cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The growing international commercial market for educational goods and services

Abstract Most discussions and policy lessons about the commercial role in education have derived from the provision of private education programs in elementary, secondary and higher, and education and training. The private education industry includes two additional categories of activity which have not been the focus of attention. These are the private provision of education products and education services. But how large are these two activities? Do they involve international trade? Do they already attract the interest of private capital? Are these activities growing, and if so, what are their implications? This analysis will attempt to respond to these questions, and will be divided into four sections. The first section defines education products and services, and outlines the structure of the two sub-sectors. The second section describes the size of commercial activity and its trends. The third section reviews the challenges and opportunities for those who are interested in investing in this arena. The fourth section asks the question of whether the commercial provision of education goods and services is good or bad, inevitable or not; whether countries, unsure about the appropriate response, should welcome or resist these trends. Commercial activity in education goods and services can be expected to grow substantially. Reliable local data are rare, in part because of how education data are categorized, and in part because education data are untrustworthy in general. Government regulations may inhibit or in some instances distort local markets, for commercial enterprises, whether local or international. On the other hand, the efficiency importance of having a highly responsive commercial sector providing education goods and services is incontestable. These changes will raise questions about the assumptions about the virtues and drawbacks of globalization, the ‘protection’ of developing countries, and the importance of maintaining local cultural integrity. They will also challenge some of the basic principles of national education systems. Do countries have the right to prohibit access to education if supplied by a non-government provider? If supplied by an international provider? Or do citizens in all democracies have the same right of access to the education of their choice? Should nations with technical or regulatory advantage be restricted from exporting education goods and services, on grounds that they may ‘dominate’ other cultures? But what if citizens want to buy it? What if they are willing to privately pay for it? Is education like a railroad or public utility? Or is there something which differentiates education from other public good services? Far from being settled, these questions will continue to be at the forefront of debate in the next few years.
Promotion speed and its effect on attrition of Navy-enlisted personnel: addressing heterogeneity in high school credentials

This article investigates the relationship between recruit quality and promotion speed of the US Navy's first-term enlisted personnel, which in turn is expected to affect retention. It also investigates whether there are quality differences between the various types of high school credentials presented at the time of recruitment, including test-based and attendance-based equivalencies and nontraditional high school diplomas. The results of this article suggest that the Navy's recent targeting of individuals with alternative high school credentials and nonhigh school graduates, who score in the top half of the Armed Forces Qualification Tests (AFQTs) as substitutes for diploma holders have desirable results for promotion speed but undesirable results for retention.
What Clinicians Should Know About the 2014 Ebola Outbreak

The ongoing Ebola outbreak that began in Guinea in February 2014 has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, and the United States and has become the largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history. It is important for frontline medical providers to understand key aspects of Ebola virus disease (EVD) to quickly recognize an imported case, provide appropriate medical care, and prevent transmission. Furthermore, an understanding of the clinical presentation, clinical course, transmission, and prevention of EVD can help reduce anxiety about the disease and allow health care providers to calmly and confidently provide medical care to patients suspected of having EVD.
Recent Developments in Heliox Therapy for Asthma and Bronchiolitis

Helium and oxygen gas mixtures (heliox) have become an area of renewed interest in pediatric emergency and critical care for the treatment of acute asthma exacerbations and bronchiolitis. After a review of recent literature on heliox, this article will provide an overview of delivery techniques. This article will primarily focus on heliox inhalation therapy and heliox-driven nebulizer therapy for acute asthma exacerbations. The emergence of heliox inhalation therapy for acute viral bronchiolitis will also be addressed.
The significance of certain carboxylic acids as intermediates in the biosynthesis of cholesterol

Abstract Results obtained by the application of a chromatographic method for the isolation, from a single incubation mixture, of various acidic cholesterol precursors are presented. Evidence is given which indicates that: 1. 1. Neither β.β-dimethylacrylic acid nor β-hydroxyisovaleric acid is an obligatory percursor of cholesterol. 2. 2. gb-Methylglutaconic acid may be such a precursor. 3. 3. β,β-Dimethylacrylic acid and/or β-hydroxy-isovaleric acid can, to a limited extent, yield acetate in liver homogenates, without the intermediate formation of β-hydroxy-β-methylglutaric acid. 4. 4. α-Phenylbutyric acid probably inhibits cholesterol synthesis by influencing some step beyond the steps leading to the formation of the acids studied here.
Stress-Induced Band Gap and Related Phenomena in Gray Tin

The conductivity and low-field Hall coefficient of high-purity (${N}_{D}\ensuremath{-}{N}_{A}\ensuremath{\sim}5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{14}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$) and lightly doped ($2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{15}\ensuremath{\le}{N}_{D}\ensuremath{\le}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{17}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$) $n$-type gray tin subjected to oriented uniaxial compressions have been measured between 1.4 and 100 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Stress ($\ensuremath{\chi}$) exceeding 3 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{9}$ ${\mathrm{d}\mathrm{y}\mathrm{n}/\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ was achieved in both [001] and [111] orientations. Density-of-states expressions are developed to account for the severe band anisotropies imposed by the strain in the normally degenerate ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{8}^{+}$ conduction and valence bands, and these are employed to determine the band splittings at $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}=0$ from the Hall coefficient of the high-purity samples above 15 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Shear deformation potentials of $b=\ensuremath{-}2.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5$ eV and $d\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}4.1$ eV are obtained by this procedure. The Hall coefficient of three high-purity samples below 10 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K is analyzed to find the stress-dependent impurity-ionization energy ${E}_{D}(\ensuremath{\chi})$, and from the measured ${E}_{D}(\ensuremath{\chi})$ for the highest-purity sample an independent determination of $b=\ensuremath{-}2.4$ eV is obtained if ${E}_{D}(\ensuremath{\chi})$ is interpreted as reflecting donor-to---conduction-band activation. However, the measured ${E}_{D}(\ensuremath{\chi})$ for this sample is also found to be consistent with activation from the donor ground state into a ${D}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ band. The stress dependence of the impurity mobility in two of these samples is explained in terms of Sladek's model for exchange jumping between filled and unfilled impurity sites. The piezoresistance of lightly doped samples is attributed to the increased effectiveness of ionized impurity scattering caused by a stress enhancement of the ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{8}^{+}$ density-of-states mass.
Characterization of equimolar VX-water reaction product by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Abstract One method proposed for the destruction of the chemical warfare nerve agent VX, O -ethyl S -2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methylphosphonothiolate, is hydrolysis by the addition of an equimolar amount of water. To better understand this reaction, a method was developed for characterization of the resulting product and for monitoring product stability. Conditions for derivatization of the acidic products to their trimethylsilyl esters, with subsequent analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry using electron (EI) and methane chemical ionization (CI) were optimized to allow nonchromatographable acids and organic products to be detected in a single analysis, without loss of volatile products, and with minimal side reaction. EI and methane CI mass spectra of 23 identified degradation products are provided. Results indicate that the product is relatively stable at ambient temperatures in a closed container with only a minimal amount of thiol secondary reaction being observed.
k-Blocks and ultrablocks in graphs

Abstract A k-block is a maximal k-vertex-connected subgraph, and a k-block which does not contain a (k + 1)-block is an ultrablock. It is shown that the maximum total number of k-blocks for all k ≥ 1 in any p-vertex graph is [ (2p − 1) 3 ], and the maximum number of ultrablocks in any p-vertex graph having maximum subgraph connectivity κ is [ (p − κ + 1) 2 ] . In contrast to the linear growth rate of the maximum number of k-blocks in a p-vertex graph, it is shown that the maximum number of critical k-vertex-connected subgraphs of an ultrablock of connectivity k can grow exponentially with p.
Features for detecting obscured objects in ultra-wideband (UWB) SAR imagery using a phenomenological approach

We describe a technique that is based on phenomenological principles for detecting man-made objects in ultra-wideband (UWB) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. The UWB sensor (50 MHz to a GHz) provides penetration and high resolution necessary for detecting man-made objects that are obscured by some random media. Traditional 2-D pattern matching techniques are not effective since the SAR image of an object is distorted by the obscuring media. An electromagnetic model is used to predict the backscatter received from the scene objects. We show that the backscatter is highly dependent on the aspect angle of the incident wave on the object. Man-made objects exhibit specular reflections, at certain aspect angles while natural objects generally do not. Aspect-angle signatures of objects are established using a multi-aperture approach which essentially reconstructs the SAR image of an object over smaller subapertures of the full synthetic aperture. These signatures are matched to the object's polarimetric counterparts to establish feature vectors, which are used for detection. This procedure is applied to detection of man-made vehicles that are embedded in a deciduous forest and obscured by foliage. Results are presented using real data.
Managed care and measuring medical outcomes: Did the rise of HMOs contribute to the fall in the autopsy rate?☆

The U.S. autopsy rate has fallen precipitously since the 1940s, decreasing from 50 percent of bodies to less than eight percent today. Much of the decrease occurred after 1971 when hospitals were no longer required to do a minimum number of autopsies for accreditation. Since this time, major changes in the health care sector have occurred in the United States, highlighted by the increased importance of managed care. Using data for 46 states from 1987 to 2000, we analyze the degree to which the rise in manage care explains the decrease in the autopsy rate. We find that increases in health maintenance organization market share explain 21 percent of the decrease in the autopsy rate over the years from 1987 to 2000 and reductions in the number of hospital deaths explain another 30 percent. In contrast, we find that increases in the availability of magnetic resonance imaging had no significant effect on autopsy rates when other factors are held constant. Reforming health care financing to restrain the growth in health care costs using incentive mechanisms similar to those employed by managed care organizations has been a recurring policy goal in the United States. Our results imply that these reforms may inadvertently reduce the incentive to monitor medical outcomes using techniques such as autopsies, which is often called the "gold standard" in measuring medical outcomes.
Influence of sulfur compounds on antiwear properties of diesel oils

The results of theoretical and experimental studies of the influence of individual sulfur compounds on the antiwear properties of diesel oils are reported.
Solutions of second order multi-point boundary value problems

We consider classes of second order boundary value problems with a nonlinearity f (t, x) in the equations and subject to a multi-point boundary condition. Criteria are established for the existence of nontrivial solutions, positive solutions, and negative solutions of the problems under consideration. The symmetry of solutions is also studied. Conditions are determined by the relationship between the behavior of the quotient f (t, x)/x for x near 0 and ∞, and the largest positive eigenvalue of a related linear integral operator. Our analysis mainly relies on the topological degree and fixed point index theories.
Urea production capacity in the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) varies with season and experimentally induced hyperuremia.

Wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) can accumulate substantial amounts of urea during fall and winter. In this study, maximal urea production capacity was examined in R. sylvatica collected at various times of the year and in response to experimental hyperuremia and dehydration. Activity and expression of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I (CPS I), the hepatic regulatory enzyme of the urea cycle, were used as indicators of urea production capacity. The high levels of CPS I activity in summer frogs were maintained through much of winter, a time when many metabolic processes are downregulated, suggesting that urea production is important during hibernation. In laboratory experiments, hyperuremia in fully hydrated frogs caused CPS I activity to decrease by 41%, suggesting that urea functions as a feedback inhibitor. In contrast, CPS I activity was maintained in hyperuremic, dehydrated frogs. The significance of this response is unclear, although perhaps urea functions to counteract inhibitory effects of concentrated salts. Generally, changes in CPS I activity were not reflected by corresponding changes in CPS I quantity, indicating that this enzyme is not primarily regulated through transcription and translation; rather, control may be achieved by posttranslational modifications and/or feedback inhibition. Our findings suggest that maintenance of urea production capacity in hibernating R. sylvatica facilitates accumulation of this osmolyte, which has important roles in the winter biology of this species. J. Exp. Zool. 309A:484-493,
A NOTE ON PSEUDO-INJECTIVE MODULES

ABSTRACT Pseudo-injectivity is a generalization of injectivity. In this paper, we give several properties of pseudo-injective modules, and discuss the question of when a pseudo-injective module is injective or quasi-injective.
To Point or Not to Point: Frost's “Stopping By Woods”

(2003). To Point or Not to Point: Frost's “Stopping By Woods”. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 38-40.
Fractal Functions and Interpolation

Let a data set {(x i,y i) ∈I×R;i=0,1,⋯,N} be given, whereI=[x 0,x N]⊂R. We introduce iterated function systems whose attractorsG are graphs of continuous functionsf∶I→R, which interpolate the data according tof(x i)=y i fori e {0,1,⋯,N}. Results are presented on the existence, coding theory, functional equations and moment theory for such fractal interpolation functions. Applications to the approximation of naturally wiggly functions, which may show some kind of geometrical self-similarity under magnification, such as profiles of cloud tops and mountain ranges, are envisaged.
Utility Functions for Infinite-Period Planning

This paper presents a systematic discussion of decision analysis models for attitudes toward risk when the effects of a public policy choice extend into the distant or unbounded future. Several issues of social risk attitudes are identified and discussed. Conditions on preferences are presented by which value judgments concerning these issues can be included in a formal model for a public policy evaluation.
Stabilization of projection-based reduced order models for linear time-invariant systems via optimization-based eigenvalue reassignment

Abstract A new approach for stabilizing unstable reduced order models (ROMs) for linear time-invariant (LTI) systems through an a posteriori post-processing step applied to the algebraic ROM system is developed. The key idea is to modify the unstable eigenvalues of the ROM system by moving these eigenvalues into the stable half of the complex plane. It is demonstrated that this modification to the ROM system eigenvalues can be accomplished using full state feedback (a.k.a. pole placement) algorithms from control theory. This approach ensures that the modified ROM is stable provided the system’s unstable poles are controllable and observable; however, the accuracy of the stabilized ROM is not guaranteed. To remedy this difficulty and guarantee an accurate stabilized ROM, a constrained nonlinear least-squares optimization problem for the stabilized ROM eigenvalues in which the error in the ROM output is minimized is formulated. This optimization problem is small and therefore computationally inexpensive to solve. Performance of the proposed algorithms is evaluated on two test cases for which ROMs constructed via the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD)/Galerkin method suffer from instabilities.
Sarah Bernhardt: Portrait of the actress as spectacle

(1999). Sarah Bernhardt: Portrait of the actress as spectacle. Nineteenth-Century Contexts: Vol. 20, Sexing french art, pp. 409-454.
Relationship between phosphoinositide hydrolysis and prostaglandin F2α secretion in vitro from endometrium of cyclic pigs on day 15 postestrus

The mechanism for the luteolytic release of prostaglandin (PG)F2α in swine is not known. This study examined the potential role of oxytocin (OT)-induced phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis in promoting PGF2α secretion in vitro from the endometrium of cyclic gilts on Day 15 postestrus. In Experiment 1, endometrial PI hydrolysis was increased (P 0.30). PI hydrolysis was maximal at 50 mM LiCl and declined at 100 mM LiCl. In Experiment 2, endometrial PI hydrolysis and PGF2α secretion were similarly increased (P < 0.01) by 0, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 nM OT in a dose-dependent manner. In Experiment 3, the linear increase in PI hydrolysis occurring 0, 3, 5, 10, and 20 min after treatment was greater (P = 0.01) for tissue treated with 100 nM OT than for the tissue treated with 0 nM OT. The quadratic increase (P < 0.05) in PGF2α secretion occurring 0, 3, 5, 10, and 20 min after treatment was greater (P < 0.05) for tissue treated with 100 nM OT than for the tissue treated with 0 nM OT. In Experiment 4, AIF4− (an activator of GP and phospholipase C) similarly increased (P < 0.01) PI hydrolysis and PGF2α secretion. In Experiment 5, PI hydrolysis (P < 0.01) and PGFZ. secretion (P < 0.05) were increased by 100 nM OT but were not stimulated by cholera toxin (an activator of Gs and adenylate cyclase). Cholera toxin also did not enhance PI hydrolysis and PGF2α secretion in response to 0.1 or 100 nM OT. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that OT may induce PI hydrolysis to stimulate the endometrial secretion of PGF2α during corpus luteum regression in swine.
Molecular dynamics simulation of pervaporation in zeolite membranes

The pervaporation separation of liquid mixtures of water/ethanol and water/methanol using three zeolite (Silicalite, NaA and Chabazite) membranes has been examined using the method of molecular dynamics. The main goal of this study was to identify intermolecular interactions between water, methanol, ethanol and the membrane surface that play a critical role in the separations. This would then allow better membranes to be designed more efficiently and systematically than the trial-and-error procedures often being used. Our simulations correctly exhibited all the qualitative experimental observations for these systems, including the hydrophobic or hydrophilic behaviour of zeolite membranes. The simulations showed that, for Silicalite zeolite, the separation is strongly influenced by the selective adsorption of ethanol. The separation factor, as a consequence, increases almost exponentially as the ethanol composition decreases. For ethanol dehydration in NaA and Chabazite, pore size was found to play a very ...
Developmentally Appropriate Criteria for Evaluating Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs.

Many sexual abuse prevention programs originally designed for school children are inappropriately used with preschool children. Programs used with young children need to take into consideration their unique learning abilities. This paper uses a developmentally appropriate practice framework as a guide in helping early childhood professionals evaluate sexual abuse prevention programs.
The Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Pathogen, Vairimorpha invictae (Microsporidia: Burenellidae), Not Detected in Florida

Vairimorpha invictae Jouvenaz & Ellis (Micro sporidia: Burenellidae) is a microsporidian patho gen of Solenopsis fire ants in South America. Be cause Solenopsis invicta Buren fire ants infected with V. invictae were associated with higher mor tality, significantly slower colony growth, and re ductions in field populations in Argentina, there is considerable interest in utilizing this pathogen as a classical biological control agent against S. invicta in the U.S. (Briano & Williams 2002; Oi et al. 2005; Briano 2005). V. invictae was formally described by Jouvenaz & Ellis in 1986, however, it was most likely observed much earlier, being the undescribed, dimorphic microsporidium re ported from pathogen surveys conducted in Brazil in 1976 and 1979 (Jouvenaz et al., 1980; Briano & Williams 2002). Surveys for V. invictae in Ar gentina reported prevalence rates of 1, 2.3, and 10% after sampling 1836, 2528, and 2064 nests, respectively (Briano et al. 1995; 2006; Briano & Williams 2002). In the U.S., there have been surveys for vari ous fire ant pathogens since the 1970s. Limited surveys of red and black imported fire ants, S. in victa and Solenopsis richteri Forel, respectively, were conducted in northern Florida and in Mis
The Generation of Coastal Undercurrents

Equilibrium conditions in anf-plane ocean evolve as follows after the sudden onset of winds parallel to a coast. At first the flow is two-dimensional-spatial variations are confined to a plane perpendicular to the coast-and the salient features in the forcing region are acceleration of a coastal jet in the surface layers in the wind direction, and offshore Ekman drift that causes coastal upwelling. Kelvin waves excited at the edge of the forced region establish equilibrium conditions by creating an alongshore pressure gradient that balances the wind so that the acceleration stops. The vertical structure corresponding to each vertical mode differs from that of the wind-driven coastal jet so that the arrival of the barotropic Kelvin wave starts to accelerate a coastal undercurrent in a direction opposite to that of the wind. Subsequent baroclinic Kelvin waves modify the vertical structure of the coastal current so that the undercurrent in the subsurface layer is accelerated. In an inviscid model there is a singularity in the surface layers at the coast ast→∞ because the Kelvin modes with small offshore and vertical scales travel slowly and take a very long time to make their contribution to the establishment of equilibrium conditions. A modest amount of friction eliminates this problem. Nonlinearities are important in the heat equation and affect sea surface temperatures significantly but their effect on the momentum balance is secondary.
Storytelling on the far side: Journalism and the weekly tabloid

The National Enquirer and other weekly “supermarket tabloids” have been branded a “disgrace to journalism” and seen as the epitome of “low‐taste” media. But are the tabloids really an entirely different species, fit only to be incinerated? This paper discusses how the tabloids report and write their stories, the relationship tabloid writing has to “straight” journalistic practice and how tabloid writers relate to such journalistic tenets as objectivity and credibility. Despite the fact that tabloids are commonly regarded as deviant “demons”, a case is made that tabloid journalism belongs on the same storytelling continuum as daily newspaper journalism.
Design and implementation of a novel superfusion system for ex vivo characterization of neural tissue by dielectric spectroscopy (DS)

Dielectric spectroscopy is a widely utilized electrophysiological characterization method. The obtained dielectric spectra and derived properties have the potential of providing significant information regarding changes in the physiological state of a biological system. However, since many of the dielectric properties are obtained in vitro from excised tissue far removed from physiological conditions, the value of the information obtained may be diminished. In this paper, we introduce a superfusion system that is designed to produce ex vivo dielectric spectroscopy measurements by providing the living tissue with a continuous and ample supply of nutrients and oxygen while removing metabolites and other waste. This superfusion system provides the convenience of in vitro measurement while concurrently producing results that can be more closely correlated with actual physiological changes in the biological system.
Facilitation or impairment of learning by d-amphetamine as a function of stimuli

Water-rewarded spatial discrimination learning was studied in rats injected with either d-amphetamine sulphate or physiological saline 15 min prior to the first of two training sessions. The effect of a light which functioned as a reward and/or as a distraction in the testing situation was examined. Amphetamine was found to facilitate learning by enhancing the reward value of light onset and also to impair learning by enhancing the distraction of light onset. The effects of amphetamine were found to interact with the duration of water deprivation preceding the first training session. Factors responsible for the controversy concerning amphetamine's influence on learning were implicated.
Charge-Selective Electrochemistry at High-Surface-Area Carbon Fibers

Carbon fibers (DuPont E120) subjected to high anodic current or potential undergo fracture whereby the capacitance can increase dramatically by 2 or 3 orders of magnitude. The capacitance, assumed to correspond to an increase in the surface area, increased from 2 to 8 to 1000−5000 μF/cm2, as normalized to the original fiber area. The calculated area-to-volume ratio is greater than 106 cm2/cm3, based on an observed diameter of 20 μm for a 2-cm-length fractured fiber. Interestingly, the shape and size of the cyclic voltammetric (CV) waves also changed dramatically, depending on the solution pH and the nature of the electroactive species. The pH dependence is related to the pKa of the carbon−oxygen groups, such as carboxylic acids, which can be deprotonated when pH > pKa to produce a negatively charged surface. Thus, negatively charged species such as ferro-/ferricyanide show small CV waves whereas, dopamine, which is positively charged, produces large peak-type waves. These observations support a model in w...
COMPARISON OF METHODS USED TO ESTIMATE NUMBERS OF WALRUSES ON SEA ICE

The US and former USSR conducted joint surveys of Pacific walruses on sea ice and at land haul-outs in 1975, 1980, 1985, and 1990. One of the difficulties in interpreting results of these surveys has been that, except for the 1990 survey, the Americans and Soviets used different methods for estimating population size from their respective portions of the sea ice data. We used data exchanged between Sovier and American scientists to compare and evaluate the two estimation procedures and to derive a set of alternative estimates from the 1975, 1980, and 1985 surveys based on a single consistent procedure. Estimation method had only a small effect on total population estimates because most walruses were found at land haul-outs. However, the Sovievr method is subject to bias that depends on the distribution of the population on the sea ice and this has important implications for interpreting the ice portions of previously reported surveys for walruses and other pinniped species. We recommend that the American method be used in future surveys. Future research on survey methods for walruses should focus on other potential sources of bias and variation.
Preparing for “diastole”: Advanced training opportunities for academic hospitalists

Academic hospital medicine can be described as comprising periods of "systole," during which hospitalists provide clinical care, and periods of "diastole," the portion of a hospitalist's time spent in nonclinical activities. Far from being a period of relaxation, diastole is an active component of a hospitalist's work, the time devoted to the pursuit of career advancement. This period is a critical opportunity for career development in terms of medical research, education, quality improvement, or administration. An appropriate balance of systole and diastole may potentially prevent burnout and allow hospitalists opportunities to focus on academic advancement. Although an increasing number of residency graduates opt for a career in academic hospital medicine, few are prepared for the period of diastole. This article describes several career options in academic hospital medicine, specifically, opportunities in education, research, quality improvement, and administrative opportunities. By informing future hospitalists about the career opportunities within academic hospital medicine possible through managing their diastolic time, we hope that future generations of trainees will be better prepared to enter this field.
Quantum interference in the system of Lorentzian and Fano magnetoexciton resonances in GaAs

Using femtosecond four-wave mixing (FWM), we study the coherent dynamics of Lorentzian and Fano magnetoexciton resonances in GaAs. For unperturbed Lorentzian magnetoexcitons, we find that the time-integrated FWM signal decays due to dephasing processes as expected for Lorentzian resonances. The time-integrated FWM signal from a single Fano magnetoexciton resonance, however, decays quasi-instantaneously although the dephasing time of the Fano resonance is much longer than the time resolution of the experiment. This fast decay is the manifestation of destructive quantum interference. Although destructive quantum interference in our system is closely related to the dynamics of Fano resonances, for the simultaneous excitation of Lorentzian and Fano magnetoexciton resonances destructive quantum interference also strongly affects the dynamics of Lorentzian magnetoexcitons due to quantum-mechanical coupling between the two types of resonances.
The impact of social class and social cognitive domain on northeastern Brazilian mothers' and daughters' conceptions of parental control:

The impact of social class was explored on Brazilian mothers' and daughters' conceptions of who should, and who actually would control decisions regarding the daughters' actions. Participants were ...
Studying the Sivers and Boer-Mulders Function with Lattice QCD

Transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs) characterize the intrinsic momentum distribution of quarks inside the nucleon. However, they also encode final or initial state interactions of the processes in which they are measured, such as semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) or the Drell–Yan process (DY). Consequently certain TMDs are process-dependent and predicted to be equal but opposite in sign for SIDIS and DY. Extending our method on the lattice to non-local operators with U-shaped Wilson lines, we can study these naively time-reversal odd TMDs, in particular the Sivers- and the Boer-Mulders function. We express our results in terms of Fourier-transformed TMDs that appear naturally in the Fourier transformed cross section of, e.g., SIDIS, and in Bessel-weighted asymmetries. We discuss the method, its limitations and preliminary results from an exploratory calculation using lattices generated by the MILC and LHP collaborations.
Observation of second harmonic generations from x-cut BBO whispering gallery mode resonators

We report the observation of second harmonic generations from an x-cut beta barium borate (BBO) disk pumped at 1557 nm. This x-cut geometry will provide a new phase matching condition for nonlinear processes in resonators.
New polypeptide conformations and their roles in molecular diseases of the vascular wall

New polypeptide conformations are described in which the repeating unit contains intrarepeat hydrogen bonding and in which there may or may not be hydrogen bonding between the repeating units. These conformations, called β spirals, were derived from polymers of repeat peptides of elastin, the connective tissue protein of the core of the elastic fiber. It is argued that these β spirals associate to form supramolecular fibrous constructs by intermolecular hydrophobic interactions and that these structures, which contain preferred though dynamic secondary structure, form elastomeric fibers which are not random. An appropriate understanding of these structures and their important biological properties require analysis from the disciplines of quantum chemistry, statistical mechanics, and the theory of rate processes. The manner in which these β-spirals associate, which is fundamental to the mechanism of fiber formation, provides insights into the molecular pathology of the vascular wall, specifically into the disruptive effects of decreased temperature, of lipid deposition, and of pathological calcification.
Increasing Positive Outlook Partially Mediates the Effect of Empirically Supported Treatments on Depression Symptoms Among Adolescents

Among adolescents there is evidence that cognitive change partially mediates the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on depression outcome. However, prior studies have been limited by small samples, narrow measures of cognition, and failure to compare cognitive change following CBT to cognitive change following antidepressant medication. This study examined whether change in four cognitive constructs (cognitive distortions, cognitive avoidance, positive outlook, and solution-focused thinking) mediated change in depression severity in a sample of 291 adolescents who participated in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). TADS assessed the effects of CBT, fluoxetine, and their combination on depression severity. All three treatments were associated with change in the cognitive constructs and combination treatment produced the greatest change. Furthermore, change in the cognitive constructs partially mediated change in depression severity within all three treatments. Results implicated positive outlook as the construct most associated with change in depression severity over 36 weeks.
Vegetation response to southern California drought during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and early Little Ice Age (AD 800–1600)

Abstract High-resolution studies of pollen in laminated sediments deposited in Santa Barbara Basin (SBB) core SPR0901-02KC reflect decadal-scale fluctuations in precipitation spanning the interval from AD 800–1600. From AD 800–1090 during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) SBB sediments were dominated by xeric vegetation types (drought-resistant coastal sagebrush and chaparral) implying reduced precipitation in the southern California region. Drought-adapted vegetation abruptly decreased at AD 1090 and was rapidly replaced by mesic oak (Quercus) woodlands associated with an increased pollen flux into the basin. After a mesic interval lasting ∼100 years, pollen flux and the relative abundance of Quercus pollen dropped abruptly at AD 1200 when the rapid rise of chaparral suggests a significant drought similar to that of the MCA (∼AD 800–1090). This brief resurgence of drought-adapted vegetation between AD 1200–1270 marked the end of the MCA droughts. A gradual increase in mesic vegetation followed, characterizing cool hydroclimates of the Little Ice Age (LIA) in coastal southern California. The presence of xeric vegetation in SBB coincides with major drought events recorded in tree rings and low lake levels elsewhere in California except for the brief drought between AD 1130–1160. Correlative diatom and terrigenous sediment input proxy records from SBB are largely supportive of the pollen record predominantly linking the MCA with drought and La Nina-like conditions and the LIA with wetter (more El Nino-like) conditions. Differences between paleoclimate proxies (pollen, diatoms, and terrigenous sediment) in SBB exist, however, possibly reflecting the temporal and spatial differences in the generation of each proxy record, as well as their individual sensitivity to climate change.
The effects of kerosene heaters on indoor pollutant concentrations: A monitoring and modeling study

Abstract The increase in use of kerosene heaters as a supplementary heat source represents a possible new source of pollutant emissions in the indoor environment. By-products of kerosene combustion including NO 2 and SO 2 may be expected to be present in residences using these appliances. A two-phase study including both monitoring in the field and modeling was undertaken. Monitoring of NO 2 by passive diffusion samplers showed indoor concentrations ranging from 50 to 300 μg m −3 in buildings using these appliances and no other open combustion sources. Modeling of both NO 2 and SO 2 concentrations and exposures suggest the possibility of very high pollutant concentrations in poorly-ventilated or small-mixing volumes.
Effect of heart rate on coronary blood flow distribution in dogs

We investigated the hypothesis that tachycardia augments the time of systolic compression of coronary blood vessels and shifts coronary blood flow from the subendocardial (inner) to the subepicardial (outer) layer of the left ventricle. Coronary blood flow distribution was determined in tranquilized dogs by the radioactive microsphere technique, with injection of approximately 200,000 spheres, 15 , into the left ventricular chamber. During the control period (mean heart rate 73 beats/min), there were consistent differences in the sphere concentrations (blood flow) in different regions of the heart, and the inner layer of the left ventricle always received more spheres than its outer layer. The mean inner/outer sphere ratios were 1.26 for the free wall and 1.39 for the septal wall. Tachycardia (heart rates of 151 and 193 beats/min) induced by atrial pacing or administration of atropine increased total coronary blood flow but systematically altered its distribution: The increase in blood flow to the atria was much greater than that to the ventricles, and the inner/outer sphere ratio of the left ventricle decreased in proportion to the increase in heart rate. Although the redistribution of coronary blood flow was not accompanied by chemical signs of myocardial hypoxia in these normal dogs, we propose that the shift in blood flow away from the left ventricular inner layer is exaggerated in patients with coronary artery disease, resulting in subendocardial ischemia and hypoxia during tachycardia.
CHROMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION IN SOLAR FLARE LOOP STRANDS OBSERVED WITH THE EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET IMAGING SPECTROMETER ON BOARD HINODE

The entire profile of the Fe XXIII line at 263.8 ?, formed at temperature 14 MK, was blueshifted by an upward velocity ?122 ? 33?km?s?1 when it was first detected by the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer operating in rapid cadence (11.18?s) stare mode during a C1 solar flare. The entire profile became even more blueshifted over the next two exposures, when the upward velocity reached its maximum of ?208 ? 14?km?s?1 before decreasing to zero over the next 12 exposures. After that, a weak, secondary blueshifted component appeared for five exposures, reached a maximum upward velocity of ?206 ? 33?km?s?1, and disappeared after the maximum line intensity (stationary plus blueshifted) was achieved. Velocities were measured relative to the intense stationary profile observed near the flare's peak and early during its decline. The initial episode during which the entire profile was blueshifted lasted about 156?s, while the following episode during which a secondary blueshifted component was detected lasted about 56?s. The first episode likely corresponds to chromospheric evaporation in a single loop strand, while the second corresponds to evaporation in an additional strand, as described in multi-strand flare loop models proposed by Hori et al. and Warren & Doschek. Line emission from progressively cooler ions (Fe XVII, XVI, and XIV) brightened at successively later times, consistent with cooling of flare-heated plasma.
Drilling of Silicon Based Solar Panels: A Review

Solar panels have been developed to convert the solar energy to electricity. Since most solar panels are silicon based, they inherit the mechanical properties of silicon, such as brittleness and hardness. These properties might lead to cracking in workpieces and low tool lives in traditional machining processes. In solar panel manufacturing, to increase the efficiency of solar cells, electrical contacts on the front side of the panel need to be connected to those on the back side. Therefore, holes of different sizes are required to drill in silicon solar panels for certain designs. This paper reviews the literature on different drilling processes for silicon solar panels and summarizes merits, shortcomings, and special characteristics of each method.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Enhanced activation-induced cell death as a mechanism of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced immunotoxicity in peripheral T cells

T cells upon activation undergo apoptosis, a process termed activation-induced cell death (AICD). In the current study, we investigated whether 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) increases AICD and whether this constitutes one of the mechanisms by which TCDD induces immunotoxicity. To this end, C57BL/6+/+, C57BL/6 gld/gld (Fas ligand-defective) and C57BL/6 lpr/lpr (Fas-deficient) mice were injected with TCDD (50 microg/kg body weight, ip) or the vehicle (corn oil) and with anti-CD3 mAbs into the footpads. 3 days later, inguinal and popliteal lymph node cells were harvested, pooled and enumerated. Cells were cultured in vitro with anti-CD3 mAbs and cell proliferation was measured. Also, such cells were studied for their ability to undergo apoptosis upon in vitro culture with either tissue culture medium alone or with anti-CD3 mAbs. The data demonstrated that lymph nodes from TCDD-treated wild-type (+/+) mice showed a decrease in cellularity and the T cells exhibited decreased responsiveness to anti-CD3 mAbs when compared to the vehicle-treated control group. Furthermore, such cells from TCDD-treated mice exhibited increased levels of apoptosis upon in vitro culture when compared to the cells from vehicle-treated mice. In contrast, activated lymph nodes from TCDD-treated C57BL/6 gld/gld and C57BL/6 lpr/lpr mice showed normal cellularity and T cell responsiveness to anti-CD3 stimulation when compared to the vehicle controls. In addition, the activated lymph node T cells from the TCDD-treated C57BL/6 gld/gld and C57BL/6 lpr/lpr mice failed to exhibit increased apoptosis when compared to the controls. The current study demonstrates that the immunotoxic effects of TCDD in activated peripheral T cells may result from increased AICD mediated through Fas-Fas ligand interactions.
Recent insights on DNA repair. The mechanism of damaged nucleotide excision in eukaryotes and its relationship to other cellular processes.

Recent years have witnessed remarkable progress in the investigative field that embraces how living cells respond to genomic injury. This progress is evidenced by insights about the detailed mechanisms of various DNA repair and damage tolerance mechanisms, the structure of several components of DNA repair {open_quotes}machines,{close_quotes} the extent of the evolutionary conservation of DNA repair in eukaryotes, and the emerging relationship between DNA repair and other cellular events that impact on genomic fidelity and integrity. These proceedings contain numerous contributions that address several of these advances in considerable detail. My own comments will focus on recent new insights that derive from the study of nucleotide excision repair (NER) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with a particular emphasis on selected mechanistic considerations and the relationship between DNA repair and other cellular processes.
Influence of silicate cement restorations on gingiva

Abstract Anterior silicate restorations in 210 patients were examined to determine the effect of this material on gingival health. The following clinical observations were made. 1. Thirty-one per cent of the silicate restorations were found to be detective. 2. Silicate cement is a poor material for restoring contact. 3. The material should not be used in cavity preparations extending close to or beneath the free gingiva. 4. Silicate restorations that have undergone erosion in the oral fluids encourage the accretion of bacterial plaque. 5. There is a low incidence of recurrent caries adjacent to silicate cement restorations. 6. The principle of extension for prevention in cavity preparations designed for silicate cements should be re-evaluated in light of the adverse effects this material can have on gingival tissue health.
Maturity, leadership and generational change in libraries

Librarians tend to enter their chosen field at a later age than other professionals. Among other factors, this leads to an extended “professional adolescence”, which is also evident in the profession as a whole. Other experienced managers commenting on the proposition that librarians often demonstrate lack of professional maturity tended to agree, and offered their analyses of causes. The causes cited included: the tendency of academic librarians to mirror similar tendencies among faculty; the lack of significant consequences of choices and actions; failure to develop measures of effectiveness and accountability; and inward focus on the library and staff rather than on service to the user. Discusses potential behavioural and organizational changes, for both library managers and staff. Increasingly, the knowledge society requires mature professionalism among those information professionals who expect to have significant roles in it.