cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exclusive dealing in a spatial model of retail competition

Abstract This paper analyzes exclusive dealing in a model with brand differentiation by manufacturers and spatial differentiation by retailers. Exclusive dealing is shown to generate higher profits for manufacturers, who thus have an incentive to insist on exclusive dealing. Exclusive dealing also results in higher prices and higher transportation costs for consumers. However, exclusive dealing may still increase total surplus because it reduces the fixed costs of retailing. If so, the comparison with non-exclusive dealing becomes difficult because these lower fixed costs induce entry of additional retailers, reducing the retail margin and consumer's transportation costs. Numerical analysis suggests that total surplus is likely to increase with exclusive dealing when there are substantial reductions in the fixed costs of retailing.
Labeling proteins at high specific activity using N-succinidyl 4-[18F](fluoromethyl) benzoate

High effective specific activity N-succinimidyl 4-[18F](fluoromethyl)benzoate was prepared using a reversed phase HPLC procedure. Reversed phase HPLC removed several additional impurities not removed by normal phase HPLC, thereby increasing the effective specific activity. Small amount (< 100 μg) of sensitive proteins such as erythropoietin can be labeled with this reagent in high yield without aggregation.
EFFECTS OF POST–COOKING SAMPLE TEMPERATURE ON SENSORY AND SHEAR ANALYSIS OF BEEF STEAKS

The effect of post-cooking beef sample temperatures of 22°C (room temperature) and 50°C on sensory and shear analyses was determined. Oven roasted beef bottom round steak sample cores (1.88 cm) were halved, with one-half being maintained at room temperature and the other at 50°C. A calibrated double boiler-hot plate system was used to accurately control sample temperature. Six trained sensory panelists rated all samples on 7-point rating scales for flavor, initial juiciness, sustained juiciness, initial tenderness and overall tenderness. Warner-Bratzler shear determinations were also obtained. Samples held at 50°C had significantly higher flavor (P < 0.01), initial tenderness (P < 0.01) and overall tenderness (P < 0.02) values. Initial juiciness was significantly lower (P < 0.01) for the 50°C samples, while no significant differences in sustained juiciness were detected. Shear values were significantly lower (P < 0.01) for samples held at 50°C. Differences in sensory ratings due to post-cooking sample temperature variation are greatest for initially perceived characteristics such as flavor, initial juiciness and initial tenderness.
The involvement of dipeptidyl peptidase IV in brush-border degradation of GRF(1-29)NH2 by intestinal mucosal cells.

GRF(1-29)NH2 is degraded mainly by dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) in plasma, resulting in inactivated GRF(3-29)NH 2 . To understand whether improving stability of GRF(1-29)NH 2 in the plasma will result in enhanced stability in intestinal mucosal cells, stability of GRF(1-29)NH 2 and [desNH 2 Tyr 1 ,D-Ala 2 ,Ala 15 ]-GRF(1-29)NH 2 in rat intestine brush-border membrane and homogenate was examined. [desNH 2 Tyr 1 ,D-Ala 2 ,Ala 15 ]-GRF(1-29)NH 2 , resistant to plasma DPP IV, was much more stable than GRF(1-29)NH 2 in enterocytes. Gradient HPLC analysis, mass balance analysis and studies of inhibitor effects revealed that GRF(3-29)NH 2 was the major metabolite of GRF(1-29)NH 2 due to the action of DPP IV during incubation with brush-border membranes. It is concluded that the design of peptide analogues to resist plasma enzymes dramatically increases stability in intestinal epithelium.
Effects of compost and phosphate on plant arsenic accumulation from soils near pressure-treated wood

Abstract Leaching of arsenic (As) from chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood may elevate soil arsenic levels. Thus, an environmental concern arises regarding accumulation of As in vegetables grown in these soils. In this study, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate As accumulation by vegetables from the soils adjacent to the CCA-treated utility poles and fences and examine the effects of soil amendments on plant As accumulation. Carrot ( Daucus carota L.) and lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) were grown for ten weeks in the soil with or without compost and phosphate amendments. As expected, elevated As concentrations were observed in the pole soil (43 mg kg −1 ) and in the fence soil (27 mg kg −1 ), resulting in enhanced As accumulation of 44 mg kg −1 in carrot and 32 mg kg −1 in lettuce. Addition of phosphate to soils increased As accumulation by 4.56–9.3 times for carrot and 2.45–10.1 for lettuce due to increased soil water-soluble As via replacement of arsenate by phosphate in soil. However, biosolid compost application significantly reduced plant As uptake by 79–86%, relative to the untreated soils. This suppression is possibly because of As adsorbed by biosolid organic mater, which reduced As phytoavailability. Fractionation analysis showed that biosolid decreased As in soil water-soluble, exchangeable, and carbonate fraction by 45%, whereas phosphate increased it up to 2.61 times, compared to the untreated soils. Our results indicate that growing vegetables in soils near CCA-treated wood may pose a risk of As exposure for humans. Compost amendment can reduce such a risk by reducing As accumulation by vegetables and can be an important strategy for remediating CCA-contaminated soils. Caution should be taken for phosphate application since it enhances As accumulation.
Taking variation of evolutionary rates between sites into account in inferring phylogenies.

As methods of molecular phylogeny have become more explicit and more biologically realistic following the pioneering work of Thomas Jukes, they have had to relax their initial assumption that rates of evolution were equal at all sites. Distance matrix and likelihood methods of inferring phylogenies make this assumption; parsimony, when valid, is less limited by it. Nucleotide sequences, including RNA sequences, can show substantial rate variation; protein sequences show rates that vary much more widely. Assuming a prior distribution of rates such as a gamma distribution or lognormal distribution has deservedly been popular, but for likelihood methods it leads to computational difficulties. These can be resolved using hidden Markov model (HMM) methods which approximate the distribution by one with a modest number of discrete rates. Generalized Laguerre quadrature can be used to improve the selection of rates and their probabilities so as to more nearly approach the desired gamma distribution. A model based on population genetics is presented predicting how the rates of evolution might vary from locus to locus. Challenges for the future include allowing rates at a given site to vary along the tree, as in the ``covarion'' model, and allowing them to have correlations that reflect three-dimensional structure, rather than position in the coding sequence. Markov chain Monte Carlo likelihood methods may be the only practical way to carry out computations for these models.
Generating Suspended Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Across a Large Surface Area via Patterning Self-Assembled Catalyst-Containing Block Copolymer Thin Films

Using self-assembled block copolymers as templates, catalytically active nanostructures with controlled size and space have been produced. A self-assembled polystyrene-b-polyferrocenylsilane thin film and monolayer of surface micelles of cobalt-complexed polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) are fully compatible with novolac-based conventional photoresists. Combining bottom-up self-assembly of catalyst-containing block copolymers with top-down microfabrication processing, plateaus covered with arrays of catalytically active nanostructures have been generated. Spatially selective growth of suspended single-walled carbon nanotubes over a large surface area has been achieved. Greatly enhanced Raman signals have been detected from the suspended tubes. This facile method of creating highly ordered catalyst nanostructures on top of posts enables the rational synthesis of suspended carbon nanotubes, thus facilitating the study of CNT properties by optical methods and enabling the fabrication of devices based on su...
Making Patch-pipettes and Sharp Electrodes with a Programmable Puller

Glass microelectrodes (also called pipettes) have been a workhorse of electrophysiology for decades. Today, such pipettes are made from glass capillaries using a programmable puller. Such instruments heat the capillary using either a metal filament or a laser and draw out the glass using gravity, a motor or both. Pipettes for patch-clamp recording are formed using only heat and gravity, while sharp electrodes for intracellular recording use a combination of heat, gravity, and a motor. The procedure used to make intracellular recording pipettes is similar to that used to make injection needles for a variety of applications, including cRNA injection into Xenopus oocytes. In general, capillary glass <1.2 mm in diameter is used to make pipettes for patch clamp recording, while narrower glass is used for intracellular recording (outer diameter = 1.0 mm). For each tool, the puller is programmed slightly differently. This video shows how to make both kinds of recording pipettes using pre-established puller programs.
Reactions to implementing adventure-based learning in physical education

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the reactions of 13 pre-service teachers (PTs) implementing an adventure-based learning (ABL) unit through the lens of occupational socialization. Data were collected through interviews, critical reflections and reflection of videotaped ABL lesson. Analysis of the data resulted in two themes: (1) This is harder than I remember and (2) Student reaction: It's not what I expected. It can be concluded from this study that: (1) ABL can challenge PTs prior beliefs about physical education, (2) the PTs had to negotiate a struggle of values between the student-centered unit and the prior experience and values of the middle school students, (3) student resistance to the unit was a strong socializing agent for the majority of the PTs and (4) teaching small groups of students and engaging in critical reflection with peers each day helped the PTs to persevere in the face of the student resistance.
American Idol, Arabic Idol Popular Arabic Songs in the Classroom

The music of the Arab League is rich and vastly different from most other world musics taught in American music classrooms. The purpose of this article is to provide the music educator with ideas for incorporating Arabic popular music into their curricula. Two popular artists and their songs are discussed in detail as instructional models. Arabic music theory and cultural information are provided.
Tacit Knowledge as a Source of Competitive Advantage in the National Basketball Association

In this study, we investigate a central tenet of the resource-based view of the firm舒that tacit knowledge often lies at the core of sustainable competitive advantage舒and attempt to articulate it wi...
Observations on fine structure in pea nucleoli in situ and isolated.

The fine structure of nucleoli within the root tips of 3-day seedlings is compared to the fine structure of nucleoli isolated from the embryonic axes of the same material. Both in situ and isolated nucleoli show a fibrillar interior region and a particulate periphery. Stereoscopic photographs of in situ nucleolar particles and cytoplasmic ribosomes show that both are composed of 15–20 A fibrils. The nucleolar particles are smaller (160 A) than those of the cytoplasm (190 A). The strands, particularly of the interior, became knotted during the isolation procedure when Mg ++ is added to the suspending medium. RNase extraction of unfixed isolated nucleoli destroys the fine structure of the fibrillar components and the particles while DNase extraction appears only to loosen the knotted strands of the interior.
Toxoplasmosis in swine and rodents; reciprocal oral infection and potential human hazard.

SummaryThe customary method of transmission of toxoplasmsis to man and to animals remains unknown. This report shows that infections are transmitted between swine and rodents when either animal is fed infected tissue from the other, likewise when pigs ingest infected swine offal. The feeding cycles described are reminiscent of those known in trichinosis. Similarities and differences are discussed, and implications for human disease pointed out. Whether there is a risk to the public, and if so, its extent, will require future studies on swine and on pork, under natural as well as experimental conditions.
Re/constructing Black Masculinity in Prison

The purpose of this article is to explore the ways in which incarcerated Black males construct masculinities. Qualitative research methods are employed, and narratives from 37 males currently confined to various state and federal institutions are examined. Attention is given to understanding the dynamics of prison culture, and numerous definitions of masculinity and manhood are discussed. It is discovered that males reconstruct normative versions of masculinity to concur with resources available to them. Such resources include the use of language, the negotiation of physical space, and a shift in thinking about oneself as a responsible citizen. This finding is examined within the Black racial context of masculine identity construction, particularly in terms of the conceptual and behavioral mechanisms by which Black males define their manhood.
Development of mathematical models and the dual-gauge principle for surface-type neutron moisture content gauges

Abstract Mathematical models are developed for the response of surface-type neutron moisture content gauges. Models are developed for both cadmium-covered and bare BF3-filled proportional counter detectors so that the dual-gauge principle of measurement can be applied. This consists of the simultaneous solution of the two responses to minimize the effect of variations in sample composition. The response models are based on epithermal and thermal line and area flux models, where if flux as a function of radial distance r from the source is φ(r), then line flux is ∫φ(r) dr and area flux is ∫φ(r)r dr. The flux models are obtained from a solution of the three-group diffusion equation for a point source of fast neutrons at the surface of an infinite half-space and are expressed as inverse Hankel transforms. The models are checked by calculation and are verified with Monte Carlo and experimental results. To minimize the effects of variations in sample composition, represented by the weight fraction of thermal neutron absorber, two gauge response models are solved simultaneously for moisture and absorber weight fractions. This application of the dual-gauge principle is tested with experimentally obtained responses on samples of known density and composition. The results of this feasibility study are encouraging in terms of eventual commercial application of the response models and the dual-gauge principle.
Intrinsic oscillations in spike trains indicate non-renewal statistics due to convergence of inputs in dorsal cochlear nucleus neurons.

Abstract The occurrence of intrinsic oscillations (IOs) in a unit’s discharge is reflected by a prominent peak in the power spectrum (i.e., Fourier transform of the autocorrelation function) of spike trains obtained from single-unit discharge, at a frequency independent of stimulus spectral characteristics. IOs have been reported by researchers in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) of both the cat and the Mongolian gerbil. It has been hypothesized that IOs are related to inter-spike interval (ISI) regularity (e.g., [Hear. Res. 58 (1992) 153]). This hypothesis is tested in this paper. Responses to multiple presentations of 50–300 ms duration tone bursts, at and near the unit’s best frequency (BF) at 20–60 dB re threshold were recorded from DCN units of barbiturate-anesthetized (30 units), as well as decerebrate (53 units) Mongolian gerbils. IOs in the recordings were then compared with the IOs in simulations of spiking-neuron models. The models were selected because: (1) their ISI regularity characteristics follow those of experimental data and (2) their IO properties are completely determined by their ISI regularity. Such comparison reveals that Ghoshal’s hypothesis fails for a fraction of the units. These results suggest a re-evaluation of the purported relationship between IOs, ISI regularity, and SAM response. Alternate hypotheses are proposed here using computational models that are based on convergence of multiple neural inputs onto the unit under study. These models produce non-renewal statistics that resemble those of the experimental data, as is evident from IO-based analysis.
In situ melanin assay for MSH using mouse B16 melanoma cells in culture

A sensitive in situ melanin assay using cultured mouse B16 melanoma cells is described for structure-activity studies with melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) peptides. B16 Cells were seeded at a density of 2500 cells per well in 96-well microtest tissue culture plates; after 24 h the cells were incubated in the presence of serial dilutions of MSH peptides for 3 to 5 days. The melanin released into the medium of each well was then determined spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 405 nm using an automatic microplate reader calibrated against synthetic melanin. Studies with alpha-MSH, [Nle4, D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH, [3'-iodo-Tyr2]-alpha-MSH, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)(1-24), and ACTH(1-39) showed that the peptides had identical intrinsic activities and that the relative potencies were similar to those obtained with a tyrosinase assay. The EC50 of alpha-MSH was 27 pM, i.e., about five- to sevenfold lower than that in the assays for tyrosinase or intracellular melanin. Thus, the new assay represents the most sensitive melanoma cell assay for MSH available to date.
Citizenship Norms and the Expansion of Political Participation

A growing chorus of scholars laments the apparent decline of political participation in America, and the negative implications of this trend for American democracy. This article questions this position – arguing that previous studies misdiagnosed the sources of political change and the consequences of changing norms of citizenship for Americans' political engagement. Citizenship norms are shifting from a pattern of duty-based citizenship to engaged citizenship. Using data from the 2005 ‘Citizenship, Involvement, Democracy’ survey of the Center for Democracy and Civil Society (CDACS) I describe these two faces of citizenship, and trace their impact on political participation. Rather than the erosion of participation, this norm shift is altering and expanding the patterns of political participation in America.
Peer support and pager messaging to promote antiretroviral modifying therapy in Seattle: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To determine the relative efficacy of peer support and pager messaging strategies versus usual care to improve medication adherence and clinical outcomes among HIV-positive outpatients initiating or switching to a new highly active antiretroviral therapy regimen. Design: A 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial of a 3-month intervention with computer-assisted self-interviews and blood draws administered at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months. Methods: HIV-positive patients at a public HIV specialty clinic in Seattle, WA (N = 224) were randomly assigned to peer support, pager messaging, both strategies, or usual care. The main outcomes were adherence according to self-report and electronic drug monitoring, CD4 count, and HIV-1 RNA viral load. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses suggested the peer intervention was associated with greater self-reported adherence at immediate postintervention. However, these effects were not maintained at follow-up assessment; nor were there significant differences in biological outcomes. The pager intervention, on the other hand, was not associated with greater adherence but was associated with improved biological outcomes at postintervention that were sustained at follow-up. Conclusions: Analyses indicate the potential efficacy of peer support and pager messaging to promote antiretroviral adherence and biological outcomes, respectively. More potent strategies still are needed.
The cycloid relative-motion model and the kinematics of transform faulting

Abstract Adequate models of instantaneous plate tectonics currently exist; however, a model to describe the continuous relative motion of lithospheric plates during a finite time interval has been necessary. The small-circle relative-motion model suggests that a particle on a given plate follows a circular path around a pole of relative motion, as viewed from another plate during finite relative displacement. It can be shown that the small-circle model is not generally valid in describing the finite relative motion of plates, so this motion must trace a curve that is more complex than a circle. A new approach has been developed that permits improved modeling of finite relative plate motion. The first-order cycloid relative-motion model (CYC1) is based upon the idea that each plate is in motion around a plate-specific pole (elsewhere termed an “absolute” or “no-net-torque” pole). The observed relative motion between two plates is the result of the two plate-specific motions. Combining the two rotations, a point on one plate moves along a cycloid figure of rotation around two axes as viewed from another plate. A cycloid (a two-axis curve) is the simplest spherical curve that is more complex than a circle (a one-axis curve). The mathematical expression of cycloid relative motion involves a series of coordinate transformations. The small-circle model is a subset of the cycloid model. CYC1 indicates that significant variations in the direction and velocity of relative motion can occur even when the governing axial positions and angular velocities are constant. Hence, a variety of boundary interactions are possible during finite relative displacements that would not have been predicted by a small-circle model of finite relative plate motion. The cycloid model indicates that transform faults are not simply lines of pure slip along which crust is conserved. Systematic changes in the amount of convergence or divergence along the length of a given transform fault are predicted. This gradient is probably reflected in local boundary deformation, and is predicted to be a factor controlling the length of a given fault segment. Transform faults are generally in motion relative to the corresponding relative pole and plate-specific poles. The relative velocity along a given transform fault and the spreading rate across the adjacent ridge segments vary as the radius from the fault to its relative pole changes. The curvature of a given transform fault is also predicted to change with finite displacement, as the fault moves with respect to its relative pole. Motion of a given transform fault with respect to its relative pole and to the plates that it bounds suggests that the traces of the resulting fracture zones should be complex curves that are not symmetrical across the ridge axis. Improved modeling of finite relative plate motion should enhance understanding of the structural, stratigraphic, magmatic, and metamorphic evolution of plate margins.
Studies on the mutagenic action of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine in Paramecium aurelia with emphasis on repair processes ☆

Abstract In Paramecium aurelia , N -methyl- N '-nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)—like X-rays, UV light, triethylene melamine (TEM), and nitrogen mustard (HN 2 )—induces a maximal mutation yield if the paramecia are exposed at or just before the onset of DNA replication and little if any mutation when exposed just after replication. For MNNG, this period of very small or zero yield extends through mitosis and cytokinesis. The rate of repair as judged by the rate of increase in yield with increasing time between division and exposure during the G 1 period is appreciably greater than with either X-rays or TEM. Unlike the case with the other mutagens, streptomycin treatment begun immediately after exposure to MNNG, does not consistently decrease the mutation yield. Instead, a streptomycin treatment begun later during replication, increases the yield. The interpretation is made that MNNG, like the other mutagens, induces premutational damage that can be repaired up to the time of replication and is only then fixed as final mutation. The different response to streptomycin is interpreted, not as a basic difference between the mutagens, but as a consequence of the high rate of repair with MNNG. This could allow the inhibition of repair by streptomycin, which probably occurs for the other mutagens as well, to balance or overbalance the increased time for repair resulting from inhibition of DNA synthesis.
Effects of Thermal and Thermo-Mechanical Treatments on the Mechanical Properties of Centrifugally Cast Alloy 718

Abstract The ability of thermal and thermomechanical treatments to impart improved microstructural and mechanical properties to nickel-base engine components has been investigated for centrifugally cast alloy 718. The effects of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) or thermal homogenizing treatments on the tensile, creep and fatigue properties of cast alloy 718 were evaluated at 427, 538 and 649°C. The results indicated that either HIP or thermal homogenizing processing of the as-cast alloy, followed by an aging treatment, produced improved fatigue crack propagation resistance when compared on the basis of stress intensity factor range. Creep life and ductility were reduced by both processing treatments but to a lesser degree by the homogenizing treatment. The mechanical behavior of the HIP processed and homogenized material is discussed on the basis of microstructural changes produced in the as-cast alloy by the processing treatments.
Modeling and analysis of inter-symbol interference (ISI) jitter

This paper presents a novel modeling and analysis of inter-symbol interference (ISI)jitter in serial data channels either between chips or on chip. The simulation results show that ISI jitter is dependent on pole location, settling time, and damping ratio of the data serial channel. Based on the proposed ISI jitter model, the effect of the ISI jitter on other jitter components is illustrated along with realistic simulation results.
Total Energy Expenditure is Not Increased in Ventilator-Dependent Infants with BPD † 1398

It has been hypothesized that infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) may have increased metabolic rates compared to healthy infants. The purpose of this investigation was to investigate total energy expenditure (TEE) in a group of ventilator-dependent infants with severe BPD. We postulated that the largest increase TEE in infants with BPD relative to healthy infants should be found in this population. We compared a group of infants with severe BPD and a group of healthy, corrected age-matched controls (CTL). Patient characteristics are as follows: BPD, n=5, birthweight=785±198 gm, gestation=25.4±1.9 wk; age=8.4±1.0 mo; corrected age=4.8±0.6 mo; CTL, n=6, birthweight=3460±460 gm; gestation=40.0±0.0 wk; age=4.2±0.6 mo. All BPD infants required mechanical ventilation since the neonatal period and throughout the study. TEE and total body water (TBW) were measured by the doubly labeled water method over one week; and energy intake (EI) was calculated from water turnover correcting for metabolic rate and formula composition.
General flat four-dimensional world pictures and clock systems

We explore the mathematical structure and the physical implications of a general four-dimensional symmetry framework which is consistent with the Poincare—Einstein principle of relativity for physical laws and with experiments. In particular, we discuss a four-dimensional framework in which all observers in different frames use one and the same grid of clocks. The general framework includes special relativity and a recently proposed new four-dimensional symmetry with a nonuniversal light speed as two special simple cases. The connection between the properties of light propagation and the convention concerning clock systems is also discussed, and is seen to be nonunique within the four-dimensional framework.
Cold fusion back from the dead

The US Energy Department has renewed its efforts to investigate the prospects for cold fusion, the supposed generation of thermonuclear energy using tabletop apparatus. While critics say that the extravagant claims behind cold fusion need to be backed with exceptionally strong evidence, there has been a small group of dedicated researches who have continued to conduct investigations. Over the years, a number of groups around the world have reproduced the original Pons-Fleischmann excess heat effect, yielding sometimes as much as 250 percent of the energy put in. It appears that the results of all these research have convinced the DOE to give cold fusion another look.
Verbal Punishment of Disfluencies in Normal Speakers

Forty normal speakers were divided into two groups to study the effects of two types of verbal punishment of disfluencies. The two conditions, Random and Contingent, were divided into three segment...
Estimation Algorithms for Dynamic Tracer Studies Using Positron-Emission Tomography

Algorithms are developed for estimating statistics for use by parameter estimation algorithms in dynamic tracer studies utilizing positron-emission tomography and requiring high temporal resolution. Two types of statistics are considered. One can be used with the expectation-maximization algorithm to compute maximum likelihood parameter estimates, and the other computes a histogram of activity levels versus time for use with weighted least squares parameter estimation algorithms. An estimator of the variance of this histogram is also given. Variants for use with both time-of-flight and projection data collected at high frame rates are presented. The algorithms account for the effects of attenuation, randoms, detector efficiency, and nonuniform sampling.
Novel aspects of complement in kidney injury.

Complement activation is integral to the development and progression of multiple forms of kidney disease. The liver is the principal source of serum complement, but various kidney cell types and bone marrow–derived immune cells can produce a full array of complement proteins. Locally produced and activated complement yields cleavage products that function as vital intermediaries, amplifying inflammation in ischemia–reperfusion injury and transplant rejection, among other pathological states. Additional new studies indicate that during cognate T-cell–antigen presenting cell interactions, both cell types produce alternative pathway complement components. The resultant activation products have an essential role in T-cell activation, expansion, and differentiation, which in turn has a profound impact on the development of immune-mediated kidney disease. The recognition of an expanded role for kidney cell–derived and immune cell–produced complement as pathogenic to the kidney supports the need for future studies to test the efficacy of complement inhibitors in the prevention and/or treatment of selected kidney diseases.
Evaluation of a rapid reagent strip test for blood glucose determination in diarrheic calves.

Summary Sixty-three blood samples from 10 diarrheic calves were tested for glucose concentration by two methods. Plasma glucose concentration was measured by the conventional glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase method in the clinical laboratory, and the results compared to those obtained using a rapid reagent strip test for blood glucose concentration measurement. The rapid reagent strip test result could not be used to make an accurate prediction of the actual plasma glucose concentration as determined by the conventional method, due to the wide variability in actual plasma glucose concentrations corresponding to each rapid test result.
Rural‐Urban Differences in Access to Iowa Child Health Services*

: Indicators of access, utilization, and quality of available child health services as well as health status were obtained through a telephone survey of Iowa households with children under age six. These indicators were compared for rural-urban subsamples within an AFDC sample drawn from Iowa Department of Human Service files (N=637), and within poverty (N=129) and nonpoverty groups (N=631) drawn from the population of all households in the state with children under age six. About 55 percent of all households studied were rural. Rural households were generally larger than urban households, more likely to be intact maritally, white, and earning a living from farming. The findings support the hypothesis that place of residence has an impact on access, utilization, and quality of child health services over and above family income, although not always to the disadvantage of rural children. Typical problems for rural children, irrespective of income, were access to pediatric care, greater travel time to providers, and discontinuity of well care and sick care. Rural children in all income groups had lower seat belt use than urban children; they were also less likely to have well visits and their providers showed less attentiveness to behavioral and developmental issues at these visits. Rural residency exacerbated problems in access to care for low income children, who were less likely to be eligible for AFDC/ Medicaid than their urban counterparts. Medicaid coverage, however, did not eliminate rural-urban differences in receiving desired medical care.
A factor analysis and item response theory analysis of an employee honesty test

Although paper and pencil tests of employee honesty are becoming increasingly widespread in industry, a paucity of research exists regarding them. In a recent review of this literature, Sackett and Harris (1984) noted that scant psychometric evidence is available as to their merits or weaknesses. The aim of this paper is to report on the factor and item analysis of one such test. A principal axis solution and item response theory model (1-parameter) were used to examine the data. The factor analysis revealed four readily interpretable factors. With regard to the item analysis, the results indicated that on the whole most of the 40 items showed a reasonable fit to the model. The implications of this research are addressed.
A Prospective Analysis of Juvenile Male Sex Offenders Characteristics and Recidivism Rates as Adults

This research assesses the recidivism rates of a sample of 300 registered male sex offenders who were juveniles at the time of their initial arrest for a sex offense. This sample is followed for 3 to 6 years after they reached adulthood; recidivism rates are assessed during their adulthood only. The typical juvenile is a 15-year-old Caucasian male who was arrested for sexual assault or indecency with a child. The majority of the victims are females with an average age of 8. Although only 13 are rearrested during the follow-up period for a sex offense, more than half of the sample is arrested at least once for a nonsexual offense. The results of a Cox regression indicate that victim age, offender age, and victim sex are significant predictors of recidivism during adulthood.
Haystacks and hypotheses

This paper describes the EurekaSeek bibliometric technique for automated linked-literature analysis. The MEDLINE database of biomedical literature is iteratively searched in order to identify research opportunities in the form of conceptual linkages between terms. As a tool for identifying undiscovered public knowledge, EurekaSeek is a variation on the techniques of Swanson and Smalheiser. EurekaSeek uses medical subject headings instead of text analysis in a fully automated search process, thereby eliminating the reliance on expert input during the process of linking literatures. In this paper, the EurekaSeek process is tested by retroactively examining the co-occurrence of terms in the published literature. The hypothesis tested in this paper is whether this tool, had it existed in the past, could have identified conceptual linkages that occurred only later in the literature. In addition, EurekaSeek is compared against a process that considers all potential term-to-term relationships. The list of terms that EurekaSeek produces is a subset of all potential linked literature terms. The experiment shows that EurekaSeek produces a higher percentage of likely hypotheses than when all terms are considered. While the proportion of identified linkages generated is still too small for the process to be a practical aid to research, statistically significant results were achieved. Metaphorically speaking, EurekaSeek identifies a higher proportion of needles per haystack.
Rooming-in for elderly surgical patients

Elderly patients are at risk for developing acute confusion during hospitalization. Rooming-in, an intervention frequently used for pediatric patients, was compared to usual care in a sample of 24 elderly patients hospitalized for orthopedic surgery. Although confusion during hospitalization, complicate rate, and length of stay did not differ between patients who did and did not have rooming-in, the family members and friends who roomed in were very satisfied with the experience. These findings suggest that rooming-in is feasible and highly satisfactory to the patient's family and/or friends.
Intra-articular entrapment of the median nerve after elbow dislocation in children

Two cases of intra-articular median nerve entrapment after reduction of elbow dislocations in children are described. The diagnosis of median nerve entrapment is often delayed. A proximal median nerve deficit, limited passive elbow motion, and an associated medial epicondyle avulsion after reduction of a child's posterior elbow dislocation should alert the surgeon to the possibility of nerve entrapment. Optimal management of this problem consists of early surgical exploration and nerve release.
Power of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale in Assessing Stroke Systems of Care

The timely article by Fonarow and colleagues in this issue of JAHA reports the findings from the largest study to date on the relation of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score with 30-day mortality rate in patients hospitalized for acute ischemic stroke.[1][1] Prior smaller,
Kids, candy, brain and behavior: Age differences in responses to candy gains and losses

a b s t r a c t The development of reward-related neural systems, from adolescence through adulthood, has received much recent attention in the developmental neuroimaging literature. How- ever, few studies have investigated behavioral and neural responses to both gains and losses in pre-pubertal child populations. To address this gap in the literature, in the present study healthy children aged 7-11 years and young-adults completed an fMRI card-guessing game using candy pieces delivered post-scan as an incentive. Age differences in behavioral and neural responses to candy gains/losses were investigated. Adults and children displayed similar responses to gains, but robust age differences were observed following candy losses within the caudate, thalamus, insula, and hippocampus. Interestingly, when task behavior was included as a factor in post hoc mediation analyses, activation following loss within the caudate/thalamus related to task behavior and relationships with age were no longer signif- icant. Conversely, relationships between response to loss and age within the hippocampus and insula remained significant even when controlling for behavior, with children showing heightened loss responses within the dorsal/posterior insula. These results suggest that both age and task behavior influence responses within the extended reward circuitry, and that children seem to be more sensitive than adults to loss feedback particularly within the
E-RoC: Embedded RAIDs-on-Chip for low power distributed dynamically managed reliable memories

The dual effects of larger die sizes and technology scaling, combined with aggressive voltage scaling for power reduction, increase the error rates for on-chip memories. Traditional on-chip memory reliability techniques (e.g., ECC) incur significant power and performance overheads. In this paper, we propose a low-power-and-performance-overhead Embedded RAID (E-RAID) strategy and present Embedded RAIDs-on-Chip (E-RoC), a distributed dynamically managed reliable memory subsystem. E-RoC achieves reliability through redundancy by optimizing RAID-like policies tuned for on-chip distributed memories. We achieve on-chip reliability of memories through the use of distributed dynamic scratch pad allocatable memories (DSPAMs) and their allocation policies. We exploit aggressive voltage scaling to reduce power consumption overheads due to parallel DSP AM accesses, and rely on the E-RoC manager to automatically handle any resulting voltage-scaling-induced errors. Our experimental results on multimedia benchmarks show that E-RoC's fully distributed redundant reliable memory subsystem reduces power consumption by up to 85% and latency up to 61 % over traditional reliability approaches that use parity/cyclic hybrids for error checking and correction.
The state of nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO2) may affect sunscreen performance.

Synopsis In the past several years, there has been a trend in the sunscreen/cosmetics industry to replace micron-sized titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles with nanoscale materials. The increased use of nanoscale TiO2 has resulted in questions about these and other nanoproducts. This study examines the effects of using nanoscale TiO2 on ultraviolet (UV) attenuation in simple to complex sunscreen formulations. UV light attenuation, product stability, and potential damage to the skin barrier were examined with both nanoscale and microscale TiO2 particles. Results indicate that none of the formulations decreased the barrier function of the skin and the best UV attenuation occurs when the TiO2 particles are stabilized with a coating and evenly distributed such as with non-agglomerated coated nanoscale materials. This indicates that nanoscale TiO2 may have better efficacy while lacking toxicity. Resume Au cours des dernieres annees, nous avons constate une tendance dans l’industrie solaire/cosmetique pour le remplacement des particules micron-taille de dioxyde de titane (TiO2) avec des materiaux de nano-echelle. L’utilisation accrue des particules de TiO2 l’echelle du nanometre a engendre des questions sur tous les produits contenant des materiaux nano-echelle. Cette etude examine les effets de l’utilisation de particule de TiO2 a l’echelle du nanometre sur l’attenuation des rayons UV dans les formulations de creme solaire simple et complexe. Nous avons etudie l’attenuation de la luminosite ultraviolet (UV), la stabilite du produit et les effets sur la fonction barriere de la peau, avec les particules de TiO2 nano-echelle et micro-echelle. Les resultats indiquent que les particules a l’echelle du nanometre, enduits et non-agglomere, fournissent une excellente attenuation UV, sans diminuer la fonction barriere de la peau. Ceci suggere que les particules de TiO2 a l’echelle du nanometre ont une meilleure efficacite, sans poser des inquietudes en ce qui concerne leur securite.
Fiber-Based Magneto-Optic Sagnac Optical Modulator

In this paper, a fiber-based, magneto-optic (MO) optical modulator based on Sagnac interferometry is proposed. The system uses a Faraday rotator to produce optical modulation with low magnetic fields. The Sagnac geometry allows for increased modulation at lower fields than traditional MO modulators. A formulation of the system is provided using Jones calculus. Experimental results at 1550 nm using single mode fiber are reported, including a discussion of dynamic range and effect of magnetic field strength. Theoretical and practical advantages and limitations are discussed. Methods for improving modulation speed, dynamic range, and performance are presented.
An Unexpected Cause of an Infiltrative Liver Mass

Question: A 73-year-old man with history of obesity, diabetes, and recently diagnosed cryptogenic cirrhosis is admitted to the hospital for progressively worsening ascites and altered mental status. He had been living in El Salvador for the past 6 years and had recently returned to the United States. The patient denies significant alcohol use but had a history of obesity throughout his adult life, with a body mass index of >40 kg/m. The patient’s home medications included Furosemide, spironolactone, and metformin. He reported frequent ingestion of the herb Chipilin (Crotalaria longirostrata). Physical examination revealed icteric sclera, moderate abdominal distention without tenderness, and asterixis. Laboratory studies demonstrated an alanine aminotransferase of 100 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase of 139 U/L, alkaline phosphatase of 138 U/L, total bilirubin of 16.0 mg/dL, albumin of 3.1 g/dL, platelet count of 99,000/UL, and International Normalized Ratio of 2.6. Hepatitis B and C serologies were negative and alpha-fetoprotein level was normal. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed hepatomegaly with a nodular liver contour and without fatty infiltration of the liver. Additionally, diffuse, heterogeneous signal intensity was seen primarily in the right hepatic lobe, with heterogeneous enhancement and washout pattern, suggestive of an infiltrative malignancy (Figure A). The hepatic veins and portal veins were patent (Figure B). A targeted, computed tomography–guided liver biopsy was performed (Figure C, D). Based on the clinical scenario, imaging, and pathologic findings, what is the diagnosis? See the Gastroenterology web site (www.gastrojournal.org) for more information on submitting your favorite image to Clinical Challenges and Images in GI.
Achieving Linguistic Clarity: A Model to Aid Translations

An international validation study of selected NANDA nursing diagnoses prompted the development of a linguistic model for standardizing and operationalizing the defining characteristics. The translation of NANDA-approved defining characteristics into Portuguese illuminated problems related to the way that sentences, phrases, and words are used. Defining characteristics were reduced into the simplest linguistic components--words. In Portuguese translation, all of the major NANDA-defining characteristics were classified into two alphabetized lists as single-word phenomena/states or qualifiers. Linguistic standardization permitted similar expressions of the defining characteristics in Portuguese and English.
Allergenic and biologic activity of commercial preparations of house dust extract

The endotoxin, protein nitrogen unit (PNU) content, and allergenic activity of seven different extracts of house dust were determined. The PNU content varied from 1,600 to 44,000 PNU/ml. The endotoxin content as measured by the limulus assay varied from 450 to 500,000 ng/ml. Pyrogenic activity was present by rabbit fever assay and correlated well with the limulus assay. There was no correlation between endotoxin and PNU content of the different dust preparations. Leukocytes from 15 patients with a clinical history of allergy to dust were used for histamine release studies. The allergenic activity did not correlate with the PNU or endotoxin content of the different house dust preparations. The dust extracts could be divided into three groups according to their activities: three extracts which were the most reactive (30% histamine release with 0.12 to 0.39 PNU/ml), two which were about 20 times less active (4.75 to 6.43 PNU/ml for 30% histamine release), and a final group of two which were about 600 times less active. The leukocytes of three out of 15 patients failed to release histamine with one of these least reactive extracts. The reactivity pattern of five of the dust preparations appeared to correlate, suggesting that the different preparations contained the same allergens. Reactivities of two of the other extracts correlated poorly, and the reactivity of the least reactive sample did not correlate with six out of the seven preparations. Therefore, some dust preparations contain significant endotoxin-like material. Wide variations in the endotoxin, PNU content, allergenic activity, and reactivity patterns of different dust preparations were observed.