cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in Men’s Health

Men have healthcare needs that are unique, and men’s health centers are fundamental in defining and addressing these needs. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants (APP), with their training in the fundamentals of primary care, can be vital and dynamic additions to the healthcare team caring for men. Adding APPs to any men’s health clinic can promote access and represents one of the greatest strengths of men’s health – the variety of multidisciplinary providers who bring a distinctive perspective to the care of men.
Rating Law Schools with a Student-Focused Output-Based System

A better rating system for law schools is needed for prospective law students. This Article uses novel data and methods to describe a possible alternative to the leading attempts to quantitatively measure law school quality. New data is drawn from a representative sample of attorneys presently employed at 100 large law firms, estimated relative starting salaries based upon the distribution of job categories among recent graduates, law school graduates in numerous powerful government positions, estimates of active graduates in the legal job market, and improved data about clerkship placement. These new data sources are combined with existing American Bar Association (ABA) and National Association for Law Placement (NALP) statistics as well as student debt data to create a ratings system that is wholly based on law school outputs. The system also employs statistical cluster analysis to differentiate law schools into appropriate categories rather than relying exclusively on misleading ordinal ranking systems.
Taste activity in the parabrachial region in adult rats following neonatal chorda tympani transection.

Early and chronic loss of taste input from the chorda tympani is associated with abnormal taste behaviors. We found that compared to when the chorda tympani is sectioned acutely, chronic nerve loss...
Accuracy of a modified 4Ts score in predicting heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients: A pilot study.

Abstract Purpose Thrombocytopenia is common among critically ill patients and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is often on the differential. Professional guidelines recommend calculating a pre-test probability score before performing HIT testing. The 4Ts score is widely utilized but accuracy has been questioned in critically ill patients. The HIT Expert Probability (HEP) score is available, but complexity limits use. Our objective was to compare a modified intensive care unit (ICU)-4Ts score to available scoring tools. Materials and methods This was a single-center retrospective pilot study. Adult ICU patients that were tested for HIT and had a documented 4Ts score were included. A blinded investigator retrospectively calculated the HEP and ICU-4Ts score. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were compared. Results In 194 included patients, ROC AUC was significantly higher for the ICU-4Ts compared to the 4Ts score (0.80 versus 0.66, respectively; p = 0.044). The ICU-4Ts score had the highest specificity, PPV, and NPV. The sensitivity was similar between the HEP and ICU-4Ts score. Conclusions The ICU-4Ts score better predicted the diagnosis of HIT compared to the 4Ts score. Prospective validation studies are needed to confirm these results.
Structural Exclusion and Just Development

The work of feminists and other critics of global development has successfully demonstrated the persistent failure of development to promote just and equitable social change. The author examines a central cause of this failure, which she refers to as the problem of structural exclusion. Structural exclusion occurs where participation in decision-making is restricted to a narrow range of structural perspectives and interests. The author provides a systematic account of structural exclusion as an epistemic obstacle to just and effective development policy. Drawing on this account, she then propose a principle of structural pluralism, which requires that all relevant structural perspectives be included on equal terms and have equal right and effective opportunity to contribute to or influence deliberations at all levels of decision-making about the appropriate vision and policies of development.
How Useful are Customer Satisfaction Processes for Hotel Industry Positioning Strategies

This study examined the development of post-usage evaluations for business, conference, and vacation travelers who use hotel/motel accommodations. Significant disconfirmation paradigm differences between the three travel segments were noted, particularly with regard to cognitive, affective, and behavioral post-usage responses. Suggestions for hotel segmentation strategies to maximize favorable opinions and future hotel stay behavior are offered.
Non-Uniform Lattices on Uniform Trees

Consider a locally finite tree X, a subgroup \(H \leqslant G = Aut(X)\) without inversions, and indexed quotient graph \((A,i) = I(H\backslash \backslash X).\)
Predicting perception from population codes.

Treue and colleagues use electrophysiological recordings in monkeys and psychophysical experiments in humans to suggest that the shape of a population response in a motion sensitive region of the brain (area MT), rather than the peak of the response, determines motion perception.
Legal Education: Integrating Practical Skills Into the Curriculum

The proposed practical skills requirement for pre-admission to the bar may begin to minimize the divide between doctrine and practice, or theory and skill, which has characterized most of legal education in the United States. The practical skills aspects of lawyering should not now be viewed as a merely technical component that will subsume the abstract conceptualization and critical reasoning skills fundamental to lawyering. Instead, the law school classroom can integrate skills training with doctrinal material, creating a student who is both better prepared to immediately participate in experiential opportunities and better prepared for the eventual day he or she begins to practice law.
Assessing potential invasiveness of woody horticultural plant species using seedling growth rate traits

Summary 1. The ornamental plant trade, forestry, and agriculture have been responsible for the initial introduction of over 60% of invasive alien plant species. Screening tools to test potentially new horticultural species should help curtail the continued introduction of new invaders. 2. Using two methods for analysing phylogenetically independent contrasts (PICs) of known invasive and non-invasive, exotic woody horticultural species, we tested the potential of relative growth rate (RGR) and related traits including net assimilation rate (NAR), leaf area ratio (LAR), and specific leaf area (SLA) as predictors of invasiveness. These 29 PICs include 65 species and broadly cover angiosperms. 3. Without accounting for phylogeny, no significant differences were found in seedling RGR or related traits between invasive and non-invasive woody species. Using PICs, invasive species’ RGRs were significantly higher. RGR was considerably more significant using our extensive dataset than in previous smaller studies, while SLA and LAR remained marginally significant. NAR was significantly higher for invasives for the 10–20 days interval. 4. Analysis of this broad data set confirms that RGR is significantly higher for invasive woody species than their non-invasive counterparts, and may serve as a useful biological predictor of invasiveness for woody angiosperms. This expanded study shows that plant species use different physiological and biomass allocation patterns to achieve higher RGR; therefore individual components of RGR, such as SLA, do not consistently predict potential invasiveness of species. 5. Synthesis and applications. Comparative seedling RGR studies show that this measure has potential as a screening tool for new exotic plant species. Unfortunately, more easily measurable components of RGR do not consistently predict invasiveness, as previously thought. Using seedling RGR analysis as an invasive species’ screening tool requires growing a species proposed for introduction with related invasive and non-invasive species. If the tested species’ RGR is higher or not significantly different from its known invasive counterpart, it should be considered highly likely to become invasive, and excluded from further consideration as a potential horticultural species. Seedling RGR could potentially produce a useful, straightforward screening tool when phylogenetically related species or cultivars are available.
Wear by paper and ribbon

Abstract A wear apparatus developed by Roshon was used to investigate the nature of wear produced by paper and printer ribbon. The characteristics of the wear produced by these materials on hardened steel were studied and compared with the characteristics of wear produced by abrasive and adhesive wear mechanisms. The wear was also compared with a simulated abrasive situation using a mixture of Al 2 O 3 powder and oil on a fabric surface. It was concluded that the wear processes of paper and ribbon are similar and primarily abrasive. Small quantities of hard micron-size and submicron-size particles in these materials were identified as the cause of this abrasive wear. In addition, the influence of such test parameters as load, speed, temperature and humidity on wear was also investigated. Recommendations regarding test conditions to establish the abrasiveness of these materials were developed.
A note on the description of articulating joint motion

Abstract An expression for the relative rotation matrix for motion between two body segments forming an articulating joint is derived. Local coordinates on each segment of arbitrary orientation is assumed, as well as an initial state of the standard anatomical position and an arbitrary final state. This rotation matrix thus eliminates influence of initial axes orientation relative to the body segment and relative to global coordinates, eliminates whole limb rigid body motion, and includes only the motion component of rotation of the distal segment about the proximal segment. Orthopedic angles are derived from the rotation matrix.
Ribosome Biogenesis: Ribosomal RNA Synthesis as a Package Deal

Ribosome biogenesis encompasses a complicated series of events involving hundreds of transiently interacting components. Insight into a mechanism for coordinating some of these events may come from characterization of a functional processing complex.
Biogenesis of the Gram-Negative Bacterial Envelope

We thank Pamela Silver, Charles Barlowe, Carol Kumamoto, and (especially) Tony Pugsley for critical comments. Work in our laboratory has been supported by NIH grant GM23377. J. E. received fellowship support from the Human Frontier Science Program Organization and F. D. from the Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer and the Institut de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale.
A review of cases of sexually exploited children reported to the Netherlands State Police.

THE .4IM OF THIS STUDY was to obtain information about sexually exploited children in The Netherlands. As there aie no adequate methods for registering such cases in this country. the decision was made to review those reports made to police officers of the Juvenile Bureau of the State Police. These bureaus, 17 in number. serve as a second line support for the provincial division of the state police. Reports of sexual exploitation of children to municipal police in towns larger than 25,000 population were not part of this study. The 17 juvenile bureaus serve approximately 5.5 million people living in rural areas. Reports of sexual exploitation are received by a variety of service systems throughout the country. The cases reported in this study represent only those received by 15 of the 17 state police juvenile bureaus during 1978. Detailed questionnaires were sent to the police officers involved in the investigation of the reported cases. Personal contact was made with the officers to clarify questions that arose. For the 124 reported cases, 123 questionnaires were returned. Seventeen children over the age of 12 years were not included in this analysis.
An algorithm for the traveling salesman problem with pickup and delivery customers

Abstract The paper extends the branch and bound algorithm of Little, Murty, Sweeney, and Karel to the traveling salesman problem with pickup and delivery customers, where each pickup customer is required to be visited before its associated delivery customer. The problems considered include single and multiple vehicle cases as well as infinite and finite capacity cases. Computational results are reported.
Artificial skin in massive burns — results to ten years

Artificial skin, applied as a completely synthetic bilaminate skin evolving into a completely biologic self-skin replacement, was initially used in 1980. It has been used in 121 patients to date, at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Boston Unit of the Shriners Burns Institute with follow-up as long as ten years. This report describes the generally gratifying long-term results with the use of artificial skin in massive burns.
A new configuration interaction method for excitons and interband processes applied to LiF

The authors describe the first direct application of the configuration interaction method to a calculation of the optical spectrum of an extended solid. The two-particle spectrum of the valence and conduction bands is employed as the basis, and procedures are carefully chosen to maintain size consistency. A simplified description of LiF by these methods, using only on-site particle-hole interactions, already gives very good predictions for the optical spectrum including the main exciton resonance.
Effectiveness of Insecto applied to shelled maize against stored-product insect larvae

Insecto, a marine diatomaceous earth, is recommended for grain application at 0.5-1g of formulation per kilogram of grain to control stored-product insects. Mortality and adult emergence of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst); sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.); and Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner),exposed as 1st instars to shelled maize, Zea mays L., treated with different rates of Insecto were evaluated in the laboratory. For each species, mortality of 1st instars increased with Insecto rate. All 1st instars of T. castaneum were killed at 0.5 and 1 gl kg rates of Insecto; at these rates, mortality of O. surinamensis and P. interpunctella 1st instars was 96-97 and 86-97%, respectively. The percentage of adults of the 3 species emerging from 1st instars exposed to treated maize was related inversely to Insecto rate. Complete suppression in emergence of T. castaneum and P. interpunctella adults was achieved at 1 g/kg; at this rate, suppression in emergence of O. surinamensis adults was 98%. Emergence of P. interpunctella adults from 1st, 3rd, and 5th instars exposed to Insecto-treated maize indicated that 1st and 3rd instars of P. interpllnctella were more susceptible than 5th instars to Insecto. At 0.5 and 1 g/kg of Insecto, suppression in emergence of P. interpllnctella adults from exposed 1st, 3rd, and 5th instars was 99-100, 73-92,and 6-37%, respectively. A 2-parameter negative exponential regression model best described the relationship between mean adult emergence and Insecto rate for the species and instars tested.
How to Build Hardware Trojans

Countless systems ranging from consumer electronics to military equipment are dependent on integrated circuits (ICs). A surprisingly large number of such systems are already security critical, e.g., medical devices, automotive electronics, or SCADA systems. If the underlying ICs in such applications are maliciously manipulated through hardware Trojans, the security of the entire system can be compromised. In recent years, hardware Trojans have drawn the attention of governments and the scientific community. Initially, the primary attacker model was a malicious foundry that could alter the design, i.e., introduce hardware Trojans which could interfere with the (securitysensitive) functionality of a chip. Many other attacker models exist too. For instance, a legitimate IC manufacturer, e.g., a consumer electronics company abroad, might be in cohort with a foreign intelligence agency to alter its products in a way that compromises their security. Even though hardware Trojans have been considerably studied, little is known about how they might look, especially those that are particularly designed to avoid detection. In this talk we introduce two recent research projects which deal with the Trojan insertion in two different types of hardware platforms, ASICs and FPGAs. This is joint work with Georg Becker, Wayne Burleson, Marc Fyrbiak, Philipp Koppe, Franceso Regazzoni and Pawel Swierczynski.
EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR DEGRADATION BY GASTROINTESTINAL FLUID FROM SUCKLING AND WEANLING RATS

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), present in the milk of a number of species, may be trophic for the gastrointestinal tract in the perinatal period. Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated intact luminal survival of enterally-administered EGF in suckling rats with subsequent absorption from the gut. Since the capacity for survival and absorption may be influenced by digestive processes within the gastrointestinal lumen, we evaluated the development of EGF degradative activity by measuring the release of trichloroacetic acid soluble radioactivity from human 124I-EGF incubated in vitro with fluid flushed from the lumen of the stomach and small intestine of 12-day old suckling and 31-day old weanling rats. In the stomach at pH 3.2, minimal luminal degradation of EGF was demonstrable in both suckling and weanling rats. By contrast, fluid from all small intestinal segments at both ages showed EGF degradative capacity at neutral pH, although hydrolytic activity of the weanling was twice that of the suckling. We conclude that EGF may be degraded in the lumen of the small intestine of the rat and that luminal digestive capacity toward this growth factor increases after weaning.
The Presence of Diaminopimelic Acid in the Rickettsiae.

SummaryDiaminopimelic acid is present in whole cells of R. prowazekii, R. mooseri, R. quintana, and C. burneti in concentrations only slightly lower than those reported for Gram negative bacteria. In each species studied meso DAP is the only isomer present.
Country-level investments and the effect of corruption — some empirical evidence

Abstract Corporate boardrooms and the popular business press have suggested corruption as a negative factor affecting investment in countries. This study empirically examined the impact of corruption using data on foreign and local direct investments in 111 countries over a five-year period (1994–1998). The results support the negative effects of corruption on investments. It also highlights an important and so far overlooked distinction: the impact of corruption on local direct investments is substantially weaker than the impact on its foreign counterpart. Furthermore, the degree of international openness and the political stability of the host market moderate the influence of corruption. Implications of corruption for investment promotion agencies as well as the multinational corporations are discussed. Host government agencies should be concerned about image building and providing optimal incentives for businesses. Multinationals should consider managing risks and simultaneously gaining competitiveness on an international scale.
A numerical analysis of carbon nanotube-based damping in rotating composite structures

Abstract Composite structures often exhibit vibrations due to their high specific stiffness, and suppressing these vibrations is critical to increasing the efficiency and performance of the overall system. Previous studies have shown that matrix-embedded carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have the potential to provide a significant increase in the damping characteristics of the final composite, augmenting the materials ability to passively reduce vibrations within the structure. This work investigates the effect of matrix-embedded CNTs on the dynamic response of rotating composite structures using numerical simulations. Empirical damping functions obtained from experimental results describing the loss factor of fiber-reinforced composites with matrix-embedded CNTs are applied to describe the material damping as a function of CNT weight percentage loading and material strain. The numerical simulations explore three different rotating composite structures of increasing complexity: a simple rectangular beam, a helicopter rotor, and a wind turbine blade. The finite element method is applied to solve these transient simulation cases, and the effects of CNT damping, angular speed, and geometric variation on the dynamic response of the different composite structures are explored.
Wonders and Wisdom: Anglo-Saxons and the East

What the Anglo-Saxons “knew” about Asia and its inhabitants was drawn from Biblical exegesis, saints' lives, and other texts derived from Latin sources. Numerous Old English and Anglo-Latin texts of varied genre and contents give evidence of an intense interest in the East that serves both to define Anglo-Saxon origins and to depict outsiders of varying types that are made to perform as “Other” to members of the Anglo-Saxon community. AElfric follows Augustine and Isidore in his division of the world into three regions whose people are descended from the biblical Ham, Shem, and Cham; the division is depicted in Anglo-Saxon world maps and referenced in poetry such as the Old English Genesis. The Beowulf-manuscript contains several texts about “the East” including the prose Wonders of the East, Letter of Alexander to Aristotle, and Life of Saint Christopher, as well as the poems Judith and Beowulf. The outlandish creatures described and illustrated in each of these texts figure as outsiders to Anglo-Saxon cu...
Mast cell changes in scleroderma

Objective. To analyze the concentration and distribution of the MCT (tryptase-positive, chymase-negative) and MCTC (tryptase-positive, chymase-positive) types of mast cell in cutaneous lesions of scleroderma. Methods. Biopsy specimens were obtained from skin lesions in 24 patients with scleroderma, and subjected to double immunohistochemical analysis using mouse monoclonal anti-tryptase and anti-chymase antibodies. Results. Dermal mast cell concentrations were below the normal range in 12 of the specimens, most of which were obtained between 1 and 4 years after disease onset. All other specimens contained normal concentrations of mast cells. MCT cells were present in 12 specimens and comprised between 8% and 100% of the total mast cells. Extracellular tissue deposits of tryptasepositive and/or chymase-positive granular material were observed in 8 specimens, suggesting possible mast cell degranulation. Conclusion. These findings are in contrast to those in normal skin, where MCTC cells are essentially the only type of mast cell present in the dermis. The results suggest that mast cells are involved in the pathogenesis of cutaneous lesions in scleroderma.
A Review of the Efficacy and Tolerability of Combination Amlodipine/Valsartan in Non-White Patients with Hypertension

This article discusses racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension, with particular focus on non-white populations including blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, and Asians. Hypertension and its related morbidity and mortality affect a disproportionate number of black patients compared with white patients. Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, and Asians have poor rates of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control. Given the high prevalence of comorbidities (e.g., obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome) in these populations, renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system blockers are a good choice for foundation therapy. This review also discusses the importance of adherence and persistence with antihypertensive medication, which remain suboptimal in these non-white populations. Evidence suggests improvement with the use of single-pill combination therapy. Lastly, clinical trial data on the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of the combination of a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker and an angiotensin receptor blocker, a widely utilized combination, in non-white populations are presented. PubMed was searched using the title/abstract key words (amlodipine AND valsartan AND [hypertension OR hypertensive] AND [black(s) OR African American(s) OR Hispanic(s) OR Latino(s) OR Mexican(s) OR Asian(s)]). In total, eight studies in patients with stage 1 or 2 hypertension were identified (n = 1,111 black, n = 389 Hispanic/Latino, and n = 3,094 Asian). Results showed that treatment with the combination of amlodipine plus valsartan is a reasonable choice for initial therapy or in patients who fail to respond to monotherapy. These drug classes have complementary mechanisms of action and, when used concomitantly, the magnitude of blood pressure lowering in these non-white populations is generally comparable with that seen in non-Hispanic white patients.
On the Issues of Scale, Resolution, and Fractal Analysis in the Mapping Sciences*

Scale and resolution have long been key issues in geography. The rapid development of analytical cartography, GIS, and remote sensing (the mapping sciences) in the last decade has forced the issues of scale and resolution to be treated formally and better defined. This paper addresses the problem of scale and resolution in geographical studies, with special reference to the mapping sciences. The fractal concept is introduced, and its use in identifying the scale and resolution problem is discussed. The implications of the scale and resolution problem on studies of global change and modeling are also explored.
Super-Resolution Imaging and Reaction Mapping of P450 3A4 and P450 Reductase in Heterogeneous Biomimetics: Starry Night

The dynamics of P450 and P450 reductase (POR) as they move through lipid bilayers, associate with one another, and how they are partitioned within the membrane are all essential elements of how they function. We have undertaken several super resolution fluorescence imaging and single particle tracking studies (1) to understand the nano-scale heterogeneity of a standard P450 lipid membrane composed of DOPC:DLPC:DLPS (1:1:1 wt), (2) to directly observe how P450 and POR are partitioned within and around the lipid “raft-like” structures that compose the membrane, and (3) how P450 and POR move and interact with one another in this heterogeneous environment. Moreover, we have conducted super resolution reaction mapping studies using resorufin benzyl ether as a substrate to directly observed single molecule metabolism at individual P450 enzymes. These studies have been used to develop a multiphasic discrete state model(s) for protein-protein interactions and give tantalizing insights into the relationships between these interaction and substrate turnover.
Castiglione vs. Cicero: Political Engagement, or Effeminate Chatter?

AbstractThe political message of Castiglione's Cortegiano, first published in 1528, seems to bear little resemblance to that of its formal model, Cicero's De Oratore. While Cicero's ideal republican orator is actively engaged in political debate, Castiglione's courtier is in many respects an entertainer: removed from the possibility of civic engagement, the courtier's most obvious attributes are aesthetic. Despite these differences, Castiglione opens the final book of his dialogue with two strong Ciceronian echoes: he first laments the deaths of three key speakers, and then compares all of the dialogue's interlocutors with the Greek leaders who emerged from the Trojan horse. The result of the double reprise is that Cicero's focus — the silencing and displacement of the ideal orator in the context of political crisis, and his ambivalence toward a new cultural model — forms the backdrop for Castiglione's Book Four. This essay focuses on the political significance of these motifs to show that the Cortegiano ...
Identification of alternatively spliced human biotinidase mRNAs and putative localization of endogenous biotinidase.

Abstract Biotinidase is essential for recycling the vitamin biotin and for transferring biotin to proteins, such as histones, suggesting that the enzyme localizes to various cellular and extracellular sites. To better understand the functions of the enzyme, we examined its gene structure and subcellular localization. Using RACE-PCR and a BLAST search, we extended the 5 ′ sequence of the biotinidase gene. Three novel, alternatively spliced variants of biotinidase, 1a, 1b, and 1c, were identified in multiple human tissues. Exon 1c is present only in testes. The sequence of the 5 ′ splice variants, 1a and 1b, suggest that biotinidase localizes to the mitochondria and/or ER, respectively. Using indirect immunofluorescence studies, biotinidase localizes to organelles in the cytoplasm, but not nucleus, of human fibroblasts and Hep G2 cells. Endogenous expression was examined by isopycnic gradient centrifugation of rat liver organelles, which identified an 85kDa biotinidase protein with biotinyl-hydrolase and transferase activities in microsomes and possibly lysosomes. A 48kDa protein, which also reacts with anti-biotinidase, localizes to mitochondria. The 48kDa protein is not N-glycosylated but is biotinylated, is in the inner mitochondrial matrix, but has no biotinyl-hydrolase or transferase activities. The function and validation of the mitochondrial species remains to be determined. The 5 ′ splice variants and organelle fractionation studies indicate that biotinidase is directed to the secretory pathway and perhaps mitochondria.
Externalities and the possibility of pareto- satisfactory decentralization

Abstract This paper shows that the (New) 2 Welfare Economics provides interesting new ways of classifying externalities in terms of the complexity of messages required to equate equilibria and optima; and in which, at the end, it is shown that the study of externalities provides useful new insights into the (New) 2 Welfare Economics by showing problems with the definition of satisfactory informationally decentralized resource allocation mechanisms.
Heart-rate reduction and β-blockade in early post-infarction cardiac remodelling

Soon after acute myocardial infarction, the heart may experience extensive changes in function, structure, tissue architecture, and biochemical properties collectively known as cardiac remodelling. Many of the deleterious changes can be attenuated by treatment with β-adrenergic blocking agents1–3 or with alternative drugs that reduce post-infarction heart rate without interrupting β-adrenergic signalling.4,5 In a study appearing in this issue of Cardiovascular Research ,6 Mączewski and Mackiewicz employed a rat model to elucidate the benefits of post-infarction β-blockade by comparing effects of heart-rate reduction without β-blockade (using ivabradine) and effects observed when the same reduction in heart rate was combined with β-blocking action (using metoprolol). Drug treatment was begun 24 h after coronary ligation and halted 48 h before final measurements. Thus, outcomes reflected drug manipulation of early remodelling after the acute ischaemic insult, and measurements identified effects persisting after drug washout and dissipation of immediate drug actions on heart rate and β-receptors. Heart-rate reduction appeared impressively beneficial for haemodynamic function, even in the absence of concomitant β-blockade: improvement in contractility (ejection fraction and +d P /d t ) and filling pressures (left ventricular end-diastolic pressures and lung congestion) were equivalent in rats receiving ivabradine and those receiving metoprolol. … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 301 295 3601; fax: +1 301 295 3557. E-mail address : rgoldstein{at}usuhs.mil
The functions of a decision support system

Abstract The growing literature on decision support systems outlines their principal characteristics and presents case studies of successful systems. This paper reviews the literature, describes six functions that a decision support system may perform for a manager or staff analyst, and introduces a new technique, functional mapping, for representing these systems.
Simultaneous measurement of carrier density and mobility of organic semiconductors using capacitance techniques

Abstract We present a method to measure both the majority carrier density and mobility in organic semiconductors from the voltage and frequency dependence of capacitance (C–V–f). Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is used as the prototypical material. The carrier density, and its spatial distribution in a planar device structure, is obtained from a subset of the C–V–f data by conventional capacitance–voltage analysis. We show that the validity of the carrier density extraction depends critically on the measurement frequency. Namely, one should make sure that the measurement frequency is lower than the modified dielectric relaxation frequency, which is characteristically low in organic semiconductors due to their low carrier mobility. Our method further exploits the voltage dependence of the modified dielectric relaxation frequency to measure the conductivity and carrier mobility. This mobility extraction method requires no complex fitting or simulation. Nor does it assume any particular dispersive model of mobility a priori. The carrier density, mobility, and conductivity of P3HT all increase with temperature from 250 to 300 K. The activation energies of mobility and conductivity are 0.15 ± 0.01 and 0.24 ± 0.03 eV, respectively.
Synthesis and characterization of vinyl ester networks containing phthalonitrile moieties

Abstract A new styrenic monomer, 4-vinylphenoxyphthalonitrile, was synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of 4-vinylphenolate onto 4-nitrophthalonitrile. The new monomer was reacted with dimethacrylate-styrene resins (so-called vinyl esters) via free radical copolymerization at 90, then 120 °C with benzoyl peroxide as the initiator to form networks. The networks were further post-cured at 220, 240, or 260 °C for 4 h to convert the last portion of the methacrylates, and to partially cross-link the pendent phthalonitrile groups. A dimethacrylate-styrene network containing 30 wt% of the phthalonitrile-functional monomer exhibited a 70% reduction in peak heat release rate by cone calorimetry measured at an incident heat flux of 50 kW m −2 relative to control vinyl ester networks. This still remains somewhat higher than peak heat release rates exhibited by brominated vinyl ester networks, but the CO/CO 2 ratio in the smoke is much lower for these non-halogenated materials.
Angiopoietin-1 Requires IQ Domain GTPase-Activating Protein 1 to Activate Rac1 and Promote Endothelial Barrier Defense

Objective— IQ domain GTPase-activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) contributes to cytoskeletal network regulation in epithelial cells by its scaffolding properties and by binding the Rho GTPase Rac1 to maintain its activity. The functions of IQGAP1 in endothelial cells beyond angiogenesis remain unclear. We hypothesized that IQGAP1 participates in the regulation of endothelial barrier function. Methods and Results— Silencing IQGAP1 in human microvascular endothelial cells resulted in a disruption of adherens junctions, formation of interendothelial gaps, and a reduction in barrier function. Furthermore, silencing of IQGAP1 abrogated the barrier enhancement effect of angiopoietin-1 (Angpt-1) and abolished the barrier-stabilizing effect of Angpt-1 on thrombin-stimulated cells. Coimmunoprecipitation detected binding of endogenous IQGAP1 with Rac1 at baseline that was stronger when Rac1 was activated and weaker when it was deactivated. Measurement of GTP-bound Rac1 revealed that Angpt-1 failed to activate Rac1 not only if IQGAP1 was silenced but also if cells were transfected with a mutant disabled in Rac1 binding (T1050AX2). Furthermore, a dominant-active Rac1 was sufficient to completely reverse the morphological and functional changes induced by reduction in IQGAP1. Conclusion— These experiments are the first demonstration of IQGAP1 regulating barrier function in any cell type. Further, our data show that Angpt-1 requires IQGAP1 as an indispensable activator of Rac1.
Stability of polyacetylene films

Abstract The oxidative and radiation stability of polyacetylene films have been determined. The radiation stability of the material is found to be quite good but the intrinsic thermal oxidative stability is poor and presents a serious obstacle to widespread terrestrial or space use.
The nature of stellar active regions

Observational estimates of chromospheric radiative loss rates in Ca II H and K in main-sequence F, G, and K dwarfs are used to compare stars that span a range of activity levels with each other and with the sun. For stars with spectral types similar to that of the sun, it is found that chromospheric radiative losses in stars with active chromospheres exceed the flux emitted by plages on the sun at solar maximum by about a factor of 6. If this difference is due primarily to a difference in the fraction of the stellar surface covered by plage-like material, and not to a change in the character of the emission-line regions, then more than half of the stellar surface in stars with large chromospheric radiative loss rates must be covered by active regions. It is also possible to show that active regions in young solar-type stars extend at least to latitudes + or - 25 deg from the rotational equator and that a typical individual region contributes no more than 2 percent - 3 percent of the total H and K emission. In Kappa Cet, observations show that the rotational modulation persisted in both phase and amplitude for at least 100 days (12 rotation cycles).
Altered development and reproduction in mosquitofish exposed to pulp and paper mill effluent in the Fenholloway River, Florida USA

Female mosquitofish exposed to pulp and paper mill effluent (PME) in the Fenholloway River, Florida, USA have masculinized secondary sex characteristics and altered aromatase enzyme activity. We and others have shown that the Fenholloway River PME contains androgenic and progestogenic substance(s). The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the development and reproductive health of PME-exposed Fenholloway River mosquitofish are altered compared to mosquitofish living in Econfina River, which is the reference site. Fish were collected on a single day from both sites in June and August 1999 and January and June 2000. We compared standard length, anal fin length and segment number; body, liver, and gonad mass; and number of eggs and embryos from Fenholloway and Econfina River mosquitofish. The data were analyzed collectively for generalized site effect, for site effects during reproductive and nonreproductive seasons, and for repeatability of site effects between years. Mosquitofish exposed to PME in the Fenholloway River were generally smaller in length and mass, anal fin segment number was greater, and the number of embryos, but not oocytes, was significantly decreased compared to the reference site fish. Anal fin length and segment number and liver and testis masses were generally greater in Fenholloway compared to the Econfina River males. The importance of this study is that we have documented masculinized development and decreased embryo production in PME-exposed mosquitofish and that these site effects are generally consistent across seasons and between years.
Needle-exchange participation, effectiveness, and policy: syringe relay, gender, and the paradox of public health.

Needle-exchange programs (NEPs) have been politically controversial, and most studies have focused on evaluating their effectiveness on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission rates with little emphasis on the process of how they are used. This article shows that the way intravenous drug users use NEPs may influence their effectiveness. Using data from Baltimore's NEP, participants (N=2,574) were classified as low, medium, and high users based on the volume, frequency, and duration of contact with the NEP. Higher NEP use was associated with shorter syringe circulation times and less syringe relay, returning syringes to the NEP originally acquired by someone else. For a subsample that was HIV tested (N=262), syringe relay among women was associated with HIV seroconversion (at a 95% confidence interval). We conclude that exclusive use of the NEP (no relay) provides greater HIV protection than NEP use involving syringe relay. The paradox is that public health goals will not be achieved by prohibiting syringe relay activities and promoting exclusive use. NEPs should broaden their education efforts to have participants understand the value of repeated visits to the NEP.
Academic Search Engine Optimization ( ASEO ): Optimizing Scholarly Literature for Google Scholar & Co.

This article introduces and discusses the concept of academic search engine optimization (ASEO). Based on three recently conducted studies, guidelines are provided on how to optimize scholarly literature for academic search engines in general, and for Google Scholar in particular. In addition, we briefly discuss the risk of researchers' illegitimately ‘over-optimizing’ their articles.
Convergence and Competition on the Way Toward 4G: Where are We Going?

4G evolution includes improvements beyond 3G as well as nomadic and mobile versions of fixed broadband wireless access (BWA) systems, such as WiFi and WiMAX. The resulting trend is technological and application convergence in an increasingly competitive marketplace. This introductory paper to the Focused Session "Convergence and Competition on the Way to 4G" concentrates on three key contributing developments: IMT-Advanced, migration from fixed to mobile BWA, and handover between heterogeneous networks
Self-consistent tight-binding theory of elasticity in ionic solids

Intra-atomic and interatomic Coulomb contributions to the total energy are added to the tight-binding theory of bonding in simple ionic solids. They are found to remove the principal discrepancies with experiment found earlier for the bulk modulus and Grueneisen constant for the alkali halides and alkaline-earth chalcogenides. The analysis is extended also to predict the full elastic tensor for these systems and the pressure dependence of that tensor, in good accord with experiment where it exists.
Conjoint play therapy for the young child and his parent.

CONJOINT family therapy is generally a very inclusive form of treatment. It is significant, however, that young children rarely participate in it. Bell 1 justifies the exclusion of young children by emphasizing that those under 9 cannot adequately partake in verbal interchange—the mainstay of family treatment. Of the major conjoint therapists, only Satir 2 makes a point of including children between the ages of 4 and 6—but she does not elaborate on their manner of interaction during the sessions. Therapy involving the young child with his parent has been reported, however, in other circles. Axline, 3 Moustakas, 4 Fraiberg, 5 Schwarz, 6 and Furer 7 all utilize the parent in the playroom primarily as an adjunct to their play therapy for the child, while Russo 8 includes the parent in the playroom for purposes of behavior therapy. * This paper reports on a method of conjoint therapy which
Chlamydomonas Sensory Rhodopsins A and B: Cellular Content and Role in Photophobic Responses

Two retinylidene proteins, CSRA and CSRB, have recently been shown by photoelectrophysiological analysis of RNAi-transformants to mediate phototaxis signaling in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Here we report immunoblot detection of CSRA and CSRB apoproteins in C. reinhardtii cells enabling assessment of the cellular content of the receptors. We obtain 9 × 104 CSRA and 1.5 × 104 CSRB apoprotein molecules per cell in vegetative cells of the wild-type strain 495, a higher value than that for functional receptor cellular content estimated previously from photosensitivity measurements and retinal extraction yields. Exploiting our ability to control the CSRA/CSRB ratio by transformation with receptor gene-directed RNAi, we report analysis of the CSRA and CSRB roles in the photophobic response of the organism by action spectroscopy with automated cell tracking/motion analysis. The results show that CSRA and CSRB each mediate the photophobic swimming response, a second known retinal-dependent photomotility behavior in C. reinhardtii. Due to the different light saturation and spectral properties of the two receptors, CSRA is dominantly responsible for photophobic responses, which appear at high light intensity.
Short-lived 123Sn and 125Sn from thermal-neutron fission of 235U

Abstract Isotopic separation of 40·1-min 123 Sn and 9·6-min 125 Sn from other tin fission products allowed determination of their fission yields and study of the chemical states of 123 Sn that are formed in fission. The yields determined are 0·0141±0·0012% for 40·1-min 123 Sn, 0·0014% for 9·6-min 125 Sn, ∼0·062% for 2·1-hr 127 Sn, and ∼0·30% for 128 Sn. It was also determined that 54±2% of 40·1-min 123 Sn is formed in the +2 oxidation state (the rest being in the +4 state) in an aqueous solution containing 1·0 M HCl, 0·21 M HF, 0·013 M UO 2 2+ , 0·011 M Sn(II), and 0·011 M Sn(IV). This value for 123 Sn is larger than that for 27-hr 121 Sn formed under the same chemical conditions and shows that the fraction of tin formed in the +2 state by beta decay is not a constant but depends on the characteristics of the beta decay process.
Phase compensation communication technique against time reversal for ultra-wideband channels

Phase compensation (PC) prefiltering is experimentally investigated for multipath channels over the frequency band spanning 2–12 GHz, a topic which to the best of the authors knowledge has not been studied in the literature on ultra-wideband (UWB) communications. The authors emphasis is to assess the capabilities of PC compared to time reversal (TR) prefilters over indoor UWB channels regarding multipath suppression, channel hardening, noise sensitivity and high-speed data transmission. Experiments were carried out for PC and TR prefilters in both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS (NLOS) environments. The multipath compression effectiveness is characterised by computing the root-mean-square delay spread and peak-to-average power ratio for actual measured channels and for the IEEE 802.15.4(a) UWB model. The authors study suggests PC outperforms TR considerably in mitigating the multipath channel dispersion. Bit-error-rate (BER) curves have been simulated for data rates in the range of 125–4000 Mbps based on the measured channel responses. The BER simulations suggest that while the TR performance is prohibitively saturated by its residual intersymbol interference for data rates of 500 Mbps and above (especially in NLOS), PC can be used for high-speed data transmissions as fast as 2 Gbps in both LOS and NLOS environments.
Diagnosis and management of neurofibromatosis type 1

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder whose major feature is the occurrence of multiple neurofibromas, which are benign tumors of the nerve sheath. It affects an estimated one in 3000 to 4000 individuals. In addition to neurofibromas, there are many other clinical manifestations, including malignant tumors such as gliomas or malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, and nontumor effects such as skeletal dysplasia and learning disability. Diagnosis is established on the basis of clinical criteria. Molecular genetic testing is feasible, but the large size of the gene and wide range of pathogenic mutations have so far impeded the development of a clinical diagnostic test. Insights into pathogenesis have followed from identification of the NF1 gene and the development of animal models. The major function of the gene product appears to be regulation of the ras protein. Tumors are believed to arise by the loss of function of the NF1 protein, suggesting that NF1 behaves as a tumor suppressor gene. Heterozygous effects on some cell types are also likely, however. The role of ras in the pathogenesis of tumors in NF1 has suggested an approach to treatment using ras inhibitors, some of which are likely to begin in clinical trials in NF1 patients in the near future.