cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Lifecourse Approach to Health Development: Implications for the Maternal and Child Health Research Agenda

Lifecourse-informed models of health fundamentally challenge simple biomedical models, introducing new ways of thinking about how diseases develop. This paper considers the broad implications of lifecourse theory for the maternal and child health (MCH) research agenda. The Lifecourse Health Development model provides an organizing framework for a synthesis of the existing literature on lifecourse health and identification of gaps in knowledge. Priority areas identified for MCH research in order to close these knowledge gaps include: epigenetic mechanisms and their potential mutability; peri-conception as a critical and sensitive period for environmental exposures; maternal health prior to pregnancy; the role of the placenta as an important regulator of the intra-uterine environment; and ways to strengthen early mother–child interactions. Addressing knowledge gaps will require an emphasis on longitudinal rather than cross-sectional studies, long-term (lifetime) rather than short-term perspectives, datasets that include socio-demographic, biologic and genetic data on the same subjects rather than discipline-specific studies, measurement and study of positive health as well as disease states, and study of multi-rather than single generational cohorts. Adoption of a lifecourse-informed MCH research agenda requires a shift in focus from single cause-single disease epidemiologic inquiry to one that addresses multiple causes and outcomes. Investigators need additional training in effective interdisciplinary collaboration, advanced research methodology and higher-level statistical modeling. Advancing a life course health development research agenda in MCH will be foundational to the nation’s long-term health.
Early-life viral infections and the development of asthma: a target for asthma prevention?

Purpose of reviewTo discuss the recent insights into the relationships between viral respiratory infections and asthma inception in the context of a long-term goal of moving toward prevention strategies for childhood asthma.Recent findingsThere is strong evidence for respiratory syncytial virus and
Statistical controversies in the design of clinical trials—Some personal views*

Abstract Clinical studies are done for a variety of purposes, and it is important to keep the purpose and the target audience in mind when designing a clinical study. Keeping purpose and target audience in view can shed some light on a number of controversies regarding the design of clinical studies. In particular, it can help in deciding when a new therapeutic idea should be put into experimental trial. Further, thought of the target audience usually dictates broad, rather than narrow, choice of patients for the trial, modern methods of balancing or stratifying treatment groups, avoidance of the crossover experiment despite the temptation of economy, and conservative choice of sample size.
Calcium channel blockers and hypertension: Evolving perspectives—1996

In recent years, calcium channel blockers (CCBs) have been used extensively in the United States and elsewhere as antihypertensive agents, and their availability has been an important advance in the management of hypertension. As antihypertensive agents, the CCBs thus appear considerably more versatile than most previous vasodilators. The available studies indicate that CCBs are metabolically neutral and do not exacerbate dyslipidemia or impair glucose tolerance. In contrast to diuretics and beta-blockers, CCBs do not appear to alter insulin sensitivity. The CCBs also differ from previous vasodilators because of their favorable accompanying effects on the heart and kidney. Despite the attributes of CCBs enumerated earlier, a number of recent retrospective analyses by Psaty et al. (JAMA 1995;274:620-625) have suggested that CCBs may be detrimental and may promote adverse cardiovascular events. I have recently reviewed the results of Psaty's meta-analysis and report (Arch Intern Med 1995;155: 2150-2156). I have emphasized that it is the rate of drug delivery into the systemic circulation that produces profound effects on the hemodynamic and neurohumoral responses to a dihydropyridine CCB drug. During chronic treatment with dihydropyridines, major fluctuations in blood pressure (rapid onset and offset of antihypertensive effects) during the dosing interval may persist for drugs and formulations that are short acting. In contrast, slow-release formulations of otherwise rapidly absorbed dihydropyridines achieve a more gradual and sustained antihypertensive effect. It is probable that newer CCB formulations that do not provoke intermittent sympathetic activation and do not evoke a cardioacceleratory response would not be expected to promote adverse cardiovascular events.
The Ecology of Work and Health: Research and Policy Directions for the Promotion of Employee Health

This article identifies new research and policy directions for the field of worksite health in the context of the changing American workplace. These directions are viewed from an ecological perspective on worksite health and are organized around three major themes: (1) the joint influence of physical and social environmental factors on occupational health, (2) the effects of nonoccupational settings (e.g., households, the health care system) on employee well-being and the implications of recent changes in these settings for worksite health programs, and (3) methodological issues in the design and evaluation of worksite health programs. Developments in these areas suggest that the field of worksite health may be undergoing a fundamental paradigm shift away from individually oriented wellness programs (provided at the worksite and aimed primarily at changing employees' health behavior) and toward broader formulations emphasizing the joint impact of the physical and social environment at work, job-person fit, and work policies on employee well-being.
Medical Management of Hyperlipidemia/Dyslipidemia

Atherosclerosis is a complex multifactorial disease. Lipids play an important, but not an exclusive, role in its development and progression. In some persons, lipids will be a major factor, and in some, lipids as we currently understand them will play a minor role. Outstanding advances have been made in understanding the biology of the vessel wall and of atherosclerosis, but there is still a long way to go. Our concepts of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD) have dramatically changed, and we now know that coronary atherosclerosis is a diffuse multifocal inflammatory vasculopathy (1– 4). Rupture of nonocclusive lesions (50% of the lumen) are often the most dangerous, abruptly causing sudden death or the acute coronary syndrome (ACS; Ref. 5). The important fact about these nonocclusive or culprit lesions is that there are many of them in the coronary circulation that are as dangerous as the one that causes the ACS. In fact, it is these lesions, and not necessarily the one causing the ACS, that are responsible for recurrent CHD events after myocardial infarction or the development of unstable angina (4). It is for this reason that antiatherosclerotic therapy (including lipid-lowering therapy) should be aggressive in patients with CHD or at high CHD risk. The most dangerous lesions are nonocclusive, asymptomatic, and not necessarily detected by stress testing, with or without imaging, or by coronary arteriography because the lesions may be accompanied by compensatory dilation with little or no encroachment on the lumen (6).
Cancer screening and prevention in primary care. Obstacles for physicians.

Background. Surveys have demonstrated that primary care physicians are aware of cancer screening and prevention guidelines. However, health primary care providers do not recommend these services for many patients. This introductory discussion describes a new area of clinical study: practice barriers. Methods. Literature review and the author's synthesis are used to identify major types of obstacles impeding broad implementation of cancer screening and prevention. Results. Practitioners and patients face three types of obstacles: provider-specific obstacles; patient-specific obstacles; and health care delivery system obstacles
Near-Field Inverse Scattering: The Current State of Theory and Experiment

We will discuss the forward problem and recent progress in the theory of inverse scattering for various modalities of near-field optics. Experimental demonstration will be presented and ongoing efforts in experimental realization will be discussed.
A Model for Curricular Revision: The Case of Engineering

The ability to teach one’s self is a critical skill for workers in the 21st century because of the rapidity of change and innovation. To educate students to meet this challenge, we need to re-envision curriculum with the goal of producing graduates who have the ability to complete the transition from novice to expert after graduation and continue to deepen their expertise throughout their careers. Using engineering education as a model of current efforts in curricular revision, we present a method for curricular review based on learning types in order to design an undergraduate experience that is transformative and congruent with a learner-centered approach.
Integrating a science perspective into an introductory computer science course

Experiences of including a Science Perspective in our university-level introductory computer science course are presented. The Science Perspective has helped in recruitment of students who otherwise might not have considered taking a computer science course. The assignments offered as part of the Science Perspective have been an integral part of our approach to teaching computer science in a way that is interesting and engaging to students by inviting them to explore scientific applications in computing. Our approach uses the Alice 3D animation-based programming environment followed by an event-based graphical Java programming approach. The interactive and visual nature of these approaches has increased student engagement, which has led to better retention in follow-up computer science courses. This approach could also be applicable in teaching computer science in secondary education.
Infrared spectral radiance of hot HF and DF in the Δv = 1 bands region as seen through an atmospheric path

Abstract Individual spectral line parameters of the Δv = 1 HF bands at elevated temperatures have been generated. Line by line, layer by layer, spectral radiance and absorptance calculations have been compared with previous experimental results. The HF lines and a recent compilation of infrared atmospheric spectral line parameters have been used to compute the infrared spectral radiance from a hot HF source and a given atmospheric path on a line by line, layer by layer basis.
Photoexcited Exciton Spin-Flip Scattering in p -InSb

Stimulated spin-flip scattering reported in $p$-InSb by Ebert et al. is reinterpreted as being due to excitons. The analysis explains the observation of Raman shifts which change magnitude as functions of pump wavelength at constant magnetic field. The Raman shifts satisfy the unusual equation $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\omega}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}{g}^{*}(H\ensuremath{-}{H}_{0})$, where ${H}_{0}\ensuremath{\cong}29$ kG, and ${g}^{*}$ is about 6. The number of transitions (six) and their spacing as triplet, doublet, and singlet are explained by the model.
The water balance of Modiolus (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Mytilidae): Osmotic concentrations in changing salinities

Abstract 1. 1. Comparative measurements of the osmotic concentrations in three fluid compartments of species of Modiolus from different regions of the marine environment show that the animals are osmotic conformers. However, the body fluids remain hyperosmotic to the environment by a constant amount over the non-lethal salinity range. 2. 2. The hyperosmotic condition appears to be the result of a passive equilibrium rather than active regulation and is probably characteristic of all osmoconformers. 3. 3. The osmotic difference between the blood and the pericardial fluid precludes the possibility of ultrafiltration from the blood into the pericardial cavity using the systolic pressure of the heart as the driving force.
Eutrophication of freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems a global problem

Humans now strongly influence almost every major aquatic ecosystem, and their activities have dramatically altered the fluxes of growth-limiting nutrients from the landscape to receiving waters. Unfortunately, these nutrient inputs have had profound negative effects upon the quality of surface waters worldwide. This review examines how eutrophication influences the biomass and species composition of algae in both freshwater and costal marine systems. An overview of recent advances in algae-related eutrophication research is presented. In freshwater systems, a summary is presented for lakes and reservoirs; streams and rivers; and wetlands. A brief summary is also presented for estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. Eutrophication causes predictable increases in the biomass of algae in lakes and reservoirs; streams and rivers; wetlands; and coastal marine ecosystems. As in lakes, the response of suspended algae in large rivers to changes in nutrient loading may be hysteretic in some cases. The inhibitory effects of high concentrations of inorganic suspended solids on algal growth, which can be very evident in many reservoirs receiving high inputs of suspended soils, also potentially may occur in turbid rivers. Consistent and predictable eutrophication-caused increases in cyanobacterial dominance of phytoplankton have been reported worldwide for natural lakes, and similar trends are reported here both for phytoplankton in turbid reservoirs, and for suspended algae in a large river. A remarkable unity is evident in the global response of algal biomass to nitrogen and phosphorus availability in lakes and reservoirs; wetlands; streams and rivers; and coastal marine waters. The species composition of algal communities inhabiting the water column appears to respond similarly to nutrient loading, whether in lakes, reservoirs, or rivers. As is true of freshwater ecosystems, the recent literature suggests that coastal marine ecosystems will respond positively to nutrient loading control efforts. Our understanding of freshwater eutrophication and its effects on algal-related water quality is strong and is advancing rapidly. However, our understanding of the effects of eutrophication on estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems is much more limited, and this gap represents an important future research need. Although coastal systems can be hydrologically complex, the biomass of marine phytoplankton nonetheless appears to respond sensitively and predictably to changes in the external supplies of nitrogen and phosphorus. These responses suggest that efforts to manage nutrient inputs to the seas will result in significant improvements in coastal zone water quality. Additional new efforts should be made to develop models that quantitatively link ecosystem-level responses to nutrient loading in both freshwater and marine systems.
A Methodology for Product Family Ontology Development Using Formal Concept Analysis and Web Ontology Language

The use of ontologies for information sharing is well documented in the literature, but the lack of a comprehensive and systematic methodology for constructing product ontologies has limited the process of developing ontologies for design artifacts. In this paper we introduce the Product Family Ontology Development Methodology (PFODM), a novel methodology to develop formal product ontologies using the Semantic Web paradigm. Within PFODM, Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) is used first to identify similarities among a finite set of design artifacts based on their properties and then to develop and refine a product family ontology using Web Ontology Language (OWL). A family of seven one-time-use cameras is used to demonstrate the steps of the PFODM to construct such an ontology. The benefit of PFODM lies in providing a systematic and consistent methodology for constructing ontologies to support product family design. The resulting ontologies provide a hierarchical conceptual clustering of related design artifacts, which is particularly advantageous for product family design where parts, processes, and most important, information is intentionally shared and reused to reduce complexity, lead-time, and development costs. Potential uses of the resulting ontologies and FCA representations within product family design are also discussed.
Electronic and chemical interactions at aluminum/TiO2(110) interfaces

Abstract The interaction between aluminum and both stoichiometric and oxygen-deficient single-crystal TiO2(110) surfaces has been studied using X-ray and ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopies (XPS and UPS), Auger spectroscopy (AES), and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). Upon deposition of up to a monolayer of aluminum on the stoichiometric surface at room temperature, the aluminum becomes oxidized and the TiO2 is reduced. At multilayer coverages, a heterogeneous region is formed consisting of a mixture of metallic and oxidized aluminum on top of a reduced TiO2 layer. Annealing to 500°C in ultra-high vacuum completely oxidizes the remaining metallic aluminum and the titanium cations return to their fully oxidized 4 + state, due to oxygen diffusion from the bulk to the interface region. LEED shows no evidence of an ordered overlayer structure, even following annealing treatments. Oxygen-deficient TiO2 surfaces created by 500 eV Ar+ bombardment are also reactive towards aluminum; as the aluminum overlayer is oxidized, the TiO2 becomes further reduced.
Binding energy of nuclear matter

Abstract Various calculations of the binding energy of nuclear matter are discussed. The question of off-the-energy shell propagation is considered in detail. Numerical approximations made in the calculations are investigated and it is shown that they are such as to give too much binding energy, so that the present discrepancy between theoretical and experimental values is worsened.
Mealtime Companionship and Morale in the Rural Elderly

The importance of mealtime companionship and social interaction to improvements of food consumption, nutritional status, and morale in the elderly have been stressed but the research supporting this concept is minimal. The present study determined the relationship between mealtime companionship and morale among a representative group of 418 rural adults aged 65 years or older. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine if there were significant differences in the morale of older adults who usually ate alone versus those who ate with others. Controls were held on marital status, educational level, sex, and self-rated health. The data showed that mealtime companionship was of no relative importance to the morale of older adults when other variables were considered, especially health. The data supported the literature with regard to the greater importance of health to psychological well-being than social factors such as marital status, educational background, sex, and social contact, per se. This obs...
Concentrations of native and gold defects in HgCdTe from first principles calculations

We have studied the defect formation energies of the various native (vacancies, interstitials, and antisites) and Au defects in Hg1−xCdxTe using density functional-based total energy calculations with ultrasoft pseudo-potentials. These studies are important for infrared (IR) detection technology where the device performance can be severely degraded because of defects. To calculate formation energies, we modeled the neutral and charged defects using supercells containing 64 atoms. From the formation energies, we have determined the defect concentrations as a function of stoichiometry and temperature. We find the prevalent neutral defects to be Au at the Hg site (AuHg), Hg vacancies (VHg), and Te antisites (TeHg). We have also explicitly studied charged defects and have found TeHg2+, AuHg1−, VHg1−, VHg2−, and VTe2+ to have low formation energies. We have identified AuHg to be the prevalent Au defect, having concentrations several orders of magnitude greater than the other Au defects. We find that the charge state of VHg is primarily (1−) or (2−) depending on the electronic chemical potential.
Acutilols, potent herbivore feeding deterrents from the tropical brown alga, Dictyota acutiloba

Abstract The structures of three new diterpenoids, acutilol A, acutilol A acetate and acutilol B have been determined by a combination of spectral methods. The new compounds are based upon the common pachydictyane carbon skeleton but possess unusual Δ 1,10 double bonds. The acutilols are potent feeding deterrents against both temperate and tropical herbivorous fishes and sea urchins, suggesting that these molecules provide an effective chemical defence.
Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy.

The Pittsburgh Conference (Pittcon) on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy was held between 28 February and 4 March 2010 in Orlando, FL, USA. Pittcon is an annual conference sponsored by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh. It is one of the world’s largest conferences and expositions of instrumentation and laboratory science. According to a recent Chemical and Engineering News report, total attendance at Pittcon 2010 was 16,876. This number represents an approximately 11% decrease from 2009. The number of exhibitor booths (2005) also decreased by nearly 11% from 2009. Despite these decreases in numbers, instrument exhibitors and Pittcon officers were reported as being optimistic about a future industry and attendance upturn. The technical program offered more than 2000 technical sessions on topics covering the most recent techniques and applications in analytical chemistry along with multidisciplinary scientific disciplines such as nanotec...
Individual and Aggregate Electrical Load Forecasting: One for All and All for One

Electrical load forecasting is an important task for utility companies, in order to plan future production and to increase the efficiency of the distribution network. Although load forecasting at the aggregate level has been extensively studied in existing literature, forecasts for individual consumers have been shown to be prone to errors. This paper deals with the problem of electrical load forecasting at multiple scales, from individual consumers to the network as a whole. We use smart meter data from carefully selected sets of consumers for this purpose.First, we consider the problem of forecasting the load for individual consumers at the outermost nodes of the distribution network. We propose an algorithm which considers external available information like calendar or weather contexts along with the energy consumption profiles of different consumers for accurate mid-term and short-term load forecasting. Multiple aggregation approaches are considered for utility level forecasting, in order to characterize their error properties. We show that careful clustering of consumers for aggregation can result in smaller errors. We experiment with two public data sets for demonstrating the advantages of the proposed method over the state-of-the-art approaches.
Intramural hemorrhage in coronary atherosclerosis.

The mechanism of the development of acute occlusion of the coronary arteries is subject to considerable discussion. Intramural hemorrhage has been suggested as a cause of acute occlusion by the hematomatous enlargement of atheromata without associated thrombosis. By a systematic study of coronary arteries with a special technic of injection and clearing of the vessels the frequency of this mechanism was determined.
Giant Metallic Deposits—Future Sources of Industrial Metals.Peter Laznicka. 2006. Pp. 732. Berlin, Springer. ISBN-10 3-540-33091-7. Price US$199.

This book, the latest in a series of compilations by Peter Laznicka, is focused on giant mineral deposits that are responsible for the bulk of the world’s metallic ores. The title itself is somewhat unclear, as many geologists tend to use the term industrial minerals for describing various non-metals. Thus, although the title clearly states this is a book about metallic ore deposits, the use of the term “industrial metals” might initially confuse some potential users; this book, however, is solely focused on metallic mineral deposits. The book is divided into three sections, which include 70 pages of introduction, 11 chapters on the ore deposits that make up the bulk of the text, and 70 pages of summary material. All 300 figures, mainly cross sections of ore deposits, are in black and white, which the author states helped keep the book cost down. Many of the figures are, however, reproduced in color on an accompanying CD-ROM that also contains useful summary tables with grades, tonnages, ages, and deposit types compiled for the world’s giant deposits. The first part of the book describes, sometimes in too much detail, the meaning of various tonnage classifications that are used to group deposits. The overwhelming number of groups include low to high giants, near-giants, low to high …
Physical Regimes and Dimensional Structure of Rotating Turbulence

Numerical simulations of rotating turbulence have given rise to ``unexpected results'': An increasing $\ensuremath{\Omega}$ did not lead to the ``expected'' route to a 2D state. A recent model of turbulence leads to a new number $N\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}K(\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\Omega}{)}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ (K and \ensuremath{\nu} are turbulent kinetic energy and viscosity) so that DNS (direct numerical simulation) and LES (large eddy simulation) correspond to $Nl1$ and $Ng1$. In the first case, the energy cascade is suppressed, while in the second case there exists an inertial spectrum which is an equilibrium of quasi--2D-3D modes. With these ingredients, we reproduce DNS and LES data.
Thrust Characteristics of Underexpanded Nozzles

The thrust characteristics of underexpanded nozzles are investigated both analytically and experimentally. Nozzle losses are expressed in terms of velocity coefficients and this theory is found to agree wi th the experimental results. Two basic nozzles were tested, each having a 1 / 2 in . throat d iam and 15 deg exit semiangle cone. One nozzle had a s m o o t h surface of 20 microin. while the other had a rough surface of 300 microin. Area ratios from 6 to 1 were tested by machin ing the nozzle exit plane normal to the nozzle axis. High-pressure, low-temperature air was used as the working m e d i u m with a nozzle inlet test pressure of 33 atmospheres . The theoretical development predicts, and the experimental results verify, that the m a x i m u m nozzle thrust is obtained from an area ratio less than that required for complete expansion. It is further shown t h a t thrust equal to t h a t for complete expansion may be obtained from a nozzle having an area ratio of l i tt le more than half of that required for complete expansion.
The mechanism of glucocorticoid action on the phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocyte I. In vitro binding of corticosteroids to lymphoid tissue

Abstract 1. 1. The binding of hydrocortisone and cortisone to suspensions of human, rat and rabbit thymocytes and rabbit lymphocytes is presented. 2. 2. Binding quotients were calculated by the ratio of tritiated corticosteroid in the centrifuged cell pellet to an equal volume of supernatant fluid. 3. 3. Evidence for specific and nonspecific binding of glucocorticoids to lymphocytes, as defined by Munck and Brinck-Johnsen 1 , is presented with rabbit thymocytes. 4. 4. Steroid binding is directly related to cell volume. 5. 5. Using the electronic particle counter, cell size distribution and mean cell volume determinations for rat and rabbit thymus and rabbit lymph node suspensions are presented. 6. 6. The binding of corticosteroids to lymphoid cells may be crucial in the examination of steroid inhibition of antigen-stimulated lymphocytes.
Growth Of Compound Semiconductor By Atomic Layer Epitaxy And Applications

Atomic layer epitaxy is a new growth which proceeds by the alternate deposition of column III and column V species. The deposition is self-limiting, and only one monolayer is deposited per growth cycle independent of the column III or V fluxes. This technique is thus able to achieve better control of layer thickness and uniformity, abrupt interfaces, ordered structure, planer doping, low temperature growth and others. The potential application of atomic layer epitaxy will be reviewed.
Staining of intracellular granules in fresh epiphyseal cartilage by cationic dyes

Hand-cut sections of fresh epiphyseal cartilage from young rats were stained at pH 4.5 in 0.01% solutions of various cationic dyes of the thiazine, oxazine, azine, triphenylmethane, acridine, and phthallocyanin classes. The intracellular β-and γ-metachromatic granules, previously demonstrated in fresh tissues with toluidine blue, were also demonstrated well with azure A, methylene blue, and brilliant cresyl blue. The granules were also demonstrated, but not as well, by thionin, neutral red, safranin O, toluylene blue, and acridine orange. Under the conditions of staining, the reserve zone matrix and the lower hypertrophic (calcifying) zone matrix stained, whereas the proliferative and upper hypertrophic zone matrix did not stain.
Cytocidal Assay and Propagation of Human Influenza Viruses in Cultured Primary Hamster Kidney Cells.

ConclusionsInfluenza viruses belonging to immunologic subtypes A, A1, A2, and type B, rapidly and completely destroyed hamster kidney cells cultured in serum-free medium. Intracellular pathologic changes resembled those described for influenza virus infection in other cells. Strains NWS, WS, and FM-1 were serially propagated in cricetine cells beyond theoretical extinction of original inoculum with the production of virus which was infectious for hamster kidney cells as well as chicken embryos and which could be neutralized by immune serum. Hemagglutinin was also produced in cell cultures in sufficient quantities to allow for identification of virus by means of hemagglutination-inhibition tests.
Cardioprotection by metabolic shut-down and gradual wake-up.

Mitochondria play a critical role in cardiac function, and are also increasingly recognized as end effectors for various cardioprotective signaling pathways. Mitochondria use oxygen as a substrate, so by default their respiration is inhibited during hypoxia/ischemia. However, at reperfusion a surge of oxygen and metabolic substrates into the cell is thought to lead to rapid reestablishment of respiration, a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitochondrial Ca2+ overload. Subsequently these events precipitate opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition (PT) pore, which leads to myocardial cell death and dysfunction. Given that mitochondrial respiration is already inhibited during hypoxia/ischemia, it is somewhat surprising that many respiratory inhibitors can improve recovery from ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. In addition ischemic preconditioning (IPC), in which short non-lethal cycles of IR can protect against subsequent prolonged IR injury, is known to lead to endogenous inhibition of several respiratory complexes and glycolysis. This has led to a hypothesis that the wash-out of inhibitors or reversal of endogenous inhibition at reperfusion may afford protection by facilitating a more gradual wake-up of mitochondrial function, thereby avoiding a burst of ROS and Ca2+ overload. This paper will review the evidence in support of this hypothesis, with a focus on inhibition of each of the mitochondrial respiratory complexes.
A microreactor with phase-change microvalves for batch chemical synthesis at high temperatures and pressures.

We present a simple microreactor with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) phase-change valves suitable for performing batch organic chemistry under high temperature and pressure conditions. As a proof of principle, we demonstrate a radiofluorination reaction important in the synthesis of [18F]FAC, a new positron emission tomography biomarker for immune system monitoring and prediction of chemotherapy response. We achieved high radioactivity recovery (97 ± 1%, n = 3) and conversion efficiency (83 ± 1%, n = 3), comparable to that achieved with macroscale systems, but with a volume 30× smaller. This platform overcomes the limitations of previously reported phase-change valves in terms of compatibility with organic chemistry, and extends the range of reaction conditions for carrying out harsh batch chemistry at the microscale.
Plasma Ceramides Target Skeletal Muscle in Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is characterized by hyperglycemia, and the underlying pathophysiology includes insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell failure. The precise cellular and molecular regulators of insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion are under intense investigation, but a unifying theory remains elusive. The role of lipids in insulin resistance and β-cell failure has been the subject of considerable empirical investigation, and intermediates of lipid metabolism including diacylglycerols, long-chain fatty acyl-CoAs, and ceramides have all been examined to varying degrees and with varying levels of success. There is good evidence that diacylglycerols and fatty acyl-CoAs directly contribute to dysregulation of cellular insulin signaling through incomplete fatty acid oxidation and/or phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of specific serine and threonine sites on insulin receptor substrate-1 (1,2). Evidence regarding the role of ceramides in insulin resistance has been less consistent. Ceramides are members of the sphingolipid family of lipids and are integral to the structure of the lipid bilayer that makes up all cell membranes (3). They also exert biological effects through cellular proliferation, differentiation, and cell death and interact with several pathways involved in insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, all of which are linked to T2DM (4–6). Several lines of evidence suggest that the liver is the major source of plasma ceramides in animals and humans (7,8). In a hamster model, de novo synthesis of ceramides in the liver is induced in response to …
THE DIVORCE EDUCATION INTERVENTION MODEL

This article offers a divorce education intervention model that court systems can use to determine the level of programming that fits their goals for divorce education and their available resources. This model includes three levels of education that vary by extent of presenter and parent involvement: basic information, feelings and skills, and brief focused intervention. Eight program components are compared: goals, personnel, strategies, resources, examples, parental involvement, potential outcomes, and limitations.
Dynamics of intracellular free calcium concentration in the presynaptic arbors of individual barnacle photoreceptors

At photoreceptor synapses, transmitter release is continuous and graded. At this type of synapse, the control of presynaptic [Ca2+]i and calcium's role in releasing transmitter might be different than at terminals invaded by all-or-none action potentials. To examine this possibility, we measured the spatial and temporal changes of [Ca2+]i in response to depolarization of individual photoreceptor terminals of the barnacle Balanus nubilus, which had been injected with the Ca2+ indicator Fura-2. Depolarizing pulses produced voltage-dependent Ca2+ entry that was confined to the tips of the arbor where the release sites are located. At increasing distances from the tips, the rate of [Ca2+]i increase was slower and the peak [Ca2+]i occurred later, suggesting that Ca2+ entered the tips and diffused back into the larger processes of the arbor. Consistent with this result, a stable gradient of [Ca2+]i was observed at maintained depolarizations, with the highest values at the tips of the arbor. Removal of external Na+ did not affect the time course of Ca2+ decline in the terminal, indicating that Na+/Ca2+ exchange was not the primary mechanism for restoring [Ca2+]i to basal levels. Computer simulations, assuming only Ca2+ entry at the arbor's tips and diffusion of Ca2+ away from the entry site, qualitatively reproduced these observations. The threshold for Ca2+ entry was near -60 mV, and entry was maintained during prolonged depolarizations, in agreement with previous experiments showing that Ca2+ channels in the terminal region do not inactivate. The time course of the measured [Ca2+]i change in the terminal paralleled voltage changes due to a Ca(2+)-activated K+ conductance, which senses [Ca2+]i just under the membrane. This parallelism is expected since the release sites are located on processes of small-enough diameter to permit radial equilibration of [Ca2+]i within the time course of physiological voltage changes. Therefore, the optical measurements reflect the mean level of [Ca2+]i under the membrane. Whether this mean concentration is also the value at the sites that trigger exocytosis will depend on how close the Ca2+ channels are to these sites.
Stability of Waveforms on Active Nonlinear Transmission Lines

Steady propagation on both the tapered RC \pm G and RLC \pm G nonlinear transmission lines is investigated and the existence of various types of neuristor waveforms demonstrated. A generalization of the direct method of Liapunov for distributed parameter systems is employed to determine the stability of the possible steady waveforms. It is shown that the criterion for waveform stability on such active nonlinear transmission lines is simply that the derivative of the steady waveform represents the minimum eigenvalue solution of the linearized perturbation equation.
Plantinga, Epistemic Permissiveness, and Metaphysical Pluralism

Alvin Plantinga's much heralded religious epistemology is a many-faceted thing. In simplest terms, it is an attempt to free would-be rational theists from the evidentialist requirement for religious belief and to show that they are well within their ‘epistemic rights’ in taking certain beliefs about God as ‘properly basic’. In an early version of his programme, Plantinga sought to achieve both these objectives through a single strategem, namely via the overthrow of ‘classical foundationalism’, an historically wide-ranging approach to epistemology he judges to be, even today, preeminent. Plantinga's frontal attack on his self-styled opposition, however, soon proved inadequate to his task, largely because it exposed his own position to criticism and left pressing questions unanswered. By this time, of course, Plantinga has done much to reply to his critics and to address fundamental questions; yet in so doing, he has adopted argumentative manoeuvres, some quite surprising, that take him considerably beyond his original position. These developments in his proposal are central to the discussion that follows. If we are to comprehend them, however, we must begin where he did, with a critique of classical foundationalism, for in the case of Plantinga's religious epistemology, to trace genesis is to elucidate growth.
Ion mobility-mass spectrometry for structural proteomics.

Ion mobility coupled to mass spectrometry has been an important tool in the fields of chemical physics and analytical chemistry for decades, but its potential for interrogating the structure of proteins and multiprotein complexes has only recently begun to be realized. Today, ion mobility– mass spectrometry is often applied to the structural elucidation of protein assemblies that have failed high-throughput crystallization or NMR spectroscopy screens. Here, we highlight the technology, approaches and data that have led to this dramatic shift in use, including emerging trends such as the integration of ion mobility–mass spectrometry data with more classical (e.g., ‘bottom-up’) proteomics approaches for the rapid structural characterization of protein networks.
Culture-proven endogenous endophthalmitis: clinical features and visual acuity outcomes

Abstract Purpose To investigate clinical features and visual acuity outcomes associated with endogenous endophthalmitis. Design Retrospective, observational case series. Methods Twenty-one eyes of 21 patients treated at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute for culture-proven endogenous endophthalmitis between 1996 and 2002 were reviewed. Results Patients were followed a mean of 3 months (range, 1 to 12 months). Fungal isolates occurred in 13 eyes (62%), gram-positive isolates in 7 (33%), and gram-negative isolates in 1 (5%). Twelve patients (57%) were hospitalized at the time of diagnosis and 6 patients (29%) died within 2 months of diagnosis. Initial treatment included tap and injection of intravitreal medication in 10 eyes (48%) and pars plana vitrectomy with injection of intravitreal medication in 11 eyes (52%). Final visual outcomes were obtainable for 18 eyes (two patients died within 10 days of diagnosis, and one patient was lost to follow-up). Eight (44%) of these 18 eyes achieved a visual acuity of 20/400 or better and 10 (56%) of 18 eyes achieved a visual acuity worse than 20/400, including 3 that were either enucleated or eviscerated. Three eyes with Aspergillus endophthalmitis had worse visual outcomes than eyes with either Candida ( P = .036) or bacterial endophthalmitis ( P = .024). Conclusions Compared with published series of postoperative or post-traumatic endophthalmitis, patients with endogenous endophthalmitis are more likely to have fungal isolates with a predominance of Candida albicans . Endogenous endophthalmitis is generally associated with high mortality and poor visual acuity outcomes, particularly when caused by more virulent species such as Aspergillus.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with brain metastases from small cell lung cancer.

Background Patients with small-cell lung cancer have a high likelihood of developing brain metastases. Many of these patients will have prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) or eventually undergo whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). Despite these treatments, a large number of these patients will have progression of their intracranial disease and require additional local therapy. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an important treatment option for such patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 44 patients with brain metastases from small-cell lung cancer treated with gamma knife SRS. Multivariate analysis was used to determine significant prognostic factors influencing survival. Results The median follow-up from SRS in this patient population was 9 months (1–49 months). The median overall survival (OS) was 9 months after SRS. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) and combined treatment involving WBRT and SRS within 4 weeks were the two factors identified as being significant predictors of increased OS (p = 0.033 and 0.040, respectively). When comparing all patients, patients treated with a combined approach had a median OS of 14 months compared to 6 months if SRS was delivered alone. We also compared the OS times from the first definitive radiation: WBRT, WBRT and SRS if combined therapy was used, and SRS if the patient never received WBRT. The median survival for those groups was 12, 14, and 13 months, respectively, p = 0.19. Seventy percent of patients had follow-up magnetic resonance imaging available for review. Actuarial local control at 6 months and 12 months was 90% and 86%, respectively. Only 1 patient (2.2%) had symptomatic intracranial swelling related to treatment, which responded to a short course of steroids. New brain metastases outside of the treated area developed in 61% of patients at a median time of 7 months; 81% of these patients had received previous WBRT. Conclusions Stereotactic radiosurgery for small-cell lung carcinoma brain metastases provided safe and effective local tumor control in the majority of patients.
On equivalence for networks of noisy channels under byzantine attacks

We consider the problem of finding network coding capacities of networks of independent point-to-point channels in the presence of a Byzantine adversary. We assume that the adversary knows all messages, and noise values and the code used to communicate across the network. The adversary controls an unknown subset of edges and can replace the channel output vectors from those edges. We show that finding the capacity for the above network is equivalent to finding the capacity of a network that is obtained by replacing each finite input alphabet point-to-point channel by a noiseless link of the noisy channel capacity. Our result shows the asymptotic optimality of separation between channel coding for each link followed by network coding for the resulting network under the corresponding model of adversarial attack.
QoS provisioning over GPRS wireless mobile links

The general packet radio service (GPRS) offers performance guaranteed packet data services to mobile users. This paper presents a guaranteed quality-of-service (QoS) provisioning scheme over GPRS wireless mobile links by proposing a guaranteed QoS media access control (GQ-MAC) protocol and an accompanying prioritized handoff call admission control (PH-CAC) protocol to maintain QoS guarantees under the effect of mobile handoffs. The GQ-MAC protocol supports bounded channel access delay for delay-sensitive traffic, bounded packet loss probability for loss-sensitive traffic, and dynamic adaptive resource allocation for bursty traffic. The PH-CAC protocol provides prioritized admission by differentiating handoff requests with different higher admission priorities over new calls via a multiple guard channel scheme.
Transitioning to computer-based testing

Abstract Objective To review the implementation process of the University of Rhode Island’s transition to computer-based testing and their students’ and faculty perceptions of the software utility. Methods ExamSoft© testing software was selected based on the best fit for the pharmacy curriculum and integration with university factors. Faculty received training and piloted the software in elective courses. Description of the exam development, administration of exam, and evaluation of performance is provided. Student and faculty perceptions about the utility of computer-based testing were collected by pre- and post-survey questions. Results The majority (75%) of students had a favorable response to the integration of computer-based testing in their course. Most students (81.3%) supported the use of technology in their education and 87.5% felt comfortable using the software after it was implemented. Overall, 71.9% and 84.4% students reported they liked receiving immediate feedback from computer-based testing and assessment of their progress within the pharmacy curriculum, respectively. Less than 7% of students stated that they witnessed cheating by another student, as well as, that they also felt less of a need to cheat reduction strategies by the College after the implementation of computer-based testing. The initial faculty response following implementation of the software was equally positive. Conclusion The implementation of the computer-based testing software was straightforward and cost effective. Overall success of our transition was measured by student and faculty views, to which were favorable on all areas of survey evaluation including software usability, assessment of student performance, cheating-related issues, and faculty workload.
Evidence of Television Exposure Effects in AP Top 25 College Football Rankings

A potential source of bias in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 football rankings is television exposure. Using the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 college football seasons, the authors observe, all else equal, that AP voters change the ranking of teams differently on the basis of television exposure: The more often a team is televised, relative to the total number of own- and opponent-televised games, the greater the change in the number of AP votes that team receives, even after accounting for own and opponent's on-field performance.