cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dopamine Transporter Gene Methylation is Associated with Nucleus Accumbens Activation During Reward Processing in Healthy but not Alcohol-Dependent Individuals.

Background Alcohol's reinforcement is mediated by dopamine signaling in the ventral striatum, which is modulated by the dopamine transporter (DAT). We hypothesized that methylomic variation in the DAT gene (DAT1/SLC6A3) affects DAT expression, thus contributing to differences in brain reward circuitry in individuals with alcohol dependence (ALC). Methods Blood from 45 recently detoxified ALC and 45 healthy control (HC) individuals was used to assess DNA methylation across 5 functional regions of SLC6A3. Participants completed the monetary incentive delay task in a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Employing regression models, we examined effects of SLC6A3 methylation on nucleus accumbens (NAc) blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) responses during anticipation of high/low reward/loss. Results Results showed that decreased methylation of the promoter region of SLC6A3 predicted NAc activation during high loss anticipation (p = 0.028) and low loss anticipation (at trend-level; p = 0.057) in HC but not in individuals with ALC. Specifically, percentage of methylation at 2 CpG sites, located −1,001 and −993 base pairs from the transcription start site, accounted for significant variability in NAc activation in the HC group during high (ps ≤ 0.010) and low (ps ≤ 0.006) loss anticipation. There was no effect on reward anticipation. Furthermore, promoter methylation was positively associated with age, which replicates previous findings. Conclusions Our data suggest that methylation in the promoter region of SLC6A3 predicts NAc activation during the anticipation of monetary loss in HCs. However, this effect was not present in the ALC group, suggesting that epigenetic regulation of striatal DAT expression might be disrupted in ALC, which may contribute to previously reported differences in sensitivity to reward and punishment in this population. Alternatively, it is possible that a similar relationship in the ALC group remained undetected possibly due to methodological limitations inherent in functional MRI (e.g., poor spatial resolution, low signal-to-noise ratio) that generally restrict interpretations regarding mechanisms of epigenetic factors involved in group differences in BOLD responses. Future neuroimaging studies are needed to further elucidate the relationship between SLC6A3 methylation and NAc activation in ALC.
Social Research Methods: Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills in Social Science

Learn the major concepts and methodologies in social science Understand how scientific data is used and presented in social science research Evaluate research in social science critically Become a better informed user of the many social science studies that shape health policy
Recent Progress toward Microfluidic Quality Control Testing of Radiopharmaceuticals

Radiopharmaceuticals labeled with short-lived positron-emitting or gamma-emitting isotopes are injected into patients just prior to performing positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission tomography (SPECT) scans, respectively. These imaging modalities are widely used in clinical care, as well as in the development and evaluation of new therapies in clinical research. Prior to injection, these radiopharmaceuticals (tracers) must undergo quality control (QC) testing to ensure product purity, identity, and safety for human use. Quality tests can be broadly categorized as (i) pharmaceutical tests, needed to ensure molecular identity, physiological compatibility and that no microbiological, pyrogenic, chemical, or particulate contamination is present in the final preparation; and (ii) radioactive tests, needed to ensure proper dosing and that there are no radiochemical and radionuclidic impurities that could interfere with the biodistribution or imaging. Performing the required QC tests is cumbersome and time-consuming, and requires an array of expensive analytical chemistry equipment and significant dedicated lab space. Calibrations, day of use tests, and documentation create an additional burden. Furthermore, in contrast to ordinary pharmaceuticals, each batch of short-lived radiopharmaceuticals must be manufactured and tested within a short period of time to avoid significant losses due to radioactive decay. To meet these challenges, several efforts are underway to develop integrated QC testing instruments that automatically perform and document all of the required tests. More recently, microfluidic quality control systems have been gaining increasing attention due to vastly reduced sample and reagent consumption, shorter analysis times, higher detection sensitivity, increased multiplexing, and reduced instrumentation size. In this review, we describe each of the required QC tests and conventional testing methods, followed by a discussion of efforts to directly miniaturize the test or examples in the literature that could be implemented for miniaturized QC testing.
Deference and Uniqueness

Deference principles are principles that describe when, and to what extent, it’s rational to defer to others. Recently, some authors have used such principles to argue for Evidential Uniqueness, the claim that for every batch of evidence, there’s a unique doxastic state that it’s permissible for subjects with that total evidence to have. This paper has two aims. The first aim is to assess these deference-based arguments for Evidential Uniqueness. I’ll show that these arguments only work given a particular kind of deference principle, and I’ll argue that there are reasons to reject these kinds of principles. The second aim of this paper is to spell out what a plausible generalized deference principle looks like. I’ll start by offering a principled rationale for taking deference to constrain rational belief. Then I’ll flesh out the kind of deference principle suggested by this rationale. Finally, I’ll show that this principle is both more plausible and more general than the principles used in the deference-based arguments for Evidential Uniqueness.
André Cournand, Bellevue's Cardiopulmonary Laboratory, and Research on Heart Failure.

In 1954–1955, the author served as a research fellow in the cardiopulmonary laboratory led by Andre Cournand at Bellevue Hospital in New York. Cournand was a pulmonary physiologist and a professor of medicine at Columbia University. In his quest to obtain mixed venous blood to calculate pulmonary blood flow, he catheterized the right atrium, right ventricle, and pulmonary artery in patients and also measured the pressures in these chambers. Cournand and his collaborators soon appreciated the enormous potential of cardiac catheterization in deepening the understanding of cardiovascular pathophysiology. After a series of groundbreaking studies, Cournand and his coworker Dickinson Richards, as well as German physician Werner Forssmann, were awarded a Nobel Prize in 1956. Cournand’s laboratory, his work habits, and his rigorous approach to science are described, as well as the stimulation the author received during the author’s fellowship. As a result, the author went on to extend to the left side of the hear...
Projection space model observers based on marginalized linear discriminants.

Past studies with tomographic reconstructions have shown that visual-search (VS) model observers can be used to evaluate acquisition protocols in medical imaging. However, projection-space studies could be more efficient. A localization ROC (LROC) study was conducted with two VS observers and sets of simulated CT projections and reconstructions generated from a clinically realistic 2D lumbar-spine phantom. The phantom was an axial slice through the L3 vertebrae of a clinical CT. Simulated 1-cm circular lesions had a relative contrast of 1.5. The acquisitions contained from 15 to 512 parallel-beam projections over 180 degrees. Reconstructions were generated with backprojection (BP) and filtered BP (FBP). Both observers identified and compared suspicious candidate locations in an image by means of feature extraction. One observer used the lesion gradient while the other used the gradients for a set of approximate lesion profiles. Observer performance with projections and BP images was highly correlated as a function of the number of projections. FBP performance was lower but still correlated with projection and BP-image performance. VS observers may provide a novel means of optimizing CT acquisitions under clinically relevant tasks using projection data.
Undergraduate chemistry students’ misconceptions about reaction coordinate diagrams

Misconceptions are the “the old, the bad, and the ugly” prior knowledge, ideas or conceptions that the learners have that hinder their further learning in science. Several types of misconceptions that undergraduate students hold about reaction coordinate diagrams (from here on we use the term “reaction coordinate diagrams” and “energy diagrams” interchangeably) are described herein. The rationale of 223 students were coded based on their responses to a multiple-choice question on the topic, and interviews (n = 10) were used to delve deeper into the students’ knowledge structures. The results of the open coding of the rationale and the interviews were used in developing an instrument which was administered to 57 students. In this paper, we present the assessment instrument and the alternate conceptions that students have regarding energy diagrams that have not been reported in the literature yet. Implications for instructional approaches particular to the energy diagram topic are discussed.
Quantification of Steroids via a Polymer Linked Second Antibody Enzyme Immunoassay System: Methods of Linking Anti-Rabbit IgG to Poly(styrene)

Antibodies have been immobilized on polymers since the 1960s and numerous variations have been developed for commercially available immunodiagnostic tests. Several procedures of linking antibodies to polymers, interest in increasing the concentrations of linked antibodies to polymers, and interest in conserving the limited quantities of rare reagent exist. We have developed a partial denaturation procedure of linking anti-rabbit IgG to poly(styrene) that improved our antibody linking by 40 times. Utilization of these anti-rabbit IgG coated tubes in our polymer linked second antibody enzyme immunoassay produced highly specific, sensitive and accurate quantitative analytical procedures of detecting progesterone and testosterone rapidly.
On Ekman and Hartmann boundary layers in a rotating fluid

An exact solution of the unsteady hydromagnetic boundary layer equation for an incompressible, viscous, electrically conducting rotating fluid with constant properties is derived to investigate the effects of the Coriolis and electromagnetic forces on the flow phenomena. The structures of the associated hydrodynamic and hydromagnetic multiple boundary layers are explicitly determined with several special limiting cases. A comparative study of the structures of the hydrodynamic and hydromagnetic boundary layers is presented.
Application of Genetic Algorithms to the General QSAR Problem and to Guiding Molecular Diversity Experiments

Publisher Summary In this chapter, genetic algorithms (GAs) and, in particular, the genetic function approximation (GFA) are applied to two major problems in computer-assisted molecular design. In one application, it explores how GFA can be used to establish reliable quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSARs) when multiple conformations, shape references, and observed biological activities are given for each compound in the training database. The second application involves applying QSAR analysis to a molecular diversity experiment. The underlying idea in this application is that the accumulating structure–activity data during a molecular diversity experiment can be harnessed by QSAR techniques to guide compound selection in the on-going diversity generation. The successful application of GA (GFA) to each of these problems requires the development of algorithms to structure and restructure the training database over the course of the GFA analysis. These algorithms are viewed in terms of the generalization of the mutation operator currently employed in GAs.
Most Economists Welcome Ideological Openness, A Survey Indicates

A sample of 299 U.S. economics professors responded to our 2010 survey, which asked: “Suppose you are reading or listening to an economist, and he discloses his own ideological proclivities. Which best represents your attitude toward his doing so:” The results surprised us. Sixty-three percent of respondents chose “I welcome it,” twenty percent chose “I am indifferent,” and only ten percent chose “I dislike it.” Most economists, it appears, welcome ideological openness, and only a small minority dislikes it. Follow-up questions asked reasons why the respondent liked (or disliked) it. These results suggest that economists – or, at least those inclined to complete a survey – are quite inclined toward natural discourse.
More Markets, More Justice

People lack access to justice because the law is complex and expensive to use. Basic mechanisms of market competition can reduce both the complexity and the cost of law while securing law's princip...
Universal Health Coverage in Bangladesh: Activities, Challenges, and Suggestions

Catastrophic health expenditure forces 5.7 million Bangladeshis into poverty. Inequity is present in most of health indicators across social, economic, and demographic parameters. This study explores the existing health policy environment and current activities to further the progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the challenges faced in these endeavors. This qualitative study involved document reviews (n=22) and key informant interviews (KII, n=15). Thematic analysis of texts (themes: activities around UHC, implementation barriers, suggestions) was done using the manual coding technique. We found that Bangladesh has a comprehensive set of policies for UHC, e.g., a health-financing strategy and staged recommendations for pooling of funds to create a national health insurance scheme and expand financial protection for health. Progress has been made in a number of areas including the roll out of the essential package of health services for all, expansion of access to primary health care services (support by donors), and the piloting of health insurance which has been piloted in three sub districts. Political commitment for these areas is strong. However, there are barriers pertaining to the larger policy level which includes a rigid public financing structure dating from the colonial era. While others pertain to the health sector's implementation shortfalls including issues of human resources, political interference, monitoring, and supervision, most key informants discussed demand-side barriers too, such as sociocultural disinclination, historical mistrust, and lack of empowerment. To overcome these, several policies have been recommended, e.g., redesigning the public finance structure, improving governance and regulatory mechanism, specifying code of conduct for service providers, introducing health-financing reform, and collaborating with different sectors. To address the implementation barriers, recommendations include improving service quality, strengthening overall health systems, improving health service management, and improving monitoring and supervision. Addressing demand-side barriers, such as patient education and community empowerment, is also needed. Research and advocacy are required to address crosscutting barriers such as the lack of common understanding of UHC.
To Link or Not to Link: Clause Chaining in Japanese Narratives

Japanese is a clause chaining language, in which a sentence is formed by linking two or more clauses in a series (chain), using different forms of the verb in "non-final" clauses within the chain from the "final" clauses that end the chain. Since the verb comes at the end of a clause in Japanese, speakers must decide by the time they reach the verb at end of one clause whether or not to connect it to the following clause. This study analyzes the narratives of Japanese children and adults with the dual goal of discovering why narrators decide either to link the clause they are producing to the following clause or not to link, i.e., to end the clause chain. Stories were elicited from 60 3- to 7-year-old children and 10 adults, who performed two tasks: (1) telling the story depicted in a hand-drawn cartoon, and (2) viewing a 7-min video and then recounting the plot from memory. The data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative analysis examines story length and prompting, length of clause chains, variety of linking connectives, semantic relations-such as simultaneity, temporal sequence, and causality-between clauses in chains, shifts of subject from one story character to another (switch-reference), and contexts in stories where narrators end clause chains. For the quantitative analysis, a multifactorial, mixed-effects model was fit to determine which of several potential predictors have a significant effect on the probability that narrators will link clauses. The model is significant, though weak in discriminatory power. Among the significant effects, simultaneous relations between events increase the probability that narrators will link clauses, while changing the subject referent and reaching the end of a narrative unit, e.g., an episode, increase the probability that narrators will end their clause chain. There are no significant age effects: the children respond in the same way to the predictors as the adults. The qualitative and quantitative results of the study are interpreted with respect to the close relation between grammar (clause chains) and discourse (narrative structure) as well as the cognitive process of producing clause chains during narration.
Semi-supervised URL Segmentation with Recurrent Neural Networks Pre-trained on Knowledge Graph Entities

Breaking domain names such as openresearch into component words open and research is important for applications like Text-to-Speech synthesis and web search. We link this problem to the classic problem of Chinese word segmentation and show the effectiveness of a tagging model based on Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) using characters as input. To compensate for the lack of training data, we propose a pre-training method on concatenated entity names in a large knowledge database. Pre-training improves the model by 33% and brings the sequence accuracy to 85%.
TEN IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF A 21ST CENTURY FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING APPROACH

Foreign language instructors want and need to keep up with the rapid changes in the field of foreign language teaching and learning, but sometimes have a hard time identifying which areas they should focus on (and within each area, what to do) to make their instruction in line with 21st century approaches. The present article describes 10 areas instructors should examine and reflect on (technology, culture, collaboration, interaction with native speakers, communication and grammar, materials, skills, content, motivation, and professional development) to assure they are using innovative techniques that reflect modern philosophies in the field of foreign and second language teaching. Article visualizations:
Nephrolithiasis associated with embolization material, Lipiodol®, following embolization of large renal angiomyolipoma

Abstract Angiomyolipoma (AML) is a benign renal mass that can be treated with nephron sparing surgery or transarterial embolization. Embolization has been favored due to efficacy and safety profile. This case demonstrates a previously undocumented phenomenon of AML treated with transarterial embolization using Lipiodol® (Guerbet LLC, Princeton, NJ) resulting in nephrolithiasis and retention of Lipiodol® two years after original embolization. Although Lipiodol®-based embolization has not been shown to cause nephrolithiasis, it may have been the nidus for stone formation, and this is an important potential complication worthy of further study.
The Effects of Scanning Position and Motion Errors on Hologram Resolution

This paper presents the results of an evaluation of image defects caused by transducer and object position and motion errors in generating an acoustical hologram. The image parameters we studied were lateral and longitudinal resolution. An error analysis, assuming slowly varying gaussian statistics, was used to estimate the mean and standard deviation. The results show that two types of errors must be considered; i.e., position errors may approach an appreciable fraction of the hologram resolution limits; however, motion errors (especially longitudinal motion) are more restrictive and appear to be limited by coherence between object and reference signals. Daubin1 has previously noted longitudinal motion restrictions.
The Dying: Health Care Needs and Attitudes Toward Death

The late Andre Hellegers pointed out how elastic the definition of health and, therefore, the definition of health needs has become over the years. The World Health Organization, stated Hellegers, defines health “as not only the absence of disease, but as the presence of a sense of total physical, mental and social well-being.” In the extreme this means, according to Hellegers, that the medical profession must abolish death. A second definition of health is based on the absence of discomfort and, Hellegers stated, logically requires the profession to provide death [Hellegers, p. 19]. A third definition of health views death as natural and urges physicians to accept it.
Effect of Rapid Intravenous Infusion on Serum Concentrations of Amphotericin B

The magnitude of the concentrations of amphotericin B produced in serum of patients with systemic mycoses may significantly influence the outcome of therapy with this drug. Since amphotericin B is conventionally administered in intravenous infusions lasting 4 to 6 hr, we asked whether faster infusions of this drug might yield higher serum concentrations without an increase in dose. This question was studied in three patients who received 16 infusions of this drug: eight infusions administered slowly (5 hr) and eight administered rapidly (45 min). Serum concentrations after each rapid infusion were compared with those after a slow infusion administered to the same patient. The mean serum concentration of amphotericin B 1 hr after the rapid infusions (2.02 mug/ml) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the mean serum concentration of amphotericin B 1 hr after the slow infusions of this drug (1.18 mug/ml). Mean serum concentrations 18 and 42 hr after rapid infusion remained slightly but not significantly higher than respective mean concentrations after slow infusions. By yielding higher initial serum concentration, rapid intravenous infusion may be therapeutically more effective than slow infusion of amphotericin B. Although rapid infusions caused no more toxicity than did slow infusions, the lack of greater toxicity with rapid infusion of amphotericin B should be further documented prior to extensive clinical application of this procedure.
Inhibition of HCl secretion and the effects on ultrastructure and electrical resistance in isolated piglet gastric mucosa

Rates of H+ secretion and transepithelial resistance were measured for gastric mucosas from neonatal piglets before and after the addition of histamine and with the deployment of conditions that inhibit HCl secretion. At designated times tissue biopsy specimens were taken and prepared for electron microscopy. Oxyntic cell morphology was evaluated by classification of the cells into one of four categories: resting, partially stimulated, stimulated, or returning. Morphologic profiles for each experimental condition were thus established. In order to assess this method of quantitation, detailed morphometric analyses of oxyntic cells from resting and stimulated preparations were undertaken. The observed differences in tubulovesicular and microvillar surface densities were similar to those of previous investigators and correlated well with the morphologic profiles for these conditions. Actively secreting gastric preparations subjected to 15 mM NaSCN, substrate deprivation, or removal of histamine showed an inhibition of HCl secretion coupled with an increase in tissue resistance. However, only the morphologic profile of cells from the latter condition was different from that observed for control stimulated cells; histamine removal caused cells to be predominantly of a resting or returning morphology. Treatment of resting tissue with SCN- or removal of substrate inhibited subsequent histamine-induced secretion though tissue resistance decreased somewhat (approximately 15%). The morphologic profile of cells from these conditions was similar to that of control stimulated cells, despite the lack of acid secretion. These data support the hypothesis that oxyntic cell morphology does not absolutely dictate the secretory state of the tissue and that the resistance of gastric mucosa cannot be accounted for solely by the ultrastructure (i.e., surface area) of oxyntic cells.
Low response of serum dopamine beta-hydroxylase to stimuli in primary hypertension. Decreased DbetaH response in hypertension.

Abstract Serum dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), thought to reflect sympathetic nerve tonicity in man, increased 32 ± 2% (mean ± SE) in 20 normal volunteers after standing plus furosemide. There was a reduced responsiveness of 14 ± 4% (P
The Rise and Fall of SB-5: The Rejection of an Anti-Union Law in Historical and Political Context

This symposium piece was written around the time that Ohio voters were deciding whether or not to reject (in a voter referendum) SB-5, a bill greatly limiting the rights of public-sector unions in Ohio. The article argues that SB-5 was a flawed and misguided law, enacted for partisan purposes. The law was part of a broader trend starting in 2011 and continuing of attempts by certain political factions to limit or eliminate public-sector collective bargaining rights. The voters of Ohio rejected SB-5, but debates over these issues remain. The paper argues thatSB-5 and similar laws are not about government budgets, nor are they about improving public-sector collective bargaining or public services. In short, these laws do not accomplish the goals that proponents claim they will: rather, they will silence the voices of workers on the job and hurt the middle class.
Lectures on Algebraic Cycles

Spencer Bloch's 1979 Duke lectures, a milestone in modern mathematics, have been out of print almost since their first publication in 1980, yet they have remained influential and are still the best place to learn the guiding philosophy of algebraic cycles and motives. This edition, now professionally typeset, has a new preface by the author giving his perspective on developments in the field over the past 30 years. The theory of algebraic cycles encompasses such central problems in mathematics as the Hodge conjecture and the Bloch–Kato conjecture on special values of zeta functions. The book begins with Mumford's example showing that the Chow group of zero-cycles on an algebraic variety can be infinite-dimensional, and explains how Hodge theory and algebraic K-theory give new insights into this and other phenomena.
A site map for visualizing both a Web site's structure and keywords

Many people use the World Wide Web to get information; however, it is not always easy to obtain the desired information, since the number of Web sites and Web pages is huge, and most of them are not structured. To solve this problem, some Web site managers visualize their sites' structure and/or keyword information; this is an effective way of developing an easy-to-navigate Web site. Even if both functions are provided, however, in conventional systems they are provided as separate functions, and no relation exists between them; a user cannot see and operate a site map and keyword information as related information. Providing a site map with keywords is a new technique for visualizing and navigating Web sites. It displays both a Web site's structure and keyword information on a site map and displays the relation between them. This technique not only allows both sets of information to be visualized on the same screen, but also makes it possible to interact with one through the other: a user can interact with a Web site's structure through its keyword information, and vice versa.
Yesterday's New Cultivation, Tomorrow

This article explores the continued applicability of cultivation theory in a new media environment. Previous theoretical and empirical work on media that were “new” at the time (such as cable TV and VCRs) is reviewed as context. Changes in the social and media conditions on which cultivation were premised are also discussed. Some ideas for new methodological approaches to cultivation measurement and study design are offered. Gerbner's thoughts on television as a “new state religion” are used as a framework for our analysis of the current relevance of cultivation theory more than four decades after its introduction, in a vastly different media context.
MHD Effects on Vapor Flow in a Conductive Fluid

Several advanced fusion reactor design concepts for MFE power generation incorporate liquid metal as a protective layer or heat transfer medium. The presence of high magnetic fields, necessary to c...
Semiconductor manufacturing in the 21st century: capital investment vs. technological innovation

The author describes the technological problems which must be solved if the goal of utilizing the dramatic improvements in cost/performance of computer technology to replace manufacturing methods which have become prohibitively expensive is to be realized. Envisioning a manufacturing environment of rapid change (anathema to most manufacturing organizations), three basic components of a futuristic manufacturing system are described: a programmable factory consisting of multifunction, computer-controlled equipment, a virtual factory consisting of simulation tools emulating the reality of the real factory, and a manufacturing automation framework supporting a multiplicity of software tools needed for flexible manufacturing systems. Each of these components is further broken down into specific technological problems to be solved. >
Judaism and the New World Order, II The Problems of Sovereignty and Minorities

SOVEREIGNTY IS the supreme political power or authority of the person or persons whom the citizens as a body habitually obey. The term sovereignty implies the right to make valid laws. Originally, this right was restricted to the king, later on to the Parliament, and the validity to the kingdom, country or district concerned. The interdependence of the safety and security of mankind today is so obvious a fact that only in some isolationist corners are doubts entertained concerning it. Our new understanding of an ancient situation renders it clear that to the extent to which it implies the absolute power of legislation, sovereignty must be restricted. Not only to the end that every member of the nation be assured of basic equality before the law, but especially also to prevent interference with, diminution, or complete cancellation of, the rights and privileges of any other nation. Within the family, the group, the district, the states of any nation, it has become self-evident that individual or group sovereignty is a matter of the past, due for abandonment with the burning of witches and resigned acceptance of epidemics, physical or mental, of the centuries before. The Bible knows no bitterer censure of lawlessness in the twilight periods of Jewish history than that every man was a rugged individualist, establishing his own laws of conduct and "'doing what so ever was right in his own eyes."' The modern man has learned from the failure of the Treaty of Versailles how dangerous it is to permit even liberated nations the exercise of national sovereignty. For in a melodramatic way yesterday's victims of tyranny have shown a habit of changing into today's oppressors of minorities. Only God remains sovereign. No man or group of men. Upon the sovereignty of the Lord does Judaism base the equality of man. But the elementary fact must not be ignored: the folly of thoroughgoing national egoism, and its effect on international affairs. Three recent volumes, each written by men of authority, bear out the implications. In "This Age of Conflict"2 the collaborators found the undermining of
Bridging the gap: discovering mental models in globally collaborative contexts

The engineering and construction sectors have experienced a large surge in global projects. A common complaint is that American engineers are not ready to work globally because of their insensitivity to cultural differences. In this paper, we report two case studies of undergraduate engineering students in the U.S. collaborating with fellow students in Brazil, Israel or Turkey. We used survey, interview and observational methods to understand how cultural differences affected the quality of team interaction. We focus specifically on how culturally based differences in mental models of the work process (e.g., team structure, task processes, social conventions, knowledge/expertise) can account for problems that arise during engineering collaborations. The results can be used to design training software and materials to better prepare engineering students to work in a global context.
Doubly whose stochastic matrices squares leave the permanent invariant

The form of the n × n doubly stochastic matrices Afor which there exists a pair of permutation matrices P and Q such that either (a) is determined. The problem offers a partial answer to the question as to which n × n doubly tochastic matrices satisfy permanent A 2 = permanent A. A is a solution to (a) for some P P and Q if and only if A is a solution to (b) for some P and Q. In factA in n× n and doubly stochastic) satisfies one of the equations (c) for some integer f > 1 and some pair of permutation matrices P and Q if and only if for each integer f > 1 there exists a pair P and Q for which (c) holds and a pair P and Q for which (d) holds. In such a case for some integer .
Direct measurement of lateral current density distribution in a PEM fuel cell with a serpentine flow field

Abstract In a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell, local current density can vary drastically in the lateral direction across the land and channel areas. It is essential to know the lateral current density variations in order to optimize flow field design and fuel cell performance. Thus the objective of this work is to directly measure the lateral current density variations in a PEM fuel cell with a serpentine flow field. Five 1 mm-width partially-catalyzed membrane electrode assemblies (MEA), each corresponding to a different location from the center of the gas channel to the center of the land area are used in the experiments. Current densities for fuel cells with each of the partially-catalyzed MEAs are measured and the results provide the lateral current density distribution. The measurement results show that in the high cell voltage region, local current density is the highest under the center of the land area and decreases toward the center of the channel area; while in the low cell voltage region local current density is the highest under the center of the channel area and decreases toward the center of the land area. Besides, the effects of cathode flow rates on the lateral current density distribution have also been studied. Furthermore, comparisons have also been made by using air and oxygen in the cathode and it is found that when oxygen is used the local current density under the land is significantly enhanced, especially in the low cell voltage region.
Amebiasis: Introduction, Current Status, and Research Questions

This series of five papers on the worldwide problem of amebiasis, its current status, research needs, and opportunities for progress has grown out of a renewal of investigative interest in amebiasis. The recent development of in vitro culture methods and of means to distinguish strain differences and the application of modern tools of cellular biology and biochemistry have raised new questions regarding strain definitions, virulence traits, host defenses, and the mechanism of invasive disease sometimes caused by Entamoeba histolytica. The clinical manifestations of amebic infections range from prolonged asymptomatic carriage to extensive, invasive intestinal and extraintestinal disease. The virulence traits of the parasite, whether stable in each strain or alterable by environmental or genetic factors, and the host factors involved in the development of disease and in protection have been investigated. From this series of reviews on the definition of amebiasis, its manifestations, its global magnitude, the methods for its detection, and the current understanding of its epidemiology, pathogenesis, cellular biology, and host defenses, a list of key questions that can now be addressed in work on amebiasis has been derived. Amebiasis is the third leading parasitic cause of death in the world. The need for work in this field is great, and the time is ripe for the application of new research tools to a better understanding of this remarkable tissue-lysing protozoan parasite and to the control of the disease it causes.
Cost‐Benefit Models of Stakeholders in the Global Counterfeiting Industry and Marketing Response Strategies

Global counterfeiting is escalating despite resistance by many parties. We identify three groups of stakeholders who have vested interests in either resisting or promoting counterfeiting. Among resistors to counterfeiting are national governments, international policymakers, and corporate intellectual property owners; among promoters are the counterfeiters themselves and many consumers. We argue that current supply‐side resistance approaches alone are inadequate; attention is also needed to resisting consumer promoters on the demand‐side of the market. Drawing from a review of the literature, we develop a new analytical framework which depicts complex interfaces between IP owners and consumers. A second framework presents actionable marketing strategies targeted to different consumer segments.
Inferring the Function of Projectile Points from the Central Coast of Alta California

AbstractAlong California's central coast, projectile points representing the central coast stemmed series were the dominant bifacial form for over 5000 years. Archaeologists working in the region are accustomed to referring to these artifacts as "dart points" and to later small leaf-shaped points as "arrow points," even though these functional inferences remain untested. We use macro-morphometric and microscopic use-wear data to argue that both assumptions may be incorrect. We also suggest that the multifunctional nature of stemmed series points contributed to their longevity and conditioned the choice to replace them with more specialized forms. More broadly, we argue that functional analyses of stone tools greatly expand the potential information yield from this artifact class and increase its relevance to issues of foraging efficiency and technological evolution.
When bad things happen to good trees

When the edges in a tree or rooted tree fail with a certain fixed probability, the (greedoid) rank may drop. We compute the expected rank as a polynomial in p and as a real number under the assumption of uniform distribution. We obtain several different expressions for this expected rank polynomial for both trees and rooted trees, one of which is especially simple in each case. We also prove two extremal theorems that determine both the largest and smallest values for the expected rank of a (rooted or unrooted) tree, and precisely when these extreme bounds are achieved. We conclude with directions for further study. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 37: 79–99, 2001 With apologies to Harold S. Kushner.
Effect of Ageing on Morphologic and Clinical Predictors of Prostate Cancer Progression

Objectives: Autopsy studies show that prostate cancer begins in the 4th and 5th decade of life. We sought to determine if increasing age at the time of diagnosis is related to morphologic and clinical predictors of cancer progression. Materials and Methods: We examined 7 morphologic variables known to impact progression of prostate cancer plus clinical stage and serum PSA in relation to increasing age. 981 untreated men undergoing radical prostatectomy were divided into 5 increasing age groups. Prostate size, which is known to increase with age, was used as a positive control. We compared the median and inter-quartile range for each grouping. Results: Increase in prostate weight was highly significant at all age differences. The % Gleason grade 4/5 cancer and cancer volume showed the most statistically significant changes with ageing, followed by non-organ confined cancer and capsular penetration both of which are highly correlated with cancer volume. Serum PSA was significant at 12, 17, and 22 years of age differences, but may be related more to prostate size than to increasing cancer volume. The presence of positive lymph nodes, seminal vesicle invasion, and palpable cancer were unrelated to increasing age. Conclusions: With the exception of increasing prostate size, % Gleason grade 4/5 cancer and cancer volume are the most significantly related variables to increasing age. Since % Gleason grade 4/5 cancer and cancer volume are also the primary determinants of failure to cure prostate cancer by radical prostatectomy, these age related changes suggest that detection of prostate cancer later in life will be accompanied by increased amounts of high grade cancer and larger tumor volumes. They also explain why, in so many younger men (age 45–60), the largest prostate cancer is often clinically insignificant (< 0.5 cc) at the time of radical prostatectomy.
Vasopressin Mediates Mitogenic Responses to Adrenalectomy in the Rat Anterior Pituitary

To determine whether increased vasopressinergic activity during chronic stress or adrenalectomy mediates trophic changes in the corticotroph, we examined the effect of peripheral V1 receptor blockade in rats, using the antagonist, dGly[Phaa1,D-tyr(et), Lys, Arg]vasopressin (VP), on the number of pituitary cells taking up bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and cells containing immunoreactive ACTH (irACTH). Adrenalectomy significantly increased the number of BrdU- and ACTH-labeled cells at 3 and 6 d, and a much larger increase was observed at 28 d. Minipump infusion of V1 antagonist for 28 d, at doses blocking the increases in ACTH and corticosterone induced by exogenous VP, prevented the increases in BrdU incorporation, but not irACTH cells observed 28 d after adrenalectomy. Unexpectedly, colocalization of BrdU with ACTH-positivecellswasminor(aboutthreecellsperpituitary section), and this was unaffected by adrenalectomy or V1 antagonist infusion. In contrast, adrenalectomy for 6 or 14 d failed to increase BrdU incorporation or irACTH cells in V1b receptor knockout mice while inducing the expected increase in wild-type mice. The data show that VP is required for pituitary mitogenesis after adrenalectomy but, at least in rats, not for increasing the number of corticotrophs. The lack of colocalization of ACTH in mitotic cells suggests that recruitment of corticotrophs during adrenalectomy occurs from undifferentiated cells. (Endocrinology 148: 3102–3110, 2007)
Evaluation of computer-based instructional material: intent and procedures

In this paper the authors address some of the benefits to be derived through evaluation in the development and the dissemination of computer based instructional materials. Formative evaluation is discussed as a practical and worthwhile means of improving quality and effectiveness of instructional material. The importance of summative evaluation and documentation for intelligent selection and use of disseminated instructional material is discussed. Procedural suggestions are offered for employing both formative and summative evaluation within the context of systematic instructional design. An example is presented in which these suggested procedures were employed.
Ultraconserved cDNA segments in the human transcriptome exhibit resistance to folding and implicate function in translation and alternative splicing

Ultraconservation, defined as perfect human-to-rodent sequence identity at least 200-bp long, is a strong indicator of evolutionary and functional importance and has been explored extensively at the genome level. However, it has not been investigated at the transcript level, where such extreme conservation might highlight loci with important post-transcriptional regulatory roles. We present 96 ultraconserved cDNA segments (UCSs), stretches of human mature mRNAs that match identically with orthologous regions in the mouse and rat genomes. UCSs can span multiple exons, a feature we leverage here to elucidate the role of ultraconservation in post-transcriptional regulation. UCS sites are implicated in functions at essentially every post-transcriptional stage: pre-mRNA splicing and degradation through alternative splicing and nonsense-mediated decay (AS-NMD), mature mRNA silencing by miRNA, fast mRNA decay rate and translational repression by upstream AUGs. We also found UCSs to exhibit resistance to formation of RNA secondary structure. These multiple layers of regulation underscore the importance of the UCS-containing genes as key global RNA processing regulators, including members of the serine/arginine-rich protein and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) families of essential splicing regulators. The discovery of UCSs shed new light on the multifaceted, fine-tuned and tight post-transcriptional regulation of gene families as conserved through the majority of the mammalian lineage.
A Systematic Approach to Performing a Comprehensive Transesophageal Echocardiogram. A Call to Order

While the order for a clinical transthoracic examination is fairly standardized, there is considerable variability between laboratories and even among physicians in the same laboratory with regard to the order for transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE). A systematic approach is desirable for more efficient use of physician and patient time, avoidance of inadvertent omission of important views, and to facilitate study review. We propose a standardized approach to TEE data acquisition in which cardiac structures are systematically identified and characterized at sequential positions and imaging planes to facilitate organized, efficient and comprehensive assessment. Our approach to TEE study begins in the mid-esophagus with the imaging plane at 0°. Based on the specific indication for the TEE, a cardiac structure (e.g., mitral valve, left atrial appendage, or interatrial septum) is chosen as the primary focal point for a comprehensive, multiplane analysis. This structure is assessed in 20° – 30° increments as the imaging plane is advanced from 0° to 165°. Using the aortic valve as a reference point, pertinent cardiac structures are then assessed as the imaging plane is reduced to 135°, to 90°, to 40 – 60° and then back to 0°. The probe is then advanced into the stomach to obtain transgastric images at 0°, 90°, and 120°. Finally, the thoracic aorta and pulmonary artery are assessed as the probe is withdrawn from the body. Using this method, an organized and comprehensive TEE can be performed in 10 – 15 minutes. A standardized and systematic TEE approach is described for efficient and comprehensive TEE study.