cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetization changes of Fe-films due to a Mn-overlayer

Abstract Fe-films with Mn-overlayers were prepared by evaporation in a high vacuum system. The magnetic dipole moment of the iron film and the iron plus manganese film was measured “in situ”. The magnetic moment of the Fe-film decreased by about 3–4 μB/surface atom when the Mn-overlayer was deposited.
Curcumin blocks homocysteine-induced endothelial dysfunction in porcine coronary arteries

Purpose Curcumin, a yellow polyphenolic compound from the plant Curcuma ionga , is a commonly used spice and coloring agent with beneficial effects of anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of curcumin on homocysteine-induced endothelial dysfunction in a porcine coronary artery model. Methods Porcine coronary arteries were cut into 5-mm rings, which were incubated for 24 hours either as control rings, with homocysteine (50 μmol/L), curcumin (5 μmol/L), or a combination of curcumin (5 μmol/L) and homocysteine (50 μmol/L). Myograph tension analysis was performed in response to vessel active drugs including thromboxane A 2 analog U466419 (contraction), endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation (bradykinin), and endothelium-independent vasorelaxation (sodium nitroprusside). Immunohistochemical staining was performed for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). In addition, superoxide anion production was determined by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence. Results All groups of porcine coronary artery rings showed no difference in maximal contraction after U46619 challenge. However, endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in response to 10 -5 mol/L bradykinin was 40% in the homocysteine-treated group, as compared to 73% in the control group ( P = .03). Of importance, curcumin could effectively block homocysteine-induced impairment of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. All groups showed no difference in endothelium-independent vasorelaxation. In addition, eNOS immunoreactivity was reduced in the homocysteine group, but the combined homocysteine and curcumin group showed eNOS levels comparable to those in the control group. Furthermore, superoxide anion levels of the endothelial layer were significantly increased by 2-fold in homocysteine-treated vessels as compared to control vessels ( P = .02), whereas curcumin could block the effect of homocysteine on superoxide anion production. Conclusion These data demonstrate that curcumin effectively reverses the endothelial dysfunction induced by homocysteine. In addition, curcumin significantly blocked homocysteine-induced superoxide anion production and eNOS down-regulation. This study suggests a therapeutic role for dietary curcumin in patients with homocysteinemia, thereby reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
The pK∗ of TRISH+ in Na-K-Mg-Ca-Cl-SO4 brines—pH scales

Abstract The stoichiometric dissociation constant, pK∗ of TRISH+ has been determined in NaCl, KCl, MgCl2 and CaCl2 solutions to an ionic strength of 6 molal. The results have been used to derive Pitzer coefficients for the interactions of TRIS with Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions. These results can be used to determine the pK∗ of TRISH+ in mixed brines which can be used to calibrate pH electrodes. Measurements of pK∗ of TRISH+ in mixtures of NaCl-MgCl2, NaCl-CaCl2, NaCl-Na2SO4, KCl-MgCl2 and KCl-CaCl2, artificial seawater and Dead Sea waters were made to determine the reliability of the Pitzer coefficients. The estimated values were found to be in good agreement with the measured values provided corrections were made for the interactions of H+ with SO2−4. It now is possible to use dilute solutions of TRIS and TRISH+ to make buffers that can be used to make reproducible pH measurements in brines.
Concerning the amount and distribution of stainable lipoid material in renal epithelium in normal and acutely nephropathic animals, with observations on the functional response of the kidney

Conclusions1. Lipoid material stainable with Scharlach R. is constantly found in the cells of the loops of Henle in normal dogs. The presence of such material in this location is not indicative of a pathological kidney. The functional capacity of such a kidney is normal.2. When animals are given one subcutaneous injection of 6 mg. of uranium nitrate per kilogram, the earliest evidence of injury to the kidney consists of an increase in the amount of stainable lipoid in the cells of the loops of Henle. At this stage of the intoxication there is no evidence of a functional disturbance on the part of the kidney and no change takes place in the acid-base equilibrium of the blood.3. At a later stage of such an intoxication (12 hours) stainable lipoid material appears in the convoluted tubule epithelium. The vascular tissue of the kidney is uninjured. Associated with such a disturbance in the metabolism of these cells that leads to the appearance of stainable lipoid in the cell there occurs a reduction in the el...
Structure and deformation of a crosslinked poly(α-amino acid)

Abstract The relationship between the chain conformation and the mechanical response is an important consideration in understanding the solid state properties of block and random copolymers of α-amino acids. In order to eliminate intermolecular effects, crosslinked poly-2-hydroxyethyl-L-glutamine was prepared, and the mechanical properties of swollen films were determined. In water, the films take the random coil conformation and the mechanical behavior is elastomeric. In methanol, the chains are α-helical and plastic deformation is observed. Two molecular processes accompany the deformation of the α-helical network. At low strains, orientation of the α-helical chain segments in the draw direction is observed. At higher strains, some of the α-helical chains are converted to the β-sheet conformation. This latter process probably accounts for the observed nonrecoverable deformation. The behavior in mixed solvents showed that the nonhelical chain segments provided sufficient flexibility to the chain that the...
Prolactin and growth hormone release in response to sequential stimulation by arginine and synthetic TRF.

ABSTRACT The quantitative release, time course and sex difference between prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) responses to sequential administration of arginine and thyrotropin-releasing factor (TRF) were evaluated. Arginine infusion elicited an associated release in PRL and GH with a dissociated time course of approximately 15 min earlier for PRL than for GH. By comparison, TRF induced a more prompt and quantitatively greater PRL release which was unaccompanied by GH rise. Female subjects exhibited greater responses to both stimuli than male subjects.
Graphyte software for integrated remote sensing research using HPCC

The broad goal of GEOSS-V, creating a unified system of systems that encompasses all relevant atmospheric and environmental remote sensing data, accesses social and economic impact information, and integrates all relevant analysis and decision-making tools, is a monumental task. This is made more difficult in that as technology and algorithms change at an ever-increasing pace, the ability to test, prototype, and integrate new technology is often difficult in large production systems. We have been developing Graphyte, a very flexible lightweight integration framework which is aimed at augmenting GEOSS-V technology by providing agile development tools for research and development.
Effect of transplantation of pancreas on development of hypothalamic obesity.

HYPOTHALAMIC obesity is a syndrome of hyperphagia and obesity that follows destruction of the ventromedial region of the hypothalamus. This syndrome is associated with loss of normal nocturnal rise in food intake and with several endocrine changes of which increased concentrations of insulin are the most important. It remains to be settled, however, whether the hyperphagia or hyperinsulinaemia is the primary factor in the development of hypothalamic obesity. The aim of the present experiment was to distinguish between these possibilities by freeing the insulin-secreting islets of Langerhans from neural control. This was done by implanting foetal pancreatic tissue under the kidney capsule of diabetic rats. This experiment prevented the characteristic hyperphagia and obesity seen in the control animals with normally innervated pancreatic tissue. Obesity can be produced by several experimental procedures1. Among the most widely studied is the one due to damage to the ventromedial region of the hypothalamus2,3. For many years, hypothalamic obesity was ascribed to the destruction of a ‘satiety centre’ which was thought to coincide anatomically with the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus4. Ablation of this ‘satiety centre’ was believed to remove the inhibitory influences from a primary feeding centre in the lateral hypothalamus and allow excess feeding. Recent investigations have suggested, however, that this interpretation may be incorrect5,6, and alternative hypotheses have been proposed. One of these suggests that the increase in food intake and obesity are both secondary to the rise in insulin levels which follow ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) injury. The present studies were designed to critically examine this hypothesis.
The road to Israeli citizenship: the case of the South Lebanese Army (SLA)

The symbolic economy of refugeeness is interconnected with wider discourses on demography, citizenship, and nationality in the complexity of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. By restructuring their image, elites in Israel were able to ‘neutralize’ the South Lebanese Army (SLA), changing the perception of them from aggressors to victims. Israel could justify the absorption of Muslim Arabs if they were refugees. However, the close propinquity to the ‘Palestinian Refugee Problem’ compelled this label to be removed from the SLA. Rather than an essential description of a social situation, the notion of refugees is a symbolic signifier added and removed in line with its political resonance. The road to Israeli citizenship was mediated through the symbolic construction of the SLA as refugees. Thus, citizenship in each country is not a constant ideal as it is influenced by both global trends and internal social structures.
Is the Focus on “Molecules” Obsolete?

The technologies developed in analytical chemistry have defined in spectacular detail the properties of molecules. The field now faces enormously important and interesting problems of which molecules are only a part: for example, understanding the nature of life; helping to manage megacities, oceans, and atmospheres; and making health care (especially diagnostics) affordable and relevant. The emergence of these problems involving molecular systems raises the issue of how (and what) analytical chemistry should teach. Historically, it has been essential to chemistry in teaching the science of measurement. As complicated analytical techniques proliferate, it must consider how to balance teaching the uses of sophisticated devices and the fundamentals of analysis and measurement. This review (by an admiring but nonanalytical chemist) sketches the essential role of analytical methods— especially simple ones made up on the spot—in guiding research in new fields, with examples from self-assembled monolayers, soft lithography, paper diagnostics, and self-assembly; and suggests issues in teaching.
Mapping Democracy: Racial Identity and the Quandary of Political Representation

In a series of lawsuits during the 1990s, federal courts in the United States rejected congressional election districts that had both extremely irregular boundaries and nonwhite majorities. In particular, courts ruled that the shape of these districts–which they characterized as ‘bizarre’ and noncompact–demonstrated that states had unconstitutionally classified voters by race. These legal cases reflect a fundamental tension in American political culture between universalistic citizenship and particularistic racial identity. Universalistic concepts that embrace numeric political representation, geometric standards of shape, and the ‘liberal self ’ share an understanding of the individual as the basic unit of political representation and define this individual by the ability to make rational choices. In contrast, concepts of particularistic identity that emphasize the importance of ‘regional community representation,’ informal visual standards of shape, and place-based or regional attachments view communiti...
The development of an enhanced finite element tire model for roadside safety hardware assessment

Various types of roadside safety hardware are deployed along highways to safely redirect or contain errant vehicles such that there is no intrusion into a hazardous area or on-coming traffic that m...
A global analysis of C. elegans trans-splicing

Trans-splicing of one of two short leader RNAs, SL1 or SL2, occurs at the 5' ends of pre-mRNAs of many C. elegans genes. We have exploited RNA-sequencing data from the modENCODE project to analyze the transcriptome of C. elegans for patterns of trans-splicing. Transcripts of ∼70% of genes are trans-spliced, similar to earlier estimates based on analysis of far fewer genes. The mRNAs of most trans-spliced genes are spliced to either SL1 or SL2, but most genes are not trans-spliced to both, indicating that SL1 and SL2 trans-splicing use different underlying mechanisms. SL2 trans-splicing occurs in order to separate the products of genes in operons genome wide. Shorter intercistronic distance is associated with greater use of SL2. Finally, increased use of SL1 trans-splicing to downstream operon genes can indicate the presence of an extra promoter in the intercistronic region, creating what has been termed a "hybrid" operon. Within hybrid operons the presence of the two promoters results in the use of the two SL classes: Transcription that originates at the promoter upstream of another gene creates a polycistronic pre-mRNA that receives SL2, whereas transcription that originates at the internal promoter creates transcripts that receive SL1. Overall, our data demonstrate that >17% of all C. elegans genes are in operons.
Postcountershock pulseless rhythms: Response to CPR, artificial cardiac pacing, and adrenergic agonists

Clinically, countershock of ventricular fibrillation (VF) may result in asystole or a pulseless rhythm in more than 50% of attempts. We conducted a study to assess the effects of immediate artificial pacing, CPR, and adrenergic drug therapy in the management of postcountershock pulseless rhythms. Thirty-four episodes of VF followed by countershock were studied in eight anesthetized dogs. Transducer-tipped catheters were positioned in the ascending aorta (Ao) and right atrium (RA). A bipolar pacing catheter was advanced to the apex of the right ventricle and a catheter for measurement of coronary sinus blood flow (CSQ) (continuous thermodilution technique) was positioned in the coronary sinus. VF was induced electrically and a countershock at 400 J was given two minutes later; CPR was not performed during VF episodes. Countershock was followed by asystole or a pulseless rhythm in all animals. Immediate endocardial pacing (0.1 to 5 mA) of bradyarrhythmias produced electrical capture but did not result in arterial pressure pulses in any animal. After pacing, CPR was performed for two minutes or until restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). During CPR, the diastolic coronary perfusion gradient (Ao-RA) was 20 ± 7 mm Hg (mean ± SD) and CSQ was 14 ± 7 mL/min/100 g (53% ± 43% of control). ROSC followed CPR of less than two minutes duration in 24% of VF study episodes. If ROSC did not follow two minutes of CPR, 1 mg epinephrine, or 50 μ g or 100 μ g isoproterenol was given IV. Epinephrine increased the CPR Ao-RA gradient to 48 ± 25 mm Hg and CSQ to 37 ± 21 mL/min/100 g (130% ± 29% of control) (all values were P P
“Does It Take a Village?” Assessing Neighborhood Influences on Children’s Self-Control

Although individuals low in self-control are more likely to engage in antisocial and criminal behavior, few studies have investigated its sources. Gottfredson and Hirschi argue that primary caregivers are largely responsible, whereas Wikstrom and Sampson contend that self-control is partially a function of neighborhood context. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, the authors assessed neighborhood effects on children’s self-control. They found significant variation in self-control between neighborhoods, but it accounted for a small amount of the total variance. In the initial model, neighborhood structural characteristics had direct effects on self-control, but after taking into account individual-level characteristics, they became nonsignificant. Furthermore, parenting variables exhibited significant and consistent effects on self-control. The authors consider the theoretical implications of the findings, address limitations, and provide suggestions for future research.
A retrospective review of student pharmacist medication reconciliation activities in an outpatient family medicine center

*Background: Medication reconciliation in the outpatient setting is an important part of preventing medication errors, and is mandated by the Joint Commission. Objective: To describe and quantify medication reconciliation efforts by student pharmacists in an outpatient family medicine center. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of medication reconciliation documentation forms completed by student pharmacists during an outpatient clinical rotation between May 2012 and April 2013. Discrepancies were defined as any lack of agreement between the medication list in the electronic medical record and the patient reported regimen. Descriptive statistics were used to report results. Results: A total of 557 medication reconciliation documentation forms from 12 student pharmacists were reviewed. The average number of medications per patient interviewed was 9 (range 0-25). A total of 1,783 medication discrepancies were found with an average of 3.2 discrepancies per patient. An additional 272 medication allergy discrepancies were identified. The most common discrepancy was medications the patient was no longer taking (37.3%, n=766). The second most common discrepancy was over-the-counter and herbal medications that had not been added to the medication list (16.2%, n=335). Patient counseling was documented 159 times during the medication reconciliation process. Conclusions: Medication reconciliation by student pharmacists in an outpatient family medicine center resulted in the identification of many discrepancies in medication lists in an electronic health record. Student pharmacists also documented and clarified medication allergies and performed patient counseling.
Characterization of long-acting beta₂-adrenergic agonists utilization in asthma patients.

Objective. Because of the serious safety risks, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABAs) be reserved for patients whose asthma cannot be adequately managed with asthma control medication. The objective of the study is to assess prescribing patterns for LABAs prior to the FDA’s drug safety communication issued on 2 June 2010. Methods. Data were extracted from IMS Health Plan Claims database for asthma patients who had a new LABA therapy during 2005–2009. The proportion of LABA incident episodes preceded by inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) was examined. The medication–concurrent ratio (MCR), defined as the ratio of overlapping therapy days of single-ingredient (SI) LABAs and non-LABA products to the total days of SI LABAs, was calculated. Four criteria were used to estimate poorly controlled asthma prior to LABA initiation. Results. Of the 228 047 asthma patients, fixed-dose combination (FDC) LABAs were used...
Efficient simulations for the exponential integrals of Hölder continuous gaussian random fields

In this article, we consider a Gaussian random field f(t) living on a compact set T⊂ Rd and the computation of the tail probabilities P(∫Tef(t)dt > eb) as b → ∞. We design asymptotically efficient importance sampling estimators for a general class of Holder continuous Gaussian random fields. In addition to the variance control, we also analyze the bias (relative to the interesting tail probabilities) caused by the discretization.
Active event correlation in Bro IDS to detect multi-stage attacks

Many recent computer attacks have been launched in multiple stages to evade the detection of existing intrusion detection systems (IDS). Some stages of the attack may appear innocent if checked separately. Furthermore, the intervals between these separate attack stages can be on the order of hours, days, or even months. These characteristics of multi-stage attacks make the detection task challenging for most existing IDSs that are stateless in that they perform intrusion detection by independently checking individual packets, connections or sessions. In this paper, we propose a novel approach, active event correlation (AEC), which collects and correlates suspicious network events inside a network intrusion detection system (NIDS). AEC infers the possibility of attacks in the context of security policies and blocks attacks before they are completed. We have implemented AEC on top of the Bro NIDS (Paxson, 1999). Experiments indicate that AEC can effectively recognize and correlate individual stages of multi-stage attacks, stop incomplete attack stages, and give network administrators meaningful and concise alerts.
Hierarchical real-time garbage collection

Memory management is a critical issue for correctness and performance in real-time embedded systems. Recent work on real-time garbage collectors has shown that it is possible to provide guarantees on worst-case pause times and minimum mutator utilization time. This paper presents a new hierarchical real-time garbage collection algorithm for mixed-priority and mixed-criticality environments. With hierarchical garbage collection, real-time programmers can partition the heap into a number of heaplets and for each partition choose to run a separate collector with a schedule that matches the allocation behavior and footprint of the real-time task using it. This approach lowers worst-case response times of real-time applications by 26%, while almost doubling mutator utilization -- all with only minimal changes to the application code.
Marine and river environments: A pattern of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Calabria (Southern Italy)

The integrated coastal zone management is a working and continuous process to promote a dynamic balance between economic growth, human use of natural resources and environmental protection of coastal systems. The integration between terrestrial and marine environments is the main purpose of this course through a new kind of landscape planning extended from coastlines to continental areas, along the ideal lines of regional catchments. So, coastal environments require an integrated management to establish mutual interactions between human, political and scientific elements to achieve a sustainable development of the coastal zone. In this study, it has been developed a specific methodological framework, named Function Analysis, applied to a littoral region located in a wilderness area. The results highlight the good environmental condition of this seaboard system exposed, however, to a definite human pressure. In fact, the ecological and human values, plotted in a diagram, point out a transition state, for the studied area, on the border between development and conservation plans. To solve this problem, it is hoped to improve the environmental value of the ecological and fluvial corridor of Verri stream basin connecting two terrestrial and marine Sites of Community Interest, as conservation is the higher priority for this coastal region. In conclusion, it has been suggested to manage marine and terrestrial resources through a coordinated strategy in which coastal and river environments could be, really, inserted in the same landscape unit to promote the social and economic development of local communities toward a sustainable development of coastal areas.
Liquidons and gasons; controversies about the continuity of states

Abstract Two basic ideas about the nature of the gas-liquid transition were voiced around 1870: that in the supercritical state, vapor and liquid are indistinguishable (Andrews), and that condensation and critical behavior can be understood on the basis of a simple assumption about molecular interaction (Van der Waals). For many scientists at that time, however, the notion of continuity of states was almost inconceivable. The older ideas, that liquid and gas molecules were different from each other, and that the liquid “dissolves” in the vapor at the critical point, survived for a long time. Unfamiliarity with the implications of Gibbs' thermodynamics in Europe helped to keep the older ideas alive. This paper describes the controversies that raged between proponents and opponents of the Andrews-Van der Waals view between 1880 and 1907, and how they were fanned by erroneous or incorrectly interpreted experiments carried out all over Europe. Kamerlingh Onnes and his staff in Leiden repeated a number of the controversial experiments in the period 1892–1907 and discovered that impurity was by far the largest source of error. By 1907 the controversy was unequivocally decided by the Leiden group in favor of the Andrews-Van der Waals view. A replay of the old controversy took place in the period 1933–1952.
The neuropeptide egg-laying hormone modulates multiple ionic currents in single target neurons of the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia

The bag cell neurons of the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia are a useful system for the study of peptidergic neurotransmission. A 20 min burst of impulse activity in the bag cells induces or augments repetitive firing in LB and LC neurons in the abdominal ganglion for up to several hours. Previous experiments have indicated that this effect is mediated by the putative bag cell transmitter egg-laying hormone (ELH). Using voltage-clamp analysis we found that bag cell bursts (BCBs) evoke long- lasting changes in membrane current in these neurons that are mimicked by the application of ELH. The combined ELH-evoked current is inward at all membrane potentials between -110 and -10 mV and consists of 3 separable currents persisting for 30–120 min. They include (1) a depolarizing current that is activated at membrane potentials above -40 mV. This current, termed ISI, is blocked by prolonged exposure to 10 mM Ni2+/0 mM Ca2+ and is not abolished by 0 mM Na+ or 100 mM TEA+/0 mM Na+ in the bathing medium. It is therefore a Ca2+-sensitive current and does not involve Na+ as a charge carrier. (2) There is a hyperpolarizing current that is activated at membrane potentials below approximately -70 mV. This current, termed IR, is blocked by external Rb+ (5 mM) and Cs+ (10 mM) and has a chord-conductance that shifts with the external [K+] according to the Nernst potential for potassium. It is therefore an inwardly rectifying K+ current. (3) There is a small, steady depolarizing current, termed Ix. This current is the only one that remains after prolonged exposure to 10 mM Ni2+/0 mM Ca2+- containing bathing medium. It is Na+ dependent and is associated with a small increase in membrane conductance that is largely independent of membrane voltage. All 3 currents are slow to inactivate; they appear to sum algebraically to produce the net BCB- or ELH-evoked current.
Using Speakers' Referential Intentions to Model Early Cross-Situational Word Learning

Word learning is a ''chicken and egg'' prob- lem. If a child could understand speakers' utterances, it would be easy to learn the meanings of individual words, and once a child knows what many words mean, it is easy to infer speakers' intended meanings. To the beginning learner, however, both individual word meanings and speakers' intentions are unknown. We describe a com- putational model of word learning that solves these two inference problems in parallel, rather than relying exclu- sively on either the inferred meanings of utterances or cross-situational word-meaning associations. We tested our model using annotated corpus data and found that it inferred pairings between words and object concepts with higher precision than comparison models. Moreover, as the result of making probabilistic inferences about speak- ers' intentions, our model explains a variety of behavioral phenomena described in the word-learning literature. These phenomena include mutual exclusivity, one-trial learning, cross-situational learning, the role of words in object individuation, and the use of inferred intentions to disambiguate reference.
Uranyl-oxo coordination directed by non-covalent interactions

Directed coordination of weakly Lewis acidic K+ ions to weakly Lewis basic uranyl oxo ligands is accomplished through non-covalent cation–π and cation–F interactions for the first time. Comparison of a family of structurally related diarylamide ligands highlights the role that the cation–π and cation–F interactions play in guiding coordination. Cation binding to uranyl is demonstrated in the solid state and in solution, providing the shortest reported crystallographic uranyl-oxo to potassium distance. UV-Vis, TD-DFT calculations, and electrochemical measurements show that cation coordination directly impacts the electronics at the uranium(VI) cation.
Using visualization tools to improve undergraduates understanding of crystal structure

In order to understand many of the important ideas in materials science, students need to have some understanding of crystal structure and symmetry. But many undergraduate students find crystal symmetry a difficult and highly abstract subject. One of the reasons for this is the use of difficult 2D representations of complicated 3D structures. Although many teachers use physical models to help give their students a sense of the structure, physical models are limited in the information they can provide. Using computers to visualize the crystal structure provides flexibility and the ability to link related concepts like symmetry or close packing. The paper reports on CrystalVis, a new visualization tool for crystal structures that is under development at UC Berkeley. The CrystalVis program displays crystals in a variety of ways allowing the student to rotate and zoom in on the crystal so as to get a better sense of the 3D structure. The program has just begun to be used in classes at UCB both as a lecture aid and for students to get hands on experience with crystal structures. The paper reports on the results from these classes and the plans for use the program in the future.
The Impact of Legal Education: An In-Depth Examination of Career-Relevant Interests, Attitudes, and Personality Traits among First-Year Law Students.

This article examines in detail patterns of change in career-relevant interests, attitudes, and personality characteristics among first-year students in one law school. The data presented suggest that a single entering law school class can be viewed as a varied group in terms of career plans and potential behavioral styles. Moreover, immersion in the law school environment may accentuate this initial variability. Although some studies have suggested that, overall, first-year law students experience a drop in law interests, including interests in altruistic and “socially conscious” career activities, the methods of analysis used in this study suggest alternative interpretations of some aspects of such changes. In addition, the author believes these methods shed greater light on the overall process of professional development in law school.
An Analysis of Success and Failures: Focusing on Learner–Content Interactions for the Next Generation of Distance Education

With each new technological innovation, we have added another layer of complexity on top of the existing classroom without seeking to redesign the very foundation on which the instruction is based. In this chapter, we will examine the lessons learned from past and present technologies to propose how to use both old and new technologies to refine and evolve the first four generations of distance education to design the next generation of distance education. In particular, we suggest that a self-regulated, individualized approach to the design of distance learning instruction should be considered. The design team approach includes a focus on designing course materials that emphasize the learner–content interactions using generative strategies.
Breaking the Social–Non‐social Dichotomy: A Role for Reptiles in Vertebrate Social Behavior Research?

Although social behavior in vertebrates spans a continuum from solitary to highly social, taxa are often dichotomized as either ‘social’ or ‘non-social’. We argue that this social dichotomy is overly simplistic, neglects the diversity of vertebrate social systems, impedes our understanding of the evolution of social behavior, and perpetuates the erroneous belief that one group—the reptiles— is primarily ‘non-social’. This perspective essay highlights the diversity and complexity of reptile social systems, briefly reviews reasons for their historical neglect in research, and indicates how reptiles can contribute to our understanding of the evolution of vertebrate social behavior. Although a robust review of social behavior across vertebrates is lacking, the repeated evolution of social systems in multiple independent lineages enables investigation of the factors that promote shifts in vertebrate social behavior and the paraphyly of reptiles reinforces the need to understand reptile social behavior. Social behavior broadly refers to any interaction
Digitalis and vagal stimulation during atrial fibrillation: effects on atrioventricular conduction and ventricular arrhythmias.

The magnitude of vagal depression of AV conduction in dogs with atrial fibrillation is enhanced by increasing doses of digitalis. For this reason, a decrease of ventricular rate with vagal stimulation cannot be used as evidence that additional digitalis can or should be administered. Vagal stimulation, by inhibiting atrial impulses from reaching the ventricles, may unmask digitalis toxicity in the form of enhanced His-Purkinje automaticity.
Functional SNPs in Genes Encoding the 5-HT2A Receptor Modify the Affinity and Potency of Several Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs:

Atypical antipsychotic drugs (AADs) are the standard treatment for both the acute and long-term management of schizophrenia and an augmentation to mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder (BD). Yet many individuals who take AADs do not fully respond to them, while others experience side effects that include weight gain and metabolic disorder. This in vitro pharmacogenetic study examined whether allelic variants in the 5-hydroxytryptamine (HT)(2A) receptor alter the in vitro pharmacology of six AADs (clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole). We selected 4 functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for investigation (Thr25Asn, Ile197Val, Ala447Val, and His452Tyr), conducted site-directed mutagenesis studies to induce variants into human HEK-293 cell lines, and screened allelic variants for their effects on 5-HT( 2A) receptors in the cell lines. We conducted numerous binding assays and fluorescence-based assay system (FLEX station) experiments using the six AADs. Our results indicated that three polymorphic 5-HT(2A) receptors (Ile197Val, Ala447Val, and His452Tyr) exhibited statistically significant, though modest, changes in atypical antipsychotic affinity. In addition, three polymorphic receptors (Thr25Asn, Ile197Val, and His452Try) altered AAD potency. Our findings support in vivo evidence that functional SNPs in genes encoding neuroreceptor drug targets could explain interindividual differences in AAD drug response and tolerability. We suggest that more in vivo pharmacogenetic studies of well-characterized patients who are prescribed AADs be indicated. Future pharmacogenetic studies of well-characterized patients will likely involve tagging SNPs and the use of haplotypes related to other genes encoding neuroreceptor drug targets.
Taking a Leadership Position In The IT Business Environment

Well-defined Industrial economics have been based upon internal, specialized, and proprietary business models. Success in that economy has been dependent upon the ability to produce and distribute products and services faster, better, and cheaper than competitors (Economy of Scale). The opportunity for such competition translates into executable capabilities primarily by building specialized plants, jobs, and workers that support that opportunity. Then, and only then, an Economy of Scope will develop when those capabilities have been established. The business value is heavily dependent upon that ability to leverage an existing business infrastructure with a launch of a new opportunity. Job specialization, hierarchical supervision, and assembly line approaches have been techniques that have successfully leveraged a launch with an existing business structure. Those models have had little success in the Information Age. For example, a need has risen to leverage supply and distribution with existing business models. Therefore, a new infrastructure must be created to develop and execute external proprietary strategies and capabilities.
Rescue: Faith in the Unlimited Future

Rescue activities in US acute care settings reaffirm an unspoken belief in an unlimited future for patients, families, clniicians, and the public at large. Reaching for that future erases the patient’s experiences in the present, which can be detrimental to her welfare. A case study is used to illustrate how clinicians’ urgency to reify their faith in the patient’s unlimited future violated her real-world existence.
Employer Spending on Benefits, 2007

The latest data from the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) indicate that employer spending on total compensation continues to increase, reaching almost $8 trillion at year-end 2007. That is almost 35 percent higher than seven years earlier, in 2000. This paper provides the latest available data on employer spending on total compensation, which includes both wages and salaries and benefits, of which retirement and health benefits are the largest component. In 2007, employers spent $7.8 trillion on total compensation, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Wages and salaries accounted for the lion's share, $6.4 trillion (or 81.6 percent), while benefits made up the remainder, $1.5 trillion (18.4 percent). Retirement benefits remain the largest single sector of benefits expenditures by employers, although health benefits have been catching up. In 1960, retirement benefits accounted for the majority of total benefit spending (59.7 percent), followed by other benefits (25.8 percent) and health benefits (14.4 percent). By 2007, retirement benefits were still the largest component of all benefit spending, but had declined to 47.7 percent of the total; spending on health benefits had increased to 42.8 percent of total benefit spending, while "other benefits" declined the most, to 9.5 percent. The PDF for the above title, published in the November 2008 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another November 2008 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: "Retirement Annuity and Employment-Based Pension Income Among Individuals Age 50 and Over: 2007."
Violation of Exogeneity: A Joint Test of Structural Parameters and Correlation

In instrumental variable regression, structural parameter estimation relies on knowledge of the correlation between the structural error and the instruments. The current practice is to assume that this correlation is zero. However, this assumption is unlikely to be satisfied in applied work. In this paper, we first show that to make valid inferences about the structural parameters we need to take into account their joint behavior with the correlation between the instruments and the error term. We analyze both the overidentified and just identified cases. We suggest a new test statistic that corrects the bias in the regular t test that is caused by a violation of perfect exogeneity. One can then build joint confidence intervals for the structural parameters and the correlation parameter by inverting the test statistic. We also see that in both the overidentified and just identified cases, the confidence intervals are informative about the structural parameters. Two empirical examples highlight the value of this tool for applied research.
Baclofen: A Team Approach to Drug Evaluation of Spasticity in Childhood

A double blind crossover trial of baclofen against placebo was carried out in 20 children with spasticity in a day school for physically handicapped children. No significant benefit from baclofen i...
Changes Need To Be Made To Make Research More Feasible on Scheduled Drugs for Recreational Purposes as Well

Multiple studies have suggested that marijuana has medicinal purposes. It has been shown to be effective for managing debilitating pain, nausea, and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, decreasin...
Technology Based Academic Entrepreneurship: How Little We Know

Developing new innovations is at the core of what research universities do. While it is common knowledge that universities are an integral part of creating new innovations, what is not so well known is how these innovations make their way to commercialization. There are very few studies that provide understanding into the role and impact of technology based academic entrepreneurship. This paper systematically goes through the major areas of the literature and identifies the important knowledge gaps. It parcels the literature into four main areas: (1) university technology transfer, (2) business-science faculty interface, (3) venture capital, and (4) complementary assets. At the end of the paper a new model of technology based entrepreneurship is offered. The end result of this paper is a significant contribution to the understanding of where the knowledge gaps in technology based academic entrepreneurship exist and what areas need particular scholarly attention.
Fast and Accurate Circuit Design Automation through Hierarchical Model Switching.

In computer-aided biological design, the trifecta of characterized part libraries, accurate models and optimal design parameters is crucial for producing reliable designs. As the number of parts an...
Use of mock media in emergency management exercises: the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program experience.

Disasters of any kind attract significant attention from news media, and media play an important role in disaster response. In a US government program for hazardous materials preparedness, risk communication functions were incorporated into planning and are demonstrated during response exercises. To provide the best training and most realistic play, exercise controllers play the role of news media reporters—mock media—during these exercises. They attend news conferences, interview exercise players in the field, and make calls to participants. They produce news stories including television reports, newspaper articles, radio spots, blog entries, and social media messages. This allows exercise players to experience how their actions and statements would be represented in the media, more effectively mimicking the environment of a real event.
Interactions of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide on Pd–Au Bimetallic Surfaces

Pd–Au bimetallic catalysts have shown potential applications in numerous heterogeneous reactions in which hydrogen and CO act as reactants, intermediates, or products. A fundamental understanding of the interplay between coadsorbed H and CO on the Pd–Au surface is necessary for improving the understanding of catalytic performance. In this study, the interactions of hydrogen and CO with Pd/Au(111) model surfaces were investigated by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and molecular beam scattering (MBS) experiments, carried out under ultra-high-vacuum conditions. Our results reveal that CO adsorbs competitively on the hydrogen-precovered Pd–Au surface, causing surface H adatoms to diffuse away from stronger-binding sites (e.g., Pd(111)-like islands) to weaker-binding sites (e.g., Pd–Au alloy sites and subsurface), as evidenced by a shift of the H2 desorption feature to lower temperatures in TPD measurements. Additionally, evolution of H2 was observed when a CO molecular beam was impinged onto the H-pre...
Testicular, Scrotal, and Penile Disorders

The most common causes of acute scrotal pain in adults are testicular torsion and epididymitis. Other conditions that should be considered in patients presenting with acute scrotal pain include Fournier’s gangrene, torsion of the appendix testis, trauma, testicular cancer, inguinal hernia, vasculitis, mumps, and referred pain from the lower abdomen or groin. The evaluation of acute scrotal pain can be challenging, because laboratory and physical examination in conditions causing acute scrotal pain may be limited by patient guarding, and physical findings can overlap with other condition. If the history, examination, and imaging do not supply a clear diagnosis, then surgical exploration is mandatory [Liguori et al. (World J Urol 29:639, 2011)].
Test Study on NO_x Emission Characteristic for Power Station Boiler

By changing the parameters of over-fired flow,operation oxygen flow,and unit load,the effect of different combustion manner on NOx emission of boiler is studied for given 300 MW boiler in thermal power plant.The results show that NOx emission concentration decreases as over-fired baffel opening increasing.NOx emission concentration with over-fired baffle 100% opening reduces 19% than with over-fired baffle 30% opening.NOx emission concentration gradually increases as oxygen flow increases.NOx emission concentration when outlet oxygen of economizer is 4.25% increases 43.5% than when outlet oxygen of economizer is 3.35%.The effect of oxygen content in the furnace is greater than the effect of furnace temperature at the course of boiler load fall.NOx emission concentration under 210 MW load enhances 12.8% than under 300 MW.
Reversible Pulmonary Hypertension due to Extrinsic Compression Caused by Massive Pleural Effusion

Pulmonary hypertension is commonly seen with multiple complex disorders managed in the intensive care unit. Common causes of pulmonary hypertension in critically ill patients include severe hypoxia, sepsis, left ventricular failure, massive pulmonary emboli, drugs, and worsening of chronic pulmonary hypertension, among others. Reversible pulmonary hypertension is rare and it has been reported with mediastinal involvement of sarcoidosis and in critically ill patients with severe acute chest syndrome. We present a 43-year-old male who was admitted with acute-onset shortness of breath. A massive right-sided pleural effusion and left-sided pneumonia was found on chest roentgenogram. Echocardiogram showed severe pulmonary hypertension with normal left ventricular function. Patient was treated for presumptive pneumonia and underwent pleural fluid drainage. An echocardiogram repeated after removal of pleural fluid showed resolution of pulmonary hypertension. We hypothesize that the large pleural effusion produce...
Ethnicity as a Promotional Tool: Retailing to Emerging Consumer Societies

American retailers are faced with an increasing array of international expansion opportunities. Since the vast majority of retail patronage and shopper behavior has been conducted using consumers from fully developed consumer societies, retailers can only guess how consumers naive to common retailing practices will react to traditional retailing tools. This paper raises issues related to this problem.