cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of an aromatase inhibitor in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: Impact of anastrozole on bone mineral density and visceral adipose tissue.

Objective Anastrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, has been used off-label in males with short stature to delay bone maturation. No studies have examined anastrozole's effect on bone mineral density (BMD) or body composition in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Our objective was to evaluate anastrozole's effect on BMD and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in children with CAH. Design Total body BMD (TBMD) and L2-L4 BMD Z-scores were adjusted for height-for-age Z-scores (TBMDHAZ and L2-L4HAZ ). Hydrocortisone doses (mg/m2 /d) were averaged over the previous year. Comparison of treated vs not treated with anastrozole used linear regression adjusting for age, pubertal status, sex, CAH type, years on hydrocortisone, BMI Z-scores and bone age Z-scores. Patients We compared 25 children with CAH treated with anastrozole (mean age 11.3 [SD 3.0] years, 56% males) vs 31 children with CAH not treated with anastrozole (13.5 [SD 4.6], 29%). Participants underwent a pubertal exam, bone age X-ray and dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Results Average bone age Z-score of 4.3 SDs on beginning anastrozole decreased to 1.9 SDs at time of DXA exam (P = 0.0004) 5.2 (SD 2.2) years later. TBMD Z-scores (P = 0.51), L2-L4 BMD Z-scores (P = 0.66), VAT (P = 0.38), TBMDHAZ Z-scores (P = 0.66) and L2-L4HAZ Z-scores (P = 0.41) did not differ between children treated vs not treated with anastrozole. Conclusion Anastrozole significantly reduced bone age advancement in children with CAH and advanced bone age (>2SDs) without adverse effects on BMD or VAT. Longitudinal studies of anastrozole in children with CAH are needed to validate these findings.
Evolutionary Analyses of RNA Editing and Amino Acid Recoding in Cephalopods

Abstract RNA editing is a post-transcriptional modification process that alters nucleotides of mRNA and consequently the amino acids of the translated protein without changing the original DNA sequence. In human and other mammals, amino acid recoding from RNA editing is rare, and most edits are non-adaptive and provide no fitness advantage (1). However, recently it was discovered that in soft-bodied cephalopods, which are exceptionally intelligent and include squid, octopus, and cuttlefish, RNA editing is widespread and positively selected (2). To examine the effects of RNA editing on individual genes, we developed a “diversity score” system that quantitatively assesses the amount of diversity generated in each gene, incorporating combinatorial diversity and the radicalness of amino acid changes. Using this metric, we compiled a list of top 100 genes across the cephalopod species that are most diversified by RNA editing. This list of candidate genes provides directions for future research into the specific functional impact of RNA editing in terms of protein structure and cellular function on individual proteins. Additionally, considering the connection of RNA editing to the nervous system, and the exceptional intelligence of cephalopod, the candidate genes may shed light to the molecular development of behavioral complexity and intelligence. To further investigate global influences of RNA editing on the transcriptome, we investigated changes in nucleotide composition and codon usage biases in edited genes and coleoid transcriptome in general. Results show that these features indeed correlate with editing and may correspond to causes or effects of RNA editing. In addition, we characterized the unusual RNA editing in cephalopods by analyzing ratio of radical to conservative amino acid substitutions (R/C) and distribution of amino acid recoding from editing. Our results show that compared to model organisms, editing in cephalopods have significantly decreased R/C ratio and distinct distribution of amino acid substitutions that favor conservative over radical changes, indicating selection at the amino acid level and providing a potential mechanism for the evolution of widespread RNA editing in cephalopods.
The Status and Adequacy of Preceptor Orientation and Development Programs in US Pharmacy Schools.

Objective. To identify current preceptor orientation and development programs at US colleges and schools of pharmacy and propose future initiatives for preceptor programs. Methods. An anonymous 28-item survey was administered in January 2017 to 128 experiential education personnel at accredited US schools and colleges of pharmacy. Data from completed survey instruments were tabulated and qualitative responses to open-ended questions were examined using thematic analysis. Results. Eighty-five experiential education administrators participated in the survey (response rate=67%). Most preceptor orientation programs met the majority of requirements as outlined within the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education’s Standard 20.3, although only 42% of programs mandated preceptor orientation prior to student placement. Two-thirds of respondents offered annual, live preceptor development, and 75% of programs used commercially available online products. Nearly 40% of respondents collaborated with other schools or professional organizations to offer preceptor training. Only 29% of programs had specific requirements for pharmacists to maintain their active preceptor status. Seventy percent of respondents reported spending over $2500 and 39% over $5000 annually on preceptor development. Programs with the highest monetary investment (>$10,000/year) in preceptor development offered multiple venues (live and online) for preceptor training. Programs with significant personnel commitment (≥0.5 FTE devoted to preceptor development) frequently had dedicated site visitors. Conclusion. Preceptor orientation programs at US schools of pharmacy are generally similar, but development programs vary significantly across the Academy. Highly invested programs featured live and online training or site visitors who provided individualized feedback or training. Future studies should explore the cost-effectiveness of program options and their impact on preceptor learning and behaviors.
Finescale Instabilities of the Double-Diffusive Shear Flow*

Abstract This study examines dynamics of finescale instabilities in thermohaline–shear flows. It is shown that the presence of the background diapycnal temperature and salinity fluxes due to double diffusion has a destabilizing effect on the basic current. Using linear stability analysis based on the Floquet theory for the sinusoidal basic velocity profile, the authors demonstrate that the well-known Richardson number criterion (Ri < ¼) cannot be directly applied to doubly diffusive fluids. Rigorous instabilities are predicted to occur for Richardson numbers as high as—or even exceeding—unity. The inferences from the linear theory are supported by the fully nonlinear numerical simulations. Since the Richardson number in the main thermocline rarely drops below ¼, whereas the observations of turbulent patches are common, the authors hypothesize that some turbulent mixing events can be attributed to the finescale instabilities associated with double-diffusive processes.
Cold Plasma Processing of Biochar Using Corona Discharge in Atmospheric Pressure Dry Air and Helium

Cold plasma generated from a gas admixture of helium and dry air with 60-Hz ac voltage at 6.50-kV rms was utilized to process biochar. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) were generated in the cold plasma and these chemical radicals modified the biochar. Plasma-processed biochar samples were immersed in distilled water after which the pH of the solid/water mixture was measured. This pH test provided a quick and reliable indication that the plasma-processing modified the biochar, after which more thorough tests were applied. The pH data showed that plasma-processed biochar/water admixtures have lower pH, indicating plasma processing introduced more acidic groups onto the biochar. After pH analysis the solid biochar granules were reclaimed from solution and the leachate was evaluated for carbon content resulting from material leaching into the distilled water. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra were measured for dry samples of biochar before and after immersion in the distilled water. Cold plasma processing converted recalcitrant biochar mass into labile biochar mass, resulting in an enhanced amount of water-extractable carbon. FTIR spectra showed that new oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups were introduced into the labile portion of the biochar and that functionalized material leached into solution.
American String Teachers Association Research Award 2019

This article is based on a speech that Barnes presented at a meeting of the Collegiate Roundtable at the American String Teachers Association 2019 National Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Slicing Defamation by Contract

In considering the problem of fake news, many debate the merits of expanding media liability through the tort doctrine of defamation. In this Essay I present an alternative: assigning liability for false accusations by contract. I develop and examine the utility of using truth bounties — contractual agreements to pay a bounty to anyone who can falsify a story. On reflection, contractual tools appear more productive and robust than tort liability; in particular, truth bounties can encourage responsible media reporting, crowd-source the search for truth, send a refined signal of trust in the story, and chill false reports. Truth bounties are also realistic and compatible with the incentives of media outlets, although some of the procedural details need to be developed for mass adoption.
Authoritarian Police in Democracy: Contested Security in Latin America

In countries around the world, from the United States to the Philippines to Chile, police forces are at the center of social unrest and debates about democracy and rule of law. This book examines the persistence of authoritarian policing in Latin America to explain why police violence and malfeasance remain pervasive decades after democratization. It also examines the conditions under which reform can occur. Drawing on rich comparative analysis and evidence from Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, the book opens up the 'black box' of police bureaucracies to show how police forces exert power and cultivate relationships with politicians, as well as how social inequality impedes change. Gonzalez shows that authoritarian policing persists not in spite of democracy but in part because of democratic processes and public demand. When societal preferences over the distribution of security and coercion are fragmented along existing social cleavages, politicians possess few incentives to enact reform.
Import Demand Elasticity and Exporter Response to Anti-Dumping Duties

ABSTRACTThis article investigates exporting firms’ behavior following the imposition of anti-dumping (AD) duties. AD duties tend to increase the prices of imported goods via a mechanism different from any other trade barrier because the AD duty size is endogenously dependent on import prices. Our model accounts for this feature and demonstrates that exporters are more likely to adjust their price upward when they face a less elastic demand. The theoretical predictions are supported empirically by relating product-level U.S. import demand elasticities and exporting firms’ reactions to duties inferred from a dataset on U.S. AD investigations from 1980 to 1995.
Long Overdue: Fifth Amendment Protection for Corporate Officers

The Supreme Court has extended to corporations many of the same constitutional rights that were originally intended to protect people. One notable exception, however, is the Fifth Amendment’s prohibition on compulsory self-incrimination. “Corporations may not take the Fifth.” There is a long line of cases dating back to the start of the twentieth century stating – but never directly holding – that corporations are not protected by the self-incrimination clause. But the fact that a corporation cannot invoke the Fifth does not explain why a person who works for a corporation cannot. As a matter of text, the Fifth Amendment draws no distinction among the “person[s]” it protects; everyone is protected – citizens and non-citizens. And the amendment certainly does not distinguish among “person[s]” depending on where they work or whether they are employed or not. Indeed, because the Justices agree, as Justice Scalia once noted, that “[a]ll the provisions of the Bill of Rights set forth the rights of individual men and women – not, for example, of trees or polar bears,” an individual who works for a corporation—for example, the president or treasurer—is protected by the Fifth, when forced to produce corporate records that will personally incriminate him. Yet despite the plain text of the Fifth Amendment, the Court has concluded otherwise. According to the Justices, a person may be compelled simply because he is a corporate custodian to perform a testimonial act that will personally incriminate him. This is because the Court has fused the person with the corporation. Even the sole shareholder who runs a small business as his alter ego can be compelled to provide incriminating testimonial evidence due to his status as a corporate officer. This article examines and challenges the Court’s longstanding view that an individual who works for or joins an organization is not protected by the Fifth Amendment when compelled to produce incriminating records that ostensibly belong to the organization. Known as the “collective entity” or “artificial entity” rule, the Court has described this rule as having “a lengthy and distinguished pedigree.” To be sure, the collective entity rule dates back to the start of the twentieth century. But there is nothing “distinguished,” and little to celebrate, about the rule. That is, unless one believes that certain persons, based on employment status or membership in an organization, should be compelled to give the government incriminating testimony. The collective entity rule defies the text of the Fifth Amendment, the common law history of the privilege, and the Court’s Fifth Amendment precedents, which unmistakably establish that one’s employment status does not diminish the protection provided by the Fifth Amendment or the ability to invoke it.
Brief Report: Emotional and Behavioral Problems Among Young Children with ASD: An Exploratory Study of ADOS E-Codes and Child Characteristics.

Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs), such as anxiety, overactivity, and aggression, can influence the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The gold standard diagnostic tool for ASD, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule—Second Edition, includes three items (“E-codes”) for EBPs that are frequently associated with ASD. Few empirical investigations have explored the use of E-codes. This study examined the relationship between E-codes and child characteristics (e.g., cognitive abilities, ASD symptom severity) in a sample of young children with ASD (N = 233). Findings indicated that E-codes positively correlated with ASD symptom severity and negatively associated with IQ. Symptom severity also significantly accounted for the variance in EBPs. Implications for ASD assessment as well as future research are discussed.
The p -Median Problem

The p-median problem is central to much of discrete location modeling and theory. While the p-median problem is \( \mathcal{N}\mathcal{P} \)-hard on a general graph, it can be solved in polynomial time on a tree. A linear time algorithm for the 1-median problem on a tree is described. We also present a classical formulation of the problem. Basic construction and improvement algorithms are outlined. Results from the literature using various metaheuristics including tabu search, heuristic concentration, genetic algorithms, and simulated annealing are summarized. A Lagrangian relaxation approach is presented and used for computational results on 40 classical test instances as well as a 500-node instance derived from the most populous counties in the contiguous United States. We conclude with a discussion of multi-objective extensions of the p-median problem.
Following the ball: African soccer players, labor strategies and emigration across the Portuguese colonial empire, 1949-1975

This article examines the experiences of African soccer players who relocated to Portugal from 1949 to the end of the colonial era in 1975, attempted to negotiate this politically-charged environment and strove to consolidate their post-athletic futures. I argue that despite the otherwise extraordinary nature of these individuals’ lives, their experiences suggest strong continuities with, and affinities to, well-established African labor strategies, including seeking occupational advice from more senior employees (i.e., fellow players) and engaging in secondary migration in order to improve working and living conditions. The article also contends that the process of cultural assimilation that helped players adjust to their new surroundings commenced in the urban, “colonized spaces” of Africa and, thus, well before they arrived in Portugal.
Thyroxine degradation during lipoxidase-catalyzed peroxidation of linoleic acid.

Abstract The possibility has been examined that thyroxine may be degraded by an intermediate free radical in the oxidation of linoleate catalyzed by lipoxidase. Such a reaction has been observed and the lipid radical with which thyroxine reacts is suggested to be enzyme attached RO2 proposed by Tappel (in W. O. Lundberg (Editor), Autoxidation and antioxidants, Vol. I, Interscience Publishers, New York, 1961, p. 325). A similar reaction has been inferred to occur during thyroxine degradation by peroxidizing microsomal lecithin. Although thyroxine serves as an antioxidant during autoxidation of lecithin, it was predicted that a similar reaction with enzyme-bound RO2 might not influence oxidation rate or extent. The results bear out the prediction. The purpose of this and prior studies of thyroxine degradation in systems in vitro has been to investigate the mechanism of reaction of thyroxine with biological materials. In light of recent studies of the mechanism of deiodination of iodoaryl compounds, it is suggested that the lipid radical RO2 might either initiate degradation by electron abstraction or react with a terminal product of thyroxine after deiodination. The enabling property of thyroxine making these reactions probable is its predicted capacity to take up, transiently hold, and yield electrons.
Quantitative Studies on Fabrics as Disseminators of Viruses: III. Persistence of Vaccinia Virus on Fabrics Impregnated with a Virucidal Agent

Eight compounds were tested in vitro for virucidal and antiviral activity against poliovirus and vaccinia virus. These compounds included five quaternary ammonium salts, two bromosalicylanilides, and neomycin sulfate, an antibiotic. None of the compounds was active against poliovirus, but virucidal activity was demonstrated against vaccinia virus with three of the quarternary ammonium compounds: n-alkyl (C14, C12, C16) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, di-isobutyl cresoxy ethoxy ethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride monohydrate, and n-alkyl (60% C14, 30% C16, 5% C12, 5% C18) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides plus n-alkyl (50% C12, 30% C14, 17% C16, 3% C18) dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides. Wool blanketing, wool gabardine, and cotton sheeting materials were impregnated with the first of the above virucidal compounds, and the persistence of vaccinia virus on these fabrics was compared with the persistence of the agent on nonimpregnated fabrics of the same type held at 25 C in 35 and 78% relative humidity. No virus could be recovered from the chemically treated fabrics at any time after virus exposure, whereas the virus persisted as long as 4 weeks on nonimpregnated materials. Viable vaccinia virus was also found to persist less than 1 day on a cotton fabric finished with a wash-and-wear modified triazone resin. Poliovirus persisted less than 5 days on this wash-and-wear fabric.
Does green management matter for donation intentions?: The influence of environmental consciousness and environmental importance

Purpose – Several factors are known to influence donations to university athletic departments including previous donations and university affiliation. This research aims to build on prior work by examining whether a university's environmental management initiatives can also influence donor behavior. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a quantitative study on environmental responsibility (ER) and “green management” using donor and non-donor data in the context of a university athletic department to investigate additional (i.e. personal and dispositional) factors that drive donation intentions. Findings – Employing tenets of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), the hierarchical regression models confirm prior donor motives and indicate that personal disposition towards the environment and attitude toward environmental initiatives predict donor intentions. These results are set against a backdrop of managerial strategy that seemingly enabled the effects. Research limitations/implications – The st...
Programs, not code

Students too often write code instead of programs. There are fundamental differences between the two. This paper suggests programming should be encouraged and gives an approach to doing so.
The Full Costs and Benefits of Transportation: Conceptual and Theoretical Issues

A growing number of studies in Europe and the U.S. have addressed the full, public and private, monetary and nonmonetary, intended and unintended costs of transportation systems. This chapter reviews key conceptual and theoretical issues in the identification and measurement of transportation’s costs and benefits. Three different perspectives are identified: 1) promoting economic efficiency, 2) comparing alternative states of the world and, 3) evaluating questions of equity. Each implies a different paradigm and requires different methods of analysis. As a preface to the Conference on Measuring the Full Social Costs and Benefits of Transportation this chapter briefly describes each perspective and attempts to identify unresolved questions and clarify critical areas in need of further research. The book’s final chapter by Lakshmanan, Nijkamp, and Verhoef sums up and identifies directions for future research.
Efficient Algorithms for a Scheduling Problem and its Applications to Illicit Drug Market Crackdowns

We give polynomial time algorithms for a job scheduling problem. By duality we transform a special case of the drug market crackdown schedulingproblem to the above job scheduling problem and thus derive polynomial timealgorithms to the second problem. Finally, using the algorithm for the specialcase, we develop a quasipolynomial time approximation algorithm for thegeneral case of the drug market crackdown scheduling problem with monomialcost functions.
Photosynthetic Acclimation to Elevated CO2 Occurs in Transformed Tobacco with Decreased Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase Content.

Inhibition of net carbon assimilation rates during growth at elevated CO2 was studied in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants containing zero to two copies of antisense DNA sequences to the small subunit polypeptide (rbcS) gene of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). High- and low-Rubisco tobacco plants were obtained from the selfed progeny of the original line 3 transformant (S.R. Rodermel, M.S. Abbott, L. Bogorad [1988] Cell 55: 673–681). Assimilation rates of high- and low-Rubisco tobacco plants increased 22 and 71%, respectively, when transferred from 35- to 70-Pa CO2 chamber air at 900 [mu]mol m-2 s-1 photon flux density. However, CO2-dependent increases of net carbon assimilation rates of high- and low-Rubisco plants virtually disappeared after 9 d of growth in elevated CO2 chamber air. Total above-ground dry matter production of high- and low-Rubisco plants was 28 and 53% greater, respectively, after 9 d of growth at 70 Pa compared with 35 Pa CO2. Most of this dry weight gain was due to increased specific leaf weight. Rubisco activity, Rubisco protein, and total chlorophyll were lower in both high- and low-Rubisco plants grown in enriched compared with ambient CO2 chamber air. Soluble leaf protein also decreased in response to CO2 enrichment in high- but not in low-Rubisco tobacco plants. Decreased Rubisco activities in CO2-adapted high- and low-Rubisco plants were not attributable to changes in activation state of the enzyme. Carbonic anhydrase activities and subunit levels measured with specific antibodies were similar in high- and low-Rubisco tobacco plants and were unchanged by CO2 enrichment. Collectively, these findings suggested that photosynthetic acclimation to enriched CO2 occurred in tobacco plants either with or without transgenically decreased Rubisco levels and also indicated that the down-regulation of Rubisco in CO2-adapted tobacco plants was related to decreased specific activity of this enzyme.
The Pinch: How the Baby Boomers Took their Children's Future—and Why they Should Give it Back By D. Willetts

Willetts presents the argument that baby boomers are spending their children's and grandchildren's futures and, simultaneously, are not investing in the future. His argument is primarily founded on...
Lipid Rafts, Caveolae and GPI-Linked Proteins

Lipid rafts and caveolae are specialized membrane microdomains enriched in sphingolipids and cholesterol. They function in a variety of cellular processes including but not limited to endocytosis, transcytosis, signal transduction and receptor recycling. Here, we outline the similarities and differences between lipid rafts and caveolae as well as discuss important components and functions of each.
Improve Yourself; Not the World

This essay questions the predominant assumption within legal academia that the goal of scholarship should be to give policy advice. We do not make the obvious point that it is questionable whether legislatures care about what law professors think. Rather, we claim that policy suggestions fall within what Jacques Lacan called the “discourse of the university.” The terminology reflects not a normative judgment that professors should speak it, but an empirical observation that they all too often do speak it.The discourse of the university is expertise. It is not a true critical discourse, but a discourse of power because it is an attempt to make others act in a preferred way. It serves, often inadvertently, as an adjunct to the more obvious exercise of power called the “discourse of the master,” which is roughly equivalent to Hart’s concept of law. The master’s voice, like positive law, is to be obeyed not because it is moral, but merely because it is recognized as authoritative. By seeking to justify legal rules, the discourse of the university provides the missing rationalization for the master, thereby strengthening its reign. That is, the master tells you what to do; the university tries to convince you why you should do it. The two power discourses are to be contrasted to two critical discourses of the analyst and the hysteric. If the power discourses are those of the governor, the critical discourses are those of the governed: the subjects subjected to law. The analyst’s discourse is that of interpretation and counseling. The hysteric’s is the discourse of challenge. We argue that not only should they be the predominant discourses of practice, but also of theoretical and doctrinal scholarship.
Refugee and Displaced Youth Negotiating Imagined and Lived Identities in a Photography‐Based Educational Project in the United States and Colombia

Drawing from sociocultural theories of identity, this study uses ethnographic tools to compare how displaced children living in two distinct international contexts, who are linked by their participation in a community-based photography project, negotiate their identities and the discourses constructed around their experiences of displacement. We argue that children, rather than being passive victims of circumstance, are actively involved in a process of reconstructing the meanings of their experiences through language and social interactions. [identities, informal education, refugee and displaced children]
Can we detect influenza

This paper will give background information on the structure of different influenza viruses and address the remote detection of viral particles using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). Also, we will mathematically predict how small to create the silver nanorods, measured by the diameter of the rod, in order for there to be a discernable enhancement in the Raman signal due to quantum properties of the rods. Finally, the future of nanotechnology in optics as it relates to medical applications will be addressed, highlighting a few of the most important possible future applications.
Quantitative evaluation of product disassembly for recycling

This paper presents a method for evaluating the ease-of-disassembly of products. Its primary use is in designing products for recycling, but it also facilitates consideration of servicing and maintenance, and making environmentally-related decisions. The method is developed and discussed in the context of relatively small products that can be disassembled by a seated person using hand-held tools. The evaluation procedure is centered around a spreadsheet-like chart and uses a catalog of task difficulty scores. The scores were derived from work-measurement analyses of standard disassembly tasks, and provide a means of identifying weaknesses in the design and comparing alternatives quantitatively. The structure of the evaluation chart and the derivation of difficulty scores are explained, followed by a demonstration of analyzing a computer central processing unit. The limitations of the method and future extensions are outlined.
Female Sexual Dysfunction

Female sexual dysfunction is the result of many varied and complex entities. To be able to understand and help those patients with problems, the nurse must be knowledgeable of the different dysfunctions and cognizant of the principles of treatment.
Linear hydraulic pressure-pulse actuator (LHPA): a versatile instrument that produces a simulated blood pressure pulse wave for small sized vessels

An instrument is presented which produces a simulated circulatory pulsatile pressure wave for small sized vessels. The linear hydraulic pressure-pulse actuator (LHPA) is designed to be extremely versatile, that is, a blood pressure wave source of any shape, amplitude, offset and frequency can be simulated. In addition, the LHPA can reproduce accurately a real pulse pressure wave by simply inputting an actual data record of a circulatory pressure pulse. The design is accomplished by incorporating the use of a linear force solenoid driven with a voltage-to-current source power amplifier. Testing of the device is presented here, as well as pressure pulse results from a recorded pulsatile pressure input to the LHPA. The device is simple to implement in that its response is linear, for volume changes upto /spl plusmn/5 mL, without the need for feedback compensation.
The fractal dimensions of the spatial distribution of young open clusters in the solar neighbourhood

Context. Fractals are geometric objects with dimensionalities that are not integers. They play a fundamental role in the dynamics of chaotic systems. Observation of fractal structure in both the gas and the star-forming sites in galaxies suggests that the spatial distribution of young open clusters should follow a fractal pattern, too. Aims. Here we investigate the fractal pattern of the distribution of young open clusters in the Solar Neighbourhood using a volume-limited sample from WEBDA and a multifractal analysis. By counting the number of objects inside spheres of different radii centred on clusters, we study the homogeneity of the distribution. Methods. The fractal dimension D of the spatial distribution of a volume-limited sample of young open clusters is determined by analysing different moments of the count-in-cells. The spectrum of the Minkowski-Bouligand dimension of the distribution is studied as a function of the parameter q . The sample is corrected for dynamical effects. Results. The Minkowski-Bouligand dimension varies with q in the range 0.71–1.77, therefore the distribution of young open clusters is fractal. We estimate that the average value of the fractal dimension is $\langle D\rangle = 1.7\pm 0.2$ for the distribution of young open clusters studied. Conclusions. The spatial distribution of young open clusters in the Solar Neighbourhood exhibits multifractal structure. The fractal dimension is time-dependent, increasing over time. The values found are consistent with the fractal dimension of star-forming sites in other spiral galaxies.
Estimation of characteristics of animal behavior by stochastic methods

Abstract A stochastic method of estimating certain characteristics of an animal behavior process is introduced. Given two possible states, S1 (behavior absent state) and S2 (behavior present state), the animal is regarded as traversing a path continuously, which is unfortunately not observed, but a sample path at periodic time points is recorded and used to estimate the intensities of transitions. Finally, from the estimated intensity matrix and a sequence of observations at discrete time points, the interesting characteristics of an animal behavior process are estimated.
Resource characteristics in social exchange networks: Implications for positional advantage

Despite the wide range of resources that traverse social networks, social exchange research has focused on only a narrow subset. Notably, prior social exchange research has not considered resources like information that have the capacity to diffuse through networks. The current study investigates how differences between the standard social exchange resource and an information-type resource affect the advantage provided by one's network position. Results of a laboratory experiment support predictions and offer two new insights to the foundations of positional advantage: (1) the location of advantageous positions in a network differs by resource characteristics, and (2) only in particular situations is a single position able to experience high levels of both power and exchange frequency.
Simple Network Protocol Simulation within Maude

Abstract The authors would like to thank the Maude group and especially Jose Meseguer for many fruitful discussions and Brad Smith for helping us understand the PIM-DM protocol and kindly providing his pseudo-code. We also thank the anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions for improvement. The first author was partially supported by ARC grant 8202 881 499, while the second author was partially supported by DARPA/NASA NAS2-98073. ARPA/SRI subcontract 17-000042, NSF CCR-9900326, and ONR N00012-99-C-0198.
The Sane Positivist: A Biography of Edward L. Thorndike by Geraldine Joncich. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1968. 634 pp. $12.50.

(1971). The Sane Positivist: A Biography of Edward L. Thorndike by Geraldine Joncich. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1968. 634 pp. $12.50. The Educational Forum: Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 552-554.
CT scanning in the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension

Right-heart catheterization is currently the gold standard method for detecting pulmonary hypertension (PH) and grading its severity. Our study determined the utility of computerized tomography (CT) scans for detecting PH in patients with left-sided heart disease, thereby potentially avoiding the overuse of invasive right-heart catheterization. A retrospective review was conducted on 40 patients with left-sided cardiac pathology who had undergone both right-heart catheterization and CT scanning of the chest. Mean pulmonary artery diameters (MPADs) were measured on CT scans and compared with pulmonary artery pressures measured by right-heart catheterization. Patients with mild-to-moderate PH had significantly greater CT-measured MPADs (34.89 ± 1.01) than patients without PH (controls) (27.36 ± 0.83, p 33.3 mm had 100 % specificity and 100 % positive predictive value (N = 40, p 34 mm and excluded all patients without PH when MPADs were <27 mm. We advocate that the measurement of MPAD by CT scanning can be quickly and easily performed by the clinician to screen for the presence of PH.
Thermal response of a modular high temperature reactor during passive cooldown under pressurized and depressurized conditions

Abstract The concept of inherent safety features of the modular HTR design with respect to passive decay heat removal through conduction, radiation and natural convection was first introduced in the German HTR-module (pebble fuel) design and subsequently extended to other modular HTR design in recent years, e.g. PBMR (pebble fuel), GT-MHR (prismatic fuel) and the new generation reactor V/HTR (prismatic fuel). This paper presents the numerical simulations of the V/HTR using the thermal-hydraulic code THERMIX which was initially developed for the analysis of HTRs with pebble fuels, verified by experiments, subsequently adopted for applications in the HTRs with prismatic fuels and checked against the results of CRP-3 benchmark problem analyzed by various countries with diverse codes. In this paper, the thermal response of the V/HTR (operating inlet/outlet temperatures 490/1000 °C) during post shutdown passive cooling under pressurized and depressurized primary system conditions has been investigated. Additional investigations have also been carried out to determine the influence of other inlet/outlet operating temperatures (e.g. 490/850, 350/850 or 350/1000 °C) on the maximum fuel and pressure vessel temperature during depressurized cooldown condition. In addition, some sensitivity analyses have also been performed to evaluate the effect of varying the parameters, i.e. decay heat, graphite conductivity, surface emissivity, etc., on the maximum fuel and pressure vessel temperature. The results show that the nominal peak fuel temperatures remain below 1600 °C for all these cases, which is the limiting temperature relating to radioactivity release from the fuel. The analyses presented in this paper demonstrate that the code THERMIX can be successfully applied for the thermal calculation of HTRs with prismatic fuel. The results also provide some fundamental information for the design optimization of V/HTR with respect to its maximum thermal power, operating temperatures, etc.
On “Epistemic Permissiveness”

In “Epistemic Permissiveness”, Roger White presents several arguments against Extreme Permissivism, the view that there are possible cases where, given one’s total evidence, it would be rational to either believe P, or to believe ∼P. In this paper, we carefully reconstruct White’s arguments and then argue that they do not succeed.
High-resolution computation of electrical field propagation in land mine detection

The goal of this paper is to describe a novel high-resolution 3D numerical method for the solution of high frequency electromagnetic wave propagation. This method will be used later by the author to computationally simulate data for the solution of the inverse problem of imaging mine-like targets. Thus the solution of the forward problem presented in this paper is a necessary prelude to the future solution of a related inverse problem. In this paper, land mines are modeled as small abnormalities imbedded in an otherwise uniform media with an air-ground interface. These abnormalities are characterized by the electrical permittivity and the conductivity, whose values differ from those of the host media. The main challenge in the calculation of the scattered electromagnetic signal in these settings is the requirement of solving the Helmholtz equation for high frequencies which is excessively time consuming using standard direct solution techniques. A high-resolution and rapid numerical procedure for the solution of this equation is described in this paper. The kernel of this algorithm is a combination of a fourth order compact finite-difference scheme and a preconditioned Krylov subspace approach. A fourth order compact approximation for the Helmholtz equation is considered to reduce approximation and pollution errors, thereby softening the point-per-wavelength constraint. The coefficient matrix of the resulting system is not Hermitian and possesses as positive as well as negative eigenvalues so represent a significant challenge for constructing an efficient iterative solver. In our approach this system is solved by a combination of Krylov subspace-type method with a direct FFT-type preconditioner. The resulting numerical method allows efficient implementation on parallel computers. Numerical results for realistic ranges of parameters in soil and mine-like targets confirm the high efficiency of the proposed iterative algorithm.
Shape selectivity versus functional group pre-organization in molecularly imprinted polymers.

A systematic survey of related molecular probes differing in shape or functional group orientation was used to compare the effects of shape selectivity versus pre-organization of functional monomers on imprinting and rebinding performance of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). These studies revealed that templates with two functional group interactions with the MIPs are influenced to a larger degree by shape selective interactions than templates with three functional group interactions. For example, with two functional group interactions, increasing side chain size of compounds 1–5 increased selectivity 5-fold; while the same size change for compounds with three functional group interactions leads to a maximum 2-fold increase. Thus, the effects of shape selectivity and pre-organization of functional groups do not appear to work in concert with each other during the imprinting process or in the rebinding behavior. Furthermore, greater selectivity is generally found for templates with two functional groups, where the dominant mode of molecular recognition is shape selectivity. For example, the α value for the MIP elicited toward template compound 5 with two hydrogen bonding groups was 5–12-fold higher than equivalently shaped compounds 6–8 that have three non-covalent binding interactions (Table 3). On the other hand, pre-organization of functional groups dominated the performance of MIPs elicited toward templates with three template–functional group interactions. This is observed in Tables 6–8, where compounds with identical positioning of three functional groups all show less than an order of magnitude change in α values despite changes in shape.
Acoustic characteristics of children who speak Arabic.

Abstract The vocal characteristics of mean fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio, and breathiness were analyzed in 110 (F=54, M=56) Arabic-speaking children. The subjects were from Amman, Jordan, ranging in age from 5 to 20 years. Each subject was tape recorded during the production of the vowels /a/ and /i/. Two second samples of each vowel were analyzed using GW Instrument's Sound Scope software program. Means, standard deviations, and ranges were obtained and summarized for the acoustic measures in each age and gender category.
Outpatient Inotropes: An Ever-Lengthening Bridge to Transplant

Purpose With the new Status listing system in 2006, patients (pts) could be sent home as Status 1b. Concerns about safety prevented many programs from pursuing this course. As tx waiting times have grown, socioeconomic pressures have moved many programs to discharge these pts. We sought to analyze our experience with outpt inotrope support. Methods and Materials We retrospectively analyzed charts of 213 Status 1B or 1A pts from 2006 to 11/1/12. Results 143 patients (67% of total pts) were initially listed as 1b inotropes. Of the 143 pts listed 1b inotropes, 55% had tx, recovered or await tx. There were 9%AB, 10% B, 45% A and 36%O. 31% were female. There were 45% ischemic, 44% dilated. Wait time to tx ranged 3-575 days (mdn 94, mn 148). 22% 1b inotrope patients eventually were upgraded to 1a. They were 6%B, 31%A and 63%O. 22% were female. There were 50% ischemics, 41% dilated. Time to upgrade ranged 22-312 days (mdn 95.5, mn 110). 91% got tx;9% died. 16% of 1b inotrope patients eventually went to VAD (HM1 or HMII). There were 29%B, 23%A and 68%O. Only 9% were female. Ischemic and dilated were even. Days until VAD implant ranged 13-750 (mdn 75, mn 158). 27% got tx, 25% are still waiting 1b, 25% chose status 7 and live with VAD, 14% were made status 7 and died and 3% were removed from list. Finally 7% of 1b inotrope pts died. There were 17% each B & A and 66%O. 27% were female. There were 64% ischemics, 18% dilated. Time to death or status 7 for too ill ranged 6-600 days (mdn 128, mn 207). 4 died at home (1 pump malfunction, 1 infection, 1 seizure, 1 stroke) and 6 became status 7 for too ill. Conclusions In carefully selected patients, initial listing as status 1b outpatient inotropes is safe. With lengthening wait times, in-hospital support is not sustainable. With improving VAD technology and experience, there is a trend towards earlier VAD implant, improving VAD outcomes, and a distinct choice between 1a in-hospital or VAD. Women were less likely to go to VAD and blood type O less likely to go direct to tx.
Regulation of tumor necrosis factor‐α expression by CD40 ligation in BV‐2 microglial cells

Ligation of CD40 has been shown to induce/stimulate the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in microglial cells. This study delineates the mechanism by which CD40 ligation regulates the expression of TNF-α in BV-2 microglial cells. There was very little induction of TNF-α by ligation of CD40 alone by either cross-linking antibodies against CD40 or␣recombinant CD40 ligand (CD154). The absence of any increase in TNF-α production by CD40 ligation alone even in CD40-overexpressed BV-2 microglial cells suggest that signal transduced by the ligation of CD40 alone is not sufficient for strong induction of TNF-α. However, CD40 ligation markedly induced the production of TNF-α as well as the expression of TNF-α mRNA in interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-stimulated BV-2 glial cells. Ligation of CD40 in CD40-overexpressed cells markedly enhanced the expression of TNF-α in the presence of IFN-γ. To understand the mechanism of CD40 ligation-mediated induction/stimulation of TNF-α, we investigated the role of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and C/EBPβ. IFN-γ alone was able to induce the activation of NF-κB as well as C/EBPβ. However, CD40 ligation alone in the presence or absence of CD40 overexpression induced the activation of only NF-κB and not that of C/EBPβ, suggesting that the activation of NF-κB alone by CD40 ligation is not sufficient to induce the expression of TNF-α and that the activation of C/EBPβ is also necessary for strong induction of TNF-α. Consistently, a dominant-negative mutant of p65 (Δp65) and that of C/EBPβ (ΔC/EBPβ) inhibited the expression of TNF-α in BV-2 microglial cells stimulated with the combination of IFN-γ and CD40 ligand. Taken together, these studies suggest that activation of both NF-κB and C/EBPβ is important for strong induction of TNF-α and that CD40 ligation regulates the expression of TNF-α by modulating the activation of only NF-κB but not that of C/EBPβ.