cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Polls: Changing Attitudes Toward Euthanasia

The "politics" of euthanasia has been developing apace. The Euthanasia Society, recently renamed Concern for Dying, grew rapidly during the 1970s. Although it has no membership as such, its growth can perhaps be measured by its mailing list, which expanded from 10,000 in 1967 to 160,000 by August 1979.1 The second major national organization, the Euthanasia Educational Council, grew from 600 members to 30,000 from 1969 to 1974, according to the New York Times (July 21, 1974). Congressional hearings on "death with dignity" have been published.2 Most significant, some relevant laws have been enacted.3 Although these actions have occurred only at the state level, it is worth remembering that abortion liberalization also began that way. The development of a "politics of euthanasia" probably stands about where abortion did in the early 1960s, the plights of Karen Ann Quinlan and others serving as issue stimulants just as the thalidomide and rubella tragedies did during the years that led up to abortion liberalization. Poll questions on euthanasia have varied between "passive" and "active" situations. These terms distinguish between merely allowing a person to die a more natural death by not using "heroic" measures of life support or resuscitation (passive), and actually taking some step such as injecting air or administering some chemical to a terminal patient in order to hasten death
High-harmonic generation in plasmas from relativistic laser-electron scattering

Results are presented on the generation of high harmonics through the scattering of relativistic electrons from high-intensity laser light. The characteristic signatures of this process are found to be the emission of even-order harmonics, linear dependence on the electron density, significant amount of harmonics with circular polarization, and small spatial extent of the source. The harmonics are emitted as a forward-directed beam with a divergence of 2°–3°. The measured spatial profile of the harmonics is in excellent agreement with calculations that assume that relativistic electrons play a significant part in the scattering process.
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT TEACHERS BY COLLEGE SUPERVISORS

Summmy.-This study examined a subset of 46 variables on a 52-item form for evaluating student teachers to determine the underlying dimensions tapped by the instrument. 482 evaluations completed by 33 college supervisors were analyzed using the principal components factorial method. Five factors with factorial loadings of at least .50 on the item variables were identified in 34 iterations using oblimin rotation. Five factors were interpreted as: I. Management of the Instructional Environment, 11. Professional Responsibilities, 111. Human Relationships, N. Planning of Instruction, and V. Communication Skills.
ERCP in patients with long-limb Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy and intact papilla

Abstract Background: ERCP by means of long-limb Roux-en-Y surgical anastomoses has been reported primarily in patients with biliary or pancreatic anastamoses, but rarely in patients with an intact papilla. Methods: All ERCP procedures attempted over a 6-year interval in patients with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomies and an intact papilla were reviewed. Patients with a prior Billroth II operation or alteration of the major papilla were excluded. Cannulation and therapy were primarily performed with a duodenoscope after exploration and placement of a guidewire in the afferent limb with a forward-viewing colonoscope. In some cases the duodenoscope was pulled into the afferent limb with a wire-guided balloon passed retrograde into the afferent limb. A follow-up of 30 days was obtained for all patients as part of a prospective ERCP outcome study. Results: Of 15 patients in whom ERCP was attempted, the papilla was reached in 10 patients (67%), the bile duct being accessed in all 10. Needle-knife precut papillotomy after placement of a pancreatic duct stent was performed in 3 patients. Biliary sphincterotomy with a variety of techniques was successful in all 9 patients in whom it was attempted. Other maneuvers included stone extraction, sphincter of Oddi manometry, and biliary stent placement. Final diagnoses were sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (6), malignant biliary stricture (2), choledocholithiasis plus tumor (1), and choledocholithiasis (1). Complications occurred after 3 (12%) of 25 ERCP procedures including pancreatitis (1 mild, 1 moderate) and bleeding (1 mild), all in patients with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. Conclusions: Diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP was ultimately successful in two thirds of patients with long-limb gastrojejunostomies and an intact papilla. The success of the ERCP is determined primarily by ability to advance a duodenoscope through the afferent limb. Once the major papilla was accessed with a duodenoscope, advanced biliary and pancreatic therapeutic techniques were feasible. (Gastrointest Endosc 2002;56:225-32.)
Surface and Particle-Size Effects on Hydrogen Desorption from Catalyst-Doped MgH2

With their high capacity, light-metal hydrides like MgH2 remain under scrutiny as reversible H-storage materials, especially to develop control of H-desorption properties by decreasing size (ball-milling) and/or adding catalysts. By employing density functional theory and simulated annealing, we study initial H2 desorption from semi-infinite stepped rutile (110) surface and Mg31H62 nanoclusters, with(out) transition-metal catalyst dopants (Ti or Fe). While Mg31H62 structures are disordered (amorphous), the semi-infinite surfaces and nanoclusters have similar single, double, and triple H-to-metal bond configurations that yield similar H-desorption energies. Hence, there is no size effect on desorption energetics with reduction in sample size, but dopants do reduce the H-desorption energy. All desorption energies are endothermic, in contrast to a recent report.
The internalizing and externalizing structure of psychiatric comorbidity in combat veterans

This study examined the latent structure of psychiatric disorders in a sample with a high prevalence of PTSD. A series of confirmatory factor analyses tested competing models for the covariation between Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R diagnoses among 1,325 Vietnam veterans. The best-fitting solution was a 3-factor model that included two correlated internalizing factors: anxious-misery, defined by PTSD and major depression, and fear, defined by panic disorder/agoraphobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The third factor, externalizing, was defined by antisocial personality disorder, alcohol abuse/dependence, and drug abuse/dependence. Both substance-related disorders also showed significant, albeit smaller, cross-loadings on the anxious-misery factor. These findings shed new light on the structure of psychiatric comorbidity in a treatment-seeking sample characterized by high rates of PTSD.
Probabilistic Matching Compared to Deterministic Matching for Student Enrollment Records

This paper compares entity resolution results obtained by using both probabilistic and deterministic matching when applied to the deduplication of student enrollment data. The approach outlined in this paper uses deterministic matching to represent equivalence for the calculation of weights to be used in probabilistic matching based on the Fellegi-Sunter model.
Subcutaneous administration of fentanyl and midazolam to prevent withdrawal after prolonged sedation in children.

Objective To determine the efficacy of switching to subcutaneous fentanyl with or without midazolam to prevent withdrawal after prolonged sedation in children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Design Retrospective review of hospital records. Setting Tertiary care center, PICU. Patients The cohort for the study included patients who had received subcutaneous fentanyl with or without midazolam to prevent withdrawal after prolonged sedation in the PICU. Measurements and main results Subcutaneous fentanyl with or without midazolam was administered to nine patients ranging in age from 3 to 7 yrs (mean, 4.4 +/- 1.8 yrs) and ranging in weight from 11 to 31 kg (mean, 20.1 +/- 6.8 kg). All patients required prolonged administration of fentanyl with or without midazolam during mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure. The starting infusion rate for subcutaneous fentanyl varied from 5 to 9 microg/kg/hr (mean, 7.1 +/- 1.4 microg/kg/hr). Four patients also received subcutaneous midazolam at a rate of 0.15 to 0.3 mg/kg/hr (mean, 0.24 mg/kg/hr). Subcutaneous access was maintained for 3-7 days (mean, 5.7 +/- 1.4 days) in the nine patients. No problems with the subcutaneous access were noted during treatment. The fentanyl infusion was decreased by 1 microg/kg/hr every 12-24 hrs and the midazolam infusion was decreased by 0.05 mg/kg/hr every 12-24 hrs. No patient demonstrated signs of symptoms of moderate to severe withdrawal. Conclusion The subcutaneous route provides an effective alternative to intravenous administration. It allows for gradual weaning from sedative/analgesic agents after prolonged sedation while eliminating the need to maintain intravenous access.
Design and evaluation of a 3D video system based on H.264 view coding

Recent advances in video compression and 3D displays have necessitated a further understanding and development of 3D video coding algorithms. The emergence of low cost autostereoscopic displays is expected to drive the growth of 3DTV services. This paper discusses key issues that affect the quality of 3D video experience on autostereoscopic displays. The characteristics of the human visual system can be exploited to compress individual stereo views at different qualities without affecting the perceptual quality of the 3D video. The H.264/AVC video coding algorithm was used to compress each view. We examine the bounds of asymmetric stereo view compression and its relationship to eye-dominance based on a user study. This paper also presents the design and development of a modular video player with stereoscopic and multi-view capabilities including a discussion of useful tools for accelerating the development and enhancing flexibility. The experimental results indicate that eye-dominance influences 3D perception and as a result will impact the coding efficiency of 3D video.
Carbonaceous materials subjected to extreme heating - A comparison of numerical simulation and experiments

The ablation of carbonaceous materials in a hydrogen-helium stream has been simulated using a charring materials ablator computer code. These results are compared with the first ablation data to be obtained from the Ames-NASA Giant Planet Pilot Facility. Test stream diagnostics and ablation effects on convective and radiative heat transfer are discussed since these parameters constitute important input data to the numerical simulation. Graphite ablation was predicted to within 10 to 20%, and carbon-phenolic somewhat less accurately.
Ergodic theory and linear differential equations

Abstract The usual notions of “elliptic” and “hyperbolic” as applied to linear ODE's are generalized to certain two-dimensional systems (including almost-periodic ones) in which the coefficient matrix depends on time. An example due to Millionscikov is used to indicate certain limits to the theory.
Further consequences of viewing LIML as an iterated Aitken estimator

Abstract Following an approach originally suggested by Pagan (1979. Economics Letters 3, 369–372) we have explored some additional consequences of viewing LIML as an iterated Aitken estimator. A curious result we derive in this context is that the Aitken estimator based on 2SLS residuals produces 2SLS estimate of the structural parameters. We derive a simple expression for the difference between 2SLS and LIML in finite samples, which turns out to be very similar to an expression for the approximate bias of 2SLS in small samples (Nagar, 1959. Econometrica 27, 575–595; Buse, 1992. Econometrica 60, 173–180; Bound et al., 1995. Journal of American Statistical Association 90, 443–450). The expression pinpoints the gain from iteration. Our analytical formula yields many of the results on the difference between 2SLS and LIML that Anderson and Sawa (1979. Econometrica 47, 163–182) and Anderson et al. (1982. Econometrica 50, 1009–1027) have obtained through extensive numerical simulations in a model with two endogenous variables. The robustness of 2SLS and LIML with respect to certain deviations from normality is also examined.
Health System Changes to Facilitate the Delivery of Tobacco-Dependence Treatment

Abstract In 1996, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR, now AHRQ, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) released the first federal clinical practice guideline for smoking cessation that was updated in 2000 by the United States Public Health Service (USPHS). The innovative guideline identified six evidence-based strategies for healthcare systems to facilitate the institutionalization of tobacco dependence treatment so that smokers received evidence-based treatments as a routine part of health care. A growing body of evidence demonstrates the importance of systems approaches. This paper discusses the evidence for the systems-level strategies outlined in the guidelines, as well as future directions and needed systems-level research. Promising strategies include: (1) clinical systems organized to cue assessment of smoking status and assistance to smokers, (2) leveraging clinical information systems to provide performance feedback, (3) providing full insurance coverage for evidence-based cessation treatment, and (4) including tobacco-cessation treatment as a measured standard of care by national accreditation organizations. These systems-level approaches increase the likelihood that tobacco use is addressed systematically in the healthcare delivery system. Further research to optimize the effectiveness and adoption of these strategies will help ensure that patients receive evidence-based interventions that foster tobacco-use cessation.
Self-Determination as a Source of Self-Esteem in Adolescence

Les AA. s'interessent a la perception de soi. Ils affirment que l'image de soi emerge au sein de relations interpersonnelles. Ils portent plus particulierement leur attention sur la formation de cette image pendant la periode de l'adolescence. Ils presentent un certain nombre de donnees collectees en 1966 aux Etats-Unis. Ils examinent l'influence d'un certain nombre de facteurs comme l'autonomie au sein de la famille, l'identite construite dans le cadre du milieu scolaire ou du monde du travail
Tunable Nanoelectromechanical RGB Pixels

Tunable leaky-mode resonant silicon-nitride pixels providing red/green/blue spectral lines are analyzed. Critical dimensions, rate of tuning, linewidths, and polarization properties are quantified.
Allocated Academic Learning Time Revisited, or Beyond Time on Task:

Clearly, student learning depends on how the available time is used, not just the amount of time available. Researchers at the Far West Laboratory initiated the idea of' Allocated Academic Learning Time in the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study (BTES) (Fisher, Filby, Marliave, Cahen, Dishaw, Moore, & Berliner, 1978). Powell and Dishaw (in press), reporting data from the BTES, indicate that the Allocated Academic Learning Time for second graders ranged from 62-123 minutes per day, and for fifth graders from 49-105 minutes per day. The correlation of allocated learning time with achievement varied from one test
Spin-echo NMR study of the atomic environment in the Fe100−xBx metallic glass system

In order to investigate the near‐neighbor atomic environments, we have measured the 11B spin‐echo NMR spectra for the melt‐spun Fe100−xBx metallic glass system (14≤x≤22) at 4.2 K over the frequency range 22–46 MHz. The addition of B to Fe100−xBx shifts the peak in the hyperfine field distribution to smaller values by adding intensity to the low field portion of the distribution while leaving the high field portion unchanged. These results, along with 57Fe hyperfine field measurements from Mossbauer experiments are being used to establish a model relating hyperfine fields and structural changes.
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Concrete Materials: Characterization to Support Implementation of the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide

The new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) requires the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of concrete materials as a direct input to determine critical pavement distresses. The CTE can be determined using AASHTO TP 60. For this study, a CTE measuring device in compliance with AASHTO TP 60 was acquired. Three replicate specimens were prepared for each of 24 concrete and cement paste mixtures and tested at 7 and 28 days. The range of CTE determined in this study was in agreement with the range of values reported by other studies, and the variability of test results was favorably comparable. Analysis of variance and sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the influence of mixture properties on the CTE and the effect on pavement performance predictions of using Level 1- and 3-CTE inputs. It was concluded that the type of coarse aggregate used in portland cement concrete (PCC) mixtures significantly influenced the CTE and pavement performance predictions. The proportion of coarse ...
Molecular motion of small nonelectrolyte molecules in lecithin bilayers

We have used magnetic resonance spectroscopy, both ESR and13C spin relaxation, to measure translational and rotational mobilities and partition coefficients of small nitroxide solutes in dipalmitoyl lecithin liposomes. Above the bilayer transition temperature,T c, the bilayer interior is quite fluid, as determined from the solutes' rapid rotational and moderately rapid translational motion; the rotational and translational viscosities within the bilayer are η R <1cP and ητ=6−10cP, respectively. ητ and η R are independent of molecular size for all solutes studied, but all were small compared to the size of the phospholipids. ητ, and probably η R , are relatively independent of temperature aboveT c, but both increase very sharply as temperature is lowered belowT c; at 32°C, η R increases to 6cP and ητ is greater than 1000 cP. Anisotropy of rotational motion increases gradually as temperature is lowered toT c, and changes little belowT c; anisotropy of translational motion was not investigated.13C nuclear spin relaxation measurements indicate that translational motion of nitroxide solutes is more rapid in the center of the bilayer than near the polar interface. It takes at least 100 nsec for a solute molecule to cross the bilayer/water interface. We estimate a lower limit of 2 sec/cm for the interfacial resistance to solute diffusion; this result indicates that interfacial resistance dominates permeation across the membrane. The relative solubility, or partition coefficient, is a strong function of solute structure, and decreases abruptly on cooling through the transition temperature. From the partition coefficient and its temperature dependence we calculate the free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of partition. Effects of cholesterol on partition and diffusion coefficients are compatible with the interpretation that bilayers containing cholesterol consist of two phases.
In vivo analysis of the RNA interference mechanism in Trypanosoma brucei

Flagellate protozoa of the family Trypanosomatidae, which includes various members of the genera Leishmania and Trypanosoma, are model systems for unicellular pathogens to study fundamentally important biological phenomena. Recently, ablation of gene expression by RNA interference (RNAi) has become the method of choice to study gene function in Trypanosoma brucei, an early divergent eukaryote that infects humans and animals. As has been shown in multicellular organisms, the RNAi mechanism in T. brucei involves processing of double-stranded RNA 24- to 26-nt RNAs, termed small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), which guide degradation of the target mRNA. In this article, we describe some of the methods we employ for the analysis of the RNAi mechanism in T. brucei with particular emphasis on detection, cloning, and fractionation of siRNAs and siRNA complexes.
Some practical experiences in the use of a solventless injection system for packed column supercritical fluid chromatography

The operating characteristics of a solventless injector for packed column supercritical fluid chromatography are described. Successful operation depends on the difference between the volatilities of the analytes and the solvent or matrix being sufficient for their separation by gas purging in a thermostatted precolumn, and also on the existence of an effective re-focusing mechanism at the head of the analytical column for the sample dissolved in liquid or supercritical fluid carbon dioxide. The latter is easily achieved in density programmed operation by stationary phase trapping at low fluid densities or phase ratio trapping by changing the temperature at low to moderate fluid densities. The solventless injector can easily accommodate sample volumes from 1–100 μl and is easily adapted for in-line derivatization using reagents which can, after reaction, be eliminated by gas purging. For general purposes the solventless injector can be used to overcome most of the problems encountered when rotary valve loop injectors are used with small bore packed columns, and will probably replace this type of injector as the injector of choice for supercritical fluid chromatography with mobile phases of low polarity.
Discovery of J Chain in African Lungfish (Protopterus dolloi, Sarcopterygii) Using High Throughput Transcriptome Sequencing: Implications in Mucosal Immunity

J chain is a small polypeptide responsible for immunoglobulin (Ig) polymerization and transport of Igs across mucosal surfaces in higher vertebrates. We identified a J chain in dipnoid fish, the African lungfish (Protopterus dolloi) by high throughput sequencing of the transcriptome. P. dolloi J chain is 161 aa long and contains six of the eight Cys residues present in mammalian J chain. Phylogenetic studies place the lungfish J chain closer to tetrapod J chain than to the coelacanth or nurse shark sequences. J chain expression occurs in all P. dolloi immune tissues examined and it increases in the gut and kidney in response to an experimental bacterial infection. Double fluorescent in-situ hybridization shows that 88.5% of IgM+ cells in the gut co-express J chain, a significantly higher percentage than in the pre-pyloric spleen. Importantly, J chain expression is not restricted to the B-cell compartment since gut epithelial cells also express J chain. These results improve our current view of J chain from a phylogenetic perspective.
Leukocyte gelatinase B cleavage releases encephalitogens from human myelin basic protein

Gelatinase B, a marker enzyme for chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis (MS), was found to cleave human myelin basic protein (MBP). Human MBP was digested with gelatinase B from leukocytes. The MBP peptide fragments were separated by RP-HPLC and the gelatinase B cleavage sites established by aminoterminal sequence analysis. Several novel P1-P1' cleavage sites for gelatinase B were found. The positions of the cleavage sites in human MBP were such that at least one peptide coincided with a documented major MBP-autoantigen. This study annotates human MBP as a substrate for human gelatinase B, determines novel P1-P'1 cleavage sites and defines one of the metalloproteinases as a possible link in the pathogenesis of demyelinating diseases such as MS.
Major histocompatibility complex Class I expression in oligodendrocytes induces hypomyelination in transgenic mice

Increased expression of MHC Class I occurs in the central nervous system in association with demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. To determine if MHC Class I expression by oligodendrocytes induces white matter pathology, the MHC Class I gene was expressed in transgenic mice under the control of the myelin basic protein (MBP) promoter. These mice display a neurological phenotype at 21 days-of-age. We examined these mice at 1,3, and 12 weeks-of-age. MHC Class I was detected in the brains and spinal cords of transgenic mice but not in control mice. Class I was located in oligodendrocyte perikarya but not in myelin sheaths. The central nervous system of these transgenic mice was hypomyelinated and contained hypertrophic microglia and astrocytes. These observations establish that Class I expression by oligodendrocytes delays normal myelination but does not cause inflammatory demyelination. This hypomyelinating animal model is of potential use in studying the interactions between immunologically active molecules and remyelination in disorders of myelin.
A Mathematical Approach to Categorization and Labeling of Qualitative Data: the Latent Categorization Method

As text databases increasingly become available to researchers, the limits to human cognition are rapidly reached. Focusing on examining objective realities, this paper introduces the latent categorization method, a novel new research method for analysis of large and midsize data sets. This method clusters text artifacts and extracts the words that were most important in creating the clusters. Further, it demonstrates a set of techniques for extracting knowledge from a representative data set involving 6135 abstracts from a variety of business-related journals.
A generalized Kruskal-Wallis test for comparing K samples subject to unequal patterns of censorship

SUMMARY A generalization of the Kruskal-Wallis test, which extends Gehan's generalization of Wilcoxon's test, is proposed for testing the equality of K continuous distribution functions when observations are subject to arbitrary right censorship. The distribution of the censoring variables is allowed to differ for different populations. An alternative statistic is proposed for use when the censoring distributions may be assumed equal. These statistics have asymptotic chi-squared distributions under their respective null hypotheses, whether the censoring variables are regarded as random or as fixed numbers. Asymptotic power and efficiency calculations are made and numerical examples provided. A generalization of Wilcoxon's statistic for comparing two populations has been proposed by Gehan (1965a) for use when the observations are subject to arbitrary right censorship. Mantel (1967), as well as Gehan (1965b), has considered a further generalization to the case of arbitrarily restricted observation, or left and right censorship. Both of these authors base their calculations on the permutation distribution of the statistic, conditional on the observed censoring pattern for the combined sample. However, this model is inapplicable when there are differences in the distribution of the censoring variables for the two populations. For instance, in medical follow-up studies, where Gehan's procedure has so far found its widest application, this would happen if the two populations had been under study for different lengths of time. This paper extends Gehan's procedure for right censored observations to the comparison of K populations. The probability distributions of the relevant statistics are here considered in a large sample framework under two models: Model I, corresponding to random or unconditional censorship; and Model II, which considers the observed censoring times as fixed numbers. Since the distributions of the censoring variables are allowed to vary with the population, Gehan's procedure is also extended to the case of unequal censorship. For Model I these distributions are theoretical distributions; for Model II they are empirical. Besides providing chi-squared statistics for use in testing the hypothesis of equality of the K populations against general alternatives, the paper shows how single degrees of freedom may be partitioned for use in discriminating specific alternative hypotheses. Several investigators (Efron, 1967) have pointed out that Gehan's test is not the most efficient against certain parametric alternatives and have proposed modifications to increase its power. Asymptotic power and efficiency calculations made below demonstrate that their criticisms would apply equally well to the test proposed here. Hopefully some of the modifications they suggest can likewise eventually be generalized to the case of K
Notifications received by primary care practitioners in electronic health records: A taxonomy and time analysis

Abstract Background Asynchronous electronic health record (EHR)-based alerts used to notify practitioners via an inbox-like format rather than through synchronous computer "pop-up" messages are understudied. Our objective was to create an asynchronous alert taxonomy and measure the impact of different alert types on practitioner workload. Methods We quantified and categorized asynchronous alerts according to the information they conveyed and conducted a time-motion analysis to assess practitioner workload. We reviewed alert information transmitted to all 47 primary care practitioners (PCPs) at a large, tertiary care Veterans Affairs facility over 4 evenly spaced 28-day periods. An interdisciplinary team used content analysis to categorize alerts according to their conveyed information. We then created an alert taxonomy and used it to calculate the mean number of alerts of each type PCPs received each day. We conducted a time-motion study of 26 PCPs while they processed their alerts. We used these data to estimate the uninterrupted time practitioners spend processing alerts each day. Results We extracted 295,792 asynchronously generated alerts and created a taxonomy of 33 alert types categorized under 6 major categories: Test Results, Referrals, Note-Based Communication, Order Status, Patient Status Changes, and Incomplete Task Reminders. PCPs received a mean of 56.4 alerts/day containing new information. Based on 749 observed alert processing episodes, practitioners spent an estimated average of 49 minutes/day processing their alerts. Conclusions PCPs receive a large number of EHR-based asynchronous alerts daily and spend significant time processing them. The utility of transmitting large quantities and varieties of alerts to PCPs warrants further investigation.
β-Endorphin stimulates corticosterone synthesis in isolated rat adrenal cells

Abstract Studies are presented which demonstrate that β-endorphin induces corticosterone synthesis in isolated fasciculata cells. This activation of steroidogenesis has a lag period of 3 to 5 minutes and is cycloheximide-sensitive. The data suggest that β-endorphin exhibits steroidogenic activity by binding to the adrenocorticotropic hormone receptors of the cells.
Summary and Frequency of Barriers to Adoption of CPOE in the U.S

Medical errors are common, costly, and can potentially be life threatening to patients. Recent studies have established that Computer Provider Order Entry (CPOE) systems reduce medical errors as well as improve safety, quality, and value of patient care. However, research regarding adoption factors associated with CPOE systems is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to determine adoption factors by identifying the frequency of barriers through the analysis of literature and research. A systematic literature review was conducted from EBSCO Host and Google Scholar. The search criteria focused on publication date, keywords, and peer reviewed articles. The final set established for evaluation was ten articles. The authors summarized each article and then identified common barriers. Throughout the ten articles, 31 barriers were identified; 15 of which were unique. The three most frequent barriers identified were: process changes (23 %), training (13 %), and efficacy (10 %). The results of this review identify to policy makers levers to incentivize to encourage adoption. The results also illustrate to vendors the importance of factors to include in both marketing and development. The leadership of healthcare organizations should be encouraged to see such results and know that their concerns are heard. If policy makers and vendors help healthcare organizations overcome barriers to adoption, the organization has a better chance of successful CPOE implementation. If successfully implemented, a CPOE system can improve the process of care, quality of care, and patient outcomes; all of which address issues of Meaningful Use.
W-Boson Pair Production Cross Section and Measurement of W-Mass

The W-pair production cross section in e+e− collision is investigated as a measuring tool for the W-mass. Against the recent argument, the cross section itself is not useful for determining the parameter of the electroweak theory. Also the leading logarithmic correction to the cross section is shown to be small.
3D visualization of endocardial peak velocities during systole and diastole

Quantitative assessment of regional heart motion has the potential to provide diagnostic data for assessment of cardiac malfunction. Local heart motion may be obtained with various medical imaging scanners, so the goal is to provide an imaging modality-independent display/analysis technique. In this study, 3D reconstructions of a canine heart before and after infarction were obtained from the Dynamic Spatial Reconstructor (DSR) at 15 time points throughout one cardiac cycle. Deformable models of each time point were created. Through this process regional excursions and velocities in the mesh can be assigned to represent a piece of endocardium, which can be calculated for each time-point interval. These calculations are based on the distance change between a single vertex of the mesh and the model centerline from LV apex to aortic/mitral valve separation. This allows computation of color maps corresponding to regional values of contraction or dilation motion of the endocardium relative to the LV long axis (centerline) during systole and/or diastole. These color maps can be illustrated through model animations and multi view static images. Using functional parametric mappings of disturbances in regional contractility and relaxation facilitates appreciation of the effect of altered structure-to-function relationships in the myocardium.
Amber, the Heliades, and the Poetics of Trauma in Marvell's "The Nymph Complaining"

This essay recovers the cultural and historical significance of Baltic amber and introduces a new, untragic model of female subjectivity and trauma in Andrew Marvell’s “The Nymph Complaining for the Death of Her Fawn.” Given amber’s impact in European economic history, I argue that its Ovidian origin in the Heliades’ tears is significant, for these trees ironically create a superior, imperishable resin that exceeds that of healthy, nonweeping trees. Renaissance poets who refer to the Heliades’ amber tears expand our understanding of the period’s configurations of mourning by validating symptoms of trauma often seen as unnatural or pathological.
Caregiving for advanced chronic illness patients

The transfer of care from the hospital to home settings has shifted responsibility for the day-to-day care of the long-term, medically complex patient to the family. While family members have always provided care to seriously ill relatives, the care that is expected of family members in today’s health care environment is vastly more complex than it was just 10 years ago. The chronic illness trajectory denotes the fluctuating, variable course of illness phases over time as well as the actions taken by various participants to shape or control that course. The course of the patient’s illness—the illness trajectory—shapes the caregiver’s experience. Three different trajectories of advanced, eventually fatal, chronic illness represent differing patient and family caregiver needs: (1) the long stable period followed by a rather abrupt, defined terminal phase and exemplified by cancer; (2) a trajectory marked by a long course of decline with periodic crises alternating with periods of stability, and with a sudden death, exemplified by congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and (3) a long, slow decline with steadily progressive disability before dying of complications of old age, stroke, or dementia. Patients and families want good pain and symptom management for their loved one; accurate, timely, and adequate information (communication); emotional support from and accessibility to providers; and continuity care across settings. The health care system could be doing more to support family caregivers.
Configuring silicon neural networks using genetic algorithms

There are various neuron models which can be used to emulate the neural networks responsible for cortical and spinal processes. One example is the Central Pattern Generator (CPG) networks, which are spinal neural circuits responsible for controlling the timing of periodic systems in vertebrates. In order to model the CPG effectively, it is necessary to model not just multiple individual neurons, but also the interactions between them. Due to the complexity of these types of systems, CPG models typically require large numbers (> 10) of parameters making them difficult to understand and control. Genetic Algorithms (GAs) provide a means for optimizing systems with many parameters. We present an automated method that uses a GA to And sets of parameters for a silicon implementation of a neural network capable of producing CPG type signals. This methodology can be used to configure large silicon neural circuits. In this work, constructed networks involving an 18-parameter space, can be used for controlling legged robots and neuroprosthetic devices.
Comparison of the Antibacterial Activity of Erythromycin in Various Suppository Bases

A comparison of the antiseptic effect and stability of erythromycin in several suppository bases has been made. It appears that the base influences the effectiveness and the stability of the incorporated antibiotic.
Mitochondrial DNA damage-associated molecular patterns mediate a feed-forward cycle of bacteria-induced vascular injury in perfused rat lungs

Fragments of the mitochondrial genome released into the systemic circulation after mechanical trauma, termed mitochondrial DNA damage-associated molecular patterns (mtDNA DAMPs), are thought to med...
Relationship between level of milk production and multiple ovulations in lactating dairy cows

Our objective was to evaluate factors associated with spontaneous multiple ovulations in lactating dairy cows. Ovaries of cows [n = 267; >50 days in milk (DIM)] were evaluated weekly using ultrasound to determine spontaneous (i.e., no hormonal treatment) ovulation rate starting at 50 DIM and continuing until pregnancy diagnosis. Cows were fitted with a transmitter to record standing activity during estrus, and serum progesterone concentration was assessed weekly starting at wk 1 postpartum for all cows. Overall, 76 (28.5%) cows were anovular and 191 (71.5%) were ovular by 71 DIM. Incidence of anovulation was not associated with level of milk production but was associated with lower body condition. For anovular cows (n = 41) that spontaneously recovered, the multiple ovulation rate at first ovulation was 46.3%. For second and subsequent ovulations (n = 463), the level of milk production for 14 d preceding estrus was associated with increased ovulation rate. To illustrate, incidence of multiple ovulations was 1.6% (2/128), 16.9% (32/189), and 47.9% (70/146) for ovulations when cows were producing or=45 kg/d, respectively. Among cows for which estrous behavior was recorded, those with multiple ovulations (n = 48) had shorter duration of estrus (4.3 +/- 0.7 vs. 9.9 +/- 0.5 h) and higher production (47.2 +/- 0.9 vs. 38.1 +/- 0.5 kg/d) than cows with single ovulations (n = 237). Circulating concentrations of estradiol were lower (5.5 +/- 0.3; n = 15 vs. 7.8 +/- 0.4 pg/mL; n = 71) during periods of estrus with multiple ovulations despite a greater preovulatory follicular volume (4136 +/- 123 vs. 3085 +/- 110 mm(3)). Similarly, serum progesterone concentration 7 d after estrus was lower for cows with multiple than single ovulations (2.5 +/- 0.3 vs. 3.2 +/- 0.1 ng/mL) despite a greater luteal volume (8291 +/- 516 vs. 6405 +/- 158 mm(3)). In summary, the first spontaneous ovulation in anovular cows and a higher level of milk production for 14 d preceding estrus were associated with increased multiple ovulation rate. Additionally, cows with multiple ovulations had lower estradiol at estrus, a shorter duration of estrus, and lower progesterone at 7 d after estrus than cows with single ovulations.
Case Studies of Mathematics Teachers’ Learning in an Online Study Group

Two teachers participating in an online study group provided the foci for indepth case studies. Transcripts of conversations they had with colleagues about issues related to reform-oriented pedagogy were analyzed from both acquisition and participation perspectives on learning. Both teachers exhibited mainly marginal changes to their pedagogical reasoning structures and were generally resistant to adopting ideas posed during online debates. At the same time, the text-based environment provided a setting for both participants to structure their emerging thoughts about changes to their existing pedagogical reasoning structures. It also served as a forum for them to identify gaps in their personal knowledge and to obtain further professional development to address them. The methodology and theoretical perspective employed in the report provide a foundation for further research on teachers’ learning in online environments.
Generic Product Advertising, Spillovers, and Market Concentration

We examine the decision to advertise a homogenous good. We show that the likelihood of inefficiently low advertising rests heavily on how one models the mechanism by which advertising affects demand. Regardless of this mechanism, however, there is always a lower bound of concentration below which no advertising occurs even when welfare-enhancing. In such cases, mandatory programs will raise welfare if they induce entry, although producer surplus may decline. Our model also provides an explanation for the stylized fact that advertising intensity first rises and then falls as concentration increases. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.
Optimizing Web services performance by differential deserialization

Web services technology has emerged as a key infrastructure that enables business entities to interact with each other without any human inventions. In order for the technology to be widely used, especially in any field where a large volume of transactions may be processed, it is highly desirable that the Web services engine should tolerate such environments. In this paper, we present a novel approach for improving Web services performance. We first focus on the fundamental characteristics of the Web services in that the SOAP messages on the wire are mostly generated by machines and have a lot of similarities among the processed messages. By making use of these features and eliminating the redundant processing, we propose a new deserialization mechanism that reuses matching regions from the previously deserialized application objects from earlier messages, and only performs deserialization for a new region that would not be processed before. Through our experiments in this paper, we observed that our approach obtained a 288% performance gain (maximum) by incorporating the differential deserialization into the Axis SOAP engine.
It's easier to pick a good teacher than to train one: Familiar and new results on the correlates of teacher effectiveness

Abstract Neither holding a college major in education nor acquiring a master's degree is correlated with elementary and middle school teaching effectiveness, regardless of the university at which the degree was earned. Teachers generally do become more effective with a few years of teaching experience, but we also find evidence that teachers may become less effective with experience, particularly later in their careers. These and other findings with respect to the correlates of teacher effectiveness are obtained from estimations using value-added models that control for student characteristics as well as school and (where appropriate teacher) fixed effects in order to measure teacher effectiveness in reading and math for Florida students in fourth through eighth grades for eight school years, 2001–2002 through 2008–2009.
Food intake and estrogenic hormone effects on serum and tissue cholesterol.

Cholesterol-fed male rats have shown greater variations in liver cholesterol with different levels of protein intake than have females (Okey and Lyman, '54, '56). In young rats, the sex differences became apparent at the time when males showed the heightened food consumption and growth rate associated with the attainment of puberty. Moreover, they were most marked when the diets contained barely enough good protein to support optimal growth if the total food (and hence calorie) consumption was high. An investigation seemed indicated, to test whether the sex difference was the result of a specific hormone effect or only a corollary of the differ ence in food intake and growth rate of males and females. Human males are known to have a higher incidence of dis eases associated with abnormal tissue cholesterol deposition, whereas human females (as well as female rats) tend to have higher serum cholestA©rolsthan males of the same age and diet groups (Gillum et al., '55). It was therefore also con sidered desirable to find out something about the relationship between circulating and stored cholesterol.
Design of a compact power conditioning unit for use with an explosively driven high power microwave system

The generation of high power microwaves using explosively driven pulsed power is of particular interest to the defense community. The high energy density of explosives provides the opportunity to design pulsed power systems which occupy significantly less volume, yet provide the same output power, as traditional methods of High Power Microwave (HPM) production. Utilizing a Flux Compression Generator (FCG) as explosive driver necessitates introducing an intermediate Power Conditioning System (PCS) that addresses the typical impedance mismatch between FCG and HPM source. The presented PCS is composed of an energy storage inductor, an opening fuse switch and a self-break peaking gap all of which needed to fit within an envelope of 15 cm diameter. Currents in the tens of kilo-amperes and voltages in the hundreds of kilo-volts have to be handled by the PCS. The design of the system, which takes up less than 11 liters of volume, as well its performance into a 20 Ω resistive load (used to approximate the operating impedance of certain HPM sources) is presented. Approximately 6 GW of electrical peak power was delivered to the load.
On isomorphisms and similarities between generalized Petersen networks and periodically regular chordal rings

Generalized Petersen (GP) networks and periodically regular chordal (PRC) rings have been proposed independently to ameliorate the high latency and extreme fragility of simple ring networks. In this paper, we note that certain GP networks are isomorphic to suitably constructed PRC rings, while other varieties correspond to PRC rings that closely approximate their topological and performance attributes. In the absence of equivalence and similarity proofs in the opposite direction, our results indicate that PRC rings may be preferable to GP networks in the sense of covering a broader family of networks and offering greater flexibility in cost-performance tradeoffs.
Power series expansions of dynamic stiffness matrices for tapered bars and shafts

SUMMARY Stiffness and consistent mass matrices for tapered bars and shafts are derived with the aid of static displacement functions. Moreover, the corresponding dynamic stiffness matrices are developed in the Laplace transform domain from the exact solutions of axial/torsional governing equations. Power series expansions of the Bessel functions comprising the dynamic stiffness influence coefficients show that the stiffness and consistent mass matrices can be mathematically derived from the dynamic stiffness matrices. A discussion on the convergence of the power series expansions is also presented. The developments provide further insight into the approximations present in conventional consistent mass formulations of frameworks with tapered members.