cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When Policy Does Not Remake Politics: The Limits of Policy Feedback

Over the past fifteen years, a burgeoning literature has explored the politics of policy feedback, showing how policies can create self-sustaining cycles of change and reconfigure the political dynamic. Yet there has been insufficient appreciation among historical institutionalists of the limits of feedback. In this essay, we explore three common reasons why positive feedback might not arise: weak policy design, inadequate or conflicting institutional supports, and poor timing. These conditions may be an unintended byproduct of the policy development process or they may stem from deliberate attempts by opponents to prevent a new policy from durably reshaping governing possibilities for the future. Drawing on a range of case examples, we discuss how the political impact of policy changes can peter out over time. More awareness of the institutional and temporal requisites of positive feedback should lead to a better understanding of the politics of policy development and may offer practical insight to reformers who wish to see their hard-won achievements last.
Bacteriophage T4 late transcription from plasmid templates is enhanced by negative supercoiling.

Concurrent viral replication is normally required to activate bacteriophage T4 late promoters; replication is thought to provide a template structure which is competent for late transcription. Transcription from plasmid-borne T4 late promoters, however, is independent of replication in vivo and in vitro. In this work, we have shown that, when the late gene 23 promoter is located on a plasmid, its utilization in vivo depends upon the ability of host DNA gyrase to maintain some degree of negative superhelicity. This suggests that an alternative pathway exists for activation of late promoters: DNA which is under sufficient negative torsional stress is already competent for late transcription. We also describe a method for isolating ternary complexes of plasmid DNA, RNA polymerase, and nascent RNA which have initiated transcription in vivo. The topoisomer distribution of such ternary complexes prepared from T4-infected cells showed that, late in infection, transcriptional activity resides primarily in the subset of the plasmid population with the most negatively supercoiled topoisomers. However, the overall transcriptional pattern in these ternary complexes indicated that both vector and T4 sequences are actively transcribed. Much of this transcriptional activity could be independent of gp55, the T4-specific RNA polymerase-binding protein that confers late promoter recognition. Images
Sharp Force Injury Deaths

Sharp force injuries result from contact with sharp-edged or pointed objects. This chapter reviews the three major types of sharp force injury: stab wounds, incised wounds, and chop wounds, and provides further information regarding various miscellaneous topics and issues, including internal examination, mechanism of injury, trace evidence, clothing examination, defensive wounds, and hesitation marks, among others.
TRANSACTIONAL FAMILY DYNAMICS: A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR CONCEPTUALIZING FAMILY INFLUENCE PROCESSES

Publisher Summary In research on family influence processes, there is a growing dissatisfaction with existing models that assume unidirectional pathways and underemphasize dynamic processes. Aside from acknowledging the problem, few systematic proposals have been advanced for more sophisticated ways of thinking about these pathways of influence. Addressing this gap, this chapter proposes transactional family dynamics as a new way of understanding family influence processes. Transactional family dynamics refers to the myriad ways in which family members influence one another, that is, mutual influence processes within families. These processes may include complex patterns of influence in interparental, father–child, mother–child, and sibling relationships.
An Exploration Perspective of Beamed Energy Propulsion

The Vision for Exploration is currently focused on flying the Space Shuttle safely to complete our Space Station obligations, retiring the Shuttle in 2010, then returning humans to the Moon and learning how to proceed to Mars and beyond. The NASA budget still includes funds for science and aeronautics but the primary focus is on human exploration. Fiscal constraints have led to pursuing exploration vehicles that use heritage hardware, particularly existing boosters and engines, with the minimum modifications necessary to satisfy mission requirements. So, pursuit of immature technologies is not currently affordable by NASA. Beamed energy is one example of an immature technology, from a human exploration perspective, that may eventually provide significant benefits for human exploration of space, but likely not in the near future. Looking to the more distant future, this paper will examine some of the criteria that must be achieved by beamed energy propulsion to eventually contribute to human exploration of the solar system. The analysis focuses on some of the implications of increasing the payload fraction of a launch vehicle, with a quick look at trans-lunar injection. As one would expect, there is potential for benefit, and there are concerns. The analysis concludes with an assessment of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for some beamed energy propulsion components, indicating that TRL 2 is close to being completed.
MPEG-7 MDS Content Description Tools and Applications

In this paper, we present the tools specified by the MDS part of the MPEG-7 standard for describing multimedia data such as images and video. In particular, we focus on the description tools that represent the structure and semantics of multimedia data to whose development we have actively contributed. We also describe some of our research prototype systems dealing with the extraction and application of MPEG-7 structural and semantic descriptions. These systems are AMOS, a video object segmentation and retrieval system, and IMKA, an intelligent multimedia knowledge application using the MediaNet knowledge representation framework.
Life support for trauma and transport: a mobile ICU for safe in-hospital transport of critically injured patients.

Abstract Background In-hospital transport of newly injured patients is complicated by inadequate monitoring and adverse events. LSTAT (Life Support for Trauma and Transport, Integrated Medical Systems Inc) is a platform with multiple integrated systems (ventilator, defibrillator, suction, hemodynamic monitors, infusion and invasive monitoring channels, capnography, blood analysis, and electrocardiography) that allow seamless monitoring and effective life-saving interventions during transport. The platform functions as a mobile ICU and has preliminarily been tested with success in combat settings. This is the first evaluation of LSTAT in the civilian transport arena. Study design Major trauma patients requiring trauma team activation, who were transported from the Emergency Department through different hospital departments (usually CT or angiography) to the ICU or operating room were included prospectively (December 2002 through April 2003). Patients were monitored and transported either by conventional means (conventional group) or by LSTAT (LSTAT group). Primary outcomes related to resource consumption and process of care; secondary outcomes related to clinical events. A questionnaire was completed by the surgeons participating in transports to document perceptions and preferences about means of in-hospital transport. Results Of 178 patients enrolled, 85 (48%) were in the LSTAT and 93 (52%) in the conventional groups. The two groups were similar except for age and mechanism of injury. Time of hand-bagging, preparation for transport, and return of blood results was significantly shorter in the LSTAT than in the conventional group (p Conclusions LSTAT emerges as a safe and convenient method of in-hospital transport. It allows uninterrupted monitoring, immediate response to physiologic changes, and reduction in human resource consumption. Process of care is improved. LSTAT's potential to improve clinical outcomes needs to be tested in different environments, including the prehospital setting.
Fibroblast growth factor 2 increases Otx2 expression in precursor cells from mammalian telencephalon

Dissociated primary cultures from rat telencephalon at different developmental stages were used to study the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) on Otx2, Dlx1, and Emx1, three homeobox genes expressed in different regions of the developing mammalian forebrain. At embryonic day (E)13.5. the regional pattern of expression of Otx1, Otx2, Dlx1, Dlx2, Dlx5, and Emx1 is maintained in primary culture, suggesting that cells are already committed to a regional identity at this stage. In these cultures, Otx2 is expressed by precursor cells, whereas Dlx1 and Emx1 are predominantly expressed by postmitotic cells. We found that FGF2 increased Otx2 expression within precursor cells and the total number of Otx2-expressing cells. This effect was gene-specific, dose-dependent, and temporally regulated, with larger effects at earlier stages of development (E11.5). At E13.5, the effect of FGF2 on Otx2 expression was restricted to the basal telencephalon. Our results suggest that a restricted population of neuroblasts respond to FGF2 in a temporally regulated fashion by proliferating and increasing Otx2 expression. This interaction between FGF2 and Otx2 may be important for the regulation of neurogenesis in the forebrain.
Reversible Night Blindness Associated with Intestinal Bypass Surgery

A 33-year-old man had a sudden onset of night blindness 3 1/2 years after intestinal bypass surgery for morbid obesity. Ocular examination disclosed a probable Bitot's spot and electrophysiologic testing showed markedly impaired dark adaptation and subnormal electroretinography. After therapy with orally administered vitamin A, the night blindness disappeared and the dark adaptation curve and electroretinogram returned to normal. Language: en
Src family kinase and adenosine differentially regulate multiple MAP kinases in ischemic myocardium: modulation of MAP kinases activation by ischemic preconditioning.

Abstract Recent studies suggest that ischemia activates Src and members of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase superfamily and their downstream effectors, including big MAP kinase 1 (BMK1) and p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (p90RSK). It has also been reported that adenosine is released during ischemia and involved in triggering the protective mechanism of ischemic preconditioning. To assess the roles of Src and adenosine in ischemia-induced MAP kinases activation, we utilized the Src inhibitor PP2 (4-Amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine) and the adenosine receptor antagonist 8-(p-sulfophenyl) theophylline (SPT) in perfused guinea pig hearts. PP2 (1 μ m ) inhibited ischemia-induced Src, BMK1 and JNK activation but not JAK2 and p38 activation. SPT inhibited ischemia-mediated p38 and JNK activation. These results demonstrate that Src family kinase and adenosine regulate MAP kinases by parallel pathways. Preconditioning significantly improved both recovery of developed pressure and dp/dt in isolated guinea pig hearts. Since the protective effect of preconditioning was blocked by PP2 (1 μ m) and SPT (50 μ m), we next investigated the regulation of Src, MAP kinases and p90RSK during preconditioning. The activity and time course of ERK1/2 was not changed, but p90RSK activation by reperfusion was completely inhibited by preconditioning. In contrast, the activation by ischemia of Src, BMK1, p38 and JNK was significantly faster in preconditioned hearts. Maximal BMK1 activation by ischemia was also significantly enhanced by preconditioning. These data suggest important roles for Src family kinases and adenosine in mediating preconditioning, and suggest specific roles for individual MAP kinases in preconditioning.
Application of the Java Message Service in mobile monitoring environments

Distributed systems and sensor networks in particular are in need of efficient asynchronous communication, message security and integrity, and scalability. These points are especially important in mobile environments where mobile remote sensors are connected to a control center only via intermittent communication. We present a general approach for dealing with the issues that arise in such scenarios. This approach is applied to provide flexible and efficient cargo monitoring on trains. The Java Message Service (JMS) presents a flexible transport layer for asynchronous communication that enables transparent store-and-forward queuing for entities that need to be connected to each other. Previously JMS was primarily used in always-connected high-bandwidth enterprise communication systems. We present the advantages of using JMS in a mobile, bandwidth-limited, and intermittently connected monitoring environment and provide a working implementation called the Transportation Security SensorNet (TSSN) that makes use of an implementation of JMS called ActiveMQ. This solution is employed here to enable monitoring of cargo in motion along trusted corridors. Results obtained from experiments and a field trial show that using JMS provides not just a practical alternative to often custom binary communication layers, but a better and more flexible approach, by providing transparency. Applications on both communication ends only need to implement JMS connectors while the remaining functionality is provided by the JMS implementation. Another benefit arises from the exchangeability of JMS implementations. In utilizing JMS we demonstrate a new, flexible and scalable approach to cope with challenges inherent in intermittent and low-bandwidth communication in mobile monitoring environments.
Radiation Effects to Flight Control Systems

This paper presents some of the results of programs being carried on at the Flight Control Laboratory, Aeronautical Systems Division, W-PAFB, O., in the development of techniques to design and evaluate high temperature radiation resistant Flight Control Systems. Sources of radiation environment being investigated are nuclear powered vehicles, nuclear bomb detonations, and space radiation. To date, tests performed in actual reactor environments indicate the feasibility of designing Flight Control Systems for certain nuclear applications. The results of programs to develop high temperature radiation resistant Flight Control components and systems such as synchros, pressure transducers, accelerometers, temperature amplifiers, tachometers, electronics, inertial components, and control systems indicates further work is necessary to meet all environmental criteria encountered in nuclear applications.
Urethral pressure profilometry in Scott artificial urinary sphincter

The Scott sphincter models AS 791 and AS 800 were implanted in 22 men with urinary incontinence. Urethral pressure profilometry was used intraoperatively and postoperatively to measure the urethral closure pressure (UCP) and to improve the rate of continence and reduce the risk of erosion. Success was achieved in 20 of 24 patients. The utility of urethral profilometry in these cases is described.
Effect of alachlor on Avena seedlings: Inhibition of growth and interaction with gibberellic acid and indoleacetic acid☆

Abstract The growth of Avena seedlings grown in sand was found to be inhibited by alachlor with the time of onset of inhibition after treatment being a function of herbicide concentration. There was a 12 hr lag period following a subirrigation with 2.5 × 10 −4 M alachlor before growth inhibition could be detected. This lag period may be due to uptake and translocation of alachlor from the roots to the site of inhibition or to the exhaustion of certain growth-limiting substance(s) whose biosynthesis is inhibited by alachlor. Additions of gibberellic acid by subirrigation simultaneously with alachlor or after alachlor treatment did not prevent growth inhibition. However, treatment with 10 −3 M gibberellic acid 24 hr prior to alachlor treatment overcame the alachlor inhibition. On the other hand, in contrast to gibberellic acid, indoleacetic acid did not prevent inhibition by alachlor.
A robust point-matching algorithm for autoradiograph alignment

We present a novel method for the geometric alignment of autoradiographs of the brain. The method is based on finding the spatial mapping and the one-to-one correspondences (or homologies) between point features extracted from the images and rejecting non-homologies as outliers. In this way, we attempt to account for the local, natural and artifactual differences between the autoradiograph slices. We have used the resulting automated algorithm on a set of left prefrontal cortex autoradiograph slices, specifically demonstrated its ability to perform point outlier rejection, validated its robustness property using synthetically generated spatial mappings and provided an anecdotal visual comparison with the well-known iterated closest-point (ICP) algorithm. Visualization of a stack of aligned left prefrontal cortex autoradiograph slices is also provided.
Faculty Perceptions Regarding Research: Are We on the Right Track?

Although research has been a topic of discussion for the past few decades within the academy, how interior design educators view research has not been examined. The purpose of this investigation was to survey interior design faculty who are members of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) to determine (1) their definitions of research and programming, (2) their perceived value of research in interior design practice and education, (3) their perceptions of who should conduct research, (4) the degree to which they are engaging in research, and (5) how they are incorporating research into the classroom. Sixty-five faculty members responded to the online survey that consisted of three open-ended questions, 20 questions using a Likert Scale, and questions documenting demographic information. The results indicated that the faculty who responded did not have a working definition of research or programming, and a number of faculty members did not clearly understand the difference between the two. Although 27% of the sample responded that research involved discovery or moved the field forward, another 20% defined research solely as information gathering. The educators in this study valued research, and 80% believed that research findings provide useful information to the profession. Yet, many of the subjects in this study were unclear on whether interior design educators, practitioners, or specialists in other fields should be conducting interior design research. The majority of subjects valued what research could bring to the student during the design process, yet there was hesitation on whether undergraduate students should be taking research-related coursework.
Quantitative measurement of in-plane acoustic field components using surface-mounted fiber sensors

Extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors have been used to obtain calibrated, quantitative measurements of the in-plane displacement components associated with the propagation of ultrasonic elastic stress waves on the surfaces of solids. The frequency response of the sensor is determined by the internal spacing between the two reflecting fiber endface surfaces which form the Fabry-Perot cavity, a distance which is easily controlled during fabrication. With knowledge of the material properties of the solid, the out-of-plane displacement component of the wave may also be determined, giving full field data.
An improved error analysis for Newton-like methods under generalized conditions

We introduce new semilocal convergence theorems for Newton-like methods in a Banach space setting. Using new and very general conditions we provide different sufficient convergence conditions than before. This way we introduce more precise majorizing sequences, which in turn lead to finer error estimates and a better information on the location of the solution. Moreover for special choices of majorizing functions our results reduce to earlier ones. In the local case we obtain a larger convergence radius (ball). Finally, as an application, we show that in the case of Newton's method the famous Newton-Kantorovich hypothesis can be weakened under the same information.
Phase equilibria in the thorium-tantalum system

X-ray, electrical resistance, thermal, and metallographic methods were used to determine the phase diagram of the thorium--tantalum system. The diagram is of the simple eutectic type with a eutectoid reaction associated with the thorium alpha -- beta transformation. The eutectic point occurs at 1565 plus or minus lO deg C and 4.0 plus or minus 0.5 wt% tantalum. No evidence of intermetallic compounds was found and only slight terminal solid solubility was found at either end of the diagram, even at elevated temperatures. The solubility of tantalum in thorium at the eutectic temperature is about 0.4 wt% and below 1340 deg C is less than 0.2 wt%. The solubility of thorium in tantalum was found to be less than 0.2 wt% at the eutectic temperature. (auth)
Renal artery flow velocity analysis: a sensitive measure of experimental and clinical renovascular resistance

Renal artery flow velocity analysis has recently been shown to be an indicator of renal parenchymal resistance. Noninvasive measurement of graded renovascular resistance is investigated with experimental models of canine gel microsphere embolization (n = 15), canine renal allografts (n = 4), and clinical renal allografts (n = 6). Intraoperative pulsed Doppler recordings were made on the canine renal artery simultaneous to pressure and flow measurements with sequentially increasing resistance. Transcutaneous echo-Doppler (Duplex) measurements were made on acute patient renal allografts following chemical estimation of renal function. Noninvasive prediction of renovascular resistance in the experimental canine gel microsphere and allograft models correlates with invasive recordings of volume flow (pressure nearly constant), r = 0.93 and r = 0.90, respectively. Duplex estimation of clinical renal allograft resistance and chemical prediction of renal function are similarly interdependent, r = 0.81. Directional arterial flow analysis may be a useful indicator of native and acute allograft renovascular resistance.
Unsupervised estimation of dirichlet smoothing parameters

A standard approach for determining a Dirichlet smoothing parameter is to choose a value which maximizes a retrieval performance metric using training data consisting of queries and relevance judgments. There are, however, situations where training data does not exist or the queries and relevance judgments do not reflect typical user information needs for the application. We propose an unsupervised approach for estimating a Dirichlet smoothing parameter based on collection statistics. We show empirically that this approach can suggest a plausible Dirichlet smoothing parameter value in cases where relevance judgments cannot be used.
Underused potentials for criminology: Applying the sociology of knowledge to terrorism

Knowledge has for a long time been a central category in criminological thought, the etiological and reaction sides alike. On the etiological side, rational choice, neutralization techniques, the learning and unlearning of motivations, practices and codes, and, lately, efforts toward a cognitive criminology exemplify approaches that refer implicitly or explicitly to ‘knowledge’. Yet, with the exception of George Herbert Mead’s work, the sociology of knowledge has barely been explicitly used. This paper argues that the conscious consideration of the sociology of knowledge, including neo-Durkheimian, neo-Marxist, and neo-Weberian traditions, promises great benefit to criminological thought. Such consideration sheds light on the distribution across time and space of cognitive and normative tools that contribute to patterns of norm breaking behavior. A brief overview of the implicit use of ‘knowledge’ in criminological theory is followed by an elaboration of the potential benefits for criminology from incorporating leading traditions in the sociology of knowledge. The article concludes with an illustration for the case of terrorism as it rises simultaneously, but seeks distinct targets, across regions of the world.
Use of microelectrodes for electrochemiluminescent detection in microfluidic devices.

Sarah J Fredrick is a senior chemistry major at Creighton University, NE, USA. She has been carrying out research in the laboratory of Dr Erin Gross of Creighton University since the fall of 2006. She has assisted in the construction and characterization of microfluidic devices for electrochemiluminescent detection methods. She will graduate in May 2009 with a B.S. in Chemistry and plans to attend graduate school to continue her studies. Microfluidic devices allow for fast detection with little reagent consumption. They also offer portability and the ability to mimic biological systems. Currently, many microfluidic devices are a hybrid of the microchip components, such as flow channels and wells, and larger instrumentation. There is a need to develop miniaturized detectors for lab-on-a-chip applications. Electrochemical detection methods have the advantage of ease of miniaturization. The electrochemical method, electrochemiluminescence, has the potential to be miniaturized and incorporated into a lab-on-a...
Thermal Expansion and Atomic Vibrations of Zirconium Carbide to 1600 K

We have measured the lattice constants and Debye-Waller factors of ZrC from 12 to 1600 K using neutron diffraction. The data have been analyzed with the Gruneisen equation of state using an existing procedure for the Debye-Waller factors and a new procedure for the CTE that takes the temperature dependence of the elastic stiffness into account. The results of these measurements are in good agreement with previous measurements and with recent calculations. We have used the results of our measurements to estimate the melting point of ZrC with the Lindemann rule and obtain an estimate of 4000 K, in good agreement with the measured melting point of 3700 K of this highly refractory material. This last result demonstrates the importance of anharmonic effects in determining the melting point.
All their eggs in one basket: Portfolio diversification of US households

Abstract This paper uses data from the Survey of Consumer Finances to assess how well mean-variance efficiency describes the portfolio diversification of US households. It does not seem to work well. The median stockholder owns a single publicly traded stock, often in the company where he works. Looking at a sample of high income households who accounted for one third of all publicly traded stock, the median holding is only ten stocks. Indirect stock ownership through mutual funds, defined contribution pension plans, IRA's and trust funds is shown to have little power in explaining this poor diversification.
Pulsed potassium‐titanyl‐phosphate laser photoangiolytic treatment of mucosal squamous cell carcinoma in the hamster cheek pouch

Objectives/Hypothesis: Early glottic cancer has been involuted by treatment with the 532 nm pulsed potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser in initial clinical studies. Selective photoangiolysis of the sublesional circulation that allows for relative sparing of surrounding tissue is the presumed mechanism. No prior controlled animal-model study has analyzed the ability of selective coagulation of lesional microvasculature coagulation with the KTP laser to involute malignant lesions. This study tests the efficacy of photoangiolysis with the KTP laser in treating squamous cell carcinoma in an established animal model. Study Design: In vivo. Methods: Malignant lesions were induced unilaterally in the cheek pouches of 21 hamsters by applying 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthrancene. The contralateral cheek pouch served as a control. Weekly lesion photodocumentation and pulsed KTP laser (30 W, 15 msec pulse width, 2 pulses/sec) treatments were done. The endpoint of each treatment was a uniform white-blanching of the lesion. Hamsters were sacrificed 1 week after the last treatment and cheek pouches were analyzed histologically. Results: Carcinoma was confirmed in 19 hamsters, and lesions that were initially 2 mm (P = .0004). Every lesion (10/10) that initially measured 5 mm resolved after completion of the treatment period. Conclusions: Pulsed KTP laser photoangiolysis can effectively involute small malignant lesions, but may be less effective at involuting larger (>2 mm) lesions.
Trends in the Quality of Treatment for Patients With Intact Cervical Cancer in the United States, 1999 Through 2011

Purpose High-quality treatment for intact cervical cancer requires external radiation therapy, brachytherapy, and chemotherapy, carefully sequenced and completed without delays. We sought to determine how frequently current treatment meets quality benchmarks and whether new technologies have influenced patterns of care. Methods and Materials By searching diagnosis and procedure claims in MarketScan, an employment-based health care claims database, we identified 1508 patients with nonmetastatic, intact cervical cancer treated from 1999 to 2011, who were 10 fractions of radiation. Treatments received were identified using procedure codes and compared with 3 quality benchmarks: receipt of brachytherapy, receipt of chemotherapy, and radiation treatment duration not exceeding 63 days. The Cochran-Armitage test was used to evaluate temporal trends. Results Seventy-eight percent of patients (n=1182) received brachytherapy, with brachytherapy receipt stable over time (Cochran-Armitage P trend =.15). Among patients who received brachytherapy, 66% had high–dose rate and 34% had low–dose rate treatment, although use of high–dose rate brachytherapy steadily increased to 75% by 2011 ( P trend P trend P trend Conclusion In this cohort, most cervical cancer patients received treatment that did not comply with all 3 benchmarks for quality treatment. In contrast to increasing receipt of newer radiation technologies, there was little improvement in receipt of essential treatment benchmarks.
Religion and Science: What Is at Stake?

Abstract: “Religion and Science: What Is at Stake” looks at the latest information available on global warming from the International Panel on Climate Change and puts it in the context of the current culture war between progressives and conservatives. We worry that the science will become captive to ideological concerns that are theological, economic, and therefore political. The ideological domination of science may make a sustainable response to global warming even more difficult. It is vitally important that Christian theologians learn enough about the science to be articulate and support the scientists in their endeavors to promote our care of the creation.
Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy

From the Publisher: Information Goods -- from movies and music to software code and stock quotes - have supplanted industrial goods as the key drivers of world markets. Confronted by this New Economy, many instinctively react by searching for a corresponding New Economics to guide their business decisions. Executives charged with rolling out cutting-edge software products or on-line versions of their magazines are tempted to abandon the classic lessons of economics, and rely instead on an ever changing roster of trends, buzzwords, and analogies that promise to guide strategy in the information age. Not so fast, say authors Carl Shapiro and Hal R. Varian. In Information Rules they warn managers, "Ignore basic economic principles at your own risk. Technology changes. Economic laws do not." Understanding these laws and their relevance to information goods is critical when fashioning today's successful competitive strategies. Information Rules introduces and explains the economic concepts needed to navigate the evolving network economy. Information Rules will help business leaders and policy makers - from executives in the entertainment, publishing, hardware, and software industries to lawyers, finance professionals, and writers -- make intelligent decisions about their information assets.
Reconnaissance mission planning

As ATARS evolves along with its various applications, as Recce UAVs evolve to mix with manned systems, and as older systems evolve through upgrades, so should their mission planning tools evolve. To simply state that today's tactical mission planning systems will be upgraded with provisions for Reconnaissance Mission Planning completely eliminates the natural learning curve required to mature the requirements and specifications for reconnaissance planning capabilities. This paper presents MSS II lessons learned at Operation Desert Storm and briefly looks at some of the required Reconnaissance Mission Planning functions attainable through the adaptation of existing mission planning products.
A nonparametric test for equality of survival medians

In clinical trials, researchers often encounter testing for equality of survival medians across study arms based on censored data. Even though Brookmeyer and Crowley introduced a method for comparing medians of several survival distributions, still some researchers misuse procedures that are designed for testing the homogeneity of survival curves. These procedures include the log-rank, Wilcoxon, and Cox models. This practice leads to inflation of the probability of a type I error, particularly when the underlying assumptions of these procedures are not met. We propose a new nonparametric method for testing the equality of several survival medians based on the Kaplan-Meier estimation from randomly right-censored data. We derive asymptotic properties of this test statistic. Through simulations, we compute and compare the empirical probabilities of type I errors and the power of this new procedure with those of the Brookmeyer-Crowley, log-rank, and Wilcoxon methods. Our simulation results indicate that the performance of these test procedures depends on the level of censoring and appropriateness of the underlying assumptions. When the objective is to test homogeneity of survival medians rather than survival curves and the assumptions of these tests are not met, some of these procedures severely inflate the probability of a type I error. In these situations, our test statistic provides an alternative to the Brookmeyer-Crowley test.
Effects of nicardipine in rats subjected to endotoxic shock.

Abstract 1. 1. The calcium channel blocker, nicardipine, produced a dose-dependent reduction in the mortality caused by endotoxin in rats. 2. 2. The drug also reduced most of the hematological and gross pathological manifestations of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) caused by endotoxin. 3. 3. The endotoxin-induced monocytopenia but not the granulocytopenia, lymphocytopenia or thrombocytopenia was inhibited by the drug. 4. 4. The results suggest that the protective action of nicardipine is causally related to prevention of the endotoxin-induced DIC and that an effect of the drug on monocytes may be of importance.
Teachable moments for health behavior change: A concept analysis

Abstract Objective “Teachable moments” have been proposed as events or circumstances which can lead individuals to positive behavior change. However, the essential elements of teachable moments have not been elucidated. Therefore, we undertook a comprehensive review of the literature to uncover common definitions and key elements of this phenomenon. Methods Using databases spanning social science and medical disciplines, all records containing the search term “teachable moment * ” were collected. Identified literature was then systematically reviewed and patterns were derived. Results Across disciplines, ‘teachable moment’ has been poorly developed both conceptually and operationally. Usage of the term falls into three categories: (1) “teachable moment” is synonymous with “opportunity” (81%); (2) a context that leads to a higher than expected behavior change is retrospectively labeled a ‘teachable moment’ (17%); (3) a phenomenon that involves a cueing event that prompts specific cognitive and emotional responses (2%). Conclusion The findings suggest that the teachable moment is not necessarily unpredictable or simply a convergence of situational factors that prompt behavior change but suggest the possible creation of a teachable moment through clinician–patient interaction. Practice implications Clinician–patient interaction may be central to the creation of teachable moments for health behavior change.
Studying the Development of Complex Society: Mesopotamia in the Late Fifth and Fourth Millennia BC

Inca specialist D'Altroy (2001, Uruk Mesopatamia and Its Neighbours: Cross-Cultural Interactions in the Era of State Formation, School of American Research, Santa Fe, NM, p. 445) has written, “Uruk Mesopotamia has stood as the model for the study of the rise of the state for several decades.” Work on this problem of the origin of complexity has remained one of the foci of scholarly research even these several decades after the completion of many of the classic and key studies of Uruk culture and its neighbors in adjoining areas. At the same time, the questions asked, the size and richness of the empirical record, and the interpretations of various scholars have undergone significant change. These changes parallel scholarly trends in studies of similar phenomena in other areas of the world. This article reviews key questions that are currently being asked about societal complexity with a primary focus on the cultures and societies of late fifth and fourth millennia BC Mesopotamia. In doing so, new perspectives and interpretations on perhaps the earliest complex societies are synthesized and assessed.
Functional interplay between dual site phospholambam phosphorylation: insights from genetically altered mouse models.

Dephosphorylated phospholamban (PLB) is an inhibitor of the affinity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ pump (SERCA2) for Ca2+. Phosphorylation of PLB relieves its inhibitory effects on SERCA2, with subsequent acceleration of Ca2+ transport into the SR lumen, which has been suggested to underlie the positive inotropic and lusitropic actions of β-adrenergic agonists in the mammalian heart. PLB can be phosphorylated at Ser16 by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and Thr17 by Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) during β-agonist stimulation. However, the interrelationship and relative contribution of dual site phosphorylation to the cardiac stimulatory effects are not clear. The recent availability of the PLB knockout mouse, in combination with mutagenesis and transgenic technologies, have provided excellent model systems for expression of each of the phosphorylation site-specific PLB mutants in the heart and elucidation of the functional interplay between PKA- and CaMKII-dependent pathways of PLB phosphorylation. Transgenic mice expressing similar levels of the wild-type, S16A, or T17A mutant PLB in the null background were generated and they were characterized in parallel. Our results indicate that 1) reinsertion of PLB into the knockout mouse heart reverses the hyperdynamic cardiac function associated with PLB deficiency, 2) phosphorylation of Ser16 in PLB is sufficient to mediate its maximal cardiac contractile responses to β-adrenergic stimulation, and 3) Ser16 phosphorylation is a prerequisite for Thr17 phosphorylation in vivo during β-agonist stimulation, but Thr17 can be phosphorylated independently of Ser16 in vitro. Thus, these studies revealed novel insights into the interdependence and physiological significance of PKA (Ser16) and CaMKII (Thr17) pathways of PLB phosphorylation during β-adrenergic stimulation in the mammalian heart.
External matching in UDDI

As an industry-backed registry for Web Services, UDDI plays an important role in helping requesters find suitable services. Unfortunately, the current search functions in UDDI are limited in their support for making automatic service selection decisions. While some approaches have been suggested to enhance the search capabilities in UDDI using service semantics, they suffer from limitations. These approaches either prescribe performing semantic matching outside of UDDI leaving its search function unchanged or propose embedding a specific matching engine within UDDI thereby making the search function inflexible. In this work, we present a flexible mechanism to enhance UDDI search function. Using our approach, users can integrate multiple external matching services with a UDDI registry to support multiple external service description languages. The result is a UDDI registry with flexible and intelligent service search function that can be used for dynamic service selection.
Weyl's association, Wigner's function and affine geometry

Abstract According to Weyl one may associate a function with a dynamical operator; these functions depend on the parameters p and q and can be displayed in a p, q manifold, the W space. In the classical limit the W space becomes the phase space parametrised by the canonical variables. The function associated in this manner with the density operator is Wigner's function. It turns out that if Wigner's function is a delta function it cannot represent the density operator of a physically realisable state unless the argument of the delta-function is linear in the parameters a and q. In all other cases Wigner's function associated with a physically realisable state has a finite width, proportional to h 2 3 . Consequently straightness (linear combination of p and q) has a fundamental significance in the W space. Since this property is preserved under linear inhomogeneous transformations the W space will have a geometry generated by these transformations, the affine geometry of Euler, Moebius and Blaschke. In the present note we show how this comes about, how it simplifies the semiclassical approximations of Wigner's function, and makes one understand how in the classical limit this geometry is lost, allowing to be replaced by the geometry of canonical transformations.
Microchip-based amperometric immunoassays using redox tracers.

A new chip-based electrochemical immunoassay protocol, based on the use of a ferrocene redox label, is described. Two reaction formats, based on direct (noncompetitive) and competitive modes of operation, were employed for illustrating the use of redox tracers in chip-based electrochemical immunoassays. The direct assay consisted of mixing the ferrocene-tagged antibody and the antigen analyte, a rapid electrophoretic separation of labeled free antibody and the labeled antigen/antibody complex, and a downstream anodic detection of the ferrocene tracer at gold-plated carbon screen-printed electrode detector. The competitive assay integrates precolumn reactions of the labeled antigen and the target antigen with the antibody with electrophoretic separation of the free and bound labeled antigens, along with amperometric detection of the redox tag. An internal standard has been used to normalize the peak area for the construction of calibration plots. Fundamental operating variables are examined and optimized. The use of a redox tracer offers the advantages of simplified protocol, wider linear range, higher stability, and higher separation efficiency compared to an analogous use of enzyme tags. The direct mouse-immunoglobulin G (IgG) assay and the competitive 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T 3 ) one were accomplished within less than 150 and 130 s (with field strengths of 256 and 192 V/cm), and offer minimum detectable concentrations of 2.5 × 10 - 1 2 and 1 × 10 - 6 g/mL, respectively. Such use of redox labels for chip-based amperometric immunoassay protocols offers considerable promise for decentralized clinical or environmental testing.
Functional genomics analyses of differential macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cell infections by human immunodeficiency virus-1 and simian immunodeficiency virus

The pathogenicity of the primate lentiviruses, human, and simian immunodeficiency viruses, is host-specific. Previous studies indicated that the highly pathogenic human lentivirus HIV-1 has markedly reduced pathogenicity compared to the pathogenic simian lentivirus SIV in pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina). We therefore hypothesized that the pigtail macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cells (mPBMCs) would respond differently to infections of HIV-1 and pathogenic SIV. To elucidate the cellular responses to the infections of HIV-1 and SIV, we infected mPBMC with these two viruses. Like infections in vivo, HIV-1 and SIV demonstrated distinct replication kinetics in mPBMCs, with HIV-1 replicating at significantly lower levels. Similarly, gene expression profiling facilitated by macaque-specific oligonucleotide microarrays also revealed distinct expression patterns of genes between the HIV-1- and SIV-infected mPBMCs; in particular, genes associated with the antigen presentation, T cell receptor, ERK/MAPK signaling, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and natural killer cell signaling pathways were differentially regulated between these two viruses. Most interestingly, despite the lower levels of replication, HIV-1 triggered a more robust regulation of immune response genes early after infection; the converse was true in SIV-infected mPBMCs. Our results therefore suggest that macaques may be controlling the infection of HIV-1 at an early stage through coordinated regulation of host defense pathways.
Effect of taurine on chelerythrine inhibition of calcium uptake and ATPase activity in the rat retina

Abstract Taurine potentiates calcium uptake in whole retinal homogenates as well as in rod outer segments and mitochondrial fractions. The aim of this study was to correlate taurine potentiation of calcium uptake with its effects on other cellular processes through the use of chelerythrine (CHT), a modulator of protein kinase C (PKC), ATPase activity, and, as recently shown, of retinal protein phosphorylation. CHT inhibited calcium uptake only when ATP was present, and inhibition increased significantly in conditions of ATP excess. Taurine potentiated ATP-dependent calcium uptake but decreased the potency of ATP to induce uptake activity. CHT inhibition of calcium uptake exhibited similar potencies in the presence and absence of taurine, and this inhibition seemed to be independent of PKC inhibition. Because of the ATP-dependence of the observed effect, total ATPase activity was studied using similar treatments. In the absence of taurine, CHT inhibited ATPase activity with the same potency ( ic 50 ∼ 59.3 μM) as with calcium uptake inhibition ( ic 50 ∼ 87.9 μM), presenting a possible mechanism of action of CHT. In the presence of taurine, no such correlation was observed, suggesting an ATPase'independent mechanism of action. In fact, taurine did not potentiate ATPase activity, but rather it decreased the potency of CHT inhibition of ATPase, effects incongruent with the effects of taurine on calcium uptake and on CHT inhibition of calcium uptake. Enzyme kinetic experiments provided more supporting data. Taurine was found to cause an increase in the affinity of the ATP substrate for the ATPase enzyme, contradicting the aforementioned effect of taurine to decrease the potency of ATP to induce calcium uptake. Thus, taurine seems to increase calcium uptake through a hitherto unreported mechanism distinct from its modulation of ATPase activity.
Complete Genome Sequence of Channel Catfish Gastrointestinal Septicemia Isolate Edwardsiella tarda C07-087

Edwardsiella tarda is a Gram-negative facultative anaerobe causing disease in animals and humans. Here, we announce the complete genome sequence of the channel catfish isolate E. tarda strain C07-87, which was isolated from an outbreak of gastrointestinal septicemia on a commercial catfish farm.
‘A countryside full of flames’: A reconsideration of the Stono rebellion and slave rebelliousness in the early Eighteenth‐century South Carolina Lowcountry

(1996). ‘A countryside full of flames’: A reconsideration of the Stono rebellion and slave rebelliousness in the early Eighteenth‐century South Carolina Lowcountry. Slavery & Abolition: Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 22-50.