cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Team-based complex problem solving: A collective cognition perspective.

Today, much problem solving is performed by teams, rather than individuals. The complexity of these problems has exceeded the cognitive capacity of any individual and requires a team of members to solve them. The success of solving these complex problems not only relies on individual team members who possess different but complementary expertise, but more importantly, their collective problem solving ability. To better conceptualize large scale complex problem solving, an understanding of collective cognitive components and processes during team-based complex problem solving is necessary. This paper offers a conceptual discussion about complex problem solving from a collective cognition perspective. The types of cognitive processing and cognitive components of team-based problem solving (TBPS) as well as the cognitive states of collective emergent cognitive states and the interactive mechanisms will be discussed. Also, implications from the model for assessing TBPS performance and suggestions for future research will be offered.
Effect of Surgeon's Experience on the Surgical Outcome of Laparoscopic Surgery for Women with Endometrial Cancer

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of increasing surgeon's experience in the laparoscopic management of women with endometrial cancer on the surgical outcome of these patients. Methods. Seventy-five consecutive women with clinical stage I endometrial cancer who underwent laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic lymph node sampling by the same surgeon using the same technique and instruments over a period of 2 years were divided into three equal groups based on the date of surgery. The three groups were compared in patient characteristics and surgical outcome using one-way analysis of variance and Pearson χ 2 tests. Results. The three groups were similar in patient characteristics. There was no significant difference in estimated amount of blood loss, rate of conversion to laparotomy, complications, and length of hospital stay among the three groups. There was a significant decrease in operating time (means: 231.0 min for group 1, 175.0 min for group 2, and 167.7 min for group 3, P P Conclusions. A learning curve is demonstrated in the laparoscopic management of women with endometrial cancer. With increasing surgeon's experience, there is significant decrease in operating time and increase in the number of pelvic lymph nodes removed.
The Power of Successive Relearning: Improving Performance on Course Exams and Long-Term Retention

Practice tests and spaced study are both highly potent for enhancing learning and memory. Combining these two methods under the conditions in which they are most effective (i.e., practice tests that invoke successful retrieval from long-term memory and spacing study across days) yields a promising learning technique referred to as successive relearning. Given the obvious implications of successive relearning for promoting student learning and the voluminous literatures on testing and spacing more generally, surprisingly few studies have evaluated successive relearning, and none have done so in an authentic educational context. The two experiments reported here establish the potency of a successive relearning intervention for enhancing student learning by demonstrating meaningful improvements in course exam performance and on long-term retention tests.
Seizure control for patients undergoing meningioma surgery.

Objective Seizures are common among patients with meningiomas and are a significant cause of morbidity and poor quality of life. The factors associated with the onset of seizures as well as factors associated with seizure control remains poorly understood. Methods Adult patients who underwent primary resection of a supratentorial World Health Organization grade I meningioma at a single institution between 1996 and 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Multivariate logistical regression analyses were used to identify associations with preoperative seizures, and multivariate proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify associations with prolonged seizure control after surgical resection. Results Of the 626 patients in this series, 84 (13%) presented with seizures. The factors independently associated with preoperative seizures were Karnofsky performance score ≤80 ( P P = 0.0006), and vasogenic edema ( P = 0.007). At 48 months postoperatively, 90% were Engel class I, 3% were class II, 0 were class III, and 7% were class IV. The factors independently associated with decreased seizure control after surgical resection were uncontrolled preoperative seizures ( P = 0.04), parasagittal tumors ( P = 0.03), and tumors along the sphenoid wing ( P = 0.05). The association between seizure recurrence and tumor recurrence trended toward but did not achieve statistical significance ( P = 0.11). Conclusions With the widespread availability of various neuroimaging modalities, there will be increased detection of intracranial meningiomas. The identification and consideration of factors associated with seizure onset and prolonged seizure control may help guide treatment strategies aimed at improving the quality of life for patients with meningiomas.
Electrical response of a leak in a geomembrane liner

A leak in a geomembrane lined impoundment or landfill has a characteristic electrical response. I simulate the waste material, the liner, and the soil under the liner by infinite horizontal layers and express the secondary potential for a leak in the geomembrane liner in terms of a three‐layer medium Green’s function and the unknown current density distribution at the leak. The area of the leak is sufficiently small for the leak current density to be essentially uniform. I add the primary potential associated with a leak‐free liner to the secondary potential to form an integral equation and derive a general expression for the current density at the boundary between the waste material and the liner. From the expression for the current density, I determine the current flow through the leak by assuming that the total current distribution flows vertically across a finite region of the infinite, thin liner layer. This finite region has the same surface area as does the waste disposal site or landfill. My analy...
Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis in Two Half brothers with HIV Infection

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare disorder characterized by widespread flat and common verrucae. From 25% to 50% of EV cases are inherited, usually with an autosomal recessive pattern. An X-linked inheritance has also been reported. Many EV patients have a cellular immunity defect. HIV-associated lesions have been found to contain HPV-5, HPV-8, and HPV-20. We describe two HIV-positive Hispanic maternal half brothers who presented with asymptomatic polyangular papules and plaques on the face, trunk, and extremities and which first appeared 4–5 years prior. The histopathology is consistent with EV. HPV-8 was detected by in situ hybridization. The patients were treated with topical imiquimod for two months without improvement. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of epidermodysplasia verruciformis in HIV-positive pediatric patients.
Modified Method In Measurements Of X-Ray Focal Spot Modulation Transfer Function

The Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) of an x-ray focal spot has been obtained without the aid of a microdensitometer. The modified method described in this study utilizes radiographic magnification techniques to eliminate the need for a microdensitometer. In this study a radiographic magnification factor of 25X or higher has been employed to obtain the slit-camera images of x-ray focal spots. The Line Spread Function (LSF) is obtained by scanning the focal spot slit-camera image acquired with the modified method on an ordinary densitometer equipped with a 0.2 mm aperture. The MTF is subsequently calculated from the LSF and compared with the MTF that was obtained by means of the traditional method. The results show good agreement between the MTFs obtained by these two methods.
Semiconductor lasers and sol-gel photonic components

Dense wavelength division multiplexing at high data rate is believed to be a viable solution to the growing demand for large bandwidth optical communication. Such development requires a wide range of active and passive optical components. Semiconductor laser with high power and diffraction-limited output beam are important light sources for a number of applications including pump source for EDFA and Raman amplifiers, as well as free space optical communications. One of the most promising designs to obtain high brightness lasers is the so-called tapered cavity laser, which consists of a ridge and a tapered gain section [1]. In order to achieve single mode with circular emission, we developed curved grating coupled surface-emitting tapered lasers [2]. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of our laser. The lasers were fabricated on a strained InGaAs/GaAs/A1GaAs triple-quantum well GRINSCH structure. The 3-jim wide ridge is designed to only support the fundamental lateral mode. The ridge length is 400-jim. The function of the spoiling groove is to prevent any feedback from the tapered section to the unpumped region in the ridge side. Therefore the ridge and spoiling grooves promote fundamental mode operation and suppress high order lateral modes. Connected to the ridge is the tapered section, which provides most part of the gain needed for lasing. The length of the tapered section is 1 800-jim with a full angle of about 7 degrees, which is designed to accommodate the free diffraction of the beam inside the tapered section. The feedback mirrors consist of a cleaved facet on the ridge side and a curved second-order Bragg grating on the tapered side. The curvature of the grating is designed to approximately match the phase front of the forward propagating beam, in this case, the center of curvature is located at 1800 jim from the tapered end. This will make the output beam to be collimated and has a small divergence angle.
Synthesis of (3S,5R)-carbapenam-3-carboxylic acid and its role in carbapenem biosynthesis and the stereoinversion problem.

(5R)-Carbapenem-3-carboxylic acid is the simplest structurally among the naturally occurring carbapenem β-lactam antibiotics. It is the produced from (3S,5S)-carbapenam-3-carboxylic acid utilizing a remarkable stereoinversion/desaturation process by CarC (carbapenem synthase), an α-ketoglutarate dependent non-heme iron oxygenase. In this communication, we demonstrate for the first time that the epimeric (3S,5R)-carbapenam-3-carboxylic acid is an intermediate in the overall catalytic cycle to the carbapenem antibiotic. The role of α-ketoglutarate in the stereoinversion and desaturation processes is also examined.
Obtaining science data from COS: the calibration process

COS has two distinct ultraviolet channels covering the spectral range from 1150a to 3200a. The NUV channel covers the range from 1700a to 3200a and uses the Hubble Space Telescope's STIS spare MAMA. The FUV channel uses a micro channel plate detector with a cross-delay line readout system to cover the range from 1150a to 1900a. Due to the analog nature of the readout electronics of the FUV detector, this system is sensitive to temperature variations and has non-uniform pixel size across its sensitive area. We present a step-by-step description of the calibration process required to transform raw data from the COS into fully corrected and calibrated spectra ready for scientific analysis. Initial simulated raw COS data is used to demonstrate the calibration process.
Foregrounding Nature: An Invitation to Think About Shifting Nature‐City Boundaries

Although nature in the form of “environment” has sometimes been part of sociological discussions of the city, it is typically treated as background, as a social construction, or as a metaphor for s...
Clinical presentation and allergy data in patients with eosinophilic inflammation of the esophagus

Abstract Rationale Allergic eosinophilic esophagitis (AEE) is incompletely defined and the potential association to a type I allergic response is poorly understood. Comparison of patients with varying degrees of eosinophilic inflammation of the esophageal mucosa may further clarify AEE. Methods Medical records of 117 patients, from January 2000 to January 2001, with eosinophils on esophageal biopsies were reviewed. Demographics, medical history, and allergy testing results for each patient were collected. Patients were grouped according to eosinophils per high power field: 1-5 (Group 1, n=32), 6-19 (Group 2, n=26), and >20 (Group 3, n=59). Groups were compared using bivariate analysis. Results There was no significant difference in the mean ages (8.6, 7.6, and 7.1 years respectively), males (63, 69, and 63% respectively), chief complaint, or symptoms among the 3 groups. The most common presenting symptoms were vomiting (78, 58, and 65% respectively) and abdominal pain (63, 54, and 49% respectively). The groups differed in high peripheral esosinophilia (35, 52.2, and 67.4%; p Conclusion History and clinical presentation cannot be used to predict the diagnosis of AEE on esophageal biopsy. Patients with AEE may have an increased incidence of food allergy. Allergic phenotypes were more common in Group 2 than in Group 1, suggesting a continuum of disease.
Order of Partial and Continuous Reinforcement Schedules in Verbal Choice Behavior

Four groups of 16 students were given 120 acquisition trials and 60 extinction trials in a verbal choice task. One group was given 120 continuously reinforced trials, a second group was given 120 partially reinforced trials, a third group was given 60 partially reinforced trials followed by 60 continuously reinforced trials, and a fourth group was given 60 continuously reinforced trials followed by 60 partially reinforced trials. Subjects given partial reinforcement after continuous reinforcement were as resistant to extinction as subjects given partial reinforcement only, and both groups were more resistant to extinction than subjects given continuous reinforcement only. Subjects trained with the partial-continuous order of reinforcement schedules, however, were no more resistant to extinction than subjects trained with continuous reinforcement only.
A solid-state spark chamber for detection of ionizing radiation

Abstract In this article we report on an ionizing radiation detector based on a silicon controlled switch (SCS). An SCS connected to an RC load was exposed to ionizing radiation resulting in the generation of a large voltage pulse for each ionization event. Alpha particles from an Am-241 source were detected with near 100% efficiency. Beta particles from a Cs-137 source were detected using a PIN diode to increase the interaction volume. The results indicate the potential for SCS detection of ionizing radiation without the use of the additional signal processing electronics employed in conventional solid-state detectors.
Incremental compiler transformations for multiple instruction retry

llinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1308 W. Main St., Urbana, I llinois 61801, U.S.A. SUMMARY Previous work on compiler-based multiple instruction retry has utilized a series of compiler transformations, loop protection, node splitting, and loop expansion, to eliminate anti-dependencies of length in the pseudo register, the machine register, and the post-pass resolver phases of compilation 1 . The results have provided a means of rapidly recovering from transient processor failures by rolling back instructions. This paper presents techniques for improving compilation and run-time performance in compiler-based multiple instruction retry. Incremental updating enhances compilation time when new instructions are added to the program. Post-pass code rescheduling and spill register reassignment algorithms improve the run-time performance and decrease the code growth across the application programs studied. Branch hazards are shown to be resolvable by simple modifications to the incremental updating schemes during the pseudo register phase and to the spill register reassignment algorithm during the post-pass phase.
Interband tunnel junctions for wurtzite III-nitride semiconductors based on heterointerface polarization charges

The concept of interband tunnel junctions for wurtzite III-Nitride semiconductors based on polarization charges at heterointerfaces is introduced. Such polarization-charge tunnel junctions obviate the need for high $n$-type and $p$-type doping, which is a general requirement for conventional tunnel junctions and also is a significant challenge for large-band-gap III-nitride semiconductors. Transmission coefficients and current-voltage characteristics for GaN/AlN/GaN and AlN/GaN/AlN polarization-charge tunnel junctions are calculated using the $k\ensuremath{\cdot}p$ quantum-transmitting boundary method with an eight-band Hamiltonian with Burt-Foreman operator ordering. It is shown that polarization-charge tunnel junctions carry sufficient current to become viable components in future light-emitting devices.
Evidence That Intramolecular Interactions Are Involved in Masking the Activation Domain of Transcriptional Activator Leu3p

The Leu3 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae regulates the expression of genes involved in branched chain amino acid biosynthesis and in ammonia assimilation. It is modulated by α-isopropylmalate, an intermediate in leucine biosynthesis. In the presence of α-isopropylmalate, Leu3p is a transcriptional activator. In the absence of the signal molecule, the activation domain is masked, and Leu3p acts as a repressor. The recent discovery that Leu3p retains its regulatory properties when expressed in mammalian cells (Guo, H., and Kohlhaw, G. B. (1996) FEBS Lett. 390, 191–195) suggests that masking and unmasking of the activation domain occur without the participation of auxiliary proteins. Here we present experimental support for this notion and address the mechanism of masking. We show that modulation of Leu3p is exceedingly sensitive to mutations in the activation domain. An activation domain double mutant (D872N/D874N; designated Leu3-dd) was constructed that has the characteristics of a permanently masked activator. Using separately expressed segments containing either the DNA binding domain-middle region or the activation domain of wild type Leu3p (or Leu3-dd) in a modified yeast two-hybrid system, we provide direct evidence for α-isopropylmalate-dependent interaction between these segments. Finally, we use the phenotype of Leu3-dd-containing cells (slow growth in the absence of added leucine) to select for suppressor mutations that map to the middle region of Leu3-dd. The properties of nine such suppressors further support the idea that masking is an intramolecular process and suggest a means for mapping the surface involved in masking.
Effects in the Solar p-Mode Power Spectrum from Scattering on a Turbulent Background Flow with Stochastic Wave Sources

This work demonstrates how the scattered wave field, in combination with stochastic wave sources, influences the p-mode power spectrum. I adopt a turbulent zone with random fluctuations in sound speed and velocity (characterized by the respective correlation functions). I present a general formalism (for plane-parallel conditions) to calculate the expectation value of the p-mode power spectrum. The power due to the direct field from the sources dominates, and depends only on the source correlation function. Smaller, but significant, "corrections" are due to scattered wave field components. These corrections depend in general on the correlation functions of the turbulent fluctuations in the medium. I adopt a simple waveguide for the purpose of clear demonstration, and show that the corrections generate three important effects: (1) the line profiles are shifted along the wavenumber (frequency) axis, with varying effects depending on which "turbulent" physical quantity we consider; (2) the shapes and widths of the line profiles are altered; and (3) the "troughs" between the line profiles are to some extent filled in, contributing to the "solar background power." It is demonstrated that turbulent boundary zones can generate important contributions to the power spectrum.
Detection of ATP-induced nitric oxide in a biomimetic circulatory vessel containing an immobilized endothelium.

Conditions for the adhesion of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (bPAECs) in microbore tubing of 250-μm i.d. are described. When immobilized to the lumen of microbore tubing, these cells represent a mimic of a circulatory vessel's endothelium. The microbore tubing is coated with 100 μg mL-1 fibronectin in order to promote bPAEC adhesion to the lumen of the tubing. A series of micrographs of the cells inside of the tubing indicates that ∼3.5 h is necessary for cell adhesion. In this study, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is used to induce the release of nitric oxide from the endothelium mimic. The endothelium-derived NO is detected amperometrically at a parallel flow cell containing a glassy carbon working electrode modified with Nafion. Results indicate that detectable amounts of NO are only produced by the endothelium mimic when ATP is present in the buffer. The typical concentration of NO produced by the endothelium mimic upon the introduction of 100 μM ATP is ∼0.80 μM. Based on the injection volum...
A new method to obtain 3-D Green's functions for anisotropic solids

Abstract Three-dimensional time-domain elastodynamic basic singular solutions for anisotropic solids have been obtained in relatively simple form by the use of the Radon transform. The procedure is introduced by an application to the simple case of the 3-D scalar wave equation. For general anisotropic solids the Radon transform reduces the set of 3-D hyperbolic partial differential equations to a set of 1-D hyperbolic pde's. The 1-D equations are solved by an eigenvalue decomposition, and the 3-D solution is subsequently expressed as an inversion integral, in the form of an integral over a unit sphere. For general anisotropic materials the integral can be evaluated numerically in a relatively simple manner. Radiated fields are presented for transversely isotropic materials such as ice and graphite epoxy fiber-reinforced composites.
Multiple hamartomas associated with intracranial malformation.

: We examined a newborn infant with multiple hamartomas, including an epidermal nevus syndrome and a giant pigmented congenital nevocellular nevus, associated with other structural developmental abnormalities such as nevus flammeus, vascular malformation, cutis aplasia congenita of the scalp, cartilage hamartoma, and a lipodermoid of the conjunctiva. This child had a significant brain malformation, diagnosed by sonography and computerized tomography, consisting of a significant enlargement of the left hemisphere not associated with asymmetry of the skull or facial bones. We suggest a careful investigation of the intracranial structures by computerized tomography and/or ultrasonography in case of either extensive linear nevus sebaceous sequence and/or giant pigmented nevocellular nevus.
Minority stress and mental health in gay men

This study describes stress as derived from minority status and explores its effect on psychological distress in gay men. The concept of minority stress is based on the premise that gay people in a heterosexist society are subjected to chronic stress related to their stigmatization. Minority stressors were conceptualized as: internalized homophobia, which relates to gay men's direction of societal negative attitudes toward the self; stigma, which relates to expectations of rejection and discrimination; and actual experiences of discrimination and violence. The mental health effects of the three minority stressors were tested in a community sample of 741 New York City gay men. The results supported minority stress hypotheses: each of the stressors had a significant independent association with a variety of mental health measures. Odds ratios suggested that men who had high levels of minority stress were twice to three times as likely to suffer also from high levels of distress.
Alterations of subunit composition and ATPase activity of myosin in early hypertrophied right ventricles of dogs with mild experimental pulmonic stenosis.

Abstract Mild pulmonic stenosis was performed in dogs by banding of the pulmonary artery to evaluate the effect of systolic pressure overload on the enzymatic activity and subunit composition of myosin in early hypertrophied right ventricles. Three weeks following pulmonary constriction, 12 hypertrophied dogs were sacrificed and compared to 12 control animals. The weight of the hypertrophied right ventricles (HRV) relative to body weight was 46% greater than the weight of normal right ventricles (NRV) (P
Technology Innovations In Mobile Computers

The demanding constraints of achieving mobilit,y in terms of size, weight, and power without compromising performance and functionality make technologies for mobile computers far more challenging than those for t,heir commodity desktop counterparts. The current success of mobile computers in the market is the result, of differentiation through countless technology innovations in components and subsystems as well as system-level integration, driven by visionary leadership in the field of mobile computing.
A knowledge based interface for message translation between shop floor devices

This paper addresses the use of a knowledge based interface to provide the communication service of message translation. The focus of this study is on the technical feasibility of using a knowledge based architecture to perform this service for programmable shop floor devices. Implementation of a software interface using a knowledge based architecture is unique compared with the procedural programming approach used for today's custom interfaces. Using the proposed design, a prototype interface was developed. This prototype was successfully applied in four different applications. Each of these applications involved the translation of messages between the Manufacturing Message Format Standard (MMFS) and one of four device specific languages used by different shop floor devices. Investigation of these languages revealed that each possesses a common core of structural characteristics that is necessary for development of a general parsing strategy. These characteristics are expressed in the form of language rules.
Intragenerational Occupational Mobility and Participation in Formal Associations

THE LITERATURE CONCERNED with social mobility is quite extensive. This body of material has to a great extent taken a societal or institutional perspective, with a large proportion of mobility studies focusing on such questions, among others, as: what are the social origins of a particular occupational stratum; what rates and trends can be found over time and place; and, are class boundaries becoming more rigid? Emphasis on such questions is certainly pertinent for the understanding of stratification. Yet, there has been a relative neglect of what should prove to be an intriguing aspect of social mobility-the social and psychological consequences of such mobility for the individuals involved. A basic question to ask is: do individuals who have experienced mobility exhibit variations in their behavioral patterns when compared to individuals who are socially stable? To find and study possible variations in the behavior of individuals who have had different mobility experiences seems an important area of investigation. Several decades ago it was postulated that social mobility resulted in social isolation through its disruption of participation in primary and secondary group structures (cf. Durkheim, 1951:252-254; Sorokin, 1927); mobility was seen as detrimental for interpersonal relations because of its effect on ties within these groups. However, the theoretical and empirical work since these early statements has not shown that such a simple relationship between mobility and participation exists; mobility does not seem always to lead to social isolation. Mobility and Participation. A variety of reasons have been put forward to explain why individuals who are mobile would be expected to be isolated individuals. Mobility, it is reasoned, may be related to status insecurity and/or differential socialization (Litwak, 1960). Because of status concerns, the mobile person not only breaks ties with individuals of his former stratum, but he may also have difficulties in forming new ties with members of his stratum of designation (Blau, 1956). Not only is there a disruption of old ties, but a continual isolation of the individual results so that, when compared to nonmobile persons, he would be underrepresented in various group structures. But, disruption and a continuing lower rate of participation are not the only consequences which can be related to mobility. Blau (1956) discussed two other patterns. In addition to underparticipation, there may be found what he calls "overconformity" or "acculturation" (Blau, 1956:292). The mobile person may overparticipate in certain types of groups when compared to those who are nonmobile so that, in spite of possible disruption of old ties, new ties are formed and the mobile person has a higher rate of participation compared to the nonmobile individual on his status level.
The Biasing Effects of Product Familiarity on Consumers' Awareness of Hazard:

Although toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and its connection to tampon use has been highly publicized, the extent of the average consumer's knowledge of the specific hazards involved is questionable. Wom...
Hydrogen fuel for space conditioning of buildings

Abstract The appearance of hydrogen-air flames differs from that of conventional natural gas, fuel oil or candle flames in that they are colorless and invisible to the naked eye. They are a little hotter and considerably faster than the above conventional fuel flames. These and other combustion properties of hydrogen relevant to steam boiler operation for building heating applications are discussed in the order that hydrogen flows through a boiler.
Managerial Receptivity and Implementation of Policies

A major unanswered question relevant to managers and researchers is how to implement policies more effectively. This study advances a model of managerial policy implementation and tests hypotheses derived from 71 federal government organizations. The results show that various facets of managerial receptivity to the policy were the most important positive influences on implementation of the two policies. Other factors such as perceived emphasis by top level management, organizational size, work overload, perceptions of the importance of performance for promotion, and the manager's attitude toward change were also important predictors of the managers' receptivity to the policies. Implications of the findings for management and future research are presented.
Paper: Vehicle cruise: Improved fuel economy by periodic control

It is shown that time-dependent periodic control can improve the fuel economy of vehicles in cruise. The time-dependent controls considered are relaxed steady-state (RSS) control, quasi-steady-state (QSS) control and quasi-relaxed steady-state (QRSS) control. Examples are given which show that QRSS control may give better performance than either RSS or QSS control. Properties of optimal cost functions, dependent on the minimum required average speed, are derived. The possibility or impossibility of improved performance through the use of QRSS, QSS and RSS control is investigated in terms of assumptions on the vehicle drag and fuel-consumption functions.
Do Networked Workers Have More Control? The Implications of Teamwork, Telework, ICTs, and Social Capital for Job Decision Latitude

The shift toward “networked work” in the United States—spurred on by globalization, technological changes, and the reorganization of work activities—has important consequences for job quality that require further investigation. Using nationally representative data from the 2008 Networked Worker Survey, we examine how teamwork, telework, and information and communication technology use are associated with, and positively and significantly predict, job decision latitude (autonomy and skill development). The results imply that networked work helps enhance job decision latitude partly through greater network connectivity (social capital). Furthermore, the contribution of information and communication technology use to job decision latitude is contingent on its perceived benefits and on the organization of work into teams. These findings therefore help deepen our understanding of how the changing character of work affects worker control in contemporary workplaces.
Production of a vitamin B12 compound by tetrahymenids.

SYNOPSIS. Production of a “vitamin B22-like compound” by Tetrahymena pyriformis mating type II, variety 1, and 3 other tetrahymenids was demonstrated. The compound produced by T. pyriformis was nutritionally active for Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus leichmannii and inert for Ochromonas malhamensis and Euglena gracilis, despite use of a variety of the standard methods for liberating bound B12. By dry-weight it is present in 1 part in 30 million. Its chromatographic and electrophoretic properties are described.
Phase I study of prolonged infusion Bryostatin-1 in patients with advanced malignancies.

Purpose: Bryostatin-1 is a compound known to inhibit protein kinase C expression. Clinical trials have focused on administration schedules ranging from 1 hour to 72 hour infusions. Preclinical data suggest that the down regulation of the target PKC occurs only as long as the drug is being infused. Therefore we performed a phase 1 clinical trial to determine the safety and recommended dose of prolonged infusion Bryostatin-1. Experimental Design: Patients with advanced metastatic cancer were enrolled in this traditional phase 1 clinical trial utilizing prolonged infusion Bryostatin-1. The administration of Bryostatin-1 was initially begun at 96 hours and extended to 14 days. Doses were escalated using the 96 hour infusion time and then duration of infusion was increased. All patients underwent extensive sampling for determination of PKC levels as well as other key biologic end points. The determination of maximum tolerated dose and recommended phase two dose were based on toxicity. Results: 38 patients were...
Enhanced healing of diabetic foot ulcers using local heat and electrical stimulation for 30 min three times per week

Background: Electrical stimulation (ES) with heating is effective in healing chronic wounds. However, it this effect due to ES alone or both heating and ES? The aim of the present study was to deduce the individual roles of heat and ES in the healing of chronic wounds. Methods: The study was performed on 20 patients (mean age 48.4 ± 14.6 years) with non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (mean duration 38.9 ± 23.7 months) who received local dry heat (37°C; n = 10) or local dry heat + ES (n = 10) three times a week for 4 weeks. Patients were given ES using biphasic sine wave stimulation (30 Hz, pulse width 250 μs, current approximately 20 mA). Results: Skin blood flow in and around the wound was measured with a laser Doppler flow imager. In the ES + heat group, the average wound area and volume decreased significantly by 68.4 ± 28.6% and 69.3 ± 27.1%, respectively (both P < 0.05), over the 1-month period. During the average session, blood flow increased to 102.3 ± 25.3% with local heat and to 152.3 ± 23.4% with ES + heat. In the group receiving treatment with local heat only, wounds that had not healed for at least 2 months showed 30.1 ± 22.6% healing (i.e. a decrease in wound area) after 1 month. Although this level of healing was significant, it was less than that observed in the ES + heat group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Local dry heat and ES work well together to heal chronic diabetic foot wounds; however, local heat would appear to be a relevant part of this therapy because ES alone has produced little healing in previous studies.
Reasoning Asymmetries Do Not Invalidate Theory-Theory

In this commentary we suggest that asymmetries in reasoning associated with moral judgment do not necessarily invalidate a theory-theory account of naive psychological reasoning. The asymmetries may reflect a core knowledge assumption that human nature is prosocial, an assumption that heightens vigilance for antisocial dispositions, which in turn leads to differing assumptions about what is the presumed topic of conversation.
From Food Desert to Food Mirage: Race, Social Class, and Food Shopping in a Gentrifying Neighborhood

New supermarkets in previous “food deserts” can benefit residents by improving their access to healthful, affordable food. But in gentrifying neighborhoods characterized by the inflow of middle-class, white residents and the outflow of working class, minorities, who benefits from a new supermarket that emphasizes organic food and environmental sustainability? This paper contributes to the food access literature by examining the food shopping behavior of diverse residents by using survey data and probability sampling in the Alberta neighborhood in Portland, Oregon (USA). Regression results show that college-educated (62%) and white residents (60%) are much more likely to shop there weekly, regardless of age, gender, owner-renter status, distance from supermarket, or length of time living in the neighborhood. These findings indicate that supermarkets that promote healthy living and environmental sustainability need to be sensitive to the racial “symbolic boundaries” and socioeconomic barriers that may create “food mirages” by limiting food access to poor and minority residents.
Woody Hastings: 65 years of fun

John Woodland (Woody) Hastings, Paul C. Mangelsdorf Professor of Natural Sciences and Professor Emeritus, Harvard University, died at home on August 6, 2014 after a long battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was 87. To those who worked with Woody, he was a personality larger than life. Woody infected those around him with his love of science, his curiosity, and his view that although what we do is of critical importance, it is not work but fun. Woody’s professional life, his personal life, and his hobbies were a jumble to be mixed and enjoyed. The title of this Retrospective is an update of a lecture he gave in 2000 at the meeting of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, entitled “Fifty Years of Fun” (1). Woody had a reciprocal loyalty to his mentees: all caring deeply about each other’s professional and personal lives. This was encapsulated in the last emails from Woody to one of us (E.P.G.) just a few weeks before his death: “What is the correct and detailed story of the term ‘quorum sensing’ and may I use it in a lecture? Breathless as I am.” And of course he added, “I am sorry to hear that your daughter is still having a hard time; where is she living?”
Hydraulic clutch modeling for automotive control

A low-order dynamic model of a clutch for hydraulic control in an automatic transmission is developed by separating dynamics of the shift into four regions based on clutch piston position. The first three regions of the shift are captured by a physics-based model and the fourth region is represented by a system identification model. These models are determined using nominal values and validated against nominal and off-nominal experimental data. The model provides two lumped flow parameters to be used for tuning to the desired hydraulic clutch system.
Bioactive Glasses for Nonbearing Applications in Total Joint Replacement

Bioactive ceramics, glasses, and glass-ceramics have the ability to enhance bone formation and bond to surrounding tissue. The purpose of this report is to explore the use of a silicate-based bioactive glass, designated 13-93, as an alternative for nonbearing applications in total joint replacement, such as the tibia and the meniscus. The mechanical strength of porous 13-93 glass constructs, coupled with the ability of the glass to support cell attachment, growth, and differentiation, and the fabrication of the glass into porous, three-dimensional constructs with anatomically correct shapes, indicates the potential of 13-93 glass for nonbearing applications in total joint replacement, and for bone tissue engineering applications.
Impact of General Health Status on Validity of Visual Impairment Measurement

Purpose: To examine the effects of bias and distortion from general health status on Rasch model-based measurements of visual function, and establish measurement equivalence across different health status groups in low vision patients. Methods: Self-reported data were obtained from 1746 low vision patients who completed the Activity Inventory (AI) and an intake health-related questionnaire prior to their first visit to the low vision rehabilitation service. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis by health status and separate Rasch analyses adjusted by health status were performed on the responses to both a DIF-free scale and the full scale of the AI. Results: Of 48 Goal-level items, only 15 items showed significant DIF (P < 0.001). Comparing the vision-related estimates from the original full set of items with those from the DIF free scale; we found that only 25% of the person measure estimates differed by 0.5 logits or more and there was a strong intraclass correlation between the two scales in mea...
Computing connected components on parallel computers

We present a parallel algorithm which uses n2 processors to find the connected components of an undirected graph with n vertices in time O(log2n). An O(log2n) time bound also can be achieved using only n⌈n/⌈log2n⌉⌉ processors. The algorithm can be used to find the transitive closure of a symmetric Boolean matrix. We assume that the processors have access to a common memory. Simultaneous access to the same location is permitted for fetch instructions but not for store instructions.
Comparative antihypertensive effectiveness of once-daily mibefradil and diltiazem CD

Abstract This multicenter, double-masked, randomized, forced-titration, parallel-group trial was designed to determine whether we could confirm the results of a previous trial that demonstrated a significantly greater antihypertensive effect for mibefradil compared with diltiazem CD. Two hundred thirty-nine patients with uncomplicated mild-to-moderate essential hypertension and a baseline sitting diastolic blood pressure (SDBP) between 95 and 114 mm Hg were randomized to receive once-daily treatment with mibefradil 50 mg (n = 119) or diltiazem CD 180 mg (n = 120). After 4 weeks of treatment, all patients underwent forced titration to mibefradil 100 mg or diltiazem CD 360 mg for an additional 8 weeks. After 12 weeks of active treatment, the mean reduction from baseline in trough SDBP was significantly greater with mibefradil than with diltiazem CD (−14.3 ± 6.6 mm Hg vs −11.7 ± 7.4 mm Hg, respectively). In addition, significantly more patients receiving mibefradil had a decrease in SDBP ≥10 mm Hg or a decrease to ≤90 mm Hg by week 12 than did patients receiving diltiazem CD (82% vs 72%, respectively). The tolerability of mibefradil and diltiazem CD were comparable, with similar percentages of patients in both groups reporting at least one adverse event (21% vs 22%, respectively) that was considered to be at least remotely related to the study drug. The results of this study confirm those of the previous trial. Once-daily treatment with mibefradil 100 mg is significantly more effective than diltiazem CD 360 mg in lowering both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Both drugs are well tolerated.
Monoamine systems in the discriminative effects of spiradoline, a kappa-opioid agonist

The results of studies on mice indicate that the antinociceptive effects of kappa-opioid agonists are due, in part, to activation of the 5-HT2 type of serotonin receptor. One objective of this study was to determine if the discriminative effects of spiradoline, a kappa-opioid agonist, are mediated by 5-HT2 receptors in rats also. A second objective was to confirm findings that dopamine receptor antagonists produce spiradoline-like discriminative effects (Ohno et al., 1992). Rats were trained to discriminate between spiradoline 3.0 mg/kg) and saline in a discrete-trial avoidance/escape procedure. In subsequent tests of stimulus generalization, the discriminative effects of spiradoline were not mimicked by fenfluramine (0.3–10 mg/kg) or fluoxetine (1.0–10 mg/kg), drugs that enhance serotonergically mediated neurotransmission, nor were they blocked by the 5-HT2 antagonists pirenperone (0.01–1.0 mg/kg) and ketanserin (0.1–10 mg/kg), or potentiated by fluoxetine pretreatment. Neither the dopamine receptor antagonists haloperidol (0.01–0.3 mg/kg) and sulpiride (3.0–100 mg/kg) nor the agonists apomorphine (0.03–0.3 mg/kg) and d-amphetamine (0.1–3.0 mg/kg) engendered spiradoline-like discriminative effects. These results demonstrate further the pharmacological specificity of the discriminative effects of spiradoline, but provide no evidence for mediation by serotonergic or dopaminergic systems.
Imaging that Exploits Spatial, Temporal, and Spectral Aspects of Far-Field Radar Data

We develop a linearized imaging theory that combines the spatial, temporal, and spectral aspects of scattered waves. We consider the case of fixed sensors and a general distribution of objects, each undergoing linear motion; thus the theory deals with imaging distributions in phase space. We derive a model for the data that is appropriate for any waveform, and show how it specializes to familiar results when the targets are far from the antennas and narrowband waveforms are used. We develop a phase-space imaging formula that can be interpreted in terms of filtered backprojection or matched filtering. For this imaging approach, we derive the corresponding point-spread function. We show that special cases of the theory reduce to: a) Range-Doppler imaging, b) Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (isar), c) Spotlight Synthetic Aperture Radar (sar), d) Diffraction Tomography, and e) Tomography of Moving Targets. We also show that the theory gives a new SAR imaging algorithm for waveforms with arbitrary ridge-like ambiguity functions.
Differential sensitivity to pro-oxidant exposure in two populations of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus)

New Bedford Harbor (MA, U.S.A.; NBH) is a Superfund site inhabited by Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) with altered aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) signaling, leading to resistance to effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The Ahr is a transcription factor that regulates gene expression of many Phase I and II detoxifying enzymes and interacts with Nrf2, a transcription factor that regulates the response to oxidative stress. This study tested the hypothesis that PCB-resistant killifish exhibit altered sensitivity to oxidative stress. Killifish F1 embryos from NBH and a clean reference site (Scorton Creek, MA, U.S.A.; SC) were exposed to model pro-oxidant and Nrf2-activator, tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ). Embryos were exposed at specific embryonic developmental stages (5, 7, and 9 days post fertilization) and toxicity was assessed, using a deformity score, survival, heart rate, and gene expression to compare sensitivity between PCB -resistant and -sensitive (reference) populations. Acute exposure to tBHQ resulted in transient reduction in heart rate in NBH and SC F1 embryos. However, embryos from NBH were more sensitive to tBHQ, with more frequent and severe deformities, including pericardial edema, tail deformities, small body size, and reduced pigment and erythrocytes. NBH embryos had lower basal expression of antioxidant genes catalase and glutathione-S-transferase alpha (gsta), and upon exposure to tBHQ, exhibited lower levels of expression of catalase, gsta, and superoxide dismutase compared to controls. This result suggests that adaptation to tolerate PCBs has altered the sensitivity of NBH fish to oxidative stress during embryonic development, demonstrating a cost of the PCB resistance adaptation.