cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
"I'm Stamped a Liar on My Heart": Challenges of Qualitative Research on Arab and Arab-American Drug User Populations

In the social sciences, Arabs and Arab-Americans are an understudied population. While there are numerous contributing factors as to why this disparity in the literature exists, one of the main contributing factors when studying Arab populations is that of access. In quantitative data, those of Arab descent are often misclassified or grouped into broader categories such as “White,” “Middle-Eastern,” or “Muslim.” This can lead to data that either seem limiting or misleading. In qualitative research, cultural factors such as shame, stigma, fear of judgment, and a culture of honor can lead to blocked access to offender populations. This article will discuss some of the challenges with gaining access that are specific to ethnically Arab populations, particularly with drug users.
“In a distant unknown country:” A New Historicist Look at James Joyce’s “Eveline,” Argentina, and the Zwi Migdal in the Early 1900s

This article analyzes James Joyce’s story “Eveline” (1904) looking at the moral panic about “white slavery” in Europe and the new continent, especially focusing on Argentina, the foremost recipient of trafficked women between 1880 and 1930 (and, of course, Joyce’s destination of choice for Eveline). It was precisely at the turn of the twentieth century that, along with the popularity of transatlantic migration, sex trafficking went fully global and news about international “dangers” for single white women reached the general public, provoking all kinds of repressive reactions through what became known as the “social purity” movement.
Correlation analysis between miR-124 rs531564 polymorphisms and susceptibility to cervical cancer

Objective To investigate the correlation between miR-124 rs531564 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to cervical cancer in Chinese Han women in Guangdong Province.Methods The genotypes of miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism were determined using polymerase chain reaction-based ligase detection reaction(PCR-LDR) in 107 cervical cancer patients and 208 healthy female blood donors.The correlation between the polymorphism and the susceptibility to cervical cancer was evaluated using unconditional logistic regression analysis.Results The incidence of HPV infection in the patients(93.1%) was much higher than that in the control subjects(16.8%,P0.001),suggesting the importance of HPV infection as a critical risk factor for cervical cancer.The G allele of miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism in the cervical cancer patients was much less frequent than that in the controls(8.0% vs 15.1%,P=0.014),suggesting its possible role as a protective allele.Compared with those carrying CC genotype,individuals carrying the CG and GG genotypes showed a significantly reduced risk for cervical cancer(OR=0.47,95% CI=0.26-0.88,P=0.017),and this protective role of the G allele was more prominent in older women(≥45 years old)(OR=0.28,95% CI=0.10-0.76,P=0.012).Conclusion miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism may play a role in cervical cancer susceptibility in Chinese Han women,and G allele is associated with a reduced risk of cervical cancer.
Ankle and Foot Injuries

The foot and ankle are complex anatomic structures that can pose a challenge to physicians in proper diagnosis and treatment of sports related injuries. This chapter provides a brief review of foot and ankle anatomy as well as providing concise information about presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and return to play guidelines for many of the most common foot and ankle injuries.
6 Energy: Using It, Making It

What is energy? A physicist might write an equation or mumble something about "ability to do work." But in essence, energy is what makes everything happen. All motion entails energy, whether it's the motion of a planet, a car, or a neutron. The random dance of molecules in matter involves the energy we associate with the term heat. 1 Take away energy, and everything would stop. Nothing would happen.
Changes in the calorie and nutrient content of purchased fast food meals after calorie menu labeling: A natural experiment.

Background Calorie menu labeling is a policy that requires food establishments to post the calories on menu offerings to encourage healthy food choice. Calorie labeling has been implemented in the United States since May 2018 per the Affordable Care Act, but to the best of our knowledge, no studies have evaluated the relationship between calorie labeling and meal purchases since nationwide implementation of this policy. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between calorie labeling and the calorie and nutrient content of purchased meals after a fast food franchise began labeling in April 2017, prior to the required nationwide implementation, and after nationwide implementation of labeling in May 2018, when all large US chain restaurants were required to label their menus. Methods and findings We obtained weekly aggregated sales data from 104 restaurants that are part of a fast food franchise for 3 national chains in 3 US states: Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The franchise provided all sales data from April 2015 until April 2019. The franchise labeled menus in April 2017, 1 year prior to the required nationwide implementation date of May 2018 set by the US Food and Drug Administration. We obtained nutrition information for items sold (calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fat, sugar, dietary fiber, and sodium) from Menustat, a publicly available database with nutrition information for items offered at the top revenue-generating US restaurant chains. We used an interrupted time series to find level and trend changes in mean weekly calorie and nutrient content per transaction after franchise and nationwide labeling. The analytic sample represented 331,776,445 items purchased across 67,112,342 transactions. Franchise labeling was associated with a level change of −54 calories/transaction (95% confidence interval [CI]: −67, −42, p < 0.0001) and a subsequent 3.3 calories/transaction increase per 4-week period (95% CI: 2.5, 4.1, p < 0.0001). Nationwide implementation was associated with a level decrease of −82 calories/transaction (95% CI: −88, −76, p < 0.0001) and a subsequent −2.1 calories/transaction decrease per 4-week period (95% CI: −2.9, −1.3, p < 0.0001). At the end of the study, the model-based predicted mean calories/transaction was 4.7% lower (change = −73 calories/transaction, 95% CI: −81, −65), and nutrients/transaction ranged from 1.8% lower (saturated fat) to 7.0% lower (sugar) than what we would expect had labeling not been implemented. The main limitations were potential residual time-varying confounding and lack of individual-level transaction data. Conclusions In this study, we observed that calorie labeling was associated with small decreases in mean calorie and nutrient content of fast food meals 2 years after franchise labeling and nearly 1 year after implementation of labeling nationwide. These changes imply that calorie labeling was associated with small improvements in purchased meal quality in US chain restaurants.
Informational Variables in Pavlovian Conditioning

Publisher Summary Instead of specifying the notion of information formally, this chapter examines some of the empirical operations and results which have led investigators to the intuition that information matters in conditioning. The chapter then suggests a theory, which acknowledges the importance of these operations in producing conditioning and discuss some empirical assessments of that theory. To the degree that the theory accounts for those operations which suggest the intuition of information, it can be viewed as an explication of that intuition, however, that notion does not enter into the theory itself. As the theory is explored, a number of points are discovered at which it provides a better account of the data than does the original intuition. Consequently, it is suggested that although the informational intuition serves an initially useful purpose, it does not provide an adequate conceptualization around which the understanding of Pavlovian conditioning can be organized.
Developing an Understanding of Victims and Violent Offenders The Impact of Fostering Empathy

This study explores the consequences of fostering empathy—for both victims and perpetrators—after large-scale violent events. Participants (N = 834) read a description of a school shooting and were randomly assigned to one of six conditions revealing varying amounts of background information about the victim and the perpetrator of violence. The impact of empathy on reactions toward the victim and perpetrator were then assessed. Empathy for the perpetrator could be fostered with increased information about his background, resulting in recommendations of increased leniency. Fostering empathy for the victim promoted positive community responses, including increased intentions to engage in helping behavior and make charitable donations. The degree to which participants could make sense of the violent event was also associated with decreases in blame and anger toward the perpetrator. Potential implications of the findings for news media and community coping strategies are explored.
Active site properties of (aspartic acid 43)-semisynthetic nuclease-T'.

Abstract [Aspartic acid 43]-semisynthetic staphylococcal nuclease-T' is an active site analogue of native nuclease-T', the enzymically active proteolytic derivative of staphylococcal nuclease containing the noncovalently bound fragments nuclease-T-(6–48) (residues 6 through 48 of nuclease) and nuclease-T-(49–149) (residues 49 through 149). The semisynthetic analogue complex, which contains [aspartic acid 43]-synthetic-(6–47) in place of nuclease-T-(6–48), has been obtained by functional purification. This complex has an over-all folded structure similar to that of normal semisynthetic nuclease-T' but lacks enzymic activity. Nonetheless, [aspartic acid 43]-semisynthetic nuclease-T' binds the active site ligands deoxythymidine-3',5'-diphosphate (an inhibitor of nuclease and nuclease-T') and Ca++ (an ion essential for nuclease and nuclease-T' activity). Binding of ligands is interdependent, a property characteristic for native nuclease-T', but appears somewhat weaker than that for the native complex. Thus, replacement of glutamic acid 43 by aspartic acid causes limited but important steric changes in the active site region leading to the direct perturbation of the catalytic process. Based on these results, together with the prior knowledge that glutamic acid 43 is in the active site region in the crystal structure of nuclease and that nuclease and nuclease-T' have similar folded structures, it is concluded that glutamic acid 43 is critical for the proper organization of the active site in nuclease and nuclease-T'.
The Economic Effects of Fair Employment Laws on Occupations.

The function of law in relation to equal employment opportunity for ethnic minorities is not well implemented or enforced in either the public or the private sector. In many cases, at employment offices we see these words: "We believe in equal opportunity for all." However, what people believe and what people do can often be a different matter altogether. Karl Marx once said that "theory without practice is not theory"; similarly, a law without enforcement is no law at all. A case at point is the Fair Employment Practices laws (FEP; Public Law 88-352) that compel employers to give Black workers, or workers from any other ethnic minority, equal wages for equal work, the same employment opportunities as those of the dominant group and free entry into labor unions. Although it is commonly assumed that FEP laws have been effective in increasing the participation of Black workers in every occupational category, hitherto there has been little evidence to support or reject this belief. Some have even questioned if these FEP laws have been the cause or the result of an observable increase in every occupation classification.
Do constructional constraints influence cyprinid (Cyprinidae: Leuciscinae) craniofacial coevolution?

Constraints on form may determine how organisms diversify. As a result of competition for the limited space within the body, investment in adjacent structures could represent an evolutionary compromise. For example, evolutionary trade-offs resulting from limited space in the head could have influenced how the sizes of the jaw muscle, as well as the eyes, evolved in North American cyprinid fishes. To test the evolutionary independence of the size of these structures, we measured the mass of the three major adductor mandibulae muscles and determined the eye volume in 36 cyprinid species. Using a novel phylogeny, we tested the hypotheses that the sizes of these four structures were negatively correlated with each other during cyprinid evolution. We found that evolutionary change in the adductor mandibulae muscles was generally positively and/or not correlated, suggesting that competition for space among cyprinid jaw muscles has not influenced their evolution. However, there was a negative relationship between mass of adductor mandibulae 1 and eye volume, indicating that change in these physically adjacent structures is consistent with an evolutionary constructional constraint. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 103, 136–146.
The research on control algorithms of vehicle active suspension system

An active suspension system for vehicles using NN (neural networks) & GA (genetic algorithm) and LQG (linear quadratic gaussian) controls is proposed in the paper. A four-degree freedom suspension vibration model is described by a nonlinear system, subject to irregular excitations from a road surface. The performance of the nonlinear suspension with the NN & GA controller is compared with the performance with the LQG controller. The simulation results indicate that the proposed active suspension system proves to be effective in the vibration isolation of the suspension system. The control object of an active suspension system is to produce excellent ride comfort and good holding ability.
The National Pressure Ulcer Long-Term Care Study: outcomes of pressure ulcer treatments in long-term care.

Objectives: To identify resident, wound, and treatment characteristics associated with pressure ulcer (PrU) healing in long-term care residents. Design: Retrospective cohort study with convenience sampling. Setting: Ninety-five long-term care facilities participating in the National Pressure Ulcer Long-Term Care Study throughout the United States. Participants: Eight hundred eighty-two residents, aged 18 and older, with length of stay of 14 days or longer, who had at least one Stage II to IV PrU. Measurements: Data collected for each resident over a 12-week period included resident characteristics, treatment characteristics, and change in PrU area. Data were obtained from medical records, Minimum Data Set, and other records. Results: Two multiple regression models, one for each stage grouping (Stage II, Stage III and IV), were completed. The area of Stage II PrU was reduced more with moist (F=21.91, P<.001) than with dry (F=13.41, P<.001) dressings. PrUs cleaned with saline or soap showed less decrease in area (F=12.34, P<.001) than PrUs cleaned with other cleansers such as antiseptic, antibiotic, or commercial cleansers. Change in area of Stage III and IV PrUs was related to sufficient enteral feeding (F=5.23, P=.02), enteral feeding without higher acuity levels (F=3.94, P=.048), size of PrU (very large (F=120.89, P=.001) and large (F=27.82, P=.001)), and type of dressing (moist (F=14.70, P<.001) and dry (F=5.88, P=.02)). Stage III and IV PrUs increased in area when debrided (F=5.97, P=.02). The overall models were significant (Stage III and IV, F=20.30, coefficient of determination (R2)=0.06, P<.001; Stage II, F=40.28, R2=0.13, P<.001) but explained little of the variation in change in PrU area. Conclusion: In this sample of nursing facility residents, use of moist dressings (Stage II, Stage III and IV) and adequate nutritional support (Stage III and IV) are strong predictors of PrU healing.
Anticipating the 2007–2008 Financial Crisis: Who Knew What and When Did They Know it?

We examine the ability of three groups of informed market participants to anticipate the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Institutional investors and financial analysts exhibit some awareness of the impending crisis in their preference for non-financial stocks over financial stocks. In contrast, corporate insiders of financial firms appear to be completely unaware of the timing and extent of the financial crisis. Net purchases by managers of financial firms exceed those by managers of non-financial firms over the entire 2006-2008 period. Our results add considerable weight to the argument that the financial crisis was more a case of flawed judgment than flawed incentives.
Irreducible Frequent Patterns in Transactional Databases

Irreducible frequent patters (IFPs) are introduced for transactional databases. An IFP is such a frequent pattern (FP),(x1,x2,...xn), the probability of which, P(x1,x2,...xn), cannot be represented as a product of the probabilities of two (or more) other FPs of the smaller lengths. We have developed an algorithm for searching IFPs in transactional databases. We argue that IFPs represent useful tools for characterizing the transactional databases and may have important applications to bio-systems including the immune systems and for improving vaccination strategies. The effectiveness of the IFPs approach has been illustrated in application to a classification problem.
ECG-based indices of physical activity

Inter-subject comparisons of heart rate variability (HRV) require that physical activity levels be matched between subjects, to minimize the confounding effects of intrasubject variability in HRV measurements. The current study investigated methods for finding periods of minimum physical activity based on the electrocardiogram (ECG) alone. The author describes an activity index based on the heart rate, total power of the observed heart rate signal, and a heart rate stationary index, and presents an algorithm for locating periods of minimum activity by tracking this activity index. The algorithm was tested using a set of 35 ECG recordings for which an independent activity indicator was available. The algorithm consistently selected periods of minimum activity in agreement with the independent activity indicator. No discrepancies were noted in any of the 35 cases. >
Comparative Allostery of 3-Deoxy-d-Arabino-Heptulosonate-7-Phosphate Synthetase as a Molecular Basis for Classification

The allosteric pattern of control for 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetase has previously been shown to be strongly conserved among the member species of a given genus in bacteria. The implications of this finding as a procedural tool of bacterial phylogeny were pursued by a study of two organisms, Sporosarcina ureae and Aeromonas formicans, the taxonomic positions of which have been historically controversial. S. ureae has characteristics of both Bacillaceae and Micrococcaceae, and A. formicans has characteristics of both Enterobacteriaceae and pseudomonads. Since the patterns of control for DAHP synthetase in all four of these microbial groups are different from one another but internally homogeneous within each group, the results obtained from the two test organisms were unambiguous. It was concluded that S. ureae is properly classified within Bacillaceae, probably deserving generic rank, and that A. formicans belongs with the family Enterobacteriaceae.
Two-dimensional analytical model for drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL) in short channel MOSFETs

An analytical model to elucidate various effects of drain induced barrier lowering in a short channel MOSFET's performance is presented. In particular, the amount of drain bias induced depletion charge under the gate is assessed and an expression for the distribution of this charge along the channel length is developed. Then, based on a simplified two-dimensional solution of Poisson's equation along the channel, the potential barrier lowering between source and channel, and consequently threshold voltage shift is estimated. The results are compared with numerical simulation data for deep submicron NMOS devices. Finally, the dependence of threshold voltage on drain bias for LDD and non-LDD MOSFETs with effective channel lengths down to deep submicron range has been investigated. Due to its simplicity, the developed model is suitable for circuit simulators.
Grade Inflation in Higher Education: A Comparative Study.

Recent research in higher education has exposed and documented a phenomenon that some have labeled “grade inflation.” Because of the significant implications of grade inflation for the credibility of academia's standards of excellence and accountability, efforts should be directed toward explaining why this phenomenon is occurring, and remedies sought. The present study represents a comparison of 10 departments displaying high grade inflation rates during a 7-year period with 10 departments within the same university displaying low(er) grade inflation rates. The study found an average inflation of grades of +.298 during this time period, with higher grade inflation rates related to perceived and/or actual increases in the demands or pressures placed upon the academician's role, to greater flexibility in grading options and, in particular, to the use of more subjective student-based methods of evaluation. While the study's findings also support the “peaking effect” theory that grade inflation rates will slow down, the central question remains: How high will grade point averages rise and, in the absence of positive corrective action, what will be the effect of the grade inflation phenomenon on the credibility of institutions of higher education and their graduates?
The role of the postsynaptic cytoskeleton in AChR organization

Abstract ACh receptors (AChRs) occur at much higher concentrations immediately adjacent to the nerve terminal than elsewhere on the muscle membrane. The molecular mechanisms responsible for maintaining this distribution are largely unknown but are thought to involve other synaptic proteins. Of particular interest are those proteins that comprise the postsynaptic cytoskeleton. This article discusses the role that both general and synapse-specific cytoskeletal proteins may play in the postsynaptic organization of receptors.
Nerve-induced ectopic limb blastemas in the axolotl are equivalent to amputation-induced blastemas

Adult urodeles (salamanders) are unique in their ability to regenerate complex organs perfectly. The recently developed Accessory Limb Model (ALM) in the axolotl provides an opportunity to identify and characterize the essential signaling events that control the early steps in limb regeneration. The ALM demonstrates that limb regeneration progresses in a stepwise fashion that is dependent on signals from the wound epidermis, nerves and dermal fibroblasts from opposite sides of the limb. When all the signals are present, a limb is formed de novo. The ALM thus provides an opportunity to identify and characterize the signaling pathways that control blastema morphogenesis and limb regeneration. Our previous study provided data on cell contribution, cell migration and nerve dependency indicating that an ectopic blastema is equivalent to an amputation-induced blastema. In the present study, we have determined that formation of both ectopic blastemas and amputation-induced blastemas is regulated by the same molecular mechanisms, and that both types of blastema cells exhibit the same functions in controlling growth and pattern formation. We have identified and validated five marker genes for the early stages of wound healing, dedifferentiation and blastema formation, and have discovered that the expression of each of these markers is the same for both ectopic and amputation-induced blastemas. In addition, ectopic blastema cells interact coordinately with amputation-induced blastema cells to form a regenerated limb. Therefore, the ALM is appropriate for identifying the signaling pathways regulating the early events of tetrapod limb regeneration.
Effects of partial vs consistent reward in noncontingent pairings of stimuli with reward: A noncontingently produced positive contrast effect

Rats received pairings of two stimuli with reward noncontingently in the Skinner box. During noncontingent pairings, the bar was immobilized. For Group CC 100% of the presentations of both stimuli were rewarded (S1 ±, S2 ±), for Group PP 50% of the presentations of each stimulus were rewarded (S1, ±, S2±), and for Group PC one stimulus was followed by reward on 50% of its presentations, while the second stimulus was followed by reward on 100% of its presentations (S1 ±, S2 ±). A fourth group received the stimuli and reward nonpaired. In a subsequent rewarded test phase, the response facilitating effects of the stimuli were evaluated. In the test phase all groups that received reward paired with S1, and S2 performed better in the presence of S1 and S2 than the group for which the stimuli were not paired with reward. For groups that received the stimuli paired with reward, a difference due to schedule of reward occurred when schedule of reward was varied within Ss (Group PC), but not when varied between Ss (Group PP vs Group CC). The specific form of this finding was that Group PC’s performance in the presence of S2 ± was more vigorous than its performance in the presence of S1 ± and was more vigorous than the performance of Groups PP and CC to S2. Group PC’s performance to S1 ± did not differ from that of Groups PP and CC to S1.
Personalization systems: Effects of risk propensity and congruency of suggestive guidance on risk taking behavior

Using a laboratory experiment, this study designs and tests a personalization system that captures an important user personality trait of risk propensity and subsequently offers suggestive guidance that varies in congruency with the users' natural risk taking tendencies. Findings suggest that when the personalization system recommends an aggressive course of action, both high and low propensity individuals take greater risks, with high risk propensity users taking significantly higher risks than low risk propensity users. However, all users make conservative decisions when the system suggests a conservative course of action. In essence, providing incongruent offerings to risk-seeking users nullifies the effects of their risk propensity. As such, the findings suggest that offering congruency interacts with user personality traits. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Modeling the Development and Use of Strategic Information Systems

The successful adoption of a strategic information system SIS is shown to hinge upon a favorable decision to develop a SIS and on a favorable decision to use the developed SIS. A model is exhibited that integrates the factors that lie behind these two separable but linked decisions, and the model receives preliminary explication. The model organizes concisely much of the relevant research literature. Two case studies, one of a successful adoption decision and one for which a SIS has not been well received by the marketplace, provide an initial corroboration of the model.
Prediction of Collective Characteristics for Ion Ensembles in Quadrupole Ion Traps Without Trajectory Simulations

Fundamental aspects are presented of a two-temperature moment theory for quadrupole ion traps developed via transformation of the Boltzmann equation. Solutions of the moment equations correspond to changes in the ensemble average for any function of ion velocity, because the Boltzmann equation reflects changes to an ion distribution as a whole. The function of primary interest in this paper is the ion effective temperature and its behavior during ion storage and resonance excitation. Calculations suggest that increases in ion effective temperature during resonance excitation are due primarily to power absorption from the main RF trapping field rather than from the dipolar excitation signal. The dipolar excitation signal apparently serves mainly to move ions into regions of the ion trap where the RF electric field, and thus ion RF heating, is greater than near the trap center. Both ideal and non-ideal ion trap configurations are accounted for in the moment equations by incorporating parameterized variables a and \(\tilde q\), which are modified versions of the commonly used forms for the DC and AC ring voltages, and \(\tilde b\) and \(\tilde d\), which are new forms that account for the voltages applied to the endcaps. Besides extending the applicability of the moment equations to non-ideal quadrupole ion traps, the modified versions of the parameterized variables can have additional utility. Calculation of the spatial dependence of ion secular oscillation frequencies is demonstrated as an example.
Refining diagnosis of anatomic female bladder outlet obstruction: comparison of pressure-flow study parameters in clinically obstructed women with those of normal controls.

Objectives To improve the definition of pressure-flow study cutoff values for anatomic female bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) by comparing these parameters in women with clinical obstruction with those of normal controls. Methods In the past 3 years, 82 consecutive women with clinical anatomic BOO were investigated according to an institutional review board-approved protocol that included imaging and urodynamic studies. The data from these women were then added to those of our previously published cohort of 87 patients. The controls were 20 female volunteers without any urologic complaints and without a history of bladder or urethral surgery who had undergone a urodynamic study. Three groups of women with BOO were identified in the most recent cohort: 20 with Stage III-IV cystocele, 23 who had undergone previous anti-incontinence surgery, and 39 with distal periurethral fibrosis or stricture. The optimal combination of the maximal flow rate (Qmax) and detrusor pressure at maximal flow rate (PdetQmax) for determining BOO was calculated using nonparametric receiver operating characteristic curves for the entire cohort of 169 women with obstruction. Results Age, Qmax, and PdetQmax were similar among the three BOO groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for BOO was 0.762 for Qmax (95% confidence interval 0.661 to 0.864, P <0.001) and 0.721 for PdetQmax (95% confidence interval 0.617 to 0.824, P <0.001). After adjusting for the effect of age, PdetQmax (P <0.001) and Qmax (P <0.011) were independently associated with BOO. Conclusions After adjusting for age and using normal controls rather than an incontinent control population, we present pressure-flow study cutoff values to aid in the urodynamic study diagnosis of women with anatomic BOO.
Single-shot soft x-ray laser linewidth measurement using a grating interferometer.

The linewidth of a 14.7 nm wavelength Ni-like Pd soft x-ray laser was measured in a single shot using a soft x-ray diffraction grating interferometer. The instrument uses the time delay introduced by the gratings across the beam to measure the temporal coherence. The spectral linewidth of the 4d1S0-4p1P1 Ni-like Pd lasing line was measured to be Δλ/λ=3×10−5 from the Fourier transform of the fringe visibility. This single shot linewidth measurement technique provides a rapid and accurate way to determine the temporal coherence of soft x-ray lasers that can contribute to the development of femtosecond plasma-based soft x-ray lasers.
New Rules of Business for the Future of Community Colleges: Design of the Critical Issue Discussion Forums

At the Community College Futures Assembly, 3 critical discussion groups, each organized by an area of focus, conceptualized “New Rules” guiding the operation of community colleges. Utilizing 55 “New Rules for Business” provided by the keynote speaker Mark N. Vamos, each group identified 2–3 New Rules relevant to community college leadership in the future, suggested how they may be resolved, and then suggested areas for future research. Assembly participants were provided the opportunity to electronically vote as to which New Rules they felt were relevant to community college leaders in the coming years. Results were simultaneously displayed, allowing conference attendees to receive real-time feedback of the participant perceptions.
An empirical analysis of communication links in embedded wireless networks

Embedded wireless networks have been widely used, from social networking to disaster response. Despite their increasing application, developers still face many challenges. One of the most significant is ensuring reliable communication between communicating devices. In this paper, we present an empirical examination of some of the key factors that affect the quality of wireless links in outdoor environments. Specifically, we study the effects of height differences between devices, device orientation, and data transmission rate on communication quality.
Classification of opioids on the basis of change in seizure threshold in rats

Twenty opioids have been subdivided into four classes by using flurothyl-induced seizures in rats to measure dose-response relationships, stereospecificity, naloxone sensitivity, and tolerance-cross-tolerance. The data support current theories of multiple opiate receptor types. Since the receptors involved mediate effects that are antagonized, enhanced, or unaffected by naloxone, the model is uniquely suitable for detecting novel narcotic antagonists that can then be used to differentiate opiate receptors in other systems.
Tax-financed government spending in a neoclassical model with sticky wages and rational expectations

Abstract We study the impact of tax-financed government spending with constant nominal wages and rational expectations in a world where there are no adjustments costs associated with capital accumulation. In the context of a standard macromodel we are able to show, contrary to previous results in related models, that an increase in government spending is always expansionary. The issue is also examined in the context of the Sidrauski-Brock model of infinitely-lived families where the same result is obtained provided government expenditure is sufficiently high. The paper concludes with some observations on the value of this type of research for more general sticky-wages models.
Design of complexity-optimized bilayer lengthened LDPC codes for relay channels

We propose a technique to design complexity-optimized bilayer lengthened LDPC codes by generalizing EXIT charts to bilayer codes and applying a method to estimate the number of decoding iterations. Using this approach, we have designed bilayer lengthened LDPC codes with a relay decoding complexity reduced up to 60% compared to the highest rate codes designed in the literature.
NMR studies of enzyme mechanism: applications of cryoenzymology and isotopic labeling in the detection of covalent complexes

Abstract Several experimental approaches are described which address problems of structural and stereochemical recognition of enzyme-substrate interaction via covalent bonding, mediated by prior intermolecular recognition through the operation of the weaker but specific forces including hydrogen bonding and salt bridging. In the examples which follow, high field NMR has been used to identify through the ‘eyes’ of the substrate, dynamic events in the 1 H, 3 H, 13 C and 15 N spectroscopy of enzyme mechanism. The use of solid state NMR is also discussed and its implication for studying enzyme mechanism examined. Experiments in which coenzyme is enriched allow study of enzymes with M r 100 000.
The Effect of Methionine Deficiency on Body Weight, Food and Energy Utilization in the Chick

The effect of dietary methionine deficiency was studied in broiler chicks. Graded levels of methionine: 0.25, 0.32, 0.39 and 0.46% in semipurified, soybean meal-corn starch diets were used as treatments. Food intake, body weights and body components were determined. Results show that a moderate methionine deficiency (0.32 and 0.39%) had no effect on growth and energy metabolism expressed as metabolizable energy, productive energy, heat production and tissue gains. Increased food intake in these two groups was reflected not as increased weight gain, but as greater quantities of tissue fat. The experimental group with severe methionine deficiency (0.25%) showed depressed body weight gain, food intake and efficiency of food utilization, with some increase in heat production. Therefore, in general, two types of nutritional responses occurred in broilers, based upon the severity of the methionine deficiency.
Customer-Based Valuation

Abstract Customer lifetime value (CLV) has emerged as an important metric to manage and grow customers. Marketing scholars have written many books and articles on this topic. However, most of this research has focused on tactical marketing decisions. While this is important, it is not enough to gain attention of senior managers who are concerned about firm level metrics such as stock price. To have greater impact marketing needs to go beyond brand-level profits to show the impact of marketing actions on firm profitability. In this paper we focus on customer lifetime value and its link to firm value. We discuss research that provides customer-based valuation of firms and suggest directions for future research.
Physical properties and fatty acid profiles of oils from black, kidney, great northern, and pinto beans

Four common beans (black, kidney, great northern, and pinto) were extracted with hexane and found to contain about 2% triacylglycerols. The fatty acids in these bean oils were mainly linolenic (41.7–46 wt%), linoleic (24.1–33.4 wt%), palmitic (10.7–12.7 wt%) and oleic (5.2–9.5 wt%). Because of the high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the bean oils had iodine values between 174 and 177 g/100 g (compared to 130 g/100 g for soybean oil). Yet, the bean oils exhibited high oxidative stability due to the presence of high amounts of tocopherols (2,670–2,970 ppm). The bean oils had lower pour points (−18 to −11 °C) compared to −9 °C for soybean oil. Among the four bean oils, kidney bean oil had the highest acid value (15.4 mg KOH/g) and kinematic viscosities over a wide range of temperatures.
High-resolution ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging on human knee with AWSOS sequence at 3.0 T

Purpose: To demonstrate the technical feasibility of high-resolution (0.28–0.14 mm) ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging on human knee at 3T with the acquisition-weighted stack of spirals (AWSOS) sequence. Materials and Methods: Nine human subjects were scanned on a 3T MRI scanner with an 8-channel knee coil using the AWSOS sequence and isocenter positioning plus manual shimming. Results: High-resolution UTE images were obtained on the subject knees at TE = 0.6 msec with total acquisition time of 5.12 minutes for 60 slices at an in-plane resolution of 0.28 mm and 10.24 minutes for 40 slices at an in-plane resolution of 0.14 mm. Isocenter positioning, manual shimming, and the 8-channel array coil helped minimize image distortion and achieve high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Conclusion: It is technically feasible on a clinical 3T MRI scanner to perform UTE imaging on human knee at very high spatial resolutions (0.28–0.14 mm) within reasonable scan time (5–10 min) using the AWSOS sequence. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:204-210. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Trends in sterilization and disinfection procedures in orthodontic offices

The present survey is a repetition of a 1987 survey examining the sterilization/disinfection procedures of Georgia's orthodontists. The purpose of this study is to examine the trends in orthodontic sterilization/disinfection procedures. Orthodontists in Georgia have dramatically changed their sterilization and disinfection procedures. The major changes represented are greater use of protective barrier wear by doctor and staff members; increased heat sterilization methods for instruments, pliers, and handpieces; and increased disinfection of alginate impressions.
Pazopanib: therapeutic developments

Pazopanib (Votrient, GW786034) is a potent pan-VEGF inhibitor in advanced clinical development. Like other orally available VEGFR inhibitors, pazopanib is clinically efficacious and well tolerated. The recently reported Phase III clinical trial in metastatic renal cell carcinoma showed activity similar to approved agents with variations in toxicity which has led to its recent FDA approval. Given the growing number of agents in this category, differences not only in single-agent activity but also toxicity and combinatorial potency will probably distinguish pazopanib from other similar agents.
Endothelin receptor mRNAs in human fetal membranes, chorionic vessels, and decidua parietalis.

Abstract Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is synthesized in avascular human amnion; and, immunoreactive ET-1 is present in amniotic fluid in concentrations 10 to 100 times those in blood. ET-1 acts, most commonly, in a local or paracrine manner; therefore, it is possible that amnion/amniotic fluid ET-1 acts on contiguous tissues, namely chorion laeve or placental surface (chorionic) vessels, or in an autocrine fashion on amnion cells. To address these possibilities, the levels of ET A and ET B receptor mRNAs were evaluated in amnion, chorion laeve, decidua parietalis, placenta, and chorionic vessel tissues. By Northern analysis of total RNA (20 μ g), ET A and ET B receptor mRNAs were detected in decidua ( n =18), placenta ( n =14), and chorionic vessels ( n =13). In chorion laeve ( n =24), ET B receptor mRNA but not ET A receptor mRNA was detected by Northern analysis of total RNA. Northern analysis of chorion laeve poly(A) + mRNA (1.5–2.5 μ g) revealed ET A receptor mRNA at low levels. Neither ET A nor ET B receptor mRNAs were detected in amnion tissue by Northern analysis of total RNA ( n =30; placental and reflected amnion from 15 pregnancies) or by Northern analysis of poly(A) + mRNA (1.5–2.5 μ g). Moreover, there was no demonstrable dose-dependent effect of ET-1 on prostaglandin E 2 production or DNA synthesis in amnion epithelial cells in primary culture. The findings of this investigation are indicative that ET-1 in amniotic fluid or secreted from amnion may act in a paracrine fashion on chorion laeve by way of the ET B receptor and on chorionic vessels by way of ET A and ET B receptors.
How and what staff nurses learn about the medical devices they use in direct patient care

Registered nurses (N = 323) working in a 500-bed tertiary care hospital in a large midwestern city were surveyed to determine what and how they initially learned about the medical devices they use, and the consequences of their use. The most frequently identified methods of initial learning were trial and error (taught self) and reading the user instruction manual. At least 90% of respondents indicated that when they first learned about the device they learned how to operate it and its purpose and function. Medical device use causes more than 75% of staff nurses to feel stressed; 11% had used a medical device that had harmed a patient. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Uptake and biotransformation of phenylmercuric acetate by aquatic organisms.

Guppy, snail, elodea, and coontail, when exposed to water containing203Hg-labeled phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), readily take up PMA and the PMA uptake is related to the time of exposure and the PMA concentration, the absorbed PMA being mainly converted to inorganic mercury. Ethylmercuric chloride is a minor metabolic product. Mercury-203 is not quickly eliminated from the guppy, elodea, and coontail when they are placed in fresh water, the biological half-life of203Hg residues ranging between 43 to 58 days.
Together at last: bHLH and LIM-HD regulators cooperate to specify motor neurons.

bHLH and LIM-HD transcription factors were originally thought to act at different stages of neurogenesis: bHLHs as neuronal "inducers" and LIM-HDs as post-mitotic subtype determinants. These distinctions are becoming blurred, and a current study by Lee and Pfaff in this issue of Neuron shows that interaction between these factors functions to synchronize neurogenesis with neuronal cell type specification.
Electrophoretic and biometric variability in the abyssal grenadier Coryphaenoides armatus of the western North Atlantic, eastern South Pacific and eastern North Pacific Oceans

Specimens of the abyssal grenadier Coryphaenoides armatus (Hector, 1875), from the western North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific Oceans were compared electrophoretically at 27 presumptive gene loci. At 6 of the 7 polymorphic loci there were only minor differences in allelic frequencies but a nearly fixed difference was found at one locus, phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. Eastern North Pacific grenadiers typically have a narrower interorbital space, a shorter dorsal interspace, more soft rays in the 1st dorsal fin (9–10 versus 8–9) and more pelvic fin rays (21–23 versus 18–21) than grenadiers from the western North Atlantic (as well as grenadiers from the eastern South Pacific, which were included in the biometric analysis). There is an apparent disjunction in the distribution of C. armatus in the eastern Pacific at the Gulf of Panama which coincides with the change of morphology. It is suggested that North Pacific grenadiers comprise a subspecies, C. armatus variabilis Gunther, 1878, which is morphologically distinct from the subspecies C. armatus armatus (Hector, 1875) of the other areas.
HIV envelope-directed signaling aberrancies and cell death of CD4+ T cells in the absence of TCR co-stimulation

HIV-1 infection in CD4(+) T cells initiates a viral cytopathic effect (CPE) that is dependent on the activation of intracellular protein tyrosine kinases (PTK). PTK in T cells are also activated during the course of TCR or CD4 receptor engagement and the manner of receptor engagement may generate signals leading either to cell proliferation, tolerance induction (anergy) or programmed cell death (PCD). We have identified PTK triggered during the interaction of cells stably expressing surface HIV envelope (gp 120/gp41; HIVenv) and CD4(+)T cells, which leads to extensive and rapid individual cell death. We have found that killing is accompanied by tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the CD4-associated p56(ICK) kinase, and by activation of a second member of the scr family of PTK, p59(fyn) kinase, normally associated with T cell stimulation through the TCR. Interestingly, in contrast with normal T cell signaling, the zeta subunit of the TCR fails to become tyrosine-phosphorylated during signaling accompanying HIV-directed cell killing. Downstream activation of the ZAP-70 PTK also does not occur. Unlike T cell apoptosis triggered by soluble HIVenv glycoproteins, which requires co-stimulation of CD4 and the antigen-specific TCR, T cell killing by membrane-associated HIVenv does not require TCR co-stimulation, because aberrant signaling and cell death are triggered by CD4(+) but TCR- cell lines. These results are the first report where dual activation of the Lck and Fyn PTK does not result in normal downstream signaling through the ZAP PTK, We suggest by analogy to SCID resulting from ZAP-70 mutations, that the dissociation of upstream PTK activation from ZAP-70 signaling contributes to T cell depletion by HIV and to the development of AIDS.