cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-traumatic stress symptoms correlate with smaller subgenual cingulate, caudate, and insula volumes in unmedicated combat veterans

Prior studies have examined differences in brain volume between patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and control subjects. Convergent findings include smaller hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex volumes in PTSD. However, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) exist on a spectrum, and neural changes may occur beyond the diagnostic threshold of PTSD. We examined the relationship between PTSS and gray matter among combat-exposed U.S. military veterans. Structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was obtained on 28 combat veterans from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. PTSS were assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Thirteen subjects met criteria for PTSD. Subjects were unmedicated, and free of major comorbid psychiatric disorders. Images were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry, and regressed against the total CAPS score and trauma load. Images were subsequently analyzed by diagnosis of PTSD vs. non-PTSD. CAPS scores were inversely correlated with volumes of the subgenual cingulate (sgACC), caudate, hypothalamus, insula, and left middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Group contrast revealed smaller sgACC, caudate, hypothalamus, left insula, left MTG, and right MFG in the PTSD group. PTSS are associated with abnormalities in limbic structures that may underlie the pathophysiology of PTSD. These abnormalities exist on a continuum with PTSS, beyond a diagnosis of PTSD.
Healthy families, healthy citizens: The politics of speech and knowledge in the California anti‐secondhand smoke media campaign

(1997). Healthy families, healthy citizens: The politics of speech and knowledge in the California anti‐secondhand smoke media campaign. Science as Culture: Vol. 6, Between Life and Death, pp. 541-581.
Interdepartmental Problem-Solving as a Method for Teaching and Learning Systems-Based Practice

Rationale and Objectives Systems-based practice (SBP) has been the most difficult competency to implement in radiology residency programs, and methods for teaching and learning SBP concepts are needed. Because systems problems are usually multifactorial, a multidisciplinary approach is required. In our institution, survey data indicated patient dissatisfaction with emergency care. Prolonged wait times for radiology procedures were identified as a systems problem. When hospital administration asked the emergency medicine and radiology departments to work together to improve patient care, residents had a “real-world” opportunity to achieve the SBP competency. Materials and Methods Systems problems were identified and categorized. Data on patient transport were collected. Accurate time logs documenting when studies were ordered, performed, and interpreted were maintained. Data were analyzed at interdepartmental meetings and three improvements were planned and implemented. Results A direct line of communication was established between radiology and emergency medicine via a dedicated cellular telephone. A joint emergency medicine/radiology teaching conference was established. Additional transport personnel were employed. Residents in both departments increased their understanding of their role in the health care system, demonstrated an ability to identify systems problems and appropriately implement improvements, and enhanced their professional relationships. Conclusion This innovative method integrated educational goals with patient care goals, was grounded in “real-life” experience, and held residents accountable for results. Competence in SBP, patient care, professionalism, and interpersonal and communication skills were demonstrated. We recommend this approach as an efficient and effective way to integrate SBP into everyday clinical practice.
The effect of sample readsorption on thermal desorption experiments

Abstract The influence of sample readsorption on the desorption transients measured in thermal desorption experiments is discussed. In particular, shifts in the temperature of the maximum of the rate of change of the number of sorbed atoms for first and second order desorption transients are calculated in the approximation of small (βτ/ΔW where β is the sweep rate, τ the vacuum time constant and ΔW the width (K) of the desorption transient. Evidence of significant distortion when sample readsorption is moderate is given from numerical solutions of the appropriate equation. A framework is proposed in which activation energies for desorption can be calculated in the presence of non-negligible sample readsorption.
Bounds on halo-particle interactions from interstellar calorimetry.

It is shown that the existence of neutral interstellar clouds constrains the interaction of any particulate dark-matter candidate with atomic hydrogen to be quite small. Even for a halo particle of mass 1 PeV (10 to the 6 GeV), it is shown that the cross section with hydrogen must be smaller than the typical atomic cross section that is expected for a positively charged particle bound to an electron. The argument presented is that if the clouds are in equilibrium, then the rate at which energy is deposited by collisions with dark-matter particles must be smaller than the rate at which the cloud can cool. This argument is used to constrain the interaction cross section of dark matter with hydrogen. Remarks are made on the general viability of charged dark matter. Comments are also made on a bound which derives from the dynamical stability of the halo.
Reduced cellular Mg2+ content enhances hexose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and expression in HepG2 and HL-60 cells

We have reported that Mg(2+) dynamically regulates glucose 6-phosphate entry into the endoplasmic reticulum and its hydrolysis by the glucose 6-phosphatase in liver cells. In the present study, we report that by modulating glucose 6-phosphate entry into the endoplasmic reticulum of HepG2 cells, Mg(2+) also regulates the oxidation of this substrate via hexose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PD). This regulatory effect is dynamic as glucose 6-phosphate entry and oxidation can be rapidly down-regulated by the addition of exogenous Mg(2+). In addition, HepG2 cells growing in low Mg(2+) show a marked increase in hexose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA and protein expression. Metabolically, these effects on hexose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase are important as this enzyme increases intra-reticular NADPH production, which favors fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis. Similar effects of Mg(2+) were observed in HL-60 cells. These and previously published results suggest that in an hepatocyte culture model changes in cytoplasmic Mg(2+) content regulates glucose 6-phosphate utilization via glucose 6 phosphatase and hexose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase in alternative to glycolysis and glycogen synthesis. This alternative regulation might be of relevance in the transition from fed to fasted state.
Patient education meets economic austerity, accountability demands, and staff burnout

Three non-mutually exclusive forces (economic austerity, accountability, and staff burnout) come together to demand a close look at the methods used to plan and evaluate patient education programs. A program development approach that focuses on the impact of patient education activities could respond to the demand of each of these forces. If patient educators can submit data on the impact their activities have on patients, they will be in a better position to compete for limited resources. If accountability is the obligation to disclose those acts for which an individual, group, or institution is responsible, then an approach that documents processes and outcomes will satisfy this demand. If such an approach enables patient educators to set goals and measure the success of programs, the staff burnout phenomenon can be diminished. Such a planning approach, together with an example, is described.
Probabilistic Timing Join over Uncertain Event Streams

This paper addresses the problem of processing event-timing queries over event streams where the uncertainty in the values of the timestamps is characterizable by histograms. We describe a stream-partitioning technique for checking the satisfaction of a probabilistic timing constraint upon event arrivals in a systematic way in order to delimit the "probing range" in event streams. This technique can be formalized as a probabilistic timing join (PTJoin) operator where the join condition is specified by a time window and a confidence threshold in our model. We present efficient PTJoin algorithms that tightly delimit the probing range and efficiently invalidate events in event streams
Observations Concerning the Future of Ecology

Within biology, as facts accumulate about some central doctrine, or group of principles, and as these facts are collated and synthesized, there emerges a subscience which becomes recognizably distinct from its sister subsciences partially as a consequence of its technical content, and partially because of its point of view.This progressive organization of sections of discipline within the field of biology may furnish evidence of maturity. Looking at the academic content of biology we find five rather well-defined divisions. For example, morphology or the science of structure, physiology or the science of function, genetics or the science of inheritance, taxonomy or the science of classification, and ecology or the relation of the organism or organisms to the complete environment. From this viewpoint ecology should qualify as a mature subscience of biology when either of the aforementioned criteria of technical content and point of view are applied. Nevertheless, I am dissatisfied with the present professional position of ecology. If there is any foundation for such dissatisfaction, the reasons for this condition must be examined critically and adjustments made in order to rectify what would otherwise endanger the future of American ecology. In the hope of encouraging your sympathetic understanding of my fears I propose to use a simile in which recognition of a mature subscience is likened to embarkation upon a voyage.
PRAGMATISM & SOCIOLOGY: A Response to Clough, Denzin and Richardson

All is not well in sociology. I'm not at all sure that this discipline, in its brief, century-long history, has ever managed civic calm. Yet, according to the three respondents, the current cultural divide is so wide and deep that local skirmishes threaten to break out in disciplinary civil war. I don't see matters any differently. There are context-specific reasons for the current division. Among them, economic downsizing has put pressure on sociologists to justify their discipline as a matter of, at times, survival, but mostly as a matter of quality of life considerations. At the same time, the surfacing of a forceful Right and, in particular, a cultural left has disrupted a "liberal-scientistic consensus" that, as much as anything else, had previously given some kind of loose coherence and purpose to American sociology. One response has been to defend, at times in dogmatic terms, the project of a scientific sociology. In this regard, the three respondents point to the aggressive policing of the discipline aimed, in particular, at those of us (professors and, as Richardson poignantly observes, students as well) who are stretching, sometimes challenging, disciplinary boundaries. In particular, as Denzin comments, a new division is being constructed between an imaginary "center" that is defined as professional, respectable, rational, and scientific and a "periphery" in which all dissent is placed under the unitary sign of "postmodernism." Dissenters are being figured as "deviant others" who threaten disciplinary order and legitimacy by their presumed advocacy of unreason and their politicization of both the discipline and the university.' The question I want to pose is this: Can a pragmatic approach to social knowledge and disciplinary politics allow us to displace and move beyond this emerging division? Can pragmatism provide a strong enough cultural basis with which to defend critical dissent against repressive marketing logics and disciplinary policing moves? Can pragmatism push sociology toward a critical discursive practice that all three respondents and I take as its promise? Richardson is doubtful, as she sees pragmatism too easily folding into a repressive institutional politic. She recommends strengthening nonuniversity sites of social knowledge, though this strategy does not sufficiently address the hegemonic status of universities and disciplines as producers and definers of knowledge. Although sympathetic to the Foucauldian resonances of pragmatism, Denzin seems doubtful of its capacity to provide a strong enough conceptual and normative basis for a critical theory. He favors a "postpragmatic," public sociology anchored in a feminist communitarian perspective. This compelling vision would not only
Bilateral renal calculi: assessment of staged v synchronous percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

Background and Purpose: Percutaneous stone removal has replaced open renal surgery and has become the treatment of choice for large or complex renal calculi. However, patients with large bilateral stone burdens still present a challenge. Simultaneous bilateral percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has been demonstrated to be a well-tolerated, safe, cost-effective, and expeditious treatment. We present what is, to our knowledge, the first large retrospective series comparing synchronous and asynchronous bilateral PCNL. Patients and Methods: A chart review was performed on 26 patients undergoing 57 PCNLs for bilateral renal calculi over a 7-year period. Seven patients received synchronous PCNL (same anesthesia; Group 1), and 19 patients underwent asynchronous PNL (procedures separated by 1-3 months; Group 2). Complete surgical and hospital records were available on all patients. The average stone burden for Group 1 was 8.03 cm2 on the left and 9.18 cm2 on the right v 10.1 cm2 on the left and 14.23 cm2 on the ...
Identity style, psychosocial maturity, and academic performance.

Abstract The present study investigated the role that differences in identity processing style may play in how effectively students adapt to a college context. Identity style refers to relatively stable differences in how students make decisions, solve personal problems, and process identity-relevant information. Measures of student psychosocial developmental tasks, identity style, and identity commitment were administered to 460 university freshmen (mean age = 18.3; 60% women); SAT scores and measures of academic performance were also obtained. Results indicated that students who entered college with an informational identity style were best prepared to function successfully in a university setting: they possessed high levels of academic autonomy, had a clear sense of educational purpose, were socially skilled, and tended to perform well academically. In contrast, students with a diffuse-avoidant style were at relative disadvantage on these dimensions. Students with a normative identity style also had a clear sense of academic direction. However, they were significantly less tolerant, and less academically and emotionally autonomous than their informational counterparts.
Structural perfection of Hg1−xCdxTe Grown by THM

The defect structure of single crystals of Hg1-xCdxTe grown by the travelling heater method (THM) has been investigated using X-ray double crystal topography and a chemical etching technique. The structural perfection is found to depend on the ratio of growth and solidus temperature Tg/Ts.
Antiphospholipid Antibody: Babies, Blood Clots, Biology

CASE PRESENTATION At the age of 22 years, a Hispanic woman developed joint pain, fatigue, rash, and thrombocytopenia. Results of antinuclear and anti-DNA antibody tests were positive. Urinalysis and renal function test results were normal. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was diagnosed, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were prescribed. She did well until she was seen again at age 29 years, when she developed scotomata following a first-trimester spontaneous abortion. Findings of a neurological evaluation, including magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and Doppler studies, were unremarkable. At age 30 years, severe intrauterine growth restriction, hypertension, and proteinuria complicated a pregnancy, which ended with fetal death at 22 weeks. At age 32 years, the patient sought another opinion. This examination revealed normal vital signs, slight patches of malar erythema, lupus rash, livedo reticularis (Figure), and a loud apical systolic murmur. Her platelet count was 96X10 9 /L. Prothrombin time was 13.0
Dynamic reuse of subroutine results

The paper discusses a concept of dynamic reuse of subroutine results. The described technique uses a hardware mechanism that caches the address of the called subroutine along with its arguments and returned value. When the same subroutine is called again using the same arguments, the returned value can be accurately predicted without an actual execution of the subroutine. Although this approach can be highly effective in some cases, it is limited to subroutines that do not use side effects, and use only by-value parameter passing. Since the proposed method requires that both the user and the compiler be aware of this mechanism, it might be more appropriate for specific computing-intensive applications, rather than standard all-purpose programming.
Tumor promoting phorbol diesters: substrates for diacylglycerol lipase.

Enzyme activity in rat serum was examined utilizing the potent tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and various glycerolipids as substrates. The serum activity was specific for hydrolysis of the long chain tetradecanoate moiety of TPA, hydrolyzed mono- and diacylglycerols, but was not effective against triacylglycerols, cholesterylesters, or phospholipids. Heating the enzyme preparation at 56/sup 0/C for 1 min was dually effective in reducing the hydrolysis of both TPA and dioleoylglycerol by 83-86% of control levels. The potent diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor, RHC 80267, inhibited the hydrolysis of TPA in the 0.2-1.0 ..mu..M range and was also a potent blocker of monoacyl- and diacylglycerol hydrolysis. In substrate competition studies, exogenous unlabeled TPA was added to the (/sup 14/C)dioleoylglycerol-containing reaction mixture, however, this produced an approximate 3-fold stimulation of (/sup 14/)dioleoylglycerol hydrolysis. Although we have not established whether the hydrolysis of TPA and diacylglycerol is the work of one enzyme, the effectiveness of the specific lipase inhibitor, RHC 80267, demonstrates that diacylglycerol lipase can utilize TPA as substrate, a finding never before documented. This point is of interest in light of the theory that phorbol esters act by mimicry of the natural lipid mediator, diacylglycerols. 44 references, 3 figures, 1 table.
Experimental and analytical study on unidirectional and off-axis GFRP rebars in concrete

Abstract The results of bond and tensile strength investigations of hollow glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite rebars are presented. GFRP rebars with similar geometry but different microstructures were evaluated. Bond characteristics of on-and off-axis specimens, in terms of maximum sustained load, bond strength and stress, concrete compressive strength and initial bond stress are reported. Two different procedures for evaluating the bond strength were used. The results of the well-known pullout tests are compared to these obtained by a newly developed test method. Based on the test results of this study, it appears that the compressive strength of concrete has minor influence on bond strength and stress performance of the composite reinforcement investigated herein. The bond between concrete and reinforcement is controlled by the geometry of the rebar, embedment length, and the clear cover provided by the concrete. In order to confirm the experimental results, a computer simulation of the rebar's behavior was performed. Stresses and strains were computed for each layer of both rebars structures. The theoretical analysis predicts the experimental results. The unidirectional bars exhibited higher longitudinal stresses in all three simulated loading schemes. The off-axis rebars showed higher transverse strains and stresses. The results of this study suggest that the microstructure of the composite bars is a significant factor influencing the bond performance. The specimens reinforced with unidirectional glass fibers showed higher bond strength than off-axis fiber-reinforced specimens.
Maturation of vesicular stomatitis virus: Electron microscopy of surface replicas of infected cells

Approximately 10% of chick cells infected with vesicular stomatitis virus exhibit long, virus-specific processes originating at the edge of the cell which appear to be actively releasing virus.
Performance Evaluation of UWB Using Compressed Sensing in Multipath Channel Estimations

We consider the problem of channel estimation for ultrawideband communication in a multipath channel using compressed sensing techniques. The receiver when using a compressed sensing approach consists of a number of correlators processing the received signal with random projection vectors. The theory is based on Gaussian distributed vectors. We have compared the performance of using orthogonal Hadamard vectors with that of using a random projection matrix in compressed sensing procedures. We have also compared the performance of systems with different parameters for Gaussian and Hadamard projections vectors such as number of pilots, number of projection vectors and different coding schemes. Moreover, we are investigating different receiver structures resulting in different complexity of the receivers. We show that the sampling rate can be reduced significantly with only a slight degradation in the performance.
Portraying Tiger Woods: Characterizations of a "Black" Athlete in a "White" Sport

Communication and sport scholars have built a large body of research concerning descriptions employed about White and Black athletes in the media, but Tiger Woods, being part Black, represents a new type of challenge when assessing stereotypes of athletes. This study employs a database of 2,989 descriptors and classifies these evaluations into 11 categories for analysis. Results indicate that Tiger Woods was portrayed as being more likely to succeed because of experience than were other golfers. Additionally, Woods was characterized as failing because of loss of concentration and composure, whereas other golfers were not described in these termsas frequently. There was also a decreased frequency of comments regarding Woods' body as compared to other golfers. As a result, the reasons for Woods' success do not fit traditional stereotypes of the Black athlete, but the explanations for failure did match previously studied Black stereotypes. When Woods won, he was not portrayed as Black, but when he was not as...
Association between intravenous drug use and early misbehavior.

This investigation uses an epidemiologic strategy to examine a suspected association between misbehavior in early life and subsequent involvement in intravenous drug use. The 222 cases of i.v. drug use in this study were a subset of all persons recruited for a continuing study of drug use, HIV-1 infection, and the natural history of AIDS. It was possible to match these 222 i.v. drug users to 588 subjects from the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area survey sample, for a total of 810 subjects in 60 matched sets. The matching factors were gender and census tract of residence. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the degree of association between early misbehavior and i.v. drug use. The results showed a strong association between i.v. drug use and early misbehavior. For every unit increase in misbehavior score, the odds of being an i.v. drug user increased by a factor of 1.74 (P < 0.001). Compared to subjects with low misbehavior scores, those with high scores were 24.67 times more likely to be i.v. drug users (P < 0.001). Results of this study add to evidence now supporting field trials of public health strategies to modify the link between misbehavior in early life and later illicit drug use.
Defective ryanodine receptor interdomain interactions may contribute to intracellular Ca2+ leak: a novel therapeutic target in heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and despite optimal medical treatment, patients with NYHA class III-IV symptoms have a 2-year mortality rate approaching 50%.1,2 About half of the deaths from HF occur suddenly,3,4 and ventricular arrhythmias account for a large percentage of these sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs).1 There is a strong correlation between chronic increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and poor prognosis in HF.5–7 Interestingly, β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) blockers that block the target receptors for catecholamines released during SNS activation reduce HF progression and arrhythmia vulnerability in patients with HF, leading to improved survival.8,9 Activation of the βAR signaling cascade driven by the SNS caused by HF initially results in a compensatory response aimed at enhancing cardiac contractility, but when SNS activation is sustained, maladaptive changes occur.10 Chronic SNS activation desensitizes cardiac βAR signaling,5 which further contributes to reduced inotropic reserve and worsens remodeling in HF, as part of a maladaptive response that ultimately fails to protect the heart or preserve cardiac function.11 See p 3400 Defective intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis has been consistently reported in HF.12,13 Because intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) directly regulate contractility of cardiomyocytes, a reduced [Ca2+]i transient amplitude in HF results in decreased force development. A prolonged decay of the [Ca2+]i transient and increased diastolic [Ca2+]i may contribute to slowed relaxation of the failing heart.13–15 Several defects in the intracellular [Ca2+]i metabolism have been reported, including depressed Ca2+ uptake, storage, and/or release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) storage organelle.15–17 Depressed SR Ca2+ release may result from decreased SR Ca2+ uptake via the SR Ca2+ …
Characteristics of the He II n=4-5 (10 124 A) and n=4-6 (6560 A) Line Complexes in a Low-Temperature Hollow Cathode

The He iin = 4–5 (10 124 A) and n = 4–6 (6560 A) line complexes, not previously studied at high resolution, have been excited in a liquid-nitrogen-cooled hollow cathode and observed with a double Fabry–Perot spectrometer. Relative positions, relative intensities, and widths of the fine-structure components have been determined by computer analysis of the digitally recorded spectra of both 3He and 4He. The relative positions of the best-resolved components have been determined to ±0.002 cm−1 and show agreement with theoretical fine structures and isotope shifts. The accuracy of the position measurements is limited by the highly blended nature of the transitions, there being 19 broadened components over a 1.1-cm−1 range. The observed relative intensities approximated statistical relative intensities except for components arising from S and P states, which were three to five times more intense than the theoretical values. The measured widths of the ion lines are roughly 1.15 times those observed for He i lines. The intensity and width results are consistent with observations previously reported for the He iin = 3–4 (4686 A) transition and support the conclusions on the excitation mechanisms that were inferred from a study of that transition.
The security dilemma in Sino‐Indian relations

(2002). The security dilemma in Sino‐Indian relations. India Review: Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 1-38.
Post-employment covenants in the United States: Legal framework and market behaviours

. In response to fundamental market changes that are giving labour a much more central role in product market competition, employers often seek to extend their control over human capital beyond termination of the employment relationship. Although empirical studies are scarce, the use of restrictive post-employment covenants is indeed believed to be widespread. But to what extent can employers lawfully restrict the freedom of their former employees? The author examines the criteria that courts in the United States have considered in balancing employers' legitimate economic interests against labour market efficiency and workers' post-employment freedom and mobility.
Caffeine increases sensitivity of DNA to denaturation in chromatin of L1210 cells.

. Exposure of exponentially growing L1210 cells to 5 mM and higher concentrations of caffeine perturbs their progression through the cell cycle and results in increased sensitivity of DNA in situ to denaturation. The latter is detected by the increased metachromatic stainability of DNA with acridine orange (AO) and sensitivity to S1 nuclease, measured by flow cytometry. Decreased DNA stability is generally characteristic of chromatin condensation and in untreated cells is observed in mitosis or quiescence (G0). The caffeine-induced decrease in DNA stability affects the interphase cells regardless of their position in the cycle and the changes are stochastic, concentration- and time-dependent. Populations of cells responding to caffeine are very heterogenous with respect to the degree of destabilization of DNA; sensitivity of DNA to denaturation of the maximally affected cells is similar to that of untreated cells in mitosis. The present method allows one to quantitatively express effects of caffeine on nuclear chromatin in individual cells of large cell populations and may be employed in studies correlating chromatin changes induced by this agent with its effects in modulation of cell sensitivity to radiation or antitumour drugs.
PC based data acquisition for electric machinery instruction

Details on the use of an IBM PC, an eight-channel data acquisition board, and a set of feedback electric machines and control panels to form an electric machinery instruction laboratory bench are provided. The system is described in detail, and the instructional goals that can be accomplished are presented. An example experiment is described, and the results are shown. Several useful post experiment routines for data analysis are discussed.
Latent Coincidence Analysis: A Hidden Variable Model for Distance Metric Learning

We describe a latent variable model for supervised dimensionality reduction and distance metric learning. The model discovers linear projections of high dimensional data that shrink the distance between similarly labeled inputs and expand the distance between differently labeled ones. The model's continuous latent variables locate pairs of examples in a latent space of lower dimensionality. The model differs significantly from classical factor analysis in that the posterior distribution over these latent variables is not always multivariate Gaussian. Nevertheless we show that inference is completely tractable and derive an Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm for parameter estimation. We also compare the model to other approaches in distance metric learning. The model's main advantage is its simplicity: at each iteration of the EM algorithm, the distance metric is re-estimated by solving an unconstrained least-squares problem. Experiments show that these simple updates are highly effective.
Financial Analytics and A Binomial Pricing Model

The physical fact that we are always in a present has motivated our quest to define a virtual past (model) as a memory and a virtual future as a rational expectation of future prices (though current option prices for example). To frame a future in a cognitive manner, “expectations-models” and scenarios generating approaches are constructed based on experience, memory, information, needs and attitudes. These are the factors that define our predictions and expectations of future financial prices for example. In a broad sense, we do have memory of stock prices and these dictate our actions that contribute to financial modeling by the manners we use to structure both memory and future expectations. This paper considers a binomial memory-less price model and memory prone extensions including Short run and Bayesian Learning models.
The Sexual Politics of Sneakers “Common Ground” and Absent-Referent Stories in the Nike Debate

A recent debate between Nike and its critics was published in Organization & Environment. The debate included an introduction in which it was claimed that the debaters reached four points of common ground. Agreement on the four points is imputed regarding human rights improvements at Nike’s subcontract facilities. The author suggests that this common-ground approach is problematic in several ways. First, some agreement stories are open to alternative interpretations. Second, the privileging of a few areas of agreement is accomplished at the expense of much larger areas of disagreement. Third, all the topic areas on both sides of the debate are in dire need of more research to verify the opinions of the debaters. Finally, the author concludes that there is an absent referent spoken about but missing from the debate—namely, the workers themselves.
Gallbladder carcinoma update: multimodality imaging evaluation, staging, and treatment options.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review the epidemiology, multimodality imaging findings, differential diagnosis, pathologic staging, and current treatment options of gallbladder carcinoma.CONCLUSION. Understanding the characteristic appearances of primary gallbladder carcinoma at multiple imaging modalities can facilitate diagnosis and enable more accurate staging for triage to extended resection or an alternate therapy.
Synergistic Radioprotection by Gamma-Tocotrienol and Pentoxifylline: Role of cAMP Signaling

Purpose. This study was designed to determine the efficacy and mechanisms of radioprotection by the combination of gamma-tocotrienol (GT3) and pentoxifylline (PTX) against acute radiation injury. Materials and Methods. Post-irradiation survival was monitored to determine the most efficacious dose and time of administration of PTX. Dose reduction factor (DRF) was calculated to compare the radioprotective efficacy of the combination. To determine the mechanism of synergistic radioprotection by the combination, mevalonate or calmodulin were coadministered with the GT3-PTX combination. Mevalonate was used to reverse the inhibitory effect of GT3 on 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), and calmodulin was used to reverse the inhibition of phosphodiesterase (PDE) by PTX. Results. The combination was most effective when 200 mg/kg of PTX was administered 15 min before irradiation along with 200 mg/kg of GT3 (−24 h) and resulted in a DRF of 1.5. White blood cells and neutrophil counts showed accelerated recovery in GT3-PTX-treated groups compared to GT3. Mevalonate had no effect on the radioprotection of GT3-PTX; calmodulin abrogated the synergistic radioprotection by GT3-PTX. Conclusion. The mechanism of radioprotection by GT3-PTX may involve PDE inhibition.
Longitudinal changes in bone density in hyperparathyroidism.

Abstract Primary hyperparathyroidism (HPTH) is a known risk factor for cortical bone loss. The primary objective of this study was to examine the time course and location of changes in bone mass within the first year after parathyroidectomy (PTX). The secondary goal was to evaluate the efficacy of combined estrogen therapy and parathyroidectomy in postmenopausal women. Thirty-two subjects with primary HPTH participated in a prospective, longitudinal study for at least 1 yr. Twenty-seven subjects underwent PTX, while five received no therapy (control). Among the PTX patients, 21 were postmenopausal women, and 8 of these women also received estrogen. Subjects had serial measurements of parathyroid hormone levels, serum chemistries, and bone density at multiple sites. Among all PTX patients, lumbar spine, hip, and whole body bone mineral content increased significantly (3.8–6%; p p =0.07) and the whole body (6 ± 2% vs 2.4 ± 1.6%, respectively; p =0.07). In HPTH, early and generalized increments in bone mass follow PTX, and the combination of surgery with estrogen therapy may be superior to surgery without estrogen treatment. A randomized, controlled trial including PTX, estrogen, and a combination of the two is needed to determine the optimal therapy in postmenopausal women.
A self-tuning configurable cache

The memory hierarchy of a system can consume up to 50% of microprocessor system power. Previous work has shown that tuning a configurable cache to a particular application can reduce memory subsystem energy by 62% on average. We introduce a self-tuning cache that performs transparent runtime cache tuning, thus relieving the application designer and/or compiler from predetermining an application's cache configuration. The self-tuning cache applies tuning at a determined tuning interval. A good interval balances tuning process energy overhead against the energy overhead of running in a sub-optimal cache configuration, which we show wastes much energy. We present a self-tuning cache that dynamically varies the tuning interval, resulting in average energy reduction of as much as 29%, falling within 13% of an oracle-based optimal method.
Voices of 9/11 First Responders: Patterns of Collective Resilience

The aim of the ethnographic research reported here was to increase knowledge concerning the values and social and emotional characteristics of 9/11 responders in order to benefit others in subsequent manmade disasters. The research is based on a series of in-depth interviews conducted with ground zero first responders; firefighters, police officers, fire and police chaplains, and media persons. The materials that emerged from the study indicate that psychodynamic concepts, such as post-traumatic stress, may be too individualistically formulated to take into account the significant factors that acted as the basis for the resilience of these responders.
Motor speed regulation using neural networks

An investigation is conducted of the use of the back-propagation neural network for motion control and speed regulation in industrial servo systems. The goal is to build an intelligent controller or regulator which has a versatility equivalent to that possessed by a human operator. The advantages of neural nets lie in that they are flexible in terms of learning and collective processing capabilities. Simulation was performed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Network performance as a function of the number of hidden units and the number of training samples is addressed. >
A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Spirituality Guided by the Neuman Systems Model

The purposes of this qualitative descriptive study were to explore the meaning of spirituality as described by aging adults in various states of health, to describe the relationship between spirituality and health, and to explain client expectations for healthcare providers related to spirituality. All identified meanings and themes were compared to the characteristics of spirituality proposed by Betty Neuman in the Neuman systems model to determine the credibility of the model for assessing and guiding holistic nursing practice. Three themes were formulated: a) Spirituality is an individual, conscious, committed connection to God, requiring a human response; b) positive spirituality contributes to personal wholeness and health; and c) spirituality sustains and comforts in times of stress.
Declarative failure recovery for sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks consist of a system of distributed sensors embedded in the physical world, and promise to allow observation of previously unobservable phenomena. Since they are exposed to unpredictable environments, sensor-network applications must handle a wide variety of faults: software errors, node and link failures, and network partitions. The code to manually detect and recover from faults crosscuts the entire application, is tedious to implement correctly and efficiently, and is fragile in the face of program modifications. We investigate language support for modularly managing faults. Our insight is that such support can be naturally provided as an extension to existing "macroprogramming" systems for sensor networks. In such a system, a programmer describes a sensor network application as a centralized program; a compiler then produces equivalent node-level programs. We describe a simple checkpoint API for macroprograms, which can be automatically implemented in a distributed fashion across the network. We also describe declarative annotations that allow programmers to specify checkpointing strategies at a higher level of abstraction. We have implemented our approach in the Kairos macroprogramming system. Experiments show it to improve application availability by an order of magnitude and incur low messaging overhead.
Tuning of Structure-Function Relationships by Macromolecular Crowding

The cellular interior is crowded with high concentrations of macromolecules and small organic solutes and strict maintenance of this environment, where ∼30% of the total volume is occupied, is essential to cellular function. The volume occupied by these molecules confines the 3D space in which any particular protein can reside and is thought to modulate protein-protein interactions by affecting diffusional encounter and reaction rates. In this work, we investigate the mechanistic consequences of crowded environments on the structure-function relationship of the ubiquitous protein calmodulin (CaM). CaM is highly flexible and dynamic, making it particularly susceptible to crowded environments, and its conformational plasticity is essential for accommodating binding to its 300 identified targets. We determined that crowded environments, created with purified polymer systems and sucrose, stabilize compact conformers of CaM, reduce translational and rotational diffusion, modulate association and dissociation kinetics with a calmodulin-binding target, and control rates of conformational transition. Most notably, these effects are determined by the size and concentration of the crowding reagent indicating that the composition of the environment differentially tunes CaM structure, dynamics, and target association kinetics. Our results are shown in a general kinetic framework where there are consequences for target selectivity and cellular signaling.
On the Excess Burden of Tax Evasion

This paper discusses tax evasion. Specifically, the viewpoint that tax evasion benefits society is questioned and proven not to be entirely true. A simple model of tax evasion is presented and it is concluded that: 1) tax evasion is a function of inter alia the marginal tax rate only if the probability of being caught is a function of undeclared income; and 2) that tax evasion introduces uncertainty which causes a utility loss. An example is presented showing that the excess burden of tax evasion and the income tax are sometimes additive. Therefore, ignoring the excess burden of tax evasion will usually lead to underestimation of the total excess burden of a tax.
METHODS FOR QUANTIFYING SUBJECTIVE PROBABILITIES AND MULTI-ATTRIBUTE UTILITIES*†

In many situations where normative decision-aiding techniques could be usefully applied, historical data are inadequate for estimating the required outcome probabilities, and economic methodologies are inadequate for estimating the aggregate utility derived from the several outcome attributes. In such cases it is often useful to obtain the required estimates in the form of expert judgments, i.e. to obtain subjective probabilities and multi-attribute utilities. Similarly, in many situations where behavioral decision processes are to be studied, it is necessary to scale the expectations and perceived values of the decision makers. This article describes the methods for eliciting subjective probabilities and multi-attribute utilities whose usefulness has been empirically studied and reported in the research literature. It also contains summary guidelines concerning the elicitation and use of such judgments.
Notch Target Gene Deregulation and Maintenance of the Leukemogenic Phenotype Do Not Require RBP-Jκ in Ikaros Null Mice

Ikaros and Notch are transcriptional regulators essential for normal T cell development. Aberrant activation of Notch target genes is observed in Ikaros-deficient thymocytes as well as leukemia cell lines. However, it is not known whether Notch deregulation plays a preferential or obligatory role in the leukemia that arise in Ikaros null (Ik−/−) mice. To answer this question, the expression of the DNA-binding Notch target gene activator RBP-Jκ was abrogated in Ik−/− double-positive thymocytes. This was accomplished through conditional inactivation using CD4-Cre transgenic mice containing floxed RBP-Jκ alleles (RBPJfl/fl). Ik−/− × RBPJfl/fl × CD4-Cre+ transgenic mice develop clonal T cell populations in the thymus that escape to the periphery, with similar kinetics and penetrance as their CD4-Cre− counterparts. The clonal populations do not display increased RBP-Jκ expression compared with nontransformed thymocytes, suggesting there is no selection for clones that have not fully deleted RBP-Jκ. However, RBPJ-deficient clonal populations do not expand as aggressively as their RBPJ-sufficient counterparts, suggesting a qualitative role for deregulated Notch target gene activation in the leukemogenic process. Finally, these studies show that RBP-Jκ plays no role in Notch target gene repression in double-positive thymocytes but rather that it is Ikaros that is required for the repression of these genes at this critical stage of T cell development.
Systems development in information systems research

The authors critically review systems development in information systems (IS) research. Several classification schemes of research are described and systems development is identified as a developmental, engineering, and formulative type of research. A framework of research is proposed to explain the dual nature of systems development as a research methodology and a research domain in IS research. Progress in several disciplinary areas is reviewed to provide a basis to argue that systems development is a valid research methodology. A systems development research process is presented from a methodological perspective. Software engineering, the basic method is applying the systems development research methodology, is then discussed. A framework to classify IS research domain and various research methodologies in studying systems development is presented. It is suggested that systems development and empirical research methodologies are complementary to each other. It is further proposed that an integrated multidimensional and multimethodological approach will generate fruitful research results in IS research. >
Cutting Edge Books: The Impact of Digital Books on Public Library Acquisitions

The book has made the transition to the digital age; that much is certain. However, the jury is still out on what form or forms the book of the future will take and how libraries will adapt. This article is a look at the impact of digital books on public library acquisitions, including available formats, purchasing considerations, functional concerns, terms, pricing, and future trends.