cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Consumer Rankings With Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five-Star Rankings of Nursing Homes

Importance The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Five-Star measure for nursing homes is designed with input from expert panels about the importance of multiple quality indicators. Consumers may assign different values to these indicators, creating different 5-star ratings. Objective To compare nursing homes’ rankings based on the CMS Five-Star measure with rankings based on consumers’ judgment about the importance of the same quality indicators. Design, Setting, and Participants In this quality improvement study, CMS Five-Star data were linked with a measure calculated from CMS quality indicators and consumer values obtained from a national survey. Data covered the last quarter of 2016 and the first three quarters of 2017. The study included 10 676 nursing homes, comprising 69.8% of those with reported Five-Star measures. The national survey included adults, either nursing home residents or their family members who reported being familiar with the quality of care their relative received. Data analysis was performed from January 2019 to February 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures The contingent valuation method was administered via the survey to obtain consumers’ relative values of the quality indicators, and statistical analyses were used to create the contingent valuation measure. Agreement in nursing home rankings was assessed using the Five-Star measure, which is based on weights developed by expert panels, compared with rankings based on the contingent valuation measure. Results Among 10 676 study nursing homes with a mean (SD) of 119.4 (59.4) beds, 7845 (73.5%) were for profit, 6424 (61.8%) were part of a chain, and 8009 (75.0%) were urban. The 4310 survey respondents (mean [SD] age, 39.9 [15.6] years; 1143 [26.5%] men; 3448 [80%] white) included mostly family members (3879 participants [90.0%]). The Pearson correlation coefficient (0.65) and weighted κ statistics (0.48) indicated only moderate agreement between ranking of nursing homes’ performance by the 2 measures and disagreement on ranking for approximately one-half of the nursing homes. Conclusions and Relevance Current nursing home report cards might not reflect consumers’ values and the relative importance consumers place on each of the quality indicators that compose the overall Five-Star measure. Quality report cards might be more relevant to consumers by augmenting the Five-Star measure with a measure reflecting consumers’ preferences. It is unknown whether these conclusions are generalizable to other report cards, such as Hospital and Home Health Compare, without conducting similar studies for these report cards.
Characterization of occupational smoke exposure among wildland firefighters in the midwestern United States.

Abstract Wildland firefighters are repeatedly exposed to elevated levels of wildland fire smoke (WFS) while protecting lives and properties from wildland fires. Studies reporting personal exposure concentrations of air pollutants in WFS during fire suppression or prescribed burn activities have been geographically limited to the western and southeastern United States. The objective of this study is to characterize exposure concentrations of air pollutants in WFS emissions among wildland firefighters who conducted prescribed burns in the Midwest. Between 2016 and 2019, a total of 35 firefighters (31 males and 4 females, age of 35.63 ± 9.31 years) were recruited to participate in this study. Personal particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) exposure concentrations were measured during prescribed burns. The level of black carbon (BC) in WFS particulates was determined using the light transmission technique, while trace metal composition was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed geometric means for PM2.5, CO, and BC concentrations were 1.43 ± 0.13 mg/m3, 7.02 ± 0.69 ppm, and 58.79 ± 5.46 μg/m3, respectively. Although no occupational exposure limits (OELs) were exceeded by 8-h time-weighted average (TWA) exposure concentration observed in the firefighters, a total of 28 personal CO exposure concentrations were above the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) Ceiling (200 ppm) for CO. PM2.5 and CO concentrations were about 2–7 times higher in the Midwest than the other regions. Firefighters who performed holding had higher CO exposure concentrations compared to firefighters who performed lighting (p
Polytypism, Anisotropic Transport, and Weyl Nodes in the van der Waals Metal TaFeTe4.

Layered van der Waals (vdW) materials belonging to the MM'Te4 structure class have recently received intense attention due to their ability to host exotic electronic transport phenomena, such as in-plane transport anisotropy, Weyl nodes, and superconductivity. Here we report two new vdW materials with strongly anisotropic in-plane structures featuring stripes of metallic TaTe2 and semiconducting FeTe2, α-TaFeTe4 and β-TaFeTe4. We find that the structure of α-TaFeTe4 produces strongly anisotropic in-plane electronic transport (anisotropy ratio of up to 250%), outcompeting all other vdW metals, and demonstrate that it can be mechanically exfoliated to the two-dimensional (2D) limit. We also explore the possibility that broken inversion symmetry in β-TaFeTe4 produces Weyl points in the electronic band structure. Eight Weyl nodes slightly below the Fermi energy are computationally identified for β-TaFeTe4, indicating they may contribute to the transport behavior of this polytype. These findings identify the TaFeTe4 polytypes as an ideal platform for investigation of 2D transport anisotropy and chiral charge transport as a result of broken symmetry.
The Shark continuous-media file server

Shark, a network file server for digital video and other continuous media data being developed at the IBM Almaden Research Center, is described. The high data rate and stringent time constraints of real-time video place heavy demands on a file server, and Shark implements a variety of novel features that enable it to efficiently handle video data. The Shark server runs on an RS/6000 workstation; implementations of the Shark client run on both AIX and OS/2. >
EZE MMIRI DI EGWU, THE WATER MONARCH IS AWESOME

About 20 million Igbo (Ibo) live in southeastern Nigeria, a country of approximately 100 million people. Their language belongs to the Kwa-Niger group and has several sub-dialects. The group on which my study is based is mostly limited to the Oru-Igbo. The Oru live in a group of hierarchically related towns along the Oguta (Ugwuta) Lake and the Njaba, Urash and other tributaries of the Niger River. They refer to themselves as riverine Igbo. Oguta is their administrative center, today, the biggest and most well-known town. Orsu-Obodo is their most senior town. The precolonial economy of the Oru was based primarily on farming, fishing and trading. The staples are still yam and cassava and the diet is supplemented by plantains, rice, a variety of beans, vegetables, palm oil, fish, small game, goats, sheep, poultry and cow meat. Waterways are an important means of local transportation for people, materials, produce, and trade. Oru society, like other subgroups of Igbo is patrilineal, but in precolonial times, there were parallel male and female institutions. The patri-lineages own the land and run the towns' external and internal affairs. Today there are a number of other groups, secret societies, trade associations, Mammy Water societies, and traditional age-grades. The Oru trace their origin to Benin, having migrated over 10 generations ago. The Obi bears the title of Eze Igwe, sometimes translated as “divine king.” However, his office is quite different from that of the Oba of Benin, the Oru being an essentially egalitarian society (Jell-Bahlsen 1980).
Noninvasive analog measurements of ventricular ejection pressure

A simple noninvasive technique to obtain the ejection pressure from the flow measurement is presented. A simple electronic-analog model is designed and implemented to obtain the ejection pressure using a Doppler velocity probe. This technique can be extended to measure the arterial pressure pulses for the diagnosis of, for instance, occlusive vascular diseases. >
Efficient design centering of analog integrated circuits using binary search

This paper introduces a procedure for automatically design centering analog integrated circuits called the divide-and-focus method (DAF). DAF is a simple, efficient, and effective algorithm for design centering complex circuits, even if the performance of the original nominal design is poor. DAF uses a binary search of each dimension of parameter space to rapidly focus on regions promising high yield. DAF was applied to a third-order elliptic CMOS transconductance-C integrated circuit filter derived from an automated layout and containing 126 nodes and 319 MOSFETS. Using five key capacitor values as design centering parameters, DAF improved yield in the presence of parasitic capacitance (as extracted from the layout) by a factor of 19 from an initial value of 4% to a final value of 76%. By relaxing constraints on component value symmetry, DAF found a higher yield than was possible when maintaining symmetry, where DAF achieved a yield of 34%. Since DAF uses Monte Carlo analysis to estimate circuit yield, its execution time can be further reduced by exploiting the parallelism implicit in Monte Carlo techniques. Using a local area network of 10 workstations similar to those available at most engineering sites, DAF completed the design centering of the filter 7.4 times faster than when using a single workstation.
MHD equilibrium reconstruction in the presence of correlated data

Typical equilibrium reconstructions for axisymmetric plasma confinement devices involve a nonlinear least squares minimization with respect to parameters of the Grad–Shafranov equation. These parameters specify the toroidal field and pressure as functions of the poloidal flux, and the fit minimizes a cost function, χ2, which involves measurements such as the tangential poloidal field near the boundary. Most fitting procedures in use weigh the terms in χ2 by the variances of the measurements, but none accounts for the possibility of correlations between the measurements. Results presented here indicate that the presence of correlations may have a strong effect on the fidelity of the fit, possibly beneficial when they are optimally accounted for but quite detrimental otherwise. These results also show that increasing the number of measurements of the same type can have little effect when the additional measurements are within a correlation scale length of the previous measurements. A further issue is that the toroidal field and pressure terms in the Grad–Shafranov equation play nearly the same role, leading to a near-degeneracy in the fit. Internal pressure measurements most effectively mitigate this near-degeneracy when correlations are optimally treated.
Family Racial Socialization and Ecological Competence: Longitudinal Assessments of African-American Transracial Adoptees.

Ecological Competence was assessed longitudinally in 88 African-American transracial adoptees (TRAs). Relations were examined among measures of Family Racial Socialization, Africentric, and Eurocentric Reference Group Orientations, transracial adoption stressors, and their effects on psychological adjustment. Longitudinal path analyses assessed the relations among these constructs. Path analytic models indicated that in childhood (Time 1) Family Racial Socialization predicted neither Africentric Reference Group Orientation (ARGO) nor Eurocentric Reference Group Orientation (ERGO); by adolescence (Time 2), Family Racial Socialization predicted ARGO but not ERGO. Both ARGO and ERGO contributed significantly to adjustment. Change models indicated that adjustment declined significantly over the 10 years. There were multiple determinants of this decline. TRAs experienced difficulty becoming ecologically competent in both ARGO and ERGO. They displayed greater ERGO than ARGO. Discriminant function analyses based on the independent variables yielded hit rates of 71% at Time 1 and over 84% at Time 2 for classifying the TRAs as adjusted or maladjusted.
RDX Detection with THz Spectroscopy

Spectroscopic analysis in the Terahertz frequency range, providing characteristic “signatures” for explosive and non-explosive materials, is proposed as an efficient and powerful tool for explosive identification. It is demonstrated that spectral responses of materials can be used as fingerprints that distinguish cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) from other materials even with simple detectors and a limited number of available frequencies. Detection is performed using a modified least squares approach and multilayer perceptrons that operate on smoothed reflectance spectra. The performance of the detectors is evaluated through application to spectra of RDX and several common materials. A Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis demonstrates that our detectors exhibit the desirable properties of high probability of detection and low probability of false alarm.
Is Giardia a living fossil

Despite enormous efforts, the patterns of the rise of eukaryotic life on Earth are not clearly defined. The ability of eukaryotes to produce energy using oxygen and sugars was a key factor in advancing life on Earth towards complex multicellular organisms. However, this was not the only way to produce energy and survive. Mitochondria probably appeared soon after the oxygen increase in the Earth's atmosphere but many microaerophilic protists require little or no oxygen to survive. New ultrastructural, biochemical and molecular phylogeny data about structures and processes involved in the generation of energy by currently known protists have forced the revision of understanding of the ‘tree of life'.
Exploring Two Teacher Education Online Learning Designs: A Classroom of One or Many?

AbstractOnline learning is rapidly becoming a permanent feature of higher education. In a preponderance of instances, online learning is designed using conventional educational practices: lecture, grades, group discussion, and the like. Concerns with traditional pedagogy instantiated by course management systems raise questions about the quality of learner’s online experiences. There is a need to reconsider the design of learning opportunities in light of emerging online delivery modes. This study compared learner perceptions of two online courses—one using the more traditional approach capitalizing on the affordances of Blackboard and one using the COPLS one-on-one model (Norton, 2003). Results revealed that both environments were perceived as providing a high quality learning experience. In addition, results point to the importance of self-regulation, the role of the instructor/facilitator/mentor, and the role of the group as factors influencing learners’ perception of the quality of their learning expe...
A method of increasing the heat resistance of SAP-type materials

1. A study was made of the sintering of aluminum dust compacts with the aim of determining the optimum conditions for the formation of a skeletal structure in the resultant material. 2. On the basis of data concerning density, electrical resistivity, and structure variations it was established that a skeletal alumina structure can be obtained in compacts produced both by cold pressing and subsequent sintering and by hot pressing. 3. A study of the mechanical properties of SAP materials showed that their heat resistance is substantially increased by the formation of a skeletal alumina structure.
Suppression of macrophage responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is independent of its anti-protease function

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), a potent serine protease inhibitor, has been shown to suppress macrophage responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). SLPI contains two topologically superimposable domains. Its C-terminal domain binds and inhibits target proteases. It is not clear whether SLPI's anti-protease function plays a role in the LPS-inhibitory action of SLPI. Four single amino acid substitution mutants of SLPI, M73G, M73F, M73E and M73K, were generated. Wild type SLPI is a potent inhibitor of chymotrypsin and elastase. Mutants M73G and M73F selectively lost inhibitory function towards chymotrypsin and elastase, respectively, whereas mutants M73K and M73E inhibited neither elastase nor chymotrypsin. Macrophage cell lines were established from RAW264.7 cells to stably express each SLPI mutant. Expression of the SLPI protease inhibition mutants suppressed NO and TNF production in response to LPS in a similar fashion as wild type SLPI. Expression of truncated forms of SLPI, containing only its N-terminus or its C-terminus, was similarly sufficient to confer inhibition of LPS responses. Thus, the LPS-inhibitory action of SLPI is independent of its anti-protease function.
Material considerations in the Fusion Engineering Device (FED) bulk shield design

Abstract The Fusion Engineering Device (FED) bulk shield provides protection from high energy neutrons and gamma rays and removes nuclear heat generated. Bulk shield optimization calculations were conducted using the Los Alamos ONEDANT discrete ordinates and the General Atomic PATH point kernel codes. Six candidate steel alloys were considered.
Weak convergence and the exponential rate of concentration for posterior density functions

Abstract Consider a Bayesian analysis of a parameter vector, θ, based on n i.i.d. multivariate measurements. We establish weak convergence of a sequence of parameter values that arises in applying the mean value theorem for integrals to the marginal densities of the sequence of observed vectors. We apply this weak convergence theorem to obtain a finite-sample result characterizing the rate of change of the shape of the posterior density as the number of observations increases.
Simulation of the Heat Transfer in a Gas Turbine Combustor Fueled With Coal-Water Mixture: Part 1 — Model Development and Verification

It is possible to disperse high concentrations of finely pulverized beneficiated coal in water to produce a stable coal-water slurry fuel (CWF). One of the potential applications of CWF is as a fuel in gas turbines. This represents a relatively novel, developing technology. Coal beneficiation to the level needed for gas turbine application (< 1 percent ash) requires fine grinding of the coal particles to less than 15 μm necessitating increase in water content of the slurry to avoid increased CWS viscosity due to the finer particles. The gas turbine cycle is capable of accommodating an increased water content of the fuel without a significant loss in efficiency.The objective of the present study is to develop and verify a computer model to simulate the heat transfer processes taking place in a gas turbine combustor (GTC) burning a CWF. The model predicts the species and the temperature distribution throughout the GTC, the heat flux patterns and the contribution of both convection and radiation to the total heat transfer rate.Model verification includes cases of cold flow without combustion, combustion without heat release, combustion without convection and/or radiation, verification of exchange areas and an overall energy balance check.Copyright © 1986 by ASME
Relationships between maternal novel adipocytokines and bone biomarkers in complicated by gestational hypertensive disorders and normal pregnancies

AbstractObjective: To investigate possible associations of the novel adipocytokines resistin, apelin and visfatin (implicated in the complex control of bone biology) with several biochemical determinants of bone turnover in maternal blood from normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by gestational hypertensive disorders (preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension).Methods: Circulating maternal concentrations of resistin, apelin and visfatin were correlated with circulating markers of bone formation [osteocalcin (OC), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP)] and resorption [osteoprotegerin (OPG), soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (sRANKL) and cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx)] in full-term pregnancies (20 normal and 20 complicated by gestational hypertensive disorders).Results: In normal pregnancies, no correlation was recorded between maternal concentrations of adipocytokines and the above bone biomarkers. In pregnancies with gestational hypertensive dis...
Design of Multispectral Scanners Using Computer Simulation

The design of multispectral scanners optimized for a certain job or set of jobs is being done more frequently now that multispectral collection and exploitation technologies are maturing. In this paper, the conceptual design procedure is reviewed. Then the role of computer simulation is illustrated using the example of the design study for the Thematic Mapper. Although this study was performed ten years ago, it still illustrates the principles of the use of computer simulation.
Detection of Deceptive Factual Statements from the Body and the Face

Videotapes showed facial and body shots of stimulus persons answering factual questions, both truthfully and untruthfully. Subjects (n=32) viewed the videotapes and judged whether each answer was the truth or a lie. Results indicated accuracy was greatest for body shots of dishonest answers, supporting Ekman and Friesen's (1969; 1974) theory and extending findings to factual (non-emotional) statements. Confidence in the judgments of truth or lying was greater for dishonest than honest answers.
Crush preparations of meningiomas: can grading be accomplished?

Crush preparations (CP) for the diagnosis of meningioma are routinely performed in the frozen section suite when tissue is submitted for intraoperative consultation. The goal of this study was to examine the cytologic features of meningiomas in CP and evaluate if benign meningioma (Grade 1), atypical meningioma (Grade 2), and malignant meningioma (Grade 3) can be diagnosed on CP. All cases of meningioma (1999–2007), which were submitted for frozen section at our institution, were retrospectively reviewed. These cases were examined intraoperatively by frozen section and CP. The final histologic diagnosis was taken as the gold standard. A total of 107 meningiomas cases were reviewed. The cytological features of all these cases were studied, and features such as pleomorphism, hemorrhage, necrosis, mitosis, and presence or absence of nucleoli were recorded. Using the final histopathologic diagnosis as the gold standard, there were 72 (Grade 1), 22 (Grade 2), and 13 (Grade 3) meningioma cases, which were studied. In conclusion, this study reviews the salient cytologic features of Grades 1–3 meningiomas. It demonstrates that it is difficult to separate Grade 1 from Grade-2 meningioma on CP, and last, Grade-3 meningioma can be easily diagnosed on CP. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2008;36:827–831. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The structure of the C-terminal domain of methionine synthase: presenting S-adenosylmethionine for reductive methylation of B12

Abstract Background In both mammalian and microbial species, B 12 -dependent methionine synthase catalyzes methyl transfer from methyltetrahydrofolate (CH 3 –H 4 folate) to homocysteine. The B 12 (cobalamin) cofactor plays an essential role in this reaction, accepting the methyl group from CH 3 –H 4 folate to form methylcob(III)alamin and in turn donating the methyl group to homocysteine to generate methionine and cob(I)alamin. Occasionally the highly reactive cob(I)alamin intermediate is oxidized to the catalytically inactive cob(II)alamin form. Reactivation to sustain enzyme activity is achieved by a reductive methylation, requiring S -adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) as the methyl donor and, in Esherichia coli , flavodoxin as an electron donor. The intact system is controlled and organized so that AdoMet, rather than methyltetrahydrofolate, is the methyl donor in the reactivation reaction. AdoMet is not wasted as a methyl donor in the catalytic cycle in which methionine is synthesized from homocysteine. The structures of the AdoMet binding site and the cobalamin-binding domains (previously determined) provide a starting point for understanding the methyl transfer reactions of methionine synthase. Results We report the crystal structure of the 38 kDa C-terminal fragment of E.coli methionine synthase that comprises the AdoMet-binding site and is essential for reactivation. The structure, which includes residues 901–1227 of methionine synthase, is a C-shaped single domain whose central feature is a bent antiparallel β sheet. Database searches indicate that the observed polypeptide has no close relatives. AdoMet binds near the center of the inner surface of the domain and is held in place by both side chain and backbone interactions. Conclusions The conformation of bound AdoMet, and the interactions that determine its binding, differ from those found in other AdoMet-dependent enzymes. The sequence Arg–x–x–x–Gly–Tyr is critical for the binding of AdoMet to methionine synthase. The position of bound AdoMet suggests that large areas of the C-terminal and cobalamin-binding fragments must come in contact in order to transfer the methyl group of AdoMet to cobalamin. The catalytic and activation cycles may be turned off and on by alternating physical separation and approach of the reactants.
Pathophysiology of Ischemic Heart Disease: An Overview

Ischemia refers to inadequate supply of oxygen and metabolic substrate to an organ. The term myocardial ischemia covers a heterogeneous group of clinical syndromes, globally called ischemic heart disease, which includes chronic stable angina at one end of the spectrum and acute myocardial infarction at the other end. Between these two extremes, there is a broad myriad of intermediate syndromes, all having in common a mismatch between oxygen demand and supply. Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of all morbidity and mortality in the United States. It is reasonable to assume that proper intervention and follow-up care based on knowledge of pathophysiology is imperative to the professional nursing care of patients with this disease. In this article, the author presents a brief survey of the current state of the discussion from a pathophysiologic viewpoint that highlights the dynamic nature of the disease and its related clinical implications.
Rates and mechanisms of indole and 3‐Methylindole polymerization in cation exchange resin beads

Batch extraction and polymerization of indole and 3-methylindole (skatole) with acidic cation exchange resins functioned as pseudo first-order reactions. Activation energies of 3.4 and 5.7 keal/mole indicated greater steric hindrance to skatole polymerization, as would be expected from 2,2′ bonding of skatole compared to 3,2′ bonding for indole. Linear polymerization occurred, although a heterocyclic ring opened at the trimer stage of poly(indole). 2-Methylindole did not polymerize. General acid-base catalysis caused unreproducible partial depolytnerization when the polymers were extracted from resin beads. Thus, compounds chromatographically separated probably were of lower degree of polymerization than were the polymers formed in the resin matrix.
Incompressible Potential Flow Solutions for Arbitrary Bodies of Revolution

dx Let Y = ayws/uw, £ = xx/uw, a = - F(0)/c0"(0), ft = /"(0)/q/"(0), and y = — vw G'(0)/ww g"(Q). The solution of Eq. (7) is readily found to be
Adenoma sebaceum of Pringle: a clinicopathologic review, with a discussion of related pathologic entities.

"Adenoma sebaceum of Pringle" (ASP) is a misnomer. The tumor is not an adenoma and is not derived from sebaceous glands. The lesion is characterized by dermal fibrosis and associated vascular proliferation and dilatation. Changes in contiguous sebaceous glands and other adnexal structures are merely secondary. Thus, "angiofibroma" would be a more appropriate name. The histologic changes in ASP (and in related pathologic lesions) suggest that it is a hamartoma rather than a true neoplasm. However, the embryologic tissue of its origin is not definitively known.
Innervation of the uvea by galanin and somatostatin immunoreactive axons in macaques and baboons.

The neuropeptide galanin has not been localized previously in the primate uvea, and the neuropeptide somatostatin has not been localized in the uvea of any mammal. Here, the distribution of galanin-like and somatostatin-like immunoreactive axons in the iris, ciliary body and choroid of macaques and baboons using double and triple immunofluorescence labeling techniques and confocal microscopy was reported. In the ciliary body, galanin-like immunoreactive axons innervated blood vessels and the ciliary processes, particularly at their bases. In the iris, the majority of these axons was associated with the loose connective tissue in the stroma. Somatostatin-like immunoreactive axons were found in many of the same areas of the uvea supplied by cholinergic nerves. In the ciliary body, there were labelled axons within the ciliary processes and ciliary muscle. They were also found alongside blood vessels in the ciliary stroma. In the iris, somatostatin-like immunoreactive axons were abundant in the sphincter muscle and less so in the dilator muscle. A unilateral sympathectomy had no effect on the distribution of somatostatin-like or galanin-like immunoreactive axons, and these axons did not contain the sympathetic marker tyrosine hydroxylase. They did not contain the parasympathetic marker choline acetyltransferase, either. The galanin-like immunoreactive axons contained other neuropeptides found in sensory nerves, including calcitonin gene-related peptide, substance P and cholecystokinin. Somatostatin-like immunoreactive axons did not contain any of these sensory neuropeptides or galanin-like immunoreactivity, and they were neither labelled with an antibody to 200 kDa neurofilament protein, nor did they bind isolectin-IB4. Nevertheless, they are likely to be of sensory origin because somatostatin-like immunoreactive perikarya have previously been localized in the trigeminal ganglion of primates. Taken together, these findings indicate galanin and somatostatin are present in two different subsets of sensory axons in primate uvea.
Elementary School Mathematics Productivity in Twelve Countries

Abstract The mathematics achievement scores of 28,274 students in 1443 Australian, Belgian, English, Finish, French, German, Israeli, Japanese, Dutch, Scotch, Swedish, and U.S. elementary schools were correlated with, and regressed on socioe‐conomic status, highest math course taken, weekly hours of homework, interest in mathematics, and several other variables with both individuals and schools within each country as units of analysis. The results corroborate recent syntheses of small‐scale studies of productive factors in academic learning as well as regression analyses of large‐scale surveys. Among directly alterable variables, the amount and the quality or vigour of instruction including homework most strongly influence achievement.
Modeling ecosystem processes with variable freshwater inflow to the Caloosahatchee River Estuary, southwest Florida. I. Model development

Abstract Variations in freshwater inflow have ecological consequences for estuaries ranging among eutrophication, flushing and transport, and high and low salinity impacts on biota. Predicting the potential effects of the magnitude and composition of inflow on estuaries over a range of spatial and temporal scales requires reliable mathematical models. The goal of this study was to develop and test a model of ecosystem processes with variable freshwater inflow to the sub-tropical Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE) in southwest Florida from 2002 to 2009. The modeling framework combined empirically derived inputs of freshwater and materials from the watershed, daily predictions of salinity, a box model for physical transport, and simulation models of biogeochemical and seagrass dynamics. The CRE was split into 3 segments to estimate advective and dispersive transport of water column constituents. Each segment contained a sub-model to simulate changes in the concentrations of organic nitrogen and phosphorus (ON and OP), ammonium (NH 4 + ), nitrate-nitrite (NO x − ), ortho-phosphate (PO 4 −3 ), phytoplankton chlorophyll a (CHL), and sediment microalgae (SM). The seaward segment also had sub-models for seagrasses ( Halodule wrightii and Thalassia testudinum ). The model provided realistic predictions of ON in the upper estuary during wet conditions since organic nitrogen is associated with freshwater inflow and low salinity. Although simulated CHL concentrations were variable, the model proved to be a reliable predictor in time and space. While predicted NO x − concentrations were proportional to freshwater inflow, NH 4 + was less predictable due to the complexity of internal cycling during times of reduced freshwater inflow. Overall, the model provided a representation of seagrass biomass changes despite the absence of epiphytes, nutrient effects, or sophisticated translocation in the formulation. The model is being used to investigate the relative importance of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) vs. CHL in submarine light availability throughout the CRE, assess if reductions in nutrient loads are more feasible by controlling freshwater quantity or N and P concentrations, and explore the role of inflow and flushing on the fates of externally and internally derived dissolved and particulate constituents.
CT Cerebral Blood Flow Maps Optimally Correlate With Admission Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Acute Stroke but Thresholds Vary by Postprocessing Platform

Background and Purpose—Admission infarct core lesion size is an important determinant of management and outcome in acute (<9 hours) stroke. Our purposes were to: (1) determine the optimal CT perfus...
Modeling the kinetics of corn tortilla staling using stress relaxation data

Abstract The extent of corn tortilla staling was quantified in terms of degree of amylopectin crystallization using data from stress relaxation and polymer crystallization theory. The staling process in corn tortillas was studied as a function of time (fresh up to 10 days) and storage temperature (6–35 °C). Fresh corn tortilla has a lower value of stiffness than stale tortilla thus indicating how tortilla becomes firmer with time. The stiffness of tortilla decreases with increasing temperature. The Avrami-nucleation model was applied to the kinetic data. This model was selected to describe the extent of crystallization of amylopectin in corn tortilla using stress relaxation techniques in the temperature range of 6–30 °C with the maximum nucleation rate at temperature of 12.3 °C. Results correlated well with subjective measurements of tortilla rollability.
Does drug therapy reverse endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction in diabetes

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are vital for the maintenance and repair of the endothelium. Decreased EPC number and function have been associated with increased cardiovascular (CVD) risk. Patients with diabetes have decreased number of circulating EPCs and decreased EPC function. This may account for some of the increased CVD risk seen in patients with diabetes that is not explained by traditional risk factors such as glycemic control, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Recent studies seem to indicate that drugs commonly used in diabetes patients such as metformin, thiazolidinediones, GLP-1 agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, insulin, statins and ACE inhibitors may increase EPC number and improve EPC function. The mechanisms by which these drugs modulate EPC function may involve reduction in inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin resistance as well as an increase in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. This review will discuss the evidence in the literature regarding the above mentioned topics.
Basaltic volcanism on the eucrite parent body: Petrology and chemistry of the polymict eucrite ALHA80102

The polymict eucrite meteorite ALHA80102 is an unequilibrated breccia of basaltic and gabbroic clasts in a fragmental matrix. Clasts include basalts of many textural types, cumulate gabbro, black 'glass', and ferroan troctolite (plagioclase, silica, Fe-rich olivine, ilmenite, mesostasis). Ferroan troctolite has not been previously reported from eucrites or howardites; it is interpreted as the end-product of fractional crystallization of eucritic magmas. Bulk and trace element compositions (by electron microprobe and INAA) of clasts and matrix from ALHA80102 are similar to those of other eucrites; the meteorite contains clasts similar to Juvinas and to Stannern. A clast of cumulate eucrite gabbro is enriched in the light rare earths (La/Lu = 2XCI). This clast is interpreted as an unrepresentative sample of metamorphically equilibrated gabbro; LREE-enriched magmas need not be invoked. ALHA80102 is similar to other polymict eucrites from the Allan Hills and may be paired with ALHA76005, ALHA77302, and ALHA78040.
Probucol, high-density lipoprotein metabolism and reverse cholesterol transport.

Accumulation of cholesterol within the arterial wall reflects an imbalance between delivery and efflux. Monocyte-derived macrophages play a major role in arterial wall cholesterol accumulation. Using tracer methodology in a rabbit model, several investigators have estimated the rate of cholesterol delivery and thus the steady-state rate of efflux to be between 0.4 and 2.4 μ g/cm 2 /hour. The process responsible for arterial wall cholesterol efflux, "reverse cholesterol transport," can be conceptualized as a sequence of events including (1) loss of cell cholesterol, (2) intravascular cholesterol transport, (3) hepatic cholesterol uptake, and (4) biliary secretion. Work by many investigators has characterized these individual processes.
A Brief History of the Association for Women in Psychology: 1969–1991

The Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) was founded in 1969 by American Psychological Association (APA) members who were frustrated with sexism in psychology, in the APA, and at the 1969 APA convention itself. The activism of the 1960s, together with the new women's liberation movement, gave the founders tools and justification for a new organization. This article, the first published AWP history, describes the founding circumstances, early skirmishes concerning structure and operations, evolution of major activities (such as the annual conference, importance of lesbians, growing attention to multiculturalism), and ongoing tensions between centralization and “feminist process.”
A Benchmarking Algorithm to Determine Maximum Lifetime Communication Topologies in Cognitive Radio Ad hoc Networks

We propose a generic benchmarking algorithm to arrive at upper bounds for the lifetimes of any communication topology that spans the entire network of secondary user (SU) nodes in a cognitive radio ad hoc network wherein the SUs use the licensed channels of the primary user (PU) nodes when the latter do not use them. When in need of a stable communication topology (that spans the SU nodes) at a time instant t, the algorithm looks for the largest value of k such that the intersection of the static SU graphs from time instants t to t+k, defined as the mobile graph Gt .... t+k(SU) = Gt(SU) ∩ Gt+1(SU) ∩ .... ∩ Gt+k(SU) is connected, but Gt....t+k+1(SU) is not connected. We repeat the above procedure for the entire network session to determine the sequence of longest-living mobile graphs and the corresponding instances of the communication topology of interest such that the number of topology transitions is the global minimum. We prove the theoretical correctness of the algorithm and analyze its run-time complexity.
The effects of Au aggregate morphology on surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement

We have identified empirically a relationship between the surface morphology of small individual aggregates (<100 Au nanoparticles) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement. We have found that multilayer aggregates generated greater SERS enhancement than aggregates limited to two-dimensional (2D) or one-dimensional structures, independent of the number of particles. SERS intensity was measured using the 730 cm(-1) vibrational mode of the adsorbed adenine molecule on 75 nm Au particles, at an excitation wavelength of 632.8 nm. To gain insight into these relationships and its mechanism, we developed a qualitative model that considers the collections of interacting Au nanoparticles of an individual aggregate as a continuous single entity that retains its salient features. We found the dimensions of the modeled surface features to be comparable with those found in rough metal surfaces, known to sustain surface plasmon resonance and generate strong SERS enhancement. Among the aggregates that we have characterized, a three 75 nm nanoparticle system was the smallest to generate strong SERS enhancement. However, we also identified single individual Au nanoparticles as SERS active at the same wavelength, but with a diameter twice in size. For example, we observed a symmetric SERS-active particle of 180 nm in diameter. Such individual nanoparticles generated SERS enhancement on the same order of magnitude as the small monolayer Au aggregates, an intensity value significantly stronger than predicted in recent theoretical studies. We also found that an aspect of our model that relates the dimensions of its features to SERS enhancement is also applicable to single individual Au particles. We conclude that the size of the nanoparticle itself, or the size of a protrusion of an irregularly shaped single Au particle, will contribute to SERS enhancement provided that its dimensions satisfy the conditions for plasmon resonance. In addition, by considering the ratio of the generated intensities of typical 2D Au aggregates to the enhancement of individual SERS-active particles, a value of approximately 2 is determined. Its moderate value suggests that it is not the aggregation effect that is responsible for much of the observed SERS enhancement but the surface region associated with the SERS-active site.
Mechanism of action of thalidomide and 3-aminothalidomide in multiple myeloma

Abstract We have explored the mechanism of the antiangiogenic effects of thalidomide by structure-activity studies. These investigations revealed that angiogenesis inhibition correlates with teratogenicity but not with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TFA-α) inhibition. Additionally, one analog of thalidomide, 3-aminothalidomide, exhibited an unusual capacity to directly inhibit myeloma cell proliferation. This activity did not correlate with TNF-α inhibition. Thus 3-aminothalidomide was found to inhibit multiple myeloma through effects on both the tumor and vascular compartment. The effects of an inhibitor of both the tumor and vascular compartments of a tumor on tumor growth may be synergistic.
The Politics of Interpretation: Tel Hai in Israel's Collective Memory

In 1920, a brief but fatal battle between Arabs and Jews took place at the Jewish settlement of Tel Hai in the northern Galilee. The defense of Tel Hai soon became a landmark in the history of Israeli society. The story of Tel Hai was regarded as a major symbolic text of the pioneering ethos and an important step toward the development of a new national Hebrew culture. Highlighting the theme of collective death and rebirth, Tel Hai offered a modern, secular text that sanctified the new nation and dramatized the emergence of a new type of Jew. For the Jewish pioneers in Palestine, Tel Hai embodied the ideals of settlement and defense, providing a concrete example of their resolute determination to hold on to new settlements at all costs.The present study examines the role of Tel Hai as a national myth, name-ly, a symbolic narrative relating to an important event in the nation's past that embodies sacred national values and is used as a charter for political action.1 Following Halbwachs's pioneering approach to the study of collective memory,2 this article explores the meaning of Tel Hai as it was constructed in public discourse, focusing upon two periods of conflict within Israeli society. Thus it is not a historical study of the event that took place at Tel Hai in 1920, but a study of how this event has been remembered and reinterpreted in Israeli culture.
Developmental enhancement of adenylate kinase-AMPK metabolic signaling axis supports stem cell cardiac differentiation.

Background Energetic and metabolic circuits that orchestrate cell differentiation are largely unknown. Adenylate kinase (AK) and associated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) constitute a major metabolic signaling axis, yet the role of this system in guiding differentiation and lineage specification remains undefined.
Quantitative tomographic birefringence imaging of fibrous tissues with polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography

Polarization sensitive OCT has potential advantages in detecting diseases which affect the vitality of fibrous tissues. We present a nonlinear numerical algorithm to suppress speckle noise and enable accurate quantitative measurement of fibrous tissue properties.
Considering class-based values related to guardian involvement and the development of self-regulated learning

Abstract Conceptions of self-regulated learning are often considered neutral and value-free. As a result, researchers tend to ignore issues of social class. In this analysis, a sociological lens is used to examine some of the class-based values embedded in the literature related to guardian involvement and the development of children’s self-regulated learning. It is well documented that qualities and quantities of guardian involvement differ across class backgrounds. Considering these differences, the kinds of guardian involvement that have been identified for supporting self-regulated learning align with middle-class culture. By endorsing this alignment, the discourse of self-regulated learning can be implicated in the reproduction of class-based normative values. In order to ensure that research and pedagogy related to self-regulated learning are not part of the reproduction of inequality and discrimination in schools, it is important to consider ways this construct is entangled in class politics and power.
Quality and technology-based management initiatives within a hospital environment: benchmarking case study

As a continued study of operations management, the concept of quality and benchmarking strategies and how they are managed are critical success factors for healthcare providers. A review of literature and the present case study of Washington Hospital, these critical success factors are important in order to help service quality meets or exceed patient expectation. Through the case study, strategic leveraging of operational effectiveness, quality metrics, innovative uses of technologies, especially automatic identification, quality service becomes a way to gain competitive advantage through continuous improvement and exceeding patients’ expectation. The variables that were described in the case study typically had significant impacts on service delivery efficiencies, patient satisfaction, and the overall competitive advantage of a hospital. The approaches to managing quality through a variety of concepts such as accreditation, technology, continuous improvement, and benchmarking ultimately provided management at Washington to obtain its performance goals.
ASSESSMENT OF RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR.

Risk taking propensity has been hypothesized to be a general personality disposition and many devices have been proposed for use in its assessment. Several types of studies relevant to the validity of these measures are reviewed. These studies expose a considerable lack of agreement among what are s