cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Class of Covert Channels Exploiting Power Management Vulnerabilities

Effective runtime power management requires hardware activity to be tracked at a very fine granularity in both space and time in order to meet diverse workload performance requirements within a tight power budget. As the available instantaneous power budget itself represents a shared resource, this practically translates into finding the optimal allocation of the power budget among active tasks of execution. Covert communication over a previously unexplored class of channels thereby becomes possible, which forms the focus of this paper.
Multi-scale shock-to-detonation simulation of pressed energetic material: A meso-informed ignition and growth model

This work presents a multiscale modeling framework for predictive simulations of shock-to-detonation transition (SDT) in pressed energetic (HMX) materials. The macro-scale computations of SDT are performed using an ignition and growth (IG) model. However, unlike in the traditional semi-empirical ignition-and-growth model, which relies on empirical fits, in this work meso-scale void collapse simulations are used to supply the ignition and growth rates. This results in a macro-scale model which is sensitive to the meso-structure of the energetic material. Energy localization at the meso-scale due to hotspot ignition and growth is reflected in the shock response of the energetic material via surrogate models for ignition and growth rates. Ensembles of meso-scale reactive void collapse simulations are used to train the surrogate model using a Bayesian Kriging approach. This meso-informed Ignition and Growth (MES-IG) model is applied to perform SDT simulations of pressed HMXs with different porosity and void diameters. The computations are successfully validated against experimental pop-plots. Additionally, the critical energy for SDT is computed and the experimentally observed P s 2 τ s = constant relations are recovered using the MES-IG model. While the multiscale framework in this paper is applied in the context of an ignition-and-growth model, the overall surrogate model-based multiscale approach can be adapted to any macro-scale model for predicting SDT in heterogeneous energetic materials.
Variability of bacterial behavior in the mammalian gut captured using a growth-linked single-cell synthetic gene oscillator

The dynamics of the bacterial population that comprises the gut microbiota plays key roles in overall mammalian health. However, a detailed understanding of bacterial growth within the gut is limited by the inherent complexity and inaccessibility of the gut environment. Here, we deploy an improved synthetic genetic oscillator to investigate dynamics of bacterial colonization and growth in the mammalian gut under both healthy and disease conditions. The synthetic oscillator, when introduced into both Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium maintains regular oscillations with a constant period in generations across growth conditions. We determine the phase of oscillation from individual bacteria using image analysis of resultant colonies and thereby infer the number of cell divisions elapsed. In doing so, we demonstrate robust functionality and controllability of the oscillator circuit9s activity during bacterial growth in vitro, in a simulated murine gut microfluidic environment, and in vivo within the mouse gut. We determine different dynamics of bacterial colonization and growth in the gut under normal and inflammatory conditions. Our results show that a precise genetic oscillator can function in a complex environment and reveal single cell behavior under diverse conditions where disease may create otherwise impossible-to-quantify variability in growth across the population.
A 25-MHz Four-Phase SAW Hysteretic Control DC–DC Converter With 1-Cycle Active Phase Count

In order to meet stringent power requirements in modern application processors, a 25-MHz four-phase dc–dc power converter is presented. It employs an adaptive window hysteretic control to facilitate ultra-fast transient response and minimize output voltage ( $V_{O}$ ) undershoot and overshoot during load transient periods. Inherent clock synchronization ability ensures current balancing between phase sub-converters. The control also enables a wide range of programmable $V_{O}$ for dynamic voltage/frequency scaling. To maintain high efficiency over a wide power range without degrading transient speed, a 1-cycle active phase count scheme is introduced. A design prototype was fabricated in a 0.35- $\mu \text{m}$ CMOS process with an active die of 1.88 mm2. Simple circuit structure benefits a power density of 3.98 W/mm2. At a switching frequency of 25 MHz and a nominal input of 3.3 V, it regulates a programmable $V_{O}$ ranging from 0.3 to 2.5 V. It achieves more than 80% efficiency over 96.7% of power range with a peak value of 88.1%. In response to 4-A load step-up/down, it achieves 103 mV/123 mV $V_{O}$ undershoot/overshoot with 1% settling time of 190 ns/237 ns, respectively.
Automated Hybrid 3-D Printing of 3-D Meandering Interconnects

In this paper, a completely automated computer-aided design (CAD)-to-print process flow for hybrid direct-write 3-D printing (3DP) was produced. We adapted this capability to manufacture a meandering conductive trace formed into a meandering arbitrary interconnect in the shape of a 3-D pretzel that is completely embedded in dielectric. The conversion between g-code and pgm-code was demonstrated for hybrid 3DP between metal and dielectric materials. This paper produced a reliable automated process that can potentially be used to manufacture arbitrary 3-D circuits. This paper also identified the need for better slicing techniques for hybrid manufacturing of interconnects.
Paired quantum Fourier transform with log 2 N Hadamard gates

The quantum Fourier transform (QFT) is perhaps the furthermost central building block in creation quantum algorithms. In this work, we present a new approach to compute the standard quantum Fourier transform of the length $$ N = 2^{r} , \;r > 1 $$ , which also is called the r-qubit discrete Fourier transform. The presented algorithm is based on the paired transform developed by authors. It is shown that the signal-flow graphs of the paired algorithms could be used for calculating the quantum Fourier and Hadamard transform with the minimum number of stages. The calculation of all components of the transforms is performed by the Hadamard gates and matrices of rotations and all simple NOT gates. The new presentation allows for implementing the QFT (a) by using only the r Hadamard gates and (b) organizing parallel computation in r stages. Also, the circuits for the length-2r fast Hadamard transform are described. Several mathematical illustrative examples of the order the $$ N = 4,\;8 $$ , and 16 cases are illustrated. Finally, the QFT for inputs being two, three and four qubits is described in detail.
Fasting Status of Patients Undergoing Ambulatory Laboratory Testing.

Many studies use glucose values from electronic medical record data to identify patients with prediabetes and diabetes (1–3). Since diagnostic criteria are based on fasting glucose (4), investigators often choose to assume that patients were fasting if phlebotomy was performed in the morning. We sought to assess the validity of the assumption that outpatient morning measurements are fasting measures. We surveyed adult patients (age ≥18 years) presenting for phlebotomy at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center between 7:00 a.m. and noon over 2 weeks in November 2018. Patients responded to a four-question written survey provided by the registration staff. The survey asked 1 ) about their fasting status, 2 ) whether the ordering provider instructed them to fast, 3 ) whether they were getting a glucose and/or cholesterol test (“If you know which blood test(s) you are getting done, please select ones that are included on the list below,” with answer options of “glucose” and “cholesterol panel”), and 4 ) what …
A Structure and Principle of Operation of the Adaptive Control System of the Underwater Vehicle Motion

There are two characteristic states of an underwater vehicle. The first one is a state of manoeuvring during searching and approaching the target and the second one is a state of keeping at constant distance above or to the target. In the paper some aspects of an optimal control of the vehicle are considered. The main assumption is that the non-linear mathematical model describing its motion can be replaced by the linear model. The identification of parameters of the linear model enables calculation of quasi optimal control signals, that taking into account the influence of external perturbations, drive the vehicle along the given trajectory. The structure description, principle of operation of the adaptive control system and results of computer simulation are presented.
Institutional Customization: Geography, Meanings, and Investing Practices in the Slow Money Field

This paper explores the interplay of the institutional environment and local interactions in shaping heterogeneity of practices in emerging fields. Analysis of micro-level interactions within the S...
Christian Faith and University Life: Stewards of the Academy

Christian Faith and the University Life: Stewards of the Academy is an edited volume of thoughtful essays encouraging the reader to consider the purpose of the Christian research university and our...
Oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL) stimulates ovarian carcinoma proliferation that is inhibited by the LXR agonist T0901317

3465 Obesity negatively impacts the survival of ovarian cancer patients. We recently reported outcomes data from 216 ovarian cancer patients and demonstrated that obesity was associated with reduced progression free and overall survival, and that obesity was an independent predictor of survival. To investigate the underlying mechanism that accounts for this association, we examined the effect of oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL) and the liver X receptor (LXR) agonist T0901317 on ovarian cancer cell growth. Increases in oxidized LDL are associated with obesity and other obesity-related disorders including atherosclerosis and diabetes. The LXR nuclear receptors (LXRα and LXRβ) are dietary cholesterol sensors that when activated stimulate lipid efflux from cells by activating ATP binding cassette transporter genes (ABCA1 and others). T0901317 is a synthetic nonsteroidal ligand to LXR that mediates lipid efflux by ABCA1, and in mouse models, increases plasma HDL, stimulates cholesterol excretion, and reduces liver cholesterol. We treated 3 ovarian cancer cell lines (CAOV3, OVCAR3 and SKOV3) with oxidized LDL and measured the resultant changes in proliferation by MTT assays. A dose-dependent increase in cellular proliferation was seen with increasing oxidized LDL concentration. We determined that concentrations of T0901317 between 100-250 ng/ml significantly inhibited the proliferation of all 3 cell lines while higher doses had no effects. Combinations of oxidized LDL and T0901317 were investigated: CAOV3, OVCAR3 and SKOV3 growth was stimulated with 50 μg/ml oxidized LDL but this effect was almost completely reversed with the addition of 100 ng/ml T0901317. Among the three lines, OVCAR3 was most responsive to oxidized LDL with 40% growth stimulation but only 10% in the presence of T0901317. T0901317 reversal of oxidized LDL-mediated proliferation confirmed that intracellular LDL was responsible for growth stimulation. We are now investigating how oxidized LDL might reduce the sensitivity of these ovarian carcinoma cell lines to cisplatin. There are few studies on the effects of cholesterol on cancer proliferation and the beneficial effects of statins on cancer growth. These data demonstrate that proliferation of ovarian cancer cells can be stimulated by cholesterol. Dietary or genetically mediated increases in circulating cholesterol in obese ovarian cancer patients may contribute to the aggressive ovarian cancer biology observed in clinical studies.
Tokyo Cartographies of Mystery and Crime

This chapter looks at works that map a Tokyo where events arising from individuals’ “deeper psychic drives”—to quote terminology used by Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson (2000)—unfold across telephone lines, in the bedrooms of luxury condo buildings, on the city’s watery margins, in a crowded train car in full public view, within the walls of fraying apartments and those of well-tended homes, on the streets of prosperous neighborhoods, in the shadows of the city made visible on the dark web, beneath the surface of the city’s pavement, and within an alternate world. The novels and short stories discussed here expose extreme and unrelenting bullying, sexual abuse and exploitation, domestic violence, random attacks on women walking alone at night, and, of course, murder for multiple reasons and taking multiple forms. They also extend to fearsome events arising out of the natural world. Collectively, the materials illustrate a point made by Philip Howell (1998) that works of crime fiction—to which can be added mystery fiction broadly defined—“can be taken … as alternative epistemologies of the city, worthy of as much consideration as radical geography’s urban knowledge.”
Update of Operative Log Data for Traditional versus Integrated Vascular Training Programs

Background In 2006, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved an integrated 5-year vascular surgery residency program creating a 2-tiered system of training for vascular surgeons. The question remains if the new paradigm is equivalent to the traditional training. The true test of this may be looking at data from fully trained surgeons in their first years of practice. It is hard to obtain this data. There are surrogate methods that can be used. Operative experience of trainees is readily available as a substitute. The purpose of this study is to compare the operative experience of those graduating from the traditional (5 + 2) vascular training program with the integrated (0 + 5) program. Methods National operative case log data supplied by the ACGME was gathered and organized for vascular surgery residents graduating between 2013 and 2019. Mean case numbers were compared between integrated vascular residents and traditional vascular fellows (mean case numbers for vascular fellows included cases from their general surgery residencies). Results The 5 + 2 trainees performed an average of 35% more total procedures than the 0 + 5 trainees (1,662 ± 7 vs. 1,084 ± 12). The greater number of overall procedures performed by the 5 + 2 trainees was primarily realized by an increased number of abdominal (e.g., biliary, small/large intestine) cases. However, the 0 + 5 trainees performed 8% more vascular procedures (858 ± 10 vs. 794 ± 3). The greater number of vascular procedures performed by the 0 + 5 trainees was primarily realized by increased mean numbers of endovascular and venous procedure cases. Conclusions The integrated 0 + 5 graduates performed more total vascular procedures than their 5 + 2 counterparts. The overall total operative experience remains greater for the traditional 5 + 2 graduates, given their additional 2 years of training. Further longitudinal studies will be needed to fully assess the effect of the newer integrated 0 + 5 training paradigm.
Use of Physician-Estimated and Patient Self-Reported Weights to Guide Initial Fluid Resuscitation in Emergency Department Patients With Suspected Sepsis:

Background:Knowledge of patient weight is required to guide initial intravenous fluid therapy for patients with sepsis-associated hypotension or elevated lactate. Previous studies have shown patien...
Projected climate and land use changes drive plant community composition in agricultural wetlands

ABSTRACT Playa wetlands in the Great Plains, USA support a wide variety of plant species not found elsewhere in this agriculturally-dominated region due to the ephemeral presence of standing water and hydric soils within playas. If longer dry periods occur due to climate change or if changes in surrounding land use alter sediment accumulation rates and water storage capacity in playas, plant communities could experience decreased diversity, with lasting effects on ecosystem services provided by playas in the Great Plains and at a continental-level in North America. We quantified potential changes in playa wetland plant community composition associated with predicted changes in precipitation and land use in the Great Plains through the end of the 21st century. We conducted two six-month greenhouse experiments mimicking field conditions using intact mesocosms collected from playas in Nebraska and Texas. In the precipitation experiment, treatments derived from historical precipitation observations and three future moderate emissions (CMIP5 RCP4.5) downscaled climate projections were applied to mesocosms. For the land use experiment, treatments were simulated by nitrogen (N) applications to soil ranging from 0 to 100 mg-N L-1 with each precipitation event under historical rainfall patterns, representing increasing and decreasing area in agricultural use in playa watersheds. Plant communities tended to shift toward more native species under projected future climate conditions, but as N runoff increased, native species richness decreased. Agricultural land-use surrounding playas may have a greater effect on wetland plant communities than future alterations to hydrology based on climate change in the Great Plains; thus, efforts to reduce nutrient runoff into playas would likely mitigate loss in ecosystem function in the coming decades.
Beyond bulk single-chain sequencing: Getting at the whole receptor.

Abstract Recent advancements in paired B-cell receptor sequencing technologies have accelerated the development of simpler, high-throughput pipelines for generating native antibody heavy and light chain pairs used to elucidate novel antibodies and provide insights into antibody response against pathogenic targets. These technologies involve single-cell isolation, using either single wells or emulsified droplets to maintain physical separation of individual cells, followed by sequencing. The development of novel single wells and emulsion-based workflows addresses key challenges by improving throughput of single-cell analyses, reducing method complexity, and integrating functional assays into existing workflows. Enabled by paired B-cell receptor sequencing, functional characterization of pathogen-specific antibodies reveals immunological insights beyond bulk sequencing.
Integrating pragmatism and rigor - impact of the pandemic on a randomized controlled trial of a complex intervention

The objectives here were to present a model of transparent reporting and pragmatic RCT design adaptation, and to promote discussion regarding best practices for overcoming the challenge of detecting intervention-specific changes in pain within the context of variable psychosocial factors due to the pandemic. Methods included an ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is examining the effect of pain education combined with exercise on pain in patients with chronic Achilles tendinopathy. We hypothesized that a biopsychosocial approach to patient education would reduce movement-evoked pain more than standard care (biomedical education and exercise). Since March 2020, challenges have included a temporary halt of in-person human subjects research, adapting virtual screening procedures to maintain confidentiality and safety, need to obtain telehealth license in multiple states, inability to use specialized laboratory equipment to evaluate secondary outcomes, and gradual resumption of in-person visits with PPE. As COVID-19 prevented the trial from proceeding as planned, we adapted our design to both exploit new opportunities and maintain high standards of transparency and rigor. We maintained study enrollment by modifying screening, evaluation, and treatment to accommodate virtual participation with consistent content. We adjusted our aims to include an a priori hypothesis that differential effects of a biopsychosocial versus biomedical approach on pain may be magnified during a pandemic. Additionally, strategies developed to adapt to an altered research-environment may be useful tools for future RCTs to facilitate participant recruitment and retention. We logged changes in a time-stamped manner on Open Science Framework; full disclosure will be ensured in final reports at Clinicaltrials.gov and publications. Adaptive designs are at risk of low confidence unless full transparency is integrated into research processes. Our own efforts to integrate changes to research design and conduct, with contemporary standards of transparency and rigor, provide opportunities for future research practice during and post-COVID. Funding for this study was provided by the National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease (NIAMS) research grant R00 AR071517 and by the Collaborative Research Grant from the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UL1TR002537. These funding sources had no role in study design, collection, analysis/interpretation of data, or decision on submission for publication. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Species Tree Inference on Data with Paralogs is Accurate Using Methods Intended to Deal with Incomplete Lineage Sorting

Abstract Many recent phylogenetic methods have focused on accurately inferring species trees when there is gene tree discordance due to incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). For almost all of these methods, and for phylogenetic methods in general, the data for each locus is assumed to consist of orthologous, single-copy sequences. Loci that are present in more than a single copy in any of the studied genomes are excluded from the data. These steps greatly reduce the number of loci available for analysis. The question we seek to answer in this study is: What happens if one runs such species tree inference methods on data where paralogy is present, in addition to or without ILS being present? Through simulation studies and analyses of two large biological data sets, we show that running such methods on data with paralogs can still provide accurate results. We use multiple different methods, some of which are based directly on the multispecies coalescent (MSC) model, and some of which have been proven to be statistically consistent under it. We also treat the paralogous loci in multiple ways: from explicitly denoting them as paralogs, to randomly selecting one copy per species. In all cases the inferred species trees are as accurate as equivalent analyses using single-copy orthologs. Our results have significant implications for the use of ILS-aware phylogenomic analyses, demonstrating that they do not have to be restricted to single-copy loci. This will greatly increase the amount of data that can be used for phylogenetic inference.
Facing Black and Jew: Literature as Public Space in Twentieth-Century America

A reading of African American and Jewish American writers from Henry Roth and Ralph Ellison to Philip Roth and David Bradley. Reading the work of such writers alongside and through one another, Newton's book offers an original way of juxtaposing two major traditions in modern American literature, and rethinking the sometimes vexed relationship between two constituencies ordinarily confined to sociopolitical or media commentary alone. Newton combines Emmanuel Levinas's ethical philosophy and Walter Benjamin's theory of allegory in shaping an innovative kind of ethical-political criticism. Through artful, dialogical readings of Saul Bellow and Chester Himes, David Mamet and Anna Deavere Smith, and others, Newton seeks to represent American Blacks and Jews outside the distorting mirror of 'Black-Jewish Relations', and restrictive literary histories alike. A final chapter addresses the Black/Jewish dimension of the O. J. Simpson trial.
Elevator safety: give the miner a brake

Basic elevator principles, elevator safety hazards and regulations and several methods available to provide ascending car overspeed protection are reviewed. A pneumatic rope brake which grips the suspension ropes and stops the elevator during emergency conditions is described. The result of several tests performed on the rope brake system are discussed. >
Enzymatic joining of polynucleotides. VI. Activity of a synthetic adenylylated polydeoxynucleotide in the reaction.

Abstract Polydeoxythymidylate in which the 5'-terminal phosphate is linked by a pyrophosphate bond to adenosine 5'-phosphate (poly dT-adenylate) serves as an intermediate in the reactions catalyzed by the Escherichia coli and T4-induced polynucleotide joining enzymes in the presence of polydeoxyadenylate. Adenosine 5'-phosphate release and phosphodiester bond formation occur stoichiometrically and with the same time course. The reaction is inhibited by DPN; hence it may be inferred that enzyme-adenylate is inactive in the reaction. The Km of the E. coli joining enzyme for poly dT-adenylate is 1 to 3 µm; the Km for poly dT is 0.003 µm. The specific activity of the E. coli enzyme measured at saturating substrate concentrations is 2 to 5 times higher with poly dT-adenylate than with poly dT.
Open Scholarship and Research Universities

Compare the cost per article for publication in commercial journals, not-profit journals, and open-access journals. For universities that support open-archives and open-access journal management software as part of standard university infrastructure, the financial cost of hosting an additional journal is quite low. Scholars who commit to editing and promoting a journal need to focus primarily on the intellectual tasks with little concern for finances.
Diktuon: Drupal - CMS and Beyond

Libraries are continuing to broaden and develop their online presence. Patrons are no longer satisfied with static web pages detailing hours of operation, staff contact information, and services. Libraries have employed various tools to meet the ever-evolving needs of patrons. One such tool is the all-so-common “Content Management System” (CMS), with the most popular system known as Drupal (http://www.drupal.org). Simply stated, “Drupal is a free software package that allows you to easily organize, manage and publish your content, with an endless variety of customization” (http://www.drupal.org/about). Drupal was first developed by Dries Buytaert at the University of Antwerp in 1999 and was released into the open-source community under the name “Drupal” (an Anglicization of the Dutch word druppel or “drop”). Though Drupal is commonly referred to as a CMS, it is actually a “content management framework,” and, as such, it allows for extensibility and scalability through the addition of various user-created modules that build upon its core framework.1 Libraries have been employing Drupal in a number of ways, including managing the library’s web presence, extending the functionality of their online catalog, and providing a framework for digital collections.
Nuclear Pore Complex Models Gel

Proteins in the pores of the cell's nuclear membrane form a stable but elastic structure which allows the exchange of materials between the nucleus and the cytoplasm.
Directed Rehearsal and Preservice Teachers' Performance of Instructional Behaviors

This investigation evaluated the use of directed rehearsal to improve the teaching behaviors of four preservice elementary physical education teachers during a teaching practicum. Directed rehearsal consisted of two phases: (a) initial feedback following baseline, review of teaching behaviors, and rehearsal; and (b) rehearsal contingent upon errors made during each lesson. Three teaching behaviors were assessed using a multiple baseline design across behaviors for each teacher. Social validity in the form of the acceptability of directed rehearsal as a teacher training intervention also was assessed using a questionnaire. Results indicate that directed rehearsal was effective in improving the teaching behaviors of the four teachers in this study to 100% correct implementation. In addition, the intervention was acceptable to the teachers and the class instructor.
Non‐isothermal channel flow of non‐Newtonian fluids with viscous heating

Approximate analytical solutions of the local temperature variations, due to viscous heating, in channel flows of non-Newtonian fluids with small Nahme-Griffith numbers were obtained by the WKB-J method. The results are general and easy to use so that extensive numerical computations are not required. Comparisons between the approximate analytical solution and complete numerical solution showed that the relative differences were very small.
Beyond the pole vault: catapult – the fourth jump

A new track and field event is proposed in which an elastic pole – essentially a pole vault pole – is used to jump for maximum horizontal distance. Analysis indicates that significant horizontal jumping distances are possible, perhaps in excess of 20 m.
Effects of In Utero Administration of Alcohol on Glutathione Levels in Brain and Liver

Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that the ontogenic development of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GTP) activity is delayed by the in utero administration of alcohol. γ-GTP is responsible for the degradation and recycling of glutathione (GSH) via the γ-glutamyl cycle. In this study, we examined the effects of the in utero administration of alcohol on GSH levels in gestational age 21-day-old (g21) rats. Pregnant rats were placed on a liquid diet containing either 35% ethanol-derived calories (35% EDC) or a pair-fed (PF) diet or a lab chow (LC) diet starting on day 1 of gestation and maintained on their respective diets until gestational day 21. On gestational day 21, the pups were delivered by Cesarean section and brains and livers removed and prepared for analysis of GSH, γ-GTP, or γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCSyn). GSH levels in brain and liver were found to be significantly lower in the offspring of the 35% EDC-treated mothers than from the PF and LC controls. γ-GTP activity was higher in brain and liver of the 35% EDC group than the PF group. γ-GCSyn, the enzyme involved in the rate-limiting step of GSH synthesis, was not affected in liver, but was found to be decreased in brain of the 35% EDC and PF groups when compared with the LC group. GSH is involved in many cellular reactions that appear to protect the cell from damage. The depletion of GSH by alcohol during development may make the developing fetus more susceptible to the toxic effects of alcohol or the free radicals generated by its metabolism.
Assessment of myocardial involvement using cardiac troponin-I and echocardiography in rheumatic carditis in Izmir, Turkey.

Background: Acute rheumatic carditis is still a major problem in developing countries. Cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) has been identified as a sensitive and specific marker in the diagnosis of myocarditis in children and adults. Methods: A prospective study was performed using Doppler echocardiography and cTnI in order to detect myocardial involvement in 26 consecutive patients with acute rheumatic valvular disease. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1, rheumatic fever with carditis (n > 16); group 2, rheumatic fever without carditis (n > 10). Results: Clinically age, gender, body temperature, heart rate and white blood count did not differ significantly between the groups and the age-matched control group. C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anti-streptolysin-O were significantly different. Left ventricular fractional shortening was normal in all patients (group 1, 37 ± 10%; group 2, 34 ± 5%; NS). Left ventricular dimensions were larger in group 1, in which all patients except two had moderate to severe mitral and/or aortic valvular regurgitation (5.05 ± 0.75 cm/m2) compared to group 2, in which none had valvular regurgitation (3.27 ± 0.26 cm/m2, P < 0.05). None of the patients in either group presented with or developed pericarditis. Mean cTnI was 0.12 ± 0.034 ng/mL in group 2 and 0.077 ± 0.02 in group 1, the difference of which was not statistically significant. Neither significant cTnI elevations nor echocardiographic systolic function abnormalities were found in the present patients with rheumatic carditis. Conclusions: The present results indicate the absence of myocardial involvement in acute rheumatic carditis without congestive heart failure.
Allergic rhinitis: Definition, epidemiology, pathophysiology, detection, and diagnosis ☆ ☆☆

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a heterogeneous disorder that despite its high prevalence is often undiagnosed. It is characterized by one or more symptoms including sneezing, itching, nasal congestion, and rhinorrhea. Many causative agents have been linked to AR including pollens, molds, dust mites, and animal dander. Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) is fairly easy to identify because of the rapid and reproducible onset and offset of symptoms in association with pollen exposure. Perennial AR is often more difficult to detect than SAR because of the overlap with sinusitis, respiratory infections, and vasomotor rhinitis. SAR can result in hyperresponsiveness to allergens such as cigarette smoke, once pollen season is over. Perennial AR is defined as occurring during approximately 9 months of the year. AR affects an estimated 20 to 40 million people in the United States alone, and the incidence is increasing; an estimated 20% of cases are SAR; 40% of cases are perennial rhinitis; and 40% of cases are mixed. The pathophysiology of SAR is complex. There is a strong genetic component to the allergic response, which is driven through mucosal infiltration and action on plasma cells, mast cells, and eosinophils. The allergic response occurs in two phases, which are considered the “early” and “late” phase responses. Early phase response occurs within minutes of exposure to the allergen and tends to produce sneezing, itching, and clear rhinorrhea; late phase response occurs 4 to 8 hours after allergen exposure and is characterized by congestion, fatigue, malaise, irritability, and possibly neurocognitive deficits. The key to diagnosis of AR is awareness of signs and symptoms. IgE antibody tests to detect specific allergens are the standard method used today; however, in addition, diagnosis must be confirmed with a positive history and demonstration that the symptoms are the result of IgE-mediated inflammation. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001;108:S2-8.)
Efficient estimation for case‐cohort studies

The author considers time-to-event data from case-cohort designs. As existing methods are either inefficient or based on restrictive assumptions concerning the censoring mechanism, he proposes a semi-parametrically efficient estimator under the usual assumptions for Cox regression models. The estimator in question is obtained by a one-step Newton-Raphson approximation that solves the efficient score equations with initial value obtained from an existing method. The author proves that the estimator is consistent, asymptotically efficient and normally distributed in the limit. He also resorts to simulations to show that the proposed estimator performs well in finite samples and that it considerably improves the efficiency of existing pseudo-likelihood estimators when a correlate of the missing covariate is available. Although he focuses on the situation where covariates are discrete, the author also explores how the method can be applied to models with continuous covariates. L'auteur s'interesse a des temps d'attente pour des plans de type cas-cohorte. Comme les methodes existantes sont soit inefficaces, soit fondees sur des postulats restrictifs concernant le mecanisme de censure, il propose un estimateur semiparametriquement efficace sous les conditions usuelles pour les modeles de regression de Cox. L'estimateur en question resulte d'une approximation du premier ordre de Newton-Raphson des equations scores efficaces initialisees au moyen d'une methode existante. L'auteur demontre que l'estimateur est convergent, asymptotiquement efficace et de loi limite normale. Il a en outre recours a des simulations pour montrer que l'estimateur propose se comporte bien a taille finie et qu'il s'avere beaucoup plus efficace que les estimateurs de pseudo-vraisemblance lorsque l'on dispose d'une variable correlee avec une covariable manquante. Bien que son attention se porte principalement sur le cas des covariables discretes, l'auteur explique aussi comment la methode peut ětre appliquee aux modeles a covariables continues.
Thin-Film Molecular Materials Based on Tetrametallic “Squares”: Nanoscale Porosity and Size-Selective Guest Transport Characteristics

Described are the preparation and functional characterization of nanocrystalline and/or amorphous thin films comprising of neutral “molecular squares” of the form [Re(CO)3(Cl)(μ-L)]4 (L = difunctional imine or azine ligand). The films are strongly adherent, stable in aqueous media, and characterized by comparatively few pinhole defects. Electrochemical transport experiments show that the materials are exceptionally porous with respect to sufficiently small solution-phase permeants but blocking toward larger permeants. Related thin-film experiments based on monometallic “corner” materials indicate efficient exclusion of all candidate permeant molecules evaluated. For the title materials, these experiments, together with additional electrochemical probe experiments, indicate that (1) membranelike permeation via pores or tunnels of about nanometer diameter is the primary mode of transport of molecular and ionic species through thin films and (2) the transport-relevant pore or tunnel diameter is defined by th...
Reductive Quenching of the Triplet State of Zinc Cytochrome c by the Hexacyanoferrate(II) Anion and by Conjugate Bases of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid

The long-lived triplet state of zinc cytochrome c, designated 3Zn(cyt), has often been used as a reductant, in oxidative-quenching reactions. This article seems to be the first report of the use of 3Zn(cyt) as an oxidant, in two reductive-quenching reactions. Conjugate bases (anions) of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) quench 3Zn(cyt) at pH 6.5 with the observed rate constant that is 2 times greater than the rate constant for natural decay of this excited state. Electrostatic attraction between these quenchers and Zn(cyt) is a necessary but not sufficient condition for quenching. A transient species observed at 690 nm has the absorbance and the time profile expected of the anion radical Zn(cyt)-. Detection of this species is possible because of the rapid decomposition of EDTA upon oxidation. The complex [Fe(CN)6]4- quenches 3Zn(cyt) at pH 7.0 with the rate constant of (1.5 ± 0.3) × 108 M-1 s-1. This fast quenching is not caused by electrostatic association of 3Zn(cyt) and [Fe(CN)6]4- nor by energy t...
Two new mononuclear gold(I)–nitrogen [N,N′-di(2,6-methyl)phenylformamidine] complexes: Syntheses and crystal structures

Abstract Two gold(I) mononuclear complexes have been prepared by reacting gold(I) tetrahydrothiophene with N,N′-di(2,6-methyl)phenylformamidine. The neutral complex [N,N′-di(2,6-methyl)phenylformamidine)–gold(I) chloride (C17H20AuClN2) (1), crystallizes in the triclinic group P 1 ¯ while the cationic [N,N′-di(2,6-methyl)phenylformamidine](tetrahydrothiophene)–gold(I) (C21H28AuN2S) (2) crystallizes with a nitrate anion in the monoclinic group P2(1)/n. Both compounds are good starting materials for synthetic gold chemistry.
A method for the isolation and determination of ferric ethylenediamine di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) in soil studies

Contraversal results about the behaviour of Fe-EDDHA in soils is thought to be due to the indirect methods used for determining the iron chelate compound in soils. The purpose of this investigation is to develop a method for isolation of Fe-EDDHA from soil extracts inorder to be determined separatly.
Services' influence on minority portrayals in magazine advertising

Purpose – The primary goal of this study is to examine how services advertising strategy relates to the prevalence of minority portrayals in magazine advertisements.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a content analysis method. Over 1,000 advertisements were collected, and 455 were employed in the study. Chi‐square difference tests were used to test hypotheses. A second sample was collected to verify some initial findings.Findings – It was found that minority models were more likely to appear in advertisements for services than in advertisements for goods. Differences were also found across types of services. Asian models were overrepresented in advertisements for technologies, a product category with a strong services influence.Research limitations/implications – Emphasis was placed on portrayals of African‐Americans and Asians, so findings are most directly applicable to these groups. The generalizability of the results may be limited to the types of publications from which the sample was drawn...
Partnering to Enhance the Nursing Curriculum: Electronic Medical Record Accessibility

Abstract The University of Saint Francis (USF) has partnered with Parkview Health System, an acute care facility, to integrate an electronic medical record (EMR) system into the undergraduate nursing curriculum at USF. Through an Internet connect account designed by Parkview Health, students and faculty have access to Parkview's EMR training system anywhere they have an Internet connection. Parkview Health has agreed to allow USF nursing students and faculty access to its EMR training system at no cost. This project is an effort to enhance nursing students' competence and confidence in using EMR systems while providing nurse educators with the technology to facilitate hands-on, interactive teaching methods that will prepare the next generation of nurses for the technologically rich environment of health care.
Prediction of Intelligence with the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery:

Correlations between scores on the Intellectual Processes Subscale of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery and IQs from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale were studied in a group of 81 ...
Short timescale broad emission-line flux variability in high-luminosity active galactic nuclei

The standard model of AGN suggests that the broad-line regions of high-luminosity AGN should be so large that any variability in the broad emission-line fluxes should be on timescales of about 2-4 yr or more. Spectrophotometric observations of eight radio-quiet QSOs over a period of 1 yr revealed definite H-beta flux variability in one of these objects and possibly in two others. This may be an indication that the BLRs in high-luminosity AGNs are much smaller than those predicted by the standard model, as is apparently the case in Seyfert galaxies. 28 refs.
Subdivision of the Precambrian — A brief review and a report on recent decisions by the subcommission on Precambrian Stratigraphy

Abstract In contrast to the Phanerozoic, for which there exists an internationally accepted, detailed time scale, the Precambrian, representing more than four-fifths of all recorded Earth history, is completely without an accepted scheme for time classification. Inspection of the many published proposals for subdivision of the Precambrian reveals much diversity in underlying concept, means of definition, and nomenclature. Most schemes are based on orogenic or magmatic-tectonic cycles, but others are keyed in principle to sedimentary sequences, to total Earth history, or to combinations of various concepts. Several are reviewed as examples. Considered in terms of basic criteria, few if any of the published proposals are entirely satisfactory, and none appears a likely candidate for international acceptance. The Subcommission on Precambrian Stratigraphy of the International Union of Geological Sciences, at its meeting in Cape Town, 11.7.1977–15.7.1977, has taken the initial step toward formulation of a complete time scale by recommending acceptance of a division of the Precambrian into Proterozoic and Archean. These time units have the status of eons , equivalent to the Phanerozoic, though of much greater duration. The age of the time boundary between Proterozoic and Archean is defined as 2500 Ma.
Thermoreversible Gelation of Isotropic and Liquid Crystalline Solutions of a “Sticky” Rodlike Polymer

Thermoreversible gelation of rodlike poly(A-stearyl-R-L-glutamate) in n-dodecane has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy, visual observations, and temperature ramped fluorescence photobleaching recovery. Solutions spanning a wide range of concentra- tions can produce gels. In solutions that are initially liquid crystalline, long-range features such as cholesteric twist appear to be frozen by gelation. Although gelation is rapid, some of the polymer molecules retain significant mobility, allowing the gels to "cure" slowly.
Effects of methoxyflurane on canine cerebral metabolism and blood flow.

The rate of cerebral oxygen consumption (CMRo2) and the cerebral blood flow (CBF) were determined in eight dogs at three end-expired concentrations of methoxyflurane (means >0.1, 0.25, and 0.44 per cent). With each increase in concentration above >0.1 per cent, a significant decrease in CMRo2 was observed (approximately 10 and 25 per cent less than the >0.1 per cent value, respectively). The cerebrovascular effects of methoxyflurane were less striking. At 0.25 per cent, a small but significant increase in CBF and a decrease in (cerebral vascular resistance) CVR were observed, compared with the >0.1 per cent values. No further significant change was observed at higher concentrations. The cerebrovascular responses to changes in Paco2 were tested at 0.25 per cent end-expired methoxyflurane. Over a range of Paco2 of approximately 20 mm Hg (30 to 50 mm Hg), the expected responses of CBF and CVR were observed. The authors conclude that methoxyflurane resembles halothane in its overall cerebral metabolic effects but, unlike halothane, produces only modest changes in CVR and CBF.
Homocysteine, atherogenesis and thrombosis

Summary Clinical studies indicate that moderately elevated levels of homocysteine are associated with both atherosclerosis and venous thrombosis. We review new studies that shed light on potential mechanisms for the vascular toxicity of homocysteine. Homocysteine stimulates vascular smooth muscle cells to proliferate and to synthesize collagen, hallmarks of atherogenesis. Homocysteine also adversely effects the anticoagulant systems that are mediated by the vascular endothelium. Homocysteine inhibits the expression and activity of endothelial cell-surface thrombomodulin, the thrombin cofactor responsible for protein C activation. Homocysteine inhibits the antithrombin III binding activity of endothelial heparan sulfate proteoglycan, thereby suppressing the anticoagulant effect of AT III. Homocysteine has been found to inhibit the fibrinolytic properties of the endothelial surface by inhibiting the binding of tissue plasminogen activator to a cell-surface receptor. Homocysteine also stimulates HUVEC tissue factor activity. The binding of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) to fibrin may explain, in part, its atherogenicity. Homocysteine dramatically enhances the affinity between Lp(a), and fibrin providing a link between elevated levels of homocysteine, Lp(a) and atherosclerosis.