cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Added fructose: a principal driver of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its consequences

Data from animal experiments and human studies implicate added sugars (eg, sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup) in the development of diabetes mellitus and related metabolic derangements that raise cardiovascular (CV) risk. Added fructose in particular (eg, as a constituent of added sucrose or as the main component of high-fructose sweeteners) may pose the greatest problem for incident diabetes, diabetes-related metabolic abnormalities, and CV risk. Conversely, whole foods that contain fructose (eg, fruits and vegetables) pose no problem for health and are likely protective against diabetes and adverse CV outcomes. Several dietary guidelines appropriately recommend consuming whole foods over foods with added sugars, but some (eg, recommendations from the American Diabetes Association) do not recommend restricting fructose-containing added sugars to any specific level. Other guidelines (such as from the Institute of Medicine) allow up to 25% of calories as fructose-containing added sugars. Intake of added fructose at such high levels would undoubtedly worsen rates of diabetes and its complications. There is no need for added fructose or any added sugars in the diet; reducing intake to 5% of total calories (the level now suggested by the World Health Organization) has been shown to improve glucose tolerance in humans and decrease the prevalence of diabetes and the metabolic derangements that often precede and accompany it. Reducing the intake of added sugars could translate to reduced diabetes-related morbidity and premature mortality for populations.
Class Actions along the Path of Federal Rule Making

INTRODUCTION Perhaps, intentional was the irony in the title of this Symposium, “The Future of Class Actions and Its Alternatives,” with the singular possessive “Its” suggesting that the “Alternatives” are to the “Future” and not “Class Actions.” Indeed, some of the other presentations at this Symposium seem to reinforce this irony in suggesting that class actions don’t have much of a future, or whatever future they have is a problematic or limited one.1 Dean Klonoff, who predicts a particularly dim future for class actions, asserts that courts have “tightened the requirements for almost every element of class certification” and thereby “undermine[d] the compensation, deterrence, and efficiency functions of the class action device.”2 From another vantage point, Professor Issacharoff observes
A secondary structure within a human piRNA modulates its functionality.

Abstract The piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, mostly 24–32 nucleotides in length. The piRNAs are not known to have any conserved secondary structure or sequence motifs. Using bioinformatics analysis, we discovered the presence of putative G-quadruplex (GQ) forming sequences in human piRNAs. We studied human piR-48164/piR-GQ containing a potential GQ forming sequence and using biochemical and biophysical techniques confirmed its ability to form a GQ. Using EMSA, we discovered that the formation of GQ structure led to inhibition of the piRNA binding to the HIWI-PAZ domain as well as the complementary base pairing to a target RNA. The inability of the piR-GQ to interact with the PIWI protein might be detrimental to the function of the piRNA. To investigate if the formation of a GQ structure in piRNA prevents its target gene silencing in vivo, we used a reporter assay. The piR-GQ failed to inhibit the reporter gene expression while a mutated version that lacked the ability to form GQ inhibited reporter gene expression indicating that the presence of GQ in piRNA is detrimental to its function. These studies unraveled the dependence of a piRNA's functionality on an RNA secondary structure and added a new layer of regulation to their function.
Residential Greenspace Association with Childhood Behavioral Outcomes.

Objective To assess the relationship between greenspace exposure and childhood internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Study design We analyzed data from the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study, an ongoing prospective birth cohort. Greenspace exposure was estimated based on children's addresses using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images. Neurobehavioral outcomes were assessed using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition. Regression models adjusted for neighborhood deprivation, maternal education, race, and sex assessed the risk for problematic internalizing and externalizing behaviors at residential greenspace buffers of 200, 400, and 800 m. Results There were 562 and 313 children in our age 7- and 12-year analyses, respectively. At age 7 years, a 0.1-unit increase in NDVI was associated with decreased conduct scores (β = -1.10, 95% CI [-2.14, -0.06], 200 m). At age 12 years, a 0.1-unit increase in NDVI was associated with a decrease in anxiety scores (β = -1.83, 95% CI [-3.44, -0.22], 800 m), decreased depression scores (β = -1.36, 95% CI [-2.61, -0.12], 200 m), and decreased somatization scores (β = -1.83, 95% CI [-3.22, -0.44], 200 m). Conclusions This study provides evidence that increased exposure to residential greenspace is associated with reduced youth's problematic internal and external behaviors, measured by Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, at ages 7 and 12 years. Improved understanding of this mechanism could allow for implementation of neighborhood-level approaches for reducing the risk for childhood behavioral problems.
SHOULD CATHETER ABLATION BE THE FIRST LINE TREATMENT IN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION PATIENTS OF HEART FAILURE WITH REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION

Catheter ablation (CA) continues to emerge as an intriguing therapeutic option for the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) especially in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The recent data has suggested that CA may be a viable first-line strategy for these patients
Birns on Antipodean America: Australasia and the Constitution of U. S. Literature, by Paul Giles

Birns on Antipodean America: Australasia and the Constitution of U. S. Literature , by Paul Giles
The Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Sheets on Early Healing of the Achilles Tendon in Rats.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have potential to accelerate flexor tendon healing and allow for earlier rehabilitation. The ideal BMSC construct and delivery method to the repai...
The Effects of Sensory Processing Patterns on Perceived Stress and Sleep Quality Among College Students

Date Presented 04/06/19 This study aimed to examine the relationship between sensory processing, perceived stress, and sleep quality in graduate students. Results showed that students were moderately stressed. Those who had higher scores in over-responsiveness to auditory, visual, and touch perceived significantly higher stress levels and experienced poor sleep quality. OT educators and practitioners can address sensory processing strategies for reducing perceived stress and improving sleep quality to enhance learning. Primary Author and Speaker: Megan Chang Additional Authors and Speakers: Tamara Turner Contributing Authors: Sarah Kwee, Jennifer Shaul, Tim Stanbach, Julie Stringari
Explaining the Education-Health Gradient in Preventing STIs in Andean Peru: Cognitive Executive Functioning, Awareness and Health Knowledge.

Context Little is known about the pathways mediating the relationship between education and health. It is widely assumed that formal schooling leads to awareness of health risks (e.g., STIs) and, in turn, to adoption of preventive behavior (e.g., condom use); however, evidence supporting this mechanism has been limited. Methods Survey data were collected in 2010 from a sample of 247 adults aged 30-62 living in an isolated Andean district of Peru; these individuals had widely varying exposure to schooling, and their community had recently experienced elevated risks of STIs. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the degree to which schooling is associated with cognitive resources, STI awareness and sexual health knowledge, and how these jointly are associated with ever-use of condoms. Results Thirty-two percent of respondents reported ever-use of condoms. One additional year of schooling was associated with a 2.7-percentage-point increase in the probability of condom use, after adjustment for covariates. The pathway between education and condom use was mediated by cognitive executive functioning (CEF) skills (0.26 standard deviations), STI awareness (0.09) and sexual health knowledge (0.10); CEF skills were associated with condom use both directly and indirectly, through STI awareness and sexual health knowledge, and accounted for two-thirds of the education-condom use gradient. Conclusions The relationship between education and STI prevention may be more complex than is often assumed and is mediated by CEF skills, STI awareness and sexual health knowledge. Studies should examine whether STI prevention interventions are more effective if they enhance cognitive skills used to translate information into protective behaviors.
The Politics of Virtual Security

As one of the first attempts in critical international relations (IR) scholarship to explore the political and ideological intent of visual simulations, Francois Debrix’s Re-Envisioning Peacekeeping has a lot to offer critical IR studies and critical security studies. More than twenty years after its publication, Debrix’s theoretical and methodological insights into the study of global (dis)order and the virtualization of security still remain relevant in many ways. In this essay, I will first focus on Debrix’s deployment of the virtual in relation to reality, security, and ideology, and I will argue that his understanding of virtual reality taps well into and transgresses the ongoing divide/debate between positivist and post-positivist approaches to reality in IR and security studies. Second, I will briefly touch upon the recent local turn in peacekeeping studies vis-a-vis Debrix’s critical world order project. By doing so, I will highlight that Debrix’s project provides novel insights also into the study of the local with its call for an anti-imperialist spirit by stressing the oscillation of discipline and ideology in reordering and recolonizing the subjects of international politics in the guise of the “New World Order” vision mobilized through techniques of simulations.
Professional Societies as Adopters and Enforcers of AI Soft Law

Professional societies that include artificial intelligence (AI) practitioners as members have been active in adopting and communicating codes of ethics for their membership. Such professional codes of ethics likely have an expressive benefit in encouraging society members to give greater consideration to ethical factors, although the relatively few empirical studies on professional society codes of ethics have failed to demonstrate any consistent, practical benefit. In contrast, company codes of ethics have been demonstrated to be effective in some contexts, because the company as employer can create a supportive work environment that values and rewards ethical behavior. This article proposes three potential strategies to increase the effectiveness and credibility of professional society ethical codes as governance tools. First, enforcement of the codes should be broader and more transparent. Second, employers could be enlisted to help enforce the codes adopted by professional societies, given employers’ greater influence in creating a more compliant and ethical workplace culture. Third, AI practitioners could be professionalized, with accompanying licensure, educational, and ethical requirements. There are pros and cons related to each of these three strategies.
The Anti-vaccine Movement – A Pharmacist’s View

Pharmacists are widely known as the most accessible health care providers, and are often called upon to serve as the liaison between other health care professionals, patients, and caregivers to facilitate communication, clarify purpose of therapy, and dispel myths and misconceptions. In the last decade, pharmacists have begun to play an integral role in the provision of vaccinations, and are uniquely positioned to educate the public about vaccines and the current evidence to support their safe use. Currently, all 50 states allow pharmacists to administer vaccines. There are barriers to the continuing expansion of pharmacists in this role, including turf wars with other health care providers, lack of public understanding/acceptance of the pharmacist in that role, lack of understanding regarding the education and training of pharmacists, and lack of structure for compensation of pharmacists from insurers. Nevertheless, pharmacists have demonstrated the ability to increase vaccination rates.
Treatment of Arenavirus Infections

Arenaviruses are a cause of several potentially fatal viral hemorrhagic fevers. While lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus is found worldwide, the remaining arenaviruses have limited geographic ranges. These zoonoses are generally transmitted to humans after exposure to aerosolized excreta or to blood or other body fluids of the rodent. Human to human transmission also poses a serious public health threat, especially in the health care setting. All but one of the pathogenic arenaviruses are considered select, category A agents due to their potential for weaponization as well as the lack of approved vaccines and the high mortality rates. Early recognition and diagnosis are keys to improving outcomes. Limited data exists for specific therapies. However, several studies support the use of ribavirin for Lassa virus infections and convalescent sera for Junin virus infections. Several new therapies and vaccines are in development for the most common arenaviral infections. However, clinical trials will need to overcome significant infrastructure challenges in endemic areas. Decreasing the burden of disease will require limiting human exposure to the rodent host through public health education and vector control in addition to improved health care practices to prevent nosocomial transmission.
Some Effects of Surface Curvature on Laminar Boundary-Layer Flow

The laminar flow of a viscous incompressible fluid over a twodimensional curved surface is investigated for two cases, one in which the curvature is "large" and the other in which it is "moderate." The boundary-layer equations applicable to these cases are obtained as approximations from the exact equations of motion by an order-of-magnitude analysis. These equations are solved for flow over a particular surface with zero surface pressure gradient. In this analysis, the pressure gradient normal to the surface is included, and the outer boundary conditions are modified in accordance with the requirements of flow over a curved surface. The results indicate tha t for equal Reynolds Numbers, the stress on convex surfaces is less than the flat-plate value, while the stress on concave surfaces is greater than for a flat plate. The most important effect of surface curvature, for the cases considered, is the modification of the shape of the velocity profile near the "outer edge" of the boundary layer. The requirement tha t a smooth transition exist between the viscous flow and the potential flow at the outer edge of the layer causes the profile to have a negative slope near the outer edge for convex surface curvature and a positive slope for concave surface curvature. X= CONSTANT
Digital Social Advocacy in the Justice for Trayvon Campaign

This study examined the digital media ecosystem that developed during the Justice for Trayvon campaign prior to the arrest of Trayvon Martin's killer, George Zimmerman. Research literature in public relations, social advocacy, and digital communication, as well as content relevant to the campaign in Lexis/Nexis and on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, were used to develop a theoretical model of digital social advocacy within the context of public relations management.
Examining attitudes, beliefs, and intentions regarding the use of exercise as punishment in physical education and sport: an application of the theory of reasoned action

Although the use of exercise as punishment appears to be pervasive among physical education teachers and coaches, it has not been systematically examined. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences, attitudes, intentions, and beliefs of college physical education majors regarding the use of exercise as punishment, using the framework of the theory of reasoned action. Surveys were completed by 345 students enrolled in 35 physical education classes. More than 90% of the study participants reported that their coaches used exercise as punishment, and 43% indicated their physical education teachers used exercise to punish or manage behavior. The constructs of the theory of reasoned action explained nearly 70% of the variance in participants' intentions to use exercise as punishment.
LACK OF ASSOCIATION OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO RAGWEED ANTIGEN E, Ra 3 AND Ra5 WITH THE HLA SYSTEM

SUMMARY One hundred and sixty-five individuals with ragweed rhinitis and asthma were studied. The associations between the HLA system and: Ra3 skin-test response, Ra3 RAST, Ra3/antigen E skin-test reactivity ratio, Ra5 skin-test response, Ra5 RAST, Ra5/antigen E skin-test reactivity ratio, serum IgE levels, antigen E skin-test response, and antigen E RAST were studied. In addition, the influence of the serum IgE levels of these immune parameters were evaluated. No highly significant associations were noted.
Deficits in Planning Time but not Performance in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Studies of planning ability typically involve some version of the Tower of Hanoi or Tower of London (TOL). When these tests are administered to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), the findings pertaining to planning "performance" have been conflicting. Possible reasons for failures to find deficits in planning performance among MS patients are: (a) the patients typically have relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) of mild severity and short duration and thus little cognitive impairment relative to those with more advanced disease; (b) the problems composing the tests are too simple and differences between patients and controls are therefore obscured by ceiling effects; and (c) the scoring system typically used permits participants to earn points for successful solutions on later trials after failing the initial attempt on each problem, thereby further diluting the difference between patients and controls. The present study compared the performance of patients with both relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive disease with that of healthy controls on a more challenging version of the TOL. Patients exhibited lengthier planning times on the test, greater disparity in their average planning times from those of controls as the difficulty level increased, and greater individual variability in their planning times across the full set of problems. However, no differences in planning performance were found between patients and controls or between RRMS and secondary progressive MS patients. Performance differences in other studies may be attributable in part to the imposition of time limits for solving each problem and the disproportionately adverse effect such time limits have on patients' performance.
Effects of impuisivity, depression, provocation, and time on aggressive behavior

Abstract Impulsive and nonimpulsive males, who were temporarily depressed or nondepressed, were provoked or nonprovoked prior to participation in a communication task. The task was structured so that the male subjects could administer 25 shocks to a male confederate. As predicted, impulsive males who were depressed administered more intense shocks than did nonimpulsive males who were depressed. In contrast, impulsive and nonimpulsive males who were not depressed did not differ. On early shock trials, impulsive males also gave shocks of longer duration than did nonimpulsive males. Other findings showed that attitudes toward administering painful shocks and depressed mood together accounted for 51% of the variance in the shock intensity scores. In contrast, neither attitudes nor moods mediated aggressive responding on the shock duration measure. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings were discussed. It was concluded that emotionally triggered impulsivity can have a significant impact on human aggression.
Refunding Noncallable Debt

Since Bowlin's [4] original article on the topic was published, a considerable literature on corporate bond refunding has developed. Most of that literature has concentrated on the question of how to measure the benefit to a company's shareholders of exercising the call provision associated with an outstanding debt issue (see [3], [12], [21], [26], [27], [29], and [31]). Among the related concerns have been the matters of whether there are valuation advantages to the deliberate issuance of discount—including “zero coupon”—bonds (see [9], [22], and [28]), and whether there can be profitable opportunities for refunding prior to maturity debt instruments that were issued at par but later trade at a discount (see [1], [2], [13], [15], [17], [18], and [23]).
Evaluation of mitral regurgitation using a digitally determined color Doppler flow convergence 'centerline' acceleration method. Studies in an animal model with quantified mitral regurgitation.

BACKGROUND The imaging and measurement of the proximal flow convergence region in the left ventricle have been reported to be useful for identifying the site of mitral regurgitation (MR) and for evaluating its severity. However, the application of this method has not gained general acceptance. There have been few in vivo studies with quantified reference standards for determining regurgitant volume, and those that have been reported used spectral Doppler standards and/or nonsimultaneously performed contrast ventriculography. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the proximal flow convergence centerline velocity-distance profile method applied to chronic MR resulting from flail mitral leaflets in an animal model in which regurgitant flow rates and regurgitant volumes were determined simultaneously with electromagnetic flow probes and flowmeters. METHODS AND RESULTS In six sheep, a total of 18 hemodynamically different states were obtained when the animals were restudied 6 months after surgical induction of MR produced by severing chordae tendineae to the anterior (three sheep) or posterior (three sheep) mitral leaflet. Echocardiographic studies with a Vingmed 750 were performed to obtain complete proximal axial flow acceleration velocity-distance profiles for each hemodynamic state. The color Doppler velocity data were directly transferred in digital format from the ultrasound instrumentation to a microcomputer. The severity of MR was assessed by the magnitude of the mitral regurgitant fraction determined using both mitral and aortic electromagnetic flow probes balanced against each other to yield regurgitant volume. MR was classified as grade I when the regurgitant fraction was 35%. Thus, of the 18 hemodynamic states, 4 (from two sheep) were grade I, 7 (from five sheep) were grade II, and 7 (from three sheep) were grade III to IV. All of the velocity-distance acceleration curves showed organized acceleration fields with highly significant correlations using multiplicative regression fits (y = a.x-b, r = .90 to .99, all P 0.5 m/s at distances from the orifice > 0.6 cm; the profiles for grade I regurgitation resided in a domain encompassed by velocities CONCLUSIONS In this study, using quantified MR volume, we demonstrate that the proximal flow convergence axial centerline velocity-distance profile method can be used for evaluating the severity of MR without any assumption about isovelocity surface shape geometry.
Limitations of Evidence-based Medicine: The Role of Experience and Expert Opinion

Background Advances in statistical science and the development of computers (a result of the digital revolution) have allowed many disciplines, including medicine, to develop a more objective analysis of data as applied to decision making. The concept of evidence-based medicine (EBM) includes that scientific study of disease and treatment efficacy will allow high-quality, cost-effective treatment. The concept of EBM is well established in medical specialties, particularly for cardiovascular disease and cancer, but less developed in the surgical specialties. Multiple factors make evidence-based surgical (EBS) studies more problematic. Entering children into prospective surgical treatment trials remains difficult for the parents and patients who are asked to allow a choice of procedures for a surgical intervention that will take just an hour or two but whose results could change the child's entire life. Comparative effectiveness research, a subset of EBM, is of special interest to surgeons, who often need to decide on an expensive new implant versus a reliable, less expensive, established one. Factors that make the scientific analysis of surgical treatment efficacy more difficult include issues as practical as surgical skill. Prescribing an antihypertensive medication or a lipid-lowering drug has little variability in its delivery. Performance of a complex surgical procedure can vary immensely, allowing a procedure to be very effective in one surgeon's hands but far less applicable by another surgeon (eg, arthroscopic vs. open shoulder surgery). Thus, large patient series with careful follow-up are required to clarify outcome differences. Scientific study of surgical treatment outcomes in childhood orthopaedic conditions remains in its infancy. Because of minimal funding available for such research, most available studies are poorly designed with an inadequate study sample size. As for the near future, neither the government nor industry sources seem to have a strong incentive to study outcomes in childhood surgical diseases that have a low prevalence. Because current research provides little evidence to guide parents and their surgeon (when a choice exists), consumers generally seek what they believe to be the best available "expert opinion." Conclusions Properly funded, the digital revolution will allow radical advances in establishing EBS decision making. However, the same digital revolution has produced an educated populace, greatly increasing their capacity for critical analysis of available data. Currently, both sophisticated parents and their surgeons remain hesitant to accept results from poorly designed studies when deciding on surgery for their child. As a result, expert opinion remains central to surgical decision making in children's orthopaedics. Knowledgeable surgeons look forward to future quantum improvements in research quality that will allow secure EBS-based decisions for their surgical patients.
Spatially Modulated phase in ising models with competing interactions

Simple cubic and square lattice spin 12 Ising models with competing interactions (J1 > 0, J2 < 0) between nearest and next-nearest layers have been studied, in particular by Monte Carlo methods. The wave vector, which characterizes the spatially modulated phases, displays a complex variation with T and J2J1.
Ephemeral Biometrics: What are they and what do they solve?

For critical infrastructure facilities, mitigation techniques for insider threats are primarily non-technical in nature and rely heavily on policies/procedures. Traditional access control measures (access cards, biometrics, PIN numbers, etc.) are built on a philosophy of trust that enables those with appropriate permissions to access facilities without additional monitoring or restrictions. Systems based on these measures have three main limitations: 1) access is typically bound to a single authentication occurrence; 2) the authentication factors have little impact against human (insider) threats to security systems; and 3) many of the authentication systems inconvenience end-users. In order to mitigate the aforementioned deficiencies, we propose utilizing the concept of Ephemeral Biometrics to construct strong, persistent authentication protocols.
The effects of tidal fluctuation of salinity on the hemolymph composition of several molluscs.

Abstract 1. 1. A tidal fluctuation of salinity was simulated so that ambient salinity decreased from 30 to 10%. and returned to 30%. over a 12-hr period. 2. 2. Hemolymph osmolality declined to 81·0 per cent of control for Mopalia muscosa to 57·5 per cent for Katherina tunicata, and to 84·8 per cent for Thais lamellosa and returned to control levels by hour 12. 3. 3. Hemolymph osmolality fluctuation was due to ion movement for M. muscosa and T. lamellosa and to both ion and water movement for K. tunicata. 4. 4. The rate of flux of the ions measured was Cl− > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ > Ca2+ for T. lamellosa and Cl− > Mg2+ > K+ > Na+ > Ca2+ for K. tunicata. 5. 5. Hemolymph calcium level was well regulated throughout the tidal cycle for T. lamellosa.
Primary evacuation therapy for Cesarean scar pregnancy: three new cases and review.

We report three cases of first-trimester Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) treated with evacuation therapy. In one patient with a gestational age of 7 weeks and with deep sac implantation, there was massive uterine bleeding and uterine perforation following evacuation. The other two patients, both with a pregnancy /= 7 weeks, coupled with a deep implantation, portend an unsatisfactory outcome of surgical evacuation as a means of treating CSP.
Extinction of a heterogeneous chain after several reinforcement schedules

Rats were conditioned to emit the following two-member chain of responses on two different operanda always available: responses on a vertical bar produced a discriminative stimulus for food-reinforced responding on a horizontal bar. Responses on the vertical bar produced a discriminative stimulus on a variable-interval 1-min schedule, and the horizontal bar produced food on a variable ratio of 10 responses. Control conditions were included in which vertical bar responses were also food-reinforced simultaneous with the onset of the discriminative stimulus for the horizontal bar response and a tandem schedule which had the same response requirements but without different exteroceptive stimuli associated with the separate components of the response chain. The latter condition greatly retarded acquisition of the response chain compared to the other schedules studied here and compared to reports in the literature on homogeneous (single operandum) response chains. Intermittent reinforcement of the chain led to greater resistance to extinction of both members and the chain remained intact longer in the sense that stimulus control was maintained.
Assuring Failure: Implementation Design and Policy Environment of a Federal Program Provision

A viable policy design, considered in policy implementation, should integrate understandings of the increasing autonomy of the public-policy environment, especially where policies are nested within...
Therapy for 6.5-7.5 years with recombinant insulin-like growth factor I in children with growth hormone insensitivity syndrome: a clinical research center study.

Eight children with GH insensitivity syndrome were treated with recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) (80–120 μg/kg sc twice daily) for 6.5–7.5 yr. We previously reported that height velocity (HV) improved with treatment (from mean pretreatment HV of 4.0 cm/yr), to 9.3 cm/yr for the first year and 6.2 cm/yr for the second year. HV remained slightly below this during the subsequent years (mean HV: 5.4, 5.5, 5.2, and 4.8 cm/yr during years 3–6). Mean height sd score before therapy was −5.6; and it improved to− 4.5, −4.4, and −4.2 after 2, 4, and 6 yr of therapy, respectively. Treatment was accompanied by gain in body weight and fat. Bone age advanced normally in the prepubertal patients, but it advanced more rapidly during the latter years of treatment in those patients undergoing pubertal changes. The growth of spleen and kidneys (determined by ultrasound) was rapid in the first 2–3 yr of therapy. More age- appropriate growth ensued, but six patients had a renal length for height more than...
OPTICAL FIBRE DISPERSION MEASUREMENT USING COLOUR CENTRE LASER

The capabilities of the NaCl:OH colour centre laser for generating picosecond pulses over > 150 nm wavelength range makes it an extremely useful tool for measurement of optical fibre dispersion in the 1550 nm wavelength transmission window. A straightforward technique is described for measuring both first and second order group velocity dispersion with better than 0.2% accuracy for kilometre fibre lengths. The technique uses dependence of transmission delay on pulse carrier wavelength, measured with high speed photodetectors. Results are given for measurements on samples of both dispersion-shifted and standard singlemode optical fibre.
The Damocles Sword of Academic Publishing: sharper students or duller sword in the MIS field?

Doctoral students often find it hard to understand at what level of productivity they should be. Through an analysis of resums of doctoral students in the Management Information Systems (MIS) field, a better understanding of what is expected of current students as compared to former students is achieved. Both conference presentations and publications in journals are examined. Finally, there is an examination of whether the quantity of publications can be related to the ranking of the school that a student attends.
Global and Local Fiber Optic Sensors for Health Monitoring of Civil Engineering Infrastructure Retrofit with FRP Materials

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials are currently used for strengthening civil engineering structures and bridges. The effectiveness of the strengthening system is highly dependent on the bond characteristics of the FRP material to the external surface of the structure. This article presents the application of two types of fiber optic sensors, which can be embedded in FRP materials to monitor the global and local behavior of the strengthened structure, respectively. The global sensor is designed to evaluate the overall condition of a structure based on the measured elongation of the FRP layer along the entire span of the structure. The success of this low-cost global sensor has been demonstrated using a full-scale prestressed concrete bridge girder that was loaded up to failure. The test results indicate that this type of sensor can be used to identify major changes in the overall behavior of the structure such as cracking of prestressed members or yielding of the internal reinforcement. The second s...
Acetylcholine receptors at mature and aged mouse neuromuscular junctions.

The density and distribution of junctional and perijunctional ACh receptors (AM) were studied in young (8–12 months) and old (24–25 months) C57 mice to determine: (1) if increased amplitude of spontaneous postsynaptic potentials previously reported in old C57 muscle was due to increased junctional AM; (2) if increased extrajunctional AChR would be found in association with previously reported nerve terminal complexity; and (3) if extrajunctional AChR was present as in disused or denervated muscle. Microdissection of individual muscle fibers combined with 1'25-alpha-bungarotoxin labeling, gamma counting, measurement of surface area, cholinesterase stains, and autoradiography were used to obtain the results. In both young and old mice there was a sharp gradient in AChR between the end-plate and the perijunctional region. End-plate AChR densities and total AChR per end-plate were the same at old and young end-plates, as were perijunctional values. Thus, neither end-plate nor extrajunctional AChR density changes with age. An increased mepp amplitude reported previously in old CB57 animals must be due to other factors. The perijunctional AChR in old mice show no changes characteristic of disuse or denervation, or those which might give rise to the observed nerve terminal complexity.
The ED of the Future: an Interdisciplinary Graduate Course in Healthcare Design

Six faculty members from Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Healthcare, and Perkins + Will created and taught a one-semester course titled “The Emergency Department of the Future”. The goals of the course were to provide an environment for students to be exposed to the unique challenges of healthcare design, to experience and learn techniques for successful interdisciplinary design, and to create innovations with impact. Twenty graduate students representing five disciplines (architecture, health systems, human-computer interaction, computer science, and systems engineering) participated in this class. The course included a series of didactic lectures covering a wide range of issues including architectural design of hospitals and emergency departments, observation techniques for working environments, electronic medical records, and patient-centered care. Lecturers included emergency physicians, nurses, architects, human-computer interaction researchers, and design specialists. Students developed problem statements along with prototype design solutions through these lectures, direct observation, and interaction with course faculty. The resulting projects include a mobile triage chair that takes vital signs, equipment sliders for easy functional transformation, an integrated lighting design, as well as patient assistants for self registration, communication, environmental control, and discharge support. The developed projects have generated ideas to improve emergency care that may be implementable commercial products as well as fundable projects for future research. The final presentation open house attracted over a hundred visitors from local and national healthcare facilities and industry. This presentation will highlight the structure and organization of the course as well as the resulting projects.
Static compaction using overlapped restoration and segment pruning

We propose a new technique for static compaction of test sequences. Our method is based on two key ideas: (1) overlapped vector restoration, and (2) identification, pruning, and re-ordering of segments. Overlapped restoration provides a significant computational advantage for large circuits. Segments partition the compaction problem into sub-problems. Segments are identified, dynamically pruned and re-ordered to achieve further compaction and speed up. When compared to the fastest method proposed by I. Pomeranz and S.M. Reddy (1997), our method was 5 to 30 times faster on ISCAS circuits and 20 to 50 times faster on large, industrial designs. The new algorithm was able to successfully process large industrial designs that could not be handled by earlier techniques in 2 CPU days.
Personality correlates of tattooing and body piercing in a college sample : The kids are alright

Abstract A large ( N = 1375; 873 women, 502 men) sample of college students completed measures of demographics, body modification (i.e., tattoos and body piercings), and measures of the Big Five personality traits, social desirability, and need for uniqueness. Tattooed participants, as compared to their non-tattooed counterparts, scored significantly lower on agreeableness and conscientiousness and significantly higher on need for uniqueness. Body pierced participants, as compared to their non-pierced counterparts, scored significantly lower on conscientiousness and significantly higher on openness to experience. Although statistically significant, these relationships explain very small amounts of variance and most likely reflect inconsequential real world differences between those with and without these two forms of body modification. Our findings suggest caution when attributing psychopathology to adults who possess tattoos and/or body piercings.
Incidence of infective endocarditis in the Delaware Valley, 1988-1990.

Abstract This population-based study aimed to determine the incidence of native, prosthetic, and bioprosthetic valve nosocomial infective endocarditis (IE), and IE associated with the use of injected drugs. Patients with IE during 27 months over the years 1988 to 1990, and residing in any of 6 counties in the Philadelphia metropolitan area were identified. An expert panel reviewed all patients to verify the diagnosis. Incidence rates were estimated after adjustment for failure to recruit and underreporting. Of 853 potential patients, 670 (79%) met the inclusion criteria. The overall incidence rate of IE was 11.6 cases/100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.8 to 12.4). The rates for specific types of IE were: 4.45 (95% CI 3.97 to 4.94) for community-acquired native valve, 0.94 (95% CI 0.72 to 1.12) for prosthetic valve, 0.94 (95% CI 0.71 to 1.16) for nosocomial, and 5.34 (95% CI 4.80 to 5.87) for IE associated with use of injected drugs. Previous population studies found overall incidence rates of 1.7 to 4 cases/100,000 person-years, similar to our rate for community-acquired native valve IE. Type-specific rates have not been previously reported. The higher overall rate in this study is partly related to the nigh prevalence of injection drug use in our area.
A context-sensitive structural heuristic for guided search model checking

In this paper we build on the FSM distance heuristic for guided model checking by using the runtime stack to reconstruct calling context in procedural calls. We first build a more accurate static representation of the program by including a bounded level of calling context. We then use the calling context in the runtime stack with the more accurate control flow graph to estimate the distance to the possible error state. The heuristic is computed using both the dynamic and static construction of the program. We evaluate the new heuristic on models with concurrency errors. In these examples, experimental results show that for programs with function calls, the new heuristic better guides the search toward the error while the traditional FSM distance heuristic degenerates into a random search.
Diagenetic mass transport in the southern San Joaquin basin, California, U.S.A.: Implications from the strontium isotopic composition of modern pore fluids

Abstract Three types of chemically and isotopically distinct pore fluids from the southern San Joaquin basin previously recognized by J.B. Fisher and J.R. Boles also have distinctive 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios and Sr concentrations. Meteoric fluids have stable isotopic compositions which lie on or near the meteoric water line and low chlorinities. Sr concentrations are between 0.01 and 2.6 mg l−1, and 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios range from 0.7061 to 0.7078. Diagenetically modified connate marine fluids have δD-and δ18O-values more positive than −35‰ and 0‰, respectively, and have chlorinities generally comparable to seawater. Sr concentration are much higher than the meteoric group (16–198 mg l−1), although the 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios (0.7070–0.7081) are not distinctive. Mixed meteoric-modified connate fluids have δD, δ18O and chlorinity intermediate between the meteoric and modified connate groups. Sr concentrations are also intermediate, between 16 and 22 mg l−1, but 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios (0.7080–0.7087) are generally more radiogenic than either the meteoric or modified connate groups. All of the fluids have 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios comparable to or lower than Tertiary seawater. Alteration of detrital plagioclase is the probable origin of the low isotopic ratios. Mass-balance calculations based on the Sr data suggest that essentially no transport of Sr occurred during diagenesis of sandstones containing modified connate pore fluids, while large amounts of Sr have been transported out of meteoric reservoirs by fluid flow. The chemically anomalous mixed meteoric-modified connate fluids contain the most radiogenic strontium in the basin. These fluids are spatially associated with major faults, and may represent clay mineral dehydration waters which have been transported upward from greater depth. These results suggest that the three types of fluids identified by Fisher and Boles represent three distinct mass transport regimes: a largely stagnant deep-basin system containing modified connate pore fluids; an actively recharging meteoric system along the basin flanks; and a third system restricted to the southern basin which may be characterized by largescale cross-formational fluid flow, rather than dilution by meteoric waters.
Diffusion of Ca2+ and the quiescent response of sea urchin sperm flagella

The starting and stopping transients observed in sea urchin sperm flagella in the presence of high Ca2+ are believed to begin with an influx of Ca2+ into the axoneme and to end, as indicated by resumption of normal beating, when the Ca2+ has been reduced to very low levels by an active extrusion process. If the influx and efflux processes were uniformly distributed along the length of the flagellum, it is not likely that the starting and stopping transients would occur as a well defined sequence of events that always proceeds from the proximal to the distal end. Theoretical analysis of the concentration profiles of Ca2+ expected if Ca2+ influx occurred along the length of the flagellum but efflux was restricted to the proximal end shows that the time required to reduce [Ca2+] in the distal portion of the flagellum would generally be longer than the observed recovery times. Localization of both the influx and efflux processes near the proximal end, however, yields concentration profiles consistent with observations on the duration of starting and stopping transients.
Selenium redox chemistry at GEOSECS I re-occupation

Abstract The distribution in profile of the two oxidation states of selenium, SeIV and SeVI has been determined at GEOSECS I. The ratio SeIV/SeVI increases from 0.1 in the surface layer to a maximum of 0.6 at 1300 m, the deepwater value being 0.55. The ranges are 50–800 pmol/kg for SeIV and 500–1500 pmol/kg for SeVI. The element is unique in the presence of both oxidation states at comparable levels throughout the water column. Model calculations suggest that this is due to either incorporation of SeIV, produced by reduction of SeVI in the mixed layer, into refractory carrier phase resulting in a high IV/VI ratio in the deep water or an unique redox cycle involving oxidation of SeIV in the mixed layer and reduction of SeVI in the deep water.
Cabbage looper antioxidant enzymes: Tissue specificity

Abstract A unique pattern of antioxidant enzymes exists in phytophagous insects for defense against endogenous and exogenous sources of toxic forms of oxygen, and data presented herein describe a profile of these enzymes in many tissues of larvae of the cabbage looper moth, Trichplusia ni . The specific activities of the antioxidant enzymes were high in tissues of high metabolic activities, i.e. Malpighian tubules, hindgut, muscles and gonads. A unique finding was the high constitutive activity of a superoxide dismutase (SOD) in hemocytes, probably consisting predominantly of the CuZn-SOD, which is analogous to the exclusive presence of this form of SOD in vertebrate erythrocytes and leukocytes. In all other tissues, the activity of Mn-SOD was higher than that of the CuZn-SOD which is converse to the pattern in vertebrate tissues. The glutathione peroxidase (GPOX) activity, present in all tissues and with highest levels in the gonads, did not seem to be the selenoprotein typical of the mammalian GPOX. Glutathione -S- transferase (GST) activity paralleled that of its glutathione peroxidase activity (GSTPX). The high GSTPX activity suggests that GSTPX and not GPOX, forms a sequential team with glutathione reductase (GR) to reduce deleterious lipid hydroperoxides and to reduce the oxidized glutathione, GSSG, back to GSH. Catalase (CAT) which decomposes H 2 O 2 has very high activity apparently correlated with the low GPOX activity. Finally, the integumental epithelium, and the gut (combined sections) possessed higher amounts of antioxidant enzymes than other tissues. Thus, a physiological relationship may occur between the antioxidant enzyme levels in tissues of T. ni with particularly high metabolic activity and associated endogenous oxidative stress. In addition, another physiological role of these enzymes may be to protect from exogenous oxidative stress exerted by dietary redox-active pro-oxidants in the gut, and to the potential of photodynamically mediated oxygen toxicity in peripheral organs such as the integument.