cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stigma, attitudes, and intentions to seek mental health services in college student-athletes

To investigate predictors of mental health help-seeking as well as identify topics for which college student-athletes are most likely to seek help. Participants: Student-athletes (N = 328) from thr...
Incidence of Initial Renal Replacement Therapy Over the Course of Kidney Disease in Children.

The Chronic Kidney Disease in Children Study, a prospective cohort study with data collected from 2003 to 2018, provided the first opportunity to characterize the incidence of renal replacement therapy (RRT) initiation over the life course of pediatric kidney diseases. In the current analysis, parametric generalized gamma models were fitted and extrapolated for RRT overall and by specific treatment modality (dialysis or preemptive kidney transplant). Children were stratified by type of diagnosis: nonglomerular (mostly congenital; n = 650), glomerular-hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS; n = 49), or glomerular-non-HUS (heterogeneous childhood onset; n = 216). Estimated durations of time to RRT after disease onset for 99% of the nonglomerular and glomerular-non-HUS groups were 42.5 years (95% confidence interval (CI): 31.0, 54.1) and 25.4 years (95% CI: 14.9, 36.0), respectively. Since onset for the great majority of children in the nonglomerular group was congenital, disease duration equated with age. A simulation-based estimate of age at RRT for 99% of the glomerular population was 37.9 years (95% CI: 33.6, 63.2). These models performed well in cross-validation. Children with glomerular disease received dialysis earlier and were less likely to have a preemptive kidney transplant, while the timing and proportions of dialysis and transplantation were similar for the nonglomerular group. These diagnosis-specific estimates provide insight into patient-centered prognostic information and can assist in RRT planning efforts for children with moderate-to-severe kidney disease who are receiving regular specialty care.
Transitioning Online Reference Staffing Models: Assessing and Balancing Needs of Patrons and Practitioners

ABSTRACTAs staffing models evolve for academic library service points, online chat reference services require strategic analysis to improve efficiency and effectiveness. This paper will examine the...
Everyday Epistemologies: What People Say About Knowledge and What It Means for Public Deliberation

Public knowledge presents a persistent problem for democratic deliberation. While especially salient for public participation in technical decision-making, scholars agree that all deliberations are best informed by quality, shared information. But what kind of knowledge is required in deliberation? Can deliberative practices foster requisite learning? Through rhetorical analysis of 20 small-group, public conversations about water policy in Kansas, USA, I sought to describe cultural understandings of public knowledge to inform future research and deliberative practice. Discussants voiced three epistemologies, which I label cognitivist, sociocultural, and behaviorist, each with distinct implications for democracy. I argue that researchers and practitioners should further consider how and when to foreground epistemological assumptions in deliberation. I also question whether facts are the most critical information for community self-determination, and instead argue that deliberators be pushed to openly discuss their values.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy and the Risk of Severe Maternal Morbidity by Prepregnancy BMI

Background High and low prepregnancy BMI are risk factors for severe maternal morbidity (SMM), but the contribution of gestational weight gain (GWG) is not well understood. Objectives We evaluated associations between GWG and SMM by prepregnancy BMI group. Methods We analyzed administrative records from 2,483,684 Californian births (2007-2012), utilizing z score charts to standardize GWG for gestational duration. We fit the z scores nonlinearly and categorized GWG as above, within, or below the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations after predicting equivalent GWG at term from the z score charts. SMM was defined using a validated index. Associations were estimated using multivariable logistic regression models. Results We found generally shallow U-shaped relations between GWG z score and SMM in all BMI groups, except class 3 obesity (≥40 kg/m2), for which risk was lowest with weight loss. The weight gain amount associated with the lowest risk of SMM was within the IOM recommendations for underweight and class 2 obesity, but above the IOM recommendations for normal weight, overweight, and class 1 obesity. The adjusted risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs for GWG below the IOM recommendations, compared with GWG within the recommendations, were the following for underweight, normal weight, overweight, class 1 obesity, class 2 obesity, and class 3 obesity: 1.13 (0.99, 1.29), 1.09 (1.04, 1.14), 1.10 (1.01, 1.19), 1.07 (0.95, 1.21), 1.03 (0.88, 1.22), and 0.89 (0.73, 1.08), respectively. For GWG above the recommendations, the corresponding RRs and 95% CIs were 0.99 (0.84, 1.15), 1.04 (0.99, 1.08), 0.98 (0.92, 1.04), 1.03 (0.95, 1.13), 1.07 (0.94, 1.23), and 1.08 (0.91, 1.30), respectively. Conclusions High and low GWG may be modestly associated with increased risk of SMM across BMI groups, except in women with class 3 obesity, for whom low weight gain and weight loss may be associated with decreased risk of SMM.
Methamphetamine-induced changes in myocardial gene transcription are sex-dependent

Prior work demonstrated that female rats (but not their male littermates) exposed to methamphetamine become hypersensitive to myocardial ischemic injury. Importantly, this sex-dependent effect persists following 30 days of subsequent abstinence from the drug, suggesting that it may be mediated by long term changes in gene expression that are not rapidly reversed following discontinuation of methamphetamine use. The goal of the present study was to determine whether methamphetamine induces sex-dependent changes in myocardial gene expression and whether these changes persist following subsequent abstinence from methamphetamine. Methamphetamine induced changes in the myocardial transcriptome were significantly greater in female hearts than male hearts both in terms of the number of genes affected and the magnitude of the changes. The largest changes in female hearts involved genes that regulate the circadian clock (Dbp, Per3, Per2, BMal1, and Npas2) which are known to impact myocardial ischemic injury. These genes were unaffected by methamphetamine in male hearts. All changes in gene expression identified at day 11 returned to baseline by day 30. These data demonstrate that female rats are more sensitive than males to methamphetamine-induced changes in the myocardial transcriptome and that methamphetamine does not induce changes in myocardial transcription that persist long term after exposure to the drug has been discontinued.
Public Engagement With Planetary Science: Experiences With Astrobiology and Planetary Defense

Abstract What are the goal, the aim, the objective, and the purpose of public engagement with planetary science? What, exactly, is “public engagement”? I am a social scientist with a PhD in mass communication. I cast a critical eye on efforts to promote public engagement with space science, assessing them in their broader cultural context. Since the 1990s, I have worked with a number of NASA science programs on communication strategy and planning, public education, and public engagement. I am currently working with NASA's astrobiology program and Planetary Defense Coordination Office. My primary justification for the planetary science communication and engagement efforts I have worked on is the need to fulfill NASA's statutory responsibility to “provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof” and ensure that decision-makers and citizens have access to clear, concise, correct, and timely information about these programs.
Towards Virtualization-Agnostic Latency for Time-Sensitive Applications

As time-sensitive applications are deployed spanning multiple edge clouds, delivering consistent and scalable latency performance across different virtualized hosts becomes increasingly challenging. In contrast to traditional real-time systems requiring deadline guarantees for all jobs, the latency service-level objectives of cloud applications are usually defined in terms of tail latency, i.e., the latency of a certain percentage of the jobs should be below a given threshold. This means that neither dedicating entire physical CPU cores, nor combining virtualization with deadline-based techniques such as compositional real-time scheduling, can meet the needs of these applications in a resource-efficient manner. To address this limitation, and to simplify the management of edge clouds for latency-sensitive applications, we introduce virtualization-agnostic latency (VAL) as an essential property to maintain consistent tail latency assurances across different virtualized hosts. VAL requires that an application experience similar latency distributions on a shared host as on a dedicated one. Towards achieving VAL in edge clouds, this paper presents a virtualization-agnostic scheduling (VAS) framework for time-sensitive applications sharing CPUs with other applications. We show both theoretically and experimentally that VAS can effectively deliver VAL on shared hosts. For periodic and sporadic tasks, we establish theoretical guarantees that VAS can achieve the same task schedule on a shared CPU as on a full CPU dedicated to time-sensitive services. Moreover, this can be achieved by allocating the minimal CPU bandwidth to time-sensitive services, thereby avoiding wasting CPU resources. VAS has been implemented on Xen 4.10.0. In case studies running time-sensitive workloads on Redis and Spark streaming services, we show that in practice the task schedule on a shared CPU can closely approximate the one on a full CPU.
US Trade Policies Towards Africa: Comparing the Obama and Bush 2 Administrations

The 21st century proved to be a turning point in the United States and Sub-Saharan African relationship. Evidences suggest that the Bush administration improved the relationship between Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States. Upon his election, President Obama was expected to build on this new relationship and more importantly, improve on some shortfalls identified by scholars and observers. This paper examines trade developmental policies of the Obama and Bush administrations and argues that factors such national interest, security concerns, influences of local and international institutions acted as checks on the Obama's presidency in perusing âfavorable' developmental policies within Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper also argues that unrealistic expectations might have exacerbated perceptions of Obama's legacy and that given broader institutional constraints, individuals can only do so much in shaping U.S. policies towards Africa.
Care labor, intergenerational equity, and (social) sustainability

Of the three sustainability (social, environmental and economic) pillars, the social one is the least developed. The 2020/2021 COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted why assuring social sustainability r...
Outcomes of inpatient cholecystectomy among adults with cystic fibrosis in the United States.

BACKGROUND Symptomatic biliary and gallbladder disorders are common in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) and the prevalence may rise with increasing CF transmembrane conductance regulator modulator use. Cholecystectomy may be considered, but the outcomes of cholecystectomy are not well described among modern patients with CF. AIM To determine the risk profile of inpatient cholecystectomy in patients with CF. METHODS The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried from 2002 until 2014 to investigate outcomes of cholecystectomy among hospitalized adults with CF compared to controls without CF. A propensity weighted sample was selected that closely matched patient demographics, patient's individual comorbidities, and hospital characteristics. The propensity weighted sample was used to compare outcomes among patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Hospital outcomes of open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy were compared among adults with CF. RESULTS A total of 1239 inpatient cholecystectomies were performed in patients with CF, of which 78.6% were performed laparoscopically. Mortality was < 0.81%, similar to those without CF (P = 0.719). In the propensity weighted analysis of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there was no difference in mortality, or pulmonary or surgical complications between patients with CF and controls. After adjusting for significant covariates among patients with CF, open cholecystectomy was independently associated with a 4.8 d longer length of stay (P = 0.018) and an $18449 increase in hospital costs (P = 0.005) compared to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. CONCLUSION Patients with CF have a very low mortality after cholecystectomy that is similar to the general population. Among patients with CF, laparoscopic approach reduces resource utilization and minimizes post-operative complications.
Impact of rituximab on COVID-19 outcomes.

Rituximab is associated with prolonged B-cell depletion and secondary hypogammaglobulinemia and is associated with a dampened humoral response and increased infectious complications. To describe the potential impact of prior rituximab therapy on clinical outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection and development of COVID-19 antibodies, we conducted a retrospective study of adults across the Mount Sinai Health System diagnosed with COVID-19 who received rituximab for any indication from February 2019 to October 2020. Patients' baseline characteristics, markers of disease severity, clinical outcomes, and antibody development were examined. Of the 49 patients included in the analysis, 63.2% required hospitalization for COVID-19, 24.5% required an ICU admission, and 32.7% died. Proximity of last rituximab infusion and COVID-19 diagnosis did not affect rates of hospitalization, admission to intensive care units or death. Over half (51.7%) of those whose antibodies were checked developed neutralizing anti-spike protein antibodies. The median time between rituximab administration and COVID-19 diagnosis was not significantly different between those who developed antibodies and those who did not (p = .323). Of the 14 patients with documented negative COVID-19 antibody titers, 11 of them survived SARS-CoV-2 infection, indicating that development of neutralizing antibodies may not be necessary for recovery from COVID-19.
Sequences and Series of Functions II

We consider power series \(\sum {{a_n}{{\left( {x - {x_0}} \right)}^n}}\) and \(\sum {{b_n}{{\left( {x - {x_0}} \right)}^n}}\) with respective radii of convergence R a and R b and write R = min{R a , R b }. We also assume that R > 0 so that R a ⩾ R > 0 and R b ⩾ R > 0.
A tool to improve space weather forecasts: Kilometric radio emissions from Wind/WAVES

[1] For decades, space environment forecasters have used the appearance of metric Type II radio emission as a proxy for eruptions in the solar corona. The drift rate of these near-Sun emissions is often turned into a speed, commonly assumed to be that of an MHD shock. However, their utility to forecast shock arrival times has not proved to be conclusive. Metric emissions can be detected by ground-based antennae, while lower-frequency components of these slowly drifting emissions can also be tracked by spacecraft in interplanetary space, as far down in frequency as that of the local plasma frequency. For a spacecraft at L1, this corresponds to about 25 kHz, or an electron density of about 7 cm−3 in the ambient solar wind. Here we report a recent study that aims to improve the predictions of shock arrival time at L1 by means of the low-frequency emissions detected by WIND/WAVES. This technique, implemented on an extensive sample of hectometric and kilometric type II radio bursts, has yielded promising results.
Finite Population Models—Single Station Queues

A finite population queueing model consists of service requests generated by finite number of customers handled by either a single or multiple number of servers. There are several practical applications of finite-source models including the machine–repairman model, multiprocessor systems, time-sharing systems, telecommunication models, vacation models, reliability models, and so on. In this article, we review several applications of finite-source models, and analyze the classical machine–repairman model in steady state to discuss related performance measures. Variations to the underlying characteristics and assumptions of this model lead to the development and analysis of a broader class of queueing problems motivated by these applications, for which we present extensions and suggestions for further reading. Keywords: queueing models; machine–repairman model; birth–death process; steady state; machine failure
Job market for tourism graduates: A case of Michigan State University

Abstract This article discusses the four-year tourism program of Michigan State University and describes the job market for the tourism graduates. Further, it cites the types of employment opportunities presently available and predicts their increased in the future.
Teaching the History of Political Theory as Philosophy and Science

This paper examines the possibility of using social scientific research to teach courses in the history of political theory. Three basic issues are examined: (1) the nature of empirical claims and assumptions in political theory; (2) the arguments for and against using social science to teach political theory; and (3) the limits and possibilities of using social science in the history of political theory classroom. I show that there is a significant empirical component to theories that involve the construction of political institutions. I argue that there are professional and pedagogic reasons to use social science in history of political theory courses. I conclude with general observations about the roles political and social science research can play in teaching the history of political theory.
The Comet-Solar Wind Interaction

The important roles of comets as natural probes of the solar wind, particularly at high heliographic latitudes and small heliocentric distances, unattained thus far by artificial space probes, is stressed. It is becoming clear the solar wind is not merely responsible for shaping and maintaining the cometary plasma tail, but is also indirectly responsible for the rapid ionization processes in the coma. Despite this, however, the detailed interaction of the solar wind with comets, which is underlined by the complex and time-varying morphology observed in the cometary head and the tail, constitutes a formidable problem, and is only very imperfectly understood at present. The current views are critically reviewed and an attempt is made to identify the dominant physical mechanisms that are involved.
An optimization framework for measuring spatial access over healthcare networks

Measurement of healthcare spatial access over a network involves accounting for demand, supply, and network structure. Popular approaches are based on floating catchment areas; however the methods can overestimate demand over the network and fail to capture cascading effects across the system. Optimization is presented as a framework to measure spatial access. Questions related to when and why optimization should be used are addressed. The accuracy of the optimization models compared to the two-step floating catchment area method and its variations is analytically demonstrated, and a case study of specialty care for Cystic Fibrosis over the continental United States is used to compare these approaches. The optimization models capture a patient’s experience rather than their opportunities and avoid overestimating patient demand. They can also capture system effects due to change based on congestion. Furthermore, the optimization models provide more elements of access than traditional catchment methods. Optimization models can incorporate user choice and other variations, and they can be useful towards targeting interventions to improve access. They can be easily adapted to measure access for different types of patients, over different provider types, or with capacity constraints in the network. Moreover, optimization models allow differences in access in rural and urban areas.
Excitation Energies of Bound States of O 17 and B 12

The energy of the ${\mathrm{O}}^{17}$ 0.871-MeV gamma ray was measured with a lithium-drifted germanium detector using the ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}(d, p){\mathrm{O}}^{17}$ reaction to populate the first excited state of ${\mathrm{O}}^{17}$. A result of 870.81\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.22 keV was obtained using various radiactive sources for energy calibration. Using this line and various others for energy calibration, the energies of gamma rays from transitions in ${\mathrm{B}}^{12}$ were measured and excitation energies of 953.14\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.60 and 1673.65\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.60 keV were deduced for the first two excited states of ${\mathrm{B}}^{12}$. Strong but nonconclusive evidence is presented for an excitation energy of 2618.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.5 keV for the third excited state of ${\mathrm{B}}^{12}$.
Physical activity and the pelvic floor

Pelvic floor disorders are common, with 1 in 4 US women reporting moderate to severe symptoms of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, or fecal incontinence. Given the high societal burden of these disorders, identifying potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial. Physical activity is one such potentially modifiable risk factor; the large number of girls and women participating in sport and strenuous training regimens increases the need to understand associated risks and benefits of these exposures. The aim of this review was to summarize studies reporting the association between physical activity and pelvic floor disorders. Most studies are cross-sectional and most include small numbers of participants. The primary findings of this review include that urinary incontinence during exercise is common and is more prevalent in women during high-impact sports. Mild to moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, decreases both the odds of having and the risk of developing urinary incontinence. In older women, mild to moderate activity also decreases the odds of having fecal incontinence; however, young women participating in high-intensity activity are more likely to report anal incontinence than less active women. Scant data suggest that in middle-aged women, lifetime physical activity increases the odds of stress urinary incontinence slightly and does not increase the odds of pelvic organ prolapse. Women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse are more likely to report a history of heavy work than controls; however, women recruited from the community with pelvic organ prolapse on examination report similar lifetime levels of strenuous activity as women without this examination finding. Data are insufficient to determine whether strenuous activity while young predisposes to pelvic floor disorders later in life. The existing literature suggests that most physical activity does not harm the pelvic floor and does provide numerous health benefits for women. However, future research is needed to fill the many gaps in our knowledge. Prospective studies are needed in all populations, including potentially vulnerable women, such as those with high genetic risk, levator ani muscle injury, or asymptomatic pelvic organ prolapse, and on women during potentially vulnerable life periods, such as the early postpartum or postoperative periods.
Microengineering tools to study cellular mechanotransduction

Cells respond to many signals from their local environment, as a result of contact with solid-state surfaces, soluble agents, neighboring cells, and mechanical forces. We are investigating the interactions between these signals to understand how cells integrate the mechanical and biochemical signals in regulating endothelial cell function. Using conventional and unconventional microfabrication approaches originally developed in the semiconductor industry, we are engineering well-defined cellular microenvironments to examine how cells recognize and respond to different cues in their microenvironment. In particular, we are interested in understanding how integrins, cadherins, growth factors, and mechanical cues cooperate to control cytoskeletal structure and mechanics, cell proliferation, and differentiation. We will discuss our approaches to control compositional chemistry, mechanical properties, architecture, and geometry of surfaces, and how these factors regulate cells. Thus, we hope to better understand the fundamental mechanisms that drive tissue organization, while building infrastructure to use microchips to integrate, manipulate, and study living cells.
Life Exposed: Biological Citizenship after Chernobyl

Life Exposed: Biological Citizenship after Chernobyl. Adriana Petryna. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002. xvii. 264 pp.
Schoolwide Planning to Improve Paraeducator Supports

This study chronicled the use of a process of planning for paraeducator supports, by teams in 46 schools, in 13 states during the 2000–2001 and 2001–2002 school years. Data reflect the utilization and outcomes of the process along with the perspectives of 331 individual team members. Findings indicated that the process assisted school teams in self-assessing their paraeducator practices, identifying priorities, and developing action plans and implementing them. Individual team members reported that the process did what it purported to do and rated it highly on consumer-oriented variables. Culminating reports documented impact on school personnel and student outcomes. Implications for schools and future use are discussed for improving paraeducator supports and educational supports for students with disabilities.
Anatomic findings and complications after surgical treatment of chronic, partial distal biceps tendon tears: a case cohort comparison study.

Purpose To describe pertinent anatomic findings during repair of chronic, partial distal biceps tendon tears and to compare the complications of surgery with a similar cohort of acute, complete tears. Methods Group 1 included 14 patients (15 elbows) with partial tears managed operatively an average of 10 months from onset of injury or symptoms. Group 2 included a matched cohort of 16 patients (17 elbows) treated for complete, acute tears an average of 19 days from injury. A retrospective review of all 30 patients focused on demographic data, intraoperative findings, and postoperative complications. A single, anterior incision was used in all cases with multiple suture anchors or a bicortical toggling button for fixation of the repair. Results We evaluated 27 men and 3 women with an average age of 55 years (group 1) and 48 years (group 2). Intratendinous ganglion formation at the site of rupture of the degenerative tendon was observed in 5 cases of partial tears and none of the complete tears. Partial tears involved the lateral aspect or short head of the biceps tendon insertion in all cases. Postoperative complications included lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve neuritis in 8 group 1 patients and 6 group 2 patients and transient posterior interosseus nerve palsy in 3 group 1 patients. Conclusions Partial distal biceps tendon ruptures showed a consistent pattern of pathology involving disruption of the lateral side of the tendon insertion involving the small head of the biceps. Degenerative intratendinous ganglion formation was present in one third of cases. Repair of chronic, partial distal biceps tendon injuries may have a higher incidence of posterior interosseous and lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve palsies. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic III.
Some North American Relatives of Aphalara Calthae Linnaeus (Homoptera: Chermidae)

Although all published data and records indicate that Aphalara calthae Linnaeus occurs in North America, to the best of my knowledge there are no authentic records or data for these conclusions. All members of this genus with an elongate, cylindrical clypeus have been considered to be calthae Linn, with the exception of A. nubifera Patch recognized as a distinct species by Miss Patch and Mally's polygoni recognized as a distinct species by Mr. Mally and the recognition corroborated by Miss Patch; however the polygoni of Forster according to European investigators is synonymous with calthae Linn, and consequently Mally's polygoni has been considered synonymous with calthae Linn.
Patient Survival and Renal Recovery in Acute Renal Failure: Randomized Comparison of Cellulose Acetate and Polysulfone Membrane Dialyzers

OBJECTIVE To investigate survival and renal recovery after dialysis in patients with acute renal failure with use of synthetic membranes compared with substituted cellulose membranes. PATIENTS AND METHODS We prospectively studied survival and recovery of renal function of 66 patients with acute renal failure who required intermittent heinodialysis. Patients were randomized to exclusive treatment with either cellulose acetate (CA) or polysulfone (PS) hemodialysis membranes. Additionally, markers of bio compatibility (complement, leukocyte counts, cytokine concentration) were measured at initiation and 1 hour after initiation of dialysis among 10 patients equally distributed between the CA and PS groups . RESULTS The cohorts were indistinguishable with respect to age, sex, presence of diabetes mellitus, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, per centage in the intensive care unit (ICU), and adequacy of dialysis. Survival (76% CA, 73% PS; P=.78) and recovery of renal function at 30 days (58% CA, 39% PS; P=.14) were not statistically different in the 2 groups. Among 26 CA patients and 27 PS patients treated in the ICU, survival was not statistically different (73% CA, 67% PS; P=.61); however, the proportion of patients recovering renal function suggested a benefit favoring CA membranes (65% CA, 37% PS; P=.04). Additionally, markers of biocompatibility were not significantly different between groups among the 10 patients equally distributed between the CA and PS groups. CONCLUSIONS Overall clinical outcomes among patients with acute renal failure treated with CA hemodialysis membranes and those treated with PS membranes were not significantly different. The observed advantage favoring renal recovery among this ICU population treated with CA hemodialysis membranes warrants further investigation.
The impact of alternative operationalizations of industry structural elements on measures of performance for entrepreneurial manufacturing ventures

Using a sample of 115 manufacturing ventures, this study examined elements of industry structure which prior theory and research in the fields of industrial organization economics, strategic management, and entrepreneurship suggest are the most important structural characteristics of industries. Future researchers should carefully select the particular operationalization of industry structure as our research demonstrates that the influence of industry structural elements on measures of firm performance is strongly dependent upon the particular operationalization utilized. In addition, measures of industry structure were found to have a differential impact on alternative measures of firm performance, suggesting that different performance measures are not interchangeable proxies for one another. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A general integration method for radiative transfer in 3-D non-homogeneous cylindrical media with anisotropic scattering

A general set of integral equations is presented to solve 3-D radiative heat transfer problems in emitting, absorbing and linear anisotropic scattering finite hollow or solid cylinders with non-homogeneous media. By tracing a ray to compute the intensity,it is much easier to handle the spatial change properties including extinction coefficient. Both the continuous change property and step-change property are dealt with without difficulties. The solid angle integration in getting the incident radiation and heat fluxes is represented by the bounding surface integration. In order to avoid the singularity problem near the bounding surface, the surface integrations are transformed to new modified integral equations by mathematical methods. By doing so, we get more flexible general integral equations applicable to all cases (3-D solid cylinders, 3-D hollow cylinders, finite cylinders or infinite cylinders). This scheme has been verified by comparing the results with published data in the literature. It is believed that this method will be useful in combined radiation and convection heat transfer problems.
The Yin and Yang of enhancer‐like RNAs

Long noncoding RNAs are emerging as a critical component of transcriptional activation. Over the past few years, there has been a number of examples where long noncoding RNAs expressed from distal sites exert their activating functions on neighbouring protein‐coding genes. A new study in The EMBO Journal (Lu et al , 2013) now extends this paradigm by revealing a role for the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) in the regulation of the expression of long noncoding RNAs (termed Yams) during myogenesis. Importantly, the authors demonstrate a functional role for Yam‐1 in muscle differentiation through activation of a neighbouring micoRNA‐715 leading to downregulation of Wnt7b. There is converging evidence that distal regulatory sites commonly known as ‘enhancers’ are transcribed in a stimulus‐dependent manner as long noncoding RNAs (known as enhancer RNAs, eRNAs) and such eRNAs contribute to transcriptional activation of their neighbouring genes (De Santa et al , 2010; Kim et al , 2010; Hah et al , 2013; Lam et al , 2013; Li et al , 2013; Melo et al , 2013). Concomitantly, studies of long noncoding RNAs located in intergenic sites (termed lincRNAs, large intergenic noncoding RNAs) have uncovered a role for a class of lincRNAs (named noncoding RNA‐activating, ncRNA‐a) having enhancer‐like functions (Orom et al , 2010; Wang et al , 2011). These activating lincRNAs are enriched with transcription factor binding sites at their promoters and display responsiveness to differentiating stimuli (Orom et al, …
Highly Efficient Gating and Doping of Carbon Nanotubes with Polymer Electrolytes

Carbon nanotube transistors exhibiting high on-state conductance, carrier mobilities, and on−off ratios are achieved using polymer electrolytes as gate media. Nearly ideal gate efficiencies allow operation at very small voltages without the commonly observed problem of hysteresis in back-gated nanotube and nanowire transistors. By varying the electron donating and accepting ability of the chemical groups of the host polymer, unipolar p or n devices or ambipolar transistors that are stable at room temperature in air are also shown to be easily fabricated. With simple methods such as spin casting of polymer films, high-performance polymer electrolyte-gated nanotube transistors may provide useful components for and an alternative route to developing hybrid electronics.
Mixed Convection in Rotating Concentric Annulus With a Porous Sleeve

Numerical solutions are presented for mixed convection in rotating concentric cylinders with a porous sleeve. The porous sleeve is press-fitted to the inner surface of the outer cylinder. While the inner cylinder is rotating at a constant speed, the outer cylinder remains stationary. The main objective of the present study is to numerically investigate the flow pattern and temperature distribution as affected by the presence of the porous layer, the centrifugal force, and thermal buoyancy. A parametric study has been performed to investigate the effects of Peclet number, Rayleigh number, and Darcy number on the heat transfer results.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Neutralization of proANP (1-30) exacerbates hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

1. The aim of the present studies was to determine the role of proANP (1-30) in the regulation of arterial pressure. It was hypothesized that blocking endogenous proANP (1-30) would exacerbate the hypertension in susceptible animal models. 2. Pentobarbital-anaesthetized spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were pretreated i.v. with 1.2 mL rabbit serum containing an antibody directed specifically against rat proANP (1-30) (SHR-AB group; n = 7) or an equal volume of normal rabbit serum as a control (SHR-NRS group; n = 5). 3. Following a 1 h equilibration period and two 30 min baseline periods, rats were volume expanded with 3 mL of 6% albumin in Krebs' solution and observed for an additional 3 h to determine the effects of the anti-proANP on arterial pressure. 4. Arterial pressure increased in both groups compared with their own baselines with volume expansion, but was significantly greater in the anti-proANP SHR group compared with the SHR-NRS group throughout the volume expansion period. A maximum difference of 21 mmHg between the anti-proANP SHR group and the NRS-SHR group was observed at 150 min of the study (183 +/- 5 vs 162 +/- 3 mmHg, respectively; P < 0.005. 5. These results suggest a protective role for proANP (1-30) in the SHR model of hypertension.
Issues of Access and Excellence: New Faculty Expectations and Evaluations.

People who become educational leadership professors usually come to their new occupation with a range of skills and experiences. Most doctoral preparation programs in educational leadership however do not always prepare future faculty members to address conflicts that arise when the actual roles and responsibilities of the new faculty member conflict with either their own norms and values or the institutions’ norms, values, or mission. This case is an opportunity to consider how new faculty prepare for entrance into the professoriate. This case guides the reader through an exploration of faculty expectations of their students and themselves and how to plan student evaluations given students’ characteristics in the context and the culture of the institution. Future faculty members can benefit from a thoughtful consideration of themselves and how their expectations for themselves and their students affect the teaching and learning process.
Toward a unified and automated design methodology for multi-domain dynamic systems using bond graphs and genetic programming

Abstract This paper suggests a unified and automated design methodology for synthesizing designs for multi-domain systems, such as mechatronic systems. A multi-domain dynamic system includes a mixture of electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and/or thermal components, making it difficult use a single design tool to design a system to meet specified performance goals. The multi-domain design approach is not only efficient for mixed-domain problems, but is also useful for addressing separate single-domain design problems with a single tool. Bond graphs (BGs) are domain independent, allow free composition, and are efficient for classification and analysis of models, allowing rapid determination of various types of acceptability or feasibility of candidate designs. This can sharply reduce the time needed for analysis of designs that are infeasible or otherwise unattractive. Genetic programming is well recognized as a powerful tool for open-ended search. The combination of these two powerful methods is therefore an appropriate target for a better system for synthesis of complex multi-domain systems. The approach described here will evolve new designs (represented as BGs) with ever-improving performance, in an iterative loop of synthesis, analysis, and feedback to the synthesis process. The suggested design methodology has been applied here to three design examples. The first is a domain-independent eigenvalue placement design problem that is tested for some sample target sets of eigenvalues. The second is in the electrical domain––design of analog filters to achieve specified performance over a given frequency range. The third is in the electromechanical domain––redesign of a printer drive system to obtain desirable steady-state position of a rotational load.
RESPONSES OF VARIOUS SPRING WHEATS TO VERNALIZATION.

There is little information in the literature regarding North American varieties of spring wheat which are responsive to vernalization treatment. The same variety has been reported by different investigators to react positively or negatively to treatment. For example, Van Hoek (3) obtained acceleration of maturity when spring wheat was vernalized, but treatment of the same variety by Gmelin (1) gave no acceleration of flowering. Wort (4), using the same treatment with two different samples of Marquis wheat, found that the acceleration of flowering was 21 days in one case, and 2.6 days in the other, although growing conditions were similar. Kostjucenko and Zarubailo (2) and others suggest from experiments with cereals grown in northern latitudes that at least part of the stage of vernalization (thermostage) may be completed during ripening and that this partial completion may reduce subsequent reaction to treatment. The environment, acting on a developing seed, affects the behavior of the plant produced by the seed. Samples of various spring wheats (table I) obtained from the Departments of Agronomy at the State Universities of Illinois, North Dakota, and South Dakota,1 were vernalized in an attempt to determine which varieties respond to vernalization and if varieties grown in different areas respond differently.
Global production of methane by termites

Widespread destruction of forests and their replacement by grasslands may provide suitable habitats for termites, leading to an increase in their population and thus also in the production of methane1. We have carried out an experiment to verify the role of termites in the global methane cycle and to identify the uncertainties inherent in such global extrapolations of laboratory data. We found that termites are indeed a potentially significant source of atmospheric methane with an estimated global prodution of about 50 × 1012 g yr−1; however, the uncertainties in global estimates are so large (10–100 × 1012 g yr−1) that it cannot yet be proved that termites play an important role in the global methane cycle. Our calculations show that the production of CH4 by termites is probably <15% of the global yearly emissions.
Chemical Imaging Using External Cavity Quantum Cascade Lasers

We describe recent experiments using broadly tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers to perform hyperspectral chemical imaging of explosives particles and residues in standoff detection and microscopy configurations.
SPIRIT HEALING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EMOTION REGULATION

Abstract. Spirit healing is widespread across societies in diverse world regions. Its ritual forms appear in local, popular religions as well as a variety of organized churches. Although aspects of ritual, suchas the identification of spirits and use of symbols and paraphernalia, vary with culture and type of religion, there appear to be basic components of ritual healing process shared by its diverse forms. Using data on Spiritist healing in Puerto Rico as a case example, I first examine aspects of the interface between mental illness as defined by psychiatry and spirit healing. I then raise the question: If spirit healing is effective with some emotional disorders (as I have discussed in previous reports), how does it work? Emotional transactions could be considered foundational to most or all spirit healing rituals as they are to some psychotherapeutic and alternative-medicine modalities. One model of emotion regulation is proposed as a lens through which to view specific processes of change in feelings and emotions in the context of culturally specified ritual structures.
New approach to 3-D, high sensitivity, high mass resolution space plasma composition measurements

This paper describes a new type of 3‐D space plasma composition analyzer. The design combines high sensitivity, high mass resolution measurements with somewhat lower mass resolution but even higher sensitivity measurements in a single compact and robust design. While the lower resolution plasma measurements are achieved using conventional straight‐through time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, the high mass resolution measurements are made by timing ions reflected in a linear electric field (LEF), where the restoring force that an ion experiences is proportional to the depth it travels into the LEF region. Consequently, the ion’s equation of motion in that dimension is that of a simple harmonic oscillator and its travel time is simply proportional to the square root of the ion’s mass/charge (m/q). While in an ideal LEF, the m/q resolution can be arbitrarily high, in a real device the resolution is limited by the field linearity which can be achieved. In this paper we describe how a nearly linear field can be produced and discuss how the design can be optimized for various different plasma regimes and spacecraft configurations.
Cyclic nucleotides in the rat caudate-putamen complex: Histochemical characterization and effects of deafferentation and kainic acid infusion

Abstract Guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic guanosine monophosphate) and adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) were characterized immunohistochemically in the striatum of the rat. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate was associated primarily with fibrillar elements, some of which derived from cell bodies having maximum soma dimensions of 6–10 μm. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate was found primarily in relationship to oval or triangular somata 12–20 μm in maximum extent. Radio-frequency or suction ablations in brain regions—the ventral diencephalon, cortex and thalamus—providing or containing afferents to the caudate-putamen complex produced no effect on histochemical staining patterns or biochemically assessed levels of the two cyclic nucleotides. Loss of immunofluorescence to the two cyclic nucleotides was observed microscopically, however, following intrastriatal infusion of kainic acid; cyclic nucleotides in the non-injected striatum were unchanged. The latter histochemical results could not be corroborated biochemically. Radioimmunoassays showed no net effect of kainic acid on levels of the two cyclic nucleotides in the infused caudateputamen nucleus, whereas levels of these two chemical compounds were increased to 170–219% in the contralateral striatum. It was concluded that, as assessed histochemically, (1) cyclic guanosine monophosphate is primarily associated with glial cells and/or ‘glial-like’ neurons whereas cyclic adenosine monophosphate is found in relationship to neurons and (2) the striatal tissue elements containing these two cyclic nucleotides are organized primarily within the caudate-putamen complex. In addition, (3) immunohistochemical procedures for cyclic nucleotides may assay only tightly bound stores of cyclic nucleotides, whereas biochemical methods may measure both labile and stable pools. This last consideration permits reconciliation of differing results obtained with histochemical and biochemical techniques following intrastriatal infusion of kainic acid.
Parallel wire drift chamber with variable field shaping wire voltages

Abstract A parallel wire drift chamber, 68 cm2, with variable field shaping wire voltages was developed, built and tested at the University of Colorado. Data was obtained for various gas mixtures and field shaping voltages. The drift velocity did not remain constant for regions near the readout wire. Our results were reproducible within an accuracy of about 100 μm.