cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Biblical Analysis of Values Clarification

The Values Clarification approach to moral education is examined and evaluated in this article in light of biblical teachings and principles as understood by evangelical Christians. Its basic assum...
Indirect reciprocity and reputation management: Interdisciplinary findings from evolutionary biology and economics

Abstract The concept of indirect reciprocity provides a scientific basis for the strategic value of corporate social responsibility within public relations. In contrast to direct reciprocity, indirect reciprocity occurs when an entity other than the recipient rewards a benevolent actor. Drawing primarily upon research from evolutionary biology and economics, this article builds an interdisciplinary case for the reality and efficacy of indirect reciprocity as a strategic means of building reputation and, consequently, establishing relationships that lead to resource acquisition. It concludes with a call for additional, related explorations of disciplines such as psychology, primatology, and neuroscience.
Small Organic Linkers with Hybrid Terminal Groups Drive Efficient Phonon Transport in Polymers

In traditional polymer composites, past studies have shown that employing hybrid filler led to the enhanced thermal conductivity due to the synergistic impact of the filler combination. Such traditional composites, although extensively used, suffer from various mechanical and processing issues. We have demonstrated how by employing organic molecule with hybrid terminal groups resulted in enhanced thermal conductivity compared with the bulk polymer. The highest thermal conductivity of 0.55 W/m·K was achieved when organic molecule with hybrid terminal groups was incorporated in base polymer. Engineering intermolecular interaction helps to create a continuous thermal network that facilitates phonon transport. The hybrid thermal bridges created with the base polymer act as a synergistic center that further boosts phonon transport. Interestingly, such thermal conductivity enhancement with hybrid terminal groups was found in both amorphous and crystalline organic molecules. Along with good thermal conduction, s...
Campus Without Boundaries: The Brooklyn Green Walk

This chapter considers how interdisciplinary education that reaches outside the classroom and encourages the mixing of student-teacher roles can engage students and transform general education by looking at a walking tour, the Brooklyn GreenWalk, developed and led by students at New York City College of Technology on the topic of urban sustainability in 2008. The chapter starts with an overview of the project and then gives a detailed account of its evolution. Then, each of the faculty narrates the stops of the tour that were lead by his or her students. The chapter uses Richard E. Miller’s comparison of “writing to tell” and “writing to see” to consider the differences between “teaching to tell” and “teaching to see.” John Trimbur is referenced in a consideration of how to move beyond the traditional model of authority in the classroom. In conclusion, the impact of the Green Walk project on the college as a whole is mentioned.
Turnover of Rat Dopamine Transporter Protein in rDAT-LLC-PK1 Cells

We have determined the turnover of the dopamine transporter protein in a porcine kidney epithelial cell line, LLC-PK1, that stably expresses a rat dopamine transporter (rDAT-LLC-PK1). A cocaine analog, RTI-76 (3s-(p-chlorophenyl)tropan-2s-carboxylic acid-p-isothiocyanatophenylethyl ester), was used to block dopamine transporter binding irreversibly in intact cells, and the rate of reappearance of transporter binding was measured. RTI-76 inhibited [125I]RTI-55 binding to the dopamine transporter rapidly (within 10 min.) with an IC50 of 23.8 nM. After exposure to RTI-76, dopamine transporter binding reappeared in the cells over time with monoexponential kinetics with a half-life of 23 ± 1.6 h. Cell lines stably expressing DAT and irreversible binding ligands will be useful to study perturbations of transporter activity and their consequent effects on the transporter protein half-life.
Exploration of cone cyclic nucleotide-gated channel-interacting proteins using affinity purification and mass spectrometry.

Photopic (cone) vision essential for color sensation, central vision, and visual acuity is mediated by the activation of photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels. Naturally occurring mutations in the cone channel subunits CNGA3 and CNGB3 are associated with achromatopsia and cone dystrophies. This work investigated the functional modulation of cone CNG channel by exploring the channel-interacting proteins. Retinal protein extracts prepared from cone-dominant Nrl − / − mice were used in CNGA3 antibody affinity purification, followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) separation and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analysis. The peptide mass fingerprinting of the tryptic digests and database search identified a number of proteins including spectrin alpha-2, ATPase (Na+/K+ transporting) alpha-3, alpha and beta subunits of ATP synthase (H+ transporting, mitochondrial F1 complex), and alpha-2 subunit of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein. In addition, the affinity-binding assays demonstrated an interaction between cone CNG channel and calmodulin but not cone Na+/Ca2+–K+ exchanger in the mouse retina. Results of this study provide insight into our understanding of cone CNG channel-interacting proteins and the functional modulations.
High-risk medications identified from the Danish Patient Safety Database and the challenge of dissemination:

Since 2004, patient safety incidents in Denmark have been reported to a national patient safety reporting system – the Danish Patient Safety Database. The goal of the system is to improve patient s...
Polyacrylonitrile nanocomposite with carbon nanostructures: a review

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is one of the versatile commercially important acrylic polymers. It is a well-known polymer due to its enhanced mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. Various nanofil...
Global Ionospheric Models, TEC, and Stochastic Structure

Global Ionospheric Models (GIMs) provide parametric functional descriptions of ionospheric observables. Total electron content (TEC) is the primary propagation diagnostic. TEC is a measure of the cumulative interaction of an electromagnetic wave with the ionosphere, formally a path integral of electron density. The modeling challenge is determining the ionization distribution along the propagation path. Propagation effects can be exploited, but more often they complicate the inversion process. Although GIMs provide a repository of our understanding of ionospheric dynamics and a starting point for studying the development of stochastic structure, a viable stochastic component has yet to be incorporated. This talk will review some newly published results that connect configuration-space stochastic structure models directly to diagnostic measurements. The term scintillation, which is a frequency-dependent manifestation of ionospheric structure, has been avoided deliberately. The scintillation phenomenon is sufficiently well understood that progress is limited mainly by the lack of a unified structure model.
Palladium-catalyzed mono-γ-arylation of 7-methoxy-4-methylcoumarin

Abstract Herein, we report the selective mono-γ-arylation of 7-methoxy-4-methylcoumarin under palladium-catalyzed conditions. The Buchwald G3 pre-catalyst in conjunction with either the Xantphos or N-Xantphos ligand proves to be highly reactive, engaging aryl iodides, bromides, chlorides, and triflates to effect the desired transformation. A wide range of functionality is tolerated, including the ability to activate heteroaryl halides in the transformation. The initial scope of aryl halides and limitations of this methodology are presented.
Perceptions of Livability of City-Dwelling Residents as They Age

Date Presented 04/04/19 The study identified perceptions of livability among New Haven, CT, city-dwelling residents as they age. Five emerging themes resulted from the initial domains discussed, including accessibility, affordability, social opportunity, stigma, and future planning. Implications include opportunities for consultative services and advocacy with both residents and local town officials to eliminate barriers and optimize strengths of a community's livability. Primary Author and Speaker: Erica DeFrancesco Additional Authors and Speakers: Amber Gianni, Samantha Hilse, Julia Manzi, Meghan Sheridan
Key Terrestrial and Space Environment Sources

Natural (Terrestrial & Space) Environment (NE) phenomena play a significant role in the design and flight of aerospace vehicles and in the integrity of the associated aerospace systems and structures. Both the terrestrial environment (0-90 km altitude) and the space environment (Earth-orbital altitudes) parameters and their engineering application philosophy are given with emphasis on launch vehicle-affected terrestrial environment elements. This paper will describe the key terrestrial and space environment sources: wind; atmospheric; and orbital models used in the design and development of launch/space vehicles.
Racial/ethnic differences in patients with anemia and folate deficiency

OBJECTIVE To determine the presence of racial/ethnic differences in patients with anemia and serum folate deficiency. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of data from patient samples collected from January 2010 to October 2018. Reference laboratory ranges were determined by Mayo Clinic Reference Laboratories. Race and ethnicity were classified according to National Institutes of Health categories. RESULTS The analysis comprised 197 974 samples. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and SF results were available for 173 337, 173 056, and 129 760 samples, respectively. Of the samples, 46 505 (26.8%) showed anemia, with a higher prevalence among American Indian/Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) 42.9% and African Americans (AA) 47.2% (P < .001). SF deficiency was present in 897 (0.7%), with a higher prevalence among AI/AN (9, [1.4%]) and AA (78, [1.2%]) and a lower prevalence in non-Hispanic whites (NHW) (758, [0.7%]), Hispanics (40, [0.6%]), and Asians (8, [0.3%]). In multivariable analysis, the prevalence of anemia was higher in all non-NHW racial/ethnic groups: AA (OR, 3.67, [95%CI: 3.47-3.88, P < .001]), AI/AN (OR, 3.25, [95%CI: 2.71-3.90, P < .001]), Asians (OR, 1.62, [95%CI: 1.47-1.77, P < .001]), and Hispanics (OR, 1.41, [95%CI: 1.32-1.50, P < .001]). SF deficiency was more common in AA (OR, 1.48, [95%CI: 1.17-1.88, P.001]) and less common in Asians (OR, 0.35, [95%CI: 0.17-0.70, P = .003]), compared with NHW. CONCLUSIONS We showed significant racial/ethnic differences in anemia and SF deficiency. Differences were observed especially among NHW, AA, and Asians. We believe that these differences may be explained by social determinants of health. More research is needed regarding the causes of these differences and their clinical implications at a population level.
1 – COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some of the present day computer systems and languages. The electronic computer was made possible by the technological developments that took place during World War II. The first electronic computer, the Eniac, was completed soon after the end of the war. The chapter reviews the various computing systems ranging from the simple electronic calculating machines of the early 1950s to the complex hardware and software of the present day computers. By tracing the development of a few of the main ideas, the chapter discusses the concepts lying behind the current systems. Every system is made up of many autonomous units of both hardware and software. In any well designed system, each unit has an appearance of simplicity, even though the internal operations of the unit might be quite complex. The chapter discusses the major components of the system and the interrelation among them.
Increased impacts on US West Coast

The Madden–Julian oscillation causes teleconnections that impact mid-latitudes. Now research predicts dramatic eastward shifts of these impacts in the Pacific–North America region as the climate warms, leading to higher winter rainfall variability along the US West Coast and California in particular.
Recent attempts to change the periodic table.

The article concerns various proposals that have been made with the aim of improving the currently standard 18-column periodic table. We begin with a review of 8-, 18- and 32-column formats of the periodic table. This is followed by an examination of a possible, although rather impractical, 50-column table and how it could be used to consider the changes to the periodic table that have been predicted by Pyykko in the domain of superheavy elements. Other topics reviewed include attempts to derive the Madelung rule as well as an analysis of what this rule actually provides. Finally, the notion of an 'optimal' periodic table is discussed in the context of recent work by philosophers of science who have examined the nature of classifications in general, as well as the notion of natural kinds. The article takes an unapologetically philosophical approach rather than focusing on specific data concerning the elements. Nevertheless, some pragmatic issues and educational aspects of the periodic table are also examined. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mendeleev and the periodic table'.
Naturally Emerging Cohorting Behavior of Healthcare Workers and Its Implications for Disease Spread

Background: Mobility patterns of healthcare workers (HCWs) (ie, the spatiotemporal distribution of patient rooms they visit) have a significant impact on the spread of healthcare acquired infections (HAIs). Objective: In this project, we used fine-grained data from a sensor deployment at the medical intensive care unit (MICU) in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) to study the mobility patterns of HCWs and their impact on HAI spread. Methods: We analyzed 10 days of data from a 20-bed MICU sensor deployment. For parameters t1 and t2, each pair of rooms i and j is assigned a weight W(i, j) representing the number of times an HCW spends at least t1 seconds in room i followed by at least t1 seconds in room j, within t2 seconds of each other. W(i, j) is a measure of HCW traffic going from room i to room j; we study the correlation between W(i, j) and the distance between rooms i and j. Additionally, we perform 2 disease-spread simulations: (1) a base simulation, obtained by replaying observed HCW mobility traces and (2) a perturbed simulation, which is the same as the base simulation, except that we replace each HCW who visits a room by a random available HCW. Thus, the perturbed simulation removes correlations in the observed HCW mobility traces. Results: We computed W(i, j) for all room pairs i, j for parameters t1 = 30 seconds and t2 = 1,800 and 3,600 seconds. For nurses, there was a strong negative correlation of between pairwise room distance and the weights W(i, j) (−0.768 for t2 = 1,800; −0.711 for t2 = 3,600), The more distant 2 rooms were, the less they shared nurse traffic. This was not true for physicians (correlation = −0.027 for t2 = 1,800; −0.014 for t2 = 3,600). Figure 1 shows a weight versus distance scatter plot for nurses for t1 = 30 and t2 = 1,800. This spatial correlation has positive implications for disease spread; the base simulation, which preserves these spatial correlations, has between 12% and 55% fewer mean infected patients (>100 replicates) for different simulation parameters compared to the perturbed simulation. Conclusions: Our results, based on fine-grained data, show a “naturally emerging” cohorting behavior of nurses, where nurses are more likely to visit rooms close to each other within a 30–60 minute time window, than rooms further away. Through simulations, this behavior provides substantial protection against disease spread. Funding: None Disclosures: None
Resveratrol induced DNA methylation in ER+ breast cancer

2750 Background: Aberrant DNA methylation patterns, which display global hypomethylation and local promoter hypermethylation in tumor suppressor and growth regulatory genes, are a feature of most cancers, including breast malignancy. Epigenetic fluctuations in the degree of CpG islands represent an important mechanism by which gene function is selectively activated or silenced, as a result of modifying the binding of transcription factors and methyl-DNA binding proteins. A wide range of dietary compounds, such as resveratrol, can lead to global alterations in DNA methylation. Since dietary compounds are likely to induce epigenetic rather than mutational events, assessing changes in methylation, represent excellent targets to elucidate how diet factors may modify cancer risk and tumor behavior. Resveratrol, a compound commonly found in red wine and in the Japanese knotweed plant, possesses recognized health benefits for a wide range of human diseases including cancer. Resveratrol acts as an estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist in the presence of estrogen, leading to growth inhibition of ER positive breast cancer in a dose-dependant fashion. In the absence of estradiol, resveratrol has both agonist and antagonist effects depending on the dose used. Our goal was to determine the dose-dependant methylation effects of resveratrol on ER+ breast cancer cells. Methods: MCF-7 cells were treated with 5μM, 50 μM and 100 μM of resveratrol for 36 hours, DNA and RNA were extracted and differential methylation hybridization assays were conducted to screen an array containing 8716 CpG island tags for changes in methylation. Real-time PCR was also performed to assess expression levels of DNMT1 and DNMT3b, two of the three major isoforms of identified DNA methyltransferases, based on resveratrol treatment. Results and Conclusion: 65 loci have a two-fold or greater change in methylation status. Nine of the loci are genes with known identities, one of which is the tumor suppressor gene DLC-1 which is hypermethylated in various cancers. DLC-1 was demethylated following resveratrol treatment. DNMT1 and DNMT3b levels were inhibited by resveratrol in a dose dependant fashion. Resveratrol induces methylation changes in a variety of CpG islands, including those known to be altered in human cancer. This suggests that alterations in methylation may be an important mechanism by which resveratrol provides protective effects in human disease, including ER+ breast cancer.
Non-uniform UV-C dose across N95 facepieces can cause 2.9-log variation in SARS-CoV-2 inactivation

During public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, ultraviolet-C (UV-C) decontamination of N95 respirators for emergency reuse has been implemented to mitigate shortages. However, decontamination efficacy across N95s is poorly understood, due to the dependence on received UV-C dose, which varies across the complex three-dimensional N95 shape. Robust quantification of UV-C dose across N95 facepieces presents challenges, as few UV-C measurement tools have sufficient 1) small, flexible form factor, and 2) angular response. To address this gap, we combine optical modeling and quantitative photochromic indicator (PCI) dosimetry with viral inactivation assays to generate high-resolution maps of "on-N95" UV-C dose and concomitant SARS-CoV-2 viral inactivation across N95 facepieces within a commercial decontamination chamber. Using modeling to rapidly identify on-N95 locations of interest, in-situ measurements report a 17.4 {+/-} 5.0-fold dose difference across N95 facepieces, yielding 2.9 {+/-} 0.2-log variation in SARS-CoV-2 inactivation. UV-C dose at several on-N95 locations was lower than the lowest-dose locations on the chamber floor, highlighting the importance of on-N95 dose validation. Overall, we couple optical simulation with in-situ PCI dosimetry to relate UV-C dose and viral inactivation at specific
Resident Clinical Experience During the Pandemic: What Has It Cost Us and What Have We Gained?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and pediatrics residency training: before 2020, it was difficult to imagine a public health crisis that could so immediately bring critical aspects of health care and society to a grinding halt. Yet slightly more than a year into the pandemic, we are still seeing significant disruptions in health care and society due to the pandemic. In this issue of Hospital Pediatrics , Geanacopoulos et al1 evaluated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric residents in the emergency department, ICU step-down unit, and hospitalist settings in one training program. The authors determined that residents provided care for fewer patients on their emergency department and hospitalist services, worked fewer shifts, and had decreased exposure to common respiratory and gastrointestinal diagnoses. Although residency programs often rely heavily on experiential learning while also integrating didactic learning, during the pandemic many programs had to shift their focus within education by creating alternate experiences, such as the virtual curriculum this program created. Programs across all specialties are now reevaluating how they assess clinical competency and how they will achieve educational goals for trainees required of a residency program.2–7 As pediatric residency leaders, we must balance the need to graduate residents on time with fulfilling our mission to provide a comprehensive training experience. The pandemic has created more questions around clinical competency than answers. We thus ask: How has the pandemic affected pediatric residents’ clinical competency? In what …
Vacuum-Assisted Incisional Closure Therapy After Groin Reconstruction With Muscle Flap.

Background Groin reconstruction with muscle flap coverage is associated with high wound complication rates. Incisional vacuum-assisted closure (iVAC) therapy may lower wound complications. We evaluated the impact of iVAC on postoperative outcomes in patients following groin reconstruction with muscle flap coverage. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent groin reconstruction with muscle flap coverage in 2012-2018. Patients were divided into those who received iVAC therapy and those who received standard sterile dressings (SSD). Results Of the 57 patients included, most received iVAC therapy (71%, n = 41) and the rest received SSD (28%, n = 16). The iVAC group had higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and peripheral artery disease (p < 0.05). However, iVAC patients had comparable length of hospital stay (12 vs 8.5 days p = 0.0735), reoperations (34% vs 31%, p = 0.8415), and readmissions (32% vs 37%, p = 0.6801) with SSD patients. iVAC placement was less likely in prophylactic flaps (odds ratio 0.08, p = 0.0049). Conclusion Patients with a prophylactic flap were less likely to receive vacuum therapy, which may highlight a selection bias where surgeons pre-emptively use iVAC therapy in surgical candidates identified as high risk. The pre-emptive use of iVAC may minimize adverse postoperative outcomes in high-risk patients.
SIGCHI Lifetime Practice Award Talk: Usability Barriers and How to Overcome Them

How long is a lifetime of practice in human-computer interaction? In my case, it has been 42 years, almost all of that in IBM Research (with a couple of sabbatical years in the then new Watson Group). Having queued up for access to DEC and Prime machines during my PhD work in the mid 70s, I was positively thrilled when, upon arriving at the T.J. Watson Research Center in 1978, I found a dedicated 3277 “green screen” terminal on my desk attached to a 370 mainframe. Hot-rodded with an onboard character buffer and double speed cursor circuitry, I could fly through writing and coding, personally experiencing the productivity benefits of sub-second response time [1]. Beyond some great hardware (for the time), I also had extraordinary colleagues. I imprinted on the working style of John Gould and Stephen Boies as we built the second hardware iteration of what became the world's first commercial voice mail system and its final manifestation as the messaging system for the 1984 Summer Olympics. In this talk I'll share some of the still relevant behavioral principles of system design we learned in the course of that project [2]. Beyond this, I'll review work in early (pre-Web!) Internet access for schools [3], home shopping [4], Web accessibility [5], and programmer productivity in peta-scale scientific computing [6]. Each project will highlight a barrier to building useful and usable systems, barriers that still persist. More importantly, I'll tell you how we overcame those barriers, giving you something that will, perhaps, be useful in your own work.
Celebrating the many contributions of Jim Wyant

Jim has been a source of information and inspiration for many people, including me. It was Jim who steered me in 1994 to a new website named Yahoo! that was being developed by two grad students in my own department. And it was Jim who, through his many contributions to the Wolfram Demonstrations Project, introduced me to the power of manipulatable figures to illustrate various aspects of optics using Mathematica™.
The Road from Welfare to Work: Informal Transportation and the Urban Poor

Individuals struggling to move from welfare to work face numerous obstacles. This Article addresses one of those obstacles: lack of transportation. Without reliable transportation, many welfare recipients are unable to find and maintain jobs located out of the reach of traditional forms of public transportation. Professor Garnett argues that lawmakers should remove restrictions on informal van or jitney services, allowing entrepreneurs to provide low-cost transportation to their communities. This reform would not only help people get to work, but it could also provide jobs for low-income people.
Some response properties of cold fibers to cooling.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the methods of systems analysis that are used to describe the responses of feline facial cold receptors to ramp-shaped cool stimuli that varied in rate, intensity, and the temperature to which the skin is preadapted. Two processes, such as an excitatory and an inhibitory process, interact to produce a change in the frequency of cold receptor activity upon cool stimulation. Linear and non-linear components of the responses to 5°C cool stimuli are investigated. The linear components, which occurred at the 40°C and 45°C adapting temperatures, are described as exponential functions with rate constants that increased by about 25 % as the adapting temperatures decreased from 45°C to 20°C. Non-linearity of the responses to 5°C cool stimuli increased as the adapting temperature decreased from 35°C to 20°C. This nonlinearity is described as an exponential function whose rate constant is a function of the adapting temperature. This component of the system equation might be because of the depletion of the ionic reservoir responsible for restoring the receptor membrane polarization or action potential generation. The second major outcome of the system analysis indicated that the steady state and dynamic responses of cold receptors arose from different processes, although they may be loosely coupled.
PLANT MACROFOSSIL METHODS AND STUDIES | Dendroarchaeology

Dendroarchaeology, the use of tree-ring data to address archaeological issues, has played an important role in the archaeology of the recent past. Tree-ring dates are precise and accurate to the year, and sometimes season, and have been used to calibrate other methods of dating archaeological sites. In addition to precise chronological data, tree-ring dates also contain information about past human behaviors and environmental conditions. The interpretation of dendroarchaeological dates is dependent on several factors, such as the types of dates, their number and clustering, and archaeological context. By using the principles of date interpretation and combining the different types of information available in dendroarchaeological samples, dendroarchaeologists are able to examine past human adaptation to changes in the physical, social, and technological environments.
Skin‐sparing mastectomy

With a skin-sparing approach, the skin envelope of the breast is protected and retained. The nipple-areolar complex (NAC), previous biopsy sites, and skin overlying a superficial tumor are resected with all breast parenchyma. Multiple options exist to preserve the native breast skin and inframammary fold without compromising the oncoplastic outcome of the procedure. Other options for preservation and reconstruction have been described, including the nipple-sparing mastectomy, where part, or all, of the NAC is retained. Postoperative complications and recurrences are similar as long as the retained portion of the NAC is far enough away from the tumor to meet oncologic principles. Little local recurrence is found if the tumor was more than 1 cm from the nipple and the retro-areolar area is histologically negative, even after chemoradiation or with advanced tumors. If choosing to spare the NAC, avoid a periareolar incision as there is an increased risk of nipple necrosis.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Each year 300,000 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operations are performed in the United States, 25% of them in women. Over the past 30 years the patient population undergoing surgery has dramatically changed. In the early 1970s only a few patients (men and women) over the age of 70 years and/or with an ejection fraction less than 50% were felt to be suitable candidates for CABG. With refinements in technology and increasing operator experience the percentage of high-risk patients significantly rose (Weintraub et al. 1998). In other words, presently there is a much higher percentage of patients with reduced left ventricular function, three-vessel coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and over 70 years of age that undergo CABG than 25 years ago. Due to the increasing number of high-risk patients, operative mortality in men rose from 1% in 1974 to 2.7% in 1991 and in women from 1.3 to 5.4%, respectively. Since coronary artery disease in women generally presents approximately 10–15 years later in life than it does in men women undergoing CABG surgery are significantly older than men. The percentage of men older than 60 years increased from 28.8% in 1974–1979 to 59.6% in 1988–1991. The percentage of women over age 60 years was 45.1% from 1974–1979 and 77.3% from 1988–1991. Only 3.5% of men, but 7.3% of women, were older than 70 years from 1974 to 1979. From 1988 to 1991 it was 24.3 and 38.8%, respectively.
Effect of iron supplementation with or without vitamin E (VE) on gut microbiome (MB) in iron deficient (ID) infants and toddlers

Objective: To assess the impact of VE on the efficacy of therapeutic iron and on gut MB in infants and toddlers with ID. Design: This is a randomized, double blind efficacy trial of 8 weeks of iron therapy (6 mg/kg/d) alone or with VE, in 9-24 mo old infants and toddlers with ID. Profiles of fecal gut MB were measured by 16S sequencing before and after treatment. Results: 32 infants (14 ± 4 mo) completed the study with pre- and post-trial stool samples collected (IG: Iron Group n=18; IVEG: iron +VE Group n=14). Over time, allparticipants improved iron status. Compared with IG without group difference. Compared with IG, the IVEG had increase in serum vitamin E concentration (Δ1.3 ± 6.1 mcg/ml, P < 0.05). Microbial diversity increased overtime (P < 0.01) among all participants. Firmicutes increased (P < 0.05) and Bacteroidetes decreased (P < 0.05) in relative abundance (RA) in the IVEG, compared with IG. A group-by-time interaction was observed in which Bacteroidaceae (P = 0.07) and Bacteroides (P = 0.07) d...
Transportation of Rural Elders and Access to Health Care

This study of the transportation needs of rural elders builds on previous research efforts and has three principal objectives: (1) to describe the number and geographic distribution of rural elders in Iowa and how these are changing; (2) to identify the need for transportation services among rural elders, particularly for health care, as a way to predict future need for transit services; and (3) to determine the current transit use and transit needs of a representative sample of rural Iowa elders, age 75 and over, especially regarding travel for health care purposes. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the report. It is pointed out that particular attention is paid to the differences in transportation need based on age (elders age 75 to 84 versus elders age 85 and over), gender, whether elders live alone, and their functional health status. Chapter 2 outlines the data collection methods used to study the travel of rural Iowa elders and the effect of transportation on their access to health care. Chapter 3 describes travel patterns and changing demographics of rural elders in Iowa. Chapter 4 focuses specifically on the nature and extent of rural transit use by Iowans age 75 and over. In Chapter 5, the supply side of transit services is investigated through interviews with regional transit managers and Area Agency on Aging (AAA) directors, while in Chapter 6, the use of health care services by rural elders and their travel to health care is reported. Finally, Chapter 7 discusses findings and the resulting policy implications for Iowa's regional transit systems and the AAAs regarding rural elders' access to transit services. The appendices include a discussion of the sampling procedure followed; the questionnaire used to interview rural elders, transit managers, and AAA directors; and a description of the regional transit systems in Iowa.
Real time imaging with shear waves and surface waves

A chirp focused phased array B-scan imaging system has been employed to obtain cross sectional images in metals. Good quality images with a field of view of 5–20 cm × 5 cm of arrays of holes have been observed using shear waves, Rayleigh waves, Lamb waves, and flexural waves in thin sheets of metal. With 2.5 MHz Rayleigh waves, we have detected and located surface flaws as small as 250 μm deep and 1000 μm diameter.
Using Qualitative Information to Improve Causal Inference

Using the Rosenbaum (2002, 2009) approach to observational studies, we show how qualitative information can be incorporated into quantitative analyses to improve causal inference in three ways. First, by including qualitative information on outcomes within matched sets, we can ameliorate the consequences of the difficulty of measuring those outcomes, sometimes reducing p-values. Second, additional information across matched sets enables the construction of qualitative confidence intervals on effect size. Third, qualitative information on unmeasured confounders within matched sets reduces the conservativeness of Rosenbaum-style sensitivity analysis. This approach accommodates small to medium sample sizes in a nonparametric framework, and therefore it may be particularly useful for analyses of the effects of policies or institutions in a small number of units. We illustrate these methods by examining the effect of using plurality rules in transitional presidential elections on opposition harassment in 1990s sub-Saharan Africa
Fabrication of porous microtent structures toward an in vitro endothelium model

This paper reports the fabrication of compliant and permeable thin films with controlled curvature preferable to serve as engineering scaffolds for the production of in vivo like vascular endothelial constructs. A simple fabrication process was developed to fabricate three-dimensional ‘tent’ like microstructures by combining electrospinning and microfabrication. In particular, the ‘microtents’ were created by electrospinning mechanically flexible poly(etherurethane)urea(PEUU) polymer on a microstructured collecting substrate. The shape of the ‘microtents’ can be tuned by adjusting the geometries of microstructures on the collecting substrate and the operational parameters of electrospinning. Mechanical characterization showed the nonlinear mechanical behavior of porous polymeric thin films is similar to those of soft tissues, indicating that these thin films may serve as scaffolds for mimicking local mechanical environment of vascular tissues. Human endothelial cells were successfully cultured on the concave side of the porous thin film, constituting an endothelium model in vitro. This work addresses the need for engineered tissue scaffolds that can mimic both morphological and mechanical environments of natural vascular endothelium. The coupled effects of mechanical, structural and biochemical factors on vascular endothelium can thus be investigated.
Simulating the dynamics of fluid-cylinder interactions

We present the simulation of the dynamics of fluid-cylinder interactions in a narrow three-dimensional channel filled with a Newtonian fluid, using a Lagrange multiplier based fictitious domain methodology combined with a finite element method and an operator splitting technique. As expected, a settling truncated cylinder turns its broadside perpendicular to the main stream direction and the center of mass moves to the central axis of the channel. In the case of two truncated cylinders, they first move around each other for a while and then stay together in a "T" shape. After the "T" shape has been formed for a long enough time, we found no vortex shedding behind the cylinders. When simulating the fluidization of 60 truncated cylinders, we captured the features of interactions among fluidized cylinders as observed in experiments.
NAD+-dependent retinol dehydrogenase in liver microsomes☆

A microsomal NAD+-dependent retinol dehydrogenase is being described with optimal activity at physiological pH. The enzyme was present in liver microsomes of rats and also in a strain of deermice which lacks the cytosolic retinol dehydrogenase. Unlike the latter enzyme, the microsomal retinol dehydrogenase was not inhibited by either ethanol or 4-methylpyrazole; its activity was insensitive to CO and not oxygen dependent, in contradistinction with that of the microsomal cytochrome P-450 and NADPH-dependent retinol oxidase. Chronic ethanol consumption resulted in an increased activity of the microsomal retinol dehydrogenase which may contribute to hepatic retinol depletion, especially in view of the insensitivity of the enzyme to ethanol inhibition.
Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Differences by Demographic Characteristics Among US Adults: Data From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004

Background Hearing loss affects health and quality of life. The prevalence of hearing loss may be growing because of an aging population and increasing noise exposure. However, accurate national estimates of hearing loss prevalence based on recent objective criteria are lacking. Methods We determined hearing loss prevalence among US adults and evaluated differences by demographic characteristics and known risk factors for hearing loss (smoking, noise exposure, and cardiovascular risks). A national cross-sectional survey with audiometric testing was performed. Participants were 5742 US adults aged 20 to 69 years who participated in the audiometric component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. The main outcome measure was 25-dB or higher hearing loss at speech frequencies (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) and at high frequencies (3, 4, and 6 kHz). Results In 2003-2004, 16.1% of US adults (29 million Americans) had speech-frequency hearing loss. In the youngest age group (20-29 years), 8.5% exhibited hearing loss, and the prevalence seems to be growing among this age group. Odds of hearing loss were 5.5-fold higher in men vs women and 70% lower in black subjects vs white subjects. Increases in hearing loss prevalence occurred earlier among participants with smoking, noise exposure, and cardiovascular risks. Conclusions Hearing loss is more prevalent among US adults than previously reported. The prevalence of US hearing loss differs across racial/ethnic groups, and our data demonstrate associations with risk factors identified in prior smaller-cohort studies. Our findings also suggest that hearing loss prevention (through modifiable risk factor reduction) and screening should begin in young adulthood.
Intuitive engineering, human factors, and the design of future interfaces

Human factors engineering (HFE) professionals complain that they are often called in after-the-fact to help correct human interface problems. They believe many design flaws can be avoided if design teams involve them early on. However, in the case of innovative technology, such post hoc human factors may not be avoidable unless the inventor is also a human factors engineer or the prospective user. In rare cases an inventor of a new technology has an intuitive understanding of human engineering principles and knows well the capabilities and limitations of operators. This paper outlines the importance of focusing on the user-system interface and encouraging engineers to develop their own intuitive sense of users through mental imagery. If design engineers start with a clear mental picture of a specific user and task rather than generalities of use, fewer interface problems are likely to be encountered later in development. Successful technology innovators often use a visual thinking approach in the development of new concepts. Examples are presented to illustrate the successful application of intuitive design. An approach is offered on how designers can improve their non-verbal thinking skills. The author shares the view that the mission of HFE should not be to make system developers dependent on the small community of HF experts but rather to help them learn the value of applying user-centered design techniques.
Cayley Family of Attitude Coordinates

E ULER’S rotation theorem has become a guiding principle and starting point for studying the relative orientation of a rigid body. The theorem states that the general displacement of a rigid body with one point fixed is a rotation through some angle about some line [1]. The line, commonly called Euler’s principal line, is the eigenvector associated with the 1 eigenvalue of the relative orientation matrix C. The amount of rotation is called Euler’s principal angle. An Euler theorem perspective of orientation considers the unit-length principal line e and principal angle to be the fundamental components for representing orientation, and results are built upon them. A different perspective on rotational displacement considers the orientation matrix C as the most fundamental representation for describing relative orientation. From this viewpoint, Euler’s theorem becomes an interpretation of relative orientation, or an interpretation of C. Recent results show how a direct use of the orientation matrix can lead to new attitude coordinates and new relational expressions [2]. A part of that work was a new Cayley-like transform between so-called interior parameters (IPs) and the orientation matrix C. The purpose of this note is to generalize those Cayley-like identities to create a family of attitude coordinates. First, however, an Euler theorem perspective is reviewed.
Are the Overhead Distribution Costs Retarding Railroad Electrification

If terminals, suburban lines, and open-pit mining developments are excepted, the electrification of heavy haulage on the North American continent has progressed rather slowly for the past 15 years. In the meantime, and particularly postwar, European countries definitely have announced their decision to make extensive additions to their electrified railroads. Similar decisions have issued from other countries. No doubt, there is a satisfactory reason for this slowing down of electrification in North America. Based on the thorough and efficient operating methods followed by the railroads of North America, it may be concluded that economics may play some part in this ``slowdown.'' Possibly the first cost of electrification is too high; if so, how can this first cost be reduced, or be made comparable to installations involving other motive power? It cannot be said that the high first cost of electrification is entirely due to the cost of the overhead distribution system. But, it can be said that the overhead system, as a part of the electrification plant, may contribute to high costs. It is not conceded that unfavorable first costs of electrification are the deciding factor in favor of some other mode of transportation, but a reduction in the first cost of electrification certainly will place the electric locomotive in a more favorable place. This paper describes some of the new overhead equipment, also system and structure designs, that have been developed in very recent years.
Structure of Milk Fat Triglycerides

Summary The distribution of fatty acids among the triglycerides of milk fat was studied by thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) techniques and lipase hydrolysis. The triglycerides were first separated into two fractions by thin-layer chromatography on silicic acid. The fraction with the higher Rf value consisted almost entirely of long-chain triglycerides; the other fraction contained essentially all of the short-chain fatty acids. Treatment of the short-chain triglyceride fraction with sodium methoxide gave three fractions resolvable by silicic acid-thin-layer chromatography. The triglycerides of these fractions contained 0, 1, and 2 short-chain fatty acids per molecule, respectively, and demonstrated the nonrandomness of the distribution of the short-chain fatty acids in this fraction of the original triglycerides. A nonrandom distribution of the fatty acids in the long-chain triglyceride fraction was demonstrated by fractionation and analysis of this fraction by silver nitrate—silicic acid—thin-layer chromatography and lipase hydrolysis. Some 35 triglyceride types, of which there could be many members, were distinguished in milk fat on the pattern of the distribution of the fatty acids.
The chromosomal association/dissociation of the chromatin insulator protein Cp190 of Drosophila melanogaster is mediated by the BTB/POZ domain and two acidic regions

Chromatin insulators or boundary elements are a class of functional elements in the eukaryotic genome. They regulate gene transcription by interfering with promoter-enhancer communication. The Cp190 protein of Drosophila melanogaster is essential to the function of at least three-types of chromatin insulator complexes organized by Su(Hw), CTCF and BEAF32. We mapped functional regions of Cp190 in vivo and identified three domains that are essential for the insulator function and for the viability of flies: the BTB/POZ domain, an aspartic acid-rich (D-rich) region and a C-terminal glutamic acid-rich (E-rich) region. Other domains including the centrosomal targeting domain and the zinc fingers are dispensable. The N-terminal CP190BTB-D fragment containing the BTB/POZ domain and the D-rich region is sufficient to mediate association with all three types of insulator complexes. The fragment however is not sufficient for insulator activity or viability. The Cp190 and CP190BTB-D are regulated differently in cells treated with heat-shock. The Cp190 dissociated from chromosomes during heat-shock, indicating that dissociation of Cp190 with chromosomes can be regulated. In contrast, the CP190BTB-D fragment didn't dissociate from chromosomes in the same heat-shocked condition, suggesting that the deleted C-terminal regions have a role in regulating the dissociation of Cp190 with chromosomes. The N-terminal fragment of Cp190 containing the BTB/POZ domain and the D-rich region mediates association of Cp190 with all three types of insulator complexes and that the E-rich region of Cp190 is required for dissociation of Cp190 from chromosomes during heat-shock. The heat-shock-induced dissociation is strong evidence indicating that dissociation of the essential insulator protein Cp190 from chromosomes is regulated. Our results provide a mechanism through which activities of an insulator can be modulated by internal and external cues.