cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults

Objectives We measured the volume and patterns of sedentary behavior (including breaks from sedentary behavior) in a sample of older adults via accelerometry. Methods Inactive, older adults (≥50 years of age) were eligible to participate. A cut point of 10-, > 30-, and > 60-minute bouts; and (3) patterns of sedentary behavior according to time of day and day of the week were computed. Total breaks in sedentary time also were calculated. Results Participants (N = 67) were sedentary 62% of the day, engaging in 73.3 total bouts of daily sedentary behavior, and each bout lasted, on average, 7.8 minutes. All participants engaged in >1 daily bout of sedentary behavior > 10 and > 30 minutes. Sedentary time was slightly greater during the evening and on weekdays. Participants averaged 72.9 daily breaks from sedentary behavior, with each break lasting approximately 4.4 minutes. Conclusions Our findings add valuable insights into the patterns of sedentary behaviors among older adults. Concentrated research efforts should be made to gain a clearer understanding of patterns and enablers to sedentary behaviors, which will allow for development of targeted interventions for this high-risk population.
Improving Male Sling Selectivity and Outcomes—A Potential Role for Physical Demonstration of Stress Urinary Incontinence Severity?

AbstractIntroduction: We reviewed our 9-year experience with AdVance™ Male Sling System cases to determine clinical features associated with treatment success and to refine procedure selectivity. We hypothesized that preoperative physical demonstration of stress urinary incontinence by the standing cough test improves patient selection for male sling surgery.Methods: Retrospective review of primary AdVance sling surgeries between 2008 and 2016 was performed. Patients without standing cough test results were excluded from study. Success was defined as 1 pad per day or less postoperatively and no further intervention. Standing cough test was performed during preoperative consultation and objectively graded using the MSIGS (Male Stress Incontinence Grading Scale).Results: Of the 203 male patients who underwent sling placement 80 (39%) experienced treatment failure during a median followup of 63.5 months. From 2008 to 2016 the proportion of AdVance slings performed as a surgical treatment modality for stress ...
Abstract A05: Androgen receptor expression and breast cancer survival in the Nurses' Health Study cohorts

Background: Sex steroid hormone signaling is critical in the progression of breast cancers, though the role of androgens remains largely unspecified. Evidence from cancer cell line models suggests that androgen receptor (AR) signaling inhibits cell proliferation in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) cancers and stimulates growth of ER- tumors. This hypothesis is supported by population-based studies of ER+ cancers, however the effect of AR in ER- cancers remains unclear, as population studies have had limited sample sizes and short durations of follow-up. Methods: We evaluated the association between AR expression and breast cancer survival among 4,792 pre- and post-menopausal women with invasive breast cancer in the Nurses9 Health Study (NHS) and Nurses9 Health Study II (NHSII) cohorts. The NHS and NHSII were established in 1976 and 1989, respectively, with the enrollment of U.S. registered nurses between the ages of 30 and 55 (NHS) or 25 and 42 (NHSII). Tumor tissue was obtained from breast cancer cases diagnosed between 1976 and 2006 (NHS) or 1989 and 2006 (NHSII). Tissue microarrays were constructed containing tumor tissue and AR and ER expression were measured by immunohistochemistry and scored manually by pathologists with ≥1% expression considered positive for AR and ER. The association between AR expression and survival was assessed through construction of Kaplan-Meier survival curves and through use of Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for patient, tumor, and treatment covariates. Results: Over follow-up through 2014 (median 15.3 years), a total of 1,666 deaths and 813 deaths due to breast cancer occurred. We observed that AR expression was associated with improved breast cancer-specific survival overall (p Conclusions: AR expression was found to be a robust predictor of breast cancer survival with the direction of the association dependent on tumor ER co-expression. These findings support the hypothesis that AR signaling pathways may be potential therapeutic targets using AR signaling agonists for ER+ cancers and AR signaling antagonists for ER- cancers. Citation Format: Kevin H. Kensler, Elizabeth M. Poole, Laura C. Collins, Andrew H. Beck, Bernard A. Rosner, A. Heather Eliassen, Susan E. Hankinson, Myles Brown, Rulla M. Tamimi. Androgen receptor expression and breast cancer survival in the Nurses9 Health Study cohorts [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR International Conference: New Frontiers in Cancer Research; 2017 Jan 18-22; Cape Town, South Africa. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(22 Suppl):Abstract nr A05.
Morphometric comparison of the Hesperornithiformes and modern diving birds

Abstract The Cretaceous Hesperornithiformes are an extinct group of aquatic birds long recognized to have practiced foot-propelled diving. This specialization is seen today in a number of modern avian families (loons, grebes, cormorants, and some ducks) that have convergently derived a diving lifestyle. Historically, hesperornithiforms have usually been compared to modern loons and grebes as analogues. However, these comparisons are based on qualitative observations of skeletal morphology and have never been tested using morphometric data. Studying the morphological details underlying this functional convergence provides an opportunity to better understand the lifestyle of the extinct Hesperornithiformes, particularly in regard to adaptations for foot-propelled diving and ecological niches these birds may have occupied. This study presents a morphometric analysis of the hindlimb of hesperornithiforms and modern foot-propelled diving birds. Measurements were collected from the tarsometatarsus, tibiotarsus, and femur of eight genera of modern birds and six genera of hesperornithiforms. In order to explore variation within the data, a number of different combinations of measurements (for example, tarsometatarsus and tibiotarsus, or tibiotarsus and femur) were subjected to principal components analyses (PCA). The primary reason for investigating the data in different subsets was to increase taxonomic inclusion among the fossil specimens, where missing data was the largest impediment to the study. Results of this study show that hesperornithiforms rarely shared morphospace with loons or grebes, but more often did share morphospace with cormorants and diving ducks. Therefore, loons and grebes may not serve as the most appropriate analogue for the Hesperornithiformes. Use of these sorts of analyses, in conjunction with detailed morphological work, may enhance our understanding of the evolution of complex ecological strategies and niche partitioning among birds and other organisms.
Einleitung Sozialtheorie im Abstoss von der Subjektphilosophie

In der Vielfalt grundverschiedener sozialtheoretischer Ansatze ist der Abschied von der Subjektphilosophie ein so allgemeiner Programmpunkt, das man darin schon ein einigendes Moment der Sozialtheorie der Gegenwart hat vermuten konnen. Ob namlich Sozialtheorie systemtheoretisch, transzendental—sprachpragmatisch, radikal—konstruktivistisch, marxistischstrukturalistisch, poststrukturalistisch—diskursanalytisch oder historisch—genetisch betrieben wird: immer wird in der Selbstdarstellung dieser Theorien auch die Differenz zur Subjektphilosophie markiert. Sogar in der Phanomenologischen Soziologie wird die Subjektphilosophie zuweilen in diese Gegnerrolle geruckt. Gerade wo das Erbe der transzendentalen Phanomenologie Edmund Husserls in der Sozialtheorie angetreten wird, gilt es offenbar, sich von der transzendentalphanomenologischen Egologie (und dem subj ektphilosophischen Denken uberhaupt) mit besonderer Vehemenz zu distanzieren.1 (Aber weit uber diesen Theoriekontext hinaus werden die sozialtheoretischen Verabschiedungserklarungen an Husserl adressiert. Denn Husserls Werk, zumindest jenes der mittleren und spateren Schaffensphase — eben die transzendentale Phanomenologie — kann wohl in mancherlei Hinsicht als verspatete Vollendungsform subjektphilosophischen Denkens gelten.)2
Impact of Pressure Equalization Slot in Flow Channel Insert on Tritium Transport in a DCLL-Type Poloidal Duct

A SiC-based flow channel insert (FCI) is used as an electrical and thermal insulator in the Dual Coolant Lead Lithium (DCLL) blanket. To reduce the stress of the FCI structural material, the pressu...
Magneto-Spectroscopy of Two-Dimensional Systems: Many- and Few-Body Effects

We present a classification of states and exact optical selection rules for charged electron–hole (e-h) complexes in magnetic fields that follow from magnetic translations and axial symmetry. A possibility to observe photoluminescence of dark X− states in angle-resolved experiments is discussed. The effect of excess electrons on internal transitions of negatively charged excitons X− in GaAs quantum wells is studied theoretically and experimentally (by optically detected resonance (ODR) spectroscopy). An experimentally observed blue shift with excess electron density is explained in terms of collective excitations—magnetoplasmons bound to a mobile valence band hole.
Imaging-Based Prevalence of Superior Labral Anterior-Posterior Tears Significantly Increases in the Aging Shoulder.

Background:Superior labral anterior-posterior (SLAP) tears can be associated with pain and shoulder dysfunction. Relatively little is known about the age-related prevalence of SLAP tears.Purpose:To...
A new cross-platform architecture for epi-info software suite

The Epi-Info software suite, built and maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is widely used by epidemiologists and public health researchers to collect and analyze public health data, especially in the event of outbreaks such as Ebola and Zika. As it exists today, Epi-Info Desktop runs only on the Windows platform, and the larger Epi-Info Suite of products consists of separate codebases for several different devices and use-cases. Software portability has become increasingly important over the past few years as it offers a number of obvious benefits. These include reduced development time, reduced cost, and simplified system architecture. Thus, there is a blatant need for continued research. Specifically, it is critical to fully understand any underlying negative performance issues which arise from platform-agnostic systems. Such understanding should allow for improved design, and thus result in substantial mitigation of reduced performance. In this paper, we present a viable cross-platform architecture for Epi-Info which solves many of these problems. We have successfully generated executables for Linux, Mac, and Windows from a single code-base, and we have shown that performance need not be completely sacrificed when building a cross-platform application. This has been accomplished by using Electron as a wrapper for an AngularJS app, a Python analytics module, and a local, browser-based NoSQL database. Promising results warrant future research. Specifically, the design allows for cross-platform form-design, data-collection, offline/online modes, scalable storage, automatic local-to-remote data sync, and fast analytics which rival more traditional approaches.
Perioperative DD-MVAC as a safe and efficacious treatment for MIBC: Results of a retrospective community center study with clinical correlates of toxicity and response.

e15540 Background: Despite reassuring data showing efficacy of Dose-Dense Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Doxorubicin, and Cisplatin (DD-MVAC), community oncologists traditionally choose Gemcitabine and...
Summary and Recommendations

This chapter is comprised of three sections. The first incorporates a brief discussion of the summary section of a report. The second section describes how to write report recommendations. The report recommendation section itself is broken into two subsections that discuss recommendations for learning/academic based problems and behaviorally-based problems. The third section addresses accommodations that will permit the child to access the academic curriculum
Accelerated Schemes for the $L_1/L_2$ Minimization

In this paper, we consider the $L_1/L_2$ minimization for sparse recovery and study its relationship with the $L_1$ - $ \alpha L_2$ model. Based on this relationship, we propose three numerical algorithms to minimize this ratio model, two of which work as adaptive schemes and greatly reduce the computation time. Focusing on the two adaptive schemes, we discuss their connection to existing approaches and analyze their convergence. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms are comparable to state-of-the-art methods in sparse recovery and work particularly well when the ground-truth signal has a high dynamic range. Lastly, we reveal some empirical evidence on the exact $L_1$ recovery under various combinations of sparsity, coherence, and dynamic ranges, which calls for theoretical justification in the future.
Interviewing combatants: lessons from the Boston College Case

Boston College’s Burns Library established a project in 2001 which archived over 200 interviews with two non-state armed groups in Northern Ireland in order to collect primary data on the Northern ...
FP7 Kansas Training Grows Healthier Futures

Objective Evaluate the impact of increased access to quality training on meeting requirements for the updated CACFP meal pattern and implementation of CACFP meal pattern best practices. Description As a result of the 2016 Team Nutrition Training Grant, KSDE has developed in-person and online training opportunities including “Updated CACFP Meal Pattern,” “Let's Talk About It…Grains to Oz. Eq.,” “Family Style Meal Service,” and “Growing Healthy Futures with the CACFP.” Team Up for CACFP Success workshops were held to allow CACFP sponsors to share experiences and successes in implementing the CACFP best practices. Evaluation A comprehensive evaluation plan, using a Child and Adult Care Food Program Survey instrument developed and validated by KSDE, is investigating the impact and project outcomes using quantitative and qualitative data collected during project implementation. Data was also collected via pre- and post-training surveys at the “Updated CACFP Meal Pattern” and “Let's Talk About It…Grains to Oz. Eq.” trainings to gather evidence to evaluate program success as related to meal pattern implementation, nutrition education outcomes, and incorporation of best practices. Conclusions and Implications Preliminary results, for 2017 and 2018 data, showed that the summative best practices mean scores significantly increased with each additional training attended. In what may be the most important subscale measure of compliance with the CACFP standards, healthy offerings, child care providers that attend the most trainings and participate in additional interventions, offered as part of the Team Nutrition Training Grant, showed consistent and significant improvements. Data analysis between year one and year two demonstrates that feedback loops based on field surveys of best practices can provide more program and evaluation information than regular pre- and post- designs. Regular surveys can be an important part of a continuous improvement data system. Grant Year 2016
The molecular-based differentiation of Heck's disease from its mimics including oral condyloma and white sponge nevus

Abstract Heck's disease (focal or multifocal epithelial hyperplasia) is a benign, rare condition of the skin and mucous membranes induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Other entities that can induce large papillomatous lesions that involve the mucous membranes and skin include condyloma acuminatum, which is sexually transmitted, and white sponge nevus, often due to a mutation of cytokeratin 4 or 13. Six cases diagnosed as either Heck's disease (n = 2) or white sponge nevus (n = 4) and 6 oral condyloma were compared on histologic grounds and analyzed in situ for HPV DNA, including HPVs 6,11, and 13, as well as cytokeratins 4 and 13. Each case showed marked acanthosis, and para/hyperkeratosis. More variable histologic findings included rete ridge elongation, keratinocyte degeneration, and perinuclear halos. High copy HPV 13 DNA was evident in the squamous cells towards the surface in the two cases diagnosed as Heck's disease and in two cases diagnosed as white sponge nevus on clinical grounds. HPV 6/11 was found in each of the six condyloma. Marked decrease in either cytokeratin 4 or 13 was evident in the two cases diagnosed as white sponge nevus that were HPV DNA negative. It is concluded that in situ hybridization analyses including HPVs 6, 11, and 13 as well as immunohistochemistry for cytokeratins 4 and 13 can differentiate Heck's disease from condyloma and white sponge nevus, which can be difficult to differentiate on clinical and histologic grounds.
A Continually-Stepped Variable-Gain LNA in 65-nm CMOS Enabled by a Tunable-Transformer for mm-Wave 5G Communications

This paper presents a new continually-stepped variable gain low-noise-amplifier (CSVG-LNA) for millimeter-wave (mm-wave) 5G communications. The proposed variable-gain functionality in a two-stage LNA is achieved by incorporating a tunable-transformer at the 2nd-stage. The tunability in coupling-coefficient of the transformer allows to change the output matching of the LNA in a continuous fashion thus enabling a design of CSVG-LNA. The proposed CSVG-LNA alleviates high power consumption and large noise-figure (NF) variation problems in traditional approaches. To validate the proposed idea, we fabricated a CSVG-LNA in 65-nm CMOS process. The CSVG-LNA achieves measured 6.2dB of gain-tunability range while producing 18.2dB of peak S21 and <4.1dB of NF 28GHz. Further, the NF variation is only ~0.2dB across the entire 6.2dB gain-tuning range. The 3dB bandwidth of CSVG-LNA is about 12GHz (22-34GHz) while it consumes only 9.8mW of dc power. The CSVG-LNA occupies a compact core area of 0.2mm2. The proposed CSVG-LNA achieves 1.5X improvement in FoM in comparison to state-of-the-arts mm-wave variable-gain CMOS LNAs.
Courageous Arguments and Deep Disagreements

Deep disagreements are characteristically resistant to rational resolution. This paper explores the contribution a virtue theoretic approach to argumentation can make towards settling the practical matter of what to do when confronted with apparent deep disagreement, with particular attention to the virtue of courage.
Adult education programmes of NGOs operating in Non-Western contexts: a review of empirical literature

ABSTRACTAdult education is a key component of worldwide collaborative efforts to achieve social justice aims, such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Such collaborative efforts require the ...
Factors Associated With Early Deaths Following Neonatal Circumcision

Purpose: Neonatal male circumcision is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the United States. There is currently uncertainty about the balance between the risks and benefits of circumcision, in part because of a lack of sufficient data concerning the scope and magnitude of each. Although the most common risks associated with neonatal circumcision are generally understood to be mild (e.g., temporary bleeding), estimates of the likelihood of more serious complications, up to and including death, are both variable and conflicting. In this study, we attempted to quantify …
Techniques for Constructing Indoor Navigation Systems for the Visually Impaired: A Review

Sight is an important sensory input for humans to navigate their surrounding environment independently. Tasks that are simple for the sighted are often difficult for a visually impaired person. Throughout the years, many researchers dedicated their time and efforts to design and implement technologies and devices that can help a visually impaired person to navigate in unknown areas independently. An assistive navigation system integrates multiple advanced technologies such as wayfinding, obstacle avoidance, and human–machine interface to assist the visually impaired. Individual components have been explored extensively in the literature and it is a daunting task to review this literature in its entirety. In this article, a compact but comprehensive collection of available methods to build each component is summarized. The discussed methods in this article may have not been implemented for a navigation assistive technology for visually impaired directly but they have great potential to be integrated as an individual building block for this task. Given that every approach has its own challenges, methods to combat those challenges have been presented. The purpose of this article is to present researchers with a comprehensive review of the available components and methods by recapping the essential knowledge to understand the nuances in each component and give them a baseline to start with.
The May-Hegglin anomaly: a rare cause of a common complaint

May-Hegglin anomaly is the presentation of a qualitative platelet disorder characterised by large platelets, thrombocytopenia and granulocyte inclusions as a result of mutations in the MYH9 gene. Though often overlooked given its rarity, it should be considered in patients who present with epistaxis, bruising, menorrhagia and easy bleeding as it can be mistaken for other diagnoses resulting in unnecessary treatments and tests. Our case study reports one presentation of this anomaly and can help broaden awareness of the presentation of this type of patient.
COVID-19 as a nonprofit workplace crisis: Seeking insights from the nonprofit workers' perspective

Abstract Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofit organizations face increased demands for services alongside decreased revenues and must make tough choices on how to weather these stressors Alongside these organizational changes, COVID-19 impacts nonprofit workers and could be a career shock for these individuals, potentially altering how they think of their work and career intentions, even jeopardizing their commitment to the sector Therefore, this paper outlines a research agenda to understand how the pandemic impacts nonprofit workers and their commitment to working in the sector Several areas for future research are identified including human resource policy, leadership development, generational differences, gender effects, nonprofit graduate education, and mission-specific work effects
High output heart failure as a result of an ilio-caval fistula with a negative shunt series

Congestive heart failure (CHF) with high cardiac output is an uncommon, yet attributable result of non-hemodialysis arteriovenous malformations. While the prevalence of high output heart failure has yet to be determined, it is observably low - specifically when looking at cases of high output heart failure as a result of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) with fistula formation, an entity that carries a reported incidence of <1% of all complications of AAA. In this report, we present a 64-year-old male with high output heart failure secondary to a ruptured right common iliac aneurysm causing right ilio-iliac and ilio-caval fistulas.
Labor Unions and Product Quality: A Case Study of the U.S. Airline Industry

This paper examines the impact of labor unions on firms' quality provisions through the lens of the U.S. airline industry. Leveraging quarterly carrier-route level data on flight frequencies and on-time performance from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics from 1993 to 2019, our difference-in-differences estimates suggest that for both legacy carriers and low cost carriers, union representation is associated with a significant deterioration of product quality across different dimensions of airline quality provisions. By providing systematic product-level evidence of the product quality impact of unionization between carriers of different types, our study contributes to the understanding of airline labor unions and offers important management and policy implications.
Abstract 121: A genetic signature of cancer dormancy: implications for human disease derived from a novel murine model

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly lethal malignancy characterized by local tumor aggressiveness and early metastatic dissemination. While surgical resection is used to treat localized cancers, the majority of patients do recur suggesting the presence of disseminated tumor cells (DTC) at the time of surgery. These DTC9s represent minimal residual disease. While most patients recur early, a subset recur late due to the reactivation of dormant tumor cells. Currently, the mechanisms of cancer dormancy are poorly understood in part due to a lack of animal models that reflect human disease. Here we describe a murine model of PC dormancy that mimics outcomes in resected human patients. Using single-cell transcriptomics and an assay for chromatin accessibility, we found dormancy is a distinct cellular state from pre or post-dormant cancer cells. Mechanisms of dormancy include increased expression of transcriptional repressor Dec2, which functionally drives quiescence, and monoallelic suppression of mutant KRAS by DNA methylation. Pathway analysis of dormant tumor cell transcriptomics indicated an up-regulation of enzymes involved in linoleic acid metabolism among others. Linoleic acid treatment of tumor cells resulted in inhibited cell proliferation, decreased tumor growth, and an increase in Dec2 expression. We have identified a dormancy gene signature that is distinct from non-dormant PC cells and found that this correlates with human resected patients with long term survivals, and inversely in patients with short term survivals. We demonstrate that dormancy is characterized by large scale transcriptomic changes and global chromatin remodeling. We developed methods for isolating DTCs from the livers of early stage PC patients undergoing resection. Using these methods we have found that the murine dormancy signature correlated with the gene expression of the DTCs and not primary tumor cells indicating this dormancy signature has human relevance with potential novel therapeutic avenues. Citation Format: Anthony S. Casabianca, Crissy Dudgeon, Chris Harris, Subhajyoto De, Mihir Shah, Arthur Roberts, Eric Collisson, Vinod Balachandran, Darren Carpizo. A genetic signature of cancer dormancy: implications for human disease derived from a novel murine model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 121.
Improved LLC Resonant Converter with Rectifier Operating in Three Operation Modes for Wide Voltage Range Applications

When the input or output voltage range of the LLC converter is wide, the switching frequency must extend its range to cover the required voltage, and the magnetizing inductance needs to be reduced to increase the voltage gain. This leads to reduced efficiency due to increased conduction losses. Consequently, this paper proposes an LLC resonant converter with a wide voltage range based on a reconfigurable voltage rectifier for high-DC bus applications. Owing to the reconfiguration of the rectifier by two active switches, the rectifier can operate in three operation modes— voltage-doubler rectifier, a voltage-tripler rectifier, and a voltage-quadrupler rectifier. The proposed converter extends its voltage gain by changing the rectifier structure while the switching frequency operates near the resonant frequency. All MOSFET switches are turned on with zero-voltage switching, and all secondary diodes are turned off with zero-current switching. As a result, the performance efficiency is improved compared to that of the conventional LLC converter. A laboratory prototype was designed and experimentally tested to validate the operation and advantages of the proposed converter.
Validation of dilution indicators in the stomach.

Summary Recovery of Cr 51 Cl 3 , NaI 131 , phenol red, Bromsulphalein, indocyanine green, and Co 60 vitamin B 12 was determined in either the atropinized or histamine-stimulated canine Heidenhain pouch, using either 0.15 M NaCl or 0.1 N HCl with the marker as a test solution to irrigate the pouch. Greater than 95% recovery of indicators was obtained in the following situations: atropine and 0.1 N HCl, Cr 51 Cl 3 , NaI 131 ; atropine and 0.15 M NaCl, Co 60 vitamin B 12 and NaI 131 ; histamine and 0.15 M NaCl, Cr 51 Cl 3 , Co 60 vitamin B 12 and phenol red. None of the dilution indicators could be completely recovered under all experimental conditions. Before a dilution indicator is used, it should be validated under suitable experimental conditions which enable precise recovery studies to be performed.
Suzanne Lacy. Leaving Art: Writings on Performance, Politics, and Publics, 1974–2007

During the 1970s second wave feminism collided with the wildly innovative California art scene, giving birth to one of the most lively and productive experimental periods of activist art in the Uni...
The Bundesbank's path to independence: Evidence from the 1950s

The German Bundesbank is frequently called the world's most independent and conservative central bank. Taking account of the path dependency of this reputation, both quantitative data and qualitative data on German central bank law and political conflicts are used to determine the factors that contributed to this reputation in the 1950s. It is shown that quantitative analysis has its limits and that law might be a misleading indicator in this respect. It is rather the analysis of policy conflicts between the Bundesbank and the government that yields information on the bank's path to independence.
Systemic and lower limb hemodynamics following dynamic exercise in type 2 diabetics: effects of exercise intensity and duration (705.12)

For individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), regular exercise is critical for protecting vascular function and reducing cardiovascular disease risk, but the hemodynamic responses to differing doses of acute exercise in type 2 diabetics (T2D) are unclear. Our aim was to compare postexercise (PE) hemodynamics in T2D in response to four different doses of acute dynamic exercise. Two subjects with well-controlled T2DM (42-48 yrs; Hemoglobin A1c: 6.6 ± 0.7%) participated in four study days, during which they exercised on an upright cycle ergometer at four different combinations of exercise duration and intensity: 30 min at 40% VO2 peak (30@40), 30 min at 60% VO2 peak (30@60), 60 min at 40% VO2 peak (60@40), and 60 min at 60% VO2 peak (60@60). Heart rate, arterial pressure, and femoral blood flow (Doppler ultrasound) were measured pre-exercise and every 15 min through 120 min PE. Femoral vascular conductance (FVC) was calculated as flow/pressure. Compared to pre-exercise baseline, FVC was higher and me...
Teed off about Private Club Discrimination on the Taxpayers' Dime: Tax Exemptions and Other Government Privileges to Discriminatory Private Clubs

Discrimination by bona fide private clubs is legal. It is a constitutionally protected activity under the First Amendment. In balancing individuals' freedom of association and civil rights laws, Congress specifically exempts private clubs from protections otherwise afforded certain protected classes. But our laws go further than balancing and protecting the associational rights of private club members. Discrimination by private clubs is often subsidized through government authorized tax exemptions. Tax exemptions to private clubs that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, and religion, are at the expense of the very citizens victimized by discrimination: citizens who oppose discrimination, and taxpayers who protest, not on my dime! Heeding the protests of taxpayers and civil rights groups who do not want discrimination on their dimes, state legislators in some states have enacted statutes disallowing tax benefits to those private clubs that discriminate on the basis of certain protected classifications. However, statutes disallowing tax benefits to discriminatory clubs are often difficult to enforce and administer. Once such a law has been enacted, the following questions arise: First, who will be responsible for determining whether a private club discriminates? And second, what kind of proof should be used to demonstrate that a private club discriminates on the basis of race, gender, or religion and is therefore not entitled to tax exemptions? Should the government bear the burden of proving discrimination, or should the entity claiming the benefit or privilege show that it does not discriminate? The agency or entity charged with investigating, administering, and adjudicating discrimination claims has the authority to investigate private clubs for the limited purpose of determining whether they qualify for government benefits and privileges. The proof used, should be similar to the proof used in employment and housing discrimination claims. When there is a particularized complaint of discrimination by an individual, the investigation and enforcement should proceed against the members involved in the discriminatory conduct. When there is direct evidence or statistical proof of discrimination, the club itself may be denied government benefits or privileges such as property tax exemptions or liquor licenses. Moreover, if a private club claims tax exemptions and other government privileges, it should bear the burden to demonstrate that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or religion.
lgtC Expression Modulates Resistance to C4b Deposition on an Invasive Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae

We have previously shown that C3 binding to serum-resistant nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) strain R2866 is slower than C3 binding to a serum-sensitive strain. Ab-dependent classical pathway activation is required for complement-dependent killing of NTHi. To further characterize the mechanism(s) of serum resistance of R2866, we compared binding of complement component C4b to R2866 with a serum-sensitive variant, R3392. We show that C4b binding to R2866 relative to R3392 was delayed, suggesting regulation of the classical pathway of complement. Increased C4b deposition on R3392 was independent of the amount and subclass of Ab binding, suggesting that an impediment to C4b binding existed on R2866. Immunoblotting and mass spectrometry indicated that lipooligosaccharide and outer membrane proteins P2 and P5 were targets for C4b. P2 and P5 sequences and expression levels were similar in both strains. Insertional inactivation of the phase-variable lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis gene lgtC in R2866 augmented C4b deposition to levels seen with R3392 and rendered the bacteria sensitive to serum and whole blood. These results suggest a direct role of lgtC expression in the inhibition of C4b deposition and consequent serum resistance of R2866. Alteration of surface glycans of NTHi may be a critical event in determining the ability of a strain to evade host defenses and cause disseminated infection.
The Unitary Group and the Electron Correlation Problem

A survey is given of the background and development of the unitary group approach and its graphically-based implementations for electronic structure calculations. The nature of the unitary group and its relationship to the electronic many-body problem are briefly discussed, as well as the reasons, purpose, and methodology of its application to this problem. As much as possible, this discussion is on a mostly intuitive, non-technical level. Finally, recent accomplishments and expected future developments are briefly mentioned.
Chasing the Shadow of the Moon: The 2006 Ghana Eclipse Conference

The March 29, 2006, total solar eclipse was a celestial event fortuitously passing over many of the most modern countries of West Africa: Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. For those of us researching the cultural astronomy of Africans, it fit into our discourse: a rare celestial event to which Africans would be responding. And, we upped the ante by organizing a conference on the cultural astronomy of Africans for the week of the eclipse. This report details the process of creating the first international conference dedicated to the cultural astronomy of Africans which was also the first cultural astronomy conference to include workshops and training sessions for non-specialists. The strategies for fund raising, attracting par- ticipants, and interacting with the international media are presented. I highlight the achievements of this conference project and include a section on the lessons learned. Because of the establishment of an anthropology internship class for un- dergraduates; the workshops for undergraduates, teachers, and researchers; and the total solar eclipse the Ghana Eclipse Conference was a unique and also success- ful project. May our strategies serve as a blueprint for the next African cultural astronomy conference. I next give an overview of this volume of the conference proceedings and end with a discussion of research methods in African cultural astronomy.
Toward a distributed satellite scheduling system

A distributed satellite scheduling system (DS3) has been developed for a large state mental health system. The authors have employed an operations-oriented, evolutionary, and prototyping approach to the development of the DS3. The resultant operations information system (OIS) as opposed to a management information system (MIS) is detailed in terms of its data entry, report generation, and system access features. The operations information system encourages the operating staff to ensure data quality in the computerized system as their daily operations have to depend on the data residing in system. In an OIS environment, manual files are maintained only for backup and possibly legal purposes. DS3 is not data-driven but activities- and decision-driven. Scheduling is the driving force behind the type of data entered. >
Multiperipheral dynamics at nonvanishing values of momentum transfer

Abstract The equation for the absorptive part of the forward elastic scattering amplitude derived by Chew and De Tar as a quadrature on the manifold of the Lorentz group is generalized to include the nonforward absorptive part. An integral equation is derived which is diagonalized by expansion into the irreducible representations of the subgroup of the homogeneous Lorentz group, SO (2, 1). Explicit calculations of the irreducible representations of SO (2, 1) or its covering SU (1, 1) with respect to a noncompact basis O (1, 1) are presented in detail.
Optical Symbolic Substitution And Pattern Recognition Algorithms Based On Binary Image Algebra

The algebraic properties of binary image algebra (BIA) are used to mathematically describe and compare symbolic substitution and pattern recognition algorithms for implementation on optical processors.
Symptomatology and clinical features of hypersensitive teeth

Tooth hypersensitivity is associated with exposure of the dentine to the external environment of the mouth. This exposure can result from loss of enamel by processes including abrasion and erosion, or by denudation of the root surface as a result of gingival recession or periodontal treatments. Dentine hypersensitivity can be described as an adverse reaction or pain in one or more teeth resulting from either a thermal, chemical, bacterial or mechanical stimulus. Painful symptoms arising from exposed dentine are a common finding in adults and reportedly affect as many as one in every seven patients attending for dental treatment. Although predisposition to dentinal hypersensitivity is multifactorial, enamel loss as well as gingival recession may be more severe with advancing age. Because of the greater longevity of people who are also keeping their teeth longer, hypersensitivity is a growing concern. Clinical studies show that individuals with less than adequate plaque control experience more root hypersensitivity to air stimuli than others with better oral hygiene. Although plaque does not alter the pulpal threshold, i.e. has no effect on the pulp, it seems that microbial plaque has an effect on root sensitivity.
Relaxed approach to structural optimization

Consider a material whose physical properties are controllable, with two possible states. Suppose further that the control can be applied in a distributed manner, e.g. by laying down a very fine grid and specifying the state of each cell independently. Can we design 'smart structures' by adjusting the control to optimize some performance criterion? This problem is difficult because the set of possible controls is discrete. There is a natural way to make it continuous, however, known as the 'relaxed approach.' Physically, it amounts to the introduction of composite materials as structural components. Mathematically, it amounts to the introduction of fluttering controls. It has evolved over the past 15 years, through the combined effort of many individuals. This is a review paper. The goal is not to present new mathematical results, but rather to publicize the technique of relaxation. Perhaps some readers will known of new problems where this technique could be used to advantage.
The constrained finite element approach to coarse-mesh transport computations

Coarse-mesh computational methods have attracted widespread interest for both diffusion theory and for higher-order transport approximations. Fine-mesh diffusion calculations for the analysis of large, neutronically loosely-coupled cores such as the BWR shown in Fig. 1 are often prohibitively expensive for routine use. Therefore, techniques that reduce the spatial grid points to a manageable number without resulting in an inordinate loss of accuracy are of considerable interest. A variety of nodal methods have been developed for the treatment of PWR cores for this reason. For the BWR core shown in Fig. 1, however, these methods are not nearly as effective, for they require that the fuel assembly cross sections be homogenized before the global calculation is carried out. But such homogenization obliterates the strong coupling of the local spectral effects due to the water gaps and control rods with the global flux variation. Neither are fine-mesh transport methods effective for LWR fuel assembly problems, such as the configuration shown in Fig. 2, without the individual fuel cells first being homogenized. In such problems, containing burnable poisons and control-rod slots, the explicit representation of the many circular fuel-coolant
Rapid massive assembly of tight junction strands

Incubation at 37 degrees C of excised rat prostate tissue results in massive proliferative assembly of new tight junction strands along the entire lengths of the lateral plasma membranes of the columnar epithelial cells. The new tight junction elements are assembled within 5 minutes and have an average length six times that of those present in the apical tight junction band. Massive assembly occurs in the presence of protein synthesis inhibitors (cycloheximide) or of metabolic uncouplers (dinitrophenol). Thus, proliferative assembly of tight junction strands involves molecular reorganization from a pool of preexisting, probably membrane-associated, components. The fascia occludens and some examples of experimentally induced tight junction proliferation may reflect the massive emergence of tight junction strands when tissue is subjected to diverse stressful conditions.
Nucleotide sequence of the glycoprotein gene and intergenic region of the Lassa virus S genome RNA.

Abstract Two overlapping cDNA clones corresponding to the 5′ region of the Lassa virus S genome RNA were isolated and their nucleotide sequences determined. Similar to Pichinde and lymphocytic choriomeningitis viruses (LCMV), Lassa virus has an ambisense S RNA. The precursor to the viral glycoproteins (GPC) is encoded in viral RNA sequence originating at position 56 and terminating at position 1529 from the 5′ terminus of the S RNA. A short, noncoding, intergenic region capable of forming a hairpin structure separates the termination codons of the nucleoprotein (N) and GPC genes. Hydropathic analysis of the GPC gene product of Lassa virus indicates the presence of hydrophobic domains near the amino and carboxy termini as previously noted in the corresponding proteins of Pichinde and LCM viruses. A comparison of the nucleotide sequences on the 3′ termini of the viral and viral-complimentary S RNA species of Lassa, LCM, and Pichinde viruses reveals slight sequence differences that may possibly be involved in the regulation of RNA synthesis and gene expression.
Multipole order of the 869 keV gamma ray in Sm152

Abstract The angular correlation of the 869-244 keV gamma-electron cascade in Sm152 has been measured and the multipole mixture of the 869 keV transition has been deduced to be 98.8% E2, 1.2% M1. The influence of the rotation-vibration coupling on the E2 and M1 transitions from the γ-vibrational states in Sm152 is discussed. The value of the coupling parameter z is found to be 0.08.
Semiconductor behavior in amorphous AuSiO thin films

Abstract Films consisting of AuSiO formed by co-deposition have conductivity versus temperature behavior which can show either amorphous semiconductor or metallic characteristics depending on the volume percent of gold and heat treatment. Similar phenomena have been observed in CrSiO films. In this investigation preliminary results are presented on the electrical conductivity and substructure as revealed by electron microscopy of AuSiO films containing 15 vol % and 50 vol % Au. Several of the possible conduction mechanisms explaining the observed behavior are discussed.
UV Dose-Response Behavior of Air-Exposed Microorganisms

AbstractLaboratory experiments were performed to demonstrate an experimental method for measuring the UV dose-response behavior among air-exposed microorganisms, and to quantify the effect of relative humidity on this behavior. These experiments included two nonpathogenic microorganisms as surrogates for airborne microbial pathogens: Bacillus subtilis spores and coliphage MS2. UV dose-response behavior of these microorganisms was measured as a function of relative humidity (RH). Microorganisms were transferred to membrane filters at less than monolayer coverage and were subjected to exposure to UV radiation delivered from a collimated beam to a planar surface in a humidity-controlled environment at two germicidally active wavelengths: 254 nm and 282 nm. Dose-response data for Bacillus subtilis spores and coliphage MS2 exposed to UV radiation were fit to the Phenotypic Persistence and External Shielding (PPES) model. B. subtilis spores showed a modest effect of RH on the UV dose-response behavior, whereas ...
An Asymmetric Complex of Restriction Endonuclease MspI on Its Palindromic DNA Recognition Site

Most well-known restriction endonucleases recognize palindromic DNA sequences and are classified as Type IIP. Due to the recognition and cleavage symmetry, Type IIP enzymes are usually found to act as homodimers in forming 2-fold symmetric enzyme-DNA complexes. Here we report an asymmetric complex of the Type IIP restriction enzyme MspI in complex with its cognate recognition sequence. Unlike any other Type IIP enzyme reported to date, an MspI monomer and not a dimer binds to a palindromic DNA sequence. The enzyme makes specific contacts with all 4 base pairs in the recognition sequence, by six direct and five water-mediated hydrogen bonds and numerous van der Waal contacts. This MspI-DNA structure represents the first example of asymmetric recognition of a palindromic DNA sequence by two different structural motifs in one polypeptide. A few possible pathways are discussed for MspI to cut both strands of DNA, either as a monomer or dimer.
Structure of Sanguidimerine, a New Major Alkaloid from Sanguinaria canadensis (Papaveraceae)

Structure elucidation of a new major alkaloid, san-guidimerine, was based on the interpretation of its physical and chemical characteristics and was verified by partial degradation and semisynthesis. The possibility of the natural occurrence of sanguidimerine in Sanguinaria canadensis is also discussed.