cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical Events in the Dying Process: The Potential for Physical and Psychosocial Suffering

Background: Understanding what aspects of the dying process motivate terminally ill individuals to consider hastening their death, can lead to improving end-of-life care. Objective: Advance knowledge regarding critical events within the dying process that have the potential to give rise to physical and psychosocial suffering such that an elder wishes for or considers a hastened death. Design and methods: Face-to-face in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with 96 terminally ill elders, 15 of whom discussed an event in their dying process that resulted in suffering so great they wished for, or considered, a hastened death. Data were content analyzed to identify and categorize the main themes and patterns involved in these elders' experiences. Setting: The interviews were conducted on palliative care hospital units, and in outpatient clinics, free standing hospice facilities, and home hospice. Results: Four critical events emerged: perceived insensitive and uncaring communication of a terminal diagnosis;...
Combinations of Blacklight and Virgin Females as Attractants to Cabbage Looper Moths

When traps fitted with a blacklight lamp were baited with caged virgin female cabbage looper moths, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), increased numbers of male cabbage looper moths were caught compared with numbers in similar unbaited traps. The numbers of male moths caught in the baited traps increased as the number of virgin females was increased. Virgin females placed as much as 40 feet from the trap increased the numbers of male moths caught. The number of moths caught was not increased when male cabbage loopers were used as bait or when the dispersal of the female sex pheromone was prevented. Male cabbage looper moths had a definite peak of nocturnal activity, measured by trap catches during the known period of maximum mating activity.
Simplified Projectile Swerve Solution for General Control Inputs

The swerve response of fin- and spin-stabilized projectiles to control mechanism inputs is sometimes not intuitive. This paper seeks to explain the basic parameters that govern the swerve of projectiles excited by control inputs. By modeling the overall effect of a generalized control mechanism as a nonrolling reference frame force applied to a point on the projectile, general expressions for swerve are obtained in terms of basic vehicle parameters. These compact expressions are used to show that maximum swerve response for a fin-stabilized projectile is achieved when the force is applied near the nose of the projectile, whereas maximum swerve response for a spin-stabilized projectile is achieved when the force is applied near the base of the projectile.
Screening elderly patients in an outpatient ophthalmology clinic for dementia, depression, and functional impairment.

Abstract Purpose To determine the feasibility of screening for depression, dementia, and functional impairment in an ophthalmology outpatient clinic. Design Prospective pilot survey study. Participants Fifty consecutive ophthalmology clinic outpatients. Methods Consecutive patients more than 64 years of age with visits to the comprehensive eye clinic and the neuroophthalmology clinic at the University of Iowa were assessed. Suitable subjects were asked to complete a short questionnaire on instrumental activities of daily living, to answer a single question on depression, and to complete a clock drawing task in the office waiting room or examination room. Results The 50 questionnaires reviewed showed that most respondents were functional (94%) in instrumental activities of daily living, had normal clock drawing results (80%), and were not depressed (80%). A significant minority, however, were identified by the screening to have functional impairment (6%), abnormal clock drawing results (20%), or depression (20%), and these patients were offered geriatric assessment. The tests were rapid (fewer than 5 minutes to perform) and easy to administer. Conclusions Screening for geriatric syndromes in the eye clinic was rapid, easy to perform, and detected a significant number of patients with functional disability, depression, and possible dementia.
Nucleotide-induced changes in the heat capacity of beef cardiac myosin

The heat of reaction of ATP with beef cardiac myosin has been determined in a flow microcalorimeter at two different temperatures. The reaction heat obtained by extrapolation to infinite flow rate is interpreted to be the heat of formation of the steady-state set of myosin-nucleotide complexes. The large temperature dependence of this heat, an apparent change in heat capacity, could be caused by an isomerization between two myosin conformations. The enthalpies and heat capacities of binding of ADP, AMP, and pyrophosphate have also been measured and are discussed in terms of this model.
Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Receptor and Insulin Receptor Association with a Src Homology-2 Domain-containing Putative Adapter

Insulin receptor (IR) and the related insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) receptor (IGF-IR) mediate a variety of metabolic and mitogenic cellular responses, some of which may involve unidentified receptor targets. A Src homology-2 (SH2) domain-coding region of a mouse protein was cloned based on its interaction with IR. It was designated mSH2-B based on its high similarity to an earlier reported rat sequence SH2-B. A role of mSH2-B in IGF-I and insulin action was suggested by the interaction of the SH2 domain with activated IGF-IR and IR catalytic fragments but not with an inactive IR catalytic fragment in the yeast two-hybrid system in vivo and by the hormone-dependent association of a glutathione S-transferase (GST) SH2 domain fusion protein of mSH2-B with both receptors in cell extracts. A comparison of IGF-IR and IR mutants lacking individual Tyr autophosphorylation sites for association with GST mSH2-B showed that homologous juxtamembrane (IR960/IGF-IR950) and C-terminal (IR1322/IGF-IR1316) receptor motifs were required. Synthetic phosphopeptides representing IR960 and IR1322 competed for GST mSH2-B binding to the receptor, suggesting that both motifs participate in the association with mSH2-B. Antibodies raised against GST mSH2-B identified a cellular protein of 92 kDa that was not found to be phosphorylated on Tyr. It co-immunoprecipitated with IGF-IR or IR, which was strictly dependent on receptor activation. IR and IGF-IR Tyr phosphorylation motifs were not identified in the complete SH2-B primary structure, suggesting that it may participate as an adapter rather than a substrate in the IGF-I and insulin signaling pathways.
Order and position in primary memory for letter strings

A short-term recall task in which to-be-remembered letters were spaced out in different ways by distractor digits, and all were shadowed during input to preclude rehearsal, was used to separate aspects of primary and secondary memory processes and to permit examination of primary memory for position, order, and item independently. Under conditions contrived to minimize the contribution of secondary processes, memory for order appeared entirely derivative to memory for temporal position and all of the principal trends in both aspects were well predicted by an associative coding model assuming a reverberatory recycling process. Variation in intrastring acoustic confusability of letters yielded a complex pattern of interactions that seems unexplainable by any extant model but suggests specific lines of augmentation of the associative coding model.
GRISEOFULVIN THERAPY AS A CAUSE OF LYMPH NODE PROLIFERATION RESEMBLING MALIGNANT HISTIOCYTOSIS

The relationship between lymphadenopathy and certain drugs especially the hydantoins has been well documented. Although the histologic appearance of the lymph node may be quite disturbing and suggest a malignant lymphoma, most cases, but not all, are clinically and pathologically benign. This report documents the occurrence of a lymph node proliferation in a child which resembled malignant histiocytosis. The differential diagnostic problem between malignant histiocytosis and immunoblastic lymphadenopathy in childhood is illustrated and explored in the context of this case. A 12-year-old male developed a generalized rash, fever, diffuse lymphadenopathy (including mediastinal) and hepatosplenomegaly soon after the onset of Griseofulvin therapy. An enlarged cervical lymph node revealed a predominatly sinusoidal proliferation of large, atypical “histiocytoid” cells and abundant mitotic activity. Partial obliteration of the follicular architecture had occurred. Following an interpretation of probable malignant histiocytosis, Griseofulvin therapy was discontinued and it was elected to withhold further treatment. All abnormal clinical findings regressed and the patient has remained well for over 2 years. A repeat lymph node biopsy was unremarkable. Retrospectively, the atypical “histiocytoid” cells represented, in fact, “immunoblasts” or transformed lymphocytes and the process more appropriately belongs to the category of immunoblastic lymphadenopathy (N. Engl. J. Med,292: 1,1975. Am J Med 59:803, 1975).
Location and Functional Significance of Retinol-binding Sites on the Serine/Threonine Kinase, c-Raf

Redox activations of serine/threonine kinases represent alternate pathways in which vitamin A plays a crucial co-factor role. Vitamin A binds the zinc finger domain of c-Raf with nanomolar affinity. The retinoid-binding site has been mapped within this structure by scanning mutagenesis. The deduced contact sites were found anchored on Phe-8, counting from the 1st conserved histidine of the zinc finger. These sites agreed with contact amino acids identified by computational docking. The boundaries of a related binding pocket were identified by mutagenesis and partially confirmed by docking trials in the protein kinase C-α C1A zinc finger. They comprised Phe-7, Phe-8, and Trp-22. This trio was absent from the αC1B domain, explaining why the latter did not bind retinol. Reconfiguring at a minimum the two corresponding amino acids of αC1B, Thr-7 and Tyr-22, to conform to αC1A converted this domain to a binder. Deletion of the predicted retinoid-binding site in the full-length molecule created a mutant c-Raf that was deficient in retinol-dependent redox activation but fully responsive to epidermal growth factor. Our findings indicate that ligation of retinol to a specific site embedded in the regulatory domain is an important feature of c-Raf regulation in the redox pathway.
C2O(Ã 3Πi↔-~X3Σ−: laser induced excitation and fluorescence spectra

Abstract Laser induced fluorescence of C2O is observed following the 266 nm laser photodissociation Of C3O2. Excitation spectra of C2O(A3Πi↔-~X3Σ− are consistent with previous absorption studies of C2O. A number of new transitions are identified and assigned. Fluorescence spectra have been recorded following single vibrational level laser excitation. Bands are assigned to ground state vibrational progressions. Values of 1967 and 1063 cm−1 are found for υ1″ and υ3″ stretching vibrations in the X3Σ − state. A subband structure in the fluorescence spectrum is observed and discussed.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 and Mucosal Humoral Defense

Mucosal sites serve as the principle venues through which primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections are transferred from donor to host. These moist tissues, which provide the interface with the external environment, also provide access to many of the secondary opportunistic infections that aggravate and may accelerate HIV-1 disease. Antibodies to HIV-1, particularly of the IgG rather than the IgA class, have been detected in virtually all mucosal fluids from HIV-1-infected patients. However, the ability of such patients to generate de novo humoral responses to new mucosal pathogens is impaired. Current studies are directed to characterizing the functional role of natural and infection-derived antibodies in control of HIV- infection as well as the impact of HIV- disease on mucosal B cell responses to immunization and infection.
Two Closed Two-Compartment Models with Time-Delay

Stability, nonnegativity, and initial conditions are examined in two closed two-compartment models with time-delay proposed by Cobelli and Rescigno [1] and Bellman [2].
Overlaps and Disconnects in Reproductive Health Care: Global Policies, National Programs, and the Micropolitics of Reproduction in Northern Senegal

The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994 called for a global commitment to increasing women's agency and reproductive options by promoting a reproductive health agenda. Voluntary contraceptive use and the quality of reproductive health care have become the predominant emphases in family planning initiatives. Yet, many programs worldwide demonstrate a continued commitment to fertility reduction and slowing population growth. This article explores three arenas of contemporary discourse about reproductive health and family planning. Using Senegal as a case study, it highlights the significant overlaps and disconnects among global reproductive health policy, national priorities and programs, and the biopolitics of gender, marriage, and fertility that shape Senegalese women's reproductive behavior. The article points to the slow decline in national fertility rates to explore how family planning initiatives fail to address reproduction in the context of women's socio-economic challenges and cultural and religious fertility ideals.
Inverse gas chromatographic study of activated carbons: The effect of controlled oxidation on microstructure and surface chemical functionality

Abstract Activated carbons derived from four different source materials were subjected to controlled oxidation by nitric acid, and their resulting microstructure and surface chemical groups were studied. Classical titration procedures indicated the acid/base character of the carbons and inverse gas chromatography was used to study other properties. We find that carboxylic groups are the primary acidic functionality added by oxidation and that these groups can be removed by high temperature treatment without altering the microstructural changes induced by oxidation. Nitric acid treatment of these carbons produces highly acidic carbonaceous materials, and in some cases modifies microstructure. We conclude that inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution, along with the procedures outlined, provides a convenient way to study the effects of surface modification procedures on the structure and surface chemical properties of porous adsorbents.
Somatostatin and neuropeptide Y concentrations in pathologically graded cases of Huntington's disease.

Somatostatin and neuropeptide Y concentrations have previously been reported to be increased in the basal ganglia in Huntington's disease (HD). In the present study we have extended these findings by examining both somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) and neuropeptide Y–;like immunoreactivity (NPYLI) in cases of HD, which were graded according to the severity of pathological degeneration in the striatum. In addition, we surveyed a large number of subcortical nuclei and cortical regions for alternations. Both SLI and NPYLI were significantly increased about threefold in the caudate, putamen, and the nucleus accumbens. Increases in mild and severe grades were similar, which is consistent with a relative but not absolute sparing of striatal aspiny neurons in which somatostatin and neuropeptide Y are colocalized. Significant increases of NPYLI were also found in the external pallidum, subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra compacta, claustrum, anterior and dorsomedial thalamus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and locus ceruleus. SLI was significantly increased in the external pallidum, red nucleus, and locus ceruleus. Measurements of both neuropeptides were made in 24 regions of the cerebral cortex. Significant increases in both NPYLI and SLI were found in the frontal cortex (Brodmann areas 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 45) and temporal cortex (Brodmann area 21), whereas NPYLI was also increased in Brodmann areas 12, 20–22, 25, and 42. Alterations in the cerebral cortex were as pronounced in cases with mild striatal pathological changes as in those with severe striatal pathological changes. These alterations may occur early in HD and could reflect a selective sparing of somatostatin–neuropeptide Y cortical neurons combined with cortical atrophy. The findings are consistent with a possible role for an excitotoxin in the pathogenesis of HD.
Energy-efficient phase-based cache tuning for multimedia applications in embedded systems

The proliferation of multimedia applications in embedded systems has led to a research focus on optimizing the energy consumption of these applications without significantly degrading the execution time and adhering to data processing deadline constraints. To maximize optimization potential, phase-based tuning methodologies specialize system configurations to different phases of application execution with respect to design constraints. Multimedia applications are ideal candidates for phase-based tuning since these applications exhibit variable execution characteristics. In this paper, we propose a phase-based tuning methodology for multimedia applications that leverages application characteristics to determine the best cache configurations for different phases of execution. Results reveal that phase-based tuning for multimedia applications determines cache configurations within 1% of the optimal on average and yields an average energy delay product savings of 29%.
Current prospects and challenges for epilepsy gene therapy

Abstract This review addresses the state of gene therapy research for the treatment of epilepsy. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the anti-seizure efficacy of viral vector-based gene transfer through the use of a variety of strategies — from modulating classic neurotransmitter systems to targeting or overexpressing of neuropeptide receptors in seizure-specific brain regions. While these studies provide substantive proof of principle for viral vector gene therapy, future studies must address the challenges of vector immunity, cellular specificity and effective global delivery. As these issues are resolved, viral vector gene therapy should significantly impact the treatment of intractable epilepsy.
Laser wind sensing: the effects of saturation of scintillation.

We have developed a physically based extension of the first-order perturbation theory of optical scintillation that accounts for the observed variance and covariance of the amplitude fluctuations in strong integrated turbulence. We use this model to analyze the experimentally observed changes in the operation of our laser wind sensor. The theory suggests a transmitter–receiver configuration that can nearly eliminate the performance-degrading effects of strong turbulence. Based on this analysis, we have developed a saturation-resistant optical wind sensor that maintains its calibration and wind-weighting function throughout the observed range of integrated-turbulence values.
A Psychometric Assessment of the Psychological and Social Well-Being Indicators in the PINE Study

Objective: This report aims to establish the reliability and validity of five psychological and social well-being indictors in their applications to a U.S. Chinese aging population. Method: The Pop...
Dislocations and the Tensile Strength of Magnesium Oxide

It has been shown with single crystals, bicrystals, and polycrystalline material that the strength of magnesium oxide depends on the availability of mobile dislocation sources. Mobile dislocations, introduced by mechanical contact at the surface, are responsible for the ductility normally observed in single crystals. When mobile dislocations are removed by a chemical polish, single crystals become extremely strong (>160,000 psi) and elastic. In the absence of mobile dislocations bicrystals are also extremely strong and elastic but in their presence bicrystals are relatively weak (10,000 psi) and brittle. The brittleness is due to the direct interaction of slip bands with grain boundaries to generate cracks. The strength of high-density polycrystalline magnesia is similarly sensitive to the presence of mobile dislocations. When care is taken to eliminate surface defects and to immobilize dislocations, tensile strengths of 30,000 psi can be attained, but when mobile dislocations are present the strength drops to 15,000 to 20,000 psi. Mobile dislocations can be introduced directly by mechanical contact or indirectly through the presence of pores.
Postmarketing drug surveillance: an epidemiologic approach

Postmarketing surveillance refers to any means of gathering information about a product after it has been approved for public use. Postmarketing surveillance studies address assorted aspects of beneficial and detrimental adverse drug effects, including the existence of particular causal effects, frequency of and risk factors for certain outcomes, economic consequences of therapy, and characterization of drug use in clinical practice. The primary scientific discipline engaged in postmarketing studies is epidemiology. The principal epidemiologic study designs used in postmarketing surveillance studies are randomized trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies. Regardless of their design, all studies involving human subjects should be conducted by qualified investigators according to a written protocol that has been approved by an institutional review board. Promotional activities conducted under the guise of postmarketing studies are unacceptable.
On the use of flux limiters in the discrete ordinates method for 3D radiation calculations in absorbing and scattering media

The application of flux limiters to the discrete ordinates method (DOM), S"N, for radiative transfer calculations is discussed and analyzed for 3D enclosures for cases in which the intensities are strongly coupled to each other such as: radiative equilibrium and scattering media. A Newton-Krylov iterative method (GMRES) solves the final systems of linear equations along with a domain decomposition strategy for parallel computation using message passing libraries in a distributed memory system. Ray effects due to angular discretization and errors due to domain decomposition are minimized until small variations are introduced by these effects in order to focus on the influence of flux limiters on errors due to spatial discretization, known as numerical diffusion, smearing or false scattering. Results are presented for the DOM-integrated quantities such as heat flux, irradiation and emission. A variety of flux limiters are compared to ''exact'' solutions available in the literature, such as the integral solution of the RTE for pure absorbing-emitting media and isotropic scattering cases and a Monte Carlo solution for a forward scattering case. Additionally, a non-homogeneous 3D enclosure is included to extend the use of flux limiters to more practical cases. The overall balance of convergence, accuracy, speed and stability using flux limiters is shown to be superior compared to step schemes for any test case.
Rearing Variations and Hebb-Williams Maze Performance:

Rats were kept in 1 of 3 environments from 21 to 81 days of age. The environments varied from one that changed very little across days (impoverishment) to one that changed daily (“super-enrichment”). At 110 and 190 days of age, Ss were given batteries of tests in the Hebb-Williams maze. The first tests were preceded by pretraining habituation to testing and the second tests were preceded by pretraining and maze running. There were large differences among the groups on the first battery of tests, with Ss from the enriched environments being superior problem-solvers. Performance varied little among groups on the second battery of tests. All Ss' performance improved with continued testing but those of “impoverishment” improved most. Task-related experience can reduce individual differences.
Structure of yellow fin tuna metmyoglobin at 6A resolution.

Abstract Using Patterson function searches we have shown that myoglobin from the yellow fin tuna ( Neothunnus macropterus ) has, at low resolution, a tertiary structure similar to that of sperm whale myoglobin. The position established for the heme iron by this procedure is in agreement with that independently derived from a Patterson synthesis based on anomalous dispersion.
Controlling acid deposition: A general equilibrium assessment

In this paper, we evaluate the impact of the SO2 provisions in the 1990 Clean Air Act. A computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the United States is used to evaluate the implications of this law for a number of economic sectors. We find that the largest negative impact falls on the coal industry. Output in the refining sector also decreases, but agricultural production increases as consumers shift spending into food and wood based products.
Kinetics of isotopic equilibration of iodine in individual rat thyroid follicles.

Estimates of the relative concentration of radioiodine in individual follicles at various stages of isotopic equilibration were made by microdensitometry of auto radiographs. Data at 1 hr after a single injection of radioiodide were used to obtain clearances of blood radioiodide by single follicles. For central follicles clearances appeared proportional to the surface area of the lumen. The observed size independence of the concentration at isotopic equilibrium indicated that clearance of luminal iodoprotein was proportional to the surface area of the lumen also. These results indicated that average uptake and release of radioiodine per cell are independent of follicle size. The analysis of the size distribution of radioiodine concentration in follicles at 4 days indicated that the fraction of iodine released per day varied inversely with the lumen diameter. Clearance of colloid was approximately 115 Mμ3 per cell per day. Results were similar for peripheral follicles except that clearances and exit rate c...
Modal Analysis of Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication: A Connecting Rod Application

A method for performing transient elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHD) analysis of journal bearings using the concept of modeshapes was developed earlier. This method was referred to as the modal EHD analysis method. In the present work, the method is applied to an engine bearing geometry and load. The results from the new method are compared to those from an available EHD analysis, DEHD. Modal EHD analysis results with only 8 modeshapes compared well with those from DEHD, both for film thickness and for pressure
Biogenic silica dissolution in sediments of the Southern Ocean. II. Kinetics

Abstract The dissolution kinetics of biogenic silica in surface sediments collected during the ANTARES I cruise were measured in stirred flow-through reactors. The rate data exhibit a distinctly non-linear dependence on the degree of undersaturation. Near equilibrium, the rates of silica dissolution and precipitation define a single linear trend, i.e. the kinetics are symmetric about the equilibrium point. When the dissolved silica concentration drops below a critical level, however, the dissolution rate rises exponentially with increasing undersaturation. Hence, the data disagree with the linear rate law generally used to describe the dissolution kinetics of biogenic silica. It is hypothesized that the kinetic transition from the linear to the exponential regime represents the onset of localized dissolution centered on surface defects, e.g. small pores and crevices, or compositional defects. The effects of temperature and pH confirm that the critical process controlling the overall dissolution kinetics is the hydrolysis of bridging SiOSi bonds at the solid-solution interface. The rate measurements indicate that the reactivity of biogenic silica decreases substantially with depth in the sediment. The decrease in reactivity is explained by a progressive reduction of the defect density of the silica surfaces, through dissolution and reprecipitation of silica. It does not appear to result from the preferential dissolution of a more reactive fraction of biogenic debris deposited from the water column. Surface areas obtained by the N2-BET method or concentrations of extractable biogenic silica do not provide satisfactory proxies for the reactive surface area of silica in the sediments. However, a positive correlation was observed between the surface reactivity and the exchangeable Co2+ adsorption capacity of biogenic silica. Specific kinetic effects on silica dissolution of the aluminum content of the silica surfaces or organic matter coatings were not observed. Both the non-linear dissolution kinetics and the aging of the silica surfaces help restrict the dissolution of deposited biogenic silica to a narrow zone close to the water-sediment interface. The results of the flow-through experiments highlight the importance of in situ early diagenetic processes in controlling the behavior and fate of deposited biogenic silica: no evidence was found supporting a significant effect of differences in solubility or reactivity inherited from the biomineralization process in the water column.
Fraud score analysis in emerging markets

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to determine the likelihood of financial statement manipulations in companies throughout a variety of emerging market countries and compare this potential wirh that of firms within the USA.Design/methodology/approach – The authors utilize the Fraud Score Model, as set forth by Dechow et al., to determine the likelihood of financial statement manipulations. By adjusting their model to work in an international setting, the authors are able to study nine industries across 23 countries, including the USA.Findings – The results vary from industry to industry, with some countries performing extremely well in one industry, only to prove remarkably risky in the next.Originality/value – The findings may be used by a variety of market participants, especially investors, to determine the risk levels of potential foreign investments. Therefore, this research can help lead to a more overall efficient placement of global capital.
A journey into the active center of nitrogenase

Nitrogenase catalyzes the reduction of N2 to NH3, a key step in the global nitrogen cycle. This article describes our journey toward the definition of a complete molecular structure of the active site of nitrogenase, with an emphasis on the discovery of the interstitial carbide and the radical SAM-dependent insertion of this atom into the active FeMo cofactor site of nitrogenase.
Cloning and sequence analysis of a murine cDNA encoding glutamate decarboxylase (GAD65)

We report the cloning and cDNA sequence of murine GAD65. Murine GAD65 is comprised of 585 amino acids and shares a high degree of homology with human and rat GAD65, with most divergences occurring near their amino-termini. The murine GAD65 sequence will allow evaluation of the role of this gene in murine neurogenetic and autoimmune diseases.
Tourism development in Iraq: the need for support from international academia

Iraq is an ancient land of historical and religious sights that possesses a vibrant culture and numerous natural attractions. The northern region of Kurdistan is home to the Erbil Citadel, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited sites (8000 years), as well as to snowcapped mountains, waterfalls and deep canyons set amidst alpine meadows and pastoral villages. This autonomous region of Iraq already receives domestic tourists from the hotter, arid regions to the south, and it hopes to soon begin attracting international tourists. As a result of its geo-political situation and the breakdown of Iraq's tourism industry for many years, Kurdistan is in the process of developing much of its tourism industry from the beginning stages. Its development will, in turn, exert a profound influence on Iraq's overall tourism industry and the appeal of its tourism products in the international marketplace. Although professional tourism training and education are priorities, Kurdish and other Iraqi tourism academicians are likewise completely detached from their international counterparts. International tourism scholars and researchers are thus presented with a unique opportunity to provide collegial assistance in the form of teaching materials, updated curriculums, research partners and publication connections. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Insulin receptor substrate 2 and Shc play different roles in insulin-like growth factor I signaling.

Abstract The major substrates for the type I insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) receptor are Shc and insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins. In the current study, we report that IGF-I induces a sustained tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and its association with Grb2 in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The time course of Shc tyrosine phosphorylation parallels the time course of IGF-I-stimulated activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Transfection of SH-SY5Y cells with a p52 Shc mutant decreases Shc tyrosine phosphorylation and Shc-Grb2 association. This results in the inhibition of IGF-I-mediated ERK tyrosine phosphorylation and neurite outgrowth. In contrast, IGF-I induces a transient tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-2 and an association of IRS-2 with Grb2. The time course of IRS-2 tyrosine phosphorylation and IRS-2-Grb2 and IRS-2-p85 association closely resembles the time course of IGF-I-mediated membrane ruffling. Treating cells with the phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002 blocks IGF-I-induced membrane ruffling. The ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059, as well as transfection with the p52 Shc mutant, has no effect on IGF-I-mediated membrane ruffling. Immunolocalization studies show IRS-2 and Grb2, but not Shc, concentrated at the tip of the extending growth cone where membrane ruffling is most active. Collectively, these results suggest that the association of Shc with Grb2 is essential for IGF-I-mediated neurite outgrowth, whereas the IRS-2-Grb2-phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase complex may regulate growth cone extension and membrane ruffling.
A Learned-Behavior Approach to Management Skill Development:

The authors develop and provide arguments and some supporting empirical data for a learned-behavior approach in competency-based MBA education. The learnedbehavior approach emphasizes micro skills and inductive learning of behavior. Here, students learning various skills focus on very specific micro-skill components, largely on an inductive basis; the conceptualization underlying the micro skills is introduced later as needed to help in providing cognitive understanding of the previously performed micro skills. In performing the skills, the micro-skill components are combined in various ways across the skills and are useful in helping to integrate the skill set. The authors conclude by considering assessment of the approach and its integrative role in a revised MBA at their institution. They also examine the approach’s contribution to innovation in competency-based management education.
Phosphorus sources and demand during summer in a eutrophic lake

In pelagic systems, phytoplankton biomass may remain abundant or near equilibrium while concentrations of the limiting nutrient are below detection. In eutrophic lakes, it has been thought that episodic algal blooms are due to mixing events that break down this equilibrium by adding nutrients to the mixed layer. Alternatively, rapid rates of biotic recycling among primary producers and heterotrophic consumers could maintain high phytoplankton biomass, yet the recycling process has been difficult to observe in situ. Here we use free-water oxygen measurements and an associated metabolic model to infer rates of phosphorus (P) uptake and biotic mineralization in the epilimnion of a eutrophic lake. The rates of uptake and mineralization were compared to “external” sources of P such as loading and entrainment. Also, model results were assessed using sensitivity analysis. We found that the majority of phytoplankton P demand during the period of low P availability could be accounted for by biotic mineralization, but that it was important to consider the effects of entrainment in order to account fully for P uptake. These general results were relatively insensitive to model parameterization, though the relative C:P ratio of material taken up versus mineralized was an important consideration. This study integrates modeling and measurement tools that monitor ecosystem processes at finer temporal resolution than has previously been possible, complementing other studies that use experimental incubation and elemental tracers. Extension of this approach could enhance models that aim to integrate biological and physical processes in assessment of water quality and prediction of phytoplankton biomass.
Family Dynamic and Family Business Financial Performance: Spousal Commitment

This article views the survival of a family business as partially dependent on spousal commitment. The decision to launch a business should depend not only on analysis of the opportunity, but also on the degree to which one's spouse shares a common vision about the goals, risks, and rewards of the business. Models and testable hypotheses are developed to guide empirical research on the antecedents and consequences of spousal commitment to a family business. The models can benefit individuals considering the launch of a business, couples that currently own a business, business consultants, and university instructors teaching entrepreneurship courses.
Decadence in Villiers de I'Isle‐Adam and His Followers

Continental Decadence not only had an identifiable international literary rhetoric. Its rhetoric, without being self-reflective or self-referential, was its raison d'etre also. A quintessential example is “Conte d'Amour” from Contes cruds by Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (1838–89). Here rhetorical excess, both as redundancy and crypticism, conveys the typical Decadent gestus: morbid, gross and over-refined, solipsistic. Such a rhetoric must be the medium for the label Decadent to be completely justified. As we follow the wake of Villiers' influence first outside French with Arthur Symons and Stefan George and next outside France (but in French) with Maurice Maeterlinck, Charles Van Lerberghe, and Georges Rodenbach, we find that each admirer selects features which reinforce his own bent. Symons follows Villiers most closely, using language to disguise and divert reality. George uses language to intensify reality. Maeterlinck, Van Lerberghe, and Rodenbach use language to reinterpret reality and, especially in the case of Rodenbach, to discredit rhetoric when divorced from reality. By the end of the 19th century, in prose the Naturalist verso of Decadence has pierced through the face; in poetry Decadence has modulated into Symbolism. But the full expression, found in Villiers, seems historically to have been necessary. There had to be cryptic statement and overstatement before there could be enduring statement.
Measuring resident physicians' performance of preventive care. Comparing chart review with patient survey.

BACKGROUND: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has suggested various methods for evaluation of practice-based learning and improvement competency, but data on implementation of these methods are limited.
Optimal Static Characteristics of Amphibious PAR Vehicles

Power augmented ram platform vehicle is a high-performance air-assisted amphibious transport of the new generation. The objective of this study is to determine the optimal position of the platform flap for low-speed operations on water and solid ground. The static friction of vehicle hulls on solid surfaces and the static deformation of the water surface are combined with results of the ideal jet theory to predict forces and the platform position. The optimal values for the flap gap are obtained that maximize the recovered static thrust on solid surfaces and the vehicle vertical position on the water surface.
Reevaluating the Pursuit of Defense Investment

In 2015, the Pentagon will likely announce a round of military base closures and expansions with the power to remake regional economies throughout the United States. Current estimates of the impact of base realignments implicitly assume that military bases have similar economic impacts. But the military is a diverse institution engaged in thousands of distinct activities, each with their own benefits to local economies. Using detailed soldier, civilian, and contracting data from two army bases, this article compares the economic impact of the main activities in which military bases engage. Because military bases source their inputs from national defense procurement networks, the economic benefits of soldier-based activities are smaller than most economic development alternatives. This finding suggests that regions facing defense contracting cuts are significantly more economically vulnerable than regions facing base closures.
The Effects of Exogenous Steroidal Hormones on the Testes of Quail from Selected High and Low Mating Lines

Abstract Several steroid hormones were tested for their effects on the testes of lines of Japanese quail selected for high and low mating frequency. Estradiol benzoate and testosterone propionate caused a complete and partial regression of the testes, respectively, while dihydrotestosterone did not affect testicular weight. Spermatogenesis was adversely affected by both estradiol benzoate and testosterone propionate but not by dihydrotestosterone. Dihydrotestosterone caused a significant increase in the diameter of the seminiferous tubles while estradiol benzoate and testosterone propionate caused a significant decrease in tubular diameter. Significant line differences were found; the high mating line exceeded the low mating line for each of the treatments except extradiol benzoate. Extradiol benzoate caused testicular regression in both lines.
C/sub bc/ reduction in InP heterojunction bipolar transistor with selectively implanted collector pedestal

The base-collector junction capacitance (C/sub bc/) is a key factor limiting HBT high frequency performance. To reduce C/sub bc/, we report an HBT structure with a collector pedestal under the HBT's intrinsic region by using selective ion implantation and MBE regrowth, the first such structure reported in III-V HBTs. It is designed so that the depleted collector thickness in HBT's extrinsic region is much larger than the depleted collector thickness in HBT's intrinsic region, and therefore substantially reducing the extrinsic base-collector capacitance. Although C/sub bc/ can also be reduced by forming a narrow N+ subcollector stripe lying under the emitter (M. Sokolich et al., 25th IEEE GaAsIC Symp.), such structures can have large collector access resistance Rc arising from long, narrow N+ layer. The collector pedestal structure, however, does not significantly increase collector access resistance relative to a standard mesa structure, and is consequently the approach most widely employed in Si/SiGe technology. We had earlier reported collector pedestal HBTs with low leakage and good DC characteristics (Y. Dong et al., Proc. 2003 Int. Semicond. Dev. Res. Symp., pp. 348-349, 2003); here we report devices with the expected large reduction in C/sub bc/.
Categorical and Continuous Models of Liability to Externalizing Disorders: A Direct Comparison in NESARC

Context Patterns of genetic, environmental, and phenotypic relationships among antisocial behavior and substance use disorders indicate the presence of a common externalizing liability. However, whether this liability is relatively continuous and graded, or categorical and class-like, has not been well established. Objectives To compare the fit of categorical and continuous models of externalizing liability in a large, nationally representative sample. Design Categorical and continuous models of externalizing liability were compared using interview data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Setting Face-to-face interviews conducted in the United States. Participants Random sample of 43 093 noninstitutionalized adult civilians living in the United States. Main Outcome Measures Lifetime and current (past 12 months) diagnoses of antisocial personality disorder, nicotine dependence, alcohol dependence, marijuana dependence, cocaine dependence, and other substance dependence. Results In the entire sample, as well as for males and females separately, using either lifetime or current diagnoses, the best-fitting model of externalizing liability was a continuous normal model. Moreover, there was a general trend toward latent trait models fitting better than latent class models, indicating that externalizing liability was continuous and graded, rather than categorical and class-like. Conclusions Liability to externalizing spectrum disorders is graded and continuous normal in distribution. Research regarding etiology, assessment, and treatment of externalizing disorders should target externalizing liability over a range of severity. Current diagnoses represent extremes of this continuous liability distribution, indicating that conditions currently classified as subthreshold are likely to provide important information regarding liability to externalizing phenomena.
Image Matching via Saliency Region Correspondences

We introduce the notion of co-saliency for image matching. Our matching algorithm combines the discriminative power of feature correspondences with the descriptive power of matching segments. Co-saliency matching score favors correspondences that are consistent with 'soft' image segmentation as well as with local point feature matching. We express the matching model via a joint image graph (JIG) whose edge weights represent intra-as well as inter-image relations. The dominant spectral components of this graph lead to simultaneous pixel-wise alignment of the images and saliency-based synchronization of 'soft' image segmentation. The co-saliency score function, which characterizes these spectral components, can be directly used as a similarity metric as well as a positive feedback for updating and establishing new point correspondences. We present experiments showing the extraction of matching regions and pointwise correspondences, and the utility of the global image similarity in the context of place recognition.
Nematode-trapping in Pleurotus tuberregium

Pleurotus tuberregium is a common basidio? mycete in parts of tropical Africa and Australia that fruits from a subterranean true sclerotium. Evidence from field collections suggests that the sclerotia are formed underground. Because its basidiocarps have intercalary skeletal hyphae, P. tuberregium has also been classified in both Lentinus and Panus. We investigated nematode-trapping in P. tuberregium in an attempt to resolve its generic placement. Aerial hyphae of P. tu? berregium cultures on agar produced droplets of toxin on stalked secretory processes. Nematodes that came