cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Wnt Antagonist Dkk1 Regulates Intestinal Epithelial Homeostasis and Wound Repair

Background & Aims Dkk1 is a secreted antagonist of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. It is induced by inflammatory cytokines during colitis and exacerbates tissue damage by promoting apoptosis of epithelial cells. However, little is known about the physiologic role of Dkk1 in normal intestinal homeostasis and during wound repair following mucosal injury. We investigated whether inhibition of Dkk1 affects the morphology and function of the adult intestine. Methods We used doubleridge mice (Dkk1d/d), which have reduced expression of Dkk1, and an inhibitory Dkk1 antibody to modulate Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the intestine. Intestinal inflammation was induced with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), followed by a recovery period in which mice were given regular drinking water. Animals were killed before, during, or after DSS administration; epithelial homeostasis and the activity of major signaling pathways were investigated by morphometric analysis, bromo-2′-deoxyuridine incorporation, and immunostaining. Results Reduced expression of Dkk1 increased proliferation of epithelial cells and lengthened crypts in the large intestine, which was associated with increased transcriptional activity of β-catenin. Crypt extension was particularly striking when Dkk1 was inhibited during acute colitis. Dkk1d/d mice recovered significantly faster from intestinal inflammation but exhibited crypt architectural irregularities and epithelial hyperproliferation compared with wild-type mice. Survival signaling pathways were concurrently up-regulated in Dkk1d/d mice, including the AKT/β-catenin, ERK/Elk-1, and c-Jun pathways. Conclusions Dkk1, an antagonist of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, regulates intestinal epithelial homeostasis under physiologic conditions and during inflammation. Depletion of Dkk1 induces a strong proliferative response that promotes wound repair after colitis.
The Use of Historical Picture Postcards as Photographic Sources for Examining Environmental Change: Promises and Problems

Abstract Researchers and teachers who wish to illustrate environmental change over extended periods of time require imagery that pre‐dates widespread aerial photography and satellite products. Historical ground‐based photographs are difficult and expensive to acquire. A low‐cost alternative to acquiring historical photographs is the use of antique picture postcards, which are relatively cheap and more widely available. Problems exist, however, with the use of antique picture postcards for establishing baseline conditions in a study of environmental change. The original photographs on which picture postcards are based were frequently modified by card publishers, such that the conditions on the cards do not represent a true view of the landscape of the period. We illustrate several examples of such distortions from study sites in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, two large U.S. national parks for which antique picture postcards are still widely available.
Production Function Estimation and Related Risk Considerations

There has been considerable interest in estimations of input effects on the probability distribution of output. Most empirical and theoretical analyses utilize multiplicative stochastic specifications which are analyzed and found unduly restrictive, particularly since inputs that marginally reduce risk are not allowed. A more general stochastic specification is proposed, free of these a priori restrictions. The proposed functional form estimation is discussed and demonstrated with nitrogen‐response data and common log‐linear production functions. Though nitrogen is risk‐increasing, the marginal variance contribution is smaller when compared to estimates based upon multiplicative specification. Finally, stochastic specification error effects are analyzed.
Ethical decision making styles in the workplace: Underlying dimensions and their implications

Managerial decisions involving complex tradeoffs were examined using a scenariobased survey instrument, developed from the Kinston's work on ethical choice. Respondents indicated the extent to which each of seven ethical considerations would effect their decisions. Four considerations were end-oriented (teleo-logical): rationalist, experientialist, systemicist, transcendentalist, and three means-oriented (deontological): conventionalist, individualist, and legitimist The data suggest that three strong bi-polar factors with opposing teleological with deontological considerations underlie ethical decision styles. Extensions from the research are also discussed.
Culture in Asian American Community Psychology: Beyond the East–West Binary

In response to a call to better integrate culture in community psychology (O’Donnell in American Journal of Community Psychology 37:1–7 2006), we offer a cultural-community framework to facilitate a collaborative engagement between community psychologists and ethnic minority communities, focusing on Asian American communities as illustrations. Extending Hays’ (Addressing cultural complexities in practice: Assessment, diagnosis, and therapy, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, 2008) ADDRESSING framework for considering cultural influences on a counseling relationship, the proposed framework provides a broad but systematic guidepost for considering three major cultural-ecological influences on Asian American communities: Race and Ethnicity (R), Culture (C), and Immigration and Transnational Ties (I). We provide a sequence of steps that incorporate the ADDRESSING and the RCI frameworks to facilitate the collaborative community-based research or social action.
A New System of Short Wave Amplification

The various possible known methods of amplifying incoming signals of very short wave length (below 600 meters) are described and their limitations considered. The new method then described consists (for continuous wave reception) of the following steps:- 1. Heterodyning, with the production of a beat frequency which is itself a radio frequency (for example, 100,000 cycles per second). 2. Rectification of the beat current. 3. Amplification at the beat radio frequency, preferably by a tuned amplifier. 4. Audio frequency modulation of the amplified current. 5. Rectification of the modulated current. For reception of damped wave or radiophone signals, step 4 is omitted. It is shown that in this case the quality (characteristic tone) of the incoming signals is preserved.
Evaluation of an active optical sensor for detection of Huanglongbing (HLB) disease

Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening is a bacterial disease recently discovered in Florida, which threatens the state’s multi-billion dollar citrus industry. No cure exists for this disease and tree removal is the only effective control method to prevent the spread of the disease. Currently, scouting and visual inspection is used by growers to identify HLB-infected trees. However, this method is very time-consuming, subjective, expensive, and inaccurate. Therefore, the long-term goal of this research is to develop a fast screening technique that can assist citrus growers in detecting HLB-infected citrus trees. In this study, a rugged, low-cost, multi-band active optical sensor was evaluated to identify the HLB-infected trees from the healthy trees. The sensor measured reflectance of tree canopy in four bands: two visible bands at 570 nm and 670 nm, and two near infrared bands at 870 nm and 970 nm. Extensive field measurements were conducted using this sensor. Analysis of the data showed that due to the large variability in the data, it was not possible to discriminate healthy and infected trees based on a single measurement from a tree; however, using multiple measurements from a tree it was possible to achieve high classification accuracies. With five measurements from each tree, classification methods such as k-nearest neighbours, support vector machines, and decision trees resulted in classification errors of less than 5%. The results demonstrated the potential of a multi-band active optical sensor for detecting HLB-infected citrus trees under field conditions.
An improved MFIE formulation for TE-wave scattering from lossy, inhomogeneous dielectric cylinders

A method-of-moments formulation involving the magnetic-field integral equation (MFIE) is presented for the analysis of nonhomogeneous electric (TE) source. The approach involves the use of triangular subdomain cells, a piecewise linear expansion for the total magnetic field, and point matching at the nodal points of the triangular-cell model. Results for internal fields and radar cross section are presented and shown to be stable and convergent, even for dielectrics characterized by a large-magnitude complex relative permittivity. It is noted that the complementary problem of TM-wave scattering from ferrite cylinders characterized by a permeability function can be treated using the dual to the approach presented. >
Finding “the More Satisfactory Type of Jurymen”: Class and the Construction of Federal Juries, 1926–1954

In 1926 the press and Progressive reformers were stunned when a federal jury, after hearing lurid testimony about the exchange of valises full of cash, acquitted Albert Fall and Edward Doheny of bribery in the Teapot Dome oil-leasing controversy. Certain that Fall and Doheny were guilty, commentators debated the outcome of the three-week-long deliberation: Was the prosecution inadequate? Was the conspiracy statute faulty? Was the trial too long delayed? Ultimately they seized on what the former secretary of the navy Josephus Daniels called the "inferiority complex of the jury."' In the Nation, reporter Paul Y. Anderson analyzed the Fall-Doheny jury and found it composed of ordinary men-a teamster, a steamfitter's apprentice, an electrician, a railroad clerk, a cigar clerk, a grocery clerk, a bank clerk, a newsstand proprietor. Except for one or two, Anderson argued, these men lacked the intelligence, experience, and maturity (seven of the twelve were in their twenties) to interpret the evidence and understand the crime at issue. They had been "yanked from shop, counter, truck and desk" and then "their bewildered eyes and confused ears were assaulted with a huge volume of oral and documentary evidence, much of it highly contradictory." The only juror who fought for conviction was the one "professional man" on the jury, an architect "whose intelligence and educational advantages" allowed him to sift through the confusion in the manner Anderson had. But this man, Anderson lamented, had been unable to persuade his fellows, some of whom accepted the exchange of money as normal business and governmental practice. At the core of this critique was the idea that the social class of a juror was important, and for the next two decades that idea impelled efforts to reform the class composition of federal jury pools. Reform efforts were centered in the Southern District
Personality pathology and mental health treatment seeking in a community sample of older adults

Sampling issues are extremely important in studies of psychopathology, especially with regard to the investigation of personality disorders (PDs). Many studies rely on clinical samples whereas others have focused on representative samples of community residents. Do people who qualify for a PD diagnosis seek and receive mental health services with greater (or possibly reduced) frequency compared with others in the community? Do community-based studies of PDs include people who have been treated? Analyses presented here examine connections between personality pathology and various aspects of treatment seeking in a representative sample of 1 630 middle-aged adults who completed a semi-structured diagnostic interview (Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality). Results demonstrate a disorder-specific effect. Antisocial, borderline, avoidant and dependent PDs are associated with increased levels of seeking treatment. Four PDs are associated with greater length of treatment. After accounting for lifetime presence of major depression and alcohol dependence, borderline, avoidant and dependent pathology remained associated with increased treatment seeking. These findings point to several conclusions, including (1) community samples do include a substantial proportion of people who have received various kinds of mental health services; (2) the association between personality pathology and mental health treatment seeking is not fully explained by comorbid depression and alcohol dependence.
Foraging Patterns of Breeding Egrets at Coastal and Interior Locations

Abstract We compared the feeding patterns of Great Egrets (Casmerodius albus) and Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) in flowing and still aquatic habitats of coastal (New York City) and interior (Wichita, Kansas) locations. These included strike rate, prey capture rate, strike success, “idle time” and diet. We tested the hypothesis that widely-distributed species of wading birds that face different ecological conditions across their geographic range modify their feeding behavior to match local conditions. If this hypothesis is correct, then the feeding patterns of egrets at the coastal site will differ from those in the interior. Great Egrets in coastal habitats had higher capture rates and strike rates than interior birds, but strike success was similar in both areas. The diets of coastal and interior Great Egrets were broadly similar. Great Egrets also spent less “idle time” while foraging at coastal sites than at interior sites. Snowy Egrets had higher capture rates at interior sites, but strike rates did no...
Detection of 3D objects using eigenanalysis

This paper presents a new semi-coherent quadratic eigenimage based technique for detecting stationary targets in SAR data. The new detector is different from previous work because it models the SAR signal as a multi-pixel, multi-band complex random signal with unknown spatial position and orientation. The new proposed detector handles the unknown orientation by modeling each target with a set of angle subclasses. The proposed detector has reduced complexity by using reduced rank techniques.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hyperactivity of Newborn Pten Knock-out Neurons Results from Increased Excitatory Synaptic Drive

Developing neurons must regulate morphology, intrinsic excitability, and synaptogenesis to form neural circuits. When these processes go awry, disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or epilepsy, may result. The phosphatase Pten is mutated in some patients having ASD and seizures, suggesting that its mutation disrupts neurological function in part through increasing neuronal activity. Supporting this idea, neuronal knock-out of Pten in mice can cause macrocephaly, behavioral changes similar to ASD, and seizures. However, the mechanisms through which excitability is enhanced following Pten depletion are unclear. Previous studies have separately shown that Pten-depleted neurons can drive seizures, receive elevated excitatory synaptic input, and have abnormal dendrites. We therefore tested the hypothesis that developing Pten-depleted neurons are hyperactive due to increased excitatory synaptogenesis using electrophysiology, calcium imaging, morphological analyses, and modeling. This was accomplished by coinjecting retroviruses to either “birthdate” or birthdate and knock-out Pten in granule neurons of the murine neonatal dentate gyrus. We found that Pten knock-out neurons, despite a rapid onset of hypertrophy, were more active in vivo. Pten knock-out neurons fired at more hyperpolarized membrane potentials, displayed greater peak spike rates, and were more sensitive to depolarizing synaptic input. The increased sensitivity of Pten knock-out neurons was due, in part, to a higher density of synapses located more proximal to the soma. We determined that increased synaptic drive was sufficient to drive hypertrophic Pten knock-out neurons beyond their altered action potential threshold. Thus, our work contributes a developmental mechanism for the increased activity of Pten-depleted neurons.
Ligand‐Induced Conformational Changes of the Multidrug Resistance Transporter EmrE Probed by Oriented Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopy

We used oriented solid-state NMR spectroscopy and biochemical cross-linking experiments to demonstrate that the ligand-free membrane protein transporter EmrE forms anti-parallel dimers with different monomer tilt angles relative to the lipid bilayer. Our results also show the subtle conformational changes efflux pumps experience in response to drug binding and emphasize the importance of studying membrane proteins in a fluid bilayer environment.
Luteinizing Hormone Release and Androgen Production of Avian Hybrids in Response to Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone Injection

Abstract The levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and androgens were measured in sterile avian hybrids. Guinea fowl-chicken and peafowl-guinea fowl hybrids were bled before and after injection with LH- releasing hormone (LHRH). The preinjection LH levels for the guinea fowl-chicken hybrids were below or at the very lower limit of the assay sensitivity and the peafowl-guinea fowl hybrids averaged 1.3 ng/ml. Within 10 min after LHRH injection, LH had increased dramatically in both hybrids and then began to slowly decline. Angrogen levels in the guinea fowl-chicken hybirds increased from 16.2 pg/ml to 95.2 pg/ml and continued to increase, reaching 287 pg/ml at the last bleeding 60 min after injection.
Soybean nodulin-26 gene encoding a channel protein is expressed only in the infected cells of nodules and is regulated differently in roots of homologous and heterologous plants

Nodulin-26 (N-26) is a major peribacteroid membrane protein in soybean root nodules. The gene encoding this protein is a member of an ancient gene family conserved from bacteria to humans. N-26 is specifically expressed in root nodules, while its homolog, soybean putative channel protein, is expressed in vegetative parts of the plant, with its highest level in the root elongation zone. Analysis of the soybean N-26 gene showed that its four introns mark the boundaries between transmembrane domains and the surface peptides, suggesting that individual transmembrane domains encoded by a single exon act as functional units. The number and arrangement of introns between N-26 and its homologs differ, however. Promoter analysis of N-26 was conducted in both homologous and heterologous transgenic plants. The cis-acting elements of the N-26 gene are different from those of the other nodulin genes, and no nodule-specific cis-acting element was found in this gene. In transgenic nodules, the expression of N-26 was detected only in the infected cells; no activity was found in nodule parenchyma and uninfected cells of the symbiotic zone. The N-26 gene is expressed in root meristem of transgenic Lotus corniculatus and tobacco but not in untransformed and transgenic soybean roots, suggesting the possibility that this nodulin gene is controlled by a trans-negative regulatory mechanism in homologous plants. This study demonstrates how a preexisting gene in the root may have been recruited for symbiotic function and brought under nodule-specific developmental control.
Complex Homology and the Evolution of Nervous Systems

We examine the complex evolution of animal nervous systems and discuss the ramifications of this complexity for inferring the nature of early animals. Although reconstructing the origins of nervous systems remains a central challenge in biology, and the phenotypic complexity of early animals remains controversial, a compelling picture is emerging. We now know that the nervous system and other key animal innovations contain a large degree of homoplasy, at least on the molecular level. Conflicting hypotheses about early nervous system evolution are due primarily to differences in the interpretation of this homoplasy. We highlight the need for explicit discussion of assumptions and discuss the limitations of current approaches for inferring ancient phenotypic states.
SSRI use and risk of fractures among perimenopausal women without mental disorders

Background Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were recently approved by the FDA to treat vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause. No prior study has directly examined whether fracture risk is increased among perimenopausal women who initiate SSRIs or among a population of women without mental disorders more generally. Methods Female patients without mental illness, aged 40–64 years, who initiated SSRIs were compared with a cohort who initiated H2 antagonists (H2As) or proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) in 1998–2010, using data from a claims database. Standardised mortality ratio weighting was applied using the propensity score odds of treatment to adapt the distribution of characteristics among patients starting H2A/PPIs to the distribution among SSRI initiators. Poisson regression estimated risk differences and Cox proportional hazards regression the RR of fractures among new users of SSRIs versus H2A/PPIs. Primary analyses allowed for a 6-month lag period (ie, exposure begins 6 months after initiation) to account for a hypothesised delay in the onset of any clinically meaningful effect of SSRIs on bone mineral density. Results Fracture rates were higher among the 137 031 SSRI initiators compared with the 236 294 H2A/PPI initiators, with HRs (SSRI vs H2A/PPI) over 1, 2 and 5 years of 1.76 (95% CI 1.33 to 2.32), 1.73 (95% CI 1.33 to 2.24) and 1.67 (95% CI 1.30 to 2.14), respectively. Conclusions SSRIs appear to increase fracture risk among middle-aged women without psychiatric disorders, an effect sustained over time, suggesting that shorter duration of treatment may decrease fracture risk. Future efforts should examine whether this association pertains at lower doses.
Acquired bleeding disorders in the elderly

The hemostatic balance changes with advancing age which may be due to factors such as platelet activation, increase of certain clotting factor proteins, slowing of the fibrinolytic system, and modification of the endothelium and blood flow. Generally, this predisposes the elderly to thrombosis rather than bleeding. It often necessitates antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy, which can cause significant bleeding problems in an aging population. Additionally, changing renal function, modification in immune regulation, and a multitude of other disease processes, can give rise to acquired bleeding disorders. Bleeding can prove difficult to treat in a dynamic environment and in a population that may have underlying thrombotic risk factors.This article discusses some specific challenges of acquired bleeding arising in the elderly. The use of anticoagulation and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications is prevalent in the treatment of the elderly and predisposes them to increased bleeding risk as their physiology changes. When prescribing and monitoring these therapies, it is exceedingly important to weigh thrombotic versus bleeding risks. There are additional rare acquired bleeding disorders that predominantly affect the elderly. One of them is acquired hemophilia, which is an autoimmune disorder arising from antibodies against factor VIII. The treatment challenge rests in the use of hemostatic agents in a population that is already at increased risk for thrombotic complications. Another rare disorder of intensifying interest, acquired von Willebrand syndrome, has a multitude of etiologic mechanisms. Understanding the underlying pathophysiology is essential in making a treatment decision for this disorder.
Comparison of viewpoints of health care professionals with or without involvement with formal ethics processes on the role of ethics committees and hospitals in the resolution of clinical ethical dilemmas

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate whether those individuals with previous involvement with formal clinical ethics processes differ in their attitudes towards the resolution of prototypical clinical ethics cases than general health care professionals. We hypothesized that those individuals with previous participation in ethics consultation would have significantly different attitudes on the appropriate role of ethics committees in the assessment and resolution of clinical ethical dilemmas than those who have not. Methods: We conducted a case-based survey of health care professionals at six US hospitals. We administered the survey to health care professionals in a variety of clinical roles at each center and further sub-categorized these by respondents reporting or not reporting their membership on an ethics committee or participation as an ethics consultant/requestor of ethics consult services. Using the analysis of variance test, we present the variation in attitudes using a 5-point Likert scale with 95% confidence intervals and significance set at p � 0.05. Results: A total of 240 respondents completed the survey (response rate: 63.6%) from all six surveyed centers (128 respondents with involvement with ethics consultation, 112 respondents without). Health care professionals not previously involved with formal clinical ethics processes were less likely to view the ethics committee as having a role in resolving the presented clinical ethical dilemmas (p ¼0.01 for analysis of variance comparison). Conclusion: In this multi-center survey study, health care providers without previous involvement with formal clinical ethics processes were less likely than those with previous involvement to support a role for ethics committees aiding in ethical case resolution.
Current and Emerging Technologies for the Characterization of Nanomaterials

This paper provides a survey of conventional and emerging techniques that are available for characterizing engineered nanoparticles in complex matrices. Techniques that were considered include microscopy (TEM, SEM, HRTEM, DLS, SNOM), chromatography (HDC, FFF), mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS, SEC-ICP/MS, MALDI, FFF-ICP-MS), sp-ICP-MS, and electrochemical techniques. A case study is presented from the authors’ laboratories for the design of a portable nanoparticle analyzer based on tangential flow filtration and electrochemical detection (EC-TFF). EC-TFF is equipped with poly(amic) acid membrane filter electrodes (PMFE) arrays that perform multiple functions to capture, isolate, and detect (CID) engineered nanoparticles. The application of EC-TFF is presented for the characterization of engineered nanosilver in real-world samples. A size-dependent isolation of AgNPs was achieved at varying particle sizes with over 98.5% removal efficiency. PEC-TFF AA showed an excellent performance not only for isolation at subn...
GENETIC EXCHANGE BETWEEN BACILLUS SUBTILIS AND BACILLUS LICHENIFORMIS: VARIABLE HYBRID STABILITY AND THE NATURE OF BACTERIAL SPECIES.

Experiments employing both broth and soil cultures demonstrated the capacity for bidirectional genetic exchange between the eubacterial species Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis. The process was studied using standard laboratory strains and wild isolates of these species. The genetic exchange in soil occurs spontaneously. The interspecific recombination involved markers for antibiotic resistance and for the use of specific carbon sources (API characters). Hybrids frequently had unstable phenotypes, i.e., lacked a consistent expression of foreign genes over repeated transfer and growth. This instability often involved a "correction" back toward the phenotype of one or the other of the parental species for many differentiating characters; the final phenotype was always that of the more probable or actually known recipient species. This "correction" process is reminiscent of phenomena associated with the instability of artificial fusion protoplasts or noncomplementing diploids of B. subtilis, as well as the merodiploids formed by intergeneric crosses with enteric bacteria. The hybrids observed here must also be diploid, in some manner, because they sequentially express traits of both parental species at rates well above the frequency of mutation. Among the unstable changes in hybrids of the wild strains there was a 3:1 bias in favor of "correction." The dynamics of the hybridization process in soil are described. It appears that the hybrids are formed most rapidly following outgrowth from spores and during the early growth of parental vegetative cell populations. Later on, the hybrids are much less frequent in the soil cultures, suggesting that they are competitively inferior to the parental species. It is argued that the capacity for recombination found between B. subtilis and B. licheniformis could locally erase their distinctness, even though they possess only about 15% DNA sequence homology. Yet they remain distinct in the wild. The methods and results of these experiments prepare the way for detailed studies of the nature of species and species boundaries throughout the genus Bacillus.
Detonation Propagation Through Ducts in a Pulsed Detonation Engine

A study of configurations to allow a consistent and predictable transition of a detonation from one detonation tube to another is presented. Development of a continuously operating pulsed detonation engine (PDE) without a high energy ignition system or a deflagration-todetonation transition (DDT) device will increase engine efficiency, reduce cost, improve performance, and reduce weight. The intent of this study was to minimize energy losses of a detonation wave in order to directly initiate another detonation wave. Detonation tube fill fraction, purge fraction, equivalence ratio, cross-over length and cross-over geometry were varied to determine their effect on direct initiation via a cross-over tube. Velocities at or above the upper Chapman-Jouguet (C-J) velocity point are desired and considered successful detonations. It was found that a cross-over tube with a “U” shaped geometry and a width at least 75% of the initiated tube’s width provided the best conditions for direct initiation.
The ABCs of TBS: A Novice's Guide to the Bethesda System

The Pap smear is the most successful cancer screening method known, playing a pivotal role in the dramatic decrease in incidence of and mortality from invasive cervical cancer. The Bethesda System, sometimes called TBS, for reporting cytologic diagnoses of cervicovaginal samples originated from a conference held by the National Cancer Institute in 1988. The Bethesda System provides a means of communicating Pap smear diagnoses to clinicians in a standardized manner and has largely supplanted previous systems, such as the Papanicolaou classification. This article provides basic information about premalignant and malignant lesions involving the cervix and their classification under the Bethesda System. A brief overview of relevant cervical anatomy and histologic and cytopathologic features is included.
Leadership as Social Influence: An Expanded View of Leadership Communication Theory and Practice

Communication is a topic frequently linked to leadership; however, the linkage often is limited to a view of communication as a tool to be employed by leaders in efforts to achieve particular purpo...
The assessment of PCT and CRP quantitative detection for diagnosis and prognosis of infections in maternity ICU patients

Objective: To discuss the clinical value of PCT,CRP quantitative detection in diagnosis and prognosis of infections in maternity ICU patients.Methods: PCT and CRP were measured in patients in the maternity ICU,who were divided into severe infection group,general infection group and non-infection group.Results: The levels of PCT and CRP in severe infection group and general infection group were significantly higher than those in non-infection group(P0.01);The positive rate of PCT in severe infection group was significantly higher than that of general infection group(P0.05),but CRP had no obvious difference(P0.05);The positive rates of PCT in sever infection group and general infection group were all significantly higher than the rates of CRP(P0.05);There was significant correlation between serum PCT and prognosis.Conclusion: PCT has important clinical guiding significance on the diagnosis of infections and prognosis evaluation in the maternity ICU patients.
Effect of impact velocity on dynamic mechnaical behaviors of marble after high temperatures

The tests on marble after different temperatures under dynamic loading at different impact velocities are carried out by using the split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB) apparatus 100 mm in diameter.The influences of impact velocity on the peak stress,peak strain and elastic modulus are studied.The test results show that the peak stress and peak strain after the same temperature increase linearly with the increasing impact velocity.When the temperature is above 800℃,the peak stress increases slightly and the peak strain increases obviously with the increase of impact velocity.However,the elastic modulus has no obvious impact velocity effect.The elastic modulus gradually declines with the increase of temperature.When the temperature reaches 1000℃,the elastic modulus nearly does not change with the variation of impact velocity.Considering the microstructure characteristics and the energy absorbency of marble,the effect of impact velocity on the dynamic mechanical characteristics is analyzed.
Mitogenic signals for thrombin in mesangial cells: regulation of phospholipase C and PDGF genes.

Thrombin is a proteolytic enzyme of diverse biological activities, which is produced during activation of the coagulation pathway. In addition, thrombin is a mitogen for fibroblasts and endothelial...
Religion, Dogmatism, and Community Leadership: An Extension of the Theories of The Open and Closed Mind

Personality structure as developed in the work of Milton Rokeach is used to examine the relationship between religion and political decision making. The personality structures of local community leaders are established and related to variables in addition to religion. The findings show that the relationship between Catholicism and closed mindedness is not as broadly true as it seemed in earlier studies, and that what influence Catholicism did have in developing closed mindedness does not spring from something intrinsic to the religion itself.
Between Plan and Market: The Role of the Local Sector in Post-Mao China1

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the role of the local sector in Post-Mao China. The existence of local governments with substantial allocative power has been detrimental to economic efficiency for three reasons. First, the fragmentation of control under local governments continues to impede resource flows. The slowness of the development of capital markets maybe partly attributable to local opposition. Despite a promising start, investment trust companies have not developed into serious competitors to state-owned banks as financial intermediaries, perhaps because of their inability to crossover administrative barriers in their investment activities. Second, when the local governments are making the bulk of investment decisions, resource allocation is not following market regulation, because the local government maximands are net revenues rather than profits. Third, local governments reduce competition by shielding enterprises from market pressure and by intervening in interregional trade. Also, they slow down market adjustments by helping to perpetuate sellers' markets in a variety of producer and investment goods through their vigorous investment activities.
Improving fast-ion confinement in high-performance discharges by suppressing Alfvén eigenmodes

We show that the degradation of fast-ion confinement in steady-state DIII-D discharges is quantitatively consistent with predictions based on the effects of multiple unstable Alfven eigenmodes on beam-ion transport. Simulation and experiment show that increasing the radius where the magnetic safety factor has its minimum is effective in minimizing beam-ion transport. This is favorable for achieving high performance steady-state operation in DIII-D and future reactors. A comparison between the experiments and a critical gradient model, in which only equilibrium profiles were used to predict the most unstable modes, show that in a number of cases this model reproduces the measured neutron rate well.
Dynamically Creating Custom SDN High-Speed Network Paths for Big Data Science Flows

Existing campus network infrastructure is not designed to effectively handle the transmission of big data sets. Performance degradation in these networks is often caused by middleboxes -- appliances that enforce campus-wide policies by deeply inspecting all traffic going through the network (including big data transmissions). We are developing a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) solution for our campus network that grants privilege to science flows by dynamically calculating routes that bypass certain middleboxes to avoid the bottlenecks they create. Using the global network information provided by an SDN controller, we are developing graph databases approaches to compute custom paths that not only bypass middleboxes to achieve certain requirements (e.g., latency, bandwidth, hop-count) but also insert rules that modify packets hop-by-hop to create the illusion of standard routing/forward despite the fact that packets are being rerouted. In some cases, additional functionality needs to be added to the path using network function virtualization (NFV) techniques (e.g., NAT). To ensure that path computations are run on an up-to-date snapshot of the topology, we introduce a versioning mechanism that allows for lazy topology updates that occur only when "important" network changes take place and are requested by big data flows.
Abstract NS1: Access and Use of Information Technologies Among Hypertensive Older Adults to Reduce Stroke Risk

Introduction: Information technology could play a crucial role in enhancing hypertension self-care and reduction of stroke risk, but, little is known of the role and impact of access and use of information technology on blood pressure (BP) control in older adults. Hypothesis: Access and use of information technologies will be associated with increased adherence to self-care activities and BP control in hypertensive older adults? Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, a total of 151 participants completed a survey to assess hypertension self-care activities, technology utilization, and BP knowledge. Clinical measures were obtained by trained assistants (height, weight and BP). Three BP measurements were obtained at 60-second intervals after resting for 5 minutes. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between information technologies and self-care activities. Results: The mean age of participants was 75 years. Participants were predominantly women (61.7%), retired (78.1%), owned cellphones (76.5%), but most did not have internet access at home (59.7%). In bivariate analyses, having a cellphone was positively associated with Diastolic BP (DBP) (r = .20, p Conclusion: The use of electronic technology was significantly correlated with lower BP and better BP knowledge. Internet-based hypertension self-care interventions could promote patient involvement and patient centered-care leading to better adherence and BP control to reduce the risk for stroke. Electronic technologies may facilitate clinical data transmission and communication between patients and providers so providers can modify treatment regimens between visits. However, our results suggest that the lack of internet access could limit the feasibility of internet-based interventions to reduce blood pressure in this population.
Integrable Time-Dependent Quantum Hamiltonians.

We formulate a set of conditions under which the nonstationary Schr\"odinger equation with a time-dependent Hamiltonian is exactly solvable analytically. The main requirement is the existence of a non-Abelian gauge field with zero curvature in the space of system parameters. Known solvable multistate Landau-Zener models satisfy these conditions. Our method provides a strategy to incorporate time dependence into various quantum integrable models while maintaining their integrability. We also validate some prior conjectures, including the solution of the driven generalized Tavis-Cummings model.
Leading from the middle: An overview of current research and trends on the topic

ABSTRACTTrue leadership can come from anywhere within an organization. While supervisory roles can lead to an inherent leadership dynamic based on reporting lines, it is often difficult for individ...
Adult mortality differentials associated with cigarette smoking in the USA

Although cigarette smoking has been extensively researched, surprising little knowledge has been produced by demographers using demographic perspectives and techniques. Thus, this paper contributes to the literature by extending a demographic framework to an important behavior for mortality research: cigarette smoking. In earlier works, the authors used nationally-representative data to show that cause of death patterns varied by smoking status and that multiple causes of death characterized smokers moreso than non-smokers. The present work extends previous analysis by estimating smoking status mortality differentials by underlying and multiple causes of death and by age and sex. Data from the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey are related to data from the 1985 and 1987 National Health Interview Survey supplements to assess the smoking-related mortality differentials. We find that cigarette smoking is associated with higher mortality for all population categories studied, that the smoking mortality differentials vary across the different smoking status categories and by demographic group, and that the mortality differentials vary according to whether underlying cause or multiple cause patterns of death are examined. Moreover, the multiple cause analysis highlights otherwise obscured smoking-mortality relations and points to the importance of respiratory diseases and cancers other than lung cancer for cigarette smoking research.
Present Foreign Policy Arrangements & Weapons

As the world’s most important trading bloc (responsible for over 40 per cent of all world trade), it was both logical and desirable that the European Union, then the European Economic Community, would develop its own common international trading personality and policy. This it has done so successfully, that, for example in the successive rounds of multilateral trade negotiations (conducted in the framework of the GATT), the two main protagonists are the EU and the USA. It is therefore this common trading policy that is the most consistent Community foreign policy arm of the EU and longest-standing. But this foreign policy is largely the result of the Community’s own internal structure and policies — as well as the historical links which Member States have with countries and territories throughout the world.
Bayesian Predictive Inference for Small Areas for Binary Variables in the National Health Interview Survey

The National Health Interview Survey is designed to produce precise estimates for the entire United States, but not for individual states. We use Bayesian predictive inference to provide point estimates and measures of variability for the desired finite population quantities. Our investigation concerns binary random variables such as the occurrence of at least one doctor visit within the past twelve months.
TOTALLY RESORBABLE HIGH-STRENGTH BONE PLATE FOR INTERNAL FRACTURE FIXATION

Metal plating is the traditional technique used to invasively repair fractured bones. The plate acts as a mechanical shunt, however, and forces which are normally transmitted through the bone at the fracture site are directed around it. This condition results in stress protection which leads to osteoporosis and atrophy. Also, because a second surgical procedure is required to remove metallic or other nonresorbable plates, the healed bone may not be sufficiently strong to support normal loads, making refracture likely. We have developed a new, totally resorbable composite material which is initially as strong and stiff as healthy bone and allows primary osseous union to be achieved. Postsurgically, the material begins to soften and resorb, allowing the healing bone to be exercised so that normal bone remodeling may occur. The material is eventually totally resorbed once healing is complete.
Has the euro sustainably increased home price co‐movement?

A low level of co‐movement between different euro country housing markets creates difficulties for the ECB in setting monetary policy. Such co‐movement across eurozone countries has been the subject of a number of studies, using different methodologies and finding mixed results. In this study, we use endogenous break methods to explicitly test for whether the introduction of the euro has changed home value co‐movement. We also employ informal correlation analysis. Endogenous break results indicate no sustainable increase in co‐movement attributable to the euro, whereas correlation analysis is suggestive of a decrease in synchronization since the currency's introduction.
Cache Network Management Using BIG Cache Abstraction

In this paper, we develop an optimization decomposition framework for cache management under “BIG” cache abstraction which fully utilizes the cache resources in a cache network. We assign a utility function to each content, and formulate a joint optimization problem to maximize the overall utility of a cache network. We show that this global network utility maximization problem can be decomposed into two sub-problems, the cache allotment problem and object placement problem, which can be solved separately and iteratively. This decoupling enables us to separately optimize the performance objectives from the perspectives of content providers, cache network operators, and users. We provide exact solution to the object placement problem with Poisson and Pareto request interarrival distributions. We also devise a primal-dual algorithm for online content management. We conduct extensive numerical analysis and simulations to evaluate the performance of our optimization decomposition framework, and study the impact of various key factors such as hazard rate functions of the request interarrival distributions and object popularities. We show that our optimization decomposition framework outperform existing heuristic methods.
Aggression in an Inpatient Psychiatric Facility: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACTAssaults in psychiatric hospitals are problematic for vulnerable patients, staff, and the treatment system as a whole. This study reflects the challenges state hospitals experience managing...