cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Looking for light in the din: An examination of the circadian-disrupting properties of a medical intensive care unit.

Abstract Objective Critically ill patients exhibit profound disturbances of circadian rhythmicity, most commonly in the form of a phase delay. We investigated the specific zeitgeber properties of a medical intensive care unit to develop a model that explained these abnormalities. Research methodology Prospective, observational study conducted during 2013–2014. Twenty-four-hour ambient light (lux, 672 hours) and sound pressure levels (dBA, 504 hours) were measured in patient rooms. Patients and families were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the environment. Setting University-based adult medical intensive care unit. Main outcome measures The timing and intensity of the ambient light-dark cycle and sound environment and the relationship of these measurements to patient/family perceptions. Results Twenty-four-hour light-dark cycles were extremely weak and phase delayed relative to the solar cycle. Morning light averaged 12.1 (4.8, 37.2) lux, when only 24.9% ± 10.9% of available light was utilised; yet patients and families did not identify low daytime light levels as problematic. Median noise levels were invariably excessive (nighttime 47.9 [45.0, 51.3] dBA) with minimal variation, consistent with the absence of a defined rest period. Conclusion The intensive care unit functions as a near-constant routine protocol disconnected from solar time. Behavioural interventions to promote entrainment should be supported by objective measurements of light and sound.
Competitive influences of running applications on training habits

The use of running applications (RAs) has recently been shown to neither increase nor decrease the risk of running-related injuries (RRIs). However, it is important to note that the study reporting these findings did not account for the influence of virtual competition or challenges, such as virtual leaderboards for certain popular "segments" and monthly "challenges" which reward users for completing predefined tasks in a given time period. Both of these factors may affect the training behaviors of RA users, and indeed may contribute to the risk of RRIs. In particular, the latter may mimic a predefined running scheme, which had a positive relationship with RRIs. Therefore, it is important for future studies to elucidate whether virtual competitions or challenges promoted by RAs influence running behavior, and consequently, the risk for RRIs.
Communist Rule and the Food Security Situation

Since 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a Leninist political organization leading a party-state, has ruled China. In this chapter we narrate the development of the planned economy in China, including agricultural growth targets, and then focus on the early choices of the regime, which influenced agricultural production: land reform and collectivization, the Great Leap Forward (1958–1960), and the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). After the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, and a brief succession struggle, Deng Xiaoping assumed leadership of the party and state. Deng radically changed China’s economic development policy, opening the Chinese economy to competition and gradually engaging the Chinese marketplace with the world. The chapter also treats the current food system (focusing on production and use) in 2009, as well as changes in food choices in China.
Surge Tank Analysis

Hydrodynamic generation of electrical power requires the efficient transfer of water under pressure from an elevated storage area, or reservoir, to the generating plant, often several hundred meters away. The obvious solution of connecting a large pipe to both ends has a serious shortcoming. A large surge in the power supplied to the electrical customers requires an abrupt increase in the amount of water flowing into the turbine. A falling-off in power usage causes the water suddenly to flow more slowly. In both cases, a large mass of water in the pipe must suddenly change its velocity. The slight compressibility of the water, combined with the slight elasticity of the pipe, causes a wave of high pressure to propagate up and down the pipe, resulting in “water hammer” and often rupturing the pipes.
Neurogenic inflammation in the pathogenesis of migraine

Migraine is a prevalent and disabling disorder, which affects approximately 12% of the population of the United States [1]. The pathogenesis of the headache involves pain-sensitive cranial structures, possibly including the dura mater and large cerebral blood vessels and their trigeminal and cervical innervation [2]. The innervation of these structures is mediated primarily by the tentorial nerve, a branch of the ophthalmic nerve or first division of the trigeminal nerve, which also provides cutaneous innervation for the forehead and anterior vertex.
The Problem of Cultural Age

At this point, we approach a problem which can be called the problem of cultural age. We know the conventional concept of intellectual age that is sometimes introduced in psychology in other countries together with chronological age. Neither intellectual nor cultural age are chronological concepts. When we speak of physiological age or of intellectual age, we assume that the process of development consists of certain stages that in a certain regular pattern of change follow one after another; the beginning of these stages never agrees completely precisely with the chronological passage of time. For this reason, we know that a child of a certain chronological age may be either ahead or behind that point with respect to both his physiological and his intellectual age. In this connection, we have come immediately to the problem that might be called the problem of cultural age.
Propagation measurements and Simulation for Wireless Communication systems in the ISM Band

Various RF propagation models have been introduced for different frequency bands. These models can be characterized into two different classes. The first class is called deterministic and the second stochastic.
On Longitudinal Free Spacetime Electric and Magnetic Fields in the Einstein-De Broglie Theory of Light

In the Einstein-de Broglie theory of light, the photon has finite rest mass. It is shown that longitudinal solutions of the Einstein-de Broglie-Proca (EBP) equation give longitudinal magnetic and electric fields, B (3) and i E (3) , respectively, which can be used to devise a number of novel experimental tests of the theory. It is shown that special relativity does not prohibit finite photon rest mass (m0), because m 0 2 is the first Casimir invariant of the Poincare group (inhomoge-neous Lorentz group). It is the invariant m 0 2 that appears in the EBP equation. It is shown that gauge transformations of the first and second kind remain valid for finite m 0 , provided AµAµ = 0, where Aµ is the vector potential of the de Broglie-Proca field. This condition implies that the scalar potential is equal to the magnitude of the vector potential. For finite photon mass, the Coulomb gauge is therefore inconsistent, and the Lorentz condition always holds, i.e., is a mathematical consequence of the EBP equation. Experimental evidence [17] for finite photon mass is briefly reviewed, evidence which removes the numerous physical obscurities inherent in the notion of a zero photon rest mass.
Energy correlated timing spectra in target neutron techniques

Abstract An associated particle imaging (API) experimental setup with nanosecond precision electronics was constructed and tested. This API setup has the ability to measure alpha-gamma coincidence (timing) spectra, time correlated energy gamma spectra, and energy correlated timing spectra. The speed of 14.1 MeV neutron was defined from measurement of carbon energy correlated timing spectra. The measured value (5.2 cm/ns) agreed with reference data that confirmed a proper working setup and authenticated experimental results. Test experiments with graphite samples demonstrated that the minimal detectible level (MDL) of carbon with the appropriate timing window in API mode is 2.5 times lower than in continuous mode. Results indicate that this API method is quite promising for soil carbon analysis due to significantly improved MDL.
Efficacy of Dexamethasone Versus Fluticasone Nasal Sprays in Postoperative Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps.

BackgroundTopical nasal steroids are commonly prescribed to patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). They are found to be effecti...
Outcome Comparison of TEVAR with and without Left Subclavian Artery Revascularization from Analysis of Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database.

Background The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) without and with left subclavian artery (LSA) revascularization using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Methods NIS records from 2005 to 2013 were retrospectively analyzed to identify patients undergoing TEVAR without and with LSA revascularization. Perioperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. The LSA revascularization group was further subdivided to compare perioperative outcomes if the revascularization was performed pre- or post-TEVAR or if the revascularization was performed open versus endovascular. Comparisons were examined using univariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable models were constructed using a forward selection approach with P cran.r-project.org ). Results 7,773 TEVAR patients were included in this study. 6,411 (82.5%) were performed without and 1,362 (17.5%) with LSA revascularization. The rate of revascularization for LSA coverage during TEVAR doubled after the Society for Vascular Surgery Guidelines recommending revascularization were published in 2009. Groups were not significantly different in age (65.5 ± 15.8 and 66.1 ± 14.4 years old, respectively), gender, or race. Multivariable analysis showed that although rates of spinal cord ischemia and upper extremity ischemia were similar, perioperative cardiac complications (OR 1.5, 95% CI [1.2, 1.9], P = 0.025), stroke (OR 2.1, 95% CI [1.6, 2.8], P = 0.001), and pulmonary complications (OR 1.9, 95% CI [1.7, 2.3], P Conclusions TEVAR with LSA revascularization is associated with significantly increased rates of perioperative stroke and cardiopulmonary complications. LSA revascularization before TEVAR, compared with post–TEVAR revascularization, had lower perioperative complications. In high-risk patients, endovascular LSA revascularization may be recommended over open surgery.
Collaborative Alliance of Parent and Child Welfare Caseworker

This secondary analysis of data describing 3,035 parents, drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II, identified factors fostering the collaborative alliance of parents and caseworkers within the child welfare system. We used generalized least squares random effects modeling for panel data. We sought associations between caseworker engagement as perceived by parent and parent's interpersonal capacities, intrapersonal dynamics, problem severity, and racial/ethnic background, and between that perception and caseworker turnover. Parents in our sample had been substantiated for maltreatment of their children. Results showed that parent's perceived caseworker engagement was associated positively with seven factors: parent's social support, parent's mental health, kinship care, out-of-home placement, parent's African American ethnicity, parent's Hispanic ethnicity, parent/caseworker shared ethnicity, and family income. Perceived engagement was associated negatively with caseworker turnover (i.e., number of caseworkers assigned, by turns, to parent's case). Implications for practicing social work within the child welfare system are discussed.
The Urologic Management of Huntington Chorea

This chapter examines the urologic management of patients with Huntington disease. Huntington disease can have multiple effects on the bladder, which can significantly impact an affected individual’s quality of life (QoL). As the disease progresses, a patient may experience a wide range of lower urinary tract symptoms including urgency, incontinence, or even development of neurogenic bladder. Interventions might include conservative management, medication, or surgery. The choice of certain intervention may also be impacted by other non-urologic symptoms associated with Huntington disease. The role of the urologist is essential, and this chapter explores the appropriate timeframe to initiate urologic care depending on the patient’s symptoms and the stage of disease.
Outcomes of Refractory and Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma With Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation: A Single Institution Experience

PURPOSEHodgkin lymphoma is the most common cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults. Overall survival is approximately 80% to 90%. A subset of these patients has refractory disease or expe...
A new tilt-arm transitioning unmanned aerial vehicle: Introduction and conceptual design

Abstract In this paper, a novel hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) concept is developed. This UAV is capable of transitioning between VTOL, hover, and efficient (fixed-wing type) forward flight. The overall configuration comprises a blended-wing-body, with two rotor arms mounted at the two wing tips using span-wise shafts; the arms can rotate about the span-wise axis, and each contains two propellers at its two ends. A conceptual design automation framework is developed, comprising mass and balance analysis, aerodynamic analysis and optimization. Vortex Lattice Method (VLM) is used to perform the aerodynamic analysis. Furthermore, using wind distribution models, redundancy modeling, and probabilistic UAV airspeed constraints derived thereof, a robust design optimization formulation is presented to explore the mission envelop flexibility of this new hybrid UAV. Mixed-discrete Particle Swarm Optimization is used to identify optimum geometry and component choices. Multiple case studies are performed to separately maximize forward-flight range and hovering endurance, subject to various aerodynamic and geometric constraints. The range optimizations converge to distinct designs under calm, windy, and stormy scenarios while offering promising flight ranges going from 40 km to 150 km, and the hovering optimization outcomes provide a 25 min hovering endurance subject to a 40 km round-trip flight.
Spontaneous Transformation and Recovery From Problematic Eating: A Heuristic Inquiry:

Health care professionals agree that there are countless individuals with problematic eating habits that detract from health and well-being but do not directly meet the criteria for diagnosis of di...
Contribution of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington’s disease

Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal motor neuron disease characterized by degenerative changes in both upper and lower motor neurons. Onset typically occurs in late middle life and presents as a relentlessly progressive muscle atrophy and weakness, with the effects on respiratory muscles limiting survival to 2–4 years after disease onset in most cases. The pathogenesis of ALS remains unknown. However, it is proposed that excitotoxicity and oxidative stress may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ALS. Similarly, Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a dominantly inherited CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene on chromosome 4. At the cellular level, mutant huntingtin results in neuronal dysfunction and death through a number of mechanisms, including disruption of proteostasis, transcription and mitochondrial function, and direct toxicity of the mutant protein. Recent studies have indicated that gut microbiota composition may also contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS and HD.
Sensory-specific peripheral nerve pathology in a rat model of Fabry disease.

Abstract Fabry disease (FD) causes life-long pain, the mechanisms of which are unclear. Patients with FD have chronic pain that mirrors symptoms of other painful peripheral neuropathies. However, it is unclear what underlying damage occurs in FD peripheral nerves that may contribute to chronic pain. Here, we characterized myelinated and unmyelinated fiber pathology in peripheral nerves of a rat model of FD. Decreased nerve fiber density and increased nerve fiber pathology were noted in unmyelinated and myelinated fibers from FD rats; both observations were dependent on sampled nerve fiber modality and anatomical location. FD myelinated axons exhibited lipid accumulations that were determined to be the FD-associated lipid globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), and to a lesser extent lysosomes. These findings suggest that axonal Gb3 accumulation may drive peripheral neuron dysfunction and subsequent pain in FD.
Assessing the solvency of the insurance industry

The article attempts to assess the ability of the insurance industry to discharge its liabilities and to settle in full the claims against it without resorting to any of the limited safety nets that exist. The article examines several indicators of the health of the industry including: (1) industry profitability, (2) the risk level of assets held, (3) the industry's capital cushion, (4) the duration match between assets and liabilities, and (5) possible agency problems induced by the operation of a safety net. In addition, other risks are considered including the escalating costs of settling claims and pressures to make insurance rates more affordable. The article concludes with a cautiously optimistic appraisal. The industry, with a few notable exceptions, is somewhat stronger than banking intermediaries. Concerns over a generalized solvency problem, such as that faced by the savings industry, appear misplaced.
Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state of two-dimensional imbalanced Fermi gases

The ground-state phase diagram of attractively interacting Fermi gases in two dimensions with a population imbalance is investigated. We find the regime of stability for the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) phase, in which pairing occurs at a finite wave vector, and determine the magnitude of the pairing amplitude $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}$ and FFLO wave vector $q$ in the ordered phase, finding that $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}$ can be of the order of the two-body binding energy. Our results rely on a careful analysis of the zero-temperature gap equation for the FFLO state, which possesses nonanalyticities as a function of $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}$ and $q$, invalidating a Ginzburg-Landau expansion in small $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}$.
The Propriety of Preferences: An Evaluation of EC and US GSP Schemes in the Wake of EC-Preferences

India's recent challenge of special incentives in the European Community GSP system resulted in an influential decision by the WTO's Appellate Body. The EC-Preferences decision is not necessarily influential because it convinced trade scholars, but because it has already resulted in a proposal by the EC to alter significantly its GSP scheme. While the EC seems to have realized the potential impact of the decision, the United States retains essentially the same GSP system which has been in place for years. Although the future looks calm in Europe, legal storms are brewing across the Atlantic. Not only does the EC-Preferences decision suggest that vast changes must be made in the US system, but it also raises a host of legal and policy questions which were not before the court. Doubts still linger about whether GSP systems must contain some economic link when creating special incentives for developing countries. Broader questions concerning the role of human rights in the WTO, and the role of unilateralism in trade law, still call us forth to explore, analyze and interpret. The EC-Preferences decision may act as a springboard which launches us to greater depths and forces us to explore the underlying theoretical currents of international law.
B cell abnormalities in systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by the differentiation of short- and long-lived immunoglobulin secreting plasma cells that secrete pathogenic autoantibodies. Ectopic germinal centers and plasma cells secreting autoantibodies have been observed in lupus nephritis kidneys. Candidate genetic susceptibility loci for SLE include genes that affect differentiation and survival of plasma cells, such as those that influence activation, proliferation, cytokine and chemokine secretion/responsiveness, and apoptosis of the T and B cells that are involved in humoral immunity generated in germinal centers, as well as genes that are involved in presentation and clearance of apoptotic material and autoantigens by antigen presenting cells and other phagocytes. Emerging data have demonstrated that B lymphocytes are active participants in humoral immune responses that lead to T-dependent and T-independent differentiation of immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells by homotypic CD154–CD40 interactions as well as continued stimulation by B cell activating factor through B cell maturation antigen, B cell activating factor receptor and transmembrane activater.
Perturbation of continuous spectra and unitary equivalence

This chapter is concerned with the perturbation theory for continuous spectra. The operators considered are mostly selfadjoint. The stability of the continuous spectrum under a small perturbation has been studied rather extensively, though the results are by no means satisfactory. It is known that the continuous spectrum is rather unstable, even under degenerate perturbations. In this respect it is much worse-behaved than the essential spectrum (which is in general larger than the continuous spectrum). On the other hand, the absolutely continuous spectrum (which is in general smaller than the continuous spectrum) is stable under certain restricted perturbations; furthermore, the absolutely continuous parts of the perturbed and the unperturbed operators are seen to be unitarily equivalent.
Effect of anti-lymphotoxin on cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Evidence for two pathways, one involving lymphotoxin and the other requiring intimate contact between the plasma membranes of killer and target cells.

Abstract A rabbit anti-lymphotoxin serum produced against partially purified, antigeninduced, guinea pig lymphotoxin, was used to study the role of lymphotoxin in lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro . The anti-lymphotoxin serum inhibited cytolysis resulting from incubation of ovalbumin-immune guinea pig spleen cells with either mouse (P815 mastocytoma) or guinea pig (line 10 hepatoma) target cells in the presence of soluble ovalbumin. The antiserum also inhibited the cytolysis of ovalbumin-coupled target cells by ovalbumin-immune guinea pig spleen cells. In contrast, the anti-lymphotoxin serum did not inhibit: (a) the lysis of line 10 (strain 2) hepatoma cells by spleen cells from alloimmunized Hartley or strain 13 animals; (b) the lysis of line 10 hepatoma cells by spleen cells from tumor-bearing syngeneic animals; or (c) the lysis of P815-mastocytoma cells by spleen cells from P815-immune guinea pigs. These results support the hypothesis that there are at least two distinct pathways by which immune lymphocytes can destroy target cells in vitro , one which involves secretion of a nonspecific soluble factor, i.e., lymphotoxin, and another which probably requires intimate contact between the plasma membranes of the target and killer cells.
The Massachusetts Trail Project: How a Trail Led Us Online

The Massachusetts Native American Trails Project is a collaborative, community-based project developed in conjunction with the Aquinnah Wampanoag, the Mashpee Wampanoag, the Nipmuc Nation, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs, and the University of Massachusetts. The trails project has led to a comprehensive, tribally controlled website detailing Native sites and events across the state of Massachusetts. The site, http://www.massnativetrails.com/, continues to grow. This brief field report outlines the history of the site, the challenges and rewards of engaged, activist scholarship, and the current goals of this ongoing project.
Nutritional Requirements for Germination, Outgrowth, and Vegetative Growth of Putrefactive Anaerobe 3679 in a Chemically Defined Medium

Fujioka, Roger S. (University of Hawaii, Honolulu), and Hilmer A. Frank. Nutritional requirements for germination, outgrowth, and vegetative growth of putrefactive anaerobe 3679 in a chemically defined medium. J. Bacteriol. 92:1515-1520. 1966.-A chemically defined medium was used to study the nutritional requirements for germination, outgrowth, and vegetative growth of putrefactive anaerobe 3679. Vegetative growth required arginine, cysteine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine, tryptophan, K(2)HPO(4), and Na(+); was markedly stimulated by isoleucine, tyrosine, nicotinic acid, and p-aminobenzoic acid; and was stimulated slightly by alanine, biotin, pyridoxamine, glucose, and salts (MgSO(4), FeSO(4), MnSO(4)). Growth occurred over an initial pH range of 6.0 to 8.2, and at incubation temperatures ranging from 20 to 45 C. No autolysis occurred during vegetative growth, although loss of motility and cell settling were observed upon prolonged incubation. Vegetative growth was inhibited completely by aerobic conditions. Completion of spore germination was inhibited at pH 4.8, outgrowth was inhibited at pH 8.5 and higher, and germination was inhibited at 9.0 and higher. Slow germination, but no outgrowth, was observed at 8 C; at 47 and 52 C, spore inocula germinated only partially. Under aerobic conditions, all inoculated spores germinated completely, and one-half of these also emerged. Alanine was considered the primary germinant in the chemically defined medium, and arginine and mineral salts (MgSO(4), FeSO(4), MnSO(4), and NaCl), as secondary germinants. During outgrowth of germinated spores, cysteine and K(+) were required for emergence, Na(+) for elongation, and arginine and valine for division of the elongated cell.
Scaling tradeoffs for CMOS-based VLSI packaging

Scaling tradeoffs for terminations and interconnects with pre-specified overall system performance are discussed in this paper. If the overall performance requirements are to be met, it is shown that to scale the interconnect cross section with a specified scaling factor S/sub c//sup 2/ requires a scaling factor less than S/sub c/ for driver area and receiver area. Closed-form expressions for the required effective driver resistance and for the required effective load capacitance are given. For cases with fixed dimensionless driver resistance, several possible scaling scenarios for interconnects with different scaling factors are discussed. It is found that to avoid performance degradation the line spacing should be scaled by a smaller factor than that for other package dimensions. In other words, scaling with a fixed dimensionless driver resistance requires decreased line coupling. Scaling for package cross-sections (including line spacing) with fixed driver resistance also is investigated by scaling dielectric constant. It is shown that a smaller dielectric constant for the scaled package than that for unsealed structure is needed to meet the overall performance requirements. For cases with increased line length, scaling for package cross-sections becomes limited. Our studies also show strong dependence of the scaling tradeoffs on the choice of packaging structure that is to be scaled.
Role of plasma response in displacements of the tokamak edge due to applied non-axisymmetric fields

Linear, two-fluid, resistive modelling of the plasma response to applied non-axisymmetric fields shows significant displacement of edge temperature and density profiles. The calculated displacements, often of 2 cm or more in H-mode pedestals with parameters appropriate to DIII-D, are due to the helical distortions resulting from stable edge modes being driven to finite amplitude by the applied fields. In many cases, these displacements are greater in magnitude, and different in phase, than the distortions of the separatrix manifolds predicted from vacuum modelling. Comparison of these results with experimental measurements from Thomson scattering and soft x-ray imaging finds good quantitative agreement. In these experiments, the phase of the applied non-axisymmetric magnetic field was flipped or rotated in order to probe the non-axisymmetric features of the response. The poloidal structures measured by x-ray imaging show clear indications of a helical response, as opposed to simply a change in the axisymmetric transport. Inclusion of two-fluid effects and rotation are found to be important in obtaining quantitative agreement with Thomson scattering data. Modelling shows screening of islands in the H-mode pedestal, but island penetration near the top of the pedestal where the electron rotation vanishes in plasmas with co-current rotation. Enhanced transport due to these islands may provide a mechanism for maintaining the pedestal width below the stability threshold of edge-localized modes. For typical DIII-D parameters, it is shown that the linear approximation is often near or beyond the limit of validity in the H-mode edge; however, the general agreement with experimental measurements indicates that these linear results nevertheless maintain good predictive value for profile displacements.
A dynamic model of public sector employer response to unionization

We model the response of public sector employers to unionization using the response of public school boards to teacher unionization as an example. While it is generally believed that public sector employers pay unionized workers more than nonunion workers, there is less consensus about where the money comes from. We model two cases which are possible employer reactions to unionization: re-allocating resources among types of expenditures and modifying the way in which services are provided. The model contains a political equilibrium that determines the union’s preferences and an economic equilibrium that reflects labor market conditions. We compare the predictions of the two cases regarding the effect of unionization on wages, turnover, allocation of expenditures, and productivity. We interpret existing empirical research on public sector unionization in light of these predictions and make recommenda-tions for future empirical work.
New Evidence for Segmentation of the Alaska Subduction Zone

The purpose of this article is to provide additional evidence for segmentation of the subducted plate in Alaska and to introduce a catalog of the relocated earthquakes for future studies. We used the Joint Hypocenter Determination method to relocate 14,099 subduction-zone earthquakes that occurred from July 1988 to July 1998 and were located between 58° N and 65° N latitude. The earthquake data were taken from the Alaska Earthquake Information Center catalog. The selected earthquakes were divided into 16 blocks on the basis of their hypocentral locations, and each block was relocated separately. Average epicenter shift was 3.8 km and average upward and downward depth shifts were 4.1 and 4.4 km, respectively (roughly the same number of earthquakes shifted upward [47%] and downward [53%]). The overall change with respect to the initial locations is that the seismicity became more compact, revealing details about the fine structure of the Wadati-Benioff zone. In particular, we were able to identify more precisely the boundary between the Kenai and McKinley blocks of the subducting plate. In addition, there is evidence for plate segmentation within the McKinley block. Manuscript received 15 November 2000.
Minimizing complications in the use of titanium condylar head reconstruction prostheses.

OBJECTIVE: The study goals were to evaluate the use of titanium condylar prostheses in the setting of tumor resection and to discuss the techniques used to minimize complications. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a retrospective review of a case series in a tertiary care hospital. Six patients underwent mandibulectomy, including the condyle, with primary reconstruction using titanium condylar prostheses. Charts were reviewed for operative technique, pathology, and complications. RESULTS: Pathology included squamous cell carcinoma, Ewing's sarcoma, embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma, giant cell granuloma, and adenocarcinoma. Three patients are alive without disease. Follow-up spanned 6.4 years with premorbid occlusion established in all cases, and there were no prosthesis extrusions or erosions. The condylar head was wrapped in preserved joint capsule or adjacent temporalis muscle/fascia and secured with permanent purse-string sutures; careful duplication of the length, and angulation of the native mandible from the angle to the superior extent of the condylar head. CONCLUSION: Titanium condylar prostheses are a viable choice in the setting of tumor resection and reconstruction, with appropriate technical precautions.
Does the dilated ascending aorta in an adult with congenital heart disease require intervention

Objectives There is increasing attention to prophylactic replacement of the moderately dilated ascending aorta at aortic valve surgery. Moderate ascending aortic dilatation is common in adult patients with conotruncal anomalies. There are no data outlining actual risk of progressive ascending aortic dilatation or dissection to provide management guidelines. Methods From December 1973 through January 2008, 81 consecutive adults (median age, 34 years; range, 18--59 years) with conotruncal anomalies underwent operation on the aortic root, ascending aorta, or aortic valve. Primary cardiac diagnoses included tetralogy of Fallot with or without pulmonary atresia in 60 patients, truncus arteriosus in 12, double-outlet right ventricle in 6, and other in 3. Indications for operation included aortic regurgitation in 69 patients, supracoronary ascending aneurysm in 16, aortic stenosis in 5, and other in 8. Median ascending aortic size was 45 mm (23--80 mm). Results Operations included isolated aortic valve repair/replacement in 63 patients, combined aortic valve replacement and reduction aortoplasty in 9, aortic root replacement in 7, and isolated ascending aortic replacement in 2. Four patients required reoperation during a median follow-up of 3.8 years (maximum 31 years). There were no ascending aortic reoperations after previous reduction aortoplasties or supracoronary ascending aortic grafts, and there were no late aortic dissections. Conclusions Moderate ascending aortic enlargement is common among patients with conotruncal anomalies coming to operation, but aortic dissection is rare, as is subsequent need for aortic reoperation. Despite current enthusiasm for prophylactic operations on the ascending aorta in patients with acquired disease, these data suggest that the moderately dilated aorta in this setting may be observed.
The next stage: Molecular epidemiology

Abstract The traditional approach in epidemiology of relating exposure to an environmental agent such as a drug or infective agent has been to measure an overall risk (i.e., average and then “adjust risk for demographic variables and other confounders”). An attempt is sometimes made to define a “susceptible” subgroup. The analyses are usually based on good statistical methodology rather than an understanding of the interaction of body of host and agent. A twofold risk for 1000 exposed versus nonexposed people could be an average twofold risk for all 1000 exposed or a 20-fold risk for 100 exposed individuals (i.e., a drug-host interaction). Clearly, finding the 100 individuals with a 20-fold risk has much greater clinical importance than a twofold risk for 1000 people. The world of epidemiology may be changing—we may soon be able to define risk based on genetic susceptibility, at least sometimes.
Toxicity of Mercury and Selenium to the Eggs of Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Abstract Antagonistic interactions of mercury and selenium have been demonstrated in vivo, but interactions under environmental conditions that might affect the toxicity of either element have not. We exposed carp eggs to trace amounts of mercury and selenium to test for an effect on hatchability. Test concentrations of Hg(II) (from HgCl2 and SeO3i2- (from SeO2 were 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 μg/g each, and each possible combination of these concentrations. No eggs hatched when incubated in ⩾4 μg/g Hg(II), but up to 5 μg/g SeO3 2- had no effect on hatchability. Three μg/g was the lowest concentration of Hg(II) that had an effect on hatchability. A greater depression of hatchability was noted in eggs exposed to mixtures of mercury and selenium than in those eggs exposed to these elements singly. These results demonstrate synergistic toxic effects of mercury and selenium.
The Cryptographic Security of Compact Knapsacks (Preliminary Report)

In 1978, Merkle and Hellman introduced a knapsack-based public-key cryptosystem, which received widespread attention. The two major open problems concerning this cryptosystem are: (i) Security: How difficult are the Merkle-Hellman knapsacks? (ii) Efficiency: Can the huge key size be reduced? In this paper we analyze the cryptographic security of knapsack problems with small keys, develop a new (non-enumerative)type of algorithm for solving them, and use the algorithm to show that under certain assumptions it is as difficult to find the hidden trapdoors in Merkle-Hellman knapsacks as it is to solve general knapsack problems.
THE STABILITY OF DRIVING RECORD OVER TIME

Abstract In summary, then, 6-year driving records (accidents and convictions for traffic violations) were obtained for a representative sample of 7841 California drivers, of both sexes and all ages. From analysis of these driving record data the following conclusions appear warranted: (1) By far the vast majority of accidents involve previously accident-free drivers, that is. the accident-repeater is responsible for only a small portion of the accident problem. Therefore, traffic safety efforts directed toward the so-called “normal” driver will have a better chance of pay-off. (2) Conviction experience is more stable over time than is accident experience, and both are more stable over time for males than for females. Therefore, predicting future driving performance will be more successful for convictions than for accidents, and more successful for males than for females. (3) Driving record information becomes more reliable as the period of time over which it is accumulated increases. Therefore, for prediction of future performance, or generalizing for any other purpose, it is desirable to use as long a period of time as possible as a driving record base.
Modulation of the serotonin-activated K+ channel by G protein subunits and nucleotides in rat hippocampal neurons

In hippocampal neurons, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) activates an inwardly rectifying K+ current via G protein. We identified the K+ channel activated by 5-HT (K5-HT channel) and studied the effects of G protein subunits and nucleotides on the K+ channel kinetics in adult rat hippocampal neurons. In inside-out patches with 10 μm 5-HT in the pipette, application of GTP (100 μm) to the cytoplasmic side of the membrane activated an inwardly rectifying K+ channel with a slope conductance of 36±1 pS (symmetrical 140 mm K+) at −60 mV and a mean open time of 1.1±0.1 msec (n=5). Transducin βγ activated the (K5-HT) channels and this was reversed by α-GDP. Whether the K5-HT channel was activated endogenously (GTP, GTPγS) or exogenously (βγ), the presence of 1 mm ATP resulted in a ∼4-fold increase in channel activity due in large part to the prolongation of the open time duration. These effects of ATP were irreversible and not mimicked by AMPPMP, suggesting that phosphorylation might be involved. However, inhibitors of protein kinases A and C (H-7, staurosporine) and tyrosine kinase (tyrphostin 25) failed to block the effect of ATP. These results show that Gβγ activates the G protein-gated K+ channel in hippocampal neurons, and that ATP modifies the gating kinetics of the channel, resulting in increased open probability via as yet unknown pathways.
Effects of Family Involvement on Length of Stay and Treatment Completion Rates with Cocaine and Alcohol Abusers

SUMMARY Substance abuse is a problem of national concern. This study sought to replicate and further develop findings from a previous study that found cocaine abusers continued in and completed treatment less frequently than alcohol abusers, and that family involvement may influence continuation in and completion of treatment for both cocaine and alcohol abusers. A sample of 99 primary cocaine abusers and 105 primary alcohol abusers in outpatient treatment were followed during the course of their treatment. Results indicated primary alcohol abusers were significantly more successful in completing treatment than primary cocaine abusers. Family involvement in treatment significantly increased the likelihood that cocaine and alcohol abusers would complete the full course of treatment. It is possible that treatment could be improved and completion rates increased by coordinating the involvement of the family.
Ponicaré group, V − A , and SU(3) as spectrum-generating group in leptonic decays

From as few assumptions as possible about the relations among the Poincare group, the particle-classifying SU(3), and V-A we derive properties of the K/subl//sub 3/ and K/subl//sub 2/ decays. From the assumed relation between SU(3) and the Poincare group and the first-class condition it follows that the form-factor ratio xi of K/subl//sub 3/ decay is xi = -0.57, and that a value of xi = 0 is in disagreement with very general and well-accepted theoretical assumptions. Assuming universality of V-A, the Cabibbo suppression is derived from the relations between SU(3) and V-A as a consequence of the brokenness of SU(3). (AIP)
Effects of the Cowpea chlorotic mottle bromovirus β-hexamer structure on virion assembly

The X-ray crystal structure of Cowpea chlorotic mottle bromovirus (CCMV) revealed a unique tubular structure formed by the interaction of the N-termini from six coat protein subunits at each three-fold axis of the assembled virion. This structure, termed the β-hexamer, consists of six short β-strands. The β-hexamer was postulated to play a critical role in the assembly and stability of the virion by stabilizing hexameric capsomers (Speir et al., 1995). Mutational analyses of the β-hexamer structure, utilizing both in vitro and in vivo assembly assays, demonstrate that this structure is not required for virion formation devoid of nucleic acids in vitro or for RNA-containing virions in vivo. However, the β-hexamer structure does contribute to virion stability in vitro and modulates disease expression in vivo. These results support a model for CCMV assembly through pentamer intermediates.
Serum iron, ferritin, transferrin, total iron binding capacity, hs-CRP, LDL cholesterol and magnesium in children; new reference intervals using the Dade Dimension Clinical Chemistry System.

Background: We studied serum/Plasma iron, ferritin, transferrin concentrations, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) in addition to highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and magnesium concentrations in a population of 800 in- and outpatients and defined new 95% reference intervals for pediatrics using the Dade Behring RxL Dimension Clinical Chemistry System. Methods: Plasma/serum concentrations of the above analytes were determined on patient samples accrued from January to June 2003 and the data were analyzed employing a computer adapted Hoffmann approach. Results and conclusions: New pediatric reference intervals on the Dade RxL Dimension were obtained for serum iron, ferritin, transferrin, TIBC, hs-CRP, LDL-cholesterol and magnesium. This work represents the first hs-CRP data for children <3 years old. The values for all the analytes were established on new data (n=800). These values are new for hs-CRP and LDL cholesterol, while for iron, ferritin and magnesium these intervals are more reliable than those previously published by our group which had used regression equations on samples measured by the old (Vitros/Immuno1) methods for which intervals were available.
Symptoms of acute myocardial infarction: Expectations of a community sample

OBJECTIVE: To identify the lay public's expectations of the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). DESIGN: Street-intercept survey method. SETTING: Four neighborhoods in a large metropolitan area. SAMPLE: One hundred ninety-seven women and 217 men. INSTRUMENT: The Representation of Heart Attack Symptoms questionnaire (RHAS), a 48-item instrument that identifies subjects' expectations concerning the associated symptoms of AMI and the location, quality, and intensity of the discomfort of AMI. RESULTS: The symptoms most individuals expected during AMI included: chest pain, irregular heart beats, inability to move, and shortness of breath. The locations selected as most likely included: middle, left, and right side of the chest, upper and lower back. The most common descriptors of the expected discomfort were “tight,” “pressure,” and “heaviness.” More than 88% of subjects expected the intensity of a heart attack to be at least a 9 on a scale of 0 (No discomfort) to 10 (The most discomfort imagined). CONCLUSIONS: The lay public have both accurate and inaccurate expectations about the symptoms of AMI.
Multilocus simple sequence repeat markers for differentiating strains and evaluating genetic diversity of Xylella fastidiosa

A genome-wide search was performed to identify simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci among the available sequence databases from four strains of Xylella fastidiosa (strains causing Pierce's disease, citrus variegated chlorosis, almond leaf scorch, and oleander leaf scorch). Thirty-four SSR loci were selected for SSR primer design and were validated in PCR experiments. These multilocus SSR primers, distributed across the X. fastidiosa genome, clearly differentiated and clustered X. fastidiosa strains collected from grape, almond, citrus, and oleander. They are well suited for differentiating strains and studying X. fastidiosa epidemiology and population genetics.
Solvatochromic Characterization of Near-Critical Water as a Benign Reaction Medium

Near-critical water (liquid water between 200 and 374 °C) offers an environmentally benign alternative for the replacement of undesirable solvents and catalysts. This work characterizes the solvent strength of liquid water at saturation pressure from ambient temperature to 275 °C in terms of its Kamlet−Taft dipolarity/polarizability, hydrogen-bond-donating acidity, and hydrogen-bond-accepting basicity using in situ UV−vis spectroscopy. The results suggest that near-critical water exhibits a wide range of polarity and hydrogen-bond-donor ability for tailoring chemical reactions and separations. These Kamlet−Taft solvent parameters can be used to correlate kinetic properties for reactions in water. As model reactions, the temperature-dependent kinetics of the hydrolyses of two nitroaromatic compounds, 4-nitroaniline and N,N-dimethyl nitroaniline, were determined in NCW in the temperature range of 200−275 °C. The hydronium ion dissociated from water promotes the initial hydrolysis reaction without the additi...