cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent Advancements in Geovisualization, with a Case Study on Chinese Religions

Producing high-quality, map-based displays for economic, medical, educational, or any other kind of statistical data with geographic covariates has always been challenging. Either it was necessary to have access to high-end software or one had to do a lot of detailed programming. Recently, R software for linked micromap (LM) plots has been enhanced to handle any available shapefiles from Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Also, enhancements have been made that allow for a fast overlay of various statistical graphs on Google maps. In this article, we provide an overview of the necessary steps to produce such graphs in R, starting with GIS-based data and shapefiles and ending with the resulting graphs in R. We will use data from a study on Chinese religions and society (provided by the China Data Center at the University of Michigan) as a case study for these graphical methods.
Leisure and Chinese Culture: A Symposium

The essays in this special issue of the Chinese Historical Review focus on leisure as a subject of writing in China. This is not a study of Chinese leisure culture, which is a large and growing fie...
Aftermath of Grade 3 Ureteral Injury from Passage of a Ureteral Access Sheath: Disaster or Deliverance?

Background: The ureteral access sheath (UAS) has revolutionized the management of urinary pathology in the upper tract by providing rapid repeatable access to the upper urinary tract. However, in many practices, it remains a controversial tool in endourology given concerns of possible ureteral injury and presumed long-term sequela from those injuries. This case suggests that these concerns may be more hypothetical than real. Case Presentation: A 32-year-old female with a history of recurrent nephrolithiasis presented with left-sided symptomatic renal colic. She was found to have bilateral nephrolithiasis plus a left 6 × 5 mm proximal ureteral stone with associated moderate hydroureteronephrosis. The patient failed a trial of passage and as such was taken to the operating room for an elective ureteroscopy (URS) during which she sustained a Grade 3 ureteral splitting injury, measuring ∼2-3 cm, to the distal ureter from passage of the 16F UAS. At the end of the procedure a 7/10F endopyelotomy stent was placed. On follow-up URS at 6 weeks, there was no visual evidence of ureteral injury. A Lasix renal scan obtained 8 weeks after stent removal showed no evidence of obstruction. Conclusion: High-grade ureteral injuries sustained from UAS passage are rare. However, when injuries of this nature occur, the concern over long-term damage to the ureter may well be overstated.
Introduction: The Law-Medicine Center 50th Anniversary Symposium: The Field of Health Law: It’s Past and Future

Introduction to The Law-Medicine Center 50th Anniversary Symposium: The Field of Health Law: Its Past and Future, Cleveland, Ohio 2004.
Vegetation productivity of planted and unplanted created riverine wetlands in years 15–17

Abstract Wetland creation and restoration have been key factors in reducing net loss of wetland habitat in the United States. Creation and restoration techniques, such as introducing vegetation, are perceived to have a long-term effect on wetland structure and function over time. The goal of this study was to compare macrophyte structure and function between a planted and unplanted (naturally colonizing) wetland more than 14 years after the wetlands were created in 1994 at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park in central Ohio, USA. Species richness, floristic quality, community diversity, and aboveground and belowground productivity were examined throughout the growing season for Years 15 through 17 of these wetlands. The planted wetland had higher floristic quality assessment index scores (planted 23.2–23.8; unplanted 19.9–20, p = 0.001). Community diversity was similar between the two wetlands (CDI: planted 1.16–1.71; unplanted 1.03–1.45, p = 0.388). Aboveground net primary productivity of emergent vegetation was higher in the unplanted wetland (796–866 g dry weight m −2 yr −1 ) than in the planted wetland (673–712 g dry weight m −2 yr −1 ) (p = 0.006). While planting a riverine wetland may not be as important as planting isolated wetlands, this study did find some differences in structure and function in the planted and unplanted wetlands more than14 years after the wetlands were created. While planting riverine wetlands may aid in increased floristic quality of the wetland in the short term, these two wetland marshes appeared to be converging overall in structure and function during the 3 years of this study.
Immunocytochemical localization of intracellular antigens with SEM

A method for the localization of intracellular antigens with a scanning electron microscope using peroxidase-labelling antibodies is described. A search for a hydrogen donor which may be deposited at the sites of antigen by enzymatic action and emit secondary electrons or generate backscatter electrons was made. It was found that when 4-chloro-1-naphthol was used, the peroxidase deposited reaction product which resulted in a strong secondary electron emission at the site of antigen. With this method, the presence of luteinizing hormone in secretion granules and other cytoplasmic structures of gonadotropic cells was demonstrated. The level of detection of intracellular antigens with this method is not as high as that detectable with light microscopical examination of the same specimens, that is, more reaction product at the site of antigen is required to be detectable with scanning electron microscopy than with light microscopy. In spite of the lack of high sensitivity, the intracellular antigens may be localized with the method described.
The Worlds of Downton Abbey

“The Worlds of Downton Abbey” demonstrates how literature–including graphic novels, historical fiction, parodies, histories, and children’s literature–has expanded and enriched the world of the television series. What does all this output tell us about the relationship between literature and television? West argues that Downton Abbey has helped create a new culture where television drama is now good enough to inspire first-rate writers to adapt it. The series hasn’t just revolutionized television; it has changed the practice–and perception–of adaptation.
Role of ovarian inhibin (folliculostatin) in regulating FSH secretion in the female rat.

The purpose of this chapter is to review what we know at present about the role of ovarian inhibin, or as we have called it “folliculostatin” (Schwartz and Channing, 1977; Hoak and Schwartz, 1980), in the regulation of the secretion of FSH by the anterior pituitary gland. Most of the data to be presented are taken from studies in the rat, but some reference to the growing literature on the subject from other species is cited.
Notes Towards a Philosophy of the Science/Technology Interaction

For something usually taken for granted as a basis for practical politics and economics, the lack of critical scholarship on the interaction of science and technology is downright scandalous. All that seems clear is the inadequacy of the naive idea that somehow or other science can be ‘applied’ to make technology. In spite of a morass of case studies promoted as a legitimation of funding practices or to provide a social license for the support of basic scientists, no such concept as ‘application’ is of use to serious historians of science or of technology. Similarly, although there are voluminous statistics which disaggregate such entities as funding and manpower into categories of basic science, applied science, and development, there is no evidence that this division produces results of any theoretical value. On the contrary they appear to be nothing but a trivial artifact of the definitions used, rather than any illumination of the chain of action in which they are supposed to be linked.
Analysis of Wave Propagation in Cilia and Flagella

The purpose of this symposium, I take it, is to bring to the attention of applied mathematicians problems from biology which might present challenges of intrinsic interest to the applied mathematician and which necessitate a rather sophisticated treatment if they are to be fully understood. One such example is the analysis of wave motion in flagella. In the jargon of applied mathematics, this is a problem in wave propagation in a non-linear system. Perhaps the most important point for the mathematician to be reminded of is the importance of acquiring a good grasp of the physiology of the system before formulating models. Here I shall merely give a very brief summary of current thinking on the nature of the mechanochemical system responsible for flagellar movement. The subject has recently been reviewed at length (Blum and Lubliner, 1973) and many of the ideas alluded to in the present paper are more fully developed and documented therein.
Getting to the Heart of Climate Change Through Stories

The stories students tell about climate change will have a profound effect upon their lives. Those stories reflect broader cultural values and environmental discourses. Therefore it is important that students think critically about the stories they learn and develop their own personal climate stories. Will students respond reactively or proactively to this issue? By seeing themselves as protagonists in the story of climate change, can students become more motivated to act upon this issue? Using the concept of ecological identity helps students to redefine their personal stories and possibly resolve a key modern paradox: the pursuit of personal security undermines planetary security. Ultimately, these ecological stories must come from the heart.
The restricted nonlinear large eddy simulation approach to reduced-order wind farm modeling

A new approach to the reduced-order modeling of wind farms based on the recently formulated restricted nonlinear large eddy simulation (RNL-LES) framework is introduced. The approach has been shown to accurately reproduce mean flow distributions and turbulence statistics in wall-bounded flows at a fraction of the cost of traditional LES, making it a potentially attractive reduced-order model for studying wind farm behavior over a range of conditions. An appropriately altered version of the actuator disk turbine model is used to evaluate the ability of the RNL-LES framework to simulate very large wind farms in the fully developed regime through comparisons with the standard LES of wind farms under a variety of conditions. Then, the low computational cost of the RNL-LES approach is exploited to conduct a parametric study of several vertically staggered wind farm configurations.
In-Plane Pathways Facilitate Out-of-Plane Charge Transport in Organic Solar Cell Active Layers

Solution-processed organic bulk heterojunctions are promising for enabling low-cost, lightweight, and mechanically flexible solar cells. While the nanostructured interpenetrating donor–acceptor morphology in bulk heterojunctions leads to efficient charge photogeneration, the locally varying composition, crystallinity, and electrical connectivity result in a complex landscape for charge transport. This work examines the structural features that govern out-of-plane charge transport in a high-performance small molecule:fullerene organic photovoltaic system, 7,7-(4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-silolo[3,2-b:4,5-b]dithiophene-2,6-diyl)bis(6-fluoro-4-(5-hexyl-[2,2-bithiophen]-5-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole) (p-DTS(FBTTh2)2) blended with phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM). Active layer composition and degree of donor–acceptor phase separation were systematically varied and characterized electrically by conductive atomic-force-microscope-based charge carrier mobility mapping and structurally by grazing incid...
Development of a universal internal positive control

Described here is a novel, universal exogenous internal positive control (IPC), which is fully synthetic for unparalleled quality control. The IPC was rationally designed, is small and efficiently ...
Doppler Velocity Estimates of Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis: Angle Correction Parallel to the Color Doppler Lumen Versus Parallel to the Artery Wall.

OBJECTIVES We compared internal carotid artery Doppler peak systolic velocities (PSVs) measured with angle correction parallel to the artery wall (// wall) on grayscale images and parallel to the direction of blood flow (// flow) on color Doppler images. METHODS We studied 25 internal carotid lesions with PSVs higher than 125 cm/s. The PSVs were measured in the same imaging plane, at the stenosis orifice (0 cm) and at 0.5 and 1 cm downstream by both methods. Linear regression and correlation analyses were used to study the effects of the angle correction method on changes in PSVs as a function of the differences in angle adjustment and distance from the stenosis. RESULTS The 23 patients studied included 9 women and 14 men. There was a mean difference in absolute PSVs ± SD of -17.2 ± 29.5 cm/s (P < .008) between methods at the stenosis. The difference in the PSVs was associated with the angle difference between the flow jet and the artery wall (P < .01). At 1 cm from the stenosis, // flow PSVs were more strongly correlated with PSVs at the stenosis (r = 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.28, 0.82; P = .001) than // wall PSVs (r = 0.39; 95% confidence interval, -0.003, 0.68; P = .052). CONCLUSIONS Blood flow velocity measurements made with angle correction parallel to the direction of the color Doppler blood flow lumen remain more consistent with the distance from the stenosis than blood flow velocity measurements made with angle correction parallel to the outer artery walls.
Ethnic Diversity and Inclusive School Environments

Inclusive school contexts can promote psychological and social adjustment and enhance learning among students. Changing demographics and 21st-century workplace needs suggest that ethnic diversity i...
Gaps in Care among Veterans with Urinary Stone Disease.

Patients who have passed a urinary stone are all able to retell the symptoms and circumstances surrounding it with vivid detail. They will invariably describe the severe, debilitating flank pain, nausea, and emesis during stone passage. Some even suffer AKI and infection. The threat of a recurrent
EPSIN1 Modulates the Plasma Membrane Abundance of FLAGELLIN SENSING2 for Effective Immune Responses.

The plasma membrane (PM) provides a critical interface between plant cells and their environment to control cellular responses. To perceive the bacterial flagellin peptide flg22 for effective defense signaling, the immune receptor FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (FLS2) needs to be at its site of function, the PM, in the correct abundance. However, the intracellular machinery that controls PM accumulation of FLS2 remains largely undefined. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) clathrin adaptor EPSIN1 (EPS1) is implicated in clathrin-coated vesicle formation at the trans-Golgi network (TGN), likely aiding the transport of cargo proteins from the TGN for proper location; but EPS1’s impact on physiological responses remains elusive. Here, we identify EPS1 as a positive regulator of flg22 signaling and pattern-triggered immunity against Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000. We provide evidence that EPS1 contributes to modulating the PM abundance of defense proteins for effective immune signaling because in eps1, impaired flg22 signaling correlated with reduced PM accumulation of FLS2 and its coreceptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE1 (BAK1). The eps1 mutant also exhibited reduced responses to the pathogen/damage-associated molecular patterns elf26 and AtPep1, which are perceived by the coreceptor BAK1 and cognate PM receptors. Furthermore, quantitative proteomics of enriched PM fractions revealed that EPS1 was required for proper PM abundance of a discrete subset of proteins with different cellular functions. In conclusion, our study expands the limited understanding of the physiological roles of EPSIN family members in plants and provides novel insight into the TGN-associated clathrin-coated vesicle trafficking machinery that impacts plant PM-derived defense processes.
Kinematic and precipitation structure of a small, long-lived mesoscale convective system

A comprehensive analysis using conventional single Doppler radar analyses, analysis of multiparameter (CP-2) data, network sounding and surface data, and GOES satellite data is presented to characterize the internal kinematic and precipitation structure of a small, long-lived mesoscale convective system. The data pertain to the Cooperative Huntsville Meteorological experiment conducted over northern Alabama and central Tennessee during June and July of 1986. The mesoscale convective system pulsations visible in the IR patterns were associated with the development of closely interacting aggregates of convective elements. The aggregates were about 20 km in diameter, attained echo tops of about 13 km, and were dominated by a single relatively intense convective element. The measured difference in radial velocity across the upper portion of these elements was about 20 m/s over a distance of about 10 km.
Approach to Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a highly prevalent problem with serious health consequences including physical and psychological trauma, exacerbation of chronic medical conditions, and impaired ability to access or engage in necessary medical care. We review symptoms and medical sequelae of IPV, as well as screening strategies, methods of counseling affected patients, and creation of a safety plan.
Alternative Polyadenylation Regulates Patient-specific Tumor Growth by Individualizing the MicroRNA Target Site Landscape

Abstract Background Alternative polyadenylation (APA) shortens or lengthens the 3’-untranslated region (3’-UTR) of hundreds of genes in cancer. While APA genes modify microRNA target sites in the 3’-UTRs to promote tumorigenesis, previous studies have focused on a subset of the modification landscape. Method For comprehensive understanding of the function of global APA events, we consider the total target site landscape of microRNAs that are significantly and collectively modified by global APA genes. To identify such microRNAs in spite of complex interactions between microRNAs and the APA genes, we developed Probabilistic Inference of MicroRNATarget Site Modification through APA (PRIMATA-APA). Results Running PRIMATA-APA on TCGA breast cancer data, we identified that global APA events concentrate to modify target sites of particular microRNAs (target-site-modified-miRNA or tamoMiRNA). TamoMiRNAs are enriched for microRNAs known to regulate cancer etiology and treatments. Also, their target genes are enriched in cancer-associated pathways, suggesting that APA modifies target sites of tamoMiRNAs to progress tumors. Knockdown of NUDT21, a master 3’-UTR regulator in HeLa cells, confirmed the causal role of tamoMiRNAs for tumor growth. Conclusions Further, the expressions of tamoMiRNA target genes, enriched in cancer-associated pathways, vary across tumor samples as a function of patient-specific APA events, suggesting that APA is a novel regulatory axis for interpatient tumor heterogeneity.
Enhancing the resolution of Fourier light-field microscopy using a hybrid wide-field microscopy image

We propose a method for Fourier light-field microscopy reconstruction using a hybrid wide-field microscopy image to improve the system resolution by more than two times and demonstrate its capability with both simulated and experimental data.
Navigating academia during the COVID-19 pandemic: Can you do it all?

The goal of this reflection paper is to draw from our own experiences of starting new tenure-track faculty positions in social work departments amid a global pandemic. By drawing from our experiences, we hope to reflect on strategies and resources utilized. By discussing our approach, we endeavor to provide support to other academics across the world. We believe these resources and strategies will be useful as we continue to live in the “new normal.”
The day-of-the-week effect revisited: international evidence

The aim of this study is to determine whether the DOW effect still exists, and to evaluate empirically the explanations of the DOW effect for international equity markets. Evaluating 51 markets in 33 countries for the period between January 2000 and December 2007, reveals that the DOW effect persists for a significant proportion of equity markets. Evaluating open-to-close returns, liquidity, size effect and possible spill-over effects, the DOW effect can be explained for almost of all the exchanges. Individual stock analysis, covering 37,631 stocks traded in 51 equity markets shows that a DOW effect in returns exists for a statistically significant proportion of individual stocks in almost all of the markets in the study. Even markets without a market-level DOW effect contain a surprisingly large proportion of stocks with individual-level DOW effects. Interestingly, this proportion is only marginally lower than that which is found in markets with a market-level DOW effect.
Commentary and Book Review of Middle Range Theories: Application to Nursing Research and Practice (5th Edition) by Sandra J. Peterson and Timothy S. Bredow (2020).

The author in this article provides a review of Peterson and Bredow’s 5th edition of Middle Range Theories: Application to Nursing Research and Practice. The author also shared some concerns and th...
In situ microscopy for plasma erosion of complex surfaces.

A novel method for the in situ visualization and profilometry of a plasma-facing surface is demonstrated using a long-distance microscope. The technique provides valuable in situ monitoring of the microscopic temporal and morphological evolution of a material surface subject to plasma–surface interactions, such as ion-induced sputter erosion. Focus variation of image stacks enables height surface profilometry, which allows a depth of field beyond the limits associated with high magnification. As a demonstration of this capability, the erosion of a volumetrically featured aluminum foam is quantified during ion-bombardment in a low-temperature argon plasma where the electron temperature is ∼7 eV and the plasma is biased relative to the target surface such that ions impinge at ∼300 eV. Three-dimensional height maps are reconstructed from the images captured with a long-distance microscope with an x–y resolution of 3 × 3 μm2 and a focus-variation resolution based on the motor step-size of 20 μm. The time-resolved height maps show a total surface recession of 730 μm and significant ligament thinning over the course of 330 min of plasma exposure. This technique can be used for developing plasma-facing components for a wide range of plasma devices for applications such as propulsion, manufacturing, hypersonics, and fusion.
Inhibition of Calpain Activation Protects MPTP-Induced Nigral and Spinal Cord Neurodegeneration, Reduces Inflammation, and Improves Gait Dynamics in Mice

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, resulting in dopaminergic (DA) neuronal loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and damage to the extranigral spinal cord neurons. Current therapies do not prevent the disease progression. Hence, developing efficacious therapeutic strategies for treatment of PD is of utmost importance. The goal of this study is to delineate the involvement of calpain-mediated inflammation and neurodegeneration in SN and spinal cord in MPTP-induced parkinsonian mice (C57BL/6 N), thereby elucidating potential therapeutic target(s). Increased calpain expression was found localized to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH(+)) neurons in SN with significantly increased TUNEL-positive neurons in SN and spinal cord neurons in MPTP mice. Inflammatory markers Cox-2, caspase-1, and NOS-2 were significantly upregulated in MPTP mouse spinal cord as compared to control. These parameters correlated with the activation of astrocytes, microglia, infiltration of CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells, and macrophages. We found that subpopulations of CD4(+) cells (Th1 and Tregs) were differentially expanded in MPTP mice, which could be regulated by inhibition of calpain with the potent inhibitor calpeptin. Pretreatment with calpeptin (25 μg/kg, i.p.) attenuated glial activation, T cell infiltration, nigral dopaminergic degeneration in SN, and neuronal death in spinal cord. Importantly, calpeptin ameliorated MPTP-induced altered gait parameters (e.g., reduced stride length and increased stride frequency) as demonstrated by analyses of spatiotemporal gait indices using ventral plane videography. These findings suggest that calpain plays a pivotal role in MPTP-induced nigral and extranigral neurodegenerative processes and may be a valid therapeutic target in PD.
Parallel programming models applicable to cluster computing and beyond

This chapter centers mainly on successful programming models that map algorithms and simulations to computational resources used in high-performance computing. These resources range from group-based or departmental clusters to high-end resources available at the handful of supercomputer centers around the world. Also covered are newer programming models that may change the way we program high-performance parallel computers.
Evolution of Internet Gopher

How the Internet Gopher system has evolved since its first released in 1991 and how Internet Gopher relates to other popular Internet information systems. Current problems and future directions for the Internet Gopher system.
Flow-generated power for autonomous instruments

A small vertical axis wind turbine was tested in highly variable winds at various locations of the Antarctic. The turbine system was designed to stand close to an ice surface (0.5m, within the boundary layer, and in a turbulent regime), to survive the harsh conditions of deep field Antarctica, to function independent of wind direction, and to provide data on wind speed and power generation. The goal of the experiment was to evaluate the potential of using fluid flow, in this case wind, to charge batteries and/or to generate power for small autonomous instruments. Similar systems can be design to convert the energy in ocean currents into useful electrical power to support underwater instrumentation. Preliminary results indicate a promising technology for future underwater systems.
Electrochemical noise measurements of sustained microbially influenced pitting corrosion in a laboratory flow loop system.

Because of the chaotic nature of the corrosion process and the complexity of the electrochemical noise signals that are generated, there is no generally accepted method of measuring and interpreting these signals that allows the consistent detection and identification of sustained localized pitting (SLP) as compared to general corrosion. We have reexamined electrochemical noise analysis (ENA) of localized corrosion using different hardware, signal collection, and signal processing designs than those used in conventional ENA techniques. The new data acquisition system was designed to identify and monitor the progress of SLP by analyzing the power spectral density (PSD) of the trend of the corrosion current noise level (CNL) and potential noise level (PNL). Each CNL and PNL data point was calculated from the root-mean- square value of the ac components of current and potential fluctuation signals, which were measured simultaneously during a short time period. The PSD analysis results consistently demonstrated that the trends of PNL and CNL contain information that can be used to differentiate between SLP and general corrosion mechanisms. The degree of linear slope in the low-frequency portion of the PSD analysis was correlated with the SLP process. Laboratory metal coupons as well as commercial corrosion probes were tested to ensure the reproducibility and consistency of the results. The on-line monitoring capability of this new ENA method was evaluated in a bench-scale flow-loop system, which simulated microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) activity. The conditions in the test flow-loop system were controlled by the addition of microbes and different substrates to favor accelerated corrosion. The ENA results demonstrated that this in-situ corrosion monitoring system could effectively identify SLP corrosion associated with MIC, compared to a more uniform general corrosion mechanism. A reduction in SLP activity could be clearly detected by the ENA monitoring system when a corrosion inhibitor was added into one of the test loops during the corrosion testing.
Indigenous South Americans of the Past and Present: An Ecological Perspective

Indigenous South Americans of the Past and Present: An Ecological Perspective. David J. Wilson. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1999. 480 pp.
Education Reconfigured: Culture, Encounter, and Change

Introduction Part I: A Unified Theory of Education 1. Education as Encounter 2. The Deep Structure of Educational Thought 3. Repopulating the Educational Realm Part II: Implications 4. Education as a Maker of Individuals and Cultures 5. Culture as Curriculum 6. Educativeness as a Virtue of Institutions and Cultures Part III: Applications 7. Making Democratic Citizens 8. The "Woman Question" in Higher Education 9. What School Can and Cannot Do Conclusion
Accurate evaluation and improvement for operational efficiency of transportation systems

Summary form only as given. In general, mineral transport systems include mineral conveying and truck transport subsystems. The paper presents a combination of simulation, network and optimization models to develop a decision support system for mineral transportation decisions. It applies data envelopment analysis (DEA) methods and models to evaluate and improve the operational efficiency of such transportation systems. The simulation model has the advantage of random data processing that is very suitable for mineral conveying systems. The paper applies simulation and network models to describe the mineral transport process. DEA is an approach to measuring the efficiency of entities. The new DEA model can also optimize inefficient entities. DEA has several properties which make it attractive as a tool for evaluating and improving the operational efficiency of transportation systems effectively. The simulation model and optimization model, which are based on DEA, cooperate with each other, and provide a powerful function to help managers in decision making.
A comparison of two multi-criteria decision-making techniques

This study compares benefits of two multi-criteria decision making techniques: Multi-criteria Rank Ordering (MRO) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The study is intended to help software designers determine which method to implement when helping users compare alternatives. The AHP method requires more user time and effort than MRO; our goal was to explore whether AHP provided sufficient benefits over MRO to warrant the additional time it requires. Eighteen subjects were asked to use software tools implementing AHP and MRO. They compared student application files and identified applicants most qualified for admission to graduate school. The results showed that although AHP required more time than MRO, AHP resulted in lower variance in the assessments produced by different decision makers. This may be explained by the richer information collected by the AHP method, resulting in more accurate reflections of decision makers' assessments. Thus, for high criticality domains, AHP may be warranted.
Structural Sensitivity of Transport Properties of the High-Tc Cuprates

Experiments demonstrating the structural sensitivity of the transport properties of the high-T c copper oxides are reviewed. The superconductive phase is an intermediate phase appearing between an antiferromagnetic parent phase and a metallic phase. Transitions between localized and itinerant electronic behavior are first-order, and the normal state of the superconductive phase exhibits unusual transport properties resulting from strong electron-lattice interactions; there is no evidence that the transport properties are influenced by changes in the spin system. A model in which itinerant vibronic states become increasingly stabilized with decreasing temperature is proposed.
Superadditive strong implication in fuzzy rule-based interpolation

The three standard S-implications, Lukasiewicz, Reichenbach, and Kleene-Dienes, are derived from Schweizer-Sklav T-norms with respective parameters of -1, 0, and positive infinity. The focus of this paper is the Quadratic S-implication with parameter -2 I(a,b)=1-/spl radic/a/sup 2/+b/sup 2/-2b if a/sup 2/-b/sup 2/>2b, 1 otherwise, and on the Drastic S-implication with parameter minus infinity, 1(a,b)=1-a if b=0, b if a=1, 1 otherwise. As well as on numerical methods for general Schweizer-Sklar parameters, Parameters below -1 yield S-implication values greater than the bounded sum of Lukasiewicz, (1-a)+b, except where they both equal 1; hence the term "superadditive." An interesting property of the Drastic S-implication with p=-/spl infin/; is that it produces a fuzzy interpolation that is a dual of the Kleene-Dienes S-implication with p=+/spl infin/; the defuzzified relation between base variables X and Y using a given set of fuzzy rules with one of these implication operators is identical to the defuzzified relation using the converses of those rules with the other operator. The defuzzified relation produced by Lukasiewicz implication is self-dual, since the same relation is produced under Lukasiewicz when the converses of the rules are used.
A Qualitative Exploration of Fear and Safety with Child Victims of Sexual Abuse

Although child sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive societal problem that is estimated to affect 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys before the age of 18 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005), little is known about CSA from the perspective of the victims themselves. To address this gap in the research, this study used a narrative approach to explore children's perceptions of their abuse experiences. Analysis of 21 narratives written during Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy revealed a meta-theme, which was entitled Fear and Safety. Children's descriptions of past and current fears and concerns about their safety and the safety of others were evident in all 21 narratives. The article delineates counseling interventions that mental health counselors can use to target fear and enhance safety.
State legitimacy: An updated dataset for 52 countries

A previous article in this journal presented a conceptualisation of the political legitimacy of the state and its operationalisation for 72 countries c. 2000. This article provides an updated dataset of state legitimacy for 52 countries c. 2008 using the same conceptualisation. It presents a brief discussion of the comparative results of the two datasets.
Into the deep end: incorporating a global health governance and diplomacy experience in graduate public health training.

Global health governance benefits from participants well-versed in the realities of international policy-making. Consequently, educational programmes must establish more opportunities for students to engage in global health policy development. This paper examines a unique global health governance and diplomacy practicum programme at the University of Southern California, designed for Master of Public Health candidates. Through the programme, students act as official non-governmental delegates to the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland through organisational partnerships. Students and collaborating organisations were asked to complete an online post-participation survey examining the perceived quality of the experience. Through the survey, students indicated reinforcement of classroom learning, continued or heightened interest in global health policy and enthusiasm in recommending the programme to other students. Organisations perceived students to be adequately prepared and indicated their contin...
Solid State 15N and 13C NMR Study of Several Metal 5,10,15,20-Tetraphenylporphyrin Complexes

The principal values of both the 13C and 15N chemical shift tensors are reported for the Zn, Ni, and Mg 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) complexes. The principal values of the 15N chemical shi...
Intracoronary verapamil for reversal of refractory coronary vasospasm during percutaneous transluminal coronary angiopiasty

Coronary artery spasm unresponsive to intracoronary nitroglycerin was observed in eight patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for unstable ischemic symptoms (unstable angina or recent nontransmural infarction, or both). All patients manifested eccentric lesions angiographically with the right coronary artery involved in four, circumflex artery in two and left anterior descending in two. Severe coronary spasm was documented angiographically in all patients after angioplasty and resulted in symptomatic and electrocardiographic evidence of ischemia. Multiple sites of spasm were present in the dilated vessel in three patients. Coronary artery spasm persisted despite the infusion of large doses of intracoronary nitroglycerin (200 to 2,000 micrograms, mean 850 micrograms) over 10 min. Administration of intracoronary verapamil (1 to 1.5 mg over 10 min) resulted in complete relief of spasm with restoration of brisk anterograde flow in all patients. These findings suggest that intracoronary verapamil may be a useful agent for the relief of coronary spasm occurring in the setting of coronary angioplasty.
IgG from neuropeptide FF antiserum reverses morphine tolerance in the rat.

Previous studies suggest that neuropeptide FF (NPFF) plays a role in opiate dependence and subsequent abstinence syndrome. The present study assessed the role of NPFF in opiate tolerance. Third ventricular injection of IgG from NPFF antiserum restored the analgesic response to i.c.v. morphine in morphine-tolerant rats (radiant heat tail flick test). IgG from control serum failed to produce this effect. In opiate-naive rats, however, the same treatment with IgG from NPFF antiserum did not affect the analgesic response to i.c.v. morphine. Thus, immunoneutralization of NPFF appears to selectively restore morphine sensitivity in opiate-tolerant animals. These results support the hypothesis that endogenous NPFF contributes to opiate tolerance.
Changes in Maternal Cigarette Smoking Among Pregnant WIC Participants in Rhode Island

Objectives To describe the relationship between the timing of entry into the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) among pregnant women in Rhode Island (RI) and changes in maternal cigarette smoking (MCS) during pregnancy. Methods MCS data gathered by WIC were analyzed for pregnant women who self-identified as smokers at the onset of pregnancy between the years 2001–2005. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the relationship between timing of WIC entry and both increased and decreased/quit MCS during pregnancy. Results Self-reports from smokers indicated that 9.5% quit smoking, 24.6% decreased MCS, 26.8% experienced no change, 33.5% increased MCS, and 5.6% attempted to quit MCS but failed during pregnancy. The adjusted odds ratio for smokers with 1st trimester WIC entry and increased MCS was 0.64 (95% CI 0.52, 0.79). Among smokers with 1st trimester PNC entry, the adjusted odds ratio for smokers with 1st trimester WIC entry and decreased/quit MCS was 1.51 (95% CI 1.17, 1.96). Conclusions Early WIC entry appears to be associated with improvements in MCS. Participants who entered WIC in the first trimester of pregnancy were less likely to increase smoking during pregnancy, and if they also had first trimester prenatal care, were more likely to decrease/quit smoking compared to those who entered WIC later. Programs that increase the rates of first trimester WIC entry may contribute to lower rates of MCS in the WIC population.
Homology blocks of Plasmodium falciparum var genes and clinically distinct forms of severe malaria in a local population

The primary target of the human immune response to the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), is encoded by the members of the hyper-diverse var gene family. The parasite exhibits antigenic variation via mutually exclusive expression (switching) of the ~60 var genes within its genome. It is thought that different variants exhibit different host endothelial binding preferences that in turn result in different manifestations of disease. Var sequences comprise ancient sequence fragments, termed homology blocks (HBs), that recombine at exceedingly high rates. We use HBs to define distinct var types within a local population. We then reanalyze a dataset that contains clinical and var expression data to investigate whether the HBs allow for a description of sequence diversity corresponding to biological function, such that it improves our ability to predict disease phenotype from parasite genetics. We find that even a generic set of HBs, which are defined for a small number of non-local parasites: capture the majority of local sequence diversity; improve our ability to predict disease severity from parasite genetics; and reveal a previously hypothesized yet previously unobserved parasite genetic basis for two forms of severe disease. We find that the expression rates of some HBs correlate more strongly with severe disease phenotypes than the expression rates of classic var DBLα tag types, and principal components of HB expression rate profiles further improve genotype-phenotype models. More specifically, within the large Kenyan dataset that is the focus of this study, we observe that HB expression differs significantly for severe versus mild disease, and for rosetting versus impaired consciousness associated severe disease. The analysis of a second much smaller dataset from Mali suggests that these HB-phenotype associations are consistent across geographically distant populations, since we find evidence suggesting that the same HB-phenotype associations characterize this population as well. The distinction between rosetting versus impaired consciousness associated var genes has not been described previously, and it could have important implications for monitoring, intervention and diagnosis. Moreover, our results have the potential to illuminate the molecular mechanisms underlying the complex spectrum of severe disease phenotypes associated with malaria—an important objective given that only about 1% of P. falciparum infections result in severe disease.
Geldanamycin Induces ErbB-2 Degradation by Proteolytic Fragmentation

Exposure of carcinoma cell lines to the antibiotic geldanamycin induces the degradation of ErbB-2, a co-receptor tyrosine kinase that is frequently overexpressed in certain tumors. Using ErbB-2 mutants expressed as chimeric receptors or green fluorescent protein fusion proteins, we report that the kinase domain of ErbB-2 is essential for geldanamycin-induced degradation. The kinase domain of the related epidermal growth factor receptor was not sensitive to this drug. The data further indicate mechanistic aspects of ErbB-2 degradation by geldanamycin. The data show that exposure to the drug induces at least one cleavage within the cytoplasmic domain of ErbB-2 producing a 135-kDa fragment and a 23-kDa fragment. The latter represents the carboxyl-terminal domain of ErbB-2, whereas the former represents the ectodomain and part of the cytoplasmic domain. Degradation of the carboxyl-terminal fragment is prevented by proteasome inhibitors, whereas degradation of the membrane-anchored 135-kDa ErbB-2 fragment is blocked by inhibitors of the endocytosis-dependent degradation pathway. Confocal microscopy studies confirm a geldanamycin-induced localization of ErbB-2 on intracellular vesicles.
Clinical board examinations: variation found in pass rates.

This study found significant variation in pass rates within and among state and regional dental board clinical examinations during 1979–1988. This suggests that factors other than the abilities of the candidates influence exam outcomes. As long as individual states can argue that there is currently no definitive system to assure the quality of dental care, states may remain reluctant to relax their restrictions on dentists’ freedom of movement.
Determination of bilirubin by adsorptive stripping voltammetry

Abstract A stripping method for the determination of bilirubin at the submicromolar and nanomolar concentration levels is described. The method is based on controlled adsorptive accumulation of bilirubin at the static mercury drop electrode followed by differential pulse measurement of the surface species. After 15 min preconcentration, a detection limit near 5 × 10 −10 M bilirubin is obtained. The adsorptive stripping response is evaluated with respect to concentration dependence, preconcentration time and potential, pH, ionic strength, the presence of surfactants and other variables. Best results are obtained using sodium acetate (pH 8.2) solution. A signal enhancement factor of 11 is observed using 5 min preconcentration (compared to the response of solution-phase voltammetry). The relative standard deviation at the 2 × 10 −7 M level is 2.7%.
Influence of thermal and radiation effects on microstructural and mechanical properties of Nb–1Zr

Abstract The microstructural changes and corresponding effects on mechanical properties, electrical resistivity and density of Nb–1Zr were examined following neutron irradiation up to 1.8 dpa at temperatures of 1073, 1223 and 1373 K and compared with material thermally aged for similar exposure times of ∼1100 h. Thermally driven changes in the development of intragranular and grain boundary precipitate phases showed a greater influence on mechanical and physical properties compared to irradiation-induced defects for the examined conditions. Initial formation of the zirconium oxide precipitates was identified as cubic structured plates following a Baker–Nutting orientation relationship to the β-Nb matrix, with particles developing a monoclinic structure on further growth. Tensile properties of the Nb–1Zr samples showed increased strength and reduced elongation following aging and irradiation below 1373 K, with the largest tensile and hardness increases following aging at 1098 K. Tensile properties at 1373 K for the aged and irradiated samples were similar to that of the as-annealed material. Total elongation was lower in the aged material due to a strain hardening response, rather than a weak strain softening observed in the irradiated materials due in part to an irregular distribution of the precipitates in the irradiated materials. Though intergranular fracture surfaces were observed on the 1248 K aged tensile specimens, the aged and irradiated material showed uniform elongations >3% and total elongation >12% for all conditions tested. Cavity formation was observed in material irradiated to 0.9 dpa at 1073 and 1223 K. However, since void densities were estimated to be below 3 × 10 17 m −3 these voids contributed little to either mechanical strengthening of the material or measured density changes.
Time and Rhythm in Couples

In this article, a theory is offered on the role of time in couple functioning and distress. The theory argues that no single set of temporal patterns is associated with couple distress or satisfaction. Rather, it advocates attention to the individual differences between couples in their understanding of the meaning of the temporal patterns in their relationship. The couple's narrative about the evolution and maintenance of these temporal patterns can be understood as revealing much about partners' experiences of the relationship in terms of the concepts of closeness and power. Interventions on the temporal dimension may be useful when the couple presents with an explicit problem in temporal patterns; when a particular temporal pattern prevents the couple from addressing other issues; and when the therapist wishes to reframe a problem in a manner that lowers conflict intensity. Along with the theory, a preliminary taxonomy of time problems in couples is presented as a guide to assessment. This is followed by clinical vignettes to illustrate how the theory can be used in couple therapy.