cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of an intrauterine contraceptive device on the weight of the rat uterus.

It has been demonstrated that the presence of an IUD in the rat uterus is accompanied by an increase in the wet and dry weights of that uterus. A study was undertaken to establish some of the quantitative aspects of the weight increase and to test the ability of hydrocortisone to diminsh it. Female rats having an IUD in 1 uterine horn showed an increase in both the wet and dry weights of that horn in comparison with those of the control horn. In a group of 10 female rats the average wet weight increased by 74.6% and the average dry weight by 71.4%. When a similar group of animals was treated with hydrocortisone 3 independent indicators of hydrocortisone activity showed that the hormone treatment was effective. In contrast the magnitude of the weight increase caused by the device was unaffected being 108 mg in treated animals compared with 113 mg in control animals. It is concluded that the increase in weight which follows the insertion of an IUD into the rat uterus is not due to an inflammatory reaction but is apparently due to uniform growth of the uterus.
Changing Attitudes Toward Older Adults Through a Simulated Aging Exercise: Implications for Family Therapy

Past research suggests that many young people hold negative attitudes toward the elderly. Simulated aging is one method to reduce aging that had been successfully applied with those individuals working in the helping professions. However, it has not yet been applied to ordinary young adults. The current study examined whether a simulated aging activity would cause more positive attitudes toward the aged, an increased desire to help, and higher satisfaction with life. Seventy-eight college students participated; half were randomly assigned to complete three tasks with sensory deficits designed to simulate aging (i.e., wearing non-magnified glasses covered with petroleum jelly, wearing foam earplugs, and wearing cloth gloves), and half served as the control. Three questionnaires were completed that measured attitudes toward older adults, prosocial desires, and satisfaction with life. Results showed that young adults who experienced simulated aging had more favorable attitudes toward older adults than did in...
Effect of visual and tactile feedback on kinematic synergies in the grasping hand

The human hand uses a combination of feedforward and feedback mechanisms to accomplish high degree of freedom in grasp control efficiently. In this study, we used a synergy-based control model to determine the effect of sensory feedback on kinematic synergies in the grasping hand. Ten subjects performed two types of grasps: one that included feedback (real) and one without feedback (memory-guided), at two different speeds (rapid and natural). Kinematic synergies were extracted from rapid real and rapid memory-guided grasps using principal component analysis. Synergies extracted from memory-guided grasps revealed greater preservation of natural inter-finger relationships than those found in corresponding synergies extracted from real grasps. Reconstruction of natural real and natural memory-guided grasps was used to test performance and generalizability of synergies. A temporal analysis of reconstruction patterns revealed the differing contribution of individual synergies in real grasps versus memory-guided grasps. Finally, the results showed that memory-guided synergies could not reconstruct real grasps as accurately as real synergies could reconstruct memory-guided grasps. These results demonstrate how visual and tactile feedback affects a closed-loop synergy-based motor control system.
Success of Commercial Building Retuning in Federal Buildings: Results and Case Studies

AbstractRetuning is a form of scaled-down retrocomissioning for commercial buildings that targets low- and no-cost control changes to building automation systems (BASs) to achieve immediate energy savings. A retrospective analysis of retuning for a set of 26 federal office buildings and courthouses is presented, detailing the retuning process that was employed, the types of retuning measures that were commonly implemented, the most effective of those measures, and the energy and cost savings achieved as a result of the process. The buildings that participated in these retuning efforts were benchmarked as having, on average, very efficient baselines. However, these buildings achieved, on average, 12.1% annual energy savings as a result of the retuning efforts, with an associated cost savings of $1.62/year per square meter ($0.151/year per ft2) of floor space. Several key factors that are observed to promote successful retuning outcomes are discussed as well.
Designing J- and H-Aggregates through Wave Function Overlap Engineering: Applications to Poly(3-hexylthiophene)

A novel mechanism for J- and H-aggregate formation is presented on the basis of wave function overlap (WFO) coupling between neighboring chromophores which supplements the usual through-space (Coulombic) coupling. In cases where the latter is relatively small compared to the former, as might arise for excitons based on molecular transitions with low oscillator strengths, J- vs H-aggregation is determined by the sign of the product D(e)D(h), where D(e) (D(h)) is the coupling between a neutral Frenkel exciton and the charge transfer exciton created through the transfer of an electron (hole) to a neighboring chromophore. Adapting a sign convention based on translational symmetry in a linear array of chromophores, a positive (negative) sign for D(e)D(h) places the bright exciton on the bottom (top) of the exciton band, consistent with J- (H-) aggregation. The J- (H-) aggregates so formed behave as direct (indirect) bandgap semiconductors with vibronic signatures in absorption and photoluminescence that are identical to those displayed by conventional Coulomb coupled aggregates. WFO coupling leading to the mixing of intrachain Frenkel excitons and polaron pairs may be important in conjugated polymer aggregates where the Coulomb coupling practically vanishes with the (conjugation) length of the polymer. Calculations based on octathiophene (8T) dimers show that the eclipsed geometry yields a WFO coupling favoring H-aggregate behavior, although a longitudinal (long-axis) displacement by only 1.5 A is enough to change the sign of the coupling, leading to J-aggregate behavior. Hence, it should be possible to design thiophene-based polymers which act as J-aggregates with respect to the interchain coupling.
Comparative Inhibition of Pyridoxal Kinase and Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase by Carbonyl Reagents.

Summary1. Carbonyl reagents such as hydrazine, hydroxylamine and isoniazid inhibit purified preparations of pyridoxal kinase and of glutamic decarboxylase from beef brain, but the kinase is 100 to 1000 times more sensitive. 2. Administration of hydrazine to rats decreases activity of these 2 enzymes in liver and brain; kinase levels are affected more severely. 3. In contrast to their effects in vitro, isoniazid, hydroxylamine, or pyridoxal oxime produced no significant inhibition of kinase or decarboxylase activity in vivo. Pyridoxal oxime appears rapidly catabolized in vivo since its injection results in extensive excretion of 4-pyridoxic acid and its lactone. Unlike free hydroxylamine, injection of pyridoxal oxime does not produce convulsions or extensive methemoglobin formation. 4. Similar administration of pyridoxal azine resulted in rapid and extensive decrease of pyridoxal kinase levels in liver, kidney, and brain. No effects on glutamic acid decarboxylase in brain were observed. 5. These observatio...
Origin of the charge gap in LaMnPO

We present high temperature inelastic neutron scattering and magnetic susceptibility measurements of the antiferromagnetic insulator LaMnPO that are consistent with the presence of two-dimensional magnetic correlations up to a temperature ${T}_{\text{max}}\ensuremath{\approx}700\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\text{K}\ensuremath{\gg}{T}_{N}=375$ K, the N\'eel temperature. Optical transmission measurements show the $T=300$ K direct charge gap $\ensuremath{\Delta}=1$ eV has decreased only marginally by 500 K and suggest it decreases by only 10% at ${T}_{\text{max}}$. Density functional theory and dynamical mean-field theory calculations reproduce a direct charge gap in paramagnetic LaMnPO only when a strong Hund's coupling ${J}_{H}=0.9$ eV is included, as well as on-site Hubbard $U=8$ eV. Our results show that LaMnPO is a Mott-Hund's insulator, in which the charge gap is rather insensitive to antiferromagnetic exchange coupling.
Reflections on trust and trust research: then and now

ABSTRACTIn this essay, Dale Zand, a pioneer in the origin of trust research, recalls perceptions of trust decades ago, reviews memorable encounters that shaped his interest in trust, and explores the influence of trust on his subsequent work. He comments on several aspects of current views of trust and poses probing questions on trust research now and in the future.
Analysis of peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations in children with severe and critical hand,foot and mouse disease

Objective To investigate the variation of peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations and immune function in severe hand,foot and mouse disease(HFMD)children.Methods Severe HFMD children hospitalized from May to December 2008 were enrolled into the study.Relative counts of CD3+CD19-,CD3+CD4+,CD3+CD8+,CD3-CD19+ and CD3-CD16+CD56+ of recruited children were detected on the day of admission or the next day.Peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations of critical HFMD children were detected again on the second day after receiving the treatment of IVIG and methylprednisolone.The differences of lymphocyte subpopulations before and after treatment and the severity of the disease were analyzed.Results One hundred and forty-five severe and critical HFMD children were enrolled.Among 24 cases aged from 2 d to younger than 12 months,17 were boys,with 13 being severe HFMD and 4 being critical HFMD.Among 7 girl cases,4 were severe HFMD and 3 were critical HFMD.One hundred and eighteen cases were younger than 6 years of age,of them 71 were boys including 32 severe HFMD cases and 39 critical HFMD cases,47 were girls including 25 severe HFMD cases and 22 critical HFMD cases.①The percentages of NK cells in 2 d-12 month group showed an increasing trend and the percentages of B cells in-6 years group also showed an increasing trend.②The percentages of B cells in severe HFMD group showed an decreasing trend,but the percentages of NK cells showed significantly increasing trend which were two times higher than normal.The percentages of T cells and NK cells in critical HFMD group all showed an decreasing trend and the percentages of B cells showed a significantly increasing trend which were two times higher than normal.The comparison between two groups showed the percentages of T cells and NK cells in critical HFMD group were significantly lower than those in severe HFMD group(P0.05).The percentages of B cells in critical HFMD group were significantly higher than those in severe HFMD group(P0.05),which were close to normal.③The percentages of T cells and NK cells in critical HFMD group increased significantly after treatment.(P0.05).The percentages of B cells in critical HFMD group after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment(P0.05).Conclusions The increased B cells may serve as an indicator of a critical HFMD.Use of IVIG and methylprednisolone is helpful to the recovery of immune function of critical HFMD children.
How is the National Past Imagined? National Sentimentality, True Feeling and the “Heritage Film”, 1980–1995

This essay concerns the so-called “heritage” films associated initially with the signature of James Ivory, Ismael Merchant and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, which grew by the early 1990s into a distinct genre of recent British cinema.1 These films affirm a strong image of Britishness through the telling of romantic stories which allegorize the wish for the wholeness of the nation. They trade on the taken-for-grantedness of a certain set of traditions, including a definite characterological heritage, a deep reservoir of cultural citation and a visual repertoire of landscape, architecture, gardens, furnishings, clothing and bodily comportment. Drawing on a dense archive of representations and cognate historical assumptions, they offer easy incitements to nostalgia in the image of an unconflicted national past. The construction of the latter, for international as well as home consumption, with all the visual pleasures of fine acting, literate screenplays and beautiful production values, laden with associated iconicities of period and landscape, promises a safe place of national identification, where the present’s difficulties can be sublimated, a place where Englishness can imagine itself whole.2
Thrombotic Risk of Contraceptives and Other Hormonal Therapies

Abstract The link between oral contraceptive usage and thromboembolic disorders has been observed since the 1960s. Although the risks are clearly a function of the specific hormonal agent being studied, relative risks overall are present, yet, in general, the absolute risk is small; however, given the enormity of the population at risk, not negligible. Hormonal replacement therapy represents risk that is heightened by age, smoking, obesity, and history of prior thromboembolism. Inherited thrombophilia plays a substantially lesser role. These and other matters are reviewed and discussed.
Violence against Women Act

The Violence against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA; P.L. 103–322) was the first comprehensive response to the pervasive crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. This entry focuses on providing a more extensive overview of the initial Violence against Women Act of 1994, and, in addition, the Violence against Women Act Reauthorizations of 2000, 2005, and 2013. The ways in which VAWA impacted the legal/criminal system's response to violence against women, society's awareness of violence against women, and services available to victims of crime are discussed. Keywords: aggression; criminal justice; family law; gender; human rights; sociology of sex and gender; violence; women
On the Worst-Case Identification of Slowly-Varying Systems

Abstract In this paper we investigate the fundamental limits of the identification of linear time-varying systems in the presence of noise. We consider this problem for the case where the uncertain system is known a priori to belong to a set of linear time-varying systems that have a uniform bound on their length of memory, and a uniform bound on their rate-of-variation. The identification criterion we treat is worst-case with respect to both noise and system modelling uncertainty. We determine bounds on the optimal (minimum) worst-case identification error that can be achieved asymptotically regardless of the identification algorithm employed. These bounds demonstrate how the interplay between noise and time-variation fundamentally limits the accuracy of identification.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Cutaneous Scarring

Significance: The proangiogenic mediator vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in cutaneous wound repair. Most of the work on VEGF and wound healing has focused on its role in mediating angiogenesis and how this affects wound closure rates. Less is known about how VEGF affects other phases of wound healing, including scar formation. Recent Advances: Over the last 10 years, mounting evidence suggests that VEGF plays an important role in regulating scar tissue production. Multiple studies have linked high VEGF levels with scar formation in normal, hypertrophic, and keloid scars. In addition, there is experimental evidence that VEGF inhibition can reduce scar tissue deposition. Critical Issues: While there is evidence that VEGF can promote scar formation in the skin, there are several unanswered questions that remain. First, the mechanisms by which VEGF promotes scar formation have not been completely characterized. While both indirect and direct mechanisms could be involved, clear evidence for a specific mechanism is lacking. In addition, despite the availability of anti-VEGF drugs, the potential value in targeting VEGF to attenuate scar formation clinically is not yet known. Future Directions: While there are a significant number of studies examining the effects of VEGF on angiogenesis and wound closure, much less attention has been paid to the contribution of VEGF to scar tissue production. Additional studies are required to learn more about how VEGF regulates scar formation and whether VEGF inhibition could be used clinically to manage scars.
An empirical analysis of productivity gains from information technology's reduction of coordination costs

Most information systems (IS) research has examined the impact of information technology (IT) on the organization of economic activities by starting from the theoretical speculation that IT reduces coordination costs and improves coordination of economic activities. This theoretical speculation, however, has not been empirically analyzed in the IS field. The value of IT for reducing coordination costs has also not been considered in the studies on IT productivity gains. This study empirically examines the relationship between IT and coordination costs, and the relationship between IT and firm productivity by considering coordination as a factor of production. The results indicate that IT is strongly associated with a decline in coordination costs and that IT and coordination make a substantial and statistically significant contribution to firm output. The results show that IT contributes to firm output by reducing coordination costs and improving coordination; that is, by making a higher level of coordination more efficient.
Decompositional modeling through caricatural reasoning

Many physical phenomena are sufficiently complex that the corresponding equations afford little insight, or no analytical method provides an exact solution. Decompositional modeling (DM) captures a modeler's tacit skill at solving nonlinear algebraic systems. DM divides statespace into a patchwork of simpler subregimes, called caricatures, each of which preserves only the dominant characteristics of that regime. It then solves the simpler nonlinear system and identifies its domain of validity. The varying patchwork reflects how variations in the parameters change the dominant characteristics. The patchwork is built by extracting equational features consisting of the relative strength of terms, and then exagerating and merging these features in different combinations, resulting in the different caricatural regimes. DM operates by providing strategic guidance to a pair of symbolic manipulation systems for qualitative sign and order of magnitude algebra. The approach is sufficient to replicate a broad set of examples from acid-base chemistry.
The Automobile Aftermarket: Crash Parts, Design Patents, and the Escape from Competition

Automobile manufacturers have increasingly relied on design patents to prevent competition in the aftermarket for collision repair parts. This trend has competitive ramifications for consumers and other stakeholders in a number of related markets, including automobile insurance companies and collision repair services. The proposed “Access to Repair Parts Act” would create a limited exception to design patent law to promote competition in the collision repair parts aftermarket. This paper provides an overview of design patents, describes the aftermarket, elaborates on the anticompetitive effects design patents when enforced by the OEMs against third party parts distributors, and evaluates the proposal. Ultimately, this paper concludes that the proposal need not deny automobile manufacturers the profits that a design patent entitles them to receive, although it would shift their collection of that profit away from the aftermarket and toward the primary market. More importantly, the proposal would likely increase price competition in the aftermarket and benefit consumers in a variety ways, including improved transparency in the lifetime costs of different automobiles in the primary market.
Economic Linkages Between the U.S. Greenhouse and Nursery Products Industry and Landscape Services

Abstract Landscape service firms are major purchasers of greenhouse and nursery products in the U.S. The 1985 U.S. Forest Service Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) input-output model for the st...
Multi-text multi-modal reading processes and comprehension

Abstract Learners frequently access multiple, illustrated texts on a single topic, but this kind of multi-text, multi-modal comprehension has been rarely studied. Undergraduates were presented with two sets of biology materials on shared topics, including both texts and captioned illustrations. Process data, including think-alouds and screen recordings of participants' attendance to different foci, were recorded. Both intra-textual (e.g., T1, T1) and inter-textual (e.g., T1, T2) navigation sequences and switches from texts to diagrams (e.g, T1, D1) were recorded and examined in relation to comprehension performance. Patterns in participants’ navigation across texts and illustrations were identified. Students who were higher-performing in the sample exhibited more intra-textual switches, suggestive of forming a page-specific mental model. For one text, inter-textual text-to-diagram switches were negatively associated with high-level strategies, and thus negatively associated with performance; inter-textual text-to-diagram switches might have indicated confusion. Participants appeared to be in the early stages of learning a complex set of MTMM comprehension skills.
Ataxin-2 is essential for neurodevelopment in Drosophila and is a major regulator of the cytoskeleton

Abstract Ataxin-2 (Atx2) is a highly conserved RNA binding protein. Atx2 undergoes polyglutamine expansion leading to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA). However, the normal physiological functions of Atx2 remain unknown, likely because of functional redundancy between Atx2 and the related Atx2-Like gene in mammals. Here we use the powerful genetics of Drosophila to show that Atx2 is essential for normal cytoskeletal dynamics in neurons. Neuron-specific depletion of Atx2 caused multiple morphological defects in the nervous system of 3rd instar larvae. These include reduced brain size, impairments in optic lobe innervation and decreased dendrite outgrowth in sensory neurons. Defects in the nervous system of these larvae caused loss of the ability to crawl and were lethal at the pupal stage. Interestingly, we found severe impairments in cytoskeletal dynamics both in microtubule and actin networks. Microtubules became hyperstabilized as demonstrated by increased tubulin acetylation and resistance to microtubule depolymerizing drugs. Similarly, we found F-actin was hyperstabilized as shown by resistance to depolymerizing agents. Further, we show inhibition of microtubule-microtubule sliding, a crucial process for initial neurite outgrowth. We also demonstrated that microtubule-dependent transport of multiple cargoes in neurons, both in vitro and in vivo, was dramatically inhibited. Taken together, these data mark Atx2 as a master regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics and denote Atx2 as an essential gene in neurodevelopment, as well as a neurodegenerative factor. These data could provide insight into potential therapeutic interventions for Atx2 polyglutamine disorders. Significance Statement Neurons extend a complex array of axons and dendrites for network formation and communication. Therefore, precise neuronal development is essential for normal nervous system function and viability. Neuronal development is highly dependent upon dynamics of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton for extension and maintenance of neurites. There are many descriptions of cytoskeleton impairment in neurodegenerative disease, however, the physiological functions of many genes mutated in neurodegenerative remain undescribed. The major finding of this work is that the loss of Ataxin-2 at early developmental stages in Drosophila is lethal and causes multiple defects in neurodevelopment via dysregulation of the cytoskeleton.
A Novel E-Junction Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Widespread Sickle Cell Screening in Low and Middle-Income Countries

Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects more than 250 million people globally. The life-threatening, inherited blood disorder results in sickled red blood cells, which can become trapped in blood vessels, causing anemia, pain, organ damage, increased risk for infection and reduced life expectancy. SCD is especially common in sub-Saharan Africa where the mortality rate among children is estimated to be 50-90%. However, universal screening paired with early intervention programs have proven to be effective in reducing the mortality rate of SCD in high-income countries. Diagnostic methods utilized in high-income countries are expensive and resource heavy, inhibiting widespread implementation in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). In order to address this need, a low-cost, point-of-care lateral flow device, designed to be implemented in LMICs has been developed. Recent efforts have been focused on the optimization of the biofunctionalization of the lateral flow device and determining the device’s dynamic range. The device consists of a direct binding immunoassay that can function with a single drop of whole blood and is able to diagnose healthy blood, SCD, and sickle cell trait (SCT) individuals. The novel E-junction device design meets the affordability, usability, and reliability demands of a sickle cell screening device for implementation in LMICs.
"Huh?" Insider Trading: The Chris Collins Story

On June 22, 2017, Representative Christopher Collins called his son from the lawn of the White House to share confidential information about a public company. In tipping off his son, Collins acted despite significant legal risk and a limited payoff. This article attempts to make sense of Collins’ seemingly inexplicable behavior by turning to the work of criminologists to identify distinctive features of the crime of insider trading. First, James William Coleman’s research on what motivates white-collar criminals suggests that the absence of readily identifiable victims may contribute to the incidence of insider trading. Second, the work of Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson on the opportunity structure of crime suggests how the ease with which those in possession of material non-public information can trade facilitates insider trading.
Outcomes of Bariatric Surgery With Concomitant Hiatal Hernia Repair Using an Absorbable Tissue Matrix.

BackgroundHiatal hernias are a common finding in patients who undergo bariatric surgery with an incidence of about 20% of all bariatric patients. Controversy exists on the utility of a biosynthetic...
Perceptions of prognosis in caregivers of multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

12082Background: Caregivers of patients with cancer play a critical role in supporting patients when making informed decisions about their medical care. Although MM patients and their caregivers fa...
Effects of maternal depression and cognitive readiness to parent on children's social emotional outcomes

Approximately 60% of mothers experience some form of depression (Lanzi, 2009). Depression affects not only maternal responses, but also children’s social emotional outcomes (Hwa-Froelich, 2008; Weinberg, 2008). Low levels of cognitive readiness to parent are also associated with high levels of externalizing and internalizing behaviors in children (Miller, 1996). For this study, risk factors associated with poor social emotional outcomes of children were examined in a sample of primiparous, first time, mothers. The association between depression and children’s social emotional outcomes along with the mediating relationship of depression on cognitive readiness to parent and children’s social emotional outcomes were examined. Prenatal and twenty four month data were used from the Parenting for the First Time Project (N=397). Associations between maternal depression and children’s social emotional development were addressed through tests of correlations. The mediating relationship of depression on cognitive readiness to parent and children’s social emotional outcomes was analyzed through a series of linear regression procedures. Findings showed that increased levels of maternal depression were positively related to increased levels of externalizing and internalizing behaviors. However, results indicated that depression did not fully mediate the relationship between cognitive readiness to parent and children’s social emotional outcomes. The results provided evidence for the importance of instilling a holistic, systems approach to working with depressed mothers and their children. Further research should continue to investigate the dynamic relationships between these
Enhancement of Selective Conversion in Spatially Patterned Reactors

Abstract Dual-functionality is introduced into packed bed reactors via structured spatial patterns in order to circumvent the limitations inherent in by-product inhibited reaction systems. Simulation results demonstrate the ability of patterned reactors to vastly enhance the selective conversion of several systems, some involving undesirable side reactions which punish the system for operating too hot. Comparisons between well-mixed and layered patterns indicate that the temperature-tuning flexibility of the novel layered configuration offers significant performance improvements over the mixed bed configuration for systems involving temperature-sensitive reactions whose optimum temperatures vary widely.
Protein kinase activity associated with the large subunit of herpes simplex virus type 2 ribonucleotide reductase (ICP10).

Abstract The large subunit of the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) ribonucleotide reductase (RR1) is demonstrated to possess serine/threonine-specific kinase activity. Computer-assisted sequence analysis identified regions within the amino terminus of ICP10 that are homologous to the catalytic domain of known protein kinases (PKs). An in vitro kinase assay confirmed the ability of ICP10, immunoprecipitated from either HSV-2-infected cells or from cells transfected with an ICP10 expression vector, to autophosphorylate and transphosphorylate exogenous substrates in the presence of ATP and Mg2+. The HSV-1 RR1 was shown to be negative for PK activity under these conditions. PK activity was localized to a 57-kDa amino-terminal region within ICP10 that lacked RR activity.
Macroeconomic conditions and opening up ‐ Argentina, Chile and India: A comparative study

This paper analyses the economic liberalization process in India that started in 1991. The focus of this paper is primarily on the sequencing of the opening up process and the importance of keeping the fiscal deficit under control. The paper argues that if a reforming economy is exposed to financial flows in the early stage of the reform process it will face either the risk of high inflation (under a fixed exchange rate) or the appreciation of the real exchange rate and the worsening trade balance (under a flexible exchange rate). The paper compares the reform process in India, Argentina and Chile, and concludes that the reform failed in Argentina and not in Chile, because Argentina opened up the real and financial sectors simultaneously and failed to control the fiscal deficit. Evidence from India suggests that India followed the right sequence with a substantial control over capital flows but had very high levels of fiscal deficit.
Food aversion learning in sheep: persistence of conditioned taste aversions to palatable shrubs (Cercocarpus montanus and Amelanchier alnifolia).

We studied the persistence of conditioned taste aversions in sheep and whether or not sheep averted to one shrub species would avoid another shrub species. Three-month-old lambs were averted to the shrub Cercocarpus montanus by pairing its ingestion with lithium chloride (LiCl), a nonlethal gastrointestinal poison. When lambs were yearlings, they were offered C. montanus plants growing in 8-liter pots. During the persistence trial, averted sheep took fewer (P less than .05) bites of C. montanus than controls did (19 vs 64 bites/sheep, respectively). Following the persistence trial, sheep that had been previously averted to C. montanus and consumed C. montanus received LiCl. Complete aversion to C. montanus was re-established in previously averted sheep with a single dose of LiCl. When sheep previously averted to C. montanus were offered potted Amelanchier alnifolia shrubs, averted sheep consumed 21 bites of A. alnifolia but controls consumed 58 bites (P less than .05). This result suggests that previously averted sheep were either more food neophobic than controls or generalized their aversion from C. montanus to A. alnifolia. As with C. montanus, a single dose of LiCl completely averted sheep to A. alnifolia. When sheep grazed a pasture containing C. montanus and A. alnifolia averted sheep took fewer (P less than .05) bites of the two shrubs than controls did (.2% vs 18%). Sheep showed no signs of extinguishing the aversion to either shrub during the grazing season (May-Sept.). Aversive conditioning may be useful to manipulate diet selection of free-ranging livestock.
Urinary thromboxane B2 and prostaglandin E2 in the hepatorenal syndrome: Evidence for increased vasoconstrictor and decreased vasodilator factors

Abstract Vasodilatory prostaglandins function to maintain renal perfusion in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. To evaluate the potential contribution of the vasodilator prostaglandin E2 and the vasoconstrictor metabolite thromboxane B2 to the development of the hepatorenal syndrome, we measured urinary excretion of these products in 14 patients with hepatorenal syndrome and in control populations with acute or chronic liver or kidney failure. Radioimmunoassay measurements were confirmed by bioassay and by mass spectrometry. Prostaglandin E2 was decreased compared with healthy controls (2.2 ± 0.3 vs. 6.3 ± 0.8 ng/h, p
The impact of global software cultural and linguistic aspects on Global Software Development process (GSD): Issues and challenges

In the last decade, we witnessed the dramatic transformation of software development processes. The transformation from single-site, mostly English-based into a multi-site, multilingual, multicultural, and globally distributed endeavor has marked the birth of Global Software Development (GSD). Based on an extensive review to the published literature we found that most of the attention has turned towards understanding the impact of culture on the GSD process. However, little research addresses the impact of the cultural and linguistic aspects of global software globally developed. Understanding the impact of culture on the GSD enable multinational development teams to communicate and operate successfully. Global software is multilingual and multicultural software. The multilingual and multicultural aspects are very critical to success. While the main purpose of this paper is to encourage more research in this topic, we will take a critical look at Hofstede's popular cultural model and how it is applied to global software development. Then we will briefly discuss the impact of the cultural and linguistic aspects of global software on the GSD process. These aspects affect directly the quality of the software, as well as the GSD process itself.
Ancient Transposable Elements, Processed Pseudogenes, and Endogenous Retroviruses

The human genome contains a large number of repetitive elements derived from transposable elements (TEs). In addition to active Alu and long interspersed element (LINE or L1) interspersed repeats, the human genome comprises a large number of ancient TEs. These include fossil germ-line insertions of DNA transposons, fossil short interspersed elements (SINEs), L2, and L3 LINEs. Processed pseudogenes and human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) have amplified more recently in evolutionary history and some of them are still well preserved. Copies of some of the recently extinct TEs continue to contribute to genomic rearrangements by homologous recombination. In this chapter, we review ancient SINE and LINE repeats, processed pseudogenes, HERVs, and DNA transposons. We briefly introduce the genomic structure and replication strategy of these elements, their expression competence, and focus on the contribution of these repeats to human diseases. We also discuss some of the TE-derived genes and regulatory elements.
Herald: achieving a global event notification service

This paper presents the design philosophy and initial design decisions of Herald: a highly scalable global event notification system that is being designed and built at Microsoft Research. Herald is a distributed system designed to transparently scale in all respects, including numbers of subscribers and publishers, numbers of event subscription points, and event delivery rates. Event delivery can occur within a single machine, within a local network or Intranet, and throughout the Internet. Herald tries to take into account the lessons learned from the successes of both the Internet and the Web. Most notably, Herald is being designed, like the Internet, to operate correctly in the presence of numerous broken and disconnected components. The Herald service will be constructed as a set of protocols governing a federation of machines within cooperating but mutually suspicious domains of trust. Like the Web, Herald will try to avoid, to the extent possible, the maintenance of globally consistent state and will make failures part of the client-visible interface.
Effect of capillary wave fluctuations on wetting transitions in balanced amphiphilic systems

Wetting transitions in balanced amphiphilic systems containing only short-range forces are studied. In the absence of fluctuations, a weak continuous wetting transition would take place at three-phase coexistence at the disorder line. We argue that capillary wave fluctuations cause the transition to become first order and to occur on the structured side of the disorder line. With reasonable model parameters, the transition occurs in the vicinity of the Lifshitz line where it is observed experimentally.
Ideal torsional strengths and stiffnesses of carbon nanotubes

The ideal torsional strengths of a class of carbon nanotubes, and the torsional stiffnesses of all carbon nanotubes are computed using a novel combination of an ab initio electronic structure total energy technique and a physically motivated scaling form. The specific torsional strengths of multi-walled tubes are predicted to exceed those of steel by approximately a factor of 20. Closed-form expressions that bound the torsional stiffnesses are also presented. The predictions of the theory give excellent agreement with available experimental data.
Potential application of micro-bolometer coupled antenna-pairs in beam synthesis

The IR antenna-pair coupled micro-bolometers has demonstrated its unique power response features compared to the single antenna coupled micro-bolometers. The response pattern is determined by that of the single antenna and an interference oscillation term of the antenna-pair with respective to the angle of incidence of the radiation field, and can be steered by shifting the location of the bolometer. This paper explores the potential application of antenna-pair coupled detector in beam synthesis. It describes an array configuration based upon these micro-bolometers, and discusses the corresponding coherent data processing method for the purpose of obtaining response pattern narrowing effects from such an array. This directional gain enhancement, together with the beam steering control, could potentially lead to an array capable of providing a novel IR lensless imaging technique.
Unusual spine anatomy contributing to wrong level spine surgery: a case report and recommendations for decreasing the risk of preventable 'never events'

Background Wrong site surgery is one of five surgical "Never Events," which include performing surgery on the incorrect side or incorrect site, performing the wrong procedure, performing surgery on the wrong patient, unintended retention of a foreign object in a patient, and intraoperative/immediate postoperative death in an ASA Class I patient. In the spine, wrong site surgery occurs when a procedure is performed on an unintended vertebral level. Despite the efforts of national safety protocols, literature suggests that the risk for wrong level spine surgery remains problematic.
Global dynamic optimization for parameter estimation in chemical kinetics.

We present the first method guaranteed to find the best possible least-squares (χ2) fit of experimental data by a nonlinear kinetic model. Several important advantages of knowing with certainty the best possible fit rather than a locally optimum fit are discussed and demonstrated using data from the recent literature. This is particularly important when the model and the data appear to be inconsistent. With the new method, one can rigorously demonstrate that a nonlinear kinetic model with several adjustable rate parameters is inconsistent with measured experimental data. The numerical method presented is a valuable tool in evaluating the validity of a complex kinetics model.
Common And Special Factors In Different Transference-Related Measures

This paper discusses the essence of what is in common among these seven transference-related measures. They all turn out to be moderately similar. The most similar of all are the CRPF, the SASB-CMP, the CCRT, and the FRAME methods. Their primary clinical applications are: to help in deriving reliable formulations, in focusing on transference-related congruent treatment interventions and in locating the conflicts associated with recurrent symptoms.
Magnetic resonance imaging-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy: an initial experience in a community hospital.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effectiveness in diagnosing mammographically and sonographically occult breast lesions by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy in patients who presented to a community-based hospital with a newly established breast MRI program. Methods The records of 142 consecutive patients, median age of 55 years, who had undergone MRI-guided biopsy at our institution between July 2006 and July 2007 were reviewed. From these patients, 197 mammographically and sonographically occult lesions were biopsied at the time of discovery. The pathology was then reviewed and correlated with the MRI findings. Results Cancer was present and subsequently discovered in 8% of the previously occult lesions (16/197) or 11% of the women studied (16/142). Of the cancerous lesions, 56% were invasive carcinomas (9/16) and 44% were ductal carcinomas in situ (7/16). Fourteen percent of the discovered lesions (28/197) were defined as high risk and included atypical ductal hyperplasia, atypical lobular hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in situ, and radial scar. In total, occult cancerous and high-risk lesions were discovered in 22% of the found lesions (44/197) or 31% of the women who underwent MRI-guided biopsy (44/142). Conclusions This study demonstrated that detection of cancerous and high-risk lesions can be significantly increased when an MRI-guided biopsy program is introduced at a community-based hospital. We believe that as radiologists gain confidence in imaging and histologic correlation, community-based hospitals can achieve similar rates of occult lesion diagnosis as those found in data emerging from academic institutions.
Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass With Aging: Effect on Glucose Tolerance

It is generally believed that aging results in glucose intolerance. Since skeletal muscle is the major site of glucose uptake following an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), it is reasonable to hypothesize that loss of muscle mass with aging causes glucose intolerance. Evidence against this concept comes from extensive data demonstrating the usefulness of the recommended procedures for performing an OGTT. This involves giving 75 g of glucose to all subjects regardless of body weight, and the criteria for categorizing glucose intolerance are the same for all individuals. That this works well, with no evidence that larger people have better glucose tolerance than smaller people, suggests that muscle mass does not usually play a role. Recent studies on humans and rats indicate that aging per se does not result in glucose intolerance. In most of those older people with decreased glucose tolerance, this problem appears to be due to accumulation of abdominal fat with development of insulin resistance. We conclude that the loss of muscle mass with aging does not usually result in glucose intolerance.
Spectral analysis using linear prediction z-transform and autoregression

Abstract LPZ AR, an alternative to fast Fourier transform spectral analysis, is presented with enhanced resolution and sensitivity. By combining the linear prediction z-transform method, and the more efficient Levinson-Durbin algorithm or the Burg algorithm, one can improve computation speed significantly as compared to the Householder or the singular value decomposition. Unlike the maximum entropy method, the LPZ AR method yields phase information and thus can be applied to analyzing signals with arbitrary phase.
President's page: cardiovascular imaging: a look to the past, present and future.

![Figure][1] The New England Journal of Medicine has called medical imaging one of the “great medical developments of the past thousand years” ([1][2])—and even in the last 10 to 15 years, we have seen technological advances that have completely changed the way we deliver patient care
Deep inelastic reactions treated as multi-step direct reaction processes Application to (p, p') reaction

Abstract It is proposed to treat reactions with continuous spectra as multi-step direct reaction processes. A few rather drastic but very reasonable simplifications are introduced in the calculations and a rather successful analysis of (p, p') data is obtained.
Bacterial Chemosensing: Cooperative Molecular Logic

Bacterial chemotaxis is mediated by transmembrane receptors that bind attractant and repellent chemicals and control an intracellular protein kinase. Each cell contains thousands of receptor subunits that form a tightly packed array at one pole. Recent studies of bacterial behavior have begun to reveal the molecular logic of this sensory architecture.
Paging Materials to Maintain Quality Library Service During a Two-Year Renovation

Abstract Beginning in July 2002, the Health Sciences Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill underwent an 11 million dollar renovation. During three phases of the renovation, parts of the collection were inaccessible to patrons. In order to continue to make the library's collection available, library staff created a paging system. Patrons submitted requests for needed library materials using paper and electronic forms and library staff retrieved the requested items. The paging service was modified three times based on prior experience. Patrons were generally satisfied with the service. The renovation ended in December 2004.
Single Molecule Study of the Lateral Transport of Four Homooligoncleotides at the Interface of Water and Chemically Modifed Silica

The lateral transport of four single-strand homooligonucleotides on a microscopically flat silica surface chemically modified with chlorodimethyloctadecylsilane, in contact with 0.01 M KCl, was investigated using single-molecule spectroscopy. The deoxynucleotides were 20-mers of poly A, poly C, poly T, and poly G, each labeled at the 5‘ end with tetramethylrhodamine. Autocorrelation of the burst data, for each homooligonucleotide, indicates a single diffusing species with no significant difference in the diffusion coefficient among the individual oligonucleotides (D = 3.2 ± 0.3 × 10-6 cm2/s). Examination of burst data for each homooligonucleotide reveals the presence of diffusing molecules occasionally stopping at strong adsorption sites. The frequency of strong adsorption correlates with the number of the amino and amide groups of the base. A histogram of duration times of the strong adsorption events shows that there are two different time scales for strong adsorption events. The autocorrelation decay f...