cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development, validation, and use of English and Spanish versions of the telemedicine satisfaction and usefulness questionnaire.

Abstract Objectives To describe the development and validation of low literacy English and Spanish versions of the 26-item Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire (TSUQ), report telemedicine satisfaction and usefulness ratings of urban and rural participants in the Informatics for Diabetes Education and Telemedicine (IDEATel) project, and explore relationships between utilization and perceptions of satisfaction and usefulness. Methods Data sources included TSUQ, utilization data from IDEATel log files, and sociodemographic data from the annual IDEATel interview. Psychometric analyses were conducted to examine the reliability and validity of TSUQ. Data were analyzed using descriptive, correlational techniques. Results The principal components factor analysis extracted two factors (Video Visits, alpha=.96, and Use and Impact, alpha=.92) that explained 63.6% of the variance in TSUQ satisfaction scores. All satisfaction and usefulness items had mean scores of greater than 4 on a 5-point scale. Those from urban areas reported significantly higher ratings on both factors than rural participants as did those who did not know how to use a computer at baseline. Mean frequency of utilization of IDEATel components was highest for blood sugar testing followed by web site for reviewing results, blood pressure testing, video visits, and ADA educational Web pages. Associations between utilization and perceptions of satisfaction and usefulness varied among IDEATel components. Conclusion Psychometric analyses support the construct validity and internal consistency reliability of TSUQ, which is available in both English and Spanish at a readability level of 8th grade. Both rural and urban participants reported high levels of satisfaction and found all IDEATel components useful. Further work is needed to examine the relationships between utilization and perceptions of satisfaction and usefulness and to explore the effects of location (urban versus rural) and ethnicity on satisfaction with telemedicine services.
Urban Centres in Universities: Institutional Alternatives for Urban Design

University-based urban centres come in several types: research centres, university-based firms, community advocacy centres, extension agencies, studios, clearinghouses and umbrella or convening organizations. They all potentially link an innovative or educational milieu in the university to wider urban processes, though not all live up to this potential. In particular they can face difficulties interacting with students and faculty, staffing issues, and problems interacting with governments and the private sector.
The effect of hearing aids on postural stability.

Objectives/Hypothesis In the United States, falls are the leading cause of accidental deaths in adults aged over 65 years. Epidemiologic studies indicate that there is a correlation between hearing loss and the risk of falling among older people. The vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual systems are known to contribute to postural stability, but the contribution of audition to maintaining balance has not yet been determined. Study Design Cross-sectional study to measure postural stability in bilateral hearing-aid users aged over 65 years in aided and unaided conditions. Methods Balance was assessed using the Romberg on foam test and the tandem stance test. Tests were administered in the presence of a point-source broadband white-noise sound (0–4 kHz) source in both unaided and aided conditions in the dark. Subjective measures of balance were made using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale. Results Performance was significantly better in the aided than the unaided condition (P = 0.005 for both tests). No statistically significant relationship between improvement in balance, and hearing was identified. Participants did not report that they perceived a difference in balance between the two conditions. Conclusion These results indicate that hearing aids are a novel treatment modality for imbalance in older adults with hearing loss and suggest that wearing hearing aids may offer a significant public-health benefit for avoiding falls in this population. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 125:720–723, 2015
Statistical Origin-destination generation with multiple sources

Any trajectory is always generated with its origin and destination. Origin-destination (OD) generation for trips plays an important role in many applications such as trajectory mining, traffic simulation, or marketing. In previous work on traffic pattern recognition, microscopic ODs for limited areas are estimated with probe-car data, while macroscopic ODs for broad areas are usually generated by using road-traffic-census data. In this paper, we propose a microscopic OD determination method for broad areas with the same data and landmark information, which is based on an L1-regularized Poisson regression. We demonstrate performance improvements over baseline methods in numerical experiments with a massive data set from Tokyo.
Classification and retrieval of reusable components using semantic features

Automated assistance for software component reuse involves supporting retrieval, adaptation and verification of software components. The informality of feature-based software classification schemes is an impediment to formally verifying the reusability of a software component. The use of formal specifications to model and retrieve reusable components alleviates the informality, but the formal reasoning required for retrieval introduces questions of scalability. To provide scalability, current retrieval systems resort to syntactic classification at some level of abstraction, abandoning the semantic information provided by the specification. We propose a methodology that shifts the overhead of formal reasoning from the retrieval to the classification phase of reuse. Software components are classified using semantic features that are derived from their formal specification. Retrieval of functionally similar components can then be accomplished based on the stored feature sets. Formal verification can be applied to precisely determine the reusability of the set of similar components.
What does it mean to be locally adapted and who cares anyway

The availability of fossil fuels will likely decline dramatically during the first half of the twenty-first century, and the massive deficits probably will not be alleviated by alternative sources of energy. This seeming catastrophe will create opportunities for communities to benefit from foods produced locally in ways that nurture relationships among soil, water, plants, herbivores, and people to sustain their collective well being. Agriculture will be much more at the heart of communities than it is currently, but by necessity, it will no longer be so dependent on fossil fuels to power machinery or to produce fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides to grow and protect plants in monocultures, antibiotics, and anthelmintics to maintain the health of herbivores, or nutritional supplements and pharmaceuticals to sustain humans. Rather, from soils and plants to herbivores and people, we will have to learn once again what it means to be locally adapted to the landscapes we inhabit. In the process of relearning these skills, plants will become more important as nutrition centers and pharmacies, their vast arrays of primary (nutrients) and secondary (pharmaceuticals) compounds useful in nutrition and health. There also will be a need, as in times past before our heavy reliance on fossil fuels, to produce livestock in easy-care systems that match seasonally-available forages with production needs and that match animals anatomically, physiologically, and behaviorally to local landscapes. This will mean reducing inputs of fossil fuels to increase profitability by 1) matching animal needs to forage resources; 2) selecting for animals that are adapted anatomically, physiologically, and behaviorally to local environments; 3) culling animals unable to reproduce with minimal help from humans; and 4) creating grazing systems that enhance the well-being of soils, plants, herbivores, and people.
Endonuclease of high specific activity in a purified mouse interferon preparation

Abstract We find an endonuclease of high specific activity in a purified mouse interferon preparation. The interferon was purified from Ehrlich ascites tumor cultures which were induced with Newcastle disease virus. It has a higher specific activity (1.5 × 10 9 NIH mouse reference standard interferon units/mg protein) than reported for any interferon preparation but is not homogeneous. We do not know if the endonuclease activity is due to a contaminating protein or to interferon. The endonuclease does not degrade in our conditions polyuridylic acid or double stranded reovirus RNA and does not inactivate the tRNA 2 Gln species from E. coli , or tRNA Val species or polysomes from mouse L cells. Endonuclease in as little as 0.5 ng protein of the interferon preparation degrades μg quantities of messenger RNA from mouse L cells, of encephalomyocarditis virus RNA and of in vitro -synthesized reo-virus messenger RNA at 37° in 1 hour. Further characteristics of the endonuclease and its possible relationship (if any) to interferon remain to be established.
Can We Model Driver Perceptions? An In-Situ Experiment in Real-World Conditions

It is clear that perceptions play a significant role in traveler decisions. Consequently, traveler perceptions are a corner stone in the feasibility of traveler information systems; for traveler information systems are only valuable if the drivers are incapable of accurately acquiring the provided information on their own, and if the provided information is relevant for the drivers' decision criteria. Accuracy of traveler perceptions has been repeatedly researched in public transportation, and has been found to vary according to different reasons. However, in spite of the clear significance of traveler perceptions, minimal effort has been put into modeling it. Almost all travel behavior models are based on traveler experiences, which are assumed to reflect traveler perceptions via the addition of some random error component. This works introduces an alternative approach: instead of adding an error component to represent driver perceptions, it proposes to model driver perceptions. This work is based on a real-world route choice experiment of a sample of 20 drivers who made more than 2,000 real-world route choices. Each of the drivers' experiences, perceptions, and choices were recorded, analyzed and cross examined. The paper demonstrates that: i) driver experiences are different from driver perceptions, ii) driver perceptions explain driver choices better than driver experiences, iii) it is possible to model and predict driver perceptions of travel distance, time and speed.
Automated Data Reduction for Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Experiments, Enabled by High-Resolution Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

Mass analysis of proteolytic fragment peptides following hydrogen/deuterium exchange offers a general measure of solvent accessibility/hydrogen bonding (and thus conformation) of solution-phase proteins and their complexes. The primary problem in such mass analyses is reliable and rapid assignment of mass spectral peaks to the correct charge state and degree of deuteration of each fragment peptide, in the presence of substantial overlap between isotopic distributions of target peptides, autolysis products, and other interferant species. Here, we show that at sufficiently high mass resolving power (m/Δm50% ≥ 100,000), it becomes possible to resolve enough of those overlaps so that automated data reduction becomes possible, based on the actual elemental composition of each peptide without the need to deconvolve isotopic distributions. We demonstrate automated, rapid, reliable assignment of peptide masses from H/D exchange experiments, based on electrospray ionization FT-ICR mass spectra from H/D exchange of solution-phase myoglobin. Combined with previously demonstrated automated data acquisition for such experiments, the present data reduction algorithm enhances automation (and thus expands generality and applicability) for high-resolution mass spectrometry-based analysis of H/D exchange of solution-phase proteins.
Political risk forecasting by Canadian firms

Abstract Improving the practice of political risk forecasting is of interest to managers of international firms. This paper deals with three important questions surrounding political risk forecasting: what to forecast, how to forecast, and how to implement a forecast. We present some results of a survey of Canadian firms' political risk forecasting practices. The results generally support propositions and earlier findings reported in the literature. Comparing the results to those of American, French and Japanese studies suggests that there is a cross-national difference in information sources used for political risk forecasting.
Liver endothelial cell function is depressed only during hypodynamic sepsis.

Abstract Although studies have indicated that hepatocellular function is depressed early after the onset of sepsis, it remains unknown whether liver endothelial cell function is also compromised under such conditions. To study this, male rats were subjected to polymicrobial sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), followed by administration of 3 ml/100 g body wt normal saline subcutaneously to these and to sham-operated animals. Blood samples (0.2-ml aliquots) were taken from the carotid artery, portal vein, and hepatic vein at 2, 5, 10 (i.e., hyperdynamic sepsis), or 20 hr (hypodynamic sepsis) after CLP, and plasma hyaluronic acid (HA) was determined using a Pharmacia assay kit. In addition, HA clearance was assessed at 5, 10, or 20 hr after CLP by injecting 30 μg/100 g body wt HA intravenously. Plasma HA was determined at 2–40 min after the administration of HA. The results indicate that plasma levels of HA in blood from three different sites did not increase significantly until 10 hr after CLP. Clearance of HA decreased only at 20 hr after CLP, compared to sham-operated animals. These results suggest that the increased plasma levels of HA at 10 hr after the onset of sepsis are solely due to the increased release/production of the polysaccharide. Since circulating HA is cleared exclusively by the liver endothelial cell, the results demonstrate that liver endothelial cell dysfunction (i.e., the increased circulating HA levels and decreased HA clearance) occurs only during the late, hypodynamic stage of polymicrobial sepsis.
Role of cardiac MRI and nuclear imaging in cardiac resynchronization therapy

Cardiac resynchronization has emerged as a highly effective therapy for heart failure. However, up to 40% of patients do not benefit from this treatment. In this Review, we discuss the potential role of MRI and nuclear molecular imaging in providing additional insights into the response to cardiac resynchronization therapy. Variables with potential prognostic and therapeutic values include the evaluation of cardiac dyssynchrony, scar, cardiac sympathetic function, myocardial blood flow, myocardial glucose and oxidative metabolism. Other molecular targets to characterize apoptosis, fatty acid metabolism, angiogenesis and angiotensin-converting enzyme activity will also be described. The potential use of these techniques in identifying and measuring responses to cardiac resynchronization therapy and future areas of research will be explored.
Seventeenth-century telescope optics of Torricelli, Divini, and Campani

Optics of telescope makers Torricelli, Divini, and Campani dating back to the 17th century have been tested interferometrically. It was found that the optical polishing technology had progressed to thorough control over the surface figure and finish, while the nearly paraxial conditions of the aperture remained constant. The instruments that were examined exemplify the knowledge of optics of that time, particularly with respect to the early use of erector units in terrestrial telescopes.
Calibration of an active well coincidence counter for 235U measurements

A semi-empirical calibration formula is developed for 235U measurements with an active well coincidence counter (AWCC). Powder samples of U3O8 ranging from 2 to 12 kg and varying in 235U enrichment from 39 to 77% were examined. The calibration formula was tested by analyzing AWCC measurements for known standards which contained 0.0–3.4 kg of 235U. AWCC measurements agreed with the known values to within 2% for samples having more than 0.35 kg of 235U. All measurements agreed to within 0.06 kg of the known values.
Molecular Weight Dependence of Zero-Shear Viscosity of Block Copolymers in the Disordered State

The molecular weight dependence of zero-shear viscosity (η0) of polystyrene-block-polyisoprene (SI diblock) copolymer in the disordered state was investigated. For the investigation, a series of lamella-forming, nearly monodisperse SI diblock copolymers were synthesized via sequential anionic polymerization, and order−disorder transition temperatures (TODT) of the block copolymers were determined from isochronal dynamic temperature sweep experiments at an angular frequency (ω) of 0.01 rad/s and also from dynamic frequency sweep experiments over a wide range of temperatures. The η0 of the SI diblock copolymers in the disordered state (at T > TODT) was determined from η0,r = limω→0[| (ω)|], for which logarithmic plots of reduced complex viscosity | (ω)| vs aTω with aT being temperature-dependent shift factor were first prepared, where | (ω)| is defined by | (ω)| = |η*(ω)|(Trρr/Tρ)/aTin which |η*(ω)| is the complex viscosity at ω, T is the measurement temperature, Tr is a reference temperature defined by Tr ...
The singular field at the tip of a wedge-like rigid inclusion in a hardening material under longitudinal shear

Abstract The analytical solution of the singular field at the apex of a rigid wedge embedded in a power law hardening material under longitudinal shear is presented. By the use of the hodograph transformation the singularity and angular distribution of stresses and strains are analytically determined. Special cases, such as elastic, perfectly plastic materials, and the problem of rigid flat inclusion, are discussed.
Cyst of the Intraorbital Optic Nerve Sheaths

A 43-year-old woman had a history of gradual unilateral visual acuity loss and proptosis. A 2.5-cm cystic dilatation of the intraorbital dura mater was removed. Microscopic examination revealed a vascular proliferation within the leptomeninges. We inadvertently injected the lesion during orbitography, providing us with an unusual radiographic appearance.
A Specific Adsorbent for Vasopressin: The Purification of Labeled Hormone

The procedure for the isolation and purification of labeled vasopressin has been simplified by means of the chemical synthesis of a highly selective adsorbent for vasopressin. The carrier protein (s), neurophysine, prepared from bovine posterior pituitaries has been coupled to cellulose and has retained, in part, its capacity toselectively adsorb and separate labeled vasopressin from large quantities of radioactive contaminants. This cellulose-neurophysine resin combines the advantages of a high degree of specificity with that of a solid phase adsorbent. {Endocrinology 80: 527, 1967)
Professional Nurses in Unions: Working Together Pays Off

Professionalism versus unionization of nurses is often posited as a dichotomy of mutually exclusive choices. Many US nurses are alienated from militancy and activism because they are viewed as unprofessional. This stance weakens nurses' ability to organize coalitions, to increase their power bases, and to advocate for both nurses and clients. This article examines how nurses worked together in a labor union to realize professional gains. Ethnography, including participant observation and ethnographic interviews, was the method used to study unionized registered nurses (RNs) in a 60-bed, private, not-for-profit psychiatric hospital in rural southern New England. The union nurses' position as workers in a gendered profession was analyzed. Nurses' union involvement, solidarity, and working conditions were considered in the context of a patriarchal and authoritarian hospital setting. Collaborative decision making and an innovative conflict resolution strategy allowed nurses to voice professional concerns. Unionization allowed RNs to collectively mobilize as a legitimate ideological force in the hospital culture and to enhance their professional status. Their ability to resolve conflicts and to implement change within this context were evaluated.
Wave propagation of myocardial stretch: correlation with myocardial stiffness

The mechanism of flow propagation during diastole in the left ventricle (LV) has been well described. Little is known about the associated waves propagating along the heart walls. These waves may have a mechanism similar to pulse wave propagation in arteries. The major goal of the study was to evaluate the effect of myocardial stiffness and preload on this wave transmission. Longitudinal late diastolic deformation and wave speed (Vp) of myocardial stretch in the anterior LV wall were measured using sonomicrometry in 16 pigs. Animals with normal and altered myocardial stiffness (acute myocardial infarction) were studied with and without preload alterations. Elastic modulus estimated from Vp (E VP; Moens–Korteweg equation) was compared to incremental elastic modulus obtained from exponential end-diastolic stress–strain relation (E SS). Myocardial distensibility and α- and β-coefficients of stress–strain relations were calculated. Vp was higher at reperfusion compared to baseline (2.6 ± 1.3 vs. 1.3 ± 0.4 m/s; p = 0.005) and best correlated with E SS (r 2 = 0.80, p < 0.0001), β-coefficient (r 2 = 0.78, p < 0.0001), distensibility (r 2 = 0.47, p = 0.005), and wall thickness/diameter ratio (r 2 = 0.42, p = 0.009). Elastic moduli (E VP and E SS) were strongly correlated (r 2 = 0.83, p < 0.0001). Increasing preload increased Vp and E VP and decreased distensibility. At multivariate analysis, E SS, wall thickness, and end-diastolic and systolic LV pressures were independent predictors of Vp (r 2 model = 0.83, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the main determinants of wave propagation of longitudinal myocardial stretch were myocardial stiffness and LV geometry and pressure. This local wave speed could potentially be measured noninvasively by echocardiography.
Blinding Measured: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials of Acupuncture

Background. There is no agreement among researchers on viable controls for acupuncture treatment, and the assessment of the effectiveness of blinding and its interpretation is rare. Purpose. To systematically assess the effectiveness of blinding (EOB) in reported acupuncture trials; to explore results of RCTs using a quantitative measure of EOB. Data Sources. A systematic review of published sham RCTs that assessed blinding. Study Selection. Five hundred and ninety studies were reviewed, and 54 studies (4783 subjects) were included. Data Extraction. The number of patients who guessed their treatment identity was extracted from each study. Variables with possible influence on blinding were identified. Data Synthesis. The blinding index was calculated for each study. Based on blinding indexes, studies were congregated into one of the nine blinding scenarios. Individual study characteristics were explored for potential association with EOB. Limitations. There is a possibility of publication or reporting bias. Conclusions. The most common scenario was that the subjects believed they received verum acupuncture regardless of the actual treatment received, and overall the subject blinding in the acupuncture studies was satisfactory, with 61% of study participants maintaining ideal blinding. Objectively calculated blinding data may offer meaningful and systematic ways to further interpret the findings of RCTs.
Partner violence before and after couples-based alcoholism treatment for female alcoholic patients.

This study examined partner violence before and in the first and second year after behavioral couples therapy (BCT) for 103 married or cohabiting women seeking alcohol dependence treatment and their male partners, and used a demographically matched non-alcoholic comparison sample. The treatment sample received M = 16.7 BCT sessions over 5-6 months. Follow-up rates for the treatment sample at years 1 and 2 were 88% and 83%, respectively. In the year before BCT, 68% of female alcoholic patients had been violent toward their male partner, nearly five times the comparison sample rate of 15%. In the year after BCT, violence prevalence decreased significantly to 31% of the treatment sample. Women were classified as remitted after treatment if they demonstrated abstinence or minimal substance use and no serious consequences related to substance use. In year 1 following BCT, 45% were classified as remitted, and 49% were classified as remitted in year 2. Among remitted patients in the year after BCT, violence prevalence of 22% did not differ from the comparison sample and was significantly lower than the rate among relapsed patients (38%). Results for male-perpetrated violence and for the second year after BCT were similar to the first year. Results supported predictions that partner violence would decrease after BCT, and that clinically significant violence reductions to the level of a non-alcoholic comparison sample would occur for patients whose alcoholism was remitted after BCT. These findings replicate previous research among men with alcoholism.
The Emperor’s New Concepts

Christopher Peacocke, in «A study of concepts», motivates his account of possession conditions for concepts by means of an alleged parallel with the conditions under wich numbers are abstracted to give the numerosity of a predicate. There are, however, logical mistakes in Peacock's treatment of numbers, which undermine his intended analogy. Nevertheless Peacocke's account of possession conditions for concepts is not rendered inadequate simply by virtue of being deprived of the intended analogy and the motivation it was supposed to afford. His account of concepts deserves still to be considered on its own merits, even if it is more idiosyncratic for being isolated from the paradigm case of numerical abstraction. Peacocke's own account of concepts as abstract objects turns out, though, not to have the logical form of the kind he requires. Then we re-formulate it so to achieve complete generality. This exercise helps to clarifiy the central theses in Peacocke's acount of concepts. It invites the conclusion that his account of content-determination is rather platitudinous and unoriginal - except for a claim of doxastic sufficiency for content-determination, which emerges at the end of the discussion.
Normal production of the mutant hemoglobin in heterozygotes for hemoglobin J-Paris and beta-thalassemia.

(1986). Normal Production of the Mutant Hemoglobin in Heterozygotes for Hemoglobin J-Paris and β-Thalassemia. Hemoglobin: Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 427-432.
A “Neuropsychoanalytic” Treatment of a Patient with Cocaine Dependence

Although the use of neuroscience facts in psychoanalytic interpretations appears to be a widespread activity, it is not clear to some analysts how neuroscience is used in treatments. A specific case example of the common psychopathology of addiction is given with a retrospective review of verbatim notes from the first 60 hours of a 5-day-per-week treatment. It is acknowledged that it may be difficult to precisely categorize each interpretation, but the overall impact of neurobiology on the associations of the patient and the interpretations of the analyst is demonstrated. A counterexample from Kernberg (2007) is cited to show how knowing and using neuroscience leads to differing formulations and interpretations than when the analyst uses a purely idealist approach. The use of neuropsychoanalytic interpretations of motivations that must be unconscious by virtue of their origin in midbrain structures is contrasted with cognitive-behavioral treatment for cocaine dependence that uses a learning-teaching model...
Frameworks: A Community-Based Approach to Preventing Youth Suicide.

Few youth suicide prevention programs are theory based and systematically evaluated. This study evaluated the pilot implementation of a community-based youth suicide prevention project guided by an ecological perspective. One hundred fifty-seven adults representing various constituencies from educators to health care providers and 131 ninth-grade students received training and participated in the evaluation. Analysis of questionnaire data collected before and after the trainings indicated significant increases in knowledge about youth suicide and belief in the usefulness of mental health care among adults and students. Adults' preparedness to help youth also increased. Students' sense of responsibility to help their peers who might be at risk for suicide increased from pre- to posttraining, as well as the likelihood that these trained students would seek adult assistance immediately if they were concerned about a peer. The results of these analyses are discussed in the context of qualitative information collected through individual interviews with key community contacts. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The increase in hepatic tyrosine aminotransferase activity by ethanol administration involves an acceleration of enzyme synthesis.

Summary The present study was conducted to examine the nature of the increase in tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) activity by acute ethanol administration. A significant rise in aminotransferase activity was observed as early as 1 hr after intact rats were gavaged with ethanol. Ethanol administration also increased TAT activity in adrenalectomized rats. Inhibition of ethanol metabolism by pyrazole administration had no effect on the ethanol-induced increase in TAT activity. Immunochemical analyses revealed that the enhancement of TAT activity in ethanol-fed rats correlated with an increase in aminotransferase protein. Measurement of the rate of TAT synthesis showed that in ethanol-fed rats, [ 3 h]leucine was incorporated into the aminotransferase protein at a higher rate than in controls by a factor which was similar to the enhancement in enzyme activity. Our findings indicate that an acceleration of TAT synthesis fully accounts for the increase in TAT activity during the early stage of enzyme induction. TAT induction by ethanol administration is not dependent upon an increase in adrenal corticosteroid production, nor does it require ethanol metabolism.
Cutaneous reactions to recombinant human interferon beta-1b: The clinical and histologic spectrum

Abstract Background: Recombinant human interferon beta-1b has been recently approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. A significant proportion of patients treated with this medication experienced cutaneous reactions. Objective: We describe the clinical and histologic features of cutaneous reactions to recombinant human interferon beta-1b. Methods: Consecutive patients with cutaneous reactions to recombinant interferon beta-1b were evaluated clinically and by biopsy. Results: Clinical lesions varied from subtle uninflamed sclerotic dermal plaques to erythematous plaques to cutaneous ulcers at injection sites. The nonsclerotic lesions were frequently painful. The firm plaques showed fibrosis histologically, whereas nonsclerotic inflammatory lesions demonstrated a consistent pattern of vascular thrombosis. Hematologic evaluation demonstrated platelet activation in most patients with inflammatory lesions, a feature also noted before interferon treatment in some patients. Conclusion: Therapy with recombinant interferon beta-1b is associated with a spectrum of cutaneous reactions and vascular thrombosis. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1997;37:553-8.)
Self pollination and resource availability affect ovule abortion inCassia fasciculata (Caesalpiniaceae).

We examined the effects of pollen source and resource availability on ovule abortion in the annual legumeCassia fasciculata. Pollen source was controlled by hand-pollinating flowers with cross- or self-pollen. Resource availability to developing fruits was controlled by adjusting fruit loads (heavy versus light) on each plant and exposing plants to different photoperiod cycles (16 vs 12 h of light; short days favor fruit growth at the expense of vegetative growth). In mature fruits the proportion of ovules expanding (showing some development over virgin ovules) ranged from 89–95% and did not increase with resource availability, suggesting that unexpanded ovules were either unfertilized or obligately aborted shortly after fertilization. The proportion of expanded ovules maturing in mature fruits was near 97% for both self- and crosspollinations in the treatment with highest resource availability (light load, short days) and lower in the remaining treatments, where self-pollination resulted in up to 9% lower seed maturation than cross-pollination. In the latter three treatments a pollen source effect was dependent upon the maternal plant; in some plants selfing increased abortion and in others it did not. Collectively, the results suggest that (1) both pollen source and resource availability affect ovule abortion, (2) at least some abortion is facultative, and (3) when resources are limited, self-pollination increases abortion in some but not all maternal plants.
Body Height in Mate Selection

(1954). Body Height in Mate Selection. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 257-268.
Production of singlet oxygen (1Δg O2) by 9,10-dicyanoanthracene and acridine: quantum yields in acetonitrile

Abstract Quantum yields for singlet oxygen ( 1 Δ g O 2 ) production have been determined for the sensitizers 9,10-dicyanoan- thracene (DCA) and acridine in acetonitrile (φ Δ ∞ (DCA) = 2.06 ± 0.40; φ Δ ∞ (acridine) = 0.97 ± 0.10). The DCA data are not consistent with a value recently published by Kanner and Foote. The acridine data are documented here for the first time. The importance of an accurate 1 Δ g O 2 quantum yield standard for the polar solvent acetonitrile is discussed in terms of published experiments designed to elucidate the role of charge-transfer states in the oxygen-organic molecule photosystem.
Use of the laser Doppler vibrometer to measure the surface topography of magnetic disks

Abstract Run-out and surface roughness of magnetic disks are of increasing concern as the spacing between the recording head and the magnetic medium decreases and the areal density of stored information continues to increase. In this paper we investigate the use of the laser Doppler vibrometer as a means for measuring the surface topography of reflective metal film and oxide particulate magnetic media disks at three different scales: 1. (i) largescale disk run-out that results from warpage or clamping distortions, 2. (ii) intermediate-scale hills and depressions (of the order of 1 mm in lateral dimension and 1 μm in height) and 3. (iii) surface roughness associated with the manufacturing processes (of the order of 10 nm in height). The run-out measurements made with the laser Doppler vibrometer are compared with similar measurements made using a capacitance probe. The intermediate- and smallscale laser Doppler vibrometer measurements are compared with results obtained by the use of a surface profilometer. The agreement is sufficiently close to indicate that the laser Doppler vibrometer provides a reliable noncontact technique for making such surface profile measurements.
Component Degradation Susceptibilities as the Bases for Modeling Reactor Aging Risk

The extension of nuclear power plant operating licenses beyond 60 years in the United States will be necessary if we are to meet national energy needs while addressing the issues of carbon and climate. Characterizing the operating risks associated with aging reactors is problematic because the principal tool for risk-informed decision-making, Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA), is not ideally-suited to addressing aging systems. The components most likely to drive risk in an aging reactor - the passives - receive limited treatment in PRA, and furthermore, standard PRA methods are based on the assumption of stationary failure rates: a condition unlikely to be met in an aging system. A critical barrier to modeling passives aging on the wide scale required for a PRA is that there is seldom sufficient field data to populate parametric failure models, and nor is there the availability of practical physics models to predict out-year component reliability. The methodology described here circumvents some of these data and modeling needs by using materials degradation metrics, integrated with conventional PRA models, to produce risk importance measures for specific aging mechanisms and component types. We suggest that these measures have multiple applications, from the risk-screening of components to the prioritization ofmore » materials research.« less
Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment of respiratory syncytial virus infections in infants and young children

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-infected cotton rats (Sigmadon hispidus) and owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus) showed significant reductions in RSV shedding from their respiratory tracts following parenteral therapy with human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) containing high titers of RSV-neutralizing antibody. Because this therapy was well tolerated and appeared safe, a double-blind, placebo-controlled IVIG immunotherapy pilot study was performed on 35 hospitalized, RSV-infected infants and children. The treatment was well tolerated and resulted in significant reductions in nasal RSV shedding and in improvements in transcutaneous oximetry readings. However, the mean duration of hospitalization was not reduced by IVIG treatment. Followup to date has revealed no harmful effects resulting from immunotherapy of RSV infections. These studies appear to refute the hypothesis that passively acquired antibody may exacerbate RSV bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infants. Studies with larger numbers of seriously ill children will be required to determine if immunoglobulin G immunotherapy of RSV infections in infants is of clinical value.
Epidemiological significance of mineral fiber persistence in human lung tissue.

For the experimentalist, mineral fiber persistence may provide clues to disease mechanisms, for the epidemiologist, to the measurement of exposure. Qualitatively, this can be valuable when unsuspec...
Effects of institutionalization on the self‐concept and outerdirectedness of adolescents with mental retardation

Abstract Some professionals have used empirical work indicating that institutions have deleterious effects on their mentally retarded residents to support deinstitutionalization. In the present study, we compared 17 institutionalized mentally retarded adolescents with 29 noninstitutionalized mentally retarded adolescents on measures of self‐image and outerdirectedness. We found no deleterious effects of institutionalization on the global self‐image or on self‐image scores in the cognitive, social, or physical abilities content areas. For both groups, however, global scores were higher than scores in the social and physical abilities domains. Overall, institutionalized adolescents were no more dependent on external cues in solving problems (i.e., outerdirected) than were noninstitutionalized adolescents. We found, however, an interaction effect indicating that at higher mental ages, institutionalized, relative to noninstitutionalized, adolescents relied more on external cues. The results suggest that the e...
Quinolone pharmacokinetics in the elderly

As a class, quinolones undergo both renal excretion and hepatic metabolism. The dominant elimination pathway is usually renal, where secretion by the proximal tubule results in renal clearances 1.5-4 times greater than creatinine clearance. The benefit of this two-pathway elimination is protection from excessive accumulation in patients with single-organ dysfunction. A number of investigations have been performed to assess how the changes in renal and hepatic function that occur in the elderly influence quinolone pharmacokinetics. For example, lomefloxacin serum concentrations are slightly higher in elderly subjects, whereas total clearance, renal clearance, and nonrenal clearance are reduced, in comparison with younger subjects. The decline in renal clearance can be explained, in part, by the parallel decline in creatinine clearance in the elderly. Dosage adjustments should not be necessary in elderly patients with only minor changes in renal function caused by age-related changes in physiology. Although the relationship between nonrenal clearance of lomefloxacin and age is slightly less precise than the relationship between total clearance and age, this may be explained by the age-related decline in hepatic function and perhaps by changes in metabolic function. Quinolones show little evidence of altered absorption or altered pharmacodynamics in the elderly. These age-related alterations in drug elimination due to normal physiologic changes are generally not significant enough to warrant changes in dosage regimens; however, disease effects, particularly alterations of renal function, appear to be more important than gradual changes in physiology characteristic of the aging population.
Exploring the imaginary domain

This interview is dedicated to David Rasmussen. Few English-language philosophy journals have endeavored to expand the domain of the philosophical as has Philosophy cF Social Criticism. Under his leadership, not only has American philosophy encountered wide-ranging debates in Continental philosophy, but feminist voices have been understood as part of the conversation.
Fault tolerant matrix-matrix multiplication: correcting soft errors on-line

Soft errors are one-time events that corrupt the state of a computing system but not its overall functionality. Soft errors normally do not interrupt the execution of the affected program, but the affected computation results can not be trusted any more. A well known technique to correct soft errors in matrix-matrix multiplication is algorithm-based fault tolerance (ABFT). While ABFT achieves much better efficiency than triple modular redundancy (TMR) - a traditional general technique to correct soft errors, both ABFT and TMR detect errors off-line after the computation is finished. This paper extends the traditional ABFT technique from off-line to on-line so that soft errors in matrix-matrix multiplication can be detect in the middle of the computation during the program execution and higher efficiency can be achieved by correcting the corrupted computations in a timely manner. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique can correct one error every ten seconds with negligible (i.e., less than 1%) performance penalty over the ATLAS dgemm().
SU‐FF‐T‐366: Radiation Dose Response Curve of Human Cerebral Cortex Measured with [F‐18]‐FDG and [O‐15]‐H2O PET Imaging

Purpose: To study radiotherapy (RT)‐induced dose‐dependent functional changes in the human cerebral cortex region using serial 18 F‐FDG and 15 O‐ H 2 O PETimaging before and after RT. Method and Materials: Eleven human subjects were enrolled in an IRB‐approved prospective study to quantitatively measure changes in post‐RT brain function. 18 F‐FDG and 15 O‐H 2 O PETimages were taken pre‐RT, and again at 3 weeks and 6 months post‐RT, to quantitatively assess for RT‐induced changes in relative metabolism and relative regional blood flow (RBF). The 3 week and 6 month follow‐up evaluations were available for 7 and 6 patients, respectively. Follow‐up images were registered to their corresponding pre‐RT baseline images, as well as to the treatment planning CT/MRI scans, for quantitative analysis. Relative changes in regional 18 F‐FDG and 15 O‐H 2 O PET activities were related to regional RT dose. Regions of the cerebral cortex receiving 40–50Gy. Initially, relative RBF increases (generally <10%) were observed on 15O‐H2O PETimaging (3 week follow‐up), but were much less significant at the 6‐month follow‐up. Conclusion: The response of cerebral cortex tissue to RT can be detected, in a dose‐dependent manner, using 18 F‐FDG PET. The magnitude of the changes, however, was typically small (<8%). Initially there were increases in relative RBF, but no discernable changes were seen at 6 months followup in 15 O‐H 2 O PET. Further studies are needed for more conclusive results. Results from neuropsychological testing will be used to assess the potential clinical impact of the changes measured by PET.
CLEO results on quarkonium transitions

This note presents new preliminary CLEO measurements on ψ(2S) → X + J/ψ transitions and reviews final CLEO results on n3S1 → n'3PJ, n'1S1 in charmonium and bottomonium.
The Three α2-Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes Achieve Basolateral Localization in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney II Cells via Different Targeting Mechanisms

Abstract The present studies examined the localization of the α- and α-adrenergic receptor (AR) subtypes in polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK II) and the mechanisms by which this is achieved. Previously we demonstrated that the αAR subtype is directly delivered to lateral subdomain of MDCK II cells. Surface biotinylation strategies demonstrated that the αAR, like the αAR, achieves 85-90% basolateral localization at steady-state. However, in contrast to the αAR, this polarization occurs after initial random insertion of the αAR into both apical and basolateral surfaces followed by selective retention on the lateral subdomain (ton the apical surface is 15-30 min; ton the basolateral surface is 8-10 h). The αAR also is enriched on the basolateral surface at steady-state and, like the αAR, is directly delivered there. Morphological evaluation of the epitope-tagged αAR, αAR, and αAR subtypes by laser confocal microscopy not only corroborated the biochemically-defined basolateral localization of all three αAR subtypes but also revealed that the αAR uniquely exists in an intracellular compartment(s) as well. Immunofluorescence due to intracellular αAR partially overlaps that due to calnexin, a marker for endoplasmic reticulum, as well as that due to mannosidase II, a marker for the trans-Golgi network. Taken together, the present findings demonstrate that the αAR, αAR, and αAR subtypes, which possess highly homologous structures and ultimately achieve similar polarization to the lateral surface of MDCK II cells, nonetheless manifest distinct trafficking itineraries.
A Social Worker's Use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual:

The relationship between social work and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) has never been simple. The social worker would be empowered in using the DSM by using it flexibly and malleably....
Decentralization of Virtual Structures in Formation Control of Multiple Vehicle Systems via Consensus Strategies

In this paper, we propose a coordination framework that decentralizes virtual structures in multi-vehicle systems via consensus strategies. We instantiate a local copy of the virtual structure state on each vehicle as well as the same coordination algorithm. Then we develop consensus strategies to guarantee that each instantiation of the virtual structure state comes into consensus when the virtual structure state is driven by a common input or inputs with bounded inconsistency under both fixed and switching interaction topologies. We show conditions under which consensus can be achieved for each instantiation of the virtual structure state and provide boundedness analyses for the inconsistency of different instantiations when inconsistent inputs exist. The decentralized framework is then applied in simulations to a multi-vehicle formation control scenario as a proof of concept.