cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceived Reachability for Self and for Others by 3- to 5-Year-Old Children and Adults

Ability to perceive the distance at which an object is within reach was assessed in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children and adults. In different situations, subjects had to judge whether an object placed in the vertical or horizontal plane was reachable for themselves or for someone else (the experimenter). Adults as well as children differentiated between the limits of their own prehensile space and those of another person. At all ages, children tend to attribute systematically more reachability to the adult experimenter. Furthermore, both children and adults systematically underestimate reachability for others in a horizontal presentation of the object. For all age groups, judgments of reachability for self are bodily scaled and based on perceived degrees of behavioral freedom for self and for others. From 3 years of age, children are shown to resemble adults in their ability to perceive what objects afford for action, either for self or for others. These results are interpreted as further evidence of early allocentrism (i.e., spatial decentration and perspective taking) in the context of a practical task.
Sympathetic innervation of murine thymus and spleen: evidence for a functional link between the nervous and immune systems.

Sympathetic innervation was demonstrated in both perivascular and parenchymal regions of murine thymus and spleen. Catecholamine varicosities were associated with mast cells in these areas. The antibody response to sheep red blood cells of 7 week old mice that had been sympathectomized with sixhydroxydopamine (6OHDA) at birth was significantly elevated compared with saline treated controls. Alpha-methyl tyrosine (α-MT) and 6OHDA treatment of mice, producing a more complete sympathectomy, showed a significantly enhanced anti-SRBC response with respect to mice treated with α-MT or 6OHDA alone. Catecholamine levels in thymus, spleen, and adrenals of both experimental and control mice were measured using liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (LCEC). The present study suggests that the sympathetic nervous system has a functional role in modulating the humoral immune response in vivo.
Discontinuity-Adaptive De-Interlacing Scheme Using Markov Random Field Model

In this paper, a de-interlacing algorithm to find the optimal deinterlaced results given accuracy-limited motion information is proposed. The de-interlacing process is formulated as a Maximum A Posterior (MAP) - Markov Random Field (MRF) problem. The MAP solution is the one that minimizes an energy function. The energy function imposes discontinuity adaptive smoothness constraint upon the deinterlaced frame. Simulation results show that the MAP-MRF formulation is efficient and the high frequency noise is removed in a few iterations.
Tn5 insertion specificity is not influenced by IS50 end sequences in target DNA

The bacterial transposon Tn5 inserts into dozens of sites in a gene, some of which are used preferentially (hotspots). Features of certain sites and precedents provided by several other transposons had suggested that sequences in target DNA corresponding to the ends of Tn5 or of its component IS50 elements might facilitate transposition to these sites. We tested this possibility using derivatives of plasmid pBR322 carrying IS50 I or O end sequences. Tn5 inserted frequently into an IS50 I end at the major hotspot in pBR322, but not into either an I end or an O end 230 by away from this hotspot. Adenine (dam) methylation at GATC sequences in the I end segment interferes with its use as the end of a transposon, but a dam− mutation did not affect Tn5 insertion relative to an I end sequence in target DNA. These results support models in which the ability of Tn5 to find its preferred sites depends on several features of DNA sequence and conformation, and in which target selection is distinct from recognition of the element ends during transposition.
Structure and Function of the E. coli Dihydroneopterin Triphosphate Pyrophosphatase: A Nudix Enzyme Involved in Folate Biosynthesis

Nudix hydrolases are a superfamily of pyrophosphatases, most of which are involved in clearing the cell of potentially deleterious metabolites and in preventing the accumulation of metabolic intermediates. We determined that the product of the orf17 gene of Escherichia coli, a Nudix NTP hydrolase, catalyzes the hydrolytic release of pyrophosphate from dihydroneopterin triphosphate, the committed step of folate synthesis in bacteria. That this dihydroneopterin hydrolase (DHNTPase) is indeed a key enzyme in the folate pathway was confirmed in vivo: knockout of this gene in E. coli leads to a marked reduction in folate synthesis that is completely restored by a plasmid carrying the gene. We also determined the crystal structure of this enzyme using data to 1.8 A resolution and studied the kinetics of the reaction. These results provide insight into the structural bases for catalysis and substrate specificity in this enzyme and allow the definition of the dihydroneopterin triphosphate pyrophosphatase family of Nudix enzymes.
Gyre-Scale Acoustic Tomography: Modeling Simulations

Abstract Ocean Acoustic Tomography was proposed by Munk and Wunsch as a method for making measurements of ocean variability over large areas. After the successful demonstration of the feasibility of the idea in the 1981 three-dimensional Mesoscale Experiment the tomography group has proposed a new experiment to be carried out in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, on ranges as long as the subtropical gyre scale. This paper address the question of which average quantities of importance for the ocean general circulation and ocean climate can be measured by tomography and with what accuracy. The paper focuses upon the following quantities i) measurement of the heat content vertical profile horizontally averaged over a tomographic section; ii) time variability of the average heat content, or average pycnocline displacement, at different depths; iii) measurement of the average pycnocline slope at different depths. To answer the above question the tomographic experiment is simulated in a given model ocean, using Holland...
A generalization of the Kolmogorov-von Kármán relationship and some further implications on the values of the constants

A general relation between the Kolmogorov (α1) and von Karman (k) constants appropriate to flows in the surface boundary layer is obtained by including stability and divergence dependent terms in the development. The result is used to show that the author's earlier inference of the valuek = 0.36 drawn from the observed value α,k 4/3=0.141 cannot have been underestimated due to the neglect of stability or divergence effects. It is concluded that if k is to be ≥0.4, then α1 must be ≤0.5.
Progress in epidermolysis bullosa: from eponyms to molecular genetic classification

Epidermolysis bullosa, a clinically and genetically diverse group of heritable mechanobullous disorders characterized by skin fragility in the cutaneous basement membrane zone, has become a prototype for the recent progress in molecular genetics of genodermatoses. The different forms of epidermolysis bullosa have been linked to mutations in no less than 10 distinct genes encoding the major structural basement membrane zone proteins. This information has formed a basis for refined molecular classification with prognostic implications, improved genetic counseling, and prenatal and preimplantation genetic diagnosis.
Compassionate Care A Concept Analysis

Compassion may be nursing's most precious asset, yet the concept of compassion (or compassionate care) remains notably absent from nursing scholarship and the practicalities related to contemporary...
Effects of word familiarity and delay of testing on recognition memory performance

Eighty subjects were shown either 100 rare words or 100 common words and tested for recognition memory either immediately or after a 48-h delay. On the immediate test, subjects in the rare word condition made more correct decisions. Delay of testing affected the proportion of correct decision, hit rates, and false-alarm rates. The data suggest a temporal decrement in d’ for both word conditions.
Tracking the power in an enterprise decision support system

Enterprises rely on decision support systems to influence critical business choices. At the same time, IT-related power costs are growing and are a key concern for enterprise executives. Yet, there is little work to date characterizing the power use of decision support systems. Towards this end, we present the first holistic measurements and analysis of an audit-class system running the TPC-H decision support benchmark at the 300GB scale. We first provide a breakdown of the system's power use into its core hardware components. We then explore its power-performance tradeoffs. This investigation shows that there is ample room to improve its energy use without sacrificing much performance. Moreover, the most energy-efficient configuration depends on the workload. These results suggest that, going forward, database software has an important role to play in optimizing for energy use.
Characterization of the early lesion of 'degenerative' valvular aortic stenosis. Histological and immunohistochemical studies.

BACKGROUNDNonrheumatic stenosis of trileaflet aortic valves, often termed senile or calcific valvular aortic stenosis, is considered a "degenerative" process, but little is known about the cellular or molecular factors that mediate its development.METHODS AND RESULTSTo characterize the developing aortic valvular lesion, we performed histological and immunohistochemical studies on Formalin-fixed and methanol-Carnoy's-fixed paraffin-embedded aortic valve leaflets or on frozen sections obtained at autopsy from 27 adults (age, 46 to 82 years) with normal leaflets (n = 6), mild macroscopic leaflet thickening (n = 15), or clinical aortic stenosis (n = 6). Focal areas of thickening ("early lesions") were characterized by (1) subendothelial thickening on the aortic side of the leaflet, between the basement membrane (PAS-positive) and elastic lamina (Verhoeff-van Gieson), (2) the presence of large amounts of intracellular and extracellular neutral lipids (oil red O) and fine, stippled mineralization (von Kossa), a...
Ouabain-resistant human lymphoblastoid lines altered in the (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase membrane transport system.

Diploid human lymphoblastoid cells with altered response to ouabain inhibition of the (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase transport system, manifest both in whole cells and in purified plasma membrane vesicles, were selected for their resistance to 0.1 mM ouabain. Ouabain-resistant (OUAR) cells with normal growth at 50 times this dose were recovered at a frequency of 1 × 10−6. This frequency was increased 9-fold after exposure to ethyl methane sulphonate but was decreased by the frameshift mutagen ICR-191, under conditions where both increased the frequency of 8-azaguanine-resistant colonies. The ouabain resistance phenotype was stable after 200 population doublings in the absence of ouabain. OUAR clones showed 30–50% of the wild type amount of 3H-ouabain bound per cell, with the same dissociation constant for ouabain, 0.1 mM at 0.5 mM K+, as observed in wild-type cells. Both the initial rate of uptake of 86Rb+ in OUAR cells and the (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase activity of OUAR plasma membranes showed decreased sensitivity to ouabain inhibition. However, growth and transport properties of OUAR cells in the absence of ouabain were unchanged compared with wild type cells.
Organic carbon oxidation and benthic nitrogen and silica dynamics in San Clemente Basin, a continental borderland site

Organic carbon oxidation rates in San Clemente Basin were determined by benthic chamber experiments using the Bottom Lander, along with studies of pore water chemistry. Non-steady-state diagenetic models are developed for interpreting concentration-time data from the benthic chamber experiments. O2, NO3−, and SO42− are all important oxidants for organic carbon at our study site. Regenerated fixed nitrogen was consumed by NO3− reduction. There is a flux of NO3− into the sediments, and the benthic flux of NH4+ is undetectable. The total rate at which fixed nitrogen is removed from the oceans at this site is about twice the flux of PON to the sea floor. SiO2 fluxes calculated from interfacial pore water gradients are in satisfactory agreement with those determined using the Lander. Most silica dissolution must therefore occur within the sediments, although interstitial profiles show that little dissolution occurs below 1 cm depth.
New statistic in P-value estimation for anomaly detection

Given n nominal samples, a query point η and a significance level a, the uniformly most powerful test for anomaly detection can be to test p(η) ≤ α, where p(η) is the p-value function of η. In [1] a p-value estimator is proposed which is based on ranking some statistic over all data samples, and is shown to be asymptotically consistent. Relying on this framework we propose a new statistic for p-value estimation. It is based on the average of K nearest neighbor (K-NN) distances of η within a K-NN graph constructed from n nominal training samples. We also provide a bootstrapping strategy for estimating p-values which leads to better robustness. We then theoretically justify the asymptotic consistency of our ideas through a finite sample analysis. Synthetic and real experiments demonstrate the superiorities of our scheme.
MUTANT STRAINS OF HERPES SIMPLEX DEFICIENT IN THYMIDINE KINASE-INDUCING ACTIVITY.

Abstract A mouse fibroblast subline [strain LM (TK−)] which lacks thymidine (TdR) and deoxyuridine (UdR) kinase activities acquires these enzymes following infection by herpes simplex virus. Mutant strains of herpes simplex have been isolated, which are resistant to bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) and iododeoxyuridine (IUdR), and deficient in enzyme-inducing activity. The herpes simplex mutants fall into 3 groups: (1) mutant strains that induce either very low levels of TdR kinase activity or none at all; (2) mutant strains that induce approximately normal levels of TdR-H3 uptake into the nuclei of 4–14% of the LM (TK−) cells; and (3) mutant strains that induce only very light TdR-H3 labeling of the nuclei of 22–63% of the LM (TK−) cells. Three mutants from group I have been propagated for several passages in LM or in LM (TK−) cells in media lacking BUdR. LM (TK−) cells were then challenged with virus from each of the passages and tested for TdR-H3 incorporating activity. The experiments demonstrated that these mutants do not undergo gross reversion. Infection with parental herpes simplex enhanced the TdR and UdR kinase activities of LM cells, while infection with herpes simplex mutants reduced these enzymatic activities. The uridine kinase activity of both LM and LM (TK−) cells was reduced following inoculation of cultures with either parental or mutant herpes simplex strains. Growth of parental herpes simplex in LM (TK−) cells was markedly inhibited by either 25 μg/ml BUdR or 25 μg/ml IUdR. Similarly growth of parental virus in LM cells was inhibited by 25 μg/ml BUdR. However, growth of mutant 2011 occurred in LM (TK−) cells in the presence of 500 μg/ml BUdR and was only partially inhibited in LM cells at a BUdR concentration of 200 μg/ml BUdR. Growth of mutant 2006 in LM (TK−) cells was not inhibited by 250 μg/ml IUdR.
The role of electrodes in power degradation of AMTEC: analysis and simulation

During the testing of the alkali metal thermal to electric converter (AMTEC) in laboratory, maximum power output of the AMTEC was found to be decreasing from 2.48 to 1.27 W after 18,000 h of operation with the hot side temperature of 1023 K and the condenser side temperature of 600 K. Electrode is one of the components in AMTEC which has effective lifetime. In this study, the role of the electrode on the overall power degradation has been investigated and reasons of the degradation are established qualitatively and quantitatively. The electrode is found 17% on average responsible for the overall degradation of power output.
The teacher of speech and freedom of speech

(1956). The teacher of speech and freedom of speech. The Speech Teacher: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 91-101.
Effect of iron transferrin on nucleic acid synthesis in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes

Abstract In serum-free cultures of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes, iron transferrin causes enhanced uptake of both tritiated thymidine and tritiated uridine over that seen with only phytohemagglutinin. This effect is specific for the iron transferrin complex, no enhancement produced by either free iron(III) or apotransferrin. Iron bound to transferrin is quantitatively taken up by stimulated lymphocyte cultures, while under similar conditions only 10% of transferrin-bound zinc is incorporated. The relative specificity of action of iron and zinc on nucleic acid synthesis is discussed.
Simulation-based approach to estimation of latent variable models

We propose a simulation-based method for calculating maximum likelihood estimators in latent variable models. The proposed method integrates a recently developed sampling strategy, the so-called Sample Average Approximation method, to efficiently compute high quality solutions of the estimation problem. Theoretical and algorithmic properties of the method are discussed. A computational study, involving two numerical examples, is presented to highlight a significant improvement of the proposed approach over existing methods.
Analyzing the interplay between visual-verbal rhetorical strategies in multimodal documents

This paper reports on the application of a theoretical framework rooted in the notion of representational composition for analyzing the interplay between visual and verbal rhetorical strategies in multimodal documents. The framework is illustrated through the rhetorical analysis of a small corpus of multimodal documents that address workforce development in the clean energy economy.
Communicating Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Room for improvement

Abstract This qualitative study examines consumers' attitudes about key messages, alternative messages, and various formats of the 1995 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans . Five focus groups were conducted using a discussion guide based on previous research and the research concerns of the 1995 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The presentation orders of the guidelines, guideline alternatives, and formats were varied to prevent bias. Forty consumers (age range, 25 to 43 years) participated: 3 groups of women and 2 groups of men. Participants were not familiar with the Dietary Guidelines but had heard some messages. Consumers were confused by several guideline messages. First, the messages to "Maintain or improve your weight" and "Balance the food you eat with physical activity" did not make sense to them. Second, respondents were confused by the term "balance" in several different contexts. The participants most preferred a shortened format, followed by a 2-tiered or grouped format, with the 1995 list of Dietary Guidelines falling last. Most of the Dietary Guidelines could be better communicated to the public using shorter, clearer messages, especially for the weight and physical activity, and fat guidelines. Decreasing the number of guidelines or using a tiered/grouped format could make the Dietary Guidelines more useful to consumers. J Am Diet Assoc. 2001:101:793-797 .
THERMAL HISTORY OF LiF SINGLE CRYSTALS DURING NEUTRON IRRADIATION

Abstract The temperatures of single crystals of LiF and LiBr have been monitored during neutron irradiation by means of thermocouples and chemical indicators. For thermal neutron fluxes between approximately 7 and 12 × 10 12 n cm 2 /sec , the temperature during irradiation normally rises to a value between 130 and 300°C. The temperature of a given sample in the reactor facility is shown to depend on such factors as the neutron flux ( n cm 2 /sec ), total time in the reactor, the packaging of the sample, and the cooling employed in the reactor facility. Various inconsistencies and disagreements in the literature concerning measured changes in properties of LiF after reactor irradiation can be attributed to these thermal effects.
Paracortical nodular T-cell lymphoma : identification of an unusual variant of peripheral T-cell lymphoma

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are regarded as diffuse proliferations. We describe an unusual paracortical nodular growth pattern in four nodal PTCLs that were initially interpreted as atypical lymphoid hyperplasia in three patients and small B-cell lymphoma with plasmacytic differentiation in a fourth. The nodules were vague to easily discernible and produced minimal to partial architectural distortion. Sinuses were often open, and scattered cortical lymphoid follicles with atretic to hyperplastic germinal centers were present. Clusters of tumor cells abutted some follicles in all cases, and in one case they exhibited focal T-zone expansion. Hypervascularity was not prominent, but a few nodules surrounded epithelioid venules, imparting an angiofollicular appearance. The nodules were composed primarily of small lymphocytes with irregular nuclei admixed with scattered large transformed cells, both cell types having clear cytoplasm. Paraffin immunoperoxidase showed that the nodules were composed of T cells. Dendritic cell networks were present only in follicular centers. Southern blot analysis found T-cell receptor gene rearrangements and a germline immunoglobulin gene configuration in all four nodes. These paracortical clear cell nodules of clonal T cells may be a special type of PTCL. Alternatively, they may represent early foci of lymphoma or they may be a subgroup of T-zone lymphoma. Paracortical nodular PTCL must be differentiated from atypical hyperplastic lesions and some B-cell lymphomas.
The Impact of Satisfaction Judgment On Behavioral Intentions: An Investigation of Golf Travelers

This study developed and tested an integrative model to examine the relationships between golf travelers’ information satisfaction, attribute satisfaction, and overall satisfaction related to a gol...
Behavior of Double-Hemisphere Thermohaline Flows in a Single Basin

A coarse resolution, three-dimensional numerical model is used to study how external parameters control the existence and strength of equatorially asymmetric thermohaline overturning in a large-scale, rotating ocean basin. Initially, the meridional surface density gradient is directly set to be larger in a ‘‘dominant’’ hemisphere than in a ‘‘subordinate’’ hemisphere. The two-hemisphere system has a broader thermocline and weaker upwelling than the same model with the dominant hemisphere only. This behavior is in accord with classical scaling arguments, providing that the continuity equation is employed, rather than the linear vorticity equation. The dominant overturning cell, analogous to North Atlantic Deep Water formation, is primarily controlled by the surface density contrast in the dominant hemisphere, which in turn is largely set by temperature. Consequently, in experiments with mixed boundary conditions, the dominant cell strength is relatively insensitive to the magnitude QS of the salinity forcing. However, QS strongly influences subordinate hemisphere properties, including the volume transport of a shallow overturning cell and the meridional extent of a tongue of low-salinity intermediate water reminiscent of Antarctic Intermediate Water. The minimum QS is identified for which the steady, asymmetric flow is stable; below this value, a steady, equatorially symmetric, temperature-dominated overturning occurs. For high salt flux, the asymmetric circulation becomes oscillatory and eventually gives way to an unsteady, symmetric, salt-dominated overturning. For given boundary conditions, it is possible to have at least three different asymmetric states, with significantly different large-scale properties. An expression for the meridional salt transport allows one to roughly predict the surface salinity and density profile and stability of the asymmetric state as a function of QS and other external parameters.
A Novel Subcellular Collagen Organization Process Visualized by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

The α 1β 1 and α 2β 1 integrins belong to a family of cell-surface molecules involved in structural contacts and signal-transduction events across the cell membrane. Employing two-dimensional substrates coated with fluorescently labeled type I collagen, we have discovered a novel subcellular matrix remodeling event that is particular to cells that express the fibrillar collagen receptor α 2β 1. Cells expressing α 1β 1 also perform this collagen organization process, but less proficiently. This work will provide a basis for subsequent studies of cell-mediated collagen fibril assembly.
A source for the geomagnetic storm main phase ring current

The paper considers a proposed source for the geomagnetic storm main phase ring current. It is shown that the flux increases of trapped ions and electrons observed by Explorer 45 at L below 4 during two large geomagnetic storms can be explained by inward radial displacement of the preexisting trapped particle distribution. The proposed source requires only the acceleration of the previously entrapped particle population by inward displacement under conservation of the first two adiabatic invariants. It is suggested that a significant difference between large geomagnetic storms and typical substorm activity may be the inward convection occurring over a large longitude range during storms, but only over a small longitude range during typical substorms.
A Review of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Abstract Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), delivered by an implantable, programmable pulse generator (Cyberonics, Inc, Houston, TX), is effective in reducing the frequency, duration, and/or intensity of seizures in patients with treatment-resistant partial-onset seizures. The use of VNS as a potential treatment for psychiatric disorders is of particular interest given the known neuroanatomic and neurochemical effects of VNS. The first study of VNS for a psychiatric indication reported positive, although preliminary, results in a cohort of 30 patients with treatment-resistant depressive episodes treated openly (A. J. Rush, M. S. George, H. A. Sackeim, et al., Biol Psychiatry 2000;47:276–86). This article reviews the rationale and initial data regarding the use of VNS as a novel treatment for depression.
Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the recovery of potency after radical prostatectomy: effect of unilateral vs bilateral nerve sparing

OBJECTIVES To analyse the impact of a ≈50% reduction of cavernous nervous tissue on the qualitative and quantitative recovery of sexual function after unilateral (UNS) and bilateral (BNS) nerve-sparing robotic radical prostatectomy (RALP), by evaluating these differences in two groups treated with cautery and a cautery-free technique (CFT). PATIENTS AND METHODS UNS was defined as wide-excision of one neurovascular bundle (NVB). Only men aged ≤65 years with preoperative International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scores of ≥22 were included. The cautery group comprised 42 men (of case numbers 1–125) undergoing RALP with cautery, and the CFT group (62 men of cases 151–350) had a cautery-free technique along the NVB. Data were collected prospectively using validated self-administered questionnaires. Potency was defined as two affirmative answers to: do you have erections ‘adequate for vaginal penetration?’ and ‘Are they satisfactory?’. Patient-reported IIEF-5 scores and quality of erections (i.e. an estimate of erection as 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of preoperative fullness) were obtained after surgery. RESULTS In the cautery group, doubling the nerve volume increased potency by 1.36 times (UNS 50% vs BNS 68%). The results were similar in the CFT group as doubling nerve tissue increased potency by 1.15 times (UNS 80% and BNS 93%). At 24 months, comparing IIEF-5 scores, there was no difference between UNS and BNS for the cautery group, at 19.6 (95% confidence interval 15.7–23.5) vs 18.9 (16.6–21.0), or the CFT group, at 22.0 (20.2–23.8) vs 21.0 (19.8–22.1). CONCLUSIONS Doubling the nerve volume only increased potency by 1.15–1.36 times for both the CFT and cautery groups. Furthermore, the quality of erections and IIEF-5 scores did not vary appreciably with doubling of nerve tissue.
The Debate over Death Determination in DCD

Organ donation after the circulatory determination of death has become a standard medical practice in the developed world. Despite its widespread acceptance, though, the question of whether the donor is actually dead at the moment of donation persists. In this issue, Don Marquis concludes that DCD donors are indeed not dead at the moment of donation because the cessation of their cardiac function is not irreversible. I believe DCD survives Marquis's criticisms, although careful attention to the details is necessary to see why. One source of confusion is terminology. The abbreviation "DCD" originally meant "donation after cardiac death," but this is a misnomer. The "C" in DCD should refer to circulatory function. The Uniform Determination of Death Act identifies cessation of circulation as the test for death, and in keeping with the death statutes based on the UDDA, physicians commonly declare patients dead once their circulation permanently stops, despite residual electrocardiographic activity. The misplaced focus on the heart instead of circulation is understandable because the heart is usually the organ responsible for circulation, but what counts is absence of circulation. Marquis distinguishes permanent from irreversible cessation of circulation. Cessation of circulation can be said to be permanent if, once it stops, it will neither restart spontaneously--"autoresuscitate"--nor will be restarted by medical resuscitation. Marquis rightly notes that the probability of autoresuscitation is an empirical issue. In a recent analysis of all published cases of autoresuscitation in patients whose heart stopped beating after life-sustaining therapy was discontinued, not a single case was reported of autoresuscitation to circulation, despite a few cases of autoresuscitation to cardiac electrical activity. (1) Once a donor has been without circulation long enough that autoresuscitation cannot occur, and since DCD donors have do-not-resuscitate orders and medical resuscitation will not occur, the permanent cessation of circulation inevitably and rapidly evolves into irreversible cessation. Given these conditions, permanent cessation of circulation is a valid surrogate indicator for irreversible cessation. Marquis approvingly cites Robert Veatch's critique of a study of infant heart donation following a DCD protocol. Veatch claimed that restarting the hearts in recipient infants retroactively invalidated the death determination in the donor infants by showing that the donors' loss of cardiac function was not irreversible. …
The prognostic importance of worsening renal function during an acute myocardial infarction on long-term mortality

Background Although an acute worsening in renal function (WRF) commonly occurs among patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), its long-term prognostic significance is unknown. We examined predictors of WRF and its association with 4-year mortality. Methods Acute myocardial infarction patients from the multicenter PREMIER study (N = 2,098) who survived to hospital discharge were followed for at least 4 years. Worsening in renal function was defined as an increase in creatinine during hospitalization of ≥0.3 mg/dL above the admission value. Correlates of WRF were determined with multivariable logistic regression models and used, along with other important clinical covariates, in Cox proportional hazards models to define the independent association between WRF and mortality. Results Worsening in renal function was observed in 393 (18.7%) of AMI survivors. Diabetes, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and a history of chronic kidney disease (documented history of renal failure with baseline creatinine >2.5 mg/dL) were independently associated with WRF. During 4-year follow-up, 386 (18.6%) patients died. Mortality was significantly higher in the WRF group (36.6% vs 14.4% in those without WRF, P Conclusions Worsening in renal function occurs in approximately 1 of 6 AMI survivors and is independently associated with an adverse long-term prognosis. Further studies on interventions to minimize WRF or to more aggressively treat patients developing WRF should be tested.
Resolving disputes under the Americans with disabilities act : a case example of an employee with a back impairment

To illustrate the importance of proactive medical professional participation in Americans with Disabilities Act reasonable accommodation cases, this article describes the use of alternative dispute resolution techniques to resolve a case involving a blue collar employee with a work-related lower back injury. The problems in accommodating employees with back and spine injuries are being experienced by many employers. To date, the largest number of discrimination claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the Americans with Disabilities Act involve individuals with back and spine impairments. This article identifies eight decision-points in the Americans with Disabilities Act accommodation process that are relevant to employers, persons with disabilities, medical professionals, union representatives, and legal counsel.
Conduit or Forum?: Regulatory Metaphors for the Internet

Abstract This essay examines the application of the First Amendment to the Internet in the Communication Decency Act (CDA) cases. It argues that because of case precedent in media related cases, the CDA courts were situated within a well—established conceptual framework that favored particular metaphors and rationales that determined the outcome of the case in the Supreme Court. However, it notes that other metaphorical options were available and even identified in the Supreme Court. According to one Justice, a different choice of metaphors could lead the Court to apply a different lineage of First Amendment cases rather than those traditionally applied to communication media. The essay suggests how a particular shift in the controlling metaphor for the Internet could call forth a different brand of First Amendment analysis, namely, fora analysis. The possibilities of such an analysis are explored along with the ramifications the metaphor shift could have on the global formation and regulation of the Inte...
Radioguided parathyroidectomy in patients with secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism.

Abstract Background To date there have been no reports on the feasibility of radioguided parathyroidectomy (RGP) in patients with secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Methods Twenty-three consecutive patients with secondary (n = 5) or tertiary hyperparathyroidism (n = 18) underwent RGP. Patients were injected with 10 mCi of technetium 99–sestamibi before surgery. All parathyroid glands were localized during operation with a neoprobe. Results The mean patient age was 50±3 years. The mean preoperative calcium and intact parathyroid hormone levels were 11.0±0.3 mg/dL and 400±107 pg/mL, respectively. Eighteen patients had 3- or 4-gland hyperplasia, 2 had double adenomas, 2 had forearm graft hyperplasia, 1 had 6-gland disease, and 3 had ectopic glands. All hyperplastic glands had ex vivo counts >20% of background (mean, 63%±6%), making frozen section unnecessary. When compared with 66 historical control subjects who underwent surgery without radioguidance for tertiary hyperparathyroidism, patients undergoing RGP had decreased operative times (96±8 minutes vs 151±15 minutes; P Conclusions RGP in patients with secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism is feasible, may reduce operative time, and permits omission of frozen section. Thus RGP appears to be a useful adjunct in the treatment of secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism.
Pharmacy and Public Policy: Evolution of the Legal and Regulatory Framework for Generic Interchange

The past 40 years have seen a movement in the profession of pharmacy to modify the strictures on professional judgment and professional service to patients emanating from antisubstitution laws, both statutes and regulations, at the state level of government. The shift of responsibility for preparing final dosage forms more and more from the community pharmacist to the pharmaceutical industry led the brand name pharmaceutical manufacturers to form an organization to seek enactment of restrictions on the ability of pharmacists to select the brand of medication to be dispensed. Beginning in 1970, the American Pharmaceutical Association sought to change these laws, and through that decade, coalitions were formed with a variety of groups to effect the modifications. A variety of public policy issues were presented for consideration as part of this movement, with the states adopting a variety of approaches, with all jurisdictions eventually restoring to pharmacists the ability to make professional judgments in the area of drug product selection. This initiative within the profession was a highlight of the past century and may have built the confidence of pharmacists to seek other modifications in public policy related to the legal and regulatory framework within which they practice.
Automation of instrument design, coding, data entry, data cleaning, and codebook generation

In reviewing the survey process, it is clear that for all surveys certain common operations are involved which are independent of where the survey is done or who is in charge of it. To show how these various steps could become part of an integrated data processing system, I first want to describe each step separately, as it is accomplished normally. The description which follows is based on procedures executed at NORC, but similar steps are followed almost everywhere else. Certain terms might be unique to NORC, but their meaning should become clear from the context.
An efficient FPGA-based hardware framework for natural feature extraction and related Computer Vision tasks

The paper presents an efficient and flexible framework for extensive image processing tasks. While most available frameworks concentrate on pixel-based modules and interfaces for image preprocessing tasks, our proposal also covers the seamless integration of higher-level algorithms. Window-oriented filter operations, such as noise filters, edge filters or natural feature detectors, are performed within an efficient 2D window pipeline. This structure is generated and optimized automatically based on a user-defined filter configuration. For complex, higher-level algorithms, an optimized array of independent, software-based processing units is generated. As an example application, we chose object recognition based on the well-known SURF algorithm (“Speeded Up Robust Features”), which performs natural feature detection and description. All involved image processing steps were successfully mapped to our architecture. Thus, exploiting the FPGAs full potential regarding parallelism, we synthesized one of the most efficient SURF detectors and a complete object recognition system in a single mid-size FPGA.
The relationship between self‐leadership behaviors and organization variables in a self‐managed work team environment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between self‐leadership behaviors in a self‐managed work team environment and relevant organizational variables, i.e. supervisory trust, decision‐making, feedback and team goal setting.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected on‐site over a period of three days from employees working in a non‐union paper mill located in a small rural community in the northwestern region of the USA. The survey was completed by 141 employees, representing a 99 per cent response rate. Self‐leadership, supervisory trust, decision‐making, feedback and team goal setting were measured using different scales.Findings – The results indicated that supervisors, who give feedback, and who are perceived as trusting, and encouraging innovative behaviors contribute to the development of self‐leadership behaviors of rehearsal, self‐goal setting, self‐criticism, self‐reinforcement, self‐expectation and self‐observation. In addition, providing team training, foster...
On the existence of a stable convention and a generalized Stackelberg equilibrium

Abstract This note proves the existence of a stable convention, introduced by M. Kaneko, in a recurrent situation of a noncooperative game where the outcome of the previous game is perfectly observed. This is done for a game even without a Nash equilibrium by generalizing the Stackelberg equilibrium.
CEM optimization of the HF antennas installations onboard the aircraft

A novel approach is considered for optimal installation of Notch-Fed (NF) and Shunt-Fed (SF) High Frequency (HF) slot-antennas onboard aircraft (a/c). A numerical experiment is employed while the a/c is illuminated by a plane wave incident from the direction of the proposed antenna's desired radiation. This allows identifying the optimal position of the HF antenna by placing it in the areas of maximal induced current density to obtain desired radiation direction, for given polarization, and frequency. For the highest achievable radiation efficiency, the antenna slot must be positioned perpendicular to the surface current lines. In general, this proposed approach is applicable to all cases when the size of the a/c is comparable to a wavelength.
Serum fibrinogen-related antigen concentrations in the normal dog as measured by the tanned erythrocyte hemagglutination-inhibition immunoassay

Abstract Serum fibrinogen-related antigen concentration values were determined in normal dogs, using a tanned erythrocyte hemagglutination inhibitio immunoasay. The geometric mean value for serum fibrinogen-related antigen was 5.77 μg/ml. The lower and upper 95% prediction limits for the 26 dogs tested were 1.22 and 27.21 μg/ml, respectively.
Are market pioneers intrinsically stronger than later entrants

Are market pioneers more successful because they started with superior skills and resources? The absolute pioneer advantage hypothesis is that because market pioneering is desirable, firms with superior skills and resources naturally choose to pioneer new markets. The comparative advantage hypothesis is that market evolution changes success requirements. Market pioneer skills and resources differ from, but are not superior to later entrants. Empirical results across 171 diversification entrants tend to support the comparative advantage hypothesis. Skill and resource profiles are provided for market pioneers, early followers, and late entrants.
Comparison of Canine and Non‐Human Primate Animal Models for Periodontal Regenerative Therapy: Results Following a Single Administration of PDGF/IGF‐I

Two commonly used animal models for evaluating putative periodontal regenerative therapies are the beagle dog model with natural periodontal disease and the non-human primate with ligature-induced attachment loss. The host response, microbiology, and skeletal rates of remodeling of these two models are summarized. In addition, the results of experiments comparing the healing response to periodontal surgery with and without concurrent use of the combination of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in these models are presented. At 1 month, PDGF/IGF-I administration resulted in a 64.1% and 51.4% increase in new attachment formation in the non-human primate and canine, respectively, while controls (surgery plus placebo) demonstrated 34.1% and 8.6% increases in new attachment formation in the non-human primate and canine models, respectively. Further, application of PDGF/IGF-I stimulated 21.6% and 65% osseous defect fill in the non-human primate and canine, respectively, while controls demonstrated 8.5% and 14.5% osseous defect fill in the non-human primate and canine, respectively. The osseous response in the canine appears greater than that of the non-human primate, and the new attachment formation was more substantial in the non-human primate than the canine. However, in general these data demonstrate a high degree of consistency in the effects of PDGF/IGF-I in promoting periodontal regeneration. Positive results in these two models--the dog with natural periodontal disease and the non-human primate with ligature-induced attachment loss--justify human clinical trial testing of a putative regenerative therapy.
A design tool for large scale fault-tolerant software systems

In order to assist software designers in the application of fault-tolerance techniques to large scale software systems, a computer-aided software design tool has been proposed and implemented that assess the criticality of the software modules contained in the system. This information assists designers in identifying weaknesses in large systems that can lead to system failures. Through analysis and modeling techniques based in graph theory, modules are assessed and rated as to the criticality of their position in the software system. Graphical representation at two levels facilitates the use of cut set analysis, which is our main focus. While the task of finding all cut sets in any graph is NP-complete, the tool intelligently applies cut set analysis by limiting the problem to provide only the information needed for meaningful analysis. In this paper, we examine the methodology and algorithms used in the implementation of this tool and consider future refinements. Although further testing is needed to assess performance on increasingly complex systems, preliminary results look promising. Given the growing demand for reliable software and the complexities involved in the design of these systems, further research in this area is indicated.
High PVC film‐forming composite latex particles via miniemulsification, part 1: Preparation

Miniemulsification technology was used to encapsulate TiO2 particles inside a styrene/n-butyl acrylate copolymer with high loading levels (11 to 70% PVC (pig- ment volume concentration)). In this approach, a St/BA copolymer dissolved in toluene in the presence of a costa- bilizer (hexadecane) was mixed with a dispersion of TiO2 particles in toluene and sonified, and then emulsified in an aqueous surfactant solution by sonification. The effect of sonification time on both the dispersibility of the TiO2 par- ticles in the presence of the copolymer and hexadecane and on the encapsulated particle size was investigated. Particle size analysis by dynamic light scattering showed that these composite latexes are quite stable. It was also found that as the TiO2 loading increased from 11 to 43% PVC, the particle size of the TiO2 dispersion decreased while the polymer- encapsulated TiO2 particle size increased. The effect of sur- factant concentration (sodium lauryl sulfate, SLS) on the encapsulated particle size was investigated using four dif- ferent SLS concentrations in the 11% PVC system. The re- sults showed that as the SLS concentration increased the particle size decreased, as expected. Also it was found that the minimum surfactant concentration that gives stable en- capsulated TiO2 particles is above 10 mM SLS. The role of HD in the recipe was studied for an artificial latex containing no TiO2 and one prepared at 11% PVC, in terms of particle size before and after solvent stripping, and its effect on the Tg. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 4504 - 4516, 2006