cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Future of Professional Education in Natural Family Planning

Nurses and other health care professionals often have little knowledge of methods of natural family planning (NFP) and do not readily prescribe natural methods for their patients. One reason for this is that little or no information on NFP is provided in nursing or medical schools. The holistic, informational, and integrative nature of NFP fits well with professional nursing practice. A university online distance education NFP teacher training program, which offers academic credit and includes theory, practice, and the latest developments in fertility monitoring, has been developed for health care professionals. Professional NFP services in the United States need to meet worldwide standards and include documenting and assessing pregnancy outcomes, tailoring NFP services to the client or couple, and simplifying them for ease of use in a standard health care practice.
Social Studies around the Blacksmith's Forge: Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning.

The author presents a content integration that focuses on social studies and science knowledge and skills. The idea of using folk crafts to help elementary students learn social studies extends from John Dewey's laboratory school to the twenty-first century. Meaningful content is applied to skills, such as blacksmithing, found in the community, and students make connections between school knowledge and their lives outside of school. In this activity, blacksmithing helped students integrate ideas from multiple academic subjects, incorporating content from the social sciences and humanities. The guest content expert with a specialized knowledge base played a large role in making this experience occur for the students and teachers.
Laparoscopy in the Morbidly Obese: Physiologic Considerations and Surgical Techniques to Optimize Success

The objectives of this review were to analyze the literature describing the benefits of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery in obese women, to examine the physiologic considerations associated with obesity, and to describe surgical techniques that will enable surgeons to perform laparoscopy and robotic surgery successfully in obese patients. The Medline database was reviewed for all articles published in the English language between 1993 and 2013 containing the search terms "gynecologic laparoscopy" "laparoscopy," "minimally invasive surgery and obesity," "obesity," and "robotic surgery." The incidence of obesity is increasing in the United States, and in particular morbid obesity in women. Obesity is associated with a wide range of comorbid conditions that may affect perioperative outcomes including hypertension, atherosclerosis, angina, obstructive sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus. In obese patients, laparoscopy or robotic surgery, compared with laparotomy, is associated with a shorter hospital stay, less postoperative pain, and fewer wound complications. Specific intra-abdominal access and trocar positioning techniques, as well as anesthetic maneuvers, improve the likelihood of success of laparoscopy in women with central adiposity. Performing gynecologic laparoscopy in the morbidly obese is no longer rare. Increases in the heaviest weight categories involve changes in clinical practice patterns. With comprehensive and thoughtful preoperative and surgical planning, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery may be performed safely and is of particular benefit in obese patients.
Coaching and family: the beneficial effects of multiple role membership

Purpose – Athletic coaches are responsible for team relationships and a team's performance, yet many may leave the coaching profession or withdraw from team management because of work‐family issues. The purpose of this study is to use ecological theory as a guide to theorize on the relationships between work‐factors and work‐family outcomes for team leaders.Design/methodology/approach – Participants were 601 college coaches. Using an online questionnaire, participants evaluated their supervisory support, autonomy in their job, and various work‐family factors. Specifically, the effects of the work‐factors of autonomy and supervisory support were examined on work‐family variables. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).Findings – Confirmatory factor analysis results suggested that the fit for coaches and their work‐family interface is best explained by four work‐family dimensions – two directional conflict dimensions and two directional enrichment dimensions. Results suggest that superv...
Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-mediated cytopathic effects by poly(L-lysine)-conjugated synthetic antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides

Summary The ability of poly(l-lysine)-conjugated and methylphosphonate-modified synthetic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides to protect susceptible host cells from the cytopathic effects of HIV-1 infection was studied. The abundance of viral antigens in oligomer-treated cultures indicated that the oligomers did not significantly affect viral infectivity. Similarly, no significant effects on relative viral RNA accumulation were apparent. The presence of poly(l-lysine)-modified oligomer complementary to the HIV-1 splice donor site resulted in a significant reduction in the production of viral structural proteins and virus titre in infected cultures. In addition, these cells were protected from HIV-1-mediated cytopathic effects while the other cultures rapidly succumbed to the cytotoxic effects of HIV-1 infection. The presence of poly(l-lysine)-conjugated oligomer resulted in the establishment of a persistent HIV-1 infection characterized by a highly productive virus infection in the absence of cell death while treatment of persistently infected cells with phorbol ester resulted in renewed cytopathicity. These results demonstrate the ability of synthetic antisense oligonucleotides to protect susceptible host cells from the cytopathic effects of HIV-1 infection.
Use of Statistical Energy Analysis for Rotating Machinery, Part I: Determination of Dissipation and Coupling Loss Factors Using Energy Ratios

Abstract A method for determining the dissipation and coupling loss factors of a fully assembled machinery structure is presented in this paper. The method is based on the experimental measurements of the total loss factors and the energy ratios between the subsystems of the machine structure when fully assembled. The presented approach, which will be referred to as the energy ratio method, is suitable for both conservative (no energy dissipation at the junction) and non-conservative coupling. Not only does this energy ratio method determine the coupling loss factors for directly coupled subsystems, but it also determines the coupling loss factors between subsystems which are not directly coupled. This type of coupling exists when the subsystems of the structure are small compared to the wavelength of vibration and all coupling interfaces are in the near field of each other. A series of experiments are carried out to demonstrate the use of this approach and to verify the accuracy of this method for predicting the energy distribution among a set of coupled subsystems. The determined coupling and dissipation loss factors are used in a Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) model of a rotating machinery component and the estimated results for the response are compared to the directly measured results. As expected, the agreement between the SEA estimated results and the directly measured results is good.
Development of a frequency-domain filtered-x intensity ANC algorithm

Abstract A theoretical model for plane wave active intensity control in a finite duct is developed and validated experimentally using a frequency domain adaptive filtered-x control algorithm with a cross-spectrum active intensity error measurement. A square duct terminated by a primary acoustic source at one end and open termination to radiate into a free space at the other end is used for plane wave propagation intensity studies. A secondary active control source is positioned nearly midway between the primary source and open termination. Results from the model and experiment show that for optimal sound cancellation out the open duct end, one has zero intensity everywhere in the duct. However, also predicted by the model and confirmed experimentally, is that moving the error intensity sensor to a position between the primary and secondary source leads to zero intensity between the sources, but also radiation out the open end for frequencies where the intensity sensor position is not a half-wavelength multiple distance from the secondary source. The duct intensity model and experimental results confirm that for optimal active noise cancellation both sources convert no mechanical energy to acoustical power. Intensity analysis of active noise cancellation systems also provides a basis for secondary source efficiency optimization through proper source positioning in the duct.
The prevention of colorectal cancer by aspirin use

Epidemiologic studies indicate strongly that aspirin use reduces the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma by approximately 40 to 50%. Perhaps up to ten years of use may be required before a benefit is apparent in colorectal cancer. The chemo-preventive actions of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) in colorectal carcinogenesis are also supported by animal studies, and by intervention studies that demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory agent sulindac causes regression of adenomas in familial adenomatous polyposis. Despite this evidence, the clinical implications are not clear because of increased gastro-intestinal irritation and bleeding episodes related to chronic aspirin use. Emerging evidence suggests that the anti-tumor properties of NSAIDs may be related primarily to the inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), one of the two isoenzymes of the COX enzyme family. If confirmed, a new generation of selective COX-2 inhibitors may retain some of the chemo-preventive properties of NSAIDs with fewer side-effects. Firm recommendations regarding the use of aspirin or other NSAIDs to prevent colorectal cancer must await further research. For now, the decision must lie with the patient, in consultation with his or her healthcare provider, after a careful weighing of all potential risks and benefits.
Effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibition on cardiorespiratory responses in the conscious rat

Gozal, David, Jose E. Torres, Yair M. Gozal, and Sanford M. Littwin. Effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibition on cardiorespiratory responses in the conscious rat. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(5): 2068–20...
The Importance of Caring

In recent months, I've had two personal opportu nities to witness those about whom Mary E. Guy, Meredith A. Newman, and Sharon H. Mastracci write. In the first instance, a hospitalization put my well-being in the hands of nurses and nursing aides. In the second, my family attended to my father while he died in the care of a local dementia care unit and a hospice organization. In both cases, we depended on the skilled labor, care, and kindness of so-called ser vice workers who make only a fraction of my own state salary. In both cases, the workers were women.
The effects of simulated hearing loss on speech recognition and walking navigation.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess whether a concurrent but independent navigation task exacerbates the effects of hearing loss on speech recognition and whether hearing loss degrades performance of the navigation task during the concurrent but independent listening task. BACKGROUND: Navigation performance and speech comprehension both decrease when a driver follows hard-to-hear concurrent verbal instructions. It remains unknown how much both tasks would be affected when performed concurrently, if tasks were independent. METHOD: Participants performed a listening task by responding to Callsign Acquisition Test (CAT) stimuli at three simulated hearing levels. For each hearing level, one trial was performed with the participant standing still and another trial was performed while navigating a path in a virtual environment using a handheld map. In one more trial, participants navigated a path with no CAT. The proportion of call signs correctly repeated and the total time required to walk the path were measured. RESULTS: CAT scores showed an expected negative effect of hearing loss. Concurrent navigation produced an even larger decrease in CAT score. Hearing loss caused a slight but not significant decrease in navigation task performance. CONCLUSION: A person with hearing loss may communicate less effectively while walking than predicted on the basis of hearing loss alone. The hearing loss, however, does not significantly decrease walking performance in a simple navigation task. APPLICATION: Obtained results may guide soldier performance modeling and requirements for communication systems used during physical activity when a soldier's hearing becomes compromised during dismounted combat operations. Language: en
Sleep Loss in Resident Physicians: The Cause of Medical Errors?

This review begins with the history of the events starting with the death of Libby Zion that lead to the Bell Commission, that the studied her death and made recommendations for improvement that were codified into law in New York state as the 405 law that the ACGME essentially adopted in putting a cap on work hours and establishing the level of staff supervision that must be available to residents in clinical situations particularly the emergency room and acute care units. A summary is then provided of the findings of the laboratory effects of total sleep deprivation including acute total sleep loss and the consequent widespread physiologic alterations, and of the effects of selective and chronic sleep loss. Generally the sequence of responses to increasing sleep loss goes from mood changes to cognitive effects to performance deficits. In the laboratory situation, deficits resulting from sleep deprivation are clearly and definitively demonstrable. Sleep loss in the clinical situation is usually sleep deprivation superimposed on chronic sleep loss. An examination of questionnaire studies, the literature on reports of sleep loss, studies of the reduction of work hours on performance as well as observational and a few interventional studies have yielded contradictory and often equivocal results. The residents generally find they feel better working fewer hours but improvements in patient care are often not reported or do not occur. A change in the attitude of the resident toward his role and his patient has not been salutary. Decreasing sleep loss should have had a positive effect on patient care in reducing medical error, but this remains to be unequivocally demonstrated.
The origin of multiple melting endotherms in the thermal analysis of polymers

DSC results for poly(butylene terephtalate) show that three melting endotherms can arise from an initial distribution of melting points with only one maximum and two inflection points.
Enhanced Na+-Ca2+ Exchange in the Infarcted Heart Implications for Excitation-Contraction Coupling

Abstract Cellular Ca2+ regulation is abnormal in diseased hearts. We designed this study to assess the role of the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger in excitation-contraction coupling in surviving myocardium of the infarcted heart. We measured cellular contractions and whole-cell currents in single left ventricular myocytes isolated from the hearts of rabbits with healed myocardial infarction (MI). Eight weeks after MI, rabbits had left ventricular dysfunction without overt heart failure. Myocytes isolated from regions adjacent to the infarcted zone were significantly longer than cells from control hearts. At low stimulation rates (0.5 Hz), the amplitude of field-stimulated contractions was increased (11.6±0.5% versus 10.2±0.6% resting cell length), whereas the time to peak shortening and action potential duration were prolonged in the MI cells. When stimulation frequency was increased to 2.0 Hz, cellular shortening did not change or decreased in myocytes from infarcted hearts, whereas control cells had a positive short...
NLRP1-Dependent Pyroptosis Leads to Acute Lung Injury and Morbidity in Mice

Acute inflammation in response to both exogenous and endogenous danger signals can lead to the assembly of cytoplasmic inflammasomes that stimulate the activation of caspase-1. Subsequently, caspase-1 facilitates the maturation and release of cytokines and also, under some circumstances, the induction of cell death by pyroptosis. Using a mouse line lacking expression of NLRP1, we show that assembly of this inflammasome in cells is triggered by a toxin from anthrax and that it initiates caspase-1 activation and release of IL-1β. Furthermore, NLRP1 inflammasome activation also leads to cell death, which escalates over 3 d following exposure to the toxin and culminates in acute lung injury and death of the mice. We show that these events are not dependent on production of IL-1β by the inflammasome but are dependent on caspase-1 expression. In contrast, muramyl dipeptide-mediated inflammasome formation is not dependent on NLRP1 but NLRP3. Taken together, our findings show that assembly of the NLRP1 inflammasome is sufficient to initiate pyroptosis, which subsequently leads to a self-amplifying cascade of cell injury within the lung from which the lung cannot recover, eventually resulting in catastrophic consequences for the organism.
Transcriptional Response of Ex Vivo Human Skin to Ionizing Radiation: Comparison Between Low- and High-Dose Effects

Although human exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation can occur through a variety of sources, including natural, medical, occupational and accidental, the true risks of low-dose ionizing radiation are still poorly understood in humans. Here, the global transcriptional responses of human skin after ex vivo exposure to low (0.05 Gy) and high (5 Gy) doses of X rays and of time in culture (0 Gy) at 0, 2, 8 and 30 h postirradiation were analyzed and compared. Responses to low and high doses differed quantitatively and qualitatively. Differentially expressed genes fell into three groups: (1) unique genes defined as responsive to either 0.05 or 5 Gy but not both and also responsive to time in culture, (2) specific genes defined as responsive to either 0.05 or 5 Gy but not both and not responsive to time in culture, and (3) dose-independent responsive genes. Major differences observed in ex vivo irradiated skin between transcriptional responses to low or high doses were twofold. First, gene expression modulated by 0.05 Gy was transient, while in response to 5 Gy persistence of modified gene expression was observed for a limited number of genes. Second, neither TP53 nor TGFβ target genes were modulated after exposure to an acute low dose, suggesting that the TP53-dependent DNA damage response either was not triggered or was triggered only briefly.
Chemical Defense of the Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens): Variation in Efficiency against Different Consumers and in Different Habitats

Amphibian secondary metabolites are well known chemically, but their ecological functions are poorly understood—even for well-studied species. For example, the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is a well known secretor of tetrodotoxin (TTX), with this compound hypothesized to facilitate this salamander's coexistence with a variety of aquatic consumers across the eastern United States. However, this assumption of chemical defense is primarily based on observational data with low replication against only a few predator types. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that N. viridescens is chemically defended against co-occurring fishes, invertebrates, and amphibian generalist predators and that this defense confers high survivorship when newts are transplanted into both fish-containing and fishless habitats. We found that adult eastern newts were unpalatable to predatory fishes (Micropterus salmoides, Lepomis macrochirus) and a crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), but were readily consumed by bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus). The eggs and neonate larvae were also unpalatable to fish (L. macrochirus). Bioassay-guided fractionation confirmed that deterrence is chemical and that ecologically relevant concentrations of TTX would deter feeding. Despite predatory fishes rejecting eastern newts in laboratory assays, field experiments demonstrated that tethered newts suffered high rates of predation in fish-containing ponds. We suggest that this may be due to predation by amphibians (frogs) and reptiles (turtles) that co-occur with fishes rather than from fishes directly. Fishes suppress invertebrate consumers that prey on bullfrog larvae, leading to higher bullfrog densities in fish containing ponds and thus considerable consumption of newts due to bullfrog tolerance of newt chemical defenses. Amphibian chemical defenses, and consumer responses to them, may be more complex and indirect than previously appreciated.
Dynamic-programming-based handwritten word recognition using the Choquet fuzzy integral as the match function

The Choquet fuzzy integral is applied to handwritten word recognition. A handwritten word recognition system is described. The word recognition system assigns a recognition confidence value to each string in a lexicon of candidate strings. The system uses a lexicon-driven approach that integrates segmentation and recognition via dynamic programming matching. The dynamic programming matcher finds a segmentation of the word image for each string in the lexicon. The traditional match score between a segmentation and a string is an average. In this paper, fuzzy integrals are used instead of an average. Experimental results demonstrate the utility of this approach. A surprising result is obtained that indicates a simple choice of fuzzy integral works better than a more complex choice.
Relative Abundance of Xiphophorus Fishes and Its Effect on Sexual Communication

As major river drainages separated and stream capture occurred, some populations of Xiphophorus fishes became geographically isolated from one another, while others came into contact with new Xiphophorus species. Sexual communication and mechanisms of reproductive isolation were likely influenced by the variation in community structure each population experienced. One swordtail species, Xiphophorus birchmanni, occurs both in streams where other Xiphophorus species are rare, or more typically with large populations of congeners. Using the X. birchmanni system, we tested the theory that species recognition should be favored when the opportunity for hybridization is high. We found that at a site where the congener, X. variatus, is the predominant species, female X. birchmanni have a strong preference for conspecific cues; however, female X. birchmanni from a location where X. variatus are rare do not discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific cues. Moreover, we show evidence that chemosignals used by male X. birchmanni to attract females are unique between the two populations that differ in community structure. Our findings suggest that not only can the presence or absence of a congener influence sexual communication, both in terms of female preference and male trait, but the abundance of congeners may also be an equally important source of interpopulation variation.
The distinct pathogenesis of IgG4 Mickulicz's disease and Sjogren's syndrome in Japan; the role of IL-21 and IL-6

Maehara et al present an interesting study on ‘Interleukin-21 contributes to germinal centre formation and immunoglobulin G4 production in IgG4-related dacroadenitis and sialoadenitis, so-called Mickulicz's disease (MD)’.1 They have studied 12 Japanese patients with MD (IgG4-DS), 15 with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and 15 healthy controls. The labial salivary biopsies (LSB) of 15 SS patients were chosen from a larger group of SS patients (n=66) based on the presence of ectopic germinal centres (GC) in 15 SS LSBs studied. All the MD patients were chosen on the basis of their elevated IgG4. The SS patients were chosen on the basis of ectopic GC in their biopsies. The mRNA expression of IL-21 and BCL-6 was significantly higher in MD than in SS labial salivary gland biopsies. The IL-21 was detected by immunohistochemistry in and around GC only in the MD patients. These results were consistent with the hypothesis that follicular T-helper cells (Tfh) play a key role in the formation of GC in MD. By contrast, IL-17 was not found in either SS or MD. This article extends a recent study by the same group2 in Kyushu that distinguished MD and SS by showing elevation of Th2 and Tregs (ie, IL4, IL10 and FoxP3 expression by immunohistochemistry); and IgG4 plasma cells in the MD labial biopsies. Over the past decade, this group has published a number of excellent papers on IgG4-related diseases, including sclerosing cholangitis, multicentric Castleman's disease and other lymphoproliferative disorders.3–5 The article is carefully presented by experts in the field, but …
The identification of deviance: A conceptualization and initial test of a model of social norms

This paper outlines and initially tests a conceptual model of social norms, within the context of a general research framework for examining how deviant behaviour is identified and responded to. Norms are examined vis-a-vis (a) the structure of beliefs and expectancies toward one's own and [deviant] individual's behaviour, and (b) normative focus, representing the social context of behaviour and the nature of the group the norm is shared within. The results showed both of these constituents to be salient to the application of the model to the identification of alcohol abuse, particularly in terms of (i) the relationship between normative structure and the recognition of and evaluation of deviant drinking, (ii) a strong influence of social context on norms and (iii) the finding of powerful differences in normative structure in socio-economically different communities. This latter effect is discussed in terms of the [social ecology] of norms. It is hoped that this model will have heuristic value in expediting theory based studies of both normative regulation, and perceptions of abnormal behaviour.
Predator–prey systems with a general non-monotonic functional response

Abstract In this paper we study a predator–prey model with a general non-monotonic functional response. We first demonstrate that the non-monotonicity can be explained by a tradeoff argument using game theory. We then study the Reduced Morse–Smale portrait of the general system, that is all the possible stable phase portraits without limit cycles. We show that under suitable conditions the system admits at least one limit cycle.
Integration of supertetrahedral cluster with reduced graphene oxide sheets for enhanced photostability and photoelectrochemical properties

Supertetrahedral zinc-gallium-tin sulfide cluster modified with reduced graphene oxide protective layer was first synthesized, which exhibited an excellent photoelectrochemical performance and enhanced stability in comparison to supertetrahedral clusters.
Time Use, Emotional Well-Being, and Unemployment: Evidence from Longitudinal Data

How do unemployed individuals allocate and experience their time? How does their time use and emotional experience change once they find a job? This article provides new evidence on the time use and emotional well-being of unemployed and employed individuals in the United States, using longitudinal data from a survey of unemployed workers in New Jersey. We find evidence that the time spent on home production activities drops sharply at the time of reemployment, with the magnitude of the shift in line with previous research using cross-sectional time use surveys (Burda and Hamermesh 2010; Krueger and Mueller forthcoming). 1 Leisure activities also decrease at the time of reemployment, though somewhat less than in cross-sectional time use data, partly because those finding a job were spending more time on job search activities in the weeks prior to reemployment. We also investigate the relationship between unemployment and emotional well-being in connection with time use. Despite the fact that the unemployed spend relatively more time in leisure-related activities, we find that the unemployed enjoy these activities to a lesser degree
A Novel Reaction Mediated by Human Aldehyde Oxidase: Amide Hydrolysis of GDC-0834

GDC-0834, a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor investigated as a potential treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, was previously reported to be extensively metabolized by amide hydrolysis such that no measurable levels of this compound were detected in human circulation after oral administration. In vitro studies in human liver cytosol determined that GDC-0834 (R)-N-(3-(6-(4-(1,4-dimethyl-3-oxopiperazin-2-yl)phenylamino)-4-methyl-5-oxo- 4,5-dihydropyrazin-2-yl)-2-methylphenyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b] thiophene-2-carboxamide) was rapidly hydrolyzed with a CLint of 0.511 ml/min per milligram of protein. Aldehyde oxidase (AO) and carboxylesterase (CES) were putatively identified as the enzymes responsible after cytosolic fractionation and mass spectrometry-proteomics analysis of the enzymatically active fractions. Results were confirmed by a series of kinetic experiments with inhibitors of AO, CES, and xanthine oxidase (XO), which implicated AO and CES, but not XO, as mediating GDC-0834 amide hydrolysis. Further supporting the interaction between GDC-0834 and AO, GDC-0834 was shown to be a potent reversible inhibitor of six known AO substrates with IC50 values ranging from 0.86 to 1.87 μM. Additionally, in silico modeling studies suggest that GDC-0834 is capable of binding in the active site of AO with the amide bond of GDC-0834 near the molybdenum cofactor (MoCo), orientated in such a way to enable potential nucleophilic attack on the carbonyl of the amide bond by the hydroxyl of MoCo. Together, the in vitro and in silico results suggest the involvement of AO in the amide hydrolysis of GDC-0834.
Effect of initial gas bubble composition on detection of inducible intrapulmonary arteriovenous shunt during exercise in normoxia, hypoxia, or hyperoxia

Concern has been raised that altering the fraction of inspired O2 (FiO2) could accelerate or decelerate microbubble dissolution time within the pulmonary vasculature and thereby invalidate the abil...
Role of stabilized Criegee Intermediates in the formation of atmospheric sulfate in eastern United States

Abstract A Community Multiscale Air Quality model with the Master Chemical Mechanism is applied to evaluate the reactions of stabilized Criegee Intermediates SCIs with SO2 ( k SCI + SO 2 ) on sulfate aerosols in the eastern United States (US) during the summer of 2006. Surface sulfate concentrations and total sulfate columns increased by as much as 18% and 6%, respectively, when ( k SCI + SO 2 ) was increased from 7 × 10−14 cm3 s−1 to a suggested value of 3.9 × 10−11 cm3 s−1. The episode-average increase of the top-of-atmosphere direct radiative forcing due to the additional sulfate can be as much as −0.7 W m−2 (5%). However, if the SCI + H2O reaction rate constant ( k SCI + H 2 O ) was also increased based on the reported ratio of kSCI+H2O to ( k SCI + SO 2 ) (6.1 × 10−5), the surface sulfate and total sulfate column increases were less than 0.5%, which suggests that the impact of SCIs on sulfate may be insignificant and additional studies are needed to better determine k SCI + H 2 O . Small SCIs such as CH2OO and CH3CHOO, and SCIs from isoprene (MVKOO) and monoterpene (APINBOO) oxidation are the dominant SCIs in the eastern US.
Vitamin D and subsequent systolic hypertension among women.

BACKGROUND We examined data from a cohort of Caucasian women for evidence of an association between serum vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) insufficiency and greater risk of systolic hypertension in the population-based longitudinal Michigan Bone Health and Metabolism Study (MBHMS). METHODS The cohort includes 559 women aged 24-44 years in 1992; annual blood pressure (BP) measurements and data collection began in 1992 and is ongoing. A single-time serum 25(OH)D level was measured in 1993. Using logistic regression, vitamin D insufficiency (<80 nmol/l) was related to systolic hypertension (≥140 mm Hg) measures identified in 1993 and in 2007. Further, the relationship between vitamin D at baseline and the trajectory of systolic BP across the ensuing 14 years was assessed using longitudinal mixed modeling. RESULTS Vitamin D insufficiency was not significantly associated with concurrent systolic hypertension in 1993 (odds ratio (OR) 1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.32, 5.1)). However, vitamin D insufficiency was associated with increased risk of systolic hypertension in 2007 (OR 3.0; 95% CI (1.01, 8.7)) after adjusting for age, body fat percentage, antihypertensive medication use, and smoking. Baseline vitamin D status was not associated with rate of BP change over the 14-year period. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with previous animal and human studies, we found a single-time measure of vitamin D among young adult women was associated with systolic hypertension 14 years later. These prospective results suggest the need for further study of the role vitamin D insufficiency in early adulthood as a risk factor in subsequent hypertension among women.
THE CHANGING PROBABILITY OF A MONETARY POLICY RESPONSE TO INFLATION AND EMPLOYMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

evidence from these studies indicates that, during the nonborrowed reserve period when the Federal Reserve targeted the money stock, news about an unanticipated increase in the money supply resulted in an increase in interest rates. After 1983, when the monetary aggregates were deemphasized, news about real activity and inflation dominated the effects of unanticipated money announcements on interest rates. An unexpected increase in nonfarm payroll employment, for example, resulted in an increase in interest rates, while a positive money surprise had little or no effect. In this literature, the policy anticipations hypothesis is the most widely accepted explanation for the positive relation between the response of interest rates and news about money or employment. According to this hypothesis, interest rates rise and the dollar appreciates as agents revise their expectations upward for the federal funds rate path in the face of a positive, unanticipated announcement. 4
Intersectionality as an assembly of analytic practices: subjects, relations, and situated comparisons

Ange-Marie Hancock’s new book, Intersectionality: An Intellectual History, is a timely and important intervention in the study of power and politics.1 Hancock proves to be a skillful guide, continu...
Energy security discourses and environmental protection measures in U.S. federal energy legislation: An introductory exploration

Abstract Energy security is a term that is commonly invoked in public discourse and the policy domain to emphasize a link between energy issues and national security concerns and to frame arguments surrounding the need for a variety of energy policy prescriptions. However, a lack of consensus has emerged over the meaning, and the means to achieve the goal, of energy security. This paper provides an exploratory examination of the presence, evolution, and implications of the use of the energy security frame in three omnibus energy acts passed in the United States Congress to determine how energy security arguments are intertwined with legislative policy praxis. The research reveals the evolution of trends in the lexicon used to address energy issues, the range of problems addressed as security concerns, and the quantity and quality of environmental protection provisions. Broadly building on prior work on the concept of environmental security, the analysis contributes to the debate over the effect of framing environmental issues as security concerns, extending these considerations to the understudied realm of energy security.
The Complexities of Racial Disparity in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers as well as a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the United States. Although there has been a recent decline in breast cancer mortality, certain ethnic groups continue to suffer from higher mortality rates. The causes of racial disparities in breast cancer patients are still unclear, but understanding the molecular mechanism(s) and associated factors that may contribute to racial disparity will help in improving the treatment outcome of patients in such minority groups in the future. The disparity in breast cancer statistics between African American (AA) women and European American (EA) women has particularly been a topic of much discussion and investigation. Previous studies have focused on breast cancer mortality rates, but more recent studies are addressing the racial and ethnic disparities specific to breast cancer. In the future, a deeper understanding of the racial disparities in breast cancer will lead to improved cancer preventative care, diagnosis and treatment. Here, we summarize the social factors that are known to contribute to racial disparity in breast cancer.
The Biosynthesis of Elastin by an Aortic Medial Cell Culture

A long term culture of aortic medial cells, derived from newborn pig aorta, has been established. The ability of these cells to synthesize soluble elastin has been demonstrated by isolation and characterization of the radioactively labeled protein, using soluble elastin of copper-deficient pig aorta as the carrier. The synthesis of crosslinked elastin was shown by the isolation and identification of the lysine-derived crosslinks after incubating the cultures with [14C]-labeled lysine. The precursor relationship of soluble to insoluble elastin was demonstrated by incubating the [3H]-labeled soluble elastin from copper-deficient pig aorta with the culture and isolating labeled crosslinks from the insoluble elastin residue.
Energy-based damping evaluation for exciter control in power systems

Improperly tuned exciter control of synchronous machines will threaten the security and reliability of power systems by introducing lightly or even negatively damped electromechanical oscillations. In this paper, we propose a damping evaluation method for exciter control of synchronous machines based on energy dissipation analysis. The proposed method facilitates the location of improperly tuned exciter controls in power systems and is verified by time-domain dynamic simulations on a four-machine-two-area system.
Room2Room: Enabling Life-Size Telepresence in a Projected Augmented Reality Environment

Room2Room is a telepresence system that leverages projected augmented reality to enable life-size, co-present interaction between two remote participants. Our solution recreates the experience of a face-to-face conversation by performing 3D capture of the local user with color + depth cameras and projecting their life-size virtual copy into the remote space. This creates an illusion of the remote person's physical presence in the local space, as well as a shared understanding of verbal and non-verbal cues (e.g., gaze, pointing.) In addition to the technical details of two prototype implementations, we contribute strategies for projecting remote participants onto physically plausible locations, such that they form a natural and consistent conversational formation with the local participant. We also present observations and feedback from an evaluation with 7 pairs of participants on the usability of our solution for solving a collaborative, physical task.
Competition between single-particle and collective excitations in N=88 nuclei: Measurement of g(4 + 1 )/g(2 + 1 ) in 152 Gd

The magnetic moment of the ${2}_{1}^{+}$ and ${4}_{1}^{+}$ states in ${}^{152}\mathrm{Gd}$ have been measured by the transient field technique. Heavy ion beams of ${}^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ and ${}^{32}\mathrm{S}$ were used to Coulomb excite the ${2}_{1}^{+},{0}_{2}^{+},{4}_{1}^{+},{2}_{2}^{+}$, and ${6}_{1}^{+}$ states in ${}^{152}\mathrm{Gd}.$ A ratio of g factors, ${g(4}_{1}^{+}{)/g(2}_{1}^{+})=1.10(24)$ was obtained. This result is consistent with a collective model description and does not support large single particle contributions to the wave function of low-lying states as were found for the isotone ${}^{150}\mathrm{Sm}.$
The Influence of Field Food Sprays on the Egg Production Rate of Chrysopa carnea

Egg production rates were obtained, under controlled laboratory conditions, for Chrysopa carnea females collected from alfalfa field plots, where the adults had fed on either naturally-occurring foods or various artificial food sprays. These field collected adults then were fed only a sucrose solution in the laboratory. Females field-fed a nutritionally complete food spray responded by producing eggs at a higher rate than those feeding on sugar alone and at comparable rates with those feeding on naturally-occurring foods, i.e., honeydew and/or pollen. The intensity of attraction and egg production of C. carnea to artificial food sprays was found to be greatly modified by seasonal changes in the quality and quantity of naturally-occurring foods and the numbers of resident adults in the vicinity of the food sprays.
In vivo fluorescence microscopy of neuronal activity in three dimensions using voltage-sensitive dyes

Abstract: We report three-dimensional in vivo imaging of neuronal electrical activity from superficial layers of the mouse barrel cortex. The depth-dependent differential fluorescence optical sections of activity were consistent with known cortical architecture.
Misperception of Risk and Incentives by Experienced Agents

We study an observable risk-return tradeoff for which risk "preferences" are normatively prescribed by the desire to win the game. The choice is whether to shoot a 2-pointer or a 3-pointer in professional (NBA) basketball. When trailing, teams should get more risk-loving as they fall further behind, matching prospect theory preferences. When leading, risk aversion should increase with the lead, running counter to typical risk preferences. We find strong evidence that players trade off risk and return correctly only in the trailing domain. In the leading domain, they incorrectly exhibit decreasing absolute risk aversion with the magnitude of their lead. Players thus exhibit preferences similar those widely found in the lab, but misapplied in this setting.
Abstract 256: The Effect Of Credentialed Cardiovascular Pharmacists On Process Measures And Outcomes In Myocardial Infarction And Heart Failure

Background: Although cardiology pharmacist credentialing is strongly advocated, there is little to no evidence suggesting board certification improves patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine if institutions with inpatient cardiology credentialed pharmacists exhibit improved quality measure performance for myocardial infarction and heart failure compared to institutions without inpatient cardiology credentialed pharmacists. Methods: This is a multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional, matched case-control study. The cardiology credentialing studied was the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) Added Qualification in Cardiology (AQCV). A list of AQCV pharmacists was derived from publically available data on the BPS website in July 2011 for inclusion in the study. Each case AQCV pharmacist hospital was matched to a hospital without an AQCV pharmacist in a 1 to 3 manner. Control hospitals were matched by geographical region, number of cardiovascular discharges, and the type of hospital. The proportion of patients meeting HF and AMI process of care measures, 30-day readmission rate, and 30 day mortality for each hospital were determined from the website Hospital Compare. Results: The 34 AQCV hospitals were matched to 102 non-AQCV hospitals. Hospitals that employed inpatient AQCV pharmacists performed better on a composite of 5 medication-related process of care measures compared to hospitals that do not employ inpatient AQCV pharmacists (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.25-1.58, p <0.0001, p<0.001 for heterogeneity). The individual measures that were improved were aspirin on discharge for AMI and ACEi/ARB on discharge for HF. Thirty day readmission and mortality for HF and AMI were not different in hospitals that employed inpatient AQCV pharmacists compared to those that do not. Conclusions: Hospitals that employ inpatient AQCV credentialed pharmacists have improved performance on process of care measures compared to those that do not employ AQCV credentialed pharmacists. This analysis did not demonstrate that inpatient AQCV credentialed pharmacists improve readmissions or mortality for AMI and HF.
Trophodynamics of Eastern Pacific Coral Reefs

Trophic interactions on eastern Pacific coral reefs are complex and highly dynamic, ever changing due to numerous biological and physical factors. In this chapter, we first address the sources of energy at the base of food webs, i.e. photosynthetic carbon fixation by benthic algae and endosymbiotic zooxanthellae, secondarily derived organic deposits, detritus, and fecal matter, as well as demersal (within reef) and allochthonous plankton food sources. Next we consider consumers, covering the major reef trophic guilds in the eastern Pacific—suspension feeders, deposit and detritus feeders, herbivores, carnivores (predators and carnivorous grazers), as well as scavengers. The diversity and relative abundance of consumer taxa are described and considered in terms of their ecological roles in community processes. The complex interplay of these guilds is examined through food webs constructed for Panama, Cabo Pulmo reef in the Gulf of California, Mexico, and the Floreana Island rocky reef in the Galapagos Islands. Finally, the effects of physical and biotic perturbations on food webs, interactions, indirect effects, and trophic cascades conclude this review.
Feeding and excretion in the scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis: water and material balance

Scorpions feed by a process involving the external grinding and digestion of prey, with the ingestion of only the soluble fraction. The water obtained from the prey represents the most important source of water intake for scorpions inhabiting arid regions, placing great importance on the animals9 ability to utilize prey water effectively. The scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis (Stahnke) was found to ingest a mean of 88% of the body water of selected prey. However, the scorpion loses 0.37 ml of its own body water per ml of prey water extracted, resulting in a net water gain of 0.51 ml water for every ml of prey water. Fluid uptake by the scorpion has been ascribed to a pharyngeal pumping mechanism. Direct measurements of the suction generated by the pharynx yielded a minimal estimate of its pumping capability of 130mmHg. The uptake and excretion of nitrogen and electrolytes by Paruroctonus mesaensis on a diet of Tenebrio molitor adults were also analysed. Almost all the potassium ingested was excreted, whereas most of the sodium and chloride were retained, possibly serving to expand haemolymph volume. Assuming a steady state for nitrogen, it was estimated that the net utilizable water obtained from prey, that is the water intake minus the excretory water necessitated by nitrogen excretion, was equivalent to about 35% of the initial prey water or 69% of the water ingested.
The Evaluation of the Heat Loading from Steady, Transient and Off-Normal Conditions in ARIES Power Plants

AbstractThe heat loading on plasma facing components (PFCs) provides a critical limitation for design and operation of the first wall, divertor, and other special components. Power plants will have high power entering the scrape-off layer and transporting to the first wall and divertor. Although the engineering design for steady heat loads is understood, characterizing the steady heat load and the approach for transient and off-normal loading is not. The characterization of heat loads developed for ITER can be applied to power plants to better develop the operating space of viable solutions and point to research focus areas.