cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oregon's Low In-Hospital Death Rates: What Determines Where People Die and Satisfaction with Decisions on Place of Death?

Where Americans die is much more influenced by what part of the country they live in than by what their preferences are for location of death. Although most Americans report a preference for death at home, a majority still die in acute care hospitals. We describe the experiences of patients who died in Oregon (the state that currently has the lowest in-hospital death rate in the United States--31%) and the views of their families. We examine the factors influencing respect for dying patients' preferred location of death. Data from Oregon studies confirm that decisions to avoid hospital admission are far more common than discharge of the actively dying. Do-not-resuscitate orders were reported for 91% of nursing home residents in one study and living wills were reported for 67% of a random sample of adult Oregon decedents in a second study. In the second study, decisions not to start treatment were far more common than decisions to stop treatment (79% compared with 21%). Only 2.4% of families reported that "too little" treatment was given. Throughout the United States, use and availability of beds in acute care hospitals have been confirmed to be the principal determining factors in location of death. Within that constraint, however, the availability of other resources and services both facilitates the process of arranging for patients to die outside the hospital and improves satisfaction with the quality of terminal care.
Nitrogen broadening of ozone ν3 rovibrational transitions at 220 K

Abstract Nitrogen broadening coefficients of 33 rovibrational transitions in the ν3 band of ozone were measured at 220 K to an accuracy of approximately 5%. These values represent the first broadening determinations below room temperature for the 9.6 μm spectral region and are useful for calibration of theoretical calculations of the broadening and its temperature dependence.
The politics of identity in epidemiology

The predilection to doubt the objectivity of scientists based on their affiliation--particularly, but not exclusively, focused on scientists affiliated with industry-is a malignant influence in modern epidemiology. Manifestations of this "politics of identity" are widespread and include ad hominem attacks, publication restrictions, and exclusions of scientists from expert panels and advisory boards. These actions are likely to be detrimental to progress in epidemiology and are questionable from an ethical standpoint. The purpose of this commentary is to draw critical attention to the politics of identity in epidemiology and the effects it can have on individual scientists and scientific debate.
Vascular effects of metformin. Possible mechanisms for its antihypertensive action in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Metformin, an antidiabetic agent, potentiates insulin action and reduces insulin resistance. We examined the antihypertensive effects and vascular effects of metformin in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Wistar-Kyoto normotensive (WKY) and SHR were injected with metformin (100 mg/kg) or saline subcutaneously twice daily for 4 weeks. Blood pressure was recorded by a tail-cuff plethesmographic method. Metformin treatment significantly attenuated (P < .05) the increase in blood pressure in metformin treated SHR versus untreated control SHR. At the end of the experimental period of 4 weeks, metformin-treated SHR had a mean blood pressure that was 34 mm lower than that of untreated SHR. Metformin treatment had no significant effect on blood pressure in WKY rats. Treatment of SHR aortic smooth muscle (SM) cells with metformin (2 μg/mL) for 24 h significantly decreased (P < .05) arginine vasopressin- and thrombin- stimulated increase in [Ca2+]i. However, metformin treatment did not have a significant effect on the basal [Ca2+]i. Incubation of SHR aortic SM cells with OH-l-arginine (25 to 100 μmol/L) for 24 h increased nitrite production in a dose dependent manner. Metformin (5 μg/mL) treatment of SM cells increased nitrite production at all concentrations of OH-l-arginine; however, differences were significant (P < .05) only at 25 and 50 μmol/L OH-l-arginine. These results suggest that metformin may be decreasing arterial pressure in the SHR, at least in part, by attenuating the agonist-stimulated [Ca2+]i response in SHR vascular smooth muscle cells.
KSHV‐TK: thymidine kinase or tyrosine kinase?

The thymidine kinases (TK) of alphaherpesviruses phosphorylate nucleosides, allowing viral replication in non-dividing cells. They also phosphorylate acyclovir (ACV), a specific antiviral when modified. Despite encoding a TK homolog, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), a gammaherpesvirus, is relatively immune to the effects of ACV. In this issue, Gill et al (2015) show that rather than functioning as a thymidine kinase, the KSHV-TK homolog has evolved a unique function as a tyrosine kinase that is autophosphorylated. KSHV-TK autophosphorylation of three SH2 domains leads to Crk binding and likely sequestration of Crk from focal adhesions. KSHV-TK also binds to FAK with a concurrent loss of phosphorylation in the focal adhesions, leading to a loss of cell morphology and membrane blebbing. Rather than acting to create nucleotide pools for replication, the KSHV-TK homolog may play a pivotal role in viral pathogenesis by altering focal adhesions and cell detachment.
Detection of left ventricular dysfunction in ambulatory subjects with the bedside Valsalva maneuver

The bedside sphygmomanometric determination of the arterial pressure response during the Valsalva maneuver was incorporated into the routine physical examination of ambulatory subjects. Four distinct Valsalva responses were noted: ultrasinusoidal, sinusoidal, absent overshoot, and square wave. The absent overshoot response was further divided into positional and constant types--the latter consistently exhibiting this response regardless of body position. Correlation with resting left ventricular ejection fraction was obtained by radionuclide cineangiography in 200 patients, of whom 81 had left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction less than 0.50). Significant differences in the mean left ventricular ejection fraction were found in subjects with an ultrasinusoidal response (0.65 +/- 0.11), sinusoidal response (0.55 +/- 0.15), constant absent overshoot response (0.37 +/- 0.18), and square wave response (0.16 +/- 0.04) to Valsalva maneuver. The sensitivity of an abnormal Valsalva response (absent overshoot or square wave responses) for the bedside detection of left ventricular systolic dysfunction was 69 percent, and the predictive value of an ultrasinusoidal Valsalva response for normal ejection fraction was 93 percent. It is concluded that the high predictive accuracy of the Valsalva maneuver makes this simple bedside technique a valuable method for assessing resting left ventricular function.
Optimization and Characterization of Single Layer Resist Techniques for 1 μm CMOS Production

A resist evaluation was performed to select a high resolution positive resist which would meet all the requirements for 1µm CMOS technology. The leading resists in the 1µm evaluation were further evaluated as replacements for an existing production gate imaging process employing CEM. The methodology used in the evaluation will be described with particular emphasis on gate and metal imaging.
Newcomer integration and learning in OSS technical support communities

This poster presents newcomer behavior, community behavior and learning in online communities of technical support for Open Source Software.
Impact of Trauma Work on Social Work Clinicians: Empirical Findings

Over the past two decades, social workers have treated trauma survivors in a variety of settings. Interest has increased in the effect of this work on clinicians. Vicarious traumatization is a concept used to understand the impact of trauma work on clinicians. This article describes a study of social work clinicians working with two types of trauma: (1) the human-induced trauma, sexual abuse, and (2) the naturally caused trauma, cancer. The effect on clinician's cognitive schemas and the confounding variables of personal history of abuse and years' experience are described. Clinicians who worked primarily with clients who were sexually abused reported more disruptions in cognitive schemas than clinicians who worked with clients who had cancer. Implications for social practice and education are described.
Granular segregation in circular tumblers: theoretical model and scaling laws

We model bidisperse size segregation of granular material in quasi-two-dimensional circular tumbler flow using the advection–diffusion transport equation with an additional term to account for segregation due to percolation. Segregation depends on three dimensionless parameters: the ratio of segregation to advection, ${\it\Lambda}$ ; the ratio of advection to diffusion, $\mathit{Pe}$ ; and the dimensionless flowing layer depth, ${\it\epsilon}$ . The degree of segregation in steady state depends only on the ratio of segregation effects to diffusion effects, ${\it\Lambda}\,\mathit{Pe}$ , and the degree of segregation increases as ${\it\Lambda}\mathit{Pe}$ increases. The transient time to reach steady-state segregation depends only on advection, which is manifested in ${\it\epsilon}$ and $\mathit{Pe}$ when ${\it\Lambda}\mathit{Pe}$ is constant. This model is also applied to unsteady tumbler flow, where the rotation speed varies with time.
Maintaining information online in discrete time; rethinking working memory processes.

Abstract Linguistic operations occur with verbal information maintained online for a discrete time. It is posited that online maintenance of information is accomplished by verbal working memory (WM), a system that is: (a) independent from the linguistic operations carried out with the information (specialized), and (b) consists of a holding place where information is held in a phonological code (phonological loop) and a rehearsal mechanism that refreshes the phonological loop. This model does not account for the serial position effects associated with information maintenance and additional models are needed to explain the latter effects, which leaves us with a disjointed understanding of online maintenance of information. In this study, 36 middle-aged, healthy subjects (33 males and 3 females) were required to maintain linguistic information (letters) online. The letters called upon different cognitive operations (orthographic; orthographic and phonetic; or orthographic, phonetic and semantic). It was found that online maintenance capacity depends on the cognitive operations associated with the letters and on their serial position. Additionally, the cognitive operation effect on online maintenance was modulated by the serial position. These data favor a model for WM consisting of a simple holding place where verbal information maintenance depends on what the information is used for. We will discuss an integrated model for online information maintenance that accounts for the serial position effects.
Welfare-to-Work: Planners, Practitioners, and Participants

Anyone who has ever tried to implement or participate in a social welfare program designed by a planner with no direct experience in the field knows the true meaning of the word "frustration." Planners and policy makers are dreamers—utopians whose quest for the perfect program allows them to ignore any thought that their ideas may not translate well into reality. Their job is to write outstanding proposals in hopes of attracting the funding that will support the program.
Guidelines for Building Research Centers in Schools of Social Work

The last decade has witnessed growing efforts among schools of social work to improve their stature through research productivity. Research centers play a significant role in this quest through the provision of the following: a personalized approach to securing funding, grants seminars, grant and management critiques, a personalized system of networking, and provision of other types of support. Guidelines for the initiation and management of social work research centers are provided and discussed in relation to the author's experiences in directing research efforts in a variety of administrative roles and contexts.
Comparative unpalatability of mimetic viceroy butterflies ( Limenitis archippus ) from four south-eastern United States populations

Viceroy butterflies (Limenitis archippus), long considered palatable mimics of distasteful danaine butterflies, have been shown in studies involving laboratoryreared specimens to be moderately unpalatable to avian predators. This implies that some viceroys are Mullerian co-mimics, rather than defenseless Batesian mimics, of danaines. Here, I further test this hypothesis by assessing the palatability of wild-caught viceroys from four genetically and ecologically diverse populations in the southeastern United States. Bioassays revealed that viceroys sampled from three sites in Florida and one in South Carolina were all moderately unpalatable to captive redwinged blackbird predators, which ate fewer than half of the viceroy abdomens presented. Red-wings commonly exhibited long manipulation times and considerable distress behavior when attempting to eat a viceroy abdomen, and they taste-rejected over one-third of viceroys after a single peck. These findings, the first based on wild-caught butterflies, support the hypothesis that the viceroy-danaine relationship in some areas represents Mullerian mimicry, prompting a reassessment of selective forces shaping the interaction. Moreover, considerable variation in palatability of individual viceroys, and in behavior of individual birds, contributes to the complexity of chemical defense and mimicry in this system.
Localization of specific cholinesterase about the eccrine sweat glands of human volar skin.

SummaryBy means of Koelle's histochemical technic for cholinesterase, the same cholinergic innervation was found for the eccrine sweat glands in the volar skin of the human toe as occurs for the glands in the general skin of the body. This evidence, coupled with recent pharmacologic results in the literature, was taken to indicate that non-thermal sweating in the palms and soles was due, not to a hypothetical adrenergic innervation of volar glands, but to a primary control center in the central nervous system (possibly the cortex) other than the control center (the hypothalamus) for thermal sweating.
Nonsurgical Electrical Ablation of Tachycardias: Importance of Prior in Vitro Testing of Catheter Leads

Nonsurgical electrical ablation of tachycardia pathways or foci has been attempted or carried out using a variety of temporary pacing catheter leads. To determine the ability of such leads to withstand the high energies used in such procedures, 34 leads were suspended in saline, and subjected to repeated electrical shocks. Small (4 French) temporary pacing leads made by a variety of manufacturers tolerated multiple shocks up to 100 joules; above this level, failures became increasingly common, although usually the failure mode was benign with respect to patient care implications. Testing of 6, 7, and 8 French leads revealed considerable inter-and intra-manufacturer differences in the ability to withstand higher energy shocks, reflecting differences in materials and fabrication techniques. It is concluded that careful in vitro lead testing is required prior to using identical models in humans for arrhythmia ablation procedures.
Metal powder substrate-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for polyethylene analysis.

Polyethylene is one of the most important industrial polymers and is also one of the most challenging polymers to be characterized by mass spectrometry. We have developed a substrate-assisted laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometric method for polyethylene analysis. In this method, cobalt, copper, nickel, or iron metal powders are used as a sample substrate and silver nitrate is used as the cationization reagent. Using a conventional UV LDI time-of-flight mass spectrometer, intact oligomer ions having masses up to 5000 u can be detected. Cobalt is found to produce spectra with the highest signal-to-noise ratio and the lowest level of fragmentation. Cobalt powder size is shown to have some effect on the spectra produced. The best results are obtained with the use of cobalt powders with diameters ranging from 30 to 100 μm. Fragmentation cannot be totally eliminated, but the fragment ion peaks can be readily discerned from the intact polyethylene ions in the substrate-assisted LDI spectrum. Thus,...
Trophoblasts Regulate the Placental Hematopoietic Niche through PDGF-B Signaling

The placenta is a hematopoietic organ that supports hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) generation and expansion without promoting differentiation. We identified PDGF-B signaling in trophoblasts as a key component of the unique placental hematopoietic microenvironment that protects HSPCs from premature differentiation. Loss of PDGF-B or its receptor, PDGFRβ, induced definitive erythropoiesis in placental labyrinth vasculature. This was evidenced by accumulation of CFU-Es and actively proliferating definitive erythroblasts that clustered around central macrophages, highly reminiscent of erythropoiesis in the fetal liver. Ectopic erythropoiesis was not due to a requirement of PDGF-B signaling in hematopoietic cells but rather in placental trophoblasts, which upregulated Epo in the absence of PDGF-B signaling. Furthermore, overexpression of hEPO specifically in the trophoblasts in vivo was sufficient to convert the placenta into an erythropoietic organ. These data provide genetic evidence of a signaling pathway that is required to restrict erythroid differentiation to specific anatomical niches during development.
Multifingered grabbers as smart structures for robotic applications

Presented first is a novel design for a class of multi-fingered robotic grabbers capable of rapidly deploying their robotic fingers to grab moving objects within their workspace. A simple mathematical model is then presented for computer-graphic simulation of such multi-fingered robotic grabbers. Finally, some experimental results pertaining to dynamic perfomance and control of a number of robotic grabbers fabricated in our laboratory are presented. The dynamic performance of these types of rapidly deployable multi-fingered robotic grabbers have been observed to be quite remarkable and consistent with the proposed computer simulation model.
Mental Test Performance as a Function of Various Scoring Cutoffs.

(1970). Mental Test Performance as a Function of Various Scoring Cutoffs. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 82, No. 2, pp. 241-250.
The Pto kinase conferring resistance to tomato bacterial speck disease interacts with proteins that bind a cis-element of pathogenesis-related genes

In tomato, the Pto kinase confers resistance to bacterial speck disease by recognizing the expression of a corresponding avirulence gene, avrPto, in the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have identified three genes, Pti4, Pti5 and Pti6, that encode proteins that physically interact with the Pto kinase. Pti4/5/6 each encode a protein with characteristics that are typical of transcription factors and are similar to the tobacco ethylene-responsive element-binding proteins (EREBPs). Using a gel mobility-shift assay, we demonstrate that, similarly to EREBPs, Pti4/5/6 specifically recognize and bind to a DNA sequence that is present in the promoter region of a large number of genes encoding ‘pathogenesis-related’ (PR) proteins. Expression of several PR genes and a tobacco EREBP gene is specifically enhanced upon Pto–avrPto recognition in tobacco. These observations establish a direct connection between a disease resistance gene and the specific activation of plant defense genes.
The Experience of a Broken Heart

Infants who have congenital heart disease (CHD) are born with a "broken heart." Health care professionals are presented with the challenge of caring for the infant's physiologically defective heart as well as the emotional heart of the parents as they begin to accept this diagnosis. This study allowed parents to share this experience through phenomenology as an inquiry approach. These descriptions will assist in providing a more complete and deeper understanding of the parent's experience of CHD. Thus, all will know "the experience of a broken heart."
Energy and environment into the twenty-first century; the challenge to technology and ingenuity

Abstract Traditional energy resources, chiefly fossil fuels, are adequate to meet likely global energy demands as the transition to a hydrogen and renewable energy economy is made over the next three to five decades. Long-term trends in efficiency in energy development, use, and conversion will continue and be enlarged. Reliance on fossil fuels for the transition should not cause unacceptable environmental impact, especially with the likely increased emphasis on low-carbon natural gas. The historical economic growth of 3% per annum can be maintained for a global population that will probably stabilize at ~10 billion by the middle part of the twenty-first century.
The effects of interactive ozone chemistry on simulations of the middle atmosphere

[1] We compare two simulations of the middle atmosphere using the NCAR Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model, which includes a comprehensive middle atmosphere chemistry model. Ozone is fully interactive in the first simulation. A zonal mean and monthly mean ozone climatology is constructed from the interactive simulation. That ozone climatology is used to determine the radiative heating rates in the second simulation. Comparison of the two simulations shows that using the zonal-mean ozone climatology significantly affects the climate of the middle atmosphere. Differences between the two simulations are statistically significant throughout the tropics in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere.
Genetic markers in Herd wick sheep: no correlation with succeptibility or resistance to experimental scrapie

Summary Genetic markers were studied in Herdwick sheep, bred at Compton, with special reference to genetically selected lines which differ in susceptibility or resistance to experimentally produced scrapie. There were no correlations between susceptibility to the disease and albumin, pre-albumin, esterase and haemoglobin phenotypes, and between reduced glutathione levels and α-mannosidase isoenzymes, the latter possibly representing a previously undescribed genetic marker in sheep.
Cinnamon treatment upregulates neuroprotective proteins Parkin and DJ-1 and protects dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Upregulation and/or maintenance of Parkinson’s disease (PD)-related beneficial proteins such as Parkin and DJ-1 in astrocytes during neurodegenerative insults may have therapeutic efficacy in PD. Cinnamon is a commonly used natural spice and flavoring material throughout the world. Here we have explored a novel use of cinnamon in upregulating Parkin and DJ-1 and protecting dopaminergic neurons in MPTP mouse model of PD. Recently we have delineated that oral feeding of cinnamon (Cinnamonum verum) powder produces sodium benzoate (NaB) in blood and brain of mice. Proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β decreased the level of Parkin/DJ-1 in mouse astrocytes. However, cinnamon metabolite NaB abrogated IL-1β-induced loss of these proteins. Inability of TNF-α to produce nitric oxide (NO) and decrease the level of Parkin/DJ-1 in wild type (WT) astrocytes, failure of IL-1β to reduce Parkin/DJ-1 in astrocytes isolated from iNOS (−/−) mice, and decrease in Parkin/DJ-1 in WT astrocytes by NO donor DETA-NONOate suggest that NO is a negative regulator of Parkin/DJ-1. Furthermore, suppression of IL-1β-induced expression of iNOS in astrocytes by NaB and reversal of NaB-mediated protection of Parkin/DJ-1 by DETA-NONOate in astrocytes indicate that NaB protects Parkin/DJ-1 in activated astrocytes via suppressing iNOS. Similarly MPTP intoxication also increased the level of iNOS and decreased the level of Parkin/DJ-1 in vivo in the nigra. However, oral treatment of MPTP-intoxicated mice with cinnamon powder and NaB reduced the expression of iNOS and protected Parkin/DJ-1 in the nigra. These findings paralleled dopaminergic neuronal protection, normalized striatal neurotransmitters, and improved motor functions by cinnamon in MPTP-intoxicated mice. These results suggest that cinnamon may be beneficial for PD patients.
Prolactin specifically increases pyruvate dehydrogenase Elα in rat lateral prostate epithelial cells

Prolactin is an important regulator of prostate citrate production. In rats this regulatory effect of prolactin is specific for lateral prostate, and has no effect on either ventral or dorsal prostate. The mechanisms by which prolactin regulates prostate citrate production have not been elucidated. Two key regulatory enzymes involved in citrate synthesis by prostate epithelial cells are mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (mAAT) which provides oxalacetate, and PDH E1 alpha (pyruvate dehydrogenase) which provides acetyl CoA for citrate synthesis. Our previous studies demonstrated that prolactin regulates mAAT. However, an increase in citrate synthesis would require an increase in both oxalacetate and acetyl CoA. Therefore, we investigated the possibility that prolactin might also regulate PDH E1 alpha in LP epithelial cells. The present studies demonstrate that prolactin administration (1 mg/rat) to rats resulted in an increased level of E1 alpha in LP epithelial cells within 6 hr, but had no effect on the E1 alpha level of VP epithelial cells. In vitro studies demonstrated that exposure of freshly prepared LP epithelial cells to prolactin (0.1-1.0 microgram/ml) resulted in increased levels of E1 alpha. Prolactin had no effect on either VP or DP epithelial cells. The stimulatory effect of prolactin on E1 alpha was inhibited by actinomycin and cycloheximide, thereby indicating that prolactin stimulated the biosynthesis of E1 alpha. The studies reveal that prolactin specifically stimulates E1 alpha levels of LP epithelial cells, whereas testosterone specifically stimulates E1 alpha levels of VP epithelial cells. At this time, we propose that the effects of prolactin and testosterone involve increased expression of the E1 alpha gene of LP and VP epithelial cells, respectively.
Sensitive topics, survey nonresponse, and considerations for interviewer training.

Abstract This paper discusses current challenges in achieving higher survey participation rates in random-digit-dial telephone surveys and proposes steps to address them through interviewer training to avoid refusals. It describes features of surveys that contribute to respondent reluctance to participate and offers a brief overview of current refusal aversion training methods to reduce nonresponse. It then identifies what challenges that unique features of random-digit-dial telephone surveys on sensitive topics might contribute to nonresponse. Recommendations are then proposed for changes in refusal aversion training, standard survey introductions, and informed consent procedures. Finally, further research is called for to identify which methods best balance the need to improve response rates with respondent safety and privacy in surveys with sensitive questions.
Resuscitation in the hospital: relationship of year and rhythm to outcome

Objective: determine the frequency of initial rhythms in in-hospital resuscitation and examine its relationship to survival. Assess changes in outcome over time. Methods: retrospective cohort (registry) including all admissions to the Medical Center of Central Georgia in which a resuscitation was attempted between 1 January, 1987 and 31 December, 1996. Results: the registry includes 3327 admissions in which 3926 resuscitations were attempted. Only the first event is reported. There were 961 hospital survivors. Survival increased from 24.2% in 1987 to 33.4% in 1996 (χ2=39.0, df=1, P<0.0001). Survival was affected strongly by initial rhythm (χ2=420.0, df=1, P<0.0001) and decreased from 63.2% for supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) to 55.3% for ventricular tachycardia (VT), 51.0% for perfusing rhythms (PER), 34.8% for ventricular fibrillation (VF), 14.3% for pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and 10.0% for asystole (ASYS). PEA was the most frequent rhythm (1180 cases) followed by perfusing (963), asystole (580), VF (459), VT (94) and SVT (38). Discussion: the powerful effect of initial rhythm on survival has been reported in pre-hospital and in-hospital resuscitation. VF is considered the dominant rhythm and generally accounts for the most survivors. We report good outcome for each; however, VF represents only 13.8% of events and 16.7% of survivors. PEA accounts for more survivors (169) than does VF (160). Our improved outcome is partially explained by changes in rhythms, but other institutional variables need to be identified to fully explain the results. Further studies are needed to see if our findings can be sustained or replicated.
Dynamic Characteristics of the Renal Arterial Microvasculature of the Dog Obtained by Simulation

To develop a measurement technique for microvascular stiffness and resistance, an iterative algorithm (NOLESQ) combining steepest descent and Taylor series (Gauss-Newton) methods was used to estimate model parameters to provide a minimal least squares error at 5-ms intervals of the predicted blood flow to the measured flow. Renal arterial pressure and flow data of high dynamic and static accuracy were used. The data were in blocks of 2500 values each (12.5-s samples). A reasonable fit was obtained with only three parameters: arterial conductance, compliance, and a steady pressure at or just beyond the glomerulae. Other models, incorporating large artery resistance, blood mass, pressure dependent conductance, and pressure dependent compliance were studied. Criteria for acceptance were reasonable values from prior knowledge of biological materials, similarity of parameter values between consecutive samples and between animals, convergence, and error of fit reduced to the noise level of the input data.
Welfare Reform: Reforming Welfare or Reforming Families?

What is the real goal of welfare reform? During the push to end welfare as we know it, many agreed that the policy that had been in place for over 31 years needed to be replaced. The major goal of reform was to help recipients become self-sufficient by enabling them to find stable jobs with sufficient earnings, thereby breaking the cycle of dependency. In formulating such a sweeping policy, many factors must be considered; yet the perceptions, and the experiences and realities of recipients that impact their progress toward self-sufficiency were not included in the policy debate. This paper presents data from a study conducted in Summit County (Akron, OH) that gathered demographic data and data on JOBS Program participants' experiences and perceptions. It also presents results from focus groups and focused interviews that provide a picture of recipients' feelings about being on welfare, finding jobs, and understanding of welfare reform.
Initiation and Development of the Laser

A broad discussion of initiation and development of amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (lasers, masers). The field provides an example of how unexpected and tremendously important technology and science emerge from basic research exploration.
Modeling the influence of organic acids on soil weathering

Abstract Biological inputs and organic matter cycling have long been regarded as important factors in the physical and chemical development of soils. In particular, the extent to which low molecular weight organic acids, such as oxalate, influence geochemical reactions has been widely studied. Although the effects of organic acids are diverse, there is strong evidence that organic acids accelerate the dissolution of some minerals. However, the influence of organic acids at the field-scale and over the timescales of soil development has not been evaluated in detail. In this study, a reactive-transport model of soil chemical weathering and pedogenic development was used to quantify the extent to which organic acid cycling controls mineral dissolution rates and long-term patterns of chemical weathering. Specifically, oxalic acid was added to simulations of soil development to investigate a well-studied chronosequence of soils near Santa Cruz, CA. The model formulation includes organic acid input, transport, decomposition, organic-metal aqueous complexation and mineral surface complexation in various combinations. Results suggest that although organic acid reactions accelerate mineral dissolution rates near the soil surface, the net response is an overall decrease in chemical weathering. Model results demonstrate the importance of organic acid input concentrations, fluid flow, decomposition and secondary mineral precipitation rates on the evolution of mineral weathering fronts. In particular, model soil profile evolution is sensitive to kaolinite precipitation and oxalate decomposition rates. The soil profile-scale modeling presented here provides insights into the influence of organic carbon cycling on soil weathering and pedogenesis and supports the need for further field-scale measurements of the flux and speciation of reactive organic compounds.
New agents for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

The heterogeneity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been established by many new insights into the diagnosis, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, treatment, and prognosis of patients with AML. Morphology remains the foundation for the diagnosis. However, additional diagnostic studies, including immunophenotyping, cytogenetic evaluation, and molecular genetic studies, are necessary to develop treatments because specific subtypes of AML can now be approached with targeted therapy. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), defined by a single molecular abnormality, is now treated with specific targeted therapy, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and this subtype of AML is now highly curable. Currently, a number of agents have been explored in AML, including anti-CD33 antibodies and immunoconjugate drugs, inhibitors of multidrug resistance proteins, farnesyl transferase inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, anti-Bcl-2 transcription agents, and inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). New alkylating agents, and purine analogs such as Cloretazine and clofarabine, affect DNA and ribonucleoside reductases, respectively. These agents have shown promise in small studies. Large phase III studies will address whether these are effective in inducing complete responses. Combining targeted agents with chemotherapy may improve the response rates. The plan for the future is to find therapeutic strategies that are specific for patients based on the specific biology of the disease. Future studies will investigate combinations of targeted therapies with each other and with chemotherapies to maximize the inhibition of multiple pathways present in AML. Additionally, evaluation of the identified prognostic factors and gene mutations will enable further pathologic classification of patients with AML.
Cell surface display of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus hemagglutinin on the surface of Pichia pastoris cells using α-agglutinin for production of oral vaccines †

Yeast is an ideal organism to express viral antigens because yeast glycosylate proteins more similarly to mammals than bacteria. Expression of proteins in yeast is relatively fast and inexpensive. In addition to the convenience of production, for purposes of vaccination, yeast has been shown to have natural adjuvant activity making the expressed proteins more immunogenic when administered along with yeast cell wall components. Development of genetic systems to display foreign proteins on the surface of yeast via fusion to glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored (GPI) proteins has further simplified the purification of recombinant proteins by not requiring harsh treatments for cellular lysis or protein purification. We have expressed the hemagglutinin protein from a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus [A/Egret/HK/757.2/02], subtype H5N1, on the surface of the yeast strain Pichia pastoris, as an anchored C-terminal fusion with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae GPI-anchored cell wall protein, α-agglutinin. Surface expression of the hemagglutinin fusion protein was demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy. Functionally, the fusion protein retained hemagglutinin agglutinating activity, and oral vaccination with the yeast resulted in production of virus neutralizing antibodies. This study represents the first steps in the generation of a yeast-based vaccine for protection against highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza. Published 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010
HOW VALUABLE IS A GOOD REPUTATION? A SAMPLE SELECTION MODEL OF INTERNET AUCTIONS

On the online auction site eBay, by convention, sellers do not ship goods to winning bidders until after they have received payment, so there is an opportunity for sellers to take advantage of bidders' trust. Realizing this, the designers of eBay created a system that relies on self-enforcement using reputation. Several recent studies have found that bidders give little or no reward to sellers who have better reputations. I show that in fact, sellers are strongly rewarded for the first few reports that they have behaved honestly, but marginal returns to additional reports are severely decreasing.
Fighting Complexity in Computer Systems

From the earliest hardware and software through the latest, complexity has been something computer engineers, scientists and programmers have had to fight. Important fields of research and technology have originated, developed, or matured as side-effects of this fight. Some of these fields, such as computational complexity and planar graphs, address fundamental theories of broad significance. Others, such as reduced instruction set architectures, compiler-compilers, and high-level languages, are more applied. Other advances have actually contributed to complexity. In the area of building predictable real-time systems, for example, advances in computer performance (direct memory access, hierarchical storage, multiprocessing, and so on1) have led only to statistical performance improvements. But predictable, deterministic performance is still elusive. Some would argue that the easy availability of generic OS services may be responsible for a very significant increase in application complexity, not to mention a decrease in program robustness and correctness. Fighting complexity is not a futile task. Despite chronic lack of attention (and thus funding), much-needed complexity-fighting methods and tools will emerge. Eventually, a new generation of computer scientists, engineers, and programmers will emerge who are skilled at using these methods and tools. One day, the invention of a supertool will be as well-received as the construction of a supercomputer. Until that day, we have quite a bit of work to do. rom forest to finished product, wood moves through a series of stages that are little changed from sawmill practices of a hundred years ago. Many of the subjective decisions workers make along the way directly affect the quality and yield of the wood products. Wood grows more valuable and labor more expensive every day. At the same time, technology now exists to provide more complete information to decision makers.
Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The purpose of this research was to update the series of articles on evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder that have appeared in this journal (Evans, Owens & Bunford, 2014; Pelham & Fabiano, 2008; Pelham, Wheeler, & Chronis, 1998). We completed a systematic review of the literature published between 2012 and 2016 to establish levels of evidence for psychosocial treatments for these youth. We identified articles using criteria established by the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology using keyword searches of abstracts and titles. Articles were classified according to a modified version of the Division 12 task force guidelines that was used in other reviews in this series. The results revealed that findings are becoming increasingly nuanced with variations in levels of evidence related to ages of the children and characteristics of the specific treatment. In addition, we focused our critique on generalization of treatment effects across settings and time and on sample diversity (with regard to ethnicity and levels of parent education) in relation to the population. Children of parents with higher levels of education than average appear to be overrepresented in the literature. Implications for future treatment development and evaluation and for dissemination research are discussed.
Developmental Changes in Picture Recognition.

Abstract Recognition of complex pictures by children in the first, third, and fifth grades (ages 7, 9, and 11 years, respectively) was tested and then compared with adult performance. Pictures were either of organized scenes or of collections of objects. By systematically varying the distractors in the recognition tests, recognition of four types of information was measured: inventory, descriptive, spatial relation and spatial composition information. Patterns of performance on the various types of distractors as well as overall accuracy were measured. For organized scenes, there was a gradual increase in accuracy with age but patterns of performance were similar at all grade levels. For unorganized pictures, children were much less accurate than adults and showed different patterns of responses. Children were particularly poor at processing spatial relation information from unorganized pictures. It was suggested that children as young as the first grade have developed scene schemata and use these cognitive structures to encode and retrieve organized scenes in the same fashion as do adults. However, children at least up to the fifth grade have difficulty in organizing materials structured in unfamiliar ways. The data were found to be congruent with other studies of both visual recognition and verbal recall, implicating unfamiliarity of stimulus materials as a major contributor to developmental trends in memory.
Attentional bias for valenced stimuli as a function of personality in the dot-probe task

Extroversion (E) and neuroticism (N) are associated with positive and negative affect, respectively. This correspondence between each dimension of personality with each dimension of affect may reflect a common mechanism, such as attentional bias to emotional stimuli. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while participants were engaged in an attentional task to identify brain regions that may be involved in attentional bias as a function of E or N. By adapting, for the first time, the dot-probe attentional task for use in the scanner, we discovered that activation in the fusiform gyrus is significantly correlated with E. The greatest activation was observed in conditions in which an attentional probe was placed in a section of the visual field least likely to be attended to by highly extroverted individuals. This activation may reflect increased effort related to visual search, autonomic arousal, or detection of an unexpected occurrence.
Spectral sensitivity and photopigments of a nocturnal prosimian, the bushbaby (Otolemur crassicaudatus)

Earlier studies yielded conflicting conclusions on the types of photoreceptors and photopigments found in the eyes of nocturnal prosimians. In this investigation a noninvasive electrophysiological procedure, electroretinogram flicker photometry, was employed to measure scotopic and photopic spectral sensitivity in the thick-tailed bushbaby (Otolemur crassicaudatus). The scotopic spectral sensitivity function of the bushbaby has a peak of about 507 nm. Under photopic test conditions, spectral sensitivity shifts toward the longer wavelengths. The results from a series of adaptation experiments indicate that the cones of the bushbaby retina contain only a single type of cone photopigment (peak sensitivity at about 545 nm). One implication from this result is that these animals do not have color vision. The photopigment arrangement of the bushbaby is different from that earlier found in diurnal and crepuscular prosimians but is similar to that of the owl monkey, the only nocturnal simian. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fundamental Study of a Miniaturized Disk-Type Electrostatic Aerosol Precipitator for a Personal Nanoparticle Sizer

We have developed a low-cost, miniaturized disk-type electrostatic aerosol precipitator for a personal nanoparticle sizer, often needed in applications requiring spatially distributed measurement or personal exposure monitoring. The performance of prototype mini-disk precipitator was evaluated in this study. Measurement of particle transmission through the precipitator for both neutral and singly charged particles shows that the compact size of the disk precipitator does not lead to serious particle loss resulting from particle diffusion and/or electrical image force. The transmission of singly charged particles of 10 nm is 64% at an aerosol flowrate of 0.3 lpm. The device consists of two precipitation chambers, separated by a metal disk. The design further allows the device to be configured to precipitate charged particles by establishing electrical fields in one or both precipitation chambers. Both operations work well to precipitate particles by electrical mobility. The operation of dual-chamber precip...