cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building a culture of excellence in Boston and beyond.

There is mounting evidence that unhealthy work environments result in dissatisfied staff, breakdown in communication among disciplines, and poor patient outcomes. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Patient-Focused Care project were developed as complementary initiatives to provide direction for improving patient care environments. Hospitalized pediatric patients benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration, teamwork, and clinical innovation that are not obstructed by disciplinary silos and rigid roles. AACN’s 6 evidence-based standards are used as a framework to guide this discussion about cultures of excellence in pediatric cardiovascular programs through the lens of an experienced nurse administrator. Each standard interacts in a dynamic way to promote clinical and operational excellence for optimal patient outcomes. Evidence-based examples of contemporary interdis...
E-Business and ERP: A Conceptual Framework toward the Business Transformation to an Integrated E-Supply Chain

The blending of Internet technologies and traditional business concerns impacts all industries and is the latest phase in the ongoing evolution of business. In this changing business environment, the most successful companies are those that leverage their investment in Web-based technologies by implementing e-business solutions supported by sound existing infrastructures based on well-functioning Enterprise Resource Planning ERP systems. Companies must also forge tighter links in the supply chain, from raw materials to customers and have increasingly turned to the Internet and Web-based technologies to do so. This paper presents a framework for understanding e-business opportunities within the context of a traditional enterprise and its infrastructure and examines the evolving relationship between e-business and ERP. These developments are moving businesses toward the concept of e-Supply Chain to achieve true supply chain integration. The issues and challenges faced by organizations in moving to such a complete e-business environment are discussed and suggestions are offered for businesses to navigate this challenging transformation.
Isolation of prolactin-producing cells from first and second trimester decidua.

Two cell types isolated and purified to homogeneity from human decidua obtained at 8–17 weeks of gestation were shown immunocytochemically to correspond to decidual and epithelial cells in the tissue of origin. The decidual cells reacted with antihuman PRL antiserum, and epithelial cells reacted with antiserum against keratin, an epithelial cell marker. Decidual and epithelial cells were cultured separately to determine their abilities to release PRL to the medium. Decidual cells released 140–410 ng PRL/mg protein in 24 h, whereas no PRL was detectable in cultures of isolated epithelial cells. These homogeneous preparations provide an excellent system with which to study the regulation of PRL production and other biochemical properties of decidual components.
BASELINE-DIFFERENCING: A NOVEL APPROACH FOR BUILDING GENERALIZABLE OCEAN TURBINE RELIABILITY MODELS

Ocean turbines are a promising new source of clean energy, but their remote and inhospitable environment (the open ocean) poses reliability challenges. Machine condition monitoring/prognostic health monitoring (MCM/PHM) systems assure the reliability of these turbines by detecting and predicting machine state. These MCM/PHM systems use sensor data (such as vibration information) to determine whether or not the machine is operating properly. However, not all sensor data corresponds to the machine state: some portions of the sensor signal are influenced by certain environmental conditions which do not directly relate to machine health. Therefore, models must be built which can detect system state regardless of these environmental operating conditions. The proposed baseline-differencing approach permits this by creating a baseline for different conditions (such that each baseline represents what the normal, healthy machine state looks like while in that operating condition) and using the difference of the observed data and this baseline to train and evaluate models. We present two case studies, both conducted on data from a dynamometer representing an ocean turbine, to demonstrate the improved predictive capabilities of models which incorporate baseline-differencing, compared to the models which use the nonbaselined data. The results show that significantly more high-quality models can be built with baseline-differencing.
An impatient man and his papers

Ludwig Wittgenstein died in 1951. At the time, the ideas he had developed after his return to philosophy in 1928 were known only to a handful of people through his lectures and conversations and through the typescripts which he had dictated and which were circulating among friends and colleagues. The wider philosophical community was eagerly waiting for Wittgenstein’s ideas to become effectively available.
Industries Behind Bars: An Economic Perspective on the Production of Goods and Services by U.S. Prison Industries

This note focuses on two key issues about production in U.S. prisons for sale to customers outside their walls: the relative labor productivity and wages of these prison industries compared with other U.S. industries; and the types of goods and services that these prison industries produce. The results are drawn, in part, from my own survey of state prison industry directors.
Enhanced corneal absorption of erythromycin by modulating P-glycoprotein and MRP mediated efflux with corticosteroids.

Purpose The objectives were (i) to test in vivo functional activity of MRP2 on rabbit corneal epithelium and (ii) to evaluate modulation of P-gp and MRP2 mediated efflux of erythromycin when co-administered with corticosteroids.
Multiphase electropatterning of cells and biomaterials

Tissues formed by cells encapsulated in hydrogels have uses in biotechnology, cell-based assays, and tissue engineering. We have previously presented a 3D micropatterning technique that rapidly localizes live cells within hydrogels using dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces, and have demonstrated the ability to modulate tissue function through the control of microscale cell architecture. A limitation of this method is the requirement that a single biomaterial must simultaneously harbor biological properties that support cell survival and function and material properties that permit efficient dielectrophoretic patterning. Here, we resolve this issue by forming multiphase tissues consisting of microscale tissue sub-units in a ‘local phase’ biomaterial, which, in turn, are organized by DEP forces in a separate, mechanically supportive ‘bulk phase’ material. We first define the effects of medium conductivity on the speed and quality of DEP cell patterning. As a case study, we then produce multiphase tissues with microscale architecture that combine high local hydrogel conductivity for enhanced survival of sensitive liver progenitor cells with low bulk conductivity required for efficient DEP micropatterning. This approach enables an expanded range of studies examining the influence of 3D cellular architecture on diverse cell types, and in the future may improve the biological function of inhomogeneous tissues assembled from a variety of modular tissue sub-units.
Large molecular size prolactin with reduced receptor activity in human serum: high proportion in basal state and reduction after thyrotropin-releasing hormone.

ABSTRACT. Previous studies of PRL heterogeneity in serum have been chiefly confined to specimens with pathologically or physiologically elevated levels of the hormone. We have examined distribution patterns of PRL after Sephadex chromatography in the sera of eight normal adults before and 15, 60, and 120 min after iv TRH. Column eluates were concentrated by lyophilization and assayed by both RIA and radioreceptor assay (RRA). Lyophilization produced no significant changes in immunological activity of the different fractions. High proportions (mean, 24% range, 12–38%) of immunoreactive material appearing close to the void volume (big big PRL) were noted in all specimens in the resting state. The proportions of big and little (monomer) PRL were 18% and 58%, respectively. The relative proportion of big big PRL declined abruptly 15 min after TRH (mean, 12.9% range, 3–23%), with a corresponding increase in little PRL; there was a restoration of the zero-min pattern by 60–120 min. Receptor assays confirmed this...
A Study of Super Nonlinear Motion of Electrostatically Coupled Two-Particle System

We consider a pair of nonidentical mechanical pendulums. The bob of each pendulum in addition to its own mass electrically is charged. The pendulums are hung from a common pivot in a vertical plane forming a slanted asymmet-ric ??shaped figure. For arbitrary initial swings that are not necessarily confined to small angles, we analyze the dy-namics of each bob under the influence of gravity’s pull as well as the mutual repulsive Coulombian internal force. The equations describing the motion of the system are a set of highly, supper nonlinear coupled differential equations. Applying Mathematica we solve the equations numerically. For nonidentical parameters describing the pendulums, namely, we show the system behaves chaotically; i.e. the angular position of each pendulum leaves a non-repeatable, chaotic pattern in time. For this coupled two-particle interactive system we show also by folding the time axis, the angular position of one of the pendulums vs. the other traces a Lissajous type curve. Our report includes various traditional phase diagrams and a set of newly designed, useful, phase-type diagrams as well. For a comprehensive understanding about the dynamics of the problem at hand, we provide Mathematica codes conducive to animating the chaotic motion of the system. The generic format of the codes allows adjusting the relevant pa-rameters at will and addressing the “what-if” scenarios.
Dispersion and polydispersity of droplets in stationary isotropic turbulence

Abstract A detailed parametric study is conducted of dispersion and polydispersity of liquid drops in stationary isotropic turbulence via direct numerical simulation. It is assumed that the flow is very dilute so that the effect of particles on the carrier fluid is negligible (one-way coupling). Both non-evaporating and evaporating drops are simulated; in the latter both constant and variable rates of evaporation are considered. The simulations of non-evaporating drops are used to validate the numerical methodology and to assess the effects of the particle time constant and the drift velocity on the particle velocity autocorrelation, turbulence intensity and diffusivity. The simulated results are also used to appraise the performance of some of the available theoretical models for particle dispersion in stationary isotropic turbulence. The effects of the initial drop time constant, the initial evaporation rate, and the drop Schmidt number on the probability density function (pdf) of the drop size are studied. It is found that, after an initial transient period the pdf of the drop size becomes nearly Gaussian. However, the pdf deviates from Gaussian as the mean drop time constant becomes very small. The extent of this deviation depends on the evaporation rate. The effect of the initial spray size on the pdf is also studied and it is shown that as the spray size increases, the interaction between the spray and large scale turbulence structures influences the pdf. The effect of the initial size distribution on the pdf is also investigated by varying the initial standard deviation. Both Gaussian and double-delta initial drop size pdfs are considered. In the latter it is shown that a transition to Gaussian is possible provided that the initial mean drop time constant is large and/or the initial standard deviation of the drop diameter is small.
Magneto-optical Kerr spectroscopy of a new chemically ordered alloy: Co3Pt.

The sensitivity of magneto-optical spectra to alloy chemical ordering is established. This is demonstrated for a new ordered ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}$Pt phase, which was synthesized in thin film form using molecular beam epitaxial growth. This compound consists of alternating planes of Co and CoPt atoms with a hexagonal ABAB. . . layer sequence. The chemical ordering is accompanied by a substantial electronic structure change as reflected in a new peak in magneto-optical spectra at \ensuremath{\sim}3.2 eV photon energy.
Comment on "The Involvement of the Orbitofrontal Cortex in the Experience of Regret"

R egret is an emotion that accompanies negative outcomes to decisions for which we have been responsible ([ 1 ][1]). Given a choice between two gambles, subjects will experience regret if the unchosen gamble yields a higher reward than the chosen gamble ([ 2 ][2]). Camille et al . ([ 3 ][3])
Inguinal herniorrhaphy: 25-year results of technical improvements leading to reduced morbidity in 4,029 patients

Since 1981, 4,029 consecutive inguinal herniorrhaphies (IH) were performed under protocol utilizing several emerging techniques progressively incorporated to lower complication rates. Patients were operated with identical protocols from 1981 to 1988 at a teaching institution (Group A patients) and from 1988 till the present at two community hospitals (Group B patients). Emergent techniques were sequentially incorporated, progressing from a modified Shouldice approach to the Rives technique, Lichtenstein rolled plugs, and finally to the Rutkow–Robbins mesh plug. Several technical as well as aseptic and antiseptic measures were incorporated in the protocol to prevent episodes of wound infection, testicular atrophy, and inguinodynia. A total of 4,029 IH were performed: Group A (1,199 primary and 113 recurrent IH), Group B (2,466 primary and 251 recurrent IH). There were 1,834 IH performed with the Shouldice technique [recurrence rate (RR) 1%], 224 utilizing the Rives technique (RR 0%), the Lichtenstein rolled plug in 47 (RR 0%), and plug mesh in 1,910 (RR 0.23%). One hundred and six recurrent hernias were operated by the Shouldice technique (RR 0%), nine by the Lichtenstein rolled plug (RR 0%), and 233 by the plug-mesh method (RR 0%). Five subfascial wound infections were encountered (0.12%). Testicular ischemia was observed in five (0.12%), all prior to 1983; 32 inconsequential distal hydroceles were seen, all after dividing inguinoscrotal sacs and leaving the distal portion undisturbed. Superficial, self-reabsorbing wound hematoma occurred in 29 patients, and 14 patients suffered from temporary urinary retention. No instances of postoperative neuralgia were observed. Personal and institutional follow-up in both groups evolved from 95.5% for 1 year to 70% after 6 years. There was no mortality. Utilizing evolving techniques, including strict operating room aseptic and antiseptic measures, plus the use of systemic and local antibiotics, inguinal herniorrhaphy can be performed with minimal complications. The plug-mesh technique is presently our technical choice for most primary and recurrent hernias.
Characterization of the health of southern Appalachian red spruce (Piceae rubens) through determination of calcium, magnesium, and aluminum concentrations in foliage and soil

The red spruce (Picea rubens) is a conifer whose southern native range is limited to high elevation sites in the Appalachian Mountains. Red spruce decline has been reported to involve atmospheric deposition of acidic anions, which may affect cation mobility in soil, primarily calcium, magnesium, and aluminum. In this work, the concentrations of these elements were determined in red spruce foliage and surrounding soil at high elevation locations in the Great Smoky Mountains and on the Blue Ridge Parkway by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Few differences in foliar or soil concentrations were observed at the sites, indicating that elevation and geography do not affect these values. A comparison of foliar concentrations in seedlings, saplings, and mature trees demonstrated few differences, suggesting that life stage does not affect these elemental concentrations. A previously-developed model to estimate forest health using soil calcium/aluminum ratios suggested that all sites had a significant risk of adverse health effects. However, comparisons of foliar calcium/aluminum ratios and calcium and magnesium concentrations to values obtained in the mid-1990s showed an improvement in these parameters, presumably due to decreased acidic deposition.
Adaptive multiple super fast simulated annealing for stochastic microstructure reconstruction

Fast microstructure reconstruction from statistical information is critical to create high resolution image with large domain for materials property prediction. Large structural data generated from multimodality chemical imaging instrumentation also calls for fast microstructure reconstruction for evaluation and interpretation. Stochastic methods in microstructure reconstruction from two-point correlation function have been applied widely in materials and mechanical engineering community. The main challenge is to increase the efficiency of large data reconstruction and reconstruction. A novel simulated annealing method, adaptive multiple super fast simulated annealing, is proposed for fast solution to improve efficiency. Combining the advantage of very fast cooling schedules, dynamic adaption and parallelisation, the new simulation annealing algorithm increases the efficiencies by several orders of magnitude, making the large domain image fusion feasible.
Age Determinations from Scales of Alosa pseudoharengus (Wilson) and Alosa aestivalis (Mitchill) in Connecticut Waters

Abstract During 1966 and 1967, scales from 1,125 anadromous alewives, Alosa pseudoharengus, were collected from the Connecticut River and Bride Brook, Lyme, Connecticut. Scales from 722 blueback herring, Alosa aestivalis, were collected from the Connecticut and Thames rivers during the same period. Scales were read and interpreted for total age. Questionable annuli were interpreted by determining the average distance between annuli and the average and range of the number of transverse grooves per annulus. Most scales of both species were found to have zones reflecting habitation of freshwater (freshwater zones). Freshwater zones were broader on blueback scales, and occurred 44% more often than on alewife scales. The relationship between body and scale lengths was calculated for both species and was found to be linear and highly correlated. Alewives reached a maximum age of eight years, while bluebacks reached seven years. Age II and III alewives were never collected. The majority of alewives in the spawni...
Precursors of ethylene.

Two pathways for biosynthesis of ethylene in higher plants have been postulated (10). One is associated with the breakdown of peroxidized linolenic acid and the other involves the degradation of methionine. Although the formation of ethyilene from peroxidized linolenate has been demonstrated in model systems catalyzed by Cu24, oxygen and ascorbic acid (10) and by an apple extract in the presence of oxygen and ascorbic acid (4), there is no direct evidence that it occurs in plant tissues. The conversion of methionine to etlhylene in model systems (8,19) and in plant tissues (2,9) has been demonstrated. In the FMN-light mediated model system (19), it has been established that methionine is converted to ethylene via methional (,a-methylthiopropionaldehyde) as an intermediate. Enzymic conversion of methionine analogs to ethylene catalvzed by peroxidase has been elucidated recently (5, 6, 11, 12, 15, 17); a-keto-y-methylthiobutyric acid and methional, but not methionine, are the active substrates. A chemical mechanism accounting for suich enzymic formation of ethylene has been described (15-18). On tlle basis of this information, Yalng (16) has proposed the following scheme for the biosynthesis of ethylene in plants: methionine -> a-keto-y-methylthiobutyric acid -+ methional -) ethylene. In order to test the proposed pathways, radioactive linolenic acid and the appropriate radioactive methionine analogs were fed to apple tissue. None of these suggested precursors of ethylene was converted to ethylene as effectively as was methionine.
Discrimination of heterozygotes for phenylketonuria, persistent hyperphenylalaninemia and controls by phenylalanine loading

Hyperphenylalaninemia commonly is the result of an autosomal recessively inherited deficiency of the liver enzyme, phenylalanine hydroxylase [1,2]. Classical phenylketonuria (PKU) is caused by absent activity of this enzyme. Persistent hyperphenylalaninemia (PHP), the most common of the non-PKU variants of hyperphenylalaninemia, is secondary to a significant, although not total, deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity [l]. Determination of PKU heterozygous individuals would be very useful for providing accurate genetic counseling. for siblings, offspring, spouses and other relatives of PKU patients. However, since direct assay of enzyme activity requires liver biopsy [l], several methodologies have been devised to assess carrier status in this disorder [3-151. Most of these methods are based on the evaluation of phenylalanine (P) and/or tyrosine (T) blood levels as a means of classifying individuals as carriers or noncarriers for PKU. In fact, the development of oral P loading tests for carrier detection was first described thirty years ago [3]. Some of the most widely used methods to date are based on the analysis of P and T blood levels following an oral [3-5,7] or intravenous [8,9] P load or a deuterated P load [lo]. Several investigators have evaluated P and T levels in midday, semifasting blood [11,13] or in samples obtained after an overnight fast [12]. Discriminant analysis was used in some of the loading studies to evaluate the data [ll-131. A number of factors have been shown to modify P or T metabolism and thus complicate heterozygote detection [16,17] including oral contraceptives, pregnancy, age, sex and obesity.
Clinically relevant microfluidic magnetophoretic isolation of rare-cell populations for diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring applications.

Cells of biomedical interest are, despite their functional significance, often present in very small numbers. Therefore the analysis and isolation of previously inaccessible rare cells, such as peripheral hematopoietic stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, or circulating tumor cells, require efficient, sensitive, and specific procedures that do not compromise the viability of the cells. The current study builds on previous work on a rationally designed microfluidic magnetophoretic cell separation platform capable of throughputs of 240 μL min–1. Proof-of-concept was first conducted using MCF-7 (1–1000 total cells) as the target rare cell spiked into high concentrations of Raji B-lymphocyte nontarget cells (∼106 total cells). These experiments lead to the establishment of a magnet-based separation for the isolation of 50 MCF-7 cells directly from whole blood. Results show an efficiency of collection greater than 85%, with a purity of over 90%. Next, resident endothelial progenitor cells and hematopoieti...
Playing Audrey II: creating a digital actor through game technology

The fields of 3D computer animation and digital game design owe a great deal to traditional performance practice and theory, particularly in terms of creating emotionally resonant digital characters. Digital actors can hold their own with live actors on film, but are rarely used in live stage performance. This talk discusses how a team of faculty and students in game development and animation joined forces with faculty in music and theater to bring a digital character to life on-stage through the use of gaming technology. This talk also discusses how our methodology can effectively improve the development of interactive digital characters in the future, in terms of technology, production pipeline, and approaches to performance.
An Examination of Business Students' Perception of Corporate Social Responsibilities Before and After Bankruptcies

Significant research has found that corporations have a social responsibility beyond maximizing shareholders' value. This study examines the effect of high-profile corporate bankruptcies on perception of corporate social responsibility. Undergraduate and graduate business students rated the importance of corporate social responsibility on profitability, long-term success and short-term success, before and after high-profile bankruptcies. The results indicated that students in general perceived corporate social responsibility to be more important to profitability and long-term success of the firm and less important to short-term success after media publicity of corporate scandals. Several demographic factors such as gender, age and college major played a role in this perception. These findings have important implications for business education, especially as it relates to corporate social responsibility.
Nanoporous Alumina Films Prepared from Colloidal Solution

Alumina layers were deposited by spin coating and dip coating on different substrates (Pt, Si, Al2O3) from the water suspension of nanosize boehmite particles. It was shown, that addition of the butoxyethanol in the suspension improves wetting and the quality of the film. No separation from the substrate or cracking of the film took place up to 1000°C on all types of the substrates for the film thickness up to 10μm. Because of the minimal shrinkage, the coating can be used to smooth rough substrates as well as provide interfacial layers for either single layer or multilayer structures.
Synthesis and characterization of cationic rhodium(I) dicarbonyl complexes

Abstract Treatment of Rh(acac)(CO)2 (acac = acetoacetonate) with perchloric acid followed by addition of an α-diimine (α-diimine = 1,4-bis(Ar)-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene, Ar = 3,5-dimethylphenyl, 1; 3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl, 2; and 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl, 3; phenyl, 4; and 4-chlorophenyl, 5) generates a series of complexes of the type [Rh(α-diimine)(CO)2][ClO4] 6–10 with varying electronic properties of the supporting diimine ligand. X-ray crystal structures have been determined for the α-diimine ligands 1–5, and complexes 6, 8, and 10.
Introducing evidence based medicine to the journal club, using a structured pre and post test: a cohort study

Journal Club at a University-based residency program was restructured to introduce, reinforce and evaluate residents understanding of the concepts of Evidence Based Medicine. Over the course of a year structured pre and post-tests were developed for use during each Journal Club. Questions were derived from the articles being reviewed. Performance with the key concepts of Evidence Based Medicine was assessed. Study subjects were 35 PGY2 and PGY3 residents in a University based Family Practice Program. Performance on the pre-test demonstrated a significant improvement from a median of 54.5 % to 78.9 % over the course of the year (F 89.17, p < .001). The post-test results also exhibited a significant increase from 63.6 % to 81.6% (F 85.84, p < .001). Following organizational revision, the introduction of a pre-test/post-test instrument supported achievement of the learning objectives with a better understanding and utilization of the concepts of Evidence Based Medicine.
A Parallel Apriori Algorithm for Frequent Itemsets Mining

Finding frequent itemsets is one of the most investigated fields of data mining. The Apriori algorithm is the most established algorithm for frequent itemsets mining (FIM). Several implementations of the Apriori algorithm have been reported and evaluated. One of the implementations optimizing the data structure with a trie by Bodon catches our attention. The results of the Bodons implementation for finding frequent itemsets appear to be faster than the ones by Borgelt and Goethals. In this paper, we revised Bodons implementation into a parallel one where input transactions are read by a parallel computer. The effect a parallel computer on this modified implementation is presented.
Bringing The Concepts Of Peer Coaches And Local Health Workers From Africa To Harlem

Prabhjot Singh, a PhD scientist and medical resident, saw the effectiveness of community health workers while working in Africa. Now he helps run a New York–based organization that trains peer coaches to help struggling Americans manage their health.
Evaluating and communicating uncertainty in the presence of non-white noise

Classical uncertainty evaluation uses probability density functions that are both Gaussian and stationary in variance about a mean, which may be drifting. Uncertainty in the drift rate means the full uncertainty propagator must allow for the progressive growth of uncertainty as time passes after a calibration. Additionally, the variance is often unavoidably non-stationary: e.g. its within-group variance is less than its between-group variance. We illustrate how this non-stationarity can be studied by Fourier analysis. In many cases, in addition to classical white noise with its flat power spectrum of fluctuations, 1/f and/or 1/f/sup 2/ noise is revealed. A broad class of non-white noise models, that might be thought to give divergent results, is harnessed to derive its explicit uncertainty propagator to describe the growth of uncertainty with time. The propagator suggests simple ways for checking between-time variances for the presence of random walk noise.
Shrinkage estimation of scale parameter of the extreme-value distribution

The author studies the usual preliminary test estimator of the scale parameter of the extreme-value distribution in censored samples. The optimum levels of significance and their corresponding critical values for the preliminary test are obtained based on the minimax regret criterion. A preliminary test shrinkage estimator that is smoother than the usual preliminary test estimator is proposed as well. The optimum values of shrinkage coefficients for the preliminary test shrinkage estimator are obtained, and are also based on the minimax regret criterion. Comparison of these two estimators shows that if the mean square error is a criterion of goodness of estimation then the preliminary test shrinkage estimator is better than the usual preliminary test estimator. >
Microwave characterization of high-T/sub c/ superconducting thin films and devices

Summary form only given. The high-frequency surface resistance R/sub S/ of high-T/sub c/ thin films is typically determined by measuring loss (or quality factor Q) in a resonator and then accounting for the current distribution in the film so that an equivalent surface resistance for a semi-infinite-thick slab can be calculated. A stripline resonator has been the characterization tool of choice at Lincoln Laboratory. The best R/sub S/ values obtained for YBCO at a frequency of 1.5 GHz were 2.6*10/sup -6/ Omega at 4 K and 8.3*10/sup -6/ Omega at 77 K. The surface resistance depends on power, not only because of the nature and quality of the superconducting film, but also because the design of the device will affect current distribution. In particular, current crowding at the edge of transmission lines produces a nonlinearly increasing R/sub S/ with increasing power, and this leads to the generation of harmonics, intermodulation products, and reduction of Q. In linear device applications, power levels must be selected to avoid such nonlinear effects. >
Two-dimensional methodology for modeling radiation-induced off-state leakage in CMOS technologies

A modeling approach using two-dimensional device simulations is presented, which enables the extraction of parameters for the radiation-induced parasitic MOSFET created at the edge of the shallow trench isolation (STI) oxide. With the model, one can estimate drain-to-source off-state leakage current (I/sub OFF/) resulting from build-up of oxide trapped charge (N/sub OT/). The impact of nonuniform N/sub OT/ build-up in the STI resulting from total ionizing dose (TID) exposure and external bias conditions is analyzed through volumetric simulations and compared to experimental data. Saturation for the off-state leakage current as a function of trapped charge is also investigated.
Role of SraP, a Serine-Rich Surface Protein of Staphylococcus aureus, in Binding to Human Platelets

The binding of bacteria to platelets is a postulated central event in the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis. Platelet binding by Streptococcus gordonii is mediated in large part by GspB, a high-molecular-mass cell wall glycoprotein. Although Staphylococcus aureus has a GspB homolog (SraP), little is known about its function. SraP has a calculated molecular mass of 227 kDa and, like GspB, is predicted to contain an atypical N-terminal signal sequence, two serine-rich repeat regions (srr1 and srr2) separated by a nonrepeat region, and a C-terminal cell wall anchoring motif (LPDTG). To assess whether SraP contributes to platelet binding, we compared the binding to human platelets of S. aureus strain ISP479C and of an isogenic variant (strain PS767) in which sraP had been disrupted by allelic replacement. Platelet binding in vitro by PS767 was 47% ± 17% (mean ± standard deviation) lower than that of ISP479C (P < 0.001). In addition, a recombinant fragment of SraP containing srr1 and the nonrepeat region was found to bind platelets directly. Binding was saturable, suggesting a receptor-ligand interaction. When tested in a rabbit model of endocarditis, in which each animal was simultaneously infected with ISP479C and PS767 at a ratio of approximately 1:1, the titers of the mutant strain within vegetations were significantly lower than those of the parent strain at 1 and 24 h postinfection. These results indicate that SraP can mediate the direct binding of S. aureus to platelets and that the platelet-binding domain of this glycoprotein is located within its N-terminal region. Moreover, the expression of SraP appears to be a virulence determinant in endovascular infection.
Internet Gambling and Pornography: Illustrative Examples of the Psychological Consequences of Communication Anarchy

Two areas of Internet behavior, gambling and pornography distribution, are examined for what they reveal about the profound social and psychological changes caused by recent advances in communication technology. The overview of these domains clearly shows that there will be an expected increase in people presenting for treatment with Internet behavior related difficulties, and that their treatment will be, at present, uninformed by any specific empirical research. These two domains are used as examples to illustrate how the Internet is creating a paradigm shift in the basic nature of an individual's relationships to local, state, and federal governments. It is no longer possible for people, even minors, to be fully protected by their governments from material deemed harmful by the community one lives in. This is demonstrated by a review of the current availability, in millions of homes nationwide, of the opportunity to experience Internet casino gambling and to acquire pornographic material not sold in United States adult bookstores. The psychological effect of the increased need for individual responsibility in the access to potentially harmful domains is not well understood at this time. This article is a call for the kind of basic research that will delineate the base rates for pathological involvement in online gambling and pornography, as a means of discovering the potential negative psychological consequences of the inability to regulate Internet content.
Myocardial edema, left ventricular function, and pulmonary hypertension

Left ventricular dysfunction has been reported in both experimentally induced and clinical pulmonary hypertension. However, the mechanism by which pulmonary hypertension causes left ventricular dys...
Doomsday Ecology and Empathy for Nature: Women Scientists in “B” Horror Movies

This article’s purpose is to examine representations of women scientists in “B” horror movies. Portrayals of female scientists appearing in these films differ significantly from those in blockbuster films. This is because of three factors: (a) a greater freedom for controversial subject matter in low-budget movies, (b) filmmakers’ use of high media attention science and environmental issues to attract an audience, and (c) the influence of Western images that feminize nature and position science as a tool to control both women and nature. The analysis describes three resultant themes in the relationship between filmic women scientists and nature.
Defense R&D, technology, and economic performance: a longitudinal analysis of the US experience

The impact of defense expenditure is discussed in terms of the direct relationships between defense R&D and economic performance as well as the indirect relationships between the development of technical and scientific skills and new technology. The model is estimated for the period 1955-1988 on a time-series set measured as elasticities. The effect of defense R&D is observed through technological change as measured by the number of patents granted to US organizations and individuals. Results indicate no statistically visible evidence of direct effect from defense R&D to the economy. The nonR&D aspect of defense spending appears to have no statistically significant effect on the major components of civilian economic performance, technical skills formation or technological change. From a policy point of view, this suggests that technical spillovers may be limited to a specific kind of defense spending and not to defense spending in general. Another implication is that the rivalry between R&D and nonR&D defense spending favors the latter. >
Bicycling for pleasure and power

for artificial stimulants or narcotics; it could cure nervousness, conquer insomnia, and bring families together as husband, wife, and children all bicycled together.
Living Donor Kidney Transplantation: Overcoming Disparities in Live Kidney Donation in the US—Recommendations from a Consensus Conference

Despite its superior outcomes relative to chronic dialysis and deceased donor kidney transplantation, live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) is less likely to occur in minorities, older adults, and poor patients than in those who are white, younger, and have higher household income. In addition, there is considerable geographic variability in LDKT rates. Concomitantly, in recent years, the rate of living kidney donation (LKD) has stopped increasing and is declining, after decades of consistent growth. Particularly noteworthy is the decline in LKD among black, younger, male, and lower-income adults. The Live Donor Community of Practice within the American Society of Transplantation, with financial support from 10 other organizations, held a Consensus Conference on Best Practices in Live Kidney Donation in June 2014. The purpose of this meeting was to identify LKD best practices and knowledge gaps that might influence LDKT, with a focus on patient and donor education, evaluation efficiencies, disparities, and systemic barriers to LKD. In this article, we discuss trends in LDKT/LKD and emerging novel strategies for attenuating disparities, and we offer specific recommendations for future clinical practice, education, research, and policy from the Consensus Conference Workgroup focused on disparities.
Reelection and Congressional Support: Presidential Motives in Distributive Politics

We discuss circumstances whereby presidents dispense distributive benefits to enhance their reelection chances and cultivate congressional support. Presidents do this by influencing bureaucratic de...
Three-dimensional stereoscopic plots

Three-dimensional (3-d) stereoscopic plots allow human viewers to interpret printed plots, plots shown on a computer screen, or plots projected to a wall as realistic 3-d images. Our human perception of depth, that is, the third dimension, works because of the fact that each of our eyes sees a slightly different image. When these images are combined in the human brain, we interpret the result as a third dimension that represents depth or distance. In 3-d stereoscopic plots, two slightly different images are created and are presented to the two eyes of the viewer. When done well, a realistic 3-d image is created in our brain. Various techniques exist to create and present the two different images to the human viewer. In this article, we will focus on techniques that have been used extensively in the field of statistics, that is, freeviewing of side-by-side images and anaglyphs. Additional techniques exist and will be presented in the context of Virtual Reality (VR) and CAVE environments. WIREs Comp Stat 2011 3 483–496 DOI: 10.1002/wics.189 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. A considerable portion of the text in this article appeared originally (sometimes in adapted form) in E. J. Wegman and J. Symanzik. Immersive Projection Technology for Visual Data Mining in the Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, 11(1):163–188, 2002 and is reprinted with the permission of the American Statistical Association, which holds the copyright. All rights reserved.
Untangling the phylogeny of neotropical lianas (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae)

The tribe Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae) is a large and morphologically diverse clade of neotropical lianas. Despite being a conspicuous component of the neotropical flora, the systematics of the tribe has remained uncertain due to confusing patterns of morphological variation within the group. Chloroplast (ndhF) and nuclear (PepC) DNA sequences were used here to reconstruct the phylogeny of Bignonieae. Individual analyses of ndhF and PepC were highly similar to one another, yet localized differences in the placement of six species suggests some conflict between data sets. Combined analyses result in trees that are consistent with those from the individual analyses and provide greater support for the suggested relationships. This phylogeny provides important new insights into the systematics of the tribe. It identifies 21 strongly supported species groups, eight of which broadly correspond to currently recognized genera. In addition, each of these 21 species groups is supported by morphological synapomorphies. The consistency between morphological and molecular data suggests that the current phylogeny provides a solid framework for a formal revision of the generic-level classification and for addressing other aspects of the biology of Bignonieae.
Satisfaction and Desire for Change in Educational Placement for Children with Down Syndrome Perceptions of Parents

This study surveyed 291 parents of children with Down syndrome about their satisfaction with their child's current educational program, as well as their desire and reasons for considering change. Perceptions were compared across age, current educational placement, ethnicity, and mother's educational level. Parents of younger children, children currently enrolled in both early intervention and general education, and mothers with an education beyond a bachelor's degree were more satisfied with their children's current programs. Parents of children in general education were least likely to want a program change. Wanting change centered on seven themes: the approach of a school transition point, the desire for greater inclusion, placement in a neighborhood school, the need for additional services and support, influences of peers, parents' financial resources, and ongoing information acquisition/decision-making issues.
Three Dimensions of Naturalness: An Expanded Definition of Field Research

After reviewing several definitions of field research, an expanded framework for conceptualizing field research is presented. Three theoretically independent dimensions commonly used in field designs—natural behavior, natural setting, and natural treatment—are defined and exemplified. Advantages of combining all three dimensions in research include the discovery of new empirical laws and increased internal and external validity. Empirical examples are given that illustrate how naturalistic dimensions can be implemented in many settings, both laboratory and field, often without loss of experimental control. In recent years various schools of field researchers have selectively emphasized one or more naturalistic dimensions and neglected others. These dimensions include natural behavior, natural setting, and natural treatment. Although each dimension injects a bit of the real world into psychological research, each dimension reflects a separate aspect of reality. Certain research problems preclude incorporating all three dimensions in a single study, but investigations that have combined the three dimensions have accrued at least three advantages: (a) New empirical laws have been discovered, (b) the research has been made more credible to participants, thereby increasing internal validity, and (c) the research has been given greater external validity, a valued asset to a discipline supposedly concerned with real-world events. Before discussing in detail these benefits, each naturalistic dimension is more thoroughly described and exemplified. A review of the literature indicates that the vast majority of field studies have used only one or two naturalistic dimensions in their research designs. Specifically, ethologists (Jones, 1972) have mainly been interested in natural behavior, field methodologists (Campbell & Stanley, 1963) have primarily been concerned The author is indebted to John Berman and Richard Dienstbier for their helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier draft of this paper. Requests for reprints should be sent to Gilbert B. Tunnell, who is now at the Department of Psychology, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York 13346. with using natural settings, and naturalprocess researchers (Shontz, 1965) have been particularly attentive to using naturally occurring events as experimental treatments. The argument to be developed here is that field research stands to become much richer if and when all three dimensions are simultaneously considered.
Social Psychology of Identities

In this chapter I review the social psychological underpinnings of identity, emphasizing social cognitive and symbolic interactionist perspectives and research, and I turn then to key themes of current work on identity—social psychological, sociological, and interdisciplinary. I emphasize the social bases of identity, particularly identities based on ethnicity, race, sexuality, gender, class, age, and (dis)ability, both separately and as they intersect. I also take up identities based on space, both geographic and virtual. I discuss struggles over identities, organized by social inequalities, nationalisms, and social movements. I conclude by discussing postmodernist conceptions of identities as fluid, multidimensional, personalized social constructions that reflect sociohistorical contexts, approaches remarkably consistent with recent empirical social psychological research, and I argue explicitly for a politicized social psychology of identities that brings together the structures of everyday lives and t...
Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty (translated by Arthur Goldhammer), Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 2014, pp. 696, $39.99 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-674-43000-6

Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twentieth Century has proved to be as much a sociological as an intellectual event. ‘The Piketty phenomenon: why has Capital become a publishing sensation?’ asks Rob...