cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Switching vector autoregressive models with higher-order regime dynamics Application to prognostics and health management

Regime switching vector autoregressive (RSVAR) models are typically used to model changing dependency structures of multivariate time series. These changing regimes are represented by using a first-order Markov process where the transition distribution reflects the probabilities of moving to one of the other regime in the subsequent time step. Instead of representing the state of the system at different points in time, we extend this framework by using an explicit time representation that allows us to query against probability distributions of when particular regime changes take place. In contrast to continuous time based approaches such as continuous time Bayesian networks or continuous time Markov processes, we do not rely on intensity matrices that describe trajectories of consecutive states. Here we define regime changes as events and understand time as context of an event. This allows us to integrate dependencies at different time granularities while being able to perform inference in a decomposed way. As a consequence, we can efficiently consider higher-order effects stretching across a large number of consecutive regimes. The underlying assumption is that timely evolution of variables between regime switches is completely captured by the VAR model or possibly a set of VAR models with varying measuring rates and that there is a representative set of multiple time series exhibiting similar higher-order regime dynamics. In this paper we show how such dynamics can be learned integrative with learning RSVAR model parameters and how the regime dynamics can be considered in the RSVAR inference procedures. We demonstrate the benefits of our approach based on a simple scenario. Further, an application to a typical prognostics scenario is presented, leading to the highest score in the IEEE PHM 2014 Data Challenge for the industrial track.
Assessment of trophic dynamics of cephalopods and large pelagic fishes in the central North Atlantic Ocean using stable isotope analysis

Abstract Pelagic ecosystems in the central North Atlantic Ocean support numerous commercially-exploited tuna, shark, and billfish species, which rely largely on cephalopod as well as fish and crustacean prey. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses were performed on tuna and billfish predators as well as cephalopod prey species sampled during two research longline cruises (2001–02) to study their trophic structure. Nitrogen stable isotope (δ 15 N) analyses revealed similarity in trophic position (TP) among sampled fish predator species, with large swordfish occupying the highest TP. Species with wider vertical distributions (swordfish and bigeye tuna) had higher δ 15 N values than species more constrained to the epipelagic zone (yellowfin tuna and dolphinfish). Analysis of tissue nitrogen isotope values showed an ontogenetic increase for swordfish and white marlin but no effects for other sampled fish species. For cephalopods as a group, δ 15 N increased with size. Smaller cephalopods sampled in this study had δ 15 N values that were about one TP below co-occurring tunas and billfishes, confirming their importance as a prey resource. Larger cephalopods had similar δ 15 N values to tunas and billfishes, indicating that these large cephalopods occupy a comparable TP to their fish predators. Both carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values of large pelagic fishes showed spatial gradients relative to conspecifics analyzed in coastal regions, which can be used to trace large scale movements.
Comparative Critical Discourse Analysis of Student and Teacher Editions of Secondary Christian American Literature Textbooks

This article discusses the comparative application of critical discourse analysis to student and teacher editions of the two most widely used high school American literature textbooks by Christian publishers, examining them through the lens of critical theory. The study examined all parts of the student and teacher editions, excepting literary works, for messages about race, ethnicity, gender, social class, and physical and mental ability. The study found that both textbooks contained significant discrimination and omission concerning human difference.
The spectrum of pediatric injuries after a bomb blast

The spectrum of pediatric injuries seen after a bomb blast is poorly documented. The pathophysiology of blast injuries differ significantly from other forms of trauma and typically result in large numbers of distinctly patterned injuries. On April 19, 1995, a truck bomb was detonated directly adjacent to the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A total of 816 adults and children were injured or killed as a direct result of the blast. Twenty infants and children were seated by the window of the second floor day care center at the time of the explosion. The injuries incurred by all children involved in the blast were studied. Nineteen children, 16 of whom were in the day care center, died as a direct result of the blast. The injury patterns among the 19 dead children included a 90% (17 of 19) incidence of skull fractures, 15 of those with cerebral evisceration (skull capping); 37% with abdominal or thoracic injuries; 31% amputations; 47% arm fractures, 26% leg fractures; 21% burns; and 100% with extensive cutaneous contusions, avulsions, and lacerations. Forty-seven children sustained nonfatal injuries with only seven children requiring hospitalization. The injuries sustained by the seven hospitalized children included two open, depressed skull fractures, with partially extruded brain, two closed head injuries, three arm fractures, one leg fracture, one arterial injury, one splenic injury, five tympanic membrane perforations, three corneal abrasions, and four burn cases (1 > 40% body surface area [BSA]). After a bomb blast, pediatric patients sustain a high incidence of cranial injuries. Fractures and traumatic amputations are common. Intraabdominal and thoracic injuries occur frequently in the deceased but infrequently in survivors.
Phage regulatory circuits and virulence gene expression.

In many pathogenic bacteria, genes that encode virulence factors are located in the genomes of prophages. Clearly bacteriophages are important vectors for disseminating virulence genes, but, in addition, do phage regulatory circuits contribute to expression of these genes? Phages of the λ family that have genes encoding Shiga toxin are found in certain pathogenic Escherichia coli (known as Shiga toxin producing E. coli) and the filamentous phage CTXϕ, that carries genes encoding cholera toxin (CTX), is found in Vibrio cholerae. Both the λ and CTXϕ phages have repressor systems that maintain their respective prophages in a quiescent state, and in both types of prophages this repressed state is abolished when the host cell SOS response is activated. In the λ type of prophages, only binding of the phage-encoded repressor is involved in repression and this repressor ultimately controls Shiga toxin production and/or release. In the CTXϕ prophage, binding of LexA, the bacterial regulator of SOS, in addition to binding of the repressor is involved in repression; the repressor has only limited control over CTX production and has no influence on its release.
Oral health-related quality of life among HIV-infected and at-risk women.

– Objectives: Objective measures of dental diseases reflect only their clinical end-point. There is a need to use multidimensional measures of diseases that consider their psychosocial aspects and functional impact. The aim of this study is to compare the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) between a group of HIV-infected women and a similar group of at-risk HIV-uninfected women, and to investigate the role of potential confounding clinical oral health and behavioral factors. Methods: Our sample included HIV-infected women (87%) and women at risk for HIV infection (13%) followed up for 5.5 years. OHRQOL was measured using the short version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), which is a validated and reliable instrument. Results: HIV-infected women averaged 10% poorer OHRQOL than HIV-uninfected women; this difference was not apparent after adjusting for the number of study visits attended and significant behavioral and clinical oral health factors. The OHRQOL was inversely related to dental and periodontal diseases and to smoking and freebase cocaine use; these relationships were not confounded by HIV status. Conclusions: The study identified specific clinical and behavioral factors where dental professionals can intervene to possibly improve the OHRQOL of HIV-infected or at-risk HIV-uninfected women.
Whig and anti-whig histories- and other curiosities of social psychology.

In successive editions of the Handbook of Social Psychology (Lindzey, 1954), the focus of the history of the field shifted from the substantive ideas of nineteenth-century thinkers to the successful emergence of a psychological experimental social psychology in the twentieth. Countering this whiggish account, the dominant themes in the present issue involve attempts to portray two parallel paradigm shifts: from a “social” to an “asocial” social psychology, and from a broad-ranging theoretical-philosophical subject to a narrow experimental (psychological) science—changes initiated by Floyd Allport. But such a formulation may be called into question as another version of retrospective history—with inverted, anti-Whig valuations. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Gene–Environment Interactions at Nucleotide Resolution

Interactions among genes and the environment are a common source of phenotypic variation. To characterize the interplay between genetics and the environment at single nucleotide resolution, we quantified the genetic and environmental interactions of four quantitative trait nucleotides (QTN) that govern yeast sporulation efficiency. We first constructed a panel of strains that together carry all 32 possible combinations of the 4 QTN genotypes in 2 distinct genetic backgrounds. We then measured the sporulation efficiencies of these 32 strains across 8 controlled environments. This dataset shows that variation in sporulation efficiency is shaped largely by genetic and environmental interactions. We find clear examples of QTN:environment, QTN: background, and environment:background interactions. However, we find no QTN:QTN interactions that occur consistently across the entire dataset. Instead, interactions between QTN only occur under specific combinations of environment and genetic background. Thus, what might appear to be a QTN:QTN interaction in one background and environment becomes a more complex QTN:QTN:environment:background interaction when we consider the entire dataset as a whole. As a result, the phenotypic impact of a set of QTN alleles cannot be predicted from genotype alone. Our results instead demonstrate that the effects of QTN and their interactions are inextricably linked both to genetic background and to environmental variation.
Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract and pneumoperitoneum in newborns treated with continuous lung distending pressures.

In newborns with respiratory distress being treated with continuous lung distending pressures, the development of pneumoperitoneum could be a manifestation of an air-block phenomenon but it can also be due to a real perforation of the bowel. When this clinical situation arises upright films or cross-table lateral films will be helpful to demonstrate air fluid levels and some consideration should be given to inserting aqueous contrast material into the stomach and take sequential films in order to demonstrate the presence or absence of a perforation. Six illustrative cases are reported.
Velocity-dependent Lyapunov exponents as a measure of chaos for open-flow systems

Abstract Many flows in nature are “open flows” (e.g. pipe flow). We study two open-flow systems driven by low-level external noise: the time-dependent generalized Ginzburg-Landau equation and a system of coupled logistic maps. We find that a flow which gives every appearance of being chaotic may nonetheless have no positive Lyapunov exponents. By generalizing the notions of convective instability and Lyapunov exponents we define a measure of chaos for these flows.
Delineating the roles of Co3O4 and N-doped carbon nanoweb (CNW) in bifunctional Co3O4/CNW catalysts for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions

While many synthesis methods have been reported for Co3O4–carbon nanocomposites as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline solutions, the individual contributions of Co3O4 and CNW towards ORR and OER are still not clear. Here, we report the individual functionality of Co3O4 and the N-doped carbon nanoweb (CNW) in ORR and OER. The Co3O4/CNW bifunctional catalysts were synthesized by an in situ growth of Co precursors onto CNW followed by a controlled heat treatment. The specific functions of Co3O4 and CNW were delineated by rotating disk electrode measurements. It was found that Co3O4 alone exhibited poor ORR catalytic activity. However, in the presence of CNW, Co3O4 assisted the selective four-electron oxygen reduction over the two-electron pathway. Analyses of the Tafel slope and reaction order suggested that Co3O4 acted as the primary catalytic site for OER. CNW improved the electronic conduction between Co3O4 and the current collector. CNW underwent serious degradation at the high potential of the OER but its stability improved greatly upon the deposition of Co3O4. Two possible mechanisms for the improved catalytic stability are discussed. The findings demonstrate the specific functions of Co3O4 and CNW in catalyzing the OER and ORR and further establish an understanding of the synergy of the composite in electrocatalysis.
Biphasic response to gut manipulation and temporal correlation of cellular infiltrates and muscle dysfunction in rat.

Abstract Background: Surgical manipulation of the intestine results in the massive movement of leukocytes into the intestinal muscularis at 24 hours. This is associated with muscle inhibition. The aim of this study was to temporally associate leukocyte extravasation with ileus after surgical manipulation. Methods: Rats underwent a simple manipulation of the small bowel and were killed at various times (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours) postoperatively. Jejunal circular-muscle contractile activity was assessed in a standard organ bath. Both extravasating and resident leukocytes were immunohistochemically stained in muscularis whole mounts. Results: Contractile activity was significantly reduced immediately after surgery, but rapidly returned to control levels at 3 hours. After recovery, muscle function decreased at 12 and 24 hours (41% and 81%, respectively). The resident muscularis macrophage network demonstrated cellular activation 1 hour postoperatively. The number of leukocytes increased over time (neutrophils, 67.5-fold; monocytes, 98.2-fold; and mast cells, 47-fold at 24 hours). Conclusions: The functional results demonstrate a biphasic response in the suppression of muscle activity after surgical manipulation. Regression analysis (r2 = 0.998) of the temporal development of leukocyte infiltration and the protracted phase of muscle inhibition provides evidence for a correlation between cellular inflammation and postoperative dysmotility. (Surgery 1999;126:498-509.)
The Importance of Non-Data-Communication Overheads in MPI

With processor speeds no longer doubling every 18â24 months owing to the exponential increase in power consumption and heat dissipation, modern high-end computing systems tend to rely less on the performance of single processing units and instead rely on achieving high performance by using the parallelism of a massive number of low-frequency/low-power processing cores. Using such low-frequency cores, however, puts a premium on end-host pre- and post-communication processing required within communication stacks, such as the Message Passing Interface (MPI) implementation. Similarly, small amounts of serialization within the communication stack that were acceptable on small/medium systems can be brutal on massively parallel systems. Thus, in this paper, we study the different non-data-communication overheads within the MPI implementation on the IBM Blue Gene/P system. Specifically, we analyze various aspects of MPI, including the MPI stack overhead itself, overhead of allocating and queueing requests, queue searches within the MPI stack, multi-request operations, and various others. Our experiments, that scale up to 131,072 cores of the largest Blue Gene/P system in the world (80% of the total system size), reveal several insights into overheads in the MPI stack, which were not previously considered significant, but can have a substantial impact on such massive systems.
TOPOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF STREAM LABELING METHODS

Abstract Several stream ordering and labeling methods have been proposed in order to describe some aspects of the geometry of river networks; namely, Horton's, Strahler's, Milton-Ollier's, Scheidegger's ordering techniques, and the STORET location coding system. This paper analyzes the topological significance of each of these methods, that is, the amount of information on the topological structure of the net that they can yield. Horton's and Strahler's ordering methods give only numerical information on the distribution of channels among different classes (orders); Milton-Ollier's and Scheidegger's methods give more information, from the topological point of view, as the former assigns a unique label to each stream segment in a network, and the latter takes into account all junctions; the STORET system labels interconnections between channels, but does not use the concept of order and is therefore more suitable for other purposes than for the theoretical study of river nets.
The Creation of Identity: Colonial Society in Bolivia and Tanzania

Many colonial regimes appropriate traditional symbols of power to enhance authority. In many cases this appropriation results in the hardening of more transitory political divisions among subject people into ethnic, national, or tribal ones. Colonialism often, in essence, creates different identities for subject peoples. For example, the East India Company (E.I.C.) and royal colonial government in India manipulated caste and religion to carry out a policy of divide and rule. Moreover, the E.I.C. and later the Raj attempted to create a European-style landed elite that could promote development of agriculture, maintain social control in the countryside and, perhaps most important, collect taxes owed to the government. The Raj attempted to place the structures of power that evolved within the framework of the symbols of Moghul legitimacy, going so far as to create a hybrid traditional style of architecture used in many public buildings that mixed elements from both Hindu and Muslim buildings. In South Africa, colonial legislation, as seen in the process begun by the Glen Gray Act of 1894, resulted in the proletarianization of the African population by creating tribal reservations without enough resources to support all the people often arbitrarily defined as members of a particular tribe. And, as seen in studies of mine labor, coloniallegislation also defined a distinctive legal status for workers.
Upregulation of cytokeratins 8 and 18 in human breast cancer T47D cells is retinoid-specific and retinoic acid receptor-dependent.

The mamary gland is chiefly composed of luminal epithelial cells expressing cytokeratins (K) 8, 18 and 19, and basal/myoepithelial cells expressing cytokeratins 5 and 14. Human breast cancer T47D cells have a luminal phenotype and are growth-inhibited by retinoids, a class of compounds known to regulate cytokeratin expression. To extend our knowledge of retinoid action in breast cancer, we have studied the retinoid regulation of cytokeratin expression in the T47D model. We found that retinoid inhibition of T47D cell growth was accompanied by increases in K8, K18 and K19 mRNA steady-state levels (Northern blot analysis). The effect on K8 was studied in greater detail. This effect was seen with as low as 1 nM all-trans retinoic acid (tRA) and was maximal (up to 7 fold over control) with 1 μM tRA (the highest dose tested). Time-course studies revealed a detectable effect at 1 h and a maximal effect at 8–24 h. Non-retinoidal growth inhibitors (tamoxifen, BrcAMP and genistein) did not modulate K8 expression, demonstrating that the effect of tRA was specific. K8 mRNA upregulation was blocked by actinomycin D and cycloheximide, suggesting, in accordance with other studies, that tRA exerted a transcriptional effect that was secondary to de novo protein synthesis. Five retinoids known to activate retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and/or retinoid X receptor (RXR) – tRA; 9-cis-retinoic acid, 9cRA; 13-cis RA, 13cRA; retinyl acetate; and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide 4HPR – inhibited T47D cell growth and increased K8 expression, whereas an arotinoid (Ro-40-8757) that is not a RAR activator caused growth inhibition but did not upregulate K8. Activation of RARα contributed to K8 upregulation, since this effect was partially blocked by the RARα-selective antagonist Ro-41-5253. Analogous results were obtained throughout when blots were reprobed with K18 cDNA. Western blot and immunocytochemistry experiments demonstrated that protein levels of K8 and K18 increased by 2 days of treatment with 1 μM tRA. These results show that retinoids enhance the expression of cognate cytokeratin markers of luminal differentiation in T47D breast cancer cells.
1H-13C Separated Local Field Spectroscopy of Uniformly 13C Labeled Peptides and Proteins

Abstract By incorporating homonuclear decoupling on both the 1 H and 13 C channels it is feasible to obtain high-resolution two-dimensional separated local field spectra of peptides and proteins that are 100% labeled with 13 C. Dual-PISEMO (Polarization Inversion Spin Exchange Modulated Observation) can be performed as a conventional two-dimensional experiment, or with windowed detection as a one-dimensional experiment that offers flexibility as a building block for shiftless and other multidimensional triple-resonance experiments with the inclusion of 15 N irradiation. The triple-resonance MAGC probe used to perform these experiments at 500 MHz is described.
Universality in Sandpiles, Interface Depinning, and Earthquake Models.

Recent numerical results for a model describing dispersive transport in ricepiles are explained by mapping the model to the depinning transition of an elastic interface that is dragged at one end through a random medium. The average velocity of transport vanishes with system size {ital L} as {l_angle}{ital v}{r_angle}{approximately}{ital L}{sup 2{minus}{ital D}}{approximately}{ital L}{sup {minus}0.23}, and the avalanche size distribution exponent {tau}=2{minus}1/{ital D}{approx_equal}1.55, where {ital D}{approx_equal}2.23 from interface depinning. We conjecture that the purely deterministic Burridge-Knopoff {open_quote}{open_quote}train{close_quote}{close_quote} model for earthquakes is in the same universality class. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Slow Electrons in a Polar Crystal

A variational principle is developed for the lowest energy of a system described by a path integral. It is applied to the problem of the interaction of an electron with a polarizable lattice, as idealized by Frohlich. The motion of the electron, after the phonons of the lattice field are eliminated, is described as a path integral. The variational method applied to this gives an energy for all values of the coupling constant. It is at least as accurate as previously known results. The effective mass of the electron is also calculated, but the accuracy here is difficult to judge.
Palaemnema Picicaudata, P. Abbreviata and P. Brucelli, New Dragonflies from Ecuador, with Notes on Other Palaemnemas (ODONATA : PLATYSTICTIDAE)

The species of Palaemnema discussed in this article are all that are known at present from Ecuador. The three new species come from the edge of the jungle on the lower eastern slope of the Andes in the headwaters of the Amazon. The fourth, dementia , is found in this area and also on the coast about Guayaquil. This is a widely spread species, having been recorded from Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. According to a recent letter, Dr. Calvert thinks that the majority of the species in this genus have a very limited or local distribution. This appears to be the case when we consider the published records. The species dementia apparently is an exception, all the more interesting, because in Ecuador its western area of distribution is shut off from its eastern area by a double range of the very high Andes mountains.
Inferior subluxation of the humeral head after trauma or surgery

Inferior subluxation of the humeral head can occur after shoulder trauma or surgery. One hundred consecutive patients were evaluated prospectively after shoulder surgery or injury. The radiographic incidence of inferior subluxation of the humeral head 2 weeks after rotator cuff repair was 10%. The radiographic incidence of inferior subluxation after fracture of the proximal humerus was 42%, and the incidence 2 weeks after prosthetic humeral head replacement was 60%. The immediate postoperative radiograph showed an inferior subluxation of the humeral head in 4% of patients after prosthesis insertion, but no subluxations were seen immediately after rotator cuff repair. Radiographs made immediately after fracture of the humerus showed a 16% incidence of inferior subluxation. The inferior subluxation resolved by 6 weeks in 92% of patients with humeral fractures, 96% of patients with humeral head prostheses, and all patients who had undergone rotator cuff repair. No subluxations were seen 2 years after injury or surgery. The treatment used--early active exercises and a sling when not exercising--was effective.
Children's emotional responsiveness and sociomoral understanding and associations with mothers' and fathers' socialization practices

Sixty-two preschoolers (55% boys) were presented hypothetical dilemmas about moral transgressions. Responses were evaluated in terms of children's emotional responsiveness, prosocial motives, and readiness to intervene. Mothers and fathers reported separately on their use of victim- oriented inductions, teaching reparations, power assertion, and love withdrawal. Four years later, parents reported on children's behavioral problems, emotion-regulation ability, and empathy. Mothers reported using more victim-oriented inductions than did fathers, and girls responded with more personal distress and reported more rule-oriented motives. Maternal love withdrawal was a positive predictor of empathy and motives of concern. For fathers, teaching reparations were positively related to children's sympathy. Interestingly, mothers' power assertion was negatively related to sympathy at high levels of fathers' power assertion, but not at low levels. Maternal power assertion during the preschool years was negatively associated with children's long-term empathy scores. School-age outcomes also were meaningfully predicted by earlier sociomoral competence. Abstracts translated in Spanish, French, German, and Japanese can be found on the abstract page of each article on Wiley Online Library at http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/imhj.
Ni-based self-aligned silicidation (SAS) process on source and drain for planar polysilicon TFT low-voltage flash memory cell

High-density nonvolatile memory applications can benefit tremendously from three-dimensional (3D) integration wi th low power co nsumption. Among several proposals [1–4], the salicided source an d drain planar polysilicon thin-film transistor (TFT) with metal nanocrystals (NCs) and high-k gate-stack is one of the promising candidates. The self-aligned silicidation (SAS) process is often used to reduce the source, drain and gate resistances of submicron logic MOSFET [3–4]. Especially, N iSi has be en proposed as a suit able silicide for S AS process due to its low resistivity, low formation temperature, and the ext ended thermal stability range [3]. Furthermore, since Ni consumes the least amount of polysilicon to form a given thickness of silicide (NiSi), it has the advantage of utrathin polysilicon layers on insulator substrates. Metal NCs were also introduced to allow thin tunnel di electric, lower the program/erase (P/E) voltage and enhance the cycle en durance [5]. Moreover, reduced low contact resistance by Ni-based SAS process leads t o improved device characteristics and reliable process integration.
Trends in Body Mass Index in Adolescence and Young Adulthood in the United States: 1959–2002

Abstract Purpose This study examined trends in body mass index (BMI) during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood by gender and race, using national data from the United States spanning for >40 years from 1959 and 2002. Although past research has investigated BMI trends separately in childhood/adolescence and adulthood, this study uniquely focused on the transition to adulthood (12–26 years) to identify the emergence of the obesity epidemic during this critical life-stage. Methods Longitudinal and cross-sectional data were obtained from four nationally representative surveys: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, National Health Interview Survey, and National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY79 and NLSY97). The analysis tracked age trends in BMI by time, which allowed for the examination of how BMI changed during the transition to adulthood and whether the patterns of change varied by period. Data best suited for trend analysis were identified. Age trends in BMI by gender and race were graphed and regression analysis was used to test for significant differences in the trends using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results BMI increased sharply in the adolescent ages, beginning in the 1990s and among young adults around 2000. This age pattern of BMI increase was more dramatic among females and blacks, particularly black females. Conclusions BMI increased during the transition to adulthood and these increases have grown larger over time. Obesity prevention efforts should focus on this high-risk transition period, particularly among minority populations.
Long-term outcome in patients with congestive heart failure and intact systolic left ventricular performance

Abstract Congestive heart failure (CHF) is typically associated with impaired left ventricular (LV) systolic performance. Few reports exist describing the long-term outcome in patients with CHF and normal LV systolic function. Fifty-two patients initially hospitalized with CHF and intact LV function (ejection fraction ≥45%) were followed for 7 years. Mean age when initially identified was 71 ± 11 years (range 36 to 96), and average LV ejection fraction was 61 ± 11%. CHF was graded by a clinicoradiographic index, with a mean of 7.0 ± 2.3 (range 3 to 12, 13 indicates worst CHF). A third heart sound was present in 19 patients (37%), and 17 (33%) had presented with acute pulmonary edema. Principal cardiovascular diagnoses were coronary artery disease in 27 (52%), hypertensive heart disease in 16 (31%) and restrictive cardiomyopathy in 7 (13%). At 7 years, cardiovascular mortality was 46% (24 of 52), and noncardiovascular mortality was 10% (5 of 52). Survival was not correlated with age, principal diagnosis, third heart sound, pulmonary edema at presentation, LV ejection fraction, or presence or degree of LV diastolic dysfunction. Cardiovascular morbidity, consisting of nonfatal recurrent CHF, myocardial infarction, unstable angina or other cardiovascular events occurred in 29% (15 of 52). Combined cardiovascular mortality and morbidity was 75% (39 of 52). In patients with CHF, intact LV systolic function does not confer the same favorable prognosis it defines in other clinical situations. For such patients, the risk of future cardiovascular events is high, a finding that should be considered when designing therapeutic strategies in this group.
Effects of fission product incorporation on the microstructure of cubic zirconia

Abstract Cesium, iodine and strontium ions have been implanted into yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) to determine the effects of fission product incorporation in YSZ that is considered as an inert nuclear fuel matrix. The ion implantation was conducted at room temperature to 1×1021 ions/m2 for each ion with ion energies ranging from 70 to 400 keV. The peak displacement damage level and the peak ion concentration in YSZ reached 205–330 displacement per atoms (dpa) and 11–26 at.%, respectively. The microstructure of the implanted YSZ was studied by in situ and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In the iodine and strontium implanted samples, a damaged layer with a high density of defect clusters was observed, while in the cesium implanted specimen, most of the damaged layer is amorphous.Nanocrystalline precipitates were observed in the strontium implanted specimen after annealing at 1273 K. The results are discussed in terms of the ionic size, mobility and the solubility of the implanted species in YSZ.
An expanded model of bilirubin kinetics: Effect of feeding, fasting, and phenobarbital in Gilbert's syndrome

In a patient with classical Gilbert's syndrome, tracer 14C-bilirubin was infused intravenously at constant rate for 20–32 hr. Total bilirubin production (TBrP) and bilirubin production as estimated from plasma data only (PBrP) were calculated from the specific activity of bilirubin in hepatic bile and in plasma. Pulse labeling with 3 H -δ-aminolevulinic acid permitted estimation of bilirubin fractions synthesized in the liver and excreted directly into bile or returned to plasma. Neither fasting nor phenobarbital (PB) affected TBrP or PBrP; the rise in plasma bilirubin on fasting and fall on PB were entirely accounted for by changes in hepatic pigment clearance. A multicompartmental model, formulated to fit the data obtained in all three experimental conditions, suggested that bilirubin produced in hepatocytes is characterized by three discrete, noncommunicating compartments which differ kinetically and in the manner of pigment transport into plasma, bile, or both. The size and kinetics of each hepatic compartment resembled those of known hepatic heme or hemoprotein fractions. Transfer of bilirubin from plasma to bile occurs by separate hepatic channels which do not communicate in the liver with compartments of endogenously formed pigment. Fasting and PB produced minor modifications in mass and turnover of individual hepatic compartments but did not significantly alter the total rate of bilirubin synthesized in the liver and delivered either to plasma or directly into bile. These findings suggest that production and transport of bilirubin in the liver are highly compartmentized processes.
Demographics and Political Characteristics Affecting State Legislature Websites: The Quality and Digital Divides

ABSTRACT The quality of state legislature Websites has been found to vary considerably across the 50 states. This study found Website quality to be principally related to demographic variables of household Internet access, percent below poverty, per capita income, high school education or higher, and voting in the 2000 election. Political variables such as legislative staff per capita, levels of party competition, and legislative professionalism were less strongly related. Given that state population characteristics associated with the digital divide are also associated with Website content and design, we conclude that the Internet audience is limited by access as well as quality concerns. The Digital Divide is being reinforced by a Quality Divide.
Mouse strain-specific nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression by inhibitory interneurons and astrocytes in the dorsal hippocampus.

The response by individuals to nicotine is likely to reflect the interaction of this compound with target nAChRs. However, resolving how different genetic backgrounds contribute to unique mouse strain-specific responses to this compound remains an important and unresolved issue. To examine this question in detail, expression of the nicotine acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits α3, α4, α5, α7, β2, and β4 was measured in the dorsal hippocampus using immunohistochemistry in mouse strains or lines BALB/c, C3H/J, C57BL/6, CBA/J, DBA/2, Long Sleep (LS), Short Sleep (SS), and CF1. The nAChRs in all mice colocalized with glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-positive interneurons that were subclassified into at least four groups based on nAChR subunit heterogeneity. A notable difference between mouse strains was the expression of nAChRs by astrocyte subpopulations in CA1 subregions whose numbers vary inversely with nAChR-immunostained neurons. This novel relationship also correlated with published parameters of strain sensitivity to nicotine. Attempts to identify the origin of this significant difference in nAChR expression among strains included comparison of the entire nAChRα4 gene sequence. Although multiple polymorphisms were identified, including two that changed nAChRα4 amino acid coding, none of these clearly correlate with strain-related differences in cell type-specific nAChR expression. These findings suggest that mouse strain-specific behavioral and physiological responses to nicotine are likely to be a reflection of a complex interplay between genetic factors that shape differences in expression and cellular architecture of this modulatory neurotransmitter system in the mammalian nervous system. J. Comp. Neurol. 468:334–346, 2004. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Deformation induced anisotropic responses of Ti–6Al–4V alloy. Part I: Experiments

Abstract The anisotropic thermo-mechanical behaviors of an electron beam single melt Ti–6Al–4V alloy over a wide range of strain rates from quasi-static to dynamic regimes, and at various temperatures from 233 to 755 K, are reported. The anisotropic responses are determined along different directions (the rolling, the transverse-to-rolling and the thickness directions). Measured responses are presented along these directions during uniaxial compression and tension loadings. Results are also given for behaviors under low confining pressures. Along with positive strain rate sensitivity and negative temperature dependency, the responses along the thickness and transverse to rolling direction are found to be close to each other. Along the rolling direction, it is much higher than the other two directions. The equivalent stress–strain curves are found to be independent of the confining pressure. The Khan–Huang–Liang (KHL) phenomenological model is used to predict the observed anisotropic thermo mechanical behaviors. A systematic method is employed to determine the model material constants utilizing the experimental data. By using the calibrated material constants, the capability of the constitutive model to predict thermo mechanical response of the alloy is evaluated by comparison of the numerical simulations and experimental observations. It is found that there is a close agreement between the simulated results and the experimental observations.
Improved electrochemistry of multi-ferrocenyl compounds: investigation of biferrocene, terferrocene, bis(fulvalene)diiron and diferrocenylethane in dichloromethane using [NBu4][B(C6F5)4] as supporting electrolyte

Abstract Cyclic voltammetry in CH 2 Cl 2 containing 0.1 M [NBu 4 ][B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ] gives enhanced behavior for the oxidation of complexes containing two or more ferrocenyl groups, owing to better stabilities and solubilities of the multiply-charged oxidation products. The lower ion-pairing interaction of the anion [B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ] − with oligoferrocenyl multiply-charged cations leads to larger separations of the oxidation waves which may be exploited in studies of mixed-valent systems.
Cytochrome P450 2E1 and 3A activities do not differ between Mexicans and European Americans.

Objectives Population differences in the activity of various cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes have been demonstrated on the basis of either genetic or environmental determinants. Hispanics are a large demographic group both worldwide and within the United States; hence the possibility of differences in metabolism between one such group—Mexicans—and a European-derived population was determined with respect to CYP2E1 and CYP3A. Methods Young healthy Mexican immigrants living in Los Angeles, Calif, who had maintained a traditional diet were compared with previously and identically studied groups of age-, sex-, and weight-matched European Americans who resided in middle Tennessee and ate a “western” diet (15 men and 15 women). In one study carried out in 15 women, the disposition of chlorzoxazone after an oral dose (250 mg) was compared. In the other investigation, all of the 15 subjects were men and received intravenous [15N3]-labeled midazolam (1 mg) and oral midazolam (2 mg) simultaneously to characterize the disposition of benzodiazepine in the two populations. Results Plasma concentration-time profiles of chlorzoxazone and its 6-hydroxy metabolite and the 0- to 24-hour urinary recovery of the latter were not different between Mexicans and European Americans. This indicates that CYP2E1 activity is similar in the two populations. Similarly, no significant intergroup differences were noted in the plasma concentration-time profiles of midazolam after either intravenous or oral administration. Accordingly, CYP3A does not appear to be different between Mexicans and European Americans. Conclusions Similarity in the metabolism of chlorzoxazone between Mexicans and European Americans suggests that the risk associated with CYP2E1-mediated activation of procarcinogens is not different between these two populations. Likewise, the absence of any difference in the disposition of midazolam indicates that, from a pharmacokinetic standpoint, dosages of drugs metabolized by CYP3A need not be different between Mexicans and European Americans. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2002) 72, 288–293; doi: 10.1067/mcp.2002.127398
Immortalization and characterization of human myometrial cells from term-pregnant patients using a telomerase expression vector.

An examination of cellular processes involved in myometrial function has been greatly assisted by the use of human myometrial cells in primary culture. However, these cells can be used only for several passages before they senesce, and responses to various agents change with time in culture. The use of transformed cells is limited, as they can be polynucleated and can lose or gain chromosomes. We have developed three telomerase-immortalized cell lines from term-pregnant human myometrium to eliminate variability between passage numbers and allow genetic manipulations of myometrial cells to fully characterize signal pathways. These cells have a normal karyotype and were verified to be uterine smooth muscle by immunocytochemical staining for smooth muscle cell-specific a-actin and high affinity oxytocin antagonist binding sites. The three cell lines and the cells in primary culture from which they were derived were examined by cDNA microarray analysis. Of >10 000 expressed genes, there were consistent changes in the expression of , 1% in the three immortalized cell lines. We were unable to detect any significant differences between primary and immortalized cells in signal pathways such as epidermal growth factor-stimulated epidermal growth factor receptor phosphorylation, insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation, oxytocin and lysophosphatidic acid-stimulated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 phosphorylation, myosin light chain phosphorylation, and interleukin-1 induction of IkBa degradation. The immortalized cells should be useful for a range of studies, including high throughput analyses of the effects of environmental agents on the human myometrium.
Ecological Aspects of Disease and Human Populations

This paper shows how some basic ecological themes can be illustrated, in a very explicit and quantitative way, by examples drawn from the interactions between human hosts and their infectious diseases. I first discuss the population biology of infectious diseases, showing how basic reproductive rates and density dependent limitations may be estimated. Observed cycles in the incidence of childhood infections are discussed as examples of Lotka-Volterra prey-predator cycles. Trade-offs between virulence and transmissibility in the evolution of parasite life histories are discussed in general,with the Australian rabbit-myxoma virus story as a case study. I conclude by mentioning ways in which the interplay between population density and transmission thresholds may have influenced human history.
Health Care Organizational Performance: Present and Future Research

Health care organizations are presently attempting to adapt to an increasingly turbulent environment that poses significant challenges to both managers and management scholars. As a result of the unique nature of health care organizations and their external environments, most research and empirical writing is available only in context-specific sources. This paper examines and evaluates research evidence concerning issues that are likely to be crucial in health care management research and practice over the next decade. Specifically, we examine structural and process determinants of the following measures of health care organizational performance: cost efficiency, clinical quality, patient satisfaction, and financial outcomes. Managerial implications of this research are discussed along with some guidelines forfuture research.
Training Young Activists: Grassroots Organizing and Youths’ Civic and Political Trajectories

This article examines how nonprofit activist youth groups shape the civic and political trajectories of their adolescent members. Based on analyses of survey and semi-structured interview data gath...
Evaluation of a Heuristic Model for Tropical Cyclone Resilience

This work examines the applicability of a previously postulated heuristic model for the temporal evolution of the small-amplitude tilt of a tropical cyclone‐like vortex under vertical shear forcing for both a dry and cloudy atmosphere. The heuristic model hinges on the existence of a quasi-discrete vortex Rossby wave and its ability to represent the coherent precession and tilt decay of a stable vortex in the free-alignment problem. Linearized numerical solutions for a dry and cloudy vortex confirm the model predictions that an increase in the magnitude of the radial potential vorticity (PV) gradient within the vortex skirt surrounding the core yields a more rapid evolution of a sheared vortex toward the equilibrium, left-of-shear tilt configuration. However, in the moist-neutral limit, in which the effective static stability vanishes in rising and sinking regions, the heuristic model yields a poor approximation to the simulated vortex core evolution, but a leftof-shear tilt of the near-core vortex, radially beyond the heating region, remains the preferred long-time solution. Within the near-core skirt, the PV perturbation generated by vertical shearing exhibits continuousspectrum-type vortex Rossby waves, features that are not captured by the heuristic model. Nevertheless, the heuristic model continues to predict the rapid vertical alignment and equilibrium, left-of-shear tilt configuration of the simulated near-core vortex in the moist-neutral limit.