cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unlocking women’s sustainability leadership potential: Perceptions of contributions and challenges for women in sustainable development

Abstract Although it appears that leadership roles in sustainable development have become more androgynous over time, it is unclear whether perceptions of barriers for women leaders in this context have actually changed. Our research examines the perceptions of male and female sustainable development activists regarding existing barriers but also their visions of the unique contributions women leaders bring to sustainable development when these barriers are overcome. During a two-year global study, we interviewed 120 women and men deeply involved in sustainable development from local to supranational levels and active in transnational and autonomous spaces to capture their insights on the topic. Qualitative analyses revealed several themes: First, our results reflect overwhelming concerns with the patriarchal structures that are perceived to continue to constrain women from becoming leaders. Second, our study reveals complex and often hidden issues, such as the lack of self-confidence, which impedes perceived access to leadership positions, and differences among women that make it difficult to find blanket solutions. Finally, we discuss men and masculinity, topics which are often neglected in this context, highlighting the important role that male allies can play for women leaders in sustainable development. Theoretically, we add new perspectives to existing literature on women as sustainable development leaders by focusing on the perceptions of individuals who actively try to change institutions and norms from within. From a practical perspective, our study is an important call to action for global women’s movements and male allies to work together to confront hierarchical domination and oppression and, importantly, not only change structures but also perceptions.
Comparison of miRNA profiling methods using synthetic miRNA pools and standardized exRNA samples reveals substantial performance differences

Author(s): Godoy, Paula; Barczak, Andrea; DeHoff, Peter; Srinivasan, Srimeenakshi; Das, Saumya; Erle, David; Laurent, Louise | Abstract: SUMMARY MicroRNAs (miRNAs) found in biofluids play functional roles in health and in disease pathogenesis, underpinning their potential as clinical biomarkers. Several platforms for measurement of extracellular RNAs have recently become available. We evaluated the reproducibility, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of four miRNA quantification platforms, including one widely used discovery approach (small RNA-seq) and three targeted platforms (FirePlex, EdgeSeq, and nCounter). Using pools of synthetic miRNAs, we observed that reproducibility was highest for RNA-seq and EdgeSeq, that all three targeted platforms had lower bias than RNA-seq, and that RNA-seq had the best ability to distinguish between present and absent sequences. Overall reproducibility was lower for plasma samples than synthetic miRNA pools. We compared expression of placental miRNAs in plasma from pregnant and non-pregnant women and observed expected differences with RNA-seq and EdgeSeq, but not FirePlex or nCounter. We conclude that differences in performance among miRNA profiling platforms impact their relative utility as potential assay systems for clinical biomarkers.
Quality Indicators for Pain in Palliative Care

Measuring the quality of pain management is essential for demonstrating the value of providers’ efforts to control this burdensome symptom. Measuring pain management is also critical for developing and evaluating quality improvement initiatives in palliative care. Groups have recently developed quality indicators for pain management and tested them for feasibility, reliability, and validity in both cancer and general palliative care populations in various care settings. These indicators address structure, process, and outcomes throughout the spectrum of care. Measurement of pain management is facilitated by the availability of well-validated pain assessment tools. However, indicator implementation is limited by assessment challenges in vulnerable populations, inconsistent documentation of pain management aspects in the medical record, inaccessible relevant data in current electronic medical records (EMRs) and data sets, and lack of evidence for correlation between quality indicators and patient outcomes. We need further research for establishing pain indicators in children and patients who cannot report pain, tailoring pain measurement to different populations and settings, and improving integration of quality measurement into clinical care. We also need more development on indicators of nonphysical aspects of pain and its management. Last, we need to assess how pain management quality interacts with other palliative care symptoms and domains, as well as opioid misuse, a related important issue. The collection of patient-reported outcome data within routine clinical workflow and national/regional quality improvement collaborations establishing quality benchmarks have the potential to address some issues and improve the measurement as well as quality of pain management.
Use of distraction osteogenesis in orthognathic surgery

Abstract Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a surgical technique that takes advantage of natural wound healing mechanisms to augment bone and soft tissues. DO is extremely versatile and can be applied to nearly any bone. In the craniofacial skeleton, the cranial vault, midface, maxilla and mandible are the most common sites for DO. This technique allows larger skeletal movements than could be achieved with conventional techniques, decreases operative time and blood loss, eliminates the need for bone grafts and associated donor site morbidity, and may improve postoperative stability. DO can be used in preparation for, in lieu of, or in combination with orthognathic surgery to correct dentofacial deformities. DO requires meticulous planning to achieve optimal results.
Drawn (to) independence: female showrunners in contemporary American TV animation

This article focuses on three showrunners: Natasha Allegri (Bee and PuppyCat), Shadi Petosky (Danger & Eggs, co-created with Mike Owens), and Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe). It outlines the ways i...
Iterative Method using the Generalized Hopf Formula: Avoiding Spatial Discretization for Computing Solutions of Hamilton-Jacobi Equations for Nonlinear Systems

Hamilton-Jacobi (HJ) analysis provides globally optimal solutions for multiple player game problems in a variety of fields, including robotics, control, logistics, manufacturing, and finance. Despite its importance, computation complexity limits its use. Motivated by recent work in using the Hopf formula for a grid-free solution to Hamilton-Jacobi equations for linear systems, this paper proposes an iterative method that provides a sub-optimal solution and corresponding control law for the solution of Hamilton-Jacobi partial differential equations for nonlinear systems. This allows efficient computation of Hamilton-Jacobi solutions in high dimensions, for a broader class of systems than has been treated in prior work, and also provides a conservative solution that guarantees goal-reaching in goal-reaching problems or safety in collision avoidance problems. We name our method the Iterative Hopf Method. We demonstrate our method in two examples: goal-reaching and collision avoidance problems with a three-dimensional vehicle model to analyze performance of the iterative Hopf method by comparing with the level set method for computing a convergent solution to Hamilton-Jacobi equations, and a goal-reaching problem with a seven-dimensional vehicle whose computation for the solution is considered to be intractable.
Tissue-mimetic dielectric actuators: Free-standing, stable, and solvent-free

One of the notorious problems in dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) is electromechanical instability resulting in uncontrolled breakdown, which precludes large reversible strokes. We resolved th...
Significant PR Prolongation and New Onset Left Bundle Branch Block in Aortic Root Abscess: A Marker of Disease Progression and Poor Prognosis.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious medical condition with a high morbidity and mortality rate. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common etiologic organism in IE. While echocardiography plays an important role in diagnosis and management of IE, the electrocardiogram (ECG) is helpful in determination of disease progression as well as in prognostication. We present a case of a 72-year-old man who was diagnosed with IE following methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia. The course of hospitalization was complicated with multiple septic-embolic strokes and aortic root abscess. Serial ECG revealed PR prolongation and new onset left bundle branch block (LBBB) before the patient became terminal. Our case highlights the utility of serial ECGs monitoring in the patients with IE that may reveal subtle ECG findings, such as PR prolongation and LBBB. These findings which might serve as a clue of the presence of peri-annular extension of IE, help in prognostication and aid in the therapeutic decision-making such as early surgical intervention in these high-risk patients with poor prognosis. In this report, we also present the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlining the ECG changes in patients with aortic valve endocarditis.
A New Concept of the Forced Expiratory Spirogram and the Effort Independent Portion of the Flow-Volume Loop. A Computer Analysis

The forced expiratory spirogram continues to interest those concerned with pulmonary function as a prctical, fast, reproducible and (1–6) clinically useful test of ventilatory function. It has “withstood the test of time”. This interest is not new. While Sir Humphrey Davy did address the matter of volume of the lung and its subdivisions in the last decade of the 18th century (7, 8), it was Hutchinson in 1846 (9) who “...fathered the concept of vital capacity”. Bartels, Bucherl, Hertz, Rodewold and Schwab (10) state that, so far as known, Volhard (11) in 1908 was the first to observe that, on forced expiration of the vital capacity into a spirometer by a patient with emphysema, the bell rises more slowly than with a normal person. Raither (12), a pupil of Volhard, made the first detailed study of the form of the forced expiratory spirogram. (Fig. 1) Tiffeneau and Pinelli (13, 14) introduced the concept of the one second forced expiratory volume, taking it to be the “pulmonary capacity utilizable with effort”.
Extended Empirical Wavelet Transformation: Application to structural updating

Abstract The determination of accurate global and local modal information is a crucial step for any structural model updating process. Existing modal extraction methods can extract global modal properties with a good degree of accuracy; however, they have difficulties extracting accurate local information under transient excitations. This work presents a novel method, called Extended Empirical Wavelet Transformation (EEWT), in which local and global modal information can be accurately obtained under transient excitations. A new objective function is proposed in this work, where the local and global information resulting from EEWT can be used inside an optimization problem to solve for structures’ unknown parameters and boundary coefficients using a minimum number of measurement points. The proposed EEWT modal extraction and updating schemes were experimentally implemented in two problems: a simply supported beam and a scaled model of a highway bridge with unknown boundary conditions. The results showed the capability of the proposed approaches to identify structural material properties and boundary coefficients of both systems under transient excitations. Comparison between the proposed method and three other well-known modal extraction methods illustrated the effectiveness of EEWT and showed how the resulting optimum points can be affected by the inaccuracy of the extracted modal information.
Active Versus Passive Discharge Voiding Protocols and Urinary Retention Rates after Same-Day Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy

Study Objective The primary objective was to determine proportion of patients discharged with a urinary catheter after undergoing a same-day minimally invasive hysterectomy (MIH) for a benign gynecological condition according to active versus passive discharge voiding protocol. Secondary objectives included assessing post anesthesia care unit (PACU) duration and postoperative urinary retention (PUR) rate ≤2 weeks of discharge. Design Retrospective observational data-only cohort study. Setting A large integrated healthcare system serving over one-million reproductive-aged women annually. Patients or Participants Patients ≥18 years old, undergoing a same-day MIH for benign gynecological conditions without urogynecology procedures 2015-2018, were categorized into active or passive voiding trial groups. An active voiding trial was defined as a patient arriving in PACU with a catheter, retrograde filling the bladder with 300ml, then allowing for voiding ≥50% within 30 minutes. If unable to void this volume, then discharged with a catheter to be removed within 24 hours. A passive voiding trial involved filling or not filling the bladder prior to arriving in PACU without a catheter, then allowing for voiding or performing a straight catheterization in PACU if unable to void. Interventions N/A. Measurements and Main Results We found 1644 (83.2%) patients underwent passive voiding trials and 333 (16.8%) active voiding trials. Proportion of patients discharged with a catheter was lower in the passive voiding group than the active voiding group (5.4% versus 10.5%, P=0.001). Passive group had shorter mean PACU time than active group (218±86 versus 240±93 minutes, P Conclusion Within a large integrated healthcare system, passive voiding trials were associated with a smaller proportion of patients discharged with a catheter, shorter PACU duration, and lower PUR rate. This suggests that passive voiding trials can be safely utilized after a benign MIH to reduce hospital duration, optimize healthcare resources, and ultimately improve patient experience.
The impact of the covid-19 pandemic on lifestyle behaviors in U.S. college students.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate COVID-19's impact on college student health behaviors. PARTICIPANTS: 189 college students. METHODS: Participants completed an online survey on behaviors relating to sleep, sedentary activities, and physical activity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparisons utilized Students' dependent t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. RESULTS: There was an increase in time to fall asleep (before: 23.4 ± 18.0 vs. during: 42.8 ± 44.3 min·day-1, p < 0.001), time spent in bed (before: 7.8 ± 1.5 vs. during: 8.5 ± 1.5 hr·day-1, p < 0.001), as well as shifts in later bed and awake time (p < 0.001). Total sedentary time increased during the pandemic (before: 9.0 ± 3.8 vs. during: 9.9 ± 4.1 hr·day-1, p = 0.016); and time spent using a TV, computer, or phone (before: 3.1 ± 1.9 vs. during: 4.2 ± 2.3 hr·day-1, p < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in moderate-vigorous activity (before: 123.8 ± 96.0 vs. during: 108.9 ± 75.5 min·week-1, p = 0.028) and resistance training days (before: 2.4 ± 2.1 vs. during: 1.7 ± 2.1 days·week-1, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 negatively influenced health behaviors in college students.
Abstract 644: The Endothelin B Receptor Attenuates Endothelin Contraction Via An Endothelium Independent Mechanism In Mesenteric Arteries Of (mRen2)27 Rats

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and Angiotensin II (Ang II) are important modulators of vascular tone. Contraction to ET-1 is dependent on the activation of ETA and ETB receptors. The contractile receptor ETA ...
Nanomaterials and Their Application

Nanoscience is the chemistry subdiscipline to deal with unique and exciting fields, to seek out the new approaches and new applications, to innovatively explore the small world. There is plenty to tackle in the field of nanomaterials and system to effectively solve the anthropogenic problems induced by new technology. This chapter discusses the fundamental properties of nanomaterials and demonstrates their diversified applications, ranging from solar panel used in the space shuttle to atomic reactor (converting CO 2 to carbohydrates).
An unusual skin reaction following local anesthetic injection. Review of the literature and report of four cases.

Abstract Four cases of an unusual skin eruption related to mandibular block injection are presented. The authors suggest an immunologic basis for the reaction, probably to the methylparaben preservative, and discuss a possible pathogenic mechanism. The medical-dental literature concerning untoward reactions to lidocaine is reviewed; particular attention is given alleged allergic reactions.
Sanitizing Interested Transactions

How should corporate law deal with a controlling person's entry into a transaction with the corporation she controls? How should corporate law deal with transactions or decisions where one or more board members are interested? In this Article, we argue that Delaware law could do a better job answering these questions than it presently does. We propose a modest strengthening of judicial review of interested transactions. For transactions where one or more directors have a conflicting interest and defendants attempt to cleanse the transaction using approval by the disinterested directors, we propose that the defendants show that the approving disinterested directors exercised independent business judgment. Only when the defendants make this showing would the transaction receive the protection of the business judgment rule. For all transactions with a controlling shareholder, the Weinberger entire fairness framework should apply. Since many duty of loyalty cases will be characterized as derivative actions, we would also revise the first prong of Aronson. We propose that if the plaintiff shows that at least one director is interested, demand is excused unless defendants show that the approving disinterested directors exercised independent business judgment and the plaintiffs cannot rebut that showing. If the plaintiffs can show that the transaction was with a controlling shareholder (as defined in the Weinberger line of cases), demand should be excused. Our proposal is far from radical. Rather, it provides weaker oversight of interested transactions than the traditional common law approach, which simply deemed all interested transactions void. It fits well within the purview of current Delaware law, which applies procedural scrutiny when independent directors approve such a transaction. It balances the danger that shareholders will be abused by interested transactions with the danger of encouraging strike suits. Indeed, the fact that Delaware does not already follow a variant of this approach is somewhat surprising.
Exploring silicon process technology through RIT'S NPN BJT process

At RIT, a vertical NPN BJT process laboratory is used in an intermediate level course in silicon process technology. The laboratory is designed to put into practice the theories (i.e. crystal defects, diffusion, oxidation, ion-implant) discussed in the lecture material. Through this laboratory the students gain further understanding of the operation of the bipolar junction transistor, as well as an appreciation for manufacturing issues such as parameter variation and device yield. In addition to device fabrication and test, another important part of the laboratory is process simulation using TMA SUPREM-IV for structural simulation and TMA MEDICI for electrical simulation. In this paper, NPN BJT process and electrical test results will be discussed along with simulation results as it would be presented in an actual student project report. In addition, the success of using the NPN BJT process in a laboratory to teach silicon processes will be described, emphasizing the importance of a hands-on approach to microelectronic engineering education.
A cAMP response element in the beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene confers transcriptional autoregulation by cAMP.

The rate of transcription of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene is increased in response to beta-adrenergic agonist stimulation of the receptor at the cell surface. This effect is mediated by stimulation of adenylyl cyclase and elevation of intracellular cAMP levels. We have previously shown that this responsiveness to cAMP resides in the 5‘-flanking region of the human beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene (Collins, S., Bouvier, M., Bolanowski, M. A., Caron, M. G., and Lefkowitz, R. J. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 86, 4853-4857). A 34-base pair sequence derived from the beta 2-adrenergic receptor promoter region (-70 to -37 base pairs), containing the sequence GTACGTCA, confers responsiveness to cAMP when present in either orientation 5‘ to the thymidine kinase promoter on the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene. Overexpression of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A fully substituted for forskolin in inducing expression through this sequence, indicating that the cAMP induction is mediated through this kinase. Mutations within the GTACGTCA sequence completely abolished the stimulation. A 43-kDa transcription factor (cAMP response element-binding protein) confers cAMP responsiveness through binding to specific sequences. In gel mobility shift assays, purified cAMP response element-binding protein bound to the 34-base pair oligonucleotide from the beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene with an affinity similar to that for the well-characterized cAMP response element from the human glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit gene, and failed to bind to mutated elements. Thus, positive autoregulation of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene appears to occur through receptor-mediated stimulation of adenylyl cyclase, with consequent activation of cAMP response element-binding protein and stimulation of beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene transcription. These results demonstrate a novel mechanism by which a receptor (beta 2-adrenergic receptor) stimulatory for adenylyl cyclase can exert positive feedback regulation on its own expression.
La migración del Movimiento Urbano Popular a la política de partido en el México contemporáneo

Resumen es: El Movimiento Urbano Popular mexicano emergio en los anos setenta. Hacia finales de esa decada se habia convertido en un actor publico significativo, alc...
In Vitro Detection of Antibody to Cholera Enterotoxin in Cholera Patients and Laboratory Animals

Two new in vitro microtests for anticholeragen (cholera exo-enterotoxin) antibodies are described and compared. In both tests, choleragen and choleragenoid, antigenically identical purified moieties which differ in size, charge, and toxicity, may be used as sensitizing antigens with apparently equal facility. The passive hemagglutination (PHA) test in which sensitized tanned chicken erythrocytes are used was found to be more sensitive than the sensitized bentonite flocculation test. Tests with sera from cholera patients almost invariably demonstrated a rise in titer on convalescence. Results with the PHA test were directly correlated with results derived from in vivo toxin neutralization assays involving inhibition of skin reactivity and the ileal loop reaction. These observations strengthen the hypothesis that choleragen is involved in the pathogenesis of cholera in man and support the unitarian concept that skin reactivity and choleragenesis are manifestations of the same toxin acting in different tissues. Both of the tests described have been modified and used as inhibition tests in the detection and assay of choleragen antigen.
Mobile Manipulation and Mobility as Manipulation-Design and Algorithms of RoboSimian

This article presents the hardware design and software algorithms of RoboSimian, a statically stable quadrupedal robot capable of both dexterous manipulation and versatile mobility in difficult terrain. The robot has generalized limbs and hands capable of mobility and manipulation, along with almost fully hemispherical three-dimensional sensing with passive stereo cameras. The system is semiautonomous, enabling low-bandwidth, high latency control operated from a standard laptop. Because limbs are used for mobility and manipulation, a single unified mobile manipulation planner is used to generate autonomous behaviors, including walking, sitting, climbing, grasping, and manipulating. The remote operator interface is optimized to designate, parametrize, sequence, and preview behaviors, which are then executed by the robot. RoboSimian placed fifth in the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials, demonstrating its ability to perform disaster recovery tasks in degraded human environments.
Indistinguishability, symmetrisation and maximum entropy

It is demonstrated that the distributions over single-particle states for Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac statistics describing N non-interacting identical particles follow directly from the principle of maximum entropy. It is seen that the notions of indistinguishability and coarse graining are secondary, if not irrelevant. A detailed examination of the structure of the Boltzmann limit is provided.
Surgical Therapy for Heart Failure

Themedia frenzy after one of the national cardiologymeetings is always interesting to observe. The late-breaking trials of pharmacology, drug-eluting coro-narystents,andpercutaneousheartvalvesconspiretomakeeventhebusiestcardiothoracicsurgeonthinkofhis or her own professional future. But amid our car-diologic colleagues’ excitement over the “vanishingscalpel”
A Framework for Reconsidering the Lake Wobegon Effect

The "Lake Wobegon Effect'' describes the potential bias introduced into survey-based analyses of education issues, because students systematically over-report academic achievements such as grade-point average. While the use of official-records data negates this effect, many researchers can only access student-reported data. In this paper we examine whether student-survey data in place of official-records data meaningfully biases regression estimates. We investigate this by capitalizing on a subtle but extremely useful statistical feature of over-reporting on bounded variables like grade-point average. Specifically, the misreports will be negatively correlated with the true grade-point average - a form of non-classical measurement error - which actually counteracts the bias. Around this insight we build a simple testing framework that permits a researcher with access to both data sets to assess the bias's size and significance. We demonstrate our method using two data sets, and find that the bias does not meaningfully impact the signs, significance, or magnitude of regression slope coefficients. Our results, and that the special econometric feature is likely present in all student-reported grade data, lead us to believe the Lake Wobegon Effect bias is inconsequential.
Relative temporal leading or following position of the contralateral limb generates different aftereffects in muscle phasing following adaptation training post-stroke

Locomotor coordination depends on precise and appropriate adjustments of intra- and interlimb muscle activity phasing. Muscle coordination deficits, in the form of inappropriately phased muscle activity patterns, are well recognized in both the paretic and non-paretic limbs of stroke survivors. Our recent work demonstrated that muscle phasing can be systematically influenced by changing the relative angular positions of limbs in both neurologically intact individuals and people post-stroke. However, it is still unknown whether the observed transient changes in adjusted muscle phasing can be adapted following a short-bout of training on the split-crank ergometer. To explore the extent to which the non-paretic and paretic limbs of people with stroke can adapt to new muscle activity phasing changes, we examined the adaptation of muscle phasing following a short-bout of pedaling training at two specific relative spatial angular positions of limbs that had caused the greatest phasing changes in our previous studies. Twelve individuals with post-cerebral stroke and twelve age- and gender-matched control subjects participated in this study. We demonstrated that both intact and cerebrally impaired nervous systems are capable of adapting new muscle phasing patterns and producing aftereffects that persisted for at least 10 min. However, we observed a completely different trend of aftereffects in post-stroke subjects compared with controls. Specifically, in controls, the aftereffects were observed only in the leg that was in the following position during the adaptation training whereas in post-stroke subjects, aftereffects were observed only in the leg that acted as the leading leg during adaptation, regardless of the limb being paretic or non-paretic. These findings suggest that adapting a new muscle activity pattern during a bilateral locomotor task depends mainly on the relative temporal position of contralateral limb.
Mortality from stroke among U.S. veterans in Georgia and 5 western states. II. Quality of death certification and clinical records.

Abstract This is the second of a series of reports comparing 604 deaths from stroke among U.S. veterans over 12 months in 1967–1968 in Georgia with 560 stroke deaths in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming; 1210 and 1644 deaths randomly selected from all other deaths in 2 areas, respectively, in the same year are used as controls. An analysis is presented of indicators of the quality of the data contained on the death certificates and in the clinical records of these men. There is little difference between the areas in the proportion of stroke cases dying in hospital, but more stroke deaths occurred at home in Georgia relative to the West; and this is largely compensated for by a higher proportion of deaths in nursing homes in the West. Autopsies were performed more frequently among stroke cases in the West than in Georgia; and in both cases and controls, more frequently in young than in old men. Certificates were signed more often by a physician in the West than in Georgia, and it was more usual for him to be present during the last illness and to be younger. Clinical records showed that each of 4 common diagnostic procedures not specific to stroke (blood chemistry, urinalysis, blood count and diagnostic radiology) were performed more frequently in the West. Differences between Georgia and the West in reported mortality from stroke can reasonably be attributed neither to differences in standards of medical care nor to accuracy of death certification. They apparently are due to other factors.
The predictive power of January returns and the political-business cycle

Abstract This study investigates if and how the previously documented predictive power of January returns is affected by the political-business cycle. The evidence presented here shows that January returns are a particularly significant indicator of rest-of-the-year returns for years following presidential and congressional elections.
The effects of discriminate message interventions on behavioral intentions to engage in physical activities.

Objective: The authors attempt to show the usefulness of discriminate messages designed to increase college students' intentions to engage in physical activities. Participants: The authors selected a sample of undergraduate students enrolled in communication courses at a university in the southeastern United States for a baseline online survey (n = 683) and an experiment (n = 99). Methods: The authors selected discriminate beliefs with highest regression weights and sizable effect size with behavioral intention to build messages for classroom intervention. The authors used an analysis of covariance to test the intervention effect of discriminate messages on intention to do physical activities. Results: Students exposed to the discriminate messages were more likely to report positive changes in their self-efficacy and behavioral intentions related to physical activity. Conclusions: Further research on communication theories is required to help design the selected beliefs so that they will be comprehended a...
Thermal Parameters of Some Liquid Crystals George

Abstract Although transition temperatures for many liquid crystal materials have been reported in the literature, latent heat data have been much less readily available. Barrall and Johnson1 and Marzotko and Demus2 have recently reviewed the calorimetric situation. The present paper reports transition temperatures and latent heats (enthalpies) for twenty-eight liquid crystalline materials. Most of the materials studied possess a single mesophase–the nematic. A few also possess at least one smectic phase.
The simultaneous determination of transfer RNA and amino acid attachment to rat liver ribosomes in the presence of unfractionated supernatant

Abstract [14C]Leucyl-[3H]tRNA was used for the simultaneous study of tRNA and amino acid attachment to rat liver ribosomes in the presence of unfractionated supernatant. Total tRNA attachment increased linearly with ribosome concentration unlike amino acid polymerization, which was limited by some other component of the reaction. Optimal tRNA attachment (generally 1.5–2.0 tRNA molecules per ribosome) was achieved in a shorter time and at lower concentrations of supernatant and tRNA than were required for optimal polymerization. Fusidic acid caused a marked decrease in polymerization and reduced tRNA attachment to about one-half its original value. Sparsomycin and puromycin also inhibited polymerization but had no influence on tRNA attachment.
From ‘wood’ to future tense: Nominal origins of the future construction in Hup

Cross-linguistic comparison of future constructions (e.g. Bybee et al. 1994) shows that future grams almost invariably derive from verbs involving agent-oriented modality or spatial movement. However, the Hup language of the northwest Brazilian Amazon (Nadahup or ‘Maku’ family) has developed a future gram from a noun: ‘wood, stick’. This paper traces a proposed path of grammaticalization from the free lexeme ‘wood’ to an increasingly abstract ‘generic’ noun in nominal compounds, thence to a purpose adverbial, and finally to a future suffix in verbal constructions. While a nominal source like ‘wood, stick’ for a future gram is typologically extraordinary, each step in this transition is argued to be clearly motivated and consistent with more general cross-linguistic patterns of grammaticalization.
Temporary occlusion of the great cardiac vein and coronary sinus to facilitate radiofrequency catheter ablation of the mitral isthmus.

INTRODUCTION Ablation of the mitral isthmus to achieve bidirectional conduction block is technically challenging, and incomplete block slows isthmus conduction and is often proarrhythmic. The presence of the blood pool in the coronary venous system may act as a heat-sink, thereby attenuating transmural RF lesion formation. This porcine study tested the hypothesis that elimination of this heat-sink effect by complete air occlusion of the coronary sinus (CS) would facilitate transmural endocardial ablation at the mitral isthmus. METHODS This study was performed in nine pigs using a 30 mm-long prototype linear CS balloon catheter able to occlude and displace the blood within the CS (the balloon was inflated with approximately 5 cc of air). Using a 3.5 mm irrigated catheter (35 W, 30 cc/min, 1 minute lesions), two sets of mitral isthmus ablation lines were placed per animal: one with the balloon deflated (CS open) and one inflated (CS Occluded). After ablation, gross pathological analysis of the linear lesions was performed. RESULTS A total of 17 ablation lines were placed: 7 with CS Occlusion, and 10 without occlusion. Despite similar biophysical characteristics of the individual lesions, lesion transmurality was consistently noted only when using the air-filled CS balloon. CONCLUSIONS Temporary displacement of the venous blood pool using an air-filled CS balloon permits transmurality of mitral isthmus ablation; this may obviate the need for ablation within the CS to achieve bidirectional mitral isthmus conduction.
Irradiation enhancement of biomass conversion

Abstract The vast supply of cellulosic agricultural residues and industrial by-products that is produced each year is a prospective resource of biomass suitable for conversion to useful products such as feedstock for the chemicals industry and feedstuffs for the livestock industry. Conversions of such biomass is poor at present, and utilization is inefficient, because of physio-chemical barriers to biological degradation and (or) anti-quality components such as toxicants that restrict biological usages. Improvements in biodegradability of ligno-cellulosic materials have been accomplished by gamma-ray and electron-beam irradiation at intermediate dosage (∼ 50 Mrad; .5 MGy); but applications of the technology have been hampered by questionable interpretations of results. Recent research with organic wastes such as sewage sludge and straw suggests opportunity for important applications of irradiation technology in enhancement of biomass conversion. Data from experiments using irradiated straw as feed for ruminants are presented and discussed in relation to research on prospective usage of sewage products as feed for ruminants. Findings are discussed in regard to prospective applications in industrial fermentation processes. Possible usage of irradiation technology for destruction of toxicants in exotic plants is considered in regard to prospective new feedstuffs.
Learning professionalism during the third year of medical school in a 9-month-clinical rotation in rural Minnesota.

Background: Professionalism is now an explicit part of the medical school curricula.Aim: To examine the components that are part of developing professionalism during the Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP) experience, a 9-month rotation in a rural community during the third year of medical school.Methods: Two researchers analysed 3 years of essays for themes. IRB approval was obtained.Results: Themes were organized using Van de Camp's model of professionalism. Students described how patients taught them about illnesses, the affects on their lives and the lives of their families. Preceptors role-modelled how to relate to patients with compassion and respect (Professionalism Towards the Patient). As a member of the health care team, clinic and hospital staff taught students how to be a good team member (Towards Other Health Care Professionals). Shadowing preceptors in their roles as physicians and community members, students learned about their responsibilities to the community (Towards the Public). Mu...
Inhibition of urea-linked water flux and [14C]urea transport across the toad bladder by amiloride.

AbstractUrea movement across the toad bladder was measured with [14C]urea and by determining the amount of water flow obligated to urea movement along a urea concentration gradient from mucosa to serosa. This “urea-linked volume flux” was measured gravimetrically. Both the urea-linked volume flux and the [14C]urea transport were stimulated by vasopressin and reversibly inhibited by 0.1 mM amiloride by about 50%. Amiloride had no effect on vasopressin-stimulated osmotic water flux across the bladder wall. Calculations on the amount of water obligated to urea movement indicate that the mucosal urea solution becomes concentrated during its passage through the bladder wall in the presenlce of vasopressin. This concentrating effect of the permeability barrier is less pronounced in the presence of amiloride. It is postulated that amiloride blocks specific urea channels in the rate-limiting barrier, channels which are capable of selectively enhancing urea movement and retarding water flow. Since amiloride is als...
Assessment and accreditation

This panel will feature four speakers with an in-depth knowledge of accreditation and continuous improvement. It will be used both to inform the audience of some of the changes that are likely to occur in IT accreditation criteria in the near future and to seek feedback on specific accreditation-related questions.
Influence of thermal history during Czochralski silicon crystal growth on OISF nuclei formation

Abstract The aim of this work was to study the impact of the crystal cooling rate in the puller on oxidation-induced stacking fault (OISF) nuclei formation. By modifying the thermal history of the crystal, by adding an in situ annealing step immediately after the completion of growth, it was possible to separate the effects of the thermal history from those due to other growth parameters, which are otherwise interconnected. This allowed the critical temperature range for the control of stacking fault nuclei formation during crystal cooling to be identified: nucleation proceeds most effectively between 1070 and 880 °C; in this temperature range, a long residence time of the crystal can induce a high density of OISF nuclei. In addition to this, a relationship between the OISF nuclei density and the degradation of the minority carrier lifetime, prior to oxidation, is clearly observed, suggesting that OISF nuclei, or other related defects, are active as recombination centres for minority carriers in p-type silicon.
Spectral response measurement apparatus for large area solar cells

A microcomputer controlled apparatus utilizing a series of interference filters for wavelength selection has been developed for measuring the spectral response of large area solar cells irradiated by a high-intensity bias light. Sample results are given for several types of solar cell. These measurements are compared to the spectral responses obtained using monochromator-based apparatus providing low-level inhomogeneous irradiation on the cells. From this comparison, the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods are clearly seen.
Correction factors for stress intensity of CFRP-strengthened wide-flange steel beams with various crack configurations

Abstract This paper presents the crack-tip behavior of wide-flange W4 × 13 steel beams strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. A notch is created at midspan of the beams to represent various levels of initial damage (or crack propagation). Of interest is the correction factor of stress intensity that affects the capacity of the strengthened beams. Three-dimensional finite element models are developed to predict stress singularity at the crack tip, including an adaptive mesh formulation along with isoperimetric quadratic elements. Upon validating the modeling approach with a previously conducted experimental program, an extensive parametric study is conducted to evaluate the effect of the notch-depth-to-height ratio ( a 0 / h ), CFRP-to-steel area ratio ( ψ ), and CFRP-to-steel modular ratio ( η ) of the strengthened beams. The stress intensity of the damaged (notched) beams is reduced with the presence of the CFRP, which generates a crack-bridging effect. The correction factor of stress intensity for the unstrengthened and strengthened beams noticeably diverges from each other beyond an a 0 / h of 0.3. CFRP properties such as the number of layers and modulus influence the crack-tip plasticity of the strengthened beams. A correction factor is proposed for the strengthened beams, based on the response surface-regression analysis procedures associated with 75 numerical models.
Higher eigenmodes in the Blasius boundary‐layer stability problem

The higher spatial‐stability eigenmodes for the Blasius boundary layer are examined by using asymptotic theory and an infinite number of modes are found. The asymptotic results are shown to be in close agreement with results from a direct numerical solution of the Orr–Sommerfeld problem. The asymptotic theory would therefore provide an efficient tool in exploratory searches for the eigenvalues.
Physical Sciences: Atmospheric Total Ozone Increase during the 1960s

NAMIAS1 has postulated that sea–air interactions on a regional basis, and not necessarily air pollution, volcanic activity, or solar intensity variations, may have caused the cooling trend that was observed in numerous areas of the world during the past decade2,3. In particular, he attributed the United States temperature anomaly, that is, lower than normal winter temperatures in the eastern two-thirds of the county, and higher than normal winter temperatures in the west, to intensification of the Rossby wave at the 700 mbar level. This intensification strengthens the ridge over western North America and deepens the trough to the east, thus increasing the frequency of deployment of Arctic air masses into the eastern United States. Namias attributed the change in the character of the Rossby wave to abnormal cyclonic activity that occurred in the winter atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific, the surface waters of which were unusually warm during the 1960s.
Energy resolution limits of amplified scintillators

Abstract In this paper, we analyze the potential improvement in the statistical limit to the energy resolution of a scintillator using a scintillator amplification technique. The work excludes potentially complicating factors, such as non-linearity in light yield, since these factors are dependent upon the particular choice of detector materials. The results show that energy resolutions typical of semiconductors are technically feasible for scintillators. In the example presented, introducing scintillation multiplication improved the energy resolution limit from a few percent to below 1%.
The apportionment problem and the European Parliament

A class of allocation rules is introduced for allocating votes in a parliament to parties based on population. A unique feature of the class is that a well-defined objective function is associated with each allocation rule in the class. It is shown that the objective function corresponding to the “square root” allocation rule is of particular interest. This rule attempts to give each party a number of votes proportional to the square root of its size. Also described is an allocation procedure which takes care of the typical situation when the allocation rule results in fractional votes being allocated whereas in fact one allows only whole number votes to be allocated. Allocations for the European Parliament using the above class of rules are compared with the currently proposed allocations for that body.
Selection of inducers: An important factor in characterizing genetic differences to induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase in strains of mice

Abstract The effect of various microsomal enzyme inducers such as DDT, benzpyrene, 3-MC, TCDD or phenobarbital on liver microsomal mixed-function oxidases and cytochrome P450 content in mice genetically responsive (C57B1/6J) and resistant (DBA/2J) to induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) was studied. 3-MC and benzpyrene administration stimulated liver AHH activity 6–8 fold in C57B1/6J mice but had no effect in DBA/2J mice. However, intraperitoneal administration of TCDD increased AHH activity in both C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. This increase was accompanied by shift in the peak of cytochrome P450 difference spectrum from 450 to 448 nm. It is concluded that genetic resistance to AHH stimulation in DBA/2J mice is influenced by the type of inducer used.