cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family business learning and performance

This research study examines the relationship of entrepreneurial orientation and learning orientation on the performance of small family businesses. It is proposed that the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking) and of learning orientation (commitment and open-mindedness) will be positively related to two dimensions of family business performance (growth and profitability). The study uses a survey method approach for data gathering to test the proposed relationships. Multiple regression analyses were employed using the performance dimensions as the dependent variables. The results suggest that in all cases, innovativeness was not found to explain either performance dimension, while the size of the family business consistently provided a reliable control measure. Furthermore, the results suggest that proactiveness and risk-taking help explain both growth and profitability, and that open-mindedness helps explain profitability. This study contributes to the developing body of small family business literature in the context of learning and performance. The paper concludes with some preliminary findings, conclusions, and recommendations for the future.
The role of the outer setting in implementation: associations between state demographic, fiscal, and policy factors and use of evidence-based treatments in mental healthcare

Despite consistent recognition of their influence, empirical study of how outer setting factors (e.g., policies, financing, stakeholder relationships) influence public systems’ investment in and adoption of evidence-based treatment (EBT) is limited. This study examined associations among unmodifiable (e.g., demographic, economic, political, structural factors) and modifiable (e.g., allocation of resources, social processes, policies, and regulations) outer setting factors and adoption of behavioral health EBT by US states. Multilevel models examined relationships between state characteristics, an array of funding and policy variables, and state adoption of behavioral health EBTs for adults and children across years 2002–2012, using data from the National Association for State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute and other sources. Several unmodifiable state factors, including per capita income, controlling political party, and Medicaid expansion, predicted level of state fiscal investments in EBT. By contrast, modifiable factors, such as interagency collaboration and investment in research centers, were more predictive of state policies supportive of EBT. Interestingly, level of adult EBT adoption was associated with state fiscal supports for EBT, while child EBT adoption was predicted more by supportive policies. State per capita debt and direct state operation of services (versus contracting for services) predicted both child and adult EBT adoption. State-level EBT adoption and associated implementation support is associated with an interpretable array of policy, financing, and oversight factors. Such information expands our knowledge base of the role of the outer setting in implementation and may provide insight into how best to focus efforts to promote EBT for behavioral health disorders.
A Thorough QT Study to Evaluate the Effects of a Supratherapeutic Dose of Sertraline on Cardiac Repolarization in Healthy Subjects

The effect of steady-state supratherapeutic sertraline (Zoloft) on QT interval was assessed in a single-center, randomized, 3-way crossover, double-blind, placebo- and moxifloxacin-controlled thorough QT study. Healthy adults received sertraline 400 mg/day, moxifloxacin 400 mg, and placebo, with a washout period (≥14 days) between treatments. A 12-lead electrocardiogram was recorded in triplicate before dosing and at selected time points up to 72 hours after dosing. Analysis of covariance using a mixed-effect model with sequence, period, treatment, time, and treatment-by-time interaction as fixed effects; subject within sequence as a random effect; and baseline QT corrected for heart rate using Fridericia formula (QTcF) as a covariate was conducted. A 90% confidence interval for the least squares (LS) mean difference in QTcF between active treatment and placebo was computed for each postdose time point. Exposure-response was assessed using linear mixed-effect modeling. Fifty-four subjects were enrolled. Over 24 hours after dosing, the LS mean difference in QTcF for sertraline versus placebo ranged from 5.597 milliseconds to 9.651 milliseconds. The upper bound of the 90% confidence interval for the LS mean difference exceeded a predefined 10-millisecond significance threshold at the 4-hour postdose time point only (LS mean, 9.651 milliseconds [90% confidence interval, 7.635-11.666]). In the exposure-response analysis, QTcF values increased significantly with increasing sertraline concentration (slope = 0.036 milliseconds/ng/mL; P < .0001). Predicted change from baseline in QTcF at therapeutic maximum plasma sertraline concentration was 3.57 milliseconds. This thorough QTc study demonstrated a positive signal for QTc prolongation for sertraline at the steady-state 400-mg/day dose.
Anhedonia, screen time, and substance use in early adolescents: A longitudinal mediation analysis.

Abstract Introduction Screen time is associated with substance use risk among adolescents; however, less is known about the underlying factors that explain this association. Methods: This research examined anhedonia, a facet of depression noted by the reduced capacity to experience pleasure, as a mediating factor in the relationship between screen time (hours spent watching television, using internet, and/or playing video games outside of school) and substance use (alcohol and/or cigarettes). We used a longitudinal survey design among a sample of students aged 9–11 years in the 4th to 6th grades in Southern California, United States of America [N = 709 (354 males)]. Results: Structural equation modeling (SEM) findings revealed longitudinal mediation effects of anhedonia on the association between screen time and substance use, while controlling for baseline screen time, baseline individual and peer substance use, race/ethnicity, and gender. Moderation analysis based on a multiple-group approach revealed that gender was not a significant moderator of this mediation pathway. Conclusions: Adolescents may become desensitized and exhibit a blunted response to hedonic effects from increased screen time. This may result in increased anhedonia and greater risk for substance use through the need to compensate for the reduced experience of rewards. These findings have implications for future school-based substance use prevention and intervention programs.
Quantifying denitrification following floodplain restoration via the two-stage ditch in an agricultural watershed

Abstract In agricultural streams, constructed floodplains have been shown to expand bioreactive surface area and enhance nitrate (NO3−-N) removal via microbial denitrification, thereby reducing export to downstream ecosystems. At the Shatto Ditch Watershed (Indiana, USA), 0.6 km of two-stage ditch was constructed at the watershed outlet in 2007, while an additional 3.7 and 2.7 km were constructed in 2017 and 2018, respectively. We quantified denitrification following floodplain construction using experimental incubations of stream sediments and floodplain soils from Spring 2017 to Spring 2019. We measured dissolved dinitrogen gas (N2) concentrations using membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) and found that denitrification on unconsolidated stream sediments was minimally impacted by stream dredging during two-stage construction in 2017 and 2018. In contrast, even one year after the 2017 construction, denitrification on floodplain soils fell below detection limits; we finally observed measurable rates in Spring 2019. As predicted, stream sediment denitrification was driven by water column NO3−-N concentration, while organic matter limited denitrification on floodplain soils. Floodplains constructed via the two-stage ditch can increase NO3−-N removal by >20% in agricultural watersheds, representing an effective ecological engineering solution to combat downstream eutrophication. However, our results also show that denitrification on floodplain soils may take longer to recover from construction-related activities as organic matter builds up more slowly over time. As such, lags in the recovery or enhancement of ecosystem function are important to consider when documenting restoration success.
Blood flow regulation and oxygen transport in a heterogeneous model of the mouse retina

Elevated intraocular pressure is the primary risk factor for glaucoma, yet vascular health and ocular hemodynamics have also been established as important risk factors for the disease. The precise physiological mechanisms and processes by which flow impairment and reduced tissue oxygenation relate to retinal ganglion cell death are not fully known. Mathematical modeling has emerged as a useful tool to help decipher the role of hemodynamic alterations in glaucoma. Several previous models of the retinal microvasculature and tissue have investigated the individual impact of spatial heterogeneity, flow regulation, and oxygen transport on the system. This study combines all three of these components into a heterogeneous mathematical model of retinal arterioles that includes oxygen transport and acute flow regulation in response to changes in pressure, shear stress, and oxygen demand. The metabolic signal (Si) is implemented as a wall-derived signal that reflects the oxygen deficit along the network, and three cases of conduction are considered: no conduction, a constant signal, and a flow-weighted signal. The model shows that the heterogeneity of the downstream signal serves to regulate flow better than a constant conducted response. In fact, the increases in average tissue PO2 due to a flow-weighted signal are often more significant than if the entire level of signal is increased. Such theoretical work supports the importance of the non-uniform structure of the retinal vasculature when assessing the capability and/or dysfunction of blood flow regulation in the retinal microcirculation.
Bi-Component T2 Mapping Correlates with Articular Cartilage Material Properties

Abstract Non-invasive estimation of cartilage material properties is useful for understanding cartilage health and creating subject-specific computational models. Bi-component T2 mapping measured using Multi-Component Driven Equilibrium Single Shot Observation of T1 and T2 (mcDESPOT) is sensitive for detecting cartilage degeneration within the human knee joint, but has not been correlated with cartilage composition and mechanical properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between bi-component T2 parameters measured using mcDESPOT at 3.0 T and cartilage composition and mechanical properties. Ex-vivo patellar cartilage specimens harvested from five human cadaveric knees were imaged using mcDESPOT at 3.0 T. Cartilage samples were removed from the patellae, mechanically tested to determine linear modulus and dissipated energy, and chemically tested to determine proteoglycan and collagen content. Parameter maps of single-component T2 relaxation time (T2), the T2 relaxation times of the fast relaxing macromolecular bound water component (T2F) and slow relaxing bulk water component (T2S), and the fraction of the fast relaxing macromolecular bound water component (FF) were compared to mechanical and chemical measures using linear regression. FF was significantly (p
Stoichiometric irreversibility of aged garnet electrolytes

Abstract Solid-state lithium batteries (SSLBs) have been regarded as one of the next-generation energy storage systems. With the adoption of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) and lithium metal anodes, SSLBs enable higher energy density and more reliable safety than the state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. Among potential SSEs, the cation-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) is promising for its high ionic conductivity (~10 −3 S cm−2) at room temperature and high stability with Li metal anode. However, the storage of doped LLZO in the ambient condition suffers the aging effect, including the structural transition (i.e. low-temperature cubic form) and the stoichiometric changes (i.e. Li2CO3). These changes are detrimental to LLZO ionic conductivity and interfacial stability in SSLBs. To this end, we are motivated to investigate the structural and stoichiometric reversibility of aged LLZO during thermal treatment. With the help of an in-situ synchrotron-based high-energy X-ray diffraction technique, our experiments revealed that the LLZO powders became a low-temperature cubic phase when exposed to the ambient condition for an extended period of time. A high temperature cubic form can be restored after a thermal treatment of the aged LLZO powder, regardless of the type of dopant . However, the restoration of the stoichiometry remained a challenge, and the degree of the restoration showed a clear dependence on the dopant chemistry.
Improving the Diagnosis of Neonatal Encephalopathy: Validation of a Novel Encephalopathy Scale for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) using Electroencephalogram (EEG)

BACKGROUND: Encephalopathy severity in neonates evaluated for therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has traditionally been determined by neurologic exam, sometimes alongside amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG). The original 1976 report describing the progressive stages of encephalopathy (PMID 987769) led to modified versions of the Sarnat exam, which were utilized in randomized trials evaluating TH, with or without aEEG. However, there has been minimal validation of exam scores as measures of encephalopathy, distinct from outcome, and the relationship between neurologic exam, aEEG, and conventional EEG (cEEG) is not fully understood. Determining the best method to identify encephalopathy severity is critical to select neonates for TH. We developed a novel, simplified encephalopathy scale at …
We need to “feed” the soil

I remember many years ago when I was involved in a research project on the difficult challenge of converting conventional industrial strawberry production systems to organic management, it was beli...
Totally Robotic Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy

This chapter details briefly the history and evolution of esophagectomy. The transition to minimally invasive methods, advantages, disadvantages, and the emergence of robot-assisted esophagectomies are detailed. The early reports of robot-assisted esophagectomy have incomplete documentation; however, the history of its evolution to totally robotic Ivor Lewis esophagectomy has been detailed. The indications, preoperative planning, anesthetic concerns, operative technique for performing this procedure safely (including a video link and intraoperative pictures), postoperative care, and complications are discussed. A comprehensive review of the published outcomes, costs incurred, and “resident training” for this procedure are provided.
Modification of intrinsic ovarian cancer tumor factors by Wnt-pathway agents influences macrophage recruitment and activity.

e14514Background: The Wnt/B-catenin pathway is associated with a “cold” phenotype in the gynecologic malignancy tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in immunosuppression. Research is limited reg...
Open-Source PSCAD Grid-Following and Grid-Forming Inverters and A Benchmark for Zero-Inertia Power System Simulations

This paper presents open-source, flexible, and easily-scalable models of grid following and grid forming inverters for the PSCAD software platform. The models are intended for system integration studies, particularly transient stability analyses of power systems with a high penetration of inverter-based generation. To verify the model functionality, they are implemented in a IEEE 9-bus system in a zero-inertia operational scenario of 100% inverter-based generation where the presence of grid-forming inverters are necessary. The models, including the 9 bus network, have been made available open source at the PyPSCAD NREL GitHub page (https://github.com/NREL/PyPSCAD).
Utilization of Ethnolinguistic Infusion in the Construction of a Trifurcated Metalinguistic Community: An Example from the Kernewek (Cornish) Language of Britain

The Kernewek (Cornish) language revival movement's goal of creating a community of fluent users remains out of reach despite a century of revival and despite success in establishing a language ideology valuing it as an ethnic symbol. The language is widespread in signage and other written uses and was accepted for official use by the UK in 2003. This chapter explores this situation as an example of an employment ethnolinguistic infusion (Benor in The Routledge Companion to the Work of John R. Rickford, Routledge, 2020) in the construction of metalinguistic community (Avineri in Journal of Jewish Languages 5:174–199, 2017). I draw evidence from business and government signage, formulaic expressions, and adoption of Kernewek words into English. I expand the theoretical discussions by examining the trifurcated nature of ethnolinguistic infusion, with varying uses oriented towards enthusiasts, a wider in-group of Cornish and towards English decisionmakers.
Predicting Direct-Specimen SARS-CoV-2 Assay Performance Using Residual Patient Samples.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic sensitivities of point-of-care SARS-CoV-2 assays depend on specimen type and population-specific viral loads. Evaluation of these assays require 'direct' specimens from paired-swab studies rather than more accessible residual specimens in viral transport media (VTM). METHODS: Residual VTM and limit-of-detection studies were conducted on Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19, Quidel Sofia 2™ SARS Antigen FIA, and DiaSorin Simplexa™ COVID-19 Direct assays, with cycle threshold (CT) adjustments to approximate direct-specimen testing based on gene-target doubling each PCR cycle. Logistic regression was used to model assay performance by specimen CT. These models were applied to CT distributions of symptomatic and asymptomatic populations presenting to emergency services to predict the percent of specimens that would be detected by each assay. A 96-sample paired-swab study was conducted to confirm model results. RESULTS: When using direct nasopharyngeal samples and fit with either VTM or limit-of-detection data, percent positivities for ID NOW (symptomatic 94.9%/97.4%; asymptomatic 88.4.0%/89.6%) and Simplexa (symptomatic 97.8%/97.2%; asymptomatic 91.1%/90.8%) were predicted to be similar. Likewise, fit with VTM data, percent positivities for ID NOW with direct nasal specimens (symptomatic 77.8%; asymptomatic 64.5%) and Sofia 2 with direct nasopharyngeal specimens (symptomatic 76.6%, asymptomatic 60.3%) were similar. The paired-swab study comparing direct nasopharyngeal specimens on ID NOW and nasopharyngeal VTM specimens on Simplexa showed 99% concordance. CONCLUSIONS: Assay performance can be modeled as dependent on viral load, fit using laboratory bench study results, and adjusted to account for direct-specimen testing. When using nasopharyngeal specimens, direct testing on Abbott ID NOW and VTM testing on DiaSorin Simplexa have similar performance.
MEASURING AND MODELLING DRY DEPOSITION IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS

A trial programme has been initiated to test methods for estimating dry deposition rates from measurements of air concentration, using selected surface and atmospheric data to specify the appropriate deposition velocities. Results obtained in the testing programme are used here to compare a site on the slopes of Whiteface Mountain, New York, and a similarly forested site distant from mountains. Data are presented on atmospheric resistances to turbulent exchange, and on the surface resistance associated with the dry deposition of sulphur dioxide. All considerations involving the concept of a deposition velocity combining surface and vertical-diffusion components are limited in generality, because of the over-riding assumption that the aerodynamic transfer is dominated by vertical diffusion, therefore neglecting advective effects such as blowthrough. For the case of sulphur dioxide, the increase in computed dry deposition resulting when such advective effects are taken into account is found to be small. This result from the fact that SO2 exchange is largely controlled by surface rather than atmospheric resistance; hence a similar result is expected for other trace gases most strongly influenced by surface resistance, such as ozone, and could be expected to extend to particle deposition in some size ranges. However, for nitric acid vapour (and presumably for all other trace gases having surface resistance small in comparison to atmospheric resistance) the consequences of surface heterogeneity and topographic complexity on deposition velocities could be very large.
Subunit 9 of the mitochondrial ATP synthase of Trypanosoma brucei is nuclearly encoded and developmentally regulated.

Abstract We have previously shown that the mitochondrial ATP synthase is developmentally regulated through the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei. The mechanism of this regulation is as yet unknown. We are currently examining regulation of expression of several key subunits of the ATP synthase to investigate this mechanism. In the work presented here, we have cloned, sequenced, and confirmed the identity of the ATPase subunit 9 homologue from T. brucei. The ATPase subunit 9 gene that we have identified from T. brucei has between 40 and 60% identity with subunit 9 from a variety of organisms. This gene possesses a putative mitochondrial import sequence at the N terminus of the encoded protein sequence. The protein expressed from this gene by in vitro transcription/translation comigrates with native protein isolated from inner mitochondrial membrane vesicles from T. brucei. We have shown that the cDNA identifies a copy of this gene in the nuclear genome, but does not identify a similar gene in kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) prepared from T. brucei. This gene does not show homology to any published sequence data from maxicircle DNA or edited maxicircle derived sequences. Steady state transcripts of a single size have been identified by Northern analysis and demonstrate significant developmental regulation through the T. brucei life cycle. Northern analysis and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results show that the transcript is 10–14-fold higher in procyclic form than in early and late bloodstream forms.
Hardwired Behavior: What Neuroscience Reveals about Morality

Acknowledgements Preface 1. Neuroscience and morality 2. Morality and the mind 3. Beyond the mind zone 4. Morality and the brain 5. Bad without conscience 6. Biology of choice 7. Sex and the single moral code 8. Brain biology and sex 9. Deception 10. The biology of money 11. The bad and the mad 12. Creating a moral brain Glossary Notes Index.
Corporate Social Performance, Financial Performance for Firms that Restate Earnings

This study examines corporate social performance (CSP) in firms that restate their financialstatements and, using a match pair design, compares their performance to firms that do notrestate their financial statements. Utilizing a randomized block design (two years prior to therestatement and two years after the restatement) for a sample of 44 U.S. firms, we found thatCSP Strengths, CSP Weaknesses, CSP People Strengths, and CSP People Weaknesses all increasedafter restatement though weaknesses increased at a greater rate than strengths. Additionally,using panel data and a match pair design we found, we found that restating firms hada greater increase in CSP Strengths, CSP Weaknesses, CSP Product Strengths, CSP PeopleStrengths and a greater decrease in Total CSP People than non-restating firms after the restatementperiod. When comparing the relationships between CSP and financial performance (FP),we found that the positive relationship between ROA and CSP Strengths is greater for restatementfirms than non-restating firms. In particular, we find that this positive relationship is aresult of the People dimension of CSP, in particular CSP People Strengths.Â Copyright Â© www.iiste.org
Structural differentiation: A determinant of park popularity

Abstract A valid and reliable eight-step Guttman scale measure of park structural differentiation was constructed for the California State Park System. It was comprised of items reflecting two subscale dimensions, park camping infrastructure and park water-related activity opportunities and developments. Multiple regression analysis showed structural differentiation to be a relatively strong predictor of state park popularity, as measured by annual visitation at each of the parks studied. There was also a negative interaction effect of the camping infrastructure and water-related subscales upon park popularity. High levels of both of these aspects of differentiation at the same time may result in somewhat less annual visitation to a state park than would otherwise be the case. The scale measures of structural differentiation developed in this study also have descriptive application for classifying units of a park system.
Space station 20-kHz power management and distribution system

During the conceptual design phase a 20-kHz power distribution system was selected as the reference for the space station. The system is single-phase 400 VRMS, with a sinusoidal wave form. The initial user power level will be 75 kW with growth to 300 kW. The high-frequency system selection was based upon considerations of efficiency, weight, safety, ease of control, interface with computers, and ease of paralleling for growth. Each of these aspects will be discussed as well as the associated trade-offs involved. An advanced development program has been instituted to accelerate the maturation of the high-frequency system. Some technical aspects of the advanced development program will be discussed.
Deformation Associated with Ghost Craters and Basins in Volcanic Smooth Plains on Mercury: Strain Analysis and Implications for Plains Evolution

[1] Since its insertion into orbit about Mercury in March 2011, the MESSENGER spacecraft has imaged most previously unseen regions of the planet in unprecedented detail, revealing extensive regions of contiguous smooth plains at high northern latitudes and surrounding the Caloris basin. These smooth plains, thought to be emplaced by flood volcanism, are populated with several hundred ghost craters and basins, nearly to completely buried impact features having rims for which the surface expressions are now primarily rings of deformational landforms. Associated with some ghost craters are interior groups of graben displaying mostly polygonal patterns. The origin of these graben is not yet fully understood, but comparison with numerical models suggests that the majority of such features are the result of stresses from local thermal contraction. In this paper, we highlight a previously unreported category of ghost craters, quantify extensional strains across graben-bearing ghost craters, and make use of graben geometries to gain insights into the subsurface geology of smooth plains areas. In particular, the style and mechanisms of graben development imply that flooding of impact craters and basins led to substantial pooling of lavas, to thicknesses of ∼1.5 km. In addition, surface strains derived from groups of graben are generally in agreement with theoretically and numerically derived strains for thermal contraction.
Importance of Body Size in Determining Dominance Hierarchies among Diverse Tropical Frugivores1

Most studies examining dominance hierarchies have focused at the intraspecific level. While some examples of interspecific hierarchies have been noted, these have usually been limited to a few species in the same taxonomic group that utilize resources in similar ways. Here, we examine evidence for dominance interference competition among vertebrates comprising a diverse frugivore community, including 19 species of birds, squirrels, and primates in a mature Central African rainforest. A total of 38 fruiting trees from 18 species were observed for 2058 h to record dominance interactions between foraging vertebrates. We show that interference competition occurs within and between taxonomically diverse species of vertebrates at fruiting trees. The resulting cross-taxonomic dominance hierarchy includes larger vertebrates, such as primates and hornbills, as well as smaller ones, such as squirrels and parrots. Within this hierarchy, the dominance rank of each species is highly correlated with body mass, and is shown to significantly affect the number of fruits removed from a given tree. Because a majority of tropical tree species depend on vertebrates to disperse their seeds, and particular vertebrates may preferentially disperse the seeds of specific tree species, results may have important conservation implications for the maintenance of tree diversity in regions where populations of larger frugivores have been depressed or extirpated.
Integrative genomic analysis in K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia cells reveals that proximal NCOR1 binding positively regulates genes that govern erythroid differentiation and Imatinib sensitivity

To define the functions of NCOR1 we developed an integrative analysis that combined ENCODE and NCI-60 data, followed by in vitro validation. NCOR1 and H3K9me3 ChIP-Seq, FAIRE-seq and DNA CpG methylation interactions were related to gene expression using bootstrapping approaches. Most NCOR1 combinations (24/44) were associated with significantly elevated level expression of protein coding genes and only very few combinations related to gene repression. DAVID's biological process annotation revealed that elevated gene expression was uniquely associated with acetylation and ETS binding. A matrix of gene and drug interactions built on NCI-60 data identified that Imatinib significantly targeted the NCOR1 governed transcriptome. Stable knockdown of NCOR1 in K562 cells slowed growth and significantly repressed genes associated with NCOR1 cistrome, again, with the GO terms acetylation and ETS binding, and significantly dampened sensitivity to Imatinib-induced erythroid differentiation. Mining public microarray data revealed that NCOR1-targeted genes were significantly enriched in Imatinib response gene signatures in cell lines and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients. These approaches integrated cistrome, transcriptome and drug sensitivity relationships to reveal that NCOR1 function is surprisingly most associated with elevated gene expression, and that these targets, both in CML cell lines and patients, associate with sensitivity to Imatinib.
Acceptable Values of Kappa for Comparison of Two Groups

A model was developed for a simple clinical trial in which graders had defined probabilities of misclassifying pathologic material to disease present or absent. The authors compared Kappa between graders, and efficiency and bias in the clinical trial in the presence of misclassification. Though related to bias and efficiency, Kappa did not predict these two statistics well. These results pertain generally to evaluation of systems for encoding medical information, and the relevance of Kappa in determining whether such systems are ready for use in comparative studies. The authors conclude that, by itself, Kappa is not informative enough to evaluate the appropriateness of a grading scheme for comparative studies. Additional, and perhaps difficult, questions must be addressed for such evaluation.
Collisionless coupling in the AMPTE artificial comet

Analysis of previously reported observations of the solar wind-barium interaction associated with the AMPTE artificial comet release of Dec. 27, 1984, is presented. On the basis of these results it is argued that solar wind couples momentum (and energy) to the barium ions through both laminar and turbulent processes. The laminar forces acting on the particles are the laminar electric and magnetic fields; the turbulent forces are associated with the intense electrostatic wave activity. This wave activity is shown to be caused by a cross-field solar wind proton-barium ion streaming instability. The observed wave frequencies and saturated amplitudes are consistent with the theoretical analysis.
The role of clp-regulated factors in antagonism against Magnaporthe poae and biological control of summer patch disease of Kentucky bluegrass by Lysobacter enzymogenes C3

A global regulator was previously identified in Lysobacter enzymogenes C3, which when mutated, resulted in strains that were greatly reduced in the expression of traits associated with fungal antagonism and devoid of biocontrol activity towards bipolaris leaf-spot of tall fescue and pythium damping-off of sugarbeet. A clp gene homologue belonging to the crp gene family was found to globally regulate enzyme production, antimicrobial activity, and biological control activity expressed by Lysobacter enzymogenes C3 (Kobayashi et al. 2005). Here, we report on the expansion of the biocontrol range of L. enzymogenes C3 to summer patch disease caused by Magnaporthe poae. The clp- mutant strain 5E4 was reduced in its ability to suppress summer patch disease compared with the wild-type strain C3 and was completely devoid of antifungal activity towards M. poae. Furthermore, cell suspensions of 5E4 were incapable of colonizing M. poae mycelium in a manner that was distinct for C3. Strain C3 demonstrated biosurfactant activity in cell suspensions and culture filtrates that was associated with absorption into the mycelium during the colonization process, whereas 5E4 did not. These results describe a novel interaction between bacteria and fungi that intimates a pathogenic relationship.
Evaluation of changes in oxygen tension as indicators of RIF‐1 tumor response to Nd:YAG laser heating

Heat-induced oxygen tension changes in RIF-1 tumors in C3H male mice were analyzed in an attempt to correlate these changes with tumor response to Nd:YAG laser heating. A low power, microprocessor-controlled Nd:YAG laser was used to superficially heat 250-300 mm3 tumors to base temperatures of 44, 45, 46, or 48 degrees C for 30 minutes via a flexible 600 microns quartz fiberoptic with a terminating microlens. A glass, Clark-style microelectrode was inserted into the center of each tumor allowing real time measurement of the tumor's oxygenation status before, during, and after heating. Results showed that heating at 44 degrees C caused a greater than 2-fold increase in oxygen tension during heating, while a temperature of 48 degrees C caused a brief initial increase in oxygen tension followed by a decrease to below pretreatment values. There was a significant correlation (P < 0.05) between relative tumor oxygen tension during and post-heating and tumor growth delay. A significant correlation (P < 0.05) was also seen between tumor base temperature during heating and tumor growth delay. It appears from our initial data that single point oxygen tension measurements in small RIF-1 tumors may be useful indicators of this model's response to Nd:YAG laser heating. This result may allow for modification of heating parameters (temperature/time) during treatment to optimize thermal response.
Movements and population structure of Atlantic menhaden indicated by tag returns

Over 968,000 adult Atlantic menhaden,Brevoortia tyrannus, were tagged from 1967 to 1969 and over 85,000 juvenile menhaden were tagged from 1969 to 1973. Recoveries of these tagged fish through 1975 provide direct evidence that Atlantic menhaden consist of a single population that over-winters in offshore waters off the southeastern coast of the United States, moves northward in spring and stratifies along the coast by age and size during summer, and moves southward in late autumn.
Effect of 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone on the secondary electron acceptor B of photosystem II

Abstract Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence have been used to monitor electron transport from the primary electron acceptor of photosystem II, Q, to the secondary acceptor, B, in chloroplasts in either the presence or the absence of the plastoquinone analog 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl- p -benzoquinone (DBMIB). Electron transport is markedly slower from Q − to either B or B − in the presence of DBMIB. Binary oscillations in the rate of reoxidation of Q − (equivalent to the reactions Q − B → QB − and Q − B − → QB 2− ) after each of a series of flashes were of a phase opposite to those observed in the absence of DBMIB (J. M. Bowes, and A. R. Crofts, (1980) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 590 , 573–584). The results confirm that inhibition of electron transport by DBMIB in chloroplasts is not restricted to an inhibition of electron transfer from the plastoquinone pool, but that there is also a specific interaction between the reduced form of the inhibitor and the secondary electron acceptor B . Models are discussed to account for the mechanism of this interaction.
Effect of Three Charcoal Preparations on Oral and Intravenous Phenobarbital

AbstractThe purpose of this randomized, controlled study was to determine which of the three commercially available activated charcoals (Actidose, Charcoaid and SuperChar) was the best to clear 200 mg of either oral or intravenously administered phenobarbital from healthy male volunteers, 20–40 years of age. Twenty subjects were recruited; 13 and 14 volunteers were used for the analysis of the oral and intravenously administered phenobarbital, respectively. Cpmax, Tmax, the AUC's for designated time intervals, Clp, and the mean ratios of AUC for charcoal treatment/AUC for no charcoal treatment were calculated. There was no significant difference (p<0.05) in Cpmax and Tmax values for oral phenobarbital with and without charcoal. There was no significant difference (p<0.05) with and without charcoal, between Cpmax values for the intravenous route. For oral phenobarbital, the AUC values for Superchar and Actidose showed a significant decrease (p<0.10) from no charcoal treatment throughout all of the time int...
Measuring the quality of life in city of Indianapolis by integration of remote sensing and census data

This paper develops a methodology for integration of remote sensing and census data within a GIS framework to assess the quality of life in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Environmental variables, i.e. greenness, impervious surface and temperature, were derived from a Landsat ETM+ image. Socio-economic variables, including population density, income, poverty, employment rate, education level and house characteristics from US census 2000, were integrated with the environmental variables at the block group level to derive indicators of quality of life. Pearson's correlation was computed to analyse the relationships among the variables. Further, factor analysis was conducted to extract unique information from the combined dataset. Three factors were identified and interpreted as material welfare, environmental conditions and crowdedness respectively. Each factor was viewed as a unique aspect of the quality of life. A synthetic index of the urban quality of life was created and mapped based on weighted factor scores of the three factors. Finally, regression models were built to estimate the quality of life in the city of Indianapolis based on selected environmental and socioeconomic variables.
Predictors of neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants with intraparenchymal hemorrhage.

To determine which neuroimaging, clinical and sociodemographic factors predict neurodevelopment at 18–22 months age among extremely preterm infants with intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH). Cranial ultrasounds performed before 42 days of age and cranial ultrasounds/magnetic resonance images of the brain performed near discharge were reviewed for hemorrhage location and other abnormalities. Clinical and sociodemographic factors were extracted from existing databases. The primary outcome was presence of cerebral palsy (CP) and the secondary outcome was cognitive development (Bayley Scales of Infant Development). Of 1168 infants (<1000 g or <27 weeks), 141 infants had an IPH and 48 infants were seen in follow-up. All infants with extensive hemorrhages (involving three or more lobes) developed CP. In early imaging (before 42 days of age), ventriculomegaly, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and extensive hemorrhage were predictors of CP. In imaging performed near discharge, ventriculomegaly, intraventricular echodensity and having a ventricular shunt were predictors of CP. Clinical, imaging and sociodemographic factors were not associated with low cognitive score. In preterm infants surviving with IPH, extensive hemorrhage, ventriculomegaly, IVH and having a shunt increased the risk of developing CP.
On the persistence of cocaine-induced place preferences and aversions in rats

Rationale Rats develop preferences for places associated with the immediate rewarding effects of cocaine and aversions for places paired with the drug’s delayed negative effects. The motivation to seek cocaine should therefore depend upon the relative magnitude of these two opposing effects of the drug.
Research on the Energy Efficiency Test System of the Induction Motor

As one of the national medium-long term energy conservation special planning, the energy efficiency for motor system is key projects. On the other hand, a large number of motor systems have a wide range of applications in power system, and almost occupy 60 percent of the end use energy consumption. It is very important to improve motor system energy efficiency for end use energy efficiency improvement. This paper introduces the energy efficiency evaluation methods and testing system for motor and the high-efficiency motor, by the system, energy conservation certification evaluation and energy label technology service are given, thus, the motor efficiency can be known by the testing. The system can help manufacturers and users to make right decision during the models producing and selecting, and it can be meet the technique requirement of the smart grid construction.
Evidence for biogenic synthesis of an unusual ferric oxide mineral during alteration of basalt by a tropical lichen.

THE lichen Stereocaulon vulcani greatly accelerates the chemical weathering of recent basalt lava flows on the Island of Hawaii, as a comparative study of weathering crusts with and without a covering of the lichen has shown1. Evidence of biogeochemical activity includes mineralogical differences between the iron oxides of these weathering crusts.
Infrared determination of chlorate in the presence of other oxyhalogen anions

Abstract Small quantities of chlorate may be determined in the presence of perchlorate, bromate, iodate, periodate, and many other substances by measurement of the 20·4-μ chlorate absorption band. Quantities of potassium chlorate ranging from about 0·1 to 1·0 mg in 300-mg potassium bromide disks can be determined with errors of about 2%. The disk technique is applicable to aqueous solutions via the freeze-drying process. Cations affect the measured absorbance values, but this problem is easily circumvented by a simple ion-exchange step.
Posterior elbow capsulotomy with triceps lengthening for treatment of elbow extension contracture in children with arthrogryposis.

Background: Flexion of one elbow is essential to enable children with arthrogryposis to achieve independent function such as self-feeding and self-care of the face and hair. We analyzed the outcomes of posterior elbow capsulotomy with triceps lengthening for the treatment of elbow extension contractures in a series of children with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. Methods: The medical records of all children with arthrogryposis who had been followed for a minimum of two years after treatment with elbow capsulotomy and triceps lengthening were retrospectively reviewed. The postoperative range of motion and ability to reach the mouth were compared with the preoperative status. Results: Posterior capsulotomy with triceps lengthening was performed in twenty-nine elbows of twenty-three children with an average age of thirty-five months (range, seven months to thirteen years). The average duration of follow-up was 5.4 years. The arc of motion of all twenty-nine elbows improved from an average of 32° (range, 0° to 75°) preoperatively to an average of 66° (range, 10° to 125°) at the time of final follow-up. All children were able to reach the mouth using passive assistance (e.g., table-push, trunk-sway, and cross-arm techniques), and twenty-two children were able to feed themselves independently. No child underwent subsequent tendon transfer surgery. Conclusions: Elbow capsulotomy with triceps lengthening successfully increases passive elbow flexion and the arc of elbow motion of children with arthrogryposis, enabling hand-to-mouth activities. In contrast to studies in which tendon transfer surgery was used to increase elbow flexion, none of the children in this series underwent subsequent tendon transfer surgery. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Gender and Ethnic Diversity within the Health Education Professoriate via the Doctoral Pipeline

Abstract Data were acquired from the National Research Council depicting the number of new doctorates in health education for a 10-year period, 1983–1992. These data are presented by gender and by race/ethnicity. For the 10-year period, 910 new doctorates were awarded, 274 (30 percent) to men and 636 (70 percent) to women. Only 61 or 7.6 percent of the doctorates went to ethnic minorities. A further breakdown relative to race/ethnicity is presented and comparisons are made with other demographic data such as the U.S. population and certain education characteristics. While the gender picture has remained constant over the 10-year period, there is no trend emanating from the doctoral pipeline to provide any encouragement toward increasing minority numbers within the health education professoriate. Implications for the health education profession are delineated.
Kantian Ethics: After Darwin

In this article I reevaluate Emmanuel Kant's moral philosophy from a post-Darwinian perspective. Taking an evolutionary approach to human reasoning and incorporating some recent work on the science of the emotions, I argue that the Kantian bifurcation of reason and emotion, which underlies his moral philosophy, is no longer tenable. Kant's practical defense of his ethics as being the only option that can save morality from the dangers posed by naturalism is also considered and rejected. Instead, I argue that an evolutionary view of reason and emotion can provide an adequate ground for morality and explore the possibility and advantages of such an ethics.
Path-integral simulation of pure water☆

Abstract Path-integral techniques are used to study the quantum effects on the translational degrees of freedom of both liquid water at 300 K and small clustrs ( n = 1,2,3) at 100 K. Quantum structural effects are small but consistent for liquid water, whereas significant effects are observed in the clusters.
Water hardness as a photochemical parameter: tetracycline photolysis as a function of calcium concentration, magnesium concentration, and pH.

The environmental photochemical kinetics of the antibiotic compound tetracycline were investigated. The aqueous speciation of tetracycline over a range of natural pH and water hardness values is dominated by association with Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. The association constants necessary to calculate tetracycline aqueous speciation given knowledge of pH, [Ca2+], and [Mg2+] were measured by spectrophotometric titrations and matrix deconvolution of a series of UV−vis absorption spectra into individual component species. A series of photolysis experiments was performed under simulated sunlight, and quantum yields for the solar photolysis of each environmentally relevant species were calculated. The results indicate that the pseudo-first-order rate constant for tetracycline photolysis at varied Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrations relevant to natural conditions can vary by up to an order of magnitude. A self-sensitization effect was observed and was accounted for by varying the initial tetracycline concentration under each s...