cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social Democracy Über Alles

Global Covenant: The Social Democratic Alternative to the Washington Consensus. By David Held. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2004. 216 pp., $57.95 cloth (ISBN: 0-7456-3352-8), $19.95 paper (ISBN: 0-7456-3353-6). Global Covenant: The Social Democratic Alternative to the Washington Consensus is David Held's most comprehensive manifesto yet for “global cosmopolitan social democracy.” In it, Held outlines a system that embeds universal human security guarantees and the globalized market system—both characterized with commendable nuance—into a liberal global social compact. Global Covenant is breathtaking in its visionary sweep and relentless in its commitment to a refined Atlanticist multilateralism that would create an overlapping “multicentrism” of democratic institutions—even of citizenship and sovereignty. (Ideally, sovereignty becomes “liberal international sovereignty.”) Kant's conception of humanity as being united in “overlapping communities of fate” pervades the book and energizes Held's vision for “multilayered, multilevel governance.” Obviously, Global Covenant will not persuade skeptics who believe that social democracy could only flower in the Western-dominated twentieth century (Desai 2005) or that it “merely polishes capitalism's roughest edges” (Bond 2005:89). Nor will the book engage realists who renounce the power and practical value of ideals in international relations. Nor will its ambitious scope satisfy admirers of pure and narrow disciplinary scholarship. As a manifesto, Global Covenant is unconcerned with alternatives. Comparative assessments of Held's vision vis-a-vis Asian regionalism, for example, or to less formal global governance based on public–private cooperation and mutual transparency (Reinicke 1998; Florini 2003) will not be found here. Yet, even though it clearly is a manifesto, Global Covenant is carefully documented. It does, however, rely heavily on the usual scholarly suspects: economists Dani Rodrik and Joseph Stiglitz, philosopher Jurgen Habermas, and political scientists …
Synchrotron radiation wake in free space

A transverse force acting on particles of a short bunch coherently radiated in free space is derived.
Comparing Partial and Total Tibial‐Nerve Axotomy: Long‐Term Effects on Prevalence and Location of Evoked Pain Behaviors

Monophasic (one-time) nerve injuries heal without clinically significant residua in most cases, but rare individuals are left with neuropathic pain, even after seemingly minor lesions. The effects of lesion size on risk for chronic pain persistence are not well understood, particularly as concerns the complex regional pain syndrome, which is defined in part by pain "disproportionate" to the severity of the causative lesion, and extending outside the autonomous territory of a single nerve. To better clarify the expected prevalence of pain behaviors after nerve injury, we compared the effects in rats of different-sized axotomies on the prevalence and location of evoked pain behaviors. To highlight clinical relevance, we also describe a patient with iatrogenic tibial-nerve injury causing similar chronic neuralgia. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and had either 1/3, 2/3 or their entire left tibial nerves tightly ligated at two sites just below the sciatic trifurcation and the interposed nerve was cut. Unoperated rats provided controls. Sensory function in the tibial and sural-innervated territories of both plantar hindpaws was assessed for as long as 6 months postoperatively. Soon after surgery, evoked pain behavior developed in the ipsilesional sural-innervated site in a subset of axotomized rats and recovery was variable. The relationship between lesion size and prevalence and severity of hyperalgesia varied for different pain behaviors, with pinprick hyperalgesia clearly more likely after larger axotomies. In summary, partial tibial-nerve injury in rats models human disease and suggests that expectations of proportionality between lesion size and development of neuropathic pain may need revision.
Making the Most of “Omics” for Symbiosis Research

Omics, including genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, enable us to explain symbioses in terms of the underlying molecules and their interactions. The central task is to transform molecular catalogs of genes, metabolites, etc., into a dynamic understanding of symbiosis function. We review four exemplars of omics studies that achieve this goal, through defined biological questions relating to metabolic integration and regulation of animal-microbial symbioses, the genetic autonomy of bacterial symbionts, and symbiotic protection of animal hosts from pathogens. As omic datasets become increasingly complex, computationally sophisticated downstream analyses are essential to reveal interactions not evident from visual inspection of the data. We discuss two approaches, phylogenomics and transcriptional clustering, that can divide the primary output of omics studies—long lists of factors—into manageable subsets, and we describe how they have been applied to analyze large datasets and generate testable hypotheses.
Sensitivity of radiative transfer to small-angle scattering in the ocean: Quantitative assessment

It is shown that measurements of the absorption coefficient and the volume-scattering function for scattering angles ≳ 15° of ocean water are sufficient for predicting the transport of irradiance in the ocean. Thus, difficult-to-measure small-angle scattering is not necessary in many applications. Furthermore, the irrelevance of small-angle scattering suggests the irrelevance of the scattering coefficient and of the routinely measured beam-attenuation coefficient in many radiative-transfer problems. Finally, these observations provide a method for determining the adequacy of instruments in which small sampling volumes (~ few cm3) are analyzed when predicting irradiance attenuation and diffuse reflection for large volumes (~ 10–104 m3).
Hydrogen-bonding catalysis and inhibition by simple solvents in the stereoselective kinetic epoxide-opening spirocyclization of glycal epoxides to form spiroketals.

Mechanistic investigations of a MeOH-induced kinetic epoxide-opening spirocyclization of glycal epoxides have revealed dramatic, specific roles for simple solvents in hydrogen-bonding catalysis of this reaction to form spiroketal products stereoselectively with inversion of configuration at the anomeric carbon. A series of electronically tuned C1-aryl glycal epoxides was used to study the mechanism of this reaction based on differential reaction rates and inherent preferences for SN2 versus SN1 reaction manifolds. Hammett analysis of reaction kinetics with these substrates is consistent with an SN2 or SN2-like mechanism (ρ = −1.3 vs ρ = –5.1 for corresponding SN1 reactions of these substrates). Notably, the spirocyclization reaction is second-order dependent on MeOH, and the glycal ring oxygen is required for second-order MeOH catalysis. However, acetone cosolvent is a first-order inhibitor of the reaction. A transition state consistent with the experimental data is proposed in which one equivalent of MeO...
Mutual Mate Choice Can Drive Costly Signaling Even Under Perfect Monogamy

Models of sexual selection by mate choice have emphasized the evolution of sexually dimorphic costly signals, such as elaborate plumage or courtship display, in the sex exhibiting higher reproductive skew, usually males. Less well explored is the action of mutual mate choice in driving signal evolution in socially monogamous or near-monogamous populations. We present a simulation model of condition-dependent investment in a signal trait under conditions of perfect monogamy, equal initial offspring number, and differential offspring mortality based on inherited genetic quality minus signal cost. The model demonstrates persistent evolution of high-cost sexual ornaments through mutual mate choice, even under strict monogamy, as long as the phenotypic condition is sufficiently heritable, and the monomorphic ornament reflects condition with sufficient accuracy to allow positive assortative mating. We discuss implications for research on sexual selection, mate choice, mutation-selection balance, and human evolution.
Reactions of lithium hydride and beryllium hydride: thermal studies and identification of products

Abstract Using simultaneous differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction, we determined that the reactions of lithium hydride and beryllium hydride follow the pathway for reaction mixtures containing less than 66.6 mol.% LiH, and for reaction mixtures containing 66.6 mol.% LiH or more. LiBeH 3 undergoes fusion at 430 K. Li 2 BeH 4 has two thermal transitions at 550 K and 660 K; the first may be intramolecular rearrangement and the second may be fusion. The two products are indistinguishable by powder X-ray diffraction.
An integration model for detection and quantification of synchronous firing within cell groups

5. The results from Figure 4B,C suggest that group membership is dynamic, depending on the spatial configuration of the stimuli. Also, group synchrony is highest for the stimulus that is most optimal for the group. An Integration Model for Detection and Quantification of Synchronous Firing Within Cell Groups Melanie Bernard1, Jason M. Samonds3, Zhiyi Zhou1, and A.B. Bonds1,2 Departments of Biomedical Engineering1 & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science2, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 678
A 2D rods-in-air square-lattice photonic crystal optical switch

A 2D photonic crystal optical switch is proposed based on a rods-in-air square-lattice photonic crystal by removing two cross-lines of rods from a 2D square-lattice photonic crystal to form four optical channels. The simulation results show that, when inserting a single rod along the diagonal line of the intersection area of two removed cross-lines of rods, the position of the single inserted rod determines how much incident energy goes into different channels. In the case of transverse magnetic (TM) Gaussian point source, time domain simulation shows that up to 87.3% of the incident energy can be switched into a channel, which is vertical to the source channel. Because there are two diagonal lines in the intersection area of two removed cross-lines of rods, the optical switch feature is achieved by shifting the inserted rod between two diagonal lines. It is also found that the magnitude of the reflected wave in the source channel varies greatly with spatial position of the single inserted rod. The larger the magnitude of the reflected wave in the source channel, the less the energy that goes into the switched channel. The time delay between the incident wave and the reflected wave in the source channel is also related to the position of the single inserted rod. In addition, the large time delay between the incident wave and the reflected wave in the source channel shows that the reflected wave encounters many reflections with the walls of the source channel, instead of waves reflected back from the single inserted rod.
Aqueous Equilibria: Acids, Bases, and Solubility. A General Chemistry Laboratory Experiment

We refer to two major types of general chemistry freshman laboratory experiments: discovery and cookbook. The typical Freshman enrolled in general chemistry has the skills to perform an experiment that is somewhere between cookbook and discovery, and we have developed a laboratory experiment that is midway between these extremes. This experiment aids the student’s understanding of the concept of aqueous equilibria. In this experiment, students are asked to prepare and measure the pH of a variety of acidic and basic solutions. Students are also asked to calculate pH values from literature dissociation constants and dissociation constants from their experimental pH values. This experiment demonstrates the relationships between dissociation constants, percent ionization, pH and strength of acids and bases, as well as molar solubility and the solubility product constant, Ksp. A Mathcad-based prelaboratory activity provides a review of the concepts and engages students in what-if explorations.
Endogenous opioid systems and the growth of oligodendrocyte progenitors: paradoxical increases in oligodendrogenesis as an indirect mechanism of opioid action

Endogenous opioids inhibit nervous system development by inhibiting the proliferation of certain neuronal and glial progenitors. To determine whether opioids affect the growth of preoligodendrocytes, the effects of the endogenous opioid [Met5]-enkephalin were examined in preoligodendrocytes in primary mixed-glial and preoligodendrocyte-enriched (> 98% pure) cultures. Proliferating preoligodendrocytes in mixed-glial or preoligodendrocyte-enriched cultures were continuously treated for a total of 40 h with either basal growth media (controls), 1 microM [Met5]-enkephalin, 1 microM [Met5]-enkephalin plus the opioid antagonist naloxone (3 microM), or naloxone alone (3 microM), and incubated in [3H]-thymidine (0.2 microCi/ml/4-6 h) after 34-36 h of opioid exposure. Opioid-dependent changes in DNA synthesis were assessed autoradiographically in O4-immunoreactive oligodendrocyte progenitors. Naloxone alone significantly decreased the rate of DNA synthesis and number of O4-immunoreactive preoligodendrocytes in mixed-glial cultures. However, naloxone and/or [Met5]-enkephalin did not affect DNA synthesis or the number of O4-immunoreactive preoligodendrocytes in cultures enriched in preoligodendrocytes. The results suggest that astrocytes, or perhaps another cell type, play a permissive role in opioid-dependent alterations in preoligodendrocyte proliferation. Endogenous opioids affect the genesis of neural cells by both direct and indirect mechanisms.
A Neutral-Point Balancing Controller for a Three-Level Inverter With Full Power-Factor Range and Low Distortion

Neutral-point (NP) balancing issues in the neutral-point-clamped three-level converters have been widely discussed in the last decades. Numbers of prior NP control algorithms have been proven working well in terms of NP potential balancing. However, it seems that the impact of these algorithms on the ac side did not draw much attention in the past, e.g., some algorithms inject additional common mode voltages with considerable amplitude that may saturate the duty cycles or inject low-order harmonic currents into the ac load. As a consequence, compared with the original system without NP controls, the total harmonic distortion (THD) performance at the ac side becomes worse, i.e., the THD standards are violated and a redesign of the system (e.g., ac filter) may be essential. Therefore, particularly for industrial applications, low distortion and high margins for duty cycles are typically important criteria for designing an NP controller. In this paper, a novel NP controller with full power-factor (PF) range and low distortion is proposed, which has the minimum common voltage injection at no unbalance or slight unbalance conditions. On the other hand, at heavy unbalance conditions, the controller has the maximum balancing ability at any PFs. Its superior performance is summarized via a comparison between different NP controls in this paper.
Rectal Versus Axillary Temperatures: Is There a Significant Difference in Infants Less Than 1 Year of Age?

There are identified gaps regarding the accuracy of axillary temperatures as a means of predicting core temperatures in infants and children. This article discusses the relationship between rectal and axillary temperatures in infants less than 1 year of age. This quality improvement project evaluated 425 paired temperature measurements in 86 infants admitted to an inpatient pediatric unit over a 2-month period. A correlation analysis showed statistically significant differences between the two measurements. The results of this project promoted the development of a standard of care for temperature measurement at the project facility.
The Contribution of Health Care and Other Interventions to Black–White Disparities in Life Expectancy, 1980–2007

Black–white mortality disparities remain sizable in the United States. In this study, we use the concept of avoidable/amenable mortality to estimate cause-of-death contributions to the difference in life expectancy between whites and blacks by gender in the United States in 1980, 1993, and 2007. We begin with a review of the concept of “avoidable mortality” and results of prior studies using this cause-of-death classification. We then present the results of our empirical analyses. We classified causes of death as amenable to medical care, sensitive to public health policies and health behaviors, ischemic heart disease, suicide, HIV/AIDS, and all other causes combined. We used vital statistics data on deaths and Census Bureau population estimates and standard demographic decomposition techniques. In 2007, causes of death amenable to medical care continued to account for close to 2 years of the racial difference in life expectancy among men (2.08) and women (1.85). Causes amenable to public health interventions made a larger contribution to the racial difference in life expectancy among men (1.17 years) than women (0.08 years). The contribution of HIV/AIDS substantially widened the racial difference among both men (1.08 years) and women (0.42 years) in 1993, but its contribution declined over time. Despite progress observed over the time period studied, a substantial portion of black–white disparities in mortality could be reduced given more equitable access to medical care and health interventions.
Forage Quality and Reindeer Productivity: Multiplier Effects Amplified by Climate Change

ABSTRACT We investigated the effects of experimental manipulations of snowmelt on the flowering phenology and forage chemistry (digestibility and nitrogen concentration) of tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum) on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Early snowmelt accelerated reproductive phenology by 11 days, and resulted in higher floral digestibility both early and late during inflorescence development. Nitrogen concentrations of inflorescences in late snowmelt plots were initially the highest among treatments, but decreased nearly 40% during inflorescence development. Thus, changes in climate that lead to changes in snow cover can alter both the timing of flowering and chemistry of Eriophorum and, consequently, its value as reindeer and caribou forage. We then used published relationships between forage chemistry and body weight gain of reindeer (White, 1983) to model the possible effects of altered forage chemistry on food intake and growth in reindeer. Model output shows that reindeer foraging on Eri...
Effects of language dominance on item and order memory in free recall, serial recall and order reconstruction.

Spanish–English bilinguals (N = 144) performed free recall, serial recall and order reconstruction tasks in both English and Spanish. Long-term memory for both item and order information was worse in the less fluent language (L2) than in the more fluent language (L1). Item scores exhibited a stronger disadvantage for the L2 in serial recall than in free recall. Relative order scores were lower in the L2 for all three tasks, but adjusted scores for free and serial recall were equivalent across languages. Performance of English-speaking monolinguals (N = 72) was comparable to bilingual performance in the L1, except that monolinguals had higher adjusted order scores in free recall. Bilingual performance patterns in the L2 were consistent with the established effects of concurrent task performance on these memory tests, suggesting that the cognitive resources required for processing words in the L2 encroach on resources needed to commit item and order information to memory. These findings are also consistent ...
Theory of Low-Energy Nucleon-Nucleon Scattering

The two-nucleon problem is discussed from the standpoint of the double dispersion relations. The analytic structure of partial wave amplitudes is completely analyzed. This is greatly facilitated by the use of the Jacob-Wick helicity amplitudes. The program of generating a set of dynamical equations by use of the unitarity condition is carried out. In the present approximation only one- and two-pion exchanges are considered; the resulting system of equations should be adequate for energies below about 170 Mev. The problem of computing the deuteron parameters is discussed. The general structure of the more complicated nucleon-antinucleon system is briefly treated.
The life and legacy of Harry Stack Sullivan.

These welcome vintage fragments remind us again of the life and legacy of Harry Stack Sullivan (1892–1949). Doctors Cooper and Guynn deserve our thanks for having made them available, both because of the centrality of the ideas in the fragments to Sullivan’s thought and because of our being left a sentimental memento of Sullivan. Further, they link us back to Hilde Bruch who recorded them. For me, their comments at the end of their article, expressing appreciation to the editors of Sullivan’s collected papers, apply equally to these two authors themselves for having laboriously reconstructed what still are difficult words to comprehend. Sullivan’s writing has only occasionally been considered lucid, straightforward, and easy to understand. On the other hand, as the authors mention, he was considered a charismatic teacher and superb clinician with a special gift for being in tune with patients. As always, for new generations who only vaguely know Sullivan, there is the question of taking the measure of a man who has passed. There are several structurally different ways of knowing anyone, which can be hierarchically arranged. These include having direct experience with the person, learning of the person from those who knew him well, seeing and/or hearing the person in recordings, reading what he has written, reading what others have written about him and, finally, being indirectly influenced by his thinking. There probably remain several handfuls of people who knew Sullivan directly, few of whom remain professionally active. Although he died just before I entered medical school, as a young resident I was fortunate (as were other Washington area trainees) in being trained by a number of people who were close to Sullivan. Many of my supervisors had been analyzed or supervised by Sullivan and I was strongly encouraged to model my treatment efforts after him. This especially applied to working with schizophrenic patients at Chestnut Lodge. Stories and clinical vignettes about him abounded and he was either held in great respect, or, among the psychoanalytically most orthodox, reviled. Unfortunately for today’s young professional’s, they are almost certain to know Sullivan only through the written word or from teachers who never met him. For some, these fragments may be their first exposure. I would like to focus my attention on two issues stemming from the paper: One is the operational usefulness of Sullivan’s ideas Psychiatry 69(2) Summer 2006 107
A fully-automated statistical method for characterization of flow artifact presence in cardiac MRI.

Flow artifacts in MR images can appear as ghosts within and outside the body cavity. Current approaches for optimizing sequences for suppressing such artifacts rely on expert scoring or on semi-automated methods for evaluation.
O-Linked β-N-Acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) Regulates Emerin Binding to Barrier to Autointegration Factor (BAF) in a Chromatin- and Lamin B-enriched “Niche”

Abstract Emerin, a membrane component of nuclear “lamina” networks with lamins and barrier to autointegration factor (BAF), is highly O-GlcNAc-modified (“O-GlcNAcylated”) in mammalian cells. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed eight sites of O-GlcNAcylation, including Ser-53, Ser-54, Ser-87, Ser-171, and Ser-173. Emerin O-GlcNAcylation was reduced ∼50% by S53A or S54A mutation in vitro and in vivo. O-GlcNAcylation was reduced ∼66% by the triple S52A/S53A/S54A mutant, and S173A reduced O-GlcNAcylation of the S52A/S53A/S54A mutant by ∼30%, in vivo. We separated two populations of emerin, A-type lamins and BAF; one population solubilized easily, and the other required sonication and included histones and B-type lamins. Emerin and BAF associated only in histone- and lamin-B-containing fractions. The S173D mutation specifically and selectively reduced GFP-emerin association with BAF by 58% and also increased GFP-emerin hyper-phosphorylation. We conclude that β-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, an essential enzyme, controls two regions in emerin. The first region, defined by residues Ser-53 and Ser-54, flanks the LEM domain. O-GlcNAc modification at Ser-173, in the second region, is proposed to promote emerin association with BAF in the chromatin/lamin B “niche.” These results reveal direct control of a conserved LEM domain nuclear lamina component by β-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, a nutrient sensor that regulates cell stress responses, mitosis, and epigenetics.
A visual programming system for defining behavior in simulation models of manufacturing systems

A visual programming system is described that allows the modeler full flexibility in defining the behavior of a manufacturing system simulation model. Decision-making behavior of objects in the simulation can be viewed by watching an animation of the system layout, viewing function block diagrams of rules that govern behavior, or noting the progress of an object in carrying out sequences of activities that are pictured as operation networks. Rules, elemental operations and operation networks are structured and associated with particular objects, groups of objects, and locations on the manufacturing system layout. The objective of this system is to reduce the time and expense required to construct and modify models, given that manufacturing system data have been collected.
FIFTEENTH-CENTURY ENAMELED AND GILDED GLASS MADE FOR THE MAMLUKS: THE END OF AN ERA, THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ONE

The present article deals with fifteenth-century production of enameled and gilded glass in the Mamluk period, a little known aspect of an industry that saw its heyday during the late thirteenth century and the first half of the fourteenth. Usually dismissed as virtually non-existent after the turn of the fifteenth century, the scale and technical and artistic qualities of Mamluk glass unquestionably declined; four surviving mosque lamps, however, help to reconstruct an essential history of the craft in Cairo from the 1410s to the 1470s. These four lamps, which are very similar to the well-known fourteenth-century production in shape, dimensions, and decorative program, include enameled and gilded inscriptions that mention the names of their patrons and can therefore be studied in an appropriate context. Two lamps are dedicated to the Mamluk sultan al-Mu'ayyad Abu Nasr Shaykh (r. 1412-21) and were specifically made for his madrasa (Qur'anic school) built in 1410-15. The third one carries the name of the powerful emir Qani-bay al-Jarkasi (d. 1462), who served in various important positions under the rule of the sultan al-Malik al-Zahir Jaqmaq (r. 1438-53). The last lamp is in the name of the sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf Qait-bay (r. 1468-96). While there is no question that the first three lamps were made in a Cairene workshop, thus offering evidence of both a continuity of production and an obvious artistic decline, the object in Qait-bay's name has always been regarded as an export of European origin (Venice or, more recently, Barcelona) on the basis of its decoration and of the presumed disappearance of the industry in Egypt in the late fifteenth century. In the article, I suggest that, after all, Qait-bay's lamp may represent the swan song of a declining production in Cairo before the demise of the Mamluks and the Ottoman conquest.
Refining the Evaluation of Treatment Foster Care

Treatment foster care (TFC) is a promising alternative intervention for children and adolescents at risk for placement in residential care settings. An examination of the processes and outcomes of TFC is complicated and leads to the conclusions that: (a) TFC is delivered with such variability that conclusions about its effectiveness are difficult to draw; (b) many variables in the child's ecology that potentially confound the effects of the intervention remain unexamined; and (c) service impacts have been defined narrowly. This article synthesizes the state of knowledge in these three domains and discusses how an ecosystemic framework can advance and refine knowledge building in this field of practice.
Video simulation as part of army environmental decision-making: Observations from Camp Shelby, Mississippi

Abstract Effective environmental management requires intelligent, informed decisions. These decisions have become so complex and so important that Army managers are relying more on the support available through emerging technologies. At Camp Shelby, MS, a new technology called video imaging helped show decision-makers the potential impact of several proposed changes in the land use. In video simulation, an existing site is captured through photographs or video footage. The picture is digitized and then edited electronically using specialized equipment to show how the site can be expected to look after a proposed land use is implemented. The U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (USACERL) used video simulations throughout the development of an environmental impact statement at Camp Shelby. In January 1992, the images were presented during hearings on the Draft EIS, marking the first known instance of using this medium to communicate proposed land use changes within an EIS proceeding for military land use.
Government-Supported Incubators in the Helsinki Region, Finland: Infrastructure, Results, and Best Practices

The principal research question of this study is to determine if the proactive approach taken by the governments, as exemplified by the encouragement and funding of 16 incubators in the Helsinki area of Finland, represents a viable method for accelerating economic growth, job creation and entrepreneurship in a region. Field research by the author from 1996 to 2002 yields a strong positive answer. The answer to the related research questions, whether a similar approach is viable in other countries, specifically the United States, Russia and the Baltics, is less definite, because of the different cultural dimensions. Nonetheless, other countries could profit by utilizing the best Finnish practices for incubator management as benchmarks for performance rather than as templates for duplication.
Improving Access to HIV and AIDS Information Resources for Patients, Caregivers, and Clinicians: Results from the SHINE Project.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) remains a significant international public health challenge. The Statewide HIV/AIDS Information Network (SHINE) Project was created to improve HIV/AIDS health information use and access for health care professionals, patients, and affected communities in Indiana. Objective: Our objective was to assess the information-seeking behaviors of health care professionals and consumers who seek information on the testing, treatment, and management of HIV/AIDS and the usability of the SHINE Project’s resources in meeting end user needs. The feedback was designed to help SHINE Project members improve and expand the SHINE Project’s online resources. Methods: A convenience sample of health care professionals and consumers participated in a usability study. Participants were asked to complete typical HIV/AIDS information-seeking tasks using the SHINE Project website. Feedback was provided in the form of standardized questionnaire and usability “think-aloud” responses. Results: Thirteen participants took part in the usability study. Clinicians generally reported the site to be “very good,” while consumers generally found it to be “good.” Health care professionals commented that they lack access to comprehensive resources for treating patients with HIV/AIDS. They requested new electronic resources that could be integrated in clinical practice and existing information technology infrastructures. Consumers found the SHINE website and its collected information resources overwhelming and difficult to navigate. They requested simpler, multimedia-content rich resources to deliver information on HIV/AIDS testing, treatment, and disease management. Conclusions: Accessibility, usability, and user education remain important challenges that public health and information specialists must address when developing and deploying interventions intended to empower consumers and support coordinated, patient-centric care.
Learning metric-topological maps for indoor mobile robot navigation

Abstract Autonomous robots must be able to learn and maintain models of their environments. Research on mobile robot navigation has produced two major paradigms for mapping indoor environments: grid-based and topological. While grid-based methods produce accurate metric maps, their complexity often prohibits efficient planning and problem solving in large-scale indoor environments. Topological maps, on the other hand, can be used much more efficiently, yet accurate and consistent topological maps are often difficult to learn and maintain in large-scale environments, particularly if momentary sensor data is highly ambiguous. This paper describes an approach that integrates both paradigms: grid-based and topological. Grid-based maps are learned using artificial neural networks and naive Bayesian integration. Topological maps are generated on top of the grid-based maps, by partitioning the latter into coherent regions. By combining both paradigms, the approach presented here gains advantages from both worlds: accuracy/consistency and efficiency. The paper gives results for autonomous exploration, mapping and operation of a mobile robot in populated multi-room environments.
Computer-Based Precision Learning: A Course Builder application

An interactive tutoring and evaluation system, the Computer-Based Precision Learning System has been evolving at Jacksonville State University since its inception in 1978. Based on the Precision Teaching goal of developing fluency in learners, the Computer-Based Precision Learning System reinforces high frequencies of correct student responding. The system relies on the flexibility of Course Builder, a symbolic, icon-based programming language for Macintosh microcomputers. Course Builder is described from both the designer’s perspective and the student’s perspective. Its strengths and weaknesses are also discussed. Data from three semesters of a personality theories course indicated that students quickly reached mastery on the system, performing at over 22 correct responses per minute. Their fluency generalized to essay performance as well. Implications for using the Computer-Based Precision Learning System to develop measurably effective instructional strategies are discussed.
Women Faculty at Risk: U.S. Professors Report on their Experiences with Student Incivility, Bullying, Aggression, and Sexual Attention

In this study of a random sample of 524 professors (47% women, 83% White) from 100 colleges and universities across the United States, 91% reported at least one act of student incivility/bullying, 25% experienced at least one sexual behavior from a student, and 1–2% said a student had used or threatened them with violence in the past year. Women, minorities, younger faculty, and those with less experience and credentials reported more incivility/bullying from students. More women (63.3%) than men (50.2%) reported a serious incident of student incivility, bullying, aggression or sexual attention during their careers. Discussion includes recommendations for faculty and administrators concerning reporting, preventing, and handling such experiences.
Wireless sensor network application for cost effective environmental monitoring

The need for environmental monitoring has grown with the publics increasing interest in the state of our ecosystem
Homologue Pairing in Flies and Mammals: Gene Regulation When Two Are Involved

Chromosome pairing is usually discussed in the context of meiosis. Association of homologues in germ cells enables chromosome segregation and is necessary for fertility. A few organisms, such as flies, also pair their entire genomes in somatic cells. Most others, including mammals, display little homologue pairing outside of the germline. Experimental evidence from both flies and mammals suggests that communication between homologues contributes to normal genome regulation. This paper will contrast the role of pairing in transmitting information between homologues in flies and mammals. In mammals, somatic homologue pairing is tightly regulated, occurring at specific loci and in a developmentally regulated fashion. Inappropriate pairing, or loss of normal pairing, is associated with gene misregulation in some disease states. While homologue pairing in flies is capable of influencing gene expression, the significance of this for normal expression remains unknown. The sex chromosomes pose a particularly interesting situation, as females are able to pair X chromosomes, but males cannot. The contribution of homologue pairing to the biology of the X chromosome will also be discussed.
Finite Element Implementation of a Thermoviscoplastic Model for Ratcheting

A thermoviscoplastic constitutive model is proposed to simulate the uniaxial/multiaxial ratcheting of cyclically stable materials and its finite element implementation is also achieved. The kinematic and isotropic hardening rules used in the proposed model are similar to that developed by Voyiadjis and Abu Al-Rub [1], except for the coupling with temperature and strain-rate effects. The proposed constitutive equations include thermo-elasto-viscoplasticity, a dynamic yield criterion of a von Mises type, the associated flow rules, non-linear strain hardening, strain-rate hardening, and temperature softening. In the finite element implementation of the proposed model new implicit stress integration algorithms are proposed. The proposed unified integration algorithms are extensions of the classical rate-independent radial return scheme to the rate-dependent problems. A new expression of consistent tangent modulus is also derived for rate- and temperature-dependent inelasticity. The proposed model is verified by simulating the uniaxial ratcheting of a metallic material.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Empiric PPI therapy or endoscopy for the initial management of patients with GERD in the absence of alarm features

Most clinicians prescribe an empiric PPI trial for patients presenting with typical GERD symptoms in the absence of alarm features, but there are limited data available from randomized trials to support this approach. In this Practice Point commentary I discuss the findings and limitations of a randomized study conducted by Giannini and colleagues that evaluated the use of empiric therapy with esomeprazole versus endoscopy-oriented therapy for the initial management of patients with typical symptoms of GERD without alarm features. The results suggest that an empiric PPI trial has similar efficacy to, and is more cost-effective than, endoscopy-oriented therapy. However, I caution that the application of these results might not extend to patients with atypical presentations of GERD, and highlight the possibility that other diagnostic tools such as reflux monitoring or new endoscopic modalities might yield superior results to both empiric and endoscopy-oriented therapies in this setting.
Effect of shifts in body weight on rats' straight alley performance as a function of reward magnitude

Abstract The performance of rats trained in a straight alley for 55 trials under 75% body weight and then shifted to 90% body weight was compared to that of rats trained only under 90% body weight. When training was with a small reward the speed of the shifted group decreased to the level of the 90% small reward control groups, but when training was with a large reward the speed of the shifted group dropped below the level of the 90% large reward control group. Thus, the effects on performance of shifting deprivation level following extended training depend on the reward magnitude employed.
Nonmonotonic rule systems with recursive sets of restraints

Abstract We study nonmonotonic rule systems with rules that admit infinitely many restraints. We concentrate on the case when the constraints of rules form a recursive sets and there is a uniform enumeration of codes for rules. We show that the theory developed for nonmonotnic rule systems admitting the rules with finite number of restraints can be lifted to such rule systems. We give tight estimates on the complexity of the set of extensions of such rule systems.
The Effects of Interview Schedule Variations On Reported Sexual Behavior

Discussions of survey research often assert that characteristics of the schedule affect the data obtained, particularly when the topic is "sensitive. " This research varied three aspects of an interview schedule designed to measure sexual behavior: (1) whether behavior was assessed by interviewer questions or a self-administered questionnaire; (2) the location of questions concerning sexual experience (at the middle or at the end of the interview); and (3) the order or sequence of questions concerning current behavior, partner's characteristics, and partner's ideology. Interviews were conducted with four subsamples of young adults: single male university undergraduates (n = 432), single female undergraduates (429), single male nonstudents (220), and single female nonstudents (293). The results indicate that none of the variations had any substantial effect on reported sexual behavior. These findings are consistent with other analyses in suggesting that such methodological variations are not a major source...
Equivalence principle for massive bodies. IV - Planetary bodies and modified Eoetvoes- type experiments

Employing a model of massive bodies as made up of an equilibrium assembly of particles interacting with each other via both gravitational and nongravitational forces, the gravitational-to-inertial-mass ratio ($\frac{{M}_{g}}{{M}_{i}}$) is calculated for the massive body. An expression for $\frac{{M}_{g}}{{M}_{i}}$ is obtained which is in agreement with a previously derived expression valid for pure gravitational systems. Also it is found that a body supported at rest on a massive body (e.g., a laboratory on Earth) is accelerated by an external body (e.g., the Sun) at the same rate as the the massive body (e.g., the Earth) in general relativity but not in other gravitational theories such as the scalar-tensor gravitational theories.
PEFLOQ: An algorithm for the bifurcational analysis of periodic solutions of autonomous systems

Abstract The paper describes a numerical algorithm, and its computer implementation PEFLOQ, for the bifurcational analysis of both stable and unstable periodic solutions of autonomous systems of ordinary differential equations dependent on a real parameter. The problem is posed as a boundary-value eigenproblem on the unit time interval, then solved iteratively by the Newton-Fox method (Fox & Langer [9], Kubicek & Hlavacek [10], Keller [11]) for the unknown period, and a point on the solution. An automatically determined shifting fixed-component-index device (Chua & Lin [12]) is employed to fix its phase. Related variational matrix equations (Keller [11]) are integrated simultaneously with the primary set and used in the iterative corrections. One of these matrices (the monodromy matrix) yields the Floquet multipliers or stability modes of the limit cycles. Continuation is effected by alternatively considering the problem at each parameter value as requiring the solution of a system of algebraic equations. A Euclidean arc-length continuation procedure with adaptive step-sizing (Kubicek [13]) is incorporated into PEFLOQ and enables such a continuation, including computations past turning points.
A distributed memory out-of-core method on HPC clusters and its application to quantum chemistry applications

Out-of-core methods, which repeatedly offload data to disk in order to overcome local on-node memory constraints are encountered in a range of scientific computing disciplines, including quantum chemistry. Unfortunately, these methods do not often map nicely onto global parallel file systems employed on modern HPC clusters and can overwhelm even the most capable of file systems causing unacceptably low application performance (while also degrading I/O performance for all system users). To address this bottleneck and explore more efficient use of HPC clusters for a quantum chemistry application, CFOUR, a new MPI-based utility has been developed to support out-of-core methods on distributed memory systems. This MPI Ocore utility leverages the high-speed interconnect available on HPC clusters to offload and retrieve out-of-core records to one or more remote memory storage pools, avoiding excessive I/O transactions on local or global file systems. In this paper, we present an overview of the Ocore implementation, it's direct application within a large quantum chemistry application, and micro-benchmark and application performance results from an HPC cluster interconnected with InfiniBand.
A review of physician-assisted suicide: where do you stand?

This article is intended to promote thought and discussion among nurses on the issue of physician-assisted suicide. A case study is presented to highlight some of the issues involved. A review of the literature presents medical and nursing views. The Netherlands' experience is summarized, with attention to the historical development and acceptance of assisted suicide and euthanasia in Dutch society. A review of current U.S. legal challenges follows, including decisions in Washington and New York in March and April 1996. The reader is asked to consider the ramifications of physician-assisted suicide and whether it should be an end-of-life choice.
Modeling of long-term screening for lung carcinoma.

BACKGROUND. Results from the Mayo Lung Project (MLP), a randomized clinical trial for the early detection of lung carcinoma, were interpreted as proof that the early detection of lung carcinoma by chest X-ray does not reduce the mortality from this disease. Recent analysis of extended follow-up data from the MLP subjects found that after approximately 20 years there still was no apparent difference in lung carcinoma mortality between a study group and a control group. METHODS. To view this result within context, the authors utilized a previously published simulation model of the MLP, with parametric values that were estimated at the time of the original publication based on the data collected by the MLP. RESULTS. The model produced predictions of the extended follow-up statistics that were found to be consistent with the data published in the prior study. The authors believe this provides long-term validation for the model. Conversely, the same model demonstrated that had the study subjects been screened annually for the extended follow-up period, the difference in mortality would be noticeable, even with the low sensitivity of chest X-ray detection. CONCLUSIONS. The results of current study strongly suggest that long-term screening with chest X-ray results in a reduction in lung carcinoma mortality. The limited extent of this benefit is the result of the low sensitivity of chest X-ray as a screening tool.
Vesicoureteral reflux in infants with prenatal hydronephrosis confirmed at birth: racial differences.

AbstractPurpose: We compared the incidence of vesicoureteral reflux in black and nonblack patients in whom prenatal hydronephrosis was confirmed postnatally.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 58 black and 51 nonblack patients with confirmed hydronephrosis who underwent voiding cystourethrography.Results: Reflux was present in 9 cases (8.3%). The prevalence of reflux in black and nonblack patients was 0 and 17.6%, respectively.Conclusions: The absence of vesicoureteral reflux in black infants with prenatal hydronephrosis and the 17.6% incidence in nonblack infants suggest that voiding cystourethrography should not be routinely performed in the black population, although it should continue to be done on a routine basis in the nonblack population.