing of options in the foreign exchange market

Abstract This paper documents the impact of the introduction of foreign currency options and options on foreign currency futures on the underlying securities. We find that the volatility of exchange rates decreases following the listing of options for a majority of the currencies under consideration. In addition, we find that trading volume and open interest in currency futures increases after option introduction. This evidence is consistent with the notion that derivative securities are important innovations for stabilizing and increasing liquidity in the market for the underlying assets.
Measuring earthquake risk concentration for hazard mitigation

One of the biggest impacts of a disaster is the effect it can have on community and regional housing and the ability of people, communities and regions to recover from the damages. Policy decisions involving investments in loss reduction measures and response and recovery are best informed by the integration of scientific and socioeconomic information. Natural scientists develop hazard scenarios for stakeholders and emergency officials to assess the impacts of a particular disaster outcome. Social scientists have found that housing losses and recovery affect individuals in lower socioeconomic status disproportionately. By combining socioeconomic status data from the US Census with an earthquake scenario for southern California, an event-driven conditional distribution of earthquake risk is used to prioritize investment decisions for earthquake hazard mitigation. Simulation of the damages in the scenario showed a statistically significant risk concentration in census tracts with large numbers of residents of lower socioeconomic status living in multi-family housing and mobile homes. An application of the approach is demonstrated in Los Angeles County as a decision criterion in a building retrofit program. The earthquake scenario was used to evaluate the economic benefits of a program for voluntary mitigation and a combined program of voluntary mitigation and regulated mitigation based on socioeconomic status (mandate requiring mitigation in census tracts meeting specific damage and income thresholds). Although the analysis is a hypothetical scenario based on a simulation of a great earthquake, the results and potential outcomes show that a regulated program with a socioeconomic decision criterion would have significant benefits to vulnerable populations.
Effects of Foliar Application of Nutrients on Heat Tolerance of Creeping Bentgrass

This study was designed to investigate physiological responses of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) to foliar application of nutrients under heat stress. “Penncross” plants were exposed...
Series expansion methods for extracting ternary diffusion coefficients from Rayleigh interferometric data

Three series expansions are examined for use in extracting ternary diffusion coefficients from Rayleigh interferometric data for free diffusion experiments. Convergence comparisons show that, providing enough terms are used, two of the three are suitable, including one used earlier by Albright and Sherrill. A new simpler analysis, using only linear least squares, has been applied to simulated and real data with good results. Advantages and disadvantages of series methods are compared to a direct non-linear least squares analysis.
House prices, bank instability, and economic growth: Evidence from the threshold model.

Abstract This paper examines the effects of house prices on bank instability when gauged at various levels of income growth. Bank stability may respond differently to house price changes or deviations from fundamental values in an economic boom environment than in a bust circumstance. A threshold estimation technique developed by Hansen (1999) is applied to a panel of 286 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) over the period 1990Q1–2010Q4. We consider two house price indicators: the house price changes and the house price deviations from long-run equilibrium. The results suggest the existence of income growth threshold effects in the relationship between house prices and bank instability. Specifically, there are two income growth thresholds when using the house price changes and one income growth threshold when the house price deviations are applied. Robustness results using the non-MSAs sample from 1995Q1 to 2010Q4 provide further evidence of income growth threshold effects.
Seizures with fever after unprovoked seizures: an analysis in children followed from the time of a first febrile seizure.

Summary: Purpose: To determine how the onset of unprovoked seizures influences recurrence of seizures with fever in children followed from the time of a first febrile seizure. Methods: In a prospective cohort of children (n = 428) identified at the time of a first febrile seizure, predictors of a second seizure with fever were identified. The occurrence of a first unprovoked seizure was treated as a time-dependent covariate in a Cox regression model rather than as a censoring point as it traditionally has been in the past. Results: One hundred forty-three (33.4%) children had further seizures. Seven had further seizures with fever only after onset of unprovoked seizures. After adjustment was made for the four previously described predictors of recurrent febrile seizures (age at onset, family history, height of fever, and duration of fever), the onset of unprovoked seizures was associated with a rate ratio of 3.47 (p = 0.0015), indicating a large increase in the risk of further seizures with fever after onset of unprovoked seizures. Conclusions: Young children who develop unprovoked seizures after a febrile seizure are at substantial risk for further seizures with fever. This may represent part of the spectrum of benign febrile seizures or it may represent the so-called “epilepsy triggered by fever” spectrum. It affects only a small proportion of children with febrile seizures; however, in some children, it may be useful information to consider when making treatment decisions.
Primary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction: does age or race matter?

Purpose: Recent data suggest substantial variations in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction based on age, race, gender and socioeconomic status. We evaluated the use of primary angioplasty (PA) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in elderly and minority patients treated at an urban, teaching hospital.
THE GROWTH OF THE INDIAN ECONOMY: 1860–1960

This paper is concerned with an examination of growth trends of the Indian economy between 1860 and 1960. This examination commences with the numerous studies bearing on the more recent part of this period, from about 1900 to 1960. These studies are shown to vary greatly in coverage and comprehensiveness, and their differences and individual shortcomings are assessed. Nevertheless, these studies conclude, without exception, that the Indian economy remained virtually stationary in this period, especially in terms of negligible growth in per capita real income. In contrast to periods since 1900, the study of economic growth during the earlier period has suffered academic neglect. There are only two major studies which make an attempt to examine economic trends in this period. Both these studies are found wanting with respect to concepts and procedures. The period from 1860 to 1913 presents serious problems in any study since there is a paucity of statistics which are at all reliable and useful. The most promising approach for overcoming this deficiency is to develop better sectoral statistics rather than to rely on aggregative data even when available. In order to gain a better understanding of the growth trends of the Indian economy over this period, the author constructed indices of major economic activities. These indices demonstrate that relatively high rate of economic growth prevailed in India before 1890. Subsequent developments in the Indian economy seem to consist of minor changes in the magnitudes of economic variables rather than fundamental structural changes. Thus, the Indian economy is shown to have enjoyed relatively high rates of growth only in the initial three decades of the hundred-year period, 1860–1960.
Radioimmunoassay of calretinin in the rat brain

Abstract A radioimmunoassay was developed for the quantitation of the brain specific calcium binding protein, calretinin, in micropunch samples of the rat brain. The assay was sensitive, capable of detecting 2–100 ng calretinin and was specific in that no significant cross reactivity was observed with calbindin D-28k. Results indicated several brain regions with high concentrations of calretinin including the ventral cochlear nucleus (6400 ng/mg total protein), periventricular nucleus of the thalamus (4400 ng/mg), optic chiasm (3600 ng/mg), medial habenula (3400 ng/mg) and lateral lobules of the cerebellum (3100 ng/mg). Low concentrations of calretinin were found in, for example, the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. The development of this assay will be useful in future studies of experimental and physiological factors influencing calretinin content in the brain.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS AND ECOLOGICAL DARWINISM

The paper assesses the ecological approach which challenges the standard concept of scarcity in both neoclassical economics and neo-Darwinian orthodoxy. The focus is on comparative theory analysis with regards to the relevance of matter/energy influx. It should not be surprising, in light of the mathematical structure, that the ideas of optimization of utility in orthodox economics and optimization of fitness in mainstream biology are based on common assumptions. One of the assumptions is that environmental resources are given or exist passively in relation to the actor. Otherwise, the mathematical maximization functions would not be feasible. The orthodox assumption of resources as given for a specific population of firms or organisms need not deny that the environment continuously changes, but the assumption entails that such changes are by-products of the interaction of the population with the environment, the interference of other populations, and other exogenous factors. Thus, the orthodox assumption of resources as given, according to the ecological school, excludes, at first approximation, endogenous factors in the explanation of environmental dynamics or the economy-environment nexus. Inspired by Alfred Lotka's work, the ecological agenda in economics (as led by Daly and Costanza) and in biology (as advocated by Odum, Wicken, Depew, Weber, and Ulanowicz) advance the same alternative to the orthodox axiom concerning resources; viz., resources are a function of the active agent. While such an alternative is very fruitful, it does not go far enough. It has limitations: In economics, the ecological approach generally cannot solve the long-term problem of the asymmetric exchange between human economy and the environment. In the life sciences, the ecological approach, as far as it adheres to reformed Darwinism, faces difficulties with regards to the concepts of organization and the process of development/evolution. These problems call for similar conceptual innovations in both disciplines.
Methionine specific sequence ions formed by the dissociation of protonated peptides at high collision energies

Two methionine-specific sequence ions are described that are formed upon the dissociation of protonated methionine-containing peptides at high (keV) collision energies. These ions, hiherto unassigned, are denoted an + 1 − CH3S⋅ and zn + 1 − CH3S⋅. Precursor ion scans reveal that these species originate from the an + 1 and zn + 1 ions, respectively, where methionine resides at position n-1 relative to the N- or C-terminus. A comparison of the collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra for several related peptides demonstrates that methionine residues are involved in the genesis of these species and mechanisms for their formation are proposed. Several structural features of a peptide that are important to the formation of these species are described. The importance of identifying these ions in order to correctly sequence a methionine-containing peptide based on its CID spectrum is illustrated.
Fluctuations in production and abundance of commercial species in the Red Lakes, Minnesota, with special reference to changes in the walleye population

Abstract The Red Lakes in northwestern Minnesota comprise 275,000 acres of water which support a commercial fishery producing up to 1.5 million pounds of fish per year. Walleye, Stizostedion vitreum vitreum (Mitchill), and yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchill), are the principal species. Statistics for the past 37 years have been analyzed and fluctuations in the abundance of the important species calculated for the 24-year period, 1930–1953. The fishing is carried on exclusively with 3 1/2-inch-mesh (extension measure) gill nets by Chippewa Indians and the catch is marketed through a cooperative fishery enterprise. There have been wide fluctuations in the abundance of principal species but, although fishing effort has increased greatly during the past few years no trends have developed. Changes in walleye abundance have been shown to be independent of changes or levels of fishing effort, and to be determined by strength of individual year classes. Gear competition has no effect on abundance estimates....
Meta-analysis: a review.

An empirical evaluation of meta-analytic procedures, defining results of individual studies, effect size and statistical significance, a framework for meta-analytic procedures, comparing and combiniting studies, the file drawer problem, the evaluation of effect sizes, the issue of study quality, a summarizing example
Mineralocorticoid Receptors Modulate Vascular Endothelial Function in Human Obesity

Obesity increases linearly with age and is associated with impaired vascular endothelial function and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. MRs (mineralocorticoid receptors) contribute to impaired vascular endothelial function in cardiovascular disease; however, their role in uncomplicated human obesity is unknown. Because plasma aldosterone levels are elevated in obesity and adipocytes may be a source of aldosterone, we hypothesized that MRs modulate vascular endothelial function in older adults in an adiposity-dependent manner. To test this hypothesis, we administered MR blockade (eplerenone; 100 mg/day) for 1 month in a balanced randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study to 22 older adults (ten men, 55-79 years) varying widely in adiposity [BMI (body mass index): 20-45 kg/m²], but who were free from overt cardiovascular disease. We evaluated vascular endothelial function [brachial artery FMD (flow-mediated dilation)] via ultrasonography) and oxidative stress (plasma F2-isoprostanes and vascular endothelial cell protein expression of nitrotyrosine and NADPH oxidase p47phox) during placebo and MR blockade. In the whole group, oxidative stress (P>0.05) and FMD did not change with MR blockade (6.39 ± 0.67 compared with 6.23 ± 0.73%; P=0.7). However, individual improvements in FMD in response to eplerenone were associated with higher total body fat (BMI: r=0.45, P=0.02; and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-derived percentage body fat: r=0.50, P=0.009) and abdominal fat (total: r=0.61, P=0.005; visceral: r=0.67, P=0.002; and subcutaneous: r=0.48, P=0.03). In addition, greater improvements in FMD with eplerenone were related to higher baseline fasting glucose (r=0.53, P=0.01). MRs influence vascular endothelial function in an adiposity-dependent manner in healthy older adults.
Cyclic quasi-static testing of hollow structural section beam members

AbstractThe efficient compression, torsion, and bending behavior of hollow structural sections (HSS) combined with their high strength-to-weight ratio provide an opportunity to further their use in seismic applications and improve on structural performance. However, current applications of HSS in seismic systems are restricted because of a limited understanding of their cyclic bending behavior. To characterize the behavior of HSS under pure bending and determine limiting values for their use up to large rotation levels, 11 different HSS beam members ranging in size from HSS 203.2×101.6×6.4 mm to HSS 304.8×152.4×6.4 mm with thickness of 6.4 and 9.5 mm are tested under cyclic bending loads. The moment-rotation results suggest that the width-thickness and depth-thickness ratios are important in determining whether a stable plastic hinge can be sustained during cycling, ensuring adequate ductility. Cycling effects associated with increasing rotation levels and multiple cycles at the same level are considere...
Cognitive Constructivist Theory of Multimedia: Designing Teacher-Made Interactive Digital

This paper discusses how educators could use the cognitive constructivist theory of multimedia (CCTM) to design interactive digital learning materials using Camtasia and Audacity. Camtasia allows educators to create videos that motivate students, inform parents and enhance learning. It allows educators to record live presentations or lectures and provide students with a file to review. Audacity is a free cross-platform audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. CCTM advocates for the design of instruction using pictures, videos, audios and words that tap into the prior experiences of the learner, promote active learning, collaboration, personal autonomy, personal growth and alternative assessment that is aligned with multiple intelligences of learners as espoused by Gardener (1993) which are Linguistics, Logico-mathematics, Spatial, Musical, Bodily-kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Naturalist. Camtasia and Audacity promote use of CCTM because of their capabilities to construct knowledge through words, pictures, animations, videos and audio. Case studies show that use of teacher-made files could significantly impact students’ learning. Use of teacher-made interactive digital learning materials could revolutionize educational presentations and enhance e-learning delivery. CCMT produced by dynamic presentations creates a balance between the learners’ prior verbal and visual experiences, sensory repository, multiple intelligences and learning styles to construct new knowledge.
Learning to sample: Eye tracking and fmri indices of changes in object perception

We used an fMRI/eye-tracking approach to examine the mechanisms involved in learning to segment a novel, occluded object in a scene. Previous research has suggested a role for effective visual sampling and prior experience in the development of mature object perception. However, it remains unclear how the naive system integrates across variable sampled experiences to induce perceptual change. We generated a Target Scene in which a novel occluded Target Object could be perceived as either "disconnected" or "complete." We presented one group of participants with this scene in alternating sequence with variable visual experience: three Paired Scenes consisting of the same Target Object in variable rotations and states of occlusion. A second control group was presented with similar Paired Scenes that did not incorporate the Target Object. We found that, relative to the Control condition, participants in the Training condition were significantly more likely to change their percept from "disconnected" to "connected," as indexed by pretraining and posttraining test performance. In addition, gaze patterns during Target Scene inspection differed as a function of variable object exposure. We found increased looking to the Target Object in the Training compared with the Control condition. This pattern was not restricted to participants who changed their initial "disconnected" object percept. Neuroimaging data suggest an involvement of the hippocampus and BG, as well as visual cortical and fronto-parietal regions, in using ongoing regular experience to enable changes in amodal completion.
The Legal System and Economic Development of Greece

A side from some overworked generalizations regarding poor soil, shortage of capital, lack of arable land, population density and such, there are no studies in English that deal with the general economic history of Greece or with specific problems in her economic development since the establishment of the modern Greek state in the third decade of the last century. An analysis of the influence of the legal system on this development, therefore, may throw light on Greek economic history in general and open a useful discussion. It may also add something to our knowledge of the larger problem of the relation of socialcultural institutions and economic activity.