cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation of a disease-specific care plan changes clinician behaviors ☆ ☆☆ ★ ★★

Abstract The study objective was to determine the impact on quality of care, resource use, and outcomes by developing an emergency department (ED)-based asthma-specific care plan. The design was a time based, prospective cohort and set at an urban university/trauma center, EM residency site, combined adult/pediatric department. Best practice was defined prospectively for ED asthma patients, leading to an asthma care plan (ACP). Triage nurses were instructed to begin use of ACP when patients presented with asthma as the primary complaint. Charts of all patients diagnosed with asthma during 3-month study period were retrospectively reviewed against predefined outcomes. Results were analyzed with χ 2 or student's t tests. After ACP introduction, the timeliness of β agonist treatments (three β agonist treatments within 90 minutes; 86% versus 63%, P P P P P P
Symbiosis, selection, and individuality

A recent development in biology has been the growing acceptance that holobionts, entities comprised of symbiotic microbes and their host organisms, are widespread in nature. There is agreement that holobionts are evolved outcomes, but disagreement on how to characterize the operation of natural selection on them. The aim of this paper is to articulate the contours of the disagreement. I explain how two distinct foundational accounts of the process of natural selection give rise to competing views about evolutionary individuality.
Toward escape from the limitations of economic systems analysis: Introduction of dimensionality

There is an inherent limitation in the reductive economic systems analysis that prevents its applicability to complex socio-economic systems. In this paper, it is found that: (1) the concept of dimensionality, set forth by Warfield, provides us with a conceptual framework for modeling complex socio-economic systems; and (2) the resultant dimensional analysis provides us with important insights that are not obtainable with other methods. The techniques of dimensional analysis are also discussed.
A novel approach for the identification of unique tumor vasculature binding peptides using an E. coli peptide display library.

Background: Tumor neovascularization is necessary for continued tumor growth and metastasis. During the process of endothelial cell (EC) recruitment and tumor infiltration, specific molecular markers unique for this interaction are expressed on the EC surface. Targeting these molecular markers would, in effect, allow for specific tumor targeting. Tripeptide sequence motifs have previously been reported that will bind to angiogenic tumor ECs. These sequences were identified from in vivo phage peptide display libraries. The purpose of this study was to use a more simplified bacterial peptide display library in an in vitro system to seek out peptide motifs with unique binding to tumor microvasculature.
A validated community-based survey to measure surgical epidemiology in northern Rwanda

INTRODUCTION: Community-based surveillance methods to monitor epidemiological progress in surgery have not yet been employed for surgical capacity building. The goals of this study are twofold: to create a validated survey tool to easily measure surgical disease; and to accurately define the surgical epidemiology of a catchment population for a Partners In Health-supported district hospital in northern Rwanda.
Hemispheric specialization for syntactic form.

Abstract Pure nouns, verb-derived nouns, category-ambiguous words, and adjectives, all ending in - er , and matched for low and moderate-high frequency, were presented in each visual field to 24 normal, right-handed females. The four word classes were recognized at the same rate in the LVF, and at a significantly higher rate in the RVF. Contrary to earlier reports, there were no differences among pure nouns, verb-derived nouns, and category-ambiguous words, and effects appeared to be independent of word frequency. Neither hemisphere was demonstrated to give preferential access to the syntactic forms tested.
Growth of a vapour film at a rapidly heated plane surface

Abstract An apparently new similarity transformation is presented for a class of extended one-dimensional Stefan problems involving phase density variations, such as vaporization of liquid at the surface of a rapidly-heated plate. After transforming to Lagrangian coordinates, a similarity variable is introduced, and appropriate initial and boundary conditions deduced. The resulting ordinary differential equation is numerically integrated, and is also solved by a method of successive approximations after conversion into a non-linear Volterra integral equation. Solutions are presented for both saturated and subcooled initial liquid temperatures.
Extending partial colorings of graphs

Abstract Recently, several authors have considered the problem of extending a partial coloring of a graph to a complete coloring. We show how similar results can be extracted from old proofs on recursive colorings of highly recursive graphs.
Modelling of planar transmission-type diffraction gratings compatible with synchrotron radiation sources

Abstract This paper describes a comprehensive modelling scheme for idealized rectangular transmission gratings of arbitrary dimensions placed at arbitrary angles to the irradiating beam. The beam parameters are those of an arbitrary synchrotron source radiating past a series of mirrors and slits. The geometrical effects of the mirrors and slits on the beam characteristics are calculated by the methods of phase-space analysis. The particular aspects of grating performance that are determined by the computer program are the output intensity spectrum and the power loading in the grating structure. Though gratings of any material may be analyzed by the program, the material analyzed and utilized to date has been gold. Two items of particular interest that are discussed in this paper are modelled blazing effects and modelled thermal loading of the grating structure under high flux conditions.
The tax protein-DNA interaction is essential for HTLV-I transactivation in vitro.

The human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-I)-encoded Tax protein enhances viral gene transcription through interaction with three repeated DNA elements located in the viral promoter. These elements, called viral CREs, are composed of an off-consensus eight base-pair cyclic AMP response element (CRE), immediately flanked by sequences that are rich in guanine and cytosine residues. Recent biochemical experiments have demonstrated that in the presence of the cellular protein CREB, Tax directly binds the viral CRE G+C-rich sequences via interaction with the minor groove. To determine the functional significance of the Tax-DNA interaction, we synthesized minor groove-binding pyrrole-imidazole polyamides which bind specifically to the G+C-rich sequences in the viral CREs. At concentrations where the polyamides specifically protect the G+C-rich sequences from MPE:Fe cleavage, the polyamides block the Tax-DNA interaction. At precisely these same concentrations, the polyamides specifically inhibit Tax transactivation in vitro, without altering CREB-activated transcription or basal transcription from the same promoter. Together, these data provide strong evidence that Tax-viral CRE interaction is essential for Tax function in vitro, and suggest that targeted disruption of the Tax-DNA minor groove interaction with polyamides may provide a novel approach for inhibiting viral replication in vivo.
Fourier-finite element analysis of pavements under moving vehicular loading

With the goal of predicting progressive pavement distress (damage and rutting) under millions of cycles of moving vehicular loading, an efficient analysis framework is developed by combining the ideas of Fourier transform, finite element discretisation and time-scale separation. Using the simple observation of time-scale separation between evolution of pavement damage/rutting, temperature variation and traffic load variation, the analysis under millions of cycles is reduced to a few hundred analyses of stress and strain evolution under a single cycle of moving load. A new method called Fourier-finite element (FFE) method is proposed for each independent stress analysis. Essentially, Fourier analysis is used to eliminate the time dimension as well as the spatial dimension in the direction of traffic, reducing the problem to a set of two-dimensional problems, which are in turn solved using the finite element method (FEM). The FFE method is more efficient than direct three-dimensional (3D) FEM by orders of m...
Neuropharmacological analysis of handling-induced seizures in gerbils

Abstract Several studies were conducted to evaluate the suitability of handling-induced seizures of the Mongolian gerbil for pharmacological screening purposes. Seizure behavior remained consistent during repeated daytime testing at weekly intervals. When tested at night, seizure magnitude and frequency increased significantly from daytime scores and animals maintained the higher baseline with repeated nocturnal testing. Drug testing of seizure sensitive gerbils revealed that 4 of the 5 vehicles, including water, significantly inhibited seizure activity; only saline had no effect. Four prototypical anticonvulsant drugs reduced seizure activity: diphenylhydantoin (150 mg/kg), pentobarbital (20–40 mg/kg), phenobarbital 10–80 mg/kg) and ethosuximide (500 mg/kg). Trimethadione was ineffective while diazepam and carbamazepine could not be evaluated. Two drugs with dopaminergic activity, amphetamine (4 mg/kg) and apomorphine (16 mg/kg), reduced seizure severity; apomorphine also reduced seizure frequency. The dopaminergic antagonist, haloperidol, (1 mg/kg) exacerbated seizure severity from control levels while alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine had no significant effect. The results indicate that complex interactions between non-specific behavioral and pharmacological factors may limit the reliability of this model.
Characterization of connective tissue progenitors through phase contrast and multicolor fluorescence time-lapse microscopy

Connective tissue progenitors (CTPs) are defined as the heterogeneous population of tissue resident stem and progenitor cells capable of proliferating and differentiating into connective tissue phenotypes. The prevalence and variation in clonal progeny of CTPs can be characterized using a colony formation assay. However, colony assays do not directly assess the characteristics of the colony founding CTP. We developed a large field of view, time lapse microscopy system with phase contrast and fluorescence capabilities that enables tracking from seeding through colony formation. Cells derived from the trabecular surface of bone were prepared and seeded in an Ibidi-Ph+ chamber slide. Phase contrast images of the slide were obtained every hour using a DMI6000 Leica microscope, 10X objective, and Retiga 2000R camera. Cells were stained using fluorescent antibodies for multiple markers at the time of plating to determine marker expression on seeded cells and re-stained to determine expression on their progeny. Colonies were identified and characterized using automated image processing and quantitative analysis methods. Following colony identification, the time lapse was reversed to identify and characterize the colony founding CTP according to morphology and marker expression. As a representative example, a CD73 + /CD90 - /CD105 - and a CD73 + /CD90 + /CD105 - CTP resulted in a colony with an area of 3720826 microns 2 and percent area expression of 2.98%, 3.62%, and 1.13% for CD73, CD90, and CD105, respectively. This method can be used to study CTPs and other stem and progenitor cell populations to benefit point-of-care methods for assay and isolation in cell based therapies.
Fall-Prevention Pilot: Hazard Survey and Responses to Recommendations

This work reports a partial inventory of fall hazards for community-dwelling elders and characterizes older adult responses to fall prevention. Thirty-five seniors living in their homes participated in a fall-prevention initiative designed to identify hazards and make recommendations. Fifteen external hazards were identified and operationalized, and between one and four changes were reported per home in 18 of 22 homes, consistent with recommendations; however, most of the recommendations were unrelated to the cause of later participant falls. Considering the varied circumstances of falls in the community, we question the wisdom of designating specific risk posed by individual hazards and encourage future investigation on the merits of multifaceted evaluation and intervention including the consideration of combinations and interactions of hazards as well as raising caution and awareness.
Contact metallurgy for shallow junction Si devices

A contact metallization is described that allows Al interconnection metallization to be used for shallow junction Si devices. Junction penetration by Al during heat treatment of devices is avoided by using a layer of Pd2Si in the contact window between the Al and the Si. In this manner junctions as shallow as 0.2 μm can be contacted that are able to withstand moderate periods of annealing at 400 °C without degradation. Metallurgical changes occurring in the contact region during heat treatment have been investigated. An intermetallic phase, Al3Pd, is found to form which reduces the Si diffusion from the contact region into the Al and contributes to a uniform Si loss over the whole contact region. Thus the ∼1‐μm‐deep Al penetrations that otherwise occur at spots within the contact region and cause the junction degradation are eliminated. The usefulness of Al interconnection metallization is thereby extended to shallower junction devices.
Bullying and the older nurse.

AIM: The purpose of this article is to discuss bullying from the perspective of the older nurse. BACKGROUND: Inappropriate behaviours, such as bullying, are being scrutinised in health care because of the potential negative impact on patient care and safety and worker wellbeing and satisfaction. Although this phenomenon is often referred to as 'nurses eating their young', the implications for the older nurse cannot be ignored. EVALUATION: The work environment is instrumental in the retention of workers. Older nurses are essential for knowledge transfer. When developing strategies to retain the older worker, issues such as bullying need to be examined. KEY ISSUES: Without proper identification and the willingness of management to acknowledge it, bullying may become a cultural norm. Once this occurs, it is necessary to examine the underlying structures that support its continued presence. Hierarchical and disempowering work environments may be contributors. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses of all ages can be affected by bullying, so empowering initiatives need to be developed to prevent perpetuation and victimisation. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: To prevent bullying, initiatives that recognise the skills and knowledge that nurses contribute to patient care need to be developed. Language: en
Beyond Plain Language: A Learner-Centered Approach to Pattern Jury Instructions

Before a jury begins deliberation, judges provide instructions to guide jury decision-making. Unfortunately, extant literature has demonstrated poor comprehension of these instructions. Although there have been attempts to simplify the language of these instructions, plain language may not be enough to ensure comprehension. Instead, the principles of technical communication advocate the adoption of a learner-centered perspective and suggest increased novice–expert interactions to assist jurors in comprehending the task assigned to them.
Training the psychiatrist in residential treatment.

Let me preface my remarks about the training of psychiatrists in residential treatment by a number of definitions. First, for "psychiatrists" read "psychiatric residents and fellows in child psychiatry." That part of the definition is important, for it is a debatable issue whether psychiatric residents should indeed be allowed within operational distance of a residential treatment center. And for the definition of "residential treatment center" read both the "conventional inpatient facility" plus a strong bias in favor of "an associated children's outpatient clinic from whence patients might be admitted and whither, in turn, they might eventually be discharged." Now, as to the definition of training, I shall quickly pass over anything that involves a three-week or three-month association between a psychiatric trainee and residential treatment center (this is an educational horror that does not bear lengthy contemplation) and pass on to begin my discussion about a minimum contact period of six months between training matrix and trainee. Six months is merely an excruciatingly painful experience for all concerned and does not provoke the reaction of paralyzed frustration that shorter so-called teaching experiences evoke. Actually, a significant increment of such teaching and learning should continue for at least a year if a really useful and assimilable piece of education is the goal. In creating a program for a trainee, colleagues often consider it advantageous to expose him to as many settings and as many differ-
Glacial–Holocene salinity changes in the Mediterranean Sea: hydrographic and depositional effects

OXYGEN isotope changes as recorded by Pleistocene foraminifera from open-ocean sediments are primarily a function of changes in the isotopic composition of the global seawater reservoir caused by ice-volume changes, with a secondary temperature component1. Oxygen isotope records from marginal basins such as the Gulf of Mexico2, the Mediterranean Sea3–5 and the Red Sea6 also exhibit the global signal but are far more complicated owing to the strong overprint of local climate conditions. In particular, glacial–interglacial changes in continental aridity and river runoff produce significant salinity changes in these semi-enclosed basins. Using available oxygen isotope records we estimate that glacial (18,000 yr BP) salinities in the eastern and western Mediterranean Sea were 2.7‰ and 1.2‰ higher, respectively, than at present. These elevated glacial salinities played an important part in preconditioning the eastern Mediterranean for the eventual accumulation of organic carbon-rich sediments (sapropels) at the end of deglaciation.
The International Trade in Toxic Waste: The Case of Sihanoukville, Cambodia

In December 1998, 2,700 metric tons of industrial waste containing high levels of mercury and other metals and possibly other toxic compounds were shipped illegally from Taiwan to Sihanoukville, Cambodia. There the waste was unloaded and transferred to a nearby inland dumpsite. An estimated 2,000 Sihanoukville residents were exposed to the waste occupationally or environmentally, and at least six deaths and hundreds of injuries have been associated with the incident. The authors describe the human exposures and associated morbidity and mortality, recount the medical and public health response, and consider the issues complicating epidemiologic analysis of the incident. They also consider the major issues highlighted by the incident, including the trade in toxic waste between developed and less developed countries, the factors that shape emergency public health responses in resource-poor environments, and the importance of prevention and preparedness in containing emergencies in developing countries.
The Diagnostic Accuracy of a Clinical Examination in Determining Intra-articular Hip Pain for Potential Hip Arthroscopy Candidates

Purpose: One purpose of this study was to determine whether signs and symptoms could identify when a majority of the hip pain was originating from intra-articular sources in potential arthroscopic surgery candidates. The second purpose was to quantify pain reduction after an anesthetic intra-articular injection in those with potential labral pathology. Methods: Subjects with hip pain being evaluated by an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hip arthroscopy were prospectively enrolled in the study. Clinical examination results were recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were calculated to determine their accuracy in identifying those who would have greater than 50% pain relief from those with 50% pain relief or less. Results: We enrolled 105 subjects in this study. An anesthetic intra-articular injection was performed in 49 potential candidates for arthroscopic surgery (47%). The mean age in these 49 subjects was 42 years (SD, 15 years; range, 18 to 68 years), with 25 men (51%) and 24 women (49%). According to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) arthrogram, 18 individuals had a definite labral tear, 29 had a possible tear, and 2 had no labral tears. In those with definite tears or possible tears, 39% (n = 7) and 45% (n = 13), respectively, did not achieve a greater than 50% reduction of pain. Groin pain, clicking, pinching pain with sitting, lateral thigh pain, flexion abduction external rotation test, flexion–internal rotation–adduction test, and trochanteric tenderness were not useful in identifying those with greater than 50% pain relief from those with 50% relief or less. Conclusions: The symptoms and signs investigated in this study did not accurately or consistently identify subjects with primary intra-articular pain sources. Furthermore, candidates for hip arthroscopy with a labral tear identified on MRI arthrogram had varied responses to anesthetic intra-articular injection. Therefore all labral tears identified on MRI arthrogram may not be a major contributor to patients' pain complaints, and medical personnel should look for other causes of pain. Level of Evidence: Level III, diagnostic study of nonconsecutive patients (without consistently applied gold standard).
Metabotropic glutamate receptors and cancerous growth

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) represent a class of therapeutic targets that have been widely exploited for drug designs and development. Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) belong to Class C GPCRs and are predominantly involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS). The surprising accumulating evidence suggesting other functional roles of mGluRs in human malignancies in addition to synaptic transmission has presented intriguing possibilities to make mGluRs putative novel targets for human cancers. Since our group first described the aberrant expression of mGluR1 as the driving force in melanomagenesis in transgenic mouse models, other subtypes of mGluRs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various cancer types such as malignant gliomas and medulloblastomas. As such, increased efforts have been generated to elucidate the mechanisms by which mGluRs confer oncogenic potentials. Current knowledge on the participation of various mGluRs in several human cancers suggests that mGluRs are "druggable" members of the GPCR superfamily and their oncogenic implications in cancer, so further understanding on anti-mGluR strategies will be beneficial.
Simultaneous determination of catecholamines and unconjugated 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid in brain tissue by ion-pairing reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A rapid, sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous assay of catecholamines and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid in rat brain tissue. The method is simple, involving only tissue disruption, adsorption of the catechols onto alumina, desorption, and injection into a reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography system. Selectivity and high sensitivity are obtained using electrochemical detection. The addition of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid determination to assays for catecholamines allows one to observe effects of pharmacological maniqulations on in vivo monoamine oxidase activity and/or turnover of dopamine as well as effects on catecholamine concentrations.
Differences between cell division and carbon fixation rates associated with light intensity and oxygen concentration: Implications in the cultivation of an estuarine diatom

The effect of light intensity and oxygen concentration on the growth of an estuarine diatom was investigated. Differences between rates of cell division and net carbon fixation were found to be dependent upon light intensity and oxygen concentration. Under conditions favoring large differences between cell division and net carbon fixation cultures of Thalassiosira pseudonana clone 3H depart from exponential and enter stationary phase at low cell concentrations. It is suggested that single cell algae may not be able to balance maintenance, growth, and division outside a fairly narrow range of environmental conditions.
Effect of noise masking on the brain-stem and middle-latency auditory evoked potentials: central and peripheral components.

Abstract Brain-stem (BAEP) and middle-latency (MLAEP) auditory evoked potentials were recorded in zero noise and in 3 levels of continuous ipsilateral broadband noise. New information is presented on the efefcts of noise on BAEP wave I. Latency of wave I was not changed by increasing noise, but wave V latency linearly increased. Amplitude of waves I and V decreased non-linearly. The amplitude decrease was equivalent for both waves and occured only at the higher noise levels. The dissociation of latency effcets fior waves I and V indicates a central component for the effect of noise on latency. The parallel amplitude change for waves I and V suggests a largely peripheral component.. The MLAEP Pa latency also increased with increasing noise further supporting a central mechanism.
Laser-induced fluorescence measurement of argon in argon-xenon plasma sheath boundary with tunable diode laser

Summary form only given. The Bohm sheath criterion in single and two-species plasma is studied with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) using a diode laser. Xenon is added to a low pressure argon unmagnetized DC hot filament discharge confined by surface multidipole magnetic fields. The argon II transition sequence at 668.614 nm is adopted for optical pumping to detect the fluorescence from the plasma. The laser diagnostic system is first calibrated with an iodine cell and wavelength meter because of its small mode-hop free regions. The regions of the plasma sheath and presheath are determined from the plasma potential profile measured by an emissive probe. The ion concentrations of the two-species in the bulk plasma are calculated from measured ion acoustic wave phase velocity. The measured phase velocity combined with the argon data from LIF is used to determine the xenon ion velocity. The spatial profiles of ion drift velocities are compared to predictions of mobility-limited flow velocities and to the generalized Bohm sheath criterion
Symmetry in retrosynthetic analysis:(±)-pentalenolactone e methyl ester

Abstract A simple route to the sesquiterpene antibiotic pentalenolactone 3 has been established. Thus, spiroannulation of 4,4-dimethyl cyclohexanone with bis -(2-iodoethyl)ether, followed by diazo transfer and Wolff rearrangement, gives acid 6. Homologation to the corresponding β-ketoester, followed by diazo transfer and Rh-mediated intramolecular C-H insertion, then gives ester 8. Reduction of 8 followed by dehydration leads to the α,β unsaturated ester, which on exposure to CrO3 in acetic acid is oxidized preferentially at the less hindered methylene. α-Methylenation then completes the synthesis of 1.
Measurements of the duration of constant reflected-shock temperaturein a reflected shock tunnel

Carbon dioxide IR radiation measurements of duration of constant reflected shock temperature in overtailored shock tunnel
Dynamics and Thermodynamics of a Free-Piston Expander-Compressor

In a free-piston expander-compressor (FPEC) the work of an expanding gas or vapor is used to compress another gas or vapor through a direct connection of one piston-cylinder assembly to another, without rotary motion. Each section of the FPEC operates like the piston-cylinder of a shaft-connected reciprocating machine. The expander section operates like that of a steam engine: high-pressure gas or vapor is freely admitted through part of the expansion process, but stopped at the “cutoff” part way through the expansion. The compressor section is like that of a shaft-driven reciprocating compressor: low-pressure gas is admitted during the intake stroke, compressed during the compression stroke, and then discharged when it has reached the downstream high pressure. The design of an FPEC is complicated by the fact that the expander and compressor have different relationships between force and position. The force on the expander piston decreases as the stroke progresses, while that on the compressor piston increases. The force difference must be made up by momentum change of the pistons and connecting rod, which accelerate in the early part of the stroke and decelerate in the latter part. The balance between the expanding fluid, the moving mass, and the compressed fluid can be described either dynamically (force and momentum) or thermodynamically (work and energy). It is shown that the mechanical design (piston areas, stroke, oscillating mass, and frequency) of an idealized FPEC is highly constrained by the thermodynamics of the high-pressure stream expansion and the low-pressure stream compression. For simple cases, dynamic models in differential equation form can be compared to thermodynamic analyses in algebraic form. The thermodynamic models provide a baseline design point for an ideal FPSE. The dynamic models can then be used to study non-ideal cases.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Anteroposterior skeletal change: Growth modification

Abstract The process of establishing a treatment plan requires an assessment oftherapeutic modifiability, the potential for change by means of orthodontic mechanotherapy. Unfortunately, the availability of reliable data regarding treatment outcome is limited due to problems of study design, clinician bias, and variability of facial growth in patients. In particular, assessment of sagittal growth modification is difficult because disputes regarding methodology and differences in patient response produce indistinct and sometimes conflicting conclusions about the phenomena understudy. Also, physiologic recovery after an orthopedic intervention may reduce the amount of change finally realized. Differences in skeletal effects between treatment modalities have been shown in the literature, but must be interpreted with caution.
Localization and Quantification of Platelet-Rich Thrombi in Large Blood Vessels With Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging

Background— Imaging of thrombus formation in vivo has been limited by the inability to directly visualize and measure thrombi in large blood vessels in real time. Near-infrared light, with its superior tissue penetration and reduced scatter, could potentially solve this problem. Methods and Results— Platelets were labeled with the near-infrared fluorophore IR-786. Optimal total fluorescence yield occurred at 6 attomoles of IR-786 per platelet. IR-786–labeled platelets were tested for their ability to detect thrombus formation in large animal model systems relevant to common human vascular procedures. Invisible near-infrared light did not distort the surgical field in any way, and even after optimization of per-platelet fluorescent yield, platelets remained fully functional. Intravenous infusion of just 3.6×1010 labeled platelets into a 35-kg Yorkshire pig permitted thrombus visualization, with a signal-to-background ratio ≥2, for at least 2 hours in coronary, carotid, and femoral vessels. Platelet-rich, a...
Structure-function approach to vector-boson scattering in pp collisions.

We discuss weak-vector-boson scattering, at next-to-leading order in QCD within the framework of hadronic structure functions. We use this approach to calculate the Higgs-boson production cross section via vector-boson fusion at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and the Superconducting Super Collider; we find a modest increase over the leading-order prediction. We also give expressions for the distribution of vector bosons in a proton (effective-W approximation) including O(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathit{s}}$) corrections.
Bank runs and international financial instability revisited

Abstract This paper examines how an increase in international borrowing changes the probability of bank runs or currency crises under the fixed exchange rate regime. Capital inflows with a negative cross-border return differential may increase the probability of runs.
The Effects of Direct Versus Indirect Hypnotic Suggestion on Pain in a Cold Pressor Task

Past studies have investigated the usefulness of hypnosis in pain reduction. Although hypnotic analgesia has been found to be effective, it is generally only those subjects who are highly susceptible to hypnosis who benefit. Some experimenters have found that even low-susceptible subjects can use hypnotic analgesia, if the hypnotic induction uses indirect rather than direct hypnotic suggestions. In the present study, high- and low-susceptible subjects were tested for analgesia using either direct or indirect hypnotic suggestion on pain in a cold pressor task. Findings suggest that high susceptibles experience greater pain reduction than do low susceptibles. However, no significant differences were found between the pain reduction in the direct versus the indirect hypnotic suggestion groups. Possible explanations for this lack of differences are discussed.
An Aspect-driven Social Media Explorer

We demonstrate an exploration tool that organizes social media content under diverse aspects enabling comprehensive explorations. Unlike existing approaches that group content by trending topics, we present a holistic view of diverse and relevant content with respect to a given query.
Differential screening and suppression subtractive hybridization identified genes differentially expressed in an estrogen receptor-positive breast carcinoma cell line

Differences in gene expression are likely to explain the phenotypic differences between hormone-responsive and hormone-unresponsive breast cancer. We have identified differentially expressed cDNAs in the estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF7 breast carcinoma cell line compared with the ER-negative MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell line. Differential screening isolated four differentially expressed genes: cytokeratin 8, cytokeratin 18, Hsp27 and GPCR -Br. To identify differentially expressed genes of lower abundance, suppression subtractive hybridization was utilized and 29 differentially expressed clones were isolated. Sequence analysis revealed that 11 clones were from previously described genes: HEK8, neuropeptide Y receptor Y1, p21 WAF-1, p55 PIK, cytokeratin 18 (cloned twice), fructose-1,6-biphosphatase, cytokeratin 8, TGFbeta1 binding protein, elongation factor 1alpha2 and pS2. The remaining 18 clones did not match sequences in the GenBank/EMBL database, indicating that they may be novel genes. Expression of pS2, neuropeptide Y receptor Y1 and three novel clones was induced by estradiol, indicating estrogen-responsiveness. The expression pattern of one novel gene, DEME -6, correlated with expression of ER and ERF -1/ AP -2gamma in a panel of breast carcinoma cell lines. A 2.6 kb cDNA of DEME -6 was sequenced and contains an open reading frame of 574 amino acids that demonstrates 62.4% similarity with a gene from Caenorhabditis elegans chromosome III. Expression of DEME -6 was also detected in primary breast carcinomas but not in normal breast tissue, as determined by RT-PCR. These findings support the hypothesis that a set of genes coordinately regulated with ER , but not necessarily estradiol-responsive, are characteristic of the hormone-responsive breast cancer phenotype.
Using Injection-Locked VCSELs as Modulators: A Real-Time Experimental Measurement of Optical Phase Amplitude Modulation

Using a coherent optical demodulation scheme, we experimentally study the optical phase and amplitude modulation characteristics of an injection-locked VCSEL at GHz rates in real-time, giving us insight into two different phase modulation regimes.
Attacking the Obesity Epidemic: The Potential Health Benefits of Providing Nutrition Information in Restaurants

Objectives. Requiring restaurants to present nutrition information on menus is under consideration as a potential way to slow the increasing prevalence of obesity. Using a survey methodology, we examined how accurately consumers estimate the nutrient content of typical restaurant meals. Based on these results, we then conducted an experiment to address how the provision of nutrition information on menus influences purchase intentions and reported preferences.Methods. For both the survey and experiment, data were analyzed using analysis of variance techniques.Results. Survey results showed that levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat in less-healthful restaurant items were significantly underestimated by consumers. Actual fat and saturated fat levels were twice consumers’ estimates and calories approached 2 times more than what consumers expected. In the subsequent experiment, for items for which levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat substantially exceeded consumers’ expectations, the provision of ...
Key Changes Impacting Media Management Research

In less than two decades, the ecology of media industries has evolved in startling and unpredictable directions as a result of technological innovation and changes in media consumption habits due t...
Measuring the cold dark matter power spectrum from variations of Hubble flows

When Cold Dark Matter (CDM) power spectrum normalized by COBE results, its amplitude at smaller scales can be parametrized by $\Gamma\sim\Omega_0h$. The expected variations of Hubble flows in two samples, the sample of 36 clusters in the Mark III catalogue, and the sample of 20 Type Ia supernovae (SNe), are calculated for the power spectrum in critical-density CDM models (including tilted CDM models and vacuum-dominated CDM models). The comparison between the expectations and the real variations in the data offers a bias-free way to constrain the power spectrum. The cluster sample yields $\Gamma\le 0.30-0.88(n_{ps}-1)+1.9 (n_{ps}-1)^2$ at 95% C.L., with best fits $\Gamma = 0.15-0.39(n_{ps}-1)+0.37(n_{ps}-1)^2$, where $n_{ps}$ is the spectral index of the power spectrum. The Type Ia SN sample yields $\Gamma\le 0.25-0.80(n_{ps}-1)+1.6 (n_{ps}-1)^2$ at 95% C.L., strongly favoring lower $\Gamma$'s. The results are inconsistent with a critical-density matter-dominated universe with $n_{ps}\ga 0.8$ and $H_0\ga 50$ km/sec/Mpc.
Parametric programming and Lagrangian relaxation: the case of the network problem with a single side-constraint

Abstract Many practical problems can be formulated as a network problem with a linear side-constraint. Problems of this class would be easy to solve if the side-constraint was not present, and so the technique of Lagrangian relaxation (LR) is often applied as part of the solution strategy. An LR of a problem provides a lower bound (for a minimization problem) on the optimal value of the objective function of the original problem. In this paper approaches for generating this lower bound that are based on the parametric programming procedure of Gass and Saaty [Nav. Res. Logist. Q. 2, 39–45 (1955)] are presented.
Adverse cardiac outcomes after noncardiac surgery in patients with prior percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

In this retrospective cohort study, we compared adverse cardiac outcomes after noncardiac surgery among patients with prior percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), patients with nonrevascularized coronary artery disease (CAD), and normal controls. Inpatient hospital discharge abstracts from all nonfederal acute care hospitals in Washington State linked to death certificates were evaluated. Patients ≥45 yr old with prior PTCA who underwent noncardiac surgery from 1987 to 1993 were matched by age, sex, surgery type, and discharge year to 686 patients with CAD and to 2155 normal controls (no CAD). We compared risk for adverse cardiac outcomes (death, myocardial infarction, angina, congestive heart failure, malignant dysrhythmia, cardiogenic shock, coronary artery bypass graft, or PTCA) within 30 days. Patients with PTCA had twice the risk of adverse cardiac outcome as normal controls (odds ratio [OR] 1.98; P 90 days before noncardiac surgery seem to have a lower risk of poor outcome than nonrevascularized patients, although not as low as normal controls. For recent PTCA patients, the lack of difference compared with CAD patient outcomes requires a larger sample size for verification. Present findings do not lend support to a role for prophylactic PTCA to improve noncardiac surgery outcomes. This investigation did not control for CAD severity, medical management, or comorbidities. Study of these factors is needed before the clinical implications of PTCA for noncardiac surgical risk can be completely assessed. Implications: Hospital records showed patients with prior percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were twice as likely as healthy patients to have an adverse cardiac outcome after noncardiac surgery, although their risk was reduced by half compared with patients with untreated coronary artery disease. Further study of the role of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in modulating noncardiac surgery risk is needed.
Suppression of thermopower of Na x Co O 2 by an external magnetic field: Boltzmann transport combined with spin-polarized density functional theory

We calculate the thermopower in ${\mathrm{Na}}_{x}\mathrm{Co}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ using the standard Boltzmann transport theory and first principles electronic structures with spin polarization taken into account. The thermopower is found to be smaller when the system is polarized, which thereby provides an alternative reasonable explanation for the suppression of thermopower in a magnetic field. The role of the spin-orbit coupling on the thermoelectricity is also discussed.
Ghrelin Signaling in the Ventral Hippocampus Stimulates Learned and Motivational Aspects of Feeding via PI3K-Akt Signaling

Background The stomach-derived hormone ghrelin drives higher-order feeding processes related to food reward and food seeking via central nervous system signaling at its receptor (GHSR1A). The specific nuclei mediating these effects are only partially understood. Here, we use a rat model to examine whether ghrelin signaling in the ventral subregion of the hippocampus (VHPC), a brain substrate of recent interest in energy balance control, affects learned and motivational aspects of feeding behavior. Methods The effects of VHPC ghrelin administration were examined on feeding-relevant behavioral paradigms, including meal pattern analysis, operant lever pressing for sucrose, and conditioned stimulus-induced feeding. The intracellular signaling and downstream neuronal pathways stimulated by VHPC GHSR1A activation were assessed with immunoblot analysis and behavioral pharmacology. Results Ghrelin delivery to the VHPC but not the dorsal hippocampus increased food intake primarily by increasing meal frequency. Intra-VHPC ghrelin delivery also increased willingness to work for sucrose and increased spontaneous meal initiation in nondeprived rats after the presentation of a conditioned stimulus that previously signaled meal access when the rats were food-restricted. The food intake enhancing effects of VHPC ghrelin were blocked by co-administration of a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor (LY294002). Immunoblot analyses provided complementary support for ghrelin activated PI3K-Akt signaling in the VHPC and revealed that this activation is blunted with high-fat diet consumption. Other immunoblot results show that VHPC GHSR1A signaling activates downstream dopaminergic activity in the nucleus accumbens. Conclusions These findings illuminate novel neuronal and behavioral mechanisms mediating ghrelinergic control of cognitive aspects of feeding control.
Beyond attitude consensus: The social context of persuasion and resistance☆

Abstract The current research presents a new type of social context effect on attitude certainty. It is proposed that when people receive persuasive messages, they appraise their attitudes not only in terms of whether they are shared or not shared by others, but also in terms of whether they are based on similar or dissimilar assessments of the information presented. In two experiments, participants were presented with persuasive messages. In Experiment 1, they were induced to perceive that they responded favorably (persuasion) or unfavorably (resistance) to the message arguments. In Experiment 2, they were allowed to vary in their actual message responses. In both experiments, message response similarity—the degree to which people perceived that their evaluations of persuasive arguments were shared or unshared by others—moderated the classic effect of attitude similarity on attitude certainty. In particular, attitude similarity only affected attitude certainty under conditions of message response similarity. When message responses were believed to be dissimilar, attitude similarity had no effect on attitude certainty.
Fluorine plasma treatment of bare and nitrilotris(methylene)triphosphonic acid (NP) protected aluminum: an XPS and ToF‐SIMS study

Nitrilotris(methylene)triphosphonic acid (NP) is a technologically important molecule that has been used for years as a corrosion inhibitor and/or adhesion promoter on aluminum and other metal surfaces. However, to the best of our knowledge, the detailed surface characterization of NP adsorbed on aluminum, or on any other surface, has not been reported. Herein, we report an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analysis of a series of untreated and NP-coated aluminum substrates that were exposed to the downstream products of a fluoroalkane + oxygen plasma for different amounts of time (from 0 to 20 s). As indicated by P 2p, N 1s, Al 2p, O 1s, and F 1s narrow scans, even a 4-s plasma treatment significantly damages the NP protective layer and converts the native aluminum oxide into aluminum oxyfluoride. Heat treatment of the fluorine plasma-treated samples in the air substantially converts the aluminum oxyfluoride back to aluminum oxide, while similar heating under vacuum results in little change to the materials. A slow loss of fluorine from the samples occurs over the course of weeks when they are stored in the air. A ToF-SIMS analysis reveals sets of signals that are consistent with no surface treatment, NP treatment, or fluorine plasma treatment. A principal component analysis of the negative ion ToF-SIMS spectra from the samples shows the expected differentiation of the samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
North Carolina Human Resource Professionals’ Perceptions of Soft Skill Competencies

The identification of competencies needed by hospitality managers has been investigated since the 1980s. In all of the competency research related to management, essential competencies include skills that can be classified as soft skills. The purpose of the authors in this project is to have human resource professionals rate the importance of soft skill competencies found in literature, and to determine the relative importance of the seven categories of soft skill competencies. Of the 116 soft skill competencies assessed in this study, the majority of them were deemed important, with means greater than 4.0 (on a 5 point Likert-type scale). This is an on-going comprehensive study of soft skills in entry-level management positions.
What "race" cannot tell us about access to kidney transplantation.

Despite a growing awareness within American biomedicine and bioethics that the social category “race” is of limited use in describing patients, some fields of medicine continue to use it interchangeably with, or instead of, the term “ethnicity.” Doing so reflects the assumption that social categories have a basis in physiology.