cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of two levels of treatment intensity on a young child with severe disabilities

This single-case study evaluated the effects of two levels of center-based behavioral intervention for a young child with diagnoses of autism, severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, and severe developmental delay. The child entered an applied behavior analysis school and residential program at age 4 years. At that time he was receiving fluoxetine and valproic acid for control of challenging behavior. Six other medication trials had been attempted previously. Assessments completed just before the child entered the behavioral program estimated his overall functioning at the 8–16 month level. Throughout the study, the child participated in comprehensive behavioral programming for about 30 hours per week. For the first (A) phase of the study, the teacher:student ratio was 1:1. This phase lasted 12 months. At that point resource limitations necessitated changing the teacher:student ratio to 1:2 (the B Phase), which continued for 9 months. Then 1:1 intervention was reinstated. Dependent variables included out-of-seat behavior, aberrant behavior, motor imitation, stereotypic responses, matching to sample, and appropriate communication (recognizable signs and pictures used as mands). By the end of the first A phase (1:1 intervention), substantial improvements were documented in five of six dependent variables, and fluoxetine was discontinued. These improvements were maintained for all dependent variables three months into the B phase, but after an additional six months of 1:2 intervention gains were maintained on only one dependent variable. Nine months after a return to 1:1 intervention, improvements over B-phase levels were evident for five dependent variables, four of which returned to levels comparable to those at the end of the first 1:1 phase. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A New Approach to Importance Sampling in Taylor’s Stochastic Volatility Model

This article presents the general analysis of finite high-dimensional integrals using the Importance Sampling (IS) in aim to the parameter estimation of Taylor’s stochastic volatility (SV) model. A...
Factor Structure of the Rational Behavior Inventory.

The Rational Behavior Inventory (RBI) has been utilized as a measure of irrational beliefs. RBI was administered to 510 undergraduates and examined by factor analytic procedures. The derived factors were compared to the original factors derived by Shorkey and Whiteman (1977) in their construction of the Inventory. Nine of the original 11 factor patterns were approximated reasonably. Suggestions for the improvement of the Inventory were presented.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MALE-PERPETRATED INTERPARENTAL AGGRESSION, PATERNAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND CHILD PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING

It is well established that children in homes where interparental violence is present are at increased risk for psychosocial (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and attention) difficulties. However, previous studies have provided a limited view on the variety of factors that commonly co-occur in these environments (e.g., other characteristics of the parents and family) and how they may collectively impact children. Knowing this information could have implications for parental interventions aimed at preventing the continuation or initiation of psychosocial problems in children. Thus, the present study simultaneously examined the association between father-perpetrated interparental aggression, father characteristics, and child psychosocial functioning in a sample of 145 men arrested for domestic violence. Results showed that of all the variables examined, paternal antisocial personality traits and interpersonal hostility were uniquely associated with overall child psychosocial impairment, externalizing problems, and attention problems. Implications for intervention programs are discussed.
The relationship between nasal airway size and nasal-oral breathing

Most clinicians agree that impaired nasal breathing results in obligatory mouth breathing. Some believe that mouth breathing influences dentofacial growth; others disagree. The term mouth breathing is confusing because total mouth breathing rarely occurs. A combination of nasal and oral breathing is more usual. The purpose of the present study involving 116 adult subjects was to (1) assess the relationship between nasal impairment and nasal-oral breathing, (2) determine the switching range from nasal to nasal-oral breathing, and (3) quantify the term mouth breathing. The pressure-flow technique was used to estimate nasal airway size; inductive plethysmography was used to assess nasal-oral breathing in normal and impaired breathers. Analysis of the date showed a Pearson rank correlation of 0.545 (P less than 0.001) between nasal area and nasal-oral respiration. Ninety-seven percent of subjects with a nasal size less than 0.4 cm2 were mouth breathers to some extent. About 12% of subjects with an adequate airway were assumed to be habitual mouth breathers. The findings indicate that the switching range from nasal to nasal-oral breathing is very narrow (0.4-0.45 cm2). These results also confirm our contention that in adults an airway less than 0.4 cm2 is impaired.
Application of ANP methodology in evaluation of advanced technologies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a decision tool to help managers make more informed decisions regarding their investments in advanced manufacturing technologies.Design/methodology/approach – Selection of a new technology is multidimensional in nature and interdependent relationships exist among various elements of the system. In addition, both quantitative and qualitative factors need to be considered in the evaluation process. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) methodology satisfies these requirements by considering interdependencies among all the factors and by allowing transformation of qualitative judgments into quantitative values for the decision analysis. These capabilities of ANP make it a perfect methodology for use in the development of our decision tool. Once technology alternatives and selection criteria are identified by the decision maker, several pair‐wise comparisons are conducted to determine local priorities for the selection criteria and alternatives. These priorities ...
Recall of Products Placed as Prizes versus Commercials in Game Shows

Abstract The relative effects of product placements versus commercials in terms of recall are explored in this paper in the context of game shows, themselves comprising a largely under researched medium for marketing communications. A thirty minute clip from “The Price Is Right” containing both commercials and prizes was shown to 167 university students. Unaided, aided and total recall for each of the commercials and prizes placed was regressed against the location, price of the product, length of exposure and type (commercial versus prizes). Among the effects, location and price were important predictors for prize recall and commercials were overall better recalled. Implications for marketing communications research and practice are drawn based on these effects.
A Survey of Psychological Test Use Patterns Among Forensic Psychologists

Clinical psychologists are frequently called on to testify in court regarding mental health issues in civil or criminal cases. One of the legal criteria by which admissibility of testimony is determined includes whether the testimony is based on methods that have gained "general acceptance" in their field. In this study, we sought to evaluate the psychological tests used in forensic assessments by members of the American Psychology-Law Society Division of the American Psychological Association, and by diplomates in the American Board of Forensic Psychology. We present test results from this survey, based on 152 respondents, for forensic evaluations conducted with adults using multiscale inventories, single-scale tests, unstructured personality tests, cognitive and/or intellectual tests, neuropsychological tests, risk assessment and psychopathy instruments, sex offender risk assessment instruments, competency or sanity-related instruments, and instruments used to evaluate malingering. In addition, we provide findings for psychological testing involving child-related forensic issues.
Advances in cytotoxic chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer

Improvements in drug development and clinical trial design have resulted in a wider range of treatment options for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Combination chemotherapy is the standard of care for medically fit patients. A variety of chemotherapeutic doublets, including nonplatinum combinations, with similar clinical activity are now available, allowing oncologists to match acceptable toxicity profiles to individual patients’ comorbidities and preferences. Single-agent treatment of refractory or recurrent disease has been shown to improve survival and offer improved quality of life (QOL). For special patient populations, such as the elderly and patients with limited performance status (PS), treatment with single-agent chemotherapy results in modest survival benefits and combination chemotherapy may be appropriate for some of these patients.
The Loci of Work Satisfaction: Job, Interaction and Policy

Three thousand five hundred subjects from four governmental organizations (two municipalities, one county, and one state) were interviewed to investigate the nature ofjob satisfaction in the public sector. The intent of the study is to examine the relationships between components of satisfaction and various conceptually objective design variables of the work environment including characteristics of the assigned tasks, work assistance, pay, promotions, and communications, among others. Using the techniques of multidimensional scaling and clustering, a tripart locus of work satisfaction is derived involving job properties, interactional features, and organizational policy variables. Each of the loci is shown to be analytically distinct and related to a specific set of design features. The implications of these findings for change programs such as job enrichment are subsequently discussed.
The architecture of Ra: a kernel for Clouds

Ra is a native, minimal kernel for the Clouds distributed operating system. Ra is a successor to the prototype Clouds kernel and reflects lessons learned from the earlier implementation effort. Ra supports the same object-thread model as the original Clouds kernel as a special case and introduces extensibility as a major goal. Ra provides three primitives, namely segments, virtual spaces, and lightweight processes called isibas, which can be composed in various ways to construct components of the Clouds operating system. The architecture and organization of Ra and details of its implementation are described. The authors describe the implementation of several Clouds components such as objects and threads using Ra primitives to demonstrate the versatility and power of the Ra kernel. Ra supports plug-in system objects that allow system services to be introduced and removed dynamically. Ra has been implemented in C++ and is running on Sun-3 workstations. >
Clinical laboratory directors.

As we continue the series on education and training in pathology and laboratory medicine, a few common themes are beginning to emerge from this group of articles. First, interest in education and training is growing. Next, there is emerging evidence for the use of new approaches to education and training, several of which we have highlighted in this series. Last, but certainly not least, there is emphasis on the quantitative aspects of education and training: metrics to assess outcomes and effectiveness, new ways of tracking performance, and the use of data to guide programmatic development in education and training. Educating students and training residents in any discipline have the common goal of turning these individuals into fully qualified graduates who understand what they are supposed to do, how to do it, and how to do so in a responsible and ethical manner. With some exceptions, this goal is more easily defined for residents than it is for students, because residents generally are preparing for well-defined clinical or diagnostic roles in patient care. In the recent past, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) added a layer of training called the six Core Competencies, a set of requirements designed to help …
Unified Analysis of Diagnosis Methods for Process Monitoring

Abstract Several diagnosis methods have been proposed for statistical process monitoring. They have been developed from different backgrounds and considerations. In this paper, five existing diagnosis methods are analyzed and compared. It is shown that these methods can be unified into three more general methods, making the original diagnosis methods special cases of the general methods. An analysis of the diagnosability of the general methods shows that some diagnosis methods guarantee correct diagnosis for simple sensor faults with large magnitudes, while others do not. For the case of sensor faults with modest fault magnitudes, a Monte Carlo simulation is used to compare the performance of the diagnosis methods.
Low Genetic Diversity in Several Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) Populations in the Desoto National Forest, Mississippi

Abstract Gopherus polyphemus has experienced severe population declines, especially in the western portion of its range. As a consequence, G. polyphemus may have experienced population bottlenecks that resulted in a decrease in genetic diversity and an accumulation of deleterious alleles. The importance of genetic diversity has been well-documented for several fitness parameters (e.g., survival, disease resistance, growth and developmental rates, and developmental instability). Western populations of G. polyphemus in south Mississippi (USA) have lower hatching success (16.7–48%) than that found in eastern populations (67–97%). Even under laboratory conditions, approximately 40% of the eggs still failed to hatch, suggesting that intrinsic (egg quality) factors may be affecting development. Using nine microsatellite loci, we genotyped individuals from four populations in south Mississippi and one eastern population (Fort Benning, GA) and compared several genetic diversity indices (e.g., allelic richness, ex...
Security experimentation using operational systems

Computers and Internet have evolved into necessary tools for our professional, personal and social lives. As a result of this growing dependence, there is a concern that these systems remain protected and available. This concern increases exponentially when considering systems such as smart power grids. Therefore, research should be conducted to develop effective ways of detecting system anomalies. To have realistic results, the studies should be tested on real systems. However, it is not possible to test these experiments on the live network. With the recent collaboration of Universities and research labs, a new experiment test bed has been established.As a result, experiments can now be implemented on real networks. In our study, we design an experiment to analyze Distributed Denial of Service Attacks (DDoS Attack) on a real network with real Internet traffic. The approach that we use in our study can easily be generalized to apply to smart power grids.
Peripheral-Type Benzodiazepines Inhibit Calcium Channels and Aldosterone Production in Adrenal Glomerulosa Cells*

Angiotensin-II (Ang-II), K+, and ACTH are important stimulators of aldosterone secretion that require Ca2+ influx to be active. However, Ang-II and K+ are linked to the Ca2+ messenger system, while ACTH is coupled to the cAMP pathway. Peripheral-type binding sites for benzodiazepines are particularly abundant in steroidogenic tissues and have been proposed to be involved in the steroidogenic action of ACTH in Y-1 adrenocortical cells. We report here that in adrenal glomerulosa cells, peripheral-type [4'-chlor-diazepam (CDZ), 1-(2-chlorophenyl)N-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)3-isoquinolinecarboxamid e (RP 52028), and flunitrazepam], but not a central-type (flumazenil) benzodiazepine reversibly abolished the stimulation of aldosterone output induced by Ang-II or K+, while they had no significant effect on basal aldosterone secretion. This inhibitory effect depended upon drug concentration (IC50 30 microM for CDZ) and affected the potencies of both stimulators, without altering their respective EC50 values. Similar results were obtained when aldosterone production was stimulated with ACTH, forskolin, or (Bu)2cAMP. Aldosterone production from exogenous 25-hydroxycholesterol or progesterone was partially inhibited by CDZ. In glomerulosa cells loaded with a fluorescent Ca2+ probe, benzodiazepines blocked Ca2+ influx triggered by K+ or Ang-II without affecting the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores induced by Ang-II. T- and L-type Ca2+ channel activities, monitored with the patch-clamp technique, were both inhibited within the same range of concentrations as aldosterone synthesis and Ca2+ influx. These results indicate that in adrenal zona glomerulosa cells, peripheral-type benzodiazepines block Ca2+ influx through voltage-activated channels. The combined action of peripheral-type benzodiazepines on calcium influx and precursor conversion may be responsible for the observed inhibition of Ang-II-, K(+)-, or ACTH-induced aldosterone secretion.
Kern, Jonathan. (2008). Sound reporting: The NPR guide to audio journalism and production

Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Jonathan Kern's book draws from not only his own career experience as the Executive Producer for Training at NPR but also 100 current or former NPR employe...
The aortic valve calcium nodule score (AVCNS) independently predicts paravalvular regurgitation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)

Abstract Background Paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) is an important predictor of mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Aortic valve (AV) calcification is strongly associated with PVR. Objectives This study proposes a new metric to quantify AV total calcium burden and its composition in large calcium nodules (CNs) and explores its relation with PVR after TAVR. Methods In 133 patients that underwent TAVR, calcium burden of the AV was quantified with multidetector row CT as calcium mass. Each CN was characterized. The AV CN score (AVCNS) was defined as AV calcium mass × mass of the largest CN. PVR was assessed with echocardiography at 1 month. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of PVR. Results Mean age was 84.1 ± 7.6 years (56% women). TAVR access was transapical in 56%. Procedural success was achieved in 92%. In-hospital mortality was 5%. At follow-up, the prevalence of absent/trace, mild, moderate, and severe PVR was 58%, 31%, 11%, and 0%, respectively. The only independent predictors of at least mild PVR were AVCNS (odds ratio [OR], 2.269; 95% CI, 1.433–3.593; P P = .013), and aortic annulus area (OR, 1.112; 95% CI, 1.010–1.223; P = .030). This model showed an area under the curve of 0.895 (95% CI, 0.830–0.960) for PVR prediction. Conclusions AVCNS, a variable that comprises the total burden of AV calcification as well as calcification agglomeration in form of large nodules, is a novel and powerful independent predictor of PVR after TAVR.
A chronological framework for the Holocene vegetational history of central Minnesota: the Steel Lake pollen record

Abstract Paleorecords from Minnesota and adjacent areas have often been used to evaluate large-scale climatic processes in the mid-continent of North America. However, most of these records are compromised by chronological flaws, making problematic any comparisons with climatic interpretations based on other records (e.g., GISP2 in Greenland). We report here a high-resolution pollen record with a secure chronology constrained by 26 14 C dates on terrestrial macrofossils from Steel Lake, central Minnesota. About 11.2 ka cal BP (11,000 calibrated yr before present) the late-glacial Picea forest near Steel Lake was succeeded abruptly by Pinus banksiana and/or resinosa . The Pinus forest began to open 9.4 ka cal BP with the expansion of prairie taxa, and a pine parkland or savanna prevailed until about 8 ka cal BP, when Quercus replaced Pinus to become the dominant tree in the prairie areas for 4500 yr. The close chronological control permits the correlation of key vegetational changes with those at other reliably dated sites in the eastern Dakotas and in Minnesota, suggesting that the abrupt decline of the spruce forest was time-transgressive from southwest to northeast during 2000 yr, and that the development of prairie was time-transgressive in the same direction over 2600 yr. Correlation of key pollen horizons at Steel Lake with those in the high-resolution pollen profiles of Elk Lake, ca. 50 km northwest of Steel Lake, suggests that the well-known Elk Lake varve chronology for the early Holocene is about 1000 yr too young.
Labouring bodies, labouring histories: The Malaysian-Indian estate girl:

This article brings together three seemingly disparate texts, namely, K.S. Jomo and Josie Zaini’s Meena: A Plantation Child Worker, K.S. Maniam’s Between Lives and Preeta Samarasan’s Evening is the...
Towards a dynamical network view of brain ischemia and reperfusion. Part III: therapeutic implications

The general failure of neuroprotectants in clinical trials of ischemic stroke points to the possibility of a fundamental blind spot in the current conception of ischemic brain injury, the "ischemic cascade". This is the third in a series of four papers whose purpose is to work towards a revision of the concept of brain ischemia by applying network concepts to develop a bistable model of brain ischemia. Here the bistable model of brain ischemia is compared to the ischemic cascade concept. The core weakness of the ischemic cascade concept is revealed to be its assumption of superposition, or that the elements of the ischemic cascade can be summed as linearly independent events. This assumption leads to a concept of neuroprotection as a subtraction of ostensibly independent damage events. The bistable model offers a different concept of neuroprotection where the role of individual molecular pathways decreases in relevance with respect to the efficacy of outcome. Network thinking provides a framework for critical assessment of widely-used preclinical experimental approaches. The importance of allometric scaling is also discussed. We illustrate that the bistable model provides a viable alternative to the ischemic cascade as an explanatory framework and as a guide for therapeutic development.
Toward Integrating Nanotechnology in the K-12 Science Curriculum: A Note of Hope in the State of the Union

Institutions of higher education throughout the United States must be prepared to provide high-quality professional development for K-12 teachers that encourages them to see connections between/among science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) via study of the core concepts and various applications of nanotechnology. The development of an integrated science curriculum based on nanotechnology will enable STEM teachers to inspire students to view science as immediately relevant to their daily lives and, over time, worth pursuing as a major and a career. This paper addresses some of the challenges associated with the need to develop an effective method of institutionalizing interdisciplinary science education through the use of nanotechnology to design, develop, and test a multiple-level, inquiry-based educational model aligned with National Science Education Standards.
Identification of ceramide phosphorylethanolamine and ceramide phosphorylglycerol in the lipids of an anaerobic bacterium

Nearly half the phospholipids isolated from the anerobic bacterium Bacteroides melaninogenicus are phospho- sphingolipids. The two major phosphosphingolipids have been characterized as ceramide phosphorylethanolamine and ceramide phosphorylglycerol. The long-chain bases of these phosphosphingolipids appear to have branched and normal saturated carbon chains of 17, 18, and 19 atoms; the phosphate is at the 1-position of the long-chain bax. The composition of the amide-linked fatty acids of the phosphosphingolipids differs from that of the ester-linked fatty acids of the diacyl- phosphoglycerides in having a higher percentage of 14 : 0, 17:0, and 18:O acids as well as containing nearly all the monoenoic fatty acids found in the bacterial lipids. The finding of phosphosphingolipids in bacteria is ex- ceedingly rare and to our knowledge ceramide phosphoryl- glycerol has not been previously found in nature.
Conducting Block Copolymer Nanowires Containing Regioregular Poly(3‐Hexylthiophene) and Polystyrene

Grignard Metathesis polymerization (GRIM) for the synthesis of regioregular poly(3‐alkylthiophenes) proceeds via a “living” chain growth mechanism. Due to the “living” nature of this polymerization regioregular poly(3‐alkylthiophenes) with predetermined molecular weight, narrow molecular weight distributions and desired chain end functionality are now readily available. Allyl terminated poly(3‐hexylthiophene) was successfully used as a precursor for the synthesis of di‐block copolymers containing polystyrene. The addition of “living” poly(styryl)lithium to the allyl terminated regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) generated the di‐block copolymer. Poly(3‐hexylthiophene)‐b‐polystyrene was also synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. Integration of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) in di‐block copolymers with polystyrene leads to the formation of nanowire morphology and self‐ordered conducting nanostructured materials.
Effects of natural organic matter on aggregation kinetics of boron nanoparticles in monovalent and divalent electrolytes

Nano boron is a promising new propellant being considered for military and civilian applications; however, the impact of its release on the environment is largely not known. The early stage aggregation kinetics of boron nanoparticles was investigated in the presence of two kinds of natural organic matter-Suwannee River humic acid (SRHA) and sodium alginate-by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The addition of SRHA caused the boron nanoparticles to stabilize and resulted in (1) decreased attachment efficiency for the reaction-controlled regime and (2) an increase in the critical coagulation concentration, in CaCl(2) and MgCl(2) solutions. The increase in the electrostatic repulsion is suggested as a main cause of the induced stabilization as indicated by the electrophoretic mobility measurements. Similar behavior was observed in the presence of alginate and MgCl(2). However, the attachment efficiency kept increasing in the presence of CaCl(2) and alginate with the increase in the electrolyte concentration and was greater than unity at>4mM CaCl(2). The destabilization was attributed to bridging of the nanoparticles by the alginate-Ca(2+) system. Results from this study suggest that various NOM and electrolytes play significant and differing roles in the aggregation of boron nanoparticles in natural aquatic environments.
Are Current CEOs the Best Board Members

By many measures, current CEOs should be the best candidates to serve on boards of directors. They have extensive strategic, operational, and risk management expertise, as well as experiences and leadership attributes that are important for a firm’s long-term success. However, there is currently no widely accepted, rigorous study that demonstrates that current CEOs are better board members or that companies with CEO directors benefit in terms of improved advice or monitoring. In fact, recent survey data suggests that active CEOs might not always be the best board members because of the time constraints of their full time job and personality attributes that may make it difficult for them to contribute constructively to a boardroom environment. We examine this issue in closer detail and ask: 1. Should companies reassess the importance of this criteria when looking for new board members? 2. Does the requirement for CEO-level experience limit the pool of available directors, particularly diversity candidates who may be less likely to have this experience? 3. If the availability of CEO directors is low, should professional directors be recruited to fill the gap? 4. Do the positive qualities of a retired CEO deteriorate, or do they never become outdated? Topics, Issues and Controversies in Corporate Governance and Leadership: The Closer Look series is a collection of short case studies through which we explore topics, issues, and controversies in corporate governance. In each study, we take a targeted look at a specific issue that is relevant to the current debate on governance and explain why it is so important. Larcker and Tayan are co-authors of the book Corporate Governance Matters, and A Real Look at Real World Corporate Governance.
Cooperative Transmission for Relay Networks Based on Second-Order Statistics of Channel State Information

Cooperative transmission in relay networks is considered, in which a source transmits to its destination with the help of a set of cooperating nodes. The source first transmits locally. The cooperating nodes that receive the source signal retransmit a weighted version of it in an amplify-and-forward (AF) fashion. Assuming knowledge of the second-order statistics of the channel state information, beamforming weights are determined so that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the destination is maximized subject to two different power constraints, i.e., a total (source and relay) power constraint, and individual relay power constraints. For the former constraint, the original problem is transformed into a problem of one variable, which can be solved via Newton's method. For the latter constraint, this problem is solved completely. It is shown that the semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation of the original problem always has a rank one solution, and hence the original problem is equivalent to finding the rank one solution of the SDP problem. An explicit construction of such a rank one solution is also provided. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the proposed theoretical findings.
Reconsidering Teamwork: Popular and Local Meanings for a Common Ideal Associated With Positive Youth Development

Although developing “teamwork” is commonly discussed as a goal for youth work, the meaning of teamwork is rarely articulated. Drawing from field research with programs for children and youth in a C...
Correlates of performance-based measures of muscle function in the elderly: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

BACKGROUND It is unknown how much age-related changes in muscle performance represent normal aging versus the effects of chronic disease and life style. We examined the correlates of four performance measures-gait speed, timed chair stands (TCS), grip strength, and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP)-using baseline data from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), a population-based study of risk factors for heart disease and stroke in persons > or = age 65. METHODS We analyzed data from the 5,201 CHS participants. Variables were arranged into nine categories: Personal Characteristics, Anthropometry, Physical Condition, Reported Functional Status, Subjective Health, Psychological Factors, Symptoms, Cognitive Status, Habits and Lifestyle, and Prevalent Disease. Independent correlates were identified using stepwise linear regression. RESULTS The regression models explained 17.7-25.4% of the observed variability. Although age significantly correlated with each measure, it explained little of the variability (< or = 5.7%). Anthropometric features plus physical condition explained 14.0-17.4% of the variability for grip strength and MIP, but 2.8-12.9% of the variability for gait speed and the log of TCS. Subjective health and psychological factors explained 1.8-9.4% of the variability in gait speed and the log of TCS, but < or = 1.2% of the variability in grip strength and MIP. Variables for prevalent disease explained < or = 1.3% of the variability in each measure. CONCLUSIONS After age 64, age explained little of the variability in muscle performance in a large sample of mostly functionally intact, community-dwelling older persons. Complex measures such as gait speed were more associated with subjective factors than were direct measures of strength. Prevalent disease contributed surprisingly little to muscle performance.
Achieving load-balancing in power system parallel contingency analysis using X10 programming language

Due to recent trends of expansion and deregulation in power systems, the stress level of power systems has increased which has highlighted the importance of conducting stability analysis. Further, due to increasing emphasis on analyzing N -- k contingency, the number of contingencies which are required to be analyzed has greatly increased. To address this challenge, researchers have used parallel computing resources, however, in absence of efficient load-balanced scheduling, parallelization leads to wastage of computation resources. In this paper, we present an approach to parallelize power system contingency analysis using X10 language. We discuss the features of X10 which enable us to achieve high performance gains. Our approach is evaluated using a large 13029-bus power systems. We parallelize contingency analysis over 2, 4, 8 and 16 threads and use efficient work-stealing algorithm to achieve load-balancing.The results have shown that our approach scales effectively with the number of cores and provides large computational gains. Also, it outperforms a conventional scheduling technique, namely master-slave scheduling.
What hypofractionated protocols should be tested for prostate cancer

Purpose: Recent analyses of clinical results have suggested that the fractionation sensitivity of prostate tumors is remarkably high; corresponding point estimates of the / ratio for prostate cancer are around 1.5 Gy, much lower than the typical value of 10 Gy for many other tumors. This low / value is comparable to, and possibly even lower than, that of the surrounding late-responding normal tissue in rectal mucosa (/ nominally 3 Gy, but also likely to be in the 4 –5 Gy range). This lower / ratio for prostate cancer than for the surrounding late-responding normal tissue creates the potential for therapeutic gain. We analyze here possible high-gain/ low-risk hypofractionated protocols for prostate cancer to test this suggestion. Methods and Materials: Using standard linear-quadratic (LQ) modeling, a set of hypofractionated protocols can be designed in which a series of dose steps is given, each step of which keeps the late complications constant in rectal tissues. This is done by adjusting the dose per fraction and total dose to maintain a constant level of late effects. The effect on tumor control is then investigated. The resulting estimates are theoretical, although based on the best current modeling with / parameters, which are discussed thoroughly. Results: If the / value for prostate is less than that for the surrounding late-responding normal tissue, the clinical gains can be rather large. Appropriately designed schedules using around ten large fractions can result in absolute increases of 15% to 20% in biochemical control with no evidence of disease (bNED), with no increase in late sequelae. Early sequelae are predicted to be decreased, provided that overall times are not shortened drastically because of a possible risk of acute or consequential late reactions in the rectum. An overall time not shorter than 5 weeks appears advisable for the hypofractionation schedules considered, pending further clinical trial results. Even if the prostate tumor / ratio turns out to be the same (or even slightly larger than) the surrounding late-responding normal tissue, these hypofractionated regimens are estimated to be very unlikely to result in significantly increased late effects. Conclusions: The hypofractionated regimens that we suggest be tested for prostate-cancer radiotherapy show high potential therapeutic gain as well as economic and logistic advantages. They appear to have little potential risk as long as excessively short overall times (<5 weeks) and very small fraction numbers (<5) are avoided. The values of bNED and rectal complications presented are entirely theoretical, being related by LQ modeling to existing clinical data for approximately intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients as discussed in detail. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. Hypofractionation, Prostate tumors, Approximately intermediate-risk, Reduced total doses.
Phytochrome control of short-day-induced bud set in black cottonwood

In trees and other woody perennial plants, short days (SDs) typically induce growth cessation, the initiation of cold acclimation, the formation of a terminal bud and bud dormancy. Phytochrome control of SD-induced bud set was investigated in two northern clones of black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray) by using night breaks with red light (R) and far-red light (FR). For both clones (BC-1 and BC-2), SD-induced bud set was prevented when R night breaks as short as 2 min were given in the middle of the night. When night breaks with 2 min of R were immediately followed by 2 min of FR, substantial reversibility of bud set was observed for BC-1 but not for BC-2. By comparing the effects of the R night breaks on bud set and the length of specific internodes, we determined that the R night breaks influenced internode elongation in two opposing ways. First, the addition of a R night break to the SD treatment prevented the cessation of internode elongation that is associated with bud set. Those internodes that would not have elongated under SDs (and would have been found within the terminal bud) elongated in the R treatment. Second, the R night breaks decreased internode length relative to the long-day (LD) control. In contrast to the clonal differences in reversibility that we observed for bud set, the decrease in internode length (i.e. the second effect of R) was R/FR reversible in both clones. Based on these results, we conclude that internode elongation is influenced by two distinct types of phytochrome-mediated response. The first response is a typical response to photpperiod, whereas the second response is a typical “end-of-day” response to light quality. Our results demonstrate that SD-induced bud set in black cottonwood is controlled by phytochrome but that clonal differences have an important influence on the R/FR reversibility of this response. The availability of an experimental system in which SD-induced bud set is R/FR reversible will be valuable for studying the physiological genetics of photoperiodism in trees.
Wind turbine composite blade manufacturing : the need for understanding defect origins, prevalence, implications and reliability.

Renewable energy is an important element in the US strategy for mitigating our dependence on non-domestic oil. Wind energy has emerged as a viable and commercially successful renewable energy source. This is the impetus for the 20% wind energy by 2030 initiative in the US. Furthermore, wind energy is important on to enable a global economy. This is the impetus for such rapid, recent growth. Wind turbine blades are a major structural element of a wind turbine blade. Wind turbine blades have near aerospace quality demands at commodity prices; often two orders of magnitude less cost than a comparable aerospace structure. Blade failures are currently as the second most critical concern for wind turbine reliability. Early blade failures typically occur at manufacturing defects. There is a need to understand how to quantify, disposition, and mitigate manufacturing defects to protect the current wind turbine fleet, and for the future. This report is an overview of the needs, approaches, and strategies for addressing the effect of defects in wind turbine blades. The overall goal is to provide the wind turbine industry with a hierarchical procedure for addressing blade manufacturing defects relative to wind turbine reliability.
Aiming Toward a Political Pastoral Theology

I am writing this introduction the day after of hearing the sad news that Don Capps died. Don made numerous contributions to Pastoral Psychology, and he was a friend, mentor, and colleague of Lewis Rambo, Nathan Carlin, and myself. While his death is a terrible loss, I think we take solace in having known a man who was a compassionate and profoundly creative scholar who was also interested in his colleagues and students—their lives and their work. But what does all of this grief have to do with this current issue? Some years ago, after reading one of my articles, Don wrote and told me of his interest in Malcolm X. Apparently they were born in the same city, but Don’s interest had more to do with the courage Malcolm X displayed standing up to white racists. Whatever Don’s intention was in telling me this, I took this as his blessing on the work I was doing in the area of politics, economics, and pastoral theology. I hasten to add to this memory that one of Don’s doctoral students, Lewis Rambo, became editor of Pastoral Psychology and, like Don, Lewis actively supports the work of others. Indeed, in the last 15 years, Lewis has enthusiastically encouraged my work, and I am deeply grateful for that and our email conversations. More particularly, it was Lewis’s idea to publish these articles as part of a special issue. When he asked me if I would be open to that (who would not?), I was gratified and humbled. Most of us toil away in solitude as we write, wondering if anyone reads our articles and books. It is a great boon to have someone of Don’s and Lewis’s stature recognize and encourage my work. I also deeply appreciate Nathan Carlin’s introduction. Nathan reminds me of Don, both in terms of his generosity, humility, and compassion as well as his prodigious productivity. Every time I turn around he is publishing another book or article. A final word: my interest in critically engaging political and economic systems and structures is fueled by urgency and hope that teeters on the brink of despair. When I was growing up, there was a collective anxiety about the possibility of nuclear war and the annihilation of the human species. To some degree this threat has receded, only to be replaced by the ever-growing reality of global warming and its dire consequences not only for humans but for other species. Both threats reveal the power of human creativity and industry as well as Pastoral Psychol (2016) 65:3–4 DOI 10.1007/s11089-015-0679-8
Marketing in the Iron Curtain Countries

What are the implications of a shift in the Iron Curtain countries toward marketing? How will they affect marketing functions and institutions?The author shows the weaknesses in the existing planne...
Kaolin: From Ancient Porcelains to Nanocomposites

Kaolin has played a prominent role in both Earth and human cultural history, and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. Its abundance in the rock record has varied according to the waxing and waning of life faunal radiations, crustal differentiation, and climatic conditions. Kaolin-group minerals play an important environmental role in soils of tropical and temperate regions. They also occur in hydrothermal zones, where they form at the expense of felsic rocks through acid hydrolysis, and commonly in episodic geologic events. Kaolin deposits form the basis of many modern materials, but the first sophisticated human use was in porcelains from Jingdezhen, China. From the initial discovery of kaolin and its sculptural use 2000 years ago to today9s modern applications in nanocomposites, kaolin has been important throughout cultural history. Art and science are intertwined by the properties and uses of this amazingly small clay mineral.
Understanding racial and ethnic differences in patient experiences with outpatient health care in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

Background:Racial and ethnic differences in patient health care experiences have not been well examined in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System.Objectives:To examine racial/ethnic differences in outpatient health care experiences within and between VA medical facilities.Research Design:We ass
Campus Network Instrusion Detection Method

A basic method for instruction detecting is described. The characteristics of the instruction detecting system based on NIDS and HIDS are analyzed. A safety monitoring model based on NIDS and HIDS is proposed in combination with campus networks.
A Review and Evaluation of Operative Procedures Used for Chronic Duodenal Ulcer

No one operation has emerged as the one to be used for all patients requiring surgery for chronic duodenal ulcer, although currently the favorite appears to be truncal vagotomy with antrectomy. Selective and proximal gastric vagotomy may, however, assume an increasingly important position in the armamentarium of the surgeon.
Photoinduced Dissociation of O2 on Rutile TiO2(110)

Oxygen plays an important, but often poorly understood, role in many photocatalytic processes. Here, we investigate the adsorption and photon-stimulated reactions of O2 on reduced rutile TiO2(110). After adsorption at 28 K and annealing to 100 K, at least 85% of the O2 has not dissociated. Typically, less than 50% of this molecularly adsorbed O2 desorbs via hole-mediated reactions during irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) photons. However, UV irradiation dissociates ∼20−45% of the chemisorbed O2, which we propose to occur through electron attachment reactions. In addition, weakly bound (physisorbed) O2 readily reacts with chemisorbed O2 during UV irradiation. These results show that the photochemistry of oxygen on TiO2(110) is both diverse and more complicated than previously appreciated.
Genomic Instability and Shared Mechanisms for Gene Diversification in Two Distant Immune Gene Families: The Plant NBS-LRR Genes and the Echinoid 185/333 Genes

Abstract Innate immune systems in both animals and plants that lack somatic recombination and assembly mechanisms rely on a limited, preset number of genes encoding pathogen-recognition proteins that target universal pathogen-associated molecular patterns and/or monitor pathogen effector activity. To keep up with the ever-expanding diversity and virulence of pathogens, host mechanisms have evolved through selection to promote diversification of genomic regions that harbor immune genes. Here we review and compare the genomic structure and possible gene diversification mechanisms of two immune gene families: the nucleotide binding site leucine rich repeat ( NBS-LRR ) genes in higher plants, and the 185/333 genes in sea urchins. These two gene families, which are present in organisms from two separate kingdoms, are very distinct in their abundance, structure, and function. Nevertheless, they share some fundamental genomic diversification strategies that may be the consequence of convergent evolutionary forces.
Voltage and current control of a multi-port NPC inverter configuration for a grid-connected photovoltaic system

A multi-port converter configuration which achieves a high-power DC-AC conversion for a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic system is utilized. A novel multi-port nonlinear control is proposed to realize a voltage and current control strategy among cascaded ports. Each port consists of solar panels, a multilevel dual-active bridge DC-DC converter utilizing a secondary step-up high-frequency transformer, and a high-voltage DC-AC sinusoidal pulse-width modulated inverter. This control is modelled and verified in Matlab/Simulink; detailed analysis and simulation results are provided.
Bollywood’s India: a public fantasy

Priya Joshi is a Professor of English and a scholar of narrative, and this is amply evident in her approach, analysis and language in her first book-length study of Bombay cinema. In the Preface, J...