cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Navigating the Combinatorics of Virtual Agent Design Space to Maximize Persuasion

Designers of virtual agents have a combinatorically large space of choices for different media that comprise the look and behavior of their characters. We explore the systematic manipulation of animation quality, speech quality, and rendering style, and its impact on the perceptions of virtual agents in terms of naturalness, engagement, trust, credibility, and persuasion within a health counseling domain. The agent's counseling behavior was based on live video footage of a human counselor. We conducted a between-subjects study that had 12 conditions. Character animation was varied between a static image, procedural animation using a gestuary, and manually rotoscoped animation. Voice quality was varied between recorded audio of the human counselor and synthetic speech. Character rendering style was varied between 3D-shaded realistic and toon-shaded. Prior studies indicate that people prefer and attribute more sociality to other people and agents when modalities are consistent in their level of quality. Thus, we hypothesize that people will be most affected by agents whose animation, voice, and rendering style are consistent, rather than the effects of channel quality being purely additive. Results indicate that natural animations and recorded voice are more appropriate for general acceptance, trust, and credibility of the agent, and how appropriate she seems for the task. However, our results indicate that for a brief health counseling task, animation might actually be distracting from the persuasive message, with the highest levels of persuasion found when the amount of agent animation is minimized.
Recognizing Privilege as a Social Determinant of Health During COVID-19

There is a need for health professionals to identify social determinants of health (SDOH) and understand the role they play in patients' health. In fall 2019, authors taught health care studies students about SDOH using a modified privilege walk to show how privilege as SDOH can impact health. This novel approach to teach about privilege and SDOH is even more relevant in today's COVID-19 world. It is our hope that those with more privilege will (1) have increased awareness and sensitivity and (2) use their voice and power to advocate for underserved communities who are disproportionately affected by historical injustices.
Recurrent evolution of high virulence in isolated populations of a DNA virus

Hosts and viruses are constantly evolving in response to each other: as a host attempts to suppress a virus, the virus attempts to evade and suppress the host's immune system. Here, we describe the recurrent evolution of a virulent strain of a DNA virus, which infects multiple Drosophila species. Specifically, we identified two distinct viral types that differ 100-fold in viral titer in infected individuals, with similar differences observed in multiple species. Our analysis suggests that one of the viral types recurrently evolved at least four times in the past ~30,000 years, three times in Arizona and once in another geographically distinct species. This recurrent evolution may be facilitated by an effective mutation rate which increases as each prior mutation increases viral titer and effective population size. The higher titer viral type suppresses the host-immune system and an increased virulence compared to the low viral titer type.
Identification of human immune cell subtypes most responsive to IL-1β–induced inflammatory signaling using mass cytometry

IL-1β is a key mediator of the cytokine storm linked to high morbidity and mortality from COVID-19, and IL-1β blockade with anakinra and canakinumab during COVID-19 infection has entered clinical trials. Using mass cytometry of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we identified effector memory CD4+ T cells and CD4-CD8low/-CD161+ T cells, specifically those positive for the chemokine receptor CCR6, as the circulating immune subtypes with the greatest response to IL-1β. This response manifested as increased phosphorylation and, thus, activation of the proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB and was also seen in other subsets, including CD11c+ myeloid dendritic cells, classical monocytes, two subsets of natural killer cells (CD16-CD56brightCD161- and CD16-CD56dimCD161+), and lineage- (Lin-) cells expressing CD161 and CD25. IL-1β also induced a rapid but less robust increase in the phosphorylation of the kinase p38 as compared to that of NF-κB in most of these immune cell subsets. Prolonged IL-1β stimulation increased the phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT3 and to a lesser extent that of STAT1 and STAT5 across various immune cell types. IL-1β-induced production of IL-6 likely led to the activation of STAT1 and STAT3 at later time points. Interindividual heterogeneity and inhibition of STAT activation by anakinra raise the possibility that assays measuring NF-κB phosphorylation in response to IL-1β in CCR6+ T cell subtypes could identify those patients at higher risk of cytokine storm and most likely to benefit from IL-1β-neutralizing therapies.
Wild bees and natural enemies prefer similar flower species and respond to similar plant traits

Abstract Designing wildflower habitats to support beneficial insects providing pollination and pest control services is important for supporting sustainable crop production. It is often desirable to support both groups of insects, making the selection of resource plants for insect conservation programs more challenging. Moreover, the process of selecting resource plants is complicated by the array of possible options in each region, and the need to provide resources over the entire growing season. Identifying traits shared by resource plants that are attractive to both bees and natural enemies can reduce the need to evaluate new plants in each region, by providing a guide for the types of plants expected to be rewarding to these insects. Using insect visitation data collected from replicated common garden plantings of native wildflower and shrub species from the Great Lakes region of the United States, we found a high degree of correlation between the abundance of bees and natural enemies visiting native plant species. These results were used to identify a set of 15 plant species that can provide resources for these insects throughout the summer. Across all tested species, pollen quantity per flower and the week of bloom were positively correlated with some, but not all, taxonomic groupings of beneficial insects. In contrast, floral area was consistently positively associated with visitation of both natural enemies and wild bees. This trait is easy to document and can allow for efficient local testing of potential resource plants, providing a faster path to implementing insect conservation in working landscapes.
Textualism and the Meaning of 'Sex': A Reply to Eskridge, Slocum, and Gries

A recent article by Professors William N. Eskridge, Brian G. Slocum, and Stefan Th. Gries critically examines textualism, both in general and as applied to the Supreme Court's decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. Although I agree with much of what the authors have to say, some of what they argue misses the mark. In this brief Essay, I contend that the authors mostly criticize strawman varieties of textualism, with the result that much of their article is not addressed to textualism properly understood but to clearly inadequate interpretive approaches that no legal interpreters claim as their own. I also show how the authors' reliance on corpus linguistics to support the Bostock majority's interpretation of Title VII misfires and in fact points to a contrary interpretation.
Sustainability (or ESG) Reporting: Recent Developments and the Potential for Better, More Proactive Management Enabled by Blockchain

Sustainability reporting – alternatively known as ESG (Environmental, Societal, Governance) reporting, or, when combined with financial data, referred to as integrated reporting, is now a mainstream practice. Over 90% of the largest 250 firms in the world regularly engage in the practice and various services have blossomed to both facilitate access to – and make sense of – this data. Recently, several standards-setting organizations have announced that they will be attempting to harmonize their approaches on how to report ESG data. Yet several challenges remain. This chapter identifies current issues and developments in the realm of sustainability reporting. These involve the very nature of how and when the data is used. These challenges also include the credibility of the data, the role of technology, efforts to create a common standard, and the abuse of the practice, or greenwashing, and the attendant diminishment of the credibility and legitimacy of sustainability reporting. This chapter will also highlight some of the valuable insights that have been made possible through greater ESG transparency.
Using the Interpersonal Skills tool to assess interpersonal skills of internationally educated nurses.

Aim To assess interpersonal skills of internationally educated nurses (IEN) while interacting with standardized patients. Methods Participants included 52 IEN at two community hospitals in the southwestern region of the USA. Standardized patients were used to create patient–nurse encounter. Seventeen items in four domains (“skills in interviewing and collecting information”; “skills in counseling and delivering information”; “rapport”; and “personal manner”) in an Interpersonal Skills (IPS) instrument were measured by a Likert scale 1–4 with 4 indicating the best performance. The average composite score per domain and scores of the 17 items were compared across the domains. Results On 10 of the 17 items, the nurses received scores under 3. Counseling with an average score of 2.10 and closure with an average score of 2.44 in domain 2, small talk with an average score of 2.06 in domain 3, and physical exam with average score of 2.21 in domain 4 were below 2.5. The average composite score of domain 1 was 3.54, significantly higher than those of domains 2–4 (2.77, 2.81, and 2.71, respectively). Age was moderately related to the average score per domain with every 10 year increase in age resulting in a 0.1 increase in the average score. Sex and country of origin showed mixed results. Conclusion The interpersonal skills of IEN in three of the four domains need improvement. Well-designed educational programs may facilitate the improvement, especially in areas of small talk, counseling, closure, and physical exam. Future research should examine relationships between the IPS and demographics factors.
Criticism without Critique: Power and Experience in Foucault and James

Through an analysis of philosophical temperaments, I argue that both William James and Michel Foucault believed the central task of philosophy not only to be the generation of new ideas or ways of thinking, but also to create new temperaments, new ways of inhabiting the world. Though James and Foucault in many ways agree on the ends of philosophy, the methods and strategies that they developed differ according to the problems with which each philosopher was concerned. Although James gives a rich account of what it means to see philosophy as the reconstruction of temperament, Foucault’s genealogical method explains concretely how temperaments might be reconstructed through the use of history. Raising questions of how this work might effectively continue today, I argue that Foucauldians and Jamesians, Continental philosophers and American pragmatists, might find common cause in exploring the production and reconstruction of democratic temperaments in response to social problems.
Sophomores: Launch Elementary School Physical Education Program

(1971). Sophomores: Launch Elementary School Physical Education Program. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 44-45.
Theoretical Study of Dipole Array of N Parallel Elements

The five-term method developed for two arbitrarily located parallel antennas (Chang, 1967) has been successfully extended to a general antenna array of N parallel elements. The method can be applied to either planar array or three-dimensional array. The array is characterized either by specifying driving voltages or input currents. Arrays of both half-wave and full-wave elements are discussed. The results reveal that the phase of the current along the antenna does not stay constant, as is generally assumed, even for arrays of half-wave elements. As a consequence, differences between the actual computed field patterns and the ideal patterns computed by assuming sinusoidal currents are not negligible even in the main beam region. The input admittances of the elements vary widely from element to element. For the arrays of half-wave elements, a complete analysis is also carried out with the conventional emf method. The results reveal the inadequacy of the emf method in dealing with these arrays.
Light and electron microscope localization of the microtubule- associated tau protein in rat brain

We have studied the distribution of microtubule-associated tau proteins in rat brain using monoclonal and affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies. Tau staining is prominent in axons in white matter areas of brain, as reported by Binder et al. (1985). In addition, we also find tau protein in neuron cell bodies, especially in the brain stem and basal ganglia and in the cell bodies of interfascicular oligodendroglia. Using electron microscopy, tau antibodies and colloidal gold-labeled second antibodies, gold particles are found associated with microtubules in axons and in the cytoplasm of cell bodies, while the nuclei, mitochondria, and myelin remain unlabeled. In double-staining experiments, tau staining co-localizes with that of tubulin. Our studies indicate that tau proteins are more widely distributed in brain than previously reported and cannot be used as an exclusive marker for axons.
Synergizing Engineering and Biology to Treat and Model Skeletal Muscle Injury and Disease

Although skeletal muscle is one of the most regenerative organs in our body, various genetic defects, alterations in extrinsic signaling, or substantial tissue damage can impair muscle function and the capacity for self-repair. The diversity and complexity of muscle disorders have attracted much interest from both cell biologists and, more recently, bioengineers, leading to concentrated efforts to better understand muscle pathology and develop more efficient therapies. This review describes the biological underpinnings of muscle development, repair, and disease, and discusses recent bioengineering efforts to design and control myomimetic environments, both to study muscle biology and function and to aid in the development of new drug, cell, and gene therapies for muscle disorders. The synergy between engineering-aided biological discovery and biology-inspired engineering solutions will be the path forward for translating laboratory results into clinical practice.
Strong enhancement of second-order response coefficients in tellurium containing Ag-III-VI2 compounds

First-principles calculations of the second-order optical response coefficients are reported for Ag–III–VI2 compounds with III=Ga, In and VI=S, Se, Te. While both the substitutions of In for Ga and Te for Se or S lower the band gap by similar amounts, the substitution of Se by Te is significantly more favorable for increasing χ(2). The enhancement of χ(2) by a factor 2 from AgGaSe2 to AgGaTe2 is surprising compared to the only modest enhancement obtained in II–VI compounds. The origin of these enhancements is analyzed in terms of the frequency-dependent response functions and the band structures.
Effects of load-following operational methods on combined heat and power system efficiency

Abstract Combined heat and power (CHP) systems can be operated in partial loading situations when the maximum electrical and thermal output of the prime mover is not constantly required by the facility. Two basic load-following methods following the thermal load (FTL) and following the electric load (FEL), are compared with a hybrid method which either follows the thermal or the electric demand in a given time period, within a specified operating range, in order to minimize the amount of excess electrical or thermal energy produced by the CHP system. These methods are implemented on an hour by hour basis for a large hotel benchmark building which is modeled in 16 cities located in different climate zones using EnergyPlus building simulation software. The hybrid method results in a higher total CHP system efficiency than either the FTL or FEL methods, with CHP system efficiency values from 71% to 87%. The power-to-heat ratio of the building (PHRb), which describes the relationship between electrical and thermal demand for the given facility, is found to predict the maximum possible CHP system efficiency using the hybrid method on an hourly basis. Buildings with lower PHRb values, corresponding to higher relative thermal demands, have the highest possible CHP system efficiency values. The hybrid operational method is also implemented on a monthly basis, where the building’s average monthly demands are used to set the operating condition of the prime mover for the entire month. The building is then simulated on an hour by hour basis to determine the system’s performance with only monthly changes in the loading conditions. This monthly method produces similar results to the hybrid method when it is implemented on an hourly basis, with CHP system efficiency values from 74% to 86%.
Unequal sampling for Monte Carlo EM algorithms

The EM algorithm is a widely used tool for calculating maximum likelihood estimates in problems involving incomplete data. The E-step of the algorithm involves an expectation of the complete data log-likelihood conditional on observed data. Even if the expectation step of the EM algorithm is analytically intractable it can often be approximated via Monte Carlo techniques. In many applications of EM the expectation step involves a sum of independent but not identically distributed components. In such cases, the sum of expectations can be approximated by a sum independent Monte Carlo means. All applications of Monte Carlo EM that we are aware of use an equal allocation rule for the Monte Carlo sample sizes in this setting. However, if the log-likelihood components have unequal variances, then it is clearly more efficient to use an unequal allocation rule. In this note, we discuss allocation rules for Monte Carlo resources and suggest a general but simple procedure for improving the efficiency of Monte Carlo implementations of the EM algorithm.
NMR imaging-A promising new adhesive evaluation technique

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) has been used to study the nature of the adhesive bond formed by using a water based poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) adhesive to glue together Finnish pine wood blocks. Using NMRI, it is possible, in a non-invasive way, to follow the curing of the adhesive in the joints and to observe flaws and voids in the resulting bond structures. The spatial resolution of the NMR image at 300 MHz is < 100 μm. As the drying occurred, voids were observed to form in the adhesive layer as a consequence of the loss of water and the shrinkage of the adhesive. The results indicate that NMRI will find many applications in adhesive studies, since one can view the action of the adhesive system in the form of images which are easily interpreted.
On diagonally 10-coloring plane triangulations

This article shows that the vertices of a plane triangulation may be colored with 10 colors such that every pair of vertices has different colors if they are either adjacent or diagonal, that is, that they are not adjacent but are adjacent to two faces which share an edge. This improves a result of Borodin, who showed that 11 colors were sufficient. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
“Show me the Numbers”: Examining the Dynamics Between Evaluation and Government Performance in Developing Countries

Summary This paper examines the dynamics between monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and government performance in developing countries, where M&E systems are expanding rapidly. Findings in Bolivia suggest that approaches to M&E can lower staff morale, create burdensome paperwork, blind managers to operational problems and emerging innovations, and reinforce self-censorship, contributing to the very problem M&E is intended to solve. Crafted appropriately, M&E can instead become a tool to build practical judgment, increase staff motivation, and improve implementation incrementally. Ultimately, these findings contribute to efforts to design M&E that can support staff working under complex working conditions.
Dynamical behavior of generic quintessence potentials: Constraints on key dark energy observables

We perform a comprehensive study of a class of dark energy models--scalar field models where the effective potential can be described by a polynomial series--exploring their dynamical behavior using the method of flow equations that has previously been applied to inflationary models. Using supernova, baryon oscillation, cosmic microwave background (CMB) and Hubble constant data, and an implicit theoretical prior imposed by the scalar field dynamics, we find that the {lambda}CDM model provides an excellent fit to the data. Constraints on the generic scalar field potential parameters are presented, along with the reconstructed w(z) histories consistent with the data and the theoretical prior. We propose and pursue computationally feasible algorithms to obtain estimates of the principal components of the equation of state, as well as parameters w{sub 0} and w{sub a}. Further, we use the Monte Carlo Markov chain machinery to simulate future data based on the Joint Dark Energy Mission, Planck, and baryon acoustic oscillation surveys and find that the inverse area figure of merit improves nearly by an order of magnitude. Therefore, most scalar field models that are currently consistent with data can be potentially ruled out by future experiments. We also comment on the classification of dark energymore » models into thawing and freezing in light of the more diverse evolution histories allowed by this general class of potentials.« less
USE OF EXTINCTION AND REINFORCEMENT TO INCREASE FOOD CONSUMPTION AND REDUCE EXPULSION

Extinction and reinforcement contingencies were used to treat 2 children with feeding disorders. Positive reinforcement and avoidance extinction effectively increased food acceptance but also increased food expulsion. Reduced expulsion and increased swallowing were achieved by repeated presentation of expelled food, a second extinction component
Alternative forms of axial startle behaviors in fishes

Abstract For most aquatic vertebrates, axial movements play key roles in the performance of startle responses. In fishes, these axis-based startle behaviors fall into three distinct categories – the C-start, withdrawal, and S-start – defined by patterns of body bending and underlying motor control. Startle behaviors have been widely studied due to their importance for predator evasion. In addition, the neural circuits that control startles are relatively accessible, compared to other vertebrate circuits, and have provided opportunities to understand basic nervous system function. The C-start neural circuit has long been a model in systems neuroscience and considerable work on neural control of withdrawal response has been conducted in the larval lamprey. The S-start response has only recently been explored from a physiological perspective and we focus here on reviewing S-start motor control and movement in the context of the other two responses. Axial elongation has previously been associated with startle behavior in comparisons of C-starts and withdrawal, with extremely elongate animals performing withdrawals. We suggest that the S-start tends to occur with moderate body elongation, complementing the C-start in animals with this body form. As many larval fishes are moderately elongate, we suggest that the S-start may be common in larvae but may be secondarily lost with body shape change through development.
Development of noncontact spring constant measurement and deflection characterization of piezoelectric devices

This paper reports methods for measuring the spring constant and modeling the deflection of piezoelectric devices. Because this method uses the equivalent electric circuit of the piezoelectric device and deflection with respect to input voltage, it is a noncontact measurement method. Measurements of the spring constant from the equivalent circuit method and force versus deflection measurements are within 3.3% of each other. An equivalent electrical circuit of the piezoelectric device is also used to provide a model of the relationship between frequency and deflection according to input voltage. Input voltage and power with respect to driving frequency are modeled for a constant mechanical deformation. This model gives an estimation of the required input electrical power to piezoelectric devices for many applications. In order to verify the models, experiments are conducted and the models and experimental results show very good agreement.
Recent progress in the ARIES compact stellarator study

Abstract An integrated study of compact stellarator power plants, ARIES-CS, was initiated recently to explore attractive compact stellarator configurations and to define key R&D areas. Optimization of any stellarator configuration represents a large number of trade-offs among physics parameters and engineering constraints. As such, the ARIES-CS study was divided into three phases. The first phase was devoted to initial exploration of physics and engineering options, requirements, and constraints. In the second phase, we explored the configuration space for compact stellarators, aiming at configurations that satisfy physics/engineering constraints. This paper summarizes our work to date. We have identified several promising quasi-axisymmetric configurations, all aimed at low plasma aspect ratios and compact size. In each case, trade-offs among plasma parameters (e.g., α-particle loss versus β) were explored. Modular coils were designed to examine the geometric complexity and the constraints of the maximum field, desirable coil-plasma and coil-coil spacing, etc. Our examination of engineering options is reported here. In particular, we find that by employing “shield-only” zones in strategic areas, the minimum plasma-coil distance can be reduced by ∼40%. This approach, together with the relatively low aspect ratio of quasi-axisymmetric stellarators leads to devices which are similar in size to advanced tokamak power plants.
Pre-hospital transport times and survival for Hypotensive patients with penetrating thoracic trauma

Background: Achieving definitive care within the Golden Hour by minimizing response times is a consistent goal of regional trauma systems . This study hypothesizes that in urban Level I Trauma Centers, shorter pre-hospital times would predict outcomes in penetrating thoracic injuries. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed using a statewide trauma registry for the years 1999-2003 . Total pre-hospital times were measured for urban victims of penetrating thoracic trauma. Crude and adjusted mortality rates were compared by pre-hospital time using STATA statistical software. Results: During the study period, 908 patients presented to the hospital after penetrating thoracic trauma, with 79% surviving . Patients with higher injury severity scores (ISS) were transported more quickly. Injury severity scores (ISS) ≥16 and emergency department (ED) hypotension (systolic blood pressure, SBP <90) strongly predicted mortality (P < 0.05 for each) . In a logistic regression model including age, race, and ISS, longer transport times for hypotensive patients were associated with higher mortality rates (all P values <0.05). This was seen most significantly when comparing patient transport times 0-15 min and 46-60 min (P < 0.001). Conclusion: In victims of penetrating thoracic trauma, more severely injured patients arrive at urban trauma centers sooner . Mortality is strongly predicted by injury severity, although shorter pre-hospital times are associated with improved survival . These results suggest that careful planning to optimize transport time-encompassing hospital capacity and existing resources, traffic patterns, and trauma incident densities may be beneficial in areas with a high burden of penetrating trauma.
Effect of thickness on airfoil surface noise

Noise emission from very small chord and very large chord airfoils was measured with eleven 0.63 cm microphones placed along a horizontal semicircle (4.57 m radius) that was centered at the leading edge of the test airfoil. The noise signals were analyzed by an automated spectrum analyzer which yielded 1/3-octave band sound pressure level spectra for each microphone, and the data were corrected to remove the effects of atmospheric attenuation and jet noise. It is found that the effect of thickness is large and must be accounted for in any fundamental airfoil noise theory that attempts to describe the noise emitted from real airfoils. Incident mean velocity gradients and compressibility must also be taken into account. The effect of thickness increases with frequency, with thick airfoils being quieter than thin ones.
Primary prevention of sudden cardiac death of the young athlete: the controversy about the screening electrocardiogram and its innovative artificial intelligence solution.

The preparticipation screening for athlete participation in sports typically entails a comprehensive medical and family history and a complete physical examination. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) can increase the likelihood of detecting cardiac diagnoses such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but this diagnostic test as part of the screening process has engendered considerable controversy. The pro position is supported by argument that international screening protocols support its use, positive diagnosis has multiple benefits, history and physical examination are inadequate, primary prevention is essential, and the cost effectiveness is justified. Although the aforementioned myriad of justifications for routine ECG screening of young athletes can be persuasive, several valid contentions oppose supporting such a policy, namely, that the sudden death incidence is very (too) low, the ECG screening will be too costly, the false-positive rate is too high, resources will be allocated away from other diseases, and manpower is insufficient for its execution. Clinicians, including pediatric cardiologists, have an understandable proclivity for avoiding this prodigious national endeavor. The controversy, however, should not be focused on whether an inexpensive, noninvasive test such as an ECG should be mandated but should instead be directed at just how these tests for young athletes can be performed in the clinical imbroglio of these disease states (with variable genetic penetrance and phenotypic expression) with concomitant fiscal accountability and logistical expediency in this era of economic restraint. This monumental endeavor in any city or region requires two crucial elements well known to business scholars: implementation and execution. The eventual solution for the screening ECG dilemma requires a truly innovative and systematic approach that will liberate us from inadequate conventional solutions. Artificial intelligence, specifically the process termed “machine learning” and “neural networking,” involves complex algorithms that allow computers to improve the decision-making process based on repeated input of empirical data (e.g., databases and ECGs). These elements all can be improved with a national database, evidence-based medicine, and in the near future, innovation that entails a Kurzweilian artificial intelligence infrastructure with machine learning and neural networking that will construct the ultimate clinical decision-making algorithm.
Management of patients after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction

The coronary artery thrombus that causes acute myocardial infarction can be lysed, and reperfusion can be achieved, in the first few hours after infarction. However, the infarct vessel will reocclude in 15-30% of patients, and this event is frequently associated with pain, reinfarction, arrhythmias, or death. The risk of reocclusion is greatest in patients with high-grade residual stenosis after thrombolysis. Percutaneous coronary angioplasty may be performed safely after thrombolytic therapy. Angioplasty effectively decreases the degree of residual stenosis, and may thereby reduce the risk of reocclusion and consequent ischemic events. However, a substantial proportion of patients with acute infarction are not suitable candidates for angioplasty. Coronary artery bypass surgery has also been safely performed within several days after thrombolytic therapy. Further studies are needed to determine which patients will benefit most from this aggressive approach to acute myocardial infarction.
Mirrors, Pictures, Words, Perceptions

We already have a distinction between the intension and extension of (linguistic) terms. This is not simply the distinction that is operative in philosophy of mind, body, and action. There, the concern is with things, and with a physicalistic or a mentalistic account of them. The physicalist says he supports an 'extensional' analysis of things, the mentalist an 'intensional'. So, the physicalist says that, in the end, only 'the extensional language of physical science' will do in ontology. But, associating this physical-mental dichotomy with the intension-extension distinction as applied to terms is misleading. The ontological issue is obscured by the association. An ontologist wants, like Spinoza or Berkeley, to know whether things are extended or not, and in what respects. This question makes central the concept of space, or more generally of 'field', 'domain'. Unfortunately, the same word 'extension' is used also for the spread or location of a thing in space. To dissociate the extension of a term, a logical notion, from the ontological notion of the spatial status of a thing, I introduce the new word 'extention'. This coinage correlates, not with the 'intension' of terms-the logical correlate of 'extension'-but with 'intention', a word that fortunately already has common currency, and reeks with connotations that have logical ties with 'consciousness'. So, from here on, we have two dichotomies: intension-extension applying to terms, and intention-extention applying to things. Since terms are things, both sorts of considerations are relevant to them, the logical one and the ontological. Only the latter applies to, say, stones or persons, since these are not linguistic terms. (They may be terms of various relations.) The controversy over the reducibility or eliminability of 'intentional' sentences and their contexts will remain at the dead-end it has reached until the difference between the logical 'intension-extension' and the ontological 'intention-extention' is recognized. I shall argue in what follows that the way out of the impasse is to recognize also a generic sense of 'field' or 'region' or 'domain' that limits 'physical space' to only a part of its extension. This will accommodate a 'field' concept even of 'experience' or 'consciousness', which should make us more comfortable since, especially as theorists and even as physicalists, we continue to speak of the 'place of x' in any system, even where this 'environment' is 'logical' and the value
Benefits Versus Costs of Price Supports

Introduction, 115. — I. Economic benefits and costs, 116; short-time results, 116; longer-time results, 123. — II. Feasibility of financing and operating the programs, 127. — III. Summary and conclusions, 128.
Quantitative determination of soluble cellular proteins by radial diffusion in agar gels containing antibodies.

Abstract Radial diffusion of protein antigens through gels containing antibodies has been used to quantitate proteins derived from cellular origins. For quantitation, the diameters of radial precipitin zones formed by tissue extracts were compared with zones formed by known concentrations of the standard proteins. The method employs immunological features of specific proteins to measure concentrations within the range of sensitivity usually obtained only with enzymic analyses.
The Relation of Dietary Vitamin C Intake to Bone Mineral Density: Results from the PEPI Study

Ascorbic acid is a required cofactor in the hydroxylations of lysine and proline necessary for collagen formation; its role in bone cell differentiation and formation is less well characterized. This study examines the cross-sectional relation between dietary vitamin C intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in women from the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions Trial. BMD (spine and hip) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The PEPI participants (n = 775) included in this analysis were Caucasian and ranged in age from 45 to 64 years. At the femoral neck and total hip after adjustment for age, BMI, estrogen use, smoking, leisure physical activity, calcium and total energy intake, each 100 mg increment in dietary vitamin C intake, was associated with a 0.017 g/cm2 increment in BMD (P= 0.002 femoral neck; P= 0.005 total hip). After adjustment, the association of vitamin C with lumbar spine BMD was similar to that at the hip, but was not statistically significant (P= 0.08). To assess for effect modification by dietary calcium, the analyses were repeated, stratified by calcium intake (>500 mg/day and ≤500 mg/day). For the femoral neck, women with higher calcium intake had an increment of 0.0190 g/cm2 in BMD per 100 mg vitamin C (P= 0.002). No relation between BMD and vitamin C was evident in the lower calcium stratum. Similar effect modification by calcium was observed at the total hip: the β coefficient in the higher calcium stratum was similar to that for the total sample (β= 0.0172, P= 0.01), but no statistically significant relation between total hip BMD and vitamin C was found in the lower calcium subgroup. Although the relation between vitamin C and lumbar spine BMD was of marginal statistical significance in the total sample, among women ingesting higher calcium, a statistically significant association was observed (β= 0.0199, P= 0.024). These data are consistent with a positive association of vitamin C with BMD in postmenopausal women with dietary calcium intakes of at least 500 mg.
Siblings We Know and Love—Usually

Mingling recent research, interviews, and his own experiences, Kluger provides a wide-ranging survey of sibling relations and their effects.
Temperature-sensitive hydrogels with SiO2-Au nanoshells for controlled drug delivery.

Abstract Silica–gold (SiO2–Au) nanoshells are a new class of nanoparticles that consist of a silica dielectric core that is surrounded by a gold shell. These nanoshells are unique because their peak extinctions are very easily tunable over a wide range of wavelengths particularly in the near infrared (IR) region of the spectrum. Light in this region is transmitted through tissue with relatively little attenuation due to absorption. In addition, irradiation of SiO2–Au nanoshells at their peak extinction coefficient results in the conversion of light to heat energy that produces a local rise in temperature. Thus, to develop a photothermal modulated drug delivery system, we have fabricated nanoshell-composite hydrogels in which SiO2–Au nanoshells of varying concentrations have been embedded within temperature-sensitive hydrogels, for the purpose of initiating a temperature change with light. N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide (NIPAAm-co-AAm) hydrogels are temperature-sensitive hydrogels that were fabricated to exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) slightly above body temperature. The resulting composite hydrogels had the extinction spectrum of the SiO2–Au nanoshells in which the hydrogels collapsed reversibly in response to temperature (50 °C) and laser irradiation. The degree of collapse of the hydrogels was controlled by the laser fluence as well as the concentration of SiO2–Au nanoshells. Modulated drug delivery profiles for methylene blue, insulin, and lysozyme were achieved by irradiation of the drug-loaded nanoshell-composite hydrogels, which showed that drug release was dependent upon the molecular weight of the therapeutic molecule.
Elastic scattering and charge transfer in slow collisions: isotopes of H and H+ colliding with isotopes of H and with He

Differential and integral cross sections are calculated in the centre of mass energy range 0.1-100 eV for elastic scattering of protons (H+, D+, T+) by helium and of symmetric combinations of protons (H+, D+, T+) and hydrogen atoms (H, D, T) by hydrogen atoms (H, D, T). In addition, we derive from the elastic differential cross sections the momentum transfer and viscosity cross sections of use in the study of plasma transport, and compute the charge transfer cross section. Fully quantal and semiclassical approaches are utilized in these calculations, as are very accurate electronic potential energy curves. The results are compared with available data.
Effect of different colored background lighting on LED discomfort glare perception

In the past decade, there has been increased interest in energy-efficient lighting as energy resources become higher in demand. Street lighting and outdoor lighting are applications that are rapidly changing from the incumbent high-pressure sodium (HPS) to newer technologies such as light-emitting diode (LED) or induction-type lamps. There is evidence that certain populations believe LED streetlights and area lights to produce more glare than HPS luminaires. A number of differences exist between new and traditional light sources besides efficiency. These include spectral power distribution (SPD), source luminance, beam intensity distribution, and the number of sources needed to achieve intended light levels. Many field studies and laboratory studies have shown a relationship between glare and SPD, with most studies suggesting that sources more weighted in short wavelengths have an increased likelihood of discomfort glare. A study to assess the effect of different SPDs on perception of discomfort glare was conducted. Subjects were shown a white-light LED array against a luminous background with one of three different SPDs (blue, white, or yellow). As well, different intensities of light from the array and from the background were used. For the range of conditions evaluated, the presence of any luminous background significantly reduced the perception of discomfort glare from the LED array. The blue background reduced perception significantly less than the white or the yellow backgrounds. The implications for solid-state lighting systems such as outdoor array lighting are discussed.
Using a Variety-Seeking Model to Identify Substitute and Complementary Relationships Among Competing Products

Current techniques using brand-switching data to infer competitive relationships among products are based on the assumption that those brands most frequently switched between are the closest substi...
COMPARISON OF NASAL INSULIN POWDERS PREPARED BY SUPERCRITICAL FLUID AND FREEZE-DRYING TECHNIQUES

ABSTRACT In this study, the effect of drug loading on the nasal absorption of insulin was determined. Human insulin was loaded into different drug carriers by two methods: supercritical fluid processing and freeze-drying. The powder formulations were characterized and then evaluated after nasal administration to alloxan induced diabetic rabbits at a dose of 5U/kg and 7.5U/kg. The blood glucose levels and serum insulin levels were monitored for five hours after administration of insulin formulations. The drug carriers evaluated were: ammonium glycyrrhizinate (AG), polyacrylic acid (PAA), cross-linked polyacrylic acid (CPAA), polyethylene oxide (PEO) and chitosan (CHTN). Nasal administration of AG infused with insulin by carbon dioxide resulted in absolute bioavailability of 9.81% as compared to 2.86% observed with same powder loaded with insulin by freeze-drying. 8.05% bioavailability was obtained with PAA powder loaded with insulin by carbon dioxide as compared to much lower absorption seen with freeze-dr...
Social Networks and the Employment Problem of the Urban Poor

This paper investigates the link between social networks and the ability to find a job through a personal contact among adult inner-city residents. Using data collected by the National Opinion Research Center that interviewed 2490 adult inner-city residents, the impact of network structure and composition on finding a job through word-of-mouth is estimated. Ethnic differences in the rate of finding jobs through word-of-mouth were found, as well as interesting ethnic and racial differences in the way social networks operate to connect job-seekers and job vacancies. Overall, the findings suggest that social networks account for some of the employment problems that many inner-city residents face.
A Scale Analysis of Deep Moist Convection and Some Related Numerical Calculations

Abstract A scale analysis valid for deep moist convection is carried out. The approximate equations of motion are anelastic with the time scale set by the Brunt- Vaisala frequency. A new assumption is that the base state potential temperature is a slowly varying function of the vertical coordinate. It is this assumption that eliminates the energetic inconsistency discussed by Wilhelmson and Ogura (1972) for a non-isentropic base state. Another key result is that the dynamic pressure is an order of magnitude smaller than the first-order temperature and potential temperature. In agreement with observations, the kinetic energy is found to be an order of magnitude smaller than the first-order thermodynamic energy. A set of six numerical simulations representing moderately deep moist convection is carried out. The base state is an idealized maritime tropical sounding with no vertical wind shear. The first calculation (Run A) shows the growth and dissipation of a typical shower cloud. The remaining calculations...
Audio-susceptibility of the inner-loop of peak current-mode controlled PWM DC-DC buck converter in CCM

A complete block diagram including feedforward gains to derive the audio-susceptibility for the inner-current loop of peak current-mode controlled PWM dc-dc converter operating in continuous conduction mode is proposed. Audio-susceptibility transfer functions without and with feed-forward gains along with required power-stage transfer functions are derived for peak current-mode controlled PWM dc-dc buck converter. The derived audio-susceptibility transfer functions are illustrated for given values of perturbation ratio using MATLAB.
Local and systemic tolerability of a 2′O-methoxyethyl antisense oligonucleotide targeting interleukin-4 receptor-α delivery by inhalation in mouse and monkey

AbstractAntisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) bind and facilitate degradation of RNA and inhibit protein expression in pathways not easily targeted with small molecules or antibodies. Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 potentiate signaling through the shared IL-4 receptor-α (IL-4Rα) subunit of their receptors. ASO targeting of IL-4Rα mRNA in a mouse model of asthma led to attenuation of airway hyperactivity, demonstrating potential benefit in asthma patients. This study focused on tolerability of inhaled IL-4Rα-targeting ASOs. Toxicity studies were performed with mouse- (ISIS 23189) and human-specific (ISIS 369645) sequences administered by inhalation. Four week (monkey) or 13 week (mouse) repeat doses at levels of up to 15 mg/kg/exposure (exp) and 50 mg/kg/exp, respectively, demonstrated dose-dependent effects limited to increases in macrophage size and number in lung and tracheobronchial lymph nodes. The changes were largely non-specific, reflecting adaptive responses that occur during active exposure and deposit...