cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A pulse reflectometer for routine monitoring of transmitted and reflected power in physiological NMR studies.

A simple circuit design is described which provides LED readout of transmitted and reflected pulsed of power. The utility of monitoring these variables in physiological NMR studies is discussed. © 1987 Academic Press, Inc.
Semi-empirical studies on electronic structures of a boron-doped graphene layer — implications on the oxidation mechanism

Abstract The electronic structures of pure and boron-doped graphene layers have been investigated using the semi-empirical Molecular Orbital Package (MOPAC) and large clusters of carbon atoms. It is shown that boron-doping on the edge and internal lattice sites of the graphene layer produces very different effects on the electronic structure around the edges. It is found that the substitutional boron atoms on the edges dramatically alter the density distribution of high energy electrons along the edges and the substitutional boron atoms in the deep internal lattice sites do not produce any significant effect on the density distribution along the edges. Based on the results obtained, a model is proposed for describing the oxidation process in boron-doped graphite. The mechanism of oxidation inhibition due to boron-doping of a graphene layer is chemical inhibition via the reduction of electron density with high energy at surface sites, and consequently, a reduction in the total number of active sites for gasification of the carbon.
Making Sense of Common Test Items That Do Not Get Easier Over Time: Implications for Vertical Scale Designs

This study focuses on an instance in which the mean grade-to-grade scale scores on a vertical scale showed evidence of common test items that do not get easier from one grade to the next. The issue was examined as part of a 2-day workshop in which participants were asked to predict the growth on all linking items used in the construction of vertical scales in math and reading. It was found that these predictions were only weakly correlated to the empirical changes overall. The participants seldom found legitimate rationales for excluding reversal items. Results indicate that a reversal will almost never be sufficient as a rationale for the exclusion of a linking item from the calibration of a vertical scale. Greater attention needs to be given to definition of the construct over which growth is to be interpreted and how this influences the selection of linking items.
Dynamic Logic learning in cognitive-based situation models

we present a cognitive modeling framework called Neural Modeling Fields (NMF) and its application to situation learning and categorization. We discuss how this framework is related to the perceptual symbol systems theory of cognition (PSS). Essentially, the mathematical apparatus of NMF is a way to learn the frames and simulators described qualitatively by PSS. For the purposes of this work, a situation is modeled as a set of objects and relationships that exist among them. Here we consider object recognition problem solved and demonstrate how the NMF framework is used to learn high level concepts such as situations.
Hegel's Hold on Conceptions of Human Development

The use of development is ubiquitous in everyday language, and theories regarding it can be found in the social sciences and humanities. Although much work has been done to examine the meaning of development and its history, little attention has been paid to Hegel's role as the philosophical anchor for the modern life of development. By revisiting Hegel's Philosophy of History and analyzing some of the most influential thinkers in modern theories of human development – spanning economic, social, cognitive and moral – the author argues that these theories are far from escaping the Hegelian logic of Development. Furthermore, he warns of the potential violence necessarily assumed in such theories, and that revolutionizing the philosophical framework upon which developmental theories rest would be a worthwhile endeavor.
Oxynitride mediated epitaxy of gallium nitride on silicon(1 1 1) substrates in a merged hydride/metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy system

A technique was developed to deposit GaN on a Si(1 1 1) substrate by a four-step process in a single reactor: formation of ultra-thin oxide, conversion to an oxynitride via NH3 exposure at the onset of growth, low-temperature MOCVD of GaN, followed by HVPE of GaN. It was found that this oxynitride compliant layer served to relieve stress at the GaN/Si interface as well as protect the Si substrate from reaction with free Ga ato ms present during the initial stages of growth and interfacial reactions with the adjoining GaN film. Electron microscopy revealed that an ultra-thin (less than 2 nm) oxynitride could maintain the hexagonal epitaxial relationship of the Si substrate allowing growth of single crystal GaN. It was shown experimentally that formation of a thicker oxynitride layer was detrimental to GaN epitaxy due to loss of the epitaxial relationship. In the final HVPE step, single crystal GaN films were deposited from a traditional growth temperature of 950 down to 560 ◦ C which is the lowest reported temperature for VPE of single crystal GaN. The unique reactor configuration allowed the HVPE process to initiate on a pristine MOCVD GaN surface. Additionally, epitaxy at low temperature was achievable due to the presence of free HCl which suppresses the formation of energetically unstable nuclei. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Sex-specific QTLs and interacting loci underlie salt-sensitive hypertension and target organ complications in Dahl S/jrHS hypertensive rats.

Sex-specific differences in polygenic (essential) hypertension are commonly attributed to the role of sex steroid hormone-receptor systems attenuating sex-common disease mechanisms in premenopausal...
Drive-Through Angioplasty Is It Safe or Necessary?

In this issue of Circulation , Bertrand et al1 report the results of the Early Discharge after Transradial Stenting of Coronary Arteries (EASY) Study. After receiving a standard bolus of abciximab and undergoing a successful and uncomplicated transradial stent placement, 1005 patients were randomized to a traditional strategy with overnight hospitalization or early discharge after 4 to 6 hours. All patients received aspirin, clopidogrel, and a bolus dose of abciximab before their procedure. Those in the traditional strategy group also received a 12-hour abciximab infusion, whereas those in the early discharge group did not. The goal of the EASY study was to show that stent implantation by the radial approach with only a bolus of abciximab and then early discharge was not inferior to the traditional strategy in terms of effectiveness and safety. The primary composite end point was the 30-day incidence of death, any myocardial infarction, unplanned revascularization, major bleeding, repeat hospitalization, access-site complications, or severe thrombocytopenia. On the basis of their data, the authors concluded that the abbreviated abciximab therapy with same-day discharge was clinically not inferior to the traditional strategy after uncomplicated stent placement. Article p 2636 With healthcare costs increasing, strategies to limit expenditures are popular and deserve careful examination. Accepted cardiology practice has moved toward dramatically shortened hospital stays for diagnostic coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as well as many other procedures. The present study suggests that many patients who undergo PCI could be managed safely as outpatients. Substantial accomplishments in the practice of PCI have resulted in the excellent success and safety of the procedure we now observe, but are we ready for routine outpatient PCI? The use of radial artery access has been well described in the literature. Despite studies demonstrating the feasibility, safety, and acceptance by patients of this …
A framework for multi-contact multi-body dynamic simulation and haptic display

Presents a general framework for the dynamic simulation and haptic exploration of complex virtual environments. This work builds on previous developments in simulation, haptics and operational space control. The relations between the dynamic models used in simulation and the models originally developed for robotic control are also presented. This framework has been used to develop a simulator that can model complex interactions between generalized articulated mechanical systems and permits direct "hands-on" interaction with the virtual environment through a haptic interface.
Healers of the Andes: Kallawaya Herbalists and Their Medicinal Plants

Healers of the Andes: Kallawaya Herbalists and Their Medicinal Plants. Joseph W. Bastien (illustrations by Eleanor Forfang Stauffer). Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1987. 288 pp. 37.50 (Cloth). ISBN 07-87480-4
Observation of a turbulence-induced large scale magnetic field.

Many stars and planets generate their own nearly– axisymmetric magnetic fields. Understanding the mechanism by which these fields are generated is a problem of fundamental importance to astrophysics. These dynamos are sometimes modeled using two components: a process which generates toroidal magnetic field from poloidal field and a feedback mechanism which reinforces the poloidal field [1]. The first process is easily modeled in an axisymmetric system: toroidal differential rotation of a highly–conducting fluid sweeps the pre-existing poloidal field in the toroidal direction creating toroidal field. This phenomenon, known as the ω–effect, is efficient at producing magnetic field and has been observed experimentally [2, 3, 4]. The second ingredient to the model is more subtle, as toroidal currents must be generated to reinforce the original axisymmetric poloidal field. Cowling’s theorem [5] excludes the possibility of an axisymmetric flow generating such currents so some symmetry–breaking mechanism is required. The usual mechanism invoked [6] is a turbulent electromotive force (EMF), E = D
Divided left atrium in association with tricuspid atresia and discordant ventriculo-arterial connections

Division of the morphologically left atrium is a rare abnormality, constituting around 0.1% of congenital heart disease. It may coexist with other cardiac abnormalities, and this association may obscure its recognition. We report an uncommon association with tricuspid atresia and discordant ventriculo-arterial connections, the latter dominating the clinical picture. Accurate diagnosis was made by transthoracic cross-sectional echocardiography, and the patient was referred to surgery without need for cardiac catheterisation.
New Life in Dusty Decks: Results of Porting a CM Fortran Based Aeroacoustic Model to High Performance Fortran

The High Performance Fortran language is a 'standard by consensus', developed by individuals and vendors in the high performance computing industry, to provide a low barrier entry to parallel computing. It promises to be an easier to use development environment for distributed memory computing platforms compared to the programming complexity required by message passing libraries such as PVM and MPI. HPF promises much and is still in its infancy. Since HPF was developed in part based on experiences gained with early parallel Fortran compilers such as Thinking Machines CM Fortran, we decided to test the effectiveness of HPF with today's generation of HPF compilers by porting a complex existing model code originally developed using CM Fortran. The model code that we selected is a hybrid computational aeroacoustics code that solves the 3D, time-dependent Euler equations in the near flow field and uses a moving surface Kirchhoff's formula to predict the far field sound radiating from turbofan engine inlets. The original CM Fortran model code was developed on a Thinking Machines CM5. The extensive production research use of this model, using varying grid sizes, provides excellent benchmarks with which to compare the HPF port. Two HPF compilers were selected in the porting effort -- The Portland Group's (PGI) pghpf and the xlhpf compiler from IBM. IBM's xlhpf does not implement some elements of the HPF subset while PGI's offering provides several full-HPF extensions. porting efforts using each compiler exposed the strengths and weaknesses of each. Porting this complex code exposed many of the growing pains associated with the current generation of compilers. Critical sections of the code will be explained and these critical areas of the conversion effort will be discussed. Where necessary we will demonstrate how different porting strategies affected the performance of the code. Finally we will present how the ported code ran, using a varying number of processors, on an IBM SP2 and an SGI Origin 2000. While the current simple port does not match the speed of a CM-5, we hope further porting efforts and improved compiler technology will enable us to eventually match and then surpass CM-5 performance levels. With the shutdown of the NCSA CM-5 and the eventual removal and failure of the remaining Thinking Machines hardware currently installed, this effort will demonstrate that investments in CM Fortran code need not be abandoned and that new life can be breathed into those dusty decks.
Arabidopsis thaliana—Aphid Interaction

Aphids are important pests of plants that use their stylets to tap into the sieve elements to consume phloem sap. Besides the removal of photosynthates, aphid infestation also alters source-sink patterns. Most aphids also vector viral diseases. In this chapter, we will summarize on recent significant findings in plant-aphid interaction, and how studies involving Arabidopsis thaliana and Myzus persicae (Sulzer), more commonly known as the green peach aphid (GPA), are beginning to provide important insights into the molecular basis of plant defense and susceptibility to aphids. The recent demonstration that expression of dsRNA in Arabidopsis can be used to silence expression of genes in GPA has further expanded the utility of Arabidopsis for evaluating the contribution of the aphid genome-encoded proteins to this interaction.
Contributions of Listeria monocytogenes σB and PrfA to expression of virulence and stress response genes during extra- and intracellular growth

Listeria monocytogenes σ B and PrfA are pleiotropic regulators of stress response and virulence gene expression. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to measure transcript levels of σ B- and PrfA-dependent genes in exponential-phase L. monocytogenes wild-type and ΔsigB strains as well as in bacteria exposed to environmental stresses (0.3 M NaCl or growth to stationary phase) or present in the vacuole or cytosol of human intestinal epithelial cells. Stationary-phase or NaCl-exposed L. monocytogenes showed σ B-dependent increases in opuCA (10- and 17-fold higher, respectively) and gadA transcript levels (77- and 14-fold higher, respectively) as compared to non-stressed, exponential-phase bacteria. While PrfA activity, as reflected by plcA transcript levels, was up to 95-fold higher in intracellular L. monocytogenes as compared to non-stressed bacteria, σ B activity was only slightly higher in intracellular than in non-stressed bacteria. Increased plcA transcript levels, which were similar in both host cell vacuole and cytosol, were associated with increases in both prfA expression and PrfA activity. qRT-PCR assays were designed to measure expression of prfA from each of its three promoter regions. Under all conditions, readthrough transcription from the upstream plcA promoter was very low. The relative contribution to total prfA transcription from the σ A-dependent P1prfA promoter ranged from ∼17 % to 30 %, while the contribution of the P2prfA region, which appears to be transcribed by both σ A and σ B, ranged from ∼70 % to 82 % of total prfA transcript levels. In summary (i) σ B is primarily activated during environmental stress and does not contribute to PrfA activation in intracellular L. monocytogenes and (ii) the partially σ B-dependent P2prfA promoter region contributes the majority of prfA transcripts in both intra- and extracellular bacteria.
Regulation of transcription in yeast

Studies on synchronous cultures of yeast have provided a large body of information in favor of periodic synthesis. This has been extensively reviewed in recent years (Donachie and Masters, 1969; Halvorson et al., 1971; Mitchison, 1971; Hartwell et al, 1974). Over 30–40 enzymes have been followed throughout the cell cycle in yeast. The vast majority of these show periodic synthesis restricted to some part of the cell cycle, whereas a few apparently show continuous synthesis through the cell cycle. There is no clear association of the period of enzyme synthesis with the S period. The period of synthesis is, however, spread over the cell cycle. Two major theories have been proposed to explain the control of synthesis of yeast enzymes. The “oscillatory repression” model has been proposed by several groups (Donachie and Masters, 1969; Pardee, 1966; Masters and Donachie, 1966; Goodwin, 1966) which assumes that biosynthetic enzymes are controlled by end-product repression. Given appropriate constants, a negative feed-back system will oscillate. The supporters of this hypothesis have argued that the oscillations are entrained by a cell cycle dependent event. This theory fits much of the data in synchronous bacterial cultures (Donachie and Masters, 1969; Halvorson et al, 1971; Mitchison, 1971) and some cases in eukaryotic cells such as the ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase in Chlorella (Malloy and Schmidt, 1970). However, oscillatory repression does not fit several enzymes in yeast. Ornithine transcarbamylase is a step enzyme in fission yeast, however, Stebbing (1972) found no fluctuations in the amino acid pools during the cell cycle of either repressed of constitutive synthesis.
CABG in octogenarians: Early and late events and actuarial survival in comparison with a matched population

Background. With important demographic changes in cardiac surgical practice, more older patients are undergoing complex cardiac operations. Controversy exists as to whether the expenditure of healthcare resources on the growing elderly populations represents an effective approach in maintaining a meaningful quality of life. Methods. From January 1982 through April 1991, 121 consecutive octogenarians underwent a surgical procedure that included coronary artery bypass grafting. Retrospective review of patient medical records was performed; follow-up information was obtained via telephone contact with the patient, the patient's family, or the patient's physician. Results. There were 67 men (55%) and 54 women (45%). Mean age was 82.1 years (range, 80 to 89 years). Sixty-nine percent of the patients were having class III or IV symptoms. There were 11 hospital deaths (9.1%); risk factors included longer cardiopulmonary bypass time ( p = 0.01), higher preoperative left ventricular end-diastolic pressure ( p = 0.02), advanced age ( p = 0.05), history of renal disease ( p = 0.02), and myocardial infarction ( p = 0.04). Late death occurred in 34 patients (30.9%) at a mean of 27 months postoperatively; univariate risk factors included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( p = 0.009), higher left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure ( p = 0.03), and recent myocardial infarction ( p = 0.03). Actuarial survival, including hospital death, was 32.8% at 80 months, compared with 37.6% for an age; sex; and race-matched population ( p > 0.03). Most late survivors (84%) were in New York Heart Association class I or II. Conclusions. We conclude that coronary artery bypass grafting can be performed in octogenarians with an acceptable, although increased risk. Hospital survivors have a good late functional status but are at risk for pulmonary and other atherosclerosis-related events, which impair overall survival.
Developing a Framework for Ankle Function: A Delphi Study

Context: Addressing clinical outcomes is paramount to providing effective health care, yet there is no consensus regarding the appropriate outcomes to address after ankle injuries. Compounding the ...
Neurologic Complications Associated With Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Encephalopathy has been demonstrated to be associated with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. In this study, the data on all patients less than 14 years of age hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis over the past 4 years was reviewed. Patients who had concomitant diagnoses consistent with neurologic disease underwent detailed chart review. There were 964 patients (age 0.1 to 13.6 years) with a diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. Thirty-six of these patients had concurrent neurologic diagnoses. Twenty-four patients were excluded because of preexistent neurologic disorders, probable simple febrile seizures, or a history of epilepsy. Twelve respiratory syncytial virus-positive patients had definite neurologic complications without another recognized cause. Seven of these patients had seizures (predominantly generalized tonic-clonic and one with status epilepticus), three had generalized encephalopathy (marked hypotonia and decreased responsiveness) of whom two also developed esotropia. Two patients developed isolated esotropia. There was an incidence of neurologic complications of 1.2% (0.7% seizures) in a total of 964 patients with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. This percentage does not include presumed simple febrile seizures or exacerbations of preexisting seizure disorder (further 1.3%). Neurologic complications occur with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis, and physicians and other caregivers should be aware of this entity as well as the favorable prognosis.
An ecological approach to understanding youth smoking trajectories: problems and prospects

Non-random patterns of aggregate youth smoking rates and trajectories across communities suggest that individual-level characteristics cannot account fully for the behavior in question. Instead, at least part of the explanation must lie somewhere within the community context. Such community-level contextual effects can impact directly both group and individual-level behavior (e.g. main effects), and they can also condition the effects of individual-level factors on individual behaviors (e.g. moderating effects). This paper reviews previous research examining community-level contextual effects regarding smoking and substance use more generally and identifies important limitations of this extant work, thus defining an agenda for future empirical studies. Next, the (in)compatibility of previous empirical findings with current theoretical models is discussed. In offering an alternative to these existing models, the paper concludes with presentation and discussion of a multi-level, integrated model of adolescent smoking trajectories. In this model, community/institutional forces are presumed to impact smoking above and beyond individual-level main effects. These posited community-level forces are broad and varied, representing school characteristics, neighborhood demographic characteristics, religious culture, media influence, economic context, health services and so on. In addition to exhibiting contextual main effects, the effects of community in the proposed multilevel model can be mediated by community-level processes, including the processes of control and socialization discussed herein. Also, community-level characteristics may interact in producing certain tobacco-use outcomes and, perhaps most importantly, they may moderate or condition the effects of interindividual differences on smoking.
MODELING CHANGES IN GROWTH AND DIET ON POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYL BIOACCUMULATION IN COREGONUS HOYI

Restrictions on the release of PCBs into the environment began in the early 1970s, resulting in reduced PCB concentrations in Lake Michigan bloaters (Coregonus hoyi). However, since 1980, PCB concentrations in bloater have declined only slightly. The bloater population also increased 40-fold during 1970 through 1984, resulting in a diet shift and a density-dependent decline in growth. Our goal was to determine how these changes in diet and growth may have affected PCB accumulation in Lake Michigan bloater. We evaluated the consequences of these two changes on bloater PCB concentrations by developing a bioenergetics-based PCB bioaccumulation model. Bloater PCB concentrations increased little when we increased the amount of Diporeia hoyi, the most contaminated prey, in the bloater diet. By comparing constant growth (similar to those of the 1970s) to observed decline in growth rates, we found that lower growth rates during the 1980s placed older, more contaminated bloaters in the size range most vulnerable to predators and in the size range sampled by PCB monitoring programs. Bloater PCB concentration trends may be influenced by the sampling methodology of the United States Geological Survey. If fish PCB trends are to be used as an indicator of system-level PCB trends, sampling should include a representative sample of fish of known age from the population.
Assessing the accuracy of legal implementation readiness decisions

Software engineers regularly build systems that are required to comply with laws and regulations. To this end, software engineers must determine which requirements have met or exceeded their legal obligations and which requirements have not. Requirements that have met or exceeded their legal obligations are legally implementation ready, whereas requirements that have not met or exceeded their legal obligations need further refinement. Research is needed to better understand how to support software engineers in making these determinations. In this paper, we describe a case study in which we asked graduate-level software engineering students to assess whether a set of software requirements for an electronic health record system met or exceeded their corresponding legal obligations as expressed in regulations created pursuant to the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). We compare the assessment made by graduate students with an assessment made by HIPAA compliance subject matter experts. Additionally, we contrast these results with those generated by a legal requirements triage algorithm. Our findings suggest that the average graduate-level software engineering student is ill-prepared to write legally compliant software with any confidence and that domain experts are an absolute necessity. Our findings also indicate the potential utility of legal requirements metrics in aiding software engineers as they make legal compliance decisions.
Resistance to Antiretroviral Drugs: A Threat to the Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric HIV Infection

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV was recognized early in the worldwide AIDS pandemic and by the late 1980s abnormal psychomotor development candida esophagitis and recurrent invasive bacterial infections were recognized as signatures of HIV infection in infants. Pneumocystis pneumonia occurred in many infants within the first 3-6 months of life often preceding death by as little as 1 month. Although symptoms of HIV infection generally appeared much later children who developed symptoms in the first year of life generally died by 2-3 years of age and AIDS became the seventh leading cause of mortality in young children in the United States by 1996. Nucleoside analogue reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) antiretroviral therapy delayed the progression of disease and zidovudine sometimes caused dramatic improvements in cognitive function but these salutary effects were usually modest and transient in nature. Fortunately striking progress in both the prevention and treatment of HIV infection of children was made in early to mid-1990s. Administration of zidovudine during pregnancy labor and delivery accompanied by 6 weeks of postnatal therapy for the infant was shown to reduce MTCT of HIV by 70%. A series of studies in the 1990s identified virological immunological and obstetrical variables linked with perinatal infection of infants. (excerpt)
An efficient method for γ-spectrometric determination of radium-226,228 via manganese fibers

Radium isotope activities are typically at such low levels in natural waters, especially in seawater, that their measurement requires preconcentration from very large samples. Many investigators accomplish this by pass- ing large volumes (20 to 150 L) of seawater or groundwater through a cartridge loaded with MnO 2 -impregnated acrylic fiber. We describe here a new approach for converting "Mn fiber" into a form suitable for measurement of long-lived 226 Ra and 228 Ra by γ-spectrometry. The fiber is packed into custom-made crucibles manufactured from stainless-steel sheets. The fiber is then ashed at 550°C resulting in a sample mass reduction of approxi- mately 90%. The crucibles are subsequently folded to enclose the ash, pressed using a hydraulic press, and sealed on top with silicon caulking to prevent radon escape. This procedure has an advantage over similar tech- niques because there is no sample transfer needed, and it is very time efficient. Radium-228 is determined by counting photopeaks at 338 and 911 keV from its daughter 228 Ac (T 1/2 = 6.1 h). Radium-226 is determined either by its photopeak at 186 keV (clear from interferences from 235 U as U is not extracted on Mn fiber from oxidiz- ing waters) or by counting the more abundant photopeaks from the granddaughters 214 Bi and 214 Pb after a 3- week in-growth period. A recent International Atomic Energy Agency intercomparison study for radium deter- mination in water as well as comparison to the traditional radon emanation method showed that this technique provided good results and is appropriate for radium measurements in natural waters.
The contributions of GluR2 to allosteric modulation of AMPA receptors.

Abstract Native AMPA receptor complexes in the CNS are composed of hetero-oligomers of the GluR1-4 subunits, and generally contain the GluR2 subunit. To determine the contributions of GluR2 to pharmacological properties of receptor complexes, the effect of hetero-oligomerization with GluR2 on allosteric modulation of recombinant AMPA receptors was studied. The study of homo-oligomeric GluR2 was facilitated with a site-directed mutant of the pore, GluR2(R607Q), which allowed robust currents from this normally low-conducting subunit. The efficacy of the allosteric modulators was tested on homo-oligomeric GluR1-4, and then compared with hetero-oligomeric GluR1/GluR2, GluR3/GluR2 and GluR4/GluR2. Two selective allosteric modulators were tested, a positive modulator, cyclothiazide, and a negative modulator, LY300164. The results show that the pharmacological properties of homo-oligomeric GluR2 are not significantly different from those of GluR1, GluR3 or GluR4. The apparent affinity of cyclothiazide is not significantly changed upon hetero-oligomerization. However, the extent of potentiation of kainate responses by cyclothiazide is significantly decreased upon hetero-oligomerization. Hetero-oligomerization increases the apparent affinity of LY300164, a (−) isomer of the 2,3-benzodiazepine LY293606. These data indicate that although GluR2 has a dominant effect on the permeation properties, this subunit does not have a similarly dominant effect on pharmacological properties of native receptors. However, the state of hetero-oligomerization can alter the pharmacological properties of AMPA receptors.
Judicial Performance Evaluations as Biased and Invalid Measures: Why the ABA Guidelines are Not Good Enough

Judicial performance evaluations (JPEs) are an important part of the judicial selection process in the states, particularly those using a version of the merit plan. All states that use JPEs follow the ABA’s Guidelines (1985), which claim to minimize the potential for unconscious bias through the use of behavior-based evaluation. But these measures have yet to be subjected to rigorous analysis. This analysis of the “Judging the Judges” survey of Nevada attorneys provides such an analysis. After controlling for objective measures of judicial performance, gender and race still contribute significantly to the scores on all of the behavior-based measures implemented in the Nevada poll. I find evidence of significant unconscious bias, as social cognition theory would predict. The analysis also cast serious doubt on the overall validity of these measures of judicial quality. This result raises serious questions about the validity and fairness of JPEs around the country.
Ethiopian taxicab drivers: forming an occupational niche in the US Capital

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes the relative roles of cultural and structural factors in the emergence and solidification of taxi driving as an ethnic occupational niche among Ethiopian immigrants in the Washington DC metropolitan area within the wider context of globalization and immigrant integration. An ethnic occupational niche is the concentration and specialization of members of an ethnic group in a particular occupational activity. Using data from the US Census Bureau and in-depth interviews with 25 (male) Ethiopian cab drivers and three Ethiopian cab company owners, it examines the factors that affected the entrance of first-generation Ethiopian immigrants in this occupation since the 1980s. This research demonstrates that mixed embeddedness or the interplay of structural factors such as blocked mobility as well as cultural factors such as the strong social networks that exist among Ethiopian immigrants were important in the induction of new immigrants into taxicab driving. The demographic composition...
(2s−1) Designs withs intersection numbers

It follows from Ray-Chaudhuri and Wilson (1975) that a (2s−1)-(v, k, λ) design has at leasts block intersection numbers. The extremal case of such designs having exactlys intersection numbers is studied. Some necessary conditions on the parameters and intersection numbers are obtained. The following characterization results are proved: (i) A (2s−1)-design with exactlys intersection numbers is the Witt 5-(24, 8, 1) design if and only ifs≥3 and the sum of the intersection numbers is less than or equal tos(s−1); (ii) A tight 2s-design, that is a 2s-design with exactlys intersection numbers, is the Witt 4-(23, 7, 1) design if and only ifs≥2 and the sum of the intersection numbers is less than or equal tos2.
When Subjects Violate the Research Covenant: Lessons Learned from a Failed Clinical Trial of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation.

When Subjects Violate the Research Covenant: Lessons Learned from a Failed Clinical Trial of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
Survey on HIV,hepatitis C virus and syphilis infections in heroin addicts at drug rehabilitation center in Wuxi

Objective To understand the infections of HIV,hepatitis C virus,syphilis,and the related risk factors in heroin addicts at drug rehabilitation center in Wuxi.Methods During 2009to 2012,questionnaires and blood tests for HIV,HCV and TP were used on 782heroin addicts.Results Heroin addicts were mainly males(85.17%),middle-aged and young population(30to 49years old accounted for 81.71%),middle school or lower level of education(98.98%),83.63% were injecting drug users,9.46% had used other drugs(mainly methamphetamine,8.57%).Positive rate of HCV was 59.34%,TP was 6.78%,HIV was 0.26%,and 31people were detected for co-infection with HCV and TP(3.96%).Among the Heroin addicts,female TP positive rate(11.21%)was higher than male(6.01%)(P0.05),HCV positive rate of injecting drug users(62.54%)was higher than oral iron or suction users(42.97%)(P0.001),and HCV positive rates of different ages had statistically significant difference(P0.001).Conclusion Hepatitis C,syphilis infection rate of Heroin addictions at drug rehabilitation center in Wuxi are higher than that of normal people,HIV infection rates were at a lower level,injecting drug use and risk sexual behavior are main routes for infection diseases.
Barriers to Completing Delayed Breast Reconstruction Following Mastectomy: a Critical Need for Patient and Clinician Education

Rates of breast reconstruction following mastectomy vary widely, and little is known about why women who originally express an interest in breast reconstruction do not receive it. Improved documentation of clinical decision-making is one of the potential benefits of the electronic health record (EHR), and may serve as a tool to enhance patient-centered, clinical outcomes research. The goals of this study were to explore patterns in delayed reconstruction (DR), identify barriers to follow through, and to determine the adequacy of EHR documentation in providing information about decision-making for breast reconstruction. Retrospective EHR review of women undergoing mastectomy, 2008–2012, was conducted in an academic medical center in New England. Data included patient demographics, cancer stage, co-morbidity index, post-mastectomy reconstruction status, and documented decision-making regarding reconstruction. Of 367 women who had undergone a total mastectomy, 219 did not receive immediate reconstruction. Of these, 24.6 % expressed no interest in DR, 21.9 % expressed interest but were still pending the procedure, and 5.9 % had completed DR. Of decision-making regarding breast reconstruction, 47.5 % lacked documentation. Median follow-up was 34 months. Reasons for not following through with DR included poor timing (25 %), indecision (17 %), desired method of reconstruction not available at treating facility (10 %), persistent obesity (8.3 %), continued smoking (4 %), and reason not specified (35 %). Many women do not receive breast reconstruction despite expressing an initial interest in the procedure. Reasons were multi-factorial and the extent of documentation was inconsistent. Further exploration of potential barriers to breast reconstruction as well as opportunities to enhance shared decision-making may serve to improve patient experience and satisfaction following mastectomy.
The Heterogeneity of Invasive Bladder Carcinoma and Different Responses to Treatment

AbstractWe studied 475 patients with carcinoma of the bladder to test the effect of adjuvant radiotherapy (4,500R in 28 to 32 days) on the surgical management of patients with histological proof of muscle invasion. The patients were randomized to receive radiotherapy or not and then an appropriate open operation (more than 85 per cent cystectomy). While all patients never completed the protocol of those who did it was almost immediately evident that radiotherapy resulted in apparent destruction of the tumor as determined by pathological examination in a third of the surgical specimens (Po). For several years no advantage to the radiotherapy group was evident but subsequent followup revealed that the Po group was surviving significantly better than the control group. The current analysis, while lacking complete data on all patients, indicates that invasive bladder carcinoma usually is solid and that solid tumors most commonly invade lymphatics and are not radiosensitive. Invasive papillary carcinomas are m...
Reduction of an Escherichia coli K12 Population by Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus Under Various In Vitro Conditions of Parasite:Host Ratio, Temperature, or pH.

Intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of food products, as well as bacterial population, were evaluated for their effects on the ability of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus , a bacterium parasitic upon gram-negative bacteria, to reduce an Escherichia coli population. High concentrations of both parasite and host were the most effective for reducing a specified E. coli population. B. bacteriovorus was able to reduce the E. coli count by 90% (1 log) in < 1 h at ratios of 5:1, 10:1, and 30:1 (parasite:host). Temperatures between 20 and 30°C were more conducive to bdellovibrio attack than temperatures less than 20°C. E. coli populations were reduced by more than 7-log values after 7 h of incubation at 30°C with parasite:host ratios of 2:1, 5:1, and 10:1. Greater than a 5-log reduction in the E. coli population was observed at the ratio of 30:1. B. bacteriovorus reduced the E. coli population by 1 log in approximately 24 min and 20 min at pH 7.2 and 6.8, respectively. At pH values <6.8, the activity of B. bacteriovorus was diminished. These results define some of the conditions where the application of B. bacteriovorus may aid in the reduction/elimination of some gram-negative pathogens and spoilage flora that may be present in foods.
Farming, Grazing, and Hunting

When Jefferson penned those words, nearly nine out of ten Americans raised crops and livestock and hunted for their sustenance. Two centuries later, America is no more the land of yeoman farmers that Jefferson celebrated. Farming and ranching have experienced technological and productivity revolutions, plummeting the percentage of Americans in those pursuits to less than 2 percent of the population. American agribusiness is the world’s most productive — so productive that the excess is either exported or stored in huge warehouses. Yet despite these revolutionary changes, the raising of crops and livestock has become peripheral to America’s economy, accounting for a mere 3 percent of all economic activity.
Until Men Bear Children, Women Must Not Bear the Costs of Reproductive Capacity: Accommodating Pregnancy inthe Workplace to Achieve Equal EmploymentOpportunities

IV. INSUFFICIENCY OF THE PDA 525 A. The Comparator Approach Fails to Adequately Address Women’s Reproductive Capacity 525 B. Non-Coverage of Biologically Related Functions and Physiological Effects 527 1. Breastfeeding 527 2. Fertility Treatments 530
The Immature Arteriovenous Fistula

Fistula maturation is fundamental to dialysis success. Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation is considered clinically successful, if 6 weeks after surgery, the fistula supports a flow of 600 ml/min, is located at a maximum of 6 mm from the skin surface, and has a diameter of at least 6 mm. This chapter discusses fistula maturation and management of the immature fistula.
Power system load data models and disaggregation based on sparse approximations

The deployment of smart meters by utilities holds the promise of improvements in operational efficiency, reliability and cost savings. With power measurements from smart meters, utilities can deploy innovative programs that allow end users to better control their energy usage while simultaneously reducing peak demand across the grid. In this paper, to develop data analysis tools for applications enabling monitoring and control of energy, a systems approach is taken, comprising of modeling, measurement, calibration and inference on the energy data collected from end users. A combination of analysis and synthesis for deriving data and measurement models calibrated to the aggregate power under measurement allows detection and estimation of features of individual appliances. Test results on disaggregation of power waveforms using the publicly available REDD data sets show promising results. The generic modeling and optimization framework can be used in the design and deployment of cyber physical energy systems for monitoring and control of energy resources.
Hypothalamic Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH)-Regulating Hormone: Structure, Physiology, and Clinical Studies * †

PIP: A new concept of a single hypothalamic releasing hormone which is capable of releasing either LH or FSH (luteinizing hormone or follicle-stimulating hormone) is presented, and studies are described which summarize its physiological and chemical properties. Porcine LH-RH (LH releasing hormone) in a high state of purity was found to stimulate in rats the release of LH and FSH; this also occurred in humans. The hormone was isolated and was found to consist of 10 amino acids; the hormone has been synthesized, and the synthetic material has been shown to possess the same properties as the natural material in rats: stimulation of the release of LH and FSH in vitro and in vivo. Addition of nanogram amounts of natural porcine LH-RH/FSH-RH or synthetic hormone is capable of stimulating both release and synthesis of LH and FSH in vitro. 12 steroids used for contraception did not block the release of LH and FSH after administration of LH-RH. There is some evidence that progesterone pretreatment blocks the response to LH-RH, while estrogen seems to increase the response to LH-Rh in rats. Clinical studies clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of porcine LH-RH in stimulating the release of LH in the human. The smallest dose which induced a significant rise (p=.01) in LH was 10mcg. LH levels were elevated in prepubertal children as well as in normal adults by the hormone. One woman with secondary amenorrhea ovulated and conceived after treatment with LH-RH. This and other clinical studies suggest LH-RH may be useful in the treatment of fertility and as a diagnostic aid in distinguishing between pituitary and hypothalamic disorders.
Synergetic Learning Model: The Sum is Greater

Instructional design models provide process insight that guides learning solution designers in their work to meet learning objectives and improve performance. Human resource development scholars often focus on individual learning components that support meeting learning and performance objectives. Learning practitioners who design learning solutions must review significant amounts of research studies to extract information that may assist them in their roles. This paper introduces the evidence-based Synergetic Learning Model, focused exclusively on design, intended to leverage the work of scholars holistically for the benefit of learning practitioners.
The Association of Mindfulness and Racial Socialization Messages on Approach-Oriented Coping Strategies Among African Americans

This study investigated the association of mindfulness and racial socialization messages on approach-oriented coping strategies among African Americans. Three hundred African American college stude...
Scharp on replacing truth

Kevin Scharp’s ‘Replacing Truth’ is an ambitious and far reaching account of the semantic paradoxes. In this critical discussion we examine one the books central claims: to have provided a theory of truth that avoids the revenge paradoxes. In the first part we assess this claim, and in the second part we investigate some features of Scharp’s preferred theory of truth, ADT, and compare it with existing theories such as the Kripke–Feferman theory. In the appendix a simple model of Scharp’s theory is presented, and some potential consistent ways to strengthen the theory are suggested.
Purification and characterization of ζ-crystallin / quinone reductase from guinea pig liver

zeta-Crystallin, a major lens protein of certain mammalian species, has recently been characterized as a novel and active NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase. Here we report the purification of this protein from guinea pig liver by utilizing sequentially: ammonium sulphate precipitation, Blue Sepharose affinity, cation exchange and hydrophobic chromatography steps. This four-step isolation procedure yielded 118-fold purification and a specific activity of 6 U/mg protein when assayed in the presence of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone. Kinetic, immunological and physical properties of this protein have been found to be identical with those of guinea pig lens zeta-crystallin. Western blot analysis using antibodies raised against zeta-crystallin peptides demonstrated the presence of substantial amounts of this protein in human liver homogenates.
Race vs Burden in Understanding Health Equity-Reply.

In Reply I appreciate the attention Dr Hardeman and colleagues have given to my Viewpoint, but I do not believe that my position can be seen as pitting black individuals against white individuals, nor did I suggest that burden should be favored over rate differences. I agree that racism is a socially defined determinant of health and that structural racism needs to be seriously addressed as a component of population health policy. But considering burden along with rate uncovers the parallel structural classism that Isenberg chronicled in her book, White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America,1 which profoundly affects poor white individuals as well.