cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Friends or Foes? Nonprofits and the Puzzle of Welfare Reform

Nonprofit human service agencies are in the middle of the welfare reform mess. They may have the opportunity to obtain more public dollars for delivering more services to low-income families, and from their position, they have the potential to be effective witnesses to what is happening. On the other hand, the effects of welfare reform on the constituencies they serve call for advocacy and challenging action that they do not know how to do. The author uses comments from interviews with workers in the system to argue that, if agencies are not very careful, it will be extremely hard for them to play a dependable role in whatever future welfare state evolves.
Unenhanced helical CT of ureteral stones: a replacement for excretory urography in planning treatment.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether unenhanced helical CT alone can be used for diagnosis and treatment planning of patients with obstructing ureteral stones.Medical records of 100 patients with ureteral stones and a clearly discernible clinical outcome who had undergone unenhanced helical CT were reviewed to determine the number of urography procedures and results of excretory urograms performed within 72 hr of helical CT. CT scans were then reviewed by two radiologists for six findings: in-plane stone diameter, z-axis stone diameter, location of stone, periureteral stranding, hydronephrosis, and perinephric fluid. Seventy-one patients passed stones spontaneously, and 29 patients required intervention including basket retrieval, extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy, laser lithotripsy, or a combination of the three treatments. Data were analyzed to determine those findings that correlated with the need for intervention.Five excretory urograms were obtained, all of which agreed with finding...
The magnitude effect: Temporal discount rates and restaurant tips

Decision makers show a larger subjective temporal discount rate for small magnitudes than for large ones. That is, they demand a larger percent increase in value to compensate for a delay when they are waiting for a small amount of money than for a large amount. Prelec and Loewenstein (1991; see also Loewenstein & Prelec, 1992) proposed an increasing proportional sensitivity account of this magnitude effect. This account surmises that the magnitude effect stems from the utility function for money and is consequently not unique to intertemporal choice. One study tested this prediction by demonstrating the magnitude effect in two domains: intertemporal choice and tipping for restaurant meals, haircuts, and taxi rides. In intertemporal choice, subjects showed a larger discount rate for smaller monetary amounts. They also tipped a larger percentage on small bills than on large bills. Thus, both domains showed the magnitude effect; however, the size of the effect was not well correlated between domains.
Reaction between Ruthenium(0) Complexes and Dihalo Compounds. A New Method for the Synthesis of Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalysts

The synthesis of ruthenium carbenes by the reaction of a Ru(0) compound or Ru(0) precursors with dihalo compounds is reported. A new procedure for the preparation of [Ru(H)2(H2)2(PCy3)2] and the use of this complex as a starting material for the synthesis of ruthenium carbenes are presented.
Reinstatement of the genus Hymenaea (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) in Africa

The monotypic genusTrachylobium [T. verrucosum (Gaertn.) Oliv.] from East Africa and adjacent islands is returned toHymenaea verrucosa Gaertn. on the basis of reevaluation of inflorescence, flower, and fruit characters together with new evidence from seedlings, pollen, leaf venation, chromosome number, and chemistry of the resins.Hymenaea verrucosa appears more similar to an Amazonian and Cuban group of species, which may have been derived from a common African ancestral stock in the Tertiary period, than to another group of species that probably evolved from the evergreen forest species and then radiated into an expanding area of drier habitats during the later Tertiary and dry intervals of the Pleistocene. Originally the genusTrachylobium was distinguished fromHymenaea by a morphological comparison with the probably more recently evolved species. A possible explanation is presented for the disjunct amphi-Atlantic distribution ofH. verrucosa and the neotropical species ofHymenaea.
Pontage entre la veine sous-clavière et l’auricule droit sans sternotomie pour préserver l’accès artério-veineux des patients présentant une occlusion veineuse centrale : une nouvelle approche

Etant donne le nombre croissant de patients ayant besoin d'une hemodialyse chronique, on assiste a une croissance inevitable de la population des patients presentant une occlusion du reseau veineux central (sous-clavier, innomine, et cave) malgre la bonne permeabilite de l'acces ou la possibilite de realiser un acces vasculaire au membre superieur. Afin d'eviter une sternotomie, nous avons tente de traiter ces patients par un pontage sous-clavio-atrial tunnelise en sous-sternal. Les patients traites par cette technique ont une fistule existante avec une hypertension veineuse symptomatique ou des possibilites de realiser une fistule avec une occlusion veineuse centrale associee, une veine sous-claviaire/axillaire permeable a la jonction costoclaviculaire, et aucune autres possibilite de fistule au niveau du bras contro-lateral. Une claviculectomie est realisee et la veine sous-claviere est isolee. Par l'intermediaire d'une « minipericardiotomy, » dans le troisieme espace intercostal, l'auricule droit est expose. Un tunnel retrosternal est confectionne, et le pontage est realise de la veine sous-claviere a l'auricule droit. Onze patients âges de 20-70 ans (moyenne 46) ont eu ce type de chirurgie dans notre institution entre fevrier 2004 et mars 2007. Trois pontages ont ete executees avec une veine autogene (deux femorales et une saphene), alors que huit ont ete realises avec une prothese en polytetrafluoroethylene afin de preserver la veine femorale superficielle pour la realisation ulterieure eventuelle d'un pontage au membre inferieur. Il y eu un deces precoce secondaire a une infection, et la morbidite precoce s'est limitee a un patient ayant presente un epanchement pericardique symptomatique. Le suivi moyen etait de 16 mois (extremes 3-43). Soixante-sept pour cent et 33% de fistules arterioveineuses sont demeurees fonctionnelles a 6 et 10 mois, respectivement; et chez un patient la fistule est restee fonctionnelle 21 mois. Quatre patients (36%) ont developpe une stenose ou une occlusion du pontage central, un ayant necessite un pontage iteratif et trois une angioplastie. Une infection est survenue chez deux patients (18%), necessitant l'ablation du pontage veineux autogene chez un patient. Tandis qu'un nombre significatif de ces restaurations echouent, la permeabilite de l'acces du membre superieur est maintenue chez un nombre raisonnable de patients (67% a 6 mois) qui ne sont pas des candidats a une reparation locale ou une procedure endovasculaire et qui n'auraient aucune autre possibilite d'acces au membre superieur. Cette technique offre une alternative aux reconstructions veineuses par sternotomie a partir du tronc brachiocephalique, bien que determiner la superiorite d'une methode par rapport a l'autre necessiterait une etude comparative.
Inappropriate intravascular device use: a prospective study

Despite the clinical significance of complications due to intravascular catheters, the inappropriate use of intravascular catheters in hospitalised patients has not been adequately characterised. The objective of this prospective observational study was to develop definitions for appropriate intravascular device use, to estimate the frequency of inappropriate use of intravascular devices, and to examine risk factors and outcomes associated with inappropriate use in hospitalised patients. Among 436 patients admitted between October and December 2007, a total of 2909 hospitalisation days and use of 876 intravascular devices was observed. Of the 3806 total catheter-days recorded, 1179 (31%) were found to be inappropriate based on the study criteria. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age, total number of catheters used and total duration of catheterisation were risk factors for inappropriate device use (P<0.05). Inappropriate usage was strongly associated with increased intensive care unit admission (P<0.05) and length of hospital stay (4.9±4.3 days for appropriate vs 8.5±12.6 days for inappropriate; P<0.05). Use of central venous catheters was not a predictor for inappropriate device use. Inappropriate intravascular device use is a very common phenomenon in hospitalised patients and is strongly linked to adverse device-related outcomes. These results may be used to develop strategies to systematically reduce excessive intravascular device use which would be expected to reduce adverse events associated with morbidity, mortality, and excess healthcare costs.
Conceptual Design of the Argonne 6-GeV Synchrotron Light Source

The Argonne National Laboratory Synchrotron Light Source Storage Ring is designed to have a natural emittance of 6.5 × 10-9 m for circulating 6-GeV positrons. Thirty of the 32 long straight sections, each 6.5-m long, will be available for synchrotron light insertion devices. A circulating positron current of 300 mA can be injected in about 8 min. from a booster synchrotron operating with a repetition time of 1.2 sec. The booster synchrotron will contain two different rf systems. The lower frequency system (38.97 MHz) will accept positrons from a 360-MeV linac and will accelerate them to 2.25 GeV. The higher frequency system (350.76 MHz) will accelerate the positrons to 6 GeV. The positrons will be produced from a 300-MeV electron beam on a tungsten target. A conceptual layout is shown in Fig. 1. Related papers on the Argonne Synchrotron Light Source may be found in references 1-3.
Collaborative role construction in a conversation with dementia : An application of systemic functional linguistics

This study applies the tools provided by Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to the description of patterns in a conversation between a person with dementia and a person without. It shows how, in the presence of, on the one hand, considerable communicative and cognitive deficits, and on the other, a collaborative interlocutor, a person with dementia succeeds in leading and sustaining a lengthy conversation, and of constructing for himself a positive role in the interaction, namely that of the elder advising a much younger man.
Heterogeneous query processing through SQL table functions

In today's IT infrastructures, data is stored in SQL databases, non-SQL, databases, and host databases like ISAM/VSAM files. Non-SQL databases are specialized data stores controlled by applications like spreadsheets, mail, directory and index services. Developing applications accessing a variety of different data sources is challenging for application developers due to different environments, APIs, bindings, etc. 20 years ago, SQL was created to ease the life of database application developers and provide a uniform way for accessing data which is stored in SQL databases. The paper describes an implementation of table functions and its usage for accessing data stored outside SQL databases in diverse external data stores. Table functions are compliant with the relational data model, and therefore fit into the well established SQL language. The table-function architecture is open, and allows the deployment of generic data access infrastructures such as Microsoft's OLE DB or Java's JDBC (G. Hamilton et al., 1997). The paper describes a prototype implementation of OLE DB table functions with advanced query optimization techniques. The prototype is based on IBM DB2 UDB relational database system.
Effect of Elevated Temperature Operation on the Strength of Aluminum Conductors

The relationships between "remaining strength", time and temperature for conductors operated at elevated temperatures are presented as empirical models based on elevated temperature test results. The comparison between the remaining strength predicted from the models and the measured remaining strength is shown. Use of the models is explained and examples of their use are presented.
Characteristics of persons utilizing the insanity plea.

Analysis of studies reporting upon defendants using the insanity defense suggests such defendants to be generally: male, of Caucasian ethnicity, older than the typical criminal defendant, single, unskilled vocationally, having previous psychiatric hospitalization, and having a prior arrest history.
Immune-mediated adverse effects of biologicals used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases

Biological agents represent a major advance in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, most particularly in the prevention of irreversible structural damage. While generally well tolerated, their increasing use continues to reveal a variety of immune-mediated adverse effects. The most frequent adverse events are infusion reactions and injection site reactions, but despite their fairly common occurrence the precise mechanisms are not fully understood. Another adverse event that became appreciated early in the era of biologicals is the increased risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other granulomatous infections in patients treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) antagonists. Although it is evident that this enhanced susceptibility to intracellular infections must be due to immunosuppression arising from the blockade of TNFα, the mechanisms have not been fully elucidated; such an understanding is likely to provide important insights into the role of TNFα in granulomatous and other infectious diseases. In addition, the biologicals may paradoxically induce autoimmunity. The development of autoantibodies is seen in a considerable proportion of patients, but clinical autoimmune disease develops much less commonly, including systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases, psoriasis, sarcoidosis, and interstitial lung disease. The mechanisms leading to their induction are very poorly understood, but an intriguing hypothesis is that interferon α provides a common link, at least for lupus, psoriasis and possibly sarcoidosis. Finally, the potential risk of infection with use of the biologicals is an issue that clinicians should always be aware of. These comments aside, the biologics are the most important advance in the treatment of rheumatic disease in the history of rheumatology and their usage has not only greatly helped patient care, but also provided key data on the immunobiology of the disease processes.
Perforated-patch recording with gramicidin avoids artifactual changes in intracellular chloride concentration

The antibiotic gramicidin, when incorporated into lipid membranes, forms pores that are exclusively permeable to monovalent cations and small unchanged molecules. We report the use of gramicidin for perforated patch-clamp recordings in the whole-cell mode. Recordings were performed in cultured rat spinal cord dorsal horn neurons. Cells had stable resting potentials and series resistances for times routinely exceeding 60 min. To test if intracellular chloride concentration ([Cl]i) remains stable with this technique, we measured responses to agonists of glycine and GABAA receptors, both of which gate chloride conductances. The driving force for these responses remained stable at values that differed significantly from values that would be expected if [Cl-]i were biased towards pipette [Cl-]. We conclude that gramicidin perforated-patch recording, in addition to other properties of the perforated-patch recording technique, has the advantage of not altering [Cl-]i. It is, therefore, an electrophysiological method particularly suitable for studies of anionic channels when [Cl-]i is a variable of interest, as well as for studies of homeostatic [Cl-]i regulation.
Three-component coupling via the squarate ester cascade as a concise route to the bioactive triquinane sesquiterpene hypnophilin.

A squarate ester cascade is used to provide in one step, via the coupling of three reactants, a highly oxygenated linear triquinane product. The latter is transformed in nine steps into hypnophilin. The access route involves a combination of chlorination, reduction, dehydration, and oxidation maneuvers in the proper sequence.
PARTIAL RESTORATION OF IMPAIRED ALPHA1-ADRENERGIC RESPONSIVENESS IN PAROTID CELLS OF AGED RATS BY S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE TREATMENT

The age related decrease in alpha1-adrenergic stimulated inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (IP3) production in parotid cells of aged rats can be partially restored by treatment with S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). This effect is completely blocked by S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH) and occurs in association with an increase in the conversion of phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylcholine and a decrease in membrane viscosity. In contrast, SAM treatment actually inhibits stimulated IP3 production in cells of young rats. The membrane viscosity of these cells is lower than that of those from aged rats. Although conversion of phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylcholine is enhanced, no further decrease in membrane viscosity is elicited in young cell preparations. These findings suggest that age changes in the membrane environment may result in impaired alpha1-adrenergic signal transduction and that such alterations may be at least partially reversible by SAM treatment.
A Synthesis Model of the General Health Care System

A synthesis model of the general health care system is developed based on literature from a variety of disciplines. The synthesis model is then used to create a theoretical framework of fundamental laws and derivative propositions. The integrated synthesis model and the theoretical framework should provide opportunities for future research. For the practitioner, they provide a macro-oriented understanding of the general health care system and the activities that are crucial within the system. Several practical examples that are based on interviews and case studies with health care providers are used to explain the elements in the synthesis model.
Holocene vegetation history of the Prince William Sound region, south-central Alaska

Abstract Vegetation history during the Holocene is interpreted from the pollen and sedimentary records of nine sections of peat deposits located in sedge tundra at sites in the northern and northwestern parts of the Prince William Sound region. Basal radiocarbon ages of the deposits are between 10,015 and 580 yr B.P. Modern surface pollen data from these and 25 additional sites, ranging from lowlands to an altitude of 675 m in the alpine tundra, were used to aid in the interpretation of the fossil records. Both frequency and influx pollen diagrams of the oldest section disclose a sequence of communities beginning with sedge tundra, containing thickets of willow and alder, followed by alder, which became predominant at about 8300 yr B.P. Later, alder declined, and an inferred growth of sedge tundra and the establishment of colonies of mountain hemlock and Sitka spruce with some western hemlock occurred about 2680 yr B.P. Finally, regrowth of sedge tundra accompanied by the development of forest communites took place over the past 2000 yr. The influence of glacier advances on the vegetation in the fjords occurred during Neoglacial episodes dated at 3200–2500 yr B.P. and during recent centuries. Regional Holocene tectonic activity was also an influential factor, especially at the time of the 1964 earthquake.
Finite-temperature full configuration interaction

The exact basis-set values of various thermodynamic potentials of a molecule are evaluated by the finite-temperature full configuration-interaction (FCI) method using ab initio molecular integrals over Gaussiantype orbitals. The thermodynamic potentials considered are the grand partition function, grand potential, internal energy, entropy, and chemical potential in the grand canonical ensemble as well as the partition function, Helmholtz energy, internal energy, and entropy in canonical ensemble. Approximations to FCI that are accurate at low and high temperatures are proposed, implemented, and tested. The results of finite-temperature FCI and its approximations are compared with one another as well as with the results of finite-temperature zeroth-order manybody perturbation theory, in which the Fermi–Dirac statistics is exact. Analytical asymptotic properties in the lowor high-temperature limits of some of these thermodynamic potentials are also given.
Relative boiling points of fluoro-ethers, fluoroamines and other fluorocarbon derivatives to fluorocarbons

Abstract The proposed equation log T =2.2+0.42 log n for predicting boiling points of perfluorocarbons with n carbons was found to be less accurate for predicting boiling points of F-ethers and tertiary F-amines than using data from those fluorocarbons with ( n +1) carbons less 22° and 12°, respectively. A similar treatment can predict boiling points of perfluoro polyethers. These constant deductions represent extra intermolecular repulsions caused by the isoelectronic replacement of CF 2 by O and CF by N. Deductions are not required to predict boiling points of perfluoro primary and secondary amines, acyl fluorides, N -acylfluorides, ketones and isocyanates via isoelectronic replacements to produce n -perfluorocarbons.
A linear algebraic method for analysing Hopf bifurcation of chemical reaction systems

On a determine la stabilite de la bifurcation de Hopf induite par des cycles limites de systemes de reactions chimiques
Territory and mobility in the American suburb

In suburban America, the kinds of activities that Habraken celebrates, fostered by a sense of security, occur in the gated courtyard, have traditionally occurred on the front porch. The porch is the courtyard inside out and like the courtyard, it is an important buffer between public and private realms. Protected by nested markers of territory, a cordon of sidewalk, a patch of grass, and a screen of shrubs, those occupying the porch feel secure yet engaged with their community, they are simultaneously both inside and out.
Collecting Data on Crowds and Rallies: A New Method of Stationary Sampling

This paper proposes a field procedure for collecting data at stationary mass rallies. Noting the research gap in adequate data about ongoing gatherings, we present a set of techniques summarized under the name zone-sector strategies. We emphasize area sampling, dividing the crowd into zones and sectors, and collecting data during stationary phases of assemblages. We also employ two-member interview teams, in an effort to collect reliable information about attitudinal and nonvisible characteristics of participants during the demonstration itself. Methods of testing reliability and validity of information are presented. Data from four political rallies exemplify the techniques and basically support the validity of the zone-sector approach. We conclude by stating possible uses and advantages of the methods. Social researchers have shown interest in the difficult problem of collecting data at sporadic demonstrations and other gatherings (e.g., Evans; Milgram and Toch). Some have noted the general lack of good data on crowd behavior (Berk: a, b). Others have pointed out the difficulties inherent in research on crowds and the pitfalls of the techniques most commonly used, such as sideline observation and retrospective questioning (e.g., Couch; Fisher; McPhail, a). Recent attempts to gather data have stressed primarily the stationary phase of crowds or assemblages. They have paid attention to improving observation. Fisher suggested a dramaturgical framework for such observation (see Ponting). Others (McPhail, b; McPhail and Pickens) have been developing a photographic method for observing crowd processes, with emphasis on at least momentary participant alignment. Jacobs has figured out how to calculate the size of a relatively stationary crowd, again using photographic observation. While these observational techniques and recent general guidelines for research (e.g., Lofland; Quarantelli and Dynes; Schatzman and Strauss) have advanced the methods of gathering data as collective episodes occur, new techniques could still be profitable. The lack of data about crowds themselves, mentioned by Berk (b, 15) persists. In particular, the field of collective behavior needs a *This research was supported in part by funds made available through a National Science Foundation Science Development grant to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We are very grateful to Glen H. Elder, N. David Milder, E. L. Quarantelli, Timothy J. Curry, and John S. Reed for helpful comments on earlier drafts. We also express our appreciation to the following interviewers: Edward Arroyo, Greg Bird, Habibullah Dada, Suzann Frey, Marg Gainer, Carol Goldsmith, Linda Harris, Marsha Hill, Evon Kruse, Roxi Ann Liming, Ken Long, Jane McCaskey, Frank McIntyre, Christine Nelms, Steven Rinehart, Anne Sykes, Darlene Walker, and Barbara Werner.
Ontology-supported research on vaccine efficacy, safety and integrative biological networks

While vaccine efficacy and safety research has dramatically progressed with the methods of in silico prediction and data mining, many challenges still exist. A formal ontology is a human- and compu...
Performance of LZ algorithms on individual sequences

The performance of three versions of the Lempel-Ziv (1976) algorithm on individual sequences is investigated. It is shown that as the restart length goes to infinity, each compresses an individual sequence as well as any block-to-variable finite-state information lossless algorithm, and that the same conclusion holds for sliding-window LZ as the window width goes to infinity. Examples are given showing that an infinite-memory version outperforms such finite-memory forms and that such finite-memory forms can compress more than the Ziv (1978) entropy, which is the best compression attainable by finite-state block-to-block codes that have vanishing probability of error.
Efficacy of Sulfamethoxypyridazine in a Murine Model of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia

Sulfamethoxazole is the component of co-trimoxazole responsible for its efficacy against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, but this drug is associated with frequent adverse effects. Sulfamethoxypyridazine is significantly more effective than sulfamethoxazole against a murine model of P. carinii and might be a candidate for testing in infected patients.
A self adaptive coding scheme for text and binary data

An effort is made to measure the amount of compression that can be accomplished using a heuristic coding algorithm. The scheme is based on the locality of the input symbols within a self-adaptive sequential list. An IBM-PC-based system has been developed for both encoding and decoding. The results using different adaptive sequential lists are presented. The test data include text files and binary files such as computer programs in executable forms and a 256-gray-levels image. Performance evaluation is discussed in terms of compression ratio, encoding time, and decoding time. >
A Question of Guilt

Abstract. This article inquires into the social function of guilt, especially collective guilt, and the implications thereof for collective violence and collective memory. The focus is on the relationship between collective violence and collective memory in countries that have experienced cultural trauma, defined as a dramatic loss of identity and meaning, a tear in the social fabric. Analyzing the dynamics—the mechanisms and processes—of remembering and forgetting such trauma, I argue that the idea of collective guilt is essential for making sense of collective violence and collective memory. Specifically, I show that collective violence requires collective action; that collective action produces collective guilt; that collective violence generates perceptions—and misperceptions—of collective guilt; and that collective memory is formed, deformed, and transformed by perceptions—and misperceptions—of collective guilt. The article uses illustrative data from a variety of cases to illuminate these dynamics. It concludes by explaining why understanding these dynamics is imperative for responding to historic injustice in the twenty-first century. Flash-backs falsify the Past: they forget the remembering Present. (Auden 1976, 841)
Waiting for the Nuclear Renaissance: Exploring the Nexus of Expansion and Disposal in Europe

This article focuses on the growing prospects for a nuclear power renaissance in Europe. While accepting the conventional wisdom that the incipient renaissance is being driven by climate change and energy security concerns, we argue that it would not be possible without the pioneering work of Sweden and Finland in providing a technological and sociopolitical solution to the industry’s longstanding “Achilles’ heel”: the safe, permanent, and locally acceptable disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In this article, we track the long decline and sudden resurgence of nuclear power in Europe, examining the correlation between the fortunes of the industry and the emergence of the Swedish model for addressing the nuclear waste problem. Through an in-depth exploration of the evolution of the siting model initiated in Sweden and adopted and successfully implemented in Finland, we emphasize the importance of transparency, trust, volunteerism, and “nuclear oases”: locations already host to substantial nuclear facilities. Climate change and concerns about energy independence and security have all opened the door for a revival of nuclear power in Europe and elsewhere, but we argue that without the solution to the nuclear waste quandary pioneered by Sweden and Finland, the industry would still be waiting for the nuclear renaissance.
Nursing Home Admission for African Americans With Alzheimer's Disease

Background. For African Americans with Alzheimer's disease (AD), little is known about the time to, and risk factors for, nursing home admission (NHA). Using Consortium To Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) data, this study provides information on NHA for African Americans. Methods. This longitudinal study followed subjects (N=122)for as long as 7 years and used survival analysis methodology and variable values at baseline and at follow-up to identify NHA risk factors. Studied were sociodemographic variables, physi­ cal symptom and disease status variables, the Blessed Dementia Rating Scale (including subscores), the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Results. Only 25% of African Americans with AD were estimated to have had a NHA by 3.4 years (confidence interval 2.1, 5.4). Being unmarried resulted in a five times earlier NHA (p< .01), and each unit increase in the CDR resulted in a 74% earlier NHA (p<.01). In the absence of the CDR, limitation in activities of daily living was associated with earlier NHA (p<.05). Conclusions. Findings suggest that African Americans with AD spend a substantial time in the community prior to NHA, a longer time than observed in similar studies among whites. This raises public health and clinical concern that African Americans with AD may be residing in the community with substantial unmet needs, and that their caregivers have potentially high levels of burden. The independent associations with time to NHA observed here, although few in number, are consistent with other re­ lated research.
Cell phone based balance trainer

In their current laboratory-based form, existing vibrotactile sensory augmentation technologies that provide cues of body motion are impractical for home-based rehabilitation use due to their size, weight, complexity, calibration procedures, cost, and fragility. We have designed and developed a cell phone based vibrotactile feedback system for potential use in balance rehabilitation training in clinical and home environments. It comprises an iPhone with an embedded tri-axial linear accelerometer, custom software to estimate body tilt, a "tactor bud" accessory that plugs into the headphone jack to provide vibrotactile cues of body tilt, and a battery. Five young healthy subjects (24 ± 2.8 yrs, 3 females and 2 males) and four subjects with vestibular deficits (42.25 ± 13.5 yrs, 2 females and 2 males) participated in a proof-of-concept study to evaluate the effectiveness of the system. Healthy subjects used the system with eyes closed during Romberg, semi-tandem Romberg, and tandem Romberg stances. Subjects with vestibular deficits used the system with both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions during semi-tandem Romberg stance. Vibrotactile feedback was provided when the subject exceeded either an anterior-posterior (A/P) or a medial-lateral (M/L) body tilt threshold. Subjects were instructed to move away from the vibration. The system was capable of providing real-time vibrotactile cues that informed corrective postural responses. When feedback was available, both healthy subjects and those with vestibular deficits significantly reduced their A/P or M/L RMS sway (depending on the direction of feedback), had significantly smaller elliptical area fits to their sway trajectory, spent a significantly greater mean percentage time within the no feedback zone, and showed a significantly greater A/P or M/L mean power frequency. The results suggest that the real-time feedback provided by this system can be used to reduce body sway. Its advantages over more complex laboratory-based and commercial balance training systems in terms of cost, size, weight, functionality, flexibility, and accessibility make it a good candidate for further home-based balance training evaluation.
Tissue Distribution of Gossypol Enantiomers in Broilers Fed Various Cottonseed Meals

Abstract Plasma and tissue concentrations of total, (+)- and (-)-gossypol were determined in broilers fed cottonseed meals (CSM) from eight oil mills (five expander solvent, two expeller, and one direct solvent). Free gossypol in the meals ranged from 0.033 to 0.180%, and total gossypol ranged from 0.974 to 1.459%. The (+)-enantiomer of gossypol varied from 53.8 to 61.3% of total gossypol. Eight CSM diets containing 28% CSM and a soybean meal control diet were fed to 162 1-d-old male broiler chicks during a 3-wk starter period. Concentrations of free gossypol in the CSM diets ranged from 92 to 504 μg/g, and total gossypol ranged from 2,626 to 4,085 μg/g. All diets were formulated with the same concentrations of digestible lysine and methionine and were fed ad libitum. At 21 d of age, there were no significant differences in body weights, feed conversions, or mortality of birds fed the CSM diets when compared to birds fed the soybean meal diet. Concentrations of (+)- and (-)-gossypol in plasma, liver, kidney, and muscle increased linearly as the level of free gossypol increased in the diets. Liver had the highest concentration of total gossypol (71.4 to 313.6 μg/g DM) followed by kidney (9.2 to 36.3 μg/g DM), plasma (3.0 to 14.6 μg/mL), and muscle (2.1 to 9.8 μg/g DM). The proportion of (−)-gossypol was higher in plasma (26.7%) and kidney (25.6%) than in muscle (19.1%) and liver (16.0%). Performance data from this study indicate CSM can be used successfully in chick starter diets at levels up to 28% when diets are formulated on a digestible amino acid basis.
Large grained parallel processing on workstation networks

Computing environments consisting of powerful workstations on high-speed LANs provide the potential for large grained parallel processing at low cost. A framework to enable this has been constructed on an Ethernet local area network of Sun workstations. Both message passing and shared memory paradigms are supported, and existing, well understood, procedural languages are used to program the system. Initial experiences with the system have been encouraging and performance comparable to that on commercial multiprocessors has been achieved for some classes of applications. >
Serum markers in acute appendicitis.

Background We have recently profiled inflammatory gene expression in acute appendicitis (AA) and identified a set of genes that are overexpressed in AA. The purpose of this study was to determine whether serum levels of a subset of proteins coded for by these overexpressed genes could differentiate patients with AA from those with other causes of abdominal pain and whether the serum levels of these proteins correlate with the histologic severity of appendicitis. Materials and Methods Serum samples were obtained from a convenience sample of children between 1 and 21 y of age who presented to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms/signs of AA. Patients were assigned to the proven appendicitis (AA) or nonappendicitis (control) group based on histologic findings, chart review, and follow-up phone calls. The serum levels of haptoglobin, granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF), interleukin 8 (IL-8), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were compared between groups. For patients with histologically proven appendicitis, a histologic severity score was assigned and correlated with the levels of potential serum biomarkers. Results thirty-two patients were enrolled; 23 patients (72%) had AA. Serum levels of CRP and GCSF were significantly different between AA and control groups (7.0 versus 0.8, P = 0.01 and 104.2 versus 58.7, P = 0.03, respectively.) In patients with AA, there was significant correlation between GCSF serum levels and the appendicitis severity score [r = 0.537, P = 0.02]. Conclusions GCSF serum levels can distinguish between patients with AA and controls. GCSF may prove to be a useful adjunctive test in the diagnosis and staging of acute appendicitis.
Local-scale habitat influences morphological diversity of species assemblages of cichlid fishes in a tropical floodplain river

We examined the taxonomic and morphological diversity of cichlid fish assemblages in a floodplain river in Venezuela during the dry season at two spatial scales: macrohabitats (lagoons, main channels and creeks) and mesohabitats (leaf litter, sand banks, rocky shoals and woody debris). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling did not reveal differences for species assemblages among macro and mesohabitats. The first two axes from canonical correspondence analysis based on 19 species and six physical variables modelled >61% of the taxonomic variation in assemblages from rock shoals and woody debris, and 55% of variation in assemblages from sand banks and leaf litter. Principal components analysis based on 22 morphological variables yielded two dominant axes that explained >86% of variation in the cichlid assemblages. Morphological diversity was analysed to test the idea that assemblage structure is nonrandom, with structurally complex habitats supporting more species with more functional morphological diversity than simple habitats. Average and standard deviation (SD) of the morphological Euclidean distances of local assemblages among mesohabitats tended to decrease or be constant as the number of species increased. Regressions of the average nearest neighbour distance (NND) and SD of NND with species richness resulted in low and negative slopes of species assemblages among mesohabitats. These relationships suggest that when more species are added to a habitat patch, assemblage morphospace remains approximately constant, species average similarity increases and species dispersion in morphological space becomes more uniform. Results support that cichlids partition habitat at the local scale but not at the macrohabitat scale.
Peripheral privacy notifications for wireless networks

When using wireless networks, some chats, web searches, and other information are broadcast out onto the local network. Other users on the same network may intercept and read this information. Unfortunately, without detailed knowledge of underlying technologies, many users are unable to properly evaluate the risks involved in everyday communication tasks. This study aims to develop techniques for allowing users without technical backgrounds to form more accurate expectations of privacy. We have developed a method for notifying users when their computer leaks such information. A large projected display placed in a common workplace shows excerpts from network traffic. A two-week trial was conducted to measure the effects of the display. Data was collected from network traffic monitoring and two paper surveys, which were conducted before and after the trial.
P1C-2 Two Dimensional Autocorrelation Estimator and its Statistics in Tissue Motion Estimation

Two dimensional autocorrelation estimator (2D ACE) has been initiated to suppress the high variability of one dimensional autocorrelation estimator (1D ACE) in displacement estimation. A thorough discussion of the statistics of 2D ACE, including the theoretical analysis, simulation will be presented in this paper. The approximately efficient property of 2D ACE and the Cramer Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) is shown. A new sampling strategy of displacement estimation
Kinematic Synthesis and Analysis of the Rack and Pinion Multi-Purpose Mechanism

The general procedure for synthesizing the rack and pinion mechanism up to seven precision conditions is developed. To illustrate the method, the mechanism has been synthesized in closed form for three precision conditions of path generation, two positions of function generation, and a velocity condition at one of the precision points. This mechanism has a number of advantages over conventional four bar mechanisms. First, since the rack is always tangent to the pinion, the transmission angle is always 90 deg minus the pressure angle of the rack. Second, with both translation and rotation of the rack occurring, multiple outputs are available. Other advantages include the generation of monotonic functions for a wide variety of motion and nonmonotonic functions for a full range of motion as well as nonlinear amplified motions. In this work the mechanism is made to satisfy a number of practical design requirements such as completely rotatable input crank and others. By including the velocity specification, the designer has considerably more control of the output motion. The method of solution developed in this work uses the complex number method of mechanism synthesis. A numerical example is included.
Intermediate filament dynamic response to shear stress in living endothelial cells

Adaptation of the endothelial cytoskeleton to an altered hemodynamic environment has been detected using indirect fluorescence labeling in fixed cells, but acute changes in cytoskeletal movement may play a role in rapid flow-mediated signaling by redistribution of forces to remote sites in the cell. For the first time, access to the dynamics of the cytoskeleton in living cells is possible by using chimeric constructs of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Endothelial cells expressing GFP-vimentin were exposed to unidirectional steady laminar shear stress in a parallel plate flow chamber. Deconvolution of fluorescence optical sections generated a precise 3-D spatial description of the corresponding intermediate filament (IF) network. IF motion was rapidly altered in regions of the cell after a step change in shear stress applied to the lumenal surface. A bioengineering analysis of real time cytoskeletal dynamics in living cells suggests a complex integration of biomechanics with spatial organization of intracellular signaling.
APPLICATION OF STATISTICAL THEORY AND MULTILEVEL FORMALISM TO DOPPLER EFFECT ANALYSIS. II.

As the second part of this series, this paper describes the application of the statistical theory and multilevel formulation to the reactor Doppler effect studies. Analytical studies were carried o...
On Detection-Estimation Schemes for Uncertain Systems

Combined detection-estimation schemes for stochastic signals have been considered as early as the mid-1960s (see, e. g., [1–5]). In general three basic problems may be classified as joint detection-estimation problems: (1) It is desired to detect a signal when some or all of its parameters or model are unknown. The result is a decision-directed estimation where the ultimate interest is in the detection outcome, while the estimate of the parameters or states may only be a by-product, which need not be obtained. In many robust detection problems, these variables are not estimated explicitly, and the concern is in making the detector performance insensitive to the unknown variables. (2) It is desired to estimate a signal in the presence of several uncertainties which take on discrete (finitely many) values. In this case, the resulting estimator is concerned primarily with the estimate of the signal attributes, and the detection of the precise mode of uncertainty governing the signal model is a by-product of the estimation process. In most cases, one is satisfied with the estimation outcome without explicitly identifying or detecting the modes involved. (3) A truly joint estimation-detection scheme is concerned with detecting the presence of a signal and estimating its parameters at the same time, and the performance criterion used in such a case is a coupled one yielding a detector and estimator which depend on each other. The first problem is not discussed here, and only a brief exposition of the third problem will be given. The main part of this chapter is concerned with the joint detection- estimation schemes for estimation purposes. The discussion of the third problem will be limited to its relationship to the estimation problem.
Global Value Chains: Economic and Policy Issues

“Companies no longer compete – Value Chains Compete” (Murphy, 2007, p.11) In the past few years, a fairly substantial literature has emerged addressing the phenomenon of global value chains (GVCs). While one can find various definitions of GVCs, the simple concept proposed by Lunati (2007) seems to capture the spirit of most definitions. Namely, GVCs are international supply chains characterized by fragmentation of production activities across sites and borders. In effect, the whole process of production, from acquiring raw materials to producing and delivering a finished product, has increasingly been “sliced”, so that each activity that adds value to the production process can be carried out wherever the necessary skills and materials are available at competitive cost (OECD, 2007; Feenstra, 1998). A related explanation of the GVC phenomenon is provided by Borga and Zeile (2004) who characterize the GVC phenomenon as the increasing divisibility of production activities. That is, production activities can be increasingly divided into different stages that can be performed in different locations.
The Frankfurt School, Jewish Lives, and Antisemitism

Introduction 1. Jewish life paths and the Institute of Social Research in the Weimar Republic 2. The Institute of Social Research and the significance of antisemitism: the exile years 3. Critical theorists and the state of Israel 4. Conclusion.
Home-range size and habitat selection by male Island Foxes (Urocyon littoralis) in a Low-Density Population

Abstract Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) are listed as federally endangered on four of the six California Channel Islands to which they are endemic. The population on Santa Rosa Island declined by 99% during the 1990s due to golden eagle (Aguila chrysaetos) predation but is now recovering. This drastic population reduction provided an unprecedented opportunity to study home-range size and habitat use at very low levels of intraspecific competition. We used global positioning system (GPS) collars to track 14 adult male foxes from September 2009 through June 2010. On average, the collars operated for 16.5 wk, yielding 364 locations per fox. The 95% minimum convex polygon home ranges averaged 3.39 km2, which is several times larger than reported in previous studies conducted at higher population densities. We used Euclidean distance analysis to assess habitat selection within 95% kernel density isopleth (KDI) home ranges and 50% KDI core areas. The foxes used most of the available vegetation types but exhi...