cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Please don't tell!

If there were a home health nurse to care for this patient, presumably there would be no reason to breach confidentiality since the expectation would be that she would follow universal precautions. Of course, universal precautions could be explained to the patient's sister. In an ideal world this would seem to be a satisfactory response that protects both Carlos's rights and Consuela's welfare. But the world is not ideal. We know that health professionals, who surely ought to have the knowledge that would motivate them to take universal precautions seriously, often fail to take just such precautions. It is easy to imagine that Consuela could be equally casual or careless, especially when she had not been specifically warned that her brother was HIV-infected. Given this possibility, does the physician have a duty to warn that would justify breaching confidentiality? I shall argue that he may not breach confidentiality but he must be reasonably attentive to Consuela's safety. Ordinarily the conditions that must be met to invoke a duty to warn are: (1) an imminent threat of serious and irreversible harm, (2) no alternative to averting that threat other than this breach of confidentiality, and (3) proportionality between the harm averted by this breach of confidentiality and the harm associated with such a breach. In my judgment, none of these conditions are satisfactorily met. No one doubts that becoming HIV-infected represents a serious and irreversible harm. But, in reality, is that threat imminent enough to justify breaching confidentiality? If we were talking about two individuals who were going to have sexual intercourse on repeated occasions, then the imminence condition would likely be met. But the patient's sister will be caring for his wound for only a week or two, and wound care does not by itself involve any exchange of body fluids. If we had two-hundred and forty surgeons operating on two-hundred and forty HIV-infected patients, and if each of those surgeons nicked himself while doing surgery, then the likelihood is that only one of them would become HIV-infected. Using this as a reference point, the likelihood of this young woman seroconverting if her intact skin comes into contact with the blood of this patient is very remote at best. Moreover in this instance there are alternatives. A frank and serious discussion with Consuela about the need for universal precautions, plus monitored, thorough training in correct wound care, fulfills what I would regard as a reasonable duty to warn in these cirto be given to Carlos so that he can monitor her performance. …
The NMI build & test laboratory: continuous integration framework for distributed computing software

We present a framework for building and testing software in a heterogeneous, multi-user, distributed computing environment. Unlike other systems for automated builds and tests, our framework is not tied to a specific developer tool, revision control system, or testing framework, and allows access to computing resources across administrative boundaries. Users define complex software building procedures for multiple platforms with simple semantics. The system balances the need to continually integrate software changes while still providing on-demand access for developers. Our key contributions in this paper are: (1) the development of design principles for distributed build-and-test systems, (2) a description of an implemented system that satisfies those principles, and (3) case studies on how this system is used in practice at two sites where large, multi-component systems are built and tested.
Carcinoid heart disease. Surgery for tricuspid and pulmonary valve lesions.

The second known successful operation for carcinoid valvular heart disease is reported. The patient underwent tricuspid valve replacement and pulmonary valvotomy and has no symptoms of heart disease more than 1 year after operation.
Application of Time-Dependent Raman Theory to the Analysis of Inorganic Photosystems

Recent developments by HELLER and coworkers [1] in the time-dependent theory of Raman scattering are of enormous potential value in determining structural and vibrational parameters in excited electronic states, Ground-state Raman intensities of fundamentals, overtones and combinations under resonance or near-resonance conditions can be used to determine normal coordinate displacements, force-constant changes and Duschinsky rotation in the excited state. This approach to excited-state characterization is particularly attractive because it does not require the direct observation of excited-state vibrational frequencies by TRVS or resolved vibronic spectroscopies. Thus, it is not hampered by short excited-state lifetimes and/or stringent experimental conditions. Furthermore, for systems where TRVS or vibronic data are available, Heller’s theory affords an additional test of the accuracy of calculated excited-state parameters.
Immersion, the Greatest Hook

People play certain genres of video games for definitive reasons. The underlying phenomenon of these manifested reasons, and the source of "hooking" a player to a game, is Game/World Immersion. Immersion, therefore, is the single most important factor as to why people play certain genres of video games. The various elements that are present in such games, such as audio or visual, are there to create the sense of immersion and are the building blocks of it.
Introducing the guard-stage-milestone approach for specifying business entity lifecycles

A promising approach to managing business operations is based on business entities with lifecycles (BEL's) (a.k.a. business artifacts), i.e., key conceptual entities that are central to guiding the operations of a business, and whose content changes as they move through those operations. A BEL type includes both an information model that captures, in either materialized or virtual form, all of the business-relevant data about entities of that type, and a lifecycle model, that specifies the possible ways an entity of that type might progress through the business by responding to events and invoking services, including human activities. Most previous work on BEL's has focused on the use of lifecycle models based on variants of finite state machines. This paper introduces the Guard-Stage-Milestone (GSM) meta-model for lifecycles, which is an evolution of the previous work on BEL's. GSM lifecycles are substantially more declarative than the finite state machine variants, and support hierarchy and parallelism within a single entity instance. The GSM operational semantics are based on a form of Event-Condition-Action (ECA) rules, and provide a basis for formal verification and reasoning. This paper provides an informal, preliminary introduction to the GSM approach, and briefly overviews selected research directions.
Targeting NF-κB in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia

The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) path-way has been implicated in tumor B-cell survival, growth, and resistance to therapy. Because tumor cells overcome single-agent antitumor activity, we hypothesized that combination of agents that target differentially NF-κB pathway will induce significant cytotoxicity. Therapeutic agents that target proteasome and Akt pathways should induce significant activity in B-cell malignancies as both pathways impact NF-κB activity. We demonstrated that perifosine and bortezomib both targeted NF-κB through its recruitment to the promoter of its target gene IκB using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. This combination led to synergistic cytotoxicity in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) cells that was mediated through a combined reduction of the PI3K/Akt and ERK signaling pathways, found to be critical for survival of WM cells. Moreover, a combination of these drugs with the CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab further increased their cytotoxic activity. Thus, effective WM therapy may require combination regimens targeting the NF-κB pathway.
A Perspective on Rehearsal

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the role of rehearsal in learning and memory. The chapter discusses the evidence for rehearsal in a typical free recall procedure. Discrepancy leads to the role of rehearsal being overplayed in some areas of research and neglected in others. The widely held assumption is that rehearsal plays a central role in the free recall paradigm—and by implication in other common memory paradigms—have not been as convincingly demonstrated as is sometimes believed, and the experiment that suggests the importance of rehearsal in free recall experiments may be minimal. New experiments demonstrating effective rehearsal of nonverbal auditory information are also described in the chapter.
Control of neural crest cell fate by the Wnt signalling pathway

Environmental signals are important in the development of neural crest, during which process multipotent progenitor must choose from several fates. However, the nature of these environmental signals is unknown. A previous fate map of zebrafish cranial neural crest showed that lineage-restricted clones of pigment cells arise from medial cells near the neural keel, and that clones of neurons arise from lateral cells farther from the neural keel. Wnt-1 and Wnt-3a are candidate genes for influencing neural crest fate, as they are expressed next to medial, but not lateral, crest cells. Here we determine the role of Wnt signals in modulating the fate of neural crest by injecting messenger RNAs into single, premigratory neural crest cells of zebrafish. Lineage analysis of injected cells shows that activation of Wnt signalling by injection of mRNA encoding cytoplasmic beta-catenin promotes pigment-cell formation at the expense of neurons and glia. Conversely, inhibition of the Wnt pathway, by injection of mRNAs encoding either a truncated form of the transcription factor Tcf-3 or a dominant-negative Wnt, promotes neuronal fates at the expense of pigment cells. We conclude that endogenous Wnt signalling normally promotes pigment-cell formation by medial crest cells and thereby contributes to the diversity of neural crest cell fates.
Personal assistance: Its effect on the long-term health of a rehabilitation hospital population

After discharge from a rehabilitation hospital, persons with severe disabilities may not be able to maintain health effectively without adequate personal assistance with activities of daily living. Techniques of qualitative analysis were used to assess interview results based on the observations of 41 physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and nurses in five rehabilitation hospitals. A positive relationship was found between the adequacy of personal assistance and the ability of individuals disabled primarily by stroke, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury to maintain good physical and mental health. The most commonly cited health problem was skin breakdown, followed by urinary tract infections, pulmonary infections, and contractures. Inadequate personal assistance also led to extended hospital stays, threats to safety, poor nutrition, and poor personal hygiene. Reliance on family alone for assistance was considered inadequate, common adverse effects including burnout, family role changes, and economic strain. Persons with the best health combined assistance by relatives and unrelated persons. Recommended is the establishment of a comprehensive system capable of coordinating service delivery from home health agencies, independent living centers, and rehabilitation hospitals.
Reproducible and rapid methods for the isolation and assay of a-factor, a yeast mating hormone.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating hormone a -factor has been difficult to isolate reproducibly in sufficient yields by methods using ion-exchange chromatography, probably because of its pronounced hydrophobicity. In this work, a hydrophobic adsorbent (Amberlite XAD-2), in an insoluble bead from, was used to isolate larger (up to sixfold greater than previous reports) and quite reproducible (12% standard deviation) quantities of a -factor by adsorption from cell-free filtrates of a cultures. Moreover, when the beads were added to the cultures at the time of inoculation, sixfold greater yields were obtained than when a -factor was adsorbed to the beads from cell-free filtrates. a -Factor was readily eluted from the beads with 1-propanol. The same adsorbent could also be used in the partial purification of the less hydrophobic α-factor. Adsorption of both hormones by Amberlite XAD-2 gave a degree of purification comparable to that obtained by the first steps of previously published methods while providing larger yields of hormones. The present procedure is shorter, simpler, and, for a -factor, more reproducible. The activities of both hormones were quantitated by using an assay in which the size distribution of cells in the population was monitored after the addition of hormone of the opposite mating type. The extent of increase in cell size which accompanies hormone treatment is a function of the hormone concentration. To ensure solubilization of a -factor in the aqueous bioassay system, samples were diluted into bovine serum albumin solutions and sonicated before assaying. The resulting assay is most sensitive at hormone concentrations between 0.05 and 2 U/ml, can reliably detect as little as 0.16 ng of hormone, gave results reproducible within 16%, and is convenient for a large number (>100) of samples.
The effects of androgen and antiandrogen on dominance and aggressiveness in male red-winged blackbirds

Abstract Male red-winged blackbirds were given implants of testosterone or flutamide in order to manipulate the level of androgen reaching receptor sites. Implants of cholesterol were given as controls. Radioimmunoassay showed higher levels of testosterone and DHT in the plasma of testosterone-implanted birds than in the plasma of the pooled flutamide-implanted and cholesterol-implanted birds. Dominance was significantly correlated with effective androgen level. Androgen level was not correlated with rates of supplantations per subordinate but was correlated with rates of escalated attacks per subordinate. Thus androgen level influences dominance in male red-winged blackbirds by influencing one component of aggressiveness.
Cost, operational readiness, and environmental benefits for the reutilization of used hydraulic oil

The U.S. Army, in cooperation with industry, recently developed and demonstrated a methodology for returning used hydraulic fluid to vehicle service. The effort was conducted in three phases: First, a laboratory investigation to determine the viability of restoring used fluid to military specification performance. Second, a field investigation designed to identify commercially available equipment that could successfully process the used fluid and also demonstrate the performance of the restored fluid in military vehicles. Third, the Army entered into Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with commercial companies that manufacture the certified hydraulic oil recyclers to test on-line diagnostics aimed at automating and optimizing the process. Under the aegis of the aforementioned CRADA, industry developed technology that automates the process of restoring used hydraulic fluid to military specification performance. Testing and demonstration results indicate that the process of restoring used hydraulic fluid can be automated to require less labor and eliminate possible incomplete restoration. This paper briefly explains the recommended process developed by the Fuels and Lubricants Team as presented in the “User's Guide For Recycling Military Hydraulic Fluid.” Recent military implementation of hydraulic oil restoration programs, studies, and field demonstrations within the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force are discussed. The on-site reutilization of used hydraulic fluid with a certified hydraulic oil recycler can have a significant impact on meeting pollution prevention goals. The benefits include reduced fluid disposal costs, reduced procurement costs for new fluid, increased operational readiness, increased durability of systems, and an uncomplicated avenue for conservation of natural resources. Procedures and certifications for this program are now in place. The implementation of a hydraulic oil recycling program will save millions of dollars per year for each of the U.S. military services, as well as contribute to operational readiness. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interactive animation system for 3D volumetric human models

We reveal a practical solution of an interactive animation system for 3D volumetric human models. In this system, human animation is interactively driven by barcodes in 3D space, which is basically a mixed-reality concept. These models are obtained from a multi-view capturing system that has specific template skeletons for bone-skin models. By integrating the proposed methods, we developed an interactive animation system for skinned human models. The proposed procedure is intuitive and helpful for artists to create 3D avatars.
Antecedents and consequences of explicit agreements to declare a topic taboo in dating relationships

Some intimates try to prevent relational problems by agreeing not to talk about them again. This article investigates the antecedents and consequences of explicitly or implicitly declaring a topic taboo. A survey of college daters indicated that explicit agreements are more likely when individuals declare the topics unimportant to their relationship, but are less likely when the topic is perceived to be relationally harmful. Furthermore, prolonged discussion prior to declaring a topic taboo increases the explicitness of the accord. Relational satisfaction is negatively associated with the number of taboo topics, and with the degree to which such agreements are explicit. However, the association between satisfaction and explicitness is moderated by relational commitment. The negative association is only statistically significant among individuals who are relatively uncommitted or moderately committed to their relationship. Furthermore, this ordinal interaction proves to be a more powerful predictor of relational satisfaction that is the number of taboo topics.
Mean reversion or a breath of fresh air? The effect of NFL coaching changes on team performance in the salary cap era

Just as firms must consider the impact of changes in management, sports teams must consider whether a coaching change will improve the team’s on-field performance. I examine the effects of coaching changes for National Football League (NFL) teams between the 1995 and 2012 seasons. A variety of factors contribute to an NFL team’s performance reverting towards league-average levels between seasons. Thus, a nominal improvement in team performance could be due to improved management or it could simply be mean reversion. I find that, after accounting for the highly significant mean reversion effect during this time period, firing a coach reduces a team’s expected performance during the next season and the team’s average performance over the next two seasons. This effect is present when wins are used to measure performance, but also when performance is measured by point differential and playoff appearances, two variables that avoid some shortcomings of using team wins as a measure of performance. I conclude tha...
Alcohol Use among College Students: A Comparison of Athletes and Nonathletes

This study examines alcohol use among college students, focusing on variation in binge drinking based on involvement in athletics. Prior research indicates that college students who participate in athletics are more likely to report binge drinking than are students who are not involved in athletics. However, existing research has not offered an explanation why college athletes are at a greater risk for binge drinking. Using data from the 1999 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, a national study examining substance use and other health risk behaviors of college students in the United States, the current research examines social norms as a possible source of the elevated levels of binge drinking among college athletes. Findings indicate that athletes are more likely to report binge drinking, in part, because they view alcohol use as being more normative. The limitations of the study are noted.
The Arts and Their Economic Impact: The Values of Utility

(1986). The Arts and Their Economic Impact: The Values of Utility. Journal of Arts Management and Law: Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 33-48.
Integrating sentence- and word-level error identification for disfluency correction

While speaking spontaneously, speakers often make errors such as self-correction or false starts which interfere with the successful application of natural language processing techniques like summarization and machine translation to this data. There is active work on reconstructing this errorful data into a clean and fluent transcript by identifying and removing these simple errors. Previous research has approximated the potential benefit of conducting word-level reconstruction of simple errors only on those sentences known to have errors. In this work, we explore new approaches for automatically identifying speaker construction errors on the utterance level, and quantify the impact that this initial step has on word- and sentence-level reconstruction accuracy.
Identification of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene cluster encoding the biosynthetic enzymes for assembly of the virulence-conferring siderophore mycobactin.

Abstract Background: Many pathogenic bacteria secrete iron-chelating siderophores as virulence factors in the iron-limiting environments of their vertebrate hosts to compete for ferric iron. Mycobacterium tuberculosis mycobactins are mixed polyketide/nonribosomal peptides that contain a hydroxyaryloxazoline cap and two N -hydroxyamides that together create a high-affinity site for ferric ion. The mycobactin structure is analogous to that of the yersiniabactin and vibriobactin siderophores from the bacteria that cause plague and cholera, respectively. Results: A ten-gene cluster spanning 24 kilobases of the M. tuberculosis genome, designated mbtA-J , contains the core components necessary for mycobactin biogenesis. The gene products MbtB, MbtE and MbtF are proposed to be peptide synthetases, MbtC and MbtD polyketide synthases, Mbtl an isochorismate synthase that provides a salicylate activated by MbtA, and MbtG a required hydroxylase. An aryl carrier protein (ArCP) domain is encoded in mbtB , and is probably the site of siderophore chain initiation. Overproduction and purification of the mbtB ArCP domain and MbtA in Escherichia coli allowed validation of the mycobactin initiation hypothesis, as sequential action of PptT (a phosphopantetheinyl transferase) and MbtA (a salicyl-AMP ligase) resulted in the mbtB ArCP domain being activated as salicyl-S-ArCP. Conclusions: Mycobactins are produced in M. tuberculosis using a polyketide synthase/nonribosomal peptide synthetase strategy. The mycobactin gene cluster has organizational homologies to the yersiniabactin and enterobactin synthetase genes. Enzymatic targets for inhibitor design and therapeutic intervention are suggested by the similar ferric-ion ligation strategies used in the siderophores from Mycobacteria, Yersinia and E. coli pathogens.
Modification of the optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon by alloying with Al, Ga and S

Abstract Alloys of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) with Al, Ga and S respectively, have been prepared. The alloy films were grown by the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The chemical composition of the alloys has been characterized by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The EPMA results show that the alloying element is incorporated in the films more efficiently at low input gas flux than at the higher fluxes. A topological model has been proposed to explain the observed behaviour. The Al and Ga alloys were found to be low band gap materials whereas alloying with S and had the effect of widening the energy gap. The energy gap of the alloys could be varied in the 0.90 to 1.92 eV range. The trends in the band gap-composition dependence were quantitatively analyzed on the basis of White's random network model. The photoresponse of the alloys was measured under white light illumination. The highest light to dark conductivity ratio of 4×10 2 was obtained for the S alloys. The Al and Ga alloys showed at best a one order change in magnitude between the light and dark conductivity. The Si:S alloys are promising window-materials for multibandgap solar cells.
Potential Cultural Bias in Training Parents as Conversational Partners With Their Children Who Have Delays in Language Development

This article explores the potential cultural biases in language intervention approaches that train parents to interact with their children who have language delays in ways that will promote languag...
Darwin on the Web: Resources for Darwin 200 and Beyond

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection transformed many fields of science and is key to modern biology. The year 2009 has been designated as “Darwin 200,” commemorating the bicentenary of Darwin's birth on February 12, 1809, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, on November 24, 1859. This Feature explores online resources about Darwin and his work that can be used at the secondary and undergraduate levels.
College Choices of Academically Talented Secondary Students.

The decision-making process of academically talented students when making the transition to college is complex. This study investigates the factors that contribute to the selectivity of the college...
Numerical analysis of the scramjet inlet flow field using two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations

A computer code was developed to solve the full two dimensional Navier-Stokes equations in a supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) inlet. In order to be able to consider a general inlet geometry with embedded bodies, a numerical coordinate transformation is used which generates a set of boundary-fitted curvilinear coordinates. The explicit finite difference algorithm of MacCormack is used to solve the governing equations. An algebraic, two-layer eddy-viscosity model is used for the turbulent flow. The code can analyze both inviscid and viscous flows with no strut, one strut, or multiple struts in the flow field. The application of the two dimensional analysis in the preliminary parametric design studies of a scramjet inlet is discussed. Detailed results are presented for one model problem and for several actual scramjet-inlet configurations.
Artificial atoms of silicon

Size-monodisperse, stable 15 A diameter silicon nanocrystals were synthesized in significant quantities using supercritical octanol as a capping ligand. The silicon nanocrystals exhibit an indirect band gap with discrete electronic transitions in the absorbance and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra. The octanol-capped clusters show efficient blue band-edge photoemission with a luminescence quantum yield of 23 % at room temperature.
Robots, after all

Artificial minds for mechanical bodies capable of autonomous manual work finally seem within reach.
On the development and global oscillations of cometary ionospheres

Representing the cometary ionosphere by a single fluid model characterized by an average ionization time scale, both the ionosphere's development as a comet approaches the sun and its response to sudden changes in solar wind conditions are investigated. Three different nuclear sizes (small, average, very large) and three different modes of energy addition to the atmosphere (adiabatic, isothermal, suprathermal) are considered. It is found that the crucial parameter determining both the nature and the size of the ionosphere is the average ionization time scale within the ionosphere. Two different scales are identified. It is noted that the ionosphere can also be characterized by the relative sizes of three different scale lengths: the neutral standoff distance from the nucleus, the ion standoff distance from the nucleus, and the nuclear distance at which the ions and the neutrals decouple collisionally.
Dendroarchaeology of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, Utah

We examined tree rings from Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) timbers in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, constructed from 1863–1867 in Salt Lake City, Utah. A seismic upgrade to the Tabernacle initiated in 2005 required the replacement of wooden timbers with steel beams. Our objectives were to 1) determine cutting dates for the timbers to identify logs that may have been salvaged from previous structures, and consequently would have greater historical significance, 2) identify the species and provenance of the timbers, and 3) develop a chronology that could extend or strengthen the existing tree-ring record for environmental and historical applications in northern Utah. We built a 162-year floating chronology from 13 cores and 15 cross-sections, crossdated visually using skeleton plots and verified statistically with COFECHA. Statistically significant (p , 0.0001) comparisons with established chronologies from northern Utah indicated that the Tabernacle chronology extends from 1702–1862. Cutting dates ranged from 1836–1863, with most in 1862 or 1863 and a smaller cluster around 1855. The broad range of cutting dates suggests that some of the timbers were used in previous structures, and that some trees were dead before they were cut. This study provides valuable information for the preservation of historical materials, and increases the sample depth of existing chronologies during the 18 th and 19 th Centuries.
Oxidation of Ethyne and But-2-yne. 2. Master Equation Simulations

The aim of this study is to improve understanding of the tropospheric oxidation of ethyne (acetylene, C2H2) and but-2-yne, which takes place in the presence of HO and O2. The details of the potential energy hypersurface have been discussed in a previous article [Maranzana et al., J. Phys. Chem. A 2008, 112, XXXX]. For both molecules, the initial addition of HO radical to the triple bond is followed by addition of O2 to form peroxyl radicals. In both reaction systems, the peroxyl radicals take two isomeric forms, E1 and E2 for ethyne and e1 and e2 for but-2-yne. Energy transfer parameters (alpha = 250 cm-1) for the ethyne system were obtained by simulating laboratory data for N2 buffer gas, where O2 was not present. In simulations of C2H2 + HO when O2 is present, E1 reacts completely and E2 reacts almost completely, before thermalization. Radical E1 produces formic acid ( approximately 44%) and E2 gives glyoxal ( approximately 53%), in quite good agreement with experiments. For but-2-yne, pressure-dependent laboratory data are too scarce to obtain energy transfer parameters directly, so simulations were carried out for a range of values: alpha = 200-900 cm-1. Excellent agreement with the available experimental yields at atmospheric pressure was obtained with alpha = 900 cm-1. Two reaction channels are responsible for acetic acid formation, but one is clearly dominant. Biacetyl is produced by reactions of e1 and, to a minor extent, e2. The peroxyl radical e2 leads to less than 8% of all products. Vinoxyl radical (which has been reported in experiments involving C2H2 + HO) and products of its reactions are predicted to be negligible under atmospheric conditions.
'Ecometrics': Toward A Science of Assessing Ecological Settings, with Application to the Systematic Social Observation of Neighborhoods

This paper considers the quantitative assessment of ecological settings such as neighborhoods and schools. Available administrative data typically provide useful but limited information on such settings. We demonstrate how more complete information can be reliably obtained from surveys and observational studies. Survey-based assessments are constructed by aggregating over multiple item responses of multiple informants within each setting. Item and rater inconsistency produce uncertainty about the setting being assessed, with definite implications for research design. Observation-based assessments also have a multilevel error structure. The paper describes measures constructed from interviews, direct observations, and videotapes of Chicago neighborhoods and illustrates an “ecometric” analysis—a study of bias and random error in neighborhood assessments. Using the observation data as an illustrative example, we present a three-level hierarchical statistical model that identifies sources of error in aggregat...
Corporate social responsibility practices in India: approach, drivers, and barriers

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine how corporations in India interpret corporate social responsibility (CSR). Focusing on four commonly known approaches: the ethical, the statist, the liberal, and the stakeholder approach, the paper seeks to investigate the reported drivers and barriers to implementing CSR practices.Design/methodology/approach – The paper surveyed top‐level managers of a sample of companies currently engaging in a CSR initiative, representing a variety of industry sectors.Findings – The study finds that the CSR approach that is most favored by Indian firms is the stakeholder approach and that the caring or the moral motive, followed by the strategic or profit motive, are important drivers for Indian firms to pursue CSR. Further, the results indicate that the most significant obstacles to CSR implementation are those related to lack of resources, followed by those related to the complexity and difficulty of implementing CSR.Research limitations/implications – The study focuses o...
Performance Evaluation Of Infrared Sensors And Associated Processing

A simulation approach for the performance evaluation of both scanning and mosaic infrared sensor systems and their associated signal processing is presented. This approach allows a parametric exploration of design alternatives and environmental extremes. Various focal plane geometries and alternative signal processing algorithms can be investigated. The simulation has been implemented for maximum efficiency to allow the evaluation of system probability of detection and false alarm. rates. Microscopic effects, such as optical crosstalk, image motion during the dwell, assymetric point spread functions, and platform effects, are modelled. Important models within the simulation are: optics and detector, Time Delay and Integrate (TDI) and Charge Coupled Device (CCD) effects, object motion, and a band pass filter. The output of the simulation can be input to alternative data processing algorithms. Individual algorithms and configurations can be evaluated at several stages in the flow. The simulation has been configured to model both staring mosaics and scanning bar sensors. Data supporting model verification and an example of the application of the simulation to a scanning infrared astronomical satellite are discussed.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dual transgene strategy for live visualization of chromatin and plasma membrane dynamics in murine embryonic stem cells and embryonic tissues.

To simultaneously follow multiple subcellular characteristics, for example, cell position and cell morphology, in living specimens requires multiple subcellular labels. Toward this goal, we generated dual-tagged mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells constitutively expressing differentially localized, spectrally distinct, genetically encoded fluorescent protein fusions. We have used human histone H2B fusions to fluorescent proteins to mark chromatin. This provides a descriptor of cell position, division, and death. An additional descriptor of cell morphology is achieved by combining this transgene with select lipid-modified fluorescent protein fusions that mark the plasma membrane. Using this strategy, we were able to live image cellular dynamics in three dimensions over time both in cultured ES cells and in mouse embryos generated using dual-tagged ES cells. This study, therefore, presents the feasibility of applying multiple spectrally and subcellularly distinct fluorescent protein reporters for live imaging studies in ES cells and mouse embryos. Furthermore, the increasing availability of spectral variant fluorescent proteins along with the development of methods that permit improved spectral separation now facilitate multiplexing of fluorescent reporters to provide readouts of a variety of anatomical and physiological behaviors simultaneously in living specimens.
Is banara really a word

Bowers, Davis, and Hanley (Bowers, J. S., Davis, C. J., & Hanley, D. A. (2005). Interfering neighbours: The impact of novel word learning on the identification of visually similar words. Cognition, 97(3), B45-B54) reported that if participants were trained to type nonwords such as banara, subsequent semantic categorization responses to similar words such as banana were delayed. This was taken as direct experimental support for a process of lexical competition during word recognition. This interpretation assumes that banara has been lexicalized, which predicts that masked form priming for items such as banara-banana should be reduced or eliminated. An experiment is reported showing that the trained novel words produced the same amount of priming as untrained nonwords on both the first and the second day of training, suggesting that the interference observed by Bowers et al was not due to word-on-word competition.
The growth of N-face GaN by MOCVD: effect of Mg, Si, and In

Abstract The MOCVD growth of N-face GaN on Ga-face GaN has been investigated using excess Mg to produce inversion of the polar axis. Characterization of the inverted material by AFM, TEM, optical microscopy and chemo-mechanical polishing indicates complete inversion and the ability to grow N-face films. Growth of N-face GaN is accompanied by higher oxygen incorporation as well as higher background electron concentrations than growth of the Ga-face material under similar conditions. Silicon can be incorporated during the growth of the N-face material and acts as an n-type dopant as is the case for growth of the Ga-face. InGaN layers can be deposited on the N-face and exhibit typical emission in the 380–450 nm range with an additional emission in the red likely caused by defect levels in the InGaN. Conditions for growing high-quality inverted layers are discussed.
Nuclear ferritin: a ferritoid-ferritin complex in corneal epithelial cells.

Iron is essential for life in all eukaryotes and most prokaryotes; however, free iron (Fe2+), in excess, can exacerbate oxidative damage through the Fenton reaction, which generates hydroxyl radicals, the most energetic and deleterious reactive oxygen species (ROS).1–3 Therefore, iron-sequestering proteins such as ferritin have evolved as one of the cellular mechanisms of detoxification.4–7 Although it was generally believed that the subcellular localization of ferritin is exclusively cytoplasmic, recent studies have reported cells with ferritin in a nuclear location. For tissues in vivo, these include avian embryonic corneal epithelium (CE) and nucleated red blood cells.8,9 In developing rats, these include the brain.10 For cells in culture, these include astrocytoma and glial cell lines and cells subjected to iron overloading and other pathologic conditions.11–13 Several functions for nuclear ferritin have been suggested. In CE cells, we have considerable evidence that the nuclear ferritin affords protection from UV-and H2O2-induced damage to DNA.14–16 In other cell types, nuclear ferritin has also been suggested to protect DNA and, in addition, to provide iron for nuclear enzymes and to regulate the initiation of transcription.11,12,17 Similarly, for the nuclear transport of ferritin, at least two mechanisms have been suggested. One, in CE cells, involves a tissue-specific nuclear transporter protein for ferritin and another, in astrocytoma cells, involves posttranslational modifications of the ferritin H-chain.18,19 Cytoplasmic mammalian ferritin complexes are heteropolymers composed of two types of subunits, H and L, assembled in different ratios to form a 24-mer supramolecular complex capable of sequestering approximately 4500 atoms of iron.20,21 In addition, the cytoplasmic ferritin complex has been reported to associate with nonferritin proteins that deliver iron to the ferritin core22 and others that are involved in the subcellular distribution of ferritin.8,23 However, in avian species, only the H-subunit has been detected. In chicken CE cells, we have previously identified a novel protein, ferritoid, that binds to ferritin and translocates it into the nucleus. Ferritoid consists of two domains. One ferritin-like domain is involved in its binding to ferritin, and the other domain has a consensus SV40-type nuclear localization signal that is responsible for the nuclear transport.24 Other than this, however, little was known concerning the association between ferritoid and ferritin, such as the type of complexes formed between these two components, the subcellular localization(s) of these complexes, and whether they are transient—that is, present only during the transport process—or whether, once formed, they remain stable. In addition, if the ferritoid-ferritin complexes are stable, do they have unique characteristics/properties that distinguish them from other multimeric ferritin complexes? In the present study we have determined certain of the characteristics of the nuclear ferritoid-ferritin complexes.
Metabolism of coenzyme A and related nucleotides by liver plasma membranes.

Abstract 1. 1. Plasma membranes convert acyl CoA into S -acylpantetheine and several nucleotide residues. The objectives of this investigation were to determine the reaction sequences which are involved in the further metabolism of CoA and of some related nucleotides. 2. 2. The reaction: Acyl-CoA → 4′-phospho- S -acyl pantetheine + 3′,5′-diphosphoadenosine (3′,5′-ADP) was catalyzed by nucleotide pyrophosphatase. 3′,5′-ADP was further metabolized to adenosine and P i with the intermediate formation of 3′-AMP. 3. 3. Liver plasma membrane preparations are characterized by the presence of a variety of phosphoester hydrolases and a labile thioesterase. The properties of these enzymes are described and their possible roles in plasma membranes are discussed.
Numerical method for hydrodynamic transport of inhomogeneous polymer melts

We introduce a mesoscale method for simulating hydrodynamic transport and self-assembly of inhomogeneous polymer melts in pressure driven and drag induced flows. This method extends dynamic self-consistent field theory (DSCFT) into the hydrodynamic regime where bulk material transport and viscoelastic effects play a significant role. The method combines four distinct components as a single coupled system, including (1) non-equilibrium self-consistent field theory describing block copolymer self-assembly, (2) multi-fluid Navier-Stokes type hydrodynamics for tracking material transport, (3) constitutive equations modeling viscoelastic phase separation, and (4) rigid wall fields which represent moving channel boundaries, machine components, and nano-particulate fillers. We also present an efficient, pseudo-spectral implementation for this set of coupled equations which enables practical application of the model in periodic domains. We validate the model by reproducing well known phenomena including equilibrium diblock meso-phases, analytic Stokes flows, and viscoelastic phase separation of glassy/elastic polymer melts. We also demonstrate the stability and accuracy of the numerical implementation by examining its convergence under grid-size refinement.
Neuronal galvanotropism is independent of external Ca2+ entry or internal Ca2+ gradients

The mechanism by which growing neurites sense and respond to small applied electrical fields is not known, but there is some evidence that the entry of Ca(2+) from the external medium, with the subsequent formation of intracellular Ca(2+) gradients, is important in this process. We have employed two approaches to test this idea. Xenopus spinal neurites were exposed to electrical fields in a culture medium in which Ca(2+) was chelated to very low levels compared to the normal extracellular concentration of 2 mM. In other experiments, loading the neurites with the calcium buffer, 1, 2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA), disrupted the putative internal Ca(2+) gradients, and the effects on the electrical response were determined. Fields of 100 mV/mm were applied for 12 h, and no difference was detected in the cathodal turning response between the treated neurites and the untreated controls. Using the Differential Growth Index (DGI), an asymmetry index, to quantitate the turning response, we recorded DGIs of -0.64, -0.65, and -0.62 for control cells, cells in Ca(2+)-free medium, and cells preloaded with BAPTA, respectively. Furthermore, we detected an increase in neurite length for those neurons cultured in Ca(2+)-free medium; they were 1.5-1.7 times as long as neurites from neurons cultured in normal Ca(2+) medium. Likewise, we found that BAPTA-loaded neurites were longer than control neurites. Our data indicate that neuronal galvanotropism is independent of the entry of external Ca(2+) or of internal Ca(2+) gradients. Both cell-permeant agonistic and antagonistic analogs of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) increased the response to applied electrical fields.
Reducing Length of Stay for Patients Hospitalized With Exacerbation of COPD by Using a Practice Guideline

Clinical practice guidelines have been promoted as an effective way of reducing costs while maintaining quality care. Objective To study a practice guideline to shorten length of stay for patients hospitalized with exacerbation of COPD. Methods We retrospectively studied a practice guideline to identify patients who were at low risk of complications from their exacerbation of COPD and hence potentially suitable for early hospital discharge. We then prospectively studied the practice guideline using an alternate month intervention and control time series over a period of 12 months. Results The practice guideline was retrospectively studied in 250 consecutive patients hospitalized with exacerbation of COPD. Of the 250 patients, 237 patients (94.8%) were classified as low risk after 72 h of hospitalization and were potentially suitable for discharge. In the prospective study, few patients (24 of 124 or 19%) were identified for implementation of the guideline. However, in those patients who were identified, length of stay was not statistically different. The data also showed that length of stay for both intervention and control groups had shortened over this time. Conclusion Certain practice guidelines may appear efficacious in studies but may actually lack effectiveness when applied in clinical settings and may even increase costs. We demonstrated the importance of prospectively evaluating clinical practice guidelines before recommending them for widespread implementation.