cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The resolvent of a dilation-analytic three-particle system

Abstract If the potential in a three-particle system is the boundary value of an analytic function, the physical Hamiltonian H(0) has a dilation-analytic continuation H(φ). The continuous spectrum of H(φ) consists of half-lines Y(λp, φ) starting at the thresholds λp of scattering channels and making angles 2φ with the positive real axis. If the interaction is the sum of local two-body potentials in suitable L p-spaces, each half-line Y(λp, φ) is associated with an operator P(λp, φ) that projects onto an invariant subspace of H(φ). Suppose Y(λp, φ) does not pass through any two- or three-particle eigenvalues λ ≠ λp when φ runs through some interval 0 π 2 . For φ in [α, β], this paper shows that the resolvent R(λ, φ) has smoothness properties near Y(λp, φ) that are sufficient for P(λp, φ)[H(φ) − λp] e−2iφ to be spectral and to generate a strongly differentiable group. The projection, the group, and the spectral resolution operators are norm continuous in φ. These results are not affected by any spurious poles of the resolvent equation. At a spurious pole λ = λp + ze2iφ, the resolvent R(λp + ze2iφ,φ) is examined by a method that uses two resolvent equations in succession and shows that there is norm continuity in z, φ. The case of spurious poles on Y(λp, φ) is included.
Extent, Timing, and Climatic Implications of Glacier Advances Mount Rainier, Washington, U.S.A., at the Pleistocene/holocene Transition

Abstract The North Atlantic Younger Dryas climatic reversal did not cause a glacier advance on Mount Rainier. The glaciers on Mount Rainier seem to have advanced in response to regional or local shifts in climate. However, the Younger Dryas climatic reversal may have affected the Mount Rainier area, causing a cold, but dry, climate unfavorable to glacier advances. Glaciers in the vicinity of Mount Rainier advanced twice during late glacial/early Holocene time. Radiocarbon dates obtained from lake sediments adjacent to the corresponding moraines are concordant, indicating that the ages for the advances are closely limiting. The first advance occurred before 11,300 14C yr BP (13,200 cal yr BP). During the North Atlantic Younger Dryas event, between 11,000 and 10,000 14C yr BP (12,900 and 11,600 cal yr BP), glaciers retreated on Mount Rainier, probably due to a lack of available moisture, but conditions may have remained cold. The onset of warmer conditions on Mount Rainier occurred around 10,000 14C yr BP (11,600 cal yr BP). Organic sedimentation lasted for at least 700 years before glaciers readvanced between 9800 and 8950 14C yr BP (10,900 and 9950 cal yr BP).
Free fatty acid-induced platelet aggregation: Studies with solubilized and nonsolubilized fatty acids

The aggregation response of washed porcine platelets to the sodium salts of stearic, oleic, palmitic, and myristic acids was analyzed turbidometrically. The fatty acids were prepared as aqueous suspensions and as taurocholate- or albumin-solubilized systems. The final concentration of fatty acid in the platelet preparation varied between 70 and 600 μM. This range was within or below the normal physiological limits of 300–1200 μM. Platelet aggregation was observed with both the suspended and taurocholate-solubilized fatty acids. The extent of platelet aggregate formation increased with the fatty acid concentration and chain length. With the exception of stearate, the taurocholate-solubilized fatty acids were more active than the suspensions. Albumin-solubilized fatty acids were devoid of platelet aggregating activity. Particle-size analysis of the solubilized fatty acids indicated that fatty acid precipitation had occurred subsequent to the addition of taurocholate-solubilized fatty acids to the platelets. This precipitation did not occur with the albumin-solubilized systems, suggesting that the fatty acids must assume a particulate physical state to induce aggregation. Platelet aggregation induced by fatty acids was not inhibited by 80 nM epoprostenol, 75 μM alprostadil, or 150 μM indomethacin. This finding indicated that the fatty acid-induced platelet aggregation was independent of cyclic AMP-related calcium shift, cyclooxygenase-arachidonate, or granular nucleotide release mechanisms.
Learning Styles of African American Children: A Developmental Consideration:

Among the descriptions of learning styles that characterize African American children, communalism and cooperative learning have been offered. The current investigation explored the developmental nature of this dimension among 2- to 5-year-old girls and boys (N = 44). Help-seeking behaviors were observed and coded. Variable frequencies (source of help, age, type of help solicitation, and kind of activity) were tallied, and associations between variables were examined. Associations between variables were arranged in a log linear analysis, and a log linear post hoc analysis was conducted. Type of help solicitation was found to significantly affect help source. Age and kind of activity did not significantly affect help source. Post hoc analysis revealed that children approached teachers more than peers for social help and peers more than teachers for academic help. Implications for effective communal/cooperative learning structures during early childhood are proposed.
The simultaneous determination of C14 and H3 in the terminal groups of glucose.

A method is described that permits the simultaneous determination of C14 and H3. The dimedon derivative of formaldehyde, which is soluble in toluene phosphor solution, was prepared from the position-6 group of glucose and contains its two hydrogens and carbon. The H3 and C14 activities were simultaneously measured in accord with the discriminator ratio method using a liquid scintillation counter. Two scintillation solvent systems were utilized. The yields were generally about 45 mg, representing 75% theory. (P.C.H.)
Nuclear magnetic resonance in metal hexaborides

Abstract n.m.r. investigations of a number of metal hexaborides were carried out at room temperature and a field of 5800 G. Both positive and negative Knight shifts were observed for the B 11 resonance. Magnetic polarization of the conduction electrons by the metal ion cores provides a basic explanation for the signs and magnitudes of the shifts in the paramagnetic hexaborides. In LaB 6 , CaB 6 , and EuB 6 the B 11 resonance frequency was observed to depend upon composition. These shifts were determined to be associated with alterations of the conduction electron density. However, the large diamagnetic shifts observed in metal-deficient samples of CaB 6 and EuB 6 could not be explained on the basis of any of the mechanisms suggested.
The surface and grain boundary free energies of pure titanium and the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V

Abstract Previoulsy undetermined values of the grain boundary free energies for pure titanium and the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, and of the surface free energy for the alloy, as well as a new value of the surface free energy for pure titanium, have been determined using the zero-creep technique for small diameter wires, and measurements of the dihedral angle at the base of thermally-etched, grain-boundary grooves. The temperature coefficients of the surface free energies and of the grain boundary free energies, as well as the self-diffusion coefficients, for pure titanium and for the Ti6Al4V alloy are reported.
The VERITAS Facility: A Virtual Environment Platform for Human Performance Research

Abstract The Virtual Environment Research, Interactive Technology, And Simulation (VERITAS) facility is designed to support basic and applied research in complex multisensory environments including: 3D audio displays for improving safety in general aviation flight operations, advanced audio displays for improving performance in combat search and rescue missions, basic and applied research on multisensory (audio/visual/haptic) interactions, and displays for instrument landing systems. The central component of the facility is a CAVE®, a room-sized virtual environment presentation system. Several of our multi-user distributed experiments also utilized a virtual environment display system in the Appenzeller Visualization Laboratory (AVL). The facilities include a set of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software solutions that work together with custom applications developed by our team to create immersive virtual environments. To facilitate software development and coherence, we created the Integrated Virtual Platform (IVP) as a flexible, expandable, and portable software platform for human performance experimentation. The experiments, experiences, and results in the VERITAS facility presented here, provide an example of a VE platform being actively used for human performance experimentation. The success of the research we have completed suggests that immersive virtual environments are useful tools in investigating complex human performance tasks.
Deterministic and stochastic analyses of chaotic and overturning responses of a slender rocking object

The relationship between chaos and overturning in the rocking response of a rigid object under periodic excitation is examined from both deterministic and stochastic points of view. A stochastie extension of the deterministic Melnikov function (employed to provide a lower bound for the possible chaotic domain in parameter space) is derived by taking into account the presence of random noise. The associated Fokker-Planck equation is derived to obtain the joint probability density functions in state space. It is shown that global behavior of the rocking motion can be effectively studied via the evolution of the joint probability density function. A mean Poincare mapping technique is developed to average out noise effects on the chaotic response to reconstruct the embedded strange attractor on the Poincare section. The close relationship between chaos and overturning is demonstrated by examining the structure of the invariant manifolds. It is found that the presence of noise enlarges the boundary of possible chaotic domains in parameter space and bridges the domains of attraction of coexisting responses. Numerical results consistent with the Foguel alternative theorem, which discerns asymptotic stabilities of responses, indicate that the overturning attracting domain is of the greatest strength. The presence of an embedded strange attractor (reconstructed using the mean Poincare mapping technique) indicates the existence of transient chaotic rocking response.
Tissue Distribution and Characterization of Soluble and Membrane-bound Forms of Metallocarboxypeptidase D

Metallocarboxypeptidase D (CPD) is a recently discovered 180-kDa membrane-bound carboxypeptidase E-like enzyme (Song, L. and Fricker, L. D. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 25007-25013). In the present study, a soluble CPD-like activity has been purified to homogeneity and characterized. On denaturing polyacrylamide gels, the soluble enzyme from bovine pituitary glands appears as two bands of 170 and 135 kDa which are converted to 155 and 115 kDa by endoglycosidase F. Both of the soluble forms of CPD are recognized by an antisera raised against CPD purified from rat brain membranes. The partial N-terminal amino acid sequences of the two soluble forms are identical to each other and to the predicted N terminus of duck gp180. The soluble and membrane forms of CPD have similar pH optima, inhibitor specificities, and kinetic parameters for substrate hydrolysis. CPD-like enzymatic activity is detected in all rat tissues examined, with highest levels in pituitary, brain, and adrenal. Western blot analysis indicates that both soluble and membrane forms of CPD are present in rat brain, heart, liver, and kidney. At least four distinct 100-180-kDa forms of CPD are detected on Western blots, although an antiserum raised against the C-terminal region of rat CPD recognizes only the 180-kDa membrane-bound form. The finding that CPD is widely distributed suggests a broad role for this enzyme in the processing of proteins that transit the secretory pathway.
Building HAL: computers that sense, recognize, and respond to human emotion

The HAL 9000 computer, the inimitable star of the classic Kubrick and Clarke film '2001: A Space Odyssey,' displayed image understanding capabilities vastly beyond today's computer systems. HAL could not only instantly recognize who he was interacting with, but also he could lip read, judge aesthetics of visual sketches, recognize emotions subtly expressed by scientists on board the ship, and respond to these emotions in an adaptive personalized way. Of course, HAL also had capabilities that we might not want to give to machines, like the ability to terminate life support or otherwise take lives of people. This presentation highlights recent research in giving machines certain affective abilities that aim to make them ore intelligent, shows examples of some of these systems, and describes the role that affective abilities may play in future human-computer interaction.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
FAILED ATTEMPTS AT INTRANASAL ABUSE OF CONCERTA

The treatment of substance-abusing adolescents who have comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) involves the achievement of abstinence. In addition, medication is often needed for the ADHD symptoms to allow the adolescent to function better at school and participate more fully in groups and meetings. Abuse of stimulants (methylphenidate and amphetamines), especially by the intranasal route, is fairly common with nonADHD adolescents and, although rare, is a risk with substanceabusing ADHD adolescents (Garland, 1998; Jaffe, 1991). Recently I treated three dual-disorder adolescents with comorbid ADHD who attempted to “snort” Concerta (once-daily extended-release tablets). These adolescents were treated in a residential adolescent substance abuse program. The first two adolescents cut the Concerta pill into three parts and snorted two of them. They reported that the usual stimulant high did not occur. The third adolescent cut the Concerta pill into small pieces, which he then crushed. Intranasal use did not yield the usual high. The first teenager subsequently was treated with Concerta, 72 mg/day, with marked improvement in his ADHD symptoms. At his discharge interview with me, after successfully completing the 9-month residential program, he shared that at the time of admission, he had requested methylphenidate in order to abuse it intranasally. I would appreciate other mental health professionals sharing their experiences in this area with me. If other cases confirm that Concerta cannot be abused intranasally, it could be extremely helpful in the treatment of adolescents who have substance use disorder with comorbid ADHD.
Design, Construction and Test Results of a Warm Iron HTS Quadrupole for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

The first quadrupole in the fragment separator region of the proposed Facility for rare isotope beams would be subjected to extremely high radiation and heat loads (~15 kW in the magnet and 5 kW/m in the coil). As a critical part of this proposal, a radiation resistant quadrupole made with first generation high temperature superconductor (HTS) has been built and tested. This paper summarizes design, construction and test results of this magnet that has been designed to operate at ~30 K to remove this heat economically. Of particular interest are the simulated energy deposition experiments that demonstrate the stable operation of this HTS magnet in the presence of these unprecedented loads. The next quadrupole will use second generation HTS and is expected to operate at 50 K or above for even more efficient energy removal.
Latitudinal extent and natural history characteristics of birds in Nicaragua

This paper assesses the latitudinal extent of terrestrial breeding birds in Nicaragua. In particular, associations among latitudinal midpoint, body mass, and latitudinal extent are examined; significant differences between natural history characteristics (trophic guild, forest dependence, number of forest types) and latitudinal extent are identified; and a test is undertaken of Rapoport's rule for birds at the edge of their northern or southern range in Nicaragua. Birds in Nicaragua were classified into four categories based on latitudinal extent: birds generally restricted to Central America (20%); birds near the edge of their range within Nicaragua (34%); Neotropical birds (42%); and Pan-American birds (4%). Latitudinal midpoint had a significant negative correlation with latitudinal extent over different taxonomic scales. Natural history characteristics of trophic guild, forest dependence and number of forest types can account for significant differences in species latitudinal extent. Carnivores had greater latitudinal extents than most other trophic guilds, non-forest birds had greater latitudinal extents than birds that require patchy forest, and birds that occur in four or more forest types had greater latitudinal extents than birds restricted to one or two forest types. Contrary to Rapoport's rule, birds with a northern affinity or latitudinal midpoint north of Nicaragua had significantly smaller latitudinal extents than birds with a southern affinity or latitudinal midpoint south of Nicaragua. A comparison of natural history characteristics of birds with northern and southern affinities found no difference between trophic guild or forest dependence but a significant difference among the number of forest types used by forest birds. Birds with a southern affinity were restricted to fewer forest types than birds with a northern affinity.
Molecular Mechanism of Inhibition of Survivin Transcription by the GC-rich Sequence-selective DNA Binding Antitumor Agent, Hedamycin EVIDENCE OF SURVIVIN DOWN-REGULATION ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG SENSITIVITY

Expression of the antiapoptotic protein survivin is associated with cancer cell viability and drug resistance. Thus, control of its expression in cancer cells has significant consequences for cancer therapeutics. Here we have shown that hedamycin, a GC-rich DNA binding drug, down-regulated survivin expression. Using a series of survivin promoter-luciferase constructs, we have identified an 86-bp GC-rich DNA element (-124 to -39) that mediates the ability of hedamycin to down-regulate survivin expression. Furthermore, both in vivo foot-printing and in vitro gel mobility shift experiments revealed that hedamycin bound to a 21-bp GC-rich DNA element (-115 to -95) in the survivin promoter. This drug-DNA interaction abrogated the binding of Sp-1 or Sp1-like proteins to the 21-bp cis-acting DNA element, and mutagenesis of this region consistently diminished survivin promoter activity. Finally, down-regulation of survivin transcription by hedamycin modulated the viability of cancer cells. These data suggest that abrogation of Sp-1 or Sp1-like protein binding to the 21-bp DNA element in the survivin promoter contributes at least in part to the inhibitory effect of hedamycin on survivin gene transcription. Drug-induced modulation of survivin gene expression may provide novel approaches for cancer therapeutics.
Approximate linear response for slow variables of dynamics with explicit time scale separation

Many real-world numerical models are notorious for the time scale separation of different subsets of variables and the inclusion of random processes. The existing algorithms of linear response to external forcing are vulnerable to the time scale separation due to increased response errors at fast scales. Here we develop the approximate linear response algorithm for slow variables in a two-scale dynamical system with explicit separation of slow and fast variables, which has improved numerical stability and reduced computational expense.
Consultation with the specialist. Chest pain in children.

1. Steven M. Selbst, MD* 1. 2. *Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Acting Division Chief, Division of Emergency Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. A 15-year-old boy presents to the emergency department with chest pain for 1 week. The pain began as mild left chest discomfort when he was hit over the ribs while playing football. Three days ago he reported a headache, neck stiffness, and worsening chest pain, especially when walking. He described the pain as aching, stabbing, and much worse with exertion. The patient has had no fever or symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection, but he complains of mild dizziness with standing. He vomited twice yesterday and now complains of nausea. His past medical history is noncontributory. The physical examination reveals an alert, talkative, obese male. Vital signs are: temperature, 38.3°C (oral); pulse, 72 beats/min; respirations, 24 breaths/min; and blood pressure, 128/84 mm Hg. The heart rate increases to 96 beats/min with standing and 116 beats/min with walking. Examination of the head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat is unremarkable. The neck is mildly tender, and there is pain with flexion. The chest examination reveals mild tenderness over the sternum and no pain over the ribs. The cardiac rhythm is regular, and no murmur is appreciated. The lungs are clear, and the abdomen is soft and nontender, with no mass or organomegaly. Findings on the remainder of the physical examination are normal. The chest radiograph shows clear lung fields, but the heart is enlarged slightly. Electrocardiography shows left axis deviation, normal sinus rhythm, possible right ventricular hypertrophy, and ST elevation in the inferolateral leads. About 3 hours after arrival at the emergency department, the boy becomes unresponsive, is found to have a ventricular arrhythmia, and develops cardiac arrest. He cannot be resuscitated. An autopsy reveals evidence of myo-carditis. Chest pain is a frequent complaint among children; it occurs in 6 in 1,000 who present to an urban pediatric emergency department or …
Second-hand interactions: investigating reacquisition and dispossession practices around domestic objects

We present a qualitative study of reacquisition-the acquisition of previously possessed goods-involving in-depth interviews with 18 reacquirers within or nearby Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Based on critiques of sustainable consumption and our findings, we reframe technology consumption as acquisition, possession, dispossession and reacquisition. We present four reacquisition orientations describing our participants' motivations and practices: casual, necessary, critical, and experiential. We then present a range of findings including issues with work, time and effort involved in reacquisition, and values and practices of care and patience associated with invested reacquirers. We conclude with implications for designing technologies to support current reacquisition practices, as well as broader opportunities for HCI and interaction design to incorporate non-mainstream reacquisition practices and values into more mainstream technologies.
Evidence on access to medicines for chronic diseases from household surveys in five low- and middle-income countries

The 2011 United Nations (UN) General Assembly Political Declaration on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) brought NCDs to the global health agenda. Essential medicines are central to treating chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Our study aimed to quantify access to essential medicines for people with chronic conditions in five low- and middle-income countries and to evaluate how household socioeconomic status and perceptions about medicines availability and affordability influence access. We analysed data for 1867 individuals with chronic diseases from national surveys (Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines and Uganda) conducted in 2007-10 using a standard World Health Organization (WHO) methodology to measure medicines access and use. We defined individuals as having access to medicines if they reported regularly taking medicine for a diagnosed chronic disease and data collectors found a medicine indicated for that disease in their homes. We used logistic regression models accounting for the clustered survey design to investigate determinants of keeping medicines at home and predictors of access to medicines for chronic diseases. Less than half of individuals previously diagnosed with a chronic disease had access to medicines for their condition in every country, from 16% in Uganda to 49% in Jordan. Other than reporting a chronic disease, higher household socioeconomic level was the most significant predictor of having any medicines available at home. The likelihood of having access to medicines for chronic diseases was higher for those with medicines insurance coverage [highest adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.12 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.38, 7.07)] and lower for those with past history of borrowing money to pay for medicines [lowest adjusted OR 0.56 (95% CI: 0.34, 0.92)]. Our study documents poor access to essential medicines for chronic conditions in five resource-constrained settings. It highlights the importance of financial risk protection and consumer education about generic medicines in global efforts towards improving treatment of chronic diseases.
Similarity is Relative: Hierarchy of Genetic Similarities in the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Hawaii

Termites (Isoptera) have a strong hierarchical structure due to their social organization. To interpret genetic differences within and among termite populations it is first necessary to create a quantitative scale to determine the meaning of “different.” To accomplish this, the entire hierarchy of genetic similarities in a Hawaiian population of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) was defined by multilocus DNA fingerprinting using the oligonucleotide (GTG)5 as a probe. The genetic background similarity in the population, based on the genetic similarity between unrelated termites, was 0.21 and falls in the range of other natural invertebrate and vertebrate populations. The mean genetic similarity of termites collected from the same collection site was 0.64 (range, 0.58–0.72). This equals an average relatedness of 0.54 within collection sites. The genetic similarity among the offspring of an artificially outbred laboratory colony lies in the same magnitude (0.65). However, genetic similarity within field colonies was significantly lower than the genetic similarity within laboratory colonies derived from pairs of siblings (mean 0.79). This indicates moderate inbreeding within most of the field colonies. This wide range of genetic similarities defines the basis for a detailed description of the population structure as well as the identification of individual colonies of C. formosanus.
Does Marriage Matter? Marital Status, Family Processes, and Psychological Distress Among Latino Men and Women:

This study examined the association between marital status and psychological distress among Latinos in the United States, with attention to the impact of gender and family processes (family support, family cohesion, family cultural conflict, and family burden). Analyses were conducted using the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). The sample was a national randomized stratified probability sample (N = 2,554). For the entire sample, being separated, divorced, cohabitating, or single was associated with higher levels of psychological distress compared with being married. For women, being separated or divorced was associated with higher levels of psychological distress compared with being married, but for men, distress was not related to marital status. For both men and women, lower levels of support and higher levels of cultural conflict and burden in the family were related to higher psychological distress. Among divorced women, family variables impacted the relationship between marital status...
Nasopharyngeal Masses Arising from Embryologic Remnants of the Clivus: A Case Series.

Objectives This study aims to (1) discuss rare nasopharyngeal masses originating from embryologic remnants of the clivus, and (2) discuss the embryology of the clivus and understand its importance in the diagnosis and treatment of these masses. Design and Participants This is a case series of three patients. We discuss the clinical and imaging characteristics of infrasellar craniopharyngioma, intranasal extraosseous chordoma, and canalis basilaris medianus. Results Case 1: A 16-year-old male patient with a history of craniopharyngioma resection, who presented with nasal obstruction. A nasopharyngeal cystic mass was noted to be communicating with a patent craniopharyngeal canal. Histology revealed adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma. Case 2: A 43-year-old male patient who presented with nasal obstruction and headache. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an enhancing polypoid mass in the posterior nasal cavity abutting the clivus. Histopathology revealed chondroid chordoma. Case 3: A 4-year-old female patient with a recurrent nasopharyngeal polyp. CT cisternogram showed that this mass may have risen from a bony defect of the middle clivus suggestive of canalis basilaris medianus. Conclusions Understanding the embryology of the clivus is crucial when considering the differential diagnosis of a nasopharyngeal mass. Identification of characteristic findings on imaging is critical in the diagnosis and treatment of these lesions.
Improved MR Thermometry to Measure Brain Temperatures

An MR thermometry technique with sub-degree celsius accuracy is needed to measure in vivo temperatures vs. time in porcine brains at ultra-high fields. Porcine models are used to study thermoregulatory temperature response of the ultra-high field radiofrequency (RF) heating. The porcine hot critical temperature limit is comparable to and lower than that of humans. Also, porcine thermoregulatory mechanisms are similar to humans. Thus, conservative porcine thermoregulatory temperature responses can help develop new RF safety thresholds for ultra-high field human MRI. Sub-degree C temperature accuracy is needed since RF safety guidelines limit the maximum in vivo head temperature change due to RF heating to 1 °C over the core body temperature. Three-dimensional temperature maps over time are required since non-uniform RF power deposition at ultra-high fields and blood flow produce non-uniform in vivo temperatures with local hot spots. Thermogenic hazards are related to in vivo temperatures and temperature-time history — and not to the typically measured whole head average specific absorption rate.© 2008 ASME
Assessing Risks to Human Health from Antibiotic Use in Food Animals

For many years, various experts and organizations have said that using antibiotics to raise food animals poses a significant public health risk. The hypothesized threat is the potential development of antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria, including pathogens that could infect humans, which could lead to averse effects if these ill people are treated with the same class of antibiotic. However, other experts and groups contend that the public health risks are negligible.
Toward the development of uniform reporting standards for managed care organizations: the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (Version 2.0)

The cornerstone of HEDIS 2.0 is measurement. Only by measuring how a plan performs with respect to defined measures will an employer be able to assess a plan's value and also hold a plan accountable for its performance. Because of time and resource constraints, there are many issues related to the development and use of the performance measures contained within HEDIS 2.0 that have been incompletely addressed or not addressed at all. Following are some of the issues that warrant further consideration. Selection of performance measures. The present set of performance measures represents only a first attempt to define measures that document health plan performance in a number of areas of health care delivery. The resulting measures constitute a core data and information set and should not be considered to be an optimum set. Many other areas and measures of health plan performance were considered, including costs of specific episodes of care, age-specific utilization of defined services, patients receiving appropriate follow-up care for identified preventive health services, stage of cancer at time of diagnosis in relationship to preventive services screening, and functional outcome assessment. These measures were not included in this revision of HEDIS because of difficulties in developing specifications for the measure and/or in obtaining reliable data. It will be important to address these areas in the future. Risk adjustment of performance measures. To minimize the effects of population differences, most of the recommended performance measures assess discrete aspects of the process of care delivery (for example, percentage of pregnant women with first-trimester visit) rather than outcomes. However, interpretation of certain measures (for example, low birthweight, hospital readmission rate) will be affected by the specific member characteristics of the health plan population. Health plans and employers need to be aware of this limitation when interpreting and comparing certain performance measures, and further refinements will be needed in future ierations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Physician morality and perinatal decisions.

Abstract Objective Given the same set of “facts” (e.g. fetal prognosis) different physicians may not give the same advice to patients. Studies have shown that people differ in how they prioritize moral domains, but how those domains influence counseling and management has not been assessed among obstetricians. Our objective was to see if, given the same set of facts, obstetricians’ counseling would vary depending on their prioritization of moral domains. Design Obstetricians completed questionnaires that included validated scales of moral domains (e.g. autonomy, community, divinity), demographic data, and hypothetical scenarios (e.g. how aggressively they would pursue the interests of a potentially compromised child, the degree of deference they gave to parents’ choices, and their relative valuation of fetal rights and women’s rights). Multivariate logistic regression using backwards conditional selection was used to explore how participants responded to the moral dilemma scenarios. Results Among the 249 participating obstetricians there was wide variation in counseling, much of which reflected differences in prioritization of moral domains. For example, requiring a higher likelihood of neonatal survival before recommending a cesarean section with cord prolapse was associated with Fairness/Reciprocity, an autonomy domain which emphasizes treating individuals equally (OR = 1.42, 90% CI = 1.06–1.89, p = 0.05). Honoring parents’ request to wait longer to suspend attempts to resuscitate an infant with no heart rate or pulse was associated with the community domains (involving concepts of loyalty and hierarchy) of In-Group/Loyalty; OR 1.30, 90% CI = 1.04–1.62, p = 0.05 and Authority/Respect (OR = 1.34, 90% CI = 1.06–1.34, p = 0.045). Carrying out an unconsented cesarean section was associated with In-Group Loyalty (OR = 1.26, 90% CI = 1.01–1.56, p = 0.08) and religiosity (OR = 1.08, 90% CI = 1.00–1.16, p = 0.08). Conclusion The advice that patients receive may vary widely depending on the underlying moral values of obstetricians. Physicians should be aware of their “biases” in order to provide the most objective counseling possible.
Field Experiments in Marketing

Abstract In the last 20 years the marketing literature has seen a sharp increase in the number of papers reporting findings from field experiments. This can be partly explained by the ease of conducting field experiments in Internet settings. However, we have also seen an increase in field experiments in physical stores and other non-Internet settings. While many of these papers focus on pricing and advertising topics, there are also a broad range of other topics represented, including several papers that use field experiments to provide model-free validation of optimization models. We review the requirements to publish a field experiment paper in the marketing literature. We also identify topics that remain relatively understudied. In particular, there is a notable absence of papers studying channel relationships or business-to-business markets. Perhaps more surprisingly, there is also a lack of papers investigating the feasibility of using field experiments to optimize marketing decisions.
Conclusion: German Hegemony, State Power, and Jewish Survival

This chapter presents a general typology for international hierarchy throughout the German sphere of influence during World War II. This systematic model demonstrates that increasing levels of German hierarchy clearly correlate with higher Jewish victimization rates. In the vast literature on the Holocaust, this is one of the few attempts to conceptualize victimization rate variation with reference to a comparative, cross-regional, and systematic model. The chapter concludes by considering the moral implications of this finding: High-ranking government officials in occupied countries could protect their own citizens, but only by staying in office and collaborating with Nazi Germany. Resistance might have served a ‘heroic’ cause, but it left leaders powerless to protect their own citizens, particularly Jews. Nuanced accounts of the Nazi genocide must consider this tragic logic of collaboration and its consequences.
Alloys by design

The quote on the right describes a very early example of "alloy design" in which the smiths of ancient times exploited the change in crystal structure that occurs in iron as it is heated or cooled. If iron has more than about 0.1% carbon by weight it is called heat-treatable steel and a hard, non-equilibrium structure termed "marten-site" can be frozen in by rapid quenching. Whereas this martensitic transformation has apparently been used for over 2500 years to produce hard steels, scientists do not yet fully understand the crystallographic mechanism. In fact, until very recently alloy design has been very much an empirical process. Soon, however, theoretical physicists will be able to contribute actively to the design of structural engineering materials.
Dynamic Waveform Shaping With Picosecond Time Widths

In this paper, we present a scalable architecture in silicon that allows synthesis and dynamic waveform shaping of periodic mm-wave signals, either generated on-chip or quasi-optically through radiation in free space capable of producing pulse trains with picosecond time signatures. This is achieved through an architecture that allows extraction of multiple harmonics above $f_{\mathrm {max}}$ with simultaneous amplitude and phase control. Signal synthesis is achieved through controlled interference of multiple traveling waves with rich harmonic components and delays. The first example, presented in this paper, is where the signal synthesis is achieved on-chip demonstrating a pulse train at the output with a measured pulsewidth of 2.6 ps and a 0.46-mW output power. The second example is a four-element array with integrated antennas, which allows signal synthesis in space and is demonstrated to show reconfigurable radiation of pulse trains with a 2.6-ps pulsewidth, pure tones at a fundamental frequency of 107.5 GHz with an effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of 4.6 dBm and a second harmonic of 215 GHz with EIRP of 5.0 dBm, as well as any combination of these two harmonics with arbitrary amplitudes and delays. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper demonstrates the sharpest on-chip and radiated pulses with dynamic waveform shaping in any integrated circuit technology. This can open the door to innovations in broadband terahertz imaging, sensing, and spectroscopy.
Metabolic differences between knee and ankle

Our studies of human articular cartilages began approximately 13 years ago when collaboration was established between the Department of Biochemistry of Rush Medical College and the Regional Organ Bank of Illinois. As of April 2001, this collaboration has resulted in the acquisition of cartilages from more than 1900 different donors, including about 250 donors from whom we received both knees and ankles and 1656 donors from whom we received only ankles. These are primarily adult donors with a mean age of 51.5 years, 90% men, 99% Caucasian; these gender and race are a reflection of the population of donors received by the Regional Organ Bank of Illinois. The knee (tibiofemoral) and ankle (talocrural) joints are graded on a five-point scale of Collins [1] as modified by Muehleman et al. [2] and reported by Koepp et al. [3]. Of the ankles that have been graded, 53% are macroscopically normal and have received a Collins grade of 0, while only the 483 knee joints (35%) received a Collins grade of 0, For the knee and ankle metabolic, biochemical and biomechanical comparisons, we have used joints from the same limb (matched pairs) from donors with grade 0 in the ankle and grades 0 and 1 in the knee.
A Hierarchical Extension of Dynamic Integrated System Optimisation and Parameter Estimation

Abstract A hierarchical algorithm for solving large-scale nonlinear optimal control problems with model-reality differences is developed. The approach used is based on the interaction-prediction approach and on an extension of the centralized Dynamic Integrated System Optimisation and Parameter Estimation (DISOPE) technique. This technique achieves the correct optimal solution in spite of deficiencies in the mathematical model employed in the optimisation procedure
Really Fast Computers' Future Environmental Disposals: A Present Concern?

Really Fast Computers is a case dealing with asset retirement obligations. The company has an established disposal method for waste presently, but is expanding operations which will create more waste. They have some options for disposing of this waste, with some being undefined at present. Students must decide how to recognize presently these potential liabilities, when the exact disposal methods are not yet decided upon, however, production has begun. They must use an expected value model in determining the liability. In addition, students are asked how IFRS would vary from US GAAP in presenting these liabilities. Students find the ambiguity complex and the uncertainly of disposal methods challenging. Many students are opposed to the expected value method, but also realize that we as accountants cannot wait around until the circumstances become clearer. Students enjoy the case and feel it expands the information presented in the textbook.
Gendered Differences Among Mexican Immigrant Shopkeepers

This chapter finds that women’s more conservative business strategy of purchasing existing shops, rather than starting firms from scratch, mitigates some of the disadvantages that they face. Somewhat surprisingly, we find that their odds of firm-level success improve with marriage, a result likely due to the increased financial and labor resources of a marital partner. Our intersectional analysis also finds that gender effects are class specific. Mexican immigrant women entrepreneurs whose parents were business owners performed better in business than did their more working-class counterparts. However, like the men, their small firms hired more employees when they conducted business in less segregated and less impoverished neighborhoods.
ASSAY AND PROPERTIES OF ESSENTIAL (JUNCTIONAL) CHOLINESTERASES OF THE RAT DIAPHRAGM

Publisher Summary A number of studies have been carried out on the combination of cholinergic drugs with acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The compound that inhibits AChE strongly should potentiate acetylcholine whether applied exogenously or released endogenously, an effect not related to receptor binding. A molecular perturbation theory has been developed along with models that attempted to explain in precise terms potency and agonist–antagonist properties of a large number of muscarinic agents. Similar elegant model building has been applied to the topography of the enzyme surface in terms of its binding of d-tubocurarine and other nicotinic agents. The chapter explores two approaches to gaining information about the native enzyme: (1) use of membranes prepared in such a way as to preserve the natural relationship of all the components and (2) use of intact tissues as has been advocated for some time by Ehrenpreis. It is concerned mainly with the combination of a number of different drugs with these enzymes in relation to their effects on transmission as determined by indirect stimulation of the phrenic nerve and measurements of contraction of the diaphragm.
HYDROGEN ISOTOPE RECOVERY USING A CATHODE WATER VAPOR FEED PEM ELECTROLYZER

A critical component of tritium glovebox operations is the recovery of high value tritium from the water vapor in the glove box atmosphere. One proposed method to improve existing tritium recovery systems is to replace the disposable hot magnesium beds used to separate the hydrogen and oxygen in water with continuous use Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers (PEMEs). This study examines radiation exposure to the membrane of a PEME and examines the sizing difference that would be needed if the electrolyzer were operated with a cathode water vapor feed instead of an anode liquid water feed. (authors)
Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents

The prevalence of hypertension in children is increasing, possibly because of the increasing epidemic of obesity, poor dietary habits, and sedentary lifestyles in childhood. In fact, of all chronic diseases in childhood, only obesity (28%), asthma (7%), and attention deficit disorder Open image in new window Fig. 1 Blood pressure levels for boys by age and height percentile.
Dorsal root ganglion stimulation for chronic pain modulates Aβ-fiber activity but not C-fiber activity: A computational modeling study.

Abstract Objective The goal of this project was to use computational models to investigate which types of primary sensory neurons are modulated by dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) to provide pain relief. Methods We modeled DRGS by coupling an anatomical finite element model of a human L5 dorsal root ganglion to biophysical models of primary sensory neurons. We calculated the stimulation amplitude needed to elicit an action potential in each neuron, and examined how DRGS affected sensory neuron activity. Results We showed that within clinical ranges of stimulation parameters, DRGS drives the activity of large myelinated Aβ-fibers but does not directly activate small nonmyelinated C-fibers. We also showed that the position of the active and return electrodes and the polarity of the stimulus pulse influence neural activation. Conclusions Our results indicate that DRGS may provide pain relief by activating pain-gating mechanisms in the dorsal horn via repeated activation of large myelinated afferents. Significance Understanding the mechanisms of action of DRGS-induced pain relief may lead to innovations in stimulation technologies that improve patient outcomes.
American hegemony: intellectual property rights, dollar centrality, and infrastructural power

How does dollar centrality persist in the face of continuous US current account deficits and a steadily worsening net international investment position? Two mechanisms create a structural basis for...
Special Education Preservice Teacher Knowledge of Mathematics Methods: The Effects of Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs).

In undergraduate college courses, assignments designed to showcase preservice teacher learning traditionally include classroom presentations, papers, projects, and tests. Often, these activities do...