cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypercholesterolemia after conversion to sirolimus as primary immunosuppression and cardiac allograft vasculopathy in heart transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND Sirolimus (SRL) attenuates cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) progression after heart transplantation (HT) but often results in hyperlipidemia. In this study we investigated the differential effects of SRL-based and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based immunosuppression on CAV progression and clinical outcomes in HT recipients. METHODS CAV progression was assessed by coronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) as changes in volumetric measurements after correction to time between the first and last follow-up IVUS exams. CAV progression rate and CAV-associated events were compared between patients with mean follow-up low-density lipoprotein (LDL) <100 mg/dl (lower level or LL) and ≥100 mg/dl (higher level or HL) in the SRL and CNI groups. RESULTS We identified 227 patients on SRL (LL: 118; HL: 109) and 96 on CNI (LL: 56; HL: 40), with a median follow-up of 6.7 years. Clinical characteristics did not differ between the LL and HL groups and all patients were on statins. In the SRL arm, there were no significant differences in CAV progression rate and there were no differences in all-cause mortality and CAV-associated events between the LL and HL groups. In the CNI arm, the Δ change in plaque volume normalized to segment length and time of follow-up (PV/SL/year) (0.55 ± 0.53 vs 1.53 ± 2.32, p = 0.003) and Δ change in plaque index per year (defined as PV/vessel volume ratio) (3.1 ± 3.7% vs 6.3 ± 10.4%; p = 0.034) were significantly lower in the LL than the HL group. After adjusting for patient characteristics, HL was associated with higher rates of advanced CAV requiring coronary angioplasty (hazard ratio [HR] 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05 to 9.40, p = 0.040) and higher rates of all CAV-associated events (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.10 to 4.54, p = 0.026) in these CNI-treated subjects. CONCLUSION Unlike CNI-based immunosuppression, the effects of SRL on attenuating CAV progression are independent of LDL cholesterol levels post-HT.
Abstract P017: Childhood Food Insufficiency and Adulthood Cardiometabolic Health Among a Population-based Sample of Elderly Adults in Puerto Rico

Objective: Childhood food insufficiency is associated with poor physical health and psychosocial development in children, but less is known about long-term health implications. The objective of thi...
People and palaeoclimate: perspectives from the Diallowali site system

The Middle Senegal River Valley (MSV) has long functioned as an important and strategic resource for the peoples of Senegal, Mali and Mauritania. However, investigations into the archaeological pas...
Long-term efficacy of laparoscopic Nissen versus Toupet fundoplication for the management of types III and IV hiatal hernias.

Laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair via Toupet or Nissen fundoplication remains the most commonly performed procedures for management of large hiatal hernia. Few studies have compared the procedures’ long-term effectiveness. This study sought to characterize the efficacy of laparoscopic Toupet versus Nissen fundoplication for types III and IV hiatal hernia. With IRB approval, a review of all laparoscopic hiatal hernia repairs with mesh reinforcement performed over 7 years at a single center by one surgeon was conducted. Hiatal hernias were classified as type III or IV using operative reports and preoperative imaging. Patients with type I, II, or recurrent hiatal hernia and patients receiving concomitant procedures were excluded. The GERD-Health Related Quality of Life Survey was administered by telephone no earlier than 18 months postoperatively. A total of 473 patients underwent laparoscopic fundoplication; 179 having type III or IV hiatal hernia met inclusion criteria; 62 underwent Toupet, 117 underwent Nissen fundoplication. Average patient age was 64 years; 63% of patients were female. Cohorts were similar in demographics, comorbidities, and intraoperative factors. Survey was completed by 77 patients (43%): 50 having Nissen and 27 Toupet. Median time of survey completion after surgery was 54 months (Nissen) and 25 months (Toupet). Median survey responses across all items for both groups were 0 (no symptoms) with no significant variation between groups. Of patients that had Nissen, 26% reported current proton-pump inhibitor use versus 31% of Toupet patients (p = 0.486). Patient-reported satisfaction with current condition was similar between groups (67% Toupet, 72% Nissen, p = 0.351). Patient-reported symptoms and satisfaction did not vary for patients receiving laparoscopic Nissen versus Toupet fundoplication, which may indicate that patients with large type III and IV hiatal hernia undergoing either procedure have similar long-term postoperative symptom control.
Mo1663 ENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION (ESD) VERSUS TRANSANAL ENDOSCOPIC MICROSURGERY (TEM) FOR TREATMENT OF RECTAL TUMORS: A COMPARATIVE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Background While multiple studies have evaluated endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) to remove large rectal tumors, there remains a paucity of data to evaluate their comparative efficacy and safety. The primary aim of this study was to perform a structured systematic review and meta-analysis to compare efficacy and safety of ESD versus TEM for the treatment of rectal tumors.
Interview with Joyce Goodman

Professor Joyce Goodman is a powerhouse in scholarship on the history of education. On the faculty at The University of Winchester, she is perhaps known best for her scholarship on women and girls’ education, but she also has written on educational cinematography and transnational education. Professor Goodman has served in many different capacities at the university and in her scholarly associations. At Winchester, she was Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice- Chancellor, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Social Care, and Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer. She was also co-editor of the journal History of Education, president of the History of Education Society (UK), and secretary for the International Standing Conference on the History of Education (ISCHE). She is an honorary life member of ISCHE and an honorary member of Network 17 (Histories of Education) of the European Educational Research Association. Professor Goodman’s books include Social Change in the History of British Education (Routledge, 2008) with Gary McCulloch and William Richardson; Women and Education: Major Themes in Education (Routledge, 2011, four volumes) with Jane Martin; and Girls’ Secondary Education in the Western World (Palgrave 2010/2014) with James Albisetti and Rebecca Rogers. Her new book projects focus on women and international intellectual cooperation and women and comparative education. Professor Goodman has also published numerous articles and book chapters. We first met around seven years ago, when we both were invited to serve on the advisory board for the Albert M. Greenfield Digital Center for the History of Women’s Education at Bryn Mawr College (USA). I have always marveled at Professor Goodman’s intellectual dexterity, as well as her keen insight around theory, in which she effortlessly draws on seemingly disparate constructs to evince new and provocative findings in the history of education. Likewise, she embraces the power of technology to advance her scholarly agenda and to support peers and junior scholars. It was an honour to have this opportunity to interview her and learn more about her scholarly trajectory as well as her view of the future of the history of gender in education.
Trends in Anogenital Wart Diagnoses in Connecticut, 2013-2017.

This cross-sectional study examines trends in the diagnosis of anogenital warts over the course of 5 years in Connecticut, a state that achieved moderate uptake of human papillomavirus vaccine.
Factors Associated with COVID-19 Mitigation Behavior among US Adults

Abstract In early 2020, the CDC issued guidelines for personal COVID-19 mitigation behavior, such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, and social-distancing. We examine individual socio-behavioral factors that potentially predict mitigation compliance using public data. Our analysis finds that pandemic prompted strong mitigation behavior by adults, especially among females, non-whites, urban dwellers, and the psychological unwell. Other positive predictors were post-secondary education and higher income. Health symptoms and clinical risk factors did not predict increased mitigation practices, nor did age 65+ and proximity to infected persons. Our study findings are congruent with a report that pointed to a lack of increased pandemic mitigation practices in households with confirmed infections and health risks. We also point to lower levels of psychological resilience, lower socio-economic status, and non-urban location as potential explanatory factors for lack of mitigation behavior. Understanding what factors are associated with mitigation behavior will be important for policy makers in their efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
Delaunay triangulation of large-scale datasets using two-level parallelism

Abstract Because of the importance of Delaunay Triangulation in science and engineering, researchers have devoted extensive attention to parallelizing this fundamental algorithm. However, generating unstructured meshes for extremely large point sets remains a barrier for scientists working with large scale or high resolution datasets. In our previous paper, we introduced a novel algorithm – Triangulation of Independent Partitions in Parallel (TIPP) which divides the domain into many independent partitions that can be triangulated in parallel. However, using only a single master process introduced a performance bottleneck and inhibited scalability. In this paper, we refine our description of the original TIPP algorithm, and also extend TIPP to employ multiple master processes, distributing computational load across several machines. This new design improves both performance and scalability, and can produce 20 billion triangles using only 10 commodity nodes in under 30 minutes.
SU(N)1 Chern-Simons theory, the Clifford group, and Entropy Cone

Entropy cones for SU(N)1 Chern-Simons theory are discussed. It is shown that stabilizer states can be constructed from topological operators in SU(N)1 for N odd prime, but not for SU(N)K; K >= 2. This implies that the topological entropy cone is properly contained in the stabilizer entropy cone for SU(N)K; K >= 2.
Economic Development of Southeast Asia: Country Experience

This paper provides narrative background on economic and political development of the 11 countries in Southeast Asia. It shows that post-World War II development experience, economic policies, and current economic performance in each country have deep historical roots, at least back to the colonial period.
Performance of Machine Learning Algorithms in Predicting the Pavement International Roughness Index

Significant research efforts have documented the capabilities of machine learning (ML) algorithms to model pavement performance. Several challenges, however, limit the implementation of ML by pract...
My Favorite Failure: Using Digital Technology to Facilitate Creative Learning and Reconceptualize Failure

How might digital technologies (DTs) support creative expression and, in the process, reframe failure as a productive feature of creative learning endeavors? The purpose of this conceptual article is to provide a way of approaching this question. More specifically, the article opens with a brief discussion highlighting how DTs have the potential to support creative learning and adaptive conceptions of failure. The discussion focuses on the importance of recognizing how educators and students use technologies is more important than what particular technologies are used in support of creative endeavors. Next, the article provides an example of a particular creative curricular experience, called My Favorite Failure, which serves as a context for how educators and students can experience the positive reframing of their own and other’s failures through digitally supported narratives. Considerations for how educators and students might use digital technologies to support this particular type of creative experience as well as creative learning more generally are also discussed. The article closes by outlining next steps for educators, students, and researchers.
Scientometrics with and without Computers: The Cold War Transnational Journeys of the Science Citation Index

The chapter explores the history of knowledge, practices, and technologies associated with the development of scientometrics and its main tools, the Science Citation Index, science indicators and impact factors in the 1970s. The chapter shows how imagined and real features of Soviet science and society, such as the centralization of research, employment security and the labour of the Soviet users of Western technologies, who often worked by hand or using simple mechanical devices, shaped the development of this computer-based data-analytic tool in the places of its origin in the West. The history of scientometrics is a complex story of creative appropriation and modification of knowledge and technologies in the context of transnational, East–West interactions and encounters.
Measuring Genuine Progress: An Example from the UN Millennium Development Goals Project

Proposals for incorporating information on the quality of human, social, and environmental conditions in more authentic and comprehensive versions of the Gross National Product (GNP) or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) date back to the foundations of econometrics.Typically treated as external to markets, these domains have lately been objects of renewed interest. Calls for accountability and transparency have expanded to include the now topical but previously neglected economic implications of human, social, and natural capital. Clear advantages for the measurement and management of these forms of capital can be drawn from econometric criteria for identifiable models of structurally invariant relationships. The United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) provide an example application of a probabilistic model for measurement used to evaluate data quality, reduce data volume with no loss of information, estimate linear units of comparison with known uncertainties, express measures from different sets of indicators in a common metric, and frame a meaningful interpretive context. Data on 22 MDG indicators from 64 countries are scored and analyzed. Model fit was reasonable, the item hierarchy tells a meaningful story of structural invariance in economic development, and Cronbach’s alpha was 0.93. The measures estimated in this study correlated over 0.90 with independently produced measures of per-capita GDP and life satisfaction. These results provide a positive demonstration of relevant methods applicable in the context of today’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda.
Car-Following Evaluation of Braking Deceleration Level Signals

A driving test evaluated brake signaling displays, including deceleration signals, and a simulated brake signal failure. Measures related to car-following and rear-end collision performance were clearly degraded by the brake signal's failure, and there were a few differences between the conventional and experimental configurations.
Rationing the digital: the politics and policy of internet use in Cuba today

Cuba has one of the lowest Internet penetration rates in the Western hemisphere and is routinely ranked among countries with the highest restrictions on Internet use in the world. But within both categories, it is something of a rare bird. While the precise number of Internet users in the country is difficult to calculate, it is clear that a lack of infrastructure, combined with economic and political hurdles, has left access to the global Internet out of reach for most Cubans. But this may soon change. This spring, the country’s only telecommunications firm, the state-owned ETECSA, activated two undersea fiber optic cables that are set to drastically increase connection speeds in Cuba; the firm also opened over 100 cybercafes across the island. Officials have since made public promises to increase access and lower currently exorbitant fees for Internet use. This could fundamentally change the island’s information economy. Although Cuba is routinely listed alongside China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia as one of the most Internet-restrictive countries in the world, there is no conclusive evidence that the Cuban government practices widespread filtering. While a handful of websites related to dissident activity are blocked, Cubans who use the global Internet are able to browse the web and participate in digital communities without facing extensive content controls. But most don’t get this far. Although the country has an active national Intranet, access to the global Internet is availably mainly to those in high-skilled professional sectors and academia. The potential impact of digital media and the global Internet on Cuban society has been limited due to the lack of network access on the island. Yet this has not prevented the increasing circulation of digital media among the country’s nascent but growing community of tech-savvy citizens.
Internal iliac artery ligation.

Abstract The author reviews the history of the internal iliac artery ligation, evaluates indications for its use, describes pelvic arterial circulation, and presents a simplified surgical technique. Seven cases in which the technique was used illustrate the variety of its application and implications. The author concludes that in order to prevent or stop serious pelvic hemorrhage, familiarity with this technique is essential for all those performing operative obstetrics and gynecology.
A Lattice Controller for Telerobotic Systems

A model for a lattice control structure for telerobotic systems (Critter) has been developed and prototyped. The Critter hierarchical lattice structure, node potentiation, and weighted feedback are described, and the implementation of the Critter model on a VAX architecture is addressed with regard to node processes, lattice structure, node potentiation, and network activation. The implementation environment is considered and the Critter model attributes which are desirable in a telerobotic system are discussed. Future research directions on the use of this concept for telerobotic control are examined.
Rabelais’s Serious Joke. The Épisode torcheculatif and the High/Low Equation

In the thirteenth chapter of Gargantua (1534), Francois Rabelais outlines how the young Gargantua showed his extraordinary intelligence by inventing the perfect way to wipe one’s bottom. Gargantua tested 54 bumwipes from hats to cats, and ended with the perfect means: a well-plumed goose. This chapter has seemed almost too vulgar to be approached by critics and scholars. Francois Rigolot is among the few to treat this chapter in exclusivity, yet his reading remains imprecise. How are we ever going to honor the author’s instructions to “weigh carefully” the interior of what we read if we concede that the exterior is too vulgar? In this paper, I argue that this is a chapter on the consumption and production of writing itself: the intellectual production of the human being (epitomized by writing) is equalized with the production of his body (epitomized by defecating). To arrive at this conclusion, one must solve the central riddle of this chapter: Why was the goose chosen? This simple (yet neglected) question brings us to a more complete comprehension of one of Rabelais’s favorite themes: the mixing of the spiritual and the corporeal.
Synthesis and characterization of a novel blendof polypropylene with Chlorella

A novel blend of polypropylene (PP) with Chlorella, a natural microalga, was synthesized successfully by a melt-mixing method with maleic anhydride-modified polypropylene (MPP) as a compatibilizer. The adhesion of hydrophobic PP to hydrophilic Chlorella is based on the formation of chemical bonds between the maleic anhydride groups of MPP and hydroxy groups of Chlorella through solid-phase esterification. The single maleic anhydride groups have the highest reactivity with Chlorella. From the comparison with PP–Chlorella blends without MPP, the ester bonds between MPP and Chlorella cause a decrease in crystallinity of the MPP matrix which is a primary origin of the decrease in melting and solidification enthalpies of the MPP–Chlorella blend, and induce intensive expansion of the MPP matrix around the Chlorella particles which decreases the glass transition temperature. Consequently, the PP–Chlorella blend with MPP exhibits a marked increase in tensile strength and Young's modulus compared with the blend without MPP because of the stronger interactions between MPP and Chlorella than those between Chlorella cells.
Activity Dynamics and Behavioral Correlates of CA3 and CA1 Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons

The CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons are the major principal cell types of the hippocampus proper. The strongly recurrent collateral system of CA3 cells and the largely parallel-organized CA1 neurons suggest that these regions perform distinct computations. However, a comprehensive comparison between CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells in terms of firing properties, network dynamics, and behavioral correlations is sparse in the intact animal. We performed large-scale recordings in the dorsal hippocampus of rats to quantify the similarities and differences between CA1 (n > 3,600) and CA3 (n > 2,200) pyramidal cells during sleep and exploration in multiple environments. CA1 and CA3 neurons differed significantly in firing rates, spike burst propensity, spike entrainment by the theta rhythm, and other aspects of spiking dynamics in a brain state-dependent manner. A smaller proportion of CA3 than CA1 cells displayed prominent place fields, but place fields of CA3 neurons were more compact, more stable, and carried more spatial information per spike than those of CA1 pyramidal cells. Several other features of the two cell types were specific to the testing environment. CA3 neurons showed less pronounced phase precession and a weaker position versus spike-phase relationship than CA1 cells. Our findings suggest that these distinct activity dynamics of CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells support their distinct computational roles.
Surface chemistry and photophysical properties of a diacetylene-peptide derivative capped quantum dots Langmuir monolayer

A diacetylene derivative, 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PDA), was conjugated to a small peptide chain Cysteine–Cysteine–Glycine (CCG) through the solid-phase peptide synthesis. The (CdSe)ZnS core–shell quantum dots (QDs) capped with trioctylphosphine ligands were modified through a surface ligand reaction to prepare the PDA-CCG QDs conjugate. Both systems, PDA-CCG and PDA-CCG QDs, were investigated as Langmuir monolayer at the air–water interface through the surface pressure-area (π-A) isotherms, compression–decompression cycles, stability measurements, and in situ UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Two different π-A isotherms were observed for the systems investigated showing the importance of the peptide moiety in PDA-CCG to form a Langmuir monolayer up to a surface pressure of 50 mN m−1 compared with 15 mN m−1 for the PDA component alone. The compression–decompression cycles and stability measurements for both systems suggest the formation of a stable Langmuir monolayer over 1 h time period. Although the in situ UV–vis spectroscopy of PDAA-CCG and PDA-CCG QDs does not show an absorption spectrum, we observed by in situ fluorescence spectroscopy the photoluminescence (PL) of the PDA-CCG QDs at 560 nm, with an intensity of the PL increasing linearly with the increase of the surface pressure. Irradiating the PDA-CCG QDs Langmuir monolayer at 254 nm, we observe the photopolymerization with two distinct bands at 575 (blue band) and 630 nm (red band) of the polymer.
Demonstration of Central Nervous System Tolerance to Ethanol in Mice: Consequent Effects on Smooth Muscle in Vitro

Mice were given ethanol (9 g/kg) or saline (57 ml/kg) daily in three divided doses for periods of 1 and 4 days to study the effects of such ethanol (ETOH) exposure on central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral smooth muscle (vasa deferentia) function. After 1 day, ETOH-treated mice were functionally tolerant to the hypothermic (3 g/kg, intraperitoneal), but not to the hypnotic (3.25 g/kg, intraperitoneal) effect of ETOH. Functional tolerance to both CNS effects of ETOH was demonstrated in mice after the 4-day ETOH exposure. Norepinephrine (NE) and high K+-depolarizing solutions each elicited dose-dependent contractions in the mouse vasa deferens preparation in vitro that consisted of a phasic and tonic component. The tonic components of the NE and K+ responses were more dependent upon extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+ext) than the phasic components. Addition of ETOH (120 to 480 mM) or the Ca2+ channel-antagonist nifedipine (1 X 10(-9) to 3 X 10(-7) M) to the preparation selectively inhibited the tonic component of the NE and K+ responses, suggesting that both agents acted to inhibit the responses by interfering with the translocation of Ca2+ext. Vasa deferentia isolated from ETOH-treated mice did not exhibit altered reactivity to NE in the phasic or tonic component of the response. The isolated smooth muscle from mice centrally tolerant to ETOH did not appear to be tolerant to inhibitory effect of ETOH or cross-tolerant to the inhibitory effect of nifedipine on stimulant-induced contractions.
Suburethral sling procedure for genuine stress incontinence and low urethral closure pressure. A continued experience

Forty-eight patients with genuine stress incontinence and low urethral closure pressure have undergone a suburethral sling procedure using polytetrafluoroethylene. Forty-five of the 48 patients have been followed up beyond 3 months, allowing assessment of postoperative complications. Ten patients required intermittent self-catheterization, 6 continuing beyond 3 months secondary to obstructed voiding or vesical dysfunction. Six slings were removed due to graft infection and/or vaginal mucosa erosion. All patients who were continent prior to removal remained so afterwards. Two slings were loosened secondary to obstructed voiding (1 patient experienced improved voiding, the other continued intermittent catheterization). Sixty-two per cent (28/45) of the patients followed, developed at least one documented urinary tract infection. Thirty-four of the 45 patients followed, underwent postoperative multichannel urodynamic testing. Ten patients (29%) demonstrated postoperative detrusor instability (5 were new onset, 5 were persistent). Six improved with medication and bladder retraining drills. Twenty-eight of the 34 patients tested (82.4%) were objectively cured of genuine stress incontinence. In spite of the complications noted, this suburethral sling procedure offers a high success rate and is a viable alternative in treating patients with genuine stress incontinence and low urethral closure pressure. Modifications in surgical technique have been made to reduce postoperative complications in the future.
Herbert R. Shaw (1930-2002)

Herbert Richard Shaw, a highly distinguished Scientist Emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), succumbed at home on 26 August 2002, at the age of 71, to long-term complications of congestive heart failure. He had been an AGU member (VGP) since 1968. Herb was admired for his unstinting generosity of intellect, spirit, and resources, and the ease and frequency with which he dispensed grace, where most others merely practice civility. He shared his own ideas freely and, with an infectious enthusiasm, encouraged the efforts of colleagues and students.
Peaceniks and Warmongers' Framing Fracas on the Home Front: Dominant and Opposition Discourse Interaction during the Persian Gulf Crisis

Research on collective action framing has tended to focus on inter- and intramovement interpretation of grievances, often assuming that hegemonic frames are taken for granted. The Persian Gulf conflict of 1990–1991 offers an empirical opportunity to extend the theoretical boundaries of social movement framing by incorporating, and identifying, the active framing strategies of dominant actors. From this vantage point, we can begin to see in what ways both dominant and oppositional discourses (and policy) are aided and constrained.
Application of ensemble training of a structural controller to the AMD benchmark problem

A benchmark structural control problem has been proposed in an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of various control algorithms. The problem encompasses the design of an Active Mass Damper (AMD) control system for a Multi-Degree-Of-Freedom (MDOF) building type structure subjected to earthquake-type excitation. In vibration control for civil structures, linear quadratic optimal control is among the most popular techniques. Normally, this approach ignores the external excitation in the time-domain design process. In addition, this technique requires a full-order dynamic observer which is often unattainable. This paper focuses on the development of a new optimal control algorithm which includes the earthquake-type exctitation explicitly in the design of control systems and the use of prescribed-order, output feedback controllers. In addition, this approach allows the inclusion of open-loop (feedforward) as well as closed-loop (feedback) control terms in the controller design. The authors have previously designed an algorithm for full state feedback controllers trained on an ensemble of earthquakes. A cost functional is minimized on an ensemble of ‘known’ earthquakes, using analytic gradient information, in order to determine constant control gains. The gradients are obtained in explicit form. The control system is then validated by testing on ‘unknown’ earthquakes. The algorithm is now modified to develop a prescribed-order, output feedback controller for a specific MDOF system model. © 1998 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Resources and Interest Among Faith Based Organizations for Influenza Vaccination Programs

In the United States, annual influenza vaccination rates are suboptimal and are well below the national health objectives. Project VIVA mobilized community members and organizations to implement an influenza vaccination program in Harlem by administering vaccines in “non-traditional” venues, such as community-based organizations, pharmacies, and faith-based organizations (FBOs). FBOs have been recognized as important venues for health promotion initiatives within medically underserved communities. However, data regarding the extent of resources and interest in health promotion programs among FBOs are sparse. We conducted a telephone survey among 115 FBOs in three New York City neighborhoods with histories of low influenza immunization rates to identify the congregation’s health concerns, interest in serving as a community-based venue for influenza vaccinations, and existing resources for health programming. Twenty-six percent of the FBOs had an established health ministry, while 45 % expressed interest in developing one. Seven percent included nurses among their health activities and 16.5 % had contact with the local health department. Most FBOs expressed interest in common health promotions programs; 60 % expressed interest in providing on-site influenza vaccination programs within their organization. Health programs within FBOs can be a point of access that may improve the health of their congregants as well as the larger community.
Green's Functions for a Particle in a One-Dimensional Random Potential

A method has been found for exactly calculating the spectral density $A(k, E)$ for a particle in a one-dimensional random potential, when the potential at each point is statistically independent of the potential at all other points. Generalizations of this method can also be used to find the phonon Green's functions for a chain of atoms of random mass, or to find various two-particle functions, such as the electrical conductivity of a system of noninteracting electrons in a random potential. Two functions of the position $x$ on the line are defined, which depend on the particular potential configuration and on the parameters $k$ and $E$. The spectral density is expressed in terms of the probability distribution of these functions when $x$ is at the right-hand end of the line. The distribution is known at the left-hand end, and the values of the functions, as $x$ moves from left to right, form a Markoff process. One can therefore obtain the spectral density by solving the equation of motion for the probability distribution. Further simplification is possible because it is sufficient to know the first two moments of the joint distribution with respect to one variable, and because in the limit of an infinite line, only the asymptotic form of these moments is necessary. The spectral density requires the solution of a pair of differential or integral equations in one variable, while two-particle functions involve similar equations in two variables. Calculations have been carried out for the spectral density of a Schr\"odinger particle in a "white-Gaussian-noise" potential and of a particle confined to fixed lattice sites in a random thermal-deformation potential.
Search for biochemical fossils on earth and non-biological organic molecules on Jupiter, Saturn and Titan

Recognizable remnants of ancient biochemicals may survive under mild/moderate geological environments. Acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons, cyclic hydrocarbons with terpenoid carbon skeletons (e.g. hopanes) and vanadyl and nickel porphyrins have been isolated from organic matter, including petroleum, in Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks. Remnants of lignin have also been found. Usually, carbohydrates do not survive long; they degrade and/or react with other organic substances to form macromolecular matter. Proteins, e.g. apparently those in dinosaur bone collagen, break down relatively rapidly. Life arose during the Precambrian and potential biochemical fossils, e.g. n-alkanes, 2,5-dimethylfuran have been isolated from Precambrian kerogens. Traces of hydrocarbons, NH3, PH3 occur on Jupiter and Saturn. Hydrocarbons, N2 and HCN, the latter a key intermediary in the laboratory abiological syntheses of amino acids and nucleic acid bases, are present on Titan where life could not have evolved. Precursor abiological organic molecules of some complexity may have been synthesized on Titan and the Jovian planets.
Professor Storer on empiricism

11. Feigl, Herbert. "De Principiis non disputandum . . .? On the Meaning and the Limits of Justification," in M. Black, editor, Philosophical Analysis. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1950. 12. Feigl, Herbert. "Existential Hypotheses," Philosophy of Science, 17 (1950), and "Logical Reconstruction, Realism and Pure Semiotic," ibid. 13. Kneale, William. Probability and Induction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1949. 14. Lewis, C. I. An Analysis of Knowledge and Valuation. La Salle, Ill.: Open Court Publishing Co., 1946. 15. Pap, Arthur. Elements of Analytic Philosophy. New York: Macmillan, 1949. (Especially Chap. 16, "Does Science Have Metaphysical Presuppositions?" reprinted in part in H. Feigl and M. Brodbeck, editors, Readings in the Philosophy of Science. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1953.) 16. Reichenbach, Hans. "The Logical Foundations of the Concept of Probability," in Feigl and Sellars; and in Feigl and Brodbeck. 17. Reichenbach, Hans. "On the Justification of Induction," Joumal of Philosophy, 37 (1940); also reprinted in Feigl and Sellars. 18. Reichenbach, Hans. Experience and Prediction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1938. 19. Reichenbach, Hans. Theory of Probability. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 1949. 20. Russell, Bertrand. Human Knowledge. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1948. 21. Sellars, Wilfrid. "Inference and Meaning," Mind, 62 (1953). 22. Sellars, Wilfrid. "Is There a Synthetic A Priori?" Philosophy of Science, 20 (1953). 23. Strawson, P. F. Introduction to Logical Theory. London: Methuen; New York: Wiley, 1952. 24. Will, Frederick. "Generalization and Evidence," in M. Black, editor, Philosophical Analysis. Ithaca, N. Y.: Cornell University Press, 1950. 25. Williams, D. C. The Ground of Induction. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1947. 26. Wisdom, John 0. Foundations of Inference in Natural Science. London: Methuen, 1952.
Gender differences in externalising problems among preschool children: implications for early childhood educators

Gender differences in student achievement have been widely studied. Considering the long‐term effects of externalising behaviour problems on children’s later academic performance, it can be conjectured that gender disparities in student achievement may be rooted in developmental characteristics in early childhood. As an effort towards contributing insights to the growing body of knowledge on child development, this study investigated whether variability in externalising behaviour problems among preschool children could be attributed to gender differences. Participants were 110 parents who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, and rated their child’s behaviour on the Achenbach Child Behaviour Checklist. The children (mean age in months = 45.62 (SD = 10.12)) consisted of 52 boys and 58 girls. This study revealed that boys were reported to exhibit higher rates of externalising problems than girls, and that higher rates of internalising problems also predicted higher rates of externalising problems amon...
Temperature control of initiation of protein synthesis in Escherichia coli

Abstract When an exponentially growing culture of Escherichia coli is cooled to below 8 °C, initiation of protein synthesis appears to be blocked, while the elongation of initiated proteins continues until they are completed. This is demonstrated here by showing that nascent polypeptide chains increase in size during a 5 °C incubation and that f2 viral coat protein is completed, but not initiated. Upon rewarming, the cells initiate protein synthesis synchronously. This is demonstrated by a transient rise in the incorporation of methionine which is used to initiate protein synthesis. The ribosomal subunits that accumulate during low-temperature incubation are indistinguishable from native subunits obtained from cells harvested without a period of low temperature incubation. These subunits are native, as shown by the fact that they do not associate at 0.01 m -Mg2+, do not contain peptidyl transfer RNA but do contain initiation factors.
Do you trust your compiler

As our society becomes more technologically complex, computer systems are finding an alarming number of uses in safety-critical applications. In many such systems, the software component's reliability is essential to the system's safe operation, so it becomes natural to ask, "How can software be made to behave correctly when executed?" Using program transformations to produce trusted software simplifies verification. Program transformations use proven laws to manipulate programs in a manner analogous to algebraic transformations. The authors sketch how a formal method based on program transformations can be used to construct a verified compiler. Such a compiler has been proved to correctly compile any correct program into assembly language. While the compiler itself may not execute efficiently-after all, you need only use the verified compiler the last time you compile a program-the transformational approach should enable the verified compiler to produce efficient assembly code.
Impact of Objective and Subjective Social Status on Obesity in a Biracial Cohort of Adolescents

Objective: To characterize the associations between socioeconomic status (SES), two levels of subjective social status (SSS), and adolescent obesity. Research Methods and Procedures: Cross-sectional study of 1491 black and white adolescents attending public school in a suburban school district in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio. BMI ≥95th percentile derived from measured height and weight defined overweight. Students rated SSS on separate 10-point scales for society and school. A parent provided information on parent education and household income for SES. Results: Although there were no sex differences in SES, black students were more likely to come from families with less well-educated parents and lower incomes (p < 0.001). Black girls had the lowest societal SSS (p = 0.003), lowest school SSS (p = 0.046), and highest BMI (p < 0.001). Prevalence of overweight was highest among black girls (26.0%) and boys (26.2%), intermediate for white boys (17.2%), and least for white girls (11.6%). Logistic regression modeling revealed that parent education, household income, and school SSS were each associated with overweight. In a fully adjusted model, school SSS retained its association to overweight (odds ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06, 1.26) independent of SES. The association of school SSS was strongest among white girls, intermediate for white and black boys, and absent for black girls. Discussion: Perceptions of social stratification are independently associated with overweight. There were important racial and sex differences in the social status-overweight association. SSS in the more immediate, local reference group, the school, had the strongest association to overweight.
Some physiological effects of extending the colostrum feeding period of dairy calves.

Summary An experiment designed to study some of the physiological effects of extending the colostrum feeding period was carried out on 36 dairy calves. In substantiation of the reports of others it was found that calves are born with low reserves of vitamin A but with ascorbic acid reserves considerably above that of later life, as measured by the level of these constituents in the blood plasma. Blood plasma vitamin A increases rapidly following the ingestion of colostrum. In the calves receiving no other supplement, in this experiment, the average increase amounted to 12.4 micrograms per 100 ml. plasma in the first 3 days. This increase resulted from an average intake of 99,614 International Units, of vitamin A from colostrum during the first 3 days. When the period of colostrum feeding was extended to 7 days the bloodplasma vitamin A continued to increase, reaching a peak on the seventh day. The levels reached on the 7th day averaged 18.9 micrograms per 100 ml. plasma, which was 6.8 micrograms above that of 7-day-old calves which had received colostrum for 3 days. Calves which received colostrum for 7 days had blood-plasma vitamin A values which averaged almost identically the same at 21 days of age as that of those which received colostrum for 3 days plus a 10,000 I.U. vitamin A capsule daily for the first 21 days. None of the variations in feeding procedure employed in this experiment appreciably influenced the level of ascorbic acid in the blood plasma. None of the calves receiving colostrum for 7 days showed any signs of digestive disturbance during the period of colostrum feeding. Weight records indicate more rapid gains in calves receiving additional colostrum. The economy of using the colostrum not nursed by the calf for calf feeding purposes is pointed out.
Electromigration testing of Ti: W/Al and Ti: W/Al-Cu film conductors

Electromigration-induced failures in metal film interconnections influence the reliability of integrated circuits. For shallow (< 1 μm) junction devices a barrier- metal interconnection system such as Ti: W/Al has been proposed to eliminate contact pitting due to silicon-aluminum reactions. The addition of copper to aluminum films is known to improve the electromigration resistance of aluminum film interconnections. Glass-passivated Ti: W/Al and Ti: W/Al-Cu (1.6 wt.% Cu) film conductors (9 μm wide, 1.14 mm long and 170 nm/800 nm thick) on oxidized silicon substrates were subjected to a current stress of 106 A cm-2 in the temperature range 150–270°C. Mean-time-to-failure data indicate an improvement of approximately a factor of two in electromigration resistance due to the addition of copper. This improvement is smaller than that reported by others. Life test data are consistent with activation energies of 0.61±0.05 and 0.71±0.03 eV for Ti: W/Al and Ti: W/Al-Cu film conductors respectively. Extrapolated mean times to failure are close to 24 and 100 a for Ti: W/Al and Ti: W/Al-Cu films respectively under a current stress of 5 × 105 A cm-2 at 55°C ambience. Projected failure rates at these operating conditions increase very rapidly with time and approach values of 9 × 10-7 and 1 × 10-11 h-1 for Ti: W/Al and Ti: W/Al-Cu film conductors respectively at 100 000 h.
Long‐term trends in African mortality in the transatlantic slave trade

(1997). Long‐term trends in African mortality in the transatlantic slave trade. Slavery & Abolition: Vol. 18, Routes to Slavery: Direction, Ethnicity and Mortality in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, pp. 36-48.
A historical perspective on hypersonic research at the NACA/NASA Langley Research Center (1944-1984)

A survey of some of the highlights on hypersonic research and technology development conducted at NASA Langley Research Center are presented. Attention is given to the range of disciplines that are being and have been explored at Langley. This review is also intended to supplement previous surveys written around one particular discipline while this survey covers a range of disciplines.
The Move from Hospital: A Long‐Term Follow‐up of Challenging Behaviour Levels

Levels of challenging behaviour were studied in a sample of 16 people who moved from a hospital to community settings. Ratings on the Challenging Behaviour Scales showed that aggression to residents decreased significantly. Aggression to staff and self-injurious behaviour showed non-significant downward trends but destruction of objects continued at prior levels. The study concluded that caution needs to be taken in using rating scales, and results from them should always be backed up by other evidence.
"A lab of one's own". The Balfour Biological Laboratory for Women at Cambridge University, 1884-1914.

The Balfour Biological Laboratory for Women was established at Cambridge University in 1884 to prepare the students of Newnham and Girton Colleges to sit the Natural Sciences Tripos, first opened to women in 1881. For thirty years, until its closure in 1914, the Balfour Laboratory served as the central conduit for biological instruction for the women of Cambridge, introducing them to the new program of experimental biology developed by the physiologist Michael Foster and the embryologist Francis Maitland Balfour. Directed by distinguished women graduates, the Balfour Laboratory became recognized as the leading center for women's biological instruction in Britain. Its significance, however, extends beyond its nominal status as a teaching laboratory. It provided university positions for able scientists who otherwise would not have been placed, offered advanced students the opportunity to engage in independent research, and, most important, formed the locus for the scientific subculture created by women at C...
Hemodynamics of peripheral vascular response in the experimental dumping syndrome

Summary o 1. The hemodynamics of the peripheral vascular response to a hyperosmolar meal in the experimental animal have been evaluated. 2. The effects of the hyperosmolar stimulus in the experimental animal cannot be separated or distinguished from the effects of the anesthetic agent alone. 3. With femoral artery flow held constant, the peripheral resistance changes observed indicated a progressive arteriolar constriction. 4. Changes in peripheral resistance known to occur with serotonin were never observed in this study.