cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Institutional Pathologies in the Regulatory State: What Scott Pruitt Taught Us About Regulatory Policy

While Scott Pruitt’s aggressive deregulatory agenda while he served as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency got significant attention, many of his actions have been successfully challenged in the courts. This Article argues that these deregulatory efforts have been plagued by five pathologies that contributed to their legal vulnerability. First, Pruitt’s EPA was driven by political ideology and extremism. Second, he isolated himself from career staff at the EPA. Third, trade associations, which have exerted significant influence, were often dominated by extreme views within the group. Fourth, industry has been slow to adapt to how the Trump Administration has operated. And fifth, short-term political thinking has shifted focus away from long-term policy success. These pathologies were not limited to Pruitt’s hapless tenure. They continue to hobble the work of the EPA and of other agencies in the Trump Administration and could stand in the way of the accomplishments of future administrations — both Republican and Democratic.
Cutaneous signs of nutritional disorders

Abstract This review article focuses on the dermatologic manifestations of selected nutrient deficiencies, including protein-energy and micronutrient-related malnutrition. The various nutrient deficiencies presented may share common features. However, distinctive cutaneous signs may prompt clinicians to consider a nutritional cause and help distinguish a nutrient deficiency from other common dermatologic conditions. The recent reemergence of forgotten nutritional deficiencies, such as scurvy and pellagra, in the context of predisposing risk factors that may uniquely affect women more than men makes this topic timely. Recognition of nutritional disorders is important because appropriate treatment may reverse cutaneous signs and prevent irreversible sequelae.
Words and Quality Learning

As Jodi Piccolo said: “Words are like nets – we hope they’ll cover what we mean, but we know they can’t possibly hold that much joy, or grief, or wonder.” “It” is a word. Words don’t mean by themselves as many scholars agree. We mean by their use. The use of words is for creation and other difficult to define mysterious and semi-mysterious events that are for themselves.
A Comparison of Reaction vs Conventionally Hot-Pressed Ceramic Composites

Solid-state reactions were carried out simultaneously with hot-pressing to produce ceramic composited based on an alpha-alumina matrix with one or more of the following phases: TiB2, TiC, SiC, or B4C. Microstructures and physical properties, e.g., fracture strength, hardness, and Young's modulus, were compared to those of bodies obtained from conventionally hot-pressed materials of similar composition. While good densification and physical properties were obtained by reaction hot-pressing, e.g., Vickers hardnesses as high as 2400 kg/sq mm for a TiB2-alpha-alumina composite and strengths exceeding 600 MPa in TiC-alpha-alumina composites, no generic advantages over conventional hot-pressing were obtained. 7 refs.
The Function of Sleep

The importance of sleep can be ascertained by noting the effects of its loss, which tends to be chronic and partial, on cognition, mood, alertness, and overall health. Many theories have been put forth to explain the function of sleep in humans, including proposals based on energy conservation, ecological adaptations, neurocognitive function, neural plasticity, nervous system and physical health, and performance. Most account for only a portion of sleep behavior and few are based on strong experimental support. In this review, we present theories proposing why sleep is necessary and supporting data demonstrating the effects of inadequate sleep, with the intention of gleaning further information as to its necessity, which remains one of the most perplexing mysteries in biology.
Excision of thymine dimers by proteolytic and amber fragments of E. coli DNA polymerase I

Abstract Excision of thymine dimers from specifically incised ultraviolet irradiated DNA by E. coli DNA polymerase I is stimulated by concurrent DNA synthesis. The 36,000 molecular-weight “small fragment” obtained by limited proteolysis of DNA polymerase I, which retains only the 5′ → 3′ exonuclease activity, also excises thymine dimers, but at one-tenth the rate of the intact enzyme. However, the rate of excision is increased by addition of the “large” 76,000-molecular weight fragment. With the further addition of the 4 deoxynucleoside triphosphates, permitting DNA synthesis to occur, excision approaches rates observed with the intact enzyme. The same result was obtained with a fragment of DNA polymerase I with 5′ → 3′ exonuclease activity that is present uniquely in polymerase I amber mutants.
Up from Individualism

majoritarian difficulty, I didn't bite. I didn't say, "Wow, that's a giant problem." I didn't immediately start casting about for ingenious ways to solve or dissolve it. I just shrugged. Now I don't think that's because my commitments to either democracy or constitutionalism are somehow faulty or suspect. Nor do I think it's that they obviously cohere. It's rather that the framing, "look, these nine unelected characters can strike down a statute passed in procedurally valid ways by a democratically elected legislature," struck me as unhelpful. As I say, I was wondering whether I had the effrontery to rise with this dreadful confession. I decided that I didn't. I'm just a commentator, after all, and I'm not allowed to suggest that we change the subject. Besides, to be more serious, I admire Professor Michelman for having the courage of his convictions. He is relentless in pursuing the implications of his starting premises. So I want to suggest several ways in which his problem is both more and less complicated than he believes. Identifying the political and conceptual price we pay for framing matters this way, seeing to just what extremes we are driven, might help persuade us to step back and try to frame things differently. Recall Frank's distinction between liberal and populist theories of self-government. The liberal holds that each and every individual must be self-governing; the populist holds that it's enough if we are members of a community that is self-governing.' I want to underline a point that Frank concedes: what he styles the liberal view is impossible. That has nothing to do with judicial review. It has only to do with minorities. Every time the state acts against my will-indeed every time the state acts in ways I haven't commissioned-I am not self-governing. Not, at least, on a captious account of self-government. If I may tease Frank just a bit on the strange ideological company he's keeping here, this is just the view that drove Lysander Spooner, nineteenth-century lawyer and
Effective Interpersonal Listening and Personal Selling

Although widely recognized as essential to success, little research has focused on effective listening skills in the personal selling context. This paper reviews effective listening as seen in existing sales and communication literature. Further, it presents both a cognitive process model of the interpersonal listening process and a model that explicates the relationship between listening, adaptive selling and sales performance. In addition, a series of research priorities and research propositions are presented to stimulate future research.
Pain and Addiction

Chronic pain and addiction are complex, neurobiologic diseases with distinct and overlapping pathologies. Their diagnosis, and treatment as co-existing diseases, is challenging and requires multimodal, multidisciplinary disease management. The physiology of these diseases and the positive and negative effects of opioid analgesics in their treatment are discussed. The impact of psychiatric comorbidities on outcomes is characterized. Clinical treatment paradigms are suggested.
Construction of a Tryptophan-less P-glycoprotein by Directed Evolution for Mapping Drug Binding Sites

P-glycoprotein (Pgp) is an ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter that functions as a multidrug efflux pump, causing drug resistance in cancer and other diseases. Polyspecific drug transport is lik...
Attachment, Social Support Satisfaction, and Well-Being During Life Transition in Emerging Adulthood

The present study was designed to investigate the relations among attachment, social support satisfaction, and well-being in a cross-sectional sample of emerging adults (N = 213) experiencing one or more normative life transitions. The sample represented a range of educational and vocational backgrounds. The primary hypotheses were that social support satisfaction would mediate the associations between each attachment dimension and well-being. A corresponding theoretical model was tested using structural equation modeling. The model provided an excellent fit to the sample data. Social support satisfaction mediated the association between attachment anxiety and well-being, but not the association between attachment avoidance and well-being. That is, attachment anxiety was indirectly associated with well-being through social support satisfaction, whereas attachment avoidance was directly associated with well-being. Alternative model testing provided mixed support for the variable ordering in the theoretical...
Two Wrongs Mock a Right: Overcoming the Cohen Maledicta That Bar First Amendment Protection for Newsgathering

In Cohen v. Cowles Media Co., Justice Byron R. White wrote that the First Amendment offers no protection from the enforcement of "generally applicable laws" against newsgatherers and that First Amendment protection applies only to information that has been "lawfully acquired." This Article shows that these doctrines are not only false, but have already done serious damage to First Amendment interests. It surveys lower court decisions from around the country to demonstrate the doctrines' pernicious influence, then it evaluates alternative solutions to the problem. The article concludes that the most effective, if least likely, solution would be a rule that tracks the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan "actual malice" standard, redefined as "bad faith" or "outrageous behavior" when applied to newsgathering torts. This article examines these doctrines with a view toward exposing their role in obstructing the natural evolution of a constitutional rule that ensures First Amendment values are taken into account when tort liability for reporters' conduct in gathering news is alleged. Part II discusses what little the Supreme Court has already told us about First Amendment protection for newsgathering and places that in the context of other press clause jurisprudence, including New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell. Part III examines the Cohen case in detail, dissecting and debunking the two major doctrines that now effectively deprive newsgathering of constitutional protection. Part IV reviews the damage those flawed doctrines have already done in trial and appellate courts around the country. And Part V discusses alternative approaches toward a new constitutional rule that might evolve, indeed that might have already evolved, in the absence of the Cohen "maledicta." This article concludes that, although the First Amendment confers no immunity upon the press to violate laws of general applicability or to commit tortious or unlawful acts in pursuit of the news, neither do such violations relieve the courts of responsibility to consider the First Amendment values at stake, weigh them against the other societal values represented by the laws in question, and, where appropriate, adjust those laws to accommodate any higher values they may find.
Incidence of Bacteremia in Adults Without Infection

To deterimine the incidence of bacteremia in healty adults, blood cultures were obtained from 240 patients who had no demonstrable foci of infection. Five patients (2.1%) had positive blood cultures. Staphylococcus epidermidis was isolated from four patients and Alcaligenes faecalis from one. In each of these patients, the organism isolated probably represented contamination rather than bacteremia.
Patterning Mammalian Cells Using Elastomeric Membranes

We describe the patterning of proteins and cells onto the surfaces of bacteriological Petri dishes, glass, and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) with the use of elastomeric lift-off membranesfree-standing polymer films that have circular or square holes with diameters, sides, and height ≥50 μm. Cells are patterned within the physical constraints provided by the holes of the membranes; these constraints can be released to allow the cells to spread onto the rest of the surface or to remain in the pattern by controlling the properties of the surfaces. Careful control of the properties of the surfaces of the substrates are required to cause the cells to adhere to the substrate and not to the membrane, and to avoid damage to the cells on removing the membrane. This strategy of membrane-based patterninggiven the acronym MEMPAT for brevityoffers a more convenient way for patterning cells on surfaces and for studying cell spreading than existing methods.
Maternal use of recreational drugs and neuroblastoma in offspring: a report from the Children's Oncology Group (United States).

To evaluate whether maternal use of recreational drugs around conception and pregnancy influences the risk of childhood neuroblastoma. Self-reported use of recreational drugs from one month prior to pregnancy until diagnosis was assessed among mothers of 538 children with neuroblastoma (diagnosed 1992–1994 and identified through the Children’s Cancer Group and Pediatric Oncology Group) and 504 age-matched controls (identified by random-digit dialing). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for age at diagnosis and household income. Maternal use of any illicit or recreational drug around pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of neuroblastoma in offspring (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.13, 3.00), particularly use of marijuana in the first trimester of pregnancy (OR = 4.75, 95% CI: 1.55, 16.48). Marijuana use in the month before pregnancy did not increase risk. The effect of gestational marijuana exposure was strongest in subjects diagnosed before age one. Evaluation of recreational drugs other than marijuana was limited by infrequent use, and analyses of drug use by fathers were not carried out due to missing data. Maternal recreational drug use and marijuana use during pregnancy were associated with increased risk of neuroblastoma in offspring. Further examination of these drugs and the risk of childhood cancer is warranted.
Deictic human/robot interaction

Abstract This paper discusses adeictic strategy for human/robot interaction based on models of human motor control. The human operator uses gestures to momentarily bind autonomous robot routines to a goal behavior and spatial context. As a result, the operator communicates symbolically, rather than literally control the robot, and the robot benefits from the operator's on-line reasoning. The strategy calledteleassistance, has been implemented for dexterous manipulation. A review of the results demonstrates that teleassistance requires executive operator control for only a fraction of the total task time and can accommodate natural variations in tasks better than what the autonomous routines alone can.
Chronic Propionibacterium acnes endophthalmitis as a cause of intermediate uveitis.

Although the pathogenesis in most cases of intermediate uveitis is unknown, a small minority of cases is associated with a variety of specific inflammatory etiologies: sarcoidosis; multiple sclerosis; Lyme disease; syphilis; ocular lymphoma; and as a rare manifestation of Behcet's disease and AIDS. A 61-year-old woman developed pars planitis after cataract surgery. A vitrectomy was performed after ten months when a white capsular plaque and an hypopyon developed. Propionibacterium acnes was isolated. The intermediate uveitis was not controlled until later removal of the intraocular lens and capsular remnants. Chronic propionibacterial endophthalmitis may be a cause of intermediate uveitis.
Talent Development as a Framework for Gifted Education.

When used informally, talent development refers to the deliberate cultivation of ability or giftedness in a specific domain. However, recent discussions have used talent development to refer to a p...
EGF receptor signaling affects bcl-2 family gene expression and apoptosis after massive small bowel resection

Abstract Background After massive small bowel resection (SBR), enterocyte apoptosis is elevated and inversely correlates with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether EGFR manipulation affects the expression of specific bcl -2 family members. Methods A 50% proximal SBR or sham operation was performed in 3 groups of mice control, after exogenous EGF, or mutant mice with defective EGFR signaling ( waved -2). Apoptotic index (no. of apoptotic bodies per crypt), and bax (pro-apoptosis) and bcl-w (anti-apoptosis) protein expression was measured in the remnant ileum after 12, 24, and 72 hours. Results Waved -2 mice with defective EGFR showed the greatest increase in apoptosis and altered the ratio of bax to bcl-w in favor of apoptosis after SBR. Conversely, EGF prevented the expected increase in apoptosis after SBR by shifting the ratio of bax to bcl-w in favor of cell survival. Conclusions After massive small bowel resection, inhibition of the EGFR accelerates the rate of apoptosis and modifies the expression of specific bcl -2 family members to favor apoptosis. These results further support a specific mechanistic pathway for the regulation of enterocyte apoptosis after SBR via EGFR signaling.
Ab initio energies and product branching ratios for the O+C3H6 reaction.

Intermediate and transition-state energies have been calculated for the O + C3H6 (propene) reaction using the compound ab initio CBS-QB3 and G3 methods in combination with density functional theory. The lowest-lying triplet and singlet potential energy surfaces of the O−C3H6 system were investigated. RRKM statistical theory was used to predict product branching fractions over the 300−3000 K temperature and 0.001−760 Torr pressure ranges. The oxygen atom adds to the C3H6 terminal olefinic carbon in the primary step to generate a nascent triplet biradical, CH3CHCH2O. On the triplet surface, unimolecular dissociation of CH3CHCH2O to yield H + CH3CHCHO is favored over the entire temperature range, although the competing H2CO + CH3CH product channel becomes significant at high temperature. Rearrangement of triplet CH3CHCH2O to CH3CH2CHO (propanal) via a 1,2 H-atom shift has a barrier of 122.3 kJ mol-1, largely blocking this reaction channel and any subsequent dissociation products. Intersystem crossing of trip...
Dynamics of optical pulses in randomly birefringent fibers

Abstract A nonlinear optical fiber with random birefringence is modeled by a system of nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equations with stochastic coupling. An average variational principle is used to obtain the approximate evolution of the parameters describing pulses with NLS-soliton-like shapes. Then, in the diffusion limit, the stochastic problem is reduced to a partial differential equation of the Poincare sphere. Solutions to this equation give probability densities for the polarization state of a propagating pulse.
Method for producing a uniform, low Reynolds number jet

In one attempt to produce a simple inexpensive nozzle, a 2-in. diam plate with 37 holes was investigated (Stadler, 1960), anticipating that the small jets emanating from the plate would combine to form a uniform stream. This experiment was unsuccessful because a uniform flow was not established until the flow had progressed many nozzle diameters downstream. However, an extension of this concept to a much larger number of very small jets, viz., a porous plate, did provide a method for producing a uniform, low Reynolds number jet almost immediately downstream of the nozzle (Greene, 1973). The method is described and some typical jet velocity profiles for nozzle Reynolds numbers from 50 to 1000 are given.
Optimal sampling of seeds from plant populations for ex-situ conservation of genetic biodiversity, considering realistic population structure

Abstract As habitat loss accelerates, there is pressing need to preserve plant genetic diversity in ex situ conservation collections. Population structure (i.e. subdivision), which is common in plants, may be an important consideration when planning such collections because it results in locally restricted alleles or traits, which have high conservation, ecological, or economic value. Nonetheless, common protocols for ex situ collections do not consider population structure. To help inform collection decisions, we utilize computer simulations with different levels of realistic hierarchical population structure to evaluate the expected performance of an array of sample sizes and several spatial distributions of sampled populations. We quantify how population structure affects the expected probability of capturing alleles (especially rare alleles). We also test the effect of family-level structure due to pollen pool composition (e.g., sibling clusters). Our findings suggest that when range-wide population structure exists, the spatial distribution of sampled populations is crucial: sampling one population per region (dispersed sampling) captured up to 175% more alleles than sampling all populations in one region (constrained sampling), and nearly as much as sampling all existing populations. The spatial effect is strongest for poorly-connected (low gene flow) species. Under realistic population structure, moderate sampling (25–30 individuals per population) from few but widely-spaced populations performs optimally; this differs from previous recommended guidelines that do not consider structure. There is smaller effect of the pollen pool composition on collection performance. We conclude that seed collection plans should incorporate spatial considerations, especially for poorly-connected taxa. Our simulation approach can be extended to particular species and other spatial patterns. We use the butternut tree as a case study for collection planning.
Synthesis and Characterization of Mono-, Di-, and Tri-Poly(ethylene glycol) Chlorin e6 Conjugates for the Photokilling of Human Ovarian Cancer Cells

PEGylated chlorin e6 photosensitizers were synthesized with tri(ethylene glycol) attached at the ester bond(s) for a 1:1 conjugate at the 173-position, a 2:1 conjugate at the 152- and 173-positions, and a 3:1 conjugate at the 131-, 152-, and 173-positions. These chlorin sensitizers were studied for hydrolytic stability and solubility, as well as ovarian OVCAR-5 cancer cell uptake, localization, and phototoxicity. Increasing numbers of the PEG groups in the mono-, di-, and tri-PEG chlorin conjugates increased the water solubility and sensitivity to hydrolysis and uptake into the ovarian cancer cells. The PEG chlorin conjugates accumulated in the cytoplasm and mitrochondria, but not in lysosomes. Higher phototoxicity was roughly correlated with higher numbers of PEG groups, with the tri-PEG chlorin conjugate showing the best overall ovarian cancer cell photokilling of the series. Singlet oxygen lifetimes, solvent deuteration, and the effects of additives azide ion and d-mannitol were examined to help clarif...
The impact of parental layoff on higher education investment

Abstract This paper uses variation in the timing of parental layoff to identify the effect of parental job loss on higher education enrollment. Unlike research that compares laid-off workers to workers who do not lose their jobs, all families in our analysis experience a layoff at some point. The treatment group (layoff when child is 15–17) and control group (layoff when child is 21–23) have statistically indistinguishable initial characteristics, but substantially different higher education enrollment rates. We find that parental job loss between ages 15 and 17 decreases college enrollment by 10 percentage points.
Color and Container Size Affect Mosquito (Aedes triseriatus) Oviposition

This investigation compared color and artificial container size as attractants for the gravid female Aedes triseriatus (Eastern Tree-hole Mosquito) oviposition site selection. Three colors (white, green, and black) were investigated in combination with two container sizes (3672 ml and 12,000 ml). Presence of mosquito larvae was used to determine percent occupancy of containers. Black containers were selected in 70% of trials, compared to 63% for green containers and 41% for white containers. Large containers were selected more frequently (72% of trials) than small containers (44% of trials). Results suggest that container size may serve as an important selective cue for A. triseriatus and may take precedence over color when gravid female mosquitoes are given the choice. Our results provide further insight into the complexity of cues that influence mosquito oviposition behavior.
Immobilization of proteins on glow discharge treated polymers

Abstract Certain glow discharge-treated surfaces have been shown to enhance retention of adsorbed proteins. On the basis of this phenomenon, we have investigated the possibility of immobilizing (a) albumin for developing thromboresistant and non-fouling surfaces, (b) antibodies for immuno-diagnostic assays and (c) enzymes for various biosensors and industrial bioprocesses. Albumin retention was highest on surfaces treated with tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) compared to untreated surfaces or other glow discharge treatments studied. Preadsorption of albumin on TFE-treated surfaces resulted in low fibrinogen adsorption and platelet adhesion. IgG retention was also highest on TFE-treated surfaces. The lower detection limits of both malaria antigen and circulating anodic antigen of the schistosomiasis worm were enhanced following glow discharge treatment of the assay plates with TFE. Both TFE and tetrachloroethylene (TCE) glow discharge treated surfaces showed high retention of adsorbed horseradish peroxidase (HRP). However, the retained specific activity of HRP after adsorption on TCE-treated surfaces was remarkably higher than on TFE-treated surfaces.
Theoretical Study of the Excited State Properties and Transitions of 2-Aminopurine in the Gas Phase and in Solution

Ab initio calculations of the vertical transitions, transition dipole moments, and permanent dipole moments of several low-lying valence states of the fluorescent base 2-aminopurine have been obtained in both the gas phase and in water using the configuration interaction singles method in conjunction with the Onsager reaction field model. The results for the electronic state ordering, excited state energy gaps, and transition dipole moment directions are in generally good agreement with those determined experimentally. The fluorescence Stokes’ shift for the S 0 f S1 transition is computed taking into account the contributions from both intramolecular and solvent reorganization processes. The result is in excellent agreement with experiment and suggests that the magnitude of the shift is due primarily to intramolecular relaxation of the S 1 state.
Echocardiographic Follow-up of Grown-ups with Congenital Heart Disease: Update 2013

There is a burgeoning population of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) due to successful medical and surgical intervention in childhood. This group of patients requires careful echocardiographic evaluation and follow-up of the residua and sequellae of their cardiac anomalies. This review addresses the guidelines for evaluation and management of the grown-up with CHD, the contributions of 3D echo in their assessment, and the current status and new developments in noninvasive determination of ventricular volumes and function. The contribution of stress and contrast echocardiography for the adult with CHD is considered. The application of transcatheter interventions for this population is included with particular regard for the role of echocardiography pre- and postprocedure. Particular problems presented by pregnancy for the adult CHD patient are also reviewed.
IL-1β Epitope Mapping Using Site-Directed Mutagenesis and Hydrogen−Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Hu007, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody, binds and neutralizes human, cynomolgus, and rabbit IL-1beta but only weakly binds to mouse and rat IL-1beta. Biacore experiments demonstrated that Hu007 and the type-I IL-1 receptor competed for binding to IL-1beta. Increasing salt concentrations decrease the association rate with only moderate effects on the dissociation rate, suggesting that long-range electrostatics are critical for formation of the initial complex. To understand the ligand-binding specificity of Hu007, we have mapped the critical residues involved in the recognition of IL-1beta. Selected residues in cynomolgus IL-1beta were mutated to the corresponding residues in mouse IL-1beta, and the effects of the changes on binding were evaluated by surface plasmon resonance measurements using Biacore. Specifically, substitution of F150S decreased binding affinity by 100-fold, suggesting the importance of hydrophobic interactions in stabilizing the antibody/antigen complex. Substitution of three amino acids near the N- and C-terminal regions of cIL-1beta with those found in mouse IL-1beta (V3I/S5Q/F150S) decreased the binding affinity of Hu007 to IL-1beta by about 1000-fold. Conversely, mutating the corresponding residues in mouse IL-1beta to the human sequence resulted in an increase in binding affinity of about 1000-fold. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange/mass spectrometry analysis confirmed that these regions of IL-1beta were protected from exchange because of antibody binding. The results from this study demonstrate that Hu007 binds to a region located in the open end of the beta-barrel structure of IL-1beta and blocks binding of IL-1beta to its receptor.
Giving women credit: The strengths and limitations of credit as a tool for alleviating poverty

Abstract Poor women in developing countries often turn to self-employment as a way to support themselves and their families, but these small-scale activities rarely yield enough income to lift them out of poverty. Recently NGOs and donor agencies have sought to assist these women by providing credit, which is otherwise largely unavailable to them. The broad aims of these programs vary, as do the strategies, which range from simply offering credit (a “minimalist” approach) to providing training and technical assistance as part of the credit package (a “credit plus” approach). The channels used (bank schemes, intermediary programs, parallel programs, or poverty-focused development banks) also vary. So far, the last three channels have been more effective than the first in improving women's access to credit. However, not enough is known about which strategies have the greatest economic impact for particular groups of women, and further evaluation is needed.
The role of epidemiology in the study of periodontal diseases

Models of disease are collections of theory on its etiology and progression, based on research as far as possible but often including some untested hypotheses. As such, these models have to be modified from time to time as new research findings come out and sometimes have to be revised extensively. This is the case with the models for periodontal diseases. In fact, knowledge of the disease process has expanded so rapidlv that it is easy to forget that, as recently as the mid-l960s, a widely accepted model of periodontal disease included the following: All gingivitis progresses to periodontitis with consequent bone loss and tooth loss. 0 Virtually everyone is susceptible to periodontitis that becomes serious enough to threaten the dentition. 0 The severity of periodontitis increases with age. 0 Periodontal disease is the main cause of tooth loss after age 35.
Retinofugal pathways in the longnose gar Lepisosteus osseus (linnaeus)

Retinal projections were studied with autoradiographic and silver methods in the gar, Lepisosteus osseus, one of the two surviving members of the holostean actinopterygians. Contralaterally, the retina projects to the preoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus, and, via the medial optic tract, to the dorsal thalamus, medial ventral thalamic nucleus, nucleus pretectalis profundus pars ventralis and pars dorsalis, and the medial portion of the deep layers of the central zone in the optic tectum. The dorsal optic tract projects to the lateral ventral thalamic nucleus, nucleus pretectalis centralis, and the superficial white and gray zone of the optic tectum. The ventral optic tract terminates in the nucleus of the ventral optic tract, the lateral and medial ventral thalamic nuclei, nucleus pretectalis superficialis, nucleus pretectalis centralis, nucleus pretectalis profundus pars ventralis, the basal optic nucleus, and the superficial white and gray zone of the optic tectum. Ipsilateral projections are to similar sites, except for an absence of inputs to the lateral ventral thalamic nucleus from the dorsal tract and to the nucleus pretectalis superficialis, nucleus pretectalis profundus pars ventralis, and the basal optic nucleus from the ventral tract. The presence of ipsilateral retinal projections in gars is compared to their presumed absence in teleosts, and comparisons of retinorecipient targets in gars are made with teleosts and with non-actinopterygian vertebrates.
Measuring motivational characteristics of courses: Applying Keller's instructional materials motivation survey to a web-based course

Purpose The Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) purports to assess the motivational characteristics of instructional materials or courses using the Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (ARCS) model of motivation. The IMMS has received little use or study in medical education. The authors sought to evaluate the validity of IMMS scores and compare scores between standard and adaptive Webbased learning modules. Method During the 2005–2006 academic year, 124 internal medicine residents at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education (Rochester, Minnesota) were asked to complete the IMMS for two Web-based learning modules. Participants were randomly assigned to use one module that adapted to their prior knowledge of the topic, and one module using a nonadaptive design. IMMS internal structure was evaluated using Cronbach alpha and interdimension score correlations. Relations to other variables were explored through correlation with global module satisfaction and regression with knowledge scores. Results
Alternating Magnetic Field Forces for Satellite Formation Flying

Selected future space missions, such as large aperture telescopes and multi-component interferometers, will require the precise positioning of a number of isolated satellites, yet many of the suggested approaches for providing satellites positioning forces have serious limitations. In this paper we propose a new approach, capable of providing both position and orientation forces, that resolves or alleviates many of these problems. We show that by using alternating fields and currents that finely-controlled forces can be induced on the satellites, which can be individually selected through frequency allocation. We also show, through analysis and experiment, that near field operation is feasible and can provide sufficient force and the necessary degrees of freedom to accurately position and orient small satellites relative to one another. In particular, the case of a telescope with a large number of free mirrors is developed to provide an example of the concept. We. also discuss the far field extension of this concept.
Developments in transcutaneous and transthoracic pacing during bradyasystolic arrest

Transthoracic cardiac pacing historically has been relegated to the role of the technique of last resort in treating cardiac arrest. Recent studies have shown that this technique has a high rate of successful electrical capture, but often without mechanical activity. Survival rates have been shown to be dismal when the technique is used late in cardiac arrest. Results of several recent studies of patients paced by the transcutaneous technique have suggested that electrical capture can often be rapidly obtained in asystolic or pulseless bradycardic patients. Even though electrical capture can occur late in a cardiac arrest, the development of mechanical activity with survival is rare. Survivors generally have been treated early in their arrest and have had hemodynamically ineffective bradycardias. These findings suggest that rapid initiation of transcutaneous pacing in patients with Stokes-Adams attacks, increasing heart block associated with myocardial ischemia, postdefibrillation asystole, or pulseless bradycardia may improve survival. However, victims of a prolonged cardiac arrest whose myocardium has irreversibly ceased to function mechanically are unlikely to benefit from any pacing technique.
Commentary: Surviving the Fall: An AIDS Caregiver's Journey

THE ADVENT OF THE THERAPEUTIC ERA for HIV infection has resulted in dramatic improvements in survival and quality of life for people living with AIDS. As a new generation of AIDS caregivers takes on the increasingly complicated care of patients with HIV, it is important to remember and reflect on the years not so long ago in which this disease first appeared, a time when we could do little more than witness its inevitable course. This was also a time that taught us a lot about the meaning of caregiving, about accompanying patients through a terminal illness—indeed, there was much to learn about healing, from a disease that we could not cure. In those years, we were also more immediately confronted with our own mortality and helplessness in the face of a fatal, untreatable illness; self-knowledge often accompanied the lessons we learned from our brave patients. The following is excerpted from my recent memoir, Surviving the Fall: The Personal Journey of an AIDS Doctor (Yale University Press, 1998). I wrote the book as an attempt to do justice to the memory of all my patients from that time in the epidemic that is so rapidly receding from memory, and also to share my own story of loss and recovery. This is just one traveler’s story, among many; I hope that it may resonate in some way with your own.
Schools, Scapegoats, and Skills: educational Reform and the Economy

Much of the rhetoric concerning educational reform has focused on the role of education in improving economic competitiveness and productivity. This article notes some of the difficulties in assuming strong links between education and the economy, especially given our limited understanding of the relationship of education and job skills. These difficulties raise serious policy issues about the aims of public education and the relationship(s) of schools to other institutions.
Solubility enhancement of seven metal contaminants using carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CMCD)

Abstract Carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CMCD) has been suggested as a complexing agent for remediation of sites co-contaminated with metals and organic pollutants. As part of an attempt to construct a geochemical complexation model for metal-CMCD interactions, conditional formation constants for the complexes between CMCD and 7 metal ions (Ba, Ca, Cd, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) are estimated from experimental data. Stable metal concentrations were reached after approximately 1 day and estimated logarithmic conditional formation constants range from − 3.2 to − 5.1 with confidence intervals within ± 0.08 log units. Experiments performed at 10 °C and 25 °C show that temperature affects the solubility of the metal salts but the strength of CMCD-metal complexes are not affected by this temperature variation. The conditional stability constants and complexation model presented in this work can be used to screen CMCD as a potential remediation agent for clean-up of contaminated soil and groundwater.
Humeral component retroversion in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: a biomechanical study.

Background Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty offers pain relief and functional improvement for patients with rotator cuff–deficient shoulders. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal amount of humeral retroversion for this prosthesis. Materials and methods Six cadaveric shoulders underwent computed tomography (CT) imaging and were then dissected of soft tissues, except for their tendinous attachments. A reverse total shoulder arthroplasty was implanted in 0°, 20°, 30°, and 40° of retroversion, and the shoulders were mounted on a simulator to determine the muscle forces required to achieve 30° and 60° of scaption. CT images were converted into 3-dimensional models, and the amount of internal and external rotation was determined with computer modeling at various scaption angles. Results No differences were found in the forces required for 30° or 60° of scaption for any muscle, at any retroversion. With increasing retroversion, more impingement-free external rotation was obtained, with a concomitant decrease in the amount of internal rotation. Above 60°, the humerus was allowed to rotate around the glenosphere unencumbered. Conclusions Increasing retroversion did not affect the muscle force requirements for scaption across the shoulder. Placing the humeral component in 0° to 20° of retroversion allows maximum internal rotation with the arm at the side, a movement that is required for daily activities. This limits external rotation with the arm at the side, but has no effect on external rotation with the arm elevated.
Regulatory innovation in postmarketing risk assessment and management

The contemporary science of drug safety seeks not only to identify the risks associated with the use of medicines but also to quantify these risks, identify their risk factors, and assess strategies to minimize them. It monitors the use of medicines in actual practice to understand how the medical care system interacts with the intrinsic pharmacologic properties of medicines to produce the observed effects. To the extent possible, these analyses use a population-based approach that at times requires creativity and innovation. The key to effective safety management of drugs in the postmarketing setting is the ability to access sufficient good-quality data, interpret the data appropriately, challenge old assumptions, and define best practices in contemporary drug safety approaches. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2012); 91 3, 555–557. doi:10.1038/clpt.2011.289
Arrogance in engineering

The author considers the question "do we in the IEEE AP-S have a problem with arrogance?" Maybe it is arrogant to think that we don?t have a problem. We?ve heard a lot about the arrogance of NASA that has led to several disasters. Sumit Ghosh said "Logically, the onset of arrogance is likely to cause an individual or organization to he consumed by greed, acquire a false senile of invincibility to criticism, ignore good advice from experts and thoughtful peers, lose open mindedness, and become blind to reality." ("Humbleness as a Practical Vehicle for Engineering Ethics Education," IEEE Fronriers in Educarion 2002, 3, pp. 6-9). Arrogance can blind the best of people from reality.
Predicting helping behaviors: The role of gender and instrumental/expressive self-schemata

In this study, the relationships among gender, instrumental/expressive self-schemata, and modes of helping were explored. During session one, the level of schematicity of 114 predominantly white undergraduate subjects was assessed using Spence and Helmreich's Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ), along with importance ratings of the PAQ items to subjects' self-descriptions. During session two, a week later, the same subjects read nine scenarios involving a friend in need of help. Subjects were presented with problem-solving and nurturing behavior items and were asked to rate how likely they were to help the friend. The data support Eagly and Crowley's (1986) social role theory but give little support to Markus' (1977) self-schema theory. Findings indicated that overall, women were more likely to help than men. Additionally, women were more likely to help in a nurturant way than in a problem-solving way, whereas men did not differ in helping modes. Schematicity was not predictive of schema-relevant helping behavior when controlling for gender. The findings of this study imply that in circumscribed contexts, gender may play a more significant role in likelihood to engage in problem-solving and/or nurturing behaviors than schema per se.
A caveolin-3 mutant that causes limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 1C disrupts Src localization and activity and induces apoptosis in skeletal myotubes

Caveolins are membrane proteins that are the major coat proteins of caveolae, specialized lipid rafts in the plasma membrane that serve as scaffolding sites for many signaling complexes. Among the many signaling molecules associated with caveolins are the Src tyrosine kinases, whose activation regulates numerous cellular functions including the balance between cell survival and cell death. Several mutations in the muscle-specific caveolin, caveolin-3, lead to a form of autosomal dominant muscular dystrophy referred to as limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 1C (LGMD-1C). One of these mutations (here termed the 'TFT mutation') results in a deletion of a tripeptide (DeltaTFT(63-65)) that affects the scaffolding and oligomerization domains of caveolin-3. This mutation causes a 90-95% loss of caveolin-3 protein levels and reduced formation of caveolae in skeletal muscle fibers. However, the effects of this mutation on the specific biochemical processes and cellular functions associated with caveolae have not been elucidated. We demonstrate that the TFT caveolin-3 mutation in post-mitotic skeletal myotubes causes severely reduced localization of caveolin-3 to the plasma membrane and to lipid rafts, and significantly inhibits caveolar function. The TFT mutation reduced the binding of Src to caveolin-3, diminished targeting of Src to lipid rafts, and caused abnormal perinuclear accumulation of Src. Along with these alterations of Src localization and targeting, there was elevated Src activation in myotubes expressing the TFT mutation and an increased incidence of apoptosis in those cells compared with control myotubes. The results of this study demonstrate that caveolin-3 mutations associated with LGMD-1C disrupt normal cellular signal transduction pathways associated with caveolae and cause apoptosis in muscle cells, all of which may reflect pathogenetic pathways that lead to muscle degeneration in these disorders.
On multiple tests and confidence intervals

This paper discusses multiple t tests and confidence intervals based on a Bonferroni Inequality and a slight improvement which can be made in some cases.
Segregation and linkage analyses of dopamine β-hydroxylase activity in a six-generation pedigree

Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) levels and 30 polymorphic markers were determined on 178 individuals of the HGAR 29 family, ascertained through six probands who had clinical and electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial infarction. Individuals in this pedigree with a history of heart attack had significantly lower levels of DBH, but this difference was partly confounded with age differences. Pedigree segregation analysis showed evidence of a codominant gene for DBH segregating in the family. Linkage analysis between the putative DBH locus and 30 polymorphic marker loci, assuming a codominant model, yielded a largest lod score of 0.53, with ABO at 20% recombination. Adding this to the lod scores obtained by Elston et al [1979] and Goldin et al [1982], we obtain combined lod scores of 2.49 and 2.50 at 0.0 and 10% recombination respectively.