cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Staffing organizations: A comprehensive applied exercise

Abstract Applied approaches to learning have long been recognized as teaching methods that foster a deeper understanding of the subject matter than do the more traditional methods [Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.]. When used in conjunction with other pedagogical methods such as lecture, applied approaches meet the needs of students with diverse learning styles. In the context of staffing, applied exercises give students an opportunity to refine their knowledge and skills in a setting where the costs of an error are lower than in the “real world”. This article presents a comprehensive experiential exercise for use in the staffing course as an illustrative example. The exercise consists of five units in which the students write a human resource philosophy, conduct a job analysis, develop a recruiting plan and a selection system for two positions, and review applicants and select a finalist for both positions. An instructor's overview and student materials are provided.
The Relationship Between Parental Stress and Postpartum Depression Among Adolescent Mothers Enrolled in a Randomized Controlled Prevention Trial

Given the high co-occurrence of depression and parental stress among adolescent mothers, we evaluated the relationship between parental stress and postpartum depression among primiparous adolescent mothers. We conducted an observational analysis among a cohort of 106 adolescent mothers at 289 postpartum visits who were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial to prevent postpartum depression. Parental stress was measured using the Parenting Stress Index, short form. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Childhood Diagnoses was administered to assess for postpartum depression; subthreshold depression was assessed using the Children’s Depression Rating Scale, revised version. Generalized estimating equations were utilized to assess the relationship of parental stress on postpartum depression during the first 6 months postpartum. We present adjusted odds ratios (AOR) controlling for study arm, age, born in the United States, prior history of depression, and number of study visits. The median age was 16 years, 53 % were Latina, and 16 % reported a past history of depression. Nineteen adolescents (19 %) were diagnosed with postpartum depression and 25 % experienced high levels of parental stress through 6 months postpartum. Adolescent mothers who reported higher levels of parental stress were at significantly increased risk for postpartum depression [AOR 1.06 (95 % CI 1.04–1.09); p < 0.0001]. High levels of parental stress predicted subsequent postpartum depression when assessing parental stress at visits prior to a depression diagnosis to determine whether we could establish a temporal association [AOR 1.06 (95 % CI 1.02–1.09); p < 0.01]. Parental stress was also a risk factor for subthreshold depression [AOR 1.04 (95 % CI 1.01–1.07); p < 0.01]. Parental stress was a significant risk factor for developing both postpartum depression as well as subthreshold depression among adolescent mothers. Interventions that target a reduction in parental stress may lead to less depression severity among primiparous adolescent mothers.
Ketoprofen Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability Based on an Improved Sensitive and Specific Assay

A commercial capsule containing 50 mg of ketoprofen (Orudis), a simple capsule containing 50 mg of ketoprofen alone and 50 mg of ketoprofen in an aqueous solution were given as separate doses in a randomized sequence to 12 normal adult males. The areas under the resulting plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) were remarkably consistent for each volunteer. The bioavailability from the commerical capsule relative to that from the solution was 99.7%±10.5% and that from the simple capsule was 102%±10%. After 6 of the volunteers had taken the commercial capsule 6 hourly for thirteen doses, their AUC extrapolated to infinity was significantly higher (by 22%) than that after the single dose indicating, contrary to previous reports, accumulation upon multiple dosing. The interdose AUC after the thirteenth dose was, however, statistically indistinguishable from the AUC-to-infinity after the single dose as might be expected from linear kinetics. The ketoprofen solution generated peak plasma concentrations in only one-third the time (21±7 min) required for the capsules (commercial, 72±45; simple, 61±39 min). Despite plasma concentrations being tracked over a 200-fold range, log linearity was not established within 12 h in any of the 42 profiles obtained. A two-compartment open model was fitted to the solution data giving excellent prediction of the time-to-peak and clearance (Cl/F=5.2±1.1 l/h) as determined by eye and by log-trapezoidal rule, respectively.
Protected Peptide Nanoparticles: Experiments and Brownian Dynamics Simulations of the Energetics of Assembly

Soluble peptides, susceptible to degradation and clearance in therapeutic applications, have been formulated into protected nanoparticles for the first time through the process of kinetically controlled, block copolymer directed rapid precipitation using Flash NanoPrecipitation. Complementary Brownian dynamics simulations qualitatively model the nanoparticle formation process. The simulations corroborate the hypothesis that the size of nanoparticles decreases with increasing supersaturation. Additionally, the influence of the polymer-peptide interaction energy on the efficiency of nanoparticle protection by polymer surface coverage is elucidated in both experiments and simulations.
Patient Understanding of Food Labels: The Role of Literacy and Numeracy

Background Comprehension of food labels can be important for patients, including those with chronic illness, to help follow dietary recommendations. Patient comprehension of food labels was examined, along with the relationship of comprehension to their underlying literacy and numeracy skills. Methods From June 2004 to April 2005, a cross-sectional study of 200 primary care patients was performed. A 24-item measure of food label comprehension was administered. Literacy was measured with the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM), and numeracy with the Wide Range Achievement Test, third edition (WRAT-3). Results Most patients (89%) reported using food labels. While 75% of patients reported at least a high school education and 77% had 9th-grade literacy skills, only 37% had 9th-grade math skills. On average, patients answered 69% (standard deviation, 21%) of the food-label questions correctly. Common reasons for incorrect responses included misapplication of the serving size, confusion due to extraneous material on the food label, and incorrect calculations. For example, only 37% of patients could calculate the number of carbohydrates consumed from a 20-ounce bottle of soda that contained 2.5 servings. Higher comprehension of food labels was significantly correlated (all p values were less than 0.001) with higher income (rho=0.39), education (rho=0.49), literacy (rho=0.52), and numeracy (rho=0.67). Conclusions Patients demonstrated deficits in understanding nutrition labels. Poor label comprehension was highly correlated with low-level literacy and numeracy skills, but even patients with higher literacy could have difficulties interpreting labels. Providers need to consider patients' literacy and numeracy when providing dietary recommendations. Opportunities may exist for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to promote changes to make food labels more comprehensible.
Strain-Induced Deformation in Magnesia–Alumina Layered Composites

Ceramic beams are induced in situ to form complex shapes at elevated temperature without the application of an external stress. This process has been demonstrated for thin alumina substrates coated with a layer of magnesia. The internal strain causing the substrates to deform at elevated temperature arises as a consequence of strain mismatch accompanying the penetration of the coating into the substrate. The magnitude of the deformation depends on the amount of coating applied, on the thickness of the substrate, on the density of the substrate, and on the temperature. During exposure of the beams to elevated temperature, the magnesia coating reacts with the alumina substrate to form the spinel phase; the resulting volume change accompanying the phase transformation is likely the predominant driving force for deformation.
Beliefs and Perceptions of Childbearing Women Choosing Different Primary Health Care Providers

The beliefs and perceptions of 60 low-risk childbearing women (n = 60) who had either nurse midwives or obstetricians as health care providers are identified in this descriptive phenomenological study. Interviews were conducted following childbirth, and participants completed the Utah Test for the Childbearing Year, which measures beliefs and perceptions about childbearing. There were no significant demographic differences, or significant differences in fear of childbirth, between groups of women having different providers. Mothers with physician caregivers had significantly higher rates of epidural anesthesia for pain management, higher levels of reliance on others, and less active participation in childbirth care decisions. Mothers with certified nurse midwives as caregivers participated more actively in childbirth care decisions and emphasized the quality of the birth experience. In this sample, differences in the beliefs and perceptions of women choosing different health care providers are identified. The importance of a philosophical fit with care providers and availability of options that are congruent with the individualized needs of childbearing women is evident from the study findings.
CleanTax: A Framework for Reasoning about Taxonomies

The CleanTax framework relates (aligns) taxonomies (inclusion hierarchies) to one another using relations drawn from the RCC-5 algebra. The taxonomies, represented as partial orders with additional constraints, can frequently (but not always) be represented with RCC-5 relations as well. Given two aligned taxonomies, CleanTax can infer new relations (articulations) between their concepts, detect inconsistent alignments, and merge taxonomies. Inference and inconsistency detection can be performed by a variety of reasoners, and in cases where all relations can be described by the RCC5 algebra, qualitative spatial reasoners may be applied. When inferring new articulations between taxonomies, CleanTax often poses many highly related queries of the nature “given what we know about the relations between two taxonomies, T1 and T2, what do we know about the relationship between concept A in T1 and concept B in T2?” This context of posing many (millions) of simple, but highly related queries motivates the need for qualitative reasoning systems that can perform batch jobs and leverage reasoning performed in the past to optimize answering queries about similar situations. This paper describes the CleanTax framework and argues for the development of benchmarks that take throughput into consideration, as well as single-query response time.
Glycomic and transcriptomic response of GSC11 glioblastoma stem cells to STAT3 phosphorylation inhibition and serum-induced differentiation

A glioblastoma stem cell (GSC) line, GSC11, grows as neurospheres in serum-free media supplemented with EGF (epidermal growth factor) and bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor), and, if implanted in nude mice brains, will recapitulate high-grade glial tumors. Treatment with a STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) phosphorylation inhibitor (WP1193) or 10% FBS (fetal bovine serum) both led to a decrease in expression of the stem cell marker CD133 in GSC11 cells, but differed in phenotype changes. Altered glycolipid profiles were associated with some differentially expressed glycogenes. In serum treated cells, an overall increase in glycosphingolipids may be due to increased expression of ST6GALNAC2, a sialyltransferase. Serum treated cells express more phosphatidylcholine (PC), short chain sphingomyelin (SM) and unsaturated long chain phosphatidylinositol (PI). Decrease of a few glycosphingolipids in the STAT3 phosphorylation inhibited cells may be linked to decreased transcripts of ST6GALNAC2 and UGCGL2, a glucosylceramide synthase. A rare 3-sulfoglucuronylparagloboside carrying HNK1 (human natural killer-1) epitope was found expressed in the GSC11 and the phenotypically differentiated cells. Its up-regulation correlates with increased transcripts of a HNK1 biosynthesis gene, B3GAT2 after serum treatment. Taken together with a quantitative phosphoproteomic study of the same GSC line (C. L. Nilsson, et al. J. Proteome Res. 2010, 9, 430-443), this report represents the most complete systems biology study of cancer stem cell (CSC) differentiation to date. The synergies derived by the combination of glycomic, transcriptomic and phosphoproteomic data may aid our understanding of intracellular and cell-surface events associated with CSC differentiation.
East Asian Art and Material Culture: A Study of International Relations

East Asian Art and American Culture:. Study In International Relations, Warren I. Cohen. New York: Columbia University Press. 1992. 264 pp. $32.50 (cloth).
A novel F-box protein is required for caspase activation during cellular remodeling in Drosophila

Terminal differentiation of male germ cells in Drosophila and mammals requires extensive cytoarchitectural remodeling, the elimination of many organelles, and a large reduction in cell volume. The associated process, termed spermatid individualization, is facilitated by the apoptotic machinery, including caspases, but does not result in cell death. From a screen for genes defective in caspase activation in this system, we isolated a novel F-box protein, which we termed Nutcracker, that is strictly required for caspase activation and sperm differentiation. Nutcracker interacts through its F-box domain with members of a Cullin-1-based ubiquitin ligase complex (SCF): Cullin-1 and SkpA. This ubiquitin ligase does not regulate the stability of the caspase inhibitors DIAP1 and DIAP2, but physically binds Bruce, a BIR-containing giant protein involved in apoptosis regulation. Furthermore, nutcracker mutants disrupt proteasome activity without affecting their distribution. These findings define a new SCF complex required for caspase activation during sperm differentiation and highlight the role of regulated proteolysis during this process.
Can An Evolutionary Process Create English Text

Critics of the conventional theory of biological evolution have asserted that while natural processes might result in some limited diversity, nothing fundamentally new can arise from “random” evolution. In response, biologists such as Richard Dawkins have demonstrated that a computer program can generate a specific short phrase via evolution-like iterations starting with random gibberish. While such demonstrations are intriguing, they are flawed in that they have a fixed, pre-specified future target, whereas in real biological evolution there is no fixed future target, but only a complicated “fitness landscape.” In this study, a significantly more sophisticated evolutionary scheme is employed to produce text segments reminiscent of a Charles Dickens novel. The aggregate size of these segments is larger than the computer program and the input Dickens text, even when comparing compressed data (as a measure of information content).
Water waves of finite amplitude on a sloping beach

In this paper, we investigate the behaviour of a wave as it climbs a sloping beach. Explicit solutions of the equations of the non-linear inviscid shallow-water theory are obtained for several physically interesting wave-forms. In particular it is shown that waves can climb a sloping beach without breaking. Formulae for the motions of the instantaneous shoreline as well as the time histories of specific wave-forms are presented.
Supporting high-bandwidth navigation in object-bases

Magritte is an attempt to construct a high-bandwidth front-end to an object-base containing meta-data about SCAD designs. SCAD is a small part of a family of visualization applications where the end-user concurrently manipulates large collections of active data. Such end-user interfaces require a different paradigm of interaction than the object-at-a-time interfaces of current databases. Proposals here can be divided into mechanisms for scene creation and those for scene integration. The former allow a user to create a single scene with ease. The latter help in desktop management by allowing scenes to be combined and correlated. The implementation experience points out a number of shortcomings in current database offerings that need to be solved so as to ease the design of high-bandwidth front-ends. >
Impact of Strategic Type on Success Measures for Product Development Projects

Does the strategic type of firm affect which success measures should be used for product development (PD) projects? This paper theorizes that it should and finds that it does because the PD projects undertaken are usually an expression of the strategic type of the firm. The purpose of this research is to affirm a 1996 survey of members of the Product Development & Management Association (PDMA) that proposes that firms' PD performance measures should vary by their strategic type. Thus, for example, prospectors, the strategic type most likely to introduce new products to new markets, should place greater importance on PD success measures consistent with their characteristic strategies of changing product lines and early market entry. In contrast, defenders, the strategic type most likely to maintain stable product lines for existing markets, should place greater importance on PD success measures consistent with their characteristic strategies of stable product lines and market penetration. Analyzers, a hybrid type between prospectors and defenders, should prefer measures consistent with their characteristic strategies for improving products and being early followers in newer markets. To relate strategic types to specific success measures for PD projects, this paper proposes a model of the relationship based on the degree of project newness to the firm and then catalogs measures of PD project success and groups them according to degree of project newness. The research findings are based on survey responses from 222 individuals who are employed by financial service providers, who identified their firms by strategic type and rated the importance of PD success measures to their firms. The importance of 21 performance measures is compared by strategic type to find significant differences among prospectors, analyzers, and defenders. This research finds several significant relationships. prospectors, for example, attach greater importance to customer satisfaction, launch timeliness, and product return on investment, all of which may be characterized as relating to a higher degree of project newness to the firm. defenders and analyzers, on the other hand, attach more importance than prospectors to measures of unit volume, cost reduction, and margin goals, all of which relate to a lower degree of project newness to the firm. In short, because prospectors seek to introduce new products to new markets, they consider important those measures, which accord with greater product and market newness. The major conclusion of this paper is that strategic type affects the importance of project performance measures and that all firms should not use the same success measures. Firms should contextualize their success in PD projects based on their strategic type. This conclusion resonates with previous findings that strategy is a key determinant of PD success, though it is infrequently included in PD success studies. This paper, therefore, challenges the implicit assumption in the mainstream of PD success literature that success can be determined without regard to firm strategy.
Cognition and Emotion Lecture at the 2010 SPSP Emotion Preconference

One of the most fundamental distinctions in the field of emotion is the distinction between emotion generation and emotion regulation. This distinction fits comfortably with folk theories, which view emotions as passions that arise unbidden and then must be controlled. But is it really helpful to distinguish between emotion generation and emotion regulation? In this article, we begin by offering working definitions of emotion generation and emotion regulation. We argue that in some circumstances, the distinction between emotion generation and emotion regulation is indeed useful. We point both to citation patterns, which indicate that researchers from across a number of sub-areas within psychology are making this distinction, and to empirical studies, which indicate the utility of this distinction in many different research contexts. We then consider five ways in which the distinction between emotion generation and emotion regulation can be problematic. We suggest that it is time to move beyond debates about whether this distinction is useful to a more specific consideration of when and in what ways this distinction is useful, and in this spirit, we offer recommendations for future research.
Blind beamforming on a randomly distributed sensor array system

We consider a digital signal processing sensor array system, based on randomly distributed sensor nodes, for surveillance and source localization applications. In most array processing the sensor array geometry is fixed and known and the steering array vector/manifold information is used in beamformation. In this system, array calibration may be impractical due to unknown placement and orientation of the sensors with unknown frequency/spatial responses. This paper proposes a blind beamforming technique, using only the measured sensor data, to form either a sample data or a sample correlation matrix. The maximum power collection criterion is used to obtain array weights from the dominant eigenvector associated with the largest eigenvalue of a matrix eigenvalue problem. Theoretical justification of this approach uses a generalization of Szego's (1958) theory of the asymptotic distribution of eigenvalues of the Toeplitz form. An efficient blind beamforming time delay estimate of the dominant source is proposed. Source localization based on a least squares (LS) method for time delay estimation is also given. Results based on analysis, simulation, and measured acoustical sensor data show the effectiveness of this beamforming technique for signal enhancement and space-time filtering.
Development of a scanning laser crack detection technique for corrosion fatigue testing of fine wire

A scanning laser crack detection technique has been developed for use in corrosion fatigue testing of fine metallic wires. The technique has been integrated into a computerized data acquisition and control system allowing the unattended operation of extended fatigue tests. The system is capable of detecting cracks with surface lengths as small as 100 μm, with crack opening displacements as low as 1 μm. Detection schemes of light loss and light scattering have been successfully used to monitor crack initiation in air and in 0.9% sodium chloride solution. The present scanning laser system has been used for crack initiation detection in over 50 fatigue experiments and has the potential for use in crack growth monitoring. The method can provide information concerning other surface phenomena in addition to the study of cracks. The technique has potential applications beyond metallic wires, including fibers used in optics and ceramic reinforcement fibers used in structural composites.
The challenges in adopting residual radio frequency identification technologies in the business environment: a consumer segmentation approach

In today's global competitive environment, organisations face a variety of challenges. Many organisations are adopting Radio Frequency Identification Technologies (RFID) as part of their information supply chains. These technologies provide many benefits to the organisations that use them. However, how these technologies affect consumers and their willingness to adopt the technology is often overlooked. Many of the tags remain active after the consumers have purchased them. These RFID tags, placed in a product for one purpose and left in that product after it has served that purpose, are residual RFIDs. Residual RFID technology can have many positive and negative effects on consumers' willingness to buy and use products containing RFID and, thus, on the business's ability to sell products containing RFID. In this study, we outline some of the advantages and disadvantages of residual RFID from the consumer perspective, then follow it up with an in-depth survey and analysis of consumer perceptions. Using cluster analysis, the study identifies three distinct groups: the moderate majority, the untrusting sceptics and the concerned realists. The characteristics and likely behaviour of each group are identified and discussed.
The LISP experience

This article exhibits programs that illustrate the power and simplicity of Lisp as a language for expressing the design and organization of com­ putational systems. Lisp, created in the late 1950s (McCarthy 1960), is, after FORTRAN, the oldest computer language in widespread use today. Despite its age, Lisp is still a "modern" language that continues to adapt to encompass the newest ideas in programming (Steele 1984). Over the past 30 years, Lisp has remained the language of choice for designing and prototyping complex programs, particularly in symbolic processing and artificial intelligence applications. Lisp's vitality is rooted in its power to express robust designs for com­ putational systems. A design for a system is robust if small changes in the system requirements can be accomplished by small changes in the design. One way to enhance the robustness of a design is to express it in terms of a natural representation of the problem domain, where each relevant entity in the problem domain is modeled by a computational entity and each relation or operation in the problem domain is modeled by a computational relation or function. With such an organization, small changes in the configuration of the problem domain can be accommodated by small changes in the configuration of the computational model. For a programming language to support such natural representations, it must allow programmers the freedom to construct appropriate com­ putational abstractions to represent the elements of problem domains. Lisp provides this freedom in two essential ways. First, Lisp does not limit procedural abstraction by placing arbitrary restrictions on passing procedures as arguments, returning procedures as values, and including
Structured programming techniques: a study of relative complexity

Abstract Since its inception, the acceptance of structured programming has increased to the point that most computer professional now recognize the benefits of using such techniques. It is also recognized that there is often more than one way to solve a programming logic problem through the use of “good” structured programming techniques. What distinguishes these techniques from one another? Are some more complex than others? Such questions are particularly important from a teaching perspective. This paper presents the results of an investigation in which a group of novice programmers compared the relative complexity of various approaches to one particular logic problem, the multi-level control break.
Use of Microcalorimetry for Determination of Order in Polymers

Knowledge of the degree of order in polymers is of great importance in understanding the morphology and the physical properties of such materials. Such order has been determined heretofore by x-rays, density, specific heat, and infrared measurements, but such methods are either inapplicable or inaccurate at low degrees of order. However, Maron and Daniels (1) have shown recently that both high and low degrees of order in polymers can be determined to a high degree of accuracy from a combination of heat of solution and heat of dilution measurements. For application of this method the instrument most suitable is the Calvet microcalorimeter, particularly when modified in the manner to be described. The purpose of this talk is to describe this calorimeter and the modifications made in it, and to show how the data obtained with its aid can be used to ascertain polymer order.
Role of reactive oxygen species in IL-1β-stimulated sustained ERK activation and MMP-9 induction

We have recently demonstrated that interleukin-1β (IL-1β) stimulates matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) induction. In this study we have investigated the roles of superoxide and extracellular signa...
Retributivism and Legal Moralism

This article examines whether a retributivist conception of punishment implies legal moralism and asks what liberalism implies about retributivism and moralism. It makes a case for accepting the weak retributivist thesis that culpable wrongdoing creates a pro tanto case for blame and punishment and the weak moralist claim that moral wrongdoing creates a pro tanto case for legal regulation. This weak moralist claim is compatible with the liberal claim that the legal enforcement of morality is rarely all-thing-considered desirable. Though weak moralism has some plausibility, it does not follow from weak retributivism if legitimate state functions are limited in certain ways.
What Can We Learn From the Word Writing CAFÉ

Guided reading is an important component of a comprehensive literacy program. Using this approach to reading instruction is beneficial to all students, including English-language learners (ELLs). While guided reading is generally used in the early elementary grades, this approach is recommended for ELLs of all ages when appropriate methods and materials are used. Teachers can modify guided reading to better meet the literacy and second language (L2) learning needs of ELLs. Building on previous work in the area of guided reading and L2 reading instruction, this article describes guided-reading modifications for ELLs, integrating reading, writing, listening, and speaking to build the four language skills. A lesson-planning guide and examples are provided for teachers who are facing the challenge of providing language and literacy instruction to students learning to read in their L2.
On the Practical Application of a Quantitative Model of System Reconfiguration Due to a Fault

If a processor develops a permanent fault during the execution of a task on a dynamically reconfigurable parallel machine, three recovery options are task migration to a fault-free subdivision, task migration to another submachine, and task redistribution. Quantitative models of these three reconfiguration schemes are analyzed, together with the cost of making the wrong choice, to develop guidelines for selecting among these methods in a practical dynamic reconfiguration implementation. A multistage cube or hypercube inter-processor network is assumed. The PASM and nCUBE 2 parallel machines are used as vehicles for studying the model parameters.
Factors affecting healing and survival after finger amputations in patients with digital artery occlusive disease.

Abstract Background Finger amputations are typically performed as distal as possible to preserve maximum finger length. Failure of primary amputation leads to additional procedures, which could potentially be avoided if a more proximal amputation was initially performed. The effect of single versus multiple procedures on morbidity and mortality is not known. We evaluated factors that predicted primary healing and the effects of secondary procedures on survival. Methods Patients undergoing finger amputations from 1995 to 2011 were evaluated for survival with uni- and multivariate analysis of demographic data and preoperative vascular laboratory studies to assess factors influencing primary healing. Results Seventy-six patients underwent 175 finger amputations (range 1 to 6 fingers per patient). Forty-one percent had diabetes, 33% had nonatherosclerotic digital artery disease, and 29% were on dialysis. Sex distribution was equal. Primary healing occurred in 78.9%, with the remainder requiring revisions. By logistic regression analysis, nonatherosclerotic digital artery disease was associated with failure of primary healing (odds ratio = 7.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 54; P = .047). Digital photoplethysmography did not predict primary healing. The overall healing of primary and secondary finger amputations was 96.0%. The mean survival after the initial finger amputation was 34.3 months and did not differ between patients undergoing single (35.6 months) versus multiple procedures (33.6 months). Dialysis dependence was associated with decreased survival (hazard ratio = 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.13 to 7.25; P = .026). Conclusions Failure of primary healing is associated with the presence of nonatherosclerotic digital artery disease and is not predicted by digital photoplethysmographic studies. Dialysis dependence is associated with decreased survival in patients with finger amputations, but failure of primary healing does not adversely affect survival. A strategy of aggressive preservation of finger length is appropriate for most patients.
Possible Lower Limit to Linac Emittance

Numerical calculations made by several groups have always shown that an asymptotic lower exit emittance exists for linacs operating with high beam current as the input emittance is reduced to zero. In this paper, a mechanism for this limit is shown to be spread in the betatron frequencies of the individual particles due to the combination of space charge and r.f. gap forces, causing different transverse trajectories correlated with the instaneous longitudinal position of the particle. These trajectories cannot all be simultaneously matched to the average restoring forces, resulting in an overall emittance increase if the space charge force is a large fraction of the restoring force. In principle, equilibrium distributions may exist which would not grow. Raising the linac frequency or reducing longitudinal emittance improves the situation, but higher injection energy does not.
SOCS3 Mediates Feedback Inhibition of the Leptin Receptor via Tyr985

During leptin signaling, each of the phosphorylated tyrosine residues on the long form of the leptin receptor (LRb) mediates distinct signals. Phosphorylated Tyr(1138) binds STAT3 to mediate its tyrosine phosphorylation and transcriptional activation, while phosphorylated Tyr(985) binds the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 and reportedly mediates both activation of ERK kinases and inhibition of LRb-mediated STAT3 activation. We show here that although mutation of Tyr(985) does not alter STAT3 signaling by erythropoietin receptor-LRb (ELR) chimeras in transfected 293 cells at short times of stimulation, this mutation enhances STAT3 signaling at longer times of stimulation (>6 h). These data suggest that Tyr(985) may mediate feedback inhibition of LRb signaling by an LRb-induced LRb inhibitor, such as SOCS3. Indeed, SOCS3 binds specifically to phosphorylated Tyr(985) of LRb, and SOCS3 fails to inhibit transcription by ELR following mutation of Tyr(985), suggesting that SOCS3 inhibits LRb signaling by binding to phosphorylated Tyr(985). Additionally, overexpression of SOCS3, but not SHP-2, impairs ELR signaling, and the overexpression of SHP-2 blunts SOCS3-mediated inhibition of ELR signaling. Thus, our data suggest that in addition to mediating SHP-2 binding and ERK activation during acute stimulation, Tyr(985) of LRb mediates feedback inhibition of LRb signaling by binding to LRb-induced SOCS3.
Question/answer adjacency pairs in a performance appraisal interview

This article examines the conversational structure of questions and answers in a performance appraisal interview between a manager and an employee. The results of the study showed that both the manager and employee used question and answer pairs to (a) demonstrate their understanding of the expectancy to ask and answer questions, (b) pro‐vide sequential implicativeness, and (c) provide close ordering.
Being a good nurse and doing the right thing: A replication study

This qualitative research study, a replication of a study published in 2002, investigated the qualities of a good nurse and the role ethics plays in decision making. After reviewing the limitations of the published work, the current study implemented modifications related to the research questions, sample selection, data collection, and use of software for data analysis. The original study identified seven categories that related to being a good nurse and doing the right thing. In the present study, the use of relational analysis led to the recognition of four categories: (1) personal traits and attributes; (2) technical skills and management of care; (3) work environment and co-workers; and (4) caring and caring behaviors. To understand what it means to be a good nurse and do the right thing is a complex task; however, this research adds to the small amount of empirical data that exists to describe those characteristics.
A more efficient implementation of the discrete-ordinates method for an approximate model of particle transport in a duct

Abstract We consider transport of light, neutrons, or any uncharged particles in a straight duct of circular cross section. This problem first came to fashion some 30 years ago when Pomraning and Prinja formulated their so called “pipe problem”. In the years to follow, investigators applied essentially every known method of numerical solution, including MMRW’s Wiener–Hopf – except possibly one. This presentation concerns that particular numerical solution, which arguably seems to be the most efficient of all.
Pelvic local recurrence in a patient with muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with interstitial thermal therapy and interstitial brachytherapy.

The patient was a 53-year-old man who developedhematuria in 2007. Cystoscopy revealed a 5- to 6-cm masson the left floor of the bladder near the ureteral orifice. Heunderwent transurethral resection of the tumor, whichrevealed extensive high-grade urothelial carcinoma invad-ing the detrusor muscle. Computed tomography (CT) ofthe abdomen revealed no appreciable evidence of adeno-pathy or metastatic disease. The patient underwent acystoprostatectomywithilealconduitdiversion.Pathologydemonstrated a high-grade urothelial carcinoma thatinvolved the posterior and left lateral wall, as well as thetrigone and dome of the bladder, and that had invaded thedeep muscularis propria. The closest margin was 8 mmposteriorly, with no lymphovascular space invasion. Onerightpelvicand2leftobturatorlymphnodeswerefoundtobe positive. Extracapsular extension was appreciated in aleft obturator node.The tumor was staged as T2bN2Mx (stage IV)urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. The patient completed4 cycles of adjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin in April2008. In August 2013, CT of the abdomen/pelvis revealedinterval development of a soft tissue mass around thesurgical clips on the left pelvic sidewall, for which he wasinitially observed. He presented in January 2014 with a3-month history of weight loss, nausea, intermittent smallbowel obstruction, worsening pelvic pain, and shootingdiscomfort in the left sciatic distribution. Positronemission tomography/CT in February 2014 revealed a
Gleevec (imatinib mesylate): A potential new oral chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of meningiomas

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 5978 Meningiomas are the second most common CNS tumors, and are mostly benign in nature. However, as much as 20% cases show aggressive behavior and therefore, are not entirely curable by surgery or radiotherapy, leading to recurrences and increased morbidity. For such cases, chemotherapy in the form of hydroxyurea or RU486 has proven inadequate, and no clear benefit has been observed, especially in the recurrent cases. This prompted us to investigate new targets for chemotherapeutic intervention. There is a substantial body of work suggesting the role of aberrant platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of meningiomas. We have performed immunohistochemical staining in a set of 18 meningioma cases, and found expression for both the PDGF-A and the PDGFR-α. Our hypothesis is that selective small molecule PDGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as Gleevec may be used in the treatment of meningiomas. Primary cultures of meningiomas were established from surgical specimens, and stained for EMA, Vimentin and S-100 to confirm their origin. Gleevec was used to treat primary meningioma cultures in-vitro. MTT assay demonstrated dose dependent decreased proliferation rate of meningioma cells upon treatment with Gleevec over a period of 48 hours. Gleevec treatment also induced apoptosis, as demonstrated by TUNEL assay at doses of 12 μM at 36 hours duration, and increased the population of cells in the subG0 component to 35% as compared to 8% in the untreated cells. There were no changes in the cell cycle distribution. Our results indicate the need for further exploration for Gleevec as a potential treatment for meningiomas.
Social Activities, Incident Cardiovascular Disease, and Mortality: Health Behaviors Mediation

Objective: This study examined the relationships between social activities, incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), and non-CVD mortality among older adults in the United States. Method: Data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2010) were employed. Two measures of social engagement, volunteering and informal helping, along with two measures of social participation, attendance at religious services and social group meetings, were included. Mediation models for health behaviors were estimated. Results: Multinomial logistic regression models demonstrated that volunteering provided the most consistent results in terms of a lower risk of incident CVD and mortality. Furthermore, volunteering at higher time commitments is related to lower CVD incidence and death; informally helping others at a modest time commitment is related to lower risk of death only. Health behaviors mediated the relationships. Social participation was not related to either CVD or mortality. Discussion: Social activity is a modifiable...
Notes on the Rodent Faunas of Two Panamanian Forests

Twenty-one species of rodents were trapped or observed in two forests in the Panama Canal Zone. Data on the ecology, molt, and food habits of seven species are presented. Among the terrestrial rats and mice, three species ( Liomys adspersus, Oryzomys capito, and Proechimys semispinosus ) were common in the Pacific slope forest, whereas two ( Oryzomys capito and Proechimys semispinosus ) were common in the Atlantic slope forest. Year-round breeding occurs in eight of nine species; Liomys adspersus breeds seasonally. Adults of L. adspersus and P. semispinosus molt during restricted portions of the year, but there was no apparent synchrony of molt in adults of Heteromys desmarestianus, Oryzomys capito, Zygodontomys microtinus, and Sigmodon hispidus. Ecological segregation serves to minimize competition among the rodents in both forests.
Adaptive Behavior in Automobile Brand Choices

From reported purchases of frozen orange juice and Crest toothpaste Kuehn [4] and Carman [2] concluded that a stochastic learning model by Bush and Mosteller [1] describes the sequential brand choice behavior of participants in two consumer panels. That is, the proportion of families reporting purchase of a particular brand varies with the recency and number of previous purchases of the brand in the sequence. Tucker [8] found adaptive behavior for a brand in an experiment involving repeated presentation of identical bread loaves with different brand designations. Throughout the experiment a significantly larger number of housewives selected the same brand in three consecutive trials than could be expected by chance. McConnell [6] replicated the experiment. Support for the hypothesis that learning occurs derives from overt brand choices in situations in which the same or a similar product configuration is repeatedly presented. The studies mentioned earlier focus on buying situations in which the replacement rate is high; that is, the time interval between purchase instances is relatively short, and changes in product or brand attributes are relatively rare. The studies ignore the consumer decision process during the time interval between purchases. The first step in the present analysis of lifetime sequences of retrospectively reported automobile choices by new car buyers is to test the hypothesis that the repurchase probability of the currently owned make varies with the recency and number of previous purchases of that make. This part of the analysis extends learning hypothesis tests to situations in which the time interval between purchases is typically long (over one year), and because of the annual model change over, a change in brand or product attributes typically occurs between purchases. The second part in the analysis is to test a scheme that relates antecedent ownership experience with the make currently owned to the consumer decision process during the interval between the last two purchases. THE SCHEME
Self Assembling Nanostructured Delivery Vehicles for Biochemically Reactive Pairs

Intrigued by the deceptive simplicity and beauty of macromolecular self-assembly, our laboratory began studying models of self-assembly using solids, glasses, and colloidal substrates. These studies have defined a fundamental new colloidal material for supporting members of a biochemically reactive pair. The technology, a molecular transportation assembly, is based on preformed carbon ceramic nanoparticles and self assembled calcium-phosphate dihydrate particles to which glassy carbohydrates are then applied as a nanometer thick surface coating. This carbohydrate coated core functions as a dehydroprotectant and stabilizes surface immobilized members of a biochemically reactive pair. The final product, therefore, consists of three layers. The core is comprised of the ceramic, the second layer is the dehydroprotectant carbohydrate adhesive, and the surface layer is the biochemically reactive molecule for which delivery is desired. We have characterized many of the physical properties of this system and have evaluated the utility of this delivery technology in vitro and in animal models. Physical characterization has included standard and high resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron and x-ray diffraction and ζ potential analysis. Functional assays of the ability of the system to act as a nanoscale dehydroprotecting delivery vehicle have been performed on viral antigens, hemoglobin, and insulin. By all measures at present, the favorable physical properties and biological behavior of the molecular transportation assembly point to an exciting new interdisciplinary area of technology development in materials science, chemistry and biology.
Use of a campus-wide time-sharing computer to run reaction time experiments

The present paper describes a relatively inexpensive and easy to use system for running on-line reaction time experiments under the control of a campus-wide time-sharing computer. This system puts the computerized control of such experiments within the range of a majority of psychologists and has value both as a research tool and as an inexpensive way to introduce undergraduates to computerized experimentation.