cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bayesian Methods for Calibrating Health Policy Models: A Tutorial.

Mathematical simulation models are commonly used to inform health policy decisions. These health policy models represent the social and biological mechanisms that determine health and economic outcomes, combine multiple sources of evidence about how policy alternatives will impact those outcomes, and synthesize outcomes into summary measures salient for the policy decision. Calibrating these health policy models to fit empirical data can provide face validity and improve the quality of model predictions. Bayesian methods provide powerful tools for model calibration. These methods summarize information relevant to a particular policy decision into (1) prior distributions for model parameters, (2) structural assumptions of the model, and (3) a likelihood function created from the calibration data, combining these different sources of evidence via Bayes’ theorem. This article provides a tutorial on Bayesian approaches for model calibration, describing the theoretical basis for Bayesian calibration approaches as well as pragmatic considerations that arise in the tasks of creating calibration targets, estimating the posterior distribution, and obtaining results to inform the policy decision. These considerations, as well as the specific steps for implementing the calibration, are described in the context of an extended worked example about the policy choice to provide (or not provide) treatment for a hypothetical infectious disease. Given the many simplifications and subjective decisions required to create prior distributions, model structure, and likelihood, calibration should be considered an exercise in creating a reasonable model that produces valid evidence for policy, rather than as a technique for identifying a unique theoretically optimal summary of the evidence.
The evolving landscape of systemic therapy for well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of the lung

James Yao*, MD, is professor and chairman of gastrointestinal medical oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (TX, USA). He is the chair emeritus of the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS). He has numerous awards including the American Society of Clinical Oncology Career Development Award 2003, and the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation Research Award 2006, MD Anderson Distinguished Alumni Award 2009, Irwin H. Krakoff Excellence in Clinical Research Award 2011, and The Murray Brennan Distinguished Lecturer, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 2012. In 1995, Dr. Yao received his doctorate of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (TX, USA). His credentials include board of certification in internal medicine (ABIM) in 1999 and board of certification in medical oncology (ABIM) in 2003. Dr. Yao has special interests in neuroendocrine tumors and gastric cancer and has authored over 100 manuscripts including practice-changing articles in New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. He has als...
Imitation Learning for Dynamic VFI Control in Large-Scale Manycore Systems

Manycore chips are widely employed in high-performance computing and large-scale data analysis. However, the design of high-performance manycore chips is dominated by power and thermal constraints. In this respect, voltage–frequency island (VFI) is a promising design paradigm to create scalable energy-efficient platforms. By dynamically tailoring the voltage and frequency of each island, we can further improve the energy savings within given performance constraints. Inspired by the recent success of imitation learning (IL) in many application domains and its significant advantages over reinforcement learning (RL), we propose the first architecture-independent IL-based methodology for dynamic VFI (DVFI) control in manycore systems. Due to its popularity in the EDA community, we consider an RL-based DVFI control methodology as a strong baseline. Our experimental results demonstrate that IL is able to obtain higher quality policies than RL (on average, 5% less energy with the same level of performance) with significantly less computation time and hardware area overheads (3.1X and 8.8X, respectively).
"Relational climate in the work place: Dimensions, measurement, and validation"

Relationships are the fundamental building block of organizations yet the field lacks a validated and comprehensive measure of the relational climate in organizations. In this paper, I develop a co...
Protecting Against Damage

Stability affects the engineering of practical magnets and power transmission lines. This chapter discusses the stability of high-temperature superconductors (HTSCs), which differs greatly from that of low-temperature superconductors (LTSCs) primarily because there is a difference of orders of magnitude between the specific heats of LTSCs at 4.2 K and those of HTSCs at 77 K. This difference has a direct bearing on both the thermal stability of superconducting electric systems and the design of conductors for them. Accordingly, this chapter begins with a discussion of specific heat. We then go on to show how this affects the three categories of stability: adiabatic, dynamic, and cryogenic stability. This presentation closely follows that of Martin Wilson’s book Superconducting Magnets. Finally, we describe some experimental data pertaining to the stability of HTSCs.
“There’s Plenty More Clunge in the Sea”: Boyhood Masculinities and Sexual Talk

This article sets out to analyze the dominant sexual discourses embedded and negotiated within the television sitcom The Inbetweeners. Sex is a highly visible element of the program, marking it as a prevailing feature of the life of the teenage boy, paradoxically natural yet problematic. The performances draw upon and reproduce governing discourses of sexuality and gender. Of the potential themes, three are considered here. First, sex is represented as ubiquitous within the boys’ narratives, an assumed attribute of (the transition to) the performance of successful adult masculinity. Second, individual (hetero) sexuality is policed through peer-led homophobic banter and humor. Third, girls are objectified by boys, demonstrating the role of gendered relations in the governance of femininity and the discursive sanctions, which define masculinity through objects of desire. This article reveals some of the sexual subjecthoods made available to young men through televised representation, and considers their position within the wider sexual landscapes of boyhood.
ICC-inspect: supporting runtime inspection of Android inter-component communications

We present ICC-INSPECT, a tool for understanding Android app behaviors exhibited at runtime via inter-component communication (ICC). Through lightweight Intent profiling, ICC-INSPECT streams run-time ICC information to a dynamic visualization framework which depicts interactive ICC call graphs along with informative ICC statistics. This framework allows users to examine the details of a specific fragment of execution in the context of the holistic ICC view of an app. Through its ability to concisely map in a visual format the complex ICC mechanisms of any Android app, ICC-INSPECT facilitates behavior understanding and debugging of Android programs. The open-source release, documentation, and a video demo of ICC-INSPECT are available here.
Right Ventricular Contractile Reserve is Impaired in Children and Adolescents with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot-an Exercise Strain Imaging Study

Background Pulmonary insufficiency (PI) and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction are long-term complications in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). The aim of this study was to investigate RV contractile reserve and changes in PI that occur during exercise in patients with rTOF and the associations of these changes with exercise performance using stress echocardiography. Methods Subjects with rTOF (n = 32) and healthy control subjects (n = 10) were prospectively enrolled and underwent rest and peak exercise echocardiography during standard cardiopulmonary exercise test protocol on a cycle ergometer or treadmill. RV contractile reserve was defined as the change in RV global longitudinal strain from rest to peak exercise. PI was assessed with the diastolic-to-systolic time-velocity integral ratio and diastolic/systolic velocity ratio from pulmonary artery Doppler interrogation. Exercise measures included heart rate reserve, percentage predicted maximum oxygen consumption, percentage predicted maximum work, and oxygen pulse. Results RV contractile reserve was impaired in patients with rTOF compared with control subjects, with a significant drop in the absolute value of RV global longitudinal strain from 17% (range, 8%–27%) at rest to 13% (range, 5%–28%) at peak exercise. Similarly, PI decreased at peak exercise, with decreases in diastolic-to-systolic time-velocity integral and diastolic/systolic velocity ratios. Reduction in PI was directly associated with percentage predicted maximum oxygen consumption, percentage predicted maximum work, and greater oxygen pulse. Heart rate reserve was directly associated with percentage predicted maximum oxygen consumption and percentage predicted maximum work. RV contractile reserve was not associated with any exercise parameters. Conclusions Patients with rTOF have an abnormal myocardial response to exercise with impaired RV contractile reserve compared with control subjects. Heart rate reserve and reduction in PI at peak exercise are associated with better exercise performance and appear to be significant contributors to exercise performance in rTOF. Measures to improve chronotropic health in rTOF should be explored.
Social Networks and Health Outcomes: Importance for Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Cardiovascular Outcomes

A large body of research has indicated social network characteristics are associated with health and mortality. Additional literature suggests the structure and function of social networks differ by race and socioeconomic status. The current paper seeks to synthesize and further contextualize these two separate bodies of work, as well as illustrate potential mechanisms by which social networks may contribute to current disparities in cardiovascular disease outcomes. An increasing number of studies have examined the link between social networks and cardiovascular outcomes. Social isolation and loneliness are two network-based sources of risk for coronary heart disease and stroke. Social resource theory provides a framework for how network structure and function may differ among distinct population groups, and argues for more research regarding differential access to social drivers of health. While previous studies have often focused on lack of support or resources within networks, recent studies have also pointed to potentially negative effects of networks, including burden, which provide additional pathways through which networks affect health. Other mechanisms linking social networks with cardiovascular disease risk, including social influence for behaviors associated with ideal cardiovascular health, are discussed. Examination of social network structure and function among diverse populations, including Black Americans and low socioeconomic status individuals, may elucidate potential sources of physiological and psychological distress, as well as sources of support, that are associated with cardiovascular disease outcomes. A richer understanding of these associations may offer solutions for alleviating systemic causes of cardiovascular disease disparities among high-risk populations.
Errors in Acute Musculoskeletal Imaging

Musculoskeletal disorders are a common presenting reason for emergency department patients. A wide range of musculoskeletal pathologies are commonly encountered by emergency physicians and related clinicians, and by radiologists, including traumatic, infectious, inflammatory, and tumor-related emergencies. This chapter will review common potential errors in trauma radiology, including frequently missed fractures, as well as conditions which are radiographically occult, for which the radiologist should recommend a complementary imaging examination to confirm or refute a diagnosis.
(241) Gabapentin Efficacy in Chronic and Vaso-Occlusive Crises-Induced Acute Sickle Cell Disease Pain

Pain is the leading cause of hospitalization for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Currently, opioids are the main therapy for both chronic “steady state” SCD pain and acute pain that results from vaso-occlusive crises. However, opioids are often ineffective at fully alleviating pain, are associated with unwanted side effects, and do not target the underlying pain mechanism. Thus, new pain therapies are desperately needed for those suffering from SCD pain. Recent quantitative sensory testing in patients and electrophysiological studies in mouse models have identified a neuropathic component of SCD pain; SCD patients and mice exhibit robust mechanical and cold hypersensitivity that is further exacerbated following a vaso-occlusive event. As a result, we tested the analgesic effects of gabapentin, one of the first line therapies for neuropathic pain, in male and female transgenic SCD mice. A single dose of gabapentin (30 mg/kg) alleviated steady state mechanical hypersensitivity in the hindpaw but had no effect on steady state cold hypersensitivity, deep muscle pain, or facial mechanical hypersensitivity. In a separate experiment, gabapentin was administered daily for 4 weeks to model neuropathic pain patient therapy. This chronic administration did not alleviate steady state mechanical hypersensitivity, cold hypersensitivity, or deep muscle pain in SCD mice. However, chronic gabapentin treatment did prevent hypoxia-induced exacerbation of mechanical hypersensitivity in SCD mice. Notably, a single dose of gabapentin administered shortly after hypoxia treatment alleviated ischemia-induced mechanical hypersensitivity to a greater extent than chronic gabapentin treatment. Finally, the effects of gabapentin on spontaneous pain-like behaviors and spontaneous neuronal activity were assessed using conditioned place preference and ex vivo skin nerve recordings respectively. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the drivers of acute vaso-occlusive crisis pain and chronic mechanical hypersensitivity may be caused by different factors, the former of which may be alleviated by gabapentin treatment.
“We Have to Empower Ourselves to Make Changes!”: Developing Collective Capacity for Transformative Change Through an Urban Student Voice Experience:

This research examines how a student voice experience—Social Justice Youth Summit—developed youth capacities as transformative school leaders. We engaged a youth development framework situated in s...
Functional MR Imaging

Abstract The scientific basis of functional imaging is the change in cerebral metabolism and cerebral blood flow associated with neurological function in the brain. Functional imaging is based on imaging the spatial and temporal sequence of the change in cerebral metabolism and blood flow linked to any functionally related neuronal activity in the brain. By such techniques, simple functions like visual, auditory, and somatosensory activations were imaged initially. Subsequently, highly complex functions like memory, recall, emotion, anger, and speech also have been imaged. This chapter discusses neuroimaging in detail.
The Case for the Z-Pinch Plasma Approach for Nuclear Fusion Propulsion

My project illustrates the differences in the computational design of Nuclear Fusion Propulsion (NFP) systems, and, as a result, argues the Z-Pinch plasma approach as potentially the most expeditious, economical, and safest design concepts. By comparing and contrasting other methods of fusion propulsion in my analysis, I concluded that the Z-Pinch approach has the potential to provide a solution to the arduous instability of fusion breakeven using a guiding set of parameters fitting for in-space propulsion, such as power-to-weight ratios, specific impulse, mass, etc. over similar fusion concept designs. Each concept design introduced in this project is examined using in-space fusion parameters, taking into account differences in computational methods. Thus, the paper illustrates the case for the Z-Pinch system as a necessary power source for interplanetary travel, beginning with the assumption of current technology, and moving into the necessary advancements in order to reach technical readiness level 9. As a consequence, using conclusions drawn about interplanetary travel throughout the solar system using the Z-Pinch plasma approach, expansions and further investigations would provide feasible evidence and reasoning for interstellar space travel in the near future.
NUTRIENT ACQUISITION AND UTILIZATION IN ARCTIC HERBIVORES

Processes of adaptation to cold in arctic herbivores are generally interpreted in relation to body size. Small mammals and birds must rely on adequate means of increasing thermogenesis to counter the effects of frequent exposure to temperatures below their thermo-neutral range. In large mammals, coat thickness results in a decrease in the lower critical temperature so that environmental temperature is rarely below the lower critical temperature. When body temperature is lower than environmental temperature larger mammals shiver. Nutrients and water are involved intimately in the mechanisms and control of thermogenesis. Further, nutritents are involved in structural components and hence morphological and insulative adaptations to cold. For example, many macronutrients are involved in shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis through their involvement in energy stores, as messengers, in pumps, in specific chemiosmotic energy transfers, and as cofactors and modulators of enzyme reaction. Most nutrients involved in cold thermogenesis are recycled as AMP, ATP, ADP, and ITPase regenerated (the irreversible phosphate loss is presumably small). Classical laboratory studies indicate food intake is determined by the nutritive value of the food. As nutritive value increases, food intake is regulated so that intake of the most important dietary component, generally energy, remains constant. Small birds and mammals generally employ different strategies of nutrient acquisition and conservation than larger mammals.
Utility of the Modified Frailty Index to Predict Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Outcomes and Response.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the utility of the modified frailty index (mFI) to predict outcomes in patients who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantation. A retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing CRT implantation or upgrade over a 5-year period was performed. The relation between the preprocedural 11-component mFI and clinical outcomes including 1-year mortality, periprocedural and 30-day adverse events, 30-day readmission, length of hospitalization after procedure, and response to CRT defined by changes in left ventricular ejection fraction and end-diastolic volume were studied. Of 283 patients studied, 134 (47.3%) were classified as frail (mFI ≥3). Frailty was associated with an increased risk of 1-year mortality (hazard ratio 5.87, p = 0.033 in multivariate analysis), and increased frequency of adverse events (p = 0.013), 30-day readmission (p = 0.0077), and postprocedural length of stay ≥3 days (p = 0.0005). Frail patients had significantly less echocardiographic response to CRT compared with nonfrail patients with change in left ventricular ejection fraction 6% versus 12% (p = 0.004) and change in left ventricular end-diastolic volume −19.9 versus −43.3 ml (p = 0.006). In conclusion, frailty as assessed by the mFI is associated with an increase in 1-year mortality, adverse events, 30-day readmission, length of stay, and poorer response to CRT after implantation.
Design and Implementation of a Real-Time Energy Monitoring and Reporting System

Real-time energy monitoring is a way of monitoring energy consumption and quality of power within a building or a network of buildings. It provides a more efficient approach to using energy by making informed decisions based on data that has been collected in the past and using it to predict future trends. In this project, we have developed a Real-Time Energy Monitoring and Reporting Tool for the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering building of the University of West Florida (UWF). This project is a culmination of work done by two Capstone Project teams, with one team working on the hardware configuration of the project for recording the data in a database and the other working on the software interface for viewing, monitoring and reporting the data. This project allows the University to track energy consumption and power quality in real time, review historical data, and find patterns that can be used to regulate energy usage and power quality. The visualization and reporting software has been written in Python, has a MYSQL database, and is used in conjunction with a separately developed hardware interface. The software is embedded in a hardware interface that uses IoT connected sensors to measure data from UWF Buildings. Data such as voltage, current, power, frequency, etc. is collected from the sensors and stored in a database. The software developed in this project is used to interpret the data and display it in user defined graphical and tabular outputs. The developed energy-monitoring and reporting software has been installed in the central data center located in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Construction of an Economic Model for Prospective Forest Products Manufacturing Facilities

In recent years, the capital investment amounts flowing into the forest products industry in the southeastern United States have been unequal from state to state. Reasons for this have been informally hypothesized, but the topic has not been researched in depth. An economic model was tested that will aid relevant stakeholders in addressing this problem. The model utilizes a combination of county-level and state-level data related to lumber manufacturing and a linear programming solver to produce estimates of variable costs for a mill built in any Southeastern county. The variable costs considered by the program include raw materials, labor, electricity, and transportation costs (which are paid by the customer). Future versions of the model will consider non-financial metrics such as timber supply, socioeconomic statistics, and competition for timber-consuming facilities. This model could be exceptionally useful to those involved in industry recruitment efforts, as it provides them with an objective method for evaluating counties in both their state and competing states.
Modelling R Coronae Borealis stars: effects of He-burning shell temperature and metallicity

The R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars are extremely hydrogen-deficient carbon stars which produce large amounts of dust, causing sudden deep declines in brightness. They are believed to be formed primarily through white dwarf mergers. In this paper, we use MESA to investigate how post-merger objects with a range of initial He-burning shell temperatures from 2.1 - 5.4 *10^8 K with solar and subsolar metallicities evolve into RCB stars. The most successful model of these has subsolar metallicity and an initial temperature near 3 *10^8 K. We find a strong dependence on initial He-burning shell temperature for surface abundances of elements involved in the CNO cycle, as well as differences in effective temperature and radius of RCBs. Elements involved in nucleosynthesis present around 1 dex diminished surface abundances in the 10% solar metallicity models, with the exception of carbon and lithium which are discussed in detail. Models with subsolar metallicities also exhibit longer lifetimes than their solar counterparts. Additionally, we find that convective mixing of the burned material occurs only in the first few years of post-merger evolution, after which the surface abundances are constant during and after the RCB phase, providing evidence for why these stars show a strong enhancement of partial He-burning products.
P124 Use of HEI-2015 to Evaluate Dietary Quality of Pregnant Women Participating in the WIC Program

Background Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a useful tool that can be used to assess dietary quality via adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate diet quality of pregnant women participating in the WIC program and to examine possible associations with demographic variables, nutrition knowledge, and key health indicators. Study Design, Setting, Participants A cross-sectional study using survey methodology was conducted. Sixty pregnant women between 12 and 24 weeks of gestation and carrying a single fetus were recruited from the WIC program at a community health center. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Dietary intake was evaluated using two 3-day food records, the first set completed at baseline and the second at follow-up, around 28 weeks of gestation. Food records were analyzed and scored based on HEI-2015. An HEI score above 80 was considered adequate, between 60 and 79.99 average, and below 60 low. Participants’ demographic data and key health indicators, including height and pre-pregnancy weight, were recorded. Nutrition knowledge was assessed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. Results The mean HEI score of the sample was 59.1 at baseline, and 56.8 at follow-up. There was a significant difference in the distribution of participants’ HEI scores among the 3 HEI categories at both baseline and follow-up (P Conclusions The suboptimal status of the diet of study participants warrants the need for additional dietary counseling for WIC-enrolled pregnant women.
What do internal medicine residents know about rheumatology? A needs assessment for curriculum design.

We sought to determine if analyzing internal medicine (IM) resident performance on the in-training exam (ITE) might reveal curricular needs in rheumatology education beyond those intuitive to learners and educators from their perceptions and experience. We analyzed ITE scores of post-graduate year (PGY) 2 IM residents at our institution from 2010 to 2017. We sorted rheumatology-related educational objectives on the ITEs into 10 disease categories and calculated average scores. We then surveyed our IM residents’ self-reported confidence and rheumatology educators’ perceptions of IM resident proficiency in the 10 categories on a 10-point Likert scale. Finally, we tallied diagnoses in each category encountered by IM residents in rheumatology clinic. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for the relationship between these data. The ITEs exposed 402 residents to 63 rheumatology-related educational objectives in the 10 categories; 24 objectives were categorized as “other.” Survey respondents included 38 residents and 22 educators. There was no correlation between ITE scores in the 10 categories and resident confidence (r = − 0.226, p = 0.530), educator perception (r = − 0.274, p = 0.445), or diagnoses encountered (r = − 0.310, p = 0.383). There was a strong positive correlation between resident confidence and educator perception (r = 0.934, p < 0.001). ITE performance was low in crystalline arthritis and osteoarthritis despite high resident confidence, educator perception, and number of diagnoses seen. Our analysis of IM resident ITE performance identified curricular gaps not apparent in surveys of learner and educator perceptions or an assessment of learner experience.
Influence of Different Storage Methods on Taste Value of Northern Quality Rice Varieties

[Objective]To ensure taste of rice and study influence of different storage methods on taste value of northern quality rice varieties. [Methods]Three quality rice varieties in Liaoning Province were selected,treated by different storage methods for 11 months,and the taste was tested with SATAKE taste testing device imported from Japan. [Results]There were significant differences in the taste between 3 rice varieties. For taste value,Yueguang was 65-85,Yanjing No. 48 was 61-80,and Liaoxing No. 1 was 50-69. Liaoxing No. 1 had higher variation coefficient from cold storage of polished rice than from vacuum cold storage. For other storage methods,the fluctuation of taste value was cold storage rice cold storage vacuum rice cold storage polished rice ordinary polished rice ordinary vacuum rice. In other words,the taste value of rice had slight fluctuation at lower storage temperature and in the rice form. [Conclusion]This study is expected to provide certain reference for proper storage of rice.
Whole-Body Imaging to Assess Cell-Based Immunotherapy: Preclinical Studies with an Update on Clinical Translation

In the past decades, immunotherapies against cancers made impressive progress. Immunotherapy includes a broad range of interventions that can be separated into two major groups: cell-based immunotherapies, such as adoptive T cell therapies and stem cell therapies, and immunomodulatory molecular therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors and cytokine therapies. Genetic engineering techniques that transduce T cells with a cancer-antigen-specific T cell receptor or chimeric antigen receptor have expanded to other cell types, and further modulation of the cells to enhance cancer targeting properties has been explored. Because cell-based immunotherapies rely on cells migrating to target organs or tissues, there is a growing interest in imaging technologies that non-invasively monitor transferred cells in vivo. Here, we review whole-body imaging methods to assess cell-based immunotherapy using a variety of examples. Following a review of preclinically used cell tracking technologies, we consider the status of their clinical translation.
Modernism and the Reinvention of Decadence

In this major new book, Vincent Sherry reveals a fresh continuity in literary history. He traces the idea of decadence back to key events from the failures of the French Revolution to the cataclysm of the Great War. This powerful work of literary criticism and literary history encompasses a rich trajectory that begins with an exposition of the English Romantic poets and ends with a re-evaluation of modernists as varied as W. B. Yeats, Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Rebecca West, Djuna Barnes, Samuel Beckett and, centrally, Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot. Sherry's hugely ambitious study will be essential reading for anyone working in modernist studies and twentieth-century literature more generally.
Modules in Prevention: A Flexible Approach to Training

Addictions Prevention Laboratory (APL) is the lead agency for development, evaluation and dissemination of substance abuse prevention programs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A centralized organization, APL traditionally offered prevention courses and workshops through a Regional Center delivery system.
Chapter 14 Rhabdoviridae

Publisher Summary Members of the rhabdovirus family are known to infect a wide variety of plant and animal species. Rhabdoviruses are ordinarily recognized by their unique bullet shape. Animal rhabdoviruses are separated based on serological relationships into two genera, Vesiculovirus and Lyssavirus. As the structure of all rhabdoviruses is thought to be fundamentally the same, this chapter focuses on the structure of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), the most thoroughly studied rhabdovirus. The chapter discusses the physical and chemical properties of VSV. The nucleocapsid can be considered the basic structural component of the VS virion. It is arranged as a helix of approximately 35 turns that together form the overall domed cylinder shape. The virus envelope consists of lipids and G protein. Together, these two components account for approximately 49% of the total VSV mass. VSV defective interfering (DI) particles have the same overall structure as the standard virus except that they are shorter.
Human Rights for Women:: International Compliance with a Feminist Standard

Through the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), Europe is prepared to welcome members into a world order based on a conventional standard of human rights. Suppose the builders of the new order used a woman-centered, rather than a man-centered, standard of human rights as the litmus test for membership. Suppose that, instead of a Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, nations formed a conference on Female Security and Male Cooperation in Europe (CFSMCE). Suppose that the European-led New World Order began with a cooperative effort by the feminist states to lead the patriarchal states toward a reclamation and reconstruction of their laws and practices to meet the feminist standard of human rights for women. This paper is based on just such suppositions. It applies a feminist standard of human rights for women to members of the CSCE (as of 1989) to identify the feminist states that could form the core of the feminist New World Order as well as those still in the grip of patria...
Overview of the Finite Element Method in Groundwater Hydrology

Since its introduction into the groundwater literature during the mid 1960’s, the finite element method has developed into a very powerful numerical tool for analyzing a variety of groundwater flow problems. Applications of the method cover flow in multi-aquifer systems, flow with a free surface, saturated-unsaturated flow, land subsidence, fractured-porous systems, and large groundwater basins under steady or nonsteady conditions. The method derives its power from the fact that it uses a very general technique for the evaluation of spatial gradients in any direction at any point within the flow domain. This advantage is complemented in the method by an integral statement of the conservation equation at the point of interest. The algorithms stemming from this approach permit relatively simple geometric inputs, even when the problem of interest has complex geometries. From a conceptual perspective there is reason to suspect that alternate formulations of the finite element method may be possible in which the weighted integration technique is dispensed with in favor of an explicit definition of the subdomains of integration. The flexibility of existing finite element algorithms may be enhanced by having options for inputting preprocessed geometric inputs in addition to nodal point coordinates and element lists. Direct formulation of the finite element equations from conservation integrals may provide an alternative that deserves attention. With the advent of mini computers, the finite element method promises to become an every day tool for the practising engineer during the 1980’s.
Introduction: Special Issue on Spirituality and Adult Development, Part II

This article describes the purpose of the 3-part Special Issue on Spirituality and Adult Development, and the contents of Part I. Developing individuals express their belief that spirituality plays a key role in their development, yet developmental psychologists have given comparatively little attention to this factor. The concept of spirituality is seldom considered separately from that of religion. The purpose of this Special Issue is to begin to remedy this neglect. This introduction is a summary of the 6 empirical and theoretical articles that form Part I.
Cutin, cutinase and esterase as related to the induced systemic resistance of cucumber against Colletotrichum lagenarium.

Abstract Cucumber leaf cutin was isolated from leaves 2 and 3 of unimmunized (control) plants and plants systemically immunized by infiltrating leaf 1 with conidia of Colletotrichum lagenarium . The cutins were used as sole carbon sources in a liquid medium, and their effects on the growth and production of cutinase and esterase by C. lagenarium were compared. C. lagenarium grew better on the medium containing cutin isolated from leaves of control plants than on the medium containing cutin from leaves of immunized plants. The differences in fungal growth were statistically significant 9, 12 and 15 days after inoculation of the media. Statistically, significant differences were not apparent in fungal esterase and cutinase activities in media containing the cutins. The activity of esterase produced by C. lagenarium on control and systemically-immunized cucumber leaves was also studied. Esterase activity increased sooner in water droplets containing conidia of C. lagenarium retrieved from leaves of control plants as compared with those from leaves of immunized plants. Our data suggest that cutin from immunized leaves may be hydrolysed with greater difficulty by the fungus and cutin and/or other leaf surface components in immunized leaves may inhibit activity or reduce production of fungal esterase.
Slow control system for the STAR experiment

The STAR (solenoidal tracker At RHIC) experiment located at Brookhaven National Laboratory has been studying relativistic heavy ion collisions since it began operation in the summer of 2000. An EPICS-based hardware controls system monitors the detector's 40,000 operating parameters. The system uses VME processors and PC's to communicate with sub-system based sensors over a variety of field busses. The system also includes interfaces to accelerator and magnet control systems, an archiver with CGI web-based interface and C++-based communication between STAR online system, run control and hardware controls and their associated databases. An upgrade project underway. This involves the migration of 60% of the I/O control from the aging VME processors to PC's. The host system has been transferred from Sun OS to Scientific Linux and some VME boards were replaced with soft IOC applications. The experience gained with the current setup will be discussed, upgrade plans and progress will be outlined.
Baroreflex responses to acute changes in blood volume in humans

To test the hypothesis that acute changes in plasma volume affect the stimulus-response relations of high- and low-pressure baroreflexes, eight men (27-44 yr old) underwent measurements for carotid-cardiac and cardiopulmonary baroreflex responses under the following three volemic conditions: hypovolemic, normovolemic, and hypervolemic. The stimulus-response relation of the carotid-cardiac response curve was generated using a neck cuff device, which delivered pressure changes between +40 and -65 mmHg in continuous steps of 15 mmHg. The stimulus-response relationships of the cardiopulmonary baroreflex were studied by measurements of forearm vascular resistance (FVR) and peripheral venous pressure (PVP) during low levels of lower body negative pressure (0 to -20 mmHg). Altered vascular volume had no effect on response relations of the carotid-cardiac baroreflex but did alter the gain of the cardiopulmonary baroreflex (-7.93 +/- 1.73, -4.36 +/- 1.38, and -2.56 +/- 1.59 peripheral resistance units/mmHg for hypovolemic, normovolemic, and hypervolemic, respectively) independent of shifts in baseline FVR and PVP. These results indicate greater demand for vasoconstriction for equal reductions in venous pressure during progressive hypovolemia; this condition may compromise the capacity to provide adequate peripheral resistance during severe orthostatic stress. Fluid loading before reentry after spaceflight may act to restore vasoconstrictive capacity of the cardiopulmonary baroreflex but may not be an effective countermeasure against potential post-flight impairment of the carotid-cardiac baroreflex.
Metrizamide: a review with emphasis on drug interactions

The pharmacology, side effects, and possible drug interactions of metrizamide, a water-solulbe contrast medium for myelography, are reviewed. Metrizamide concentration in the brain reaches maximal levels two to six hour after lumbar injection, depending on dose and patient positioning, and is largely (55-96%) excreted from the body after 24 hours. Its lower neurotoxicity, compared with other water-soluble contrast agents, can be attributed in part to its undissociated, non-ionic nature. Common side effects, which include headache, nausea, and vomiting, occur to the same degree as with other myelographic contrast media. Reported data suggest that convulsions, which have occurred in a very small percentage of patients, are related to the amount of contrast medium reaching the brain which, in turn, is largely a factor of dose and examination technique. Although the risk of seizures is small, it is recommended that drugs that lower the seizure threshold (phenothiazine derivatives, butyrophenones, tricyclic antidepressants, and MAO-inhibitors) should be avoided 48 hours before metrizamide administration (if possible), should not be used to control nausea, and should not be resumed for 24 to 48 hours after the myelographic procedure. The value of premedication (e.g., with diazepam) to prevent seizures has not been established and is not recommended.
The biopsychology of mood and arousal

Introduction Modern perspectives on mood Arousal: A basic element of mood and behaviour Daily rhythms of subjective energy and other biopsychological cycles Determinants of energetic and tense arousal, including cognitive-mood interactions The natural interaction of energetic and tense moods: A multidimensional arousal model Issues relating to formal and informal research on mood Toward an understanding of nonpathological mood states: Evidence, speculations, and applications Appendices References.
Exact geometrical optics scattering by an isorefractive wedge structure

Summary form only given. Some exact solutions to plane wave scattering by penetrable wedge structures with a common edge have been obtained previously by geometrical optics, utilizing either refraction at the Brewster angle or a combination of Brewster angle refraction and lateral waves between isorefractive materials. All structures thus examined consist of four wedge regions, and the solutions obtained are valid for a specific direction of incidence and a specific polarization. A new structure is examined, consisting of four right-angled regions with a common edge. The media in the four regions are isorefractive to one another, i.e. the product of electric permittivity and magnetic permeability has the same value in all four regions, so that refractive index and phase velocity are the same everywhere, while the intrinsic impedances of the four regions are different from one another. Under the restriction that the product of intrinsic impedances of two opposite wedge regions (i.e. regions with no interface in common) be the same for the two coupler of opposite wedge regions, it can be proven that under plane wave incidence, geometrical optics provides the exact solution to the boundary value problem, and the edge does not scatter. The electromagnetic field in each of the four wedge regions is the superposition of one or two plane waves. This solution is valid for an arbitrary direction of incidence and for an arbitrary polarization of the primary plane wave.
Effects of the ground plane size on radiation pattern of reconfigurable slot-ring antennas

In general, the radiation pattern of an antenna array can be predicted by the array factor and the radiation pattern of the array element. However, the radiation pattern of a reconfigurable slot-ring antenna varies with ground plane size. To explore the reconfigurable slot-ring antenna array performance, the effects of the ground plane size on radiation pattern of the reconfigurable slot-ring antenna is studied herein. Since the geometries of the reconfigurable slot-ring antenna working at different frequency bands are similar, a single slotring antenna with different ground plane sizes at 6.27 GHz is studied. The number of ripples in the radiation pattern increases as the size of the ground plane increases, which are due to the edge diffraction. Both a slot-ring antenna unit cell with periodic boundary conditions and a 5×5 slot-ring antenna array are simulated in HFSS. The radiation pattern of the unit cell multiplying with the array factor agrees very well with that of the 5×5 array. It can be concluded that the radiation pattern distortion caused by the edge diffraction will not exist in array applications.
EPM Modeling of a Field-Scale Tritium Tracer Experiment in Fractured, Weathered Shale

A 2D equivalent porous media (EPM) model was used to simulate transport of tritium for a field-scale tracer experiment in a fractured and highly weathered shale saprolite. The tritium plume was characterized by rapid migration of the leading edge of the plume (up to 0.4 m/day), slower movement of the center of mass of the tritium pulse (0.009 m/day) and very slow decline of concentrations in the “tail” of the breakthrough curve (which has persisted at the site for at least 16 years). The EPM model successfully described the shape of the plume and the breakthrough curves for a monitoring well 3.7 m downgradient of the injection well using a flow velocity of 0.01 m/day and longitudinal and transverse dispersivity values of 0.8 m. An unusually low ratio of longitudinal and transverse dispersivity (αL/αT= 1) was needed to fit the nearly circular shape of the plume, which is believed to be caused by the water-table slope being perpendicular to the orientation of the prominent bedding plane fractures (which are expected to correspond to Kmax). Simulated values for concentrations in the long “tail” of the breakthrough curve observed in a downgradient well were especially sensitive to the value of longitudinal dispersivity used. The best-fit simulation, based on data over a 5 year period, was extrapolated to the most recent data point (16 years after the start of the injection) and the simulated concentration was very close to the measured value. Model predictions made with a slightly different value of longitudinal dispersivity resulted in very large errors at late time, indicating that duration of monitoring data (which strongly influences the fitting of longitudinal dispersivity) is a critical factor in accurate prediction. The experiment and simulations show that contaminant plumes can persist for long periods of time in fractured porous materials, presumably due to diffusive exchange between the rapidly moving water in the fractures and the relatively immobile pore water in the fine-grained matrix.
Solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatographic quantitation of the antiarrhythmic drug L-768673 in a microemulsion formulation

Abstract A sensitive and specific method based on solid-phase extraction and reverse-phase liquid chromatography was developed and validated for the quantitation of L-768 673 in a microemulsion formulation. Following a water wash, the drug was eluted from the extraction column with acetonitrile and was analyzed on a reverse-phase C18 column with UV detection at 245 nm. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile–0.2% trifluoroacetic acid, 0.1% triethylamine (53:47 v/v). The retention time of L-768 673 was approximately 28 min with a flow rate of 1.5 ml min −1 .
Akt2: A Critical Regulator of Cardiomyocyte Survival and Metabolism

Akt proteins are serine/threonine protein kinases that participate in several important intracellular signal transduction cascades. Akt1 and Akt2 are expressed in cardiomyocytes, and both are activated by the action of a variety of growth factors and extracellular ligands. In work with genetically modified mice that had targeted disruption of the genes encoding Akt1 or Akt2, findings showed that Akt1 specifically regulated the physiologic growth of cardiomyocytes that occurred in response to exercise training. In contrast, Akt2 does not regulate physiologic growth but instead regulates glucose metabolism in response to insulin stimulation in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, Akt2 plays a critical role in antagonizing cardiomyocyte apoptosis that occurs in response to a variety of stimuli, including pathologic remodeling after experimental myocardial infarction. In addition, the protein tribbles 3 (TRB3), an Akt antagonist, was found to be expressed in cardiomyocytes and to be induced by stimuli that cause endoplasmic reticulum stress. Endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated antagonism of Akt signaling in cardiomyocytes was dependent on TRB3 induction. Finally, myocardial infarction caused endoplasmic reticulum stress in the infarct border zone that was associated with TRB3 induction. These results demonstrate the differential roles of Akt family members and the importance of Akt2 in cardiomyocyte survival.