cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social Relationships, Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, and the Risk for Stroke and Dementia: The Framingham Heart Study (P1.098)

Objective: To investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social determinants of brain health in humans, we examined the association between social relationships, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and risk for stroke and dementia using data from the Framingham Heart Study. Background: Greater social support and specific social interactions may be associated with higher levels of circulating BDNF and reduced stroke and dementia risks. Methods: We compared BDNF levels between participants with varying support as measured by the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index (SNI) battery. We used regression models to examine isolation and SNI social support items as predictors of BDNF and risk for incident stroke and dementia. Results: Among 3383 participants, 118 (3.5[percnt]) were socially isolated. Controlling for age and sex, isolation was associated with lower BDNF (for BDNF above the median: OR, 0.68; 95[percnt] CI, 0.47-0.99; p=0.042). Participants with someone available to listen to them had reduced risk for stroke (HR, 0.56; 95[percnt] CI, 0.40-0.79; p=0.001) and dementia (HR, 0.67; 95[percnt] CI, 0.50-0.90; p=0.007). Having someone provide emotional support was associated with higher BDNF (OR, 1.26; 95[percnt] CI, 1.04-1.54; p=0.020), reduced dementia risk (HR, 0.69; 95[percnt] CI, 0.51-0.92; p=0.013), and, among smokers, reduced stroke risk (HR, 0.34; 95[percnt] CI, 0.14-0.82; p=0.016). Associations persisted after additional adjustments. Conclusions: In our large community sample, greater social support was associated with increased BDNF levels and, in certain dimensions of support, reduced risk of subsequent dementia and stroke. Further study of the biological and social mechanisms through which support from social networks reduce these risks is needed to determine whether relatively simple social interventions may help protect against age-related neurologic disease. Study Supported by: Boston University School of Medicine, a contract from NHLBI (N01-HC 25195), and by grants from the NINDS (NS017950) and NIA (AG031287, AG008122, AG033193). Disclosure: Dr. Salinas has nothing to disclose.
Developing a Precareer Network: An Exercise in Identifying, Using, and Making Investments in Social Capital:

Research on the use of experiential exercises to encourage exploration of professional networks shows that such exercises are effective and provide value for students seeking to enter or navigate c...
Pore Architecture and Ion Selectivity Filter of the Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter

The calcium uniporter of mitochondria is a holocomplex consisting of the calcium-conducting channel, known as the MCU channel, and a score of regulatory proteins. Previous electrophysiology study found that a preeminent property of the uniporter is the high calcium selectivity and conductance and this has been shown to critically depend on the highly conserved amino acid sequence motif, DXXE, in the MCU channel. Our recent NMR data of the MCU channel indicate that the DXXE forms two parallel carboxylate rings at the channel entrance that appear to serve as the ion selectivity filter. We used paramagnetic probes to show that mutants with a single carboxylate ring can bind divalent cation specifically, while in the wild type, the two rings bind the ion cooperatively, resulting in drastically higher apparent affinity. Our new data, together with structural analysis of the DXXE motif, indicate that the double carboxylate rings at the apex of the MCU pore constitute the ion selectivity filter of the channel and that Ru360 directly blocks ion entry into the filter.
Benefits of knowing the costs of disturbance to hibernating bats

Management of caves where bats hibernate generally consists of limiting access by humans. This management strategy was successful in the 20th century, when the main conservation concern for most cavernicolous bats species was disturbance during hibernation. However, the conservation landscape of the 21st century is different. Currently, the most pressing concern for hibernating bats, at least in North America, is the high mortality rate associated with White-nose Syndrome (WNS). It is unclear if traditional management strategies that greatly limit researcher access are still the most appropriate balance between costs of disturbances and benefits of knowledge gained about WNS. Regulatory agencies must base management strategies on the best available science. Unfortunately, the best available science pertaining to the costs of disturbance to hibernating bats is often decades old and lags far behind our understanding of other aspects of hibernation physiology and ecology. I suggest research aimed at fully understanding costs of disturbance and benefits of research in hibernation sites should be a priority for biologists and regulatory personnel alike. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
University Technology and Arms to Win the War: The US in World War II

The relationship between higher education and the federal government was solidified during Second World War. Legislation supported the institution’s war research endeavors, the economy, and education through one of the greatest pieces of federal legislation, the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act (1944), which opened the doors of higher education for thousands of deserving young men and women. The resulting influx of students gained federal attention and support, leading to a profound paradigm shift after the war. At the war’s end, with the help of higher education, the US was the arbiter of power, propelling the US into a proven position of superiority. The US dominated the global marketplace with a robust domestic economy, unmatched technological capabilities, and exhibited the ideal democratic nation-state that educates its citizens.
Commentary on Hsu Et Al. (2017): A Systems Approach to Improving Health Services for Overdose in the Hospital and Across the Continuum of Care-An Unmet Need

Rising opioid overdose hospitalization rates and costs, stagnant in-hospital mortality rates and poor care transitions highlight the need to improve health services for people who use opioids in the hospital and across the continuum of care. A systems approach may identify opportunities to prevent overdoses and improve outcomes from overdose.
Forging Their Own Path to the Labor Market: Hispanic Women Business Owners in North Carolina

Hispanic women are an understudied entrepreneurial population with considerable potential for economic impact. Our study uses fieldwork and semistructured interviews with entrepreneurs and communit...
Mechanistic Insights Evaluating Ag, Pb, and Ni as Electrocatalysts for Furfural Reduction from First-Principles Methods

Electrochemical reduction of furfural (ECRFF) emerges as an efficient and sustainable means to obtain high-value chemicals and biofuels with the activity and product selectivity being sensitive to cathode materials. In this work, elementary steps describing furfuryl alcohol (FA) and 2-methylfuran (MF) production routes in ECRFF are studied by using periodic density functional theory on Ag, Pb, and Ni, as alternative cathode materials. The established Bronsted–Evans–Polanyi (BEP) relationship has been proven to be reliable to estimate energy barriers of C–O bond cleavage. The intrinsic characters of Ag, Pb, and Ni are then summarized in free energy diagrams to reflect the FA and MF production trends as future guidelines to evaluate ECRFF activity and selectivity on these metals. On all metal surfaces, at both terrace and stepped sites, the first C–H or O–H hydrogenation step, producing respective mh6 or mh7 intermediates, influences overall FA production. On Ag and Pb, pathways involving the mh6 intermedia...
Interaction between Two Active Sites of the Same Catalyst for Macromonomer Enchained Olefin Polymerization

A zirconium amine bis(phenolate) catalyst that is capable of simultaneously producing both oligomers and polymers of 1-hexene was investigated. It was found that the polymer produced has more branching than the commonly encountered poly(1-hexene), suggesting an oligomer macromonomer enchainment. The polymer weight fraction and molecular weight are weakly dependent on conversion and are not affected by increasing the concentration of free oligomer macromonomers in solution. After considering a number of possible mechanisms, the most plausible supported by spectroscopic and kinetic data is a second-order reaction between an oligomer forming site and a polymer forming site, resulting in the transfer of oligomer macromonomers into the growing polymer chain. The ratio between oligomer and polymer products can be precisely tuned by varying the precatalyst activation conditions.
Intraoperative thermographic imaging to assess myocardial distribution of Del Nido cardioplegia

We describe the intraoperative non-invasive use of an infrared (IR) camera to monitor Del Nido cardioplegia delivery in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Thermal pictures were taken pre- and post-cardioplegia and at timed points after arrest, and compared to readings from a transseptal temperature probe. There was good concordance between the transseptal probe and the IR camera temperature readings. This non-invasive technique, which assesses cardioplegic distribution, may help to determine when additional doses of Del Nido cardioplegia are required during periods of cardioplegic arrest.
Global Economic Justice, Partiality, and Coercion

My subject is global economic justice, the division of economic resources among human beings. Questions of non-economic justice involving rights to security, liberty of action, freedom of speech, religion, and political participation, will come into the picture now and then. But my central focus is economic justice. Two liberal views about global economic justice are currently being debated by political philosophers. Cosmopolitanism holds that the most basic principles of economic justice apply directly to individuals across the globe, and require a just division of economic resources among all human beings. As Kok-Chor Tan puts it,
CRITICAL CARE INSTRUMENTATION: AN APPROACH USING MODULAR ELEMENTS AND DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING

The changing needs that characterize critical care instrumentation systems are not unique. This dynamic situation prevails in most active research environments where biomedical instrumentation is employed. Our experience indicates that these systems evolve in such a way that new needs are determined by the outcomes of current experiments making it impossible to predict long- range requirements satisfactorily. In the past, a degree of flexibility was gained through the introduction of minicomputers into medical research activities(1,2). Since the beginning of the “microprocessor revolution”, the microcomputer has been applied either as a less expensive and less powerful substitute for an instrumentation system’s centralized minicomputer or as an inaccessible component imbedded within a particular instrument. Through experience in applying microcomputers, another role for this new tool has emerged(3). The CPRS concept embodies this new role in that it depends on a distributed set of programmable microcomputers packaged in function-specific modules which communicate over a standard digital bus. Through this approach, the implementation of biomedical instrumentation systems can be effectively addressed.
Hypoxemia After Total Joint Arthroplasty : A Problem on the Rise

Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is categorized as a major risk factor for thromboembolic complications. The importance of hypoxemia during the postoperative period is subject of controversy. This prospective study elucidates the incidence and etiology of hypoxemia after TJA. Furthermore, we intended to assess the predictive value of clinical findings in identifying the etiology of hypoxemia after TJA. Of 1971 patients, 78 (4.0%) experienced an acute episode of hypoxemia during their hospitalization after TJA. Hypoxemia as the initial presenting sign, predicted major complications, defined as life-threatening if left untreated, in 32% of the hypoxic population. These diagnoses included pulmonary embolism, pulmonary edema, and pneumonia. Tachypnea was the only independent factor associated with pulmonary embolism. Our study presents the incidence and etiology of hypoxemia after TJA, and we recommend a heightened appreciation for the hypoxemic patient.
Wearable range-vibrotactile field: design and evaluation

Touch is one of the most natural methods of navigation available to the blind. In this paper, we propose a method to enhance a person's use of touch by placing range sensors coupled with vibrators throughout their body. This would allow them to be able to feel objects and obstacles in close proximity to them, without having to physically touch them. In order to make effective use of this vibrotactile approach, it is necessary to discern the perceptual abilities of a person wearing small vibrators on different parts of their body. To do this, we designed a shirt with small vibrators placed on the wrists, elbows, and shoulders, and ran an efficient staircase PEST algorithm to determine their sensitivities on those parts of their body.
Trade Distortions in a Free-trade Zone: The Case of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Restrictions

The intent of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is to create a customs union, or free-trade zone, among the countries of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, in which goods and services can be freely traded. The European Union (E.U.) is even more ambitious in that it not only allows tariff-free trade but has also created a common currency. The Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR) is a free-trade zone that encompasses Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay and is similar in scope to the zone designated in NAFTA.
An Analysis of the Effect of Student Prepared Notecards on Exam Performance

Allowing the use of student-prepared notecards has been suggested as a way to increase student performance, with the literature showing mixed results. By allowing students to utilize a notecard on ...
Fallstudie AARON Fahrradzubehör: Der Start eines Millionen-Euro-Geschäftes

Fur jede Marke ist es heutzutage wichtig eine Amazon-Strategie zu besitzen. Verweigere ich die Plattform oder gehe ich sie aktiv an, diese Frage sollten Sie sich auf jeden Fall schon mal gestellt haben. In dem folgenden Artikel erzahle ich ihnen die Geschichte und die Strategie der jungen Marke AARON, die es geschafft hat, eine Marke erfolgreich auf Amazon aufzubauen. Angefangen von der Idee, zur Namensfindung, zur Markenanmeldung, der Verpackung, der passenden Produkte, der externen Partner und der Suche nach dem passenden Team. Alle wichtigen Punkte werden in den nachsten 5 Kapiteln aufgezeigt. Um die richtigen Entscheidungen treffen zu konnen, erarbeiteten wir uns zu allererst eine fundierte Wissensbasis, um dann unsere Idee schnell mit einem Minimum Viable Product (MVP) zu testen. Mit den Learnings aus dieser Testphase konnten wir dann eine fundierte Entscheidung treffen, ob und wie wir dem Projekt weiterverfahren.
Blending Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Hong Kong’s education system regards students’ motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, as the engine for students to navigate throughout their entire learning process.
A Forward Multiparticle Spectrometer for the LHC: Hadron spectra and Long-lived particle search

I describe a possible Forward Multiparticle Spectrometer (FMS) that could beinstalled downstream of the superconducting recombination dipole D1 in Run 4,between z = 96 m-126 m to measure multi-TeV hadron spectra in low luminosity ppcollisions at √ s = 14 TeV, as well as p+O and O+O collisions as relevant forcosmic ray showers. Light antinuclei and charmed hadrons at high Feynman x F canbe measured, both of importance for astrophysics. At the full high luminos-ityHL-LHC a search for new long-lived neutral particles (LLPs) decaying in a 20 mlong, 70 cm diameter vacuum pipe to visible decay modes (including γγ, e + e − ,µ + µ − , τ + τ − , c¯ c and jets) can be made. The FMS is especially wellsuited for LLPs with 1 GeV < M (X) < 10 GeV and lifetimes cτ from about 10 m toseveral km. I discuss this as a possible addition to CMS but it has no formalapproval yet, therefore the talk is not given " on behalf of CMS " .
Impact of Freeway Service Patrols on Incident Clearance Duration: Case Study of Florida’s Road Rangers

AbstractFlorida’s Road Rangers monitor the freeways for incidents to minimize incident clearance duration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent to which Road Rangers reduce incide...
The Dehn lemma

Hereafter, when we speak of a PL manifold, we shall mean a manifold with a fixed triangulation; the latter will not be named, except when we have some special reason to do so. Similarly for PL manifolds with boundary.
Abstract PS17-41: In depth single cell profiling of a case of bone metastases with associated organoid models reveals a precision medicine approach to treatment

Occurring in 65-80% of metastatic breast cancer (BC), bone metastasis (BoM) is the major cause of BC related mortality. Under current standard of care, 5 year overall survival for patients with BoM is 20-25%, warranting the need of improved treatments. Like other cancers, BC BoM has high inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity. Thus, understanding disease evolution and heterogeneity of BoM at the individual patient level will be key to guide precise application of targeted therapies. In this study, we describe in depth histologic and single cell molecular characterization of a case of invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) metastasis to bone. We collected fixed primary tumor (ER+/PR-/HER2- ILC) and fresh pelvis and tibia BoMs from a patient. HE 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS17-41.
A high-resolution interactive atlas of the human brainstem using magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract Conventional atlases of the human brainstem are limited by the inflexible, sparsely-sampled, two-dimensional nature of histology, or the low spatial resolution of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Postmortem high-resolution MRI circumvents the challenges associated with both modalities. A single human brainstem specimen extending from the rostral diencephalon through the caudal medulla was prepared for imaging after the brain was removed from a 65-year-old male within 24 h of death. The specimen was formalin-fixed for two weeks, then rehydrated and placed in a custom-made MRI compatible tube and immersed in liquid fluorocarbon. MRI was performed in a 7-Tesla scanner with 120 unique diffusion directions. Acquisition time for anatomic and diffusion images were 14 h and 208 h, respectively. Segmentation was performed manually. Deterministic fiber tractography was done using strategically chosen regions of interest and avoidance, with manual editing using expert knowledge of human neuroanatomy. Anatomic and diffusion images were rendered with isotropic resolutions of 50 μm and 200 μm, respectively. Ninety different structures were segmented and labeled, and 11 different fiber bundles were rendered with tractography. The complete atlas is available online for interactive use at https://www.civmvoxport.vm.duke.edu/voxbase/login.php?return_url=%2Fvoxbase%2F . This atlas presents multiple contrasting datasets and selected tract reconstruction with unprecedented resolution for MR imaging of the human brainstem. There are immediate applications in neuroanatomical education, with the potential to serve future applications for neuroanatomical research and enhanced neurosurgical planning through “safe” zones of entry into the human brainstem.
Absent Imposition of 'Boundary Rationality Conditions', Can Evidence for Pricing of Behavioral Biases of Economic Agents Be Robust?

This study unambiguously demonstrates that, absent independent establishment of boundary rationality conditions for stock prices, behavioral axioms, such as overconfidence, overreaction, underreaction, and attribution bias cannot be robustly applied to rationalization of market phenomena that are generated by rational economic agents. This general equilibrium outcome is predicated on predictions of a formal theoretical model. In the model, whenever behavioral biases feasibly can influence market returns, qualitatively, such effects cannot be distinguished from presence, in stock markets, of mixtures of 'sophisticated' and 'naive' economic agents. In this respect, the model establishes that any of, rational components of stock prices, information variables that support presence of mixtures of sophisticated and naive agents within stock markets, or behavioral biases, have feasibility of generation of pattern of stock return momentum and reversals. An important side result is the prediction that behavioral axioms, such as overreaction, and underreaction, which of necessity must have opposite effects on prices, cannot subsist contemporaneously within dichotomous groupings of rational economic agents who invest in stock markets.
Dermatologic Applications of Polypodium leucotomos : A Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Polypodium leucotomos (PL) is a natural extract from tropical fern leaves with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been implicated as a potential treatment agent in multiple dermatologic conditions. OBJECTIVE: Here, we review the mechanism of action and current dermatologic applications of PL and extrapolate potential future dermatologic applications of PL. DESIGN: An extensive literature review on Pubmed was conducted in search of relevant background information and human studies utilizing PL for the treatment of dermatologic conditions. METHODS: Using the PubMed database, a literature search was conducted to identify relevant publications. “Polypodium leucotomos” was input as the key search criterion. The results were filtered by species (human) and language (English). Only papers with dermatologic applications were selected. Additionally, relevant publications found in the reference sections of selected articles were manually searched and selected. Included articles explore the origin, basic science mechanism, and various dermatologic applications of PL studied in humans. Each article was thoroughly studied by all authors and applicable data from each was used for the compilation of this review article. RESULTS: See Table 1 for a summary of dermatologic applications of PL based on available human clinical studies. LIMITATIONS: There was a limited number of human studies concerning the use of PL for treatment of dermatologic conditions and, of the available studies, many were of a small sample size. CONCLUSION: PL has a clinically significant role for the treatment and prevention of certain dermatologic conditions including: photoprotection, photocarcinogenesis, photoaging, vitiligo, melasma, and polymorphic light eruption. There is supporting evidence for its use in malignant melanoma high-risk patients, for enhanced actinic keratosis clearance following photodynamic therapy, and for symptomatic relief in atopic dermatitis. Potential clinical uses that require additional human clinical studies include solar urticaria, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and other photosensitive cutaneous disorders. TABLE 1. Summary of the dermatologic uses of PL and the supporting clinical studies
Associations among weight-based teasing distress, impulsive emotion regulation, and loss of control eating in racially and ethnically diverse young men

Abstract According to affect regulation models, distress associated with weight-based teasing may be related to loss of control (LOC) eating. Maladaptive coping strategies may further exacerbate this association, but such hypotheses have not been evaluated in men. The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between distress from weight-based teasing and LOC eating in racially and ethnically diverse young men. The degree to which men engage in impulsive behavior when distressed was investigated as a moderating variable. Exploratory analyses examined the proposed associations within racial/ethnic identity groups. The current study included 1011 young men (18–30 years, Mage = 23.9 ± 3.6 y, 28.3% non-Hispanic White; 23.4% African American; 24.3% Hispanic/Latino; 23.8% Asian/Asian American). Participants completed an online survey with measures of weight-based teasing, LOC eating frequency, engagement in impulsive behavior when distressed, and demographics. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and body mass index, there was a positive association between distress from weight-based teasing and LOC eating frequency (p
Readability of Online Materials Related to Vocal Cord Leukoplakia.

ObjectivesTo assess readability and understandability of online materials for vocal cord leukoplakia.Study DesignReview of online materials.SettingAcademic medical center.MethodsA Google search of ...
The State of Nature and Commercial Sociability in Early Modern International Legal Thought

At the same time as the modern idea of the state was taking shape, Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and Samuel Pufendorf (1632-94) formulated three distinctive foundational approaches to international order and law beyond the state. They differed in their views of obligation in the state of nature (where ex hypothesi there was no state), in the extent to which they regarded these sovereign states as analogous to individuals in the state of nature, and in the effects they attributed to commerce as a driver of sociability and of norm-structured interactions not dependent on an overarching state. Each built on shared Roman and sixteenth-century foundations (section I). Section II argues: 1) that Grotius's natural law was not simply an anti-skeptical construction based on self-preservation (pace Richard Tuck), but continued a Roman legal tradition; 2) that Hobbes's account of natural law beyond the state was essentially prudential, not moral (pace Noel Malcolm); and 3) that commerce as a driver of social and moral order (Istvan Hont's interpretation of Pufendorf and Adam Smith) had a substantial and under-appreciated impact on international legal order. Each contributed to the thought of later writers (section III) such as Emer de Vattel (1714-67), David Hume (1711-76), and Adam Smith (1723-90), and eventually to the empirical legal methodologies of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and Georg Friedrich von Martens (1756-1821).
ESL Programs in Rural High Schools: Challenges and Opportunities

Rural and small-town communities in the United States have been rapidly diversifying over the last few decades and rural schools have faced challenges in supporting changing populations. This article builds on a limited body of education research that has focused on diversity in rural areas, driven largely in the U.S. by Latinx immigrant populations. This research draws on several data sources from multi-week visits in a mixture of new and established immigrant destinations to profile the challenges educational leaders faced developing ESL programs in five rural high schools and explores challenges such as how schools struggle to recruit and retain administrators and teachers, how they often have limited knowledge and resources to support curriculum development, and how program size limits schools’ ability to place students appropriately. The article concludes with suggestions for education programs, rural administrators, and state policy makers to better support English learners in rural schools.
Exploring G protein-coupled receptor signaling networks using SILAC-based phosphoproteomics

The type 1 parathyroid hormone receptor (PTH1R) is a key regulator of calcium homeostasis and bone turnover. Here, we employed SILAC-based quantitative mass spectrometry and bioinformatic pathways analysis to examine global changes in protein phosphorylation following short-term stimulation of endogenously expressed PTH1R in osteoblastic cells in vitro. Following 5min exposure to the conventional agonist, PTH(1-34), we detected significant changes in the phosphorylation of 224 distinct proteins. Kinase substrate motif enrichment demonstrated that consensus motifs for PKA and CAMK2 were the most heavily upregulated within the phosphoproteome, while consensus motifs for mitogen-activated protein kinases were strongly downregulated. Signaling pathways analysis identified ERK1/2 and AKT as important nodal kinases in the downstream network and revealed strong regulation of small GTPases involved in cytoskeletal rearrangement, cell motility, and focal adhesion complex signaling. Our data illustrate the utility of quantitative mass spectrometry in measuring dynamic changes in protein phosphorylation following GPCR activation.
Improving identification and documentation of pressure ulcers at an urban academic hospital.

Article-at-a-Glance Background A two-year quality improvement campaign at a teaching hospital was launched to improve the identification and accurate documentation of pressure ulcers (PUs) after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) changed reimbursement regarding hospital-acquired PUs. Method The campaign consisted of (1) reference materials, (2) new documentation templates, (3) staff education, and (4) hospitalwide mattress replacement. Results The campaign significantly increased the proportion of PUs completely documented by nurses from 27% to 55% following mattress replacement and resident education (odds ratio [OR] 3.68; p = .001; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.68–8.08). A similar improvement was observed for physician documentation, increasing from 12% to 36% following the same interventions; however, this change was not statistically significant (OR 2.11; p = .12; 95% CI:0.82–5.39). These improvements were short-lived because of the implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs) for nursing notes. Although the percentage of PUs completely documented by nurses decreased following EMR implementation, it increased in the following months to above the precampaign baseline as nurses adapted to the new documentation system. However, after EMR implementation, complete PU documentation by physicians decreased to a nadir of 0% and did not recover. Conclusions A multicomponent campaign to improve the quality of PU documentation by both physicians and nurses can yield positive gains. However, these improvements were short-lived because of EMR implementation, which acutely worsened documentation of PUs. This emphasizes the importance of frequent and repeated interventions to sustain quality improvement successes.
Altered resting perfusion and functional connectivity of default mode network in youth with autism spectrum disorder.

Background Neuroimaging studies can shed light on the neurobiological underpinnings of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Studies of the resting brain have shown both altered baseline metabolism from PET/SPECT and altered functional connectivity (FC) of intrinsic brain networks based on resting-state fMRI. To date, however, no study has investigated these two physiological parameters of resting brain function jointly, or explored the relationship between these measures and ASD symptom severity.
DRC criteria: Comment on Lucas☆

Abstract Recently in this journal Lucas (1984) discussed several apparent paradoxes in the application of DRC criteria. In this comment we show how DRCs can be defined in such a way that these paradoxes disappear.
Desagregando al régimen político: Aspectos conceptuales en el Estudio de la democratización (Disaggregating Political Regime: Conceptual Issues in the Study of Democratization)

Spanish Abstract: El cada vez mayor alcance global de la democratizacion ha alentado a los comparativistas a participar en investigaciones interregionales como parte de un proyecto colectivo. Sin embargo, la respuesta a este reto depende, por un lado, de su capacidad de basar su investigacion en un conjunto de conceptos claros, lo cual constituye un prerequisito para la formulacion teorica y, por el otro, de aclarar su metodo de seleccion de casos, lo cual constituye un prerequisito para la comprobacion de la teoria. Aunque estas cuestiones conceptuales estan aun por resolverse completamente, me permito mostrar como el trabajo de un grupo de ‘analistas de regimen’ proporciona el mejor punto de partida para los estudiosos interesados en este proyecto. Para este proposito, muestro como la desagregacion del concepto de regimen politico proporciona la base para distinguir entre tres problemas analiticamente separables, el proceso de transicion, el resultado de este proceso de transicion y el proceso de consolidacion, y para introducir matices en terminos de modos de transicion, tipos y subtipos de regimenes y grados de consolidacion. Tambien muestro como los analistas de regimen evitan el problema del alargamiento conceptual en el proceso de la seleccion de casos mediante la organizacion vertical de sus conceptos a lo largo de una escala de generalidad y la aplicacion de una regla sencilla. Finalmente muestro como el estudio de los regimenes politicos a partir de indices cuantitativos de democracia no logra evitar los problemas de la combinacion conceptual y del alargamiento conceptual.English Abstract: The increasingly global scope of democratization has challenged comparativists to engage in crossregional research as part of a collective enterprise. The response to such a challenge, however, hinges upon their ability to both base their research on a set of clear concepts, a prerequisite for theory-building, and clarify their method of case selection, a prerequisite for theory-testing. While these conceptual issues have yet to be fully resolved, I show how the work of a group of 'regime analysts' provides the best starting point for scholars interested in this enterprise. For this purpose, I show how the disaggregation of the concept of political regime provides the basis for a distinction among three analytically separable problems, the process of transition, the outcome of this process of transition, and the process of consolidation, and for more nuanced distinctions in terms of modes of transition, regime types and subtypes, and degrees of consolidation. I also show how the problem of conceptual stretching is avoided by regime analysts in the course of case selection through the vertical organization of their concepts along a ladder of generality and the application of a simple rule. Finally, I show how the study of political regimes on the basis of quantitative indices of democracy fails to avoid the problems of conceptual conflation and conceptual stretching.
Pancreatic polypeptide enhances postcontractile gallbladder filling in the prairie dog

Abstract The hypothesis that pancreatic polypeptide promotes postcontractile gallbladder filling was tested in the prairie dog model. Fifteen animals underwent laparotomy with catheter placement into the gallbladder, distal common bile duct (vent), and femoral vein. The gallbladder was perfused with [14C]polyethylene glycol labeled lactated Ringer's solution at 0.03 ml/min and vent effluent was collected at 2.5-min intervals. All animals received a 20-min intravenous infusion of cholecystokininoctapeptide, 2.5 ng/kg · min, immediately followed by 60-min infusions of either lactated Ringer's solution or bovine pancreatic polypeptide (PP), 10 or 50 ng/kg · min. Gallbladder emptying and intragall-bladder pressure were similar for all three groups after cholecystokinin-octapeptide. When lactated Ringer's was administered after cholecystokininoctapeptide, gallbladder filling increased by 15.6% with a minimal change in gallbladder pressure. In contrast, infusion of PP10 resulted in a significant (p
CD4+ and CD8+ T Cell Priming for Contact Hypersensitivity Occurs Independently of CD40-CD154 Interactions

The primary effector cells of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) responses to dintrofluorobenzene (DNFB) are IFN-gamma-producing CD8(+) T cells, whereas CD4(+) T cells regulate the magnitude and duration of the response. The requirement for CD40-CD154 engagement during CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cell priming by hapten-presenting Langerhans cells (hpLC) is undefined and was tested in the current study. Similar CHS responses to DNFB were elicited in wild-type and CD154(-/-) animals. DNFB sensitization of CD154(-/-) mice primed IFN-gamma-producing CD8(+) T cells and IL-4-producing CD4(+) T cells. However, anti-CD154 mAb MR1 given during hapten sensitization inhibited hapten-specific CD8(+), but not CD4(+), T cell development and the CHS response to challenge. F(ab')(2) of MR1 failed to inhibit CD8(+) T cell development and the CHS response suggesting that the mechanism of inhibition is distinct from that of CD40-CD154 blockade. Furthermore, anti-CD154 mAb did not inhibit CD8(+) T cell development and CHS responses in mice depleted of CD4(+) T cells or in CD4(-/-) mice. During in vitro proliferation assays, hpLC from mice treated with anti-CD154 mAb during DNFB sensitization were less stimulatory for hapten-primed T cells than hpLC from either control mice or mice depleted of CD4(+) T cells before anti-CD154 mAb administration. These results demonstrate that development of IFN-gamma-producing CD8(+) T cells and the CHS response are not dependent on CD40-CD154 interactions. This study proposes a novel mechanism of anti-CD154 mAb-mediated inhibition of CD8(+) T cell development where anti-CD154 mAb acts indirectly through CD4(+) T cells to impair the ability of hpLC to prime CD8(+) T cells.
Adaptive algorithms that restore signal properties

This paper introduces the concept of designing adaptive filtering algorithms to exploit the presence of some invariant property possessed by a signal of interest. If this invariant property is disturbed by the interference or dispersion which degrades the signal's quality, and if the disturbance can be sensed, then it can be used to guide an adaptive algorithm. Certain analytic requirements on this type of algorithm are discussed as well as their relation to well-known least squares and MSE algorithms.
Acute and chronic paediatric intensive care patients: current trends and perspectives on resource utilization.

Summary Background: Advances in paediatric critical care have resulted in increased survival of critically ill patients, many of whom require long-term ventilation as a means of life support. Aim: To determine current trends in resource utilization, and problems in the care of acute and chronic paediatric intensive care patients. Design: Open observational study. Methods: We evaluated consecutive admissions (n ¼ 1629) to a 10-bed paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) over a 5-year period. Three previously defined criteria for resource utilization were used: mean length of stay (LOS); length of mechanical ventilation (LOMV); and LOMV/LOS ratio. Results: A total of 10 310 patient bed days and 5223 ventilator days were used. Mean LOS increased from 5.3 � 12 days in 1998 to 8.7 � 27 days in 2001 (p 2 weeks (n ¼ 320, 20%) used 55% of LOS and 57% of LOMV, in contrast to the 1298 (80%) hospitalized for 3 months (11, 0.7%) consumed 17% of LOS and 23% of LOMV. Five of these (45%) were eventually discharged home, two on ventilators. Conclusions: The increasing trend of occupation of PICU bed and ventilator days by critically ill children may be related to the increasing trend for hospitalization of chronic care patients. Severity scoring systems were predictive of resource consumption, but not of the overall trend in mortality rate.
Envelopes of narrow-band signals

In some cases, a rapidly oscillating transient term appears in the expression for the envelope of a narrow-band signal. Such terms depend upon the particular definition used to define the envelope. Although these terms are usually so small that they can be neglected, they are of theoretical interest. Here we discuss three commonly used envelope definitions, and derive expressions for the difference between the corresponding envelopes.
Analysis of consumer behaviour in the hospitality industry: An application of social judgement theory

Abstract The present paper introduces social judgement theory to hospitality management researchers as a potentially use fill theoretical and methodical tool for understanding consumer subjectivity. Subjectivity plays an important role in practically every aspect of the hospitality consumer's decision making process. It is proposed that social judgement theory offers a theoretical framework that will prove useful to researchers in the study of consumer behaviour in the hospitality industry. A computerized procedure is described for identification, measurement and reporting of judgemental sources of consumer decision making. This information would prove invaluable in developing and implementing of the marketing strategy for hospitality products and services.
Fracture toughness characterization of brittle thin films

Abstract This paper describes the design and fabrication of a series of test structures for measuring the fracture toughness of brittle thin films, with applica
Degradation of DNA by 1,-10-phenanthroline.

Summary The metal chelator 1,10-phenanthroline, in the presence of a reducing agent and a copper salt, causes the degradation of double-stranded DNA to acid soluble fragments. The degradation of DNA is dependent on the presence of O2. The concentrations of 1,10-phenanthroline which are effective in degrading DNA are of the same order of magnitude as those that result in inhibition of nucleotidyl transferase reactions. The requirement for a copper salt can only be demonstrated when all reagents are treated with Chelex to remove metal contaminants. It is proposed that the degradation of DNA in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline may account for the in vitro inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis seen with this metal chelator, rather than any effect on nucleotidyl transferases.
Geohydrology of the Laura fresh-water lens, Majuro atoll: a hydrogeochemical approach

In small limestone islands, the depositional history and subsequent chemical interactions between ground water and the aquifer host rock play critical roles in the occurrence, movement, and chemical quality of ground water. The hydrogeochemistry of the Laura fresh-water lens, Majuro atoll, Marshall Islands, is an example of these relations. Laura is underlain by two principal hydrologic units. The upper unit is a back-reef-marginal-lagoonal deposit which formed during the Holocene interglacial stage. It is composed of moderately permeable carbonate sediments. The lower hydrologic unit consists of highly permeable limestone that was subaerially exposed, most likely during a Pleistocene glacial lowstand. Similar stratification is found at Bikini and Enewetak atolls. The upper hydrologic unit contains a calcium bicarbonate-rich fresh-water lens, in which a potable fresh-water nucleus as much as 14 m thick occurs on the lagoon side of the island. Storage in the fresh-water nucleus ranged from 1.70 x 10 6 to 2.08 x 10 6 m 3 during 1984-1985. Ground-water occurrence and flow are governed by an asymmetric distribution of lithofacies about the longitudinal axis of the island and an abrupt increase in permeability at the contact between the upper and lower hydrologic units. The highly permeable lower hydrologic unit contains sea water and truncates the fresh-water-sea-water mixing zone. The fresh-water lens and associated fresh-water-sea-water mixing zone are the site of continuously occurring diagenetic reactions that significantly affect the porosity and permeability of the aquifer. Non-equilibrium dissolution-precipitation reactions, coupled with variations in CO 2 input, control the chemical evolution of Laura ground water. At the present rate of chemical weathering, 465 m 3 of sediment are being dissolved and transported to the sea by ground water each year. This dissolution results in an annual increase in porosity of 0.01%. The primary factors controlling the occurrence and flow of ground water in the leeward reef islet of Laura are (1) the depositional history of the upper hydrologic unit, which has resulted in a greater accumulation of low-permeability (fine-grained) sediments beneath the lagoon side of the island and a high- to low-permeability (coarse-to fine-grained sediment) gradation between the ocean and lagoon; and (2) the diagenetic history of the lower hydrologic unit, which has resulted in a highly permeable basement.
The transient response of ZrO2 oxygen sensors to step changes in gas composition

The transient voltage response of ZrO2 oxygen sensors was examined following step changes in gas composition. The experiments were performed on a laboratory flow reactor at 600° C. Composition changes between (a) 100% and (b) 1% O2 in N2 produced response curves whose symmetry varied between composition steps (a) from low-to-high oxygen and (b) from high-to-low oxygen. This difference is due to the logarithmic dependence of sensor voltage on oxygen partial pressure. Corresponding oxygen partial pressure-time curves, derived from experimental voltage via the Nernst equation, are symmetric with respect to the direction of composition changes. Abrupt transitions are found in voltage-time curves at 600° C following step changes of reactive gases; e.g. from O2/N2 mixtures to CO/N2, H2/N2 or D2/N2 mixtures. These voltage-steps represent transitions in stoichiometry of the surface boundary layer on the ZrO2 sensor. Delay times before the transition also reflect reaction stoichiometry. Response times with O2/CO, O2/H2 and O2/D2 follow trends predicted by the kinetic theory of gases. A limited number of experiments were performed to examine the relationships between sensor response and sensor catalytic activity. Poorer oxidation catalytic activity parallels slower response characteristics.
Mutations in DNA polymerase η are not detected in squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

The major etiological agent in skin cancer is exposure to UV-irradiation and the concomitant DNA damage. UV-induced DNA lesions, such as thymine dimers, block DNA synthesis by the major DNA polymerases and inhibit the progression of DNA replication. Bypass of thymine dimers and related lesions is dependent on the translesion polymerase DNA polymerase η (Polη). In the inherited disorder, xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV), inactivation of Polη results in extreme sensitivity to UV light and a marked increase in the incidence of skin cancer. Here, we tested the hypothesis that somatic mutations and/or polymorphisms in the POLH gene that encodes Polη are associated with the induction of UV-dependent skin cancers. We sequenced the exonic regions of the Polη open reading frame in DNA from 17 paired samples of squamous cell skin carcinoma and adjacent histologically normal tissue. We analyzed approximately 120,000 nucleotides and detected no mutations in POLH in the tumors. However, we identified 6 different single-nucleotide polymorphisms, 3 of them previously undocumented, which were present in both the tumor and paired normal tissue. We conclude that neither mutations nor polymorphisms in the coding regions of POLH are required for the generation of human skin squamous cell carcinoma. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Sojourner in the American Indian Community: Methodological Issues and Concerns

Major concerns about conducting research in American Indian communities are reviewed and discussed. Examples of three research projects conducted with Indian communities are summarized, and procedures found to be sensitive to the cultural milieu of the community are examined. Emphasis is placed on involving community residents in the total research effort where sojourner-scientist and resident are mutual beneficiaries.