cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of thallium in the urine with colloidal palladium as the matrix modifier by graphite furnace atomic absorption Spectrometry

Objective To instruct a method of determining thallium in the urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry(GF-AAS) with colloidal palladium as the matrix modifier. Methods Urine samples were first diluted and then determined by GF-AAS with colloidal palladium while using thermal sample injection. Results The optimum volume of colloidal palladium was 6 μl and the best ashing temperature was 600-800 ℃ while the atomization temperature was 1700-1900 ℃ . This method showed a good linearity relationship when the concentration between 0.33 and 50.0 μg/L while the correlation coefficient of standard curve line was 0.9992, and the detection limit was 0.33 μg/L and the recovery rate was between 92.7% and 102.3% with the intra-day precision in the range of 2.55% to 3.66% and the inter-day precision in the range of 1.77% to 3.85%. Conclusion This method has the advantages of low detect limit, high sensitivity and good precision, and it can be used in the biological monitoring and emergency detecting of workers exposed to thallium. Key words: Thallium; Urine; Colloidal palladium; Spectrometry
Acordar os vizinhos: sobre os exílios de Jorge de Sena

Ha uma ideia geral acerca da obra poetica de Jorge de Sena, segundo a qual a tematica do exilio, que Sena tera experimentado enquanto professor de literatura luso-brasileira e literatura comparada no Brasil (em Assis e Araraquara) e nos Estados Unidos da America (em Madison e em Santa Barbara) configura uma das linhas de forca maiores do seu trabalho. Em sentido alternativo ao dessa ideia geral, que le o exilio nos termos disfemisticos de um desenraizamento compulsorio, pretendo aqui propor uma descricao da sua experiencia de vida no estrangeiro nos termos agonicos de um movimento de extroversao voluntario que, ostensiva e paradoxalmente, consentiu a Sena a liberdade necessaria para se fazer ouvir nos circulos literarios portugueses.
Predictive low glucose suspend systems

Abstract Tight glycemic control is important to mitigate diabetes complications but is difficult to achieve because of the increased risk of hypoglycemia. With the recent advances in the management of type 1 diabetes (T1D), the use of continuous glucose monitors and sensor-augmented pumps have benefited both the patients with T1D and their caregivers. This chapter presents the current state of predictive low glucose suspend (PLGS) systems and their clinical use in various clinical trials and real-world settings. The primary goal of these algorithms is to prevent or reduce hypoglycemia and to decrease the burden of diabetes care. The systems use a continuous glucose monitor that communicates with an algorithm that suspends insulin delivery based on the current glucose level and rate of change, with slightly different rules for the resumption of insulin delivery. The use of most of these systems was associated with a reduction in hypoglycemic events without consequent hyperglycemia. With the development of automated insulin delivery systems, the PLGS algorithm was built into the hybrid closed-loop controllers that adjust basal rate delivery and/or correct hyperglycemia to improve hemoglobin A1c.
Neural Stem Cells Improve the Delivery of Oncolytic Chimeric Orthopoxvirus in a Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Model

Oncolytic virotherapy represents a promising approach for treating recurrent and/or drug-resistant ovarian cancer. However, its successful application in the clinic has been hampered by rapid immune-mediated clearance, which reduces viral delivery to the tumor. Patient-derived mesenchymal stem cells that home to tumors have been used as viral delivery tools, but variability associated with autologous cell isolations limits the clinical applicability of this approach. We previously developed an allogeneic, clonal neural stem cell (NSC) line (HB1.F3.CD21) that can be used to deliver viral cargo. Here, we demonstrate that this NSC line can improve the delivery of a thymidine kinase gene-deficient conditionally replication-competent orthopoxvirus, CF33, in a preclinical cisplatin-resistant peritoneal ovarian metastases model. Overall, our findings provide the basis for using off-the-shelf allogeneic cell-based delivery platforms for oncolytic viruses, thus providing a more efficient delivery alternative compared with the free virus administration approach.
Instabilites and Chaos in Rotating Fluid

The following text summarizes the two lectures I presented at the Noto NATO Summer School. Both lectures were concerned with turbulence in rotating fluids, but from different points of view, and involving different experiments. The summaries are well enough referenced, I hope, that the interested reader may be able to use them to delve in greater depth into the subjects treated so briefly here.
Analysis of clinical and genetic characteristics in 10 Chinese individuals with Cornelia de Lange syndrome and literature review.

Background Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a rare congenital developmental disorder with variable multisystem involvement and genetic heterogeneity. We aimed to analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of Chinese individuals with CdLS. Methods We collected data regarding the neonatal period, maternal status, clinical manifestation, including facial dimorphisms and development, and follow-up treatment for individuals diagnosed with CdLS. In individuals with suspected CdLS, high-throughput sequencing, Sanger sequencing, and real-time qualitative PCR were used to verify the diagnosis. Results Variants, including six that were novel, were concentrated in the NIPBL (70%), HDAC8 (20%), and SMC3 (10%) genes. We found two nonsense, three splicing, and two deletion variants in NIPBL; a missense variant and an absence variant in HDAC8; and a missense variant in SMC3. Eleven cardinal features of CdLS were present in more than 80% of Chinese individuals. Compared with non-Chinese individuals of diverse ancestry, there were significant differences in the clinical characteristics of eight of these features. Conclusion Six novel pathological variants were identified; thus, the study expanded the gene variant spectrum. Furthermore, most cardinal features of CdLS found in Chinese individuals were also found in individuals from other countries. However, there were significant differences in eight clinical features.
Disaster Risk Management Through the DesignSafe Cyberinfrastructure

DesignSafe addresses the challenges of supporting integrative data-driven research in natural hazards engineering. It is an end-to-end data management, communications, and analysis platform where users collect, generate, analyze, curate, and publish large data sets from a variety of sources, including experiments, simulations, field research, and post-disaster reconnaissance. DesignSafe achieves key objectives through: (1) integration with high performance and cloud-computing resources to support the computational needs of the regional risk assessment community; (2) the possibility to curate and publish diverse data structures emphasizing relationships and understandability; and (3) facilitation of real time communications during natural hazards events and disasters for data and information sharing. The resultant services and tools shorten data cycles for resiliency evaluation, risk modeling validation, and forensic studies. This article illustrates salient features of the cyberinfrastructure. It summarizes its design principles, architecture, and functionalities. The focus is on case studies to show the impact of DesignSafe on the disaster risk community. The Next Generation Liquefaction project collects and standardizes case histories of earthquake-induced soil liquefaction into a relational database—DesignSafe—to permit users to interact with the data. Researchers can correlate in DesignSafe building dynamic characteristics based on data from building sensors, with observed damage based on ground motion measurements. Reconnaissance groups upload, curate, and publish wind, seismic, and coastal damage data they gather during field reconnaissance missions, so these datasets are available shortly after a disaster. As a part of the education and community outreach efforts of DesignSafe, training materials and collaboration space are also offered to the disaster risk management community.
Trends in the use of active surveillance and treatments in Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with localized prostate cancer.

Abstract Background The treatment for men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer has changed over time given the increased attention to the harms associated with over-diagnosis and the development of protocols for active surveillance. Methods We examined trends in the treatment of men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2004 and 2015, using the most recently available data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER)-Medicare. Patients were stratified by Gleason score, age, and race groups. Results The use of active surveillance increased from 22% in 2004–2005 to 50% in 2014–2015 for patients with a Gleason score of 6 or below and increased from 9% in 2004–2005 to 13% in 2014–2015 for patients with a Gleason score of 7 or above. Patients with a Gleason score of 7 or above had increased use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy and prostatectomy, especially among patients aged 75 years and older. Among patients with a Gleason score of 6 or below non-Hispanic black men were less likely to undergo active surveillance than non-Hispanic white men. Conclusions There has been a large increase in the use of active surveillance among men with a Gleason score of 6 or below. However, non-Hispanic black men with a Gleason score of 6 or below are less likely to receive active surveillance.
Transforming Business Purposes and Practices: The Need for a Systems Approach

Given the huge issues facing the world—and businesses—today, the need for purposeful transformation towards something like wellbeing for all has never been more apparent. Transformation in both businesses and their societal contexts requires major shifts in core aspects of business models. What needs to change includes how businesses and external stakeholders view and operationalize business modes themselves, not just tinkering with one or two elements. This article describes changes that require vision, leadership, and courage from leaders in businesses and leaders in the public square.
The feedback regulator Nord controls Dpp/BMP signaling via extracellular interaction with Dally in theDrosophilawing

Abstract The Drosophila BMP 2/4 homologue Decapentaplegic (Dpp) acts as a morphogen to regulate diverse developmental processes, including wing morphogenesis. Transcriptional feedback regulation of this pathway ensures tightly controlled signaling outputs to generate the precise pattern of the adult wing. Nevertheless, few direct Dpp target genes have been explored and our understanding of feedback regulation remains incomplete. Here, we employ transcriptional profiling following dpp conditional knockout to identify nord, a novel Dpp/BMP feedback regulator. Nord mutants generated by CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis produce a smaller wing and display low penetrance venation defects. At the molecular level, nord encodes a heparin-binding protein and we show that its overexpression is sufficient to antagonize Dpp/BMP signaling. Further, we demonstrate that Nord physically and genetically interacts with the Dpp/BMP co-receptor Dally. In sum we propose that Nord acts with Dally to fine tune Dpp/BMP signaling, with implications for both developmental and disease models. Impact statement Functional analyses of the Drosophila homologue of Neuron Derived Neurotrophic Factor reveal a new mode of extracellular heparan sulfate proteoglycan regulation required for proper morphogen action.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Corticosteroid Injection for Lumbar Spondylosis and Sacroiliac Arthropathy: A Systematic Review of Comparative Studies.

This systematic review compares clinical outcomes between platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and corticosteroid injections for the treatment of lumbar spondylosis and sacroiliac arthropathy. A systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) and performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines using the Pubmed, SCOPUS, and Ovid MEDLINE databases. All level I-III evidence comparative studies published in the English language investigating the clinical outcomes between PRP and corticosteroid injections for the treatment of lumbar spondylosis and sacroiliac arthropathy were included. Five studies (242 patients, 114 PRP, 128 corticosteroid) were analyzed. One randomized study was level I evidence, two randomized studies were level II, and two non-randomized studies were level III. Final follow-up ranged from six weeks to six months. Four studies found that both PRP and corticosteroid treatment led to a statistically significant reduction in the visual analog scale (VAS). One found that only the PRP group led to a statistically significant reduction in VAS. Three studies found more significant improvements in one or more clinical outcome scores among PRP patients as compared with corticosteroid patients at the three- to six-month follow-up. Two studies found no difference in outcome score improvements between the two groups at six- to 12-week follow-up. There were no reports of major complications. There were no significant differences in minor complication rates between the two groups. In conclusion, both PRP and corticosteroid injections are safe and effective options for the treatment of lumbar spondylosis and sacroiliac arthropathy. There is some evidence that PRP injection is a more effective option at long-term follow-up compared with corticosteroid injection. Further randomized controlled trials with longer-term follow-up are necessary to compare its long-term efficacy.
Abstract P742: Nanoparticles Targeting the Inflammatory Network in Acute Neurovascular Inflammation: Lungs to Brain Axis

After acute ischemic stroke, the cerebral vasculature is known to become more permeable to circulating leukocytes (WBC). Several laboratories attempted to use this for co-opting WBC do deliver into...
Moore's Law versus Murphy's Law: Algorithmic Trading and Its Discontents

Financial markets have undergone a remarkable transformation over the past two decades due to advances in technology. These advances include faster and cheaper computers, greater connectivity among market participants, and perhaps most important of all, more sophisticated trading algorithms. The benefits of such financial technology are evident: lower transactions costs, faster executions, and greater volume of trades. However, like any technology, trading technology has unintended consequences. In this paper, we review key innovations in trading technology starting with portfolio optimization in the 1950s and ending with high-frequency trading in the late 2000s, as well as opportunities, challenges, and economic incentives that accompanied these developments. We also discuss potential threats to financial stability created or facilitated by algorithmic trading and propose “Financial Regulation 2.0,” a set of design principles for bringing the current financial regulatory framework into the Digital Age.
3D Convolutional Neural Networks for Classification of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease with T1-Weighted Brain MRI

Parkinson9s disease (PD) and Alzheimer9s disease (AD) are progressive neurodegenerative disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. In this work, we propose a deep learning approach to classify these diseases based on 3D T1-weighted brain MRI. We analyzed several datasets including the Parkinson9s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), an independent dataset from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (UPenn), the Alzheimer9s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), and the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS) dataset. PPMI and ADNI were partitioned to train (70%), validate (20%), and test (10%) a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) for PD and AD classification. The UPenn and OASIS datasets were used as independent test sets to evaluate the model performance during inference. We also implemented a random forest classifier as a baseline model by extracting key radiomics features from the same T1-weighted MRI scans. The proposed 3D CNN model was trained from scratch for the classification tasks. For AD classification, the 3D CNN model achieved an ROC-AUC of 0.878 on the ADNI test set and an average ROC-AUC of 0.789 on the OASIS dataset. For PD classification, the proposed 3D CNN model achieved an ROC-AUC of 0.667 on the PPMI test set and an average ROC-AUC of 0.743 on the UPenn dataset. We also found that model performance was largely maintained when using only 25% of the training dataset. The 3D CNN outperformed the random forest classifier for both the PD and AD tasks. The 3D CNN also generalized better on unseen MRI data from different imaging centers. Our results show that the proposed 3D CNN model was less prone to overfitting for AD than for PD classification. This approach shows promise for screening of PD and AD patients using only T1-weighted brain MRI, which is relatively widely available. This model with additional validation could also be used to help differentiate between challenging cases of AD and PD when they present with similarly subtle motor and non-motor symptoms.
Perception of gender in children's voices

To investigate the perception of gender from children's voices, adult listeners were presented with /hVd/ syllables, in isolation and in sentence context, produced by children between 5 and 18 years. Half the listeners were informed of the age of the talker during trials, while the other half were not. Correct gender identifications increased with talker age; however, performance was above chance even for age groups where the cues most often associated with gender differentiation (i.e., average fundamental frequency and formant frequencies) were not consistently different between boys and girls. The results of acoustic models suggest that cues were used in an age-dependent manner, whether listeners were explicitly told the age of the talker or not. Overall, results are consistent with the hypothesis that talker age and gender are estimated jointly in the process of speech perception. Furthermore, results show that the gender of individual talkers can be identified accurately well before reliable anatomical differences arise in the vocal tracts of females and males. In general, results support the notion that the transmission of gender information from voice depends substantially on gender-dependent patterns of articulation, rather than following deterministically from anatomical differences between male and female talkers.
Business-Education Partnerships: A Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Workforce Strategy for Commercial Casinos

This paper targets tourism and economic development educators and casino executives interested in sustaining a skilled workforce in the highly competitive and controversial casino industry. The presentation introduces a BEP model that can help the casino industry with workforce sustainability. The model focuses on closing skill gaps through BEP volunteers' engagement in student learning to enhance employability, providing professional development opportunities for the volunteers to increase employee retention, and creating a CSR strategy to enhance corporate image with the public.
Counselling — A Re-appraisal

SynopsisThe current up-market approach to Alternative Dispute Resolution in Australia will force marriage counsellors to make a re-appraisal of their profession. In this paper, a practising counsellor in a non-government agency deals with the historical problem facing marriage counsellors in taking their place among the range of neutral third parties dealing with family disputes. He suggests some important areas for review on the basis of a counsellor’s philosophy of family relationships which is applicable to all practitioners working in the area of Alternative Dispute Resolution in family matters.
QCD based quark description of pi-pi scattering up to the sigma and rho region

We study forward and backward $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}$ scattering within a QCD model based on the Dyson-Schwinger, Bethe-Salpeter equations truncated to the rainbow-ladder level. Our microscopic relativistic quark formulation preserves chiral symmetry and reproduces the observed scattering lengths for total isospin zero, one and two. At higher energies both scalar and vector meson resonances naturally occur in the scattering amplitudes. We also report a comparative study with phenomenological meson-exchange models and find such approaches are reasonable especially near $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}$ resonances.
The Impact of State Incentive Regulation on the U.S. Telecommunications Industry

We examine the impact of state incentive regulation on network modernization, aggregate investment, revenue, cost, profit, and local service rates in the U.S. telecommunications industry between 1986 and 1999. We find evidence of greater network modernization under price cap regulation (PCR), earnings sharing regulation (ESR), and rate case moratoria (RCM) than under rate of return regulation (RORR). Costs are generally lower under RCM. Costs are also lower under ESR and PCR when local competition is sufficiently intense. Some local service rates for business customers are lower under PCR. Revenue, profit, aggregate investment, and residential local service rates do not vary systematically under incentive regulation relative to RORR.
A new smoothing function to introduce long-range electrostatic effects in QM/MM calculations

A new method to account for long range electrostatic contributions is proposed and implemented for quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics long range electrostatic correction (QM/MM-LREC) calculations. This method involves the use of the minimum image convention under periodic boundary conditions and a new smoothing function for energies and forces at the cutoff boundary for the Coulomb interactions. Compared to conventional QM/MM calculations without long-range electrostatic corrections, the new method effectively includes effects on the MM environment in the primary image from its replicas in the neighborhood. QM/MM-LREC offers three useful features including the avoidance of calculations in reciprocal space (k-space), with the concomitant avoidance of having to reproduce (analytically or approximately) the QM charge density in k-space, and the straightforward availability of analytical Hessians. The new method is tested and compared with results from smooth particle mesh Ewald (PME) for three systems including a box of neat water, a double proton transfer reaction, and the geometry optimization of the critical point structures for the rate limiting step of the DNA dealkylase AlkB. As with other smoothing or shifting functions, relatively large cutoffs are necessary to achieve comparable accuracy with PME. For the double-proton transfer reaction, the use of a 22 A cutoff shows a close reaction energy profile and geometries of stationary structures with QM/MM-LREC compared to conventional QM/MM with no truncation. Geometry optimization of stationary structures for the hydrogen abstraction step by AlkB shows some differences between QM/MM-LREC and the conventional QM/MM. These differences underscore the necessity of the inclusion of the long-range electrostatic contribution.
Hepatic Lipid Metabolism in Experimental Diabetes V. THE EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION OF OLEATE ON METABOLISM OF TRIGLYCERIDES AND ON KETOGENESIS

Abstract 1. Livers from normal and alloxan diabetic rats were perfused in vitro with a medium in which the concentration of free fatty acid was maintained at relatively constant levels by the infusion of a complex of oleic acid and bovine serum albumin. Concentrations of free fatty acid up to 3.5 mm in the cell-free perfusate were attained. 2. Throughout the range of concentration of free fatty acid which might be expected in the blood under normal and pathological conditions in vivo, the uptake of free fatty acid by the liver in vitro was proportional to the concentration in the medium; rates of uptake of free fatty acid approached saturation only at concentrations of free fatty acid in excess of those encountered in vivo. 3. The accumulation of triglyceride in livers from normal and most probably also in livers from alloxan diabetic rats was proportional to the concentration of free fatty acid in the medium. In contrast to triglyceride, the concentrations of total phospholipid, cholesterol, cholesteryl esters, and free fatty acid in the livers from normal and alloxan diabetic animals was independent of the concentration of free fatty acid in the perfusate. 4. Ketogenesis by livers from normal rats was dependent on the concentration of oleate in the medium; the maximal rates of production of ketone bodies were observed at 1.7 mm oleate. The rate of ketogenesis by livers from normal rats never equaled that by livers from alloxan diabetic animals, regardless of the concentration of free fatty acid in the medium. Although ketogenesis by livers from diabetic rats was responsive to the presence of oleate in the medium, similar and rapid rates of production of ketone bodies were observed over the entire range of concentration of free fatty acid. When livers from normal animals were exposed to high concentrations of oleate and the free fatty acid was withdrawn subsequently, the rates of ketogenesis diminished rapidly even though the concentration of triglyceride was elevated in the liver; glucagon, infused for 3 hours after oleate had been discontinued, could sustain the high rate of ketogenesis only for the short period during which free fatty acid remained in the medium. These observations force us to consider that, unlike free fatty acid, triglyceride fatty acid which accumulates in the livers of normal, fed rats is oxidized slowly, and that glucagon may not exert a major ketogenic action by stimulation of a hepatic triglyceride lipase.
A lifetime of recovery: spirituality groups on an acute inpatient psychiatry unit.

Spirituality groups provide an environment where persons in acute stages of mental illness can find healing. Focused spiritual care is a crucial aspect in the recovery model of mental health care, as it addresses the needs of the whole person as opposed to simply treating an illness. Spirituality groups provide a non-judgmental setting where patients can discover and experience three elements key to a lifetime of recovery: acknowledgement, meaning, and coping skills. This article briefly describes the recovery model for psychiatric care and the acute care environment, then goes on to show how the three key elements are made possible within the dynamics of a group. Because it is essential in the acute stage of psychiatric treatment for spiritual care to be structured, the final pages of this article feature a detailed model for an inpatient acute psychiatric spirituality group.
Open Knowledge Exchange for Workforce Development

A knowledge exchange platform, or Open Knowledge Exchange, (OKE) is an effective means for sharing and re-using knowledge among all members under the workforce development umbrella in the United States. The OKE is a necessary step in shaping and pushing forward the evolution of a workforce development system. The authors are the principals for a pilot OKE initiative that includes 1) a workforce ontology that serves as a semantic framework connecting various disciplines, organizations and programs engaged in workforce development; 2) a knowledge base; and 3) user interfaces, and tools and templates for automatic knowledge capture. The OKE, the project will lead to the development of a comprehensive OKE and associated products supporting interoperable workforce information systems.
The Kanyok of Zaire: New legends for new leaders

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Kanyok, along with other people living on the southern savanna, experienced profound changes in their political, ritual, mythological, economic, family, and military life. These changes resulted in part from the accumulation of inevitable adjustments all societies make as they adopt a more sedentary existence, but outside forces and products, some from as far away as the Americas, also made this a time of transition and innovation. While the Kanyok and many of their neighbors had once been organized in small-scale matrilineal polities, by the end of the seventeenth century, ambitious patrilineally oriented big men gained control of most villages and regions. (See Map 3.) Not only did the big men dominate military, political, and economic life, they or their supporters also transformed the rituals and legends which legitimized and perpetuated the new leaders in office. New wealth, population growth, and insecurity Evidence from surrounding peoples indicates that by 1500 the pace of local and regional commerce had quickened and that important centers for the production or exchange of traditional African products such as iron, salt, palm nuts, palm oil, dried meat and fish, and even copper had emerged across the southern savanna. Before 1700, Kaleng a Mukel, a Kanyok region rich in palm groves, was known for the manufacture of salt. (See Map 4.) At Kaleng a Mukel, ash from burnt grass and palm branches was leached with water to produce a brine which was then boiled or allowed to evaporate until a form of salt remained.
Detection of Heme Oxygenase Activity by Measurement of CO

Heme oxygenase (HO) is the first and rate-limiting step in degradation of heme, and in the presence of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase it produces equimolar amounts of biliverdin and CO. CO produced in a closed system can be quantified as described in this unit by gas chromatography as a measure of HO activity in tissue slices, tissue homogenates, and tissue fractions.
Quality of Life in Rural and Urban Adults 65 Years and Older: Findings From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

The percentage of older adults is higher in rural areas than in the rest of the United States.1 Although a sharp increase in adults 65 years and older is expected in the US population as a whole, rural areas are going to see the greatest surge in this age group.2 Many rural counties are becoming naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs), or geographically defined communities with a large proportion of older persons.3 Unlike planned housing communities for the elderly such as retirement communities and assisted living, NORCs are not designed specifically for older residents. Rather, they have evolved over time due to “aging-in-place” and migration patterns in which older people have moved in and younger residents have moved out.4 Although Americans in their 20s are more apt to move than people close to or at retirement age, older Americans are more likely to choose rural and small-town destinations when they do move.2 If the aging baby boomers (those born from 1946 to 1964) follow past migration patterns, the rural and small-town population of 55- to 75-year olds will increase from 8.6 million in 2000 to 14.2 million in 2020. Many older adults move to rural areas or stay there because of quality of life (QOL) considerations. The scenic landscape and feeling of connectedness to the land, as well as the sharing and helping that are common among people in rural areas, are among the reasons why older people feel their QOL may be better in rural areas.1,2 Whether older people in rural areas actually report better QOL, however, needs further exploration. The World Health Organization has defined QOL as a concept with several domains, including physical and mental health, social functioning, and emotional well-being.5 Previous studies have found that physical health is worse in the rural population than in the urban population, and worse in the elderly.6–8 Findings on mental health have been mixed: some studies report poorer mental health in rural areas, whereas others report no difference from urban residents.6,8 Social functioning has also been found to be poorer in rural elderly.6 Finally, emotional well-being has been shown to be worse in rural elderly than in their urban counterparts.9 No study, however, has compared older people in rural and urban areas on the separate dimensions of QOL. It is important to determine whether the various dimensions of QOL differ between elderly in rural and urban communities to predict health and social needs for older adults in these communities and design appropriate interventions to maintain or improve QOL in the older population.
The Impact of Voluntary Association Characteristics on Selective Attraction and Socialization

The voluntary organization literature has viewed the processes of selective attraction and socialization almost exclusively as a function of individual characteristics rather than organizational characteristics. Using data from two voluntary associations. we found that organizational characteristics (goal specificity, change orientation, and restrictiveness) were associated with the degree of selective attraction and socialization of attitudes. After controlling for the compositional characteristics of the membership, these data suggest both an organizational and an individual effect on socialization and selectivity. We concluded that the organizations studied here were more of a means for the support of attitudes held prior to joining than a means for developing or changing attitudes through membership. Further research might examine what role different voluntary associations play in the structuring of attitudes, providing a greater understanding of both individual and organizations.
Real Science, Real Scientistis: Students' Experiments with Natural and Artificial Wastewater Treatment in the Classroom

In this extended biology, ecology, and earth science activity, students construct hands-on models of natural wastewater treatment and wastewater treatment facilities to achieve an understanding of wastewater treatment process in nature and wastewater treatment facilities. During this simulation activity, students have opportunities to learn science as inquiry and the nature of science as expressed in the National Science Education Standards.
A national survey of practice patterns: temporal artery biopsy.

Objective To assess current clinical practice patterns for temporal artery biopsy (TAB) among clinicians in establishing the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis. Design A survey was sent via e-mail using the Survey Monkey website ( www.surveymonkey.com ; accessed January 24, 2013). The survey initially was sent in July 2010 and continued through October 2010. Participants The survey was sent via e-mail to the members and affiliates of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society, and the American College of Rheumatology. Methods Data from the survey were collected via Survey Monkey and data analysis was performed using the Fisher exact test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Main Outcome Measures Response to the survey questions on primary unilateral versus bilateral biopsy, performing second-side biopsy if first side results were negative, and the duration for which biopsy findings are reliable after initiating immunosuppressive therapy. Results The self-described primary subspecialty of the 1074 respondents was as follows: oculoplastic surgery (n = 127), neuro-ophthalmology (n = 119), rheumatology (n = 799), and other (n = 28). Overall, 66% of respondents advocated initial unilateral TAB, 18% advocated bilateral biopsy in all cases, and 16% recommended either unilateral or bilateral TAB depending on the degree of clinical suspicion. Rheumatologists were 4.5 times more likely to advocate initial bilateral biopsy than neuro-ophthalmologists or oculoplastic surgeons (P Conclusions Temporal artery biopsy practices vary greatly among treating physicians. This lack of consensus underscores the need for a systematic assessment of varying practice patterns. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Schistosoma mansoni: infectivity and immunizing effects of in vitro derived schistosomula attenuated by X irradiation.

Irradiated and nonirradiated in vitro derived schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni were injected intraperitoneally into mice. Sixteen percent of nonirradiated schistosomula, 8% of those irradiated with 1000 R, and virtually none of those irradiated with 3000 R and above survived in mice for 5 weeks. However, those irradiated with 3000 R survived in small numbers for shorter periods of time. Schistosomula irradiated with 3000 or 6000 R were used to immunize mice against subsequent infection with cercariae. Prior ip injections of schistosomula irradiated with 3000 R resulted in reductions in worm burden after challenge from 5 to 91%; the observed protection was related to the number of inoculations. The subcutaneous route appeared to be less effective. Schistosomula irradiated with 6000 R produced less protection than those irradiated with 3000 R.
Shear faults and dislocation core structure simulations in B2 FeAl

Abstract Embedded atom potentials were derived for the FeAl system reproducing lattice and elastic properties of B2 FeAl. The structure and energy of vacancies, antisites and anti phase boundaries (APBs) were studied. A significant decrease in the APB energy was obtained for Fe-rich B2 alloys. Shear fault energies along the 110 and 112 planes were computed showing that stable planar faults deviated from the exact APB fault. Core structures and critical Peierls stress values were simulated for the 〈100〉 and 〈111〉 dislocations. The superpartials created in the dissociation reactions were not of the 1 2 〈111〉 type, but 1 8 〈334〉 in accordance with the stable planar fault in the 110 planes. The results obtained for these simulations are discussed in terms of the mechanical behavior of FeAl and in comparison with B2 NiAl.
Effect of sampling site on early kinetics of blood radioiodide and pertechnetate

Radioiodide (I{sup *}) and radiopertechnetate (TcO{sub 4}{sup *}) were sampled simultaneously from left ventricle, right atrium, and femoral vein early after intravenous injection to pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized cats. Concentrations of both tracers in femoral vein blood was lower than in left ventricular (arterial) blood, with rapid narrowing of the differences over 20 min and gradual approach to steady state. Right atrial blood concentrations were intermediate. When these data were fitted to three-compartment mamillary models, representing blood and tissue pools, compartment size and kinetics differed according to which sampling site was taken as representative of each cat's blood. The authors have developed a model incorporating subcompartmentalization of the blood with an exchange compartment connecting to the pulmonary circulation as well as compartments exchanging with peripheral sites. With the use of this model, all data sets fitted well. The pulmonary exchange compartment and a large rapid exchange compartment in the femoral vein drainage areas are essential to reconciling the differences among sampling sites.
100 Key Documents in American Democracy. Ed. by Peter B. Levy. (Westport: Greenwood, 1994. xx, 502 pp. $59.95, ISBN 0-313-28424-5.)

Colonial America The Early Republic Antebellum Reform The Civil War and Reconstruction Westward and Industrial Expansion The Progressive Era Modernizing America World War II and the Cold War Recent America Appendix A: Declaration of Independence Appendix B: Constitution of the United States (including amendments) Index
Electronic noise calculations for a fast current amplifier with a waveguide line at its input

Abstract A formula is deduced for the electronic noise of a fast current amplifier with a waveguide line at its input and an integrator at the output. For the case of a short line the result is the same as if there was a capacitor of the line capacitance at the amplifier input instead of the line. However, as soon as the line delay-time exceeds half of the integration time, the integrated noise charge ceases to depend on any of the waveguide line parameters. The calculations are compared with measurements.
Sensory processing, cardiovascular reactivity, and the Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern.

Abstract This study investigated the hypothesis that two modes of sensory processing known to elicit integrated patterns of cardiovascular reactivity will arouse exaggerated responses in Type A coronary-prone individuals. 15 Type A and 10 Type B male college students performed on two tasks calling for sensory intake and sensory rejection, respectively, while being monitored for heart rate, blood pressure, and vasomotor response. Contrary to prediction, the tasks failed to differentiate the groups, although each task appeared to elicit the expected pattern of cardio-vascular response across groups. It is suggested that sensory processing tasks per se may be insufficiently challenging to elicit the characteristic hyperresponsivity of the Type A.
Forced Response of Coupled Substructures Using Experimentally Based Component Mode Synthesis

A new method is presented to calculate the forced response of coupled substructures using experimentally based component mode synthesis (CMS). The method uses test-derived CMS matrices and the uncoupled forced response of each substructure to predict the coupled-system forced response. This is achieved by considering the internal coupling forces and external applied forces on a substructure independently, and superimposing the responses of each. The advantage of this approach is that any number of applied forces can be present, and these can occur at unmeasurable locations. Periodic excitations are considered, and the analysis is performed in the frequency domain. The method is ideally suited for integrating test-derived models with finite element models for forced response predictions. A test case is conducted for a simple plate-beam system. The method is simulated analytically, then conducted experimentally using actual measured data. Good correlation is achieved for both cases.
Preschool Teachers’ Use of Time‐Out: Is What They Say What They Do?

Using triangulation, this study employed two methods to compare whether the responses of early childhood teachers about their use of timeout as a discipline method in focus group discussion was congruent with their behavior from classroom videotapes. The subjects were 5 teachers, who were among a larger group that had participated in one of 6 focus groups and were later videotaped in their preschool classes. These teachers volunteered to be videotaped after they had engaged in the focus groups. In the focus groups, teachers were asked to discuss how they respond to children's misbehaviors and how they make decisions about their responses. The videotapes were subsequently taken during 2 typical mornings in each class. Detailed analyses of the teachers’ use or nonuse of time‐out as well as their rationale for using this method, were undertaken for both focus group responses and behaviors observed on the videotapes. Results showed that the verbal responses of the teachers were very congruent with what they c...
Quantitative Effects of Peripheral Monocytes and Nerve Growth Factor on CNS Neural Morphometric Outgrowth Parametersin Vitro

Abstract Wound healing of the central nervous system (CNS) is a complex process involving interactions between cells from both the vascular and the neural environments, extracellular matrix proteins, and a cocktail of agonistic and antagonistic bioactive molecules. Vascular cells, particularly peripheral monocytes and macrophages, are believed to play an important role in organizing and mediating CNS tissue reactions subsequent to penetrating injuries that compromise the blood–brain barrier. Although many investigators have studied the effect of macrophages and microglia (resident brain macrophages) on neural outgrowth, little is known regarding monocyte effects. We have combined tissue culture, video microscopy, and digital image processing and analysis to quantify morphometric parameters of neurons exposed to monocyte secretory productsin vitro.The experimental system developed is simple in design but provides a quantitative understanding of cellular function and molecular mechanisms and has the ability to both study processes of graded complexity and relate cellular function to overall systems behavior. We evaluate the efficacy of the experimental model developed by measuring morphometric parameters of human neural cells (hNT cell line) in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF). Results suggest that monocyte-conditioned media (MCM) increases neuron outgrowth parameters, such as neuritic output, mean arbor output, neurite branching, and effective cell diameter. Moreover, we show that the bioactive factor present in MCM is not IL-1 and the activity of the factor with respect to neural outgrowth is between that of 10 and 100 ng/ml NGF.
Spectrophotometric determination of titanium after separation by anion exchange

Abstract A method is outlined for separation of titanium by anion exchange and subsequent spectrophotometric determination. Titanium fluoride is adsorbed quantitatively on a column of strongly basic anion exchanger and thus separated from ions which would normally interfere. The spectrophotometric measurement is achieved by formation of the intensely yellow and stable titanium ascorbate complex which has a maximum absorbance at 355 mμ.
CYP24A1 and CYP27B1 Polymorphisms Modulate Vitamin D Metabolism in Colon Cancer Cells

Vitamin D is a well-studied agent for cancer chemoprevention and treatment. Its chief circulating metabolite, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, is converted into the active hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D) by the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP27B1 in kidney and other tissues. 1,25D is then deactivated by CYP24A1 and ultimately catabolized. Colorectal carcinoma cells express CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 that locally regulate 1,25D with potential implications for its impact on carcinogenesis. While 1,25D inhibits cancer growth, the effects of polymorphic variations in genes encoding proteins involved in 1,25D homeostasis are poorly understood. Using an RXR-VDR mammalian two-hybrid (M2H) biologic assay system, we measured vitamin D metabolite uptake and activation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) pathway in colon cancer cells that expressed one of five CYP27B1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) or four CYP24A1 SNPs. Compared with the wild-type control, four of five CYP27B1 SNPs reduced enzymatic activity, whereas one (V166L) increased activity. For CYP24A1, all tested SNPs reduced enzyme activity. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses supported the results of M2H experiments. The observed SNP-directed variation in CYP functionality indicated that vitamin D homeostasis is complex and may be influenced by genetic factors. A comprehensive understanding of 1,25D metabolism may allow for a more personalized approach toward treating vitamin D-related disorders and evaluating risk for carcinogenesis.
Enhanced-Performance Wireless Conformal "Smart Skins" Utilizing Inkjet-Printed Carbon-Nanostructures

This paper introduces for the first time the integration of a UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), developed using direct-write techniques and utilizing an RFID chip for chemical gas detection. The module is realized by inkjet printing on a lowcost paper-based substrate, and the RFID tag is designed for the North America UHF RFID band. The electrical impedance of the rGO thin film changes in the presence of very small quantities of certain toxic gases, resulting in a variation of the backscattered power level which is easily detected by the RFID reader to realize reliable wireless toxic gas sensing. The inkjet printed RFID tag demonstrated a change in backscattered power of 9.18% upon exposure of 40 ppm NO2 for 5 minutes.