cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The CoreQ: Development and Testing of a Nursing Facility Resident Satisfaction Survey:

The development and testing of a nursing facility resident satisfaction survey (i.e., CoreQ) that could be used for public reporting purposes is presented here. This is important as very little satisfaction with care information is publicly available for nursing facility consumers. Validity testing is reported detailing the development of the CoreQ: Short Stay Discharge questionnaire and a measure that was calculated from the items in the questionnaire. This questionnaire resulted in four items whose combined score gives a measure representing participants' overall satisfaction with the nursing facility. The measure parsimoniously reports this satisfaction as a score (ranging from 0 to 100) and was recently endorsed by the National Quality Forum (NQF). The measure may have significance for report cards and payment metrics, as it incorporates the consumers' opinion.
Employer reviews may say as much about the employee as they do the employer: online disclosures, organizational attachments, and unethical behavior

Do reviews on organizational review websites (e.g., Indeed.com, GlassDoor.com) speak to the employer or the employee? This study tests the structural relationship between cognitive and affective or...
Cell-cycle-dependent EBNA1-DNA crosslinking promotes replication termination at oriP and viral episome maintenance

Summary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic human herpesvirus that persists as a multicopy episome in proliferating host cells. Episome maintenance is strictly dependent on EBNA1, a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein with no known enzymatic activities. Here, we show that EBNA1 forms a cell cycle-dependent DNA crosslink with the EBV origin of plasmid replication oriP. EBNA1 tyrosine 518 (Y518) is essential for crosslinking to oriP and functionally required for episome maintenance and generation of EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). Mechanistically, Y518 is required for replication fork termination at oriP in vivo and for formation of SDS-resistant complexes in vitro. EBNA1-DNA crosslinking corresponds to single-strand endonuclease activity specific to DNA structures enriched at replication-termination sites, such as 4-way junctions. These findings reveal that EBNA1 forms tyrosine-dependent DNA-protein crosslinks and single-strand cleavage at oriP required for replication termination and viral episome maintenance.
Monitoring of mechanical properties of prestressed glass fiber epoxy composites over 12 months after fabrication

Fiber prestressing during matrix curing can significantly improve the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. One primary reason behind this improvement is the generated compr...
No stone left unturned and nothing left behind – A pictorial guide for retained surgical items

Retained surgical instruments (RSI) remain an unsolved problem with serious implications for patients and healthcare providers. Although radiographs are commonly obtained whenever a surgical count is incorrect or incomplete, they have a very low prevalence of positive findings. With the majority of these studies being negative, it is difficult for radiologists and trainees to develop expertise in the detection of RSI, and comfort with reporting and documenting their findings. It is also important for the radiologist to be familiar with the documentation and communication requirements of their own institution in regards to intraoperative radiographs and their interpretation. This pictorial essay is intended to provide guidance to these "best practices" for the management of these cases. A series of case examples is also provided. In this manuscript we illustrate potential pitfalls and avoidable sources of error in the interpretation of these challenging cases.
Is there a linkage between household welfare and income inequality, and food security to achieve sustainable development goals?

Abstract In the present study, the association of household livelihood and income inequality with sustainable food security was assessed in the rural areas. We used a cross-sectional data and quantitative analysis to follow the main goal of the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire through face-to-face interviews of a random sample of rural households. Food security status was assessed using HFIAS and FCS indexes, while household welfare was calculated by six indicators. Also, income inequality was measured using Theil, Atkinson, and FGT indexes. This study was implemented in Dowreh Chegeni county in Lorestan province in Iran. The questionnaires were completed by 201 households in the study location. The target sample consists of the households who are living permanently in the rural area. Of the total sample 40.79% were food secure, while about 13.4%, 14.4%, and 31.3% of the sampled households faced marginal, moderate, and severe food insecurity. All welfare indicators showed that degree of income inequality of the households in marginal and moderate categories was greater than other households. The results showed that household welfare is directly and significantly associated with food security. This suggests the wisdom of the government and the related organizations focusing on improving the welfare status of the households using different policies such as providing affordable houses for poor households, preparing long-term loans for the households to purchase their needed assets, and facilitating the purchase of livestock for the rural households to produce their needed foods.
Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs for Minority Students

The delivery of adequate health care is one of the most challenging domestic problems in the United States today. Its solution by way of national health insurance or the extension of current Medicare and Medicaid programs, plus rapid implementation of biomedical-research findings, is only one part of the story. The more serious challenge that has not yet been approached is the training of manpower to serve the poor and marginal-income citizens of our burgeoning urban populations and our lonely and isolated rural towns. A significant human resource for providing the pool for the medical workers needed is the 21% minority population in our nation.
Reliability of the Most-Probable-Number Technique for Enumerating Rhizobia in Tropical Soils

We used six rhizobium-legume systems to test the reliability of the most-probable-number (MPN) technique for enumerating rhizobia introduced into 14 sites representing four soil orders. The range-of-transition values (the number of dilution steps between the first not-entirely-positive and the last not-entirely-negative growth units) were compared for each species and for each soil. The probability that the observed data were significantly different from theoretical values varied with the species. The acceptability of MPN codes (P > 0.99) was the highest (97 to 99%) with Vicia sativa, Trifolium repens, and Glycine max and lowest (72%) with Leucaena leucocephala. Medicago sativa and Macroptilium atropurpureum yielded 87 and 75% acceptable MPN codes, respectively. The acceptability of the MPN data obtained for a host species was related to rooting habit and time to nodulation. Comparison of data for each soil indicated that, despite large differences in characteristics, the soil was not a major source of variability in the MPN counts. There was no significant interaction of the range of transition of rhizobium-legume plant infection count data between species and site.
Probabilistic measures and algorithms arising from the Macdonald symmetric functions

The Macdonald symmetric functions are used to define measures on the set of all partitions of all integers. Probabilistic algorithms are given for growing partitions according to these measures. The case of Hall-Littlewood polynomials is related to the finite classical groups, and the corresponding algorithms simplify. The case of Schur functions leads to a $q$-analog of Plancharel measure, and a conditioned version of the corresponding algorithms yields generalizations of the hook walk of combinatorics.
Blended sea level anomaly fields with enhanced coastal coverage along the U.S. West Coast.

We form a new 'blended' data set of sea level anomaly (SLA) fields by combining gridded daily fields derived from altimeter data with coastal tide gauge data. Within approximately 55-70 km of the coast, the altimeter data are discarded and replaced by a linear interpolation between the tide gauge and remaining offshore altimeter data. To create a common reference height for altimeter and tide gauge data, a 20-year mean is subtracted from each time series (from each tide gauge and altimeter grid point) before combining the data sets to form a blended mean sea level anomaly (SLA) data set. Daily mean fields are produced for the 22-year period 1 January 1993-31 December 2014. The primary validation compares geostrophic velocities calculated from the height fields and velocities measured at four moorings covering the north-south range of the new data set. The blended data set improves the alongshore (meridional) component of the currents, indicating an improvement in the cross-shelf gradient of the mean SLA data set.
3D Printing of Highly Stretchable and Tough Hydrogels into Complex, Cellularized Structures

A 3D printable and highly stretchable tough hydrogel is developed by combining poly(ethylene glycol) and sodium alginate, which synergize to form a hydrogel tougher than natural cartilage. Encapsulated cells maintain high viability over a 7 d culture period and are highly deformed together with the hydrogel. By adding biocompatible nanoclay, the tough hydrogel is 3D printed in various shapes without requiring support material.
Innate immunity and the anti-viral state of rheumatoid synovium

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an immune-mediated disease with synovial inflammation and invasion of the extracellular matrix. While adaptive immunity plays a key role in the pathogenesis of RA, the contribution of innate immune responses has been increasingly appreciated in recent years. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytokines in the rheumatoid synovium can activate signal transduction pathways that induce proinflammatory genes and perpetuate synovitis. Understanding these signaling mechanisms helps us understand the pathogenesis of disease and identify novel therapeutic targets. Among the signaling pathways that are potentially involved in inflammation, the IKK-related kinase, inducible IKK (IKKi or IKKe), appears to play a key role in innate immune responses in the joint and modulates synovial inflammatory responses. This kinase, along with a second IKK-related kinase TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1), was originally identified as a NF-κB activating enzyme that phosphorylates IkB. It is now clear, however, that this represents only one of several substrates for this family. For instance, IKKi also phosphorylates interferon regulatory factor (IRF) and coordinates the activation of IRF and NF-κB after TLR ligation. IKKi may also link the NF-κB and CCAAT enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) pathways in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cells. The novel roles for IKKi suggests that it contributes to the signaling pathways involved in synovial inflammation. Moreover, IKKi appears to play a key role in the establishment of an 'antiviral state' through the activation of IRF3 and c-Jun with subsequent production of interferon beta (IFN-β) and other genes involved in host defense. We previously demonstrated that IKKi is constitutively expressed in RA synovial tissue and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), and that the gene can be induced by cytokine stimulation. More recent studies now show that functional activity of IKKi in cultured synoviocytes is rapidly increased by exposure to proinflammatory cytokines and TLR agonists. We have also shown that IRF3 is activated in RA synovium, which represents an early step in the IKKi-mediated expression of antiviral genes like IFN-β. Additional preliminary data with human FLS suggest that the IKKi pathway can activate other signaling cascades, such as c-Jun, which play a role in assembly of the interferon enhanceosome to increase IFN-β expression. Using FLS from IKKi knockout mice, we have shown that IKKi can act as a key link between TLR/cytokine receptor ligation and expression of cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases. IKKi might serve in an alternative signaling pathway for activation of innate immunity in RA and establishing an anti-viral state in the synovium, especially through the activation of IRF3-driven and c-Jun-driven genes.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Overexpressing IFN-β Inhibit Breast Cancer Growth and Metastases through Stat3 Signaling in a Syngeneic Tumor Model

We previously demonstrated that mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) are recruited to tumors and that IFN-β produced by MSC inhibited tumor growth in xenograft models. Because of a deficient immune system, murine xenograft models cannot fully recapitulate tumor and immune cell interactions during progression. Therefore we investigated the capacity of MSC to migrate to and engraft into primary breast tumor sites and subsequently explore mechanisms of tumor inhibition by MSC-delivered IFN-β in a syngeneic, immunocompetent murine model. Herein we report that 1) systemically administrated MSC migrate to established 4 T1 breast cancer sites and localize among the tumor-stroma border and throughout the tumor mass; 2) high levels of IFN-β secreted by MSC are detectable in the tumor microenvironment but not in circulation; 3) intratumorally produced IFN-β inactivates constitutive phosphorylation of signal transducer activator transcription factor 3 (Stat3), Src, and Akt and down-regulates cMyc and MMP2 expression in 4 T1 cells, and 4) in mice with established breast cancer IFN-β expressing MSC administered systemically resulted in inhibition of primary cancer growth and in dramatic reduction of pulmonary and hepatic metastases. 5) MSC-IFN-β treated, but not control mice, maintained normal levels of splenic mature dendritic (DC), CD8+ T cells and CD4+/Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells (Treg). Our findings suggest that MSC are capable of migrating to tumor sites in an immunocompetent environment, that IFN-β produced by MSC suppresses breast cancer growth through inhibition of Stat3 signaling, and dramatically reduces pulmonary and hepatic metastases.
Birth pangs: the stressful origins of lymphocytes

Inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) is a transmembrane protein that signals from the ER and contributes to the generation of an active spliced form of the transcriptional regulator X-box-binding protein 1 (XBP1). XBP1 is required for the terminal differentiation of B lymphocytes into plasma cells, and IRE1 also participates in this differentiation event. A study in this issue of the JCI reveals, quite unexpectedly, that IRE1 is also required early in B lymphocyte development for the induction of the machinery that mediates Ig gene rearrangement.
White supremacist groups and hate crime

Hate group activity may incite criminal behavior or serve as protection from bias-based violence. I find that the presence of one or more active white supremacist chapters is associated with higher hate crime rates. I reject the hypothesis that chapter presence and hate crimes are symptomatic of the overall level of bias-based violence. Moreover, I reject the hypothesis that white supremacist groups form in response to an increase in antiwhite hate crimes, particularly those perpetrated by nonwhites.
Field-grown cotton plants with elevated activity of chloroplastic glutathione reductase exhibit no significant alteration of diurnal or seasonal patterns of excitation energy partitioning and CO2 fixation

Abstract Transgenic cotton plants with elevated activity of chloroplast-targeted glutathione reductase (GR+) were grown in field plots over two seasons in order to compare their photosynthetic performance with that of wildtype plants. We hypothesised that transgenic plants would show enhanced protection of the photosynthetic apparatus against photoinhibition, primarily through an increase in electron transport associated with the role of the chloroplastic antioxidant system as an alternative electron sink. Diurnal measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence from cotyledons, stem leaves, and leaves subtending developing fruits (bolls) were used to estimate the rate of linear electron transport (Je) and the rates of reversible, regulated (NPDREG) and photoinhibitory (NPDPI) non-photochemical energy dissipation (NPD) at several times (June, July, September, October) during each growing season. GR+ cotyledons exhibited greater Je than wildtype cotyledons during the middle of a day in early June, while NPDPI was the same for both genotypes. Throughout most days on which measurements were conducted, no genotypic differences in Je and NPD were observed for stem leaves. Only during the late morning of one day in early October did leaves subtending bolls of GR+ plants exhibit greater Je compared to that for wildtype plants. As leaves subtending bolls of both genotypes aged, Je and CO2 assimilation declined, while NPD increased. Maximum NPDPI and minimum Fv/Fm remained essentially the same for all measurement days. However, the maximum NPDREG, the greatest contributor to NPD, increased with leaf age. We conclude that the rapid rise in leaf temperature during most mornings created conditions in which elevated GR activity conferred no advantage. Also, as light energy absorption became excessive in late morning, cotton leaves exhibited a strong capacity for regulated, non-photochemical energy dissipation that may have served as the major photoprotective mechanism.
Pain in arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders: the role of coping skills training and exercise interventions.

There is growing recognition of the limitations of conventional, biomedical approaches to the management of pain in individuals having arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders. This article provides an overview of newly developed biopsychosocial approaches to the management of pain in this population. The presentation is divided into three sections. In the first section, a biopsychosocial model of pain is presented. This model highlights the role that biological factors (eg., disease severity, comorbid conditions), cognitive-behavioral factors (eg., thoughts, emotions, and behaviors), and environmental factors (eg., spouse or family responses to pain behavior) can play in influencing the pain experience. In the second section, we provide an overview of two newly developed treatment protocols based on the biopsychosocial model of pain: a pain coping skills training protocol and an exercise training protocol. Practical aspects of implementing these protocols are illustrated by highlighting how they are appli...
Dissemination and Evaluation of Marriage Education in the Army

The effectiveness of marriage education was evaluated in two separate samples of primarily married couples in which at least one member of the couple was on active duty in the U.S. Army. The intervention was delivered by Army chaplains. Effects replicated well in the two samples, and demonstrated that marriage education was well received by this population and resulted in improvements in relationship functioning. Changes in relationship quality were examined separately for males and females, and also for couples in which both members of the couple were Caucasian as compared with all other couples. There were no significant differences in changes over time (i.e., from pre- to postmarriage education) among males and females or among couples with different ethnic makeup. These results have important implications for the generalizability of marriage education to diverse samples in nontraditional contexts.
“Confidence-Rating” Analysis on Response Amplitude Scores of Classical Discrimination Conditioning Data

Summary.-Signal-detection theory was used to analyze classical discrimination-conditioning data. A "confidence-rating" rype of analysis of response amplitudes was used to test the signal-detection-theory assumptions of underlying normal distributions with equal variances. The data showed that S behaved as if he could hold several criteria simultaneously and gave larger amplitude conditioned responses when the sensory response exceeded larger criterion values. In addition, d' did not vary with conditioned-response amplitude. Plotting the receiveroperating-characteristic curves generated by the analysis of conditioned-response amplitude on double-prohabilicy paper supported the assumptions of signal-deteccion theory of underlying normal distributions with equal variances. A recurrent problem in the study of successive discrimination learning has been the unavailability of an adequare unicary measure of discriminability. For example, in the study of classical discrimination conditioning, there are two empirical measures of performance available from a single conditioning session: the proportion of conditioned responses given that the positive conditioned stimulus was presented and the proportion of conditioned responses given that the negative conditioned stimulus was presented. The former measure is the hit rate, and the latter is the false aIarm rate. A good unitary measure of discrimination ability should be a function of both hit rate and false-alarm rare. It should vary systematically with S's sensitivity to the difference between positive conditioned stimulus and negative conditioned stimulus. Finally, it should be independent of S's general tendency to respand (responsivity). Although a number of measures which take into account both hic rate and false-alarm rate have been proposed in the literature (Hilgard, Jones, & Kaplan, 1951; Restle & Beecroft, 1955; Spence & Beecroft, 1954; Spence & Farber, 1954), these have failed to distinguish between discriminability and responsiveness. Recently Sitboski ( 1967) has proposed the use of the two signal-detection theory measures, d' and P, as measures of S's performance in a discriminacion situation. Boch of these theoretical measures ace a function of both of the empirical measures, hit rate and false-alarm rate, and d' is said to be a measure of discriminability while P is proposed as a measure of responsivity. In the present paper, an extension of the confidence-rating technique (Green & Swets, 1966, pp. 99-107) is used to examine the assumptions of signal-detection theory of underlying normal distributions with equal variances. The "confi
Chemisorption and catalysis of zeolite-entrapped palladium†

The chemisorption of H2 and of CO and the catalysis of neopentane conversion have been studied on two groups of Y-zeolite-supported Pd samples. One group was prepared under conditions which result in the formation of “grape-shaped” Pd particles filling adjacent supercages. In the second group, pretreatment conditions were chosen which yield isolated Pd particles of the size of the supercages. Both groups of Pd/NaY samples differ in adsorption of H2 and CO; the COads/Hads ratios are in agreement with the different particle morphologies. The selectivity of neopentane conversion does not detectable depend on Pd morphology; however, the activation energy for reaction is significantly higher for the samples of the first group.
A review of MRI and PET correlation

The author provides a review of the subjects of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cardiac imaging. The physics behind both types of systems is examined, followed by a summary of the topics, and typical papers, regarding each system. A list of references obtained regarding the correlation of the different imaging modalities is provided. >
The use of adina to predict system response to shock loadings: the hm motor protector. A case study☆

Abstract The paper describes the use of the ADINA finite element program applied in conjunction with the PATRAN-II software system in the formulation and solution of linear and nonlinear dynamic response. Emphasis is placed on the solution of a practical engineering problem. With ADINA and PATRAN II, detailed descriptions of the effects of shock loadings on major components of manufactured motor protectors were achieved.
Computed Order Tracking and its Application to NVH

Analysis of vibration or acoustic signals from rotating machines is often preferred in terms of order spectra rather than frequency spectra. An order spectrum gives the amplitude and/or the phase of the signal as a function of harmonic order of the rotation frequency. Order tracking requires sampling of the vibration signal at constant angular increments and hence at a rate proportional to the shaft speed. Most commercial software for signal processing has the built-in capability of computed order tracking, such as the 7702 order tracking software of B&K Pulse. The order tracking result of interior noise of cab is presented in this paper. From order tracking analysis on the noise of interior cab, we found that the noise mainly comes from the second order excitation of engine, and that the overall noise with respect to engine speed
The high brightness test stand

Abstract The High Brightness Test Stand is a 2 MeV, ≤10 kA electron accelerator module. This accelerator module which was designed as an upgrade prototype for the Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA) combines solid state nonlinear magnetic drives with state-of-the-art induction linac technology. The facility serves a dual role as it not only provides a test bed for this new technology but is used to develop high brightness electron optics. In the following we will both further describe the accelerator as well as present some of the preliminary electron optics measurements.
Limitations of exotic and indigenous isolates of Fusarium avenaceum for the biological control of spotted knapweed — Centaurea maculosa

Three isolates ofFusarium avenaceum are pathogenic on spotted knapweed(Centaurea maculosa), a major weed plant of pasturelands and rangelands of the Pacific Northwestern USA. One isolate (no. 1) obtained from the European centre of origin of knapweed and isolate no. 365 native to Montana, did not significantly affect knapweed seed germination. However,F. avenaceum no. 1003, another Montana native isolate, caused a 100% decrease in seed germination and hence, no seedling emergence. When formulated, isolate no. 1003, could be recovered from treated soils after 7 days and caused a significant reduction in seedling emergence or seedling dry weight. This organism had no effect on the germination ofTriticum aestivum orMedicago sativa, but did affect the germination of other plant species.F. avenaceum appears to be a candidate for the biocontrol of spotted knapweed, however, a native isolate is potentially more effective than an isolate obtained from the centre of origin ofC. maculosa.
Mechanism of chromosome exchange formation in human fibroblasts: Insights from “chromosome painting”

We have used the techniques of premature chromosome condensation (PCC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a library for human chromosome 4 to analyze the rate of rejoining of chromosome breaks and development of exchange aberrations in AG1522 human fibroblasts. AG1522 cells were irradiated in plateau phase with 10 Gy and fused with mitotic HeLa cells either immediately after irradiation or at intervals up to eight days later. The slides were then hybridized with the chromosome 4 library and unrejoined breaks and exchange events (visualized as bicolor chromosomes) scored in these cells. At the earliest time point after irradiation, the number of exchange events in the irradiated cells was low, but increased with kinetics similar to that of the joining of the breaks. Furthermore, when we analyzed those cells which had exchange events for their distribution, almost all of the cells initially contained one exchange event (1 bicolor chromosome). As time progressed, the number of cells containing exchanges with two exchange events per cell increased as the number with one exchange event per cell decreased. Extrapolation of the number of exchange events to zero time (with an estimate of 20 min for the fusion and condensation times) gave a value consistent with zero exchanges at zero time after irradiation. In a separate experiment, we also scored AG 1522 cells at the first metaphase after a dose of 6 Gy and were able to show that as many as 50% of the complete exchanges were non-reciprocal in nature, that is, the two broken ends of a single break in chromosome 4 joined to two different chromosomes. These data support the classical breakage-and-reunion model rather than the Revell Exchange Theory of exchange formation.
Calculable nonrenormalizable terms in string theory: A guide for the practitioner

Abstract We give a detailed account of the calculation of nonrenormalizable terms in the free fermionic formulation of the heterotic string in four dimensions. In this formulation such terms can be calculated exactly in σ-model and remain uncorrected to all orders in string loops, therefore considerably enhancing the predictive power of models built in this context. We obtain general results for the types of nonvanishing N-point function contributions to the superpotential, and present explicit computations of sample quartic and quintic terms, and corrections to a typical D-term, in a specific model. We also discuss the connection between our results and results obtained using the orbifold approach. Finally, we elucidate the Ashkin-Teller-model method of computation of arbitrary Ising model correlators needed in the evaluation of nonrenormalizable terms in realistic models.
Individual particles and Martian aeolian action—A review

Abstract Evidence for aeolian activity on Mars is presented. Sand-sized particles of quartz and basalt were abraded in the laboratory under characteristic Earth and Martian velocity and pressure conditions, and the types of surface features (relief) were studied with the scanning electron microscope. In addition, silt and clay produced under these conditions was examined with both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. During the experiments, electrostatic aggregates of clay and fine silt were produced; electrostatic charging by mechanical abrasion seems to have occurred, and may be related to the presence of aggregates on Mars. Abrasion appears to be more vigorous under Martian than Earth conditions given the same mineralogy and particle sizes on the two planets. This is probably due to the higher velocities required for Martian aeolian activity. Electrical charging due to particle breakage may be important on Mars as deduced from simulation experiments and the data from the Viking orbiters and landers. Additionally, experiments with basalt at high abrasion velocities suggests that mineral surfaces on Mars may be structurally deformed. Thus weathering might be more rapid, if water were present in the atmosphere and regolith. Finally, during laboratory aeolian abrasion, submicron-sized quartz particles were produced, but material of this type is not found in sediments on Earth. Fine-grained sediments should be reexamined to look for these fine particles, as the production of clay-sized material has important consequences both for erosion and weathering on Earth and Mars.
Voltage-gated ion channels in dendrites of hippocampal pyramidal neurons

The properties and distribution of voltage-gated ion channels contribute to electrical signaling in neuronal dendrites. The apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons in hippocampus express a wide variety of sodium, calcium, potassium, and other voltage-gated channels. In this report, we provide some new evidence for the role of the delayed-rectifier K+ channel in shaping the dendritic action potential at different membrane potentials.
Competition and Tax Evasion: A Cross Country Study

Abstract This paper investigates the determinants of tax evasion, utilizing rich cross-country data of firm-level survey from the World Bank, and shows that competition is a key factor determining evasion activities; however its effect displays a decreasing trend. It is also shown that business obstacles facing firms such as tax administration and unfair practices play significant roles in explaining tax evasion. Firm characteristics such as size, age, ownership are also found important determinants. The empirical analysis controls for industry and country-level effects, for instance quality of the legal environment.
Noninvasive antepartum recording of fetal S-T segment with a newly developed 151-channel magnetic sensor system.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the detection of the S-T segment in the fetal PQRST complex that is recorded in the antepartum period with the use of a newly developed noninvasive 151-channel magnetic sensor array. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred two fetal magnetocardiographic recordings were performed on normal fetuses with gestational ages that ranged from 27.5 to 39.5 weeks. After the removal of the interfering maternal heart signals, the fetal heart data were inspected to detect the presence of P, QRS, and T segments. RESULTS: The QRS complex was detectable in 100%, the P wave was detectable in 95.1%, and the T wave was detectable in 87.3% of the recordings. CONCLUSION: Fetal magnetocardiography was recorded successfully, the QRS complex was observed in all subjects, and the T detection rate increased, with the gestational age reaching a peak of 97%. Further study of the S-T segment through the antepartum period could lead to advances in the detection of fetal jeopardy before labor.
Geochemical Characteristics of a Loess-Soil Sequence in Central Kansas

This study focuses on a Barton County loess-soil section in central Kansas in an attempt to retrieve the geochemical signature of the late Quaternary environmental change in the arid-semiarid region and provide a data base of loess geochemical characteristics in the Great Plains. The data indicate that the elements (expressed as oxides) of the windborne fraction (<63 μm) that are easily solubilized and lost from the soil by chemical weathering and leaching are relatively sensitive to soil-forming processes, whereas the insoluble elements of that fraction are controlled primarily by the chemical composition of the parent material. The geochemical imprint of pedogenesis superimposed on that of the loess parent material can be distinguished by comparing the magnetic susceptibility signature with the Fe 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 ratio. Based on the geochemical imprint and radiometric dates ( 14 C and thermoluminescence), the Bignell Loess (8000-5000 yr) is poorly weathered and the Brady Soil (10 000-8000 yr) is strongly weathered. The Peoria Loess (20 000-10 000 yr) has neither a traceable leaching nor weathering marker, and the Gilman Canyon pedocomplex (35 000-20000 yr) is strongly leached. The reddish pedocomplex (70 000-35 000 yr) is the most strongly weathered, probably due to stable land surface conditions in a mild climate, and the Barton sand (92 000-70 000 yr) seems to have been subjected to a moderate weathering. Within the exposed portion of the Loveland Loess (260 000-92 000 yr), weathering indices are inversely correlated with the carbonate content and the carbonate-rich soils were developed under warm dry environments before 92 000, around 193 000, and before 260 000 yr. The data also show that the geochemical background of Fe 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 is high in two portions of the section: from the Brady Soil to the Gilman Canyon pedocomplex and from LL1 to LL2 within the Loveland Loess. The geochemical background of Fe 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 in the loess-soil sequence might have been dictated by that of eolian sources.
Assessing Arm and Hand Function After Stroke: A Validity Test of the Hierarchical Scoring System Used in the Motor Assessment Scale for Stroke

Abstract Sabari JS, Lim AL, Velozo CA, Lehman L, Kieran O, Lai JS. Assessing arm and hand function after stroke: a validity test of the hierarchical scoring system used in the motor assessment scales for stroke. Objective To evaluate the validity of the scoring hierarchy for the 3 upper-limb items on the Motor Assessment Scale (MAS). Design Application of Rasch analysis to 3 independent measurement scales, each representing the upper-arm function, hand movements, and advanced hand activities items of the MAS. Setting Inpatient and outpatient occupational therapy (OT) programs in a department of rehabilitation of an urban hospital center. Participants One hundred patients (67 men, 33 women; average age, 54.3±14.4y; average time since stroke onset, 104d) attending OT for stroke rehabilitation. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure The MAS for stroke (upper-arm function, hand movements, and advanced hand activities sections). Results Rasch analysis provided support for the validity of hierarchical scoring criteria for the upper-arm scale. This analysis, however, identified inconsistencies in the hierarchical scoring criteria for the hand function and advanced hand activities scales and, when considering measurement error, only small differences in difficulty level between several behavioral criteria. Conclusions The findings lead to suggestions for changes in the behavioral criteria hierarchy for upper-limb items on the MAS and highlight the importance of using statistical analyses to test the validity of proposed hierarchies of behavioral criteria in functional assessments.
Explaining False Uniqueness: Why We are Both Better and Worse Than Others

People see themselves as unique from others – as having better personalities and abilities, more desirable opinions, and brighter futures than almost everyone else. In the past, researchers attributed these ‘false uniqueness perceptions’ primarily to a need or desire to see oneself in the most charitable light possible (i.e., self-enhancement). More recent findings – that oftentimes people claim to be worse off than others – call this view into question and raise the need to find explanations that can account for both positive and negative forms of uniqueness perceptions. This review describes several of the leading non-motivated (cognitive) explanations for false uniqueness perceptions and discusses recent empirical findings that establish their role in these phenomena. The rationality of false uniqueness perceptions and the status of motivated reasoning are also briefly considered.
Open-loop control of class-2 tensegrity towers

This paper concerns open-loop control laws for reconfiguration of tensegrity towers. By postulating the control strategy as an equilibrium tracking control, very little control energy is required. Several different reconfiguration scenarios are possible for different string connectivity schemes. This includes unit radius control, twist angle control and truncation parameter control. All these control laws allow a nonuniform distribution of the control parameters among units. By defining a wave--like reference signal and injecting it in the open--loop control law, we demonstrate the concept of self--propelled tensegrity structure that are capable of locomotion.
Study of x-ray emission from picosecond laser-plasma interaction

The kilo-electron-volt x-ray emission from picosecond laser plasma interactions is investigated using filtered x-ray PIN diodes and a time-integrated crystal spectrograph. Different laser pulse shapes are used. The conditions required to generate high-power, short-pulse duration x-ray line emission are analyzed. The plasma must be hot enough to ionize to the appropriate charge state and then cool rapidly to quench the emission.
Ciguatera -- Parameters of a Tropical Health Problem

Ciguatera fish poisoning is a significant health and resource problem in the tropical world, largely because of its uneven and unpredictable distribution in space and through time. Here, the problem is reviewed with evidence from the Pacific Basin. The contemporary distribution of ciguatera and the species commonly perceived to be toxic are considered and a hypothesis relating the greater prevalence of ciguatera in the eastern Pacific to reduced species diversity is presented. The problem is also considered as a public health phenomenon (the mean reported incidence for the Pacific region as a whole in 1981 was 109/100,000) and attention is given to island dwellers' adaptation to the problem, their explanations of its etiology, as well as its detection, prophylaxis, and cure.
Patient Satisfaction as a Quality Metric Promotes Bad Medicine—Reply

Dr Wexler is concerned that efforts to curtail unnecessary antibiotic use may lead to lower patient satisfaction with care. Our study, which did not measure patients’ experiences of care, does not address this concern directly.1 However, the intent of our intervention was to influence clinicians and patients in a way that might improve both antibiotic stewardship and patient experience. By publicly posting clinicians’ personal commitments to provide evidence-based care, we sought to enlist patients and clinicians in support of a common goal. Public commitments justify our future actions to others, leading naturally to understanding rather than dissatisfaction.2 And, people who show consistency with their public commitments are evaluated more positively than those who do not.3 On the broader issue that Dr Wexler raises, we can offer some encouragement. First, most patients who seek care for acute respiratory tract infections state that they want a diagnosis, reassurance, and relief from symptoms—not an antibiotic.4 This is true even when patients request antibiotics discordant with guidelines. Second, even in the face of such demand, several studies have shown that satisfaction does not increase with receipt of antibiotics.5 Third, critical methodological flaws have plagued recent studies linking better patient experience to adverse health outcomes and additional costs.6 To date, the evidence suggests that efforts to improve antibiotic prescribing do not result in significantly lower patient experience ratings. Improving patients’ experiences of care need not require that we abandon sound antibiotic prescribing principles.
Dual-layer coatings for polyimide composite thermo-oxidative stability

Abstract Dual-layer coatings consisting of layers of both aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide have been deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition onto polymide-based composites for thermo-oxidative protection. The silica was deposited from tetraethoxysilane, and the alumina was deposited from aluminum triisopropoxide. Deposition temperatures ranged between 573 and 598 K, and film thicknesses ranged from 100 to 200 nm. In all cases, alumina was deposited first, followed by the silica. Results indicate that such coatings improve the stability of these composites at elevated temperatures (to 673 K) for up to 300 h exposure to ambient air at 101.3 kPa (1 atm). Film systems with an alumina layer of intermediate thickness (150 nm) gave the greatest degree of resistance to thermo-oxidative mass loss (about half the mass loss rate of an uncoated control sample). Comparisons with earlier work with silica-only coatings showed the silica coating to be the best of all coatings studied, but there is considerable variation in the batch-to-batch performance of uncoated composite.
Array-based multiplexed screening and quantitation of human cytokines and chemokines.

HydroGel-coated slide is a porous substrate based on a polymer matrix that provides a three-dimensional hydrophilic environment similar to free solution suitable for biomolecular interactions. This substrate has been used to develop fluorescence-based multiplexed cytokine immunoassays. Forty-three monoclonal antibodies (mAb) of cytokines and chemokines were printed at a volume of 350 pL per spot using a Packard BioChip Arrayer. For each probe, four replicates were printed at a pitch of 500 μm in the layout of a 13 × 16 pattern on a 12 × 12 mm2 HydroGel pad. Cytokines and chemokines that are captured by the arrayed mAbs are detected by using another biotinylated mAb, following by the addition of a Texas Red-conjugated streptavidin. The fluorescent images of arrays were recorded using a Packard ScanArray 5000 confocal slide scanner and quantitated using Packard QuantArray software. Experiments demonstrated that 43 cytokines and chemokines could be simultaneously screened and quantitated in conditioned cultu...
Inverse Problem of Finding Time-Dependent Functions in the Minor Coefficient of a Parabolic Equation in the Domain with Free Boundary

We establish conditions for the unique solvability of the inverse problem of determination of timedependent parameters in the coefficient of an unknown function in a one-dimensional parabolic equation in the domain with free boundary.
What is the Prevalence of Children with Special Health Care Needs? Toward an Understanding of Variations in Findings and Methods Across Three National Surveys

Objectives To compare and consider sources of variation in the prevalence and characteristics of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) identified using the CSHCN Screener across the 2001 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN), the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) and the 2001–2004 Medical Expenditures Panel Surveys (MEPS).
Synthesis of Substituted Tetraselenafulvalenes from Dimethylphosgene Iminium Chloride

Abstract Tetramethyltetraselenafulvalene (TMTSF) and hexamethylenetetraselenafulvalene (HMTSF) can be conveniently synthesized using dimethyl phosgene iminium chloride as a starting material. The method and detailed experimental conditions are described.
Successful Single-Parent Families

The "deficit theory" which views single-parent families as "broken" and somehow doomed to develop problems engenders guilt in divorcing parents and blame from others. This pervasive view has restricted Ihe growth of knowledge about success in single-parent families. Twelve successful single-parent families in a large midwest city were studied in this qualitative research project. Extensive family interviews resulted in descriptions of multiple aspects of successful single-parent families. An understanding of the strengths of these families will be useful to researchers and clinicians working with single-parent families.
System performance of a prototype flat-panel imager operated under mammographic conditions.

The results of an empirical and theoretical investigation of the performance of a high-resolution, active matrix flat-panel imager performed under mammographic conditions are reported. The imager is based upon a prototype, indirect detection active matrix array incorporating a discrete photodiode in each pixel and a pixel-to-pixel pitch of 97 μm. The investigation involved three imager configurations corresponding to the use of three different x-ray converters with the array. The converters were a conventional Gd 2 O 2 S -based mammographicphosphor screen (Min-R) and two structured CsI:Tl scintillators: one optimized for high spatial resolution (FOS-HR) and the other for high light output (FOS-HL). Detective quantum efficiency for mammographic exposures ranging from ∼2 to ∼40 mR at 26 kVp were determined for each imager configuration through measurements of x-ray sensitivity, modulation transfer function(MTF), and noise power spectrum (NPS). All configurations were found to provide significant presampling MTF at frequencies beyond the Nyquist frequency of the array, ∼5.2 mm −1 , consistent with the high spatial resolution of the converters. In addition, the effect of additive electronic noise on the NPS was found to be significantly larger for the configuration with lower system gain (FOS-HR) than for the configurations with higher gain (Min-R, FOS-HL). The maximum DQE values obtained with the CsI:Tl scintillators were considerably greater than those obtained with the Min-R screen due to the significantly lower Swank noise of the scintillators. Moreover, DQE performance was found to degrade with decreasing exposure, although this exposure-dependence was considerably reduced for the higher gain configurations. Theoretical calculations based on the cascaded systems model were found to be in generally good agreement with these empirically determined NPS and DQE values. In this study, we provide an example of how cascaded systems modeling can be used to identify factors limiting system performance and to examine trade-offs between factors toward the goal of maximizing performance.