cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mechanics of the primary cilium: An intricate structure with complex function

The primary cilium is a non-motile singular cellular structure that extends from the surface of nearly every cell in the body. The cilium has been shown to play numerous roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis, through regulating signaling pathways and sensing both biophysical and biochemical changes in the extracellular environment. The structural performance of the cilium is paramount to its function as defective cilia have been linked to numerous pathologies. In particular, the cilium has demonstrated a mechanosensory role in tissues such as the kidney, liver, endothelium and bone, where cilium deflection under mechanical loading triggers a cellular response. Understanding of how cilium structure and subsequent mechanical behavior contributes to the roles that cilium plays in regulating cellular behavior is a compelling question, yet is a relatively untouched research area. Recent advances in biophysical measurements have demonstrated the cilium to be a structurally intricate organelle containing an array of load bearing proteins. Furthermore advances in modeling of this organelle have revealed the importance of these proteins at regulating the cilium's mechanosensitivity. Remarkably, the cilium is capable of adapting its mechanical state, altering its length and possibly it's bending resistance, to regulate its mechanosensitivity demonstrating the importance of cilium mechanics in cellular responses. In this review, we introduce the cilium as a mechanosensor; discuss the advances in the mechanical modeling of cilia; explore the structural features of the cilium, which contribute to its mechanics and finish with possible mechanisms in which alteration in structure may affect ciliary mechanics, consequently affecting ciliary based mechanosensing.
Fear and anxiety: a simultaneous concept analysis.

TOPIC.A simultaneous concept analysis of fear and anxiety. PURPOSE.To develop a process model that reflects distinct characteristics of fear and anxiety. SOURCES.Existing biopsychology empirics and theory from peer review with and external to nursing literature. CONCLUSIONS.Fear and anxiety are distinct diagnoses guided by separate brain mechanisms. The author offers a process model for further critique by peers and clinical populations.
Accelerated UV-aging of acrylic materials used in PV concentrator systems

This paper reports the results of a systematic study comparing the optical properties of two acrylic formulations as a function of accumulated ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Outdoor weathering was done at DSET Laboratories using real-time and accelerated testing for a period of 5 years. Accelerated UV exposure (/spl sim/20-suns) was conducted at Sandia National Laboratories using the filtered spectrum of a xenon arc lamp. A detailed comparison between filtered-lamp spectra and outdoor solar irradiance is presented showing the importance of the 300-325 nm wavelength range when comparing results of outdoor and indoor UV exposure. Additional optical properties data are presented for acrylic materials that have undergone real-time exposure at Sandia for 36.5 years. >
Maximization of transmission at branches in photonic crystal waveguides

We report on the design and simulation of a Y-branch formed in a two-dimensional photonic crystal patterned into a semiconductor membrane. Low-loss broadband transmission is obtained by including a resonance in the vicinity of the junction. The structure was designed using a numerical optimization algorithm that we have incorporated into our FDTD algorithm.
Analytic expression for Fresnel diffraction: comment

In a recent paper by P. Wang [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A15, 684 (1998)] an analytic expression for calculating Fresnel diffraction is presented. Several mathematical problems with this analysis have been observed. In this comment, corrections to the analysis of Wang et al. are offered as well as an alternative view of this analysis. New formulas based on series of exponential polynomials that are everywhere convergent are derived. These new formulas eliminate the need to split the computational problem into two distinct regions. New series representations for two of the most important combinations of the Lommel functions of two variables are offered.
A Low-Power High-PSRR Clock-Free Current-Controlled Class-D Audio Amplifier

A low power, high PSRR, clock-free, current-controlled class-D audio power amplifier is presented. The proposed audio amplifier utilizes integral sliding mode control (ISMC) to ensure robust operation and to minimize the steady-state error. This architecture has two feedback loops: an outer voltage loop that minimizes the voltage error between the input and output audio signals, and an inner current loop that measures the inductor current to track the input signal accurately. The proposed amplifier achieves up to 82 dB of power supply rejection ratio (PSRR), more than 90 dB of signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio over the entire audio band, and total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) as low as 0.02%. A power-supply-induced intermodulation distortion (PS-IMD) of approximately - 90 dBc was measured for an input voltage signal of 2 Vpp at 1 kHz and a sinusoidal power-supply ripple of 300 mVpp at 217 Hz superimposed on the DC level. The IC prototype's controller consumes 30% less power than those of recently published works. The audio amplifier operates with a 2.7-V single voltage supply and delivers a maximum output power of 410 mW with 84% peak efficiency (η) into an 8 Ω speaker. It was fabricated using 0.5 μm CMOS standard technology, and occupies a total active area of 1.65 mm2.
National Oil Companies and the Future of the Oil Industry

Ever since the 1970s, a small number of national oil companies (NOCs) have dominated the world supply of oil and other hydrocarbons. Despite the huge influence that NOCs have on political economy, systematic scholarship remains surprisingly thin. I examine the factors that explain the wide variation in the strategy and performance of NOCs and survey the literature that has suggested the many ways in which NOCs play pivotal political and economic roles in resource-rich countries. As we look to the future, the fate of NOCs hinges on the price of oil, which may be eroded as new supplies (largely outside the control of most NOCs), such as deep water and shale oil, affect global markets.
Electronic medical records and prevention quality: the prevention index.

Background The Prevention Index is a methodology for using electronic medical records to identify and evaluate practice variations in the delivery of preventive care. Methods The Prevention Index was used to evaluate the provision of 10 recommended adult preventive services using electronic medical record data for the years 1999 through 2002 among the 450,000 members of a large Northwest integrated care system. The analyses were conducted in 2005. The Prevention Index determines the proportion of person-time that is covered using consensus guidelines as a standard of care. It is analyzed at the population level and produces quality measures at the individual, practice, clinic, and system levels. The Prevention Index also removes diagnostic services in evaluating preventive care. Results Overall, about 47% of recommended person-time was actually covered by the services in 2002. For nine services with care guidelines, the percent of covered person-time ranged from 19% for chlamydia screening to 80% for blood pressure screening. The percent of recommended person-time covered by these preventive services varied widely across clinical practices. From 17% to 53% of preventive screening tests were delivered for non-screening purposes. Conclusions There are wide variations across clinical practices in the adherence to standard prevention guidelines, and also wide variations across different recommended clinical services. The Prevention Index methodology may allow the identification of the source of these variations, allowing system corrections and other remedial actions to be applied precisely and efficiently.
Improving the Performance of Remote I/O Using Asynchronous Primitives

An increasing number of scientific applications need efficient access to large datasets held at remote storage facilities. However, despite the availability of high-speed Internet backbones, the performance penalty of remote I/O is still relatively high compared to local I/O. In this paper we describe different ways in which asynchronous primitives can be used to improve the performance of remote I/O in the grid environment. We have implemented and evaluated three optimization techniques using asynchronous primitives. These primitives have been integrated into SEMPLAR, a high-performance, remote I/O library based on the SDSC storage resource broker. Based on measurements of representative high-performance applications running on three different clusters, we show that different optimization techniques work best for each specific combination of application and platform characteristics. We achieved over 90% overlap between the computation and I/O phase of two applications by using an asynchronous version of remote I/O primitives. We were able to increase the average read and write bandwidth of the ROMIO perf benchmark by 96% and 43% respectively by moving data concurrently over multiple remote connections. Finally, we experienced an improvement of up to 84% in the average write bandwidth when using asynchronous, on-the-fly data compression
Lymphaticosclerosis: a new way of thinking about lymphatic vessel obstruction

Lymphoedema is a progressive condition that often manifests following cancer surgeries that involve removal or irradiation of lymph nodes. The symptoms may range from mild to severe and debilitating, and in the latter case can significantly increase susceptibility to infection and restrict quality of life.1,2 It is clear that removal of lymph nodes or severing of lymphatic vessels can cause an immediate interruption of the normal flow of lymph from the upstream vessel network into the downstream collecting vessels.3 However, the pathological mechanisms that progressively lead to severe secondary (acquired) lymphoedema are unclear, as are the reasons why different individuals receiving the same procedure may exhibit wide-ranging severities of lymphatic dysfunction.
Effect of Mechanical Forces on Growth and Matrix Protein Synthesis in the In Vitro Pulmonary Artery Analysis of the Role of Individual Cell Types

The effect of mechanical stimuli on pulmonary artery growth and matrix tissue synthesis (and how individual cell types in the vessel wall respond to such stimuli) is incompletely characterized. Rabbit pulmonary arteries were placed in tissue culture medium and subjected to varying magnitudes of stretch or hydrostatic pressure (separately) for 4 days. The rate of protein synthesis in smooth muscle cells (by quantitative autoradiography) was positively related to the magnitude of stretch, as were the percentage of procollagen type I-positive cells and the rate of cell replication. In adventitial fibroblasts, stretch increased the rate of replication but not of protein synthesis. Hydrostatic pressure had little or no effect on the variables measured in either smooth muscle cells or fibroblasts. Stretch also increased the rate of elastin and collagen synthesis in the whole pulmonary artery segment, and after 4 days of stretch, the contents of actin and elastin were increased. Removal of the endothelium did not affect stretch-induced protein, collagen, or elastin synthesis but augmented stretch-induced smooth muscle replication. These data suggest that in the intact pulmonary artery, stretch, but not pressure, can stimulate hypertrophy and hyperplasia in smooth muscle cells and hyperplasia in fibroblasts. Matrix protein synthesis and accumulation are also increased by stretch. Neither stretch-mediated growth nor matrix protein synthesis required endothelium in this model.
Comparison of direct, indirect, and ecosystem engineering effects of an earthworm on the red-backed salamander.

In addition to creating or modifying habitat, ecosystem engineers interact with other species as predators, prey, or competitors. The earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris, interacts with the common woodland salamander, Plethodon cinereus, via: (1) ecosystem engineering, by providing burrows that are used as a refuge, (2) direct effects as a prey item, and (3) indirectly, by competing with microinvertebrates, another prey item for P. cinereus. Using enclosures in the forest, I examined the relative strengths of these component pathways between seasons and salamander age classes. I found that the relative strength (partial η2) of the positive direct (trophic) effect of L. terrestris on the change in mass of P. cineresus was greater than that of the negative indirect effect, but only in summer. Positive effects of ecosystem engineering were only evident over the winter as increased adult survival. This research has implications for how habitat provisioning complements more well-studied species interactions, such ...
Pharmacological Properties of the Marine Natural Product Marinopyrrole A against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The ongoing spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains in hospital and community settings presents a great challenge to public health and illustrates the urgency of discovering new antibiotics. Marinopyrrole A is a member of a structurally novel class of compounds identified from a species of marine-derived streptomycetes with evidence of antistaphylococcal activity. We show that marinopyrrole A has potent concentration-dependent bactericidal activity against clinically relevant hospital- and community-acquired MRSA strains, a prolonged postantibiotic effect superior to that of the current first-line agents vancomycin and linezolid, and a favorable resistance profile. Marinopyrrole A showed limited toxicity to mammalian cell lines (at >20× MIC). However, its antibiotic activity against MRSA was effectively neutralized by 20% human serum. A variety of marinopyrrole analogs were isolated from culture or synthetically produced to try to overcome the inhibitory effect of serum. While many of these compounds retained potent bactericidal effect against MRSA, their activities were also inhibited by serum. Marinopyrrole A has significant affinity for plastic and may therefore have potential as a potent anti-MRSA agent in cutaneous, intracatheter, or antibiotic-lock applications.
Robot accuracy analysis based on kinematics

The positioning accuracy problem of robot manipulators has long been one of the principal concerns of robot design and control. In a previous work, a linear model that described the robot positioning accuracy due to kinematic errors was developed. However, the previous work considered only the small errors by ignoring the higher order terms and did not address the special case of two consecutive parallel joints. In this work a more detailed model is given that applies to consecutive parallel joints and includes the second-order terms. By comparing the results of the linear model and the second-order model, the accuracy of the linear model can be evaluated for a given manipulator and range of input kinematic errors. The error envelopes obtained using the linear model and the developed second order model for the Puma 560 are plotted and compared for various sets of input kinematic errors. A comparison of the computation complexity for the two models is also given.
A Meta‐Analysis of the Association between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease from Published Prospective Studies

Background The association between helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and coronary heart disease (CHD) has long been debated, and the results from previous meta-analysis are varied. Aims The aim for this study was to identify the association between Hp and CHD using published perspective cohort studies. Materials and Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed on studies published from January, 1992 to April, 2014. All studies included used data from prospective cohort studies of CHD events or CHD deaths. Random effect models were applied in all estimations. Results H. pylori infection increased the risk of CHD events by 11% (19 studies, n = 22,207, risk ratio (RR) = 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.22). This effect was greater for studies that had less than 5 years' follow-up time (RR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.00–1.32). However, this effect was not significant for studies that had follow-up times ≥10 years (n = 5100, RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.87–1.24). Neither Cag-A seropositive nor Cag-A seronegative strains of H. pylori were associated with a significantly increased risk of CHD events or deaths based on the current published data. Conclusion In conclusion, H. pylori infection increased the risk of CHD events, especially in a patient's early life, but this association was weaker or might be masked by other CHD risk factors in long-term observations.
Energy generation from the CO oxidation-hydrogen production pathway in Rubrivivax gelatinosus.

When incubated in the presence of CO gas, Rubrivivax gelatinosus CBS induces a CO oxidation-H2 production pathway according to the stoichiometry CO + H2O → CO2 + H2. Once induced, this pathway proceeds equally well in both light and darkness. When light is not present, CO can serve as the sole carbon source, supporting cell growth anaerobically with a cell doubling time of nearly 2 days. This observation suggests that the CO oxidation reaction yields energy. Indeed, new ATP synthesis was detected in darkness following CO additions to the gas phase of the culture, in contrast to the case for a control that received an inert gas such as argon. When the CO-to-H2 activity was determined in the presence of the electron transport uncoupler carbonyl-cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), the rate of H2 production from CO oxidation was enhanced nearly 40% compared to that of the control. Upon the addition of the ATP synthase inhibitor N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), we observed an inhibition of H2 production from CO oxidation which could be reversed upon the addition of CCCP. Collectively, these data strongly suggest that the CO-to-H2 reaction yields ATP driven by a transmembrane proton gradient, but the detailed mechanism of this reaction is not yet known. These findings encourage additional research aimed at long-term H2 production from gas streams containing CO.
Characteristics of rabbit muscle adenylate kinase inhibition by ascorbate.

Earlier studies showed that of the glycolytic enzymes, the muscle isozymes PFK-1, LDH, and AK were inhibited by ascorbic acid. These studies on the characteristics of the inhibition of RMAK by ascorbate are part of a hypothesis [] that ascorbate facilitates the storage of skeletal muscle glycogen by inhibiting glycolysis when the muscle is at rest. These studies examine conditions for RMAK inhibition, prevention of inhibition, and reversal of ascorbate inhibition. We found that the concentration of RMAK was an important condition for inhibition. Above 200 nM RMAK, inhibition by ascorbate could not be demonstrated and below that concentration RMAK became increasingly sensitive to ascorbate inhibition. Associated with increased sensitivity to inhibition by ascorbate is a deviation from a linear to a concave relationship between low RMAK concentrations and enzyme activity. At low RMAK concentrations, the concave relationship becomes convex in the presence of muscle aldolase. In addition, aldolase reverses in...
Acute Leukemia Presenting as Arthritis in Children

The clinical and laboratory features of six children with arthritis as the presenting manifestation of acute leukemia are reviewed. Asymmetric arthritis involving the large joints of the extremities was the dominant clinical feature in all patients. Despite the presence of antinuclear antibody in three patients, other laboratory features, particularly hematologic abnormalities, served as clues to the diagnosis of leukemic arthropathy in most patients.
USING COALESCENT SIMULATIONS TO TEST THE IMPACT OF QUATERNARY CLIMATE CYCLES ON DIVERGENCE IN AN ALPINE PLANT-INSECT ASSOCIATION

The Quaternary climate cycles forced species to repeatedly migrate across a continually changing landscape. How these shifts in distribution impacted the evolution of unrelated but ecologically associated taxa has remained elusive due to the stochastic nature of the evolutionary process and variation in species-specific biological characteristics and environmental constraints. To account for the uncertainty in genealogical estimates, we adopted a coalescent approach for testing hypotheses of population divergence in coevolving taxa. We compared genealogies of a specialized herbivorous insect, Parnassius smintheus (Papilionidae), and its host plant, Sedum lanceolatum (Crassulaceae), from the alpine tundra of the Rocky Mountains to null distributions from coalescent simulations to test whether tightly associated taxa shared a common response to the paleoclimatic cycles. Explicit phylogeographic models were generated from geologic and biogeographic data and evaluated over a wide range of divergence times given calibrated mutation rates for both species. Our analyses suggest that the insect and its host plant responded similarly but independently to the climate cycles. By promoting habitat expansion and mixing among alpine populations, glacial periods repeatedly reset the distributions of genetic variation in each species and inhibited continual codivergence among pairs of interacting species.
Recapitulation and Synthesis Proliferation of Meta-Analysis in Structural Interventional Cardiology

The highest ideal in medical practice is fully informed, evidence-driven practice. In pursuit of that ephemeral goal, clinical research in interventional cardiology is at an all-time high. One of the most rapidly growing domains of clinical research in interventional cardiology and other medical fields has been metaresearch—systematic reviews and the meta-analyses they feed. In this journal alone, for example, 13 meta-analyses were published between 2013 and 2015, and 7 of the 112 original articles that appeared in 2015 fell into this category.1–7 Given the proliferation of such studies, in this journal and in the field more broadly, it seems an opportune moment to reflect briefly on their place in the evolving literature on structural interventions. Although articles reporting the results of meta-analysis have become increasingly pervasive in recent years, the statistical methodology and discipline are not new, having been pioneered >40 years ago. Wielded judiciously and effectively, meta-analysis can be one of the most important tools available for integrating and demystifying clinical research. It is ideally suited for synthesizing data from multiple sources in the service of seeking clarity around important questions for which there is no clear answer—for example, when trials yield conflicting results, and there are multiple underpowered or unfocused studies. Targeted finely and executed expertly, meta-analysis can and should serve as some of the highest-level evidence for clinical decision making and for subsequent trial design. However, reality is not always in keeping with the ideal. There is increasing evidence that the meta-analysis machine is bloated. In the cardiovascular literature, both the publication of meta-analyses and their relative contribution to the literature expanded dramatically during the first decade of this century, with the number of meta-analyses increasing >500% from 2000 to 2012 and the ratio of randomized trials to …
Vadose Zone Permeability Tests: Steady State Results

Free surface and saturated-unsaturated flow models are applied to the problem of constant head borehole infiltrat1on tests for determining saturated hydraulic conductivity above a water table. The free surface model follows the same general approach employed to develop analytical solutions, but this model does not suffer from some of the many simplifying assumptions regarding boundary conditions. Nonetheless, the results of steady state simulations with the free surface model agree rather well with the analytical solutions. The free surface approach provides a distorted view of the infiltration process. Saturated-unsaturated models used to simulate quasi-steady state conditions indicated that only a small volume of soil in the vicinity of the borehole is completely saturated with water. Based on saturated-unsaturated simulations in four different homogeneous, isotropic soils, an empirical solution is developed for deep water table conditions to estimate saturated hydraulic conductivity with improved accuracy. Due to the effects of borehole geometry unsaturated soil characteristics, water table depth, heterogeneity, and anisotropy, it is extremely difficult to develop a completely general formula.
Abstract TMP97: Progesterone Attenuates Acute Seizure and Brain Infarction by Modulating Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Stroke

Neonatal stroke is among the top ten causes of childhood death and causes long-term permanent disability and neurological deficits in survivors. In most cases, recurrent clonic seizure is the only ...
Evidence to support use of palonosetron over generic serotonin type 3-receptor antagonists for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Palonosetron, a serotonin type 3–receptor (5-HT3) antagonist, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003 for the prevention of acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) associated with initial and repeat courses of highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) and moderately
Steam Hydration of Calcium Oxide for Solid Sorbent Based CO2 Capture: Effects of Sintering and Fluidized Bed Reactor Behavior

This study reports on the hydration characteristics in the three-step carbonation–calcination reaction (CCR) process with intermediate steam hydration. Specifically, experimental results of sorbent reactivation in a fluidized bed steam hydration reactor are presented along with the effect of the operating gas velocity (Ug) and different calcination conditions on the hydration reaction. The enhancing effect of increasing Ug on the hydration rate is evident but limited with a threshold at 0.3 m/s, above which the bulk phase mass transfer effects are less significant. The highest hydration conversion of 83% is achieved in 30 min at the highest Ug of 0.5 m/s. However, increasing Ug also yields lower steam utilization during hydration; thus an optimal operating condition with respect to both the solid and steam conversions shall be determined via an overall process analysis. In addition, the parametric effect of different calcination conditions, specifically, the calcination temperature, time, and reactor type...
Prostatic hyperplasia;common misconceptions.

Gross misconceptions are prevalent regarding symptoms and the results of urologic investigation and surgical treatment of prostatic hyperplasia.All patients with prostatism do not have significant urinary symptoms. The importance of the absence or the presence of residual urine also has been misinterpreted. The impression that future prostatic hyperplasia or carcinoma is precluded by prostatectomy but possibly will occur following transurethral resection is erroneous.The physician also must realize that pyuria may exist for several months after prostatectomy has been performed.
Local Forces in Actin Networks with Gradients

Over the last two decades, experimental results have shown the response of uniform entangled actin networks to local stresses and strains is nonlinear. One theory proposes that nonlinear stresses associated with large network strains arise from gradients in polymer density in the network that can exert a net entropic forces on micron sized beads embedded in the network. In order to better understand the physics of actin polymer gradients, we probe the theory in reverse. We use a microfluidics device and photo-uncaging of salt and ATP to generate a gradient in actin filament density. We track the motion of neutrally buoyant beads embedded in the network. We do not observe a bias in the beads motion down the gradient as suggested by the entropic force model, however we do measure an overall enhancement of the bead mobility in the gradient compared with isotropic actin networks at the same concentration. We compare these results with a dissipative particle dynamics implementation of the experiment and polymer theory.
Study on Accurate Radar Cross Section Measurement in Farfield

Traditional method of indoor RCS measurement is the single frequency(CW) method.For low backscattering target measurement,a cancelling system is introduced in the testing system to get more accurate result, which reduced more than 20 dB of chamber background level.But there exists some error in the above scheme: the shadowing of target can′t be compensated,and the compensation system becomes easily unstable.Another scheme is introduced in this paper,that is analyzing testing data in time-domain with FFT by frequency sweeping measurement,and by proper setting,very accarated result can be obtained.The new method has only a simple frame and can get more information,without complex manual adjusting system,such as chamber background cancelling system.
Common Sense: Reid, Reliability, and Reid's Wrong Turn

In this chapter, I consider the views of Thomas Reid concerning our knowledge of the reliability of our faculties. Reid holds that it is a “first principle” that perception and memory and, indeed, all of our natural cognitive faculties are reliable. Yet, in several places, he seems to endorse ways of supporting the reliability of our faculties that seem to be epistemically circular. In the first section, I shall examine some of these passages. In the second section, I shall consider a brief yet important criticism Reid makes of Descartes. Reid argues that Descartes's argument that his faculties are reliable is question-begging. If Reid's criticism of Descartes is sound, then it seems that any reasoning for the reliability of our faculties must also be question-begging. I will argue, however, that Reid's charge that Descartes begs the question rests on a mistaken view of what knowledge requires. It also seems to be a view that is inconsistent with positions that Reid endorses elsewhere. Reid's endorsement of this mistaken view seems to be a lapse on his part. REID ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE RELIABILITY OF OUR FACULTIES Kant is among the most prominent critics of the common sense tradition, at least as it is represented by Reid. In Kant's view, it is an appeal to the opinion of the multitude, of which a real philosopher ought to be ashamed. In one blistering passage, Kant writes: It is indeed a great gift of God to possess right or (as they now call it) plain common sense.[…]
How Angry Customer Complaints Influence Salesperson Commitment to Service Quality

The conventional advice for salespeople facing angry customer complaints is to remain calm and provide high-quality service. Yet salespeople’s willingness and ability to do so depends on whether they believe the customer is justified in complaining with an angry tone. Using an experimental design with salespeople as participants, this study shows that salespeople experience greater anger when they blame someone other than themselves for causing the service failure. Furthermore, when customers complain in an angry tone and salespeople believe others are responsible for the service failure, salespeople feel greater anger, perceive more emotional labor, develop stronger revenge intentions, and express less commitment to serving customers. Although organizations sometimes consider customer complaints beneficial, the current study shows that when customers complain in an angry tone, salespeople often feel like providing poorer service, both to that customer and to others.
Surface-Anchored Poly(4-vinylpyridine)–Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube–Metal Composites for Gas Detection

A platform for chemiresistive gas detectors based upon single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) dispersions stabilized by poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) covalently immobilized onto a glass substrate was developed. To fabricate these devices, a glass substrate with gold electrodes is treated with 3-bromopropyltrichlorosilane. The resulting alkyl bromide coating presents groups that can react with the P4VP to covalently bond (anchor) the polymer–SWCNT composite to the substrate. Residual pyridyl groups in P4VP not consumed in this quaternization reaction are available to coordinate metal nanoparticles or ions chosen to confer selectivity and sensitivity to target gas analytes. Generation of P4VP coordinated to silver nanoparticles produces an enhanced response to ammonia gas. The incorporation of soft Lewis acidic Pd2+ cations by binding PdCl2 to P4VP yields a selective and highly sensitive device that changes resistance upon exposure to vapors of thioethers. The latter materials have utility for odorized fuel l...
The enigma of J Robert Oppenheimer

J Robert Oppenheimer (1904–1967) was the pampered, precocious elder son of wealthy German-Jewish parents. He attended the Ethical Culture Society school in New York City, graduated from Harvard, and then spent an unhappy year doing experimental physics in Britain at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. In 1926 he moved to Germany, where he blossomed as a theorist learning the new quantum physics. On the continent, Oppenheimer (or Oppie, Oppy or Opje as he would be variously called) got to know Paul Dirac and I I Rabi. Just before his 23rd birthday, he secured his doctorate as a Wunderkind with the future Nobelist Max Born at Gottingen.
The Oxide-Silicon Interface

Oxidized silicon surfaces are used on virtually all of today's integrated circuits and silicon devices. These oxide layers encase the silicon surface in a protective sheath; they provide convenient insulating layers on which to deposit intraconnecting leads and bonding pads; and, perhaps most important, they terminate the silicon lattice in as ordered a fashion as has yet been found--interface state densities in the range of 1010 to 1011 cm?2 ev?1 or lower, commonly observed at the oxide-silicon interface, are by far the lowest surface state densities measured on any silicon surface. Surface related failures still exist, however, as has been noted at previous Physics of Failure Symposia. Device surface operation, whether it be any of the MOS family or simply a planar p-n junction, is predicated upon the action of the space charge region in the silicon that is adjacent to the oxide-silicon interface. The observed device properties are well described by simple models in which the surface conductance, capacitance, recombination velocity and other electrical properties are uniquely related to the surface potential. Extraneous charges in the oxidesilicon system that are not part of the silicon space chage region do exist, however, and constitute a source of degraded device performance, instability, and failure. Sources of extraneous charge include: 1. Ionic surface contamination (the Atalla model). anions and cations can inadvertently be left on the oxide surface during device manufacture or can be acquired at some time during operation.
Follow the leader: understanding young adults' intentions to follow brands on Facebook

Two theoretical models - the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) - were used to evaluate how young adults decide to follow brands on Facebook. An online survey was fielded among approximately 500 current social media users. Established scales measured nine variables: behavioural and normative beliefs, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, information-seeking behaviour, social media self-efficacy, brand consciousness, attitudes towards the act, and intent to act. Results indicated that following brands was more influenced by users' assessments of the benefits (utility) and ease of use attributed to the activity than by peer influence. As a result of these findings, it is recommended to practitioners that brand activities on Facebook should focus on current and potential consumers by extending consumer promotional activities.
“Open Book” Pelvis/Hemodynamically Unstable Pelvis Fracture

There are very few true orthopedic emergencies. Several conditions such as open fractures, once thought to be emergent, have been shown in the literature to be urgencies that should be tended to in prompt rather than emergent fashion. Some notable emergencies are hemodynamically unstable pelvis fractures, necrotizing fasciitis, and compartment syndrome.
Lipidomics reveals dramatic lipid compositional changes in the maturing postnatal lung

Lung immaturity is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving normal lung development could provide insights on how to ameliorate disrupted development. While transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of normal lung development have been previously reported, characterization of changes in the lipidome is lacking. Lipids play significant roles in the lung, such as dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in pulmonary surfactant; however, many of the roles of specific lipid species in normal lung development, as well as in disease states, are not well defined. In this study, we used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to investigate the murine lipidome during normal postnatal lung development. Lipidomics analysis of lungs from post-natal day 7, day 14 and 6-8 week mice (adult) identified 924 unique lipids across 21 lipid subclasses, with dramatic alterations in the lipidome across developmental stages. Our data confirmed previously recognized aspects of post-natal lung development and revealed several insights, including in sphingolipid-mediated apoptosis, inflammation and energy storage/usage. Complementary proteomics, metabolomics and chemical imaging corroborated these observations. This multi-omic view provides a unique resource and deeper insight into normal pulmonary development.
Genome evolution: Shellfish genes.

Three new bivalve genomes are resources for comparative genomics over broad timescales, providing a glimpse into the evolution of understudied marine animals and their adaptations to extreme environments.
Skin friction drag reduction in turbulent flow using spanwise traveling surface waves

A major technological driver in current aircraft and other vehicles is the improvement of fuel efficiency. One way to increase the efficiency is to reduce the skin friction drag on these vehicles. This experimental study presents an active drag reduction technique which decreases the skin friction using spanwise traveling waves. A novel method is introduced for generating traveling waves which is low-profile, non-intrusive, and operates under various flow conditions. This wave generation method is discussed and the resulting traveling waves are presented. These waves are then tested in a low-speed wind tunnel to determine their drag reduction potential. To calculate the drag reduction, the momentum integral method is applied to turbulent boundary layer data collected using a pitot tube and traversing system. The skin friction coefficients are then calculated and the drag reduction determined. Preliminary results yielded a drag reduction of ≈ 5% for 244Hz traveling waves. Thus, this novel wave generation method possesses the potential to yield an easily implementable, non-invasive drag reduction technology.
The Stability of Retrospective Child Sexual Abuse Reports and its Association With Problem Avoidance.

ABSTRACTDue to reliability problems, use of retrospective measurement to assess child sexual abuse has long concerned researchers. Possible psychosocial causes of these reliability issues—including problem avoidance—have not been thoroughly studied. We tested the reliability of retrospective child sexual abuse measurement in a nationally representative sample of 12,438 adults over two periods (2001–2002, 2007–2008), assessed sex differences in reliability, and examined whether reliability depends on problem avoidance tendencies. Nearly three-fourths of child sexual abuse cases in the former wave were not again reported, and two-thirds of child sexual abuse cases in the latter wave were not previously reported. Females were more likely to report CSA later if reported previously (OR = 5.11). Participants who reported child sexual abuse in the former wave but not the latter were more avoidant than consistent reporters (3.13 versus 2.77). Our findings suggest that females may report child sexual abuse more co...
Addressing Bias in Electronic Health Record-Based Surveillance of Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Finding the Signal Through the Noise.

Use of the electronic health record (EHR) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) surveillance is increasingly common. However, these data can introduce systematic error that influences the internal and external validity of study findings. We reviewed recent literature on EHR-based studies of CVD risk to summarize the most common types of bias that arise. Subsequently, we recommend strategies informed by work from others as well as our own to reduce the impact of these biases in future research. Systematic error, or bias, is a concern in all observational research including EHR-based studies of CVD risk surveillance. Patients captured in an EHR system may not be representative of the general population, due to issues such as informed presence bias, perceptions about the healthcare system that influence entry, and access to health services. Further, the EHR may contain inaccurate information or be missing key data points of interest (e.g., due to loss to follow-up or over-diagnosis bias). Several strategies, including implementation of unique patient identifiers, adoption of standardized rules for inclusion/exclusion criteria, statistical procedures for data harmonization and analysis, and incorporation of patient-reported data have been used to reduce the impact of these biases. EHR data provide an opportunity to monitor and characterize CVD risk in populations. However, understanding the biases that arise from EHR datasets is instrumental in planning epidemiological studies and interpreting study findings. Strategies to reduce the impact of bias in the context of EHR data can increase the quality and utility of these data.
Response to Pioglitazone in Patients With Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis With vs Without Type 2 Diabetes

Background & Aims Pioglitazone is effective for long-term treatment of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. However, it is not clear how the presence of type 2 diabetes affects the drug's efficacy. We compared metabolic and histologic responses to pioglitazone in patients with NASH and prediabetes vs type 2 diabetes. Methods We performed a prospective study of adults with biopsy-proven NASH (52 with type 2 diabetes and 49 with prediabetes), enrolled from the general population of San Antonio, Texas, from 2008 through 2014. After a run-in period of approximately 4 weeks, when all baseline measurements were made (liver magnetic resonance proton spectroscopy, euglycemic insulin clamp with glucose turnover measurements, dual-energy absorptiometry, and liver biopsy), subjects were randomly assigned to groups given pioglitazone or placebo (45 mg/d) for 18 months; all procedures performed at baseline were then repeated. The primary outcome was a reduction in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score of 2 points or more (for at least 2 components) without worsening of fibrosis (and expressed as difference vs placebo). Secondary outcomes included NASH resolution, individual histologic components, intrahepatic triglyceride content (measured by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy), and insulin sensitivity (measured by euglycemic insulin clamp). Results The primary outcome was met by 48% of patients with type 2 diabetes vs 46% without diabetes. Resolution of NASH was achieved in 44% of patients with type 2 diabetes vs 26% without diabetes. A significant reduction in fibrosis, from baseline, was observed only in patients with type 2 diabetes (P = .035). Intrahepatic triglyceride content was reduced by 11% ± 2% in patients with diabetes vs a reduction of 9% ± 2% in patients without diabetes (P = .62); the plasma level of alanine aminotransferase was reduced by 50 ± 10 U/L in patients with diabetes vs a reduction of 36 ± 5 U/L in patients without diabetes (P = .22). Pioglitazone was associated with a significantly greater insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue of patients with diabetes vs without diabetes (P Conclusions In a prospective study, we found pioglitazone to be effective in patients with and without type 2 diabetes. However, pioglitazone reduced liver fibrosis and increased adipose tissue insulin sensitivity at significantly greater levels in patients with type 2 diabetes than in patients with prediabetes. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms by which pioglitazone reduces liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00994682.
Agency or Stewardship?: The Impact of Leadership Structure on the Debt Financing of Lodging Firms (Leadership Structure on Debt Financing)

This study aims to empirically investigate agency and stewardship theories in the US lodging market by examining the influence of fiscal and non-fiscal leadership structures on the debt financing decisions of lodging firms.,Secondary financial data have been collected for USA-based lodging firms. Subsequently, bivariate correlation, pooled ordinary least square) and endogeneity analyses have been performed on the data.,The findings support the significant influence of some corporate governance attributes on the capital structure of US lodging firms and show the limited applicability of agency and stewardship theories.,Theoretical and managerial implications are suggested in terms of balancing leadership structure attributes from the agency and stewardship theories, the capital structure of lodging firms and the future research.,Despite its importance considering the intensive capital and relatively high liabilities needed for success in the lodging industry, the influence of leadership structure on capital structure has not been examined either empirically or theoretically. Leadership structure attributes, both fiscal and non-fiscal, are included in the study to gain a richer understanding of their influence. The outcomes of the analysis suggest managerial implications for leadership structure as well as theoretical generalizability for agency and stewardship theories within the lodging industry.
Two-Photon Imaging of Cerebral Vasodynamics in Awake Mice During Health and Disease

The energy demands of the brain are supplied by a dynamic and topologically organized vascular system. In vivo two-photon laser-scanning microscopy has become an essential tool for studying several aspects of cerebrovascular function, including neurovascular coupling, collateral arterial flow, and vasculopathies associated with stroke and neurodegeneration. Recently there has been a strong effort to perform imaging studies on mice in the awake state. This is to avoid the dampening effect that anesthetics have on neurovascular dynamics, and also to enable studies on trained behaviors. Studying awake mice has revealed a rich dynamism of cerebral blood flow control, but also raised a number of challenges in the collection of rigorous and meaningful datasets. In this chapter, we describe techniques routinely used for two-photon blood flow imaging in awake mice. This includes chronic window implantations and head fixation techniques to reduce movement during imaging, as well as blood flow data processing techniques that are robust to movement artifacts. Finally, we describe a non-invasive photothrombotic stroke model that can be performed on awake mice for imaging of ischemic pathology.