cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilization of a Quantifiable Assignment Tool With Predictive Elements to Match Labor Resources to Work Volume

Background: Determining an appropriate staff to workload ratio can be a daunting task. Utilizing a quantifiable approach to match labor resources to work volume is key to fair and manageable assignments for frontline staff. Development of the Fair Assignment Tool at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital provided a safe and fiscally responsible solution. Guided by the nationally accepted time standards from the AARC Uniform Reporting Manual, the Fair Assignment Tool assisted in quantifying the workload using a point system, dividing it evenly amongst scheduled staff, and determining staff productivity. With further development, we found it could monitor trends in workload and the number of staff members required to safely manage fluctuations in work volume and patient acuity. Methods: The original version of the Fair Assignment Tool was inherently descriptive. Revisions made in January 2019 added predictive elements. Average productivity during a set seven day interval was assessed weekly. If the average productivity was >110%, incentives were offered to staff working additonal hours in the following week. Average workload from the same seven day interval was used to determine the number of staff needed for each shift in the following week to maintain a productivity ≤ 110% where predicted staffing = average workload divided by desired % productivity. The work schedule was reviewed and extra shifts were posted in attempt to bring scheduled staffing numbers to predicted staffing levels. A 21-week analysis was then conducted to track the impact of these revisions on staffing and productivity. Results: The new features of the Fair Assignment Tool allowed us to adjust staffing numbers to manage fluctuations in the workload. Staffing numbers were increased to maintain a productivity less than or equal to 110% for 18 out of the 21 weeks (85%). This analysis was communicated to executive leadership in order to have an objective discussion for adding more FTEs. Conclusions: The revised Fair Assignment Tool allowed us to manage labor resources while maintaining high quality work and safe patient care. Maintaining the proper staff to workload ratios also increased staff morale as staff felt they had more time to provide proper patient care when faced with heavier than normal work volume as often seen during the winter months. We hypothesize that this tool could be used to manage non-labor resources such as equipment inventory and determine when equipment is rented.
Treatment of Facial Fractures at Safety-Net Hospitals: A National Analysis of Inpatient Burden and Cost.

PURPOSE Safety-net hospitals (SNHs) are vital in the care of trauma populations, but little is known about the burden of facial trauma presenting to SNHs. The authors sought to characterize the presentation and treatment of facial fractures across SNHs and determine the association between SNH care and healthcare utilization in patients undergoing fracture repair. METHODS Adult patients presenting with a facial fracture as their primary admitting diagnosis from the year 2012 to 2015 were identified in the National Inpatient Sample. The "safety-net burden" of each hospital was defined based on the proportion of Medicaid and self-pay discharges. Patient factors analyzed were sex, race, age, income level, insurance status, fracture location, and comorbidities. Hospital factors analyzed were safety-net burden, teaching status, geographic region, bed size, and ownership status. The main outcomes were length of stay (LOS), hospital costs, time to repair, and postoperative complications. RESULTS Of 78,730 patients, 27,080 (34.4%) were treated at SNHs and 24,844 (31.6%) were treated at non-SNHs. Compared to non-SNHs, patients treated at SNHs were more likely to undergo operative repair at SNHs (65.8% versus 53.9%, P < 0.001). Overall mean LOS was comparable between non-SNH and SNH (3.43 versus 3.38 days, P = 0.611), as was mean hospital cost ($15,487 versus $15,169, P = 0.434). On multivariate linear regression, safety-net status was not a predictor of increased LOS, cost, or complications. However, safety-net status was significantly associated with lower odds of undergoing repair within 48 hours of admission (odds ratio 0.783, 95% confidence interval = 0.680-0.900, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Safety-net hospitals are able to treat facial trauma patients with greater injury burden and lower socioeconomic resources without increased healthcare utilization. Healthcare reform must address the financial challenges that endanger these institutions to ensure timely treatment of all patients.
Automated bug localization in JIT compilers

Many widely-deployed modern programming systems use just-in-time (JIT) compilers to improve performance. The size and complexity of JIT-based systems, combined with the dynamic nature of JIT-compiler optimizations, make it challenging to locate and fix JIT compiler bugs quickly. At the same time, JIT compiler bugs can result in exploitable security vulnerabilities, making rapid bug localization important. Existing work on automated bug localization focuses on static code, i.e., code that is not generated at runtime, and so cannot handle bugs in JIT compilers that generate incorrect code during optimization. This paper describes an approach to automated bug localization in JIT compilers, down to the level of distinct optimization phases, starting with a single initial Proof-of-Concept (PoC) input that demonstrates the bug. Experiments using a prototype implementation of our ideas on Google’s V8 JavaScript interpreter and TurboFan JIT compiler demonstrates that it can successfully identify buggy optimization phases.
Design Space Exploration of Emerging Memory Technologies for Machine Learning Applications

Memory design space exploration methods study memory systems’ performances and limitations before implementation. The computer memory design space has grown exponentially because of the enormous growth of memory types, memory controllers, and application software. Computer simulators are commonly used for memory design space exploration. However, complex memory simulations take an enormous amount of time. Hence, in this paper, we proposed a machine learning-based design space exploration method for dynamic random-access memory and non-volatile memory systems. We applied our method to the CosmoGAN and LeNet applications to predict the following six memory response parameters: (i) bandwidth, (ii) power, (iii) average latency, (iv) average total latency, (v) memory reads, and (vi) memory writes. Our experimental results show that machine learning models can predict memory response parameter values faster than simulations. We used support vector machine, random forest, and gradient boosting machine learning models. We observed that the support vector machine provides better performance for bandwidth, average latency, and average total latency. The random forest model works better for memory reads and writes. The gradient boosting model provides superior prediction performance for power. We provide a detailed discussion on learning curve characteristics, error analysis, and memory type recommendation.
Gastric accommodation: Physiology, diagnostic modalities, clinical relevance, and therapies.

Background Gastric accommodation is an essential gastric motor function which occurs following ingestion of a meal. Impaired gastric fundic accommodation (IFA) is associated with dyspeptic symptoms. Gastric accommodation is mediated by the vagal pathway with several important physiologic factors such as duodenal nutrient feedback playing a significant role. IFA has been described as a pathophysiologic factor in several gastrointestinal disorders including functional dyspepsia, diabetic gastropathy, post-Nissen fundoplication, postsurgical gastrectomy, and rumination syndrome. Modalities for gastric accommodation assessment include gastric barostat, intragastric meal distribution via scintigraphy, drinking tests (eg, water load), SPECT, MRI, 2D and 3D ultrasound, and intragastric high-resolution manometry. Several treatment options including sumatriptan, buspirone, tandospirone, ondansetron, and acotiamide may improve symptoms by increasing post-meal gastric volume. Purpose Our aim is to provide an overview of the physiology, diagnostic modalities, and therapies for IFA. A literature search was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, and other sources to identify relevant studies available until December 2020. Gastric accommodation is an important gastric motor function which if impaired, is associated with several upper gastrointestinal disorders. There are an increasing number of gastric accommodation testing modalities; however, each has facets which warrant consideration. Evidence regarding potentially effective therapies for IFA is growing.
Myeloid-specific Expression of Api6/AIM/Spα Induces Systemic Inflammation and Adenocarcinoma in the Lung

To study the functional role of apoptosis inhibition of myeloid lineage cells in tumor formation, apoptosis inhibitor 6 (Api6/AIM/Spα) was overexpressed in a myeloid-specific c-fms-rtTA/(TetO)7-CMV-Api6 bitransgenic mouse model under the control of the c-fms promoter/intron 2. In this bitransgenic system, the Api6-Flag fusion protein was expressed in myeloid lineage cells after doxycycline treatment. Induction of Api6 abnormally elevated levels of macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells in the bone marrow, blood, and lung in vivo. BrdU incorporation and annexin V binding studies showed systemically increased cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis in myeloid lineage cells. Api6 overexpression activated oncogenic signaling pathways, including Stat3, Erk1/2, and p38 in myeloid lineage cells in multiple organs of the bitransgenic mice. In the lung, severe inflammation and massive tissue remodeling were observed in association with increased expression of procancer cytokines/chemokines, decreased expression of proapoptosis molecule genes, and increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase genes as a result of Api6 overexpression. Oncogenic CD11b+/Gr-1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells were systemically increased. After Api6 overexpression, lung adenocarcinoma was observed in bitransgenic mice with a 35% incidence rate. These studies suggest that dysregulation of myeloid cell populations by extracellular Api6 signaling leads to abnormal myelopoiesis and lung cancer.
Götterdämmerung: Das Ganze, der Wandel und das Drehen an der Schraube

In diesem Kapitel mochte ich Ihnen zeigen, warum die Vorstellungswelt des Superbauern in die zweite Reihe zurucktreten muss. Die neue Welt fuhrt zwei Angriffskriege gegen die Old Economy. Diese spurt selbst, dass etwas gegen sie „im Busche“ sein mag. Sie verteidigt sich. Mit noch mehr Sparen, noch mehr Effizienz, noch mehr Zeit- und Ergebnisdruck, mit Machtaufbau durch Zusammenschlusse in einer globalen Welt.
Games of Chains and Cutsets in the Boolean Lattice II

Let 2 [n] denote the poset of all subsets of [n]={1,2,...,n} ordered by inclusion. Following Gutterman and Shahriari (Order 14, 1998, 321–325) we consider a game G n (a,b,c). This is a game for two players. First, Player I constructs a independent maximal chains in 2 [n]. Player II will extend the collection to a+b independent maximal chains by finding another b independent maximal chains in 2 [n]. Finally, Player I will attempt to extend the collection further to a+b+c such chains. The last Player who is able to complete her move wins. In this paper, we complete the analysis of G n (a,b,c) by considering its most difficult instance: when c=2 and a+b+2=n. We prove, the rather surprising result, that, for n≥7, Player I wins G n (a,n−a−2,2) if and only if a≥3. As a consequence we get results about extending collections of independent maximal chains, and about cutsets (collections of subsets that intersect every maximal chain) of minimum possible width (the size of largest anti-chain).
Unocal at 20: Director Primacy in Corporate Takeovers

In Unocal Corp. v. Mesa Petroleum Co., the Delaware Supreme Court made clear that the board of directors of a target corporation is not a passive instrumentality in the face of an unsolicited tender offer or other takeover bid. To the contrary, so long as the target board's actions are neither coercive nor preclusive, the target's board remains the defender of the metaphorical medieval corporate bastion and the protector of the corporation's shareholders. Unocal is almost universally condemned in the academic corporate law literature. Building on his director primacy model of corporate governance and law, however, Bainbridge offers a defense of Unocal in this article. Bainbridge argues that Unocal strikes an appropriate balance between two competing but equally legitimate goals of corporate law: on the one hand, because the power to review differs only in degree and not in kind from the power to decide, the discretionary authority of the board of directors must be insulated from shareholder and judicial oversight in order to promote efficient corporate decision making; on the other hand, because directors are obligated to maximize shareholder wealth, there must be mechanisms to ensure director accountability. The Unocal framework provides courts with a mechanism for filtering out cases in which directors have abused their authority from those in which directors have not.
Green in-building optical/wireless networks: When, where and how

Future in-building networks will most likely consist of two segments - optical and wireless; they will use little or no copper media. In previous work, we've analysed a number of green optical/wireless in-building network designs. In this paper, we present a study of why, where and how these networks can be deployed. We consider three different technologies: legacy Baseband-over-Fiber, Analog Radio-over-Fiber and Digital Radio-over-Fiber, in two different deployment scenarios: indoor networks and high user density open space/outdoor networks. We also consider two different deployment goals: improved coverage and increased capacity. Our results indicate that for indoor networks cell sizes should be between ∼10 m – 15 m with DRoF technologies while for high user density outdoor/open-space networks, cell sizes 80 m for open space buildings).
Abstract 17592: The Cardiolipin-targeting Peptide Bendavia Improves Post-ischemic Mitochondrial Energetics by Sustaining Native Respiratory Protein Complexes

Bendavia is a cell permeable, mitochondria-targeting peptide currently being tested in clinical trials for acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, and renal disease. In a series of studies, we have shown that Bendavia reduces cellular injury by targeting the mitochondrial inner membrane. In particular, Bendavia targets cardiolipin, a mitochondrial phospholipid that acts as “glue” to hold respiratory protein complex subunits together. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Bendavia would improve post-ischemic mitochondrial function by sustaining native respiratory protein complexes. We utilized blue native gels (non-denaturing conditions) alongside high-resolution respirometry in permeabilized myocardial fibers to directly link changes in protein complexes to mitochondrial function. Rat hearts were subjected to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) with or without 1nM Bendavia perfusion beginning at the onset of reperfusion. The native expression of mitochondrial Complexes III and V were significantly reduced after I/R, and were restored with Bendavia (see Figure). The appearance of degradation bands was also noted in hearts after I/R, and these products of protein complex breakdown were also significantly reduced with Bendavia treatment. Respirometry studies in permeabilized ventricular fibers showed lower Complex I-dependent respiration after I/R (208±19 v 42±9 pmol O2/mg*s) in control v I/R, respectively; P
Érico Veríssimo, um embaixador cultural nos Estados Unidos

Este artigo examina os objetivos do governo dos EUA em convidar o escritor Erico Verissimo para sucessivas viagens a partir de 1941 quando travou contato com editores, critica e publico. Analisa ainda as consequencias que sua longa permanencia nos EUA teve sobre sua carreira; explora os fatores que contribuiram para o sucesso de Verissimo nos EUA, ao mesmo tempo em que examina as dificuldades que enfrentou na negociacao com os editores norte-americanos; finalmente, avalia o papel assumido por Verissimo, em suas conferencias publicas, como o promotor de um maior entendimento sobre o Brasil no marco da politica da Boa Vizinhanca e a construcao de instalacoes militares no interior do Brasil.
Indians, Health of

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer are serious health problems in India. More Indians die from chronic diseases than from anything else. The chronic disease profile looks set to worsen unless effective interventions can be implemented. Such interventions should target lifestyle factors including diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Current efforts have met with some success but a more substantial allocation of resources will be required. Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; disease; epidemiology; food; India
Predictors of Participation in Parenting Workshops

Raising Healthy Children is a multi-year, experimental test of a school-based intervention that seeks to promote positive youth development and prevent problem behavior among children recruited into the project in the first or second grade of elementary school. The primary components of the intervention include staff development for teachers in classroom management and instruction, in-home services for high-risk children and their families, and parenting workshops for parents with students attending intervention schools. This paper examines predictors of attendance at parenting workshops. The study panel (n = 272) consists of families with a student who remained at an intervention school through the first five years of the project. Variables that were considered as predictors of parent attendance include social demographic characteristics, parent characteristics (at-risk behavior and smoking), and child characteristics (behavior problems and academic achievement). Parent education and parent's perception of their child's antisocial behavior both had positive and statistically significant bivariate associations with attendance. These two variables were also significantly positively associated with attendance in a multivariate model that included low-income and single-parent status, parent smoking and at-risk behavior, and parent rating of child's antisocial behavior and academic performance. Parents with at-risk behaviors were not significantly more or less likely to attend workshops.
The omega subunit of Escherichia coli K-12 RNA polymerase is not required for stringent RNA control in vivo.

Abstract Igarashi et al. (K. Igarashi, N. Fujita, and A. Ishihama, Nucleic Acids Res. 17:8755-8765, 1989) reported that the omega (omega) subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase was required for stringent control as judged by in vitro transcription assays in the presence and absence of guanosine 3',5'-bispyrophosphate (ppGpp). This conclusion predicts that a deletion of the omega gene (designated rpoZ or spoS) should show a relaxed RNA control phenotype in vivo. However, we find that wild-type stringent control of stable RNA accumulation is unaffected by a spoS null allele that abolishes cellular production of the omega protein. We conclude that omega protein is not necessary for the operation of the stringent RNA control response.
Behavioral group work in a home for the aged

N. Linsk, MA, is Director of Social Rehabilitation, Drexel Home for the Aged, Chicago, Illinois. Michael W. Howe, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota, School of Social Work, Minneapolis. Elsie M. Pinkston, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor, University of Chicago School of Social Service Adminis tration. The authors express apprecia tion to AI Mendlevitz, Executive Director of Drexel Home; Arthur Schwartz, Susan Katz, Stephen P. Rook, and Donald Blackman, who consulted about design and data analysis; and Angela Cor key, social group worker for the study.
Stray signal source location in antenna/RCS ranges

A wide variety of antenna/RCS ranges are being used throughout the world for radiation and scattering measurements. In the case of far field ranges, once a range is completely operational, the quiet zone (where the antenna under test or target under test is normally mounted) is probed using a widebeam antenna. Invariably, the field probe data has some ripple indicating that there are stray (undesired) signals present in the range. One is interested in locating the sources of stray signals in order to modify the range to minimize the stray signals and/or design the measurement procedure to minimize the effect of stray signals on real scattering and/or radiation measurements. A variety of methods have been developed for determining the stray signal sources from the probe data. A brief summary of these methods is presented. We look at near field focusing, beam forming technique and time and direction of arrival estimation.
Sequential good channel search for multi-channel cognitive radio

In this paper, we consider how to quickly search for a free channel with large channel gain in a multi-channel cognitive radio (CR) system. In the problem considered, the CR pair sequentially inspect unoccupied channels. When the CR pair inspect a particular channel, sequential estimation is used. After each step of the sequential estimation, the CR pair need to make the following decisions: 1) whether to accept the channel currently under inspection as a good channel and terminate the search process; and 2) if the CR pair decide to continue the search process, the pair need to decide whether to stay in the same channel to take more sample for more accurate channel estimation or switch to another channel in hoping for finding a better channel. We show that the optimal decision rules that minimize a properly chosen cost function have a simple structure. In particular, both the termination and switching rule are of threshold type. Numerical results are provided to support the optimal solution.
Anterior chamber associated immune deviation (ACAID): regulation, biological relevance, and implications for therapy.

Immune privilege was first explored in the late 1800s by van Dooremaal, and was then extended by Medawar in the mid 1900s to fit in with emerging concepts of transplantation immunology. Modern conc...
Kanamycin resistance in plants: an unexpected trait controlled by a potentially multifaceted gene

Ayalew Mentewab and C. Neal Stewart Jr recently showed that an Arabidopsis kanamycin resistance gene encodes an ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter. This Atwbc19 protein is hypothesized to prevent ribosome inactivation by translocating kanamycin into the vacuole. Because ABC transporters often recognize multiple exogenous substrates, overexpression of Atwbc19 can result in the accumulation of unexpected compounds in transgenic plants. Another potential safety issue associated with this gene is horizontal gene transfer. Thus, commercial applications are likely to be limited to methods that allow removal of the selectable marker from the transgenic plant genome.
Mechanistic Studies of DNA-Protein Interactions in Bacteriophage T4 DNA Replication Complexes at Single-Base Resolution

Combining biophysical measurements on the function and control of T4 bacteriophage replication complexes with detailed structural information can throw light onto the mechanism of action of these ‘macromolecular machines’. In this study we use the low energy circular dichroism and fluorescent properties of site-specifically introduced fluorescent base analogues to monitor the binding and interactions of gene 32 protein (gp32), the ssDNA binding protein of the T4 DNA replication complex, and gene 59 protein (gp59), the helicase loader protein involved in loading the T4 primosome complex onto replication forks. We show that gp32 binds preferentially to the 3'-end of a short ssDNA oligomer and that only two or three nucleotide bases at the 3' end are directly perturbed by the binding interaction, although the binding site size in the polynucleotide binding mode is 7 nts. Loss of exciton coupling in the CD spectrum and an increase in fluorescence intensity shows that gp32 binding causes extension of the sugar-phosphate backbone of the oligonucleotide. Mechanisms involved in gp32 binding to its ssDNA targets in both the isolated and the cooperative binding modes will be described. In addition our CD and fluorescence experiments with base analogue probes show the gp59 binding to a forked DNA construct perturbs the bases at the junction and suggests that once gp41 is loaded the perturbation extends deep into the double helix. Mechanisms whereby these proteins work in tandem in setting up various functional interactions with the other components of the DNA replication complex will be discussed.
Seasonal plasma T4 titers in the hibernating lizard Cnemidophorus sexlineatus.

A total of 242 Cnemidophorus sexlineatus were collected in biweekly samples from east-central Alabama and west-central Georgia during the period May 1978 to September 1979. Blood, collected in the field, was returned to the lab and subjected to a radioimmunoassay for thyroxine (T4). Mean biweekly plasma T4 titers (ranging from 1.0 to 4.2 ng/ml) were plotted against the collection date. Analysis of these data indicated the presence of a significant (P < 0.01) quadratic (curvilinear) response with lower titers during the summer months of activity and higher titers during other months, thus suggesting definite seasonal changes in plasma T4 titers. These seasonal fluctuations could not be definitively explained in terms of changes in temperature, reproductive condition, or fat stores. Rather, these abrupt seasonal changes in plasma T4 titers coincided best with the entry into and emergence from hibernation. Plasma T4 titers of hibernating lizards were found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of active lizards.
Hypothesis Generation in Groups Constrained by Evidence

Abstract Data from 340 subjects were used to study group hypothesis generation in the context of a task of rule induction. Face-to-face groups of four persons, groups of four who exchanged hypotheses but did not otherwise interact, noninteracting groups of four, and solo individuals participated in the hypothesis generation phase of a rule induction task. As predicted, face-to-face groups outperformed both solo individuals and noninteracting groups. Face-to-face interaction facilitated the generation of plausible hypotheses compared to mere hypothesis exchange in the early phases of the task. Relative to noninteracting groups, hypothesis exchange groups increasingly improved over trials. Noninteracting groups generated a higher proportion of plausible hypotheses than solo individuals. The findings suggest that group hypothesis generation in the service of inducing rules from evidence may benefit from both hypothesis exchange and interaction, in addition to whatever resources are added by sheer numbers.
Optical arbitrary waveform processing of more than 100 spectral comb lines

Pulse-shaping techniques, in which user-specified, ultrashort-pulse fields are synthesized by means of parallel manipulation of optical Fourier components, have now been widely adopted1,2,3,4,5,6. Mode-locked lasers producing combs of frequency-stabilized spectral lines have resulted in revolutionary advances in frequency metrology7,8,9,10,11. However, until recently, pulse shapers addressed spectral lines in groups, at low spectral resolution. Line-by-line pulse shaping12, in which spectral lines are resolved and manipulated individually, leads to a fundamentally new regime for optical arbitrary waveform generation13, in which the advantages of pulse shaping and of frequency combs are exploited simultaneously. Here we demonstrate programmable line-by-line shaping of more than 100 spectral lines, which constitutes a significant step in scaling towards high waveform complexity. Optical arbitrary waveform generation promises to have an impact both in optical science (allowing, for example, coherent control generalizations of comb-based time–frequency spectroscopies10) and in technology (enabling new truly coherent multiwavelength processing concepts for spread-spectrum lightwave communications and light detection and ranging, lidar).
Application of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire to a Population of Alcoholics and Other Substance Abusers

To assess its construct validity and application, Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) was administered to 267 inpatient substance abusers. One hundred seventy-two of the patients were alcoholic, 47 abused stimulants, and 48 abused other drugs, primarily benzodiazepines, marijuana, or were polysubstance abusers. Of the sample 33.8% were female. Analyses were conducted to (1) determine whether TPQ scores could be used to classify alcoholics as either Cloninger Type I or Type II; (2) examine the intercorrelations of TPQ scales and identify differences in these patterns due to drug of choice; (3) replicate previously obtained gender differences on the TPQ. The results indicate that (1) TPQ scores did not classify the alcoholics into the expected frequencies for Type I and Type II; (2) the scales were not independent and did not give rise to any differences among drug user groups, but (3) did confirm previously reported gender differences. These results indicate that Cloninger's model and the TPQ must be subjected to careful empirical study prior to their widespread acceptance.
Determination of bond distances and bond angles in a liquid crystal with hydrogen bonding

The structure of a liquid crystal with intramolecular hydrogen bonding, 5-butoxy-2[(4-butylphenyl)azo]phenol, was determined by using X-ray diffraction of a single-crystal and NMR studies in the ne...
Wave Engine Topping Cycle Assessment

The performance benefits derived by topping a gas turbine engine with a wave engine are assessed. The wave engine is a wave rotor that produces shaft power by exploiting gas dynamic energy exchange and flow turning. The wave engine is added to the baseline turboshaft engine while keeping high-pressure-turbine inlet conditions, compressor pressure ratio, engine mass flow rate, and cooling flow fractions fixed. Related work has focused on topping with pressure-exchangers (i.e., wave rotors that provide pressure gain with zero net shaft power output); however, more energy can be added to a wave-engine-topped cycle leading to greater engine specific-power-enhancement The energy addition occurs at a lower pressure in the wave-engine-topped cycle; thus the specific-fuel-consumption-enhancement effected by ideal wave engine topping is slightly lower than that effected by ideal pressure-exchanger topping. At a component level, however, flow turning affords the wave engine a degree-of-freedom relative to the pressure-exchanger that enables a more efficient match with the baseline engine. In some cases, therefore, the SFC-enhancement by wave engine topping is greater than that by pressure-exchanger topping. An ideal wave-rotor-characteristic is used to identify key wave engine design parameters and to contrast the wave engine and pressure-exchanger topping approaches. An aerodynamic design procedure is described in which wave engine design-point performance levels are computed using a one-dimensional wave rotor model. Wave engines using various wave cycles are considered including two-port cycles with on-rotor combustion (valved-combustors) and reverse-flow and through-flow four-port cycles with heat addition in conventional burners. A through-flow wave cycle design with symmetric blading is used to assess engine performance benefits. The wave-engine-topped turboshaft engine produces 16% more power than does a pressure-exchanger-topped engine under the specified topping constraints. Positive and negative aspects of wave engine topping in gas turbine engines are identified.
Role of the γ-Aminobytyric acid receptor—Ionophore complex in seizure disorders

The possibility of a role for the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in seizure disorders has been strengthened by biochemical studies showing that various nervous system depressant drugs can modulate GABA receptor binding in vitro. In particular, two classes of anticonvulsant agents, the benzodiazepines and the barbiturates, have modulatory receptor sites on the GABA receptor-ionophore protein complex of the postsynaptic membrane. Furthermore, it is well established that direct block of GABA function causes seizures and that augmentation of GABA function can protect against seizure activity. Direct evidence for altered GABA synaptic markers has been obtained in some animal models of epilepsy, as well as in human focal epilepsy. We present preliminary evidence for a deficit in benzodiazepine receptor binding in the midbrain of seizure-susceptible Mongolian gerbils. These data would be consistent with an impairment of GABA-mediated inhibitory synaptic transmission that contributes to susceptibility to the genesis or spread of seizures in some kinds of epilepsy.
Mechanisms guiding primordial germ cell migration: strategies from different organisms

The regulated migration of cells is essential for development and tissue homeostasis, and aberrant cell migration can lead to an impaired immune response and the progression of cancer. Primordial germ cells (PGCs), precursors to sperm and eggs, have to migrate across the embryo to reach somatic gonadal precursors, where they carry out their function. Studies of model organisms have revealed that, despite important differences, several features of PGC migration are conserved. PGCs require an intrinsic motility programme and external guidance cues to survive and successfully migrate. Proper guidance involves both attractive and repulsive cues and is mediated by protein and lipid signalling.
Differentiation Generates Paracrine Cell Pairs That Maintain Basaloid Mouse Mammary Tumors: Proof of Concept

There is a paradox offered up by the cancer stem cell hypothesis. How are the mixed populations that are characteristic of heterogeneous solid tumors maintained at constant proportion, given their high, and different, mitotic indices? In this study, we evaluate a well-characterized mouse model of human basaloid tumors (induced by the oncogene Wnt1), which comprise mixed populations of mammary epithelial cells resembling their normal basal and luminal counterparts. We show that these cell types are substantially inter-dependent, since the MMTV LTR drives expression of Wnt1 ligand in luminal cells, whereas the functional Wnt1-responsive receptor (Lrp5) is expressed by basal cells, and both molecules are necessary for tumor growth. There is a robust tumor initiating activity (tumor stem cell) in the basal cell population, which is associated with the ability to differentiate into luminal and basal cells, to regenerate the oncogenic paracrine signaling cell pair. However, we found an additional tumor stem cell activity in the luminal cell population. Knowing that tumors depend upon Wnt1-Lrp5, we hypothesized that this stem cell must express Lrp5, and found that indeed, all the stem cell activity could be retrieved from the Lrp5-positive cell population. Interestingly, this reflects post-transcriptional acquisition of Lrp5 protein expression in luminal cells. Furthermore, this plasticity of molecular expression is reflected in plasticity of cell fate determination. Thus, in vitro, Wnt1-expressing luminal cells retro-differentiate to basal cell types, and in vivo, tumors initiated with pure luminal cells reconstitute a robust basal cell subpopulation that is indistinguishable from the populations initiated by pure basal cells. We propose this is an important proof of concept, demonstrating that bipotential tumor stem cells are essential in tumors where oncogenic ligand-receptor pairs are separated into different cell types, and suggesting that Wnt-induced molecular and fate plasticity can close paracrine loops that are usually separated into distinct cell types.
Twenty-four hours light exposure experiences in postpartum women and their 2–10-week-old infants: An intensive within-subject design pilot study

Abstract Background Adequate light exposure is critical for entraining circadian rhythms, regulating sleep–wake cycles, and maintaining optimal mood. Yet, few studies have reported normative data on light exposure experiences in postpartum women and young infants; none has examined the two simultaneously. Objectives The objective of this pilot study was to document the 24-h light exposure experiences in postpartum women and their infants. Design An intensive within-subject design was employed. Settings The participant's natural home environment. Participants Twenty-four healthy mother–infant pairs were recruited from the general community in Seattle, USA. Two mother–infant pairs did not have complete data, resulting in a final sample size of 22 (12 female infants). Methods Mothers and infants wore a monitor to continuously record illumination levels for 7 days. Data were aggregated within subject to calculate summary measures of illumination exposure. Circadian patterns of light were examined using cosinor analysis. Pearson correlation was used to examine the relation between maternal and infant light exposure. Results Mothers spent 71.13±11.58% and infants spent 80.07±8.27% of their daytime hours (defined as 06:00–21:59) in an illumination level 1000lux per day was 54±39 for mothers and 23±18 for infants. Maternal and infant light exposure exhibited a modest circadian pattern and a strong correlation, both in the timing of peak illumination exposure ( r =0.93, p r =0.70±0.07). Conclusions Postpartum women and infants experience low ambient light levels with short periods of bright light during the day. Whether this level of light is sufficient for optimal postpartum mood and infant circadian entrainment warrants further investigation. If higher levels of light were indeed necessary for postpartum women and young infants, increasing ambient light levels through the use of natural sunlight (i.e., walking outdoors) could be a simple and economic nursing intervention. The strong pattern synchrony between maternal and infant light exposure suggests that mothers play the primary role in providing a lighting environment suitable for infants to synchronize their circadian rhythms to a 24-h day.
The Effects of Instructions, Rehearsal, Modeling, and Feedback on Acquisition and Generalization of Staff Use of Discrete Trial Teaching and Student Correct Responses.

Abstract A limited number of studies have investigated the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on staff acquisition and generalization of discrete trial teaching (DTT) and student behavior. BST was used to improve three staff's use of DTT interactions with four children with autism. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess the effects of the intervention on staff and student performance. All three staff acquired DTT skills with one child and one set of teaching programming. Staff also demonstrated improved accuracy in their use of DTT following training sessions and during follow-up sessions with students and programs that were not involved in staff training. Student performance on presented tasks also improved following staff improvement in implementation of DTT. Staff rated the training as very socially valid. This shows that BST may result in generalization of staff performance to novel students and novel teaching tasks. BST was highly effective, efficient, and acceptable.
Analyses of the Effects of two Individual Differences Classificaticn Models on Experiencing Mental Workload of a Comupter Generated Task: A Hew Perspective to Job Design and Task Analysis:

Two individual differences classification models, Cognitive Complexity and Decision Style, were utilized to group participants for a mental workload experiment. All participants undertook four sequential phases of a simulated artillery command, computer generated, mental workload task. Measures of the mental workload were the subjective estimation of the relative task difficulty and the physiological response as reflected in the level of sinus arrhythmia. The abstract group was found to be significantly associated with the high conceptually complex decision styles; whereas the concrete group was related to the low conceptually complex decision styles. The abstract and conceptually complex decision style group subjective evaluation of task difficulty followed the progressive loading of the task. Conversely, the conrete and low conceptually complex decision style group perceived the initial phase of the task to be the most difficult. The sinus arrhythmia dependent variable demonstrated two different pattern...
Genetic Modification of Herbaceous Plants for Feed and Fuel

Referee: Dr. E. Charles Brummer, Forage Breeding and Genetics, 1204 Agromonomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 Much of the research on the genetic modification of herbaceous plant cell walls has been conducted to improve the utilization of forages by ruminant livestock. The rumen of these animals is basically an anaerobic fermentation vat in which the micro flora break down the complex polysaccharides of plant cell walls into simpler compounds that can be further digested and absorbed by the mammalian digestive system. Research on improving the forage digestibility of switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L., and other herbaceous species has demonstrated that genetic improvements can be made in forage quality that can have significant economic value. To meet future energy needs, herbaceous biomass will need to be converted into a liquid fuel, probably ethanol, via conversion technologies still under development. If feedstock quality can be genetically improved, the economics and efficiency of the conversio...
A comparison of the mating behavior of adolescent and adult female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

This study compares adult and adolescent female rhesus macaques with regard to (1) characteristics of their copulatory partners, (2) their proceptive behaviors, and (3) adult male behaviors toward them during estrus. We conducted focal follows of 24 adolescent and 65 adult free-ranging estrous female rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago during two mating seasons. Com- pared to adult females, adolescents presented sexually to males at higher rates; copulated more frequently with rankless young male, and extra-group males; and, in one of two mating seasons, were ignored more frequently by males to whom they presented sexually. Adolescents tended to copulate with ranked, resident males at higher frequencies on days when the operational sex ratio (adult males:estrous adult females) was high. Males directed "muzzle-up" signals to adolescents at lower rates than to adults in one of two mating seasons, although this effect vanished when males who might have fathered adolescent females were excluded from analysis. Adolescents did not differ consistently from adults in strength of the correlation between proximity maintenance (dyadic Hinde's Index) and copulation rate, or in approach rate to males. Adolescent females, relative to adult females, presented sexually more to rankless young males, but did not present more to ranked, resident males. Both proximate (e.g. endocrine) and ultimate (e.g. differential fecundity; female- female mate competition) explanations may account for the reported differences between adult and adolescent female rhesus macaque sexuality.
Facilitating friendship formation in late life: Puzzles and challenges

Considerable evidence indicates that friendships contribute to the psychological well-being of older adults. Seeking ways to help lonely older adults form new friendships thus makes a good deal of sense, but as the disappointing results reported by Heller et al. (1991) indicate, translating this conceptually sound goal into a practical reality presents many challenges. This commentary seeks to build upon the authors' analysis of factors that may have undermined the success of their intervention by discussing the social contexts that may be most conducive to friendship formation in late life and by considering whether kin ties represent a more viable focus of intervention efforts than do peer ties.
Computer-assisted self-interviews: A cost effectiveness analysis

Computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) questionnaires are being used with increased frequency to deliver surveys that previously were administered via self-administered paper-and-pencil questionnaires (SAQs). Although CASI may offer a number of advantages, an important consideration for researchers is the assessment modality’s immediate and long-term costs. To facilitate researchers’ choice between CASI and SAQ, this article provides theoretical cost models with specific parameters for comparing the costs for each assessment type. Utilizing these cost models, this study compared the cost effectiveness in a health behavior study in which both CASI (n = 100) and SAQ (n = 100) questionnaires were administered. Given the high initial costs, CASI was found to be less cost effective than SAQ for a single study. However, for studies with large sample sizes or when CASI software is to be used for multiple studies, CASI would be more cost effective and should be the assessment mode of choice.
Inducible nitric oxide synthase and the effect of aminoguanidine in experimental neonatal meningitis.

This study explored the role of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) in an infant rat model of group B streptococcal meningitis. Brain iNOS activity increased during meningitis (P < .001), and iNOS was detected by immunocytochemistry in the walls of meningeal vessels and cells of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammation. Animals treated with iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine (AG; 130 mg/kg every 8 h) had reduced NO production (P < .05), higher CSF bacterial titers (P < .05), and increased incidence of seizures (P < .01) compared with untreated infected animals. AG also increased areas of severe hypoperfusion in the cortex (31% +/- 14% in controls vs. 56% +/- 16% in AG; P < .01) and the extent of cortical neuronal injury, both when administered at the time of infection (P < .05) and in established meningitis (P < .02). Thus, NO produced by iNOS may be beneficial in this model of experimental meningitis by reducing cerebral ischemia.
Frequency of uncomplicated angina pectoris in type A compared with type B persons (the Framingham Study).

Abstract The impact of type A behavior on coronary artery disease was examined in 570 men and 719 women based on 20 years of follow-up in the Framingham Study. A comparison of type A and A persons showed similar levels of systolic blood pressure, total and high density lipoprotein cholesterol and body mass index. Behavioral status also was unrelated to diabetes, cigarette smoking and alcohol intake. Despite similar cardiovascular risk profiles, type A behavior was associated with more than a 2-fold excess risk of angina pectoris, uncomplicated by other symptoms of coronary artery disease (p
A New Series of Microscope Objectives.* III. Ultraviolet Objectives of Intermediate Numerical Aperture†

Paper II of this series demonstrates that spherical lens elements combined with spherical mirrors may provide well-corrected and achromatized ultraviolet microscope objectives. The present paper presents a further study of several types of catadioptric Schwarzschild systems which provide microscope objectives relatively easy to construct, convenient to use, and for which ultraviolet and visual range performance characteristics are not compromised. Several modifications with numerical apertures within the range 0.4 to 1.0 are presented.