cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beratungsqualität bei Finanzdienstleistern am Beispiel von Online-Immobilienfinanzierungen mit KfW-Darlehen

Ausgehend vom schlechten Status in der Baufinanzierungsberatung wird im vorliegenden Beitrag die Frage aufgeworfen,an welchen Stellen im Beratungsprozess fur eine selbstgenutzte Wohnimmobilie okonomisch sinnvolle Investitionen in Berater-bzw. Beratungsunterstutzungssysteme getatigt werden konnen. Dies wurde anhand der Fragestellung der Optimierung des KfW-Anteils an einer Baufinanzierung mit einem Standardannuitatendarlehen exemplarisch beleuchtet. Wenngleich die Frage der Optimierung aus finanzwirtschaftlicher Sicht auf der einen Seite und der Entwicklung, Implementierung und Wartung aus informationstechnischer Sicht auf der anderen Seite eher trivial erscheint, ergeben sich aus Sicht der Wirtschaftsinformatik an dieser Stelle herausfordernde Gestaltungsaufgaben. Es werden einfach implementierbare,finanzwirtschaftlich fundierte Entscheidungsregeln abgeleitet,die signifikant zu einer Verbesserung der Beratungsqualitat beitragen konnen. Der Beitrag ist nur der Auftakt far eine Untersuchung verschiedenster Ansatzpunkte far eine Verbesserung der Beratungsprozesse im Finanzdienstleistungsbereich durch den okonomisch sinnvollen Einsatz von Informationstechnologie.
Climate, Grapes, and Wine: Structure and Suitability in a Variable and Changing Climate

The geography of wine production worldwide results largely from the dependence on climates that provide the conditions needed to produce a quality product. Overall, the climate structure in a given wine-producing region largely determines the suitability of the region to different winegrape cultivars, the overall wine style produced there, and the economic viability of the industry. While the baseline climate determines the suitability, climate variability has a dominant effect on vintage-to-vintage variations in both wine quality and production. Additional challenges come from changes in climate that have altered the suitability of some regions for the better and challenged others.
A Summary of Global Technology Trends of Possible Strategic Interest to the People’s Republic of China

This brief paper will first summarize some important trends in science and engineering that are influencing the innovation process and diffusion rates of technology, the requirements for rapid progress in science, and likely effects on technical cooperation and competition.
CTEF: Collaborative Technology Evaluation Framework

The adoption of advanced semiconductor technologies in automotive electronics introduces new qualification challenges. In this paper, we propose a framework that provides an environment for all partners in the supply chain to collaborate in seamless assessment of a new technology during all development phases. The framework enables the assessment of system characteristics such as reliability and power without requiring any intellectual property exchange. The proposed methodology adapts the continuous change of internal models automatically, supply chains and parameter interdependencies during the different design phases. It also supports early decision-making throughout system planning and the identification of alternative suppliers. The framework’s applicability has been evaluated exemplary by assessing the reliability of an autonomous car. We show that the overall car reliability can be improved by up to 7.4% by selecting appropriate suppliers and technologies.
Blameable and Imperfect: A Study of Accountability and Risk-Taking

Many economic agents, including CEOs, physicians, entrepreneurs, and political leaders are entrusted with decision-making authority. These economic agents act as trustees who make risky decisions, impacting their own welfare and that of their stakeholders. Stakeholders often demand measures to hold these trustees more accountable for their risky decisions. Until now, research has not systematically explored investors’ or third-parties’ efforts to hold trustees accountable when stakeholders have voluntarily entered into such relationships. Using a novel laboratory experiment, we explore how different accountability mechanisms influence stakeholders’ and third-parties’ choices of reward or punishment towards trustee decisions. We also explore which accountability mechanism best nudges trustees towards decisions that maximizes social welfare. Our results contrast with the predictions of existing theories on social preferences and principal-agent models, which struggle to explain stakeholders’ persistent outcome bias. We propose that the stakeholders’ accountability decisions are best explained by a theory that captures responses to both the pure quality of decisions and the perceived luck of the decision maker, in other words, a good decision with moral luck theory.
Supporting Surgical Teams: Identifying Needs and Barriers for Exoskeleton Implementation in the Operating Room

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify potential needs and barriers related to using exoskeletons to decrease musculoskeletal (MS) symptoms for workers in the operating room (OR).Back...
A Cautionary Tale for Psychology and Higher Education in Asia: Following Western Practices of Incentivising Scholarship May Have Negative Outcomes:

Cases of scientific fraud and research misconduct in general have escalated in Western higher education over the last 20 years. These practices include forgery, distortion of facts and plagiarism, ...
Modeling filtered building effluent stack sampling points for qualification criteria

Abstract Proposed construction of or changes to a radiological effluent stack must meet the mixing criteria at the sampled stack location required by the standards ANSI/HPS N13.1–2011 and ISO 2889. For more than a decade, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of such stacks have been used to assist in characterizing the sample location suitability. When inadequate mixing in the stack at the sampling location has been identified, additional modeling was used. Testing results have confirmed the CFD model predictions with similar values in both scale model and full-scale stack tests. Simulations of a stack scheduled for modifications can evaluate mixing at the limits of operation, recommend modifications, and indicate if the retrofitted stack passes criteria for baseline operating conditions. This work demonstrates CFD modeling is an effective design tool and should be considered to facilitate qualification of a stack sampling location to meet standards.
Chapter 29 – The Sale of Goods

Publisher Summary The basic definition of a sale of goods is a “contract whereby the seller transfers or agrees to transfer the property in goods to the buyer for a money consideration, called the price.” “Property in goods” is a way of describing what is commonly called ownership, but a sale of goods can include an agreement to sell whereby the ownership of the goods passes at a later date. “Money consideration” generally means that the buyer must pay in money. The precise moment when the contract is formed is critical, in that before the contract is formed either party is free to withdraw. The contract is made when an offer made by one party is accepted by the other. An offer is an offer to buy. The display of goods for sale in a shop, for example, is merely an invitation to make offers. The cancellation of a contract under the Regulations also has the effect of cancelling any “related credit contract.” A situation often arises where the seller of goods does not have proper title to the goods. This may occur where the goods are not his to sell or where the contract by which he originally acquired the goods is voidable.
Dentistry’s Role in Assessing and Managing Controlled Substance Risk: Historical Overview, Current Barriers, and Working Toward Best Practices

Dentistry is in a unique position among the health care professions to assess and manage the patient with controlled substance risk. The concern over opioid risk is not new, and historically dentists have had to balance the critical need for adequate pain care with the importance of recognizing the consequences of using controlled substances for their patients. Barriers for providing adequate patient assessment and management may be greater in dentistry than other health care fields, although these barriers can be recognized and overcome. Collaboration with cotreating providers will improve patient outcomes and reduce patient risk.
City, Nation, Network: Shifting Territorialities of Sovereignty and Urban Violence in Latin America

Cities across the global south are seeing unprecedented levels of violence that generate intense risks and vulnerability. Such problems are often experienced most viscerally among poorer residents, thus reinforcing longstanding socio-spatial conditions of exclusion, inequality, and reduced quality of life for those most exposed to urban violence. Frequently, these problems are understood through the lens of poverty, informality, and limited employment opportunities. Yet an undertheorized and equally significant factor in the rise of urban violence derives from the shifting territorialities of governance and power, which are both cause and consequence of ongoing struggles within and between citizens and state authorities over the planning and control of urban space. This article suggests that a relatively underexplored but revealing way to understand these dynamics, and how they drive violence, is through the lens of sovereignty. Drawing on examples primarily from Mexico, and other parts of urban Latin America, I suggest that problems of urban violence derive from fragmented sovereignty, a condition built upon the emergence of alternative, competing, and at times overlapping networks of territorial authority at the scale of the city, nation, and globe. In addition to theorizing the shifting spatial correlates of sovereignty among state and non-state armed actors, and showing how these dynamics interact with urbanization patterns to produce violence, I argue that the spatial form of the city both produces and is produced by changing political and economic relations embedded in urban planning principles. That is, urban planning practices must be seen as the cause, and not merely the solution, to problems of urban violence and its deleterious effects. Using these claims to dialogue with urban planners, this essay calls for new efforts to redesign cities and urban spaces with a focus on territorial connectivities and socio-spatial integration, so as to push back against the limits of fragmented sovereignty arrangements, minimize violence, and foster inclusion and justice.
Mild dyspnea presenting as ‘crazy-paving’ on chest computed tomography

Pulmonary alveolar proteinoisis (PAP) is a rare disease characterized by accumulation of proteinaceous material in the alveolar spaces. Here, we report a case of mild dyspnea with incidental ‘crazy...
RNA silencing by CRISPR in plants does not require Cas13

Abstract RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas can provide potential advantages over DNA editing, such as avoiding pleiotropic effects of genome editing, providing precise spatiotemporal regulation and expanded function including anti-viral immunity. Here, we report the use of CRISPR-Cas13 in plants to reduce both viral and endogenous RNA. Unexpectedly, we discovered that crRNA designed to guide Cas13 could, in the absence of the Cas13 protein, cause substantial reduction in RNA levels as well. We demonstrate Cas13-independent guide-induced gene silencing (GIGS) in three plant species, including stable transgenic Arabidopsis. We determined that GIGS utilizes endogenous RNAi machinery despite the fact that crRNA are unlike canonical triggers of RNAi such as miRNA, hairpins or long double-stranded RNA. These results suggest that GIGS offers a novel and flexible approach to RNA reduction with potential benefits over existing technologies for crop improvement. Our results demonstrate that GIGS is active across a range of plant species, evidence similar to recent findings in an insect system, which suggests that GIGS is potentially active across many eukaryotes.
Analysis of primer gunshot residue particles by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

This study reports novel approaches for the detection of gunshot residues (GSR) from the hands of individuals using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The methods’ performance was evaluated using 159 GSR standard and authentic samples. Forty specimens generated from characterized microparticles were used as matrix-matched primer gunshot residue (pGSR) standards to examine the elemental profiles of leaded and lead-free residues, compared to SEM-EDS and solution-ICP-MS. Also, 119 authentic skin samples were analyzed to estimate error rates. Shooter samples were correctly classified into three categories based on their elemental composition (leaded, lead-free, or mixed pGSR). A total of 60 non-shooter samples were used to establish background thresholds and estimate specificity (93.4% for LA-ICP-MS and 100% for LIBS). All the authentic leaded items resulted in the detection of particle(s) with composition characteristic of pGSR (Pb–Ba–Sb), as observed by simultaneous elemental identification of target analytes at the exact ablation times and locations. When considering the pre-characterized elemental composition of these primers as the “ground truth”, LA-ICP-MS resulted in 91.8% sensitivity (true positive rate), while LIBS resulted in 89.2% sensitivity. Particles containing Ba, Bi, Bi–Cu–K, and Cu–Ti–Zn were found in the lead-free residues. Identification of lead-free GSR proved more challenging as some of these elements are common in the environment, resulting in 85.2% sensitivity for LA-ICP-MS and 44.4% for LIBS. Overall accuracies of 94.9% and 88.2% were obtained for the LA-ICP-MS and LIBS sets, respectively. LA-ICP-MS provided an additional level of confidence in the results by its superior analytical capabilities, complementing the LIBS chemical profiles. The laser-based methods provide rapid chemical profiling and micro-spatial information of gunshot residue particles, with minimal destruction of the sample and high accuracy. Chemical mapping of 25 micro-regions per sample is possible in 2–10 minutes by LIBS and LA-ICP-MS, offering new tools for more comprehensive forensic case management and quick GSR screening in environmental and occupational sciences.
Relations between Violence Exposure, Threat Appraisal, and Coping among Typologies of Victimized Adolescents

RELATIONS BETWEEN VIOLENCE EXPOSURE, THREAT APPRAISAL, AND COPING AMONG TYPOLOGIES OF VICTIMIZED ADOLESCENTS By Katherine A. Taylor, B. S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Terri N. Sullivan, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Psychology According to the transactional theory of stress and coping, threat appraisals influence coping and adjustment. Previous research has shown that threat appraisals mediate relations between violence exposure and adjustment, but few studies have examined links between threat appraisals and coping. The current study examined relations between violence exposure, threat appraisals, and coping among typologies of victimized adolescents. The sample included 159 predominately African American adolescents (M = 12.1). Path analyses were used to test whether threats of negative evaluation by self and others mediated relations between violence exposure and avoidance and positive reframing coping, respectively. Results did not indicate mediation or differential relations between study constructs for victim typologies. Significant direct effects were found between violence exposure and negative self-evaluation and positive reframing, such that greater violence exposure was associated with a greater likelihood of self-blaming and positive reframing. These findings have implications for youth violence prevention and intervention efforts.
Calibration of A325 Bolts

Direct tension and torqued tension tests of 170 A325 bolts were carried out to determine the behavior and performance of individual A325 bolts. The major variables studied in the program included the effect of thread length between the thread run-out and the face of the nut, the effect of grip, continuous and incremental torquing, and reserve strength in tension after torquing. The behavior and performance of the bolts is examined, and typical data are presented. The results are related to the current Specification for Structural Joints Using ASTM A325 Bolts and have influenced the amount of nut rotation required when the turn-of-nut method of tightening is used. For usual grips, the grip length was found to have no appreciable effect on the load-elongation characteristics when the length of thread under the nut was approximately the same. Nut rotations greater than one-half turn from snug yielded little additional clasping force. Decreasing the amount of exposed thread under the nut results in a decrease in the deformation capacity of the bolt.
Estimation and Signal Processing Algorithms

This chapter presents the essential elements of the minimum variance filtering and prediction algorithms derived on the basis of the state space and the CARMA models. After a brief review of the two forms of stochastic signal models, the estimation algorithms are first derived for systems with known models. This is followed by the introduction of a sequential parameter estimation algorithm for systems with unknown models. A solution of the adaptive filtering and prediction problem for systems with unknown models is then discussed. Finally, a numerical example illustrating the application of the adaptive prediction algorithm for solving a simple control problem is also presented.
Intercircuit Control of Motor Pattern Modulation by Presynaptic Inhibition

Rhythmically active neural networks can control the modulatory input that they receive via their synaptic effects onto modulatory neurons. This synaptic control of network modulation can occur presynaptically, at the axon terminals of the modulatory neuron. For example, in the crab stomatogastric ganglion (STG), a gastric mill network neuron presynaptically inhibits transmitter release from a modulatory projection neuron called modulatory commissural neuron 1. We showed previously that the gastric mill rhythm-timed presynaptic inhibition of the STG terminals of MCN1 is pivotal for enabling MCN1 to activate this rhythm. We also showed that MCN1 excites the pyloric rhythm within the STG. Here we show that, because MCN1 stimulation conjointly excites the gastric mill and pyloric rhythms, the gastric mill rhythm-timed presynaptic inhibition of MCN1 causes a rhythmic interruption in the MCN1-mediated excitation of the pyloric rhythm. Consequently, during each protraction phase of the gastric mill rhythm, presynaptic inhibition suppresses MCN1 excitation of the pyloric rhythm, thereby weakening the pyloric rhythm. During the retraction phase, presynaptic inhibition is absent and MCN1 elicits a faster, stronger, and modified pyloric rhythm. Thus, in addition to its role in enabling a neural circuit to regulate the modulatory transmission that it receives, presynaptic inhibition is also used effectively to rhythmically control the activity level of a distinct, but behaviorally related, neural circuit.
The hard X-ray to gamma-ray spectrum in the egret active galactic nuclei

EGRET (20 MeV-30 GeV), on board the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, has observed high-energy emission from about ~40-50 active galactic nuclei. Theoretical models of this emission based on the upscattering of thermal disk photons by cooling, relativistic electrons can successfully account for the EGRET observations, but they predict a considerably greater X-ray flux than that actually observed in a majority of these sources. This inconsistency may be an indication that the particles are energized during the Compton scattering process, since the X-ray emission is produced by the lowest energy electrons, whose density may be relatively small because of the acceleration. Such a situation may arise as a result of resistive field generation in electromagnetic acceleration schemes, which we here explore. A key feature of this model is the assumed existence of a current associated with the azimuthal component B of the underlying magnetic field by a slight imbalance in the energy distributions of outwardly moving, relativistic electrons and protons produced at the disk surface via shock acceleration. The generation of an electric field (via magnetic field line reconnection) is thus required to maintain the current in the presence of a resistivity induced by the radiative drag on the relativistic electrons. We show that the resulting spectrum can exhibit a significant deficit of X-rays compared with gamma rays. In addition, because of the unidirectional flow of the current associated with B, this model would predict that the electrons are energized relative to the protons in the outflow only on one side of the disk. They should be decelerated on the reverse side. As such, we would anticipate that any given blazar should have a ~50% probability of being gamma-ray-bright, which appears to be consistent with the observed ratio.
Robust exponential filtering for uncertain systems with stochastic and polytopic uncertainties

This paper addresses the problem of robust exponential filtering for discrete uncertain systems with mixed stochastic and deterministic uncertainties, in addition to unmodelled nonlinearities and measurement and process noises with bounded variances.
Microscale effects from global hot plasma imagery

We have used a three-dimensional model of recovery phase storm hot plasmas to explore the signatures of pitch angle distributions (PADS) in global fast atom imagery of the magnetosphere. The model computes mass, energy, and position-dependent PADs based on drift effects, charge exchange losses, and Coulomb drag. The hot plasma PAD strongly influences both the storm current system carried by the hot plasma and its time evolution. In turn, the PAD is strongly influenced by plasma waves through pitch angle diffusion, a microscale effect. We report the first simulated neutral atom images that account for anisotropic PADs within the hot plasma. They exhibit spatial distribution features that correspond directly to the PADs along the lines of sight. We investigate the use of image brightness distributions along tangent-shell field lines to infer equatorial PADS. In tangent-shell regions with minimal spatial gradients, reasonably accurate PADs are inferred from simulated images. They demonstrate the importance of modeling PADs for image inversion and show that comparisons of models with real storm plasma images will reveal the global effects of these microscale processes.
Chronic elevation of norepinephrine in conscious dogs produces hypertrophy with no loss of LV reserve.

Elevated plasma catecholamine levels may cause both myocardial hypertrophy and tissue damage. To determine whether the left ventricle from dogs with chronic norepinephrine infusion can sustain additional functional loads, we altered ventricular preload or afterload and determined both global and left ventricular (LV) wall function. Dogs were instrumented to measure LV wall function, LV internal base diameter, and LV pressures and were allowed to fully recover. Preload was altered by volume loading and afterload by injection of phenylephrine. Osmotic infusion pumps were implanted to continuously release norepinephrine at 0.5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 for 28 days, and the volume loading and phenylephrine were repeated on days 14 and 28. Heart rate decreased, whereas there were no differences in mean arterial pressure, maximum first derivative of LV pressure (dP/dt), LV dP/dt/developed pressure of 40 mmHg, LV dP/dt/end-diastolic circumference, slope of the pressure-diameter relation, peak systolic wall stress, LV/end-diastolic diameter, or LV/end-systolic diameter during norepinephrine infusion. Diastolic and systolic wall thickness and chamber weights were increased (P less than 0.05). Indexes of diastolic function, including end-diastolic pressure, end-diastolic pressure-end-diastolic diameter relationship, maximum negative dP/dt, and the time constant (tau) were unchanged after chronic norepinephrine infusion, although maximum end-diastolic pressure during volume loading was increased from 17.7 +/- 2.0 to 21.7 +/- 1.0 mmHg. Chronic norepinephrine infusion did not alter tau, and tau increased equivalently with phenylephrine injection in both normal (36 +/- 1 to 62 +/- 5 ms) dogs and in those chronically infused with norepinephrine (36 +/- 1 to 56 +/- 5 ms).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Psychology of Nuclear Proliferation: Identity, Emotions and Foreign Policy

Dozens of states have long been capable of acquiring nuclear weapons, yet only a few have actually done so. Jacques E. C. Hymans finds that the key to this surprising historical pattern lies not in externally imposed constraints, but rather in state leaders' conceptions of the national identity. Synthesizing a wide range of scholarship from the humanities and social sciences to experimental psychology and neuroscience, Hymans builds a rigorous model of decisionmaking that links identity to emotions and ultimately to nuclear policy choices. Exhaustively researched case studies of France, India, Argentina, and Australia - two that got the bomb and two that abstained - demonstrate the value of this model while debunking common myths. This book will be invaluable to policymakers and concerned citizens who are frustrated with the frequent misjudgments of states' nuclear ambitions, and to scholars who seek a better understanding of how leaders make big foreign policy decisions.
Reconstitution of centrosome microtubule nucleation in Spisula.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the use of isolated centrosomes from oocytes of the giant surf clam, Spisula solidissima , for the systematic disassembly and reconstitution of centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation potential (MNP). The Spisula system offers a number of advantages for a biochemical approach to understanding centrosome assembly and function. Treatment of isolated Spisula centrosomes with various reagents—including potassium iodide, removes MNP and centrioles, and reveals the presence of a structural matrix composed of 12- to 15-nm-diameter filaments, the centromatrix. This centromatrix remains intact and it binds to elements that are necessary for microtubule nucleation and recovers MNP, when introduced into cytoplasmic extracts prepared from a number of animal cell types. This system shows a direct correlation between the presence of γ-tubulin and 25-nm rings and centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation. The ability to isolate sufficient quantities of homogeneous centrosomes from a single time point in the meiotic cell cycle for biochemical analysis and the ability to dissociate and reconstitute centrosome-dependent MNP using heterologous model systems offer an opportunity to identify the molecules and the sequence of events that are required for the assembly of an microtubule-organizing center (MTOC).
Monetary Innovation in America

Monetary innovation, the development of new forms of money, has not received much systematic study from economic historians. This essay presents a framework for analyzing the determinants of monetary innovation and illustrates the argument by means of a sketch of monetary innovation in America from colonial times to the present. M ONEY has appeared in a variety of forms in modern history and it continues to evolve toward new ones. Economists and economic historians, however, have devoted relatively little attention to the problem of explaining why new forms of money appear when and where they do. These events, which I shall call monetary innovation, are taken more or less as givens by analysts whose primary interest is in explaining the economic effects of variations in the quantity of money, whatever form or forms it might take. In other words, economic historians have been more concerned with the effects of monetary innovation than with its causes. This brief essay is an attempt to open up discussion of the determinants of monetary innovation. The ideas developed are illustrated with examples drawn from the history of money in America.
Necessary and sufficient conditions for multistage two-person zero-sum games

After previously obtained necessary conditions for optimal strategies in multistage two-person zero-sum games are summarized, necessary and sufficient conditions are derived. The utilization of these conditions is illustrated by means of a simple example.
High-Frequency Characterization of Printed CPW Lines on Textiles using a Custom Test Fixture

A screen printer is used to print conductive inks, loaded with silver particles, on nonwoven textiles substrates. To evaluate this technology for use as flexible interconnects; a custom test fixture was designed to assist in the high frequency characterization of CPW transmission lines. Due to the flexible nature of textile substrates it is necessary to have mechanical support at the points of electrical contact. However, the test fixture must not alter the electrical characteristics of the CPW lines. This test fixture removes the electrical effects of the mechanical support, and provides a simple and repeatable methodology for evaluating various types of textiles substrates, conductive inks, geometrical variations, and other parameters. Time-domain reflectometry (TDR) is used to measure the characteristic impedance of samples across geometrical variations in the 10 cm long CPW lines. A comparison showing the effects of the measuring the samples using the test fixture to measuring the samples on a solid acrylic substrate, and a metal plate are presented
Effects of psycho-educational interventions on sexual health risks and psycho-social adaptation in young adults with genital herpes

Effects of psycho-educational interventions on sexual health risks and psycho-social adaptation in young adults with genital herpes¶The purpose of this study was to test the outcomes of group psycho-educational intervention (PEI) led by nurses on sexual health risks (knowledge, behaviour, disease burden) and psycho-social adaptation (depression, mood states, self-efficacy) in young adults with the chronic disease, genital herpes. Two hundred and fifty-two young adults with symptomatic genital herpes participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The intervention was participation in a three-session group PEI facilitated by a nurse in the community. Participants completed questionnaires measuring sexual health risks (herpes knowledge, sexual risk behaviour, disease burden of patterns of recurrences of outbreaks of the disease), and psycho-social adaptation (depression using the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI], mood states using the Profile of Mood States [POMS], and feelings of self-efficacy for protection from sexually transmitted diseases [PSTD]) at induction into the study, and at 3 and 6 months. Participants were mainly employed, Caucasian, single women in their twenties (X = 27·1 years, SD = 4·3), with some college education; 23% of the sample were men. After controlling for baseline knowledge about genital herpes, the experimental group had significantly more knowledge than the control group at 3 and 6 months' post-intervention. They also reported using condoms and spermicides to prevent the spread of genital herpes more often than did the control group. The implications for nurses in the community include the following: (a) PEI is an intervention that can be used by nurses in the community with a high-risk population; (b) group intervention is a viable treatment for people with a highly stigmatized, chronic sexually transmitted disease (STD); and (c) further testing of the use of PEI by nurses in the community with other high-risk populations is needed.
Inelastic behavior and fracture of high modulus polymeric fiber bundles at high strain-rates

The tensile behavior and fracture mechanisms of poly(phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) and high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fiber bundles were studied at high strain-rates using a tension Kolsky bar. For all fiber bundles investigated, a significant amount of strain energy was found to be dissipated by inelastic processes in addition to that due to fracture. The differences in microstructure and properties between the fibers were shown to have a noticeable influence on the inelasticity and fracture behavior in PPTA fiber bundles. No significant strain-rate effect on inelastic behavior and maximum strength was found in HMPE fiber bundles. Scanning electron micrographs of the fracture surfaces of PPTA fiber showed that the failure occurs mainly by fibrillation resulting in pointed breaks, and showed no fundamental difference in fracture mechanism at quasi-static and high strain-rates. However, the fracture mechanism in the HMPE fiber was different at quasi-static and high strain-rates, crazing was dominant at high strain-rates and plate formation under quasi-static conditions. This difference was more substantial in HMPE fibers with lower degree of crystalline order, which suggested that the inelastic behavior is governed by a precise mechanism of load transfer between the crystalline and amorphous phases present in HMPE fibers as a function of loading rate. At high strain-rates, HMPE fibers appear to be able to dissipate more strain energy than PPTA fibers due to this intrinsic change of deformation mechanism. Our results also support the idea that the mechanical behavior of a PPTA fiber bundle is inherently statistical including variations in strength distribution and alignment of the individual filaments.
Do men become infertile after having sexually transmitted urethritis? An epidemiologic examination

Abstract Objective: To critically assess the possibility that gonorrhea or chlamydia causes male infertility. Design: Comprehensive literature review structured to evaluate the epidemiologic tenets for causality, including biologic plausibility, strength of association, dose response, consistency, temporality, and treatment effect. Result(s): It is biologically plausible that gonorrhea and/or chlamydia could cause male infertility. There is clinical and pathologic evidence linking these pathogens to urethritis, linking urethritis to epididymo-orchitis, and linking epididymo-orchitis to infertility. Retrospective epidemiologic results also support an association between chlamydia serologies and male infertility, which in most of these small studies does not reach the level of statistical significance. However, there is no consistent epidemiologic evidence that these pathogens alter sperm characteristics. We discuss the methodologic limitations of previous epidemiologic studies and suggest strategies for future research. Conclusion(s): Whether gonorrhea and/or chlamydia cause male infertility is currently unclear. Sound methodologic research strategies must be applied to future studies.
Proposed structure of the anthramycin-DNA adduct.

Anthramycin, an antitumour antibiotic produced by Streptomyces refuineus1, belongs to the pyrrolo(1,4)benzodiazepine antibiotic group2. Antibiotics within this group are potent inhibitors of nucleic acid synthesis because of their ability to form a labile covalent adduct with DNA2–6. The reaction of anthramycin with DNA is unusual in that the rate of adduct formation is slow2,4,5, shows an absolute specificity for deoxyguanosine in a double-stranded template4, and is only stable as long as the secondary structure of DNA is retained6. Experiments using confluent non-dividing human cell lines have demonstrated that while repair-proficient cells are able to remove up to 84% of the adduct within 72 h, xeroderma pigmentosum cells in complementation group A were only able to remove 49% during the same incubation period10. We propose here a Corey, Pauling and Koltun (CPK) molecular model for the anthramycin–DNA adduct in which anthramycin is attached through the 2-amino group of guanine and lies hidden in the narrow groove. Experimental data supporting this model are provided. The model is based on information about the probable covalent binding sites on anthramycin and guanine together with the known crystal structure of anthramyin7.
Peri-sleep-onset cortisol levels in children and adolescents with affective disorders.

Background Changes in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, as evidenced by patterns of cortisol secretion, have been of interest in understanding depression and anxiety disorders across the life span. Previous studies of pediatric depression have pointed to the period around sleep onset as a key time point for observing alterations in cortisol secretion associated with affective disorders. Evidence also indicates that pubertal development may influence the expression of HPA dysregulation. We hypothesized that adolescents with depression and youth with anxiety disorders exhibit elevated peri-sleep-onset cortisol. Methods Plasma cortisol was sampled every 20 min around sleep onset from children and adolescents with major depressive disorder ( n = 116), anxiety disorders ( n = 32), or no history of psychiatric disorder (control; n = 76). Sleep onset was determined by polysomnography. Classification of participants as children or adolescents was based on Tanner staging of pubertal maturation. Results Children with anxiety disorders had higher peri-sleep-onset cortisol than children with depression or control children. Adolescents with depression had marginally higher peri-sleep-onset cortisol than control adolescents and significantly higher peri-sleep-onset cortisol than children with depression. Conclusions Depression and anxiety are associated with altered cortisol secretion around sleep onset, and these changes appear to be influenced by pubertal maturation.
Oral cancer and precancer screening studies have high discriminatory ability

Objective Systematic review and meta-analysis of the performance of screening measures for oral cancer and precancer.
Association of Hematocrit and Red Blood Cell Transfusion with Outcomes in Infants Undergoing Norwood Operation.

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and hematocrit values with outcomes in infants undergoing Norwood operation. This study included infants ≤2 months of age who underwent Norwood operation with either a modified Blalock–Taussig shunt or a right ventricle-pulmonary artery shunt. Demographics, preoperative, operative, daily laboratory data, and postoperative variables were collected. The primary outcome measures evaluated included mortality, ICU length of stay, length of mechanical ventilation, and days to chest closure. The secondary outcome measures evaluated included lactate levels, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and inotrope score in the first 14 days after heart operation. Cox proportional hazard models were fitted to study the probability of study outcomes as a function of hematocrit values and RBC transfusions after operation. Eighty-nine patients qualified for inclusion. With a median hematocrit of 46 (IQR 44, 49), and a median RBC transfusion of 92 ml/kg (IQR 31, 384) in the first 14 days after operation, 81 (91 %) patients received RBC transfusions. A multivariable analysis adjusted for risk factors, including the age, weight, prematurity, cardiopulmonary bypass and cross-clamp time, and postoperative need for nitric oxide and dialysis, demonstrated no association between hematocrit and RBC transfusion with majority of study outcomes. This single-center study found that higher hematocrit values and increasing RBC transfusions are not associated with improved outcomes in infants undergoing Norwood operation.
Consolidation Experiments for Laminate Composites

Consolidation experiments conducted on special prepregs made of constant viscosity oils and aligned graphite fibers are reported. Measurements of the deformation behavior of the fibers in the "drained" state (oil impregnated, but zero pressure in the oil) reveal that, to a first approximation, the fiber network can be modelled as a nonlinear elastic network, and a model based on bending beam behavior is shown to accurately fit the data. Further more, a finite load (> 3 psi) is required to compress the fibers to volume fractions equal to, and above the range of about 0.56 to 0.61. Sample to sample variation, and in a few cases inelastic effects are also noted. Measurements of the permeability of the fiber bundle indicate a strong anisotropy as well as a strong fiber volume fraction dependence. It is shown that the Carman-Kozeny equation gives a good approximation to the axial direction permeability with kxx = 0.7. Compared to this, the transverse permeability is smaller by a factor of 25 or more. Furthermo...
Effect of Hormones on Matrix Metalloproteinases Gene Regulation in Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

Background Postmenopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy have more adverse outcomes after vascular reconstructions. Estrogen-binding receptors have been identified on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), indicating that vascular function may be under direct hormonal control. A key group of enzymes involved in vascular remodeling are matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Here we studied the effect of estrogen (Est) and progesterone (Prog) on MMP gene expression in human VSMCs. Methods and results VSMCs were incubated with Est (5 ng/mL), Prog (50 ng/mL), Est+Prog combination (Est/Prog), and interleukin-1β (100 U/mL; IL-1β). Gene array analysis indicated Est+IL-1β increased the expression of MMP-3. Reverse transcriptase-polymer chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses revealed MMP-3 mRNA levels were significantly increased by Est/Prog+IL-1β treatment. However, Western blot and further RT-PCR analyses indicated no change in MMP-3 in response to hormones alone. RT-PCR analyses revealed membrane type 1 (MT1)-MMP mRNA levels, not MMP-2 or tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP), were significantly increased by Est/Prog+IL-1β, and Western blot analyses confirmed a significant increase in MT1-MMP protein in response to Est alone. Conclusion Estrogen and progesterone affect the MMP pathway of VSMCs via isoform specific mechanisms and may lead to unbalanced MMP regulation. Estrogen up-regulates MT1-MMP without a corresponding increase in TIMP-2, known activator and inhibitor of MMP-2, respectively. Additionally, estrogen up-regulates MMP-3 only in the presence of IL-1β. This differential regulation, combined with case-specific variations in degree of inflammatory response, may explain why some women receiving exogenous hormone therapy at the time of vascular interventions are more susceptible to complications.
Akbar and His India

This volume focuses on Akbar, his empire and environment, to present a picture of the polity and culture of India 400-500 years ago.
Application of neural network control to distillation and an experimental comparison with other advanced controllers

Abstract This paper experimentally demonstrates a novel approach for process control that uses neural networks for gain prediction within nonlinear, multivariable and constraint accommodation. This strategy is implemented on a lab-scale, nonideal, methanol-water distillation column for servo, regulatory and constrained control. Experimental results also demonstrate a Generic Model Controller using a neural network as the steady-state model inverse that was developed and simulated earlier [S. Ramchandran, R.R. Rhinehart, A very simple structure for neural network control of distillation, J. Proc. Cont. 52) (1995) 115–128]. A comparative study of these two neural network model-based controllers with other advanced controllers (e.g. Nonlinear Process-Model Based Control; Model Predictive Control using Dynamic Matrix Control, [DMC]™; and an Advanced Classical Control) is also shown.
The Therapeutic Potential of Antigen-Oligonucleotide Conjugates

: Conjugation of protein antigen with immunostimulatory oligonucleotides creates a potent immunogen that elicits antigen-specific antibody responses, a Th1-biased cytokine profile, and CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity. The wide range of humoral and cellular immune responses induced by these conjugates suggests they can be used to create effective vaccines against infectious pathogens and tumors and to beneficially modulate the immune responses seen in allergic diseases. This review summarizes the available data on the use of antigen-oligonucleotide conjugates and discusses their potential use for the treatment of infectious, oncologic, and allergic diseases in humans.
Dynamic pharmacophore model optimization: identification of novel HIV-1 integrase inhibitors.

We extended the previously described dynamic pharmacophore model studies of HIV-1 integrase (IN) by considering more key residues in the active site, including Mg2+. First, we applied a Monte Carlo sampling method to map the complementary features of the IN binding surface. Two types of dynamic pharmacophore models were generated. One considers Mg2+ as part of the IN and therefore as an excluded volume, and the other treats Mg2+ as a positively charged feature, representing a new type of pharmacophore model aimed to identify compounds potentially preventing Mg2+ binding. Second, we validated the models with 385 known active (IC50 100 μM) inactive IN inhibitors. Third, we used the derived models to screen our small molecule database. Twenty-two structurally novel compounds were tested in an in vitro assay specific for IN, and two of them showed IC50 ≤ 10 μM for strand transfer reaction.
A hierarchical approach to simultaneous design of products and processes.

Abstract Product and process design involve algorithmic and heuristic processing of symbolic and numeric data. Therefore, for such a design task, a hybrid approach that interweaves numerical and heuristic paradigms is warranted. The increasing rigor in modeling along with the necessary knowledge feedback results in a generalized system architecture that forms the basis of this paper. The approach is implemented using KAPPA on a Sun SPARC 5 station. The superstructure developed using the heuristic method is optimized with respect to the choice of technology, operating conditions, the technology sequencing, and the stream flows using Mixed Integer (Non) Linear Programming (MI(N)LP). Product design involves relating product mix and processing conditions to various product characteristics. The multi-objective approach called for this type of problem is addressed through relative weighing of the objectives in the objective function. The lumped parameters used are derived from detailed distributed models using a two-tier approach. The first example used is porous matrix-polymer composite design through impregnation and surface treatment. A second example on catalyst design is also used. The rigorous models utilize a genetic algorithm for search in the discrete variable space. Learning from the rigorous models is used to update the process flowsheets as well as the knowledge bases.
Subsurface contaminant monitoring by laser fluorescence excitation-emission spectroscopy in a cone penetrometer probe

A laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) excitation-emission matrix (EEM) probe has been developed for subsurface monitoring of fluorescent organic contaminants. The fourth harmonic of a flashlamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser (at 266 nm) is used to pump a Raman shifter. Up to ten laser beams (in the wavelength region of 258 to 379 nm) from the raman shifter are launched into optical fibers that conduct the light to the probe near the tip of the cone penetrometer. The fluorescence emission is excited through ten separate sapphire windows and collected by ten collection fibers that conduct the fluorescence to a spectrograph/CCD detection system. This probe allows real-time collection of LIF-EEMs of contaminants adsorbed on solids or dissolved in groundwater. LIF-EEMs provide a substantial amount of spectral information that can be used to determine the composition and quantity of contaminants in soils. The system was tested and calibrated in the laboratory. Spectra of different organic contaminants were measured in aqueous solutions, in organic solvents, and in different types of soils.