cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complications involving spinal cord stimulation and implantable pulse generators

Abstract A 42-year-old man came into the clinic as a referral to reposition or at least evaluate his spinal cord stimulator system. He had a long history of several revisions which he described at some length after a series of probing questions trying to unravel the precise history of what was done, when, and why. Some of these records were sent from other providers, and although available, they did not necessarily clarify all the details of what had been done previously. Initially, he said “a single wire” was placed at the time of the trial, or just afterward, which he could not recall now. This never helped him at all for his back pain, and he remembers he felt something like a TENS unit in his leg but it was n’t in the right area of his pain. That doctor, he said, told him that the lead had moved and “pulled out” or something and that he replaced it with two wires he thinks, but it required two different procedures somehow, and he was n’t sure what was done during each of them. This revision helped his pain, eventually, for a couple years, but then one wire broke, he thinks he was told, and he did n’t have any stimulation really covering the area where his pain has remained, despite several times seeing the company representative and having reprogramming done. More recently, perhaps in the last 6 months, his pain physician retired and his primary care physician (PCP) would not prescribe the same medications for his pain that he was previously obtaining from his pain doctor. He wanted to see if anything could be done with the stimulator or whether he should just have it removed.
In ovo hyperglycemia causes congenital limb defects in chicken embryos via disruption of cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Abstract While the correlation between diabetes during pregnancy and birth defects is well-established, how hyperglycemia causes developmental abnormalities remains unclear. In this study, we developed a novel “hyperglycemic” chicken embryonic model by administrating various doses of glucose to fertilized eggs at embryonic stages HH16 or HH24. When the embryos were collected at HH35, the LD50 was 1.57 g/Kg under HH16 treatment and 0.93 g/Kg under HH24 treatment, indicating that “hyperglycemic” environments can be lethal for the embryos. When exposed to a dose equal to or higher than 1 g/Kg glucose at HH16 or HH24, more than 40% of the surviving chicken embryos displayed heart defects and/or limb defects. The limb defects were associated with proliferation defects of both the wing and leg buds indicated by reduced numbers of p-H3S10 labeled cells. These limb defects were also associated with ectopic apoptosis in the leg bud and expression changes of key apoptotic genes. Furthermore, glucose treatment induced decreased expression of genes involved in Shh-signaling, chondrogenesis, and digit patterning in the limb bud. In summary, our data demonstrated that a high-glucose environment induces congenital heart and limb defects associated with disrupted cell proliferation and apoptosis, possibly through depressed Shh-signaling.
Heavy-Particle Stripping in the Be 9 ( He 3 , α ) Be 8 Reaction and Energy Levels of Be 8

Angular distributions of alpha particles from the ${\mathrm{Be}}^{9}({\mathrm{He}}^{3}, \ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{Be}}^{8}$ reaction leading to the ground state and the levels at 2.9, 16.6, 16.9, and 17.6 MeV were measured at bombarding energies of 3.00 and 4.00 MeV. Reaction alphas were momentum-analyzed with a broad-range spectrograph. Angular distributions for the ground state and the levels at 2.9 and 16.9 MeV are analyzed with a direct reaction theory which includes both the pickup and the heavy-particle stripping amplitudes. Yield measurements for the 17.6-MeV level were not made for angles larger than 100 deg. Over this limited range in angle the angular distributions for this level are in agreement with the predictions of Butler theory. The formation of the 16.6-MeV level apparently proceeds via the compound nucleus. Absolute differential cross sections were found by comparison with the known cross section for the ${\mathrm{Be}}^{9}(d, p){\mathrm{Be}}^{10}$ reaction. Cross sections for the ${\mathrm{Be}}^{9}({\mathrm{He}}^{3}, \ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{Be}}^{8}$ reaction vary from 0.5 mb/sr to 7.6 mb/sr. The level structure of ${\mathrm{Be}}^{8}$ was studied from the ground state up to 17.6-MeV excitation. Levels were found at excitation energies of 2.90\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04, 16.633\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015, 16.928\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015, and 17.639\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.010 MeV, with the indication of a very broad level in the region of 12.5 MeV. Widths of the 2.9-, 16.6-, and 16.9-MeV levels are 1350\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}150, 96\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20, and 80\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15 keV, respectively.
Ross Ice Shelf (Antarctica) in situ radio-frequency attenuation

We have measured the in situ average electric field attenuation length, hLi, for radio- frequency signals broadcast vertically through the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica. We chose a location, Moore Embayment, south of Minna Bluff, known for its high reflectivity at the ice-sea interface. We confirmed specular reflection and used the return pulses to measure the average attenuation length from 75-1250 MHz over the round-trip distance of 1155 m. We find hL�� i to vary from � 500 m at 75 MHz to � 300 m at 1250 MHz, with an experimental uncertainty of 55-15 m.
Heterogeneity of Technological Regimes and Banking Efficiency in Former Socialist Economies

Cost efficiency of banks in 20 former socialist emerging economies is analyzed using a novel methodology - a latent class stochastic efficiency frontier model - that explicitly accounts for unobserved differences in technological regimes due to the heterogeneity of economic environments in which the banks are operating. We find that banking systems in former socialist emerging economies are characterized by three distinct technological regimes. Based on the estimated efficiency scores we group the countries in three categories and provide an intuitive interpretation of the existing regimes.
What’s Left After Rights?

Recent thinking on human rights, at least among the left, has divided along lines that have become familiar from other contemporary political debates. There are those who ground the discourse of rights in an ethical responsibility to fellow human beings in situations of suffering and oppression; for others, suspicion with respect to just such an ethical stance is their point of departure. They see in the ethical perspective at best a radical depoliticization of the struggle for human rights—its biopolitical reduction to humanitarian aid to suffering others who are thereby accorded the status of ‘bare life’—and at worst a cover for a quasi-imperialist imposition of neo-liberal values according to which what ultimately deserves political protection and preservation is the right to entrepreneurial initiative and aspiration. Yet another form of leftist critique of the ostensibly post-political, ethical inflection of rights discourse takes aim at a line of thought most often linked to a series of mostly French philosophers—above all Emmanuel Levinas, but also Jean-Francois Lyotard, Jacques Derrida, and more recently Judith Butler—who in various ways have sought to ground (or perhaps better, unground) philosophy in an ‘ethics of the Other’. The essay explores these positions and proposes a new thinking about human rights oriented by what Hannah Arendt referred to as the ‘dark background’ of human life.
Electric Dipole Moments of Leptons

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the electric dipole moments of lepton. It focuses on the electric dipole moments of the electron, muon, tau lepton, and their associated neutrinos. Among these leptons, the electron is most accessible to experimental observation. For this reason and also because the methods employed for it are those of low-energy physics—atomic and molecular beams, magnetic resonance, optical pumping, laser spectroscopy, and so on—the discussion in the chapter is mainly concentrated on the electron. There is no experimental evidence that any elementary particle, nucleus, or atom possesses a permanent electric dipole moment (EDM). Nevertheless, experimental searches for EDMs and theoretical investigations of their possible magnitudes have attracted great interest for many years and continue to do so. To detect an electric dipole moment, it is usually necessary to place the particle of interest in an external electric field E and observe the change in energy that is proportional to E (a linear Stark effect).
Optimizing the 5-exo6-endo ratio of vinyl radical cyclizations through catalysis with diphenyl diselenide

Abstract The 5-exo/6-endo product ratio in the stannane mediated cyclizations of vinyl iodides is very significantly improved by operating in the presence of catalytic PhSeSePh with no loss in overall cyclization yield.
Macromechanical modeling of the surface flow of granular systems

We review and partly extend recent progress on modeling the surface flow dynamics of granular systems. In particular, we show the usefulness of nonlinear dynamical models based on a few global dynamical variables combined with viscoplastic properties. These models can explain many experimental findings and give valuable insights in the physical mechanisms governing the statics and dynamics of granular systems.
Understanding recent changes in suicide rates among the middle-aged: period or cohort effects?

OBJECTIVE: We examined trends in suicide rates for U.S. residents aged 40 to 59 years from 1979 to 2005 and explored alternative explanations for the notable increase in such deaths from 1999 to 2005. METHODS: We obtained information on suicide deaths from the National Center for Health Statistics and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Age- and gender-specific suicide rates were computed and trends therein analyzed using linear regression techniques. RESULTS: Following a period of stability or decline, suicide rates have climbed since 1988 for males aged 40-49 years, and since 1999 for females aged 40-59 years and males aged 50-59 years. A crossover in rates for 40- to 49-year-old vs. 50- to 59-year-old males and females occurred in the early 1990s, and the younger groups now have higher suicide rates. The post-1999 increase has been particularly dramatic for those who are unmarried and those without a college degree. CONCLUSIONS: The timing of the post-1999 increase coincides with the complete replacement of the U.S. population's middle-age strata by the postwar baby boom cohorts, whose youngest members turned 40 years of age by 2005. These cohorts, born between 1945 and 1964, also had notably high suicide rates during their adolescent years. Cohort replacement may explain the crossover in rates among the younger and older middle-aged groups. However, there is evidence for a period effect operating between 1999 and 2005, one that was apparently specific to less-protected members of the baby boom cohort. Language: en
Poverty, hunger, malnutrition, prematurity, and infant mortality in the United States.

In the underdeveloped world it is not difficult to establish cause-and-effect relationships between unemployment and underemployment, poverty, inadequate diets, chronic hunger, undernutrition and malnutrition, low birth weight, high infant and preschool child mortalities, and growth stunting among the survivors.1 Early in the 20th century, when millions of Europe9s poor migrated to this country and crowded into inadequate and unsanitary urban settings, such relationships were clearly present.2 Whether the mass migrations, during World War II, of the South9s rural poor into the industrial centers of the North created a similar problem is doubtful, as progress was being made simultaneously in the control of diarrheal diseases and other infections, and in assuring the quality, safety, and low cost of our food supply. Trends in infant and child mortality and in the growth of children revealed continued improvement in health and nutritional status.
ℒ1 adaptive control of a shape memory alloy actuated flexible beam

This paper details the synthesis of an 1 adaptive controller for a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuated flexible beam. The controller manipulates applied voltage, which alters SMA tendon temperature to track reference bending angles. Simulated and experimental results show that the 1 adaptive controller provides precise tracking of the reference trajectories and effectively compensates for the nonlinear hysteretic relationship between SMA Joule heating and bending angle without explicitly modelling these characteristics. A simulation model whose results closely resemble the experimental performance results is presented. As a first step towards the development of 1 adaptive control implementation guidelines, a complete description of the 1 control parameters and their correlation to tracking performance is presented.
Plato’s Republic, as a Vocation

“Plato’s Republic, as a Vocation” offers a revisionary account of Plato’s theses that each person should do the one job, and that this job is one she is suited by nature to perform. Starting from reflections on Max Weber's and Sheldon Wolin’s respective accounts of politics and political theory as vocation, he examines the institutional design of the Kallipolis, and the implications of Plato’s various remarks about how, when, and who is educated in Plato’s Republic,. The aim of the Kallipolis, and its structures is to promote the betterment of all the citizens, as opposed to the promotion of a select few in order to establish a secure, stable polis. If we consider how we the readers are to regard the differences between those who complete the entire fifty years of education and those who “drop out” to pursue a calling in geometry, astronomy, the law, or public administration, the notion that each person, especially each “golden-souled” person, is born to do one task seems less and less plausible. Rather than rely on a principle of antecedent nature, this essay argues that provided that some citizens become philosophers, it makes little difference what even most of the golden and silver do.
Dilute‐solution properties of ring polystyrenes

Mesures dans un solvant theta et dans un bon solvant des rayons de giration, viscosites intrinseques et coefficients de vitesse de sedimentation
PDIDENT—a set of programs for powder diffraction phase identification

PDIDENT is a collection of interactive computer programs which have been developed as aids for qualitative phase analysis of x-ray powder diffraction data. These FORTRAN IV programs are implemented on a DEC committee on Powder Diffraction Standards (JCPDS) data base is accessed by the programs along with user-created data. The data base (sets 1–32) along with all cross-index files requires 9 Mbytes of storage. The packing of the data base, use of cross-index files and the algorithms and utility of the PDIDENT programs are described.
Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activation by the histamine releasing agent, compound 48/80

Summary A kinetic analysis of the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activities of rat mast cell homogenate 8000 × g supernatant fractions was performed, revealing apparent Km values of 4 μM and 80 μM. Compound 48/80 caused a dose related increase in the activity of the high Km enzyme. In a 1 ug/ml solution of 48/80 (a concentration which causes marked histamine release and a rapid decrease in cAMP in intact mast cells), a four fold increase in high Km activity was observed. These findings suggest, but do not prove, that the 48/80 induced fall in cAMP may be mediated through this enzyme.
Effect of isothermal aging on post‐imidization and glass transition temperature of LaRC‐IA polyimide resin

The isothermal aging of partially imidized NASA Langley Research Center, LaRC-IA polyimide resin containing 70 wt% N-methyl pyrrolidone, NMP was performed in a vacuum oven at 65, 95, 135, 165 and 200°C for 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2 h. The weight loss and chemical changes that occurred during aging was determined gravimetrically and by FTIR spectroscopy, respectively. The imide absorption peak at 1778 cm -1 , increased in intensity as the aging temperature was increased from 65 to 200°C. The expulsion of NMP (70 wt%) was completed after ∼2.5 h of aging at 135°C. Additional weight loss <4 wt%, after the expulsion of NMP, was attributed to post-imidization. The imide carbonyl peak absorption at 1721 and 1778 cm -1 , respectively, were broadened after aging at 200°C. The broadening of the imide absorption peaks was marked by the disappearance of the amide peak near 1660 cm -1 and is attributable to post-imidization of the partially imidized polyamic-acid. Dissolution of the polyimide aged at T ≥ 165°C in dimethyl formamide, DMF, was unsuccessful even after long times of stirring (∼ 12 h) at elevated temperature (T ∼ 85°C). The DSC thermogram for the LaRC-IA resin showed a series of broad endothermic peaks between 150-180°C and narrow endothermic peaks at 210°C. The low temperature endotherm disappeared after aging at T ≥ 135°C for t ≥ 1 h. The high temperature endotherm decreased with increased aging temperature and time. The glass transition temperature of the polyimide increased with increased aging temperature and time.
Frequency dependent decrease of quantal content in a drug-treated neuromuscular junction.

The effects on neuromuscular transmission of DMAE, an analog of hemicholinium-3, were studied using frog isolated sartorius muscles. DMAE (1 to 10 μM) had no effect on the resting membrane potential or on membrane resistance. Depolarization produced by nicotine was blocked by 10 μM DMAE but not by lower concentrations. The amplitude of EPP's, but not that of the mepp's, was increased by DMAE. The amplitudes of EPP's evoked by trains of stimulation at rates of 5 or 10/sec were not sustained after treatment of the muscles with DMAE. Quantal content but not quantal size was reduced during the fade of the EPP's. The fade-inducing property of DMAE dependend on the Mg++/Ca++ of the bathing solution. Situations favoring high quantal content increased the responsiveness of the junction to DMAE. It was concluded that DMAE acted on the prejunctional terminals to modify transmitter release, probably by interfering with the mobilization of transmitter.
Unequal sex ratios and their consequences in Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus)

We observed the sex ratios and age composition of courting, nesting, and nonbreeding birds (in clubs) in four breeding colonies of Herring Gulls in Maine and New York. Breeding pairs, with eggs or chicks, often contained an immature male, but rarely contained an immature female. Similarly, courting pairs contained immature males, but rarely immature females. A higher proportion of courting pairs contained immatures compared with pairs with eggs or chicks. In all four colonies there was an excess of females in the clubs. A simulated colony which assumed unequal survival for males and females had an age ratio for unpaired birds that was similar to the observed values. We conclude that in Herring Gulls, mate competition exists and stems in part from an unequal tertiary sex ratio.
Magnetic resonance imaging in puerperal seizures: Postpartum eclampsia or cerebral venous thrombosis?

Abstract We reviewed cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in three women with puerperal seizures. One patient had eclampsia and had extensive parasagittal abnormalities on MRI, but she had a normal neurologic examination and recovered without sequelae. The other patients presented with postpartum seizures but were not eclamptic. Both of these women also had parasagittal abnormalities on MRI, which were less severe than the patient with eclampsia. However, both of these patients had neurologic sequelae. One woman had persistent headaches; the other had persistent seizures. In both of these women, EEG showed persistent epileptiform abnormalities. Convalescent MRI was normal in all three patients. Contrary to recent reports, we suggest that cranial MRI in women with puerperal seizures is not specific for eclampsia and does not necessarily predict the clinical course.
Is donepezil therapy associated with reduced mortality in nursing home residents with dementia

Abstract Background: Since cholinesterase inhibitors (CEIs) were approved for use in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, the therapeutic efficacy of this class of medications has largely centered on demonstration of short-term improvement in cognition and global function. Later evidence suggested that the beneficial effects of CEIs might be sustainable for at least 3 years and that CEIs may have a disease-modifying effect on Alzheimer's disease. These broad-ranging, long-term effects may explain the recent finding that the use of a CEI among nursing home residents with dementia was associated with lower mortality. Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate whether donepezil treatment is associated with reduced mortality in nursing home residents who have dementia. Methods: We performed a retrospective matched cohort study using the Systematic Assessment of Geriatric Drug Use via Epidemiology database, which contains data collected with the Minimum Data Set on a cross section of 915,469 nursing home residents aged >65 years between 1998 and 2000 in 6 US states. We identified users of donepezil (5 and 10 mg) and an equal number of matched nonusers in the same facility, date of donepezil use, level of cognitive function, and dementia diagnosis. Comparisons of the 2 groups were made for sociodemographic variables, dementia severity, number of medications, and major comorbid illnesses (heart disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and malnutrition), as well as survival over the 2-year study period. Results: A total of 5423 users and 5423 nonusers of donepezil were identified. Based on Cox proportional hazards models, donepezil users showed a lower mortality rate than nonusers. The hazard rate ratio was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.83–0.95). After adjusting for the confounding variables, sociodemographic factors, other psychotropic drugs, and comorbid conditions, this survival advantage remained (hazard rate ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.84–0.96). Conclusions: A relationship was observed between treatment of nursing home residents with donepezil and lower mortality. If the relationship was due to a direct effect of donepezil use, then this observation has implications for the socioeconomic impact of CEI therapy in those with advanced dementia in the nursing home. These implications deserve future investigation.
Abnormal White Matter Changes After Cerebral Aneurysm Treatment with Polyglycolic-Polylactic Acid Coils

Background Polyglycolic-polylactic acid (PGLA) coils induce inflammation within a cerebral aneurysm, which in turn is hypothesized to decrease aneurysm recurrence. We present 2 patients, who after aneurysm coiling with PGLA coils, developed mild symptoms and extensive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) white matter changes. Methods The first patient was a 46-year-old woman who underwent coiling of a 6.8 × 6.8 × 7.0-mm incidentally discovered basilar apex aneurysm. Approximately 1 month after her aneurysm coiling, she developed scintillating scotoma, and an MRI of her brain revealed bilateral white matter changes with punctate enhancement. The second patient, a 56-year-old woman, developed paresthesias and gait instability 1 month after retreatment of a ruptured 12 × 8-mm basilar tip aneurysm with stent assisted coiling. MRI of the brain also revealed bilateral white matter changes with punctate enhancement as well as an area of restricted diffusion in her pons. Results Both patients underwent aneurysm coiling with PGLA coils. An extensive clinical evaluation revealed no specific etiology. The patients' symptoms and MRI abnormalities improved spontaneously over a period of weeks. Conclusions Conclusions: After extensive evaluation for alternate causes of disease, we hypothesize that the patients' symptoms and MRI findings, which were not all within the territory supplied by the coiled vessel, were due to an overexuberant inflammatory response related to the PGLA coils. These cases highlight the importance of heightened clinical suspicion of neurologic complaints in the subacute period after aneurysm coiling. We recommend a low threshold for neuroimaging of these patients.
Autoimmune-Associated Congenital Heart Block: Demographics, Mortality, Morbidity and Recurrence Rates Obtained From a National Neonatal Lupus Registry ☆

Abstract Objectives. The present study describes the demographics, mortality, morbidity and recurrence rates of autoimmune-associated congenital heart block (CHB) using information from the Research Registry for Neonatal Lupus. Background. Isolated CHB detected at or before birth is strongly associated with maternal autoantibodies to 48-kD SSB/La, 52-kD SSA/Ro and 60-kD SSA/Ro ribonucleoproteins and is a permanent manifestation of the neonatal lupus syndromes (NLS). Available data are limited by the rarity of the disease. Results. The cohort includes 105 mothers whose sera contain anti-SSA/Ro or anti-SSB/La antibodies, or both, and their 113 infants diagnosed with CHB between 1970 and 1997 (56 boys, 57 girls). Of 87 pregnancies in which sufficient medical records were available, bradyarrhythmia confirmed to be CHB was initially detected before 30 weeks of gestation in 71 (82%) (median time 23 weeks). There were no cases in which major congenital cardiac anatomic defects were considered causal for the development of CHB; in 14 there were minor abnormalities. Twenty-two (19%) of the 113 children died, 16 (73%) within 3 months after birth. Cumulative probability of 3-year survival was 79%. Sixty-seven (63%) of 107 live-born children required pacemakers: 35 within 9 days of life, 15 within 1 year, and 17 after 1 year. Forty-nine of the mothers had subsequent pregnancies: 8 (16%) had another infant with CHB and 3 (6%) had a child with an isolated rash consistent with NLS. Conclusions. Data from this large series substantiate that autoantibody-associated CHB is not coincident with major structural abnormalities, is most often identified in the late second trimester, carries a substantial mortality in the neonatal period and frequently requires pacing. The recurrence rate of CHB is at least two- to three-fold higher than the rate for a mother with anti-SSA/Ro-SSB/La antibodies who never had an affected child, supporting close echocardiographic monitoring in all subsequent pregnancies, with heightened surveillance between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation.
Effect of Reserpine on Humoral Immune Responsiveness in Young Chickens

Abstract The role of reserpine in modifying a primary humoral immune response was evaluated in three experiments with young chickens. It was found that chickens injected with reserpine prior to an intravenous antigenic challenge with sheep red blood cells exhibited an enhanced primary humoral immune response. The enhanced response occurred concomitant with an elevation in adrenal cortical activity as evidenced by the significant elevation of serum corticosterone in the reserpine-treated chickens. These data suggest that both the adrenal cortex and medulla may influence immune responsiveness in the chicken.
Emergent command and control architecture for dynamic agent communities

Dynamic multi-agent systems require some accountability mechanism to ensure goal distribution and completion. Accountability can be maintained through proper delineation of power. An organisation is well delineated when each member has an unambiguous power relationship with its peers. Since responsibility and authority follow fully de-conflicted patterns, a delineated organisation is well suited for solving problems. This paper describes a non-deterministic agent level algorithm that emergently simulates various organisational structures and maintains a well-delineated power structure. The appropriateness of this algorithm is demonstrated in a highly dynamic, poor communication network system. A metric is provided which quantifies the appropriateness of the emerging organisational structures. A structure is considered appropriate if an unambiguous chain of accountability exists leading to the human overseer of the system.
The prevalence and correlates of taking folic acid and vitamin supplements among adults aged ≥ 45 years with CVD.

Objective To examine the prevalence and likelihood of taking folic acid or vitamin supplements among adults with CHD or stroke v. adults without these conditions. Design A cross-sectional Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System survey was conducted in twelve states of the United States and Puerto Rico in 2006. Self-reported data from participants were collected. Setting The United States. Subjects US non-institutionalised adults (n 41 792), aged ≥ 45 years. Results Of all participants, 5445 had CHD and 2076 had stroke. Significantly higher percentages of women than men reported taking folic acid or vitamin supplements. After adjustment for potential confounders, women with CHD had a significantly lower adjusted prevalence (AP) and adjusted OR (AOR) than women without CHD for taking folic acid less than one time per d (AP = 3·9 % v. 5·5 %; AOR = 0·56; 95 % CI 0·39, 0·81), for taking folic acid one to four times per d (AP = 50·0 % v. 57·5 %; AOR = 0·68; 95 % CI 0·60, 0·79), and for taking vitamin supplements (AP = 60·9 % v. 69·9 %; AOR = 0·66; 95 % CI 0·57, 0·76). Men with CHD had a significantly higher AP (50·4 % v. 46·2 %) and AOR (1·17; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·33) of taking folic acid one to four times per d than men without CHD. In both sexes, adults with stroke were as likely as those without to take these supplements. Conclusions Substantial variations in the prevalence and likelihood of taking folic acid or vitamin supplements exist by gender and by CHD status, but not by stroke status.
LXXXV. Interference calculations and wave groups

Summary The full scope of interference calculations depends on the utilization of physically non - real wave components. The Saddle Point Method is truly a stationary phase calculation in that it emphasizes a set of damped waves of constant phase, while the Kelvin (Stationary Phase) Method is shown to really imply constancy of amplitude for the interfering wavelets. On the basis of this last remark the Kelvin Method is extended to cases where the orthodox formulation would be inaccurate. For the canonical form corresponding to the most general statement of the Steepest Descent scheme the Kelvin Method yields a Fourier Integral. The concept of group velocity for non-linear argument functions of x, t may be extended in two different ways denoted by U1 and U2. Errors are pointed out in the contribution of Green to this subject. A theorem due to Havelock is proved in an alternative manner and certain generalizations indicated, including the case of media with potential energies of type It is demonstrated that...
LPV Gain Scheduling Control of Hysteresis on an SMA Wire System

In this work, a Linear Parameter-Varying (LPV) control method is used to compensate the hysteretic behavior of a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire. Controller is implemented on an experimental system which consists of a pre-tension spring and a mass actuated with a thin SMA wire. The hysteretic characteristic of the SMA wire is modeled using the Preisach model and the model is verified both for the major and minor hysteresis loops. The small signal linear gain of the Preisach model is used as a scheduling stiffness variable. The parameter-dependent controller is scheduled based on the real time measurement of the stiffness variable. An H∞ controller is also synthesized by representing the hysteresis as a parametric uncertainty and comparisons are made with LPV gain scheduling controllers using similar weights for both controllers. Experimental trajectory tracking results show that the LPV Gain Scheduling controller has a better response and the hysteresis uncertainty is compensated for the full range of stiffness variability.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Naloxone blockade of myocardial ischemic preconditioning is stereoselective.

This study tested the hypothesis that endogenous opioids are involved in the infarct limitation of myocardial ischemic preconditioning (IP). Blockade of IP-induced infarct limitation by (-)naloxone hydrochloride (-NAL) or its receptor-inactive stereoisomer (+)naloxone (+NAL) was evaluated. Fifty-two pentobarbitone-anesthetized, open-chest rabbits underwent 30 min coronary artery occlusion and 180 min reperfusion. Treatment groups were: control (n = 9), i.p. (n = 8), -NAL (n = 9) and -NAL/i.p. (n = 12), or +NAL (n = 6) and +NAL/i.p. (n = 8). i.p. was elicited with 5 min regional ischemia, beginning 15 min before the 30 min coronary occlusion. -NAL or +NAL, 3 mg/kg i.v. bolus, was given 25 min before the 30 min coronary occlusion. Infarct size was assessed with tetrazolium and expressed as a percentage of area-at-risk. There were no significant intergroup differences of area-at-risk. IP resulted in marked infarct limitation compared to control (control, 32.9 +/- 7.6% v i.p., 5.8 +/- 4.5%; P = 0.04). Neither -NAL nor +NAL alone altered infarct size compared to control, but -NAL did block the infarct limitation of i.p. (-NAL, 31.4 +/- 6.7% v -NAL/i.p., 24.3 +/- 6.2%) whereas +NAL did not (+NAL, 40.5 +/- 5.0% v +NAL/i.p., 13.7 +/- 3.6%; P = 0.02). In conclusion, naloxone blockade of i.p.-induced cardioprotection is stereospecific and therefore likely to be opioid receptor-mediated.
Using a geographic information system for applied policy analysis: the case of logging in the Eastern Amazon

Abstract Using a geographic information system (GIS), a spatial and dynamic model of timber extraction was constructed and used to forecast industry growth in the Eastern Amazon over the next 10 years. Once calibrated, the model was used to project future harvests and the stock of forest resources over time under different price increase and policy scenarios. The results suggest a limited role for the state in influencing the pace of industrial growth, but a larger role in determining where extraction might occur. In particular, the state can exercise substantial influence over the spread of logging through the designation of indigenous, military and nature reserves as protected areas and through the decision of where to build and pave roads. Imposing new regulations, by contrast, may have unintended consequences such as constraining intensive extraction while promoting selective extraction in areas more difficult to enforce.
Non-viral-mediated gene therapy approaches for bone repair.

Structured Abstract Authors – Winn SR, Chen JC, Gong X, Bartholomew SV, Shreenivas S, Ozaki W Objectives – Bone repair strategies continue to be developed for alternatives to autografting, allogeneic implants of banked bone, and other bone substitutes. Efforts have included the delivery of potent growth and/or differentiation factors and the use of gene therapy. For bone regeneration, gene therapy is the delivery, uptake and expression of DNA that has been localized to a wound bed. The objective of the current study is to investigate methods to enhance non-viral-mediated means of gene uptake and expression for use in bone regeneration. Methods – Several types of DNA-polymer complexes, either applied directly to baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells, or released from a porous, resorbable gene-activated matrix (GAM), were evaluated in vitro for their ability to transfect cells with a circular plasmid DNA construct expressing green fluorescent protein. Complexes included conjugates containing a lipophilic reagent, liposomes, poly-ethyl-oxazoline, and poly-ethyleneimine (PEI). Data were subjected to analysis of variance and Fisher's protected least significant difference for multiple comparisons with significance established at p < 0.05. Results – Transfection efficiencies of the liposome and PEI complexes improved in vitro when released from resorbable GAMs. The lipophilic reagent FuGene 6 demonstrated abundant uptake and expression in the initial 1- and 2-day evaluation periods. In contrast, the DNA-liposome and PEI GAM complexes demonstrated a sustained release, uptake and expression by the BHK cells at the 2-, 4-, and 7-day, and 4- and 7-day evaluation intervals, respectively. Conclusion – GAM technology appears to improve the functional stability and release duration of incorporated DNA-polymer complexes in the present in vitro studies. The ongoing objective of our research is to develop a localized treatment to improve the uptake and expression of plasmid DNA by non-viral-mediated gene therapy.
Temporary Threshold Shifts Produced by Exposure to High-Frequency Noise

Four chinchillas, monaural and trained in behavioral audiometry, were exposed for 24 days in a diffuse-sound field to an octave-band noise centered at 4.0 k Hz. The octave-band levels (OBL re 0.000...
Modification of experimental Porphyromonas gingivalis murine infection by immunization with a polysaccharide-protein conjugate.

To better understand the role of the capsular polysaccharide in the virulence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, the effect of immunization with a polysaccharide-protein conjugate on experimental murine infection was evaluated. The conjugate was prepared using polysaccharide isolated from P. gingivalis strain ATCC 53977 and bovine scrum albumin. One group of 22 mice was immunized by intraperitoneal injection with the conjugate and a control group of 25 mice was similarly immunized with bovine serum albumin. Serum antibody reactive to the polysaccharide, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was elevated in the group of mice immunized with the polysaccharide-protein conjugate but not in the mice immunized with bovine serum albumin. Both groups of mice were challenged with P. gingivalis strain ATCC 53977 (1010 cells) administered subcutaneously on the dorsal surface. Following challenge, the mice immunized with the polysaccharide-protein conjugate appeared healthier and demonstrated less weight loss than did the control group of mice. Ulcerative lesions at secondary locations were smaller in mice immunized with the polysaccharide-protein conjugate. Thus, immunization of mice with a conjugate containing P. gingivalis polysaccharide could reduce the severity of but not prevent an invasive infection with P. gingivalis.
An Exploratory Investigation of Organizational Climate and Job Satisfaction in a Hospital

The organizational climate of a hospital is investigated, and its impact on job satisfaction is analyzed for nurses and administrators. Different climate dimensions are found to influence individua...
Nitric oxide is a central component in neuropeptide regulation of appetite

In recent years, there have been a large number of neuropeptides discovered that regulate food intake. Many of these peptides regulate food intake by increasing or decreasing nitric oxide (NO). In the current study, we compared the effect of the food modulators ghrelin, NPY and CCK in NOS KO mice. Satiated homozygous and heterozygous NOS KO mice and their wild type controls were administered ghrelin ICV. Food intake was measured for 2 h post injection. Ghrelin did not increase food intake in the homozygous NOS KO mice compared to vehicle treated NOS KO mice, whereas food intake was increased in the wild type controls compared to vehicle treated wild type controls. NPY was administered ICV and food intake measured for 2 h. Homozygous NOS KO mice showed no increase in food intake after NPY administration, whereas the wild type controls did. In our final study, we administered CCK intraperitoneally to homozygous and heterozygous NOS KO mice and their wild type controls after overnight food deprivation. Food intake was measured for 1 h after injection. CCK inhibited food intake in wild type mice after overnight food deprivation, however, CCK failed to inhibit food intake in the NOS KO mice. The heterozygous mice showed partial food inhibition after the CCK. The current results add further support to the theory that NO is a central mediator in food intake.
Experimental and Numerical Simulations of Percussive Diagnosis of Lung Pathologies

A mechanical phantom model was built to simulate percussive techniques for diagnosing pneumothorax (PTX) and hydrothorax (HTX) (collapsed lung with air or water in the pleural space, respectively). The model was built with materials that have similar acoustic properties to that of human parenchyma, soft tissue and ribs. A bladder was embedded into the parenchyma-mimicking foam to simulate PTX or HTX. Experimental frequency response measurements were taken on the mechanical phantom model for the simulated pathologies and the healthy case with percussive excitation and noninvasive response measurements at the soft tissue surface. To aid in understanding experimental measurements, a finite element model of the experimental setup was constructed in ANSYS and used to simulate these same cases. Normal velocity amplitudes over the soft tissue surface measured from the experimental setup and calculated via the finite element model were analyzed in the frequency domain to identify any patterns or signatures that could be exploited for diagnosis. Experiment and numerical studies agree in identifying the key features of the PTX condition versus the healthy case, but differ somewhat on how HTX can be distinguished from PTX and the healthy case. Reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. With some improvements, these computational and experimental phantom models may aid in the development of improved noninvasive acoustic techniques for identifying these and other life-threatening conditions.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Stadial subdivisions of early Pleistocene glaciations in central United States ‐ a developing chronology

Recently recognized field evidence clearly indicates that both the Nebraskan and Kansan Glaciations are divisible into stades on the basis of a stratigraphic record of ice-margin fluctuations. Two Nebraskan stades and three Kansan stades have been identified; it is suggested that others will be found. Recognition of multiple stades requires a thorough review of all Early Pleistocene stratigraphic and paleontologic age assignments applied in the American Midwest.
Impact damage in composite laminates

A low-velocity impact-damage model for quasi-symmetric graphite-fiber composite plates is presented. The distribution of damage in each layer of the plate was calculated by employing Di Sciuva's composite laminate theory together with Hashin's failure criterion for fiber-reinforced composites. The dynamic deformation of the target plate was represented by the lower vibrational modes of the plate. The principle of virtual work was applied in the formulation of the problem. In the analysis, the material was regarded as 'damaged' when its designed strength was reduced by the failure of its constituents. The constituent failures consisted of matrix crackings, fiber breakages, and delamination between layers. According to damage modes, the moduli of material in the damaged zone were reduced according to the failure criteria. The interaction between layers and its role in damage propagation were also studied.
Understanding Climate Change Perceptions, Attitudes, and Needs of Forest Service Resource Managers

Surveys were collected to assess Forest Service (FS) resource managers’ perceptions, attitudes, and informational needs related to climate change and its potential impacts on forests and grasslands. Resource managers with three background types were surveyed. All participants generally considered themselves to be well-informed on climate change issues, although each resource manager group had different perceptions of climate change effects on natural resources. They shared similar views on the most potentially useful sources of information and that there was less concern at the Ranger District level about climate change. Administrative issues, including funding, were viewed by all participants as serious obstacles inhibiting agency action. Results of these surveys should provide insight for increasing science delivery efforts, providing educational opportunities, and developing guidance and training for FS resource managers. As a result, the agency can continue to provide science-based tools which assist ...
Ultraviolet High Power Near Fundamental Mode Output From An Argon Ion Laser With Applications As A Ring Dye Laser Pump Source For Blue And Near UV Dyes

A wavelength and power survey of the 275 nm to 400 nm region has been made with commercial large-frame argon ion lasers operating at elevated discharge currents and various gas pressures. The UV output in the 300 nm to 386 nm region is separated into three groups of lines and used to pump several dyes giving single-frequency tunable outputs from a ring dye laser covering 364 nm to 524 nm. Intracavity frequency doubling with B-BaBA in the ring laser with the dye Stilbene 3 has produced milliwatt level single-frequency output tunable from 215 nm to 235 nm.
Reduction of models of large scale lumped structures using normal modes and bond graphs

Abstract Bond graphs are an extremely useful modeling procedure for representing the actual energy exchange mechanisms of interacting dynamic systems. Governing state equations are straightforwardly obtained from the bond graph; however, for large structures, a restrictively large number of equations can result. A procedure is developed whereby the original equations are reduced to a form suitable for modal decomposition. The resulting modes are reinterpreted in bond graph form with the resulting model being an extremely accurate system representation while requiring only a fraction of the original number of equations. The procedure is demonstrated through example.
Optical map of the genotype A1 WB C6 Giardia lamblia genome isolate

The Giardia lamblia genome consists of 12 Mb divided among 5 chromosomes ranging in size from approximately 1 to 4 Mb. The assembled contigs of the genotype A1 isolate, WB, were previously mapped along the 5 chromosomes on the basis of hybridization of plasmid clones representing the contigs to chromosomes separated by PFGE. In the current report, we have generated an MluI optical map of the WB genome to improve the accuracy of the physical map. This has allowed us to correct several assembly errors and to better define the extent of the subtelomeric regions that are not included in the genome assembly.
Seasonal variation of mid-foreshore sediments at a Delaware beach

Abstract From March 1982 through April 1983 at a Delaware beach, there was a modest, but significant relation between the first three moments of mid-foreshore sediment distributions and surge variability. Based on monthly averages as surge variability increased from summer to winter, that is, as the magnitude and frequency of storm waves increased, the mean grain size increased, sorting improved, and skewness became more positive; the reverse was also noted from winter to summer. The results of stepwise regression analysis showed that mean particle size was highly influenced by the percentage of fine sands between 2.25 and 2.75φ (Fines) which was relatively high in summer and low in winter. Sorting was most sensitive to the extent of the coarse tail in a sediment sample; as this tail was extended, sorting became poorer. The extent of the coarse tail and the percentage of Fines explained most the variance of skewness. As the coarse end of a sediment sample was extended and as the percentage of Fines increased, skewness became more negative.