cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fidelity to Patients and Resource Constraints

Sustaining humane relationships between physicians and patients poses specific problems under conditions of economic or resource scarcity. On the one hand, by accepting particular patients under their care, physicians incur fiduciary responsibilities to specific individuals. At the same time, physicians bear responsibilities to the wider society and must consider the potential impact of their decisions on the public welfare. These dual responsibilities give rise to various ethical questions concerning how best to balance competing obligations. One question is how much physicians must consider the good of society when caring for particular patients. For example, must a physician refrain from recommending expensive medical tests that hold out the best hope of benefitting a particular patient? Should physicians abide by institutional policies pertaining to discharging patients from the hospital even when doing so places patients at jeopardy? A further concern is the extent to which patients themselves must take into account the effects of their treatment preferences on others, such as their family, community or government. For instance, are patients ethically entitled to expect physicians to do “everything possible” on their behalf? Do patients have a responsibility to be aware of the costs of their medical treatment?
Tools for Quality Improvement

Given that quality improvement (QI) is a relatively new process in the mental health field, this chapter will provide a brief overview of the overall strategies involved in QI. This will be followed by an overview of the theory of QI that will assist in making decisions regarding what quality data to collect, how to collect it, and how to implement resulting innovations. The last section of this chapter will include specific QI tools that are useful for those involved in assessing or treating sexual offenders.
Spur-Cell Anemia

Spur-Cell Anemia A 31-year-old man with cirrhosis presented with confusion and anemia. A peripheral blood smear showed numerous spur cells.
Composition – structure – property relationships in alkali aluminosilicate glasses: A combined experimental – computational approach towards designing functional glasses

Abstract A set of 12 glass compositions with distinct structural features have been designed over a broad composition space in the per-alkaline region of the Na2O – Al2O3 – SiO2 ternary system. As expected from a per-alkaline system, aluminum has been found to be tetrahedrally coordinated in all the glasses using 27Al magic angle spinning – nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) spectroscopy and from structure models generated using molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The physical properties of glasses, for example, density, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), glass transition, elastic moduli and Vickers hardness and brittleness have been measured experimentally and their trends have been explained based on the atomic structure of glasses, from both simulations and experiments. A reasonable agreement has been observed between the composition – structure – property relationship trends obtained experimentally when compared with those predicted by MD simulations. This demonstrates that MD simulation is a promising technique for predictive modeling and designing novel glass compositions for functional applications.
Knowledge-Context in Search Systems: Toward Information-Literate Actions

In this perspectives paper we define knowledge-context as meta information that searchers use when making sense of information displayed in and accessible from a search engine results page (SERP). We argue that enriching the knowledge-context in SERPs has great potential for facilitating human learning, critical thinking, and creativity by expanding searchers' information-literate actions such as comparing, evaluating, and differentiating between information sources. Thus it supports the development of learning-centric search systems. Using theories and empirical findings from psychology and the learning sciences, we first discuss general effects of Web search on memory and learning. After reviewing selected research addressing metacognition and self-regulated learning, we discuss design goals for search systems that support metacognitive skills required for long-term learning, creativity, and critical thinking. We then propose that SERPs make both bibliographic and inferential knowledge-context readily accessible to motivate and facilitate information-literate actions for learning and creative endeavors. A brief discussion of related ideas, designs, and prototypes found in prior work follows. We conclude the paper by presenting future research directions and questions on knowledge-context, information-literate actions, and learning-centric search systems.
Intracochlear Pressure Transients During Cochlear Implant Electrode Insertion: Effect of Micro-mechanical Control on Limiting Pressure Trauma.

HYPOTHESIS Use of micro-mechanical control during cochlear implant (CI) electrode insertion will result in reduced number and magnitude of pressure transients when compared with standard insertion by hand. INTRODUCTION With increasing focus on hearing preservation during CI surgery, atraumatic electrode insertion is of the utmost importance. It has been established that large intracochlear pressure spikes can be generated during the insertion of implant electrodes. Here, we examine the effect of using a micro-mechanical insertion control tool on pressure trauma exposures during implantation. METHODS Human cadaveric heads were surgically prepared with an extended facial recess. Electrodes from three manufacturers were placed both by using a micro-mechanical control tool and by hand. Insertions were performed at three different rates: 0.2 mm/s, 1.2 mm/s, and 2 mm/s (n = 20 each). Fiber-optic sensors measured pressures in scala vestibuli and tympani. RESULTS Electrode insertion produced pressure transients up to 174 dB SPL. ANOVA revealed that pressures were significantly lower when using the micro-mechanical control device compared with insertion by hand (p << 0.001). No difference was noted across electrode type or speed. Chi-square analysis showed a significantly lower proportion of insertions contained pressure spikes when the control system was used (p << 0.001). CONCLUSION Results confirm previous data that suggest CI electrode insertion can cause pressure transients with intensities similar to those elicited by high-level sounds. Results suggest that the use of a micro-mechanical insertion control system may mitigate trauma from pressure events, both by reducing the amplitude and the number of pressure spikes resulting from CI electrode insertion.
A Decision Support Tool for the Assessment of Water–Energy–Food Nexus in Saudi Arabia

The sustainable management of natural resources is a fundamental component that drives the economic growth of most countries. Economic crisis, poverty, and hunger have been escalating in different parts of the world due to unsustainable use of natural resources. Thus, the goals of economic and sustainable development should be defined in terms of sustainability of resources: water, energy, and food. Identifying factors affecting these resources, and explaining the interconnectedness between them, is the first step towards sustainable management of natural resources.
Quantification of Mouse Reach Kinematics as a Foundation for Mechanistic Interrogation of Motor Control

Mice use reaching movements to grasp and manipulate objects in their environment, similar to primates. Thus, many recent studies use mouse reach to uncover neural control mechanisms, but quantification of mouse reach kinematics remains lacking, limiting understanding. Here we implement several analytical frameworks, from basic kinematic relationships to statistical machine learning, to quantify mouse reach kinematics across freely-behaving and head-fixed conditions. Overall, we find that many canonical features of primate reaches are conserved in mice, with some notable differences. Our results highlight the decelerative phase of reach as important in driving successful outcome. Late-phase kinematic adjustments are yoked to mid-flight position and velocity of the limb, allowing dynamic correction of initial variability, with head- fixed reaches being less dependent on position. Furthermore, consecutive reaches exhibit positional error- correction but not hot-handedness, implying opponent regulation of motor variability. Overall, our results establish foundational mouse reach kinematics in the context of neuroscientific investigation.
Metacognitive Training and Online Community College Students’ Learning Calibration and Performance

Research suggested that community college students struggle to find time to commit to classes and often lack learning strategies to balance school amidst conflicting life needs. This study explored...
Estimating the return on investment of the Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida tobacco control programme from 1999 to 2015.

Objective To assess the return on investment (ROI) of the Florida tobacco control programme, the Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida (BTFF), in terms of healthcare expenditure savings and mortality cost saved as a result of reduced mortality due to the programme from 1999 to 2015. Methods We use a synthetic control method to estimate the impact of the BTFF on smoking-attributable mortality, years of life lost (YLL), healthcare expenditures, and the economic value of premature mortality due to smoking in Florida from 1999 through 2015. We calculated an ROI for healthcare expenditures and for the value of life years saved. Results From 1999 to 2015, adult smoking prevalence in Florida averaged 0.98 percentage points lower than prevalence in the synthetic control states (19.6% vs 20.6%). The ROI over the period from 1999 to 2015 was 9.61 for healthcare expenditures and 112.44 for premature mortality. These ROIs suggest that for every US$1 of expenditure by BTFF, smoking-attributable healthcare expenditures decreased by almost US$11 and reductions in the economic costs associated with YLL due to smoking-attributable mortality totaled approximately US$113. Conclusions Our results suggest the BTFF resulted in fewer YLL, substantial healthcare cost savings and substantial savings in terms of mortality costs. The positive ROIs for healthcare expenditures and premature mortality suggest that the BTFF is a good investment of public funds.
Utility Model Patent Regimes and Innovation: Balancing Appropriability, Accessibility, and Patent Quality in China and Beyond

This chapter explores how states can construct a utility model patent regime that encourages innovation. It develops a conceptual framework identifying that the principles of (i) appropriability, (ii) accessibility, and (iii) patent quality are important determinants of a utility model regime’s ability to encourage technological development, including innovation. It then provides a comparative analysis – based on legal research, interviews with patent office representatives, and a literature review – of how the legal instruments in utility model regimes in mainland China and several EU countries have attempted to balance these principles and the lessons that they learned during this process. It is concluded that although the precise balance among the principles of appropriability, accessibility, and patent quality can differ among countries according to their individual technological and economic conditions, some type of balance must always be achieved or else the utility model regime will inhibit innovation.
The forgotten radial nerve: A conceptual framework for treatment of lateral elbow pain.

Abstract Background Lateral elbow pain is a prevalent musculoskeletal overuse disorder that has serious consequences for musculoskeletal health, occupational performance, and overall healthcare burden. Available treatment options (traditional therapy and steroid injections) have been studied rigorously, yet supporting evidence is weak. The majority of treatment options available are targeted at the local pathology of the common extensor tendon as the apparent source of pain, and do not adequately address the cause, the source of overuse, and mechanism of injury. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a novel approach, a regional interdependence model, to reduce symptoms of upper extremity musculoskeletal overuse in populations at risk by addressing a broader systematic approach versus a localized symptom driven approach for the assessment and treatment of lateral elbow pain. Methods The proposed framework - Think in nerve length and layers (TINLL)- accounts for nerve tension and muscle balance in the entire extremity. In this paper we describe the application of the TINLL model for assessment and treatment of SRSN irritation in individuals with lateral elbow pain and propose a method for treatment and for further studies. The proposed treatment approach combines mobilization with movement, elastic taping, and isometric exercises to address impairment at each level: joint alignment, neural tension, and the superficial sensory nervous system. Results Our findings of reduced pain with a relatively small number of therapy sessions in a small retrospective cohort of patients using the TINLL framework for assessment and treatment supports further formal study of this approach in a larger cohort with longer follow-up to determine effectiveness compared to current treatments. Conclusion Future studies will test and compare the efficacy of the TINLL framework and model of treatment on the short- and long-term outcomes in individuals with chronic lateral elbow pain compared to traditional therapy.
Computational modeling of protein conformational changes - Application to the opening SARS-CoV-2 spike

We present a new approach to compute and analyze the dynamical electro-geometric properties of proteins undergoing conformational changes. The molecular trajectory is obtained from Markov state models, and the electrostatic potential is calculated using the continuum Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The numerical electric potential is constructed using a parallel sharp numerical solver implemented on adaptive Octree grids. We introduce novel a posteriori error estimates to quantify the solution's accuracy on the molecular surface. To illustrate the approach, we consider the opening of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein using the recent molecular trajectory simulated through the Folding@home initiative. We analyze our results, focusing on the characteristics of the receptor-binding domain and its vicinity. This work lays the foundation for a new class of hybrid computational approaches, producing high-fidelity dynamical computational measurements serving as a basis for protein bio-mechanism investigations. © 2021 The Author(s)
Avian eggshell coloration predicts shell-matrix protoporphyrin content

Abstract: Avian eggshell pigmentation may provide information about a female’s physiological condition, in particular her state of oxidative balance. Previously we found that female house wrens (Tr...
ZONE SCHEDULING OF URBAN BUS ROUTES

A method is developed using dynamic programming for determination of optimal division of a bus route into zones, and allocation of buses to those zones. Such zone scheduling strategies are appropriate for bus routes with heavy orientation of riders to a common destination. An illustrative example demonstrates that substantial improvements in service and vehicle productivity are possible with zone schedules, and describes the properties of optimal solutions under varying conditions. A very significant finding is that the optimal zone structure is relatively independent of the number of buses used.It is also significant that the computational requirements for the procedure are quite modest.
Legal Ethics and Business Ethics

The following is a definition of business ethics and legal ethics. Keywords: legal ethics; business ethics; ethics
The Shoreline Environment Atmospheric Dispersion Experiment (Seadex)

SEADEX (*) is a major field experimental program sponsored by the U.S. Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the purpose of acquiring a comprehensive, high-quality data base for evaluating models of dispersion within coastal zones. A secondary objective of the program is to provide data to help determine which meteorological measurements are most appropriate for emergency preparedness at nuclear power plant sites.
SCO What? Rhetoric, Law, and the Future of F/OSS Production

Using litigation between The SCO Group and IBM as an example, this essay relates the rhetoric that drives open-source software as a social movement to legal issues open-source production faces. The essay argues that social movement rhetoric creates noise that makes legal issues more difficult to understand and resolve. The tension between social movement noise and legal signal may become more acute and more important as F/OSS projects continue to make inroads in commercial space, where IP litigation is a way of life. The community's reaction to the SCO/IBM litigation suggests it needs to adapt community expectations and production procedures to this environment. The essay concludes with thoughts on issues the F/OSS community may wish to consider in connection with drafting version 3 of the General Public License. These issues include: What is the GPL?; whose GPL is it?; and how many GPL's are there? Each question has a seemingly obvious answer which, on consideration, presents interesting legal issues.
Optimal exergy control of building HVAC system

Abstract Exergy or availability is an accurate metric related to quality of energy and it is used to determine sustainability of an energy system. Exergy has been extensively used to evaluate efficiency of energy systems and energy conversion processes. An exergy model for a building is presented in this study. In this paper, exergy destruction, which indicates the loss of work potential, is formulated as a function of physical parameters of the building model and environment. To minimize exergy destruction in an Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system, we develop model predictive control (MPC) technique using the exergy model. Comparing to a traditional on–off controller for the building, the proposed exergy-based MPC (XMPC) reduces the exergy destruction and energy consumption up to 22% and 36%, respectively. Simulation results also indicate the advantage of XMPC over conventional energy-based MPC (EMPC). The results show that XMPC reduces exergy destruction by 4% compared to EMPC as well as saving 12% more energy.
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH ONLINE

Al Jazeera English is the Arab world’s largest purveyor of English language news to an international audience. This article provides an in-depth examination of how its website employs Web metrics for tracking and understanding audience behavior. The Al Jazeera Network remains sheltered from the general economic concerns around the news industry, providing a unique setting in which to understand how these tools influence newsroom production and knowledge creation. Through interviews and observations, findings reveal that the news organization’s institutional culture plays a tremendous role in shaping how journalists use and understand metrics. The findings are interpreted through an analysis of news norms studies of the social construction of technology.
Maximizing resource efficiency in rural prehospital emergency medical services through call frequency analysis

Rural prehospital emergency medical services are often lacking when compared with their urban counterparts in terms of resources and coordinated resource use: can only employ important resources, such as paramedics, during limited shifts. This project demonstrates a method for determining the most effective use of these limited resources in a rural Red Cross ambulance service in Guapiles, Costa Rica. In this community, paramedic services are only available six days a week for twelve hours. Emergency call frequency was mapped using 20 months of traffic accident data and after establishing that traffic accident frequency was statistically dependent on the time of day, polynomial models of the data were generated. The model functions were integrated and the results were tested for accuracy. Integrals were calculated, and the results were reported to the Guapiles Red Cross committee to achieve an improved service. Methods such as this can be applied to any emergency response service.KEY WORDSWorld Health Organization (WHO), Prehospital Emergency Medical Service(s) (PEMS), Traffic Accident (TA), Technico de Emergencias Medicas (Paramedic), Advanced Life Support (ALS)
The Nature of Hate: The Duplex Theory of Hate I: The Triangular Theory of the Structure of Hate

The duplex theory of hate is presented as a theory that applies to both individuals and groups. Indeed, evidence suggests that the basic processing system that applies to the formation and processing of impressions about groups and about individuals is similar and possibly even the same (Hamilton & Sherman, 1996). You can hate a person or you can hate a group: The feelings you experience are largely the same, although the target is different. Whether or when the feelings are identical is an open question. Hating a group does not guarantee that you will hate all individual members of the group. For example, someone may hate a group, in the abstract, but not hate a particular member of that group. Conceivably, the person might even fall in love with a member of that group. Throughout history, spies have used this fact to their advantage. The “Mata Hari” approach involves taking advantage of the fact that someone may hate a group, but fall in love with a member of the hated group. Of course, someone may hate a member of a group but have no ill will toward the group as a whole. The basic thesis to be presented here makes five fundamental claims. First, hate is very closely related psychologically to love. People have always suspected there is some kind of a relation between hate and love. For example, love can rapidly turn to hate.
The Effectiveness of School-Based Computer Language Intervention With Severely Handicapped Children

Fifty-two severely handicapped children were trained on communication skills using microprocessor technology. A graduate student in Communication Disorders provided interactive supervision during t...
A pair of tandemly repeated genes code for gp24, a putative adhesion protein of Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract The glycoprotein gp24 has been implicated in cell-cell adhesion of Dictyostelium discoideum. We have used a cDNA clone that codes for gp24 to screen cloned genomic fragments. Two closely linked genes (GP24A and GP24B) were recognized that generate mRNAs of about 650 base pairs after excision of a small intron and addition of poly(A). They appear to have arisen by tandem duplication of about 800 base pairs, followed by divergence. These genes are expressed within a few hours of the initiation of development; their mRNAs accumulate to a peak at 12 hr and persist until culmination. Both genes have short guanine-rich sequences (G boxes) upstream that have been shown to be involved in transcriptional regulation of other genes expressed during development of Dictyostelium. Their mRNAs code for proteins that are 85% identical. GP24A and GP24B mRNAs code for proteins with a hydrophobic domain followed by a highly charged carboxyl-terminal domain.
Regulation of apoptosis by the circadian clock through NF-κB signaling

In mice and humans the circadian rhythm of many biochemical reactions, physiology, and behavior is generated by a transcriptional-translation feedback loop (TTFL) made up of the so-called core clock genes/proteins. The circadian system interfaces with most signaling pathways including those involved in cell proliferation and inflammation. Cryptochrome (CRY) is a core clock protein that plays an essential role in the repressive arm of the TTFL. It was recently reported that mutation of CRY in p53-null mice delayed the onset of cancer. It was therefore suggested that CRY mutation may activate p53-independent apoptosis pathways, which eliminate premalignant and malignant cells and thus delay overt tumor formation. Here we show that CRY mutation sensitizes p53 mutant and oncogenically transformed cells to tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-initiated apoptosis by interfacing with the NF-κB signaling pathway through the GSK3β kinase and alleviating prosurvival NF-κB signaling. These findings provide a mechanistic foundation for the delayed onset of tumorigenesis in clock-disrupted p53 mutant mice and suggest unique therapeutic strategies for treating cancers associated with p53 mutation.
Tidal triggering of seismic and volcanic phenomena during the 1879–1880 eruption of Islas Quemadas volcano in El Salvador, Central America

Abstract The Islas Quemadas dome in Lake Ilopango, El Salvador, was extruded during December 1879 to March 1880. The eruption took place in six distinct periods, five of which began near fortnightly minima in the amplitude of the semidiurnal solid earth tide. An earthquake swarm preceded dome extrusion. Felt earthquakes were carefully recorded during a two-day period preceding a destructive main shock that occurred on December 27, 1879. During this foreshock sequence the periods of highest earthquake activity occurred at times of maxima and minima in semidiurnal solid-earth tide. The four largest earthquakes, including the main shock, occurred at maxima in the semidiurnal tide.
The past, present, and future of head-mounted display designs

Head-mounted displays present a relatively mature option for augmenting the visual field of a potentially mobile user. Ideally, one would wish for such capability to exist without the need to wear any view-aided device. However, unless a display system could be created in space, anywhere and anytime, a simple solution is to wear the display. We review in this paper the fundamentals of head-mounted displays including image sources and HMD optical designs. We further point out promising research directions that will play a key role towards the seamless integration between the virtually superimposed computer graphics objects and the tangible world around us.
Cocaine-induced angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction in patients younger than 40 years

Cocaine has profound effects on the cardiovascular system. Although small doses may slow the heart rate by central vagal stimulation, larger doses result in an increased heart rate from stimulation of the central and peripheral sympathetic nervous system. Cocaine can also result in a significant increase in blood pressure through sympathetically mediated tachycardia and vasoconstriction. An extremely high dose can produce a direct toxic action on the heart muscle, resulting in cardiac failure and immediate death.1,2 This report describes 3 patients in their 30s who were referred for coronary angiography after having angina pectoris or acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or both, coincident with an increase in frequency of cocaine use.
Prediction of Vitreal Half-Life Based on Drug Physicochemical Properties: Quantitative Structure–Pharmacokinetic Relationships (QSPKR)

The aim of this study was to develop quantitative structure pharmacokinetic relationships (QSPKR) to correlate drug physicochemical properties (molecular weight, lipophilicity, and drug solubility), dose, salt form factor, and eye pigmentation factor to intravitreal half-life in the rabbit model. Dataset derived from prior literature reports, which included molecules with complete structural diversity, was used to develop the QSPKR models. Entire dataset as well as subsets limited to albino rabbit data, pigmented rabbit data, acids, bases, zwitterions, neutral compounds, suspensions, and macromolecules were analyzed. Multiple linear regression analysis was carried out with noncollinear independent variables and the best-fit models were selected based on correlation coefficients and goodness of fit statistics. The analysis indicated that logarithm of MW (Log MW), lipophilicity (Log P or Log D) and dose number (dose/solubility at pH 7.4), are the most critical determinants of intravitreal half-life of the compounds analyzed. The best-fit models obtained from the entire dataset (Log t 1/2 = −0.178 + 0.267 Log MW − 0.093 Log D + 0.003 dose/solubility at pH 7.4 + 0.153 Pigmentation Factor and Log t 1/2 = −0.32 + 0.432 Log MW − 0.157 Log P + 0.003 dose/solubility at pH 7.4) predicted the various subsets well. Pigmented dataset and zwitterions were better predicted by Log P rather than Log D. The present study confirmed that intravitreal half-life could be better predicted by a group of variables (Log MW, Log P or Log D, dose number) rather than a single variable. In general, increasing Log MW and dose number, while reducing Log D or Log P would be beneficial for prolonging intravitreal half-life of drugs.
On the chaperon mechanism: application to ClO + ClO (+N2) --> ClOOCl (+N2).

The dynamics of the ClO + ClO (+N2) radical complex (or chaperon) mechanism is studied by electronic structure methods and quasi-classical trajectory calculations. The geometries and frequencies of the stationary points on the potential energy surface (PES) are optimized at the B3LYP/6-311+G(3df) level of theory, and the energies are refined at the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(3df) (single-point) level of theory. Basis set superposition error (BSSE) corrections are applied to obtain 1.5 kcal mol-1 for the binding energy of the ClO·N2 van der Waals (VDW) complex. A model PES is developed and used in quasi-classical trajectory calculations to obtain the capture rate constant and nascent energy distributions of ClOOCl* produced via the chaperon mechanism. A range of VDW binding energies from 1.5 to 9.0 kcal mol-1 are investigated. The anisotropic PES for the ClO·N2 complex and a separable anharmonic oscillator approximation are used to estimate the equilibrium constant for formation of the VDW complex. Rate constants, br...
The neurotrophic influence on RNA precursor incorporation into polyribosomes of regenerating adult newt forelimbs.

This study was designed to determine the effect of denervation on RNA and protein precursor incorporation into polyribosomes of nerve-independent regenerates of the adult newt, Notophthalmus viridescens. The three stages of regeneration chosen for experimentation were the late paddle-early digit stage (day 21), the 2–3 digit stage (day 28) and the 3–4 digit stage (day 35). Right forelimbs were denervated two days prior to polyribosome extraction while left forelimbs served as controls. To measure precursor incorporation, each newt was given either (1) H3-uridine (six hours), (2) Na3P32O4 (90 minutes), or (3) H3-amino acids (60 minutes). Following incorporation, regenerates were prepared for examination of either polysome profiles or polysomal RNA profiles. A technique was used which yielded undegraded, non-membrane bound polyribosomes relatively uncontaminated by labeled cosedimenting material. It was found that denervation reduced the incorporation of RNA precursors into both ribosomal and putative messenger RNA of polyribosomes of all three stages examined. Of the three stages tested, the 35 day stage was least affected by denervation. Amino acid incorporation into polysomal nascent peptides of regenerates was also adversely affected.
On the number of reachable configurations for the chessboard pebbling problem

Recently, Chung, Graham, Morrison and Odlyzko [F. Chung, R. Graham, J. Morrison, A. Odlyzko, Pebbling a chessboard, Amer. Math. Monthly 102 (1995) 113-123] studied various combinatorial and asymptotic enumeration aspects of chessboard pebbling. Here, a pebble is placed at the origin (0,0) of an infinite chessboard. At each step, a pebble is removed from (i,j) and replaced by two pebbles at positions (i,j+1) and (i+1,j) (provided these are unoccupied). After k steps, the board has k+1 pebbles in various arrangements. Here we study the number of possible arrangements asymptotically, as k->~. We analyze the recurrence derived in [F. Chung, R. Graham, J. Morrison, A. Odlyzko, Pebbling a chessboard, Amer. Math. Monthly 102 (1995) 113-123] by methods of applied mathematics, such as WKB expansions and matched asymptotics. In particular, we obtain an analytic expression for the growth rate of the number of possible arrangements.
Pharmacists as Agents of Change for Rational Drug Therapy

We analyze what is known and unknown about the contribution of the pharmacist as patient educator, physician consultant, and agent to affect patient outcomes in ambulatory settings. The need for pharmacist services is discussed, as are the theoretical underpinnings and quality of the scientific evidence to support their efficacy. The analysis is conducted in the context of a shift in pharmacists' roles from product to patient orientation as well as recent U.S. legislation mandating enhanced pharmacists' roles via drug utilization review for all Medicaid patients. We conclude with a research and action agenda, calling for stronger research designs in evaluating pharmacists' interventions. The shifting paradigm in the pharmacy profession, coupled with the implementation of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, provide unique opportunities for rigorous evaluations of pharmacists as agents of change for rational drug therapy.
Probing the Interactions of Putidaredoxin with Redox Partners in Camphor P450 5-Monooxygenase by Mutagenesis of Surface Residues

The role of surface amino acid residues in the interaction of putidaredoxin (Pdx) with its redox partners in the cytochrome P450cam (CYP101) system was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. The mutated Pdx genes were expressed inEscherichia coli, and the proteins were purified and studied in vitro. Activity of the complete reconstituted P450cam system was measured, and kinetic parameters were determined. Partial assays were also conducted to determine the effect of the mutations on interactions with each redox partner. Some mutations altered interactions of Pdx with one redox partner but not the other. Other mutations affected interactions with both redox partners, suggesting some overlap in the binding sites on Pdx for putidaredoxin reductase and CYP101. Cysteine 73 of Pdx was identified as important in the interaction of Pdx with putidaredoxin reductase, whereas aspartate 38 serves a critical role in the subunit binding and electron transfer to CYP101.
Abundance Patterns of a Predator, Orius tristicolor (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), and Its Prey, Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae): Habitat Attraction in Polycultures versus Monocultures

Population densities of the minute pirate bug and its prey, the western flower thrips, were monitored in squash monocultures and tricultures with corn and cowpea intercropped. The predator exhibited a more rapid colonization rate in tricultures, and the thrips densities on squash were lower and fell earlier in the season in these systems. The capacity for thrips control by Orius on squash was demonstrated in predator inclusion-exclusion cage experiments. The earlier colonization of triculture by Orius was probably due to the greater attractiveness of the mixed-crop habitat.
Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride below 250°C

Abstract The low-temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of SiN x has been studied. The main process parameters are: temperature, i.e., between 100°C and 250°C, and power, i.e., between 300 and 700 W. Variation of the film's deposition rate and bond structure with respect to these process parameters were investigated. The influence of the plasma power to film's characteristics at the low substrate temperature is more pronounced than that at the high substrate temperature. The influence of the plasma condition to the reaction mechanism is discussed.
22 nm node wafer inspection using diffraction phase microscopy and image post-processing

We applied epi-illumination diffraction phase microscopy to measure the amplitude and phase of the scattered field from a SEMATECH 22 nm node intentional defect array (IDA) wafer. We used several imaging processing techniques to remove the wafer’s underlying structure and reduce both the spatial and temporal noise and eliminate the system calibration error to produce stretched panoramic amplitude and phase images. From the stretched images, we detected defects down to 20 nm × 160 nm for a parallel bridge, 20 nm × 100 nm for perpendicular bridge, and 35 nm × 70 nm for an isolated dot.
Analytical considerations of Eatons' formula for the interspin distance between unpaired electrons in ESR

A general calculation is described for the constant A in Eatons' formula [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 104, 5002 (1982)] for the distance obtained from the dipolar interaction between two S = 12 paramagnetic moieties. Typical values of this constant are calculated for ESR experiments at S-band, X-band, and Q-band frequencies on a variety of inorganic complexes interacting with a nearby free radical. A general criterion is derived, in terms of the exchange and dipolar spin-spin anisotropy parameters Dex, Eex, Ddd, and Edd, for the condition that the exchange anisotropy is negligible relative to the dipolar anisotropy. Numerical modeling of this criterion suggests that exchange anisotropy is negligible whenever the interspin distance is greater than about four to six Angstroms. We may define the superexchange part of the long range spin-spin interaction which satisfies this criterion as “long-range” superexchange. Since the only significant source of spin-spin anisotropy in this region of superexchange is purely dipolar, it follows that the dipolar value of R and the related interspin dipolar angles (after accounting for the orientation of the g-tensor reference frame relative to the crystallographic axes) should be in substantial agreement with the same parameters found from X-ray structural determinations.
Effects of gossypol on PAH transport in the rabbit kidney slice.

The present work was carried out to investigate if gossypol, a toxic weak organic acid (pK = 7.2) contained in cottonseed, is secreted by the renal proximal tubule through the organic anion transport system in the rabbit. The slice uptake of p-aminohippurate (PAH), a prototypical organic anion, was significantly inhibited (by 30%) only when the medium concentration of gossypol was raised to 10−4 M. However, gossypol at the latter concentration also induced a 30% inhibition of the slice uptake of tetraethylammonium (TEA), a prototypical organic cation. Moreover, gossypol at 10−4 M significantly decreased the slice oxygen consumption (⋍30%) and Mg-ATPase (70%) and NaK-ATPase (90%) activities of renal cortical microsomes, while it significantly decreased the intracellular (K+). These results indicate that gossypol inhibits PAH uptake through nonspecific nephrotoxic effects on cell metabolism and NaK-ATPase activity rather than through its specific interaction with the organic anion transport system.
New Exact Solutions for the Purely Cubic Bosonic String Field Theory

A procedure is described for obtaining new exact solutions for the purely cubic form of Witten's bosonic string field theory. These solutions do not correspond to conformally invariant $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ models. Some of them have no tachyons in their spectrum of linearized fluctuations (but may have negative-norm states). Others make no reference to a space-time metric.
Ethylene adsorption and decomposition on (1 × 1) Pt(110): Chemistry of the coke formation site on platinum?

The adsorption and decomposition of ethylene on the (1×1) Pt(110) surface is examined with TPD and EELS. It is found that the (1 × 1) Pt(110) surface is unusually active for carbon-carbon bond scission and coke formation. At 93 K ethylene adsorbs molecularly on the (1×1) Pt(110) surface to yield a π-bound complex. Some of the π-bound ethylene desorbs upon heating to 220 K; simultaneously, some of the remaining ethylene is converted to a di-σ complex (η2-CH2CH2-). Additional ethylene desorbs upon heating to 300 K. Simultaneously, some of the ethylene reacts to form ethane (C2H6), and some decomposes to yield methane (CH4), ethane-1-yl-2-ylidyne (η4CCH2-), hydrogen (H2), and adsorbed carbon. Additional hydrogen is liberated upon further heating to 400 K to produce a mixture of “C2” species ([-CC-]x) and adsorbed carbon. The (1×1) Pt(110) surface is the only face of platinum studied so far which shows reasonable activity for methane formation. It is also the most active surface for low temperature carbon and [-CC-]x formation. Thus, we conclude that (1×1) Pt(110) sites are especially active for coke formation as expected theoretically.
The effect of nonlinear sorption on transformation of contaminants during transport in porous media

Abstract The transport of contaminants through porous media is influenced by several processes, two of the most important being sorption and transformation. Several mathematical models have been developed to investigate the effects of sorption and transformation on contaminant transport. Almost all of these models are based on the assumption of linear sorption. However, it is well known that sorption of reactive contaminants is often nonlinear. A mathematical model that describes the transport of solute undergoing nonlinear, rate-limited sorption and first-order transformation is used to investigate the effect of coupled transformation and non-linear sorption on contaminant transport. Results of the analyses show that a model based on linear sorption cannot provide an accurate simulation of the transformation and transport of nonlinearly sorbing solutes when n is less than ∼0.9. In addition, the relative impact of non-linear sorption on solute transport is mediated by the magnitude of transformation. The nondimensional time required for a specified fraction of solute mass to be transformed during transport is influenced by nonlinear sorption. These examples illustrate the intriguing effects that coupled processes can have on contaminant transport and which may be important for many contaminants of interest.
Medicaid 101: A Primer for Speech-Language Pathologists in Education Settings

This paper will provide the school-based speech-language pathologist (SLP) with an overview of the federal requirements for Medicaid, including provider qualifications, “under the direction of” rul...
Fusing and composing macromolecular regulatory network models

Today's macromolecular regulatory network models are small compared to the amount of information known about the corresponding cellular pathways, in part because current modeling languages and tools are unable to handle significantly larger models. Most pathway models are small models of individual pathways which are relatively easy to construct and manage. The hope is someday to put these pieces together to create a more complete picture of the underlying molecular machinery. While efforts to make large models can benefit from reusing existing components, there currently exists little tool or representational support for combining or composing models. In this paper we present a tool for merging two or more models (we call this process model fusion) and a concrete proposal for implementing composition in the context of the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML).
Adaptation of equine abortion virus to HeLa cells.

SummaryThe adaptation of equine abortion virus to HeLa cells through 35 serial passages is reported. Characteristic intranuclear inclusions occur in cultures selected at random. The agent fixed complement in significant dilutions and remained pathogenic for hamsters.
Evolution of the female cuticular organ in the asellota (crustacea, isopoda).

In an effort to understand the variation and probable origin of a female copulatory organ found in isopods of the asellote superfamily Janiroidea, the morphology of female reproductive structures among the Asellota was surveyed. Examples of four asellote superfamilies were studied using whole mount staining after potassium-hydroxide maceration or clearing with lactic acid. In contradiction to previous conclusions, the cuticular organ is shown to occur in the more primitive Asellota, although the position of its opening varies considerably. In the genera Asellus, and Stenetrium, Munna, and Santia, the cuticular organ originates adjacent to the oopore, and in the remaining janiroidean isopods, it is placed dorsally and usually anteriorly. This information permits a simple hypothesis explaining the origin of the cuticular organ: it was present in the proximate ancestor of the Asellota and evolved to the janiroidean condition by anterodorsal migration.
Correlates of Sexual Activity in Early Adolescence

Demographic, social, and social-cognitive variables associated with beginning sexual activity were assessed in 114 Black and White males and females in early adolescence (X age = 13.95 years), recruited from public schools and community agencies. Of the sample, 28% reported having sexual intercourse at least once. There were no significant race or gender differences in sexual activity or age at first intercourse. Mother's education, having a boyfriend/girlfriend, educational expectations, and age were significant predictors of sexual activity. For nonsexually active adolescents; boyfriend! girlfriend and age were significant predictors of noncoital sexual interactions. Among sexually active adolescents, Whites were more likely than Blacks to use contraception regularly and to use effective methods. In future research and practice, more attention needs to be given to (a) the development of cross-gender relationships; (b) the use of withdrawal as a contraceptive method, especially among Blacks; and (c) the ...
STUDIES OF OXYGEN IN THE VENOUS BLOOD : IV. DETERMINATIONS ON FIVE PATIENTS WITH INCOMPENSATED CIRCULATORY DISTURBANCES.

1. A report is made of 103 determinations of the oxygen unsaturation of the venous blood of five patients with incompensated heart diseases. 2. Values for the oxygen unsaturation within normal limits were found only under two circumstances: (a) in a stage of full compensation, and (b) in a stage of incompensation where the symptoms were rapidly lessening. 3. Values above the upper normal extreme were met with under three circumstances: (a) during incompensation, (b) during compensation just before the clinical symptoms of incompensation had developed, and (c) at times in patients with auricular fibrillations in a condition of complete and stable compensation. 4. A comparison has been drawn between the directly found value for the oxygen unsatilration and the values for the oxygen consumption calculated from previous experiments by the writer on the blood flow (minute volume of the heart), in patients with similar clinical conditions. A close agreement existed. 5. It seems probable from our experience with patients under digitalis therapy that the oxygen unsaturation affords, an objective criterion of the positive effect of the therapy.
Maximizing Nanotechnology Education at Purdue University: Its Integration into the Electrical Engineering Technology Curriculum

Nanotechnology education continues to be a national priority [5], [12] while requiring an integration of the basic disciplines (physics, chemistry, and biology) into the systems of engineering and technology. Training the next-generation workforce in this complex and highly interdisciplinary field presents many opportunities and challenges. Various nanotechnology courses and programs [1], [4], [15] have been developed with differing levels of success. The issues of prerequisite material, student selective interests, and program-specific requirements are a few of the challenges that have slowed the rate of nanotechnology education. Also, access to and training on scanning probe microscopes (SPMs), one of the premier tools of nanotechnology [2], has been limited, particularly at the undergraduate level. A few laboratories [7], [13] have been centered around the atomic force microscope (AFM), a subset of the SPM. However, these systems are expensive, and it is a challenge to retain the expertise necessary to maintain, operate, and train students on these systems.