cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three-Year, Postintervention, Follow-up Comparison of Health Care Resource Utilization and Costs in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study.

Background The Lifesteyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study physical activity (PA) intervention was found to be cost-effective compared to health education (HE). However, long-term effects post-intervention are unknown. Method This was a secondary analysis of LIFE Study data linked to Medicare claims data (2014-2016). Participants were linked via Social Security Numbers to Medicare claims data. Utilization and cost variables were analyzed using generalized linear models with negative binomial and Tweedie distributions. Unadjusted means and 95% confidence intervals were compared by year and overall stratified. Each model compared PA vs. HE and adjusted for other baseline characteristics and stratified by study site. Additional models were stratified by baseline physical functioning assessment scores. Results Of the 1,635 LIFE Study participants, 804 (53.5%) were linked to Medicare claims with an average of 33 months of follow-up time during the 3-year data linkage period. Mean outpatient (6.6 vs. 6.8), inpatient (0.40 vs. 0.40), and other utilization metrics were similar between PA and HE groups. Costs were also similar for each group and each type of service, e.g. outpatient: $2070 vs. $2093 and inpatient: $4704 vs. $4792. Regression results indicated no statistically significant differences between PA and HE groups. Conclusions While the LIFE Study demonstrated that PA reduced mobility disability in older adults and was cost-effective, it did not appear to impact long-term health care utilization costs post-trial. These findings suggest that it remains challenging to impact long-term health care costs using physical activity interventions effects.
Impact of Fuel Enrichment on Key Naval Reactor Characteristics and Non-Proliferation Concerns

This work reports on a notional compact naval reactor core running at 50 MWt full power--designed to investigate core life, reactivity margins and plutonium inventory for different levels of enrichment. A simplified computer model was constructed with the OpenMC neutron transport code and coupled to ONIX to calculate depletion of the initial fuel load--uranium dioxide mixed with gadolinia. It is shown that a notional low enriched uranium naval core could sustain criticality for 5-7 years at full power and overcome xenon poison transients. Self-shielding of the burnable poison has been found to be significant in the radial direction and should be considered in such core design. Negative Doppler and moderator coefficients have been found for the low enriched cores. The plutonium inventory of the spent fuel produced at the end of life as a function of enrichment is also investigated. This study bears direct implications for the nonproliferation regime by suggesting that it may be possible to reduce the technical incentives for the use of highly enriched uranium on naval reactors.
Student Engagement; Who is in Charge?

This auto ethnographic study examines the difficulty in defining student engagement. Definitions from the author and her students are compared for intersections and disconnect. Trickle down engagem...
Edmund Yates and Women Writers of The World

This essay investigates the professional careers of a group of women writers associated with Edmund Yates in his role as editor and owner of various Victorian periodicals, including Temple Bar, Tim...
Are the Protective Effects of SGLT2 Inhibitors a “Class-Effect” or Are There Differences between Agents?

The cardiorenal benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors (SGLT2is) are transforming the care of CKD. An inherent challenge of practice-changing advances on this scale is how to best incorporate them into daily practice. In this vein, although there are four SGLT2is commercially available in the United States, the question remains whether these SGLT2is may be viewed as interchangeable or if specific agents offer unique benefits or harms in specific clinical settings. The more similarities between the agents within a pharmacologic class ( e.g. , chemical structure, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics), the greater the likelihood of shared class effects. Preclinical data, starting with largely comparable chemical structures, provide a foundation where class effects might be anticipated. Nevertheless, on- and off-target effects may be expected to modify the response to any drug—an area of particular interest when considering the potential for drug, rather than class-specific, effects (1). Although translational, toxicologic, and pharmacologic investigations carried out in model systems may shed light into class- versus drug-specific effects, the ultimate adjudicator of this question is data from sufficiently powered, rigorously controlled, human, randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Before delving into the trial data, it may be helpful to briefly review the preclinical data regarding SGLT2is to explore the a priori bio-plausibility of class- versus drug-specific effects. The origins of SGLT2is can be linked to two earlier tracks of research: familial renal glucosuria (FRG) and phlorizin rodent studies (2). The presence of patients with a familiar tendency to produce elevated levels of glucose in the urine, despite normal blood glucose, had been identified for some time and, as early as the 1920s, work had begun to identify the pattern of inheritance (2,3). The precise molecular mechanism for this clinical finding would take considerably longer to come to light (4). One observation from these patients that …
How Limitations in Energy Burdens Compromise Health Interventions for COVID Outbreaks in Urban Settings

Low-income households have experienced increased energy burdens and inaccess to healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has limited their ability to practice social distancing and stay-at-home orders. Here, we show that a households’ inability to adopt social distancing due to constraints in utility and healthcare expenditure drastically impacts the course of disease outbreak in five U.S. counties. Low-income households shoulder greater burdens of disease and death than other households, while functioning as a consistent source of exposure to higher income households. Health interventions combining social distancing and resource protection strategies (e.g., utility access and healthcare) were the most effective in limiting the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, resource protection strategies tailored to alleviate utilities and financial constraints for low-income households can protect the whole population. Current policies need to address the multidimensionality of energy burdens, housing environment, and public health. The findings also imply methods for future disaster management. Funding Information: C.-F. Chen, G. Bonilla, and H. Nelson are supported by the Engineering Research Center Program of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy under NSF award EEC-1041877 and the CURENT Industry Partnership Program. Declaration of Interests: The authors have no financial or non-financial interests associated with the material in this manuscript.
Explaining support for international action against human rights abusers

How do international audiences decide whether to support action against human rights abusers? Foreign governments often respond to human rights abuses with naming and shaming, economic sanctions, o...
Tangible information and charitable giving: When do nonprofit overhead costs matter?

Nonprofit organizations in the U.S. have been under the pressure to demonstrate their “worthiness” by minimizing overhead costs. Prior experiment studies find that donors respond negatively to high overhead costs when overhead information is highlighted. In reality, donors receive all sorts of information about nonprofit organizations from various channels. While high overhead has been found to reduce donors’ perceived impact and donations, providing other types of tangible information can increase charitable giving by enhancing donors’ perceived impact. When other types of information are available, to what degree overhead aversion still exists? We use two online survey experiments to examine how information on overhead costs and donation use affect giving decisions in a single-organization and two-organization evaluation setting. We found that only a small proportion of people demonstrated overhead aversion when presented with a single organization. There was stronger evidence of overhead aversion when participants were asked to compare and choose between two organizations. Nonetheless, providing tangible information about what donations can buy mitigated overhead aversion in both settings. This study contributes to the growing experimental research on the relationship between overhead ratios and charitable giving, and provides practical insights for nonprofits hoping to ameliorate overhead aversion and increase donation support.
Private Versus Public Relief: Utilization of Food Pantries Versus Food Stamps Among Poor Households in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

The research presented examines the role of private versus public food assistance programs in alleviating food shortages among poor households. First, multinomial probit models are used to examine which factors affect four alternative food assistance choices poor households make: 1) to use Food Stamps, 2) to use a food pantry, 3) to use both programs, or 4) to use neither program. Second, the efficacy of food pantries and food stamps in alleviating food shortages is investigated by using binomial probit models which estimate whether alternative food assistance programs have an effect on 1) whether the household perceives food shortages, and 2) whether a child's physical well-being is being compromised by a lack of food. The research uses data collected by the Food Distribution Research Project, which in 1993 surveyed 400 households below 185 percent of the poverty level.
Experimental Investigation and Analysis of the Effective Thermal Properties of Beryllium Packed Beds

Beryllium, in its pebble form, has been proposed in various blanket concepts to serve different purposes. Thermal property data for such a heterogeneous packed bed is needed, particularly data on the impact of compression forces on its magnitude and consequent temperature profile. The objectives of this work are to obtain and quanta experimental data on the effective thermal conductivity of a Be-He packed bed, on the interface heat conductance between Be and SiC, and on the effects of externally applied pressure on these effective thermal properties. The effective thermal conductivity of a Be-He pebble bed increases as the bed mean temperature increases. The values of effective thermal conductivity vary from 2.15 to 3.00 W/m. K for bed mean temperature ranges from 90 to 420°C. Similar temperature effects are seen in the Be/SiC interface heat conductance, as the values of interface heat conductance range from 1140 to 2200 W/m 2 .K. In addition, effective thermal conductivity increases remarkably with the increase of applied pressure (by a factor of 2.53 at 2 MPa), while it remains higher than the initial value by ∼0.3 W/m. K when external pressure is released (hysteresis effect).
Laser Raman spectroscopic instrumentation for in situ geochemical analyses in the deep ocean

Engineers and scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have successfully developed instrumentation for performing laser Raman spectroscopy in the deep ocean. Laser Raman spectroscopy is a form of vibrational spectroscopy that is capable of performing rapid, nondestructive, in situ geochemical analyses. The Deep Ocean Raman In Situ Spectrometer (DORISS) is based on a laboratory model laser Raman spectrometer from Kaiser optical systems, Inc. The sample is interrogated by a 532 nm laser and the Raman backscattered radiation passes through a holographic grating and is recorded on a CCD camera. Laser Raman spectroscopy is capable of analyzing a variety of solid, liquid and gaseous species. Due to the strict requirements for positioning the laser focal point when analyzing opaque samples, a Precision Underwater Positioning (PUP) system was built to position the DORISS probe head with respect to the sample. PUP is capable of translating the DORISS probe head in 0.1 mm increments with 1 mm repeatability. DORISS and PUP are deployed by MBARI's remotely operated vehicles - ROVs Tiburon and Ventana - and are controlled by a scientist aboard the surface ship. DORISS and PUP have been deployed a number of times in Monterey Bay, the Gulf of California, and Hydrate Ridge, Oregon for testing and analyses of natural targets of interest. The development of smaller, second generation systems will allow DORISS and PUP to be carried on other deep submergence vehicles for use by the wider oceanographic community.
Glucocorticoid Effects on Immune Responses

Abstract Recent studies have brought additional clarity to the mechanisms by which glucocorticoid (GC) steroid hormones exert both suppressive and permissive effects on immune responses. Widely used for their immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory actions, stress-elevated and therapeutic levels of GCs suppress defense mechanisms that would otherwise overshoot and damage the organism. Basal levels, on the other hand, are essential for permissive effects that prime defense mechanisms for more efficient action against a challenge. Both suppressive and permissive actions on immunity and inflammation have been documented in intact organisms. Suppressive actions are often due to inhibition by GCs of the production of cytokines and other mediators, whereas permissive effects include both induction of cytokine receptors and enhancement of activity of certain cytokines. GCs interact with both innate and adaptive immune responses. This is exemplified by immune–adrenal crosstalk wherein exposure to endotoxin stimulates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and GC production, largely via endotoxin-induced cytokines. These stress-induced levels of GCs are, in turn, essential for survival in the face of endotoxic shock. GCs influence adaptive immunity in many ways. They inhibit antigen-specific T-lymphocyte activation, slow or redirect the maturation of macrophages and dendritic cells, favor Th2 over Th1 responses, and enhance the development as well as actions of specialized T-regulatory cells. GCs also induce T-cell apoptosis selectively on different T-cell populations, and can protect thymocytes from apoptosis induced by activation of the T-cell receptor. Moreover, experiments with rats that are highly susceptible to autoimmune disorders demonstrate the importance of a normal stress-induced increase in GC levels for the physiological control of autoimmunity. At the molecular level, at least three mechanisms contribute to GC effects on immunity and inflammation. Transactivation and transrepression are the “classical” mechanisms whereby ligand-activated glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) bind to DNA sequences called GC response elements and either activate or repress transcription of the targeted gene. Transactivation of genes encoding inhibitory proteins and transrepression of inflammatory genes have been described. However, the majority of anti-inflammatory effects are due to so-called cross-talk in which GC-liganded GRs interact with transcription factor proteins such as nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and activator protein-1(AP-1), interfering with their ability to activate transcription of target genes.
Direct control of the temperature rise in parallel transmission by means of temperature virtual observation points: Simulations at 10.5 Tesla.

Purpose A method using parallel transmission to mitigate B1+ inhomogeneity while explicitly constraining the temperature rise is reported and compared with a more traditional SAR-constrained pulse design. Methods Finite difference time domain simulations are performed on a numerical human head model and for a 16-channel coil at 10.5 Tesla. Based on a set of presimulations, a virtual observation point compression model for the temperature rise is derived. This compact representation is then used in a nonlinear programming algorithm for pulse design under explicit temperature rise constraints. Results In the example of a time-of-flight sequence, radiofrequency pulse performance in some cases is increased by a factor of two compared with SAR-constrained pulses, while temperature rise is directly and efficiently controlled. Pulse performance can be gained by relaxing the SAR constraints, but at the expense of a loss of direct control on temperature. Conclusion Given the importance of accurate safety control at ultrahigh field and the lack of direct correspondence between SAR and temperature, this work motivates the need for thorough thermal studies in normal in vivo conditions. The tools presented here will possibly contribute to safer and more efficient MR exams. Magn Reson Med, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The analysis of convergence process of voivodships’ efficiency in Poland using the DEA method

Since 1999 â€“ when the new administrative division in Poland was introduced â€“ it has been possible to measure and compare standard of living between Polish and other European regions (NUTS II). In 2004 Poland has joined the European Union. Since that year voivodships have become main beneficiaries of the EU funds. The essential part of that aid is related to the EU cohesion policy (convergence objective). According to the fifth cohesion report "cohesion policy has made a significant contribution to spreading growth and prosperity across the Union, while reducing economic, social and territorial disparities". However, the differences in standard of living still remains significant between countries as well as between regions within one country. In many researches the level of welfare is measured using "classic" indicators (GDP per capita, GNI per capita, unemployment rate, etc.). In this paper the authors focus on the regional economies' efficiency. The efficiency will be measured using the Data Envelopment Analysis. Due to the method used, the efficiency will be measured as relative in nature, i.e. will be compared between voivodships within the period of research. The goal of the paper is to analyze variety of relative voivodships' efficiency in order to answer the question if the dispersion in efficiency is increasing or decreasing over time.
Parametric and sliced causality

Happen-before causal partial orders have been widely used in concurrent program verification and testing. This paper presents a parametric approach to happen-before causal partial orders. Existing variants of happen-before relations can be obtained as instances of the parametric framework. A novel causal partial order, called sliced causality, is then defined also as an instance of the parametric framework, which loosens the obvious but strict happen-before relation by considering static and dynamic dependence information about the program. Sliced causality has been implemented in a runtime predictive analysis tool for JAVA, named jPREDICTOR, and the evaluation results show that sliced causality can significantly improve the capability of concurrent verification and testing.
Affecting Attitudes Toward the Poor Through Group Process: The Alternative Break Service Trip

The intensive group process inherent in alternative break service trips offers a unique opportunity to foster transformative learning in undergraduate students. This exploratory study focuses on a two-year project in which graduate students who were professionally educated in group work led undergraduate students in national and international service trips focused on working with the poor. Analysis of triangulated data suggests a significant change in attitudes toward the poor during the service trip. This shift appears to be facilitated through the group process guided by the graduate student group leaders. Specific strategies that promote group development and reflective group interaction are identified. Areas for additional study are suggested.
Undergraduate Software Engineering Laboratory at Texas A&M University

The Undergraduate Software Engineering Laboratory has been funded by the National Science Foundation and is being created to provide computer science students hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used in modern software engineering. Each student receives experience in high-level system design and individual feedback about how their designs might be improved. To broaden the students' experience with computer hardware (which to this point has been dominated by personal computers), the equipment in the lab consists of state-of-the-art Unix workstations connected to a local-area network. Our presentation will overview the laboratory exercises and projects assigned to the students. The successes and failures will be discussed with insights on how to improve such a software engineering laboratory. Overall we will attempt to partially answer the question: How do you infuse structure and technology into the teaching of practical software engineering?
In hospital rehabilitation units, adding individualized fall-prevention education to usual care reduced falls

Source Citation Hill AM, McPhail SM, Waldron N, et al. Fall rates in hospital rehabilitation units after individualised patient and staff education programmes: a pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster-r...
Characterizing Optimal Adword Auctions

Abstract : We present a number of models for the adword auctions used for pricing advertising slots on search engines such as Google, Yahoo! etc. We begin with a general problem formulation which allows the privately known valuation per click to be a function of both the identity of the advertiser and the slot. We present a compact characterization of the set of all deterministic incentive compatible direct mechanisms for this model. This new characterization allows us to conclude that there are incentive compatible mechanisms for this auction with a multidimensional type-space that are not affine maximizers. Next, we discuss two interesting special cases: slot independent valuation and slot independent valuation up to a privately known slot and zero thereafter. For both of these special cases, we characterize revenue maximizing and efficiency maximizing mechanisms and show that these mechanisms can be computed with a worst case computational complexity O(n2m2) and O(n2m3) respectively, where n is number of bidders and m is number of slots. Next, we characterize optimal rank based allocation rules and propose a new mechanism that we call the customized rank based allocation. We report the results of a numerical study that compare the revenue and efficiency of the proposed mechanisms. The numerical results suggest that customized rank-based allocation rule is significantly superior to the rank-based allocation rules.
A novel DDS architecture using nonlinear ROM addressing with improved compression ratio and quantisation noise

This paper presents a novel direct digital synthesis (DDS) architecture that exploits the slope of the sine function for compression of storage requirements. The proposed architecture is compared with the existing DDS architectures and the simulation results demonstrate improved compression ratio and quantization noise.
Towards faster adaptation in extremum seeking control

We propose the inclusion of a dynamic compensator in the extremum seeking algorithm which improves the stability and performance properties of the method. This compensator is added to the integrator used for adaptation to improve the overall relative degree and phase response of the extremum seeking loop. The compensator is potentially more effective in accounting for the plant dynamics than the often used phase shifting of the demodulation signal. We present a detailed analysis of the extremum seeking system based on averaging. This analysis provides two linear models, one for tracking reference changes and the other for sensitivity to noise, which offer insight into how different parameters influence the performance. This analysis is less conservative than in previous cases and allows the use of faster adaptation for improved transients. We extend the extremum seeking method to problems of tracking changes in the set point which are more general than step functions.
EFFECT OF MATERNAL WORK ACTIVITY ON PRETERM BIRTH AND LOW BIRTH WEIGHT

The association of the prolonged standing required by certain jobs with the rate of preterm births and low birth weight deliveries was examined in New Haven, Connecticut, between 1980 and 1982. In a sample of 1,206 women, the rate of preterm births (births occurring less than 37 weeks from the last menstrual period) was higher among women with jobs requiring prolonged standing (7.7%) compared with those with sedentary (4.2%) or active jobs (2.8%). The odds of preterm delivery in the standing group was 2.72 (95% confidence interval of 1.24-5.95). A significant association between standing on the job and preterm birth was demonstrated when adjustment was made for the following variables in a logistic regression model: parity, smoking, education, caffeine use, marijuana use, race, gestational age at interview, and marital status. The low birth weight (less than 2,500 g) rate was higher among those in the standing group (5.5%) compared with those in the sedentary (4.0%) and active groups (4.0%), but this association was not significant when confounding factors were controlled.
Effects of an instructional gaming characteristic on learning effectiveness, efficiency, and engagement: using a storyline for teaching basic statistical skills

The study explored instructional benefits of a storyline gaming characteristic (GC) on learning effectiveness, efficiency, and engagement with the use of an online instructional simulation for graduate students in an introductory statistics course. A storyline is a game-design element that connects scenes with the educational content. In order to examine the interactions between the storyline GC and human performance, a storyline was embedded in a simulation. The goal of the simulation was to engage students in problem-solving and data analysis in the context of basic statistics by using real-world examples. The authors developed two different versions of the simulation: (1) Simulation+No GC, and (2) Simulation+Storyline GC. Both versions shared the same instructional content but differed in the presence or absence of a storyline GC. The results indicated that adding a storyline to a simulation did not result in significant improvements in learning effectiveness, efficiency, or engagement. However, both i...
Biomimetic bonelike polymer cementitious composite

This paper outlines the progress in the development of a biomimetic, prefabricated synthetic building material that is to have the superior properties of bone. The goal was to make polymer/ceramic composite which mimics bone in both process of fabrication and resultant properties and bond between phases, because bones and shells have been found to have greater toughness and strength than conventional ceramics alone due to the presence of organic bonding materials. The intimate connection between material phases is due to careful growth sequences, i.e. the fibers are made first and the matrix grown around them as opposed to conventional ceramics in which any fibers are added to the matrix. We followed the rules under which bone material naturally forms albeit at a macroscale, as spelled out by researchers in biological materials.
The highs and lows of being tone deaf.

Representations of pitch and space seem to interact. A new study now reports that people with amusia, a pitch processing deficit, do not show the interference between these concepts that is found in control subjects.
A tRNATRP gene mediates the suppression of cbs2-223 previously attributed to ABC1/COQ8

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene ABC1 was originally isolated as a multicopy suppressor of a yeast strain harboring a mutation in a cytochrome b translational activator (cbs2-223). Based on this identification, Abc1p was postulated to activate the bc1 complex and function as a chaperone of cytochrome b. ABC1 was subsequently identified as COQ8 and found to be necessary for yeast coenzyme Q synthesis. In this work we show that a segment of yeast genomic DNA containing ABC1/COQ8 and neighboring genes suppresses the respiratory and Q-deficient phenotypes of the coq6 mutant, coq6-1. COQ6 is essential for yeast coenzyme Q biosynthesis. We show that a tRNA(TRP) gene located downstream of ABC1/COQ8 mediates suppression of the cbs2-223 and coq6-1 mutations, and each is identified here as containing UGA nonsense codons. The inability of ABC1/COQ8 to suppress the cbs2-223 allele in multicopy indicates it may not be a chaperone as previously reported.
How human leukocytes track down and destroy pathogens: lessons learned from the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum

Human leukocytes, including macrophages and neutrophils, are phagocytic immune cells that capture and engulf pathogens and subsequently destroy them in intracellular vesicles. To accomplish this vital task, these leukocytes utilize two basic cell behaviors—chemotaxis for chasing down infectious pathogens and phagocytosis for destroying them. The molecular mechanisms controlling these behaviors are not well understood for immune cells. Interestingly, a soil amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum, uses these same behaviors to pursue and injest its bacterial food source and to organize its multi-cellular development. Consequently, studies of this model system have provided and will continue to provide us with mechanistic insights into the chemotaxis and phagocytosis of immune cells. Here, we review recent research in these areas that have been conducted in the Chemotaxis Signal Section of NIAID’s Laboratory of Immunogenetics.
Form and function of the oblique cord (chorda obliqua) in anthropoid primates.

The oblique cord of the forearm in humans is a ligament connecting the anterolateral aspect of the ulna proximally to the posteromedial aspect of the radius distally, inserting just below the radial tuberosity. Its functional significance is uncertain, but it has been proposed that the ligament limits supination of the forearm or aids in resisting buckling failure in the curved radius. These functional explanations are unsatisfactory for bipedal humans who do not use their forelimbs in weight support. Furthermore, there are no evolutionary explanations for its presence in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution and form of the oblique cord in non-human primates and to explore its possible functional significance and evolutionary origin in humans. Soft tissue dissections of anthropoid primates revealed the presence of an oblique cord in New and Old World monkeys and Asian apes. It was absent in all atelines. Passive manipulation of the two forearm bones in all specimens revealed that the ligament becomes most taut in pronation contrary to the proposed human condition. Isolated radii show that the oblique cord’s radial insertion lacks a clear relationship with bone curvature, thus providing little support for the hypothesis of preventing buckling failure. The oblique cord’s involvement in reducing bending strain in the curved radius is also unlikely. It is suggested here that the ligament may have a role in maintaining elbow stability in quadrupedal primates. Therefore, the function of the oblique cord in anthropoid primates suggests that its presence in modern humans may be a morphological and functional remnant from a quadrupedal ancestry.
Spectroscopic detection of (111) facets on supported Pd crystallites: Site blocking by ethylidyne on Pd/Al2O3

Abstract Transmission IR spectroscopy has been used to study very low CO coverages on Pd/Al 2 O 3 surfaces. It has been shown that on clean Pd surfaces, the first CO molecules adsorbed are adsorbed on (111) facets, as evidenced by the close agreement of CO vibrational frequency with those observed for 3-fold bridging and 2-fold bridging CO species on Pd(111). In distinction to this behavior, when the Pd surface is precovered with ethylidyne (CCH 3 ), a species thought to form only in 3-fold sites, the IR features for low coverages of CO no longer correspond to those for CO adsorption on Pd(111). A model is proposed in which CCH 3 effectively blocks all sites for CO adsorption on (111) facets on Pd crystallites. CO adsorption isotherms indicate that these (111) facets comprise 30 ± 10% of the total Pd crystallite surface.
Fractal boundary of domain of analyticity of the Feigenbaum function and relation to the Mandelbrot set

The universal map for the period-doubling transition to chaos is studied numerically in the complex plane. The boundary of the domain of analyticity of this function is obtained graphically and is shown to be a fractal with self-similar properties obtained by rescaling with the universal constantsα andδ. In the complex parameter plane, this domain is shown asymptotically to be similar to part of the Mandelbrot set.
Complexity in the binding of minor groove agents: netropsin has two thermodynamically different DNA binding modes at a single site

Structural results with minor groove binding agents, such as netropsin, have provided detailed, atomic level views of DNA molecular recognition. Solution studies, however, indicate that there is complexity in the binding of minor groove agents to a single site. Netropsin, for example, has two DNA binding enthalpies in isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments that indicate the compound simultaneously forms two thermodynamically different complexes at a single AATT site. Two proposals for the origin of this unusual observation have been developed: (i) two different bound species of netropsin at single binding sites and (ii) a netropsin induced DNA hairpin to duplex transition. To develop a better understanding of DNA recognition complexity, the two proposals have been tested with several DNAs and the methods of mass spectrometry (MS), polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in addition to ITC. All of the methods with all of the DNAs investigated clearly shows that netropsin forms two different complexes at AATT sites, and that the proposal for an induced hairpin to duplex transition in this system is incorrect.
Regulation of Cell Function via Extracellular Biophysical Environment: A Theoretical- Experimental Approach

Regulatory promise of electric field (EF) as a non-pharmacological, non-invasive tool to control cellular functions is of great therapeutic interest. However, biophysical mechanisms for the cell-EF interactions are not understood. We developed a theoretical-experimental approach to investigate EF effects on cells in electrode-free physiologically-relevant configuration, i.e. with cells attached to a substrate. Cell is modeled as a membrane-enclosed hemisphere with realistic parameters. Our numerical results demonstrated that EF frequency is the major parameter that controls the mechanism of EF interactions with cells in realistic environment. Non-oscillating or low-frequency EF leads to charge accumulation on the cell surface membrane and results in field screening from the cytoplasm, suggesting that in this regime, cell responses are regulated by EF interactions with the surface membrane receptors. In contrast, high-frequency EF penetrates the cell membrane and reaches cell cytoplasm, where it may directly activate intracellular responses. Theoretical simulation predicts the non-uniform distribution of the induced field within the cell membrane, which depends on the applied EF frequency. Importantly, substrate properties significantly affect both magnitude and distribution of the induced field on the cell membrane, underscoring the need for a comprehensive, physiologically-relevant modeling approach for EF-cell interactions. These theoretical predictions were confirmed in our experimental studies of the effects of applied EF on responses of vascular cells. Results show that non-oscillating EF increases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression while field polarity controls cell adhesion rate. High-frequency, but not low-frequency, EF provides differential regulation of cytoplasmic focal adhesion kinase and VEGF expression depending on the substrate, with increased expression in cells cultured on RGD-rich synthetic hydrogels, and decreased expression for basement membrane (matrigel) culture. These results advance our understanding of complex mechanisms underlying cell-EF interactions and may contribute to future EF-based therapies.
Quality Circle Performance

Quality circle advocates suggest a wide array of positive results when this participation technique is used. This study explores the importance of company, employee group (circle or non-circle), and time as well as their interactions. Assessment of circle performance was measured by employee attitudes, actual performance, and facilitator perception. This study did not support small group behavior and group dynamics research, as well as quality circle case study reports, that suggest attitudes will improve when quality circles are formed and will remain improved over time. Actual performance indicated cost savings and perceived circle success in three of the four circles, even though neither attitudes nor quality significantly improved over time.
LOCAL ATOMIC ARRANGEMENT IN In--Pb ALLOYS.

Local order and size effect coefficients were measured from diffuse X-ray scattering of In-Pb solid solutions. The sign of the observed local order coefficient α 1 is positive, indicating that clustering is preferred in this system. This is expected from heats of formation in the liquid phase measured by other investigators and also from the electron screening model of an alloy. From measured size effect coefficients β 1 and local order coefficients α 1 it is found that relatively large atom size accomodations, compared with other systems, take place in this system.
Recurrent venous thrombosis as the presenting manifestation of acute lymphocytic leukemia: Leukemic cell procoagulant activity is not responsible for the hypercoagulable state

The association of cancer with clinical abnormalities of blood coagulation, including superficial thrombophlebitis, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is well-known, particularly in patients with solid tumors and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Less commonly appreciated is the potential for the development of venous thromboembolic disease (TED) in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Multiple mechanisms have been implicated for the activation of coagulation in these patients, with an emphasis on the contribution made by the procoagulant properties of the tumor cells themselves. We present two cases of patients with pre-B cell ALL, both of whom developed recurrent TED as the presenting manifestation of their leukemia and/or heralding relapse. The blast cells from one of the patients were studied for the presence of procoagulant activity (PCA) and by Northern blot analysis for tissue factor (TF) messenger RNA (mRNA). Neither PCA nor TF mRNA could be identified in highly purified populations of the lymphoblast cells. We conclude that recurrent TED can be a manifestation of ALL and that mechanisms other than the release of tumor cell procoagulants should be sought to explain the pathogenesis of thrombosis in some patients. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Real-time pose estimation with RGB-D camera

An RGB-D camera is a sensor which outputs the distances to objects in a scene in addition to their RGB color. Recent technological advances in this area have introduced affordable devices in the robotics community. In this paper, we present a real-time feature extraction and pose estimation technique using the data from a single RGB-D camera. First, a set of edge features are computed from the depth and color images. The down-sampled point clouds consisting of the feature points are aligned using the Iterative Closest Point algorithm in 3D space. New features are aligned against a model consisting of previous features from a limited number of past scans. The system achieves a 10 Hz update rate running on a desktop CPU, using VGA resolution RGB-D scans.
Striatal cholinergic interneuron regulation and circuit effects

The striatum plays a central role in motor control and motor learning. Appropriate responses to environmental stimuli, including pursuit of reward or avoidance of aversive experience all require functional striatal circuits. These pathways integrate synaptic inputs from limbic and cortical regions including sensory, motor and motivational information to ultimately connect intention to action. Although many neurotransmitters participate in striatal circuitry, one critically important player is acetylcholine (ACh). Relative to other brain areas, the striatum contains exceptionally high levels of ACh, the enzymes that catalyze its synthesis and breakdown, as well as both nicotinic and muscarinic receptor types that mediate its postsynaptic effects. The principal source of striatal ACh is the cholinergic interneuron (ChI), which comprises only about 1-2% of all striatal cells yet sends dense arbors of projections throughout the striatum. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the factors affecting the excitability of these neurons through acute effects and long term changes in their synaptic inputs. In addition, we discuss the physiological effects of ACh in the striatum, and how changes in ACh levels may contribute to disease states during striatal dysfunction.
CA7-05: Transforming Primary Care in 3 NCQA-Certified PCMHs

Background/Aims Hopes are high for revitalizing primary care through transformation to a Patient- Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model. This model has been implemented in some capitated integrated delivery systems, but the transferability of PCMH to practices with a mixture of fee-for- service (FFS) and capitation contracts is uncertain. This study documents and analyzes how a transformation into a PCMH was achieved in a largely FFS multispecialty group practice in Northern California which has 30 clinics in three geographically distinct divisions. Division A was certified by NCQA at level 3 PCMH, Divisions B and C at level 2 PCMH.
Quantum wires in strained silicon quantum wells on tilted substrates

Abstract Quantum wires have been fabricated in strained silicon heterostructures grown on 2 ∘ tilted substrates. Magnetoresistance of both wires and Hall bars have been examined at 0.3 K for slow Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations that would indicate the formation of minigaps in the band structure of off-axis electron transport. Structures were oriented both parallel and perpendicular to the step edges. The Hall bar structures exhibit no evidence of miniband formation at 0.3 K, and little anisotropy other than slightly reduced carrier density and mobility in the perpendicular Hall bar. The quantum wires are decidedly more modulated by low-frequency oscillations, and exhibit anisotropic behavior.
Technology developed for diverting passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagged fish at hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Basin

Data collected on juvenile salmonids tagged with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags as they migrate seaward through the Columbia River Basin provide fisheries managers and resource agencies with valuable information to evaluate the effectiveness of current management actions and restoration strategies. The development of new technology to route PIT-tagged fish through multiple alternative pathways as they pass through the interrogation systems at the fish bypass/monitoring facilities at hydroelectric dams provides another valuable real-time tool to monitor and evaluate the migration, passage, and survival of PIT-tagged juvenile salmonids in the basin. The authors describe the current computer program and gate-control technology for routing fish, and provide detailed descriptions of three new types of fish-diversion gates. The comparative advantages and disadvantages of each gate are discussed. The prototype of a fourth diversion gate, with only one moving part, is also described.
A Review of the Evidence for the Medical Home for Children With Special Health Care Needs

CONTEXT. The receipt of health care in a medical home is increasingly touted as a fundamental basis for improved care for persons with chronic conditions, yet the evidence for this claim has not been systematically assessed. OBJECTIVE. Our goal was to determine the evidence for the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau recommendation that children with special health care needs receive ongoing comprehensive care within a medical home. METHODS. We searched the nursing and medical literature, references of selected articles, and requested expert recommendations. Search terms included children with special health care needs, medical home-related interventions, and health-related outcomes. Articles that met defined criteria (eg, children with special health care needs, United States–based, quantitative) were selected. We extracted data, including design, population characteristics, sample size, intervention, and findings from each article. RESULTS. We selected 33 articles that reported on 30 distinct studies, 10 of which were comparison-group studies. None of the studies examined the medical home in its entirety. Although tempered by weak designs, inconsistent definitions and extent of medical home attributes, and inconsistent outcome measures, the preponderance of evidence supported a positive relationship between the medical home and desired outcomes, such as better health status, timeliness of care, family centeredness, and improved family functioning. CONCLUSIONS. The evidence provides moderate support for the hypothesis that medical homes provide improved health-related outcomes for children with special health care needs. Additional studies with comparison groups encompassing all or most of the attributes of the medical home need to be undertaken.
Methyl Pyropheophorbide-a Analogues: Potential Fluorescent Probes for the Peripheral-Type Benzodiazepine Receptor. Effect of Central Metal in Photosensitizing Efficacy

Pyropheophorbides and their metal complexes were synthesized to investigate their applications as nonradioactive peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) binding probes and photosensitizers for use in photodynamic therapy. They were found to be localized in mitochondria and showed significant binding to PBR. In some cases, the PBR binding values were similar to that for 17 (PK11195, 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)isoquinoline-3-carboxamide). However, no direct correlation between 17 displacement ability and photosensitizing efficacy of photosensitizers was observed.
Development of Salivary Gland Cell Lines for Studies of Signaling and Physiologya

We developed and characterized an immortalized rat parotid cell line to use in salivary gland studies. The cells were immortalized by retroviral transduction of SV40 large T antigen into isolated parotid cells. Using immunocytochemical techniques, we found that the immortalized epithelial cells were ductal, rather than acinar, in nature. Cells were grown under coculture conditions with lethally irradiated NIH3T3 cells. One cell line, which was designated RPG1/SV40 cells (for rat parotid gland 1/SV40 transformant), was selected for characterization. These cells formed a sheet epithelium with tight junctions and a measurable transepithelial resistance. RPG1/SV40 cells responded to muscarinic receptor (carbachol) and/or P2 purinoceptor (ATP and UTP) stimuli with increases in the following: (1) intracellular free-calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i); (2) the short-circuit current (ISC) across the epithelium; (3) the tyrosine phosphorylation of PKC delta; and (4) MAP kinase activity. Thus, the cells appear to be useful for a wide range of studies involving physiology, biochemistry, and signal transduction approaches.