cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Levels of Public Health

To ensure the equitable delivery of health care, there must be clear conceptions of (1) the goals to be achieved by this care, (2) the sufficient extent of improvement, and (3) the level of health to which the care is to raise the individual or the community. Yet there is no consensus on either the meaning of helath or the degree of health for which we should aim. This article clarifies the concept of health by means of a discussion of four models of health that provides directive aims for public health practice, each with its own orientaion. In addition, the options for defining an adequate minimal level of public health are analyzed. This is an especially important issue, since resources for public health work are limited. Finally, a principle of fair allocation for public health resorces is suggested.
Operating System Security

Operating systems provide the fundamental mechanisms for securing computer processing. Since the 1960s, operating systems designers have explored how to build "secure" operating systems - operating systems whose mechanisms protect the system against a motivated adversary. Recently, the importance of ensuring such security has become a mainstream issue for all operating systems. In this book, we examine past research that outlines the requirements for a secure operating system and research that implements example systems that aim for such requirements. For system designs that aimed to satisfy these requirements, we see that the complexity of software systems often results in implementation challenges that we are still exploring to this day. However, if a system design does not aim for achieving the secure operating system requirements, then its security features fail to protect the system in a myriad of ways. We also study systems that have been retrofit with secure operating system features after an initial deployment. In all cases, the conflict between function on one hand and security on the other leads to difficult choices and the potential for unwise compromises. From this book, we hope that systems designers and implementors will learn the requirements for operating systems that effectively enforce security and will better understand how to manage the balance between function and security.Table of Contents: Introduction / Access Control Fundamentals / Multics / Security in Ordinary Operating Systems / Verifiable Security Goals / Security Kernels / Securing Commercial Operating Systems / Case Study: Solaris Trusted Extensions / Case Study: Building a Secure Operating System for Linux / Secure Capability Systems / Secure Virtual Machine Systems / System Assurance
Defense mechanisms against your partner.

I wish to examine both the range of defense mechanisms that may be helpful to the individual ophthalmologists and the nature of our "partner." The definition of defense mechanism as "a reaction whereby an organism defends itself (as against disease germs)" will become increasingly appropriate. Also noteworthy is the contrasting definition of partner labelled archaic ("one that shares in the possession or enjoyment with another"), as compared to the current definition ("one that is associated in any action with another"). This program implies "government" to be our partner, but note the array of the nongovernment partners and the spectrum of government partners (Table 1). The nongovernment partners range from one's spouse through third party insurers to the many medical organizations. Miniscule imagination is required to picture all the real and implied contracts with these nongovernmental entities. The government partners are also a heterogeneous group, varying from the City and State Boards of Health through Federal Bureaus, like the HHS, PHS, FDA, FTC, and IRS. Each of our partners has expectations and their own rules of the game. The nongovernment partner relationships to a large extent are made voluntarily, and the rules are less binding (marriage, perhaps excepted). Careful perusal of the Constitution's Bylaws ·and of the organizations and knowledge of the penalties of dissolution of the partner relationships are a prerequisite for appropriate behavior and action. The guidelines, procedures, and practices of these associations are being changed as government exerts its direct influence on them, and hence indirectly on you. Thus, the Federal Trade Commission, in instituted litigation against the American Medical Association and the American Dental Association, which resulted in their rules of ethics and their applications being changed and the use of them in the "restraint of competition" areas, was enjoined. On appeal and in the Supreme Court, these injunctions were upheld in American Medical Association vs Federal Trade Commission, finally decided in mid-1982.
High-resolution Computed Tomography for Clinical Imaging of Bone Microarchitecture

Background The role of bone structure, one component of bone quality, has emerged as a contributor to bone strength. The application of high-resolution imaging in evaluating bone structure has evolved from an in vitro technology for small specimens to an emerging clinical research tool for in vivo studies in humans. However, many technical and practical challenges remain to translate these techniques into established clinical outcomes.
The dispersion of clonally related cells in the developing chick telencephalon.

Abstract Lineage analysis in the chick telencephalon was carried out using a library of retroviral vectors. Clones were analyzed in posthatch day 14–21 animals for the phenotype and final locations of sibling cells. Clones often contained multiple types of neurons and glia. Clones of more than four cells almost always crossed functional boundaries. They were dispersed primarily along the rostrocaudal axis or in multiple directions, e.g., along the rostrocaudal and mediolateral axes. In order to begin to understand how the final patterns of dispersion were reached, embryonic tissue was examined. Radial migration, apparently supported by radial glial cells, occurred within the proliferative zones in all clones. In contrast to the migration of cells in the mammalian telencephalon, no tangential migration within the proliferative zones was observed at any age examined. However, beginning at embryonic day 4.5, tangential migration in the mantle zone in multiple directions was observed among the majority of clones. This type of migration occurred as soon as a mantle zone became apparent. It appeared that the tangential migration was not along radial glial processes. As in the mammalian telencephalon and chick diencephalon, dispersion among clonally related cells in the chick telencephalon is frequent, is extensive, and results from tangential migration in a variety of directions.
Ab initio studies of Mo-based alloys: Mechanical, elastic, and vibrational properties

Abstract Mo-based alloys hold great potential as structural materials for applications at ultra-high temperatures. In order to reliably predict mechanical and thermodynamic properties of Mo-based alloys, the Mo–Si–B model system is studied using first-principles density functional theory methods. Specifically, five intermetallic compounds MoSi 2 , Mo 5 Si 3 , Mo 3 Si, Mo 5 SiB 2 and Mo 2 B are chosen, and their equilibrium lattice parameters, elastic properties, phonon spectra, and thermodynamic properties are calculated and compared, most of them for the first time. It is shown that for the calculated properties where the measured data are available, the predicted results are in very good agreement with available experiments, thus validate our computational methodologies. Our comprehensive and systematic calculations reveal many interesting and previously unknown features in the mechanical and vibrational properties of these alloys in relation to their structure and composition. It is shown that boron in the Mo–Si–B system enhances elastic and bulk properties without compromising ductility. MoSi 2 , which has the largest Si concentration, also has the largest elastic anisotropy compared with the other four crystals.
A historical overview of the phenomenologic movement

Phenomenologically based research has become increasingly important in nursing. This article provides a brief historical overview of the philosophical base of this method. Key figures and important concepts arc highlighted to clarify important, complex aspects of phenomenology.
Quinine sulfate for leg cramps: does it work?

Objective To study the efficacy of quinine in the prevention of nocturnal leg muscle cramps. Design Double-blind, randomized, crossover trial with four periods of observation, each lasting 2 weeks. Setting General internal medicine outpatient clinic. Participants Ambulatory outpatients who experienced an estimated two or more typical nocturnal leg cramps per week. Intervention 200 mg of quinine taken at bedtime. Main Outcome Measures Self-reported ratings of leg cramp frequency, duration, and intensity. Results Sixteen patients completed the trial. During the 2 weeks patients used quinine, there was no statistically significant reduction in mean leg cramp number (quinine 3.5 vs placebo 4.2, P = 0.48), mean leg cramp duration (quinine 152 seconds vs placebo 163 seconds, P = 0.89), or patient ratings of severity using a 1 (low) to 10 (high) scale (quinine = 4.2 vs placebo = 4.0, P = 0.83). Conclusion No significant reduction in nocturnal leg cramp frequency, intensity, or duration could be found using nightly quinine in this study. Since quinine is not without the potential for side effects and drug interactions, clinicians need to carefully consider the likelihood of modest benefit associated with quinine against the potential for side effects and drug-drug interactions.
Reinterpretation of 4A2 → 2E exciton spectra in YCr3

Abstract The results of a detailed group theory analysis of the 4 A 2 → 2 E excitons in YCrO 3 are presented and the data of Aoyagi, Tsushima and Sugano is reinterpreted using these results.
Oxygen consumption of Microtus montanus in relation to ambient temperature.

Standard metabolic rates of montane voles, Microtus mont anus, average 2.65 ce O2/g hr, a value that is 75% higher than would be predicted from empirical equations relating metabolism to body weight. A thermoneutral zone extends from 26-31 °C. Below thermoneutrality, oxygen consumption is an inverse, linear function of ambient temperature. Minimal thermal conductance is estimated at 0.816 cal/g hr °C. Body temperatures of montane voles are independent of ambient temperature between -5°C and 26°C, and average 37.5-37.8°C.
MAGNESIUM PHARMACOKINETICS: A PILOT STUDY IN INFANTS STARTING ON EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION (ECMO) 879

MAGNESIUM PHARMACOKINETICS: A PILOT STUDY IN INFANTS STARTING ON EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION (ECMO) 879
A new “kid” on the platelet thrombin receptor “block”: Glycoprotein Ib–IX–V

If you cut yourself, your hemostatic system will recruit circulating platelets and plasma fibrinogen/fibrin to staunch the loss of blood. These two arms of hemostasis combine to produce the hemostatic plug, comprised of aggregated platelets and deposited fibrin. “Plug” formation is regulated in terms of time, place, and extent so as to minimize bleeding from injured arteries/veins, while avoiding any obstruction of nearby uninjured vessels. Such finely tuned regulation entails cross-talk between the platelet and the fibrin pathways, and nature has chosen the plasma protease, thrombin, acting on platelet thrombin receptor(s) as the vital link between the two systems. This linkage is the topic of studies by Ramakrishnan and colleagues (1) in this issue of PNAS, who have applied “knockout-mouse” technology to identify a heretofore unappreciated platelet thrombin receptor, glycoprotein (GP) Ib–IX–V (1). A main conclusion is that GP Ib–IX–V acts as a thrombin receptor only after it jettisons its GP V chain/inhibitor, either through thrombin cleavage or knockout.
Hom-stacks and restriction of scalars

Fix an algebraic space S, and let X and Y be separated Artin stacks of finite presentation over S with finite diagonals (over S). We define a stack HomS(X,Y) classifying morphisms between X and Y. Assume that X is proper and flat over S, and assume fppf locally on S that there exists a finite finitely presented flat cover Z→X with Z an algebraic space. Then we show that HomS(X,Y) is an Artin stack with quasi-compact and separated diagonal
Chronic Cough in Children

The management of chronic cough, a common complaint in children, is challenging for most health care professionals. Millions of dollars are spent every year on unnecessary testing and treatment. A rational approach based on a detailed interview and a thorough physical examination guides further intervention and management. Inexpensive and simple homemade syrups based on dark honey have proved to be an effective measure when dealing with cough in children.
The transition from classroom to online teaching.

TOPIC.Online teaching. PURPOSE.To describe the pedagogical transition that needs to be considered before putting a class online. SOURCES.Published literature. CONCLUSIONS.Advances in technology will continue to alter teaching strategies. The changing paradigm of online education needs further research to advance the science of nursing education.
Soil-water measurement using synthetic aperture radar in mountainous rangeland areas

Airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-derived soil moisture (mv) estimates were evaluated using field measured and distributed hydrologic model simulated mv values in the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW), located in a semi-arid mountainous watershed in Southwest Idaho. A soil moisture inversion algorithm was developed by comparing L-HH SAR sigma0 (dB), corrected for surface roughness and topographic effects, with field measurements. The algorithm was found to be consistent with an algorithm developed in a previous study done on other rangelands. The corrected SAR-based soil moisture maps show relatively dry conditions at lower elevations and vice-versa, which is consistent with field observations. Change detection was found to give results similar to those from the corrected SAR, but it tends to give lower soil moisture values than the field measured or corrected SAR-based approaches. Out of the two SAR-based approaches used for the determination of mv, change detection is simpler and adequate for the measurement of soil moisture changes. The corrected SAR approach is relatively difficult but it is better for the areas where absolute mv measurements are required and SAR data under dry conditions are not available. The hydrologic model tended to overestimate surface mv, which is what SAR senses. This was due to the failure of the model in accurately accounting for surface evaporation processes unless subsoil was relatively dry. In general, the overall trends in mv, especially for 1989 and 1991, were reasonably represented but probably a little over the actual values. The soil moisture simulation model, corrected SAR, and ground measurements provided a unique mounds to study the moisture changes and distribution patterns in rangelands with an imaging SAR.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The TRAIN-SEA-COAST Programme: new challenges for the development of human resources on coastal and ocean management in Brazil

The TRAIN-SEA-COAST Programme (TSC) was created in 1993 by the United Nations Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. The overall goal of the Programme is capacity building at the local level. The Programme is implemented through a network of 14 Course Development Units based at the national level. The Programme is a response to Agenda 21 to strengthen human capacity on ocean and coastal issues. The Programme develops training courses adopting the TRAIN-X methodology that is material-oriented and instructor-independent. Priority areas and target populations of the training courses are defined within each country according to its own requirement. The TRAIN-X methodology is suitable to design training courses on complex issues, as are environmental ones, and its use can improve and speed up the training process. In Brazil, the Programme began its activities in 1995 at the University of Rio Grande. The training course developed by this unit, Integrated Coastal Management: exchange and interrelationships among the continental and oceanic systems, has been delivered 14 times to more than 250 trainees of all 17 coastal States. TSC/Brazil is presently involved with the development and delivery of two training courses, one demanded by the Ministry of Environment and it is included in the National Port Environmental Training Programme; another attends the needs of the International Global Ballast Water Management Programme, a cooperation between the International Maritime Organization and TSC. The courses under development respond to specific target populations and schedules, but they will be available to the TSC network after they are validated. The TSC/Brazil has to be empowered and better structured to efficiently cooperate on building national capacity on ocean and coastal issues. The Programme's success depends on political, financial and individual commitment.
Polyethylene wear debris from hip simulator fluid captured and separated using bio-ferrography

This paper describes an experimental method, Bio-Ferrography, to separate ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) wear debris, generated in hip simulators, from bovine serum lubricating fluid. A total of 54 experiments were performed in which an enzyme digestion “cocktail” was developed and used to clean the bovine serum samples of extraneous sugars, proteins and lipids that interfere with the UHMWPE particle separation. Erbium chloride was used to marginally magnetize particles in the fluid prior to passing through the ferrographic device. The particles were captured and separated from the fluid by traversing the treated serum across a magnetic gap of a bio-ferrograph. Morphology of the captured and separated wear debris was compared with particles from samples of fluid filtered through a paper sieve arrangement with pores of 0.05 micrometers in diameter. The UHMWPE wear debris collected using the described experimental method, were found to be between 0.1 and 20 micrometers in diameter with spherical and pill-shaped particles. The filtered UHMWPE particles were also in the same size range as the debris separated using bio-ferrography, 0.1 to 20 micrometers. To show that the experimental method captured UHMWPE particles, the spectra of the chemical composition of UHMWPE from an acetabular cup insert of a hip implant and of UHMWPE particles separated using Bio-Ferrography were compared and found to be the same. To further demonstrate that polyethylene could be captured and separated through the experimental method, manufactured polyethylene microspheres in the diameter range of 3 to 45 micrometers, were captured and separated using the bio-ferrographic process.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Effectiveness of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy for the Treatment of Combat-Related Nightmares in Veterans

Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) has been shown to be efficacious in reducing nightmares, but the treatment has not been well-studied in veterans. The effectiveness of IRT was assessed from a chart review of veterans seeking outpatient treatment for chronic, trauma-related nightmares. Of those offered IRT, veterans who completed a full course of treatment for PTSD in the past year were more likely to initiate treatment. However, completion of IRT was not related to previous treatment, demographic variables, or nightmare severity reported at the first treatment session. Treatment completers reported significant reductions in nightmare frequency and intensity, severity of insomnia, and subjective daytime PTSD symptoms. Insomnia and PTSD symptoms, on average, were below clinical cutoffs following treatment, and 23% of patients showed a complete treatment response (< or =1 nightmare/week). Findings suggest IRT may be an effective short-term treatment for nighttime and daytime PTSD symptoms among veterans who complete a full course of treatment.
Solvent effects on the triplet state population in jet stream cw dye lasers

Abstract The triplet state population for Rhodamine 6G and Rhodamine B in viscous solvents is investigated in a free flow cw dye laser. By measuring small signal gain vs wavelength and residual cavity losses the values of kSTτT (triplet crossover rate times triplet lifetime) are determined. The obtained values for Rd 6 G are, 0.77 in 2,2 oxydiethanol, 0.80 in ethylene glycol, 1.60 in n-decanol and 1.62 in benzyl alcohol. Possible factors influencing the triplet population are discussed.
Interactions of the products, 8-oxo-dGMP, dGMP, and pyrophosphate with the MutT nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase.

The MutT enzyme from E. coli, in the presence of a divalent cation, catalyzes the hydrolysis of nucleoside- and deoxynucleoside-triphosphate (NTP) substrates by nucleophilic substitution at Pβ, to yield a nucleotide (NMP) and PPi. The best substrate of MutT is believed to be the mutagenic nucleotide 8-oxo-dGTP, on the basis of its 103.4-fold lower Km than that of dGTP (Maki, H., and Sekiguchi, M. (1992) Nature 355, 273−275). To determine the true affinity of MutT for an 8-oxo-nucleotide and to elucidate the kinetic scheme, product inhibition by 8-oxo-dGMP and dGMP and direct binding of these nucleotides to MutT were studied. With Mg2+-activated dGTP hydrolysis, 8-oxo-dGMP is a noncompetitive inhibitor with KIslope = 49 nM, which is 104.6-fold lower than the KIslopeof dGMP (1.7 mM). Similarly, the KIintercept of 8-oxo-dGMP is 104.0-fold lower than that of dGMP. PPi is a linear uncompetitive inhibitor, suggesting that it dissociates first from the product complex, followed by the nucleotide. Noncompetitive ...
Aggregation patterns of fetal rat brain cells following exposure to X-irradiation.

In our search for a simplified in vitro test system to assess the teratogenic effects of physical factors, we studied the effects of total maternal body X-irradiation on aggregation patterns of enzymatically isolated fetal rat brain cells and on ultrastructural aggregate changes. The fetal brain cells were derived from day 14 gestation fetuses of pregnant Sprague-Dawley (CD strain) rats exposed to X-irradiation (25 - 200 R) one hour prior to sacrifice. Notable changes in the cell aggregates following X-irradiation included a reduction in cell aggregate size and an increase in number. The frequency of cell aggregates was higher in the treated than in the control group, and the mean diameter of cell aggregates was inversely related to increasing X-irradiation doses. Transmission electron microscopy revealed in isolated cells features of degenerative process which were similar to those found in intact fetal brain lesions caused by maternal X-irradiation. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy revealed that inhibition of cell aggregation following X-irradiation could probably be attributed to inhibition of membrane filopodia development and a consequent failure of cell aggregates to fuse into a greater cell aggregate mass. These results suggest that the membrane factors which influence cell aggregation may be a useful parameter tomore » assess early effects of X-irradiation-induced brain deformity. Presently, the cell aggregation culture system is being further evaluated as a short term test system for environmental teratogens.« less
Toxicity of metals and low pH to embryos and larvae of the Jefferson salamander, Ambystoma jeffersoniannum

Field and laboratory studies were undertaken to determine if low pH and five metals commonly found in some ponds (Al, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn) might interfere with the ability of the Jefferson salamander, Ambystoma jeffersonianum, to successfully reproduce. The presence of Jefferson salamander breeding, embryonic survival, and hatching success in ten temporary ponds was correlated with levels of measured water chemistry variables (alkalinity, NO3, SO4, SiO2, DOC, PO4, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, pH, conductivity, TDS, temperature, and DO). Jefferson salamander embryos (4 days post-fertilization) and 4 day post-hatch larvae were exposed to Al, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn at four levels and at two pHs (4.50 and 5.50) which bracketed levels commonly found in nature in temporary ponds in central Pennsylvania. Hatching success was influenced by Al and Zn. Increasing Al, Pb, and Zn concentrations had significant effects on developmental rate. Egg mass embryonic mortality was influenced by Al, Cu, and Fe. Larval mortality was significantly affected by Cu, Fe, and Zn. In conclusion, the presence of metals in temporary ponds has both positive and negative effects on reproductive success of the Jefferson salamander.
Financial risk management: dynamic versus static hedging

Despite the growing evidence that speculative assets have time–varying variances and covariances, risk management techniques have not exploited this potentially useful property. This article proposes a dynamic risk management (hedging) model that takes advantage of time dependencies present in the joint distribution of the returns of spot assets and futures contracts. The hedging effectiveness of the dynamic model is compared to that of the static model. There is clear evidence that dynamic hedging is superior to static hedging in terms of both total variance reduction and expected utility maximisation. These results hold even when transactions costs are incorporated into the analysis.
Landscape (and) urbanism? Engaging Nolli

Landscape urbanism is articulated against the purported failures of traditional urban design practices to conceptualize adequately the transience, adaptability, and ecological complexity demanded by contemporary urbanism. This paper engages Giambattista Nolli’s 1748 map of Rome, a seminal example of the figure ground representational method, to highlight some contradictions in landscape urbanism’s texts and projects. Whereas the figure ground is often reduced to a binary black and white image, Nolli’s map illustrates the intertwining of public and private spaces, through rendering detailed attributes of site, infrastructure, history, and architecture. Also considered is the assertive restructuring of disciplinary influence within what Linda Pollak identifies as ‘constructed ground.’ This reclamation constitutes a re-territorializing of landscape architecture through re-engagement of the urban fabric, as well as the more aspirational and necessary re-territorializing of design through intentional considera...
Democratic Leaders and the Democratic Peace: The Operational Codes of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton

Do the beliefs of leaders make a significant difference in determining if democracies are peaceful and explaining why democracies (almost) never fight one another? Our comparisons of Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bill Clinton reveal that both leaders view democracies as more friendly than nondemocracies, and they have significantly less cooperative beliefs toward the latter than toward the former, a difference that extends to the behavior of their respective governments during the Kosovo conflict. We also find that individual differences in the operational codes of the two leaders matter in the management of conflict with nondemocracies; the leaders exhibit opposite leadership styles and behavior associated with the domestic political culture of the two states. Overall, these results support the dyadic version of the democratic peace and suggest that the conflict behavior of democratic states depends upon the beliefs and calculations of their leaders in dealing with nondemocracies.
Functional facial nerve weakness after surgery for benign parotid tumors: A multivariate statistical analysis

A retrospective study was done on 64 patients who underwent superficial or subtotal parotidectomy for a primary benign tumor of the parotid gland. Factors, such as age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, type of surgery, duration of surgery, pathology of lesion, and size of lesion, were reviewed in a multivariate statistical analysis to determine if any factor alone or in combination contributed to the development of functional facial nerve weakness postoperatively. Only the age of the patient was found to have a statistically significant causal relation using the Pearson chi-square method (p = 0.015). The marginal mandibular branch was affected in nine of 10 cases. Different surgical approaches cited in the literature are discussed, along with the possible role of ischemic injury to the facial nerve during parotidectomy.
Looking back: A review of four key articles from volume one

Looking back 25 years at these key articles from the first volume, what are the major themes that we see, how relevant are they today, and what are the surprises? What did they foresee correctly and how and where did the field evolve differently from what they expected? In re-reading these articles, one cannot help but be struck by a strong sense of “plus ca change, . . . ”. Many of the major concerns seem to be those that have always been with us and likely always will be most obviously:
Informal and formal care infrastructure and perceived need for caregiver training for frail US veterans referred to home and community-based services

Objectives: To describe the informal care network of US veterans referred to home and community-based services (Homemaker Home Health services, H/HHA, or Home-Based Primary Care, HBPC) at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), including: quantity and types of tasks provided and desired content for caregiver training programs.Methods: All primary care patients referred to H/HHA or HBPC during the preceding 3 months were sent questionnaires in May 2007. Additionally, caregivers were sent questionnaires if a patient gave permission. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were performed.Results: On average, patients received 5.6 hours of VA care and 47 hours of informal care per week. 26% of patients (38% of patients with caregiver proxy respondents) and 59% of caregivers indicated the caregiver would be interested in participating in a training program by phone or on-site. Significant barriers to participation existed. The most common barriers were: transportation; no time due to caregiving...
Endothelial function and vasodilator profile of the inferior epigastric artery

Abstract In the inferior epigastric artery, endothelium-dependent relaxations in response to substance P, histamine, and acelylcholine were present. These were greater than reported values in saphenous veins but less than the documented responses in internal mammary and gastroepiploic arteries. Endothelium-independent stimulation with nifedipine, papaverine, sodium nitroprusside, and glyceryl trinitrate induced relaxations that also were reduced compared with established arterial conduits. These findings appear to justify the clinical use of the inferior epigastric artery as a coronary bypass graft with monitoring of its long-term results and possibly perioperative pharmacologic manipulations.
Fungal Degradation of the Bioplastic PHB (Poly-3-hydroxy-butyric acid)

PHB (poly-3-hydroxybutyric acid) is a thermoplastic polyester synthesized by Ralstonia eutropha and other bacteria as a form of intracellular carbon and energy storage and accumulated as inclusions in the cytoplasm of these bacteria. The degradation of PHB by fungi from samples collected from various environments was studied. PHB depolymerization was tested in vials containing a PHB-containing medium which were inoculated with isolates from the samples. The degradation activity was detected by the formation of a clear zone below and around the fungal colony. In total, 105 fungi were isolated from 15 natural habitats and 8 lichens, among which 41 strains showed PHB degradation. Most of these were deuteromycetes (fungi imperfecti) resembling species of Penicillium and Aspergillus and were isolated mostly from soils, compost, hay, and lichens. Soil-containing environments were the habitats from which the largest number of fungal PHB degraders were found. Other organisms involved in PHB degradation were observed. A total number of 31 bacterial strains out of 67 isolates showed clear zones on assay medium. Protozoa, possible PHB degraders, were also found in several samples such as pond, soil, hay, horse dung, and lichen. Lichen, a fungi and algae symbiosis, was an unexpected sample from which fungal and bacterial PHB degraders were isolated.
Energetic yields associated with hydrocarbon fermentations

Energetic yields associated with microbial growth on hydrocarbons are investigated and compared with values for other organic substrates. Both cell growth and extracellular product formation are investigated. Both carbon and energy limitations are considered in estimating theoretical yields. Carbon, available electron, and ATP balances are used in the theoretical analysis. The results indicate that the availability of carbon may limit growth and product formation.
Homologous Recombination between Episomal Plasmids and Chromosomes in Yeast.

We have observed genetic recombination between ura3( -) mutations (among them extensive deletions) carried on "episomal" (i.e., 2micro DNA-containing) plasmids and other ura3( -) alleles present at the normal chromosomal URA3 locus. The recombination frequency found was comparable to the level observed for classical mitotic recombination but was relatively insensitive to sunlamp radiation, which strongly stimulates mitotic recombination. Three equally frequent classes could be distinguished among the recombinants. Two of these are the apparent result of gene conversions (or double crossovers) which leave the URA3(+) allele on the chromosome (class I) or on the plasmid (class II). The third class is apparently due to a single crossover that results in the integration of the plasmid into a chromosome. Plasmid-chromosome recombination can be useful in fine structure genetic mapping, since recombination between a chromosomal point mutation and a plasmid-borne deletion mutation only 25 base pairs distant was easily detected.
Cooperative signaling among bacterial chemoreceptors

Four chemoreceptors in Escherichia coli mediate responses to chemicals in the environment. The receptors self-associate and localize to the cell poles. This aggregation implies that interactions among receptors are important parameters of signal processing during chemotaxis. We examined this phenomenon using a receptor-coupled in vitro assay of CheA kinase activity. The ability of homogeneous populations of the serine receptor Tsr and the aspartate receptor Tar to stimulate CheA was directly proportional to the ratio of the receptor to total protein in cell membranes up to a fraction of 50%. Membranes containing mixed populations of Tar and Tsr supported an up to 4-fold greater stimulation of CheA than expected on the basis of the contributions of the individual receptors. Peak activity was seen at a Tar:Tsr ratio of 1:4. This synergy was observed only when the two proteins were expressed simultaneously, suggesting that, under our conditions, the fundamental "cooperative receptor unit" is relatively static, even in the absence of CheA and CheW. Finally, we observed that inhibition of receptor-stimulated CheA activity by serine or aspartate required significantly higher concentrations of ligand for membranes containing mixed Tsr and Tar populations than for membranes containing only Tsr (up to 10 2 -fold more serine) or Tar (up to 10 4 -fold more aspartate). Together with recent analyses of the interactions of Tsr and Tar in vivo, our results reveal the emergent properties of mixed receptor populations and emphasize their importance in the integrated signal processing that underlies bacterial chemotaxis.
Toward a United States Policy on Traveler Safety and Security: 1980-2000

Increasing travel is heightening government and industry awareness of the need for national and international health, safety, and security policies and employee education and training programs targeting the well-being of all travelers. This article summarizes cohesive measures and initiatives in the 1980s and 1990s developed by the United States, in concert with industry organizations and the international community. These activities underpinned the far-reaching work of the National Traveler Safety Team, a product of the White House Conference on Travel and Tourism, held in Washington, D.C., October 30-31, 1995, and helped place the issue of traveler health, safety, and security permanently on the international policy agenda.
Paramagnetic alignment of thermally rotating dust

The paramagnetic alignment of thermally rotating oblate dust grains is studied analytically for finite ratios of grain to gas temperatures. For such ratios, the alignment of angular momentum J with respect to the grain axis of maximal inertia is only partial. We treat the alignment of J using perturbative· methods and disentangle the problem of J alignment in grain body axes from that of J alignment with respect to magnetic field. This enables us to find the alignment of grain axes to magnetic field and thus relate our theory to polarimetric observations. Our present results are applicable to the alignment of both paramagnetic and superparamagnetic grains.
On-chip temperature gradient liquid chromatography

We report here the first MEMS temperature-programmable high pressure parylene column with integrated thermal isolation and electrochemical sensor for on-chip temperature gradient liquid chromatography. Two sets of devices for different high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) criteria were fabricated. The separation and detection of derivatized amino acids sample was successfully demonstrated. Compared with other temperature gradient HPLC systems which use "macro oven" to generate temporal temperature gradient in the column, our device's thermal performance is greatly improved by orders of magnitude without the sacrifice of chromatography quality.
“To Immerse their Wives”: Communal Identity and the “Kahalishe” Mikveh of Altona

On Sunday, the twelfth of Adar, March 2, 1681, the parnasim, the lay leaders of Altona, recorded an enactment in their communal logbook, the pinkas kehillah, regulating women's use of the local mikva'ot. Designating two privately-owned ritual baths as the only approved immersion locations for most of the women in the community, they decreed that defiance of this decree was to be punished with some of the most severe weapons in the arsenal of the communal leaders. Four years later, the parnasim reversed their policy and, with the permission of the community's rabbinic leadership, required the women to use only the newly built kahalishe, or community, mikveh, banning the use of the two previously approved mikva'ot. This article examines the construction and reconstruction of these policies regulating women's use of mikva'ot, offering insight into how designated communal institutions were developed in the early modern period as well as how these institutions were used both to finance the community and to forge communal identity. Moreover, consideration of the mikveh as a locus for building communal institutions and, in particular, communal identity, offers insight into how the growing bureaucratization of Jewish communal life in the early modern period affected women's lives.
On the role of feedback in two-way secure communication

For bi-directional communication, the most general form of encoders should consider the signals received in the past as inputs. However, in practice, it would also be highly desirable if feedback could be ignored for encoding purposes since this would lead to a simple system design. In this work, we investigate the question of whether and how much loss in secrecy rate would be incurred, if such an approach were taken. To do so, we investigate the role of feedback in secrecy for two three-node two-way channel models. First, we show that feedback is indeed useful for a class of full-duplex two-way wire-tap channels. In this case, when feedback is ignored, the channel is equivalent to a Gaussian degraded relay channel with confidential messages to the relay. The usefulness of feedback is demonstrated by deriving an upper bound for this channel when feedback is ignored, and then proving that, when feedback is used, a secrecy rate higher than this upper bound is achievable. Secondly, we consider the half-duplex Gaussian two-way relay channel where there is an eavesdropper co-located with the relay node, and find that the impact of feedback is less pronounced compared to the previous scenario. Specifically, the loss in secrecy rate, when ignoring the feedback, is quantified to be less than 0.5 bit per channel use when the power of the relay goes to infinity. We also show that this rate region is achievable under a simple time sharing scheme with cooperative jamming, which, with its simplicity and near-optimum performance, is a viable alternative to an encoder using feedback.
Sensitivity in optimal control systems

Some recent developments in the area of sensitivity in optimal control systems are summarized. The several sensitivity definitions, analysis methods, and design techniques are placed in perspective. A selected list of references is included.
Low-dose immunization of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) with Eimeria lettyae provides protection against a high-dose challenge.

Abstract To determine whether northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) could be immunized against Eimeria lettyae by a low-dose inoculation of oocysts, we inoculated 30 birds each with either 100 or 1000 oocysts at 2 days of age (given orally by pipette). Four weeks after immunization, the immunized birds and unimmunized controls were challenged with 1 × 106 E. lettyae oocysts. Eight days after challenge, birds were killed and weighed, and their intestines examined for gross lesions. Effectiveness of the immunization was measured by analyzing weight gain, intestinal lesions, severity of diarrhea, feed conversion ratio, and oocyst production. After challenge, birds immunized with 100 or 1000 oocysts gained an average of 33.3 g and 28.9 g, respectively, whereas unimmunized challenged birds gained an average of 11.5 g. Immunized quail produced approximately 99.7% fewer oocysts, had minimal gross intestinal and cecal lesions, had minimal diarrhea, and had a 50% lower feed conversion ratio compared to uni...
Blended learning in medical education: Use of an integrated approach with web-based small group modules and didactic instruction for teaching radiologic anatomy1

Rationale and objectives To describe the development of and assess student satisfaction with a blended learning method for teaching radiologic anatomy that integrates web-based instruction with small group and didactic teaching. Materials and methods In 2002 the teaching of radiologic anatomy to first-year medical students was changed from group learning (20–30 students with a preceptor and films at a viewbox) to a blended learning model that included a brief didactic introduction followed by small group (7–8 students) web-based structured learning modules with rotating lab instructors. In 2003 the modules were changed to include self-study cases prior to the lab, follow-up cases, and twice-weekly optional review sessions. Students and lab instructors were surveyed for their response to the content and design of the sessions. Results Course surveys in 2001, with a response rate of 84%, showed 58 negative comments regarding inconsistency between various instructors.. Individual response rates for 2002 for radiologic anatomy teaching sessions (RadLab) surveys ranged from 56%–81%, dropping as the course progressed. All RadLabs were rated “very useful” or “useful,” except the cardiovascular lab, which was not designed as an interactive module. In 2003, after redesign of the cardiovascular lab in the same format as the other labs, all RadLabs were rated 2.4 or better (useful). Conclusion An integration of computers with small and large group didactic instruction allow optimal use of faculty, conform to accepted theories of adult learning, and are well-accepted by students.
Anger, Irony, and the Formal Rationality of Professionalism

One of the challenges in writing about the history of American law and political economy is determining the proper amount of historical context necessary to make sense of past institutional and organizational change. Where to begin and end a historical narrative and how much to include about the broader social, cultural, political, and economic conditions of a particular place and time are, of course, questions that accompany any attempt to reconstruct the past. How one addresses these issues invariably shapes the motives and intentions that can be ascribed to historical figures. In their eloquent and thoughtful comments, Christopher Capozzola and Michael Bernstein have urged me to think more carefully about these issues, about where my story begins and ends, about the broader social, political, and material circumstances that animated World War I state-building, and about the seemingly apolitical ideas and actions of the Treasury lawyers who are the center of “Lawyers, Guns, and Public Moneys.”
Revealing Concealable Stigmatized Identities: The Impact of Disclosure Motivations and Positive First-Disclosure Experiences on Fear of Disclosure and Well-Being

People who live with concealable stigmatized identities face complex decisions regarding disclosure. In the current work, we examine how people’s motivations for disclosing a concealable stigmatized identity for the first time affect the quality of their first-disclosure experiences and how these experiences, in turn, affect current well-being. Specifically, we found that people who disclosed for ecosystem, or other-focused, reasons report more positive first-disclosure experiences which, in turn, were related to higher current self-esteem. Analyses suggest that one reason why this first-disclosure experience is related to current well-being is because positive first-disclosure experiences may serve to lessen chronic fear of disclosure. Overall, these results highlight the importance of motivational antecedents for disclosure in impacting well-being and suggest that positive first-disclosure experiences may have psychological benefits over time because they increase level of trust in others. Although all stigmatized individuals experience potential challenges due to their socially devalued status (for reviews, see Crocker, Major, & Steele, 1998; Major & O’Brien, 2005), people who possess concealable stigmatized identities
Sampling submicron T1 bacteriophage aerosols.

Liquid impingers, filter papers, and fritted bubblers were partial viable collectors of radioactive submicron T1 bacteriophage aerosols at 30, 55, and 85% relative humidity. Sampler differences for viable collection were due to incomplete physical collection (slippage) and killing of phage by the samplers. Dynamic aerosols of a mass median diameter of 0.2 μ were produced with a Dautrebande generator from concentrated aqueous purified phage suspensions containing extracellular soluble radioactive phosphate as a physical tracer. There was considerable destruction of phage by the Dautrebande generator; phage titers of the Dautrebande suspension decreased exponentially, but there was a progressive (linear) increase in tracer titers. Liquid impingers recovered the most viable phage but allowed considerable (30 to 48%) slippage, which varies inversely with the aerosol relative humidity. Filter papers were virtually complete physical collectors of submicron particles but were the most destructive. Fritted bubbler slippage was more than 80%. With all samplers, phage kill was highest at 85% relative humidity and lowest at 55% relative humidity. An electrostatic precipitator was used to collect aerosol samples for particle sizing with an electron microscope. The particle size was slightly larger at 85% relative humidity than at 30 or 55% relative humidity. Images