cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Landsat-8 TIRS thermal radiometric calibration status

The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) instrument is the thermal-band imager on the Landsat-8 platform. The initial onorbit calibration estimates of the two TIRS spectral bands indicated large average radiometric calibration errors, -0.29 and -0.51 W/m2 sr μm or -2.1K and -4.4K at 300K in Bands 10 and 11, respectively, as well as high variability in the errors, 0.87K and 1.67K (1-σ), respectively. The average error was corrected in operational processing in January 2014, though, this adjustment did not improve the variability. The source of the variability was determined to be stray light from far outside the field of view of the telescope. An algorithm for modeling the stray light effect was developed and implemented in the Landsat-8 processing system in February 2017. The new process has improved the overall calibration of the two TIRS bands, reducing the residual variability in the calibration from 0.87K to 0.51K at 300K for Band 10 and from 1.67K to 0.84K at 300K for Band 11. There are residual average lifetime bias errors in each band: 0.04 W/m2 sr μm (0.30K) and -0.04 W/m2 sr μm (-0.29K), for Bands 10 and 11, respectively.
FPGA development in ATE

In recent years, synthetic test instruments have become increasingly popular in the automatic test equipment (ATE) market. This type of instrument gives users the ability to create custom solutions to better meet their test requirements. FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) based solutions are the most common synthetic test instrument on the market today. FPGA based solutions can work well due to their inherent flexibility and programmability. They offer high bandwidth outputs and scalable design components, and the design can be easily maintained or transported. The portability of FPGA based solutions is especially advantageous in cases where designs must be maintained over long periods of time, as they can be transferred between test instruments as those are changed or upgraded. However, FPGA design can be complicated and requires increased initial investment. When compared with traditional general-purpose test instruments, the development period tends to be longer. Additionally, while implementing FPGA designs may seem similar to software programming, it requires a different set of skills. To alleviate some of these technical hurdles and to speed up the initial development process, instrument manufacturers offer various solutions to guide the development and ease the implementation process. Test engineers should be aware of the specific complexities that exist for successfully developing FPGA based solutions, how these are offset by the benefits, and how each can be mitigated using appropriate strategies. As an example, using hardware description language (HDL) requires a learning curve, but results in improved portability. If long term maintenance of the test program is critical, HDL designs can be easily transferred from obsolete instruments to new instruments with next generation FPGAs. Though HDL is one of several development methodologies that can be used, the scope of this paper will be limited to examples using HDL. Aspects of initial setup, interfacing with many peripherals, and simulation can also pose challenges. Real world examples of these challenges will be discussed alongside suggestions on how to address them, including discussion of offerings from instrument vendors that can help with developing a successful test.
Supply, Demand, and Risk Premiums in Electricity Markets

We model the impact of supply and demand on risk premiums in electricity futures, using daily data for 2003-2014. The model provides a satisfactory fit and allows for unspanned economic risk not embedded in the futures price. The spot risk premium and forward bias implied by the model are on average large and negative but highly time-varying. Risk premiums display strong seasonal patterns, are related to the variance and skewness of the electricity spot price, and help predict future returns. The risk premium associated with supply constitutes the largest component of the total risk premium embedded in electricity futures.
Explaining away temporal flow – thoughts on Prosser’s ‘Experiencing Time’

AbstractI offer some responses to Prosser’s ‘Experiencing Time’, one of whose goals is to debunk a view of temporal experience somewhat prevalent in the metaphysics literature, which I call ‘Perceptualism’. According to Perceptualism: (1) it is part of the content of perceptual experience that time passes in a metaphysically strong sense: the present has a metaphysically privileged status, and time passes in virtue of changes in which events this ‘objective present’ highlights, and moreover (2) this gives us evidence in favor of strong passage. Prosser argues that perception cannot be sensitive to whether the strong passage obtains, and therefore cannot represent strong passage in a way that gives us evidence of its truth. Although I accept this conclusion, I argue that Prosser’s argument for it is problematic. It threatens to over-generalize to rule out uncontroversial cases of perceptual knowledge, such as our knowledge that we live in a spatial world. Furthermore, a successful argument ruling out perce...
Adjusted Plasma Chloride and Bicarbonate Concentrations: An Approach to Identifying Acid-Base Disorders.

Background: Chloride disorders (hypochloremia, hyperchloremia) and bicarbonate disorders (hypobicarbonatemia, hyperbicarbonatemia) are common in clinical medicine and indicate metabolic and/or respiratory acid–base disorders. The normally inverse relationship between chloride and bicarbonate concentrations in the blood is altered, however, by changes in fluid balance, i.e., water excess or deficit, with resulting changes in sodium and other electrolyte concentrations and by anion gap metabolic acidosis, which lowers bicarbonate concentrations but not the chloride concentrations. Methods: We used formulas derived over a decade ago that utilize dry slide laboratory technology to adjust plasma chloride and bicarbonate concentrations for changes in water balance, as reflected in changes in plasma sodium concentrations and in the plasma anion gap. We then prospectively validated these formulas in 736 consecutive adults, 499 having abnormal basic metabolic panel results and 237 having normal panel results, using modern wet laboratory technology. Results: Plasma chloride and bicarbonate concentrations were inversely correlated (2-tailed P-value Conclusions: Adjusting plasma chloride and bicarbonate concentrations for any water imbalance and anion gap alterations leads to very high inverse correlations between these 2 anions, allowing accurate assessment of either subtle or overt acid–base disorders.
Experimental Effects of Acute Exercise and Meditation on Parameters of Cognitive Function.

Single bouts of aerobic exercise and meditation have been shown to improve cognitive function. Yet to be examined in the literature, we sought to examine the effects of a combination of acute bouts of aerobic exercise and meditation on cognitive function among young adults. Participants (n = 66, mean (SD) age = 21 (2)) were randomly assigned to walk then meditate, meditate then walk, or to sit (inactive control). All walking and meditation bouts were 10 min in duration. Participants' cognition was monitored before and after the intervention using Identification, Set Shifting, Stroop, and Trail Making tasks. Additionally, a subjective assessment of cognitive function was implemented before and after the intervention. Significant group by time interaction effects were observed when examining the Stroop congruent trials (P = 0.05). Post hoc paired t-tests revealed that reaction time significantly decreased from baseline to post-intervention in both combination groups (P 0.05). Cognitive function was not substantially affected by a combination of brief meditation and exercise, though there is evidence to suggest that this combination may have beneficial effects on certain aspects of cognition. Future work should be conducted to evaluate the influences of different doses of exercise and meditation on cognitive functioning.
Differential Invariants and Curvature Flows in Active Vision

In this paper, we discuss the use of differential invariants, and curvature driven flows for active vision. We concentrate on three problem areas: invariant flows, active contours, and L 1-based methods for optical flow and stereo. The solutions to these key problems will all be based on curvature based evolutions which are obtained in a completely natural manner from geometric and physical principles.
A Comparative Study of Procedures for the Multinomial Selection Problem

This paper is concerned with the multinomial selection problem (MSP) originally formulated by Bechhofer, Elmaghraby, and Morse (1959). Over the past 50 years, numerous procedures have been developed for finding the most probable multinomial alternative; these procedures attempt to minimize the expected number of trials while exceeding a lower bound on the probability of making a correct selection when the multinomial probabilities satisfy an indifference-zone probability requirement. We examine such MSP procedures, including optimal procedures based on new linear and integer programming methods, provide more accurate and extensive parameter and performance tables for several procedures, and calculate and compare the exact efficiencies of the procedures.
Blood Pressure Control and Other Quality of Care Metrics for Patients with Obesity and Diabetes: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

There are no population-level estimates in the United States for achievement of blood pressure goals in patients with diabetes and hypertension by obesity weight class. We sought to examine the relationship between the extent of obesity and the achievement of guideline-recommended blood pressure goals and other quality of care metrics among patients with diabetes. We conducted an observational population-based cohort study of electronic health data of three large health systems from 2010–2012 in rural, urban and suburban settings of 51,229 adults with diabetes. Outcomes were achievement of diabetes quality of care metrics: blood pressure, A1c, and LDL control, and A1c and LDL testing. Two blood pressure goals were examined given the recommendation for adults with diabetes of 130/80 mmHg from JNC7 and the recommendation of 140/90 mmHg from JNC8 in 2014. Patients in obesity classes I, II, and III with diagnosed hypertension were less likely to achieve blood pressure control at both the 140/90 mmHg and 130/80 mmHg control levels. The patients from obesity class III had the lowest likelihood of achieving control at the 130/80 mmHg goal, and control was markedly worse for the 130/80 mmHg threshold in all weight classes. There were minimal to no differences by weight class in LDL and A1c control and LDL and A1c testing. Although the cardiovascular risk for patients with obesity and diabetes is greater than for non-obese patients with diabetes, we found that patients with obesity are even further behind in achieving blood pressure control.
JUVENILE ARTHRITIS DISEASE ACTIVITY SCORE IN CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH CLINICAL DISEASE ACTIVITY IN LAHORE

Objective: To determine Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis andits association with disease activity.Study Design: Cross sectional analytical.Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the department of Immunology & Serology, theChildren Hospital and the Institute of Child Health Lahore, from Jun 2015 to Jun 2016.Material and Methods: All consecutive patients in a period of three months from Jun to Aug who fulfilled theinclusion criteria were enrolled from Out Patient Department and Medical Unit 1. Demographic profile includingage and gender were recorded. Type of arthritis was assigned according to ILAR. The severity of the disease ofpatients was assessed by using the JADAS-27 score at the time of presentation. Statical analysis of data was doneon SPSS version 17.0 for obtaining statistical results.Results: Out of 45 patients, 44% (n=20) were males and 56% (n=25) were females between the age of 3-17 years.polyarthritis was found in 51.1% (n=23) followed by oligoarthritis 37.7% (n=17) and systemic onset disease 11.1%(n=5). Morning stiffness (97.8%) and fever (86.7%) were the most common clinical presentations. All patients withsystemic onset disease had fever (n=5) followed by skin rash, hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy. Creactiveprotein was positive in 30 (66.67%) patients. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was raised in 41 (91.11%)patients. Rheumatoid factor (RF) positivity was observed in 12 (26.67%) cases. Anti-nuclear antibodies werefound positive in 3 (6.66%) patients. Out of 45 patients 5 were in clinical remission, 11 were in minimal diseaseactivity and 29 had severe clinical disease activity. Maximum 11 cases of severe disease activity lie between 30-40JADAS-27 score each for CRP and ESR.Conclusion: There was significant association between Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score and ClinicalDisease Activity. CRP and ESR were proved to be good inflammatory markers in JIA.
Semaglutide (Ozempic) for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Semaglutide can be added to existing treatment to improve glycemic control and induce weight loss. It may also protect against cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease.
Green Screens: Local Recycling Information Online

This column highlights specific actions librarians are taking to keep their libraries green. Readers are invited to notify the column editor of any posters, procedures, policies, articles, speeches, or other material useful for keeping our libraries and institutions environmentally responsible.
A Systematic Review of Taste Differences Among People With Eating Disorders.

Background:Eating disorders are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The etiology and maintenance of eating-disorder symptoms are not well understood. Evidence suggests that there may be...
Thoughts About David

David has been a strong and consistent influence on the career of Prof. Sameeksha Desai for more than a decade, being an advisor, colleague, mentor, coauthor and collaborator, and friend. In this chapter the author considers how she has gained a great deal, professional and personally, from his wisdom, mentoring, generosity, and friendship for so many years. Having met David in 2005, when he became the external member on her dissertation committee, Prof. Desai went on to become a research fellow in his group at the Max Planck Institute of Economics in Germany. In 2010, the author joined the faculty at Indiana University, where she occupied the office next door to him and became his colleague.
Direct ΣΔ Bitstream Processing for High Performance Feedback Control

The design, noise, and performance analysis of a digital controller architecture directly processing $\Sigma\triangle$ bitstreams is described. This substantially reduces control latency by removing the bitstream conversion step. The controller has a small footprint and low power dissipation from multiplierless design. Based on integrated state variables, the controller achieves stable implementation of a wide range of controller designs with near continuous time performance. A method for estimating the controller SNR using $\Sigma\triangle$ bitstream signal and noise characteristics is outlined. A low latency example, a Q controller for an atomic force microscope cantilever was designed and simulated. The $\Sigma\triangle$ controller achieved similar performance to the ideal continuous time model and surpass conventional DSP equivalent while maintaining high output resolution and fitting easily into an inexpensive micro-power FPGA.
High temperature transition aluminas in δ-Al2O3/θ-Al2O3 stability range: Review

Abstract High temperature treated transition aluminas display adsorptive and catalytic properties that are in many ways comparable to those of their low temperature counterpart γ-Al2O3. While being important industrial catalysts as well as catalytic supports, their very basic crystallographic and structural characteristics remain actively studied. In this review, we critically examine the crystallography and structural complexity of these materials. Specifically, we review the crystallography of δ- and θ-Al2O3 polymorphs and show how structural intergrowth and disorder are accommodated in these phases. The structural complexity at the scale of overall microstructure is also examined, and the challenges and recent progress in quantification of the structure at ensemble level are discussed. Most pertinently to catalysis, we review the surfaces properties of high temperature treated Al2O3 and discuss the implications for understanding attributes relevant to heterogeneous catalysis.
Stock options and managerial optimal contracts

In this paper we are concerned with the performance of stock option contracts in the provision of managerial incentives. In our simple framework, we restrict the space of contracts available to the principal to those conformed by a fixed payment and a call option on the firm’s stock. As compared to the fixed payment and the option grant, we find that the strike price plays an intermediate role in the provision of insurance and incentives. We also develop some methods for the calibration of a standard principal-agent model based upon observed CEO earnings schedules and the volatility of the firm’s value in the stock market. These methods are useful to address some important issues such as the performance of stock option contracts, the degree of risk aversion compatible with current earnings profiles and the sensitivity of compensation to changes in firm’s characteristics.
Treatment of Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor Antibody Mediated Rejection in a Heart Transplant Recipient

Introduction The diagnosis, impact, and treatment of angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) antibody mediated rejection (AMR) in solid organ transplant remains unclear. This represents a case of successful treatment and removal of AT1R antibodies in a heart transplant recipient. Case Report A 25 year old Caucasian female with a past medical history of idiopathic cardiomyopathy, status post left ventricular assist device and subsequent heart transplant in 2016, immunosuppressed on tacrolimus XR, mycophenolate sodium, and prednisone presented with increased peripheral edema, shortness of breath, and dyspnea. On admission, LVEF dropped from baseline 54-74 % to 45% with a right atrial pressure of 32 mmHg on right heart catheterization. An endometrial biopsy was conducted and reported as 1R/1B without signs of AMR. Anti-HLA screen was sent with no significant DSA. An AT1R antibody test resulted positive with a titer of 40 U/mL. Patient was started on dobutamine, IV furosemide, and irbesartan. She received 3 days of 1000 mg methylprednisolone, five treatments of total plasma exchange, 500 mg/kg of IVIG, 8 mg/kg of tocilizumab, and her mycophenolate sodium was replaced by everolimus. Patient reported subjective improvement after treatment and appropriate diaresis. Patient was able to wean from dobutamine however repeat echocardiogram showed no change in LVEF. Post-pheresis AT1R antibody test proved successful removal by plasmapheresis with a titer or 21 U/mL. Patient went on to receive monthly tocilizumab infusions with a marked improvement in her LVEF at one month post treatment to > 54 %. At two months post treatment, she was hospitalization for volume overload with a normal LVEF thought to be due to under dieresis and atrial tachycardia. She remained on tacrolimus XR, everolimus, prednisone, monthly tocilizumab, and irbesartan. At four months post treatment, her echocardiogram showed an EF of 65 %, however her AT1R antibody levels returned to 40 U/mL. The patient expired due to suspected arrhythmia at home six months post-treatment. Summary This report is the first case to show successful removal of AT1R antibodies by plasmapheresis. AT1R antibody AMR still remains difficult to diagnose due to uncertain histological findings or appropriate screening. More study is needed to determine clinical impact of titer levels and appropriate treatment of AT1R antibody AMR.
The Use of Intra-Abdominal Ultrasound during Robotic Myomectomy

Study Objective To describe a technique for use of an intra-abdominal ultrasound during robotic myomectomy and review clinical results using ultrasound to identify additional fibroids for removal. Design Step-by-step demonstration of intra-abdominal ultrasound during robotic myomectomy including a case example and case series. Setting Academic Medical Center. Patients or Participants The case example highlights a 31-year-old G0 with heavy bleeding and MRI showing a dominant 7cm submucosal fibroid, and a possible small intramural fibroid. The case series includes 51 robotic myomectomy cases with intra-abdominal ultrasound of the uterus performed from July 2019- March 2021 by a single surgeon. Interventions Robotic myomectomy was performed in standard fashion. After removal of all known fibroids, the ultrasound transducer was introduced into the abdominal cavity and examination of the uterus was performed to identify any additional fibroids that were not visually evident. The additional fibroids identified were removed. Measurements and Main Results In the case example, after removal of the dominant fibroid, ultrasound examination of the uterus revealed an additional 1.5 cm intramural fibroid which was removed. In the case series, additional fibroids were identified using the intra-abdominal ultrasound and removed in 14 cases (27.5%). 1-2 additional fibroids were noted, ranging in size from 1-2.5cm. In eight cases, visual inspection and the ultrasound located more fibroids than were noted on MRI. In six cases, MRI noted all fibroids that were subsequently removed, but the ultrasound inspection was needed to find a fibroid that was not visually apparent. Conclusion Intra-abdominal ultrasound technology can be utilized to maximize candidacy for minimally invasive robotic myomectomies, while ensuring more complete fibroid removal and sparing of crucial structures.
Parental Support, Learning Performance, and Socioemotional Development of Children and Teenagers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In spring and fall 2020, most schools across the globe closed due to the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online and remote learning (ORL) modalities were implemented to continue children?s education and development. Yet, the change in educational delivery increased parental responsibilities in cultivating their children. We examined the determinants related to students? learning performance before and during the COVID-19 period in association with psychosocial behaviors (such as socialization, internalizing and externalizing behavior, and motivation) and other factors, including parents? support received, the teaching modality, and access to digital resources. The current study included 80 parents of elementary and middle school children who completed an online survey. The results of the study indicated that more than double the normal time was spent by parents in supporting their children?s learning and development during the COVID-19 period. The factors of parental support and motivation were found the most effective contribution in the development of children?s positive emotions and learning attainment. It was indicated that academic performance, motivation to participate in learning, socialization, prosocial behavior, discipline, externalizing and internalizing behaviors decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, teachers and educators should consider bridging or creating alternative performance recovery strategies and socioemotional development interventions for children and young adults.
Learning to own professional practice through character – The case of the junior British Army officer

Using a theoretical framework combining the sociological concept of habitus and virtue ethics philosophy the article analyses 39 interviews with junior British Army officers and cadets to explore m...
Why Rite Aid is Wrong

Introduction 812 I. Background 814 A. An Overview of the Consolidated Return Regulations.....814 B. Testing the Validity of a Consolidated Return Regulation 817 1. The standard of review 817 2. A review of the relevant cases 820 (a) Unfettered discretion—Weidenhoff 823 (b) Carryforward of losses 824 (c) Investment adjustments and ELAs 830 (d) Western Hemisphere Trade Corporations 833 II. The Challenged Regulation 843 A. The Facts of Rite Aid 843 B. Applying LDR to Rite Aid 845 C. Treasury’s Justification for LDR 846 III. An Analysis of Rite Aid 850 A. The Decisions 850 1. The Court of Federal Claims decision 850 2. The Federal Circuit decision 851 3. Gaps in the decisions 852 B. Authority to Disallow Subsidiary Stock Loss 853 1. “Consolidated” problems 853 2. Applicable legislative history 854 3. The regulatory response to the 1928 legislation .........857 C. Authority to Limit Duplicated Loss 860 1. “Classic” loss duplication 860 2. Loss selectivity 862 (a) The concern 862 (b) Historical conformity for groups 864
School enrollment in an extended demographic model

This paper presents a demographic model for projecting school enrollment in a metropolitan area. A standard cohort survivorship model is disaggregated with respect to education allowing students to be `aged through the system of education according to calculated progression rates. Education as a life event is introduced through the concept of educational survivorship. The model is applied to the Chicago region and projections for the region are compared to actual enrollment data. It is argued that the framework makes the effects of demographic structure and assumptions concerning the rate at which students flow through the system transparent facilitating the educational planning process. (EXCERPT)
Capital Investment and Rural-Urban Migration in China

This paper explores the linkages between the population, investment, and wages in both China nationally and in each of China’s provinces. The expected result of these linkages is twofold. First, provinces with the greatest per capita investment, whether state-sponsored or private, should in theory experience the greatest change in per capita wage. This is due to the increased marginal product of labor resulting from capital investment, which ultimately will be reflected in per capita wages in a perfectly competitive market. From this hypothesis, it follows that the provinces experiencing the greatest change in wage per capita will experience the greatest change in population. It is logical to assume that rural workers will move to urban areas if the wage incentive is great enough. Though the population increase will, in theory, push urban wages down, this effect is secondary and should take a longer period of time. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol16/iss1/15 The Park Place Economist, Volume XVI 78
Multiparticle interactions and optical gain in chemically-synthesized quantum dots

Summary form only given. We analyze the role of multiparticle effects on the optical-gain performance of strongly confined CdSe nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs). Our data indicate that multiparticle interactions and, in particular, interactions involving two electron-hole (e-h) pairs (biexcitons) have a significant effect on the optical-gain lifetime, its amplitude, and gain pump-intensity thresholds.
The Dependent Random Weighting

We propose a new resampling method, the dependent random weighting, for both time series and random fields. The method is a generalization of the traditional random weighting in that the weights are made to be temporally or spatially dependent and are adaptive to the configuration of the data. Unlike the block-based bootstrap or subsampling methods, the dependent random weighting can be used for irregularly spaced time series and spatial data without any implementational difficulty. Consistency of the distribution approximation is shown for both equally and unequally spaced time series. Simulation studies illustrate the finite sample performance of the dependent random weighting in comparison with the existing counterparts for both one-dimensional and two-dimensional irregularly spaced data.
Clonal Repertoires of Virus-Specific CD8+ T Lymphocytes Are Shared in Mucosal and Systemic Compartments during Chronic Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Rhesus Monkeys

Because it is thought that mucosal tissues play a fundamental role in early HIV/SIV infection, it is crucial to understand the virus-specific responses in mucosal tissues to facilitate devising strategies to prevent and control these infections. We have employed TCR repertoire analyses to define the clonal composition of a dominant SIV epitope-specific CD8 + T cell population in mucosal and systemic compartments of SIV-infected rhesus monkeys during both acute and chronic infection. We show that the CD8 + T cell repertoire in mucosal tissues of uninfected rhesus monkeys is oligoclonal, whereas the CD8 + T cell repertoire in blood is polyclonal. Early postinfection, the SIV-specific CD8 + T cell clonal repertoire is distinct in mucosal compartments and peripheral blood. However, we observed a narrowing of the virus-specific CD8 + T cell clonal repertoire in all sampled anatomic compartments as infection progressed from acute to chronic, and there was comparable clonal diversity in all anatomic compartments. We showed during chronic infection that the same clonal populations of virus-specific CD8 + T cells are present in all compartments. These data indicate that the SIV-specific CD8 + T cells in systemic and mucosal sites have a shared clonal origin and are, therefore, capable of both responding to infection in the systemic circulation and trafficking to mucosal tissues.
31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies of tumor energy metabolism and its relationship to intracapillary oxyhemoglobin saturation status and tumor hypoxia.

Relationships between tumor bioenergetic status on the one hand and intracapillary oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) saturation status and fraction of radiobiologically hypoxic cells on the other were studied using two murine sarcoma lines (KHT, RIF-1) and two human ovarian carcinoma xenograft lines (MLS, OWI). Tumor energy metabolism was studied in vivo by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and the resonance area ratio (PCr + NTPβ)/ P 1 was used as parameter for bioenergetic status. Intracapillary HbO2 saturation status reflects the oxygen supply conditions in tumors and was measured in vitro using a cryospectrophotometric method. The KHT, RIF-1, and MLS lines showed decreasing bioenergetic status, i.e. , decreasing PCr and NTPβ resonances and an increasing P 1 resonance, with increasing tumor volume, whereas the OWI line showed no changes in these resonances during tumor growth. The volumedependence of the HbO2 saturation status differed similarly among the tumor lines; HbO2 saturation status decreased with increasing tumor volume for the KHT, RIF-1, and MLS lines and was independent of tumor volume for the OWI line. Moreover, linear correlations were found between bioenergetic status and HbO2 saturation status for individual tumors of the KHT, RIF-1, and MLS lines. These observations together indicated a direct relationship between 31P-NMR spectral parameters and tumor oxygen supply conditions. However, this relationship was not identical for the different tumor lines, suggesting that it was influenced by intrinsic properties of the tumor cells such as rate of respiration and ability to survive under hypoxia. Similarly, there was no correlation between bioenergetic status and fraction of radiobiologically hypoxic cells across the four tumor lines. This indicates that 31P-NMR spectroscopy data have to be supplemented with other data, e.g. , rate of oxygen consumption, cell survival time under hypoxic stress, and/or fraction of metabolically active, nonclonogenic hypoxic cells, to be useful in quantitative determination of tumor hypoxia and hence prediction of tumor radioresistance caused by hypoxia.
The emergence of job satisfaction in organizational behavior

Purpose – Based more on practical (and contextual), rather than theoretical grounds, over time, job satisfaction came to be the work attitude of choice for many early researchers interested in studying the relationship between employee attitudes and efficiency. Surprisingly, research examining the basis for why this belief is practically nonexistent. This paper addresses this apparent void in the organizational literature.Design/methodology/approach – First, a historical overview of the development of job attitudes is introduced. Second, incorporating important early, but now mostly forgotten, research on employee boredom, fatigue and customer satisfaction, a “missing link” explanation is presented for job satisfaction eventually becoming the “job attitude of choice” in organizational research.Findings – Integrating early research from two long‐forgotten streams of organizational research, this paper provides a practical (and contextual) framework for why job satisfaction became the most widely used measu...
An overview of software safety standards

The writing of standards for software safety is an increasingly important activity. This essay briefly describes the two primary standards-writing organizations, IEEE and IEC, and provides a discussion of some of the more interesting software safety standards.
Diversity among beta-tubulins: a carboxy-terminal domain of yeast beta-tubulin is not essential in vivo.

Abstract Sequences of genes for beta-tubulins from many different organisms demonstrate that they encode highly conserved proteins but that these proteins diverge considerably at their carboxyl termini. The patterns of interspecies conservation of this diversity suggest that it may have functional significance. We have taken advantage of the properties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to test this hypothesis in vivo. The sole beta-tubulin gene of this species is one of the most divergent of all beta-tubulins and encodes 12 amino acids which extend past the end of most other beta-tubulin molecules. We have constructed strains in which the only beta-tubulin gene is an allele lacking these 12 codons. We show here that this carboxy-terminal extension is not essential. The absence of these 12 amino acids had no effect on a number of microtubule-dependent functions, such as mitotic and meiotic division and mating. It did confer dominant supersensitivity to a microtubule-depolymerizing drug.
Sources of information used by patients to learn about chemotherapy side effects.

Abstract Background. Little is known about the relative importance of specific information sources patients use to obtain knowledge about treatment side effects. The authors examined information sources used to learn about side effects, why patients believe they will experience some but not others, and the meanings side effects have in terms of treatment efficacy. Methods. Before treatment, 31 ovarian cancer patients and 81 men and women with a variety of cancer diagnoses completed a questionnaire assessing their expectations about experiencing specific side effects of chemotherapy and information sources used. Results. The doctor or nurse was the most frequently cited source of side‐effect information, with readings second. While most thought they would get certain side effects because the doctor or nurse had said so, most instinctively believed they would not get others. Conclusions. Patients relied on medical and non‐medical information sources. Further research could examine other sources for their in...
The C34 Peptide Fusion Inhibitor Binds to the Six-Helix Bundle Core Domain of HIV-1 gp41 by Displacement of the C-Terminal Helical Repeat Region

The conformational transition of the core domain of HIV-1 gp41 from a prehairpin intermediate to a six-helix bundle is responsible for virus–cell fusion. Several inhibitors which target the N-heptad repeat helical coiled-coil trimer that is fully accessible in the prehairpin intermediate have been designed. One such inhibitor is the peptide C34 derived from the C-heptad repeat of gp41 that forms the exterior of the six-helix bundle. Here, using a variety of biophysical techniques, including dye tagging, size-exclusion chromatography combined with multiangle light scattering, double electron–electron resonance EPR spectroscopy, and circular dichroism, we investigate the binding of C34 to two six-helix bundle mimetics comprising N- and C-heptad repeats either without (coreSP) or with (coreS) a short spacer connecting the two. In the case of coreSP, C34 directly exchanges with the C-heptad repeat. For coreS, up to two molecules of C34 bind the six-helix bundle via displacement of the C-heptad repeat. These r...
A Model State Racial Justice Act: Fighting Racial Bias Without Killing the Death Penalty

This article analyzes laws that allow capital defendants to use statistical evidence in support of a claim of racial discrimination. The article focuses on the legislative experiences of the two states (Kentucky and North Carolina) that have passed laws allowing capital defendants to use statistical evidence to show that racial bias affected their death sentences. It also proposes a Model State Racial Justice Act, which proposes solutions to the flaws in Kentucky's and North Carolina's laws.This topic is timely because the North Carolina Racial Justice Act is on the brink of repeal, and many have argued that the law "indirectly abolished" the death penalty. Meanwhile other states, including Texas, are considering enacting laws modeled after North Carolina's. This article provides practical suggestions for crafting legislation that would eliminate racial bias in death sentencing without indirectly abolishing the death penalty.
On the Northern Fringe of the South American Temperate Forest: The History and Conservation of the Monkey-Puzzle Tree

Central and southern Chile and adjacent areas of Argentina contain one of the world's great stands of temperate forest, stretching nearly two thousand kilometers from 35 to 55 degrees south latitude. Due to a unique combination of environmental factors, this forest represents one of the highest standing biomasses of any terrestrial ecosystem, and it exhibits a high level of endemism. For example, standing biomass has been measured at more than one thousand tons per hectare, and 34 percent of the planet's angiosperms are found only in the South American temperate forest. Endemic to its northern extremes, the monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) is a long-lived conifer that the German naturalist E. Poeppig referred to as the king of nontropical American trees. The species has exceptional economic and cultural significance. The seed of the monkey-puzzle tree, or pinion, has long been a staple food for the Araucanos, an indigenous group of southern Chile and Argentina. The timber industry also prized the tree for its high-quality, valuable wood. The monkey-puzzle tree also plays an important part in the national identity of Chile and Argentina. Chilean poet Pablo Neruda wrote of its majestic qualities in Oda a la Araucaria Araucana, and an image of the tree figures as a backdrop in the official seal of Argentina's Neuquen province. Yet, like many of the other species in South America's temperate forest, the monkey-puzzle tree has been pushed to the vanishing point. Human activity has depleted the tree throughout much of its natural range, and over the years the Araucanos, the timber industry, and environmentalists have often been at odds regarding the most effective and sustainable way to use and manage the species., This study seeks to outline the ethnobotanical and economic importance of the monkey-puzzle tree and to assess the relation of human activity to its distribution and conservation. Primary data were collected through open-ended interviews in two Araucano communities: Ralco Lepoy, in Chile, and Aigo, in Argentina. This
Sex differences in performance and hemispheric organization for a nonverbal auditory task.

Musically experienced and inexperienced men and women discriminated among fundamental-frequency contours presented either binaurally (i.e., same contour to both ears) or dichotically (i.e., different contours to each ear). On two separate occasions, males made significantly fewer errors than did females in the binaural condition, but not in the dichotic condition. Subjects with prior musical experience were superior to musically naive subjects in both conditions. The dichotic pitch task produced a left-ear advantage, which was unrelated to gender or musical experience. The results suggest that the male advantage on the binaural task reflects a sex difference in the coordination of the two hemispheres during conjoint processing of the same stimuli rather than a difference in the direction or degree of hemispheric specialization for these stimuli.
Prospects for molecular staging of non-small-cell lung cancer from genomic alterations

Genomic technology continues to advance, and data derived from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor specimens in conjunction with clinical information are accumulating at an exponential rate. Application of this information to clinical practice for the treatment of patients with NSCLC lags behind the promise of individualized patient management based on genomic medicine. Testing treatment decisions based on genomic information in cancer clinical trials is only now being addressed. How best to incorporate the myriad of potentially available molecular diagnostics into treatment algorithms is not yet clear. Many hurdles and much work remain for the development of true, individualized treatment strategies for NSCLC based on molecular staging. Here we review some of the successes, frustrations and obstacles that exist to further progress in the field.
Tactile stimulation and the short-term perceptual deprivation effect

This study investigated the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between duration of short-term perceptual deprivation and duration of tactile exploratory behavior. Using a within-Ss design, college students handled octahedrons after 0, 15, 30, and 60 sec of reduced stimulation. The results indicated a positive linear relationship between duration of perceptual deprivation and duration of handling the octahedrons. The results were discussed in terms of a theory of exploratory behavior based on the concept of an optimal level of arousal.
The Perils of Reliability Benchmarking

It is becoming increasingly common for utility commissions to compare the reliability of utilities in their state to industry benchmark surveys. Utilities are typically categorized into performance quartiles, with the top quartile corresponding to 25% of participating utilities with the best reliability indices. Taken at face value, this type of benchmark comparison is of little to no worth. Of more concern is the tendency of people to draw incorrect conclusions, to unfairly criticize certain utilities, to unfairly praise others, and to set inappropriate reliability improvement targets. Reliability benchmarking activities can be extremely valuable when used appropriately, but often it is not. This article discusses the many problems with benchmark comparisons, recommends their proper use, and suggests an approach for setting appropriate reliability improvement targets.
Educational Background, Marital Status, Moral Obligation, and the Nurse's Decision to Resign from Her Hospital1

Based on the theory of reasoned action, the present research built separate models of turnover for baccalaureate and nonbaccalaureate nurses and for married and unmarried ones. A representative sample of 755 registered nurses completed the research questionnaire. Six months later, information was obtained from their hospitals concerning whether each nurse remained or resigned. Results were supportive of the theory of reasoned action. Furthermore, significant differences emerged in the predictors for the four subgroups. Moral obligation was found to be a significant predictor for intention only for baccalaureate and unmarried nurses. Part-time versus full-time employment status was found to be a significant predictor of turnover only for unmarried nurses. These results indicate that individuals interested in understanding and reducing nurse turnover may wish to be sensitive to differences between various subgroups of nurses.
Characterization of the genus Aspilota (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

. The alysiine braconid genus Aspilota Foerster is redefined to include Dinotrema Foerster. Characters previously used to delimit both Dinotrema and species groups within Aspilota s.l. are discussed, with emphasis on difficulties in interpreting transformation series. Dinotrema amplisignata (Fischer), Dinotrema phoridarum (Goidanich) and Dinotrema nigricornis (Thomson) are returned to Aspilota.
Comments on the mean spherical approximation for hard-core and soft potentials and an application to the one-component plasma

The thermodynamic properties of the mean spherical (MSA), Percus-Yevick (PY), and hypernetted-chain (HNC) approximations are derived by a simple and unified approach by considering the RPA free-energy functionalF and employing an Ewald-type identity. It is demonstrated that with decreasing relative contribution of the hard-core insertion to the thermodynamic functions, the MSA changes its nature from PY-like to HNC-like, withF changing its role from excess pressure to excess free energy, respectively. It is found that the condition of continuity of the MSA pair functions is equivalent to a stationarity condition forF and leads to thermodynamic consistency between the “virial” and “energy” equations of state for the (thus defined) “soft”-MSA (SMSA), withF playing the role of the excess free energy. It is shown that the PY-“compressibility” and “virial” equations of state forD-dimensional hard spheres may be simply obtained one from the other without knowing any details of the solution of the model. Using this relation we find an indication that the PY approximation for hard spheres becomes less accurate with increasing dimensionality. A general variational formulation is presented for the application of the MSA for soft potentials, and results for the one-component plasma are discussed and extended.
A chest pain clinic to improve the follow-up of patients released from an urban university teaching hospital emergency department

During a 12-month period, 1,045 of 1,554 patients (67%) over age 30 seen in an urban teaching hospital emergency department with acute chest pain were released based on the clinical judgment of the examining physician. Patients who were released were offered follow-up within 24 to 72 hours in a hospital-based chest pain clinic. Of these 1,045 patients, 772 (74%) returned or were contacted by phone, and 29 were directly admitted; 14 had unstable angina, and eight had new myocardial infarctions. Because of its positive impact on the quality of care at an acceptable cost, the Chest Pain Clinic, which was originally instituted as part of a research protocol, has now become part of the routine spectrum of care provided at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.