cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-border mergers and acquisitions: the European–US experience

Abstract Our study, utilizing logit and multiple regression models, tests the hypothesis that macroeconomic variables, in particular bond yields, exchange rates, and stock prices, influenced the number and direction of cross-border acquisitions between firms in the United States and each of four European countries: Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and France. While the logit model results suggest that bond yields explain the trends in cross-border acquisitions, the regression results show the US stock prices to be a good explanatory variable. In general, the results suggest that foreign acquisitions occur more frequently when bond yields in the acquirer's country are higher than those from the country of the firm being acquired. In addition, a depressed US stock market relative to foreign stock markets encourages foreign acquisition of US companies.
Elimination of the post-hypoxic frequency decline in conscious rats lesioned in pontine A5 region

A decrease in the frequency of breathing following a hypoxic exposure that is below baseline values is called the post-hypoxic frequency decline (phfd) and is due to an elongation of expiratory time (TE). We hypothesized that lesioning the pontine A5 region would eliminate the phfd in conscious rats. Fourteen conscious male rats that demonstrated a phfd received lesions either within the A5 region (n=9) or outside this region (controls, n=5). Compared with pre-lesion values, body temperature decreased and frequency of breathing was lower during exposure to air, hypoxia, and hypercapnia in A5-lesioned, but not in the control-lesioned rats. No effect of A5 lesions was noted on tidal volume. Rats with A5 lesions no longer exhibited a phfd, and TE values following hypoxia were comparable to baseline TE values. These data suggest that the A5 region of the ventrolateral pons modulates the phfd in conscious rats and affects frequency of breathing in response to both hypoxia and hypercapnia.
An extension theorem for Steiner systems

Abstract Given a Steiner system S (2, k –1; v ) with v ⩾ v o ( k ), there is a 3-design S λ (3, k ; v + 1) such that the derived design is λ copies of the Steiner system for any λ sufficiently large satisfying the standard arithmetic conditions. This theorem has applications in the construction of Steiner 3-designs.
The Superconducting Levitron Ring Position Control System

A superconducting ring has been levitated by a magnetic field, using active negative feedback to stabilize the ring position.
Effects of auditory interference upon observed lingual tactile thresholds

Lingual vibrotactile thresholds were obtained from 16 adult subjects equally divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental subjects were required to read for 3 min under an auditory masking condition. Control subjects experienced 3 min of silence. Pre- and postexperimental lingual vibrotactile thresholds did not differ significantly between groups. Although this finding differed from previous research, it appeared to be consistent with response characteristics of the neural transducers that were stimulated.
EGTA induced fast potentials in rat small intestine.

Abstract Rat small intestine exhibits spontaneous slow-waves and spikes in normal solution. When treated with 0.3 – 0.7 mM EGTA, in calcium free solution, normal rhythmicity disappears and fast rhythmic potentials of duration intermediate to slow-waves and spikes appear. These induced fast potentials are absent in sodium free solution and are eliminated by verapamil, a calcium channel blocker. Application of EGTA to cat, guinea pig, mouse, and toad intestine did not yield fast potentials. The fast potentials appear to result from sodium entering through channels usually used by calcium. The fast potentials may be a phenomena exclusive to rat small intestine.
Classical physical abstraction

An informal theory is set forth of relations between abstract entities, includingcolors, physical quantities, times, andplaces in space, and the concrete things thathave them, or areat orin them, based on the assumption that there are close analogies between these relations and relations between abstractsets and the concrete things that aremembers of them. It is suggested that even standard scientific usage of these abstractions presupposes principles that are analogous to postulates of abstraction, identity, and other fundamental principles of set theory. Also discussed is the significance of important disanalogies between sets and physical abstractions, including especiallymodal andtemporal aspects of physical abstractions, which is related to the problem of the characterizingconstancy, of colors, physical attributes, and locations in space.
Improvement of detection limits for flow-injection flame atomic absorption spectrometry by dedicated signal processing

Abstract Detection limits for zinc, copper and calcium obtained by flame atomic absorption spectrometry by using repetitive flow-injection (FI) sample introduction were compared with those obtained by conventional aspiration. The influence of the carrier flow-rate, the number of repetitions, the signal evaluation mode, the selection of the peak window and the degree of smoothing applied was investigated. By applying the ensemble summation procedure to the repetitive FI signals, detection limits comparable to or better than those for steady-state signals could be obtained using the same total sample volume aspirated.
A Prospective Randomized Trial of Mini-incision Posterior and Two-incision Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background The two-incision approach to THA has been controversial, with some authors reporting its use is associated with a rapid recovery whereas others report no differences in outcomes and a higher risk of perioperative complications secondary to increased surgical complexity.
Cyclooxygenase-2 Activity Following Traumatic Brain Injury in the Developing Rat

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the production of prostaglandins. COX-2, the predominant COX isoform in brain, is induced by synaptic activity. COX-2–generated prostaglandins are important regulators for a range of activities under physiologic conditions. However, under pathologic conditions, COX-2 activity can produce reactive oxygen species and toxic prostaglandin metabolites that can exacerbate brain injury. In this study, we examine the developmental production of COX-2 and test the ability of a COX-2 inhibitor, SC58125, to attenuate traumatic brain injury in developing rats. We show that constitutive COX-2 concentration is low (0.5-fold adult concentration) during the first postnatal week and then increases to 3-fold of adult levels between days 14–60. Controlled cortical impact (CCI) at postnatal day (PND) 17, but not PND 7, caused an additional 3-fold increase in COX-2 content and was associated with an increase in the COX-2 product PGE2. Treatment with the COX-2 inhibitor SC58125 in PND17 rats exposed to CCI attenuated the rise in PGE2 but did not attenuate lesion volume or improve performance in the Morris water maze.
Improved nonalcoholic steatohepatitis after 48 weeks of treatment with the PPAR-γ ligand rosiglitazone

Insulin resistance (IR) commonly is associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). To establish whether IR causes NASH, this study was undertaken to determine if improving IR would improve the histologic features that define NASH. Thirty adults with prior biopsy evidence of NASH were enrolled to receive rosiglitazone, 4 mg twice daily for 48 weeks. All patients were overweight (body mass index [BMI] > 25 kg/m(2)) and 23% were severely obese (BMI > 35 kg/m(2)); 50% had impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes. Liver biopsy specimens were obtained before beginning treatment and at treatment completion. Twenty-six patients had posttreatment biopsies; of these, 22 had initial protocol liver biopsies that met published criteria for NASH on subsequent blinded evaluation. Within this initial NASH group, the mean global necroinflammatory score significantly improved with treatment and biopsies of 10 patients (45%) no longer met published criteria for NASH after treatment. Significant improvement in hepatocellular ballooning and zone 3 perisinusoidal fibrosis also occurred. Five patients withdrew early; the 25 patients completing 48 weeks of treatment had significantly improved insulin sensitivity and mean serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (104 initially, 42 U/L at the end of treatment). Adverse effects led to withdrawal of 3 patients (10%). Weight gain occurred in 67% of patients and the median weight increase was 7.3%. Within 6 months of completing treatment, liver enzyme levels had increased to near pretreatment levels. In conclusion, improving insulin sensitivity with rosiglitazone resulted in improved histologic markers of NASH, an observation suggesting that insulin resistance contributes to its development and that improving insulin sensitivity may be important in treating this liver disease.
The Market for Economists

HE program for these meetings states that this session's purpose "is to explore the implications of economic growth and changes in economic organization on the demand for economists and agricultural economists," and I am responding with this paper on the market for economists. I must begin by a disclaimer. I do not believe that my presentation fully responds to the charge in the prospectus, although perhaps a charitable audience may consider that it contributes something to that objective. I shall cast this presentation in terms of the topics in the principles course-supply, demand, and price-and suggest some interpretations of the recent patterns and changes and some implications of and for future prospects. My colleague, Helmberger, and I have made a modest attempt at the coordination of our efforts, and as a result I will try to add some supplementary data and comments on the general features of the market, and, more especially, summarize and comment on some less public data that comes to me as a result of a continuing annual survey of the major Ph.D.-producing departments of economics and of agricultural economics in the United States. Sixty-one departments of economics and 24 departments of agricultural economics are on the current survey list. Economics and agricultural economics have not closely matched their trends in enrollment for advanced degrees in recent years and they differ also from the trends shown in the enrollments in all fields. Using the Office of Education reported fall quarter data in Students Enrolled for Advanced Degrees and computing the average annual rates of increase for the last reported four years and for the last 10 years, yields the figures shown in Table 1. Similar computations on the Office of Education reported data in Earned Degres Conferred yield the results shown in Table 2. It is to be noted that the expansion of enrollments, both first year and total, for advanced degrees was at lower rates during the last four years (with one exception) than for the decade as a whole and that this pattern was clearer and stronger for economics and for agricultural economics than for all fields. Expansion of the number of advanced degrees Table 1. Enrollment for advanced degrees, annual rates of increase (percent)
Removal of the transducer protein from sensory rhodopsin I exposes sites of proton release and uptake during the receptor photocycle

The phototaxis receptor sensory rhodopsin-I (SR-I) was genetically truncated in the COOH terminus which leads to overexpression in Halobacterium salinarium and was expressed in the presence and absence of its transducer, HtrI. Pyranine (8-hydroxyl-1,3,6-pyrene-trisulfonate) was used as a pH probe to show that proton release to the bulk phase results from the SR-I587 to S373 photoconversion, but only in the absence of transducer. The stoichiometry is 1 proton/S373 molecule formed. When SR-I is overexpressed in the presence of HtrI, the kinetics of the thermal return of S373 to SR-I587 is biphasic. A kinetic dissection indicates that overexpressed SR-I is present in two pools: one pool which generates an SR-I molecule possessing a normal (i.e., transducer-interacting) pH-independent rate of S373 decay, and a second pool which shows the pH-dependent kinetics of transducer-free S373 decay. The truncated SR-I receptor functions normally based on the following criteria: (i) Truncated SR-I restores phototaxis (attractant and repellent responses) when expressed in a strain lacking native SR-I, but containing HtrI. (ii) The absorption spectrum and the flash-induced absorption difference spectrum are indistinguishable from those of native SR-I. (iii) The rate of decay of S373 is pH-dependent in the absence of HtrI but not in the presence of HtrI. The data presented here indicate that a proton-conducting path exists between the protonated Schiff base nitrogen and the extramembranous environment in the transducer-free receptor, and transducer binding blocks this path.
Academic perspectives: Applying research, teaching research and pursuing a career

The problems of moving from a traditional research discipline into the real world of practice are outlined. It is suggested that the child care field must define unique problems as well as communicate with established research disciplines.
Helical interactions in the HIV-1 gp41 core reveal structural basis for the inhibitory activity of gp41 peptides.

The HIV-1 gp41 envelope protein mediates membrane fusion that leads to virus entry into the cell. The core structure of fusion-active gp41 is a six-helix bundle in which an N-terminal three-stranded coiled coil is surrounded by a sheath of antiparallel C-terminal helices. A conserved glutamine (Gln 652) buried in this helical interface replaced by leucine increases HIV-1 infectivity. To define the basis for this enhanced membrane fusion activity, we investigate the role of the Gln 652 to Leu substitution on the conformation, stability, and biological activity of the N34(L6)C28 model of the gp41 ectodomain core. The 2.0 A resolution crystal structure of the mutant molecule shows that the Leu 652 side chains make prominent contacts with hydrophobic grooves on the surface of the central coiled coil. The Gln 652 to Leu mutation leads to a marginal stabilization of the six-helix bundle by −0.8 kcal/mol, evaluated from thermal unfolding experiments. Strikingly, the mutant N34(L6)C28 peptide is a potent inhibito...
Dimerization and protease resistance: New insight into the function of PR-1

The group 1 pathogenesis-related (PR-1) proteins have long been considered hallmarks of hypersensitive response/defense pathways in plants, but their biochemical functions are still obscure despite resolution of the NMR/X-ray structures of several PR-1-like proteins, including P14a (the prototype PR-1). We report here the characterization of two basic PR-1 proteins (PR-1-1 and PR-1-5) recently identified from hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum). Both proteins were expressed in Pichia pastoris as a single major species of ∼15 kDa. Sequence identity of the expressed PR-1 proteins was verified by MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis. Accumulation of the native PR-1-5 protein in pathogen-challenged wheat was confirmed by protein gel blot analysis. Low-temperature SDS-PAGE and yeast two-hybrid assays revealed that PR-1-1 exists primarily as a monomer whereas PR-1-5 forms homodimers. Both PR-1 proteins are resistant to proteases compared to bovine serum albumin, but PR-1-1 shows resistance mainly to subtilisin and protease K (serine proteases) whereas PR-1-5 shows resistance to subtilisin, protease K and papain (a cysteine protease). Site-specific mutations at the five putative active sites in the PR-1 domain all affected dimerization, with the mutations at Glu-72 and Glu-102 (in the PR-1-5 numeration) also diminishing protease resistance. Sequence analysis revealed that the Glu-72 and Glu-102 residues are located in motif-like sequences that are conserved in both PR-1 and the human apoptosis-related caspase proteins. These findings prompt us to examine the function of PR-1 for a role in protease-mediated programmed cell death pathways in plants.
Possible Adverse Effects From Topical Ocular 10% Phenylephrine

Ten percent phenylephrine hydrochloride is a commonly used mydriatic that has rarely been reported as producing possible adverse systemic reactions in adults when topically applied. These adverse reactions include severe hypertension, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and ventricular arrhythmia. 1-5 After a single topical ocular application, enough 10% phenylephrine may be absorbed systemically to increase blood pressure up to 10 mm Hg in 2 to 6% of subjects tested. 1,6 One drop of 10% phenylephrine placed into the conjunctival sac of both eyes at ten-minute intervals for three applications showed an increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures of 10 to 40 mm Hg in both normal and hypertensive subjects. 7 In one series, subjects receiving two drops of 10% phenylephrine hydrochloride in one eye every 15 minutes for 90 minutes had no blood pressure increase 90 minutes after the last drop. 8 We reviewed 33 case reports of significant adverse reactions possibly associated with ocular use of 10% phenylephrine as reported to the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Substance Abuse and Sexual Trauma in a Female Veteran Population

An increasing number of researchers have explored connections between substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sexual assault histories in civilian women. Despite literature suggesting the prevalence of substance abuse and sexual assault for female veterans, few studies have investigated these variables in a female veteran population. Thus, this paper was designed to provide preliminary information about this group of women. The results of this preliminary study suggest a high incidence of PTSD related to sexual trauma in a substance-abusing population of female veterans and a high incidence of substance abuse among female veterans who presented requesting help for sexual trauma. Suggestions for future study include examination of comparison samples of female veterans with and without PTSD and substance abuse across a variety of dimensions, including psychiatric symptoms, substance use, treatment utilization, and impact of treatment. Implications for assessment are highlighted.
EFFECT OF HYDROCORTISONE ON AMINO ACID INCORPORATION BY MICROSOMES ISOLATED FROM MOUSE LYMPHOMA ML-388 CELLS AND RAT THYMUS.

Abstract The effects of hydrocortisone on 3 H-leucine incorporation into an acid-insoluble form by microsomes of lymphoid tissues are described. Microsomes plus cell sap isolated from cells (either ML-388 or rat thymus) pre-exposed to the steroid for a 12-hr period had a depressed ability to incorporate the label. In contrast, no effect was seen if hydrocortisone was added directly to the incubation vessel during the incorporation period. Crossover experiments in which microsomes from control cultures of ML-388 cells or from the thymus glands of control rats were incubated with cell sap from steroid-treated animals showed that the cell sap from steroid-treated cells or animals did not significantly inhibit the uptake of 3 H-leucine by microsomes from control cells. Likewise it was shown that the inhibitory effects of hydrocortisone on microsomes from steroid-treated cells could not be reversed by cell sap from control cells. These results indicate that hydrocortisone does not act directly on the microsomal system to inhibit amino acid incorporation. Further, the biochemical lesion would seem to be associated with the pariculate (messenger RNA-ribosomal RNA complex) and not with the soluble enzyme systems, transfer RNA, or the availability of amino acids.
Relationship between Quick Test and WAIS IQS for brain-injured and schizophrenic subjects.

Quick Test IQs (combination form) correlated highly with WAIS Full Scale IQs (.80, .79) and WAIS Verbal IQs (.86, .79) obtained from separate groups of 48 brain-injured and 48 schizophrenic Ss. Sig...
Mass formula for pseudo-Goldstone fermions in broken supersymmetry.

Abstract The goldstino of spontaneously broken supersymmetry develops a mass in the presence of perturbations which violate supersymmetry explicitly. In analogy to the chiral dynamics of pions, the general current algebra formula for this mass is derived. It is verified and illustrated in simple models at the tree level or through loop expansions. Some subtleties of the renormalization and the vacuum stability of the relevant O'Raifeartaigh-type models are examined.
Non)complementary updating of belief in two hypotheses.

Past research has led to the conclusion that two competing hypotheses are represented dependently, and confidence in them is updated in a complementary manner. It is argued here that confidence in two hypotheses can be represented either dependently or independently. Changes in confidence in the former case are always complementary, but changes in the latter case are complementary only under certain conditions. In three simulated medical diagnosis experiments, subjects learned about two illnesses in a manner expected to lead to either dependent or independent confidence. They were then presented with two symptoms sequentially (for each of several patients), updating confidence after each. Experiment 1 demonstrated that changes in confidence in the two illnesses were largely complementary for subjects with dependent, but not independent, confidence. Experiment 2 showed that encouraging consideration of the alternative led to more complementary changes for subjects with independent confidence. Experiment 3 succeeded in producing complementary changes from these subjects. Thus, complementarity does not imply dependent confidence, nor does independent confidence imply non-complementarity.
The effect of cisplatin dose and surgical resection in children with malignant germ cell tumors at the sacrococcygeal region: a pediatric intergroup trial (POG 9049/CCG 8882).

Abstract Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate (1) the efficacy of standard or high-dose cisplatin with etoposide and bleomycin and (2) the role of surgical resection in infants and children with malignant germ cell tumors of the sacrococcygeal region (SCT). Methods: Seventy-four of 317 children presenting to Pediatric Oncology Group (POG)/Children's Cancer Group (CCG) institutions from 1990 through 1996 with malignant germ cell tumors had malignant SCT. There were 62 girls and 12 boys with a median age of 21 months (range, 3 days to 37 months) and median serum alpha-fetoprotein of 35,500 ng/mL. Twelve had undergone resection of a benign SCT as a newborn. Forty-four (59%) had evidence of metastatic disease at time of diagnosis. Presentation by type (Altman classification) was I, 0; II, 2; III, 30; and IV, 42. The initial procedure was biopsy in 45 and resection in 29. Patients were assigned randomly to receive 4 cycles of chemotherapy with etoposide (E) and bleomycin (B) and either high-dose cisplatin (200 mg/m 2 per cycle; HDP) or standard dose cisplatin (100 mg/m 2 per cycle; P). After completion of chemotherapy, 42 of 45 initially treated with biopsy underwent resection. Results: Overall 4-year survival rate is 90% (SE = 4%) and 4-year event-free survival (EFS) is 84% (SE = 6%). Event-free survival data for subgroups of interest are as follows:4-yr EFS% (SE)P ValuesMets (44)88 (6).48No Mets (30)80 (8)HDP EB (37)89 (6).21P EB (37)78 (7)Initial Resection (29)90 (7).50Delayed Resection (42)83 (7)Complete Resection (49)90 (5).19 CR/PRPartial Resection (22)77 (10)Biopsy Only (3)33 (27).005 (3 way) Conclusions: (1) The current survival rate of malignant sacrococcygeal tumors is excellent even with metastases. (2) Delayed surgical resection is not associated with an adverse outcome. (3) In this subset the treatment comparison was inconclusive however, followed the trend in the overall study of more than 300 children in which the high-dose cisplatin group had superior EFS ( P J Pediatr Surg 36:12-17. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.
An evaluation of a high school dropout prevention program

A primary preventive, community-based program designed to facilitate high school transition and reduce dropout and an evaluation of the program are described. Participants in the study were 154 ninth-grade, predominantly Hispanic, inner-city students. Students were assessed on midyear and end of 9th-grade academic achievement, grade averages, course failures, absences, class cutting, class rank, number of counseling referrals, and leave rate. Control group students were found to exhibit significantly higher Iowa Math Test Scores compared to experimental students. Significant time effects were found indicating experimental and control students' decreases in grades and overall class rank, and increases in course failures, absenteeism, and class cutting. Limitations of the study are discussed based on the program's comparison to the similar, yet effective, project conducted by Felner, Ginter, and Primavera (1982).
On the sensitivity of a discrete-time Kalman filter to plant-dynamics modelling errors

The sensitivity of the discrete-time Kalman filter to errors in the state transition matrix is examined. The approach makes use of the matrix Taylor expansion and estimates the deviation from the ‘nominal’ computed performance. Although only the first term of the expansion is retained, satisfactory accuracy is achieved. The method is considerably simple and constitutes a quick way to diagnose or establish limits for divergence. Direct application to stochastic observers is also possible
Are band-pass variance statistics useful measures of storm track activity? Re-examining storm track variability associated with the NAO using multiple storm track measures

Over the past few decades, band-pass filtered (BP) variance statistics have been widely used as indicators of storm track activity. A recent study suggested that these statistics may be subjected to biases related to Doppler shifting of variance into and out of the fixed frequency band, in the process perhaps greatly exaggerating the correlation between BP variance and mean flow variability. In this study, BP statistics are examined together with other storm track measures to assess whether BP variances are useful indicators of the patterns of storm track activity. Storm track variability related to the North Atlantic Oscillation, as well as the five leading EOFs of 300 hPa BP filtered variance statistics, have been examined. Results presented here suggest that BP variance statistics are useful measures of the patterns of storm track activity. Firstly, BP variance statistics largely reflect changes in total unfiltered transient eddy variance as well as spatially filtered statistics. Secondly, different BP statistics all give qualitatively similar patterns. Thirdly, patterns derived from BP statistics are well correlated (spatially) with precipitation anomalies. In addition, BP statistics are straightforward to compute, and easily reproducible. Moreover, BP variance and covariance statistics are closely related to how storm tracks interact with the large scale circulation. However, results shown in this paper support the suggestion that some biases may be caused by the Doppler effect, especially for variations such as the NAO which are tightly tied to changes in the background flow speed. Thus it is argued that BP statistics should be examined together with other measures of storm track activity to obtain a broader perspective on storm track variations.
The design of human-powered access technology

People with disabilities have always overcome accessibility problems by enlisting people in their community to help. The Internet has broadened the available community and made it easier to get on-demand assistance remotely. In particular, the past few years have seen the development of technology in both research and industry that uses human power to overcome technical problems too difficult to solve automatically. In this paper, we frame recent developments in human computation in the historical context of accessibility, and outline a framework for discussing new advances in human-powered access technology. Specifically, we present a set of 13 design principles for human-powered access technology motivated both by historical context and current technological developments. We then demonstrate the utility of these principles by using them to compare several existing human-powered access technologies. The power of identifying the 13 principles is that they will inspire new ways of thinking about human-powered access technologies.
Analysis of Scopolamine and Its Degradation Products by GLC and Liquid Partition Chromatography

A procedure for the determination of aqueous solutions of scopolamine and its acidic and basic degradation products is given. Liquid-liquid partition chromatography is used to remove the compounds quantitatively from aqueous solution. After preparation of trimethylsilyl derivatives, the individual compounds are determined by dual-column, temperature-programmed GLC. The sensitivity and specificity of the method are such that traces of any of the compounds may be accurately determined in the presence of relatively large amounts of any or all of the others.
Global Imaging Monitor of the Ionosphere (GIMI) - An ultraviolet ionospheric imaging experiment for the ARGOS satellite

The Global Imaging Monitor of the Ionosphere (GIMI) is one of several remote-sensing instruments under development for flight on the Air Force Space Test Program's P91-1 Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS), planned for launch in late 1995. The primary objective of GIMI is to map and monitor the ionospheric O(+) and electron density on a global basis, by means of wide-field imaging of ionospheric far-ultraviolet emissions. GIMI consists of two wide-field imaging cameras sensitive in two far- and extreme-UV spectral ranges (75-105 nm and 131-160 nm), selected for their utility in day and night ionospheric remote sensing. The GIMI sensors are based on electron-bombarded CCD arrays, with opaque alkali halide photocathodes and Schmidt or all-reflective optical systems.
Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: historical context and current issues

The digestive organs contain a large number of neuroendocrine cells as part of the diffuse neuroendocrine system. Neuroendocrine tumors can occur in every digestive organ. It has long been recognized that this is a diverse group of tumors with very different clinical outcomes; however, well-recognized prognostic parameters had been elusive until recently. Over the years, there have been several different classification schemes, each with different strengths and weaknesses. In an effort to standardize the classification and grading criteria for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, the current World Health Organization classification includes a histologic grade based on proliferative rate (mitotic rate and Ki67 index) and a TNM stage that varies from organ to organ. The prognostic value of both the grade and stage has been validated in multiple studies. However, several issues remain, including the lack of standardized methods to assess proliferative rate, potential discrepancies between the mitotic count and the Ki67 index; intratumoral heterogeneity in proliferative rate; and the need for refinement in proliferative cut-points to define the grades. More studies are needed to further improve the classification of neuroendocrine tumors, thus guiding optimal treatment for these tumors.
The contested terrain of biological citizenship in the seizure of raw milk in Athens, Georgia

Abstract This paper examines a raw milk seizure in Athens, Georgia, USA, and its aftermath as a moment of contention over the contours of biological citizenship. Conflicts around the sale of raw milk are flashpoints in a biopolitical struggle over who decides what constitutes health or disease in the food system. Drawing on Rose’s (2006) framework, the paper illuminates how discourses of life, health and disease are used by the state in expressions of biological citizenship ‘from above’, and interpreted by raw milk consumers in acts of individual and biosocial citizenship ‘from below’. We argue that regulations restricting access to raw milk rest on a view of Pasteurian science as unproblematic, while efforts to expand market access to raw milk represent efforts to pluralize biological truth and introduce post-Pasteurian views into decision-making arenas.
Induction of prophase in interphase nuclei by fusion with metaphase cells.

Fusion of an interphase cell with a metaphase cell results in profound changes in the interphase chromatin that have been called "chromosome pulverization" or "premature chromosome condensation" In addition to the usual light microscopy, the nature of the changes has been investigated in the present study with electron microscopy and biochemical techniques Metaphase and interphase cells were mixed and fused at 37°C by means of ultraviolet-inactivated Sendai virus. After cell fusion, morphological changes in interphase nuclei occurred only in binucleate cells which contained one intact set of metaphase chromosomes Irrespective of the nuclear stage at the time of cell fusion, the morphologic changes that occurred 5–20 min later simulated very closely a sequence of events that characterizes the normal G2-prophase transition. Radioautography revealed that, late in the process, substantial amounts of RNA and probably protein were transferred from the interphase nucleus into the cytoplasm of fused cells. Thus, the findings indicate the existence in metaphase cells of factor(s) which are capable of initiating biochemical and morphological events in interphase nuclei intrinsic to the normal mitotic process.
Alternative Policy Designs and the Socio-Political Construction of Childcare

Policy makers and advocates have a variety of tools from which to choose when designing childcare policy. Policy design choices, such as whether to provide childcare assistance through a new government program or via a voucher for use in the private market, are in fact social, political, moral, and value-laden choices that shape the nature of young children's experiences in care settings. Although rarely discussed, these choices also privilege particular social constructions of childcare by defining our understanding of the policy problem and the characteristics of the target populations. In addition, policy designs institutionalize and legitimize particular forms of governmental involvement in children's lives - as well as give power and voice to some interests over others - resulting in a new political context for future policy debates. To better illustrate these socio-political effects, this article documents and compares these consequences of five common childcare policy designs.
Development and Characterization of Cholinephosphotransferase Antibody

In the present study, we generated antibodies in rabbits against two synthetic peptides, one based on peptide sequence from yeast CPT cDNA (position 86 to 98 of the amino acid sequence) and the other from our guinea pig CPT cDNA (it corresponds to amino acid positions 119 to 130 according to yeast CPT gene). The antibody titers were measured by both dot blot analysis and ELISA using Keyhole limpets hemocyanin coupled CPT peptides. The CPT antibody recognized a single band by Western blot analysis of proteins from guinea pig liver mitochondria and microsomes. The molecular weight of the protein recognized by Western blot analysis is close to the predicted molecular weight (46 kDa) of yeast CPT. Further analysis revealed that the antibody inhibited CPT activity in both subcellular fractions in a dose dependent manner, thus confirming the specificity of the antibody against both subcellular CPT.
WITHDRAWN: Reprint of “An Evaluation of The Department of Transportation’s Alcohol Safety Action Projects”☆

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy ). This reprinted article has been retracted at the request of the Publisher. The online version of this reprint has been withdrawn as it was a redundant duplicate of the original article. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.
Taking it up a notch in MCL.

In this issue of Blood, Kridel et al describe recurrent NOTCH1 mutations in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) by next-generation sequencing of patient samples and cell lines. They further demonstrate a negative prognostic impact of NOTCH1 mutation in their cohort of patients and sensitivity of MCL cells to NOTCH1 inhibition in vitro, suggesting a novel role for NOTCH1 in this disease.1
Financing newsvendor inventory

If the cost of borrowing is not too high, the capital-constrained newsvendor borrows funds to procure an amount that is less than would be ideal. The lender charges an interest rate that decreases in the newsvendor's equity. Furthermore, we derived a non-linear loan schedule that coordinates the channel.
Conjoint Analysis at the Individual Patient Level: Issues to Consider as We Move from a Research to a Clinical Tool.

Researchers have recently described the feasibility of eliciting patients’ preferences using conjoint analysis (CA) in a variety of health care domains including treatment options, cancer screening, and healthcare delivery (1). These studies have demonstrated that CA, whether administered using a full profile, choice-based or adaptive approach, appears to be a very valuable way of quantifying patients’ preferences and understanding the impact of specific attributes on patients’ choices. The challenge for the health service research community is now to determine how best to 1) develop decision support tools using CA and 2) implement these tools into clinical practice. The following paragraphs outline several issues that should be considered as we aim to meet these challenges.
Translation of clinical practice guidelines for childhood obesity prevention in primary care mobilizes a rural Midwest community.

Purpose The purpose of this project was to implement clinic system changes that support evidence-based guidelines for childhood obesity prevention. Adherence rates for prevention and screening of children in a rural Midwest primary care setting were used to measure the success of the program. Data sources Retrospective chart reviews reflected gaps in current practice and documentation. An evidence-based toolkit for childhood obesity prevention was used to implement clinic system changes for the identified gaps. Conclusions The quality improvement approach proved to be effective in translating knowledge of obesity prevention guidelines into rural clinic practices with significant improvements in documentation of prevention measures that may positively impact the childhood obesity epidemic. Implications for practice Primary care providers, including nurse practitioners (NPs), are at the forefront of diagnosing, educating, and counseling children and families on obesity prevention and need appropriate resources and tools to deliver premier care. The program successfully demonstrated how barriers to practice, even with the unique challenges in a rural setting, can be overcome. NPs fulfill a pivotal primary care role and can provide leadership that may positively impact obesity prevention in their communities.
Key to the species of Morishitium Wienberg, 1928 (Cyclocoelidae), with the description of a new species from the red-billed blue magpie, Urocissa erythrorhyncha (Boddaert) (Corvidae) from Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China.

The 11 species currently assigned to Morishitium and the new species described herein are divided into the rauschi, straightum and vagum body types, and keys to species are provided. Morishitium urocissae n. sp. is described from the red-billed blue magpie, Urocissa erythrorhyncha (Corvidae), from the Dashahe Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province, southwestern Peoples Republic of China. Morishitium urocissae n. sp. is similar to M. bivesiculatum by having a similar ratio of the width of the pharynx to the width of the oral sucker (1:1.0–1:1.2 compared to 1:1.0) and a similar sized cirrus sac (470–565 long; 3–5% of body length compared to 400; 4%). Both species also have the anterior extent of the vitelline fields reaching the level of the pharynx, which distinguishes them from all other species in the genus that have an oral sucker present and lack a ventral. The new species differs from M. bivesiculatum by having a larger maximum egg size (135 by 70 compared to 127 by 65), uterine loops that overreach the ceca laterally rather than being intercecal, a shorter distance from the posterior testis to the posterior arch of the cyclocoel (70 [0–110] compared to 400), and by being from a magpie from the People’s Republic of China rather than being from a barbet from Sri Lanka. The new species is most similar to M. dumetellae, but differs from this species by having wider eggs (65 compared to 60), a longer body (10,400– 13,350 compared to 8,500), a shorter cirrus sac (470–565; 3–5% of the body length compared to 595; 7%), a smaller ratio of the pharynx to the oral sucker (1:1.0–1:1.3 compared to 1:1.7), more laterally extensive uterine loops (overreaching the ceca compared to being interececal), the anterior extent of the vitelline fields reaching to the level of the pharynx as compared to terminating posterior to the cecal bifurcation, and by being from a magpie from the People’s Republic of China rather than from a catbird from the United States.
Unsupervised segmentation of RF echo into regions with different scattering characteristics

Recent experimental results verify that the probability distribution function of the diffuse component of the RF echo depends primarily on the concentration of the diffuse scatterers in the resolution cell. In this paper we apply these results to develop an unsupervised segmentation scheme that partitions an RF A-scan or B-scan image into statistically homogeneous regions that reflect the underlying scattering characteristics. The proposed segmentation scheme is based on a nonparametric homogeneity test that compares two regions of interest (ROI) for possible merging utilizing information about both the coherent and the diffuse component of the RF echo. For the coherent component, homogeneity is defined in terms of the estimated average spacing of each ROI. For the diffuse component, we use the nonparametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) homogeneity statistical test that compares two empirical distributions associated with any two ROIs. This test can be used to obtain a segmentation into regions with different scattering characteristics regardless of the nature of the scattering conditions (e.g., Rayleigh regions with different scatterer concentration, different non-Rayleigh regions, or different coherent scattering regions). Finer segmentation can be obtained by learning the distributions associated with the various homogeneous regions obtained from the coarse segmenter. The proposed segmentation scheme is applied on simulated RF scans with different scatterer concentration per resolution cell, on phantom data which mimic tissue, and on liver scans. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the segmentation algorithm even in cases of subtle differences in the scattering characteristics of each region (for example, diffuse component with scatterer density of 16 and 32 scatterers per resolution cell).
Effects of estrogen on cerebral blood flow and pial microvasculature in rabbits.

We tested the hypothesis that intracarotid estrogen infusion increases cerebral blood flow (CBF) in a concentration-dependent manner and direct application of estrogen on pial arterioles yields est...
Who Charges More: Hedge Funds or Mutual Funds?*

Explicit mutual fund fees are typically less than 1% of the assets under management. By comparison, the typical hedge fund charges a base fee of 2% plus a performance fee equal to 20% of net profits. Thus, hedge funds appear to charge far more for even comparable performance—unless one takes account of the following: • For most mutual funds, a very high percentage of performance is driven by its passive exposure to the market, even though the fee is applied to the total fund. • Many hedge funds are designed to provide returns that are completely independent of market performance. Using these two assumptions, the author provides a simple example that shows that a representative mutual fund's performance can be replicated by combining an index fund, which represents the mutual fund's passive component, with a hedge fund, representing the mutual fund's active component. When analyzed in this way, the fee of the combined fund turns out to be remarkably close to the actual fee of the mutual fund. This in turn suggests that the implicit fee for the mutual fund's small active component is comparable to the fees of the hedge fund.
Mechanical Design and Students’ Creativity: “Think Outside the Box”

A design project was used in junior level mechanical design course to challenge the students’ creativity skills. Beside the theoretical foundation of the course subject, the students were introduced to several professional skills such as: decision making tools, technical review meetings, interaction with customers, and teamwork skills. The design challenge was to develop a bike rack to meet a list of technical and marketing constraints. Details of the project requirements are presented with a brief overview of the main project mentoring tools. Students’ creativity is discussed through two samples of the student work.It was noticed that, the basic creativity skills of the students can be improved by using some of the training tools, however, the students vary in their response to this training.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Constant-False-Alarm-Rate Processors for Locally Nonstationary Clutter

A technique for designing normalizing processors for locally non-stationary clutter is discussed. The design procedure assumes the logarithm of the clutter power varies as a polynomial with range. When the actual environment matches the design environment, the false-alarm rate is a constant that is independent of the polynomial coefficients. A measure of the relative target detection capability as a function of the number of normalization cells and the degree of the design-environment polynomial is given. The applicability of the processors to non-Rayleigh clutter is discussed.
Innovation in Residency Education and Evolving Pediatric Health Needs

The Initiative for Innovation in Pediatric Education (IIPE)1 is the next phase in a comprehensive reevaluation of pediatric residency education that began with the Residency Review and Redesign in Pediatrics (R3P) project.2 As the IIPE begins, it is worth reflecting on questions that arose repeatedly during the R3P project: Just what role does residency play in child health? Does it make a difference where one trains? Can residency improve later adherence to clinical guidelines? and Can residency modify the frequently steep learning curve of subsequent practice? This question is in the same category as whether it matters where one goes to medical school. The answer is elusive, but the imagined answer determines the structure and conduct of residency education. One extreme is that 3 years cannot possibly count for much. The other is that residency is all-important, and an attempt should be made to prepare everyone for everything. That ambitious goal governs our current approach to residency education.3 The goal was appropriate when virtually every pediatrician's practice was similarly broad. However, pediatric health care is increasingly dichotomized into low-acuity disorders treated exclusively in ambulatory settings, away from academic health centers (AHCs), and complex illnesses treated mostly within AHCs.4 Career choices follow epidemiology. Only 29% of third-year residents who intend to practice general pediatrics, just 13% of all third-year residents, plan to practice general pediatrics in both ambulatory and hospital settings.5 This is …