cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short-term calcitriol administration improves calcium homeostasis in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Osteoporosis is a well-defined health risk in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients due to many factors. Vitamin D insufficiency, despite routine cholecalciferol supplementation in CF patients, may contribute to a relative secondary hyperparathyroidism and possibly deficient bone mineralization. An alternate form of vitamin D, calcitriol, was studied to determine short-term effects on fractional calcium absorption and other calciotropic markers in 10 adult CF subjects and in 10 age-, sex- and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. Serum fractional absorption of 45Ca was determined after a calcium-containing meal prior to calcitriol intervention. Other measurements included serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), ionized calcium, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) and urinary calcium:creatinine and N-telopeptide (NTx) concentrations. Both groups were then given calcitriol (0.5 µg p.o. b.i.d. for 14 days) and restudied following the same protocol. Both groups increased their fractional absorption of 45Ca after calcitriol (p=0.015 CF subjects, p=0.001 controls), although calcitriol tended to be less effective in the CF group compared with the controls (p=0.055). Post-prandial serum PTH concentrations were suppressed compared with baseline in both groups (p=0.03 CF subjects, p=0.006 controls). Urinary NTx concentrations, a marker for bone resorption, decreased significantly in CF subjects after calcitriol (96.0±16.0 vs 63.9±12.7 nmol BCE/mmol Cr, p=0.01) and remained unchanged in the control group. The controls had an increase in serum 1,25(OH)2D concentrations (69.9±4.2 vs 90.7±9.6 pmol/l, p=0.02) while there was no significant change in the CF group. Oral calcitriol administration appears to improve markers of calcium balance in adults with CF by increasing fractional absorption of 45Ca and lowering PTH concentrations, similar to its known effects in healthy subjects, while also suppressing urinary NTx, a marker of bone turnover.
Synthesis and reactivity of [(silox)2Mo=NR]2Hg (R=tBu, tAmyl; silox=OSitBu3): unusual thermal stability and ready nucleophilic cleavage rationalized by electronic factors.

Treatment of (DME)Cl2Mo(NR)2 (R = tBu, (1-tBu), tAmyl (1-tAmyl)) with 2 equiv of tBu3SiOH (siloxH) and 1 equiv of HCl produced (silox)2Cl2MoNR (R = tBu, (3-tBu), tAmyl (3-tAmyl)); subsequent reduction by Na/Hg afforded the Mo(V) chloride, (silox)2ClMoNtBu (4-tBu), and the Mo(IV) mercury derivatives, [(silox)2MoNR]2Hg (R = tBu ((5-tBu)2Hg), tAmyl ((5-tAmyl)2Hg)). Reductions of 3-tBu and 3-tAmyl in the presence of L (L = PMe3, pyridine, 4-picoline) led to the isolation of adducts (silox)2(Me3P)MoNR (R = tBu (6-tBu), tAmyl (6-tAmyl)) and (silox)2L2MoNtBu (L = py (7-py), 4-pic (7-4-pic)). Single-crystal X-ray structural investigations of pseudo-tetrahedral 4-tBu, Hg-capped, pseudo-trigonal planar (5-tBu)2Hg, pseudo-tetrahedral 6-tBu, and trigonal bipyramidal 7-4-pic reveal that all possess a closed O−Mo−O angle when compared to the NMo−O angles. A molecular orbital rationale and supporting calculations suggest that this is a manifestation of the greater π-donating ability of the imido relative to that of the ...
Picosecond soft-x-ray source from subpicosecond laser-produced plasmas

Short-pulse high-intensity laser–plasma interactions are investigated experimentally with temporally and spectrally resolved soft-x-ray diagnostics. We demonstrate that, by adjustment of the incident laser flux, the pulse width of the laser-produced x rays emitted from solid targets may be varied to as short as the picosecond time scale. Bright, picosecond, broadband emission characteristic of a short-scale-length high-density plasma is produced only when a high laser contrast (1010) is used. The results are found to be in qualitative agreement with both the predictions of a simple model of radiation from a collisionally dominated atomic system and the results obtained from a numerical simulation.
Health‐related barriers to learning among graduate students

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the perceived impact of various health concerns on the academic performance of health sciences graduate students.Design/methodology/approach – The American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment (ACHA‐NCHA), a 58‐item anonymous survey, was distributed to all graduate health science students during a five‐week period in the spring semester.Findings – Students (n=1,355) were most likely to report a negative perceived academic impact related to psychosocial concerns such as stress, depression/anxiety, and relationship problems. The students' most pressing felt concerns were upper respiratory infections, stress, concerns about troubled loved ones and sleep difficulties. Clinical graduate students (n=712) were significantly more likely to report negative academic impacts related to upper respiratory infections (p=0.001), concern about a troubled friend or family member (p=0.001), sleep difficulties (p=0.005), relationship difficulties (p...
Optimal Design of Cooling Flow Path by Homogenization Design Method

Topology optimization by homogenization design method has made successful results in the structural design. The idea can be extended to find an optimal structure which interacts with fluid flow, which is coupled to energy conservation. From the fact that an initial design domain is a type of black box composed of repetitions of unit microcells, analysis of a fluid flow through porous media is to be accomplished. Newly developed unit cell structure makes fluid run through a void area in the microcell. The fluid flow is governed by Darcy’s law which is theoretically derived by applying homogenization theory to momentum and continuity equation while assuming inertia-less viscous flow. A sequential linear programming is implemented to converge a final structure as an optimum.© 2002 ASME
Intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator for an ischemic stroke in a 21-year-old Hispanic woman with elevated beta human chorionic gonadotropin and complex clinical history

The following case report discusses a 21-year-old Hispanic woman who was brought to the emergency room for evaluation because of experiencing acute left-sided hemiparesis with anosognosia. Upon further assessment, the patient was found to have a positive blood test for methamphetamines, positive human chorionic gonadotropin for pregnancy, and a history of patent foramen ovale. Neurological examination of the patient revealed left hemiparesis, dysarthria, and homonymous hemianopsia of the left side with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale of 12. Given the patient's assessment and positive radiological findings of a clot located within the right M1 segmental branch of the middle cerebral artery territory through the use of computed tomography angiography, deployment of intra-arterial thrombolytics within 6 hours of symptom onset was utilized. The patient's clinical course was complicated by brain swelling requiring intubation. Return of neurological function was assessed with noninvasive and invasive neurological evaluation, which showed full cognitive and physical return of the functional baseline level at discharge.
The Development of the Idea of Mathematical Proof: A 5-Year Case Study

This longitudinal case study presents a sequence of episodes that document the mathematical thinking of one child, Stephanie, over a 5-year period. Her development of the idea of mathematical justification spans grades 1-5. Stephanie worked on several combinatorics tasks in smallgroup, whole-class, and individual interview settings. The documented events indicate Stephanie's progress in classifying, organizing, and reorganizing data. The study provides some significant insight into the process by which Stephanie learned to make proofs, within a setting that encouraged the development of her ideas. In a first-grade classroom 6-year-old Stephanie is observed seated around a table with three boys working on a story problem and objecting to her classmate's attempt to provide an answer without a reason.
Factors affecting common vehicle-to-vehicle collision types : Road safety priorities in an aging society

The number of older drivers (65+ years old) is increasing as a result of the baby boom generation reaching retirement age and an increase in driver's license holders among the elderly. The types of collisions incurred by older drivers are compared with those of drivers 30 to 60 years old in vehicle-to-vehicle collisions using the General Estimates System 2002-2003 sampling of reported motor vehicle collisions compiled by the NHTSA National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Multinomial logit vehicle-to-vehicle collision outcome models that account for driver, vehicle, roadway, environmental, and temporal characteristics were created for drivers age 65 and older and a comparison group of drivers 30 to 60 years old. The older drivers are significantly more prone to collisions related to vehicle turning and intersecting paths—particularly at signalized intersections—than are 30-to-60-year-old drivers. As a factor, age is elastic for same-direction and vehicle-turning crashes. Probability decreases with age ...
DOES SPECIES TRAIT COMPOSITION INFLUENCE MACROINVERTEBRATE RESPONSES TO IRRIGATION WATER WITHDRAWALS: EVIDENCE FROM THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST, USA

Irrigation water withdrawals are ubiquitous in arid and semi-arid regions; however, predictable macroinvertebrate responses have not emerged. Inconsistent responses are frequently attributed to the amount of water withdrawn, while physicochemical and biological differences among systems remain unstudied. In this study, we sought to determine if species traits influence macroinvertebrate responses to water withdrawals. We sampled above and below 12 independent water diversions experiencing discharge reductions greater than 75% in central and eastern Oregon and Washington, USA. When considering all 12 rivers, we observed significant alterations to the hydrologic environment, in addition to increased algal standing stocks, silt cover and minimum temperatures; however, macroinvertebrate responses were limited to increased downstream densities, as indices and community composition did not significantly change. Functionally, species traits were more sensitive than structural indices; proportional abundance for 12 of 52 species traits significantly differed above and below all points of diversion. Trait changes suggest a shift in functional composition to compensate for hydrologic alterations and reduced habitat area. Grouping references sites (upstream) by species trait composition revealed a strong ambient gradient of increasing resistance and resilience from high to low elevations; however, we did not find evidence for differential susceptibility to water withdrawals among trait-based reference groups. Though water withdrawals changed the representation of select species traits, frequencies of trait states most vulnerable to water withdrawals were too homogenously distributed among sites to elicit differential responses among trait-based reference groups. At larger spatial scales or among disparate hydrologic regimes, grouping systems by species traits will likely reduce variability and offer a more general currency for detecting perturbation response relationships. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Charge storage on nanostructured early transition metal nitrides and carbides

Abstract Phase pure, nanostructured V, Mo and W nitrides and carbides were synthesized and characterized in aqueous KOH and H 2 SO 4 electrolytes. Capacitances for most of the materials exceeded that expected for double layer charging and suggested a pseudocapacitive storage mechanism. With the exception of β-Mo 2 C, the materials were stable in KOH and/or H 2 SO 4 electrolytes. Capacitances for VN in KOH and γ-Mo 2 N in H 2 SO 4 were the highest and exceeded 200 F g −1 . The charge-storage species were interrogated using an ion isolation method. The results provide unambiguous evidence that OH − was the principal charge storage species responsible for the pseudocapacitance demonstrated for VN in KOH while H + was the principal species for γ-Mo 2 N in H 2 SO 4 .
3-Substituted-4-hydroxy-7-chromanylacetic acid derivatives as antagonists of the leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor

The SAR of a series of 7-chromanylacetic acids has been investigated with the aim of identifying potent and selective LTB4 receptor antagonists. We found optimal activity in derivatives with c~,c~-disubstitution on the acetic acid and a C-4 hydroxy group and a C-3 lipophilic group on the chromane ring. CP-105696 (43), which contains a 4-phenylbenzyl C-3 substituent, was selected for development. ~ 1997 Elsevier Science lad. LTB4 is a potent chemoattractant for granulocytes (e.g., neutrophils and eosinophils) and stimulates functional responses such as secretion and cytokine synthesis in these cells as well as in mononuclear cells and lymphocytes. Its presence in relevant tissues has implicated it to be a likely mediator in a number of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and asthma. Receptor antagonists of LTB4 are thus expected to be useful therapeutics tbr these diseases. To date, compounds from several structural classes have been discovered to display LTB4 antagonismJ During the course of our investigations on leukotriene D4 antagonists, we observed that certain chromanol derivatives displayed modest LTB4 antagonism in addition to LTD4 antagonism. We also noted that of all the NSAIDs examined, only the propionic acid class showed any significant parallel between their ability to block (3H) LTB4 binding to high affinity receptors on guinea pig spleen membranes and their ability to inhibit LTB4-induced human neutrophil chemotaxis} These observations led us to prepare hybrid molecules with the aim of identifying potent and selective LTB4 antagonists. Accordingly, the propionic acid derivatives 1
The probability integrals of bivariate normal distributions: A contingency table approach

SUMMARY After partitioning the plane into fine rectangular regions, the bivariate normal probability integrals over all the rectangular regions can be considered as a population contingency table. The row and column marginals of this contingency table are two discretized univariate normal distributions. The logarithm of the local cross-product ratios are approximately linear. Given the correlation coefficient of the bivariate normal, a contingency table with discretized normal marginals and proper cross-product ratios can be constructed which represents a table of probability integrals for the bivariate normal.
Weak Radiative B Meson Decay as a Probe of the Higgs Sector

Abstract We examine the rate for B-meson decay to a hard photon and strange hadronic final states (i.e., rmB→γ X s , X s = K ∗ , etc) in extension of the standard model with two Higgs doublets and no tree-level flavor-changing neutral Higgs-boson couplings. In such models the rate for B→γXs can differ dramatically from what it is in the standard model.
Effects of luteinizing hormone and growth hormone on luteal development in hypophysectomized ewes

To test the hypothesis that growth hormone (GH) as well as luteinizing hormone (LH) is required for normal luteal growth and function, 16 western range ewes were hypophysectomized (HPX) on day 5 of the estrous cycle. Ewes were randomly assigned to receive saline (S), LH, GH, or LH + GH (n=4 per group) from the time of HPX until collection of corpora lutea 7 days after HPX (day 12). Corpora lutea were also collected from pituitary-intact ewes on days 5 (day 5 control,n=4) and 12 (day 12 control,n=4) of the estrous cycle. To assess luteal function, concentrations of progesterone in sera, luteal weights and luteal concentrations of mRNA encoding cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5,Δ4 isomerase (3β-HSD) were determined. Concentrations of progesterone in sera and luteal weights increased between days 5 and 12 of the estrous cycle in control ewes, but not in HPX + S ewes. In HPX ewes treated with LH, concentrations of progesterone in sera and luteal mRNA for P450scc and 3β-HSD increased but luteal weights were unaffected. Treatment with GH increased luteal weight and luteal concentrations of mRNA encoding P450scc but did not increase concentrations of mRNA encoding 3β-HSD compared to HPX + S ewes. Concentrations of progesterone in sera of GH-treated, HPX ewes were similar to those of day 12 control ewes but not significantly different from those in HPX + S ewes. Treatment of HPX ewes with LH + GH increased all parameters of luteal function measured to values similar to those in day 12 controls. In conclusion, both GH and LH are necessary for normal luteal development in the ewe.
Retinopathy in Galactosemic Dogs Continues to Progress After Cessation of Galactosemia

Background: Progression of diabetic retinopathy in human subjects and animal models is difficult to halt promptly by intensified insulin therapy and strict glycemic control. Objective: To learn whether this resistance to arrest is peculiar to diabetes and insulin therapy or is a characteristic of hyperglycemia itself, we have determined the effect of intervention on diabetic-like retinopathy in a non-diabetic animal model, the galactose-fed dog. Methods: Dogs were given a 30% galactose diet. At the end of 24 months, the dogs were divided into two groups, one of which continued to receive the galactose diet, while the second immediately began receiving the diet minus galactose. All animals were killed after 60 months of study. Results: Consumption of the galactose-rich diet resulted, as expected, in galactosemia evident by elevated hemoglobin A1, plasma nonenzymatically glycated protein, and erythrocyte polyol concentrations, each of which decreased to normal levels following withdrawal of dietary galactose. Retinopathy was found to be equivocal at the end of 24 months of the galactose diet and subsequently progressed significantly despite cessation of the galactose diet. Conclusion: The fact that retinopathy did not halt promptly at intervention is consistent with previous data from diabetic dogs and suggests that the vascular lesions may be due to sequelae of excessive tissue aldohexose that are not promptly corrected by correction of the aldohexose level.
Long-term recidivism of mental health court defendants

The first MHC was established in 1997 and now, over 15years later, there are over 300 mental health courts in the United States. In a relatively short time these courts have become an established criminal justice intervention for persons with a mental illness. However, few studies have looked at the long-term outcomes of MHCs on criminal recidivism. Of the studies evaluating the impact of MHCs on criminal recidivism, most follow defendants after entry into the court during their participation, and only a few have followed defendants after court exit for periods of one or two years. This study follows MHC defendants for a minimum of five years to examine recidivism post-exit with particular attention to MHC completion's effect. Findings show that 53.9% of all MHC defendants were rearrested in the follow-up and averaged 15months to rearrest. Defendants who completed MHC were significantly less likely to be rearrested (39.6% vs. 74.8%), and went longer before recidivating (17.15months vs. 12.27months) than those who did not complete. This study suggests that MHCs can reduce criminal recidivism among offenders with mental illness and that this effect is sustained for several years after defendants are no longer under the court's supervision.
A theorem of Hall-Higman type for supersolvable groups

Let AC be a finite solvable group with GCIAG and (IAl, [Cl)= 1. Assume P E G is an extraspecial p-subgroup, for some prime p, PcIAG, Z(P) s Z(AG) and A acts faithfully on P/Z(P). Let k be an algebraically closed field of characteristic q #p and let M be a kAG-module such that Z(P) is not trivial on M. In their landmark paper [S], Hall and Higman state some conditions that insure that M(, contains a direct summand isomorphic to kA, in the case where A is cyclic of prime power order. Many authors have extended their results. Notably, Berger [ 11, building on some results of Dade [2], has given some sufficient conditions in the case where A is nilpotent. In [S] the case where char(k) /’ IAl and A is supersolvable is analyzed. In the present paper we look at the case where A is supersolvable and char(k) ) IAl. We prove (Theorem 3.2 below) that, if A does not involve certain groups-essentially wreath products and norm groups (see definitions l.l)-then Ml A contains a direct summand isomorphic to kA. As applications of this result we obtain, in Section 4, some results on modular linear groups with a normal Hall subgroup and a supersolvable complement. For example in Theorem 4.2 we obtain roughly the following result. Let A be a finite supersolvable group which does not involve certain groups. Suppose AC (with GQAG and (IA\, ICI)= 1) is a group of linear transformations of the k-vector space V with 1/l, homogeneous. Then if A acts fixed point freely on V there is some non-trivial normal subgroup of A which centralizes most of G and acts fixed point freely on V. In 1.1 and 4.1, the reader is provided with the necessary definitions for our results. The proof of Theorem 3.2, in the case where char(k) / IAJ, provides a new proof of a slightly weaker version of [S, Theorem 3.41 which does not depend on [S, Theorem 3.21. The results in Section 4 are similar to some nonmodular results in [S]. The reader is given precise directions as to how to adapt their proofs to get these new results. 194 0021-8693/85 $3.00
Sites and mechanisms of potassium transport along the renal tubule

Renal tubules are capable of transporting potassium in both reabsorptive and secretory directions. Reabsorption is the principal process in the proximal portions of the nephron, whereas in the more distal segments secretion usually dominates. a That most potassium excreted by the kidney is not derived from filtered potassium, but is actually secreted, was indicated by clearance [1,2] and stop-flow experiments [3–5], and ultimately confirmed by measurements made on tubule fluid samples obtained by microcatheterization [6] and by micropuncture [7–9]. The distinction between proximal reabsorption and distal secretion should not be overdrawn, however. Some secretion occurs in segments of the proximal part of the nephron, and reabsorption appears to occur along the collecting duct. Thus, although secretion by cells of the distal nephron is recognized as the main process regulating the rate of potassium excretion, other secretory and reabsorptive processes may modify the total amount of excreted potassium and, in so doing, may affect the simultaneous transport rates of water and other electrolytes. Evidence establishing numerous features of the several processes regulating renal potassium excretion, particularly the distal secretory processes, has been reviewed extensively [10–20], A picture has emerged from experimental work that to some extent explains changes seen in the rates of renal potassium excretion in response to a number of factors, including potassium intake, sodium excretion, miner-alocorticoids, hydration, acid-base balance, and the anion composition of plasma. As will become evident, however, the exact secretory site or sites along the distal nephron affected by these factors and the nature of the cellular mechanisms involved are still not known with certainty. Recent structural and biochemical observations from experiments with isolated tubule fragments have provided some additional insights into the questions both of transport sites and transport mechanisms. In the following this information will be incorporated—at times quite speculatively—into our present understanding of renal potassium transport across different segments of the renal tubule system. a Reabsorption means net transport from lumen to blood, and secretion means net transport from blood to lumen — mechanism is not specified. Nephron is used in the general sense, meaning the tubule system from the glomerulus to the end of the collecting system.
Dietary Intake Relative to Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Individuals With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study

Background: The relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and dietary intake is unknown among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Objective: To investigate the relationship between consumption of selected food groups (dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat) and CVD risk factors in individuals with chronic SCI. Methods: A cross-sectional substudy of individuals with SCI to assess CVD risk factors and dietary intake in comparison with age-, gender-, and race-matched able-bodied individuals enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Dietary history, blood pressure, waist circumference (WC), fasting blood glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lipids, glucose, and insulin data were collected from 100 SCI participants who were 38 to 55 years old with SCI ≯1 year and compared to 100 matched control participants from the CARDIA study. Results: Statistically significant differences between SCI and CARDIA participants were...
The crossroads of evidence-based medicine and health policy: implications for urology

As healthcare spending in the United States continues to rise at an unsustainable rate, recent policy decisions introduced at the national level will rely on precepts of evidence-based medicine to promote the determination, dissemination, and delivery of “best practices” or quality care while simultaneously reducing cost. We discuss the influence of evidence-based medicine on policy and, in turn, the impact of policy on the developing clinical evidence base with an eye to the potential effects of these relationships on the practice and provision of urologic care.
The Caregiver Well-Being Scale: Developing a Short-Form Rapid Assessment Instrument

The Caregiver Well-Being Scale (CWBS) is a 43-item instrument that was designed in the 1990s to help family caregivers, clinicians, and researchers identify areas ofcaregiver strength and areas in which additional support is needed. This article describes the development of a 16-item version of the CWBS and discusses the methods used in testing the psychometric properties of the shortened version in a sample of 493 family caregivers. It concludes that the shortened version is valid, reliable, and easier to use than the original version but has the same goals and continues to be applicable in research and clinical settings.
Performability analysis of disk arrays

In recent years, arrays of small inexpensive disks have become a cost effective alternative that offers high performance and high capacity. Arrays of small disks contain many more components than a large single disk; therefore, they are prone to random failure. In this paper we present a technique to evaluate the effectiveness of the array in the presence of random failure and repair. >
Faithful bipartite ROM reciprocal tables

We describe bipartite reciprocal tables that employ separate table lookup of the positive and negative portions of a borrow-save reciprocal value. The fusion of the parts includes a rounding so the output reciprocals are guaranteed correct to a unit in the last place, and typically provide a round-to-nearest reciprocal for over 90% of input arguments. The output rounding can be accomplished in conjunction with multiplier recoding yielding practically no cost in logic complexity or time in employing bipartite tables. We demonstrate these tables to be 2 to 4 times smaller than conventional 4-bit reciprocal tables. For 10-16 bit reciprocal table lookup the compression grows from a factor of 4 to over 16, making possible the use of larger seed reciprocals than previously considered cost effective. >
Stomatal acclimation over a subambient to elevated CO2 gradient in a C3/C4 grassland

An investigation to determine whether stomatal acclimation to [CO 2 ] occurred in C 3 /C 4 grassland plants grown across a range of [CO 2 ] (200‐550 µ mol mol − − − 1 ) in the field was carried out. Acclimation was assessed by measuring the response of stomatal conductance ( g s ) to a range of intercellular CO 2 (a g s ‐ C i curve) at each growth [CO 2 ] in the third and fourth growing seasons of the treatment. The g s ‐ C i response curves for Solanum dimidiatum (C 3 perennial forb) differed significantly across [CO 2 ] treatments, suggesting that stomatal acclimation had occurred. Evidence of non‐linear stomatal acclimation to [CO 2 ] in this species was also found as maximum g s ( g smax ; g s measured at the lowest C i ) increased with decreasing growth [CO 2 ] only below 400 µ mol mol − 1 . The substantial increase in g s at subambient [CO 2 ] for S. dimidiatum was weakly correlated with the maximum velocity of carboxylation ( V cmax ; r 2 = 0·27) and was not associated with CO 2 saturated photosynthesis ( A max ). The response of g s to C i did not vary with growth [CO 2 ] in Bromus japonicus (C 3 annual grass) or Bothriochloa ischaemum (C 4 perennial grass), suggesting that stomatal acclimation had not occurred in these species. Stomatal density, which increased with rising [CO 2 ] in both C 3 species, was not correlated with g s . Larger stomatal size at subambient [CO 2 ], however, may be associated with stomatal acclimation in S. dimidiatum . Incorporating stomatal acclimation into modelling studies could improve the ability to predict changes in ecosystem water fluxes and water availability with rising CO 2 and to understand their magnitudes relative to the past.
The Discovery of a Planetary Companion to 16 Cygni B

High-precision radial-velocity observations of the solar-type star 16 Cygni B (HR 7504, HD 186427), taken at McDonald Observatory and at Lick Observatory, have each independently discovered periodic radial-velocity variations indicating the presence of a Jovian-mass companion to this star. The orbital fit to the combined McDonald and Lick data gives a period of 800.8 days, a velocity amplitude (K) of 43.9 m s-1, and an eccentricity of 0.63. This is the largest eccentricity of any planetary system discovered so far. Assuming that 16 Cygni B has a mass of 1.0 M☉, the mass function then implies a mass for the companion of 1.5/sin i Jupiter masses. While the mass of this object is well within the range expected for planets, the large orbital eccentricity cannot be explained simply by the standard model of growth of planets in a protostellar disk. It is possible that this object was formed in the normal manner with a low-eccentricity orbit and has undergone postformational orbital evolution, either through the same process that has been proposed to have formed the "massive eccentric" planets around 70 Virginis and HD 114762, or by gravitational interactions with the companion star 16 Cygni A. It is also possible that the object is an extremely low mass brown dwarf formed through fragmentation of the collapsing protostar. We explore a possible connection between stellar photospheric Li depletion, pre-mainsequence stellar rotation, the presence of a massive protoplanetary disk, and the formation of a planetary companion.
Clutter Management for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Although there is substantial anecdotal evidence that clutter is common among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the literature contains no reports of studies on the actual prevalence of the problem or its impact on functional performance in this population. Clutter promotes confusion and places individuals in potentially dangerous situations by increasing their risks of falling, losing medications, and misplacing important documents. In addition, it may negatively affect activities of daily living (ADLs). Many common MS symptoms such as decreased mobility, visual or cognitive changes, fatigue, and depression can exacerbate clutter accumulation, which in turn can have detrimental effects on physical, financial, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning. It is critical for MS clinicians to address clutter management in order to improve patients' overall functional independence and participation. Methods: A clutter reduction protocol was developed and implemented at our institution for indi...
Estimation Of Cross-Hybridization Signals Using Support Vector Regression

Microarray technology is a powerful biotechnology tool which allows researchers to simultaneously evaluate the expression of thousands of genes, if not the entire expressed genome, of an organism. Measures of gene expression are determined by the differential hybridization of labeled mRNA from experimental samples to DNA probes affixed to the array. The accuracy of these measurements is influenced by the binding specificity between the labeled samples and the probes. Evaluating the level of cross-hybridization is therefore critically important in obtaining accurate measures of gene expression. In this paper we present a support vector regression based predictor that utilizes the nucleotide content of the DNA probes as a means for estimating the level of cross-hybridization. Experimental results from three microarray data sets are presented. Our results indicate that we can identify genes when the measured fluorescent signal values are less than those predicted from cross-hybridization. In these cases we do not consider the genes to be expressed.
A Converter with Fixed Switching Frequency Adaptive Multi-Mode Control Scheme

A multi-mode adaptive control scheme to achieve high conversion efficiency over wide load range is presented in this paper. The presented controller results in improved efficiency while operating at a fixed switching frequency which guarantees maintained steady-state and dynamic performance at all load conditions. This is achieved by operating in three or more different modes in a reconfigurable topology structure as a function of the load to achieve a reduced total conversion loss which reduces energy usage and extends battery life. Theoretical analysis for the proposed control scheme and comparison with state of the art schemes are presented and validated with a 1.5V /50W proof of concept experimental prototype results.
A Review of: “Understanding E-Government: Information Systems In Public Administration”

Is the question “How do ICTs affect public administration faulty?” (p. 1) asks Vincent Homburg, Associate Professor in Public Administration at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He ha...
Correlates of Mobility Limitation in African Americans

Background. This study identified demographic and health-related characteristics that were related to mobility limi tation in a sample of community-dwelling African Americans. Methods. The sample consisted of 602 community-dwelling African-American men and women ages 48–92 years at study inception. Participants who reported being limited “a lot” or “a little” in climbing one flight of stairs or walking several blocks were considered to have mobility limitation. Logistic regression was conducted to estimate the independent effect of each demographic and health-related characteristic on odds of mobility limitation. Results. African Americans who reported two or more medical conditions had higher odds of mobility limitation (women: odds ratio = 3.52; 95% confidence interval: 1.89–6.53 and men: odds ratio = 2.53; 95% confidence interval: 1.10–5.85) than those who reported one or fewer medical conditions. African Americans with major depressive symptoms had higher odds of mobility limitation (women: odds ratio = 2.98; 95% confidence interval: 1.55–5.71 and men: odds ratio = 3.19; 95% confidence interval: 1.33–7.65) than those without major depressive symptoms.
Developing a risk stratification model for predicting future health care use in asthmatic children

Abstract Background Previous studies have stratified pediatric asthma patients for risk of future exacerbation and/or health care use, but most incorporate multiple clinical parameters. Objective To determine whether historical acute care visits (ACVs) alone could predict risk of future health care use. Methods Children seen for asthma in an outpatient visit during a 3-year period were identified. The number of ACVs in the 12 months before and after the outpatient visit was determined. Logistic regression models were used to determine the odds of a future ACV. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, and insurance status. Results Of 28,047 outpatient visits, 21,099 (75.2%) had no historical ACVs. The probability of a future ACV increased from 30% with one historical ACV to 87% with 5 or more historical ACVs. Outpatient visits with one historical ACV had significantly higher odds of a future ACV compared with those with no historical ACVs (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.14–4.12; P P Conclusion The historical count of ACVs was predictive of future ACVs. A significant increase in the probability of future ACVs was observed with each additional historical visit, effectively stratifying risk by the historical visit count. Notably, a small group of patients accounted for a disproportionate number of future ACVs.
Pixel scale optical sample and hold circuit integrated with multitechnology FPGA

A pixel scale optical sample and hold circuit has been developed with the capability to be integrated in multitechnology FPGA (MT-FPGA), which opens a new era for multitechnology applications to use flexibility, rapid prototyping and reusability benefits associated with conventional FPGAs. Various multitechnology devices ranging from photonic information processing systems, optical communication systems to MEMS devices can be implemented using MT-FPGA with the benefits to reprogram and reconfigure. The logic part of any multitechnology system can be implemented in the programmable block and multitechnology components can be incorporated from different multitechnology blocks available in the library. This paper describes the incorporation of a multitechnology block (MTB) in the new MT-FPGA architecture to underline the multitechnology field programmable ability of this architecture. The MTB is designed for implementation using 0.25 deep submicron technologies and consists of a p-diffusion to n-well photodetector followed by a sampling circuit and a buffer amplifier. The sampling rate of the MTB can be adjusted for different range of optical powers level thus giving the facility to represent wide range of optical power within the 2.5V range.
Residence times and temporal variations of 210Po in aerosols and precipitation from southeastern Michigan, United States

[1] Daughter products of 222Rn (such as 210Pb, half-life = 22.1 years, and 210Po, half-life = 138 days) have been widely used as tracers to determine the removal rates of aerosols as well to obtain analog information on the behavior of other chemical species in the lower atmosphere. To establish the first data set on the depositional fluxes of 210Po in bulk precipitation and concentrations in air samples from the midwestern United States, we measured the depositional fluxes of 210Pb and 210Po in the bulk (wet plus dry) and dry fallout by deploying a rain collector (dry and bulk) for a period of 17 months. We also collected 30 aerosol samples during this period to assess the temporal variations of these nuclides in the surface air in Detroit, Michigan. The activity of 210Po in the surface air ranged from below detection limit to 0.118 mBq m−3 (mean of 0.072 mBq m−3). The specific activities of 210Po and 210Pb in aerosols ranged between 0.28 and 4.48 Bq g−1 (mean of 0.87 Bq g−1) and 2.7 and 30 Bq g−1 (mean of 13.6 Bq g−1), respectively; these values are about 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than the surface soil. The mean activity ratios of 210Po/210Pb in the bulk precipitation and dry fallout were found to be 0.049 (n = 27) and 0.25 (n = 8), corresponding to residence times of 15 and 75 days, respectively. Higher values in the dry fallout are attributed to resuspension of very fine older material from the ground. The 210Po/210Pb activity ratios in the aerosols varied between 0 and 0.210 (mean of 0.075), with corresponding residence times of 0–61 days (mean of 22 days). The mean deposition velocity and bulk washout ratio obtained using 210Po is compared with those obtained for 210Pb. From the measured aerosol mass concentrations and calculated values of the depositional velocity, the calculated depositional fluxes of aerosols are reported.
Ku-band monolithic 2.5-watt power amplifier for high volume applications

The design, tuning, and performance of a 2.5-watt Ku-band power amplifier are presented. The circuit, which was designed to cover the 16-GHz to 17-GHz band, was modified with some on-chip tuning to correct for unmodeled coupling because of the dense circuit layout and a cross model error in the computer-aided design program. The on-chip tuning flexibility was then used to achieve a 2.5-watt performance in the 14.5-GHz to 16-GHz band for a second amplifier design. >
An Animal Model for the Molecular Genetics of CADASIL

Background—CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy) is an inherited condition that causes repeated small-scale strokes in adults. CADASIL is caused only by mutations in the human NOTCH3 gene that increase or decrease the number of cysteines within the epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeats of the NOTCH3 protein. Drosophila lethal-Abruptex is a similar condition because it is also caused only by mutations that increase or decrease the number of cysteines within the EGF repeat portion of the Notch protein. Summary of Comment—Drosophila lethal-Abruptex and human CADASIL are precisely analogous at the molecular level, and both are genetically dominant. These precise similarities, together with the fact that the structure and function of Notch has been highly conserved throughout the animal kingdom, provide an animal model for the molecular and genetic aspects of human CADASIL. It also provides support for Spinner’s proposal that CADASIL results from d...
The Dysphagia Handicap Index: Development and Validation

Quality-of-life indicators for dysphagia provide invaluable information to the treating clinician regarding the success or failure of swallowing therapy. The purpose of this study was to develop a clinically efficient, statistically robust patient-reported outcomes tool that measures the handicapping effect of dysphagia on emotional, functional, and physical aspects of individual’s lives. 60 statements describing the handicapping effect of dysphagia were collected from patient reports and divided into subscales of physical, emotional, and functional problems. The statements were presented to 77 individuals with dysphagia. Respondents replied never, sometimes, or always to each statement and rated their self-perceived dysphagia severity on a 7-point equal-appearing interval scale. Cronbach’s α was performed to assess the internal consistency validation of the items within the questionnaire. The final questionnaire was reduced to 25 items and administered to 214 individuals with dysphagia and 74 controls. Test–retest was performed on 63 individuals with dysphagia. Cronbach’s α for the initial and final versions was strong at r = 0.96 and r = 0.94, respectively. Significant differences occurred between the dysphagia and control groups. Test–retest reliability was strong. We present a new, easy-to-complete, statistically robust, patient-reported outcomes measure for assessing the handicapping effect of dysphagia.
Changes in forebrain function from waking to REM sleep in depression: preliminary analyses of [18F]FDG PET studies.

Based on recent functional brain imaging studies of healthy human REM sleep, we hypothesized that alterations in REM sleep in mood disorder patients reflect a functional dysregulation within limbic and paralimbic forebrain structures during that sleep state. Six unipolar depressed subjects and eight healthy subjects underwent separate [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose ([18F]FDG) PET scans during waking and during their first REM period of sleep. Statistical parametric mapping contrasts were performed to detect changes in relative regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMRglu) from waking to REM sleep in each group as well as interactions in patterns of change between groups. Clinical and EEG sleep comparisons from an undisturbed night of sleep were also performed. In contrast to healthy control subjects, depressed patients did not show increases in rCMRglu in anterior paralimbic structures in REM sleep compared to waking. Depressed subjects showed greater increases from waking to REM sleep in rCMRglu in the tectal area and a series of left hemispheric areas including sensorimotor cortex, inferior temporal cortex, uncal gyrus-amygdala, and subicular complex than did the control subjects. These observations indicate that changes in limbic and paralimbic function from waking to REM sleep differ significantly from normal in depressed patients.
The Metabolic Syndrome, Its Component Risk Factors, and Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis

Background: The mechanism that confers adverse cardiovascular prognosis in patients with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unclear. We sought to investigate the association of MetS and its component risk factors with progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Methods: We performed a systematic review of 3459 patients who participated in 7 clinical trials that monitored coronary atheroma progression with intravascular ultrasonography. Patients with or without MetS were compared with regard to clinical characteristics, coronary atheroma burden at baseline, and change on serial evaluation. Relationships between plaque progression (5% increase in percent atheroma volume [PAV]), MetS, and its component risk factors were investigated. Results: The metabolic syndrome was highly prevalent and was associated with greater progression of PAV (0.51% ±0 .23% vs 0.23% ±0 .24%; P = .003). Multivariable analysis showed that MetS was associated with a greater likelihood of undergoing progression of PAV (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.48;P=.01). When the individual components were used in the model instead of MetS, hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.06-1.49; P=.008) and a body mass index of 30 or higher (1.18, 1.00-1.40; P=.05) predicted progression of PAV. However, after adjusting for its individual components, MetS was no longer an independent predictor (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.79-1.37; P=.79). Conclusion: Although accelerated disease progression is observed in the setting of MetS, this is owing to the presence of individual component risk factors rather than to the presence of the syndrome itself. Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(5):478-484
Performance of Shared Memory in a Parallel Computer

A method for analyzing the lengths of memory queues when the network is conflict-free is described. An algorithm based on this method is shown to efficiently determine the upper and lower bounds of the queue length. Analysis indicates that the strategy of using hashing to spread data across memory modules is a good one. Results show that if the size of the system is increased while maintaining a constant ratio of numbers of processors to memories, then, asymptotically, the slowdown in performance from conflicts at the memory modules is Theta (log m/log log m). For m and n less than 100000 and lambda between 0.25 and 4.0, the graphical data confirm this growth rate. >