cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ventricular arrhythmias in the young: clinical and experimental findings

Adults and children have similarities as well as differences in their ventricular arrhythmias. The most similar are the definition of the arrhythmias; although the rate of ventricular tachycardia in an infant may be as high as 500/minute with a QRS duration of 40 msec. Also similar are the techniques of intracardiac electrophysiology study. However, there are major differences in the etiology, prognosis and treatment of ventricular arrhythmias in children. There are four major areas of difference. 1) Idiopathic incessant ventricular tachycardia occurs in nfants less than the age of three years. It does not respond to conventional investigational antiarrhythmic agents. The majority of patients have Purkinje cell tumors causing the tachycardia. These tumors cannot be detected by echocardiography or angiography. Electrophysiologically directed surgery is curative. 2) In children with ventricular tachycardia who are thought to have an otherwise normal heart, the heart is usually not ‘normal’. When anatomic and hemodynamic cardiac catheterization is performed in these patients, in 70% either arrhythmogenic right ventricle or congestive cardiomyopathy is found. If the heart is truly normal, the prognosis is excellent. On the other hand, children with arrhythmogenic right ventricle or congestive cardiomyopathy, especially those who have exercise-related ventricular tachycardia, may die suddenly. 3) The idiopathic long QT syndrome occurs more commonly in children than adults. Sudden death may occur without preceding symptoms and treatment is recommended for even the asymptomatic child who has the diagnosis of prolonged QT syndome (in addition to the long QT interval, the diagnosis of the syndrome requires either a positive family history, bradycardia, deafness, or typical T wave morphology). 4) Patients who have had repair of congenital heart disease die suddenly due to ventricular arrhythmias. Treatment of these arrhythmias based on results of the Holter have resulted in a significant decrease in morality. The drugs that are successful in the treatment of arrhythmias in these patients (phenytoin, mexiletine) are different from the traditionally effective drugs in adults with ischemic heart disease. This observation has led to the hypothesis that the cellular mechanism of the initiating ventricular arrhythmias in patients after repair of congenital heart disease (triggered activity) may be different from the mechanism in those with ischemic heart disease (reentry). This hypothesis is extended to other patients with the common findings of ventriculr hypertrophy, cellular disarray and fibrosis such as aortic stenosis/aortic insufficiency, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and systemic arterial hypertension. This hypothesis applies to all patients regardless of their age, perphaps pointing out a major similarity in arrhythmia mechanism. Therefore, the differences between children and adults may be less than is immediately apparent.
Fiscal Rules in a Monetary Union: A Short-Run Analysis

This article challenges the conventional result according to which an instrument-independent central bank able to strictly commit to price stability makes fiscal constraints unnecessary. We present a model of a monetary union with heterogeneous members where the inefficient policy mix resulting from the lack of coordination between the common monetary policy and national fiscal policies incites the governments to appoint excessively “liberal” delegates to the central bank's board. We characterize the fiscal restraints necessary to restore the central bank's ability to deliver the most desirable degree of price stability. It appears that even country-specific and state-contingent restraints may be counterproductive for some member states.
Endotoxin Activation of Eicosanoid Production by Macrophages

The specific cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the syndrome of endotoxemia and sep sis remain to be clearly defined. It is generally ac cepted that the release of inflammatory substances by the host rather than endotoxin itself mediates the pathogenesis of endotoxemia. A plethora of mediators released in response to endotoxin include a variety of cytokines and arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites (commonly designated as the eicosanoids), in addition to other lipid mediators. The eicosanoids derived from either cyclooxygenase or lipoxygenase pathways consist of thromboxanes (TXs), prostaglandins (PGs), and leukotrienes (LTs).
From Some to None? Fertility Expectation Dynamics of Permanently Childless Women

Permanent childlessness is increasingly acknowledged as an outcome of a dynamic, context-dependent process, but few studies have integrated a life course framework to investigate the complex pathways leading to childlessness. This study focuses on an understudied yet revealing dimension of why individuals remain childless: stated fertility expectations over the life course. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort, I use a combination of sequence analysis, data-driven clustering techniques, and multivariable regression models to identify and describe groups of permanently childless women who follow similar trajectories of stated fertility expectations. Results indicate that a little more than one-half (56 %) of eventually childless women fall into a cluster where childlessness is expected before age 30. Women in the remaining clusters (44 %) transition to expecting childlessness later in the life course but are differentiated by the types of trajectories that precede the emergence of a childless expectation. Results from multivariable regression show that several respondent characteristics, including race/ethnicity, education, and marital history, predict cluster membership. Taken together, these findings add to a growing body of literature that provides a more nuanced description of permanently childless women and motivates further research that integrates interdependencies between life course domains and fertility expectations and decision-making of those who remain childless.
Increased Extracellular Nucleosome Levels and Microparticles in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Compared to the Age-Matched Normal Population

Abstract Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is currently the most common cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice and a major cause of morbidity and mortality among adults. It is estimated that atrial fibrillation affects approximately 2.7 million people in the United States. Extracellular plasma nucleosomes (PNs) are complexes of DNA and histones that are released during cell death. Histones have been shown to function as DAMPs when they are translocated from the nucleus to the extracellular space. It is hypothesized that these extracellular nucleosomes contribute to the observed hypercoagulable state and embolic complications in AF. Methods: The concentration of PNs in 48 plasma samples of atrial fibrillation patients and 38 aged-matched controls were measured using the Cell Death Detection ELISA PLUS assay (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) and functional microparticle levels were measured using an annexin binding method (Hyphen Biomedical, Paris, France). Results: When comparing the concentration of nucleosomes in plasma, the atrial fibrillation patients (306.1 ± 328.86 μg/mL) had much higher levels than the aged-matched controls (177.9 ± 146.7 μg/mL), (p = 0.0015). Functional microparticles were also markedly elevated in the AF patients (18.6 ± 4.1 nM) in comparison to the aged-matched controls (4.6 ± 3.1 nM), (p=0.001). A significant correlation was observed between the PN’s and microparticles, (p Conclusion: Both the microparticles and PNs were elevated in atrial fibrillation when compared to aged-matched controls, suggesting increased cell death resulting in the generation of these biomarkers. Extracellular nucleosomes function as DAMPs by binding to receptors and triggering the activation of multiple signal pathways which may contribute to the elevation of microparticles. Due to the involvement of inflammation and thrombosis in the pathology of atrial fibrillation, the simultaneously increased circulating nucleosome and microparticle levels in patients with AF implies their role in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Staphylococcus epidermidis protease EcpA can be a deleterious component of the skin microbiome in atopic dermatitis

Background Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are the most abundant bacteria found on the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). S aureus is known to exacerbate AD, whereas S epidermidis has been considered a beneficial commensal organism. Objective In this study, we hypothesized that S epidermidis could promote skin damage in AD by the production of a protease that damages the epidermal barrier. Methods The protease activity of S epidermidis isolates was compared with that of other staphylococcal species. The capacity of S epidermidis to degrade the barrier and induce inflammation was examined by using human keratinocyte tissue culture and mouse models. Skin swabs from atopic and healthy adult subjects were analyzed for the presence of S epidermidis genomic DNA and mRNA. Results S epidermidis strains were observed to produce strong cysteine protease activity when grown at high density. The enzyme responsible for this activity was identified as EcpA, a cysteine protease under quorum sensing control. EcpA was shown to degrade desmoglein-1 and LL-37 in vitro, disrupt the physical barrier, and induce skin inflammation in mice. The abundance of S epidermidis and expression of ecpA mRNA were increased on the skin of some patients with AD, and this correlated with disease severity. Another commensal skin bacterial species, Staphylococcus hominis, can inhibit EcpA production by S epidermidis. Conclusion S epidermidis has commonly been regarded as a beneficial skin microbe, whereas S aureus has been considered deleterious. This study suggests that the overabundance of S epidermidis found on some atopic patients can act similarly to S aureus and damage the skin by expression of a cysteine protease.
Timing of Immigration Effects Asset Change Among Hispanic Caregivers of Older Family Members.

Given the cultural value of family in Hispanic culture, older Hispanic immigrants are likely to have family caregivers. This study examined the economic implications of caring for older Hispanic adults regarding non-housing financial wealth over time. Using the 2008, 2010, and 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and RAND HRS data files, this study compares changes in the non-housing financial wealth between 2008 and 2012 by caregiving and immigration status among Hispanics. This study examined differences in assets between Hispanic caregivers and non-caregivers and more specifically examined the subpopulation of Hispanic caregivers who immigrated prior to and after 1968 as compared to U.S.-born caregivers to better understand the effect of the Immigration and Nationality Amendment Act of 1965 on asset change. Results indicate that caregiving itself did not have a statistically significant association with wealth, but the timing of immigration to the US had a statistically significant correlation (p < .05) with changes in the financial wealth. The findings of this study have implications for policy and program development targeting older adults and caregiving for this population.
‘My Husband is No Husband to Me’: Divorce, Marriage and Gender Struggles in African Communities of Colonial Natal, 1869–1910

There is no published historical study devoted to an examination of divorce in Zulu chiefdoms and homesteads living under customary law. Using scholarship that analyses gender struggles in southern...
Deciphering the evolution of the ovule genetic network through expression analyses in Gnetum gnemon.

Background and aims The ovule is a synapomorphy of all seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms); however, there are some striking differences in ovules among the major seed plant lineages, such as the number of integuments or the orientation of the ovule. The genetics involved in ovule development have been well studied in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana, which has two integuments and anatropous orientation. This study is approached from what is known in arabidopsis, focusing on the expression patterns of homologues of four genes known to be key for the proper development of the integuments in arabidopsis: AINTEGUMENTA (ANT), BELL1, (BEL1), KANADIs (KANs) and UNICORN (UCN). Methods We used histology to describe the morphoanatomical development from ovules to seeds in Gnetum gnemon. We carried out spatiotemporal expression analyses in G. gnemon, a gymnosperm, which has a unique ovule morphology with an integument covering the nucellus, two additional envelopes where the outermost becomes fleshy as the seed matures, and an orthotropous orientation. Key results Our anatomical and developmental descriptions provide a framework for expression analyses in the ovule of G. gnemon. Our expression results show that although ANT, KAN and UCN homologues are expressed in the inner integument, their spatiotemporal patterns differ from those found in angiosperms. Furthermore, all homologues studied here are expressed in the nucellus, revealing major differences in seed plants. Finally, no expression of the studied homologues was detected in the outer envelopes. Conclusions Altogether, these analyses provide significant comparative data that allows us to better understand the functional evolution of these gene lineages, providing a compelling framework for evolutionary and developmental studies of seeds. Our findings suggest that these genes were most likely recruited from the sporangium development network and became restricted to the integuments of angiosperm ovules.
Book Review: Narratives Drawn from Rich Experience: Mayer Brown's Federal Appellate Practice

Federal Appellate Practice is a legal reference with narratives drawn from rich experience. Offered as a companion to Robert Stern’s Supreme Court Practice, it offers rules and case law with a style that can be captured only by writers who are able participants, not just observers. The chapters flow from preserving issues for appeal to appellate jurisdiction, to motions, continuing in a march responsive to the likely order of issues a federal appeal will present. One cannot but be impressed by this work’s distinguished list of contributing editors. Yet that factum does not make it the significant contribution that it is. Rather, it is the impressive melding and marshaling of this talent that makes it a companion to the revered work of Mr. Stern. Appellate specialists will find this a rich resource.
Abstract GMM-062: TARGETING OVARIAN CANCER STEM CELLS THROUGH THE TUMOR SUPPRESSOR DAB2IP-MEDIATED WNT SIGNALING PATHWAY

Ovarian cancer (OC) recurrence after tumor eradication by chemotherapy invariably heralds poor outcome. Recent data point to persistence of quiescent cancer stem cells (CSCs) not eliminated by chemotherapy and able to regenerate tumors as the main contributor to tumor relapse. Downregulation of tumor suppressor gene (TSG) DAB2IP, a member of the Ras GTPase-activating protein family, significantly correlated with poor patient survival in high-grade serous (HGS) OC. Furthermore, loss of DAB2IP in prostate and colon cancer enriched CSC population, suggesting a key role for DAB2IP in modulating cancer stemness. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that targeting DAB2IP would inhibit CSCs in OC and prevent disease recurrence. Subpopulations of CSC and non-CSC were isolated from Kuramochi, OVCAR3 and COV362 HGSOC cell lines by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) based on aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity, a consistent CSC marker. It was previously demonstrated by us and others that ALDH(+) cells share characteristics of normal stem cells such as the ability to form anchorage-independent multicellular aggregates (spheroids), undergo membrane efflux, express stem cell restricted transcription factors, and generate tumors in vivo. DAB2IP was examined in the FACS-sorted cells using qPCR and western blot. Expression of DAB2IP in ALDH(+) cells was lower (P 2) altered expression of 449 genes, including markers strongly associated with CSC phenotypes, including down-regulation of ALDH1A1, LGR5, PROM1, TWIST1 and ATP-binding cassette transporters. Differentially expressed genes were subjected to Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) for upstream regulators. IPA identified Wnt-signaling pathways as top upstream regulators of these differentially expressed genes, suggesting that Wnt-signaling is a dominant pathway mediating the anti-OCSC effects of DAB2IP. In addition, treating cells with Wnt inhibitor decreased (P Citation Format: Xingyue Zong, Ali R Ozes, Kenneth P Nephew. TARGETING OVARIAN CANCER STEM CELLS THROUGH THE TUMOR SUPPRESSOR DAB2IP-MEDIATED WNT SIGNALING PATHWAY [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 13-15, 2018; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2019;25(22 Suppl):Abstract nr GMM-062.
The CCP’s Development of Artificial Intelligence: Impact on Future Operations

The development of artificial intelligence and related technologies has a potential serious impact on the industrial development and the military operations. The Chinese Communist Party has also classified this area as a key direction of the future development, hoping that in this new wave of military affairs innovation, under the absolute superiority of economic and military affairs, China could surpass the United States in one fell swoop, changing the world situation in which the United States is the only military superpower since the end of the Cold War. In the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping clearly stated that it should accelerate the development of military intelligence and strengthen the joint combat capability of the network information system, including the R&D of the innovative weapons and equipment. As Xi Jinping took over the presidency of China in 2013, he initiated the "dream of strong army". In the future, artificial intelligence is bound to be an important part of the CCP's military modernization, and it is also a foresighted preparation for winning the next war. At present, most of the CCP’s research on military development in terms of artificial intelligence tends to be on hardware devices, such as automated combat vehicles, autonomous drones and remote-controlled submarines. These related technologies rely heavily on the mechanical engineering and traditional R&D. The CCP intends to combine the development of military science and technology with the advanced weapons as a means of "killer" conception for future regional wars against the United States and other major powers. In this concept, the Communist Army will carry out paralytic asymmetrical attacks to its potential enemies. In the past, the "killer" weapons may be the attack missiles that attack large ships, but now they may include a new generation of artificial intelligence weapons that use the big data, the Internet of Things, or the cloud computing. In the face of the development of the CCP’s artificial intelligence militarization, not only we must concern about its current major developments, but also have to analyze the motives behind it, so that we can make correct judgments in the future operations to block the CCP’s media campaign and arms deterrent. This is the focus worthy of our urgent attention.
Muslim Women in Mainland China and Macau Old Barriers, New Solutions

Using as a springboard the wide spectrum of Chinese racial groups and ethno-linguistic, “foreign”(sub)groups residing in the Celestial Empire, this study concentrates on the last one hundred and six years of Chinese history (1912-2018), thus analyzing howsome Chinese cities and/or regions, including the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China,have managed to reconcile past with present, thus transforming once-troubled or troublesome issues, as in the case of Muslim presence within China, into a positive and reinvigorating force.Besides the obvious economic drive, there appears to have been a sincere desire to include and integrate this “foreign”element into the daily life of the new Republic of China 中華民國Zhōnghua Minguo, (1912-1949). Thus, particular attention will be given to the role played by Chinese women within these post-1912, “foreign”communities and, as for 澳門Macau, the post-1999 handover to China by the Portuguese on December 20, 1999.Though oftentimes considered as mere “consumers”and not “makers;”hence, allegedly not contributing to the overall “welfare”of the Country, Chinese women of “foreign”ethnicity who also happened to be Muslim, were eventually able to show the New Republicthat the 女工, nǚgōng—work done by women, in and outside the household—should instead be considered “productive”and, better yet, it should be seen as a positive sign within the new vision of Chinese nationalism where social class, race, ethnicity, language/dialect, religion, and gender all contributed to the welfare of the Country, or rather, the then-young Republic of China 中華民國,Zhōnghua Minguo. Finally, I will look at Muslim women of Uighur維吾爾, wei wuĕr, and Hui回background who also contributed to this new vision
The Multiscalar Geography of Hate Crimes

This paper develops a theoretical analysis of hate crimes in light of some core concepts of legal geography – physical place, discursive space, scale, territory, and citizenship. It argues that bias crimes and reactions to them, including the possibility of state counterviolence, constitute a dynamic and ongoing dialogue that constructs territory and citizenship around marked bodies, buildings, and other physical structures, whose visible presence in specific places is visibly threatened. It introduces the concept of ubiety – having whereness or place – as a characteristic that distinguishes bias crimes from hate speech. Hate crimes engage both physical place and discursive place. So do governmental and community responses to bias crimes. Because bias crimes and the reaction to them always involve competing claims around the safety and security of bodies and things in physical places, the dialogue they engender can occur at different scales. These include the neighborhood, city and country, but also, as feminist theory teaches us, the supposedly “private” space of the home. The discursive aspect of hate crimes is likewise multiscalar, depending in part on the interests of the media that notice and disseminate dialogue about hate crimes. Finally, inasmuch as citizenship often implicates a sense of belonging or exclusion that can involve the physical body, bias crimes and responses to them can be understood as an integral component of the processes of defining citizenship. In considering these related themes, this paper will draw its examples primarily from the world of violence against LGBT folk, where issues of place have been less often examined than in parallel considerations of bias crimes based on race, ethnicity, alienage, religion, and gender.
Chemistry of Reactive Species

This chapter describes redox chemistry, the major chemical reactions relevant in the modification of biomolecules involving reactive species. The chapter describes how these reactive species are produced in biological systems and also details the various products formed from these reactive species via important metabolic pathways. The properties of reactive oxygen species, including superoxide radicals, hydroperoxyl/peroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals, the properties of reactive nitrogen species, including nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and peroxynitrite, as well as the properties of reactive sulfur species, including thiyl radicals, sulfenic acid, and disulphide, are all included within the chapter and the most relevant reactions and pathways in biological systems for each reactive species are described.
On the theory of /spl Delta/k radar observations of ocean surface waves

We consider the theory of waves scattered from a moving, rough, and dispersive surface in the small perturbation limit. The first-order scattered field for a time-dependent surface is obtained in the far zone of scattering in terms of the two-dimensional spectral amplitude of the surface and its dispersion relation. We develop a rigorous /spl Delta/k radar theory and show that the nonzero output of a /spl Delta/k radar occurs only when the Bragg condition for each signal component is satisfied separately. The frequency correlation function of the scattered field is then proportional to the mean value of the product of the spectral amplitudes of the surface at the corresponding Bragg wavenumbers. The mean value of this product is nonzero only for surfaces that have a locally varying spectrum and is proportional to the Fourier transform (with the argument /spl Delta/k) of the variation of the local spectrum with respect to the pattern position. Such variations may be caused by either amplitude or phase modulation of the surface structure. In the former case, our results are similar to the results of existing theory. The latter case of phase modulation of the surface (for example, internal waves interacting with capillary waves) cannot be explained by previous theory. >
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy in the Study of Whole‐animal Metabolism

NMR-active isotopes are present in living systems and, because the radiofrequency of nuclear magnetic resonance experiments is non-ionizing, NMR signals can be obtained noninvasively and nondestructively from whole living organisms. Keywords: non-invasive; in vivo; isotopomer; isotope
Pitman Test: Introduction

The two-group Pitman Test, proposed by E. J. G. Pitman in 1937, is one of the earliest nonparametric or distribution-free tests. The test has applications both to random samples drawn independently from two (large) populations, and to the randomization of available cases between two treatments. Although the mechanics of the two applications are identical, the hypotheses tested and the interpretation of those tests differ markedly between the two applications. Keywords: randomization test; permutation test; raw scores test; two-sample location test; nonparametric test
RDFS and Ontology

Even after you have read the previous two chapters carefully, you probably still have lots of questions that remain unanswered on your mind. This chapter is a natural continuation of those two chapters, especially Chap. 2. After reading this chapter, you will be able to find answers to most of your questions.
Efficient model creation of large structures based on range segmentation

This work describes an efficient 3D modeling method from 3D range data-sets that is utilizing range data segmentation. Our algorithm starts with a set of unregistered 3D range scans of a large scale scene. The scans are being preprocessed for noise removal and hole filling. The next step is range segmentation and the extraction of planar and linear features. These features are utilized for the automatic registration of the range scans into a common frame of reference [I. Stamos et al, (2003)]. A volumetric-based algorithm is used for the construction of a coherent 3D mesh that encloses all range scans. Finally, the original segmented scans are used in order to simplify the constructed mesh. The mesh can now be represented as a set of planar regions at areas of low complexity and as a set of dense mesh triangular elements at areas of high complexity. This is achieved by computing the overlaps of the original segmented planar areas on the generated 3D mesh. The example of the construction of the 3D model of a building in the NYC area is presented.
Engaging in Science: A Feeling for the Discipline

Most accounts of affect and motivation in the science education literature have discussed them as relevant to, but distinct from, disciplinary pursuits. These include Pintrich’s seminal work on affective and motivational factors in learning science (P. R. Pintrich, 1999, 2003; P. R. Pintrich & E. De Groot, 1990; P. R. Pintrich, R. W. Marx, & R. A. Boyle, 1993). Our purpose here is to build on those ideas, drawing as well on accounts of scientists’ practices (e.g., H. E. Gruber, 1974; E. F. Keller, 1983) and of students’ taking up of disciplinary pursuits (R. A. Engle & F. R. Conant, 2002; R. Lehrer, 2009; M. Scardamalia & C. Bereiter, 1991, 2006) to propose that affect and motivation are inherent in the disciplinary practices of science. Thus, we introduce notions of epistemic affect and epistemic motivation, and we illustrate how these are evident in a case study of a student we have followed from 4th to 7th grade. We consider how this perspective aligns with and contributes to research on interest (e.g....
Designing and evaluating warning labels

Designing a warning label that meets the requirements of consumers, producers, and regulatory agencies is a challenging task. Such warnings must be clearly visible and must make the user aware of the consequences of improperly using the product containing the label. Once the label is designed, it must be tested. Does it attract people's attention? Do people read it? Do they understand it? A method for testing the effectiveness of a label is presented and suggestions for maintaining an unbiased test are offered.
Tyrosine fluorescence at 345 nm in proteins lacking tryptophan

Abstract The fluorescence maxima of two cytotoxins in buffered solutions at pH 7 occur at 345 nm. Neither peptide, whose sequences are known, contains any tryptophan. This novel spectral behaviour is assigned to the fluorescence of tyrosinate formed from an intrmolecular proton transfer from the excited singlet state of tyrosine in the peptides.
Evaluation of section thickness of skin in determining the epidermal labeling index with tritiated thymidine

Epidermal basal cells in the albino guinea pig were pulse labeled with tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) by intraperitoneal or intradermal injection, and the fraction of labeled cells [labeling index (LI)] was compared in 4 µ versus 6 µ sections. The LI scored in 6 µ sections was about 10% lower than that in 4 µ sections. For our purpose, it is unnecessary to submit to the technical difficulties of routinely cutting sections of skin thinner than 5 to 6 µ for autoradiography of3H-TdR, since the increase in scoring efficiency is relatively small (10 to 20%).
Alzheimer's disease: Assessing safety problems in the home

providing a safe environment is a challenge for families and health professionals caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease. 1 The progressive loss of memory, judgment, and motor functions may lead to hazardous behavior, resulting in accidents or injuries. Caregivers often ask for advice about how to provide safe care for those with Alzheimer's disease. Despite some general knowledge of safety concerns, little is known about the prevalence, incidence, or home management of safety problems or accidents in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Home safety problems, such as falls, wandering, unsafe driving, and physical violence, have long been reported in the study of behavioral problems in dementia. 16 And several publications provide suggestions for caregivers about safety problems and their management, as well as home modifications to assist people with memory problems in functioning and safety. 7-14 But we cannot predict who is at risk for safety problems or whether the severity of dementia increases the risk of safety problems. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine which safety problems were most common in our patient population, to explore the relationship between dementia severity
Changing Stations in Single Bistable Rotaxane Molecules under Electrochemical Control

We have directly observed electrochemically driven single-molecule station changes within bistable rotaxane molecules anchored laterally on gold surfaces. These observations were achieved by employing molecular designs that significantly reduced the mobility and enhanced the assembly of molecules in orientations conducive to direct measurement using scanning tunneling microscopy. The results reveal molecular-level details of the station changes of surface-bound bistable rotaxane molecules, correlated with their different redox states. The mechanical motions within these mechanically interlocked molecules are influenced by their interactions with the surface and with neighboring molecules, as well as by the conformations of the dumbbell component.
Thin-clients for clusters: working ourselves out of a job?

Thin-client technologies provide an alternative to the traditional desktop computing platform for the delivery of computer services to students in public clusters on college campuses. The Academic Computing Systems group at the University of New Hampshire has conducted a series of investigations and tests of Windows Terminal Services and Citrix systems to determine the possible applications and limitations of these technologies with respect to academic computing needs. These tests have illustrated the limitations of thin-client systems as well as the advantages. For the time being, the decision has been made to not look to thin-client solutions as a replacement for the traditional computing cluster environment. Our group is, however, conducting a pilot project with Windows Terminal Services in the summer and fall 2004 to offer students access to course-specific computer programs from their own computers in the dorms or at home. These are applications that have traditionally only been available in the Student Computing Clusters. If this pilot is successful, will we be further reducing the need for public clusters on campus in a world of ubiquitous computer ownership, wireless networking, and easy access to basic productivity applications? Will we be working ourselves out of a job.
Hormonal inducibility of rat alpha 2u globulin genes in transfected mouse cells.

Two different genes coding for the hormonally regulated rat liver protein α2u globulin were introduced into mouse Ltk− cells through co-transfection with the HSV-1 thymidine kinase gene. Three to ten copies of the α2u globulin genes were detected in several tk+ clones, over 50% of which could be induced with dexamethasone, to produce α2u globulin mRNA and protein. This suggests that the information necessary for hormonal response is contained in the DNA fragment used for transfer.
The Effect of Crystallographic Orientation on the Mechanical Behavior of Cu 6 Sn 5 by Micropillar Compression Testing

The anisotropy of the micromechanical behavior of single-crystal Cu6Sn5 was studied by nanoindentation and microcompression testing of pillars. Electron backscattered diffraction was employed to determine the crystallographic orientation and texture of Cu6Sn5 nodules. Characterization results from orientation imaging mapping show that the growth direction of the nodules is somewhat aligned to the c-axis of the unit cell of Cu6Sn5, although a fair amount of deviation exists in several grains. Normal to the growth axis the orientation is random, indicating a fiber texture. The mechanical properties indicate a 20% increase in strength and 7% increase in Young’s modulus close to the c-axis relative to normal to the c-axis. Careful analysis of the results based on angle to the c-axis shows a linear decrease in strength with increasing deviation from the c-axis. Our results should help understanding and fracture modeling of Cu6Sn5 under thermal and mechanical loading conditions.
514 ABNORMAL ANAL SPHINCTER RESPONSE IN CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC CONSTIPATION

The continuous high tone of the internal anal sphincter relaxes on rectal distension (rectosphincteric reflex, RSR). This is an important factor in allowing outward passage of rectal contents. We compared anal tone and RSR in 70 chronically constipated (Pts) and 18 healthy (C) 4-12 year old children. Anal tone was measured using a strain gauge (Honeywell MP-3 esophageal pressure transducer). The rectum was distended by injecting air into a 2.5×3 cm balloon placed in the rectum. Spontaneous variations in tone were recorded as pressure waves in the anal region in almost all individuals. Anal resting tone (ART) (mm Hg) was defined as the low points of these waves. ART varied along the length of the anal canal (LAC) and was highest at 1-1.5 cm from the anal verge. This region was used to study the presence of RSR and the amplitude of RSR relaxation (mm Hg) to 30 cc and 60 cc rectal distension. The lowest volume of air to cause RSR (≥ 5 mm Hg), the RSR threshold (RSRT), and the LAC (cm) (where tone was higher than in the rectum) were also determined. ART and RSR amplitude were significantly lower (p<0.05) in Pts than in C, while the RSRT and LAC were comparable. These findings (mean ± S.D.) suggest that patients with chronic constipation have a weaker and less responsive internal anal sphincter than normal.
Policy, expections, problems. The DePauw experience with allocating workstationsto every faculty member

This paper features an in-progress policy and progression of a three year program designed to put a computer station on the desk of any faculty member who needs one. It features the definitions of both “workstation” and “faculty member”, along with standardization revelations and policymaking factors. Covering the special case members and problems involved, it deals with the university as one large entity composed of small factions with individual needs. It exemplifies the solutions we arrived at and exposes areas that any center should take caution approaching. The degree of enthusiasm, progression of the participants, and results of the program are analyzed.
The Precautionary Principle and the law of unintended consequences

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explore within a political economy framework the application of the Precautionary Principle to food and agricultural policy. The paper reviews the Precautionary Principle in general, but also raises issues associated with unintended consequences arising from it. In addition, the paper provides a general model of political economy that includes both precaution and consequences, discusses issues related to precaution and irreversibility, and illustrates how unintended consequences can affect welfare.
Estimating Capital Asset Price Indexes

This paper introduces an improved procedure for estimating capital asset price indexes. We jointly estimate conventional hedonic and repeat sales models via maximum-likelihood procedures, thereby taking advantage of the unique features of the individual models and using all the data that are available. Our model captures depreciation within the repeat sales model and accounts for serial correlation in hedonic data. The improvement in precision obtained by estimating the joint model is illustrated by smaller standard errors and narrower interval estimates for the resulting price indexes. We also carry out a simulation experiment that shows estimation errors significantly smaller using the joint estimation technique than either of the individual models or the GLS estimator of Case and Quigley (1991).
An Evaluation of Three Tutorial-creating Software Programs: Camtasia, PowerPoint, and MediaSite

This study took place at the William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library at East Carolina University. Its purpose was to determine the best practices for creating and delivering online database instruction tutorials for optimal information accessibility to Division of Health Sciences students. Using a case study methodology, PowerPoint, MediaSite, and Camtasia were used to produce almost identical online tutorials. Tutorial creating software was evaluated on four criteria: usability, accessibility, cost, and time required to create the tutorial. This study showed that of the three software programs, Camtasia delivered optimal results for short sessions such as database instruction.
EtOH self-administration in anticipation of noise stress in C57BL/6J mice

Abstract C57BL/6J mice were studied for self-administration of ethanol (EtOH) during a signal period that preceded delivery of an environmental stressor (noise) in the home cage. Animals were given 5 weeks of conditioning in which a 5-min period of 75-dB pulsed noise (SIGNAL) preceded a 20-min period of more intense, 90-dB pulsed noise (NOISE) five times daily. EtOH (10% w/v) was then provided in a choice procedure, and drink tube contacts bere monitored by computer. Mice that had received the 5 weeks of SIGNAL and NOISE pairings showed an increase in EtOH-seeking behavior, as reflected in EtOH tube contacts during the SIGNAL period. The increase was significant as compared to contacts during baseline or QUIET periods and also as compared to contacts during the same period for control (Ctrl) mice that had received only the 75-dB SIGNAL during conditioning. A subsequent test for passive avoidance confirmed that the 75-dB SIGNAL was aversive for mice that had received noise conditioning but not for Ctrl mice. In sum, the results were in accord with a priori predictions that mice would not show increased EtOH tube contacts during occurrence of intense noise itself but would show increased contacts during the signal that preceded noise. These results were interpreted as preliminary evidence that C57BL/6J mice show self-administration of EtOH in anticipation of an environmental stressor.
Micro-compartment specific T2* relaxation in the brain.

MRI at high field can be sensitized to the magnetic properties of tissues, which introduces a signal dependence on the orientation of white matter (WM) fiber bundles relative to the magnetic field. In addition, study of the NMR relaxation properties of this signal has indicated contributions from compartmentalized water environments inside and outside the myelin sheath that may be separable. Here we further investigated the effects of water compartmentalization on the MRI signal with the goal of extracting compartment-specific information. By comparing MRI measurements of human and marmoset brain at 7 T with magnetic field modeling, we show that: (1) water between the myelin lipid bilayers, in the axonal, and in the interstitial space each experience characteristic magnetic field effects that depend on fiber orientation (2) these field effects result in characteristic relaxation properties and frequency shifts for these compartments; and (3) compartmental contributions may be separated by multi-component fitting of the MRI signal relaxation (i.e. decay) curve. We further show the potential application of these findings to the direct mapping of myelin content and assessment of WM fiber integrity with high field MRI.
A deadlock detection and recovery algorithm using the formalism of a directed graph matrix

A new method of detecting and resolving deadlocked processes in an operating system or database system is presented. It is based on matric theoretic principles and effectively automates tasks heretofore only achievable via adjacency list representations. Two algorithms are presented with examples for each.
Gender differences in and factors related to self-care behaviors: A cross-sectional, correlational study of patients with heart failure

Abstract Background Although self-care may reduce exacerbations of heart failure, reported rates of effective self-care in patients with heart failure are low. Modifiable factors, including psychosocial status, knowledge, and physical factors, are thought to influence heart failure self-care, but little is known about their combined impact on self-care. Objectives The objective of this study was to identify factors related to self-care behaviors in patients with heart failure. Design A cross-sectional, correlational study design was used. Participants and settings One hundred twenty-two patients (77 men and 45 women, mean age 60±12 years old, 66% New York Heart Association functional class III/IV) were recruited from the outpatient clinics of an academic medical center and two community hospitals. Methods Data on self-care behaviors (Self-Care of Heart Failure Index), depressive symptoms, perceived control, self-care confidence, knowledge, functional status, and social support were collected. Factors related to self-care were examined using hierarchical multiple regression. Results Mean self-care behavior scores were less than 70 indicating the majority of men and women with HF did not consistently engage in self-care behaviors. Higher self-care confidence and perceived control and better heart failure management knowledge were associated with better self-care ( r 2 =.25, p r 2 =.18, p =.001), while higher self-care confidence and poorer functional status were related to better self-care behaviors in women ( r 2 =.35, p Conclusion This study demonstrates the substantial impact of modifiable factors such as confidence in one's self-care abilities, perceived control, and knowledge on self-care behaviors. This study demonstrates that there are gender differences in factors affecting self-care, even though at baseline men and women have similar knowledge levels, physical, psychological, and behavioral status. Effective interventions focusing on modifiable factors and the unique characteristics of men and women should be provided to improve self-care behaviors in patients with heart failure.
Two-region linear/nonlinear sorption modeling : Batch and column experiments

Batch and column experiments were conducted to assist in elucidation of the mechanism and rates of slow diffusion of 1,2,4--trichlorobenzene into Borden sand. Batch rate experiments were conducted at three concentration levels, and a full isotherm was developed over 550 d. The equilibrium isotherm showed significant nonlinearity (Freundlich exponent = 0.75). Three column experiments were conducted-two at low velocity (each at a different input concentration) and one at high velocity. The data were analyzed with four different models; the two most successful are described in detail here. These two models divided sorption between instantaneously equilibrating and diffusion-limited domains, with either a linear or nonlinear sorption isotherm assumed for the instantaneously equilibrating fraction of sorption sites. Either model could simulate any single data set by adjustment of two parameters; however, no single parameter set could simulate all data sets. The model with a linearly sorbing instantaneous fraction described the batch data better than the model with a nonlinearly sorbing instantaneous fraction; however, a nonlinearly sorbing instantaneous fraction described the slow column experiments much better than a linearly sorbing instantaneous fraction. The high-flow-rate column experiment indicated that the assumed instantaneous fraction is actually influenced by rate limitations, suggesting that more complex models are needed in order to simulate this shorter time scale behavior. Overall, our work illustrates how one needs to include a wide variety of experimental conditions in order to fully test the complex set of sorption equilibrium and rate mechanisms that are present in natural solids.
Building a Database for the Historical Analysis of the General Chemistry Curriculum Using ACS General Chemistry Exams as Artifacts

As a discipline, chemistry enjoys a unique position. While many academic areas prepared “cooperative examinations” in the 1930s, only chemistry maintained the activity within what has become the ACS Examinations Institute. As a result, the long-term existence of community-built, norm-referenced, standardized exams provides a historical artifact about the nature of content coverage in courses that stretches over decades. This work reports efforts to capture information and formulate it into a database about general chemistry content coverage over the past 20 years. Roughly 2000 items have been characterized in several ways, including (i) content, using an Anchoring Concepts Content Map; (ii) item construct, such as the presence of symbolic or visual information; and (iii) cognitive processing required, in terms of recall, algorithmic, or conceptual thinking.