cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Educational Malpractice: The Impact of Including Creationism in High School Biology Courses

College students whose recollections of their high school biology courses included creationism were significantly more likely to invoke creationism-based answers on questions derived from the Material Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) instrument than were students whose recollections of their high school biology courses included evolution but not creationism. On average, students who were taught neither evolution nor creationism in their high school biology courses exhibited intermediary responses on the MATE instrument. These results suggest that (1) high school teachers’ treatments of evolution and creationism have a lasting impact and (2) the inclusion of creationism in high school biology courses increases the probability that students accept creationism and reject evolution when they arrive at college. These results are discussed relative to the impact of high school biology courses on students’ subsequent acceptance of evolution and creationism.
The Dry Salvages: An Auto-Ethnography of September 11

I begin the day quietly. Shortly before 9 A.M. I step out of the shower and am getting ready to go vote for a new mayor when my son, Andrew calls. “Are you watching the news? A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center!” I cannot grasp what it is he is saying to me. “What are you talking about? That can’t be true.” I turn on the TV to see the North Tower in flames. Moments later there is another plane, bearing down and picking up speed before it plunges into the South Tower. I quickly get dressed and rush downstairs. Before me are blue skies, a nearly perfect fall day, a small, yet unseemly mercy on this day of horror. To the south, a cloud of thick, black smoke billows up in the sky. Back in my apartment, dazed and frightened, I settle into a chair in front of the TV. At 9:55, I watch in absolute horror as the South Tower collapses. “Oh my God! No! It’s falling down! Please, please, please don’t let it fall down. Please, don’t fall down.” The footage is repeated over and over again, and each time the annihilation seems equally surreal and unfathomable. A half hour later, the North Tower gives way, and in what seems like slow motion, caves in on itself and crumples. It takes less than a minute. No special effects of any cinematic,
Nicotine enantiomers and oxidative stress

Nicotine affects a variety of cellular processes ranging from induction of gene expression to secretion of hormones and modulation of enzymatic activities. The objective of this study was to characterize the toxicity of nicotine enantiomers as well as their ability to induce oxidative stress in an in vitro model using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Colony formation assay has demonstrated that (-)-nicotine is the more toxic of the enantiomers. At 6 mM concentrations, (-)-nicotine was found to be approximately 28- and 19-fold more potent than (+)-, and (+/-)-nicotine (racemic), respectively. Results also indicated that the toxicity of (+/-)-nicotine is higher than that of (+)-nicotine. (-)-Nicotine at a 10 mM concentration substantially decreased glutathione (GSH) levels (46% decrease). In addition, a 3-fold increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) level was evident in cells after exposure to 10 mM (-)-nicotine. Increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in the media demonstrated that cellular membrane integrity was disturbed in nicotine treated cells. In the presence of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), the LDH activities returned to control value in 24 h with all concentrations of (-)-, (+)-, and (+/-)-nicotine. The decreases in LDH activities in the presence of the radical scavenging enzymes SOD and CAT suggest that membrane damage may be due to free radical generation.
A comparison of histogram distance metrics for content-based image retrieval

The type of histogram distance metric selected for a CBIR query varies greatly and will affect the accuracy of the retrieval results. This paper compares the retrieval results of a variety of commonly used CBIR distance metrics: the Euclidean distance, the Manhattan distance, the vector cosine angle distance, histogram intersection distance, χ2 distance, Jensen-Shannon divergence, and the Earth Mover’s distance. A training set of ground-truth labeled images is used to build a classifier for the CBIR system, where the images were obtained from three commonly used benchmarking datasets: the WANG dataset (http://savvash.blogspot.com/2008/12/benchmark-databases-for-cbir.html), the Corel Subset dataset (http://vision.stanford.edu/resources_links.html), and the CalTech dataset (http://www.vision.caltech.edu/htmlfiles/). To implement the CBIR system, we use the Tamura texture features of coarseness, contrast, and directionality. We create texture histograms of the training set and the query images, and then measure the difference between a randomly selected query and the corresponding retrieved image using a k-nearest-neighbors approach. Precision and recall is used to evaluate the retrieval performance of the system, given a particular distance metric. Then, given the same query image, the distance metric is changed and performance of the system is evaluated once again.
Fully developed natural convection in an isothermal vertical annular duct

Abstract The gevernine equation for fully developed laminar natural convection in a vertical annulus have been analytically solved for the isothermal wall boundary conditions. The resulting flow rates and Nusselt numbers are a function of a annulus gap and a non-dimensional temperature ration. These results are compared to those obtained from a finite-difference solution of the developing flow. It is concluded that fullt developed conditions may be assumed for Grashof numbers smaller than 10.
Investigation of the Highly Active Manganese Superoxide Dismutase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) from different species differs in its efficiency in removing high concentrations of superoxide (O(2)(-)), due to different levels of product inhibition. Human MnSOD exhibits a substantially higher level of product inhibition than the MnSODs from bacteria. In order to investigate the mechanism of product inhibition and whether it is a feature common to eukaryotic MnSODs, we purified MnSOD from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScMnSOD). It was a tetramer with 0.6 equiv of Mn per monomer. The catalytic activity of ScMnSOD was investigated by pulse radiolysis and compared with human and two bacterial (Escherichia coli and Deinococcus radiodurans) MnSODs. To our surprise, ScMnSOD most efficiently facilitates removal of high concentrations of O(2)(-) among these MnSODs. The gating value k(2)/k(3) that characterizes the level of product inhibition scales as ScMnSOD > D. radiodurans MnSOD > E. coli MnSOD > human MnSOD. While most MnSODs rest as the oxidized form, ScMnSOD was isolated in the Mn(2+) oxidation state as revealed by its optical and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. This finding poses the possibility of elucidating the origin of product inhibition by comparing human MnSOD with ScMnSOD.
Pyruvate carboxylase cold inactivation and sulfhydryl groups.

1. N-ethylmaleimide-32-pyruvate carboxylase, an enzymatically active species obtained by modification of native chicken pyruvate carboxylase with N-ethylmaleimide (Palacian andNeet [1972] Biochim. Biophys. Acta 276, 297–312), is inactivated in the cold, 0–5°, and this inactivation is accompanied by dissociation to monomers. Unlike the native enzyme, reactivation and reconstitution of the tetrameric structure upon rewarming requires the presence of ATP. 2. Cold inactivation of pyruvate carboxylase seems to be independent of any modification of the sulfhydryl groups of the enzyme since the sulfhydryl compound DTE (2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-dithiolbutane) has no effect on the inactivation process.
Conceptualizing Cognitive Skills Developed during Video Game Play: A Case Study in Teaching Composition.

While video games have been much maligned in the popular press, a number of scholars have begun to explore the positive side of these games, especially in terms of learning. Some critics have analyzed video games and the act of game play as complex, cultural texts. In college courses, such as composition, in which one goal is the development of rhetorical skills like analysis, video games and game play can be used as texts that are both accessible to students and rich in meaningful information. In this article, the author presents a case study of a composition course she developed using the book Everything Bad is Good for You, in which Steven Johnson focuses on popular media, such as video games. Through exposure to Johnson's complex discussion and by drawing on their own experience and observations, students were able to think and write critically about abstract concepts and produce their own meaningful analyses.
Temporal progression of skeletal cystic angiomatosis

Cystic angiomatosis is a rare, benign, multifocal disorder of bone and viscera, in which angiomatous deposits of both vascular and lymphatic elements result in bone lysis and organ dysfunction. We report on a case of late-onset cystic angiomatosis in a Caucasian woman who first presented at age 35 years with a lytic expansile lesion of the proximal humerus, initially diagnosed as low-grade hemangio-endothelioma. This was treated with injection of cement and prophylactic pinning. However, the lesion continued to grow, and, 5 years later, she was discovered to have disseminated bony involvement, initially thought to represent metastatic disease. However, further investigation revealed a diagnosis of cystic angiomatosis, and the patient was treated with bisphosphonates. Follow-up over a 15-year period since her initial presentation at age 35 years has shown osteosclerotic conversion of many of the lesions, with development of numerous pathologic stress fractures that have failed to heal, despite operative intervention.
DNA End-to-End Distance Change Due to Divalent Counterion Condensation Studffid by Pulse Gel Electrophoresis

The conformation change of DNA fragments due to divalent counterion condensation onto DNA was investigated by pulse gel electrophoresis, and interpreted by gel models (Reptation and Henry model) and Mannings's counterion condensation theory. The measured mobility reductions μ/μ0 of λ-DNA-Hind III fragments, ranging from 23.13 to 2.027 kilobase pairs, due to interaction with divalent cation Mg2+ (1-400 μM), and Ca2+(0-40 μM) in tris-borate buffer were well fit by Mannings's Counterion Condensation (CC) theory. We observed the normalized mobility reduction to be shifted by a small amount Δ (μ/μ0) relative to the CC prediction value. Δ (μ/μ0) is a function of DNA length, and the ion environment (divalent concentration C2 and ionic strength). The ‘Shift’ phenomena only occurred close to where C2 began dominating the counterion binding, a condition described by the monovalent/divalent cation isocompetition point. Combining our observation with theoretical considerations, we conclude that the divalent counterion condensation changes the DNA fragments’ conformation, resulting in an end-to-end distance decrease which is molecular weight dependent. The effect was enhanced by an increase of divalent ion concentration and a decrease of the ionic strength.
The thermal force on spherical sodium chloride aerosols

Abstract Theories of the thermal force acting on aerosols are reviewed. Experimental measurements of the thermal force on spherical sodium chloride aerosols in argon are reported. The experimental measurements in the slip flow region are compared with slip flow theories, including a second-order theory presented here.
Providing multicast through recursive unicast

The group addressing model currently employed for supporting IP multicast has caused several implementation issues including global unique address allocation, sender admission control, and multicast forwarding state scalability. In this article we first review related work carried out to address these issues using different mechanisms and at different levels. We discuss their merits and deficiencies and also their possible combinations for improved performance. We then devise a protocol that works by introducing the idea of recursive unicast into an existing multicast routing protocol, multicast extension to OSPF (MOSPF), to achieve scalable multicast. Simulation results are used to demonstrate the high performance of the devised protocol in reducing computational overhead and forwarding state at routers and also in casing address allocation and admission control.
An Evaluation of the Quality of Corporate Social Responsibility Reports by Some of the World’s Largest Financial Institutions

This study investigates the variations in the quality and comprehensiveness of 104 corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports published by the world’s largest financial institutions in 2012. Using a novel measure of CSR report quality, we examine the impact of certain national, legal, and firm-level factors that might explain differences in the overall quality and extent of coverage of various issues in these reports. Our findings show that legal factors and CSR environment in a firm’s country of headquarters play an important role in firms’ CSR reporting quality. Common law countries exhibit systematically higher overall CSR reporting quality than code law countries. Countries with higher CSR standards, policies, and regulations in place also produce significantly higher quality CSR reports. Firm size, on the other hand, has no major impact on the overall quality of CSR reports. In further analysis of the individual aspects of CSR disclosures, namely environment, philanthropy, bribery and corruption, and integrity assurance, we document that larger firms report at a higher quality on philanthropy and bribery and corruption. Bribery and corruption is reported at a higher quality in countries with common law tradition, high-quality legal regimes, and high CSR standards and regulations in place. We also observe higher quality integrity assurance in common law countries. CSR-minded countries and countries with low-quality legal environment also report on philanthropy at a higher quality. Finally, we offer guidelines for companies toward improving the quality of their reports, and suggestions for scholars and researchers for further avenues of research.
Reliability and availability analysis for the JPL Remote Exploration and Experimentation System

The NASA Remote Exploration and Experimentation (REE) Project, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has the vision of bringing commercial supercomputing technology into space, in a form which meets the demanding environmental requirements, to enable a new class of science investigation and discovery. Dependability goals of the REE system are 99% reliability over 5 years and 99% availability. In this paper we focus on the reliability/availability modeling and analysis of the REE system. We carry out this task using fault trees, reliability block diagrams, stochastic reward nets and hierarchical models. Our analysis helps to determine the ranges of parameters for which the REE dependability goal will be met. The analysis also allows us to assess different hardware and software fault-tolerance techniques.
Psychological Aspects of Atopic Dermatitis A Viewpoint

An overview of existing research on the psychological aspects of atopic dermatitis is presented. Conclusive evaluation of specificity hypotheses, relat ing to emotional conflicts or personality types, is lacking, yet these theories continue to exert their influence. A reactive-interactive model is elaborated whereby a number of psychological processes exacerbate and maintain the disorder. Management strategies and psychiatric involvement are discussed.
At First Sight: Persistent Relational Effects of Get-Acquainted Conversations

Previous research has demonstrated that relational partners make decisions within the first few weeks of a relationship that determine the long-term nature of the relationship. The study reported here extends that research, predicting that such decisions and influences are apparent after brief first encounters. Students in several sections of a skills-oriented communication course reported reactions to a randomly assigned classmate after a brief conversation on the first day of class and the status of their relationship during week 9 of the term. Predicted Outcome Value Theory was employed to generate hypotheses. Results strongly support the theory, with perceptions formed during initial conversations influencing relationships in week 9.
The Sodium-Driven Flagellar Motor Controls Exopolysaccharide Expression in Vibrio cholerae

Vibrio cholerae causes the life-threatening diarrheal disease cholera. This organism persists in aquatic environments in areas of endemicity, and it is believed that the ability of the bacteria to form biofilms in the environment contributes to their persistence. Expression of an exopolysaccharide (EPS), encoded by two vps gene clusters, is essential for biofilm formation and causes a rugose colonial phenotype. We previously reported that the lack of a flagellum induces V. cholerae EPS expression. To uncover the signaling pathway that links the lack of a flagellum to EPS expression, we introduced into a rugose flaA strain second-site mutations that would cause reversion back to the smooth phenotype. Interestingly, mutation of the genes encoding the sodium-driven motor (mot) in a nonflagellated strain reduces EPS expression, biofilm formation, and vps gene transcription, as does the addition of phenamil, which specifically inhibits the sodium-driven motor. Mutation of vpsR, which encodes a response regulator, also reduces EPS expression, biofilm formation, and vps gene transcription in nonflagellated cells. Complementation of a vpsR strain with a constitutive vpsR allele likely to mimic the phosphorylated state (D59E) restores EPS expression and biofilm formation, while complementation with an allele predicted to remain unphosphorylated (D59A) does not. Our results demonstrate the involvement of the sodium-driven motor and suggest the involvement of phospho-VpsR in the signaling cascade that induces EPS expression. A nonflagellated strain expressing EPS is defective for intestinal colonization in the suckling mouse model of cholera and expresses reduced amounts of cholera toxin and toxin-coregulated pili in vitro. Wild-type levels of virulence factor expression and colonization could be restored by a second mutation within the vps gene cluster that eliminated EPS biosynthesis. These results demonstrate a complex relationship between the flagellum-dependent EPS signaling cascade and virulence.
Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-4 inhibits both basal and IGF-mediated chick pelvic cartilage growth in vitro.

This laboratory has purified a unique insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP-4) that was previously demonstrated to be inhibitory to bone cell proliferation. In this study, the hypothesis that IGFBP-4 is inhibitory to insulin-like growth factor (IGF) actions on cartilage was tested using the pelvic cartilages of 10-day-old chick embryos as an in vitro model system. Pelvic leaflets were incubated in serum-free medium for 18 h with effectors (BSA, IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-4, or a combination of IGF and IGFBP-4). After the first 8 h, 1.5 μCi [3H]thymidine per well was added. Cartilage growth was assayed by TCA-insoluble [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA. Additional experiments were conducted under similar conditions to assess the actions of the effectors on cartilage dry weight over a 72 h time period. In separate experiments, serum-free medium conditioned by chick pelvic cartilages for 72 h was assayed for IGF-II by radioreceptorassay, IGF-I by radioimmunoassay, and IGFBP by western ligand analysis. Exogenous IGF addition increased [3H]thymidine incorporation and dry weight of cartilages compared to controls. IGFBP-4 decreased both parameters in basal cartilage growth and also inhibited IGF-mediated cartilage growth. Pelvic cartilages secreted in vitro both IGF-I and IGF-II and a 32–34 kD IGFBP. In conclusion, the IGFs are stimulatory to cartilage growth in vitro and embryonic chick cartilage in vitro produces both IGF-I and II as well as an IGFBP. Exogenous IGFBP-4 inhibits both the basal and IGF-mediated growth of chick cartilage, suggesting that IGFBP-4 acts to downregulate the growth-promoting effects of IGFs on cartilage growth.
Neighborhood Satisfaction Among Urban Dwellers

Three approaches to explaining and predicting neighborhood satisfaction are compared in a survey of 550 New York City residents. The models are: a belief-affect approach which proposes that evaluations of specific aspects of a community are combined to yield overall satisfaction ratings; a commitment approach, which looks at the impact of emotional and economic ties to the neighborhood; and an availability approach, which emphasizes the impact of salient beliefs about the community on satisfaction. Some support is found for all three models, though it is suggested that the availability approach may provide the most useful and compelling model for explaining the psychological processes involved in evaluating one's neighborhood.
Distinct Early Folding and Aggregation Properties of Alzheimer Amyloid-β Peptides Aβ40 and Aβ42 STABLE TRIMER OR TETRAMER FORMATION BY Aβ42

Abstract The amyloid β peptide (Aβ), composed of 40 or 42 amino acids, is a critical component in the etiology of the neurodegenerative Alzheimer disease. Aβ is prone to aggregate and forms amyloid fibrils progressively both in vitro and in vivo. To understand the process of amyloidogenesis, it is pivotal to examine the initial stages of the folding process. We examined the equilibrium folding properties, assembly states, and stabilities of the early folding stages of Aβ40 and Aβ42 prior to fibril formation. We found that Aβ40 and Aβ42 have different conformations and assembly states upon refolding from their unfolded ensembles. Aβ40 is predominantly an unstable and collapsed monomeric species, whereas Aβ42 populates a stable structured trimeric or tetrameric species at concentrations above ∼12.5 μm. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the free energies of Aβ40 monomer and Aβ42 trimer/tetramer are ∼1.1 and ∼15/∼22 kcal/mol, respectively. The early aggregation stages of Aβ40 and Aβ42 contain different solvent-exposed hydrophobic surfaces that are located at the sequences flanking its protease-resistant segment. The amyloidogenic folded structure of Aβ is important for the formation of spherical β oligomeric species. However, β oligomers are not an obligatory intermediate in the process of fibril formation because oligomerization is inhibited at concentrations of urea that have no effect on fibril formation. The distinct initial folding properties of Aβ40 and Aβ42 may play an important role in the higher aggregation potential and pathological significance of Aβ42.
One-gene-one-enzyme: remembering biochemical genetics.

The discovery that proteins are encoded in the genes, which are themselves not proteins, has long seemed to me to be the key to understanding the organization of living matter. To be able to state with confidence that the genetic part of the organism - the part that is transmitted from generation to generation - consists of instructions in the form of DNA for the synthesis of proteins, which later produce and operate the organism, implies a depth of knowledge that would have astonished biologists of an earlier day. In their Enzymes (3rd edition, 1979), Dixon and Webb called this insight "probably the most important discovery ever made in biology." I agree.
Synergistic Combination of Novel Tubulin Inhibitor ABI-274 and Vemurafenib Overcome Vemurafenib Acquired Resistance in BRAFV600E Melanoma

Acquired clinical resistance to vemurafenib, a selective BRAFV600E inhibitor, arises frequently after short term chemotherapy. Since inhibitions of targets in the RAF-MEK-ERK pathway result in G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, vemurafenib-resistant cancer cells are expected to escape this cell cycle arrest and progress to subsequent G2/M phase. We hypothesized that a combined therapy using vemurafenib with a G2/M phase blocking agent will trap resistant cells and overcome vemurafenib resistance. To test this hypothesis, we first determined the combination index (CI) values of our novel tubulin inhibitor ABI-274 and vemurafenib on parental human A375 and MDA-MB-435 melanoma cell lines to be 0.32 and 0.1, respectively, suggesting strong synergy for the combination. We then developed an A375RF21 subline with significant acquired resistance to vemurafenib and confirmed the strong synergistic effect. Next we studied the potential mechanisms of overcoming vemurafenib resistance. Flow cytometry confirmed that the combination of ABI-274 and vemurafenib synergistically arrested cells in G1/G2/M phase, and significantly increased apoptosis in both parental A375 and the vemurafenib-resistant A375RF21 cells. Western blot analysis revealed that the combination treatment effectively reduced the level of phosphorylated and total AKT, activated the apoptosis cascade, and increased cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP, but had no significant influence on the level of ERK phosphorylation. Finally, in vivo co-administration of vemurafenib with ABI-274 showed strong synergistic efficacy in the vemurafenib-resistant xenograft model in nude mice. Overall, these results offer a rational combination strategy to significantly enhance the therapeutic benefit in melanoma patients who inevitably become resistant to current vemurafenib therapy.
“The Public Interest” in Administrative Decision-Making: Theorem, Theosophy, or Theory?*

Textbooks in public administration customarily conclude with a section on administrative responsibility. The charitable inference is that this location betokens the saving of the best till last, rather than the appendage of an afterthought. Herbert Kaufman might explain it as the preoccupation of the past generation of political scientists with the legitimation of the efficient exercise of administrative power to subserve the goals of the social state, with a consequent sublimation of the emerging problem of the control of large, professionalized bureaucracies. However that may be, it does seem clear that, with the exception of administrative decisions which adversely affect “civil liberties,” most political scientists have been content to let lawyers and defenders of the free enterprise system worry about the restraint of administrative action.
Debugging in Parallel

The presence of multiple faults in a program can inhibit the ability of fault-localization techniques to locate the faults. This problem occurs for two reasons: when a program fails, the number of faults is, in general, unknown; and certain faults may mask or obfuscate other faults. This paper presents our approach to solving this problem that leverages the well-known advantages of parallel work flows to reduce the time-to-release of a program. Our approach consists of a technique that enables more effective debugging in the presence of multiple faults and a methodology that enables multiple developers to simultaneously debug multiple faults. The paper also presents an empirical study that demonstrates that our parallel-debugging technique and methodology can yield a dramatic decrease in total debugging time compared to a one-fault-at-a-time, or conventionally sequential, approach.
The electric Kool-Aid NBOMe test: LC-TOF/MS confirmed 2C-C-NBOMe (25C) intoxication at Burning Man☆☆☆

Designer drugs are constantly evolving, with the NBOMe derivatives of the 2C class of phenethylamines recently emerging in the US market. Cases of 2C-I-NBOMe toxicity have recently been reported in the literature. No reports to date describe the clinical effects 2C-C-NBOMe toxicity.
Temperature Control at DBS Electrodes Using Heat Sinks: Experimentally Validated FEM Model of DBS Lead Architecture

There is a growing interest in the use of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of medically refractory movement disorders and other neurological and psychiatric conditions. The extent of temperature increases around DBS electrodes during normal operation (joule heating and increased metabolic activity) or magnetic coupling (e.g., MRI) remain poorly understood, and methods to mitigate temperature increases are actively investigated. Indeed, brain function is especially sensitive to the changes in temperature including neuronal activity, metabolic functions, blood-brain barrier integrity, molecular stability, and viability. We developed technology to control tissue heating near DBS leads by modifying the thermal properties of lead materials. A micro-thermocouple was used to measure the temperature near DBS electrodes immersed in a saline bath. 3387 and 3389 Leads were energized using Medtronic DBS stimulators. The RMS of the driving voltage was monitored. Peak steady-state temperature was determined under different RMS values. A micro-positioning system was used, which allowed the generation of temperature field map. We developed and solved a finite element method (FEM) bio-heat transfer model of DBS incorporating realistic DBS lead architecture. The model was first validated using the experimental results (by matching saline thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity) and was then applied to develop methods to control temperature rises in the brain using heat-sink technology. Experimental measurements are consistent with theoretical predictions including: 1) Peak temperature increases directly with the RMS square of the applied voltage, such that different waveforms with the same RMS induce the same peak temperature rise; 2) Peak temperatures increases with contact proximity such the maximal temperature rise was observed using adjacent contacts of lead 3389; 3) Temperature decayed over ∼2 mm distance away from energized contacts. FEM results demonstrated the central role of lead materials (material properties and geometry) in controlling temperature rise by conducting heat: namely by acting as passive heat sinks. We report that the relatively high thermal conductivity of exiting DBS lead wiring affects the temperature field, indicating the importance of detailed lead architecture. We then demonstrate how modifying lead design to optimize heat conduction can effectively control temperature increases; the manifest advantages of this approach over complimentary heat-mitigation technologies is that heat-sink controls include: 1) insensitive to the mechanisms of heating (e.g., nature of magnetic coupling); 2) does not interfere with device efficacy (e.g., the electric fields induced in the tissue during stimulation are unaffected); and 3) can be practically implemented in a broad range of implanted devices (cardiac/neuro-prothethics, pumps...) without modifying device operation or implant procedure.
A Review of: “PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR DEPRESSION IN OLDER ADULTS”

Sarah H. Qualls is the Chair of Psychology and Director of the Center on Aging at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She has 20 years of experience in all aspects of geriatric mental healt...
The role of autocrine growth factors in radiation damage to the epiphyseal growth plate.

Abstract Pateder, D. B., Eliseev, R. A., O'Keefe, R. J., Schwarz, E. M., Okunieff, P., Constine, L. S., Puzas, J. E. and Rosier, R. N. The Role of Autocrine Growth Factors in Radiation Damage to the Epiphyseal Growth Plate. Radiat. Res. 155, 845–855 (2001). Radiation therapy plays an important role as part of the multimodality treatment for a number of childhood malignancies. Dose-limiting complications of radiotherapy include skeletal abnormalities and disturbances in skeletal development within the irradiated field. The current study was undertaken to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in radiation-induced arrest of bone growth. Our hypotheses were: (1) Expression of autocrine growth factors that regulate chondrocyte proliferation is inhibited by radiation in a specific pattern; (2) the disparity in radiosensitivity of growth plate chondrocytes and epiphyseal chondrocytes is due to differential modulation of autocrine growth factor expression by radiation. Given the important role these cells...
Can an Arbitrator Conduct Independent Legal Research? If Not, Why Not?

Do arbitrators have authority to undertake independent legal research without authorization by the parties? Or, are they prohibited from doing so, as many arbitrators believe? These are vexing questions. For answers, this article looks for guidance in the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), state arbitration statutes, case law, and the rules of several arbitration institutions, as well as the Code of Ethics for Arbitrators in Commercial Disputes. The takeaway is that if an arbitrator wants an award that will withstand an attack based on "evident partiality," "misconduct" or the "exceeding of powers," there are good reasons to refrain from unauthorized legal research. This may seem counter intuitive. Arbitration is a creature of contract and the implications that flow from that conclusion heavily impact the answers to the questions being proposed.
A Note on the Smoothed Bootstrap

In this paper we treat the smoothed bootstrap based on histogram induced empirical measure. We demonstrate the superiority of this type of bootstrap in a very general sense. Moreover, we show that this bootstrap can effectively estimate the bias inherent from the histogram density estimation.
The conservative treatment of congenital talipes equinovarus.

1. Treatment of club-foot should be instituted early as possible. 2. The Denis Browne splint, alone or complemented in sonme cases by anotlmer form of conservative therapy, gives the best results, especially in patients under one year of age. 3. In cases in which the Denis Browne splint failed to obtain complete correction, or in those patients who are between one and four years of age at the beginning of treatment, wedged casts should be used. 4. In some cases of metatarsus varus, correction can be accomplished with wedged casts. 5. Under certain conditions in private practice, manipulative methods may not be the method of choice, but rather of necessity. In expert hands, good results can be obtained by the manipulative method. 6. The manipulative method can be used in patients in the older age groups. 7. Metatarsus varus can either be completely corrected or markedly improved by manipulative methods. 8. Correction must be maintained for a considerable period of time, preferably as described.
Patient-Centered Medical Home Adoption: Results From Aligning Forces For Quality

To improve health care quality within communities, increasing numbers of multistakeholder alliances—groups of payers, purchasers, providers, and consumers—have been created. We used data from two rounds (conducted in July 2007–March 2009 and January 2012–November 2013) of a large nationally representative survey of small and medium-size physician practices. We examined whether the adoption of patient-centered medical home processes spread more rapidly in fourteen Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Aligning Forces for Quality communities, where multistakeholder health care alliances promoted their use, than in other communities. We found no difference in the overall growth of adoption of the processes between the two types of communities. However, improvement on a care coordination subindex was 7.17 percentage points higher in Aligning Forces for Quality communities than in others. Despite the enthusiasm for quality improvement led by multistakeholder alliances, such alliances may not be a panacea for spreadin...
Intravenous haloperidol for tranquilization in critical care patients: a review and critique.

The management of agitated, combative, fearful critically ill patients is a significant challenge for critical care nurses. Intravenously administered haloperidol can be effective in treating these patients. Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of haloperidol intravenously, there are no widely accepted guidelines for intravenous use of this drug. This chapter reviews the literature and provides information to critical care nurses in the use of intravenous haloperidol. Haloperidol's pharmacologic properties are described; several published case studies are reviewed; and potential adverse effects associated with haloperidol's use are presented.
The Relationship between Corruptive Contexts, Organizational Ethics Practices, and Anti-Corruption Performance on the Two Sides of the Taiwan Strait

This study develops a framework to explore the relationships between corruptive contexts, organizational ethical practices, and anti-corruption performance on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Results show that effective management of organizational ethics practices can enhance anti-corruption performance. However 21.8 percent of participants identified led the ethics in their organizations as being of the ”ethically lax type.” indicating that ethics practices are not satisfactory. This study suggests that each organization should emphasize leadership in order to reduce corruption opportunities and motivation, establishing a legitimate interactive mechanism with government authorities. With such an ethical system and the resulting synergy between the public and private sectors in place, it will be possible combat corruption, reinforce organizational ethics and performance, and promote anti-corruption performance.
A computational model of retinogeniculate development

The retinal projection to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus (the “retinogeniculate projection”) has become an ideal system for studying activity- dependent neural development. As the primary visual pathway to the cortex it is well studied, and it develops complex structures under the influence of spontaneous activity. Three models of development in the retinogeniculate system have been suggested.1,2,3 None of these models encompasses the full range of structural refinement in the system and none considers the physiological development of LGN neurons. This paper attempts to provided a cohesive, realistic, and biologically predictive framework in which to investigate the development of retinotopy, eye-specific layers and on/off sub-layers in the retinogeniculate projection. A brief introduction to the biological system will help situate the model.
Analyses on epidemiological characteristics of foot and mouth disease in Huiyang area,2011

objective Analysis of the 2011 Huizhou city Huiyang District of HFMD epidemic characteristics,for the prevention and control of foot and mouth disease to provide reference.Methods using the method of descriptive epidemiology in Huizhou city in 2011 to the epidemic of Populus euphratica statistics analysis.Results Report of 2975 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease in 2011,severe 13 cases,no deaths,reported incidence of 371.87 / 100000,report of a case of 3 years accounted for 80.87%of severe cases,pathogenic detection of EV71 positive rate 76.92%.Conclusion Huiyang area of foot and mouth disease whole high,is much,wide in 2011,local outbreak of epidemic characteristics,the peak in May and June,there was a significant age difference,gender, occupation,severe cases mainly endanger children under the age of 3,pathogen mainly to EV71.
Local-field enhancement of the nonlinear-optical susceptibility

We have quantitatively studied the effects of Lorentz local fields on the linear and nonlinear optical properties of an atomic potassium vapor. In the linear regime, the effects of local fields are treated theoretically by the Lorentz-Lorenz equation. The Lorentz-Lorenz equation predicts that the linear dielectric constant e for an isolated optical resonance should have a density-dependent frequency shift from that of the single-atom response toward the red end of the spectrum.
Light-based Approaches to Cardiac Arrhythmia Research: From Basic Science to Translational Applications

Light has long been used to image the heart, but now it can be used to modulate its electrophysiological function. Imaging modalities and techniques have long constituted an indispensable part of arrhythmia research and treatment. Recently, advances in the fields of optogenetics and photodynamic therapy have provided scientists with more effective approaches for probing, studying and potentially devising new treatments for cardiac arrhythmias. This article is a review of research toward the application of these techniques. It contains (a) an overview of advancements in technology and research that have contributed to light-based cardiac applications and (b) a summary of current and potential future applications of light-based control of cardiac cells, including modulation of heart rhythm, manipulation of cardiac action potential morphology, quantitative analysis of arrhythmias, defibrillation and cardiac ablation.
A Moral Problem for Difficult Art

Works of art can be difficult in several ways. One important way is by making us face up to unsettling truths. Such works typically receive praise. I maintain, however, that sometimes they deserve moral censure. The crux of my argument is that, just as we have a right to know the truth in certain contexts, so too we have a right not to know it. Provided our ignorance does not harm or seriously endanger others, the decision about whether to know the truth ought to be left to us. Within this limit, therefore, difficult art is morally problematic if it intentionally targets those who have chosen not to know. To illustrate the problem, I discuss the literary writings of Soren Kierkegaard, which aim to deceive readers into seeing unpleasant truths about themselves that they seek to ignore.
Using survival models to estimate bus travel times and associated uncertainties

Abstract Transit agencies often provide travelers with point estimates of bus travel times to downstream stops to improve the perceived reliability of bus transit systems. Prediction models that can estimate both point estimates and the level of uncertainty associated with these estimates (e.g., travel time variance) might help to further improve reliability by tempering user expectations. In this paper, accelerated failure time survival models are proposed to provide such simultaneous predictions. Data from a headway-based bus route serving the Pennsylvania State University-University Park campus were used to estimate bus travel times using the proposed survival model and traditional linear regression frameworks for comparison. Overall, the accuracy of point estimates from the two approaches, measured using the root-mean-squared errors (RMSEs) and mean absolute errors (MAEs), was similar. This suggests that both methods predict travel times equally well. However, the survival models were found to more accurately describe the uncertainty associated with the predictions. Furthermore, survival model estimates were found to have smaller uncertainties on average, especially when predicted travel times were small. Tests for transferability over time suggested that the models did not over-fit the dataset and validated the predictive ability of models established with historical data. Overall, the survival model approach appears to be a promising method to predict both expected bus travel times and the uncertainty associated with these travel times.
Arsenite activates Hog1 MAPK through an intracellular pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Arsenite is a toxic metalloid that is abundant in the environment. It is known as a carcinogen as well as a drug for anti-cancer treatment. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, arsenite enters th...
You can show them the Risk. You can tell them it’s Risky. So Why Don’t they Believe you

We have a long tradition of communicating risk to consumers through policy interventions, warnings, PSAs, and other types of strategies. There is a quest to determine the most effective way to communicate risk so that consumers will mitigate those risky behaviors by altering their consumption patterns. From a health marketing and public policy perspective, it is imperative that we understand the underlying processes that drive responses to risk information among those consumers who both consume and consider the consummation of risky products. In this session we present three studies that examine different products (tobacco and dietary supplements) and investigate the impact of different types of risk communications (PSAs, tobacco advertising, and announcements of new research findings) on consumers of these products. We consider a wide variation of consumers who may be at risk inclusive of pre-teens and college students who are at different phases of the consumption process (precontemplative, contemplative, and maintenance of usage patterns). We also use a wide variation of methodological tools (projective techniques and experiments) to test our hypotheses. Both factors contribute to the generalizability of our findings and the practical and theoretical importance of our conclusions.
IGF axis as a target for chemoprevention/therapy in aerodigestive tract cancer.

CS23-02 Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) affect proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Several studies indicate that high serum levels of IGF1 are risk factors for common human cancers. The effects of IGFs are modulated by insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs). It has been demonstrated that the administration of molecules that interrupt IGF action leads to impressive antineoplastic activity in in vitro and in vivo models of a variety of cancers. Recent studies have implicated the IGF-mediated signaling pathway in the resistance to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapies, suggesting that a combinational regimen targeting both EGFR and IGFR simultaneously may yield greater anticancer activity than strategies that target a single receptor. We designed the current study to investigate the effects of blocking the IGF-1R signaling pathway, either single or in combination with anti-EGFR strategies, on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), in which overexpression of IGF-1R and EGFR has been observed. We found that blocking IGF-1R signaling pathway with IGFBP-3, small-molecule IGF-1R-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or agents targeting downstream of IGF-1R signaling pathways leads to impressive antineoplastic activity in in vitro and in vivo models of NSCLC and HNSCC cancers. In addition, we found that insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) activation interferes with the antitumor activity of EGFR TKI, including erlotinib and iressa. Treatment with erlotinib or iressa increased the levels of EGFR:IGF-1R heterodimer localized on the cell membrane, activated IGF-1R and its downstream signaling mediators, and stimulated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-mediated de novo protein synthesis of survivin in NSCLC cells. Inhibition of IGF-1R activation, suppression of mTOR-mediated protein synthesis, or knock-down of survivin expression abolished resistance to the EGFR TKIs and induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. These data underscore the benefits of targeting IGF-1R signalling pathway for monotherapy or for simultaneously targeting multiple growth factor receptor pathways for efficient anticancer strategies in lung and head/neck cancers.