cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE AUDIENCE FOR NATIONAL TV NEWS PROGRAMS

Despite the vast amounts of data collected by TV ratings services, surprisingly little information about the composition of the audience for the evening newscasts of Huntley-Brinkley, Reynolds-Smith, or Walter Cronkite has come to light. The questions addressed in this article are rather mundane in nature, since there are more important questions about the impact of such programs in informing the public, increasing public concern about social issues, altering audience perceptions, and changing audience attitudes.' Nevertheless, consideration of these questions does bear on the likely effects of news programs and leads us to challenge certain other findings regarding the audience for television news. The data reported here come from television viewing diaries collected by the W. R. Simmons organization from a national probability sample of persons 18 years and older. The diaries were kept by 6,834 viewers for various two-week periods between October i2 and November 1i, 1969. These data offer unique advantages over alternative sources. First of all, the sample has a national probability base, but is over three times as large as those few previous studies of news viewing that were nationwide in scope. Second, considerable experience and care in collecting valid data on highly specific aspects of mass media use are built into the Simmons data gathering operation. Third, Simmons collects data on three media simultaneously; few organizations engaged in media research collect detailed data on more than one medium at a time. Finally, the data are collected by a commercial organization, a factor minimizing the likelihood that respondents would overreport their news behavior because it might be expected of them (as is to be feared when the focus of the survey is news and the respondent knows it). * The data reported here were analyzed for the Surgeon General's Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior, under the auspices of the National Institute of Mental Health. Further details will be contained in the final report of this committee. The author wishes to acknowledge the skillful guidance of Harold Israel of the Simmons organization in analysis of these data. tJohn P. Robinson is a Study Director at the Survey Research Center, University of Michigan.
Modification of cell membrane in variants of chinese hamster cells resistant to abrin

SUMMARY Stable and heritable variants of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells which are resistant to different levels (0.1. 1.0 and IO *g/ml) of the toxin abrin have been isolated and characterized. The frequency of resistant colonies to abrin was increased with the concentration of a chemical mutagen. There was no effect of cell density or cross-feeding on the recovery of variants. In experiments using fluorescein-labeled abrin and ricin which bind to terminal (non-sialylated) galactose residues of cell-surface oligosaccharides, parental cells exhibited strong binding toward both toxins, whereas no fluorescence was observed in the resistant clones. A fluorescein-conjugated lectin. BS II. which is specific for terminal A’-acetyl-o-glucosaminyl residues, did not interact with the parental cells, but did with the resistant clones. This suggests that on the surface of resistant cells the number of terminal galactosyl residues of oligosaccharide chains in glycoproteins was reduced, exposing the penultimate N-acetyl-b-glucosaminyl residues. The number of available endogenous acceptor sites for galactosyl transferase in the abrin-resistant clones was directly proportional to the degree of resistance. In the presence of great excess of exogenous acceptor. the rates of galactosyl transfer were similar in all the abrin-resistant cell types tested. with levels ranging from 1.4 to I .7 times parental cell values. Studies with tetraploid cell hybrids reveal that resistance was a recessive trait. Fluctuation analysis showed that abrin resistance occurred in CHO cell populations at a rate of 4-7x IO-“/cell/generation. The system may serve as a new marker for quantitative mutagenesis studies.
Environmental Determinants of Woody Plant Diversity at a Regional Scale in China

Understanding what drives the geographic variation of species richness across the globe is a fundamental goal of ecology and biogeography. Environmental variables have been considered as drivers of global diversity patterns but there is no consensus among ecologists on what environmental variables are primary drivers of the geographic variation of species richness. Here, I examine the relationship of woody plant species richness at a regional scale in China with sixteen environmental variables representing energy availability, water availability, energy-water balance, seasonality, and habitat heterogeneity. I found that temperature seasonality is the best predictor of woody species richness in China. Other important environmental variables include annual precipitation, mean temperature of the coldest month, and potential evapotranspiration. The best model explains 85% of the variation in woody plant species richness at the regional scale in China.
The effects of bevacizumab on postoperative complications in patients undergoing colorectal and pancreatic cancer resection

Bevacizumab (Avastin™; rhuMab VEGF), a monoclonal antibody targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), has seen increased use in the perioperative treatment of colorectal and pancreatic cancer. Little is known, however, regarding its impact on surgical outcomes in patients undergoing resection. The objective of this review was to examine if the addition of bevacizumab to existing neoadjuvant regimens increases morbidity after cancer resection.
Influence of gender on thermoregulation and cholinesterase inhibition in the long-evans rat exposed to diazinon.

Diazinon is an organophosphate (OP)-based, anticholinesterase insecticide that irreversibly inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity and produces cholinergic stimulation in central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues. Our laboratory has found that OPs administered orally in rats induce a transient period of hypothermia followed by a delayed fever that persists for several days after exposure. There is little information on the thermoregulatory effects of diazinon. Core temperature (Tc) and motor activity (MA) were monitored by radiotelemetry in male and female rats of the Long-Evans strain dosed orally with diazinon (0 [corn-oil vehicle], 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg in males and 0, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg in females). There was a dose-dependent decrease in Tc during the first night after treatment, with females exhibiting slightly greater sensitivity than males. MA was unaffected in females exposed to diazinon at doses of 50 to 200 mg/kg; MA of males was reduced during the first night after dosing with 300...
A Web Architecture to Support Collaborative Training Content Development and Evaluation

Development of web-based training tools requires the collaboration of instructional system designers, domain subject matter experts, web developers, and software engineers. This paper discusses the enhancements to a web-based training architecture to enable collaboration among these contributors. The enhancements allow domain subject matter experts to view the training material and to provide feedback. The paper provides an illustrative example where the system was used during the development of a web-based training tool for flight dispatchers.
Extracellular acidification parallels insulin secretion in INS-1 and HIT-T15 β-cell lines

Abstract As an alternative to manual assays that track insulin secretion, we tested a silicon-based biosensor that allows automated monitoring of extracellular acidification. Glucose stimulation of INS-1 and HIT-T15 cells resulted in a rapid increase in extracellular acidification in a biphasic and concentration-dependent fashion much like insulin secretion (EC50 INS-1=5 mM and HIT-T15=1 mM). This response was attenuated by verapamil (10 μM) and stimulated by administration of glybenclamide (100 nM) or KCl-induced (40 mM) depolarization. These experiments suggest that automated monitoring of extracellular pH may be a useful assay and support the relevance of linking metabolic activity to insulin secretion.
Hysteresis Thermodynamics of Capillary Condensation in Mesopores

A thermodynamic approach based on mass, energy, and entropy balances is developed for capillary condensation hysteresis in porous media. Processes of fluid condensation and evaporation are considered as quasi-isothermal irreversible transitions between equilibrium states of the capillary system. The corresponding balances express the equilibrium interfacial properties of the system through the work and heat measured in capillary process and, thus, may be used for evaluating the vapor-condensed phase interface area as a function of pressure, surface area of the porous solid, its pore size distribution, and surface fractal properties.
Über Stromverlauf und Lichtemission im Quecksilberbogen nach Ausschaltung der Spannung

Ein Quecksilberbogen mit Gluhkathode wurde mittels eines besonders konstruierten Kollektors intermittierend angeregt, so das nach jeder Periode des Bogens eine beliebige, meist negative Hilfsspannung auf 1/300 Sekunde an die Anode gelegt wurde. Wahrend dieser Zeit wurde der Verlauf der Strome zu den Elektroden gemessen; oder der zeitliche Verlauf der Intensitat des ausgesandten Leuchtens wurde photographiert. Es wurden zwei wohldefinierte Stadien des Stromverlaufs und des Nachleuchtens beobachtet. In dem ersteren, dessen Dauer etwa 2,5.10−4 Sekunden betragt, findet eine starke, erst allmahlich absinkende Emission der Linie λ 2537 statt, wahrend die anderen Linien des Bogenspektrums sehr schwach werden. Die Emission von λ 2537 wird durch Elektronenstosanregung in einem langsam sinkenden Kathodenfall verursacht. Im zweiten Stadium, dessen Dauer etwa 2.10−3 Sekunden betragt, treten die anderen Linien des Bogenspektrums wieder starker auf, um dann langsam zu verschwinden. Dieses Nachleuchten wird als Wiedervereinigungsspektrum gedeutet. An Hand allgemeiner Betrachtungen uber die Vorgange im Bogen werden die Einzelheiten der Strom- und Intensitatsmessungen eingehend besprochen.
Downwind particulate matters: Regulatory implications of secondary aerosol formation from the interaction of nitrogen oxides and tree emissions

Abstract Current federal and state regulations do not consider proximity and variability of biogenic volatile organic compound emissions, which produce additional particulate matter (PM) emissions from currently operating power plants. This paper estimates that secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production potential from 284 power plants that represent the top NO x emission point sources in the continental United States. This additional source of PM arises from the nitrate radical oxidation of monoterpenes emitted from surrounding trees. For the majority of these point sources, this SOA production is monoterpene-limited, but for an increasing fraction over time (3.5% in 2008 to 12% in 2011) it is NO x -limited. Therefore emissions regulation has the capacity to control this source of PM, which for some sites is estimated to contribute a particle concentration of similar magnitude to the conventionally tracked sulfate particulate emission. This analysis, while highly approximate, points to the opportunity for more nuanced PM 2.5 regulation to more effectively manage power plant air quality impact.
Pharmacokinetics and enhanced bioavailability of candidate cancer preventative agent, SR13668 in dogs and monkeys.

SR13668 (2,10-dicarbethoxy-6-methoxy-5,7-dihydro-indolo-(2,3-b)carbazole), is a new candidate cancer chemopreventive agent under development. It was designed using computational modeling based on a naturally occurring indole-3-carbinol and its in vivo condensation products. It showed promising anti-cancer activity and its preclinical toxicology profile (genotoxicity battery and subchronic rat and dog studies) was unremarkable. However, it exhibited a very poor oral bioavailability (<1%) in both rats and dogs. Therefore, a study was initiated to develop and evaluate in dogs and non-human primates formulations with a more favorable oral bioavailability. Two formulations utilizing surfactant/emulsifiers, PEG400:Labrasol® and Solutol®, were tested in dogs and monkeys. Levels of SR13668 were measured in plasma and blood using a high-performance liquid chromatograph–tandem mass spectrometer system. Non-compartmental analysis was used to derive pharmacokinetic parameters including the bioavailability. The Solutol® formulation yielded better bioavailability reaching a maximum of about 14.6 and 7.3% in dogs and monkeys, respectively, following nominal oral dose of ca. 90 mg SR13668/m2. Blood levels of SR13668 were consistently about threefold higher than those in plasma in both species. SR13668 did not cause untoward hematology, clinical chemistry, or coagulation effects in dogs or monkeys with the exception of a modest, reversible increase in liver function enzymes in monkeys. The lipid-based surfactant/emulsifiers, especially Solutol®, markedly enhanced the oral bioavailability of SR13668 over that previously seen in preclinical studies. These formulations are being evaluated in a Phase 0 clinical study prior to further clinical development of this drug.
Beyond Calligraphy: Reading Wang Xizhi's Letters

The extant calligraphy ascribed to Wang Xizhi consists mainly of short letters that have hitherto been discussed mostly in terms of their calligraphic value, authenticity, and as sources of historical information. This article focuses on the textual properties of the approximately seven-hundred transmitted notes of Wang Xizhi, especially on their communicative functions for the perpetuation of personal relationships among family members and friends. Although these texts are characterized by an overwhelming topicality, this does not impair their epistolary efficacy. Even letters that seemingly lack any particular message and consist of nothing but epistolary conventions have the potential to fulfill genuine communicative functions, to a great extent independently of their calligraphic appeal. Les calligraphies attribuees a Wang Xizhi qui ont ete conservees consistent essentiellement en courtes lettres auxquelles ont s'est interesse jusqu'ici pour leur valeur calligraphique, leur authenticite, et en tant que sources historiques. Cet article se concentre sur les proprietes textuelles des quelque sept cents notes de Wang Xizhi qui nous sont parvenues, en particulier sur les fonctions de communication dont l'objet est de perpetuer des liens personnels entre membres d'une famille ou entre amis. Bien que ces textes se caracterisent par la domination des formules toutes faites, cela ne diminue pas leur efficacite epistolaire. Meme des lettres apparemment denuees de tout message particulier et ne consistant qu'en conventions epistolaires sont capables de remplir de veritables fonctions de communication, largement independantes de leur interet calligraphique.
Effects of shock on the head-disk interface

A study of the effects of shock on hard disk drive substrates, suspensions, and sliders is presented. An uniaxial shock testing apparatus was designed and constructed to produce high amplitude, short duration shock levels. High speed video was used to characterize the motion of the substrate, suspension, and slider. Observations regarding the dynamic behavior of the system are included herein. A finite element model was created of the components arranged in a geometry similar to that of the experiment for the purpose of comparison. The dynamic response of the model was found to be qualitatively similar to that of the experiment. It was also observed in the model that the relative velocity of the components at the time of impact affected the magnitude of the ensuing slider displacement.
Finite Element Analyses of Offshore Monopile Deflection Accumulation under Harmonic Loading

A wide variety of ocean energy converters (OEC) are being considered worldwide, including tidal, wave, and current ocean energy. Regardless of the type of ocean energy device a major technical and cost challenge for these systems is their foundation systems. The specific focus of this paper is for ocean stream energy converters supported on monopile foundations. One of the key design considerations for these OEC devices is related to the long-term performance of the foundation system, which can be subjected to more than 107 cycles of low-magnitude lateral loading during its design life. This very high number of lateral load cycles can result in a gradual long-term accumulation of pile head deformations and rotations. In some cases these pile head deformations can exceed the OEC serviceability limits. Analyses of laterally loaded piles, based on conventional p-y methodologies, typically cannot predict these accumulations of deformations and rotations. This manuscript presents results of 3D dynamic finite element analyses for this soil-structure interaction (SSI) problem. Results from these analyses reveal that this gradual accumulation of pile head deformation could be an important design consideration for certain monopile conditions. These numerical results correspond well with published experimental data. Finite element analysis (FEA) parametric studies, which investigate the influence of different pile installation variables, are presented to shed light on possible design options that mitigate or minimize the accumulation of pile head deformations.
COMPARATIVE STABILITY AND DESIRABILITY OF FROZEN PACIFIC HAKE FILLET AND MINCED FLESH BLOCKS

The comparative quality and frozen stability (-26°C) of Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) fillet and machine separated minced flesh blocks were evaluated over a 12-month period. Flavor panel scores for hake were very acceptable and its quality did not show a more rapid deterioration during storage than true cod (Gadus macrocephalus), but true cod was preferred (P > 0.005) over-all. Fillet blocks were much more desirable (P > 0.005) than minced blocks. The level of oxidative rancidity in hake measured by 2-thiobarbi-turic acid analysis exceeded that in true cod (P ≥ 0.01) and in minced flesh (P > 0.005) over fillet blocks. The process of ice glazing reduced block quality over fillet packaging, but provided equal protection during storage. The mechanism for the decomposition of trimethylamine oxide appeared to participate in initiating an event that caused a rapid and fundamental muscle alteration leading to textural changes after six months of storage detectable by sensory evaluations Textural deterioration of minced over fillet blocks was largely responsible for this result.
Excitation Transport and Charge Separation in an Organic Photovoltaic Material: Watching Excitations Diffuse to Interfaces

Photoinduced charge separation and excitation transport to the interfaces of an organic photovoltaic material are examined using ultrafast visible pump−infrared probe spectroscopy. The carbonyl (CO) stretch of the butyric acid methyl ester group of a functionalized fullerene, PCBM, is probed as a local vibrational reporter of the charge-transfer dynamics in a blend of PCBM with a conjugated polymer, CN-MEH-PPV. Following ultrafast excitation of the polymer, charge transfer to the fullerene occurs at the interfaces of the materials over many time scales ranging from sub-100 femtoseconds to nanoseconds. A fast charge-transfer component arises from excited states in the polymer that form near interfaces with PCBM aggregates where little or no excitation transport is required to affect charge separation. A slower component occurs because excited states that are created throughout the polymer phase must diffuse toward the interfaces to affect charge separation, giving rise to an induction period in the charge-...
Increased responsivity pyroelectric radiometer with dome input and temperature control

Pyroelectric radiometers with noise-equivalent-power (NEP) close to 1 nW/Hz 1/2 have been developed to measure less than 1 μW radiant power levels at room temperature to 25 μm. The radiometers will be used as transfer standards for routine spectral responsivity calibrations in the infrared range at the output of a traditional monochromator. Dome inputoptics are used with multiple beam reflections to increase absorptance and to minimize structures in the spectral responsivity function. The temperature of the pyroelectric detector is stabilized with a thermoelectric cooler/heater. Spectral power responsivity calibrations were performed with two different methods. A Fourier Transform Spectrometer using it's Infrared Reference Integrating Sphere System based method was validated with a continuously variable filtermonochromator based detector-comparison method using earlier developed pyroelectric radiometer standards. A responsivity uncertainty of 1.4 % (k=2) was obtained between 2 μm and 14 μm.
A puzzle for adaptive theory

Abstract Over the life cycle aspirations for material goods grow commensurately with consumer wealth. But aspirations for marriage and the number and “quality” of children do not change much. The puzzle is why there is this difference between life domains in the extent to which aspirations adapt to actual circumstances. The findings come from a cohort analysis of 1978 and 1994 survey responses on the good life.
Animal experiments versus human responses.

Abstract Protection of the health and safety of industrial workers requires knowledge of toxicological properties of the multitude of chemicals in use and being developed. The justified use of animals for toxicological experiments should be limited to procedures capable of yielding information applicable to the human hazards. Only tentative reliance should be placed on predictions of human response solely on the basis of animal data. Observations of actual response of humans is the ultimate test of toxicological knowledge, though animal experiments are necessary in proper perspective.
Compact infrared free-electron lasers based on gyrotron-powered electromagnetic wigglers

Free-electron lasers (FELs) capable of operating in vibrational infrared (IR) (3 - 30 micrometer) regime have been developed at a small number of fixed sites around the world. However, there is a need for portable systems capable of operating in the 3 - 5 and 8 - 13 micrometer atmospheric windows for remote sensing applications. Wider use of FELs is inhibited by system size, cost, and the shielding requirements associated with the production of high current 15 - 45 MeV electron beams which are currently needed to lase in the infrared. The concept of an electromagnetic wiggler, in which the magnetostatic wiggler system of fixed transverse magnets is replaced by an intense counter-streaming microwave or optical radiation beam, has been of interest from the early work on FELs as a means of reducing the required electron beam energy. Although there has been little experimental progress to date due to the lack of high power wiggle radiation sources, the recent development of high power millimeter-wave gyrotrons has led to a re-evaluation of the feasibility of electromagnetic wigglers. We have published earlier studies of the possibility of IR FELs using low energy beams (3 - 5 MeV) using a gyrotron-powered millimeter-wave wiggler. Both waveguide cavity and open-mirror resonator (quasioptical) gyrotron (QOG) powered wigglers were considered. In this talk we present a new wiggler design, in which the millimeter-wave power generated by the QOG is coupled into a corrugated waveguide and compressed. This has the possibility of substantially increasing the single-pass FEL gain over previously published design concepts. Designs for proof-of- principle low voltage infrared FEL experiments based on both radio-frequency (rf) linear accelerator and electrostatic accelerator technology are presented together with point designs for portable systems covering the infrared windows in the atmosphere.
Asymmetric Tunnel Field-Effect Transistors as Frequency Multipliers

This letter proposes a novel application of asymmetric (double-gate) tunnel field-effect transistors (asymmetric TFETs) as a frequency multiplier. Work-function tuning of an asymmetric TFET was used to demonstrate symmetric ambipolar transfer characteristics by TCAD simulation. Unlike the conventional balanced FET-based multiplier, the asymmetric TFET design needs only one transistor for rejecting odd harmonics. Advanced design system simulations are used to compare the performance of an n-type FET and an asymmetric TFET frequency multiplier.
A Fast and Accurate Denoising Algorithm for Two-Dimensional Curves

AbstractIn this paper we propose a new concept, sparing least-squares denoising, which is used to significantly reduce the time cost of denoising algorithms that utilize least-squares fitting techniques. This idea is implemented by a fast feature-preserving denoising method, partition of feature and non-feature regions, and introduction of a new index, vertex sparsity. We use this index to decide the location on curves where an expensive least-squares fitting is really needed. Our numerical experiments indicate that our new approach yields an average 2.93 times saving in the computation time without remarkable sacrifice on denoising accuracy, compared to existing least-squares fitting methods.
Size stabilization of arsenic precipitates in nonstoichiometric GaAs-based compounds

A narrowing of the size distribution of arsenic precipitates in nonstoichiometric GaAs-based compounds is observed during annealing for precipitates in the small size regime of a few nanometers. This improvement in size uniformity is in marked contrast to what is observed for larger precipitates, which coarsen with a widening distribution similar to that of classical Ostwald ripening. Inverse coarsening caused by an elastic interaction between small precipitates due to coherency strain is a possible mechanism for this interesting and potentially useful behavior.
The Relative Cost of Medicaid Enrollees and The Commercially Insured in HMOs

Abstract: Under several national health care reform proposals in 1994, many Medicaid beneficiaries would have enrolled in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) with other persons. Several states already enroll Medicaid beneficiaries in HMOs with commercial enrollees. This DataWatch examines the cost of Medicaid enrollees in HMOs relative to the cost of commercial enrollees. Data from nine HMOs indicate that, on average, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and poverty-related Medicaid enrollees cost 13 percent more than commercial enrollees cost. If one adjusts for enrollees' age and sex, Medicaid costs are 23 percent higher than commercial costs.
Gender disparity in cardiac procedures and medication use for acute myocardial infarction.

Objective Determine if gender bias is present in contemporary management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Background Despite major advances in medicine, disparities in healthcare still persist. Previous studies on gender bias in the diagnosis and treatment of AMI are inconsistent and may not represent more contemporary practice. Methods and Results Data were collected from the Minnesota Heart Survey, a population-based study of patients presenting with AMI in 2001-02. In-hospital diagnostic and therapeutic approaches were compared between women and men using logistic regression models. We identified 1242 women and 1378 men with an AMI defined by either positive cardiac biomarkers or ST-elevation on electrocardiogram. There were no differences in the prescription of aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. Women were 46% less likely than men to undergo investigative coronary angiography [OR = 0.54 (0.45-0.64)]. After accounting for confounders, women remained less likely to be referred for angiography [OR = 0.73 (0.57-0.94)]. Revascularization rates, were similar between women and men [OR = 0.96 (0.72-1.28)]. However, women were more likely to undergo PCI [OR = 1.41 (1.07-1.86)] whereas men were more likely to have coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) [OR = 0.57 (0.39-0.84)]. When severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) was incorporated into the model, gender no longer influenced the modality of coronary revascularization. Conclusions There is no evidence of gender bias in the pharmacologic treatment of AMI. Evidence of gender bias persists in the referral of patients for coronary angiography but not in the subsequent use of coronary revascularization.
Decomposition of distinct organic matter pools is regulated by moisture status in structured wetland soils.

Abstract Peatlands are garnering much attention for their greenhouse gas feedback potential in a warming climate. As of yet, the coupled biogeochemical and hydrological processes that control the amount and timing of soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization and, ultimately, whether peatlands will be sinks or sources of atmospheric CO 2 are not fully understood. Soil structure is a key feature of soils that mediates the coupling between biogeochemical and hydrological processes. However, we know very little about how soil structure responds when soils are exposed to wetting–drying cycles outside their normal range. In order to better understand how high elevation peatlands will respond to increasingly dry years, we incubated soils from high elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada at 5 different water potentials and measured the CO 2 flux for over one year. We found that the cumulative carbon mineralization had a U-shaped pattern, with the greatest mineralization at the wettest (−0.1 bar) and driest (−4 bar) water potentials, across all hydrologic regions of the meadow. We propose a conceptual model that reproduces a similar pattern by incorporating the concept of dual porosity medium, with two distinct pore-size populations representing inter- and intra-aggregate porosity. Availability of water and oxygen to the two pore-size populations depends on the soil's equilibrium water potential. The model and the data suggest that the decomposition rates of intra-aggregate SOM may increase due to prolonged drought events that lead to accelerated release of C from previously untapped pool.
Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) threatens to become the dominant form of tuberculosis in many parts of the world because of decades of inappropriate treatment on a global scale. Infection with MDR-TB is associated with poor outcomes because of delays in treatment and the need for complex, toxic, and long medication regimens. Most cases are undetected because of technological and economic barriers to diagnosing tuberculosis and the availability of assays to test for drug resistance. Experience in treating MDR-TB is scarce. Tuberculosis was once curable, but could become a potentially untreatable infectious disease unless efforts are made to control it.
Architecture of a smart microgrid distributed operating system

Distributed operation of microgrid architectures consists of energy management, power management, power electronics management, and fault detection and recovery. Centralized control of microgrids may be conceptually and practically infeasible due to questions of reliability and ownership. A Distributed Operating System architecture is proposed to manage power and computational resources within a smart microgrid, using the FREEDM system architecture as a model.
Autoregulation of neuroblastoma growth by vasoactive intestinal peptide

Elevated serum levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) are associated with some cases of neuroblastoma and correlate with a favorable prognosis. VIP has previously been shown in our laboratory to cause the in vitro growth inhibition and morphological differentiation of the human neuroblastoma cell line, LA-N-5. It is now shown that LA-N-5 cells express immunoreactive VIP and bear specific VIP receptors. Antagonism of endogenous VIP, either by competitive inhibition or receptor blockade, increased cell proliferation, suggesting that VIP is operative in normal growth regulation. Intracellular and extracellular levels of VIP were also shown to increase significantly during the retinoic acid-induced differentiation of these cells. Furthermore, a concomitant marked increase in VIP receptor expression was demonstrated with cellular differentiation. These receptors remain functional as evidenced by a matching increase in the level of detectable cAMP generated in response to exogenous VIP. It is concluded that VIP is a normal autoregulator of neuroblastoma cell growth and differentiation, and that retinoic acid-mediated differentiation may be, in part, due to endogenous VIP.
Robust stabilization of uncertain process networks with scheduled communication

This work addresses the problem of robust stabilization of a class of networked process systems subject to external disturbances and communication constraints. A quasi-decentralized control framework that aims to balance the intrinsic tradeoff between the control and communication objectives is developed by bringing together ideas from model-based networked control and sensor transmission scheduling. The networked scheduled closed-loop plant is analyzed, and an explicit condition that ties together the closed-loop stability and performance properties with the communication rate, the transmission schedule, the disturbance size and the disturbance attenuation level, is obtained. The results are applied to a reactor-separator plant example to illustrate the potential benefits of the integrated control, communication and scheduling framework.
Work in Progress &#8211; National Center for Engineering and Technology Education: Supporting Teacher Professional Development and Renewing K-12 Schooling

The National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) links technology educators with engineering educators in a symbiotic alliance to build capacity for research, nurture a cadre of talented, diverse leaders in engineering and technology education and infuse engineering design and analytical skills into K-12 schools. The NSF-funded center (ESI-0426421) links four research universities with five technology teacher education institutions, fifteen K-12 school districts and three education-related societies. In 2005, the Center has been involved in on-going delivery of professional development for technology teachers in the partner K-12 schools. Professional development focuses on assessment-driven open-ended problem solving applied to engineering design utilizing mathematics and science concepts. Evaluation survey instruments are used to collect data from students and teachers to determine if the project met the objectives and if the content was effective for technology education students
A Sustainable Regolith-Based Water Recovery Concept for the Lunar Outpost

A long-term lunar outpost will require sustainable life support technologies that are capable of functioning for years with minimum resupply and maintenance. While life support resources such as water and air will remain in short supply, the availability of gravity, energy, and natural resources on the lunar surface allow for innovation in the design of outpost technologies, potentially including the adoption of terrestrial technologies previously not feasible for short duration microgravity flight. One technology with potential for such innovation is the water recovery system. Current spacecraft water recovery systems rely on oxidizing pretreatment chemicals to stabilize wastewater, as microgravity compatible distillation or filtration systems are prone to fouling and failure. Instead, the lunar outpost may consider using simple and robust terrestrial technologies such as media filters and solar disinfection, and distillation to recover water, taking advantage of the ready availability of lunar regolith, gravity, and solar energy. Therefore, rather than stabilizing wastewater such as urine for disposal, the wastewater could be encouraged to foul the media and form biofilms and precipitates that can then be filtered and the water reclaimed for future use.
The use of the Patient Health Questionnaire--9 Korean Version (PHQ-9K) to screen for depressive disorders among Korean Americans.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of a translated instrument to screen for depressive disorders among Korean Americans (KAs). The Patient Health Questionnaire– (PHQ-9) was selected and translated into Korean (PHQ-9K). Two research questions were formulated: What is the prevalence of depression as determined by using the PHQ-9K among KAs attending a community-based health fair? Is this Korean-translated version of the PHQ-9K tool useful in screening for depression in KAs? Data were collected at an annual KA Community Medical Health Fair and analyzed following the guidelines for interpreting the PHQ-9. The results demonstrated that 15.4% of sample participants might need treatment for depression depending on the duration of symptoms, severity, and functional impairment, and 7.5% of participants definitely required treatment for depressive symptoms. The usefulness of the PHQ-9K to screen for depressive disorders in KAs at a primary care setting was confirmed.
Endovascular stent grafting in the presence of aortic neck filling defects: Early clinical experience

Abstract Objective: Although endovascular grafts have been increasingly applied to the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms, their use in clinical trials is limited by well-defined anatomical exclusion criteria. One such criterion is the presence of thrombus within the infrarenal neck of an aneurysm, which is thought to (1) prevent the creation of a permanent watertight seal between the graft and the vessel wall, resulting in an endoleak; (2) contribute to stent migration; and (3) increase the risk of thromboembolism. This article summarizes our experience with endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm exclusion in 19 patients with large aortic aneurysms, significant medical comorbidities, and apparent thrombus extending into the pararenal aortic neck. Methods: Of 268 patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, 19 (7%; 17 men; mean age, 71 years) demonstrated computed tomographic and angiographic evidence of intramural filling defects at the level of the aortic neck. In no instance did these filling defects extend above the renal arteries. Endovascular grafting was performed through use of a balloon-expandable Palmaz stent and an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft, delivered and deployed under fluoroscopic guidance. Follow-up at 3, 6, and 12 months and annually thereafter was performed with computed tomography and duplex ultrasound scan. Results: Spiral computed tomography and aortography revealed an irregular flow-limiting defect, occupying up to 75% of the aortic circumference, in every case. The mean aneurysm size, aortic neck diameter, and neck length before the procedure were 6.1, 2.43, and 1.4 cm, respectively; the mean aortic neck diameter after the procedure was 2.61 cm. No primary endoleaks were observed after graft insertion, and no delayed endoleaks have been detected during follow-up, which ranged from 7 to 48 months (mean, 23 months). In one patient, an asymptomatic renal artery embolus was detected on immediate follow-up computed tomography, and in another patient, an asymptomatic posterior tibial embolus occurred. Conclusion: No primary endoleaks, endograft migration, or significant distal embolization were observed after endografting in patients with aortic neck thrombus. The deployment of the fenestrated portion of the stent, above the thrombus and across the renal arteries, allows for effective renal perfusion, graft fixation, and exclusion of potential mural thrombus from the circulation. The presence of aortic neck thrombus may not necessarily be a contraindication to endovascular repair in select patients. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:340-4.)
Effects of selected anti-tumor-promoting chemicals on metabolic cooperation between Chinese hamster V79 cells

Abstract Many tumor-promoting chemicals inhibit gap junctional communication between cells. We investigated the possibility that antipromoting chemicals may act inversely and enhance gap junctional communication. The V79/metabolic cooperation assay is an in vitro test that measures gap junctional communication indirectly by determining the extent of metabolic cooperation between mutant and wild-type V79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts in culture. Six in vivo antipromoters (caffeine, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), phenidone, dibromoacetophenone, tosylphenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), and acetic acid) were tested in this assay to assess their effects on metabolic cooperation. Caffeine, IBMX, phenidone, and dibremoacetophenone had no effect on metabolic cooperation, while TPCK slightly inhibited metabolic cooperation in one V79 assay. Acetic acid appeared to facilitate metabolic cooperation. In tests where an antipromoter was combined with the established tumor promoter phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), acetic acid, caffeine, and IBMX counteracted PMA-induced inhibition of metabolic cooperation, while phenidone, dibromoacetophenone, and TPCK had little effect. These results indicate that some antipromoters interfere with the ability of a tumor-promoting chemical to inhibit metabolic cooperation and suggest that alteration of gap junctional communication can be a mechanism of antipromoter action.
Trends in lipid profiles in patients with psoriasis: a population-based analysis

Background Psoriasis is associated with an atherogenic lipid profile but longitudinal changes in lipids around disease onset are unknown. The purpose of our study is to examine the effect of psoriasis onset on serum lipid profiles.
Wireless implantable microsystems: coming breakthroughs in health care

This paper reviews recent progress in implantable microsystems. Electrode arrays of up to 1024 sites now allow direct interfacing with the central nervous system, monitoring neural activity and delivering both electrical and chemical stimulation. Operating at milliwatt levels with site spacings of 100-400 /spl mu/m and communicating wirelessly at up to 100 kb/s, these arrays form a microelectronic bridge to the cellular world. Combined with embedded processors and wafer-level packaging, these microsystems promise exciting advances in dealing with a variety of neurological disorders during the coming decade.
Accuracy of Claims-Based Measures of Severity of Childhood Illnesses

Abstract Background The use of electronic health records to conduct comparative effectiveness studies requires accurate measure of severity of patients’ illness. Objectives This brief report provides data on relative accuracy of claims-based severity indices for childhood diseases. Measures We compared the accuracy of All Patient Refined Diagnosis-Related Groups (APR-DRG), All Payer Severity-adjusted Diagnosis-Related Groups (APS-DRG), Alemi and Walters Severity across Episodes of Illness, and count of diagnoses. Methods The accuracy of each measure was calculated using the percent of deviance explained in mortality and percent of variation explained in length of stay (a surrogate measure of resource utilization). Subjects Data were obtained from the 2006 Kid’s Inpatient Database of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. We examined data on 3.1 million patients across 38 states. Results Alemi and Walters’ formula-based severity score explained 34% of variation in length of stay and 32% of variation in mortality. This index was more accurate than other indices, especially in predicting mortality, where it was 5-fold more accurate than APS-DRG and 3-fold more accurate than APR-DRG. The difference in accuracy was not only statistically significant but also large enough that it could change conclusions of comparative effectiveness studies.
SOMOS: evaluation of an HIV prevention intervention for Latino gay men

Latino gay men face multiple barriers to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention, in particular a lack of intervention programs that integrate prevention messages with cultural norms and address issues of social marginalization from multiple communities (gay community and Latino community), homophobia and racism. In order to address these specific issues, a multilayered HIV intervention was designed to incorporate and integrate psychosocial and community factors through multiple session groups, social marketing and community presentations. Participants learned strategies for effective community leadership and were encouraged to provide HIVeducation and address internalized homophobia in their communities. There were a total of 113 Latino gay male participants. Pretests and post-tests at 90-day follow-up were administered to measure knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to HIV infection, self-efficacy, internalized homophobia and connectedness (i.e. gay community affiliation and social provisions); a risk index was calculated to measure level of behavioral risk for HIV infection. Participants demonstrated lower risk indices and a decrease in partners at 3 and 6 months after the intervention. There was also an increase in reported social support resources, along with an increase in group identification. Connectedness was a strong predictor of the number of sexual partners at the 90-day follow-up. This homegrown program represents a culturally responsive, highly needed and relevant intervention that should be subjected to further rigorous testing.
The GJ 876 Planetary System: A Progress Report

We present an updated analysis of the GJ 876 planetary system based on an augmented data set that incorporates 65 new high-precision radial velocities obtained with the Keck Telescope from 2001 to 2004. These new radial velocities permit a more accurate characterization of the planet-planet interactions exhibited by the system. Selfconsistent three-body orbital fits (which incorporate both the estimated instrumental uncertainties and Gaussian stellar jitter with � ¼ 6ms � 1 ) continue to show that GJ 876 b (the outer planet of the system), and GJ 876 c (the inner planet of the system) are participating in a stable and symmetric 2:1 resonance condition in which the lowest order, eccentricity-type mean-motion resonance variables, � 1 ¼ kc � 2kb þ $c and � 2 ¼ kc � 2kb þ $b, both librate around 0 � , with amplitudes j� 1j max ¼ 7N0 � 1N 8a ndj� 2j max ¼ 34 � � 12 � (kb and kc are the mean longitudes, and $b and $c are the longitudes of periastron). The planets are also locked in a secular resonance, which causes them to librate about apsidal alignment with j$1 � $2j max ¼ 34 � � 12 � . The joint line of apsides for the system is precessing at a rate ˙ $ �� 41 � yr � 1 . The small libration widths of all three resonances likely point to a dissipative history of differential migration for the two planets in the system. Three-body fits to the radial velocity data set, combined with a Monte Carlo analysis of synthetic data sets, indicate that the (assumed) coplanar inclination, is, of the system is is >20 � . Configurations with modest mutual inclination are, however, also consistent with the current radial velocity data. For non-coplanar configurations, the line of nodes of the inner planet precesses at rates of order � 4 � yr � 1 , and in these cases, the inner planet can be observed to transit the parent star when either the ascending or descending node precesses through the line of sight. Therefore, GJ 876 c may possibly be observed to transit in the relatively near future even if it is not transiting at the present time. We comment briefly on the orbital stability of as-yet-undetected terrestrial planets in habitable orbits and assess the suitability of the system as a potential target for upcoming space missions such as the Terrestrial Planet Finder. Subject headingg planetary systems — planets and satellites: general — stars: individual (GJ 876) Online material: color figure