cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Home Health Staff Perspectives on Infection Prevention and Control: Implications for Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Abstract Objectives The role of home healthcare (HHC) services in providing care to vulnerable, often frail individuals with chronic conditions is critical. Effective infection prevention and control (IPC) in HHC is essential to keeping both healthcare workers and patients safe, especially in the event of an emerging infectious disease outbreak. Prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, we explored successes and challenges with IPC from the perspectives of HHC staff. Design Qualitative descriptive study. Setting and Participants From May to November 2018, we conducted in-depth telephone interviews with 41 staff from 13 agencies across the nation. Methods Transcripts were coded by a multidisciplinary coding team, and several primary and subcategories were identified using directed content analysis. Results Four primary categories were generated including (1) uniqueness of HHC; (2) IPC as a priority; (3) importance of education; and (4) keys to success and innovation. Participants perceived that IPC plays a big part in patient safety and reducing rehospitalizations, and protection of patients and staff was a major motivator for compliance with IPC. The identified challenges included the unpredictability of the home environment, patient/family dynamics, the intermittent nature of HHC, and staffing issues. Education was seen as a tool to improve staff, patient, caregiver and families' compliance with IPC. Keys to success and innovation included a leadership focus on quality, using agency infection data to improve quality, and a coordinated approach to patient care. Conclusions and Implications This qualitative work identified barriers to effective IPC in HHC, as well as important facilitators that HHC agencies can use to implement policies and procedures to improve patient care and keep staff safe. Leadership prioritization of IPC is key to implementing appropriate IPC policies and may be especially important in midst of a crisis such as coronavirus disease 2019.
Effects of an anesthesia perioperative surgical home for total knee and hip arthroplasty at a Veterans Affairs Hospital: a quality improvement before-and-after cohort study

A perioperative surgical home, the Anesthesia Perioperative Care Service (APCS), was created to execute enhanced recovery after surgery pathways for total knee and total hip arthroplasty patients at the Tennessee Valley Health System Nashville VA Medical Center. We hypothesized that the APCS would be associated with reduced length of stay, in-hospital and post-discharge opioid exposure, costs, and hospital readmissions. Data were collected for all patients admitted to the Nashville VA Medical Center following their respective surgery, for 400 days after the initiation of the APCS and for a 400-day period prior. This cohort study was based on a quality improvement project set up at the initiation of the service. The adjusted effect on each quantitative outcome was evaluated using proportional odds logistic regression methods. In addition, each regression analysis was performed in segmented regression fashion to identify changes in the outcomes over time. We included 282 patients in our cohort—96 prior and 186 post-implementation. Median hospital length of stay, intravenous (IV) and per os (PO) inpatient opioid administration, outpatient opioid quantity, and total days of supply were all reduced in the cohort cared for by the APCS. After adjusting for potential cofounders and evaluated outcome over time, the APCS remained independently associated with a reduction of hospital length of stay of one day (95% confidence interval, 0.09 to 1.97; P = 0.05) and with decreased IV and PO inpatient opioid administration, while continuing to show no increase in hospital readmissions. This cohort study showed significant improvements in important post-surgical outcomes after total knee and hip arthroplasty that were associated with the implementation of an APCS.
A large gastric rupture due to blunt trauma: a case report and a review of the Japanese literature.

Gastric rupture due to blunt trauma is rare, occurring in only 0.07-1.2% of all abdominal blunt traumas. We reported a case with a 10-cm-long hole and review 25 cases in Japan. A 22-year-old man was involved in a traffic accident, 2 h after eating a lot of food. He had suffered muscular defense in the abdomen. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealed free air, disruption of the gastric wall and a lot of food residue. The laparotomy showed a burst of 10 cm that ran parallel to the long axis from the cardia to the body. A simple closure was primarily performed and drains were placed in the abdominal cavity. The patient was discharged on the 32nd day. Most cases of gastric rupture are diagnosed intraoperatively, but careful evaluation of CT scans and patient interviews are needed to make an accurate preoperative diagnosis.
Revisiting the rules of life for viruses of microorganisms.

Viruses that infect microbial hosts have traditionally been studied in laboratory settings with a focus on either obligate lysis or persistent lysogeny. In the environment, these infection archetypes are part of a continuum that spans antagonistic to beneficial modes. In this Review, we advance a framework to accommodate the context-dependent nature of virus–microorganism interactions in ecological communities by synthesizing knowledge from decades of virology research, eco-evolutionary theory and recent technological advances. We discuss that nuanced outcomes, rather than the extremes of the continuum, are particularly likely in natural communities given variability in abiotic factors, the availability of suboptimal hosts and the relevance of multitrophic partnerships. We revisit the ‘rules of life’ in terms of how long-term infections shape the fate of viruses and microbial cells, populations and ecosystems. In this Review, Correa and colleagues revisit the rules of life for viruses of microorganisms by advancing a conceptual framework that recognizes virus–host interactions across a continuum of infection modalities and by examining the influence of these modalities on viruses, their hosts and ecosystems.
EBV+ Lymphoproliferative Diseases: Opportunities for leveraging EBV as a Therapeutic Target.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human tumor virus, which contributes to the development of lymphoproliferative disease, most notably in patients with impaired immunity. EBV associated lymphoproliferation is characterized by expression of latent EBV proteins and ranges in severity from a relatively benign proliferative response to aggressive malignant lymphomas. The presence of EBV can also serve as a unique target for directed therapies for the treatment of EBV lymphoproliferative diseases, including T cell based immune therapies. In this review, we will describe the EBV-associated lymphoproliferative diseases and will particularly focus on the therapies that target EBV.
Air Pollution and Immune Function

Air pollution has clear impacts on human health and is associated with both cardiopulmonary complications as well as exacerbating chronic disease. As a principal site of exposure to air pollution, the lung is central to the health effects of air pollution. One of the potential mechanisms that air pollution could adversely impact health is dysregulation of host immune response. Evolving scientific evidence support that air pollution has myriad effects on pulmonary immune responses. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the impact of air pollution on immune function. We focus on the three major environmental pollutants: particulate matter; vehicle/diesel exhaust; and ambient ozone and the impact of exposure on both innate and adaptive immunological responses. Improved understanding of the impact of air pollution on immunological function could provide novel insight into the pathogenesis of common human disease.
Trade secrets: Managerial guidance for competitive advantage

Abstract While scholars have explored the construct and ramifications of intellectual property, most research efforts have focused on patents as a means of protecting a firm's intellectual capital. Yet Hemphill (2004) suggested that trade secrets can affect the difference between economic success and failure of the firm. When trade secrets are discussed, there is a tendency to focus on the more famous secrets that have received considerable hype in the popular press (e.g., Coca-Cola, KFC, McDonald's). To address this shortage of trade secrets storytelling, the research reported here engaged in a historiographic approach to capturing and compiling an in-depth look at various company trade secrets and elaborating on the strategic intent behind many of the secrecy efforts. Product and process secrets were seen to be used to develop positive brand perceptions, establish consistent brand purchasing, aid in distinguishing products and services from competitive offerings, and build market share. We suggest that managers should regularly assess which assets are suitable for patent, product design, trademark, copyright, or trade secret status and work diligently to protect the firm's intangible assets.
A Queer Anxiety

SUMMARY This essay explores the commodification of queer identities in independent cinema, offering particular attention to P. J. Castellaneta's 1998 film, Relax… It's Just Sex. Like many contemporary queer independent productions, Relax is ensnared in a representational cinematic hedonics, aspiring to sustain a traditional gay and lesbian politics and simultaneously produce pleasure for multiple audiences. While Relax attempts to position itself as a queer film that resists normative conceptions of sexuality, the feature inadvertently appropriates more essentialized understandings of identity closely aligned to liberation rhetoric.
Structure of testicular angiotensin-converting enzyme. A segmental mosaic isozyme.

Abstract The complete amino acid sequence of rabbit testicular angiotensin-converting enzyme has been deduced from the sequence of the corresponding cDNA clone. A protein of the expected molecular weight of 84,000 was translated in vitro from the mRNA encoded by this cDNA. All of the previously determined sequences of seven tryptic peptides from the enzyme are present in the deduced sequence, thus confirming the identity of the protein. From the deduced sequence it appears that the protein contains a signal peptide at the amino terminus and a hydrophobic anchoring domain near the carboxyl terminus. Northern analysis with oligonucleotide probes, whose sequences represented different regions of the cDNA, revealed not only the regions of extensive homology between the mRNAs encoding the testicular and the pulmonary isozymes but also a stretch of sequence near the 5' end unique to the testicular mRNA.
The relationships between menthol cigarette preference and state tobacco control policies on smoking behaviors of young adult smokers in the 2006-07 Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Surveys (TUS CPS).

Aim To examine relationships between the preference for menthol cigarettes and young adult smoking behaviors, including the extent to which state tobacco control policies moderate these relationships. Design Cross-sectional design using secondary data from the 2006–07 Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Surveys (TUS CPS) surveys appended with 2006 state-policy data. Setting United States nationally representative survey. Participants A total of 2241 young adult daily smokers and 688 young adult non-daily smokers. Measurements The two dependent variables of smoking behaviors were smoking first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking (TTF) and number of cigarettes smoked per day (cpd). Primary independent variables included menthol brand preference and state tobacco control policies (youth access laws, clean indoor air laws and cigarette excise taxes), adjusting for controls. Findings Among daily smokers, there were no significant associations between menthol brand preference and TTF or cpd. However, lower educational attainment, not being in the labor force and the lack of home smoking rules were associated positively with shorter TTF, being white and the lack of home smoking rules were associated positively with cpd. Among daily smokers, state excise taxes were associated negatively with higher cpd. Among non-daily smokers, menthol brand preference was associated positively with shorter TTF, but associations did not vary with state tobacco control policies. Menthol brand preference was not associated significantly with cpd, but male gender, unmarried status and the lack of home smoking rules were associated positively with greater cpd among non-daily smokers. Conclusions Young adult non-daily smokers who preferred menthol cigarettes were significantly more dependent than those who preferred non-menthol cigarettes, as shown through the shorter TTF. Associations between menthol brand preference and smoking behaviors did not vary with state tobacco control policies.
Radioassay for Hydrogenase Activity in Viable Cells and Documentation of Aerobic Hydrogen-Consuming Bacteria Living in Extreme Environments

An isotopic tracer assay based on the hydrogenase-dependent formation of tritiated water from tritium gas was developed for in life analysis of microbial hydrogen transformation. This method allowed detection of bacterial hydrogen metabolism in pure cultures or in natural samples obtained from aquatic ecosystems. A differentiation between chemical-biological and aerobic-anaerobic hydrogen metabolism was established by variation of the experimental incubation temperature or by addition of selective inhibitors. Hydrogenase activity was shown to be proportional to the consumption or production of hydrogen by cultures of Desulfovibrio vulgaris, Clostridium pasteurianum, and Methanosarcina barkeri. This method was applied, in connection with measurements of free hydrogen and most-probable-number enumerations, in aerobic natural source waters to establish the activity and document the ecology of hydrogen-consuming bacteria in extreme acid, thermal, or saline environments. The utility of the assay is based in part on the ability to quantify bacterial hydrogen transformation at natural hydrogen partial pressures, without the use of artificial electron acceptors.
Reproducibility of brain spectroscopy at 7T using conventional localization and spectral editing techniques.

Purpose To evaluate the reproducibility of spectroscopic measurements from the anterior cingulate (AC) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) regions at 7T using a 32-channel head coil. Materials and Methods Spectra were acquired in four healthy subjects each scanned twice using a stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) sequence, and a MEGA-PRESS-IVS sequence for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) editing. STEAM spectra were quantified using LCModel, whereas MEGA-PRESS-IVS data were analyzed using peak integrals determined using in-house software. Mean coefficient of variation (CV) and mean absolute difference between visits were calculated. Results For the AC STEAM dataset, the mean CV between visits was 6.2% for prominent metabolites such as N-acetylaspartate (NAA), total creatine (tCr), and total choline (tCho) and 6.3% for low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) metabolites such as glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), and GABA. The mean CV between visits for the DLPFC STEAM dataset was 8.5% for prominent metabolites and 21% for lower SNR metabolites. In the AC, the reproducibility measures for GABA were superior for STEAM compared to MEGA-PRESS-IVS (mean CV of 3.5% vs. 13.6%), but the opposite pattern was observed in the DLPFC region (mean CV of 16.2% vs. 13.4%). Conclusion 7T MR spectroscopy of the AC and DLPFC using both short TE STEAM and MEGA-PRESS-IVS sequences provide excellent reproducibility of 12 metabolites, including GABA. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:460–467. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Theorem of Ostrogradsky

Ostrogradsky’s construction of a Hamiltonian formalism for nondegenerate higher derivative Lagrangians is reviewed. The resulting instability imposes by far the most powerful restriction on fundamental, interacting, continuum Lagrangian field theories. A discussion is given of the problems raised by attempts to evade this restriction.
Analysis of gel formation in imidazole‐catalyzed epoxies

The network formation processes for imidazole-cured epoxy resins were examined by relating the reaction chemistry and the physical properties during cure. Network formation models were developed based on kinetic studies and the laws of conditional probability. These models were used to predict the weight-average molecular weight, the gel point, and the sol fraction as a function of the resin composition and the processing conditions. Rheological and extraction experiments were conducted to confirm the model results and to develop criteria for identifying the gel point.
Chelating Polymers. III. Chelating Monomers and Polymers from s-Triazinyl Substituted Hydrazinoacetic Acids

Abstract The model chelating compounds β-[2,4-bis(dimethylamino)-s-triazin-6-yl] hydrazinoacetic acid, β-[2,4-bis(dimethylaniino)-s-triazind-yl] hydrazino-N, N-diacetic acid, 2,4-bis(dimethylamino)-s-triazin-6-yl-aminoacetic acid, and 2,4-bis(dimethylamino)-s-triazin-6-yl-iminodiacetic acid have been synthesized and characterized by composition analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and potentiometric titration data. The copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II), zinc(II), magnesium(II), and palladium(II) complexes of the first two model compounds, and the copper, nickel, cobalt, and zinc complexes of the third and fourth model compounds have been prepared. The infrared absorption spectra of the model compounds and their complexes were recorded for the range 3800 to 600 cm−1, and the assignment of pertinent bands was made by comparison with reported infrared correlations. In those cases where applicable, shifts in the NH stretching vibration and carboxylate stretching vibration frequencies of the metal complexes were ...
Authorship Credit: A National Study of Social Work Educators' Beliefs.

This study examines decisions by social work educators about authorship order and educators' views on other authorship issues. Results indicate the writing of the manuscript was viewed as the most important task in making decisions about authorship order. The majority believed that a written agreement is helpful before beginning research to decide authorship order. Gender and prior authorship experience were found to be significantly related to some social work educators' beliefs.
ONLY A GOD CAN SAVE US: DISABLING THE RATIONAL SUBJECT IN HEIDEGGER'S REACTIONARY MODERNISM

Pour Heidegger, la construction occidentale du sujet comme centre du monde et l'oubli consequent de l'Etre repose au coeur des problemes contemporains. Depuis les annees 1940, le projet du philosophe a consiste a decentrer le sujet et a le resituer dans le contexte plus large de l'Etre. A la fin des annees 1960, il tente de formuler ce que devrait etre l'attitude de l'homme face a la technologie. Si Heidegger partage avec d'autres intellectuels cette critique de la maitrise programmee de la nature par l'homme, son originalite reside dans le fait qu'il envisage le probleme sous l'angle de l'histoire de la metaphysique
Salicylate reduces cisplatin nephrotoxicity by inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α

Salicylate reduces cisplatin nephrotoxicity by inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α. Background Salicylate was recently shown to provide protection against cisplatin nephrotoxicity in rats. We have demonstrated that enhanced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production mediates, in part, cisplatin nephrotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to determine if the protective effects of salicylate were mediated through inhibition of TNF-α in vivo and to explore the mechanism of inhibition in vitro. Methods The effects of treatment with cisplatin alone and in combination with sodium salicylate in mice on renal function, histology, and gene expression were determined. The effects of cisplatin and salicylate on TNF-α expression, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity, and apoptosis were determined in vitro using cultured murine proximal tubule cells. Results Salicylate significantly reduced both the functional and histologic evidence of cisplatin renal injury. Cisplatin increased the renal expression of TNF-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, heme oxygenase-1, TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), and TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2). Treatment with sodium salicylate blunted the increase in TNF-α mRNA and also reduced serum TNF-α protein levels. Salicylate had little protective effect when administered with cisplatin to TNF-α–deficient mice. Cisplatin increased the degradation of I kappa B (IκB) in a time-dependent manner and also increased nuclear NF-κB binding activity. Salicylate inhibited IκB degradation and NF-κB binding activity in the presence of cisplatin. In addition, salicylate inhibited the cisplatin induced TNF-α mRNA increase in mouse proximal tubule epithelial (TKPT) cells. Conclusion These results indicate that salicylate acts via inhibition of TNF-α production to reduce cisplatin nephrotoxicity. The inhibition of TNF-α production may be mediated via stabilization of IκB.
A counterintuitive observation concerning hydrogen bonding in polymer blends

It has been determined from an infrared analysis of miscible blends of n-butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylphenol and styrene-co-2-vinyl pyridine copolymers that the fraction of hydrogen-bonded carbonyl groups actually increases with temperature. At first glance, this is counterintuitive, but it is entirely consistent behaviour for a multicomponent hydrogen-bonding system containing competing acceptor groups that have disparate enthalpies of hydrogen bond formation.
Tremorine: Its Peripheral Action on Striated Muscle

Tremorine, injected intraperitoneally into rats, induces the same kind of calcium release in the motor end-plates as that induced by acetylcholine-like agents. Since the same effect results even if the appropriate motor nerve has previously been transected, it is concluded that this myoneural action of Tremorine is not due to a e entral excitation but rather to a peripheral stimulatory property of the drug.
Neuropsychological assessment of relatively intact individuals: Psychometric lessons from an HIV+ sample ☆

The assessment of relatively intact individuals poses special problems for neuropsychologists, because fine discriminations are often needed to identify subtle deficits or gradual declines in performance. Many neuropsychological tests, however, are not well-suited for making such exact discriminations. 117 HIV+ individuals were administered 26 different neuropsychological tests that produce 48 scores. Measures of skewness and kurtosis were used to identify nonnormal sampling distributions. While many tests showed good sampling distributions, several demonstrated ceiling effects and other restrictions of range. This included some tests, such as Boston Naming and Lafayette Grooved Pegboard, that are not ordinarily considered screening instruments. Such nonnormal distributions distort the interpretation of clinical and research data, and indicate a need to use tests that are suited to the abilities of the population being assessed.
N30 + 10: global civil society, a decade after the battle of Seattle

Now that a decade has passed, it is possible to discuss whether the events of “N30,” as it was called by activists, inspired increased participation in social justice movements or whether N30 marked the high tide of opposition to neoliberalism and militarism. Have global justice movements that defend the weak and oppressed been undermined by co-optation and violent repression, or have they broadened support for new standards of environmentalism, human rights, and dignity? Looking forward, what new challenges or opportunities have arisen from the great recession that began in 2008? This article begins to answer these questions by reviewing the events of N30 in Seattle, the theorization of this event as an expression of a “global civil society,” the co-optation of global civil society by international elites, its violent repression by militarized forces, and strategies from “below and to the left” for the current crisis.
Representing Flexible Supports by Polynomial Transfer Functions

Flexible bearing supports may have a great influence in the calculation of forced response and stability of rotor systems. However, this effect is not always included in rotor analyses since an accurate model of the foundation and pedestals may be difficult and costly to obtain. It is common practice to use either a one degree of freedom model or a full modal analysis to represent the bearing supports. While the one degree of freedom model is easy to set up for computer calculations, it often requires experience to determine values for the stiffness, mass and damping of the model that will accurately represent the support under study. This model, however, fails to capture the dynamics of the system for stability analyses when more than one mode of the support structure is in the range of interest. On the other hand, modal representation provides much more information and can be measured experimentally, but requires measurement of the mode shapes. Even though modal representation can include all the dynamics of the system in the frequency range of interest, it provides much more information than is required for calculation of the rotor response and it is more difficult to use in calculation programs. This paper presents a procedure to include the support characteristics using transfer functions. Transfer functions permit modeling of multi-degree of freedom systems while maintaining the size of a one degree of freedom system (2×2 matrix if rotation at the bearing is not considered). Another advantage of transfer functions is that they can be obtained from existing discrete models, from modal information or can be measured directly. The fixed size of the transfer function matrix permits the method to be easily incorporated into rotor dynamic stability and forced response programs. The method is applied to stability calculations of models of typical industrial machines.© 1998 ASME
The politics of certainty: Conceptions of science in an age of uncertainty

The prestige of science, derived from its claims to certainty, has adversely affected the humanities. There is, in fact, a “politics of certainty”. Our ability to predict events in a limited sphere has been idealized, engendering dangerous illusions about our power to control nature and eliminate time. In addition, the perception and propagation of science as a bearer of certainty has served to legitimate harmful forms of social, sexual, and political power. Yet, as Ilya Prigogine has argued, renewed attention to the irreducible reality of time has brought us to “the end of certainty”. As we enter the age of uncertainty, there is disagreement about how science should be understood and communicated. Some scientists cling to the ideal of certainty, while others emphasize the creative potential of spontaneity, novelty, and surprise.
Linkage disequilibrium and phylogenetic congruence between chloroplast and mitochondrial haplotypes in Silene vulgaris

Both the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes are used extensively in studies of plant population genetics and systematics. In the majority of angiosperms, the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are each primarily transmitted maternally, but rare biparental transmission is possible. The extent to which the cpDNA and mtDNA are in linkage disequilibrium is argued to be dependent on the fidelity of co-transmission and the population structure. This study reports complete linkage disequilibrium between cpDNA and mtDNA haplotypes in 86 individuals from 17 populations of Silene vulgaris, a gynodioecious plant species. Phylogenetic analysis of cpDNA and mtDNA haplotypes within 14 individuals supports a hypothesis that the evolutionary histories of the chloroplasts and mitochondria are congruent within S. vulgaris, as might be expected if this association persists for long periods. This provides the first documentation of the evolutionary consequences of long-term associations between chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes within a species. Factors that contribute to the phylogenetic and linkage associations, as well as the potential for intergenomic hitchhiking resulting from selection on genes in one organellar genome are discussed.
Six-minute walk distance in persons with Parkinson disease: a hierarchical regression model.

Abstract Falvo MJ, Earhart GM. Six-minute walk distance in persons with Parkinson disease: a hierarchical regression model. Objectives To determine the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) in subjects with Parkinson disease (PD) and to determine the impairments that contribute to walking capacity. Design Descriptive cross-sectional study of subjects with PD. Setting University laboratory. Participants Subjects with PD (N=75; 65.0±9.5y) of mild to moderate severity, as defined by an average Hoehn and Yahr (HY) rating of 2.0±0.4 and Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor score of 27±8.9, were tested on medication. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Subjects were administered the motor subsection of the UPDRS and completed the following tests: Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up & Go (TUG), and six-minute walk test. In addition, they also provided self-reports of freezing of gait and number of falls in the past 6 months. Results The average 6MWD was 391.6±99.9m. All of the aforementioned tests, with the exception of fall number ( P =.07), correlated significantly with 6MWD ( r range, −.64 to .55). By using a hierarchical regression model, we entered age, HY, and UPDRS motor score into the first block (ie, set of independent variables) to represent parkinsonian characteristics, which explained a significant amount of variability in 6MWD ( R 2 =.196, P R 2 change=.355, P Conclusions The 6MWD in subjects with PD is explained in part by disease-specific characteristics and perhaps to a greater extent by impaired balance and predisposition to falling. Training targeted at improving balance and reducing falling risk factors may increase 6MWD (ie, walking capacity) in subjects with PD.
Challenging the notion of equal modal power distribution in multimode optical fibers

In this paper we report both theoretical and experimental evidence that equal MPD is extremely unlikely in few mode fiber, and next to impossible to achieve in highly multimode fiber. In one approach, we simply add together the intensity distributions of the various possible modes for a given V number fiber, and compare with what is observed in the laboratory under a variety of conditions. This is done for the incoherent case using a one hundred meter length of a similar fiber. In another method, Gloge's theory for the number of propagating modes is used to determine the approximate MPD in a highly multimode fiber. Both techniques point to the conclusion that the most likely distribution of power among the modes is one that decreases exponentially with mode, despite various mode-scrambling efforts.
Abstract CN14-02: Motivating individual behavior change through theory-driven community engagement

Community-based interventions built on a strong theoretical framework are relatively rare in oral health disparity research. It is assumed that community-based research should engage the community but less frequently is it expected that the interventions are designed to expose and test the mechanisms through which behavior changes. A first step in such a paradigm is a thorough understanding of the target behavior and the associated physical and social environment and the interaction thereof. This presentation will discuss the use of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Elaboration Likelihood Model to design and test community-based interventions aimed at changing behavior associated with late stage diagnosis of head and neck cancer. Consideration will be given to elucidating the pathways through which behavior change occurs. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):CN14-02.
Biodegradation of crude oil into nonvolatile organic acids in a contaminated aquifer near Bemidji, Minnesota

Abstract As the result of a pipeline burst, a body of light aliphatic crude oil floats atop the groundwater in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer in a remote area outside Bemidji, Minnesota. Biodegradation has resulted in the formation of a plume of DOC downgradient from the oil body. Groundwater has also been contaminated in an area known as the spray zone, from vertical infiltration of DOC resulting from biodegradation of crude oil in the overlying unsaturated zone. The majority of DOC in the contaminated groundwater is in the form of nonvolatile organic acids (NVOA's) which represent the partial oxidation products of the crude oil constituents. The NVOA's have been classified into three fractions according to their isolation on XAD resins: hydrophobic neutrals (HPO-N), hydrophobic acids (HPO-A) and hydrophilic acids (HPI-A). These fractions of NVOA's were isolated from a well downgradient from the oil body (well 530; DOC=21 mg C/l), from a well in the spray zone (well 603; DOC=15 mg C/l) and from an uncontaminated well upgradient of the oil body where the naturally occurring DOC is 2.9 mg C/l (well 310). The three sets of NVOA's were characterized by elemental analyses, molecular weight determinations, 14C ages and liquid phase 1H and 13C NMR. The crude oil and the saturate, aromatic, resin and asphaltene fractions of the crude oil were similarly analyzed by elemental analysis and NMR. The NVOA's from the contaminated wells were clearly distinguishable from the naturally occurring groundwater DOC. Based upon molecular weights, sulfur contents, aromaticities and the presence of methyl groups bonded to aromatic rings, the characterization data suggests that the NVOA's originate from the C18 or greater alkylaromatic, naphthenoaromatic and sulfur-containing constituents of the crude oil, including possibly the resins and asphaltenes.
Performance of a Large Volume 20 $\times$ 20 $\times$ 15 mm $^{3}$ CPG Detector

Large-volume CdZnTe (CZT) single crystals with electron lifetimes exceeding 10 μs recently became available commercially for making large effective area gamma-ray arrays. However, significant variations were observed in the performance of detectors made from such arrays. We evaluated the spectroscopic performance of such a large-volume, 20 × 20 × 15 mm3, coplanar-grid (CPG) CdZnTe detector, intended for use in a handheld radioisotope-identifier, which unexpectedly showed a poor spectral performance with an energy resolution of 3.5-4% FWHM measured with 662-keV gamma-rays. To understand the factors affecting its performance, we applied several characterization techniques, viz., white X-ray diffraction topography measurements, IR microscopy, and micron-spatial resolution X-ray mapping. They allowed us to identify major crystal defects in the device that limit its energy resolution and detection efficiency.
Steady-state ab initio laser theory : generalizations and analytic results

We improve the steady-state ab initio laser theory (SALT) of T\"ureci et al. by expressing its fundamental self-consistent equation in a basis set of threshold constant flux states that contains the exact threshold lasing mode. For cavities with nonuniform index and/or nonuniform gain, the new basis set allows the steady-state lasing properties to be computed with much greater efficiency. This formulation of the SALT can be solved in the single-pole approximation, which gives the intensities and thresholds, including the effects of nonlinear hole-burning interactions to all orders, with negligible computational effort. The approximation yields a number of analytic predictions, including a ``gain-clamping'' transition at which strong modal interactions suppress all higher modes. We show that the single-pole approximation agrees well with exact SALT calculations, particularly for high-$Q$ cavities. Within this range of validity, it provides an extraordinarily efficient technique for modeling realistic and complex lasers.
Acoustics of percussion instruments : Recent progress

Recent research on the acoustics of percussion instruments has focussed on observing their modes of vibration and understanding how they radiate sound. Holographic interferometry, on account of its high resolution, is an especially useful method for modal analysis on a wide variety of percussion instruments. Several new percussion instruments as well as studies on some very ancient ones are described. New instruments include tuned wind chimes, Caribbean steelpans, major-third bells, bass handbells, Choirchimes, and glass instruments.
Children as Religious Resources: The Role of Children in the Social Re-Formation of Class, Culture, and Religious Identity

Based on observations and interviews in two churches representing two different strands of American Protestantism, I assess the ways in which children contribute to the social construction of class, culture, and religious identity for adults. Evidence comes from observing how congregations incorporate children into adult worship services and talk about them in texts and programs, and from the ways in which newer and long-term congregation members describe valuing and understanding children's ministries. These styles and their meanings reflect the history, heritage, and theological distinctives of these two strands of American Protestantism. Religion, I suggest, is not just good for children; children themselves are a religious resource whose presence in worship, service, and discourse helps to create and maintain a sense of identity, place, and meaning in the lives of worshipping adults.
Health Effects of the Alkylbenzenes. I. Toluene

The alkylbenzenes, toluene being the most common example, represent a class of six-membered ring aromatic compounds that have a variety of alkyl groups attached. These chemicals are liquids with relatively low boiling points and are used primarily as solvents or as starting materials in the synthesis of other chemicals and drugs. They are also integral components of gasoline, distillate fuels and other petroleum products. These substituted aromatics are economically important in the chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical, polymer, paint and dye industries. Alkylbenzenes such as toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene and cumene are toxicologically important since they are produced, used or disposed of in the largest quantities and therefore might pose significant and potential health risks to man and the environment. In general, the toxicity of alkylbenzenes has been found to be relatively low. Also, for the most part, human and environmental risks are low; however, there may be a few operations where the potential for high exposure could exist. These exposures are minimized by workplace controls or personal protective equipment. Furthermore, health risks for humans are minimized by guidelines for maximum allowable exposure concentrations which have been established for the workplace. This present paper reviews the toxicology and disposition of toluene in animals and humans.
High frequency lateral tape motion and the dynamics of tape edge contact

Lateral motion of magnetic tape is investigated on roller and porous air-bearing type tape drives. The lateral tape motion signal is high-pass filtered and the spectral components are analyzed. Time-frequency analysis is also performed. The effect of dynamic tension changes during high frequency lateral motion events is examined, and the tension difference across the tape head is found to be correlated to the lateral motion of tape near the head. The effect of lateral motion of tape on tape pack winding is investigated and the frequencies observed during edge contact are analyzed.
To Get Her Heart in Hand Passing Words Between an Abused Child and Social Worker Practitioner

In this study, the author examines a small set of words uttered by a female adolescent sexual abuse survivor and an experienced male social worker practitioner. She speaks of the burden She carries in Her heart. He speaks about His responsibility to retrieve objective stories from sexually abused children, knowing He holds their hearts in His hands. Analysis focused on the words and metaphors used in the passages. Woven together, the two create a picture of the treacherous path of disclosure in a world of disbelieving adults and the responsibility of social work professionals to shoulder the burden of that passage. Implications for social work practice are considered.
Explaining Media and Congressional Attention to Global Climate Change, 1969-2005: An Empirical Test of Agenda-Setting Theory

Agenda theories suggest that problem indicator, focusing event, and information feedback enhance issue attention. However, few studies have systematically tested this. This study, using time series data and vector autoregression (VAR), examines how climate problem indicator, high-profile international event, and climate science feedback influence media and congressional attention to global warming and climate change. The findings confirm that these attention-grabbing factors indeed generally promote issue salience, but these factors may work differently across agenda venues. Attention inertia, interagenda interaction, and partisan advantage on agenda setting are also included and analyzed in the VAR modeling. Implications of the study and recommendations for future research are discussed in conclusion.
Symptomatic gastrointestinal amyloidosis in an HIV-infected patient

We report a rare case of symptomatic GI amyloidosis in an HIV-infected patient who ultimately developed uncontrollable upper GI bleeding. Gastric and jejunal biopsies revealed amyloidosis. Although the patient's history suggested the possibility of secondary amyloidosis, immunohistochemical staining together with serum electrophoresis and immunofixation revealed the presence of lambda light chains indicating primary amyloidosis.
NeuroD1/E47 regulates the E-box element of a novel zinc finger transcription factor, IA-1, in developing nervous system.

IA-1 is a novel zinc finger transcription factor with a restricted tissue distribution in the embryonic nervous system and tumors of neuroendocrine origin. The 1.7-kilobase 5′-upstream DNA sequence of the human IA-1 gene directed transgene expression predominantly in the developing nervous system including forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, spinal cord, retina, olfactory bulb, and cerebellum, which recapitulated the expression patterns of neuroendocrine tissues and childhood brain tumors. The IA-1 promoter deletion reporter gene constructs revealed that the sequence between -426 and -65 bp containing three putative E-boxes (∼361 bp) upstream of the transcription start site was sufficient to confer tissue-specific transcriptional activity. Further mutation analysis revealed that the proximal E-box (E3) closest to the start site is critical to confer transcriptional activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and transient transfection studies demonstrated that the NeuroD1 and E47 heterodimer are the key transcription factors that regulate the proximal E-box of the IA-1 promoter. Therefore, we concluded that the IA-1 gene is developmentally expressed in the nervous system and the NeuroD1/E47 transcription factors up-regulate IA-1 gene expression through the proximal E-box element of the IA-1 promoter.
Perioperative Ventilation of the Vascular Surgery Patient

Although cardiovascular disease represents the most com mon comorbidity in patients undergoing vascular surgery, perioperative ventilatory issues can also play a vital role in achieving good outcomes. Postoperative respiratory failure is uncommon after carotid endarterectomy or peripheral revascularization procedures, the risk of pulmonary compli cations following intra-abdominal or intrathoracic vascular surgery is high. In addition to primary lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, associated organ dysfunction syndromes such as stroke, renal failure, and congestive heart failure can also contribute to respiratory morbidity. An approach to minimizing respiratory complica tions begins with a careful preoperative search for ways to maximize pulmonary function and establishment of targets for postoperative weaning. Intraoperative attention should be paid to intraoperative management of bronchospasm, auto-positive end-expiratory pressure, and acid-base status. Postoperative management sh...
Market Dynamics and Local Policy Choices for Converged Systems: Case Study of Integrated Telecommunication Design and Deployment

Researchers have cogently presented the technical case for converged telecommunications systems. However, it is not clear how market-based telecommunications providers and local communities are embracing this technical argument as they design and adopt new telecommunication systems. This paper uses a case study approach to examine market and policy dynamics influencing converged network deployment in a mixed commercial and residential environment. Specifically, the article presents the overall telecommunications design and then analyzes several implementation alternatives proposed for a major urban redevelopment project in the greater Denver metropolitan area. These alternatives range from more traditional telecommunications solutions to fully converged networks. Based on this review, the paper analyzes the role of a layered policy approach to telecommunications regulation at the local level and how interoperability serves as a mediating condition before market convergence is achieved. Finally, the paper addresses public policy implications for encouraging adoption of fiber-IP based networks as well as research directions for assessing metropolitan adoption of converged systems.
Adaptive Optics High-Resolution Retinal Imaging

Adaptive optics cameras based on flood illumination and optical coherence tomography have been developed and applied to imaging the cellular retina. The cameras have led to new insights into the optical properties of photoreceptor cells.
Tree-structured analysis of treatment effects with large observational data

Treatment effect in an observational study of relatively large scale can be described as a mixture of effects among subgroups. In particular, analysis for estimating the treatment effect at the level of an entire sample potentially involves not only differential effects across subgroups of the entire study cohort, but also differential propensities – probabilities of receiving treatment given study subjects’ pretreatment history. Such complex heterogeneity is of great research interest because the analysis of treatment effects can substantially depend on the hidden data structure for effect sizes and propensities. To uncover the unseen data structure, we propose a likelihood-based regression tree method which we call marginal tree (MT). The MT method is aimed at a simultaneous assessment of differential effects and propensity scores so that both become homogeneous within each terminal node of the resultant tree structure. We assess simulation performances of the MT method by comparing it with other existi...