cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Road Damage Detection and Classification Using Deep Neural Networks (YOLOv4) with Smartphone Images

Research on damage detection of road surfaces using image processing techniques has been actively conducted achieving considerably high detection accuracies. However, many studies only focus on the detection of the presence or absence of damage. However, in a real-world scenario, when the road managers from a governing body needs to repair such damage, they need to know the type of damage clearly to take effective action. In addition, in many of these previous studies, the researchers acquire their own data using different methods. Hence, there was no uniform road damage data set available openly, leading to the absence of a benchmark for road damage detection. For the first time, road damage detection and classification challenge (one of the IEEE Big-data Cup Challenge) was held in Seattle provided such a big dataset for pavement damage detection and classification. In this study TensorFlow implementation of tiny-YOLOv2, Dark-net Neural Networks YOLOv3, tiny-YOLOv3 and YOLOv4 were used to train a road damage detection model with the data set provided by the IEEE Big-data Cup Challenge, and results were compared in the term of the accuracy and runtime speed with other similar studies using different models
Whose Freedom? Teaching Contraception Coverage Cases as a Bridge from Policy to Bioethics

One of the pleasures (yet one of the challenges) of teaching health law is the way that various topics within it comprise their own microcosm of the law's bramble bush.' It is inevitable that a professor teaching a survey course will encounter subjects that do not obviously relate to each other, yet all clearly come within the ambit of health law. Teasing out the threads that connect those subjects is a matter not only for good casebook authors but also for each professor to do in her own way. In this essay, I share a method I have used to link two portions of a single course: one addressing the Affordable Care Act ("ACA") and one addressing bioethics. Even in a post-ACA world, this method would work to link a discussion of health care coverage with one addressing bioethics.
Polymorphic inversions, deletions, and duplications in gene mapping

The underlying architecture of the human genome contains segmental duplications that predispose to the formation of inversions, deletions, and duplications. The effects of these chromosomal aberrations on gene mapping are multifold. Inversions may disrupt disease genes, while deletions and duplications produce genomic imbalances that may affect dosage of disease genes. These anomalies are not readily detected using standard linkage and association analyses. Current studies are ongoing to develop methods to detect gene dosage using high-density SNP genotyping, while other studies are cataloging the copy number polymorphisms present in the genome. Determining whether these polymorphisms are benign or provide susceptibility to complex diseases will be an important question for future studies. Keywords: polymorphism; inversion; deletion; duplication; linkage; association
Chapter 26: Cx43 (α1) Gap Junctions in Cardiac Development and Disease

Publisher Summary The α1 connexin (Cx43) protein was first identified from the studies of the mammalian heart during the early and mid 1980s. The discovery of α1 and other related connexin polypeptides heralded the notion that gap junctions are actually made up of a family of distinct but related proteins—the connexins. For a brief time, this 43-kD α molecule was thought of as the heart gap junction protein. While this description of α1 connexin remains true of the working ventricular muscle in the adult mammal, the concept of α1 function in cardiac tissues has evolved to become more nuanced and multifaceted. This chapter focuses on both traditional and novel aspects of α1-mediated intercellular communication in cardiac tissues. Emphasis is on the concepts that have emerged from the studies of the developing embryo. In particular, the chapter addresses the potential developmental origins of processes that lead to disrupted cellular coupling in the diseased adult heart and the role of gap junctional communication in the development and malformations involving the conotruncus, a region of the heart from which the pulmonary and aortic outflow vessels emerge.
Tell it Like it Seems: Challenges Identifying Potential Requirements of a Learning Health System

This paper provides a review of some previously identified requirements of a learning health system, a post hoc analysis of narrative artifacts describing a learning health system, and some new potential requirements of a learning health system. Engaging a transdisciplinary group of researchers and health care practitioners, we used a method of group conceptualization to elicit potential requirements of a learning health system. Several unresolved challenges of creating and using narrative stories, diagrams and storyboards to elicit and share the potential requirements of a learning health system amongst a diverse group of researchers are discussed.
Warning: A Post-Sale Duty to Warn Targets Small Manufacturers Account

The majority of states now obligate manufacturers to warn about dangers of their products that are discoverable after the sale. Commentators and courts have been hesitant about this obligation because of the potential burden it puts on manufacturers—the costs of identifying users and warning them of the danger. The consensus is that only a factually dependent post-sale duty to warn should exist, obligating manufacturers to warn only if a reasonable manufacturer would do so. A reasonable manufacturer, of course, would warn only if the danger to be warned of justifies the costs of the warning. This Article is the first to identify a problem with a factually dependent post-sale duty to warn—it will most likely result in liability for small manufacturers, but not large manufacturers. This is because the costs of issuing the warning for a small manufacturer will always be smaller than for a large manufacturer. This Article is also the first to argue that a factually dependent post-sale duty to warn is inconsistent with the underlying purposes of products liability law and general public policy. Although the factually dependent post-sale duty to warn seems like a perfect solution to the overburdening problem, courts should not adopt it.
On the Natanzon-Turaev compactification of the Hurwitz space

Natanzon and Turaev have constructed by topological methods a compactification of the Hurwitz space, that is, the space of simple branched covers of the two-sphere. Here we show that this compactification is homeomorphic to a compactification mentioned by Diaz and Edidin (in 1996) that was constructed by algebraic methods. Using this we are able to show by example that the Natanzon-Turaev compactification can be singular, that is, not a manifold.
Mapping the contemporary terrorism research domain: researchers, publications, and institutions analysis

The ability to map the contemporary terrorism research domain involves mining, analyzing, charting, and visualizing a research area according to experts, institutions, topics, publications, and social networks. As the increasing flood of new, diverse, and disorganized digital terrorism studies continues, the application of domain visualization techniques are increasingly critical for understanding the growth of scientific research, tracking the dynamics of the field, discovering potential new areas of research, and creating a big picture of the field's intellectual structure as well as challenges. In this paper, we present an overview of contemporary terrorism research by applying domain visualization techniques to the literature and author citation data from the years 1965 to 2003. The data were gathered from ten databases such as the ISI Web of Science then analyzed using an integrated knowledge mapping framework that includes selected techniques such as self-organizing map (SOM), content map analysis, and co-citation analysis. The analysis revealed (1) 42 key terrorism researchers and their institutional affiliations; (2) their influential publications; (3) a shift from focusing on terrorism as a low-intensity conflict to an emphasis on it as a strategic threat to world powers with increased focus on Osama Bin Laden; and (4) clusters of terrorism researchers who work in similar research areas as identified by co-citation and block-modeling maps.
Reducing potential mental health issues and alcohol abuse through an early prevention model for victims of peer harassment

Psychological disability, including alcohol abuse and mental health issues, are associated with numerous interpersonal, intrapersonal, and occupational difficulties. Employers often bear the greatest economic impact of maladaptive behavior due to greater employee turnover, poor work performance, and other negative work outcomes. Despite these negative outcomes, researchers have yet to examine possible benefits of prevention and intervention programs designed specifically to limit adulthood occupational problems. In this paper, an early prevention/intervention model is suggested. Specifically, the authors suggest that early preventions and interventions should target peer victimization in elementary school settings, as peer victimization has been shown to lead to mental health issues and alcohol abuse. Furthermore, the authors suggest that limiting the occurrence of these psychological difficulties would decrease occurrence of substance use and abuse, decrease the occurrence of later mental health problems, and, therefore, decrease negative occupational outcomes. The authors assert that such early prevention/intervention programs have the opportunity to minimize the need for costly, adulthood interventions and may maximize individuals' potential gains.
I'll take the low road: The evolutionary underpinnings of visually triggered fear

Although there is general agreement that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is critical for triggering the neuroendocrine response to visual threats, there is uncertainty about the role of subcortical visual pathways in this process. Primates in general appear to depend less on subcortical visual pathways than other mammals. Yet, imaging studies continue to indicate a role for the superior colliculus and pulvinar nucleus in fear activation, despite disconnects in how these brain structures communicate not only with each other but with the amygdala. Studies in fish and amphibians suggest that the neuroendocrine response to visual threats has remained relatively unchanged for hundreds of millions of years, yet there are still significant data gaps with respect to how visual information is relayed to telencephalic areas homologous to the CeA, particularly in fish. In fact ray finned fishes may have evolved an entirely different mechanism for relaying visual information to the telencephalon. In part because they lack a pathway homologous to the lateral geniculate-striate cortex pathway of mammals, amphibians continue to be an excellent model for studying how stress hormones in turn modulate fear activating visual pathways. Glucocorticoids, melanocortin peptides, and CRF all appear to play some role in modulating sensorimotor processing in the optic tectum. These observations, coupled with data showing control of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis by the superior colliculus, suggest a fear/stress/anxiety neuroendocrine circuit that begins with first order synapses in subcortical visual pathways. Thus, comparative studies shed light not only on how fear triggering visual pathways came to be, but how hormones released as a result of this activation modulate these pathways.
Doxorubicin plus the IGF-1R antibody cixutumumab in soft tissue sarcoma: a phase I study using the TITE-CRM model

BACKGROUND Insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) has been studied as an oncologic target in soft tissue sarcoma (STS), but its role in sarcoma biology is unclear. Anti-IGF-1R antibody cixutumumab demonstrated acceptable toxicity but limited activity as a single agent in STS. We carried out a dose-escalation study of cixutumumab with doxorubicin to evaluate safety and dosing of the combination. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eligible patients with advanced STS were treated with cixutumumab intravenously on days 1/8/15 at one of three dose levels (A: 1 mg/kg, B: 3 mg/kg, C: 6 mg/kg) with doxorubicin at 75 mg/m(2) as a 48 h infusion on day 1 of a 21 day cycle. After six cycles of the combination, patients could receive cixutumumab alone. The Time-to-Event Continual Reassessment Method was used to estimate the probability of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and to assign patients to the dose with an estimated probability of DLT≤20%. RESULTS Between September 2008 and January 2012, 30 patients with advanced STS received a median of six cycles of therapy (range <1-22). Two DLTs were observed, grade 3 mucositis (dose level B) and grade 4 hyperglycemia (dose level C). Grade 2 and 3 reduced left ventricular ejection fraction was seen in three and two patients, respectively. Five partial responses were observed, and estimated progression-free survival was 5.3 months (95% confidence interval 3.0-6.3) in 26 response-assessable patients. Immunohistochemical staining of 11 available tumor samples for IGF-1R and phospho-IGF-1R was not significantly different among responders and non-responders, and serum analysis of select single-nucleotide polymorphisms did not predict for cardiotoxicity. CONCLUSION The maximum tolerated dose was doxorubicin 75 mg/m(2) on day 1 and cixitumumab 6 mg/kg on days 1/8/15 of a 21 day cycle. Cardiac toxicity was observed and should be monitored in subsequent studies, which should be considered in STS only if a predictive biomarker of benefit to anti-IGF-1R therapy is identified. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT00720174.
Responses of epiphytic aquatic macroinvertebrates to hypoxia

Different species of aquatic macrophytes have strongly contrasting effects on the oxygen dynamics of the waters they inhabit. We conducted laboratory experiments to test the hypothesis that macroinvertebrates inhabiting stands of the floating-leaved water-chestnut ( Trapa natans ), which causes severe hypoxia, are more resistant to low oxygen concentrations (0.5–1 mg L -1 ) than those that inhabit submerged aquatic vegetation ( Vallisneria americana and Myriophyllum spicatum ), which do not cause hypoxia. Chironomids and amphipods associated with T . natans were more resistant to hypoxia than those associated with submerged plants, in support of our hypothesis. Gastropods showed the opposite pattern. Survival was significantly related to exposure time as well in these 3 groups. Ostracods from the 2 habitats were equally resistant to hypoxia, with high survival regardless of exposure time. Almost all zygopterans died when exposed to hypoxia. Different kinds of macroinvertebrates have distinct responses to hypoxia, so different kinds of hypoxic macrophyte beds may support distinct assemblages of macroinvertebrates. Specifically, the spatial and temporal extent of hypoxia will be critical, and shifts in macrophyte species composition caused by species invasions or other reasons may have differential effects on macroinvertebrates by causing different oxygen regimes.
Simulation of readout signals with near field SIL

We investigate the readout signal with near field SIL by using vector diffraction theory. Readout signal from phase-change medium and optical ROM is analyzed. Air gap dependence and polarization dependence is discussed.
Neurofibromatosis: a cause of prepubertal gynecomastia.

Background: Atypical presentations of gynecomastia not associated with obesity are often underappreciated. Unilateral manifestation, prepubertal onset, and a history of associated disorders may contribute to a unique clinical presentation for which the diagnosis and management may remain uncertain. This report reviews neurofibromatosis as a cause for atypical presentation of gynecomastia in prepubertal boys to help establish guidelines for diagnosis and management. Methods: Six nonobese male patients (body mass index ≤20) had an onset of gynecomastia at younger than 9 years and were referred for evaluation between June of 1994 and December of 2006. Results: The median age of onset of breast enlargement was 7½ years (range, 4 to 8 years). Three had bilateral involvement, four had localized involvement of the nipple-areola complex, and two had diffusely involved breast tissue. Five of the six patients were African American (compared with 20 percent for classic gynecomastia). Median postoperative follow-up was 7 years, and all were followed beyond puberty. No recurrences were seen, although one patient developed a metachronous lesion in the contralateral breast. No patient had an abnormal endocrine metabolic workup. Conclusions: Atypical gynecomastia may present in the prepubertal boy and appears more prevalent in African Americans. For neurofibromatosis, it is more likely unilateral, can be localized to the nipple-areola complex, or entails diffuse breast involvement. An endocrine workup appears to be noncontributory.
Radiation-sensitivity differences within cell-division cycles during mouse cleavage.

SummaryAcute x-rays (100 and 200 r) were administered to pregnant females at one of three times on day 0 (day of the copulation plug) or one of two times on day 1. The effects studied were embryonic mortality and sex-chromosome loss in survivors.On day 0, sensitivity is very high shortly after sperm entry (completion of second meiotic division) and again in early pronuclear stage, then becomes low in later pronuclear stage (probably post DNA synthesis). On day 1, sensitivity is relatively low in resting 2-cell stage, then becomes very high at the beginning of the second cleavage.Results suggest that death occurs at about the time of implantation and that chance determines whether or not an implantation reaction will occur. From the high proportion of embryos showing sub-nuclei after irradiation, it was concluded that most, if not all, of the death is the result of aneuploidy. The mechanism for aneuploidy production may vary depending on nuclear state at the time of irradiation. This probably accounts for ...
Response of a hypernodulating soybean mutant to increased photosynthate supply

Abstract Growth chamber studies were conducted to determine if increased photoassimilate supply, through light enhancement and CO2 enrichment, could reverse the deleterious plant growth and enhance nodule function traits of NOD1-3, a hypernodulating mutant of Williams. Both light enhancement and CO2 enrichment increased nodule number, acetylene reduction activity plant−1 (but not specific activity) and dry matter accumulation in all tissues in both genotypes. Total biomass and specific nitrogenase activity were always less in the mutant than in Williams 82, indicating that the inferiority of the mutant may not be reversed by enhanced photoassimilate supply. Under all growth conditions, the mutant allocated relatively more photosynthate to nodules and less photosynthate to roots, compared to the control. Despite this, the decreased growth of the mutant relative to the control was not solely attributable to excessive nodulation of the mutant, since decreased growth was observed even on uninoculated plants. It is suggested that light enhancement and CO2 enrichment may have stimulated nodulation through increased photosynthate supply, independent of the nodulation autoregulatory signal.
Removal from stimuli for crisis intervention: using least restrictive methods to improve the quality of patient care.

The use of seclusion or seclusion and restraints (S/SR) my affect patients negatively, even if controlling their behavior in the short run, by placing them in the “victim” role and fostering a corrosive atmosphere of patient-caregiver mistrust and alienation. This project's goal was to reduce the use of the most restrictive measures by increasing the use of the less restrictive removal from stimuli (RFS). Verbally and even physically threatening patients in a psychiatric intensive care unit were removed from stimuli if their behaviors were not sustained and they ultimately cooperated with staff. RFS was deemed successful when a patient did not need more restrictive measures following its use. The data for this study were obtained by tabulating RFS and S/SR utilization rates for a year: Frequencies, measures of variance, ratios, and t ratios were used to analyze the data. The use of RFS and other nonrestrictive measures to reduce patient stress and frustration resulted in decreased utilization of seclusion...
Core excitons in Ga-V compound semiconductors

Abstract The major chemical trends in the energies of Ga 3d core excitons in GaP, GaAs, and GaSb are accounted for by a theory which treats only the central-cell part of the electron-hole interaction.
Very CIN-ful: Whole Chromosome Instability Promotes Tumor Suppressor Loss of Heterozygosity

Mechanisms by which whole chromosome instability lead to tumorigenesis have eluded the cancer research field. In this issue of Cancer Cell , Baker et al. show that CIN induced by a defective mitotic checkpoint, under certain genetic and tissue contexts, leads to accelerated loss of heterozygosity of a tumor suppressor gene.
Endogenous probability of protection and firm behavior

Abstract This paper studies the strategic reactions of firms to protectionist policies that are enforced with endogenous probability. This probability is a function of firms' actions. Firms in the country that may adopt the protectionist measures try to increase the probability of sanctions, while foreign firms try to reduce this probability. A simple framework is used to derive general results for uncertain protection. This framework is used to analyze the responses to specific protectionist policies such as antidumping legislation and restrictions on the import market share. Finally, the paper studies the welfare implications of the model.
Spontaneous and cisplatin-induced recombination in Escherichia coli.

Abstract To measure cisplatin (cis-diaminodichloroplatinum(II))-induced recombination, we have used a qualitative intrachromosomal assay utilizing duplicate inactive lac operons containing non-overlapping deletions and selection for Lac+ recombinants. The two operons are separated by one Mb and conversion of one of them yields the Lac+ phenotype. Lac+ formation for both spontaneous and cisplatin-induced recombination requires the products of the recA, recBC, ruvA, ruvB, ruvC, priA and polA genes. Inactivation of the recF, recO, recR and recJ genes decreased cisplatin-induced, but not spontaneous, recombination. The dependence on PriA and RecBC suggests that recombination is induced following stalling or collapse of replication forks at DNA lesions to form double strand breaks. The lack of recombination induction by trans-DDP suggests that the recombinogenic lesions for cisplatin are purine–purine intrastrand crosslinks.
Children's self-determination of standards in reinforcement contingencies: A re-examination

The effects of contingent reinforcement under conditions of self-determined and externally determined standards were studied in two fifth-grade language art classes (n=64). Since external demands have confounded the effects of self-management previously, a major purpose was to examine the standards which students selected without external restriction and the effects on work rates. Students worked on an individualized curriculum in six heterogeneous groups within each class. Both external and self-determination of standards within reinforcement contingencies was experienced by both classes but in a counterbalanced order. Findings demonstrated an increase in the work rates over baseline from both contingency conditions (p<.05). Contingent reinforcement with externally determined standards produced an increase over reinforcement with self-determined standards (p<.05). Children selected increasingly lenient standards over the six weeks. Experience with external standards did not influence subsequent self-determined standards. The leniency was discussed in terms of peer influences and the relation of effort to rewards under self-management procedures with varying external demands.
AMTRAK, THE ATTEMPT TO RENEW U.S. RAIL SERVICE

The decline of railway passenger train patronage and the deterioration of service in the United States have led the U.S. Government to assume control over the operation of trains via a quasi‐federal corporation called “Amtrak,” but some basic causes of the decline remain and new problems will arise as a result of this action. Two results of the neglect to assess external costs against the various transport modes is an unbalance in favor of those with the higher external costs and the continued, seemingly fundamental, unprofitability of railway passenger service, which exists even for equipment that operates at capacity! Some way of collecting external costs will have to be found, and the problems created by the new intrusion of the U.S. Government into transport will have to be faced.
Formalizing ICD coding rules using Formal Concept Analysis

Background: With the 11th revision of the International Classification of Disease (ICD) being officially launched by the World Health Organization (WHO), the significance of a formal representation for ICD coding rules has emerged as a pragmatic concern. Objectives: To explore the role of Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) on examining ICD10 coding rules and to develop FCA-based auditing approaches for the formalization process. Methods: We propose a model for formalizing ICD coding rules underlying the ICD Index using FCA. The coding rules are generated from FCA models and represented in the Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL). Two auditing approaches were developed focusing upon non-disjoint nodes and anonymous nodes manifest in the FCA model. The candidate domains (i.e. any three character code with their sub-codes) of all 22 chapters of the ICD10 2006 version were analyzed using the two auditing approaches. Case studies and a preliminary evaluation were performed for validation. Results: A total of 2044 formal contexts from the candidate domains of 22 ICD chapters were generated and audited. We identified 692 ICD codes having non-disjoint nodes in all chapters; chapters 19 and 21 contained the highest proportion of candidate domains with non-disjoint nodes (61.9% and 45.6%). We also identified 6996 anonymous nodes from 1382 candidate domains. Chapters 7, 11, 13, and 17, have the highest proportion of candidate domains having anonymous nodes (97.5%, 95.4%, 93.6% and 93.0%) while chapters 15 and 17 have the highest proportion of anonymous nodes among all chapters (45.5% and 44.0%). Case studies and a limited evaluation demonstrate that non-disjoint nodes and anonymous nodes arising from FCA are effective mechanisms for auditing ICD10. Conclusion: FCA-based models demonstrate a practical solution for formalizing ICD coding rules. FCA techniques could not only audit ICD domain knowledge completeness for a specific domain, but also provide a high level auditing profile for all ICD chapters.
Optimal use of an information retrieval system

This article examines a simple model of an information retrieval (IR) technology, and uses this model to examine the optimal use of such a technology. In particular, we show that, if we understand optimal behavior, then we can (a) use observed behavior to shed light on the user's objective function, and (b) analyze how a user's behavior changes as her environment changes, for various specifications of the user's objective function. We also show how user satisfaction varies with the underlying stochastic behavior of the retrieval process.
Study of N + α system with the resonating-group method

Abstract The n + α and p + α systems are considered with the resonating-group method in the onechannel approximation. The nucleon-nucleon potential used has both a central part and a spinorbit component. From the results it is found that very good agreement with experiment can be obtained in the energy region below the reaction thresholds. In fact, even above the reaction thresholds where the one-channel approximation is expected to be less valid, the results are quite satisfactory. An effective potential between the clusters is also constructed. From this potential it is determined that the requirement of antisymmetry for the total wave function is very important. In particular, it creates an odd-even feature, wherein the effective central and the effective one-body spin-orbit potentials in the odd-l states are appreciably different from those in the even-l states.
Lack of association between soluble CD40L and risk in a large cohort of patients with acute coronary syndrome in OPUS TIMI-16.

Background Previous studies have suggested that elevated soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) levels predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Recently, questions have been raised regarding the influence of pre-analytical and analytical conditions on measurement of sCD40L, and additional studies have had conflicting findings regarding the prognostic value of this marker. Methods and Results We measured levels of sCD40L in citrated plasma using an analytically validated automated immunoassay (Roche Diagnostics) in a large cohort of ACS patients (n = 2403) from the placebo arm of the OPUS TIMI-16 trial. No association was observed between elevated sCD40L levels and risk of death or myocardial infarction (MI) (Quartile 1, 8.0%; Quartile 2, 11.7%; Quartile 3, 8.2%; Quartile 4, 6.8%; P = 0.54) or risk of death, MI or heart failure at 10 months (Quartile 1, 9.9%; Quartile 2, 14.2%; Quartile 3, 10.9%; Quartile 4, 8.3%; P = 0.55). A comparison of plasma vs. serum measurements of sCD40L was performed on samples from a nested case–control analysis (n = 42) from within this cohort. Median sCD40L levels did not differ between cases and controls using plasma (0.23 ng/ml vs. 0.27 ng/ml, respectively; P = 0.82) or serum samples (0.64 vs. 0.77, respectively; P = 0.85). Serum samples consistently yielded elevated sCD40L measurements compared to plasma samples (median value 0.72 ng/ml vs. 0.25 ng/ml, respectively, P < 0.001). Conclusions The absence of an association between sCD40L and cardiovascular outcomes in a large cohort of patients with ACS raises concern regarding the reproducibility of clinical results with this novel biomarker. Despite a plausibly important role in the pathobiology of atherothrombosis, pre-analytic sources of variability may limit the practical clinical application of sCD40L.
Diversity in the person, diversity in the group: Challenges of identity complexity for social perception and social interaction

Social psychological research is increasingly coming to grips with the complexity of social identity within the individual, both from the perspective of perceivers trying to form impressions and make judgments about multiply categorizable targets, as well as from the perspective of actors using their different self-aspects as a framework for guiding their interactions with the social world. I review several contributions to the effort to better understand these issues and then explore some of their possible implications for understanding the nature and consequences of diversity within the group. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biodegradable and injectable paclitaxel-loaded poly(ester amide)s microspheres: fabrication and characterization.

Novel biodegradable submicron microspheres of amino acid based poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) were fabricated by an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion/solvent evaporation technique and their morphology and drug loading efficiency were examined. PEAs microspheres of mean diameter <1 μm with very narrow size distribution were obtained at a fair yield about 80%. The effects of PEA polymer concentration, polyvinyl alcohol emulsifier concentration, and the homogenizer speed on the size and morphology of final PEA microspheres were examined by analyzing their SEM images. It is found that a low PEA concentration, a high PVA concentration, and a high homogenizer speed are the optimal conditions for obtaining smaller microspheres. The biodegradation behaviors of these PEA microspheres at 37°C were investigated as a function of enzyme (α-chymotrypsin) concentration and incubation time. The data showed similar surface erosion degradation mechanism as PEA polymers reported previously. Paclitaxel loaded PEA microspheres with high encapsulation efficiency were obtained without significantly affecting their size and surface morphology. The high drug loading efficiency close to 100% suggested that PEA microspheres may have the potential for the injection administration of highly hydrophobic anticancer drugs. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009
Influence of Experimental Setup and Plastic Deformation on the Shaft-Loaded Blister Test

ABSTRACT In the shaft-loaded blister test (SLBT), plastic deformation often occurs at the contact area between the shaft tip and adhesive layer, leading to a larger displacement (blister height) than if the film was loaded elastically. As a consequence, incorporating the displacement variable into the analysis can result in misleading values of the applied strain energy-release rate, &#x1d4a2;. In this work, the influence of plastic yielding at the contact area on &#x1d4a2; of a thin film was investigated as a function of some common SLBT experimental variables, namely, substrate hole diameter, film thickness, and shaft-tip diameter. Test specimens consisted of plies of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape adhered to a rigid glass substrate. &#x1d4a2; was calculated from the following Equations: (1) load-based, (2) hybrid, (3) displacement-based, and (4) combination. Decreasing the film thickness, increasing the hole diameter, or decreasing the shaft-tip diameter lead to more plastic yielding at the contact area as well as to an inc...
The impact of profitability of hospital admissions on mortality.

Given the fiscal constraints of the Medicare program, policy makers will continue to be faced with the challenge of implementing policies to control expenditures. In this study, we simulate the effect of policies that reduce Medicare reimbursement relative to costs on 30-day mortality rates. If overall Medicare reimbursement levels are reduced, then hospitals may be forced to reduce resources directed to patient care and quality improvement. If such reductions are large enough, patient outcomes could be adversely affected. As policy makers consider such changes, a central question is to what extent quality of patient care will be affected by lower reimbursement. It has long been recognized that hospitals faced with reductions in reimbursement may reduce quality of care, particularly in clinical contexts in which clinical quality is difficult to assess by most consumers (Arrow 1963; Weisbrod 1989; Dranove and Satterthwaite 1992). Much of the recent evidence about the relationship between hospital finances, costs, and quality has focused primarily on treatment for specific conditions, such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a common, high-mortality condition for which treatment is generally considered profitable (Kessler and McClellan 2000; Gowrisankaran and Town 2003; Shen 2003; Volpp et al. 2005b; Schreyogg and Stargardt 2010). However, several theoretical and empirical studies have shown that a provider's response to reduced payment depends upon whether an admission is expected to be profitable (Hodgkin and McGuire 1994; Ellis 1998; Meltzer, Chung, and Basu 2002; Lindrooth, Bazzoli, and Clement 2007). This suggests that evaluating the response of hospitals to reductions in provider reimbursement using only outcomes in profitable conditions may provide a misleading sense of the effect of changes in reimbursement on quality and reimbursement/quality trade-offs for unprofitable conditions. This study aims to fill a gap in the recent literature by examining changes in average payment generosity across conditions with a range of profitability and to simulate the effect of alternative reimbursement policies on mortality. We borrow the term “payment generosity” from a study that examined trends in Medicare reimbursement and costs between 1987 and 1990 (McClellan 1997). Payment generosity refers to the average profitability of an admission to a service line relative to its average cost. This measure takes into account the cost of delivering a service, whereas reimbursement reflects only the level of payment for an admission regardless of its cost. The simulations of the impact of alternative reimbursement policies on mortality are conducted using estimates of the relationships between payment generosity and 30-day mortality.
Training as a strategic management tool

If there is, indeed, a shortage of pubilo-sector finance for education and training, then the onus must fall on the private sector. But this need not just be a financial drain and can offer a range of benefits to companies involved
Method for solving the massive Thirring model

The Hamiltonian of the massive Thirring model is explicitly diagonalized by formulating a Bethe Ansatz for the eigenstates. A general method for computing the energy spectrum is presented.
Electrophilic trifluoromethylation of simple inorganic salts: a one step route to trifluoromethylnitromethane, CF3NO2

Abstract Trifluoromethylnitromethane is readily synthesized in high yield from the electrophilic trifluoromethylation of NaNO 2 .
The Overactive Bladder: New Concepts of Etiology and Treatment

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a disorder characterized by urinary urgency. In the past, the pathophysiology and treatment of OAB focused on the parasympathetic efferent innervation of detrusor smooth muscle cells. However, recent evidence has provided a clearer understanding of the neurological, chemical, and functional physiology of the bladder and how it relates to the pathophysiology of OAB. Urothelial cells, sensory neurons, and interstitial cells of Cajal have secretory and receptor functions that play an important role in bladder function and dysfunction. As we learn more about bladder function and the mechanism of current OAB treatments, newer forms of therapy are emerging. These include neuromodulation, botulinum toxin, and the development of new drugs based on the pathophysiology of OAB.
Review of cancer among 4 religious sects: Evidence that life-styles are distinctive sets of risk factors

The occurrence of various types of cancer have been reviewed and evaluated in 4 religious groups. These patterns have been critically assessed in light of the distinctive life-style features of these groups. All 4 religious groups considered in this paper have reduced overall rates of cancer, suggesting that the life-styles of all 4 groups have merit in terms of reducing the overall risk of cancer. The rate of smoking among these groups is nearly nil, and the lung cancer rate in all 4 of these religious groups is strikingly low. Cancer of the oral structures, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus is also generally quite low. Amish and Hutterites have unusually high rates of breast cancer and juvenile leukemia. Reproductive factors frequently mentioned as risk factors for breast cancer cannot explain the excess breast cancer in the Amish and Hutterite women because they should have had the effect of reducing the rate. None of the numerous risk factors, normally suggested for leukemia, are consistent with this observation. The observations on ovarian cancer tend to confirm low parity and late age at first birth as risk factors, although the evidence is not entirely consistent. Also, contrary to common observations, the pattern of ovarian cancer contrasts greatly with the breast cancer pattern, suggesting dissimilar risk factors. Their low rate of cervical cancer is consistent with promiscuity being a strong risk factor, but other frequently suggested risk factors were generally inconsistent with the observations. Cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, urinary bladder and prostate, in these 4 religious groups, are not readily explained by the risk factors commonly implicated in cancer of these sites. The patterns of a few types of cancers were consistent with the prevailing opinions of risk factors, but some cancers were poorly explained and, in some cases, the cancer patterns contradicted commonly held opinions concerning risk factors. Religions that provide strong directives for the personal lives of adherents result in distinctive life-style, reflecting multiple disease related factors (risk factors and protective factors). Disease related factors are related to each other in simple or more complex ways (e.g. additive, multiplicative or even more complex). Therefore, when dealing with distinctive life-styles, it may be unwarranted to attempt to isolate individual risk factors.
Optical processor for SAR image formation: system development

We describe the current status of a hybrid optical processor being developed for real-time synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image formation. The processor is being developed for insertion into the ERIM spotlight mode SAR airborne data collection system under the ARPA TOPS program monitored by the Army Research Lab. A 2D Fourier transforming time-integrating interferometrically based optical processor is a key element of the system. The optical processor uses a modulated laser diode for radar signal insertion, crossed 1D acousto-optic scanners for 2D scanning, a modified Koster interferometer for fringe generation, and fast detector arrays for light detection and integration. The image space-bandwidth-product and dynamic range are enhanced by processing time-multiplexed interlaced image subpatches at real-time rates. Digital pre- and post-processing play essential roles in the system enhancement. The final image is a mosaic of the subpatch images. The optical processor design approach lends itself to the important attributes of high (real-time) data rates, multiple SAR mode processing capabilities, compact and rugged packaging, and power efficiency.
Surface reactions of AsH3, H2Se, and H2S on the Zn2TiO4(010) surface

Abstract Removal of toxic species such as As, Se, and S is critical to the successful implementation of high efficiency Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) processes for coal utilization. In this work we study the initial low-coverage surface reactions of AsH3, H2Se and H2S with a regenerable sorbent, zinc orthotitanate (Zn2TiO4), using first principles density functional theory. AsH3 adsorbs more preferentially on oxygen-rich (010) surfaces, while H2Se and H2S are more favorably bound to metal-rich (010) surfaces. We calculated the dissociation pathways and rates for each adsorbed species, finding that dehydrogenation of AsH3, H2Se, and H2S should be facile on these surfaces at the high temperatures relevant for IGCC processes.
Expansion of public school expenditures and enrollments : intercountry evidence on the effects of income, prices, and population growth

Abstract This paper proposes a production-demand framework tor explaining the level of national expenditures on schools across countries, as well as teacher-student ratios, and male and female enrollment rates at both the primary and secondary school levels. Data for 89 countries from 1960 to 1980 are used to estimate the hypothesized effects of real incomes per adult, the relative price of teachers, urbanization, relative size of school aged cohorts, and current total fertility rates on these varied measures of school inputs and enrollments. The relative price of teachers is treated as endogenous to the educational system.
Implications of post-translational modifications of IRF7 on pDC IFN-alpha response

Background We previously showed that plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) derived from females can produce significantly more IFN-alpha in response to HIV-1 and HIV-1-encoded TLR7/8 ligands than pDCs derived from males, resulting in stronger secondary activation of CD8+ T cells (Meier et al., Nat Med 2009). Given the crucial role of interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) in the regulation of type I IFN production by pDCs, the goal of the current study was to investigate its impact on the observed differences.
Suppression of the secondary FSH surge with bovine follicular fluid is associated with delayed ovarian follicular development in heifers

Holstein heifers were given 5 injections (twice/day) of 10 ml charcoal-extracted bovine follicular fluid (bFF; N = 6) or 10 ml saline (N = 5) beginning 12 h after the onset of oestrus. Blood samples were collected for determination of plasma concentrations of FSH, LH, progesterone and oestradiol-17 beta. Treatment with bFF suppressed the secondary FSH surge (P less than 0.01). Cessation of bFF injections was followed by a rebound period during which FSH was elevated compared with controls (P less than 0.01). Daily ultrasonographic examinations revealed that follicular growth occurred in waves, with 4 of 5 control heifers exhibiting 3 waves and the other 2 waves. In contrast, 5 of 6 bFF-treated animals exhibited 2 waves and the other 3 waves. Appearance of follicles in the first wave was delayed in bFF-treated heifers (Day 3.3 +/- 0.3 compared with Day 1.4 +/- 0.2; P less than 0.0001) and appearance of the dominant follicle of the first wave was delayed (Day 4.5 +/- 0.3 compared with Day 1.8 +/- 0.2; P less than 0.0001). Follicles in the second wave appeared later in animals treated with bFF (Day 12.7 +/- 0.4 compared with Day 10.4 +/- 0.6; P less than 0.01), and the dominant follicle of this wave also appeared later (Day 13.0 +/- 0.5 compared with Day 10.6 +/- 0.5; P less than 0.01). Oestradiol-17 beta increased during the early luteal phase, but this increase occurred later in heifers treated with bFF (peak concentrations on Day 6.3 +/- 0.6 compared with Day 4.2 +/- 0.2; P less than 0.05). LH, progesterone and cycle length were not affected by bFF. Delayed follicular growth associated with suppression of FSH suggests that the secondary FSH surge is important in the initiation of follicular development early in the bovine oestrous cycle, and thus may play a role in the regulation of ovarian follicular dynamics.
Metabolic changes in the rat anterior pituitary and prolactin production following estradiol treatment.

Abstract The effects of estradiol treatment on the synthesis and release of prolactin and GH in castrated male rats were studied in connection with the anterior pituitary enzymes that represent the hexosemonophosphate shunt, glycolytic, oxidative, and lysosomal activity. LDH and G6P-DH activities increased by 15%–30% at 12 hr and by 70% at 72 hr after estrogen administration. PK activity showed a statistically significant elevation of 20%–40% only after 48–72 hr. ICDH, MDH, acid phosphatase activities, and water-soluble protein concentrations were unchanged. Serum prolactin concentration increased about 400% 24 hr after estradiol injection, and the pituitary synthesized 1000%–1500% more radioactive prolactin in vitro than did control glands. However, no significant increase in prolactin synthesis was observed 12 hr after estradiol treatment. It is suggested that the primary effect of estradiol is on the synthesis of prolactin and that the increased rate of secretion is secondary. Radioimmunoassayable prolactin in the incubated gland tissue and its medium was greatly increased after estradiol treatment. A slight but statistically significant accumulation and decreased release of radioactive GH were also observed. The results suggest a correlation of pituitary prolactin production with the tissue's metabolic activity.
Advances in UV Ground- and Space-based Measurements and Modeling

This PDF file contains the editorial “Advances in UV Ground- and Space-based Measurements and Modeling” for OE Vol. 41 Issue 12